you could make a fetish out of this

they knew he could see them squirm. their spine was tingling. some of it was from the feeling of resisting, feeling that pull.

but it wasn't just that.

"it's only going to get more difficult to fight it. if it takes so much effort now, how much longer do you think you can keep it up?" his slow, steady voice bored through their mind. "in fact, when you're focusing on using all of that resistance, it makes it that much easier for the crystal to absorb. it's all right there at the front of your mind, after all. it's like you're just giving it to me..."

a shudder ran through their body, a strange wave of relaxation following it. part of them was softening.

"that's right." the words hit their target with precision. he saw how they were being weakened. even as they looked away, they could feel his gaze. the satisfaction in his eyes.

their breath was heavy, their mind and body scrambling to muster up some more resistance. they tensed up again, regaining focus.

"very good," he said. "wring out every last bit of resistance you have... so that i can take all of it."

they couldn't win.

a fog came back over them, a vague, fuzzy, unfocused feeling. even when they got over the sensation, it was hard to know what to do, what to focus on. if they just gave in, then it wouldn't matter that they still had some resistance left in them - they wouldn't be using it. but if they kept fighting it, they would lose the ability to even try. they were losing a part of themself. maybe it would have been better to give in, to at least know that they still had that part of them deep inside somewhere, even if it was distant and faded.

but they couldn't help it. the feelings they were having were overwhelming. the tension and resistance was like a reflex.

his hand touched their chin, so gently, so carefully, guiding it to face the crystal, and to face him.

the crystal was dark and dull just moments ago, when they first saw it. now, it was a bit brighter.

their eyes darted away again, even as their head was held in place with his fingers. he was holding it so lightly, rubbing it, like they were a pet.

"as the crystal becomes brighter, your mind becomes more dull and clouded," he said. "your eyes are already starting to look more glassy and dark... i can see it, even if you're looking away."

even in the corner of their eye, they could tell the crystal was getting brighter, flickering and blinking distractingly in their peripheral vision. that was where all of their fight was going, into that little object he could hold in his hand, that he could just slip away into his pocket.

they could almost imagine themself becoming more dull, the light fading from their eyes. their body was becoming tired. heavy. it shouldn't have taken so much energy just to keep themself from going limp, just to keep their eyes pointed at something else, anything but adrianus or the crystal.

but that dull feeling that was replacing more and more of their fire and resistance was becoming more relaxing, more comfortable. the tingling in their spine was becoming less of a concentrated shock, and more of a gentle warmth that spread through their whole back.

"that's right... use all of your energy... keep resisting until you can't anymore... i want all of it... it will look so nice inside the crystal... and that dull, blank, cloudy feeling... will look so nice on you."

his tone was becoming a little more sweet and affectionate, maybe condescending. they could feel their face turning bright red. they knew they shouldn't do what he wanted, but the intimate tone of his voice felt violating. they couldn't help but try to pull away from it, even as it only tightened the hold he had on them.

their eyes darted back and forth, glancing at the crystal, then at his eyes, before looking for something else to try to focus on. but every time, the glare would take them back for a little bit longer.

"that's perfect," he murmured, continuing to stroke their chin. "very good... that's what i want to see."

the same tone that made them tense up just a second ago was starting to make them melt. their eyes rested on the crystal, their vision going sort of fuzzy from the bright lights reflecting off of it. they were faintly aware of adrianus' gaze. they could tell he was looking directly at their eyes.

the feelings of anticipation and excitement that they had tried to ignore earlier were flooding through them, with nothing to block them anymore. it felt good. they wanted him to take all of that resistance, all of that stubbornness, everything that made them difficult.

they looked directly into his eyes instead of the crystal, the only resistance they could manage, or even think of.

"it's all fading away, isn't it?" his voice was amazing. "we're almost done... doesn't that feel nice? can you feel how weak and docile you've become already?"

their body was warm and heavy. there was some small part of them that was still fighting it... in some strange, distant, abstract kind of way. some quiet argument that they couldn't really hear.

adrianus moved the crystal closer to them, and their eyes followed it again, as he pressed it to their forehead. they had to strain to look at it, and when it was pressed against them like that, the pull felt even stronger.

"good... that's right... just give up that last bit... you don't have enough resistance to do anything about it anymore... there's no longer any reason not to give the rest to me."

their eyelids were fluttering. their body was sinking. the only thing in their mind was pleasure and agreement.

he pulled the crystal back. "there," he said. "can you resist any longer? can you resist at all?"

they just stared, with barely open eyes.

"can you?" he asked again, expecting some kind of answer.

"i don't want to," they murmured, leaning into his touch as he caressed their face. "i wanna give in..."

his smile was warm. "very good," he cooed. "you don't even have a single trace of it. all of it is in here... here in my hand."

the thought sent pleasure through their entire body.

"you don't mind if i keep it, do you?" he continued, speaking to them almost the same way you'd speak to a pet. "isn't it so much nicer when it's in here?"

they nodded their head, just barely moving it. as good as it felt resisting earlier, feeling those shocks and shivers through their body, this was a kind of all-encompassing feeling. it made every touch, every word, every look from him feel good. they were more relaxed than they'd ever been, the exhaustion turned into a pleasant sleepiness.

"that's right..." he put the crystal in his pocket. they only relaxed more, with the bright light gone. it felt nice when his full attention was back on them. he leaned closer, softly running his other hand through their hair.