How a VTuber clip channel led to a TwitchCon engagement

Again in 2021, VIL was simply one other fan, operating a small YouTube channel the place he shared his favourite VTuber moments. That is when he stumbled throughout Ava Lamp’s streams — and one thing clicked.

4 years later, he was on one knee on a balcony at TwitchCon 2025, asking Ava to marry him.

Like many trendy romances, the love story between VTubers VIL and Ava Lamp began on-line. “I favored her persona, content material, and mannequin,” VIL advised Mashable at TwitchCon 2025, including that he favored “her method of joking” and her “very slime-girl VTube mannequin.”

“So, I adopted her and began clipping her [streams], and she or he observed the clips,” he stated.

From there, a web based friendship started to develop. They talked extra, collaborated, and, finally, VIL grew to become a VTuber himself. Earlier than lengthy, the 2 have been inseparable on-line — “finest buddies,” as he put it.

He began to fall for her, however Ava was clear: There was no probability of romance. She was a lesbian, and she or he would by no means date one other content material creator. “However then that modified,” she joked to Mashable.

Two years later, the buddies determined to attend TwitchCon 2023 along with a gaggle of mutuals. It will be their first time assembly in particular person. They shared a lodge room with one other good friend and spent all three days aspect by aspect — laughing, exploring, and, apparently, complicated everybody round them.

Their buddies stored asking in the event that they have been courting. They’d chuckle and deny it. In fact not! How ridiculous.

“We spent a lot of the weekend collectively, and just about did the whole lot collectively,” she stated. “You recognize whenever you simply actually click on with somebody? You have got that spark? That is what I felt. And I used to be identical to, ‘I can not not let you know. As a result of if we go away right here, I am not going to be courageous sufficient to let you know this later.'”

On the final day of the conference, she typed out a be aware on her telephone within the backseat of an Uber and handed it to him. “Please do not hate me,” she stated.

The message, as they bear in mind it, went one thing like this: “I do know I’ve stated I would not date a person and I additionally would not date a content material creator, however after attending to know you and seeing you in particular person, I really feel sparks.”

“It was so humorous as a result of she did not truly ask me out at any level within the be aware,” VIL stated. “It was simply her blurting out her emotions on this be aware. To my information, this was a zero % probability of taking place. And now, abruptly, it was one hundred percent probability. So I used to be type of blue-screened.”

Behind that Uber, they dove straight into the massive questions — marriage, children, transferring. They already knew one another as buddies, however now they wanted to know in the event that they have been suitable. Seems? They have been.

Sharing a kiss at TwitchCon.
Credit score: Courtesy of Ava Lamp and VIL

There was only one downside: distance. They lived throughout the nation from one another. So, for the subsequent yr, they made it work long-distance. They traveled to see one another each different month, streamed collectively, and even wore these bracelets that buzz when the opposite particular person touches theirs.

After TwitchCon 2024, they determined it was time. Ava packed her life right into a U-Haul, they usually made the cross-country drive collectively — between two hurricanes.

“Driving that U-Haul was terrifying,” VIL stated. “I had solely pushed that huge of a truck one or two different instances. In order that, plus all of my companion’s life belongings, are in a truck. And I am the one driving.”

“Nothing unhealthy occurred, although,” Ava reassured him.

By the point they sat down with Mashable on the San Diego Conference Middle for TwitchCon 2025, the 2 have been twiddling with one another’s palms, each carrying matching silver bracelets with purple jewels — replacements for his or her long-distance ones. Shifting in collectively, Ava stated, was a “big aid” as a result of “lastly we get to spend all of our time collectively.”

For the reason that main milestones of their relationship had all lined up with TwitchCon — they met in particular person at TwitchCon 2023, and after TwitchCon 2024, they moved in collectively — they knew TwitchCon 2025 needed to be one thing particular.

VIL began a secret group chat with all their buddies, everybody besides Ava. The morning of the primary day of the conference, Ava was taking her time preparing whereas he tried to remain calm.

“I attempted to play it tremendous cool,” he joked, however the engagement ring — a brief one till the actual ring, made with stones from her grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s rings, was prepared — was burning a gap in his pocket.

“I used to be obsessively checking it to ensure it did not fall out,” he stated.

“I noticed you test your pocket a pair instances, however I did not clock what that was. I assumed you have been simply apprehensive about shedding your telephone or one thing,” she laughed.

They grabbed brunch with buddies, however he was desirous to get to the conference middle. He had a plan: a balcony overlooking the ocean. Ava, nonetheless, wished to cease by the merch desk first.

“Final yr, she wished merch and it was bought out, and I knew I did not need that to occur once more,” he stated. “And so when she’s like, ‘Can we get this merch actual fast? I wish to make sure that I get it earlier than something occurs.’ In my head, I am like, ‘No, we have to go!’ However I additionally did not need her to overlook out on the merch. So I’m going, ‘Sure, yeah, that is wonderful, however can we attempt to be a bit fast?'”

Lastly, they reached the balcony. Their buddies, who have been all in on the plan, requested different con-goers to clear the realm. Then VIL advised Ava to test one thing on Discord. She opened her telephone — and noticed a commissioned piece of artwork of his VTuber persona proposing to hers. When she seemed up, he was on one knee.

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He would not bear in mind precisely what he stated. All she remembers is that she stated sure.

“[I love] how candy you might be and the way you put on your coronary heart in your sleeve,” Ava stated when requested what she beloved most about him. “And you are not afraid to be emotional. I really like how candy you might be and the way type you might be.”

Then VIL made her cry.

“I really like how unabashedly your self you might be,” he advised her. Previously, individuals had tried to suppress her pleasure, he stated. “I’m so completely satisfied that you could be your entire self and you’ll simply embrace your self. You like trend. You’re very alt-goth. You like to dye your hair. You like constructing Gundams, you like Legos, you like Disney. I really like you. I really like you being you. And I am glad that we may be our greatest selves collectively. You all the time encourage me to be my finest self.”

They don’t have marriage ceremony plans but — but when Twitch CEO Dan Clancy needs to sponsor it, they’re not opposed.