The hairy red-headed man, Frank leaned in over Jason's shoulder as he looked over the list of drinks and specialties. It was hard to believe he'd been perhaps three times Jason's age when he first entered the bar. Now the man looked to be about Jason's age.
Jason looked up at Tina. She'd gone back to handing out drinks to the other men and women (and variations thereof) around the bar. Jason spotted Andrea and the wolf-man laughing together. They seemed to be having a good time. Perhaps too good of a time as Andrea rubbed a hand through the fur on his arm. Of course, nothing escaped Tina. She snapped her fingers at the pair like a parent might do with a misbehaving child. "Hey! You know the rules. No hanky panky in the bar."
Andrea laughed. "Oh, Tina. We were only talking."
Tina raised an eyebrow and scowled, unconvinced. "Cute, Andrea, but don't think that I don't know you. If you want to have sexy times, do it at your own place. I don't want any baby making happening in this building. It makes a mess."
The wolf-man's ears pinned back in embarrassment, but Andrea continued to snort and giggle at Tina's comments. "That was just one time, Tina."
Tina handed a pair of fizzing drinks to a man and a woman before turning back to Andrea. "At least twice. Next time it happens, I'm spiking your drinks with Ken's Crotch Polisher. Three guesses as to what that does."
Andrea playfully glowered at Tina, leaning in over the mirrored bar. "You wouldn't dare."
Tina leaned on the bar, her face inches from Andrea's. "Oh, would I?"
There was a brief second where Jason was positive Tina was going to lean in and snog the other woman. But then Tina's straight face broke into a grin and snorting laughter. The two fell back from each other, laughing like old school friends. The wolf-man looked mildly confused, and merely watched the two break down into giggles.
Frank sighed. "Women. Be glad you ain't one, lad. They're perhaps the most confusing beast on this Earth." Then he leaned in and tapped the Mountain Man entry on Jason's list of drinks. "Go full-on man, lad. You're but a twig of a thing. Get a feel for what it's like to be a big, strapping bloke for once in your life!"
Jason shrugged, unsure. "Yeah, but Tina said-"
Frank tossed his hands up dismissively. "Bah! What does that lass know about what you can and cannae handle? Now are you a man, or you a boy?"
Jason nodded, considering Frank's advice. "Alright. I'll try it."
He looked up and saw Tina was already standing in front of him, an inscrutable expression on her face. In her hand was a tall glass of a dark, foamy beverage, looking to all the world like any other beer. She set the glass on the bar in front of him before smirking. "One Mountain Man, with all the fixings. Enjoy, Paul Bunyan." She turned to face Frank, her wry smirk now set in an annoyed sneer, the expression looking unnatural on her usually smiling face. "Whatever happens is on your head, Frank."
Frank rolled his eyes. "Easy, lass. The kid deserves to-"
Tina held up a hand, quieting him. "It's fine. Just keep an eye on him will ya? I've got a full house tonight. Keep him out of trouble." She turned, making her way to the other side of the bar and taking orders.
Jason looked down at the drink, the Mountain Man, sitting before him. He experimentally sniffed it. Oddly, the smell reminded him of a camping trip he'd once gone on as a kid. He had not enjoyed it, but had always liked the woody scent of the pine forest. He brought the glass close to his lips and glanced at Frank, who was watching him eagerly. "Here goes nothing, I guess." He took a drink.
It tasted just how it had smelled. It was like he was drinking a pine tree. But, somehow, it wasn't unpleasant, though it did have a bite to it. Jason grimaced and shuddered as he put the glass down, feeling the liquid slither down his esophagus. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Jason was about to try another drink before he felt a pulsing sensation throughout his body. It was akin to feeling his own heartbeat, but he could feel it pulsing from the center of his stomach, outward to the ends of his fingers and the bottoms of his toes. He held out and hand, and saw his slender digits subtly thicken. The fine hairs on his knuckles darkened in color and grew longer, as did the hair on the backs of his hands and up his arms.
"Woah," was all Jason could manage.
Frank laughed. "You like that, lad? Go on, have some more! Feel what it's like to be a real man!"
Harry, the teen turned middle-aged man from earlier caught wind of Frank's commotion. He leaned in over the bar to watch Jason's own transformation.
Jason took another drink, deeper this time. He set the glass down and looked down at his body, ready for the changes to continue. And continue they did. The hair on his arms dramatically thickened, just as his arms followed suit. His twiggy extremities filled out with muscle, his biceps quickly filling out the sleeves of his shirts. His chest also barreled out as a powerful itching engulfed his torso as new body hair began to fill in. Jason looked down at his reflection in the bar's mirrored surface, a look of wide-eyed wonderment plastered onto his face. His sorry excuse for facial hair darkened and thickened, much like the rest of his body hair. Scruff began sprouting from the rest of his jaw to join his chin, quickly forming and thickening beard. It wasn't just any beard, either, but a true mountain man's beard, long and thick. As Jason watched his face, he noticed the skin begin to weather, wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes, and lines etching into his enlarged forehead. Yes, his hairline was also receding, slowly but steadily. Jason ran a rough, calloused hand through his rapidly thinning hair, feeling a bald sport form on the back of his head. He also felt his jeans become uncomfortably tight, before snapping as his waistline bloated out with a belly. He certainly looked like a man who didn't skip out on his meat and potatoes. Without realizing he was doing it, Jason took another drink of his beer, as he had apparently been doing. Still, his jeans were beginning to tighten in a different area. The crotch of his pants became uncomfortably tight as the Adam's Delight portion of his drink kicked in, enhancing his masculine qualities.
Frank must have noticed Jason's look of discomfort. "Turn around, lad. Let me help you with that." Jason held out his legs and, after some tugging, Frank pulled the changing man's pants off, revealing his thick, hairy thighs and legs.
Jason looked down at himself. He was a very well built man, with thick muscles and a wide back. He had something of a belly, and a thin layer of softness seemed to cover his body and round out what was visible of his face, but he was certainly a powerful man. His hair had thinned dramatically, leaving only a thin strop of hair running across the top of his head, barely separating his receded hairline from his bald spot. His jaw was covered in a large, bushy beard and mustache, with flecks of grey in among the forest of dark brown. He looked to have aged a good twenty years or so. He traced the lines on his face with his thick, calloused fingers. He had the hands of a working man, someone who only rarely didn't find himself swinging an ax or carrying a load.
Jason tugged uncomfortably at his tight shirts. His graphic tee was only barely holding itself together, having ridden up his midsection as his torso had expanded, revealing his round, hairy stomach.
Frank looked the new mountain man up and down. "Looking good, lad. You'd make a fine man of the woods."
Jason was still admiring his thick, hairy arms, not used to being anything other than a beanpole. "Uh, thanks." He was surprised at how deep and gravely his voice sounded.
"Looking sharp, man."
Jason turned to face the other voice. It was Harry, the teen turned middle-aged man. He was grinning at Jason's new form. "Pretty brave for a first drink at Tina's."
Jason glanced over at Tina. She was still at the other end of the bar, passing out drinks to a thirsty crowd. He had no idea what to do next.