Let me tell you about my realisation that I could change anything I wanted about myself; it really did feel like I’d unlocked character customization! Who’da thunk it, that buying a little pair of boxers could really shift my entire view on what I could change about myself. This was also back in 2013 when, for a young 22-year-old AFAB person, it felt a lot less socially acceptable to wear boxers. I’m so glad I took the plunge and levelled up!
An update, I’ll be away next month because I got MARRIED! So look out for my next monthly comic in August!
Matt’s Notes!
Gamified explanation of what it is to feel at home in your self and body? Heck YES! A real Master Sword, slice of hope and positivity for any of you living in your own pre-boxer world. A huge thank you to Jey for this weeks comic!
If you want to keep us in the comic’s makin’ business, we’re in constant need for help and funding for comic’s like todays, consider helping us with a coffee’s worth of bucks each month, and we promise to put it to good use.
– The Oh Joy Sex Toy per-comic Patreon to directly support these comics
– The Erika Moen Monthly Patreon with her many art projects
Unlocking Character Customization by Jey Pawlik
Jey Pawlik is a nonbinary person with a short black haircut, glasses, and wears a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. The colour palette of this comic are greens and aqua colours paired with cartoony line art, plus pixelated art flourish to show Jey's mental and emotional status as if in an 8-bit video game.
Jey stands inside of the underwear section of a store in real life, looking insecurely at a rack of boxers.
Beside Jey floats:
Information Box: Quest: Purchase boxers
Jey's inventory supply box shoes that they already have a t-shirt, a bra, jeans, underwear, socks, and sneakers.
Jey's life stats shows one out of three pixelated hearts are full.
"Will I actually buy a pair today?" Jey asks themself as they look at the boxers. "Can I? Will they let me? Will someone stop me?" Jey sweats in anxiety and then pushes through with determination. A “Ka-ching!” appears at the bottom of the panel.
"Here you are." The friendly sales clerk says as they ring up Jey's boxers and put them in a bag. "Have a good day!"
"T-thanks." Jey stammers, still sweating with anxiety.
Information box: Quest: Completed.
Information box: Achievement Unlocked: Purchased first pair of boxers.
"I did it." Jey announces in disbelief and pride, while holding their bag of boxers. "I actually did it."
PAGE 2
Now home, Jey digs into their bag, gleefully declaring, "At long last. These are mine now." A holy light shines forth from the bag, illuminating Jey's delighted face.
The boxers float above Jey's head in triumph as triumphant 8-bit game music plays "DA DA DA DAAAAAA" and Jey celebrates beneath them with a "These are my boxers!" Glorious light radiates off the boxers, filling up the panel.
As Jey steps into their boxers for the first time, their life stat hearts fill up from one heart to all three.
PAGE 3
Information box: Achievement Unlocked: Gender Euphoria
Jey jumps in the air wearing a sports bra and their striped boxers. Pixelated hearts fill the air. "I was so scared to buy something I was told was 'not for me.' Even just a simple pair of boxers. I had no idea something so small could unlock such a monumental new feeling for me. I feel more like... ME!"
"Waaaaait a minute..." Jey interrupts their dance of joy with a pondering look, then with excited determination they conclude, "What ELSE can make me feel this way?"
Information box: Advanced character customization unlocked!
PAGE 4
With a mega fantasy sword, Jey slices through a game lock screen for Level 22 with a CHOP!
"Wow! Those boxers seem to have set in motion something... bigger? A fully unlocked character customization screen?! Holy crap! I'm UNSTOPPABLE!"
The Level 32 character stats screen is now visible, stating:
Name: Jey
Gender: Nonbinary
Pronouns: They/them
Sexuality: Queer
Appearance: Thick Glasses, Hair 30
Inventory: a patterned button-up collared shirt, black t-shirt, jeans, stripy boxers, patterned socks, brown stylish shoes.
"My name, my pronouns, what makes me happy--" Jey stands proudly wearing all the wardrobe items included in the stats box. "--I'm in charge of it all."
PAGE 5
Jey has aged up and is back to wearing just the boxers and nothing else while their chest shows top surgery scars, Jey gestures excitedly at their boxers, saying, "You wouldn't think that just buying underwear would affect me so much- but it really did. It was a crucial step in taking ownership of myself. My collection has grown since then, and I have too."
Jey, fully clothed in their outfit from the last inventory box, buys a small item in a box from another clerk at a store. "I've gotten much more confident and adventurous since that first quest." says Jey to us and then "Thanks!" to the clerk.
On the check-out desk is a poster with a little cartoon dong on it next to the words "SALE!"
Information box: New Master Quest: Pack and Play
SIX full pixelated hearts float above Jey's head, as they hold aloft their brand new prosthetic penis.
"Challenge accepted!" Jey declares. "+10 gender euphoria" appears beside the beaming dildo. "I wonder what this quest will unlock?"
By Jey Pawlik https://JPawlik.com
Published on June 6, 2023 at https://www.ohjoysextoy.com/unlocking-character-customization-jey-pawlik
Transcribed by Erika Moen 3/7/24 with edits from Jey Pawlik 3/824
