The Process Forum - Four Types of Reactions (Mini-GTS/Slow/18+)

As it turns out, I'm going to be staying a bit late at work tonight. My options are:

a. post a few hours early
b. post a few hours late.

Thusly:

Act II: The Sun (A Mass of Incandescent Gas)

Bella, as it turned out, lived in a small suburban neighborhood a few miles up the highway from Zayne's place. The streets were clean and well-lit, and were lined with large, spreading oak trees. It seemed like a nice sort of place, good to settle down and raise a family. That is, if you were into that kind of thing.

It was nine thirty on the dot when Zayne pulled into Bella's driveway. He was nervous, predictably, but not nearly as much as he might have anticipated. Ever since the previous night a strangely peaceful feeling had come over him. It was, he thought, as if he was about to take an exam for which he was extremely well-prepared. The answers were inside him ? all he had to do was prove it.

Zayne made his way up the sidewalk, and knocked on her door. It took quite awhile before she answered. While he waited, he had plenty of time to remember Bella?s words from the previous day. She had mentioned that the drug would take at least an hour before its effects had fully worn off. ?Who knows how big I?ll get?? she had said. Well, he was certainly interested to find out. Although realistically, the stuff had probably all but run its course by the time they had gone home for the night. She couldn?t have gained much more than another half inch since then, perhaps an inch at the most.

The door cracked open, and Bella stood before him, her body outlined by a cheery yellow light coming from the room behind her. She was wearing a skimpy black dress, and his immediate thought was that the color looked great on her, a perfect contrast to the pale loveliness of her skin. The outfit was tight and revealing, though it probably hadn?t fit her this way when she?d originally purchased it. It looked as though it were designed for someone much smaller, and far less endowed. Her skirt was extremely short, the bottom of it perhaps a foot above her knee, and she was bearing what he might describe as a 'dangerous' amount of cleavage. The dress was held up by a razor-thin pair of spaghetti straps, leaving her well-toned arms exposed.

At first, Zayne wondered why she had thought it necessary to wear high heels, even after her recent increase in height. But now other details were beginning to jump out at him. Her entire body was curvier, more substantial. She looked as if she had gained a full cup size in the sixteen or so hours since he had last seen her. And then it hit him - she had grown at least three inches overnight.

She grinned at him, and gave him a cute little curtsey. ?Well? What do you think? It was the only thing in my closet that fit. Does it look alright?? She slowly turned three hundred sixty degrees, ostensibly to show off her outfit. Zayne strongly suspected that she actually wanted him to see the impressive new contour of her backside. For any red-blooded male it would have been next to impossible to miss.

?You look?incredible,? he told her, trying to keep his libido in check. ?That stuff really did a number on you. I thought you said the effects were going to taper off??

?I told you the theoretical rate of decay for PT-2715, given a normal dosage. But we can only guess how much of that stuff I absorbed before you got me to the shower.? She closed the door behind her, locking it, and offered Zayne her arm. He took it. ?I was almost this tall when I woke up this morning ? five six, if you were wondering ? so maybe this is as tall as I'm going to get. On the other hand, we ARE talking about a substance which is largely untested in humans thus far.? She leaned in close, whispering in his ear seductively. ?Who knows what the properties might be??

He might?ve asked her if having an experimental drug coursing through her veins was scary, or if it bothered her to have grown eight inches in less than a day. He might?ve, if he were a fool. From her mannerisms, and the smug look on her face, the answer to both questions was obvious.

Zayne opened the passenger side door of his car. He helped his date inside, and then climbed behind the wheel. ?So, what would you like to do? We could go get something to eat, or we could catch a movie. I printed out the schedule?.?

?Food sounds like a good idea. For some reason I'm absolutely ravenous today. Can?t imagine why.? They both laughed. ?I know a little place that I think you'll like. Turn right out of the driveway.? She directed him out of her neighborhood and onto the main drag towards downtown.

?So let?s see?stock ?getting to know you? questions?.? Zayne said, thinking. ?How about we start with where you went to school??

?Barnard College, in New York City. It was a tough couple of years for me, and I'm not just talking about the academics.?

?Oh? How come??

?Well, I grew up in rural Ohio, you see. A little one-horse town called Applecreek. Real slice of Americana. Everyone goes to the same church, everyone votes Republican. Nice enough place I guess, but I had to get out. After living there all my life, New York was a total culture-shock. The tall buildings, the people! And can you imagine trying to navigate a crowded city street when you?re as short as I am? Er, was, I guess I should say.

?Anyway, it was an adventure. I would highly recommend living in the big city before you die, at least for a while. It taught me to fend for myself. There are certain things you need to learn fast. What ally you don?t walk down. What bus you let just fly right on by. Oh, turn left here.?

He pulled onto a side street, the surface paved in old fashioned but well-maintained brick. ?It?s the big one right in front of you ? The Gandy Dancer. There, the valet lane.? He came to a stop, and they exited the car. A well-dressed man took Zayne?s keys, handing him a ticket. ?Shall we??

?I?m not sure if I?m dressed for something quite this fancy,? he said apprehensively. Zayne was wearing a pair of khaki pants and a blue button-up shirt. Both articles of clothing had been purchased earlier that day. ?Don't I need a jacket or something??

?You?re fine. This place is nice, but they?re also fairly laid back.? They walked through a pair of heavy double doors, and passed into a large open room. The floors were marble, with an image of a compass inscribed by the entryway. Four clocks hung on the wall above the hostess's booth, showing the time in Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver and Seattle.

?Interesting d?cor,? Zayne said, looking around.

?I'm glad you think so. Before Amtrak took over passenger rail service for the US, this used to be a train station. Those,? she said, pointing at the clocks, ?were some of the major stops on the old Cosmopolitan line. The name 'Gandy Dancer' is derived from an old slang term for railroad workers.?

He smirked at her. ?Been here before, I see??

?A few times,? she replied mildly. ?Usually by myself. See those plaques on the walls? They?re all about the history of this place. Fascinating stuff.?

?And here I thought you were just a chemistry nerd. I?m surprised there?s room enough in your head for much else.?

Bella laughed. ?I?ve always believed that it?s good to be well-rounded as a person. And by the way,? she leveled a menacing gaze at him, tempered somewhat by the wide grin on her face. ?I'm not that easy to typecast. Don?t ever make the mistake of thinking you can boil my whole personality down into one attribute again.?

A young lady dressed in a white shirt and apron came and led them to their table. They ordered drinks, Bella a White Zinfandel, Zayne a Jim Beam and Coke. ?Alright then, Mr. Williams,? she said a few minutes later, brandishing her wine glass at him like a club. ?What about you? Name, rank, serial number and all that.?

He sat up straight, taking a sip from his beverage. ?There isn?t that much to tell. I?m a local boy, born and raised. Never was much of a social butterfly growing up. I was the sort of kid who would rather spend Friday night at home playing video games than go out partying. I was such a dork?would you believe that I never tasted a drop of alcohol until my twenty-first birthday??

?Tragic,? she said, raising her glass to her lips.

?I know, right? Anyway, when I left high school I went to college in town. Bounced around for a few years trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. It was kind of a ?jack of all trades, master of none? situation. In the end I settled on Graphic Design. I was good at it, I guess you could say. Graduated second in my class. It was only then that I discovered out how God-awful the job market is for creative types these days. And so I was forced to take odd jobs here and there, trying to pay the bills. That's how I ended up at Palladian. I wish I could get work in my chosen field but...you either have to be the next Picasso, or have an in somewhere.?

?I don?t know about Picasso,? Bella interjected, ?but from what I saw your work looks amazing. That drawing you did of me?.? She smiled at the memory, looking off into the distance. ?It was almost photo-realistic. You did it in only a few minutes. AND you did it without being able to see my face.?

?Oh yes, as I recall you didn?t much want to look at me right then,? he said, rolling his eyes.

?Let?s not talk about that. I?m serious though. You're right, getting a job in design is tough. But I bet if you starting sending out copies of your work to art journals, they would publish your stuff in a second.?

Zayne chuckled. ?You know you?re the second woman to tell me that? In almost the same words, too.?

?Oh really?? she said, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded. ?She was a high school teacher of mine. Mrs. Rich, her name was. Sophomore year. Where I went, all the students were required to take an art class to graduate. One day she pulled me aside and suggested that I submit some of my Still Lifes to this local magazine, Full Circle. She said it would be a good experience for me, and it just might look good on a r?sum? some day, to be a published artist.

?Later that same day, she handed back grades on a project we'd just done. It was on human figures. They really weren't my thing in those days, and I got a D. So here I was, still thinking about my future in art, and I get this dropped into my lap. It sort of stuck in my craw. Now, I could've just drawn something easy sent it off. But I guess I felt like I had...something to prove?

?So ever since, whenever I've had a little spare time, I practice my figures. That was...let's see...eight years ago. And I never could quite nail the look that I was going for. It doesn't matter, in the broad scheme of things. Graphic Design is more about drawing logos than people. But, I'm still trying.?

?Are you kidding?? Bella asked incredulously, setting her drink down. ?It's good to have high standards, sure. But based on what I've seen, I don't know how much better you could possibly hope....?

?I appreciate the praise,? he interrupted. ?Really I do. But what you saw wasn't typical. I was...upset after our exchange. To be honest, I wasn't even thinking about what I was doing. There was just this image in my head. Of you. And I kind of...let it flow.? He rubbed his neck self-consciously. ?Maybe you're just that much of an inspiration.?

?That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,? Bella said, flashing him a thousand-watt smile. ?As far as the drawing goes...the only advice I can give you is to relax. Stop worrying about whether you're doing a good job or not. Believe in yourself. And maybe, if you're lucky, I'll keep inspiring you.? She winked at him, and then glanced down at the menu in front of her. ?Is April a better month for Maine lobster or Nova Scotian??

Zayne swallowed hard, noticing that none of the dishes listed on the menu included a price. What was that old adage? If you have to ask, you can't afford it? He tried to remember what the balance was on his credit card. As long as the check had cleared....

They had a pleasant dinner, chatting about nothing of consequence. When the waiter came to clear their plates, Bella ordered dessert. Zayne winced. At least she had been kind enough to ask for two spoons. The dish arrived, a slice of cheese cake, smothered in a light whipped cream and drizzled in chocolate sauce. It seemed to emanate an aura of deliciousness. Might as well enjoy this, he thought, and dug in.

Ten minutes later their check came, carried on a polished silver platter. Zayne immediately moved to take it, but before he could Bella reached out and snatched it away from him. ?Hey!? he objected, hiding most of his relief.

?Let me get this,? she said, her tone soothing. ?You drove, after all.?

?I really don't think the two are equivalent.?

?Alright, how about we call it thanks for saving me yesterday? If you hadn't reacted so quickly, who knows how much longer I would've been exposed to that drug?? Was there just the tiniest hint of regret in her voice? He must be imagining it. ?And if you still think I'm being too generous, then you could pay me back in another way.?

?Oh really? What kind of something are we talking about here?? he asked, his interest piqued.

She folded her arms across her chest, and leaned back in her chair. ?Take me someplace special.?

?Special??

?Your favorite place in the city. I don't know. It could be a club, or a coffee shop. Anything really. Just...show me where you go when you want to escape for a while.?

Zayne thought for a moment. ?I can do that. Are you ready to get out of here??

She nodded. The two of them stood up, and together they walked toward the exit. As they moved, Zayne couldn't help but notice the heads of every man in the restaurant turning to look at his companion. He felt a sudden irrational surge of jealousy, but then he had a realization. Even before her transformation, Bella had been almost startlingly attractive. She was taller now, and far more voluptuous, and to top it off she was wearing a dress that could burst off of her at any moment. But perhaps more than any physical changes, she now carried with her a subtle air of confidence. It was impossible to quantify, yet it was this, above all else, that made her desirable.

And she was with him!

Zayne reached out his arm, and wrapped it protectively around Bella's shoulder.

Chapter 2

The valet brought their car around, and Zayne opened the door for his date. She smiled her thanks and moved to climb inside, not bending over nearly far enough to enter the vehicle. At the last possible second she noticed that her face was about to collide with the doorframe. Bella double-clutched on her ankle, and with a gasp of surprise she spun toward the pavement.

Zayne dove forward, catching hold of her arm the instant before she hit the ground. “Th-thanks,” she said, obviously a bit shaken up. “That's the second time you've rescued me. I guess I'm still getting used to being so much bigger.”

“My pleasure,” he said. “Really had to roll a 20 on my Reflex Save there.”

Bella cocked her head at him. “What?”

“Never mind.” Oh well, he thought. No girl was perfect. They drove off into the night.

“So do you want to tell me where we're headed?” she asked after a few miles.

“Ah, no. It might be nice to know something that you don't, at least for a little while. We're almost there anyway.” Zayne turned the car into an opulent residential subdivision. The street was lined with widely spaced houses, many of them three or four stories tall. Bella looked at him quizzically, but remained silent. Soon they came to a gravel path branching off from the main road. He followed it, flicking on his high beams as they moved away from the glow of the street lights.

Abruptly the road came to an end. Zayne brought the car to a stop at the edge of a forest, and the two of them got out. “Where are we?” she asked, looking around.

“Come on, I'll show you. Just be careful, the path can get a little tricky.” He took her hand, and spent a moment getting his bearings in the darkness. Presently he located the trail, and together they walked off into the forest. Gradually the terrain became steeper, until they were both huffing and puffing with exertion.

After a few minutes they at last came to a clearing, lit by the pale blue glow of the waxing moon. Zayne signaled for her to stop, and they both took a short break to catch their breath. “I hope whatever is up here was worth all of that,” Bella said. “I'm not really dressed for hiking. The straps on this dress are starting to....”

“Shh,” he said, pointing. “Look.”

They had come to the top of a large hill, overlooking the city below. The night air was clear like polished crystal, and they could see for miles in any direction. There were tall buildings and bright lights off to the south, a small grouping of houses ringed by a golf course to the east. And to the north, miles and miles of seemingly empty landscape, dotted here and there by single, lonely points of light. A gentle breeze blew past them, carrying with it the faintest hint of autumn's approach.

“A couple of months ago, I wanted to draw a landscape,” Zayne told her. “So I went online and looked up the highest point in the county. The picture didn't turn out so well, but I still like to come up here from time to time, especially when I'm feeling stressed out. It's a great place to watch the sun rise after I get out of work, or to stargaze.”

“It's beautiful,” Bella said, her voice just above a whisper. “There's the hospital, I can see the helipad on the roof. And over there, that long one with all the American flags out front. That's Palladian Technologies, right?”

“Yeah, it is. And if you look over there, way off in the distance...can you see that green blinking light? That's the control tower over at the metro airport. It's almost thirty miles away, but on clear nights like this you can see....” Zayne turned to regard her, and his voice trailed off.

Bella seemed to have lost interest in the scenery. Instead, she was looking right at him, an expression of quiet awe etched on her face. The moonlight shone brilliantly upon her pale skin, giving her a mystical, ghostlike quality. Almost as if she were too lovely to be real.

“What is it?” she breathed, moving a little closer.

“It's just that...the way you're standing there...I was....” He reached up, brushing a few stray wisps of hair away from her eyes. “I was wondering how I could be so lucky. To be here, with you, right now.”

Neither one of them made the decision to initiate the kiss that followed. Rather, it happened because it was the only thing that COULD happen. As if by the authority of some inescapable law of nature, the two of them were drawn together. True, it was not the first time they had kissed. It had happened the night before, in a moment of passion.

But this was not the same. That other kiss had been born out of a simple burning desire, of the need for flesh to touch flesh. This time, the kiss was an affirmation. A thesis statement, that it might just be possible, after all, for two people who thought themselves strangers on this Earth to find someone who recognized them. And a shared hope that, some day soon, there could be much more between them.

When the kiss ended, they simply held each other. It could have been for a minute, or an hour. Time seemed to have lost all meaning for them. Eventually, Zayne cleared his throat. “Bella?” he whispered.

“Mmm?” she replied, giving him a squeeze.

“So how about it? Would you like to be my girlfriend? I mean, officially.”

It took her perhaps ten heartbeats to reply, and Zayne held his breath while he waited. “Officially?” she said at last. “Do we have to file for it down at the courthouse now?” She lifted her head to smirk at him. “Of course I will. Did you even have to ask?”

“No, I suppose I didn't.” They kissed again. This kiss was lighter, more playful. Their tongues wrestled back and forth, as though they were two rivals battling over contested territory. Zayne wrapped his arms tight around Bella, conscious of the firmness of her body pressing against him. His hand worked its way down her side, and without warning he gave her a sharp pinch on the behind. She squeaked, and responded by biting down on his upper lip. He released her in surprise, and she twisted away from his grasp, laughing.

“That'll teach ya,” she said, grinning at him malevolently. “Listen, I don't want to spoil such a perfect evening, but I'm starting to get a little cold. Mind if we head back?”

“Oh. Sure,” he replied, disappointed that the night was coming to an end so soon. “I can give you a ride back to your place.”

“Thanks. And when we get there, do you want to come in? Maybe watch a movie or something?”

He smiled. “I'd like that.” They held hands again as they made their way back down the hill. Bella swung her arm joyously as they walked, like a little girl on her way to the pony store. Once they were back in the car, Zayne turned on the heater and headed off in the direction of Bella's house. She closed her eyes, and rested her head on his shoulder.

“What's that tune you're humming?” she asked him after a few minutes, not looking up.

“Ah, I didn't know I WAS humming. It's something I catch myself doing once in awhile.”

“It was nice. Do you know what it was?”

He thought for a moment, trying to remember. “It was a Billy Joel song. For the Longest Time, I think it's called.” He sang a few bars for her.

I had second thoughts at the start
I said to myself, 'hold on to your heart'
Now I know the woman that you are
You're wonderful so far
And it's more than I hoped for

I don't care what consequence it brings
I have been a fool for lesser things
I want you so bad
I think you ought to know
That I intend to hold you
For the Longest Time.

“You really know how to make a girl feel special,” she told him when he had finished, snuggling closer to him.

Some time later he pulled into her driveway. She lead him up the sidewalk, and unlocked the front door. “Okay, this dress is KILLING me. Make yourself comfortable, I need to change.” Bella gave him a cryptic smile, and disappeared up the stairs.

Zayne amused himself by puttering around her living room. There was a comfy-looking leather sofa and matching love seat, as well as a polished oak table sitting in the middle of the room. A large picture window faced the street, obscured by a set of curtains. They were a dark, woodsy brown and were adorned with a ring of imitation ivy. There was an obvious nature theme to the room, and it worked well. Bella must have put a great deal of thought into decorating.

A few photos were hanging on the wall, and Zayne walked over to investigate. One was of an old lady, her arm draped around a man that presumably was her husband. Bella's grandparents, maybe? Another showed a woman, obviously Bella herself, dressed in a cap and gown. Two women were crowded around her, both grinning ear to ear, the older one tussling her hair. There was a certain family resemblance, and he guessed that they were her mother and sister. They both towered over Bella. He wondered idly what they, and the rest of her family for that matter, would think when they found out about her recent change in stature.

“Zayne hunnie,” called a voice from upstairs. It was the first time Bella had used this kind of familiar, romantic form of address, and it made him feel warm inside. “I left my purse on the coffee table. Would you bring it up for me please?”

“Sure thing, darling.” Darling. That wasn't quite right. He would have to work on it. Zayne found her handbag, and made his way up the stairs. There was a dim glow coming from one of the rooms, the sort one might expect from a fifteen watt lightbulb. He stepped through the door.

The d?cor of this room also had Bella's characteristic flair. The walls were painted in earth tones, with little red and gold speckles thrown about seemingly at random. There was a book case and a chest of drawers, each holding a small vase of wild flowers. Her bed was neatly made, with a thick green comforter resting underneath the half-naked girl. A number of pillows were scattered around the bed's surface, their covers appearing to have been sown by hand. The closet door was open, revealing....

Zayne's eyes gave an audible 'POP' sound.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last warning: starting tomorrow this story is NOT work safe.

And for those of you who are getting impatient: YES, there will be process. In nearly every chapter from here 'til the end of the story. Are you HAPPY? :p