"it's entirely mechanical. it won't actually digest you, it only simulates the experience."

"yes, but why? what is the purpose of this? these machines you have been bringing in - are these toys?!"

"would you say the brainwashing chair was a toy?"

"it... i mean, it does brainwash people, but..." he trailed off. "but really! where do you even get these from?"

"there's a specific inventor i work with. i provide the materials for him, and allow him to create whatever he pleases."

"what does he specialize in, amusement park rides?"

"with all due respect, victor, i don't think what you want for your laboratory is very different from a theme park attraction. could you remind me exactly what you do with jim in here, again?"

"we-- we are fighting! he's my rival! i have something to prove to him! it isn't a game!"

"of course. but the point is, you don't actually want to severely injure him, do you?"

"well, no..."

"if you're trying to provide a strange, scary, unsettling experience that is still ultimately safe, you are going to want things which are essentially toys and theme park attractions, are you not? you don't want to actually feed him to a monster. as such, we have a machine for that." they pulled open the mouth, revealing the mechanical dragon's teeth, tongue, and throat. "and it does look appropriately intimidating, doesn't it?"

looking closely at it, it really wasn't accurate to say it belonged in a theme park. no, his complaints of it being like a toy had been a knee-jerk reaction, an attempt to avoid his actual issue with it, which was much more difficult to articulate.

he stared a bit too long before finding something to say. "you said this was a machine?"

"yes."

"how did they make it so..."

"so what?" adrianus asked, their hand placed on his back.

"it's... you know," he shifted, as if to shake off their hand, but found that it was only planted more firmly against him. "it looks strangely... wet...? and the tongue is... you know, it... it must have been difficult to make it resemble the actual... texture. of a tongue."

"it's quite detailed, isn't it? bill- the inventor, that is- told me the mouth is even capable of salivating."

"it's sort of... it didn't really need a function like that, did it?"

"there is a heating function, as well, so that it's warm inside of it. he told me it feels quite nice."

"i'm- i'm not going inside there, you know."

"did i say you were?"

"i just... wanted to say that. i wanted to be clear."

"i'm just describing the machine right now. you understand. you'd like to know about these things, wouldn't you?"

"i'm not actually sure i would. you think i'm going to throw jim into this?"

"it could be quite threatening. that panic someone might feel, being right in front of its mouth... you might enjoy seeing his reaction to that. and if he insists you're bluffing, that you won't really allow him to get eaten... imagine his surprise when you do."

he supposed it could be satisfying. it was always difficult getting a reaction out of him. if this could be the thing that catches him off guard...

"...would i even be able to see his reaction? he's going to be inside the dragon."

"there are cameras inside, so you can watch the entire time."

"there are cameras?"

"of course. and you can even control different parts of the dragon. there is an auto mode where it will move around naturally, on its own, and everything, but you can manually control things like the amount of saliva, and the tongue movements, and the tightness of the stomach, if you wish. so you could adjust all of it according to his reactions."

the more details were shared, the more he had to contend with this as a physical object that someone had to create, which was now going to be in his possession. what sort of person would make something like this? what sort of person would own something like this? would the fleeting satisfaction of being able to catch jim off guard really be worth it?

as much as victor would love to be able to throw him around like a rag doll, it felt a bit different imagining him in those warm, wet, fleshy insides, squirming, squeezing, squelching around him... drenched in synthetic saliva and mucus and stomach acid... and knowing him, he might not even react much at all, just attempting to wipe off his fogged up glasses, surveying the area and looking for a chance to climb out... shoving his way through the throat, squeezing out of the mouth through the teeth, crawling onto the floor... panting, glaring, his whole body slimy and sticky...

"...perhaps i could work with that."

"oh, i'm so glad you think so. but i do think you should familiarize yourself with it a bit more."

"yes, i guess it might be good to..." he blinked. "actually, what do you mean by that? i told you i'm not going inside. i want to put jim in there, i don't need to see it for myself. i'll figure it out as i go. you aren't really going to tell me to--"

"victor." their voice reverberated through his spine.

"...yes?"

they spoke slowly. "it would just be to understand it."

but it wasn't just to understand it. he knew. there was a hunger in their eyes. their hand still rested on his back. the remote in their other hand.

"i already told you..." he said, attempting to protest.

they leaned near his ear, murmuring into it. "oh, but you would be such good prey."

he shivered. he knew they could feel it. "i- is that supposed to convince me?!"

"doesn't it feel nice to be a little helpless?"

"what? what are you- you're not going to force me into it, are you?"

"it would be fun to just push you," they whispered. "but i would love to see you crawl in yourself."

"you really think i'm going to do that?"

"just listen to me very closely..."

his mind was fuzzy already. "you're going to... you're trying to hypnotize me into--"

"shh... just relax, victor. simple thoughts."

"simple thoughts..." he repeated.

"very good..."

"it's- it's obscene. this is..."

"what's obscene?"

"the machine, it's... this is a fetish, isn't it?"

they took a moment to answer. "it could be. is that your issue with it? is that what you've really been arguing against?"

"i... suppose so..."

"there's nothing wrong with enjoying it. it feels good... it feels very good. you'll feel so relaxed inside of it..."

"that's..." was he breathing more heavily?

"it's so warm... it will envelop you so nicely... so comfortably... massaging your body... melting away your cares and worries... you'll love it. you'll love being prey. you'll understand once you're inside."

it was absolutely mystifying, how quickly he could feel himself becoming docile and pliant for them. how quickly their words started to make sense. how quickly that strange tingling sensation took over.

"that's right..." they cooed, gently pushing him forward. "you can just let it lick you, let it taste you..."

the tongue extended in front of him, brushing against his stomach. it was wet, just as it looked. but it seemed so flexible, capable of such small, delicate movements. there was something mesmerizing about it. he stepped closer, without even thinking.

"very good..."

"i'm just..." he stared ahead, truly taking in just how big the mouth was. how big the throat was. "i'm only letting it lick me..."

"there's no need to be shy... why don't you just step into the mouth? it's alright..."

it was so unbelievably compelling. maybe it was just the hypnosis. there was just something inside of him, some switch that had flipped, that had made him feel as though everything about this situation was so, so good, so enticing. he was overcome with this bizarre, sickly excitement. was he really going to do this? to allow his body, which now felt so sensitive, to be completely overwhelmed, touched on all sides, tasted, swallowed, devoured, right in front of them? letting them watch, letting them control it, letting them control him?

it was just... so well made, it was hard to believe it wasn't an actual mouth. the tongue felt... so pleasurable against his stomach. it was licking so slowly, so deliberately. he just wanted a bit more... stepping closer, closer, right next to the teeth. being pushed, nudged, lifted by the tongue, and doing absolutely nothing about it except grabbing onto it, feeling it on his hands. being at its mercy. the mouth closing around him, a gentle glow illuminating the darkness.

it continued sliding against him, pressing him against the teeth, against the roof of the mouth, pinning him so carefully. he shuddered, completely overpowered, knowing that he couldn't have escaped even if he had tried.

"good... that's right... that's perfect..." adrianus' voice could still reach him clearly - were there speakers inside? the sound made his body go limp.

"just let the saliva soften and melt away your resistance... can you feel it melting away right now?"

the tip of the tongue made small circular movements against him. it did feel as though he was melting. and it was so warm...

"you taste so good..."

the thought of being tasted, the thought that every flick of the tongue was the monster savoring him, was... tingly. it only became more sensitive.

it wasn't fair. it was already so much, he was already drowning in bliss. even the sliminess was somehow pleasurable. disgust, fear, embarrassment, ecstasy, it all blurred together into the same feeling, his heart pounding, his body twitching, his face becoming hot.

"you're just prey right now, aren't you? such good prey..."

there was something about hearing that from them, something about their voice, that only made it feel more real.

"say it for me," they said. "tell me what you are."

"i-i'm prey," he said breathlessly, amazed at himself for being able to speak at all.

"good. one more time..."

"i'm prey..."

"that's right. and you'll just let it swallow you, won't you?"

"y-yes..."

the tongue scooped him up by the thighs, pushing him to the back of the throat, in a simple, effortless motion that reminded him just how small he was compared to it. instinctually, he wanted to grip it, to pull himself away, to do absolutely anything he could to resist falling down the cavern below. somehow, that overwhelming desire was not enough to make him act. he simply froze as he slid down, the muscles steadily pulling him through the throat. it was hardly like an actual swallowing motion at all - there was no suction. but he didn't fight it, even if it was dark, and tight, and claustrophobic.

the stomach also had a slight glow, a perfect dim lighting that felt almost sensual. he settled into its embrace, feeling it press against him, rocking his body in a soothing motion that eased all of the tension from going down the throat.

"there... it isn't so bad, is it?" adrianus' voice came through even here, low and slightly muffled under the growls, rumbles, squelching, breathing, and heartbeat sounds. "so relaxing... so deep..."

it was unbelievable, letting go to it and allowing it to massage him and move him around. it was even warmer and steamier than the mouth.

"that's right... you can just wait here until all of your resistance is digested... until there's nothing left..."

a small, quiet part of him thought that he should try to escape from that, that he shouldn't give into it. but it was melting, being absorbed by the walls around him, vibrating and pulsing and squeezing his body. it sounded so nice to just enjoy this feeling, to let them continue to murmur hypnotic suggestions to him, as he was entirely helpless inside of this stomach, unable to leave, unable to move, completely at their mercy.

what an amazing machine...