#cyber's heart drive

[cybergrapeuk]

If watching Bluey taught me anything, it's as if imagination and playing pretend are how children LEARN!!!

how do conservatives think talking to children works? if a four year old came up to me and said “i’m a cat!!” i would say “really? what makes you a cat?” and they’d say some shit like “i have claws >:)” and i’d be like “oh wow, you do have claws. but wait, i thought cats had pointed ears!” and they’d say “they DO!!!” and then i’d pull up a picture of an elf and ask “is THIS a cat?” and they’d yell “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”

u wouldn’t say “fucking hell, Emily, get it together. this is the real world”

[curioscurio]

also to the random guy at the antique store: I saw you take out and leave that elon musk mug with hearts around his face and then drive away in your cyber truck. are you not proud of daddy musk anymore ? you abandoned the carcas of your golden calf yet rode away wearing its skin for all to see

[the-witty-pen-name]

Video Girl

Modern AU

Rockstar!Eddie Munson x Youtuber!F!Reader

Summary: Eddie stumbled across your YouTube channel when you posted a review about Corroded Coffin’s newest album. Now, he’s binged all your videos and your channel has become his “comfort channel” that he has on all the time while he’s feeling lonely on tour. When they’re invited to perform at a convention he wonders if he’ll finally get the chance to meet you.

Word Count: 7.5k

Warnings: pining; fluff; angst; cyber-bulling/mean comments directed towards reader; kissing; slowish burn; eddie absolutely down bad; substance use; cursing

A/N: he convention is essentially VidCon- I’ve never been to VidCon or any other type of convention before. I have no idea what I’m really talking about but this is like my best guess as an outsider as to how conventions like these may look? Sorry in advance. I really loved the idea of the reader being a content creator but I don’t know the details on how being a creator at a con would work haha I did my best. 

Eddie falls asleep every night to the sound of your voice. 

When the tour bus is driving overnight as they head to the next city, he rests his phone on the wall of his bunk, watching YouTube videos with the volume low as he tries to drift off. One of your videos had played as a recommendation automatically and he was too tired to turn off his phone. He laid on his stomach, too tired to move but still not fully asleep. 

“Hey everyone,” you smiled, offering a wave to your video's viewers. “I’m really excited for this video- it’s been literally requested non-stop since my last Corroded Coffin video-”

The mention of the band, makes his ears perk and he opens his eyes again- suddenly not as tired as he just was a second ago. You’re holding up a copy of the band’s newest vinyl and talking about how this video will be your live reaction to listening to it for the first time. 

Eddie usually doesn’t watch or pay attention to reviewers- he doesn’t really care for typical critics. However, he just ended up watching it. He smiles to himself as you excitedly tear the plastic to open your vinyl, and you show your viewers a tour of the record sleeve, the photos inside, everything visual. You beam excitedly at the included square posters and the book with the lyrics. You hold up one of the posters. 

“Literally the hottest guy I think I’ve ever seen,” You smile bashfully, the poster showing Eddie playing his guitar at one of their shows. Eddie can’t help but blush. “You guys already know, Eddie Munson is my celebrity crush- has been for like years… ever since the EP came out like what? 6 years ago? He’s gorgeous. Anyways…” You get back on topic, focusing on talking about the visuals and the album's concepts. You provide your own opinions and interpretations and Eddie can’t help but just really appreciate how much you appreciate all of the effort the band put into every aspect of the album. 

Eddie can’t help as his whole chest swells with pride with each of your reactions. You practically jump out of your seat with excitement at the riffs, the way you head bang to the drum solos, the way you pause and take your time to absorb lyrics. It’s so endearing. He’s smiling to himself as you go on excitedly. 

From that moment, he watched everything you posted. Your channel was a bit eclectic- album reviews, gaming, vlogs… he watched everything. Your vlogs were probably his favorite. When he’s in his bunk winding down, it kind of feels like being on FaceTime with a friend. He loves watching just the normalcy of your life compared to his. Sometimes, his heart aches for simplicity like that. He can picture himself there, sitting with you in your car after you went through the drive through, taking you to the bookstore, helping you cook. He wishes he could have something like that. 

“Holy shit guys,” you smile, you cover your face with your free hand while you hold your phone. Using his burner account, Eddie is watching your most recent TikTok that’s been reposted to your Instagram story. You show a paparazzi photo that’s been taken of Eddie recently, you zoom in and show that under his flannel and his jacket, he’s wearing your merch. “Eddie Fucking Munson is wearing my merch! My merch! Shit, this can’t be real. That’s my shirt!” 

Eddie recognizes where that photo was taken almost immediately. He’s walking out of the hotel they stayed in last weekend after their shows in Toronto. He and the other guys were leaving out the back entrance, thinking they’d be safe from view. Of course, there was a pap with a long lens. 

He’d been up all night, and he looked like it. His hair was even more unruly than usual, he was sporting dark under eyes, and he was wearing the clothes he went to bed in- old sweats and your shirt. He was embarrassed to have a photo of him like that circling around the internet. No matter how often it happens, he can never get used to it. It always sucks. 

But right now, you are so happy and it’s all Eddie can focus on. You’re smiling so wide, and he’s the reason for it. Your eyes are big with excitement and it’s like your joy is jumping off his phone screen directly into his chest. He couldn’t even care less about the picture now, or how he looks. It doesn’t matter. He’s just happy watching you be happy. All of his initial worries just melt away as you talk to the camera. 

“I can’t even wrap my head around that one- Eddie Munson knows I exist. And two, he’s watched my videos? Jesus Christ, I don’t know if I’m more excited or embarrassed,” you flush. Eddie chuckles. He likes the story and puts his phone down so he can focus. Later on, the same warm feelings bubble up again when he sees that you tweeted that since that photo began to circulate, you’ve gained thousands of new followers and that your tshirt completely sold out on your site. You tweet at him directly thanking him. He screenshots it. 

Eddie originally wasn’t thrilled about the band going to perform at a convention right in the middle of their break on the tour. A beautiful month of doing nothing now suddenly interrupted. However, when you post that you’re going- he doesn’t mind so much anymore. 

Apprehension clouds his mind once he starts to think about it too much. You’ll probably think he’s a freak- some creepy stalker if he ever admits to you how much he watches your content. Despite you saying many times that he’s your celebrity crush, he can’t imagine living up to any sort of idea of him that you have in your head. He’ll fall short, you’ll reject him, and he’ll never be able to live it down. It’ll break him. 

You’re a nervous wreck as you look over the schedule- your eyes narrowing on the line-up of live performances. How in the hell did the convention center manage to book Corroded Coffin? You haven’t been able to think about anything except Eddie Munson since your friend had sent you that photo. Your mind races with questions. You want to know how many videos he’s seen- has he seen the ones where you essentially make a fool of yourself talking about him? Does he even know who you are or is it someone else’s shirt? Is he a subscriber? You can’t even fathom that you exist in the timeline where one of the biggest stars on the rise in some capacity knew of your existence.You can’t even think straight. 

Fans are screaming outside the convention center as the band arrives in a large black SUV. Eddie’s palms are sweating, and he is more nervous than he thought he’d be. The anxious feeling he’s experiencing has nothing to do with the crowd, the cameras, the performance- it’s all because of you. Looking at the building they will shortly be escorted into, all he can think about is how you’re here- after the months of pining from behind the security of his phone, he’s going to be at the same place as you. He can’t let the opportunity to meet you pass him by. 

Jeff and Gareth shove him to pay attention when he doesn’t look up from his phone when the car finally stops. They exchange a knowing look that Eddie deos his best to ignore. He got wrapped up in photos of you- watching your story as you post selfies with your friends as you’re walking around the convention center. Your smile is infectious to him. He resolved a while ago it was the prettiest he’s ever seen, coming to terms with the fact that he's helplessly smitten. He tucks  his phone securely into the pocket of his jeans, and follows quickly behind his bandmates as they are ushered into the building safely. 

“Corroded Coffin just got here,” your friend squeals, as she shows you a livestream someone is taking from outside. You watch Eddie on the screen as he quickly walks into the building. He’s wearing the goddamn shirt again. Your face feels overwhelmingly hot as this begins to feel all too real. He waves to fans with a goofy, wide smile- sticking out his tongue and throwing up the devil’s horns with one of his hands. You watch his laughter and it makes your heart ache. 

He looks good. You’d think he’d look silly with the pink shirt but he looks so undeniably hot. He’s wearing black ripped jeans, heavy boots, and your baby pink shirt with the sleeves cuffed accentuating his tattoos. Your channel’s name is splayed across the expanse of his chest and you swear you short circuit. It’s only then that you fully allow yourself to admit that Eddie Munson not only knows that you exist- and he’s a fan. 

Your friends chatter excitedly, freaking out about the situation- because duh. Who wouldn’t be? You can’t even think because your heart is beating so incredibly loud and fast, and adrenaline is making your head throb. It’s a sensory overload, and you feel like you can’t wrap your head around it. You physically shake your head to try to subside the feeling. You needed to be on- you had to finish setting up your booth, be ready to meet people who subscribed to you. You couldn’t let yourself get bogged down by this, at least not yet. 

You hurried to get your table ready- tablecloth with your logo displayed on the front, merch folded into neat piles, your business cards in a small tray. Your channel name was displayed on a banner behind you that you had made to match. Your friends helped you set up the portable POS system as you set up a rack that you filled with your stickers. You didn’t really care if people bought anything, you were just excited to meet the people you’ve interacted with online since you started your channel. 

Understandably, a lot of people who approached your table immediately started asking you about Eddie. It was a lot of the same questions over and over but you didn’t mind that so much. They all had asked the same things you had been asking yourself- and you wanted to know the answers as badly as they seemed to. 

“No, no. I haven’t met him.”

“No, I didn’t know he watched my videos.”

“Yeah, it’s really crazy.”

“No, I didn’t send PR.”

“Yeah, no. I didn’t pay him to wear it.” 

Eddie anxiously shook his leg, trying to figure out if he could sneak away. Unfortunately, most instances- it feels like his time isn’t his own. He wishes he could just walk around with Jeff and Gareth, but there’s no way to safely do that. Everything needs to be planned out, timed out and they always need security. He doesn’t want to complain- it’s that everything needs to be a thing. He can’t just go up and talk to a girl. He needs to tell his security, who also needs to coordinate with the building security. It needs to be added to the timeline of the day. Before he knows it, there’s like fifteen moving pieces that need to be put in place so he can walk up to you. 

He knows it’s easier to just ask for you to be brought to him. He feels like that’s cheating. He’s the fan- he’s the one wanting the experience of meeting you. It makes him feel icky- sending buff intimidating security guys to ask you to follow them blindly- taking you away from the fun and people just so he can say hello? Makes him feel like he’d look like a douchebag. He understands it needs to be you in your world- he doesn’t want you to be the one who feels out of place. But then on the other hand, he’s drawing all this attention towards him and inadvertently to you if he does this. He worries about the scene he’s inevitably going to cause and he hopes you don’t resent him for it. 

It’s towards the end of day one. Most attendees are making their way over to the auditorium for some of the other live performances. Since Eddie figured most people would be heading to that while the vendors were getting ready to partially break down their booths, it might be the perfect time to walk around. It ended up working out more perfectly than Eddie would have hoped. 

Jeff and Gareth wanted to check out the other acts that were performing, so they went to go watch the concert. Eddie was able to walk around the near empty convention halls with his head of security following a couple of steps behind. He can see you in the distance. He feels warmth bubble up as he just observes your actions briefly from a short distance.

You’re packing up your merchandise and putting them into boxes, tucking them under your table to keep it out of the way until tomorrow. Three teenage girls cautiously approach you and you immediately stop everything to offer each of them a hug. You smile and chat with them- taking your time to ask them questions and thank them for talking to you. You ask them if you can take a picture with them and they nod enthusiastically. You wrap your arms around them like you’ve known them forever as your friend offers to take the picture. You hug them all again, sincerely thanking them for coming over to talk to you. 

Without needing him to ask, his security lets him approach you on his own. He stands far enough back that Eddie can feel independent but still close enough he can jump in if he needs to interfere. Eddie’s been racking his brain all day for the best thing to say to you when he finally gets to meet you. Of course, he has nothing. He’s so nervous and he’s praying to God that you won’t be able to tell. 

“Hey,” he says shyly as he approaches. He walks with his hands stuffed in his back pockets. 

Your eyes widen in surprise, though you guess you shouldn’t be that surprised. You try your best to play it cool, but you're not sure you’re pulling it off well at all. 

“Nice shirt,” you comment, with a smile. 

“I’m Eddie,” he introduces himself. He’s so shy, not at all like how you'd expect him to be. You can’t help but find it endearing. You introduce yourself too. 

“I, uh, I just wanted to tell you that I love you videos,” he compliments bashfully. “I think I’ve seen them all- I’m a big fan.” 

“Thank you- um, same. I mean, I’m a big fan of yours too. Not of myself, obviously,” you ramble, “Your music! Not videos, but yes- I also love your music videos…” 

“Thanks,” he replies, and you’re relieved to be cut off before you embarrass yourself further. “Listen, um, I wanted to ask- could we get a picture together?”

You straighten your posture and nod enthusiastically. “Oh, yeah- of course,” you reply. You go to smooth out your hair, and tug at the hem of your shirt. 

“You look great,” he insists and you feel flush at his compliments. You feel giddy, as he casually wraps his arm around your shoulders. He holds up his phone, making sure you're both in frame. You both smile and he snaps a picture of the two of you. 

“Do- do you mind sending it to me?” You ask. 

“Here,” he offers his phone to you, “Do you want to just send it to yourself?” You’re stunned. He’s trusting you with his phone? You text the selfie to yourself, and hand it back. 

“Thanks,” you smile. 

“Are you going to the concert?” He asks, “I was going to meet Jeff and Gareth… do you want to come with me?”

“My friends are waiting for me..,” you say, and you’re a little disappointed to have to say no to him. “We’re supposed to meet up there actually.” 

“Well, you can just have them meet us at the box if you want,” he shrugs nonchalantly. He hears his security sigh but he couldn’t care less. 

“If that won’t be too much trouble,” you insist. He shrugs it off. 

“Nah, don’t even worry about it,” he’s doing his best to be nonchalant. “What do you think?” He asks hopefully. 

“Yeah! I’ll text them, they’ll freak out,” you smile. You lean over to the security guy. “In like a normal way, they are harmless. The worst thing they’ll be is maybe loud. I swear.” 

The man offers a closed lip smile and nods. 

*** 

“It was just hanging out,” Eddie argues exhausted. He slumped in his seat and crossed his arms. The band’s publicist scoffs, pushing her phone across the table. 

“No, it’s not,” she chastises, “first, you wear the shirt. The pink tshirt was great- did wonderful; the public really liked it. But, then you wear this shirt again at a public event where it was confirmed this person would be in attendance. Then, you’re photographed with this girl and you didn’t think there’d be speculation? You’ve essentially confirmed a relationship.” 

“Wearing a fucking tshirt and posting a selfie confirms a relationship?” He retorts. 

“Not in normal circumstances, but you already know that there’s never normal circumstances.” 

“We’re not together.” 

“Eddie, this isn’t about lecturing you. Stop acting like a spoiled little kid. This isn’t about you- this is about everything you’ve built and accomplished; your band mates and their careers. It’s about all the people you employ. You can sit here and act like your actions don’t have consequences- and this isn’t about whether or not she’s a good person, or if you are or aren’t dating- it’s about thinking about the impact you have and why it’s so important to think about and plan these things.” 

“Literally no one would have anything to worry about. Her reputation is spotless, she does charity fundraisers, she makes YouTube videos about Stardew Valley for Christsake.”

“This time? Sure, but this isn’t the first time you’ve been reckless Eddie. You can’t deny you’ve done worse- this is just the newest thing.” 

“Jesus…”

“It’s better for optics when the three of you appear single.” 

“What the hell? We aren’t even dating! We hung out once.” 

“Eddie…”

“You’re telling me that people lose their jobs and no one buys our albums if I go out on a date?” 

“It’s gradual Eddie..  have you even given any thought on how this is going to affect her? The microscope you put her under? The swarm of crazed fans, angry and jealous and spiteful that it’s not them… you’ve sent the poor girl out to slaughter.” 

He recoils, shrinking further into the chair. Had it been that selfish and thoughtless? He didn’t imagine anything this upsetting could happen. He does feel like shit now- he didn’t think about how this attention would affect you. Maybe he had been blinded by his own infatuation. It’s not fair to you. He wanted to see you again, but maybe now he thinks he shouldn’t. You were so sweet, he thinks back on that day. He couldn’t imagine anyone hating you, or wanting to inflict that kind of pain his publicist is talking about. 

He looks at the pictures she’s trying to show him. The both of you chatting near her table- obviously taken from a distance and zoomed in. He’s blushing looking at you- of course he was. You’re both smiling, looking at each other and not paying attention to anything else. Then, photos taken of the concert. Sitting next to each other, legs brushed up against each other as you chat- completely ignoring the show. He’s leaning in close so he can hear you speak. Then, you’re standing next to each other, cheering and clapping for the performance. Well, more so that you’re applauding the artist, and Eddie is standing next to you- looking at you like a lovesick idiot. It’s painfully obvious that he’s into you. Now, he’s more worried if you picked up on that than anything else. And if he wasn’t anymore obvious in his body language, just to really drive the point home- he was wearing the pink t-shirt on top of everything else. 

“This is just the one post ET made about it,” she says, opening the comment section for him. “Look at the comments- this was posted an hour ago.” 

He can do much better kind of sad actually 

Mid 

She is so annoying

They both make me sick 

She’s not even that pretty 

Who even is she gross 

Why is she even there

It's obvious she’s just using him to grow her channel 

Eddie blink twice if you need help

Clout chaser 

Hundreds of comments like that kept pouring in. Of course, for every negative comment there were hundreds of positive- but Eddie couldn’t help but focus on the hateful things people were saying about you. He wanted to reply to every one of them and defend you. Who were these faceless, nameless assholes with nothing better to do? 

***

You had posted a vlog about your experience at the convention- completely leaving Eddie or anything Corroded Coffin out. You shared videos of you meeting subscribers, and you meeting your favorite creators. You shared fun videos of your friends and you trying the convention center food. However, as you should’ve expected, all of the comments were about Eddie. On your little corner of the internet, your following was overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Occasionally, you saw a comment that was obviously left by someone who sought out your channel after the pictures were posted- but otherwise, you were fine. 

You figured you’d be better off not to go looking for the negativity because you knew for sure you’d find it. Blocking and deleting is very easy to do, you decided a long time ago when you started your channel. You’re used to the occasional hate comment, and you haven’t checked your social media notifications on other platforms in so long. You were impressing yourself with how you’d handled the situation honestly. You figured you’d just stay offline for a few days and everything would mellow and go back to normal. You grossly underestimated the persistent attention that would soon hit you. 

When you tried to live stream for your most recent let’s play, you ended up deciding to end the stream way earlier than you usually would. You anticipated people joining to ask about Eddie or ask about the photos, but you underestimated the influx of viewers you’d receive. Your moderators weren’t able to keep up and the stream was completely overrun with spam comments and hate. You usually stream for a few hours but this happened about a half an hour into your live, and you decided to shut it down. You needed to regroup. You were startled- it was unexpected to say the least. You weren’t sure where to go from here. Almost immediately after you ended the live stream, you got a text. 

You okay?

Eddie had been watching? 

Yeah, I’m okay. That was just a lot. I didn’t know what to do. 

I’m sorry. It’s my fault. 

Nothing is your fault. You don’t need to apologize. I appreciate you checking in.

Of course sweetheart 

Sweetheart? You could squeal- just collapse on your bed and kick your feet. You wanted to just scream into your pillow. It was like that one text canceled out all the bullshit you just had to deal with. Thousands of people can comment that they hate you all day long, but you are the one he’s texting. You're the one he just called sweetheart. 

While you’re trying to decide how to respond, your phone begins to vibrate. He’s calling you. Your heart leaps and your stomach excitedly ties itself in knots. You hadn’t spoken to him since a couple of weeks ago at the convention. You gathered the courage to answer right before the call would get sent to voicemail. 

“Hey,” you answer, trying to sound casual. 

“Hey,” he replies. 

Eddie’s on the tour bus- he’s in another time zone that’s a few hours ahead of yours. He can hear Jeff snoring in the bunk under his and he’s sure Gareth must also be asleep. He pulled the draw curtain to muffle his talking, but he still wants to keep his voice down. 

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” He asked. “How are you holding up?” He winces. He hates that this is a thing. He resents that something like this would happen to you and he feels incredibly guilty. He did this to you, and you never asked for it. 

“I’m good- really,” you insist. “I’m just logging off. I think I just want to deal with it all tomorrow.” 

“I wanted to call you way sooner than this,” he admits, scratching the back of his neck nervously before he starts to lay down. “I’m sorry I didn’t- I really wanted to, but I don’t know- I sort of convinced myself you’d want nothing to do with me after all of this press and attention.”

“I do feel like I’m under a microscope a little bit,” you giggle, “But that has nothing to do with you. I was hoping you’d call. I’m glad you did.” 

“Our publicist isn’t too happy with me,” he explains. “Nothing to do with you-” he quickly makes sure to explain, “She just likes to plan out everything and she gets mad when I go rogue.” 

“So it was a publicity stunt?” You gasp, faking shock. “I’m kidding,” you reassure him and you smile when you hear him laugh. 

“Trust me, it was the complete opposite,” he reiterates. “Listen,” he takes a deep breath, “I really want to see you again.”

“I’d really like that.”

“Good,” he replies, and he punches the air victoriously for no one but himself. “What are you doing next weekend?”

“I’m not doing anything,” you say teasingly, “but aren’t you playing like back to back shows in Indianapolis?” 

“Fly out and meet me,” he proposes, “Come to a show and we can hang out after. We’re playing Thursday, Friday, Saturday- come to the Saturday show. Bring your friends if you want- there’s probably going to be an afterparty of some sort. Be my date. If you still can tolerate me after that, we can hang out on Sunday and do the whole like real date thing- I know this great breakfast place…” 

You bite your lip, of course you want to say yes. What girl wouldn’t? The guy whose poster is literally on your wall is calling you and wanting to whisk you away for a weekend. 

“Are you okay being seen with me?” you ask hesitantly, “Are we adding fuel to the fire, if we do this?”

“I guess so,” Eddie sighs, “but to be entirely honest- I don’t give a shit at all what people are going to say. I just care about you- I want to get to know you and see where this goes. That’s all that matters.” 

“I’ve liked you for a really long time,” he goes on to confess, “Listen, I’ve had like a really stupidly big embarrassing crush on you since like the first time I saw one of your videos. I don’t need any convincing- I know I want this. But like weird parasocial, celebrity crush feelings aside, I started to like you even more after I met you. To me, seeing if this goes anywhere is worth it. I don’t mind putting up with the attention if I get to spend more time with you.” 

“But,” he continues, “I know it’s asking a lot of you- and I know this isn’t easy. And you have to deal with so much added pressure. I fully signed up for the paparazzi and the crazy fans, it comes with doing what I love. I signed on that dotted line a while ago. I gave up my privacy and my anonymity, you know? You don’t have to be a part of that- it’s too much of me to ask of anyone.” 

“Can I think about it?” You ask and you bite your lip.

“Of course, sweetheart,” he reassures you, and you're so happy to hear he doesn’t sound upset or disappointed. You can tell he’s being genuine at putting your comfort first. “Here’s what I’m gonna do, text me your email if you’re okay with that- I’ll send you the plane tickets.”

“I can-”

“Nope. It’s my insane idea for a first date- I’m asking you out, so I pay,” he insists. “Look, if you decide not to use them, I’ll make sure it’s taken care of. Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of everything. Please don’t feel like you have to use them, I know this is a big ask. It’s ridiculous. But I think you’re worth it.”

“I will think about it,” you say sincerely, “I don’t want to rush into anything. I just need a bit of time.”

“You can have all the time you need, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere until you say the word.” 

***

Eddie has resolved that you aren’t coming to the show tonight. He hasn’t heard from you since that phone call, and he’s realized he probably scared you away. He knows he can be dramatic, and he falls into things too quickly, and he’s convinced he’s ruined his chances with you. He’s heartbroken. 

But the show must go on. 

Despite feeling completely devastated, he still gives the show his all. No one would tell he was going through something to look at him. He was giving all his energy, giving the crowd back exactly what they were giving him. He could do it. 

You kept telling yourself over and over again to just play it cool. You tried not to lose it in the back of the Uber in bumper to bumper traffic. You watched the numbers crawl by minute by minute on your phone, knowing which song in the setlist you were missing next. You worried when the venue security questioned the legitimacy of your passes, questioning you until you felt dizzy. You finally made it as the band was finishing up one of your favorites. So relieved you made it before the end, you couldn’t find it in you to care that you missed it. You hung back, and followed the instructions of the tech crew carefully so you wouldn’t be in the way. You let yourself take a deep breath. You made it. 

“Miss, do you mind waiting in the dressing room after this song?” Someone asked you, “The show’s finale has some flames and other large visual effects. It’s a liability to have you back here.” 

Understanding, you nod and you promise to make your way there. As the song finished up, another crew member found you and brought you to a security guard, who then escorted you to a room with “TALENT” marked in bold on the door- a piece of plain paper with CORRODED COFFIN taped underneath. He held the door open for you and you thanked him, walking inside. 

You felt very out of place, amongst Eddie, Gareth and Jeff’s things without them there. You were apprehensive and took a few minutes to find a space where you felt comfortable. Obviously, they weren’t expecting anyone. Clothes were strewn about haphazardly, stage makeup still left open and messy on the rooms vanity, their duffel bags thrown messily on the floor. It felt like a piece of their world you weren’t supposed to see. A TV mounted to the wall was playing the show, so you took a seat on the uncomfortable couch and watched the rest of the concert. 

You tried to practice how you’d be sitting when Eddie walked in. You didn’t want to be slouched but you also didn’t want to look too forced. You opted to just sit with your legs crossed- casual but not too casual that you felt frumpy. 

For their final exit, the band was lowered under the stage. Crawling out from underneath the mechanics, Eddie hoped maybe he’d see you there waiting for him. His face fell after the high of being on stage when he realized he got his hopes up again. Jeff patted him on the back, not needing to even ask to know why Eddie was clearly upset. 

“Come on,” Gareth said encouragingly, passing him a bottle of water. Eddie nods his head as a thank you, and the three of them begin to make their way back to the dressing room, thanking staff for helping as they see them.

When Jeff is the first one in the door, he offers you a wide, knowing smile. You move to stand up and say hello when Eddie sees you. 

“You’re here,” he marvels.

“I’m sorry I was late,” you apologize, “I was stuck in the traffic outside forever and then when I got here they asked me to wait here-” 

Eddie strides over and envelops you into a crushing hug. You were tense but your body immediately relaxed. You hug him back, not caring about how sweaty he is from just being on stage. 

“I’m happy you’re here,” he mumbles into your hair before pulling away. 

“Me too,” you agree.

“I wasn’t sure if you were coming,” he whispers, afraid the guys would hear and make fun of him for sounding so desperate. 

“Me either,” you giggle. It makes him smile again. His grin expands from ear to ear and all of a sudden, every little sadness he felt all night just evaporated. 

“We’re going to the wrap party,” Jeff interjects, pushing Gareth out the door with him. “We’ll see you guys over there.” 

“Wrap party?” You ask, intrigued. 

“Yeah, like the crew and everyone at this like after party thing,” he explains. “Should be kinda cool if you want to check it out.” 

“I’d like that.”

*** 

The music is blaring; the bass pulsing throughout your entire body and it makes your ears feel like they’d pop. Hundreds of people were crammed up against one another, and the smoke from a variety of substances wafted throughout the bar. Eddie held your hand, helping guide you through the hoards of people. He offered a head nod to people as you both passed- no one would hear him talk anyways. 

You travel up a few mezzanine levels until you’re both further away from the chaos. You can look down and see the crowded dance floor, but you are much more content with this calmer atmosphere. Leather couches and coffee tables adorn this floor of the club. Another bar is situated in the corner, with a line much, much shorter than the ones downstairs. You start to realize this is some sort of private area or VIP lounge of some kind. You see security positioned in all corners as the guard which led you and Eddie here takes his new position against the wall near the bar. 

“This is pretty much all crew, producers, management people, friends,” Eddie explains, “Just people who are close to us, you know?”

You spot Jeff and Gareth on one of the couches, in the midst of a heated discussion with another person you don’t recognize. Gareth almost spills his drink as he’s frantically using his hands to make a point, while Jeff is sitting with his back to him- talking to a girl who is seated on the arm of the couch. 

“MUNSON!” A voice booms over the chatter. Eddie looks to the direction of the voice. You watch his eyes light up, unapologetically happy. He drops your hand and you see him bolt to the person. 

“Harrington, you motherfucker!” Eddie exclaims, pulling the other guy into a big hug. “Shit,” he pulls away quickly, and returns back to you. With his hand on your back, he gently guides you over to the spot of the reunion. “Steve Harrington,” he introduces. Steve shakes your hand as you introduce yourself, and he smirks as he glances between you and Eddie. 

Eventually, Eddie introduces you to all of his hometown friends. They all attended the show- drove up from Eddie’s hometown to surprise him. Despite catching up with old friends, Eddie was so attentive to make sure you still felt included. He went out of his way to make sure you were introduced to everyone, and he bragged on your behalf about the success of your channel to everyone. He also made sure to fill you in if you got lost in the conversations. He’d explain the context of the inside jokes, tell you the bigger story that an anecdote was from… everything to pull you into his world, his real world. 

“We should get out of here and go to The Hideout,” Gareth said, “For old times sake.”

“I’m not abandoning top shelf shit for the skunky beer at The Hideout,” Steve scrunched his nose in disgust. 

“What’s The Hideout?” you ask Eddie as the group debates the next move. 

“A really, really, really shitty bar back home,” he whispers close to your ear. “It was where we used to play when we were just starting. It was actually awful,” he chuckles, reminiscing. “We’d play to practically no one on Tuesday nights at like 11pm.”

“You had the time of your life didn’t you?” you smile, knowingly. He nodded.

“Yeah, it was pretty fucking awesome,” he admits.

“Fine, not tonight,” Gareth concedes finally, “but we gotta get back there at some point.” 

“So,” Nancy says, changing the subject and turning to you. “Eddie didn’t tell us he had a girlfriend. We all had to find out on TMZ like the rest of the world. When did you guys meet?”

“Oh, um,” you begin, but Eddie places his arm around your shoulders. 

“This is our first date, actually,” he interjects, confidently. “So none of you assholes can say anything to make me look bad. I’m trying to impress her.” 

You bite your lip to hold back a smile. 

“So the whole t-shirt thing?” Nancy asks, directing her question to Eddie.

“My way of just trying to get her attention I guess,” he admits with a shrug, “Not that first picture though- I looked terrible. The second time though? Yeah, that was totally on purpose.”

Your face felt like it was on fire- you were overwhelmed with the way Eddie was so nonchalant. He was so honest, unabashedly so, with the way he spoke about his interest in you. You’d never experienced that type of attention, you didn’t know how to handle it. You don’t know how to play this game when he’s just put all his cards out on the table. There’s no guessing, no implications, no mind games- he just likes you. For the first time, in the craziest of circumstances, something you always found complicated is finally simple. 

He liked you. He pursued you. He got you. 

The drinks and the conversation continue to flow with ease. Eddie enjoyed sitting back and watching you fit in with his life. He loves the way it’s all just making sense. It’s like you’ve known his friends for years. You fit perfectly amongst them, and he just can’t help himself as he just admires you. He’s finding it so hard to play it cool, but he just wants to skip ahead to where this is routine. He wants you here, learning this side of him- engrossing yourself into his world. It just clicks and to him, it just all makes sense. 

When Jeff Gareth and him are inevitably pulled away to greet and talk with other people, he can’t help but keep checking back on you. He didn’t want to abandon you. He didn’t want to engage with anyone else here outside of the little circle he reluctantly had to leave. He should be paying attention to the names of these suits he’s meeting, but his mind is too preoccupied. He wants to just rush back to you, and intercept any embarrassing things he knows his friends are telling you. 

“I think you and Eddie seem really great together,” Steve discloses to you when the rest of the group is caught up in their own conversations. “He wears his heart on his sleeve,” Steve explains, “He’s not like how the tabloids and the news make him out to be. He’s always been misunderstood. I just uh- wanted to let you know that. He doesn’t do this, ever.”

Steve goes on to explain, “He’ll kill me for telling you this. But I haven’t heard Eddie talk about a girl since the whole band thing took off. You’d think he’d be like running wild and like getting all these girls- hell, that would be me. He’s very selective on who he invites in; he wouldn’t be doing all of this if he didn’t want this to go somewhere like for you two.” 

“I can tell he really likes you,” Steve continues, “I just wanted to make sure you know how good of a guy he is. In case you know, like, you had any doubts or anything. He’s not like that kind of guy. He’s probably the most sincere, loyal person ever- I just, you know, wanted to hype him up to you a little bit and vouch for him. And also just to ask you, to please not break his heart- don’t make him have false hope if you aren’t serious.”

You nod, understanding where Steve is coming from. 

“Back,” Eddie announces, jumping over the back of the couch to settle himself between you and Steve. “That was so fucking boring,” he jokes, wrapping his arm around you comfortably. “Best thing at this party is right here,” he gestures around the circle of his friends with the stem of his beer bottle, starting with Steve and working the neck around to you. He offers an incredibly cheesy grin and you laugh at his antics. You rest your head on his shoulder as he settles back into the group conversation, and you both miss how Steve smiles watching the two of you. 

***

The ride back to the hotel is quiet, Jeff and Gareth sit quietly on their phones in the middle row of the large car while you're cuddled into Eddie’s side in the far back row. Eddie doesn’t dare move, too terrified that he’ll wake you up. Your head rests on his shoulder and your body is flush to his. He silently curses every pot hole and sharp turn begging that you stay like this for as long as possible. 

Thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be anyone waiting outside for them. The driver pulls around to the back door- the plan is to sneak you all in through the kitchen. The band’s body guard opens the car door. Gareth and Jeff climb out and scurry into the building quickly. Eddie softly nudges you awake. 

“Keep your hood up, sweetheart,” Eddie instructs as you pull your jacket tighter around you. You put your hood on your head and pull it down to cover your face- just in case. Eddie helps you out of the car- also with his hood on. “Head down, okay?” he whispers, and he guides you as you walk with your head down. 

You scurry through the kitchen and you use the elevator towards the back of the building to travel to the higher floors. 

Eddie arranged for one of the assistants to bring your bags here while you were out. He set you up in the room across the hall from him. He wanted to make sure you had your own space. When you get to the rooms, Gareth and Jeff disappear to their own rooms, offering very tired “goodnights.” Eddie walks you to your door.

“I had so much fun tonight,” you sleepily admit. “Thank you… thank you for trusting me.”

His eyes soften. He leans down and presses a kiss to your forehead. “Get some sleep,” he smiles, affectionately grazing your jaw with his thumb. You lean up and his heart skips when he watches your eyes linger- looking between his eyes and his lips. You press your lips to his and this delicate kiss feels like enough to make his entire body melt. 

It’s soft and perfect. A first kiss that you only see in the movies. Kissing you made Eddie feel like he’d never kissed anyone before. Nothing that came before amounted nearly as much as this. He feels like he’s in high school again all of a sudden. This, he decides, should have been his first kiss. Because none of them ever felt as good as this. He makes up his mind then and there, that you’re the only person he wants to kiss for the rest of his life. It’s a thought he won’t share until much further down the road.

[lara4eclipze]

“i love you”

sypnosis -» "I don't care what they say — I love you that's what matters" you scolded manon

beware! -» fluff , angst , crying , comfort, sick , swearing, cyber bullying, stupid hoes

talks -» hey so recently manon got sick and she couldn't attend the MAMA Awards — some lame hoes decided to use this as a way to hate her , friendly fucking reminder she's a person not a fuckin' robot stupid bitches , I hope y'all burn btw...!

taglist (open) -» @nyssalvr @ohmyhaely @vrtualstar @c-yerim @jellaaa

it wasn't much of a secret that the girls especially lara and manon got so much hate when the documentary got released — death threats , bullying , racism and etc — it took a toll out of their mental health especially since they were just getting started being an idol

recently katseye got invited to perform at the MAMA Awards , this was big the MAMA Awards is one of the biggest award ceremony in korea — so the girls spent weeks practicing their presentation for the awards

many sleepless nights and hours upon hours of practice took a negative turn for manons body — just two days before the awards she had to announce her mini hiatus due to her having a fever

obviously she was devastated, but she knew the rest of the girls were gonna do good—although she wished that she could also perform

"babyy i miss you :((" manon texts you , it was pretty early so you went to their dorms , you drive faster than usual sensing something was wrong

you knock on the door waiting for her to open it—well what greeted you was manon sniffling with a blanket draped over her frame

"baby what's wrong??" you ask entering the abode , she hugs you not muttering a word , as your shirt absorbed her tears , you held her head closer to you but you felt like she was burning "your burning up , are you alright?— did you take your medicine yet?" a motherly way of concern starts to take over you

"i-im okay" she sniffles yet again , finally she lifts up her head — her eyes were puffy her nose red and her face coated with her tears

"no you're not baby , tell me what's bothering you?" you sternly said to her , you both sat down on the couch with her clung onto you

"I just - I saw videos and comments that I wasn't sick that I was just lazy but I'm not!—i work as hard as everyone does!" manon exclaims her hands flailing around , angry and upset tears leaving her eyes as she stumbled over her words

"I know , you shouldn't care about what they say — they're just jealous of you" you said comforting her , her frown deepens "no they just hate me" she says , your heart breaks at everything manon had to endure

"I don't care what they say — I love you that's what matters , not some stupid comment made by someone who probably can't achieve the things you have" you scolded — her tears soon dried up and a smile forms on her face

"I love you too" she smiles , her lips now on yours as a tint of pink made it's way to your cheeks — "now take your medicine" you mutter , she groans

"it tastes like shit — I'm not even over exaggerating it" manon mumbles pouting at you

"language and no just because you look cute doesn't mean you won't take your medicine" you chuckle at her attempt to stop you from making her drink her medicine

"no fair"

"you're sick not me"

after watching a movie and finally making manon drink some paracetamol — she peacefully falls asleep whilst her head was on your lap , you made a soothing motion on her scalp

"you're so pretty" you mumble looking at her peaceful face

sometimes you wish that manon didn't go thru the dream academy, or even became a member if you only knew it meant her being bullied online — yet your thankful that she was with people that loved her , eyekons, katseye, and you

manon deserves where she is now ,no one and I mean no one could tell you otherwise — she worked hard and shed her blood sweat and tears for this and for that you are proud of her

[cybergrapeuk]

You go, grandpa

it's not even cringe; it's just personal and unpolished and you've been taught to flinch away from vulnerability which doesn't mock itself

[neopolitansworld]

So there was another Server event on discord where we were given different color palettes to create a Pretty Cure fan series, my palette being; Royal Blue, Teal, Lime Green, Fuchsia, Orange. Using those colors i whipped up;

Cyber-Rift Pretty Cure Code: Kaiju

Themes: Futuristic, Kaiju, Isekai?, Cyberpunk, Mecha, Emotions, Senses

Synopsis:

While working on a mandatory cyber group project, Hitomi stumbles upon an ancient hard drive with coordinates to the Mysterious abandoned dorm where she meets the enigmatic PEIR (PEIROVACS), an advanced AI who presents her the Hyperlink-Cell and tasks her with restoring balance to a parallel dimension known as the Primeval Colossus Realm. Realizing she can't do it alone, she invites her group mates —Yasuko, Sara, Kaori, and Jina to help her with this mission. As they transform into Cures they form the Cyber Rift Pretty Cure Code: Kaiju. Will they be able to stop the realm from colliding, save the corrupted Kaiju’s. What mysteries will they solve, allies they meet on the way and secrets they uncover in their own home realm. Will their friendship blossom prettily and cure the faults within them, creating life lesson moments?

Cure Optix – Hitomi Daigo

Emotion: Perceptive     Sense: Sight

Role: The Strategist      Game Class: Paladin

Headpiece Shape: Squared Heart

Kaiju: Pterornith (Rex)

Sole Super Form: Pterornith Druid Form with Wings for flight

Cure Zen – Yasuko Aoyama

Emotion: Calm    Sense: Touch

Role: The Healer      Game Class: Cleric

Headpiece Shape: Quatrefoil X

Kaiju: Alpinist (Rex)

Sole Super Form: Alpinist Druid Form with Climbing/Grip Strength

Cure Pulse – Sara Wakana

Emotion: Joy   Sense: Hearing

Role: The Scout      Game Class: Ranger

Headpiece Shape: Joined Speakers/ Volume Plus & Minus

Kaiju: Squalo (Rex)

Sole Super Form: Squalo Druid Form with Swimming abilities / Gills

Cure Sensor – Kaori Kubo

Emotion: Curiosity    Sense: Smell

Role: The Defender      Game Class: Hunter

Headpiece Shape: Triquetra

Kaiju: Rhinocera (Rex)

Sole Super Form: Rhinocera Druid Form with Digging abilities

Cure Byte – Jina Gushiken

Emotion: Passion   Sense: Taste

Role: The Warrior      Game Class: Barbarian

Headpiece Shape: Four teeth Gear

Kaiju: Dromeus

Sole Super Form: Dromeus Druid Form with Enhanced Speed

I have a lot of information about this fanseries that I can't wait to share, just need to finish the art accompanying said information 😅but in due time all will be revealed. I have gotten quite attached to this series even tho it was created for an event. I hope ya'll love these girls as much as i do! ❤️✨

[anisespice]

“ PARTY AT A RICH DUDE’S HOUSE ”

synopsis: after getting dumped, your friends propose you crash his house-party and completely wreck the place using the guise of the rambunctious partygoers as cover. little did you know, someone's been watching you.

warnings: mature language, mentions of violence, vandalism, suggestive undertones, MDI. tesla slander(?) hate those cars so so so much. i honestly don't know, i think this one's pretty tame :))

notes: kesha lives rent free in my head lol. also got inspired by that scene from the movie “bottoms” where they blow up the douchbag’s car >:))) not sure how i feel about it :// but it was fun to write helped with writer's block sooo hope you enjoy!!

notes ii: yall WHY WON'T WORDS WORD ANYMORE I-

It wasn’t difficult infiltrating the party. With all the commotion pouring inside and out, people taking full advantage of their host’s endless bounds of resources and bottomless pockets, blending in was a snap. Immediately, your senses were overwhelmed with the stench of sweat and bad decisions. Smoke clouded your vision as did the rumbling bass of the music, the music rattling you to where you could feel it in your bones.

An annoyance builds every time a partygoer bumped into you as you sifted through the crowds, driving you to start elbowing and shoulder-checking everyone around you. You received stank looks and slurred curses, but it merely molded with the rest of the noise surrounding you.

They were all basically there to celebrate your misery, so fuck them.

Even though you were on the prowl for the douche-nozzle himself to give him a piece of your mind, at some point you got caught up with various cups of who know's what in your hand, downing them like a fish out of water. You welcomed the delightful burn as it rolled down your esophagus, seeping into the wounds of your broken heart, and right into your stomach like a hot stone. You fought back the urge to vomit fire, body vibrating as you mentally set your mission on a different course...the garage.

“Y’know, that’d go a lot quicker if you used this.” 

You yelped. Nearly slipping off of the cyber truck you were currently jumping on you regained balance in the last second, crouching down to slap your hands on the cool metal to steady yourself. While attempting to put a dent through the aluminum foil-ass top, you failed to notice your lone audience member chilling in a corner of the 10-car garage. How long he’d been standing there, you had no idea. All you knew was you had about four seconds to either teleport or hightail it to the nearest exit before he got a good look at your face.

“Shitshitshit,” you hissed, hurriedly and clumsily sliding down off the car, ready to book it. You really wished you hadn't drank as much before attempting to do this, but in your defense, you weren't expecting to have...company. However, as soon as your feet touched the floor, the stranger coaxed out to you with a free hand raised in peace, delaying your panicked scrambling. 

“Hey, hey, relax. Believe me, if I wanted to narc on you I would’ve done so when you lit those firecrackers off in the guest bathroom. Hilarious, by the way."

Your heart sunk. An uneasy feeling formed in the pit of your stomach, not sure whether to be relieved or devastated—Question is, why didn’t he tell anyone?

Remaining vigilant you peered over your shoulder at him, guard up. “Who're you?”

He raised a brow. “Pretty sure that’s my line, sweetheart.”

You glared, turning around fully to scrutinize him. From the way he was dressed—Designer from head to toe even if on the casual side, blinding Rolex on his wrist paired with a few rings, equally icy studs in his ears along with a thin, and golden chain rested upon his toned, inked chest—He had money, no doubt about it. Not too bad on the eyes either..

Shaking your head of that last thought, you scoffed, “Don’t call me that. ‘m not anyone’s ‘sweetheart’.”

He shrugged, coyly. “Be happy to fix that, if you’d like.”

“Do I look in the mood for funny shit?"

He chuckled, tilting his head. “Nah, 'course not. Look more like you’re itching to bust some more shit up. But, gotta say, how you’re going about it s’kinda redundant. Those things may look like they're made out of construction paper, but you’ll tire out before you even make single scratch. So.. figured you’d appreciate a more practical approach.”

Too preoccupied giving him the stank eye, you hadn't seen the weapon rested in his other hand. Once you set your eyes on it and allowed his words to fully register, they slowly widened. The stranger’s grin sharpened at your muted interest, flicking his wrist to spin the slab of metal around before resting it coolly on his shoulder.

"Ah, crazy girl’s in the mood now?"

Your curiosity morphed back into annoyance instantly at his cheeky comment. “I am not crazy.”

He hummed. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“Look, smartass, I'll have you know that I have a very good reason—” you pointed, ready to dump hours of alcohol-fueled rage on this stranger, only for him to immediately extinguish it with a mere wave of his hand.

“And you can tell me all about it when we go out for dinner after this. You want the bat or not?"

You paused, confused. Flabbergasted, even. Did this fool just ask me out?, you thought. Maybe you were just a little bit too tipsy and misheard, so you let it slide for now. With a huff, you finally said, skeptically, "Why...are you helping me?"

The stranger merely shrugged once more, eyes coated in mischief as he gave another spin of the bat. "Doesn't every criminal need a henchman?"

BAJI, HANMA, kazutora, mikey, draken, most of toman really, rindou, ran, izana,[insert anyone else who would fit].

© 2024-2025 anisespice ッ all rights reserved. likes, comments & reblogs much appreciated!

[mithrilhearts]

My takeaway from the past 24+ hours...

There are so many of us that rely on ao3, whether you're a reader or writer. It brings us joy, it gives us an escape from the real world, and it lets us come together as a community to share stories and scenarios about our favorite fandoms and characters. The amount of posts I have seen on multiple platforms lamenting over the DDoS attacks is overwhelming - but with most of them comes a delightful cheer to the volunteers working to resolve this issue.

I've seen so many statements of praise for those volunteers, which is exactly what they deserve, and more. Can you imagine working for over 24 hours straight, on a volunteer basis, against something like this? They're the real MVPs, and I think our appreciation for them gets lost until moments like this rise.

With that said, here is my first real takeaway...

Don't bitch when ao3 does a donation drive. They work hard to keep the archive up and running, and with that costs money. Every server, every new addition or feature you want to see added to help make the site better, it costs money. The legal team that is defending fanfic authors??? MONEY. SO! DON'T! COMPLAIN!

I'm not saying you have to go out and donate your paycheck to ao3 - but I will say that, especially with this situation, if you can donate even a little bit to show your support, it means more than you probably realize, and even if you can't donate (which is totally okay), be kind to those who work on the archive. Send them kind words of encouragement, rather than flaming the archive because it's under attack - because yeah, I've seen people bitching AT ao3 for not working fast enough, or for it still being down. STOP IT.

My second takeaway...

Don't believe everything you see on the internet. Ao3 themselves have advised that the group claiming to take credit for this attack is to be treated with skepticism. And not only that, let's NOT automatically make assumptions about who is responsible just because of an organization's name. It's just a NAME, it doesn't identify a person's origin, background, etc. But I'm not here to dive into that much further. Point: I better not see any Sudanese hatred on my dash, or I will bite you.

My third takeaway...

Treat your fanfic writers with respect. We all now see first hand how much we depend on these stories. As I said above, for some it's an escape, a creative release, and a way to communicate with other people through similar interests. It's a beautiful creation, neither above nor below any other kind of literature.

Consider commenting, reblogging, kudos, anything you can to let the authors know you enjoyed and appreciate their works. Everyone is free to communicate in the way that suits them best, but every little bit is appreciated - as a fanfic writer myself, I can tell you that even a little heart emoji has made my day. It's like receiving a second kudos, and tells me that someone appreciated my efforts enough to give me a double thumbs up.

Any form of communication with the authors is appreciated. It lets them know that people are genuinely interested. We live in a world where INSTANT GRATIFICATION is taking over, but creations such as this take time. Talk with the authors, ask them about their wips, tell them they're doing a great job. Do NOT pester about "when are you updating next?" or the dreaded AI option - again, I will BITE PEOPLE if I see you doing this. Just...have some respect, show your appreciation, it's more than JUST FANFIC.

At the end of the day I guess this post is about being kind. Not pointing fingers or slandering people due to a name. It's about appreciating the things we do have, and not taking them for granted. Whether it's the brave cyber warriors currently fighting these DDoS attacks on the frontline, or the authors writing for not only their enjoyment, but for others too. Let's all respect one another, and show our support when and where we can.

HUGE THANK YOU TO THE VOLUNTEERS AT AO3, YOU ARE THE REAL MVPS!!!

[cybergrapeuk]

LOOK AT THE LITTLE GIRLIE!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Some Queenie fo today

[bvckleyydiaz]

leap of faith - aaron hotchner

title: leap of faith

summary: sometimes, all you need to find true happiness is to take a leap of faith.

pairing: aaron hotchner x f!reader

word count: 1668

warning(s): mention of haley and underage drinking

a/n: so the idea of this story came from the amazingly talented @greg-montgomery's scenario here. all credit for this idea goes to them. if you want some really good hotch fics, please go check them out! i thought it was so cute and just had to write it. hope you guys enjoy!

This is not how I pictured my Tuesday morning at the office going, you think to yourself as Penelope crosses out yet another name from her lists of your potential suitors. With the help of JJ and Emily, she had managed to compile thirty-two names, and more than half of them have already been scrapped. Before today, you had refused every time they had brought up the idea of setting you up on a blind date. That was before you realized that the feelings you held for your boss, Aaron, were far from friendly. You knew that nothing would come of what you were feeling, so you came to Penelope’s office and told her that you would agree to one date.

“What about this one?” Penelope asks as she swipes to the next picture. This guy was not bad-looking, by any means. He looked young, had hazel that glittered with mischief, and there was a boy-next-door charm to him. Something about him seemed so familiar, though. You couldn’t quite place it. “His name is Thomas, he’s twenty-seven, and he works in the Cyber Response department.”

“He looks like a younger version of Hotch,” Emily remarks from her place to your right.

Penelope tilts her head and seems to consider this. “Huh. Now that you point it out, I can’t unsee it.” She looks at you. “What do you think, Y/N?”

Truthfully, you could see the tiniest bit of a resemblance between the two of them, but you know that this man would never compare to Aaron—Hotch. But you know that nothing will happen between you and Hotch. So, you see this as the perfect opportunity to start moving on. “He’s cute,” you tell Penelope. “I’ll give him a chance.”

Letting out a giddy squeal, she scribbles down his number and hands it to you. You text him as soon you leave Penelope’s office, introducing yourself, telling him that your friend from the office had told you about him, and asking him if he wanted to go out sometime.

Sure. Thomas writes back after a few minutes, Does Friday at eight sound good to you? There is a new Mediterranean place a few blocks away from my office I want to take you to.

It’s a date! I love Mediterranean food. :)

--

Friday comes faster than you expect it to. You’d made sure to bring a change of clothes and a bag of your favorite makeup to save you the half-hour drive back to your apartment to get ready. The dress you’re wearing is a little red number, courtesy of Emily, with a slit up your both your thighs and tiny straps holding it to your body. The first time you tried it on, you didn’t think your body would fill the dress out as well as hers did, but it fit like a glove. You felt confident in the dress; you felt sexy. It was the motivation you needed to not back out of the date.

You’re touching up your lipstick when a voice brings out of your thoughts. “I thought you left hours ago.”

It’s Aaron. “Hotch.”

He tilts his head, and the cute little frown he wears when he’s confused appears. “What are you still doing here? You should be at home getting some rest.”

“I have a date tonight, and I didn’t want to drive the thirty minutes home to get ready when the restaurant is only a couple of blocks away,” you explain, and he nods. “If I’m being honest, I don’t know how I let the girls talk me into going. I mean, I trust them with my life, but…” You laugh quietly to yourself.

“They just want to see you have fun and not focus on work all the time. We all deserve time to ourselves every now and again.” A small smile of his own comes over his face, and it makes your heart stutter in your chest. “At least that’s what Penelope told me before she tried to set me up on a date of my own.”

Your quiet laugh turns into incessant giggles. “Oh, I would’ve loved to see how that went.”

He shakes his head fondly. “Penelope meant well, but the woman and I didn’t click. Plus, I think it was too soon after my divorce from Haley. I wasn’t ready to let myself date again.”

You nod. “I understand that.” You stand from your chair and smooth out your dress with your palms, looking up at your boss. “Do I look okay?”

“You look beautiful, Y/N.” Aaron tells you, but there’s something in his expression as he says it. You don’t know what to call it.

“Thank you.”

“I should let you get to your date. Have a good night, Y/N.” He turns and makes his way back to his office.

You are on your way out of the bullpen when—and you don’t know what compels you to do it, either—you look back at Hotch. The blinds to office are pulled open, but you notice a shift in his posture. His shoulders are drawn tight like a cord that’s about to snap, the expression void of the playfulness that was there not even two minutes ago.

You dig your phone out of your purse and text your date. Hey, Thomas! It’s Y/N. I’m sorry that this is so last minute, but something came up at the office. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it tonight. You walk up the stairs to Hotch’s office and knock on the door. “Y/N?” He asks when he opens the door. “Did you forget something?”

You shake your head. “No. My date cancelled on me.”

He frowns. “I’m sorry.”

You shrug your shoulders. “It’s fine, it was only a date. I don’t think it would’ve worked out anyway.” You look past his shoulder into his office. “What are you still doing here?”

He lifts a file folder into your line of sight. “Paperwork for our most recent case. I wanted to start on it before we’re called on a new one.”

“Do I mind if I join you?”

He purses his lips in confusion. “Of course I don’t mind, but all I’d be doing is paperwork. You’d have more fun watching paint dry.”

“Well, since my night is now free, all I’d be doing is taking a shower and having a hot date with my couch and a bottle of wine.” You smile at your boss. “Besides, I wouldn’t be watching. I’d be helping.”

Hotch shakes his head. “You don’t have to do that—”

“Hotch, I mean this with every ounce of respect and admiration I have for you, which is a lot, but please just shut up and let me help you.” He lets out a laugh in surprise. “I know that I don’t have to help, but I want to. Please let me.”

He steps to the side to let you come into his office, and you take a seat on his couch. “So, what can I do, boss?”

He smiles at his place from behind his desk. “Will you read me my notes from the file next to you? I’d like to put them in the report.”

You nod. “Sure thing.” You pick up the file to your left and flip it open, Hotch’s notes scribbled onto post-it notes stuck to the paper. “You ready?”

--

“No way,” you exclaim through your fit laughter. “No way that happened!”

The table in front of you is littered with takeout boxes. You and Aaron sit next to each other on the small couch, your knees grazing. Aaron’s half-empty container of beef Lo Mein sits in his lap while you hold your nearly full container of veggie fried rice.

“Well, it did,” Aaron’s smile stretches from ear to ear. “I’m sure there’s still evidence of it lurking somewhere on the internet.”

“I just… I have a hard time believing that Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, Unit Chief of the FBI Behavioral Analysis, jumped off the roof of a two-story house into a pool.” You spoon more of your rice into your mouth.  “It’s so out of character for you.”

“In my defense, I was sixteen and thought I was invincible. I may also have been drunk.”

“Huh. Aaron the troublemaker? Never would have pegged you that way.”

He tries to hide his smile under a bite of his Lo Mein. “There are a lot of things about me that will surprise you.”

You raise an eyebrow. “I’ve always loved a good mystery.”

Aaron tilts his head. “You know, now that I think about it, I never found out if that punch had been spiked or not.”

This causes you to dissolve into giggles.

--

“So, Y/N,” Emily asks as she walks through the bullpen the next morning with Penelope and JJ in tow, “how did it go last night?”

Penelope bumps her shoulder into yours. “Yeah. I want to know everything!”

Morgan looks up at the three of you from his desk, and Spencer does the same from his own. “What happened last night?”

“I was supposed to go on a date last, but it got cancelled last minute,” you tell them and then look between Penelope and Emily. “So, there’s nothing to tell.”

“That sucks,” JJ laments. You shrug and tell her that you weren’t really worried about it. There’s a lull in the conversation until you spot Aaron walking past the bullpen to his office.

You smile. “Morning, Aaron!”

He turns to you and returns your smile. “Morning, Y/N.”

Penelope, Emily, JJ, and Derek all turn to you once Aaron is out of earshot. “Aaron?” JJ asks, a tone of pleasant surprise coloring her voice.

You shrug nonchalantly, a small smile coming to your lips. “I’m solving a mystery,” you tell them before making your way to your desk.

The four of them share looks of bewilderment before Spencer speaks up. “You guys didn’t know? I could see it from a mile away.”

[thegnomelord]

Hi, I want to start off by asking how you are doing, and that I loved the monster task force 141 × reader fic and the cyber-punk sagau headcanon’s.

Ok, now into the ask. Can you do a smut fic with Childe where the reader is a sub top and Childe is a dom bottom where Childe whorships cyber-punk readers body running his hands all over readers joints which are bonded so reader can’t touch him while overstimulating and orgasm denying (is reader able to be overstimulated and have orgasm's... if not then forget about those 2 kinks.

Sorry for the long ask.

Kink list to make it clear:

- Body whorship

- Bondage

- Overstimulation?

- Orgasm denial?

Heck yeah my peep, I'm doing better, and it's great that you liked my other stuff, sorry it took this long, med school is a bitch. Hope ya like it:DD

P.S: ya'll are always free to ask me/give me ideas of what to write, i'm gonna be trying to write more from now on.

Pious Worship

CW: NSFW, body worship, bondage, overstimulation, orgasm denial, mild electro play?, SAGAU au! Cyberpunk reader!, Sub Top reader, Dom Bottom Childe, riding, Dom/Sub dynamics, Worshipper Childe, Bondage. NOT proof read lol.

It had taken you a long while to convince him to do this. For all of his devotion he had been... hesitant; To please you was the highest form of reward anyone could dream of receiving, but what you had asked of him felt wrong — the thought of binding you like the heathens who'd fallen for pretty lies made him physically sick, the thought of chaining you, his guide, his light, his Steel Forged God...he couldn't even come up with the proper words to describe the sickening disgust he'd felt in his very bones.

But you are his light, his guide, his merciful creator, so how could he possibly refuse?

Childe is insatiable.

He rides you with wild abandon like a beast in heat, too caught up in the desperate chase for release and the need to please you to care about the strain in his muscles or his burning thighs. He slams his entire body weight down on your cock, moaning and babbling about how perfectly you stretch him out, how you fill him up so perfectly he can feel you in his throat, how happy he is to be the one who pleases you like this.

His heart flutters as you watch him, drawing pleasure from his pleasure rather than from how tightly his body grips you, your arms tied above your head with the finest silk. The corp remade you for warfare, not pleasure. Steel is unfeeling, it can survive more than living flesh, and with your enhancements you barely feel anything besides the hot tightness of his body.

He drinks up the little rumbles of your synthetic voice box he manages to pull when he takes you fully, driving his body to bounce faster on you, racing towards his second release while you are nowhere near your first. He moans whorishly, his fingers dig into your shoulder joints, cock twitching as sperm and electro shoot from his body.

A strangled sound leaves your lips before your body shuts down without notice, voice box giving a mechanical screech as it glitches, every artificial muscle in your frame contracting from the sudden flood of electricity.

"My Grace! Are you- no, no, no, no- please don't be-”

You hear his worried whimpers when your audio receptors finally come back online, your optics shuttering open yet barely able to see anything with the sea of blinking warning screens in your view. You feel his calloused hands on your cheeks, the usually dull sensation now making you shudder as your combatting systems had turned every synthetic sensor up to 11.

“My Grace, please tell me you’re okay, please, I couldn’t have- I didn’t mean to- I-, I-, I-”

He hiccups, and you manage a glitched warble from your frazzled voice box as you assess your internal diagnostics— his electro delusion had shocked you enough to lock your joints in place without damaging the vital life support systems in your core. You should be able to move again when the electricity wears off, your body geared to survive stronger EMP bombs. You tell him such, reaffirming that he hadn't harmed you.

"Oh, my Grace, I am so sorry, please, forgive me!"

He says, tears prickling his eyes as he rises off your cock, pulling a surprised gasp from you when that small sensation nearly makes you cum on the spot, your cock — your whole body — sensitive to the smallest touch.

And Childe gets...giddy.

Not like a child with a new toy, but like Dottore when an experiment is successful.

Childe hung on every sound leaving you, eyes growing wide; Had you thought of this? Had you prepared just for this to happen? For his electro to make it easier to feel, to make it easier for him to worship you? Yes, that must be it!

“My Grace, you are beautiful like this. Thank you, thank you, thank you-”

His voice was a hoarse whisper as he slunk down your body, carefully holding up your leg with steady calloused hands. His lips are dry as he places reverent kisses the metal surrounding your exposed ankle joint. Your metal parts taste no different than the tips of his arrows, like blood and war, but the soft sounds you make from the odd sensation has him wanting to give more.

He doesn't even notice when he cuts his lip on a sharp edge, but aren't you proud of him? Who else would bleed for you like him? His tongue delves into tight little cracks between your pistons and wires where only the smallest of ripperdock tools had ever come. His tongue isn't as small, nor as precise, but the sheer eagerness in his movement has him touching and pressing on the sensitive sensors all the same.

You jolt, or you would if you could, overcome with sensations your body isn't built to process. More warning screens flash in your sight, static pleasure/pain buzzing along faux synapses. His heart all but leaps from his chest as he listens to the sounds you make.

So he redoubles his effort, clever little tongue licking at sensitive sensor arrays, mouthing and sucking on cables until soft frazzled sounds leave your glitched voice box. He can taste coolant on his tongue, his lips tingling with electricity, blood and spit mixing together in his mouth and making your metal parts glisten in the light. He polishes your ankle joint until it shines, before moving up towards your knee, tracing the edge where metal plates meet faux skin.

You're internal cooling system has started at this point, body shaking as best it can. Your sensors don't know how to interpret the sensations, corp augs having been geared for warfare and not worship, so the processors don't even try to categorize the new sensations into neat boxes. Instead you're hit with the full force of it, the feelings flooding your mind, zapping through every neural cell and artificial link.

He's at your hips now, eagerly sucking you off as his clever fingers busy themselves worming and rubbing delicate hardware and artificial ligaments beneath inside your hip joints. You feel like you're on the edge, your release so close you can feel it burning at the base of your cock.

But something is wrong, like a knot or a rock inside your stomach, something that's keeping you from cumming, forcing you to experience these overwhelming sensations. You sob, barely able to think, and his heart soars at making you feel this way, making you feel this pleasure.

He's quick to finish polishing your cock and even quicker to climb up and sink down again. But that only makes the maddening heat burning in your loins worse, every nerve in your augmented body feeling like it's on fire with no sight of release. You can barely see him through the cracks between different warning screens, sensor arrays screaming at you with information your body can't interpret any other way than pure sensation.

"Please, let me do this your Grace."

You watch — you can do nothing but watch — as he takes one of your limp arms. His muscles bulge beneath his skin as he has to work hard to move your arm now that your motors and pistons are momentarily inactive. He smiles at you, mouth opening wide before he puts your fingers in his mouth. Little jolts of sensation run through your body every time his tongue flicks between different joints, teeth scraping along faux skin and metal plates.

He continues to bounce on your cock, unaware of what blissful Hell he's making for you when he pulls your spit shined fingers from his mouth, urgently but carefully pawing at the plates which cover your hidden weaponry in your forearms.

"Your Grace, I'm a fool to demand this of you, but please, let me see them, let me worship you like you're supposed to be worshiped."

He says, eyes wide and pleading, laying desperate kisses at your wrist joint, lips almost burning from how hot your metal parts are becoming. He needs to worship you, all of you, especially the part you usually keep reserved for the battle field and nowhere else.

Your voice box is back online to the point where you can talk, and you know that if you told him, he would happily continue bouncing on your dick until you were finally able to cum, with all notions of his own need forgotten.

But you don't.

For as much as your systems may be screaming at you. For as much as your cooling systems struggle to keep you from overheating. For as much as you desire to cum... you want to please him — the first character you ever wished for, the first you ever mained, your favorite.

The look on his face when you manage to get your weaponry unlocked melts your heart despite the lustful heat in your chest. Your combat systems are blissfully unaware of your true intentions as they power on the pistons and gears in your weapons, making them extend to their proper configuration.

"Thank you, thank you your Grace!"

He breathes, immediately reaching out to trace the sharp points of your weapons with his tongue before he latches on the first joint that connects your weapon with your arm. It makes sensation, neither pain nor pleasure but pure feeling, rush from your arms right down to your dick still balls deep inside him.

Your vocal box glitches a second time, your head moving just an inch as you're subjected to his torturous worship again, and you can only pray that your body is able to move again before you loose your mind to the pure sensations.

[plan-3-tmars]

Approval Vs Demand in Milgram

> aka my interpretation of the clapping motif in backdraft and cat :3

We clap to show approval or appreciation, but sometimes, we also clap to make noise and put a demand on people. It's like Fuuta says, I think the clapping represents the "spectators" in both he and Kazui's lives - For Fuuta it's his fans and for Kazui it's his family, but I'll expand more on this later.

The first time we hear clapping in backdraft is during the clip I showed you. Fuuta's fans clap for him when he arrives in the tunnel to 'serve justice', they approve of his actions. Through his shaky smile and the description of being "surrounded by the masses" though, we can gather that he might not be as comfortable in this environment as he previously let on. This big dramatic arrival may just be a persona put on to "impress those spectators"

However, the next time we hear clapping the tone has changed. This time it's Future Fuuta watching Past Fuuta deliver the 'killing blow' to the girl. With hindsight, he knows this is the action that drives her to take her own life, and he is shown in clear distress. It's almost like he's fighting a mental battle between the demands his fans have for him to deliver justice once again, shown through their clapping, vs the added knowledge he now has that this action will land him a guilty verdict

With Kazui, it's a bit different, as cat actually shows people psychically clapping during his wedding, though there's no sound. It's his parents, the mysterious brown haired woman and the bartender, clapping in approval of the ceremony.

However, we know that this is all for show, quite litteraly in Kazui's head. His marriage is a performance and friends and family are the spectators. Therefore, I think the clapping during his wedding represents both approval and the perceived idea Kazui has of this being the right thing to do, lie and lead a normal life. Similarly to Fuuta, who had the idea of his cyber justice being the right thing to do, which was most likely only heightened by having an approving audience by his side.

In contrast, the clapping during the clip I showed represents a demand Kazui has come to learn to continue lying, most likely through his parents (father), and that what he wants to do, what is "yearning to be satisfied" is the wrong choice he should not choose. Kazui is implied to be drunk in this scene, staggering and clutching his aching head, and the clapping probably represents this mental battle of right and wrong, what the spectators wish and what He himself wants to do.

He becomes increasingly distressed while trying to choose between the demand he has been taught to follow (represented by the overwhelming clapping) and what his intoxicated mind wishes to pursue (being his true self)

The similarities between the scenes where clapping is shown in both characters makes me think this is purposeful, a fun motif, and that the clapping represents approval to conform to the expectations others have set for you, and later pressure to continue doing so when you begin to falter.

For Fuuta, this started as approval from his fans towards his cyber justice, and ended in a battle between his past actions, encouraged by his demanding fans, and the hindsight he's now gained

For Kazui, it started as approval from his friends and family towards leading a normal and (traditionally) expected life, and ended in a battle between the demand he has perceived to continue being your grade A traditional husband, and the true feelings his heart wants to express.

[anyamusumesonlywife]

looks up at you wiv my big ole eyes

dylanya hcs?

your wish is my command 🩵

🌌 Anya’s favorite thing about Dylan is their eyes. She loves how expressive they are, and could very definitely get lost in them if she stares too hard.

💫 Anya loves playing with their hair. Brushing it, washing it, anything. It always gets all over her because their hair is so thick.

🌌 Anya loves all their quirks and flaws. She helps them stop nail biting / biting the inside of their mouth.

💫 They have a very similar — If not the same music taste.

🌌 Anya loves taking care of them. Whether it’s on their period, or they’re sick, she adores being able to shower them in affection when they’re not doing great. Heating pads, hot meals, comfortable baths, all that. She loves her wife 🩵

💫 Anya will sometimes hum quietly to Dylan to help them fall asleep.

🌌 They both stay up at night rambling about god knows what. Like that one friend at the sleepover that keeps talking when the lights go off — That is them.

💫 Dylan sends Anya those videos that say “Pov us” and it’ll be two fish or like. Two beetles. Two cats. Anything like that. And Anya adores it.

🌌 They sometimes stay up late at night just binging shows/movies while eating fast food.

💫 Dylan’s anniversary present to Anya was a giant alien plushie. Anya’s anniversary present to Dylan was 2 tickets to see Arctic Monkeys live.

🌌 They have a star projector in their bedroom. It’s one of the projector pillow pets from the 2000s. It’s a ladybug.

💫 They love going to arcades and aquariums frequently. They’re both actual gods at the claw machines.

🌌 Dylan either curls up in bed and gets cuddled by Anya, or they’re completely latched onto her.

💫 Their room is surrounded in plushies.

🌌 They love baking together.

💫 Anya’s hands are warm, Dylan’s hands are cold.

🌌 They remember their wedding vows by heart.

💫 Dylan’s body image got a lot better after they got with Anya. Any chance she would get, she compliments them and showers them in affection and praise.

🌌 Their favorite thing to do is go out in the snow. They absolutely adore snow.

💫 They drive places a lot, and every time Anya sees a cyber truck, she starts to laugh and tells Dylan to pull up their phone so they can take a picture. Both of them think cyber trucks are so ugly and they can’t help but giggle whenever they see one in the wild.

🌌 Dylan will randomly bite Anya’s arm when they’re cuddling. Evil. (Anya thinks it’s cute.)

💫 Anya loves dressing Dylan up.

🌌 They’re both big gift givers. If they see something in public that reminds them of the other no matter WHAT it is coming home with them.

💫 They believe in soulmates. They didn’t before they met each other. Their souls are bonded. Anya likes to tell Dylan that they’ll be together even after death. And they definitely will be.

🌌 “Do you think we’re together in every universe ?” “Of course we are, Hun.”

💫 Horror movies. They love watching them together.

[itsthestutterforme]

Lloyd’s Girl 1/2 (Lloyd Hansen x tech!reader)

Summary: When Lloyd’s team bagged Fitzroy, they found him trying to destroy a hard drive. The hard drive had levels of deep encryption that Lloyd’s techs couldn’t break through. Thankfully, he knew who to call but you two have a history.

Notes: GIF is not mine, all mistakes are my own, reader is Black, dark themes (stalking, murder, allusions to sex), minors DNI

**

“I’d rather you punch me in the dick,” Lloyd’s shoulders tense with irritation at the mention of Suzzzane’s name. “I will gladly punch you in the dick, Lloyd,” Suzanne snaps.

Lloyd rolls his eyes and Denny continued to conversation about tracking down Six. He agreed to help Denny and made arrangements to figure out where Sierra Four’s funeral was so he could intercept Fitzroy.

In the meantime, he sent a team to grab Claire. On the plane ride to D.C., Lloyd logged on to a monitoring device he put in your hotel you were currently in. You were in Berlin on a business trip. He watched you through the screen. You were stirring in bed, mindlessly reaching for your phone.

You had lifted your head to check the time. By the way you shot out of bed and frantically tore off your pajamas, Lloyd could assume you were late for the 10:30 a.m. meeting you had. He had one of his employees hack into your work calendar so he could see all your meetings over the course of the year, keen on any updates.

“Sleepyhead,” he clicks his tongue and swiped out of the app while you made your way into the bathroom. Ever since you called the affair off, he’s been keeping tabs on you. Waiting- hoping you would change your mind.

Truth is, you knew he was watching you. You had discovered one of Lloyd’s mini cams in the house you shared with your husband, Conrad. And any hotel or Air B&B you would stay at for any period more than a week, he would put cams in the room.

You were his. He had to knew where you were at all times. But if you had to be honest, you liked that he was watching you. You liked that he longed for you.

It made you feel safe that you had someone as ruthless as Lloyd was protecting you. If someone even lifted a finger to harm you, they would be in a ditch by morning. He made you feel powerful. Conrad was devoted to his work a plane engineer. Lloyd was devoted to you.

**

“They’ve hit another wall, sir. They said they can’t crack it.” One of Lloyd’s men briefed. The encryption was damn near impossible to get through. It would shut down anyone’s computer who tried to break through it. No matter the angle.

“We need to figure out what’s on that drive and why Fitzroy was so keen on destroying it.” Suzanne states. “Well no shit, Suzanne.” Lloyd’s snaps, looking over when one of the techs slammed the desk in annoyance. His computer was shut down again.

“I can get a tech from the base to come but-“ “There’s no point. You need someone that knows decryption like the back of their hand,” a smile crept on his face. “I have an idea on who to call,” “Fuck no. Anyone associated with you is someone I want to stay far away from,”

“I don’t give a fuck what you want. This is your mess I was forced to clean up.” Lloyd dialed your number and left the room for privacy. You were walking back from getting your ass chewed out by your boss for being late to the meeting with the company’s board members. It made you look unreliable despite being the highest earning cyber security rep. Your net worth was climbing into the six digits.

You pulled your phone out of your purse when you felt it vibrate. You stopped in the middle of the walk way once you realized who it was. Hesitating a moment, you finger hovered over the answer button until it clicked.

“Hello?” You answered. “Hey kitten,” your heart skipped at beat at the nickname but tried your best to maintain a poker face. “Lloyd,” you greet. “I need that pretty little brain of yours to crack something for me,” you opened your mouth to say something when someone body checked you.

You looked over at the man and he lifted his hands in annoyance. He had said something in German but you put two and two together and reckoned it was something about you standing in the middle of sidewalk. You swallowed your embarrassment and stepped off to the side.

“Um, what’s in it for me?” You asked. Lloyd went silent for a moment and you had looked down at your phone to see if he was still on the call. A soft grunt caught your attention. You took a step back when you realized what had happened. The man from earlier has been stabbed right before he turned the corner. A pool of blood formed around him, staining his white jacket. Another man dressed in casual clothing was standing over him.

It was obvious he was military. He looked at you and gave a little wave before crossing the street. Your gaze found the blinking camera directly above you and everything started to make sense. “Lloyd?” “Yes, cupcake?” “What’s in it for me?” “Hm, how about a new pair of Louis Vuittons? Red bottoms.” He offers.

“Count me in,” “Great! A car will pick you up in ten,” “Oh, I’m not at home.” You threw out, curious as to what he would say. “That’s cute. Don’t forget to pack a bag.” You hung up the phone and continued your walk back to the hotel, stepping over the rude man from before.

“Care to tell me who is better than my CIA techs?” Suzzane asks when Lloyd reenters the room. “Y/N Hansen,” she reaches to take a sip of her drink. “You married Y/N?” I wish, Lloyd thinks to himself.

“No, she’s my brother’s wife. She was the top of her class and was offered a six figure salary straight out of college. She makes a normal guys salary on a weekly paycheck. If anyone can do the impossible, it’s her.” Lloyd explains, crunching on some chips.

“I didn’t know you were still in touch with her. Sounds like you still have a pant busting crush on her,” “Say that again and I’ll snap your neck,” he casually threatens. He stands and takes out his wallet, dropping his platinum card on the desk of a female employee. “I need you to go to the nearest Louis Vuitton store and find a cute pair of red bottoms. Size 9.5.”

“Yes, sir,” she says softly, taking the card into her hands and gathering her belongings to leave.

Even with taking Lloyd’s jet, the ride was still long. You only got one or two hours of sleep, which made you cranky to say the least. By the time you reached the compound, you were half asleep and hungry as hell. The door was opened for you and you took your weekender bag in your hands.

You stepped out of the car, arching your back as you stretched. Lloyd meets you at the top of the stairs with his arms open. “Kitten,” he greets, giving you a once over and taking his time. You wore a white skirt, a black blouse with a matching black blazer. He took your hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of your hand.

“Lloyd,” you said softly. His cock twitched in his pants at the sound of your voice. It was the first time hearing your voice that wasn’t behind a screen. “No time to get you settled, sweetheart. We need this hard drive decrypted ASAP,” “On it,” he takes your bag from your hands and moves aside to let you walk in front.

“Shit,” you realized you hadn’t zipped one of your black thigh high boots all the way. You bend down to zip it up but Lloyd stopped you. He had bent down and cradled your ankle in his hand, grazing your skin with his knuckle as he zipped the boot up. You let out a breath, your legs had goosebumps from his touch.

You hated how your body still reacted to him after all this time. You were here for an all of five minutes and had the cold-blooded Lloyd Hansen on his knees before you. He could tell you had sprayed your signature perfume on the back of your thighs. And it drove him absolutely crazy. You gasped when he caressed the back thigh. He stood and wiped off the dirt from his pants.

“Let’s get you inside,” he leads you inside the compound and you took off your jacket. “Long time no see, Y/N. Seems like you’re doing good for yourself.” Not knowing what to say that, you walk passed her and watched one of the techs attempted to decrypt the drive. “Still not one for talking, I see,” Suzzane says to herself.

The tech was kicked out of the program and the computer shut off. Mm, this looks like it’ll be fun. You thought. “Alright anyone who is working on the decryption, stop. You’ll just get kicked out again. Go back to your normal jobs and leave the decryption to me,” you announce to the room. The techs stopped and looked over to Lloyd. “You heard her,”

“You mind?” You made eye contact with one of the techs and they stammered to say something. A reaction that Lloyd didn’t like. He crossed the room and took out his pocket knife. Spinning the chair around, he pressed the knife to the man’s throat. “When she speaks, you listen. Got it?” He speaks slowly and calculated. The man shuddered at Lloyd’s intense gaze. “Now get the fuck out of her seat,”

Lloyd pulls away and the man abruptly stands from the chair and you slide into the seat.

After forty minutes of consistently typing an aggressive decrypting algorithm that you had personally developed and sold for $10k a download, you broke through the first layer of encryption.

“Huh,” you linked your arms above your head and leaned back in the chair. Lloyd had just come back from having a ‘talk’ with Fitzroy, wiping his bloody hands on a cloth. You had tuned out his screams so you could focus at the task at hand. “What do you mean ‘huh’? Did you crack it?” Suzzane asks as she approaches.

“Just the first level. There’s a very sensitive Trojan horse tacked on this one. You only have one shot to get the right code.” “And if we don’t?” Suzzane continues. “Everything that was previously on it will be wiped instantly. Someone really doesn’t want you to find out what’s on this drive.” You explain, cracking your knuckles one by one.

“Can you do it?” She asks and you rolled your eyes at the request. “I’m really good at what I do, Suzzane. Give me an hour tops. No distractions,”

You looked over at Lloyd and he winked at you. “Before you do that,” he trails off and comes back with a bag on food with a Post-Mate’s seal on it. Your smile widened when he slid a shoe box over to you. “As promised,”

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 69: The Invasion

''Error Error Haven't you noticed yet? Past processing modified in a casual style. Lol lol secretly erase it. Sky, sky, it was all a fantasy. Puppet puppet morality? Tied to just increasing production. Optimism I don't know anything. What I fell in love with that day was a childish ideal. The deadly poison is sweet and gentle. You and you who are looking at the future. I can't laugh, I can't help it. Will you even wait for a kiss? I keep thinking about it until it breaks. When I got there, it was hell. Rain of needles that keeps falling. My heart is full of holes. Someday I threw away my precious umbrella too.''

– Twelve by Nightmare

xXxXxXx

Sonic breathed heavily, his body badly beaten and covered in bruises. He felt weak, with blood trickling down his head and cheek due to a bad cut he had received from his opponent. He stared at this person, both standing in a destroyed street, the sky above them painted a dark red with black clouds covering it. His attacker, the one who had hurt him and caused so much destruction was no one else but his rival, Shadow.

Sonic could only stare at Shadow, his emerald eyes meeting the dark hedgehog's crimson eyes, which were glowing menacingly. There was no life in them, no passionate spirit he was so used to seeing. There was only pure malice in his eyes. This was not the Shadow he knew.

''Why?''

Shadow didn't respond to Sonic's question, as if he hadn't heard it. Instead, he just continued to glare back at Sonic, seeing him only as an obstacle that needed to be destroyed. He stepped towards Sonic, a spear of energy appearing in his hand. Sonic was unable to move due to his own injuries, only able to stare at Shadow as the dark hedgehog slowly approached him, with a dark presence looming behind him, as if controlling the hedgehog.

Sonic's eyes widened, as there was nothing he could do, besides waiting for his own death. Shadow's glowing crimson eyes narrowed as he gazed down at Sonic, aiming the Chaos Spear at his heart.

''Perish.''

There was complete silence when the spear hit its target.

xXx

Shadow gasped for air as he sat up suddenly, pressing his hand against his forehead. His heart was pounding and his body cold, as if he had been submerged in icy water. He tried to calm himself down, focusing on his surroundings. He was sitting in his bed, with Touka sleeping soundly next to him. It was still late in the night, with moonlight passing through the slanted window above them. He took another deep breath, his ears twitching with every breath he took. Everything was so silent, but his heart beat and his breath were loud, too loud for him.

Shadow rubbed his temple, his mind still occupied with the dream he had. It wasn't the first time he had to deal with nightmares, and he was certain that it wouldn't be the last time. The issue he was dealing with was the fact that he had these kinds of nightmares for several nights in row. They were all similar, where his mind and body was controlled by an entity more powerful than him, a shadow hiding in the darkness, its red eyes glowing malevolently. He was ordered to destroy everyone he cared about, and no matter how much he struggled against this mind control, he would always find himself executing his orders. It may have been just a dream, but the lack of control he had over his own actions completely horrified him. He stared down at his hands, almost seeing the blood dripping from them, and closed his eyes as he closed his fists, his hands shaking.

He then got up, well aware that he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. He put his shoes on and grabbed his AR Visor, then quickly warped from the attic to the garage where the Dark Rider was parked. There was another flash of cyan light, and he was slowly pushing the motorcycle down the street. He made sure he was far enough from his home so he wouldn't wake Touka and Kisaki up before he got on the motorcycle and driving away.

The fresh summer air did help him clear his mind a little, forcing him to focus on the road. Even if it was in the middle of the night, there were still people on the streets, but for the most part, the road was clear. Shadow didn't really have any goal in mind, deciding to drive aimlessly until he felt tired enough to go back to sleep, or until daybreak arrived. He hadn't told anyone about his nightmares, not even Touka, knowing well that she was going to just worry needlessly over him. Admittedly, he was well aware that she has a good reason to worry about him, but in his opinion, her peace of mind was more important than his. He knew that Touka would disagree, but he was always going to put her above himself.

Shadow stopped at a red light, staring at it intently. He was still at unease, averting his gaze once another flash of red light appeared in his mind and almost missing the traffic light changing to green. He shook his head, continuing to drive. He tried to push back his anxiety, frustration and fear, believing that it was a waste of time to worry about something like a nightmare. From what he understood, dreams and nightmares were merely the manifestation of the information his brain processed while he was asleep, but that still didn't explain him having the same kind of nightmare several nights in a row. Not only that, but the nightmare felt incredibly real, and only by waking up he realized that none of this had happened and that he wasn't a soulless monster who was forced to turn on the people he cared about.

This is my subconsciousness telling me what I fear the most… as if I don't know that. Shadow narrowed his eyes as he thought about it, only to stop at another crossroad. He took a look around, finally realizing that he somehow arrived in Westoru and was still driving further west, towards Infinity Forest. He snorted, wondering whether he should continue driving in this direction or go somewhere else. It only took him a moment to decide.

The Codex Research Facility… I haven't been there in ages. Shadow had no desire to visit that place, as it held nothing but bad memories, but he decided to leave the urban landscape, stopping at a clearing just a bit outside the city. He parked the motorcycle and sat down under a tree, leaning back against it. He tried to empty his mind of any unnecessary thoughts, only to be met with an image of Sonic grinning widely at him and teasing him about brooding. He sighed, a smile almost appearing on his lips as he hugged himself. Even though the night was pleasantly warm, he still felt cold.

Even if he was surrounded by people, sometimes the sense of loneliness would overwhelm him. He had learned not to give into it, and he knew there were people who deeply cared for him. However, he felt that whatever burden he carried was his own, and he didn't want to bother those he cared about with it. Trying to steer his thoughts to something else, he gazed at the city, the skyscrapers that touched the sky and the lights that illuminated it. Some would call it beautiful, some would scoff at the sight. To him, this city was simply a place he lived at.

Well, it probably was more than that, but Shadow liked to keep things simple. He didn't really care where he lived, as long as he was with Touka. Back when they were at the Codex Research Facility, she was always the one who talked about how she was looking forward to the day they would be allowed to finally leave it and visit Neos City. She told him how she would make sure they both got to live a normal life, or at least what they considered to be a normal life, far away from the experiments those scientists put him through. He tried to imagine what that life would look like, but nothing came to his mind, besides them finally being on their own and going wherever they wanted.

This dream had been shattered the moment he was manipulated into believing that he had killed Touka, forcing him down a dark path of revenge. In a different reality, Neos City wouldn't be existing anymore because of him, but thankfully, that didn't happen. However, even if he got Touka back, alive and safe, the fear of losing her never went away. No matter how much she assured him that she would be fine, there was always that voice in his head that kept him in doubt. She was his whole world and he was willing to do anything for her. If she wanted him to destroy Neos City, he would do it in a heartbeat. If she wanted him to protect it, he would do anything to make it safe for her. He was willing to go that far for her and for her happiness.

Yet, Touka's sole desire was for him to be happy. She wanted to keep things simple. Unfortunately for both of them, they became members of Team Neos, which meant that things would be anything but simple. At the time, Shadow thought of them as a group of the most stubborn, persistent people who only acted as an obstacle that came between him and his goal. After the reveal that Touka was alive, he remained indifferent towards them… or at least tried to, as it was difficult being indifferent to someone who constantly wants to befriend you. Shadow attempted to keep his distance at the beginning, still following his belief that it was just him and Touka against the world, only to find himself questioning weeks later when the hell had he started considering everyone as his teammates, and later on, his friends.

Shadow sighed. He refused to believe that his nightmare would come true, but he also needed to maintain a distance. He was paranoid enough not to trust himself under these circumstances, at least until he had a full understanding of the situation. He then gazed up at the night sky, at the stars twinkling above and the moon glowing and bathing the planet below in its glow.

Maybe one day, he will finally let go off his fears.

xXx

Kisaki stretched her arms, walking towards the kitchen when she spotted a black and red ball of fur and quills curled up on the couch. She blinked, wondering why Shadow wasn't sleeping in his room in the attic, but decided not to bother him. She knew that he probably had his reasons, and decided to start breakfast. Fortunately for her, she had a free day, so she could indulge a little in taking things easy and trying to make coffee as quietly as possible to not disturb the sleeping hedgehog.

It appeared that this didn't work, because the moment Kisaki was done preparing coffee, she was met with an outstretched gloved hand. Shadow woke up and sneaked up to her, probably lured in by the smell of morning coffee. Kisaki snorted, giving him the cup and preparing another one.

''So, how did you end up sleeping on the couch?'' she asked, leaning against the counter, while Shadow sat on the high chair at the built-in bar. He just shot her a glare for even asking him such question and quietly continued to sip his coffee. Kisaki sighed, having understood his response. ''You know, Touka will ask you the same.''

''She won't if you don't tell her,'' Shadow pointed out the obvious in a matter-of-fact tone, still glaring at Kisaki. She gave him a sheepish smile, agreeing with his statement.

''I guess you're lucky then she's not an early bird,'' she commented. Shadow nodded in agreement. It didn't take too long to hear footsteps from the second floor, with Touka rushing down, looking quite excited.

''Someone's in a good mood,'' Kisaki commented, firing up the stove for a fresh batch of pancakes, while Touka sat next to Shadow with a hot cup of cocoa.

''Of course I am. Today's the first day of the summer holidays, which means that I don't have to deal with schoolwork,'' Touka replied happily.

''I'm surprised that you're complaining so much about school when only weeks ago, you were excited to be accepted into a school,'' Shadow pointed out in a snarky tone.

''Only because I'm now a normal student, that doesn't mean that I can't complain,'' Touka said, pouting. ''Unfortunately, they also gave us homework to do over summer, so I want to take advantage of every free moment I have.''

''Why don't you just do your homework now instead of leaving it for later?'' Shadow asked her, a sly smirk forming on his lips when Touka continued to pout, avoiding his gaze. She knew damn well he had a point, but didn't want to admit it.

''You know, you could help me with it,'' Touka said suddenly in the sweetest tone possible. Shadow quirked an eyebrow.

''That's your homework, not mine. I'm not going to let you slack off,'' he said, with Touka sighing in defeat. Kisaki giggled at the argument the two were having, having gotten used to hearing this kind of bickering.

''I actually wanted to go to Solar Stadium today because they were adding a new racing track. Homework can wait for a little longer,'' Touka said, turning to Shadow. ''Do you want to join?''

Shadow nodded, with the two quickly finishing their breakfast and going outside. On their way to Solar Stadium, they had passed by the Kinomoto residence, only to see Lucas and Sonic walking out of the house, with Sonic perking up and rushing over to them.

''Hey, Shads, hey Touka! You two are up early!'' Sonic greeted them.

''Solar Stadium has a new race track and we wanted to try it out,'' Touka explained as Lucas approached them. ''What about you two?''

''We were on our way to visit Warren and Tails,'' Lucas explained. ''They had told us that something important to tell us. Supposedly, some kind of anomaly had appeared.''

''An anomaly?'' Shadow gave them a curious look. Sonic shrugged.

''They did add a lot of technobabble, but agreed that it would be better to explain it in person,'' he said, then gave Shadow a challenging smirk. ''How about I join you later at the race track?''

''I didn't know you were so eager to lose.'' Shadow smirked, already feeling the excitement rushing through his body. Somehow, the worries he had earlier that night had vanished, and even though they were still lurking in the back in his mind, he wanted to indulge in his own desires. It was simply a nightmare, wasn't it?

''Heh, you won't be acting so confident after I beat you,'' Sonic continued their banter. Behind the two, Touka was smiling warmly, enjoying listening to their little rival conversation. They continued walking towards Warren and Tails' house, then parting ways, with Touka and Shadow continuing towards Sentoraru.

The conversation he had with Sonic seemed to have lifted Shadow's spirits a little, and whatever weight he felt became much lighter, leaving him in a quite good mood. Unfortunately, that sensation didn't last as his mind was flooded with an image of red eyes staring back at him. His eyes widened in shock and he stopped, not even registering Touka's look of concern. She couldn't see Shadow's expression, as she was standing behind him.

''Shadow?''

Shadow snapped out of his stunned state, regaining his focus and giving Touka a neutral look. ''What's wrong?''

''You looked quite tense there,'' Touka said, tilting her head. ''Did something happen?''

''No. I was just… lost in my thoughts,'' Shadow replied. He didn't want to tell Touka the truth, but at the same time, he wasn't going to lie to her. Meanwhile, Touka wondered what it could be, only for a sly smile to spread across her lips.

''Don't tell me that you're actually worried that Sonic would defeat you in a hoverboard race?'' she asked. Shadow was flustered, if a little relieved, that this was her conclusion. He frowned, huffing.

''Tch, as if!''

''I don't know…'' Touka hummed, placing her finger on her cheek as she feigned a look of concern. ''He is a formidable opponent, but he is also your boyfriend… It would be hard to focus on winning, won't it?''

Shadow's tan muzzle flushed pink as he shoot a glare at Touka, who gave him an innocent smile. He was well aware she was just teasing him as an older sister would, and he didn't hold it against her, but he remained annoyed. ''Hmph, that means nothing. The main focus of our relationship is still our rivalry, and neither of us is going to let our feelings get in the way of that.''

''Ah, I see…'' Touka replied, still feeling amused by the response. Suddenly, Shadow gave Touka serious look.

''You go ahead. I still need to do something,'' he said, surprising Touka. She then nodded.

''Okay. I'll check the new race track and give you some advice on how to race on it so you can easily defeat Sonic,'' she said cheekily.

''That's not necessary. I'd rather beat him fairly on a race track we're both unfamiliar with,'' Shadow replied, leaving. His smile then faded as he skated away, a shadow falling over his expression. He wasn't fond of the idea of leaving Touka alone, but the images of destruction and death that kept flashing in his mind were slowly overwhelming him. A chilling sensation spread through his body as he felt as if someone was trying to puppeteer it. He didn't understand what it was, but he believed that it would be better if he was alone for the time being.

He had no idea that this would be the last time he would see Touka.

xXx

''So, what was that anomaly you guys have been talking about?'' Lucas asked, him and Sonic standing inside the Taylor Workshop. Warren and Tails were standing in front of a holographic screen, both looking excited to discuss their newest discovery.

''We've been working on our special project, when noticed a strange ripple emanating through the AR Field set in this part of Eas. We had checked whether Eggman or Starline were behind this, but the digital signature is different from the one they typically use,'' Warren explained, pointing out on the origin of the ripple on the holographic screen, which showed a map of their neighborhood.

''We decided to investigate further, and it seems like the digital signature can't be tracked down, so we thought that we could try to find whether there were more of those ripples in other parts of Neos City, and we found this on CyExLab's official website,'' Tails said, changing the map to the website showing some kind of notice.

''Huh, CyExLab? That's a name I haven't heard of in ages,'' Lucas commented.

''They put up a warning that the AR Fields are going through a digital warp, adding how people should keep an eye on their ARNavs in case the AR Fields need to be shut down for a proper reboot,'' Tails continued. ''However, as of the recent update, they still hadn't managed to figure out the source of the digital warp, but Warren and I did compare some of the data and came to the conclusion that the AR Fields might be merging with the data of another AR Field, but even then, that AR Field seems to be breaching the ones set up in Neos City. It's nothing alike the ones created by Eggman or Starline, which were essentially pocket dimensions within the AR Field based on data from the Sonic video games…''

''Okaaaay…?'' Sonic rose an eyebrow, trying to follow all of that, but clearly understood absolutely nothing. Both Warren and Tails exchanged glances, then gave Sonic an amused look.

''What we want to say is that someone else is trying to not only take control over all of the AR Fields in Neos City, but also warp them by changing its structure via the addition of alien external data,'' Warren summed up. ''However, we don't know who is doing this or why.''

''So, how bad is the situation?'' Lucas asked.

''We don't know,'' Tails said, shrugging. ''Typically, such warping might cause a lot of damage to the AR Fields and forcing a shutdown as a consequence, but for some reason the AR Field suffer absolutely no harm and are kept up. Warren and I wanted to go to Kita and visit CyExLabs to see whether we can gather some direct data on the situation. Do you two want to come along?''

''I had actually promised Shadow a race at Solar Stadium, so you'll have to count me out, little bro,'' Sonic replied in an apologetic tone. ''We could visit you at CyExLabs after it, though.''

''That's fine,'' Tails replied, then turned his gaze to Lucas.

''I have free time, so I'll be going with you,'' he replied, then tilted his head. ''Although, I don't know whether CyExLabs would be fine with sharing that information with us.''

''Don't worry about that. We'll be actually meeting up with someone I know and who can help us with this mystery,'' Warren said confidently.

xXx

''All right, my personal best!'' Jet cheered as he crossed the finish line of the new race track. Doing a kick flip, he leapt off his hoverboard, grabbing it and posed with his fingers held up in a V-sign.

''Great job, Boss! You really showed them how it's done!'' Storm praised him. Jet placed his hand on his chest, head held up high.

''I know I'm the greatest racer ever born, but you can keep flattering me,'' he said.

''You know, Jet, setting up records means that they need to be broken, and I haven't still had my turn on the race track,'' Chase said, a smug grin on his lips.

''Go ahead and try to break it. After all, the partner of the Legendary Wind Master should be his equal,'' Jet replied in a casual tone.

''Guys, are you two done stroking each other's ego?'' Wave asked, clearly exasperated by their antics.

''Nothing's wrong with a little confidence boost, Wave,'' Chase said, only for the two to notice Rika pointing at something.

''Maybe you two could talk less about how awesome you are and focus on the fact that someone else is going to occupy the race track,'' Rika said, with Chase and Jet glancing towards where she was pointing. To their chagrin, a familiar person was the one walking up to the same holographic screen they were using.

''That's Touka,'' Arven noted.

''Hey, maybe that means that Sonic is also around!'' Jet suddenly perked up, grinning. ''I can beat him in a race on the new track.''

''But, isn't Sonic Lucas' partner?'' Storm asked.

''That's right, while Shadow is Touka's partner,'' Chase added. Jet waved them off in a dismissive manner.

''Eh, then I'll challenge Shadow. Regardless of who it is, I will always win!'' Jet boasted. He walked towards Touka, only to see her stand frozen for a moment.

Then, she vanished.

''Huh? Where is she?'' Chase, who also saw what happened ran up to where Touka stood only a moment ago. Sure, several people walked past Touka, obstructing the Babylon Rogues' view, but it still didn't explain how Touka could disappear. The group quickly ran over to where she was standing only a few moments ago, with Chase lifting her hoverboard. ''Right, this is Touka's hoverboard, but she wouldn't just let it lying around. No respectable racer would.''

The group looked around, but saw no trace of Touka, all of them feeling a chill flowing down their spine. It was as if she had ceased to exist.

xXx

Something… calls to me…

Shadow was placing his hand on his head, the flashes of red and black intensifying as he tried to make sense of the images. He felt a complete disconnect from reality, as if this was happening to someone else, not him. He tried to shake off the sensation of dread he felt, trying to make a distinction of what was real and what was fake, but even that was difficult. He managed to find his way to Heizeru Park, leaning against a tree in an isolated area and trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He squeezed his eyes as a chilling image of a dark figure looming over him flashed in his mind, only to suddenly open them, gasping as he heard the sound of thunder rumbling.

He looked up at the sky, staring at the dark clouds as they gathered above the city, lightning illuminating them. To his shock, the dark colour of the clouds faded in a dark red as the sky opened in the form of a vortex, with masses of black and red creatures descending all over the city. Their descent was followed by red cracks in the sky, spreading across the city and pieces falling apart like a broken mirror.

Shadow stepped back, his eyes wide as he tried to make sense of the situation. He was alert, aware of the growing danger, but still didn't understand the full scale of what was happening. His first instinct was to get to Touka, but before he could do any of that, a black and dark purple starfish-like creature with six black-tipped squamous probes and a brutally large red-orange eye in its center approached him.

''Shadow…''

The creature gave him a soulless stare, suddenly projecting a holographic image of a jet black and legless body with a trio of red-orange bestial eyes, twin wide horns with red tips, a set of spines on his scalp, three-fingered hands that have claw-like nails and no visible facial features. This figure wore a dark brown worn robe with black-brown shoulder pads and golden accents, a maroon drape scarf with tattoo markings hanging from the back, golden chains with a set of silver-spiked medallions possessing a gem, and a double black cord necklace with red, blue and purple ornaments on one and golden and silver pendants.

''At last, we meet, Shadow the Hedgehog. I am Black Doom, and you will do as I say. The day of reckoning will soon be here,'' Black Doom said, his voice sending chills down Shadow's spine. Nevertheless, the dark hedgehog gave him a defiant look.

''I don't take orders from anyone, least of all you. Get out of my way!'' Shadow growled. Black Doom laughed, his voice raspy and filled with malevolence.

''You truly do not understand your situation, do you? I have sent you here to fulfill a mission – to find the seven Chaos Emeralds,'' Black Doom continued, his demand leaving Shadow puzzled and unsettled. He knew what the conditions for the Chaos Emeralds' appearance was, which is why he didn't understand why Black Doom wanted him to gather them… unless they had indeed somehow appeared without those conditions. It appeared that Black Doom knew what was on his mind, adding, ''The Chaos Emeralds are here on this pathetic planet, and you will find them and bring them to me. This is what you were created for, to bring glory to the Black Arms.''

''I refuse!'' Shadow snarled, charging at Black Doom, only to pass through the projection and turning around, with Black Doom observing him in silent amusement.

''I have expected resistance…'' Black Doom rose his hand and pointed it at the dark hedgehog, with Shadow suddenly falling on his knees, clutching his head. His body froze when he saw an image of Touka, lying on the ground as if lifeless in some kind of unfamiliar space. Then, the vision vanished from his mind.

''Touka… What have you done to her?!'' Shadow growled, glaring at Black Doom.

''That pathetic human has been taken as my prisoner, and if you value her life, you will follow my orders,'' Black Doom responded, with Shadow stepping back, gritting his teeth. However, he knew that in his current state, he wasn't able to do anything. He had no idea where Touka was, and the only thing that guaranteed her safety was him doing what Black Doom demanded from him. Black Doom, on the other hand, appeared to be pleased with his submissive reaction. ''You are of my bloodline, Shadow. You are one of the Black Arms, created to lead them to conquer this planet. Struggle all you want. You cannot deny your fate!''

Shadow's eyes widened when he suddenly noticed a black mass swirling around him, and he could feel his heart pounding as he was overwhelmed by an overpowering sensation of pain, pressing his hands against his head. ''Aghrr! Aaagh, no, no… Aaaaghhr!!''

Shadow writhed in agony as the black mass enveloped his body, warping it, his crimson eyes glowing red as he tried to fight it back, but was powerless against it. He struggled, falling on his knees as he his back was ripped open when a fleshy black and red mass emerged from it, forming into wings and leaving him screaming. The wings spread, lifting him up, with Shadow staring in at them in shock and then looking back at his hands which were still covered by the black swirling mass.

''It is time that you accept your heritage. I bestow upon you the gift of the Doom Powers. This is who you are!'' Black Doom spoke, with Shadow looking up at him in disbelief.

''What… is this? Those powers…'' Shadow trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence as a frightening realization dawned upon him. Despite the agony he had felt earlier, those powers somehow felt natural to him,… and that thought horrified him to his core. Black Doom sensed the terror Shadow felt, understanding that the dark hedgehog would eventually fall under his influence, his rebellious spirit crushed.

''From now on, my eye will follow you and observe you for me… Find the Chaos Emeralds and bring them to me.''

The holographic projection of Black Doom vanished, and Doom's Eye flew away, leaving the dark hedgehog alone. Shadow pressed his hand against his chest, his heart still beating as if it wanted to burst out of his chest. He looked back at his wings, realizing that he was in full control as he folded them, causing them to vanish from his back. Then, it was as if the sound suddenly returned, and he heard people screaming in terror, filling im with a sense of chilling dread. Those nightmares he had… they were about to become reality.

The Black Arms Invasion has begun.

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Megaman AMV 「イレギュラーハンターX AMV」 TWELVE by ナイトメア 「Nightmare」

[cybergrapeuk]

For years and years, I've mislabeled inertia as procrastination, lack of motivation and "laziness".

For years and years, I've blamed myself for it.

Not anymore.

Autistic Inertia is an autism experience that makes it hard to start, stop, and switch tasks.

It somehow doesn't get talked about enough - so I made this comic!

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Also, if you want to read the research study I based this comic on, it’s right here!