gradientdescent.net – chitin / leather / silk

September 12, 2026

In moments he’s plunged into utter darkness. His heart drops out of his stomach as he feels them briefly go airborne. There’s a jolt and the clench of legs clutching him tighter, and then the chittering of uncounted armored legs whisking him deeper into the mine shaft.

All the while, its one thought throbs through his brain with building intensity.

WANT. WANT. WANT.

What’s All This Nonsense?

September 10, 2026

A photograph of an embroidered image on marbled magenta fabric. The image is of a nude body, lying on its back. The focus is on the face, which has been hollowed out by a flame like a candle. Wax or fat or brain matter drips and pools on the ground. Superimposed on the image is the reflection of a light-skinned person wearing black pants and a red t-shirt. The reflection of the cell phone in their hand can just barely be seen. This is the reflection of the photographer in the glass framing the piece.

What am I doing here? What are ANY of us doing here?