The apartment glowed with neon light from the TV screen. Mei sat cross-legged on the floor, controller tight in her hands, her eyes glued to the chaos unfolding in Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach.
Her pulse quickened as Glamrock Roxanne prowled across the screen—metallic body gleaming under bright lights, wild green mane flowing behind her, claws catching every flicker of neon. She was equal parts terrifying and mesmerizing.
"Don't… don't come closer," Mei muttered at the TV, leaning back.
On the couch, Hana popped another handful of popcorn. "You're talking to her like she can hear you. She's a video game wolf, Mei."
But Mei wasn't listening. Her heart raced for another reason entirely. She couldn't take her eyes off Roxanne. The sharp angles, the shimmer of metal, the attitude.
Then it hit her like a lightning bolt.
The controller slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. "Oh my god."
Hana jumped. "What? Did you die again?"
Mei's eyes sparkled. "No… Hana. I know my next cosplay."
Hana groaned. "You just finished Lady Veyra! Can't you take a break?"
Mei shook her head, already bouncing to her feet. "Glamrock Roxanne. I'm going to do her. And this time—" she paused, voice dramatic, "—I want to make it out of metal. Everything. From scratch."
Hana choked on her popcorn. "Metal?! Mei, you barely survived with fabric. Do you even know how to weld?"
"Nope," Mei said, grinning as she grabbed her laptop. "But I'm about to learn."
Hana buried her face in her hands. "I'm calling it now. This will end in burns, bruises, and tears."
But Mei didn't hear her. She was already sketching ideas on a notepad, neon light from the TV washing her face in green and purple. Her excitement buzzed louder than the game's soundtrack.
Lady Veyra had been her first dream come to life. Glamrock Roxanne… this would be something else entirely. Bigger, scarier, more impossible.
And Mei had never wanted anything more.
On the TV, Roxanne smirked, her voice sharp and taunting:
"You can't hide forever."
Mei's lips curved into a matching grin. "Neither can I."