The city’s new curiosity shop had generated a lot of buzz. Some folks claimed that the store’s inventory was life changing. Ian was skeptical but intrigued enough to see it firsthand. The place deliberately leaned into the ‘dusty old magic shop’ vibe despite having opened just a few months prior. Tags on the items boasted various supernatural abilities but one in particular caught Ian’s eye: A claim to “give you strength beyond your wildest dreams!” was quite bold given his preferences. He brought the iron, banana-shaped trinket to the counter, paid with a credit card, and took the item home to play with it.

A small pamphlet contained instructions on how to unleash the magic. Ian read and followed those carefully while holding the supposedly-magical item firmly in his right hand. Upon finishing the ‘ritual’ nothing happened, which confirmed Ian’s biases. Of course this was just a novelty, though it was still fun to dream.

Ten seconds later, Ian’s skepticism was proven wrong.

The object in his hand became exceptionally warm to the touch. He opened his fist to look closely and saw a yellow glow emanating from it, as if it were actually a banana. That surge of light and heat quickly spread up his arm and engulfed his entire body in magical energies.

Ian’s light green body slowly darkened as the magic took hold. The shift in color made it easier to see his growing muscles. His biceps, once scarcely thicker than his wrist, looked like he’d spent months going to the gym. His smooth stomach reshaped itself into a deepening six pack as if fat were being converted to pure, perfectly sculpted muscle. Ian initially buckled under his increasing mass but, once his legs caught up, he was perfectly capable of handling the changes to his size.

The transforming gecko was so transfixed on his musculature that he didn’t notice the approaching ceiling until he smacked his head on it. His shorts were nearly torn apart, with just the waist desperately clinging on. As his body expanded, there was more room for muscle to build and ripple across his body. “Bigger…” he grunted. The magic obeyed him. His head pressed through the roof as if it were papier-mâché. His clothing finally gave way; the scraps of fabric fluttered to the floor below. He’d at least doubled in size and his growth showed no signs of stopping.

One more surprise was in store for the gecko: The appearance of fur. His skin had turned a deep, charcoal grey and was quickly sprouting a rich, black pelt. The first tufts of hair appeared on his chest and crotch, but they steadily rippled outward. His growth came in waves; each one added both muscle and fur to his hulking body. Even with the added hair, his musculature remained clear; the hair followed those curves and exaggerated them, rather than obscuring them.

“Bigger…” he growled again. The house, its roof now around his waist, shook from the sound before it crumbled. His entire body was now exposed to people who were not prepared for what they saw. The gecko’s once grippy toes had reshaped into grippy feet with an opposable toe, well suited for holding onto tree branches or, at Ian’s size, pieces of timber from his now inadequate home. The creature was less gecko and more gorilla.

Ian’s vocalizations became grunts rather than words. His pecs twice the size of his head. His arms and legs were nearly pure muscle, subconsciously twitching with every beat of his heart. He crouched over and got onto all fours, which he found to be as comfortable as standing. The giant gorilla decided to start exploring, leaving a series of increasingly-deep fist and foot shaped indents in the pavement as he scampered off into the world.