You open up your laptop computer and power it on so that you can jot down a couple worldbuilding ideas you just had for your newest story. It’s a fantastic tale about an average guy who stumbles across a gateway to a parallel universe of fae creatures and magic, and embarks on a journey, becoming a powerful elementalist. There’s also a romantic subplot between the hero and a beautiful fae lady of the Summer Court, but you can’t write romance for shit, so that plotline is sort of taking a backseat to the main conflict. Or at least, it would be, if you had actually, you know, written anything. For now, this story is just a collection of vague plot notes and story world information. You've already jotted down a few of the ideas you gleaned from your past dreams.
You are about to add another note to the document, when you receive a notification from Pesterchum, the chat client you use to communicate with your friends. Looks like one of them is trying to get in contact with you.
--risingRain [RR] began pestering gingerWorldbuilder [GW]--
RR: Hey.
GW: Hey! What’s up?
RR: Well, first order of business, I think that a happy birthday is in order.
RR: So.
RR: Happy Birthday.
GW: Hey, thanks!
RR: Do you have anything special planned for today?
GW: Nah, not really. I’ll grab some food or something later, and then, I dunno, probably just veg out for a while. Unless my sister wants to do something, in which case I’ll have to spend some of the time I would be veging out making her go away instead.
RR: Is this a regular problem for you?
GW: Man, I don’t even know. She just doesn’t have any boundaries. She regularly steals my stuff to get me to pay more attention to her. I know she means well, but her compulsive need to see me off of my computer is… irritating.
RR: Sounds irritating
GW: Eh, I’m just bitching for no reason. I’ll live.
RR: Glad to hear that. So secondly, have you given any thought to whether or not you want to play that game I mentioned last week?
GW: What game was that again?
RR: Sburb.
GW: Oh yeah, right, you did tell me about that. Isn’t it just a Sims-type multiplayer ripoff thing?
RR: That’s one way to look at it.
GW: I'm up for it if you're into it.
GW: Looks kinda simplistic though.
RR: From what I’ve read on the subject, it is simplistic, but in a way it’s also deviously complex.
GW: Kk, not quite sure what that even means, but what else is new with you. :-P
RR: Haha, what’s that supposed to mean?
GW: Just that you’re just being a cagey weirdo. Not that being a cagey weirdo is bad or anything. It’s a perfectly acceptable personality trait you happen to have.
RR: Sort of like how you’re a sarcastic dweeb?
GW: Precisely.
RR: But you will play, right?
GW: Like I said, I'm game if you are.
RR: Good. Did you get the file I sent you?
GW: Yeah, I got it. I'm not sure my computer can run it though, the file extension is one I've never seen before.
GW: .~ath
GW: Can you even have special characters in an extension like that?
RR: Don't ask me, you're the one who took all those programming classes.
GW: NO
GW: DO NOT BRING THAT UP
GW: EVER
GW: WE DON'T SPEAK OF THAT. Those were such a mistake.
RR: Ok haha, I get it, you don't like coding.
GW: That bullshit is the bane of my existence
GW: But seriously though, even with my limited experience with the digital infrastructure I can tell this isn’t going to work. Is there an executable or something you can send?
RR: Not really. Have you tried running it yet?
GW: Well, no, but didn't you say it’s something that you’d needed to connect first?
RR: Yeah, so even if you had attempted to open the game, it wouldn't have worked.
GW: Kk, well, I'll have some free time in like an hour, if you want to get on then? Not like I’ll be doing anything else interesting today.
RR: Yeah, that sounds good.
GW: Ok, then give me just a bit to get everything in order.
RR: Ok.
RR: Oh, and one more thing before you go.
GW: Yah?
RR: Is anyone else you know free today?
GW: Uhh, I think some of my old debate pals are off, why?
RR: Get some more friends to play with us.
GW: What? Why?
RR: Trust me on this one.
RR: It's better when you've got more people playing.
GW: So what, do we need more people to work on a big project thing or something?
RR: Yeah, something like that.
GW: Ok, I guess if DT’s free he might want to play too. I’ll talk to some of the guys.
RR: Good. Also try and get in contact with PG and DO. They should do it too.
GW: Well PG will definitely want to play, but DO? Are you sure? I’m not sure she’s the computer game type. I’m pretty sure the only computer game she’s ever played is the original Myst.
RR: I dunno, I’ve just got a feeling that she’d be interested in this one. It’s got lots of Myst type puzzle elements. Seems like it would be right up her alley.
GW: Ok, if you say so.
RR: Great. I’ll talk to you in a little bit then.
GW: Later.
--risingRain [RR] ceased pestering gingerWorldbuilder [GW]--