TIMESNAPPER - TIMELINE #819972364

(Timeline Tuesday #143)

Timesnappers are a species of large, dessert-dwelling reptile. An adult timesnapper will grow approximately ten feet in length, with a thick tale that stretches out behind the creature and four legs that sprout from the sides of its body. Each of these legs features a claw with three talons, their digits sharpened to dangerous points. The timesnapper’s teeth are also quite sharp, lining a massive jaw that takes up the entire bottom half of a timesnapper head. The most startling and unique part of a timesnapper’s appearance, however, is the upper portion of their face, which appears to be nothing more than a circular analog clock.

This species is incredibly sensitive to timeline vibrations, especially at a short distance. While they lack the organs to navigate the realms of sight or smell, they more than make up for this by connecting to various potential futures and selecting the best path. Using this method, timesnappers can chase their prey with expert precision, testing various realities and then following the path that yields them prime results.

In other words, if a timesnapper is hunting a snake, it can sense the outcome of chomping down its teeth on the right side rather than the left side, and then choose accordingly.

Timesnappers also have the ability to “snap” the flow of time around them, causing nearby objects to jump backwards or forwards within their reality thread. Someone who is attempting to catch a time snapper might get their hands on the creature, only to have it snap them backwards to the moment their pursuit began. Fortunately, this ability requires a substantial amount of energy from the creature, and they can typically only carry out a “snap” once or twice a day. It is often said “To catch a timesnapper, you’ve gotta grab it twice,” because after the first time they will usually send you back for round two.

This species eats small reptiles and rodents, rarely attacking humans, but they have been known to get aggressive if their territory is encroached upon. Unfortunately, these encounters are becoming more and more common as timesnapper hide gains popularity as a luxury item.