Drunken Lullabies #9
By Bartan Tirix
The waves lightly rocked the beach house, and waking up the bear sleeping within it. Stretching himself over the large bed as the building faintly tilted, hearing the empty glass from last night even start to slide off the nightstand. Putting Bartan into alert mode as he made sure it didn't fall or break. Not really sure why he was so worried, just old reflexes kicking in. The glasses here were more durable than he was.
Another surprisingly heavy wave, actually being able to feel it through the gyro's stability. There must be a storm in the distance, slowly making its way here, and due to the silence of the home... Odds are everyone was out.
Doing what? He hardly new at this point. Swearing it's been harder and harder for Bartan to sleep lately that he couldn't keep their schedules straight, let alone his own. Just living by the moment and trying to survive the summer until it passed. At least here the others can control the temperature of both the beach mansion and the biodome itself. The "Hawaiin" weather was nice from time to time, but there was such a thing as "Too Hot".
...Usually for the bear, anything above freezing temperatures was 'uncomfortable heat', grumbling at the heat wave when he opened the trapdoor leading downstairs from the main bedroom. Still loving how it automatically slid closed after he reached the bottom of the stairway and into the dining area. Still not seeing any signs of people within the house, but a few dishes did remain on the tables.
They probably just went out for a good time, letting the furball get caught up in his sleep. Letting out a loud yawn as he continued down to the kitchen to make his morning coffee... Or Afternoon coffee, whatever. Barely noticing that he stepped on a post-it note that stuck to his hind paw until a few steps later. Making him grumble and use the other hind one to get it off.
...Only to get it stuck on that one too. Further getting the white one to grumble and shift back and forth until he gave up doing it the lazy way. Resting on his hip and tearing it off with a fore and looking at it with both paws. "New Experiment." He grumbled, reading out loud. "Whatever bodypart this touches will inflate. Have Fun. Signed, Dia'vidd. Made in Linet Labs."
Bartan stared at it for several moments before those ears fell and he whimpered, dropping the paper and scampering away when it tried to land on his belly. Still not feeling anything different as he took several moments to observe his body. Maybe it was just a joke then? Something to cause the bear to panic? Or maybe it was already used up earlier and was left here?
Whatever. The bear continued his task and prepared his coffee, still half zombified and actually wanting to just go back to sleep. The waves weren't helping by rocking the vacation home, making it that much harder to stay awake as he could smell the wonderful scent of the brew. Opening the cupboards to get his favorite mug, only to stop after picking it up... Did it feel smaller?
The bear's brown gaze looked down at his paws, studying their natural fluffiness and lightly wiggling their digits. Almost feeling like they were more... Dense? No. Not heavier... Tighter? "...Crapbaskets." Bartan grumbled, half irritated until he seen the white furs begin to slightly move; making way for the swelling paws that it protected.
Making sure his mug was put down properly, the furball nearly panicked. Not really sure what to do about such a thing, but it was best not to stay in the kitchen. Not enough room and way too many pointy things about. Attempting to walk into the hallway leading out onto the balcony outside the house, but that was significantly harder than he expected.
His hind paws were swelling out too, surprisingly not actually faster than the fores. As if they were being filled with air, and he was walking on balloons. Struggling to keep his balance against his shifting weight and the waves rocking the mansion-sized home; held up onto the surface by dozens upon dozens of large floating barrels.
And his paws were just starting to slightly bubble up! Raising the furs on everything just below his wrists/'ankles' as the bear whimpered. Feeling the skin and the pads underneath begin to stretch out and inflate underneath the bear, giving him more surface area to walk on, but their flexibility was making it incredibly difficult to stay up. Eventually tripping over them and landing on the wooden floors.
This is why his body had padding, he half grumbled looking at the progress of those paws. Actually witnessing the small black 'beans' slowly grow in real time, as if they were all connected to some invisible air tank and making Bartan whimper louder. Blushing at their progress while his digits made it that much harder to bend and flex prior to normal. Getting stiff and tight as they soon reached double their size...!
While he was still making his way through the kitchen. Close to the doorway that lead outside, now realizing that even if he got up to it, how was he going to open the darn knob with paws like this? Maybe with his maw if he had to, but first, he attempted to get back onto those swelling balloons he now called feet. Hearing them creak and groan against whatever rubbed on them as they blew up to triple their normal size, swearing that it was getting faster and faster as time went on!
Using the bare wall to help him to his paws, carefully taking one step at a time and actually needing to watch his progress along the floor. Constantly running into his own bloated digits and lightly clawing at them with his... Surprisingly still standard dull nails. Just thankful that he never sharpened them.
But with such tightness, it felt like the bear was flexing them constantly! One by one, each digit bubbling out into their own little nub in a near cartoonish style. Enlarging significantly ahead of the dark pads as the furs themselves start to dilute, leaving a white stretchy 'Vinyl-like' look and feel to Bartan's feet. Further making him whine as he approached the door, a single paw nearly about a quarter of the barrier's size.
He had to move quickly if he was going to get out in time! Attempting to snag the door handle with a lucky claw, but the digits were just too bloated! Trying to use the white balloons themselves and almost getting it, just not quite! Moving his paws to the sides; knocking over several things on the walls and nearby stands in the process, he tried to snatch it with his maw-!
Only to just snatch at the air! His paws were so big the furball couldn't lean forwards enough to grasp it with his muzzle! Trying to shift them around and lightly grazing the metal handle with a fang, but not enough! A second attempt was even further from success! Soon declaring such a task impossible with these gargantuan pads connected to him!
No way to break the door down, even attempting only wasted Bartan's time further as they continued to inflate! Getting tighter and tighter as time went on, yet, somehow more plushy against the rest of his form! Every press against it felt like an attempt to move a wall of cotton! One growing significantly larger by the minute...!
Attempting to head back out to find another way, the bear stumbled over his own feet. Easily about the very size of his fluffy body each; a volume close to that of a large refrigerator. Their squeaks and creeks getting louder as they continued to fill up the kitchen he was stuck in, doing his best to just paw his way into the dining area-!
Only to spot the door on the opposite side wide open! Scampering the best he can towards it; awkwardly crawling and climbing the floor with ballooned boxing gloves+feet! Knocking down countless objects and appliances, letting them land softly on the portable cushions and sometimes bounce off if they were heavy.
But the bear didn't care at the moment if anything was broken, which honestly he should've at least a little. Considering... 'pointy bits' along with the fact he was carrying four inflatable Billiards tables. Shimmying along the sides of the walls as he attempted to squeeze his way through the hall, almost as if swimming with a pump-up boogie board while in the air!
But eventually he got close enough to the doorway, shoving one of his ballooned forepaws in it- only for it to get stuck. Making Bartan whimper loudly as he attempted to squeeze it in, but the plush was just too much! Feeling so hollow and somehow stiff, the paw could only move back into the building while also continuing to grow.
A loud whimper as the constant creaks and groans were heard, the appendages all inflating relatively quickly now. Taking only a minute before the bear found himself stuck between all of them as they continued to inflate steadily. Swelling in all directions as each bit attempted to squeeze into every corner. His digits swelling over the counter space before slipping into the doorways that lead upstairs. The rest just steadily growing inside the kitchen, pushing the main body more and more towards the center of the room...
"Okay, okay. I think he's up." The white fox stated, snacking on her onion rings as the group rested on a grassy hill. The perfect view of the beach house and the ocean straight ahead while three feral wyrms stopped their concentration movements.
"I told you that would wake him up." Thea, the dark blue dragon, snorted at the others. Returning to his large towel- that was more of a bed comforter, honestly. While a large brass one and color shifting dragon moved to theirs.
"I still say an alarm clock would've done the trick." Beo, the metallic behemoth grumbled.
"But who would've set the alarm clock?" Dia questioned, turning pink with the much larger one gave him a nuzzle.
"Thea would've. It was his job."
"No, what I mean is: Bartan doesn't have an alarm clock. So it would be suspicious if one was suddenly woken up by it."
"Exactly!" Another snort from the dark one. "Which is why the wave thing is genius; it's more natural!" That brass muzzle tossed into the air, but he left it at that.
"Ohhh, I see some white." Kindle called, eating another one of her delicious O-shaped snacks. The group watching carefully as a large white bubble started pushing through the doorway. Then shoving out some windows. Slowly moving up to the second floor while the pressure began sending some of the wooden boards out of the walls. The ballooned digits starting to stick out a bit oddly, making the entire group tilt their heads. "Is...?"
"That a toe?" Linet; a white panther with black spots, questioned, getting the others to look at her in question. Shrugging at their looks and bluntly stating. "It worked on whatever he touched it with. Where did you even stick it, Dia?"
"About that..." The middle sized wyrm turned purple with shyness. "I... Actually ended up dropping it on the floor. The breeze got a hold of it."
"So... I set up my camera for Jinx for nothing?" Beo grumbled, nearly being interrupted by several loud squeaks and groans. The white balloons finally reaching up to the top floor and popping out the large Skylight, rapidly blowing a bubble in the process. "Okay, maybe not for Nothing, but..."
Then a series of loud wooden snaps from the building as it started to look really bloated. The walls actually bending from the durable blimp(s) within as they forced them outwards more and more. Battling with the sturdy built home as it slowly inflated to nearly double its size; a dozen white growing bubbles out of every possible window and door it had. "Everyone put on your safety goggles." Linet instructed them, getting everybody but the occupied fox anthro to do such.
"Eh, those things cost more lives than they save." Getting the group to stare at her for a few moments before the deep vocal groans of the building regained their attention. Pulsing larger and larger against the pressure of the enormous set of paws, reaching three times its size! Four! Five before the '''wooden''' structure (if one can even believe that) exploded into a shower of splinters and debris! Raining down over the beach including the spectators, and giving the fox munching on onion rings a toaster to the face.
Not like anyone was worried, struck in awe at the absolutely huge set of paws that were expanding over the waters; each about the size of a pair of oil tanker ships and growing! Each toe and digit rivaling the Ericsson Globe, quickly surpassing such an immense volume! Reflecting the sun's light brightly as the white vinyl-like shine stretched on! The group almost being able to hear the deep hisses from a half a mile away.
Kindle got up and brushed herself off. Looking over the scene for a moment before reaching for another pack of her favorite snack, got driving the attention away from anyone. "You okay?" Beo asked.
"Yep, donno what you're talking about."
"I told you taking the toaster to the dining room was a bad idea." Thea snorted, getting a stick tossed at him for the remark. "Uh..." He mumbled, watching the massive paws slowly creep up to them from growth alone.
"Are those...?" Dia cut in. "G-going to stop anytime soon?" For a moment, everyone looked at the white panther, getting her to double take and just shrug at them.
"...We should evacuate." The brass one bluntly stated, getting everyone to agree immediately as they did so. All while the paws continued to inflate larger and larger across the entire beach and out into the waters...
"How are we going to move him before the beach house repairs itself?"
