"Fellow warriors, this is Sheldor the Conqueror." "{\pos(192,220)}We are about to enter Axidus' fortress." "{\pos(192,220)}Now, this is a long run, so let's do another bladder check." "OK, Barry, we'll wait for you again, but you really should see a doctor." "Sheldor is AFK." "{\pos(260,270)}Are you experiencing some sort of difficulty?" "Yes." "I can't get my stupid door open." "You appear to have put your car key in the door lock," "{\pos(240,270)}are you aware of that?" "All right, then." "Damn it." "{\pos(260,270)}Would it be possible for you to do this a little more quietly?" "{\pos(260,270)}I can't get the damn key out." "It's not surprising-- that Baldwin lock on your door" "{\pos(192,230)}uses traditional edge-mounted cylinders," "{\pos(192,230)}whereas the key for your Volkswagen uses a center cylinder system." "Thank you." "You're welcome." "{\pos(265,270)}Point of inquiry: why did you put your car key in the door lock?" "Why?" "Because today I had an audition, it took me two hours to get there," "I waited an hour for my turn, and before I could even start, they told me I looked too Midwest for the part." "Too Midwest." "What the hell does that even mean?" "The American Midwest was mostly settled by Scandinavian and Germanic people." "They have a characteristic facial bone..." "I know what it means!" "God!" "I have been in L.A. for almost two years now, and I haven't gotten a single acting job." "I've accomplished nothing, haven't gotten any raise at work, haven't even had sex in 6 months, and just now, when I was walking up those stairs, a fly flew in my mouth and I ate it!" "Actually, insects are a dietary staple in many cultures." "They're almost pure protein." "Oh, son of a bitch!" "I believe the condensation on your frozen foods weakened the structural integrity of the bag." "But returning to your key conundrum, perhaps you should call a locksmith" " and have him open the door for you." " I did." "He said he'll get here when he gets here." "You're frustrated because he phrased his reply in the form of a meaningless tautology?" "I am frustrated because I am a failure at everything and my breath smells like fly." "There, there." "Would you prefer to wait in our apartment?" "No, I'd rather sit on this freezing-cold floor sobbing like a three-year-old." "All right, then." "For God's sake." "Just when I think I've gotten the hang of sarcasm." "Make yourself comfortable." "Not there." "Sheldor is back online." "{\pos(220,270)}Sheldor?" "The Conqueror." "What are you doing?" "AFK." "{\pos(260,270)}I'm playing Age of Conan, an online multiplayer game set in the universe of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian." "{\pos(240,270)}Sheldor back online." " What's "AFK"?" " AFK." "{\pos(220,270)}Away From Keyboard." "Oh, I see." "{\pos(260,270)}What does that stand for?" "Oh, I see." "{\pos(285,270)}Yes, but what does it stand for?" "Just click on the enchanted boots to put them on." "{\pos(260,275)}I don't know-- can I see them in another color?" "Just click on them." "Congratulations." "You are now a level-three warrior." " What's going on?" " Guess what?" "I'm a level-three warrior." "Great." "Do you know there are groceries outside of your apartment?" "{\pos(192,210)}I only bring it up because your ice cream's melting" "{\pos(192,210)}and it's starting to attract wildlife." "{\pos(260,270)}Do I stay in the jungle or go towards the beach?" "It doesn't matter-- right now;" "you're looking for treasure." " Wait, where are you going?" " No, no." "You're okay." "If you run into crocodiles, just kick them with your boots." "You want to catch me up?" "{\pos(230,270)}Well, let's see," "{\pos(260,270)}she attempted to open her apartment with her car key" "{\pos(270,270)}because her face is overly Midwestern... she hasn't had sex in six months... and she ate a fly." "Seriously?" "Six months?" "Oh, my God!" "A treasure chest!" "I'm rich!" "Level three, and she thinks she's rich." "What a newb." "We're all set." "Let her rip." "Check it out-- it's just corn starch and water." "They make up a non-Newtonian fluid, which is liquid, but solid under the percussive action of the speaker." "That's what makes it get all funky." "Listen, I need to talk to Sheldon." "No, that's what she said-- Sheldon." "I bought the game, and I've been exploring the island of Tortage, but I don't know how to get past the Guard Captain." " Do you have the Enchanted Sword?" " No, I have a bronze dagger." "You can't slay the Guard with a bronze dagger." "My Lord, it's like the car key in your apartment door all over again." " All right, how do I get the sword?" " Have you been to the Temple of Mitra?" "Is that the place on the hill with the weird priest in front of it?" " It's..." "Oh, for God's sakes, gimme." " Thank you" " I really appreciate." "You're gonna have to learn to do these things for yourself." "Don't patronize me-- just get the sword!" "What the frack?" "Beats me." "They were playing all last night, too." "It's like some kind of weird comic book crossover." "Like if Hulk were dating Peppermint Patty." "I always thought Peppermint Patty was a lesbian." "No, that's Marcie." "Peppermint Patty's just athletic." "There you go-- one Enchanted Sword." "All right, gimme, gimme." "I want to kill the Guard Captain." "That girl needs to get a life." "Danger!" "Danger!" "No danger-- it's just me, Penny." "Listen, I got to level 25 and reached Purple Lotus Swamp." "You're in my bedroom." " Leonard gave me an emergency key." " People can't be in my bedroom." " Can we go talk in the living room?" " I'm not wearing pajama bottoms." " Why not?" " I spilled grape juice." "Wear different pajamas." "I can't wear different pajamas-- these are my Monday pajamas." "People cannot be in my bedroom." "Fine, just tell me, is it too soon to join a quest to the Black Castle?" "You were invited on a quest to the Black Castle?" "By some guys in Budapest." "I'm just not sure it's the right move for my character." "Of course it's not-- you're only a level 25." "These Hungarians, they're just using you for dragon fodder." "Really?" "Boy, you'd think you could trust a horde of Hungarian barbarians." "Please, Penny, enough." "I have to sleep." "Okay, you were great." "Thanks." "Listen, don't go in Sheldon's room." "He's not wearing bottoms." "Sheldon, you want to catch me up again?" "People, I'm very busy today." "I realize that, Dr. Gablehauser," "{\pos(192,220)}but it's your job, as head of the department," "{\pos(192,220)}to mediate all interdepartmental disputes." "{\pos(192,220)}University Policy Manual, Chapter Four, Subsection Two:" "{\pos(192,220)}"Mediation of Interdepartmental Disputes."" "Fine." "Dr. Winkle, what colorful name did you call Dr. Cooper this time?" "Dr. Dumb-Ass." "Dr. Cooper, Dr. Winkle apologizes." " I don't." " She doesn't." "Here's the problem." "I was clearly signed up to use the mainframe in Buckman 204, and Dr. Winkle just wantonly ripped the sign-up sheet off the wall." "It wasn't an official sign-up sheet." "He printed it himself, and he put his name down on every slot for the next 6 months." "If it is a crime to ensure that the university's resources are not being squandered chasing subatomic wild geese, then I plead guilty." " Penny!" " Do you need to get that, Dr. Cooper?" "God, no." "Don't turn it off, you might miss your call from the Nobel committee telling you you've been nominated as Dumb-Ass Laureate of the Year." "Oh, yeah?" "Well... you wouldn't even be nominated." "Dr. Gablehauser, I have a series of important calculations and simulations to run." "All she's doing is reducing irrelevant data" " and making a mock..." " Excuse me." "It's for you." "Penny, this is not a good time." "No, I told you, you're not prepared for the Sanctum of Burning Souls." "You need to be in a group of at least 5 for that quest and one should be a level 35 healer." "I can't log on and help you." "We'll talk when I get home." "I'm not getting the computing time, am I?" "Dumb-ass." "Leonard, you have to do something about Penny." "She is interfering with my sleep, she's interfering with my work, and if I had another significant aspect of my life," "I'm sure she'd be interfering with that, too." "Why should I do something?" "You introduced her to online gaming." "Yes, but you're the one who said hello to her when she moved in." "If you'd simply restrained yourself, none of this would be happening." " Just tell her to leave you alone." " I did, I told her," "I texted her, I sent out a very emphatic twitter." "I even changed my Facebook status to" ""Sheldon Cooper wishes Penny would leave him alone."" "I don't know what else to do." " Well, what am I supposed to do?" " I don't know, but if you don't figure something out, I warn you," "I shall become very difficult to live with." "You mean up until now we've been experiencing the happy, fun-time Sheldon?" " Yes." " I'll go talk to her." "No, Fritz, I need you on my flank." "No, I don't know German." "Flanken sie, flanken sie." " Hey, Penny." " Busy." "Yeah, I see that." "Shouldn't you be at work?" "I don't work on Mondays." "It's Thursday." " Listen, Penny..." " Queen Penelope, AFK." "What...?" "Here's the thing." "Sometimes people, good people, start playing these games and they find themselves, through no fault of their own, kind of... addicted." "Get to the point." "I'm about to level up here." "If a person doesn't have a sense of achievement in their real life, it's easy to lose themselves in a virtual world where they can get a false sense of accomplishment." "Yeah, jabber, jabber." "Boys, Queen Penelope's back online." "Penny, you've got..." "Cheetos in your hair." "Thanks." "Hey, Penny, it's me again, Leonard." "I said not now." "I know, I'm just a little concerned about you." "I said not now!" "Okay, maybe later." "Hey, guys." " What's with him?" " Penny's been keeping him up at night." "Me, too." "But probably in a different way." "She's gotten really hooked on Age of Conan." " She's playing nonstop." " Yes, online gaming addiction." "There's nothing worse than having that multi-player monkey on your back." " Sheldon, wake up!" " Danger!" "Danger!" "Afternoon, men." "Your attempt at juvenilizing me by excluding me from the set of adult males, just..." "I'm too tired to do this." "I heard you've been pulling all-nighters with Middle Earth Barbie." "She comes into my room." "No one's supposed to be in my room." "I would postulate that she's escaping into the online world to compensate for her sexual frustration." "I do that, too." "But probably in a different way." "That's not what she's doing, Leslie." "She's just trying to shore up her self-esteem." " It has nothing to do with sex." " Everything has to do with sex." "Testify." "I'm not touching that." "You are way off base here." "Hang on." "While I have no respect for Leslie as a scientist or a human being, for that matter," "we have to concede her undeniable expertise in the interrelated fields of promiscuity and general sluttiness." "Thank you." "My point is that Tinkerbell just needs to get her some." "Some what?" "Yes, some sexual intercourse." "I'll take the bullet." "Excuse me, this whole idea is insane." "Enough debate, I'm going to take action." "Excuse me." "Are you currently involved in a sexual relationship?" "Would you like to be?" "Sure, why not?" "Can I have your phone number?" "There." "Problem solved." "Dumb-ass." "Okay, I'm at the gate of the Treasury of the Ancients." " I'm going in." " Stay close to the wall." " Avoid the mummies." " Got it." "I must say you're playing very well for a woman of 23." " Twenty-two." " Right, 22." "Here come the mummies." "Which spell do I use, the hateful strike or the frenzy stance?" "What happened to your group?" "I dumped them, they're a bunch of wussies." " Frenzy stance." " Frenzy, frenzy, frenzy!" "So, listen, would you describe your ideal vacation as a wild adventure to unknown lands or staying at home curled up with a good book?" " What?" " These are market research questions." "I'm filling out the online registration for your game." "Okay, wild adventure." "Frenzy stance isn't working." "Die, you undead mummy, die!" " Healing potion." " Thank you." "You're welcome." "Anyhow, on a scale of one to five, with one being always initiated by him and five being always initiated by you, how do you prefer your sexual encounters to begin?" " That's on the registration?" " Yes, it's quite extensive." "But if we complete it, you get a free expansion pack." "75 additional quests." "Awesome." "I totally like to initiate." "I'm a big ol' five." "Good to know." "Big ol' five." "Leonard, this is Tom." "Hi, Tom." "Sheldon..." "Didn't I explain to you about your little mistake in the cafeteria?" "You were very clear." "As was everyone else at the table." "Tom, however, has been chosen by science as a suitable mate for Penny." "Chosen by science?" "Well, what passes for science on dating sites." "They claim to use heuristic algorithms, but it may well be hokum." "You got Penny to sign up for online dating?" "No, of course not." "See, I used trickery and deceit." "This is bad." "Tom is a paramedic with the fire department, but he's going to med school at night." "He likes the outdoors and strong women who initiate sex." "Really, really bad." "I'm surprised you struck out with Penny." "Apparently, she's a big ol' five." " Sheldon, what do you want?" " Good, you got my note." "I'd like you to meet Tom." "Penny, this is Tom." "Tom, may I present Penny." " Hi, Penny." " Yeah, hi." "Listen, as long as I'm here, I'm on a quest with a bunch of newbs." "We've got one assassin, 3 spell casters and no tank." " Can we talk about this later?" " No, no." "I need you now." "Wouldn't you prefer to socialize with Tom, who is a sexually passive outdoorsman?" "Whatever." "I'll figure it out myself." "Bye, Penny." "I'm sorry, dude, she didn't look anything like her picture." "They never do." " Hello, fair Penny." " Who are you?" "It is I, Sir Howard of Wolowitz." "Can I interest you in an afternoon of spirited questing followed by a flagon of ale at Yon Virtual Tavern?" "Yeah, sure, why not?" "Oh, my God, I need help."