Audrey pops up to her tiptoes, craning her head past the line towards the D-folder's inscribed runes. On any other day, the folder would take her to her job downtown - but not today.

She fishes her ticket out of her voluminous purse as the line comes down to the last ten people, and turns it over in her hands. "Rose Bowers: 2 Weeks", embossed over a stylized rose. On the reverse, "Audrey Fraser", and her photo - Goddess, it's strange to see her proper face on an official document. Even with the terrible photography, she's pretty now. And the pink hair still takes some getting used to.

Eight more people in front of her. What if she fumbles the ticket and everyone sees where she's going - what if the machine doesn't recognize it -

She shakes herself from her thoughts, and steps forwards towards the turnstiles. Here's the ticket machine. Just show the ticket, it's not rocket science.

The scanner flashes the stylized rose back at her, and the turnstile moves freely under her hand. She's close enough to hear the folder hum now, smell the trace of ozone that always clings to the runes in heavy traffic. She puts the ticket back in her purse as the winged man ahead of her steps into the D-folder's array and vanishes.

Her turn. The transition doesn't feel like anything, she knows that - but still, she hesitates. The girl behind her coughs.

She gathers herself, and steps into the array.

There's a timeless moment of transition - and then Audrey's in the lobby of a spacious hotel. The walls are mahogany, inlaid with a pattern of twining vines and roses; a ruby chandelier hangs overhead, dappling the room in red.

Audrey approaches the front desk, which is in the same inlaid mahogany as the rest of the building. There's nobody on duty, and no bell - but a letter sits on the desk, addressed to her in elegant cursive. She picks it up and slips it out of its envelope.

Dear Audrey Fraser,

Welcome to the Rose Bowers. Your room is number 30. The wards are keyed to your presence, so there is no need for a physical key. All expenses are included for the duration of your stay, but you will be charged for anything you take home with you afterwards. You may use any rose console freely to summon whatever you may require.

Enjoy your stay,

The Management

She lets out a breath. Thank goodness she doesn't have to interact with any staff. She would literally die on the spot from embarrassment. Now, where's room 30…? It must be in one of these hallways off to the side from the lobby.

By some strange happenstance, the very first door she checks is room 30. Audrey tries the lock, and it opens; she steps inside, and takes a good look at the suite where she's going to be staying for the next two weeks.

To her left right as she walks in, there's a kitchen nook with an espresso machine just like the one she has at home; to her right, a low seating pit with a flower-shaped table in the center. That must be the console the letter told her about. Beyond that, a king-sized bed with silk sheets, all done up in the Bowers' rose motif.

Audrey walks across to the bed, and sits down heavily. Absently, she notes the suite's second door - that must go to the ensuite bathroom.

Time to unpack, she guesses…

She hasn't brought much. A little gold starburst on a chain - the Grace that assures her agelessness and good health. A transforming pendant in the shape of a wire flower - the spell-anchor that allows her to change whether she has a pussy or a cock. Her favorite book. Her phone, of course. Her ticket. No changes of clothes - that's all provided by the Bowers, it'd be a waste of space. Beneath everything else at the bottom of the bag, her electric massager and her favorite dildo. Sure, she can get custom toys here, but she's far more comfortable with her own.

It's really happening. She's at the Rose Bowers, the premier clothing-optional kink resort in the entire Origin Trade Consortium. A whole resort world, with two hundred million visitors a day, and every single one of them with exactly one thing on their minds.

If only it was that easy. She picks up the tablet from the console, taps in a search for a mug, and orders the first one on the list. It appears unceremoniously at the center of the console. Okay, at least that's pretty easy.

She gets a carton of milk out of the mini-fridge, half-fills her mug, and puts the espresso machine to work, the heavy hum of its compressor filling the small room. She pauses to take a deep breath of the rich coffee, a smile touching her face; then she takes the full mug over to the couch, sits down, and orders a program from the console.

The program arrives already open to a double-page spread advertising "Club Coze" - "The Rose Bowers' premier club for introverts looking to find their footing." A table of events lists tabletop games, a jazz concert, public cuddle-piles and kink demos. Audrey checks her phone's clock; nothing's scheduled at the moment.

Hmmm. She might as well take the suggestion. It'd probably be the best way for her to get her feet wet.

Audrey drains her coffee, and sets the mug down on the console. Should she change? Her dress is a bit shapeless… Well, she's not trying to attract attention yet. This is fine.

She flips through the program looking for a map, but doesn't find one. Probably there'll be signs or something. She should have a look around, get the lay of the land.

She gets up from the couch and picks up her purse from where she's left it lying on the bed - then looks at the mess of unpacked things she's left behind. No, that won't do. She sets the purse back down and goes through them one by one.

First, she slips her pair of necklaces on over her head, careful of her hair. It might be a little reckless to wear her transformation anchor so openly - but this is the Bowers, if anywhere is safe it's here. Next, she opens the bedside table and puts away her toys - the last thing she wants is for some friend she invites over to see those. Her phone and ticket go back into her purse, along with the program; she sets her book atop the side table for later.

Alright. She's as ready as she's likely to get. Time to go.

The halls of the Bowers are quiet, filled with sound-deadening carpet and that same mahogany finish. She doesn't get to see much of them, though - the first turn Audrey takes opens up into a warmly-lit space filled with booths and tables, with people sitting around chatting and playing board games. There's a kitsune couple playing a bidding game over to her right, tails intertwined under the table; to the left, there's a group of people sitting in a circle. "I'm your Sunflower and you're my Thistle," reads a dark-skinned elven woman from a slim book; the rest of the group leans in, spellbound.

There's a bar and a few free tables; Audrey crosses the floor to the bar and hops up onto one of the high stools.

Well, she's here. Now what?

There's a console right here, she could order a root beer. Give her something to do with her hands. Oh, and there's a sign. "Voice orders accepted."

"Uh, could I have a root beer please?", she says to the empty bar.

A glass bottle of her favorite craft root beer appears on the bar, along with a church-key bottle opener. She pops it open, takes a slug. Looks down at the bottle.

What the hell was she thinking, coming here. She's still a fucking virgin, for Goddess' sake. Yeah, yeah, she was going to solve that little problem - hah, as if all the things that kept her a virgin for twenty-five years went away with her new body -

"Mind if I sit here?"

Audrey startles, twisting in her seat to look at the speaker. She's a tall, willowy woman with cool grey eyes and metallic silver hair that comes down to her waist in the back; she smiles, and raises her hands, showing long, silver-painted nails - except for the first two on her right hand, which are cut short.

Yeah, great, now she's getting thoughts. "Uh, who are you?"

"Evangeline. You can call me Eva, though, if you want. Approaching people is hard, isn't it?"

Audrey stares at her. "Are you… hitting on me?"

Eva half-smiles. "I haven't figured that out yet, to be honest. Do you want me to be hitting on you?"

"Um… maybe?"

"We can figure it out together, then. If you'll let me sit?" Eva runs a hand through her hair.

Audrey nods. "Yeah, sure."

Eva gathers her long skirt and slides up onto the stool next to Audrey, her ankles crossed against the footrest. She smiles. "Thank you."

Audrey blushes slightly. "There's no need to thank me, honestly, you're the one who's approaching me -"

"I'm still happy to get a chance to talk to a pink-haired cutie like you. Speaking of which, what's your name?"

"Um, Audrey."

"Nice to meet you, Audrey. I heard you talking to the  bar. First time?"

Audrey's blush only deepens. "Um, yeah, it was that obvious, huh -"

"Don't worry about it, I've got sharper ears than most." Eva sharply taps the bar twice, and a bottle of root beer that matches Audrey's appears in front of her. "Also, the bar listens to your intentions, so you can just tap. Saves interrupting conversations."

"Oh. Thanks for the heads-up, that's useful. Are all the consoles like that?"

"They are. If the casual intention-reading feels creepy you can adjust your privacy settings from your phone or on your console tablet, but personally I find it convenient."

"It's probably useful for when you're… busy."

Eva's smile gets a little sharper. "Definitely. I could tell you some stories, but maybe not on the first date."

Audrey laughs and rubs the back of her neck. "Yeah, I bet you could…"

"I bet you could tell me an interesting story or two yourself." Eva arches an eyebrow.

"I, uh… No, not really… I'm not…"

"Experienced?"

"Not in that way, no."

"That sounds like a story to me."

"… It's kind of personal…"

"Ah." Eva tilts her head to the side, and then reaches below her dress' neckline and takes out a transforming wire pendant that matches Audrey's precisely.

Audrey's eyes go wide. "- you too?"

Eva smiles and nods.

"… I just got my Assume True Persona cast a month ago, actually," Audrey says.

"And you scheduled your trip to the Rose Bowers right then, hm? Brave girl."

Audrey looks away. "Not so brave now. I - barely got here from my room, I'm so nervous…"

"It's your first time?"

Audrey manages to nod.

"Anyone would be nervous about that, much less with a completely new body. Have you even, um… 'test driven' it yet?"

Audrey gives Eva a Look.

She winces. "Sorry, stupid question."

"It's okay. Do you have any advice on… how to relax, a bit?"

Eva rubs her thumbnail against her lips. "Hmmm. Having a partner you trust matters a lot. I also know a couple tricks for relaxing, though it's been a long, long time since I last used them."

"Tricks?"

She nods. "You can do square breathing - one two three four in, one two three four hold, one two three four out - or if you have a sink handy you can shove your face in cold water and that helps."

Audrey sighs. "Now you just sound like my therapist."

"Well, I do have one trick you might not have tried… It's a little weird though."

Audrey perks up. "What is it?"

"Have you ever tried hypnosis?"

Audrey blinks. "Hypnosis? Like in stage magic? I thought that was fake."

Eva shakes her head. "It's a real psychological phenomenon. Using a few specific methods, you can put people into a relaxed, suggestible state where it's easy to obey directions given by the hypnotist. It relies pretty heavily on trust and connection between the hypnotist and the subject, but it's very real, I assure you."

"And it's not… magic, right, it's not like with a demon where I'd give you my name and then I'd be yours, right -"

Eva sighs. "Cthonia has a lot to answer for. No, it's not magic, you wouldn't be handing me your soul on a silver platter or anything. I'm hardly in any shape to have a real therapeutic relationship with you anyway - it's been years and years since I last hypnotized anyone."

Audrey looks away. "Oh."

Eva half-smiles. "… But that doesn't mean I can't give you a demo. Even now, I can do a simple staircase induction in my sleep, which is good enough to give you a taste of what's possible. I just wouldn't trust myself with anything delicate or complex right now, like handling trauma - I'd have to refer you to one of my former students."

"… What would that be like?" Audrey finds herself leaning in a little.

"The hypnosis or the students?" Eva quirks an eyebrow.

"Both!" Audrey can't help but smile.

Eva taps her lips. "I have a few students, it would depend on who I sent you to. Who's even practicing anymore… There's December, and Clematis is a certified hypnotherapist now. She is cis though."

"If you vouch for her that's good enough for me," says Audrey. "Though, um, does she deal with… you know, sex?"

"That's standard for Bower therapists, but if you wanted to actually, you know… Then she'd get a sexual surrogate involved, which is basically an escort who works with -"

Audrey flinches. "An escort? It would - feel like I hadn't earned it."

Eva's voice softens. "She'd only get a surrogate involved if you asked for it. But if you want to go with something a little more informal, or get involved with the kink side of hypnosis, then December would be a better bet."

"The kink side? Then…"

Eva half-smiles. "Yes, I used to do this shall we say recreationally. That doesn't make it any less effective of a therapeutic tool, though."

Audrey tilts her head to one side. "Like I said, I'm not really very experienced, so, uh…"

"Hard to know if you're interested, I get it. Probably a demo would help clarify that for you."

"Which comes back to my previous question… what is hypnosis actually like?"

Eva taps her fingers against the side of her root beer. "Well, hmmm. How to describe this…" She takes a sip. "It varies somewhat, depending on the person. Usually it's very relaxing. Some people report feeling free or like they're flying. I personally get this feeling of gentle pressure - I know I could be doing something else, I could decide at any time to do something else, I just don't want to."

Audrey frowns. "This thing about obeying commands under hypnosis, you wouldn't do that to me, right?"

Eva shakes her head. "No, I'm not your domme. For the demo I might ask to give you something really small - get you to do something mildly embarrassing, maybe. A lot of the therapeutic power of hypnosis is in the way it can help you approach things you don't like to acknowledge about yourself, so I'd want to make sure you saw that for yourself."

Audrey nods slowly. "That… sounds reasonable, yeah. So… how would you like to do this? How does it actually work?"

Eva's cool grey gaze slides over and fixes itself on Audrey. "Well…" The corner of her mouth curves up.

Audrey's breath catches. Oh goddess Eva's so close. And she's blushing, that's no good - "You don't have to if you don't want to -"

"Did I say that? I was just thinking that if you want me to hypnotize you, we'll need somewhere a little less… busy."

Holy shit is she going to invite me back to her room - 

"I see a quiet corner over that way," Eva continues, gesturing to a pair of couches across the café. "If you want to be hypnotized, I'll see you there." She slips down off her stool and walks away.

Audrey stares after her, then drops off her stool and hurries to follow. By the time she's caught up, Eva's taken the couch that faces outwards towards the café.

"Sit wherever you like," Eva says.

Audrey hesitates, then perches on the opposing couch.

Eva's cool gaze takes in Audrey's rigid posture. "For this, it'll work best if you get comfortable, so I'd like you to settle in on that couch instead of sitting like you're at a sports game. Feel free to lie down, even."

"Okay." Audrey shifts back a bit and leans against the arm-rest.

Eva smiles. "That's better. Now, I'd like you to answer some simple questions for me. Can you do that?"

Audrey nods. "Yeah, as long as they're not personal or anything."

"They won't be. Is it true that you've never been hypnotized before?"

"Yes."

"But you want me to hypnotize you now, because you want to try it for relaxation."

"Yes."

Eva taps her lips. "Would you like to leap right into it, or would you prefer to hear a little more about what to expect first?"

"I'd like to hear more about what to expect."

Eva leans in a little, fixing Audrey with her gaze. "Alright. Please listen carefully, because I'll only explain this once. Hypnosis works based on trust between the hypnotist - me -  and their subject - that would be you. It consists of three parts. The first part is the induction, where you relax and listen and follow directions, just like you're doing right now. You already know how to listen and follow directions, don't you?"

"Yes." Audrey meets Eva's gaze; Eva smiles quietly back and nods, not breaking eye contact.

"Those directions gradually allow the hypnotist to guide you into trance, which is a state where you're relaxed and open and easily directed. Trance is all about your own desires, given direction and form by your hypnotist. So if you want to relax, I could guide you into a state of deep contentment where all your worries seem faraway and insignificant. Would you like that?"

Audrey smiles wistfully. "Yes." Her voice has gone all soft and quiet.

"Trance is also a state of increased suggestibility where you can entertain ideas that don't come to you easily while waking. That sounds useful for therapy, doesn't it?"

Audrey can't seem to keep her eyes off Eva. "Yes, definitely."

"Would you like me to give you a tiny little suggestion while you're under, just something small to demonstrate that I can influence you?"

Audrey nods eagerly. "Yes, please!"

Eva smiles. "Lovely. Do you want to hear what the last part of hypnosis is?"

"Of course." She's hardly going to stop now.

"The last part of hypnosis is the awakener, where the hypnotist guides you back up from trance. Usually people feel refreshed and energized after sessions like this, happy and content and ready to do anything. Sounds good, right?"

Audrey nods. "Yeah, it really does…"

"Thank you for listening so attentively, Audrey. You can relax now, and we'll begin the descent into trance."

Audrey half-blinks and looks away, her gaze going unfocussed for a moment. "Alright."

Eva smiles. "Did you notice your eyes slipping closed?"

"… I didn't." Did she?

"That's entirely natural, because hypnosis can be very subtle and soft. You might have noticed your muscles untensing and your breath slowing as well."

Audrey takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, and her eyes slip closed. "No, I didn't."

"And yet you're smiling, snuggled into that couch, enthralled by my gentle words, already relaxing, all your muscles untensing, your mind focussed in on nothing but listening and obeying. It's good to set your worries down for a while, isn't it?"

"Definitely." Audrey's smile rises back to the surface again, and she wiggles a little on the couch.

"Notice how your focus narrows, all the world but me drifting away, your breath coming slow, your thoughts going calm and quiet. The rhythm of my voice is everything you need to know. Just listen and sink into my words…"

Audrey lets out a low mmmmm, and stills.

"Good girl. You're listening so well for me. Sinking deep into my words, like a calm dark sea. Was that a thought, just now? Let it go. It's not important to think right now. All your thoughts are drifting away in the swell of the sea. Watch them go, drifting off beyond the horizon. Deep and empty and calm and safe. The sea holds you close, keeps you in its heart, where you can relax and drift and dream for me…"

Audrey's chest rises and falls slowly, her head lolling to one side.

"In this space of safety and trust, it's okay to be a little silly, isn't it? You don't have to be so uptight and tense. It's okay to relax and drift and obey. And you want to obey, don't you?"

"Mmmmmmmmmmhm." Audrey smiles, a little blush rising to her cheeks.

"Wonderful. I'm going to give you a silly little suggestion now, just to show you how far you've sunk into my control. Alright?"

Audrey inclines her head. "Mhm."

"If you listen closely to your sea of thoughts, you might notice that you want to meow for me. And as you listen, that desire to meow grows, and grows, until it's bright and brilliant and obvious and easy. Would you please meow for me, Audrey?"

"Meeeeeewwwwww…" Audrey doesn't even blush.

"Very good girl. And now the sea is receding, your thoughts flowing back in slowly, energy and focus returning as you stand beneath a clear blue sky, feeling calm and refreshed. Wake for me."

Audrey takes a deep breath and looks over at Eva a little muzzily, shaking her head to clear it.

Eva applauds softly. "Welcome back to the land of the waking! You were a wonderful subject. How was your first trance?"

"Mmmmgood?" Audrey blinks at Eva.

Eva sighs. "Oh, that won't do. Up up up for me, dove, wakey-wakey."

Audrey sits up a little straighter and rubs her face with her hands. "Unhhhhh. You really did a number on me, huh."

Eva purses her lips. "You're very suggestible. Most of my subjects take more coaxing than that."

"Am I really?" Audrey tilts her head at Eva.

"Mhm. And when I had you meow, well…" Eva just smiles.

Audrey goes beet red. "I can't believe you made me meow in public, what was I thinking -"

"You weren't, dear, don't worry about it. No-one heard you, I raised the sound screens around this nook so no-one would overhear my induction but you."

"Oh. Thank goodness." Audrey exhales softly.

"That said… I noticed a few things. Like how you blushed and smiled when I told you that you wanted to obey. It really does make things simpler when there's someone else in charge, doesn't it?"

Audrey's gaze darts away from Eva's. "Um…"

Eva smiles. "I'm going to ask you directly. Did you perhaps… enjoy being a subject? In that way?"

Oh god oh fuck. "I - I don't know, I was so deeply under - "

Eva nods understandingly. "It can be hard to tell at first, but I do think there are some indications you might be a submissive, or into hypnosis, or both. If you want to explore that, you can always call December - the Bowers will put her into your contacts in the app, I'm sure."

"… Thank you for - for everything, but I should - I should really be going, I've already taken up so much of your time -" Audrey stammers, getting up from her couch.

"It was nice meeting you," Eva says. "Good luck with your adventures in the Bowers."

"Yeah um thank you too - See you - bye." Audrey flees before Eva can say anything more.

Audrey shuts the door of her room behind her, and lets out a sigh. Finally, safety. She crosses the room and flops onto the bed, grabbing one of the pillows and curling up close around it.

She… It's barely been an hour in the Bowers and already she's - doing things -

She swallows hard, and hugs the pillow closer.

Is it true that she… likes being controlled? It was so freeing, being under Eva's commands. She said she was a good girl…

Those two words, good girl, bring back a flash of Eva's cool grey eyes, her sliver-thin smile. She seemed so happy to - to own her - she called her dove and dear and said she did well, and, and -

Audrey curls up a little more, and buries her face in the pillow. No, stop it, she can't be crushing on a stranger she just met an hour ago, what's wrong with her, she feels all lightheaded and now she can't breathe with this pillow in her face -

She shifts the long pillow down a little, and wraps her legs around it too, pressing it in hard against herself as she rests her cheek against its top. She takes a long, shaky breath.

Her thighs shift against the pillow, soft firmness through her dress, and with the motion comes a soft, languid warmth that carries with it the thought of Eva's fingers tipping back her chin, Eva's gaze transfixing her, Eva's soft words ringing in her ears -

She grinds in and sighs hard, feeling the wetness of her sex against the inside of her cotton panties, her breasts pressing firmly against the soft pillow as she embraces it closer and nuzzles it. Fuck, Eva was absolutely right about her, she's so fucking turned on.

She lets go of the pillow, rolls over in bed, pulls open the bedside table's drawer and lifts out her massager, the familiar weight of the spelled plastic comforting in her hand. With her free hand, she pulls down her sodden panties to expose her glistening sex, and then the broad head of her massager meets her clit and she thumbs the buttons and it comes to life with a thrum of power and she shudders hard and bucks against it, gripping it tightly, her head falling forward in a strained gasp, and her thoughts jumble together Eva holding the massager on her with that confident smile and oh fuck she's coming, she's coming, oh goddess -

She barely manages not to cry out Eva's name.