Lily had known they were non-binary for years upon years. Lately, though, that didn't feel like quite the right label.

For a while, they were certain that's what they were. Non-binary. In the middle of the spectrum. Didn't feel like a girl, at the very least. And didn’t feel like a guy… they thought. They were on the internet at least a decade or so ago, came across the label, and instantly nodded and said "yeah, that sounds about right for me." Then they went about their business like nothing else mattered. Fled their abusive home, sold themself to an auction to get a roof over their head, got bought by their Mistress Magnolia, who was trans herself and thus obviously had no reason to question their gender identity. All was well and good. From their perspective, at least.

“This is who I am,” they thought all that time. “There’s no other way that’d describe me. I think.”

And then a trans guy, Alyx, ended up joining their gaming group some three or four months ago -- the only other gender non-conforming person in the group. When they first laid eyes on Alyx, something in them clicked. Something… distant. But they couldn’t exactly lay a finger on it. They spent more and more time around him, oddly invested in him and his journey. Though, Lily knew better than to pry all the time. They were just… curious.

He joked to Lily when they mentioned they were not-a-girl either -- “what are you waiting for then, an invitation?” 

And Lily felt something twinge. A feeling. They were unsure of themself, for the first time in what felt like years. They went home and took a nap, trying to see if they could sleep the feeling off. That didn't work, of course. They just felt more and more... strange, over time.

Suddenly, they found themselves doing what they did years ago. Going to Google and finding whatever trans resources they could find. They didn’t think Magnolia checked their search history – of course, she had the authority to do so, but she never did. “Why am I doing this?” they thought. “It’s not like I’m ever going to do anything about this. Nothing would ever come out of it…”

Going about their life as a non-binary person was hard enough. They couldn’t imagine coming out as a trans guy would make that any easier. It would change too much, and not to mention, Magnolia was a lesbian. Who knew what she would do? Lily couldn't guess - she was too hard to read just, in general. And yet, they couldn't stop scrolling through dozens of sites with passing tips, different types of testosterone, or top-quality binders or plus-sized masculine clothing.

They were about to resign themself and close everything, before a familiar voice spoke up. "Plaything, come here," Magnolia called them over. Lily jumped to attention, obediently following the order. Seeing their Mistress' face, hearing her demanding voice, who they loved more than anything took their thoughts away for even a minute. Then again, it wasn't too hard to take their thoughts away.

"Can I do something for you, Mistress?" Lily asked with a dumb grin, like a well-trained puppy.

"Yes. Get started on dinner. I don't care what you make as long as you make it well. And don't even think about staining the pan, this time." Her voice was twinged with the kind of annoyance that got Lily right in order. Oh, she was pissed when they did that the other night... they didn't want to repeat that.

"Yes, Mistress..." their eyes shot to their open computer. They were about to excuse themself and go over to close the tabs.

Their Mistress unfortunately halted them in their tracks, grabbing them by the waist. "I'm sorry, is that computer more important than my orders?"

Lily paled a little. "N-no, Mistress," they bowed their head. "I'm sorry. I'll - I'll get started right away."

"Good plaything." She kissed their forehead, slapped their ass, and forced them to get moving. Lily tried to force their eyes off their laptop, and began preheating the oven. At the very least, they hoped cooking would take their mind off of whatever they were thinking about earlier.

It didn't, unfortunately.

~~

After sending her plaything off to make dinner, Magnolia walked around the table to return to her office. It was always nice to have a servant to make her a warm meal when she most needed it. No worrying about going out to eat, or -- god forbid -- eating some kind of TV dinner.

As she walked around Lily's laptop, her eyes couldn't help but look downward. Lily seemed to be spending a lot of time on that laptop... she had to wonder. Did they find some new obscure kink they were into, something they couldn't even tell their Mistress? Lily knew better than to keep secrets from her. But Magnolia didn't like going through their search history...

'Just this once,' she thought silently, eyeing her plaything obediently making food for her. She expected to find either some obscure gaming website she wouldn't be able to decipher, or stranger-than-mind-control fetish art.

What she found wasn't something she'd expect.

"...Oh," she said out loud.

She scrolled through the tabs. At least five different brands of binders, some interviews with trans men about the effects of testosterone, and masculine clothing websites -- some with their carts filled to the brim.

She leaned back in the chair. How could she not see something like this? She felt a stress headache coming on. What in the world was she going to do about this? Lily's Mistress suddenly felt torn -- an uncommon feeling, for her -- between ordering them to fess up, and giving them time to come out on their own.

A bit of guilt hit her. She didn't... make them feel like they had to hide something like this, did she?

She walked away from the computer and attempted to go back to focusing on her work.

~~

"Dinner is ready, Mistress!" Lily called out as they placed the food on the table, plated dishes and utensils neatly by two seats. It was simple household tasks like cooking, plating and table setting that they deeply enjoyed; there was an intrinsic sense of service to it, and besides, they'd become quite a good chef over the last few years. Their Mistress always had them wait for her to sit down first, before they were allowed to as well. It was extremely hot.

Their Mistress emerged from her office, grinning smugly at her obedient servant. "Very good, plaything. You may sit." They gladly took the offer, sitting down and beginning to eat together. Their eyes kept bouncing up from their plate to Magnolia, trying to figure out if she liked it. She kept eating after the first bite, though. That meant she didn't hate it, at least.

"It could use some more salt," she commented. "But overall, nicely done."

Lily giggled. "Thank you, Mistress." The dish was shredded chicken and roasted vegetables on top of some soft tortillas. They hoped one day Magnolia would let them take some fancier cooking classes, but Lily didn't want to ask for that.

They glanced back over at their laptop in the other room. Lily quickly caught themself, but it didn't go unnoticed by Magnolia.

Who said nothing for a while.

"Is... something wrong, Mistress?" Lily asked in a tiny voice.

Magnolia narrowed her eyes. "Did I say something was wrong, ditz?"

"Um... no?"

Magnolia looked like she wanted to quip back with some kind of insult about their lack of intelligence, but she held off. Lily had to wonder why.

"Lily," she finally started after some agonizing silence. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Lily choked on their food, their face going pale. They instantly grabbed some water and tried to flush it down. After a few minutes of composing themself, Magnolia still leering at them, they answered. "Um... no, Mistress, what -- what would I be hiding from you?"

"Plaything," she started in a voice more... gentle than usual. "You know better than to hide anything from me. Or lie to me."

Lily looked down, fiddling with the napkin in their lap. They instantly knew what she meant. Their heart braced, preparing for the absolute worst to happen. "I... you saw my computer, didn't you."

Magnolia exhaled. "I was curious what you were so interested in."

They sat in silence for a long while. Lily felt so sick with anxiety, like they were going to reverse the food they just ate. They waited for Magnolia to speak up again, unsure of what exactly to say. She didn't speak for a while, so Lily filled the silence.

"I'm... I've been -- having some questions. About myself. I-- I think I might be, well, I already was, but now I really -- I think I might be... trans. A trans guy. And... I'm... I'm sorry I hid it from you. I..." They wanted to explain more, trying desperately to read Magnolia's face.

Their Mistress finally answered, trying to be as soft as possible. "Did I... somehow, make you feel like you needed to hide something like that from me?"

Lily wanted to curl up into a ball. "N-no, not at all! I just -- I wasn't sure how to... and, well, you're... a lesbian. I didn't think you would... want..."

Magnolia interrupted them as soon as she realized what they were saying. "You thought that because I'm a lesbian, I would throw you out? I hate cisgender, straight guys, I would never hate you! Plaything, I know you're stupid, but you must have known I'd never do something like that. I wish I could go into that brain and rip that dumb anxiety out of you.” She paused for a minute. “I… suppose I understand. But I bought you in part because you would at least mildly understand things in this realm. Do you understand, plaything? I love you so much. I own you, after all. I would never throw you out. The only thing we need to do is help you feel more confident.”

Lily gaped. "So... you're not..."

"Of course I'm not throwing you away! And if you want to transition, then that’s what you’ll do," she said incredulously. "I only feel sad that you felt you needed to hide this. From me, specifically!” Her voice was indignant, but less than furious. “I'm committed to you -- to owning you. Which means I'm committed to ensuring you'll be the best plaything - and partner - possible for me. So, if this is what will make you feel at ease -- what will make you serve me best -- then I'll support you however you see fit."

Lily grew out of their shell just a little. "You will?"

"Are you implying I'm lying, plaything?"

Lily couldn't help it. They began to tear up. Not in a bad way. The tears started falling. The feelings in their chest changed from sheer anxiety and dread to a sense of hopefulness, excitement, and love. They… were happy. Happy that their Mistress not only wasn’t leaving them, but that she was going to support them. She was going to help them. Magnolia walked around them, leaned over, and embraced them – tenderly, and possessively. “I – okay. I would… like that, Mistress. I don’t know if this is a phase, but – I want to try. Thank you, Mistress. I… thank you.”

Magnolia hugged them tighter. Lily felt her smirk by their ear. “Well, luckily, I have a day off tomorrow.”

“So…”

“So, we’re going to get started. But first…”

Magnolia grabbed them, the newly out trans guy instantly turning into a subby mess. She pushed them over the other end of the table, their head faced down as they stammered and blushed. “Now that I’ve got energy from the food you’ve made, you’re going to help me burn some.”

~~

Magnolia started Lily off with a normal day. They got dressed, made breakfast, and then Magnolia suddenly chained a loop on their pants to a leash around her wrist and dragged them into the car. Lily felt momentarily stunned, considering she hadn't done that in quite a long time.

"You're probably very nervous," she explained before they got in, "and I want to make sure you're not able to panic and run off like the airheaded ditz you are."

Lily murmured out a blushy "yes, Mistress" as they drove off to the mall, the same one she brought them on their first shopping trip. This time, instead of giving Lily a better wardrobe than what they came to her with, she was giving them a new wardrobe for a completely different reason. Lily remembered the dress she picked out for them all those years ago, and said they'd like to hold onto it anyways.

"You mentioned you didn't like dresses and skirts back then," Magnolia remembered, rubbing her temples. "I wish I saw that as a sign back then."

Lily suddenly was put in the position of having to comfort her. "I-it's okay, Mistress! I didn't know either, after all. But, um..." they trailed off. "You... really think I'll look good?"

"Oh, I don't think so," Magnolia smirked down at them as they pulled into the parking lot. "I'll make you look good."

She arranged for a stylist at her favorite store, considering they had a decent selection of men's wear as well. Her stylist looked at her with confusion when she explained she wanted to go to the men's section. Magnolia glared at her until the words died in her throat.

Lily and Magnolia waited in the dressing room, Lily tapping their finger on the bench anxiously -- until their Mistress put a hand on it to stop. Either she was reassuring Lily that things would be okay, or the monotonous tapping was annoying her.

Soon enough, the stylist came back with a vast selection of formal, semiformal and casual wear. Lily's eyes widened as they looked through the clothes, avoiding looking at the price tags.

"You know the drill," Magnolia said, leaning back to appreciate the view. "We'll get what looks good."

           And they did. Lily couldn't get the big, dumb grin off their face as they walked around holding every bag of masculine, affirming clothes their Mistress bought for them. With every set of clothes they tried on, they fell in love more and more with their new life. Everything looked perfect. Everything complimented them so, so well – in a fitting way, and in the matter of their identity.

Their Mistress loved them. She was affirming them. She didn't just 'not care' if they were a trans guy. She supported them in every possible way, only doing her best to ensure that Lily felt right in their skin. As they pondered this, they closed the miniscule distance between them and their Mistress, brushing up against her.

"Is something wrong, plaything?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No. Just... I love you."

Magnolia smirked and kissed them on the forehead. "You're very cute. Let's go off to the hair stylist, shall we?"

They got up to the salon soon enough, Lily anxiously sitting in the chair as they described a cursory idea of an undercut that they wanted. Magnolia let them have free reign -- mostly, "I don't want you going bald. That's my only restriction on you." 

As the salonist began to work, redoing the red streak in the process, Magnolia brought her phone out and began ordering... something. Lily had to wonder what, but they got the feeling she wouldn't be telling them. Their heartbeat with excitement, so hard they could feel it as the salonist shaved the sides of their hair off. It took all their effort to stay still.

Lily's eyes kept drifting over to their Mistress. What could she be ordering? Every time the hairdresser kept tilting their head away from her, so she could keep working on them. "It's hard to shave your hair when you keep turning your head," she murmured, scolding them slightly.

Lily blushed. "S-sorry."

Their guilt vanished soon enough, and Magnolia had put her phone away anyways. About 30 minutes later, the haircut was done -- complete with a revitalized red streak. She held a mirror up for Lily to see the front and back.

Holy hell.

Their head thumped as soon as they saw themself. "It's..." They didn't have the words for it. Their hand jotted up to the undercut section of their hair, feeling the finely buzzed hair. It felt so soft. They didn't think they'd look quite this good with this style, but it was so... handsome. Not to mention, the rest of their haircut was perfect. It was swept to their right side with the perfect length.

The hairdresser luckily got their point as their eyes welled up with happy tears. "It's perfect," they said as their voice broke.

They couldn't recall the last time they felt this happy. Magnolia paid the bill. After 15 minutes, she eventually dragged their bliss-filled body away from the mirror.

~~

"So... where are we going today?" Lily asked, once again running their hands through their hair as they sat in the fancy, extravagant car once again. Their haircut was three days ago and they still couldn't stop playing with it. Magnolia had to stop them on more than one occasion from ruining it instantly.

Their life had suddenly changed so much. And so much for the better! Their wardrobe was lined with vests, suits, bowties, and perfectly tailored pants. Every time they glanced at themself in the mirror, with a new match of clothes on and their hair styled up high, they couldn't stop looking at themself with pride.

"We're going to a doctor's appointment," Magnolia said, pulling their hands away from their hair once again.

Lily cocked their head. "Huh? But I had one last month. And I feel fine." Fantastic, even.

Magnolia chuckled. "It's funny when you can't put two and two together, plaything. We're going to see my endocrinologist."

"But... why am I coming with you?"

Magnolia pulled on Lily's eternity collar to emphasize her point. "Because the appointment is for you, idiot." The gears in Lily's head turned slowly, not at all helped by the twinge of arousal they got from being insulted twice in a row. Her... endocrinologist? That could only mean...

"No," they gaped, their eyes wide. "Really? I can... do that?"

"I'm not forcing you to do anything, since I can tell you're going to ask," she smirked. "You're just going in to talk for today. Unless you really want it to go anywhere."

Oh god they did. They spent hours researching testosterone and they definitely wanted that.

But there was one problem.

"I..." They averted their eyes, knowing how ridiculous they were about to sound. "I really -- really want that, but..."

Magnolia raised an eyebrow. "Yes? Have something you want to say?"

Lily froze. "I'm... scared of needles." The way Magnolia's neck twitched just a little indicated to Lily she was trying her hardest not to laugh at them. "I don't know if I could do it to myself."

"Oh, that can be changed," Magnolia said cunningly.

Lily was about to ask another stupid question before she added, "I can help you with that, plaything. A bit of conditioning, a bit of bossing you around, a bit of scolding if you really avoid it. If I tell you to take your goddamn meds, that I'm getting for you for your benefit, you'll know better than to be ungrateful and disobey me... won't you?" She ran a hand firmly down Lily’s chin, lifting their head possessively, as she spoke.

The blood drained from Lily's face. "O-of course..."

“Don’t worry, plaything,” Magnolia’s smirk turned into a smile. “I think you’ll find it’ll be worth it.”

~~

Magnolia’s endocrinologist was shockingly kind to Lily. He definitely was experienced – 20 years of experience, specifically – both as a doctor and as a kind person. He assuaged most of Lily’s anxieties, and placed a prescription for pick-up the next day.

The next day!

The past few days felt like a dream come true. They didn't even think they wanted this half a year ago, but they were so confused as to how they could not know. Everything made so much sense now. Not to mention, the way they composed themself appeared much more confident. Even their Mistress was impressed by how at ease they looked.

They got home from the endocrinologist that afternoon. Lily had to use every nerve in their body not to stand up and start anxiously pacing around every few minutes. Magnolia didn't stop them, though. She just teased them over how much they looked like a happy, eager puppy. They just couldn't stop thinking about what they'd look like after a week, a month, a year...

Later that afternoon, the doorbell rang, and some packages were dropped off by the front door. Magnolia ordered them to go get them as she stared at the latest in the stock market. (Lily one time called it the rich people's feelings graph, after Pierre said that once. Lily regretted it the next day.)

They leaned down and picked up the brown packages. They... looked like clothes? Lily shook them once or twice, and heard faint rumbling. Pacing back inside, they asked, "what are these, Mistress?"

"Why don't you open them and see?" Magnolia challenged with a raised eyebrow.

Lily wanted to ask if they were in trouble... but they couldn't imagine why they would be. They ripped the package gently, pulling out the contents. They paged through them, their eyes widening.

"These are..." they gaped.

"Binders," Magnolia said casually, trying to hide her confident, knowing smirk. "I figured you would want them."

Lily collapsed onto the sofa. Their body couldn't move aside to shiver anxiously. "Really? I... how did you..."

Magnolia rolled her eyes. "How did I know? Please, plaything, do you think I haven't met a single trans guy in my life before you? Besides, with how ecstatic you've looked... I just had a feeling."

Lily tried not to tear up for what felt like the 50th time that week.

They tore open the plastic wrap and pulled out the garment. It looked like their size. "M-may I, Mistress?" they anxiously asked.

"You may."

Lily began bashfully undressing their shirt and bra, a blush filling their face. They never got fully used to undressing in front of their Mistress' staring eyes, but it wasn't like she permitted them to undress behind closed doors these days. They slid over the binder... it fitted easily enough, though they had to get used to the new tightness around their chest.

"H-how does it look?"

"Plaything," Magnolia exhaled. "I'm trying my hardest not to tear it off and fuck you over this table right now. It looks good. Now, keep going."

"Y-yes, Mistress," they flustered as they put on the rest of their clothes back on. They looked down... it felt... so right. They rushed to the nearest full-length mirror and stood in front of it.

Wow.

Lily couldn't quite understand what it was about that moment, specifically, but it felt right. Something in their head clicked. This was what they wanted. A euphoric warmth filled their entire body.

They saw Magnolia in the mirror, walking behind them and wrapping her arms tightly around their chest. "How does it feel, Lily?"

"It... feels so good, Mistress," they answered. "Thank you so much."

"Hmm," Magnolia narrowed her eyes.

Lily whipped around to meet her face, paling a little. "Is s-something wrong, Mistress?"

"When I first gave you your name, I didn't envision this being a possibility," she mused. "It's possible... do you think Lily is too feminine of a name, plaything?"

Lily froze. "I... are you implying my name, well... that you'll... change it?" Their eyes darted around. "B-but you gave me this name, Mistress! I can't just throw it out like that."

"No, you can't. But I can. I control every part of you, and your name. So, I'm asking you. Do you think Lily is too feminine a name for you?"

Lily sulked a little in their Mistress' arms. "Can I be honest?"

"Yes."

"I... a little, yes, Mistress," they admitted.

Magnolia pursed her lips. "Good to know," she said. "I'll keep that in the back of my mind."

Magnolia could tell Lily was about to ask more questions, or hypothesize about their potential new name. So she pulled out her pocket watch and put them into a deep, peaceful trance.

~~

Objectively speaking, Lily and Magnolia did not share a ton in common. One of the many things they differed on was where they liked to take long, meditative walks. Magnolia grew up in a rural area, and she ended up liking cities and skyviews for her walks. Lily was the exact opposite -- grew up in a city, and vastly preferred nature walks. The big city began to grow on Lily, though; the hustle and bustle still got to them sometime, but it didn't matter when their Mistress was by their side.

    Besides, Lily got to show off their new appearance to the world, complete with their new wardrobe. It was a win-win!

    It had been about three weeks since Magnolia gently confronted them, and they couldn't have been more happy that she did. Even though their name didn't change yet -- or their pronouns, for that matter -- they felt much more sure of themself and confident.

    And testosterone worked *fantastically* for them. They couldn't notice all the changes, but they did notice their voice getting a tad deeper. They had a much easier time working out -- their 45 minute sessions turned into 60 or even 90 minute sessions. And they could run with ease, finally.

    Not to mention their sex drive.

    That was one of the first changes, and one of the most drastic ones. It felt like they had drunk some kind of aphrodisiac. They were ready to go all the time. Magnolia didn't mind in the slightest, obviously, she quite enjoyed it. Save for the time she had to physically stop them from going another round ("Please, plaything, I appreciate the enthusiasm but I do have to go to work sometime in the next month.")

    Either way, things were perfect. Almost.

    While Lily was distracted by some kind of flashing light, Magnolia spoke up - but not to them. "Oh, you're Mr. Thompson, aren't you?"

    "Y-yes, ma'am." Lily whipped around and found their Mistress talking to some fancy guy in a suit, with side swept brown hair and a mostly shaved chin. He wasn't as fancy as Magnolia, but in her realm. "It's nice to see you out and about."

    "Strange compliment, but thank you," Magnolia raised an eyebrow. "Lily, this is Mr. Thompson. He's a manager for my company."

    "Oh, hi," Lily answered with a smile. "Nice to meet you."

    He looked like he was about to make polite conversation, but at the sound of Lily's voice his eyebrows furrowed. He turned to Magnolia. "Is something wrong with her voice?" Lily's heart stung. "She sounds sick."

    "They are not. Your concern isn't needed," she quipped back, staring down the manager.

    "Huh?" he blinked. "But... her voice sounds so nasally--"

    Lily turned around, averting their face from the scene and trying to block it out while not being impolite.

    "I'd advise you to watch what you say about my partner," Magnolia threatened. "If you value your salary and benefits."

    "S-sorry, boss, I'm just... partner?" He blinked. Lily felt their legs moving for them as they slowly scurried away. "I didn't realize you were into that."

    "Excuse me?" Magnolia's eyes blazed with fury. "Well, you can look forward to your inbox tomorrow, Thompson." Despite the clear intent, Lily was already excusing themself.

    "I-I gotta go... over there," Lily said quietly.

    "Wait!" That was the last thing Lily heard before they ran off into the nearest public building they could find.

~~

The closest open building they could find at that hour was a movie theater; luckily it was quite open and had plenty of little spaces to hide and have a good private cry. Except… Lily didn’t feel any tears coming. They slid into a gender neutral bathroom and looked at themself in the mirror, their eyes slid halfway open tiredly. Lily expected to feel some kind of sadness or grief, but they didn’t. The only thing they felt was disappointment. In themself.

“Why did I think I could pull this off…” they murmured to themself, their voice cracking – either from the testosterone or how down they felt. Had their wardrobe not been bought by their loving Mistress, they would have discarded all of it right then and there.

The door knocked, jolting Lily out of their thoughts. “O-occupied!”

“Lily, I know you’re in there just to process,” Magnolia’s voice came from the other side. “Come out.” Her voice was a stern order.

Lily wiped their eyes and obeyed, quietly coming from the door. “H-hi, Mistress,” they said quietly. “Sorry I ran off.”

“We’ll talk about that later. What in the world are you doing?” she demanded, uncaring as to who could hear.

“I know, it was rude of me, and embarrassing, and–”

“Oh, trust me, you’re the only idiot here I give a damn about. I told him to only come in tomorrow to turn his keys and laptop in. What are you doing sulking over it?”

Lily looked away. “This was a mistake,” they said quietly. Magnolia’s eyes narrowed, but at least she let them continue. “I… I should just go back to how things were. It was easier that way. A-at least I didn’t expect people to see me as a guy. I don’t… want to be disappointed. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

Magnolia waited for Lily to continue, but they were done. They couldn’t even meet her eyes. Magnolia slammed a hand on their shoulder, startling them to look her in the eyes. What she could do in public was limited, but she never failed to fluster them. “Idiot,” she scowled. “You know better than to speak about my property like this! When you disrespect yourself, you disrespect what’s mine. I’ve half a mind to slap you right here and now. Redact everything you just said, immediately.”

“But…”

“Lily,” she started sternly. “Who’s the smart one, out of the two of us?”

Lily deflated. “You, Mistress.”

“Correct. And do you think I would be here if I let other people’s perceptions and expectations of me get to my head? Especially when I first started transitioning?” Lily paused, realizing they never thought about that. “That prick was unbelievably stupid. There will be others. Who cares? What makes you think that just because people can be ignorant, that you can beat yourself up?

“You are a handsome boy. My handsome boy. It might take time for people to come around, but they will. And in the meantime? I’m going to drill it into your head that you don’t have the option to panic and go back to how things ‘were’.”

Lily shook their head. “But…”

“No,” she interrupted. “I’m not going to stand here while you continue to insult yourself and by extension insult me.” Magnolia pulled out her phone and began dialing up her driver. As she put the phone to her ear, she whispered to them, “we’ll talk about this more when we get home.”

Lily gulped. “Yes, Mistress.” Any previous objections died in their chest.

~~

Magnolia wasted no time the second they got home. She all but dragged a still-mopey -- and mildly terrified -- Lily out of the car, into her house. As soon as they were inside, the door locked behind them, she shoved them against the wall. Towering above them, as always, as Lily shook like a leaf

SLAP! One, two, three, across each cheek. Lily tenderly put their hands to the sides of their face, trying to soothe the sting, before Magnolia grabbed their wrists and pinned them to the wall.

"You are so, so damn stupid," she growled. "What have I always told you? I'm the one making these decisions, not you. I gave you permission to go through with transitioning -- and my full support. What in your mind makes you think you get to decide what happens with your body? With your identity?"

Lily shook their head. They were caught between their want to protest -- and the effects of testosterone making them want to get bent over and fucked mercilessly, already. "I... don't know," they admitted. "I just assumed--"

"There's your problem! You assumed you were the one in charge. But it's never been like that, hasn't it, toy?"

Lily paused. Their body was shivering like it was the dead of winter. "I suppose not, Mistress."

Magnolia dug her claws into their wrists. "Exactly," she exhaled angrily. "So not only did you think you'd be able to make the baffling decision to detransition, you also insulted my property." She lifted a hand and cupped Lily's chin in place. "I think that earns you at least a nice scolding. Don't you?"

Lily was about to answer, but they were cut off. "Into the bedroom, clothes off," their Mistress ordered. They murmured a 'yes, Mistress' hastily and obeyed. Magnolia trailed behind them as they began taking off their flannel and slacks.

"Faster," she scowled. Lily quickly nodded and ripped the rest of their clothes off, not wanting to infuriate their Mistress further. Their eyes glanced to the mirror, but Magnolia didn't let them. "The only thing you should be looking at right now is me, idiot."

"Yes, Mistress," they said, though it was more needy whimpers than words.

Magnolia didn't ask them to turn over. She just grabbed their body and forced them to anyways. "Wooden paddle or flogger," she mused threateningly. "I wonder which one I should use."

"T-the paddle, Mistress," Lily answered, bracing themself for the lesser of two evils. Magnolia pulled their hair up roughly, whispering in their ear.

"Did I let you make that decision, plaything?"

"No, Mistress," they stammered.

"Exactly. So let's use the flogger, then," she smirked as she released Lily's hair.

Lily heard some rummaging that didn't leave much to the imagination. Their Mistress walked back over. They braced themself... and instead saw something drop in front of their eyes.

The pocket watch. The one they'd gotten to know so well.

"Stare," she ordered, though she didn't really have to. "Just stare. It won't take much effort for me to drop you, won't it?"

"No, Mistress," Lily said sleepily.

"Watch it swing back and forth. The light bouncing off of it. Your eyes -- your body -- your mind -- falling deeper and deeper into it. All that tension and grief and self-hatred just disappearing. You don't need any of those things. All you need is the sweet embrace of trance." As she spoke, she pulled the pocket watch higher, making Lily's eyes strain to look at it.

"And when I drop this pocket watch, you'll go back into that sweet dark spot you know so well, surrounded completely by fog. And all you'll be able to hear and register will be my words. Are you ready... my handsome trance-slut?"

Lily murmured some indecipherable sound. "That's right," Magnolia cooed. She dropped the pocket watch onto the pillow, dropping Lily in the process. "Drop for me."

And they did.

Distantly, they could feel the strings of a cat o'nine-tails stroking their back. More importantly, they heard their Mistress' voice.

"You're so, so handsome and strong, but oh-so-stupid. You don't even know these things are true. You need your powerful, beautiful Mistress to make sure you not only know these things, but have them drilled into your skull as basic knowledge. You're lucky you have me to guide your life."

Lily murmured sleepily. It wasn't that they had any sort of coherent thought, so deep in trance. They just enjoyed hearing their Mistress' soothing, hypnotic voice. Even with the threat of the flogger hitting their back.

"But, sometimes you stray from my guidance, even though you should know better. It's unfortunate... but all it means is that I get to condition you further into my perfect plaything. My fucktoy. My property," Lily could feel her breath on their skin, and they shivered. "All I have to do is smooth out the wrinkles in your brain, until you can only truly think about me, and serving me. And right now, the best way to serve me is to accept my beautiful suggestions."

The deeply hypnotized transmasc boytoy had to wonder what their Mistress was going to do or say next. What mantra they were going to have burnt into their mind. Their question was quickly answered.

"Do you understand me, my lovely, loyal Lily?"

Lily dropped even deeper than they thought they could. "Yes, Mistress," they said, their voice barely above a delicate whisper.

"Your new mantra is ‘I am Mistress’ handsome pet, my identity belongs to Mistress.’”

“...I am Mistress’ handsome pet, my identity belongs to Mistress…” Lily sleepily repeated. They knew full well that's what they were supposed to do.

"Say it again. And again. And again." Lily complied, eventually just repeating ‘I am Mistress’ handsome pet, my identity belongs to Mistress’ on an endless loop. Every time, it felt more real, more certain. And yet, something tugged on their heart, making them feel that it wasn't. It still didn't feel completely right. Their mind drifted back...

They must have stopped repeating the mantra at one point, because the flogger slammed onto their back nice and hard. They gasped for air. Still hypnotized. But now in incredible pain from the lash.

"Stop stammering, and stay focused," Magnolia hissed. Lily nodded weakly and continued.

"Now, plaything, as with all of your mantras, this one is special. Those words, that phrase, it means obedience to me. It means service. And you want to serve me, more desperately than anything. So whenever you say it, whenever you even think of it, you're brain will just automatically think, 'oh, I'm serving my Mistress as best I can.' And you'll know that the more you accept it as fact, the deeper your devotion to serving me feels. Conversely... if you ever find yourself not accepting this as fact... you'll know what it means."

Lily hissed as another lash landed on their ass, harsher than the first. With every consecutive lash, their back and ass grew red and black and blue. Their Mistress was bruising every inch of their skin, as she did whenever her property dared to disobey her.

"This is what you will feel," she said. "This is what it means to disobey me. Accept these suggestions, plaything."

Lily nodded.

"What is your new mantra?"

“I am Mistress’ handsome pet, my identity belongs to Mistress.”

"Again."

            “I am Mistress’ handsome pet, my identity belongs to Mistress.”

"Again, until you have no more hesitation in your voice."

And Lily complied. Over and over, they repeated the mantra. Until their Mistress was satisfied.

"Good," Magnolia cooed. "Let's bring you back up, then, because I have some more plans for you." She counted them up quickly, quicker than usual in an attempt to disorient and confuse them. She succeeded, of course, but at least Lily was up and back in the waking world.

"Ow," Lily bit their lip as they suddenly felt the pain on their back in full force. They could barely move. Their eyes were all welled with tears from the agony.

Magnolia narrowed her eyes. "Bad response, but I'll let it slide for now. We have more work to do."

"What... work, Mistress?" Lily asked, their voice shuddering.

"Stand up," she ordered. Lily complied as Magnolia rough handled their body. "Look into the mirror."

They stared, their body deflating as they looked at their reflection. Magnolia instantly saw this and clawed into their skin as an extra punishment.

"Your mantra," she hissed.

Lily began repeating, letting the words sink into their head as their body returned to its normal, confident posture they'd grown used to for the past week.

"See? Doesn't it feel good? Doesn't it feel good to love your body, your identity, and to love serving me in the process?"

Lily nodded. Tears streaked their face.

"Oh, don't cry, plaything." Magnolia wiped the tears away. "Put your clothes back on," she gently ordered.

Lily nodded, putting their underwear and socks back on.

"You're my handsome boy," Magnolia said as she watched them.

The binder, the slacks, their shirt and vest... they tried to ignore the searing pain on their back, but it didn't matter. They looked at themself, fully clothes, fully themself. And every time they wanted to say something rude or derogatory about themself -- about Mistress' property -- it was quashed by their new mantra.

And they started crying.

"I'm sorry, Mistress," they choked out. "I'm sorry I... disobeyed you. That I disrespected... myself."

“And now you remember that you know better,” Magnolia reminded. “How are you feeling? Would you like any water?”

Lily weakly nodded. “Yes, please, Mistress. Thank you.”

Their Mistress grabbed them some water from the minifridge in their room, and Lily drank half of it in one go. They collapsed on the bed, leaning over so as not to exacerbate their wounds. Their Mistress sat besides them, pulling them close and petting their head.

“I love you so much,” she reminded them. “I will never leave you. And I won’t stop until you feel comfortable in your own skin.”

Lily nodded, clutching onto her arms.

“Then… can I ask for a favor, Mistress?”

Magnolia raised her eyebrow. “What is it, plaything?”

“Could you… um… please, maybe, if it’s okay—”

“Out with it,” she snapped gently.

Lily shook their head. “Could you… use he-him pronouns for me?”

Magnolia pulled him closer, kissing his head. “Of course, plaything,” she said. “In fact, I have even better news for both of us. I’ve decided on a new name for you. Would you like to accept it now… or later?”

He smiled. He always liked that he was never given a choice. “Now, please, Mistress.”

“Your new name is Clover,” she whispered in his ear. “Do you like it, Clover? Do you like your new name?”

“Yes,” Clover answered, letting the happy, euphoric, confident tears fall down his cheeks. “It’s perfect, Mistress.”

And then they sat together, in each other’s company, in this sweet moment. Clover was happy. He didn’t know he could ever be this happy.