The crystal ball has sat idle for years. It's on a shelf in the back of the shop, dusty and unused. It's slightly odd looking, with a small notch on the front of it. On the notch lays a coin slot. "The Crystal Ball of Desire! See who you truly are today!" is printed in faded letters on the front. It looks like it belongs in a cheap carnival. Of course, this crystal ball is much more than any carnival gimmick. It slowly but surely transforms whoever puts a coin into it. Each coin has a similar effect with varying intensity; the higher the coin's value, the more intense the transformation, with dollar coins being the most intense. A coin can be added after to intensify the transformation, but it can't be reversed unless it's brought back to the magic shop. Most people don't want to change back, though. The crystal ball also makes the subject seem normal (and can make them more attractive) to people who know them. Additionally, the crystal ball always changes the subject into an attractive woman, whether they were male or female to begin with. It also seems to affect families of those who use it, whether the family members use it or not. Finally, it changes their bedroom to fit their new personality and body. The crystal ball isn't beyond twisting a person's deepest desire into something perverted, however, so the magic shop's owner is always instructed to warn any potential buyers.
The crystal ball's days of being idle are numbered. Beth is an 18 year old college freshman who has just finished her first semester at the local community college. She's a cute brunette haired girl. Skinny and short at 5'2, she doesn't really attract any unwanted attention. She prefers to read her books and relax in the library as opposed to partying. To celebrate her perfect test scores, she's decided to buy herself a present.
"I deserve this." she says to herself quietly, as if to reassure herself. She had saved money just for this occasion, but spending too much made her nervous. "I worked my butt off all semester. I can reward myself sometimes." she says, still quietly, as she walks down her small town's main street. "Argh, but I could've done better. I know 97 was the highest grade in the class, but if I hadn't gotten that one wrong..." she said, before stopping in her tracks. "Oh wow, I never noticed this place before." She thinks to herself as she walks into the store, looking for something. She doesn't know what, but she knows that there has to be *something* she can treat herself with. Finally, she stumbles across it on a bottom shelf. A small crystal ball. She picks it up and goes to the counter, waiting for someone to ring her up. "That's weird. I don't believe in this stuff, and I don't usually like old, dusty things, but this crystal ball is just so cute!" she thinks to herself as the cashier walks up to the counter. "Hi there! Just this?" She asks. "Yes. How much do I owe you?" Beth asks. The cashier girl replies "$5. But be careful with this. It can be dangerous if you don't use it correctly." She says, bagging up Beth's crystal ball and giving her an instruction sheet. Beth doubts this as she hands the cashier a $5 bill. "Sure thing." Beth mumbles quietly, her introversion showing. She takes the bag and walks to her parent's house.
Once she gets home, she unwraps it and cleans it, really making it sparkle. Although it was still old-looking and faded, at least it was clean. Beth looks at the instructions and puts in a coin; as soon as she does that, the ball starts to glow! The faded letters reappear and the paint changes, making it look brand new! The crystal ball quickly shows Beth an image before it disappears, still glowing. "Wait, what just happened?!" Beth says, shocked, before she blanks out. "I bought the crystal ball like this..." she says in an obedient tone as the glow dies out. What was she doing again? Why was she in her room? She leaves her room to eat the dinner her mom's prepared, completely forgetting the entire ordeal. What did she see and what coin did she put in?