Control-Alt-Fix

PART TWO

 

Half an hour. I left him alone for half an hour. How could he cause so much trouble in only half an hour? I had my suspicions while I was waiting to collect the pizza, and there was chatter on the local forum about a strange prank. A guy dressed as a statue was scaring people in the statue garden, despite there being no such thing. But I passed it off as being a neighboring town. Then I thought something was wrong when I was held up in traffic due to animal control trying to subdue a bear that was digging through the trash, despite living nowhere near bear territory. But maybe it had escaped the zoo, what did I know? It wasn't until I came home to find my younger, unambitious roommate playing a game on my computer that my suspicions were actualized. Because I live alone. That young man used to be my girlfriend's son until he got his grubby hands all over my Neighborhood Creator...

I guess I can't completely blame Matty. I shouldn't have left him alone. I shouldn't have asked him to get the N64 from my study. I definitely should not have left that damned game running... How was he to know it was a reality altering device? That's not a normal thing to have access to. He was just having fun coming up with zany ideas. He's a creative kid. Was... Turning himself into my 26 year old co-worker and roommate was definitely a deliberate decision taken after learning the true potential of the game. It's just lucky that I arrived when I did. Who knows what else he could have done. Thank God I stepped in before his final adjustment to make us lovers could fully set in. That would have complicated matters. Dating both him and Kathy at the same time? Woof...

Neighborhood Creator causes nothing but trouble. Matty's a lot like Billy in a way. Creating chaos all in an attempt to forge a perfect life. Then one little misclick, and wham! You're stuck as a puppy, and your son's turned into a large, hairy man in his late thirties as a safeguard! Well, stuck isn't the correct word. I can quite easily turn him back into a man. I could turn myself back into a kid. I've mulled the decision over many a night, and I always come to the same conclusion - It's safer this way. If Billy were to ever regain his control over this game, there would be Hell to pay. Especially if he knows that I left him stuck in a permanently puppified state...

And to be honest, I've come to begrudgingly accept my manhood. I have an easy job, lots of money, and I'm pretty handsome if I do say so myself. I barely even remember being a kid. It literally feels like decades ago, thanks to the game's powerful reality altering effects. If I let my mind wander, I can forget my old life altogether and live in the moment. And that's how I feel whenever I'm with Kathy.

Cock-Up

The first mistake Richard made was drinking with his roommate, Johnny. He had moved in with the guy about 5 months ago, and they hadn't really bonded with each other until this moment. Richard was a very solitary man who kept to himself, while Johnny was an outgoing party animal who was out most nights. But he had wanted to get closer to him, if just to stave off the awkwardness whenever they were in the same room together. So when Johnny's plans fell through one night, he pushed himself to suggest binging a reality dating show together.

It started off casual. They chatted about their work, Richard worked in a deliveries warehouse, while Johnny worked in entertainment, shadowing an illustionist. He called himself a sorcerer's apprentice, but that was just the schmaltzy way of saying he did magic tricks. He even performed an impromptu show, making the dining room chairs and table hover and spin, which impressed Richard entirely. Although, he was a bit of a lightweight when it came to alcohol. He was already highly inebriated after his first beer. 

That was his second mistake. As his roommate moved on from the magic show, his focus drawn by a cheating scandal on TV, the conversation moved to sexual exploits. Johnny was quite boastful about his many soirées. Whereas, Richard was less than experienced. In fact, he couldn't stop himself from blurting out that he was still a virgin. The energy in the room changed as Johnny zoned in on his confession, asking how? Why? Why not? But Richard stayed evasive. Thankfully, all was forgotten as the fake tension of break-ups happened on the TV, but not entirely...

Over the next few days, Richard did his best to avoid Johnny, who seemed overly interested in him. Yeah, he was a virgin, but he didn't want to throw it away with just anyone. It's not like Johnny wasn't a hunk. He was a poster boy for good looks. But he was loud, abrasive, and far too into himself. Not to mention the laundry list of previous endeavours. No, he wanted his first time to be meaningful to both parties.

Finally, things came to a head one morning while Richard was mulling over Halloween costume ideas. Did he want to go as Joe Locke in Heartstoppers or Joe Locke in Agatha? As he shifted between his web browser tabs, Johnny stepped into his room with a confident rap on the door. "Dicky boy!" He declared with gusto. "I was thinking about your little V-card ish, and I have a proposition for ya."

It was the moment Richard had been dreading. He just had to rip off the band-aid. He cleared his throat and stumbled over his words as he tried to put him down gently. "Uhm, I'm flattered, but you're not exactly my type..."

Johnny broke into a broad grin. "Back atcha. I like a man with meat on his bones, and you're barely 120 pounds soaking wet." The lug broke into a boisterous laugh that Richard didn't join. He may not have wanted the attention, but could it have killed the guy to be less honest? Johnny wiped away a tear before continuing, "No, no. It sounds to me that you're not confident in your sexual prowess. So I figured we could practice a little."

"Meaning?"

"Well, if you had a better idea of how to do the do, then when it comes around, you'll know what to do."

It sounded ridiculous to Richard at first, although when he thought on it, it sort of made sense. He had the know-how, but it was all from watching porn. Without applying it practically, he might always psych up his first time into an impossibility. And he definitely didn't want that. So with a quiet sigh, he agreed to the peculiar idea. That was his final mistake.

The First Night

PART ONE

This was it, the night of the full moon. Tonight's the night... I tried to distract myself with a cheesy movie, but I couldn't help but check the clock every 5 minutes, or glance at the closed curtains, fighting the urge to throw them open. When was it supposed to happen? Was it going to hurt? What if nothing happened, would I be okay with that? I groaned, and shoved my face into a pillow. Why can't things be easy!?

It was only a month ago when my roommate, and now closest confidante, inadvertently revealed his deepest secret to me, a month since I unwittingly put myself at risk, and a month since I was infected... That night was such a blur now. I remember Harry changing, obviously. How could I forget the moment he transformed before my very eyes, his body twisting, contorting, and growing into a full-blown weredad. I didn't even know they existed until that moment. But after that, I only had vague memories of our bodies intertwining in the moonlight, as he pounded my ass in the cold night... Then, I remember waking up the following morning, both of us still in that forest. Harry was young again, and it was clear that we both regretted our actions.

That first night after, I was questioning everything. I didn't feel any different. I didn't look any different. Harry called them residual days, where the moon still looked full, but was waning in its power. He himself still changed, but he didn't get as old as that first night. He was still daddy material, with a beefy dadbod, and salt & pepper streaks through his hair, but noticeably younger than before. Meanwhile, I was still myself. Maybe I was a little hairier, and thicker. But if I was, I couldn't tell. I began to think I was immune, which was a little disappointing. But Harry said it was all part of the process. Nevertheless, we spent those nights in the bedroom. He broke out his leather, genuinely pleased to have a use for them again, and I offered my body up to him once again. Maybe in the hopes another few rounds would increase my likelihood of gaining that weredad status.

All was forgotten as the moon continued its cycle from full to new and back again. That is until the past week. I noticed something peculiar. I was finding myself drawn to the smell of leather and fine tobacco. The taste of a rare steak, and a good brandy. I felt a desire to wear a suit and tie that I'd never consider outside of a wedding. And even stranger, I was beginning to think of men around my age as being boys, and far younger than myself. I wanted to guide them, and teach them in the ways of the flesh, as they submitted their bodies to me... Even now, I get the chills thinking about it. Surely it meant something. That I was preparing for the change. But I was too scared to ask Harry about it, in case it wasn't...

DILF Elixir

It was mid-morning, and Trent was still resting in bed. He had no work, no plans, no responsibilities, except for sleep. That is, until he was rudely awoken by the curtains in the room being thrown open, and his boisterous husband bouncing onto the bed beside him. "Get up, sleepyhead" Frank cooed with a sharp prod.

"Mmm, noooo," Trent mumbled. "Sleep..."

"Don't you know what day it is?"

"Sunday," he grumbled. "The day of rest... So let me rest!" He dug himself under the covers further.

"It's not just any old Sunday. It's..."

"I'unno... S'not my birthday... Not yours..." Suddenly, he jolted upwards. "Fuck, it's not our anniversary, is it? It can't be..."

"No, of course not." Frank laughed. "Bit worrying you forgot we married in the winter... No, it's Father's Day!"

"Father's Day? You woke me up for that!? Our dads suck, you know that!"

Trent chucked a pillow at Frank, who only laughed at his partner's tantrum. "Well, I suppose I should just get rid of this then," he said, dangling a small bottle just teasingly out of reach.

Trent stared at the vial, a little confused, until his eyes widened in recognition of the shimmering blueish contents within. "Oh shit," he muttered. "Is that...? You didn't..."

One More Round

"fuck ur one hot dilf... i'd fcukin kll to b tat sexy at ur age. wanna get toggether some time??? i got a hard dock wiht ur nmae on it"

That was the message Isaac had sent while drunk last night, along with several embarrassing, innuendo-laden emojis. He couldn't stop cringing when he reread it the following morning. He had to stop drunk chatting up guys on his dating apps. He was barely able to type, and always came off as horny. Usually it led to nothing but being ghosted by potential hook-ups. Yet somehow, his drunk forwardness had brought him some luck. The DILF in question, a hunk by the name of AbrahamHarker1704, contacted him back.

"I would love to. See you tonite, handsome."

Since then, he'd been waiting impatiently all day. What if he was a catfish? What if he wasn't interested? What if he bailed? Finally, the doorbell rang. Isaac made a last minute mirror check, smoothing down his unruly curls, and straightening his shirt, before opening the door. He couldn't help but gasp as he saw the man on the other side. He really was a DILF. Stark silver hair, short scruff across his lantern jaw, and a beefy body just bursting out of his clothes. His bare arms were coated with silvery hairs, and the curls of chest hair peeking out from his shirt collar made him swoon.

"Hey there. You are Isaac, right?"

Isaac blushed, he realised he was simply staring. "Sorry, yes, hi. I guess I forgot how stunning you looked..."

"I've been told I have an alluring presence from time to time." He flashed a beautiful smile, and Isaac could have melted. The two stared until Abe coughed, and gestured inwards. "So... Can I come in?"

Isaac blushed once more, and stepped aside. "Of course, yeah!"

As Isaac closed the door behind him, he felt the man tug on his shoulder, spinning him around, and planting his lips directly on his own. Abe leaned back with a cheeky grin. "Mmm, you taste as good as I hoped you would..."

The North Pole Experience

The Christmas Market couldn’t come soon enough for the Phoenix Square Mall. Every year, the mall’s annual attendance was dwindling, but every Christmas was the busiest one yet. What was once a three week holiday event had been stretched to nearly six, with other underperforming annual events cancelled so that their budgets could go to the Christmas Market.

The cost was apparent to Avery and Christian as they walked into Phoenix Square. The entire atrium of the mall was now an enormous two-story snowglobe that you entered, a replica of a Dickensian village with fully functional holiday stores hawking their wares. Fake snow drifted down from the ceiling, and the air smelled like chestnuts and cinnamon - it was hard to tell whether the scent was authentic or piped in. Regardless, it sure made the place feel inviting, even cozy, which was impressive given its size.

The two young men were college roommates and, in their second year of living together, were now good friends as well. Whatever algorithm matched them up freshman year knew what it was doing. They were both meteorology majors who had no interest in being weathermen, but instead were fascinated by actual atmospheric science. That didn’t stop friends and family from treating them like weathermen, however. Especially as Christmas was approaching, all eyes were on them for predicting a white Christmas. With the big day still weeks away, they’d have more luck predicting next year’s Superbowl champions.

Outside of their passion for weather, they were also passionate gamers. Avery was an up-and-coming Twitch streamer whose fierce competitiveness and witty banter was giving him more notoriety every day. Meanwhile, Christian preferred to keep his gaming sessions private, even if he was a whiz at Minecraft who spent hours designing vast, intricate kingdoms in his spare time.

After a quick look around at the stalls selling handmade gifts, the two roommates settled on a bench outside of a larger than life gingerbread house that contained a stall selling sweet treats, its whimsical exterior and enticing aroma had suckered them in. It gave them an exceptional view of the very center of the atrium and its pièce de résistance - a giant, extravagantly decorated Christmas tree that almost touched the domed skylight it sat underneath. It was lavished with baubles and tinsel of shimmering gold and silver, wreaths of holly and poinsettias, life-size nutcrackers and bold colored presents. The glamorous star atop the tree glistened in the late morning sun, shining independent of the other sparkling decorations. It was almost too extravagant for the mall it preceded in.

Next to the tree was a rustic cottage painted a deep red hue and dusted with fake snow. The series of chain link ropes that led towards it were the only indicator for what was inside. Or rather, who would eventually be inside. With Halloween still fresh on the mind and Thanksgiving just around the corner, it appeared that the mall wasn’t quite ready for Santa Claus to make his appearance.

“Do kids even believe in the big guy these days?” Avery asked between sips of overpriced hot cocoa and gingerbread ‘roof tile’ cookies.

“Of course they do,” Christian replied with a small chuckle. “My nephew’s already written his letter to Santa.” He dug his phone out of his hoodie pocket and pulled up his family Whatsapp group as proof.

Avery rolled his eyes, scratching at the wispy goatee circling his chin. “Yeah, but he’s three. He probably thinks that surveillance elf moves on its own too.”

Christian groaned and jabbed Avery with his elbow. “Geez, who put coal in your stocking?”

“I’m just saying, I found out it was my parents before I even entered kindergarten.”

“Surprisingly, not everyone’s been desensitized to the holidays like you.”

“You would be too if you had to work retail. I still get flashbacks when I hear Jingle Bell Rock…”

After chugging the remnants of his cocoa, Christian stood up and stretched out his wiry body. “Well we’d better leave this Christmas hellhole before you get PTSD from the carolers.”

“Har har. Even you have to admit it’s too early to start celebrating. How can I celebrate Christmas when the leaves are still changing color?”

“Okay boomer…”

“Hey, you take that back!” Avery yelled as Christian jogged away with a cackle, his long, ginger hair bouncing with every step. Avery went to dart after him, but suddenly his way was blocked: a slim, short man in a jangly costume leapt into his path with a flourish and a smile.

“Pardon me, sir!” the ‘elf’ said, and Avery could see why the guy had been cast. He had a naturally smooth, youthful face and a petite build. The little pointy prosthetics he wore on the tops of his ears fit him well. “I’m Pippin, and I’m in need of some assistance.”

By this point, Christian had circled back to stand next to Avery. “How can we help you, Pippin?” he asked, earning a nudge in the ribs from Avery who could spot an impending sales pitch a mile away.

“As you know, we want every year at the Christmas Market to be the best year yet! This year we’ve added an interactive experience inspired by Santa Claus and his legendary workshop at the North Pole, and we’re looking for participants to playtest it to ensure it works and, more importantly, is fun! It would take up to two hours but you can check out at any time if it’s not for you, and there’s a handsome reward waiting at the end for those who complete it. I already have three testers ready, I’m just looking for two more to round out our group.”

“When would we need to come back?”

“Oh, it’s right now,” Pippin smiled.

“Oh.” Avery turned to Christian with a sigh. “Well, we were just about to, uhm…browse the sale in-”

“Oh, that can wait,” Christian interrupted. “The mall’s open for hours, this sounds interesting.”

Avery pulled Christian aside. “You seriously want to do this?”

“Why not? We were just talking about how we have nothing to do today. Besides, it sounds right up your alley. You always dreamed of being a games tester.“

"Yeah, video games! Not hokey Christmas carnival games!”

“Ohoho, this is more than a carnival,” Pippin piped up unannounced, making the men flinch from surprise. “It’s a multi-sensory, interactive experience that will fill you with holiday cheer!”

“See? People pay top dollar for things like this and he’s letting us try it out for free! Not only that, we’re getting paid at the end-”

“He didn’t say we’re getting paid, he said there’s a reward.”

“A handsome reward!” Pippin chimed in.

“And we can tap out if it sucks,” Christian reminded Avery. “I’ll just leave and grab some wings if I’m not having fun.” A sudden, sly grin crept across Christian’s lips. "Actually, how’s about we make things interesting? Whoever drops out first gets to clean the apartment for the next month. Plus, if you make it all the way to the end, we’ll go wherever you want to eat in the mall, dinner’s on me.”

“Oh, that’s sneaky. You know I love a good challenge…” Avery whined with a frown. He tapped his foot impatiently, then sighed and stuck out his hand. “You better be prepared to pay up. I’m thinking Korean barbecue for my victory meal.”

“We’ll see about that,” Christian replied as they shook on the arranged bet.

Halloween Costumes

Victor sat sulking in his room. Downstairs, he could hear the muffled buzz of activity as his brother prepared the house for the evening's festivities. Their parents were gone for the weekend and Lewis was going all out for Halloween and throwing a huge party, inviting practically everyone in town. Everyone but Victor. He asked to join, begged even, but Lewis was adamant that he wasn't allowed to join in the fun.

While Victor scrolled through YouTube to find a suitable unboxing video to take his mind off of the party, there was a knock at his bedroom door. Lewis entered almost immediately after, holding a flat cardboard box with a bold symbol on top for a store called Costume Plaza. "Hey, it's almost time for the party. You'd better suit up."

Victor sat up rigid. "You said I wasn't allowed to come!"

"Yeah, well I thought about what you said last night and decided that I'd take you up on your offer." He dumped the box on Victor's bed and turned to leave. "You'd better hurry, Bobby's already on his way."

Victor scrambled for the box and tore open the packaging. He cocked his head, confused. It was a black T-shirt, scruffy jeans, and a pair of sunglasses. After pulling everything out to ensure that was the costume, he found a small slip of paper. "Bouncer..." he read aloud. He recalled saying that he could man the door to the party, an obvious joke given how he was at least half the age and the size of all of the party attendees. Surely Lewis wasn't serious... Victor chuckled and mumbled aloud, "I don't know why he bothered. I have all this stuff in my wardrobe."

Still, Victor felt a weird urge to put the costume on. he felt a little embarrassed as he slipped the clothes on and they swamped him. Was this some sort of joke? Well at least the sunglasses would cover his shame, he thought as he slipped them onto his face.

The moment the lenses touched his face, he felt a jolt down his spine and found himself frozen in place. He winced in pain as his body inflated to match the costume size. He almost doubled his height while his body rapidly packed on the pounds, swelling up with thick muscle. His face itched as it squared off and prickly hairs crept across his cheeks. Finally, he felt a cool breeze as all the hair shed from his head. The moment he could move, Victor spun around and threw open his wardrobe, gasping as he looked in the mirror. He stared dumbstruck at the buff, bearded man reflected back. He felt his smooth scalp and his furry face. Then his massive muscles. 

More Captions!

Here are a few more captions for you guys to whet your appetites while I work on something a bit more substantial. Enjoy them!

(Age Swap, Young Adult < > Middle Age)

This app I downloaded is incredible! I was bored, as usual, and was looking for things to do when I came across it, the Life Changer. It looked like a Sims knock-off but I had nothing better to do. It asked a few questions, I took a selfie, and soon enough, there was this cartoonish avatar of myself on the screen. But there were options to change my avatar in so many ways, it was disorienting. I decided to try one thing, the life swap button. When I pressed it, it came up with options for everyone in a mile radius to me. My family, my neighbours, my friends. I didn't know so many people downloaded this app, but I didn't want any of them to be my avatar. 

I finally came across an unfamiliar face who wasn't butt-ugly. Jackson Reed, a buff looking man who lived outside of town, a personal fitness coach, and was currently in the park. He sounded perfect. I tapped the accept button and expected my avatar to change into that person. But what actually happened was surprising and so much better. I suddenly shot up in the air, gaining inches in seconds. My flabby body slimmed down in an instant, followed by a rapid bulking up of every muscle in my body. New hairs swirled across my chest and down my rock hard abs. In the mirror, I saw my face get more angular and my patchy stubble increased in density until I had a proper beard. Then wrinkles and grey hairs appeared.

As things came to an end, I leant against the doorway panting. I was huge! And so hairy... I had to take a picture to prove to myself it was real! I snatched the cap off my head, gasping at the sight of my bald head, then covered my crotch with it. There! I took the pics and chucked the hat to the side. My cock was so big and veiny now. I brushed a hand over my buff, hairy body with a smile. I stroked my scalp, shuddering at the feeling of my bald head. That would take some getting used to. Because there was no way I was swapping back! In fact, I quickly uninstalled the app before I could swap back. I feel a little bad for Jackson though, ending up with my previously unimpressive body. He's probably confused as heck, swimming in his baggy clothes as he tries to convince people he was a big muscleman only minutes earlier... Whelp, I can't help him now! He'll come to appreciate being a college drop-out eventually. Possibly. Meanwhile, I'm going to give my new mature body a night on the town!

Vignettes: Black Friday

For the first time ever, the Magic Curiosities Emporium is having its very own Black Friday sale, and it's all thanks to me. It's been a few years since Master Mitawi offered me the opportunity to work under him as his apprentice. Well, more like forced me after aging me thirty-something years and refusing to turn me back into a teenager, but that's water under the bridge! I've grown to enjoy my line of work, and I've improved in my own magical skills. In fact, it was me who suggested we join the other shops in Black Friday. Mitawi was unconvinced, until I explained how we could deliver magic while reducing waste. We have so much junk in storage, stuff we couldn't even give away because it doesn't work right, or needs to be disposed of properly, or could be "dangerous" if you sold it and how could you even suggest giving a child one of... Ahem... So, we're having a little clearance sale while it's the right time for it.

The bulk of our clearance comes from expired potions. Yup, even potions have use-by dates and when they're no longer viable for consumption, we have a very delicate and complicated process of neutralising the effects before dumping them. Because the potions are still magic, and will still do what's intended. It's just that they come bundled with unwanted side effects. Or maybe it's a welcome side effect, It depends on who you ask. We do also have the occasional non-potion item on sale as well. Products we can't sell due to them being packaged wrong, or they don't work quite as intended. Normally they'd be locked away until their magical properties wear off. Now we're selling them at highly discounted prices! We've made quite a few sales today, which made my master happy, and of course, the ensuing chaos we created was a fun bonus.

Cursed Necklace

Vignettes: Halloween Costumes

Miles entered Costume Plaza with awe. He'd never seen so many costumes in his life! He didn't know where to begin looking. He was eventually drawn to a rack near the entrance labelled "LAST MINUTE COSTUMES!". He swept through the rack, until he discovered a bag filled with army wear, labelled "Demolition Hawk". The name sounded somewhat familiar to him. Curious,  he brought the bag into the changing room to jog his memory. He pulled on a long pair of camouflage pants, slipped on the large, heavy boots, and stuck the helmet on his head. However, it seemed like an incomplete costume. Where was the shirt?

His question was answered when he felt a sudden pressure inside his body. He felt himself lurch up to the ceiling, almost doubling in height. Then his body burst outwards with pounds of muscle. His chest comically inflated like balloons into perfect slabs of luscious meat, while his stomach pulsated until a beautiful pair of abs emerged from within. His arms and legs swelled up in quick succession, growing to almost unrealistic proportions. Dark tattoos pierced through his skin, elaborately decorating his right arm and torso. His jawline reshaped itself into a squared off visage, finished off with a perfectly manicured beard.

Astonished, Miles ran a hand across his meaty body, feeling his plump pecs. He traced a finger across the tattoos that adorned his bicep, involuntarily flexing his arm in the process. He looked familiar somehow. He stroked his chin partially in thought, and partially to scratch his facial hair. Suddenly, he remembered. Demolition Hawk! From that gritty 90s army cartoon! He used to watch it with his dad all the time before he started school. He had always admired Demo, always wanted to be like him when he grew up. "Guess I got my wish" he said in a low, rumbling voice, flexing his arm with a grin. Hopefully the Halloween event didn't have too strict of a dress code.

Crystal Changes

Santa Hat 9

The Watch 2

The Watch

The Watch 3

Hairier

Costume Shop 4

Big Surprise

Coin Exchange 2

Coin Exchange

Uncertain Future

Saeculi Permuto 3

Saeculi Permuto 1

Saeculi Permuto 2

Saeculi Permuto 4