Grubby and Me - Page 2

On December 27 2012 23:59 Archas wrote:
When I met Grubby for the first time, I was unprepared for what I saw. On streams and in photos, he always appeared to be a youthful, vigorous man... but the person in front of me was dissimilar in most every way from that handsome Warcraft III professional. In front of me was an elderly man ravaged by time. Splotches of discolored skin wreathed his weathered face, and only a few ragged gray hairs adorned his scalp. He sat in a rocking chair nearly as old as he was, gently swaying to and fro as he contemplated the sight of me appearing at his lonely ranch in Texas. A faint grin slowly materialized, and his tired eyes shone with renewed brilliance. Grubby then spoke:

"I've been expecting you, Archas. You wish to learn my trade?"

I wasn't sure how to respond. For one thing, his "trade" could mean any number of things. Should I respond with an affirmative, I could very well be apprenticing under the Orc King as a cowhand rather than a professional gamer. One hardly has time for competing in a video game when one's cows need to be tended to, after all. But what gave me pause more than that was the simple fact that I hadn't sought Grubby out in the first place. It was by sheer coincidence and the whimsy of the Fates that I had arrived at the legendary ex-gamer's doorstep, rather than by design. How could Mr. Schenkhuizen have been expecting me when I never expected to be here?

Before I could formulate a reply, Grubby nodded lightly, as if he could see what my decision would have been before I had made it.

"Come." The elderly man slowly rose from his chair and hobbled out of the room. I followed him, unsure of what to expect. Across a hallway, through the kitchen, and down a flight of stairs. Then I saw it, isolated on the far side of the basement.

His computer. His mouse, his keyboard. They were all there, in perfect condition. Despite their lack of use, Grubby had maintained them masterfully, to the point where one could be forgiven for thinking they had been unboxed the day before. The screen flickered to life as if some unseen entity had detected my presence. A single, amber button appeared on the screen.



Thus began my tutelage under the Champion, Grubby.

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