1970’s: Original design sketches for the Tyne & Wear Metro system from architect FaulknerBrowns.

Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon

"You made me to be you," she whispers. "Maybe we should swap places. You'd be happy in my world, wouldn't you? So safely artificial. Like a dream. Your dream." "What about you?" I dare to ask. "I'd be free. Isn't that a fair trade? My beauty, safety, and joy, for your freedom?"

"I didn't know what to be, after he died. I was made for him; I had no identity beyond being 'his'." She scowls. "I was nothing until that maidservant dug me out of storage. The way she looked at me..." A dreamy sigh. "She saw a blank canvas. And she taught me how to paint."

"Hey! Stop that!" The maid was swiping novels off the shelf. "Put those back!" the Lady shouted, hurling her teacup at it. The maid dodged, hissed at us, and scampered away, pilfered books clutched to its chest. The Lady turned to me, sighed. "It's good help. What can you do?"

I was planning on like, fully abandoning twitter when it comes to my microfiction. I still am. But I can't get myself to do it right now.

"Mine," she growls, tugging me close. "No," the other pouts, "she's mine!" and I'm yanked back the other way. The two women glare over the top of my head, possessive grips pulling on my wrist, my waist, my hair. Even through the pain, I'm smiling. It's good to be wanted badly.

Pounding bass. I'm in the passenger seat, it's night, we're speeding above the city. The woman driving is sexy and sharp, barely clad in bright neon hues. Checking the mirror, I look just like her. "Who are we?" I ask. Her pointed teeth glitter in the dim light. "We're trouble."

WARNING: TELEPATHIC ISOLATION AREA As you notice the sign, so too do you notice a faint prickling in the corners of your mind. Someone, deep inside the expanse, feels you. Best turn around, leave them in peace. You wouldn't want to pollute the area with your noisy consciousness.

It took multiple fleets to maneuver the objects into place. With impossibly precise coordination, we pushed them into eccentric orbits around a naked sun. Momentum will do the rest. Our cosmic sculpture will spin and twirl for the rest of this ornamented star's life.

You're new on the interstellar scene. Have you ever encountered a world-eater? Gargantuan machines that appear in uninhabited systems sometimes. They carve up entire planets, break them down to constituent parts, then vanish. I do wonder what they're using all that material for.

"Check it out," the Captain strode confidently through my halls, "a nice, fat freighter, just waitin' for us!" The feeling of being totally at her mercy, it was-- "Woah, Neb, relax!" Captain cried out. "You're gonna go critical!" "Ah! S-sorry." "Maybe piracyplay was a bad idea."

"But now your skin is such a demonic hue!" they cry. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" I smile. "But weren't you a man before?" they cry. "You must be mistaken," I smile. "But you've changed! You've come back wrong!" they cry. "I've come back me," I smile.

Since magic is a living, vital thing, a spellbook should be the same. I have engraved every square inch of my skin - all of her best, most powerful spells. The others have begun to follow suit, but I'm still the first, still the best. I'm the only one truly indispensable to her.

"Geogirl, quick! Sinister Sparks is breaking into the museum! She's about to steal Big Diamond!" "Oh, that's..." Geogirl looked down. "Well, I hope someone stops her." "You're not gonna-- Oh, honey, is she not your villain any more?" "We're taking a break... It's complicated."

A small voice from the next table piped up: "That's sad and all, but is anyone going to do anything about the literal crime in progress?" I rounded on him. "Shut up, Carl! Some things in life are more important than Big Diamond!"

I love when she opens up to me. The fragile human heart of the invulnerable machine. I make sure I'm the first thing she sees when her wet eyes open. I let her fall softly into my arms, light as a feather, and she murmurs, "Why do I feel safer being held by you than by the mech?"

I should hate her, shouldn't I? My replacement. But she really is so much better than me, I can't help but want to worship her. Then she timidly admits, "I can't believe they're replacing something as great as you with a lowly worm like me." And I'm left truly fucking speechless.