Lifting Up And Dumbing Down Part 16

Lifting Up and Dumbing Down Part 16

Previous: https://omnitf.tumblr.com/post/174795146417/lifting-up-and-dumbing-down-part-15

“Damn, bro, you’re growing fast,” Duff said as he wrapped a measuring tape around your midriff. “Thanks again for helping me out with this project, by the way.” “No problem. What else are friends for, ‘bro?’” you ask as you smile down at him. His apartment was actually pretty sweet. He’d turned the majority of the studio into an at-home gym, complete with weight rack, dumbbells, a bench press, and a few other accessories. A broad floor-length mirror had been installed on one of the walls, and his kitchen counter was lined with protein whey, creatine, and all manner of other supplements, including a few familiar silver packets. “And how long have you been working on bulking up again?” he asked as he wrote something else on his clipboard. You look up at the ceiling and scratch your head for a moment. “You know what? It’s funny, but I can’t seem to recall the date.” You chuckle. “I’m usually pretty good at that sort of thing. I know it was around midwinter. I think a little before.” Duff shrugged. “I’ll just check the computers for your sign-in date.” “That’ll work,” you agree. “So, what other changes have been happening for you?” You blush. “Well, if we’re being honest, I’m getting a bit ... bigger downstairs, if you catch my meaning, and my voice has been cracking a little.” Duff nodded. “I thought you’d been sounding a little sick lately.” “I’m not sick!” you object. “I said sounded sick, not that you were sick, stupid.” He chuckled. “In other words, I noticed how your voice has been reaching towards deeper registers lately.” “Oh.” You frown a moment, trying to find some problem with that. You’re not quite sure why you are, but ... you are. You’ve been feeling a lot more confrontational lately. “I ... guess that’s okay, then.” You reach back to scratch your head casually. “Thanks for the weights, by the way. They’re a big help.” Duff chuckled. “I thought they would be. There’s nothing quite like a good lifting to work off some stress.” You smile dreamily as you raise an arm to flex. “Yeah, and the pump’s not that bad, either.” Duff smiled. “Sounds like someone’s catching the muscle bug.” You grin impishly, then strike a pose as you pitch your voice as low as you can manage. “I love lifting weights, bro.” Duff punches you in the arm as tears of mirth form in the corners of his eyes. “Stop it,” he laughs. “That’s my line.” He set down the chart. “Besides, you’re not anywhere near this yet,” he smirked as he pulled off his shirt and began to pose. “Are you challenging me to a flex off, sir?” Duff smirked. “And what if I am?” “You cheeky little--.” Soon you’re both posing and flexing like your lives depend on it in front of the mirror. You look curiously at yourself. Your bangs are brushing against the sides of your face, obscuring parts of your vision. You always liked your hair before, but now it just doesn’t seem very ... practical. And it’s a real pain in the a--you catch yourself, before you let that thought complete itself. Pain in the butt. It’s a pain the butt, when the sweat runs down off it and plasters it to your face, especially when it gets in the eyes. Maybe ... maybe it’s time for a change. Change is good. You shudder at the thought, a pleasure that’s redoubled by the sensation of your muscles rippling and shining under the lights. Your head feels sort of fuzzy, and you grin at yourself, before turning your head to stare at your friend. “Hey, Duff?” you ask in that huskier, stuffed-up sort of voice. “You know any good barbers?” Duff turns back to look at you with that same dazed smile. “I think I know a guy. I’ll see about hooking you up.” “Thanks, bro.” It came so effortlessly. Duff’s smile widened. “No problem, bro.” Then Duff shrugged his thick shoulders, and you were back to posing again, just a couple of bros having a friendly competition.

Lifting Up and Dumbing Down Part 17

Here’s part 17. Credit goes to Jocknotized for part of this. I drew inspiration from one of his captions, and lifted that portion of text to apply here, since it fit the stereotype the character is becoming and hypnosis is all about repetition, until it sinks into the brain.

Bright flashes are strobing in your face as you stare helplessly, silently into the spiral. You want to say something, want to move, but you can’t. And it just keeps spinning, bending, and twisting over and over. The lines rush out over you like so many waves as you descend into it. And suddenly, you feel like you’re drifting again. Drifting, like that one time with the one lady whose name you ...  can’t ... quite recall. There’s a voice there, whispering in the background, murmuring with the trickling as you slide ever so slowly down along the spiral. It’s almost like an amusement park ride, only warm and relaxing, instead of fast and thrilling. You’re ... not sure which you like more.  You like this better. Down and down. Deeper and deeper. Slower and slower. Feeling those warm, gentle waves lapping as the spiral design flashes, lapping away at your thoughts. It’s funny, how easy it is to just let it happen, bro. You feel a tingling in your crotch. It’s so good, like the tingle spreading through your body as you listen, listen to the murmuring water, listen to the whisper. Feels so good tight, bro. Tight is good, bro. A smile pulls gently at your lips. Bro. That funny little joke between you and Buff Duff. It’s turned into a game. Every time you see him, you have to win call him bro, and he calls back. It’s sort of funny cool, really.  Cool, like this ride. So cool. So steady. Steady as the voice that trickles just on the edge of your hearing. Hearing is good. You want to hear it. You want to listen up, bro. Listen good. Listen tight. So tight, you can’t break free. But ... why would you want to, when it feels so good? And good is tight. And listening is good. Tighter and tighter. Deeper and deeper. Listening, like a good bro should. Cause bros are tight. And you’re tight. So tight. Tight, bro. Good, bro. Good bro.... Bro.... You’re a ... bro? Just a..... What is it saying? ‘Cause that is.... So deep. The voice. Deeper and deeper. Like the spiral. Descending. So ... prett--NO! Have to ... have to stay focused. Have to listen. Cause listening’s good. Good is tight. Hold tight to the voice. Listen to it. What’s it saying? Just a big..... You shudder. You feel your muscles twitch as your voice catches. Your chest is expanding before your eyes as you stare at the spiral. You can’t help yourself. “Big....” you mutter in some surprise. The tingling erupts full force, and you’re lost in ecstasy as your muscles begin to inflate. ‘Cause that is what.... What? “You say somethin’, bro?” Your voice sounds deeper. Your eyes are feeling somewhat heavy. Just a big dumb.... Bro! Your eyes roll in the back of your head as the pleasure redoubles. A low chuckle escapes your lips as it huffs out of your hulking chest so easily. “Dumb....” It takes a few minutes, before you can gather your sluggish thoughts enough to realize how funny that is. Big and dumb. What must that be like? Don’t think you’ll ever know. You chuckle again. “Huhuhuhuh....” ‘Cause that is what you are. What you are. You look down at yourself. Your muscles have practically exploded. You feel the heft of your manhood weighing inside your ... trunks? No, it’s a speedo, bro. Bros show off. Big bros show off. And you’re definitely big. So, since you’re so big, you should, uh ... uh ..... You’re just a big dumb jock bro, ‘cause that is what you are. You hear it this time, and it clicks. “Bro,” you gasp. Then you chuckle. It feels so good! ‘Cause that is what you are. That is ... what you are. Just a big dumb jock bro.... Just a big dumb jock bro. That is what you are. That is what you are. “I’m a big, dumb jock bro. ... Yeah.....”

You blink blearily as you slowly come awake to the blaring of your alarm clock. You hear the dull murmur of static next to your ears and find, much to your surprise, that your earbuds have fallen out during your sleep. The monitors and their hanging attachments that were bolted to your bed the previous afternoon are displaying a constantly moving spiral. You sigh and reach back to flick the switch that will turn them off. Then you follow the earbuds back to the player and look over the file nae on the display. You furrow your brow in confusion. “What’s an RP file doing playing in my sleep? Did I push the randomizer or something?” You stretch, yawn, then scratch your crotch, before turning to get up. You push the arm of the screen at your bedside back against the wall, then stride over to the rack, where your dumbbells are waiting for you. You pull off your night shirt and toss it casually on the floor, leaving you bare-chested as you reach forward and grasp the handles. It’s gotten much easier being shirtless in the apartment. Maybe you’ll be willing to try it in the gym sometime later, if the situation calls for it. But for now, .... “Time to get to work.”

Lifting Up and Dumbing Down Part 10

“There you are.” You look down at the small rectangular device Doctor Schroder has handed you. “That little thing will help you focus and make certain behavioral changes in your life to speed up the process as you change your body. As in all things with hypnosis, it will only work if you want it to work. The tracks are labeled, and I’ve included a master list here for you to know which tracks do what. They’re sectioned off by waking and sleeping. And as you can see, each of the waking tracks is further divided for different functions and actions: working out, diet, that sort of thing.” “And all I have to do is push the track number?” “Yup. The rest will take care of itself. I’ve also included a few temporary tracks for the sake of role playing. They’ll allow you to slip into various characters within the muscular stereotypes, while you’re at home. Take the time to get familiar with each of them. Once you find the one that fits you best, I advise you try leaning towards that. Then again, I’m not the director, so you may want to keep using all of them, in case the one you like isn’t the one the director prefers.” “And that’s it?” “Pretty much. From here on out, it’s up to you to brush up on each of the characters and learn how to talk and act like them. My purpose from this point onward is to simply help guide you to achieve the optimal expression of those stereotypes.” “And do we have enough time to work on some of those now?” “Plenty. Why don’t you show me what you’ve been working on thus far, and we’ll move forward from there?”

Duff cocked his head as he peered at you. You felt a little embarrassed at such scrutiny, despite how that was your main form of income. “You’re definitely different,” he mused. “It’s subtle, but I can see a little progress.” “It’s only been a week. How can I make progress that fast?” you counter. “I’m not pulling your leg, man. Just telling you my opinion.” “Sure you are.” “If you two are done chatting, it’s time for cardio,” Hank grated. “Move, kid.” The treadmill proved a refreshing exercise, after all the strain you’d put your body through the previous week. Duff pulled out an i-pod and laid it on a rest next to the controls, before threading a set of ear buds out and connecting them to the port. The rest of the run was sort of lonely as Duff stared ahead at the wall, but you couldn’t exactly blame him. The way Hank had you running, it wouldn’t have been too feasible to get a conversation going, anyways. After the warmup, he pushed you to your limits, focusing on endurance training once again. When all was said and done, you were ready to head home and shower again. You waved to Duff, but he seemed a little too distracted to respond. Some of the other builders were approaching him, and it looked like they were engaging in some sort of conversation. You shrugged it off and figured you’d text the guy later. It was only natural he’d have other friends in the gym, after all. He was a lot farther along in his progress.

That night, you peered up at the fathead of a vascular bodybuilder in a tight set of compression gear that clung to every meaty curve. You’d received it courtesy of Duff. According to the card info, he wanted to be able to give you something to work towards, but was too embarrassed to do it directly. Kinda weird for him to have done something like this when you’ve only known each other for about a week or so, but you weren’t about to argue about it. The guy was so sweet, after all. The builder smoldered down at you, an unspoken challenge in that harsh gaze as he pumped a pair of massive dumbbells. Your CHANGE IS GOOD sign stood out prominently on his chest. You look into those eyes one more time and chuckle to yourself as you reach for your lamp. “Goodnight, meathead.” You pause a moment. “Hmm. ‘Goodnight, meathead.’ Not a bad motivator,” you muse. You decide to print it up later. Then you chuckle as you flick off the light. Maybe you’ll dream again. As that thought crosses your mind, a familiar tingle runs faintly over your body. You can’t help but smile as you start to fade off. “I think I’d like that,” you yawn, then curl up on your side, and let the darkness take you.

Lifting Up and Dumbing Down Part 20

Harry whistled as he looked over your expanded frame. “Looking good, kid.” The sensation of the tape running over you again leaves you distracted. It always seemed to get so difficult to concentrate, when you were showing off your body, even for a routine checkup. “What was that, Harry?” you ask. “I said you’re looking good,” the man noted. “I like the new look. Fitness wear suits you.” Then you’re taking off your shirt for a proper measurement around your torso. You shrug your shoulders. “Nothing special,” you note. “Just gotta have the right gear for the job.” “And you definitely do,” Harry agreed as he eyed you up and down. You grunt and shrug. “It’s progress. Still got a ways to go.” You move to stand on a scale, as directed. According to the machine, you’ve gained five pounds. “Bodybuilders have more mass.” “How’re things with Hank?” “They’re good. He’s a great coach. I think I’ll keep working with him, after this gig is over.” “Do you mind?” the doctor asked exasperatedly as he looked up at you. “Hmm?”  “You’re bouncing your pecs again,” Harry noted. You look down at your bare chest to see the heavy muscle popping up, then relaxing again. You chuckle. “Sorry. It’s sort of a habit. I do it to pass the time, when I’m bored. If I didn’t flex something, I don’t think I’d be able to sit still.” The doctor sighed longsufferingly. “Would you at least try?” “What do you think this is?” you counter. You barely suppress the urge to laugh. Duff was right. This is fun. And judging by that smirk on Harry’s face, he’s enjoying it, too. And well, since you have such a captive audience, maybe you should put on a bit more of a show.

“Dude! You did that to a doctor?” Duff laughed as the two of you sat over your bowls of chicken and rice. “What? You do it for other stuff.” “That’s just priceless!” He thumped his hand on the table. You grin viciously. “I know, right?” “We should totally team up sometime.” “Oh, you know I’m up for that.” The both of you laugh again, and your voices echo in stereo. The constant exercise has not only helped to strengthen your body, but has altered your voice to pull it into the deeper registers. “Though speaking of team-ups, that reminds me....” Duff reached down into is gym bag and slammed a massive bullet cup on the table. “Time to up your dose.” Your mouth waters as you take the 32 ounce cup and lay it in your bag. “Finally.” “What, no grimace, no sound effects? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you actually like that drink now.” You shrug, and the tightness of the Underarmor as it clings to your shoulders sends a thrill of pleasure down your spine. “And what if I do?” Duff smiled knowingly. “Nothing, bro. Nothing. Let’s eat.”

You’re standing in front of the floor length mirror in your mini-gym again. You’re not quite sure why. Something just ... isn’t quite right. You narrow your eyes suspiciously as you scrutinize your body. Taut muscle twitches from the rapid pump of your heartbeat, after a good lifting session. Your eyes linger over the text that pops against your pectorals. EAT BIG LIFT BIG GET BIG The last of the three is divided by a heavily weighted barbell. You pop a flex, because you can, and you smile. You pat the bulge in your crotch gently, proud at the growth you’ve been able to experience there. But that’s not it either. Gotta stay focused. Even though it’s so tempting to just stand there and stare at your reflection. Stare. And flex. And stretch.... You run a hand through your sweaty hair to pull it away from your eyes, and it clicks. “You need a haircut,” you tell your reflection, and he tells you in turn. You smile again, proud that you were able to reach the conclusion and find what didn’t belong. In fact, you’re feeling so proud that you think you deserve a reward. You peel off the tank top and smirk as your pecs begin to bounce. First one, then the other. Up and down. Up and down. And as you watch them bounce, you feel that familiar emptiness returning, and you grin at your sudden realization. “Who needs a dumb recording?” You huff out another chuckle. “I’ve got muscle.”

Lifting Up and Dumbing Down Part 13

“Look, Kid, they want progress pics, okay? It’s part of the contract, so just hold still and relax a little. It’ll be over, before you even know it,” Harry promised. You continue to look around nervously at the plethora of booths, where model after model are busy posing and flexing for the cameras. Reflectors glare as they spread illumination over each curve and bend of the various models. You can’t help but sigh as you see how free the photographers are with touching, adjusting the height of an arm for symmetry, pulling out a leg to broaden a stance. You’ve been through the song and dance before, but for some reason it just feels ... different this time. It seems almost like they’re just a bunch of puppets for the photographers to dress and pose as they choose. Then again, isn’t that basically what you’ve been doing even more than them? After all, you’re letting your contract decide your schedule, your habits. What else might it require of you? What other strings could there be attached? A sharp elbow to the ribs soon breaks you from that disturbing train of thought as Harry glares at you. “Eyes forward, kid.” A towering figure looms ahead of you. His black sleeveless zipper hoodie is parted to reveal rippling abdominals and thick, slab-like pectorals. The hood is drawn up over his face to obscure most of his features, but the way in which he carries himself more than makes up for the apparent shyness. A large hand covered in a rough fingerless glove reaches out to seize your own. “Greetings. I am Fängsla,” he announces in a thick, rolling Swedish accent. “And you must be the new model. It is a pleasure.” You feel a slight sense of vertigo as he squeezes your hand, so you shake your head to rid yourself of the feeling. “Nice to meet you, too,” you manage. Fängsla smiles wider, and you finally see past the shadows to a chiseled white face with a short cropped blond buzz cut that shines like platinum as it catches the light. “We are going to be doing great things together, yes? I can already tell.” He smiled and turned back towards an unoccupied photo booth in the corner. “Come,” he said. “We have much work to do.” Your eyes nearly bug out of your head as Fängsla hands you a a shiny dark purple posing strap. “You want me to wear this?” Fängsla shrugged. I am here to take pictures of your body, yes? How am I to do that, if we cover it up?” “Isn’t there something a little ... less revealing?” You feel the blush rising in your cheeks. “I’ve worn briefs that show less.” “If you like.” Fängsla shrugged again. “Bosses have other options.” he motioned over to a table, where a jock strap and a pair of briefs also sat. “Take your pick.” Naturally, you dove for the briefs. Your cheeks were on fire as you raced off to the changing room to get ready. Fängsla shook his head. “Americans,” he sighed. “The body is nothing to be ashamed of, you know.” Then he turned to adjust his cameras and prime for your return. The constant flash of the camera was a little difficult to adjust to, at first. The slow motion capture frame set off a strobe of flashes every time you changed position, wreaking havoc on your eyes. It was fairly simple, really. You felt more like a little toy soldier than anything else as the camera man instructed, “Turn. Good. Good. Again. Other way now. Turn. Yes, yes. Very good. Now stand straight. Erect. Yes, yes, that will work nicely.” And so it continued. He would order, you would turn, he would snap, he would praise you. It actually felt kind of nice, not having someone so touchy feely working over you this time. He turned your head a few times, of course, raised your chin, that sort of thing, but he was very gentle with it. “Good, good. Remember, you are proud of muscles, yes? Show me you are proud. Proud men are not shy.” Flash “Proud men are not afraid.” Flash “Proud men are strong men.” Flash “And strong men show off.” Flash “They love to show off, yes? Of course they do.” Flash Things began to come easier. The blush faded from your cheeks. Fängsla’s words danced in your head, and a smile slowly pulled at your lips. “There he is. Show me, strong man. Show me your muscles. Show Fängsla your pride.” You were only too happy to oblige.

You walk out of the warehouse with a long stride and a grin on your face as you clutch the bag holding the posing strap, jock strap, and briefs from the shoot. “You keep,” Fängsla had insisted. “Use them to experiment later.” He’d shrugged, then. “You may come to like them, strong man.” You give your bicep a passive flex. Strong Man. You liked the sound of that. You smile and wave back at Harry, then strut confidently down the sidewalk, despite the slush and the chill in the air. Who cared, when it was so sunny and you’d been having such an amazing day? In fact.... You start to lift your legs up, puffing slightly. Today was a perfect day for a jog, and maybe a little home workout. Yeah.... You’re already lost in the rhythm of your own feet smacking on the sidewalk, by the time Harry stops waving. Unbeknownst to you, he raises his cell phone and activates his speed dial. “Hello? Yeah, this is Harry. We just finished the photo shoot. Kid’s a little shy about the straps, but a few more sessions should take care of that. Your man should be sending the photos soon. Kid’ll be blowing up like a balloon in no time. Now, about that pay check....”

Lifting Up and Dumbing Down Part 11

You groan as your alarm goes off and you open your bleary eyes. No dream this time, or at least not that you remember. You scratch at your chest and slowly rise to pull the earbuds out. Then you look up at the fathead again and offer a brief salute. “Morning, meathead.” You get up and scratch at your crotch as you make your way to the bathroom mirror. You yawn as you stretch, then flex your arm the same way you have been for the last two weeks. “One more day, and you’ll be a proper habit,” you mutter. You put on that easygoing smile you’ve been practicing and let out a chuckle as you relax your gaze, letting your eyes appear to glass over. You pitch your voice lower (you find that so much easier in the morning) and pat your bicep. “Morning, meathead.” A shudder passes through your body, and you feel a slight stirring below. Ever since you started on those recordings, that’s felt better and better to say. You still don’t think you’re nearly big enough to qualify, but time and effort has at least yielded some results. You see a bit more perk in the bicep than you had expected, and the surface is less yielding than it had been when you first started, giving off less of a smack and more of a dull thump on impact. After you’ve showered and dressed in your gym clothes, you make your way to the kitchen, where you fix a massive pile of blueberry pancakes to go with your protein shake, or whatever it was. Part of something called the bulk cycle. You eat a lot of carbohydrates, mostly healthier ones, and then use them to build up mass that you turn into more muscle. At least, that’s how Duff had described it, after Hank gave the order. It went against everything you had come to know as a model, but since this was for the sake of bodybuilding, you had little choice but to trust the experts. You ate ravenously, using the shake to wash down the quick bread, and finished in just a few minutes. You piled the frying pan into the sink and loaded up the dishwasher, taking just enough time to dust in some soap and start the cycle, before running back to grab your keys, wallet, and gym bag, then make your way out the door. You run the pre-workout pump track through your ears as you jog to the bus stop. Your heart races and you feel the surge as the recording goes into full swing. By the time you reach the bus stop, you feel too energized to stop, so you jog in place, while you wait. It’s been getting harder to just sit around for any period of time. If it weren’t for the music in your track, the bus ride would be absolute murder. By the time you arrive near the gym, you’re practically blowing through those doors, where a smirking Hank stands waiting. “Leg day,” he noted casually. You just smirk confidently, the music thumping in your ears. “Bring it on.”

“Damn, man. You plowed through those exercises today,” Duff noted as the two of you passed through the gym’s doors and into the frigid air. Then he laughed. “Wouldn’t want to be in your shoes next time. Hank’s just gonna up his game, you know.” “Hey, I made it through the worst of it, didn’t I? I could’ve stopped coming, but I didn’t. If I can adjust to this, I can adjust to whatever he throws at me.” Duff shakes his head and chuckles. “Try to keep that in mind, when you’re going through hell.” “Shut up,” you laugh and punch him softly on the arm. “Seriously, though, I’ve gotta ask. What’re you listening to?” You shrug. “Custom tracks to help me focus as I work out. It’s part of the contract.” “Mandated?” “Pretty much. If there’s anything I don’t like in the script, I can take it back to the doc no problem.” You shrug. “It’s actually pretty cool. She put me in a carousel once, while we were testing to find the right blend for me. It was pretty cool.” “And you trust her?” “She’s a professional, and she strongly advised me against allowing the role to define me as I grow into it. All the tracks are designed to do is give me motivation and help me get into character for brief periods of time. Come to think of it, I haven’t tried one of those yet.” You tap your chin. Duff blushed, even as his lips curled into a smile. “Let’s just say you’re in for a surprise, then.” “A good one, I hope.” “Depends on how much you enjoy it.” Duff shrugged. “I like it, myself. It puts me in the right frame of mind when I’m working out.” “That reminds me, actually. When I first came in, Hank called you a beginner. If you’ve been working in the gym for so long on building up, why’d he say that?” “Probably because I haven’t really bulked up much yet. I’ve been sort of stuck at a plateau for a while now. I think it’s why he’s let us hang out so much. He probably wants us to train together, once you’re at a point where you can handle it.” “Handle it?” “Your body’s only just adjusting to the strain of a more serious workout on a regular basis. I work out almost every day now, both as part of my fitness program and my training here. It’s going to take a couple more weeks at least, before you’re ready to pump that kind of iron on a regular basis.” “But I will be able to one day.” Duff looks at you with a cocked eyebrow. “You sound almost excited about it.” “Determined. There’s a difference.” Duff smirked, then chuckled. “Not much. Think I might be able to watch you? I’m curious to see how you act.” “Think you can handle if I act like a total jerk?” Duff shrugged. “You don’t have to be, if you don’t want to be.” “Touche.” “I’ll take that as a yes.” “Hey!”