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"You fight like a man possessed," panted Zagan, straining against Uther's blade with his own. "How strong are you, anyway?"

"Less talking, more fighting," Uther gasped, sweat dripping off of him. He'd lost his shirt a while ago due to a well-timed slash, though he wasn't complaining now. He was hot and tired, but he was too stubborn to admit it. Especially since Zagan was glistening with his own sweat and seemed just as tired as he was.

"Can't you two take a break or something?" Clay asked, concerned with how long they'd been going at it. "Seriously, you'll both keel over at this rate."

"...What do you think, Uther? Will you give quarter?"

"...Yeah, sure. No cheating though."

"Fine," Zagan said, pushing off and away from him. There were a few tense moments before Zagan sheathed his blade, though Uther noticed he kept his shield on his arm. Snapping his fingers at a few nearby servants - they had gathered an audience by now - he sent them off without a word to get refreshments as he sat cross-legged on the floor. "Sit. Rest."

"Yeah, yeah..." Uther sighed, moving to his knees as he rested his blade in front of him. Placing a hand on each of his legs, he straightened his posture before staring at the more relaxed looking Zagan. "Since when do dragons sweat, anyway?"

"Why not?" Zagan said, raising an eyebrow at him. "I'm sure some of us Pride daemons hate the idea, but I for one enjoy it. Why does that matter, though? Got your mind in the gutter? Or perhaps you want a body just like mine?"

"No, just... nevermind," Uther said, snorting irritably. "You fight well."

"So do you. All those past lives, I assume. But no, it's more than that," Zagan said, smiling at him. "You have a certain fire in you. You aren't a follower obeying dead men, but a leader who puts their knowledge to use. Oh yes, I know all about how your blade works. Most of us do."

"I suppose you would by now," Uther sighed. "So. Why do you have a pendant of yourself? Other than the contract part, I mean. Seems a little narcissistic."

"The fact you think it's just me means I'm close to never needing it again," Zagan laughed, a cruel note in his voice. "If you'd read that contract better, you'd realize the pendant contains Davin, who is turning into me. Every day, he accepts more of me and less of himself. Why do you think he flipped Pride to begin with? It was my personality and influence. My doing. Why be himself when he can be so much more than that?"

"What a vile thing," Uther said, sneering at the pendant. "Though considering who it's being worn by, I can't say I'm surprised."

"You think I want to do it this way?" Zagan asked, shaking his head. "No, I don't. But if it's me or him, then I don't intend to go quietly. He could always resist, fight back against me. But he doesn't. Deep down, he doesn't want to be himself anymore. Better one of us takes over this body than no one at all, don't you agree?"

"I can't say I agree, even if the logic is sound. It's just cruel to put you both in this situation in the first place."

"Then I suppose you should be angry with my master, not me," Zagan said, holding up a finger. "But watch your tongue; I will not abide blasphemy. Ah, but here are the refreshments. Hydrate, Uther. We've a long contest ahead of us yet."

"Fine," Uther said, taking the massive water skin from the servant as he thanked him. Focusing for a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief when he detected nothing unusual about it with his magic. Ignoring the amused chuckle from Zagan, he wasted no time drinking his fill.

"What do they say to you, Uther? I'm curious."

"What do who say?"

"The daemons who flit about unseen around us," Zagan said, looking around as if seeing things Uther couldn't. "Surely you can hear them, at least?"

"I don't care what they have to say. Why should I listen to those who know nothing about me? Nobody likes a kiss-ass, and I have enough voices to listen to as it is."

"Wise words," Zagan said, before taking his own water skin to his mouth. Drinking deeply, he gasped in contentment before pouring what was left all over his bare chest, eyeing Uther as he did so. "Shall we continue? Or do you want to have a bit of fun, first? We could-"

"Let's just continue," Uther said, handing the water skin to the waiting servant. Reaching for his sword, he rested it in his hands as he waited. "I don't know what you think you're trying to do, but I'm not mixing pleasure and business here."

"Yet you admit you feel pleasure looking at me. Very well, though. Let's continue," Zagan said, rising to his feet along with Uther. As everyone nearby moved off to the side once more, Zagan unsheathed his blade in an instant. "Once more, with feeling."

*******

"I live to serve!" the chess piece cried out, having completed its transition to a red dragon piece. Seth sighed and shook his head; yet another piece lost. Yet another bit of his will under Lucian's influence.

"Did you really have to animate them like this?" Seth asked, taking a drink from his nearby glass. He tried his best to ignore the tiny spectators, even though what he really wanted to do was to see if they were doing okay. Especially Dylann... but he had a part to play here, and a game to focus on. He'd apologize later once he was sure he wouldn't show his hand too early.

"I didn't have to, but you have to admit it's a bit of an ego boost," Lucian chuckled, his smug smile irritating Seth. "Surely you've grown a liking to it?"

"I... would be lying if I said I hadn't," Seth admitted, before realizing what he'd said. "You really need to stop doing that."

"It's all part of the game," Lucian said, laughing through his nose. "Though I admit, I didn't expect you to get me shirtless. Not sure why you did that, but it's relaxing all the same. Maybe you like looking at me?"

"Not as much as you enjoy looking at yourself in the mirror, I bet," Seth joked, before finally moving a piece. Ignoring the cry of submission, he took the new wolf bishop to the side for later deployment. Shaking his head, he tried to get rid of the feeling that he should be worshiped and obeyed in all things. That he was a god and deserved whatever he wished.

"How many pieces have I taken, now?" Lucian said, reaching over to one of his side pieces. Selecting a dragon rook, he placed it on the board before folding his hands together. "You really would look better as a dragon, you know."

"I... no," Seth said, halting his transformation as soon as it had started. He'd almost shifted to look more draconic at a mere suggestion. "You may have more pieces, but this game isn't over yet."

"No, I suppose not. Though let me tell you what I'm going to do, once I win and claim all of my prizes."

"I'd tell you not to bother, but something tells me you're going to do it anyway," Seth said, moving a wolf pawn forward. Even though they weren't real, it felt good to feel the piece squirm a bit as he pressed his finger down a bit harder than he meant to just before letting go.

"First, I think I'll make Zale and Mark twins. Not related, but mirror images of each other. They will become my personal elite guard, subservient to myself and my Herald and Soothsayer. When they are not guarding me, they will be worshiping at my feet and singing my praises."

"How unoriginal," Seth sighed, causing Lucian to laugh at his discomfort.

"And? The point is to strip them of their identities. Just like these nameless, faceless pawns on this board, they will be mere tools for me to use as I see fit."

"I suppose I'd share their fate, then," Seth sighed, waiting until Lucian had finally moved before consulting his own pieces.

"No. You are different. I will give you a place by my side. Not in the same way Dylann has, of course, but you would be second only to myself. A king of dragons, subservient to a god. I think you deserve such a fate, after coming so far in such a short time. You have ambition. A desire for power, even if you yourself deny it. All that I have would be yours."

"Nearly all. You yourself said we wouldn't be equals," Seth said, dwelling perhaps a bit too much on the image Lucian was painting for him.

"Would it be so bad? I can see how you look at my form. How your eyes linger upon my scales with envy. Perhaps, you think 'would it be so bad to be just like that'? Though who knows what truly goes on in that little puppy brain of yours."

"I guess... it wouldn't be so bad to try it out," Seth conceded, moving a piece before really thinking about it. Realizing his mistake too late, he could only watch as Lucian took the piece he'd just moved into harm's way.

"So then go for it," Lucian said, his eyes roving up and down Seth's body. There was something alluring about them now. He almost wanted to do everything Lucian said out of pure instinct and a drive to please. "You can always change back if you don't like it."

"That's true," Seth said, sighing almost in relief as he let go, his fur slowly turned to scales. It wasn't long before the changes finalized; the wolf was now a dragon.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Lucian asked, smiling triumphantly at him.

"Nope," Seth said, taking a piece from Lucian in the process. "Not hard at all."

"Well played," Lucian said, though Seth could tell he wasn't at all surprised. When they had first described how this game went, Seth thought it would be more of a cause and effect game. While that part was true, he had quickly realized he wasn't playing one game of chess but two... and he was losing both. But deep down, no matter how bad it looked to him, he knew he would win. He just had to keep playing.

*******

A step here. A feint there. Don't let them see the fear in your eyes. Show no mercy in your strikes. It was nice to finally hear words of encouragement instead of shrieks of discord from the past Pendragons as Uther parried yet another strike that would have killed a lesser mortal. He had fallen nearly into some sort of trance, focusing only on battle and the lessons whispered to him from Caledfwlch.

"I... I think you're actually improving!" Zagan said, surprising even himself with the crack in his voice. "What the hell?!"

Instead of answering with his words, Uther dashed forward and struck with a ferocity he had not yet known. Panicking, Zagan fell back as the blow landed on his sword and shield... and the sickening sound of a broken blade filled the room. Raising his shield, the dragon glanced to his broken sword and threw it away in disgust.

"Hey! That means Uther wins!" Clay excitedly said, but his enthusiasm was dampened when Zagan shook his tired head.

"No! Not yet! Do I look like I'm disarmed?!" Zagan said, roaring in defiance. Uther knew it was true; a shield could be just as dangerous in the right hands.

"Yield," Uther commanded, pointing his sword down at the dragon. For a moment, the fire left Zagan's eyes as his shield arm faltered... but then with a snarl, he bashed the sword out of the way as he leapt to his feet and pinned Uther against the wall; it was all Uther could do to keep his grip on his weapon. A large hand wrapped around his throat as it slowly began to constrict his breathing, the claws digging into his skin.

"Submit already!" Zagan shouted triumphantly. "We both know I could end this in a second."

Yet he doesn't. His loss. What a fool... ignoring Zagan and his own panic, he instead grabbed the dragon's wrist and began crushing it with his full enhanced strength. Bones snapped and popped; in both pain and surprise, Zagan let go as his arm was twisted away from Uther. In an instant, the human ducked underneath and past the dragon before bringing his sword up in one clean swipe. Coughing, Uther used his free hand to examine his neck while watching Zagan clutch at the stump that was his shoulder, his arm still twitching on the ground where it had fallen... yet there was very little blood, if any. Resting against the wall, Zagan turned to look at Uther before bowing his head gracefully.

"You literally disarmed me. Hah... what is this feeling? Fear? I haven't known this kind of fear in... in a long time now."

"Will you surrender, then?" Uther asked, his voice hard and distant. Whatever else he was before, he was now the Pendragon in that moment. He needed to be.

"...You know what? You're a worthy foe. I don't mind losing to you... so yeah. I yield," Zagan said, falling to one knee. "Someone fetch me my arm now. I'd really like to reattach it."

Uther let go of Caledfwlch as it returned to wherever it came from; his arms ached and his legs felt like jelly as he picked up the arm he'd just severed, surprising everyone around him. Holding it out to Zagan, he smirked.

"Need a hand?"

"Funny..." Zagan laughed, though Uther got the sense he was rolling his eyes at him. "But thanks. I can do the healing however. I know that much, at least."

Waiting, Uther watched as sinew and muscle reattached themselves to Zagan, his eyes glowing with a blue light as he muttered to himself. Before long, he was testing his arm and wrist to make sure everything was in working order before looking up at Uther.

"Well? Where's the hat?" Zagan laughed, as if realizing for the first time just how ridiculous Uther's wager was. "I'll wear it any way you want. That was the deal."

"Yeah, it's right here," Uther said, batting away Zagan's waiting hand. "Uh uh. I'll put it on you. There's only one right way to do it, after all."

"Still, an old baseball cap? When you wagered it, I had expected something more current or trendy... no offense. Well, lay it on me then," Zagan said, winking. Uther wasted no time in carefully placing it backwards upon the dragon's head, though the horns made it a bit difficult at first. Yet, the hat itself seemed to shift slightly to allow for any inconsistencies in the wearer's head. "It actually feels kind of nice. Is this it, then? Are you satisfied?"

"One more thing," Uther said, sighing as his posture changed. A big dopey grin spread across his face as he placed a hand on the hat. "Bro, you're in for a ride."

"Wait wha-" Zagan nearly shouted, but as Bruce flowed from Uther into the hat, the dragon's eyes glazed over and his body slackened. Testing the hat to be sure it couldn't come off, Uther nodded in satisfaction before turning to a very angry crowd.

"It's part of the deal. I said he had to accept the consequences," Uther said, using a mocking voice for what Zagan had said before about the pendant. "Or do the rest of you want a taste of my blade as well?"

Nobody wanted to challenge him, not after his spar with their very own Herald. Scanning the crowd for potential threats, he sighed as he realized he could finally relax. Running his hand over his neck again, he healed the small marks on his skin. Much too close for comfort. Only Zagan's pride had kept him from declaring it a killing blow. He must have wanted Uther to submit fully on his own. What an idiot.

"You did it!" Clay laughed, running up and hugging Uther tightly. "God, I thought... for a minute there..."

"It's not over yet," Uther said, looking over to Zagan. "You know Bruce is in there, right?"

"I know. But I know him a bit better than you do," Clay said, though Uther realized he was actually trying to hide his worry from him. "You think I don't care about you though? After all those nights we spent... plus, the ah, Earth outings are... well, they're very..."

"You can call them romantic, if you want," Uther laughed, giving him a quick kiss. "But I need to watch over 'Zagan' here. And, well, I could use a rest..."

"Ah, I know!" the wolf-ram said, plopping down onto the stone floor and spreading his legs out in front of him. Patting his lap, he looked up at Uther and smiled. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"I... yeah. That sounds nice, actually," Uther said, lying down and resting his head on Clay's lap. Despite the daemon's musculature it felt soft and warm to him. "If I fall asleep though..."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'll watch Zagan too," Clay said, stroking Uther's fiery hair gently. Uther was very aware of Clay's arousal inches from his face, but he actually didn't mind that part. It was nice, resting like this. It was nice.

*******

Seth looked at the board, his thoughts cloudy as he focused more on trying to keep out Lucian's will instead of his pieces. While he'd never been the best at chess, he had significantly increased his skill when he had become Ortun. Yet he felt like a child compared to Lucian's own skill at the game. No matter how far ahead Seth thought, Lucian always seemed to be ahead of him. It didn't help that he was playing with his mind either. How long had they been playing this game, anyway? Time didn't matter much here, as with most contests between daemons.

"If it's any consolation, Seth, you've lasted far longer than most I play against," Lucian said, a smug smile on his face. He wasn't worried in the slightest, from the way he relaxed and lounged as he waited for Seth to take his turn. "You have a sharp mind, especially considering how much you're resisting me. I've had fun toying with you, but tell me something: how many more pieces do you think I can take from you before it's all over?"

Looking at the board, Seth realized he had only a small squad left to protect his king. To protect himself. The black pieces were still wolves, even though he himself was now a dragon and had decided he enjoyed being one. He had also long since changed his clothing to a suit like Lucian's, with only the bandana around his head being his own.

"...You are very good at this, yes," Seth said, unable to help himself from praising his opponent. It just felt right and natural to do so. Finally moving a piece, he wasn't even that upset when Lucian took it from him.

"...Seth, I'm going to make this easier for you," Lucian said, snapping his fingers at him to get his full attention. "In one move, I will put you into check. You will try your best, but ultimately within a few more moves at most you will lose. Checkmate, in other words. But, if you want, you can do me a favor instead."

"What favor?"

"A way to concede defeat is to knock over your own king, as you well know. So why don't you just go ahead and do that? There's no shame in admitting defeat to me. You have been an excellent opponent, and I have enjoyed seeing you struggle... but I enjoy seeing your submission to me even more."

"I should... knock my king over...?" Seth said, realizing it didn't sound like that bad of an idea. But he had to hold on. Why did he have to hold on? Looking at the board, he remembered why.

"You don't have to, of course, but... we both know who's going to win, don't we?" Lucian said, not even watching as Seth eagerly moved his queen before he lost the will to fight completely.

"Yeah. We do," Seth said, feeling the weight of Lucian's will lift from him as he let go of his piece. "Checkmate."

"Funny, but... wait..." Lucian said, his face going from smug to complete shock as he instantly looked down at the board. "No. Impossible. I made no mistakes. Everything was... ugh..."

"No, you're absolutely right, Lucian," Seth said, shedding his draconic form and suit in favor of his wolf body and biker clothes. "You didn't make a single mistake."

"So how did I... how did I lose?" Lucian asked, confusion and doubt on his face. "Everything I did was perfectly planned... wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was. And normally, you would have won. But didn't I say it before, when I buried my harpoon next to your head?"

"What..."

"I said when I came to challenge you, that you would let me win."

"That shouldn't matter..." Lucian said, watching all his pieces turn into black wolves as they bowed to Seth. The red dragon king was clutching its head in confusion much like Lucian was as it slowly turned into a black wolf with violet eyes, dropping to its knees in complete submission.

"Oh, but it does. You see, I knew you'd be too proud to turn away from my gaze. You did exactly what I wanted you to do that day. You stared into my eyes. Do you know what my eyes do, Lucian?"

"They... hypnotize, don't they?" Lucian asked, finally understanding even as his thoughts seemed to cloud over. "You... date Orias... after all..."

"Yes, they do. But they're more powerful than Orias' own. He wanted them that way, I think, so that I could hypnotize him any time I wanted. I'm glad I kept them. Even someone like you was taken off guard by me. But ah... I'm letting this all go to my head. Sorry about that. I just felt you deserved an explanation. You didn't make a mistake, Lucian; you simply were playing to lose. Just like I wanted you to do."

"Well, that settles that," Stellan said, a hint of a smile in his tired voice. Seth had honestly forgotten he was there as he turned to look at the giant bat hanging from the ceiling... if there was a ceiling to this place anyway. "Seth wins. Zagan and Rune will transfer ownership to him, to do with as he sees fit."

"...Honestly, I just want Zagan and Rune to be free to choose who they wish to serve. I want Davin to come back, I really do. But if he's choosing to be Zagan, I won't force him not to. Nor will I force his aspect on him... but this means any contract he had with you is null and void, doesn't it Lucian?"

"If you say they are. They are your contracts, now..." Lucian said, his voice empty and his gaze blank. He was fully in Seth's power now as a result of the contest. "Same with Rune. He will no longer be of my realm, unless you allow him to be."

"I'll deal with Rune later," sighed Seth. "For now, he will serve me. The real question here... is what to do with you? I believe I'm allowed to give you a single command. Any command."

"You are, Seth. It'll come true just as if it was his true name you used," Stellan said, bored. "We went over this."

"Yeah, sorry," Seth said, smiling sheepishly. "Can you blame me though? My mind still feels a bit like mush after all that. But I think I know what I want, now."

Standing, he drew himself up to his full height as he looked down at Lucian. He felt a pang of pity for the guy, sure, but then again the dragon had literally tried to own his mind and body. Hell, he almost had... but then, Seth hadn't thrown out this challenge on a whim. He'd known the odds in advance, though he doubted his trick would work twice.

"For however many days you kept Davin and Jared in this realm over the past Earth week," Seth began, causing Lucian to look up at him with rapt attention, "you will spend an equal amount of time in my service as a daemon of Temperance, though your aspect will remain unchanged and your title will remain intact. Do you understand what I wish of you?"

"Yes, my lord," Lucian said, the fog lifting from him as he accepted the command entirely. Bowing his head in true humility, he sighed with intense remorse. "Forgive me, my lord, for my grievances against your person."

"Serve me well, and I will," Seth said, already a bit unnerved by the display but too far in to back out now. Besides, Pride could do with a bit of humbling. "Oh right. Lose the suit. I want you wearing plain biker leathers... oh, and after we leave your realm, you'll be in human form unless I say otherwise."

"I hear and obey, Lord Temperance," Lucian said, before a cough from Stellan got their attention.

"Um, we're done here, right?" Stellan asked, yawning. "I can close up shop now? I think everyone is waiting to go home."

"Oh! Right," Seth said blushing under his fur as he remembered everyone on the table. He couldn't really hear them from up here, but they seemed happy. "Sure, take us out of here. Thanks for judging our little contest."

"Yeah. No problem," Stellan said, as their surroundings whirled and faded away. They were in Lucian's throne room again, though Lucian was on his knees before him now. Seth was going to have to get used to this; it was what he had asked for, so now Lucian was his responsibility.

"...I feel... very odd," Rune said, the dragon having shrunk down to a more normal size. Gone was the flame from his head, and the whites of his ruby eyes were once again visible as he looked around in confusion. "I was so sure of my station until... my lord, what should I do?"

"Don't look at me," Dylann said, smiling as he pointed over at Seth. "He's the one you serve right now."

"Yes, lord," Rune said, bowing his head as he made his way over to Seth.

"Ugh, no more bowing," Seth said, stopping Rune before he joined Lucian on the floor. "I've had enough of that for one day."

"Yes, my lord," Lucian and Rune said in unison.

"...Um... Mark. Zale... I'm uh... sorry about 'offering you up' like that. Can you forgive me?"

"You had a plan from the start, didn't you?" Zale said, smiling. "Don't worry about it. We'll still serve... ah. I mean, we're still your friends. Right Mark?"

"Well, I don't appreciate being offered up as a trophy without my knowledge beforehand, but the fact you were one step ahead of Lucian is enough satisfaction for me. That's not easy, you know? I'll forgive you on one condition."

"Name it," Seth said, guilt eating away at him already. "Please."

Mark walked up to him, motioning for him to bend down. As Seth did so, Mark whispered in his ear and caused the wolf to smile widely.

"With...?" Seth asked, looking at Zale.

"Yep. Anytime you want to repay the favor, at least."

"Wait, why are you looking at me like that?" Zale asked, looking from Mark to Seth. "What did you ask him?"

"I'll tell you later, hon," Mark laughed, kissing him on the lips as he returned to him. "Right now I just want to get the hell away from here."

"Stellan's already gone, it seems," Dylann said, turning toward the door. "Let's go get Uther and tell Zagan the bad news. Though I suspect he probably already knows?"

"Well, let's go find out," Seth said, walking with Dylann as the rest followed behind him.

*******

The alarm blared, and a clawed hand slammed down on it. Wincing, the anthro looked at the time before sighing. It was time for work. Fuck. Careful not to hook his hooves on the blankets again, he slowly rose from the bed and made his way to the bathroom. Flipping the light on, he looked into his haggard face. He barely recognized himself anymore.

"Davin, you really look like shit," he told himself, examining his plain horns to make sure he hadn't gored his pillow in the night somehow. Satisfied, he began brushing his teeth as he stared down at his body. He'd really let himself go lately; patting his belly, he grumbled in discontent as he spat out the toothpaste and rinsed his mouth out. The lion/bull hybrid stepped into the shower, though he didn't have any time to enjoy it today. It was a good thing his fur wasn't that long, though he did spend some extra time on his rugged mane and beard. Running a hand through the longer hair on his head, he grimaced; he'd have to go see a barber to get it trimmed if he had the time today. When was the last time he'd gone anywhere except work and home, anyway? Putting it from his mind, he shut off the shower and began the process of drying off and getting dressed.

He skipped breakfast, choosing to grab a canned coffee from his fridge on the way out, though he sometimes wondered if it was more energy drink than cold coffee. It didn't matter, as long as it kept him awake; popping it open, he drank from it as he took the stairs down. The elevator had been out of order anyway for a while, but he had recently decided he needed to do more 'cardio' regardless. At the thought of working out, he felt a pang of guilt over his new year's resolution; he hadn't even bothered to stick to the gym for more than a month before calling it quits. He'd had muscle before when he was younger and fitter, but it seemed to all have gone to waste anymore as he neglected his own health. He always thought he'd have more time to get back into shape, but now here he was at thirty-something and a dead end job that barely paid the bills.

It was an uneventful bus trip into the city at least, compared to last night. Creeps always seemed to be on the bus late at night, especially drunk frat kids from the university who got left behind by their friends at the bar or something. Everyone here just wanted to get to their job or go about their day, so he didn't pay much attention to the mass of faces. They all looked the same to him anymore. Even if he bothered trying to memorize what people looked like this early in the morning, he always ended up forgetting. Looking at his phone, he smiled at the pictures of his friends. Seth and his husband Dylann looked amazing together, and Mark and Zale were now engaged. He was happy for them all, even as he felt incredibly lonely himself in comparison. He hadn't talked to them in... too long. He briefly considered shooting them a message, but decided against it. It was better if he didn't get any more involved. He just ruined everything he touched these days anyway. Snapping out of his inward reflection, he realized his stop was coming up. He was already out and on the sidewalk heading toward his workplace when he crashed into a solid wall of muscle. Stumbling, he felt firm hands steady him and keep him from falling.

"Whoa! Sorry bro," the man said. Looking down, he found himself speechless and bashful. A cocky grin was plastered on the human's face, though his gray eyes were kind and full of concern. He looked like he was on his way to the gym, what with his tank top, shorts, and backwards ball cap. Was he a college student? Yet he seemed older than that, even with the blonde hair and tan skin that made him seem so much younger. "You okay?"

"Um... yeah. I think so," Davin said, looking himself over. Smoothing over a slight wrinkle on his office shirt, he gave up trying to make it look even remotely presentable. It was the same shirt from last night, and he couldn't be bothered to look exactly how his boss wanted him to. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm great! Thanks for asking," the man said, holding out a hand. After a moment, Davin took the hand and shook. "Name's Bruce. You?"

"Ah... Davin," the anthro said, still a bit in shock. "I'm uh... I'm going to be late for work, so..."

"Oh! Sure, sure bro. I'll walk with you!"

"Ah..." Davin began, but something told him not to decline. It was a change from his usual routine, and this guy seemed friendlier than most. "Sure. I could use the company actually. Why do you want to, though? We just met."

"Hm? So?" Bruce asked, and Davin got the impression he wasn't always all there. He wouldn't say he was dumb, but... still. He shook the negative thoughts from his mind, feeling guilty for even having them.

"It's just... I'm not exactly someone you'd hang out with, right?" Davin asked, causing Bruce to laugh as they walked down the street.

"I have all sorts of friends, bro! What, you think because you're not a gym rat like me that I won't give you the time of day? Besides, you seem like you could use a friend right now."

"...You work out often, then?" Davin asked, trying to change the subject a little. He didn't want to dwell on his lack of a social circle. "I hope I didn't interrupt your routine."

"You're fine, and yeah I work out all the time. Love that burn, you know?"

"I wouldn't, really," Davin sighed, poking his own belly for emphasis. "I haven't taken the gym seriously in a long time now."

"When you did, did you enjoy it?"

"Hm?"

"You heard me," Bruce said, a genuine smile on his face. "Did you enjoy working out?"

"Well, yeah. When I was younger, I guess," Davin said, trying to remember when the last time he'd been fit was. "Just real life got in the way, and..."

"Well, would you like to get back into it? I've been looking for a steady workout partner for a while now, and you seem pretty chill."

"Ah, well, ah..." Davin stammered. This wasn't how he expected his day to go at all. "...You sure you don't mind?"

"Hey, as long as you give it your all, then I'm totally okay with helping you out. We all have to start somewhere, right? Though now it sounds like I'm just being friendly to con you into working out with me now... hah. Sorry, bro. I still do wanna get to know you, even if you say no to the gym. Just thought I'd ask while I had you since you have to get to work and all."

Davin thought it over, trying not to stare at Bruce's body for too long as he alternated his gaze between him and the sidewalk. He felt intimidated by the idea of going back to the gym after so long, and who knew what work was going to have him do next, but... well, he couldn't say he never had the time. Usually he'd just head out to a bar or go home after work. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"...I could try it, I suppose," Davin said, still not sure if this was some cruel trick or not. Why would anyone like this be interested in being friends with him in the first place? "I just ah... I don't know what to do."

"Hey, let me figure that one out. Here's the card for the gym I go to. Meet me there after work?"

"I get off at five usually, but it's possible I might stay longer if my boss is in a bad mood..."

"Nah, if you're supposed to leave at five, leave at five," Bruce insisted. "Don't let him roll all over you just because he's your boss, alright? That's not cool."

"...I'll... try," Davin said, not sure why he felt so weak right now. So helpless. "But I mean, if I don't get in there now then I might not have a job at all, so..."

"Hey, even if you don't show up today, I'm usually at the gym every night anyway," Bruce said, reassuring the anthro. "Besides, I'd really like to see you again. Everyone deserves a chance to be happy with themselves, right?"

"Right..." Davin agreed, though internally he wasn't so sure about that. He knew how worthless he was. Yet... he did want to know what it felt like again, if only briefly. Stopping in front of his office building, he hesitated for a moment. "Well, this is my workplace. I'll uh... see you later?"

"Yeah, no problem. Have a good day at work, bro!" Bruce laughed, waving before he bounced happily down the sidewalk. Watching him go, Davin couldn't help but feel envious of him. He wanted to be just like that, even if he knew it was impossible. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he tossed his empty coffee can into the nearby garbage and entered the building.