#and i’m so sick of people defending him by saying he’s just very offline | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lesbianfreyja · 2 years

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hi, i’m sorry, this is probably not the right place to do this, i just really need to get this out somewhere & you seem to like. actually have some common sense, so anyway, this is about the popularized dv trial going on right now, so if you don’t want to read it/don’t have the capacity/whatever, i completely understand. it’s so disgusting bc like. even the people around me in real life have started to repeat the jd*pp talking points and it’s like i literally cannot exist anywhere in peace, even offline, i cannot exist anywhere without a reminder that these self-professed “feminists” and “supporters of victims” can and will take any opportunity to side with an abuser when the victim is imperfect and will turn cases like these, which are going to have and already have had a profound impact on the way people see victims of dv, into a joke or a series of “gotcha!” memes when the victim isn’t acting how you want her to / doesn’t look depressed and angry and upset 24/7 like. can they get a grip?? it seems like none of them even want to acknowledge that, despite all the odds being against victims, aheard has literally won case after case against him (not that court cases are a reliable marker of abuse, but as we know, it’s way harder to prove it & win a case as a victim than it is to win as a defendant) and this is literally a trial over an article that she didn’t even name him in. like it literally makes me sick because people i once called my friend are treating this as a joke and making an absolute mockery out of this whole thing, and if i say anything to them about it, i’m just hit with a “you don’t believe male victims exist?” and immediately shut down. like no, obviously male victims can & do exist, this rich man with a ton of power in hollywood who has been proven in a court of law (again, not adding this bc it’s the be-all-end-all marker of abuse, just because it’s really fucking hard to prove and she did) time and time again to have committed dv just isn’t one of them & even if she hit back at some point or stood up to him, there’s a difference between self defense and abuse! i had someone tell me that there was a recording of her going “who’s going to believe you?” to him, which, like, first of all, i don’t know if that’s true, but second of all, that definitely sounds like it could be something he could’ve said to her as he was abusing her and she could’ve repeated, so ???? i don’t understand how that’s some kind of like. definitive evidence. and like i have literally blacklisted their names on twitter and shit about the trial still slips through the cracks, and as a dv victim myself, it just makes me so fucking sick to see and have to hear about not just online or on twitter, but by people i thought i could trust. and i don’t even understand what the big deal is about this man anyway?? not that it would matter if he was actually relevant for anything, but like i do not know a single person who was batting for him this hard before these trials/this last trial in particular & whenever i ask about it, people are like “oh, i don’t even like him that much, i just ____” like i don’t get it y’all do not know this man PLEASE get a fucking grip

i’m very sorry you went through that ❤️ i think it’s an indicator that people backing amber are actively trying not to watch the case but frustrated for victims, meanwhile they’re being bombarded with meme videos from people who believe anything they read on twitter but when asked clearly don’t know the first thing about what the trial is even about. which one sounds like we actually advocate for victims??? not the one using audios of her describing her sexual assault and saying they’d love it if he did that. it’s disgusting and devastating that she goes through this every two years like clockwork since they divorced. it’s so devastating what this reveals about how men were only tolerating Me Too and i hope womankind can come back from the damage it’ll do, but my heart’s with the women who WILL feel its immediate aftereffect in the next few years

#ask #anon

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autorobotcollectorx · 5 years

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Another Furby Fandom Issue

Hey everyone i want to address a few things and i have been holding out on doing this because i am just so sick of this hate and drama against me.I am going to discuss some personal happenings in my life since i don’t think there is any other way of defending myself unless i am %100 truthful on why these things happen.I’m going to address my sales first then the harassment.

TRIGGER WARNING : Talk about suicidal feelings and actions(no gory detail but implied) Mental Health,Child Abuse Neglect,Depression,Sexual abuse.

I am selling some furbies and at good prices at that because i want people who can’t afford furbies to have a chance of owning some.I have explained to people or atleast tried to explain why shipments are late or photos are as well.Here are some answers to questions and concerns people might have had.

Why is my shipment taking so long? Sometimes i ship next day and sometimes i cannot.This is due to my lack of mobility since i am not able to drive i don’t have a say in what time of day i do go out and by then the post office is closed.I also can’t spare the money to use uber because i don’t have a job and am unable to work. My fiance comes to see me everyday but he usually gets off at 8:00pm and by then all the post offices are closed.So usually we set up a day i can go out and ship the items.Please don’t forget about my shipping days i have no problem discussing that with you.A few people who also had delays were due to me being hospitalized(I made up other excuses because i did not want to put emotional baggage on these people)These amazing people were very kind to me and got their furbies shipped to then when i could.Due to my living conditions i get very depressed and yes suicidal and i had hurt myself that time pretty badly.I hurt myself allot in non physical ways but that time was different and i am driven to such feelings often.

There was also a problem i got with one of my costumers when he sent a payment and i was getting so many payments for furbies that i did not notice his until a week later when he contacted me asking if i had sent the furby yet.It really got me anxious that something like that slipped by me and i hope he has no hard feelings for that.Things like this also happen because allot does slip my mind when i am under allot of stress.

Does My Furby Work?Is It In Good Condition? If this question crosses your mind please ask for me to test the furby and to take outdoor photos i have no issue doing that.Please never be afraid to ask for a refund if the furby you got is not what you wanted upon arrival.No one has contacted me after but it seems like a person was not pleased with the quality of a furby they got from me?Yet they NEVER contacted me again so i assumed the transaction was a success.You have to remember furbies are over twenty years old and unless they are fresh out of the box most will not be in mint condition that is out of my control.The furby i sold i had named Dusty and was bought from a smokers home i just had not got around to washing him.

I Don’t Feel Comfortable Buying Using Friends And Family!! If this is the case please state that up front i have no issue taking payments threw goods and services.I have been scolded for it and now i am not accepting payments unless its threw goods and services from now on i did not realize i was causing an issue and i am sorry if i made anyone feel uneasy.I had paypal accounts in the past where the money was held for two weeks not even using ebay and this happened.I try to get furbs out to people as soon as i can and i sometimes worry that i will upset someone.

You Lie About What You Use The Money For This is the furthest from the truth!I have needed money for several different things at different times like everyone who makes money will do.Once i had it that i needed money for a con and why should that be a bad thing?I hardly go anywhere and cons don’t happen often for me.I am allowed to treat myself sometimes its none of you’re concern if i use my money to get a furby or a coffee even though most of my money goes to getting food for me and my animals.

I’m sorry if i have cause any issues to anyone nothing i have done was to spite anyone,anger anyone or to scam people.

IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD PLEASE PM ME AND I WILL ADDRESS IT!!

You REALLY wanna know why i need the money?!

Currently i am trying to save $500 or more to get out of a household that is toxic for me.Thats not much money to many but i am solely selling furbies because i have ran out of personal items that have value to sell.My living environment is currently living in a small room with hardly any space little to no air conditioning and called a slob because i am unable to clean the mess my parakeets make.They don’t have a vacuum and my parakeets eat these small seeds that when they fly around their cage the husks of the shells fly out of the cage and onto the carpet.This room is also full of my grandmothers items because they are hoarders (in their own words).As well as all the drama causing me to be so depressed that i have had no motivation to clean.I am misgendered on a daily basis and told “Oh but you are too pretty to be a boy” and more inappropriately comments on my female chest and body.Told to shave and how much better i would look as a girl.As well as told i am fat because i have stretch marks and how i need to eat less.I have PCOS and since i have lived here i have lost over fifty pounds because i usually (If i am lucky) eat once a day or twice.Things such as an avacado and a noodle pack.Thats why i am so stressed on money that and i need to keep my animals fed and healthy usually putting them before myself.

Since i have been living here my family has stolen $400 i made by selling an aibo that was special to me,my phone was stolen and one of my most therapeutic pets was taken,I was then told i killed him and gas lighted for about a month in a half about what i had done even though in reality my mother had stolen him from me.She was upset because i had made some friends and was out at the park with them.It was easy because i have no lock on my door or privacy.I ended up stealing him back and i had the cops called on me.My narcissistic mother and abusive step dad came over to defend my mom saying i stole their animal and since i was ftm the cops (which i already had issues with before because of my identity) had me hand over my snake and taken to a mental hospital.While demanding i hand my snake to my mom i started to cry and shake my snake was VERY underweight and sick looking and i was afraid for his safety.When my step dad saw me crying he started laughing at me loudly then whispered to my mother who was smiling over at me as well and saying out loud “I love you” to me.When i was trying to explain more to the cop he said “If you don’t give them back their snake i will arrest you” while he put his hand on his belt near the gun.(if you want to hear the story in more detail i can send you a link)

I have always been told since i was a child that i am an issue and that i am taking up space,now i am an adult and i am always made to feel like i am not welcomed anywhere i live and that i need to leave or will be kicked out.This is currently the case where i live and again i feel like i am a burden on everyone i associate with.If i am kicked out now i would have to live with a “friend” of mines again and have no choice but to let him use me again.This first time this happened when i was nineteen he was forty eight and had no wheres to go and i had no other option other then to go to him or rid myself so i wont cause anymore inconvenience.I come from a broken family and narcissistic parents so being an outcast is nothing i am not use to but still makes me want to hurt myself and hate myself more.I was always the black sheep,escape goat and nothing i did was good enough or mattered to my mother.The reason i am unable to drive is because of the physical abuse i faced as a child and denial of medical care after the fact.I just want to fit in and for people to like me.

Not to mention i have childhood schizophrenia and sometimes don’t respond correctly to people or situations.

I just wish i felt welcomed in a community for once.All i have going for me right now that helps me is the furby and furry fandom.Furbies make me calm and feel safe because they remind me of my childhood before my mother changed and before i lived with my abusive step dad.I know i may seem childish but i’m not sure what to tell you i am the way i am because of my upbringing and sometimes doing silly things,using ^^,uwu,ect collecting and carrying a furby with me when i am in public makes me just feel a little bit more okay.Just feels like everyone is working against me and wants me gone like everyone else has.

Please if anything please stop sending me asks such as “Please leave you are so toxic” “just reported you~” and others calling me an idiot,stupid,scammer,ect.This is not what i joined the fandom for and you should really be shamed for treating me like this over simple mistakes that i did not even mean to make.Can everyone just please leave me alone if you have nothing nice to say keep it to yourself.

I HATE that i have to talk about all of this but i just want to get away from my family and i wanted to start a new life offline and online with people who like the same things i do because i have never had that kind of acceptance in a community in my life.I want to be with my fiance and safe from myself and my family.I want to be a good person and be here for people and treat people right.Funny thing the things i have said are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my abuse and neglect i rather not spill everything.

I am sick of defending myself at every turn here is what happened if you missed it. https://autorobotcollectorx.tumblr.com/post/186489467324/i-saw-the-post-reblogged-from-autorobotcollectorx

Again PM me if you have a complaint instead of re-blogging this and causing me further stress i really can’t handle more right now. I might as well sell all my furbies and rid myself at thispoint.

Edit: 5am and still awake..well guess i wont be sleeping tonight either.I slept good last night but the night before i did not sleep either.I’m just a restless hungry mess.

#depression #suicidal #furby discourse #furby drama #ftm #transgender

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socialweirdia-blog · 7 years

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#1 - trouble is online now

capmccall is online now. lacrosstiles is typing.... lacrosstiles aaand, it is uploaded now. another masterpiece of the genius beacon hills boy, the one and only Stiles Stilinski! lacrosstiles have you seen it??? capmccall dude, i'm on it, i just got here. :"D capmccall give me a sec

lacrosstiles so?? SOO??? capmccall you are an idiot xD capmccall i'm dying LoL lacrosstiles i'm not an idiot, i'm just a misunderstood artist, bro. :( lacrosstiles but thanks :'D you are my number one fan. capmccall i think you are your number one fan, tbh. capmccall what r u doing? capmccall stalking Lydia again? lacrosstiles stalking is such a strong word, bro! i'm not a creep. lacrosstiles but fyi, Lydia updated a new pic on insta. lacrosstiles and she is GORGEOUS!!!! lacrosstiles my future wife <3 capmccall and you're offended when i call you a creep xD capmccall and we lost Stiles...

allisilver is online now capmccall Hey, Allison! :) allisilver Hey :) capmccall How are you doing? I didn't see you in class. allisilver I didn't think anyone will notice it :) but I'm a little sick so I stayed home. capmccall That's not good :( So... I guess you won't be coming to the game tomorrow... allisilver I don't know. If I'll get better I'll definitely will. And I also promised Lydia to go with her, and a promise to her is some kind of sacred swear, so I'm lack of any other options. :D capmccall :D capmccall Well, yes... Lydia is kind of a control freak. But you seem to handle it very well ;) allisilver Well, I'm trying my best. ^^ allisilver I think I'm going to bed now. capmccall is typing... allisilver Thanks for writing me, it was really nice of you. Bye, Scott! capmccall is typing... allisilver went offline. capmccall I hope I'll see you tomorrow, tough. It'd be really good :$ capmccall sent a screenshot. capmccall god, i shouldn't have sent that... i shouldn't have said that... STILES! lacrosstiles oh, you're such a cutie <3 awww! lacrosstiles it SO ROMANTIC!!! capmccall how will I look into her eyes after that??? lacrosstiles chill scott! it's not even that bad. i'm through far worse things. capmccall really? lacrosstiles ... urgh! as if you haven't see my failures before! and, as I've said, it's not bad at all! lacrosstiles and, it's obvious she likes you too. capmccall you really think that?? :O lacrosstiles i'm positive about it. JUST MAKE A F***INK MOVE FINALLY, MCCALL!!! capmccall you know what? you're right. i'm gonna ask her out. lacrosstiles daaats mahhh booooi!!!!! capmccall shut up, and go to bed. big day tomorrow. lacrosstiles okie-dokie Romeo ;) capmccall went offline. lacrosstiles went offline. - × - × - × - allisilver is online now. allisilver sent a screenshot. allisilver is typing... allisilver OMG! Isn't he cute? He's so sweet, Lydia. Do you think he likes me? Or maybe he's just this nice with anyone... allisilver But then why would he write something like that? HE HOPES TO SEE ME! God, this is so sweet and exciting! lydiamartin is online now. lydiamartin It only means one thing. lydiamartin We're going shopping. You need a cute dress ;) lydiamartin I'll be there in 20 minutes. Be ready! allisilver is typing... lydiamartin went offline. allisilver I have enough clothes already, Lyds! allisilver Whatver I guess... Scott walked up and down in front of the bench, never taking his eyes off the people who came to see the game. He was tensed. Not only because the game was important, but because of Allison too. Scott made a promise to himself, and to Stiles too, that if she will be there he'll ask her out. And as scary as it was, Scott really wanted to ask the girl out. "Do you really think she'll come?" Scott asked again, and all he got as an answer was an exaggerated eyeroll from Stiles. "Of course she will." he said sounding a little frustrated. There was pressure on Stiles right now, and even though he cared about his best friend's happiness dearly, he had other things in his mind that enjoyed priority. This was his first time to play in the starting lineup. He played in games before, but he was a substitute so far. He got in the starting team in the last moment, and he didn't have time to tell this to his father. He figured it'll be such a huge surprise for him, and he'll make his dad proud. If he makes to the game though. He kept typing another messages to him, asking where he was. "How do you know?" Scott asked still restless. Stiles opened his mouth to say something witty and sarcastic as usual, but that was when his phone made a little noise, and a notification appeared on the screen of his phone. [ lydiamartin posted a picture on Instagram ] "Really, dude?" Scott asked as he watched Stiles opening the application. "Really, dude?" Stiles mocked as he held up his phone and showed it in Scott's face. "You're not the sharpest, right? If Allison comes, she comes with Lydia, bro." And indeed, not only Lydia was on the selfie, but Allison was also there smiling shyly, and it made Scott grinn stupidly immediately. "Now that's kind of creepy." Stiles teased. "Don't drool on my phone, bro." "They're already here then. Where do you think they sit?" he ased looking up again. Stiles examined the picture for a while, looking for some kind of lead. Then he looked up and soon spotted the girl, and pointed at their direction. "Look, they are there!" he said to Scott, who seemed liked a deer caught in a headlight, especially when Stiles started to wave at them like an idiot. "Lydia! Allison we are here!" he yelled from the top of his lungs, still waving. Until Scott caught his arm and tried to pull him away. "What the hell are you doing Stiles?" he asked, clearly a bit upset about Stiles' little action. "I just made sure everyone sees everyone." Stiles replied with a pout rubbing his arm. "And couldn't you find a more discreet way to greet them?" Scott didn't sound any friendlier. "Oh, and the losers spotted us." Lydia said with stoical expression on her face. She made a face, and rolled her eyes as she sighed. She held up her hand just a tiny bit, and with a clearly forced meant-to-be-sarcastic smile on her face, waved them back. Allison on the other hand found Stiles' wholehearted enthusiasm really entertaining and cute. She chukled and waved them back mouthing a 'hello'. "Good, now everyone is watching us." Lydia huffed as she looked around. "But I thought you liked attention." Allison reminded her with a little frown, bust she was still smiling. "That's true." Lydia agreed. "Maybe you should thank Stiles." Allison tried. She honestly didn't understood why Lydia kept him pushing away. Although Allison was the new kid in school, and she didn't know anyone that well, Stiles seemed like a great guy. Maybe he was a little hyper, but he was honestly caring and funny, and he was following Lydia around like a puppy, which Allison found really cute. "Well, I greeted him, I think that's a prize already." Lydia said disdainfully. Allison frowned, clearly outraged. "Lydia!" she scolded the strawberry blonde. "He's a nice kid and he would do anything to just be your friend, or talk to you once in a while. You shouldn't treat him like that!" "Well, I have a boyfriend. I cannot give him false hope." Lydia defended herself, with an innocent expression on her face. "Maybe you could just talk to him first. You know, be friends with him." Allison said softly. "Please... Just try it once." "I cannot promise anything." Lydia replied a little dramatically, but Allison kept staring at her, so she sighed, and finally said "Alright, I'll be friendlier with him, and reply his messages once or twice. Promise!" she sounded a little frustrated. "Thank you." Allsion smiled thriumphantly. "But I still think he's creepy." the other stated.

lacrosstiles Hey Lydia! :) So how was the game? lacrosstiles I am finally playing the starting lineup, and couch said it's final so... lacrosstiles is typing... lydiamartin The game was good. Jackson played really good. lydiamarting ...and you weren't as awful as I thought you'll be. lacrosstiles stopped typing. lacrosstiles is typing... lacrosstiles Oh, you actually replied! And thanks, that's very kind of you. lacrosstiles You looked beatiful tonight, by the way. :) lacrosstiles But,you always look amazing, so it's not a real surprise. lydiamartin Thanks. lacrosstiles You know, maybe we could talk more. lacrosstiles I know you're busy with school an everything, but maybe just here, you know... lydiamartin I don't want to get your hopes up Stilinski. lydiamartin But now that you made it to the field, maybe things will change... lydiamartin Just a little bit!!! lacrosstiles You made this the best day of my life! lydiamartin went offline.

lacrosstiles hahaha, guess who's not a loser anymore?? lacrosstiles Lydia actually replied to my messages! we talked! and she said things might change between us from now on. capmccall Stiles, she might not meant what you meant by this... you know that right? lacrosstiles Scott, don't ruin the perfect moment! capmccall i'm just trying to save you from getting your heart broken. lacrosstiles now she'll reply, maybe now i can show her i'm the one for her! i just got a chance!!! lacrosstiles everything is going according to the plan. lacrosstiles you're so quiet... what happened with Allison? capmccall i asked her out on a date. capmccall she said YES!!!!! lacrosstiles wow!!! congrats bro!!!

- × - × - × - lacrosstiles is online now. [You have 10 unread message(s)] capmccall are you doing this? capmccall please tell me, you have nothing to do with this! capmccall get it off until someone sees it! you'll get in trouble! lydiamartin You took creepiness to a whole new level, Stilinski. lydiamartin Maybe you should see a doctor or something... jwhittem STILINKSKI, YOU'RE DEAD!!! allisilver Stiles, is this really you? Is that a kind of fanpage? allisilver So far I was supporting you, and I hoped you and Lydia be a thing but... this isn't cute anymore. jwhittem i told you to stay away from lydia!!!! jwhittem GET THAT PAGE OFF!!!

#socialweirdia #derinehayes #teen wolf fanfiction #tw fanfiction #teen wolf fanfic #tw fanfic #stiles stilinski #scott mccall #lydia martin #allison argent #jackson whittemore #stiles x lydia #scott x allison #jackson x lydia #stydia #scallison #sterek #derek hale

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lostsummerdayz · 6 years

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Combo Breaker 2018: A Retrospect

Original Date: 06/02/18 Author’s Note: This was done a full week after Combo Breaker because I caught the illest post-con/post-tournament sickness and it was terrible. So worth it, but terrible. In any case, I had so much fun at Combo Breaker and even more fun recalling everything that happened. Not much to really say, I’ll let the article do the talking. This is a VERY long read. Over 2500 words to be exact.

The Combo Breaker weekend passed just as quickly as it had arrived, like a tornado hitting the Windy City. Rather, the outskirts of the Windy City, in a small suburb known as St. Charles. Regardless where it had taken place, Combo Breaker was, without a doubt, the best tournament I have ever attended. Before I go into my thoughts and retrospect, as well as my teammates thoughts, I want to give a huge shout-out to Rick for hosting such an event. I’d also like to give a shout out to the bracket runners, game leads, vendors, artists, and anyone else in charge of making sure the event ran as smoothly as possible.

That Friday morning, I woke up at 1, filled with energy uncommon for one who awakens at 1 in the morning. I would have several more hours to go until I’d leave my apartment to catch my flight at LaGuardia so I could have caught up on more sleep if I wanted to. Adrenaline said otherwise. Combo Breaker would have been my first major in which I went out of state for. As I’ve said in a previous article, my first ever major was Defend the North, but it was literally an hour away from me as far as commute goes. I didn’t stay at a hotel, I simply went back and forth from my apartment to the Crowne Plaza over there. This was a much bigger deal for me, however, as I would meet so many people I would never have had the chance to. As this would be my first Combo Breaker, I didn’t know what to expect, yet the stories I’ve heard about Combo Breaker made me excited to experience such a thing within a few hours.

Unfortunately, everything came to a halt when I arrived at O’Hare. See, I planned my original flight to arrive at 10:30 so I could catch the shuttle bus to Combo Breaker. What happened instead, was I arrived at 9:30 because I didn’t consider Central time. Central Time and Eastern Time are an hour apart, so I was a full hour ahead of the bus. Better early than late, sure, but it left me more anxious to see what Combo Breaker had to offer.

When I finally arrived at the resort, it was one of the most beautiful venues I’ve been to, just looking at it from the outside. There was as much road as far as the eyes could see, the air was humid and the temperature was warm. Entering the venue, it lived up to the name of it being a resort. Indoor pools, window-side seating to have a better view of the golf course resort, various food courts and even a mini bar. The place was very huge. Huger than I initially imagined. I eventually, after some walking, found where Combo Breaker took place and after I picked up my badge, I took in the scenery.

The quietness of the resort clashed with the absolute noisy atmosphere of the main event area. People from all over walked about, conversated with others and played games on various setups whether it was tournament matches or casuals. To the right of me was the stage where people played on the stream station. It was there I saw the Tekken area and how massive the Tekken area was. With over 488 competitors, I’d expect a large mass of people, but it almost felt overwhelming. The event space was so huge, there were crowds just as big as the Tekken crowd, in other corners of the event stage, from the anime fighters to King of Fighters to Street Fighter V. There were also vendors right by the entrance who sold arcade parts, offered arcade stick mods, merch tables, and various beta build stations for games such as Fighting Layer EX, Soul Calibur 6, and BlazBlue Cross Tag.

Across the Megacenter area, there was a small yet almost as big gaming area where there were even more casual setups, a BYOC [Bring your own console] setup, where people played all types of games, and arcade cabinets from old school games such as Tempest, to pinball machines. Smaller games like Smash and Vampire Savior were also ran here for tournaments.

It was at this moment I knew that Combo Breaker was far from just a fighting game tournament, it was a video game convention as well. This realization didn’t hit me until the final day of Combo Breaker when I met this man, Demero, from Milwaukee. He was talking to me about one of the top Street Fighter V players, Smug, who I know of due to us both being from New York. He was telling me how respectful Smug was to his kids and how kind everyone was to each other, spectators and players alike.

On a grander scope, Demero also mentioned an interest on wanting to run events like these on a smaller scale back home, so he could potentially get the troubled youth of Milwaukee off the streets. Being I’m also from New York, the same as Smug, I take for granted just how many tournaments and locals there are here. But in a place like Milwaukee, grassroots events that could be started by a man with an ambition, may very well give troubled youth an outlet to stay off the streets, out of trouble, and hold a controller instead of a weapon.

A sentiment was also shared with Markman and Tasty Steve who I had the pleasure to talk to that Friday evening. They stressed the importance of tournaments where anyone can enter, play, and overall link up with other players who share the same passion as them. It isn’t about the winning or the losing, it’s all about learning and personal growth. It’s all about finding that connection with others to not only help you get better as a player but also as a person.

Steve was more passionate in the notion of locals being a cornerstone in the FGC, as he feels without people showing up to tournaments and their local tournaments, it won’t thrive as much within the upper echelon.

Markman was also a firm believer in encouraging players who believe that they cannot keep up with the top players due to their insecurities, to come out to the event anyway. No one can get better or level up if they limit themselves from doing so. Between talking to these two gentlemen on Friday and talking to Demero on Sunday, as well as others who only attended as a spectator to soak up the atmosphere and good vibes, it made me realize that the FGC extends far beyond simply competing. It exists for the love of the community whether you play the game competitively or not.

With that outlook in mind, winning wasn’t a goal in mind anymore. It was simply a question on how much I could learn and how far can what I already know take me. When I finally met Ando that Friday, he had a similar sentiment. As in the previous article, this was our first time in entering Combo Breaker and he was just as amazed at the venue and excited to play against others as I was, including how well run it was. We took pictures with the Tekken developer, Katsuhiro Harada, and saw some of the matches of Friday’s pools, before we briefly went our separate ways. Coincidentally, later on that night, we ran into each other again as we both had the same idea to get some last-minute casuals in before our matches.

That was another beautiful thing about the venue. Since it was 24 hours, and with over two thousand entrants, there were always people who were down to play games, no matter what time it was. Ando and I stayed until a quarter to 1, playing whoever we could, but the next night I stayed up well until 3 AM. It didn’t matter the time. The event halls were just as packed as it was if you arrived at 3 PM and for good reason. Playing offline against others is a luxury, as anyone who had dealt with the dreadfulness of online could tell you.

Saturday was the big day for the both of us, as our pools began two hours from each other, with Ando’s pool starting before mine. He was relatively nervous. The shark in the pool he was most concerned with was Victim of Ritual, a well-known Nina player known for his “pitbull-like” offense. The sharks in the water for my pool, in my opinion, was Swagmaster, who was known for her Miguel, and Ace Unlimited, a known Mishima player known for his explosive playstyle. For the former, I’ve had almost no experience with Miguel, so I wouldn’t have known what to do or what to expect. Mishima characters were always characters I’ve struggled with, so the fact that a high-level player was also swimming in the waters didn’t help me much.

The main conflict for Ando was whether to choose between using Paul or Geese. Both characters he felt comfortable with, but it boiled down to which character he felt ready to use in a tournament setting. While Geese has been used more and he has had more success with him, Paul was far easier to play for him. However, since his Paul shown signs of rust due to using Geese more, it was all about weighing pros and cons.

What I felt was nervousness all around because much like he has Geese, I had Kazumi who I wasn’t confident enough to use in the tournament. But she was always an option for me. I made the mistake of second guessing myself so I stuck with who I already know. The irony in that statement, was that if I could do one thing differently, I would have played Kazumi when I was down 1.

Ando plowed through his bracket, with the most notable adversary, Fred Distance, standing in his way. A clutch rage driver from his Paul clinched a tight victory and earned him the right to grant his wish. To play Victim of Ritual. On stream.

Naturally whatever nervousness he felt only amplified, with him only telling me that he’s not going to pay attention to the crowd behind him, and only focus on the game ahead of him. With his music playing through his earphones, he fought a hard-fought battle but ultimately fell 2-0 against him. Since this was winner’s finals, he still performed well enough to make it out of first phase of pools which meant he played later on that evening.

As far as my performance, I immediately lost to a Nina who I didn’t know even existed, M A D W A K. I was disoriented, because not only was I mentally prepared even though I played more than enough casuals, but the first lost took a lot out of me to the point where I gave up the second game freely. My biggest fear was going 0-2 in the tournament altogether, and going 0-2 in the very first match and getting sent to losers was not a good outlook for me. I had to snap out of it for my first game in losers, who I defeated soundly and was enough for a confidence boost. The second and third matches, a Katarina and a King respectively, was claimed without much difficulty although both players were good.

My biggest win of the pool was a rematch against M A D W A K, in which not only I was high off adrenaline for playing three straight, but after suffering a loss on stream against Swagmaster, I was more than ready for my revenge. And revenge I got. I switched my playstyle greatly to the point where it was too overwhelming for him and defeated him soundly, 2-0, just as he had defeated me 0-2, only this time I eliminated him from the tournament altogether. My momentum was cut short as I lost my loser’s semi’s match against Cade, effectively eliminating me. I was one win away from making it out of pools. Still, I had a damn good run in losers and I couldn’t be prouder of myself in how I did being it was my first Combo Breaker. Again, my only regret was not giving Kazumi a chance. I finished 97th which out of 488 people is nothing to cry about. I know I can do better next time, however.

Ando’s first match for the second pool was against Shirdel, an Alisa player from the UK, who quickly eliminated Ando from the tournament. At first, we both did not know who Shirdel was, but after researching him, he’s a pretty dominant force in London. Ando mentioned to me that Shirdel’s Alisa was unlike any he had ever played before, so he handled the matchup in a way which he tried to adapt to his playstyle, but he couldn’t no matter how hard he fought. Later on that night, when a friend and I were at the bar talking to another UK Tekken player, we both admitted that we did not know many of UK’s players, but UK and other European Tekken players were definitely of the silent killer majority. Europe in the FGC in general is an often-overlooked continent filled with so many hidden talents that takes so many by surprise. However, Ando couldn’t be too upset in how he performed. He felt like he could have done better, but he was more focused for the future regarding CEO and learning from the other players at Combo Breaker. Still, placing 65th, just shy of top 50, despite dealing with nerves, wasn’t a bad outing for the big guy. This is a reoccurring theme, but much like how I felt I should have gone Kazumi, his regret was not going Geese and instead sticking with Paul.

Decisions like these matter more than one would think. In a massive tournament like this, all it takes is two losses for it to be all over. I didn’t want to make any risky decisions that I would regret later, so I felt choosing Kazumi in my situation vs Cade would have been too risky as I wasn’t confident in her as I was in my main, Eddy. Ando had a similar sentiment when he insisted on sticking with Paul than going to Geese.

After several nights of reflection and playing casuals against people from all over the world including GoAttack, the Korean Master Raven player who made top 8, Ando feels ready for CEO. Combo Breaker humbled him as a player in regard to not only seeing his flaws, but also not caring whether a person is younger, older, or from another country. Each player should be taken as a threat whether you know them or not and that mentality shaped him into training and preparing for CEO.

One of the things I expect Ando will do differently, aside from soaking in character knowledge, is alter his mental psyche of playing against people in tournaments. I always felt as a competitor, 90% of the gameplay comes from your mind. Your mental cognition is what makes or breaks you. Limits or excels past your limitations. While he wasn’t upset with how he performed, knowing that he could do better is what prepares him for his hopeful comeback in CEO. I honestly cannot wait for that to take place and I will be cheering him on as well as Tunk.

P.S: Jeondding we gonna cross paths again at Summer Jam guaranteed (I hope)

Original article: https://www.teamunbroken.com/combo-breaker-article

#gaming journalism #esports #fgcu #combo breaker #tekken

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