The Things Done to Me Ch. 07

Author's Note: All characters are above the age of 18. I want to thank my wife for editing and my friend Ann for her encouragement.

"So, that happened," Persephone said. She was seated on her bed and faced her television screen, where Dr. Beatrice Angioli's blushing image took a deep breath. Instead of wearing her usual pajamas, Persephone wore a blue blouse with a plunging neckline and a pair of jeans.

"You didn't need to go into that much detail," Beatrice said.

"Well, Vince did want me to be completely honest with you. Although I've got to admit, I'm relieved a little bit in telling you. Oh - and considering you usually hear horror stories, I thought something nice would be a change of pace," she responded.

Beatrice nodded and tried to compose herself. "How exactly are you changing the meanings of these mantras?"

"Maybe, the conditioning didn't lock the meaning of those phrases in place because it was incomplete. Or maybe this is just the easiest way to combat the negative aspects of the messaging. I have no idea - you're the psychologist," Persephone pointed out.

"Indeed, I am, but I have to admit that, at this point, that guess sounds as good as mine." Beatrice leaned back and looked away in thought, then turned to look at Persephone as a question occurred to her. "Before our next session, I want you to write out what you think these mantras mean to you now. Make it concrete."

"The 'Master Owns' mantras are fairly straightforward," she explained. "Vince became my 'Master,' and he wants me to have agency over myself. He doesn't want me to act like a bootlicking slave. And he loves me, cares for me, and genuinely wants me to be happy."

"To be honest, I'm impressed with Vince; he's one of the good ones," Beatrice admitted. "I suspect that this urge to be owned would make more sense to your friend, Sophia. You should talk to her for more perspective."

"I will!"

"Just one last thing before I let you go; I noticed that, for the first time, you'd worn something other than your pajamas to our session. Is there a reason for the change?" Beatrice asked.

Persephone blushed. "Vince has made it clear that I should make it a habit of wearing real clothing when I'm video chatting - for the sake of professionalism," Persephone explained.

"I'm almost afraid to ask; what have you been wearing otherwise?" Beatrice asked.

"Panties."

"Just panties?"

Persephone nodded.

Beatrice leaned forward and gave Persephone a concerned look. "I know you've had problems with your husband telling you what to wear in the past. Is this Vince's idea?"

Persephone chuckled. "No - this is all me. I don't like wearing clothes."

"But you're a fashion designer," Beatrice pointed out.

"Vince said the same thing."

"Was this a recent development, or have you always had, uh, nudist tendencies?" she asked.

"Let me put it this way," Persephone said with a smile. "My parents have stories of me as a child that are supposed to be embarrassing. But, they've never embarrassed me."

"Very well then. I'll see you Monday. If your progress continues, we'll cut down to one day a week next Monday and then once a month shortly after that," Beatrice said.

"Thank you, Doctor Bea. I'll talk to you then!"

Persephone bounced a little on her bed in joy. She texted Sophia.

Persephone: Hey! I was wondering, do you have a moment to video chat?

Sophia: I'm free at the moment. Give me a few minutes to set up, and I'll connect.

Moments later, Sophia appeared on Persephone's television screen in her bedroom. Sophia had brown hair in an asymmetrical bob and green eyes. She also wore a Nirvana In Utero t-shirt and sat in front of a bookcase filled with leather-bound books. Persephone looked at her face; she was older, but she was instantly recognizable as the Sophia from the 'Happy Sub' video. The sound of rain came from both the TV speakers and from overhead.

"Hey!" the woman said with a slight bounce. "Sephie, Sophia. Sophia, Sephie. Uma, Oprah..."

"What?" Persephone asked as she shifted at the end of her bed.

"Nothing - just a really old, really bad joke," she said. "It's so good to actually see your face!"

Persephone instantly became self-conscious and tried to hide her scar by combing her fingers through the short hair on the left side of her head. Unfortunately, it was ill-timed, clumsy, obvious, and she silently cursed herself for even trying.

"Don't be ashamed. I knew about it from speaking with Vince," Sophia said.

"Hearing about it and seeing it are two different things," Persephone said.

"It is. But we all got scars, Sephie. Here's mine." Sophia held up her left forearm. The underside of her forearm had an old, long, jagged scar that stretched from her wrist to the inside of her elbow. Tattooed beside the scar, in elaborate cursive, were the words Death's down the road, not across the street.

"That's dark," Persephone mumbled.

"It's a double meaning... No shortcuts. Get it?" Sophia said with a pained smile. "This was supposed to kill me," she continued. "It was only by sheer luck that my pre-med roommate forgot her textbook. When she found me, she managed to slow the bleeding enough to save me before the ambulance arrived. Two blood transfusions and only minor brain damage. I still can't do math all that well... For years I told everyone it was from a car crash - even to those who knew better. Finally, mistress Billie got tired of my lies and told me to start telling the truth, or she would tell it for me. Soon after, I got this tattoo. No more lying."

"I'm so sorry," Persephone said.

"Don't be. It happened so long ago that it might as well have been a different person. So, what did you want to talk about on this dreary Friday morning?"

"Well, I just finished my appointment with Dr. Angioli, and she strongly suggested that I should talk to you. There have been some... developments."

Sophia smiled and waited. When Persephone said nothing, she urged her, "Well? Are you going to tell me, Sephie?"

"Yesterday, Vince and I had sex for the first time," Persephone mumbled.

"No shit! Congrats! I know he can be a bit rough, but once you get used to that, he's fantastic," Sophia beamed.

"It's so fucking weird hearing you say that, which makes what I'm going to say sound even weirder. But, uh - thank you for teaching him how to control his orgasm." Persephone blushed and covered her face with her hands.

Sophia laughed. "Please - it was no hardship. He's a lot of fun."

"But you've got to admit, it's weird, right?"

"I've been a sub for a little over ten years, babe; It's not weird to me. However, mistress Billie and Master Rob don't often share me with other Doms; Vince was one of the few exceptions," she admitted.

"I think I got Doctor Bea a little hot and bothered," she said.

"You didn't!"

"I did," Persephone admitted. "Vince told me I should be honest with her, so I gave her every single detail."

Sophia laughed. "I'm pretty sure he didn't mean to give your therapist a heart attack!"

"Well, she listens to horror stories all day. So I figured a nice sex story would brighten her day," Persephone smiled.

"Maybe someday I could be in one of the sex stories you tell your therapist," Sophia suggested. "You're cute. I wouldn't mind cuddling up and giving you some loving licks between your -"

Persephone's face turned bright red. "I'm not sure I'm interested in girls," she interrupted, "and to be honest, I'm a little jealous you got to Vince first."

"Oh - I wouldn't say I got to him first," Sophia said.

"Why do you say that?"

"The four of us were drinking heavily one night, and we decided to share our deepest darkest secrets. His was that you were the first girl he masturbated to and that he occasionally still thought of you when he was alone."

Persephone blushed again. "Really?! I mean, he told me I was his gold-standard girl, but to be his first sexual fantasy?"

"Don't tell him I told you that. He'll want to share embarrassing facts about me as revenge. I'd rather tell you myself - it's more humiliating that way." Sophia chuckled.

"More humiliating?"

"It's one of my kinks."

"I see," Persephone said. "Hey, listen, I need your advice."

"I'm happy to help any way I can," Sophia said.

"You know about how I was, uh, conditioned, don't you?" she said with a nervous smile.

"Yep."

"Yesterday, when we had sex, Vince had me confess my love to him and pledge to be his sub. That unintentionally reinforced my conditioning. I sorta gave in to it. Submitting to Vince and the conditioning were so close to one another that it just felt... right. And now Vince is upset. I don't know what to do," Persephone admitted.

"You gave in to it, how?" Sophia asked.

"I embraced him as my... owner," she answered.

"And what did your therapist say?"

"She wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. I told her that I believe the meaning behind the words is shifting. I can redefine their intent to become more acceptable - reframe the phrase in a more positive light. She said I should talk to you about the urge to be 'owned.'"

"Here's what I think; not all subs go as far as to say they're 'owned' by their Doms, but it's not unheard of. And should your relationship go south, it doesn't mean you can't change your mind and take back the power you've given him."

"But I told him I would fight the conditioning! It was one of the rules he laid out for me!" Persephone protested.

"Wait - what exactly is this rule he set down for you?" Sophia asked.

"He wanted me to fight the conditioning and make my own decisions despite that conditioning," she explained.

"Okay. Did you decide to give in to the conditioning because of the conditioning? Or was it because you wanted to embrace that level of submission?"

"I don't know..." Persephone said.

"Think about it, babe. Is this something you want?" Sophia prodded.

Persephone shifted on her bed and took a deep breath. "Yes," she admitted. "Yes, I want him to have me completely. It feels so right. I want him to take care of me, to see me as his precious possession. I want to serve him and show him how much I love him - how much I've always loved him."

"Then it was a decision that you made - not the conditioning. The conditioning just happened to coincide with that decision. Embrace it. Embrace being Vince's submissive slut. Embrace being scarred and imperfect, you sexy bitch," Sophia said with a smile.

Persephone blushed. "I'll try. It's easier since I've gotten my eye prosthetic."

"Oh? They must have done an excellent job! I couldn't even tell that was a prosthetic."

"I know, right? It's just so well done! I can only see a difference if I look very, very closely, and even then, it still looks like a piece of art," she beamed.

"Listen, I've got to go. Master Rob will be home any moment, and he's been on the road; he'll need some stress relief." Sophia winked. "I'm happy to have met you, and I hope you can knock some sense into your Dom. Vince needs it sometimes. I'm always here for a fellow sister-in-bondage."

"Thank you," Persephone said. "And I hope someday soon, when this COVID shit is over, to go out and get drinks with you."

"That would be nice," Sophia said. "Later!"

Sophia's image winked out, leaving a black screen.

_____________

Persephone walked into the living room wearing nothing but a lacy red pair of panties. Vince, who was playing an online first-person shooter, looked up and sighed.

"Hey, you fuckers," he said into the mic. "I've got a half-naked chick here. I'll pwn all you later, basement dwellers." He turned off the game and turned to her. "You have my complete attention."

She bit her lip. "You didn't have to do that..."

He looked her up and down. "Yeah. I would have been too distracted anyway. What's up?" He patted next to him on the sofa.

"I talked to both Dr. Angioli and Sophia this morning about our little problem," Persephone said as she looked down at her hands.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I want to point something out to you." She picked up the pad of paper and read from it. "The exact wording of rule number one is 'Fight the conditioning and make your own decisions.' Which of those two parts are more important to you?"

"They're the same thing," Vince said. "To be able to make your own decisions, you have to fight the conditioning. The conditioning strips you of your self-esteem, your agency, your ability to say no to me."

"Taken as a whole, you're right; the conditioning does all of that. But what if what I want happens to coincide with an aspect of the conditioning?" Persephone asked.

Vince looked at her in bewilderment. "You're deciding to accept the conditioning?"

"I'm deciding that I want to be more than just your friend and lover," Persephone explained. "I want to be your good girl, your submissive, your slutty plaything, and your sex slave. I want you to own me, Sir - I'm giving myself to you."

"Yes, but you can take that all back if you wanted to. The conditioning isn't going to let you," he pointed out.

"That's still my choice, isn't it?" she said as she gazed into Vince's eyes. He still looked confused. She let out a sigh. "Let me put it this way, Vince; right now, the difference between what I want and what the conditioning is trying to turn me into is a matter of degrees. It's as if I want a large pizza, and the conditioning is telling me I want an extra-large pizza. I can resist that urge to order an extra-large, but it isn't going to hurt anything if I give in and order that extra-large once in a while."

"What about the part of the conditioning that says you want meth to go along with that pizza?" Vince retorted.

"Does eating pizza automatically make you a meth addict?" she shot back.

"That's a bad metaphor -"

"No," Persephone interrupted, "it's a perfect metaphor. Vince - I love you. You wanted my body to be your sexual playground, and I took it one step further and gave it completely to you. You wanted me to love you, and I took it one step further and gave you my whole heart. You wanted to be my Dom, but instead, you became my owner. I could take all of that back if I wanted to because I'm the one who chose it and embraced it."

"I don't want to hurt you," Vince said.

"Then don't hurt me, Sir." She leaned in and kissed him on the lips and then snuggled into his chest. "I trust you not to hurt me. I have my safeword."

He sighed and kissed her forehead. "Our relationship is developing much faster than I intended."

"So? We've been waiting our whole lives! Don't tell me you haven't fantasized about me - I've fantasized about you."

"I have," Vince admitted as he rubbed her shoulder.

"Did you want to get back to killing your friends, Sir?" she asked as she pointed to his game console.

"No. I took off today to be with you. I heard you in the bathroom this morning, so I played video games waiting for you to get done and then forgot all about taking a shower."

"You could have joined me!" Persephone said. "You shouldn't have to take a shower alone ever again, Sir. I'll clean you, and then we can play our game."

"That's -"

"And I want you to move into my bedroom," she interrupted. "I want to be available for you at all times. It's too cramped in that small room - you need space." She looked up at him and bit her lip. "Please, Sir. I want you."

"That's a little fast for my taste. Just who is the Dom in this relationship?" Vince asked.

For a moment, she pretended to think, then said with a coy smile, "You are, Sir."

Vince smiled back. "That's right. And now I'm going to remind you!"

"Oh. How ar-"

He grabbed her and flung her over his knee before she could say another word. He yanked off her panties, and his hand came down on her ass. From just one hit, her ass felt like it was on fire.

"FUCK!" she yelled. "Let me GO!!"

She kicked her legs and struggled against him, but he kept her pinned down. He spanked her ass again. The pain radiated from her ass cheeks as they began to throb.

"This would be over sooner if you just stayed still!" Vince shouted.

"NO!!" Persephone cried. "Fuck you!"

Then Vince grabbed her by the hair on her head and pulled her to his face. "You know what will make this stop, don't you?" he growled.

She smirked. "Yes, Sir," she said as she repeated her safeword in her head.

"I'm just making sure you understand," he said.

"What I understand is that you're going to let me go!" she hissed.

Vince rolled his eyes and tossed her back over his knee. He struck her ass again, and again, and again, and again - four times in quick succession. She squirmed to get away, and he kept slapping her ass with a resounding crack each time.

She cried out as the warmth radiating from her ass became burning hot. Tears started rolling down her face. "OKAY, OKAY - I submit!" she screamed.

He pulled her back into his lap. "Four more, and you're done. Do you think you can do four more?"

She looked up at him and nodded. Persephone suddenly felt small, weak, under his complete control.

"I want you to remind me; who is the Dom in this relationship?" Vince asked.

"There is no Dom in this relationship," she responded.

He slapped both of her ass cheeks once, and Persephone let out a sob. "You're still not cooperating. I can't start counting until you cooperate."

"Yes, Sir," she muttered.

"Who is the Dom in this relationship?" he asked again.

"There is no Dom in this relationship," she responded again.

Vince let out a frustrated growl, and he slapped her ass twice again. "See? This would have been over if you had just cooperated. So who is the Dom in this relationship?"

"There is no Dom in this relationship." Persephone turned her head to look at him. She stared into his eyes as he struck her ass twice again. New tears flowed from her eyes as the pain became almost unbearable.

"I thought you were submitting," he whispered.

"I am," she whispered back.

"Who am I in this relationship?" He begged her with his eyes.

"You, Vince Caleb Lopez, are my Master and owner."

He pulled Persephone up into his arms and bit her lip before closing on her open mouth. She savored his tongue sliding over her own, the faint scent of honey on his breath, and his muscular chest pressed against her breasts.

He broke the kiss and sighed, "Good girl. Now go into the shower and wait for me there."

"I feel... needy. Submissive," she muttered.

Vince cupped her cheek and gave her a shorter kiss."I understand. I'll be right behind you."

Persephone walked into her bedroom, through to the bathroom, and then into the shower. She almost didn't notice her anal beads soaking in a solution by the sink and a bottle of silicone lube. It made her curious as to why those were sitting there.

She looked up at the oversized showerhead and wondered what he would do to her. Was this punishment or play? While her ass still felt like it was on fire, she enjoyed the lingering stinging sensation. Discipline is love a chorus of voices reverberated in her head. She prodded what that phrase meant but couldn't wrap her mind around it.

"Sephie?" Vince said as he opened the sliding glass shower door.

She gasped and turned around. "Y-yes, Sir?" He was naked and holding a nylon rope.

"You were staring off into space," he said. "Is everything okay?"

Persephone took a deep breath and looked him over. Blood rushed to her sex when she saw he was already half erect. "I have a question but, please don't laugh at me."

"I promise not to laugh at you," he assured her.

"Sir, if this is punishment, why do I like it?"

"I figured you already understood, given how you acted in the living room," Vince said.

"I understood that I could stop it with my safe word if you took it too far, but I enjoyed it. Even as tears were running down my face from the pain, I liked it," she admitted.