Jason stared at the man in the mirror, the reflection that couldn't have been his own body and yet it was. The wide, muscular man with the small gut. The hairy, balding man with the thick beard. The majestic, middle-aged outdoorsman. It was the complete opposite to who he used to be, and it was a lot to take in. He no longer felt timid and anxious about his life, he was a confident and overzealous man now, someone proud to be who he was and wasn't going to take any flack from anyone. He looked down at the graphic tee that was just barely holding it together across his wide chest and shoulders. He grunted and ripped it straight off his body with no effort at all. He leered at his accomplishment, flexing his plump pecs in the mirror. He'd never felt so strong, so powerful before. And he wanted more. "Another..." he muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?" Frank asked.
"Another!" Jason roared a little too enthusiastically.
Frank's eyes widen and he said "Another Mountain Man? Don't you think one is enough? You're already more than man enough as you are now. At least have the individual components instead of the full drink. A Muscle Toner or a Fuzz Muster by itself would do even more wonders to you but another Mountain Man'll ruin you!"
Jason's hands balled into fists as he felt an uncharacteristic rage build within him."What? Are you saying I can't handle another drink? That I'm too weak?"
Frank stammered "Aww jeez... No, I mean..."
"He doesn't want you get to get old and fat like he was". Jason turned to see Harry had moved up the bar to a seat nearer to him. He still looked as burly and hairy as he did earlier yet it wasn't as impressive to Jason now that they were similar ages and now he was manliness personified. "But what does he know? He doesn't appreciate his age and maturity like we do. He's in here every night getting a Youthenizer, trying to capture the lost days of his youth"
Frank spat back "That's pretty rich coming from a snot-nosed kid who feels that artificially aging himself to a mid-life crisis somehow makes him more superior and mature when he's just immature like everyone else his true age. And that's not the main reason he can't have another. This drink is one of the few that increases a person's aggression. I can't let you be getting all mad over nothing. Tina trusted me with your safety and I ain't letting her down again".
Harry rolled his eyes and said "He looks fine to me. And he'll look even better after another Mountain Man. I say you should trust your gut and have another one"
Jason nodded at the man's words. While he had noticed he felt less patient and more aggressive than he normally would, the rush of power and confidence he felt kept him in check. Besides, it was his choice after all, he didn't have to listen to a man who was insecure enough with his age to use potions that kept him young. Tina had managed to find time between getting drinks for other people to come and check up on Jason. She whistled loudly as she walked down the bar. "Hooo boy, check out our mountain man! That is very impressive for a first timer's drink. How does it feel?"
Jason grinned at her reaction, his mouth just about visible through the mass of hair covering his face. "I feel incredible, magnificent even! I never dreamed I could be so large and hairy, nobody in my family even looks like this"
"I did have my doubts but you seem to be taking it well. You up for another order? Maybe some Head O'Hare to bring back your former mane? Or is that enough change for the night?"
Jason stood tall and confidently said "As a matter of fact, I'll take another Mountain Man"
Tina gave Frank a horrid stare, who shrugged his shoulders and said "Don't look at me, I told him not to have another. It's Tom Hanks over there who encouraged him with his yammering on about the wonders of maturity and what not. Bah! Let 'im have it, then he can see why I'd rather be his age instead".
"You know that's not what I'm worried about Frank. It's the fist fights, meltdowns, and hyped up sex drive that comes from too much TestosteGrow. And I can't just leave it out, one missing ingredient and the ratios are thrown off-balance. Who knows what'll happen to him then"
Jason was getting quite irritable and ticked off with how everyone assumed he couldn't handle his drinks. He slammed a palm down on the bar and said "I don't care about what's in it, just bring me another Mountain Man now!"
Tina's eyes narrowed as she coldly stared Jason in the eyes. "You should know it's not wise to treat your bartender like that. The one who could quite easily slip you a glass of Medusa's Stare and turn you to stone before you even knew what hit you". Jason felt a chill up his spine and realised that his overconfidence wasn't helping matters yet he didn't back down, giving her his own death-glare.
After half a minute of intense, awkward eye contact, Harry grabbed Jason by the shoulders and pulled him away from Tina. Jason snarled at the interruption and almost lunged at him until Harry said "I'm sorry, I didn't realise he would get so uptight over this but if you let him have the Mountain Man, I promise I'll take good care of him and we'll both leave the bar in peace. Hey, wait a minute..." Harry stroked his grey, stubbly chin. "You can't remove drinks due to messing with the ratios but you can replace them right? Don't you have some sort of calming, peaceful drink knocking about?"
"You might be onto something there..." Tina turned and shuffled through a pile of bottles before yelling "Aha!" and slamming a pink bottle on the table. "I've had this Hippy Dippy laying about for quite a while. It's potent but it would definitely make him less aggressive. It might even make him more of a nature lover too".
Tina slid down the counter and began to prepare the drink, expertly mixing the multi-coloured liquids together in a large glass, precise to the very last drop. Soon she was finished and dropped the mug down in front of Jason. It was as dark and foamy as he remembered it looking, but there was something different about it. The scent was still like a pine forest, now combined with a pungent undertone of some sort of incense. He shrugged his shoulders and took a big gulp, finding the mix of pine tree and pot-pourri strangely enticing. After downing a quarter of the glass, he slammed the mug onto the bar and felt the changes begin again. His well-built body frame managed to pack on a few extra pounds of muscle, his arms swelling larger and his chest expanding wider. This was quickly followed by some extra pounds of fat that seemed to all be added to his stomach that bulged outwards more. And with it, there was a feeling of calmness hidden under his short temper, something that had earlier been pushed aside and now trying to break free.
As Jason continued to drink his altered Mountain Man, His already dense body hair managed to get even thicker and spread further across his body. Dark hairs snaked up his upper arms, joining a dusting of hairs that began to cover his upper chest and shoulders. The hairs slowly but surely slipped around his torso to coat his back. While he grew a few inches taller, he also continued to pile on a large amount of weight, that slowly shifted from mostly muscle to mostly fat as he continued to age. He still had a powerful, muscle-bound frame that was impressive for a man of any age. Only now it was covered by a soft layer of fat that hid any toned detail. His small belly had taken on the bulk of weight gain as it had expanded like a furry beach ball, joining his love handles in sagging over the waistband of his extremely tight boxer shorts. His pectorals had grown massive, the two hair-coated breasts drooping down lower onto his tummy.
More grey hairs flecked through his increasingly bushy beard until it reached a point where it could be said it was a white beard that was flecked with brown hairs. The same could be said of his body hair as white hairs replaced the dark ones that coated his chest, leading a white trail down his bloated stomach like a skunk's stripe. Meanwhile, the wide strip of thinning hair that remained on top of his scalp quickly faded until the top of his head was clear of any hair at all. The remaining, greying hair on the sides grew slightly longer, matching the unkempt nature of his beard. He rubbed the smooth skin atop his head. It felt strangely comforting under his rough, meaty fingers that had taken on various cuts along with their thick callouses. More bruises and scars appeared on his arms, legs, and torso, hinting at a reckless and adventurous life led outside. His face had only gotten craggier, deep lines penetrating the dry skin around his eyes, mouth and across his forehead.
Throughout his time drinking and changing, he found that his aggression was disappearing. It wasn't long before he couldn't even remember why he was angry at in the first place. It was replaced by a calmness, a love of all things and a deep longing to protect Mother Nature. As he swallowed the last drop, he quietly placed his glass on the counter and looked across at the mirror to see the man he had become. He squinted slightly and knew he was definitely older, probably comfortably at retirement age with a wrinkled, weathered face that could tell tales. Yet most of his face was taken up by a massive, white beard that grew long and wild, hairs sticking out everywhere along the frizzy mane. His head was surprisingly smooth compared to the rough, blotchy skin he had elsewhere on his body, with a messy fringe of salt and pepper hair around the sides. His once muscle-bound body had been overtaken by a wave of bulk that softened every inch of him. His furry stomach was round and voluminous, sticking out close to a foot beyond his waist. His boxers had finally given out moments ago, yet his stomach was more than big enough to hide his shame from the bar. To top it all off, a dense coating of mostly silver hair covered every inch of his body from his arms to his legs, his belly to his back. All that was missing was a pair of round spectacles to perch on top of his bulbous nose and improve his eyesight. He looked like a wild, old man who had lived in the forest for decades, and he felt like one too.
Frank had a look of disgust as he slapped Jason's large belly. "You had the perfect body and ya blew it on this thing! You best be glad it'll be gone by sunrise since you'd never want to stay like that for long". He grumbled to himself and walked to the other end of the bar where Tina was serving a lovey-dovey couple a pitcher filled with a fluorescent yellow liquid to share.
Harry also patted Jason's belly, but in a more supportive gesture. "You did good man! You look amazing, like the ultimate nature guy. I think you're a mountain man through and through"
Jason smiled at his support. "Thank you. It's definitely grown on me". He laughed at his lame joke and sighed. He felt content with his life, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and freeing him from its clutches. All that mattered to him now was being one with the world. He stared dreamily at his aged reflection, curling his beard between his fingers.
"Now I did promise Tina I'd look after you, even though that aggression's gone. I was thinking of heading out myself, but it's up to you"