You click on ‘Other’ and immediately type in the following: Collared 2 year-old Male Old English Sheepdog. A hourglass appears along with the words:
“GENERATING CANINE AVATAR- PLEASE WAIT”
You take your hands off of the Xbox controller and flex them with eager anticipation of what’s to come next. And that’s when you notice the muscles in your hands feel oddly tight for some reason. What’s odder still is that you feel like you are wearing mittens over your hands. You look down at them, but you only catch a glimpse of them as you realize that you are panting just like a dog.
Your body grows smaller, stockier and bear-like. Your shoulders narrow as your chest lengthens, deepens and broadens itself into a new shape. Your pants drop to your knees, as they give out and drop you down onto all fours. Thick dark gray and white hairs begin to blanket your entire body from head to toe. Your hands and feet tighten and reshape themselves into paws. And a muzzle pushes itself from your face just before a veil of thick, white fur covers your eyes. You look up at game controller and whimper.
Just then the store owner shows up and looks down at the large, shaggy Old English Sheepdog that is you. He smiles happily and pleasantly.
“Ah, another satisfied customer, courtesy of the new CYOT game I got in yesterday.” He tells you before squatting down before you and petting you on your now shaggy head. “Hello, my shaggy friend.”
You try to tell him about what had happened to you, and ask him if he could undo it for you. But all you end up hearing is the sound of your shaggy self barking and woofing. The store owner smiles at you before shaking his head with unbridled mirth.
“Kids today, always impatient to try out something new without spending the time to actually learn it. You should have read the instructions before playing, my friend.” He tells you. “Oh well, let me see what I can do for you.”
You perk your ears up and watch the store owner as he steps up to the game and accesses another pop up screen. He begins typing something up.
Wondering what the store owner is up to, you stand up on your hind legs and lean yourself against the wall next to the Xbox display. You glance over his shoulder and much to your surprise you read what he’s typing up in the pop up window.
Avatar Mentality: Canine, Avatar Obedience/ Loyalty Factor: 10 out of 10.
Before you can react to what he has just done to you, you feel a very natural connection to this man. He turns to you and smiles. You smile back at him before panting happily in his presence.
“Down, Champ, down.” He tells you. Instantly you push off the wall next to your master and drop to all fours again. You look up at him before shuffling over to his side and playfully brushing your shaggy flank against his pant leg. Your owner and friend chuckles, and bends down to playfully scratch your back. You pant contentedly as you breathe in his scent and allow his scent to dominate you.
He scratches your shaggy head and smiles.
“Give me a minute to save the game, Champ, and then we can go back to my office and better acquaint ourselves.”
Obediently you sit on your shaggy haunches by your master’s side and pant, knowing full well that you are going to be a very good dog for him.