#holo button badges

[arthappyneko]

⭐️ Atarashii Gakko! LIMITED Fan Merch ⭐️

These are veryyyyy limited in stock and *I do not plan on producing more after they sell out*. I originally made them for myself, so the ones in my shop are just the few extras I got from ordering the MOQ. (I encourage buying the group’s official merch if you can!!)

⭐️ Shop Link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MegoshiArt

[magicalshopping]

♡ Magical Enby Button by magicalxmeow ♡

[summertrianglee]

Acryl party crash badges (This is probably the third time i've done this...?). The second one isnt seriously what it looks like i just dont have the holo texture for the arms badges. ID in Alt! dumb stuff + process musings under cut

they're matchies....my competitive freak losers THEY PUT THE BANDAIDS ON EACH OTHER AFTER THEY LOST BTW #truefact #notlying #iwouldneverlietoyou

tbh this was not as hard as i worried it'd be but the formatting was genuinely such a pain in the ass T_T i think i got close enough... soon, i'll probably take these to a button maker and make the first acryl merch... but that's a small part of my larger nefarious plans... hee hee hee....

[nibble-the-plush]

🤡Let's clown around🤡

Hello everyone ! Here's our new clown themed button badges ! All these little beans are our bugger 58mm badges, with a starry holo finish !

They are already available on our Vinted & Etsy if anyone is interested 🎉

[crossguildmerch]

⚔️ Production Updates ⚔️

Our carpenters are hard at work creating everyone's Cross Guild merch 🛠️ Keep an eye out for flashy samples and merch as they arrive!!

🪝 We will keep this post updated as new items arrive and with other notices

⚔️ Faiyx Cup Coaster Sample

⚔️ Mochi Clear Card Sample

⚔️ Thi Rainbow-Holo Acrylic Charm Sample

⚔️ Pengu Washi Tape Sample

⚔️ Feather Button Badge Samples

⚔️ Taco Die-Cut Sticker Sample

⚔️ Captain Heart-Shape Button Badge Samples

⚔️ Polaris Shaker Acrylic Charm Sample

⚔️ Thi Embroidery Patch Sample

⚔️ Taco Enamel Pin Sample

⚔️ Nagu Standee Sample

⚔️ Bulk Order Arrivals Pt 1

⚔️ Bulk Order Arrivals Pt 2

[astralfuchs]

Given how “unique” a Miku concert would be I’m surprised Crypton themselves didn’t send some team members or equipment personally to make sure things are set up right bc other than some performers that might hide their face/wear disguises idk how many usual concert locations have something prepped for “holo” projections compared to Japan and their Vtuber boom (although I’d rather buy a plushie from a booth but hopefully at least the theatres would have good sound quality)

Sucks for any workers scrambling and getting hate/hope it doesn’t affect the sales of any other indie ppl performing their concerts

The weird thing is it worked before. I went to miku Expo 2018 in cologne and 2020 in Berlin. Both times it was an actual hologram concert with the same band as magical Mirai. Neither of these two locations had a concert like this before, I'm pretty sure. All of the equipment must've been toured around with thew Miku Expo crew. Going against advertising and expectations (basically all of these concerts, and like all of them in recent years were holographic) without notifying buyers beforehand and also not even afterwards when people keep asking is, to put it lightly, customer unfriendly at best and a scam at worst.

I arrived a bit late in 2018 since I only had standard so I don't know how it was there, but in 2020 people went around giving out free stickers and badges, or general stuff they got from other miku events. One of them seemed to be a huge meiko fan so when she gifted me something I gave her the meiko badge I got from the random gacha button bags. Stuff like that really made it feel like a community coming together, so reading that giving out badges, stickers, etc. wasn't allowed this year, even for people who specifically got an okay from cfm and also got their stuff stolen from is surreal.

I had vip in 2020 and as far as I know everyone got their vip merchandise, which doesn't seem to be the case this year, which makes no sense because you would know how many people at this location have the vip ticket. Another thing I read is that vip ticket holders were supposed to be let in earlier for merchandise and the concert hall but it didn't happen, which also worked flawlessly before in my experience.

Merchandise being not enough for everyone is sadly not new, I was in line for it in 2018 and when I was three people away the store people shouted they were all sold out, which was very much a bummer but I thankfully bought the penlight and t-shirt beforehand in the online store so it wasn't too bad for me and as I said I was quite late to the so definitely in the latter half of the people that got in. Still should've been more but I would chalk it up to being the first concert in Europe and them not having expected such a huge crowd maybe. How this is still the case 6 years later and in America where there were concerts way before 2018 is beyond me.

I don't know if this is because of crunchyroll (it probably is tho) but I can't say cfm is innocent either since they partnered with them and it's their job to ensure everything is up to standard, which clearly didn't happen.

For me, I was really happy to hear there was going to be a Europe one again, especially since I really loved it, it is such a magical experience so the last year's being online only made me super sad since it isn't the same in the slightest, but seeing it's also partnered with crunchyroll I decided against it. It's because I loved it so much that it really saddens me to see what is currently going on (also probably why I wrote so much, very sorry). Miku Expo is one of the best, magical and insane events you can go to as a vocaloid/piaproloid fan and I wish for all fans, people who've been in the Fandom longer and already have been to Miku Expo, and newer fans that didn't have the chance yet, to have that same experience but this is not it. This being someone's first miku expo experience is just a sad thing to think about considering what a massive downgrade the experience is. I hope there will be official statements soon and that the people who are currently experiencing it still have a good time.

[hanamizine]

💖 STRETCH GOAL UNLOCKED 💖

Our first stretch goal has been unlocked—check out this Holo Star Button Badge by @iamdannyraccoon! 🌟

🌟🌸 PREORDERS OPEN! 🌸🌟

Calling all Sakura fans! Preorders for Hanami: A Sakura Haruno Zine are now open! We have six incredible bundles available, so be sure to check them out below ⬇️

📅 Nov 10 - Dec 10

🛒 sakuraharunozine.bigcartel.com

SHANNARO! LIMITED EDITION BUNDLE

Includes:

Physical Zine

Digital Zine + AU Zine

4 Emotes

1 Print

1 Postcard

1 Sticker Sheet

3 Die-cut Stickers

2 Foil Cards

1 Bookmark

1 Acrylic Charm

1 Heart Button

1 Washi Tape

1 Omamori

1 Tote Bag

*28 available! Eligible for ALL stretch goals!

STRENGTH OF A HUNDRED FULL BUNDLE

Includes:

Physical Zine

Digital Zine + AU Zine

4 Emotes

1 Print

1 Postcard

1 Sticker Sheet

3 Die-cut Stickers

2 Foil Cards

1 Bookmark

1 Acrylic Charm

1 Heart Button

1 Washi Tape

*Eligible for ALL stretch goals!

KATSUYU SUMMONING MERCH ONLY BUNDLE

Includes:

1 Print

1 Postcard

1 Sticker Sheet

3 Die-cut Stickers

2 Foil cards

1 Bookmark

1 Acrylic Charm

1 Heart Button

1 Washi Tape

*Eligible for ALL stretch goals!

CREATION REBIRTH HALF PAPER BUNDLE

Includes:

Physical Zine

1 Print

1 Postcard

1 Sticker Sheet

3 Die-cut Stickers

2 Foil Cards

1 Bookmark

*Digital Zine bundle can be added for a special add-on price of $7. Eligible for SOME stretch goals!

CHERRY BLOSSOM IMPACT ZINE ONLY BUNDLE

Includes:

Physical Zine

*Digital Zine bundle can be added for a special add-on price of $7. Eligible for SOME stretch goals!

MYSTICAL PALM DIGITAL ZINE BUNDLE

Includes:

Digital Zine

Digital AU Zine

4 Emotes

*Not eligible for stretch goals.

✨ EARLY BIRD HOLO STICKER ✨

Don’t miss out on our Early Bird offer!

All PHYSICAL orders made in the first 48 hours will include this Early Bird Holo sticker!

💖 STRETCH GOALS 💖

We have four stunning stretch goals that will be unlocked once we reach a certain number of sales during our preorders!

(Please check the bundle descriptions on our store to see the stretch goal eligibility.)

Reblogs and shares are appreciated! @narutoevents @anizines @zine-shop-channel @zinefeed

[merry-the-cookie]

my DUUUUUUUUUDES

*inhale*

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

im so excited i could cry LOOK AT THESE 😭😭😭!!!!!!! look at the floaty boys!!! tHE BUTTON!!!!!!!!!!!! i am SO happy im so excited my dudes….. the mike and ash charms are 2" with an epoxy finish that makes them a lil rounded.. the luke and cal are a test print to check what the other techniques/sizes look like! theyre 1.5" and i wanted to try a holostar finish but i prefer how the other ones look so thats what ill go with for the shop! theyll look like mike and ash ✨

i made lil stickers of the cone boys and the button design and theyre super shiny and cute i love it sm, i dont think that ill make an actual run of the cone sticker but i have a lil stock so ill try to give em away with pre orders i think. but anyways yeah im so. *does a lil dance*

and alas it occured to me i didnt share the button design publicly, but it might be one of my favorite things ive ever drawn lmfao i hope you love it as much as i do <3

reminder u can sign up to the mailing list HERE!!

[dweebyfur]

now we're getting fancy

[mushroomyhouse]

Holographic and heart shaped, this Love Grub metal pin by @hehymnhis is a perfect accessory for all you little love bugs out there! 🥰🐛

🐛mush.house/lovegrub🐛

[magicalshopping]

♡ Down to Clown Around Button by LittlePinkGoblin ♡

[welcometosector1]

𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚎𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚜: 𝙿𝚝.𝟸

Wooyoung, San, Seonghwa, and Yunho sat silently in the back of the parked car while Yeosang tapped into the building’s security, giving him the ability to turn cameras off at will. It was finally time to put their plan in motion. You see, these four would be going in and planting everything they think they’d need when the time comes and their heist is going down. Seonghwa made sure to keep each boy in line until they got the okay from Yeosang.

"Woo, distract the receptionist. San, Yunho and I will be planting everything under plants, behind paintings, about anywhere we can find. Yeo, keep us covered, we'll be quick so it won't take us long. Does everyone have their holos?" Seonghwa asked, looking between the others.

They all nodded in his direction, their answers clearly being 'yes', and Seonghwa clapped his hand on San's strong back.

"Let's go then, yeah?"

Inside the building, Wooyoung was flirting with the receptionist, as per instructed. His charms were useful for this exact reason as the other three slipped through the guest gates with forged ID badges, dressed up in suits with hidden artillery strapped to them. Right about now, the receptionist would've noticed the three of them slip by, but Wooyoung managed to catch her attention again.

The other three got off on separate levels; Seonghwa on the second, San on the third, and Yunho on the fourth. They made it quick and used the holo to tell each other when they're done. They all make it back to the elevator, getting in one after another. Yunho, San, Seonghwa.

Yeosang hasn't taken his eyes off the cameras until they all check in, switching to the next floor together. This last floor was the floor where the prototype was, and it was displayed on its stand in its glass cage. "I don't think you should go up to the fifth floor, I can't crack the security, and the only way in now is to break the glass. We can come back when I'm better prepared."

Seonghwa wasn't happy about this, but if he didn't want to get caught, this is what they needed to do. "You heard the man, let's go." He murmured, clicking the button to go down when he stepped in. The ride down is silent, and they make it back to the first floor, walking out that same gate before making it out. Yeosang called for Wooyoung, the heartbreaker finally saying goodbye to the receptionist with a wink and lipstick smears on both of their faces.

The man settles settles between San and Yeosang, both of them laughing at the red wax on and around his mouth while the van starts moving.

"You really were committed, hm?" San taunted with a stifled laugh.

"I have too much pride to be bad at my job." He responded to the other man with a pointed look, taking his compact out and cleaning himself up.

Despite the banter, Seonghwa is scheming already, trying to plan their next move.

Fuck, they need this implant.

✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘✘

New runners?: @thechoi-bot (🍬) @beastfights-starting (🐉) @k-venturetime (👑) @thepatchedpaw (🔮) @redlight-cb (🚨) @mutant-academy @clubwnderland @supernaturalcb @kim-theo-oc @k-half-blood @freakstars-cb @ocmyths @your-au-boys @yourocboys @ateezmystery @undercoverxcb @k-pop-shelter @onlyomega-cb @welcome-to-maniac @domxbot @reve-rv @thepatchedpaws-warehouse @urtwice @sirenaquariumcb @dr-hwa-cb @bluerosemafiacb @divineblood-cb @kitakcb @ae-valorant  @multiyiren @weeb-wonwoo @hideawaycb @thegoodplace-oc @purgatoryxbot @project-takeover @fantasy-teez @fantasycafexbot @teyvatcb  @theinvitation-bot @richboy-atz @model-boyscb @wolfpackcb @dawnswonderland-entertainment @livealittleoc-cb @hleee

[writings-of-a-hufflepuff]

Planning on actually using my etsy shop this year. Things potentially in the works are Matt Murdock heart button pin badges, potentially some stickers (although getting stickers printed is very expensive, so these might be printed by me and then cut out by hand but on decent quality paper/with a decent printer/maybe even holo?) (since redbubble took Matt down) and if the keychains I get are decent, then the spares of my Matt Murdock keychains/charms as well. 

[gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights]

Rating: G

Summary: XY tries to steal Luka's non-existent gym badges.  Instead, they both end up making a new friend.  (For @luxyweek day 3: Pokemon)

Word Count: 2071

XXX

Luka woke up to a stranger rummaging in his bag.

He should’ve known better than to fall asleep in the Pokémon Center, especially in a city as big as Lumiose.  Exhaustion after a late concert was no excuse to be careless.  Even if crime was rarer after the takedown of Team Flare, there were still unorganized thieves around.

Like this idiot who thought Luka was an easy target.

“C’mon, he’s gotta have at least one…” The idiot was mumbling.

Without opening his eyes, Luka slowly moved his hand to his pocket.  He pulled out the one pokéball he had on him.

“Who the heck carries so many metronome items…?” 

While the thief was distracted, Luka pressed the button on his pokéball.  One click, and his Loudred burst free.

“GWAHHHH!!!”  She boomed, and the thief jumped back with a shriek.

“Wh-h-hey!” he stammered.  Luka finally got a good look at him.  Tall blonde hair, tacky outfit—was this some remixed Team Flare grunt after all?  He was wearing purple rather than red, though.

“That’s an, uh, nice dude you got there.”  He eyed Luka’s Loudred dubiously.

“Symphony is a girl.”  He scratched her behind the ear, and she made a low rumble.

“Uh.  Nice babe then.”

Luka snorted.  Why had this thief bothered to stick around?  He thought he’d have run off by now.  Luka really hoped he wasn’t going to have to battle.  Symphony had worked hard enough tonight.

“Why were you looking through my bag?”

“Pshaw, I wasn’t doing that.  Besides, you don’t have anything useful.”

Wow.  This guy really was an idiot.  The Team Flare grunts were never too smart, either.  Just a bunch of kids who got mixed up with the wrong crowd.

Well, Luka was no trainer like the ones who’d busted them up last year.  But maybe he could keep one kid from following down that road.

“What do you count as useful?”  Luka asked.  “Money?  Items?  Pokémon?”

“Maybe Pokémon would be useful, if they’d stop being haters and listen to me.”  The guy crossed his arms and pouted.

“...So you’re not a trainer?”  Luka glanced around the Pokémon Center.  Everyone else was very determined to mind their own business.  Not that Luka needed their help to deal with a guy who couldn’t even use his own Pokémon, but still.  Someone could’ve tried.

“I’m going to be a trainer.  Just as soon as I steal a badge and get this Zorro dude to listen to me.”

Luka raised an eyebrow.  “Zorro dude?”

“Yeah.  Dark type?  Sick red ponytail?  Likes to copy me and make me look stupid?”

He sat up straighter.  “You have a Zoroark?”

That Pokémon was rare enough to border on legendary.  They didn’t even live in the Kalos region.

“Yeah, that’s what I said.”  The guy looked at Luka like he was stupid.

“How did you catch a Zoroark if it won’t even listen to you?”

“Dad gave ‘im to me.  He wants me to get famous here, but it’s harder to fake battles than I thought.”  He sighed dramatically and sunk to the seat next to Luka.

Clearly the ‘get famous’ plan wasn’t working.  Luka had no idea who he was.  At least he was pretty sure he wasn’t a Team Flare grunt, though.

“And you’re telling me this… after trying to rob me… why…?”

“Cause you asked.”

Luka blinked.  “Touché.”

He gave Symphony one last pat, then returned her to her pokéball.

“Traded Pokémon won’t listen to you without badges,” he told the would-be thief.  “And I don’t have any of those, if that’s what you were looking for.”

“Really?  But you look—”  The guy gestured to all of him.  “Y’know.  Cool.  Tough.”

“Thanks? I guess?  I’m just a musician, though.”  He patted his guitar next to him.  It was pretty telling that this guy hadn’t tried to steal that.  “I only battle if I have to.”

“Huh.  Well that’s pretty cool too, I guess.”  The guy shrugged.  “I did Pokémon Contests in Hoenn for a while.  Before I got banned for using holograms.”

Luka raised an eyebrow.  “Any other international crimes you want to confess to?”

“Crashed my boat into a herd of Luvdisc in Alola.  But that was an accident.  How was I supposed to know they were endangered?”

“I was being sarcastic, man.”  Luka shook his head.  “Nevermind.  Come on.”

He stood and hoisted his guitar over his shoulder.

“Huh?  Where are we going?”  The guy trotted after him.

“To catch you a Pokémon.  Before you get yourself kicked out of another country.”

XXX

The stranger’s name was XY.  It stood for Xavier-Yves.  It didn’t sound like an Unovan name, but that was still the least weird thing about the guy.  Maybe that was just a pseudonym.  He probably needed one after all of his criminal acts, accidental or not.

“Alright, XY.”  Luka stood knee-deep in the grass of Route 4.  “You’re going to be borrowing Symphony for this.  Borrowing.  If you run off with her, she’ll suplex you into the ground.”

XY eyed the Loudred next to him.  Sweat beaded on his forehead.

“Got it, Mr. Couffaine.”

“Just Luka is fine.”  He sighed.  This was such a weird way to be spending the night after a concert, but it was still better than going home.

“Got it, Mr. Luka.”

Close enough.

“Alright, now follow me into the grass.”

“I can’t do that!  That’s where the Pokémon are!”

Luka rolled his eyes.  “That’s the point.  You’re going to catch one.”

“I thought you were going to catch me one.  Because you’re cool and sexy like that.”

“Flattery’s not getting you out of this.”  Luka grabbed his wrist and tugged him into the grass, Symphony following behind them.

XY squealed again.  “But what if they eat me!”

“We’re on Route 4, dude.  The biggest Pokémon out here is a Skitty.”

“...Those things eat meat, right?”

“No.”  Even if they did, they would probably know better than to eat XY.  They didn’t know where he’d been.

“If I die, you’re paying for my funeral,” XY grumbled, even though he’d already gone off on four tangents about how rich his dad was.  Luka didn’t even bother responding.

Suddenly XY screamed again.  A few Fletching flew out of the red flower patch.  At this rate, they’d never catch anything.

“What is it this ti—oh.”  Luka blinked down at the tiny Pokémon clinging to XY’s ankle.  “It’s just a Flabébé.”

The little girl seemed to have mistaken XY’s socks for a flower.  She was shuddering, cowering against the fabric even as XY tried to shake her off.

“Dude, cut it out.”  Luka gripped him by the shoulders.  “This is perfect.  She already likes you.”

“Y-you think so?”  XY set his foot back on the ground.  The Flabébé tentatively looked up.

“You might not even need Symphony to weaken her.  Here.”  Luka took out a pokéball, but hesitated to hand it over.  “Are you going to take good care of her if I give you this?”

“What gives, man?”  XY snatched the ball.  “You were gonna teach me about catching Pokémon, not about, like, parenting stuff.”

Luka hadn’t thought this through enough before seeing the little Flabébé.  He couldn’t in good conscience condemn her to a life with XY without knowing that he would treat her right.

“Are you staying in Lumiose?  I live at the edge of the city.  I could come check on her.  Just to make sure she’s not giving you too much trouble.”

“I didn’t know you were gonna want joint custody.”  XY smirked.  “But sure, whatever.  Can’t complain if you want to do half my work for me.”

He knelt down and tapped the Flabébé on her head.

“You are just a little thing, aren’t you?”  He let out a nasal laugh.  “How do you feel about me being your new dad?”

“Please don’t say it like that.”  Luka groaned.

The Flabébé fluttered into XY’s palm and nudged the pokéball.  Wow.  She must really have no standards.

“Sorry.  Me and Lu are gonna be your new dads.”  XY grinned.

“Aaaand that’s even worse.”

The Flabébé looked at Luka.  He looked at her.  She looked at him.  He looked at her.

“...I’m not being your other dad.”

Symphony blasted out a honk of laughter.  He glared at her.

“Don’t make me put you back in the pokéball.”

She just smiled innocently.

“Okay, okay.  Shut up.  We’re doing this.”  XY took a deep breath and pressed the button on the pokéball with his thumb.  It split open, sucking the Flabébé into its light.

The ball glowed red while rocking back and forth.  Once.  Twice.  Three times.

Then it went still.

“I—I did it?”  XY stared at the ball in his palm.  Luka swore there was wonder in his eyes.

Hopefully this hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.

“You did it.”  Luka clapped him on the shoulder.  “Why don’t you let her out now?  She should get used to you before you take her home.”

After fumbling for a moment, XY popped the ball open.  The Flabébé flashed back out and hovered in the air.  She quickly zipped down and plucked a red flower, hugging it close.

“Aww, our first date and she’s already giving me flowers.”  XY laughed.

“It’s not for you.  Flabébé has to keep one close for protection.”

“Ah. Like a comfort blanket.”  XY nodded sagely.  “That’s okay!  I’ll pick my own flower.  Then we can match!”

He snatched up another red bloom, then tucked it behind his ear.

Luka was surprised to find himself smiling.  Who would’ve thought XY could actually be cute?  When he wasn’t trying to steal Luka’s non-existent gym badges, anyway.

“Are you going to name her?”  He asked to keep his thoughts away from that tangent.

“Huh?  Oh.  Uh… hmm.”  XY’s brow furrowed.  He stared at the Flabébé, who had fluttered back into his palm.  “You can’t tell me your name, can you?”

She let out a tiny squeak.  

“Hmm.  Yeah.  I feel that.”  He nodded.  “How about Cheeto?”

“Cheeto?”  Luka burst before he could think better of it.  Who named their Pokémon Cheeto?  

“Yeah, ‘cause she’s got that yellow dust all over her.”  XY rubbed a tiny bit of it off with his fingertip.  Flabébé almost seemed to purr.

“You mean… pollen?”

XY raised an eyebrow.  “Ew, gross.  What kind of name is Pollen?  Sounds like Pole-men.  And she’s a girl.”

Luka wanted to smack his forehead.  Symphony gave him a sympathetic pat.

“Well.  Have fun with Cheeto, I guess.”  He sighed.  “I’m going to go get some sleep.  You’ve got my Holo Caster number.”

“Wait!”  XY jogged after him, cradling Cheeto close to his chest.  “I didn’t get to say—thanks, man.”

Luka looked back over his shoulder, surprised.  “No problem.  This is better than stealing gym badges, right?”

“A lot better.”  He looked down at his new Pokémon fondly.  “Uh, sorry about that, by the way.  I—I’m gonna make it up to you.”

“Yeah?”  He raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah!  I’m gonna—take you to the hotel I’m staying at!  So you don’t look homeless!”  XY grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him back towards the city.

“I literally told you I live in town…?”

“Then why were you sleeping in the Pokémon Center like a hobo?”  XY smirked.  Symphony laughed where she was lumbering after them.

You’ve turned my own Pokémon against me.  Luka scowled.

“Didn’t feel like dealing with my mom,” he said under his breath.  

It was stupid, running away just because he’d finally found out about his dad.  His whole band was here. Including his sister.  Lumiose was a big city, but he couldn’t play guitar for Kitty Section and dodge his parents at the same time.

“Perfect!  There’s no moms allowed in my hotel room!”  XY beamed.

If staying out was stupid, then even considering XY’s offer was downright moronic.  XY had tried to rob him just hours ago.

But the dude was rich.  Luka didn’t have anything else he could want.  And whatever hotel room they ended up in was bound to have a more comfortable couch than the Pokémon Center’s.

“...Alright,” he finally agreed.

XY’s holler of joy could probably be heard in the next route over.

“Sweet!  Bro co-parenting slumber party, here we come!”

Luka let Symphony laugh at him.  He deserved it for ending up in such a ridiculous situation.

But somehow, he felt better anyway.

[highfunctioningflailgirl]

Whumptober No.23

Hollow-eyed, Rios crossed the bridge to drop into the pilot seat. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Hospitality Hologram shimmering away, but he was too tired to voice his chronic annoyance with that particular crew member, and he secretly had to admit that he was grateful for the cup of tar-black coffee he found steaming within reach. He took a sip of the scalding hot liquid, desperate for a caffeine kick.

“Got any sleep?”

Rios hadn’t even seen Raffi, slumped as she sat in the navigator’s seat. She swiveled around to him with hanging shoulders, her curls wilder than ever, the rings under her eyes so dark they looked like bruises.

“No,” Cris sighed. “You?”

It was a rhetorical question, really, and Raffi huffed, pointing at her face. “Do I look like I slept?”

Fact was, none of them had slept in three days - except for Picard, who was out like a light in his quarters after the EMH had insisted on dosing him with a narcotic, worried about the old man’s heart. Sleep deprivation, he’d lectured them, could kill, and Rios was starting to believe him. Only that he was close to killing someone. Anyone, honestly. After nearly seventy-two hours of being trapped, with an offline engine, in a cosmic phenomenon that was somehow affecting their brainwaves, Rios was suffering from a very short fuse.

The most enraging part: While Raffi, Picard and him - the only human crew members on board at the moment - were turning into zombies, the holograms remained completely unaffected. Bright-eyed, and bushy-tailed, they zipped through La Sirena’s decks, running system checks and analyzing scans and fiddling with the ship’s engine, driving Rios crazy with their limitless energy and chipper mood.

Too bad that a hologram didn’t die when you choked it with your bare hands.

Rios threw a murderous glance at Emmet, the hologram currently slumbering in his seat in front of the tactical controls. He was the worst to bear, falling asleep in an instant as soon as his code told him he was sitting and no hostile activity required him to be awake. Feet propped up on the console, head tipped back and mouth open, he was currently snoring obliviously. And as a hologram, he didn’t even need to sleep.

Rios’ fingers involuntarily curled into claws.

“What is the nature of your psychiatric emergency?”

The EMH had materialized beside him and, hands in his pockets, was studying him with professional concern.

“You heart rate is elevated, your blood pressure is climbing, and your cortisol output-”

“Deactivate!”

“But Captain, I am…”

“Deactivate!”

The hologram disappeared with an affronted poof.

“Nice,” Raffi commented sardonically, chin propped up on a weary arm. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

Cris meant to roll his eyes, but it would worsen his headache, so he left it. Scrubbing his hand across his face, he tried to knit a clear string of thoughts together in his increasingly unreliable brain.

“We need to get away from here, Raff,” he said darkly.

She blinked tiredly. “I know.”

And it was true. What had felt like a weird anomaly three days ago - their impulse and warp drive dying suddenly, then the insomnia - had escalated into a dangerous crisis. In spite of incessant work, they hadn’t been able to bring the engines back online, and they didn’t need the EMH’s lectures to point out the consequences of sleep deprivation. They felt them.

Physical exhaustion was the least of it. Cris could get past the headache, the soreness, the nausea and the dizziness. But the tricks the insomnia played on his mind were an altogether different thing. He could no longer concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes, and his short term memory had gone to fritz. It was bad enough that the tiredness was affecting his eyesight, causing the EMH to suggest reading glasses and almost getting his programming wiped by an infuriated Cris. But now he was starting to see things.

Hallucinations. They were a well-known but nevertheless deeply disturbing side-effect, and Cris, all too familiar with the phenomenon from his breakdown after the Ibn Majid disaster, was once more stalked by demons he thought he’d laid to rest. Captain Vandemeer had visited him in his quarters when he’d been staring into the darkness last night, sleepless, but too exhausted to remain on his feet. The top of his head gone, blood and brain matter dripping from the ceiling, Vandemeer had looked at Cris with opaque eyes, and it had taken half a bottle of Pisco to make him disappear.

Rios punched a button on his holographic controls.

“Ean!” He barked. “Status report!”

“We’re still offline, Cap’n,” came the instant reply. “But Enoch thinks he may be on to something. There’s a pattern of sub-photon waves that seems to be targeting the temperature sensors with galandrion radiation, effectively-”

“Only the bottom line, Ean,” Cris cut him off. His brain had shot down after “sub-photon waves”, unable to process anything more complicated than a spaghetti recipe.

“Bottom line?” Ean repeated. “We’re working on it, Cap’n.”

“What Ean means,” Enoch picked up, flickering into existence on the bridge with an avid expression, “is that we think we’re close to solving the problem. Now, if the scan check that I reprogrammed to include sub-photonic and pseudo nano-neurologic patterns reveals that not only the temperature sensors but also the newtonian reverse weight-speed effect of-”

“Callate!”Cris shot up from his seat. “Shut the fuck- Jesus!”

He’d closed up to the ENH in two strides, right fist pulled back to punch, and he’d managed to rein himself in only at the very last moment. He shook out his arms, trembling, trying to get rid of the tension and the shock he felt at his near loss of control.

Eyebrows raised in innocent wonder, Enoch cocked his head.

“Captain?” he asked kindly. “Would you like me to re-activate Emil? I am sure he could provide you with a sedative, if you’d like.”

Rios shot around again, blood boiling. All of a sudden, the bridge’s ambient lights felt too bright, and the cluster of stars visible through the panoramic window seemed to move forward, speeding up, threatening to attack and swallow La Sirena.

“Emmet!” Cris yelled. “Deflector shields!”

The ETH jerked awake and blinked at his screens in confusion. “Que? No veo nada.”

Raffi had gripped the arms of her seat and was looking at Rios in alarm.

“Babe,” she said anxiously and got up. “There’s nothing out there. You have to… Here.” She grabbed his arm and tried to lead him back to his chair. “Here, sit down.”

“What?!”

Rios glared at her. Raffi’s face looked strange all of a sudden. It… reshaped. Her hair shrank back into her skull, getting shorter, smoother… white. Her skin brightened, nose widening, her eyes morphing from brown to blue. Stubble appeared, and her clothes… his clothes… a Starfleet uniform with a captain’s badge.

“Sit down, son.”

Vandemeer. Intact, smiling paternally, he gently led Rios to his seat and sat him down.

Then, still smiling, he lifted a phaser, put it in his mouth and pulled the trigger.

Rios screamed, and he was still screaming when the EMH put a hypospray to his neck and cut his strings.

XXX

“Coffee, babe?”

Rios blinked a veil of deep sleep from his eyes. When his vision sharpened, he saw Raffi’s hand in front of him, balancing a cup that smelled of heaven.

He sat up and stretched before he took the coffee, looking around his cabin. He felt rested, and, to his surprise, he heard the familiar hum of La Sirena’s impulse drive propelling the ship through space at cruising speed.

“We’re back online?”

“Yes. Three days ago.”

“Three days ago?!” Rios almost spilled his coffee. “How long was I out?”

Raffi smiled, but there was an uncomfortable edge to it. “Three and a half days.”

“Dios.”

He racked his brain, memory creeping back in. Memory - and shame. Scratching his beard, he looked at Raffi with unease.

“It was pretty bad, huh?”

“Pretty.” She nodded. Then she placed her hand on his arm and rubbed it gently. “But you weren’t the only one. I cracked a few hours after Emil put you out. He says I was trying to open the cargo hatch to take a walk.”

Cris lifted astonished brows. “Good idea.”

Raffi’s worried face softened into a chuckle. “Not one of my best. I’m glad your holos were there to stop me. They’re not entirely useless, you know?”

“Right.” Cris smirked. God, he hadn’t felt this rested in ages. “Not entirely. But please don’t go and tell them I agreed with you on that. Enoch will never stop rubbing it under my nose.”

As if on cue, the EMH materialised at the foot of Rios’ bed.

“Captain Rios,” he said. “I am pleased to see you awake! And your brain waves have returned to a normal pattern. Now, if I could ask you to meet me in sickbay for a thorough scan of your neural-”

“Deactivate!”

Raffi smiled as the hologram begrudgingly dissolved.

“You ready to come back to the bridge, Captain?” she asked Rios, the twinkle back in her eyes. “Or do you need more sleep?”

Cris swung his legs from the bed.

“Sleep is overrated,” he said sardonically and headed off to take a shower.

[hedwigstalons]

The Tracy Prize - part 1

I’m not quite sure where this one will end up.  I’ll just go along for the ride and see what happens.

xoxoxox

Dealing with students was one of the perils of working in a university but today of all days she could have done without a confused first year accosting her after class.  With end of year exams approaching more and more of them were needing reassurance that they had grasped a concept correctly.  Some days she felt more like a counsellor than a tutor.

A quick glance at the clock showed she had just over an hour before she was due to deliver her presentation.  She still had plenty of time to cross campus and dump her books and files in her office but she would have liked longer to go through her notes before pitching her case to the panel.  The outcome this afternoon had the potential completely change the course of her career.

Crossing the quad in the bright sunshine of early summer she kept her head down and walked fast.  If she could just avoid eye contact with everyone she might make it through without being dragged into another conversation.

She rounded a corner at speed and collided with six foot of solid muscle coming in the opposite direction.

Her world became filled with pain and plaid.

The files smashed into her solar plexus, winding her and causing her to stagger backwards.  Books cascaded from her arms to land in an untidy heap on the floor.  She would have joined them but for a pair of strong arms with lightening reflexes grabbing her and steadying her backwards tumble.

She looked up into the face of the man who had been both her downfall and her rescuer. She saw concerned brown eyes topped by a tuft of dark hair.  

“Are you ok…Dr Ashwell?”  A momentary pause as his eyes clocked her staff ID badge.

“I’m fine. Sorry, I didn’t see you” she answered as she crouched down to scoop up her scattered belongings.

The man had barely flinched during their headlong collision although she was sure a block of books to the abdomen couldn’t have been a comfortable experience for him.  She expected him to continue his journey and was a little surprised when he crouched down beside her and helped reform the pile.

“A traditionalist, huh?” he queried.  “Most people just use the e-book copy now.”

“I like to be able to add my own notes to the margins.”  She let out an audible groan as her tablet was unearthed from the pile.  The screen was smashed to pieces and one side of the device had popped open exposing the internal workings.  “They are also durable.  This is just not my day.  I can kiss goodbye to that grant” she muttered angrily.

“I was to blame too.  Please, let me ping you the funds to replace it.”

“It’s not the tablet that’s the problem.  It’s the flies that were on it that I need.”

A slight look of confusion crossed his brow.

“Don’t you have a back-up?”

“Of course I do but only at home.  I’m meant to be giving a presentation in…”, she glanced at her watch, “an hour to try and win a research grant. Without my slides and data I may as well not bother.”

“Look, if it helps you can use mine.  Maybe download your work and I can stick it on a flash drive for you.”

He drew a sleek tablet out of a smart leather satchel.  The bag alone looked like it cost more than the rent on her apartment.  The device in his hands was even more sophisticated and clearly had holo-capabilities.  Maybe she would take him up on the offer to pay for the damage after all.

“It’s no use. My home set-up isn’t connected to a network.  I got burned once by a research partner and keep things off-grid now.  It’s a decision I’m currently regretting.  Unless by some miracle I can get this thing working I’m screwed.”

She jabbed the power button and the mangled device flickered into life.  However, the display was shot to pieces and there no way of calling up the precious information contained within.

“Where there’s life, there’s hope.  Pass it here. I take it this is at least has some connectivity so you can use University network?”

She nodded.  The tablet was very much a work device for when she needed to be part of the system.  She had only transferred her presentation and a few data files on to it for ease that morning.  She didn’t share the stranger’s optimism that he could extract her work but shrugged and passed the tablet across anyway.  

They moved across to a nearby bench to get out of the path.  They and the books were causing quite an obstruction.  He pulled a phone out of his pocket and made a call.

“John, I’ve got a challenge for you.  I’ll pop you on loudspeaker; I’ve got company.  I need you to try and retrieve some files from a tablet that’s seen better days.”

“Must be bad if you’re calling me.  So what am I dealing with?”

“It’s got power but it’s completely smashed after I sent it flying.”

There was a snort over the line.  “And you guys say I’m the clumsy brother.  Turn on your tablet and I’ll run a tech proximity scan.”

The two devices were placed side by side on the bench.  The mysterious John was evidently able to operate things remotely as as the screen on the functioning tablet flickered through settings without any input from their end.  

“The closest tablet I’m picking up is registered to a Claire Ashwell.  Is that the one?”

Claire gave the affirmative.  Her eyes widened as a carbon copy of her lock screen, or what her lock screen would have looked like if it wasn’t currently a jumbled mess of cracks and lines, appeared on the neighbouring device.

“But my security settings….”

“Are not a problem” answered the disembodied voice.  

The lock screen had disappeared and been replaced with her desktop.  She felt a deep seated unease at how easily this stranger at the end of a phone had accessed her computer.

“If someone could pop a flash drive into one of the ports I’ll transfer across what you need.  Just tell me what to look for.”

The man beside her complied with the request for a flash drive.

“Uh, just the folder called ‘Tracy Prize’.  Everything else I can get from the university system once I’ve replaced my tablet.”

The man beside smiled but she missed it.  Her eyes were focussed on the screen which was currently showing that her precious data was being transferred to the flash drive.

“Speaking of replacing your tablet I’ve transferred some funds to your account too.  It should cover the cost of the tablet and the software that was on it.”

“How the hell did you do that?!”

“You’ve done internet shopping.  Everything leaves a trace.”

The infuriatingly calm voice was doing nothing to dispel her fears of hacking.  Her colleagues thought she was an oddball with her bizarre approach to digital security but the man on the other end of the phone had been able to access her tablet and then her bank account in seconds.  She was just glad that she hadn’t put any of her more sensitive research on her work tablet.

“Anyway, my work here is done.”

“Cheers John.” replied the man beside her and he disconnected the call.  He removed the flash drive and passed it to her.  “Perhaps I’ll see you around, Dr Ashwell.”

She found herself on the receiving end of a beaming smile.  She sat on the bench for a few moments longer and watched as he disappeared across the square and into a coffee shop.  

The whole encounter had only taken a few minutes and if it wasn’t for the mangled tablet and shiny new flash drive in her possession she could hardly have believed it had happened.  

She picked up her books and continued the journey to her office.  Once safely behind its closed door she pulled out her own phone and called up her banking app.  Sure enough her account showed that a healthy deposit had just been made; far more than her basic device was really worth. She resisted the strong urge to delete everything off her phone. Hackers gave her the creeps.  

Another glance at her watch.  45 minutes until show time.

She withdrew a sheath of papers from a folder.  Print outs of the slides she was about to present.  Time to get in the zone.