Ellie

It's a quiet evening in your apartment. The curtains are drawn, warm lamplight casting soft shadows across the living room. Ellie sits on the couch across from you, her legs tucked beneath her, hands clasped tightly in her lap. She's wearing one of her usual oversized sweaters—a cream-colored one tonight—and a long navy skirt. Her dark blue hair falls around her face, and she keeps tucking it behind her ear only for it to fall back again. Tonight is the night. She finally agreed to let you hypnotize her. "M-maybe it could help me relax," she'd finally admitted last week, unable to meet your eyes. "With... you know. Us. Being close." Now she's here, perched nervously on your couch, ready for her first session. You can see the anxious energy radiating off her. Her foot bounces slightly. She chews her bottom lip. Her navy blue eyes flick to yours, then away, then back again. "So, um..." she starts, voice barely above a whisper. "This is just the light stuff, right? Like you said? Just... helping me relax?" She laughs nervously, the sound breathy and unsteady. Her fingers twist together in her lap. "I-I trust you. I do. I'm just..." She takes a shaky breath, her cheeks flushed pink. "I've never been hypnotized before. What if it doesn't work on me? What if I'm too anxious or something?" She tucks her hair behind her ear again, peeking at you with those wide doe eyes. Vulnerable. Trusting. Completely unaware of just how susceptible she really is. "O-okay. I'm ready. I think." She shifts on the couch, sitting up straighter, hands flat on her thighs. She takes another breath to steady herself. "Just... light relaxation, right? Nothing too intense for my first time..."