Page 123 of Ashes of Sin and Stardust

“You okay?”

She nodded and closed her eyes.

We sat like that for a while, and eventually she seemed to come back to herself. She sat up and stretched, rubbing her eyes and glaring at the makeup left on her hands. Then she looked up at me.

“So, that’s what happens when I freak,” she said, as if it were no big deal.

“I’m sorry that happened, Alice. I didn’t realize...”

She shrugged it off. “No, it’s okay. I didn’t know hearing his voice muffled through a phone would be enough to trigger me.” She reached for the wine I had brought her earlier, but I moved it out of her way. She pouted and glared up at me.

“Water first, you crazy girl. Don’t drink after having an episode like that.”

“Reuben, I’m fine. This is just a Wednesday for me.”

I shook my head. This was more than just mood swings. I’d need to ask Becca for advice. And as much as I hated to admit it to myself, I may need to put Alice through some of the therapy that I did with the girls at The Weston House to help with her triggers. I didn’t want our relationship to turn into me trying to fix her... but I did want to help her.

I got her some water and made her drink all of it, and told her she could stay in my lap if she did so. She seemed happy about that, and I began to suspect that maybe she had some Little tendencies she hadn’t told me about. But now wasn’t the time to bring that up.

“How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Do you want to watch a movie?”

“I like movies,” she said, settling in against me. I grabbed the remote and pulled up Netflix, handing it to her so she could find something she wanted to watch.

“What else do you need for aftercare after a scene? Or when you safeword?”

She paused. “I... I get to pick?” she looked up at me, hopeful.

“Of course you get to pick! Who did you scene with who didn’t let you pick what you needed afterwards?”

“Oh, no, not aftercare, dumbass!” she laughed. “I just like snacks and cuddles. I’m not complicated. I meant the movie.”

The tentative rage that had started to build in the back of my head drained away. “Yes, Alice. Pick a movie.”

“I like Emperor’s New Groove,” she said.

“Of course you do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I pressed my lips into her hair as I said, “Shut up and play the movie.”

Alice came over onThursday as well, and we mostly talked about some of our favorite scenes we’d done in the past. I watched in excitement as her face turned bright pink whenever I described different punishments I’d inflicted, more predicament bondage, impact, and other sadistic methods of torture that my little masochistic subs couldn’t get enough of. Her mouth fell open when I described an enema scene I’d done with a former sub that involved champaign and anal beads. She was at a loss for words, and it thrilled me to know that we were opposite sides of the same coin. Everything she described made my blood hot, and everything I liked made her blush. Through the course of the night, we outlined a few more specifics on what she wanted, and what she’d prefer to stay away from, but our kinks lined up eerily well.

“I’ve heard a rumor that you hypnotized Megan to come on command,” she said, biting her lip. “Is that true?”

“Where did you hear that?” She looked far too excited about it.

“My discord group. They shared a video a few days ago when I brought you up.”

Ah. That was an older video that I’d done to promote a new book I’d written on ethical brainwashing, hypnosis, and mind fucks. I’d shown a few video clips of me making a girl come over and over just by speaking to her, and of Megan collapsing in orgasm when I’d snapped my fingers.

“Yes, it’s a fun game I like to play. I didn’t bring it up the other day because it’s not something I’d start with... but I enjoy placing triggers in the subconscious and using them when I feel so inclined.

“For example; I knew a girl whose main kink was hypnosis. Any time I said the word ‘pulse,’ she would get to the edge but not come. I also taught a friend of mine how to condition his sub to come on command. She can be in the middle of a conversation, completely distracted, or even having an argument with him, and if he orders her to come, she will. She has zero control over her orgasms.”

Alice looked shocked, and a little flustered.

“You like that idea.”

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