Don took a seat beside Donald as thetter began setting up the gaming system.
The setup was more than just a simple console; it was a sleek, high-tech piece of equipment that looked like it belonged in a sci-fi movie. The central unit wasrger than a typical console, with various blinking lights, cooling fans, and holographic disys that projected different game stats and system updates.
The controllers, though wireless, had a sophisticated design, with customizable buttons and adaptive triggers that adjusted to the game being yed.
Don watched as Donald turned on the setup, paying close attention to every move he made. Not because he was particrly interested in the process, but because he knew it would be strange for someone his age to bepletely ignorant about gaming in this world.
At least, if he came off as ignorant, it was better that it happened in front of Donald, who seemed more forgiving and less judgmental. Plus, Don recognized the potential in keeping Donald close—he was easy to convince, didn''t have many other friends, and lived right next door. In Don''s mind, Donald was the perfect ally, someone who could be easily manipted if necessary.
As he calcted the various ways he could use Donald to his advantage, a bit of guilt crept in. After all, Donald was kind and eager for friendship. But then Don reminded himself that he had died because of misced trust in his former life. He knew better now; he wouldn''t be the one getting used. If anything, should the need ever arise, Donald could be the one to take the fall.
While Don was deep in thought, Donald was having an entirely different internal struggle. He wondered if he should offer Don some snacks, but then remembered his mom only stocked the house with gluten-free options.
He briefly considered cooking something, but worried that mighte off as weird, especially since Don hadn''t said he''d be staying long. Finally, he thought about ordering a pizza, but the weather made him concerned about how long it would take to arrive. Realizing he was overthinking it, Donald quickly turned on the setup and grabbed two controllers.
"Sorry about that," Donald said, handing Don a controller. "My setup was disconnected. Don''t you just hate it when your mom''s cleaning and unplugs everything?"
Don didn''t miss a beat, replying, "Can''t rte. I didn''t really grow up gaming much, aside from Call Of Responsibility."
Donaldughed nervously, kicking himself for making assumptions. He thought he''d made things awkward, but Don added, "I''m really interested in starting, though. I hope it''s not an inconvenience showing me the ropes."
Donald''s face lit up with excitement. "No problem at all!" he said, perhaps a bit too eagerly. Realizing this, he coughed to y it cool. "I mean, it''s no problem at all. I''ll definitely help you get up to speed before the school league opens."
Once the gaming setup hummed to life, with the holographic interface disying a variety of options, Donald navigated through the menus, exining each step to Don, who nodded along and took mental notes.
They then started the process of creating Don''s VR-FPS avatar and ount. As Donald typed in the necessary information, a browser window suddenly popped up, disying a rather questionable site filled with muscr naked women.
Donald''s face turned beet red as he scrambled to close the window. "That''s, uh... not supposed to be there," he stammered.
Don simply smirked, trying not tough. "I won''t judge. Everyone has their tastes."
"Yeah, well, let''s just forget that happened," Donald muttered, focusing back on the game.
They went through the customization options for Don''s avatar. Don chose a simple but intimidating look: a ck bva with a skull imprint on it and a basic special ops attire.
"Why the skull mask?" Donald asked curiously.
"It''s from a character I liked in an old game I used to y," Don replied nonchntly.
Once they finished creating the avatar, Donald handed over the credentials to Don. "You can log in with these whenever you want. Since you don''t have a VR-Pod of your own, you can use mine. The ones at school will likely be packed most of the time, and the only way to get one of your own is to rank in the top 100 after the semester ends."
Don nodded, appreciating the information. "Thanks, Donald. I''ll definitely take you up on that."
With the ount setup done, Donald hesitated before asking. "You want to try out a few games or something?" he finally asked.
Don considered it for a moment. It would look bad if he left immediately after creating the ount, and he could sense that Donald wanted to spend more time together. "Sure," Don agreed, picking up the controller. "Let''s see what you''ve got."
They yed for just over thirty minutes, the sound of gunfire and explosions filling the room. Don found himself genuinely enjoying the experience. For a brief moment, he felt like a normal guy again, free from the constant calctions and life-or-death situations that had been guing him recently. He even began to wonder if this was what life could be like—simple, straightforward, and fun.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, his phone buzzed, pulling him back to reality. He paused the game, and then checked his phone. It was a text from Amanda: *Food''s ready Doonie, get your ass home.*
Donald noticed Don checking his phone and asked, "Is it something important?"
Don stood up, putting his phone away. "No, just my aunt. She''s done with lunch, so I''ve got to head back."
Donald seemed a bit disappointed, but he forced a smile. "Sure, man. I''ll walk you out. Don''t want Rex getting any ideas."
Don chuckled. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. Thanks for helping me set up the ount."
They made their way to the front door, with Rex eyeing Don warily as they passed by. Donald walked him to the gate, offering a quick goodbye before Rex could start growling again.