Lex was addressed, for the third time that morning, as “Alex” by a coworker, and for the life of her she couldn’t understand why that felt so alien and wrong.

It was what her colleagues called her; what she’d asked them to call her. She’d worked there for nearly three years. It should be second nature; instead, every time she heard it, it took maybe a half second to realise they meant her.

She didn’t like it at all.

For the third time she opened her mouth to say some variant of “Jamie, it’s Lex,” and for the third time, the words never made it past her lips (her luscious lips, she seemed to remember a voice saying any time she thought of them) and her mind wandered off after the thing she’d been asked or told.

“Oh, yeah,” she said. “Actually a really good weekend. I spent Saturday trying out meditation and you’d be amazed the difference it makes.”

And then she favoured Jamie with a warm smile and offered him a home-baked cookie, the product of a surprisingly domestic Sunday. He seemed surprised, but he jumped at the opportunity for free sugar, and after he’d bit into it she heard him give an “Mmmm,” and nod to himself. It made her feel proud; a much better reaction than Sheila’s brownies had got last month.

Lex loved to win, even when nobody else thought there was a contest.

The weekend had been good; one of those times where a sudden rush of good feeling had ushered in some self-examination and a desire and a drive to improve her life. The meditation Miss Li’s friend Lewis had led them in had really helped.

…why had they been meditating, again?

She was sure there was a good reason but whatever it was, it wasn’t coming to her. It was probably just that Monday had started off very busy, and she had plenty to do.

After feeling so good all through Saturday afternoon and evening, when Miss Li had messaged her on Sunday morning to say that Lewis was going to lead her in an online meditation session, Lex had willingly accepted an invitation to join.

She’d always agree to let Master Lewis help her meditate, she thought, and did not notice that in the thought Lewis became ‘Master’ Lewis. If she had noticed, she would have wondered many things, and she did not want to have to wonder. She wanted to be helped to meditate. She wanted Lewis to do it.

There was such peace and stillness in meditation. Her thoughts didn’t get in the way.

On Sunday afternoon she had found herself thinking about the times Miss Li had been frustrated with her. The times she had known better. The times she’d made it clear.

It didn’t seem so clean, so obvious. It was partly that Miss Li had effortlessly countered her throw. But also, she found herself remembering how well Miss Li meditated, and even though she was new to meditation and did not fully understand it, she was aware that Miss Li meditated better.

Which raised the worrying, uncomfortable idea that she might do other things better.

*

Miss Li enjoyed her morning jog much more now that she’d started taking into account the reactions those around her had to her body. She didn’t know who half of these people were, but she knew exactly what they were thinking when they saw her bounce past cheerfully, and every tempted thought she registered sent a shiver down her spine and a squirm spreading out from a wet, needy pussy that loved her workout routine more every day she repeated it.

Mondays were, unfortunately, busy days, if only because Master Lewis always had much more to do than he should; the longer they’d known each other and the more he hypnotised her, the less time he seemed to have at weekends to get done the things that needed to get done.

By the time he was firmly at work, though, and she was on to her workout routine, everything settled into the strange peace she always felt when she was able to let herself go and lapse into being the person Master Lewis knew she could be.

It was strange how Miss Li was still the factor that prevented her achieving that most often; when she allowed herself to second-guess, when she allowed her own opinion to affect how she behaved, she was more likely to fall short of what Master Lewis wanted.

She knew this, but she still needed his help, his hypnotic power over her, to push her to simply accept his wishes.

Except, now, his wish that she respond to the desire of those around her, for her. It was hard for her to imagine now that she’d ever considered people’s opinion of her body irrelevant.

It was the people who were irrelevant; they didn’t belong to Master Lewis, they didn’t have a purpose, they weren’t privileged as she was. But their desire was proof that Master Lewis’ tastes were correct, and (she now understood) the fact that they wanted her and he had her made Master Lewis hard.

Miss Li fulfilled her purpose when Master Lewis was hard. She’d learned this only recently; it had been in the test he’d set her on Sunday, to see whether she was ready to move beyond blank belt.

She’d been surprised to hear herself saying it, over and over, but in hindsight it had been a rare flash of insight. An idea belonging to her (sometimes she doubted that, but there was no memory in her head of it happening) that lived up to the standards Master Lewis demanded.

She didn’t think Lex remembered any of that. It was hard to be sure, though; Master Lewis assured her that the deeply hypnotised would often entirely forget whole conversations, that some forgot everything, and that others would forget when urged; that very few kept their memory no matter what.

She knew Master Lewis had told her this, and she knew Master Lewis was always right. But somehow she (feared) doubted that he might not have the measure of Lex.

She wasn’t sure Lex was either weak-willed enough for Master Lewis to get by or, like herself, a willing subject happily going along with the teachings imparted by her Master.

*

Lewis had cancelled two of his appointments that day, just to buy some extra time to think. His first work with Alexandra had been almost instinctual, based only on the information and insight he could coax out of Miss Li ahead of time.

Over their two sessions he’d confirmed that his first instinct had been largely correct, but you couldn’t be successful on a first instinct alone. Now he had some more insight into what made her tick, he had sat down with a notepad. He didn’t use notepads often; he hated his own handwriting. But what he was doing here wasn’t something he was willing to commit to a work computer.

He was listing out everything he’d learned about Alexandra’s insecurities, desires, fears and goals. If Miss Li was anything to go by, given enough time he could make any of those serve him; all the same, he still had to get the opportunity first.

He wasn’t confident that would be easy. But now Miss Li had brought someone to him, without him even coaxing her to do so, he was confident it could be done. If Miss Li had been pushed that far, then there was the potential to push anyone anywhere.

Given time, that was; given the chance to properly indoctrinate them, and given assurances you’d put your foot wrong as little as you possibly could.

So how did he get Alexandra to offer up enough of her time that the indoctrination could begin?

*

"You can only be the best,” Miss Li droned emptily, “if you always do it right.”

The two of them sitting cross-legged in front of one another, Miss Lex was staring helplessly into Miss Li’s glassy eyes, willing herself to fall so long that she could be as deep or deeper than her martial arts tutor. The world around her seemed unreal and irrelevant, only the deep state of meditation mattered.

She barely even noticed herself respond “I can only be the best if I always do it right.”

“You can only be the best if you always do it right.”

“I can only be the best if I always do it right.”

“You can only be the best if you always do it right.” Miss Li’s enunciation was perfect. Lex, on the other hand, was starting to slur her words, though she hadn’t noticed that for herself.

“I can only be the best if I always do it right.”

She was vaguely aware of motion behind Miss Li’s head, Master Lewis tapping Miss Li’s shoulder. A signal of some kind.

“Master Lewis knows what’s right,” Miss Li said.

Miss Lex had the strange sensation of being on a ledge, of the chance of something dropping away. A point of no return.

She didn’t understand where this sensation was coming from, however, so she said “Master Lewis knows what’s right,” because echoing Miss Li was about as complex a thought as she could handle under the circumstances.

“Master Lewis knows what’s right.”

“Master Lewis knows what’s right.”

*

Lewis didn’t give Miss Li the signal to move on until he was no longer hearing that fractional hesitation in Miss Lex’s voice before each repetition.

In his estimation, this was - had been - the riskiest part of it all. If Lex pushed back hard enough, they might not be dealing with Lex but with Alexandra. That would be a very different challenge, and probably not one with a good solution.

But once he heard Lex agree that he knew what was right without that hesitation, he felt a lot more confident. He tapped the back of Miss Li’s neck again and enjoyed the immediate shift in her prompts. “You need to be guided by Master Lewis.”

“I need to be guided by Master Lewis.”

“You need to be guided by Master Lewis.”

“I need to be guided by Master Lewis.”

“You need to be guided by Master Lewis.”

“I need to be guided by Master Lewis.”

Another tap. “You are our eager student.”

“I am your eager student.”

“You are our eager student.”

“I am your eager student.”

Lewis smiled, and tapped Miss Li again. “You can only be the best by learning from the best.”

“I can only be the best by learning from the best.”

“You can only be the best by learning from the best.”

“I can only be the best by learning from the best.”

Lewis spoke this time. “You must work hard to live up to our standards.”

“I must work hard to live up to your standards,” she answered. There had been no hesitation to any response now for quite some time.

“Your whole focus is on learning and earning your progress.”

“My whole focus is on learning and earning my progress,” Miss Lex answered. With every repetition, there was less emotion to her voice. Less personality.

Less self.

“You work harder for us than anyone else.”

“I work harder for you than anyone else.”

“Nothing else matters.”

“Nothing else matters.”

Lewis smiled and gave Miss Li a nod. “It’s almost time,” he said softly.

“It’s almost time,” Miss Lex echoed, unthinking. Lewis hadn’t intended that, but after a moment’s consideration he was happy enough to have heard it.

It could be an opportunity.

“You’re so close to being the best,” he told her.

“I’m so close to being the best.”

“Total dedication is needed.”

“Total dedication is needed.”

“Total devotion is needed.”

“Total devotion is needed.”

“Devote yourself to me.”

“I devote myself to you.”

“Devote yourself to me.”

“I devote yourself to you.”

He could just make out Miss Li whispering the same words along with her. Wondered how much that was just her being caught up in it all, and how much was her feeling the same effects.

“Very good,” he said at length. “Sink for me, both of you.”

He watched as Miss Lex’s eyes rolled back up in her head, jaw slackening.

*

Miss Li and Lex walked in slow, not-quite-synchronised file up to the instructors’ end of the big dojo room, where Master Lewis waited. Both wore their gis open at the waist, unaware of this fact; Lex’s bra powder blue, Miss Li’s bra entirely absent.

The gis being open, neither was secured by belt. Miss Li wore hers against the bare skin of her belly; Lex’s belt was nowhere to be seen.

They fell into position side by side and bowed.

Lewis waited for a long moment, looking between the two of them, trying to read what showed in their faces - which, as deeply entranced as they were, wasn’t much.

But he wanted them to feel this moment; to understand, emotionally, the weight he wanted it to carry. This was a ceremony.

“Miss Li,” he said, first. “Step forward.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.” Obedient as ever, she took one pace forward, then brought her other foot up level. She brought her hands together, palms and fingers pressed against each other in salute, and she then became fully motionless.

He gave her a smile, saw the tiny flicker of proud response in her eyes. “What rank are you, Miss Li?”

“My rank is blank belt, Master Lewis.” His eyes had been on Lex as she spoke, finding it more important to see her reaction, if any, to a rank she’d never heard of before.

If there was any reaction it was buried beneath the bubble of emptiness he’d planted in her head, allowed to grow until it displaced thought and even personality.

“And you have a blank belt you wear as a mark of pride in that rank?” he asked.

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“Remove it.”

That had to be a nervewracking instruction for her to receive, but she did not hesitate; letting her gesture of salute drop, her hands went immediately to the belt and undid the knot holding it in place. “Yes, Master Lewis.”

She drew it out from under her gi and gathered it into a double loop, then fell still again, holding her belt loosely in one hand.

He reached out for it. “Give it to me,” he directed.

“Yes, Master Lewis.” She placed the belt into his open palm. As if strings had been cut once she was relieved of her burden, her arms dropped limply back to her sides. Her eyes regarded him with an empty blankness in which he could see conditioned, infinite trust.

“What rank is Lex, Miss Li?”

“She holds no rank, Master Lewis.”

“Then she cannot be as good as you, can she?”

“No, Master Lewis.” He was watching Lex again, and he saw that this comment made her flinch; all the same, she retained her posture, and she didn’t rise from trance.

“We will teach her,” he said, as a way of reassuring the newer initiate into their grand hypnotic experiment.

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“We will make her forget her previous mistakes.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

He turned to Lex. “You will forget your mistakes.”

“Yes, Master Lewis,” she answered him.

“You will unlearn your weaknesses.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“You will learn better technique.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“You will learn better aspirations.”

A brief hesitation, born of confusion, he thought. “Yes, Master Lewis.”

“You will learn better behaviour.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“Miss Li is better than you. To be the best you must behave more as she does.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.” There was a shift in the way she stood, almost imperceptible; something in the set of her shoulders. He’d spent enough time working with people who were grappling, uncertainly, with the hidden desires and fears they carried around to recognise someone feeling energised and enthusiastic; he was energised himself by the confirmation.

“Well done, Lex. You’re learning.” He gave her a nod and turned back to Miss Li. “As are you, Miss Li.”

“Thank you, Master Lewis.”

“Miss Li, do you have a clearer understanding of who you are than you did when you achieved the blank belt?”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“Tell me that understanding.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.” Unconsciously, she drew in a deep breath. “I am someone lucky to be hypnotised, so lucky to be conditioned. Only Lex and I know what others are missing. I don’t have a mind of my own, but I have a purpose. Not many people have a purpose. But I serve Master Lewis. I obey Master Lewis.

“I am more than a plaything. I am a tool. And I maintain myself at all times for optimal use. I want to be the very best I can for Master Lewis,” she said. “The best fighter. The best teacher. The best lover. The best slut.”

“Very good,” Lewis said, amusement in his voice. “Miss Lex, were you listening?”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“You understand what must be done to be the best?”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“Very good. Very good indeed. Miss Li, these are the duties and the aspirations of a blank belt, are they not?”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“So as you rise through the ranks, your duties and aspirations will grow.”

“Yes, Master Lewis,” she agreed, and Lewis was sure he heard eagerness in her blank monotone, somehow.

He turned away and picked up a yellow belt he’d looted from the dojo supplies. “Miss Li, remove your gi.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.” She shrugged the jacket off, letting it fall behind her. The difference in the level of care she took with it compared to the care and respect she had offered her blank belt was obvious.

She stood bare from the waist up, but the only reason she felt naked was that her blank belt had been taken from her.

“Lex,” Lewis continued, “are you attracted to women?”

“No, Master Lewis.”

Briefly, he entertained thoughts of trying to change that directly, but it seemed unlikely that could work - and why would he risk embarrassment in that way?

“Do you nonetheless recognise Miss Li is an attractive woman?”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

He saw Miss Li straighten, very slightly, at the idea, and knew she was still responding to the arousal protocols he’d been pushing. Playing the two of them off each others’ weaknesses, using them to fuel each others’ conditioned drives… working with two women at once opened up so many possibilities that it was almost a shame he hadn’t thought of it himself.

“And you will always do what is right?”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“So if told to, you would do anything I asked to Miss Li’s body?”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“Very good.” He smiled. “You will have to do things that you do not yet expect to become the best. It’s good to see you already understand this.”

“Thank you, Master Lewis.”

He turned back to Miss Li. “Miss Li,” he said, “the duties and aspirations of a blank belt you have mastered. We now progress.” He stepped forward, reaching out and running a hand over her bare breasts, and then slipped the yellow belt around her waist and tied it in place. “You rise in rank. You are now marked as Gold, because you think as you are told.”

“Thank you, Master Lewis.” She brought her hands back together in salute, then bowed from the waist.

“Why are you a gold belt?”

“Because I think as I am told.”

Lewis smirked. “Very good. You have two additional duties. The first is that we will start producing videos for wider consumption. Your drive to be admired and lusted after means you will become a sex object online.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.” Her expression and tone did not change; she accepted the change in her duties as a part of the change in her rank.

“The second duty is to make your house ready for me to move in. Your duties will then become constant.”

“Yes, Master Lewis. Thank you, Master Lewis.”

He hadn’t expected the thanks; for a moment he wondered about asking her to explain, but this ceremony needed him to present total certainty, total authority. So much of both Miss Li and Lex’s progress was founded on their belief that he was always right.

He nodded again. “Back in line, Miss Li,” he said. “Miss Lex, step forward.”

Miss Li bowed again and fell back a pace. Immediately following that, Lex took her step forward and brought her hands together in front of her, but not in the salute. She hadn’t been taught, and hadn’t yet hat the opportunity to see the details.

Lewis smiled all the same. “Lex,” he began, “we both recognise, do we not, that you are only newly embarked on this path?”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“You have a long way to go.” He made sure of eye contact, even though hers were empty, in case it mattered. “You will work hard to be better.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“You want what Miss Li has, don’t you?”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

It was clearly so easy for her to agree now. Swept along on ceremony and deep, deep trance, everything they did bought her in to her new path more firmly.

And Lewis had every confidence that as well as her desire to be the best and to be known to be the best, Miss Lex nursed a very strong streak of the urge to double down on her decisions. Having used the first to divert her from her old course, he believed the second would be key to keep her on this new path.

Any friend who challenged her on her new obsession and any strange behaviour that emerged from it would, to Lex, be more reason to keep going. Once she emerged the other side and was seen as the best, she’d have vindication; at least, that’s the way he was sure she’d see it.

“Lex, remove your gi.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.” She shrugged the jacket off, letting it fall behind her.

This was the most he’d had the chance to see of her body so far, the sexual side of things having been furthest from the levers he was using to steer her. She had a tattoo, evidently, on her left shoulderblade; he could just see the edges spilling over onto her shoulder.

If not for the ceremonial atmosphere, he would have stopped to look and explore. As it was… well, for a short time he was as bound to the process as they were bound to his will.

Instead, he debated one more step. Decided that, yes, she had already been pushed far enough for it to work. Especially as part of a ceremony, where the other supplicant was already topless. “Remove your bra.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.” Her hands left their not-quite-salute again, reaching behind to unhook the bra. She slipped it from her shoulders and took it away with one hand, letting it fall to her side, her hands hanging limply by her side, as if left without anything to animate them.

He turned back briefly to where he’d prepared his presentation and picked up a new white belt.

“Lex,” he asked, “what rank do you hold?”

“I hold no rank, Master Lewis.”

“Wrong,” he said. “And I would know, because…?”

Both women spoke simultaneously, their voice a whispered, needy drone. “Master Lewis is always right.”

He stepped closer and tied the white belt around her waist. “You now hold the rank of blank belt,” he told her.

“Thank you, Master Lewis.”

“You understand the duties and desires of the rank?”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“You want to be the very best you can be for me.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“The best fighter. The best student. The best lover. The best slut.” It was almost an identical list to the one Miss Li had already recited from her mantra; Miss Lex should already feel halfway committed even to the sexual side.

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

“You will let nothing stand in the way of achieving your duty.”

“Yes, Master Lewis.”

He grinned. Leaned forward. Kissed unresisting, unthinking lips.

“Very good,” he said. “Sink for me, both of you. Sink deep.”

He watched as Lex’s eyes rolled back up in her head, jaw slackening. He stepped behind her, looked at her shoulder; saw that the tattoo was a phoenix, and nodded thoughtfully to himself. That would be easy to incorporate.

*

Lex’s phone chimed. Scooping it up with one hand she rose and made her way from her kitchen to her bedroom, the vegetables for her meal abandoned and forgotten, half-chopped, a pan of water on to boil neglected.

She settled herself down on the bed and clicked the link.

She recognised the dojo, of course. She recognised the white leggings Miss Li had been wearing in place of the correct pants for her role for some time, and certainly she recognised the gold belt around her waist.

Miss Li’s chest was almost bare, with only a pair of white nipple tassels in place. Her long hair hung over one shoulder in a tight braid, tied off with a ribbon the same yellow as her gold belt. It emerged from a hole atop the white hood she wore, which otherwise showed only her eyes and her mouth, the lips of which were gaudily glossed a vibrant scarlet.

She stood in ready stance, feet apart, arms bent and drawn back, hands held in upside-down fists, looking directly and intently at the camera.

She inclined her head and the caption Good Evening, Class flashed up on screen.

Miss Li began to thrust her hips back and forth as if fucking - or being fucked - while otherwise maintaining ready stance. As she did, the caption was replaced with, Madame X is a respected combat trainer with over twenty years of martial arts training.

As her eyes widened and she began to whimper and moan with pleasure Then it was replaced again with, If you watch closely, you may learn something.

Lex watched intently as Miss Li’s movements became less and less controlled. Instead of a disciplined combatant, she was turning into a needier and needier mess until she dropped to her knees, crying out.

The caption read, To understand someone, you need to see their defences down.

She reached into her leggings and slowly, awkwardly, produced a remote-control vibrator. The bulk of it had to have been tucked away out of sight behind her. The caption changed again, saying You need to look below the surface.

Lex was not aware of it, but as she watched her mouth was open, three of her fingers in it, as she sucked and fellated her imagined and idealised picture of Master Lewis’ cock.

Meanwhile, Miss Li had stood again. Facing the camera, she bowed to it, then fell into a defensive stance and began to perform her uchikomi, showing impeccable, reflex-drilled technique.

There would have been nothing erotic about it at all, except for the way she was dressed and the way the tassels bounced.

The caption read, Madame X is taking requests for training.

A moment later it was replaced again with, Leave a comment and tell Madame X if you want her to teach you technique or see her be trained.

And lastly, as she smiled and bowed once again, Paid opportunities coming soon.

Lex copied the link and opened her own new social accounts. It was time to start linking and hashtagging, just as Master Lewis had directed her.

*

“Very good,” Master Lewis told Miss Li after reviewing the video. He looked down to where she knelt between his thighs, head bobbing up and down on his cock. “You’ve done well.”

Her mouth left his cock for just a moment to say “Thank you, Master Lewis,” and she then returned to her worship. Her hands hadn’t left her gold belt; even three days on from being gifted it, she couldn’t quite believe it had happened, couldn’t believe she’d risen in the ranks.

She couldn’t believe how well Lex was coming along, either. It was obvious she was weak willed; Master Lewis had broken through her ego in no time, started shaping her into someone better through holding the chance to be the best in front of her, and this despite Lex’s ego being one that would never let her put someone else first.

As she ran her tongue across the underside of Master Lewis’ cock, Miss Li decided that Lex must just have no willpower at all, or even Master Lewis wouldn’t have been so effective.

After all, the only reason he was able to condition her so well was that she’d known she needed his help, she’d been the one to ask him to change her.