Reckoner was feeling nervous. This was her first big gig, and she had big shoes to fill! Beta 2 was barely legal age for going pro. She didn't have a choice though – Sunshine was feeling sick, and being a relative, Reckoner was most suited to fill the slot. No time like the present, she supposed.
She went over the map list to know who she'd be meeting. Granary and Snakewater, she recalled, had both recently gotten out of surgery. It was comforting to know that she wasn't the only one who would be feeling shaky about the whole affair. Product, the lone KotH map. Gullywash, who she wasn't familiar with at all. Process, her childhood crush that she tried not to think about much. Lastly, the map she wanted to impress the most, Badlands. An established favorite. If only I can get on her good side, Reckoner thought, I'll be in many more LANs yet to come.
It was time for the LAN to start. Games came, and games went, and after 5 grueling matches, it was down to the finals – Perilous vs. nameLess. Reckoner almost didn't want to get picked for the match because she was nervous she might mess up. However, with Perilous on the docket, it was only inevitable that she'd be in the spotlight. Sure enough, she was. Reluctant yet excited, Reckoner assumed her position on the map queue.
Badlands didn't get picked, which was a relief. Not because she was nervous about putting on a good show – after all, she had over 8 years of experience under her belt – but because she wanted to watch the match. That map she had seen the previous day, the one that had excited her so, her name was Reckoner. After one map into the match, it was time for her newly found crush to perform.
She watched with bated breath as the two teams began to play. The way the combatants pushed connectors and flowed through her lobby was like butter. Pushing out of last still needed work, but the promise she showed was something else. Badlands caved in under an emotional height that she hadn't reached in years. The cost of not being with Reckoner had surpassed the cost of potential loss.
5 rounds later, an exhausted yet enthusiastic Reckoner left the stage, making eye contact with Badlands. They both smiled at each other in a weary, admiring, and slightly aroused way. Badlands had a feeling that she'd be reckin' her later that evening.