Stop Standing There

"Indigo?!" Lily exclaimed. They couldn't see her face, but the garish outfit was unmistakable.

"Where?" Magnolia gasped, her eyes narrowing and a sneer forming on her lips.

Lily elbowed Magnolia in the ribs and pointed at Indigo. "Over there. I think she just... hypnotized that lady!"

Magnolia grabbed Lily's wrist. "Okay, first of all? Never elbow me again. Second of all, yes, that is what just happened." She sighed and took another sip of her sparkling water. "She does this every year. Trots out some basic stage hypnosis like it's a cheap parlor trick. She's an embarrassment to the craft, treating it like a novelty instead of the powerful tool it truly is."

"So why don't you try to one-up her?" Lily asked. "You could do way better than she ever could!"

"As if I have any need to impress these fools," Magnolia said, rolling her eyes. "I only go to these events so no one starts any rumors that I'm dead. I could care less what any of them think about me."

"Couldn't care less."

Magnolia glared at Lily. "It's unbecoming of you to correct your mental superiors, plaything."

Before Lily could respond, a plate was set in front of them. A large, bright red lobster, its beady eyes pointed directly at them.

A similar plate was place in front of Magnolia. She tucked her napkin into the front of her dress. "Yes, this will do nicely."

Lily picked up their fork and poked at their lobster. "It's not... alive, is it?"

"I very much doubt it," Magnolia chuckled. She grabbed the tail of her lobster and, after a bit of effort, pulled it apart.

Lily observed this and tried to emulate what Magnolia just did. It was surprisingly easy to remove. They looked to Magnolia to see what they needed to do next.

Magnolia had cut the tail down its center, then pulled out the meat. "You probably don't need to bother with the knife," Magnolia said as she cut off a piece of the meat. "I'll bet you can just rip it open."

That sounds messy... But Lily shrugged and decided to give it a go. Sure enough, they were able to pry open the tail with ease. Wow! Guess I'm stronger than I thought. Heck, maybe I could bench-press Mistress! They giggled at the mental image.

"Something funny?" Magnolia said, narrowing her eyes.

"N-No, Mistress!" Lily stammered.

"Hm..." Magnolia cracked open one of the claws and frowned. "Ugh, see this? See how the meat doesn't fill the shell? They held the claws together with rubber bands and it deformed them. Amateurs!"

"They probably didn't want to get pinched."

"A pinch is a small price to pay for my meal!" Magnolia grumbled.

Lily shrugged and cut off a piece of the tail meat. Here goes nothing!

They took their first bite. The meat was firm, yet also soft, with just the right balance of saltiness and tanginess. "Mmm! This is actually really good!" Lily beamed.

"Thought you'd like it," Magnolia smirked. "But don't talk with your mouth open."

Lily nodded. They soon reduced the lobster to an empty shell on a plate, even managing to outpace Magnolia. They leaned back with a satisfied sigh and reached for their wine glass, only to discover it was empty. "'Scuse me, Mistress," Lily mumbled, "gotta get a refill."

Magnolia reached into her purse and pulled out the credit card. "Go ahead and get a full bottle."

"If I have to," Lily giggled. They took the card and wandered over to the bar, handing the bartender the card and waiting for him to retrieve a bottle.

"I must say," said a familiar voice, "I didn't know Maggie had an interest in old video games."

Lily turned and saw Indigo leaning on the bar next to them. She wore a confident smile and held her own glass of wine, gently swirling it with her hand.

"O-Oh, uh," Lily muttered, "it wasn't really for her, y'see."

"Is that so?" Indigo raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's even more peculiar. For someone who only seems to come out for charity auctions, Maggie comes across as maybe the least charitable person I've ever met." All the while, she swirled her wine glass around and around, the red liquid sloshing rhythmically in a clockwise fashion.

Lily blinked hard. When had they started staring at the glass? "I, uh... I dunno what to tell you..."

"Well," Indigo replied, leaning in just a little closer, "perhaps you could tell me who she got it for?"

"She..." Lily frowned. Should I tell the truth? I'm supposed to be her assistant, Mistress wouldn't get her assistant something that expensive... "I don't think I can... tell you."

"Aw, it's okay," Indigo cooed. She held up the wine glass so it was within Lily's field of vision. "You can tell me. I can keep a secret. You can feel safe telling me, safe and secure."

Safe and... Lily shook their head. "Wh-What are you... doing..."

"I'm not doing anything," Indigo smiled. "We're just talking, aren't we? Everything's fine. You feel safe talking to me, peaceful talking to me, happy talking to me."

Lily's head started to get foggy in that way they knew all too well. But... she's been hypnotizing... others... but we're just talking... feel safe... They nodded, their head feeling strangely loose on their shoulders.

"Very good," purred Indigo. "Keep your eyes on the wine, sweetie. Watch it go round and round and round, pulling your mind deeper and deeper."

Deeper... and deeper... Lily felt their body relax, their eyelids feeling heavy.

"That's right," Indigo whispered. "Now, why don't you tell me the truth about you and- hey!"

SMASH!

Lily felt like a plug being pulled from its socket. They stumbled dizzily and fell on their butt, letting out a loud yelp that caught the attention of everyone around them. They looked up and saw Magnolia holding Indigo down and pressing her face into the countertop.

"Now you listen, and you listen good!" Magnolia spat. "If you so much as look at them ever again, I will bury you! Understood?"

"Back off!" Indigo groaned.

Oh, God... Lily looked around and saw everyone staring at the scene. Their heart started to race. This is a nightmare... how could I be so stupid! I fell for Indigo's stupid trick and now I'm embarrassing Mistress! They felt tears welling up in their eyes as they rose to their feet and pushed their way through the crowd.

They heard Magnolia calling their name, but they didn't dare turn around. They couldn't stand to look at her, knowing what they'd done. They made their way out of the ballroom and into the hallway, turning a corner before they finally broke down. The tears came fast and hard, the taste of salt stinging their tongue.

"Lily?" Magnolia turned the corner and saw Lily crumpled up on the floor, sobbing like a wreck. She knelt down and wrapped her arms around them. "Oh, Lily, it's okay."

Lily wanted to shove her arms off, but they couldn't find the resolve. "No, it's not! I embarrassed you!"

"You did nothing of the sort," Magnolia said firmly. She rocked Lily back and forth slowly, and kissed their tear-stained cheek. "It was Indigo who was embarrassed. I only wish I could've thrown it in her face even more."

"I... I let myself almost get hypnotized by her..."

"You were hypnotized by her," Magnolia sighed. "It's my own fault, really. I hadn't suspected anyone else would try it. We can work on that later. Your mind will become an impenetrable, if rather empty, vault, and only I will have the combination."

Lily nodded and sniffled. "C-Can we just go home, please? I don't wanna stay here."

Magnolia petted Lily softly. "I want to at least stick around for the second half of the auction... Would it help if I took away some of these bad feelings? I'd make you forget what just happened, and make you a touch more confident. Temporarily, of course."

Lily thought for a moment. I really would rather go home, but... if Mistress can help me, then I'll stay for her. "Okay, Mistress."

Magnolia grinned. "Right answer." She reached into her purse.

The instant they saw the pocketwatch - the one Magnolia had used so many times before - Lily fell down into darkness. Their only guiding light was Mistress' voice.

"Are you nice and deep for me, plaything?" she said.

"Yes," Lily whispered, their voice soft and distant.

"Now," Mistress said, "I want you to think about everything that happened in the last five minutes. Collect all of those memories for me. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Mistress," Lily replied. They did as they were told, finding and recording everything that had just transpired. "I'm done."

"Now, inside your mind, there is a large vault. I want you to place all those memories inside this vault, and then lock them away. Whenever I, and only I, say the word 'unlock,' these memories will return to you. Do you understand?"

Lily felt themselves nod. They walked into the vault inside their mind and stored all their memories neatly, then walked out and closed the door. "It's done, Mistress."

"Good. You're doing so well, plaything." Mistress kissed Lily on the forehead, and they mewled in delight. "Now, for the rest of the night, I want you to feel happy, confident, and completely at ease with yourself. You won't care what any of those other people think about you. When your memories come back, this suggestion will fade away."

"Yes, Mistress."

"Wonderful," Mistress purred. "Now, on the count of five, you'll feel wide awake, refreshed and energized, ready to carry on with the rest of the auction."

She counted Lily up, and Lily opened their eyes. "Um..." They squinted, a confused look on their face. "...Why are we out in the hallway?"

"Oh, you had to use the restroom," Magnolia said, rising to her feet and straightening out her dress. "Now, let's get back inside, shall we?"

Lily grinned wide. "Heck yeah!" They practically sprinted into the ballroom, just managing to keep their balance in their uncomfortable heels. Weird... I feel super good all of a sudden. I guess I really had to pee... even though I don't remember it? They shrugged it off and made their way back to the table, where a large bottle of wine awaited them.

"Slow down!" Magnolia said, finally catching up to Lily. She noticed what they were staring at. "Oh, yes, that. I had a waiter bring that out, since you were empty."

"Nice!" Lily sat down and uncorked the bottle. They were about to pour themselves a glass, then paused. "Mistress, do you want any?"

"Have I ever had a glass of wine in your presence?" Magnolia replied, sitting down in her chair.

"Guess that answers that." Lily then grabbed the bottle from the neck and took a swig.

Magnolia's eyes went wide. "What on Earth are you doing?"

Lily sighed happily. "Oh, lighten up, it's not like anyone else is gonna drink it."

"It's barbaric!" Magnolia looked around and noticed people staring at the two of them.

Lily, however, was blissfully unaware. They took another swig, wiping off a bit of wine that started dribbling down their chin.

The music in the room shifted from soft piano to light jazz. Lily got an idea. "Excuse me, Mistress." They got up from the table, still holding the wine bottle and taking sips from it periodically.

"What has gotten into that idiot..." Magnolia grumbled.

Lily walked back to the table, sporting a massive grin. "Guess what music they have?"

The song changed again.

All this talkin' to you

I don't know what I'm to do

Magnolia raised an eyebrow. "Did you... request this?"

"It's Avril, baby!" Lily giggled and set the bottle back on the table before grabbing Magnolia's hands. "C'mon, dance with me!"

"L-Lily!" Magnolia gasped, struggling to stay seated as her sub yanked her arms. "People are staring!"

"Let 'em stare! I don't care what any of these people think!"

Magnolia's face went pale. "Oh, God..." she whispered. "I've created a monster..."

At last, Lily pulled Magnolia out of her chair and held her close. They awkwardly swung from side to side, unsure of what exactly they wanted to do but feeling compelled to do something.

Don't waste another day

Don't waste another minute

I can't wait to see your face

Just to show you how much I'm in it

Magnolia's face was beet-red. She could feel the eyes of everyone around them, a small crowd gradually forming to watch the display. As Lily spun them around, she even caught Indigo's stupid face smirking at them. "That does it..."

She scratched Lily's side, slowly, rhythmically. "Every time I scratch you there," she whispered, "you'll feel more and more tired. All your energy draining away, making you want to lie down and stop... whatever it is you think you're doing."

Lily wasn't quite hypnotized, but it didn't matter. They'd been so conditioned by Magnolia that her just using a certain tone of voice could get them to obey. Sure enough, the more Magnolia scratched them, the more tired they felt. By the time the song was over, they could barely stay standing. They sagged into Magnolia's arms, utterly exhausted.

"Poor thing," Magnolia said loudly. "I'm afraid they've had too much to drink."

A few polite chuckles could be heard from the crowd. She brought Lily back to the table and sat them down, still scratching at their side.

Just before Lily completely fell asleep, they saw Magnolia pick up her phone. "Bring the car around," she said. "We're coming home early."

* * *

SMACK!

The sting of Lily's cheek brought them back to reality. Their eyes shot open, glancing wildly around to get their bearings. They were back home, in their apartment, still wearing their dress. Magnolia was standing over them.

She did not look happy.

She raised her hand again, and Lily realized what was about to happen. "I-I'm up!" they stammered. "I'm-"

SMACK!

"Ow!" they cried, cupping their cheek. "I said I'm-"

"I know you're awake!" Magnolia shouted.

"Th-Then... then why are you slapping me?"

Magnolia sighed. "Unlock."

And just like that, everything became clear. Lily remembered Indigo hypnotizing them, and more importantly, Magnolia hypnotizing them. And how they took her suggestions in a rather unexpected direction. "Oh, fu-"

SMACK!

"Ow!" Lily yelped. "P-Please stop doing that!"

"After what you did? Oh, plaything, a slap is the least you deserve!" Magnolia ran her fingers through her hair and scowled. "You embarrassed yourself, but more importantly, you embarrassed me, in front of all those people. God only knows what they'll say. As far as they're supposed to know, you're my assistant; I'll have to create some sort of cover story about 'firing' you after your supposedly-drunken escapades."

"I'm sorry," Lily whimpered. "I just... I just wanted to dance with you..."

Magnolia paused. "...You call that dancing?"

"I never really had a chance to practice, I just... kinda did what I do when I'm alone."

"I see." Magnolia didn't look as angry anymore. She sat down on the couch and sighed. "Well, I suppose it wasn't all bad. I managed to get some photos from my favorite photographer, and you got your... PlayBox, or whatever you call it."

Lily sniffled, gently rubbing their sore cheek. "So, are we all good now? Are you still mad at me?"

"Furious. But I know how you can make it up to me."

"How?"

Magnolia grinned, her eyes twinkling with devious intent. "I shall teach you how to dance. Properly."

Lily gulped. That sounds... ominous.

Magnolia stood up and picked up her phone. A few taps later, and a some light music began to play from the speakers. "We'll start with the waltz," she said. "I believe it should be simple enough that even you can understand it." She walked up to Lily, holding their right hand and placing her other on their side. "Put your hand on my shoulder."

Lily did as they were told.

Magnolia glared down at Lily. "Now, do as I say, and nobody has to get hurt." They got the impression she wasn't joking. "Right foot back."

"Wha-" Lily winced as Magnolia's heel landed on their toes.

"I said," Magnolia growled. "Right. Foot. Back."

Lily nodded, sliding their right foot back.

"Left foot to the side."

They slid their left foot outwards, staring down to watch Magnolia as she lead.

"Now connect."

Lily slid her right foot back towards their left.

"Good," Magnolia said, "that's the basics. Now, try to keep up."

And keep up they did. It took them a couple tries at first, but soon they were able to match Magnolia's pace with ease. Even when she intentionally sped up, faster than the tempo of the song, Lily didn't slip up.

"I think I'm doing pretty good," Lily giggled.

"It's not your job to think, plaything," Magnolia replied.

She scratched Lily's side, and Lily suddenly began to feel tired. They started dragging their feet, lolling around like a ragdoll, until they felt like they could collapse at any moment.

"Oh, what's the matter?" Magnolia grinned. "Are you tired, plaything?"

"Mmmuuhh..." Lily groaned. "Y-You're... cheating..."

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about." Magnolia knew Lily didn't believe her, but that didn't matter. She had them right where she wanted them, limp and sleepy and like melting into a puddle.

Finally, Lily's legs gave out, and they sagged to the floor with a soft, adorably pathetic whimper.

"There you go," Magnolia purred. She kissed her sleepy sub on the forehead. "Let's get you into bed now, plaything."

It took a surprising amount of effort to drag Lily into their bedroom. Once she got them tucked into bed, Magnolia took a moment to catch her breath. "Wow, you're heavy," she chuckled.

"It's all muscle..." Lily murmured. "You gonna... keep... new trigger...?"

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. We'll have to see." Magnolia cupped Lily's cheek and leaned in for a kiss, savoring Lily's quiet moan. She reached for the lamp and turned it off, then walked towards the door. "Good night, plaything."

Lily smiled peacefully. "Good night... Mistress..."