#I feel like my sh is sort of abnormal in that it’s less about physical pain

[homestyle-silences]

I feel like more therapists should recommend playing with fake blood as a way to curb the impulse to sh.

[cinnamonest]

Xingqiu - Yandere Profile

I actually just got my sweet bookworm boi to his next to last ascension, my hydro baby, my angel, I love him even if bc of him I have to marathon fight the oceanid

I’ve had a lot of reqs for him & Chongyun dating back to January again lol but it only felt right to wait until I finished both so I could release them at the same time, so, Chongyun’s will be up immediately after this!

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TWs: fem reader, yandere, confinement, manipulative behaviors, mentions of homicide, gaslighting, Xingqiu being a spoiled arrogant brat

TWs (below cut): noncon/dubcon, manipulating and guilting reader into sex, overstimulation, fluids/cumplay, humiliation 

Since there's no canonical age but he has a bit of the rounded young face I'm tagging with the sh*ta tw as well!

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Severity Scale

Intelligence/Perceptiveness: 7 Brutality: 3 Physical capability: 4 Mental/emotional instability: 6 Restrictiveness: 7 Sexual sadism: 5 Stubbornness: 8

What are they generally like? Lucid, aware? Obsessive? How do they behave?

Tries to buy his way to you, initially. He's grown up seeing the power that money holds over people, and, well, his father can always just wave a bit around and get whatever he wants from most people, so why should you be any different? He goes for stereotypical "girl" things like flowers and jewelry at first, unless you have some prominent and well-known interest, in which case he'll invest in something related to that.

Honestly, for all his chivalry and all that, his maturity is something of a faux one, a sort of projected self-image of the gentlemanly figure he strives to be... but when he lets that slip, he can be something of a childish spoiled brat. The thing is... he's completely unaware and refuses to acknowledge that he can be so immature. He likes getting what he wants, when he wants it, exactly how he wants it, and being denied the things he wants isn't particularly common in his life. So rejection comes not so much as a disappointment so much as a shock. No matter, you're just... a brat, yourself. You think you're too good for everyone, he reasons, so you play hard to get.

Really, after recovering from the initial shock, he realizes he likes things this way. He likes challenges. It would be no fun if you came to him easily. You may be a brat, but in the end, the one thing he refuses to ever do is lose. Chivalrous gentlemen are fine with having to earn their things, so really, he's thankful that you reminded him of his morals, of his desire to truly earn the things he wants. It will make it that much more meaningful.

So he goes heavy on the idea of "courting", following whatever old and prudish traditions may exist in Liyue. If you're from somewhere else, he figures, that could be why -- clearly he hasn't followed through on whatever is normal for your culture. Silly him. He makes an effort to research whatever those traditions may be, and goes to the absolute maximum on performing them. Lavishes you in gifts of all kinds, constantly giving you compliments. He even goes to the effort of, if all else fails, reading romance novels targeted at women to get a better grasp of what exactly you're supposed to like, and emulates those behaviors.

Overall, though, in later stages Xingqiu slightly more mild for a yan, allowing you to have interactions with others (even if he’s irritated), such as his family, family servants, and his friends, and will even take you outside now and then. However, he will cut off your ties to those friends you had before that weren't mutual friends. He's also one of the least likely yanderes to ever kill someone, and will avoid hurting people if possible -- if anything, he prefers more discreet methods like ruining their life socially or financially.

He's also a lot more moody behind closed doors than he is to most people. His attempts to be oh-so-mature eventually kinda crumble, and the more comfortable he becomes around you, the more he lets his immaturity show.

He could assign family servants to looking for you, but really, he prefers to do it himself, this is about love after all, he doesn't want to assign them to a task they would never perform as diligently as he could. But rather than stalking, he chooses to just kind of... stay with you. He's somehow always where you are, "coincidentally" running into you everywhere and then somehow nothing having anything to do, because he clings to you for hours until you finally have to go home, and even then, he'll just follow you to continue the visit there if he can. No point in watching from a distance when he can be right there with you. And again, he's actually surprisingly unaware that his clinginess is so obvious, he's oblivious to how obvious his infatuation is. Which is a bit odd, considering that he's usually fairly perceptive, but he's so confident in the fact that he is normally perceptive that he allows himself to slip into abnormal behaviors without really realizing it, because he's not constantly on guard in the way some less socially adept yanderes are.

On a genuinely sweet level, there's one little thing he keeps hidden from you. He's actually written a lot of love poetry for you, verses about you and all of the things he loves about you so much... Despite usually being fairly confident in his work, he can't bring himself to show it to you. He's too flustered. And considering your negative reactions to his affection (read: not wanting to be kept like a captive animal), he is actually a bit sensitive to that perceived rejection, which further discourages him. He keeps them all stashed away, stuffed into some fairly hidden drawer. Should you ever come across them and bring them up, it's one of a very few things that will genuinely make him super embarrassed, and he'll just insist they weren't about you, even though the details make it obvious they were, and storm off, never bringing it up again.

How likely are they to kidnap their darling? How quickly will they do so?

It's not kidnapping. It's... relocating. He's far too chivalrous to resort to something so brutish as kidnapping! He'll make sure you want to come with him. He can easily arrange for there to be rumors and reports of... occurrences near your home. Criminal activity, maybe false rumors of mysterious disappearances. Hell, he'll get Chongyun to testify that your house has demonic spirits in it. Something to make you want to move out. Maybe some things start happening to you -- you get the feeling you're being watched, you get threatening messages mailed to your home, you have strangers (read: randos who will do anything for some mora he gives them) telling you you're not welcome in the area and to get out. It's all incredibly confusing and scary and you have no idea what brought it all on!

Luckily for you, you have a rich, generous friend who makes it more than clear you're welcome to come stay with him for a while at any time. Eventually, no matter what it takes, he can push you to a point where you'll take him up on that offer. Something feels... oddly ominous about the way the gates to his family estate close behind you once you walk in. Like they're sealing your fate.

And once step one is done, step two of his plan goes into place - make sure you never want to leave. He can make that happen, there's plenty of space here for you to roam, plenty for you to do, and even when he's not there to entertain you, there's plenty of servants to keep an eye on you and make sure that whenever you try to leave, they'll smile and tell you you can't go just yet miss, there's this or that going on tonight! The young master said he had something important for you when he gets back later! You can't go out now, there was just an attack by some deranged person in the town still on the loose! Just... go back inside for now.

Of course, it's wishful thinking, but he likes to maintain the delusion that he can just keep this going indefinitely, that you won't finally one day put your foot down and tell him you've been stuck here nearly a month and you're ready to at least go visit home. He might even entertain it a bit - sure, you can go visit your old house with him and collect some of your old things to bring back with you, but he makes sure to make it look at though whatever problem he made up is still occurring. Nonetheless, if you're insistent, or at whatever point you finally crack and catch on, demand to know what's going on - well, it's not pretty. He gets into something of a tantrum if you don't comply, but ultimately, in his own little huffy, ticked off way, says you can't leave, and that's that, no more questions allowed, and no more of this ridiculous demand to leave. Of course, darling is taken aback at first, even thinking he's joking, but it soon becomes very clear he's completely serious, and intends to enforce that command.

How difficult is it to escape from them? How do they keep you restrained? How do they deal with attempted escape? 

When he's with you, he's tends to be pretty clingy, both physically and in conversation, never ceasing talking about this or that, and he's actually a sleep-clinger as well, keeping an iron grip around your waist when you sleep. So, whenever he's at his home, he insists on you being in his presence, usually physically touching, so you won't really get an opportunity while he's just in another room or something because you can't get any privacy to begin with. When you're in public, he's incredibly watchful over your every move and incredibly clingy then as well, so don't expect such a chance to arrive either.

Thus, your best bet is to try when you're under the watch of guards, whenever he's gone for whatever reason. They've been instructed to watch you from a distance, you see, he doesn't want them interacting with you directly, so you'll have a few chances here or there where they get distracted or their backs are turned. There will likely eventually also be a time where there's a scheduling error, you end up unsupervised! However, physically getting out of the estate is still difficult. There's still posted guards everywhere. So all in all, it's fairly difficult, especially in broad daylight, the only time he's not with you.

When you're inevitably dragged back kicking and screaming by some poor guards that aren't getting paid enough to deal with this, after getting back and hearing the report he deals with it in that unnerving saccharine way of feigning ignorance to try and get a reaction. Now, he knows you weren't trying to get out... right? Surely you got distracted by a bird or something, right? That's the only reason why you'd ever try to leave, right? It's obvious he knows better, and is just fucking with your head, but it's best not to lie. What he wants is an admittance of guilt and an apology, preferably down on the floor begging for forgiveness.

How easy are they to trick, deceive, or manipulate?

Moderate, leaning towards difficult. He's perceptive, and intelligent, but that intelligence is largely a sort of book-smarts type of intelligence. He's generally crafty and a prankster himself, so pulling things over on him is difficult because he's familiar with the mindset and methods of doing so, but he can be tricked if you put on a believable enough act. Basically, a darling who is a good actor stands a much better chance.

However, he's ultimately a learner. You can get away with some tricks or plots once, but he won't fall for the same thing twice. Any sort of escape or deceit you've tried once, he'll make active efforts to guard against and prevent in the future.

Manipulation, though, you can forget it. He's way too proud and stubborn to be emotionally manipulated, in the end getting his way and what he wants takes priority over making you happy, so don't expect to be able to manipulate him based on the notion of something making you happier.

How lenient are they? What privileges can you have, and what will you be denied?

Fairly lenient, actually. You get a lot of access so long as your behavior is good, so really it's wise to be on your best behavior in the long term of things. He can get you anything you want, especially reading material. And you actually get to go outside, yay! He's like my earlier Childe profile on that -- he likes to go on dates, and he's actually really enthusiastic about it! He's big on date planning, wanting to see everything there is to see and do everything there is to do together. The rules are that you just need to be physically attached to him in some way -- you can hold his hand, grab at his sleeves, or he can do so to you (although he'd prefer you cling to him. He likes the image it projects to people around you). He actually gets really hyped about said dates whenever you plan them, he'll talk to you for hours plotting out all the things to do on this particular outing. At one point, his smile drops and his voice goes low and he tells you that, just a reminder, you know the rules for dates, right? ...Good.

Similarly, if you ask, he'll let you accompany him on more trivial outings as well, say if you'd like to go grocery shopping, and he certainly won't turn down a trip to the bookstore. The same rules apply, although he's a bit less excited for something so mundane.

One thing he won't do, surprisingly, is let you have anything to do with Guhua arts or skills. He won't teach you anything he knows nor let you learn, and if you were a follower of it before, he'll cut off your access to any material. His reasoning is that he just doesn't really think anything to do with combat suits you. You're better off learning more passive skills and hobbies.

In reality? He can't stand the thought of you ever being able to present a challenge to him in that sense. It would kill his ego if you ever managed to do something related to the Guhua arts better than he can, or even half as good as he can.

What kind of rules do they have? What kind of punishment would they use?

Well, to occupy your time, he has things that need cleaning you know... Honestly, he's messy, and he's already used to having maids, so he kinda treats you like one to some degree. Of course, he's active in his little heroism adventures, but when it comes to his own living spaces and such things he can be a bit lazy. So, he'll give you tasks to do sometimes, he likes the power rush too that he gets from ordering you around a bit. It soothes the ego.

Outside of your strolls together, you can't be going outside (and you don't get to choose when you do go on your little walks and dates, he does, although he may grant you the wishes of your begging). Also, don't actually try to talk to the guards. They're there to watch you, nothing more, so pay them no mind, and by no means should you ever have a reason to make conversation with them. If there's an emergency or something you need, you may inform them and get help, nothing more. And really, they're more afraid of this rule than you are -- you'll have difficulty finding one even willing to talk to you, they all take the warnings they've been given very seriously.

He eventually gets nitpicky and makes all sorts of little behavioral rules, it's incredibly obnoxious. But honestly, suffering his bratty tantrums is enough of a punishment, even if he didn't usually follow it up with actual punishment, which, for him, tends to be something perverted in some way.

How do they deal with rivals, or perceived rivals? Will they get rid of them? Will they kill them themselves, or find another way?

He actually gets jealous rather easily, often over people who are no real threat. You can never be too nice to anyone -- even after he introduces you to his father and older brother, he expects you to be happy to meet them... but not that much. If you show too much excitement or happiness over any other being, he gets pouty, especially other men, but also your friends, male or female, family, even animals. His first reaction isn't to kill, rather, just an increase in isolation. Drag you back home and make sure you get a lot of time to yourselves, seeks reassurance that you really love him. If it's his own family, he might get grouchy towards them, snap at them a bit, bitterly drag you back off to your own room, where he'll then proceed to get equally grouchy towards you until you have given him enough reassurance he deems sufficient. In his own time, when you're not around, he makes sure to make it perfectly clear to those around him that they aren't to get in between you two.

He's one of the better yans to have in this regard, though, because he's unlikely to resort to killing anyone. He's got too much of his self-image invested in the idea of morals and justice to be able to do so, he can't delude himself into believing it's right or acceptable. It's not impossible to push him to that point, but it wouldn't just be someone you show any positive reception towards -- if Xingqiu did end up killing a rival, it would have to be one for whom you have very blatantly made clear you have actual romantic and sexual affection, someone who poses a genuine, real threat.

Xingqiu is a sort of open book when it comes to jealousy -- it's obvious to everyone around you that he's mad at someone else for even looking at you, and he doesn't try to hide it. It makes him that much angrier if someone doesn't obey his silent demand to stop interacting with you, doesn't seem fazed by his glares and coldness. He'll meet with them privately and make things clear verbally, since he tells himself maybe they're just dense and too stupid to understand. But they only get one more chance. Cross him twice, and they'll likely find themselves in financial ruin after pulling some strings through the connections of his father and brother.

What would make him significantly more likely to kill someone is someone who poses a legal threat, someone who catches on to what's going on and threatens to get him in serious trouble for it. Even if he tried bribing them, well, they'd likely just pretend to accept, and someone so bold likely wouldn't bow to threats.

This is where he can slip into the mindset of a delusional yandere. He once again projects the image in his head, that knight he wants to be for you, and hey, sometimes to save the princess, the heroes in his martial arts epics have to get their hands dirty, have to unfortunately get blood on their hands for the sake of the greater good. And hey, then it's usually called character development. Most of his fictional heroes tend to have killed at least one person in a sort of epic battle to defend something precious to them. This is no different. Of course, ambushing an unarmed person and running them through hardly counts as an epic battle, but he doesn't really take that part into account.

How easy is it to make them mad? What does their anger look like?

Again, a bit of a spoiled brat at times. He's pouty, gives you the cold shoulder, yet dramatically inserts himself in front of you and whatever you're occupied with so you can't do anything. Basically he's forcing you to acknowledge his pouting and ask him what's wrong so that he can pull the "oh, nothing" until you ask again, and maybe he'll eventually bitterly, passive-aggressively make it clear what you did wrong. The bright side is he's easily soothed - an apology and some groveling will fix his attitude pretty quickly, although he'll have an infuriating air of superiority about it all, telling you he's glad you were able to understand what you did and have, hopefully, learned to correct the behavior in the future.

Worse offenses, things that make him genuinely and truly infuriated, are significantly worse, but rather uncharacteristically for him, he's quiet. And that's what's do frightening about it - for once you almost wish he would blabber or complain or whine like you're so used to, but his fury is dead silent. He moves without speaking, harsh motions that will either shove or tug you to wherever he's trying to maneuver you, and he shows how he feels through actions rather than words - he slams doors and objects, stomps, everything about his body language is frightening enough to make you stiffen and jolt.

Thankfully, Xingqiu is a milder yandere when it comes to severity of things he'll do to you in moments of anger -- he's one that can control himself well enough not to severely hurt you, break bones or anything like that. When it comes to his flashes of anger, at worst he might slap you in his tantrums, but he has at least enough self-control and empathy for you to manage better than a lot of yanderes.

So they see you as above them, beneath them, or equal to them?

Below. It's mostly that he thinks rather highly of himself - he's an important person you know. He saves people, he goes around doing his little vigilante thing, and he's not afraid to flaunt sometimes.

If you happen to also be from a rich family, you can earn a little bit more respect from him, you're cultured and sophisticated. If you're intelligent, you can get some validity in his mind as well. He'll still consider himself more intelligent and higher status, something you'd be mindful to remember, but he'll begrudgingly acknowledge it.

A commoner darling, though? God forbid an airheaded one? Forget about getting any respect - you're more like... A cute little puppy to him. Dumb and loud and clumsy, but nonetheless very cute and loveable. You were just... Made to be something of an accessory to him. And he loves and values you, you mean the world to him really, but that's all the more reason why you should accept your place as such.

How determined are they for you to love them? How hard will they try to make it happen? Or are they content just having you?

It drives him up the wall. You know, his father could arrange his marriage to a ton of young rich daughters in Liyue who would be more than happy about it, but he can't get the attention of ONE girl he likes? It's infuriating. And it makes him all the more insistent to have specifically you.

For Xingqiu, it's a mix of both desperation and a pride thing as well. One one hand he desperately does truly want his feelings to be returned, he wants you to love him, he wants the fantasy he has in his head of you two having a long, happy future together. On the other hand, rejection is also a mark on his pride, and that irritates him beyond comprehension.

So don't expect him to ever give up, really. Unlike a lot of loving yans though, he doesn't blame himself, he directs the rejection hurt outward - maybe you're just so spoiled yourself that nothing is good enough for you. Maybe you're just playing hard to get. Maybe you just think constantly turning him down is funny, it's amusing to you, and, well, he doesn't take lightly to you trying to play games with him. So while he'll continue to try and earn your love, don't be surprised if it results in an irritated mood swing every now and then.

Bonus: Is there anything that makes them unique, in comparison to other yanderes?

A lack of desire/hesitancy to resort to violence or more morally wayward methods. He stakes a lot of his pride and self-image on being a chivalrous, upright, just person, someone who should exemplify right and punish wrong, and unfortunately for him he's not a delusional and can't convince himself that he's doing the right thing. He wants to be a gentleman, your knight in shining armor, the storybook hero he projects in his head that always comes to save his princess, who in turn is receptive and showers him in praise and affection and gratitude. You're the problem, you see, you're not following through on your role in all this.

As such, he really, really hates having to dirty his hands in any way, or do anything that he knows is wrong and will consequently drag him into guilt. Not that he can't be driven to it, because he certainly can, but if it reaches that point, that means you didn't cooperate with him to begin with, which would have made things so much easier, so he'll definitely rid himself of that guilt by redirecting the blame to you, or deluding himself into some bizarre justification.

Another thing... his family's compliance. Honestly? His dad is far too busy and far too done with Xingqiu's shit to expect any help from him. His son tends to be picky, whiny, and demanding -- now that you're here, he's finally satiated, finally actually paying attention to the important matters his father wants him to be involved with, finally not causing nearly as much trouble now that you're around. You can bet he's more than happy to put in some extra funds and personnel to restrain some random commoner, so long as his son is satisfied. His brother doesn't really agree with it all, but his brother wants this and his father is supporting it, so... his hands are tied. He turns a blind eye. And the staff, the servants? They're getting paid far too much to care, and besides, the family is incredibly influential -- should they get fired, it could smear their reputation. It’s kinda really discouraging, being surrounded by so many people, but none of them willing to help you.

General perverseness: how sexual of a person are they? What’s their drive like? How touchy do they get? Do they have any reservations about sexuality?

Bounces back and forth. On one hand, he wants to maintain, again, a gentlemanly and sophisticated image, and in his mind, such people don't normally think about such things, don't behave in lewd or degenerate ways. On the other hand, he's a nasty little perv that secretly sinks to the absolute depths of depravity. There's not much he can't get off to. If his poor brother hadn't been so busy being concerned about the martial arts books under his bed, and had dug further, he would have found that those books are actually just a cover-up for a different set of nasty, gross materials he's spent years accumulating -- some of the most vulgar smut you've ever seen, stuff you question how he ever even got ahold of. Surely the book house wouldn't sell this kind of material... it's honestly a mystery how he manages to get so much.

With his first few interactions, he tends to display the former image, but the more time he spends with anyone, the more that inner little pervert side tends to come out. He's definitely one to get touchy, his light grazing little touches become firmer and more daring, his hands always rest just at a point that's right on the boundary of being inappropriate. Sometimes he'll straight-up grope you and pass it off as teasing. He's also like Kaeya in that he intentionally tries to embarrass you by making your mind go to lewd places, making obvious innuendos and euphemisms, then pretending like he doesn't know why you're looking at him like that... oh, is that what you thought he meant? Wow, you must have such a dirty mind, you little pervert.

How forceful are they? Do they care about your willingness?

Something like rape is barbaric! Of course he would never, eeeeever do something so awful, so unbecoming of someone like him. And he really never will. He's another yan that will simply... Secure your consent by whatever means necessary.

In the end he'll most likely guilt trip and gaslight his way into it. I mean, you're staying with him for free, he took you in, he feeds you and clothes you and you can't show one little bit of gratitude? He treats you like a wife and you can't fulfil your end of that role? Don't be selfish. He loves you so much... He'd do anything for you... don't you want him to be happy too?

He'll try different approaches. If seduction doesn't work off the bat, he'll try gaslighting, if that doesn't work, he'll try guilt tripping, if that doesn't work, he'll make up a bizarre lie - he has to have sex or he'll die, somehow! You get the idea. If you really, really, really push it, he may just resort to a vague threat of sorts - nothing too bad or deadly, but hey, it would sure be a shame if this recent market crash affected your family financially... Not that he knows anyone who has power over the local commerce or anything.

With a more timid, soft darling, you're likely to end up essentially... Dubcon'ed. Half-noncon'ed. He just kinda... Slowly goes for it, and at your protests insists no, it's ok, you'll feel good... And a timid darling too afraid to stop him doesn't exactly fight back or resist, so hey, silence is a green light.

What sort of kinks or fetishes do they have, or would they fill?

Experimentation

As I've said, he's a nasty little perv deep down, and he can get off to, well, a LOT of things. And he loves to try new things out, no matter how weird it may be. He's one you can get into a lot of things involving toys and objects, or physical forms of things applied to the body (think temperature play, hot wax, nipple clamps -- anything that has to do with objects being used on you). Part of the fun of it all is having something new that he's never tried before! Even if it turns out to not be his favorite thing, he'll still enjoy the trying it out, and those things he DOES find himself liking, well, he'll just have to add them to the little mental list of favorites.

And he, honestly, enjoys the little reactions you often have to the notions of this or that -- the shock and sudden fear on your face when he tells you today you'll do this or that, and how you shake your cute little head so rapidly. It's not that bad, he promises, and he's done a lot of research and reading to be sure he does things correctly, so no worries!

Body writing

It's kinda comical because you can't make out a word. With his canonically horrendous handwriting, but fondness for the act of writing, it makes for what essentially looks to you like abstract art on your body -- but just know it's the lewdest, most degrading shit you can think of that he'll get all over your thighs and stomach, marking you as his. If nothing else, he gets off to it, and based on the little things he whispers in your ear, you know it's the same sort of humiliating things. If he takes his time, he can write better, but he gets caught up in the heat of the moment.

Lingerie

He's a fan of lacey, frilly things. And he will definitely invest in as many as he can buy, ornate and intricate things, stockings for your legs that have pretty lace patterns at the top of the thigh, bras and panties that are somehow both lacey and perfectly see-through. He's also a big fan of things that have holes in them for easy access, so you can wear it the whole time. And, if he's feeling meaner, he'll definitely have you walk around in just that for a while -- not out where anyone else in the estate could see you, of course, but in his room with him.

Master/slave

He's not a sadist per se, and doesn't really put you in pain, but he loves your submission. And no better way to exemplify submission than with service. The little bastard already makes you act like a maid outside of bed, but now he likes it even more -- there's a certain rush of power to laying out a command and seeing you follow it. Not to mention the cute look on your warm face as you follow though with the degrading shit. Oh, and you'd better believe he gets humiliating. It's not necessarily degrading in the sense that he says or makes you say bad things about yourself, but rather, just the commands themselves, getting on your hands and knees and crawling over to him, and demanding you slowly strip down. Make it cute, give him a show, you know? He won't be cruel in the things he says about you, yet your pride is still wrecked by the end of it all.

Voyeurism/masturbation instruction

He loves to watch you get off, honestly. It ties into the slave thing to a degree, making you follow every little command, telling you exactly how to touch yourself and move your hands. He'll sigh and tell you no, you're going to fast, you can't do it that fast yet... and if you get too overexcited, he'll just have to make you stop, since you can't seem to listen, and maybe not get to cum until tomorrow, so you can learn to behave better about it next time.

Fluids/Cumplay

He has something of a fixation with all kinds. He loves seeing the trail of saliva from your mouth when you pull off his dick, the way cum drips out of you and runs down your thighs. He also likes seeing it splattered across your face, your chest, in your hair, something about the sight of it nearly has him hard immediately after and ready to go. But he also likes how it will gross you out, leaving you tied up so that you can't wipe it off, are forced to just stay there with it dripping out of your holes and down your skin in a way that makes you shiver. And, really, he loves your fluids too, sweet salty slick that's just so mesmerizing to watch coat his fingers and face. But his favorite thing, probably has to be running his fingers through your own juices and slick, collecting it on his fingers, holding it up to your mouth and telling you to suck them clean. Somehow, it's even hotter when you're licking your own fluids off of his fingers, although you doing so with his is certainly nice too.

How do they feel about pregnancy or babies? Do they want them?

He’d like an heir one day. He's one to want a kid, maybe two, but not a whole lot. Just enough to have a proper family structure, much like the family he was raised in. It's the proper thing to do, he thinks, a natural part of the social order and continuation of a legacy. As a natural extension of his spoiled brat tendencies, he often doesn't think very responsibly in regards to preventing children, so, lucky for him, that ideal will likely come to fruition eventually, if physically possible.

What kind of (nsfw) punishments would they use?

Absolutely uses overstimulation. Whatever sorts of toys exist in Teyvat, he's rich enough that he can easily obtain them - little things he can attach to you and leave buzzing, or thick plugs and internal toys to stuff you full and leave you there to suffer in stimulation and stretching for hours on end. And he doesn't leave you alone, no, he stays close by, leaving you tied up and blindfolded, the occasionally lazy checkup of "oh, how are you holding up over there? I almost totally forgot you were there!" in a mocking tone while he goes about reading his books or practicing or jerking off to the sight.

Also ruined orgasms. Ugh, he's the worst. Gets you right to your peak, likely also after hours of edging, and then just... stops. Right as you reach the high, stops all motion, leaves you whimpering and sobbing, it's literally painful to actually reach it, and then still have that orgasm taken from you. And he'll be sure to remind you that if you were good, you could experience it in full, he could make you feel so good and let you ride out that high... but so long as you insist on being such a stubborn little princess, unfortunately, he can't just give you that. He hates this too, you know, he says. He'd love nothing more than to share pleasure, but you insist on being difficult.

What body parts of their darling do they like the most?

Legs and thighs. He likes the aesthetics of legs, the softness, the way the flesh feels in his hands. The way touching them can make you jolt, the sensitivity, the way they leave little marks so perfectly if he sucks and bites at the skin. It's just really pretty.

[firebirdsdaughter]

Random Writing Tidbit-ish… Romance?…

… So.

I wrote about kissing.

That’s new.

Well, it’s rather involved kissing.

Please note, though: This does contain references to romantic interactions (such as kissing and physical contact) of dubious consent—at the very least, there is an extreme power disbalance in the situation.

So… In canon I want them to be friends (not usually big on canon romance, actually), and in my ‘official’ fanon, they’re friends… But… But kissing, guys.

When is this set? Is it an AU? An alternate possible timeline? I don’t know. I’m pretty sure this is massively ooc, but I wanted to post it anyway to prove I could. I guess. Maybe. I’m very tired right now. I have no common sense or judgement.

I’m sorry.

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“It wasn’t my idea to do this now!” Fuwa growled, stomping across the floor of the basement as they waited. The plan was to move Horobi to a more secure location in a continuation of their current, however shaky, alliance against Thouser, but they had to wait until the close was clear and no one else could notice and possibly report to ZAIA. As a result, Hiden was having Izu monitor the headquarters’ security cameras, the two of them had been stuck biding their time in the dark, empty basement—together. For hours. “I’d rather not spend more time with you!”

“I have noticed.” Horobi replied dryly, preferring to stand at the centre of the room and look around rather than useless motion, watching the human pace. He could have sat down in one of the still-upright folding chairs, but he’d had enough of them after weeks of being trapped in one.

Vulcan’s head spun around to glare furiously at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You have been particularly vocal on the subject.”

“That a problem?” Fuwa’s voice came from right beside his shoulder, the human having marched back over to him, eyes blazing angrily.

Horobi sighed, turning to face him, rolling his eyes. “Why must humans be so insufferably loud?”

Then Fuwa’s face was in his, practically spitting, like Vulcan always did when he began boiling over. “You trying to start a fight or something?”

Horobi said nothing, just staring back at him for a moment—then, because Fuwa was so close, radiating anger, and because he’d had enough of being pushed and snapped at all day, he leaned his head sharply forward and shoved his lips roughly against Vulcan’s.

It wasn’t really a kiss. More just slamming their mouths together and holding there. But even that was unexpectedly an almost… Pleasant sensation. Fuwa was warm. He was solid. He was… Real. And so very… Human. He was everything Horobi should detest with every single atom in his being, and yet the closeness was… Comforting. He felt Fuwa freeze, his heartbeat rising and his breath coming short, telltale signs that said he’d never done this before.

Something in Horobi’s mind misfired, and without thinking he found himself pulling closer, trying to cling to the warmth of Fuwa’s body like the room was suddenly cold, his hands actually reaching up to grab hold of the human’s suit jacket for more proximity. Vulcan was still too stunned to react, but he didn’t falter or stumble back when Horobi pressed closer against him, stedfast as a pillar. Horobi’s head tilted, unbidden, like his body wanted to turn this into a real kiss, his lips moving against Fuwa’s. The reaction made even less sense to him—HumaGear had no hearts, no lungs, no blood. He should have no instincts that could move him without his command… But he’d also learned long ago that they were still sensitive to touch—and something about contact with Fuwa made him want more. Abnormally warm, heartbeat like a bass drum, and the sheer fact that Vulcan hadn’t tried to kiss back at all, wasn’t trying to press the unexpected advantage he suddenly had or make use of Horobi’s abrupt loss of guard. The complete opposite of that person…

When Fuwa finally did move, it was to shove Horobi away, like the touch was painful to him, jerking back and staring like a deer caught in headlights. With some distance between them, Horobi’s senses came back online, and he immediately tried to recover some of his own dignity, reassuming his usual cold expression. Vulcan took longer to bounce back, visibly struggling to calm both his heartbeat and breathing.

He looked so startled and lost that Horobi couldn’t resist a smirk. “… I would have assumed you had at least kissed before.”

Fuwa turned red, though it was hard to tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. “W… What are you…?”

“It is particularly obvious by how flustered you are.” Horobi informed him shortly, not bothering to wait for him to finish.

“Of… Of course I’ve…!” Fuwa’s panicked look settled into an only slightly rattled glare as he trailed off. “And what the hell would you know about kissing?!”

“More than you do, apparently.” Horobi tilted his head, analysing Vulcan’s agitation. “Really? No one?” He smirked slightly once more. “Not even Valkyrie?”

Fuwa flushed even more at the mention of Yaiba, turning away to collect himself. By the time he looked back over at Horobi, however, his eyes had narrowed even more, his mouth twisting. “Sh… Shut up!” He snapped sourly. “Where the hell did a HumaGear trying to destroy humanity learn kissing, then?!”

“Amatsu Gai.”

The answer was so immediate and flat that it threw Vulcan off for a moment, and his rage was tempered by bewilderment. “A… Amatsu?” His mouth opened and closed a few times before he found anymore words. “You… You kissed Amatsu?”

Horobi merely stared at him blankly. “I did not say that.”

“But you just…” It was like he could see the gears turning as Fuwa processed his statement. “… Oh.” Vulcan’s expression shifted even more, a look creeping onto his face that was partway between horror and… Pity? “Oh.” He said again, gaze dropping to the floor.

Horobi raised an eyebrow at him. “Satisfied?”

Fuwa was quiet for long enough that Horobi began to turn away, until the man abruptly spoke, far softer than before. “Then… Why kiss me?”

Horobi froze. He had no answer—his initial intention had been to force the human to be quiet, maybe embarrass him—but he had no excuse for his behaviour after that. Especially not the way he’d tried to get closer and deepen the kiss. Was it the overwhelming, petty sense of finally taking something that before had only been taken from him? Or was it because Fuwa was so much Amatsu’s opposite that it felt like… Like contact with him somehow cancelled out what Amatsu had done. At the very least, the drastically different sensation overrode the lingering, phantom memory of Amatsu’s touch, something he could still feel years after the last time the President of ZAIA had even been in the same room as him. HumaGear didn’t experience or need for intimacy the same way humans did… But the way the sensation of Amatsu’s cold fingers curling around his chin, or tracing the lines of his face and down his neck, running through his hair, while the mouth over his would occasionally bite down sharply on his lip as a reminder of who was in control, still clung to him like invisible shackles had taught him that touch not only mattered, but would stay with them for a long time. With Jin the binds had lightened—focusing on his son had given him something else to think about, something infinitely more pleasant. The Ark’s will had been a purpose beyond the chains of the past; both a chance to be something more than… His.

But Jin was gone and the Ark had been no freedom at all, and the feeling of the cold hands clawed back in, wrapping back around his throat. The contact with Vulcan had unexpectedly overridden the memories, the warmth chasing away the ghostly cold. Whenever Jin had touched him, all his senses had locked onto that contact as a welcome distraction, but that was all it was. Jin’s touch was different; it didn’t—couldn’t—seek out the lingering traces of Amatsu’s hands and wipe them away, as Fuwa’s had seemed to, like he was washing away stains.

He hadn’t realised how long he stood frozen until Fuwa’s voice came again, slightly closer. “Oi. Did you hear me?”

Slowly, Horobi turned his head to look at Vulcan, who had taken a few steps around  to stand in front of him again. One of Fuwa’s hands was partially extended, like he’d been thinking about reaching out to the HumaGear—when Horobi looked at him, however, he quickly snapped it back, looking vaguely self conscious. For a moment, Horobi just stared at him. “… I do not know.” It was not a lie. He was genuinely unsure of what his purpose had been. “… You are not Amatsu Gai.”

Fuwa gave him a look like he thought he was going senile. “Well… Obviously.”

“That had… An unexpected effect.”

Vulcan frowned, shifting even nearer, enough that Horobi could detect just a slight hint of his higher body temperature, his hand drifting out again. “… Horobi…”

When Fuwa’s fingertips actually brushed his sleeve, his gaze flicked further up to meet the human’s eyes, which were now brimming with some sort of weird mix of emotions that Horobi was certain he would never be able to properly process—but there amongst them, just like before, were horror and pity. Staring into Fuwa’s eyes, with the man so close that the warmth he radiated like a bonfire was beginning to seep through the the fabric of his coat, Horobi could suddenly feel every single persisting trail of Amatsu’s touch he’d ever endured, wrapped around him like a horrible, frozen cloud—and he just wanted it all off.

It wasn’t even a full step forward to be close enough to kiss Fuwa again—and this time, his mind was clear, and his every motion deliberate as always. Vulcan wasn’t as shocked, either, and though he initially tensed when Horobi’s lips first touched his, he relaxed after a moment, rather than pulling away. For a bit, he just let Horobi kiss him, holding still as the HumaGear’s hands drifted up again, this time to grab handfuls of his blazer, pulling closer—then his head tilted slightly, pushing back just a little, like he was trying to ask a question. Horobi paused, pulling back just barely enough to speak, and used a word he’d only uttered a very few times in his life, “Please.”

Vulcan promptly closed the tiny distance between them. Fuwa kissed as angrily as he did everything, with the same air of spoiling for a fight. His mouth was warm, his lips slightly chapped, and he inexplicably tasted like coffee and chocolate, though Horobi knew that as a HumaGear, he shouldn’t be able to taste anything. It felt like a challenge, an invitation to push back, rather than an expectation of control. His hands settled lightly on Horobi’s arms, leaning closer rather than pulling or grabbing, staying completely away from the HumaGear’s face. His mouth was clumsy against Horobi’s, inexperienced—Horobi suspected that if he had ever kissed before, it hadn’t been since high school at the latest—nothing like the practiced grace Gai had used. His heartbeat and breathing were fast and loud, almost panicked again, bursting with emotion, not light and unaffected.

He’d never really considered how small Fuwa actually was, either—he’d always known the man’s exact height, but had never had reason to compare it to his own. Now he realised Vulcan had to tip his head up and stand slightly on his toes for them kiss. With that knowledge, his hands loosened from Fuwa’s suit, one moving to the back of the human’s head, fingers weaving into Vulcan’s hair—the other arm went around the human’s waist, lifting him easily off the ground. Fuwa gasped sharply, his own arms shooting around Horobi’s shoulders for balance, fingers scrabbling against the HumaGear’s back for purchase—not that Horobi was in any danger of dropping him. Once they’d settled into a more comfortable equilibrium, Fuwa’s hands began exploring, tracing new memories across Horobi’s back and shoulders, even up the back of his neck to the edge of his head wrap, fingertips even slipping under it, brushing against the hair beneath. Horobi let his more complex systems slow down, choosing to lose himself in Fuwa’s warmth, in the strange, combat-like kiss, shutting out the rest of the world, even his own internal clock.

 Eventually, it was unsurprisingly Fuwa who pulled back first, shoulders heaving, voice breathless. “… Some of us need to breathe regularly.” For a moment, they kept just staring at each other—until Vulcan finally swallowed nervously. “So…” He rasped, raising his eyebrows, “… Can you put me down?”

Horobi hesitated for a moment, but finally he reluctantly lowered the human back to the  floor, arms lingering around him for a bit before at last pulling away and stepping back. He turned away slightly as Fuwa smoothed and righted his clothes in awkward silence, trying to put his own mind back in order, and finally realising the situation he’d put himself in. “… We never speak of this again.”

Vulcan took several more deep breaths, raising the back of his hand to his lips. “Damn… You even kiss like you’re trying to kill someone…”

Horobi glared at him. “We. Never. Speak. Of. This. Again.”

Fuwa watched his expression for a moment, then nodded slowly. “… Agreed.” He said, at last. Then his phone buzzed, and he quickly checked it. “… That’s Hiden. Izu says we’re clear to go.”

Satisfied with Vulcan’s agreement of silence, Horobi spun on his heel and marched off toward the stairs without waiting to see if Fuwa was following him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I actually spent a lot of time, more time than I usually spend, at least, thinking about the concept of intimacy and how it would relate to HumaGear… Obviously, they have no blood flow, or breath, or heartbeat, etc. But they do seem to be sensitive to physical contact, can differentiate between it being pleasant or unpleasant, whether it hurts or not… It seemed to me that could end up being their version of a reaction to intimacy, contact that they feel comfortable w/, in a way. Would also have a level of having rights to what happens to their bodies, etc.

[increasethythunders]

DYAD | iv. ad hominem | MASTERLIST

words: 3k+

venom symbiote x reader

warning(s): mild medical malpractice

you can also support this fic on wattpad & ao3

CLASSIFIED REPORT (1/?) MEMORANDUM

TO: DRAKE, CARLTON; Life Foundation Head CEO

FROM: SKIRTH, DORA; Life Foundation Board of Biochemistry

SUBJECT: [NAME REDACTED]

1. It is [TIME REDACTED, DATE REDACTED]. As per your request I will be regularly documenting [NAME REDACTED] during their bonding process with SUBJECT #6.

2. It has been exactly 1 HOUR since [NAME REDACTED] came into contact with the symbiote. Subject remains unresponsive to cognitive stimulus. Physical stimulus, however, yields a regular response (does not appreciate being handled). Appears to be in an 'autopilot' state. Vitals are currently normal.

3. It has been 5 hours since first contact. We have managed to relocate [NAME REDACTED] to their new holding cell. They did not seem too happy about it but they have since settled down. They seem to be unaware of their surroundings at the current time of writing this.

4. P.S. - Requesting to send in 3 more armed security. For monitoring purposes.

CLASSIFIED REPORT (7/?) MEMORANDUM

TO: DRAKE, CARLTON; Life Foundation Head CEO

FROM: SKIRTH, DORA; Life Foundation Board of Biochemistry

SUBJECT: [NAME REDACTED]

1. It has been 10 hours since first contact between [NAME REDACTED] and SUBJECT #6. [NAME REDACTED] is having minor convulsions at random intervals. Vitals are experiencing spikes before regulating at the same rate. Internal body temperature seems to be experiencing similar symptoms to a high grade fever. At the current moment I do not recommend forced separation.

2. It is [TIME REDACTED, DATE REDACTED]. It has been 20 hours since first contact. Vitals have stabilized. [NAME REDACTED] seems to be in a catatonic state but brain scans show an abnormal amount of cognitive activity. It is my professional opinion to assume the symbiote is attempting to connect. Forced separation is not advised.

3. It is [TIME REDACTED, DATE REDACTED]. It has been 30 hours since first contact. [NAME REDACTED] is mobile but not fully conscious. They are not capable of holding conversations at the current moment but have been observed to repeat the word "hungry". We have attempted to give [NAME REDACTED] some form of sustenance since contact - bland foods - but have barely touched it or ignored it entirely. During one attempt they assaulted a researcher (who wanted me to inform you of their resignation but we can talk in length about that later). They appear to be very eager to leave the cell. Do not advise any form of intervention. I believe they feel threatened by security. Requesting to have them exit the room and guard its entrance instead.

4. P.S. - Requesting repair for cell #2.

CLASSIFIED REPORT (10/?) MEMORANDUM

TO: DRAKE, CARLTON; Life Foundation Head CEO

FROM: SKIRTH, DORA; Life Foundation Board of Biochemistry

SUBJECT: [NAME REDACTED]

1. It is [TIME REDACTED, DATE REDACTED]. 48 hours have passed since first contact. [NAME REDACTED] seems to be regaining full consciousness. Vitals are stabilizing. Brain activity is still at a high.

2. [NAME REDACTED] is awake. They appear to be talking to something. I believe they have established some form of communication with SUBJECT #6. For the time being, forced separation is no longer viable.

~~

You jumped, heart pounding in your head.

That voice. You couldn't be the only one hearing it, right? There had to be a mic somewhere in the room, there's no other way you could possibly explain it. It definitely wasn't yours. It was too deep, too..rich, for lack of a better term. Desperately, but trying not to panic, you looked around the room like a lost child, searching for the source of the voice.

I'm right here

"Jesus-" you flinched. There it was again. And again, it was starting to sound less like something over an intercom and more like something ringing in your ears. "Alright, where are you, huh? You wanna tell me what's going on?"

Look

By some reason you couldn't explain, you felt drawn to the glass door behind you. Like a thought was placed directly into your mind. You didn't question it then. Instead you obediently shuffled to the door, peering into the glass at your own reflection. Only it wasn't your reflection that was staring back at you. You jumped backward, a short yell escaping you.

The creature reflected in the glass looked far from human, like a poor interpretation of what a human looked like. It got the basics down - a face, complete with eyes and a mouth. But in its grin were needle-sharp teeth that could rip a person to shreds, and just behind its cage-like teeth was a long, drooling tongue. Its eyes were unlike anything you had ever seen. Massive, glazed over and watery, with an almost milky consistency stared back at you intently. Eagerly. You couldn't tell what exactly it was staring at - as the thing had no visible irises - but you felt its gaze on you. Your body was wracked with chills, a low nervous laughter creeping from your lips.

"Uh-um, I know you like keeping me in the dark but this - this is really not funny," Starting to creep me out, you muttered.

I can hear you

"Please stop doing that."

You stood in the center of the room, facing the only camera you could see situated in one corner of the cell's ceiling. You cupped your hands around your mouth.

"Hey! I know you can probably hear me! I have no fucking clue what you did to me back there but I'm really not liking this situation right now!"

You're being very unreasonable

"Oh I'm unreasonable?!"

...Yes

You let out a long exhale. "Can you -" your hands were shaking. You balled them into fists at your side. "Whatever you are, can you not right now?"

Before you could blink you heard a strange sound coming from behind you, like something slithering through water that wasn't there. In a matter of seconds a spiral of thick, black tendrils emerged from what you assumed was your back. They coalesced - almost elegantly - into a serpentine mass, jaws and teeth and eyes and a face manifesting out of nowhere, forming a figure that was constantly shifting in place like an iridescent oil spill. It was unearthly. The process only took place in the span of a few seconds but watching it appear before you seemed to slow time down.

The creature stared at you, looking you up and down like you were a meal. It's already wide smile widened even more, eyes narrowing into long, white slits. A low, quiet purring noise emanated from the creature, although you couldn't imagine it contained any sort of internal viscera capable of producing it. The creature brought itself closer to you, leaving only about a foot or less of personal space.

"Whatever this is..is stuck with you." its forehead poked the bridge of your nose. You flinched. "For the time being."

You didn't like the sound of that, so you pushed it to the back of your mind for later. "And....what are you, exactly?"

There was a rumble in its throat, tongue running along the edge of its teeth. "I am Venom," it said as it undulated around you, almost examining you.

"Uh, hey? I guess? I'm-" Venom interrupted you mid-sentence, clearly saying your name with a growl. The sound of it on its tongue sent goosebumps down your arms.

"How the fuck do you know that?"

Venom's face reappeared on the opposite side of your head. You had long since tried keeping eye contact with it, not like you would even want to in the first place.

"I am in your head, after all."

"Y-You're..what?"

"Please keep up."

"No no no no no I heard you the first time I'm just uh," you shook your hands, your nervousness showing a little too much for your tastes. "Processing it."

Sheepishly, you stretched your arm out in front of you, and Venom remained as still as it possibly could. You poked the shifting mass' side with a single finger, as though it would swallow you up at any moment. Upon contact Venom recoiled, eyes thinning out into what almost looked like a scowl, and retreated back into your body. Your whole form shook from the movement. Venom was real, too real. You slowly stumbled backward onto the cot, trying to control your breathing.

I did mean it literally, you know

"R-Right, I just uh, just trying to make sure." your headache was pounding again. And you were hungry.

We need to feed

"Yeah, no sh - wait. We?" You straightened up in your seat. "Wait wait wait wait wait. When did this turn into a 'we' situation?"

The moment we bonded

Venom said it so straightforwardly that you had to laugh, flopping your tired body back on the mattress. "That didn't feel like 'bonding' so much as it did a physical assault."

Venom was quiet, and for a moment you thought you could hear it thinking.

I need you. And you need me

You rolled over onto your side, tucking one arm beneath your head. Its words left an uncomfortable, desperate ringing in the back of your skull. You sighed, closing your eyes. "Sure."

~~

CLASSIFIED REPORT (12/?) MEMORANDUM

TO: DRAKE, CARLTON; Life Foundation Head CEO

FROM: SKIRTH, DORA; Life Foundation Board of Biochemistry

SUBJECT: [NAME REDACTED]

1. It is [TIME REDACTED, DATE REDACTED]. I've just finished reviewing the surveillance tapes from last night. The connection humans are able to establish with symbiotes is incredible. We still have much to learn from these two, and in my professional opinion I believe we should move forward with the physical and mental examinations.

2. I made it a point to visit [NAME REDACTED]. There was no sign of the symbiote as of yet but it does seem that they have established a solid form of communication. I have not asked them to relay what it is saying to them at the current moment. It feels too invasive given the current circumstances, so that should come later.

3. P.S. - Requesting to deliver state-issued meal packets to [NAME REDACTED]'s cell.

~~

There is never a dull moment at the Life Foundation laboratories.

You hadn't realized how early you were awakened by your passenger until a man in a white lab coat shoved a tray of lukewarm food in plastic packages through a slit in your cell door. The dully colored mush disguised as food did little to sooth your hunger. In fact, it only worsened it. Not even a minute had passed before your stomach painfully expelled it from your body.

Venom wasn't all too pleased either.

Then came the testing. Wherever you were escorted to you were followed by dozens of eyes all focused on you. In your mind only a day had passed between your first meeting with Venom and now, but in reality you were missing more time than you were comfortable dealing with. And in that time, word had inevitably gotten around. As if the four guards enclosed around you as you walked didn't draw enough attention - along with the tight cuffs shackled around your wrists and ankles - you might as well have worn a neon sign that read DANGER.

But you didn't feel dangerous. Venom on the other hand, Venom was something you couldn't wrap your mind around.

I don't like this

"Yeah, me neither pal." You muttered under your breath. Almost immediately the tall, bald man walking ahead of you sharply turned his head, hissing a shh. You scowled.

I could break these as easily as snapping his ribs

You rolled your eyes. "Then why don't you."

Suddenly, you heard the familiar tapping of heels as Dr. Skirth trodded down the hallway in a slow jog, clutching a thin tablet in her arms. She looked tired.

"Sorry! Running a little late today." she said with a weak laugh.

You furrowed your brow.

Aww, are you worried about her?

You said nothing, an annoyed grumble sounding in your throat. Skirth turned her head. "Excuse me?" she said softly.

"N-Nothing, it's-"

"Is it..." she mouthed 'the symbiote' even though you were sure everyone in the building knew what she was talking about.

Are you ignoring me now?

You nodded. A wave of relief washed over her face as she dug a lanyard out of her coat pocket, holding the card attached to it up to a scanner.

You can't keep this up for long

"Perfect! We've modified our tests to include your sample so no more simple exercises." The door slid open. "For now, at least."

Inside the room was roughly the same setup as your previous "tests". Only this time there were devices you didn't recognized placed neatly on a table. And leaning on one of the desks was Carlton Drake himself. Your body tensed.

Who the hell is this guy?

Drake stood, arms outstretched in a way too amicable for his demeanor. "I've been waiting to see you!"

Skirth looked at you briefly, a distressed expression flashing across her face. "A-Ah, yes I forgot to inform you. Mr. Drake will be overseeing your testing from now on." She turned away from you to stare at him. "He's very invested in your progress." He smiled.

The exchange hadn't registered with you until you heard Venom's baritone voice clear the silence. For you, at least.

Weird

That managed to crack the slightest of smiles on your face. Yeah, weird, you thought.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be? This is a massive breakthrough for us and I'd love to see it through the end." He moved to a chair that sat in front of a large monitor. "But please, continue. I'm not here." he said with almost a joking lilt in his voice. You weren't sure if the annoyance you felt came from you or Venom, but you weren't entirely opposed to either. Skirth cleared her throat.

"Shall we get started?" she asked. You shrugged.

"Ready when you are."

I'm not

Your jaw tightened.

"Alright, now I don't want you to overexert yourself so for the time being I think we'll just stick to something simple. Sound g-"

Drake's voice cut through the room. "Dr. Skirth? Don't mind my input but I believe our mission statement says otherwise, correct? Pushing limits?"

She could only stand there in stunned silence. "Wh..I was-"

"And I believe that is exactly how we should be carrying out these tests."

Dr. Skirth gulped, looking over at you with a sorry expression.

You're just gonna take this?

"Well, I can't really do anything right now, can I?" you whispered, trying desperately not to draw any more attention to yourself than you should.

Skirth pushed her glasses farther up her nose with her knuckle. "Alright, um..Okay we'll just proceed with a simple neural test. That shouldn't be too hard on you."

Soon enough she sat you down, beginning to place small nodes with long wires along the sides of your head and your forehead. Calmly walking over to one of the monitors that Drake wasn't hovering over, you heard the clicking of a keyboard and the soft sound of whatever program she was using start up. Suddenly there was a ringing in your ears. Not loud enough to bother you, but enough to make your eye involuntarily twitch. Venom rumbled.

"Tell me if it gets too much, okay?"

You nodded. Drake watched intently, getting up from his seat and crossing his arms as he walked closer to Skirth. She held one of the devices on the table in her hand, this one small and rectangular, a finger gingerly hovering above a dial that sat among various other smaller buttons. She rotated it just slightly enough that you barely noticed it even moved. And with it, the ringing in your ears got louder.

What are they doing? Venom asked, a confused and almost angry tone in its voice.

Your hands clenched into fists. Skirth's eyes flickered from yours to Drake's. With a nod he urged her forward. Reluctantly, she turned the dial just slightly more.

The ringing was already near deafening, and you could feel Venom's anxiety growing by the second. It unnerved you - how clearly you could find the distinction between your emotions and Venom's in that moment. You rolled your neck, a weak attempt to relieve the pain from the shrill noise.

"I..I-I think we should-" before she could finish her thought, Drake abruptly snatched the remote from her shaking hands. There was a small moment of alarm on her face before she reigned her emotions in.

"Doctor, if I'm not mistaken the purpose of these examinations is to find this organism's breaking point and I don't think we'll get anywhere being so soft."

In one second, you felt terrified. In the other, you felt searing pain.

Your body twisted in its seat - almost keeling over - as your nails dug into its arms, scratching the plastic. Every muscle in your body was tense, as though a jolt of electricity was being sent through your nerves. Your mouth was wrought open by the scream that forced itself out. In the back of your mind, Venom roared a terrible, agonizing roar. You couldn't hear much of anything for that second - or however long it was - only vaguely recognizing what sounded like a scuffle happening behind you.

Then there was silence.

You were shaking, violent shudders moving your body as you heaved in air like you just learned to breathe. You felt numb, and you could swear your eardrums were obliterated by the ringing they subjected you to. Venom was silent. You waded between unconsciousness and consciousness, eyes barely staying open only to see the subdued bickering between Skirth and Drake.

"I thought you wanted to make progress, this is our first successful bond and you almost -"

"Are you questioning my methods? Dora?"

".....You could've killed them."

Against your own will, your exhaustion won.

~~

You woke up curled in a fetal position in your cell.

Startled, you bunched yourself up against the wall, slowly trying to steady your breathing. You were beyond sore, more so than the time you woke up after your bonding. You rubbed your face, groaning in discomfort.

"Are you alright?"

.......Me?

"Yeah, you. You didn't," you cleared your scratchy throat. "You didn't sound so good back there."

I am fine

"That's..good."

You leaned your head against the wall behind you, screwing your eyes shut. This place quickly was climbing your list of shit situations, and you weren't too pleased with it. You weren't pleased with yourself, if you had to be honest. It was getting to the point where you might not have minded being back with -

Who is he?

"Christ, Venom, what'd I say about warnings?!"

That doesn't answer my question.

You pinched the bridge of your nose. "He's not any of your business."

Your business is my business. That's sort of how this works

"Yeah, well, it'll be a while before you unlock that little story, buddy."

For a while you sat there, staring at nothing in particular. Trying to ignore the pounding in your temples and the ache in your stomach. Something nagged at the back of your mind, however. Something you had thought briefly about before but not long enough to actually acknowledge it. You couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Hey, Venom." They didn't respond, but you felt their anticipation waiting to hear what you had to say.

"I.." Thinking your statement over in your head, it sounded so juvenile. "I wanna get us out of here."

Us? I was under the assumption you didn't like the concept of 'us'

You scoffed. "There isn't. Not really keen on staying your ride for the rest of my life. No hard feelings."

...I see. If that is what you wish

There was something forming in the pit of your stomach. Pity? Guilt? No, you never felt guilty. Not if you had anything to say about it.

There was a moment of silence in both of your minds before you felt Venom bubble up once again.

You are scared

Your face felt warm. "W-Well, yeah but - I?" you sighed. You hoped Venom wouldn't ask for the details and just trust you at face value. "I've been in this situation before. I've gotten out of this situation before. If you help me, I think I can do it again."

Venom paused. Silently mulling over your offer. He rumbled.

Wow. You aren't lying

"Of course I'm not why would - wait wh - okay never mind. Just..do you trust me?"

.....Yes. I will help you

You let out a breath. "Thank you, seriously, as soon as we get out of here you can find your new host and I can..figure something out."

Wait. There is something I have to do first

Of course. It's not like you had much to lose anyway. "Oh..kay?"

The other Klyntar. My friends. If I escape, we all do. That is my deal

"Kl - Klin-tar?"

My species. Do we have a deal?

"Well, yeah. Yeah, it's a deal."

A deep, gravely laugh reverberated throughout your body.

This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship

You wheezed a soft chuckle, a small, lopsided smile cracking along your face. "Hey, don't get too ahead of yourself."