Character Select II: RPG

“So what is it that we’re looking for again?” Matt asked. The warehouse was dimly lit and musty. A few feet in front of him, Katy, his wife, drifted along glancing at various bits of furniture.

“Something that matches the dining room table. Some kind of table or shelf that can go along the wall next to the door to the living room.” She paused for a moment to pick up a piece of strangely shaped glassware before moving off in a new arbitrary direction.

Matt followed his wife like a lost puppy. Wandering through the old flea market entertained him more than shopping for shoes or purses, but it still bored him. He had imagined the flea market to be reminiscent of a Middle Eastern bazaar, but instead they had arrived at an old factory warehouse poorly repurposed as a flea market. Within the rapidly decaying building, the various sellers quartered off areas like a department store. In the center of the building, probably the cleanest and most well maintained area, local sellers put refurbished furniture on display. Some of the pieces looked quite nice if their flaws could be accepted as character and not as aged or broken. At any rate, the turnover for the furniture seemed pretty consistent whereas the rest of the junk in the market barely moved. The tinging smell of rust and the dank smell of old paper mingled to create a unique experience for the shoppers.

“How about this?” Katy asked, holding up a weather worn old road sign that read ‘Appalachia Creek.’

Matt looked back at her blankly. “That’s not a table.”

“To hang on the wall. Maybe in the spare bedroom.”

“You want to hang a road sign on the wall in the spare bedroom? Are you going for the local diner feel?”

“It’s a cool sign!” She immediately dropped it and moved on to look at something else. Matt had never seen her more enthused than when they bought their first house. The process had been arduous, and she’d had her heart broken when a dream house slipped out of their fingers due to unnecessarily complicated zoning restrictions neither of them particularly understood beyond knowing them to be entirely stupid. The ordeal led them to a new house, and Katy loved it just the same. Perhaps more, though, was her love of changing everything about it. In the three months since they’d moved in, Katy painted every room, remodeled the master bath, put new flooring in the living room, and killed most of the plants in the front yard under the expectation of planting new ones in the spring.

“How about this? It has the advantage of being a table. Same color as the dining room stuff, I think.”

“It’s hard to tell in the light.” Katy pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the small table. “I figure we’ll do like a preliminary sweep and come back to the stuff we like.”

Matt nodded, familiar with her style of shopping. He first learned of this strategy while they shopped for rugs. He’d been forced to wade through huge racks of hanging carpets while she took took photos of the small pricing stickers on each one. They’d not yet purchased a single rug. He did not have high hopes of seeing the small table again either. While Katy meandered towards another section of furniture, which seemed to be primarily hulled out pianos, Matt noticed something actually interesting to him. “Hey sweetie, I’m going to go look in there for a minute. I’ll catch up.” She waved him off, too fascinated by a player piano that scrolled through old painting prints.

The section of the market drew Matt’s attention with a variety of old gaming advertising. Big posters, old cardboard cutouts of Mario and Sonic, and the hulking cases of old arcade games created a small area where a dozen tables stood in long rows. Piles of old video games and gaming systems sat out on the tables. Most of it looked in pretty rough shape, but a few were not worse for the wear. One shelf had a massive tangle of wires with a few controllers in the mix. Behind a counter, a few less worn systems were on display. Matt kept an eye out for anything collectible, though he didn’t expect to find many limited edition original NES cartridges sitting around unattended. He did find copies of all of the old classics, though. The nostalgia amused him, but the reckless disregard for all of it almost pained him. As a kid, he had treasured each game that his parents had bought him, and all of these had been so callously abandoned, likely after many years of entertainment.

“Hi there, can I help you find something?” asked a voice. Matt turned around to see a surprisingly well dressed man roughly his age. Most of the other shopkeepers in the market seemed to be old fixtures of the building rather than actual people.

“Just browsing. Nice to see some of this old stuff again.” Matt responded politely with the clear intent to end the conversation.

“What kind of games did you like to play?” the shopkeeper asked.

Matt sighed quietly, but answered, “I guess you’d call them action adventure games? Stuff like Dark Souls. Single player stuff, mostly.”

The shopkeeper grinned broadly. “No, no. That’s what you play now. What did you play growing up? Things are a lot different in gaming now, but back when all of this was popular, we expected different things.”

Matt considered the question. “Chrono Trigger was a good game. Final Fantasy games were better back then, too. I lost interest in most RPGs when they started getting so complicated.”

“Flashy. I think that’s the problem. They started relying more on showing rather than doing. Playing a modern RPG is like watching a movie where you have to press buttons to get to the next scene.”

Matt never thought about it much. In truth, he lost touch with gaming during college and only picked it back up once he was out on his own. “You have a point, I think.”

The shopkeeper drifted over behind one of the counters. “I have the perfect thing for you. Don’t worry, it’s modern, I’m not asking you to go back to the stone age. But it’s made in the style of those early generation consoles. Sixteen bit sprites, big character sheets for your party, that kind of thing.”

“Oh, we’re just here for furniture. I wasn’t really looking to buy anything.”

The shopkeeper pulled out a plastic CD case. “Ten dollars. If you don’t like it, bring it back, but trust me, you’ll love it.”

Matt found his wife on the other side of the building looking at an assortment of used doors. “What are you doing?”

“I thought maybe we could use one as like a table top. Maybe build a new desk using one.”

“Do you know how to build a desk?”

“No, but I’m sure there’s a video on youtube.” She noticed the small box in his hand. “What’s that?”

“Oh, some video game. I couldn’t shake the salesman, so I gave in and bought it. Only ten bucks. Do you really want to buy a door?”

Katy stepped back and looked at the slightly rotted door she had been examining, “No. You know what, this is all crap. Let’s go.”

They made their way out of the old warehouse, stopping only once to examine an old grandfather clock. Hot air greeted them as they emerged from the dark building, but it was a welcome relief after the permeating dampness. When they climbed into the car, Matt tossed the game into the backseat amid a pile of the strange things his wife collected in her day to day life and forgot about it. They stopped for lunch at a local burger joint before heading into the more commercial part of town to do another round of new home shopping. They developed a decent system for finding the things they were missing. Any time one of them went to do something and discovered they needed an item they did not own, they wrote it down. While obvious in nature, it was much more productive than looking at a blank room and trying to decide what was missing. Through this method they acquired most of their trash cans, a shelf for the shower, two stand alone fans, and a plunger.

It was dark by the time they reached home. Despite how much work Katy had put into the house, the main room remained a disaster as it was scheduled for last in the renovations. In the meantime it was used as a storage area and temporary office for Matt. In the corner, he had set up a television and pulled a couch in front of it. The rest of the room held boxes they had yet to unpack, piles of wood flooring, paint buckets, and more chairs than they needed. They carried their purchases through the mess and into the kitchen. Katy immediately shooed her husband away claiming he “wouldn’t put things away right.” This was a common theme of their short marriage. Katy insisted Matt did not do things the right way while Matt insisted the same activities did not have a right and wrong way at all. Matt genuinely did not understand how his method of putting away a jar of peanut butter could be viewed as incorrect. But other than an exasperated sigh, he did not mind. Katy enjoyed having things her way, and Matt enjoyed not having to unload groceries.

Instead, Matt went back to the car to get the rest of the shopping. As he reached in the back, he saw the plastic case of the Changers game. He grabbed the bags with one hand and the game with the other. On his way into the kitchen, he tossed it onto the sofa and carried the groceries into the kitchen. Katy was straining to reach the top shelf, her shirt rising up to show off her mid drift. Matt immediately caught sight of her bare skin and the familiar urge. He put down the bags and went over to circle her with his arms, deftly sliding his hands underneath her shirt. “You know, it’s never too early…”

“C’mon Matt,” she said in a half laugh. “Not right now, ok?”

Matt’s hands slid down her front and around her thighs to squeeze her ass. “But later right?”

“Maybe. I’ve got a lot of work to do.” He kissed her neck, and she turned around. She gave him a light kiss on the cheek. “Later.”

Somewhat more exasperated, but understanding of his wife’s temperament, Matt let her go and wandered back into the living room. With nothing else to occupy him while she sorted through the groceries, he took the game and put it in. He grabbed the controller and plopped down on the couch as the screen hummed to life.

He expect to see a splash screen of some kind. Instead it displayed a blank screen with the phrase “Welcome to Changers:RPG, press any key to continue to class select.” Matt mashed buttons and the screen changed to four panels, each containing an artist image and the name of the class. Priestess, Warrior, Sorceress, Hunter. Though clearly drawings embellished with style, the four character choices looked incredibly lifelike. Matt stared at them dumbly for much longer than he should have, wondering how they could appear so fake and so real at the same time.

The Warrior was a barrel chested barbarian type complete with a skull on a string around his neck. His body rippled with muscle, and an inhuman bicep hefted a sword over one shoulder. Matt never particularly enjoyed the melee style of play found in games as if it often was either too easy or got him killed. The Hunter looked like a ranged character, with a leaner body. He held a bow with an arrow notched in it. After a moment, Matt realized the Hunter was not human. The image had longer ears and a narrower face than the Warrior. Matt looked at the two female character options, not surprised to see them in all their gratuitously small armor choices. The Priestess wore a white vest of sorts that managed to cover the sides of her body perfectly well, but the only part of her front it obscured was the area directly over her nipples. She had long white hair and held a staff in her right hand that seemed to emit light of its own accord. Matt considered her for a moment, but much as the case with the Warrior, he expected he wouldn’t enjoy the style of play if it centered too much on healing. Lastly, he turned his attention to the Sorceress. Unlike the Priestess, the Sorceress did have on a type of armor, but it was mostly thin lines of chain mail. While the Priestess’s main feature was her proudly displayed breasts, the Sorceress was turned at an angle to properly display her bare ass. Upon further inspection, Matt saw she did have on a chain that wrapped around her waist and went between her ass cheeks to connect with a metal plate on the opposite side. The Sorceress was also of the elf like race, similar to the Hunter. She too had long ears, slightly sharper teeth, and a more narrow face. Also like the Hunter, she had a frock of bright red hair which matched the ball of flame floating above her palm.

Matt felt his horniness return as he looked at the images of the two women. If his wife weren’t in the adjacent room, he would have likely jerked off just looking at them. He also knew the two images of men were borderline pornographic as well and wondered what exactly he had been sold. At the very least, the game had captured his curiosity. He debated for a moment wondering if he preferred firing arrows to throwing fire, but ultimately made his choice on the hope of seeing Sorceress in more revealing poses throughout the game. He moved the selector over to the image of the Sorceress and pressed the button to continue.

The images disappeared and the screen went black. At first, Matt thought that the game had broken, but then he noticed the small text in the corner of the screen that read “Loading Level One, Awaiting Player Two.”

Katy walked into the living room. “What’cha doing?”

Slightly embarrassed about his lingering erection, Matt adjusted himself on the sofa as she plopped down beside him. “Oh, I was trying to play that game I got today. It had a weird opening, but apparently it needs a second player.”

Katy wasn’t listening. Her hand reached out and pulled at Matt’s hair, eliciting a surprised yelp. “Why do you have a big patch of hair red?” she asked. “Has that been there all day?”

Matt assumed his wife was somehow mistaken. His hair was black as always, but a gasp from his wife made him rethink his opinion. He could feel his hair growing, a very strange thing to feel at all. The lengthening hair was soon long enough to pull in front of his own eyes. Sure enough, it was the bright red of flame. “Oh fuck, what the hell.” Matt soon realized that his whole body felt strange. The sensation of growing hair had distracted him momentarily from the pricking sensation running up and down his body.

“Matt, what’s going on? What’s happening to you?” Katy’s voice was tremulous and alarmed. “Your ears!”

Sweat rolled down his back as he reached up to feel his own ears. Instead of the aural curve he’d known his whole life, the fleshy cartilage jutted upwards and came to a point. He knew what was happening and looked at the screen. “Player two found! Level One Start.”

Matt opened his mouth to try and explain, but a wave of heat rocked his body and turned the words to mush. He leaned over on the side of the couch and soon felt his wife’s hands trying to undress him. She was speaking, but Matt couldn’t understand her. Her lips met his, and his world regained clarity. Katy took off his shirt and removed her own as well. She seemed motivated by some unseen force, driving her to a breathy lust as Matt’s body continue to shift and change. With his chest exposed, he looked down at a newly hairless torso. What little muscle he had rapidly diminished, but a softer tissue replaced it. He looked over at Katy. His wife massaged her breasts while watching her husband. Katy’s hand unbuttoned her shorts and slipped inside to touch herself. Whatever alarm she felt about the situation had vanished. Matt couldn’t find the thoughts to worry about her. She wasn’t changing, but he was.

Raising his hand, he squeezed the budding flesh on his chest. It sent sparkles of pleasure coursing through his body. The tiny nubs burned with sensitivity, but it felt amazing for his fingers to rub against them. He wanted Katy to touch him, to have her mouth close over of the erect nipples and suck. He moved his hand down, crossing over a flat tummy and slipping underneath his own shorts. He grasped in vain for his penis, but found nothing in its place. Instead, his fingers lightly touched a wet crevice. The familiar feeling of his wife’s pussy sprang to mind. The delicate folds parted easily as his fingers gathered his own lubrication. He knew he should be alarmed by the sudden lack of male genitalia, but in truth he wanted nothing more than to push his fingers inside of himself and experience a single instant of what a woman could feel.

Before Matt had the chance, a pinching pain grabbed his attention. Even unbuttoned, his shorts still confined his growth. They were meant for narrow hips and flat ass, not the swelling rump filling them up. In a quick struggle, he pulled at the confining garments. Katy snapped out of her distracted masturbation long enough to help. She pulled at the shorts until they slipped free of Matt’s new round ass. His last article of clothing slid down his voluptuous hips and over thin, hairless legs. He kicked them away and spread his legs wide as he leaned back on the couch. An intoxicating scent of arousal and sex filled the room. Matt once again moved a hand down to dip into himself, but was distracted by the small patch of bright red hair that covered his otherwise smooth pubic area. Then he felt hands moving along his calves.

Katy moved down to the floor in front of the couch. She knelt between his legs, gently running her hands up and down, using her fingertips to tease the skin. Matt’s tongue clung thickly to the roof of his. When he tried to speak, it caught against newly sharp teeth. Without looking, he knew he was becoming the picture of his character choice. His wife’s hands moved further up, going underneath his feminine thighs. Katy grabbed his newly plump ass from underneath and squeezed. Matt moaned involuntarily, shocked at his reaction. He’d always enjoyed the feeling of his wife’s hands on his body, but this was different. Every inch of his skin felt electric, as if his erotic zones had spread and become overdeveloped. The most exciting thing was his wife, kneeling between his parted legs, with a brand new pussy directly in front of her. Matt had enjoyed his wife’s mouth on his cock many times. Before each blowjob, he’d feel a heightened sense of anticipation, a groaning eagerness to feel her lips on his skin. With his male physique gone, spread open in front of her with a big round ass, a tuft of red hair above his wet pussy, and two voluptuous breasts, the feeling was no different other than an additional excitement of new feelings.

Katy lowered her head between the silky smooth legs. She kissed gently along Matt’s inner thigh, each light touch building the anticipation. The scent drove Katy wild, and her own crotch soaked with arousal. Part of her wished Matt’s cock was available. She would have loved to feel him positioned behind her as she lowered her mouth closer to the pussy in front of her. But she was more than excited to have the love of her life bizarrely changed into a woman splayed out for her pleasure. Matt’s body quivered as he felt Katy’s breath on his lower lips. And then his world shook as her tongue slipped past his lips and gently stroke up the length of his wet sex. His hands clutched at the sofa, trying for a grip as she licked again. He could feel each centimeter of her tongue as it lovingly moved up. She briefly lingered around the top of the labia, probing and licking at the tiny nub hidden within the folds. Simple contact with that bundle of nerves made Matt’s body go rigid, but Katy didn’t want her husband to finish so quickly.

Matt moved a hand down towards Katy in vain. He could not reach her despite how much he wanted her body pressed against his new female one. His hand moved back up to squeeze his breasts and pinch at his nipples. They were much larger, essentially engorged, but much more pleasurable to play with. Katy continued to lick in a steady rhythm. She stopped for a moment and leaned back. She held up to fingers so that Katy could see them and pushed them into her mouth. She sucked on her fingers seductively until she lowered her head once again. The licking resumed, and Matt felt pressure. His lips parted as Katy pushed her fingers inside him. He groaned and scooted his ass lower on the couch in an effort to give Katy better access. He couldn’t imagine having a cock inside him if two fingers felt this amazing. Katy started to stroke in and out for a while, matching the rhythm of her tongue. Then her fingers slid in to the knuckle and started to move inside of him, wriggling in a continuous motion that drove Matt wild.

The building pressure in Matt’s core erupted. He squeezed his breast as his thighs closed around his wife’s head. She didn’t stop or slow, stoking his pleasure as he bucked and shook in orgasm. His hand managed to reach her head, his long slender fingers pulling at her, pushing her deeper into his crotch. He moaned and gurgled incoherently. Even his strangely long ears tingled with pleasure. Katy finally slowed, and he started to regain control of his body. His eyes teared up from the intensity of it all. Katy kissed his legs and then his stomach and then his breast before pulling his mouth against hers. Matt tasted his own arousal on her lips, but more so tasted the warm mouth that had brought him so much pleasure. Katy crawled against him and they laid still for a long while, listening to each other’s breathing.

Matt noticed the blinking cursor on the screen, and it snapped him from his reverie. “Oh my god, what the fuck is this game. It turned me into some kind of elf? Should we turn it off? Maybe that will change me back?”

Katy snapped out of her dreamy state as well. “Were there other options?”

“Yeah, two male two female. Hang on, where’d you learn to eat a girl out like that?”

Katy smirked, “There’s some stuff I didn’t tell you about from when I was in college.”

“You’re not freaked out by this?” Matt asked. He pushed up his breasts as if she wouldn’t be sure what he was talking about.

“I mean, it’s crazy, but you weren’t hurt.” She looked at the screen. “I kind of want to try it. Maybe I could play one of the male ones?”

Matt thought of the image of the Warrior as he looked at his wife. He felt himself getting wet again.