It's Always Sunny in Brockton Bay
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It's Always Sunny in Brockton Bay
Special thanks to everyone who helped comtribute to make this so much better.
Enjoy!
Greg Vader was a loser. He knew that. The world knew that. His parents knew that. But if there was one source of comfort for him, it was being the hero in the MMO game Words of Lorgar.
He got to be something worthwhile as he saved the world. One quest at a time. Whether it was playing politics, building armies, or bringing peace through force to all of those who refused his generous offers, each action was a step to the fulfillment of that dream.
His trusty little computer was chugging along. He cleaned it at least once a month. Dusted it completely out, even. Made sure that the drivers were up to date. All in order to make sure that he could maximize the performance from it. He was hoping to save enough money for an upgrade soon though. She was old, and it lagged horribly when it did anything intensive like updating the world map.
Which, of course, was when disaster struck. He had just defeated the Ulamar Empire and annexed it, when the game had frozen for longer than was typical. Almost immediately thereafter it had been joined by the scent of burnt wires and a suddenly dead monitor. The power safety had tripped and saved most of his pc, but the damage had already been done.
He had cursed and cried at his misfortune. He had been planning an upgrade, but it was still months away from fruition.
Maybe it could be salvaged.
Xxxx
It had only taken a shake of the head by the computer repair tech who had immediately told him that any hope of saving his old PC was pointless. The man had been apologetic, but he told him he was better off just replacing the entire thing, as the repair costs would be more than the rig was worth.
When he had offered to sell what was left to the tech, the technician had laughed. He didn't need to say anything more as he knew that it had been a long shot, but he had hoped that maybe he could get something out of it.
So it was with a heavy heart that he took his old pc out of the shop and packed it back on his bike.
It was as he was pedaling home that he had an epiphany: Taylor was working at a technology firm, right? One that dealt with computers. Obviously she would help him if he asked nicely. They were good friends like that.
Xxxx
Sitting in her chair, staring at the innocuous-looking computer tower, she wished that she had blaster powers for just a moment. Because what she had encountered could not be unencountered.
Taking a deep breath, she then let it out, trying to cleanse the imagery of horrors that she had been subjected to, all the while cursing Greg Veder and his awkward social ineptitude.
She really shouldn't be doing any of this. But Dad had been adamant that she find a hobby, or something to destress on, because she was working herself to the bone on getting the Light Rescue Lance operational. When Greg had showed up at her door, looking like a kicked puppy and asking if she could help him with his computer, he had immediately suggested that as an idea.
She wondered exactly how he would react if he knew that she now knew what Greg Veder's fetishes were.
Releasing a shudder, she flicked the muscle in her eyes, activating a command in the Focus which brought up a menu.
Yeah, she wasn't even going to try and salvage this computer. Even if the parts were in supply, this computer was fucking obsolete back in 1999. It would be a cold day in hell before she sullied herself with such primitive trash.
For a moment, she considered handing it off to Sobek. This was the type of thing for machine learning, but then she discarded that. The last thing she needed was for Sobek to be exposed to such…filth at such a stage.
No, she would build Greg Veder a new computer, one that was her own make. And then she would wash her hands of the boy. If she ever met him again after this, it would be too damn soon.
Honestly, it wouldn't take much effort, a few custom parts, a little rework modifying existing internal pieces, and she could probably have it done over a couple of days. Sobek could handle the core programming and processes. Along with crafting the necessary peripherals.
"I'm really doing this," she muttered, before making a decision, getting to her feet she walked towards the tower, taking care to remove the jack that allowed her to access the damn thing in the first place and be exposed the horrors hidden inside, and then, with a thrown elbow, knocked it into the trash barrel beside the desk with a crash.
"Oops."
Xxxx
Greg Veder stared at the PC sitting before him with awe, reaching up to rub his eyes again for what seemed like the hundredth time. Even as his eyes refocused, he was unable to believe what he was seeing before him.
He had believed that Taylor was just going to fix the computer, maybe give it a few upgraded parts. It would be a nice gesture from a friend, after all.
But he wasn't prepared for what sat before him.
It was a work of art. Bland black and grey was nowhere to be seen on the tower, instead it was encased in a sleek white metallic and glass shell. Through it glowed a pristine and soft blue and green lighting that seemed to pulse through the various internals like it was alive. It was currently connected to a flatscreen monitor that showed a desktop that was unfamiliar, yet familiar at the same time. Like an entirely modern version of the Windows Millenium Edition he had been stuck with.
It was…perfect.
"Wow, Taylor," he breathed, "this looks fucking awesome."
"That'll be eight hundred dollars."
He blinked, turning to the girl who was staring at him through her dark sunglasses. That weird device on the side of her head glowing slightly and giving her a slightly intimidating presence. But that was all secondary as he parsed what she had just said.
"What," he asked, "I thought both you and your father said you would do it for free as a hobby project."
"I did," she agreed, her voice calm, but even he could hear an edge to the tone, "That was before I found your stash of nearly three hundred megabytes of insect girl and tentacle porn. Would you like my dad to know about that?!"
His wallet came out of his pocket so fast it may have been given a mover rating. With an atomic blush he handed the money to Taylor without another word of protest.
"Thank you for your business," Taylor deadpanned, before turning away and heading away from him, "I'll have it packaged up for you and you can be on your way in thirty minutes. Next time, please ensure that your computer is clear of your questionable fetishes so you don't scar another poor tech. I'm going to go and take a shower with bleach now."
He never felt so small as he did now.
Xxxxx
Rubbing his hands, he watched as the computer powered up. He had gotten home this afternoon after his…exchange with Taylor. He certainly hoped that she would let his small mistake go after a while, but right now he wasn't going to bother her. The only thing that had stopped him from logging into Words of Lorgar, had been the insistence that he read all the documentation provided with his rig, and now, his destiny could no longer be denied.
Logging in, he noted how fast and smooth it seemed to run. None of that stuttering that had plagued his old computer, and the screaming of the fan as it tried to keep it from overheating as it ran the game. No, it was as quiet as a whisper, the only evidence that it was running was the lighting.
Hell, even the keyboard felt strange, none of that clicking that he was so used to. It felt so smooth, he was actually confused if he was even pushing on the keys because there was barely any resistance that he was so used to. Even the mouse peripheral felt alien in how right it felt, like it was molded just for him, and it seamlessly slid across the surface without making him have to lift it up and move it again.
He couldn't wait to rub all of this in FedoraWithAPlan's face. Call his rig a waste of carbon now, will she?! The reaction was going to be worth all of this!
Finishing the login procedure, his smile widened, as his eyes took in the concerned messages from 001SvEtA001, the fact that a girl was so concerned for him made him feel like a million dollars despite Taylor finding all of his porn. He quickly messaged her, telling her what happened and he was back, along with a sweet new rig.
"It's good to have you back, Greg! Want to do the Khepri's Wrath Raid?"
He didn't even hesitate saying yes, accepting the party invite and joining the queue for the raid, all the while excitedly telling her about the computer, to her excitement. It was like he had never left.
And as the countdown timer, he found himself at the entrance to the raid, several orcs barreling out of battlements, heralding the first wave of the Raid, and warming them up for the larger monsters lurking and readying up.
Letting out a laugh, he moved his character forward.
It was time to be The Hero once again and impress the girl.
Special thanks to everyone who helped comtribute to make this so much better.
Enjoy!
Greg Vader was a loser. He knew that. The world knew that. His parents knew that. But if there was one source of comfort for him, it was being the hero in the MMO game Words of Lorgar.
He got to be something worthwhile as he saved the world. One quest at a time. Whether it was playing politics, building armies, or bringing peace through force to all of those who refused his generous offers, each action was a step to the fulfillment of that dream.
His trusty little computer was chugging along. He cleaned it at least once a month. Dusted it completely out, even. Made sure that the drivers were up to date. All in order to make sure that he could maximize the performance from it. He was hoping to save enough money for an upgrade soon though. She was old, and it lagged horribly when it did anything intensive like updating the world map.
Which, of course, was when disaster struck. He had just defeated the Ulamar Empire and annexed it, when the game had frozen for longer than was typical. Almost immediately thereafter it had been joined by the scent of burnt wires and a suddenly dead monitor. The power safety had tripped and saved most of his pc, but the damage had already been done.
He had cursed and cried at his misfortune. He had been planning an upgrade, but it was still months away from fruition.
Maybe it could be salvaged.
Xxxx
It had only taken a shake of the head by the computer repair tech who had immediately told him that any hope of saving his old PC was pointless. The man had been apologetic, but he told him he was better off just replacing the entire thing, as the repair costs would be more than the rig was worth.
When he had offered to sell what was left to the tech, the technician had laughed. He didn't need to say anything more as he knew that it had been a long shot, but he had hoped that maybe he could get something out of it.
So it was with a heavy heart that he took his old pc out of the shop and packed it back on his bike.
It was as he was pedaling home that he had an epiphany: Taylor was working at a technology firm, right? One that dealt with computers. Obviously she would help him if he asked nicely. They were good friends like that.
Xxxx
Sitting in her chair, staring at the innocuous-looking computer tower, she wished that she had blaster powers for just a moment. Because what she had encountered could not be unencountered.
Taking a deep breath, she then let it out, trying to cleanse the imagery of horrors that she had been subjected to, all the while cursing Greg Veder and his awkward social ineptitude.
She really shouldn't be doing any of this. But Dad had been adamant that she find a hobby, or something to destress on, because she was working herself to the bone on getting the Light Rescue Lance operational. When Greg had showed up at her door, looking like a kicked puppy and asking if she could help him with his computer, he had immediately suggested that as an idea.
She wondered exactly how he would react if he knew that she now knew what Greg Veder's fetishes were.
Releasing a shudder, she flicked the muscle in her eyes, activating a command in the Focus which brought up a menu.
Yeah, she wasn't even going to try and salvage this computer. Even if the parts were in supply, this computer was fucking obsolete back in 1999. It would be a cold day in hell before she sullied herself with such primitive trash.
For a moment, she considered handing it off to Sobek. This was the type of thing for machine learning, but then she discarded that. The last thing she needed was for Sobek to be exposed to such…filth at such a stage.
No, she would build Greg Veder a new computer, one that was her own make. And then she would wash her hands of the boy. If she ever met him again after this, it would be too damn soon.
Honestly, it wouldn't take much effort, a few custom parts, a little rework modifying existing internal pieces, and she could probably have it done over a couple of days. Sobek could handle the core programming and processes. Along with crafting the necessary peripherals.
"I'm really doing this," she muttered, before making a decision, getting to her feet she walked towards the tower, taking care to remove the jack that allowed her to access the damn thing in the first place and be exposed the horrors hidden inside, and then, with a thrown elbow, knocked it into the trash barrel beside the desk with a crash.
"Oops."
Xxxx
Greg Veder stared at the PC sitting before him with awe, reaching up to rub his eyes again for what seemed like the hundredth time. Even as his eyes refocused, he was unable to believe what he was seeing before him.
He had believed that Taylor was just going to fix the computer, maybe give it a few upgraded parts. It would be a nice gesture from a friend, after all.
But he wasn't prepared for what sat before him.
It was a work of art. Bland black and grey was nowhere to be seen on the tower, instead it was encased in a sleek white metallic and glass shell. Through it glowed a pristine and soft blue and green lighting that seemed to pulse through the various internals like it was alive. It was currently connected to a flatscreen monitor that showed a desktop that was unfamiliar, yet familiar at the same time. Like an entirely modern version of the Windows Millenium Edition he had been stuck with.
It was…perfect.
"Wow, Taylor," he breathed, "this looks fucking awesome."
"That'll be eight hundred dollars."
He blinked, turning to the girl who was staring at him through her dark sunglasses. That weird device on the side of her head glowing slightly and giving her a slightly intimidating presence. But that was all secondary as he parsed what she had just said.
"What," he asked, "I thought both you and your father said you would do it for free as a hobby project."
"I did," she agreed, her voice calm, but even he could hear an edge to the tone, "That was before I found your stash of nearly three hundred megabytes of insect girl and tentacle porn. Would you like my dad to know about that?!"
His wallet came out of his pocket so fast it may have been given a mover rating. With an atomic blush he handed the money to Taylor without another word of protest.
"Thank you for your business," Taylor deadpanned, before turning away and heading away from him, "I'll have it packaged up for you and you can be on your way in thirty minutes. Next time, please ensure that your computer is clear of your questionable fetishes so you don't scar another poor tech. I'm going to go and take a shower with bleach now."
He never felt so small as he did now.
Xxxxx
Rubbing his hands, he watched as the computer powered up. He had gotten home this afternoon after his…exchange with Taylor. He certainly hoped that she would let his small mistake go after a while, but right now he wasn't going to bother her. The only thing that had stopped him from logging into Words of Lorgar, had been the insistence that he read all the documentation provided with his rig, and now, his destiny could no longer be denied.
Logging in, he noted how fast and smooth it seemed to run. None of that stuttering that had plagued his old computer, and the screaming of the fan as it tried to keep it from overheating as it ran the game. No, it was as quiet as a whisper, the only evidence that it was running was the lighting.
Hell, even the keyboard felt strange, none of that clicking that he was so used to. It felt so smooth, he was actually confused if he was even pushing on the keys because there was barely any resistance that he was so used to. Even the mouse peripheral felt alien in how right it felt, like it was molded just for him, and it seamlessly slid across the surface without making him have to lift it up and move it again.
He couldn't wait to rub all of this in FedoraWithAPlan's face. Call his rig a waste of carbon now, will she?! The reaction was going to be worth all of this!
Finishing the login procedure, his smile widened, as his eyes took in the concerned messages from 001SvEtA001, the fact that a girl was so concerned for him made him feel like a million dollars despite Taylor finding all of his porn. He quickly messaged her, telling her what happened and he was back, along with a sweet new rig.
"It's good to have you back, Greg! Want to do the Khepri's Wrath Raid?"
He didn't even hesitate saying yes, accepting the party invite and joining the queue for the raid, all the while excitedly telling her about the computer, to her excitement. It was like he had never left.
And as the countdown timer, he found himself at the entrance to the raid, several orcs barreling out of battlements, heralding the first wave of the Raid, and warming them up for the larger monsters lurking and readying up.
Letting out a laugh, he moved his character forward.
It was time to be The Hero once again and impress the girl.
