A low buzzing droned eerily against the peeling striped wallpaper, emanating from a yellowing computer case in the corner of a dim room lit by fading green and white LED lights. Hotkey could hear the subtle clicking of fans and water pumps plugging away at bringing down the heat of the abused RAM and Graphics Cards against the pattering of rain striking the windows in a hypnotic hum as occasional flashes of lightning overwhelmed the room’s dim lights. The strike illuminating the crushed up cans of energy drinks and empty chip bags scattered next to an overflowing trash can in a stark flash that disappeared as quickly as it started.
He could hear consistently gentle beeps from a screen on the wall, the pale light casting a shadow onto the unmade bed behind the hunched over man in a green hoodie with short spiky hair and a headset wired into the computer in the corner. The man sat there holding a controller; the joysticks moving rapidly. He was staring intently at a virtual keyboard and the messages that kept rolling in, lighting up the screen on his headset and mirrored on the wall.
[PKSquatter]> lolz it really is huh?
[TowerSniper_1]> and they fell for it too! Such noobs
[Hotkey]> It could have been worse if the other team went in earlier, but they weren't organized at all
[TanperTemtrum]> yo did u hear about BridgeWorldz? its gettin a new DLC next month…
[TowerSniper_1]> yeah it was poor planning on their part, but thats why they rnt heading to nationals
[TowerSniper_1]> Dude!!!! if BridgeWorldz hadnt launched a buggy game they wouldn't need any DLC!
[Hotkey]> I heard they're planning on having a patch for the third quest in the DLC pack, but you still gotta buy it…
[TanperTemtrum]> its another thirty bucks right?
[PKSquatter]> BridgeWorldz wasn't even fun, couldn't get past the second quest
[TowerSniper_1]> hey pk you gotta ask the warden to release the alchemist for you to complete the third milestone of that quest, it's dumb
[Hotkey]> yeah, thirty… Main game was seventy cus they were losing all kinds of devs and needed to hire new people
[TowerSniper_1]> wait they arent releasing the patch on its own? YOU HAV 2 PAY?!?!?!
[Hotkey]> even though the game isn't worth continuing to develop at this point
[PKSquatter]> wut Warden? That area is still locked
[Hotkey]> it's falling so fast they should have called it LondonBridgez
[TanpurTemtrum]> lmfao
[Hotkey]> yeah you have to pay
[TanpurTemtrum]> ima get it just to hav it
[TowerSniper_1]> did you unlock the forest yet? You have to use the leash you got from the old man in the first quest
[DeadlyAce]> BridgeWorldz is on sale right now
[Hotkey]> The game would be alright if they didn't half ass the mechanics I'm able to pass through most doors without needing to do the puzzle
[PKSquatter]> Wait that leash was important? oops
[PKSquatter]> Hotkey!!! Tell me howww!!!!
[TanpurTemtrum]> LOL if you thre out the leash your screwed
[TanpurTemtrum]> just restart
[TowerSniper_1]> ya I agree with Tan, restart. You won't get far
[PKSquatter]> :'-(
[Hotkey]> Big oof
[TowerSniper_1]> still tho, 30 bucks to fix a broken quest?
[Hotkey]> yup
A notification pops up in the corner, distracting Hotkey from his conversation.
“Attention required for Store Pickup…” flashed in from his shopping app.
Sighing, the man closes down the messaging app and pulls up his shopping cart. He sat back and lifted his glasses up so he could rub his eyes. The store app was telling him they were out of the chips he selected, and the replacement item was five dollars extra per item. There were also two missing items they just did not have. Groaning, he deleted the items, upset at not being able to get his off brand chips this week. Money was tight, and he had just ninety bucks left until payday sitting in his pocket, and a few unopened bills lay at the corner of the desk, and the new total on his headset read $76.92.
Standing up, Hotkey stretched his arms above his head before taking off his gamer headset and tossing it on the desk next to the keyboard. Opening up the messaging app, Hotkey looked at the flickering screen.
[PKSquatter]> and they have a table too
[TowerSniper_1]> don't think too much about it
[Hotkey]> Hey guys, I gotta go pick up some stuff, I'll be back soon
[PKSquatter]> but if they had the arrows in the back why did I need to get them?
[DeadlyAce]> the devs said the table was from a random intern
The messages continued to scroll by, the other players ignoring his message. Shaking his head, he cleared some scrunched up clothes and put on his shoes. He hooked his controller to the custom strap on his arm and threw on an overcoat to protect it from the rain. After putting on a hat and glasses that lit up his face in a sickly glow as the augmented reality software overlaid his vision, he put in earbuds and selected his go-to song. Humming to it out of tune, Hotkey checked his desk for his keys, and sorted his cash, making sure he had all the money that he needed for his groceries, leaving a ten on the desk. Hotkey zipped up his jacket, stuffing the money in the pocket, and pulled up his hood. Breathing in deeply, he hit the start button on his stopwatch. Time to see how quickly he could get back today, he thought to himself. Life is just a game, after all.
Like it. A good start.