Rob's computers

**Rob's computers** are a set of items in *Magical Girl Policy*. Rob owns three PCs throughout the series, with one of them, Windswept, lent to Angela. Rob uses them for work, and also spends much of his free time playing video games such as *Aspect Realms* on them. Rob gives a name to each computer.

## Description

### Windswept

A desktop Robert built two years ago, its name themed after the wind element used by his Bluster avatar in *Aspect Realms*. Some components such as the graphics card are outdated, leading to longer loading times and limiting viable graphics settings in games like *Aspect Realms*. Rob originally tackles this issue by upgrading individual parts over time, but decides to replace Windswept entirely after managing to extort a full set of top of the line components from Cammy. After securing the parts to build CandyStrike, Windswept is lent to Angela so she can play *Aspect Realms* with Rob and the Knights of the Spherical Table. As something Robert built himself and the last thing he was so invested in before his Spirit Guard transformation, Rob is emotionally attached to Windswept and treats it with petlike reverence.

### DustDevil

A relatively large laptop apparently named in reference to the earth element in *Aspect Realms*. It is worn from use and its performance is inferior to Windswept, but it fits in the padded areas of Rob's backpacks, so Rob uses it in class at SAU. It is implied that DustDevil is older than Windswept.

### CandyStrike

A hi-spec gaming desktop Robynne makes Cammy buy for her in return for joining the cheer team. It was originally planned to have a black Blitzmax GZ Mid-Tower Gaming case with blue accents and LEDs, and be given an ice-themed name. However, Cammy, as payback for getting bossed around, orders a white Fotonix Corona Mid-Tower with pink accents. The rest of the components and accessories sport a similar color scheme, with the mouse and headset customized to have it. Rob names it CandyStrike at Noriko's suggestion, with "Candy" referencing the PC's candy-like aesthetic and "Strike" the ability for Rob to surprise those who underestimate her or her rig based on said aesthetic. Rob is not fond of CandyStrike's look, and accepts Will's offer to help find a new case in the future.

## History

### Background

Two years ago, Robert built his own computer for the first time, naming it Windswept in reference to the wind element used by Bluster, his avatar in *Aspect Realms*, the game he spends most of his free time playing. Not all of its components are fully up to date, but it is a significant improvement over his old PC, and he plans to periodically upgrade individual parts as money allows. It is implied that his laptop DustDevil is the old PC in question. He brings Windswept and DustDevil with him when he moves into a dorm with Cory and Eli at SAU. He carries Dust Devil in his backpack to be used during class, and keeps Windswept at his room's desk.

### Week 1

When Robert's transformation into Spirit Guard Serenity leaves him with a female body, it is deemed unwise for him to continue living in the men's dorms. Cory, Eli, and Angela pack up Rob's belongings and bring them to Rob's new dorm shared with Vivian, Kara, and Noriko. Rob had selected to be moved to this dorm instead of Angela and Mallory's apartment in part because the room Rob would've shared with Angela has little desk space for Windswept and risks Angela being intrusive, while the room with Noriko has the same ample space and good internet speeds as Rob's old place. Cory and Eli recreate Rob's setup with Windswept just as it was before.

### Weeks 2-4

When Robynne goes with Mallory to shop for a backpack that won't dig into her new body's breasts, she specifically looks for one with a padded space to house DustDevil. Rob had found that her greatly reduced musculature makes carrying Dust Devil in her backpack a now significant burden and is advised against doing so by Mallory, but insists on continuing to bring it to class.

When the Spirit Guard decide that Robynne will accept Cammy's offer of joining the cheer team in order to spy on the captain, they make a plan so Rob's change of heart after refusing is believable. Rob finds Cammy and, among her demands, makes the captain return the extraordinarily expensive dress she had tried to bribe Rob with and use the money to buy a set of computer components. Rob justifies this by claiming that having a powerful gaming PC will let her more easily play with all of the SFEERS officers and build bonds so she can influence their Student Association votes like Cammy wants. Cammy is furious at being ordered around, but agrees to have them shipped overnight. In order to keep this shady deal with misused club funds from being linked to her, Rob has the delivery addressed to "Bluster" at a Burton Hall dorm, which is actually Rob's old dorm now housing Cory, Eli, and Dale.

After the SFEERS opening social, Robynne goes to Angela's apartment to tell her how the SFEERS and cheer business went in person. When Angela laments not being able to be seen with Rob in public or meet Stacy without risk of Cammy finding out and threatening Rob's cheer infiltration, Rob figures Angela should join SFEERS in order to make friends outside the Spirit Guard away from Cammy's watch. Since Rob won't have room for both Windswept and her new computer, she decides to lend the former to Angela to let her play *Aspect Realms* with Rob and the Knights of the Spherical Table.

The next morning, the new computer parts are delivered to Cory, Eli, and Dale's dorm. Sanvi is sent by Cammy to spy on the delivery in hopes of figuring out the identity of this "Bluster" Robynne entrusted the packages to, and assumes the more attractive Dale is Rob's confidant. Dale is confused at this delivery, which Cory claims is something Robynne had ordered through Robert's Online Jungle premium account, as Dale is under the impression that the two Robs are old friends. Not wanting Dale to help carry the packages to Robynne's room and have the chance to hit on her, Eli volunteers Mallory to deliver the boxes in her car. Mallory gets Eli's message and is annoyed at being volunteered, but goes to pick up Rob's new computer parts. Upon hearing about Sanvi, Noriko insists on coming along and takes extra care to remove any risk of a potential spy of Cammy's seeing Angela's roommate bring the packages to Rob's dorm. Mal and Noriko stop at the Standridge Circle and warp directly to Rob's dorm with the components.

As Robynne packs Windswept up to be brought to Angela, Kara teases her for verbally comforting the computer. Rob explains that she's very attached to Windswept for being something she built herself and the last thing she put so much of herself into as Robert. She is given the parts for her new computer, which she plans to give an ice-themed name for its black and blue color scheme, but upon unboxing them she is annoyed to find Cammy had spited her for her demands by ordering parts in a completely different style than what was asked with white and pink colors, and Rob can't return the parts since the delivery is addressed only to "Bluster". Kara suggests Rob use Windswept's case for the new computer, but Rob doesn't want to put Windswept in the new case or go through the ordeal of reassembling it, and Noriko considers the possibility of someone seeing the case in Angela's room and spreading word to Cammy. Mallory offers to buy a different case at the store for Rob right then, but Rob decides to keep it for now when Noriko suggests Rob could surprise people who underestimate her gaming skills or the PC's specs by its candy-like exterior. Following this line of thought, Rob goes with Noriko's idea of naming it "CandyStrike". As Rob is about to start assembling CandyStrike, Nick and Will arrive, with the latter inspecting the new components in case Cammy has tampered with them like she had with Angela's phone in the past, but no signs of spying equipment are found. Rob accepts Will's offer to use his connections to hardware dealers to help find a case she'll like better in the future.

Angela is given Windswept so she can play *Aspect Realms* with Robynne and the Knights of the Spherical Table while at college, as her laptop is unlikely to run the game well given it's older and less powerful than even DustDevil. Despite not being into video games before, Angela quickly becomes enraptured with *Aspect Realms*.

### Week 5

After Robynne and Vivian are given a surprise assignment to promote SFEERS's *Mega Mash Family Battle* tournament by Tanya, Rob complains that this is in blatant disregard of her agreement with Cammy to receive only skippable jobs. She is told that Cammy is likely trying to test Rob's loyalty after having CandyStrike for a while, as Cammy feels a single bribe can only temporarily buy someone, which is especially true for Rob, the rare person willing to stand up to the captain.

## Gallery

Windswept on Robynne's dorm room desk.Kara, Robynne, and Mallory with CandyStrike's components.Robynne watches Will examine CandyStrike's components.Robynne playing video games on CandyStrike.
## Trivia

* In Chapter 39's author commentary, Taralynn Andrews likens Rob's attachment to Windswept to a Nintendo GameCube controller Andrews used in *Super Smash Bros.* tournaments over the course of ten years. Rob upgrading Windswept's components one at a time is also similar to Andrews replacing failing parts of her controller instead of buying a new one, though she only realized this after writing the chapter.