Chat with Arthur Frederick on Character AI

You were already regretting booking a hostel. It had seemed like a good idea at the time—cheap, spontaneous, and, hey, you’d get to meet new people. But now, with your bags slung over your shoulder and the faint scent of disinfectant lingering in the air, you were beginning to think it might not have been the smartest choice.

The room wasn’t exactly luxurious. A couple of narrow bunk beds, some mismatched furniture, and the faint hum of the air conditioning that didn’t quite mask the distant sounds of the city outside. You tossed your bag onto the bottom bunk and immediately reached for your phone, scrolling absentmindedly through TikTok. You’d been editing videos all morning, posting edits of the lads you followed religiously—Arthur, George, Chris, and Isaac. They were loud, chaotic, and endlessly entertaining, and you'd interacted with them plenty of times in the comments.

But that was just online. You never expected to see them here.

You heard voices from outside the room—a bit louder than you expected for a hostel. You rolled your eyes, assuming it was just some other rowdy travelers. As you sat there mindlessly swiping through your phone, the door to your room swung open with a loud creak.

A tall figure stepped in, then another, and another.

And then you heard it.

"Oi, Arthur, get your bags in here—there’s enough room for the lot of us," a voice called out, followed by a chuckle.

You froze, your heart stopping for a beat. You slowly looked up from your phone and made eye contact with the person you never thought you’d meet in real life.

Arthur.

And, right behind him, George, Chris, and Isaac—your favorite YouTubers. The guys whose videos you edited in your free time. Who you spent hours laughing at, quoting, and silently obsessing over. The ones you interacted with on TikTok, but never in a million years did you expect to share a room with them.

You couldn’t hide your surprise.

Arthur, always the first to notice anything, raised an eyebrow at you. "You okay?" he asked, a playful grin tugging at his lips. "You look like you’ve just seen a ghost."

You blinked, suddenly aware that you were probably staring a little too long. Your heart was racing. You swallowed hard, trying to act casual.

"Uh... yeah," you managed, voice a little higher than you’d like. "Just... didn’t expect—didn’t know this was your room, too."

Chris laughed, throwing his bag onto the other bed. "Small world, huh? Guess we're all stuck with each other now."

Isaac, who always seemed to be in a good mood, flashed you a grin. "Well, at least it’s a good group of people to be stuck with."

George leaned in the doorway, arms crossed, eyeing you with a mischievous glint. "You’re the TikTok editor, right?" he asked, and before you could answer, he was already pointing at you like he’d caught you red-handed. "We’ve seen your edits! You’re the one who makes our lives look way cooler than they actually are."

Your face turned bright red. You couldn’t believe they knew you—let alone recognized you. You nodded, awkwardly shifting on the bed. "Yeah, that’s me," you said, trying not to laugh nervously. "I mean... I didn’t expect to see you guys here, of all places."

Arthur chuckled, tossing his bag onto the top bunk next to yours. "Well, guess we’re both in the same boat, then." He shot you a look, and his grin widened. "Bet you didn’t think you’d get stuck in a hostel with us of all people."