And she came out the other side.
My new computer arrives a week early, while Mom is out of the house, so I put it together and toss all the foam and cardboard into the trash and recycling. She’ll see the setup in my room eventually, but as long as the packaging isn’t piled up in the garage, it’ll delay her. And her questions.
The new layout is exactly what I wanted. Two monitors, side by side, so I can have CoH open on one and my browser open on the other. Mechanical keyboard, mouse, headset, tower, a ton of RAM, and a graphics card that would melt a lesser motherboard. I didn’t know anything about computers before CoH. Now I could put one together myself.
It took another night to install the game, but when I logged on, the difference in performance was like riding on a motorcycle when I’d only ever had a scooter. The gamehummed. None of the graphics lagged or jumped now. The detail resolution was through the roof—I didn’t even know Raven had that many straps and buckles on her armor!—and when I logged in, the draw distance was so far I could see clear across Fenhallow’s campus. The computer purred. I ran around for a bit, marveling at the other characters, at Raven, at the scenery.
Clan chat was already abuzz.
[VegaV]:Hey Rave
[Faustus]:Hey Raven
[fireballboy]:i’m doing CoN again right now but we’ll be done in 15
[Mox]:Ah okay
[Zookini]:Hey Raven
[Ravenweal]:Hi all
[Ravenweal]:What’s on the docket today? Anyone running Vaults? I need one more thing.
[Healzzzorz]:I’ll go
[Faustus]:I’ll also join for whatever, I don’t have anything going on right now.
[Zookini]:I’ll tank for you.
My heart shoots into my throat. I’ve never been in a group with Zoo before. I’ve been looking for an opportunity, but he only groups with the best of the best, his ringleaders at the top of the guild. He’s done all of these dungeons a billion times. He doesn’t need anything from them that he doesn’t get in his daily and weekly quest runs. If he’s offering to tank for us, there has to be a reason beyond boredom.
I make a new tab in chat to whisper to Ash.
[Ravenweal]:???!!!
[Faustus]:He’s got to be scoping you for the raid. He wouldn’t do Vaults otherwise.
[Ravenweal]:HELL YEAH
I switch back to clan chat.
[Ravenweal]:Thanks, Zoo! That’d be awesome.
[Zookini]:No worries :D Summon me once you’re there. I’m good whenever.
[Healzzzorz]:Lemme check auctions real quick, then I’ll be ready
[Faustus]:Raven, send the group invite
[Ravenweal]:Done.
[fireballboy]:hey Zoo after Vaults is done you wanna tank for Winter Palace so I can DPS?
[Zookini]:lol no.
[fireballboy]::(
I don’t know much about Zoo, but I know he doesn’t fuck around, and I get the feeling he doesn’t like people who fuck around much either. I carefully check over my stats, my equipment, my inventory, making sure there isn’t anything I need to change or sell or buy before we head into the dungeon. I can’t go in unprepared.
