Belladonna Cooper had never been to Colorado before. It simply had never come up in her travels. It had been an impulsive decision to fly out to go to a hypnosis event. Prior to her recent divorce she would have never imagined herself going to such an event. She did not know if she was ready.

 

“Just come.”

 

Her old friend, Dove, had invited her.

 

She had a thousand and one reasons not to go. She wasn’t ready. She had only been publicly out of the closet for a week. She hadn’t signed the papers to cement her separation. She wanted to debut when she was more comfortable in her feminine presentation. She wanted to build more online connections before she began showing up to IRL events.

 

They were all bullshit.

 

For every reason she could deliver not to go, Dove could deliver two that said that she should. She had spent the past 10 years in a controlling marriage that would not allow her to have personal friendships, she was not allowed to openly take pride in her interest in hypnosis, she was staying with friends who could use a little alone time, she needed to hear people call her by her chosen name, she needed to be away from the town where her ex lived.

 

She needed this.

 

“Just come.”

 

And so she did.

 

As the taxi pulled up to the hotel Belladonna saw Kayleigh standing at the entrance. Kayleigh had been one of the very few personal friends Belladonna had managed to make in the twilight of her marriage. She also held the prestigious title of being the first person in Belladonna’s life who had never once called her Ben.

 

“Hiiiii!” she sang, rushing up to grant a swift hug and take Belladonna’s luggage from her, “I hope the flight was okay.”

 

Kayleigh was wearing a billowing summer dress with stockings. Given the context of the event Belladonna could tell the intention was to make her look the part of a toy doll. A role that suited her well. Belladonna had never seen Kayleigh in attire like this. The last time the two of them had met was in a much more casual and public facing setting. Here, Kayleigh wore a collar that bore a tag noting that she was owned and claimed by Dove.

 

It was the first time in Belladonna’s life she had ever seen anyone wear such a thing and here she was in a fairly public area wearing it like it was no big deal at all.

 

This was a completely different world than anything Belladonna had ever known. It made her feel light headed. The frigid winter air that had been stinging her face was forgotten against the force of intimidation dominating her nerves.

 

Perhaps a little more stiffly than Belladonna would have hoped, the two exchanged pleasantries and Kayleigh led her friend into the hotel. All the while Belladonna’s eyes rapidly scanned the people mingling the halls. Regular humans to the naked eye and yet there was an electricity that she felt at conventions and concerts in the past. Little clues made it apparent to anyone who spoke the common language: a graphic tee-shirt, a collar, a decorative sticker or pin.

 

These were her people. She was certain that she could start a conversation with “what’s your favorite induction?” and be met with animated discussion over the benefits of a progressive relaxation Elman approach versus an indirect Ericksonian approach. In the real world the topic alone would have been odd and confusing.

 

She felt unalone in her obsession, perhaps for the first time in her life. Until now, in offline interaction, even those closest to her had tolerated the topic with skepticism, barbs and a mixture of discomfort and disinterest.

 

The first stop was the check-in station, run by a helpful person that Belladonna recognized from the community message board. She got her badge that proudly displayed her new name. Belladonna. Decorations littered the table and she selected a trans pride flag to place on the badge.

 

She felt accepted. She felt at home. She noticed that Kayleigh’s own badge, reading “DozyDaydreamer”,  had a similar flag.

 

It bolstered her spirits.

 

Down a flight of stairs Kayleigh hurried over to a gathered circle of con-goers. Belladonna followed and saw the person that Kayleigh knelt down before.

 

“There she is!” Dove cried out, waving Belladonna close.

 

Belladonna’s ears burned. She was still getting used to the feminine pronoun. Hearing it offered without any hesitation made things feel easier than she had feared.

 

“Hello, Dove. I’m here!” she shyly tried, shuffling on the spot outside the orbit of the circle, “Thank you for inviting me.”

 

“You needed this.” Dove stated flatly, “And it’s where you should be.”

 

Belladonna slid to the ground, just outside the circle.

 

Dove introduced her to the group. A few of those gathered were names that she recognized from the online message boards. Two were even prominent content creators. Within the scope of the convention community they were practically celebrities.

 

A few people seemed to recognize Belladonna’s screenname when Dove announced it but there was little fuss made. Her presence was an accepted norm. Dove knew too much attention focused on a shy newcomer would make them withdraw so she just let her ease into the atmosphere.

 

The conversation flowed from topic to topic. Hypnosis and mind control were not even the focus, Dr. Who and Terry Pratchett seemed much more important for this social gathering. That baffled Belladonna. She had waited her whole life to be surrounded by people who shared her niche interest and when she finally found herself in a room with them…

 

They were just nerds like her?

 

Just as Belladonna was adjusting to the mundane reality of this casual conversation her eyes fell upon Kayleigh who was resting her head against Dove’s lap. At that moment Dove firmly planted a hand to her forehead and all the tension and stability in Kayleigh’s body melted away in an instant. To say she ‘ragdolled’ would perhaps be too literal.

 

Dove smiled warmly as she held the human doll’s limp and lifeless form against her, petting her so absently. Belladonna was struck by how lifeless her form had become. It was like one touch had turned her into the doll she dressed as.

 

Kayleigh’s eyes fluttered. Her lips parted and the corner of her mouth glistened with a little bit of drool.

 

Belladonna had never seen someone so casually hypnotized in her life and everyone around her was just talking like nothing had happened.

 

She was feeling overwhelmed.

 

“GOOD HUMAN!?”

 

The voice cried from the stairs and though she had no reason to assume it was referring to her, the excitement and volume was enough to attract Belladonna’s attention. She turned her head and a spirited young woman bound down the stairs towards the group at full force.

 

She came to a stop right before Belladonna, beaming at her. Belladonna just blinked back, her shyness growing all the more powerful.

 

“...hi?” she shyly tried, feeling trapped and confused within the spotlight of this human’s attention.

 

“Bell, yes?” the woman asked, brimming with enthusiasm, “You are good person and if you like hugs I would like to give you one.”

 

Belladonna gave the excited newcomer a look over. She did not recognize her from any images that she had seen on the forums, but there was one thing that she did recognize. Her badge read “KeladryMindle”. It was a name that was instantly recognizable to Belladonna. She was a prominent figure in many of the online hypnosis circles. Once recognition dawned upon her she broke out into a wide and unguarded grin. 

 

The vague notion of KeladryMindle, via reputation and her online avatar of a plush toy, did not prepare Belladonna for the tall and fit woman who so casually wore a smile with the radiance of the sun itself.

 

She leaned forward and traded a hug, Kel’s grip was firm and warm. The kind one saves for old friends who haven’t been seen in an age. Belladonna, feeling unworthy of such enthusiasm, began rifling through her mind attempting to pull up memories of interactions they had in the past. She found herself having difficulty thinking clearly at all. The more she tried to grasp onto recollection the more her mind tried to convince her that they had never interacted.

 

“Wow, I– I don’t know what to say, I can’t believe you know who I am?” Bella was blushing as she spoke, eyes magnetized to the floor, “It’s nice to meet you, Keladry.”

 

“Of course I know who you are! You’re one of the only other ace people in the community and you talk about theory so passionately.”

 

Belladonna blinked, attempting to remember what posts she had made about theory that would have caught attention. Nothing was coming to mind.

 

“I didn’t know you knew who I was, let alone care enough about me for this kind of greeting?”

 

Kel grinned, “Well I’ve always had a soft spot for you. Even as far back as the IRC days. You kind of stood out because–”

 

Belladonna blinked. Memories rushed back to her mind.

 

“Because of my surname.” she said, finishing off Kel’s thought.

 

She had completely forgotten that she had an IRC account and went by her legal surname in those spaces, but the memory blossomed to the surface once she was presented with proof of the event. An experience that was becoming a common occurrence for her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BekaValentine: did you miss me asking if i could pm, or do you just not want to be bothered? :P

ADFBrainerd: Oh sorry ^^; I didn't notice

ADFBrainerd: I apologize

BekaValentine: totally ok.

BekaValentine: it's talkative tonight.

BekaValentine: just wanted to offer to answer any questions you ever have here as best as i can. :)

BekaValentine: be that about people, the room in general, whatever :)

BekaValentine: also to ask what you're looking for to possibly recommend people you might want to talk to.

 

 

ADFBrainerd: Haha! I'm not entirely sure– I switch from side to side at the drop of a hat

ADFBrainerd: atm I'm in a subject mood

ADFBrainerd: but there are times where I'm in a dommy mood

ADFBrainerd: I guess I flit and flirt from side to side?

BekaValentine: Are you male? female?

ADFBrainerd: I'm good either way :)

ADFBrainerd: Not really that important in my world

ADFBrainerd: Though I play the part of a guy IRL

BekaValentine: Fair enough.

 

 

ADFBrainerd: And out of subtle curiosity? (with no intent beyond getting to know you) what are your interests in hypnosis?

BekaValentine: I'm here for FUN! :D Though I often find myself lingering in chat to discuss bouts of nerdiness

ADFBrainerd: For me, I just love the fantasy side of hypnosis, crafting a dreamscape with another person; being able to experience things which are... well, not possible. Trigger training is also a WHOLE lot of fun :D

BekaValentine: i just like hypnosis. a lot. and i'm not sure why.

BekaValentine: but, yeah, triggers are AWESOME

ADFBrainerd: Tis cool, I shall have to speak with you more often, it would seem. I do happen to speak fluent nerd :D

BekaValentine: i like the submission, mostly. and the relaxation/turning my mind off.

BekaValentine: i dunno, it's just attractive to me in and of itself.

BekaValentine: always has been.

ADFBrainerd: *Nods* I entirely understand.

BekaValentine: honestly, it always got a reaction from me, even before I knew what sex was

 

 

ADFBrainerd: Since my teen years the sight of a woman with her head sunk into her chest lazily lifting her arm up into the air has got a reaction from me. These days it's the blank and rigid stance that makes my breath bait.

 

 

ADFBrainerd: ---wow. That sounds really messed up when you see it in writing…

BekaValentine: teen years? I was ... 4 ... the first time i came across hypnosis in anything, and it got a bit of a reaction from me then. not that i realized what that was.

BekaValentine: eh, not too much. :P

BekaValentine: well, not to me.

BekaValentine: and then at some point i stumbled across clips of the Master and Sarah Jane...

BekaValentine: mmmmm

ADFBrainerd: Oh my goodness. Well you certainly know thyself better than I could ever dream to know myself :)

ADFBrainerd: Aaah... good old Doctor Who. A fountain of hypnofun.

BekaValentine: :D

BekaValentine: "if you are an alien, how come you sound like you're from the north?" :P (okay, okay, not classic who, but still)

ADFBrainerd: I bumped in to a fan at my workplace and said what I shall say to you now "In England, you are born and shown flashcards of the Doctors before the letters of the alphabet"

ADFBrainerd: DAT ONE'S TOM BAKER!

BekaValentine: *laughs*

ADFBrainerd: Oh very very cool :)

BekaValentine: yeah :)

BekaValentine: nice and warm for Midwestern winters

BekaValentine: (hence why i know Brainerd as well as I do, I stopped by on a family vacation)

 

 

 

BekaValentine: but that was a few years back, when i was in high school

BekaValentine: junior year, i think

ADFBrainerd: Wow. You know, maybe it was the Doctor Who or your general maturity and the fact I'm looking up to you as someone of more experience, but I never would have guessed you were out of school so recently.

BekaValentine: i’m in college now, actually

ADFBrainerd: Would have never guessed…

 

 

BekaValentine: i know Doctor Who 1) 'cause Dad watched it growing up and had some books he read to us as bedtime stories when i was little and 2) 'cause my brother made me watch "Rose" and i got hooked

BekaValentine: i have older siblings, but they never learned to take care of themselves, so i had to, growing up

ADFBrainerd: Certainly shows :)

BekaValentine: especially since mum spent a few years splitting her time between home and her job which was a few hours away; she'd only be home 2 or 3 days a week.

ADFBrainerd: I have the lack of female figure thing in my life, though. Mum and dad divorced when I was 8 and dad won custody. Went to an all male military school after that.

BekaValentine: :(

BekaValentine: ugh

BekaValentine: i thought it was hard enough only seeing mum a few nights a week; that must have been bad.

ADFBrainerd: Not that I wanted to make this a contest, in fact I feel bad that it came off that way.

ADFBrainerd: Was just mentioning my upbringing as way of keeping the topic going…

BekaValentine: it didn't. i'm just bad at expressing what i mean

BekaValentine: i was offering sympathy more than anything

BekaValentine: >_<

 

 

ADFBrainerd: Na! It's fine!

ADFBrainerd: Seriously! Please don't worry

ADFBrainerd: I'm sorry

BekaValentine: So where are you from? country-wise that is

ADFBrainerd: I started off in England until a few years ago when I moved to Chicago

BekaValentine: Chicago?! why Chicago? :P

BekaValentine: :P

ADFBrainerd: Well, it's just where fate dropped me. My wife lived there so it seemed the best place to start.

BekaValentine: sorry, i'm nosy.

ADFBrainerd: It's totally okay. I promise, I will answer any question.

ADFBrainerd: In fact, test that if you wish. All answers. All honesty.

BekaValentine: feel free to tell me it's none of my business. i was just curious.

ADFBrainerd: It's really okay :)

BekaValentine: thanks! :D

BekaValentine: i think this stuff is fun. :)

ADFBrainerd: Anywho. It has been an unparalelled delight meeting you and I hope to speak with you and the room more often in the future :)

BekaValentine: ditto! :)

BekaValentine: have a good rest of your night!

ADFBrainerd: And you

 

 

 

 

A full decade later, ADFBrainerd and BekaValentine stood facing one another, having given a long overdue hug. Time may have switched their usernames to Belladonna and KeladryMindle but they were the same people they had always been.

 

Belladonna wondered how she could have possibly forgotten. She’d not thought about the IRC rooms in years.

 

But even without the IRC, they had migrated from place to place over the years between that initial meeting and that moment. From IRC to Fetlife to Tumblr to Discord. Every change let the continuity and closeness of the connection dilute, until Belladonna had lost track of who was behind the changed usernames.

 

Kel certainly seemed to know that Belladonna and ADFBrainerd were the same, however.

 

“Mhmm!” Kel chirped, “I’m so glad I thought of reaching out to you. The name was just too much of a good coincidence. Now I have more than one good memory to think of whenever I see that name.” she took a moment to note the circle and a particular beaming face watching this scene unfold, “So are you here with Dove’s group?”

 

Dove was grinning ear to ear, drinking in the emotions evident in the air, “Oh, don’t mind me, I’m just happy to see two very good people finally get a chance to meet. I’ve known Bell since before she moved to America.”

 

Belladonna had a moment of fear that she was going to add something gender related to the ‘before’ qualifier. She was delighted that it was instead attached to her obvious accent.

 

The discussion became animated and bolstered by the acceptance of an enthusiastic connection who seemed eager to include her in the conversation, Belladonna settled in and the barrier between herself and the people surrounding her melted away.

 

More people joined as the lobby filled with hypnosis enthusiasts. What had begun as a circle of friends had become an impromptu pre-con party. Belladonna was shy for the most part but drank in the atmosphere with a smile.

 

It was when the topic turned to induction types that she began to truly brighten up.

 

“No, no, no, there are no advantages to text inductions! If you’re doing a scene you work with what you have. Text can work but it should never be anyone’s go-to.”

 

The speaker was an older man who spoke with assumed authority. His volume was a little unrestrained. Belladonna recognized the mannerism as someone who was not used to being allowed to talk about this and was letting excitement override social courtesy. There was a tickling of annoyance at the back of her mind but she had learned to turn off those emotions.

 

She was used to scrutinizing her impulses and forcing context on them to keep her head clear. She just wished that inconvenient impulses were not grabbing her at this time.

 

“Oh? Is that true for everyone?” Kel asked in a civil tone, “Because people don’t all have the same preferences.”

 

“Are you telling me that you’d do a text induction here at the con when you have voice and touch based available?” the man, whose badge read “The Ping Ring”, argued.

 

Kel was about to bounce back but Belladonna found the words leaving her lips before she could process, “Why not?”

 

Kel was ready to continue on but she was interested to hear what Belladonna had to say and gave her the floor. Ping turned his attention from Kel to Belladonna, seeming skeptical.

 

“No, I’m serious. Why not? This is my first event. I’ve only ever worked with text. Is it really such a weird idea to want to lean into my strengths when I do in-person work for the first time?”

 

“Well you’re not going to get experience by not trying!” Ping shot back, “And you’d look pretty dumb staring at your phone in the middle of conspace.”

 

Belladonna shook her head, “Dozy’s looking at her phone right now!” her words coming out a little more heated than she intended.

 

Kayleigh, hearing her screen name, looked up from her phone and blinked at the group. “Hmm?” She was still on the floor leaning against Dove’s legs, not daring to stray too far from her Goddess.

 

Belladonna grinned a wicked grin, the type she could only possibly aim at a friend she had known for a while, “Oh nothing… I was just mentioning how absorbed you were in your phone. How if some playfully hypnotic words appeared on the screen, you’d be drawn right in and no one would even notice the difference between you scrolling socials and being brainwashed.”

 

Kayleigh shrank into herself, “...that would be nice…!” she whimpered.

 

“Are you sure you’ve never done an in-person trance before?” Kel asked, seeing the energy emitting from Belladonna and quite certain that such confident flirting would need practice. “Because, that tone.”

 

Ping was still unimpressed, “But that’s more proof. You’re right here. Why not just speak the induction. It’d be more enjoyable for both parties!”

 

“There’s a difference between flirting and doing a full induction.” Donna stated, “I’ve tranced Dozy via text a ton of times, I’ve never done it in voice. There’s familiarity in my approach.”

 

“...I think voice would work just fine…” Kayleigh helpfully added.

 

“What about using the text to bolster or lead into an induction?”, the suggestion came from Kel, who was intrigued by this new idea and likely did not enjoy the vibe of someone steamrolling their opinion over others, “Like you could go back and forth?”

 

“Right!” Belladonna exclaimed, emboldened by the support, “Like… I have difficulty finding my words when I’m on the spot but I am so practiced with typing that I wouldn’t be stuck in my own head about it. Plus, I think I could use the associations to help make new ones.”

 

“...could you?” Kayleigh asked, “I mean… I’m okay trying if you are. I wanted to do some play with you this weekend, anyway.”

 

Belladonna looked to the group. Not all of them were engaged in this particular conversation but she still wanted enthusiastic and informed consent from everyone, “If you all wouldn’t mind? I believe it could be a fun first time for an in-person trance.” she then looked directly at Dove, “May I?”

 

Dove smiled a smile that said that this was the correct action and was well appreciated, “You may. If everyone else is okay with it?”

 

The group of about 9 consented to the demonstration and Belladonna plucked a bluetooth keyboard from her bag and set it on her lap with her tablet close by. 

 

“Okay, Dozy.” she was quick to remind herself not to use Kayleigh’s legal name if she could help it. She wasn’t used to it but this was no different than calling her old roleplay friends by character names at the gaming table, “I’ll bring you down. Make you repeat a few things and just focus on depth and relaxation. Do you have any concerns or requests?”

 

She thought about it seriously for a moment, Dove always made sure her Chosen were careful with what they consented to, especially when playing outside of the polycule, “Nope. I think we’re good.”

 

“Are you sure? You can always say you’re uncomfortable at any time.”

 

“I’m sure.”

 

“Okay, then… Let’s start.”

 

Kayleigh looked expectantly at Belladonna. The sweet girl seemed so gentle and eager, a trait that Belladonna would come to know was routine whenever Kayleigh was offered the opportunity to trance.

 

Belladonna’s fingers danced over the keys and Kayleigh’s phone buzzed. She had a mind to ignore the distraction before her friend’s eyebrows raised in a manner that silently urged her to go ahead.

 

BellC: Focus on the phone.

 

A smile broke on Kayleigh’s face and she was about to look back to Belladonna when the device vibrated in her hand.

 

BellC: Don’t you DARE look away.

 

The redhead’s fingers rapidly clacked across the keyboard and she let out a murmur of satisfaction.

 

BellC: That’s right.

BellC: Good dolly.

BellC: Eyes.

BellC: On.

BellC: This.

BellC: Eyes on MY words.

BellC: Drink them in.

BellC: As you have done so many times.

BellC: Knowing I am right here.

BellC: Watching.

BellC: Waiting.

BellC: Guiding you.

 

“That’s right…” she purred, watching her friend’s eyes fixate upon the screen. She had long imagined what Kayleigh looked like when she typed these inductions over Discord. This was better than she had hoped. Her eyes glistened, rapidly glazing, aided by the fact she had been trancing against Dove prior to this demonstration. Her lips gently parted and she guided the screen closer to her face as if she wanted the words to become all she was able to see.

BellC: We’ve done this so many times before.

BellC: You know what it means when I ask you to blink.

 

She looked up to confirm and Kayleigh automatically obeyed, closing her eyes a beat and then opening them, just as she had been trained to do in their prior sessions.

 

BellC: Good girl.

BellC: Doing it just like that.

BellC: You know what it means when I type blink.

BellC: And you do.

BellC: You blink for me.

BellC: And every single time you blink.

BellC: You slip a little deeper into trance.

BellC: You let go a little bit more.

BellC: Fractionated.

BellC: Fading.

BellC: Controlled.

BellC: Docile.

BellC: Obedient.

 

The atmosphere of the little circle had become absorbed by this display. The only sound in the air was the clacking of Belladonna’s fingers on her keyboard and the gentle whimpers of Kayleigh as the hypnotic words pressed her buttons as Belladonna knew they would. They had spoken a lot about word preferences. Belladonna was a quick study. She had tailored her patter around the words guaranteed to make her friend open up and whimper like this.

 

BellC: Good Dolly.

BellC: You do this so well.

BellC: Blink for me again.

BellC: Blink for me and lose yourself for me.

BellC: You’re such a good dolly when you follow along like this.

BellC: Aren’t you, dear?

 

“Yes Miss Donna…”

 

Barely perceptible but she could see her lips move. Belladonna had expected her to type it. But there it was. Spoken aloud. Gentle and yet flooded with submission and yearning.

 

Ping had been right about one thing. It was better in person. Voice chat was not able to pick up those quiet little tremors, those private little squeaks which convey such vulnerability.

 

Miss Donna could get used to this.

 

Still. It was text trance that had opened this gate. Hopefully she was doing a good job displaying why only sticking to the most obvious means of induction was limiting for no good reason.

 

Feeling the text portion of the demonstration had accomplished its intended purpose, she placed the keyboard aside and crawled towards her mesmerized friend.

 

“May I touch?” she asked. It was not good ethics to ask permission while the hypnotee was entranced and she felt guilty for not negotiating this sooner but she was flying by the seat of her pants and felt it was better to ask late than not at all.

 

Kayleigh nodded her head gently and let out a sighing ‘uh-huh’

 

Miss Donna gently took her hand and guided it and the phone it held to her side. Kayleigh took this as permission to go completely limp and so she allowed herself to flop against Dove, who gave an encouraging smile that was glowing with compersion.

 

“There you go…” Miss Donna softly cooed, “Shifting until you’re comfortable…”

 

She had dreamed of doing this so many times in her life. She had dabbled with voice chat but dysphoria had always kept her from preferring it. She had the words. They appeared through text just fine. She just needed to push them through her lips instead of her fingers.

 

“Focus on my voice now, dolly…” and the thought of her voice was making it all the more obvious to her own ears. It made her heart race and the discomfort was throwing her concentration off. Her thoughts were disrupted. She was grasping for the next line of her inner script and could only find nothing.

 

From the void of her mind came the thought of how Milton Erickson’s instant inductions used fight or flight as a method of bypassing critical thinking. It’s why people draw a blank when asked questions on the spot. It’s why a person who has practiced something a thousand times could find themselves in a situation where they have to think about every action and cannot remember the steps. It’s why athletes choke under pressure. They get so stuck in their head that they cannot ride their muscle memory and perform the actions thoughtlessly.

 

She took a deep breath, let herself ride the sensation and just acted.

 

Words flowed from her lips. If she was asked later Belladonna may not have been able to tell anyone what she said, but she found herself performing. It was a familiar sensation. Something she did during tabletop sessions. During speeches at her job. During moments of crisis like a car crash. Flowing along with this feeling felt right, it felt natural. 

 

In that moment, surrounded by eyes watching her work magic on Kayleigh, she was riding a high and discovering how good she was when she got out of her own way.

 

She couldn’t recall how long the scene lasted but was certain that she had been careful and kind and didn’t push boundaries.

 

When it was over and Kayleigh was no longer in trance she took the moments of aftercare to ground herself. Breathe. Hold it. Release. Feel the floor. Roll the shoulders. Take note of the surroundings. Listen to the sounds of the room.

 

Kayleigh hugged her friend as tightly as she could and begged to do another session later in a more comfortable setting. Dove just let out a bright “Wow. That was fun.”

 

The high didn’t last long. It was a hypnosis convention after all, there had been many such displays and would be many more to come. Somehow the lack of drama and spectacle made it feel more comfortable. More normal. Belladonna liked that.

 

Ping had the grace to concede his point. He gave a subdued remark that he had been proven wrong before jumping into a different side-conversation.

 

Kel grinned at the person that she hoped to call a friend, “That was brilliant. Are you sure you’re the same gal who was so shy a bit ago?”

 

Belladonna shrugged, “What can I say? Sometimes I get in a mood.”

 

And then things just went back to geeky chat. Belladonna went back to wallflowering. Just enjoying the ambience of being with her people.

 

From outside the circle a woman with braided blonde hair approached and lay a gentle hand on Kel’s shoulder. Keladry turned to the new arrival and her eyes ignited with excitement.

 

“Oh, is it time?” she inquired with a playful tone before turning to the circle, “I’ve got a date tonight, but it’s been fun watching. Bell? You did very well. I never would have believed that was your first time doing that in person. If the weekend is nice to us, maybe we can get more time to chat?”

 

The shift in tempo caught Belladonna unaware and she looked over to Keladry, no longer holding a grip on the confidence that compelled her during the session with Kayleigh, “Oh, sure thing, Kel. It was really nice meeting you in person. Hope we bump into one another again.”

 

“I’m sure we will. Oh, and you can call me Madison. Friends get to do that and you are very much friend shaped.”

 

Belladonna had no way of knowing that was the first time hearing a name which would become so precious to her as the years rolled on.

-

 

 

It was a gentle May morning and there were no clouds in the sky. Madison sat looking out of a church window as a photographer caught a shot of her. She wore all white. A gown that she felt comfortable in and flattered her quite well.

 

Today she was going to stand before her family and friends and start the next chapter of her life with Saph. She was never the type to dream about how this day would go and if she were being honest with herself she was not a fan of the ever-abundant spotlight that was being placed upon her, presently represented by the photographer who was capturing her moment of reflection; but everyone was here. Family and friends from both sides had come to celebrate with them.

 

Certainly she was only going to introduce those within the hypnosis community as “convention friends” and let assumptions of video game and anime events fill in the blanks. Likewise she was not to let her blood relatives know that among the party who would sit with the newlyweds during the reception were beloved partners awash with compersion at celebrating the love of their metamours.

 

A lot of the wedding had been tailored to offer comfort to her mother and grandmother. They were more religious than she was and the venue needed to be close to their home for the sake of her grandmother who could not travel long distances. Madison didn’t mind, the church was beautiful and no one was complaining.

 

She was thankful for that. She had worried because parts of the heated discussions about preparing for the event were that the guests in attendance were from multiple walks of life. Some of them may not have felt comfortable in a church for their own reasons. Madison had worried that some members of her family would make those friends uncomfortable.

 

Among those she was worried for were the trans guests who lived in The House. Madison held Dove and her family close to her heart, and wanted them to have a lovely time at the celebration - especially because Belladonna,an old and cherished friend from her college days on IRC, was among those making the journey.

 

It was important to her that none of her family made her guests feel unwelcome.

 

She’d won those fights but it frustrated her that she needed to fight them at all.

 

-

 

It was the biggest wedding Bell had ever attended by a fair margin. Saph and Madison had a large web of family and friends and everyone was united in their mutual fondness for the celebrated couple.

 

Everything was themed. Both the bridal and groom parties wore coordinated outfits. The name tags were homemade trinkets. The cake was a bespoke layered affair that worked better as an art piece than a dessert.

 

Bell was out of her element in this space and worse she was swarmed by reminders of her own wedding, her ‘broken promise’, as she had come to think of it. It made her head swim whenever she thought of it. She didn’t want to be absorbed by the past but it always had this gravitational pull upon her.

 

The reception involved beautiful speeches from family and friends who glowed with their love towards the happy couple. More than once Bell found herself tearing up at the raw fondness dripping from the words offered to the celebrated couple. 

 

Madison and Saph performed a slow dance to a romantic ballad and the bride and groom shared a dance with a parent. The cake was dramatically cut with a sabre, which was unspeakably cool from Bell’s perspective, and the tables began to mingle with one another and gravitate towards the dancefloor.

 

Bell flitted between circles, getting to speak to a few people from the hypnosis convention that she had attended the previous year, but for the most part she stuck close with members of The House. Dysphoria was aching at her and she did not want to be on her own in a sea of unfamiliar faces.

 

Kayleigh seemed to be in a similar boat of social anxiety and the pair stuck to one another like glue. The two hit the dance floor and gently shook off their nerves, mingling in with the other dancers swaying to the beats of 90s club classics. In the heat of the moment Kayleigh sprung a kiss on the unwitting Bell who would later realize, despite all their hypnosis play, had never kissed her before.

 

Moreover it was her first kiss as Belladonna. As an out and proud woman.

 

Eventually their social batteries required a recharge and they found their table to take a rest, though it was short lived. “Come with me, pet.” Dove commanded, drawing Kayleigh from her seat and guiding her towards the dance floor. The gentle gesture of beckoning her was enough for the demure dolly to rise from her seat with the softest of sighs, enthralled by her Goddess and existing for the sole purpose of dancing with her.

 

Bell sat back and watched with a gentle smile on her face. Dove was an extrovert but did not get a lot of time out of The House. This was a rare moment of seeing her in her element, surrounded by people and drinking in the atmosphere. Kayleigh clung to her and let herself be led along as the pair tried to force a 2000s era pop song to be their romantic ballad.

 

“Hey, you.”

 

Bell turned and saw the bride herself, decked in white and looking quite beautifully elegant.

 

“I saw you sitting on your own so thought I’d swoop in and say ‘hi’. I’m really glad you could make it.”

 

Bell smiled gently, “I wasn’t sure if I was allowed, to be honest. The invite was for The House and I don’t know if I was factored into those plans. I’ve only been living there a few months.”

 

Madison nodded, floofing her dress so she could sit on a chair beside her friend, “I admit, I didn’t know you had joined The House when I sent the invite but Dove mentioned it on Tumblr and when I saw that I reached out to make sure you knew you were invited.”

 

Bell tilted her head and regarded the bride with surprise, “You wanted to see me?”

 

Madison shrugged, to her there was nothing surprising about her statement, “We didn’t get a lot of time to talk last Mesmerized and I wanted to catch up. You’ve always been Good Person in my mind.”

 

The memory of her at the top of the stairs at the back lobby of 2020's Mesmerized flashed in her mind. She had yelled ‘GOOD HUMAN’ across the room. It just didn’t feel like it should be a true sentence, even if Madison clearly believed it.

 

"Sorry I wasn't there for this year's event. I had some pretty big life things going on. Kind of lead to me moving in at The House."

 

"Sympathy." Madison said, "Though I'm glad you ended up with people you can trust."

 

“Yeah, well… I’m glad me being with The House helps me add to the number of good humans at your wedding.” she paused, enjoying the ambiance. There were so many people here, some she had even come to recognize as kindred spirits from events. This was a new world and it was a world that held space to include her. “Thank you for having me. Sincerely. Even a single year ago I don’t know if I could have made it and yet… here we are.”

 

“Here we are…” Madison mused, smiling to herself, “and I’m certain we’ll get to see more of one another in the future. It’s not like either one of us intend to stop going to events, right?”

 

Bell considered this for a moment and nodded. “Right. I’ll look forward to it.” 

 

“And next event we are going to get that trance time. It’s been far too long waiting and we deserve to have a chance to play.”

 

“That doesn’t feel like something you should be saying at your wedding…” Bell mumbled, feeling a little exposed and embarrassed.

 

“Why not? Our entire polycule is here. Marriage doesn’t mean monogamy and plus we’re both ace. Hypnosis and play don’t mean relationships or sex. We have parallel interests, we’re friends and we’re both good at what we do. I’d have done it last Mesmerized if we found time and space. Next time, at Bedazzled, I am going to make sure there is time.”

 

Bell was still blushing, but couldn’t argue with Madison’s statements. Pulling all her confidence she nodded firmly, “Okay. Next event. We’ll do a session. That’s a promise.”

 

Bell had no way of knowing that this promise would open the door to the relationship that would follow. Everything would eventually start purely because she dressed up for the Femme Flirt event at Bedazzled with the intention to claim that promised time with Madison.

 

-

 

 

It was the night before the convention. The last few weeks before Mesmerized typically dragged on for an eternity from the excitement of being reunited with her people but this wait was tortuous.

 

Yet here she sat, in the lobby area where she had first laid eyes on Madison Smith, long before they would fall in love.

 

This event was not just to be with her people. It was to be with their person.

 

If the weeks had stretched an eternity then the final minutes before she would once again walk down those stairs was beyond measure. She checked her phone and the stairs time and time again.

 

But before too long, there she was. That radiant smile upon her face, eyes shimmering with the love and joy of reunion.

 

“Hey, you!” she called down the stairs.

 

Bella sprang from her chair and ran to meet her at the base of the stairs. “Hey, you!” she called back in euphoric joy.

 

Bella knew it all too well. This was their first time starting a convention as a couple and it was going to be an incredible weekend full of hypnotic shenanigans, love and friends. There were no surprises or promises required. This was just how it was and both Madison and the system that made up Belladonna couldn’t be happier about it.