Jonathan pushed open the door to the laboratory to find three nervous-looking employees awaiting him, all turning to look at him as he entered. "Ah, hello! You three were the ones involved in the incident at Ivory Labs, am I correct?" He said, giving them his best attempt at a reassuring smile.

They all matched the notes he'd been given: Harley, a tall woman he recognized from their research department; Winfrey, the one who normally worked their company's front desk; and Drew, a sheepish young man who'd been unaware of their company's real purpose until the recent incident. Poor thing.

Drew was the first to speak up: "Y-yeah, um. That's us..."

"Wonderful. The company wanted me to tell you they're all terribly sorry for what happened; I'll have each of you back to normal in no time."

He glanced at the large machine that'd been moved into the room, looming over the four of them; something between a dentist's chair and VR helmet. The three employees looked at it with what he at first thought was fear, but... there was something else there. The three were fixated on it.

"...yes, that is what I'll be using. I know it looks scary, but it'll help us undo the brainwashing you poor things had to go through."

"We know what it is," Harley frowned. "That's what they were using to brainwash us... why do we have one of these??"

"Well, um- it is Ivory technology, yes. One of their realignment machines. We had one in storage that we, um... recovered from them when we shut down one of their operations years ago."

Harley leaned away from it, skeptical.

"It's alright, I promise," Jonathan gently reassured her. "I'll just be undoing what they did to you, nothing else. Alright?"

She still seemed hesitant, but Winfrey stood up and took a step towards the machine. "Uh- maybe I can go first, if that'd make you more comfortable!"

"That's a great idea," smiled Jonathan, walking around to the panel in the back of the machine. "We, um, won't need to use these restraints. You should be able to get up and leave if something happens."

That didn't do much to improve anyone's mood, but Winfrey sat themself in the machine, fidgeting. "I... wow... I-I can't believe I'm doing this again. Have you done this before?"

"Well... no, but they did give me plenty of instructions. This lever turns it on..."

It lit up with a low hum, its visor flashing to life while Winfrey was putting it on. They gasped loudly, their body jolting as the full force of the machine's hypnotic colors hit their mind. The other two employees watched them apprehensively, eyes wide.

"To avoid lingering side effects, gradually increase the intensity over a few minutes until the subject's consciousness is suppressed, and don't set the machine to... full power... immediately? W-wait- oh no!" He quickly grabbed the lever and pulled it down to its lowest setting, but Winfrey was already a drooling, shivering mess, limp in the chair and breathing heavily.

"I'm so sorry- um, are you alright?" Jonathan worriedly approached them, frantically apologetic. "W-Winfrey?"

"I.... II... ooohhhhh..." they droned blissfully, still slumped in the chair. The colors were much gentler now, but the flash had still fried their brain quite a bit. "I'mmm... alright..." They said dreamily.

"I'm... um," Jonathan stammered, "I'm so sorry. I'll... g-get on with the rest of the procedure now! It's fine!"

"It's fiiiiine~" they repeated, a smile spreading across their face. Their eyes weren't visible beneath the machine's visor, but they looked completely carefree.

Harley held her face in her hands, hoping to hide her blush. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" 

"I'm- I'm terribly sorry..." Jonathan whimpered a little. "I, um, I'll read the instructions more thoroughly before I..."

Harley stood up and crossed her arms. "How about I do it instead? I've been in the machine before, so I have more experience."

"Are you sure you're not..." Jonathan hesitated, not wanting to antagonize her further. "Y-you know. Compromised?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I don't want to have someone else's programming in my head anymore than the rest of us."

She took the instructions from him and flipped through them, but it didn't seem particularly complicated. She took a breath, preparing to speak in the soothing, convincing tone she remembered from her own programming, and approached the blissed-out Winfrey.

"Winfrey... hey... you feel alright?"

"Yeaahhh... feel gooodd..." 

Harley placed a comforting hand on their shoulder, doing her best to treat the poor thing more gently than Jonathan had. "That's good... you're safe now."

"...gooood... saaafe..."

"Listening to me... I want you to think about everything they put in your head back at Ivory labs." Harley didn't herself remember much of the suggestions she was given, only the experience of her brainwashing; the warm, content feeling of mindless agreement, the disarming voice of her hypnotist.

"...yesss... l..listen and agree..."

"That's... right. Listen and agree with me."

Listen and agree... Harley remembered those words in her own hypnotist's voice. A voice that caressed her mind so gently and made her feel so compliant... her thoughts slowed a little, hearing it now, but she tried to stay focused.

"Th.. the things Ivory labs... said to you. Just forget those things."

"forgettt..."

"All of that brainwashing is gone. You aren't brainwashed anymore."

"I'm not brain..washeddd... I listen and agree..."

"... that's right," Harley said again, her brain taking longer to catch up this time. "Listen and agree."

"Listen and agree..." mumbled Drew under his breath as he watched the deprogramming. Those words were so familiar. So comforting.

"You're... no longer loyal to Ivory Labs. You agree."

"I listen and agreee..." Winfrey nodded obediently. "...no longer... Ivory labs....."

"...listen and... agree..." Harley nodded, expression vacant.

By now this was going wrong enough Jonathan stepped in and tugged her arm a little. "Harley- um, be careful. I think you're slipping."

"I- I'm fine. I'm not slipping." She glared at him nervously. 

"But... you're, um....." 

"Just let me handle this. It's going fine." She could tell something was off, but she wasn't sure what. She just wanted to get it over with.

Drew was sitting next to the machine now, softly rubbing Winfrey's shoulder. "Listen and agree..." they said together.

"L-listen and... agree with me, Winfrey," Harley ordered, trying to regain control of the situation. "You're not brainwashed. Your programming is gone."

"Listenn and agree with youuu... I'm not brainwashed... programming gone.... yesss..."

Winfrey still had a big stupid grin on their face, their tone bubbly and blissful. 

Jonathan frowned. "Okay, um- I think that's enough. You should be more careful with how you word that... we, um, we don't know what kind of side effects..." 

"Right- um, sorry. Do you think they're done?"

They both looked down at the melted Winfrey, and Drew who sat vacantly next to the machine. Harley grabbed the lever and turned it off before lifting the visor off Winfrey and helping them up.

"...mmm... h..hiii, Harleyyy..." Winfrey giggled, eyes unfocused and body slumped. "I feel goooood...."

Jonathan gently nudged Drew awake. "You alright?"

"...AH-" Drew snapped out of his stupor, confused. "What happened? I- I think I zoned out for a minute..."

"It looked like some of that brainwashing was still affecting you. Maybe you should stay away from the machine until it's your turn."

"O-okay... that's- that's a good idea."

Winfrey snuggled into Harley cozily, making her blush. "Harleyyy~ I really... really like your voice~"

"Um- I- th-thanks..." Harley gently pushed them away, but this did nothing to dampen their good mood.

"You should go next! I can work the machine." They giggled eagerly. "I'm not brainwashed, so I should be trusted with it."

"But..."

"Just listen and agree, Harley," they said playfully, too quiet for Jonathan to hear as he comforted Drew on the other side of the room.

"Listen and agree..." she mumbled. Winfrey wasn't brainwashed anymore, so they should be trusted with the machine. Of course. That made sense. She listened. She agreed.

Before Harley could think this over more thoroughly, Winfrey took her hand and guided her to the machine, sitting her down and whispering sweetly.

"Don't you remember how nice it feels in the machine? You'll love it~"

"B-but..."

"Just listen and agree."

"Listenn... and agreee...."

Harley realized something was amiss here, wrong even, but her mind felt so sluggish. She couldn't form a coherent protest before the visor was snugly secured onto her head.

And then it flashed to life.

Gorgeous colors gripped her mind like a snake squeezing its prey, blasting her thoughts into a mush. A shock of pleasure and energy surged through her from what felt like every direction. Her mind couldn't put one word next to another, let alone make any kind of decision. Her body felt like a puddle dripping out of the chair; her mind felt like a supernova of bliss, unable to hold itself together.

Far outside her obliterated awareness, Jonathan looked up with a startled expression as the machine's current victim erupted with breathy, blissful sounds, body twitching excitedly. Winfrey'd thrown the lever to full power even faster than he'd done to them.

"W-what are you doing??" he panicked as he ran towards the lever, but Winfrey stood in his way with the same carefree smile as when they were hypnotized. "It's not supposed to be turned up so high!"

"Huh?" they tilted their head and giggled. "But that's what you did to me and I came out great! She'll be fine!"

"O-only for a few seconds... don't leave her in there so long!"

They ignored him, snuggling into Harley and speaking to her without a hint of caution. "Heyy, Harley... the machine feels gooood, doesn't it?"

"mm.. muhh... chiiine..... gooood..."

"Gooood girl. You just listen and agree with me now~" 

"Listennnnn... agreeeee... youuu~ hhhh~"

Once he realized Winfrey was out of the way, Jonathan quickly turned the lever back down, though he worried the damage was already done. Harley deflated with a dreamy sigh, drool covering her chin.

Drew watched in jealous awe. This had gone so wildly wrong; so much more reckless than the considered, careful, deliberate brainwashing it was supposed to be undoing. There was no way this was good for their brains in the slightest.

And yet... he craved it. As much as Jonathan had tried to pull him back out of trance, those words... listen and agree... lingered in his head. In Harley's voice, in Winfrey's, in the voice of the hypnotists from the lab... it was so tempting to give into those words. To help his fellow victims give into those words.

"You're not brainwashed, Harley. Just like me," Winfrey cooed sweetly into Harley's hypnotized head. "We're not brainwashed. The Machine makes us better... happier."

"D-don't say that..." Jonathan protested uselessly, terribly worried for the woman he was supposed to be helping. But Winfrey didn't listen.

"You're not brainwashed. You're all better now~ just listen and agree~"

"aaalll better... uh huhh... listenn... agreeeee..."

Harley felt wonderful. On top of the world. She didn't even remember being apprehensive about this. How could she have been? The Machine made her better. Happier. Perfect. This was perfect.

Jonathan shut the machine down and pulled her visor off. "N-no more of that! Winfrey, you can't just... put things in people's heads so carelessly like that!"

"Yeah I can," Winfrey smirked at him. "She's not brainwashed anymore. See? I fixed her!" they smiled down at Harley as they pulled her back out of the machine, her gaze unfocused and smile utterly enamoured. "Right, Harley?"

"...hh.. uhhh... yeahhhh~" Harley agreed, even though she hadn't heard whatever Winfrey said that she was agreeing to. She'd been so out of it...

"Drew, it's your turn!" Winfrey beamed at him, making him blush bright red. He stepped towards the Machine in a daze, intoxicated, aroused, by the thought of getting the same treatment both of them did. But his last shred of common sense stopped him - this was so dangerous, so careless. Who knew what would happen to his mind if he gave in?

"Listen and agree~" Winfrey said in such a sweet, melodic tone, and his hesitance evaporated. "Listen and agree," he and Harley replied in hazy unison. 

Jonathan, horrified by the situation unfolding before him, finally found the courage to put his foot down - not knowing it was too little, too late.

"STOP!" he yelled, finally raising his voice enough to get the three brainwashed employees to stop talking over him. They all looked at him wide-eyed. 

"You... y-you three don't have a clue what you're doing! Only I should be operating this machine, okay? We're going to put you back in and fix you the right way." He crossed his arms, glaring at them with what he hoped was an intimidating sense of authority.

For a moment, it almost seemed to work - they hesitated, glancing at each other.

Then Winfrey said, in a casual tone entirely unaware of the weight of what they were about to do to him, "Do you think he's brainwashed?"

"W-what?" Jonathan squeaked fearfully, taking a step back.

"We're not brainwashed anymore... so why would he wanna change us? He must want us brainwashed again." They stood up and smiles at Jonathan with a hungry sparkle in their eye.

Harley nodded eagerly - anything Winfrey said must be true. "Y... yeahh! I think he does!"

"B-but- what?? You know that's not true! Umm... Drew, come on, talk some sense into them."

Drew blinked, almost letting Winfrey convince him until hearing his name snapped him out of it. "...oh... um... I- no, that doesn't make sense, right?" As eager as he was to be in the Machine again... it wouldn't be right to let poor Johnathan get his brain melted. Right?

Winfrey, too, almost went back on their word, but Harley saw the others beginning to doubt and realized she had to stop it. Winfrey couldn't be wrong. Absolutely not. Everyone just needed to be corrected. It was good for them.

"Drew... Winfreyyy... listen and agree with me~"

The other two stopped their own trains of thought as those beautiful words washed over them. "Listen and agree..." they echoed back in a haze. Jonathan covered his mouth, realizing how little power he really had.

Harley shivered with pleasure. This Machine was wonderful. Everything it did was wonderful. Those words were wonderful...

"Jonathan is brainwashed," she said matter-of-factly, without a hint of malice, only bliss. "We should put him in the Machine. We should fix him. Listen and agree."

"Listen and agree," the other two replied again, more convinced this time. 

"w-w-wait wait wait I- y-you aren't going to... t-to..." Jonathan begged softly. He should run, but they were in the way...

Harley laughed warmly, fully convinced she was helping, as she stepped forward and towered over him. "Shhh... it's alright~ I'm so sorry for being so angry earlier... I feel so much better now. And you will too."

A part of him was almost convinced - she was just so genuine. She really thought she was helping him. "B-but..."

"Drew! Winfrey! Come help him into the machine!" she smiled at him, grabbing him with a hungry grin. The other two snapped awake, eager to help.

"W-wait- n-no, I, um-" he stammered helplessly, all three of them snatching him up before he could struggle free. Before he knew it, Drew was holding him down while Harley strapped him into the chair's restraints, Winfrey pulling the visor down over his eyes.

"You'll be so happy soon! You'll love it!" Winfrey giggled as they ran their hands eagerly over the machine's lever. It felt so good to hold this power in their hands.

"You'll be back to normal in just a little while~" Harley reassured him, rubbing his shoulder. He was blushing too now, with how affectionate and well-meaning they were being. They were so lost in their delusion, all he could do was accept what was about to happen. 

Drew lay against him, feeling so safe near the Machine. So excited for it to claim one more mind, then his. He listened and agreed. "We'll both listen and agree..." he said soothingly, closing his eyes.

Winfrey laughed as they threw the lever, overwhelming poor Jonathan's brain. His unwillingness made it feel even more forceful - he felt something in his mind snap that would never be put back together. He would never resist these three again.

And he would never remember why he'd want to.