LOS ANGELES -- It took a discerning eye to find the Westchester Dave & Buster's, hidden as it is beneath wholesale construction at the Howard Hughes Center. Finding the party there on Sunday, though? Much easier.

A mere mention of the name FlyQuest got you directed past the empty sports bar, through the throngs of small children darting around the blinking midway (their parents a relaxed half step behind), and finally to Function Room 1.

Dave Siu and Marissa Corpuz, two of the League of Legends team's brand ambassadors, checked in attendees at a nearby table laden with FlyQuest pint glasses, FlyQuest mugs and rubber FlyQuest wristbands atop a green FlyQuest tablecloth. Not long after sitting down, FlyQuest community manager Jeff Hoang came by with a pair of green and gold thundersticks.

"You'll need these," he said.

I placed them amidst my growing collection of swag: a white lanyard, team pin, $15 Power Card, raffle ticket, Hoang's business card and a Fiery Snickers bar that asked if I'm wimpy when I'm hungry. Nearby, a four-player Super Smash Bros. for Wii U station and a catered buffet bookended seven tables for seating. On the middle wall, the North American League Championship Series stream airs, with 100 Thieves' match against FlyQuest coming up as the second match of the day.

"We usually get around 20 to 30 people," Hoang said. "Just a small, intimate crowd."

After being promoted from FlyQuest team manager to community manager in January, Hoang has organized these viewing parties every LCS weekend. They began as college events at UCLA, UC Irvine, and UC San Diego, Hoang's alma mater -- he founded UCSD's Triton Gaming group in 2013.

Building from what he knew, Hoang leveraged FlyQuest's resources with collegiate esports clubs that couldn't afford to throw viewing parties themselves. Once the students left for summer break, he relocated the parties to Dave & Buster's, where they'll remain for the next few weeks.

The goal, Hoang said, is to offer FlyQuest fans an experience they can't get anywhere else.

FlyQuest community manager Jeff Hoang said he's been organizing these watch parties every weekend, first at nearby colleges, then at the Dave & Buster's in Westchester once the summer break hit. Photo by Miles Yim

"We want our fans to have a place to congregate, have a lot of fun, enjoy great food and enjoy LCS all together," he said. "Although it's a great atmosphere at the LCS arena -- it's completely energizing and electrifying -- the atmosphere here is different. It's chill. You can actually talk to each other. Everyone's happy to cheer with each other and talk about LCS. It's a completely relaxed, homey environment. We feel like a family here."

The self-dubbed "#FlyFam" begins to trickle in around noon. A father and son join a nearby table; the former quickly orders a Bloody Mary he later confesses wasn't that good. Mick Daigle, the in-house chef for Golden Guardians, arrives, too: He said he's here to support Hoang. He refers to his FlyQuest compatriots as his "cousins."

"I think if all the teams had a place where they could congregate their own fans, it'd be pretty cool," Daigle said. "It's just fun to be in an environment with people that enjoy the same things as you. It feels more like a community."

Nearly a dozen people showed up in time for the first game: OpTic Gaming vs. Cloud9. As Tristan "PowerOfEvil" Schrage's Talon ran roughshod over C9 and the team's playoff chances, Hoang cased the arcade floor. He returned with three men in their 20s who didn't know about the watch party until Hoang grabbed them; one is a League fan, the other two still learning the game. Soon, they're talking animatedly with the other fans, clapping their thundersticks in time with the crowd.

By the time FlyQuest and 100 Thieves enter the draft for their game, the viewing contingent has ballooned to nearly 50 people. Alejandra Galicia apologizes to Siu and Corpuz for missing the last two weeks, but she's brought a party of five today from the Watts neighborhood including her husband and sister-in-law. All of them are FlyQuest fans relishing in the team's recent run, which has put it among the top teams in the NA LCS.

"I just really love their enthusiasm for the game," Alejandra Galicia said. "They're hardworking. They go from the bottom, and next thing you know, they're winners like right now. We were losing, and now we've got the victory."

Jesalyn Saulietis loudly cheers for Jason "WildTurtle" Tran when he appears on screen. He's her favorite player, in part because of the "smile exercises" he does on-stage.

"He's quite a character," Saulietis said, "but he's also very professional, which is nice to watch in the esports arena."

Saulietis sat next to her husband Erik Saulietis, who is an environment artist at Riot Games. The two brought their two sons, a four-year-old and a one-year-old. The couple fell in love with esports after attending the 2016 NA LCS Spring Finals in Las Vegas. Erik Saulietis asked his oldest which team he always roots for.

"The blue team!"

The kid's got good instincts: The blue side of the map has a 60 percent win rate in NA LCS this year, according to Games of Legends.

FlyQuest fans revel in the team's come-from-behind victory against 100 Thieves at a watch party at the Dave & Buster's in Westchester, California. FlyQuest moved into a four-way tie for first in the North American League Championship Series with the win. Photo by Miles Yim

FlyQuest is on blue side today, but 100 Thieves absolutely batters the team for 30 minutes, keyed by jungler Andy "AnDa" Hoang's repeated ganks of former top side partner Lee "Flame" Ho-jong. 100 Thieves top laner Kim "Ssumday" Chan-ho's Dr. Mundo achieves raid boss status, and his team break open FlyQuest's base in 23 minutes without touching Baron.

Down two inhibitors, 8,600 gold, three mountain drakes and a Baron, there was little hope for a FlyQuest comeback. The quiet in Function Room 1 was funereal.

And then, a miracle. Two unexpected kills of AnDa and Ssumday gave FlyQuest a lifeline. The team's defense holds, and, seeing 100 Thieves pushing sidelanes, FlyQuest made the call to push mid as five. One of the nuttiest base races in years began, and fans sprung to life as the Nexus health bars chunked down. It was over in a matter of seconds: FlyQuest won by a sliver of damage, and the crowd erupted in half-stunned, half-overjoyed cheers.

The sound of thundersticks echoed through the arcade.

In the afterglow of victory among friends, it seemed strange that no other NA LCS team hosts regular viewing parties. Experiences like this, more than big name sponsors or meme-worthy video content, are what tie fans to teams for life.

Hoang conducted the post-game raffle, at one point letting the Saulietis' kids pull some tickets out of the bowl. About half the room walked away with even more FlyQuest swag, and after a final group picture, everyone departs.

Time to put those complimentary $15 Power Cards to use.