So. Nathan Dalton was a people pleaser.
Well, it is actually a bit more than that.
Nathan is the kind of guy who campaigns at his senior year student leadership elections purely on whatever seems to get the most traction. He would say and do whatever he needed to in order to ensure the people around him liked him. He would style his hair in whatever way the majority of people said they liked. If pressed about it, he would admit he just enjoyed being liked. There was again, more to it. It wasn't just that Nathan enjoyed being liked. It was that he enjoyed being seen as too good - too pure - and endlessly worthy of praise. Such that when he did things like skim money from the funds at the school's club resources, and cheat on his girlfriend with numerous out of town women and men alike, nobody would really think he could do such a thing.
After all, Nathan was such a sweet, nice guy. If you were having a bad day, he would immediately sidle on up to you and start hearing you out. If he heard you were having a good day, he would be the first one around to make sure you had someone to enjoy the moment with. It was probably helped by the fact Nathan was, by all metrics, a goddamned stud. 18 years old, and he had strong six pack abs, a broad, muscular chest, wide, strong, broad shoulders and thick arms. He didn't exactly flaunt it - and he maintained a rather soft facial look, never even entertaining the idea of facial hair. His light brown hair and pristine, bright baby blue eyes...together with his olive tanned skin, it gave him a certain romantic image.
He walked on strong legs, and he thrust in his lovers powered by powerfully built thighs and glutes. For all that Nathan wore brightly colored jackets, polo shirts and baggy pants, if you looked at him without his finery, you would see a vastly different boy. And Nathan was not the sort to advertise that he was ever anything but wholesome. A regular "Aw Gosh" teen ripped from an earlier, more idealistic time. A lie that he wore because it was just so appealing.
But Nathan had been caught. He just didn't know it yet. His girlfriend's mother worked at the school, and she managed to ascertain through some lucky timing and a volunteer spot the right position at the right time...to know that Nathan was fake. Nathan had always been fake. And she wasn't just an older woman. She had some kind of old craft. It had withered with time, barely extant even within her. She knew the words, knew the methods, but it was a failing, dying thing. An old tradition that was on its last legs.
She knew not a person would believe her if she came forward against "The Favorite" Nathan Dalton. Even her daughter Celia would sooner believe Nathan above her own mother. Such was the hold that boy had on her. He just needed to say the magic words, and she would be set - even against family. But Old Elianne knew. She could do something. Try something. She could let him truly feel just what it meant...to be a people pleaser. She put a curse upon him. Put a curse wrought on him in such a way that he would change. Nathan Dalton would change pending on how people perceived him, and what they thought about when they looked at him.
The longer the thought happened, the more enduring the perception, the further it would go.
The change would fade and revert as soon as the thinker was out of his vicinity. But with so many people looking at him? Things were bound to get interesting for the vain people pleaser.
But, of course, Nathan wouldn't have any way of knowing about any of this all.
Nathan was just...waking...up.
Two strong, muscular legs swung out of Nathan Dalton's bed. A quick glance at the bedside mirror, then at his desk, laptop, and chair - making sure all things were in order, exactly as he left them. It was a ritual he maintained, for the sake of safety. After all, 8 to 10 hours was a long time to not be aware. Nathan pulled himself up, grinned at his reflection, and grabbed his comb and some hair gel. He began parting his hair at the middle. Styling it off to the sides. Applying gel to get it to stay.
Nathan stood in front of his mirror...biting his lip and coyly smiling in a certain boyish kind of way. Giving that charming look...and then he flexed. Nathan suddenly just scowled, sneered, and pumped his arms up, spreading his lats wide, and looked at his strong set abs, his broad chest, and his big strong arms. He knelt forward and did a little bodybuilder pose, and enjoyed how his body's hairless aesthetic looked.
The grinning boy stood again, and grabbed his electric razor. He began preening, trimming whatever little bits of body hair dared show up on the otherwise picturesque form. One of the downsides of Italian ancestry - you tended toward being hairy. And it took a while for the town's most gorgeous son to look like this. And it needed as much upkeep as he could give. Nathan was quite proud that he never went to school with so much as a whisker on his cheek.
He cupped his cock, his nine inch monster, and thought about last night.
About the twink he made fucking choke on his dick. Right after getting two girls to do some muscle worship on him. Sure, these trips to the seedier elements of neighboring SF were bought and paid for by school finances. But wasn't the school leadership electorate money supposed to be going to good causes? Nate getting to enjoy his life seemed to be a pretty good cause. Now, Nate came from a rather comfortably middle class family, so he didn't even necessarily want for money all that much.
It was just that what he had...all that...it just plum wasn't enough, honey.
Nathan grinned at his reflection. "Time for another fine day at school, big man. Let's blow em away." One more cheeky flex at his reflection, and Nathan marched over to his closet. Throwing out a red t-shirt, a blue and white long sleeved jacket, box underwear, black jeans, and a pair of ankle socks. He then walked backwards back over to his bed, and threw on the shirt, his underwear and jeans. Followed by his long sleeved jacket.
As he slipped on his socks and sneaker shoes, Nate looked at the mirror. He preened and enjoyed his big, strong body in private. But he hardly showed it all off in public. Even at the gym, he would only ever workout in a white short sleeved t-shirt and pants. Vanity - especially public vanity - gave the game away. So he wore clothes that while they looked good, they didn't exactly show off what he was working with. He let his handsome features communicate just how desirable he was in public.
And Nathan was desirable. He knew it. Knew it as he swaggered out of his room, grabbed his backpack off the sofa in the living room and walked into the kitchen to enjoy his meal prep. Nathan played it coy with his girlfriend. With any of the people he knew from around town. Always an "Aww, you're always so nice to me!", or a "You just think so darn much...", when in reality, Nathan knew what he did. Knew what he was, how he looked, and how to take advantage of that.
As usual, he had boneless, skinless chicken, seasoned with some light chili and peppers, some protein tortillas, an apple, and a rice crispy. As he sat down to eat, his mom came down to meet him. Elisabeth Dalton was a former exercise video star, though those days were long behind her, and she had settled into comfortable middle class life. Not that Nathan appreciated that. As far as he was concerned, he wished his mom had done more to keep herself famous...
Purely so he could fuck famous girls.
Like most people, she was completely oblivious as to the character of the boy she'd raised. Nathan had been cautious around the home. He certainly never brought his dates home. She sipped at a cup of coffee, and smiled at the sight of him, "How's my strong leadership boy...?"
"I'm doing great today, mom! My girlfriend and I might have a date tonight!" He beamed, even as he found himself musing on Celia while tugging at his shirt. Little did he know, his mother's regard - seeing her son as strong, vital and someone deserving of her pride - made him slightly swell with muscle. His already potent body starting to push at his shirt and jeans in certain places. Not that Nathan showed any notice or alarm of that.
Indeed, it was a slight enough effect he barely noticed!
"You two are so sweet..." His mom sighed, "You always treat her right, don't you?"
"Oh, yeah, mom, definitely." Nathan grinned. And that wasn't actually a lie by certain metrics. Sure, he cheated. But it took a boar of a man to hurt a girl or abuse them. And those types would always be found out. Their malignity would be sussed out, because it was impossible to conceal in 2024 - and nobody would take it long. From a purely pragmatic perspective, Nathan was nothing if not the ideal boyfriend...
If only to make sure that his girlfriend thought the world of him. As he liked.
By the time Nathan finished eating, he waved at his mom as he got ready for school and the gym after. Packing his lunch bag with some health foods, and his school bag with not just fresh supplies but some water bottles stocked with creatine, Nathan was ready for the day. Or at least, he thought he was.
As he stepped outside into the cul-de-sac, the change from his mother already fading as he left... he was on his way out to the road to Northridge Heights High, and Nathan was already thinking about what he'd get to do tonight. He'd pump some iron in the gym, he'd meet his girlfriend after, and they'd fuck in his car. He couldn't get too freaky with it, but he felt like getting his muscles appreciated again.
As he walked, he eventually saw Celia approaching the same intersection on their way to school. Nathan's girl was a tall, vivacious 18 year old - the regular prom queen to his prom king. She had long, black hair, green eyes, and a slightly milky, pale countenance. As Celia looked at Nathan, she found herself thinking as she examined him...