The Knot That Binds

Eighteen: Agonizing Anticipation

Korova and I took Layla and Vivi along with us to go watch Gambit take on Barefoot. It's not like I'm expecting any surprising results, but I figure this would be a good way to start back on the track of getting along with the Scarlet Swordsman. Floor twenty-five: an ocean-themed paradise with massive cities everywhere you look. When I say ocean, I mean that the entirety of the playable area is a sand-ridden island surrounded by water. Each of the cities are along the coast of the island, mirroring what I imagine port cities in Ancient Greece to look like. Surprisingly, it's not humid here since it not only looks like Greece but has that same Mediterranean climate. A hot dry summer that I'm sure will be followed by a cool and humid winter. As for where Gambit holds his challenges, it's on a beachfront right outside of the capital: Siracusa. Due to this being the only beachfront designated as a safe zone, it's incredibly popular and always busy(most likely why he chose this place to hold open challenges). I'm sure it would be a really cool and fun place to hang out, especially in the summer, but I'm not a fan of beaches. My gripes aside, we're immersed in the massive crowd of probably more than a hundred players all here to watch the fight. Gambit finishes sitting down Tatsu in an incredibly close duel. From what I was seeing, Tatsu was having a good time dueling one of his friends, and to my astonishment, Gambit was doing so as well. I expected him to take it as seriously as possible, doing all he can to win, but the two of them just had a blast with it. Near the end, when both of them were getting close to yellow, that's when Gambit decided to start putting in the effort. Being the first to do so was Tatsu's downfall and so he goes down with a slash right at his legs. When they finish the match, the crowd roars with cheers. According to Montes, this is a pretty small crowd for his typical outings, an insane thing to think about. I guess it's not too unlike watching streamers, but honestly a bit more entertaining. Instead of just seeing them play something through a screen, you get to actually watch him perform live in front of you. Suddenly, a wave of thirty or so additional players approach; all helmed by Barefoot.

"Gambit! I'm here for my challenge!"

Tatsu and the Scarlet Swordsman slump their shoulders, already exhausted by the newcomer.

"Yup, come on over here, let's get it over with."

Tatsu steps out of the way and Gambit heals himself up to full. Barefoot draws his weapon and turns to the crowd, throwing up a fist in an attempt to rally them behind him. Only those thirty cheer, a pretty funny thing to see as he pretends that it was an uproarious response. Meanwhile, I notice someone approaching Gambit: Thena. She's not wearing her bulky armor, trading them out for a set of casual beachwear. Her olive skin is exposed to the sun as she wears a beach bikini with a large dress fluttering about on her lower half. In addition to the casual outfit, her dark hair is pulled into a high bun. She approaches Gambit with a smile, then proceeds to say something in a fairly quiet tone. I'm just close enough to make it out, but based on Gambit's reaction, I know I heard her right.

"If you win, I'll let you take me on a date."

He starts sputtering all over the place and blushes bright red. Thanks to the game's attempt to better show emotions, he's become almost cartoonish in his bashful reaction.

"You got it! Barefoot, you're going down!"

Thena steps away and the two men go through with the duel request. I think he was considering asking Barefoot to switch to a yield ruleset like he boasted about, but the new prize must've convinced him to go with first blow(after all, he has every advantage possible in that type of ruleset). The timer above starts and Gambit is looking over at Thena with hearts in his eyes. Barefoot is on the other side, his back turned and pumping up the crowd(which still isn't working). When it hits zero, both men whip about and charge right at each other. Gambit always goes for large heavy attacks that are full of flair and extravagance, but not this time. He sits back and bounces around, dodging and parrying Barefoot's heavy attacks with quick evasions. It's only after the eighth missed strike that I realize what his strategy is. During the summer, a new danger has reared its head: the heat. Gambit wears a fairly light outfit, only armored by plates of what looks like bamboo. Because of his choice, he doesn't have to worry too much about heat exhaustion; someone like Barefoot, however, isn't quite so lucky. Even though the match is just starting, Barefoot's limping and already stomping about like he may pass out at any moment. Now, if you were a normal person, you would just deliver the quick blow and end it there; Gambit has never been that kind of person. Instead, he prepares to go for as much flair as he can get. In their last fight, they fought a bit closer inland and barely at the edge of the beach. Gambit used that to his advantage, leaping off of a palm tree nearby. Here, with nothing but sand on the ground, he can only do so much to earn style points.