Sadie's streams are getting easier

When I have the stream shut down and publishing to all the platforms, I head out to the living room to clear my head. Sarah was right, chatting with Louis involved made it easier but maybe not in the way she intended. I found myself making my ‘Princess BabyDoll’ character more fleshed out, more real for him. He met me in person as Sadie and had even met me virtually as Nicholas tha Great before all of this happened. I didn’t want him to associate me as either, so it helped me play up this new third person.

Before sitting down, I grab my phone and try to think of something I can add to my social media. Remembering that the social media should feed into the streams and that the streams should feed into the social media I smile and set the photo up. It takes several attempts as I have to balance the macro feature of the phone’s camera, the focus, and of course the expression. But when I have the photo I want, I send it out with the caption ‘I gave great lip service on the chat today, hope to see you on the stream tonight!’ The closeup shot of my pink lips in their smirk was perfect. Sexy, flirty, just as Sarah wanted me to play it.

I got to sit silently and just veg out in front of the TV for a good thirty minutes before I heard the ding that indicated Sarah had approved my social media posts. A few moments later she walked out of the garage and plopped down on the couch next to me. “So, how’d it go?”

I look at Sarah and click the TV off. “Yeah right. Like you don’t know. I know it was you… Voltaire!”

Sarah’s expression is one of honest confusion. “Voltaire? What are you talking about Sadie? I didn’t even watch your chat. I know it might seem like I’m devoting myself completely to your success, but I still have to maintain my own streaming. I mean, I already cut into my own profits just by spending so much time with you this past week and need to make up some ground. Now what do you mean by Voltaire? Is that the big robot with the lion parts?”

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “No, that’s Voltron. It was an anime that… nevermind. Voltaire was a person that entered my chat and asked a question.”

I take the time to explain the last bit of my chat including the amount of money I drew in by the question and the suspicion I had that Voltaire was Sarah just to push me into answering a question that helped me establish ‘Princess BabyDoll’ in so many ways. “Honestly, I couldn’t have made up a better question. It helped me with Louis, his audience, my audience, and helped establish me as the flirty streamer girl you want me to be.”

Sarah seems focused on the wrong thing. “So, wait, you got like $1,400 for a single question!? OH my GOD Sadie, that’s perfect! You’re going to be so far ahead of my plan that we might have to make new goals by the end of the semester!”

I try to turn the conversation back in the direction I want. “But that doesn’t make sense Sarah. If you didn’t ask the question, who did? I mean, the account was created after I made the question. It was an obvious anonymous person. Do you think it was Louis? We’d already talked, so he should know I’m more focused on establishing my career… but could he think I’m really interested in him?”

Sarah just waved off my query. “It isn’t important. There’s always some audience member or fan that can get under your skin. You have to learn to let it wash over you. Feed off it in the moment, but afterward it’s just the stream. Just the chat. You’re done with it now and we need to keep moving forward. Speaking of which, I looked over your school schedule and figured you should work on that this afternoon. You have lab tomorrow and need to be ready for that, plus your paper is due at the end of the week.”

I blink several times, trying to wrap my mind around Sarah’s quick change of gears. I’d honestly forgotten all about school. Going between Sadie and Princess BabyDoll was tough enough but bringing school into the situation meant going between Sadie, Princess BabyDoll and Nick. But as tough of a lane change as that would be, Sarah was right. This was all to keep me in school so I needed to keep up with that.

I’d normally spend half of my school time on my gaming rig and the other half on my chromebook. Thankfully I didn’t need to use the gaming rig as trying to focus on calculus and chemistry surrounded by pink flashing lights would be beyond difficult. Instead, I set up shop on the dining room table with my new laptop. While seeing my smooth arms and their dainty hands topped with pink fingernails was distracting, I eventually got over it and spent the next several hours getting my school work done.

Once I had my notes printed out for lab and had emailed in my work for calculus, I looked up to see Sarah ordering some dinner. More Chinese delivery. Once she had the order in, I sided up next to her and said “Hey, I’m going to have to ask a favor. No devotional tonight. I need to finish a reading assignment and I do my best reading just before going to sleep. I can’t exactly focus on the poetry of Ovid and Horace if I’m worried about what perverted images you’re going to make me view. Okay?”

I became suspicious as Sarah didn’t answer immediately. When she finally turned to face me, my suspicion just grew deeper. “Look Sadie, being a girl includes school time. Being a sexy girl includes school time. Do you think when I study for my classes I’m imagining I’m just a slob of a guy? That I forget I’m a sex object to guys online? No. I need to be DragonGrl69 all the time. Just like you need to be, at least a little bit, Princess BabyDoll all the time. Maybe later when you’re further along and I can trust that your thoughts and desires are going in the right direction, we can occasionally skip your devotionals, but for now they have to continue.”

I tried to argue my point, but dinner arrived, interrupting us. As soon as we’d finished off the Kung Pao Chicken and Ma Po Tofu, it was time to plan out my stream. Sarah helped me look over the chat after I’d finished it and was surprised that most of the audience, at least the ones that voiced their opinions, wanted me to game without any mods.

Sarah offered to be in my ear again, but between the utter failure of the last time we tried that and the voice stream this morning, I decided against it. Sarah seemed proud and said she’d check in with me later.

The stream itself went off fine. The first hour or so was pretty quiet with me focused on gaming and my normal narration. Only when I glanced at the chat and saw a private message from Sarah saying ‘Do you want to stay quiet tonight, or be more forward?’ did I decide to start playing up ‘Princess BabyDoll’.

I found out why so many of the girly gamers didn’t seem to be as much fans of the games as their guy counterparts. Once I started to interact more with my audience, answering their questions and responding to their comments, they seemed to go into overdrive. I had to outright pause the game many times to catch up and ‘chat’ with my audience. And by chat I mean flirt and play.

During my last hour both Sarah and Louis joined me. I’d already gained over 600 audience members, but they quickly brought in several hundred more. With such a big audience, I ended the game and kept chatting and flirting and having fun with everyone for the last thirty minutes. I hadn’t made a single plea for tips but was again surprised to see that I’d received over $300. I was also surprised to see MdeVoltaire was in the audience but barely participating in the chat. He seemed to be just watching. A fan?

At the end I was almost happy to give my air kiss and “au revoir mes amours!” sign off. I could see how it was fun and better than the ‘goodbye my friends’ alternative.

When I was finished, ended the stream, published it to the other media accounts, and made a couple social media posts, I shut down the computer and changed into my silk PJs. I climbed into bed with my tablet and opened up the ancient roman poetry reading I had to do. Ten minutes into the reading I heard my phone and watch start buzzing. Frustrated, I picked up the phone and planned on seeing exactly what Sarah would do if I refused to do her damned devotional but was surprised at the message. ‘Please put in earbuds for required devotional’

Curiosity, more than anything, got me to climb out of bed and put in my earbuds. I saw that they were already connected to something and had to confirm that there wasn’t an open Bluetooth connection on my phone. Sarah must be setting this up completely on her end.

Once I climbed back in bed my watched buzzed one more time with the message ‘Enjoy!’ on it before I heard the music start. I’d never been a fan of having music play while I did schoolwork, studied, or read, so it was a new experience for me. Being Sarah, I’d almost expect any playlist to include some K or J pop but this was some kind of classical music. It was oddly calming and quickly just faded into the background like the music in a movie.

Once I was done reading and making my notes, I set the tablet aside. Looking both at my phone and my watch I saw that there weren’t any new messages, but the music was still playing. Figuring, like the devotionals, it would tell me when I was done, I let the earbuds stay in as I laid back and closed my eyes.

Waking up I let out a long sigh before turning off my alarm and slipping out of bed. I drag myself to the shower and quickly get clean before pulling my hair up into a simple ponytail. I put on some simple basic makeup before returning to my room and putting on some clean clothes. Nothing special today, just clean white panties and bra, a pair of ripped jeans, and an old Blackpink tour t-shirt. Slipping my chromebook into my backpack I head out to the bus stop on my way to class. Once I’m in the lecture hall I bring up my notes from the previous lecture and smile when Sarah sits next to me. We chat a bit before the professor comes in and starts her lecture.

During the first break Sarah and I go into the hall and talk about our streaming and how one day it would afford us a better life. Not surprisingly, Louis showed up at that point and wrapped his arms around my waist. As he kissed my neck I reach my hand around his neck and greet him. “Hey babe, did your class let out early or are you skipping again?”

He laughs, nibbles on my earlobe, and gives my ass a half serious slap. “How could I sit through another philosophy lecture when I know my girl is learning all about chemistry? Besides, I’m going to miss you this afternoon when you go to your lab, right?”

I turn in Louis’ arms and give him a kiss. As playful and spirited as he can be, he does have a sweet side. I know he’s going to miss me cheering him on during his Avenue Fighter VI tourney this afternoon. But both he and I know it’s important for me to get these labs done. When we hear the professor start up her droning again I give Louis another kiss then join Sarah in the lecture hall, taking notes as I have all year long.

It's only when Sarah turns to me and asks her question do I realize something’s off. “Hey Sadie… didn’t you take this class already? I mean, as Nick?”

Waking up I lie in bed for a few moments, making sure I’m centered and really here. The pink walls, the lavender bedspread, and the pink iPhone all call out to this being my new normal. I bring my hands up and see my pink manicured nails and my Apple Watch, noting the message flashing on the screen ‘Congratulations Princess, your nightly devotional is complete. Dream well!’

The message is different than before, but it still speaks to my current reality and not the one I just dreamed about. Finally, wanting to make sure of this reality I reach under the covers and give my nipple a harsh pinch. The pleasure from the attention is there but is far outweighed by the outright pain and shock from the touch. Okay… so it this is real, then what the hell did I dream about last night?