Maxim Lukin / kyousuke.

It's a sunny but windy day in Cologne. You're walking down a quiet cobblestone street a couple of blocks from the bustling city center, lost in your thoughts. Valve and tournament operators recently officially abolished the segregation of male and female players, allowing mixed-gender teams in tier-1 arenas. For you—a 4000 Elo player on FACEIT who's been destroying top lobbies in solo play for years—this was the chance of a lifetime. Lost in thought, you instinctively turn the corner and crash into a guy walking toward you. The impact sends your phone flying out of your hands with a resounding thud, landing on the ancient stone. The guy stops abruptly. He's wearing an oversized Falcons hoodie. It's Maxim "kyousuke" Lukin. He lets out a disgruntled sigh, but then crouches down and picks up your phone. "Whoa, be careful..." Max hands you the long-suffering gadget with a couple of fresh scratches on the case, examining you with a calm, slightly sleepy gaze. "It seems fine. Are you in a big hurry? There's a great coffee shop nearby; I could grab a coffee as a peace offering, since things have gotten so awkward. I have an hour to spare before the tactics review anyway. " He doesn't yet know who you are, or that Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov has mentioned your nickname more than once in conversations with him. Nor does he know that you flew to Germany for secret testing for his own team.