>>78700870Offkai 2025 was special for many people, but especially for Flandzen. He put in an application for a stall this year that would display his VTuber works that he was so proud of. His favorite moments were seeing his art bought by his muses. Nue, Geltaran, Eraxs, Azu, and even Gumpai and Denpa had come to buy copies of the portraits he had lovingly crafted for them.
It was an almost fantastical experience, but there was one thing that bummed him out, Chaki. It was the last day and she hadn’t bought her own portrait he had made. This was expected of course, she had said she wasn’t coming to Offkai for privacy and opsec reasons, but it still was a bit disappointing to see everyone but her buy his art.
“Hello… Hello!” Flandzen snapped out of his trance. He had been lost in thought that he didn’t notice a customer right in front of his booth. It was a short girl, wearing a face mask and a dark grey hoodie. With the hood up, all he could make out were her pink eyes. Even her hair was under a band that hid it. This wasn’t too strange of a getup. Flandzen had seen stranger through the weekend.
He apologized and asked in his thick accent if she was looking to purchase. “T-that one” came muffled through her mask. She was pointing at a Chaki painting. Not a big surprise. Those were selling fast. She quietly paid in cash and hurried away, leaving Flandzen to daydream more until he closed up shop for the final time this con.
It was late and Flandzen had a long flight back that he didn’t want to deal with. It would be something for tomorrow. Flandzen went back to his hotel room he was staying in. He could have stayed with friends, but he enjoyed having his own space, that nobody could interrupt.
His relaxation was interrupted by a knock at his door. Visitors weren’t too unusual since he told his friends his room, but this late? He silently cursed himself for giving that out. This was supposed to be his private place. He opened the door to find the short girl with the grey hoodie standing in front of him, soaked.
“I heard you were staying here. I got locked out, and it’s raining, and I heard you were closeby.”
The ratboy was stunned. Why would a random fan have come to him? She noticed the surprise in his eyes and quickly pulled off her mask and hood so he would understand. Her pink ponytail fell behind her and her bangs fell over her left, showing that his was Chakimoji, without a doubt.
Now stunned in a different way, Flandzen began sputtering, trying to ask questions as his ESL failed him. Instead of answering, she simply asked if she could come in.
The room was fairly simple. There was a single bed for one, along with a couch. Flandzen hadn’t been planning on sharing. He sat on the couch, letting Chaki take the bed. Once the first bout of awkwardness faded, the two of them started to talk into the night. They talked about their offkai experiences, Chaki getting locked out, the art he had made for her, meeting their friends, and whatever else came to mind. Very quickly, Flandzen lost all care for his ‘private place’. He just enjoyed talking with Chaki.
Eventually, Chaki got up and moved to the couch Fland was on, sitting next to him so she could show him pictures she had taken on her phone while he did the same. The longer they talked however, the more tired the two of them became. Fland could see her eyelids closing as she spoke to him. “Are you alright?” he asked. “I’m fine. Just tired. I’ll have plenty of time to sleep on the plane tomorrow. Sorry do you mind if I-?” Chaki leaned over and laid her head on the rat’s lap. “Sorry, just until we’re done talking, y’know?”
Flandzen was in no way able to talk. He was still trying to figure out where to put his hands. They were stiffly held in the air like a statue. Chaki noticed this and giggled. “You look silly. If you need to move your arms, you can pet my head, you know…”
Flandzen nervously complied. His shaky hands almost robotically ran themselves across the top of her head, making sure to avoid the extra pair of eyes in her hair. Her hair was silky smooth and he didn’t want to mess it up. It almost felt like he was unworthy of touching her hair. He could see her smiling at how cautious he was. Slowly, he moved his hands more, becoming more confident. He quickly grew proud of himself, gently rubbing her head, but when he leaned over to check on her, he realized she had already fallen asleep with a smile on her face. Flandzen was happy. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep as well, knowing he would wake up still happy.
