Mistress Alexis' Harem - Cassie

In a tucked away bar across town from the Kalatravaasa where a show was put on, Mistress Alexis and Dazzling Lady rested upon their bar stools, sipping on expensive champagne as members of their harems soundly rested in booths nearby in deep slumber. Few seemed to mind, as the hypnotists calmly took care of the patrons there, and the bartender that had forgotten there was a private party scheduled for the two ladies, and quickly made preparations to serve and be the best host he could be.

The two sets of eyes surveyed the room, observing to make sure all minds were in compliance with the tenets of the party, laughing as they discussed how each was taken.

"I think the old lady at the end of the bar looks a lot more comfortable sleeping in that booth," Dazzling commented.

"A steady alcohol drinker like her should realize the narcoleptic qualities liquor has. All it took was a little time, or a little time piece to convince her she'd be more comfortable elsewhere sleeping it off," Alexis joked, circling her gold watch playfully with a finger. "Seems like a similar affliction reached the barely drinking-age couple over there."

Mischievous green eyes looked over to the college couple on a date, their beers getting cold as they were enjoying the pleasant buzz from another source.

"I sort of wish I could see how you got those two; they looked very taken with you, or by you."

"I just gave them a taste of green amethyst," Dazzling grinned with pride.

"What's the green amethyst?"

"A little cocktail I created spontaneously for them. Just took a little bit of green, with a dash of amethyst, stirred together in a slow, deliberate fashion..." Letting her amethyst crystal fall from her hand and lightly swing from the chain while the other index finger stroked a line down her dress, she gave Alexis a short display of her technique, smiling at the immediate focus she gave it.

"Explaining the ingredients to them was fun; they couldn't decide if the cocktail was more green or more amethyst, until they were quite drunk on the mixture, or just the instruction..."

"Diabolical, I love it," Alexis laughed, complimenting her beautiful peer. "A lot of fun directions you can go with those implanted suggestions, if you were inclined to play with them long-term," she commented, imagining on her own suggestions of an enduring intoxication that could keep them perpetually buzzed as far as their addled minds would know.

"Nah, they're cute enough, and could be made as yummy as the suggestions, but they're a different breed for what my stable is made up of, typically," Dazzling glanced over at Ursula, probably the first real exception to the adoring, subservient crowd she'd cultivated.

"Oh, you have your own little harem too? Very nice, though not that surprising," Alexis said.

"As I'd expect a lovely hypnotist like yourself to have some fawning followers you like to keep on a regular basis, perhaps like the sleepy young woman that's been accompanying you tonight."

Alexis turned her head to see her newest haremite Cris locked in a very relaxed state. Her eyes lulled open and closed at their leisure, and parted lips gently moved to echo the repeating countdown in her head. Alexis' voice constantly, slowly counted down from 30 to 0, and at every 0, she felt a sleepy wave of bliss overtake her, using the little energy she had to try to smile reactively.

"Ah, yes. Cris was another lady who I've recently run across that needed sleep; such people seem to be everywhere nowadays."

"Very true," Dazzling laughed. "I can only imagine how she sees you as her avenging angel of sleep, or just an angelic mistress."

"I can't confirm or deny the existence of a halo or horns, unfortunately, though Cris might feel different compared to some others about that."

"How do you mean?" Dazzling asked with genuine curiosity.

"Cris is one of the few live subjects I've taken on; I'm more used to remote play or distanced play of sorts, touched only by my voice."

"Very interesting, a bit of a rarity to see among hypnotists."

Alexis shrugged her shoulders, ready to be seen as unorthodox by a respected peer.

"It's been my preference for as long as I can remember. Getting involved with the Kalatravaasa stuff has got me exploring more, I guess. It's admittedly more fun than I expected, doing more in-person, playing off of, or deeply onto different types of subs, like hypnotists..." Alexis commented, looking over at Ursula, hinting at how much she enjoyed the idea of topping other hypnotists as much as Dazzling might.

Alexis gently stared at Dazzling while extending her wine glass towards the bar keep standing at attention. Friendly blue eyes and an easy smile never looked away from Dazzling, pouring charm towards the other hypnotist as easily as wine was poured into Alexis' glass. Bringing the glass back to her lips, Alexis almost hid the impish smile she felt inside.

"Like your green amethyst cocktail, almost makes me thirsty for something different..." Over the thin wine glass, she let her focused light-blue gaze levy interest over to a green gaze happy to receive it.

"How did you get your two over there?" Alexis asked without braking her gaze, gesturing at Harry and Ursula just by words that interrupted other thoughts Dazzling was having.

She blinked gently, asserting herself to the question asked.

"Oh, they were a little more complicated, oh so satisfying, but complicated. It's always nice when you find that you're being plotted against, and that the tables have turned so hard, they might as well be spinning like a spiral."

"Beautiful, but frustratingly-vague. Anything specific you can spill to quench the curiosity?"

Dazzling usually kept the details Alexis wanted close to the chest, out of sight of anyone consciously curious; but the way the redhead stepped into some of those details, the mercenary gave a slight shrug, deciding to fill in the context of what she missed.

"If you were there for the stage show, let's just say Harry over there activated my Uno flip card, and the backstage show played out very similarly. I challenged him to a one-on-one, and gave him the same fair odds that he gave me, with some help from dear Ursula over there."

"That is friggin' hot," Alexis fanned herself gently.

"Yes it was, and yes they are, lost in that sweet nothingness. But I still have you to thank as a potential, rescuer; it's certainly not what I expected when agreed to attend some of these events," Dazzling admitted, letting some of her infamous sheen of indomitability fade.

"Nor did I; I underestimated how much of a boys club this little group seems to be, exactly the kind that have a hard time handling superior women. And with that, I feel like apologizing for thinking maybe someone as powerful as you didn't already have the situation well in-hand."

"No need to apologize, I genuinely appreciate the support. If I hadn't sussed out what was really going on, I just might have needed an intrepid heroine like yourself," the words could've been spoken sarcastically to someone else she was toying with, but it came across as quite appreciative. The redheaded recipient didn't miss the added touch of what sounded like seduction in the tone, accompanied by a few gentle pats on her hand, the last lingering a second longer.

"To tell you the truth though, had it been just Ursula that took you on that stage, I might've slipped backstage just to pay to watch that show."

"It took two of them to bring me down as far as the audience knows; backstage might not have had the ending you'd expect."

"One way or another, it was a predictably happy ending."

The pair laughed heartily with one another, both giving quick glances around the room to make sure the other patrons were still under, before sharing more flirtatious stares. Each woman holding up their pocket watch or amethyst pendant laced their connection with mental magnetism, eyes subconsciously looking to see whom might stare at the other's signature hypnotic object; neither had taken the bait yet, both impressed with one another. It felt refreshing to Alexis and Dazzling to be in the company of another hypnotist they could respect, openly and wordlessly plotting a friendly challenge.

"Though who knows what might've happened if it had been you and me up on that stage," Dazzling inched closer to speaking the wordless out loud.

"Probably the same as exactly what happened," Alexis kept herself humble, and purposefully understated, though the thought began lingering in her head.

"No, Ursula is just a savant; she'll get better with more experience and guidance. Word around this little community of ours is that Mistress Alexis seems to be quite the force to be reckoned with."

"They're words are quite flattering," the compliment was passively acknowledged.

"As I know some of your words might be shaping some of theirs, that in of itself is worth applauding," Dazzling went further, as if looking for confirmation to some juicy rumors.

Alexis smiled to herself, wondering if some of the things she'd tried to kept hidden that Dazzling could've have deduced or found out in her own way.

"This little community is quite kind when it comes to their compliments, but much of it could be supposition on their part. Hearing about you before the Kalatravaasa means your reputation has deeper validity at least," Alexis countered.

"And perhaps your...true depths have yet to be realized to those not in the know."

Alexis smiled at that statement, and then smiled deeper, sensing an double entendre with Dazzling's statement. It was true that she liked to keep her powerful prowess hidden but to those who had the privilege of experiencing it, for better or for the worst of an offending subject needing subservience. But she had yet to really test her mettle against someone like Dazzling Lady, to really know what true depths she had in her to control, or to fall into.

The sly, unspoken "sink or swim" challenge presented by the mercenary hypnotist was loud and clear, acknowledged by both women's smiles and pointed stares.

"Well," Alexis began "as much as I would like to truly explore such depths tonight, as we're currently chaperoning a few listless, anchored minds, perhaps we should set a time and place to do this exploring later."

Dazzling smiled at the reasonable suggestion from Alexis, knowing that Harry and Ursula were pretty deep under, there was always a chance that either could come out of it due to some unforeseen distraction in this semi-controlled public place. More time would be needed to ensure their minds remain exactly where she wanted them.

From an unseen pocket on her green dress, Dazzling produced one of her business cards, handing it to Alexis. The redhead grinned at the simplicity of the card, with one side a matted black background behind a pair of deep, shimmering green eyes, and a phone number subtly imprinted on the white side. On the off-chance that Alexis won their planned duel, she'd have to inquire about marketing tips for their trade.

"Please give me a call so we can set something up," Dazzling offered, nearly purred. "Unfortunately it's well-past my subs' curfew, and need to get them to their new home, so to speak."

"Past their bedtime yet already asleep; at least they're obedient subs," Alexis couldn't help but comment.

The pair laughed as Dazzling rose to whisper to her newest haremites to follow, leaving a generous cash tip in the bartender's shirt pocket and speaking suggestively to the younger couple she'd taken earlier. Alexis watched her walk away, a submissive chauffeur moved to open the door to her limousine; the two hypnotists shared a wave at one another before departing, even from a distance sharing one last lingering look of excitement for their next meeting.

Alexis eventually woke the remaining patrons and Cris up, calling for her own ride to pick them up soon after.

***

"Swanky," Alexis noted as she walked alongside Dazzling in the upscale hotel lobby. The pairing both wore tailored business suits, both looking like staunch business women that belonged in such a place, yet still attractive enough to garner appreciative and lecherous looks from passerbys. Neither carried anything on their person except for a few items in their suit pockets, including small amount of cash, phones, and their chosen objects for hypnotic fixation.

Retrieving their room key from the desk, they both walked with a slight spring in their step, confident strides and body language carrying an air of mutual excitement. Riding the elevator to the top floor penthouse suite one of Dazzling's harem members gladly paid for, each noticed through peripheral sight the smiles on their faces, confirming how the other felt about the upcoming challenge. For once in their specialties, they would be able to engage in a friendly challenge where each could give their all without having the pressure of fighting for their own willpower and being taken advantage of to a severe degree; such was usually not the case when it came to dealing with other hypnotists.

Through a few long conversations going over what details each did and didn't consent to, both hypnotists found more similarities than differences between the two of them, more reasons to be potential close acquaintances, and even allies if need be, but always with the unspoken undercurrent of who would be winning their competition that day, and how. As they entered the brightly-lit suite illuminated by sunlight, both smiles turned a little wicked, knowing how nicely it would shine on their amethyst crystal and golden pocket watch.

"So..." Alexis strolled through the suite, admiring the setup and also checking to make sure there were no surprises waiting for her, "I can only assume one of your subs is flush enough to afford such splendid accommodations," she commented with an impressed tone. Logic and experience made it prudent to check the neutral locale her opponent chose, but it lacked the paranoia she could've invested as she found it easier than usual to trust Dazzling's word. "I hope that trust doesn't come back to bite me soon," she laughed to herself, thinking how that could be a part of the induction to come.

"I've been lucky in some of the friends and friendly circles I've made and run with over time," Dazzling commented, removing her sunglasses, flashing Alexis a bright look from across the room, green eyes almost flaring in the sunlight.

"'Luck,' indeed," Alexis winked back.

"No boogeymen in the other rooms, I assume," Dazzling blamelessly called out Alexis checking the suite.

"No, I don't see anything haunting my dreams. Yet."

"Hmmm, dream you might soon though," Dazzling's voice dropped to a hypnotic tone momentarily, deliberately placing her hand in her pocket, keeping it there for a long moment.

"Dreaming of a lovely pair of green eyes telling me what time it is," Alexis assumed a similar tone of her own, suggestively mentioning her pocket watch, fingers brushing the pocket it resided in.

Instead of keeping up the suggestiveness very long, Alexis laughed aloud. "Sorry, don't mean to break the mood, I just can't remember the last time I enjoyed blatant hypno foreplay like this; kind of don't want it to end," the redhead admitted."

"Yeah, it is refreshingly hot, and something I wouldn't mind keeping up after," Dazzling laughed to for a full minute, before her voice dropped back. "However," the hypnotic intonation returned while she pulled her fingers out of her pocket slowly, pulling out a $100 bill that was their wager, setting it on the table closest to them in the living room section of the suite. "The foreplay ought to lead somewhere, don't you think? Or...do you?"

Alexis' wickedly grinned as she approached, the index finger drawing circles as slow as her walk before bringing her own $100 bill out to set near Dazzling's.

"Yes, it really ought to lead somewhere, where the journey is as exhilarating as two admirable hypnotists who have been dancing around the fun undercurrent between us. But who shall be the first to formally initiate dance for real?"

Licking her lips a little bit, Dazzling smiled back, "Well, it seems redundant to ask 'who leads'. Everything about this dance has led to this moment, this place, this space, you reside in, especially my words," she pulled out her amethyst, raising it to eye level as she stood close to the window pouring early afternoon sunlight in the room, flashing bright glints off her colorful pendant. "Trust me, you need not worry about leading for the time being."

"Yes, indeed," Alexis raised her pocket watch up to the same light, beginning twist it on its chain to the light would catch green eyes off-guard. "I trust in the time being whatever a watch says it is, the time is known, the place is known. And as my words become known, it's rather obvious that a watcher of a watch should be following, after all."

The duel deeply underway, both women glanced at each object hanging before them, and the eyes of each holder, feeling themselves out before speaking again. Dazzling knew she had more experience in versatility when it came to hypnosis, using outlandish tactics to subvert minds as her reputation had become. Alexis would be watching for some unusual element catching her, and the anticipation of that could leave her distracted enough for something simple to work on lowering awareness.

"Something so pretty about an amethyst in the sunlight. Nothing crazy or tricky about it, because that's certainly not my style; nothing at all complicated about a pretty stone bearing light, bearing flashes of light into bearing eyes as light and more boors into open minds. No tricks, no complications, just natural. Sooo natural to look...and follow."

Alexis found the amethyst crystal to be exactly as advertised, very easy on the eyes, with flashes that drew her in more and more despite the natural purplish color hanging in-between intense green eyes watching her reaction to it. She tried to keep focus on the fingers of her hand, still slowly twisting the watch in a rhythmic fashion, making the flashes on the pocket watch as easy to count as seconds on a clock.

"So natural, so very lovely. Time passes so easily as we stare, passing through, passing into, like passing thoughts lost in the sway of time that makes us find what we want to get lost in, until we find the state we want to be in, just like how I found you."

Dazzling noticed immediately how smoothly Alexis moved her watch from twisting to swinging back and forth in how she drew out the word 'sway.' Alexis' watch was as gorgeous as the voice speaking back to her, agreeing with her. Their back and forth really did feel like a dance, with both of them speaking as if working with each other instead of against, both happy to let things take their course. But the last words spoken to her got her to falter a little bit, interrupting what she was doing with her own hand and pendant; jarring enough to make her hand move, she also shifted into swinging, making it seem intentional.

"It is natural. It is lovely. Why would you ever want to look away? That shouldn't even be on your mind, as all your focus rests on my crystal as your mind rests on the feathery comfort of my words, relaxing, slowing down, idly wondering how a crystal could be so...mesmerizing. You simply can't look away, because you don't want to. So you don't; you let my voice and pendant mesmerize you further."

The corners of Dazzling's mouth grew to smile as she watched blue eyes hold on the swinging amethyst. More satisfaction came from noticing how the arcs of the crystal and watch were nearly perfectly in-tune, so much that Dazzling could accurately compare the her amethyst to the size of the shiny surface of the pocket watch.

"Mesmerizing is natural and lovely when it's right, but very concerning when it's not. Your crystal looked so brilliant when I saw you on-stage that night, drawing all minds to it. I wondered how the others managed to even move against it, how they moved against you. I focused so intently on that stage, time slowing down yet never stopping, focused on you, concerned for you, wanting you to be safe."