Bloodlines Ch.04

Elsa appeared torn between a need to be the professional saleswoman and horny voyeur, her emotions conflicted but leaning towards staying and looking. Garth pulled a little more on her Lust as he stood, pushing his pelvis and prominent bulge a little towards her. He held his hand out for the swim trunks, noticing how her eyes flickered to his groin. In a slightly louder than necessary voice, he said. "Are those for me? I'll try the on now if that's okay?" Erica yelped a little, diving inside her stall, Humiliation, Embarrassment and a sliver of Annoyance, no doubt at him, surging inside her. As soon as she was inside however, Horniness, Arousal and, for lack of a better word, Hunger rose like a flood inside her.

Garth accepted the swimming trunks with a nod and a smile, tugging a little on her Voyeurism and Arousal at the same time. Elsa licked her lips a little as she looked quite unashamedly at his bulge, nipples starting to show through her top. He went inside, closing the curtain almost all the way, leaving a slight sliver open in silent invitation as well. "So what can you tell me about these trunks?" He asked Elsa as he started undressing, meeting her eyes in the mirror as he pulled off his shirt.

"They're all the rage, especially in the 'clothes optional' part of the beach." Elsa started, her eyes tracing his back as he started opening his jeans. "It's an entirely new fabric that stretches as you move, it feels like air, some of my customers tell me. We should be getting some samples of women's one-pieces any day now as well." That last comment was for Erica who just then walked out from her stall. Garth saw both women watching as he dropped his boxers, flexing his glutes a little for their amusement.

The swimming trunks were of a very smooth and thin fabric, blue-white and opaque. He drew them on, instantly understanding why people said it felt like nothing. The material was so light and airy it might as well not have been there at all. He pulled the trunks on, quickly realizing there was no way he could hide his cock, but then again, he had kind of put himself in this situation.

Bracing himself, he walked out to the two women, sucking his stomach in a little, not wanting to appear out of shape, which he was, he guessed. Their stares and surges of emotion were uniformly approving, boosting his confidence a great deal. When he looked Erica over, he realized they simply had to have the bikini and the trunks. Not just because they were extremely sexy and well-fitting; they were also going to be soiled by the time they got them off again. Erica all but radiated Horniness, and he saw a trickle of moisture threatening to drip from her nether lips. His cock lurched at the sight, something both girls noticed right away.

"Watch!" Elsa said, pointing unashamedly at his growing cock. To his complete horror and surprise, he saw the fabric stretching around his inflating cock, perfectly outlining it and becoming more and more transparent as the fabric stretched. Elsa's jaw dropped as his quite substantial cock reached full hardness, the fabric stretched so thin it was as good as transparent. She bit her lip, Horniness and Arousal wafting from her as she no doubt wanted to step over and play with it. Erica beat her to it however, squatting down before him and letting her hands stroke his cock adoringly.

"I think this means we'll take these." Erica said to Elsa without turning. She kissed the head of his cock through the fabric, squeezing the base of his cock and giggling as precum seeped out, making the fabric even more transparent where it got wet. "Do you have the bikini in light blue? I think that would match the trunks nicely." Erica said as she rose, gliding up his body sinuously, her nipple piercing scratching his skin a little. "And what should I do with these?" She indicated the try-on sample she wore. "I'm afraid they are a bit soiled." She said that last as she turned to Elsa, spreading her legs a little as if to draw attention to her swollen, wet lips as they peeked out of the fabric.

Garth watched the exchange with fascination, seeing how their emotions surged and roiled, quite impressed with how well Erica suppressed her Nervousness, and delighted to see her Arousal ramping up steadily. He looked forward to when he could play with her in earnest and reap the reward of his manipulations. He could see Elsa's conflict, her Desire to just let loose, and her Anxiety as she no doubt wanted to stay professional as well. Erica saw it too, for she started walking seductively towards Elsa, no doubt wanting to shift the balance Garth saw plainly, her Horniness oozing from her.

"Perhaps you could, assist me, with getting these off?" Erica began, seeing Elsa go soft at the knees under her gaze.

Just then, the bell on the front door pinged loudly, a woman and a couple of children entering, judging from the cacophony of voices from the front of the shop. Erica turned right around and all but dragged him into the dressing room as Elsa withdrew towards the front of the shop. "I'll get that bikini in blue for you." She said to them as she walked off.

Garth's mouth locked onto Erica's in a frantic kiss, their bodies grinding together, his cock bumping her stomach and her nipples stiff against his chest. "We can't," he panted, pulling away from her a little, nodding towards the shop and the kids they could hear running around inside the shop.

"I know," she pouted. "But later, I'm not gonna care who sees. I'm claiming this as reparation for emotional duress." She said as her hand slid inside his trunks, a finger gliding across his slit and collecting a little precum. "Just a tiny taste," she said as she slid down to her knees. Garth did not even consider protesting as she engulfed his cockhead and sucked the precum gently from him. She slid the trunks all the way down and then padded his ass as if to send him off. He checked outside, and seeing no one, he slid into his own dressing room, quickly dressing again.

They both walked out to the counter, swimwear in hand, and Garth was pleased to see Erica also had her bra in hand. She was wearing nothing but the light summer dress and summer shoes now. Elsa smiled a little shyly at them, accepting the garments they had tried, bagging the trunks with the blue bikini and putting the tan try-on behind the counter. The woman and the kids had left, but the moment was gone, their emotions back to a slow boil. Elsa arched an eyebrow as Erica put her bra in the bag as well, her gaze going meaningfully to Erica's chest. Erica blushed a little but still drew her dress open to show off a sparkling piercing through her stiff nipple.

Garth paid, guessing the organization's stipend did not cover this kind of expenses, and even if the price was steep, he judged it an investment in future pleasure. They walked to the door, and he was rewarded with a flash of Arousal from Elsa as he grabbed Erica's ass firmly and squeezed it. Erica stopped before the door, then smiled mischievously and ran back to the counter. She whispered something in Elsa's ear and then kissed her quite soundly before running back to him. Just as the door closed, he saw Elsa behind the counter, sniffing Erica's soiled bikini bottoms and absently kneading her breast.

Lunch consisted of fish and chips, bought from a beachfront stall that came recommended, Erica said. They both agreed it was quite good, though Garth suspected he could have been served anything short of rotten food and still found it excellent. He spent the entire meal looking at Erica, getting glimpses of her pussy and nipples as she flashed him repeatedly to tease him. All too soon they realized Garth had to return to Steven's clinic for the one-thirty appointment. "What are you going to do while I'm with Steven?" He asked her.

"I was thinking I'd go back to the house with these," She held the bag up. "And then work a little on my tan while I wait for my Master. May I please be allowed to wear my new bikini?" She twirled in a perfectly subservient manner, batting her eyelashes at him for added effect. Garth's softening cock lurched again, already preparing for the evening's fun.

"No, you may not." He said, his voice of command improving, he thought. "You are not allowed underwear, I told you so." Anticipation rolled off her, Arousal, Lust and Desire churning within her. "You may wear the medium Njoy plug and the red leather choker. That is all. Be sure to apply lots of sunscreen, your fair skin will burn easily, I think. Stand up on the deck as you apply it." Her knees actually collapsed a little at that last comment and he grabbed for her by reflex before she found her balance again.

"Yes Master." She said weakly, Anticipation, Arousal, Horniness, Anxiety and a little Fear making out the top of her emotions. She was like a sea in storm again and he was amazed at how well she was able to function despite what had to feel like a tornado inside her skull. He kissed her softly and cupped her chin before turning and walking towards the clinic. He could feel her eyes on him, that feeling akin to Hunger raging inside her. He almost felt a little nervous as he thought about what she would do to him when he got home.

Mrs. Griffin smiled pleasantly at him when Garth arrived back at the clinic, ten minutes before the scheduled therapy session. "Go right ahead inside, Dr. Schill is waiting for you." She said, pointing at the door next to Steven's office. Inside he found a room that mirrored the office in layout, if not in appearance. Roughly the same furniture was present, though much simpler and more functional, not exactly colder, just more clinical. It was still relaxing, he thought, which made sense. Steven Schill was seated in a comfortable high-backed chair, small notebook in hand.

"I use this room for ordinary consultations." He said in answer to Garth's unspoken question. "My office works just as well, but when I am alone on duty, I prefer to meet with clients here."

"Do you have many others working here?" Garth asked as he looked around the room tried to decide where to sit.

"I have two other licensed psychiatrists and three trainees on staff, though they work upstairs normally. Sometimes, however, we have to see two clients at once, so one of them works out of this office while I use my own."

"So what's going to happen today?" Garth asked, finally deciding on a padded chair a little bit off to the side of the room.

"Today I will be having a session with Alex Summers. He is a forty-five year old plumber who has a history of depression. He has been a patient for a couple of years and has generally been doing well, but lately he has been feeling down and asked to see me. We have already established that he subconsciously couples springtime to the death of his father when he was twelve, an accident he feels blame for still, so spring and early summer is a difficult time for him. I had hopes he would be feeling better this year, but apparently not." Steven checked his watch, making a small notation in his book.

"He should be here in a few minutes, he is usually on time. I have told him you are a student on professional training and that you will only be observing. Do not talk to him unless he talks to you, and just try to blend in. Mr. Summers is a quite reasonable fellow, but sessions like these tend to make people feel vulnerable A great part of my work is about establishing trust and making them feel at ease." Garth nodded, seeing the sense of it.

"You have herbs, I assume?" Steven asked.

"Yes, I brought my own, I should be all set, thank you," Garth answered, checking his remaining levels and judging them sufficient since he was only watching for now.

Three minutes later Mrs. Griffin knocked softly, announcing Alex Summers. A middle aged, diminutive man with calloused hands stepped inside, briefly looked around the room and focused on Garth. Steven noticed his look and explained. "Ah, Mister Summers, this is the student I talked to you about, Eric Hopkins. Please pay no mind to him, he will only be observing, not taking part in any way." Mr. Summers nodded slowly, his somewhat guarded eyes moving to Dr. Schill. "Please be seated Mr. Summers." He sat down in one of the ordinary chairs, apparently deceiding against the chaise.

Garth quested out with his senses to get a feel for the patient, trying to gauge his emotions. Right away, Garth noticed something odd; his emotions were all very muted, kind of like a person sleeping, though Sadness and a host of other, similar emotions dominated the surface. Falling back to his interpretation of emotions as a body of water, Alex Summers could best be described as a low tide, everything lower than it should be. Dr. Schill had not yet made any kind of manipulation, obviously assessing the situation first.

"How do you feel Mr. Summers?" Steven asked with a sonorous voice, almost hypnotic in its lack of any particular inflection.

Alex Summers cast a quick look in Garth's direction before answering, Caution and Apprehension spiking a little.

"Not too good, doctor." He answered cautiously, voice gravelly and rough. "I'm having problems sleeping. The dreams have started up again."

"Ah," Steven said, briefly consulting a sheet of paper on his clipboard. "You're reliving the accident again?" Summers nodded quickly, his head slightly bowed.

"I keep seeing it again, wondering what I could have done differently, trying to see how I could have done something else, something more. Then maybe he would not have died." Garth saw his lower lip tremble, Sadness and Regret wafting from him in low waves.

"I see," Steven said, and Garth saw him reach out then, a nebulous wave of influence carefully tamping down the prominent feelings with a feather-light touch. Garth could only stare in awe at his prowess. The strands of influence and modulation were gossamer-thin and so careful he was hard pressed to see them, even with his full attention focused and looking for it. He had been quite pleased with his own progress in modulating his touch upon others, his ability to subtly alter the emotional patterns of others. Compared to Dr. Schill, however, he was like a sailor throwing wrist-thick strands of docking-rope around where Steven was using single strands of silk instead.

The effect on Mr. Summers was not noticeable at first, the strands only latching on and staying there, seemingly doing nothing to alter the emotions at all. Garth could see they did not rise more, however, even though Summers started talking about his dreams and the guilt produced by them. As he talked, more and more emotions started to spike, and soon a plethora of negative emotions made his emotional pond look like a forest of icicles growing upwards. Garth marveled as Steven calmly but swiftly countered each of these spikes with a silk-strand of modulation until dozens upon dozens of tiny threads seemed to hang in the air between them. Garth had been quite pleased he could modulate as many as five discrete emotions at once, but here he was seeing a master at work, his influence spreading like a blanket of tiny silk strands that smothered the negative feelings, more emotions being subdued than he could easily count.

Throughout the half hour of the consult, Garth watched as Steven kept Summers' negative downward spiral in check, never pressing, only stabilizing and preventing a further step down the ladder he was descending. The end result would surely be bleak despair and depression. All the while, Steven offered no suggestions, only small prompts to keep Summers talking, making him bring up all the painful memories and voicing them, while at the same time halting the rising emotions that surged along with his words. At the end of the session, Mr. Summers rose and left, his back ever so slightly straighter, his voice a tad more firm than at the beginning. If he had not been so acutely aware and looking for it, Garth doubted he would have seen the change.

"So," Steven said, removing his glasses and sitting back, eyes focusing on Garth. "What do you think?"

Garth looked at him, his mind struggling to put into words the rather humbling display of prowess he had just witnessed. "That was incredible!" He said, not sure how to describe his awe for the man's skill. "The way you were stopping his emotional spiral from taking off was something I've never seen before. I mean, I thought Jeff was good, but that was simply on another level!"

Steven had a smug smile plastered on his face, his emotions showing he was quite pleased with his own effort. "Yes, that was a rather good session, by any standard. I'm glad he came in to see me, this could have rushed him into a rather deep depression, maybe even a fatal one."

"How so?" Garth asked.

"Even if we did not touch upon it today, Mr. Summers has contemplated suicide before. Luckily, we staved it off then, and I am quite confident we will be able to do so this time as well. I have been helping him for years, never able to completely cure his guilt and self-incrimination." Steven showed his teeth in a grim smile for a brief second, before continuing. "His specific situation is particularly difficult; perhaps because he is such a subdued person to begin with, you noticed how his emotions were artificially low to begin with?"

"Yes, it looked almost as if he was asleep, at least judging from his emotions compared to others." Garth answered.

An approving smile spread across Stevens face. "Good, you noticed. I was not sure you would, instead changing your perception to match his lowered emotional state, considering it a normal state. The fact that you did speaks volumes about your skill at determining the relative differences and similarities in people's emotions." Garth beamed at the praise, considering it high praise from the obviously very talented man. "What else did you see?" Steven asked.

"Well," Garth began. "It seemed as if you were only halting his emotions from rising, not really trying to stop him from feeling them." He looked at Steven, a slight question in his eyes. Steven nodded encouragingly, prompting him to continue expanding. Garth did, eyes focusing inward as he set words to his interpretation of the doctor's method. "I'm guessing today was all about gauging the situation and stopping him from devolving further. It seemed as if you were not forcing anything, just assisting him in examining his own feelings, laying himself bare, as it were."

"Very good!" Steven beamed. "It seems this was a doubly successful session. I had not thought you would be able to see that right away. Most students take several sessions before they are able to spot that particular detail." Steven rose and retrieved a carafe with an amber liquid from a cabinet, along with two tumblers, pouring a splash into each and proffering one to Garth. "A toast seems in order. I think this will prove to be a productive time as we work together. After all, it is not often I have students who see this much in their first session. Well done! Well done indeed." They toasted, and Garth was completely unable to hide his satisfied smile, Pride probably radiating from him to Steven's senses.

"Mr. Summers is, by all accounts, one of my most difficult cases, as you will no doubt see over the next few days. His illness is by no means spectacular or violent; his main problem is his general lack of emotion. This creates the problem of not having a range to modulate. It is of little use to repress negative emotions when the rest of him is, essentially, dormant. I have scheduled him for two sessions a week over the next month, and next time I will begin to try and modulate his other emotions up, as opposed to pushing the negative ones down." Garth nodded slowly, seeing the sense of it, and at the same time pondering the problem.

Dr. Schill noticed his somewhat absent look with an inward smile of approval.