AmethystLady: “I Want To Be Remembered As A Respectable Competitor And Inspire Others..”
Author’s Note: This was originally written on my Wix account, but I decided to bring it here since it is a Ladies Night! feature.
When we think of Tekken’s Baltimore FGC community, we usually think of a tight knit group who looks out and supports each other. One of the sources of that is one that many like to call ‘Mom’. Her name is Amethyst Lady, an inspirational woman who releases nothing but positivity for her children to feed off of.
I interviewed the 32 year old for one of my Ladies’ Night! Newsletters, where she revealed she’s been active in the FGC for 16 years after taking a chance by diving right into the community back in high school . She considers video games in her DNA since she’s been playing them for a long time, which is one of her leading inspirations for continuing her journey in the FGC. “I genuinely enjoy fighting games and since I am competitive i find myself right at home.”
This journey hasn’t been an easy one for her, though. The toughest part of her FGC journey this far? “The traveling.” She states, “Traveling is expensive which makes it hard to consistently do, and the frequency of tournaments and pricing has increased dramatically over time.” This will not stop her from continuing her journey at all. “I shall continue to do the best I can to make it to what I can but that definitely has been a tough hurdle to clear.”
Although the Cladio main is linked to Tekken, that’s not the only fighting game that she plays. The Soul Calibur series is also a favorite of hers which she plays competitively. “I CANNOT WAIT for Soul Calibur 6 to come out,” she says. “It will also be added to my competitive gaming lineup.”
Amethyst Lady is a lover of 3d fighting games and with these two games on her competitive repertoire, she plans on staying in the realm of 3D games. “Though I have made attempts to play other games,” she begins, “3D is where I feel most comfortable.” She adds, “…I have been playing the [Tekken] since Tekken 2 and competitively since Tekken 5, so I wanted to keep ‘climbing the Tekken mountain’ as I always say!’”
That motto (along with “up and forward”) are the Baltimore’s Tekken community mom’s two mottos she keeps in mind help her strive in the FGC, no matter what she’s doing. “I believe in trying to keep things as positive as possible and to keep progressing, in competitive ventures and in life.”
I feel that Amethyst Lady is made of positivity and inspiration. Although we all have bad days, I’m convinced this woman’s positivity can be a cure for anyone having a tough time at any point in the FGC and this is what I’ll remember her by. She wants to be remembered, “..as an individual that was not only a respectable competitor but also an inspiration to others who might want to try to enter the FGC and become a competitor as well.”
Her advice for the young(er) girls who game and possibly want to compete is: “Don’t be afraid of what others think if you decide to take the journey. Do your own thing. Be you. See what works for you. Explore the games. Ask questions. Make sure you have fun.” She extends a hand if someone need to talk. “…you can always reach out to me if you need someone to talk to.”