The trio exited the public transit station. The two in front were confident; the third lagged behind. They waved their passes to pay for the trip and palmed their cards back in their pockets without missing a step.

    Taiyo spent a few seconds staring at the machine. It wasn’t complicated - just a simple machine that scanned payment cards or, on rare occasions, accepted hard currency. His hands twitched slightly and he reached into his pocket.

    Gahaji stopped. The cat-folk craned his neck back, scratching an itch by rubbing his face against his shoulder. He was tall, slender, and had no trouble at all contorting. He crossed his arms. His counterpart was shorter and far more muscular; Zuberi crossed his thick and toned arms. The lizardfolk barked back to Taiyo.

    “I - I’m just trying to pay or it won’t let me through. I don’t use these machines a lot.”

    The feline laughed. “He’s serious!”

    Zuberi chuckled as well. “Swipe your card.”

    Gahaji’s smile grew thinner. “You’ve gotta be joking.” He leaned into Zuberi’s personal space. The lizard-folk bristled. “He must be using the smallest coins I’ve ever seen.”

    “He’s like an old lady.”

    “Or a pup who’s never had to pay for anything before.”

    Taiyo finished and looked at the readout. He jammed a few more coins until it finally turned green.

    “Why didn’t you just pay for it with your card?” asked Gahaji.

    Taiyo looked at the ground as the trio exited the transit station. “What if someone tracks my usage? They’ll see that I’m out of the household.”

    “And?” needled the cat.

    Taiyo looked up as they entered the street level. “And it’s my family’s money. And I’m not supposed to be out here. And I didn’t want them to track me via my card. And-”

    Zuberi placed an arm around Taiyo and shook the jackal jovially. “And it doesn’t matter, because your family, like ours, has more money than it knows what to do with.” He tightened his grip - still friendly. “ ...And who gives a shit where you are? You’re royalty. You go wherever you damn well please.”

 

    Taiyo was indeed royalty, though he had never been completely certain of what that meant. He was young - a man grown, but still young - and had lived the majority of his short life within the palatial confines of his family’s estates. The jackal had the same charcoal-black fur that the rest of his immediate family possessed, though his bushy tail was much darker. The tattoos and markings on his torso were visible. He wore the traditional wrap-around skirt which covered his lower half (including the markings on his thighs). It was anachronistic, it was simple, and it was emblematic of his status as royalty - blessed and more divine than others. It also stood out; his two companions wore shirts and much longer skirts to help them blend in. They still stood out as tall, anthropomorphic creatures, but their behavior at least made them look like they belonged.

    The trio spent a few minutes simply walking around the city. This district was a far cry from Taiyo’s ivory towers. That, apparently, was supposed to be the point.

    Going “slumming” was a new concept to the jackal. He felt self-conscious. There were plenty of creatures like them as well as baseline humans. Taiyo’s gleaming gold bangles were a stark contrast to the modern clothes that the residents wore. His bright amber eyes, golden earring, and markings all just marked him as someone who didn’t belong.

    His behavior solidified that. While the two older boys knew where they were going, Taiyo did not. He was constantly looking down at the sidewalks, trying not to get his sandals in the garbage or detritus. He stared at the cracked concrete and functional benches. A public park had several artificial trees in addition to real flora. It was quite obvious, since the artificial shrubbery was bright and green. He almost touched the dark, dessicated branches of one before pulling away.

    His companions seemed to be having the time of their life. They were walking, watching, and taking in the city around them. This district was like candy to them. Taiyo didn’t see it that way. He lagged behind at times, but rubber-banded back to them when he felt unsafe. He did this quite a bit. There was so much to see. The glass windows of stores sold goods that he recognized, but in new forms and configurations that he hadn’t predicted. One shop had a series of cheap single-piece plastic chairs stacked and on sale. Taiyo scratched his head. They were in bad shape, cheaply made, and stained with some unknowable black smears. Taiyo’s family would never have owned such things, and if they had, they would have thrown them away. Yet here, they still had value. Curious.

    “Taiyo. Hey! Taiyo. Next store.”

    The two boys were leaning out of a doorway just one more building over. They were signalling Taiyo to come quickly and discretely. He complied, looking over his shoulder one more time. There was something eerie about being in these common districts. It felt like he was being watched - like he was being judged harshly.

    He was happy to get off the streets. He popped inside the adult theater, practically dragged along by Zuberi’s firm hands.

    The trio plopped in a seat. The theater was quite small.

    “Gahaji paid for your ticket this time,” said the lizard-folk. “We didn’t want to make you pull coins out of your little…”

    Both of the older boys chuckled. “...out of your change purse.”

    Taiyo felt his face growing warm. He wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to go slumming. He was sure that it had been a bad decision.

    “I’ll-”

    “...Pay us back by watching the movie. It’s our gift, after all.”

    The two boys leaned back. Taiyo tried to mimic them, though he wasn’t as tall or as strong and couldn’t quite stretch out in the small theater seat as they did.

    After a few minutes, Taiyo was beginning to have some questions about the nature of the ‘adult’ film.

    He understood the core concept - it was for fully-grown adults who could comprehend its mature themes. But the acting was so atrociously bad and the dialogue seemed stilted. The names, too - some of them were fairly childish double entendres.

    The lead actor kept on looking at the camera. His jokes were so insanely bad that Taiyo suspected that they were written ironically. Or… perhaps they weren’t ironic? Were they bad to be  bad, or was it an unintentionally bad film that was being presented as ironic? He couldn’t quite grasp the subtleties of the writing.

    When the first cock appeared on screen, he was confused. When the female lead dropped her clothes, he understood. When the sidekick threw off his loincloth, Taiyo blushed.

    The first sex scene was fairly quick, but it felt like it went on forever. Taiyo kept changing his position to get comfortable. The constant groaning and grunting of the “actors” was starting to tickle a part of his brain that he tried not to tap into, and his own personal arousal was mixed with the shame of utter inexperience.

    He hardly noticed when Gahaji and Zuberi ditched him, laughing as they slipped out of the theater. By that point, Taiyo was deeply invested. He knew that trying to understand sex and physical intimacy through porn was dumb, but with his sheltered upbringing, this was probably the most graphic thing he’d yet seen. And, since he knew he’d never get away with in the confines of his family estate, he intended to soak it all in.

 

 

====

 

 

Taiyo slipped into the restroom as quietly as possible. He knew that public bathrooms had very sordid reputations - especially when located in a place of adult entertainment. He just needed a few seconds to himself. He could still hear sounds of copulation thrumming through the building’s thin walls.

The jackal stepped and placed his hands firmly on the sink. He stared down at the porcelain and took a deep breath. He wasn’t entirely certain how he wanted to feel. There was excitement in what he had done, what he was doing. There was also embarrassment. There was a recognition of his naivete. Perhaps it was the forbidden-ness of it all that helped to make this excursion so very exciting.

He splashed some cold, clear water on his face and washed his hands. For a few seconds more, he stared at himself in the mirror. He was breathing slowly. Taiyo finally felt relaxed. The young princeling let himself crack a smile, and wiggled his gold nose.

A stall door opened behind him. Taiyo felt his bushy tail reflexively puff up.

The being exited the restroom stall, walking forward towards Taiyo in an eerie silence. The ongoing noises from the rest of the theater had overpowered what little noise the entity made, but Taiyo could now pick out a squeaking sound from each step and the whispy breathing through a respirator.

Taiyo, still staring at him via the mirror, tried to place him. He was very tall and of an indistinct species; two thick rubber boots obscured any clues. Much of his form was covered in a brown leather coat. The prince’s eyes traced up to his waist and notice the dark garment beneath. It was a suit, mostly matte, of black rubber that coated and obscured every inch of the creature’s body. The thick rubber was tight, taut, and kept in place by a lattice of straps.

Most notable was the being’s “face,” or lack thereof. He wore an imposing gas mask in the shape of a jackal’s head. The eyes glowed with a greedy gold tint. His obscuring clothing acted almost like camouflage; Taiyo couldn’t get a read on his silhouette, and his eyes naturally gravitated toward his helmet.

After a second of staring at the being, Taiyo’s eyes next flitted toward the door.

“No,” said the interloper.

Taiyo swallowed hard. He turned his gaze away from the door and back to the mirror, staring at his own reflection and then at the being.

“Excuse me?” asked Taiyo.

The masked jackal said nothing.

“Can I help you?” continued the prince.

“You will.”

The young man shivered.

“What can I do for you?”

The best behind him took a deep breath. “Difficult to explain all at once. You will do so much for me.”

Taiyo felt his palms growing sweaty. “What do you want from me?”

“Everything.”

The prince locked ‘eyes’ with the beast in the mirror.

“I don’t understand. You want my money?”

“No.”

“Do you know who I am? I’m very wealthy.”

“I know exactly who you are, Taiyo.” The masked creature took a step forward.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“I was. I have watched you from afar. And up close as well.”

The prince stood up as straight as possible.

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

 

Taiyo realized his imposing gambit had failed when he blinked and found the assailant within arm’s reach.

“I know exactly what I am doing. I am the best at what I do. I am the ultimate specialist in my trade, and you will be my magnum opus.”

Six small appendages unfolded from the depths of the attacker’s suit. They were long but not spindly, with the appearance of liquid metal. Each of them shone in the dull light of the secluded restroom. Each of them were curved and flexible, transforming to grab ahold of Taiyo and lift him into the air.

He screeched and screamed. Taiyo didn’t realize quite how adult he sounded. They weren’t the screams of a child. But they were screams. He rationalized that he might as well call for help, even if it wasn’t the most dignified thing to do.

Taiyo thrashed. How lower body felt numb. He was held entirely aloft, with his hindpaws completely off the ground. The specialist let his six mechanical limbs do all the hard work while he carefully reached behind the squirming pup and planted something on his lower back.

“Get off! Let me go! Put me down! I’ll have your head for this!”

The squirming continued for several seconds. Each one felt like an eternity to Taiyo’s terrified mind. The Specialist couldn’t get enough. He lowered Taiyo slowly until he was almost at eye level.

“The last part. Say it again.”

Taiyo tried to spit at the villain, but just made a mewling, hacking sound instead.

“...you’ll have my head for this? I like that.”

 

After another painfully long instant, the beast placed one arm around Taiyo’s neck and squeezed. He wasn’t trying to kill the pup, but Taiyo didn’t know that. The pressure was immense. The sudden lack of breath and tension on his nerves caused a predictable response - but Taiyo thought his body was short-circuiting. An excitement - maybe even an arousal - swept through his nerves as the Specialist tightened his grip. He brought the squirming pup’s muzzle closer and closer.

Taiyo could feel the filtered exhalations from the rubber demon’s mask. He stared into his eyes. He couldn’t see his face, but imagined a cruel smile beneath the mask.

His breathless excitement turned to incredulous surprise. The Specialist’s mask opened, revealing a gooey maw! It was stunning, it was technologically brilliant, and it was enough to elicit a yelp from the young prince.

The Specialist took his other hand and rubbed it over the captive’s snout. Taiyo felt his mouth and nose suddenly coated in a liquid, gooey black rubber. It filled his nostrils solid and seeped past his gums. The inky rubber flowed into the ridges and lines of his face. He tasted the unusual sensation of the Specialist’s advanced rubber on his tongue before it completely engulfed his mouth.

“Gughh…. Aggh…”

Taiyo’s head was beginning to spin. The rubberclad attacker spun as well, turning Taiyo away and now forcing the jackal to see himself in the mirror. He saw his body, toned and muscled but too weak to fight back. He saw his nethers, aroused at these strange new feelings. Most of all, the Specialist wanted Taiyo to see his own face.

He took another few luxurious seconds to smother more liquid rubber around his nose and mouth and cheeks.

“It is an… unusual taste,” said the entity. “But you seem to have a taste for it.”

Taiyo tried to shake his head. He wasn’t sure what the villain was referring to, but he knew he couldn’t - wouldn’t! - enjoy or want any of it. Instead, he only managed to wiggle further into his grip.

“All too easy.”

With a final strike, let go of the prince with his gloves, but kept him propped up with his metal appendages. He pinned Taiyo between the sink and his own body, and made the prince watch as he used his gloves to fully hood the poor pup. After a few seconds of airless torture, the doctor sent his new material into a dreamless sleep. The liquid rubber receded. A minute later, there was no trace of the prince or the Specialist ever setting foot in the theater.

 

 

 

 

 

====

 

 

 

 

Taiyo was smart enough not to base his worldview on fiction. He knew that the things he’d seen in the theater were purely for amusement. However, there were some experiences that he simply had never considered. Fiction was his only point of reference.

He assumed that he’d wake with a start, with his eyes flaring open and his body ready to fight. Instead, he couldn’t quite remember when he woke. It was a slow, groggy process. In the same way that he didn’t recall the exact moment he passed out, he didn’t remember when he fell asleep.

He remembered the feeling, though; the choking and cloying and thick rubbery stuff that coated his mouth and gums and nostrils. His abductor had slathered it on like butter, oiling his muzzle up before he fell asleep. Now that he was awake and breathing clear, he had a moment to contemplate it.

It was still nighttime. The room was dark - darker than outside. There were dim sources of light somewhere outside the building; the moon or stars or maybe flickering lampposts. There weren’t any windows large enough to let him figure out the specifics, and there most definitely was no door to open.

The young prince spent a few groggy moments getting his bearings. He was alive, even if he had been abducted. He assumed that this small room would be where he was held. Perhaps he was in a basement? It wasn’t clear. The jackal took some deep breaths, feeling around his body. He pawed his way along an old, polished and smooth wooden floor until he found one wall and leaned against it.

What was he going on about? The jackal scratched behind his ears, but no answers came. The “Specialist” that had grabbed him kept talking about plans and families and identity or… something. It sounded like the ramblings of someone who could come unhinged at any moment. And yet, he clearly had a cruel, alien sort of intelligence. Taiyo simply wasn’t sure what an enraged doctor would do.

While massaging his stiff limbs, he noticed a small bump that had appeared between his shoulder blades. He couldn’t quite get to it. It wasn’t painful, and didn’t seem to be a sore or bruise. To his chagrin, the bump was just barely out of reach. He fumbled in the dark of the room, but it seemed to be mostly empty space and the occasional glass disc embedded in the floor.

His quest to learn about the object was granted precisely ten seconds after he initially started fiddling with it. The tiny pod expanded outward with unerring precision and a speed that was just slow enough to make Taiyo aware of what was happening.

Legends and family stories and warnings came to mind. So did some of the most salacious things he’d seen on-screen at the theater.

Precisely ten seconds after the pod began to expand, Taiyo was fully encased. The shiny, oily pod was practically invisible. He couldn’t even feel it behind his back, though he knew it was there. He quickly forgot about it, though, in the face of new and unexpected sensations.

His clothing had always been traditional. That meant robes, tunics, and decorate garb that flowed. Large clothes always made the young royal seem bigger; a voluminous toga or skirt had the suitably imposing effect. Family norms had kept him away from functional and modern clothing.

This meant that being encased from neck to toes in advanced liquid rubber was something of a surprise.

 

 

Taiyo’s felt his hair puff up before being totally engulfed by something that was slick and shiny. First came the intense cold - a cool sensation of his skin being coated by gooey ichor.

Then came the growing warmth. It regulated his body temperature, but it trapped heat. He felt it adjust to his form, trying to get an appropriate balance between hot and cold.

That meant stretching and compressing. It grew and shrunk in places as it found its bearing. Taiyo’s undersuit was practically alive as the slime turned solid. There were places of his body that had rarely, if ever felt the touch of clothing. The soft princely flesh was unprepared for the cloying touch of the liquid rubber that engulfed him. He was on his knees, then his belly. It went between his fingers and toes and armpits and elbows and more. Taiyo felt his toes curl up as it cupped his rear, carefully ensconcing each of his cheeks individually.

He looked down at his manhood, covered in a single bulge. He gingerly pawed at it. The pressure change that came from this briefest of self-grope was quite palpable in his manhood. He blushed and stared at the thick glove that covered his hand. It was still slimy, though rapidly cooling and solidifying. He couldn’t imagine wearing this all the time. The base of his spine tingled as he felt his new suit.

 

 

One of the glass discs in the ground turned on. It was bright and incredibly hot. Taiyo looked away, shielding his face with his new glove. Rubbing his fingers together was an unusual experience. He rolled away from the sudden luminosity.

As he put down his paw, he saw that the lights were spotlights embedded in the floor. There wasn’t just one - there were a dozen. All of them shone on unusual sculptures some distance off the floor, each of them exotically framed and shielded behind museum-grade glass. A human man trapped in a spread-eagled pose, his mouth agape and facial expression just barely visible under the hyper-taut and tight polymer that sealed him in place. He could see a modicum of movement begin as he woke from his stasis. With the light on, he was now fully aware. He struggled pathetically, only serving to tire himself in the golden glow of the lighting.

Taiyo yelped and slid backwards again, trying to crawl away. He bumped into a wall and turned his head. Another frame, another human. This female was in a fetal position, with countless tubes extending throughout the frame. The light hitting her from the bottom highlighted her cheeks and thighs and body. A massive plug filled her mouth, and two more matched it in her rear and womanhood. A fourth one, purely for show, extended to her navel. She wiggled in place. He placed a hand on the thick glass and heard the sound of gulping, pumping, and choked swallowing.

“I helped give some input on her.”

Taiyo now rested against the wall - possibly the same one that he’d done so before. It was strange to think that he’d been sitting in the dark for who-knows-how long, with all these encased pieces of “artwork!”

He looked up and glimpsed a familiar-looking creature. Her outfit was superficially similar to the Specialist - the beast that had brought him here. Thick rubber encasing a shapely lupine form, dark with purple trim and polished to a shine. Flared gloves and generous proportions in her outfit only helped accentuate a sharply feminine silhouette. The closest analogue to his captor was her gas mask - shaped like a jackal’s head with a long snout, pointed ears, and dead black lenses.

The prince sprung to his feet and charged at her. “Let them go! Let me go!”

She stepped out of the way. She didn’t need to - Taiyo only got halfway before slipping to the floor. The suit was almost fully cured now, and he was still getting his bearings.

“Why would I do that?” The assistant tilted her head sideways. She had to, he surmised - if he couldn’t see her face, she needed to broadcast her thoughts somehow.

“I’m - I’m a prince! You’ll pay! You and him both! Let me - let me out of here right now!”

Taiyo’s hands ran along the walls. He was searching for a door. This was a house - an ordinary house. Surely there was a stairwell or a door or… something.

“What are you looking for?” she asked calmly. “There are no doors out of here. They ones on the outside are fake. Nobody goes in. Nobody goes out. He leaves sometimes. He has his own ways to do so.”

Taiyo felt the chill return. He ran his fingers over the glass of some vixen, trapped in a funerary pose and squirming at the dozens of electrically-charged pads that sprung to life along the innards of her heavy polymer encasement.

“Who is he?” asked Taiyo.

“Nobody,” said the Specialist. Taiyo was ready for him this time.

“Nobody? You seem pretty strong for an empty shell. Is there anything inside, or - or are you all suit?”

The creature entered from a hidden door in the floor. He walked very slowly and with confident purpose.

“I am my work. Nothing more. Much has been taken from me. Much like what I will take from you. My Lovely Assistant was a successful prototype; what exists is only what I deem necessary.”

He cupped a claw around her mask’s snout and turned it left and right. It was affectionate.

“...but more tests will need to be done. You, after all, are a key ingredient, and I only have one of you.”

Taiyo charged again. His balance didn’t fail him, but his fighting skills were not up to par. He attempted a flying kick to throw the Specialist off-balance. While he connected with the villain, he didn’t stick the landing. By the time his feet had left the ground, the suit was growing rigid, stiff, and increasing in mass! In the two seconds it took him to run and jump, the suit became a glue-like sleepsack; a heavy rubbery pod that coated up to his mouth.

The Specialist took the kick to the stomach and flew backwards. The Assistant took the initiative, catching Taiyo before the prince could hit the floor.

A wicked smile grew along the doctor’s mask. His outfit opened up, becoming almost like a gooey jaw. It was disturbing, intimidating, and made Taiyo tingle. He was licking his lips like someone looking at a good meal.

“I admire your fight, Taiyo,” he said. “I won’t punish you for that. It was a pleasant diversion. It is good to feel something once in a while.”

Taiyo managed a gurgled, muffled grunt.

“Take him to his room. And remember, I found you when you thought you were safe. I’m always watching. You’re in my domain. Don’t expect escape or rescue.”

He motioned, the Assistant nodded, and all three of them descended deep into the bowels of his labs. The lights went out. The squirming slowly, gently, peacefully stopped as the art resumed its slumber.

 

 

====

 

 

“We don’t have everything ready,” said the Lovely Assistant. “We’ll need time.”

The Specialist shrugged. “We have time. Time enough, at least. They’ll keep the search for him quiet for as long as possible.”

            “Please. Please, I’m - I’m royal blood too. You’ve got to believe - you’ve got to let me go. Three going missing - that’s a lot! That’s too many!”

He tapped a few buttons on a nearby computer terminal. “Besides, my Lovely Assistant - nobody wants to admit they lost a royal.”

She stood still for a moment, then nodded deeply. “They’ll look at political rivals first. See if anyone has struck against them.”

“Rivals who will be doing damage control of their own,” responded the jackal-headed beast. “So we’ll have more than enough time with the princeling.”

            “I - I’m a prince too! I’m - they’ll find me! They’ll find me, unless they find you first. Don’t underestimate me! I’m royal! I’m blue-blooded!”

The catfolk kept straining in the chair. Its high back was padded pleather, and its massive armrests were made of the same industrial material. Gahaji was lithe and limber. He was used to being able to flex and move. They locked another strap around his bicep. They slapped heavy metal padlocks along his wrist cuffs. They were carefully manipulating the metal collar around his neck, restraining it to the chair and keeping his head steady. Why weren’t they listening to him!?

“Is the other one ready?”

The Assistant nodded. “He’s already packed, sealed, and awaiting shipment. I doubt this one will last nearly as long.”

Gahaji started bucking in the chair. The thick rubber suit was absolutely covered in zippers, straps, and electronic devices. He felt stimulating sensations in his nethers and under his armpits. He could feel it tightening, adjusting to his body. He felt a glue-like gel enter the gloves, creating spherical mitts out of his paws. The Specialist grabbed his mouth. He didn’t even look at the catfolk as he inserted a tube, followed by the application of his helmet. It was sturdy, shiny, thick, and rigid. Six straps tightened and locked. Only the tubes entering his mouth gave any hint that there was a person underneath it all, and the Specialist would make sure that wouldn’t be true for long. Gahaji begged and bucked all the while. The sound of the Specialist and his Assistant talking trailed off as warm liquid surged down his throat, sounds entered his ears, and images flooded his mind. He grew stiff, aroused, and intoxicated with lust. His captors quietly left the room.