Leave it up to Lily Hawkins’ luck to get stuck in the rain. Again. Anytime they were kicked out of whatever temporary shelter they were staying — loitering in a train station, drinking water in a cafe until an employee took notice of them, or getting into an actual day shelter — they’d be thrown right into rain, snow, sleet, or some combination.

They huffed as they ran up the hill. Running kept them warm and got them closer to any kind of shelter, so it was like killing two birds with one stone. Granted, the stone in question was all deformed and awkwardly shaped, and the birds were common pigeons.

It took a long time running and shivering, but they saw… something in the distance.

A castle? Like one of those weirdo gothic medieval ones? Lily felt delirious, but they were 99% sure that they didn't just teleport back a few hundred years. It looked like something Lily would have written about in middle school. If they'd seen Dracula or any B-movie centered around vampires, they imagined this is what the set would look like. So surely it wasn't real, or it was a movie shooting, or... or they didn't know. They never heard about such a castle in this area; why would it have just popped up? But they rubbed their eyes a few times to make sure they weren't hallucinating, and... they weren't.

Pulling their soaked backpack over their head, Lily continued to make for the mansion. Surely whoever was there wouldn't mind if Lily just... stood under the roof for a few minutes. It shouldn't take too much longer for the rain to pass, and that alone would be a good argument in Lily's favor. Then again, rich people tended to be unpredictable — to put it politely.

Their eyes were fixated on the mansion, almost like they were hypnotized to it, drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Almost as though someone was whispering in their ear — “come hither, Lily. Surely you're not making a mistake!” Great, now Lily was hallucinating voices, too. They almost slipped down some wet mud on the hill, but quickly gathered themself, rebalanced, and continued the trek, as questions rampaged through their head.

Finally, they found themself at the door. It looked so much grander standing right in front of it, and so much less real. What were they doing? Surely they could be going somewhere else, looking for more substantial lodging, less prone to whimsy and less likely to be haunted.

“Hey, Lily.”

Lily suppressed the urge to sigh like an annoyed teenager. They felt their arm almost being pulled behind. A presence from within them, one they knew too well — more well known than they would have liked — appeared in their head. They couldn't see her, obviously, but with their mind's eye, they could clearly see their alter, their protector, all but standing physically in front of them. Blocking the door from being disturbed. Obviously she was there to urge them to make good choices, advice Lily wasn't great at taking.

“What's wrong, Kassandra?”

Kassandra blinked, astonished. “What do you mean 'what's wrong'?! In case you haven't noticed, you're basically walking into a horror movie right now. You don't want to get yourself — ugh, ourselves — killed, do you?”

Lily shook their head, their frustration plain as day, attempting to put Kassandra out of their head. They reached into their ear and cleared it of wax haphazardly, as if that would do anything (they tried many times and it never did). “I know, Kassandra, but it's so  cold and wet and... and I hate the rain. You know that. S-so, let's just ask, and if... if whoever is there isn't okay with us, then, then, then uh, we can leave. I promise. Okay?”

Kassandra groaned so hard it would have been audible to anyone else in their vicinity. That is, if she wasn't an apparition of sorts for Lily. A ghost who tried and failed to sway them out of bad decisions. “Lily, look at that place. It's a bad guy house. No hero or sane person lives there! The second someone sees you they're going to want to silence you! You know, with like, a gun, or their fists.”

Lily looked down at the entrance. There was a dog door? Whoever lived here had a dog? That meant they had to be a good person, right? “K-Kassandra...” they lowered their voice to a murmur, trying not to be heard, “a-at least we'll be able to ask for directions. J-just a quick question, o-okay?”

“No! God damn it, we need to move and get out of here yesterday! God, sharing a body with you sucks sometimes, you know that?”

Lily groaned. “I know, I know, you think I can't make good decisions and you're usually right. B-but—”

Before Lily could say anything else, though, the door opened for them. Their heart stopped mid-beat, just as they took what they felt was their last breath.

To say that the woman looking down — yes, down — at Lily was beautiful would be a heavy understatement. Lily couldn't help but allow their jaw to drop to the floor gazing up at her. Her body looked like that of a goddess'; donning a red dress, fluffed out at the bottom with plenty a petticoat, and a black and red robe covering it. Her 6“ heels only added more to her intimidating height, and only made the silent difference in power between this beauty and a mere traveler that much more clear. On top of her head was a red cap, partly covering her face. It was decorated with feathers and adornments of all varieties. Truly, this woman could not have looked more different from Lily, and Lily was far below her standing in both financial matters and in height.

Lily gulped, the wind taken out of their lungs. After taking in how beautiful she was for a long time did they notice the scowl on her face. Lily knew that face. They knew it from all the times they got in trouble, at home or at work or... they didn't want to venture down that line of thought. Behind her, Lily could hear a variety of whispers and cackles — directed to them? Or to each other in simple conversation? They weren't sure, but all they knew was that they were out of place. VERY out of place. And they weren't likely to be welcomed in, either.

'Told you so,' Kassandra snarked. 'Can we leave no—'

Before Kassandra could finish her thought, the lady stepped up to Lily closer. Closer. Almost too close. To the point that Lily was shivering underneath her, shocked into silence by the sheer domineering presence of this woman.

Who was she?

“I'm not sure if you know how loud you are,” she started with a snarl, and the shame already hit Lily a bit harder than they'd like, “But we're trying to have a nice time to ourselves here. It's a tad rude to have your... public conversation with yourself in front of my door. Don't you think?”

Okay, she definitely was not going to let them inside and definitely not allow them to sleep over. Lily decided to cut their losses, their withering pride a bit hurt. “I-I'm so sorry. We, uh, I got caught up in the storm, and um, we were looking for shelter, a-and I just noticed this place was....”

“Open to visitors? Open as a free bed for anyone and everyone who asks? Allowing in visitors bringing in dirt, diseases, and who knows what else? Do you truly think that's a reasonable thing to ask of strangers?”

Lily nodded shamefully. “I-I'm so sorry. We'll, I mean I’ll leave, I'm so sorr—“

As Lily turned to walk away, they felt their hand grabbed again by this lady. “H-huh?” Lily stammered, as they tried to break free of her grasp. They weren't weak or tame, and this woman didn't look very muscular, so the fact Lily couldn't get away... it made their heart race. From fear or... some sick twisted lust from feeling small and insecure. They weren't sure, but they were effectively trapped, even when they used their other hand to try to pry her hand off.

“You think you can just leave like that? After interrupting my ballroom with your mindless drivel? You didn't answer my question, toy.” Lily's heart skipped a beat at being referred to as a toy. “Do you think it's okay to simply go up to strangers' houses and demand a free bed just because it's raining, after being extremely rude by talking to yourself in front of their door, their event?!”

The woman's voice rose to a roar. Lily was quivering so hard that if the lady's hand wasn't holding them up, they would have collapsed. “N-No. I'm sorry. It was very rude of me and, and I won't do it again.”

The woman smirked. “There's a good toy.” Then she let them go, releasing them and making them awkwardly stumble backwards. “Normally, I'd have just gotten rid of you, but on second thought, I have an idea for what to do with pests like yourself.”

“P-pests?”

SLAP!

Lily wasn't sure what they were expecting, but they definitely didn't expect to be slapped across the face with the force of ten hands. They yelped — screamed — and held a tender hand to their own face.

What the fuck was that for?! We were just leaving, you bitch!

…Is what Kassandra would have said if she was fronting. She wasn't, thank god, otherwise Lily felt those would be their last words.

“Yes. A pest. That's what you are. There, happy? I don't want you questioning anything else, toy.” This woman was serious — and not only was she serious, she was dangerous. Lily could tell by her physical strength alone, the likes of which they'd never seen. “Here's my proposal. You come in and dance with me as my follower. Based on how you look, I can imagine you've never danced before and most likely have two left feet.”

Ow. Lily was clocked right then and there. Meekly they replied, “y-yes, that's right. I-I don't think I'd be a good partner.”

The woman returned that with a smirk. “That'll be yes, Mistress from now on. Got it?”

Lily opened their mouth to protest — probably a sign from Kassandra — but they quickly gathered themself and gave this lady what she wanted. “Yes, M-Mistress...”

“Better. We'll work on your annoying stammering later. For now, I hope you're a quick learner, because I don't have a follower, and I need one. That's my proposal: you dance with me as my follower, and I, in turn, will give you shelter, a comfortable bed to sleep on, and dinner and breakfast. Isn't that a kind offer from me, after all the trouble you've caused me?”

“I-it is, thank you! Um, I mean, thank you Mis—”

The woman — Lily's new Mistress, they supposed — didn't waste anymore time. She dragged them inside, and instantly all eyes were on them.

Everyone else in the ballroom — this lady had a whole ass ballroom? — was equally as elegantly dressed, though some of the women looked a tad more evil than others. In fact, it seemed to be a fifty-fifty split, between ones who looked like prey and ones who looked like predators. Lily instantly felt a heavy bit more anxious, and turned their eyes to the door—

Only to have their hair grabbed and forced back to look at their Mistress. “I don't want to hear any inklings of you wanting to run off now,” she growled. Quickly, her attention returned to the crowd. “Josey!”

“Yes, Miss.” In almost no time, a lady showed up. She was dressed much less extravagantly, in a practical maid outfit, She carried with her a broom and sweeping pan. Obviously, this woman was rich enough to have maids, if she was rich enough to have her living room be a ballroom.

“Take this pest up to our guest room. Dry them off and get them ready to be my follower. Toy, you will do as Josey says. Understand?”

“Y-yes, Mistress.” Lily barely got the formality out before Josey the maid dragged Lily upstairs. Lily stumbled as they walked up, almost tripping up a few stairs. They wanted to demand she slow down, just out of politeness! But Lily clearly didn't have ground to demand anything right now. Josey was clearly there to do one thing: Obey the Mistress. Lily didn't have any standing to ask for anything. They were just grateful to be out of the rain.

Eventually, Lily found themself in a small dressing room. A wardrobe was open, filled with a variety of beautiful dresses. Lily grimaced. They absolutely hated wearing dresses. And based on the woman asking them to be a follower, they had a feeling that they wouldn't be offered pants of any sort. Josey looked to the wardrobe as well, nodding quietly after a minute or so of simple gazing and thinking. Finally, Josey spoke.

“Let's make this quick so we don't keep the Miss waiting,” Josey said. “You may not have noticed it, but she's very excited to have someone to dance with.”

Lily blinked, still clueless and processing everything that was going on. “U-Um... she doesn't dance with, like, you?” The more pressing question was 'how in the world did she look excited?!' but Lily held their tongue.

Josey already began to work, bringing out a towel and some hair creams for them.

“No. I'm nothing more than a lowly maid. I need you to strip now, please.”

“W-what?!” Lily shrieked, a hint of Kassandra’s anger gleaning through. “N-no! Absolutely not! Why would I do that?”

Josey crossed her arms and scowled deeply. “Because if you don't, I'll tell the Miss, and you'll either be sleeping in a metal cage in the dungeon, or in the pouring rain where you’ll undoubtedly get hypothermia. I'll even wash your clothes and undergarments for you, since I'll be doing that anyway. Got it?”

Lily whimpered and curled into a ball. They were clearly going to lose this battle. “Y-yes. I understand.”

A moment of silence passed between them, before Lily asked what they thought was an obvious question. “C-can you turn around?”

“No. I need to watch so I can determine what kind of dress you'll be able to wear best.”

What the fuck. Lily bit their tongue to avoid lashing out again, and resigned to stripping in front of a complete stranger.

They closed their eyes, trying to hide their pained grimace. This brought up the most uncomfortable images in their mind. Things they wanted to put away for good. Ways they were exploited that made them feel nauseous to even think about. The other times they undressed for strangers, only to... only to...

Lily was shaking like a leaf, even just taking off their sweater and trousers. But when Josey continued to look at them expectantly, it was clear that Lily needed to also take off their undergarments. In front of Josey, this total stranger. Fuck. Why did they not just listen to Kassandra? Who knew what was going to happen to them now? Lily knew that they were stupid, but to put themself in the very situation they had escaped by the skin of their teeth... to make... to put themself in the most vulnerable position again...

Lily's breathing became labored. Their brain felt as though cotton had been stuck within the crevices, dulling out any other thoughts, any other mental or sensory input. They shook their head as they obeyed—

Suddenly, they felt some hands on theirs. Lily suppressed the urge to scream, only barely. But Josey's hands were reassuring. She began to breathe, slowly. Instinctively, Lily joined her. Their breath was shaky for a good while, but eventually they managed to slow down and match her pace.

“It's okay,” Josey said quietly, calmly, “the Miss won't hurt you. I won't hurt you. I already know what your outfit is, so you won't have to be naked for long. Okay?”

“O-okay,” Lily whimpered. They weren’t sure how much of the truth they were telling, but it was enough comfort to get them to finish stripping. They held one hand to their chest and another to their crotch. They didn't want anyone to see this, not even the people closest to them. What a joke. They had no people even remotely close to them! They were so stupid.

“Please straighten up so I don't have problems putting this on you.”

Lily nodded slowly. Just disappear. Just pretend they're somewhere else. Pretend they're not there, they're not the one experiencing this humiliation. It's not them. They're somewhere else.  They repeated similar thoughts to themself in their head as Josey did her work. It was the only way Lily could possibly get through this. They knew pretending they were merely an outsider looking in was not the best way to go through life, but their options were fairly limited. It wasn't like they could go to some random dark alley and cry or play their dying Gameboy Advance.

As Lily dissociated to another planet, another plane of existence, she worked on their hair, outfit, shoes, everything. In front of Lily’s distant eyes, Josey fixed their hair, fitted them in shoes – heels, ugh – and donned a petticoat and a dress of some variety. Josey made sure that all the clothes had no wrinkles, patting every inch of Lily’s body. Every pat made Lily recoil further into their rejection of reality. It was clear this maid wasn’t going to do it any other way. This wasn’t a simple matter of Lily being an uninvited guest in someone else’s home; it was clear that the Mistress of the manor held every ounce of power in this situation.

Lily just now realized: they’d be lucky if they got out alive.

They blinked, and their sight came back into clarity. The first thing they noticed was the easy breeze through the window, against their skin. Lily looked down and flushed furiously, holding their hands over their mouth to prevent another verbal outburst. The dress they were wearing covered little more than their arms would. In particular, their neck and chest were out for all to gaze upon. They’d be lucky if they lived through tonight with no nip slips. Oddly enough, the dress fell to the floor, the petticoat fluffing it out to its max diameter. But…

“W-where are my panties?”

Josey shook her head. “You won’t need any.”

Lily’s face paled, all the blood draining from them. “W-what do you mean? W-what is she going to do to me?”

Josey shrugged. Her dismissiveness was beginning to piss off Lily, and if Lily still felt Kassandra’s presence, they were pretty sure she’d have taken over by now. “I’m not sure. Now sit down so I can do your makeup. We’ve already wasted too much time, and you should know that the Miss will not be thrilled if I have to redo your makeup if you’ve cried it all off.”

Glad she has her priorities straight, Lily snarled in their head. Saying anything of the sort out loud would be too stupid even for them, so they resigned themself to sitting down and pushing their hair out of the way. Hopefully she goes for just a neutral look.

–

She did not.

Lily’s heart fell into their stomach the minute they saw themself in the mirror. Fuck, they hated looking like this. Their body boiled with a sickening mix of fury and disgust. Were it not a horrible idea, they would have immediately torn their skin off along with the hyperfeminine makeup and clothes. Becoming a horrifying being of gore and muscle would have been preferable to looking like a Disney princess. They swallowed their protests, knowing that attempting to escape again would be a horrible idea. Something about the way they were styled, looking like nothing more dainty than a damsel in distress, made them feel completely powerless. Not that they had any power in this situation in the first place. Lily closed their eyes hard and pulled away from the mirror. If they couldn't see themself, they could forget what they looked like.

Josey looked Lily up and down. Her expression hadn't changed, so if she was proud of her so-called handiwork, Lily couldn't tell. “Very good. Do you know how to waltz, Lily?”

Lily blinked, surprised at the seemingly out of pocket question. They vaguely remembered ballroom dancing with someone in elementary school, but was it a waltz? And why was everyone here so seemingly obsessed with dancing? They had no idea. “I-I’m not, s-sorry.”

Why the fuck are you apologizing?! Kassandra screamed from inside. She's the one who should be begging for your forgiveness! Lily clenched their fists. Kassandra was right, but letting her go full rage mode would probably lead to a fate worse than death.

Josey sighed, trying and failing to hide her emotion. Oh, so NOW she shows emotion. “Unfortunate, but workable. Have you done ballroom dance of any kind?”

Lily was going to die before they revealed anything about their childhood to these creeps. “N-no. Sorry.”

Kassandra continued screaming, but Lily persisted, and focused on the line of questioning.

“...Dance of any kind?”

“Uh... I like running. And weight-lifting. Do those count?”

Josey didn't grace them with a response. Lily should have expected that, they supposed. She closed her eyes, breathing in and out slowly. A few seconds passed. Then ten. Then thirty. Getting anxious and annoyed standing around for who-knew-what, Lily stopped holding their tongue.

“S-so, what happens—”

“Shh,” Josey hushed them sharply. Lily froze, the indignancy setting in their stomach. But like a deer in headlights, Lily clasped their hands over their mouth.

After what felt like way, way too long, Josey's eyes opened slowly. “She's ready for you. Let us go.”

“She— how do you know that?” Lily intended to keep their feet plastered in place, even just for another minute or so, but Josey grabbed them and once again began physically dragging them back to the main room. “W-wait! Hold on! At least answer one of my questions, please!”

Finally, the maid stopped. “You should work on your habit of questioning everything around you,” she hissed. “I'm just a lowly maid, so I can't and won't punish you.” Punish? “But the Mistress will do so you in seconds if you decide to keep it up. So let's use this as practice, hmm? Try to be silent for the rest of the walk down. Ideally for the rest of the night, though I know that most likely is too much to ask.”

Lily's head suddenly started to spin. None of this made sense, and everything was so confusing. Why? Why did they have to be so stupid to land themself in this situation? Even as Kassandra tried to talk them out of it... Fuck. Regret and confusion took over all of Lily's brain power, and all they could do was nod. Lily couldn't speak even if they wanted to.

“Good girl.”

Kassandra piped up once again - internally, thank god.

Once this is all over, I'm going to murder this maid.

Lily suppressed a sigh. For once, they wished they could just have Kassandra let loose. But they were already in enough shit from simply talking outside of a mansion, so they couldn’t even imagine what’d happen as a result of murder.

Walking downstairs in heels was a doozy, and every step made them almost fall over clumsily. Josey gave them an annoyed look every time they had to slow down. What in the world was with this maid’s attitude? Did she even want to be here? Lily could afford to be annoyed about it later — for now, they had to focus on getting through the night. And walking properly.

Just as they approached the ballroom, the Mistress of the Mansion obscured by a horde of dancers, their steps and spins perfected, Josey held her hand out to stop Lily from walking onto the dance floor awkwardly. Lily grasped their hyperfeminine dress’ fabric tight, almost tight enough to tear the fabric. The fact they weren’t wearing any sort of undergarments only made this whole situation worse an d somehow more violating.

Their eyes glanced to the exit door. If they made a break for it now... While they were distracted... Why were they so frozen? Why couldn’t they just leave?!

Just as the possibility of escape truly began to sink in, the song came to a close. One of each pair took the other’s hand and kissed it lightly. Lily blushed. The Mistress came into view, having just finished a dance with a mousey short girl wearing a tiara of some sort, and a sparkly pink dress that Lily could not take their eyes off of. But before they could continue to gaze at the princess(?), she was taken back by another Mistress(?), and within seconds Lily and the Mansion’s Mistress had eye contact locked.

Lily felt a shiver go down their spine, and then through the rest of their bones, nerves, and muscles. They cautiously stepped back instinctively. That mere action didn’t go unnoticed. The Mistress stormed across the dance floor, each step more thunderous than the last, looking as though she would kill Lily if they didn’t comply.

She grabbed their frozen, shaking hand, and instantly pulled them close to her. Lily’s heartbeat felt like a drum performance, and they knew the Mistress would notice it too. Something kept stirring in them, from a small tornado in a sink to a grade 5 hurricane. What was it they were feeling, and why?

Just bite your lip, do this nonsense, take the free shelter, and leave first thing tomorrow. That’s all. You can do this. They tried to reassure themself, or Kassandra tried to reassure them - they weren’t sure.

“Musician? Would you pause for a moment?” she called to the piano guy, who nodded and played soft notes akin to elevator music.

Lily almost had the chance to get their personal space back, but the Mistress used her other hand to keep Lily glued to her side. They suppressed the urge to grumble.

“All, may I have your attention?” she called attention to her, and by extension Lily, who kept their eyes on the ground. “We’ve reformed our little pest rat into quite a charming mouse. They will be my follower for the remainder of the night. But please, don’t hesitate to greet them or take a looksie at my new plaything.”

No, please hesitate! Lily stammered and sputtered, but no coherent words came out of their mouth. It wouldn’t have mattered anyways; they already knew that protesting would land them in an even worse situation. Besides, their voice was drowned out by the polite applause. Fuck. They felt like a statue or other piece of expensive fine art, but a lot less respectable.

“That said, I’m sure we can all tell they were a bit slow, and they don’t even know how to dance,” she teased, “so we’ll do some slower songs. Should they bump into any of you, they’ll apologize swiftly,” she leered at Lily, making sure it was clear that they didn’t have a choice in this matter. “Anyways, that’s all. Thank you for your attendance and attention. Musician?”

The man at the piano nodded, switching back to some sort of ballroom music. The Mistress dragged Lily onto the floor, taking her rightful place in the middle of the room. Lily staggered a bit, still trying to get used to the heels. Great, they were in the perfect spot to be ogled at by complete strangers.

“So you obviously don’t know how to dance,” the Mistress murmured, “any sort of... transferrable experience, so to speak?”

Lily shook their head, eyes still on the floor. That is, until the Mistress grabbed their chin roughly, tilted their head up, and forced them to make eye contact. Lily’s stomach dropped in fear.

“Look at me, and use your words, when you talk to me, slave.”

I’ve gone from pest to plaything to slave?! They swallowed their protests and complied. They could find a therapist later. “N-no, sorry. I don’t know anything about dancing.”

“Seems you don’t know anything about anything if I’m honest,” she cooed condescendingly. Lily felt Kassandra flare up, heating up their whole body. “Very well. This song is slow, so even you should be able to follow it, so long as you just do as I say.”

It hurt to look into her eyes. The sensation of the lack of panties felt even more violating now. The dress was long enough to cover them, but they still felt... they didn’t want to think about it.

It felt like she was biting off Lily’s skin simply looking into her eyes. But they had to maintain eye contact... right? “O-okay.”

Apparently that was the wrong answer, too, because the Mistress instantly stomped on Lily’s foot. They yelped in pain as her heel dug into their skin. “That’s ‘yes, Mistress’. I don’t want to hear you mess up again. Got it?”

Lily felt as though this dance floor was made of egg shells, booby traps, and sharp rocks, with how many things their temporary Mistress found wrong. They must have forgotten that order — not that she should be ordering Lily around. “Yes, Mistress.”

“Better. Maybe we’ll get somewhere and you’ll make a good thrall.”

Don’t count on it, Kassandra hissed internally.

The heels of some domineering women clacked one, two, three, four times, and then the dancing began. At least, for everyone else, some of whom still giving weird or predatory looks towards Lily.

They were brought back to their current partner when she kicked them in the thigh. Lightly enough to not make them keel over, but harshly enough to bring them back. “Alright. Normally, you’d be scolded for not making eye contact, but for now, just keep your eyes on the ground, watch and follow my feet.”

“O-okay, Mistress.”

Their Mistress stepped forward, lightly tapping Lily’s foot to get them to step back. “That’s the first step. Good. Next.” She brought her other foot out, stretching it out diagonally. Instinctively, Lily made their foot follow, still adjusting to the annoying heels.

“Like... this?” Lily asked hesitantly, moving their foot out to meet the Mistress’. She looked down at them with a grin - whether it was a grin of pride, excitement, or lust, Lily didn’t know.

“Exactly. And now back.”

She stepped back, and Lily hesitantly stepped forward, without the external impetus of being lightly kicked.

“And connect.”

Lily stepped their feet together. They felt out of breath already, but not out of exertion. Moreso, out of panic. They got the sense that if they went against the Mistress’ will even once, they would regret it for the rest of their life.

“Adequete. Glad you catch on quickly, plaything. You should be more... gliding, though, then stepping.”

“G-gliding?”

“What, do I have to spell it out?” she sighed in exasperation. “Very well, if I must. Watch my feet again. I’ll show you a basic box step.”

Before Lily could give an affirmative or anything similar, the Mistress immediately went back into motion. The movements were similar, but she kept either her heel or ankle on the ground. Lily blinked, trying to compute as quickly as possible while also trying to keep up with her movements, trying to copy the gliding mannerisms. This was probably just a normal day for her, but she really did look graceful.

...I could never look like that, even with all the makeup and pretty dresses in the whole world.

Lily was brought out of their reverie when their Mistress gave them a harsher-than-needed slap to the face. They gasped in pain, then looked at the Mistress with indignation. She grabbed their chin and looked into their now-scared eyes with held-back fury.

“Since you got so lost in your empty head, and gave me that look, our little lesson is over. Keep this eye contact and don’t look anywhere else. Dance shows ownership, and that’s where you are now. Pain will be your teacher if you mess up. Understood?!”

Lily felt like they couldn’t breathe. They wanted to disappear. They wanted to be somewhere else, somewhere safer, anywhere else. But they nodded. They didn’t even know if they’d be safe at night too - who knows what she’d do while they were asleep, or worse, while they were awake? It wasn’t like Lily had anything to protect themself or their most intimate regions...

“Y-yes, Mistress.”

She didn’t reply, but kept up with the movements. Luckily, all the running and stamina they built up living on the streets, running from kidnappers, stealing food... they hadn’t fully realized it, but it allowed them to keep up fairly well, albeit with some mistakes that involved in their feet getting yet another bruise.

The song ended. Lily caught their breath. From their peripheral vision — not breaking eye contact lest they face more pain and humiliation — they saw people switch partners once again. It was... interesting. The dancers doing elaborate spins switched up, and the ones making them do the spins, showing them off, got to have another partner to lead on. Were this any other situation, Lily had a feeling they’d be able to enjoy something like this, aside from the contact with strangers.

Their current Mistress held onto Lily’s body tightly and held them a bit too closely. It was a silent threat to anyone who wanted to replace Lily or take them away from the Mistress. Understandably, no one came close.

As people got settled with their new partners, Lily’s Mistress looked them up and down. “Better than I expected. I have to give praise where it’s due, plaything. You can sure keep up without getting tired.”

They still didn’t feel great about being called a plaything, but they had to swallow that protest again. “Th-thanks. I’ve had practice.”

“Oh?” she asked, a curious smirk crossing her lips. “Tell me more.”

The next song started, and just on cue, the Mistress began to dance. Lily hesitated and quickly caught on. “U-um, it’s nothing special. I just - I just like running.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You ‘just’ like running? That’s a lie, isn’t it?”

“Wh-what?” Lily almost paused dead in their box step.

“I don’t take kindly to lies. But now’s not the... best time to spill your guts. You’ll have to tell me later.”

With all luck, there won’t be a ‘later’. “Of - of course, Mistress.”

“Well, since you caught up decently fast, I suppose we can move onto turns.”

As their second, third, fourth box step concluded, the next one had Lily being grabbed a bit rougher than usual, and twisted about an eighth of a turn. Thankfully, they didn’t get stabbed with a heel for faltering, and once again quickly caught on. They had to be a bit more careful than usual so as not to twist their ankle — they had to be able to run tomorrow, after all! — but they just... followed what their Mistress did. It was like they knew what to do instinctively by looking into her eyes.

Did they...?

No. They were overthinking this. They had to do this, sleep, and leave. They had that thought burned into their mind as they and the Mistress traveled across the floor, turning elegantly. As elegantly as Lily could.

The song concluded. Another one played. A faster one. A slower one. And then, eventually, the last song played.

All the ‘controlling people’, for lack of a better word, kissed the hand of the dancers, who acted more like clockwork dolls than actual people. The Mistress took Lily’s hand and dragged them up to the top of the podium. She clapped politely, grabbing the guests’ attentions as Lily just clasped their hands together and squeezed. They didn’t even realize how out of breath they were, but they had to be quiet. They took their labored breaths through their nose and listened.

“All, thank you for coming, and for welcoming our special intruder,” she applauded, once again putting Lily in the spotlight. Lily bit their lip, and curtsied politely, even just to avoid their curious glances. “Do feel free to tip our fantastic musician, and grab some food on your way out. Us both will be about should you want to chat.”

Ugh. Of course Lily wasn’t going to get to just rest.

The rest of the night was a blur. Lily tried to keep their answers short and succinct. They didn’t need anyone trying to find them after they’d leave first thing tomorrow. Besides, they knew that look in people’s eyes. They wanted a piece of Lily for themself, possibly permanently.

People filed out, making their ways home. It truly did seem like some people ‘led’ their couples while they others either stayed silent and obeyed commands mindlessly. Lily’s heart sped up. They hoped, desperately, that wouldn’t be them.

So do I, Kassandra said, Let’s get out of here once we know we’re not being watched anymore.

Eventually, everyone was gone, including the pianist. The only people left in the giant mansion were Lily, and this Mistress. Their heart rate quickened and their body felt... warm. What was this allure they were feeling? This woman hadn’t acted in a way that earned her these feelings, and yet...

They weren’t sure what they felt, except for ‘frazzled’ and ‘bewildered’.

“S-so... um...”

“A place to stay. Yes, a deal’s a deal, and you were a half-decent dancer for someone with seemingly two left feet. I’ll show you to the guest room.”

Lily didn’t comment on the insult once again and simply followed the woman. It was entirely possible she was leading them to some kind of dungeon or torture chamber. Lily knew that. It would have been easier to break away now.

So why didn’t they?

Luckily, the room they were led to wasn’t a sex dungeon. And somehow, there were already pyjamas in Lily’s size neatly folded on the bed. Or, a singular pyjama - a silky dress. But no underwear. Of course. And it wasn’t anything overly skimpy or revealing. Thank the gods. They walked in and was about to sit down, when—

“You know, doll, if you beg enough, you might be allowed to stay here longer.”

Lily’s heart dropped into their stomach. The promise of shelter... no. They’d have to be this woman’s dance slut or whatever. This was too ridiculous and dangerous. Suddenly they became vividly aware, again, of the fact their bottom half was completely open for use. They laughed nervously before answering, “s-sorry. I don’t like being in one place for too long. B-but, uh, I appreciate the offer.”

“Hm.” The Mistress clicked her tongue. “I don’t believe I’ve given you my name.”

That was right. Lily would prefer to not debase themself by constantly referring to her as ‘Mistress’. “W-what’s your name?”

She didn’t respond. Instead, she walked up to Lily, closer than they ever wanted. Lily cautiously stepped back until they hit a wall.

They could hear their heart beat.

They clutched their legs together, trying to avoid showing their traitorous arousal.

She flashed her fangs.

This woman was dangerous. They needed to run, now.

Lily struggled, trying to weasel their way out of being pinned to the wall. But then—

It happened.

Their lips connected deeply, as the Mistress held Lily’s head in place. Lily struggled for a second, their breath becoming labored from panic. Their eyes rolled up, then closed harshly until tears formed. Their legs shook, from the cardio, arousal, and fear, and threatened to give out on them. They probably would have collapsed were they not being held up.

And then—

Lily felt a prick in their lip. They moaned an “ow!” into the kiss, a kiss they’d now resigned themself to. The bite was hard enough to break skin, bringing out blood. Was that what she was after?

She just wanted to hurt Lily.

Of course.

Everyone did.

As their lips separated, the Mistress licked up the blood pouring out of Lily’s lower lip. She clicked her lips, smiling, a faint bit of Lily’s blood showing on her teeth.

Lily instantly collapsed onto the floor, their entire body shaking.

“My name is Magnolia,” she said. Lily could barely register what she was saying, but they did hear her name, and made sure not to forget it, ever. “But, you should still call me Mistress, unless you’d like another punishment.”

No thanks, Kassandra seethed from inside Lily’s mind. This was a horrible idea. Another Lily classic!

Magnolia didn’t wait for Lily’s response. “Have a deep slumber, plaything.”

She didn’t wait for them to respond. It took a few seconds for Lily to fully register whatever Magnolia said to them. They felt dizzy. Dizzy, confused, anxious, and like they couldn’t sit still. It’d be a miracle if they got a lick of sleep that night.

Don’t undress, Kassandra warned. She’s most likely recording this, or some shit. Hell, put the garment in between your legs so you have something covering you.

“Fuck,” Lily hissed. “You’re right.” They hated the idea of sleeping in this girly dress, but they could change back to their usual clothes and leave immediately. Or leave naked. At this point, that was better.

They collapsed on the bed. Ugh, of course it was criminally comfortable. And yet, they had a feeling it’d take at least an hour for them to sleep.

Lily breathed in, and out. And finally, the tears began to flow. They choked out sobs, labored breaths, as they curled into the plush pillow and pulled the blankets over them. They cried, and cried, and cried, until their body was all worn out and naturally fell asleep.

Even in their dreams, they felt like they were being watched.