Everyone got up ter the following morning except for Ronald who got a call early to come into the office because the company would be switching to an online model. After the typical morning daily necessities, Ronald drove off as Diana and Danny woke up. The two of them went about their morning routine just as usual, bathing, cleaning, and cooking breakfast, in the same way, they always had.
From the moment James got up, the two started walking on eggshells. James however simply sat down on the couch in the living room and started pying Breath of the Wild. Starting a new, he spent close to an hour running around completing the Great Pteau tutorial. After he finished, he went about pying the game normally running around and completing shrines.
Peering over the wall from the kitchen, “What’s he doing?” Diana whispered to her eldest son. “I don’t know,” Danny responded to his mother. (I don't understand him any better than you do). After everything that happened st night neither could nor would believe James would py a game normally right now. He was up to something, and they knew it.
Unaware and unconcerned James continued pying quietly. Arriving in a vilge he walked around before standing by a small statue in the center of the vilge. Standing directly in front of the statue he opened the menu before saving the game. Shortly after closing the menu, he stood up off the couch rapidly mashing the A button. A selection menu appeared then quickly disappeared as he mashed.
Spoiler
[colpse]In the game, a shining light shown down from the heavens as a rge heart embroidered in gold slowly descended. However, instead of meeting its intended target, it was met by the greedy hand of the game’s pyer; James as he stuck his hand inside grabbing hold of the rge heart before pulling the Heart Container out of the screen. He stood there for a moment firmly holding the rge heart in his hands. It gave off a fair red and golden glow, and it pulsed with life-
*THUMP*
*THUMP*
*THUMP*
James held the heart tightly in his grasp bringing it closer to his chest. Once brought close the Heart Container burst into a golden light that penetrated his chest. For a moment as the light was absorbed an equally golden glow came off his skin before fading. While his skin glowed James gave a deep exhale, “Heee." Once the glow faded, he took a deep breath "Hooo”.
After looking over his body for a quick second he then proceeded to repeat this process two more times absorbing another two more Heart Containers. Now out of resources to buy them from the menu, he backed out and reset the game, reloading from his st save in front of the statue and continuing the process over again. He repeated the process three more times resulting in a total of 10 hearts. He stopped here, though he considered continuing, but he felt full. It was a sensation simir to after eating Thanksgiving dinner. He was also considering the damage to his dantian that occurred st night, he wasn't willing to risk it. Giving it time to digest was the safer option.
As for the st two Heart Containers? It would be a waste to just leave them. Looking around the room he saw his mother and brother having come out from behind the wall standing dazed watching him pull out Heart Containers. James shoved his hand into the screen before throwing one of the two remaining Heart Containers at his brother, “Pass”.
If the duo had to expin why they came out from behind the wall they wouldn't be able to it was somehow automatic, they just did it. Standing silently and watching in a trance-like state. That was before James tossed one of those hearts. Danny woke from his stupor “Huh- wait- what!?” Unable to move before the pulsating heart-shaped object touched him. Dispersing into golden light on contact. Warmth spread through his body as he too released the deep breath “Hooo".
Diana watched before coming out of her own trance while James had already prepared the st container. “Mom’s turn”.
“James W-wait!” Not listening to his mother’s words James had already thrown out the remaining Heart Container. As the golden aura dissipated from her skin there was a difference between her and the boys. “Danny! Quit staring, it’s inappropriate.” Diana scolded her son for his rude behavior. But he was right to stare. Whether it was from genetics or having a healthy and active lifestyle despite being in her te forties, Diana looked good for her age. Now, however-
“M-mom… you should go look in the mirror…” Danny didn’t know what to tell his mother given her drastic change in appearance.
"What-" Diana asked before feeling many differences from her body, taking a moment to adjust her bra before running off to the bathroom.
While the two were busy having their moment James was busy resetting the save file again. He was going to get the other item offered by the statue. Having to slow down to select the second option. This time a round green dew-shaped object fell into James’ clutches. Pulling it from the TV James admired the circur golden embellishments that ran around its circumference. The Stamina Vessel was filled with a mysterious green fluid not too dissimir to the red of a Heart Container however, it did ck the heartbeat. Instead, the fluid inside was more energetic, swishing and sloshing around. Bringing the Stamina Vessel close to his chest; it too burst into golden light before being absorbed.
Spoiler
[colpse]“Ok, I can't say I wasn’t expecting that but…” bursting with energy was one way to describe it. But it was specifically in one area. Taking the second one out of the TV James turned around to find that his brother was still standing there. His mother had likely gone to check what had happened to her in the bathroom. “Alright, Danny your turn.” Danny looked at his brother with fear in his eyes, while James smiled at him.
Diana entered the bathroom, her mouth agape as she stared into the mirror. "What the..." Even her voice sounded different, "Fuck..." Her skin was restored to a new youthfulness, not a wrinkle or crow's feet in sight. Her hair shined a glossy golden blonde. Her body was also different. She didn't lose weight, it just shifted around, no wonder her pants suddenly felt tighter, and her breasts had regained a youthful perkiness. She looked better than she did in her twenties. Leaving the bathroom Diana was quickly passed by Danny in the hallway as he made a mad dash into the bathroom. Returning to the living room “What happened to your brother?” Diana asked wondering what James had done to cause him to run past her.
“He’s taking care of some business. He needs to be left alone for a bit.” James responded with a wink. After the Stamina Vessel was absorbed into Danny's body, he started to feel the bursting energy but unlike his brother whose body was no longer in the realm of normal, he couldn't bear it. “I should probably do the same.” He said before returning to his room on the second floor. Diana sat in the living room nursing a headache.
END
