#recreational computing

[krjpalmer]

Recreational Computing September-October 1981

The "43 ways to make money with your micro" was a separate article from "who are the computer criminals?" A "software exchange" was, perhaps, somewhere in the middle, given "Worried about the piracy issue?" was brought up. This issue, however, is the last one of Recreational Computing I found in my sources. I do seem to recall a comment it and its predecessors had tried for too long to be advertising-free. Bob Albrecht, who'd got the People's Computer Company newspaper started not quite a decade before, continued to write articles about computing for some time, contributing to magazines including the Color Computer-specific The Rainbow.

[bulletsgirl]

graphics, photos, and text from periodicals and newsletters by the people's computer company (pcc), a 1970s organization encouraging recreational and personal computer use and education

[dannnyghost]

Stan and ford mess around in the computer lab

[stimboardboy]

miniature crt monitor

[mochispresso]

waiter! waiter! more americano pretty please!

Yeah sure

[sprunkimortality]

Mr FC, I think you might want to take a virtual deep breath and talk to Gray about how you’re feeling and what’s wrong. You’re dating, you should be able to trust each other with important information like this.

MFC: "...Gray..."

[Mr. Fun Computer's wires lowered as he saw Gray approaching, his digitalized face softening. His eyes seemed to widen slightly as his anger soon turned into horror.]

Gray: "Hey, what's wrong?"

MFC: "...I did it again. I did it again, I did it again..."

[The wires slowly retreated back into the darkness. Mr. Fun Computer looked down at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with Gray even as the Sprunki walked closer.]

Gray: "Please talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

MFC: "...they're all gonna find out."

Gray: "They won't."

MFC: "They'll find out and they'll shame us."

Gray: "Not everyone has to know."

MFC: "No. No no no. Gray. Gray, they'll- they'll take you away from me. Th-They'll take you, and I'll be by myself down here again, and I won't ever see you and-!"

Gray: "FC."

[Gray gently brushes his paw over Mr. Fun Computer's monitor.]

Gray: "It's okay. Listen to me."

MFC: "..."

[Gray sits down on the chair in front of the desk where Mr. Fun Computer sat.]

Gray: "Wenda and Durple know."

MFC: "Oh, no..."

Gray: "But. They won't tell."

MFC: "How are you so sure?"

Gray: "I talked to them. I told them not to disclose anything. I have hope that as my friends they'll respect that."

MFC: "...my Fathers know now too. And Fun Bot."

Gray: "How did that go?"

MFC: "...they were...surprised. Father Garnold was a little more...enthusiastic than I thought."

Gray: "But were they okay with it?"

MFC: "...for the most part, yes..."

Gray: "Then we'll be okay."

[Mr. Fun Computer still had his eyes turned away as they spoke. After a moment of silence, he finally looked back towards Gray again. Pixilated tears streamed down on his display.]

MFC: "...darn it. I did it again."

Gray: "Hey..."

MFC: "I'm sorry, Gray. I really tried- I promised I'd be better."

Gray: "No one said it would be easy."

MFC: "Well, it looks easy for you."

[A hollow laugh escaped Mr. Fun Computer's speakers. Gray simply remained seated.]

MFC: "You're the neutral one, Gray. You don't have big feelings. You're the grounded one. The calm one."

Gray: "...I do have big feelings."

MFC: "Well, you don't freak out about them every day now, do you?"

Gray: "I freaked out this morning."

MFC: "...you did?"

Gray: "Yeah. I freak out more than you think. It's just...a little more hidden, I guess."

MFC: "...how do I hide it like you do?"

Gray: "I don't mean to hide it. Besides, it's not really a good thing to hide your feelings."

MFC: "I know, but...look at me."

[Mr. Fun Computer's eyes trailed towards Gray's.]

MFC: "I'm a wreck."

Gray: "You have emotions. You release them. Nothing wrong with that."

MFC: "I wish I could just shut them off."

Gray: "You can manage them."

MFC: "I did try to manage them, but I messed up! I lashed out again!"

Gray: "You were rightfully upset, FC. Lashing out was understandable. Besides, you can do better next time."

MFC: "...I hate this."

Gray: "Hey, it's all going to be okay. I'm here. I can help you, if you'll let me."

MFC: "...it's funny. I'm supposed to be the one helping people with their problems, and yet...here I am. Needing help with my problem."

Gray: "Even helpers need help, FC."

MFC: "You're too good for me."

Gray: "I just care about you because I love you."

MFC: "...I love you too."

[One of the wires from earlier returned, slithering out from behind Mr. Fun Computer's monitor. However, instead of being an imposing threat, it curled around Gray's arm, holding him with a gentleness that betrayed its harsh design.]

MFC: "...Gray?"

Gray: "Hm?"

MFC: "Is it too much to ask if you could stay here tonight?"

Gray: "No."

MFC: "...okay."

[The wire curled a little firmer, almost tugging Gray closer. Gray leaned closer, folding his arms and resting his head on the desk.]

Gray: "I'll stay as long as you need me to."

MFC: "...thank you."

[mewtillidae]

ok thats pretty funny.

[making-u-a-cube]

what about sanford from madcom? (if you havent done him yet)

another successful mission

[mumintroll]

i have never wanted to play the sims so badly in my life and i canttttt fuck my stupid baka life

[krjpalmer]

Recreational Computing November-December 1979

The top runners-up as well as the winner on the cover of this issue were all created using PETSCII graphics. While the Atari home computers, TI 99/4, and Apple II all showed up in the table of contents as well, a full four TRS-80 programs were also listed there.

[bionicboxes]

would you still love me if i was a worm*?

*a type of computer virus which is capable of self-replicating across a network.

[tenderjock]

(Spike goes back to help Buffy in Becoming pii. It doesn't really change anything at all. 🦇🦇🦇)

Spike's loading an unconscious Drusilla into the front seat of his DeSoto when he has a change of heart.

Because, well. The Slayer's a right bitch and all that, but he doesn't really want the world to end when Angelus offs her, right? And he was kind of looking forward to killing the chit himself.

He gags Dru with her own mantilla and zipties her to the door of the car, then jogs back through the mansion to find Angelus and the girl.

They've moved the fight back to main hall, and Angelus is on the defense. The Slayer's doin' well, Spike thinks, watching her with a critical eye; Angelus brassed her off, maybe.

Buffy sees Spike out of the corner of her eye and misses a parry, taking a hard blow with the hilt to her side from Angelus. She grunts, and swings tightly at him, driving Angelus back another step towards Acathla.

Who hasn't woken up, by the way. So much for the Watcher's words of wisdom. All that torture was for naught.

"I so do not have time for you right now, Spike," she says, a bit wild. Spike gets it, he supposes. Having two master vampires comin' at you was probably unsettling, especially when you had other things on your plate. But honestly. Can't the dumb bint read a room?

"I'm here to help you," he informs her. He tucks his thumbs into his belt and watches as she and Angelus exchange another series of blows. "I'm lending you a hand here, as was the terms of our truce. If you want me to leave, then by all means -"

"Shut your fucking mouth, William," Angelus snarls.

"Hmm." Spike cocks his head as the Slayer takes Angelus' lapse in concentration as an opportunity to kick him, sending him rolling to the base of Acathla. Before he can scramble back to his feet, she raises her sword.

This is it, Spike thinks. This is his fucking arsehole grandsire's end, right here. Couldn't have happened to a nicer vamp.

Angelus gasps and cries out in pain, eyes flaring with light.

Buffy freezes, staring at him.

Spike freezes, too. He's seen that before.

"Shit," he says, and strides forward to stand next to the Slayer, staring down at the kneeling Angel. His eyes are filled with tears. Spike remembers him, the first month or so that he'd had his soul, the way he wouldn't even kill a rat. The way he didn't know where he was or who they were, half the time. The way Darla would have to feed him blood from her own throat to keep him functioning.

The Slayer still hasn't lowered her sword.

"Buffy?" Angel asks, voice trembling. "What's going on?"

"Angel?" the Slayer says, and dear fucking God, don't say she's gonna start crying, too.

Angel's gaze falls on Spike and his face hardens, although he still looks confused. "Spike? What - get away from her! Buffy - you're hurt - where - where are we?" He shuffles to his feet, tugging the Slayer into his arms and away from Spike, which: rude, especially given that he was the one that was just trying to bloody kill her and Spike was decidedly not.

"Listen, you crawly little prick -" Spike starts to tell him, indignant.

The Slayer hasn't put down the sword, and she's still a little stiff in Angel's embrace. She meets Spike's gaze over his shoulder, and she looks (in layman's terms) freaked the fuck out.

Spike splutters to a stop, silenced by something about the look in Buffy's eyes. He grits his teeth, instead.

"Shut up, Spike. It's okay," she tells Angel. "He's okay."

"I feel like I haven't seen you in months."

Over Angel's shoulder, Acathla's mouth dislocates from his body. The vortex to the hell dimension starts to open, a pinprick at first, then a rapidly growing portal swirling larger and larger.

Spike grabs the Slayer's arm, but of course she already sees it.

"What's happening?" Angel asks, the fucking berk.

"Don't worry about it," Buffy says. She smiles at him, and touches his face. Her voice doesn't even break, Spike marvels. "I love you," she adds, and kisses Angel, very softly.

Spike doesn't want to watch. It's - well, it's mortal enemy kisses, which are automatically disgusting, and also she's kissing Angel, which makes him feel - whatever. But he knows what she's about to do and there's a lead weight in his stomach, an inability to look away.

He wishes he had just left with Dru. Buffy didn't need him.

"Close your eyes," she says, and drives the sword through Angel's gut, sending him stumbling back into Acathla's portal and straight to hell.

Spike stares at the spot that used to be the hell vortex for a while, vaguely aware both that Buffy is sobbing next to him and that he still has his hand on her arm. It takes a right bit of convincing for him to step away from her, which annoys him, for reasons he can't quite put his finger on.

"Right," he eventually says, brightly. "Uh, good job, I s'ppose. On the world saving. Drinks all around, then."

Buffy makes a noise that can only be described as snorgling and scrubs at her tearstained face with her hands. "Shut up," she says. "Shut up shut up shut up. Shut up."

"You want me to shut up," Spike says.

She laughs, a bit hysterically. He tries a smile on at her, which doesn't get him punched in the nose so: win.

"Aren't you supposed to be leaving town?" she asks, kinda bitchy.

"Yeah," he says. "Right on it. Uhm, do you - I have a car, do you need a ride? To your school, or?"

"I've been expelled from school," Buffy says.

"Your house, then," Spike says.

"My mom kicked me out."

"Shit."

"And I'm wanted for a murder," Buffy says. "That your girlfriend commited."

"Right," Spike says. "I'm sorry. Or, uh, not sorry, because - I'm evil, and I fucking hate you, and I hope you die. And I'm leaving now. With my girlfriend who framed you for murder."

Buffy closes her eyes. Her lips twitch.

"'Bye," he says, viciously.

"Spike?" Buffy says, as he's about to leave the hall. He wouldn't have heard her, except for vampire senses. He turns back. She's looking at him with a puffy, red face but a clear gaze. "Thanks for coming back. And I hate you too."

So that's something, he figures.

[mo0l]

idk if its just me but something about exploring office building spaces in virtual spaces is rly like exhilirating to me,,, maybe its like taking an environment thats normally quite foreign to me and making it like a playground,,,, but idk in general doing this with all sorts of modern day architecture really hits me in an emotional way,,,, something abt walking around the stanley parables environments, or like office levels in half life mods, the map for doom thats just the tiny seinfeld apartment with an insane amount of detail,,,,, i think i may just have permanent source engine custom map brainrot but something abt this shit,,,, i wanna just explore environments like these and play with my friends,,,, i like the idea of just existing in places outside of their intended function,,,, like imagine hanging out in an office cubicle building with ur tranny friends and playing in that space,,,, roleplaying an office worker or boss/employee relations as an improv bit or a kink set up to fucking or drawing on the walls, rolling up a skinny tranny in a carpet like a burrito and rolling her around the floors, hide and seek,,,, i have such a desire to use an office space as a playground, its so personified in its own way, its own environment, even if its aesthetic is kind of the pure absence of any personality thats an interesting aesthetic too! maybe this is a cope ive developed subconciously to hype myself up for my inevitable future of working towards an office job,,, or maybe im just really autistic and it is naturally appealing in some weird unexplainable way,,, probably both

[mangobeast]

i need to get good like the yuri on ice fan artists, the perspectives they can pull off are insane

[softichill]

Object Show playlist I made (it's 19 hours

[dubioushonour]

I really am like this 🤏 close to dusting off my PS2 and replaying okami again for the millionth time