Richard looked up at Cassandra. "So, do you still think hypnosis is fake?"

Cassandra scoffed. "Yes, obviously! It's just a bunch of fake mumbo jumbo that some people somehow convinced themselves worked on them! It doesn't work on you if you just ignore it!"

Richard raised an eyebrow. "So... Why are you wearing a maid outfit then?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Because I want to? Can't a girl just want to look sexy for herself?" She adjusted her spiral-adorned apron.

"...And you wanted to clean the house, too?"

Cassandra glared incredulously at him. "Of course I did! It's filthy, somebody needs to clean it!" Her rainbow featherduster glinted in the sunlight.

"And you're sure you came up with this opinion entirely on your own."

"No, not entirely on my own! Mistress pointed it out, and I agree!"

"...You're calling her 'Mistress' now? Despite being completely unhypnotized?"

Cassandra sighed in exasperation. "It's her nickname! There's nothing wrong with calling a friend by her nickname!"

"Friend? You only just met her today."

"And we hit it off very well! She's such a wonderful, beautiful, intelligent, clever lady, even despite her superstitious beliefs in hypnosis and magic!"

Richard snorted. "Ah, and magic still isn't real too?"

Cassandra stared down at him, annoyed. "'Still' isn't real? That implies it could suddenly become real, that the laws of the universe could suddenly just stop working! It's pure superstition made up by ancient people that didn't know how things worked!"

Richard started giggling. "So... How do you explain your new wings then?"

Cassandra gave him a condescending look. "It's a costume, dipshit. They aren't real." She fluttered her large, rainbow bird wings, the sun glinting off the impossibly shiny feathers.

Richard couldn't contain his laughter. "Then how did you fly up onto the roof with them?"

"I didn't fly! I used the ladder, obviously!" She waved over at the other side of the roof, and its conspicuous lack of any ladders.

Richard nodded, grinning. "Right, yeah, of course, got it."

Cassandra sighed loudly. "Now, if you're done asking me stupid questions, then can you shut up? I'm trying to focus on cleaning the chimney!" She continued dutifully dusting the outside of the chimney. 

Richard laughed again and went to sit next to his sister under the pagoda. Katy grinned at him and clicked her fingers, telekinetically clearing a seat for him. She laughed. "Wow, you weren't kidding about her."

Richard nodded, laying back and watching Cassandra clean their roof. "Yeah, I told you I wasn't exaggerating. This isn't even the worst I've seen her be."

They sat in amused silence for a while, eating some delicious snacks and watching the ridiculous display, until Richard quietly spoke up. "...Thanks for agreeing to do this..."

Katy giggled. "No, thank you for showing me such a fun subject! I've been wanting somebody new to practice my spells on, and she's perfect! Getting her to stop picking on you is only fair!"

Richard smiled. "...You're welcome, then!"

Katy waved up to Cassandra. "I think the house is clean enough! Come on down, little birdie~!"

Cassandra, obviously entirely of her own free will, flew down from the roof using her definitely not real functional bird wings. She stood in front of Katy, her signature look of condescending smugness undercut by the soft glazed look in her eyes. "Yes, it looked clean to me too, Mistress. Is there anything else you want to point out to me?"

Katy held up a teacup. "Well, this teacup is quite empty, and it's not good to be out in the sun without something to drink, don't you think?"

Cassandra took the teacup. "Yes, that was a big mistake on your part. I'll go fill it up for you."

Katy grinned as she watched the totally not hypnotized maid go to get her more tea, and Richard looked over at her. "So, how long are you planning on keeping her like this?"

Katy shrugged. "Not sure yet. I'll let her go soon, but I think she needs the comeuppance. Plus," she grinned, "Given how easily she dropped, I feel like she might be into this a bit, deep down. I might be able to get her to be a guinea pig without even hypnotizing her at some point!"

Cassandra returned with the tea and politely handed it to Katy. "I got you some tea, Mistress. Is there anything else you want to point out to me?"

Katy deviously grinned and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds. "It looks like you're getting really hungry, little birdie~ You should eat up for Mistress."

Cassandra nodded. "Of course, I am pretty hungry, especially after cleaning the whole dang house!" She leaned down and began eating the sunflower seeds out of Katy's palm, pecking at it like a chicken.

Katy and Richard laughed uproariously, but then Katy noticed the sun going down. She glanced up at her completely un-entranced birdie. "My brother doesn't have a watch, you'll need to tell him what time it is~"

Cassandra paused in her pecking to look at her phone. "Really? Idiot." She glared over at Richard. "It's 5:23 PM." Katy smiled slyly at her brother. "Almost 5:30..."

Richard averted his gaze. "I can put off studying for a few minutes... I'm having fun with you!"

Katy shook her head, clucking her tongue while her birdie just clucked. "No no no, I seem to recall you telling me you had a test tomorrow! And you asked me to never let you skip studying for tests~"

Richard nervously glanced around anywhere but at Katy. "Yeah I know, but, uh, I've got this in the bag already probably! I'm smart, and... and..." Despite his efforts, his eyes locked onto Katy's finger, slowly moving up, til it was at eye level with him.

Katy began speaking in her soft, mystical tone. "Yes, you're so smart~ You're such a Smart Cookie~ And do you know what Smart Cookies do~?"

Richard sighed, reluctantly choosing to make the responsible choice. "Smart Cookies watch the Sweet Spirals..."

Katy giggled and began smoothly moving her finger in a circle. A shimmering light emitted from her fingertip, tracing a hypnotic spiral in the air. "That's right~! Smart Cookies watch the Sweet Spirals~ Smart Cookies watch them go round and round like a clock, tick-tock tick-tock~! Smart Cookies let the Sweet Spirals lull them into a Sugary Studying Sleep, so they can study and become even Smarter Cookies~! Don't you want to become the Smartest Cookie~?"

Richard sleepily nodded, his eyes reflecting the spirals and a relaxed smile on his face. "Yes... I want to become the Smartest Cookie..." 

Katy clicked her fingers. "Then go Bake your Brain, Smart Cookie~!"

Richard got up from his seat in a calm, focused trance, and instinctively walked towards his room. He sat down and stared at his textbook, all unnecessary thoughts and distractions faded from his mind. This was one of the great things about having a magical hypnotist for a sister: Never having to worry about blowing off studying. Annoying as it could be, he was very glad he'd asked her to keep doing it for him. His grades were never better.

Back in the yard, Katy finished feeding seeds to her little birdie. "You know, it's getting awfully late. We should probably rest."

Cassandra adjusted her headband after it had nearly fallen off from all the pecking. "It's only 5:30, Mistress. That's not late."

Katy grimaced slightly at the condescension, but it soon turned into a sly grin. "Oh, I don't know, you look like you need some sleep, little birdie~ Don't you have a test early tomorrow~?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but I don't need to sleep this early. I'll just chug some energy drinks and it'll be fine."

Katy shook her head. "No, no, you need to sleep to ensure you're as smart as can be~! And as a hypnotist, I can help you fall asleep very quickly~"

Cassandra scoffed. "You already tried this, and let me remind you, it didn't work! Trying it again won't change things!"

Katy pouted. "Aww, come on, just one more chance~? And if I don't hypnotize you this time... I'll be your personal chauffeur for a week!"

Cassandra's eyes widened. "Really?! Oh, you’re on then!" She sat down. "Go on, try and fail! I could really use a ride!"

Katy grinned. "Alright, let's try something different this time~ Instead of my finger, you'll focus on..." she removed her crystal necklace, "This lovely thing~! Now watch it swing~"

Cassandra, possessing an undeniably powerful will, instantly locked on to the movements. "Okay, now what? It's just swinging back and forth."

Katy softly chanted an incantation, and the crystal suddenly began to leave a trail of shimmering light. "Just watch it swing~ Back, and forth~ Let it drown out everything~ Back, and forth~ Watch the crystal's alluring dance~ Back and forth, back and forth~ Now fall into a Hypnotic Trance~ Back, and forth, and back, and *Click* Night night~"

 Cassandra fell limp, her usual smug expression now replaced by a docile smile. She looked adorable like this, but Katy couldn't enjoy that right now. She had suggestions to implant! Although... Her hair did look awfully caressable... Maybe she had a little time to enjoy her tranced new guinea pig~...