Knock scoffed. "Shit, Jeri's about as into babies as Riley. The big one, not the baby, I mean." Then he looked down the table. "Did you really have to name the kid after my sister?"
"And your brother-in-law," Zara reminded him. "Rylie Sami. Spelled differently, but we wanted Riley and Samir to both be in there."
"Gonna have to get her a nickname," Knock grumbled. "A bad one that will stick with her."
"Do not," Jason warned.
"So gonna," Knock teased.
Kate was laughing at them as she stood up and headed to the front. She didn't even make it to the end of the table before her watch beeped, reminding her that it was time. She turned that off, clasped Jason's shoulder when she passed his chair, and then kept going.
Today, the crowd looked a bit different than it had last year. It was bigger, for starters, but it also had a lot of new faces. Shirts from the QQ program were all over, and plenty of girls sat in groups of their own or beside boyfriends. Because while two tournaments in a row had been cancelled last year, it hadn't slowed down the PLG at all. Seattle's charity event and the amount of press Deviant had received had both changed the subject from problems in gaming to virtual violence against women.
And the men had stood up. Hers, theirs, and others. All across social media and in every game she could think of, Kate had seen it happening. Guys called out others for the crap they tried. Tournaments and competitions disqualified players who were caught being sexist, just like they did when a player was racist. Discrimination was on its way out, slowly but surely.
Stepping to the microphone, Kate set down her cards and looked across the room. Right there at the front, Rhaven stood, offering that lifeline like she had so long ago. Kate didn't need it now, but when Psyc joined her, and then Dread, Riley, and all of her friends, it still felt fucking good.
"Good morning," Kate said into the microphone. "My name is Kate Degrass, and I'm one of the owners of this fine establishment. The other is over there, trying to hide the fact that he'll always be a geek at heart. Wave, Adam."
He lifted a hand, and across the room, people clapped with just a bit more than polite enthusiasm.
"One year ago today," Kate said, "F5 was attacked by an internet terrorist organization. Myself and four others were kidnapped and held at gunpoint. It was the most terrifying experience I could imagine, and standing here before you all now, it seems a bit surreal. Just one year ago, so many of us thought that being a gamer girl made us a target. We were chased out of games, harassed into giving up, and in some cases, bullied until we killed ourselves."
She paused, letting that last part sink in. "Today, the PLG is doing better than ever. Enrollment by women is up from two percent of the population to almost thirty-seven percent at this event!"
The entire room cheered at that, making Kate pause until it died back down.
"I know, right? One year ago, the PLG almost died because some people don't play well with others. They just missed the part about how none of us play well with others. That's why we're happiest here. That's what makes gaming so much fun. And to all of my gamer girls out there, fight hard. I hope to see a lot more of you at the high table. Hell, I hear they'll even extend it to two tables if enough of you are impressive. So, how about it?"
More cheering.
Kate just chuckled. "So, while we're all hyped up to get a bloodbath going on, don't forget that we don't allow food and drinks in here. The emergency signs on the ceiling will lead you to a door, and if anyone is bothering you, please report it to our staff. In the event of a cataclysmic event, make your way calmly outside, and we do have enough heroes in this room to protect us all."
Then she leaned in and looked at the high table. "Oh, and I'm coming for you, this time, Riley. This is going to be my big show. I'm winning this tournament."
"Bring it," Riley yelled back.
Kate almost stepped away, but Chance pressed his hand to her back, holding her in place. "Also," he said, "Deviant Games is taking applications for intern developers. This is a paid position with opportunities