Private Show

Happy laughter and frightened screams rang through the air, alongside sighs of disappointment and exclamations of anger. A young woman hugged the teddy bear her date had won tight against her chest, while an elderly man protested that the game next door had been rigged against him. Despite the differences in their experiences, both would likely go on to remember this night fondly. Or at least, Raina hoped they would. What was the point in coming to a carnival, after all, if you weren't going to have a good time?

A good time, and a little fun. That was all Raina was seeking, as she wandered the carnival. It wasn't the games she was interested in, though. It wasn't the rides, either, or the junk food. Considering she herself worked at the carnival, she could experience those things any night, after her final show of the evening. She wouldn't come here on one of her rare days off, if that was all there was to it.

No. What Raina was looking for was a

person.

Someone she had told to come to the Scream Coaster, at exactly eight. It was seven fifty nine, already, and the girl wasn't there yet, but Raina wasn't concerned. She knew for certain that her date would come, just as she'd come to the last three rendezvous Raina had set with her. The others had been later at night, mind, after her shows, but she could say with definiteness that it wouldn't make a difference. She had told the woman to come, at eight, so her date would do just that.

Indeed, at the exact instant that the clock struck eight, a figure pushed its way through the crowd. She was a blonde, with soft blue eyes and slight frown on her lips. She looked confused about something. Though perhaps that was to be expected. After all, Anna hated roller coasters. She certainly didn't intend to get in line for it. Actually, she wasn't entirely sure what was doing there at all... She only knew that it was where she needed to be.

"You look confused," Raina remarked, walking up to the woman. "Are you lost, perhaps?"

"You're..." Anna's frown deepened. She recognized Raina.She was sure of it. She could not, however, figure out where exactly the recognition was coming from. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

"No," Raina lied, smiling softly. "But maybe you recognize me from one of my shows? I think there's a few posters floating about, too, actually... Thouuuugh

I

don't think they do me justice."

Raina reached into her purse, as she spoke, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Flipping it open did indeed reveal one of the carnival's posters, and it did indeed feature a grinning Raina on it. More specifically, it was a photograph of her wearing a floor length black jacket, buttoned up over a purple leotard. Although Raina was currently wearing a knee-length blue dress, instead of her stage outfit, her trademark pink hair and smiling face made it pretty obvious she and the woman in the poster were one and the same.

Beneath her picture were the words "Raina Mezmer, Hypnotist Extraordinaire." That was followed by a list of days and show times.

"You're the hypnotist," Anna said, relieved to finally place the woman. She did remember seeing the poster here and there, now that it was presented to her. It was hard to believe she'd forgotten, in fact. Especially considering her love of the subject.

"That's right," Raina agreed. "I'm the hypnotist! Buuuut there won't be any more shows before pack up time tomorrow, so right now I'm just Raina."

"Really? That's a shame - I wish I'd gotten a chance to catch your show..." Anna held out a hand toward Raina. "Well, can I at least shake your hand? I don't get to see a professional hypnotist up close and personal that often."

"Why not." Raina held out her hand, smiling. "It's always fun to meet a fan of the craft."

Raina felt a touch guilty for using that word - craft. It made it sound like hypnotism was something special to her, a skill she'd worked long hours to hone. That wasn't the case at all, for her. In fact, she wasn't even sure she could really be called a proper hypnotist. If one only considered her ability to put people in suggestive states, then she supposed it would fit well enough as anything, but that wasn't really where Raina's power lied.

Anna didn't know that, though, so she simply grinned at getting to shake a hypnotist's hand.

"I guess I probably shouldn't ask you about shoptalk when you're off work," Anna said, after getting her hand back. "But it was still really nice to meet you. Makes coming to the carnival five nights in a row actually worth it!"

"Woooow. That's a lot of times! You trying to see all the attractions, or something?" Raina asked.

"Not really," Anna admitted. "I just keep finding myself drawn back here for some reason. I don't know why - maybe it's just that work has been stressing me out, and I need a place to relax... I'm a civil suits lawyer, though, so I tend to feel like I'm a step away from working every time I come here."

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad," Raina laughed. "I mean, sure, sometimes one of the rides launches a kid into space, but other than that tiiiiiny little detail, we're pretty much golden."

Anna laughed. "You're funny! I like that. ...I am wondering, though - what brings

you

here? If it's your day off, I mean. I wouldn't think you'd want to be anywhere

near

your workplace."

"Oh, I'm here for our date," Raina informed Anna, looking straight into the other woman's eyes.

"Our... Date?" Anna asked, clearly confused. "I don't...?"

"Yeah. Our date," Raina confirmed, voice subtly shifting tones. Her words were always soft and sweet, but now they seemed to drip with honey. "The blind date your friends set up for you? I wasn't sure about it, myself, but your friends begged me. Kept saying they knew a girl who just looooooved hypnotism, so. Here I am!"

"I... I'm still so embarrassed that my friends set this up," Anna admitted, blushing and looking away. "I mean, I do love hypnotists, but... This is really too much."

"I knooooooow, right?" Raina held out her hand. "But hey, we're already here, right? So we might as well go on that date, don't you think?"

"I mean... It would be kind of weird to say no when I'm already here," Anna conceded, reaching out to take Raina's hand again.

"Deeeeefinitely weird," Raina said, lacing fingers with her date's. Anna's fingers were warm, as always, she noted. Soft, too, without a single callus. She'd probably never worked a day of manual labor in her life.

Well, not that Raina was one to judge. She was, after all, the one who was pretty much cheating at life. Even her own job, as a hypnotist, was simply a cover up for her unfair abilities.

As for what those abilities were... Raina wasn't entirely sure, herself. She knew they were inherited, from her grandfather, but their origins and nature had been as much a mystery to him as they were to Raina. All she knew was that people believed what she told them, and did whatever she asked them to. It didn't even take much effort on her part. Rather, she had to work hard

not

to control those around her. If she made eye contact, or allowed her voice to take on its preferred tone, it simply happened on its own.

Hypnotism? No. Raina

could

hypnotize, of course. She could tell someone to go into a suggestive state, and they most definitely would. But that was simply another way of using her real ability. If she had to name it...

Yeah. It was almost definitely some sort of mind control.

"So... Where are we going?" Anna asked, curiously.

"Wellllll... About that. I'm totally planning to take you to a restaurant - but I figured we could maybe hit up my place, first? I wanna make you live up to that bet we made."

"Bet?" Anna's brow furrowed. What bet? She knew for certain that there had been one, but she couldn't remember what it had been.

"You knoooooow," Raina cajoled, enjoying the situation. "You said you could tooootally make that ring toss, and I said you couldn't, so we made a bet. If you won, I'd let you set any conditions you wanted for the date, and if you lost then I'd get to do the same to you. Which is why we're going to my place, to get you changed."

"You want me to change?" Anna asked, a little surprised. "That's your condition? ...I thought it would be worse, somehow. Like maybe you'd want to hypnotize me into clucking like a chicken for the entire date."

"Now what fun would that be? I can do that on stage any time I want. I'd muuuuch rather see you put on the clothes I picked out. It's gonna be sooooo much fun." Raina licked her lips as she spoke, already imagining how the night would unfold.

It was Raina's fifth date with this woman. She'd met Anna randomly, after a show, and they'd gotten to talking about how much Anna loved hypnotism. To hear her tell it, she just craved the chance to give up control.

Of course, when Raina used her powers to delve deeper, it turned out to be so much more. The girl didn't just want to give up control - she wanted to

be

controlled. She wanted to experience complete domination of her spirit and mind, and simply let go for a little while.

Of course, Raina had been happy to oblige. With her powers, it was a simple matter to bring the woman back to her temporary apartment. From there things had naturally progressed, until finally they'd both found themselves in bed.

Not that Raina wanted to toot her own horn, but she was pretty damn sure she'd given Anna the time of her life. Three orgasms wasn't exactly Raina's

record

, but it had been late and it was still about as much as most people could take. It had most certainly pressed Anna to her limits.

After that, Raina had sent the woman home, with a firm command to forget everything that had happened. She'd planted memories of the girl getting drunk, on her way home, alongside the vague impression that she'd had a good time. The sex, meanwhile, had been wiped clear from Anna's memory. They'd both had a pleasant evening but, since Raina didn't want her powers known, she couldn't afford to let the woman remember her, and she definitely didn't want the girl to think she'd banged a stranger while drunk. That's why it was pretty much standard operation for Raina to erase herself from her lovers' memories.

Everything went off without a hitch. A fairly standard night. Except that, the next day, Raina had seen Anna at the carnival again. Apparently she'd come to see the hypnotism show she'd "missed" the night before, and... Well, Raina just hadn't been able to stop herself from giving an encore, before once more removing herself from the woman's mind.

...Except then the woman had shown up for a third time. And a fourth. Each time, Raina had somehow found herself talking to Anna, and to her surprise each encounter went slightly different than the last. Whether it was Anna bringing up a new factoid about herself, or them attempting a sex position they hadn't done the nights before, every night was just a little different than the one before it.

Of course, this particular evening was going to be the most unique yet. Rather than simply meeting, and having sex, Raina was intending to take Anna on a full fledged date. Since it was her last day in town, and her one day off, she really wanted to show Anna a good time. To thank Anna, in her own way, for all the fun they'd been having.

Of course, considering Anna's tastes for being controlled and played with, it wasn't exactly going to be a

standard

date.

"You really

do

live close, huh?" Anna commented, as Raina typed in the passcode for her apartment complex. The walk had been short, a mere two blocks, and even in her tallest black heels Raina hadn't had any trouble with it. "I'm surprised you could find a place that would let you stay just while the carnival's in town, though..."

"Oh, I know the landlord," Raina told her. It wasn't a lie, technically. She had, at the very least,

met

the landlord. That was how he'd been convinced to give Raina a key and forget about the place for a week. "I'm on the first floor, so just follow me."

Anna nodded in silent acquiescence, falling in behind Raina, and a moment later they were standing in a small but completely furnished apartment.

"I thought you were just borrowing this place?" Anna asked, confused. She was certain beyond a doubt that Raina hadn't lied to her, even without being able to say why. Obviously there had to be an explanation.

"Yeah, I usually make sure to pick a place that - I mean, the landlord I know happens to offer pre-furnished apartments," Raina explained, taking a moment to glance around herself.

A brown rug, a sofa, and a large TV made up the living room. The bedroom contained a bed, a dresser, and a nightstand. Other than furniture, however, the place really was bare, containing only the items Raina regularly carted from place to place. A few outfits were folded in the dresser. If one went into the kitchen, they would find only paper plates, plastic cups, and disposable utensils. All traces of Raina's presence would disappear after she had left this place. It really was just a temporary pitstop.

That was how Raina preferred it, though. Just as she always erased her presence from her lovers' minds, she had no intention of leaving any indelible marks on the locales she visited. All would fade.

Perhaps that would be seen as lonely to most. In truth, even Raina sometimes felt that way. It couldn't be helped, though. If Raina allowed her dates to remember her, they'd inevitably start to realize something strange had happened to them. They might piece together her powers. From there, Raina feared it would be a short hop to either an angry mob or a scientist's lab. And as for the apartments she stayed in?

Well, there were no records of anyone living in them to begin with.

"So, um, you have some clothes you want me to wear for our date?" Anna prompted, having finished her own cursory look at the apartment.

"That's right," Raina confirmed, grinning at Anna. "But quiiiiick question for you - black or pink?"

"Oh, black, for sure," Anna declared, without a hint of hesitation. "Pink always makes me feel like such a stereotype..."

"Are you suuuuuure?" Raina asked, heading over to the dresser. From the top drawer, she withdrew two outfits, which she laid flat on the bed.

On the left was a pink babydoll, and a matching pair of panties. The majority of the babydoll was translucent, with only the bralet being fully solid, while the sides of the panties had been replaced by string. The pastel pink bows that would sit above the wearer's hips seemed to have more fabric in them then the parts actually intended to cover one's nether regions.

The outfit on the right was a black string bikini. The top consisted of two tiny triangles, that seemed like they were designed to be just barely big enough to cover the nipples. The bottom was essentially a thong.

"You want me to wear one of

those

out to dinner?" Anna asked, cheeks flushed bright red. "No. No way." She shook her head, rapidly from side to side, as if sheer emphaticness could change the situation. "They won't even let me into the restaurant like this!"

"They will, though" Raina promised, a confident smile on her own lips. "And you

will

be wearing one of them, too. I mean, you diiiid make a bet with me, right?"

"I... That..." Anna started, then stopped, too flustered to know what to say. The very idea of wearing lingerie in public, or indeed a swimsuit to dinner, was mortifying beyond belief. Yet despite that, the confident smirk on Raina's lips, the utter confidence in her voice that Anna

would

do this, was enough to make Anna's heart skip a beat.

"You're going to do this," Raina declared, voice firm. "Not because you made a bet, either. You're gonna do it because

I told you to.

"

"But..." Cheeks flushed red, heart pounding hard, Anna tried to come up with a protest. She knew that this was ridiculous, that Raina's claim of it being fine in the restaurant couldn't be true. At the same time, however, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Raina was telling the truth. The restaurant would accept this. Not only that - but she would wear it.

She would wear it because Raina told her to.

"I don't want to wear this," she whispered, voice faint. She didn't. She truly didn't. But then, at the same time, the idea that she was being

forced

to wear it was shockingly appealing to her. It would be like she was putting someone else's power over her on display, for the whole world to see.

"Not just that, either," Raina promised. "I have a whoooooole bunch of accessories, whatever outfit you choose. So - let me ask again. Pink, or black?"

"...Pink..." The word was a faint whisper from Anna, a barely audible sound meant to indicate her defeat.

Nevertheless, Raina heard it clear as day.

"Perfect. Now - sit on the bed and take your clothes off, while I get all the accessories ready."

"Wh-What sort of accessories?" Anna asked. She was surely better off not knowing, judging by the clothes themselves, but she couldn't resist the question.

"Oh, just a few things... Like, for example, a pair of nipple clamps, connected by a chain, with another looooong chain running from the center of

that

. Which, you know, leads to a loop for my wrist to go through. See?" She reached into the drawer as she spoke, pulling out a simple pair of iron nippleclamps. There were no chains, either between them or leading to Raina's wrist, but little details like "reality" hardly mattered once Raina was on a roll. She said there were chains, so Anna saw them. To her eyes, they were made of silver, and looked so delicate that they might very well snap, but she was absolutely certain that they were strong enough to cause her pain if given a proper tug.

"I have to wear those?" she asked. "In public?" She should have been aghast. She should have been. So why was there excitement in her voice? Why was there a flutter in her heart?

"That... and thiiiiis," Raina declared, pulling out a pink choker with white lace. "And I've got a couple ribbons to go around your wrists, too. You know, just to complete the whole 'sex pet' look. I mean, you wouldn't want anyone to look at you and

not

know you belonged to me, riiiight?"

"B-belonged to you?" Anna demanded, eyes widing. "W-When did I say I belonged to you?"

"Huh? But you said I could set whatever conditions I wanted for the date, riiiight? Well, my condition is that you have to go on this date as my personal sex kitten. Unless that's a problem?"

"I..." Anna swallowed, hard, glancing at Raina's face. The supposed hypnotist was smirking, still, and it didn't look like she was kidding. She really did intend to make Anna her personal sex kitten for the night. And all because Anna had lost a bet?

"Would you do this if I'd won?" she wanted to know. "If I'd asked you for this?"

"Nooooope," Raina declared, honestly, without hesitation. "I hate following people's orders. But you? You're pretty much made to be owned. I mean, at the end of the day, you just want someone else to take all control away from you, right? You want someone to make the decisions, handle the consequences, and keep alllll that icky hard stuff far away from you. And if you want all that, anyway, I don't see why I should have to deny myself, sooooo... Take off your clothes."

Anna stared at Raina, mouth agape, for a long moment. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were wide, and her heart felt like it was going to burst through her chest. It was true that she wanted those things, but usually she'd never accept someone saying it out loud. Usually.

Except it was Raina saying it. And what Raina said, went. Always.