thegridisforeveryone

[thegridisforeveryone]

Gridpride, week two: Instant Crush / "Who is that?"

Alan has to pull Lora aside. “Who is that?” he asks right next to her ear.

Lora grins as she leans in, too. A necessity in a place as loud and boisterous as an arcade, and especially one run by—“Flynn,” she says. “I told you, Alan. His name’s on the building.”

She watches his eyes widen, sees his gaze go up and down Flynn’s figure. She smiles: she remembers putting on a similar expression when she first met the mysterious, eccentric jock programming at ENCOM. It’s just what he does.

“No,” Alan says. “That can’t be—but he’s—”

“Come on,” Lora says, taking Alan’s hand. “Let me introduce you.”

[thegridisforeveryone]

made a new ref sheet for RAM :)

[thegridisforeveryone]

Tron shitpost o'clock besties

[thegridisforeveryone]

Shall We Dance?

[We're supposed to be a couple,] Quorra pings. Paige scoffs.

They're sitting at a table at the End of Line, keeping an eye on Castor and his connections. Looking for potential allies for the uprising in Argon.

They're also supposed to be on a "date," in order to blend in with the crowd.

"Come on," Quorra coaxes. "Just try to relax." She twines her hand with one of Paige's on the tabletop, toying with her fingers like an absentminded lover.

In reality, Quorra is perfectly focused. These are the hands that saved her life. The gentle, capable hands that patched her injuries back in Gallium. The talented hands of a musician, a program who's chosen a path outside of her function, over and over again. The hands that taught her how to fight.

"How do you like your new job?" Quorra asks.

"It's an adjustment." Paige shifts in her seat, leaning in closer. She manages to meet Quorra's eyes. "I'm having trouble with one of my coworkers."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Quorra murmurs. Poor thing. "Have you tried talking with them?"

Paige shrugs one shoulder. Casual. Enticing. "I'm not sure it's the kind of problem that talking can fix."

"Then maybe you should try something other than talking." Quorra looks at her under her lashes as she takes a sip of her drink. Suppresses a smile when Paige flushes. "What do you think of the music?"

"It's nice." Paige tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. She's wearing it down again, like she did when they met. "It's been too long since I came to a place like this. I've missed it."

Quorra musters her courage as she polishes off her drink. "Shall we dance?" she asks.

She doesn't think she imagines Paige's circuits brightening when she says yes.

[thegridisforeveryone]

#gridpride prompts - week four

Creation / No apologies / “You’re perfect.”

First / Flirting / “Can I…?”

Solidarity / Family / “I never thought I would have this.”

Rainbow / Rise up/ “I thought it was time for a change.”

Pride / “I love who I am.” / “I love you.”

This year, we're sharing prompts for Pride Month! Follow along with as many or as few as you'd like. These are just ideas to help get you started. All submissions are welcome! You are not required to use any prompts. All submissions are welcome! Tag your works with #gridpride and we'll reblog them!

You’re also welcome to use previous prompts if you’d like:

Week one prompts

Week two prompts

Week three prompts

[thegridisforeveryone]

it's gotta be so hard to sleep on your boyfriend when he glows in the dark but they managed it somehow

[thegridisforeveryone]

A rescue dog and his caretaker

[thegridisforeveryone]

(Not) Broken

“Can we talk?" Tron asks weakly. Yori smirks. She's stunning, decked in one of her glittering gowns, her hair wrapped in an elaborate braid. "Talking" is clearly low in her priority queue. But she acquiesces, sitting beside him at the foot of their bed. His core stutters as she links her hand with his.

"Yes?" she asks, eyes glinting. Tron swallows.

"I think I'm broken."

A flicker of concern flares from Yori's hand. All trace of amusement disappears from her face. "What do you mean?"

"I love you, Yori," Tron says. "So much, it scares me sometimes. You're brilliant, and creative. You're funny. You're beautiful. I completely adore you. But I don't always want… the same things you want."

He touches the gauzy edge of her dress. He can't meet her eyes.

"…I see," Yori says.

"I'm sorry." Tron can feel his face heating. "I don't know—why I'm like this. It's not you. It's not… a reflection of how I feel about you—I promise. I've just always been like this."

It's yet another reason he'd never planned on having a partner program, until he and Yori were paired by their Users. Now he doesn't know what to do.

Yori touches his face. Tron blinks.

"You're not broken, Tron," she says gently. "Different programs want different things. There's nothing wrong with that. You don't need to be sorry." The teasing light returns to her eyes as she smiles. "And I know you love me. Believe me."

Tron flushes again, though for a different reason. "You're not upset?"

"No," Yori says. "I love you too, program. You don't have to change for me."

"Thank you." Tron leans closer, weak with relief. He presses a kiss to her hair. "It doesn't seem fair to you, though. I want you to be happy, too."

"I am happy," Yori says. She reaches up, carding an affectionate hand through his hair. "Why don't we just cuddle tonight? We can talk about what you're comfortable with. What you like and what you don't. And later, if you feel ready, we can try again."

"I'd like that," Tron hums. Once again he's struck by how lovely she is, inside and out.

[thegridisforeveryone]

shojo sparkles.

[thegridisforeveryone]

I don’t look like an ISO, do I?

[thegridisforeveryone]

Rest

Ram sighs, grinning as he stretches. He's trapped in the best way possible.

Tron is pressed against his back. His arm is wrapped around Ram's waist, protective, and his face is tucked against the nape of Ram's neck. It's easy to feel safe with the monitor wrapped around him. He's guarded from both sides, with Yori curled against his chest. Her head is tucked beneath Ram's chin, her hair lovely and loose. He holds her, and her arm is looped across his back, linking with Tron's.

Affection surges in Ram's core. It's nice to see his counterparts so peaceful and relaxed. They've more than earned the rest.

[This is nice,] he hums. He receives two muzzy confirmations, their senders still half-asleep. Ram snuggles closer to both of them, sighing contentedly as he rejoins them in sleep mode.

[thegridisforeveryone]

some pastel trans identity discs, because tron says trans rights. ❤️  i think the colors of the glow may be a little too subtle in this render, im gonna keep working on them!! c:

[thegridisforeveryone]

I love these stupid outfits so much.

[thegridisforeveryone]

gridpride week 3: Get lucky / "I'd rather not."

Shaddox thinks of it as creating. He puts the drinks together. The DJs set the mood. Zuse cultivates the “vibe,” gets the crowd moving exactly how he wants. And the patrons fill the space: the diverse array of their renders, the relationships and dynamics and dramas between them, all their baggage and foibles and troubles come together in a unique arrangement. It’s not quite architecture, but they’re all building something together.

He’s mixing drinks for a couple at the bar—voices low, sides touching, smiles put on just for each other—when Zuse himself sidles up, his side leaning heavily against the counter. “Would you be in the mood for a dance after that?” he asks, gesturing at the drinks with his cane.

Shaddox snorts. “I’m working,” he says. “At your club.”

“That’s hardly relevant,” Zuse says. He somehow leans in further, his grin turning coy. “Besides, I have it on good authority that the next song is almost as irresistible as you.”

Shaddox rolls his eyes playfully. Zuse is rarely the kind of program who means what he says; he flirts and sweet-talks as easily as he connives and double-crosses. Shaddox spends a good share of his shift seeing Zuse flit from person to person to person, his mannerisms unmistakable no matter who he’s with.

“Really,” Shaddox says, and then the song changes.

It’s smooth. It’s catchy. And it’s certainly danceable. He sees programs begin to undulate to the beat, bodies moving together, bodies moving against each other. Programs pairing or even tripling up, the song just a prelude to something that might happen later. A common sight in an establishment like this, and one that Shaddox regards with a detachment that a lot of people in his life find unusual. It’s just a world apart from his own. He finishes up the couple’s drinks, hands the cups to them, and watches them slink away to join the sway of the crowd.

“Well?” Zuse says, turning Shaddox’s attention back to him. “What do you say? You wanna...” He waggles his eyebrows in time to the music. “... get lucky?”

Shaddox feels his face twist. “I’d rather not,” he says. “Go find someone else to dance with, Zuse.”

“Oh, you’re no fun, Shaddox,” Zuse says with an exaggerated pout. He easily wades back into the crowd, though, and within minutes Shaddox sees him leading another program onto the dance floor. As expected.

The song ends. Another one comes on. The mood shifts again, and he watches the programs around him mold themselves to it. More drinks, more people, more life coming and going. They’re all leaving their marks on this specific moment, never to be replicated again. Shaddox finds himself smiling as he observes it all.

It’s not quite architecture—but it may be something better.

[thegridisforeveryone]

rinzler for trans visibility day

[thegridisforeveryone]

I Missed You

The first thing Anon hears is laughter.

There's a hand on their shoulder. As the Grid comes back into focus, they see a familiar face smiling back at them. The bright, troublesome program they derezzed to protect.

"You're back," Quorra breathes. She pulls them into a hug, laughs into their shoulder. "You're really here!"

She radiates [graditude] and [relief]. And something warmer, something Anon isn't sure they can name. She hugs them harder.

"I missed you," she whispers. "Thank you."

Anon leans in, hugs her back.

[Don't mention it.]

[thegridisforeveryone]

i think about them alot <3