"W-Why?" James innocuously asked, a light smile tugging at his lips as he felt tingles running up from his stomach all the way through his body from head to toe. "This...this feels pretty good..." He knew he should be at least a little worried. After all, Nathan was obviously in distress about this. And to a degree he was worried. But he was also aware that holy shit this felt good. By now, James was wobbling on his feet - usually it would take a little blue pill to help him get well and truly excited, but right now James was almost embarrassingly erect. He also knew he should be a little more bashful, but hot damn...
As James stood there, the purely pleasant feeling rippling through his body from head to toe he was cognizant of everyone staring at him. And indeed, usually he would be a little more embarrassed about that - due to both his current condition, and a distinct feeling like, going by what Nathan said, there was something going on beyond just the sheer pleasure of the situation. But with the sensation as it was, James decided he would look into what was going on after he was done...exulting.
His body retrogressed in age in waves. The first time that it happened, just about everyone in the area was left staring as the various wrinkles and strains from age began to alleviate from James' features. The finer lines became less evident. The muscles that had started to weather with age became more supple. The gray hairs in and among his blond hairs began to become less prominent even as Tim blanched as he watched his father's hair grow slightly longer at the backs and at the bangs.
Nathan found himself adjusting his collar and awkwardly pushing it off of a suddenly quite sensitive nipple as he found himself staring at the increasingly young and handsome James. He had thought that he was only "if its you it's okay" for Tim, but was that whole bloodline the key to a---a gayer side of himself? He knew he'd never felt this way for any other man than Tim - and now, James.
James moaned, disrupting Nathan's thoughts and awkwardly pawed at himself despite his efforts to remain mostly chaste in his presentation - making Tim blush in the process, and Sarah Ramos found herself just as much blushing, though for other reasons. This was both astonishing to her, and inspired some hope. She'd pined for James for a long while now, and if he was being so open...maybe she had some chance with him. James left his forties behind as he regressed into his thirties...
The blond hair formerly kept so neat and clean upon his scalp fully committed to becoming longer, extending to his shoulders, looking more thick and even luscious to a degree. Sarah had never exactly seen a man with that kind of hair before. As for Tim and Nathan, both were left looking at the stunningly well muscled form of James - though there were some other things that Nathan found himself noting. The body hair that had shown a bit on James now seemed mostly gone. Had the transformation also come with a wax or something? It merited some further investigation.
By the time the changes finished, leaving James standing there out of breath, excited still - but blushing as he realized what he did in the heat of the moment. Tim stepped forward and asked in a quiet and rather astonished tone of voice, "D---Dad? Are you---are you alright?"
James for his part was still looking himself over, investigating the effect of having drank that peculiar, powerful water when he heard Tim's voice. He'd almost ignored his own grandson to focus on his renewed strength and youthful vigor, but remembering what that must've looked like made him reconsider. "I'm...I'm fine, Tim. I'm really more than fine, but I'm really mystified by what the hell did that? I mean, I never thought---was that the fountain of youth or something? Did anyone get where the---that water came from?"
Nathan stepped forward and gestured toward the spring, "Uh, I got it from that spring over there in the ruins." He left out how he had drank from the spring as well. And seeing how James had become so stunningly muscled and beautiful, it was renewing Nathan's desire to take another drink from the spring. What the hell was in that water?
"Well," James crossed his arms in front of his powerful chest, "I want you to take some more samples. We need to analyze what goes on in that water, its exact chemical properties, and how it did all of this." Even as the rest of the archaeological team blanched at the sight of him, James tried to conduct himself as he normally would - he did not intend to give up command just because he was a younger man now. Retrogressing did not remove the emotional maturity of his sixty five years. It just gave him the vitality of a younger man.
"Grandad...you're not gonna...?" Tim asked in a quiet voice.
"Considering it'd look kinda funny if I was being called grandpa or grandad by you, how about you just call me James for now?" James then shook his head, "I'm no junkie. I'm looking to quantify and understand what was going on with that water. What it did for me so far was amazing, but I'm not in any hurry to get more. Tim, if you see any side effects on me, let me know."
"Yes, Gr---James."
Before long, James ordered everyone back into their usual tasks. Tim for his part was joined by Zeke - who took a look toward the ruins and the spring with a certain curiosity. Timothy for his part found himself wondering. He was now if anything smaller yet again than his grandad. Whatever had regressed him had added back any size lost to age, and Tim was left looking at his own physique, wondering if the waters could add musculature like that. Curiosity burned at both Tim and Zeke as they went off to catalogue some other artifacts.
Tim for his part found himself adjusting his shirt again and thinking how good it must feel.
Zeke examining Tim and then thinking back to the former old man. He'd always played the wingman to Tim and joined him for libidinous fun, even occasionally having sex on the opposite bed in the same room. Finding himself watching the sweat-slick Tim give some college girl the time of her life. And he wondered if a little bit of that spring water magic might let him be the leader in their pursuits going forward...
Nathan for his part kept looking into the surrounding area of the ruins, his eyes darting back to the chamber with the spring more and more - but just as quickly found himself looking in again by the pool
Inside as he spied around, his eyes widened as he saw Sarah and James talking. The newly rejuvenated older man grinning and chatting up the younger woman. She seemed excited to be talking to James about whatever it was they were discussing. And Nathan doubted it was archaeology. Strangely, Nathan felt somewhat jealous of her - again mystifying himself with the degree to which he felt this kind of attraction to the Hallister men.
"Could I perhaps...?" He whispered to himself...
And then clapped a hand over his mouth as he saw James and Sarah heading toward James' tent. He never knew the older man to humor Sarah like that, let alone conducting himself as he did. But it looked like he was actually talking fairly closely to her. Nathan swore it looked almost flirtatious, though he was not sure if that was the facts or if it was his own issues talking.
He pondered when he became the sort to look around and considered what to do from here.
The pool was right there. He could take some samples...and possibly get a little more of a dose to try and become more James' equal. Or he could go ahead by James' tent and listen in. Possibly see or hear his crush through the bushes having sex...maybe? But the idea of the newly strong and handsome, immaculate James having sex with Sarah - a beautiful woman in her own right - set Nathan's lust aflame. He bit his lip, almost trembling with desire torn between two destinations...