Most people knew me because I was always playing ITG and I was always playing shirtless. The staff at the Boardwalk did not recognize me without it. Drenched in sweat day after day I would play this game--a hobby of mine which I still pursue to this day.
Now Dann would join in playing ITG when he was around and we would challenge each other to push ourselves. We would constantly being saying "beat this score" or "how about you try this ridiculously stupid and challenging song that I know you cannot beat". Both of us drenched in sweat, we'd take our bottles of water, free cups of water, or soda and play away at this game. Did the crowds make our day? No. Was it the girls or guys looking at us? No. How about that we were upsetting Mr. John Beck and disrupting his game because we would play seven minute songs? No. It was our passion and goals that we sought after.
Lexar was around always trying to please the crowd by freestyling. His moves were routine, they never changed and they were always with the same music, kind of like the neighbor who routinely walks their dog every day with the same clothes on. It was just...the same. Unfortunately he always appeared to be trying to show us up which Dann and I (and the others) did not mind at all. We just went along and got our high scores, or beat Lexar's scores.
As Dann and I became closer friends due to this game, he started to mimic my play style. He did not go about it in such away to steal my style but instead added his own twists to it. You could describe it as having sex on the dance pad. His whole upper body would be still while everything below the waist was moving and turning. That is Dann. But he started to do one more thing, and that was he started to take off his shirt! It shocked not only me but the world. Maybe it was the fact that there were two guys playing ITG with their shirts off, or could it be that we were mistaken as brothers, or could it be that we were both skinny as a board, or was it Dann's hairy man boobs? I could never quite figure that out.
We both made goals for ourselves. I would become a top player in the world for doubles. Dann would kick Khai's butt by pawning every score Kyle could dish out. And I knew Dann could do this because no one in their right mind can pass Vertex^2 without the bar and get a 91%, as it was equivalent to taking the SATs after a night of partying, having a hang over, and still obtaining a score of 1400 or higher!
Unfortunately the day came where I injured my knee. The pain was excruciating and left me screaming in pain as though trapped in a bear trap. My knee never gave to my plees despite my efforts to stretch and baby it. My efforts for ITG at this point came to a halt. Dann was saddened at this time and trained even harder. He would play songs over and over thinking of how I should not quit the game and yet with all the training, Dann never passed out like he used to years ago.
Apparently in the past, Dann used to play so hard that he would pass out after long sessions of DDR. Instead of taking a break and playing another day, he would just play and play and play, just like a crack addict goes back to their dealer over and over and over. And he did not stop even though he knew his limits. No, he played until he passed out. One day Dann played so hard he threw up, passed out, and his good friend Hamm rolled him off the dance pad to complete the game! Those were the good days of DDR. People enjoying a free game while his lifeless body laid beside DDR.
Today, a year after my injury, I finally have accomplished what I had set out to do which was to become a top doubles player for In The Groove, becoming one of the top 20 players! I could not have done it without Dann's motivation, nor the thoughts of his body being rolled off the DDR machine for someone else's gratification. Nor could I have accomplished this without my other friends such as Mr. Taka AKA Asian Joker. Alex helped me obtain more stamina too because of his fetish with anime songs and Basshunter as warm ups. So thank you all, and everyone else for your support.
* Just recently my leg has been hurting again but that has not stopped me from playing. Though I did make a promise to Mona to get it checked out by the doctor at SJSU and if it gets worse, I will probably end up quitting either temporarily or permanently. I do not wish to hurt myself nor worry her. But, I am sure it won't stop me from the occasional fun gatherings at ITG. It's always a blast seeing Dann play a song that me, Taka, or Alex would even consider playing with a 100ft pole =).
The Asian Joker (Taka)
My Friend Taka
My Friend Dann and His Hamster
