[center]✧ ✧ ✧[/center] “Hi! You must be the new girl, right?” Toni had only just walked through the door before the voice had called out to her, bright and cheerful. The “new girl” looked up to see a woman walking over to her, the tight tank top and shorts doing very little to hide the gleaming, yellow-orange of her body… but then again, that was the point. The restaurant was pretty new, only open for a few months and still looking for new staff, but already it was attracting a fair amount of attention. That tended to happen with gimmick restaurants, especially when their gimmick was inflatable staff members. Some costume uniforms they wore, Toni had heard, made them look like they were made of vinyl, inflated so much their breasts bulged out of their tops. Toni wasn’t quite sure she saw the appeal, it just sounded like they’d get awfully hot, but maybe that was why they were paying double what her last place had. So, here she was, one application and an interview over coffee later. It was the first time she’d actually been inside ballOOnies, and the first time she’d seen one of their staff up close. It was… a little surreal. The orange woman before her was sexy, though a little inhumanly so. The plasticky suit she wore smoothed out her body, seemingly enhancing her curves, and those breasts! They had to be inflated, something stuck on the rest of the suit… She could see the seams around their edges, where they attached, and another running down each breast. Though Toni couldn’t make out the shape of any valve under the tight top she was wearing, just the ballOOnies logo stretching out over them, almost comically. The only valve she did have was in her belly, stuck where her navel should be. “Oh, um, Toni, yes-” she finally managed to say, blushing a little, wondering just how long she’d been staring. “Well, nice to meet you, Toni! I’m Lexi, head waitress here, but don’t let that scare you,” Lexi smiled back, her shining face barely creasing (the suit must be really good, Toni thought). “Anyways, I’m sure you’re eager to get started, so if you’ll just follow me!” she continued, with the same flair as a waitress showing someone to their table. “First time seeing one of us inflated, I take?” Lexi made a little small talk as she led Toni through the restaurant, the decor much the same as any vaguely 50s diner-inspired place. If it hadn’t been for Lexi’s squeaking thighs, it might have been. “Yeah,” Toni nodded, “It was just the manager who interviewed me, and she wasn’t, well, dressed up.” Lexi let out a small giggle, “Ah, you’ll be in for a treat, then… when she’s green and shiny, she puts Pixar moms to shame.” Toni opened her mouth to reply, then closed it. What could you say to that? Thankfully, she was saved by their arrival at a door to the back of house. Lexi pushed it open, her wrist creasing a little as she did. It led to a short corridor, with Lexi switching to a tour guide-persona. “So, this door is the side entrance to the kitchen… you’ll probably not need to use it that often, but it’s here…” Lexi started her spiel, clearly rehearsed, with Toni mostly listening as Lexi led her through the various parts of the restaurant, nodding as she went, “And finally, the staff room… or changing room, as we like to call it,” she giggled a little, the slight smirk of an inside joke. The staff room was surprisingly large, split into two by a wood-panelled dividing wall. On the near side, a pool table was set up next to a couple of sofas, the balls still left scattered after a game. Lexi continued on, stepping around the wall, to a bank of lockers opposite a long bench, a full-length mirror propped up against the far wall. About half had a name tag in them, one with a pink note stuck on with “NEW GIRL” in curly writing. “So, this is where I get my bodysuit?” Toni asked, trying to make a joke of it, not exactly sure she liked the idea of wrapping herself up in latex. “Bodysuit?” Lexi asked, a little confused, opening up the new girl’s locker, and pulling out a top and shorts to match her own, “Oh, no, it’s just these.” Toni took them hesitantly, tugging them a little to gauge their size. They looked like they’d just about fit… almost. “Don’t worry, they stretch,” Lexi caught Toni’s worried look, gesturing at her chest, “Or else these would never fit!” “I think I’m missing something…” Toni said quietly, “How am I going to be all — you know — shiny?” “Oh, didn’t Layla tell you? It’s the clothes that change us… apparently, it’s nanites, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s magic.” “Change us? Magic?” Toni fumbled with the words, even more lost. “Yeah, into inflatables,” Lexi replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “You mean… it’s not just a costume? It’s… real?” “Oh, yeah!” Lexi grinned back, holding out an arm, squeaking a little with the sudden movement. “Give it a squeeze!” Toni reached out, running her fingers along it, feeling the cool and smooth vinyl of Lexi’s arm. She pressed a little, and the vinyl bent in as if there was nothing behind it. Toni wrapped her hand around, shaking a little as if unsure if she was dreaming, and tightened her fingers… still expecting resistance. Lexi’s arm just crumpled, vinyl creasing and twisting under Toni’s fingers, just air inside pushing back. She felt just like a pool toy… and for a brief moment, Toni forgot she was holding the arm of an actual person. After a moment, the penny dropped, and Toni let go, taking a quick step back. Lexi’s arm gave a slight pop, quickly snapping back into shape. “Oh– that– that’s just skin…” Toni stammered, eyes wide, taking in the shape and detail of Lexi’s body with new eyes. [i]Of course, it wasn’t just a suit…[/i] “Skin, body, hair… boobs, it’s all latex, and all inflated,” Lexi smirked a little, flexing her arm, as if to prove it wasn’t some cheap trick. “But– your face, it’s still so-” Toni’s voice trailed off a little, staring at Lexi’s face, suddenly realising her eyes - as realistic as they looked - were printed flat across her rubbery face. “Look, I’m not sure I get it either, all I know is that the magic or whatever works,” Lexi admitted, rubbing the back of her rubbery hair. Lexi paused a moment, “Honestly, though, the best way to find out what it’s all like is to experience it yourself, and I wouldn’t want to ruin your fun,” She paused a moment, noticing Toni’s hesitancy, “Hey, trust me, it’s fun… and I’ll be right around the corner if you need me, right? Just… start with the shorts? See how it feels?” “The shorts, right…” Toni said softly, setting the top down on the bench, and stretching the shorts out between her fingers. Was she really going to do this? Until a few moments ago, she didn’t know people could become inflatable, and now she was going to inflate herself? Surely it was all just a trick… “Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt… if anything, it feels [i]too [/i]good,” Lexi winked, as she disappeared around the corner. “You’ll be fine!” “Yeah…” Toni said to herself, kicking her shoes off, tugging her blueberry jumper off and folding it neatly onto the bench, followed by her leggings. Dressed in just her underwear and tank top, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. The shorts were hardly her normal kind of fashion, much sportier and… more revealing. But then, wasn’t that the point? Before she could second guess herself again, she tugged the waistband of the shorts out and slipped one leg in after another, gradually easing them up her thick legs. Somehow, the narrow waistband managed to slip up and over her thighs, easily doubling its size, the material stretching just enough to fit while still feeling tight and snug around her skin. Her skin tingled as the tight fabric slipped over it, a strangely pleasant warmth running through her soft flesh. [i]Maybe this isn’t so bad…[/i] she thought to herself, settling the shorts around her waist, the bright red fabric perfectly wrapping itself around the tops of her thighs, hugging her ass. “Alright… nothing’s happened…” Toni muttered, gazing at herself in the mirror, increasingly worried it was all some prank. All she really noticed was a strange warmth from them, a curious tingle as they brushed against her skin. Hardly magical, but pleasant enough. Though the more she looked at her reflection, the tighter they felt around her, almost squeezing her body underneath them. The shorts definitely seemed to hug her body, flattering the curve of her thighs, the curve of her ass. She turned this way and that, admiring the look of them, about to reach out for the branded crop-top before she caught a flash of purple around the waistband. ”What’s that…?” Toni wondered aloud, looking down at what seemed to be bluish purple goo sticking to her body, flowing from under the shorts. She ran a finger across it, hearing a faint squeak, and feeling a sudden shiver of pleasure running through her body. Toni yelped in surprise, part of her sure Lexi must have heard her, laughing at the dumb joke she was playing. Looking back at her reflection, she could see the shining purple was expanding, flowing up towards her waist, running down her thighs in an uneven wave. As it flowed, she felt that same tight feeling, the pleasant warmth in her skin. It was like the goo was coating her, smothering her, shrinking and squeezing her body, ever so gently. She dared to reach down to her leg, running a hand across it. There was another squeak, another thrill of pleasure, the sensation of vibrations bouncing back and forth inside her. Her knees almost buckled, Toni reaching out to brace herself against the mirror, panting for breath. Just what was happening to her? ”Okay, stay cool, Toni,” she reassured herself, as the gleaming purple crept down to her knees. The tightness was only increasing, a strange feeling of pressure inside her, pushing out against her goo-covered body. Carefully, gingerly, she placed a hand on the purple shine. It was warm to the touch, perfectly smooth, and yielding slightly under the weight of her hand. Worse, she realised she could feel her hand on her leg, as clearly as if it was bare skin. Clearer, even. The plasticky surface was so much more sensitive than her real skin. She could feel her hand clearly, the warmth of her skin, the pulse of her racing heart, her skin stretching and creasing as her hand pressed in deeper. She squeezed, bracing herself for the wave of pleasure, concentrating on how it felt. She felt… nothing, inside. No muscles, no skin, just stretching rubber and hollow air inside. Thoughts raced through Toni’s mind, trying to make sense of what was happening. She felt like… a balloon. Just some pool toy, overinflated and left to warm in the summer sun. Yet this [i]was[/i] her leg, and she could still feel her hand on it, pressing into and flexing her leg even as the tide of purple latex flowed down towards her shins. A tightening, almost pinching feeling flowed, running in lines around the tops of her thighs, running down the sides of her legs. Latex pulling together, folding, sealing together into seams along the contours of her body. Toni ran her fingers down on, feeling the slight dip it made in her skin, the wrinkles forming where her body flexed. Realisation dawned, Lexi hadn’t been wearing some inflatable costume, she really [i]was[/i] an inflatable… walking, talking, gleaming, orange latex. Curiosity got the better of her. Gingerly, as if she didn’t want to surprise what lay underneath, she pulled back the waistband of her shorts. The same shining latex gleamed back, the vibrant purplish-blue covering every inch of it. Smoothing the contours of her body, accentuating the curve of her ass, and completely flattening the skin between her legs. Gone… vanished, perfectly smooth, and yet… the thought didn’t scare her? Maybe it should have, and maybe it was just the after effects of how [i]good[/i] her changing body felt, but Lexi seemed to enjoy herself, so why shouldn’t Toni? By now the latex had run its way over her legs - forcing Toni to giggle as it tickled across her feet, wrapping around her toes, blending their shapes together like a sock. She tried wiggling her toes, and the whole foot flexed… weird. She bent her leg backwards, reaching behind her to grab her ankle, giving it a squeeze. Her latex leg crumpled completely under her touch, skin flexing and stretching in protest, the air inside her pushing back. Another wave of sensations rolled through her, still pleasant, but more… manageable now, as though her subconscious was adapting to her new body. Getting used to the idea she was half-inflatable. The latex also crept up and over her hips, hugging tightly, squeezing in her ample tummy every so slightly, stopping just below her belly button in an uneven wave. The change had stopped, the short’s magic spent. The line between flesh and inflatable, animate and… inanimate? She became conscious of the weight of her upper body, her legs so light in comparison, somehow still keeping her upright. Toni’s turned her attention back to the crop-top, now almost inviting her to wear it. Slipping off her old top, she took a moment to stare down at the ballOOnies t-shirt in her hands. It seemed so small, even accounting for the revealing cut. Could it handle her chest now, let alone after it was filled with air? Hell, could Toni handle an inflated set of breasts? There was only one way to find out. Toni felt that same tingling warmth as she slipped it on, the material soft against her skin. It seemed to stretch perfectly, a comforting snugness as she pulled it over her chest, feeling the hem tuck neatly under them. If they could magically change her into an inflatable, maybe they magically stretched to match? The warmth grew stronger, skin prickling. She felt the tightness across her skin: not the top, but her skin itself tightening as it transformed into latex. The pressure within her growing, pushing out as her insides were replaced with air. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on how it felt, the sensations of her changing body. The tightness grew, smoothing out her body, creeping down her arms. Her chest started to rise, pressure increasing within. Gradually, Toni’s breasts inflated, swelling out under the ballOOnies t-shirt. Her body relaxed, aches and pains soothed, the weight of her growing chest fading as it filled with air. Latex crept over her elbows… No, that wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t a tide of liquid, spilling across her skin. It [i]was[/i] her skin: smoothing out, cells transforming to polymers, the changes cascading down over her. Toni felt the seams starting to emerge. Skin pulled together, rolling, fusing into thick bands of latex - only making the rest of her body tighter as the air pushed out. She felt the tension running through the seams, helping her keep her human shape, defining and separating her different body parts. Around the base of her neck, looping around her armpits, creeping under her rising breasts… As more and more air filled them, they continued to swell, inflating, rising from her chest. They lifted up and away from her belly, pushing out into the t-shirt. It squeezed back, offering an almost playful resistance: not enough to squash the breasts back against her body, but enough to accentuate the shape of them. Yet still her chest grew, straining against the curve of the t-shirt running across her breasts, bulging over the top of it. Toni reached absently to her neck, feeling the blurred line between latex and skin reaching her head. Latex fingers squeaked against it, another shiver I’d pressure running through her. Finally, Toni opened her eyes, stunned at the sight of her transforming body. So little of Toni’s human self remained; just her head, and a thick band of flesh around her belly. The gap closed like a zipper, squeezing her belly in, tightening around her waist. Though Toni was more distracted by the sight of her chest, dominating her view as she looked down. She ran her hands across them, the friction of latex-against-latex sending vibrations through her hollow body. They seemed to be magnified now, no flesh to dampen the vibrations. She wasn’t sure if she dared feel across her chest, but she had to know. Fingers moved down, brushing over her top, down to her the slight rise of her nipples under the soft fabric. They’d been flattened slightly, smoothed about as they changed to latex, though still made so much more sensitive by the changes. Her body quaked, a gasp of shock and pleasure escaping her mouth, legs buckling, knees flattening against each other. Toni let go, worried someone would hear, quickly regaining her composure. Were all the ballOOnies staff this sensitive? Had Lexi explored her body the same way? It was only then, as Toni tried to relax herself, she realised she had no racing heartbeat, no heavy breathing. Whatever magic or science had replaced her insides with air taking care of her body's needs, so effortlessly she hadn’t noticed. Though how had she gasped? Toni looked back at her reflection, the uneven flow of her latex transformation shading over her face. She felt something at the back of her throat, the taste of rubber. Latex lined her mouth, the changes spreading to her tongue and teeth, turning them to stiff plastic, still flexible if she bit down on them. “Hello…?” She asked, watching her latex lips move, feeling her whole mouth vibrate to make the words. Somehow, she still sounded the same, though it didn’t make it any less weird. “This is so weird…” She stepped closer to the mirror, watching her face as it continued to change. Pale skin darkened, the rich blueberry hue seeming to emerge from beneath, reminding Toni of a blueberry. Then the texture shifted, pores and imperfections flattened, matte tone changing to the gloss shine of latex. All the while she felt that tightening sensation, the sure pushing it from within. The changes spread over her nose and ears, a slight *pop* as they smoothed over, their shape simplifying. Her glasses slipped a little in the process, squeaking as Toni pushed them back over her latex ears. The changes reached her eyes, feeling them squeezed from behind, forcing them flat. Her vision blurred for a moment as her eyes changed. When it returned, Toni was left staring at printed versions of her own eyes. The design was bold, stylised, but clearly her. The irises shifted as she looked from eye to eye, blinking shut as Toni did, like a living cartoon. “Wow,” Toni gasped, reaching up to get her face. Fingers found smooth skin, gently curving out. She pressed in, and her face stretched and crumpled, her vision screwing up to match. Toni hastily let go, stepping back. “Okay, let’s not do that again.” The only part of her, Toni thought, still unchanged was her hair - wavy curls of black cascading down either side of her blue face. It wouldn’t last for long, the clothes still working their magic on her body. Strands of hair started to pull together, sticking to each other, smoothing out. Then the colour shifted, a slightly deeper blue than her body, as though latex was running through it. Seams followed, running around the peaks of each curl, simplifying her curls but keeping the same rough shape as air started to rush in. Save for a final touch, Toni’s balloony body was complete. She felt the last change as a twist in her navel, the latex of her belly button seeming to unfold outwards. Colour faded, turning to bright silver as the latex stiffened into more solid plastic, perfect for the valve it was becoming. A loop stretched out, a slight pinching sensation as the plug separated from the rest, though still firmly embedded in the nozzle. Now she really[i] was[/i] just an inflatable, Toni thought, gazing down at her new body. “Enjoying yourself?” Lexi called from across the room, smirking. She was leaning against the wall, one shoulder crumpling into it, looking over at Toni. “How long-?” Toni began. “Long enough,” Lexi walked over, “relax, everyone gets like that the first time.” If Toni could breathe, she’d let out a sign of relief. “Though my first experience was… different, but that’s another story. Now, put your shoes on-” she said, kicking them over, “-and you can get started. “Why, what do they do?” Toni asked, quickly slipping the socks over her inflated feet (trying to ignore the tickling feeling), before yanking on one of the bright red shoes. “Nothing, they’re just shoes.” “Oh, right,” Toni replied, sheepishly doing up the laces. She was grateful her transformation had kept the shape of her fingers, not reducing them to something like mittens. She’d need them for her job, she supposed, though it was still a little strange how her fingers almost [i]crumpled[/i] as they bent. “Just not too tight, being made of latex takes some getting used to. You’re a lot more,” Lexi searched for the right word, and found a wrong one, “crumplable.” She paused a moment, looking her new trainee up and down, trying not to stare too much at the beach balls on her chest. “Oh, I almost forgot!” “Forgot what?” “We’ve got a… call it a ritual, welcoming you to the ballOOnies team,” Lexi replied, stepping closer, one arm reaching out towards Toni’s waist, “May I?” Toni nodded, though she didn’t really know what Lexi was getting at. With a quick motion, not giving Toni any chance to protest, Lexi reached forward. Toni felt fingers around her nozzle, squeezing her plastic body, a slight thrill of pleasure as the stopper popped free. Air rushed out. The pressure that filled Toni’s body, pushing out against her skin and holding her shape, began to fade. She felt strangely weak, powerless, her legs starting to give way beneath her. She felt her latex skin bending, folding, wrinkling. Soon she collapsed, feet sliding either side of her, Toni’s latex rear slapping against the floors. The navel whined with escaping air, legs flattening against each other, a weird sensation as the inner latex rubbed together. A tickling deep inside her body. “Why did you-?” she asked, voice strained, a worried look across her inflated face. She reached down to the nozzle, confusion turning to worry as her fingers smushed uselessly against it. With the air inside her inflating, there was nothing to keep them rigid, instead just hanging loose at her wrists. “Sorry,” Lexi said, in a tone suggesting she was trying not to laugh. She leant down over Toni, staring past her own inflated chest to stare at Toni’s, one breast already caving in on itself. “Being deflated is kind of an… occupational hazard. It’s best you find out what it’s like now, so you’re prepared.” “Oh,” Toni gasped in reply, defeated as well as deflated. Her glasses slumped from her face, leaving her looking down at her crumpling body. Toni was half annoyed that, despite everything, it actually felt pretty good. The rush of air through the nozzle sending pleasant vibrations through her body, the feeling of weakness almost relaxing. A curious side effect of deflating, like falling asleep… Toni’s last thoughts as she drifted off, consciousness slipping, were Lexi’s latex hands slipping under her. Being carried across the room, her flattened body carefully draped across one of the staff room’s chairs. “I’ve just got a few errands, then I’ll be back to re-inflate you,” Lexi said, her voice distant, distorted, “until then, sweet dreams...” [center]✧ ✧ ✧[/center] “I can’t shake the feeling I’m forgetting something,” It was the end of the night, and Lexi sat at the bar, spinning an empty glass between her fingers. “Probably not important,” the bartender replied, her crimson skin a patchwork of blue plasters. Though Jesse was one of the first hires, she was still the holder of the ‘most punctures on shift’ record. “Anyways, how’d the new girl get on?” Lexi’s printed eyes grew wide. “Oh.” [center]✧ ✧ ✧[/center]