Hypnotism (Thread Finished)

"I can't believe we tied!" Cordelia screamed as she paced around the Bronze.

I rolled my eyes. I had been hoping after everything that had happened tonight, she would be a little more willing to accept a shared victory.

She had been very polite on stage of course. Even when the crowd started chanting, 'Kiss, Kiss, Kiss'. Way to ruin the moment, Sunnydale. All of the times we had kissed on the run up to the vote was just as a way to steal votes from the other girls.

Well, rumor was that Cordelia had been willing to take a couple of the other girls who were on the fence about who to vote for into the locker room for some private encouragement. I didn't buy it though. Even if Holly Charleston had dropped out after one of those sessions, and even if they had been in the locker room for over an hour, and even if Holly had looked absolutely blissful, it wasn't like Cordelia was actually...doing sexual favors for other girls.

Though her eyes had been on me quite a bit. But surely that was just because of my outfit. Low cut top, high legs slits that made it clear I wasn't wearing panties, and showing a bit of tummy, it was a very classy and sexy dress. That a fair portion of the fabric had been ripped away only made it sexier.

It wasn't my fault that I had drawn votes in via my outfits. Nothing wrong with being confident and sexy. Cordelia said I was dressing skanky like Faith. But that was just Cordy being jealous that the Slayers were outdressing her.

"Hey, there is the co-champions!" Xander said as he came up the stairs.

Willow and Faith followed behind. Xander stood aside as we took a moment to exchange kisses. Cordelia had pointed out there was nothing wrong with female friends giving quick kisses as greeting in lots of countries. Did Cordelia and Faith kiss go a little longer than just a greeting? Sure, but that didn't mean anything.

Did it?

Xander gave me a hug and I instantly felt better. I mean, getting a hug always feels nice, but his hugs have especially been feeling good as of late. I didn't even mind when his hands reached down and squeezed my butt.

I started talking with Willow as Xander gave Cordelia a hug and ran his hands up and down her body. That seemed to calm her down quite a bit.

We chatted for the next hour. About the ambush, the Gorches, etc. Xander made a lot of references to 80s actions movie and being hunted as a game.

Just friends hanging out; after almost getting murdered was not a big deal anymore.

"Hey, what's say we do a quick session," Xander suggested as he pulled a crystal from his pocket.

I nodded my head as soon as he brought the crystal out. It was hard to remember how I had used to be nervous during these moments. I mean, hypnotism, I'd normally call it crazy, but after everything else I saw in Sunnydale, I wouldn't be surprised if someone planted post-hypnotic suggestions in the entire town as a way of taking over the world.

It had been Willow's suggestion. She'd been reading about all of the psychological benefits that hypnosis could yield; having better focus, being happier, and controlling your emotions all sounded great. I'd liked the idea, but I'd also been worried. That was a lot of power to give over someone.

But Willow assured me it would be fine. You couldn't get someone to do something they didn't want to do. And anyway, they keep things separated (this wasn't for my nerves, she said it was for science). Willow would write the suggestions, we'd pick them, Xander would do the hypnosis. It would be two girls who would be hypnotized, one would always sit out.

They had gotten Cordelia and Faith into the sessions as well. I think Faith was just looking to be part of the group and was worried that I seemed to have an edge on her. Cordelia was thrilled when Willow told her it would allow her to ignore Harmony's insults.

I'd been moping over Angel when they first brought it up. I was just looking for a break. And Willow was laying out things in such a...scientific manner, it couldn't go wrong.

As for the crystal, they found it amidst Giles things. Apparently it is part of a much larger piece. Not surprising, he has a lot of weird stuff.

Cordelia and Faith nodded along with me. "Okay," Xander said, "We're going to reinforce some of the earlier suggestions this time. Buff, why don't you go get cleaned up. I'll do Cordelia and Faith first, then we'll do the co-Homecoming champions together."

I was a little miffed at being dropped back to second, but as soon as he pointed out that my outfit could be improved I was moving toward the bathroom.

-

What commands does Xander give to Faith and Cordelia

A) "Confidence is a huge portion of life. You will believe in yourself and won't be afraid to show off." (16)

B) "The world is a beautiful place. You should appreciate various forms and shouldn't lock yourself into just one type." (6)

What command does Xander give to Buffy and Cordelia

A) "Life is incredibly stressful and you need relief. You will take comfort in contact with others." (10)

B) "Your friends are there for you during your toughest moments. Make sure you appreciate them." (14)

Notes: If it wasn't clear, this story takes place in season 3. It will involve Buffy, Faith, and Cordelia getting hypnotized; what commands are given will be up to the reader votes. It will be told from Buffy's perspective. Counting this vote, there will be a total of 9 times votes are made.