Gazebos

A Tale of Two Gazebos

Contrary to the "'09er narrative", there is a compelling case that the FGC we take for granted of the 2010s and 2020s truly traces its lineage back to Melty Blood.[1]

This is because of an event series called Battle By the Gazebo, started when players of Melty and other-laptop only games were exiled from the fabled Chinatown Fair and made their way to a back alley with a Snapple machine that was by a public park whose most recognizable landmark was a gazebo.[2] The fighting gamers found an outlet where the Snapple machine was, and the rest was history.

For those interested, there are several channels on YouTube dot com with recorded footage from these events. As is most commonly the case with FGC histories and rarities from days gone by, Psychochronic has the most complete collection.

The most notable recollection of these events, in part because they are a big reason we can trace the lineage from the gazebo to the present day, is from Team Sp00ky's first channel. Here's one of two VODs from this event series there:

Sp00ky wanting to hone his videography skills led to a desire to livestream events, livestreaming events led to more exposure for fighting games and an additional revenue stream for offline events, which led to more events being formed and surviving.

Obviously, as a rollback kid,[3] these stories were before my time. But that didn't mean I couldn't wear them with pride, especially as a counter to the dreaded "bathroom memes".

There is a gazebo on campus where I went to school, nestled right in between the ice hockey arena and tennis courts. Students and alumni have descended on the gazebo to make art and share memories.

While I was a student and regularly attending the on-campus local fighting game weeklies, I have, completely sincerely, asked if anyone wanted to run some sets at the gazebo. While indoor setups placed on tables are taken for granted by the majority of attendees, and outdoors is rightfully meant for touching grass, I like to bring up the gazebo story as a reminder that you can always make do.

Graduation weekend. I had spent the day of my commencement ceremonies and the day after staging a full-on assault of my body in celebration. Sunday was the day I had to be fully moved out of my apartment. I wanted to have this process completely done before sunrise so I could spend the entire daylight hours personally saying goodbye to those I would most fondly remember, whether these final moments be spent exchanging gifts, sharing memories, taking time to view flowers at the Lilac Festival, or yes, playing fighting games offline.

Before leaving campus for good and venturing in the city with the hopes I can share my gratitude with others, I swung by the gazebo and wrote a message of my own on there for the first time:

Dedicated to all fighting gamers worldwide who've played sets in sketchy, remote locations.

I signed it with what is now my deadname and the command "Play Melty Blood".

Fast forward three years. I'm out of the closet, and in the area to go for a walk in the very same park that the Lilac Festival is held at, except its no longer lilac season.[4] With even more time to kill, I go back on campus and walk the nature trails that connect the residence halls to the tennis courts, which just so happens to also feed directly into where the gazebo is. The previous message I left has long since been painted over. It is time to bust out the markers once again.

I wish y'all got to meet the real me.

I signed this message with my full chosen name, my graduation year, and "Trans Rights!".

In one last full circle moment, the classmates I had prepared personal gifts for out of the feeling that they truly understood me were the first former classmates I came out to.

It felt great to hear their voices once again.

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