Creating a Character

"Please step onto the platform."

A small woman stepped onto the circular platform, and it glowed blue underneath her bare feet. A blue spotlight shot up and enfolded her body, leaving her in a cylinder prison.

"Scan Complete: You are currently in your Original Astral Body. Would you like to make this your default form? Or would you like to modify it before we record your default?"

The woman hesitated.

"How can I modify this… form?"

Less than a second after she posed this question, the blue light that surrounded her turned green. The woman watched quietly as a second spotlight erupted from the floor in front of her. A 3D image was slowly built up from the ground, and when it was finished, the woman found herself staring at an exact replica of herself. A neon control board also flickered to life inside her cylindrical prison, at mid-height.

"The first way we can modify your Original Astral Body is to change the form visually. We can change everything from the size, shape, to color. The console in front of you controls the replica opposite you. Feel free to take your time and explore your options- let me know if you have any further questions."

The woman stared down at the floating keyboard in front of her. It looked like a light projection, completely immaterial. She couldn't image that typing on something like this would accomplish anything other than looking cool.

But the woman had already experienced plenty of irrational things that day, so she only hesitated for a moment before reaching up to mess with the controls.

:: BODY SHAPE ::

After clicking one of the options, all of the buttons instantly changed. The woman's fingers hovered over the new controls, and while her eyes were narrowed in contemplation, a smirk began to tilt across her lips. Her pointer finger lingered over the control bar labeled :: HEIGHT :: and soon she couldn't help but push down on the cursor. As she pulled the cursor to the right, the woman watched with fascinated eyes as the body in front of her began to stretch.

It was almost like watching someone custom design a video game character, like how whenever someone adjusted something to the extreme, it threw off all of the other features until they went and adjusted everything to the new body shape. Currently, the figure in front of her looked sickly and thin because she had yet to adjust to new weight proportions.

The woman smiled a small smile, and began to eagerly tamper with her body. She made herself tall, she changed the color of her eyes, the color of her hair, and then she messed around with the size of her waist and bust. She even started tampering with the proportions of her torso and legs so that she could make her legs look longer. The woman had to admit that this was incredibly fun, and she was in awe as she stared down at the extensive list of options in front of her. This was only the basics she was messing with, she had yet to even touch the more advanced options- such as the one that could apparently give her animal features.

The woman slowly lowered her hands from the keyboard and then took a long moment to stare at her creation. It was beautiful. Tall and lean, with a modest chest size, and long red hair. The woman could pick out several of her core features, such as her face shape and her curls, but other then those few features, it was like looking at a stranger.

"Would you like to make this form your default?"

The woman startled at the sudden noise. The voice had been silent the entire time she had explored the controls, and now it had only spoken up because it thought she was finished. The woman took a deep breath and turned her gaze once more to the beautiful (almost picturesque) creature in front of her.

"… May I make modifications at a later date? After I've thought about it for a while?"

"Of course you can. You may modify your form at any time, and you can also change your default if you wish."

"Okay then." The woman took in a deep breath and continued to look at the projection in front of her with distant eyes.

She had always been short, and her breasts were almost flat enough for her to pass as a boy- and yet, the woman felt nothing but content as she looked down at her original body. She had been born with natural ringlet curls, and they were currently cascading down to her mid-back. Her eyes were a warm chocolate color, and her smile caused two cute dimples to appear on her cheeks. She might not have perfect proportions like the creation in front of her, but as the woman hugged her arms over her chest, she couldn't help but think of herself as more beautiful despite it. This body was hers after all.

"Then no, I do not want to modify the shape, size, or color of my body right now."

"Request Accepted- Deleting current Body Template. We are also able to affect the senses and nervous system in your body. Would you like to make any of these modifications?"

The woman blinked, a confused expression on her face, "What could I change in that aspect?"

"Would you like better vision? Hearing? Smell? Taste buds? We can also adjust your body's sensitivity to touch-"

"No thank you!"

"Alright then. Processing Complete. Your current body has been stored in our database as your default body. You may step down from the platform once the light turns off."

The light under her feet soon faded, and the woman was left standing on a circular platform with a simple white base. The woman hopped off of the platform, and walked across the room in order to retrieve her things from the female attendant who had just walked in.

The attendant gave her a huge smile, "Thank you for your time Miss Sara. Would you like me to arrange someone to take you to your new living quarters? There is a map and a set of keys in your folder, but we do not mind providing an escort."

Sara shook her head, and her hands tightened around her possessions. They looked meager in the grand scheme of things; one small brochure, and a plastic folder that was tied shut with her name on its cover.

The female attendant nodded her head in acceptance, her smile unwavering, "Alrighty then! All you have to do then is follow the signs and they will take you to the exit. Please enjoy your stay in Gray City Miss Sara!"

Sara gave her an empty smile, "Thank you, for your hospitality."