victor found himself alone at the party, watching the different groups that had formed and trying to decide if and when to jump into conversation. the friend of a friend who had invited him had already run off somewhere, leaving him with a room full of strangers - which was fine, of course, but made it a bit more difficult to know where to start, how to break the ice.

it was then that he saw him - a tall man with long hair, who was also standing on his own and watching everyone, although it appeared to be less out of awkwardness and more about analyzing them. he was familiar... no, victor definitely knew him somehow, although he couldn't recall from where.

he approached the man, figuring this was a good opportunity to talk to someone. "excuse me," he said, "have we met somewhere?"

the man turned to him, gazing at him with an unreadable expression. the regret was instant - he was struck with the feeling that it was a silly, ridiculous question with an embarrassingly obvious answer. something he really should have known.

"have we?" they simply asked. "do i look familiar?"

it was difficult to tell whether they genuinely wondered, or if they were teasing him, and the longer he looked at them, the more he thought he may have been mistaken. "i... i'm not sure, actually, i'm sorry."

"no, it's alright. just look very carefully," they responded, leaning in closer to him, intimately close. "and listen. do i sound familiar?"

it was a very strange thing to say. he stared at them, listening, almost frozen, not knowing how to even react. surely he would remember someone like this, if he knew them. wouldn't he?

"i don't think so," he muttered. "i must have confused you for someone else, or perhaps you looked different from a distance, or..."

they put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it with their thumb. "are you sure?" they asked. "you're letting me get awfully close. do you usually allow a stranger to invade your personal space like this?"

"no, no, i don't, but--" his mind went blank for a moment. what was this situation? who was this? "you- you're just- strangers don't usually just... it's not that i'm allowing you," he stammered.

"but you are," they murmured. "you're not backing away, are you?"

he wasn't. it was as if he couldn't. he couldn't stop looking, listening, trying to figure out how he ever could have thought this person was familiar. he couldn't even remember what their voice sounded like when they stopped speaking, their face escaped him every time he blinked. it wasn't just that they were a stranger, it felt as if they were simply unknowable, somehow. he didn't quite feel certain they were even human.

they smiled, their hand sliding to his back. "you don't know me?"

"i don't believe i do."

"but i know you."

he blinked, before forcing a laugh. "you're joking. you- you're intentionally being creepy, aren't you?"

"oh, of course i am," they said. "but i do know you."

"did you hear about me from someone here?"

"i couldn't have heard much from any of them," they replied. "none of them know you particularly well, do they? you were invited by a casual acquaintance."

"then-" his throat caught for a second. "then what do you know that they couldn't know?"

their hand slid up to the back of his neck, softly brushing their fingers against the sensitive skin. "i know things that even you don't know about yourself, victor."

"i won't believe it unless you prove it," he said, attempting to keep his voice steady even as he twitched and shuddered.

a part of him did wonder why exactly he was challenging them, why he would egg them on. this was absolutely inappropriate, wasn't it? if they really did know him, they must have been a stalker, or something, if not some sort of demon or monster, if such a thing existed. and their touches were only becoming bolder and more intimate. even if another partygoer looked over at them, they surely would have just assumed they were lovers. no one would step in or think anything of it, if this escalated. the most they would do is tell them to get a room.

still, it felt too late to back away now.

they didn't respond at first, just continuing to caress the back of his neck, staring directly into his eyes. he wanted to think that they had just been bluffing, that they had no response. maybe this was just what they did, going to random parties and making people uncomfortable. that was much more plausible and realistic than any of the other ideas that were floating through his head.

but no. that wasn't it. he knew that wasn't it, somehow.

"is this enough proof?" they finally asked. he felt a slight pinch at the back of his neck.

how is that proof? he thought, but his lips didn't move. no part of him moved - though he was still standing, he felt oddly limp, his arms hanging at his sides, his shoulders slumping slightly. as if he were a cat being scruffed.

was that some sort of human instinct, as well? he had never heard of such a thing. was it just... him?

they let go, rubbing the skin, as if to ease any pain the pinching may have caused, although it hadn't hurt in the slightest. "well?"

he could speak now, but it was a bit more difficult to find something to say. "is that- does that not happen to everyone?"

"if it were so easy to render absolutely anyone completely unable to move or resist, i can only imagine what people would use that for."

it was quite an ominous thing to hear from the person who had just demonstrated that they could do that to him.

but did that really prove that they knew him? "is that some sort of party trick of yours? i still don't believe you."

"oh? so you want to see what else i can do to you?"

"i don't care what you can do to people. i'm asking for proof that you really know me so well."

"and why do you want proof of such a thing?"

"if you're going to make such a bold claim, you had better be able to back it up. i don't believe that you can."

"but you already know, don't you? you can already feel where this is going."

"a cheap psychological trick like that isn't going to work on me. i want proof. genuine proof."

"do you particularly like parties, victor?"

"changing the subject? and if you really know me, you should already know the answer."

"they're enjoyable enough for you, depending on the crowd. it isn't that you dislike socializing, or meeting people. but isn't it odd that you came here, when you aren't particularly close with the person who invited you, and you knew very little about who else would be here?"

"is it really so strange? it's good to have any excuse to get out, after all. what exactly are you getting at? is there some mysterious other reason i came to this party, that only you know?"

"how is it that you were so certain you recognized me one moment, but felt i must be a complete stranger the next? can you tell me who you had mistaken me for? do you know anyone who looks like me, or dresses like me, or has anything in particular in common with me?"

"how should i know? maybe you vaguely reminded me of some actor, or someone i ran into once a long time ago. maybe it was just the angle you were facing, maybe it made you look like someone else. are you just going to keep changing the subject with all of these meaningless questions? do you not have any definitive proof?"

"why is it that every time i pause, you feel as though you can't even recall what my voice sounded like?"

he didn't have a rebuttal for that. he hadn't said anything about that, had he? was it somehow obvious from his face? was it possible to understand such a particular thought just from looking at him? but no matter how well someone knew him, they couldn't just read his mind. was this some sort of ability they had? an effect they had on people? maybe they only knew he felt that way because that was how everyone felt around them.

"you're free to ask anyone else if i have that effect on them. they'll laugh."

he backed away from them, calling over the nearest person who wasn't busy.

"do you know this person?" he asked. "what do you think of them?"

"'this person'?" they laughed. "i dunno. we've only talked once or twice. what do you expect me to say to that?"

"you just had a normal conversation with them? and you remember what they sound like?"

"what, you don't? dude, are you alright?"

the stranger stepped in, putting an arm around victor. "he's just fine."

the other partygoer looked at them both for a moment, before nodding to the stranger. "right, i should've known. that's crazy. does he really, like...?"

"yes, completely."

"damn. i need to go tell jim about this."

with that, they walked off, vanishing back into the crowd, leaving victor more confused than he had been before talking to them.

"what were they asking? about me? why did they ask you? if it was about me."

"that would be quite odd if i didn't know anything about you, wouldn't it?"

"it isn't as if they know me, either. you- it must have just been because you were acting confident."

"and what do you think they thought was going on, then?"

he had this odd feeling that the answer was right in front of him. even through the confusion, the feeling that something wasn't adding up, the nervousness about this stranger, there was this... what was it? he knew he wasn't dreaming, but it was similar to that vague awareness he sometimes had when he was, that instinctive sense that whatever was happening had no actual weight or consequences, even as he experienced it without question.

"i... i should know."

"should you?"

"i shouldn't," he said quickly. "but..."

"shhhh..." they spoke directly into his ear. "you don't know," they whispered.

"i don't know."

"that's right."

a strange tingle crawled down his spine, spreading through his body. it felt warm.

it was so intense and overwhelming that it disrupted his entire train of thought, and it did that so thoroughly that he was only faintly aware that he had just been thinking about anything in the first place. the words had disappeared, leaving nothing but the feelings, the vibes, like waking up from a dream that you can't quite remember.

he had been... suspicious of something? what was he suspicious of? it wasn't the stranger, exactly, it was something else...

"it's so confusing, isn't it?" they said slowly, petting his hair. "it's so confusing..."

it was confusing.

he was interrupted again. but did that matter? there was no point in chasing feelings and vibes - he was interested in the reality of the situation, the actual answers.

"they thought i was on drugs," he said. "that must be what it was. you simply allowed them to have that misunderstanding."

they continued looking down at him, the way you might look at a child as they innocently explained their interpretation of an adult joke that they didn't have the context to understand, knowing that you couldn't correct them, and not wanting to laugh at them, but being unable to completely conceal your amusement. it was funny to them. it was cute to them.

"pr- prove it to me," he said. "if you really know something i don't, then prove it already. i've had enough of this."

"you have the right to make such a demand of me?"

"do you have the right to be so smug? to- to wrap your arm around me, to touch my neck, to pet my hair?"

"victor," they said, seeming to ignore his question entirely, "why do you wear that collar around your neck?"

"it's a choker. i just wear it for the aesthetic."

"it's very obviously made to resemble a dog collar."

"am i not allowed to enjoy the look of it? what sort of question is this? you can't just keep distracting me like this. i told you to-"

"quiet," they said, their voice firm, but not aggressive.

he stopped speaking.

"paw," they said, holding out their hand.

without thinking, he placed his hand on theirs. it happened in an instant, before he could question it, as if it was the most natural response in the world, as natural as a handshake.

"very good. now sit."

it was an involved enough action that part of him was aware, as he was doing it, that it was a strange command, and that there was no reason for him to listen. but he sank down to the floor, positioned much like a dog, keenly aware that his face was now very close to this stranger's crotch.

they reached down to pet him, cooing at him as his face turned red, his heart pounding, his breathing becoming heavy. it would have been so easy for them to push his head closer, against their body. to give him another command. would he have simply listened and allowed it to happen?

he was throbbing. arousal had flooded his body, so suddenly.

they withdrew their hand. "up."

he straightened up, standing again, staring at them with wide eyes.

"speak."

"what- what exactly am i- what am i meant to say? i suppose i'm glad i didn't just bark in response to that! how can i obey so quickly, when you aren't even telling me what i'm meant to do? these simple, one word commands, they could- i could interpret them in so many ways, i could have just searched for a chair to sit in, but i- and why do i feel..." he trailed off, realizing what he was saying. the words had come out on their own.

"what do you feel?" they asked, although it seemed they already knew.

"it's nothing," he said quickly. "why do i keep listening to you?"

"because," they murmured with affection, wrapping their fingers around his collar, "you're my pet."

despite the circumstances, despite everything, the words had such a feeling of truth to them. it didn't make any sense, it couldn't be true, or at least it shouldn't be. his mind buzzed, searching for some sort of explanation, saying it must have been some sort of trick, but those thoughts were so distant, so meaningless, so... fake. his body believed this stranger, and that pulsing feeling was very real, and tangible, and difficult to ignore.

they reached into their pocket, pulling out a leash, a very short one. they moved so slowly, so carefully, he could have done something, he could have run off, or grabbed their hand, or at least pretended to resist in some way. but he was completely still as they hooked it around part of his collar, and it clicked shut.

they started to pull him along, gently tugging on the leash. he realized they were guiding him to the door. and yet, even as he walked past groups of people, who could have helped him, who could have stopped this stranger who was taking him away, he only felt embarrassment at being seen like this, and unbelievable, overwhelming sexual excitement. though, as he stepped out of the door, he had wondered if they would have just commanded him to be quiet even if he had tried to say anything. it was only then that he wished that he had.

they didn't have to shove him into their car. they didn't even give him a verbal command to. they simply opened one of the back doors - yes, he wasn't even going to sit in the front - and he stepped in and sat down himself, fully aware of what he was doing.

it was strange. it was all very strange, the entire sequence of events, the fact that he didn't feel any sense of danger at all. he was being... kidnapped? factually, that was his understanding of what was happening, but it didn't sound right.

this stranger absolutely intended to keep him. that felt obvious. and that would be kidnapping and imprisonment, by definition. he obviously didn't want to be kept as this stranger's pet, even if the mere thought of it was nearly enough to make him moan. was he really so horny that he simply didn't care about the consequences?

his captor's face wasn't entirely visible in the rearview mirror. he found himself utterly mystified by the fact that he couldn't fill in the blanks with his mind, even now, after having stared at this person's face for so long. he didn't know what they looked like. he could remember what they had told him, but he couldn't hear it in their voice. he wanted them to speak again. he missed it, even if he didn't know what it was that he was missing. he simply had the feeling that he liked the sound of it.

because this wasn't really just a stranger. everything about them was entirely unrecognizable and alien to him, but they weren't interchangeable with just any other stranger. this wouldn't have happened to him if it had been anyone else. there was something appealing about them in particular. it was something he could sense, something he felt sure of even without any way of actually knowing. those vague feelings were more real than his thoughts. his attempts of understanding earlier were no more than floundering, denying what he knew to be true, delaying the inevitable.

he didn't want to think about that. he didn't even know what it meant, really. he was in the car with a random stranger who might have wanted to kidnap him and keep him as a pet. could he not muster up even a little bit of fear? why had he felt so odd? what did they do to him? could they remove even his desire to resist? that thought finally inspired the smallest twinge of discomfort in him. he hoped he could call it discomfort, at least. perhaps it was just the misattribution of arousal.

either way, his heart pounded as they arrived, the stranger guiding him out of the car and into their house. he hadn't even tried to figure out where they were, not even glancing at the exterior of the house, or the address. he was hardly thinking.

they wasted no time getting him on their couch, face down. they pressed against his back, their mouth next to his ear. he still didn't fight them, even shifting into exactly the position they wanted without thinking about it. it felt almost as if they fit together perfectly.

"that's right... very good..." they cooed, slowly stroking his back. "do you know what's going to happen to you?"

"i... i don't."

"you'll be my pet."

"and what does that... entail?"

"don't worry... i have a large, comfortable kennel for you... i'll take you on walks... i'll give you treats... i'll train you..." they pushed their hips closer. "i'll breed you."

"and you intend to keep me?" he whispered, trying to keep his mind on the danger of the situation, even as his body wanted nothing more than to be taken then and there. "i won't... be able to leave?"

"you won't want to."

"wh- when you say breed, you mean...?"

they caressed his stomach. "oh, you know what that means, don't you?"

"you're not going to make me keep..."

"i won't be in a rush to do anything about it. i'm sure it won't be so bad. you'll get to take a nice little break from your shots... and i'm sure you'll be so tired and docile... and you'll look so cute..."

he could hardly think of anything more nightmarish, but he felt himself becoming wetter. to tell the truth, if all they had wanted was sex, he would have had no problem with it, even with this stranger. he might have even agreed to some sort of petplay arrangement with them without much discussion. but the threat of being trapped, impregnated, of having them control both his mind and body... he didn't even know their name. they were unbuttoning and unzipping his pants, breathing in his ear, touching him, every action signaling their ownership. and he was simply allowing it to happen.

he just... he just needed this. even if he didn't want to be kept, even if this had serious, dangerous consequences, even if he couldn't even picture the person who was now rubbing against his entrance without a condom, he just needed them inside of him. he couldn't resist.

they pushed inside easily, more easily than he had ever been penetrated in his life, with no pain, or stinging, or even any discomfort. he even felt himself pushing back against them, as if they weren't already deep enough.

"that's right... you like it, don't you?" they murmured. "you want to be my pet."

the way they said it made it feel true. his face flushed. "i don't..."

"you're so wet... you want me to cum deep inside of you. you want me to breed you."

"i-i don't," he repeated. he could feel how deep they were, bumping against something sensitive. it felt big, it felt satisfying inside of him, stretching him, filling him.

"you don't even know me... but you want me to breed you... you need it."

"i don't... i-i shouldn't..." it didn't sound particularly convincing between moans.

"don't worry," they whispered. "i'm already close... do you feel it throbbing inside of you?"

they were moving slowly, just barely sliding in and out. victor completely froze. he could feel it.

"you want it..."

"i don't," he said breathlessly, feeling himself twitching and squeezing down on them.

"you'll be such a good pet for me..."

"i'm not..."

he was close. he was going to cum. he was going to cum just from the penetration.

"you feel so good..."

he shuddered, and in response, they pressed themself deeper, holding themself inside him as deep as they could.

he couldn't let himself cum like this.

"you want to be bred... you want me to breed you... you want to be my pet."

they throbbed and pulsed inside of him. he couldn't stop it. he could only silently mouth his response. he was going to cum while trying to tell them he didn't want to.

just as the orgasm started in his body, their cum began pumping into him, deep inside of him, thick and full. he could only shiver and twitch, his body moving as if it wanted to squeeze as much of their cum into it as possible. it was so overwhelming, so good, there was no room in his mind for anything else.

as he came to his senses, the afterglow fading away, he still felt an odd sort of emptiness, a lack of urgency.

the stranger pulled out of him, getting up and grabbing a towel, as well as a bottle of water, which had been on the table the entire time. victor recognized it as his own bottle.

"why is that here?"

the stranger tilted their head, their expression much softer and more friendly than it had been earlier, before laughing. "your water bottle, you mean?"

"yes..."

they leaned closer to him, tenderly caressing his face. "you do know me. you're not trapped here. and it isn't physically possible for you to become pregnant. you can remember now."

in an instant, something inside of him clicked. this was his hypnotist. he had known him for years. he had visited him countless times, in this exact house.

"drink some water," he said, offering victor his water bottle.

he only took a sip, too eager to speak. "it was so strange. i knew, but i didn't... i had no idea."

"it wasn't too much?"

"no, i was alright. i can't say i felt much fear at all. i believed everything that was happening, but at the same time... it felt sort of fake."

"are you disappointed by that?"

"no, no, there was something about that... it was like a dream. it was as if i was in trance the entire time. it was a different sort of reality."

"i'm glad you know you're safe," his hypnotist said. "maybe next time i'll get a cage for you, and extend the fantasy a bit longer. or i'll make you eat from a dog bowl."

"i'm not opposed to it, but you understand that that sort of thing isn't especially appealing to me..."

"oh, i know. but i'm sure it would feel quite different if a mysterious stranger forced you, wouldn't it?"

he drank more of his water. "...if it went on long enough, i wonder if... if it would start to feel real."

"i'd love to see that growing sense of nervousness and desperation in you. i really couldn't help myself, after talking with you at the party... and seeing the genuine confusion in your face."

just talking about it was almost enough to put him in a trance.

"but you listened so well, anyway, didn't you? even when you didn't understand why."

"as if i can't help being loyal to you," he murmured, "even if i don't know who you are."

"maybe you'd like to forget again."

the voice was unrecognizable.