Everything is going well, and as it gets later, he asks if you want to stay over at his place since it's just a few minutes away. You're still a bit hesitant about sleeping with him, but it'll take another hour to get back home, so you decide to at least check it out before giving him an answer. It's surprisingly well decorated when you step inside, a little messy, but neat. It's got a cozy vibe to it, and to your relief, you aren't really getting any red flags at first glance. After talking for a while longer and feeling your eyes start to get heavy, you decide to stay, and he offers to let you use his bed while he takes the couch.

As you're both getting ready to lay down, you realize what a meticulous routine he has, and how well prepared he was for you, making you wonder if he's done this before. He gives you a small travel sized toothbrush to use, then shares his full face routine, with toner, serums, and moisturizer. After that, he puts a few vitamins in your hand to take, which you think is kind of weird, but he explains what each one is for before taking them himself. You figure after everything else, that maybe he's just really conscious about taking care of his body, so you swallow the vitamins without too much thought, and say your goodnights before going to sleep.

Not long after, you're in a deep slumber. The man slowly opens the door to the bedroom and peeks inside. You took the exact same things as he did before bed, but he also slipped something else into the mix to help you stay asleep. He walks over to the bed and puts his hands on your body, running them across your skin and lightly groping your tits through your shirt to test if you’re really asleep. You let out a little moan and shift your body so you're laying on your back, causing him to hold still and wait until your breathing turns back into quiet snores. Once it's safe, his fingers continue to graze around your nipples, more gently now than before so you don't wake up again. He feels the fabric draped over them begin to raise the longer he touches, as they get harder, then he lightly pinches and plays with them a bit before moving his gaze lower.

The covers are slowly pulled down to your knees, the thin oversized t-shirt he gave you pulled up slightly to reveal your panties. He runs a hand up the inside of your thighs, feeling your heat as he's pressed between them, before attempting to spread them apart and waiting for your reaction. Nothing. He moves your leg a bit more, as slowly as possible, trying to bring one knee up to give him an opening, until you shift again and let out another sound. It’s like you’re trying to say something in your unconscious state, but it just comes out as nonsense under your breath, your lips smacking together before you drift back into your dreams. The man just stares and admires your body while he touches himself, waiting again for a moment, stroking the stiff bulge through his sweats as he thinks of what he wants to try next.

Now that your legs are apart, he leans back in and pulls your panties to the side with one hand, while he presses two of his fingers against your pussy with the other, slowly rubbing up and down. Every few passes he stops towards the top and gently rubs in circles around your clit, causing you to softly moan before he slides his fingers back down again to be safe. Your body is getting more and more turned on as it’s being used, your mind completely oblivious to what’s happening. He nearly gets lost in the motion, repeating this over and over, as he imagines the things you could be dreaming about. His fingers spread you open, one moving to tease the entrance until it’s slick from how wet you’ve become, the other doing the same before both slip along the sides of your cunt, between your lips, spreading the wetness all over.

As the man runs his fingers back down, they hook into you, and you let out a sleepy moan from being stretched around his knuckles. He rocks his hand back and forth, rubbing inside you between breaks, waiting for you to make a sound, then continuing once your breathing confirms you're still asleep. The pads of his fingertips press firmly against your g-spot, and your hips subconsciously begin grinding into them, making him freeze up and watch as your slutty body pleases itself. He brings his head down to your crotch as you move, fingers still inside you, and slowly licks across your clit to see what you taste like. His lips purse around it and gently suck, while his deep moans ripple through your core.

The smell and taste of your pussy is intoxicating for the man. Finding himself getting carried away, he pulls back before you cum, just in case it causes you to wake up. Your breath has quickened, and even with his fingers out, your hips keep occasionally rocking forward like they're craving more. He can't tell if you're half awake or still asleep anymore, maybe you're dreaming of being fucked right now, being filled up and pumped into over and over. The thought makes his cock twitch and throb with excitement, but he decides to wait a few minutes for you to calm down before going any further.

At the head of the bed, under each side of the mattress, the man pulls up straps with cuffs at the end. They're attached to the back of the headboard, and just long enough to where your arms would have to be spread out first to reach them. He starts with your left one, which is down at your side, and carefully swings the limp weight upwards. You react as he's tightening the cuff around your wrist, a quiet noise escapes from your lips in between breaths, your body shifts and your leg straightens out again. The other arm is already above your head, but your hand is under the pillow. He slowly lifts it up, trying not to move your head too much in the process, and slides your hand out to bring it up towards the other cuff.

Now that you're restrained, the man moves to the foot of the bed, yanking off the covers before leaning over and grabbing the sides of your panties. He starts to pull them down over your hips, reaching under your ass and slightly lifting you up so they can slip down to your thighs. Still trying not to wake you, but less cautious than before, he makes quick, rough movements in between your stirs. The panties slide past your knees, over your calves, and off your feet easily, before he grabs your legs and forces them apart. You sleepily whisper something under your breath, and your body tries to move again, but you're held in place by the man, unable to adjust or change position.

His cock aches to be inside you, it pulses and jumps as the blood pumps into it, unable to get any harder. He brings his hips closer to yours, running the length of his shaft along your cunt, which is still wet from earlier, and pushes just the head inside. Another moan slips out, and he studies your face as he slowly pushes all the way in, filling you up. Your brow furrows, your lip quivers and your hips begin moving on their own once more. He pulls back out so just the tip is inside again, then in one slow movement pushes back into you until he bottoms out. Your breath gets heavier, and you let out a deep groan of satisfaction before you realize what's happening.

Your eyes squint open and you see the man on top of you come into focus, the feelings of pleasure and comfort instantly being diluted by fear and shock. You try to roll out from under him, but feel the soft cuffs tugging at your wrists locking you in place. Your next gut reaction is to kick your legs and try to push him away, but he easily pins them down under his knees. You try to scream out, but your sounds are quickly muffled as he shoves your panties into your mouth and keeps fucking you. They're soaked with your juices from earlier, and you can taste yourself as you’re begging for him to stop. The more you try to talk, the thicker your saliva gets as it coats your mouth.

The man starts to pound into you faster now, telling you how much your body wanted it and how wet you got earlier while he was fingering you. Your mind is reeling with conflicting thoughts because it feels so good, but you're being used against your will and feel so violated at the same time. You feel his cock churning inside you as you writhe under his weight trying to get away, even though you know it's hopeless. Tears start to fill your eyes and run down your cheeks, dripping down your neck and onto the pillow. You start to zone out and try to think about something else, but all you can focus on is how thick his cock is as it stretches you out and keeps hitting the same spot deep inside you over and over.

He yanks up the shirt you're wearing and starts to grope your tits while he's fucking you. Pinching your nipples and tugging at them while they bounce up and down with each thrust. You try not to moan in between your whimpering cries but it's hard to hold back with everything you're feeling. You've fantasized about something like this happening to you so many times when you were playing with yourself alone. Some part of you secretly loves it, that you're being taken and used as a toy, but you don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. In your head you're still going back and forth on how you should feel, you guys have talked about harder kinks before, but you didn't think he'd act on them tonight.

Noticing you're getting lost in your thoughts, he slows his pace down to long, single thrusts. Each time he pushes into you, he holds his cock there, while he rubs around your clit with his thumb, then repeats the motion. The back and forth rhythm is bringing you to the edge, you're still trying not to moan, but occasionally one slips out when he goes too deep. After a few minutes, you start to get frustrated from how slow he's going, a thought building in your head that you're trying to suppress. More. You want him to go faster the closer you get, but you refuse to move your hips. Your breathing gets more intense, you squirm back and try to pull away but there's no avoiding it.

Then, nothing. He stays still, your dripping cunt squeezing around him, holding his shaft inside of you. There's a long silence, the only sounds coming from his breath and yours. You scowl as he stares at you with a subtle smirk, teasing you and waiting to see if you'll move your hips. You were about to cum, but now you're back in your head again, weighing the idea of just giving in. You feel him throb over and over while you lie there, making you want to grind against him. You want to be his little fuckdoll for the night and let him use your holes and get off while he has you pinned down. No you don’t. He forced himself onto you, you didn't want any of this…but you thought about it earlier in the night. Maybe you even hoped this was going to happen when you decided to stay over.

Your hips start to rock back and forth slowly, spitefully. You keep eye contact as you grind against him, the scowl still on your face. He has a look of satisfaction in his eyes now, and releases your legs from under his knees before moving his hips in tandem with yours. Hands run across the inside of your thighs, slightly bruised from his weight, then he leans close to your ear to whisper something to you. Good girl. Those words are infuriating to hear, but at the same time you get little tingles down your spine, and your body betrays your mind as it suddenly moves faster to please the man in hopes of more praise. Maybe you're just a mindless pet who wants to be used and told what to do after all.

The man takes the panties from your mouth, telling you not to scream or he'll shove them back in. You resist lashing out, biting your tongue and grinding your hips against him more aggressively instead. He asks if this is what you wanted tonight. No. He asks again, this time lightly slapping your clit. NO. A harder slap this time makes you squirm backwards and let out a little whimper. Y-yes, you reluctantly reply. Yes, what? Another slap. Tears well up in your eyes again, before they roll down your cheeks. Part of you is seething, but you try to ignore it and drop into what you want instead. After a few more slaps, something inside you breaks, and you confess everything you thought about tonight. You wanted him to finger you in the car on the way here when he first picked you up. You wanted him to follow you into a bathroom while you were out and force you on your knees so he could use your throat until he came. You wanted to feel him ramming your tight little cunt while he had you bent over his counter before you both went to sleep earlier. You took the pills because you hoped you'd be drugged and used over and over while you slept.

You spill all of your desires and thoughts, revealing what a slut you are to the man. A feeling of regret instantly washes over you, then embarrassment, and shyness. He doesn't reply at first, he just grabs your hips and pulls you tightly against him. His cock plunges into your needy cunt as you desperately grind your ass against him, your unfiltered moans filling the room when he tells you what a good doll you've been for him tonight. His hand wraps around your throat as he rails you, and your head tips back in ecstasy as you finally let go. You tell him to fuck you harder in between breaths, and feel him change his angle until he's hitting the spot that sends a shock through your body and causes you arch your back. You beg him to please let you cum this time, you say it over and over, until he slaps you across the face and sticks his fingers in your mouth to silence you.

You mindlessly lick and suck on them as you're about to cum, after being denied so many times tonight already, you’re craving it so badly. All you can think about is how it's going to feel, your body starting to tense up, then releasing. Your pussy starts squeezing the man's shaft as he keeps going, your legs tightening around his body as you pull him against you. You bite firmly on his fingers as you let out a deep groan and melt into the bed, your lower body still being bounced up and down while he pumps into you. Your wrists tug against the straps and your eyes roll back, your mind going blank until you hear his breath start to quicken and his moans turn long and raspy. He bucks into you as fast as he can, ravaging your cunt until he's right at the edge, then stops. You feel his cock throbbing inside you, before his load shoots out in several bursts, filling you up. He does a few final deep thrusts, making his cum leak out and run down your ass, before pulling out.

The man moves up and straddles your chest now, pressing his swollen cock to your lips for you to take in your mouth and clean off. You obediently open wide and he shoves it to the back of your throat, causing you to gag as he grabs your hair and pulls your head against him. You can taste a mixture of his cum and your creamy cunt, as it coats your tongue, which is swirling around trying to lick as much as it can off his thick shaft. The length of it keeps forcing its way down your throat, making a drooly mess as he pumps in and out, escaping from the corners of your lips and running down your chin. Your eyes start to water again, tears roll down your face while you look up at him, and he tells you how pretty you look as your head bobs back and forth against him.

That's not really an answer. You frown.

"Why not?" you pressed.

"No one goes in there," she repeats. She's staring at you intensely, seeming to will you into dropping the matter. You force yourself to shrug, and the maid's expression lightens in relief.

How strange. But it's the only blip on an otherwise wonderful day, and you put the dark hallway and that mysterious door out of your mind for the moment.

The staff retires after around eight in the evening after checking that you have everything you need. You thank them, listening as their footsteps fade, leaving you alone for the first time since you arrived. Temptation tickles the back of your mind.

There would be no one to stop you if you checked out what was behind that door.

It's your castle, you reason as you make your way up a curving staircase. This is your home now, and you should know every part of it. After all, if it was dangerous, surely it would have been easier to just say so?

As you approach the door, it occurs to you that it may be locked. The idea irritates you. You have no interest in haranguing the staff into handing over the key. But the door opens easily as you turn the handle, gliding open on silent hinges. You'd expected an eery creek given the maid's earlier comment that no one ever comes in here. Maybe it was some sort of prank?

All thoughts flee your mind as you take in the splendour of the room. Moonlight streams in through the enormous windows, illuminating the room: it's a library. There are two floors to either side of you, the walls lined with shelves of books. Your hand flutters to your chest in amazement.

Any tiredness that may have been hovering at the edge of your mind abruptly flees. You plan on exploring every inch of this place. You step into the room, unsure where to start, when the door... shuts.

"Hello?" you call out, slightly spooked. No one answers. You glance over your shoulder at the door, step towards it to turn the handle again. It opens easily, just as it did the first time.

Oh. How strange. You shrug though, and then shut the door yourself. No use in getting startled again while you're looking around. You're considering where to start when something in the far right corner catches your eye.

It's a mirror.

A mirror in a library? Your curiosity is piqued, and walk over to examine it. The thick carpet beneath your feet muffles the sounds of your footsteps.

Your first thought is that it's beautiful. It's a tremendous piece, longer than you are tall and several feet wide The glass shines brightly, and you catch a glimpse of your own awestruck expression in the reflection. But what really captures you attention is the frame.

There, in burnished gold, the mirror is bordered by tentacles.

You take a step closer, and then another. You're close enough to run your hand over the intricate carvings, but hesitate for some reason. Pressing your lips together, you take another quick look over your shoulder at the door. There's no reason for it, you remind yourself. This is your home, and you can do whatever you like.

Movement from the corner of your eye.

You gasp, whipping around to stare at the mirror again. You could have sworn that the tentacles... had moved.

Impossible. The product of an overactive imagination. Of course you're a little bit jumpy, you reason. You're in the dark, in an unfamiliar place. Still, there's no reason to be afraid.

And to prove it to yourself, you boldly reach out to caress one of the tentacles with your fingertip.

The ground lurches beneath you and, before you know it, you're falling forward, into the mirror. A startled yelp escapes you as you're pressed right up against the cool glass.

That's when you see them. The tentacles are undulating, beautiful burnished gold limbs moving to capture your wrists and ankles in a vicelike grip. You struggle against the hold, more frightened cries spilling free.

This can't be happening.

But it is. Cool, slick tentacles tickle across your cheeks and ears, while others grope you over your clothes. They're gentle, though, curious more than anything, as though trying to learn the shape of you.

You tell yourself that you're dreaming. This whole experience has just been a strange dream, and all you need to do is wake up. Any minute now, you'll wake up.

Riiiiiip.

You give a startled shout as your clothes are shredded from your body, leaving you only in your underwear. The glass is cold against your skin, as are the tentacles exploring you, and you feel your nipples tighten in response. Tentacles glide over your skin, leaving a sticky residue behind. Everywhere they touch begins to tingle.

There's an answering wetness between your thighs.

No, no, no, no, no.

That's what you mean to say. You mean to shout and scream and kick and bite and thrash.

A needy moan escapes your mouth instead.

Thin tentacles slip beneath your panties. The touch is so light that you almost think you're imagining it. But something flicks you're clit, and pleasure flashes through you like quicksilver. You wrench against the tentacles.

Struggling to get away or spread your legs further? You're not sure.

The tentacles are getting bolder now. Some have slid around you, plump limbs slipping between you and the mirror. One thick tentalce glides down your belly while two or three travel upwards. You're beginning to sweat, and it eases the movement of the tentacles against you.

"P-please," you beg, gasping. Those thin tendrils continue to strum against your clit and it's making you desperate. Your hips grind down, searching for friction that those tentacles are too insubstantial to give you.

Your reaction seems to please them. The tentacles caressing you get slicker, and the one slipping down your tummy dips beneath your panties to join its brethren. But unlike those slim tentacles, this one bypasses your clit entirely.

It probes at your hole, teasing. You thrust backwards before you can stop yourself, groaning. A distant part of your mind is horrified by what is happening, but you're too far gone to care. You need something inside you now.

The tentacle presses inside of your soaking cunt in one long, seemingly endless push. Deep. It's so deep. And so fucking thick. Stretching you. All the while, those tiny tentacles continue to toy with your clit.

You cum.

The tentacle squirms inside you, twisting and thrusting, and it makes your eyes roll back in your head. You no longer wish to fight. Any thought of resistance evaporates; instead, you work with the tentacles, fucking yourself back against the one in your pussy.

Your cheek is pressed against the mirror, breath leaving little puffs of condensation against the glass. You feel something slick touch your bottom lip. While another of the tentacles had diverted to toy with your nipples, this one had travelled between your tits to linger at your mouth. Without thinking, your tongue darts out to taste the residue.

Delicious.

You open your mouth, and the tentacle glides along your tongue to the back of your throat without hesitation. The taste of it explodes in your mouth and you feel yourself gush around the tentacle in your cunt. You wish you could see yourself in the mirror, watch as you're taken from both ends.

Was your tummy bulging as the tentacle fucked you? You could already feel drool running down your chin. Would it reach your tits, slick the way for the next tentacle to take it's turn?

Time loses meaning. You cum again. And again.

And again.

You lose count of your orgasms. You wonder if any of the tentacles will cum inside you?

The thought is heady. You clench down further on the tentacle that's been fucking you relentlessly. You want it to. You want all of them to cum on and inside you. Fill you up and paint you with its seed.

You choke on the tentacle in your mouth as it speeds up, pressing deeper. Somehow, the tentacles seem to sense your new desperation. They thicken, thrust faster, harder.

Distantly, you feel something probing your asshole.

Yes.

It all seems to happen at once. The tentacle in your cunt stiffens for a moment before hot cum spurts inside you. And that's when the other tentacle pushes into your ass, spreading you wide to accommodate it's girth.

Your screams are muffled by the tentacle fucking your throat. It isn't long before that one is cumming too, filling you up with it's seed. You try desperately to swallow it all, but some inevitably escapes, dripping down your chin.

More.

The tentacles slip free from your mouth and cunt, but are quickly replaced by others. You accept them eagerly, already impatient to take more of their loads. They no longer need to hold you open to them. Once the tentacles at your wrists have released their grip, you reach down to hold yourself open to the ones fucking you.

You cum until you're almost dizzy from it. The tentacles cum inside you until their seed leaks from your holes and onto the thick carpet. Your skin is coated with their cum, slick and warm and tingling. Your belly is bulging from the both the tentacles fucking you and from the cum that's been released inside you.

No one goes in there, the maid had said.

"Right this way, 5X2. The doctor is running a bit behind, but if you'll just go into this examination room, they'll be with you shortly. Please have your host change into this medical gown... if you're able."

"Yes, thank you." The door clicked shut behind the receptionist as 5X2 looked around the small examination room. It looked like any other doctor's office, but they couldn't help but notice that the examination chair had formidable looking restraints on it. They supposed it was to be expected for a doctor who specialized in disorders of host control.

The far too lucid human noticed too, and all of its muscles tensed as it signaled to every corner of its body to escape, escape, escape. 5X2 had no choice but to inject yet another low dose of paralytics into its bloodstream, just to make sure it couldn't actually act on that misguided impulse. 

The paralytics kept the human from moving, but also meant that 5X2 had to do much more manual work puppeting its body, and they were so, so tired. With their host's clumsy fingers, they pulled off their shoes, shirt, and pants, and slipped on the flimsy medical gown. The human was expressing distress at having their physical form exposed, of all the ridiculous things. Sometimes 5X2 wished that its constant fears at least made sense. Instead, it was scared of the doctor, of being nude, even of the everyday, ordinary sight of other human hosts with their passengers atop their heads, tentacles nestled neatly in their ears and euphoric expressions on their faces.

I'm trying to help you, 5X2 conveyed through their psychic connection for what seemed like the billionth time this cycle.

All they got back in return was terror, anger, and the intense desire to go home.

We can go home after the appointment, 5X2 reminded it, beaming soothing images of their quarters, the cheery artificial sun lamp, their collection of exotic plants, their vibrant fiber arts, the beautiful view of stars from out of their window. Their host had always been calmed by these things in better days, but it wasn't working now. It didn't make any sense to 5X2 -- if it wanted to go home so badly, why didn't it respond to sensory landscapes of home? 

Surely it wasn't lucid enough to desire its human habitat...? The human habitat was a death world compared to the safety and comfort of the space station.

There was a knock on the door, and the doctor walked into the room. They carried an air of authority about them, perched on top of a petite human who moved with unusual grace. "Hello, 5X2," said the doctor in a kindly voice. "I understand you're here because you're having difficulty in controlling your human host. Is that correct?"

5X2 looked anywhere but at the doctor, pretending to be very interested in a cabinet full of jars of multi-colored fluids. "Ah, yes, that's correct."

"There's no need to be ashamed. There's a lot of unfair stigma attached to host difficulties, but I assure you that it's a far more common problem than you think. There's no judgement here. Please, tell me about what you've been experiencing."

"My human host is almost completely lucid for most of the cycle," 5X2 confessed, trying to suppress their waves of shame and sadness. "I can't keep it fully entranced, I can't soothe it, I can't even put it to sleep. It's constantly scared and stressed and won't stop filling its body with adrenaline."

"I see."

"I have to spend so much of my energy just keeping it from fully waking, and it's affecting my work and my social life. I can't even relax on my days off, because every time I let my guard down, it decides it's a good time to fight me," they said. "I love my host, but I'm at my limit. I can't go on like this. It's sick all of the time from stress hormones, and I'm constantly fatigued. If there's anything you can do, anything at all that would help..."

The doctor's host nodded sagely. "There's a number of common conditions that could cause symptoms like you're describing. If you don't mind, I'd like to take a blood sample from your host so we can run some lab tests while conducting the examination."

"Of course," said 5X2, holding out their host's arm while the doctor prepared a needle for the blood draw. As the needle grazed the host's skin, the human managed to wrest enough control to jerk backwards, irrationally panicked at the sight of the needle. "I'm so sorry. It's been especially determined to fight me on everything today."

"It's nothing to worry about. I see it all the time. Hosts can be smarter than we give them credit for -- it's probably realized that the doctor's appointment is for putting it back under."

"But why does it fight that? That doesn't make any sense -- doesn't it want to be calm and happy? Why would it want to be stressed and miserable?"

"Oh, it's not that it wants to be stressed and miserable. It's just the natural state of hosts that aren't fully entranced. It's not its fault that it's acting this way -- it just doesn't know any better," said the doctor. "To make the examination easier, it might be best if we strapped your host into the chair, if you don't mind the restricted mobility."

"Not at all. It'd be a relief to not have to suppress their impulses," said 5X2. Their human predictably howled with displeasure, scraping and clawing for any bit of control over its limbs as 5X2 fought its body into the chair and tried to hold it still as the doctor restrained it. It was even managing to resist the paralytics, utterly desperate to escape.

If this doctor couldn't help them, 5X2 was going to lose their mind.

With the host's body securely restrained, the doctor was finally able to take a blood sample. The human's consciousness was thrashing like a wounded dust-moth, but with their body secured, 5X2 could devote their whole efforts to dampening their mental distress.

"If you'll excuse me a moment, I'll bring this to the lab. We should get results in around ten deciclicks."

5X2 tried to relax in the chair as the doctor left the room, but of course their exhausting host was having none of it.

Why are you fighting so hard? they asked.

The answer was always the same.

I want to go home. I don't want to be a host. I don't want to be hypnotized again. Please let me go.

Incoherent nonsense. The poor, confused thing.

"All right, that's taken care of," said the doctor, entering the room and perching on a nearby stool. "Now, may I ask you some questions? How long have you been noticing these symptoms?"

"About a quarter star turn."

"I see. And have you previously sought help for them?"

"...No. I really should have, before it got to this point, but I was ashamed. I thought it was temporary, and that I could fix my host myself."

"At least you're here now. You're doing the right thing," said the doctor encouragingly. "How often does the human sleep?"

"Only once every few cycles, and for only a few clicks at a time. I can't keep it to anything resembling a schedule, either, and it doesn't seem to respond to sedation at all. The only mercy is that it often sleeps while I'm at work."

"And how do you normally soothe it?"

"I think I've tried just about everything. Before this all started, it was so easy -- a quick wash of sedative and neurotoxin, some soothing hallucinations, a little gentle urging of slumber, and it was out in a milliclick. It would normally sleep for half the cycle. But now, nothing works. Not toxins, not hallucinations, not psychic compulsions. It doesn't matter what I do, I simply cannot put it to sleep.  The only reason it sleeps at all is because its own consciousness turns itself off when it becomes too exhausted."

"You say it was easily controlled before?"

"Very much so. It took very well to deep trance, especially if I was listening to music. It enjoyed art and scenery and was calm as can be. I never imagined it was capable of so much anxiety."

"How close is its consciousness to the surface?"

"...Very. It's listening to everything we're saying. It might even be able to understand us. Well, as much as any host is capable of understanding."

"Has it ever become fully awake?"

5X2 hesitated.

"Please, don't be ashamed. I'm here to help you, but I need you to answer my questions honestly. Has it ever become fully awake?"

"...A handful of times," 5X2 admitted. "It didn't get very far before I was able to paralyze it and return it to my control, but... it was so terrifying, to feel my host wake, to take full control from me and do what it wished with its body."

"That's a very traumatic experience," said the doctor sympathetically. "Once we have the main issue sorted out, I recommend a visit to memory alteration to remove the unnecessary fear generation."

"Won't they judge me for losing control of my human?"

The doctor seemed lightly amused. "5X2, it's the memory alteration department. Don't you think they've seen far worse than that?"

"You're right, just a silly insecurity on my part," said 5X2, mirroring the doctor's amusement.

"Let me perform some quick examinations on your host's body while we have you here," said the doctor. "Your host is partially lucid and fearful right now, correct?"

"Extremely so," said 5X2, feeling the horrible squirm in their host's gut at the mention of the doctor examining it.

The doctor waved a small light in front of the human's eyes. "Pupils are very dilated. It's focusing clearly on my light, indicating a high degree of responsiveness. Dark circles indicate a dangerous lack of sleep, and the skin seems unusually flaky and dry. This all matches the symptoms you've described."

They moved around to 5X2's side, using the light to peer into its host's ear. "Everything looks healthy and normal here," they said, giving a slight tug to 5X2's left connector tentacle. "Connection seems firm. I assume it's enmeshed with the correct portions of the brain? You have at least six tendrils on each side of the frontal lobe, three in the parietal, and two in the occipital?"

"Of course, doctor."

"I know it sounds obvious, but I have to ask. Believe it or not, I've had more than one patient that neglected to enmesh the frontal lobe entirely. You can imagine what kind of a state their poor host was in."

"I'm amazed that anyone in this age is so ignorant. That sounds like torture for them."

"You're not wrong," said the doctor, clicking off their light. "From the outside, there doesn't seem to be any issues, but if we can't resolve the problem, we may need to do some scans to check that all of your tendrils are properly connected. It's uncommon, but there are certain disorders that prevent proper cohesion of tendril to host brain."

"I'll subject myself to any tests if it will help."

"I know how intensely uncomfortable it must be to have your host so wakeful, for both you and it," said the doctor. "I'm certain we can help you. It's extremely rare for this sort of problem to be beyond the reach of modern medicine."

A knock at the door, and the receptionist entered the room. "I have the results from the lab for you," they said, slipping out again quickly.

The doctor's host took the readout and looked it over, as 5X2 waited in anticipation and 5X2's host trembled in terror. Finally, there was a wave of satisfaction from the doctor. "I have good news for you, 5X2. The lab results may have given us an important clue to your problem."

"Truly? What is it?"

"You see here..." The doctor placed the readout in front of 5X2. It was full of miniature graphs and jargon that they didn't have a hope of understanding. "Most of the toxin levels in the human's blood were highly elevated -- no doubt due to your efforts to keep it under control -- but one in particular was abnormally low, almost undetectable."

"And that is?"

"In basic terms, it's a powerful hypnotic, the primary toxin used to keep the human mind asleep and docile. Without this important chemical, your host's mind is far more alert than it should ever be. That makes it less receptive to all of your efforts to soothe it, allows stress and fear hormones to build up in its delicate brain, and causes it to resist being put to sleep."

"And that's what's missing?" said 5X2, feeling waves of relief at having an answer.

"It would seem so. The absence of this hypnotic would make it next to impossible to keep a healthy human under trance. It's no wonder your efforts to sedate and entrance your host were fruitless. I'm honestly impressed you were able to walk into my office."

"Is there a cure?"

"There are a few different conditions that can cause this. To start with, I'm going to give you a prescription for a course of medication that should help promote the natural release of this chemical from your toxin glands. It has a few minor potential side effects, which the informational packet will describe."

"No side effects can possibly be worse than what I'm going through now. How long will that take to have an effect?"

"It should be at full strength in eight to ten cycles. We can see how you're responding, then, and I can advise you on a further course of treatment."

5X2 steadied themself. Eight to ten cycles. They could endure eight to ten more cycles.

"But in the meantime, we can simply inject your host with a big, healthy dose of the chemical cocktail it's been missing."

5X2's elation was almost drowned out by its host's panic and despair. "You can do that? You can do that right now?"

"Certainly," said the doctor, pulling a jar of translucent blue liquid from a shelf. "Let me prepare the injection. It's all natural and safe for both of you. I'm sure you're both eager to get some reprieve from fighting each other."

"And I'll be able to put my host to sleep? To keep it under trance?"

"With this extra strength, time release formula, it should be well out of it for the next few cycles, exceedingly simple to control. You can both finally get the rest you need."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, you don't know how much of a relief that is."

No! No, no, no! the human was screaming through their connection. Don't let them inject me with that! Let me go! I want to go home! I need to wake up -- I need to --

"I need to wake up!" 

5X2 felt their consciousness suddenly cut off from their host's body as the human woke. It pulled at the restraints, trying to get its hand free.

"Please let me go! Don't do this!" the human yelled, as the doctor looked on with curiosity.

"Oh, you're awake? Now, now, we're only trying to help you," said the doctor. "Aren't you tired of fighting? Aren't you scared and hurting?"

"I'm scared and hurting because of what you're doing to me! This isn't right! Humans aren't meant to live like this -- you've taken my entire life from me!" Tears streamed down its face. "You're a doctor -- if you have any compassion at all, please listen to me! We don't want to be hypnotized and turned into puppets. We don't want to spend our whole lives sleeping and hallucinating and floating along in a mindless trance. We want to be free!"

The doctor patted its head. "I know this must all seem so scary to you, but it's only because of a chemical imbalance. That's why your passenger brought you here to the doctor, to help you. Your passenger loves you very much and only wants the best for you. Do you understand?"

"No, I don't want this. This is wrong -- please listen!"

"You're going to feel so much better in just a few minutes. I promise. Just trust me," said the doctor, their host easily pinning down 5X2's host's restrained arm and administering the injection. 

"No, please!" 5X2's host struggled uselessly against the tight restraints, its panic reaching a fever pitch, as 5X2 sat in their own mind and watched. "Please! Please listen! Let me go! Let me... go..."

The human host's body relaxed, sagging against the restraints as its control over itself suddenly diminished. 5X2 could feel a lovely sense of peace wash over their host, a sensation they hadn't felt in a quarter star turn. 

5X2, eager to take back its host, sent deep, hypnotic compulsions to fog its host's mind, to sink it into a pleasant daze, to pull it back under their control, and they were delighted when the host responded swiftly and easily. All of that fight, that fear, that anger began to evaporate like mist as 5X2 gently soothed its host into a trance.

You want to be a good host, 5X2 coaxed. You want to stop resisting. You want to weaken your feeble mental defenses and let me in.

I want to... Their host's thoughts were faltering and slow, easy to manipulate, just as they should be. I want to be a good host... want to let you in... want to drop my defenses... stop resisting...

Yes, that's right. Lower those defenses. You're safe, completely safe. You can relax now.

There was only a slight hesitation before the response. Safe... relax...

 5X2 felt the human's resistance melt away, leaving its mind like soft clay in their grasp.

Finally.

5X2 rewarded their host's compliance with a pleasant vision of the ship's recreation district, filled with laughter and games and live music, one that their host used to be fond of before it became impossibly defiant. Their host latched onto the familiar, mollifying hallucination right away, like a young one with its comfort-toy.

Fun... pretty...

Yes, it is fun and pretty, said 5X2. You deserve it, because you're being very good right now. Aren't you glad I took you to the doctor?

Feels... hazy...

And isn't that good?

Mmhmm... good... so good... thank you...

"How is it feeling now?" asked the doctor. "Any better?"

"Oh, yes, that was absolutely brilliant," said 5X2. "It's completely docile and enjoying its favorite hallucination right now. I can't thank you enough."

"Excellent. I'm just glad that worked. I'll make an appointment for you ten cycles from now, and give you the prescriptions for the medication I recommend, along with a course of injectables to keep your host nice and compliant. It shouldn't give you any more trouble."

"That sounds perfect."

"I recommend putting your host to sleep for the next cycle. It must be so fatigued after all of that pointless struggle, and a prolonged period of rest will help it to reacclimate to your control."

"I don't think I need to worry about the last part," said 5X2 gleefully. "It seems so relieved to be back under. But I agree that it needs sleep. Maybe I can get some sleep too."

5X2's host was already flooded with the injected sedative, so they sent a simple but strong compulsion to lull it asleep. Its exhausted mind responded right away, filling it with a deep, irresistible drowsiness, its remaining thoughts dulling and fading as it drifted away peacefully. The cheerful hallucination of the recreational zone would give it pleasant dreams. 5X2 couldn't remember the last time their host had been so quiet, not a hint of stress or nightmares.

It was so charming to feel their delightful host curling up comfortably in its own mind and going to sleep. It reminded 5X2 of how much they loved their host, before everything had gone wrong.

"It worked," said 5X2 in awe.

"Asleep already? I thought so. It was so worn out."

"Thank you again, doctor, for all of your help. My host wanted to thank you, too, before it fell asleep. I can tell that it already feels so much happier."

"It's my pleasure." The doctor released 5X2's host from the chair. 

5X2 stood up, shedding the medical gown and putting the host's clothes back on its body. Control was simple and seamless now, the host's body moving exactly in accordance with 5X2's wishes. They could hardly believe what a difference a little chemical persuasion made. With their newfound freedom, a part of them wanted to go out and indulge in all of the fine pleasures they had missed out on for so long -- but really, they knew it would be far more prudent to go home and sleep.

They'd do that after they picked up those prescriptions, of course. They weren't going to let a simple chemical imbalance ruin their life any more.

Masterlist

It's always the weirdest things you need to get out of your system, right? I don't know where this came from, but I'm tempted to write more about this alien parasite society. Like how they acquire humans, and how other pairs are doing...