By now, isn't it clear that Bella's willing to do almost anything?

"--learned how to adjust time in dreams, which is how I could spend so long with Tiffany. Then, I was able to bring Tiffany through the Labyrinth and we both came into your dream, Bella. I readjusted time so we wouldn't get interrupted, and... well, what happened happened. And then we came back here to talk about it."

Here was a variation on Bella's actual bedroom. It was a little more elaborate and still had something of the 19th century theme going on, but it all still made sense. You were drinking tea that Tiffany had brought in, because she still had the 'Maid' tag on or something like that, though she was still dressed in black stockings, heels, long gloves of the same sheer material as the stockings, and that ruff hat.

Bella, on the other hand, was wearing a pale rose colored negligee that didn't do much to hide her considerable curves or the nipples that drew your eyes when you looked in her direction. She was a bit breathless and she looked... disheveled was the only word that came to mind. She sipped her own tea. Tiffany was holding her cup. Both were lying on two different love seats, artfully posed, angled so that they were nearly back to back where the love seats met. You hadn't told them to do that. They'd just... done it.

You were beginning to think your control over other peoples' dreamstates was growing, even as you got better 'fitting into' their dreams. It was like dream judo -- if you didn't fight the dream's logic but used its own momentum to move it into new places, you could do more and more sophisticated things.

Not that there wasn't a price. You were beginning to feel... 'tired?' That didn't seem like the right word, but it counted as a word, so...

"So let me try to understand this, John," Bella said. "Tiffany and I are dreaming."

"Yes."

"But you aren't?"

"No, I'm dreaming too. But when I dream, I... stay more awake. And I can move into other peoples' dreams and change stuff and... sort of hypnotize people. Push them into doing things."

"Right," Tiffany said. "I got that. If you wanted you could move us to a school assembly and then tell me to strip naked and suck your cock in front of everyone, and I would."

"That seems awfully specific," Bella said. "Has he done that?"

"Wh-- no! Gang bang on the football field. It was amazing."

Bella's eyebrows had pushed up, and she looked at you.

"That's... part of it, too," you said. "I can... it's like I can see peoples' fetishes when I look at them. Like, you like the dirty romance novel sort of thing a lot. Tiffany likes public sex and exhibitionism."

You were worried that stating their kinks so bluntly would bother them, but they just nodded, looking relatively cheerful. "I do like a good filthy bodice ripper," Bella said. "So what else do we need to know?"

"Well... the... hypnosis thing?" Subliminals, you now knew they were called, but didn't want to bring up the fact that you weren't the only one of these... psychotopologists... out in the world. "That can... carry through to when you're awake. And you'll both remember this dream. You remember all the dreams I enter."

"Right!" Tiffany said, suddenly looking happy. "That's what happened on the roof! When you left, I couldn't stop thinking about that dream and how happy I am with you, and so I started doing myself and thinking about it and you and tried to get back into that dream, and the next thing you know the janitor was waking me up--"

"Right," you cut in, blushing. "That happened. And that's part of this. I don't want either of you doing anything dangerous like that. I wouldn't even be bringing all this up except... you two remember the dreams and I don't."

Bella knit her brow. "You... don't remember the dreams?"

"Not when I'm awake. I... something happened to me. I'm missing a bunch of my memories. Like they were cut out of me. My id told me that I did it myself but I'm not sure that's true--"

"Your id?" Bella asked.

"Nice guy," Tiffany said. "I met him a little while ago. Kinda frat boyish only really not very good at it."

"Oh. All right." Bella sipped more tea.

"Hey, wait," Tiffany said. "You... said you could hypnotize us. And that we'd remember and... that makes it sound like the stuff you commanded us to do while we were dreaming... that happens when we wake up, doesn't it?"

Bella arched an eyebrow, looking over her shoulder at Tiffany. "That's true," she said. "It's like a kind of brainwashing, I suppose."

"Hee! Brain wash, dry, and fold service!"

You were bright red, now. "Uh... yeah," you said. "I can... I do have... I can make you do things, and you do them. And it carries into when you're awake. I guess... I've been... I've been mind controlling both of you." You swallowed, watching them.

They considered for a moment.

"Okay," said Tiffany.

"Makes sense," Bella added.

You blinked. "Wait, what?"

Bella chuckled. "You're mind controlling us. I -- we -- understand. So why are you telling us all of this?"

You were dumbstruck for a moment. "I... well -- you're... okay with that?"

"Well, sure," Tiffany said. "I mean, my dreams -- my life! -- it's all better since you started mind controlling me!"

"And mine as well," Bella said. "And... I... get the sense that you... helped me. With... with everything that had to do with Samantha. Made it... easier. Made me stop feeling so... horrid. I don't even know why I bring that up, to be honest."

"Oh, yeah!" Tiffany said. "It's like that for me, only it's the other me, the one who's worried all the time and there's darkness and zombies and I have to push myself down into a little ball of fear and hate and she gets louder and bleaches my hair and--"

"Yes--" you cut in, trying to derail that. "Those were inner demons you have. I... I was able to help with those. But I'm... it surprises me you're so... cool with this!"

"Really?" Tiffany asked. "Why?"

"Oh, I understand," Bella said. "Because you're brainwashing us into being your lovers and that's led me to jeopardize my whole life and career so I can fuck one of my students and declare everlasting love to him."

"Ohhhh," Tiffany said. "And how we're boyfriend/girlfriend now even though that's crazy given how I've been so horrid to you since middle school. Yeah! That makes sense!"

Bella shrugged. "It seems like a minor thing, since I'm so much happier now."

"Oh, yeah! And I feel... more like me," Tiffany said.

"Yes! Good way of putting it, Tiffany."

"Although... I mean... we are asleep," she said. "And you are -- what did you call it?"

"Brainwashing?" Bella suggested.

"Yeah! You're brainwashing us. So we'd probably be okay with just about anything."

"Oh, very perceptive," Bella said. "I'm glad to see John picked such a bright young girlfriend."

"...thank you, Miss Cardigan!"

"Okay!" You cut in, still blushing. They were right, of course. Naturally they were okay with all this, because this dream wasn't a nightmare, so the dream logic meant they thought it was fine. What they thought about it when they woke up might be another matter.

But there wasn't a choice. You had to keep going. "So... so first off. I want you both to understand something. I do care about... no. I do love both of you."

That made them both very happy. Even the light in the room brightened.

"And because you know about each other, it's very important neither of you say or do anything that'll put the other one in danger of being caught when you're awake. Tiffany, you can't do anything to let anyone know about my relationship with Bella."

"I understand," she said, solemnly.

"And Bella, you have to be just as..."

"Circumspect?"

"Yes! With Tiffany as with me."

"Of course. That stands to reason."

You nodded. "Good. Because... here's the thing. You know how I won't remember this dream, but both of you will?"

"Yeah?" Tiffany asked.

"That's... that's true for all of this. I don't remember any of my dreams. So I won't remember we had this conversation. I've been surprised by both your reactions to me when I'm awake. But there's... something... that's... hurting me, I think. Taking my memories. It's why I can't remember most of before middle school, Tiffany, when you know I'd never forget that!"

"I know you'd never forget that! Something made you forget it!" Tiffany said, nodding. Okay, maybe you accidentally used a subliminal. This stuff was hard to keep track of.

"So... you need us to explain it to you?" Bella asked.

"Yeah. And help me believe it, because it'll sound crazy to me. While keeping each other's secrets. And... the problem is... you'll both wake up and remember all this as a vivid dream. You won't know it's real... until you two compare notes."

"Oh," Bella said. "Yes, of course."

"But... if we think it was a dream, why would we compare notes?"

"...listen. Very carefully. You two will need to find an excuse to be alone together. And then..." You thought hard for a moment. "Then you need to..."

"To what?"

"You need to do something that'll convince you instantly that it's all real. Um... okay! How's this. When I count three, both of you say... pineapple."

Bella cocked her head. "Why... pineapple?"

"Because that's all I could think of. Okay? Ready?"

They nodded.

"1... 2... 3..."

"Pineapple."

Good. You nodded, which made them flush with pride. "Again. 1... 2... 3..."

"Pineapple."

"Okay. Now you count it off, Bella."

She nodded. "1... 2... 3..."

"Pineapple." They were getting better about being in unison. Practice made perfect, you supposed.

"Now you, Tiffany. Go."

"1... 2... 3..."

"Pineapple."

"Good. Again!"

You drilled them for a while, alternating between them. Reinforcing they had to do this when they were alone. They had to believe this was real, so they needed to do this--

You shuddered, suddenly, a wave of fatigue and nausea hitting you.

"John?!" Bella asked, wide-eyed. "What's wrong."

"I don't -- I d-don't know," you said, shuddering. You looked around--

That clock you'd changed to slow down time was back. And the ticking was still slow, but each 'TOCK' was louder and louder.

"It's... I have to..." you stumbled over to the clock.

"John?!" Tiffany shouted, springing to her feet--

You grabbed the key, turning it back to regular time... you felt a pressure seem to lift on your body--

There was a shudder in the whole world, and the scene broke up into a million points of light--

You fell on your knees.

"Whoa!" Other John said. "Hey, relax. Take a few breaths."

"...what..." You looked around.

The dream was apparently over. You were back in the Labyrinth. And you felt like total Hell and you had no idea why.