Claude sat in the darkness of his bedroom, behind a wooden desk with a bowl of chocolate mint ice cream resting on his lap. His tired eyes were bathed by the colorful radiation of his old laptop. The device ran slow and hot, sometimes struggling to perform the simplest of tasks. It was in dire need of replacement, but he had too many other expenses to take care of before even considering purchasing a new one. Christmas was around the corner, and he still hadn’t gone shopping. As always, he was going to leave things for the very last day and then curse himself for being in a hurry all the time. It was a vicious cycle he still hadn’t been able to break, and the odds were against him.
It was way past his bedtime. Everyone else in the chatroom had already said good night, leaving him as the sole bastion of that corner of the Internet. Many stories had been told in the last four hours, but he hadn’t paid attention to any of them, his heart and mind holding on to the fragile hope that she might appear. The fear of missing out hung over him like a sharp guillotine ready to come down at any moment. It hurt and made him feel nauseated but that could also be the excessive sugar on his bloodstream talking.
The clock atop the nightstand struck three and he yawned, a sigh whispered to the dusty furniture. He had been waiting long enough and the message was clear. “Another day gone to waste...” he muttered. “Time to hit the sack, I guess.”
As he reached for the mouse to close the browser window and leave his minor obsession behind, the familiar sound of a virtual door opening echoed in his ears, and there she was, the hypnotic angel of his wildest fantasies. Though she couldn’t see him, he combed his hair with his trembling hands, straightened the denim shirt, and sat upright on the rotating chair, staring at her alias and the colorful avatar that went with it. It was the image of a beautiful woman of Russian descent with short black hair and piercing blue eyes. She sat on a silver throne clad in black latex from head to toe with a colorful spiral behind her back. The spiral didn’t move but he liked to pretend it did, its simple yet enticing patterns making him feel horny and helpless. 
The powerful hypnodomme went by the name of Empress Katarina and she was both loved and feared by subs and slaves from every corner of the world. A mutual friend who had the pleasure of serving her over a Summer introduced him to her saying she could make his dreams come true, and he believed him. From the very first day they talked, he was drawn to her exotic charms and found himself thinking about her all the time. The intense feelings caught him by surprise as he had never entertained the idea of mesmerizing submission until that day but there was nothing he could do to stop them. The more they interacted the closer he felt to her to the point of forgoing rest and sleep for five more minutes in her fantastic realm. It was overkill but he didn’t care, already addicted to an idea that began and ended with a countdown into a blissful trance.
Claude had no way of knowing if her avatar was an accurate picture of her or a stylized version of the role she chose as her own but that was beside the point. He loved her and the promises of entrancing lust she awakened in his soul and longed for the day when they came to fruition like promised.
He kept quiet in his bedroom, his hands hovering over the keyboard as he thought about what to type. The silence was unbearable, and he was about to turn tail and flee when she broke it with a question.
Empress_Katarina: Hello. What are you doing here all alone?
“Okay now,” he mumbled, biting his tongue. “It’s just the two of you, so keep it cool. Don’t type anything stupid, you hear? Don’t. Type. Anything. Stupid.”
Lonely-Claude: Hello, Empress. So glad to see you. I was waiting to see if you would come online today.
There was another moment of silence and his heart raced faster than a speeding locomotive. That was okay, right? Had he been too forward or needy? He needed to be careful because she hated annoying people more than anything. He finished his ice cream and tossed the bowl aside. This was his moment. Everything had to go according to plan.
Empress_Katarina: You were? How come? She typed and, for a moment, he imagined her looking down at him from her throne, demanding to know all his innermost secrets with just those four words.
Lonely-Claude: It was something you said the last time we talked. Don’t you remember? 
Empress_Katarina: No, I can’t say I do. Don’t take this the wrong way but I’m a busy woman and I talk to many people every day. Enlighten me.
“Oh...” he thought, a part of him hurt by her revelation. It made sense, of course. She was always on high demand and her time was precious. He couldn’t expect her to recall every single conversation she had online. It still hurt, though. Didn’t he deserve a little more?
“Don’t be an entitled prick and do your thing,” the voice of his consciousness urged him. Claude nodded and typed,
 Lonely-Claude: Ah. of course. Please forgive me but you said you would hypnotize me if I showed up in this chat room for three nights straight at the same hour. Today is the third night and I was wondering if...
He stopped typing and considered editing the last part, but it was too late. She was already writing a reply and it was not the one the one he was hoping for.
Empress_Katarina: I said that? Are you sure? that doesn’t sound like me at all. There’s only so many hours in a day and I don’t hypnotize every person I talk to online no matter how nice they seem to be otherwise I’d go insane. I think you’re mistaken. You must have dreamed it or something. I didn’t say that at all.
Lonely-Claude: No, I remember...
Empress_Katarina: Are you calling me a liar, Claude? 
“Fuck! Oh, no! This is not good. Not good at all,” he thought. “Hurry, there must be a way to salvage this before she gets mad at you! You’ve got this, dude! Take a deep breath and type. Do it!”
Lonely-Claude: I didn’t say that.
Empress_Katarina: It sure felt like it, and I hate being called a liar. Apologize. Now! 
Lonely-Claude: I’m sorry, I didn’t mean... 
Empress_Katarina: Going around telling people I hypnotized you when I never did is also a horrible thing to say. You should apologize for that, too. 
Lonely-Claude: What? But I didn’t... 
Empress_Katarina: Are you back to calling me a liar again after what I just said? What’s wrong with you, huh? You refuse to learn your place and now I’m getting bored. I knew I should have never come here. Goodbye. 
Lonely-Claude: Please don’t go. 
Empress_Katarina: Why should I stay if you insist on treating me as poorly as you’re doing right now? Do you think that’s fair? No, it’s shitty of you and I don’t like shitty men. I’m a Goddess. I’m an Empress. 
Lonely-Claude: But... God, I’m getting confused. 
How had this happened? All he wanted was an opportunity to have some fun with her like she had told him and now it was as if he was Public Enemy No. 1 and deserved to be chastised and punished for all his wrongdoings, even imaginary ones. The quasi-state of euphoria he was in when she entered the chatroom had now turned into a depressive downward slope, a roller-coaster of emotions putting to rest any chance of having a good night’s sleep. He wanted to run, bury his head in the sand, and never be seen anywhere online again but he couldn’t. Honor compelled him to stay. There would be no rest for him until the record was set straight.
Despite not seeing himself as a submissive man, Claude was a bit of a people pleaser. He valued other people’s opinions above his and hated to see someone he cared about disappointed or sad. Tears were the worst because they triggered all-absorbing feelings of inadequacy beyond his control. She couldn’t be mad at him. She couldn’t.
Empress_Katarina: Confused about what? You called me a liar. Twice. You told everyone you knew I would hypnotize you if you came into the chat for three days in a row when I said no such thing. I’m the one who’s confused about your appalling behavior. I thought you were better than this, and my feelings about people are almost always right. You fooled me, Claude. I won’t let it happen again. 
Lonely-Claude: I’m sorry, I’m sorry. This is not how I wanted things to play out today. Is there anything I can do to make things right again? 
Empress_Katarina: You tell me, you’re the one that fucked up, not me. I’m not responsible for your actions nor do I need to find the best way to atone for them. That’s all on you. You did this.
Lonely-Claude: You’re right, I did.
Empress_Katarina: At least you admit it. Okay, you’re in luck because I had a change of heart and decided to be benevolent with you this time around. 
Lonely-Claude: Thank you. 
Empress_Katarina: Don’t thank me yet. I have rules you must abide by if you want to be in my good graces for the foreseeable future. You better learn them and live according to them if you want me to waste any more time with you. Do you understand?
Lonely-Claude: Yes, I do. I shall do as you say.
Empress_Katarina: We’ll see about that. Rule Number 1... never call me a liar again. That’s rude and disrespectful. I don’t tolerate that from anyone let alone a sub, are we clear?
Lonely-Claude: Yes, Empress. I’ll never say that again. I beg your forgiveness for any transgression I incurred tonight.
Empress_Katarina: Rule Number 2... which is also a statement. Everything I say is true. Don’t question me. 
Lonely-Claude: Okay. 
Empress_Katarina: That’s not good enough. You are to repeat what I wrote right now.”
Lonely-Claude: Out loud?
Empress_Katarina: If you can activate your microphone right now, yes. I want to hear the conviction in your voice as you repeat my instructions. If not, you can just type in chat instead. Ten times minimum, but I’ll be more impressed if you type more than that. Oh, and no copy/paste either. It’s either every letter as it should be typed or don’t bother at all.
Lonely-Claude: One moment, please.
Claude cleared his throat. It was the first time he was being this open. His voice was hoarse from shouting numbers at the stock market all day but if that’s what it took to make her happy...
“Can you hear me, Empress Katarina?”
Empress_Katarina: I sure can. Now repeat Rule Number Two and remember: the more times the better.
“As you wish. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is true. I won’t question you. Everything you say is...”
Empress_Katarina: That’s enough for now but I want these words to be on your mind all the time. Remember them whether you’re addressing me, your superior, or not. My words have meaning and they’re the law. To think anything else is blasphemous and will be reprimanded. Do you have questions, Claude?
“No, Empress. I’m looking forward to your next instruction.”
Empress_Katarina: As you should be if you’re to impress me for real. Okay, Rule Number 3 is the last one for now, but I may add additional ones whenever I see fit. You are to come to this chat room every single day at this hour for the next two weeks. If you behave, then maybe... maybe I’ll consider hypnotizing you, understood?
“Yes, Empress.”
Empress_Katarina: Say it again because once is not enough. Will you obey my rules?
“Yes, Empress. I vow to do what you ask of me. I’ll be here as instructed.”
Empress_Katarina: Good. In that case, thank me for showing leniency for your flaws. Being a man is no excuse. You must do better next time, or I won’t be so forgiving.
“I will, Empress. Thank you so much. You’re too kind to me.” The relief in his words was palpable and he was smiling again. He still had a shot at having his dreams come true.
Empress_Katarina: I know. Oh, one last thing. I want you to stay in here for at least half an hour after I leave pondering on what you did wrong tonight. I’ll check the logs later so don’t you dare disobey me.
“I will obey. Thank you once again, Empress, and if you’re leaving, good night.” 
Empress_Katarina: Good night to you, too. 
In the sanctity of his apartment, Claude let out an enormous sigh and turned off his microphone. God, she was so feisty and yet so irresistible. He was tired but half an hour wasn’t that long. He rubbed his hands and leaned backward in the chair. It had been one hell of a night. one he wouldn’t forget anytime soon.
The Empress logged out only to log in again, this time invisible to everyone. She wanted to monitor him, and for now, she was pleased. Unlike what she had told him, she remembered every detail of their conversations quite well. Of all the subs still struggling with his desires she had met since the beginning of the year, he was the most promising one, a soul she could shape into something useful to her with enough time and patience. Amidst the confusing thoughts she had placed in his head, he was counting his blessings, and begging for more. His brainwashing into total submission had begun and, as obedient and eager to please as he already was, it would be fun all the way through.

The End