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Chowing down on some chips and watching a bland TV show, Theodore doing some homework on the side. His glasses slid down his muzzle and he had to occasionally push them up his ribbed muzzle a few times as he filled out another equation on the form. He was working, and barely had to put any effort into it. Indeed, today was going to be a good day "Well you look happy, Theodore," a voice remarked. Pulling his eyes away from the dull piece of homework, the dragon was satisfied to see his roommate and fellow dragon, Richardson. He looked rather snug black shorts that contrasted with his black and purple scales. yet somehow, he always seemed comfortable with his attire. The dragon stretched as steam from the hot shower billowed into the room, towel around his neck, water dripping down his chest. wings curled around his shoulders to make the towel look like a fancy collar to a cape. Moving towards Theodore, Richardson brushed his hand through his beautiful white hair, flowing vibrantly as ever, hair dryed, no doubt.

Theodore always had a tendency to self consciously rub his fingers through his greasy black ponytail between his straight ebony horns whenever Richardson finished a shower. He always considered if his hair would be as impressive as his roommate's if he only showered as regularly as Richardson did. However, like always, he would dismiss the thought, convinced his hair would merely look 'girly.' The sight of Richardson had always left poor Theodore to compare his body to his friend's. The dragon looked down at his somewhat engorged stomach and scratched it self consciously. His cherry red scales could have been an impressive sight, but due to a lack of effort when it came to grooming, they were pale and sullen. His black rim glasses were so thick, they magnified the size of his sharp green eyes. Though he was a dragon like Richardson, his ribbed muzzle and rounded nostrils suggested he had a bit of crocodile blood in him. Despite this, his unhealthy pallor made his cheeks look plump, and blood vessels tended to gather there, leaving it the reddest part of his face. His teeth were blocky from a lifetime of fatty snacks and empty calories. His claws were worn down from anxious and excessive nail biting.

As for Richardson, the dragon was a jock. So his propensity toward staying in shape and taking care of himself was obvious. Standing at 6'1. his two toned scale pattern always seemed to be on display in the early morning. Black primary scales paired with a lined purple underbelly. His frame was without definition to his abs. Though his pecs and legs were adequately toned. A clear sign of a jock trying to focus on the parts of his body he could see through a jersey, but his build was enough to make him look impressive in contrast to Theodore. While not as worn down as Theodore's, Richardson's claws were filed to keep him from popping the basketball accidentally during a game. What truly helped Richardson stand out from the rest was his mane. Flowing and well maintained, he wore it tossed to the right side, 2 pairs of curved ebony horns poking out from the matte of ash white. It was the only real part of Richardson that took time to groom every morning. Theodore often joked about how long it must take to get his hair to look like that. In truth, he was a little jealous. Not nearly enough to do anything about it. So instead, he fixated back on the television and quietly buried his moment self conscious reflection under a thick layer of feigned indifference.

"Mmm... thrilled," Theodore laughed. Picking up his bag of chips, he allowed Richardson to take a seat on the beaten up cushions of their couch. "What've you been up to, 'Richter'?" he leaned in expectantly with a coy expression. The red dragon unconsciously patted his unflattering paunch as he threw a few more chips into his mouth. Chewing absently like a cow, causing his friend to glower at the sight in return.

Richardson threw a pillow at Theodore, knocking his thick rimmed glasses into the infinite crack of missing objects in their couch. "Whoops," Richardson shrugged. Theodore flung a choice curse word at his friend, but his heart wasn't really in it. After a few minutes of digging, finding more remotes than cushion, he sighed in relief upon finding them... After setting the glasses precariously back on his muzzle, he gave Richardson a sharp glare as the other dragon threw his hands up. "I told you not to call me that. The team can get away with it, not you."

Theodore rolled his eyes and returned to his equations, propping his feet on a footrest. While the dragon slid back into his groove, his roommate snatched up the remote and started flicking through channels. "So for real this time, how was your day?" Theodore asked. Sinking back into the plush material of their couch form seemed to embed into the cushions Richardson held back a snicker at his chubby friend. He likely wouldn't get up for an hour.

"Just finished up a game with the team. They say that they want to be prepared for next time, but I saw some of the ladies they invited taking pictures. I think they just wanted to catch a few images of me and post them in the college's paper again." Richardson groaned. Though he was a pretty popular and handsome dragon, Richardson never seemed to care about the social benefits of being a basketball jock. Due to rules in the basketball league to keep things fair for all species, dragons and any winged species in general were disallowed from using their wings.Despite this, Richardson's jump was so high that he'd quickly gained notoriety across the country as the top player in the college leagues.

"Mister humble," Theodore scoffed. Ignoring his friend's jab, Richardson continued to flick through channels attempting to find something interesting while Theodore finished his math homework. Looking over at Richardson while he was distracted, Theodore couldn't help but bristle at his friend's attitude. The nerdy dragon had always had wanted the popularity that his friend had, but he'd never had the push to get it done so he was always standing in the larger dragon's shadow. Thankfully, he made up for his lack of strength with plenty of smarts, enough to get a full paid scholarship to attend the same college as Richardson.

While flipping through channels, Richardson finally stopped at a local news channel. "Hey look at that," Richardson leaned over with a coy smirk. Theodore looked up to see what his friend was gesturing to, and his heart stopped.the familiar and chiseled features of his one and only all time favorite idol dominated the screen. Turning up the volume, Richardson leaned back with an unimpressed expression while Theodore leaned forward in awe.

"Gilderoy Price, is it true that you will be heading to Lexin University this week to watch their next basketball game?" an offscreen reporter asked.

The handsome and muscled dragon was leaning back in his chair, his golden scales seeming to absorb the very light shining on him as he gave a dazzling smile at the camera. "Why yes it is, dear madam. I am a tragic victim when it comes to nostalgia. The allure of my old college is all too enticing to stay away for too long. After all, were it not for the fine academics at Lexin, I would not be the budding actor I am today! I may not have played in any of the teams in the college, but It's quite a treat to drop by once in a while to give my support. Usually I go in private, but it appears that some clever reporter exposed my little secret, I cannot begrudge someone for their expertise now can I?" the dragon's comment left a few reporters laughing politely, obviously flattered.. Gilderoy was a super celebrity. Practically heading a long list of famous dragons, his acting prowess on air only rivaled by his charm off the screen.

Now dragons were known to live for a long time, but they always showed their signs of age, but it seemed like Gilderoy in his fifty years had barely stepped out of being a young adult. "Now Gilderoy, do you have any other intentions when you go to the university and your old home town?" the announcer asked.

Gilderoy leaned forward and winked at the announcer with a click of his tongue, shifting to a more conspiratorial tone. "Now now, I can't be giving away all of my secrets, can I? Lest the charm of my character be muted. After all, you all would hate for a good story to lose its mystery, yes? Goodness! How sinister I must sound! I suppose my role Doctor Devlish from "The Cape of Destiny." rubbed off on me, eh?" he laughed. The reporters laughed alongside him, all the while Theodore had a big grin on his face.

"You'd better wrap up that tongue, Theodore. Otherwise you're going to lose it." Richardson joked. elbowing the dragon in the ribs. Theodore regained his composure, shut off the TV and let out a sigh before rubbing his eyelids. "God above, I hope he doesn't try to talk to our basketball team at the game..." he grumbled.

Glancing at his friend in confusion, Theodore leaned back and scratched at his ponytail.His red scales rippling with every movement, though it wasn't nearly as sharp of movements as Richardson's due to his pudgy frame. "Why do you hate Gilderoy so much? He's such an awesome guy," Theodore asked.

Richardson sniffed and folded his arms as he scratched at his own muzzle, a habit he'd developed whenever he was annoyed, or embarrassed. "Hate's kind of a strong word. I just see through his 'holier than thou' crap. Have you seen the way he acts around other people? He goes on and on, like his crap cures cancer." Theodore sniffed and nodded slightly as he leaned back into the chair. Unsure of what to say after that. it wasn't something he'd quite noticed as he'd always opted to be proud of the dragon actor for being such an awesome guy. "Anyways, I think I'll be heading off to bed early. I'm gonna go out on a run tomorrow morning, do you want to join me?" Richardson offered with a smile.

Though he knew that he should, Theodore blushed and rapidly shook his head. The dragon knew that turning down offers wouldn't get him fit any faster, but he rationalized he was so stressed about math at that moment that he could only imagine it was going to be another all nighter. "Sorry, Richardson. I'm good. I hope your run goes well," Theodore politely declined. Richardson shook his head wistfully but gave him a slight nod of assurance before walking into his room for the night. Theodore in the meantime flicked the TV back on to watch Gilderoy continue talking, having now moved on about how he'd gotten his amazing physique.

***

Stepping into the halls of the university once more Gilderoy smiled and waved to the gathered mass of college students and fans that desired his autograph. "Sorry everyone, as I said in my interview I wouldn't be doing any autographs tonight. Feel free to drop by the mall tomorrow though, I'll be there for a few hours at the bookstore helping support a friend. Be sure to bring plenty of things to sign~!" he flashed his trademark grin and waved. A dramatic, but calculated gesture, The crowd ate it up. As he sauntered through his idolizing fans, he appeased them with a casual flick of his suit. His shirt didn't leave much to the imagination under his jacket as his abs easily were discernible against the shirt's stretched fabric.

Gilderoy stood at six feet and ten inches, a powerful, broad shouldered sculpture of a man. His body a deep gold in color, with a lighter, almost white gold underbelly, thin lines indenting his lower jaw and segmenting all the way down to his tail. His long white horns jutted out from a mane of oak brown hair, parted down the middle, and ending at the bottom of his neck, with the bangs just touching the outsides of his intense, amber eyes. A pair of sunglasses perched atop his head, slid along a pair of two pronged fins, the ear webbings the same white gold as his neck. The dragon extended his wings, showing an impressive sixteen foot canopy of gold and white gold. Showing he could give the two of them a little privacy whenever he wanted. But, sure enough, the Dragon retracted his wings, tilting them forward to clip across his neck like cape. Adding a bit of flair to his surprisingly uninteresting tan dress suit. At least the tie matched his scales.

Walking along with the rest of the crowd... or more like guiding the crowd of fans, Gilderoy was approached by a scrawny cheetah that barred his path.. "M... Mister Price, it's an hon..ah.. uh..!" the cheetah stammered.

For a moment Gilderoy just about walked past the well dressed cheetah, but he slipped on a genuine looking smile and shook the cheetah's extended hand. "It's nice to meet you too...?"

"Headmaster Reeco," the cheetah quickly filled in. Gilderoy nodded as the cheetah gestured for him to follow along. "The board of directors and I both were ecstatic to hear that you were attending, and as such we've prepared a booth for the best view!" the headmaster explained.

Though Gilderoy had already figured that this sort of thing would be happening due to his popularity, but the dragon put on a surprised face. "Headmaster Reeco, there's no need for that! I would be glad to sit amongst my fans," he said with a bright smile.

The headmaster looked up at the dragon, tapping his fingers together. "bu...but the security risk.. it.. ah...uh." The large golden dragon slid an arm across the smaller cheetah's shoulders. The headmaster pressing his head into the massive chest as he stared at Gileroy's golden lapel attached to a Yellow tie. He looked almost like a child clinging to a parent.

Gilderoy gave a long sigh as he tussled the headmaster's hair. "I suppose if it's for the good of the school, I'll have to oblige for the booth seats. provided you're willing to accompany me, Mister headmaster." the fans gave an aww of disappointment, but the headmaster stared up at Gilderoy and responded with an absent nod. Soon enough, Gilderoy was sitting in his own section while leaning back and relaxing as he waited for the game to start. When he first started he may have felt some tinge of guilt for the false act and demeaning attitude towards his fans, but by now he had such an ego that he could smile and nod without a pang of guilt.

Observing the crowd passively, Gilderoy saw that there were barely any dragons in the crowd. The announcer started to speak as the crowd's stragglers started to pour in. Gilderoy's eyes latched onto the basketball team long enough to see Richardson stepping out before he looked back into the crowd to see him, a very awkward and almost displeasing looking dragon stumbling into a seat with a big bag of popcorn clutched between his hands. Gilderoy let out a humm of disapproval, doing his best to hide a grimace. Though after a moment, he leaned back as he rubbed his chin. "Looks like this will be a longer project than I originally anticipated..." he noted.

***

Slamming into his seat Theodore blushed heavily as he folded his wings up when someone was snapping at him to do so. "S-sorry..." he stuttered. The dragon had gotten so wrapped up in watching some movies that he'd very nearly forgotten to get to the game on time. It didn't help that he always ordered the large popcorn basket that took a little while to fill up, shoving some popcorn into his muzzle he hunkered down as he watched the team march out onto the court with Richardson's head poking above the rest of the team's. Theodore wasn't the biggest fan of basketball honestly, but he had yet to miss a game for his friend, and it didn't help that his idol was sitting in a column just across from him. He had to sit in the front row so he could catch the game as being five foot six didn't tend to help with being stuck behind the taller people who tended to sit right in front of him, so for a few extra dollars he forked out the money to be able to watch his friend beat on the other team.

Chomping on popcorn as he waited for the game to start, Theodore felt a shiver shoot up his back; tingling with the the feeling someone was watching him. Remaining extremely still, Theodore started glancing around, hoping to find the source of the voyeur, and soon enough he turned his head until he saw Gilderoy, and his eyes widened in terror; the dragon was staring directly at Theodore. Dragons had eyesight and instinct that had proved better than falcons, so seeing his idol give him such a gaze filled was gut churning. He attempted to tuck his head down, but came to notice that sitting beside him was the headmaster. What were they doing together? Gilderoy leaned over slowly and began whispering in the cheetah's ear. the two of them staring at Theodore. This couldn't be what it looked like, right? To keep himself from freaking out, he quickly convinced himself it was all in his head and focused on the court.

The game started and the court was flushed with basketball players while Theodore continued to have the feeling of being watched. Theodore had always had a great sixth sense, and being watched made him feel like a bug under a microscope, and with Gilderoy being the one watching him... He wasn't sure what to think. He felt his heart swell with excitement and glee, and he felt his face light up in embarrassment as he felt his tail curl tightly around his waist like a girdle.

After the first twenty uneventful minutes of the game, Theodore finally felt the urge to check Gilderoy. Thankful to see the golden dragon paying attention to the game, and he chalked up the entire thing to his imagination.

Richardson had proved to be the star player for the night, as lights flashed his name and instant replays showcased a dunk or two. Despite this, the dragon remained quiet, humble, even when his teammates clamored around him in praise.l. "Looks like a 9.9 on the richter scale tonight, folks!" The announcer cried. Which was actually enough for Richardson to stop and yell an obscenity at the observation booth, much to the amusement of the crowd. Theodore joined in with chanting his nickname.. Though the purple dragon looked embarrassed by the chants, he continued to pull the team along until the final buzzer blared. An easy upset victory.

By the end, Theodore had consumed an entire box of popcorn. He'd been intending to save some for Richardson, but he quickly buried his guilt and resolved he could grab his friend a burger instead. He tilted his head back to Gilderoy's booth. only to realize the dragon had already slipped away. But nobody else seemed to notice.

Theodore dumped his trash into a nearby bin before heading into the main hall to wait for Richardson. The pair made it a habit to walk back to the dorm together after a game. While he was walking, he noticed that the snack bar was still open and he felt his stomach grumble yet again. "I suppose... one more snack before I get back to Richardson won't hurt," he rationalized. Sneaking over to the snack bar, he began to order himself a hot dog, only to be startled when somebody approached from behind.

"Excuse me?" a deep and charismatic voice purred. Theodore felt his stomach churn. Could it have possibly been? He turned to find Gilderoy Price standing there. Theodore tensed, paralyzed at the sight. The golden dragon seemed to exude charm by just standing there. Could he possibly endure having his idol speak to him? The smaller dragon attempted to speak... but his voice just squeaked as he stood in the brilliance of the famous actor. "Cat got your tongue? Hah, please. don't feel too self conscious. It happens more often than you think." Gilderoy chuckled.

Theodore attempted to speak again, but his starstruck paralysis halted him once again. Instead, he just nodded briefly Gilderoy to speak, as the golden dragon leaned up against a wall beside him. Practically looming. Theodore's eyes widened, trying his best not to allow the sweat to bead too quickly down his shirt. But considering he barely had control over his eating habits, he was but a mouse in the dragon's clutches. The young man's eyes raced across his idol's impressive frame.

"That was one fine game, are they always this exciting?" Gilderoy said. The younger dragon quickly nodded, having to do with gestures rather than his almost pre-pubescent squeaks. "I was extremely impressed by the MVP on their team, Richter was it?" he asked.

Having some form of connection to Richardson, Theodore quickly nodded as he was able to overcome his shyness... somewhat at least. "Th... that's a n-nickname. His name is Richardson, he... he's my roommate," he squeaked. The golden dragon perked an eyebrow at that. "Really?" Theodore quickly ducked his head as Gilderoy leaned closer. Giving a close examination of the pudgy red dragon's expression.

Watching Theodore closely, Gilderoy observed the young dragon, taking a mental note how the pitiful drake couldn't even hold eye contact with him for long.. "Interesting. How does it feel to be living with a star?" Theodore tensed, his ear fins flattening to the sides of his head, as Gilderoy leaned close. Forcing the young man to crane his neck almost vertically to keep eye contact. "Uhm... I don't...uh.. this... uhm...uh..." Theodore stammered helplessly. honestly not sure how to answer. "Personally, I would love to meet him. Would you mind if I tagged along with you for a meeting?" he offered.

Being so enamored with the star, Theodore nodded without thinking. "I...I uh...I... anything you want!" and Gilderoy beamed.

"Simply Fantastic! Please, lead the way," he slid his arm over Theodore's shoulders. The poor starstruck dragon didn't even look where he was walking. Staring up at Gilderoy as they walked. For the first time in his life, Theodore left a perfectly good meal untouched; utterly forgotten. While the two walked, Gilderoy pursued small talk, deciding that it would be a good idea to get onto the young dragon's good side, even if he was obviously a fan. It was fairly easy, as Theodore glinted the telltale signs of complete and utter fan infatuation. As the pair walked into what seemed like a meeting lobby, another door opened across from them and the team members spilled into the room to meet with their families and fans. The crowd cheering and clamoring for the victors.

Theodore however, was completely focused on Gilderoy. This was going better than it possibly could have. He didn't even seem to mind that the pudgy dragon never seemed to pull his eyes away from the actor's chiseled features. Anyone would have at least asked what was up by now. But instead, the massive dragon tussled Theodore's greasy black hair, the ponytail popping out. As odd an action it was, Theodore barely noticed. Gilderoy raised a hand, calling out when he noticed the star player. "Richardson!" he called out as the jock turned to the foreign voice.

Glancing over at the sound of his name, Richardson looked happy to see his friend... and then as he noticed gilderoy looming over him, the expression quickly shifted to confusion. "Uhhh.Theodore, good to see you. Who's this?" Richardson asked as he approached. He shifted to his back leg and folded his arms across his chest.The question was rhetorical. Gilderoy practically felt the disdain rolling off of the dragon's tongue.

Theodore however was utterly oblivious. "Uh...oh this...this is uh...it's..." He drifted off almost as quickly as he acknowledged Richardson's presence. Gaze shifting back to the actor who simply showed his sharp teeth, twisted into a well practiced, genuine grin. Richardson didn't buy it for a second.

"Gilderoy Price, I'm a fan of your performance. I saw how well you did out on the court today. A quintessential example of dragon excellence if I do say so!" Gilderoy praised. His grin seemed to sparkle, extending a hand to shake. Richardson didn't bother to return the gesture, letting Gilderoy hang there awkwardly before swinging it into his pocket.. His smile never wavering Richardson could only imagine smacking it right off. "You really impressed me with your performance. I would absolutely adore sponsoring you! I'm willing to offer as much money as necessary to help you along the way. I also have a group that meets up every month, it's full of prospective young men and women of the future. I can see you being a part of it." He winked with practiced ease. The dragon seemed more like a salesman than an actor. He produced a card from his pocket and held it out to Richardson.

For a moment Richardson looked at the card in stunned silence before quietly shaking his head. "I... appreciate the offer, but I'm fine. Now if you don't mind, Theodore and I have to get going," the jock waved his hand dismissively. "Theodore? Theodore!" Finally being addressed by name was enough for the young dragon to snap out of the lull Gilderoy's cheekbones seemed to have produced. "Don't stay out too late." He said to Theodore. Obviously not cruel enough to deny Theodore the opportunity to spend time with his idol. The black dragon tossed his sweaty white mane, lifted his tail, about faced and strode out. The red dragon glancing wistfully back at Gilderoy. Clearly not wanting to leave.

Gilderoy was left in the crowd of people, honestly flabbergasted as the basketball player considered the actor's performance and was left wanting! Theodore looking after his friend in confusion as the dragon thought for a moment. His face never losing its bright smirk, Gilderoy turned to Theodore without missing a beat. "Pity. Perhaps you'd like to take his place, Theodore. My group is always looking for college students with big plans for the future, and I have an inkling about you my boy." he tapped Theodore's chest and grinned confidingly. Theodore's mouth dropped open as he slowly took the card from the actor's hand, his own hands shaking as his gaze shot back up at Gilderoy in hushed awe.. "Give me a call if you're interested, the next meeting is in two weeks. I hope to see you there," he said with finality. Patting Theodore on the shoulder kindly, he walked out.Theodore stood there in a daze for a moment before finally running to catch up with Richardson.

Climbing into his luxury car, Gilderoy observed the retreating pair of dragons carefully. "I'll admit, not the turnout I was expecting... but a nice twist nonetheless," he said to himself. He watched as Theodore tucked the card into his pocket, and felt a chill of excitement dance up his back.

***

Two Weeks Later:

"Theodore, do you really have to go to Gilderoy's club? We could go out to see a movie instead," Richardson offered. Theodore had informed him of the meeting at the last minute, knowing that Richardson wouldn't have a lot of time to talk him out of his desire to go. "I heard that new Thirsty Games movie is coming out," the purple black dragon offered.

Theodore was already pulling on his jacket, out a sigh as he brushed his hair around his short horns to attempt to look presentable. "Richardson, it's no use convincing me not to go. Think about it, I get to hang out with my idol, and who knows? Maybe I'll get a few connections for life after college. I'm going to be staying at a hotel by the meeting place for tonight. Then I'll be back Thursday night and I can make you some food to make it up to you," he promised. "Two days? this meeting lasts two days?" Richardson asked incredulously. Theodore responded with an easy shrug. "Not exactly. Gilderoy said a newcomer's first meet is a long one. look at it this way. you got the place to yourself for a while."

Richardson was by no means appeased, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to talk his friend out of it, so he just sighed and slumped into the couch. while his friend was finishing packing up some last minute things, the dragon continued to pout up until Theodore was at the door. "Well I'm heading out, I'll see you Thursday," he said. Richardson didn't respond so the dragon had to leave in silence, and then the guilt hit Richardson in the gut.

By the time Richardson was ready to apologize Theodore was out on the road, and the dragon was too prideful to do it over phone. Deciding that he couldn't just expect Theodore to accept any regular apology, he would make his friend dinner when he got back. Theodore on the other hand was too busytrying to figure out how he would make it up to his friend for abandoning him all of a sudden.

Theodore had called Gilderoy a few days prior to inform him of his decision to come, and though the dragon had sounded disappointed that Richardson wouldn't be coming, he was thrilled by the decision.. Gilderoy invited him in a day early so that the dragon could get to know some of the other members. so in fact, he was leaving a bit earlier than necessary but he'd decided to leave that part out when telling Richardson.Three hours passed, Theodore had told Richardson he could call at any time, but each time he glanced at his phone, it showed no signs of stirring.

Pulling into the hotel parking space, Theodore didn't have to even give Gilderoy a call as the golden dragon was standing in front of the hotel on his cell phone. Seeing Theodore climbing out of his car, he quickly said a few parting words before hanging up and approaching him with a beaming grin. Gesturing grandly in a vaudevillian fashion. "Welcome, Theodore! It's great to see that you came, don't worry about your car or baggage, I'll have someone settle all that away for you. Come with me, the others are waiting for us already!" he wrapped a huge arm around the pudgy red dragon's slouched shoulders and once again, Theodore found his head buried in a business suit. .Staring at the dragon's pecs, he could feel the rock hard muscles underneath the designer cloth. A pitiful mutter of protest and the golden adonis of a host already interrupted him. "Please, Please! come this way Theo." "b...but I'm not called..." They were already walking, and it took the feeling of cool air conditioning chilling his scales to make him realize they were already moving.

Honestly Theodore had thought that they would just be having a meet and greet at the hotel. Instead they had been ushered into a limo, driving to parts unknown.. Gilderoy sat in the backseat of the spacious limousine. To Theodore, the place was a little cramped, as he was nestled between the massive gold dragon's left side, and the door. He tried to form words to ask for room, but as the word formed in his throat, a massive arm draped over him again, and his memory of speech left him. From how Gilderoy had explained the meeting, he'd figured that it would be nearby, but he found himself being taken right outside of the city limits. It took him a few minutes of staring dumbfounded up at the golden dragon's flowing hair before he finally mustered up the willpower to speak. "Gilderoy, where are we going?" he asked.

"Sorry, Theodore. I completely forgot that I didn't tell you, our meeting place had to be changed up a bit due to some reservation issues. The place we're staying isn't too far though," Gilderoy said with a smile. Though Theodore felt a bit ill at ease, he couldn't help but trust the other dragon's words. Soon enough they pulled up to a building... though that wasn't quite the best description for it, Theodore would more compare it to a deluxe resort. "Here we are."

"T... this is the place?" Theodore stuttered. "I... I don't think I can afford to walk inside, Mister Price," the young dragon said.

Gilderoy just smiled and gave him a wink as he parked and stepped out of the car, gesturing for Theodore to do the same they started towards the building. "Don't worry about it, Theodore. I have everything covered," he said. Theodore couldn't help but feel inadequate though as they walked up towards the building.

Theodore felt his stomach churning as he stole another glance at Gilderoy;nervously wringing his hands. "I just have to ask, sir... why did you pick me? I mean... At the time it sounded really cool and interesting but... I'm not special at all."

The golden dragon just laughed as he threw his arm around Theodore's shoulders and his eyes sparkled knowingly. Pinning the young dragon against his chest yet again. This time, Theodore didn't even bother resisting the temptation to stare directly into that silky fabric. "Hahaha, that's because, my dear drake, dragons have to stick together," he said warmly as the doors shut behind them.

***

Walking out of the resort, Theodore laughed as Gilderoy asked him about how he'd enjoyed his time there. Remaining close to his side as he walked with a slight swing to his step. Clearly in a good mood. "Are you kidding? I loved it, thank you so much for allowing me to come," he said with a smirk.

"I'm glad to hear it. I hope that you won't mind if I count on you to come to the next meeting?" Gilderoy asked cheerfully. Theodore shook his head as they climbed into the limo. "Fantastic. Let's get back to the hotel then, it's been a late night and you need to get some rest before heading back home," the golden dragon said.

That evening had been uneventful after returning from their meet and greet. The next day proved to be much more exciting. He'd met several interesting people who welcomed him as if he was a member of their own family. They even had him join in on a pool party they had been planning for a while. Even now, he still felt some of the chlorine sticking to his body. Though oddly enough, the pool water removed much of the grease from his hair, and he was able to finally walk around without a ponytail.. "Oh and Gilderoy, thank you for all the advice. I never knew how much my lifestyle was hurting me," he remarked.

Gilderoy nodded sagely in response. He gripped the young boy's shirt and leaned close. "Do yourself a favor, my boy. The bathtubs here are some of the finest money can buy, don't squander it." Theodore's eyes remained locked with Gilderoy's steely gaze, and he found little reason to deny him. Theodore climbed out and waved goodbye to his new friend before heading inside. Walking to his room, Theodore pulled out his key and walked inside. Emptying out his pockets and throwing everything onto the counter, he moved toward the bed. His body paused a moment, reminded of Mister Price's suggestion. 'The finest money can buy' eh? Theodore's red tail twitched excitedly, never having felt such eagerness to do something as mundane as bathing. And he was right! the water was scented with oils straight from the several faucets that seemed more like pipeworks than bathroom. He sank back into the hot water, seeping into his pale red scales, almost immediately brightening up like a lobster from all the gunk clogging his scales and pores. Damn... it's been a great day..." he sighed.

Floating there in the oversized tub, he realized that his phone was vibrating on the counter, forcing himself to reach, he grabbed his phone and answered, it was Richardson. "Richardson, hey! Good to hear from you," he said cheerfully.

"Hey, sorry for bothering you. I texted you yesterday but you never got back to me, I wanted to check in and make sure you were alright," Richardson said. The dragon sounded a bit concerned, but Theodore shrugged it off as his friend just being a worrywart.

"Dude. I'm amazing." he said dreamily. "They got the best bathrooms at this hotel, did you know that some bathtubs have mood lighting??" There was a long pause, and it took little time to realize why. "Sorry for not getting back to you. Yesterday was hectic and tiring. I hope you're doing well," he said carefully.

"Yeah... It's alright man. I can't be too mad at you for meeting your big time idol or whatever. At least it's over. I'll see you tomorrow," Richardson said. Theodore soon hung up the phone and stood to dry off. noting his reflection he smiled at his cleaner, nicer looking hair resting on his shoulders, only to frown as his eyes lowered to his hand rubbing his rotund stomach.

" If you want to look good, you have to work for it. Whipping it into shape is hard, but you can do it," Mister Price's words rang in his head. This wasn't the first time that Theodore felt like he needed to work off his belly, but for some reason Gilderoy's words hit him hard enough that he knew he NEEDED to change his image.

Theodore grabbed some shorts from his suitcase and went on an hour long run. Theodore was panting in pain after barely ten minutes, but Mister Price's words of encouragement kept him going. He wouldn't let his laziness enslave him any longer. Focusing on those words, on the bath, on how great life felt, Theodore kept running. By the time he collapsed on his bed, he eyed the clock before his eyes drifted closed. Three hours. He ran for three hours. For the first time in years, Theodore fell instantly into a night of sleep...

***

Richardson needed a double take upon his friend arriving back home. The usually bespectacled dragon strode in without the thick rimmed monsters that usually balanced in front of his eyes. "Theodore... Look at you! what happened to your glasses?" he balked. This of course was only the most notable feature that was different. His scales, formerly a pale, sallow complexion was now the bright cherry red that so many scaled figures seek with a color pattern like his. it was like the life came back into him for the first time since he ever came to college. Gone was the greasy pipe of black hair and replaced with a clean, voluminous mane that rested on his shoulders It was every bit as brilliant as Richardson's own white mane. Though something told him that was no coincidence. The only real difference was that unlike richardson, who had it parted to the side, Theodore had his parted down the middle. Just like Gilderoy.

The black scaled dragon had gone to painful lengths to attempt to cook a good dinner for his friend... but had ended up ordering chinese food that the pair usually had in case of emergency. The room was full of the scent of orange chicken and it had Richardson's mouth watering, but Theodore almost looked put off by the large order of chinese on the table.

"I was going to be driving back a little early today, but Gilderoy met me on my way and actually offered for me to get contacts! I've always been too short on cash for it, but he offered since he had a lot of credit at the optometrist."

Richardson blinked at that. "That prima donna needs glasses?"

"He's a really sweet guy," Theodore laughed. Richardson noticed that not only were they contacts though, Theodore's normally brown eyes were now a bright amber color. "Oh, I forgot to mention, they're colored contacts. He said they'll really pop and catch people's attention," he explained cheerfully.

"Oh... well that's pretty nice of him I guess," Richardson said. He couldn't say that he liked the guy now. He did have to admit, Theodore looked much happier now that he had removed a lot of his usual grimy pallor. "Well I ordered us some chinese food today since I figured you wouldn't be in the mood for cooking once you got home. Stir fry okay?" he said with a sheepish grin.

Theodore buried his initial hesitation and gave his friend a half smile. "I'm good, thanks though. Mister Price told me that I should try eating a bit better, he gave me an entire listing for some grocery stores in the neighborhood that serve the top of the line ingredients. I'm excited to start cooking some healthier food!" Theodore said brightly.

Part of Richardson felt hurt their usual meal was no longer acceptable, but he shrugged easily enough. "Alright, that sounds good. Well I'm gonna eat and then go on a run, you interested in joining me?" he asked. More often than not, Richardson just asked out of habit as Theodore had yet to join him, but he was in for a surprise today.

"Absolutely! I'll get changed now and meet you down by the stairs, I'll do a few laps while you're eating in fact," Theodore said brightly. Richardson's jaw hung agape as his friend picked up his bag and walked into his bedroom to change.

"Well... at the very least this is a good surprise," he said to himself with a chuckle. Theodore walked out the door in some tight shorts and a sweater that looked a little tight on him. After a quick dinner, Richardson walked out to join his friend who was just now coming up the stairs for a quick warm up. The chubbier dragon was already panting out of exhaustion, but he didn't look ready to stop in the least. "You doing alright, bud?"

"Y... yeah, I'm fine. Ready to jog?" Theodore waved a hand between heaves. clutching his thighs to hold up the rest of his body. Richardson shook his head at the sad display. They started to jog together, Theodore's body didn't flow nearly as well as Richardson's did, but the dragon could tell that his friend was trying his best. Guess it's the effort that counts.

***

Any questions that Richardson asked regarding Gilderoy's club was quickly deflected throughout the week.The red dragon seemed rather uncooperative about sharing any details out of respect for the club. What Theodore did say about his visit was every single suggestion that came out of Gilderoy's mouth. "Mister Price says guys like us should work out daily. Mister Price says black really compliments my red scales! Mister Price says I should watch my caloric intake. Mister Price says we could look as good as he does with a little willpower!" If Richardson never heard of 'Mister Price' again, it would be too soon.

Sitting on the couch to relax for a bit, Richardson jolted as the door swung open and Theodore walked in with a couple of bags. They were full of groceries from a local store that the dragon had been going to since Gilderoy had suggested it. Not only that, the other bag was full of hair products. "What's all of that for?" Richardson asked exhaustedly.

Flashing a grin, Theodore pulled out one of the bottles and showed it off to his friend. It was a green bottle with a gratingly familiar image of Gilderoy on it. "Mister Price called me the other night, he told me that his new hair product just came out. He was telling me that another way I can become more confident is to start taking better care of my body , so along with the exercise and diet, I'm going to start taking much better care of my hair and scales! Not only that though, the hair styling shampoo came with a free bottle of his scale polisher," Theodore explained.

Slowly nodding as Theodore set the groceries on the counter, Richardson scratched the back of his head. "Theodore, don't you think this is all a little much?" he asked. He had no intentions of hurting his friend's feelings, but he was a bit concerned about how the dragon had picked up so many things s from the celebrity. "I mean we've barely been hanging out since you went to his meeting. We got to watch one full movie together. Sure the jogs are nice, but I miss all the usual stuff...."

Theodore looked guilty as he set aside the groceries and approached his friend before taking a seat beside him. "I'm sorry, Richardson. I guess I've gotten a little excited from all this. I feel great, but I guess Mr. Price just kinda wormed his way into my head. He has a lot of good advice, and it's the first time that someone has showed so much support in me becoming someone..." Theodore paused, trying to choose his words carefully. "Someone wanted."

Theodore looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. For the first time since he'd gotten to know him, Richardson realized that his friend was starting to look somewhat fit. He still had a bit of a gut on him, but he'd been burning a lot of it off with the daily jogs that he was doing, and the food he'd started eating with Gilderoy's advice had also helped. "I... I'm sorry, Theodore. I didn't mean to upset you, I get that Gilderoy means well. You're looking a lot better than you ever did before, far more healthy. I don't mean to come off selfish, but I hope that we can start hanging out again," Richardson offered.

Theodore shifted to a wide grin and hugged his friend. "Thanks, Richardson. Of course we can hang out again, Dragons have to stick together after all," he chuckled. Richardson glanced at his friend oddly as that wasn't a term Theodore had ever used before... but for now, he just shrugged it off and got up to help Theodore put away the groceries.

***

It felt like no time at all before Theodore was heading off to his next meeting, Richardson wasn't ecstatic to see his friend leave again, but he didn't object this time. Theodore called Richardson once he reached the hotel as they'd agreed he would, only to disappear for the next two days. Richardson texted, emailed, and left voicemail, but just like before, his friend was apparently too busy to give him any sort of contact back.

By the third day, Richardson absently watched TV, but his eyes were fixated on the doorknob for most of the time. He knew that he shouldn't worry for his friend, but when the dragon wouldn't answer he had to admit that this was all very strange for Theodore. Before any of this had happened, Theodore made a habit to keep his phone fully charged and was quick to reply, even during classes. It was five PM by the time Theodore finally arrived home, and Richardson audibly sighed with relief as the door finally opened, he was getting ready to call someone if his friend hadn't shown up soon.

"Dude. I thought we agreed to....to..." Richardson's tirade was forgotten by the sight of the red dragon.

Theodore strode in, the dragon's scales practically sparkling in the light as he stepped in and shut the door behind him. Ever since he'd started polishing his scales, his body had taken on a luster that Richardson thought was a bit too unnatural for his own liking. However, there was a profound effect happening to Richardson. He felt strangely sweaty. Eyes wide at the sight of his roommate. As if each step was causing him to mentally reconstruct his expectations of the poor dork.

"Sorry about that, Richter. I got sidetracked by having lunch with Mister Price," Theodore said. Richardson generally hated being called by his nickname by anyone but his teammates... but coming from Theodore, he couldn't muster a reason to object. Standing up and approaching his friend, he didn't quite pick up on the fact that his friend's voice had deepened a bit. "Mister Price showed me this great restaurant, in fact he invited me for dinner tomorrow as well. He wanted to extend the invitation to you too," Theodore said with a smile.

Getting close to Theodore, Richardson felt odd... almost like he was interacting with a popular stranger rather than his ordinary friend. "Y-You know I'm not interested in talking to him," Richardson remarked. Theodore just shrugged with a smile, soon dropping off his bag in the room as he stretched out. By now, Richardson could see the effects of Theodore's jogging, though he wasn't a weightlifter by any means, his gut had almost completely vanished. "Anyways, doesn't Gilderoy have to get back for his TV show?"

"Actually he told me that since the show's going on an extended hiatus due to one of the actors having to go through drug rehab, he's staying nearby for a few months," Theodore explained. For once, Richardson felt at ends with Theodore, as when his arm rested on his shoulder in a bro-like fashion, a strange tingle ran through his blood. Eyes staring at the red dragon's pectorals. Was this how Theodore felt near Gilderoy? He shook his head gently, trying to push the thought far from his consciousness.

"Alright... well I'd appreciate it if you gave me a call next time like we promised we would," Richardson said offhand. Theodore's eyes widened as he turned around suddenly and Richardson could see the guilt in his friend's face. "Don't stress too much about it, I get it that you forget. Just next time, keep your phone on," he said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Theodore said. "Oh, before I forget. Mr. Price says that I should start going by Theo." Richardson glanced back and cocked an eyebrow, Theodore had always hated being called Theo. "I know that it's a bit of a change, but he says that it will give me a sharp edge," the dragon flashed his shining white teeth. Did Gilderoy offer free dental too? Richardson stared at that body, now almost comparable to his fellow teammates. Staring up at those amber eyes, he started to say something. Before. "You don't have a problem with that, right Richter?" His kind smile was almost smoldering with appeasement.

Richardson had to force a grin and nod. "Sure, whatever you want, Theo." he said. Theo patted his back a little harder than comfortable and laughed. "That's the spirit! Thanks Richter!" Theo gave a grin and a thumbs up before continuing to unpack, while Richardson was left to sulk for a bit.

***

The following week felt amazing to Theo, he'd never felt more powerful in his life. Everyone seemed to look at him with a new awe and interest as he incorporated Mister Price's advice into his life. A proud and confident dragon can wow a room without an issue. The thought came into his head frequently Theo even had done an oral presentation in one of his college courses. What was once something he dreaded was now done with ease had blown away the class. Earning himself an A even if he was just keeping the room riveted with all eyes on his beautifully polished body.

Every other day of the week, Theo met up with Gilderoy. Eager for the golden dragon to wrap his arm around his shoulder and whisper convincing suggestions. He dieted as Gilderoy offered, attended extracurricular activities at his suggestion. With the older dragon's referral, Theo even found himself being able to enter the K10 gym for free. An expensive and exclusive gym for only the most dedicated of bodybuilders and athletes. Theo went every day. Gilderoy helped him with his weights as he quickly got into a rhythm of getting heavier weights every day. Any fat that had been leftover from his habit eating days were burned off swiftly. his chubby cheeks, the last vestige of his old lifestyle became more solid and defined as he worked hard at Mister Price's behest.

Constantly working away at perfecting his body, Theo only came home to sleep. He was too preoccupied to notice his friend's discomfort with his more active lifestyle. But Richardson couldn't muster the will to spoil his friend attempting to better himself. What he didn't particularly enjoy was Theo's new ego. Richardson and Theo had both gone on a jog after returning home from some classes and Theo never stopped talking about his new popularity and friends, detailing how strong he'd become and how many girls he had impressed with his new features.

Though Richardson would usually encourage this kind of behavior, happy over his friend's newfound confidence, it was the fact that his friend was almost shaming others now. " It's a shame that others can't enjoy being dragons ," was one such term that Theo had started using. Theo had never been speciesist, but ever since he started hanging around more consistently with Gilderoy, this kind of talk became concerningly common .

"Do you think they ever envy us?" Theo asked. They were in the middle of eating a light lunch at a sandwich store and Theo was staring at a pair of cats on the other side of the shop. Richardson rose an eyebrow as he looked at his friend and sniffed in annoyance..

"Not really, I think they're pretty happy as they are," Richardson remarked. Theo just grunted noncommittally and bit into his sandwich. He seemed more focused on looking around for hot girls than spending time with Richardson. Richardson felt his fingers clench around his sandwich, enough to have a bit of the oil seep from the back and onto his plate he took a deep breath and forced himself to hold his tongue. Only for it to bite down in surprise as who none other than Gilderoy Price with his flashy scales and impeccable body swaggered into the shop. Richardson would be lying if he said that he didn't envy the handsome dragon, but he wasn't so petty as to spoil the dragon's showboating, so he kept his mouth shut as the dragon marched up to their table with a sparkling grin.

"Theo, glad to see you here! Richardson, it's nice to see you again," Gilderoy said with a deep, hearty voice. Richardson buried the urge to sneer, the fact that anyone believed this was a spontaneous happenstance was absolutely rich. Richardson felt his tail curl towards his chair, spine practically bunching in a knot at the sound of his magnanimous behavior. "Do you mind if I take a seat?" Gilderoy asked.

Richardson was prepared to shut down the presumptuous dragon's self invitation to the table, but Theo practically jumped in excitement as he yanked out a seat beside them. "Please feel free!" he said with a grin. Richardson was burning a hole into his friend with his glare, as Gilderoy sat down with a small flap of his wings. Richardson had a bitter taste in his mouth as Gilderoy called over a waiter to get his own food. His tongue was bleeding a little "What are you doing here, Mister Price?" Theo asked. Almost curling up beside the larger dragon, staring up at him. Despite Theo's new size, They were both dwarfed by Gilderoy's impressive frame.

If Richardson had a bucket, he would've put it under Theo's jaw to catch all the saliva Theo was practically drooling over the other dragon. "I was on my way to a meeting but alas, it was canceled. So! I decided to come in and get some lunch at my favorite sandwich shop, I didn't expect you two to be here though," Gilderoy smiled coyly.

"But you told me this place was the best shop in the mall for dragons like us!" Theo chimed like an eager child in class.

"Did I? I suppose that completely slipped my mind!" Gilderoy and Theo both let out hearty laughs on a joke that clearly didn't exist. Richardson responded with his own mocking laugh, the two utterly lost on the sarcasm. The black scaled dragon had to hold in a small growl as he watched Gilderoy get his food and started to eat, felt a sickening churn in his stomach as the two large dragons across from him looked like mirror reflections given the way they held their sandwiches; the way they chewed, swallowed, even cleared their throats. Richardson perked an eyebrow. Something was up .

"Well we have to be going, we have to get back in time for class," Richardson lied. He was about to stand before Theo cut him off.

"What are you talking about, Richter? Our classes are done for the day," Theo commented. Richardson shot an obvious glare but quickly faked a laugh.

"Thank you Richardson, I got a bit confused about the time. Silly me." Richardson grit his teeth. Now he was worried. If this was what prolonged exposure to the great and infallible Gilderoy Price did to someone like theo...dore, what's to say he won't have eyes for him next? For now, he held his temper, blew out a small puff of smoke from a nostril and sat down easily. It was hard to keep his composure, but he wasn't about to leave Gilderoy to sink his claws deeper into Theodore. Gilderoy seemed to soak in the room's attention as a few people came by every now and again to grab the golden dragon's autograph. With a flash of his winning grin, he was able to make a few of them swoon. Once they finished their meal, Theo let out a deep chuckle that sounded a bit too much like Gilderoy's.

"You're such a popular guy, Mister Price! I'm shocked that not more of them are clamoring about how much better dragons are," Theo said offhand.

"Oh fuck off!" Richardson snapped, as he accidentally broke a plastic cup in his grip, Gilderoy and Theo both looked at him in shock, the room went silent.

Realizing that the atmosphere was growing a bit too tense for his liking, Richardson slipped into the bathroom to allow himself a moment to cool down. Looking in the mirror he almost lashed out at his own reflection as he imagined how elitist his friend had become with Gilderoy's influence. By the time Richardson returned Gilderoy had already left. He couldn't help but feel relief as he took a seat once more while Theo stared at him, dumbstruck. "What on earth was that, Richter?"

"Theo, how could you possibly think that?" Richardson. His friend gave him a cock of his eyebrow in confusion. "Have you heard yourself talk lately? We're not gods, you bigot, what made you think that was in any way alright to say?"

Theo actually looked hurt as he leaned back in his seat, rubbing the back of his head as he himself looked a bit confused. "I... well I mean I was just joking around, you know?" he asked with a half cocked smile.

"You're a terrible liar, Theo. You were being speciesist, but I know you better than that. That pinup poster of a dragon has turned you into a horrible person, and honestly I'm fed up with it." Richardson was attempting to keep his voice down but honestly he was already too heated,practically hissing at Theo. "Honestly, some days I wonder where my friend has gone under the polish and prim nature of Gilderoy!" Richardson's voice carried a little in the small room he looked down to realize his claws had dug furrows into the table.

That appeared to be Theo's breaking point. The dragon slumped in his chair, looking surprisingly weak even with his newfound muscles. dropping his gaze and bit his lip to hold back his eyes watering a bit. "I'm sorry that you think I've changed for the worse... I... I thought that with everything going better for me that you might be happy for me. A few girls at the gym actually gave me their numbers, they wanted to go out with me, and they told me that I was handsome. Me, Richardson... Before Mister Price came into the picture, no girl would give me a second look, but right now I feel good about myself. I feel stronger, I feel more handsome, and I feel like people actually care about me.I'm sorry if it seems like I'm trying to hurt or insult you. I think I'll be going now," Theo said.

The room was still as Theo stood up, threw some cash on the table, and marched out of the room without another word to Richardson. The black dragon was silent for a moment. Letting out a deep sigh he leaned back in his chair and placed his palms over his face. "Damn it..." he sighed. Richardson wasn't wrong. but as much as he hated to admit it, what Theo felt did make sense. Theo had always been ashamed of himself before Gilderoy came into his life, and though it was obvious that some of the dragon's opinions weren't exactly politically correct, he had helped Theo into becoming a better person. It was another five minutes before Richardson left with a pair of twenties on the table to apologize for their explosion and general trouble they'd caused.

***

Theo stopped coming home for a while. No doubt fully enveloping himself in his new lifestyle with a bounce in his step. Richardson had tried apologize for embarrassing him at the cafe, and though Theo had accepted it, it was obvious that the red dragon wasn't exactly happy with Richardson. The next week was painfully awkward. Without the guilty feelings to spend time with Richardson, Theo spent every moment he could with Gilderoy. Whenever Richardson managed to catch sight of Theo, he was clung to the side of the gold adonis, eyes only for him and no one else.

Richardson was convinced that something was happening to Theo. The dragon had grown tall enough to actually reach Gilderoy's own height; frightening Richardson. When he tried to tell Theo that something was wrong though, the red dragon just laughed and chalked it up for continuing his hatred of Mister Price and to just accept that he'd really started to get his life in shape. After a week of this treatment Theo had gone on three dates with some very beautiful women, and had gotten himself to look almost like a smaller copy of Gilderoy. He'd walked into the house with his new aviator sunglasses on and his rich black locks hanging over his shoulders while Richardson was busy studying for a test. "Richie, great to see you, man. I wanted to know if I could borrow one of your shirts tomorrow for my date, my shirts are starting to ride up," Theo said.

For a second Richardson thought about snapping back with some snarky comment, but he just sighed. He put down his pen and scratched his head. "Yeah, just make sure it gets put in the washer after you're done," he gestured over to his closet.

Theo clicked his tongue in agreement as he walked into Richardson's room to snag the plain black shirt. Richardson turned his back to him as he continued to do some equations, and when Theo came back out with one of his own shirts on Richardson had to stifle a shudder as he saw his roommate's newly sharp grin. Before this had all happened the dragon's teeth had been dull as was Richardson's own as sharp teeth weren't needed much unless you were a model, but apparently according to Theo, Gilderoy had gotten him to sharpen his teeth back up to look handsome. The sight of the imposing fangs sent shivers down Richardson's spine. Idly remembering Theodore commenting on the needlessness of sharp teeth in today's society.

"Richter. Mister Price and I had a bit of a long talk about the whole 'dragon pride' thing." Theo shifted to face him. "He was none too thrilled about my commentary at the shop either. I promise when I'm not as busy we can talk about this in more detail. Maybe I have been getting a little too into this." Richardson spun around, planning to give an unamused look at his friend. However, Theo was much closer than he anticipated, the black dragon's muzzle bumped into his chiseled abs and was forced to look directly up at him.That pressure returned, and RIchardson hated to admit he actually missed it.

"I....I uh..." he muttered. Theo stroked his claws through Richter's hair like a loving parent.

"Oh, Richter. I'll make it up to you. You just have to trust me. We'll be best friends once I've figured everything out." Every stroke caused Richter to practically push into the other man's hand almost like a cat.

"Best...friends." Richardson replied almost hungrily. His muzzle trapped in the groove of the larger dragon's indented abs. Theo perked an eyebrow at the response but shrugged.

Soon the red dragon was heading back towards the front door and Richardson shook his head rapidly. He cleared his throat to get Theo's attention. "C..could you uh... help me study tonight?" Richardson asked meekly. Richter raised his tail. Hands wringing his wrists while he leaned just a bit forward expectantly. The timid body language of the smaller dragon actually made the red scaled hunk smile.

"I'm terribly sorry about that, man. I actually just got a text from this girl I met the other night at the bar. She wanted me to come have a drink with her, and who am I to turn her away?" Theo smiled and shrugged easily. His voice rumbling deep in his chest. Richardson had to stop himself from shivering as he just nodded quickly and allowed Theo to go. After an hour of being left alone there was a loud knock on the door and Richardson got up to answer, and upon opening the door he found himself looking up at Gilderoy.

For a moment the dragon was stupefied as he'd never imagined that Gilderoy would come by their appartment. "T... Theo's not here right now," Richardson stuttered. The golden dragon just smiled though as he gestured inside and Richardson stepped back to allow Gilderoy in even though he had no plans to let him in prior.

"I know, I actually wanted to have a word with you," Gilderoy explained. Richardson wasn't sure how to answer as some part of him wanted to be aggressive, but it was like Gilderoy's presence seemed to quell his anger for the moment. Was it his natural charm, or something else entirely?. Taking a seat at their counter Gilderoy gestured for Richardson to take a seat and he found himself taking it, though he couldn't quite tell while he was allowing the star to take control of the situation. "Theo told me about your little fight the day that we all met up at the diner. I just wanted to talk to you when he was away so we could clear some things up."

Though Richardson naturally didn't trust Gilderoy he couldn't help but find himself nodding slowly as Gilderoy's deep bass rumbled in his ears. "I don't want to make you think that I'm attempting to change Theo for the worse. Quite the opposite in fact. I want to make him the best man he can be, and sometimes my opinions can turn to the extreme when my protegès listen too attentively."

Richardson brushed a hand through his hair, looking away from Gilderoy for just a moment before, finally, some of his spine came back into play. He folded his arms and leaned back in his seat. "So you're trying to tell me the whole 'dragon pride' bigotry was a misunderstanding?"

"My friend, Dragons have a great deal going for them. Strength, Dexterity, Charisma, Power. It's only natural to feel a sense of superiority, but I tried explaining to young Theo that we have to temper such things with a bit of humility. We Dagons should be a gift to everyone, not some elitist tribe that hoardes their treasures like days of old." Richardson's expression softened a little when Gilderoy moved to flex a little for the young dragon's benefit. "I don't want you to think that I'm attempting to pull him away from you. I'm sure that you've seen that he's finally feeling like a real winner. Do you really want to pull your dear friend away from that?"

"N... no, of course not," Richardson grunted. "But it seems like you're doing more than just that though. I've noticed that he's taller, that shouldn't be possible. I really want to know what you're doing to him," the dragon pressed.

For a long moment Gilderoy stayed quiet as he leaned back and rubbed at his eyes a bit. Richardson held still, worried the dragon was going to attack him but Gilderoy just sighed as he looked back at the black dragon. "My apologies, my eyes are bothering me. Now let me tell you that your friend's height isn't an unexpected side effect. I'm sure you don't know this, but dragons are one of the few species in the world that can grow at any time in their life span, regardless of what other species claim. If you work hard enough as a dragon, you really do have the ability to grow taller. I'm sure it seems weird to you, but Theo is completely fine," Gilderoy explained.

Richardson blinked a few times before slowly rubbing his head. "Alright... I guess I understand. Thank you for talking to me, and I'm sorry for how I acted back in the restaurant."

Gilderoy held up a hand in a disarming gesture. "Water under the bridge. If you like. We could spend a little time here, maybe get to know each other on a more personable level instead of theo's hearsay. I've heard nothing but good things about you." The black dragon's head buzzed at the idea of that. For some reason, the pressure he felt with Theo was returning. No. He was strong enough to deny that feeling with Gilderoy.

Richardson shook his head sadly. "I hate to seem rude, but I do have an exam to study for, so if you wouldn't mind..." the black dragon stated. Gilderoy just smiled before standing, patting his hand on Richardson's shoulder, and moved towards the front door.

Before he walked out, Gilderoy looked back to Richardson with that same self confident smile that grinded down the dragon's nerves. "Before I leave, please know that you are always welcome at our group meetings. Theo has expressed his desire for you to join, and I am in complete agreement," he explained. Richardson didn't bother to answer, he just nodding quietly so Gilderoy would finally leave their apartment. He was left with a headache in the absence of the celebrity.

***

The fourth meeting for Theo rolled around and by this point Richardson had grown weary of the red dragon. The smart and rather nerdy dragon that he'd known before had been utterly buried under a party bro carbon copy of GIlderoy. There were days where Richardson would come home to the leavings of Theo's conquests from the night before and never bothered to leave a message.. Somehow though, Theo had continued to pass all of his classes, no doubt an easy explanation for that one.

After the meeting, Theo walked into the room with cock sure swagger. The angular jaw of the other dragon reminded Richardson of an alligator's muzzle, but all the chub that had been there just a few months prior was completely gone, replaced by a chiseled bodybuilder. "Richter, nice to see you. Want to go out for a drink with me? The other members of the club want to meet the great basketball player," Theo rumbled. By this point he stood above Richardson making the dragon feel dwarfed. Where he once was five feet and six inches, Theo now stood at six five with an adonis like figure.

"No thanks. Why would they care anyway? You hardly attend my games anymore, so I doubt you know much about my scores," Richardson scoffed. He grew past his remorse for treating Theo so bitterly, but after all they've gone through this semester, he was looking forward to move out.

The ruby red dragon's smile never faltered as he shrugged and took a swig from a carton of milk before setting it back in the fridge. Seeing Theo's ripped body honestly had started to make him feel self-conscious about his own body, he'd fumbled a few throws during the last game, and though they had won it was obvious that he needed to work a bit more on his body conditioning. Theo was stretching out his body while Richardson was attempting to get ready for his final exam in history, and as he saw the red dragon once again never touching a book he couldn't help himself. "How are you passing all of your classes? I haven't seen you study once this last month," he asked over his shoulder.

Theo looked at him in surprise for a moment as Richardson hadn't been acknowledging him for a while now, so part of him felt happy that the black dragon was finally asking him something. " Dragons don't need to study. We're naturally brilliant at anything we do!" he said proudly. Taking a seat on the couch, Theo gave an almost regal flip of his hair he continued talking. " Things just come naturally to me with the lectures now, perfect memory, perfect comprehension ," he beamed.

"Careful, my lord, your glistening brilliance might blind us mortals," Richardson growled. Theo just watched on with a smile as Richardson walked into the bathroom to wash himself and cool down before continuing with his studies. Looking in the mirror he took a few deep breathes while letting the cold water run and allowed himself a moment to really get his mind focused. "Just a little while longer, then you're done," he promised himself.

While standing there looking at himself in the reflection he remembered seeing how Theo had been posing a few days prior, showing off his impressive new abs in the mirror, laughing to himself as he proudly presented his body. Richardson had been disgusted with the sight at first, but now he felt a bit self conscious as he pulled off his own shirt and allowed it to fall to the ground as he started to do some light posturing. It was nothing too self-gratifying, just a few motions to allow himself some pride in seeing his own body. He didn't have any pronounced abs, but his body was definitely in shape and had more than a few people giving him some looks.

There was a deep laugh from outside the bathroom and Richardson's heart froze and his throat clenched as Theo walked in behind him and looked him up and down with a grin. Richardson didn't know what to say as the taller dragon clicked his tongue a few times in disappointment, the smaller dragon feeling shame enter into him as he started lowering his arms before Theo shook his head. "No, don't stop, you're doing fine. You could be doing better though, here let me help you," he said.

Taking control of Richardson Theo took a grasp of the black dragon's arms making him feel like a life sized doll as he started positioning his body. "Like this..." Theo murmured. He pushed Richardson's back forward having him put his chest out proudly, stretching his body up taller, having the dragon flex his arms and even having him hold his tail out in a rather coy way. Richardson should've been insulted or even embarrassed, but some odd feeling in him felt extremely good and dazed as he saw himself in his reflection looking like Theo when he had been posing. "Now that's how you pose, look how handsome you look," Theo commented.

Richardson very slightly nodded as he admired the two of them in the mirror... how much better he looked, accentuating Theo's musculature with his own... He held the pose for a full two minutes, taking himself in with a confident grin, before Theo gripped the smaller dragon's head and pressed him into his side. Richardson's arms fell slack, staring wide eyed, he barely noticed Theo had taken off his shirt a moment before. The red dragon purred gently and stood him back up. "Come on... I think I know just what you need." Richardson stepped back and looked at him in confusion as Theo was running his hand through his hair.

Suddenly, the haze lifted, and Richardson recoiled in shock and blinked a few times before shaking his head. "I... I have to go study," he said weakly. Theo gave a small knowing smile and slid close to him. Richardson tried to flinch away from the large dragon, but it proved to be futile. Theo gripped the back of Richardson's head. Pressing the smaller boy up against his side.

"I've been noticing how you've acted when I lay my charm thick. Mister Price explained it to me." The black dragon shuddered as he felt his arms slowly move to wrap around Theo's waist. Utterly confused at his behavior. " Dragons always seek a clear Alpha to aspire to. I have Gilderoy... And it seems like I'm hitting all the buttons for you. It's alright. I know you need to feel it. It's in your blood." Richardson barely made a sound. A deep vibration tingling in his chest as he stared up at the bigger dragon. He hadn't felt like this with anyone. He was always the bigger dragon in the room. Always the tough guy. But now... "I accept, Richardson. Now if you want to have a taste of dragon perfection, why not go out with me tonight? Just the two of us. A night on the town."

"R...rawr..." Richardson squeaked. Unable to pull away as his mane pressed up against Theo's chest.

The large red dragon gave a reassuring chuckle. "Let's get you dressed for something nice." Richardson squeaked out another grunt of compliance. Swaying his tail over towards the closet. Theo's words whispering little truths in his ears as the black dragon simply purred and lost track of the evening, focused too much on Theo's presence to really care.

***

Striding into the gym with his bag slung over his shoulder Theo hummed to himself as he checked in. The dragoness at the counter attempted to flirt but he was too deep in thought to notice. Theo was setting his stuff in his locker while Gilderoy walked in, having noticed his protegès' odd attitude. "Theo, what's the matter?" he asked.

It took a moment for Theo to get himself out of his thoughts and when he looked up he was surprised to see Gilderoy. "Mr Price, so sorry for not answering right away, it's... been a bad day," he grumbled. He'd been planning on going out to hang out with the other dragons but after Richardson's cold shoulder he'd decided that exercise might be a better thing to do at that moment.

"Well you only seem to have bad days when it comes to Richardson recently. What happened today?" Gilderoy asked. The golden dragon's sympathy was much appreciated and whenever Theo was having a very bad day it always seemed like the star was able to pick his attitude right up.

Shrugging his shoulders and taking a seat Theo rubbed at his forehead as he tried to think things out. "Well today I saw Richter posing a bit, and after all the great advice you've given me on it I couldn't help but help him out. I showed him the perfect form and he looked so happy, I even took him out for a night at our usual spots!" The red dragon's words came out excited at first, his tail wagging at the tip before he lowered his head once more. "Then he suddenly stopped and looked upset about it. He didn't talk to me at all after that, he looked terrified. I can't figure out what I did wrong."

Gilderoy's tapped his chin a few times and then he took a seat beside Theo. He wrapped his arm around Theo's shoulder, a typical gesture of reassurance that Theo grew to adore. The golden celebrity gave the red dragon's shoulder a tight squeeze. "You didn't do anything wrong, Theo. I'm sure you had the best of intentions. Richardson appreciated I'm sure, but he is going to be shy about this thing. Think about it. If you spent your whole life being top alpha only to have your best friend overwhelm you in a matter of weeks, how would you feel? Quite insecure, I bet.I'm sure a smart dragon like yourself can appreciate that. Keep at it. Don't make him sink too back into himself, and he'll see how nice it is to have a sculpted beauty like you all to himself in the apartment. Now why don't we go work on getting you into being that nice buff dragon you want to be?" Gilderoy offered. Theo straightened up and nodded with a smile as he pressed against Gilderoy with a relieved sigh. Gilderoy wrapped his arm around Theo, no longer an all encompassing action with his new body, but Theo never seemed to notice. With a soft moan, Theo's eyes glazed over again and clung to the gold dragon's side, giving off the distinct impression that he was little more than jewelry to Gilderoy's impeccable frame.

***

What was he doing? Weeks went by and Richardson found himself cornered. Theo would walk in and everything would seem to slow. Gone was the red dragon's polite and non-combative demeanor, and what was replaced was hard to quantify. He would speak, and Richter would do. There was an imposition that the black dragon simply couldn't deny. It was beyond the pedestrian behavior of an aggressive bully. It was an Alpha claiming his role. Richardson would protest, try to call him out. Hope that somehow Theo would finally get the point that something was up. But Theo would just sigh in that condescending, yet disarming tone, slide an arm across his shoulders, press Richardson's muzzle to his left pectoral, whisper and.... and...

And Richter would fall in line.

** Richter** found his wardrobe had changed over time. Quietly logging what outfits were of his choosing and what were Alpha Theo's Selection. Tighter jerseys, Club gear for outings, even a speedo , despite that Richardson never liked swimming. Soon it came to a point where Richter couldn't tell the difference between his choices and Theo's. Richardson would ask why, and Alpha Theo dore would say Dragons don't question, they just crave attention. Rich ter would always agree of course. He was good looking, he was well spoken, he was, as Alpha Theo would say, a natural at being a Dragon. Richter should love it. Listen to the Alpha just like Theo did for Gilderoy.

Just like....Theo dore.... did for Gilderoy.

There was no other answer, what Gilderoy had done to Alpha Theo dore was now starting to happen to Rich ter. What Richardson hated was that every time he rationalized himself back into sanity, yet another of Alpha Theo dore's phrases would crop up: It's only natural to be proud. Remember to flex. Dragons love attention. Dragons are Perfect. Richter is a proud Dragon. Each time, he'd shake his head to snap out of it, realizing he was staring at a signed picture of Alpha Theo dore on his desk. Richter was unsure of what was more terrifying: That he couldn't remember when he started chanting and flexing in front of it, Or that he couldn't remember when that picture was put there. He had enough. Rich ardson had to do something drastic.

***

"I'm heading out, Richter," Theo strode out into the living room wearing a smart black dress suit, complete with red tie that matched his scales. He clicked his tongue and grinned at a mirror along the wall. His mane actually polished to a brilliant shine. Richardson didn't respond, decidedly ignoring him by watching TV. Theo slid forward. blocking the view with his strained dress pants. Richardson tightened up again as Theo's sharp claw tilted the smaller drake's muzzle up to stare at his gleaming, sharp grin and amber gaze. "I said, I am heading out Richter."

Richardson squeaked, eyes wide as his head was pushed to the smooth dragon's exquisite attire. Chin forced to squeeze against his belly. " H..have a lovely time, Theo." Theo grinned and patted the dragon's head, and then strode out, his curling tail whipping just as the door closed. Richardson gave himself a few minutes to recover, panting heavily. Once the feeling left, he jumped out of the chair and grabbed a suitcase he'd prepared the day prior. He'd been arguing with himself about this, but he'd finally decided that if he were to have any closure he'd need to come along and see what this entire meeting was about. All he would do is watch. He'd just pop in and observe from a distance so that he wouldn't seem too conspicuous.That would be it. He would ignore his increasing intimidation from Theo's presence. He would forget about how he would press to him and state clearly how something would be and it would fill him with an utter compulsion to cooperate. He would ignore it, because Dragons are the pinnacle of everything. Even if it meant going against Theo's chiseled grain.

Locking up and turning off all the electronics in the apartment, Richardson was soon walking out towards his car. He didn't question he was wearing the speedo under his regular gym shorts, or that he mistakenly chose the tighter jersey. He just threw on whatever was nearby. While Theo had been in the restroom, Richardson reworked his phone so that he could track the red dragon's signal. After a long drive, they were soon pulling into a hotel parking lot.

Richardson snagged a room for himself in advance after glancing over Theo's phone history, and patiently waited long enough to check in so as not to bump into Theo and find himself pressing close to his- Focus! . According to Theodore,this meeting would be longer, so Richardson estimated he'd be out for about four days before returning. If Alpha Theo dore was already this amazing /different, There was no telling how Perfect of a Dragon He'd be when He'd come back out. Richardson had to take advantage of this situation and see what this entire club was really about. Hopefully, he'd Get to join Alpha Theo/ find a cure for Theodore.

Once inside, the silver Dragon at the desk gave him an unsettling grin, followed by stuffing a brochure into his hand. "Please don't forget to try our Platinum Drake Package! Enjoy," the dragon beamed. Richardson slowly nodded in cooperation before shaking the haze from his head again and walked towards his room. After setting his stuff inside and a good twenty minutes of admiring the full wall mirror, he opened the brochure to find that it was for Gilderoy's meeting. Some of the information inside sent shivers down Richardson's back:it sounded awfully cult-like. " Enjoy the perfection of dragons. Join and see the true strength and beauty of being a dragon. Learn to act and be a true dragon."

"This... is Perfect ly disgusting..." Richardson growled. Though to anyone else, it might has well have been a purr. Never before had he been so polarized by anything. Did he hate this, or was he jealous? For now, Richter would have to tolerate it, tossing the brochure in the trash and quickly got dressed up. According to the brochure, the meeting came with a strict dress code, and Richardson figured that showing up in a jersey would probably make him conspicuous.

Richter stepped out of the room wearing a white dress shirt with dark purple tie. His black slacks making him look sharp, though honestly look more like a hired hand than his own brand of Dragon. He had to put on a brave face; he knew that this group would expect nothing less than the verisimilitude of Draconic Perfection. The entire fifteenth floor had been set aside for this meeting, so Richardson was careful to catch an elevator without anyone present.

A small sigh of relief was quickly caught in his throat with the arrival two muscled and perfect looking dragons. It would take an idiot to not notice how much of a sore thumb Richardson was amongst the pair as he was nowhere near as perfect as they were. Yet. " It's a delight to see you again, Brother!" The orange almost sunburst patterned dragon spoke in a hearty, enthusiastic vibrato while the light blue dragon shot back a smirk.

"Indeed, a delight! Dragons enjoy company." Neither of them seemed to notice Richter, and he preferred to keep it that way but...

Richter had to just stay quiet. He had to not... feel... the temptation... to... Richter chirped with an animated, boyish chime in response. He was practically a parrot. "Dragons enjoy company!" Richardson snapped his mouth shut as the two shifted their postures to look down and stare at the drake, their massive bodies making him feel like a mouse.

There was a long pause as they considered the young Richardson. Eyebrows raising and smiles shifting to curled lips of suspicion.... " Haha! Exactly Right! See, Obi? The Drakes know better than you say," The Sunburst dragon pat Richardson on the back, giving him the briefest moments of glee from the praise worthy performance.

"Bah, Drakes should know their place. Dragons need to enforce that! It's one thing to parrot, but they need to embrace!" The light blue dragon brushed his short blonde hair to one side dismissively before the two gave an almost Imperious glare at Richter.

"E...I.... I'm a proud dragon!" Richter responded quickly and flexed a bit. actually straining his dress shirt a little. Hoping that the powerful Dragons would be satisfied with his acting. Richardson never really got their proper response, as the elevator saved him with a curt 'ding!' the two strode off, swaying their hips as they walked. Tails curling in perfect uni- don't stare, don't stare!

Stepping off of the elevator, the other two walked right past a bouncer. The thug was as impressive as the two on the elevator. Sporting rippling muscles, but instead, he was wearing an odd scale suit that hugged his body perfectly. Matching his silver scales.It gave the effect that the Dragon was was naked, save for the smooth lack of features around the crotch. "Welcome. It's nice to see a new face," the Bouncer grunted, lowering his muzzle slightly to acknowledge the newcomers..

A shiver went down Richardson's back. The bouncer spoke and carried himself in a very similar fashion as Gilderoy, save for the silver visor covering his eyes. "Hi. I was wondering if I might pop in to attend the meeting?" he asked. Part of him hoped he would be barred immediately, but the other part of him wanted to stop caring and slip right in beside the others and really know what was going on here.

"Of course, all dragons are welcome. Please feel free to attend, the Dragon suits are on the counter to the left," the dragon said. 'Dragon Suits?' Richardson thought. Richter's tail rose at the suggestion, and slowly shifted his weight to face the tiny alcove full of white boxes with bows on each. He reached down into a box and held out a black scale suit, and though it was absolutely stunning and perfect for a Dragon like him, with the thought Richardson had no intention of wearing it. The Bouncer on the other hand lowered his muzzle and folded his arms, the smile gone. He wasn't about to break his cover over such a small thing, so he took it with a half smile and walked to a changing closet. It was surprisingly comfortable, though the part of it that made him feel a bit uncomfortable was after putting it on he watched as the suit adapted to his scale's exact color and soon it looked like his body perfectly, save for the fact that it was sexless. Richter squirmed in the scale suit. It wasn't the tightness that bothered him, but the way the suit crinkled and squeaked when he bent his joints or rubbed the suit against itself. It made him walk with a more casual strut. Like the speedo would make him do. Like Alpha would. Richardson kept his eyes on the prize.

Going down the hall he was met with several dragons in scale suits talking amongst themselves, and Richardson felt his stomach churn. Their eyes. Every single Dragon in the room, had the glowing amber of Theo. Their gazes were vacant as they smiled, staring ahead, devoid of any pupils to show they were anything more than mannequins of muscle and scales. Richardson gulped deeply to himself as he let out a shaky breath and continued down the hall. Halfway down he saw a picture that had him pause and nearly had the dragons behind him run into him. He meekly apologized as he read the name at the bottom, Amethyst and Gilderoy. The dragon gulped once more as he stared at the picture, inside was an older looking dragon... an Alpha , and standing next to him was Gilderoy. It wasn't as Richardson knew him though, rather than the buff perfect golden dragon, there was still a golden dragon, but his scales looked dull and his body was skinny and devoid of muscles. He clung to the older dragon's side as he stared up at him with an awe filled look in his eyes while the Alpha gazed forward with a perfect dragon's smile.[1]

Walking past them Richardson caught hints of their conversations, and by no means did it make him feel any more welcome. "Did you see Derek? he looks absolutely stunning!" "I met with a client the other day and I couldn't help but see their spouse was a Dragon, of course I gave him an invitation, and a bit of a nudge in the right direction." " I can't wait to see how perfect Gilderoy's boy will be with their new mark!" The Dragons gabbed and gossiped over drinks and finger foods. Richardson allowed himself a smirk when he thought about not drinking the punch, only to tense up again when he saw a large bowl of the stuff at the concession. Find water if thirsty, he thought to himself. His tail creaked when he moved it to rest along the front of his leg. trying his best to look aloof in the situation, only to feel other Dragons piling into the room. it was getting crowded.

Richardson felt his heart jump into his throat upon realizing from either side he was flanked by powerful, domineering Dragons in similar scale suits. It would be alright. He was fitting in. He looked like he belonged with Them. All he had to do was not cause a stir, listen, and try not to buy into all of this absolutely convincing bullshit. A deep voice resonated through the lobby. "The meeting shall be convening in just a few moments, please come down to the meeting hall for the ritual."

Hearing Gilderoy over the speakers did nothing for Richardson's morale, and all this talk of a ritual forebode of malicious intentions. He felt a Dragon bump into his back, nudging him to start down the hall along with the others. His wings couldn't seem to settle on his shoulders, flapping nervously in an utterly pathetic attempt to look calm. His pace slowed to trail behind the others. The last to arrive in a massive, yet crowded room. It was a huge ballroom that had almost been turned into some form of cathedral. Pews everywhere, candles casting a dim light to the walls, save a spotlight on something covered in a velvet cloth in the center of the hall. What unsettled/ excited him the most was the fact that literally everyone in the hall was some form of impeccably chiseled, handsome, perfect... Dragon...

Not only that, but he could easily spot a few famous dragon stars that he'd seen on television just from where he was standing... His wings folded back easily and his chest puffed out. Nervous poker face fading into a calm and collected smile. He felt the pressure of a dragon nudging him closer in, and he pushed against a dragon in front. Richter enjoyed the pressure. It felt good to be part of them. To allow all the cares in the world drool out of his ear and listen to Gilderoy's booming voice carry him and Richardson caught himself before he would complete that thought. Shaking his head rapidly. He had to focus. Or he'd be walking out of here in an even worse position for Theodore. Poor, weak willed Theodore probably didn't stand a chance. But Richter did, because Dragons are strong willed and perfect FOCUS. Richardson took a calming breath to ease back into his mask. Sitting in a lone pew to make sure nobody had the opportunity to make him. The doors soon closed as the lights dimmed, leaving the singular focused on the center of the room. Gilderoy postulated in front of the hushed crowd , his golden bodysuit glimmering and his muscles showing through with incredible clarity. "Hallowed Dragons! We bid thee good tidings. May the will of the Progenitor permeate us all, his Perfect Dragons." There was a slight drone of affirmation and Richardson muttered along, even if he didn't remember the words exactly. "I am honored to say that today another of our kind is ready to join our ranks of perfection today. He has performed swimmingly, never has a Dragon been so open, so accepting of our teachings.."

As Gilderoy spoke, Richardson felt a painful stone settling in his stomach as he watched as a too familiar person stepped beside Gilderoy. Theo's body rippled in the bodysuit and he looked almost identical to Gilderoy at this point besides their scale color and the way their horns bent. The part that creeped Richardson out the most though was the way Theo stood, he stood in an exact copy of the way Gilderoy stood, and every move that Gilderoy made, Theo parroted in unison. His eyes were glazed so completely, he looked more like a doll than a person.Theo didn't even seem to acknowledge Gilderoy, his mouth slightly agape, utterly taken. Theo grunted the moment Gilderoy stopped speaking, and Richter's heart sang in a hope he'd never stop speaking again. "Dragons! Pride! Happy Dragons! Muscle Dragons! Dragons are perfect! Dragons are proud! Dragons are Strong! Dragons are-""That's quite enough, Theo, boy." Gilderoy snapped his fingers, Theo went quiet. Staring off ahead with a vacant smile and infinite patience. Richter wanted to show Alpha Theo he could still bark orders at him despite this. Richardson was utterly terrified. It was in this moment he realized, he was in way over his head, and he loved it.

"As is tradition,Once Theo endures this final, honorable rite, he shall forever be a member of the Perfect Dragons, one of society's elite members. Permanently bound to the will of the Progenitor. No one will compare to his perfection. As all Dragons before him, he will know his life is dedicated to the progression of our perfection," Gilderoy continue. By this point Richardson was darting his eyes about the room for a sensible exit, he couldn't risk being spotted by Gilderoy or worse, risk hearing Theo bark an order at him, so he remained. Silent, and trapped.

Gilderoy yanked the velvet cloth away in a dramatic flourish. There standing in the middle of the room behind Theo and Richardson was an effigy. The stonework had to have been ancient, yet impeccably preserved. Depicting a nude male dragon, standing tall and looking perfect in all ways. Set between his eyes was a brilliant blue gemstone that seemed to elicit its own light. Theo and Gilderoy stared on with twin grins. "Behold the progenitor of our Perfect Tribe!. He took our kind under his wing, and with his magic helped us rise up to the height of our potential. His magic Preserved for our continued, infinite blessing. Theo? Please pose before the dragon and allow the light to enter your body. Take upon the creator's symbol upon your body, complete this and be enveloped into our fold," Gilderoy said proudly.

This was it.Richardson found himself unable to wait any longer. He had to act, or he'd lose Theodore forever. "Stop!" he yelled.

None of the dragons in the room moved their heads, not even Theodore or Gilderoy. They remained still, as if Richardson's actions had halted them entirely. Was it this easy? Were they so enthralled by their Dragon pride that any dragon could boss them about? No... the dragons slowly shifted to face Richardson, and he slowly approached to the top of the altar. Theo and Gilderoy were still facing their respective directions, Theo at the effigy, and Gilderoy at Theo. "I've had enough of this, Gilderoy!" he pointed at the golden Dragon as if to challenge him. "I won't let you and your cult enslave my friend!"

Richardson looked about at the dim eyes of the Perfect Dragons. There was something wrong. No one came to stop him. No one responded. They all seemed...to be expecting this.

"Enslavement is such a harsh word," A voice cooed like spoiled honey that could make your teeth rot. Richardson felt a chill go down his back. "I've simply shown them Perfection. My Perfection. Even now I'm sure you can hardly stop taking a look at these perfect specimens for more than a moment," It seemed to slither along Richter's earfin. Making him want to moan. Though Richardson wanted to deny that fact he couldn't help but find his eyes ever so slightly flicking towards Theo's pecs. Richardson slowly turned, and for the first time in his life, he saw the eyes of what was unquestionably an Alpha. It was the Effigy. "I don't....understand. I thought Gilderoy-" " GILDEROY?!" The effigy laughed without moving its lips, utterly motionless, its glowing stone forcing the words into Richardson's head. "Gilderoy is but a glorified pinky, and this 'cult' you so affectionately call it, is my glove."

Richardson had a hard time believing it at first until Gilderoy snapped up right beside Theo. " Dragons are perfect! We are proud and strong and undeniably handsome!" Gilderoy barked with practiced ease, sliding his arms into an imposing flex "Dragons are cocky, capable and compliant!" Theo added.

"I am the leader of these Perfect Dragons. I am the Perfect Dragon. Confident, Powerful, Domineering, Charismatic. I existed in a time when my Glamour made all life worship me like a GOD. It is only natural my species share my thought, my identity, my idiom. Believe me, child, if someone as easily exploitable as an ACTOR lead these wyrmlings, I'd have ceased to be long ago." the other dragons in the room were still as statues.

Grinning at Richardson as he squirmed under their collective gaze. "You're... making them into you? why? Why can't dragons be whatever they want?"

Richardson tensed in surprise upon feeling Theo's chiseled musculature press against his back. He flinched away before bringing his full attention to the effigy . "And leave them small, weak, a shadow of what made Dragons like myself Gods to all else? It would be worse than going extinct. To force Dragonkind to be anything less than My Perfection would be like asking a tyrannosaurus to become a pigeon."

"You're absolutely crazy! Look what you've done to Theo! You've completely changed him," Richardson accused.

The black dragon drew up to the effigy, but there was no comparison in height, both Gilderoy and Theo were far taller than Richardson was. "The little red drake barely had an identity to replace in the first place. I've helped him eat healthier, grow stronger, become more sociable. Because of me, he's had sex for the first time. He is attractive and confident, and he truly believes himself perfect. Here we don't believe in confining ourselves to one sexual identity. Once he properly ascends into our membership, he shall more than likely have amplesexual encounters with men and women to progress his genes. If you join us as well then you could also have a taste of him," the voice coaxed.

For the briefest of moments Richter's heart soared... He could have an Alpha, led by the most powerful and sexiest of dragons, he could finally slide to his knees and slot himself in the groove the Dragons so carefully chiseled for him to slide into. It would be effortless. It would be serene...

And it would only cost his soul.

Richardson snapped out of the dangerous thought. "I have no interest in having sex with my friend. All I want is for this to stop, you're warping dragons and making them into copies of you, that's sick no matter how you spin it!" Richardson growled.

For a moment, the effigy was silent, as if considering his words before he laughed. "You have seen my work for barely a few weeks, little Richter, and you assume you have the wisdom to judge four hundred generations of my tradition? Just what did you plan on doing when you arrived here? Did you expect to stop everything and walk home with your happy ending? Just who is the crazy one, child?"

By now Richardson had been fed up with reasoning with him. He turned to Theo, shaking him violently. "Theodore! You're stronger than this! just snap out of it! You're smarter and more clever than I'll ever be, You can't possibly let this take you!" Richardson slapped him in the face hard.

For the briefest of moments, Theodore's eyes flickered. But in that brief moment of holding his breath, Theo grinned. "Dragons are proud! Dragons are strong! There's nothing a Dragon can't do!" He didn't even hear him.

"Dammit! Give him back to me! I can't have done all this for nothing! I'll leave! I'll never bother you again, just Give me Alpha!" Richardson screamed at the effigy. He slapped his mouth shut with both hands. Eyes wide at what he said.The voice gave a low chuckle, a deep, imposing sound. "As you wish..." Richter squirmed as he held up his hands defensively. "W-wait!" but before he could even get a word in edgewise, The Dragon effigy played its trump card. Theo and Gilderoy, together, loomed over the black dragon and grinned, grunting as one to give a single phrase that utterly destroyed Richardson.

" Down, boy!"

Richter found himself shuddering at the sudden order. It was bad enough Theo was pushing his will onto him, but paired with Gilderoy it was downright stacked against his favor. He had to contain himself. He had to go down. He had to resist. He had to stop thinking. All the while his head fought the internal struggle of wanting this versus staying free, Richter had already fallen to his knees. Impacting the floor with a solid thud. He stared vacantly up at the two massive Dragons. "Yes Alpha," Richter responded curtly. He wasn't given an opportunity to question himself. "Paws up, boy!" Theo and Gilderoy grinned. Pressuring the boy to slide in place at their side. "Yes Alpha," he said again. Richter curled his heavy paws into a begging position, purring like a newborn drake while his head shuddered from his desires being overridden by the stronger dragons. He panted desperately, his scale suit tight against his body. Richardson hoped the panic attack would be enough to snap him from this,or he'd be lost forever. The two Dragons leaned forward and gripped his head, leaning him toward the effigy to allow the blue gem to fill his vision. "Good Dragons stare!" They growled. This time it was the entire congregation of Dragons that barked this into poor Richter's ears. "S...stop it I...I don't....want...."

His words were slow, the Effigy's gem was shimmering from the spotlight. Leaving reflections as sapphire patterns dancing across his face. he found himself absolutely stunned by its beauty...

"All dragons should strive for perfection as we are creatures of pure perfection. Look at your Alpha," The Effigy commanded Richardson briefly broke his eyes away from the gem to see Theo pressing a hand into his shoulder, the red Dragon's face a picture of confidence. The blue glow bouncing across his scales seemed to accentuate his perfection. "We are blessed with immaculate gifts. We age slower than any creature, our bodies are geared toward strength, our very visage is painted as beasts of glory and respect throughout all of history There are no other creatures as beautiful as we, and no will more fit than Mine. We were BRED for brilliance. Not even you could deny this, Richardson," The Voice corrupted the black dragon's mind with its twisted logic.

The black dragon's eyes darted back to the blue crystal as he felt his body pulse. "I....I uh.....uh..." Words seemed to fail him as The Two Dominant Dragons flexed and imposed upon the slowly diminishing drake. Richter could feel it, the effigy was in his head, trying to wrestle the free thought from his brain and shake it loose. He felt a trail of drool bead against his chest, the rubber suit prevented it from collecting there. Sliding off easily as he panted hungrily, Richter was primed, hot, needy for this feeling. He needed to give in. And yet... with one last attempt, he swung his fist toward Gilderoy, impacting into the side of his cheek with a solid hit. The golden dragon stumbled to the floor, Richardson felt his faculties come back. He stood up, balancing himself amidst the haze. He jumped over Gilderoy's heap and made a beeline for the exit. He'd have to come back later, find a new plan to release Theo. He couldn't win here right now. Looking back one last time as he ran out, he solemnly considered the grinning red dragon's expression slowly shifting to stoic vacancy, as if the Dragon that was his friend had finally hollowed out. "Dragons Don't Think!" Theo barked at Richter..... Richardson felt his legs slow to a stop, arms resting at his side. The black dragon's eyes were wide and wild with confusion and confliction. Why did he stop? Why did his muscles refuse to respond? Why did the rest of the room seem to blur into a garbled mess? With a slow blink of his drugged eyes, he realized what it was.

Alpha was speaking.

He attempted to decline the words, but it was becoming hard as Theo continued to speak. "Arms straight! Chest out! Dragon's Don't Think!" Richter's body snapped to order by order. His biceps tensed as they locked into position, fingers flicking before snapping into hard fists. He took a deep breath letting his proud pectorals push out, swelled to match the neutral posture most Dragons sported in the room. He held his head high, eyes half lidded as he tried to look about. His world fell into a thicker haze as the phrase Dragons Don't Think kept eating at his thoughts. Theo gripped the back of his head and pushed him tight to his pec. A harsh motion, like a dog needing to be shown the stain in the carpet. Richter panted helplessly at the thick coil of bicep squeezing around his neck, forced to stare at the pectoral squeezing against his cheek. Theo grinned, repeating the order as he strode toward the glorious Effigy. "Dragons Don't Think. Dragons Don't Think." He rumbled, the sound vibrating through Richter's skull. As Theo pressed Richter's head against the effigy's blue gem gaze. Preventing him from moving away with impossible strength. A new admiration formed as he watched the gem glow brilliantly and lost himself in the wonder of perfection... Giving a pitiful whine as the Effigy burned Richardson out of Richter's head.

***

Theo grinned brilliantly as he guided Richter away from the meeting. He'd been so pleased to see that his friend finally gave in and joined. He growled to himself, pleased as he relished the sight of his friend taking swing at the statue, at the Dragons, Exactly as he did when they first took him. Gilderoy had even been so enigmatic to allow him to assist in the new member's training. Of course it would take five months before Richter was primed for the complete ritual. Even in his haze, Richter occasionally squirmed like a kitten desperate for personal space. The red Dragon found this adorable, tossing his hair back and pressing the black Dragon tighter until the fight left him again. Theo was only too happy to participate and help his friend understand the perfection of dragons. His eyes utterly glazed, no longer did Theo think too much of the past, the effigy had warped his identity into as much of a charismatic shell as Gilderoy was. Theo slid forward and extended his tongue to lick across the jawline of his little drake, purring possessively while Richter responded with a tiny whine of pleasure.

"I'm so glad you chose this week to join us, Richter. Any sooner and we would have been twin drakes learning under Gilderoy. Now because you waited so long, I get to train you instead. Rrrrrrr, I can't contain myself," Theo trilled in satisfaction. He wasn't exaggerating, the suit felt the pressure of his bulge, straining the fabric as Richter only nodded vacantly. " Dragons Don't Think! Dragons Don't Think."

"First you'll be going into the basic training room, it's where all the new members are taught how Dragons Think once they're empty like you. Don't worry, I'll sit beside with you as it works. Always feels good to be trained to perfection," he hissed, the bulge in his suit pulsing as he flexed a bicep at the thought. Richter just nodded dully as a smile stayed on his face, and that's how he would be for most of the first few days.Theo remembered very clearly that the first few training sessions were to break down any thought that didn't mesh with the Dragon mentality.

They entered a large room in the basement. The lights were too dim to make out details of the walls. Lines of dragons stood stoic and impassive. A projector dominated their attention, displaying a massive pattern of blues and blacks. Silhouettes of Dragons dancing and swaying in some corners. They seemed to acknowledge Theo and Richter's presence, as without a word, two openings in the crowd were made. Theo once had thought the patterns kept track of who enters and leaves, and adjusts the Dragons' thoughts accordingly. But Dragons Don't Think here, and Theo belonged to them now. Once the pair stepped into line, the other dragons slid back into place, leaving no space from any angle to leave. They could barely shift from standing at attention they were so densely packed. Theo and Richter drank in the focus of the swirl: a pair of buff dragon pecs. The outside of the nipples swirled with kaleidoscopic wonder. "Do you....like it?" Theo asked, already starting to drool and smile.

Richter shifted on his feet. Trying to pull up his arms. They no longer budged; barely flinching at the entirety of his mental effort. "Yeah...." he muttered distantly "Dragons...." Richter trailed off. Theo attempted to finish the sentence, but with the pattern dominating their senses, all that came out was a quiet "Don't....Th...." A voice spoke in the background.

"Dragons are proud. Dragons are sexy. Dragons are generous. Dragons share their allure. Dragons are gifts to the world." The words chanted over and over, forcing the Dragons to shut down their reasoning, their ability to think. Only once their brains were hollowed out would they be primed to feel the Effigy's sacrosanct message ooze into them. Vessels to spread Dragon Pride. Vacant smiles slowly creased over each of their faces. As if their own free thoughts oozed out from their ears and onto the floor; casually tossed aside. By the time the soreness of their legs would have taken hold, Theo and Richter were utterly numb to the outside world. Less sentient than a herd of cattle, and their bodies raged with the lust of Dragon Pride because of it.

Time moved without them for a long while. It could have been hours, or weeks. But with their minds drugged and placid, it was hard to commit chemical processes to caring. The Projector blipped off and the entire expanse of wall the light bounced off gave way for an army of dragons to march in for Phase Two. Richter continued to mumble the mantra to himself. Theo winced a bit upon coming out of it, smiling and cooperating all the same regardless. He already knew the lessons of the chambers. but moved along all the same just so he could get quality time with Richter. He chuckled in amusement at the new member's blank attitude. "I have to admit that I'm excited to see you talking like one of us. You're almost too cute to release right now though," he chortled.

The next room was better lit, as the Dragons adjusted to no longer having a single light to fixate on. The walls and floors were lined with soft velvet. However, the peculiar nature of the padded room lied in the small muzzle shapes jutting from alcoves along the rows of walls. All placed at various heights. Theo directed Richter towards one. "Press your crotch into the muzzle, boy, this is to teach you to crave attention. We don't need sex all the time, but as Dragons we should always be proud to present ourselves as we are:perfect and sexy beings," Theo rubbed along the black Dragon's mane as he parroted lessons he once had to learn verbatim. Richter chirped vacantly and pressed his crotch into the bulge, a small groan escaping from him as the muzzle nudged around his crotch well. His legs buckled, but Theo yanked him back up. "No no no. Posture straight, arms behind your head. And don't forget to smile," he instructed. Richter stood up straight and posed for a while as Theo slid into a similar alcove to to enjoy a refresher in the procedure..

The whole process was a blur to Richter, drooling and grinding until the motion became automatic and perpetual. Theo yanked him off the machine to help march with the others to a series of smaller rooms. Finally they were separated from the pack. A brief thought trickled across Richter's temple that now I might be able to have a moment to- but a powerful fin maned silver Dragon was already pushing against him. This one wore little more than gym clothes hugging to his every scale.. The handsome Dragon started helping Richter with posing by grabbing the smaller guy's arms and shifting him. He stood taller than Theo, and despite that Richter was a good six foot three, they moved him like he had the strength of a child."Like this, Dragon. Like this, Dragon. Don't squirm. Perfectly still, like this, Dragon," Theo directed Richter, and they both quickly fell into the routine without an issue. Laughing heartily while basking in some invisible person's admiration. It took Richter a few attempts to really get into it, as his reserved personality clashed with their teachings. Without his old thoughts burdening him, he was soon laughing along with the rest of the Dragons. Flexing and laughing and posing his cares away. The room played a continuous audio track of admiring onlookers, and when Richter closed his eyes, he could almost imagine them fawning over his perfect body. He found himself falling into a self perpetuated cacophony of narcissistic bliss, as he started to honestly gloat at the swelling of his glistening scales.

By the time it finished, it took Theo five minutes to snap Richter out of his inebriated daze of pride, but the Dragon was glad to see his friend falling into the joy. He led Richter to another room. This room had an Elder Dragon, indicated by his magnificent white beard. But given his brilliant grin at the sight of the two of them, he was by no means any less perfect. The Elder Dragon stroked his flowing beard and mustache, teaching the room elocution and articulation worthy of the glorious race they were blessed with. "It is only natural you want to be like me. Repeat." Each line was scrutinized, and corrected. Their very tone of voice, cadence, demeanor was meticulously crafted, at one point Richter swore he heard Gilderoy in the room. 'Dragons Don't Think' of course, so the notion was quickly forgotten. Theo walked him through the rest of the halls, keeping the black Dragon happily staring at his massive red pecs. The entire world reduced to a five foot radius to the helpless toy.

As the passed from class to class, Richter began to see that there was no singular idea of perfection. Which allowed Dragons male and female alike the true show of dragon's beauty. A vibrant spectrum of pride and perfection. Another had him in a room with Dragons showing him how to keep his body in shape by cleaning his scales, sharpening his claws, and using special tools to keep his teeth razor sharp. The final Lesson for the day was a reprisal in the induction hall, showing an informative video on how to interact with non Dragons. To remain polite and showcase how much better Dragonkind dictating the world order could be while simultaneously avoiding elitist judgements. It was without a doubt the most difficult lesson Richter ate up without question.

The day slid to a close, and Theo and Richter were walking back into the elevator. They both pulled their clothes back over their scale suits allowing them to blend back in easy. "Tomorrow will be more grueling than today. But it will be even better! It always gets better. We'll start off every day by admiring the creator's statue and allowing his magic to touch us all," Theo explained. Richter nodded once more, his mind soaking in the information as he allowed himself to be guided back to his room for the night. Theo gripped the black dragon's neck and pulled him close to his glare. "But before you get rest... I got some ideas." He grinned, eyes glimmering with intent. Richter nodded like an eager puppy. "Yes, Alpha."

***

Day after day, the perfection of Dragons settled into Richter deeper and deeper. Slowly replacing his ideas, his tastes, even his personality, with the carefully manufactured pride whore that they grew to adore. Though it wasn't absolute, it would take far more time to root the more difficult lessons and he would only vaguely remember his time spent in the first few meetings. His eyes started to glaze amber within barely two days, just as the others did.the magic affected their bodies mentally and physically, Making the new Dragons stronger, faster, and just a little more ambitious. By the end of the week, the black dragon had grown an inch and his hair had started growing out at a faster rate. Theo imparted much of the information that Gilderoy had taught him onto Richter and the dragon soaked it in like a sponge as he did the exercises taught to him by the other dragons of the club.

Every now and again Gilderoy would pop in and help Theo train Richter. Even if it was more of a double team than a lesson. He pushed the importance of Richter's self-image and his pride as a dragon. Most of all he heavily suggested Richter to go pro with basketball. Richter honestly never really considered that, but a few choice words and imposing rumbles and the Dragon was easily in their sway.

After returning home from the first meeting, Richter was confused about what had happened during those few days. Everything felt a blur, yet he seemed incapable of questioning why that wasn't strange. What he did know was that any rift that had developed between himself and Theo had completely resolved. he vaguely remembered them having a conversation and apologizing to one another for their attitudes. Gilderoy had even proven to be a spectacular guy as he had allowed Richter to attend some of their meetings.They hadn't been nearly as bad as Richter had been convinced.

Finals came about and the pair passed them with ease. Though the academic world no longer interested Richter, He stuck around to push hard for college basketball. He also decided to start going to some parties with Theo. Even if he was more concerned with looking pretty for the big guy as Theo took the reins and practically controlled the party goers with his constantly growing charisma.

Every day the pair was together. Theo was able to convince Richter to pose with him as they used mirrors around the house to pose and contort to look handsome. "Why are we doing this?" Richter would ask. Whenever he posed he found himself moaning and losing track of time. It became less of suspicion and more like a child trying to understand the world that only the adults could explain.

"It's easy, Dragons crave attention. We deserve it," Theo laughed. Richter scowled a bit at the words. Something about them seemed wrong, but he merely nodded as he continued posing. Every day they ran, posed, and ate hearty meals all the way to summer. The second meeting came around and Richter found himself bouncing in the seat beside Theo. The energy was not unlike visiting a theme park.

Walking into the hotel Richardson immediately felt at ease as they both walked into their shared room and got changed together into the scale suits. Part of Richardson questioned why they wore them, and furthermore why Theo had a silver dragon tattoo on his shoulder, but the questions were easily brushed away as Theo flexed his dragon glamour on his friend to help convince him to leave things alone.

Richter sat in the crowd before the creator once more. They watched as another new member walked into their midst, a young dragon barely eighteen being indoctrinated by his parents. Apparently he already knew of the club and his body seemed to have been enhanced by the effigy's magic by his parents already being in the group, and he seemed only too happy to join in the congregation. Richter's mind turned dim once more once the projectors started. Whenever Theo introduced Richardson to one of the others he always called him by the name Richter. At first some part of him was convinced he had a more respectable name some mysterious time ago, but Theo and Gilderoy both coaxed him down from his anxiety.

During their session in the hypnosis room,Richardson's eyes remained locked on the hypnotic pecs, Gilderoy stepped in and started whispering sweet words into his ear. "Dragons need powerful names, and Richter fits you far better. Any anxiety you have is temporary and will fade. You are a dragon, a symbol of perfection. By being a member of our club, you are by your very nature a perfect being, and you will soon be a star," he repeated over and over until Richter slowly forgot the Dragon was even standing there.

Richter repeated the actions in each of the stations. A new ego that had never before been stroked started to grow under the careful tutelage of the Dragons. It wasn't anything mean-spirited; as they merely helped along his aspirations of becoming a professional basketball player.

After the first night of fun Theo and Richter both slipped into their room to rest for the night, but Theo didn't want to just end with the lessons in the halls. "Richter, why don't you present that body of yours? I think some good practice will be good, even when you're not in the club," Theo commented. Richter for a moment hesitated, he wasn't quite as hopelessly entranced at the first time as he could somewhat focus his thoughts, but he still found that Theo's words rang with a certain perfection that he couldn't push out of his head.

Only in his scale suit Richter started posing in front of Theo, the red dragon helping pose his body with simple brushes of his hand against his body. The black dragon was instructed by his friend to have a confident grin and start laughing as they did in the meeting room. Richter did as he was instructed, the laugh coming easier now that he'd had a few experiences with it, his mind falling into that image of self glorification as he stood there practically stone still as he enjoyed the admiration from his friend.

Gilderoy was quick compliment Richter's improved build. Though he wasn't nearly as strong as any of the others, he'd definitely put on some muscle with his constant exercising. He and Theo never allowed the black dragon any time to really think for himself, directing every action, every movement. "Focus, be proud of your Dragonhood, present and hold your body proudly!" The strict rhetoric disallowed any thoughts that might lead Richter to push the club's perfect thoughts away. Even at home when Richter thought that he might be able to get away for some TV or just relaxing, Theo would be there at his side helping direct his thoughts into being more active and practicing Perfection rather than wasting his time.

At some point Gilderoy took Richter in for a private session with the effigy. While the black dragon's eyes were focused on the blue gem in a trance, the statue spent its time worming its thoughts and ideas into to his mind, gumming up the works like glue. "There is no "Maybe" about being a professional basketball player. You'll be one because I aspire you to be so. You will be perfect, you are my handsome Dragon that will enchant all with your star skills. Agree with me." Any part of Richter that would've argued tensed. Gilderoy flexed absently, no longer able to respond while the effigy was projecting. "I....Don't... " "Look at this Trophy of mine. He was much like you: pitiful, tiny, weak, but now look at him. Easily my finest work. You yourself accepted Gilderoy as the leader of my little 'cult.' But whose will dominates you now. Yield, meat puppet." Richter shuddered. slowly shifting to a smile as empty, as artificial as the posing Golden Dragon. "I....I.... Want as I'm told. Want as I'm told. Want as I'm told."

The effigy's words hung on Richter's mind even after returning from the group meeting. He announced his desire to go professional, and not a single Dragon in the room questioned his eagerness as another tool of the Great progenitor. No Dragon knew the name of their Progenitor, and thanks to the pride disseminated from his identity into a stereotype, the name didn't seem as important at the idea. His college was all aboard as scouters from professional teams started schmoozing with Richter. Richter played all the right notes, said all the right things, singing like a trained canary. He was picked up in no time.

***

Everything was on track for both dragons as The Progenitor had intended, Richter would be out of college soon, signed on to the professional team "The West Point Platebacks.". As for Theo, he had been invited into a modeling agency that once helped put GIlderoy on the map. The Progenitor's puppets helped plant the seeds of their success amongst several high ranking officials for both Dragons. Obviously their own merits helped seal the deal, but the Dragons' silver tongues helped along the pair.

What Gilderoy hadn't been expecting was for Richter's agent to come into his office looking distraught. The hyena was a well known agent for several star athletes and a personal friend to the dragon, and for Gilderoy to suggest a client for him generally netted the star a good spot. However, his friend didn't look too satisfied with himself as he stepped into the office and scratched at the back of his neck. "Roscoe, what brings you here?" Gilderoy beamed, feigning ignorance to his body language.

The hyena gestured for a seat across the Dragon and Gilderoy nodded in permission. Roscoe took the seat and steepled his fingers, taking a moment to consider his words. "Honestly? The young man that you suggested, Richter, he seems to be a fantastic player but honestly... I'm seeing some parallels here. Now when I took this job, Gilder, I told you I was grateful. But I can't bend over backwards to further this whatever it is you're trying to pull. The kid's talented but he doesn't seem all that there. Just like the last few kids. I know you, Gilder, I know plenty of dragons, they're not vapid, least of all dragons from your old college. Which makes me think you might be doing someth- l..."

Gilderoy held up a hand before Roscoe could continue, the hyena stopping as the golden dragon took a sip of his cup of coffee before standing up. As if on reflex Roscoe jumped to his feet, it only feeling right in the presence of the powerful dragon. "Roscoe, you should know better than to doubt one of my recommendations. I can promise to you that Richter is sure to be a winner," the Dragon said. This time though before Roscoe could get in a word edgewise he suddenly found himself pulled into a deep hug from the dragon. "Just think of the money rolling in as Richter proves himself a basketball legend," Gilderoy said. Roscoe felt a bit awkward at first, but as he was hugged tight to Gilderoy's muscled chest he found his thoughts growing vague at best and the Dragon's words seemed to have a shine to them as a small smile grew on his face. "Richter is a winner, and by extension so are you, Roscoe," Gilderoy promised.

Finally Roscoe was let out of the hug and he teetered for a few moments as he attempted to regain his composure. "You... you're completely right, Gilderoy. I think it's all the stress... Richter's on his way up, and it's all with your help. Thank you," the hyena said gratefully.

"And remember, it's Gilderoy now, Roscoe. Please don't make me have to correct you again," He rumbled almost wistfully, as the hyena let a trickle of drool loose to drip on the floor, nodding absently. "Yes Sir..." As Roscoe stumbled out the door, Gilderoy sat back down at his desk and took a long sip from his cup before leaning back in his chair.

"Sometimes the little people need a little convincing," he chuckled. With that Gilderoy started to type on his computer once more as he made a mental note to instill more confidence in Richter. He received an email for a casting call that Gilderoy would be interested in. Opening up the email he smiled to himself as he saw Theo's first set of pictures from his photoshoot. "Mmm... looks like my new recruits are settling into their new positions fine," he chuckled.

***

College students milled about busily. A plethora of booths were set up around the student union hosting a variety of clubs, groups, and potential employers. Standing at one were a pair of alumni, both Dragons, and both extremely handsome as they sat behind their booth counter and signed a few autographs for fans.

Richter's black muscle shirt stretched over his muscles perfectly, allowing for his terrific abs to shine through. His do rag was now a choice accessory to keep his hair bundled up during a game, but it was probably an excuse to toss his mane in a fabulous display. Indeed such an act became his 'victory pose' at the end of a game. One repeat performance of the act, and it made several girls drop their numbers off on the table in interest, though he wasn't the only reason they were so interested. Theo leaned back in his pitiful plastic chair with a cocky grin, beaming at Richter who posed once he realized the Dragon was watching. The red Dragon had recently been picked up for a new TV drama premiering in a couple of weeks and he had been cast as one of the main characters. He was reveling in the attention as he gleamed a startlingly sharp grin with his eyes obscured behind a stylish pair of aviators. If anyone hadn't been too starstruck, they might've questioned the pair's shockingly similar demeanor and even postures. But with one targeted pose or a sentence or two, nobody was able to focus their attention long enough. If anything, the fact they almost seemed identical aside from their scale color only proved to excite the masses more.

Brushing his white hair over his shoulder and allowing his rimless blue visor sparkle in the sun, Richter's ear fins stood erect upon noticing a stocky Dragon striding past. He was in decent shape, and the shirt that strained across his chest suggested he took a place in the national bodybuilding competition. The Green Dragon took a swig of his water bottle, hair coiffed into a softer fauxhawk while he listened to some heavy metal in a pair of earbuds the Dragons could hear all the way from their booth.They grinned, it was time for Dragons to Hunt. Approaching the dragon with his winning smile, Richter threw his arm around the dragon's neck and watched as the dragon's face turned into a shocked stare as he grinned widely. "Hey there, champ. I just wanted to give you a proper greeting to our lovely college! How are you enjoying the new life? Good? Good. Of course you do. Big man like you are should know exactly what he wants in life! Much better than how _we_started off! "

The green Dragon eyed the star nervously as he pulled the earbuds from his earfins, aware of who this Dragon was as he was obviously starstruck. "Th...thanks. but I'm still undecided." The green dragon shifted his gaze away, despite the build, he had the classic freshman nerves. "Undecided! We simply can't have that! No no nonono! Come with me, Let's talk a few things over." "B..but..." " A dragon shouldn't hesitate with his future, should he?"

As Richter walked off with the green dragon in tow Theo chuckled to himself as he leaned back in his chair. Keeping an eye out for more potential members he grinned as his phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out. Slipping it out he already knew it was Gilderoy as this was his private phone who very few people has the number to. "How is the search going? - G"

Looking up to watch as the green dragon's eyes turned blurry and Richter was whispering some things into his ear Theo growled in excitement as he quickly texted back. "Going perfectly, got one on the hook already. Can't wait to see him in the meetings. -T" After that he slid his phone back into his pocket and waited for the next dragon to walk by to work his own charm.