Aaaand I was done! After going over everything again, I lowered Victorias voice to what was probably a 'Contralto' and after some deliberation decided to add "Random Flaws". Victoria would have to deal with a few randomly chosen flaws that were worth a bit less than the points I received.
The entity seemed to like rewarding people for taking risks it seemed.
Not knowing all her weaknesses seemed a bit fairer to Victoria.
Even more importantly I still wasn't sure what "Abundance" did but it sounded like taking good care of her body would yield some reward for Victoria. Perhaps it would make her body a bit more malleable when she tried to counteract some of my decisions she wasn't happy with?
Only one thing left to do. I stared at the button labeled 'Submit to final change' trying to shake the feeling that there was something important I hadn't thought of. Usually I end up restarting a game two or three times in short succession with a different character before I was satisfied. But this time I probably wouldn't get to start over again. And why did I have to make such an important decision while standing around in my underwear in a public bathroom. Wait that didn't sound right....
Right agonizing about it wouldn't do me any good. I had no say about her personality, and that was probably the more important part of a working relationship anyway.
With a determined nod I prodded 'Submit to final Change'.
The futuristic holo-interface disappeared and the whole room seemed to lurch as the perspective changed slightly. That however wasn't as disconcerting as the tightening sensation I felt everywhere beneath my neck. A panicked look downward showed someone had replaced my T-shirt with an orange hoodie and.... No! Nonononono!
I wouldn't have needed the feeling of long hair moving against the back of my neck as I lowered my head or a blond lock slipping into my field of view to know what had happened, but they hammered the point home nicely. As did my protruding chest.
My half-strangled 'Please no!' sounded alien to my ears, come to think of it the shape of my mouth felt alien too, or the sensation as I nervously licked my fuller lips.
I don't know how long I stood there, panicking silently trying to process the feeling of....pretty much everything. Not daring to move a muscle because if I had to deal with any more strangeness I'd start screaming and I wasn't sure when I'd stop.
After a while I became aware of my fingernails digging painfully into my palms. Desperate for any kind of distraction I threw myself into the simple task of unclenching my hands. Just relaxing some muscles to open my hand sounded like something I could get behind. Some small but much needed victory!
Deciding to go one hand at a time I focused all my attention on the left one and did my best to take deep calming breaths. The feeling of the spandex beneath my hoodie suddenly constricting around my chest turned what should have been a calming exercise into a surprised gasp. But after a few more tries I managed to tune out anything but my left hand again. When it reluctantly began to unfurl, saw the red crescents my fingernails had left. Thank god they were so short! Thank god I hadn't designed some sextoy!
That thought caused my hand to ball right back up into a trembling fist, so I had to start all over again. Noticing how slender my unfurling fingers were now, ruined the second attempt, but on the third try I managed to unclench it completely. By the time I repeated the process with my right hand things were already going much smoother.
Once that task was done I was finally feeling ready to face my situation. Don't get me wrong, I was still freaked out....actually by now I was pretty sure I was in shock. But I no longer had that overwhelming sensation of being just one step away from something in my head going 'Pop' and fizzling out like a lightbulb. Protocol probably demanded that I stuck my hands between my legs to confirm the fate of my manhood but I honestly didn't feel up to it yet. Or dwelling on the way the damn spandex-costume clung to my crotch.
Sooo taking stock:
-I broke Jons heirloom freeing some powerful creature
-The creature asks me to create my future girlfriend
-I was now stuck being said girlfriend
Should have known something like that would happen when it claimed to be a relative of the Greek gods. Those guys were notorious for being dicks!
But still..."Why!?" to my annoyance the whispered question sounded more pleading than angry to me, so I repeated it more forcefully "Why?! Damn you!"
A memory of Jon clutching the stone "I wish I'd meet a girl I'd happily spend the rest of my life with."
Myself telling Jon "I owe you my life."
Myself accepting the bargain when the entity said something about rewarding Jon and asked me how I felt about love being in my future.
A memory of me looking into the bathroom mirror while brushing teeth
A memory of Victoria before I hit the 'submit'-button
'I owe you my life' Because of that stupid sentence this thing had seen fit to ...well basically change my entire life just to suit Jons request for a girlfriend? I mean sure I always though Jon and me could have been good friends if we choose to spent some time together, but this?
This was so stupid, I could but smile in disbelief at the sheer insanity of it. It might have looked like a rictus-smile though. Without a mirror I couldn't be sure.
I gestured helplessly 'Thats's....It's just a saying! I mean nobody really....'
Then some other memories hit me, without the help of this crappy extra-dimensional matchmaker this time. How it had spurred me on whenever I was on the verge of realizing what was really going on.
'OH COME ON!' I was vaguely aware of the loud bang as I hit the wall between my stall and the next as hard as I could 'YOU KNEW! YOU GODDAMN KNEW! SO WHY'D YOU DO IT!?'
I had some choice words about how 'entertaining' I thought this was, but the sound of a door being opened made me hesitate. For a moment I had completely forgotten where I was.
Had someone heard me?
I prayed that the newcomer was just here to do his business and would leave soon. While I waited with baited breath I realized one of my bangs had slid down during my outburst and was now tickling the side of my nose. Annoyed I brushed it behind my ear, waiting for the newcomer to come in already, so he could leave again. Once I got to the hallway I'd be just another teenager amidst hundreds, but being found in the mens' room while looking like this was the last thing I needed right now.
I nearly groaned in frustration as I felt the pressure behind my eyes vanish, indicating the entity had abandoned me with the useful hint of 'Hide.'. Great! Very helpful. That it planned to return sometime in the future wasn't a great consolation, right now.
