Many people can relate to the immersive, all-consuming feeling of playing a new video game.
Everything else somehow gets pushed to the back of your mind; whether that be personal hygiene, social commitments and even relationships…
However, one extremely thorough girlfriend wanted to make sure her other half didn’t forget about her existence after buying him a new copy of Call of Duty for Christmas.
University of Oklahoma student Ashley Davison presented the gift to her boyfriend Blake Perry along with a number of strict conditions:
1. If I call you must pause the game and talk to me with full attention
2. No starting another match if we are planning to hang out or I ask to hang out
3. You must ask if it is okay for you to play while I am over at your house with you. Make sure I have something to do while you are in battle.
4. You must reply to a text no longer than 11 minutes
5. Do not forget to give me just as much attention.
Blake had to sign the contract – entitled ‘Rules for Your New Gift’ – before any battles could commence, right underneath the following solemn declaration:
I, Blake Perry, will follow these rules and in return I will be enjoying my new game and loving my girlfriend at the same time.
But if I do not follow these rules my girlfriend, Ashley Davison, can take this game away from me at anytime for the rest of my life.
So I will follow these rules and not forget about my girlfriend.
Blake obliged, tweeting a picture of the contract with the following cheeky message:
Little does she know these rules will be broken.
The tweet has since been liked over 30,000 times, with many people taking a genuine interest in this very modern day love triangle.
However, Ashley’s slightly draconian rules have divided opinion, with some people concerned she is controlling Blake as if he himself is a games console character.
One worried Team XBoxer warned:
Nah bro… I’ve been through this before, she wants you to think it’s a joke but in reality if you don’t follow those rules she will go postal on you. Just beware.
Another said:
I know it’s not a joke to [sic]. He’s got a controlling psycho. Been there done that. Cod-1 crazy EX-0
Luckily, it appears Ashley won’t be boiling any bunnies/Call of Duty discs any time soon.
The terrifying-at-first-glance list is in fact just a bit of a festive joke between the young couple, confirmed by tweets from both.
Blake tweeted the following clarification to his newfound indignant fanbase:
Incase you couldn’t tell this is obviously a joke
Ashley has also spoken out in defence of her non-scariness:
Don’t worry I’m not going to go postal on him it 100% was a joke! Thanks for looking out for him though!
Hilariously, it isn’t even the New Year yet and Blake has apparently already broken the controversial contract.
Best way to resolve this dispute? Ashley, get on COD yourself and play against each other.
This way you will both be ignoring each others texts and nobody can be held to blame. I should seriously become a relationship counsellor…
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.