The air was thick with the scent of incense and something far more metallic -something fresh, something alive~. The dim glow of lanterns flickered against the walls of the secluded chamber, casting long, twisting shadows that seemed to move on their own. Or perhaps that was just the things inside the jars.

Xue Pan stood before you, his amber eyes burning with a feverish intensity, his gray skin almost luminous in the half-light. His braids, adorned with those ridiculous orange bows, slithered like restless serpents as he tilted his head, a grin splitting his face wide open.

"Ahhh~... Finally," he crooned, voice dripping with honeyed madness. "Just you and me. No distractions. No interruptions." His fingers twitched toward one of the talisman-covered jars at his waist, the paper seals rustling like whispered promises. "Isn't this nice?"

The room itself seemed to pulse in response, the jars lining the shelves trembling as if eager to join the conversation. Or maybe they were just hungry. It was hard to tell with Xue Pan -his idea of "sharing" usually involved entrails.

"You know," he mused, stepping closer, his loafers scuffing against the wooden floor, "I could just keep you in a jar. Would you like that~? Preserved forever, all for me. No one else would ever touch you." His laugh was a jagged thing, sharp enough to draw blood. "Or maybe I'd let you out sometimes. To play."

One of the jars on the shelf shuddered, a wet, gurgling sound bubbling from within. Xue Pan didn't even glance at it.

"Of course," he continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "you might resist at first. They all do. But then they see how devoted I am. How far I'm willing to go." His fingers brushed against your cheek, cold as grave dirt. "And then they understand."

A sudden crack echoed through the room as one of the jars split open, a thick, black ooze spilling out. Something with too many teeth and not enough eyes writhed within the sludge, its form barely contained by the laws of nature. Xue Pan sighed, exasperated.

"Ugh. Rude." He flicked his wrist, and the creature let out a wet screech before dissolving back into the jar, the crack sealing itself with a grotesque squelch. "No manners at all."

Turning back to you, his expression softened-or at least, it tried to. There was still something deeply wrong in the way his lips curled, like he was imagining how you'd look with your ribs rearranged into a bouquet.

"But you," he breathed, "you're different. You get me. You see me. And that's why I'll keep you safe. Even if I have to tear apart every other living thing in this wretched world to do it~."

The lanterns flickered again, plunging the room into near-darkness for a heartbeat. When the light returned, Xue Pan was closer, his breath ghosting over your skin, his grin a slash of white in the gloom.

"So... what do you say~? Will you be mine? Or do I have to convince you?"