As I found a small break in my schedule, I asked my friends if we could resume our D&D nights. Everyone was on board, but I didn't have time to be the DM this time around. This was easily solved when John mentioned his brother was home and could whip something up. I hadn't played as a character since the first disastrous attempt by Matt, so I was looking forward to it.
I entered the house to see Joanna; her face lit up with a bright smile. I hadn't seen her in weeks. "Daniel, you're finally here!" she exclaimed.
"Sorry I'm late," I apologized. Joanna, it seems, was busy as well, as her career was taking off with more speed than we thought.
"Heard the labels are chasing you now," I teased, hanging my jacket by the door.
"Yeah, it's been crazy," she replied.
I saw Lucia approach from behind Joanna. "Look who it is, big-time celebrity finally shows up."
"Lucia, been spreading any gossip about me lately?" I asked with a knowing smile.
"I have something in the works," she said without missing a beat.
"So, when are you free? I wanted to do another collaboration with you; everyone's been asking about you," Joanna asked, her tone light but with a hint of disappointment.
"I don't know, Jo. I'll be pretty busy in the coming months. I'll let you know later," I replied.
I saw Jack entering the room. "Excited to see what you've got for us, Jack?"
Jack chuckled. "I think it's going to be difficult to top yours."
We made our way to the basement where John was arguing with John. We soon settled into our seats and started the game.
Jack had made a pretty nice campaign, and I found myself enjoying sitting with my friends and playing. As I had been the DM in all our previous games, it was a refreshing change. The game was nearing the end.
Matt's character, a bold and somewhat reckless warrior, had been at the forefront of the adventure, pushing the party deeper into the unknown of a dark cave. As we ventured further, Jack described a powerful artifact glowing ominously at the center of the cavern. Ignoring the warnings from Joanna's wise old wizard and Lucia's cunning rogue, Matt declared that his warrior would attempt to claim the artifact.
"This is a bad idea. You are going to mess up everything," I said.
"I am sorry, who has been awesome this entire game…that's right, me," Matt said, rolling the dice.
The result was disastrous.
"Fuck you, Matt," we all said together.
Jack's voice took on a grave tone. "As you lay your hands on the ancient relic, its energy surges through you, overwhelming your senses. Your vision darkens as you feel your very soul being ripped from your body."
Jack continued, "Your character collapses, soulless, his essence now trapped within the cursed artifact. The cavern begins to collapse around you, the air thick with the echo of malevolent laughter."
"Well, that escalated quickly," Matt said, laughing lightly.
I buried my head in my hands at the man's stupidity. We ended it there, and as we were preparing to leave, John came over and asked for a chat.
John looked a bit hesitant. "Daniel, you know I love video games, right?" he started.
I nodded. John was an avid gamer and was also pretty good at making them. He had made a game very similar to Jump Knight last year. It wasn't polished enough to be released but still fun to play. He had even won a competition lately.
"Planning to make another one like you did last year? That one was fun," I asked.
John's face lit up. "Exactly! I've made some simple, fun games. I mean, they were unfinished…" he paused, looking nervous.
"Where are you going with this?" I asked.
John's expression turned serious. "So, here's the thing. Some friends and I want to get into video game development seriously. We even have a solid idea for a game."
"That sounds interesting," I said, intrigued.
John seemed hesitant for a moment before continuing. "Would you consider investing in our future company? We're still ironing out some details like the story and such, but we've got a good grasp on the mechanics and gameplay."
I considered his request. John was talented, but investing wasn't something I took lightly. "Do you have an example of what you've worked on? Anything to show the direction you're heading?"
John nodded eagerly. "We're still tweaking it, but we've put together a basic prototype. It's not much yet, but it should give you an idea of our vision."
"I'd like to test it out then," I said, my interest piqued.
"Great!" John exclaimed, his relief evident. He quickly went to fetch a CD and handed it to me. "Take a look at this and let me know what you think."
"I'll get back to you after I've checked it out," I promised, taking the CD.
"Thank you, Daniel. I really appreciate it," John said, his gratitude genuine.
I left the house with the CD in hand. I had a feeling I would be touching on the game industry after meeting John. He was talented, no doubt, and he would gladly invest if he had a good plan…maybe I could help him out with his other knowledge.
"This could work out," I muttered to myself as I got into the car.
.
.
.
As I drove to the Dunphy house, I racked my brain, thinking of what to do for Haley on Valentine's Day. It would be our first one as a couple, and I wanted to make it memorable.
I could buy her a nice camera; she has been talking about getting into photography.
Maybe I can rent out an entire theater for a private movie screening.
I had a dozen ideas in my head, but I couldn't pick one. Well, I still had time, so no need to rush it. As I drove up to the house, I noticed there were workers near the road; there was even a porta potty at the end of the driveway.
As I knocked on the door, Phil answered, sporting an unexpectedly thick mustache that almost threw me off. He greeted me enthusiastically, "Hey D-dog, long time no see! Come in, come in!"
I stepped inside, my gaze fixed on his mustache. "How do you like the 'stache?" he asked, a hint of pride in his voice.
"It looks good, really good," I managed, though as I got closer, I noticed it was fake. Trying to boost his spirits, I added, "You look great, kinda look like Tom Selleck."
Phil's face lit up with delight. "I know, right?"
Just then, I heard Haley calling from upstairs. "Danny!"
"I'm gonna go," I said to Phil, giving him a thumbs up. "Keep the mustache," I added with a grin before heading upstairs.
Haley met me with a kiss at the top of the stairs before playfully pushing me into her room.
We spent our time together talking and occasionally making out. She kept dropping hints that Valentine's Day was near. It was clear she was expecting something memorable, and that thought kept distracting me even as we continued our conversation—or more accurately, as she talked and I tried to focus.
After about an hour or so, we were jolted by the sound of Alex and Luke screaming downstairs. Haley was on top of me, kissing me, when the screaming made her fall off the bed.
"What was that?" she exclaimed, scrambling up from the floor.
"Sounded like Alex and Luke," I said, as Haley shouted, "Alex!" with a mix of irritation and concern. She quickly got to her feet and stormed out of the room, and I hurried after her.
As we descended the stairs, the sharp scent of beer and other alcohols hit me. The dining area was a mess, bottles scattered across the table.
Haley demanded, "Why are you screaming?"
"Cal... calm down, there's a rat," Alex replied, her voice edged with panic.
"A rat? Where?" Haley shrieked, her eyes darting around before she impulsively jumped into my arms.
"It's somewhere," Alex said as she snatched a broom from Luke's grasp.
"Danny, get me to my room," Haley pleaded, tightening her grip around me.
Just then, I felt something brush against my leg. "Oh, fuck," I muttered under my breath.
"There!" Luke pointed directly at my leg, his voice pitched high with alarm.
"Aha, got it!" Alex exclaimed triumphantly. Without a moment's hesitation, she swung the broom down hard against my leg.
"Wait, no—" I started, but it was too late. The broom hit me with a thud, and the rat, startled by the commotion, scampered away.
"Sorry!" Alex called out, already chasing after the fleeing rodent.
"What the hell, Alex!" Haley exclaimed, still clinging to me.
"I said sorry!" Alex's voice floated back.
Haley, looking down at me, said urgently, "Danny, get me out of here."
I winced, feeling the pain throb in my leg. "Hey, my leg hurts," I protested weakly.
"I don't care, let's go," Haley insisted, her voice firm but not unkind.
With Haley still in my arms, I limped out of the chaos of the dining area, half-amused and half in pain. "Why do I keep getting hurt when I'm in your house?" I said as I put her down on the stairs.
"Don't put me down here," she said.
"Relax, it's not going to come here. I'm going to help your sister with the rat," I said before leaving for the dining area again.
I went into the kitchen and found some plastic wrap, which I wrapped around my arm. "Okay, let's catch this thing," I declared, ready to tackle the rat with my hands.
"Eww, you're going to catch it with your hands?" Alex asked.
I nodded.
"Cool," I heard Luke say.
For the next few moments, we chased the rat around the house; it was like a scene out of a slapstick movie, with Alex and me trying to corner the elusive rat. After several tense minutes, Alex managed to trap the rodent in a corner of the kitchen.
"Now!" she yelled.
I lunged forward, my plastic-wrapped hands scooping up the frightened creature. I could hear Luke cheering, and then I heard another familiar voice.
"Oh my God, what's going on?" Claire's voice said. She looked around wide-eyed at the sight of the disarray in the house.
"What on earth is going on here? And what are you holding?" Claire trailed off. I looked to her side and saw another woman who was looking at me with equal shock and bewilderment as Claire.
"It's a rat," I deadpanned.
"I see," Claire responded dryly, then turned to her friend, her cheeks coloring slightly. "This is, um... it's not usually like this."
"Where's your father?" Claire asked.
"He went outside to the bathroom," Alex replied.
Claire's friend chuckled nervously, glancing around the chaotic scene. Claire hurried to explain, "These are my children," then pointed to me. "That's not."
As she was talking, I put the rat in a box that Alex was holding. Claire and her friend walked outside, and sensing that Claire was upset with all this, I decided to make myself scarce. After removing the plastic wrapping and washing my hands, I quickly made my way to the front door.
"Hey, where are you going?" Haley asked.
"I remembered I have to go to the studio. Love you, and good luck," I said hastily, walking out.
"Good luck?" I heard her repeat in confusion.
I could see Claire yelling at Phil, who was standing outside the porta-potty. I made my way to my car without her seeing and quickly drove off.
.
.
.
I parked my car in the garage. My phone had been buzzing during the entire drive.
It was probably Haley.
Upon entering the house, I decided to check the messages. I was glad I had left Haley's place before Claire's wrath descended on everyone.
Unlocking my phone, I scrolled through the flood of messages from Haley:
Haley: Hey, why did you leave so suddenly? 😟
Haley: Are you okay? You didn't say anything before you left.
Haley: Okay, you're not answering... Did I do something wrong?
The texts stopped after that and then continued an hour later.
Haley: Mom is super mad, by the way.
Haley: She's been ranting about responsibility and how we made her look. Ugh.
Haley: Okay, I get now why you left. Could have taken me with you, jerk.
"Called it," I muttered to myself and began typing a response to Haley.
After sending the response, I began to look through other texts to find messages from John about the game demo he had given me.
John: Hey Danny, have you had a chance to check out the game yet?
John: Don't mind the graphics, it's very PS1-like, but I think you'll like the gameplay.
As I read through the texts, I remembered that the CD was still in the car. I headed back to the garage to pick it up and returned to the house.I was very intrigued to see what John and his friends had managed to put together, despite their self-deprecating warning about the graphics.
After installing the game on my PC, I settled into my chair. The game instantly opened to the player character standing in a dark and foreboding castle. The graphics were rough, reminiscent of early 3D-era games, but there was a charm to the blocky textures and clunky animations.
I maneuvered the character and attacked some enemies, who I found to be very difficult to get through as they could kill me in two or three hits. The gameplay reminded me of Dark Souls. After navigating a particularly tricky corridor filled with traps and enemies, I entered a large, dimly lit room. For the first time, music started playing; until then, the only sounds were from the enemies I encountered. The music was alright, but it could be better. However, it did indicate that a boss was ahead. I was proven right as a massive creature burst from the shadows, wielding a giant mace that it swung with terrifying precision.
I died countless times, getting angrier with each death. I was right, it was very similar to Dark Souls. My earlier reservations about the graphics were forgotten as I found myself enjoying the gameplay. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I finally landed the last series of hits needed to take down the boss. The creature roared in defeat before collapsing, the screen fading to black. Text appeared:
Thank you for playing our demo!
"Damn, it's over," I said out loud, disappointed.
I sat back from the computer. The game, though rough around the edges, had an undeniable allure similar to what I remembered of Dark Souls.
'Was Demon's Souls out yet? Did it even exist?' I thought. I quickly searched online for any information on the game. To my surprise, there was no trace of it. This realization struck me hard—there was a chance that Dark Souls might not even be released in this timeline.
The possibility sparked a flurry of thoughts. Here was a chance not just to invest, but to potentially guide John and his friends towards creating something like Dark Souls. They had the foundational gameplay down; it was solid, challenging, and engaging. What they needed was financial support, proper equipment, and more importantly, time to refine and expand their concept.
They didn't have a story yet. That was something I could help develop. I could act as a creative consultant, slowly steering them towards a narrative and game structure similar to Dark Souls. The potential was enormous.
I grabbed my keys and headed out to the garage, pulling out my phone as I walked. Dialing John's number, I waited for him to pick up.
"Hey, John, it's Daniel. I'm heading over to your place," I said when he answered.
"Oh, you're coming over? That's great, we are all here—my friends I mentioned," he replied.
"Ah, good, even better. I'll be there in about an hour," I said before ending the call.
As I got into my car, I dialed Carter—he was my money guy, and it seemed like a good time to get him involved. He picked up after a few rings.
"Daniel, is this about the Netflix thing?" he asked.
"No, no, we'll talk about that later. I want to talk about an investment opportunity in a company one of my friends is starting. I believe there is significant potential," I said as I began explaining what it was about.
Carter was always straightforward. "Video games... Are you sure about this, Daniel? It sounds risky."
"Yes, I've thought it through, and I've seen their demo. There's something there, Carter. I also want to get involved as a creative consultant, not just a financial backer."
Carter paused, likely weighing the pros and cons before responding, "Alright, I trust your judgment. Why don't you come by my office later, and we can go over everything? We'll need to discuss the specifics and how you want to structure this investment."
"Thanks, Carter. I'll stop by after I meet with my friend," I said before ending the call.
After an hour of driving, I finally arrived at John's house. He was waiting for me at the door, a broad smile on his face as he ushered me inside.
"Daniel, glad you could make it, man!" John greeted me enthusiastically. "Let me introduce you to the team." As we walked into the living room, I was introduced to a group of eager faces.
"This is Mark, our lead programmer," John pointed to a man with glasses perched on his nose, who nodded at me with a respectful smile.
"Over here we have Peter, he's handling our sound design. He's a wizard with audio," a young man with headphones around his neck gave me a thumbs up.
"Then there's Eric, he's in charge of game mechanics," a friendly guy with a welcoming grin extended his hand for a shake, which I took.
"And this is Adrian, our level designer," John continued.
Peter suddenly piped up, "I'm a huge fan of your Percy Jackson books, by the way. They're awesome!"
"Thanks, Peter! Glad you enjoyed them," I replied.
John then turned the conversation towards the demo I had played. "So, how was the demo? We're all dying to know what you think."
"It was great, seriously. You guys have done an impressive job. I'm interested in investing and potentially helping out where I can," I announced.
The room erupted into cheers and high fives.
John looked pleasantly surprised as he responded, "We were hoping you might be interested in helping with the story. We haven't got a good writer yet."
"Actually, I've got some ideas already bubbling up. I think we can create something really good here," I said.
"That's fantastic!" Adrian exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
John and I shook hands, solidifying our new partnership. "This is the beginning of something big, guys," I said. "Let's make something great."