I had 2 passes to the TI4 Afterparty, and no one to go with me, more importantly, no way to get home after the party (im a seattle local, not a foreigner in a local hotel). Well after TI was over my friends and I were on the corner of a parking garage trying to find a weed delivery service (they were just popping up at the time, a bit sketchy, but it was our last option.) We eventually find someone, but it takes him like an hour to come to us.
So in the mean time, I'm trying to scalp these two TI4 Afterparty passes. I have no idea what their worth is, but i'm trying to pass them off on passerbys (98% of which were clearly ti4 attendees) at say, $100 a piece. Seems like a legit price point. Most of the people turn me down, citing the logistical reasons (flight leaves too soon, no way to get back to hotel) and some just thought it was too sketchy (can't blame them).
But eventually this guy comes along. I dont know his name, but lets just call him Shriek (i think its a fitting name). His demeanor, interesting. His speech, slow. He seemed kind and innocent though, and he was willing to take me up on my offer ($200 for the pair).
"Yes," he says, "I still need to secure a pass for Sir Action Slacks." Those exact words (I'll never forget them,) and at the time (and up until several months later) I had no fuckin' idea who SirActionSlacks was but i appreciated how autistic of a name that was. So he tells me he'll walk back to his hotel and use the ATM there to withdraw the money and he'll meet me back at that street corner, outside of the parking garage.
Well I have nothing better to do than smoke cigs with my friends and wait for our weed delivery. Eventually, my phone rings, its my friend calling me back. He knows nothing of dota, nothing about TI, nothing about any of this scene. I tell him I have 2 free passes to a special event in downtown and that he can have my 2nd pass if he agrees to be my DD. He does. "Sweet, I'm going to the TI4 Afterparty!" i'm thinking.
I didn't actually expect Shriek to come trudging back, money in had, hopes high. But we were waiting for that goddamn weed delivery man for so long. So eventually he does come back.
I'm such an ass. I should have sold him the two passes, but i turned him away. Guy walked like half a mile, 45 minutes or so, dealt with the atm withdrawl surcharges, and worst of all, had complete faith in humanity, until he met me.
The afterparty was fuckin amazing. Went with my bud, smoke with a few players (never to be named, part of their conditions), was a drunken idiot, have a million great stories and memories, mostly of puppey <3 <3.
Was it worth crushing another human beings soul? I dont know, i really don't. I think about his despair more often than i reminisce about the afterparty.
Its a tough call, either way i'd have regrets.
If you're reading this, I'm sorry for getting your hopes up like that.