Jessie was grumpy.
For one, the beach was packed – not a single inch of sand didn’t have some random towel or umbrella occupying it, the multicolored blanket of various claimed spots stretching off into the distance in both directions, leaving her standing there with her own towel and a frown and little to show for it.
The sand was hot against her hooves, the sun hot against her back, and she wanted nothing more than to enjoy a cool splash in the ocean waves… but, it seemed, that wasn’t to be, today.
“Ugh.” She grumbled, turning to walk back up the boardwalk to the parking lot, and, rather rudely, bumped something out of the way as it blew against her in the slight breeze.
It… felt like a beach ball, if she was honest? Soft, squishy vinyl giving way at her shove, compressing against the wooden rails with a squeak of surprise and alarm.
It was only as she looked up that she realized the toy was a person, bright red lifeguard shirt and whistle adorning an orange and blue inflatable otter currently staring at her with eyes wide in surprise.
“O-Oh! Um. Sorry, I didn’t think you were…?”
The otter shook their head, decal face frowning. They gestured at their wrist, where a watch would be.
“Uh…?”
The toy reached into their scarf, tugging out a little book – and, with a motion that seemed shockingly fast for what it was, whipped something out of it.
A small sticker was slapped against the deer’s thigh, drawing Jessie’s attention. It… looked like the otter, sort of…?
Instantly, Jessie began to feel full, her swimwear growing taut and tight. Her tail, small and cervine, exploded outwards into a thick inflatable otter tail, coloring changing to orange with a blue stripe – and the otter, miming giggling, reached up and tugged off the lifeguard shirt as best they could!
It was over in an instant, leaving Jessie just enough time to see they’d blown up into a proper clone of the lifeguard before the shirt bounced harmlessly off of her new plastic otter snout, big blue nose filling up her vision.
I-I’m the lifeguard?!