FSE

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"Oh, man. Did you really get Silver?"

Void blinked, confused. Martin, his caracal friend, was wearing a worrying frown and had asked the question with some kind of urgency.

"Uh-huh, that's what it looks like. What's the matter?"

The caracal held his gaze for a few seconds, as if trying to find the right words. Void waited patiently. He knew that Martin had a knack for being overdramatic sometimes.

"He's not the best roommate. And saying that's being fair. If someone ranked all roommates from best to worst, Silver would definitely be right at the bottom... in a footnote... on a different list. Whoever made that list would be too afraid of him finding out he's been included. Besides..."

"Okay, I get it," Void interrupted him. He knew that if he let Martin talk, he'd be listening to him for the next two years. "But what did he do? Why do people think he's such a bad roommate?"

"Well, he's always been known for being... problematic. He likes bullying people. And..." Martin lowered his voice and got slightly closer, covering his mouth. "Remember Sean? From last year?"

"Yeah, I think." Void had only come across the shy otter a few times, but he had found him cute. The dragon had wanted to speak to him more often, but they never happened to meet. Maybe he should have talked to him when he'd had the chance.

"He only stayed here for one month," Martin explained. "Nobody knows what Silver did to him, but he just left one morning. He even quitted studying. All of a sudden."

"Wow."

"Yeah! His father came to pick him and his things up and then he never came back. Can you imagine?" Martin was looking more agitated by the moment, and he was now glancing left and right, as if trying to make sure Silver wasn't listening.

Void took a deep breath in and tried to think.

Martin's words were worrying, but the caracal always managed to make his own nervousness contagious to everyone around him. He'd never really come across Silver, although he believed he'd heard some rumors that he hadn't paid much attention to. He'd been too invested in his finals last year to really care about anything else.

"I've dealt with bullies in the past," he said, more to himself than to Martin.

The caracal, however, nodded.

"Oh, right. Yeah, that guy last year, Vanessa's boyfriend." He crossed his arms on his chest and tilted his head. "He's very nice now, though. Vanessa must have had a talk with him."

Void snickered.

"Sure."

"Look, I know you think you can handle this, but the thing is, you probably can't." Martin looked serious now. "If you ever have any trouble, just let me know. Call me or something. I can't fight Silver", the martin clarified, shivering, "but we'll figure something out. I don't want you to disappear like Sean did."

"I wouldn't do that. I would at least leave a note," Void joked.

Martin chuckled and punched his shoulder.

"I mean it, Void. Don't play the hero on this one, okay?"

The dragon nodded

"Don't worry. I'll ask for help if necessary."

* * *

Hours later, Void stepped back from the bookshelf and stared proudly at the work he'd been doing. His collection of videogames, CDs and books was now neatly placed on the shelves. Arranging them in alphabetical order would have been too much, but he'd at least organized them chromatically, so that their spines would look great from a distance.

The dragon was aware that he'd probably have to move to a different room next year - that was one of the downsides of the specific residence hall he'd chosen to stay at - but he enjoyed keeping his own personal space tidy and welcoming. He'd already hung most of his clothes in the wardrobe, the rest remaining in his suitcase until he knew where to put them.

He'd chosen the left side of the room, which left him with a wardrobe, a shelf, a desk and a bed all for himself. There was a kitchen and a bathroom every three rooms, which wasn't ideal, but at least it wasn't an expensive place to live in. Not that he couldn't afford anything better, but still. It's a good thing I don't need any piece of technology, he thought. Lucky me.

He waved one of his hands in the air and a screen materialized right in front of him. Most dragons had amazing powers that involved breathing fire, ice or poison. Void wanted to think his own power was cooler than that. It wasn't as messy as poison, that for sure, and one of Void's dragon friends had replaced his favorite t-shirt twice this month because he'd accidentally breathed fire on his sleeves while trying to warm his hands.

The floating screen Void had conjured looked basically like the screen on any modern computer, only slightly translucent. The dragon could change its size and appearance, and do a variety of things with it. It was definitely cheaper than any computer. And eco-friendly, too.

"It's half past five now..." Void muttered, looking at the small watch on the corner of the screen. He'd agreed to meet Martin at six. The caracal probably wanted to check he was still alive by that time, but he had no reason to be worried. Silver still hadn't shown up.

Just as if that thought had summoned him, the door at Void's back opened loudly. The dragon barely had time to make the screen disappear before turning to the door, grinning nervously. However, the first face his eyes met wasn't Silver's - he knew the renowned bully was a tiger shark, and the one in front of him was an agitated-looking sheep that walked into the room carrying a box bigger than him. The sheep whispered a very low 'excuse me', moving past Void and placing the box on the floor near the empty bed at the right side of the room.

The dragon was still trying to understand what was going on when a nervous mouse appeared on the door, carrying an equally large box. They both walked in and out the room carrying several boxes for a few minutes, apologizing quietly as Void's gaze followed them back and forth in shock. When they'd placed about a dozen boxes at the foot of the bed, they left as suddenly as they'd appeared.

And then, Silver finally showed up, leaning against the door frame with arms crossed on his chest. He watched the sheep and the mouse leave with a disapproving face and turned slowly to Void, who was still silent.

"Look at those two," the shark said, clicking his tongue. "What a bunch of losers."

Void had never actually met Silver. He was certain now. The tiger shark was taller and bigger than he'd expected, and his wide jaw and pointy teeth made his appearance even more terrifying than Martin had described. It was the kind of person nobody would miss - he'd stand out in every single crowd, no matter how far - and if Void had seen him he would definitely remember that sharp, malicious grin. He could understand now why Martin was so scared of him.

He, however, had different plans.

"I don't think we've met. I'm Void," he introduced himself, walking towards the shark and reaching out.

The shark looked at the outstretched hand for a few seconds. He still hadn't moved from the door frame and he didn't look particularly interested in shaking hands.

"Silver," he said, unmoving. "So, it seems we're going to be roommates."

"It seems so, yeah."

"You see, I like being on my own," the shark explained. He sounded calm, but Void couldn't help but feel tense after all he'd heard. "I'm not used to having company."

"Just a matter of time, then," the dragon replied.

He realized he'd made a mistake at that very same second because there was a twitch in Silver's upper lip, but that was everything. If Void's words had annoyed the shark, he was making a pretty good effort hiding it.

"I guess, yeah. We'll have to... uh, what do they say..." The shark lifted a thick finger and drew a circle in the air, as if he was trying to remember something."... get used to each other, is that it?"

"Yeah," Void answered, trying to remain calm.

Silver nodded and walked away from the door and into the room. Void breathed in deeply and allowed himself to relax a bit. It seemed he would live to see another day.

The shark took a look at his boxes and then his glance moved to Void's shelf. He stared at it for a few seconds, his grin getting wider.

"Well, as long as you're not a loser, Void", he said, pronouncing his name with a bit of a mocking tone, "we'll get along pretty well."

The dragon blinked a few times. What was that supposed to mean? He decided he didn't want to find out.

"I'm going out to meet a friend," he informed the shark. "Do you need any help packing out?"

Silver chuckled.

"I don't think I'll have any problem with that. Have fun."

Those two words sounded more like a threat than Void would have liked, but he decided he'd have time to worry about it later. So far, it looked like the shark wasn't going to charge at him, and he'd prefer things to stay that way.

* * *

"I bet those two were Pablo and Saevus," Martin theorized, half an hour later. "He's terrorized them for years."

The caracal still looked nervous, and would glance around from time to time as if to check Silver hadn't showed up by surprise. They were far away from the residence hall and in a restaurant, but that didn't seem to be enough for him to feel safe.

"It sure was frightening," Void admitted. "But he behaved more or less well with me afterwards. Oh, don't get me wrong, he still seems like a real dick. I just think he's decided to go easy on me. Maybe he felt lonely last year when Sean left?"

"I doubt it," Martin said, nibbling on a french fry. "I'm not an expert, but I'd say he was just testing the ground. Trying to find the best way to fuck you up."

"And wouldn't he be able to find it while fucking me up in worse ways?" Void theorized. "Nah. I really think he's trying to be kind this time."

"I doubt it," Martin repeated, but he didn't say anything else.

A part of Void really hoped his friend was wrong. The caracal was a bit paranoid when it came to that stuff, but he'd been right once or twice in the past.

They walked together towards the residence hall when they'd finished eating and said goodbye at the entrance, since Martin was staying at a different wing that year. The caracal still advised him to be careful and call if he had any problem. Void appreciated his friend's concern, but he highly doubted he'd need it. Besides, Martin had said so himself - he wouldn't be able to really help him in case Silver got physical.

As he walked down the long corridor that led to his room, Void thought that bullies were really weird. Why would they be mean to anyone for no reason at all? Couldn't they tell that it was like, the fastest way to end up completely alone? Maybe some of them hadn't reached that conclusion yet, but there were others that should know. Like Silver, for instance - he didn't look like a dumb guy. He must have realized everyone feared him or hated him in secret.

So? Why continue behaving like that?Maybe he needs someone to tell him, Void thought, as he had thought last time. Maybe he needs someone to do him a favor...

He reached his room and opened the door, and at first he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. It was only when he was about to lie on his bed that he realized there was someone already on it.

"Oh, hi," the shark greeted him casually. He gave him a pointy grin with arms crossed behind his head. He had one leg resting on his other knee and his bare foot was drawing a small semicircle in the air. "I didn't hear you coming."

At first, Void thought he was remembering things wrong and he'd picked up the other side of the room that morning. Then, his gaze moved to the other bed and met the bunch of boxes that Pablo and Saevus had left there that same morning. Silver hadn't unpacked, but had placed the boxes on top of the bed and there was no room for anyone to sleep there.

His gaze moved back to the shark.

"Oh that?" Silver asked, noticing his discomfort. "I moved my boxes and put them on bed, but then I realized I wouldn't be able to sleep there. And I'm a big boy. You don't mind me sleeping in your bed, do you?"

It took Void a few seconds to answer. He was too confused to react.

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" he asked, in a last attempt to give Silver one chance.

The shark looked at the ceiling as if deep in thought, his long tongue licking one of his fangs absent-mindedly.

"Ah. See, I didn't think about that," the shark answered finally. "Guess you can sleep on the floor. It's carpeted. Looks comfy."

"You're kidding." Void was still determined to make Silver change his mind. The shark definitely didn't know the consequences of what he was doing.

"Kidding, why? No. It does look comfortable."

The dragon would have continued arguing, but then he saw something from the corner of his eye.

The bookshelf. All his videogames, books and CDs were completely gone and were instead replaced with... shoes and clothes. Was that the only thing Silver had time to unpack?

And where were his things?

"Uh, I hope you don't mind. I need a lot of space. As I said before, I'm not used to living with someone."

"I see," Void said, trying his best to stay calm. He knew Silver was waiting for him to reply or explode - to show any signs of defiance so that they could get into a fight, but he highly doubted that'd help now. The dragon took a nice deep breath and, making a fair effort to self-restrain, chose his next words carefully. "Where did you put my stuff?"

"Oh. Oh. Hmmmm." The shark pretended to be thinking again. "Honestly, I don't know. I think I've forgotten where I left them. Must be somewhere though."

"Yeah. Must be."

Void considered his options. He could feel the eyes of the shark on him, waiting for his reaction.

"You okay with this?" his roommate asked. His grin was still wide and sharp.

"Sure!" the dragon answered, with a big smile. He knew how to pretend, too. "Whatever you need to feel at home, buddy."

He knew immediately that his words surprised Silver, but the shark didn't say a word until he turned to the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To the bathroom," the dragon lied. "Uh, I mean, you can come with me, if you want..."

The shark scoffed and Void knew he'd probably taken an unnecessary risk. No matter what, the grin in Silver's face was gone and that was probably a good sign.

He walked into the corridor quietly and summoned his screen with a swift movement of a wing. His claw moved to the intangible surface and drew a series of quick signs, leading him to his web history. He was searching for a minute and he grew more and more nervous as he thought that maybe Silver would get tired of waiting and come out looking for him, but the shark didn't.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, his eyes found the right website and accessed it with another tick of his claw. It asked him for a series of names, numbers, directions and confirmations. The last step would validate the entire process and Void hesitated, taking a deep breath as his eyes pierced through the screen. Sometimes bullies need a favor, he told himself, trying to gather enough courage.

His claw moved imperceptibly. His request was submitted.

"That took a long time," Silver observed, once the dragon walked back into the room.

"Better for you," Void replied. "That way you can spend more time alone, right?"

"Damn right."

The dragon lay on the carpeted floor. It wasn't comfortable at all and he wished Silver hadn't been such an asshole. He'd have given anything to rest on a real bed. Maybe he could squeeze himself between the boxes...

But of course, that was what the shark wanted. It's only for a night, Void thought. Then, everything will be different.

With this thought in mind, he closed his eyes.

"Don't make too much noise at night, huh?" Silver warned him. "I wake up easily and you don't want to see me sleep-deprived."

Void nodded.

Oh, he was definitely looking forward to tomorrow...

* * *

"Man, you look terrible," Martin said, his ears lowering down as soon as he caught a glimpse of his dragon friend. "What did he do to you?"

"He made me sleep on the floor." The dragon stretched. "Oh, and he was snoring all night long. Wake up easily my ass."

He'd looked at himself in the mirror before going out that morning. There were big dark circles under his eyes, but he was ready to take as much coffee as necessary to stop that from being a real obstacle. It was a good thing they were still on Sunday. Dealing with that during a regular day of endless lectures would have been terrible. He could even take a nap later in case he needed it.

He followed Martin to the nearest cafeteria. Even though they could make their own breakfast, they'd had the tradition of having breakfast together every Sunday, at least for the past year. The caracal was looking slightly more relaxed, but Void could see a glint of suspicion in his deep blue eyes as he took a sip from his cup of strong, dark coffee.

"What?" he asked, when it became apparent that Martin was expecting him to say something.

"Well, I..." The caracal hesitated. "I'm sorry, you know I was waiting for you outside so I watched you come out of your room, but Silver wasn't there."

"Oh, yeah. He left earlier," the dragon explained, shrugging.

"Really? I had expected him to sleep until late for some reason. Guess you never know."

Void nibbled on a biscuit and didn't say a word.

"You okay?" Martin asked. His eyes hadn't left the dragon's face since they'd arrived at the cafeteria.

Void shook his head and smiled.

"Yeah!" he answered. "Just sleepy."

He had to admit Martin did really have an instinct for stuff like that. Of course, the dragon couldn't tell him what he'd done. It was a secret Void was supposed to keep, and in the end, the caracal didn't need to know.

"Dude, I've seen you sleepy before. You could fool anyone else, but not me. Something's bothering you."

Void took a long sip from his coffee.

"I mean it, there's nothing wrong," he replied. "I just need time to get used to my new room... and roommate, that's all."

"You know you can count of me if you need some help."

Void smiled.

"Yeah. But don't worry. I have a feeling things are going to change soon. I think Silver might actually be nicer than you think. We just had a rough start, that's all."

"What did he do other than making you sleep on the floor?"

The dragon was reluctant to speak at first.

"Well, he got rid of my videogames. And my books. And my CDs. Basically, everything I'd placed on my bookshelf. Look, it's not that terrible!" Void rushed to clarify when he realized the horrified look Martin was giving him. He quickly made something up. "I talked things through with him. He admitted maybe he'd gone too far."

"He did?" the caracal asked, astonished.

"He might bring my things back today. Maybe that's why he left so early. I think he's having second thoughts about being so mean."

Martin remained silent for a short while. Void finished having breakfast, feeling a bit guilty. It was clear that he wasn't telling the whole truth, and the caracal had never been easy to fool. There were a lot of points in which his story just didn't add up and they both knew it.

"Well." Martin looked a bit worried now. It probably didn't have anything to do with Silver now. Void wished he could tell him the truth. "I just hope you're not traumatized or in denial. I want you to be okay and get proper sleep. You'll need it to pass your grades."

"I will get my sleep, don't worry," Void promised, chuckling. "And about Silver... really, I think it'll be fine! Just give him some time and he'll regret all the nasty things he did to me last night. You'll see."

* * *

"Who the fuck are you!?" was the first thing Silver shouted when they removed the gag from his mouth. "I swear, if you don't untie me now I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!"

There was something weird about his words - or rather, how they sounded in his ears. It was as if all were weirdly muffled, as if a part of them came from underwater. It took Silver a few seconds to realize they'd taken him to a soundproof room. He could be clever too, contrary to most people's belief, but when the realization hit him he felt terrified, so much so that he almost let his angry façade drop.

But he managed to build it up again just in time. Not that the kobold sitting in front of him cared.

"Good morning, Silver," he greeted him. The kobold's voice was soft and modulated, like that of a voiceover actor. He was smiling gently at the shark, which only infuriated him more, and his hands were clasped together and resting on one of his knees. "I hope you're feeling comfortable after sleeping for such a long time."

"What do you-"

The shark tried to turn his head, but something wouldn't let him do it. He only realized then that there was some kind of helmet attached to his head, in addition to his arms and legs being strapped to the chair. He'd noticed that even before they removed the blindfold, though. The head thing was new and only increased the feeling of dread inside him.

He tried to regain control of the situation once again.

"I asked you a fucking question, faggot." His voice was a bit shaky as he said those words. Hopefully, the kobold wouldn't notice.

"I heard you," he assured the shark. "But that doesn't mean I have to answer. What will you do if I don't? Will you hit me? Will you call me names? You can't get everything you want in this life by being mean, Silver."

"Shut up. I'll kill you," Silver growled, trembling.

The kobold chuckled softly. He looked young, maybe two or three years older than Silver. His body was covered in ash grey scales, he had deep amber eyes and his spiked tail wouldn't stop moving back and forth slowly. Silver would have probably been able to take him on a fight. Maybe even fulfill his threat, if it had come to that. But he was still strapped to that damn chair.

And the kobold knew that.

"Well, that remains to be seen." He adjusted his position and looked straight into the shark's eyes. "I'm a kind soul though. I'll tell you the name I go by. It's Echo, for you, because that's mostly the only thing you'll retain from these sessions."

"Is that a fucking riddle?" Silver asked, giving the kobold an almost genuine grin.

"Nothing of the sort. Just a fact, and you can be certain of it." The kobold was perfectly calm. Apparently, there was nothing Silver could do that would throw him out of balance, which made the shark feel slightly at risk. "I'm not your enemy. I'm here to help you, actually. You'll walk out of this room being a much better person. If you were to remember any of this, you'd probably thank me. It's a shame you won't, but you can thank me now."

"Fuck you."

"... the usual response." Echo looked slightly disappointed, and his smile grew slightly less kind. "I'm telling you, Silver. You can't get everything in this life by being mean. You need to learn that lesson."

"And who's going to teach me? You?" the shark asked, with a defiant grin.

"Me? No. The helmet on your head will. Aha! Now we're feeling less cocky, aren't we?" Silver cussed under his breath, hating the kobold for noticing. "Yeah. I know you've noticed it's on your head. In your head, in a manner of speaking."

"What did you do to me?" the shark asked. He intended his words to sound demanding, but instead they came out as pleading.

"Oh well. Nothing dangerous, I promise, but I... Huh. I'm not sure how to explain it so that you understand." Echo paused for a second, twiddling his thumbs as he tried to find the right words. Then, his smile widened again and he raised one finger. "Let's just say your brain has been hacked. Yeah, I think that's the best way to put it. We basically hold your brain captive now and we can make it feel whatever we want to."

"That's bullshit," the shark replied. They were telling him that stuff to intimidate him. He knew it. There was no way someone had wired his brain, that kind of shit must have hurt. He couldn't feel an ounce of pain, so they had to be lying.

"Ah, everyone thinks so when they arrive here." The kobold chuckled softly again. Even his laughter sounded pleasant. "However..."

He raised three fingers, evidently to someone who was watching from Silver's back. He was about to complain, but then his eyes filled with tears and he began sobbing uncontrollably. The shark panicked as he tried to stop that obvious exhibition of weakness, but it didn't last for long.

Soon enough, an inscrutable, bottomless sorrow had taken over his heart. It was as if the whole world had gone blue all of a sudden, and the worst part was not knowing why, which in turn made him feel sadder.

"Wh-what..." he managed to ask, as tears fell down his cheeks like small rivers. "What is this..."

"Doesn't feel so good when they do it to you, huh?" Echo asked, his voice slightly strict. He then raised an open hand. "Don't worry. You probably won't be feeling that one too many times. Fortunately for you, we found out a lot of years ago that good feelings make for better teachers than those that are bad."

As he spoke those words, the tears in Silver's eyes receded and he began to feel okay. More than okay, in fact. It was easy to feel this good when he had such good company, he thought, as he stared in awe at the kobold in front of him. How hadn't he realized how handsome his captor was? And his voice... it was so sweet and relaxing and made him so fuzzy that Silver could have stayed all day just listening to him.

He'd do anything Echo asked of him, of course. Why had he been so mean to him, he wondered? Would the kobold still want to be his friend? Would he want to be... his boyfriend? That was something Silver would really like. Just cuddling with the kobold, kissing him and protecting him whenever he needed, making sure he was feeling well. He was a strong shark. He could take care of anything the kobold needed...

"I... I love you..." he muttered, with a big, dopey grin.

"Heh, is that so?"

"Yes." Silver had never been so certain of anything in his whole life. He wanted to give his heart to the kobold in front of him. He wanted to grow older with him. Marry him, even. They would make such a good couple together. "I love you, Echo. Please, let me kiss you..."

Echo chuckled and Silver melted. He had such a beautiful laughter! If that stupid helmet hadn't been keeping him in place, he would have just kissed the kobold himself.

"Maybe later." He raised his hand with no fingers extended.

The absolute, overriding feeling of attraction left Silver's mind. He felt terribly confused for a few seconds until he realized what had just happened. Then, his face grew completely red in embarrassment. It was not a feeling they were making him feel.

"I..." he stammered. "I..."

"You were really cute back there! Being kind and complimenting people makes you look good, you know?" Echo giggled softly. "Nothing to feel ashamed of, darling."

Silver was about to tell him to shut up, but he remained silent in the end. The feeling of complete helplessness was starting to get at him. However, there was something bugging him.

"Who got me here...?" he asked, after a long silence. "You guys know my name, so you didn't kidnap me because you felt like it. Someone must have told you."

"You're right. And very clever, if you ask me." Echo gave him a genuine, impressed smile. "There's no reason not to tell you. Someone you bullied contacted us and we decided to come in their help."

"Was it Saevus?" Silver asked with a growl. He'd always thought the mouse would tell someone sooner or later.

But Echo shook his head.

"The client that was assigned to me is... more akin to my preferences." He gave him a wide grin.

Silver had to think about it for an instant.

"Oh. The dragon," he realized. He had forgotten his name.

Echo nodded.

"I value him a lot, and you're not the first bully he encounters. I'll let you know I was extremely successful the last time he requested my help. And I expect to be just as successful with you."

In spite of being completely defenseless before the kobold, or maybe precisely because of that, Silver could feel his pride swelling again.

"Do whatever you want. You won't make me change." The shark felt tempted to spit, but the fixed position of his head would have prevented him from doing much. "When you let me go I'll find your dragon boyfriend and make his life hell."

Echo held his gaze for a second and let out a long sigh. Then, his grin got wider and crooked. He cracked his knuckles.

"That's what everybody says," he sang to himself. The kobold then winked an eye at whoever was behind Silver and raised his hand with two fingers extended.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the shark scoffed.

"Our special program for... uh, tough guys just like you," Echo answered, still grinning. "A special concoction of feelings for people who are particularly hard to bend."

"I'm not afraid of pain," Silver boasted. Adrenaline was taking over his body now and he could feel his heart beating faster and more intensely.

It didn't last for long.

"As I said," Echo explained, calmly, "good feelings are better teachers than bad feelings. Pain is not what you should be afraid of."

Silver wanted to laugh in his face and tell him to fuck off. He wanted to get rid of those stupid restraints that kept him tied to the chair - there probably wasn't even a helmet, it must be some stupid trick to keep him in place. He'd teach him how terrifying he could be, and then they'd leave him alone. He'd make them regret having ever tried to kidnap him and show them that sharks were not to be underestimated. They'd be crying in shame and begging for mercy when he finished with them.

He'd do all of that but first... first he wanted to take a nap.

Yes. He hadn't noticed how tired he was until now. His eyelids were feeling slightly tingly and heavy, just like he'd usually feel right before falling asleep. The shark's shoulders sank onto the chair, going limp easily, and a sigh escaped his lips. Still displaying a cocky grin that was getting more and more relaxed by the minute, his jaw was hanging open and he refused to shut it. He felt a yawn take over his whole body, but it didn't manifest itself physically. He was too tired for that and, besides, he was feeling good.

Increasingly good, in fact. Silver was floating in some kind of mist, so it was difficult to tell exactly what was going on - but it felt like a hundred hands massaging his body, relieving the tension and making him feel some kind of primordial pleasure. His shoulders, his arms, his stomach, his legs, his... his groin. Everything felt as if he was being submerged in warm water while being massaged, and even though the situation he was in was supposed to be a bit dangerous, Silver could feel his member getting slightly harder. Dangerous? Why was that? It was hard to remember now that he was so sleepy and pleased but - oh, yeah. He'd been kidnapped.

But it didn't matter now. He was happy. A big, dopey grin was beginning to take the place of his usual smirk as all those good feelings took over him, conquering his mind and banishing every single worry or rebellious thought that he might still hold on to. Why would he? They were making him feel good. They were making him feel happy. There was no reason to remain tense anymore, so his body could let go and adjust to its new situation. The shark let it do just that, and his mind followed easily.

"I can tell you're enjoying it," Echo observed. He'd sat back on his chair and was smiling amicably now. Silver had almost forgotten about him - he'd been too focused on feeling good. "A perfect mix of sleep, pleasure and happiness. We call it 'hypnosis'. Come on, say 'yes'."

Silver wanted to be kind to the kobold, so he felt his tongue moving heavily inside his mouth.

"Y... yes..."

The word made his captor - friendly captor, in any event - slightly happier. In turn, that made the shark happier. It was good to make someone who was making him feel good, feel good.

"You see, I'm not sure if you're aware of it by now, but there's a few special buttons that, when pushed in the right order, make anyone's mind want to comply. No one can escape that." Echo crossed one leg on another. His weird smile had disappeared by now and he looked again like a nice, friendly kobold. His voice was soft, but definitive. "We don't even need to program obedience into you. That happens naturally. Say 'yes' again."

"Yeeees..."

"Good. You guys seem to think you're special, that you'll resist. But truth is - you aren't. You break under the same exact pressure other people do. All everyone need is just a gentle push in the right direction. And from there, we can work on fixing you. Say 'yes' again."

Fixing him? Silver had a feeling that there was a part of him that was supposed to fight that notion, but it disappeared quickly, washed away but just how comfortable he was.

"Y... yesss..."

"So let's get to work," the kobold offered, winking an eye at him. "Shall we, big guy?"

The pleasure circling through Silver's system got even more intense. It built and built inside him, taking over him like a giant hand closing around his brain, and his body squirmed. A helpless moan escaped his lips as his throbbing cock leaked some pre through the fabric of his underwear. Echo smiled.

"I'll ask some questions now," the kobold said. "And you'll answer me. First: you don't want Void, your roommate, to feel bad, do you?"

Silver hesitated. A part of him wanted to resist. A part of him kept pushing and scratching through the blissful veil they'd set in front of his eyes, but it was getting more and more difficult with each passing second.

Then, as the pleasure overload was about to push him over the edge, it stopped. There wasn't even pain, or anything that took its place. Just plain, empty nothingness, combined with the heavy slumber he was still subjected to.

Silver whimpered. The pleasure had been just too good. He wanted it back.

But Echo shook his head.

"Ah, ah, ah. You'll only feel good if you do what I want you to do. I'll ask again. You don't want Void, your roommate, to feel bad, do you?"

"N-no..." he answered.

The pleasure returned, shyly at first. It had been way more intense before, but its mere presence made Silver pant.

"I'll keep asking. Knowing that Void is unhappy makes you unhappy, isn't that right?"

"Yes..."

"So you want Void to feel happy. Right?"

"Yes."

"You'll make everything in your power to make Void happy. Right?"

"Y... y-yeah..."

"Again. You'll make everything in your power to make Void happy."

"Y-yes..."

"Again. You'll make everything in your power to make Void happy."

"Yes."

The pleasure had been getting more intense with each answer, and it was now more or less as intense as it was before. Silver could feel the confirmations coming to his mouth on their own, without even thinking about them.

"You'll repeat it now. You'll make everything in your power to make Void happy."

"I'll make everything in my power to make Void happy."

The pleasure got even more intense. Silver huffed and squirmed, humping the air slightly. The wet spot on his underwear was growing larger by the minute.

"Be a good boy and say it again," Echo cooed.

"I'll make everything in my power to make Void happy."

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

"Hmmmffff... y-yeah..."

"Of course it does. Doing everything in your power to make Void happy feels good. I want you to keep thinking about it now, Silver. And the more you think about it, the better it'll feel."

Silver's eyes rolled back. If the restraints that kept him tied to the chair had been less strong, he would have probably torn them. His tongue was lolling out, drool dripping down his chest, as he tried to relieve himself somehow.

Doing everything in his power to make Void happy felt good. He was thinking about it now. Helping the dragon. Protecting the dragon. He'd do anything necessary to make him smile. A bit of laughter and he'd be driven to the edge of ecstasy. A heartfelt 'thank you' and he'd cum his brains out for him. Void, happy. Void happy was the only thing that mattered. He lived to see him happy. He lived to...

His train of thought got interrupted by a powerful, overwhelming orgasm. He'd been moaning and growling like an animal for minutes now, but the one he let out now almost made his throat hurt as he roared and came through his underwear. The chair he was sitting on trembled and cracked, but the restraints didn't give in.

Then, as pleasure receded slowly, he collapsed on the chair, foamy drool around his lips. In the distance, he heard Echo's soft voice.

"First loop, complete. Results: better than expected. I think we'll do a great job with this one. Congratulations, guys - let's put some more emphasis on pleasure for the next rounds, okay?"

And then the heavy feeling in Silver's mind took over and plunged him into a deep, dreamless slumber.

* * *

When Void woke up the next morning, there were a few things he had to consider.

One of his screens popped up in front of him and began ringing the alarm, so he let out a soft groan and made a motion to make it disappear again. It was then when he noticed he had some new unread messages and, rubbing his eyes, he opened them.

"Good morning, Void. Hope you are doing okay. I'm writing to inform you that our reprogramming has been successful and your friend Silver is now... friendlier, so to speak.

Never mind it took us a few more days than usual. He was not more difficult to handle than the average bully - we just wanted to add a few more instructions to his brain. See, I could not help noticing that this is the kind of guy you would probably fancy if he was more amicable, so I chose to plant a few seeds in his mind. Do with them as you please and do not feel forced to anything.

Love,

Your friend Echo."

The second message read:

"I also wish to inform you that we received your payment correctly. However, you should know by now you can always hire our services for free. As long as I am working here, that is."

By the time Void finished reading, he was already completely awake.

He turned his head to the other bed, where Silver was snoring softly. One of his legs was dangling over the side of the bed. The shark looked completely normal, just like he'd looked when he'd "left". And as usual, Echo's team had been so extremely silent that he hadn't even heard them coming in and out. Void had to admit they really were professionals.

The kobold's impression had been right, too - he'd been worried about Silver going missing for three full days. He knew there was no reason to worry at all, since Echo's team would cover it up perfectly, as they always did, but still. Maybe he'd been worried about the shark being tougher than Vanessa's boyfriend after all. But of course, nobody could resist Echo's charms. He'd never met the guy in person even though the kobold seemed to be particularly fond of him, but he seemed quite persuasive.

Silver woke up half an hour later and let out a long, heavy yawn, as if he'd been asleep for ages. His gaze explored the room groggily and then his eyes stopped on Void. And then, to the dragon's surprise, he... blushed.

"Oh... Good morning," the shark greeted him. He still looked a bit sleepy. "Did you have a good night?"

"I did, yeah," Void answered. He was still a bit shocked about the shark blushing, but he tried his best not to let it show. "What about you?"

It must have been a pretty long night for him, he thought.

The shark rubbed the back of his head and sat up in the bed. He was even wearing the same underwear they'd taken him with. Void bet they had even washed it. Their attention to detail was scary sometimes.

"I... uh, I guess I slept well," the shark said, looking a bit embarrassed for some reason. "But I've been... thinking. There's something I've been chewing over for the last few days."

"Right," Void said, holding his breath.

Silver let out a long sigh and his shoulders sank. The dragon had to admit he looked pitiful that way, and he almost felt a bit guilty.

"Look. I... I'm sorry I was so mean to you. I don't know why I did it. I used to think I was better than you for behaving that way, but now I can see I was wrong. I'd like to apologize."

"It's okay, dude," Void replied. The transformation was really convincing, but the shark barely looked like the same person. It sent a shiver down the dragon's spine, although... he liked the changes.

"That's very kind of you. But I wanna make it up to you." The shark gave him a warm, apologetic smile. "First thing today after I shower I'll go find your things. They're... uh, they're at my parents' place. I intended to sell them, but in the end I had second thoughts and didn't. Again, sorry about that."

"It's a good thing you changed your mind," the dragon admitted. Or someone else did, for that matter.

"Also..." The shark stood up and got closer to Void's bed. Now that Silver was towering over him and his whole demeanor had changed for the better, the dragon could feel blood rushing to his cheeks. Of course, Echo had been right about the type of guys he 'fancied'. "If there's anything else you'd like me to do for you, you can let me know."

So these are the 'seeds' Echo planted, huh?, the dragon thought, feeling slightly flustered.

He cleared his throat and got out of his bed. As he stood in front of his roommate, he realized his face barely reached the shark's chest. He was rather small compared to Silver.

"W-well..." he mumbled, trying to test the boundaries of Echo's reprogramming. Was it curiosity or just plain horniness? There was no way he could know. "I guess I'd like a hug..."

He didn't even have enough time to finish the sentence. Silver's arms wrapped around him and squeezed him against his bigger, stronger frame. The dragon felt his cheeks turn red almost instantly when he realized - again - that the shark was only wearing his underwear. Besides, his roommate was... thicker than he'd expected him to be. Probably because he hadn't looked much at him when he was trying to keep his gaze down.

"Does that feel good?" Silver breathed in his ear.

"Y-yeah..." the dragon answered, still terribly embarrassed.

"Good. Let me know if you want me to do anything else."

Would the shark act just as quickly if he asked him to do any other thing? Void thought fast. He wanted to know.

"Why don't you..." He had to clear his throat again. "Why don't you kiss me...?"

Silver's hand moved to Void's chin swiftly. With a firm but gentle grip, the shark made him look up into his eyes. The dragon gulped, shivering a bit as his roommate's face drew closer to his. He had never pictured himself in that situation, kissing his roommate - let alone, one that was supposed to be so problematic - but apparently Echo'd had another plans for him. Not like he was going to complain.

For someone with such a bad reputation, Silver kissed slowly and tenderly. He must have had lots of practice and prioritized satisfying his partners in the past. Otherwise, Void couldn't imagine why he'd be able to kiss so expertly.

Silver's bigger tongue caressed Void's and explored his mouth with care and taking just enough time, while one of the shark's thick arms kept him close to his stronger body. His other hand caressed the dragon's cheek, his thumb drawing small circles on the smooth scales. Void felt a moan coming out his lips and his embarrassment only got worse.

"Something's getting hard down there," the shark observed once he pulled away. His usual smirk was back on his face, only slightly gentler. It seemed like a part of him was still there, and was enjoying watching the dragon squirm in his arms. The only difference now was the reason why he was squirming - and Void definitely liked pleasure better than fear.

"Yeah..." he admitted, breathing a bit heavily.

"Do you want me to take care of that?" the shark winked an eye.

Void couldn't say no, but he wondered to himself just how much work Echo had done with the shark. No wonder it'd taken him a few days to turn the bully into such a careful lover.

Silver's hand got slightly more adventurous now, moving from the dragon's cheek to his groin and feeling the throbbing bulge with a single finger. Then, he slipped the finger down Void's pants and began to caress his length teasingly, which made the dragon moan a bit louder. He was starting to feel nervous about their neighbors, and apparently Silver had the same idea.

"Don't moan so loud or they'll catch us, little dragon," he warned. He made Void turn around and, as his big hand cupped the dragon's balls and his finger kept caressing up and down his throbbing member, he moved his other hand to his roommate's maw, covering it completely. "There. That should muffle it, so make aaaaall the noise you want. Just relax and let me make you feel good."

An intrusive thought hit Void's mind then. What if the reprogramming hadn't gone so well after all? What if now that Silver had him helpless like that he took his chance to bully him even further?

However, as soon as the shark's fingers began to massage his dick, he forgot about his suspicions. There was no way the Silver from the past would do that and besides, the pleasure wasn't letting him think much further than that. Another moan came to his lips and this time he didn't fight it - it was muffled by the shark's hand on his mouth, however, and that turned him on even more.

The dragon hadn't been aware of the amount of pre he'd been fabricating, but it became too apparent once Silver began jerking him off with his whole hand, covering Void's lubricated dick with his firm hand. His moans became slightly louder and in response, Silver grumbled and squeezed his hand tighter against Void's gasping maw. Feeling so effortlessly trapped by the bigger shark, the dragon could only close his eyes and let the feelings of immense pleasure and submission wash over him.

He came not much later, letting it all out with one of the most satisfying moans he'd ever produced. Silver kept massaging his balls for a few minutes, his hand covered in the dragon's seed as he tried to give him a pleasant, lasting afterglow. Void was just a moaning mess in his arms for a while, and apparently the shark enjoyed it.

"Anything else you want now...?" he asked then, whispering in his ear.

Void giggled softly.

"Not now, no," he answered. "But I'll think about it."

* * *

"Hey, dragon! Let me help you with that."

Void had been trying to carry a heavy pack of books for a while now, so Silver's help felt like some sort of divine intervention. The shark lifted them with one hand as if they didn't weigh a single kilo and Martin, who'd been walking next to Void until then, gave them an incredulous look.

"Thank you, Silver," the dragon said.

"I'll leave them in our room. Don't worry about it." The shark winked an eye and disappeared down the corridor, carrying Void's books.

The dragon let out a long sigh and stretched his arms. Then, he turned to his caracal friend, who seemed to be still trying to digest the whole scene.

"I can't believe it," he mumbled. "How... how did you do that? Did you train him, or something?"

"Don't be silly, Martin," Void answered, chuckling. "I can only guess, but... I'd swear sharks can't be trained."

"What about your things? Did he give them back to you?"

"Yeah! He even apologized. I knew he'd realize he'd crossed a line. He's not such a bad guy after all."

Martin opened his mouth to speak, then he shut it again. He looked bewildered.

"Honestly, how? Please, tell me. What did you do?"

"I did nothing," the dragon answered, shrugging. Technically, he wasn't lying - Echo had done all the work. "I told you! All we needed was to get used to each other. That's it."