Rhen's eyes opened slowly as the alarm clock on his nightstand turned on and immediately filled the room with the graceful flow of classical music. The volume started low at first, gently easing the black and white panda out of his sleepy state. But the longer the alarm sounded off, the louder it got. Rhen reached over and hit the switch that turned the alarm clock out of alarm mode and into radio mode – on the same radio station of course. He then eased the volume nob over a tad to make the music a bit louder, and then he settled back into his bed and got comfortable as he listened to the music. He always did prefer waking up slowly and gently, and never could understand other people who set their alarm clocks to the "beep" mode and simply dragged themselves out of bed in a half-asleep state. No, he preferred to wake up at his own pace. He'd only leave his bed when he was fully awake and ready to take on the day, not one moment sooner. Of course, he did give himself two and a half hours to get ready in the mornings, but hey, it made him happy. Then again, he didn't really have to be in to work at any particular time. He didn't have to show up if he didn't want to. If he so ordered, he could work from home – from his bed even. But there was something about that, that always seemed to smack of laziness. He held himself to the same standards that he held his employees to - show up on time, ready to work, dressed professionally, and ready to do what it takes to earn that paycheck. Of course, it was easier to be motivated by the larger sums of money that he earned in his position. That's what his subordinates always said, at least. But that's not what motivated him to work so hard each day. He had inherited a strict work ethic from his father, but that was only half the story. The other half was his own personal stake in the research that they were doing. He wasn't in this business to make money, he was here to empower himself and start the road to unlocking some mysteries of this world that had stubbornly eluded scholars and scientists alike since the beginning of time. Rhen had declared once that if he himself couldn't unlock those mysteries, he'd at least pave the way for his successors to finish his work. And that's why he had driven himself so hard for the past decade. Sure, this drive of his had other nice benefits that he had certainly indulged upon. He founded a company with some inherited money and it grew quite steadily since then. It wasn't a Fortune 500 but it was an international leader in multiple industries. His company had stakes in mostly R&D work, but he also owned some factories that provided a more steady income. Research was a funny thing, you could slave away for years and have nothing to show for it, only to walk into work the next day and do something that could earn you a Noble prize. Of course, there was nothing Rhen did that would ever earn him a Noble. His research methods crossed too many ethics boundaries, broke too many laws in most first-world nations. Plus he was a panda who saw life as something to be enjoyed...and he certainly indulged himself in whatever he saw fit. Rhen grinned from ear to ear, thinking about all of the wonderful moments from his past. Wild parties, amazing nature sights, exciting sports moments, dramatic episodes in culture, and the spoogiest, messiest, craziest orgies that were probably illegal in every semi-developed nation. Fuck 'em. If they don't want to enjoy life, he certainly wasn't going to let them stop him from doing so. He honestly couldn't understand how people could take such delight in their miserably boring and fruitless lives. They seemed to live quite the opposite of himself - they took pleasure not only in doing nothing, but in preventing other people from being happy as well. To boot, such people were the majority, something he could also not quite understand. How a civilization rose with such people imposing needless boundaries on themselves was beyond him. Not him. He was out to enjoy life in all of its glory, and help others enjoy it too. He lived by his own rules. That's why he owned this company (and why his company wasn't on the stock exchange). That's why he bought little islands like these all over the world. That's why he was in charge. That's why... A faint rumbling shook the panda's belly, snapping him back into the "now". He was a bit surprised by being so hungry so early in the morning. Had he been eating regularly? He honestly couldn't remember the last time he ate. Then again, he was fairly sure he had been eating sporadic meals over the past few weeks, because if he hadn't, he'd be dead by now. But his meals were probably small and fleeting, crammed between various meetings and slaving away long nights at work. He needed something more substantial, especially today since they had such an important experiment to run. Perhaps now was a good time to wake up after all. Prepare a nice big meal and be ready for whatever the day had to bring. The panda slowly slid out of bed and stood up, his body tensing up as he reached for the ceiling in a grand stretch. He took a few deep breaths and decided that the air today was a bit stale, so he silently walked over to the large bay doors on the other side of the room. He opened them up wide and let the fresh morning air rush in. It was cool, crisp, invigorating. It was about an hour before sunrise so it was still dark out, but he could still see the lush greenery outside his house, with the beach and ocean beyond it. The sound of birds chirping and chittering filled the morning air, alongside the gentle "whoosh" of the breeze running through the trees and crashing waves upon the shore. Today, every day, was wonderful. Rhen turned around to see Jack poking his head in the door from the living room. "Morning Jack!", Rhen said enthusiastically. "How's my favorite bunny today?" Jack yawned, "[i]Your favorite bunny[/i] is trying to figure out where you get that energy from so early in the morning." Rhen grinned and did a little solo dance across the room, slid up next to Jack, and pulled him into a dip and gave the rabbit a kiss on the nose. "Gonna be making breakfast this morning, dear?" Jack yawned again and nodded, his sleepy eyes closing for a moment as he reached up and gently rubbed the panda behind the ears. He opened his eyes and stood himself upright, giving the panda a pat on the shoulder. "Yeah, I got it covered". Jack slipped out back into the living room, and Rhen opened the door the rest of the way and followed him in. Rhen took a seat on a stool by the kitchen island and watched as Jack threw an apron on and started gathering dishes to prepare breakfast. "You know Jack," Rhen mused, "you tease me so. I mean, walking around the house...even cooking in the nude, save for the apron. And yet every night..." Jack cut him off, "Every night I tell you 'no', I don't want to have sex yet. I'm just not ready yet." Jack bent over to reach some mixing bowls, with his little bunny tail flicking high and his perky and firm little ass right in view of Rhen. "Listen, it's just you. You've been with a lot of other guys...and girls, but you act differently around me. You've pursued me even as I take things slowly. Everyone else who's given you this much trouble you've just passed over to get to the next guy in line. Frankly, I'd feel more at ease if you did treat me the same as every other one of your conquests." Jack plopped down a large cup of orange juice in front of Rhen. "And I'm not teasing you either. I keep telling you, this is what you get for living on a vacation island. The air here is just so nice, so crisp, so clean, I feel like it caresses my fur and invigorates me. So yes, I forsake clothing so I can feel the wind in my fur – all of my fur. But I told you I walk around naked in my own home, so I certainly will here on your insistence that I 'make myself at home". Rhen picked up the orange juice and took a long, slow sip of it, watching Jack from over the top of the glass. Jack was slim and fit, with nice abs and firm muscles. His fur was a delightful brown/gray mix with a pure puffy white that graced his belly, down his crotch, and back up to his little tail. By contrast, Rhen's was a muscle-chub. He was fit, but not as fit as Jack. Rhen had a bit of a belly admittedly, coming form indulging in too many desserts. But he was happy with his body, though he'd be happier with his body if it were tense and soaked with sweat while pressed up against Jack's body. He always did play by his own rules, but he did have rules. And he never broke them. If Jack said no, Rhen respected that, even if a bit disappointed. "Someday...", Rhen kept thinking, "...someday that perky bunny ass is going to be my playground, and it is going to be the best fuck I've ever had". As Rhen finished the juice and set the glass down, Jack picked it up and walked it over to the sink, "Besides, in case you hadn't noticed Rhen, but I'm not the only one naked here. You parade around here naked all the time, too" Rhen chuckled, "Apples and oranges. I just happen to be a nudist. The body is a beautiful thing, and I happen to think highly of mine. I think very highly of yours too, my dear" The bunny's ears dropped back against his head and he turned around with a bit of a shy smile on his face, looking back fondly at Rhen for a few moments before continuing with breakfast. Jack whipped up some buttery eggs on cheesy toast, with a side of blueberry oatmeal. After placing the meal in front of Rhen, Jack turned around again and started cleaning up the kitchen. "Aren't you going to eat with me?", Rhen said in a slightly sad tone. "Naw, I don't eat this early in the morning. I'm going to get an early start to the beach, spend most of the day there swimming and sunning. I'll be packing light snacks to munch on between dips in the ocean, and I'll hit up the gym and do some light weightlifting every few hours whenever I want to get out of the sun." Suddenly, Jack felt Rhen's paws slip tenderly around his sides, caressing his abs and hugging him lightly. Rhen's muzzle rested lightly on Jack's shoulder, whispering softly, "My goodness, you take such good care of that body. You have no idea how much that turns me on" Jack blushed a bit, "Actually, yes, I can feel precisely how much that turns you on. Ahem..." Rhem pulled back, his throbbing cock slipping back from the crack of Jack's ass. A little bit of precum had oozed out of his cock and pressed into the fur on the underside of the bunny's tail. He couldn't help it – the way those firm fur-covered asscheeks caressed his cock was just divine. That velvety soft fur...not just along the underside of the tail, but completely covering that sexy bunny. He so wanted to molest that fur...rub his face in it, rub his dick against it, rub his body against it. And someday, hopefully soon, it would happen. The bunny bent over to put some dishes into the dishwasher, his firm buttocks flexing as he perked his tail up. Rhem's thick cock continued to throb in the crisp morning air, another drop of precum oozing out of his tip. He took a deep breath and decided to get to work early today. He had an experiment to run today, which could potentially ease him of his [i]tension[/i] too. ************************************ "Good morning Mr. Rhem!", Boris called out enthusiastically in his thick Russian accent as he saw the panda walking by in the hall. Rhem stopped and nodded to the feline, "Hey Boris, how's my best helicopter team doing today?" Boris grinned, his whiskers twitching a bit. "Pilot's helping with the post-flight checks on the chopper. We just got in a few hours ago from a charter flight, some kid needed a lift into the middle of the Vestmun jungle on the mainland" Rhem's little round ears wiggled a bit and he arched an eyebrow, "Why would somebody dive into that area? That's a rather forsaken zone, wild and untamed. Even we don't venture in there, we just hire out the natives." The cat chuckled heartily, "The wolf said he wanted to build house out there. That he was scouting out property." The panda shrugged, "Well, if he does build a house, it'll certainly be the safest residence on the continent. Nobody is going to want to go near that place, with all that jungle they'd have to go through first. Most of the jungle is still uncharted, nobody knows what goes on in there." Boris nodded and shrugged back, "Perhaps a future hermit? I don't know. Either way, some quick cash in my pocket and I have the rest of the day off so I'm heading to the beach!" Rhem waved, "Alrighty, have fun". Then he turned around and headed down the hallway in a slightly hurried pace, checking his watch and grumbling to himself about how he wanted more time to meet with the volunteer before the tests started. The panda ended up getting to the lab with a good fifteen minutes to spare. The observation room was abuzz with the scientists hurrying here and there, checking over equipment and checklists. A few rows of computer consoles were manned by two technicians whom were looking back and forth between their computer monitors and the large glass wall on the other end of the room. That glass wall looked upon the actual lab that was currently dark. Dark, but not unoccupied. Rhem spoke up, "So how's our volunteer doing this morning? Is he ready for a visitor before we get started?" The scientist team turned around and waved a quick hello before resuming their duties. The lead scientist, a slim Great Dane by the name of Christopher, gave Rhem a pat on the side. "Good to see you this morning, boss. And yes, he started coming out of tranq about ten minutes ago. He should be fully cognoscente now. Just be gentle with the lights, since we've been keeping him in the dark." The subtle joke wasn't lost even on the busy staff, whom shared in a collective chuckle as they went about their business. Rhem nodded to Chris and walked to the other side of the room, opening the door that connected the observation station to the lab. He felt along the wall just inside the lab and found the dimmer switch, easing it gently clockwise until the light fixtures in the ceiling glowed a pale white aura. It was just enough light to show the subject on the table in the center of the lab while the rest of the lab was still obscured in darkness. Rhem slowly and quietly walked up to the table as to avoid startling the subject. He needed to be calm for this, or at least the beginning of it. As the panda approached the table, the volunteer opened his eyes a bit and looked over at him, but otherwise didn't move. That was good. The calmer he was, the better. The volunteer today was a small, stocky green dragon, with red horns and spikes along his spine, with yellow scales along his belly and neck. He was a bit pudgy, like Rhem himself. But also like Rhem, the dragon had a nice set of balls on him, with a thick cock that was a bit shrunk back by the cold, sterile air in the lab. He was shorter than most other dragons that Rhem had met. But what this dragon lacked in height he made up for in experience. The panda had gambled big on the hopes that this dragon would be an enticing target. The panda bent down a bit and spoke very softly to the dragon. "Good morning. I'd like to start by thanking you for your cooperation today. You were recommended by some people I hold in very high regard, and whether or not we succeed today, I appreciate your willingness to help." The dragon's eyes widened just a bit, and he weakly tried to move his hands, but found them bound to the table. He fidgeted a few times, looking over at his paws as he yanked back at his restraints. His paws were strapped down to the table at the wrists, and at the elbows. His legs were bound around the thighs, the knees, and at the ankles. Two straps kept his body in place, one ran horizontally across his chest and just under his armpits, and the other went across his body just below his navel. Other than moving his head around, he couldn't really move at all more than a bit of a twitch or fidget. He looked back at the panda with a confused look on his face. The panda blushed and chuckled a bit nervously, "Okay, so maybe [i]cooperation[/i] and [i]willingness to help[/i] is a bit misleading. So we [i]may have[/i] paid another lab to have you transported as slave labor and for PR purposes we're labeling you as a 'volunteer', but I assure you that as a 'volunteer', you are certainly not a second-class citizen here. We treat all of our employees and subjects with the utmost care. See here..." Rhem started gesturing to various parts of the table and the bonds that kept the dragon there, "These are genuine leather straps, with a generous layer of padding around the inside of the cuffs. That padding is lined with crushed velvet to prevent chaffing of your skin, er, your scales in this case. The stainless steel table you're laying upon is layered first with a soft gel, and second with memory foam cushion that conforms and supports the shape of your body, spikes included! There's even lumbar support. And your head is being supported by a pillow made of the same material, with holes pre-cut to make room for your horns. Heck, this is probably more comfortable than your own bed, I'd bet!" The chubby panda grinned wide with confidence, gently patting the dragon on his round belly. "Your arms are strapped to the table straight out to the sides and a bit above your head for good blood circulation during our tests. I certainly wouldn't want you to get that 'pins and needles' feeling in your limbs after all. That stuff's annoying, isn't it? But it won't be a problem today. Your legs, of course, are spread wide so we have good access to your crotch and ass. Your tail is strapped down into a recess built into the table for more comfort. And finally, your head is kept in place by 1: a strap that curves along your collarbone instead of around your neck for more comfort and ease of breathing. And 2: we custom-made some straps that are hooked around your horns. There's some slack in that strap, so you can look around and even lift your head a little. But the rest of the straps are bolted in place, because it'd be a rather bad thing if you tried to move too much during the experiment. Okay?" Rhem's confident grin seemed to do little to put the little dragon at ease, whom looked back at him with a sort of worried look on his face. Rhem sighed and shrugged, "Look, you'll be fine. You've done most of this before, just never all at once. We're just going to go through the paces, we'll see what happens, and after that we'll treat you to a big meal for both you and your furry dragon boyfriend, compliments of my finest chefs." The panda was about to turn and leave, but he hesitated and mumbled, "Oh, where are my manners? I forgot...". He turned around and reached down to the side of the table, picking up a clipboard that held the dragon's medical data on it, quickly reading the name on it. "I'm sorry, I totally forgot to introduce myself. It's nice to meet you Mr. Draco Rex. My name is Dr. Rhem Nova. I have a feeling this is just the first of many meetings we'll have together". Rhem put the clipboard back on the hook and walked back to the observation room door. He paused at the doorway, reaching over and grasping the dimmer switch once more. He eased the lights up to full power and walked through the door, closing and locking it behind him.