Woah, been a bit too long since I last wrote something, so here's the newest Columbia State! Just a short piece officially introducing the fourth of the otter brothers, Zach, who's been mentioned before but never seen. Also, the stretchy material for pred clothing officially has a name thanks to Jasu: Expandex.

Zach, a security guard at Sun Mart, deals with a shoplifter in the traditional fashion...

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Columbia State 30: Limited Holding Space
By: IndigoRho

In a rather bland and cramped office, Wyatt shifted his attention between a collection of small monitors, watching the black-and-white camera footage intently. The zebra stifled a large yawn, his bloated belly pressing deep into the edge of the table as a button of his black security uniform scratched the surface. He inched away from the table in response, though he couldn't help but give his gut a playful prod and jiggle. While naturally pretty chunky—a side-effect of working security at a retail store as large as Sun Mart—the zebra's middle was much larger than usual thanks to a still-digesting meal. Wyatt remembered how tasty the hawk had been, and how easily he'd been apprehended attempting to commit return fraud at the store. There was just an added bit of satisfaction to eating a criminal, at least for Wyatt.

Wyatt's belly sloshed faintly as he swayed it, serving as a delightful distraction from the much louder cursing coming from the room next door. Just fifteen minutes earlier a newt had been caught trying to cut the security wrapping off a smartwatch and dragged into the office; he'd been rather vocal ever since. Not that Wyatt could truly blame him. The chances of the newt being eaten for his attempted crime was practically guaranteed, the only real question was who's stomach he'd end up in. If the cops were called in to escort him away he'd never make it to the station, but there was an equal chance Sun Mart security would simply skip the time-consuming apprehension paperwork and eat him on the spot. Still, there was a tiny possibility the newt would get lucky and no one would be hungry enough to make a meal out of him today.

Some expected activity caught his eye on the monitor showing the camera aimed at the security office's door, and Wyatt begrudgingly lifted himself out of his chair to greet his new arrivals. Despite his bloated state, Wyatt's expandex uniform expertly stretched around his gut, maintaining the look of professionalism expected in his job. He'd grown to appreciate the material since becoming a security guard, thankful he didn't have to worry about burst buttons or ripped seams while at work, and while he wasn't what most would call an “active pred”, he'd considered buying some casual expandex wear for when the mood struck him. The self-appreciation of his uniform was bluntly interrupted as Wyatt entered the main office and was immediately assaulted by the newt's tirade. A strong glare and an over-exaggerated licking of his lips quieted him down some, just in time for the main door to swing open.

An otter and a horse in uniform almost had to drag a struggling leopard into the office, and the door was quickly slammed behind them. The leopard and newt both briefly shut up once they saw each other, revealing a familiarity they likely would've preferred to keep secret. Unfortunately for them, all three of the security guards witnessed the moment.

The pudgy otter—Zach—broke the silence that followed. “Looks like we've got a pair of accomplices. And to think I was convinced the store was just experiencing an abrupt crime spree. Guess I owe you lunch, Colton”

Neither of the would-be thieves said a word, and the leopard even started struggling less.

“Told ya I'd seen them hanging around outside while on a smoke break, I never forget a suspicious face,” the horse replied.

“Oh whatever, you said the newt was red, and this one's obviously orange,” Zach said. “Don't pretend you've got some magical memory.”

Colton shrugged. “Orange is reddish!”

“Sure, sure. The real issue here is that we've got two thieves and only enough room on the bench to hold one of them.” Zach's declaration made the apprehended pair immediately break into a sweat.

“Are the cops on the way for idiot number one?” Colton asked Wyatt.

The zebra shook his head. “Nah, didn't have time to call them in since you had me follow idiot number two right away. One of us will have to be the “temporary” holding cell.” Wyatt grinned.

“My shift just started, and I can't exactly shadow suspects if my gut's knocking guests over,” Colton said.

Wyatt laughed. “As if you don't do that on a daily basis even when empty. Well I'm still breaking down the guy from a couple days ago, so it can't be me, either.”

Zach sighed. He'd managed to avoid dealing with the apprehensions for a couple months now—not being much of a pred himself—but with his shift almost over he was the most reasonable choice for the task now. “Alright, alright, I'll do the eating, but only one! I don't want to have to spend the night here digesting away shoplifters.”

Neither of the shoplifters handled the conversation about their fate very well, and the leopard's squirms picked up again. “W-wait, just let us go, I swear we won't try to steal anything again, we won't even come back, just don't eat us!”

“Ha, not the first time we've heard that one before!” Wyatt said, before giving his gut a heavy shake with both hooves. “Which one ya gonna eat, Zach?”

“Can't say I'm very fond of lizard, especially the ones with slick skin. It's like eating an angry rubber hose,” Zach replied, then glanced over the leopard he was restraining. He didn't have the same taste for other furs as his younger brothers Xander and Xavier did, but he admitted to enjoying a slight bit of pudge on the few he did eat, and the leopard was far from thin. The otter slipped a paw under the leopard's shirt and gave a quick, yet firm, squeeze of his belly, feeling the soft flab squish around his fingers in the process. The shoplifter realized he was being tested as a potential meal, whimpering in fear after the surprise of the grope faded. “This one'll do.”

As soon as Zach sealed the leopard's fate, Wyatt stepped forwards to assist in preparations. While the leopard violently thrashed about in terror, the security guards roughly removed nearly all of his clothing, tearing off his shirt and hoodie but keeping his jeans, socks, and shoes intact. For the moment the discarded items were tossed into a pile on the floor. Wyatt and Colton lifted the restrained leopard stomach-first onto an empty table next to the wall and pinned him down with their combined weight, while Zach knelt down in front of his prey's head, ready for a meal he honestly cared little about. The newt watched the whole sequence in terrified silence, tied to a bench with no way of saving his friend.

A final, frantic plea for mercy from the leopard was cut short as Zach swallowed his entire head and quickly gulped his way towards the shoulders. Wyatt may have taken the time to savor his prey, and Colton definitely would have, but Zach simply wanted to eat the shoplifter and be done with him as soon as possible. The leopard's head pushed down Zach's throat as he began working his lips around the shoulders, his uniform collar stretching without hesitation to manage the bulge. Wet, sloppy gulps and the muffled cries of the leopard filled the relatively-quiet office. Wyatt and Colton easily held the leopard in place, slowly sliding him into Zach's mouth as the otter dutifully swallowed again and again. The bulge in Zach's throat widened and spread to his chest as more of the leopard was swallowed, until finally moving to his somewhat hefty belly.

The leopard's shouts of despair became far more audible once his head was forced into the dark stomach, echoing off its walls and shaking the newt up further. From that point on, every gulp caused Zach's gut to expand a little, ballooning beneath the table. Just like Wyatt, Zach's expandex uniform comfortably grew along with his waistline, never tightening or threatening to rip. His belly rocked back and forth as more of the leopard emptied into it, weighing the otter down. Zach wasn't too fond of the feeling. There was a definite vulnerability to having another living being crammed in your gut, forcing you to waddle around while wrecking your ability to flee or defend yourself. Store security wasn't immune to being targeted by hungry guests or even co-workers for that matter, and Zach was well aware that some of his predecessors had become easy, filling meals because they were too stuffed to fight back.

Pushing aside the negative thoughts, Zach continued on. He'd taken a brief moment to taste the leopard's pudge and give it a gentle chew with his teeth, but now his meal's gut was being squeezed down his throat and all that remained were the squirming legs. Zach's middle swayed and bounced from the leopard's desperate struggles, though only the newt was in a good position to see. Legs tended to be the easiest part of the meal, especially when help was involved, and the leopard's swiftly vanished into Zach's mouth. By the time he'd reached the frantically fidgeting footpaws, Zach's belly had spread out onto the floor, forcing him to lean into it for support. The final gulp was unceremonious, the beginning of the end for the foolish shoplifter.

Zach groaned as his rowdy meal settled into the pit of his stomach and immediately continued fighting. Standing took a fair bit of effort, even with Wyatt and Colton providing assistance, but eventually the otter was back on his paws. His massively bulging belly was still expertly contained by the uniform, stretching for every internal punch or kick. The newt's eyes rarely left the struggling bulge of his friend, the reality of their situation still not fully setting in. They'd gotten away with their schemes countless times in the past at stores all over the city, even other Sun Marts, and this one shouldn't have been any different. At worst they should've been catching their breath a few blocks away after booking it out the store. Now his friend was about to be digested, a fate he'd likely share sometime later once someone finally called the cops.

“Enjoying the accommodations?” Colton teased the doomed leopard while giving Zach's middle a slap. “I hear the bed's so comfortable you never wake up!”

The leopard bounced around in response, causing Zach enough discomfort to glare at his coworker. “Ugh, don't rile him up anymore, I'm the one who has to deal with his tantrum,
not you.”

“Pfft, if he's that annoying just put him to sleep now,” Colton replied. “I know you don't like having fun with your meals, anyway. Which is ridiculous since that's the best part.”

“No, the best part is when they're all digested away and you don't have to deal with their shit anymore,” Zach said, sighing as Wyatt immediately snorted after. “I didn't mean it in that way and you know it, lion-bait!”

Wyatt broke into laughter. “Hey now, no need to use that kind of language! Besides, some of this weight came from a lion or two, it's actually pretty rewarding gobbling them up.”

“Whatever, whatever. I'm putting the cat down and heading out, I need to cut overtime,” Zach said.

The otter gave his gut a hard thump with a paw, unleashing a messy belch that drained some of the air from his stomach and made the leopard's bulges slightly more noticeable. Zach's meal panicked instantly, shouting louder than before and thrashing about in his cramped prison. A serious of thumps forced more and more air from Zach, though his inexperience dragged the process out far longer than he would've liked. He could feel the struggles of his prey fading with every belch, while the pleas for mercy were reduced to incoherent mumbling and whines. Erratic twitching marked the end of the leopard's struggles, silenced for good as the stomach continued the long road to digesting him away. Zach spotted the tears welling in the newt's eyes but didn't give too much thought to it. The pair of shoplifters had brought this upon themselves despite knowing the potential consequences. Had they not tried so blatantly to steal they may have avoided consumption for a few more years, maybe even survived their twenties.

With his gut reduced to an unmoving lump, Zach was free to move on. “Alright guys, day's been fun, but I've gotta head home and digest this obnoxious dinner now.” He sluggishly took off his walkie-talkie and left it on a desk. “Stay safe.”

Wyatt and Colton waved him goodbye as he waddled out the office door, turning their attentions to the newt as he let it close behind him. A couple nearby employees stared at the otter's bulging belly as he made his way to the time clock, grinning at his “catch” before continuing a chat. Zach was thankful most the workers trusted him and the rest of security, even with the baseless rumors that Colton had been responsible for the disappearances of some employees. Hopefully baseless. He didn't like thinking too hard about it. Either way, Zach was glad to not be feared by the people he was charged with protecting; it was one less thing to worry about. The heavy weight in his gut swayed back and forth with every step, just another soon-to-be-forgotten meal. Such was fate.