In this story, it's not Azar that's the subject of expansive results, but 's dragon, Ddraig Prendergast. Said anthro dragon has an entire corporation under his command that deals with many public goods, including some of the inflation variety. But a recent gift sent to him by everyone's favorite white dragon catches him by surprise.

My part of a trade story done with . And the first story I've finally gotten back to writing to in a long while! Perhaps the return to some light story writing for me.

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A continuous beeping from the nearby phone let Ddraig Prendergast know that the receptionist was trying to reach him in his lab. The anthro, black dragon was knee-deep in his work so he’d let the beeping go on longer than he would have liked. He was in the middle of some light chemical synthesizing for a side project and didn’t feel like interrupting his work. He finally pulled his face away from the fille beakers he’d been staring at for so long and answered the phone. “Yes, what is it?”

“Sorry to bother you sir, but a package just arrived that’s addressed specifically to you, not the company. I was going to place it with any other personal mail but it’s from one of your associates. A..ah...z...zar...Azaro..o..san..sna? Azarosna Astrogaze?” she informed him, struggling a bit with the first name. Ddraig remembered Azar as a fellow inventor dragon that had shown interest in occasionally working with him to provide possible new inventions. He also remembered the feral white dragon as one who liked to explore and find new, interesting things that could inspire such inventions. Azar told him he’d send anything he found that could be of use to PrendeCorp Industries back to him once he had finished analyzing it for any use. If Azar had sent him something directly, there must have been a reason for it. “Bring it back here and I’ll take a look. Thank you,” Ddraig replied.

The receptionist was in the lab only a few minutes later, dropping off a styrofoam box onto one of the lab tables. While PrenderCorp Industries had multiple laboratories that all specialized in the areas of products that the company produced for the public, Ddraig wanted this particular delivery brought to his personal lab. That way he could investigate whatever it was himself and determine what branch to send it to. As the two-foot-tall cube itself gave no indications about what was inside. Once the receptionist had left, Ddraig cut the tape holding the box shut and pulled out the “gift” that the white dragon had sent him.

To his surprise, it was little more than a potted flower. An interesting-looking flower, to be sure, but nothing more. The stem was a solid, natural green that had four leaves branching out from it in a spiral pattern from the base up to the head. The petals were nice to look at, as they started sky blue at the center but halfway to the outside of the petal they transitioned quickly into a vibrant ruby red. It was quite a vibrant color and one Ddraig found himself just staring at for far longer than he intended. As he walked around the table to get a look at the flower from all sides, he noticed that just behind the head of the flower, the stem bulged outwards in an odd way. If this flower had any purpose, he’d have to have that odd bulge investigated.

Ddraig immediately started thinking about why Azar sent him the flower. It was a very aesthetic flower, admittedly, and Ddraig found himself continually just looking right at the petals again and again. Perhaps he’d send it to the botany labs to see if it was some kind of new species and if they could find any true use for it. He knew Azar wouldn’t have sent him a plant because it looked pretty. Maybe it had a unique smell to it that could be used in a perfume? He couldn’t smell anything from where he stood a foot or so away, but maybe it was a more “discreet” smell. That was possible and Ddraig leaned in to sniff close to the petals and find out.

That turned out to be his mistake.

When Ddraig’s snout was a few inches from the flower, the plant shuddered and spewed out a cloud of dust from the center of the petals. Ddraig coughed and stumbled back, tripping on his own feet and falling on his rear. He cursed and waved a hand in front of his face to get rid of any lingering dust. Although he accidentally breathed in a few in the immediate confusion after being sprayed by the flower. When he opened his eyes again, Ddraig saw that he still had some of the dust covering his snout. He quickly got up and ran to a mirror, finding that the dust actually looked to be pollen of some sort. “Blasted plant,” he growled as he used the edge of his lab coat to wipe off his snout. Ddraig knew just enough about plant biology to know that had been some kind of defense mechanism. Azar could have at least left a note warning him that would happen!

Though, when Ddraig thought about it, he hadn’t actually checked the rest of the box for any note. He scolded himself for not even attempting that before poking around at a mysterious plant. He grabbed the box and turned it upside down. To his relief, a note fluttered out and to the table.

Ddraig,

In my latest expedition out to investigate a few ruins (which hadn’t been recorded on any map, so exciting and new!), I stumbled across this plant out in the jungle. At first I thought it was just another cool-looking plant but when I leaned in to get a closer look that’s when I was unfortunate to discover its defense mechanism, which I will detail below. After the effects wore off (which took a whole day and a half!), I had a sample dug up and preserved to send to you. I think you’re inflation lab area will find some sort of use for it. Yours is the only company I know that would be able to put this plant’s abilities to use.

Anyways, what I learned is that the plant’s petals are colored in a way that seems to hypnotize small animals (and maybe it even works on larger ones. Didn’t get a chance to see that happen). The colors attract the animals close and once they get their faces too close to the petals, the plant sprays them with special spores held in a natural storage behind the head (looks like a weird bulge on the stem). I’m not sure how it works, but the spores react with the animal’s body and produce gas internally that starts to swell them. It must have some other biophysical changes because the animals can swell up without bursting. The animal is then stuck, helpless on the ground until the effect wears off or a predator comes along and finds a fresh meal. Animals larger than insects seem to be the ones that trigger this defense mechanism, and through my own (embarrassing) experience, I’ve found the effect wears off after a day and a half.

Feel free to put this flower to use however you see fit, but don’t get to close! Otherwise you’ll get to experience what this plant does to animals first hand. Sorry, no dragon immunity to it I’m afraid. Good luck!

Azar

Ddraig felt his stomach turn as he read through the letter. Specific parts warned him what he was in for before he even got to Azar’s description of what the flower did. Unfortunately, Ddraig could already feel the effects beginning. There was a brief gurgling sound coming from his middle then he felt a pressure building. The black dragon looked down at himself and gasped as he saw his lab coat being pushed out from within by his own stomach. The fit, rather toned dragon was already starting to look like he’d stuffed himself on a heavy meal. Ddraig ran to his computer and scraped off some of the spores that were left on his lab coat from when he cleaned it off his snout. Once he had a suitable amount on the metal scraper, he placed it under the microscope connected to his computer to be analyzed. Hopefully it’s makeup would give an answer on how to stop the inflation.

Unfortunately, the analysis process would take far too long. Especially when Ddraig’s belly pushed heavier against the edge of his table. The pressure was building within him and Ddraig groaned as his lab coat started to strain around him. Black scales were poking through the gaps between the buttons at the front of his coat. Even if he had an inflation department and incidents like this had happened in the past, Ddraig couldn’t afford to become a dragon balloon! Especially for almost two days! He had meetings to go to, projects to check out, and most importantly an appearance to keep up! He could only imagine the jokes and stories that would spread if it was found out that the head of PrenderCorp Industries had accidentally blimped himself up.

Ddraig’s lab coat made a few groaning sounds as his inflating middle pushed it to its absolute limit. The black dragon himself was going through his lab, looking for anything that could reverse, or at least stop the inflating from happening. But his gravid body was slowing him down, causing him to stumble and squeeze around things when he could have easily navigated around moments before. Finally, the buttons had reached their limit. Three “pop!” sounds and the buttons went flying across the room and clattered to the floor. Ddraig’s belly was free from its confines and practically fell out of his coat, the orb of black scales bouncing a few times before settling. The outer pressure on his body was mostly gone but the inner pressure Ddraig had been feeling continued.

He waddled about the room to try and find something to stop the inflation. He’d always kept a few pills around that counteracted the inflation effects from the products his company produced. But his fingers, now looking more swollen and pudgy, fumbled with the cabinet lock. The dragon felt the rest of his body starting to round out some more, with his limbs looking puffier while his belly continued to be the prime “target” for the inflation. It would make sense, given that he could barely function while the blimp of a belly was in his way. Ddraig finally had to relent and admit that he would need help. If he could just get to his phone, he could alert his receptionist to send someone, discreetly, to come help him. At least that way it would remain quiet. But when he turned to get to his phone, Ddraig’s swollen legs betrayed him and tripped over each other.

The dragon let out a yelp as he fell, cushioned from the full impact of the fall by his belly but also being bounced onto his side. He squirmed and struggled, trying desperately to get back to his feet but to no avail. The inflating dragon was tuck on his side, bloated to three or four times his size and helpless to stop the flower’s effects. Feeling defeated, Ddraig let out a sigh and simply let what was to happen, continue happening.

Now that the panic had settled, and he had little else to do but think until he figured out a way to get back up, Ddraig found the feeling of his inflated body to not be all that unpleasant. The flower may have bloated him up, but it seemed there was some sort of natural karma in its method in that his body felt so much more sensitive to touch. As his hands brushed along his sides (what little they could reach), Ddraig couldn’t help but let out a small smile. Perhaps there could be a use for this flower’s pollen after all. It was an even more blissful feeling than the effects of some of the other inflation products PrenderCorp Industries made. If so, then maybe being inflated like this wasn’t so bad if it felt so good.

Ddraig was in the middle of massaging what he could of his belly when he heard the door to his lab open. The black dragon froze when he heard the footsteps of his secretary enter. “Sir, I’ve brought your afternoon tea. Would you like me to- oh!” she cried out. Ddraig knew exactly what she’d see.

The dragon was a blimped up parody of himself, a belly large enough to fit a horse, his lab coat in ruins after his inflating body had completely ripped it off him, and the head of the company stuck on his side with his limbs looking puffed up. Ddraig had little choice but to try and keep control of the situation. “Could you please get someone from the inflation labs down here. Tell them it’s an emergency. And to not get too close to that flower,” he said before sighing. At least he had a little fun before he’d probably need to be rolled to deflation testing.