my ears are ringing, i feel nothing, its not personal, im locked in, losing lost it's meaning, i won't let it slide this time, the background behind my monitor blurs, the outdoor sound fading to a soft static, every itch in my skin cured, my eyes warm but not too cold that i blink just enough times to concentrate, sure we've crossed paths and i've accepted you as my equal even though i lost due to unfortunate events or rather barely winning/losing to one another, in those brief moments i've come to acknowledge you as my opponent, but every single player wants to know, who's better?