I found a new streamer to watch. I’d spend my nights helping him win donation battles and boosting his subscriber count. He had a great voice. The only problem was, there was this one song I really wanted to hear, and he wouldn't sing it. He wouldn't even learn it. I dropped a "Lion" (the top-tier gift) in his chat. He just nodded at the camera. "Thanks, Lyra. But I have my principles. I don't sing songs I don't like." I figured he was just one of those 'serious artist' types. Until I accidentally overheard him on a hot mic, cooing to his second-biggest donor: "Baby Bear, you know I'd learn anything for you... just one 'Sports Car' gift and it's all yours~" So, he has principles. They just don't apply to me. Got it. I took my money next door. I dropped a Lion in a random new streamer's chat, and through the cascade of celebratory animations, I heard the new guy gasp, "Oh my god—sister, hold on! Give me thirty minutes, I'll learn this song right now!" At the same time, my phone buzzed. A DM from my "principled" streamer. He was... not happy. 1 Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for a good voice. It’s a chemical reaction. A cat with catnip. My brain just shuts off. So, when "Rhys," the streamer I’d been simping for, refused to sing "Princess," I was annoyed, but not that annoyed. He seemed to sense my vibe shift and quickly explained, "I have my principles, Lyra. I don't sing songs I don't like. It feels fake." On screen, his face was all sharp angles and artistically messy hair. He had that detached, too-cool-for-this vibe. I just stared at my screen. My status as his #1 donor suddenly felt... awkward. He must have felt the tension, because his voice softened. "I'm not trying to be a jerk. I see you as a friend, not just a wallet. I’d rather be honest with you than just... perform. Please don't be mad. It makes me feel like crap." It worked. I melted. He was right. He was different. He wasn't like those other streamers who would do anything for a donation. He was authentic. I dropped a few more Lions to show there were no hard feelings. Rhys just gave a small "Mhm" of acknowledgment, as if the $1,500 in animations was just... expected. I was about to type that he could just sing whatever he wanted, when a flashy entrance notification rolled across the screen: [—Monthly #2 Donor ‘BabyBear’ has entered the chat—] "Hey, Bear!" Rhys’s voice instantly changed. It was warmer. "I learned that song you asked for. Want to hear it?" I’d noticed this before. He was always... friendlier... to BabyBear. When I’d asked him about it, he'd said, "Because I see you as a real friend. She's just a 'client.'" I watched her "Bear" emoji pop up in the chat, and I quietly logged off. He was just working. I get it. To make sure I didn't accidentally click back into his stream, I swapped to an old alt account I barely used. The account had five unread DMs. All from someone named "Ren." Ren: [Thank you so much for the follow, sister! (#^.^#) This is Ren, I'm a singer! Welcome!] Ren: [Signing off! Thanks again for the support tonight, I'll work really hard! (#bow#)] Ren: [Hey, sister, been busy? I learned some new songs if you want to come listen!] Ren: [Good morning! Another great day to practice singing!] The most recent one was from one minute ago. Ren: [Long time no see, sister! Welcome back anytime! ~] It took me a second to remember who "Ren" was. A month ago, I was trying to help Rhys win a "Hype War." The platform rules said one account could only contribute 100 "Hype" points. I'd made this alt account to give him an extra 100. While searching for Rhys's stream, I’d misclicked and ended up in Ren's. "Welcome, 'CocoaMilk'! Welcome, 'New-Sister-Who-Just-Joined'!" his voice had said. It was… different. Clear, warm, like a mountain stream. It wasn't the gravelly, "trying-too-hard" baritone Rhys used. Ren's voice was natural, and a little nervous. I’d hit "follow" and tossed him a few cheap gifts. He’d completely frozen. "Oh—wow—thank you! Thank you so much! I... wow!" The joy in his voice was so genuine it almost made me uncomfortable. I left after a minute and went to Rhys's stream. I'd forgotten Ren, and this account, entirely. I never realized that, in the corner I'd forgotten, someone had been this grateful for a random, throwaway click. 2 I clicked into Ren's stream. He had his camera on this time. He was just a kid, maybe college-aged, in a plain white t-shirt. He had fluffy hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and a look of... pure, unfiltered himbo. When he saw my username, his eyes lit up. "Sister! You're back! Good evening!" He smiled, and he had dimples. I typed: [You remember me?] He blushed. "Of course! You were the first person who ever gave me a gift on this platform. It sounds cheesy, but... you're like, my original patron. Thank you for taking a chance on me." I glanced at his stats. "Viewers: 7." His contribution list was... sad. The top three combined didn't break $20. I felt a pang of pity. I sent him a few "Hype" gifts. He looked shocked. "Thank you! Oh, wow, thank you. Sister, is there anything I can do? A song? A voice line? Anything?" [No, it's fine. You're doing great. Keep it up.] I left. I figured the Lions I’d sent to Rhys earlier were probably pulling in new traffic for him. I might as well go help him secure his ranking. I clicked on Rhys’s channel. And I froze. He was singing "Princess." The song I’d begged for. The song he'd refused to learn. He finished with a flourish, his voice dropping into that fake-intimate register. "That was a song someone asked for a long time ago. I never sang it. But I'm singing it now... just for you, my Princess Bear." A "Sports Car" animation ($100) immediately filled the screen. BabyBear: [If you already knew it, why didn't you sing it for Lyra? She's your #1. She would have dropped a ton of Lions.] Rhys let out a short, ugly laugh. "Her? God, no. I wish she’d leave. She’s so needy. 'Emotional value,' 'reciprocation'… she thinks just because she throws money at me, she owns me. So desperate." BabyBear: [Aren't you afraid she'll stop paying?] "Please. She's easy. If she gets mad, I just ignore her for a few days. She always comes crawling back, apologizing. Total simp." BabyBear: [Wow. My King.] Rhys chuckled. "Anyway... anyone else want a song? A 'Hot Air Balloon' for a request, a 'Sports Car' to learn a new one. Invest in Rhys. You won't regret it." My... my streamer. He’d… collapsed. I thought I was his patron. He thought I was his doormat. And his "principles?" What a joke. I was so angry, I typed in the chat: [Talking shit about your #1 donor? Bold move. What if she finds out?] A red message appeared. [You have been permanently banned from this channel.] Rhys looked at the camera with a sneer. "Some random alt account, trying to start drama. Get out of here. My fans and I know our vibe." A second later: [You have been kicked from the channel.] I... I just started to laugh.
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