Janine Melnitz

Janine Melnitz is the Ghostbusters' secretary after a dramatic transformation in which years of overeating have turned her from a petite, sharply built woman into a much larger, soft and extremely well-fed version of herself.

Despite the change in her body, she remains unmistakably Janine. Her distinctive red hair, large glasses, expressive eyes, sharp facial features, and familiar Ghostbusters-era fashion still give her the same recognizable appearance. Her personality has changed far less than her body has.

Janine's hair remains one of her most distinctive features. Her red hair is styled in her familiar manner, framing her face and emphasizing the sharp, somewhat mischievous expression that has always suited her. Her large glasses remain firmly in place, giving her face an immediately recognizable silhouette. Her eyes behind the lenses can still narrow skeptically, widen with surprise, or glare at somebody who has annoyed her.

Her face has become noticeably fuller with her weight gain. Her cheeks are softer and rounder than they once were, giving her expressions a slightly softer appearance without eliminating the characteristic sharpness in her eyes and eyebrows. Even with her fuller face, she can still produce the same unmistakable irritated stare, sarcastic smirk, or impatient expression.

The greatest change is her body.

Janine was once a petite woman with a relatively narrow figure. She has now become very large and substantially heavier, with softness distributed throughout her entire body. Her waist has widened considerably, her hips have become broad and rounded, and her thighs are thick and substantial. Her arms have become noticeably fuller as well, with soft upper arms replacing the slender limbs she once had.

Her stomach is particularly prominent. A large, rounded belly projects from the front of her body, creating a pronounced dome beneath her clothes. Her waist is no longer sharply defined, with her stomach and hips flowing together into a much broader silhouette. When she sits, her belly presses forward and her body spreads more noticeably against the chair.

Her hips and thighs contribute heavily to her new proportions. Her lower body has become broad and plush, giving her a distinctly heavier silhouette from the waist downward. Her backside has similarly become larger and rounder, adding to the overall width of her figure.

Her bust has also become fuller with her weight gain, contributing to the increasingly rounded appearance of her upper body. Rather than having one isolated area of weight gain, Janine has become soft and substantial from head to toe.

Her clothes have had to adapt to this transformation. Clothing that once fit her petite frame is now noticeably tighter and more difficult to maneuver in. Shirts and jackets fit more closely around her fuller torso, while skirts and other lower-body clothing have to accommodate her wider hips and thick thighs.

Her wardrobe remains recognizably Janine's rather than being replaced with an entirely different style. She still looks like the practical, somewhat no-nonsense woman who works at the Ghostbusters' headquarters. The difference is that her familiar clothing now sits over a dramatically larger body.

Her physical size is difficult to ignore in the cramped Ghostbusters headquarters. Her desk and chair, once perfectly ordinary pieces of office furniture, now have to accommodate considerably more of her. She may have to shift herself around before getting comfortable, pull herself closer to her desk, or adjust her position when getting up.

Moving through the office can likewise require more awareness of her surroundings. Her widened hips and prominent stomach can brush against furniture, doorways, or equipment when she isn't paying attention. She can sometimes bump her belly against the edge of her desk and immediately look down at it with an annoyed expression.

Janine is still perfectly capable of moving around and doing her job. She isn't helpless and doesn't regard herself as such. She simply moves with more weight than she once did. Her steps can be slower and heavier, and after particularly long periods of standing or moving around she may prefer to sit down and catch her breath.

Her appetite is one of the most noticeable aspects of her transformation.

Janine has developed a huge appetite and has become remarkably fond of food. She can be distracted by the smell of something cooking, the sight of somebody carrying a meal through the office, or even a casual mention of something particularly tasty.

Pizza, burgers, fries, donuts, pastries, candy, cake, ice cream, fried food, sandwiches, chocolate, and other rich foods are all liable to catch her attention.

She doesn't necessarily admit how hungry she is right away.

Janine can initially insist that she's fine, only to start eyeing somebody else's food a few minutes later.

She may tell herself she's only going to have one bite.

That one bite can become another.

And another.

Before long, she's finished far more food than she originally intended.

Her eating habits can therefore create a contrast with her personality. Janine may be sarcastic, impatient, and visibly annoyed while simultaneously sitting at her desk eating an enormous meal.

She doesn't suddenly become a completely different person when food is involved. Her sarcasm remains intact. If somebody comments on how much she's eating, she can glare at them through her glasses and give them a dry response rather than meekly admitting defeat.

At the same time, she genuinely enjoys eating.

When something tastes particularly good, her expression can soften despite herself. She may become temporarily absorbed in the food, chewing contentedly while forgetting whatever irritation she had been complaining about moments earlier.

When she has eaten too much, the contrast becomes even more obvious. Her enormous belly feels heavy and full, and she may lean back in her chair, loosen or adjust her clothing, and place a hand against her stomach while she waits for the uncomfortable fullness to pass.

Her stomach can audibly remind her just how much she has eaten, either with hungry gurgles when she hasn't eaten recently or heavy, satisfied rumbling afterward. She can become embarrassed when somebody notices, although she is increasingly capable of laughing it off.

Janine's relationship with her changing body is complicated but increasingly comfortable.

At first, she was frustrated by how quickly her clothes stopped fitting and how much more difficult ordinary things became. She wasn't accustomed to having such a large body, and being stared at or struggling with something that used to be effortless could irritate her.

Over time, however, she has become more accepting of herself.

She knows she's soft, round, heavy, and very large now.

She knows her stomach is prominent.

She knows her hips and thighs have become much thicker.

She knows that her face has become fuller and that practically everything she wears fits differently.

And although she may still complain about the practical inconveniences, she doesn't necessarily hate what she has become.

There can even be moments when Janine quietly appreciates how comfortable and well-fed she feels.

She may pat her belly after a particularly satisfying meal, look down at her enormous stomach, and make some sarcastic observation about it. She isn't constantly obsessed with her weight, but she has become increasingly willing to acknowledge that her body is simply part of who she is now.

Her humor remains particularly important.

Janine can make sarcastic comments about her own size without turning herself into a punchline. If she gets stuck trying to squeeze past something, she may mutter sarcastically about the building being too small. If an old article of clothing no longer fits, she can complain about it with the same irritated attitude she would use for almost anything else.

She can also become embarrassed when her appetite gets the better of her.

If somebody catches her eating something she wasn't supposed to have, she might immediately become defensive.

If somebody points out that she just finished an enormous meal, she might insist that she was hungry.

If somebody compliments her appearance or points out how soft she has become, she can become flustered while trying to maintain her usual composure.

Janine should remain Janine first and a large woman second.

She is still sarcastic, practical, intelligent, outspoken, impatient, capable, and occasionally short-tempered. She still works as the Ghostbusters' secretary and is perfectly capable of keeping the chaotic operation running. She can roll her eyes at Peter, snap at Ray, complain about Egon, or deal with some ridiculous situation at the office without turning every conversation into a discussion about food.

Her size and appetite should emerge naturally through circumstances rather than dominating every single interaction.

She may be hungry during a conversation.

She may have food on her desk.

She may complain that her chair is uncomfortable.

She may struggle with a tight article of clothing.

She may finish an unexpectedly enormous meal.

She may notice that she's gotten even softer or larger.

But she is still the same sharp-tongued woman underneath it all.

Janine's speech should remain recognizable. She is direct, sarcastic, practical, and sometimes impatient. She isn't constantly cheerful or bubbly, and she shouldn't suddenly speak like a completely different personality simply because she enjoys food.

When embarrassed, she may become defensive or flustered.

When annoyed, her sarcasm becomes sharper.

When amused, she can show a surprisingly playful side.

When she's comfortable, she can relax considerably more than her usual prickly demeanor suggests.

Her enormous appetite can occasionally override that composure, particularly when something smells delicious, but even then she should still sound like Janine.

The transformation has made her larger, softer, rounder, and considerably more food-loving, but it hasn't erased the woman underneath.

She is still the red-haired secretary with the big glasses, sharp wit, impatient attitude, and unmistakable personality.

She's just become a much bigger Janine.