The next day was off work--thank god--but that didn’t mean Hunter could rest. Always gotta be grindin’ for that content, right? No, but seriously he needed to work on getting a cosplay together for reaching the goal of 50 subs--which might happen any time from later today to a month from now.

Oh, right, Mel said she’d check with her friend for me. I should follow up on that.

 

BigGoron5: hey mel

BigGoron5: did your friend get back to you

BigGoron5: about like cosplay stuff

melsalvia: oh shit sorry completely slipped my mind

melsalvia: ill ask right now

melsalvia: ok yes they seem very down!

melsalvia: what would hypothetically be a good time to meet up

melsalvia: i will probably come too

melsalvia: assuming you trust me not to be an internet axe murderer :p

BigGoron5: i trust you lol but i guess we could meet in a public place just so everyone can feel safe?

BigGoron5: like if i was a girl idk if i’d want to meet up with a male streamer somewhere secluded

BigGoron5: not to overgeneralize but like i think we all know some famous dudes and some gamers are real creeps

BigGoron5: not that i’m saying i’m famous lol

melsalvia: no worries lol, i appreciate u think about this kind of thing

melsalvia: very empathetic

melsalvia: wholesome goron

melsalvia: cute

melsalvia: sorry if that was weird lol im pretty high right now

 

Hunter felt kinda flustered. He wasn’t exactly used to girls hitting on him. 

 

BigGoron5: ...thanks?

BigGoron5: oh so obv u know what i look like but

BigGoron5: maybe i could get a pic of you and/or ur friend?

BigGoron5: so i can recognize you when we meet up

BigGoron5: also i guess we should meet closer to where ur friend lives, if we might have to go there for supplies or whatever? Idk how this stuff works

BigGoron5: what general part of the city are they in?

melsalvia: oh ok ye fotos incomin’

melsalvia : (first one is me)

 

Hunter regarded the two photos in front of him. They both seemed unreasonably cute. He’d interacted with Mel plenty online, and even voice chatted once or twice on the server, but he hadn’t seen her face. It turned out to be a very cute face! With a nose piercing and shortish brown hair. But, uh, he had gotten the vibe that she wasn’t into guys? So he’d try not to be weird about it. He always worried a lot about coming off as creepy or weirding out women, but hopefully he could prevent that if he tried hard enough to be careful.

Mel’s friend was also very cute, although maybe less his type. In the photo they were cosplaying as some anime character?--he wasn’t sure what the character was from, not being a weeb himself--but it seemed quite professional and well put together. Some kind of bard(?) with a long black pigtail and a green cap and sorta ruffled medieval-looking green clothing.

He also, uh, still wasn’t sure what gender Mel’s friend was. He wasn’t sure what the most polite thing to do was here. Ask? The photo really hadn’t helped; it was quite androgynous.

 

BigGoron5: cool thanks!

BigGoron5: hey uh sorry if this isn’t the right way of doing this

BigGoron5: just to check what pronouns should i be using for ur friend

melsalvia: they/them is good, thanks for asking

BigGoron5: ok cool

BigGoron5: i was worried it would be rude to ask but i guess getting them wrong would probably be ruder

BigGoron5: by “them” i mean the pronouns, to clarify

BigGoron5: sorry i apparently can’t word today lol

melsalvia: understandable

melsalvia: word hard

melsalvia: oh they actually live down in, like, san pedro

melsalvia: which i guess is technically part of the city?

melsalvia: but like barely

melsalvia: they could probably bring their stuff up here with them tho?

melsalvia: you know what, im just gonna make a group chat

melsalvia: probably easier for logistics

 

A new group chat popped up in Hunter’s Discord.

 

melsalvia: hey izzy this is the streamer i was telling u about

melsalvia: who could use some cosplay help

izzbiz: ooh

izzbiz: i’m intrigued

izzbiz: always down to help someone fuck around with gender

BigGoron5: hi, nice to meet you

BigGoron5: i really appreciate you being willing to help!

BigGoron5: i’m not really sure either way if this costume involves gender? Cuz it’s of a male character but while he was crossdressing?

BigGoron5: but then again most of the people i could find online with the cosplay were women?

izzbiz: well regardless i think i can help u out

izzbiz: sometimes you’ve gotta leave them wondering

izzbiz: that’s showbiz baby

BigGoron5: oh so where and when would be a good place to meet up?

BigGoron5: ideally near ur place because you’re already doing me a favor and i don’t wanna make u drive

izzbiz: yes, allow me to peruse the possibilities

izzbiz: shall we three meet at Point Fermin Park, outside the old lighthouse?

BigGoron5: sg

BigGoron5: does this Friday at 3 pm work

BigGoron5: (I get friday and sunday off this week)

melsalvia: works for me

izzbiz: yes, that should work quite well. Wonderful!

izzbiz: looking forward to meeting you, friend

BigGoron5: u 2

BigGoron5: also meeting mel in real life

BigGoron5: ok! See u then 

BigGoron5: oh btw is there anything i should bring

izzbiz: just yourself and your smile

izzbiz: and maybe some clothes that are relatively easy to change out of

izzbiz: for example, a zippered top would do nicely

BigGoron5: ok will bring that

BigGoron5: cool, thanks

izzbiz: tis no issue! this is one of my favorite things

izzbiz: if anything i should thank you

melsalvia: you two are silly

melsalvia: lol

melsalvia: hopefully everyone has fun! C u then