Shinigami
Administrator
For most a normal day means waking at an early hour and heading to their job, one that follows the same daily patterns, one that leaves each day mirroring the last. An ordinary job like that once was the only choice but now there are possibilities within what was formerly just hobbies. Yayoi found her livelihood in the sharing of her gaming experiences with thousands of viewers over the internet. Starting as just a release during the final few months of university, this pastime became just as lucrative as an established career of several years. The realm of simply gaming for her audience grew into cosplaying, crafts, and even just simply talking to her fanbase. Supported by sponsors, donations, and a standing partnership with the streaming platform, there wasn't much she had to worry about financially.
"Oh come on! How the hell did that even hit me?!"
Yayoi's frustrated exclamation broke the silence born from her intense focus on what she was playing. The game of the day was the newly released Overseers 2 that sat on the top of the Tweak's Gaming Category. Her stream being among the top three most viewed in that group. Her body slumped back in her chair as she let out a long sigh. The big red letters of "Defeat[" faced her from the main monitor of her computer, a loss that came from her hero's death just seconds before. Yayoi rubbed at her face in an attempt to collect herself before looking over to her other screen, observing the chat she could see they were spamming the letter "F" and various emojis in response to that last match. Competitive games sometimes dragged out a bit of aggression from her but never to a level that'd be considered "toxic". Her audience tended to like seeing such a reaction. It was a very human response, not something processed and filtered as many in the public eye display themselves as.
Her eyes glanced at the time before flicking back towards the cam she gave a smile aimed at those on the other side of the device.
"Well it's about that time! Gotta wrap up for today. I won't be around next week, taking some time off. Remember to use the promo code CKirie for your purchases from Stephania. You'll get 15% off your order! Thanks for coming by, see ya in two weeks!"
The end of her sign-off came with the closing of her stream. Yayoi removed her headphones from her head, placing them gently on the rack at her side. She stared blankly at her screen for a moment, zoning out at the wallpaper of her desktop. Although she enjoyed the time within her streams, the quiet of solitude felt ever the sweeter after it'd end. Her eyes glazed over for a moment, basking in the social twilight, savoring the stillness. The calm was broken by the sudden buzzing of her phone.
Choice of Solitude
The clicking notification of her screen being shut-off ended the conversation. Her irregularly colored orbs look off into the distance in thought. It would be nice to end the evening with a pastry and a cup of coffee. Yayoi brought herself to a stand and made her way to get prepared to go out. Dressing in simply a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, she soon took to the streets. A mile walk, a ten-minute train ride, and a few city blocks later, she arrived at her destination. Taking in the freshly constructed sign and an incredibly modern design of the establishment. The female breached the doorway and requested a table, one that she had to wait for a vacancy. Scents of sweets and coffee waltz through the air, gracing Yayoi with their influence.
Once seated, she scanned the room to appreciate the layout more than she could have from the window. Where the interior choices were very modern, the artwork upon the walls had images that looked as if they were an assortment of photos of Europe. Some looked more recent while others looked to be potentially prior to the most recent World War. Yayoi's optics became fixated on one in particular that broke the theme, instead comprised of a bunch of Japanese businessmen and women. The central of them held a sign with a differently named café. She assumed that it may have been the original restaurant that may have been rebranded to the current one. The approach of a male brought her down to Earth.
"Good evening, Miss. What is it that you'd like?"
The man threw a warm smile her way as he gave a subtle bow to her.
"Uh yeah... Hey. Good evening to you too. I heard you had some kind of grand opening special?"
"That is correct. It consists of a coffee blend of your choice, a serving of Purin, and a freshly made Daifuku."
"I'll go with that. A sweet blonde blend would be great. You can surprise me with the flavoring. And Mame for the Daifuku flavor."
The waiter gave a nod with another bow before walking off to relay her order. She went through her phone whilst waiting, sifting through her personal server for those that follow her stream. An assortment of conversations were being had alongside the posting of many memes and clips from this week's sessions. A few of which made her smirk to herself, loving that she could create a community that liked to just have a good time. The distraction of her browsing the chat group made time pass as if it was but a second since she had spoken to the server. He had arrived with a tray, laying out each of the components of her request before her.
Locking in on the cutely garnished java, she could feel herself gravitating to its call. Raising the cup towards her maw, she gave it a subtle blow before taking in a tiny sip. The drink was light in flavor, touched with a bit of sugar and cinnamon, and complemented by a vanilla undertone. As much as she wanted to completely down her sugary beverage, she wanted to have it to accompany her treats. The trip was already definitely worth it, one that she'd welcome again in the future.
Not often did Yayoi leave the confines of her home given that she worked out of it. She knew this had to change. Dedicating herself solely to her streams and business-related interactions was mentally exhausting, something not alien to the people of this country. For her own mental state, she needed these moments of respite, even if they were as ordinary as this. The lack of personal time brought a bit of guilt to her mind, knowing that she has the luxury of defining her own hours, yet chooses to put her job before all else. Another factor of her guilt was that of her rare involvement with the elimination of Hollows that roamed the streets, a former desire of hers. There was of course others that focused their time on doing so, but there was likely scattered loss by her taking no action. It was certainly time for her to reevaluate her priorities and take more time for extracurricular activities. There was other work that needed to be done.