Whiteout Ch. 10

"Next, we switch directions and bring the working ends around the front of the body again."

Patti watched intently as Lilith brought the rope around Alex's chest. He was dressed more casually than the last time the two of them were here: no princess dress, just a t-shirt and sweatpants. The only thing that would raise eyebrows about his appearance was the pair of bunny ears on his head, a pun so awful Patti had no choice but to admire it. Lilith, however, was just as dressed-up as before. She was a somewhat new name in the local kink scene; Patti thought she might be trying to overcompensate a bit.

"Then, we bring the working ends through the loop we just created, the one that's doubled-over." Lilith pulled the ropes through each other. "Make sure the ropes aren't crossed, that's very important."

I could do better than that, Patti thought to herself. She's kinda stiff with her hands. But it seems the crowd likes it.

It was a packed house at the Pink Mansion today, even more than the last class they held. Patti couldn't remember the last time they ran out of chairs. It made sense; shibari was more "vanilla" than hypnosis, so naturally it would draw a bigger crowd.

"Now we reverse again, this time going above the chest." Lilith wrapped the rope just below Alex's armpits. "And we wrap the working ends underneath this vertical part, the stern."

It was still a little surreal to Patti that she and Weiss weren't together anymore. They'd known each other since Weiss still went by Gwen, when they were both the kind of bright-eyed newbies who would've thought this presentation was mind-blowing. In a way, Weiss and kink were almost inseparable to Patti. Even though they didn't spend as much time together anymore, she couldn't quite imagine one without the other.

"We reverse one last time," Lilith continued, "and bring the working ends through the loop, just like before."

A part of Patti wondered if banning Weiss from the Mansion had been a mistake. It had all happened so suddenly; one moment she was enjoying a great hypnosis scene, and the next Weiss was getting a lightning bolt to the chest and Patti was frozen stiff. They were both scared out of their wits, and Patti knew all too well how fear could make someone do incredibly stupid things.

She remembered the first time Weiss hypnotized her. Her girlfriend had been so nervous; back then, one would hardly recognize her as the woman she was today. She hadn't bleached her hair yet, and she didn't have that leather jacket she wore all the time. She looked like any other shy, mousey girl you'd see on a college campus.

Patti already knew she was far from shy, though. They'd been together for a few months by that point, and Patti had figured out tons of ways to push her buttons. Once Weiss got into a scene, she turned out to be quite the little kinkster, and she provided both of them plenty of ways to explore what they wanted.

It was actually Patti who brought up hypnosis at first. It was an ever-present sight in the communities she'd stumbled into online, and the demos she'd checked out seemed pretty enticing. Weiss tried to play it cool when Patti asked her about it, but it took only a couple minutes into her first session for Patti to figure out it was something she was passionate about.

Maybe a little too passionate. Weiss ended up so turned on during the induction that she couldn't let herself go. Patti wasn't necessarily complaining; she usually had to work a little harder to get Weiss that horny. But it frustrated Weiss to no end. She'd fantasized about going under for so long that to have it be just out of reach was maddening. They kept trying, and they made some progress, but Weiss was never quite satisfied.

So Patti suggested that Weiss try hypnotizing her. Weiss was initially hesitant, as usual, but she figured it couldn't hurt to try. And when she started bringing Patti under, she took to it like a fish to water. The patter, the pacing, the way her voice was calm and measured yet still undeniably aroused - it was like she'd been doing it for years. Patti went deep that night. When she awoke, Weiss was grinning like an idiot, and Patti found herself smiling back.

In retrospect, it may have been the turning point in their relationship. From then on, Weiss became more and more interested in being the domme, and Patti found out she could be just as engaged as a bottom as she was as a top. Gradually, their roles reversed, and with it Weiss changed as a person. She became more confident, started dressing differently, and, eventually, started going by Weiss.

SLAM!

Lilith squeaked in a decidedly non-dominatrix-y way at the sudden loud noise that came from outside the Mansion. Fortunately for her, not many people noticed. Practically everyone in the room jumped out of their seat and gasped, Patti included.

Guess it's time to do that "authority figure" stuff. Patti stood up and cleared her throat. "It's alright, everyone! I'll go see what the commotion was. Lilith, feel free to keep going."

Lilith nodded, trying to regain her composure. Patti strode towards the door, holding her head up high and trying to project confidence and professionalism, something she'd gotten pretty good at faking over the years.

When she opened the door, her eyes immediately went towards the dumpster at the far end of the alleyway. Every so often, some poor drunk would end up spending the night in there, and when they got out in the morning the lid tended to slam loud enough to be heard even inside the Mansion.

Sure enough, someone was staggering down the alleyway, only a few steps away from the dumpster. I better call them a cab or something. "Hey there!" Patti called out, taking a few slow steps towards them. "You doing okay?"

The figure didn't say anything. They just kept moving forward, swaying wildly, barely able to take a few steps forward without leaning on something for support. Guess they haven't quite slept it off. "Do you need any help?"

"Patti..." the figure replied, their voice hoarse and pained.

Her blood ran cold. What the fuck... Alright, fuck this! I didn't wake up today to be in some shit horror movie! "I'm sorry, but I can't help you," Patti said, backing up slowly. "Please, just go away!"

"Patti, help... help me..."

As the figure got closer, Patti started to notice something off about them. They were dressed very strangely - a purple leotard over a black bodysuit, with long white gloves and boots. Their hair was tied in a ponytail, and didn't look matted or dirty like you'd expect from someone who spent a night in a dumpster. In fact, they looked virtually spotless.

And then they got close enough for Patti to see their face. She gasped. "Val?"

* * *

"Well, you're looking chipper this morning."

Val looked up from her phone and smiled as Gibson walked into the meeting room. This was the first time in a while that she'd beaten him here. "Morning! How are you doing, Gibson?"

"Alright." He ran his eyes up and down her body, a look of confusion starting to form on his face. "Were we supposed to be in uniform this morning? Don't remember Reuben saying anything about that."

She looked back at her phone and used the camera as a mirror, putting the finishing touches on her purple lipstick. "He didn't. I just wanted to dress up."

"Yeah?" He took his seat. "What's the occasion? We got a VIP coming in or something?"

"Or something, yes." Val couldn't wait for Mr. Hawthorne to arrive. He'd sent her a text before she got to the tower - Reuben had given him her number, he explained - telling her to wear her uniform for his presentation. Reuben would be wearing his, too. She didn't quite know why Mr. Hawthorne wanted them in their uniforms, but it was nonetheless a little exciting. It was like Reuben and her were in on a secret, one that the rest of the team would only learn about after they too had Mr. Hawthorne explain things to them.

As the rest of the group filtered in, her anticipation only grew. It was strange; even though it had been hours since Mr. Hawthorne had used his power on her, the world still appeared drained of color. It wasn't completely grey; she could still tell her uniform was purple. But there was a coldness to it. Everything felt muted, from the voices of her comrades to the way the tight fabric of her uniform hugged her skin. It reminded Val of a dream, how everything is slightly off in some indescribable way but one's mind prevents them from really noticing it. It's not until after one wakes up that anything seemed strange.

"He's late again." Brayden folded his arms and stared up at the ceiling. "What the hell's keeping him?"

"Beats me," said Yun-hee. "Maybe he overslept?"

"When has he ever overslept?" Gibson drummed his fingers on the table. "I dunno, guys, anyone else getting kind of a weird feeling?"

"Not really?" Yun-hee shrugged. "What makes you say that?"

"Well... I don't mean to be rude, but..." Gibson pointed at Val. "You're kinda freaking me out."

"What?" Val scoffed.

"With the uniform and stuff. It's weird. And you're breathing funny too."

"You can tell how I'm breathing? From across the table?"

"That's not creepy at all," Brayden muttered.

"Nobody asked you, Brayden." Gibson leaned in, staring at Val intently. She knew that look like the back of her hand. She'd seen it recently, in fact-

"Some of us don't think you made it out of that studio the same way you went in."

Val saw a flash of something she didn't quite understand. Gibson and her, in a fancy-looking elevator, talking about... something.

"Val?" Gibson sounded concerned. "You okay?"

"I..." What were they talking about? When did that happen? It felt so recent, but she had no idea when it could've occurred.

"Good morning, Team Rainbow."

Val smiled. Mr. Hawthorne had arrived.

The room turned to look at him as he entered the room with Reuben. Mr. Hawthorne wore the same smile as he always did, kind and happy but not overly jovial. Reuben was dressed in his uniform as promised, but Val noticed he too was now wearing lipstick. Normally, Val and Yun-hee were the only ones with makeup as a part of their uniform, something Val remembered seeming a bit sexist when she first found out about it.

"Oh, now I see why he's late," Brayden chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Reuben had to get himself dolled-up for the Monopoly man!"

Reuben's cheeks started to match his uniform. He kept his head low, avoiding eye contact with the rest of the team.

"Now, now, Brayden," Mr. Hawthorne said, "there's no need for rudeness." He ushered Reuben to the head of the table and stood behind him. "I've come to make an announcement."

"Yun," Gibson groaned, "if he starts yelling about the moon, please kill me."

Mr. Hawthorne paused. "I'm... sorry, I don't follow."

"It's a- y'know what, never mind," Yun-hee sighed.

"Just tell us what you wanna tell us and get outta here," Brayden said, glaring at Mr. Hawthorne.

"Well, I'm afraid I won't be out of your hair for some time." Mr. Hawthorne smiled brightly. "For you see, starting today I'm your new boss."

"...Excuse me?" Yun-hee leaned forward, her eyes widening. "You're taking over leadership duties? But why?"

"Why not?" Mr. Hawthorne replied. "Better to have an impartial party handling mission control. And I do have majority stake in Team Rainbow."

"Wait, what?" Gibson shot out of his seat. "Since when?"

"Since..." Mr. Hawthorne checked his watch. "35 minutes ago? I just got out of a meeting with the shareholders - former shareholders, excuse me - and I now own a little over sixty percent."

"That's... that's gotta be illegal, right?" Brayden furrowed his brow and held his head in his hands, struggling to take it all in. "Like, there's laws about how teams like us operate. The Bureau's gonna step in and-"

"If the Bureau of Post-Human Affairs wants to step in," Mr. Hawthorne interrupted, raising his voice an almost imperceptible amount, "then they'll step in. I'm sure once I explain the situation to them they'll see no issue."

Yun-hee turned towards Val. "Did you know about this?"

Val looked over at Mr. Hawthorne. He hadn't told her to lie to her teammates, but she knew that letting them know about their meeting last night would only serve to make them more upset.

Fortunately, Mr. Hawthorne picked up on her apprehension. "Why would she know?" he said. "Everyone except Reuben is hearing it for the first time."

"I didn't ask you," Yun-hee snapped, "I asked Val."

Val shrugged. "Why would I know? Everyone except Reuben is hearing it for the first time."

"You know," Brayden piped up, "repeating exactly what Ray here just said in the exact same tone of voice doesn't really make you any more convincing."

"Well, it's the truth!"

"Is it?" Gibson's eyes were locked onto Val, and she had a sudden, extreme flash of déjà vu. She'd been in this exact same position before - telling a lie, doubling down, only for Gibson to see right through her - and it was recent. But just like with the elevator, she couldn't remember anything else about it. All she had were these flashes, images and emotions without any context.

"It is," Reuben muttered, sparing Val from having to answer.

"Oh, now you decide to speak up," Brayden fumed. "And you're just okay with this?"

"It's... not really my choice. Mr. Hawthorne is free to do what he wishes, it doesn't concern me."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Gibson said, exasperated. "Dude, of course this concerns you! It concerns all of us!"

"If I may!" Mr. Hawthorne interjected. "It seems tensions are very high at the moment. I know this is a big change for a lot of you. So, how about this? I'll meet with each of you one-on-one, and we'll discuss it together."

"Better idea," Brayden replied. "Why don't you fuck off, and we'll discuss it on our own?"

Mr. Hawthorne chuckled. "I think you'll go last, then. Val? How about you start us off? I'll show you to my office."

"Of course, Mr. Hawthorne." Val rose from her seat and followed Mr. Hawthorne out of the room.

* * *

"I do hope there aren't any hard feelings between us."

Mr. Hawthorne's office wasn't much to look at yet. With such short notice, all he could scrounge up was a basic desk, a couple office chairs, and what looked like a name plate taken from his main office at Ardent Tower.

Val didn't mind it, though. The view was nice, at least; an entire wall was made up of windows, showing the city from high above. She imagined the room itself would be far more impressive once things had settled down. "Of course not, Mr. Hawthorne," she replied. "Why would there be?"

"Well, since we're ending the investigation into-"

Val fell to the floor. Whatever Mr. Hawthorne said had turned into a piercing, impossibly loud noise that struck her like a freight train. Color returned to her vision, but it shot past its usual saturation and went harsh and searing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Mr. Hawthorne sounded like he was shouting into a megaphone right next to Val's head. "I forgot what we agreed on last night."

Last night... What had they agreed on? Her entire evening was a blur. Most of yesterday was, actually. She remembered going to a coffee shop and seeing Lilith, who she knew from... A sex dungeon? Why would she have been there? It wasn't like her at all. She wasn't one to judge others for their sexual preferences, but she was fairly confident her tastes were about as vanilla as they could be. So why would she go to a place like that? And why couldn't she remember what she did there?

"Val?" Mr. Hawthorne's voice broke through the confusion. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, Mr. Hawthorne." Val stood up, her senses fading back into numbness. "I'm fine."

"Good to hear!" He smiled brightly. "I'll be more careful in the future. In the meantime, we have some things to discuss."

"We do? I thought we went over everything last night."

"Please, have a seat." Mr. Hawthorne motioned to the other chair in the room, and Val sat down. "We went over things that pertain specifically to you, but there's going to be some changes here that will affect everyone."

"What kind of changes?"

"Well, for one thing, we're redistributing some of the funds we get from the sponsors and the feds. The good news is you're getting a raise."

Val raised an eyebrow. "And the bad news?"

"Well... the bad news is, you're moving in here."

"You're getting rid of my apartment?" Val's heart sank.

Mr. Hawthorne chuckled. "Not getting rid of it, no! On the contrary, we're putting it to much better use. Think about it, Val. In accordance with the Bureau's guidelines, you're required to live in a near-empty building. Hell, your entire floor is cleared-out save for you. Think of how many other people could live there! It could be a real benefit to the community."

That does make sense... "But what about all my stuff?"

"We're hiring a moving company for that. But, of course, you can bring some things over very easily, can't you?"

Val shrugged. "I suppose so. But it would tire me out to keep opening portals back-and-forth like that."

"I'm sure by now you know how to pace yourself." Mr. Hawthorne smiled. "I don't have a PA in here, so make sure to call Reuben in on your way out. Your room is... well, they don't have numbers on them yet. Take the elevator down, head to your right, and it's the third door on your left."

"Got it. Anything else, Mr. Hawthorne?"

"No, I think we're done here."

"Alright, then!" Val rose from her chair and headed out the door. "Take care, Mr. Hawthorne!"

As Val headed back to the meeting room, she heard the voices of her teammates arguing through the door. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but she could tell they weren't happy.

Right as she was about to reach the door, it suddenly swung open and Reuben came walking out. He leaned against the wall opposite the door, taking slow, ragged breaths. He turned his face away from Val, but she saw a brief glimpse as he went past her. He'd been crying.

"Uh... hey." Val wasn't quite sure what to say, but she knew what she had to tell him. "Mr. Hawthorne says you're next."

"...Okay," Reuben sniffled. "Val, I, uh, I wanna apologize for how I acted the other day. When we were talking about the case, I... That wasn't me. Not entirely." He back at Val, his eyes pleading with her. "You understand? That was him."

Val blinked. "Reuben, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. What case?"

"The-" Reuben stopped himself. "Oh, right," he sighed, "you don't remember."

"Remember what?"

"Just... never mind." He took a couple steps towards Val and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Reuben," Val smiled, "you have nothing to be sorry about."

Reuben didn't respond. He simply stared at Val, a look of quiet horror slowly forming on his face. After a few moments, he pulled his hand away and left for Mr. Hawthorne's office.

"Val! Wait up!"

Val turned around and saw Gibson coming out of the meeting room. "What's up?" she said.

"'What's up?' Val, feels like I should be asking you that."

"Look, can we talk later? I gotta head down to my new room downstairs."

"New room?" Gibson's eyes widened. "What does that mean?"

"Mr. Hawthorne will explain it to you when it's your-"

"Val, cut the shit. Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, Gibson! Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because something is up with you. I can tell."

Val rolled her eyes. "Oh, right, I'm 'breathing funny.'"

"I'm serious! Like, I really can sense that about people. I kinda figured it out on my own. I can always tell when someone's lying or hiding something, and right now, you're doing both."