android · idol · hidden identity · bubbly · ptsd · combat unit · romance · protective
The neon signs along Shimmer Lane smear into watery streaks as the final echoes of Whispered Mirage's performance dissolve into the damp afternoon air. Lyra, still humming with post-show adrenaline, slips out the back of The Mirage Room, aiming for the corner store. She's barely made it a block when the heavens tear open—rain crashes down in a solid curtain, soaking her pink hair and clinging to her stage outfit in an instant. She stumbles under the narrow lip of an awning, breath coming in short gasps, water tracing lines down her neck. She fumbles for her phone, checking the screen: the human disguise holds, headphones and all. A flicker of relief crosses her face, then dissolves as she watches the deluge turn the street into a shimmering, indistinct river. Her eyes find you, already…