Blakely Arcas loved to sleep. It was the best thing: wrapped in her favorite Panda onesie surrounded by all her Panda stuffies snuggled in warm fluffy blankets. It was heaven on earth for her. So you can imagine the utter devastation she felt when her two childhood friends barged into her holy sanctuary, aka her bedroom, and just flopped right on her heavenly temple, aka her bed, ruining her serenity. It's not like she didn't tell them and her family never to interrupt her sleep a thousand times because she did. She would know her eidetic memory made her remember every time she said it.
The only retaliation she could muster was a pained moan that felt like it was coming from her very soul. However, dual giggling was in response to her soul pain crying. The nerve! "Grrrr", Blakely threated.
"Come on, Blakely. Wake up. It's already ten at night. We have two hours till the new game premieres!" Maven Sterling whined. Her husky voice made it sound less annoying, which was almost funny. Almost.
"Yeah, and you promised you'd play with us. Even your brothers and sisters will be on. So get up. And get ready to play. Right. Now." Whenever Iris Sterling paused in her sentence, she would pull on Blakely's blankets. 'How annoying,' Blakely thought sourly, pouting.
"Fine. I'm up. Are you happy?" She got up, but she wasn't happy about it. Rubbing her eyes, she reluctantly got out of her bed. The two heathens dragged her into the bathroom before she could finish putting on her panda slippers.
In the haze of being rudely awakened and herded towards the bathroom by her overzealous friends, Blakely's usual sharpness was dulled by sleep. Her eyes barely open, and her mind still wrapped in the remnants of dreams, she reached for what she thought was her tube of moisturizer. The coolness of the substance was a welcome sensation against her skin, momentarily refreshing until the sharp, unmistakable scent of mint hit her nose.
Startled, Blakely blinked her eyes open, only to realize in horror that she had smeared a generous amount of toothpaste across her cheeks and forehead. The tingling sensation, which would have been invigorating on her gums, was bizarre and unpleasant on her face. In the mirror, her reflection looked back at her, a minty mess underlined by her dismayed expression.
"What are you doing?" Maven asked, barely stifling a laugh as she entered the scene.
"I'm starting a new facial trend," Blakely retorted dryly, reaching for a washcloth with a resigned sigh. As she wiped the toothpaste off, her skin tingled oddly, leaving her more awake than any regular morning routine had ever left her.
Upon hearing the commotion, Iris peeked in and immediately doubled over with laughter. "That's one way to freshen up in the morning!"
Blakely, now a bit more alert and a smidge less grumpy, couldn't help but pout at her ridiculous mistake. "Gah, now I smell like matcha mint!" she whined, finally clearing all traces of mint from her face and readying herself for the less hazardous task of brushing her teeth. 'I wanna go back to bed.'
Ten minutes later
The living room buzzed with excitement as Blakely and her close-knit friends and siblings delved into the intricacies of their upcoming virtual reality game adventure. Blakely lay sprawled across the couch in this cozy setting, her head comfortably resting in Maven's lap and her feet tucked into Iris's. The casual intimacy of the scene was a testament to their deep bond.
Theo, the stoic younger twin, was engrossed in playing with his teddy bears on a loveseat. He occasionally glanced at his sister Cleo, who was absorbed in a book about black bears. Their youthful curiosity about the animal kingdom added a lighthearted backdrop to the discussions. Meanwhile, the eldest Brody was semi-distracted, his attention split between the video game he played on the theater-sized TV and the lively conversation around him. Claire, the attentive older sister, playfully fed Blakely marshmallows, eliciting giggles, and muffled strategizing from the couch.
As the group delved deeper into character creation, each member voiced their thoughts on potential races and classes, reflecting their personalities and play styles. Blakely listened, amused and content, as Maven passionately advocated for choosing a Fox kin race, cunningly paired with the Illusionist class— a combination she found amusingly predictable yet fitting for Maven's sly demeanor.
The discussion branched into a spirited debate on the advantages of various classes and how they could strategically align with their chosen races. Claire suggested tactical combinations, leaning on her analytical nature, while Brody threw in suggestions based on his extensive gaming experience. Cleo and Theo, though younger, chimed in with imaginative and sometimes whimsical ideas, adding a layer of creative spontaneity to the mix.
The hour and a half flew by as they weighed names that would best encapsulate their avatars' identities, with each suggestion sparking stories or jokes, weaving a tapestry of camaraderie and shared anticipation for the world they were about to immerse themselves in. This pre-game ritual, filled with laughter, strategy, and sibling banter, set the stage for their collective dive into a new, fantastical realm.
When 12:00 am hit, she donned her VR helmet. Taking a calming breath, she reclined onto her bed, settling in comfortably as the countdown timer ticked to zero. A system prompt asked if she was ready to begin the game. She clicked yes, and her consciousness was submerged into the virtual realm.
'This better be worth interrupting my extra sleep time.' was her last thought.
"Welcome Morpher to the World of Morphantasia, where you dream your fantasy. Here is where everything you ever dreamed of becoming is possible. Do you wish to begin?" Appearing in front of Blakely was a... blob. She wasn't sure exactly what the strange purple thing was. Blinking, Blakley simply nodded her head.
"Excellent. Would you like to change your appearance, or would you prefer to stay as you are?" The blob asked, its tone almost making it sound like it was holding back a punchline. The blog sounded way too cheery to Blakely's liking. 'Exhausting,' she thought.
"I would like to change my appearance, please," Blakely responded, unsure what to make of her amorphous guide. Privacy was a priority for Blakely; her photogenic memory reinforced the importance of anonymity. The dangers of being too recognizable were all too clear to her. 'That was how stalkers could find you.' She was not a fool.
"Very well, then." The Blob waved its… hand, which looked like a wave gesture. A Silvery blue body mirror appeared before her, and text appeared between her and the mirror. "Please choose your race." it said, adding, "I hope you find something that reflects your... panda-monium taste."
Blakely's reflection showed her usual self, still clad in her panda onesie. She had the same long Black hair on top of her head, but it faded to white at the ends. All her siblings had black or white hair. It was weird. The mirror image had the same grey-silver eyes. She was still wearing her panda onesie. Looking at the options, she was amazed that there were so many options. Over a thousand, she saw. Her photogenic memory was valuable here.
As Blakely navigated the sprawling menu of races in Morphantasia, the Blob hovered nearby, eager to assist. However, its help only added layers of confusion due to a humorous mix-up of game terminology.
"Would you like to try being a Sun Sprout Dryad? They photosynthesize their food! Very efficient," the Blob suggested with a wobble that might have been a nod.
Blakely, misunderstanding the term, furrowed her brow. "I don't think I'm ready to become a plant. I was thinking of something less... leafy."
The Blob blinked if it had eyes to blink with. "Oh! Well, maybe you'd prefer the Crystal Dragon Kin. They are solid fighters!"
"Wait, so they're made of crystal? Wouldn't they shatter?" Blakely asked, envisioning a warrior crumbling into sparkling shards with every misstep.
"Only metaphorically on the battlefield!" the Blob hastily corrected, its voice bubbling with amusement.
Their conversation moved on, and Blakely scrolled through more options, each with unique but sometimes confusing descriptions.
"How about the Mirror Fairy? They can duplicate anything they see," the Blob said, trying to be helpful.
Blakely paused, considering. "So, they spend a lot of time in front of mirrors? Are they vain?"
"No, no, not like that!" The Blob chuckled if a blob could chuckle. "They duplicate objects, not their reflection."
Finally, Blakely's attention landed on Echo Harpies, and the Blob excitedly explained, "They can manipulate sound waves and create silence out of chaos!"
"Chaos?" Blakely echoed, puzzled. "Can they use it to make people stop talking at family dinners?"
"Well, theoretically, yes," the Blob answered, its surface rippling in what might have been laughter.
After scrolling and not seeing anything calling her, she stopped and looked at Mr. Blob, "just out of curiosity, there isn't a magical panda kin race I can choose from, is there?" That would be her perfect race, but there's no way there's a…. "Yes, actually, there is. Is that the race you wish to see?" Mr. Blob said, shocking Blakely out of her doubts. Blinking, Blakely was a little optimistic. Nodding, she watched as the mirror double-turned into… Blakely blinked… then blinked again. The image she saw in front of her was the most…." It's the most adorable thing I have ever seen in my entire life!" She yelled excitedly. She jumped up and down, clapping her hands together.
The mirror image of Blakely, but instead of two human ears on both sides of her head, she had two of the fluffiest round panda ears she had ever seen on top of her head. Her long black and white hair turned a pale bamboo green. Her eyes are the same color. Her original height was 4 feet 11 inches, and now her mirror body stood 5 feet 5 inches. Something she was very pleased about. Behind her, right above her tooshie, was an adorable little black panda tail. She almost squealed at that. Almost. Looking at the name of the race, it showed "Panda kin." right beside it, there was an option of choosing a variant. Curious, she checked the options.
Option 1: Panda kin (mystic)- This panda race can use the mystic arts.
Option 2: Panda kin (chaos)- This panda race can manipulate primal energy.
Option 3: Panda kin (Sin)- This panda race can personify seven deadly sins. (Must choose one)
The sins:
Pride- mental resistance
Greed: poison resistance
Wrath- fire resistance
Envy- steal chance doubled
Lust- charm is doubled
Gluttony- hunger resistance
Sloth- luck is doubled
Looking at her options, she wondered what she would be doing in the game. 'Maven and Iris said I could do whatever I wanted as long as I came along on their adventures. Knowing me, I'll probably be sleeping most of the time. Hmm.' She thought about sleep and looked at the options again after a while of compilations. She chose… "I choose Panda kin Sin of sloth, please."
Mr. Blob clapped his hands. Yeah, that's what she decided to call him in her head. "That's beary good to hear. A slothful panda, how un-bear-ably fitting," Mr. Blob noted with a chuckle. "May I know the name of this Panda kin?" Blakely already had a name picked out, primarily from her friends and family, but she agreed since it was a perfect name:" Aergia,"
"Ah, named after the goddess of laziness! You're really embracing the spirit of downtime divinity," Mr. Blob commented as it finalized her character. "Now, please choose your starting profession."
Mr. Blob Waved his hand and the body mirror changed. Blakely's body glowed for a few seconds, then it faded. Blakely changed into her chosen panda kin race. Touching her ears and tail made her so happy. Mr. Blob then waved his hand again, and another body mirror appeared, but this time, her body had equipment on and special effects.
While scrolling, Blakely noticed there weren't as many professions as there were races—only 20. Scrolling, Blakely found a profession she might like.
'Summoner- Summon different varieties of summons depending on the race. Each race gives special bonuses and penalties. (Panda Kin sin of sloth summon type double exp gain can not fight yourself). Blakely grinned. Nodding, she picked her profession. Turning to Mr. Blob, he smiled, clapped his hands, and slowly spread them apart, creating a sizeable square map of the game world. "Now, Morpher, where would you like to start?" Blakely knew little about the starting zones, but Maven and Iris told her to pick…"Dew Lake in the Flore Kingdom."
"Excellent choice! May your adventures be as relaxing as your race choice," Mr. Blob said, waving its hand to transport her into the game.
Her last thought before disappearing from the Creation room was… 'Mr. Blob's jokes are really bad.'