Jake, with a wry grin on his face, clicked on the 'Professional Gamer' option. Nothing seemed to happen for a moment, and then a prompt popped up with customizable details. He scrutinized the window, examining the strange words.
"I can adjust your skill level from 'mundane' to 'extravagant', huh?" Jake murmured with a chuckle, examining the sliding scale. "Well, if this actually works, might as well give it the full treatment."
With an exaggerated flourish, he dragged the slider all the way to 'extravagant', his finger slipping a bit on the mouse with his giddy anticipation. The next option, however, gave him pause. 'Awareness,' it read.
"Should he know about the changes," Jake mused aloud, arching an eyebrow, "or should he wake up, suddenly a prodigious talent?"
He considered it for a moment before finally, he decided against messing with Mike's awareness. Better to let Mike figure out on his own, Jake thought. It was more fun that way.
Jake, shrugged, and hit start, still unable to quite believe he was doing this. A tiny progress bar emerged, slowly filling up from 0% to 100%, with nothing else seeming to change.
Jake tilted his head, squinting at the slow progress of the bar, before letting out a stifled laugh. "Well, I guess that's anticlimactic," he muttered, unable to dismiss the needle-prick disappointment at the lack of grand transformation scene. "Would've been fun, though."
The shrill blast of an alarm cut through the low hum of the processor, emanating from Mike's room. He wordlessly and with abysmal coordination, whacked the offending device into submission with a newly formed paw. The unmistakable rustling sound of fur scraping against fabric followed, and that’s when Jake remained slack-jawed.
Mike slowly emerged from his room. He was no longer the lanky, unkempt human he had been before. Instead, he had transformed into a distinctly anthropomorphized opossum, his pyjamas stretched over his new body. His new grey fur was thick, velvety, untamed even. One could almost see individual tufts sticking out in various directions, gleaming subtly under the light like the sheen of a well-groomed pet.
His new snout was elongated, with a rounded tip at the end, reminding Jake of a canine on first instinct but the a more possum-like upon closer examination. His nose was black, stark against the sea of grey fur, twitching as he took in his surroundings.
His now significantly rotund ears oscillated, adjusting to the subtle changes in frequencies of the surroundings. A queer sight indeed, as they were a peculiar blend of rounded and pointy, just like a real opossum's would be. The fur on his head was a spectacular sight; a flamboyant gradient running from a fiery red at the base, gradually morphing into a bright orange and ending at a lively yellow on the tips. It was a display of color one could compare to a vibrant, setting sun against a calm evening sky.
Mike blinked, his dark, round eyes round and curiously innocent, taking in the sudden alteration in his environment, his long, pink tail twitching slightly, adding to the elaborate surrealism of the situation. Jake stared, wonder-struck and just a little terrified, at the human-opossum.
Mike, in his characteristically groggy state, shuffled into the kitchen. He yawned a wide, toothy yawn that revealed sharp, possum-like teeth. "Morning," he grunted casually, his words slightly muffled by his newfound snout. His long, naked tail traced idle patterns on the floor as he moved about the kitchen, fetching his breakfast.
Jake's eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement as he watched Mike pour a peculiar mix of cereal and milk into his bowl. The "cereal" was far from ordinary, being a motley assortment of oatmeal, varied insects, and a few unassuming worms.
Jake pulled a face, grimacing at the unusual food choice. As if sensing Jake's discomfort, Mike shot Jake a mischievous smirk, lifting the cereal-filled spoon towards him with a casual, "Want some?"
Jake's eyes widened, his nose scrunching involuntarily. He sputtered, attempting to restrain the wave of repulsion. "Uh, no thanks, Mike," Jake managed to cough out, his gaze darting from the squirming spoon back to his opossum friend. Confusing didn't even begin to describe this extraordinary morning spectacle.
"I'm a bit confused," Jake broached the topic, "I mean, what exactly is it that you do for a living?"
Mike's face was simplistic as he responded with a shrug, "I'm a gaming streamer," the words rolled off his elongated tongue as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I guess I could show you, if you want... that is, after I take a shower."
Jake thought over this new revelation. Gaming streamer. The term didn't really scream 'extravagant' by any stretch. However, he wasn't blind to Mike's incredible transformation. Perhaps the fantastic character design was a niche in the streaming genre. Deciding to see it through, Jake nodded.
As Mike finished his peculiar breakfast, he casually scooped up a leather suit. Jake watched, befuddled, as the man-opossum carried the strangely designed leather suit to the bathroom. The ensuing sounds indicated that Mike was taking a shower, and moments later the whirring of a hair dryer.
When Mike emerged from the bathroom, he was dressed head to tail in the peculiar leather suit. It was snug to his anthropomorphic form, caveat for a few designated holes; one for his head, a couple for his hands and feet, and lastly one for his tail.
"Follow me,", Mike instructed, unfazed by what had occurred, leading Jake away to new revelations.
Jake trailed behind Mike, entering his room that had undergone a surprising transition. His unassuming room was now sporting a neat gaming setup in one corner – with a gaming chair, professional lights, and a couple of cameras. The most eye-catching addition however, was a hexagonal platform, large enough for a person to stand.
As Mike fired up his computer, Jake's gaze followed Mike to his wardrobe. A trove of intriguing paraphernalia unfolded before Jake. Mike pulled out parts of a blue suit of armor. It was rich in detailing; blue boots with gilded rims, chest plate that fell to a groin guard, broad shoulder shields, every edge was lined in gold giving it a regal feel. A pair of red-orange rockets were affixed to the back of the armor, piquing Jake's curiosity.
He watched in unmasked bewilderment as Mike adorned himself in the suit, strapping on a pair of goggles. A final touch was a gleaming sword that fitted seamlessly into a designated slot between the armor and built-in rockets on his back.
Jake couldn't contain his puzzlement any longer. "Dude, what's with the fancy getup?" he asked, casting a glance around the now unfamiliar room.
Mike turned to him, a nonchalant shrug accompanying his answer. "Oh, this? It's just my work outfit," he chuckled. Mike saw Jake's clear confusion and hastily offered, "Want me to show you how it all works?" Jake, eager for some answers, agreed readily.
Mike punched in some settings on his PC, and the setup around him whirred to life. "I'll just do a quick stage for you. Nothing too fancy," Mike announced blithely. Jake avidly observed as Mike pressed a few more buttons and then pointed at a screen. "You'll watch me through here."
He had barely finished his sentence when he handed Jake a gaming headset. "You can talk to me through this."
Jake donned the headset just as Mike climbed onto the mysterious platform. In a blink, the world around Mike shimmered. Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, Mike froze and disintegrated, seamlessly melting into thin air. Simultaneously, a game booted up, its retro tune buzzing through the headset.
Jake watched in shock. The screen now displayed a pixelated world, together with a pixelated version of Mike. Jake quickly found his voice again. "Wait, so you're inside the game now?"
Mike's prompt answer sounded almost amused. "Yes, of course!"
Emulating a seasoned gamer, Mike moved around the game quickly, drawing his in-game sword. He dodged the attacks from enemy pixels that resembled pigs. His deft movements, the rhythmic slashing and the leaps enhanced by his rocket pack were all executed with an ease that belied their complexity. Points and power-ups accumulated rapidly as Mike navigated the level.
In a matter of minutes, the digital Mike crossed the finish line. Abruptly, a pixelated victory dance and stage clear music later, Mike appeared back on the platform, seemingly no worse for wear after his rapid disintegration and re-materialization stunt.
The spectacle left Jake in a state of utter awe. His friend had literally disappeared into a game only to reappear having single-handedly conquered a pixel world. It was mind-boggling, yet spectacular.