S.H.E (Seduce, Hypnotise, Enslave) Ch. 07

"You think that religious leaders will volunteer to be hypnotised?"

Stephanie gave that infuriating shrug again, "Why not? It's how they end up in bed with all those gay people, broadly speaking. It's not as if they can avoid it if they want women to kiss them. And however much they protest, they will still want it."

I sat back, taking stock for a minute and noting that how the male mind worked with regard to sex was, after all, Stephanie's chosen area of expertise. Right or wrong, she'd clearly been thinking about this for a long time.

"What about the impact on other areas of life, like politics?" I asked, a little more carefully this time. "I suppose you've thought of that, too?"

"Yes, I have," Stephanie admitted. "And I think one thing we could easily forget is that, as far as I can tell, women have always been able to do this. Nothing has actually changed. If male politicians don't want their vote to be swayed by a woman's wiles, he will simply have to stop kissing any pretty woman who throws herself at him. He may even have to stay loyal to his wife. The horror!"

"But... the stigma politicians' wives will face! The merest act of voting, influenced by a kiss..." I trailed off. Somewhere deep inside myself, I was admitting that these disaster scenarios I had constructed didn't sound too bad.

"Men in politics have always been influenced by their wives, their girlfriends, their ... mistresses," Stephanie cracked a cheeky grin. "If anything, we may only be giving the world an explanation for how the system already works."

"And you think men will just... go along with that?"

"They'll have to. Or at least, they'll have to know that the woman they kiss isn't going to take advantage of them. Men will have to navigate the dating scene, the sexual games they play, by trust. Imagine that!"

Try as I might, I couldn't refute her. I sighed. "I still can't condone this as a Ph.D study. Even if you are right, and this has been a fact of life for all of human history... a study just cannot be done. Not in our current academic climate, and not for the kind of investigations you clearly want to make."

"I was afraid you'd say that," Stephanie admitted, standing up. "I still have enough material to explore some area of male sexuality besides this one, if that helps."

I narrowed my eyes. "Don't assume I just believe that you would give up a clear passion project so easily. What are you planning, Stephanie?"

Stephanie took a deep breath, and declared, "I will do my Ph.D on whatever area of male psychosexuality you would allow, but you're right, studying hypnotic kissing is my passion project, and I won't give it up. This is just... a setback. If you will not take me on for it, if the academic world is truly not ready for this kind of research, then I will just have to make the fact itself unavoidable."

I wasn't that advanced in age, but somehow I felt I could do with a nice fainting couch right now. "Dear lord..." I murmured. "How explosive do you intend to be?"

"Not explosive, just persuasive," Stephanie grinned. "Well, I think I've wasted enough of your time. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, anyway. See you around, Professor!"

She turned and flounced towards the door.

"Wait!" I protested. "What about Luke?" He was still leaning, and drooling, on my leg.

"He's all yours," she replied briskly, "have fun with him!"

"I can't keep a slave! He's a professional acquaintance, for god's sake!" I exclaimed.

"Why not? You hypnotised him," Stephanie pointed out, "and you're the one he finds more attractive. I'm sure I'd be a terrible Mistress for him, in comparison. Anyway, my control over him is non-existent now."

"But... wait a moment," I realised, "you tricked me! You came to this meeting with someone you knew would submit to me!"

Stephanie inclined her head, not bothering to deny it. "I had to prove to you that my theory works," she said. "Keep him. As a reminder."

She reached for the doorknob.

"Fine," I said.

She turned back. "What?"

"If you want to do a Ph.D using whatever surplus material you have, I will be happy to act as your supervisor," I said, as calmly as I could manage. "If, or should I say, when, you manage to get the Ethics Board on your side, a Ph.D in this area will stand you in good stead. Legitimize your main venture, shall we say."

Stephanie grinned, clearly relieved to have found someone she could count as an ally. "Thank you, Professor!"

I inclined my own head. "You drive a hard bargain, Stephanie Meacham. Well played."

"Well, I don't want you to think badly of me," she mused, "so I'm happy to sweeten the deal. Are there any men in the wide world of professional Psychology whom you especially loathe? Someone who needs taking down a peg?"

A name popped into my head straight away. One who scorned other people's methods, one who had no respect for women whatsoever. One who nearly cost me my career. One, perhaps importantly, who still lived and worked in this city. "Victor Thorpe," I growled.

Stephanie quickly looked him up. "Hmmm... Thorpe, oh yes, I see, he certainly looks the part. Very pompous. Has his own practice. Has... criminally outdated views. Goodness, yes, he will do just fine."

"I grow weary of asking this," I said, "but what are you planning?"

"Just a little comeuppance for him, as I establish myself professionally after my Ph.D is done," she winked. "Consider it a small repayment of the huge favour you're doing me."

"While we're on the subject of small favours," I interjected, "perhaps you could enlighten me as to how I should keep Luke as a slave?" I picked up his leash, which had been trailing on the ground, testing how it felt in my hand.

Stephanie blinked. "That? Oh, there's nothing to it. It's much, much less effort than you're probably thinking. It's like having a pet, but he can take care of himself, you can communicate your needs to each other, and you can opt out at any time. Let's see... repeating commands is essential so that they sink in, give him a trigger phrase to fall back into trance, make sure he knows who he obeys, and anything else is up to you."

"Um... alright then," I swallowed. Even that felt like too much responsibility.

"If you don't feel like it, you can just tell him it was all a dream and release him," she added, "but please at least try it out before you decide."

"Thank you for this enlightening meeting, Stephanie," I said, standing up and extending my hand.

She shook it. "I look forward to working with you, Professor Kesselberg. While I think about it, your new slave's clothes are folded on a chair just outside your door. And if you're concerned about cameras, I can promise you that any tapes from today, specifically, will mysteriously go missing." She laughed as she turned to leave again. "Security guards are so easy..."

Yes, I mused, as she strode towards the door, I would have to think very fast to keep up with her-

And then I saw it. A tiny detail she'd let slip. A way that I could assert my presence in this strange partnership.

"One moment," I said sharply.

She turned back, and this time she looked confused. "Yes, Professor?"

"You have an accomplice in all of this. Who is it?"

I knew I was right instantly from the way her expression froze. It made sense, too; testing this method on women? Walking up to strange men and asking them to hypnotise her? She needed a trusted female friend, if not to conduct these experiments with her outright, then at least to keep an eye on her while she did. That small smile she'd given suggested it was the former, and that Stephanie enjoyed kissing her very much.

For the first time, Stephanie looked bashful, a closely-guarded secret discovered unexpectedly. Her gaze lingered on mine for a while, wondering how far she could trust me, perhaps.

"Lucy Halliday," she replied eventually.

"Thank you for telling me," I nodded.

She left, and now I had a slave to consider the future of. Surely the responsible thing to do was to let him go? He was still naked, too. And his poor knees were surely suffering from kneeling for so long on my carpet.

"Luke? Can you hear me?" I asked.

"Yes, Mistress," he responded immediately.

"Sit in the chair, Luke."

"Yes, Mistress."

His eyes flickered open so he could locate the chair, and I saw that they were glazed over, lost in trance and adoration. He sat and waited patiently. I noticed that his erection had gone down while Stephanie and I had been talking, but the simple act of obeying me was causing it to return. There was something quite arousing about this, I had to admit.

"You must obey me," I tried.

"I must obey you," he parrotted.

"You will fall into this deep hypnotic trance again when I, and only I, snap my fingers and say 'Deep trance, Luke'."

"I will fall into a deep hypnotic trance when you snap your fingers and say 'Deep trance, Luke'."

I recalled what Stephanie had said about repetition, and I had him repeat it three more times. Then,

"I am your Mistress."

"You are my Mistress."

"You will not tell anyone about this aspect of our relationship."

"I will not tell anyone about this aspect of our relationship."

"You will do your best to ensure that everyone sees us only as professional academic acquaintances."

"I will do my best to ensure that everyone sees us only as professional academic acquaintances."

"If anyone else should discover otherwise, you will tell me immediately."

"If anyone should discover otherwise, I will tell you immediately. Er... Mistress, I think Stephanie knows about our relationship..."

I almost laughed. What a literal-minded way of interpreting that statement! "It's okay for Stephanie Meacham to know," I soothed, "but nobody else."

"Oh, ok Mistress."

"Now," I pondered, "how do you like to be dominated?"

"I always fantasized about you whipping me when I was disobedient, Mistress," Luke replied.

"Well, I don't have whips," I responded, "how do you feel about being spanked instead?"

He shivered, apparently with pleasure. "Yes, Mistress. Please." His erection was pointing straight up now.

"And if you're a good slave?" I prompted, then I saw the leash and had an idea of my own. "Actually, let's say that if you're a good slave for me, I will reward you like this."

I picked up the leash again and tugged it, drawing his head sharply upwards. I kissed him, gently but firmly, and he practically swooned underneath me.

"Does that sound good to you?" I asked. It was a mostly rhetorical question. I had a good idea of what the answer would be.

"Yesss, Mistress," he moaned.

I pondered what a professional domme would do in this situation. This was something I'd have to study in great detail, but for now, I acted on instinct.

"Well then," I said, sitting back in my chair, "your Mistress needs to relax and unwind after that meeting. Massage me, starting with my feet."

Any doubts I had about his dedication vanished as his firm but gentle hands kneaded my soles. It felt incredibly nice, and I made a mental note to find more ways to bring out this "stern librarian" character that Luke saw in me. In the meantime, I basked in his worshipful pampering and pondered my next move. Stephanie had planned her moves over a long time, maybe years, and if I was truly committed to helping her, mine would need to be equally as considered.

I thought about Lucy Halliday. A bright student in her own right, though the pace of her degree had lapsed behind Stephanie's as she had gone part time for her final 2 years of study. I wondered if there was some hidden truth behind her burgeoning reputation for partying. Was that all there was to it, or had she been seeking out as many chances as possible to experiment with Stephanie's hypnotic methods?

What she needs, I thought, is a party she can use to her advantage.

I made a note in my calendar, almost two years in advance, to remind me that when Lucy finally completed her Master's, there was an academic conference that she would be in a very good position to attend. There would be some highly influential people there. Perhaps Lucy herself would turn out to be one of them.

"It seems that we are in for a steep learning curve," I murmured, stroking my new slave's hair idly, "but I think we can keep up."