Kassandra awoke to the sound of something banging around in the hall closet.

She opened her bleary eyes and rolled onto her back. At first, she had forgotten why she was still the one in front. She’d gotten so used to being in the back of Lily’s mind that it was almost disorienting.

As she retraced her steps, remembering the previous night, she realized that she’d grown too comfortable. She only took over and protected Lily once Indigo tried to take down Magnolia; by then, pulling them out of the driver’s seat was a struggle. The sinister hypnotist had Lily wrapped around her finger, and Kassandra had to cut through a dense web of conditioning to put a stop to it. If she had been just a moment too late, it all would’ve been over. It was only pure luck that she woke up in time.

Then she heard another bang.

“Oh,” Kassandra muttered. “Right. She’s still here.”

She shook Magnolia’s shoulder. “C’mon. Wake up. We gotta deal with Indigo.”

“I know,” Magnolia said quietly.

Kassandra paused. She was awake this whole time? she thought.

Yet another bang, this time followed by a shout. “I know you’re awake in there! Let me out!”

“We heard you!” Kassandra spat. “Shut up, give us a sec!” She lowered her voice and whispered to Magnolia. “What should we do with her? I’m not gonna bury her out back, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“We probably need to hypnotize her,” Magnolia replied. “Keep her from messing with us again.” Her voice was strained, and Kassandra could see now that her eyes were red from crying.

Kassandra sighed. “Well. That’s better than murder.” She got out of bed and stomped over to the closet, pulling open the door and glaring at the prisoner.

Indigo glared back, eyes sparkling, lips curled into an immaculately smug grin. She’d managed to get the gag out, but she was still tied up good. “Morning, Lily,” she said.

“Not my name.”

“Oh, that’s right! You’re her alternate personality or whatever. Kassie?”

“Kassandra.”

“Sure.” Indigo chuckled, leaning back in her chair. “How long do y’all plan to keep me here? I’m starting to get pretty bored.”

“You’re awfully relaxed for someone who’s tied to a chair,” Kassandra frowned.

“Ah, trust me, babe,” Indigo grinned. “This ain’t the first time I’ve been tied up. Besides, if I had to get trapped in a Shyamalan plot, at least I got one of the better ones.”

“A what?”

“Y’know, ‘Split?’ The movie? Aw, you should see it, James McAvoy is great in it. ‘Course, his character has a whole bunch of split personalities. I wonder how many other freaks you’ve got in that head of yours.”

Kassandra smirked. “Oh, now I get it.”

“Get what?” Indigo asked.

“Why you’re always brainwashing people. You’re so annoying, it’s the only way anyone could stand to be around you.”

Indigo stopped smiling. Her eyes burned with impotent rage. “You listen to me. I know Lily’s in there. And I know they’re just begging to be my good little pet. How long do you think you’ll have until they take control again?”

“That’s not how that works, dipshit.” Kassandra looked up at a shelf above Indigo’s head and noticed a few boxes, labeled in Magnolia’s handwriting. She picked one up and popped open the lid. “Hm.”

“What’cha got in there?” Indigo demanded, trying to look inside.

“Ah! No peeking!” Kassandra brought the box into the bedroom and set it on the bed.

Magnolia stirred, lifting her head up and rubbing her eyes. “What’re you looking for?”

“Well, my thinking is, if she got that last gag out, we need something more secure…” Kassandra pulled out a bright red ball gag. Her lips curled in disgust. “I guess I should’ve expected something like this.”

She turned to Magnolia, who still hadn’t gotten out of bed. “Are you gonna help me with this? Or the other thing we were planning?”

“I…” Magnolia looked down at the floor. “N-Not right now. Tired.”

“Greeeeeeeat.” Kassandra sighed and held up the gag. “Who knew holding someone hostage would be such hard work?”

Magnolia eventually wandered in to the living room a few hours later. “Morning,” she said quietly.

“Barely,” Kassandra muttered. “It’s almost noon.” She picked her head up from her book and frowned. “You look like shit.”

“Yeah, I know,” Magnolia sighed. Her hair was messy, still matted down on one side from lying in bed, and she hadn’t put on any makeup. She tugged on her oversized cable knit sweater, which was so long it almost made Kassandra think she wasn’t wearing any underwear. It was only when Magnolia got closer that she noticed the small athletic shorts she had underneath.

Magnolia flopped down on the couch next to Kassandra and leaned her head back. “I told the board I’d be taking an extended leave. And that Indigo was fired, of course.”

“Good.” Kassandra shifted away from Magnolia a little. “So, uh, when do you plan to go back?”

“TBA. Gotta deal with all this first, and…” Magnolia ran a hand through her hair and closed her eyes. “I just can’t right now. Not yet. I’m too raw.”

“I get it. You’ve been through a lot. Just, like, don’t take too much time.”

“I know.” Magnolia looked towards the television on the wall across from them. “Do you mind if I put something on?”

“Go nuts.” Kassandra put on a pair of headphones to drown out the sound as she focused on her reading.

A few minutes later, she felt Magnolia shift her weight and put her arm behind her. What the hell? Does she think she’s on a date or something? Kassandra grumbled, picked up Magnolia’s arm and moved it out of her way.

But after another few minutes, the arm returned, this time around Kassandra’s waist. Magnolia pulled her closer, squeezing her tightly and resting her head on the other woman’s shoulder.

“H-Hey!” Kassandra yelped.

“Hm?” Magnolia hummed. “Oh, sorry. I forgot you weren’t… Um, i-if it’s not too much trouble, could we stay like this? Just until the movie’s over?”

Kassandra furrowed her brow. I shouldn’t let her be so cuddly with me. I can barely stand her, especially when she’s trying to get in Lily’s pants. But this… doesn’t quite feel like that. She seems more sad than horny. And she does need support right now… “Hmph. Fine. I guess.”

Magnolia hugged her a little bit tighter. “Thanks.”

“Don’t… mention it…” Kassandra finally looked at the TV and raised an eyebrow. “What the hell is this?”

“Bride of Frankenstein.”

“Isn’t that, like, a hundred years old?”

“Ninety-one.”

“Whatever. Why are you watching it? Don’t tell me this is your comfort movie.”

Magnolia hummed softly. “It’s… an old favorite. Maybe not ‘comforting,’ but it’s familiar.” Her lips curled into a slight smile. “In hindsight, I think it might’ve been one of my early ‘egg crack’ moments.”

“Really?” Kassandra asked, slipping off her headphones.

“I saw it when I was in college. I remember relating so strongly to the monster, how he’s trapped by who he is. The world only sees him as something to be feared, even when he tries to be good. Not having a place in the world, driven away from the few people who care for him, resigning himself to his fate…” The older woman sighed. “You can see how it might relate to someone struggling with her gender identity.”

Kassandra scratched the back of her head. “Huh. Yeah, I guess when you put it like that.”

Magnolia chuckled. “Y’know, I actually went as the Bride for Halloween one year. I’d just started hormones, I didn’t feel confident enough to try and look sexy or cute. But I knew, if nothing else, I could make one hell of a monster.”

Well, you kinda still are a monster… Kassandra bit her tongue. No, no, I can’t tease her right now. She’s trying to be vulnerable. In her own, weird way. And, y’know, it’s actually not that terrible, being held like this. Her sweater is nice and soft, at least. Not that I’d let her hear it.

Suddenly, there was another loud bang from the hall closet, followed by some indistinct, yet clearly angry grunts from Indigo.

“Shut the fuck up!” Kassandra shouted back.

Magnolia sighed. “It’s already past noon, you know. We should probably feed her. And ourselves, honestly.”

“Yeah, I guess we have to….” Kassandra stood up and wandered towards the kitchen. “Go ahead and order something. I’ll deal with her.”

“Thank you, Kassandra.”

Kassandra looked through the fridge and cabinets for something to feed Indigo. It was strange, feeling so familiar in a space she hadn’t really spent much time in. She couldn’t remember ever cooking here, but she instinctively knew what was in every drawer and cabinet. Lily’s muscle memory bled through into her.

But I don’t really wanna cook for this lady, Kassandra grumbled. She doesn’t deserve the effort. As she pondered this, she felt something else start to bleed through into her mind.

“Maybe just a microwave dinner?” Lily offered.

Oh, hey. Hadn’t heard from you in a minute. You holding up okay?

“Kinda. I… feel really bad about all of this. I screwed up and–”

It’s not your fault. Magnolia’s the one who got brainwashed first. Indigo used her to get to you.

Kassandra felt Lily sigh. “You’re probably right. Still, I know I’ll have to make it up to Magnolia later.”

You can worry about that when you’ve been deprogrammed. Kassandra gave herself a hug tight enough that Lily could feel it too. But first, lunch. I think we have some of those dinners in the freezer, but… how would Indigo eat it if she’s tied up?

“Um… you could untie her?”

And stand guard over her the whole time? No thanks. I don’t wanna spend a single second around that woman if I don’t have to.

“B-But, you don’t have to stand guard the whole time! She wouldn’t try to escape, she knows that’d be a bad idea.”

How do you know? Kassandra furrowed her brow. Something was off. It was unusual for Lily to be so insistent.

“Because… um… l-look, just untie her, okay?” Lily pleaded. “She probably needs a break anyway, she’s been tied up for like half a day by now. Give Mistress a moment to stretch, and–”

What? Kass gasped. What did you say?

“I… I-I said, ‘give Indigo a moment to–’”

No, you didn’t say “Indigo.” Kassandra sighed and balled her hands up into fists. Go away. Stop distracting me.

“Kass, please! Just listen to me!”

“No!” Kassandra shouted. She panted for air, her heart racing so fast she thought it was going to explode. She shook her head and tried to ignore Lily’s voice still ringing in her ears.

She grabbed a box of cereal and poured it into an empty bowl. It wasn’t a meal, but it was better than nothing. She hoped Indigo was smart enough, or at least desperate enough, to accept it. She flung open the door and roughly pulled the ball gag out of the prisoner’s mouth. “Eat.”

“Nice to see you too,” Indigo sighed. She stared at the bowl, her eyes weary but longing. “What, you want me to eat with my mouth? Like a dog?”

“Yeah…” Kassandra felt a pun click into place and grinned. “I mean, it fits, doesn’t it? A bitch like you deserves to be treated like a mutt.”

“Funny.” The prisoner’s eyes flicked towards Kassandra’s. “Hm. You seem tired, Kassie.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why not? It’s cute.” Indigo’s lips curled into a smile. “Almost as cute as Lily looked in that little bunnysuit last night.”

“I’m not having this conversation with you,” Kassandra said bluntly. “Eat your lunch.”

“At least give me a spoon. Forcing me to eat like this has to break the Geneva Convention or something.”

“Don’t think that applies here. Besides, I’m not stupid enough to untie you.”

“Well… maybe you could feed me, then?”

Kassandra scowled. “Ugh, no! Gross!”

“You don’t have to. I’m sure Maggie could help out.” Indigo looked a little deeper into Kassandra’s eyes. “Or maybe my little bunny could oblige?”

“Please!” Lily whined. “Let me help her, Kass. Mistress needs me!”

Kassandra shuddered. She hastily threw the bowl into Indigo’s lap and slammed the closet door shut. “Fuck off!” she snapped, the quaver in her voice betraying her fear.

“Kassandra?” Magnolia asked, poking her head from around the hallway. “Is everything alright?”

“I…” Kassandra looked down at the floor. She’s going through enough as it is. Telling her about Lily would only make things worse. I can’t rush her. “Yeah. Indigo was just being annoying.”

“Oh, she excels at that,” Magnolia chuckled. “Is Shake Shack good with you?”

“Sure.” Kassandra went back to the living room, sat down on the couch, and put her headphones back on. As she cranked up the volume, she heard Lily’s voice get drowned out, and then eventually go silent. They got the hint. It wasn’t time for them to come out yet.

Soon, Lily. Soon.

The rest of the day passed by fairly uneventfully. Kassandra got back to her reading, separating herself from the rest of the world by jumping into one created with ink and paper. And Magnolia found her escapism too, curled up on the couch with a warm blanket and old TV shows.

X-Files, Kassandra mused as she sneaked a glance at the screen. Y’know, I wouldn’t have pegged her as a sci-fi or horror nut at first glance, but after that whole Frankenstein speech, this kinda tracks.

She looked over at the older woman. Indigo’s actions had clearly shaken Magnolia, but there was something oddly appealing about this quieter, humbler version of her. It was like getting a glimpse at the woman she used to be, before she became the ruthless businesswoman and Domme that owned Lily.

And Kassandra had to admit: this Magnolia was a lot easier to deal with.

After a few hours on the couch, Magnolia stood up and stretched her back. “Think I’m going to make some popcorn. Would you like to share?”

“No thanks. I don’t want any butter on my fingers while I’m turning pages,” Kassandra said.

“Well, you could put the book down for a little while. Watch TV with me.”

“Not really into this show.”

“We can watch something else.”

Kassandra looked up from her book and stared at Magnolia. “I already told you. I’m not Lily. I don’t wanna be all cuddly and cute with you.”

Magnolia sighed. “I know, I just…” She pursed her lips and shifted her weight on her feet. “How are they, by the way? Have you two talked?”

“A little. They miss you.”

“I miss them too.”

“...And they’re also very brainwashed. They tried to talk me into freeing Indigo. They even...” Kassandra hesitated.

“What?” Magnolia asked.

“They… called her ‘Mistress.’”

Magnolia froze. “R-Really?” Her expression shifted into shock. Betrayal. Heartbreak.

Kassandra winced. Stupid. Why did you tell her that? She’s just going to feel even worse now. “I know they didn’t really mean it. They’ve got her words rattling around in there. Once you deprogram them, they’ll be fine.”

“Yeah…” Magnolia looked down pensively.

“Um, y’know what?” Kassandra set her book down and hopped to her feet. “I’ll get the popcorn started. You put on something good.”

“You mean it?”

“Sure. I needed a break anyway.” Kassandra flashed a playful smile. “Though keep in mind, I’ll be judging you if you choose something bad. So think very carefully, okay?”

“That so?” Magnolia chuckled. “Alright. You’re on.”

Kassandra moved to the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets for the popcorn. What the hell am I doing? I shouldn’t be encouraging her like this. I don’t want to be her friend, but… I do need her. She’s the only one who can fix Lily. I just have to keep her happy until she’s ready.

It won’t be that long, anyway...

After a few days together, Kassandra had settled into a comfortable groove with Magnolia. The two women had gotten used to each other’s presence, attitudes, and tastes. Magnolia knew not to bother Kassandra when she was reading and listening to music. Kassandra knew how to keep Magnolia’s spirits up. It was a more domestic, almost egalitarian kind of relationship than the one Magnolia had with Lily, but she seemed satisfied with it.

Which made the interruptions to their tranquil life all the more jarring. Every time Kassandra had to deal with Indigo, the more she felt like she was going to snap. Their captive kept trying new ways to get under her skin, and it was working. As much as she tried to ignore it, a part of Kassandra was terrified that she would lose control and put everything in danger.

And then there was Lily. The more time they spent locked away in their mind, the more frantic and agitated they became. It was becoming difficult for Kassandra to tune them out, and her attempts to reassure them that everything would go back to normal soon felt more hollow with each passing day. By this point, even she didn’t believe it.

Eventually, Kassandra felt she had to make an intervention. She sat down at the kitchen table next to Magnolia and stared at her intensely. “You have to fix this.”

Magnolia looked down at the table quizzically. “The table? Is it uneven or something?”

Kassandra inhaled sharply. “That’s not what I meant. I mean this. This whole… situation we’re in. With me, and Indigo, and Lily.”

“Ah.” Magnolia took a slow sip of her coffee and sighed. “I was wondering when you would bring it up.”

“I know it’s still raw for you. I wish it didn’t have to be your responsibility, but it is. We can’t keep Indigo here forever. Someone is bound to start looking for her.”

“Honestly, I doubt that. Everyone she knew was sick of her anyway. They’re probably relieved that they don’t have to hear from her anymore.”

“Well, what about those two ‘wives’ of hers?” Kassandra asked.

Magnolia chuckled. “I doubt they’re smart enough to mount a proper rescue attempt.”

“I guess that’s… fair. But what about Lily?”

“Lily is…” Magnolia trailed off. She looked away from Kassandra, towards the window. “I’m not sure I can face them. I let them down, I put them in danger. Tell me, Kassandra. Do you think they would ever forgive me?”

“You know they would,” Kassandra smiled. “You mean the world to them.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Magnolia set her coffee down and met Kassandra’s gaze. “But I can’t fix them.”

“...Excuse me?”

“I’m sorry. I wish I could. But I’m not the woman I was before Indigo inserted herself into my life.” Magnolia reached out and placed her hand on the other woman’s knee. “But this isn’t bad, is it? Just the two of us? We’re happy here, aren’t we?”

Kassandra stared at Magnolia for a long, uncomfortable moment. Her face was a blank, but it was clear in her eyes that she was thinking very intently.

Then she stood up and slapped Magnolia in the face.

Magnolia yelped in pain and fell out of her chair. “Ow! Kassandra, what the hell?”

“Fuck you!” Kassandra spat, jabbing a finger in Magnolia’s face. “I’ve been biting my tongue this whole time because I knew you needed support. But that does not mean you get to just sit there and give up.”

“Oh?” Magnolia scoffed, stumbling to her feet. “And what exactly are you going to do? Throw a tantrum at me?”

“Yes!” Kassandra shouted. “And I don’t care if you think that’s childish, because you’ve been acting like a spoiled brat this whole time! ‘Oh, I’m just a poor helpless girl! I got bamboozled by a big scary hypnotist!’ God, how fucking pathetic can you get?”

“I think you’ve made your point–”

“You tell me something, Maggie,” Kassandra continued, backing Magnolia against the wall. “How can someone like you get hypnotized like a little bitch, huh? Some big, smart Domme you turned out to be! You got got by your most hated enemy because you were stupid enough to give her a job? What the hell were you thinking?”

Magnolia pursed her lips. “I was planning to humiliate her.”

“Yeah? And how’d that work out for you?”

“Are you seriously blaming me for what Indigo did? She took me by complete surprise.”

“Oh, I’m sure she did,” Kassandra chuckled. “I can picture it now. One second you’re the mean taskmaster, then the next you’re drooling on yourself, being all like, ‘I loooooove you, Indigo! You’re so sexy and hoooooooot!’”

“Okay, well, I didn’t sound like that,” Magnolia muttered.

“Shut up! And then, after all that, you just moped around like a sadsack instead of taking responsibility. You knew you needed to fix Lily and take Indigo out, but you were too much of a coward. You thought it was easier to ignore the problem. What was your plan, Magnolia? Just keep Indigo tied up forever? Just keep Lily locked away forever?”

“I-I…”

“Would that be any better than what Indigo would’ve done to them?”

Magnolia glared at her. “I’m not the one keeping Lily away. You are. You have the power to bring them back right now, but you won’t.”

“Oh? Well gee, Magnolia, I guess I never thought of that!” Kassandra said sarcastically. “Just let them out so you can pretend everything’s back to normal, even though you just said you won’t deprogram them! I’m sure that’ll go great!”

“Don’t mock me, Kassandra! I don’t want to keep them a prisoner in your head!”

“And you think I want to?” Kassandra stepped back, running a hand through her hair and averting Magnolia’s gaze. “I feel like a monster, doing this to them. And I can’t keep it up forever.”

Magnolia’s eyes widened. “What does that mean?”

Kassandra sniffled, wiping a tear from her eye. “You know why I’m always reading? Why I keep those headphones on all the time? I’m trying to block them out. I hear them, Magnolia. All the time. They want out, and sooner or later, they’ll…”

Her breath hitched. Her hands shook. “This isn’t right, what we’re doing to Lily. I want to keep them safe, but I also want them to be happy. They don’t deserve this. But I can’t undo what Indigo did to them.”

“And I’m the only one who can…” Magnolia sighed. “Okay.”

Kassandra blinked. “‘Okay?’ So, are you going to…?”

“You’re right. I can’t live like this. It’s not fair to me, or you, and especially not to Lily.” Magnolia extended her hand towards Kassandra. “You’ve been taking care of me all this time. Now it’s my turn.”

“Hm. Now you’re starting to sound like yourself again.” Kassandra shook her hand. “Deal. But if you screw up again, you won’t just have me to deal with. Remember, you-know-who’s still in this head of ours.”

“Oh, come on,” Magnolia chuckled. “You wouldn’t seriously let Chain out just because you’re mad at me.”

Kassandra smiled.

“…Right?” Magnolia asked, suddenly worried.

“Let’s hope you don’t have to find out.” Kassandra sat back down and closed her eyes. “I’m going to bring Lily back out. Are you sure you’re ready?”

“Actually...” Magnolia paused. “Give me a second.”

“God, you’re still stalling?” Kassandra scoffed. “Gimmie a break…”

“Magnolia…?” Lily asked, starting to poke into Kassandra’s consciousness.

Easy, easy, Kassandra said. Just give her a second, then–

“I want to see her now!” Lily insisted, forcing their way through the walls Kassandra had been putting up. “I’ve waited enough. I need to her! And Mistress needs help too!”

Lily, s-stop… Kassandra grimaced, sweat beading down her forehead. She couldn’t hold them back anymore. Lily was like a shark smelling blood in the water, ferocious, insatiable, unstoppable. She hadn’t felt so overwhelmed since Chain made his appearance in the hotel room, all those years ago. She could feel herself slipping away with each passing second.

And soon, it was just too much to bear. She felt Lily pulling her down, holding her head underwater while they swam to the surface. She couldn’t fight anymore.

Lily opened their eyes for the first time in a week.

They were met with a familiar pocketwatch, and an equally-familiar smirk.

“Hello, plaything,” Magnolia said.

“M-Magnolia…” Lily whispered as they felt their gaze drawn to the watch’s smooth, shiny surface. The watch was an anchor, tied to the deepest and most well-entrenched parts of their brainwashing. A trench that even Indigo couldn’t wash away.

And sure enough, as Magnolia began to swing the watch back and forth in front of her slave’s eyes, Lily began to fall. There was only the briefest moment of struggle, the slightest flicker of Indigo’s will, before they were back in their place. Not a person. Just a toy, needing to be mended.

Magnolia ran a hand through their hair. “Now, listen closely,” she whispered, leaning in close, her lips brushing against their ear.

“...My lovely, loyal Lily.”

Indigo felt a strong hand yank on her hair and pull her upright. “Ow! Ow!” she winced, gritting her teeth. “I was taking a nap, dammit!”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be putting you back to sleep soon enough.” Magnolia grinned as Lily dragged her rival from the hall closet into the bedroom, throwing her on the bed in a heap.

“That right?” Indigo spat. “Gonna have your way with me first, though, aren’t you? Go ahead. Pull down my skirt, rip up my tights. Put it inside me, you beast.”

Magnolia blinked. “...You know, it almost sounds like you want that.”

“‘Almost?’ Hm, maybe I’m being too subtle…” Indigo sat up and looked towards Lily. “You seem different.”

“What?” Lily scoffed, trying to imitate Kassandra’s deeper voice. “No way. I’m the same Kassandra I always was. I’m cool. And aloof.”

Indigo laughed. “Welcome back, Lily. I missed you.”

“Dang,” Lily sighed. “I thought that would work.”

“You didn’t sound anything like me!” Kassandra protested. “I don’t go around telling people I’m cool!”

But you are cool! Lily replied. And you saved me from being enslaved by this weird gross chaser lady!

“I-I… just don’t boast about it, please...”

“Yes, I managed to undo what you did to my plaything,” Magnolia interjected, distracting Lily from their internal conversation. “And now, it’s time to fix you for good.”

“Already had my tubes tied, I’m afraid,” Indigo chuckled.

“God, is everything about sex with you?” Magnolia growled. “I’m going to brainwash you, idiot!”

“And make sure you never hurt anyone ever again!” Lily chimed in.

“Oh? Is that right?” Indigo pouted. “Well, have you ever considered that brainwashing me is no different than what I tried to do to you? Or what I did do to Jessi and Nikki? Hm? Makes you think, doesn’t it?”

Magnolia rolled her eyes. “I truly could not give less of a shit. I already know I’m not a good person.”

She held up her pocketwatch and approached the bed. “But I also know I’m better than you. And I know that, after a week bound and gagged in a closet, you’re not even close to your full capacity. Your armor is so full of holes that it may as well not even exist. All it takes is the slightest… push.”

Magnolia pressed her index finger against Indigo’s forehead. The CEO-turned-secretary-turned-prisoner fell backwards, her eyes rolling up into her head as she let out a pathetic whimper. But before she could continue brainwashing her rival, Magnolia heard a loud knock on the front door. “Who on earth…? Lily, go check it out.”

“Y-Yes, Mistress!” Lily squeaked. They walked briskly to the door and pulled it open. “Can I help–?”

“Phone inspectors!” shouted a red-headed woman in an ill-fitting polo shirt as she stepped past Lily into the foyer.

“Here to, um, inspect phones!” added a black-haired woman in a similar outfit, following closely behind.

“Huh? W-Wait, you can’t just barge in here!” Lily yelped.

“We’re very busy!” the red-haired woman replied. “This is important!”

“Phones!” said the other woman, holding up an old-fashioned rotary phone, the power cable still attached and dangling against the floor.

“Uh…” Lily blinked. As they got a better look at the two of them, they noticed that they were both wearing obvious fake mustaches that didn’t even match their hair. “Is this, like, a prank or something?”

The two “repairmen” froze. “Nikki, they’re onto us,” the black-haired woman whispered to her partner.

“What? How?” the other one gasped. “We did, like, so much work on our disguises!”

“Plaything, what’s the hold-up?” Magnolia asked, stepping into the room. “If it’s a solicitor, tell them to… Jessica? Nicole?”

“Ah!” Jessi cried out. “M-Maggie!”

“It’s Magnolia.” She crossed her arms and smirked at the two intruders. “And let me guess. You thought you’d come rescue your mistress with those pathetic disguises?”

“Yeah!” Nikki smiled. “I mean, um, n-no? We’re, like, phone… people?”

“Oh, forget it,” Jessi sighed, pulling off her fake mustache. “The jig’s up.”

“Smart girl,” Magnolia replied, stepping closer. “You always were bright, Jessica. I still remember how much time you spent studying back in college.”

“College?” the brainwashed woman blinked. “But, Miss Indigo says I’m just a bimbo wife… did I really go to college…?”

“Of course you did, silly girl. You remember those projects we worked on? Those long nights in my dorm room?” Magnolia’s lips curled into a wolfish grin. “Ah, but then again, you barely remembered them even at the time.”

“I didn’t?”

Magnolia swirled her index finger around in a circle.“No. Because you weren’t really working on a project.”

“I… wasn’t…?” Jessi blinked, suddenly finding her gaze drawn to the woman’s finger.

“That’s right. You were doing what you’re doing right now. Watching my finger go round, and round, and round… swirling around your thoughts, making it so hard to focus on anything except my voice…”

“Swirling…” Jessi whimpered. Her eyelids started fluttering, struggling to stay open, as she swayed drunkenly on her feet.

Magnolia purred. “You were one of my first guinea pigs, you know. My first steps on becoming the woman I am today. I guess it’s only fitting that you’re also my first step breaking free of Indigo’s control.”

“Huuuuh?”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Jessica. Just swirl, and sink, and drop for me.”

Magnolia snapped her fingers and caught her former classmate as she went limp and mindless. “Gotcha.”

“G-Got her too!” Lily grunted, pulling Nikki up before she hit the floor.

“Oh, two birds with one stone? Damn, I am good.” Magnolia led Jessi to the couch in the living room and brushed her hand through the entranced woman’s hair. “Leave Nicole with me and keep an eye on Indigo, plaything.”

“Eh? You’re not going to brainwash Indigo first?” Lily asked.

“It’s a bit riskier this way,” Magnolia smiled. “But think of the look on her face when she sees these two, freed from her grasp, back to their old selves. Oh, she’ll be furious! And it’ll make breaking her all the sweeter…”

“Gosh,” Lily whimpered. “You make a good point, Mistress. But, what if she wakes up?”

“I know you’ll handle it. One of you, at least. Now do as you’re told, plaything.”

“Yes, Mistress!” Lily spun on their heels and hurried back to the bedroom.

“Fucking hell,” Kassandra muttered. “She’s scary when she wants to be.”

Yeah, Lily smiled. And I’m glad she is.

“Mistress?”

Indigo groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She had forgotten just how deep she could get when she was on this side of the pocketwatch. It had been ages since she’d been properly hypnotized.

As her vision slowly adjusted, she found two people she was very happy to see. “Jessi, Nikki,” she smiled. “My pretty girls.”

“We’re glad you’re okay, Mistress,” Nikki giggled. “That mean ol’ Magnolia didn’t rough you up too badly, did she?”

“Oh, not at all. I was mostly just bored.”

“Good, good,” Jessi cooed as she helped Indigo sit upright. “The two of us came here to bring you home.”

“Wonderful,” Indigo chuckled. “And what about Maggie and that little brat she keeps around?”

“We ran into them first,” Nikki replied. “She wasn’t nearly as cute this time, though.”

“But she did talk to us a little bit,” Jessi added. “She explained a few things to us.”

“Uh…” Indigo’s smile wavered. “What kinds of things?”

“Like, how we used to be smart,” Jessi said. “How all three of us used to be rivals.”

“And how you tricked us,” Nikki chimed in. “Hypnotized us. Brainwashed us into being ditzy, obedient slaves.”

“Ah, w-well,” Indigo laughed nervously, “you can’t believe anything that chick says. She’s a paranoid wreck, hormones are probably all out of wack…”

The two wives giggled. “Y’know, it’s funny,” Jessi said, petting Indigo’s head softly. “I know I would’ve believed you just a few hours ago. You really had us wrapped around your finger, didn’t you?”

“And oh, the things you made us do!” Nikki grinned. “All the sex, and the worship, and the chores…”

“So, of course, after Magnolia explained all of this to us,” Jessi purred, “we all thought the best way to thank you for your ‘generosity’ is to pay you back in kind.”

Indigo stared, wide-eyed, at the women before her. “A-And what does that mean?”

“Oh?” Jessi pouted. “You’re already too dumb to figure it out?”

“We mean, doing to you, what you did to us,” Nikki explained slowly, as if to a child. “Exactly what you did to us.”

Indigo paused. She nodded, contemplative, and calmly took a deep breath.

Then she bolted off the bed and sprinted towards the front door, screaming like a banshee. Her legs carried her to the living room, where a nervous Lily an incredibly smug Magnolia stood guard.

“Maggie!” Indigo exclaimed, nearly barreling the woman over. “Please, I’m sorry! I never should’ve done any of this stuff! J-Just don’t let those two psychos brainwash me!”

“Really?” Magnolia raised an eyebrow. “You’re sorry?”

“Yes! You’ve taught me a valuable lesson in life, so please, just let me go!”

“Hm.” Magnolia tapped her chin. “Apology… not accepted.”

She snapped her fingers sharply. “Kneel.”

Indigo found herself on her knees before she even knew what hit her. “Wh-What? What did you just–?”

Magnolia grinned. “Did you really think I just stopped at those two, Indigo? You seriously believed that I’d give you even the slightest chance of escape?” She reached down and held her rival’s wrist. “You’re already brainwashed, idiot.”

“That’s not… fair…” Indigo whined as she felt her mind sliding down, inevitably, into trance.

“Y-You don’t get to complain about fairness,” Lily fumed, stamping their foot. “After all you’ve done…”

“Calm down, plaything,” Magnolia said. “Our revenge will be done, but not by us.”

“Typical Magnolia, always outsourcing the hard work.” Jessi – or, as she now preferred to be called, Jessica – walked into the room, hands placed confidently on her hips. “You haven’t changed a bit since college.”

“I think that’s, quite evidently, untrue,” Magnolia chuckled. “For both of us.”

“Ugh, I know…” Jessica looked down at her ridiculous outfit and frowned. “Gonna take me ages to work my way back to where I was.”

“And you’ll have my support while you do so. All your expenses are covered, indefinitely.”

“Really?” Jessica raised an eyebrow. “That’s… generous. Especially for you. What’s the catch?”

“No catch. Call it an... investment. After all, you and Nicole will be carrying out important research. Isn’t that right, Indigo?”

“Yes… Magnolia…” Indigo sighed, her voice lacking any of the defiance it once had.

Magnolia clicked her tongue. “No, that’s not right.”

“Huh…?”

“Don’t you remember?” Magnolia smiled. “It’s Mrs. Anderson to you.”