Most girls know what it feels like dating or, even worse, living with a guy that plays PC games for fun. What about girls who are with guys that play at a level higher than "just for fun"? Probably fewer girls have had to bite that bullet. What I am going to give you insight into, though, is living with a girl that plays on a professional level.

 Imagine going out for a beer with your mates and they ask where your girlfriend is. What am I supposed to answer? "She has clan practice tonight"? Seriously… they'll just laugh at me and say, "No really, where is she?"

 "Oh, she had homework to do," I usually answer instead. Or even better, if I am a bit drunk, I would say, "She’s having an all-inclusive girls’ night, you know. Movie, nails, hair, pillow fight and the rest of the pink- coloured crap they normally get up to".

 This isn't my reality though. My reality is creeping on both knees pleading for her to help me set up mIRC whenever I format my computer. Her asking me to stop talking to her because it ruins her concentration during clan practice 5 days a week. -_- Oh, and every day being faced with the humiliating fact that her computer leaves mine on the starting line in the wake of her dust when it comes to performance in any game.

 Whenever I DO actually get around to playing something, this usually being either DotA or CounterStrike, and I sit on Ventrilo with my mates, the ones that I haven’t yet explained 30 times whose angry Hitler voice it is they hear in the background, I have to AGAIN explain… "It’s my girlfriend. We’re sitting next to each other on LAN. She has clan practice." Then, the next 15 minutes of game time doesn’t go towards tactics, working out the team play or just general chit-chat. Instead, I have to explain to everyone that "Yes, she does play games. She plays C-S, and yes, she plays in a clan. No, she isn’t fat..." Then, five minutes later, someone new joins the channel, and guess what? Same procedure again...

 The plus sides are, though, that in the end, it's pretty cool having a girlfriend that shares my interests in the way she does. Being able to turn to her when my comp fries up, which actually, happens far too often, and whenever my clan-mates need help with things, I just tell them to pm her, since she has the patience to solve it. Better yet, on top of everything, she has the knowledge and competence which are some things definitely to be proud of. Unless your male ego can’t handle it, that is.