The Button, Chapter 5 - Night Out
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"I don't know, but I've been told, if you keep on dancin' you'll never
grow old."

Yana looked up from her book.  "Sorry?"

Darryl grinned, and kept singing - off key.  "So come on darlin' put a
pretty dress on, we're gonna go out tonight."

Yana shook her head, but she was smiling.  "Just what do you have in
mind?"

Darryl held out two tickets to her.  "The Ballroom Dance club is having
a 50's night."

"I didn't know you danced."

He shrugged.  "It was an attempt to jump-start my social life when I
moved out here.  Didn't work, but I had a good time."

"What the heck, sounds like fun.  But where am I going to find a poodle
skirt by tonight?"

Darryl grinned, and brought out his other hand from behind his back.  In
it was the lucite box that was the usual home for the magic button that
had more than once transformed him into a dress.

Yana sighed.  "Do you think you can get it right this time?"

Darryl nodded.

"Oh, what the heck.  Let's do it.  But I'm still not going near that
thing until it's safe."

* * *

Yana got out of the car and smiled, running her hands over her new
dress.  "Thanks, Darryl.  I had a great time tonight."

She walked up to the door of their rented townhouse.  "But I guess it's
time to get back to reality," she sighed.

Darryl hopped out of the other side of the car.  "Why be hasty?" he
asked as he walked to the door and unlocked it.  "We've got a whole
weekend ahead of us..."

Yana brightened.  "That's right!  I forgot this new position was Monday
to Friday."  She skipped through the door ahead of Darryl, who was
politely holding it for her.


Once they were settled in the living room with mugs of tea, Darryl
inquired, "how is that new job working out, anyway?  You sounded a bit
unsure about it on Monday."

Yana smiled, blushing a bit and ducking her head.  "Yes, well.  The
studio was a bit overwhelming at first.  But the people are really
friendly -- I'm starting to like it there."

"The studio?  What sort of place is it?"

"Ah... well.."  Yana blushed a bit more.

"Oh dear."

"Exactly."

"Just what are you expected to do?" Darryl asked a bit archly.

"Oh, nothing like that!" protested Yana.  "I work out of the
receptionist's desk.  She's off on maternity leave."

Darryl raised an eyebrow.  "Do tell."

"It's not like that..."  Yana frowned.  "At least, I don't *think* it's
like that."

Darryl grinned.  "I shouldn't tease.  So what's it like working there?"

"Not so bad as I'd feared at first.  They keep the studios closed, so
you'd never know what went on there... well if it wasn't for the dress
code."

"Decidedly informal, is it?"

"More like downright sexy."  Yana got a playful grin on her face.  "How
tired are you?"

Darryl tilted his head curiously.  "Eh, not too bad, considering."

Yana flowed to her feet, and started stripping out of the dress she'd
worn out dancing.  "Good.  Use the button to make me something sexy,"
she husked.

Darryl barely had time to set aside his tea before the dress landed in
his lap.  He grinned up at his half-naked fiancée.  "Another slip?"

Yana shook her head.  "Sexier.  Over-the-top sexy."

Darryl grinned as he pulled the button off the poodle skirt, causing it
to return to its origins as Yana's little black dress, plus a small pile
of towels.  "Hm... what to do..."

"I'll be in the washroom, freshening up."


A few minutes later Darryl rapped on the door, and deposited what looked
like a puddle of blue mercury in Yana's emerging hand.  A moment later
he heard a curse from behind the door.

"How do you pick this up?" complained Yana.  "I can't get a grip on it,
it's too slippery!"

"Pick it up with your hand inside it -- the inside is a bit tacky."

"Oh!  Neat...  That feels weird."

A few moments passed.

"You okay in there?"

"It's rather small..."

"It stretches.  A lot."

"Wow!  No kidding.  What the heck *is* this stuff?" asked Yana,
wonderingly.

"No clue," replied Darryl.  "I just came up with the parameters, and let
the button handle the details."

Another long pause.

"Is that... purring I hear?"

The door slowly swung open to reveal a posed, if slightly flushed Yana.
The cobalt blue teddy glistened in the light, looking as if it had been
poured over her.  Darryl watched, speechless, as Yana slipped by him and
up the stairs toward their bedroom.  He followed, mesmerized.

* * *

Late the next morning, Yana woke to see Darryl on his side, just
watching her.

"Still think we should get rid of the button?" he inquired with a smile.

Yana hugged her arms around herself, purring anew at the feel of the
strange new material around her body.  Between the slickness outside and
the stickum inside, neither had been able to dislodge it last night.
That hadn't stopped them, though.

"I'll take that as a no."

"Definitely not.  More please..."

Darryl considered her request.  "A catsuit?"

Yana turned briefly thoughtful.  "How would you put it on?  This was bad
enough... but that's not what I meant."

She pounced.

* * *

Much later that morning -- so late it barely qualified as morning -- the
intrusion of the phone's ring stirred them.  Yana scooped it from the
night-table.  Her cautious "Hello?" was quickly followed by a bright
stream of chatter that Darryl didn't follow too closely.

Shortly after he had finished shaving, she hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" he asked as Yana swung her legs out of bed.

A startled "Awk!" was his only answer, as Yana disappeared from sight
over the side of the bed.

"Yana?"  Darryl dashed to her side of the bed, concern written plain
upon his face.

"I'm OK," called Yana as she picked herself off the floor.  "This
stuff's a bit *too* slippery."

"That's not what you thought last night..."

Yana grinned, returning Darryl's leer.  "That was then.  I think I'll
pass on the catsuit, though."

"Oh?  Why?"

"Well just imagine -- you couldn't sit down, only a bed would be safe."

"And that's so bad?"  Darryl grinned.

"If the suit covered my feet," Yana continued, "I wouldn't be able to
walk, or even stand!"

"I see," Darryl nodded his understanding.  "And if it covered your hands
as well -- you'd be helpless."

"Helpless..." Yana echoed, her voice and gaze distant.

Darryl pressed on.  He'd had some time to learn her tastes.  "Helpless.
Unable to move or do much of anything.  And without a single clumsy knot
or cuff.  No chafing -- just helplessly cocooned in... um, whatever that
is."

He got distracted by the way Yana was running her hands over her cobalt
second skin.  She was flushed, and panting softly.  "Do it."

"Uh... what?"

"The catsuit," she almost yowled.  "Nowww!"

Darryl's hand lurched out, landing between Yana's breasts, and pulling
the button free.  Yana barely seemed to notice as her black dress flowed
back into shape around her.  Neither did she flinch as Darryl reached
back out with the button, aiming to transform her dress in place.  Her
eyes followed his moves with ferocious intensity.

"No!" they both cried together as Darryl suddenly pulled back.

"Why'd you stop?" whined Yana.

"Something's... wrong."  Darryl frowned, staring at the button in his
hand.  "I could feel it."

"Feel what?"  Yana's lust was quickly being replaced by irritation.

"It was... trying to reach me -- to change me."

"So?  I thought you liked it.  Imagine what *that* would feel like!"

It took Darryl a long moment to shake off the mental image.  "But..."
his hand slowly moved forward again, almost involuntarily.  "But how
will you take it off?"

Yana's expression was stricken. "Oh!  Oh *damn* it!  Are you *sure*?"

Darryl turned away from Yana, reluctantly.  He reached the button toward
a pillow instead of the target he desired.  "Yes.  I can feel it
fighting to turn against me.  The slightest slip..."  He sighed, and
with great care deposited the button in its box.

Yana wasn't so ready to let it go.  "We could call someone..."

"Who?  Who would even *believe* you?"

"Ummm..."  Yana pondered for a bit.  "I know!  Your Aunt Bea!"

Darryl smiled wryly, and took on a lightly mocking tone.  "Hello Aunt
Bea.  I'm going to turn myself into a super slick catsuit on Yana, and
she won't be able to free herself.  Could you come over and let us out?
Oh, say around 6-ish tomorrow?  We have work on Monday after all...
Gosh, thanks!"

Yana pouted, but she had lost her fire.  With a final, muttered,
"damn it," she stomped off to sulk for a while.

* * *

"Darryl?  Darling?"  Yana's sugary-sweet tone made it quite clear to
Darryl that she wanted something.  He reluctantly lowered his book.

"Yes, oh dumpling of my eye?"

"That call, earlier..."

"Yes?"

In a rush, Yana explained.  "It was Heather from the studio, inviting
me on a girls' night out!"

Darryl grinned.  "That should be... interesting.  Have fun."

"So you don't mind?"  Yana asked, almost too brightly.

"No, not at all."  Darryl frowned, suspicion creasing his brow.  "Why
would I?"

Yana dropped a box -- *the* box -- into his lap.  It took Darryl long
enough to overcome his shock that she'd even come that close to touching
the button that he missed what she said next.  A generic noise of
agreement escaped his lips before he mentally rewound and caught it.

Yana was smiling so brightly he hadn't the heart to go back on his word
now... "This will be great!"


As they walked toward the bedroom Darryl considered his options.  After
all, while being accidentally transformed and worn hadn't been such a
bad thing, really, deliberately changing himself into a clubbing dress
for Yana was quite another.  But disappointing her wasn't an option.

Yana looked a bit puzzled as Darryl picked up her little black dress
from the floor.  Darryl shrugged in answer to her unasked question.  "I
have to at least *try* to beat this thing."

Yana shrugged.  "Either way, I'm still going to wear my pretty new
dress.  Can you do a slightly less slippery version of that same fabric,
except maybe in green, and with a knee-length skirt?"

Darryl chuckled.  "If you have such a specific idea, why don't you use
the button yourself?"

Yana backed out to the doorway of the bedroom.  "Not if that thing's
ready to bite!"

Darryl tilted his head, looking askance at Yana.  Cautiously, he
inquired, "so if it is a pattern, you'll try it at a safe point in the
cycle?"

Yana took her time answering.  "Mmmmaybe."

"Which means yes."

Yana cursed at Darryl in a language he didn't understand, but he could
tell her heart wasn't in it.

Darryl carefully retrieved the button, making sure to avoid contact with
the back, what he thought of as its 'business end'.  "So far, so good."
He turned toward the dress.  "Ah!  Intent matters."

"Intent?"

"Yup.  As soon as I think of your dress, I can feel it pulling."  He
pushed the button closer.  "This isn't so bad, if you're expecting it."

The button touched down.

"Well?" asked Yana from the doorway.

"I... ech.  I think it's... stuck?"  Darryl held up the dress.  It was
particoloured, showing both the original black and the new green, but
not in a clean division.  Blotches of black showed through unevenly,
looking oddly like bruises.  The two fabrics met uneasily, creating
puckers and seams where none should be.

Yana shuddered.  "It looks... diseased.  Unhealthy.  What happened?"

"I don't know.  Either it's out of juice, or it's broken."

Yana pouted.  "At least it only ruined a dress I didn't like."

"Maybe it'll be OK when I pull...  Crap!"  Darryl had removed the
button, and was now struggling with it, his hand jerking back and forth
spasmodically.

"What's wrong?"

Darryl's only answer was to open the box with his free hand, and fling
the button inside.  Before he could slam the lid closed, the button leapt
into the air, hanging there before his astonished eyes.  It slowly spun,
as if... seeking.

"Yana?" he whispered.

"Y... yes?"

"RUN!"

The order broke her paralysis, but her movement attracted the button.  
As it darted toward her, Darryl instinctively shot his hand out
to intercept it.

* * *

Darryl was still staring blankly at where the button was stuck to his
palm when Yana's curiosity and concern got the better of her fears.  She
followed his gaze.  "Oh.  Uh... now what?"

Darryl blinked at her, owlishly.  "Now I try not to think of..."

He sighed.

"Oops?"

"Oops."  He held up his hand so she could se how it was turning green
and shiny.

"At least I get my dress."  Yana gave him an apologetic grin.

Darryl could only chuckle, shaking his head ruefully.  "Looks like it."

They both watched the slow crawl of green at his wrist.

"Why is it so slow?" Yana inquired.

"It must be... regathering its strength?"

Yana looked at him with a puzzled frown.

He shrugged.  "It seems obvious, now.  It needs people."

"People?"

"To recharge."

"That's crazy!" exclaimed Yana.

Darryl held his arm out to her.  "I can *feel* it."

"Then take it off!"

Darryl reached for the button with his left hand, only to see that it,
too was changing.  He tried anyway, and got to see his hands collapse
into shiny green cuffs for his effort.  "I don't think it wants me to,"
he claimed, in a resigned voice.  "It's OK."

"Does it... hurt?"

"Not really.  IT... well, feels a bit like slowly getting into a a bath
of Epsom salts -- a kind of creeping tingling in my arms and legs."

Yana looked down, and sure enough, Darryl's lower legs were now a swath
of fabric.

"C'mon, Yana, don't look so glum."

"Sorry, it's just... unnerving to watch."

Darryl flapped his sleeves.  Yana giggled briefly at the sight.  Unable
to keep his balance, Darryl toppled backward onto the bed.  His legs
had finished their transformation into a skirt.

"Well.  Isn't this a fine pickle!"

Yana nodded.  "Look who's helpless now."

Darryl grinned up at her.  "Another new way to tie someone up?"

Yana flushed guiltily.

"What?"

"Is it... bad, that that idea really, *really* turns me on?"

As the tingling accelerated up through his torso, Darryl smiled
contentedly up at her.  He felt his face start to change.  "Cool."

With a sigh of displaced air, his head and torso collapsed into an empty
dress.

* * *

Shortly before the girls were due to arrive to pick her up, Yana figured
she'd give Darryl's theory one last chance.  "I hope you're charged
now..."

She plucked at the button, but it wouldn't give.  "Ow!"  It was only
while sucking her fingers that she noticed the change.  They tasted...
like fabric?

As she stared at them in horror, the green slowly faded away.

"Oh Darryl," she whispered to the dress, "how am I ever going to free
you now?"


When she heard the honk from outside, Yana threw the dress on, braless.
She quickly smoothed the dress down her body, and paused long enough to
critically examine herself in the mirror.  For "B-minus" breasts, she
felt they looked pretty damn good -- especially as they were firm enough
to not really need a bra, and with the dress clinging everywhere, a bra
would have stood out like a sore thumb.  Even so, the dress seemed to
somehow support and even enhance her chest...  She wondered if that was
Darryl's doing as she dashed out the door.

Heather and Nadine had arrived in a taxi -- it was not a night for
designated drivers.  As Yana piled in, Heather exclaimed, "Damn, girl --
where did you get that dress?  I've never seen anything like it!"

Yana spent most of the ride deflecting questions from the auburn-haired
amazon.  How could she have forgotten that Heather, in addition to being
an 'actress', managed the studio's wardrobe?


They made quite the stir as they entered the club.  Heather towered
above the other two, though raven-haired Nadine had the biggest chest.
Beside them, Yana felt small and insignificant -- until she realized
that all the stares coming their way were aimed at her!

"You're stealing my spotlight," accused Heather playfully, as they
parted the crowd in search of a table.

"Um... sorry?"

Heather laughed.  "Don't be.  Yet.  Tonight it seems that it's going to
be you beating them off with a stick..."

"I've never..." Yana stammered.

"It's that dress, girl.  It's turning everyone here into a lust-crazed
puppy.  Then again, for most of 'em, it ain't a change."

Yana let her gaze travel around the room, flushing a bit at the
attention.  She saw three guys get slapped by their girlfriends, and
plenty more who were asking for it.

"All over me?" she asked, amazed.

Heather nodded.  "Everyone here wants to either screw you, or be you.
Or maybe knife you.  Man, if looks could kill!"

Yana looked over at her companions.  "Everyone?" Nadine at least had the
decency to blush a bit.

Heather returned her gaze unapologetically.  "If you're flexible, it
doubles the field."

Yana just shook her head.


Dancing with this level of attention was a new experience for Yana.
Heather's imposing presence kept all her admirers somewhat at bay,
allowing Yana to bask in the attention without the attendant gropes and
worse.

When the three of them finally left, arm in arm, a collective sigh of
either regret or relief seemed to follow them, laughing into the night.

Heather arranged for Nadine to be the first one the cab dropped off,
despite the frown she got in response.  A kiss and a whisper from the
larger woman seemed to quiet her complaint.

At Yana's, Heather insisted on walking her up to the door, "just to
be safe."  Yana was grateful enough of the concern that she didn't even
think it odd that the cab left.

"Aw man!" exclaimed Heather with obvious annoyance.  "Look, can I borrow
your phone for just a minute?  I guess I need another cab."

"Sure.  Come on in!"  Yana opened the door wider.

Heather looked around as they walked to the living room.  "It's...
cozy."

Yana sighed.  "Small, you mean.  It's what we can manage."

Heather shook her head.  "No, no -- it's nice!  Um... isn't your fiancé
home?"

Yana blushed, running a hand over the slick surface of her dress.
"Not... as such, no."

"Good."

As surprised as Yana was by the larger woman's embrace, Yana was even
more surprised to find herself responding to the frenzied kisses almost
eagerly.

Surprisingly gently, Heather scooped Yana up and deposited her on the
couch.

"God, I've wanted to tear this dress off you from the first moment I saw
it!"

Yana's eyes opened wide with shock, but before she could protest Heather
had suited actions to words.

A huge swath of the dress -- most of the skirt -- tore free in her
hands... and promptly vanished into thin air.

Heather recoiled in surprise.  "But it... where...?"

Yana forced her off, and her anger drove the amazon back.  "Out!  Go!
Now!"  She drove heather to the door, more by force of will than any
physical means.

At the door, Heather managed to stammer out.  "But... cab?"

Yana's eyes narrowed further,  making Heather flinch.  "You have a
cell."  It wasn't even really a question.

Heather managed to deflate a bit more, and nodded, shamefaced.

"Use it."   The door slammed in Heather's face.

Yana pawed at the sleeve of the dress.  "Oh please, Darryl, be
alright..."  And suddenly, there he was, all tangled up in her arms.

Darryl blinked a few times.  Yana bit her lip.  "Darling?  Are you..."
she almost cried with relief when she saw his legs were intact.

"What... A... Rush!"  Darryl exclaimed.

Yana looked shocked.  "I've been worried sick!"

"That was amaz... worried?  Why?"

Yana didn't quite know where to start.  "But... you got torn!  Half of
you just vanished!"

"So that's what that was.  Just a few minutes ago, right?"

Yana nodded, uncertainly.  "Did it... hurt?"

Darryl shook his head.  "Oh no.  It felt... um kind of like pulling a
really big scab.  And there was this sense of... absence, I guess.
Scary, but in a roller-coaster bottom-falling-out-of-your stomach
kind of way."

"Oh," said Yana, weakly, "good."

Darryl leaned in close to whisper in her ear.  "But the best part was
just before that."

Yana blushed beet red. "You felt... oh no!"

"Everything, especially after you got turned on."

Yana buried her face in her heads.  "And?" she asked, meekly.

"Again?"