“How long have we been together, plaything?”

“I uhh…”

“You don’t even know. Well, I suppose I wouldn’t expect an idiot like you to remember. Close your mouth before you drool.”

Lily closed their mouth. They knew better than to argue with their mistress when she was in a mood like this one. They considered opening their mouth to give the answer, once they thought of it, but decided that was a bad idea.

“It’s not important. Here’s another question you won’t know the answer to: When was the last time I hypnotized you?”

They opened their mouth, and Magnolia tapped their lips so they couldn’t speak. They looked up at her, confused, thinking that this was probably hypnosis right now, wasn’t it?

“I don’t mean using your triggers, and I don’t mean your weak mind just slipping down at the first excuse. That hardly… ugh, wake up.” She snapped her fingers.

Lily blushed. They hadn’t meant to start sinking like that; it just sort of happened.

“My point is, it has been too long. I’m going to hypnotize you, and I’m going to take my time about it. And you will not drop into trance until I say you may, is that understood?”

Unable to speak, Lily nodded vigorously. They loved dropping for their Mistress. They were excited to do it.

She snapped her fingers again. “Ugh, plaything, you really must stay awake until I tell you.” Lily shook their head, trying to clear it, and was completely unprepared when Magnolia pushed them roughly onto the bed. They looked up with pleading eyes, nodding.

“Alright, you can do it. I think even an idiot like you can understand the rules of this game. Now.” She climbed up onto the bed, straddling Lily. “You remember the red mist, from the first time I put you in trance?” Her voice was sweet and calming. 

Lily could remember. They could feel it creeping… no! No, they would resist, and stay up for their Mistress.

Magnolia chuckled. “That’s right. You remember it, and it surrounds you, but you won’t take it in, won’t be affected, until I say you may,” Lily nodded. Magnolia reached into her pocket.

Oh no, thought Lily. Their vision swam just a bit, their eyelids fluttering, just thinking of…

Magnolia hit their face, hard enough to sting. They looked away, embarrassed. It wasn’t fair! This was hard! But they would obey.

“That’s right, you’ll obey and look at the watch,” Magnolia said, taking it out of her pocket and dangling it before Lily’s eyes. “And you’ll obey by staying awake. Staying out of trance. Even as the watch swings, even as the mist sings in the air around you and you’re longing to fill your lungs, fill your legs, fill your body with it… You may not be that smart, but you’re smart enough to follow orders. So you will stay awake.”

They let out a whimper, and Magnolia slapped them again.

“Take off your shirt.” Lily complied, not even thinking about what their hands were doing as their eyes glued to the watch and their vision swam again. “Good plaything. Good spouse,” Magnolia added with a smirk, causing Lily to blush and swallow. “Back and forth it goes, pulling on your mind, but you don’t follow it down. Not yet. Now your shorts.” Again, Lily’s body moved without thought, their eyes glued on the watch, all their concentration focused on staying up, staying out of trance, even though the watch was swinging and the red mist was caressing their skin – or was that Mistress’ fingers? – and a sweet voice in their ears pulled and teased as they pulled off their underwear and lay on the bed, naked for their Owner to use.

Another slap. “Not yet.” She took their hand, pulling it up above their face, and put the watch chain in it. “Hold that there. Don’t let it fall until I say you can fall.” Her sweet voice continued as she undressed, and Lily focused on the watch, struggled to hold up their hand and their mind. They wanted to let go so badly.

After a while, they lost track of the words Magnolia was saying, and only knew they had to stay up, had to keep their hand up, had to keep staring. They felt hands moving up their body. First their feet, then their legs, and their body came alive under her touch. Sometimes Lily would waver a bit, their eyelids would flutter, and the caress would turn into pain. But none of that mattered. Staring, obeying, keeping up – it became their whole world. The gentle touches crept up past their waist, teasing past places they would have loved those hands to touch, but not going there yet. The red mist hung and they could almost see it in the air, curling around the watch and their fingers. But they didn’t breathe it in yet. Somehow it stayed away as the hands crept up their chest.

Suddenly, Magnolia’s face came into view. One of her hands grabbed the watch, and at the same moment, the other seized Lily’s chin, forcing their eyes to lock onto hers.

“Now drop.”