Real life. Fantasy.

Dec. 22, Pineapple Cup '23

[WP] Humanity begins to undergo a transformation into fantasy creatures. You, along with everyone else, can control what creature you become, but the end result is permanent.

"You have 30 races to choose from, and that's what you picked!? That's so boring." Shawn was glad his best friend finally made a decision; but, he hoped for something more 'fantastical'.

"You chose Elf," Clara giggled at him as the pair of friends wandered the downtown area. It was a cool, sunny day and plenty of patrons were out and about bustling between shops. Ogres, mermaids, Elves, and more strange creatures could all be seen with only a handful of humans mixed in. This was the last day of the 'deadline', after today a choice would be made for those that hadn't picked yet. "Your choice is just as boring as mine," she stuck her tongue out at him as they turned a corner toward a tall white building.

"Not true! I have magic as an elf!" Shawn was quick to loose a fireball upward in the air to make his case.

"You have magic because you chose the wizard class," Clara shook her head at him with a smirk. "Choosing a race isn't that big a deal, I can still access any of the classes." Shawn had a habit of glossing over details, especially when it came to instructions. It was part of the reason they were such good friends. Clara appreciated having him around; it was a good reminder that she didn't always have to know everything for things to work out okay.

"But, you chose a boring class too...," Shawn whined. It'd been an excitement-filled few months since Sharp Development appeared. Their claims sounded insane at first; but, they quickly proved their capabilities and won over the Earth. Their latest project was 'Upgrading' the Earth by letting everyone create their new life by choosing from 30 classes and 30 races. At 17, Shawn was still young enough to hope for endless adventures with his best friend; and, part of that hope was a well-balanced team. Instead, Clara chose to be a monk.

"The idea is to group up with other people," Clara commented as they reached the white building and entered through the wide glass doors. Shawn held the door open for Clara and she walked in while continuing her thought. "Did you miss the part about alternate Earths? We're going to be meeting a lot of new strangers and the team supports six members."

"But, we don't have to, right?" Shawn asked. He led the way forward. He chose his new self over a month ago and knew the way. He preferred to keep to himself over meeting new people.

"We won't have to; it'll still be a good idea sometimes," Clara said. Shawn led them to a window with no line, then encouraged Clara forward.

"Hi, I want to pre-register for the Upgrade?" Clara slid her I.D. under the glass partition. The clerk nodded without looking at her; his attention was focused solely on a sporting event on the TV.

"Here's your node; welcome to the AlterNet," the clerk returned her I.D. with a clear glass card.

"That's it?" Clara asked Shawn the question because the clerk was too distracted by the TV. Though, it was amusing that she caught Shawn engrossed in the action too. Clara paid enough attention to see a teenage girl surrounded by giant spiders. She was confused until the camera angle changed. This time, it showed an overflowing stadium with five colored doors down in the center of the field. Each door had a jumbo screen above it showing a different person in a different environment.

"Yeah, that's it," Shawn looked at her long enough to nod before he focused on the TV again.

"What are you watching?" Shawn asked.

"It's the final match of the Pineapple Cup," the clerk said. "It just started; your node can tune you in," he said.

"Oh, thanks!" Shawn pulled his node out of his pocket; then, he realized Clara went to go sit down and he joined her.

"You don't mind if I do the tutorial here, right?" she asked. She wanted to be at the building in case she had any questions after.

"Nah, it's fine. I want to see what this game's about," he said. "But, maybe your choice isn't as boring as I thought," he added with a smile. He gestured at the node.

"There are some Humans on these teams and they're kind of amazing after all," he said.

"See?" she said. "'Human' wouldn't have been an option if we weren't already pretty fantastical."

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Cast: