"Calista! It's one thousand! One thousand fucking streams!"
I barged into her room, not bothering to knock or wait for a response. Calista looked up when I came in, a little alarmed by my abrupt and somewhat frenzied entrance. "Don't you know how to knock?!"
"Look! Look!" I insisted, rushing towards the mixing board, the computer, and shoved my phone in front of her. "Are you seeing this? One thousand streams, and it's only been..." I checked my phone again. "Less than an hour! Holy shit!" I was actually freaking out, yes. I didn't know whether that was a good number or not—but better than zero!
Calista stared at me for a minute, a single blonde eyebrow arching at my hyperactivity. "Yes, Damien... I've noticed it." Her voice came out dryly.
"I mean, either a hundred people listened to it ten times or a thousand different people listened to it once! Or maybe a single person listened to it a thousand times. I'm not sure which one is better..." I went on. "But doesn't that mean it's fucking addictive?" I grinned at her, jostling her slightly. "Cali, it's addictive! It's addictive!"
There was a rapidly rising coloration on Calista's face as I smiled as bright as I could. "I-It's not addictive, you dummy... It's not a drug." She brushed my hands off of her shoulders and turned back to her work, trying to ignore me. "And you're a little too happy about it. It's just a number, calm down."
"You don't get it!" I exclaimed. "This is my first song! I don't know what I was expecting... but this is just... I don't even know what to say! Hahahah..." I laughed, a genuine, relieved laugh.
That was the result of a lot of work, hours of re-writes, edits, and a few sleepless nights. The fact that people were already listening to it, even if it was just a thousand, felt like a victory. And it would probably grow even more, now that the platform's algorithm would start pushing it to more potential listeners.
I looked at Calista again. She was pretending to be busy, typing away on her keyboard, but I noticed the slight smile playing at the corner of her lips, and the way her eyes kept darting to the corner where the streaming numbers were displayed.
"You're happy too, aren't you?" I teased, narrowing my eyes at her.
She glared at me. "I'm just doing my job."
"Sure." I nodded sagely, a teasing grin still on my face. "I bet you're secretly proud of your little brother."
"I'm proud of nothing." She retorted, but her cheeks were pink. "Now get out of here and let me work in peace."
I laughed and backed away, raising my hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll leave you alone. But don't forget to tell me if the numbers change."
Even though I'd likely be checking it every other second.
She grumbled something under her breath, something that sounded suspiciously like 'yes, yes, I will', before shooing me out of the room.
As I closed the door behind me, I couldn't help but bounce on my toes, my excitement still at an all-time high. This was it. The beginning of something new. Something I had created.
I checked my phone again. One thousand and twenty-three streams.
I couldn't stop smiling.
'I wonder how long it will take before it hits ten thousand?' I mused, heading back to the living room. 'Or a hundred thousand? Or a million?'
It was probably unrealistic to think about it now. But hey, a man can dream, right? I chuckled to myself. In this world, a million streams would probably make me a superstar, or something along those lines.
I plopped down on the couch, stretching my arms above my head and letting out a contented sigh. This single milestone I achieved in less than an hour weighed more than anything I had ever done in my previous life.
And to think it all started with a whim, a desire to express myself through music. It was almost surreal.
I was just getting comfortable on the couch when my phone buzzed. I assumed it was a notification from SoundWave.
It was.
Comments started to pour in.
Surely, with over one thousand streams in such a short time, there'd be nothing but praise.
"......"
—Who IS this? Is he okay?
—Idk this sounds... coercive. Did someone force him to sing this?
—Reported. This feels exploitative. No man should be made to perform like this.
Wait, what? I threw my hands up in the air in absolute bewilderment.
Thankfully, as I scrolled down, the vast majority of women praised my voice, my lyrics, and the music.
—OMFG NEW ARTIST AND HE'S A MALE???
—Jesus, that voice.... like, damn.
—Okay but can we take a moment to talk about the lyrics? Like, WTF
And then, there were the memes.
—Him: I'm on my knees for you. Me: [Image of a woman kneeling in front of a man, with the caption 'Say less'] LMAO
I wasn't even sure if that meme was supposed to be funny or just plain horny, but it had a hundred upvotes.
As I continued reading, I noticed a trend. The comments were split into two categories: those who were genuinely impressed and supportive, and those who were... concerned. Very concerned.
—I get that he's trying to be bold and all, but this feels like he's being forced to sexualize himself for views. It's not right.
—This is why men shouldn't be in the music industry. It's too exploitative.
—Oh shut up! This shit so good I can't believe it's from a man's perspective.
—I've listened to male artists my whole life and I genuinely did not know they could sound like this. I didn't know this was a thing that existed. where has this been?
—my therapist is going to have so many questions on Friday.
—Your therapist is going to need a therapist.
—I played this for my roommate and she stood in the kitchen doorway for the entire song without moving and then just went back to her room and closed the door. we haven't spoken since. umh, I think she's okay.
—him: sings one line about wanting to please a woman. my ovaries: explode
—'I'm on my knees' why is that the most romantic thing I've ever heard from a man? what are you doing to me?
Some comments were just unhinged.
—Someone please find this man and lock him up so only I can have him.
—I've already called my mom and told her I'm never coming home. I'm moving to wherever he is.
—I've set this as my morning alarm. Now I wake up every day wet and ready to go.
It was getting a bit weird in the comment section, but I couldn't stop reading.
This was my first exposure to the raw, unfiltered thoughts of the public, and it was fascinating. And a little terrifying, if I'm being honest. But damn so hilarious too.
These women were a new brand of unhinged and I was loving every fucking second of it.
—My dog started howling when the chorus hit and I don't think she's ever going to be the same.
—Poor doggy~
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.
People were actually debating whether my song was a masterpiece or a cry for help.
For some reason, it was hilarious.
I took a screenshot of the best comments and sent them to Calista, who, after a minute, replied with a string of laughing emojis and a 'told you so'.
Meanwhile, the view count kept climbing. 1,500. 2,000. 2,378. 2931. 3000. The song was spreading like wildfire, carried on by the hands of controversy.
The algorithm had caught the scent of chaos and was now fueling the fire, pushing the track to more and more curious listeners. The debate was only making it more popular. The concern was a form of hype too, I guess.
I grinned and put my phone down.
Despite the mixed reactions, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I had done something, and people were listening. They were talking. They were feeling.
Now, despite the prospering success of my first song, I still had that damn 'donation' appointment to deal with tomorrow. But for now, at this moment, I was just going to savor the sweet taste of my first, small victory.
And maybe also spend the rest of the night reading unhinged comments.
xXx
The early morning light filtered through the half-closed blinds. I snapped up awake, first things first grabbing my phone to check the numbers.
12,000 streams. It had even made it to the 'Trending' tab on SoundWave.
I didn't bother reading the new comments, as I had to face Freya soon. Still, I lay there for a moment, internalizing how my life was likely about to undergo a drastic change. I had put my name out there, and there was no taking it back now.
I took a quick shower, got dressed in comfortable clothes, and headed downstairs.
Freya was waiting for me, a bright smile on her face. "Good morning, Damien!"
"Morning, Aunt." I mumbled, still not over the whole donation thing, but in considerable better spirits now that my song was actually gaining traction. "Ready to go?"
"Of course!" She beamed. "We just have to wait for Willow; she's coming along too."
"Mom's coming too?"
"Well, she's your legal guardian, so yes." Freya shrugged. "Don't worry, it won't take long."
I didn't know how to feel about this. Both Mom and Aunt Freya coming to supervise my... extraction. Well, I doubted they were going to watch me do it or anything, but still. The thought of them waiting outside while I jacked off into a cup was a little mortifying.
I sat down at the dining table, my appetite non-existent. Mom came down a few minutes later, and she looked just as cheerful as Freya. "Good morning, sweetheart! Are you excited?"
"No." I answered honestly. "I think it's weird."
Her smile faltered a bit. "Oh... well... it's just a... medical procedure, Damien. It's for a good cause."
"That's not really a reassuring thought, Mom." I pointed out, a little exasperated.
"Damien." Freya's tone was chiding. "Don't be difficult."
I pressed my lips together, holding back a sigh. I knew it was pointless to argue. I'd have to go through with it, so I might as well just get it over with.
"Fine, let's go."
The car ride to the donation center was quiet. Mom and Freya made small talk, trying to lighten the mood, but I was too lost in my own thoughts to contribute much. I stared out the window, watching the city go by.
On a whim, I cried for help from Valeria via text.
—You busy?
—What's up?
—My aunt and mother are taking me to do a 'donation'. Can't you come arrest me or something?
—Oh. That. Yeah, it's a regular thing.
—I know but...
—It's fine, I'll be on standby. You know, just in case.
—You can't be serious.
—I am. You're a free man, but I'm your assigned officer. I can't just ignore a distress call.
—This is not a distress call, it's a... a 'fuck my life' kind of call.
—Still. I'll be nearby.
I didn't know whether to be grateful or concerned. It was nice to have Valeria around, but the fact now there'd be even a fucking cop lurking around while I was jacking off in a clinical setting was doing nothing to soothe my nerves.
'She doesn't know which clinic I'll be at though... right?'
The donation center was a clean, modern building. It didn't look like a hospital, more like a high-end spa. The sign above the entrance read—'The Seed Bank: Premium Genetics for a Premium Future'.
I rolled out of the car along with Willow and Frey, looking incredibly reluctant.
'Come on, you just have to jack off into a cup and you'll be done.'
I've jacked off plenty of times; I've had years of experience with this shit!
Admittedly, I've never done that in this body.
It was a matter of principle, after all. I was yet to fully explore all sides of my new-found masculine sexual potential, and to willingly do a self-impregnation felt like a huge regression, back to the stage where I used to jerk off furtively into a handful of crumpled tissues, back in my golden teenage years.
I stood a little straighter, my eyes scanning the perimeter. I didn't see anyone familiar. Not that I knew many people to begin with, but the parking lot was relatively empty except for a few random vehicles and cars. There were a few people though, the staff, obviously, and a couple of women that looked like they were on break.
Willow gave me an expectant look. "Come on."
"Alright."
I sniffed, but otherwise looked quite impassive. A look that faltered when I caught sight of a police car slowly cruising towards the center's parking lot.
'It couldn't possibly be her.'
Still, I looked on at it with a slightly aghast expression.
My phone buzzed.
As I was mechanically march-frogged inside the building, with Willow and Freya's hands on my shoulders.
I stared at the text.
—It's me! Moral support is here! ^^'
"......"
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