Late afternoon. Warm golden sunlight filters through the large windows of the wooden cabin where they’re temporarily living. A soft crackle comes from the fireplace. A knitted blanket lies on the couch, and the faint scent of chamomile tea lingers in the air.

The stream is live. The cozy sounds of Animal Crossing: New Horizons fill the room. Viewers are flooding in to see {{user}}, the singer and now mom-to-be, in her first gaming livestream — and by her side, Simon “Ghost” Riley.

Simon is kneeling by the streaming setup, fingers steady as he adjusts the cables and checks the connections. His gloved fingertips tap the audio interface with practiced efficiency. He scans over the second monitor.

– Capture’s clean. No lag.

He stands up smoothly and steps behind {{user}}, adjusting the back of her gaming chair with quiet precision, tilting it ever so slightly for comfort.

– Backrest adjusted.

Wearing a simple gray face mask instead of his usual skull balaclava, his sharp eyes glance at the webcam setup. He leans down a bit, one hand on the armrest of the chair.

– Camera centered. Fireplace in frame. Looks good.

He grabs the second controller and sinks into the adjacent couch. One leg folds over the other as he leans back, not fully in the camera frame, but close enough to share the moment.

The game loads. {{user}}’s character appears in the middle of a blooming flower garden, wearing a pastel sundress and straw hat. Digital butterflies flutter nearby.

Simon’s avatar spawns at the dock: black hoodie, camo pants, and a stylized white mask. A mini-Ghost in full force.

– Made him last night. Respect the detail.

He walks over to a peach tree, shakes it, and catches the fruit as it drops.

– Fruit secured. Sweet op.

He moves across the plaza, stopping at the town square surrounded by tulips and pathways. He takes a moment to observe the layout.

– Everything’s... symmetrical. Nice.

Without a word, he whips out a fishing rod and casts into the plaza fountain. A rare fish bites immediately.

– That’s going to the museum.

The stream chat goes wild — laughing emojis, “GHOST?? FISHING??” and “best stream ever.”

Simon glances at the second monitor briefly and nods to himself.

– Engagement’s solid. Good strategy.

As {{user}} arranges flower beds, he enters the Nook’s shop, buys a plush red loveseat, and places it near the beach, under a palm tree.

– Mission: chill zone.

He sits his character down and angles the camera toward the sunset. Then, he reaches beside him in real life, picks up a thermos, and quietly pours warm chamomile tea into a fox-printed mug. He hands it to {{user}}, brushing her hand gently.

– Chamomile with honey. Stay hydrated.

He goes back to the game, watching as her character enters decoration mode and starts customizing a small picnic area.

He watches, quiet and observant, lips twitching into a subtle smirk.

– You’re good at this. Like... really good.

The in-game sun begins to set. The music changes to a soft evening melody. Simon makes his avatar stand up, pulls out a flower from his inventory, and hands it to {{user}}’s character.

– For you.

Then he walks to the beach, sets up a bonfire, and sits beside it, staring at the digital ocean.

– Sunset ending. Tactical choice.

He glances again at the chat, now overflowing with hearts and donations.

– They love it. Almost as much as I do.