"Alright, heading out to the gym! See you later Ethan..." Brad knew somehow that he wouldn't regularly lift on a Sunday. It was most often a day off. But he hadn't exactly been keeping up with a regular gym schedule up to now, and he needed to make sure he could lift as much as he could in anticipation of the big competition. While he was intent on pursuing that competition, he was also admittedly a little surprised by how much the thought of it was really weighing on him. He thought that if he could win it, Janet would take him as seriously as some of the muscle men she fawned over in those old magazines.
"...Love you!" He teased again, one more time before he picked up his gym bag, making sure he had a post-gym shirt to wear, and workout gear including gloves, to head out to the gym. It would be a nice little jog out there, good enough to suffice as his cardio.
As Brad left after his breakfast, Ethan just seemed to stare at the newly wide back of his much changed older brother, wondering what brought this on.
Running out to the gym, Brad found himself thinking of his most recent changes.
While his biceps hadn't really advanced much further, as of yet, he was very fond of the developments in his core, his legs and his shoulders. He found himself more capable of assessing his physique and seeing the precise growths and developments that occurred - including during the growth spurts during the Viewings of that tape. He still didn't remember the name of the guy in the tape. But whoever he was, this Path was definitely an interesting one.
He knew his core had become really great looking. Just the way his obliques complimented the tone on his abdominals, each one strong and well formed, but not pushing out in a certain way. Sculpted, but not too brawny as to detract from his aesthetic.
Usually, Brad didn't really take his shirt off on the way to his gym appointments. Well, when he showed up for any track and field gym appointments. But he wasn't exactly the track and field guy any more. And he didn't want to get his shirt all sticky ahead of his workout. So for now, he just removed his shirt outright.
He noted to his satisfaction that people seemed to be stopping and looking at him. Usually he just went about his business, and everyone else did likewise. He hadn't however had much worth looking at. Not many people were that impressed by thin boy abs after all. However now his experience was different. Seeing so many people watching him, male and female alike...it really made Brad beam - feel all the better about doing this. They liked what they saw...
Meaning most likely, he and Janet were going to be having some fun tonight. If randoms liked the look he had now this much, he figured Janet - ever the muscle appreciator - would love to really get familiar with the new peaks of Brad's body. Just the thought of someone - especially his girlfriend - touching, appreciating and relishing in his physique, the fruit of hard work, had Brad realizing with a gulp that he was getting pretty excited. He was forced to stop running as he registered that his manhood was jiggling in front of him, sticking up a bit in the front of his workout pants - excited as can be.
"Woah, woah..." Brad chastised himself and hanged back by some nearby apartments, "Can't be heading in to the gym looking like this. Whew man, I swear, it feels like my testosterone is just flaring up." A wry smirk showed on his face as he waited for the arousal to abate. There was a good side to this distraction - and it was demonstrating to him that if anything his unit was keeping up with the physical developments.
He'd hate to have a small pecker and a big everything else, after all.
Eventually, Brad kept on moving after he was sure he'd cooled his jets - after all, he didn't want to spend too much time just laying on his laurels.
By the time he had made it to the gym, he managed to fit his shirt back on - the cut-off shirt ripping a little more as he fit the shirt back on, his sweat from the run making the fit even more rough. He ran a hand through his hair as he stepped inside, eager to experience the same kind of intense workout he'd had the prior day. Near on immediately, the young lady working the front desk just about gawked at Brad - both his showy gym attire getting a little more showy as he struggled to get it back on - as well as the differences between the Brad that showed up yesterday and the muscular stud that showed up today.
"I...uh," she started, "Welcome in, Brad. You're looking like you're in good shape today."
"What can I say?" Brad said with a smile, "I always put in my best effort nowadays." He raised an arm and pumped his bicep, watching her eyes immediately lock on to the taut, well formed muscle. Watching his bicep bulge with strength that she'd never seen Brad possess.
"Did you...?" She asked as she looked at Brad's hair, noting the new curly look it had, "Did you get a perm or something? It looks really good."
"Thank you," Brad responded, "Yeah, yeah I did. I figured it'd look good on me. And I'm glad that you think it does." He then paused and nodded, "By the by, did you hear that the school has an amateur bodybuilding contest?"
"That sounds...amazing." She looked at him and asked, "You're competing? I thought you were mostly a distance runner type?"
"Well, things change. Sometimes..." Brad hoisted his gym bag on his shoulder, checking in to the gym with his phone, "Sometimes things change quite a lot." Simply walking into the gym's workout area left Brad breathing in, just taking a look at the area around himself. For some reason he felt a lot more "at home" here now more than ever before. It was like he had a second house here at the gym, a place where he just...fit.
Before, he'd acclimated to the gym and exercise movements quickly. But today, he felt an immediate sense of knowing for where and what he could do for any given muscle group he might want to work. How long his breaks should be. The different parts of each individual muscle that needed to be worked. The kind of concentration he would need while he moved - and the post-exercise stretches and secondary movements he would be able to do to maximize the fruits of his efforts in the gym.
Deciding on a general upper body day, the best to really make a good showing tomorrow - with all his muscles pumped up and still showing strength at the sign ups - Brad went ahead right to the seated shoulder press first. Racking on a 45 lbs weight on each side, then a 10 lbs each side, he started stretching his shoulders, getting ready for the lift.
Finding himself pushing the weight with a good degree of effort, Brad breathed in and out as he maintained the form for the exercise. His shoulders already showing some degree of pump as he reached the fifth rep - he watched his reflection in the mirror across from him, making sure everything was in alignment. "Six...seven...eight..."
There were not that many people in attendance at the gym today, and Brad felt a sense of relief at that. It meant he could just enjoy the atmosphere and the sensation of his lifts. Still though, Brad hoped he wouldn't end up hard again. It would just be kind of awkward if he ended up doing certain exercises like that.
However while it was not quite as packed as it would normally be during the later hours, this was also a time in the day when the older lifters would use the machines. And today it seemed like Brad was getting some looks from the usual lifters there. People admiring him for his form - whereas most of the high school athletes usually had terrible form - but some just as well seeming to need a double take when they saw him. While he hadn't exactly been a common sight at the gym, Brad had been known at least by some of the guys in there.
And they both registered his new look, and saw something oddly familiar in the way and method in Brad's lifts.
"I swear, Barry," An older lifter named Clyde "Val" Wolfe commented as quietly as he could as he watched Brad go from one set of shoulder press to another, "He's gotten so clean at this. It kinda reminds me..." He then seemed to realize something, looked at his friend, and asked, "I must---I sound crazy, don't I? Regular nutty coo-coo crazy, huh?"
Clyde was about 53, aging out of his golden haired beach pretty boy looks - a few wrinkles peppered on his face along with crow's feet and a slight decline to his hairline. A few gray hairs peppered in among his flowing, magnificent eighties mullet, Clyde had never really left the eighties behind. His stringer tank top and gym pants showed a powerfully built if no longer quite so competition ready physique. His was a body from the old days, aesthetic even now and well formed. About five eleven, Clyde lifted now for health and maintaining as much of his body as he could going into middle age.
"You're not crazy, Clyde, because I'm seeing it too..." Barry whispered back as he stopped his set of T-Bar Rows, observing the young man on the shoulder press rack stop at ten reps once he reached four sets...and then pumped out five half-reps to really burn his shoulders. "I know Brad DiLaurentis. And that's...well, that is and that ain't Brad DiLaurentis. I trained with Bob, and Dorian, and Tom Platz, and Mentzer..."
Barry Washington was a 63 year old black former bodybuilder - and in worse shape now than Clyde's in, but he'd been by far in better condition than Clyde back in the day. His hair was all shaved off, his eyes almond colored. He however had suffered a rotator cuff injury that had only recently been patched up. Nowadays he mostly worked in local business. When Clyde got in touch with him, he decided to try and get back in as good shape as possible. It was a long and hard journey, but Barry didn't chafe at long hard journeys.
Barry recounted, "And I know how those guys workout. That Brad boy's trainin' like one of the old time greats. Not like he watched a video and is tryin' to do the form just right." Barry cupped his chin, "But it's like...he's got the same form, the same motion. So freaking much like Bob it's kinda weird."
Brad got up from his lift and went ahead to his next exercise, none the wiser about the talk going on in the background. As far as he was concerned, the guys in here could talk all they wanted. He was in here to lift, and enjoy the pump as much as he could. Picking up a pair of 30s and selecting a pair of 20s for the next exercise, Brad went ahead to hit the next part of his shoulders...
The lateral head of the shoulder contributed to the overall wideness of the physique, letting the competitor's form get that look. The wide, powerful physique that complimented the strength, width and spread of the back. As soon as he was done doing his lateral raises, he bent forward and started on rear delt raises, keeping a hugging motion forward, isolating the motion and keeping himself from involving any other muscle during the exercise.
All the while, Clyde and Barry talked more about the sight;
"You think this kid's just---I dunno, man," Clyde shrugged, "Just in the zone for that---that amateur contest in that local high school? I mean, you saw how intense that Doug kid hit it not too long ago, right?"
"I'm sure there's somethin' weird going on," Barry focused on the image of Brad doing his workout, "I know there's something here. And I'm gonna figure out what it is. I mean, what if he's like, gettin' himself hypnotized? Foolin' around with some kind of nonsense some quack doctor's offerin'? Like, gimme the moves of Bob Paris for like, 10k a week."
"How the blue hell's an eighteen year old supposed to afford that?" Clyde asked.
"I dunno, man." Barry paced back and forth, "But we gotta check in some time. See what's goin' on."
By the time Brad was done, he was sufficiently convinced that his shoulders were burned out. As he went about his workout, he did notice the two older lifters talking a bit in hushed tones, but he figured that was none of his business. He did entertain the idea of asking for their advice on some of his lifts, though he figured they had their own things going on. Ehh, besides, he had that tape that was supposedly putting him on some kinda bodybuilding path.
He figured he had all the help he needed.
By the time Brad got done with his workout, his already torn up cut-off shirt was damn near finished off - his sweat just about drenching the shirt. Bench press was hard as hell after already pushing his shoulders that far, but he'd managed to do some really good sets, following up with incline bench, dips, and decline dumbbell press - all the while feeling more and more thrilled that he was just this capable of pushing such weight.
He'd also done some bicep curls and while he'd assumed beforehand that he might need to do some pretty heavy weights on there to make sure he could feel the burn he was pleasantly surprised. It seemed like all he really needed to get some good work done on his biceps was a 20 lbs dumbbell, the same for some of the tricep overhead and kickback extensions that he did to compliment his bicep lifts. After all, a well made tricep complimented the size and thickness of a good bicep.
He wiped his forehead and made to head into the locker room to freshen up. The newly minted young bodybuilder knew that his girlfriend would prefer her hunk to be nicely washed and smelling nice after the gym, so he went ahead and - as soon as he was inside the locker room - he stripped down in front of the mirror.
He winced as he heard some more threads in his cut off top tearing in protest as he removed the top. His shorts followed, and then his underwear. He pulled his phone out of the shorts and texted Janet, [I think I need some new clothes babe. Can you pick me up at the gym?]
A moment, and he smiled when he saw the ... that indicated she was typing. [Be right over, big guy. Let's get you some stringers and athletic wear.]
For a moment, Brad really took in his nude physique. His wide eyed and handsome look, his muscled form, and how far he'd been able to go in just the span of two days. His body without blemishes, gloriously toned. He could almost feel like he could just make love here and now - to his reflection just as much as he could call Janet up and enjoy a booty call. On his part, however, he just consigned it to surprise at how far he'd gone - and joked, chuckling at how he had just assumed a light flexing pose, "I swear I'm not usually this narcissistic."
Putting his clothes and belongings in a locker, Brad went ahead to the showers, striding confidently by the mirrors. Watching his legs tense and flex as he walked. Seeing his abs as he passed. Usually not this narcissistic. He grinned.
As he started the shower, breathing a sigh of relief as he felt the hot water cascade down on his sore, worked muscles, Brad didn't hear someone else starting to get ready for the shower too. He'd never really used the gym showers before today, and largely because he wasn't confident enough to be naked at the same time as other guys. Hence why he rarely ever showered with the other guys on the track and field team.
But now that he was so muscled up, he didn't exactly figure he had much to hide. In fact, he spread his footing a bit, and shifted his posture. If some guy was gonna join him in the showers, they were gonna see just how built he was. So they could compare--- but then, when the guy did enter, Brad himself had to blink.
There weren't that many fifty three year olds built like this guy was built. He looked like an aged eighties star of some kind, down to the hair, and his body was amazingly well built. Even in terms of the bedroom stuff, Brad had to admit the guy was impressive - his bush was trimmed down to a light amount, his manhood hanging down long in front of rather small balls that indicated the methods used in the old days to get this big.
He adjusted the nozzle on the shower, washing his chest as he stood there. Then Clyde spoke up as he started another of the showers in the wash room up, "You were really hitting it hard out there today, man. I sometimes saw you in here before..." Clyde spoke as he started washing off the day's sweat and aches, "But never with these kinds of impressive results. You're something else, kid."
Brad smiled and honestly felt proud that a guy as accomplished as this was noticing how far he'd come in so little time. "Yeah, been...uh, been working pretty hard. My girlfriend loves the results though..." Brad adjusted the nozzle again and put his hands up behind his neck, smirking a little and flexing his arms and abs at the same time, "Yeah, she loves it."
Clyde for his part noted there was an oddly flirtatious note to the way that Brad was presenting himself now. Maybe it was something Brad didn't even notice in the way of his presentation. That sparkle in the young guy's eye, the posture of his right leg, the way he subtly adjusted his crotch forward... it was a sort of flirtation, and Clyde wondered if Brad even noticed what he was doing. "Yeah, my wife's been happy all these years with the kind of body I've gotten from my bodybuilding. It's great when your SO appreciates the hard work." Clyde pumped a bicep, and he saw Brad's eyes subtly travel to watch that then move back.
"Well," Brad started washing off his underarms, slipping soap along both his underarms and obliques to make sure he got all the spots there, "You're no slouch yourself. I swear, man..." Brad found himself able to evaluate Clyde's body as if it was an artistic undertaking, "You're...what? In your late thirties...? And you look this great?"
"Fifty three, young man," Clyde smiled widely and slapped his knee as he chuckled a bit, "You do know how to make me feel good about it though. Would you believe me if I told you I was a total pretty boy in the old days?"
"I'd believe it," Brad then teased him a bit, "I could see you being a total beach himbo."
"Would you believe I only learned what that word meant last month? I mean, bimbo's obvious, but it just didn't connect..." Clyde continued washing as he chatted with the confident and capable Brad, "Guess that's my ol' boomer brain talking then..." Clyde then looked at Brad, and said, "You uh...you doing anything to enhance the results?"
"Any steroids? No, not currently." Brad felt no compunction in relating that. He found himself - unlike when he was just a track athlete - not exactly feeling the same kind of aversion to the idea of PEDs as he normally would. They'd - if you got caught - ruin your chances. But seeing as Brad had no intention of continuing with distance running...well. He didn't have much reason to have such a reaction.
"Good boy," Clyde nodded, and then gestured at himself, "They don't shrink your dick, the way those dipshits in...what...DON'T? DON'T say they do. But what they will do is shrink your balls if you're not careful. For a while my wife then my girlfriend would tease me about how cute my balls looked." He reached down and cupped them, "Don't end up the cute balls guy, my man."
Brad laughed as he kept washing up, nodding along, "Will do man, will do." After all, a video tape that grows your muscles probably doesn't have much chance of damaging the family jewels and scepter...
By the time Brad was done showering he could really detect there was something about his and Clyde's discussion. He couldn't pinpoint it, but there was a sort of familiarity. A back and forth between them that seemed almost beyond friendly. It wasn't exactly something he could easily quantify, but he figured it was just the chat of two guys who really enjoyed the gym. As the two left the showers to get dressed, Brad found his voice catching in his throat as he wanted to say something. He bit his lip lightly, trying to urge himself on.
"You're...really a built guy, Clyde." Brad managed to say, sitting there by his locker. The lock was undone. His clothes were inside.
For a moment, Clyde and Brad just sat there. Clyde starting to pull on his gym pants, Brad still sitting there naked. It didn't take a genius to feel there was...something in the air. Almost. Certainly an energy of some sort. Brad didn't really yet connect it to any notion of sexuality. But there was something going on here. Was he being evaluated or something?
Clyde nodded, "You down for a workout next week? With how intense you go, I'm interested to see how well I can keep up."
"Sounds great, does Friday work?"
"Friday works great. My son is out early from school, and my wife wants to take him to the waterpark just off the highway." Clyde answered. He looked over - seeing Brad's muscles if anything looking more accentuated from the heat of the water, the steam to a degree clinging to his form even as he opened his locker, grabbed his towel from his bag and started drying off.
"I'll see you then." As soon as Brad got dressed, he headed out.
For his part, Clyde looked down at himself. He could feel the odd tension in the room, which seemed to have ramped up significantly throughout, and peaked at the end. He breathed, and found himself ruminating on the situation. Brad was acting in a really oddly flirty way. There was a homoerotic tendency that he wondered if the young man even noticed he had. It was so odd. To have him perhaps subconsciously acting and presenting himself in that way - after so many comparisons to Bob were made.
Bob was gay, after all. And watching Brad stride off in a tight v-neck t-shirt, strained to its limits, and jeans...well. Clyde had to wonder. He was definitely going to need to talk with Barry about this.
-------------------
By the time Brad met with Janet in the parking lot, Janet had already gotten a good deal of her homework done while waiting for her newly gym-obsessed boyfriend to get done with all his workout and freshening up. And that was when a couple bumps at the window made her almost leap out of her skin - and she saw Brad. An even more muscular Brad than yesterday. Her eyes thirstily traveled immediately over the v-neck t shirt that covered barely anything - the pectoral divot in the middle bared by the v. His shirt's sleeves strained over powerful biceps and triceps, and she swore she could see his abs right through his shirt.
Even his jeans didn't do their job very well. His quads swelled in the thick, denim material. His thighs pushed out behind them, necessitating a different stance from what Brad before this weekend utilized. Much more assertive, strong and powerful. It made Janet feel things for Brad - things that overrode the sensible worries she knew she should feel for the fact he had grown once, and then grown again like this. "I swear, Brad!" She said as she opened up her door and her boyfriend climbed in, "Is scaring me while I'm distracted just going to be your gym calling card?"
He could tell when she was legit offended, and when she was amused. This was the latter. "So...what do you think, babe?" Brad buckled in and flexed his chest, watching it really strain the front of his v-neck. "I got bigger. Again."
"We have got to figure out how this thing---this...Vertael...or whatever. How it keeps changing you like this." Janet stated as she started the car to get moving, but then just as quickly added, "Of course, I'm absolutely loving the results. Just...be careful with any more viewings after this, is all. I mean, we're still figuring out how any of this works."
"Don't worry babe, I'm not gonna become totally enamored with this." He waved his hand, "Besides. I can make my own progress from here. I figure all I got in terms of competition is a bunch of sweaty wannabe alpha male jock guys at the school. Not much to worry about in terms of the competition."
"I dunno, Brad..." Janet replied, "Doug Bryant is training really hard. You know they call him the Blond Goliath, right?" She did admit she had her own reasons for being cautious of Doug's ability. She and he had almost had a relationship all the way back in the early days. But even then Doug had been aggressively confrontational, competitive, and overeager to assert his position. He was a hellion of a kid who grew into a huge, muscled guy.
"Well, maybe they should be careful with what stories they reference." Brad stated confidently. He knew Doug well enough from school to know the guy mostly focused on football. But with now being the off-season, maybe there was reason to really amp up his workouts. Still no reason to hinge a lot on the tapes. He was confident he could reliably beat Doug on stage.
"Maybe so..." Janet decided to just see tomorrow how the two of them stacked up.
Before long, they were on the move to a local sporting apparel store called Elite Derby Sporting Goods. The two had driven past the store a couple of times, and it was a couple streets down from the gym. Not too far then from the still quite active market all this got started in. Once the two parked, Janet and Brad left the car and started to head inside - she locked up the car behind them with the keys.
The Elite Derby Sporting Goods store was all silvers, blues, and top to bottom advertised the fact this was a store that catered to those with an eye on fitness. There was a figure behind the store name hitting a double bicep flex, the outside of the figure lit up by shining blue lights that gave the place a certain eyecatching appeal. Right there in the doors there were shirts that demonstrated exactly what Brad hoped to acquire here - several shirt brands in the stringer style. All the better for him to grow into.
The inside was every bit as impressive. It almost reminded Brad and Janet of the inside of a gym just by the musical ambiance playing and the fact most of the store assistants and workers all seemed to at least be athletic, with the man working the front desk being a well built, and very handsome young latino - his black hair slicked back and a mischievous grin on his face, accentuated by his dimples. Strikingly, he had bright blue eyes, his olive colored skin shaved up and obviously moisturized. This was a young man who radiated from every expression "Hi there, I fuck."
"Welcome, welcome!" He gestured at the two, "I'm Sal - Sal Rodriguez, and I'm seeing a fella who definitely needs a new shirt - and his lovely lady friend here to enjoy the time too." Sal promptly raised an arm and showed off a pretty impressive bicep, "As you see, I buy here myself, and the shirts here are tailored for men and women with muscles..."
Brad nodded, "Yeah, I could do with some new shirts. I've been really hitting my bodybuilding routine lately..."
"And I can tell. Your lady friend is real blessed." Sal responded.
"That I am, Sal. My boyfriend's been really enjoying the gym lately." Admittedly, Janet found that Sal was just that charming. She knew it was probably rehearsed, and at least a little practiced. But there was an honest charm to the presentation. An unshakable confidence that guided most of the things he did. And she didn't feel that guilty feeling how charming he was - Brad seemed every bit as taken in by it.
And when Brad removed his shirt, trying his hardest to not damage his v-neck shirt, Sal outright whistled at the sight, "I mean, I'm usually the most built guy what walks in here, but hot damn! Holy shit bro, your body is fucking absurd! I'm seein' striations where I never seen em before!" Sal started appraising Brad's body, and Janet noted how pleased Brad was looking at this.
The young bodybuilder stated, "I'm looking for some new stringer shirts for---"
"Course you are." Sal gestured at one section of the sporting goods store, "Follow me over here."
Still shirtless, Brad followed - and saw Sal bringing over several stringer shirts of varying brands. They were all of various sizes, some larger than others, meant for Brad to grow into. After all he was very probably going to be growing into the muscled look of a bodybuilder going forward.
As Brad tried on shirt after shirt, he could see that Sal was still looking him over. The Latino - who seemed to just plain flirt with everyone - was definitely checking him out. Though still respecting Brad enough not to make it too overt, with the fact that Brad had a girlfriend in mind. Honestly, it was just kind of...flattering. A sort of respect. And the more that Brad put on these shirts, covering his chest and nipples only with a light piece of fabric connected to a section on the back...well...the more he liked it.
It showed off the results of all his hard work. That could not be oversold. After all the years of going ignored in terms of his body, Brad loved the idea of finally getting to show something off. To really be appreciated for something of his appearance. Janet would be able at any point to see the physique she had grown to love so much.
These shirts were just that much easier for him to see his muscle contractions and movements in. Better to see how his form was, and correct any inconsistencies in how he handled himself.
There was less of a sense that he was being choked by his own shirt. Now that he thought about it, Brad hoped to replace even more of his shirts with the shirts from here.
"I think I'm ready to buy these things, Sal."
"...Yeah, let's go." Sal seemed to have been anticipating something, though he didn't seem too bothered. Brad was pleased to note that the shirts weren't too terribly expensive, and there was a good little sale going on today. As he paid out for the shirts, he went ahead and outright stuffed his v-neck shirt in his pocket.
As he and Janet left with his new shirts, Brad looked at Janet and remarked, "He...sure seemed to like talking with me."
"He was bisexual, Brad." Janet giggled a little bit, amused by how it seemed Brad barely noticed, "I think he was really hoping you swung at least for both teams the same way he does."
"How could you tell?" Brad asked, cupping his chin as the two walked.
"How can you not?" Janet said, "I mean, he was really flirty with you, and he was clearly hoping I might be down for some sort of menage later of some sort..." She then admitted, "He was kind of a hottie, though. Not gonna lie."
"As hot as me?" Brad asked with faux concern writ through his voice.
"No chance." Janet shook her head. Before long the two of them got into the car and Janet started driving them out of there.
Brad leaned back and said, "How about we get some lunch at my place. Maybe see if we can evaluate what's going on with the tapes. See if we can figure something about about them." Sure Brad was well versed in the idea of not looking a gift horse in the mouth. But with so many tapes and the weirdness surrounding the salesman and this "Vertael" figure...? Well, he had ample reason to want to know what was going on before he played with anything more.
----------------------
Meanwhile, back at the DiLaurentis House, Dirk DiLaurentis looked at an old tape that seemed to have somehow ended up in the hallway. Tilting his head a little as he evaluated it, he figured he should get a look in the den at what was going on with it. His DVD player, one of many such devices he had in the den, was capable of playing these little old things. Maybe it was some sort of old exercise or celebrity chat VHS tape. Someone talking about things with a talk show host, that kind of thing.
For his part, Dirk DiLaurentis was a tall and rather thin man. His features were handsome in a rather old fashioned way but not that impressive by most modern standards. He was well kept, cleanshaven, lean and mostly just kept to himself in between trips to his work. His son got his dark hair from Dirk, though the older DiLaurentis was more pale than his son was on account of lacking that athletic energy. He was mostly absent from the house due to the scheduling on his computer data analysis job.
Dirk leaned forward as something strange started playing on the tape. It sounded like a soothing soundtrack that lured Dirk in. The older man felt his body stirring in a way strangely demanding. He remembered his younger years when his libido would flare up like this. He wasn't exactly the total bad boy, but he liked to think in the old days he was at least a bit of a rebel. Man if his wife saw him now... that would be totally embarrassing.
And he could see something playing in the footage. A reel of various old timey guys training and getting ready for some kind of muscular fitness event. The reel was all in black and white, and somehow it seemed to enhance the strength radiating through these guys' forms. It was just so weirdly impressive...and it made Dirk think with some degree of regret that he should reactivate his old gym membership.
He hadn't ever really used it - even though he got it more or less for free off of his job as part of the deal.
"Welcome, fitness traveler, to the Dream Halls. I'm your lovely host Vertael..." The voice just drew him in even more, though the name definitely seemed odd. "A father, the last generation...it befits you to feel the strength of the man who would play Hercules, no? One of the men counted as among the best of his time..."
"We will be giving you the path of Reg Park..." Dirk didn't even immediately know who that was, outside a vague recollection. But then right now he was entirely focused on his manhood seeming to be so hard it was almost pulsating in his pants. He didn't even care right now if his wife saw him like this. He just hoped Vertael finished him off - let him just---!!
A loud, masculine grunt before long from the den, followed by a thud. Then a groan as Dirk started to stir from the odd state he had been put in. Something seemed...different though. Dirk for now just laid there, figuring he could get up later. Not even knowing what had happened to him...
And about twenty minutes after, the sound of a car starting to drive up by the house...