Magic: The Gathering, Part Eight

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four,

Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven

I was never the same. I flinched at every word that had to do with me and the game. One time at my local game store the owners asked me about a judge ruling casually. They thought my sleeves were nicked a long time ago once, whoever was in their mind was not me, but as innocent as this was I did not feel safe. I did not feel safe in the environment that had been my paradise. I could play online, but going out to play did not seem appealing to me anymore. Shortly after the scarring disqualification, I was headed up to my brother's apartment for the summer. We were planning on going to a grand prix in Canada, but I did not feel ready to go play there. The gods of misplacement saw to it that I would not have to, for my brother could not find his passport, and so we decided to just stay in Burlington. It was nice being there, but having to see all of mine and my brother's friends up in Burlington, who knew what happened sent spiky daggers down my spine. Seeing there eyes, or their sympathetic woes just brought up the memory again. My brother had started getting into different games away from magic, ranging from other online trading card games to things that were much different. We still played magic while I was up there, but I could clearly see that his out of practices at our previous pre-pro tour qualifier was not merely a cause of his busyness in his senior year. He was growing out of magic, finding a different path. The thing that stuck in my mind the most at this turn of events was Christmas. I had always gotten him magic cards, and he had gotten me them, but with his dwindling interest in the game, I just could not get off the idea about what I was going to get him. Magic had been our thing, the thing that bonded us so tightly, but it was ending. The brother whom I would desperately sit outside his door of, anxious to ask to play with, was finally locking it. Despite the lack of magic in my week up with him and the edginess that I felt when I did play with other people up there, I had a really nice time. When I did play with my brother, it was a blast. It was not only magic that was fun, any game, from video, to cards, was just a jubilant time with him. I played a drinking game with him and his friends where instead of alcohol I drank chocolate milk with soy sauce and whip cream. I had an utterly wonderful time doing this. It was a memorable and good week, one that I did not want to end. After coming home I continued playing magic to a degree. I did not play as much as before but still fairly often got in games. I did this almost entirely through magic online, not feeling up to going to my game store anymore. This was all right though, I still kept in contact with my best magic friend, and we would still Skype and play online. I always felt scared he would find out about my disqualification, but he never did, and I was sincerely glad about that. When I was with him it was like how it was before. I was safe behind my screen online and had my friend to play with too. One day he came to me with an interesting proposal: there was a team limited grand prix in Washington, DC. The team format in magic includes three-person teams where each round three matches are played. Whichever team wins two of the matches wins the round. During the match, all players on the team can talk to each other about anything. My friend and I had a mutual magic playing friend who was also very strong at the game. My friend asked me and him if we would want to go, I said yes and tepidly told the both of them my Uncle lived in DC so they could stay with us. I did not know if they would take me up on this and was scared I might have gotten ahead of myself, but thankfully both my Uncle and my mutual friend were glad too. My best magic friend was able to find a hotel with his father so he was not going to stay with my uncle and me. All three of us practiced non stop for this event, with Skype sessions and a lot of online sealed events. I once again felt respectable in the format, similar to how I had felt before my last pro tour qualifier. I really enjoyed getting ready for the event, and had so much fun talking with my best magic friend. When we all got down to Washington we settled in. We were all there by late Friday night and did one practice sealed together. My best magic friend parted with us through an Uber and our mutual friend and I quickly went to sleep. Up and out, we all scrambled to get to the event site with plenty of time. We wanted to get settled in and not be rushed by anything. We succeeded in this goal and easily got there. Once we were all together we found a table and sat down. Sometimes one of us would see someone we knew and would talk to them, but we mostly stayed at our table. Once the judges passed out packs for the sealed portion of the event, the whole room fell under a spell of excited vibration. Team formats are a true blast, allowing for the unique experience of being with your best friends while playing your favorite game. We built our three decks fairly quickly and got off to a good start with a win. This was followed by a loss, and our tournament pattern did not change much from here. By the start of round nine, we were five and three. While previously you needed a seven and two record to make day two, that had recently changed the rules setting the bar down to a six and three record for day two. With our win and in on the line we all worked together. I was the first of us to finish round nine, having successfully defeated my opponent. I was able to then move to my teammates, and try to help them. Our mutual friend lost in a nail-biter leaving both sides with a match a piece, and it coming down to the final match between my best magic friend and his opponent. The opponent and their team were able to narrowly take the game and match from my friend, after slowly whittling him down. We were out, and that was it. Our tournament was over, and little to my knowledge so was magic for me. After we lost we all headed home early that Sunday. I had a really fun time playing, but there was nothing more to do. I would have never thought I wouldn't have seen either of them again, but that is what happened. My final bell had rung, and I headed home for the last time from a tournament. My competitive fire had been put out, my brother had parted ways with the game himself, and my causes for playing were gone with them. I played and learned magic because of my brother. He brought me into this wonderful world and I could not be more thankful for him doing that. We all grow and change and so did he. Magic was never just magic to me, what made it special was the fun that I had with my brother. Without him, it could not be the same, because so much of my love for it, was love for him. The competitive fire had dwindled earlier. I had come out one last time, but without my friends, I just did not feel safe playing. They gave me one last tournament and with it one last enchanted night of magic. Magic will always be a part of me, a good thing, but nothing is forever. And so, to me, magic is waiting outside my brother's door with a deck hidden in my hand, anxious to ask if he wanted to play, and euphoric when he said yes