Page 21 of Now Streaming

“FlameThrower has been mostly absent from her channel since graphic pictures of her were leaked onto social media. The pictures quickly had people questioning how the streamer had become so popular so quickly in an industry that is relatively difficult to break in to. The backlash from the photos led to FlameThrower losing her sponsorships, as well as many well-known online gamers coming out against her alleged methods of promotion.”

Min stood, suddenly not able to watch any more, even though it was nothing she hadn’t seen before. Her eyes burned. Surprising, since she thought she had cried herself out on this.

“Min—”Hayden started, but she cut him off, not able to look at him. He was the one person she had known who hadn’t seen the pictures. Hadn’t known what a disgrace she had become. She couldn’t stand to see the judgment in his eyes.

Or worse. Pity.

“I have to go. My panel starts soon and I have to change.”

She was gone before he could say anything. She slipped into the crowd, leaving him at the table, feeling more alone than she ever had in her life.

CHAPTER7

HAYDEN

Hayden’s eyes followed Min as she strode away from him, heading for the far end of the exhibition hall where he knew the exit was. He wanted to follow her, not liking how dark her expression had fallen when she had noticed the news broadcast. But his instinct told him she needed some time to herself. And that was something Hayden could understand.

He glanced back at the TV, but it had already moved on to another story, something about a movie trailer that was just released, and he felt the tension inside him ease. Hayden hadn’t known the reason behind Min’s disappearance from her streaming channel. A lot of times streamers took breaks for simple reasons like vacation, an illness, or just needing a mental health break, so it wasn’t unusual for someone with her audience to go quiet. But there had been more to it, so much more, and being confronted with the truth and what she must have been going through during her hiatus left Hayden with a sour feeling in his gut.

Not to mention that the image of Min in her FlameThrower wig and nothing else, in another man’s arms, made Hayden burn in a way he had no desire to analyze.

Hayden searched his memory for any mention of who FlameThrower had been seeing recently. Her stream rarely went personal, with Min choosing to focus instead on the games, on the other players, and on her own enjoyment. It was one of the things he liked about her channel, but now his mind raced with the knowledge he was missing. He wasn’t really one to keep up with gossip, something he had prided himself on until this very moment.

Another glance at the TV told him no more information was coming, so he walked his trash to the receptacle and slipped back into the crowd. He had been surprised when Min described loving the feeling of getting lost in the crowd. It was one of his favorite things, knowing there were so many people and voices around him that no one would pay him any mind. He wandered from booth to booth, looking at the displays, trying to lose himself in the chaotic energy and the excitement of the crowd around him.

When he grew tired of the exhibit hall, Hayden wandered the main lobby, admiring the ingenious cosplayers posing for pictures, smiling at the small children dressed as their favorite characters. He didn’t pay attention to where he was going until he found himself in front of a door, a whiteboard in front proclaiming the schedule. A quick glance at his phone showed that Min’s panel was about to start, and he had somehow found himself at the room where it was going to happen. With a feeling of inevitability, he walked inside.

The room was one of the smaller ones, only holding a few hundred people, and he slipped into a chair toward the back. His eyes quickly found FlameThrower’s name plate on the panel table, and he heard her name buzzing around him. Many in the audience had apparently come specifically to see Min.

More people kept filtering in, and soon the room was packed. Finally, the moderator approached his spot, introducing himself before turning to announce the panel participants. Several female game executives, a programmer, and a designer, all well known in their own field. But FlameThrower, as a streamer, was the real star of the panel, for better or worse. When she was announced, Hayden could feel the crowd’s collective intake of breath, the applause scattered and timid as she strode into the room.

Min was smiling, big and bright, but he could tell she was bracing herself. She was in full FlameThrower persona, the pink hair from her wig fluttering around her as if she was being followed by a fan. Her large eyes were made even bigger by her pink contacts, her fake lashes, her winged eyeliner. But her mouth was what caught his attention, full and soft, now a glossy cotton candy pink. He could feel his cock twitch as images of her mouth wrapped around him flooded his mind.

Her outfit didn’t help, the loose anime T-shirt so large it fell down one smooth shoulder. She had tied it in a knot at her waist so glimpses of her navel peeked out over her tight pink miniskirt. Wide fishnet stockings covered her legs, and Hayden had visions of those legs wrapped around him, holding him tight against her, and he started to sweat. This was a bad idea. FlameThrower on her streaming channel was cute and spunky and outrageous.

FlameThrower in person was fucking lethal.

She slid into her panel seat, her long legs covered by the tablecloth, and Hayden could finally breathe again. She tossed her pink hair over her shoulder and settled in, a challenge in her eyes. This crowd had come to witness her drama, and Min had come ready for a fight.

More people joined her on the panel, and then it began. The moderator did a good job of making sure each participant was engaged and able to speak on a topic, keeping the conversation on the experience of female gamers in the workplace. Hayden found himself enjoying the talk when the moderator turned to Min.

“So, FlameThrower, you’re going to be participating in the Bleeding Sword tournament this weekend. You’re obviously skilled at the game, but you’ll be up against one of your biggest rivals, DeathsHead. Any nerves there?”

Min laughed, and somehow her eyes found Hayden, in the back, in the crowd, and he could feel himself smiling back at her. A secret between them.

“Death likes to talk a good game, and lord knows he’s got a great voice to do so, but I’ve beaten him in the past. I am pretty confident I’ll be able to spank him again.”

The crowd laughed, and the moderator made some comment, but Hayden missed it, staring at Min and her smirk and imagining her tight skirt lifted up over her hips, his own hand slapping her sweet ass, leaving it red and sore for his eyes only. Something of his thoughts must have shown from his eyes even from across the room because he swore Min’s face reddened as if blushing. She returned her attention to the moderator and the other panelists, but Hayden couldn’t hear them anymore, he was so focused on her every expression, wondering if her thoughts had wandered to the same filthy place his had.

The panel ended and people lined up for the Q&A portion. It didn’t take long before a guy walked up to the microphone, swaggering with an intent that had Hayden on edge.

“Hey Flame. I’m a loyal fan, but I gotta know… who’s the guy in the photos?”

The room went silent. The moderator tried to step in, clearly prepped for this, but Min held up her hand and leaned into her mic.

“I won’t say much, but I will tell you this. The photos were taken without my knowledge or consent. I was in a relationship with the other individual, and we had parted ways long before those photos were leaked online. I’m pursuing legal action at this time. But that’s all I can say on the subject.”

Her voice was a little harder than it had been before, laced with the steel from her spine that Hayden couldn’t help but admire. The Q&A continued, the rest of the questions thankfully staying in safe territory. Finally, the moderator wrapped it up and thanked all the panelists for coming.

---