demoted

“you were my team. and now you’re a liability to my team. i’m not playing along with your fucking pity party, taek. it’s been months. grow up and get over it, or get out of the fucking way.”

“that psycho bitch hit me the other day, dongwoo. like actually smacked me. she’s unhinged. you’re gonna regret having her on your team the first time you have a tournament and she’s pms-ing.”

“i’m a world ranked overwatch pro, and a top 50 pred. i went to poland invitational. i don’t need to prove myself to you,” keean said firmly. “they own the team, and they can do what they want with it. if you don’t like it, leave. woo and mingi seem to be fine with it, or they’d already be gone.”

“oh, please. i’m waiting out my contract. i’ll be out of your little blonde pansy hair in no time. just don’t come calling on me when ruiqi has a mental breakdown and can’t play because she’s pms-ing and revenant sounds too mean.”

“we were playing conservatively for the win the last few rounds, you cunt. you wouldn’t know, because you’ve never gotten far enough to play poland format, but clutching those final wins, you have to play different. obviously,” she replied venomously. “oh, i’m a bitch. but i’m also the bitch who won two hundred thousand fucking dollars. maybe you’d be easier to take seriously if you’ve won more than a handful of e-series arena shitfests.”

“i don’t want to talk to you anymore,” mingi finally said with a sigh, shaking his head. “i know you’re upset. but it’s been months. get some help. i’m tired.”

“yeah, yeah. retreat once things get hard, like you always do. when you lose playoffs again next season, maybe then think about what i’ve said”

“so is she. you’re mechanically gifted, but your game sense is ass. hers is so much better than yours, not to mention she’s a controller player, so now i have a close quarters fragger, and she takes direction better. we miss you, taek, but focus on what you can improve on and stop taking it out on my team. grow up.”

“so what you’re saying is, she’s only better than me because she has aimbot,” taek said, grabbing onto the controller part of it and ignoring the rest. “fuck you, man. i’m your team. she’s a poser.”

“really? because he seems just as responsive to critique when i’ve given it to him kindly. you really should stop using that as an excuse for your disgusting behavior,” she shot back. her teary eyes narrowed, and she shoved her finger into his chest. “do not mistake my tears for weakness. i am allowed to feel. that doesn’t make me any less of a player. you are demeaning and you are mysoginistic and i’m sick and tired of having to put up with it.”

“yeah, he probably just wants to fuck you. i doubt he gives a shit what you have to say for real,” taek snorted in response. mingi was a whiny baby-- maybe ruiqi was his type. “prove to me that you’re a good player then, short stack. you’ve never done anything to show me that replacing me was the move. maybe if it was warranted, i wouldn’t be so pissed-- you ever think of that? snowflakes always go around yelling misogyny any chance they can, but you’re just not as good as me. and you still wouldn’t be if you had a dick.”

“choosing not to speak on it at all isn’t lying or sugarcoating, nor is it blatantly attacking another player,” keean answered. “you’re lucky you’re signed to knifepoint at all, even as a content creator. don’t push your luck.”

“what do you know? have you ever been in an algs final? i sure haven’t seen you there,” taek answered, rolling his eyes. “i worked hard to be signed. the fact that i was replaced after is bullshit. anyone with eyes can see that. they signed us as a unit so why replace a piece of that unit?”

he rolled his eyes, admittedly getting a little frustrated. “no, it’s professional. and a respect thing. and if there’s something big enough that i need to talk about, i will. but taek….. i think if we need to be worried about either of our contracts, we both know who’s more in jeopardy.”

“whatever. maybe if you had more fire you could have actually won grand finals instead of pussying out and being second fiddle to sunok and her gang of snowflakes,” he answered with a scoff.

“you say that as if i consider it an insult,” sunok answered. “run your mouth, taek. but you got kicked off your team to make the team better, and even the better team without you got their asses handed to them in grand finals by me and my girls. you’re not the big dog in the yard. you’re the bitch chihuahua in the corner who yips away but has nothing to him.”

“it’s worked for me so far! and honestly, not getting tilted on the drop of a hat has not only helped me be happier, but helped me make more friends overall. don’t knock it until you try it,” mingi answered, trying not to take his comments too seriously

“people get tilted because they care-- it just makes you look like you aren’t taking anything seriously. you’re going to lose your contract,” taek scoffed.

“how’s it feel being kicked out of your squad, and being more worried about other peoples’ ranks than about your own standing?” sunok retorted with an eyeroll. “i’ve proved my worth. and i’m not insecure enough to try and play head games with other pros, so clearly you have a lot to work on.”

“god, you really are as big of a bitch as everyone says you are,” taek laughed, shaking his head. “i’m fine. you have a lot to work on-- movement, aim...maybe  you just oughta switch to controller. even get a strike pack for gods sake. i won’t tell-- it’ll make your gameplay bearable.”

“and you don’t get to bully me, and then demean me when i’m upset,” suri answered through her tears. “maybe that’s what you think. but i’ve seen your old stuff– mingi is younger than i am, you know. you were playing with him when he was sixteen, yelling at him and berating him when he made mistakes. i know he’s happier. and i have my issues, but i also know i’m easier for woo to direct than you are. you just watch– we’re going to place higher than you ever did as part of knifepoint this circuit.”

“come on. he wasn’t a baby-- he needed to know he fucked up so he wouldn’t do it again,” taek answered with an eyeroll. it made them all better players. “stop crying. you’re just proving my point-- you’re not cut out for all this. what are you gonna do when a rival team starts shit talking you and dragging you, huh?”

“she was upset, and honestly, i don’t blame her. it’s not her fault you got replaced, and being a dick isn’t going to change it. so just grow up and get better, and maybe millenium will sub you back in. for now, she’s our third. get with it.”

“then who’s fault is it, because as far as i can see, she’s the one sitting in my fucking chair,” taek retorted. “fuck off, man. i’m good. i’m probably the most mechanically gifted in all of knifepoint. it’s not fair.”

“not with their tracking, you wouldn’t. the moment you turned your back to find somewhere to latch onto, you’d be dead. just … grow up,” she repeated, stomping her foot insistently.  “have you ever thought maybe you’re not as good as you think you are? that maybe there’s a reason i was brought in to replace you? your comms are toxic, you ruin everyone’s mental, you’re overconfident and it gets you and your team killed– you’re not on the team anymore because you’re not a good teammate.”

“okay, chill. you don’t need to throw a hissy. emotional control is a big part of being a pro player too, you know,” taek threw out condescendingly. “really? cuz no one had a problem with my comms before you came along. we worked together fine. i think  you’re just too sensitive, and trying to find any reason you can to justify why you were wrongly put into knifepoint.”