Act 3: The Attack

Act 3

“ACTION” The game was on.

The match started with a rushdown grab from Ty, he was able to set the pace with an air combo for decent damage early on. In response Yiao backs up and starts chucking spears from across the screen. Ty picks his blocks and applies some fundamental footsie work, sprinkled in with air dashes and chain jumps. Yiao gets tired of the cat and mouse and tries a charge. After a few trades, Ty is able to edge out with a ground combo into a distortion for the first round.

“Wow, Ty’s pretty good at this” Ami said, as she held a phone up video taping the game.

“He’s a pro gamer, what did you expect?” I said still focused on the screen.

“I always just chalked it up to nepotism, never actually kept up with his games…” Ami said, in a reserved tone.

“What is with you and judging people”

“It fulfils my Ikigai!!^_^” Ami said, doing a cutesy Idol pose.

“Isn’t your Ikigai supposed to be something you can get paid for?” I shot back at Ami bluntly, still focused on the game.

“You must not be on Twitch much.” Touche, Fujinami Chan. Touche.

“Hey Felix you wanna go?” Ty belted from his seat in front of the monitor.

Yiao seemed to be packing his bags, Tyler must have won both sets.

“You already won?” Ami guffawed. Yup, Blazblue sets are quick like that.

“He was free as fuck” said Tyler triumphantly. “You tryna play Felix?”

“Sure why not” Who to play…

I sat down next to Tyler in front of the character selection screen, and both of our cursors immediately tracked to our mains. Mine on Hibiki, and his on Naoto. Just like launch month.

“You and ya fuckin clones man” Tyler said exasperatedly. I don’t blame him.

On the surface, Blazblue is a pretty straight forward fighting game. Basic side by side presentation ala Street Fighter & MK etc. However, Arc System Works, the company known for making blazblue (if you’re a casual you probably know them best for DBFZ) are the kind of weeaboo wunderkinds that love them their random complexities. Every character in Blazblue is assigned a “Drive” function as well as an array of regular attacks. Drive is a character specific mechanic that can more or less make playing certain characters feel like you’re learning a whole different game. My character of choice is Hibiki, a mixup heavy character with some of the strongest midrange pressure in the game. Hibiki’s drive mechanic is his clones. I can basically chuck shadow clones at my opponent a la the Nanadaime, and pop myself in there for a real combo without them being able to tell which is gonna happen. This is why Ty has trouble against me.

“Aight, let’s do this you guido fuck” Ty said. Shit talk mode is on I see.

“I’m sicillian asshole, I’m as african as you are litebrite” Hey, it’s not racist if I’m black too, and dammit my mama was darker than Ty.

“Whoa okay there Logic” Ty said mockingly

“Who you calling Logic? Corbyn Bleu :^)” He does have quite the afro.

“Ugh!” Ty exclaimed sarcastically “You are indeed going down.”

“THE WHEEL OF FATE IS TURNING”

“Don’t jump” I said plainly.

“REBEL 1”

“Don’t tell me what to do” Ty responded defiantly

“ACTION”

He jumped.

“Dumbass” I said.

I immediately launched into Hibiki’s air command grab and followed it up with clone pressure. I’ve played Ty so much, the kinds of things he does to shake most people don’t work on me. I may not be a pro, but when you’re a pro’s best friend, you end up learning weaknesses even veterans can’t see, stuff that’s beyond the frames, it’s almost down to knowing them as a person. Ty is an aggressive player, even more so when he’s using Naoto, and that’s what makes him dangerous to most folks. Most folks, not me.

Ty was rattled by the opening barrage of an air grab and clone pressure, I could tell because he didn’t block the first clone. I maintain distance and sent more clones. Ty keeps blocking them until I actually sent myself instead followed by a ground to air combo. I kept applying pressure and shutting out his advances with confident reads, then took the round.

“YO SOMEONE TOOK A ROUND OFF TYRO” a random voice belted

Oh no.

“Yo who is this guy?” said another random.

I was so wrapped up in the round that I didn’t notice almost the entirety of the game room was watching me and Ty’s set.

“Aight next round bruh” Ty said in the tone of someone eager to get his round back.

“REBEL 2”

“ACTION”

Ty made the sensible decision of staying grounded this time, instead opting to apply rushdown pressure. I made a backwards jump and sent a clone down clipping him. Immediately a giant “OOOH” from the crowd reverberated across the arcade hall. It messed up my concentration and Ty began going to work. Once he gets his momentum going with Naoto, even my reads can’t keep up. Tyler was able to do a large amount of damage in a short time, and I had to reset the pressure. I backed off to neutral, and began throwing clones again, this time following up with a cross up launcher sending him in the air, where I followed. The cheers from the crowd were making me anxious. Can you guys like, just quiet down a bit? I have to concentrate. Have to keep this combo going. Have to… Have …

“Felix you good bro?” Ty said. It was the last thing I heard...Before…

Fucking Panic attacks.

“Fucking panic attacks” I said groggily wiping my eyes. I was on someone's lap, someone who smelled nice.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, superstar.” Ami said comfortingly. Finally, some dere, thanks Haruhi.

“Superstar?” I said confused.

“You won the set, everyone’s tweeting about it.” Ami said, pulling out her phone and showing me a tweet that had a picture of me passed out on the ground, with Hibiki’s victory image on screen.

“I… I don’t know where to begin with this” I said, still not really able to process it. “Where’s Ty?”

“Still taking on all challengers. Trying to prove your win was a fluke. But I saw. Everyone saw. You had him beat. How did you even do that?” Ami asked without a hint of sarcasm.

“Tyler and I have been playing Blazblue since we were in middle school. His playstyle is an extension of his personality, and I’d like to think I know his personality pretty well.” I said.

“Well either way, people are tweeting about ‘the mysterious challenger who beat one of the top up and comers in the FGC’. So what? You gonna go pro Felix?” Now

the sarcasm.

“Please. I barely have enough time for my schoolwork as it is. I can’t afford to run around the city playing locals.” I said.

It was odd that this entire conversation happened with me on Ami’s lap. Something tells me she was worried about me, and is letting me have this, cuz she thought she might have lost me... Or maybe I’m just projecting.

“How long was I out?” I asked

“A little over half an hour.” Ami responded. “Don’t scare me like that again, Felix.” Ami said softly banging my head cartoonishly.

“So I take it you don’t hate me?” I said in a silly tone.

“Felix I’ve never hated you. You just need to grow up, and stop being so in your head all the time.” Easy for her to say, she doesn’t have an imaginary friend to entertain. Amirite buddy?

“I’m serious Felix, like when was the last time you left your place just to go somewhere. That wasn’t anime related.”

That’s a tough one, last thing I remember was Tyler’s basement party, and that was…

“Bout 6 months ago?” I said in a mumble.

“Jesus christ Felix, live a little. That’s why this keeps happening you know?”

“What, my panic attacks?” I said befuddled.

“You’re afraid of the world, so when you find yourself in it you shut down” Where on earth is this coming from, since when was she a mental health expert.

“Why are you so concerned all of a sudden. You’re the one who shut me out.” I said turning my head away from her, but still staying on her lap tho, it’s comfy. It’s just the message it sends.

“I didn’t shut you out, Felix I’m busy, I can’t be your mother and your best friend. I can barely take care of myself…”

“You kicked me from the Discord” I said in a pained tone.

“The discord got deleted, that server was a drama factory anyway.” Ami said curtly

“You stopped inviting me to streams” I said

“Our schedules are different, You’re in class when I stream, or working on art.” she responded

“You never ask me though, you never include me in your shit” I said, trying to fight back any emotional impulses towards crying.

“Listen to yourself Felix, do you really think you’re the type who’d enjoy hanging out with cosplayers all day?” Ami said dryly

“It’s the thought Ami… The thought. This morning was the first time in 4 months that you knocked on my door. I don’t even know you main in smash anymore…” I sounded whiny, but fuck it, you try telling the girl you love how you feel. And yes, fine, I’ll stop playing coy, I’m into Ami, okay?

“I’m… I’m sorry Felix. But I can’t be your only route to the outside world.” Ami said, now twirling my hair in her fingers. Ooooh you fuckin bitch, oooooh no, ooooh. “And for the record” she said sweetly bringing her face close to mine “I still main Shiek you fuckin scrub” Ami whispered.

"Also, why didn't you tell me you had a brother!?" Ami said, almost as if she'd been altered to a bombing.

"That's not something I like to talk about. He's not someone I like my friends getting involved with" I said bluntly.

“OMG AMURA, CAN WE GET A PIC?” a random voice yelled from a distance. Drats, they found us.

The millisecond she heard that voice, Ami flipped me over onto the plain ground landing me face first, and popped up to her feet. Immediately going back into work mode.

“Sure!” Ami said gleefully. Boy is she something.

I got myself up and waited for her to get done with taking pics.

Ami’s right, and I know it, but it’s not that simple. I wish she didn’t have to go into that other world, I wish she could just stay with me, and we could have fun doing whatever. She’s just so damn busy all the time, I hate it…

“Felix you coming?” Ami said, looking like she was ready to go somewhere.

“Where we headed?” I asked.

“Something to cheer you up. ‘Storytelling through Sakuga, an animation panel’ By your favorite guy.” She doesn’t mean…

“You don’t mean…”

“Yup, a panel by none other than Lesean Thomas himself.”

Oh fuck yea.

“We’re going to that.” I said excitedly.

***End of Act 3***