Hypnosis Doesn't Work Like That!

A story started on Jan 25th, 2019. Based on another Wattpad story, which had an interesting concept but was almost unreadable due to head-hopping first person, inconsistent tenses, and similar issues.

This version is the story of an almost-adult girl (who may be adult before the story ends). Kitty Angel is writing it without any proper planning, experimenting with the half-improvised style that seems to be popular on Wattpad, and with posting one or more chapters every day.

Characters:

• POV character: Adelaide Juniper Spenser - Mostly known as Adi. Has also been Adele, Della, or other variations at different times in her life. Huge ego, thinks she's smarter than everyone else. Never learns anything because she's so sure she knows better than everyone; falling behind in school.
  • Garfield - Adi's brother (or half-brother?). More successful, and starts the story on a foreign holiday with his father.
  • Adi's mom (Nyxoriña Spenser) - somewhat absent-minded. Works long hours, tries to be her daughter's friend but has no idea how to talk to her. Does a really good breakfast.
    • Grandma Jacobs - Adi's grandmother, presumably Nyx's mother. Died when Adi was young. Used to call her "Addykins".
    • Uncle Berenstein - Nyx's brother. They used to argue a lot. Mentioned in chapter 56
• Mr Bøzinger - Nyx's boss at one of her jobs.
• Britney Wakefield - One of Adi's best friends. Cheerful bubbly goth. Wears goth clothes, acts like a stereotypical goth, but is really a lot smarter than anyone realises, especially Adi.
• Toni Walker - Muscular tomboy with a crush on Adi. Britney's "sidekick" (Adi doesn't get this in-joke, and it drives her nuts), and third member of the group of friends at the start of the book. Has an epi-pen in her bag; Britney and Adi have taken a class on how top use it, possibly some other friends too.
  • More detailed descriptions of many of Toni's family can be found in chapter 226.
  • Hendrik Walker - One of Toni's brothers. Has a nice car, which she borrows in chapter 40
  • Pea Walker - Toni's dad. Fairly well-off, works away from home a lot.
  • Uncle Jürgen - Toni's uncle, who's been known to stay for months at a time.
    • Harry - Jürgen's son, often stays at the same time. Loves cooking. Real name Hansel, but prefers Harry because he doesn't like to stand out.
  • Uncle Walt - Another uncle known to stay on occasion, but less frequently
    • Sherwood Goldings - nee Walker. Toni's cousin; not sure who his father is. When he married bf Alan Dale, there was some dispute between the families about which name they should take. They settled it by making up a new surname, which is some kind of private (possibly dirty) joke between them
• Teachers
  • Miss Featherchase - Adi's literature teacher. Old fashioned, super strict, and not open to new ideas. Refers to students by full name. Nose looks like a beak, and her shriek of anger sounds almost like an eagle. Toni refers to her as "Leatherface".
  • Miss Catterton - Maths teacher. One of the younger teachers, has some respect from her students. Approaches them like friends until they break the rules
  • Mr Kibblesmith - Geography teacher. Addresses students as "You" and points rather than learning their names
  • Mrs Ivanovic - Known to use the school's courtyards for a crafty cigarette between lessons
• Dean Carter - Possible romantic lead, if the story gets that far. A student at the college Adi wants to go to.
  • Belle Carter - Popular girl, queen bitch. Not clear if she's really the bully Adi thinks of her as. Captain of the volleyball team. Calls Adi "Juniper", which Adi thinks is mocking.
• Lady Larsen - The hypnotist who made the files. May possibly be the same Lars mentioned in the Big Little Bus, adopting a female pseudonym.
• Moistville College staff
  • Dr Lupus - Student disability advisor. Meeting with Nyx to make sure the campus is a safe place for Adi.
  • Marina Oakenclough - Tall woman with red hair. Only her students and subordinates call her "Professor" because they're the ones who need to be most respectful. Head of Foundation Studies, so in charge of everything on foundation day.
  • Annabelle and Cherri were the guides on Adi's campus tour
  • Professor Rosewood - former psychology lecturer, also a student mental health consultant.
    • Juniper Wolenczak - student mentioned as in chapter 76
  • Dr Horace "Dutch" Elminster - ginger hair, wears a comb-over in an attempt to stop his bald spot getting sunburned whenever he visits his brother's beach house. It never works. Introduced but not named in chapter 76
  • Professor Beach - Head of the media sciences faculty
  • Professor Firestone - First name Amidala. Tall, dark hair. Speaks very deliberately with a trace of a French accent. Honorary professor as she doesn't technically have a role in an academic department. Responsible for the intake of students with special needs. Refers to Adi as "Miss Spenser" when they first meet. Quite formal.

Places:

• Schwingford - the town where Adi's school is
  • Leonard Juiban High School
    • Grimer Street - goes past the back of the school. There's a gate where students can get onto a car park, but one of the janitors is supposed to check of ID on entry.
    • Growlithe Road - street at the front of the school. Access for vehicles is staff only, but there's a long stretch of kerb where many students are dropped off or catch the bus
  • The Miller Arcade - A small shopping arcade two streets away from Toni's house. Includes:
    • Samedi's - A supermarket, at one end of the arcade. Sign declares it to be the largest branch in the chain.
    • Dominic's Pizza Yurt - at the other end of the arcade. Pretty fancy restaurant with an odd smell of incense
    • Baby Bonanza - Decorated almost entirely in pastel pinks and yellows; sells everything baby related (chapter 20)
    • Wulf, Wellspring & Sons - Pharmacy
  • Weepinbell Avenue - where Toni lives. Pretty nice neighbourhood

• Duzcheburg - A small town on the outskirts of Schwingford. Where Adi and Britney live.
  • Duzcheburg All Angels church - big building, notable landmark. On the boundary of the town's residential areas, so Toni won't ride her bike fast until she's passed it (when coming from Adi's house)
  • Chansey Street - On Mom's way home from work. She often stops there for takeout from one of several places
    • Ting Ling Wang's - Chinese restaurant on. Huge portions, Adi's mom gets one curry for two people at times.
    • There's a taco truck often parked on the corner with Gardevoir Avenue.
  • Raikou Crescent - Where Adi lives. Grey-brown stucco walls. Tiny strips of front garden, more likely gravel than grass
  • The Mercer Centre is about a half-hour drive away (at least at the speeds Toni drives, which may be a little over the limit)
    • There are shops named Sheer (where Toni expects to get accessories for Adi's smart outfit) and Dābs (which is in the same area)
    • There's an Onix Square entrance, which is a good place to stop for a snack.
    • There's also a Lairon Square.
  • The Merlinson Arcade is where Britney spends a lot of time when she wants to get away from her parents. It has a small cafe.
  • Graveller Road - near Adi's house, winding road that goes between quarries and factories. Stops as Duzcheburg Station.

• Moistville - a short train ride from Duzcheburg; if Adi is still living at home she'd have to get Mom to drive her to the station every morning.
  • Moistville College - Dean is a student there, and Adi is applying. First mentioned in chapter 36
    • Parts of the college map are colour coded, and the signposts (many of them built into fountains or sculptures) are mostly colour coded. The area around Zahl Building is buttercup yellow.
    • Note: buildings are named after famous generals (real and fictional). Parks are named after Kamen Riders.
  • Lots of description in chapter 62
  • Two courtyards are Sylveon Square (where the Hammond Building is) and Glaceon Square
  • Custer Building has a lot of residences; Zahl Building has most of the theatres and some editing suites for characters doing media studies.
  • The Maverick Centre is on Arceus Road.
  • The Peckem Building is where Adi will end up living. It's a 'blush pink' on the map, and the lobby is done out in the same colours. It's the main residence block for students with special needs who don't want to be right next to their classes, and most rooms can be adapted for different needs.
  • Gaim Park is one of several parks around the city centre. It's made up of small groups of trees, with gravel paths winding across the grass between them. A place where a lot of people can meet without seeming like a growd. Has an amenities block with toilets and coin-operated showers (for joggers); and a kiosk selling tofu burgers.
  • Hux Tower A building near Gaim Park which houses a number of college administrative offices. Where Adi went for her interview.

Timeline

First Act

• First week
  • Tuesday night - listens to the file, first test
  • Wednesday - triggered by mom, then by Featherchase in school. Goes home with Toni
  • Thursday - triggered by Toni's dad on speakerphone. Tells friends. Triggered by Belle. Evening, gets book list from Brit and asks Mom to call her adi
  • Friday - triggered by Belle in the morning. Mom finds note. Sees Belle/Dean arguing at school. Triggered by Leatherface again
  • Saturday - Mom cryptically questions Adi. Its about a month until Adi's birthday. Adi and Toni go shopping at the Mercer Centre. Adi says "If I was really an adult baby" line.
  • Sunday - Garfield gets home. Big argument. Mom lays down the law, and admits she knows Adi's secret.
    • Sorting out birthday presents; Mom asks Adi about the baby stuff she's seen, suggests some other things she could get like a mobile for her room. Adi embarrassed and angry. When triggered, she buys herself the mobile without thinking. - planned for Sunday; might actually have ended up being Monday
  • Monday - Foundation day at Moistville College. Garfield and Adi can't get over the previous day's argument. Adi meats Dean and learns his (first) name
• Second Week
  • Tuesday - Adi goes to stay with Toni, finds out that Britney thinks she wants to be a baby
  • Wednesday - Adi doesn't have enough diapers to get home; Toni refrains from triggering her, earns some trust. First kiss, and Adi finally learns about the danger to her bladder muscles. Mobile arrives at home. Confrontation with Belle. Toni overhears Adi listening to file; doesn't realise she's trying to change her baby name
  • Thursday - Toni finds out Belle wants a guitar (not sure if I skipped this scene)
  • Friday - Last day. Gives Belle a copy of the hypno file
• First week after school
  • Adi gets used to living with Toni for a while
  • Toni now believes Adi is intending to become a baby, but promises not to push her. Trying to retrain her bladder muscles
• Second week
  • Adi thinking of Toni as her girlfriend now. A couple of tentative kisses. But still too nervous to say the word
  • Nyx hires Dean as "babysitter". He's not sure he understands, but willing to help
    • Maybe a bit of coincidence, but she's hunting for people who have a reason to be in both Moistville and Schwingford, so it fits
  • Movie night; end up watching Bibi Babi Miko movie. Adi enjoys acting like a baby for a while
• Third Week
  • Adi tries going without diapers. Thinks she's mostly cured
    • Triggered by hearing about the city Adelaide on the radio, wets her pants, Toni thinks this is a signal that she wants to have a "punishment" scene
  • Lets Toni trigger her again, and finds that maybe it's a little fun
  • Voluntarily wets herself once, before she's an adult
• BIRTHDAY!
  • Gets a selection of birthday age badges. So she can have a party with her friends and celebrate being technically an adult, with booze and stuff. But if she wants to play as a baby, she can just change her badge, and they'll treat her as a younger age. No triggering unless she chooses to wear a diaper again, or gets out the 'special' tshirt Toni bought her.
    • Gets the guitar, and is so happy about it.
  • Adi gets something spilled on her shirt. Goes to change, and uses the bathroom at the same time because she doesn't quite trust Garfield. Then eavesdrops and overhears some of the party plan; all built around giving her the choice. But she hears her name; puts on the special shirt without realising, and everybody else thinks it's voluntary because she hasn't wet herself and that seems to confirm the assumption that she hasn't been triggered.
  • Adi has a "first birthday" that's fun, but she gets very little choice in being turned into a baby
• for the rest of the week she's triggered several times a day, and pushed to add more baby behaviours to let her 'family' keep her regressed
  • Garfield is being a jerk occasionally; triggers Adi in the hope of
  • Introduces Dean as the babysitter
  • Adi's dolls are acting out the plot from The Tempest; so she's studying for her exams without realising
• for the rest of the week she's triggered several times a day, and pushed to add more baby behaviours to let her 'family' keep her regressed

Extra Parts

• Bits added so it doesn't seem cruel to have Adi being a baby for so long. It didn't happen quite like I planned, so would appreciate if anyone can edit this section to tidy it up
  • Garfield's being a jerk again, "when you get back to your girlfriend's" trigger
  • Garfield comes up with the reading trigger, making it easier to set long-lasting triggers
  • Mom asks Adi again if she's comfortable with being a baby
    • Says she's having second thoughts, but doesn't want to just stop
  • Adi manages to email Toni the safe word
    • Toni comes back from work exhausted, a load of stress including her phone dying in the middle of an important negotiation
    • Adi decides not to push the "want to be adult" thing, because this is relaxing for both of them
    • After a long day, she realises that Toni is helping her to prepare for exams even while she's little, and how much this is helping her.
      • Deletes the message before Toni sees it. Doesn't realise she's hit "delete and block" rather than just delete
• Adi sets up a failsafe; the safe word automatically gets sent to Toni when her exams are over.
  • Doesn't realise that this will wait until the exam results come out, close to the end of the summer break
• Belle becomes a baby too, hoping to get Dean taking care of her again. Adelaide doesn't recognise her new friend "Lillibel" (Lily)
• Belle asks if Adi has a cat. Situation explained. Suggests a kitten as a reward for the babies if they do well in their exams.

Exam Period

• Adi asks if she can be a complete baby after the exams.
  • Explicitly says she doesn't want the choice, so she won't end up feeling guilty about how much Toni is doing for her.
  • Thinks she's asked to be an adult for the suration of the exam period and a baby after, but Toni interprets it as being adult while sitting the exams, and a baby as soon as each exam finishes
  • Also says that this should be governed by the conditions she wrote before, meaning the email (which she doesn't realise Toni missed)
    • Toni assumes she means the "note" asking to be surprised and un-potty-trained; thinks she was too embarrassed to say it directly
• first exam:
  • Maths
  • Adi has trouble due to stress, wets and regresses, and then can treat it more like a game
  • Toni & Nyx meet her right after the exam, messes and regresses
• second exam
  • The following afternoon
  • Easier; Adi finishes a little early

Exam Period (planned)

• Unsorted events - haven't decided how to spread these over different days yet. Some of these already written, but could be changed
  • Adi wets when a teacher says her name while bringing extra paper
  • Adi starting to lose bladder strength because she's regressed most of the day and still getting triggered in her few daily hours of adulthood
    • Needs to pee during an exam, but is embarrassed to ask to be excused, so allows herself to wet deliberately
  • Realises that her bladder is weakening after a second desperation incident in the exam hall. Mentions it to someone (Belle?) to pass on, so she can avoid problems
    • They get the message that she's noticing the effect, but don't realise that she has a problem with it. This is what she asked for, after all
• Most mornings Adi wakes up adult, but whoever's looking after her will always come in to trigger her before she can persuade them that she really doesn't want this.
  • Tries a few times to email the safeword when she gets a chance. Either emails Toni (who won't get it) or is interrupted.
  • One morning she gets a notification email from a site she used to post on, and she looks back at all her horrible, bitchy reviews that she thought were so funny when she didn't believe in hypnosis.
    • Dean comes in and discovers that he's read her work in the past. Later asks to see the 'note' that Adi gave Nyx.

Summer (planned)

• Over the summer, Adi can be a baby almost as much as she wants, until the college year starts.
• Not allowed any real adult time; a few escape attempts, or trying to be an adult, but always caught and triggered.
• Toni, Dean, Britney, Nyx, and Garfield all watching out for any attempt to escape; because they think the game of trying to get out of this is part of the fantasy for her.
• Dean starts behaving different, less caring maybe. Adi can't understand why.
• One time Dean tries to tell Adi what he feels about those old reviews, but can't get the message across right.
  • Ends up missing the time she's supposed to listen to her file, but she automatically tells Nyx as soon as she gets home.
    • New trigger so Adi will put the file+mobile on herself if the babysitter forgets for two days or more.
• Adi 'kidnapped'. Dean won't tell her what's going on, uses the triggers to make her behave through airport security, won't tell her anything.
• Arriving in another place. No cell reception at the holiday cottage.
  • Adi knows she has to call home, but has to charge her phone first. Listen to music while it charges (ooops), Dean hears when he comes in, scolds her, and takes the phone. No way to call help.
• POV shift for a few chapters. Nobody knows where Adi is gone, they're all worried about her.
  • Belle lets them know Dean is out of town, doesn't know why.
  • Belle decides to stop with the baby thing while Dean is away, because she was only doing it to get her brother to pay attention to her again
    • Maybe changes her mind later, asking Britney & Toni to baby her, because she misses the feeling of security
  • Discover Dean's been reading up on personality changes and forced consent.
    • Divided opinions on if he's using the triggers to get Adi all to himself, or if he's worrying that she doesn't really want what everyone was doing.
  • Weeks pass. Finally manage to find the place. Everyone (including Dad) goes to rescue Adi.
    • Dean says she's not ready and can't talk to them.
    • Toni barges in, Adi apologetic, upset. Says she can't come home yet. Mom assumes she's being forced, and tries triggering her to get control.
      • "I'm sorry. That won't work now."
      • Conversation; explanation.

Flashback (planned)

• Start with the kidnapping scene again, Adi getting her phone taken away.
• Adi's being awkward and uncooperative.
  • Figures that if Dean's going to regress her to keep her from getting help, she can fight by being a sulky toddler.
  • Tantrums, refusing to do anything unless she's forced to.
• Some time later. Adi refuses to eat unless Dean forces her. He's fed up of this, and leaves her alone.
  • She gets hungry and goes through the cupboards, sneaking cookies and chocolate when Dean isn't looking.
    • Dean isn't an idiot; knows that she's at least eating something, even if it isn't healthy, so doesn't tell her she's being dumb.
• Later again. Dean proposes a walk in the woods to get some exercise.
  • Adi obstinately refusing to get dressed, but she's weak and clumsy. Dean dresses her.
  • Deliberately messes her diaper to delay going out.
    • Dean is angry, snaps at her and tells her to stop acting like a baby. Some argument, then he leaves her on her own.
• Next morning. Talking at breakfast.
  • Adi says he can't blame her for acting like a baby when he's treating her like one.
  • Dean points out that he hasn't called her Adelaide in more than two weeks. The hypnotic suggestions should be fading.
  • There's adult clothes for her in the closet in her room, if she wants to wear them. There's food that she should be able to cook herself if she wants to live on something other than just snacks (revealing that he knows she's been eating while he's not in the cottage).
  • Adi says if she was free she'd at least be able to call home, or go online. Dean points out that he took her phone away because she's following a compulsion to keep on listening to the file, and he's worried that she was overdoing it.
    • During the exam period Dean realised that Adi was a blogger/reviewer he'd read when studying psychology, and knew that at least at the start she genuinely didn't want all this to happen. He read the 'note', and realised what it meant, but Toni and Nyx were convinced they'd already confirmed Adi's desires, wouldn't listen. He knows that after the file made her feel safe and relaxed, she might not be able to truly consent to going further; the vestigial effects of the file could be making a decision for her.
• After that argument, Adi's back in adult clothes (although more cutesy styles than she would have worn before)
• Has to potty train herself again, to recover the control she lost through weeks as a baby.
• Dean thinks it might be safe to try listening to the file again, but pick herself a new baby name. Changing her name will probably remove the old trigger more effectively than just forgetting it (which is what other people on the hypnotist's site said as well)
  • Pick a name that sounds cute and childish but isn't a real name or a place name (check facebook to make sure) like Belle did
    • Adi finally asks what the deal with Belle and Dean is, because she still didn't realise they're siblings. So now she doesn't need to be jealous anymore (not that she ever did anyway, she certainly isn't interested in him like that)
• Another week or two pass.
  • Dean tries to call Nyx, but gets nothing but incoherent abuse and demands to speak to Adi. Can't make her understand his position.
    • Adi would consider calling home, but they suspect that any call would start with someone calling her Adelaide and trying to forcibly 'rescue' her. So they want to leave it until she's 100% sure that trigger will no longer work.
  • Dean's doing online coaching, signed up for a freelance programme on some internet-connected treadmills.
  • Adi's doing freelance copywriting to save up a bit more money for college. Doesn't want to go home until she's sure the
  • Adi listens to the file, initially with Dean monitoring to make sure she's chanting the right name.
• Have just had a 'baby time' session; it's something they're still doing to make sure the new trigger is sticking (in the hope it will help "Adelaide"'s effects vanish) as well as help her avoid stress
  • Mom, Toni, and everyone come to the door. Dean asks Adi before answering if she feels confident speaking to them yet; and she says she's scared about having put them through too much

Final Act (planned)

• Adi tells everyone that she's mostly potty trained again, and after their attempt she's pretty certain that the old trigger no longer works.
• They have a little discussion about how they managed to misunderstand so much, and conclude it was nobody's fault.
• Adi and Toni both worry that they've done something unforgivable.
• Toni isn't sure what to call Adi now. It seems weird using her name normally after all the weirdness; and she's not sure if "Babe" is appropriate if Adi and Dean are together nw
  • Adi laughs at that, says that she never saw it that way. Babe is fine.
  • “You can call me whatever you want, if you still want to call me after all this. Adi, Babe, Adelaide, I'd even answer to Juniper if you're saying it. Or if you want to, you can call me [new trigger].” - maybe the last line of chapter 400.