make bad art for the love of the game now!

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Hoppers

2026-03-06

Usually smoke from an access shaft is a bad sign. A heart thudding, boot pounding, comms blasting bad time. Not when it smells this good though.

I pull off the grate and drop into the shaft, taking care not to trip on the loose wiring. Another laz-patch fix, added on the rest. My home is coming apart at the seams and I'm powerless to stop it. That roasting hopper smells delicious though.

Sitting 10 meters down the tunnel, three techs orbit an insect laden grill. A raise of my toolbelt, a nod, and I've got a seat and a plate.

hoppers are something i stole from becky chambers' the long way to a small, angry planet. read that book, i beg of you. also this post builds on a stars without number game i played in, but there are like 2 people who will have that context and also maybe read this (hi cat & snow ^_^)