“…And one. Wide awake, feeling refreshed, energized, and alert.”

Alexander slowly opened his eyes and yawned. Hmm… think I went even deeper that time… He picked up his phone and paused the file. He didn’t need to hear the rest. He’d already heard it about a dozen times already.

When Lorelei told him to find something else to occupy his time with other than training, he struggled at first. It wasn’t that he didn’t have hobbies; the bookshelf full of model kits was proof of that. But he realized very quickly that it was hard to keep his mind focused on a task for more than a few minutes at a time, even if it was something he wanted to do. He’d open up a new kit excited to put it together, but would soon find himself bored and wanting to move on to something else.

But once he started listening to the hypnosis audio files Lorelei had given him, all of that changed. He wasn’t sure at first whether hypnosis would work as well as it had when Lorelei had done it in-person, but just a few minutes in he was already out like a light. After a few days of listening to the files basically non-stop, it didn’t even take that long anymore. Just imagining her snapping her fingers… He shivered as the memory echoed around his mind, his eyelids fluttering. He could feel the pull even without listening to the actual file.

Wait… what time was it? He looked at his phone more closely, then shot up like a rocket. “Shit! I’m gonna be late!” Chastising himself for losing track of time, he quickly put his jacket and shoes on and bolted out the door.

Lorelei had barely sat down at her desk when she heard a knock at the door. She stood up and opened it, smiling. “Ah, Alexander. You’re a little early today.”

“I… am?” Alexander panted, leaning against the doorway.

“Yes, you’re…” Lorelei fished her pocketwatch out of her pocket. “About five minutes early, give or take.”

“Thought I was… gonna be late…”

“Is everything okay? You seem tired.”

Alexander knew he looked like hell; a nasty combination of bedhead and sweat had left his hair a mess, and he hadn’t shaved or taken a shower yet. “Yeah, just… out of… breath…”

Lorelei blinked. “Alexander… Did you run here?”

“I... Yeah.” Alexander blushed.

“Why didn’t you take the subway?”

“I lost track of time, and I figured I missed my train…” Alexander shrugged and tried to smile. It came out more like a grimace. “I guess... I guess it made more sense in the moment?”

“I suppose I'm more impressed that you actually managed it,” Lorelei said. “I know I wouldn’t have the stamina to go all that distance.”

“Well, I am a superhero.” Alexander winked and flashed a thumbs-up. Hopefully she couldn't tell just how bad his lungs were burning.

Lorelei smiled, but she didn't look wholly convinced. “Not one with enhanced stamina, as far as I can recall. I don't think that a session would be all that helpful if it had you out of breath." She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, staring into space. "Not to mention the potential issue of your blood sugar. There's a cafeteria here, yes?”

“Uh, sorta? It’s more like a kitchen with a couple vending machines, but–”

Snap! “Perfect!” Lorelei replied. “Let’s go get you some breakfast before we begin.”

“Uh…” Alexander blinked slowly. As soon as Lorelei snapped her fingers, he felt a pull on his mind, dragging his consciousness down. Lorelei grabbed Alexander’s hand and dragged him down the hall, his feet clumsily following hers as he drifted halfway between trance and wakefulness.

“Alex? Alex!”

Alexander jolted, his eyes blinking rapidly. “Huh?” He wasn’t in the hallway outside Lorelei’s office anymore. In what felt like no time at all, he’d gone all the way to the kitchen. Lorelei was over at the vending machine, tapping her chin while deciding what to order, and he was standing off to the side, staring off into space.

They weren’t alone in the room, however. Keani was also there, eyebrow quirked. “You okay?” she asked.

“Oh, uh. Yeah,” Alexander muttered, blushing. “Just... tired.”

“Mhm.” Keani was a touch shorter than Alexander, with dark brown skin and short black hair loosely tied behind her head. She always dressed the same way every time Alexander saw her: a worn-out, slightly loose sweater over a sleeveless wetsuit. Always has those granola bars, too. We don’t have them here, so I guess she just brings them from home.

She turned to Lorelei. “So, you must be the therapist Emma hired.”

“That's correct. If you're interested in specifics, though, it'd be most accurate to say I'm a psychologist.” Lorelei approached Keani and extended her hand. “Dr. Lorelei Lawson, pleasure to meet you.”

Keani shook Lorelei’s hand. “Keani. But you probably knew that, right?”

Lorelei smiled. “Yes, I got a dossier on every member of the team when I arrived. I hear you can communicate with animals? That must be interesting.”

“It's different, at least.” Keani took a bite of her granola bar and chewed. "They're not much for conversation, but that suits me fine."

Lorelei waited for Keani to elaborate, but when it was clear she wasn’t going to she cleared her throat. “Anyway! Alexander, is there anything in the vending machine you’d like?”

“Um…” Alexander scratched his chin. “I’m not really hungry…” He looked at Lorelei and blushed even harder. Does she want to get something for me? She’s probably expecting me to ask for something, and we came all the way down here so I can’t just get nothing, and… gah! Girls! Why do they fluster me so?! “I-I guess maybe some cereal? They have those little, uh. Cup things, right?”

“Mhm!” Lorelei nodded. “But I don’t see any milk around here…”

“Yeah, we ran out last week,” Keani said. “Trevor said he was gonna put in a request, but he forgot.”

“That’s okay!” Alexander replied. “I actually like my cereal without milk.”

Keani took another bite of her granola bar. “Dry cereal, huh.” She chewed slowly, eyes locked on Alexander. "Hm." She stood up and pushed her seat into the table. “Well, see you.”

As Keani left the room, Lorelei turned to Alexander, her lips pursed. “I can see what you meant by ‘terse.’ Almost seems like she doesn’t want to be here.”

“I dunno about that,” Alexander replied. “I think she just wants to keep to herself. Some people are just like that, nothing wrong with it.”

“Just like how there’s people who prefer dry cereal, right?” Lorelei giggled. She reached into the vending machine and pulled out a small container of cereal, handing it to Alexander. “C’mon, let’s get you fed.”

Alexander sank back into the sofa and sighed. Lorelei had been talking to him all throughout his meager breakfast, but he found it surprisingly difficult to focus on what she was saying. He could hear her voice just fine, but even though she wasn’t saying anything particularly hypnotic, just hearing her talked reminded him of listening to those files over and over and over. It left him drifting, his mind deliciously foggy. Lorelei smiled at Alexander. He smiled back. She had such a wonderful smile. So… pretty…

Smack!

“Ow!” Alexander’s hand flew up to his cheek instinctively. He could feel the imprint of someone else’s stinging, like the spot left in one’s vision after they glance at the sun. “D-Did you just… slap me?”

Lorelei shrugged. “Well, it seemed as though my files were working a little too well. I need you awake and alert for these sessions, Alexander, and I wasn’t getting through to you by talking.” Her eyes flicked downward for a second before returning to meet Alexander’s gaze. “Now that you’re paying attention, I think we can really get started.”

She slapped me? How could she… that’s… Alexander shifted in his seat and felt something shameful between his legs. Oh, no. Ohhhh, no no no. This is the worst possible time for this. C’mon, think of something un-sexy… you have to get it to calm–

“Alexander?” Lorelei asked. “Are you still with me?”

“Y-Yeah!” Alexander smiled nervously. “Totally!” She saw it, didn’t she? She had to. There’s no way she didn’t see it. Fuck, fuck! Now she’s gonna think I’m a creep! Who gets a hard-on during their therapist appointment? Stupid body, betraying me like this!

“So, I’d like to start off with how the files affected you,” Lorelei continued, sitting down and picking up her pencil and notebook. “Be as descriptive as you can, but please try to stay focused. I don’t enjoy slapping my clients.”

“Right,” Alexander muttered, sitting up straight and crossing his legs to try and hide his erection. “Um… Well, I guess they felt really… nice. I-I mean, uh, I enjoyed the… relaxation… stuff.”

Lorelei scribbled something down in her notes. “Go on?”

“Just the, uh, sensation of… letting my mind wander. Drifting. Feeling my thoughts slow down, but also not slowing down? Like, I was still there, I could still tell what was happening around me, at least the first couple times, but it was like none of it mattered. It’s funny, I tend to get kinda bored with things really quickly, but I felt like I could just… lie there, and listen, and I’d never get tired of it.” He paused, before adding, “You’re really good at this, you know?”

“Yes, I do,” Lorelei smirked. “Was there anything else you experienced? Anything you felt in your body?”

“In my body?” Alexander swallowed. “U-Um, well…” He shifted nervously, the thing between his legs reminding him exactly what she was asking about but taunting him with the knowledge that he could never answer. “I remember there was, like… a warmth in the back of my skull, where I was resting it on my pillow.”

“Anything else?” Lorelei stood up, stepping closer to him.

“U-Um, ah…” Alexander sank back, trying not to meet her eyes. “I guess, uh, there’s that sleepy, l-lethargic feeling, like you get when you wake up from a long nap?”

“Oh, of course,” Lorelei replied. She leaned down and whispered in his ear. “And you got very turned on, too.”

“N-No!” Alexander squeaked. God, she’s so close… I can smell her perfume… “I-I wasn’t–”

Lorelei giggled softly. “Oh, Alexander, it’s okay. I know how it is. You’re far from my first patient to form a crush on me.”

“Y-I-I’m not? No, wait, I-I mean, uh, isn’t th-this, um, wrong? Like, u-unethical, or–”

Snap! Lorelei smirked as Alexander’s head drooped, his eyelids fluttered, and his voice evaporated into a quiet whimper. “Alexander, Alexander.” She cupped his chin and held his head upright, his eyes dimly staring into hers. “You being infatuated with me is hardly unethical. As long as we don’t act on it, you’re not doing anything wrong. Does that make sense?”

“Um…” Alexander blinked slowly. “I… think so?”

Lorelei smiled. “Good.” She pulled away from him and scribbled in her notebook. “Because I do think we should talk about this. Professionally, of course.”

“Do we… have to?” Alexander shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs in his mind. Ugh, that snap really works… I’m impressed I’m still even half-conscious…

“I believe we do, yes.” Lorelei pushed up her glasses and looked at Alexander pensively. “I have my own theory, gathered from my observations, but I’d like to hear your perspective on it first.”

“I, um… I-I dunno…”

Lorelei sighed. “Alright. Would you like me to share my theory first, then?”

Alexander shrugged. “Sure.”

“Alright.” Lorelei took a deep breath. “I think you have an inferiority complex. You feel as though you’re not as useful to the team as the other members, and you want to prove yourself. Yet the stress of that is, ironically, exacerbating the very anxiety issues that have caused you to feel inferior.”

“…Wow. You really think that about me?”

“I don’t think you’re a bad person,” Lorelei said reassuringly, placing a hand on Alexander’s knee. “This isn’t your fault, and there’s nothing wrong with you. I’m just here to bring you to a place where you can be your best self, where you won’t feel the need to compare yourself to others.” She cleared her throat and added, “But there is another part of it.”

“There is?” Alexander leaned forward. “What’s that?”

Lorelei kept her eyes fixed on her notebook, refusing to meet Alexander’s gaze. “Are you sexually-active, Alexander?”

“O-Oh!” Alexander’s cheeks burned. He pulled his knees up onto the sofa with him, clutching them tightly. “I-I’m… no.”

“What about masturbation? Do you do that regularly?”

God, how is she so calm when talking about this stuff?! “N-Not really. What’s, um, wh-what’s the point of all this?”

“Well, to put it bluntly,” Lorelei replied, “I believe you have certain… hang-ups about sex. Which isn’t unusual, our culture is practically designed to make people weird about it. But… how should I put this…” She removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. “I think you’re sexually repressed, and that repression is adding to your stress levels. And it might go some way to explaining your infatuation with me.”

“I-I’m not, uh, r-repressed.” Even Alexander didn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. But… god, this is too much… she knows how much this is driving me crazy! Why is she still pushing for it? “C-Can we maybe, um, t-talk about this later?”

“I’m afraid we simply don’t have enough time,” Lorelei replied. “With this compressed schedule, I’d rather confront it now and get over that hump.” She pushed up her glasses and smiled. “Would it help if I hypnotized you, Alexander?”

“If…” Alexander swallowed. “I-I mean, uh… I wouldn’t… be opposed, to you hypnotizing me. If you think it’ll help, that is.”

“I want to be clear, I won’t be giving you any suggestions or commands while you’re under,” Lorelei explained. “I’d just be helping you relax and be more open. That means you might reveal some things you might not be entirely comfortable sharing with me. Is that alright?”

Open and… Alexander shook his head. What does she mean by that? What would she ask that I wouldn’t want to answer? He looked into her warm eyes and found himself smiling. Oh, whatever. As long as I get to go under for her, she can ask me anything she wants. “Yes, that’s fine.”

“Great!” Lorelei procured her silver pocketwatch and began to gently swing it back and forth in front of Alexander’s eyes. “You remember what you need to do, yes?”

“Follow the… the watch…” Alexander was amazed at how quickly he felt himself slipping. As soon as his eyes locked on to the pocketwatch, all those hours of listening to Lorelei’s files came rushing back to him, and his mind practically leaped at the chance to be hypnotized.

“Very good,” Lorelei said softly. “I’m going to count down from five to one. Each number will bring you deeper into trance, until we reach the bottom of your subconscious, where you will be completely open and obedient. Do you understand?”

“Yes… Dr. Lawson….” Alexander whispered. Open and obedient… open and obedient…

“Then repeat after me. Five.”

“F-Five…”

“That’s it, just like that. Four.”

“Four…”

“Feeling yourself becoming more relaxed, more peaceful, as we reach three.”

“Th-Threeee…”

“Such a good boy, Alexander,” Lorelei purred. “Two.”

“T-T… Two…” Alexander drooled.

“Aaaaand… one.”

Alexander went limp, his eyes slipping shut as he sank all the way under. He felt the cushion shift as Lorelei sat down next to him, gently stroking his hair. “There we go,” she said softly. “So very relaxed, so very open, so very obedient. You remember the mantra I asked you to repeat for me, yes?”

“Yes, Dr. Lawson.” Alexander’s voice was quiet and dull. Any trace of his earlier nervousness was gone, replaced by a calm, steady monotone. “Open and obedient. Open and obedient. Open and–”

“That’s good, Alexander, but you can stop for now,” Lorelei interrupted. “Right now, I’d like you to answer a few questions. I want you to be completely open with me. Don’t hold anything back. Can you do that for me, Alexander?”

Alexander smiled dreamily. “Of course, Dr. Lawson.”

“Wonderful. First, I’d like you to, essentially, tell me your ‘type.’ What do you look for in a sexual partner? Personality traits, physical characteristics, things like that?”

“I…” Alexander’s brow furrowed. “I haven’t… thought about it much.”

“Now, Alexander,” Lorelei said sternly, “you’re being honest with me right now, yes?”

“Yes, Dr. Lawson, I am… just… I don’t really think about… sex.”

“I see.” Lorelei gently scratched the back of Alexander’s head, smiling as her subject gently purred. “So, then, what is it you find so attractive about me?”

Something within Alexander stirred. This… isn’t right… she shouldn’t…

Snap! “Please answer the question, Alexander.”

Whatever thought was trying to form in Alexander’s hypnotized mind dissolved in an instant. “I like your voice,” he said breathlessly, his erection straining against his sweatpants. “I like the way it makes me feel. And… oh, gosh, I like the way that sweater hugs your chest…”

“Let’s go back to the voice,” Lorelei whispered. “How does it make you feel, Alexander?”

“It makes me feel…” Alexander whimpered. “S-So warm… and cozy… like I could just let everything else go and listen… forever…”

Lorelei grinned. “That’s good. That’s very, very good, Alexander.” She reached her hand up his body, and as it brushed past his crotch he let out an involuntary moan. Her hand finally came to rest on his chin, her thumb gently touching his lips. “How does it feel to hear my words, my voice, while you’re hypnotized? Do you enjoy having my voice guiding your mind?”

“Yes,” Alexander gasped. “I just wanted to keep listening over and over…”

“My voice aroused you, didn’t it?” Lorelei leaned in close, her lips brushing up against Alexander’s ear. “You got soooooo turned on, listening to my files, dropping deep for me like a good little boy.”

“Oh, fuck, yes, I…” Alexander whined. “Dr. Lawson, I…”

“I know, Alexander, I know.” Lorelei sighed. “I’ve been so cruel, haven’t I? Here I’ve been teasing you, knowing how much it turns you on, and I haven’t even let you touch yourself.” She turned Alexander’s limp head towards hers. “Do you want my permission, Alexander?”

His eyes widened. “D-Dr. Lawson…” Even under hypnosis, Alexander realized that something was very wrong here. “I… I sh-shouldn’t…”

“Why? I’m okay with you stroking yourself in here.”

“You… are?”

“Of course.” Lorelei squeezed Alexander’s thigh and smiled. “You need to relieve that tension of yours, right? Where better to do it than right now, with me to guide your slow, sleepy, obedient mind?”

“Obedient…” Alexander’s eyelids fluttered. “Yes… of course… whatever you say, Dr. Lawson…” Slowly, his hands pulled down his sweatpants and underwear, revealing his hard, throbbing cock.

Lorelei walked over to her desk and returned a moment later, handing Alexander a box of tissues. “Do you need any lotion?”

“N-No…” Alexander stirred slightly. “Are… you’re… really okay, with–”

Snap! “Don’t question my methods, Alexander,” Lorelei said. “All you need to worry about is being open and obedient.”

“Hhaaaa…” Alexander’s head drooped. “Open… n’ obedient…”

“Now, stop thinking,” Lorelei purred, “and start masturbating.”

“Yes, Dr. Lawson…” Alexander clumsily grabbed a tissue and started stroking, his eyes unfocused, staring off into nothing. His hand moved slowly, almost robotically, but soon started to speed up.

“Just like that,” Lorelei nodded. “Remember your mantra. Remember how I want you to be.”

“Open and obedient,” Alexander whispered. “Dr. Lawson wants me to… be open and obedient…”

Lorelei leaned down, only inches away from Alexander’s face. “Look at me.”

Alexander lifted his head slightly, his eyes focusing just barely.

“Look into my eyes, Alexander,” Lorelei continued. “I want you to picture them, deep in your subconscious. Whenever you cum, whenever you feel aroused at all, you’ll think of me. Think of my voice, my eyes. Think of my control.”

“C-Con– ah!” Alexander’s eyes rolled back into his head as he steadily approached his climax. “Open and obedient, open and obedient… D-Dr. Lawson wants me to be open and obedient for her!”

“Yes, good,” Lorelei grinned. “Now, cum.”

Alexander moaned, arching his back as he came. His eyes shot wide open, darting around the room in shock. What the fuck?! Wha– Why did she–

“And as you ride out this orgasm,” Lorelei said quickly, placing her hand on the top of his head and gently petting him, “you’ll fall back into deep trance.” She snapped a few times for good measure, coaxing Alexander back under. His eyes gently closed, his panic and confusion melting into mindless obedience and acceptance.

Lorelei sighed deeply. “Stupid,” she muttered. “Taking things too far, too fast. Lucky I was able to keep him under control…” She cleared her throat and whispered in Alexander’s ear. “Now, Alexander, I want you to let the details of what I told you fade from your mind. You can let your conscious self forget, but your deep self, your subconscious self, will remember every word.”

“Yes, Dr. Lawson…” Alexander mumbled, feeling the memory of his trance dissolve and disappear.

“You remember me commanding you to masturbate,” she continued, “but you understand that it’s part of your therapy. You trust my methods.”

“Trust… your methods…”

Lorelei cupped Alexander’s chin. “You trust me.”

“I… trust you…” Alexander shivered.

“Now, I’m going to count from one to five. When I reach five, you will be awake and refreshed.”

As Lorelei counted up, Alexander almost wished he could hold on to this sleepy, lethargic, obedient feeling a while longer. When she reached five, he slowly opened his eyes and yawned. “Mmm… how was…?” He looked down and jolted upright, covering his privates. “O-Oh! Gosh, I-I’m sorry!”

“Sorry for what?” Lorelei asked. “Why would I have a problem with your nudity? I told you to masturbate for me, didn’t I?”

“You…” Alexander blinked. “Oh, y-yeah, right. Sorry, my memory’s a little… fuzzy.” Why do I kinda like that, though?

“That’s alright,” Lorelei reassured him. “A lot of people have difficulty remembering things they experienced in trance. It’s perfectly normal.”

“If you say so,” Alexander shrugged. “But, uh, you’re really okay with me… t-touching myself, in here?”

“Of course! It’s not like you’re the first patient I’ve ever helped with their sexual urges. Not even the first superhero, in fact.”

“Oh, I see.” Alexander felt a pang of disappointment at that. Then a question formed in his mind. “Are you, uh… helping Zariel, with stuff like this?”

Lorelei thought for a moment. “I’d rather save those details for our next group session, if that’s alright.”

“Sure, yeah. When is that, by the way?”

“I have my next solo appointment with her tomorrow, so…” Lorelei pulled out her phone and checked her schedule. “Saturday?”

“Saturday works.” Alexander smiled. “So, should I keep listening to the files you gave me?”

“Actually, I have another idea.” Lorelei stepped over to her desk and opened a drawer, procuring a small flash drive. “Are you familiar with erotic hypnosis, Alexander?”

“E-Erotic?” Alexander swallowed. “No, c-can’t say I am.”

“There’s a whole subculture surrounding it. Writers, performers, artists… but I think you would be most interested in the audio file side of it.”

“You mean, like the stuff you gave me?”

“Well, I didn’t intend for my files to arouse you,” Lorelei chuckled. “These, on the other hand, are explicitly designed for that, a combination of hypnotic induction, post-hypnotic suggestions, and sexual roleplay.” She handed him the flash drive and smiled. “Just poke around for any that seem interesting to you and incorporate them into your usual routine.”

“I-I…” Alexander nodded. “Y-Yeah, I can do… th-that.” He fiddled with the flash drive nervously. “So, are these files you recorded, or…?”

Lorelei laughed. “Oh, of course not! But I’ve reached out to some well-respected erotic hypnotists and got their permission to use their files in my therapy. I can vouch for all of them, and even included content descriptions alongside the files.”

“Ah, okay.” Kinda wish Dr. Lawson was the one making the sexy stuff… But she’s a psychologist. Or psychiatrist, one of the two. It would probably be unethical for her to do something like that. “Thank you, Dr. Lawson. I’ll see you on Saturday!”

“Take care, Alexander,” Lorelei said warmly. “And make sure not to tire yourself out on the way back!”

Alexander closed the door behind him and stared at the flash drive in his hand. I wonder what sort of stuff Lorelei chose. I wouldn’t expect her to be into any weird kinky stuff, but… He grinned and jogged over to the elevator. I can’t wait to find out!