Lily came to, and took a mental inventory. Nothing seemed to have changed. They loved Mistress Magnolia, despised Crimson, and could sense Kassandra's fatigue. If anything had been done, it must not be permanent... they hoped. Although Jenn seemed to be in the same position, so... it might only be a few minutes since they'd dropped. They hoped so. They were still in the same dank, dark, steel-and-concrete room, with Crimson towering over them and Jenn looking like a child's doll gone horribly wrong. Lily felt the cool close in around them, brushing over their still-naked body. Panic sunk back in. They didn't feel relaxed or well-rested, like when Magnolia woke them up. There was no safety, no care, no warmth here. Just pure dread.

They mouthed a silent prayer, begging for someone, anyone to save them... begging for Magnolia to save them.

A cold sweat broke out on their forehead as Jenn began to emotionlessly feel Lily's sides up from behind, and Crimson groped their chest, playing with their tits with glee. She cooed as she toyed with them, slapping them whenever they flinched or shifted backwards. 

"Let's have some fun," Crimson grinned. "I want you to go all the way back. As far as you can remember to your past."

That wasn't very far, and Lily tried to stop themself from going so far back... but that must have been what she did when they were under. They couldn't help but reach out, back to that unremarkable dinner with their mom as a teenager that, for some reason, was the first thing they remembered.

"That's right," Crimson cooed, watching their eyes unfocus as their attention drew inward. "You see ropes around your past, like you told me, don't you? I want you to imagine scissors in your hands, and cut them."

They didn't remember telling her that, but it was true, and the ropes fell apart as though they were made of paper. Distantly, they also felt Jenn start to play with them from behind, teasing their breasts and their nipples with her fingers. Slowly, despite the distraction, things started coming back to them, earlier and earlier. Those memories... were there already? But why? They were gone... 

When they had rewound to their preteens, everything stopped. Cutting the ropes only did so much... These were tied up deeper, in something awful, something dark and nightmarish and constricting. Their body tensed up, their unfocused eyes widening in horror and beginning to fill with tears.

"Stay focused," Crimson encouraged. "Cut those ropes... keep going back... you're doing so well... being so, so good for me."

They couldn't obey, even though that would be pleasure. The ropes were gone, cut away, but still they couldn't go back. They moaned in distress, and then, wrath and fire surged inside of them. 

Kassandra had awoken.

Her eyes instantly focused, staring at Crimson, then the hands on her chest, in horror. This was why she didn't trust hypnotists. Well... hypnotists except Delta's Mistress. Maybe. She at least had made a reasonable case. But this... this was a perversion.

She hadn't been able to help. And now... she'd been pulled out. And...

She didn't even have to say anything. Crimson noticed the switch, the change in demeanor.

"Kassandra, dear, we're in the middle of something," Crimson clicked her tongue. "Imaginary friends are a little childish for such serious discussions. But since you are out, why don't I take the chance to put you under too?"

"Please, don't," she pleaded, although she could barely muster any effort to reply. "You... don't know what you're doing, at all..."

"Oh, yes I do, Kassandra," she chuckled, running a hand across Kassandra's forehead. The touch was a motherly one, and instinctively, she calmed down, her tiredness compounding. This wasn't just a reaction, though - Delta was doing something to her. Not of their own will, she was sure, but... she felt herself fading. And the minute she completely faded...

He was going to come out.

That was it. What she'd been fighting against. And they didn't have the strength to continue. In desperation, she threw Delta - Lily, they sleepily insisted - fine, she threw Lily to the front, sudden and violent. Their body jerked, and Jenn stepped away, smile cracking. Jenn may not truly have been their friend, but they'd known Lily for long enough to read them a little. And they read like a coiled spring, about to snap. 

Crimson raised an eyebrow as the scowl on Lily's face twisted into a scary grin.

"Hey, lady," Lily's body said, his voice dropping even lower than Kassandra's. "Hypnotism, huh? What a fucking joke."

Before Crimson could open her mouth to respond, he flexed, ripping open the ropes around him, as if his strength had increased tenfold. Still holding that manic grin, he stood up. He was much taller than poor little Lily's body allowed, but an idiot like his would-be captor didn't need more than sheer presence to intimidate. She tensed, and he knew she was going to try to take drastic action to calm him down. Cute.

"My lovely, loyal Lil-"

"That shit ain't gonna work on me, Missy Maroon," he cackled. He picked up the chair, and before Crimson could respond, they slammed it into her face. Crimson stumbled back a little, landing on the ground, surprise turning to fury.

"Jenny, be a dear and tie this crazy bitch back down!" she screamed. Jenn hesitated for just a moment - So weak. Was the poor little traitor getting sentimental? - then nodded, trying to grab Lily's sides... the sides they kept so wonderfully in shape for him. He grinned maniacally as he grabbed Jenn's arms from behind them, lifting them off their feet, over his head, and throwing them against the floor. As he heard the loud thump and an even louder yelp, his grin widened just a bit. The traitor had it coming, after all.

He wasn't scared. Of an unprepared bitch who was sad she wasn't rich enough? Boo fucking hoo. Fear was long forgotten, pushed aside to the back of his mind with Lily and the rest of his weakness. He was enjoying this.

Picking up the chair again, he approached the fallen Crimson with a sadistic grin.

"S-stop it," Crimson whimpered. "I'll let you go, just, just leave me-"

"Let you go?" he grinned wider. "But we're having so much fun! Come on, Maroon, where's your sense of humor? Don't you want to get rid of me too? Because I don't want to get rid of you. You're far too good of a punching bag."

Before he was able to bring the chair down onto Crimson again, someone grabbed him in a desperate hug, pulling him back. He growled, trying to elbow back, but Jenn held on tight. He snarled in their stupidly smiling face, fighting as hard as he could to free himself as Crimson stood up, any enjoyment of the torment long replaced with fury.

"Well, you're going to have to be punished for that," she seethed, pulling her phone with the spiral back up. "But first, let's get rid of those troublesome personalities of yours, shall we? Once and for-"

He laughed. Get rid of him? This overconfident idiot knew barely more than how to flash a spiral at a trained puppy, and she thought she could remove him?

His laughter was cut off as a metal pole slammed against the side of her head from behind. She fell down, her gaze unfocused, clearly unconscious. He had to give props to the assailant... that was quite the clean hit. Jenn dropped Lily's body in shock and scrambled backwards, and he rolled his eyes as Magnolia's figure came into focus, standing tall behind Crimson with a gaze that looked about half as intimidating as his. He liked a woman with fight like that.

"Think again before you damage my property, bitch," she growled.

He flashed her a wild grin, then turned, picking up the chair and bashing Jenn in the head with it. He dropped it as he moved over to Crimson, sitting down so she couldn't move if she did regain consciousness, and, ignoring Jenn's cries of horror, they started to hit her face with nice, solid punches. Magnolia dropped the bar, gasping in horror as she watched Lily's body beat Crimson up. So she was squeamish. Well, he couldn't blame her for that. It took a particularly gifted mind to love the fight like he did.

"Lily," Magnolia said in a semblance of calm.

"Not here right now. Should I take a message?" he smirked, and Magnolia recoiled. The voice wasn't Kassandra's, and it definitely was not Lily's. And even if it had been the same register as Kassandra's, there was no righteousness to its fury. Where she had sounded concerned, this sounded... bored, like they were playing with their food. He sighed, shaking his head and raising his hands, as if to say what can you do?

"Really had me going there, lady. I thought you were worth something for a moment there! But all you want is your precious little wilted flower back. Sentimentality does not suit people like you, Maggie," he snorted.

"... People like me?" she faltered.

"Ruthless cutthroat bitches, yeah." Magnolia bristled at his words, and he cackled. "Oh, do you take issue with that? Because I have some shocking news for you, girl." He rolled his eyes, shaking the dirt and makeup off his hands as he did.

He advanced on Magnolia, and she took an instinctive step back. He just kept walking, fists clenched, the same bloodthirsty grin on his face. He hated being so much shorter than her. Couldn't a guy loom a little? It didn’t particularly matter though. She looked plenty terrified without it, and that felt great.

"What... what in the world... happened to you?" Magnolia panted, trying to regain control of herself.

He just laughed, and kept advancing. Surprisingly, though, Magnolia didn’t step back or recoil. So maybe she did have some fight! He prepared to attack, readying a strike, and-

"You're... you're Chain, aren't you." 

Chain stopped. How did she-

"Lily."

He stopped, confused, as she calmly placed her hands on his arms. Where had this confidence come from? He was ready to shake her off, but there was a look in her eye, a silent plea. Normally, Chain would have wiped it off her face. But...

"Calm down. It’s me. It’s over."

Chain deflated, tension and adrenaline fading from his muscles. It was… over...

Lily broke the surface, feeling... whatever that was fading back, curling into a hateful ball that they knew always was there, but had never realized was there before. They couldn't remember anything that happened before they'd come back out. It was a blank, although that blank carried an impression of fury, of laughter, of disdain. Usually, when Kassandra was out, they had a vague idea of what happened. Here, besides that anger... there was nothing.

Lily looked around the room, and ducked from Magnolia's grip, grabbing their clothes and throwing them back on with a blush. Crimson was still unconscious, and Jenn was beginning to stand up. The smile was gone, but it was replaced with something that was somehow worse, and they stared at Lily with open fear.

"Mistress," Lily breathed, tearing up. When they saw her, and the pipe at her side, a fragment of what happened came back. They collapsed into her arms, sobbing. "Oh my god... I scared you so much. I'm... so, so sorry. I have n-no idea what..." They trailed off, shaking and crying too hard to continue.

"It’s okay," she reassured, her expression soft. "You’re okay." She let Lily sob like that for a few seconds, until the shaking started to subside. "Let's go." 

Lily paused. "Not... not yet." Magnolia stepped back, a question in her eyes.

"Jenn, we have to get out of here," Lily said, somehow sounding calm despite their trembling.

Jenn blinked. "Why? But... if I... and you..."

"Please, Jenn," Lily pleaded, pushing their hands together. "You... you don't have to live like this. You can leave. She wasn't treating you well, right?"

"You're not one to talk," Jenn muttered, avoiding Lily's eyes. "You're owned, just by someone else. Just... just get out. I don't need help from a monster like you."

Lily paused, pain at the words. They turned to look at the fallen Crimson’s body. It did not look good in the slightest -- and knowing that their body did that… it made them shiver. Slowly, though, the fragments of memories they brought up morphed, slowly turned to resolve.

"No."

Jenn cringed. "W-what?"

"That's not how it is with me. She's good to me," they continued. "So... please, let us help you. You don't have to be here."

Jenn seemed to consider it, loosening their stance slightly. 

"But how can I trust you... with... whatever that was?" they said, still shaky.

"I don't know," Lily answered honestly. "But... we promised to draw together tomorrow, didn't we?"

They were friends, weren't they?

"... Okay," Jenn finally said. "I'll... trust you. As long as… that doesn’t happen ever again. Let's get out of here. I-I know where to go."

Leaving the insensate Crimson on the floor, the trio silently made their escape. There were no more words, because there was nothing they could say. Jenn already understood, as hard as they found it to believe. Even after... whatever had overcome them... Jenn understood that Lily was on their side.

~~

As much as she played at being cruel for Lily, and as cruel as she could be to others, Magnolia thought she had her moments of kindness. Although she rationalized giving Jenn $30,000 to get their life back in order as 'necessity' rather than generosity. And even despite that, Jenn was moved to tears, thanking her over and over and over again.

They thanked Lily too, although they still hesitated around them after what they'd seen them do. After all, without Lily's encouragement, Jenn would have probably stayed, to let Crimson take out her anger on them. Magnolia had sent bodyguards to keep the would-be kidnapper captive, so Jenn just got to... relax, safe at Lily's apartment.

"You're... a- a good friend," they said haltingly. 

Despite the pain of hearing their friend's voice quaking with fear - fear of them - Lily couldn't help but smile. "I try."

"Jenn," Magnolia interrupted the moment, crossing her arms. "I have a spare apartment I can let you use, until you get your head back on straight."

Jenn nodded. "I... thank you so much, for your kindness."

"Oh no," her scowl turned into a grin. "I expect you to return the favor in full. I won't have any of Lily's... friends... being freeloaders."

Lily stared at her in horror. "Hasn't Jenn had enough? They were a victim, Mistress. And they've already repaid me, with the drawing lessons..."

Magnolia gave Jenn a poignant look. "Do you think that's enough, Jenn? Because if not, payment can be... arranged."

Jenn blinked, flushed, then shook their head. "I... don't think it's enough," they squeaked.

"Not tonight," Magnolia responded. "I have other matters to attend to. It's also quite late. I'll call my chauffeur to take you to your new place. He'll be here shortly."

Jenn didn't respond, their color going back to normal. Lily looked back and forth between the two, not enjoying the awkward tension of... whatever Magnolia could possibly want from Jenn.

"Wait outside," she ordered. "I'll be in contact later."

Jenn nodded, gave Lily a shaky hug, then headed outside to leave them in the apartment alone. Peace and quiet sounds nice, Lily thought, letting out a heavy sigh. It was around eleven at night. Definitely a lot faster than they thought being kidnapped would be.

Something about their scattered, patchwork memories of the night stood out, though. That hole, where it didn't feel like it was them or Kassandra... but they couldn't remember it. And that worried them. Before returning their attention to Magnolia, they did a mental sweep of themselves. Still nothing, although Kassandra's exhaustion felt less... overwhelming, now.

So much for thinking they understood anything about their own damn disorder.

Lily sighed as they looked up at their Mistress. They were too tired to process the naked emotion on her face, disappointment with a tinge of fury.

"Thank you for saving me," they said softly. "I... I can't imagine what would have happened, if..."

They were cut off by a harsh slap to their face. They yelped out in pained shock. It was worse, more brutal, than usual, briefly reminding them uncomfortably of the sadistic glee Crimson took in their pain. Then, their tired mind registered how she was looking at them, with anger that had only darkened in the few seconds since they started talking.

"I... what?" Lily stammered, reeling.

"Plaything," she hissed through bared teeth. "You. Only. Obey. Me. Which means you only drop for me. You only get hypnotized by me. And you only do anything with my permission."

Lily flinched. They were clearly in trouble... But surely it wasn't their fault they were kidnapped, right? But... she was blaming Jenn, too... "I- I understand, Mistress," they whispered, and the answer came as a slap in the opposite direction.

"That's not good enough," Magnolia growled. "Why did you drop for those two? And in the middle of a date, too! I created that phrase specifically for you, to remind you that you're mine, and I'm the only one allowed to use it. So why did you let anyone else even dare to influence you?"

Lily shook, their teeth chattering. This was a side to Magnolia they'd never known. Her cruelty was subtle, normally, something they could bend to the flow of. This... 

A half-remembered phrase drifted to them from somewhere dark. Sentimentality does not suit people like you, Maggie.

"I... I don't know," Lily shook their head.

"Stupid bitch." Magnolia slapped them again, leaving a stinging red mark on their cheeks. "And after I was so nice to you. After I gave you a lovely new name, one free of a life where you had to do anything but be mine... and I even gave you my name! After these dates I took you on, and the gifts I got you..." She grabbed Lily's neck, choking them a little bit, giving them a quick squeeze to let them know she could do more. "I'm going to have to set you straight."

Lily wasn't given a chance to respond as Magnolia dragged them into the bedroom. Magnolia turned them around to face her, putting her other hand on their neck, just barely short of cutting off their air entirely.

"Strip," she ordered, and Lily immediately complied.

"I'm going to punish you tonight," she said, and Lily blanched. They tried to protest, despite the lack of air in their throat, but Magnolia just choked harder to silence them completely.

"Are you talking back to me, plaything?" she spat. Lily shook their head. "Good." Then, she seemed to realize what she was doing, and released them, letting them greedily gasp for air. "On the bed, head on the pillow," she ordered, and Lily automatically followed her command.

"Now, I'm going to ask you if you're sorry, and if you're going to do it again. You're going to respond with 'yes, Mistress,' and then 'no, Mistress'. Unless you're stupid enough to disobey," she scoffed, beginning to slide her fingers up and down Lily's back, occasionally scraping their skin lightly with her fingernails. "Do you understand?"

"Y-yes, Mistress," Lily gulped, their voice shaky and nervous. Magnolia dug her fingernails into Lily's back, slowly applying pressure.

"Are you sorry for disobeying me?" she asked.

"Y-yes, Mistress."

"And are you going to do it again?" As she spoke, she dug her nails in deeper. Lily breathed out heavily, although their breathing was jagged.

"N... no, Mistress," Lily responded through clenched teeth, trying to handle the pain, their Mistress' anger, and their own uncertainty all at once.

Magnolia just responded by slapping Lily's ass. And again. And again. She hit them harder each time, spurred on by Lily's cries of pain and pleasure. Lily started to tear up with each smack, but they didn't protest. They tried to keep count, but their thoughts were so hazy, it was difficult for them to keep focus past six or so.

"Aren't you going to thank me," she sneered, rubbing her hand over where she'd been slapping, "for punishing you so kindly?"

"Y-yes, Mistress," Lily squeaked, trying to weather the pain. "Thank you, Mistress."

As if they hadn't thanked her, they were met with another slap, their ass turning from red to black-to-blue. Lily sobbed through jagged, heavy, heady breaths, trying to stop their heart from pounding so loud.

"Are you sorry for disobeying me?"

"Y-yes, Mistress!"

Another slap, this one especially rough and painful.

"And are you going to do it again?"

Lily gritted teeth against the pain. "No, Mis-"

The moments it'd taken them to respond were too long for her, clearly, as Magnolia dug her nails into their exposed, stinging skin. They suppressed a scream, letting out a hiss of pain instead.

"Why did you hesitate, plaything? Are you going to disobey me again?"

"No! No, Mistress," Lily protested, panicking as they made sure not to wait, even to reel from the pain.

"I thought so." Magnolia ran her fingers down their back, teasing each wound she'd made with agonizingly painful pleasure. "If only you could look at all these beautiful marks I've left... you're so red, bruised, scratched up. Quite the gorgeous sight."

Lily just panted, taking the moment of reprieve to catch their breath at last. They turned their head to the side, trying to look at their Mistress, but she'd walked away. She returned moments later with her phone, and Lily realized what she was doing as she framed the shot. 

"I'm going to keep these photos. They'll make for some nice, nice memories," she sneered, taking picture after picture from different angles. "I'll keep them in my drawer at work, so I can look at them every time I need a morale boost. Does that sound good to you, idiot?"

"Y-yes, Mistress," Lily moaned, careful not to take too long of a pause to respond.

"Turn around."

Lily turned onto their back, letting out a gasp as they felt the pressure of the bed exacerbate their already painful scratches and bruises. Magnolia looked down at their contorted expression with a sadistic smile on her face.

"You're so beautiful when you're in pain," she cooed, running her fingers down Lily's cheek, and dipping them into their mouth. Lily instinctively sucked on them, which seemed to send a thrill through Magnolia. "I'm going to make your face even more beautiful."

Magnolia pulled up her black pencil skirt, then down her red, laced panties, to reveal she was already rock-hard from what she'd done already. Lily inhaled sharply, entranced by the sight of her as she began to stroke herself. She started with small motions, slowly going further up and down, going at her shaft as she leaked precum onto Lily's chest.

"Go ahead... and touch yourself... for me," she gasped with a smile in between. Lily reached down immediately, feeling their utterly soaked cunt and circling around their clit with two fingers.

"Let me ask you again," she growled. "Are you sorry for disobeying me?"

"Yes, Mistress," Lily cried out.

"And are you going to do it again, ever?"

"No, Mistress Magnolia! Never again!" they nearly screamed.

"Oh, Lily," she groaned. "You're so... so good for me, so loyal... just my stupid, ditzy flower." She jerked, spraying cum all over Lily's face and breasts in long, thick strands. Lily winced, closing their eyes so none of it would get in them, but some got into their mouth, and more in their hair. That was too much for them, and they went over the edge, body contracting wildly as they came. They just stared at each other, breathing heavily, for a moment. 

"I forgive you, plaything," Magnolia sighed with a warm smile. "You're so, so good for me."

Lily couldn't help but giggle, like the ditzy moron they were. They were safe again. Safe with her, right where they belonged. Magnolia idly grabbed her phone again and snapped a couple more pictures of Lily's ruined body and their dazed face, then ducked into their bathroom, returning with a wet towel for them to clean themself off.

"We'll shower tomorrow," their Mistress sighed. "You've... had a stressful day. To say the least."

Lily smiled weakly. As she said that, it felt like the fatigue had all caught up to them, their body having worked far past its capacity. And, knowing they were home, they drifted off into sleep.

~~

Kassandra woke up next to Magnolia in a cold sweat. She... was safe? D- Lily was safe? She checked the time: two in the morning. No wonder she still felt so worn out.

But Magnolia had saved them. She saved them. She saved Lily, and her, and... even him.

She was sound asleep, thankfully. Kassandra didn’t want to deal with her, not when she couldn't even think straight. At least she didn't have to fight anymore... although losing the battle wasn't how she wanted that to happen.

How much had Magnolia seen? How much more was she going to get out of them before she would be satisfied?

But... the fact remained that she saved them. Kassandra wasn't entirely sure why, but Magnolia had made her case before... and Kassandra, despite herself, was starting to believe it.

"Thank you, Magnolia," she whispered.