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"Do any of you know what that is?"

The change of tone in the lecturer's voice snapped Jack out of a light daydreaming state. The young dragon had been nibbling on his blue pen for a while now, eyes staring vacantly at the empty whiteboard as he let minutes pass by. It was Friday and he really wanted the lecture to be over so he could go home and play videogames. Mr. Bailey - or Olivier, as he'd insisted on being called - had that kind of voice that made spacing out irresistibly easy. Besides, today's lecture had been mostly focused on theory and Jack had found paying attention increasingly difficult as it progressed.

"Suspension of disbelief," Olivier repeated, as if he could tell some students hadn't been listening the first time. "Are you familiar with that concept?"

I mean, I can only guess, the dragon thought, although he had never heard of it. Judging by the silent reaction of his class, he wasn't the only one.

"Well, I was planning to mention this in our workshop next week, but since it came up, I guess we can talk about it now." The lion walked around his desk, stroking his chestnut mane. Then, he sat on the corner of the table with one leg crossed on the other. "Let's talk about Don't think if I do. It'll make a good example. How far are you into the novel? Have any of you finished the novel already?"

A few paws rose in the air behind Jack, who smiled apologetically. He'd begun reading the novel a few days ago, regarding it as one of the silly reads from their Pop Literature unit. It told the story of a lonely young lady who accidentally dated a seemingly shady hypnotist who turned out to have abandonment issues and a constant need for validation and love. Of course, the female protagonist managed to turn him into a good guy and ended his misdemeanors for good.

It was inaccurate, it was cheesy - but the worst part of it was that Jack had found several scenes... he wasn't even sure what to say. Hot? Not really. They'd just sent a subtle shiver down his spine, made him sigh a few times. He'd ended up imagining how it'd feel like to be Clarisse and date a hypnotist. And the thing he was the most curious about was how would it feel to be that deeply hypnotized. Was a hypnotized person really not in control of his own actions? Could someone lose their ability to think, as the book so flagrantly promised?

Of course not. It was pop literature after all. Most of it had to be completely made up so the plot could make sense.

"Oh, you have a week left. It's okay if you guys still haven't started," The lion waved a paw in the air, with a smile. There were a few relieved sighs at the back of the room. "In fact, we're going to talk precisely about that - about starting to read. What is it that we always do right before we begin reading a story?"

"Open the book?" someone answered, causing Jack and a few other students to burst out laughing. Olivier chuckled, too.

"That's right! But I mean something that happens without you even realizing. Not always, not fully, at least. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I think we've mentioned it in the past."

Jack thought he had the answer. He raised his hand tentatively.

"... expectations?" he asked. He tried to remember the specific term. "The... horizon of expectation?"

"Yeah! That's right." Olivier seemed satisfied. "Can you explain what it is?"

The dragon thought about it. He didn't really want to sound like a know-it-all so, even though he knew the full answer, he toned it down.

"Uh... it's like, when you open a book, you carry certain expectations with you. Like the synopsis you read on the back. Or the promo of the book."

"Correct! However, it's not only the synopsis or the promo," Olivier clarified, raising a finger. "Or what you might have been told about the book. Remember how a story is never an isolated unit? The other stories we've read up until we open a book affect the way we interact with its contents. They determine what we expect from the read - and what we expect from the read determines what we ultimately think of it. Some scholars even argue that there's no such thing as autonomous, individual reading - you're bound by all your past experiences with similar books, or books that you believe are similar, and that means no one can read freely."

The lion made a short pause and smiled. Jack predicted that he was about to sum it all up with a single sentence.

"All of these elements - and more - create what we call the horizon of expectation."

It was easy to see it coming when one had been attending his lectures for so long.

Olivier picked up a red pen from his desk and approached the first row, where Jack had been sitting. He held the pen between his finger and his index fingers so everyone could see it clearly, its tip pointing to the ceiling.

"If I were to say this pen is green, would you agree?" he asked.

There was a unanimous negative answer in the room.

"It's very obviously red, isn't it?" the lion asked. Some people nodded. "Well, then why do you believe the author of Don't think if I do when she tells us that Clarisse's new boyfriend can control someone's mind simply by snapping his fingers or waving a pocketwatch in front of them? Have you ever seen anyone do that? I bet you haven't. And even if you have, you probably thought it was just a fraud. So why do you believe it's real and never question it while you're reading?"

Olivier's gaze moved to Jack. The dragon thought the lion was expecting him to answer. He thought about it just for a second.

"Because we're expected to believe it?" he asked. "Otherwise, the story wouldn't work."

"Exactly! Whenever we start reading, we sign an unspoken contract. I'll believe what you tell me, we agree, as long as it's within my horizon of expectation. Sometimes, authors need to create that horizon of expectation by setting rules at the beginning, but they don't always have to do that. For instance, if we read a fantasy novel and there's a wizard, we don't need an explicit clarification that he can use magic. We assume he does." Olivier walked back to his desk and then turned to the class. "Or, if we go watch a stage play and a character mentions they're in an open field, we don't stand up and say No, that's not right, you're on a stage! We suspend our disbelief in order for the story to work and that's what allows literature to take us to some places we wouldn't ordinarily reach."

That last bit sounded a bit poetic, Jack thought, but it was still an acceptable explanation. He watched Olivier as he picked up the book from his desk and pointed at the cover with a sharp claw.

"So, what's making us suspend our disbelief in this book?" the lion asked.

"We're familiar with other fantasy and romance stories," someone suggested.

"We've already seen mind control in other stories or shows so we don't need the author to explain it to us."

"It's pop literature so we don't expect it to be one hundred percent accurate."

Olivier nodded to every answer. He seemed satisfied, but then the bell rang and the inevitable shadow of panic went to his face as he realized he hadn't finished explaining what he wanted. The lion waved his paws in the air as he realized some students were already storing laptops, pencils and notebooks in their cases.

"Okay, okay! So, just before you go," he began saying, even though some people were already making towards the exit, "let me say that there's only so much suspension of disbelief can do! If we're presented with something very unbelievable or the author doesn't set solid enough rules, we may disregard it as bad writing! I want you to reflect on that as you read Don't think if I do. We all know hypnosis is real, but do you think the story pushes your suspension of disbelief to its limits? We'll discuss it in our next workshop!"

By the time Olivier finished speaking, half the students had already left the lecture hall. The lion frowned and sighed with resignation, as if he knew it'd happen again on the next lecture. Jack, however, was still sitting on his chair and only stood up once Olivier had finished speaking. He'd been taught to respect that, no matter how bad he wanted to get home and play videogames.

However, there was another thing he wanted to do. Curiosity had been killing him ever since he'd began reading that book and he had the feeling that his lecturer might know something about the topic. He walked down the steps towards Olivier, who was also getting ready to leave. After answering a question from a student who was worried about the next assignment, the lion turned to Jack and gave him a warm smile.

"Jacob," he greeted him, putting the novel in his satchel without looking away from him. "Can I say how pleasing it is that you always manage to give the right answer even when you space out for half the class?"

Jack blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, sorry. I get easily distracted."

"I know. I'm not scolding you. I just wanted you to know I noticed."

Jack had always thought Olivier was kind of hot. Unlike him, who had a rather lean body for a dragon, his lecturer had the strong build that defined lions without being particularly muscled. His fur was a beautiful shade of cream except for his darker chest, which was covered by a grey, carefully ironed polo shirt that revealed just the right amount of flesh to consider it a tease. A pair of glasses rested on his big lion nose - they lacked the lower half of the rim and Jack thought they must make the lion one hundred percent sexier. Besides, he wasn't too old for a lecturer. His actual age was still a matter of debate between Jack's classmates, but the dragon thought he might be at least four years older than him, and six at most.

And the lion was gay, too. He'd spoken openly about it a few times. Finding a non-straight teacher in the Department of Literature couldn't be seen precisely as a surprise, but being bisexual himself, Jack appreciated the fact that it wasn't something he should hide.

"So what is it?" the lion asked then. Jack realized he'd been staring at him silently for a few seconds.

"Oh! I... This is actually a bit embarrassing, but I'm curious." Fuck, he thought. I don't know where to start. "You... You mentioned that hypnosis was real. I've never seen it at work and I was wondering if you know more about it. Er, I think it could also help me in the assignment you gave us, you know? If I know what real hypnosis is, then I can judge if the novel is believable or not."

Olivier regarded him with a smile that only grew wider as he kept talking. He looked pleasantly surprised and then, he shook his head.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to ask that, that's for sure," the lion admitted, tilting his head and scratching his temple with a claw. "So you've never seen hypnosis before?"

"I've seen some shows on TV," Jack explained, feeling a bit ignorant all of a sudden. "And now I'm reading a book. But that's it."

"Ah. Classic." Olivier chuckled softly. "There's a lot of misconceptions around hypnosis, I can tell you that much. Not all you see on TV shows is fake. Of course, not all you see on TV shows is real either. All I'm saying is that it's not the best way to get introduced to the world of hypnosis."

"I know. That's why I'm asking you," the dragon reminded him. "It sounds like you know more than I thought."

"Oh! I know a few things." Olivier waved his paw in the air, as if giving it no importance at all. "May have hypnotized a person or two back in my day."

"Wow! That's pretty awesome."

"It's not really difficult when you learn how to do it. But yeah, it's pretty cool," the lecturer agreed, rubbing the back of his head. "Definitely not as flashy as in those shows you've probably watched, or as simple as Don't think if I do makes it seem, but cool nonetheless."

"I've always wondered what it feels like," Jack admitted, and only then did he notice what he had just said. When Olivier gave him a knowing, amused grin, he raised his hands and shook his head, slightly embarrassed. "Uh, I mean, it's not that I want you to do that to me! Just thought it would be cool as I read the book."

"Ah. I see." The lion was still smiling. "Just know that I'd be willing to try it with you. That is, if you change your mind."

Shit. That sounds nice. I should have said I was interested. Why did I say I wasn't?, Jack thought, feeling as if he'd just missed a chance. He had reacted like that out of an impulse, but maybe he did want the lion to do that to him! Sometimes Jack hated being the kind of person that spoke before thinking things through.

"I'll... think about it," he said, trying to fix it.

Olivier raised an eyebrow.

"Think about it? Oh, god. It's obvious that you want to try."

Jack's eyes went wide, caught off-guard, and then he chuckled nervously.

"Heh, yeah, I guess I do. Was it really so clear?"

"I mean, I spend most of the time in front of a class. People think I don't know what's going on, but you'd be surprised. You notice a lot of stuff when you're constantly watching a group of people as you explain. At this point, I more or less know what most of you think throughout my classes."

"That's scary," Jack said, making a quick mental note to pay more attention during lectures from then on.

"It's how it is. Anyway, if you want to know what it feels like, we could do it. As I said, it's not particularly difficult." Olivier gave him a warm, reassuring smile. "I bet you'll do a great job at being hypnotized."

"Oh, is that something I have to work for?" Jack asked, a bit confused.

Olivier chuckled softly.

"Kinda. So, are you up for it?"

"Sure! Wait. You mean... right here?" The dragon looked around, a bit self-conscious all of a sudden. "What if someone comes in? I mean, it's not as if this is illegal or anything, but I wouldn't like other students seeing me cluck like a chicken."

"Uh, I can lock us in, if you'd prefer that," the lion said, reaching for the keys in his pocket and showing them at him with a smile. "But no one's probably going to come, so don't worry. The next lecture scheduled for this room won't start until tomorrow."

"How do you know that? Were you planning this or... something?" Jack asked. He was feeling slightly suspicious, even though Olivier's proposal did sound pretty alluring.

The lion gave him a stern look.

"Oh, yes. I planned this all. Mentioning Don't think if I do today was just the first step of the plan."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Of course not. I'm a lecturer. I obviously know when the next lecture's being held in this room. In fact, I'm lecturing it myself," the lion said, chuckling again. Jack relaxed just a little - that made a lot more sense. "But if you don't want to do this, I'll understand. I was just offering because it's been some time since I last put someone in a trance, but you're free to refuse."

Jack thought about it. He'd already said 'no' once and had regretted it almost instantly. Besides, playing videogames could wait. It was something he did every single day, and even more so now that his friends were out of town.

Getting hypnotized by his teacher, however, didn't happen so often.

"Alright, I'm willing to try it," the dragon said, giving Olivier a warm smile. He glanced at the door nervously one last time. "Hmm... you sure no one's going to come in here?"

"Unless someone left their backpack here - and I don't think they did - we can have a little privacy." The lion walked to the door, closed it slowly and locked it. Then, he placed the keys on the table. It took Jack a few seconds to understand why he was doing that - to prove he wasn't locking him in and that if he regretted being there at some point, he could just pick up the keys and leave. "Hopefully, that'll help you relax a bit, although I can guarantee you have no reason to be nervous."

"I'm not," Jack answered. He wasn't lying. The only reason he was nervous was because he was afraid someone might come in - now that the lion had locked the door, the only thing he could be nervous about was being hypnotized. And that prospect made him excited, not nervous.

The dragon tried to keep his tail from wagging excitedly back and forth but Olivier caught a glimpse of it and his smile widened.

"I believe you. Okay, so!" Olivier stood in front of him, paws on his hip, head cocked to one side. "Anything you'd like me to try on you?"

"Not really!" Jack answered. This time he meant it. He didn't really know what a hypnotist could make him do, other than the crazy stuff he'd read in his book. "I'll let you choose."

"Good. Gooood," the lion said, walking around him and patting his shoulder. His paw then rested there and felt kind of heavy, but Jack didn't have time to think about it as something came into his field of view. Cross-eyed, it took him an instant to recognize what it was - the same red pen Olivier had used to exemplify suspension of disbelief just a few minutes ago. The lion was now holding it right in front of his face. "Ready to start?"

"Yeah!"

"Perfect! Then let me clarify a few things as you're standing there. The first thing you should know is that if at some point you need me to stop, you can simply ask me to do so." Olivier began gently moving the pen left and right and Jack felt his mind freeze for a second. Was he supposed to follow it back and forth? The lion hadn't mentioned anything about it. "The second thing you should know is that the process of hypnosis is kind of similar to what we were discussing before in class, so allow me to be your teacher once more. I'll be speaking and you'll be listening and understanding what's going on, and probably taking mental notes. It's really as simple as that. There's nothing else you need to do but listen."

"Alright," Jack answered, under his breath. He was still excited and his eyes had begun moving left and right with the pen - not because he felt forced to do so, but because he thought he was supposed to do it. Olivier probably hadn't mentioned it because it was an obvious thing.

"As I was saying before, hypnosis works in a similar way to suspension of disbelief. Everything that has been said up to this point, right before we open the book of your mind together, has been important. I already set the foundations for my story to be believed, for your disbelief to be suspended. You're a clever boy and you can probably figure it out by yourself, but let me guide you." Olivier paused. His voice echoed softly in the silent room. "First, I said I was a hypnotist and you believed me, right?"

"Yes," Jack answered, his eyes never leaving the pen as it moved left and right. Of course he had believed Olivier. There was no reason why he'd lie about something like that.

"I also casually mentioned that it was not a difficult thing to do, so you already know that it's going to feel nice and easy. And of course, I mentioned you'd do a really good job at being hypnotized... which you also believe now, just because I said so, and I'm the hypnotist. And you have no reason to think I'm lying, so you already believe those things. Just like when I said you had no reason to be nervous, which is why you're feeling so relaxed now. Isn't that right, Jack?"

"Yeah," the dragon muttered. Olivier's voice was coming from behind and every word felt like a tender caress. The lecturer had always had such a good voice to listen to, but it sounded particularly soothing now.

"It also helps that you've been reading a book about hypnosis recently. It makes you open to the possibility. You're familiar with the things that you're supposed to be feeling because you've read them. And it doesn't matter if you thought they were poorly described in the book, because as you were imagining they felt real and you're imagining them now. Relaxed. You already have all the necessary background to go into a nice, deep trance and you're halfway there. Ah, but you're zoning out now, aren't you? You haven't been listening to my last words."

"Uh, yeah," Jack admitted. Spacing out had never been easier. The pen was moving left and right, his eyes keeping track of it. Olivier's voice was so good, but his words were difficult to follow.

"That's okay. Even when you zone out, you always manage to give me the right answer, so feel free to zone out. You're breathing nice and deep - so relaxed. I'm going to count down now and you can allow yourself to zone out as much as you want as long as you answer me. But answering is easy, isn't it, Jack?"

"Yes."

"Of course it is. Ten. Focus on my words, even if you're zoning out. That's good. Veeery good. Nine. And you're really feeling it now. Every number echoing in your mind as you listen to me without really knowing what I'm saying, thoughts and sounds and words blurring in your mind. Eight. So easy to just let go and sink deeper into trance with each and every word I say. So focused. So relaxed. Seven. That's right, Jack. Even if your mind barely registers my words it's answering juuuust the right way. Isn't it, Jack?"

The dragon found himself nodding slowly, his eyes following the pen left and right. His eyelids were heavy and his body felt strangely limp, tingly - disconnected from his brain. All he could see behind the pen moving back and forth in front of his eyes was an indistinct blur. Olivier's voice felt like an extremely pleasant massage, only that he couldn't tell where the lion was pressing. It just felt good.

"Six. Zoning out so wonderfully for me. You can't even register my words anymore. You don't need to. Five. And we're halfway there. Halfway to what? You know the answer, don't you, Jack?" The dragon nodded slowly again. Olivier's grip on his shoulder got slightly firmer. Jack's knees felt as if they were going to give in at any moment. "That's right. Stay still for me. You know what countdowns are for and you know how you're supposed to react to it. Four. And you're imagining yourself reacting to it just now, aren't you? As you zone out your mind goes back and forth and back and forth between the sound of my voice and - three - imagining how good it will feel to reach zero and completely let go."

Jack wasn't even sure he was following the pen at that moment. There were words, and there were thoughts and ideas in his mind but at that point it didn't feel like he was in full control of any of them. He vaguely thought that Olivier was right and that he knew what the countdown would lead to, but then a new string of words came in and his shoulders sank a bit further.

"Two. So ready for it to happen. I don't even need to tell you what it is because you already know. It's going to feel so good and you're doing such an amazing job, Jack. One. That's right. Don't worry about anything. I'm holding you here. You can let go. You can sink deeper and deeper as you just... Zero."

The number floated in the silent room for a second. Jack waited for new words to fill the gap.

"You're hypnotized. Right, Jack?"

The dragon nodded slowly again. That made perfect sense. His head felt heavy. His eyelids had shut down at some point, but he hadn't noticed.

"You believe everything I tell you, just like you believed everything I told you so far. Right, Jack?"

Another slow nod. The lion's paw squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Very good. I think you're going to remain in this state for a short while. Just like that."

A long silence filled the space between sentences now.

"Feeling so relaxed and focused."

Every time it arrived, Jack could feel himself floating in nothingness.

"Nicely hypnotized."

Thoughts coming and going, but unimportant.

"I knew you'd do a great job."

Words bringing him back to half-awareness, then letting him drop into the peaceful, dreamlike abyss.

"Goooood. In a moment, I'm going to wake you up. When I do, you'll open your eyes and feel relaxed and refreshed, but you'll remain as suggestible as you are now. That means you'll believe everything I tell you, which you're already doing. Right?"

Nod.

"That's what I thought. Now wake up, Jack."

It took the dragon a few seconds to do so. His eyelids still felt a bit heavy, but they got lighter as he opened them. The lights in the class were a bit bright at first, but his slanted pupils slowly got used to them. Jack's tail rested on the floor. Apparently it had stopped moving some time ago, and it twitched now that he was looking at it. He turned his head to Olivier, who was smiling by his side.

"Oh. Wow." The dragon struggled to find the words to describe how he felt. "That was... amazing. I felt very relaxed."

He could still feel it. His body felt as if he'd just taken a shower after a long day of playing sports. Olivier seemed satisfied.

"Yeah, I could tell. You were very peaceful." He patted Jack's shoulder playfully and spoke fast. "By the way! Number four doesn't exist anymore." Another pat on his forehead. "Whoop! It's gone. Wiped from your memory. Nothing between three and five. You don't even remember me mentioning it. Mentioning what?"

"What?" Jack asked, confused.

"Correct. Now, why don't you count up from one to ten for me?"

Olivier's eyes were shining as if he was excitedly waiting for the punchline of an elaborate joke. Jack decided to ignore that and just do what his teacher had asked of him.

"One, two, three, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."

"Beautiful. Oh, and now you can remember what's missing there. It's coming back to your mind."

As he said those words, the lion patted Jack on his forehead again. The dragon grumbled and was about to complain, but then the realization hit his mind and he felt slightly embarrassed.

"Oh," he mumbled. "Oh."

"That was easy, right?" Olivier asked, leaving Jack's side and standing in front of him. "But wait, it'll be just as easy now. What's your name, dragon? You forgot it."

____ had clearly heard the command - not like Olivier had tried to hide it or making forget this time - but he still wasn't able to recall his name, no matter how hard he tried. The dragon opened his mouth, confused. It wasn't exactly like having it on the tip of his tongue, but more like constantly tasting the first letter and being unable to identify the ingredient.

It was as weird as it was cool.

"You can't remember it, can you?" Olivier asked, raising an eyebrow. His playful grin was sharpening - it looked like he was really having fun.

"I think I can if I try," ____ answered, with a sheepish grin.

"Oh, but do you want to try?"

"No. It feels better to just go along with it," ____ admitted. His smile widened as he realized something. "Suspension of disbelief, right?"

"Suspension of disbelief indeed." Olivier smiled back. He then seemed to have an idea. "Do you know who don't really need to suspend disbelief as they're not even familiar with the concept? Dogs. Little pups. They're loyal, they're dumb and they believe every single word you said. Just like you. Which makes me think... are you a puppy, dragon?"

"Huh?" ____ made a big effort to hide his embarrassment. For some reason, he found that idea... hot. "I'm a dragon, you said so..."

"No. You're a puppy."

There was a brief moment of realization.

"Awroo?" ____ asked, tilting his head. The world felt slightly fuzzy again.

"Heh, heh. Wish you could see the cute face you're making," Olivier noted, with a wider smile. "Oh, you can stop standing on two legs now. You're a very talented dog, but trying to keep balance sure makes you tired, doesn't it?"

It did. ____ fell to his knees and got on all fours, his scaly tail wagging back and forth excitedly. He even felt his tongue loll out his mouth freely, which wasn't that odd since he was a pup. The dog's mind felt like he was swimming through swirly mist, like words were too big, too complicated for him to understand. When Olivier kneeled besides him and began petting his head and stroking between his ears, ____ felt a pleased growl rolling up his throat.

"Look at yooooou," Olivier said, his paws moving up and down his back affectionately. "Now roll over, boy. Good boy!"

____ fell on his back and put his paws on his chest, panting. From that position, he could see Olivier's amused smile, carrying undertones that a pup's mind couldn't understand. He wriggled as the lion stroke his stomach and his heavy tail thumped on the floor happily.

"Bark, boy!"

"Bark!"

It echoed in the room. Olivier laughed and then stood up.

"Okay, I think that's enough. Your real name and species are coming back to you. Wake up, Jack."

The dragon still lay on the floor for a few seconds, then felt his face warming up.

"Uh..." he said. "That was..." Jack didn't want to speak his mind in front of his teacher, since the word he was thinking about would have definitely changed the relationship between the two of them. However, he glanced down and realized a part of him was already speaking the word out loud. "Oh, fuck. Ahem, sorry! I didn't expect it to... you know... This is embarrassing."

"It's not. Happens to a lot of people," Olivier said, taking a few steps back as if to give him some space. Jack adjusted his pants and gulped, hoping he wouldn't get into trouble for that. "There's a whole community of people out there who enjoys this stuff. Sexually, I mean."

"Yeah." Jack crossed his arms over his eyes and sighed, trying to calm down. "I can imagine why they enjoy it, yeah."

"It's nothing you should be embarrassed of," the lion said, with a reassuring tone. He leaned on the corner of the desk and sighed. "If anything, I'm the one to blame. I got a bit carried away. I shouldn't be doing this with a student, even if you're more or less my age."

So he is about as old as I am, Jack thought, making a quick mental note to point that out the next time he and his friends theorized about the lecturer's age. He'd have to explain how he'd come across that knowledge, but he'd find a way. Of course, he couldn't just tell them the story of how he'd gotten hypnotized by their teacher.

"So yeah, this is on me, not on you," Olivier insisted. "Stop covering your face like that, please. And maybe... you know, stand up, if you want?"

"I'm comfortable here, thank you," Jack answered, still lying on the floor. The lecturer did sound a bit guilty, though. For some reason, he found that cute. "Besides, you just basically admitted you're into that yourself, so at least I know I'm not the only one."

Olivier chuckled softly, rubbing his temple.

"Yeah, I guess I am. Which isn't really that surprising, I suppose."

"That was really hot," Jack admitted. Now that the barrier of shame had fallen, he found himself free to say it out loud without regrets. "Oh, god. I think I might be into it, too."

"No kidding, Einstein!" Olivier answered, his smile sharpening again as he crossed his arms on his chest.

Jack sat up, taking a deep breath. That wasn't what he'd wanted to say and he knew it. The situation was already surreal enough as it was, but the worst part of it was that he really wanted to keep going. It wasn't only that he'd always found Olivier rather hot. The dragon had just learned that his lecturer could be even hotter if he wanted to.But he's your teacher, he thought. You're not supposed to do this stuff with teachers.

Olivier's chuckle came from his desk, making him lose his train of thought.

"Seriously, you're like an open book sometimes."

"Uh, sorry, yeah! People usually say I'm kind of a simple guy. What can I say," Other than I'd really like to keep going, but he already knows that, so do I really have to say it? He decided there wasn't really any reason to keep his desires hidden at that point. Olivier had already seen an erection between his legs, so it wasn't like a few horny words would cripple his grades. "Er, from one to ten, how bad is it that I want you to show me how that community you mentioned enjoys this stuff sexually?"

"Eleven," Olivier answered. He didn't sound too worried now, though. More like thoughtful. "I mean, probably not as bad for you as it is for me. If they caught us, I'd definitely be suspended. You'd have to face a few nasty rumors, but I'd say that's all you have to worry about."

"Yeah, seems like I get the long end of the stick here," the dragon admitted, rubbing his temple. "It doesn't sound like a good idea. Sorry I even suggested that, heh."

"Oh." There was a brief, tense silence. Jack held his breath, sensing that there was something else Olivier wanted to say. "I never said we can't do it. We can do it if we both want, but I just wanted to make sure you understand the consequences it entails beforehand."

Jack felt a shiver.

"So you... you want to..." He couldn't find the words. Again. He felt oddly flustered. "You want to... er, hypnotize me again?"

The word felt strange in his mouth. Olivier walked near him, arms still crossed.

"Well?" He raised an eyebrow. "What about you? Do you want to be hypnotized again? Oh, and since you're still suggestible - you'll be able to answer that question freely, without letting anything I say or have said interfere with your own judgment."

Jack smiled and rubbed his left arm, standing up. Was that really necessary? He felt quite in control of himself since the lion had told him to wake up. Maybe it was just a common safety precaution.

"I do," he admitted. It was a bit weird to consent to something like that, but at the same time it made him feel safer. "I mean, I'm really curious... and horny." He realized something. "Oh, wait. Were you planning to do it here?"

"Uh, yeah. Maybe you haven't noticed, but I'm quite... pent up at the moment. And if they catch us, where we did it won't make a big difference anyway. I locked the door already and most people have already gone home. So why move to a different place? That is, unless you'd prefer to do it somewhere else, of course."

Jack thought about it. There was something extremely hot about letting his teacher toy with him at the front of the lecture hall. It probably wasn't the wisest idea, but...

"I'd love that," he said, with a bashful smile.

Olivier nodded. He seemed pleased.

"Great. Getting the answers I want from you when you're under my control is one thing, but knowing that our interests align even when you're not in trance hits differently."

"I guess that makes sense." Jack chuckled a bit, nervously.

Olivier placed his paw on his shoulder again. The dragon was already beginning to feel slightly aroused by the thought of going under again, getting into that blissful state of slumber and following commands automatically. He felt some movement between his legs, but this time he didn't glance down. Now that they'd been open about it, he didn't feel as embarrassed.

"Good. So let me ask a few questions first, because I want to make perfectly sure you're aware of what we're going to do." Olivier paused for a second, looking straight into his eyes. "Again, you'll be free to answer without my suggestions affecting you."

"Sure."

"So, you're okay with letting me hypnotize you again? And while you're under, is it okay if I give you commands that might lead us to sex? Would you enjoy that?"

Jack snickered. The lion was really worried about him agreeing of his own volition, which he found adorable.

"Yes. To all of that. Man, you don't need to worry that much. If you do something I don't like, I'll let you know. Your control over me can't be so... complete, right?"

He pronounced that last sentence with a bit of a shiver, wishing he'd be proven wrong. Olivier seemed to notice.

"Yes, of course you'll tell me if there's something you don't like." Jack could almost feel the suggestion clicking into place. "But you're wrong. I can control you much deeper than you think. Just like you're going to sink back down into trance as soon as I-" There was a loud snap near Jack's ear and the tension in his body suddenly evaporated. "There. See? So easy to go back into it."

The dragon wanted to complain about it being too clichéd, but his mind was elsewhere by that point. His shoulders sank heavily and his arms dangled limply at his sides. His neck felt like it could barely sustain the weight of his head, which dipped up and down a few times as the familiar, dreamlike sensation took over him. As his eyelids blinked slowly and he felt the whole world blur a bit beyond the silhouette of the lion standing in front of him, Jack let out a surprised groan.

"Bet you weren't expecting it to hit you so hard," Olivier said. His voice had fallen back into that cadence Jack knew so well - the soft, deep tone that allowed his mind to relax and zone out easily. "The good thing is that the effect is only going to get stronger the more I snap my fingers. By the time I'm done snapping, dragon, your mind will be nothing but a pile of mush. Let me show you."

The anticipation almost made Jack moan before another loud snap rose in the empty hall, seeming to echo in every wall. His eyelids fluttered a bit and almost closed down as his body seemed to get much heavier. If Olivier's paw hadn't been keeping him steady, he'd have probably bent forwards, unable to hold the weight of his own torso.

"See? It feels so much better, doesn't it?"

There was another snap and Jack's body twitched, one of his eyelids dropping down while the other remained halfway there. His jaw felt heavy and his lips were parting, his body swaying back and forth as if keeping balance had become increasingly hard. Everything felt so heavy and soft and fuzzy that Jack just wanted to close his eyes.

"Don't close your eyes, dragon. I like to see them all glazed over."

Snap. The eyelid that had closed down made a big effort to open again, and now both were half-lidded. Olivier's grip seemed to get slightly firmer as Jack's body unraveled.

"You're going to start drooling now."

The following snap seemed to disconnect the dragon's cognition for a second. When he got it back, or at least what he felt must have been a part of it, he felt something warm and wet trickling down the corner of his mouth. His mind struggled to link the weird but pleasant sensation to the command he'd just received.

"Theeeere you are. Drooling your brains out."

Another snap. Jack's knees were about to give in under the unbearable weight of his limp body, but Olivier's other paw moved to his jaw and kept him steady. Only the lion's grip was preventing him from falling to the floor like a rag doll now. A thick finger found his way through Jack's parting lips and ventured into his drooly mouth. The dragon let out a helpless moan as he felt the cascading slobber dripping down his chin and Olivier's fingers. He couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed anymore. He barely felt the lion's claw caressing the roof of his mouth. He didn't even hear the subsequent snaps.

His thoughts were... gone. Melting under Olivier's voice, whose words had no meaning - only purpose. He was listening. He was following. Even though he couldn't understand what was being said to him anymore - he'd believe it. He'd believe anything the lion said.

"That's a good boy," Olivier purred, admiring his work. He highly doubted any additional snaps would be necessary - in fact, he didn't think he'd needed the last four or five - but he loved the gimmick, so he considered it for an instant. The dragon had been more or less awake barely a minute ago, yet now there he was. The paw holding Jack's jaw, whose finger was still exploring his hanging mouth, was starting to be shamefully wet. And If Olivier wasn't holding him, he'd inevitably collapse.

Maybe he should fix that, just in case. The effort was straining his arms a bit.

"Your legs can hold your body still. Thaaaat's it. You can stand still for me. Good dragon." He grinned. The blank look on his student's face was simply delicious. Olivier could have been staring at it for hours, but he had a different idea in mind. Jack had wanted to experience hypnosis kink - and he was determined to fulfill his wishes. "You're deeply hypnotized. Say it."

"I'm... g-geeffffly hyffffnoghied..." the dragon managed to mumble, his tongue captive under Olivier's thick thumb. As he said that out loud, his eyelids fluttered and seemed about to close again.

"You must obey."

"I mugh obeeey..."

"I want those eyes open. That's right. Now repeat. You obey Master Olivier."

"I o... obey Maghger Oli... vier..."

"You're a deeply hypnotized dragon."

"I... g-geeffffly hyfffnoghied ghaon..."

"You must obey."

"Hmffrrrf... muggghh... obeeey..."

The words coming from Jack's open mouth were becoming less and less distinct, his repetitions more and more slurred and instinctive. Olivier smiled and stroked the wet, motionless tongue affectionately before pulling his soaked finger out of the dragon's maw and wiping it dry against his scaly cheek.

"Yes, dragon. You will obey. Now, walk to my desk for me. That's right. Walk all around it until you're standing right where I'd be if I were speaking in front of the class."

The dragon turned slowly and began walking to the desk. His body swayed with every heavy step he took and his blank expression made it difficult to believe he was actually seeing anything. Olivier's eyes followed the big reptile as he approached the desk, his movement disconnected and automatic like that of a robot. A robot with a few leaks, in any case. Or maybe a zombie.

When Jack got to the desk he stopped and stood there, his vacant eyes staring straight at the empty hall in front of him, as if he was presenting a lesson to a non-existent audience. The only lesson he'd be able to lecture his classmates about is how to drop into mindless obedience, Olivier thought, grinning and placing himself behind Jack. One of his paws stroke the dragon's chest, while the other drew a snake on his T-shirt and went down, down until it was cupping the noticeable bulge between his legs. Jack shivered slightly at the touch, but that was the only reaction he had. His glassy eyes were still staring into the abyss, mouth hanging open as drool trickled down his chin.

"Your body's getting heavier, dragon," Olivier said with a purr. The paw that had been stroking Jack's chest climbed up to his chin and pulled gently towards the desk. And a gentle pull was all he needed - the dragon's body began sinking uncontrollably, bending forward. "You'll try to stand straight, of course, but it's getting harder and you're becoming heavier with each snap."

And with that sound, Jack's body dipped a bit lower. Olivier noticed that he was indeed trying to stop bending forward - there was some tension in his abdomen and shoulders, but he wasn't helping himself with his arms, which dangled limply at his sides. His body was shaking a bit with effort and, after a second snap, it seemed as if Olivier had pushed him down to the desk. Another snap was all the lion had to do to see Jack's body slumping on the desk, the right half of his head resting heavily on the dark mahogany, slobber coming out his mouth helplessly as he stared ahead.

But he couldn't resist the temptation to snap a few more times.

From Jack's empty point of view it felt like the wood under his body was about to shatter. His head felt like it was completely made of lead, and his neck was too weak to lift it up. It had been a long time since his arms, that now rested on the desk too, last responded. His torso was so, so heavy that he absentmindedly doubted it was flesh anymore - but thoughts came and went so fast now that he couldn't really explore that feeling before he just simply stood there, drooling and staring ahead, like a broken puppet made of the heaviest, most solid stone.

Olivier's paws moved to his jeans and began undoing his belt, then pulling his clothes down until the lower half of his body was completely naked. Jack didn't react when the lion's paw closed around his throbbing member, but he could hear him chuckle softly as if the sound came from far, far away. His senses felt basically disabled. The only thing he could easily focus in was Olivier's voice and the pure, deep bliss of staying in that heavy, relaxed and submissive state.

When Olivier began jerking him off, the pleasure only got more intense. With an expert paw, the lion stroke his member, wet already with pre, up and down. The rhythmic, repetitive motion only pulled Jack deeper into a pleasant trance and his tongue lolled out for a second time. One of his legs twitched briefly when he vaguely felt Olivier's paw collecting some of his pre and moving to a very specific point right under his tail. Then, the thick finger slid through his cheeks and began playing with his hole carefully, almost tenderly. If the dragon hadn't been mostly unconscious, he would have responded with a varied display of moans.

Olivier spent some time preparing the dragon, then removed his pants and underwear. At this point, his own erection was throbbing and leaking some pre too. Watching as the dragon drifted deeper in that completely helpless, elated state was working wonders on him. He rested his cock between Jack's cheeks, then slowly proceeded into him. The dragon shivered and let out a soft gasp, but that was as far as his reactions went this time.

When the lion's cock was deep into the dragon's ass, he placed his paws on the desk and let out a satisfied moan. He scratched the scaly back of his student with sharp, gentle claws and then bent over his heavy, motionless body. His muzzle moved near Jack's mindless face. Olivier's thin whiskers caressed the inner part of the dragon's ear and, under any other circumstances, he would have squirmed helplessly trying to avoid the tickling.

"Now, dragon. I'm going to start fucking you." Olivier whispered. The lion was breathing heavily in anticipation, warm breath hitting his student's ear and neck. "You'll love it. With every thrust, your mind will go blank - yes, even blanker than you are now - and the space will be filled by three only different thoughts, one every time. You're hypnotized. You must obey. You belong to Master Olivier. With every thrust. Do you understand?" The lion waited for a single second and then got closer, his voice falling lower to a deep growl. "Oh, what am I saying. Of course you do, and of course you can't answer me."

And with those words, he thrust. Jack trembled almost imperceptibly and I'm hypnotized. Olivier bent over his body, paws resting on the desk as warm, clothed flesh seemed to envelope the leaner frame of the dragon completely. From his point of view, all Jack could see was the feline's huge paw twitching a bit as another thrust - I must obey - hit him hard, followed by another - I belong to Master Olivier - and another - I am hypnotized - and another - I must obey - and another - I belong to Master Olivier.

Soft moans began to fill the room as Olivier continued to make the dragon completely his. The lion was having some trouble trying to stop himself from moaning louder, but Jack's hole was tight and already wet with his pre, so the experience was being too pleasurable for his own good. His right paw kept masturbating the dragon faster, the claws from the other paw practically scratched the desk as he kept thrusting, thrusting, thrusting - he could see the reptile squirming softly under his heavy, furred body, clearly suffering from a pleasure overload and still drooling his mind out. That mere vision was enough to send him closer to orgasm and the lion groaned, closing his eyes and thrusting harder.

When climax was about to take over him, Olivier searched for the dragon's ear with his mouth again. He was about to speak but a moan came first, and he clenched his teeth trying not to shoot his load too soon.

"You're going to cum with me, dragon," he gasped, his claws reaching for Jack's shoulder while his right paw squeezed the dragon's hard shaft.

He thrust one last time and couldn't take it anymore.

A stronger wave of pleasure hit Olivier's body and pushed him over the edge. The lion came with a slightly louder moan, closing his eyes and sinking his claws into the dragon's shoulder. He lost grip of Jack's cock, which began spurting his hot seed under the desk, his body squirming and shivering in absolute pleasure. As soon as Olivier unloaded into the dragon, he let out a satisfied purr and collapsed on his student.

The dragon barely moved. He was still drooling and his eyes, which had been rolling up a few seconds ago, had just closed down peacefully.

"Wake."

The sudden word pierced through Jack's sleep and forced him to open his eyes, even if he would have liked to stay in that state for a while. He looked around, a bit confused, and tried to figure out where he was. It took him a few seconds to realize he was sitting on his seat, right in the first row of the lecture hall where he'd last lost consciousness.

Olivier cleared his throat and looked at him. He was picking up his stuff again, as if he was about to leave.

"What..." Jack began, afraid that he'd fallen asleep in the middle of the lecture and all he remembered hadn't been more than a very weird dream. However, the room was empty and it felt like it was later than it should be.

Olivier smiled.

"It really happened," he confirmed. Again, it felt like the lecturer could just read his mind.

"Oh." The dragon rubbed the back of his head, feeling slightly awkward. "Sorry. It felt a bit like a dream."

"That's okay," the lion said, picking up some paper and throwing it into a plastic bag. Then, he put the plastic bag in the bin by the corner of the room. "I cleaned everything, unlocked the door and removed all the suggestions affecting you. Well, all but one, but that one's pretty harmless."

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I promise you're good! I told you to go back to the state you were before I attempted to hypnotize you. Except for that tiny little thing - which you won't even notice - everything's fine. Are you feeling good?"

The dragon still wanted to complain about having one remaining suggestion in his mind or whatever, but he chose not to worry too much about it. He rubbed his right shoulder.

"I think you might have scratched a bit too hard here," he complained. "Other than that, I'm feeling good. Exhausted, but good." He paused for a second. "And I liked that a lot."

Olivier turned to look at him. He seemed pleased.

"Great! I really enjoyed that, too. I... er, I probably shouldn't say this, but I'd really like to see you again. When you're not in class, that is. If that's okay with you."

Jack chuckled.

"Not feeling so sure about having done this in class now, are we?"

"I admit I made that choice in the heat of the moment," the lion agreed, smiling apologetically. "But it didn't lead us to catastrophic consequences, so I think we're good. Oh, and we can go home now, if you want. I don't think I should keep you here more time than necessary."

Jack nodded and stood up.

"I'd like that too. I have your phone number, so I might call you someday and ask if you'd like to drink a beer or something. I just hope we don't get in trouble," he admitted, tilting his head.

"Don't worry. If it comes to that, I guess I can always hypnotize them, don't you agree?" Olivier said, winking an eye.

Jack chuckled and made his way to the exit.

"Oh, wait. One last thing, right before you go."

The dragon turned to look at Olivier, who was mostly ready to leave too. The lion was holding a pen between his fingers - the same one he'd use as a prop for his lecture and for his induction.

"If I were to say this pen is red," he asked, "would you agree?"

Jack regarded him for a few seconds. Had the lion really thought something like that would work?

"No way," he replied. "It's very obviously green."

Olivier grinned.