Chapter Text
Part of you couldn't really believe you'd gotten to this point. You started making content pretty young in life, just doing what you wanted. It was sort of an out in a way, since you did love gaming.
Content creation always looked so fun! Seeing other YouTubers play games made you want to try doing the same thing, make others happy, continue the flow of positivity! Well, maybe not to THAT extent, but far enough.
Of course, it didn't go... The best at first, but that was how everyone started out. You don't just post one video for the first time with horrible quality and editing and get one million just like that. Some people could manage that, but it was rare. It has to be some kind of iconic moment for that to happen, especially to you.
So after a few years, learning, building yourself up, you got to where you are now! The beginning of blowing up.
It always made your blood run hot, start rushing in your veins. You're grateful for the support you've gotten, the help that's pulled you out of repeated states of doubt. There were times where you were so close to just deleting your channel and giving up, but the amazing people around you encouraged you to keep going, to keep holding your head up high, and now look at you!
You're doing so well you could start crying with joy!
But unfortunately, that's enough self glaze for now.
Waking up for a new day, you blinked a few times, trying to wetten your suddenly dry, tired eyes, staring up at the ceiling. Then you just say there for a moment... Then another...
Which eventually just turned into you rolling over onto your side, grabbing your phone off of the nightstand to see what time it was. "9:25 a.m." flashed into view once your phone turned on, the brightness making you squint with a groan of discomfort at the blue light blinding your eyes.
"I could do like... Maybe 5 more minutes...?" You spoke out loud to yourself as you stared at the screen, contemplating. Getting up at 9:30 wouldn't be so bad, now would it?
Yeah... That didn't happen. You got up at 11:43 after doomscrolling for what felt like eternity. Finally bringing yourself to turn off your phone and sit up. You stretch your arms up above your head with a strain, your eyes squeezing shut before opening once more.
You sit in bed, completely still for a while, trying to think of what you were going to do for the day. Once you made up your mind, you lazily hopped out of bed, heading to your bathroom to do your daily routine. If you were going to possibly make another video, then you had to look decent, because right now?
Let's not talk about that.
After getting ready, you made something simple to eat, taking your time. You weren't in any specific rush in the slightest, having just posted your subscriber special while having a few other videos on the ready for the next few days. Currently, recording was an option.
With a snack in hand, you walk back into your bedroom, grabbing your phone real quick before making your way to where your set up was. Plopping down into your chair, you get nice and comfortable, booting up your PC. It was becoming a new routine for you to let some time pass before you check your most recent video, mainly because you wanted to be surprised. What people had to say about a stranger making videos of them gaming was insane, mostly hilarious but sometimes just straight up wild. Like, these randoms for real watch a video, go to the comments, type something with no hesitation and click post after saying something completely crazy.
Like hello?
The internet was so chaotically unhinged... Especially your community. Part of you couldn't help but love it though. It was sort of like an exchange: You entertain a group of people by being yourself, and in return, they entertain you by putting diabolical comments under your vids. That's a win if you had to say so for yourself.
Anyways... Back on track.
Leaned back in your chair, you move your mouse with one hand as you continued munching on whatever you found in your pantry that looked appetizing. First opening up your browser, going onto YouTube, then your channel.
The comments were... How your comments always were. You laughed to yourself after seeing the first one while shaking your head. What made it even worse was that it had basically nothing to do with the video at all.
Scrolling down with a few chuckles here and there, you spot one specific one that made you pause
3fs: Keep it up youre doing great
You stared at the screen, taking time to process what you'd just read before it finally clicked and you shot up from your chair, wide eyed. You had to be dreaming, there was no absolute way that this was real...
Reading the comment again, the username of who commented, you thought someone was just impersonating him at first, but after clicking on the profile, you saw it was actually him. 3fs. Commenting. On YOUR video.
One of the YouTubers that inspired you to make your own channel, that got you through a few tough times by making you laugh. Even though you started your channel way after he did, he still managed to see someone like you, even praising your work
Liking the comment with shaky hands, your hands fly to your keyboard, pressing the keys so fast that you were typing in complete gibberish. At first you wanted to freak out and be like 'OMG NO WAY, I LOVE YOUR CONTENT' but then that came off as weird. You couldn't just leave the comment there either, you had to respond... But with what? Everything that you wanted to write was either too fangirl, too cringe or too nonchalant. Couldn't you just find something in the middle?
(YT Channel Name): Thanks 🔥 Coming from u that's a lot 🙏
Immediately after you pressed enter, you closed out the tab to YouTube. Was that a good response? You were so close to going back and deleting it, but you decided not to. Just forget about it instead... Yeah, that'd definitely be easy to do.
Except for the fact that it wasn't.
You tried so hard to focus on something else, checking emails, starting to edit a video you've had rotting away in your storage somewhere, a second part to a game you hadn't finished on your channel yet. Although, it was extremely difficult. You were wondering if he'd answer back, if you came across as just... Odd. A piece of you wished that maybe that small, tiny interaction would sprout into the itsy bitsy possibility of getting to know each other as... YouTube colleagues? Friends? Whatever it would be called. But that was a delusional thought. Just because he commented on your video didn't mean basically anything, besides the fact that he praised your work.
Meaning he watched your video.
Or other videos...
Perhaps not.
Luckily, a few hours managed to pass. You edited another video for a while, then you left it alone, not having the energy to continue. Plus, you already had two or three finished, so there was no need to overwork yourself. You had energy to preserve, which is why you were pre-recording content in the first place.
Shutting off your computer, you pushed yourself out of your chair stiffly from the constant hours you spent slouched over your desk. You stretched your arms once more, a pop coming from your joints that made you groan in relief from the released tension in your bones.
You crouched down under your desk, your eyes viewing the space before you grabbed a plug and pulled it out of the outlet, then the second and the third. Standing to your feet, you make your way back into your room, phone in hand as you looked through your music app, trying to find what song to play in the meantime.
Once inside, you turned the music up just enough for it to be audible before tossing your phone on your bed, bopping your head to the beat while walking around your room. You opened your closet, pulling out something and leaving it on the ground before going back in, as well as taking stuff out of your drawers, mouthing some of the lyrics to the song that was playing, even though you were off by a word or two.
Going to your bathroom, you grabbed the essentials you figured you'd need, putting them in a small bag you bought a few days earlier. Said back was then taken back into your room, tossed into your luggage on the ground. You were sure you had everything you needed for your trip to California tomorrow.
You made sure everything was how it was supposed to be, checking over the tickets, your rentals and such. Once everything looked good, you grabbed your camcorder, messing with the settings a bit before you started recording. Saying a quick version of your intro while walking around your room, "Hey (YT Channel Fan Name), what's up! Now, you guys might've noticed that this is completely different from how I usually start my videos, but the reason for that would be..." The camera in your hand angles down to the ground where your stuff is packed before turning back to you, "That's 'cause this video is completely different than usual," You added, returning the camera to your face. You were already thinking about how you were going to edit this in your head.
"Tomorrow, I'm goin' to a very special place... Hopefully you can guess where it is," You pace around a bit, "Cause I'm not sayin' it." Acting as if the viewers were whining about your decision to keep quiet, you put your finger up and start shushing them, "Ah, ah, ah... Don't give me that," You playfully scolded, "You'll just have to keep watching to find out." You raised a brow with a smirk on your face, letting your hand slowly lower itself.
"Now, with that being said..." You suspensefully quipped, "I'll see you guys tomorrow when I get there." You gave a small wave to the camera, before covering it with your hand, making a temporary transition. Your finger then hit the button that stopped the recording and you set the camcorder down on your nightstand.
Walking back over to your closet once again, you change into some pajamas, tossing the clothes you had on into your laundry basket, barely getting it in properly. You then shut the lights off to your room and dived into bed, the frame creaking at the impact. You grab your phone one last time to put your alarms on before leaning over to plug it in for the night. You let out a shaky sigh, a smile growing on your face as you found a good spot. The darkness ate away at your room, streetlights from outside lowly streaming in from under your curtains. Your heart was beating a little faster than normal, but as your eyes grew heavy, the pace slowed down just a bit, letting sleep take over you until morning.