The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

High Mistress Jing-Mei sat on the couch in a large office located in a the huge house Domina Peggy had given her; the home was located in Peggy’s exclusive neighborhood, The Cliffs, at the end of the cul-de-sac.

“It can be a place for you to take refuge when you are in town and want some privacy,” Peggy had told her.

Jing-Mei had gratefully accepted her spiritual wife’s gift, and immediately set about furnishing and decorating it to her liking.

The beautiful Jing-Mei shifted uncomfortably; she was thirty-six weeks pregnant, due to have her baby any day, any moment. She was wearing a simple yet stylish black midi maternity dress with tank straps and a slit up one side, her long hair up in a messy bun. He wore minimal makeup and a large ruby pendant on long gold chain; her fingernails were painted dark red. She was barefoot, her toenails black and her favorite gold and emerald toe ring her only other piece of jewelry.

“While I have enormously enjoyed this pregnancy, I am also quite ready for it to be over,” Jing-Mei said, shifting about in an attempt to get more comfortable.

“Can I get you anything, Mistress?” Roger asked attentively.

Her handsome suit-clad bodyguard-slave was standing nearby, ready to obey Jing-Mei’s every command.

“Refill my water,” Jing-Mei replied, nodding to the expensive insulated blue container on the coffee table.

“Yes Mistress,” Roger said, immediately moving to obey.

Jing-Mei’s office contained a sitting area as well as a large modern glass desk; in her current state, she was not comfortable sitting in the desk chair, and had opted for the couch while she awaited two peoples’ arrival.

One was her lover Sean, the father of her child, whom she had sent to the grocery store to acquire her latest food craving.

The other was a woman named Jenna Davis.

Jenna was a fitness expert and nutritionist who specialized in postnatal exercise and complete physical recovery and improvement; she was based in San Francisco, but Jing-Mei had offered her twenty-thousand dollars plus all expenses to fly to Boise to meet with her in person.

The Chinese High Mistress was determined to be even stronger and more physically fit after she gave birth than she was before.

Jing-Mei had diligently exercised and trained as much as possible throughout her pregnancy, careful to follow all safety guidelines and limits so she did not endanger her or her baby’s health and safety.

Roger returned and handed Jing-Mei her water bottle; the hypnotist inclined her head slightly, and the handsome well-trained slave reassumed his place standing silently nearby.

Jing-Mei smiled; Roger was an excellent servant, thoroughly conditioned by her hypnotism and utterly obedient. Tall, strong, handsome, skilled in both combat and lovemaking, he had been with her for years and would not hesitate to die to protect her.

In truth, Roger would have made an excellent biological father for her child.

Jing-Mei was grateful he wasn’t.

She’d had sex with Roger countless times since he had become her slave, but she had never allowed him to ejaculate inside her.

If she had, he might have gotten her pregnant years earlier.

Then Sean would not be the father of her child.

Jing-Mei valued Roger as property; she loved Sean.

This is absurd; he is half your age, he is the consort of another hypnodomme, and you are her concubine…., Jing-Mei admonished herself for the hundredth time.

She chuckled softly; her school-girl like crush on Sean had grown into much more, and and she would want no other man as the father of her miracle child.

The High Mistress had embraced the unorthodox situation thanks to Peggy’s enthusiastic support, and she truly could not wait to meet her baby.

Jing-Mei also could not wait to have her body back, which would be a priority after she gave birth.

She smiled when her Thrall Miranda entered the room dressed in a stylish red paintsuit, followed by an attractive, fit woman in her mid-thirties dressed.

“Jenna Davis to see you ma’am,” MIranda said, addressing her Mistress in the manner she did when normals who were uninitiated into the True Hypnotism Community were present.

“Thank you, Miranda. You and Roger may go. Hello, Mrs. Davis, it is nice to meet you in person. Thank you for coming,” Jing-Mei said, rising to her feet with a smile.

She extended her hand as Roger and Miranda silently left the room.

“Thank you, Jing-Mei. It is really nice to meet you in person as well,” Jenna replied, shaking Jing-Mei’s hand.

The two women had spoken over video chat several times.

“Please, join me on the couch if you don’t mind; it is the most comfortable place for me to sit in my condition. I hope your trip was pleasant,” Jing-Mei replied, retaking her seat.

The High Mistress had send her private jet to pick Jenna up in San Francisco.

“Oh my goodness yes! The jet was incredible! I was sorry the flight was so short,” Jenna replied, sitting beside the hypnotist and setting her briefcase on the coffee table.

Jenna was five-foot-six, with wavy shoulder-length auburn hair and light blue eyes. She had an easy, comforting smile and was obviously extremely fit. She wore a simple red tank top and jeans, displaying her toned arms and lovely lightly-tanned shoulders. Her earrings were simple small gold hoops, and she wore a heart-shaped gold pendant around her neck. A large diamond sparkled on her left ring finger, her fingernails short and nicely manicured a pale pink. Around her left ankle was a slender gold chain, and she wore tall cork-wedge sandals; her toenails were dark red, clearly very recently professionally painted.

Jing-Mei approved of her appearance, finding her beautiful in an understated way, subtly sexy.

Jenna radiated confidence; she was intelligent, outgoing and motivated.

“I have to say, at first glance you have kept yourself in excellent shape most of your life, haven’t you?” she asked.

Jing-Mei nodded.

The High Mistress had gained little weight anywhere other than her belly during her pregnancy, and both her arms and legs were as finely-toned as ever.

“I have. I am somewhat fanatical about my fitness to be perfectly honest, which is obviously why I wish to work with you. I am going to need your coaching and expertise to get back into fighting shape as quickly and safely as possible,” she replied.

In truth, Jing-Mei was being modest; she was a world-class athlete, and literally one of the most skilled martial-artists on the planet.

Jenna nodded as she opened her briefcase and took out a tablet.

“Let’s see…you know, I still can’t believe you are over fifty, if you don’t mind me saying. It is really remarkable,” she said, turning on the device and reviewing her notes from her initial consultation with Jing-Mei.

Jing-Mei smiled.

“I don’t mind at all; my OBGYN says the same thing every visit; I have the body of a 35 year old at most,” she said with satisfaction.

“She isn’t wrong. May I ask what you do for a living?” Jenna asked.

“I am a hypnotist,” Jing-Mei replied casually.

Jenna smiled, tapping on her tablet.

“Oh really? A therapist, or a stage performer…?” she asked casually.

“A little bit of both,” Jing-Mei replied pleasantly.

Jenna nodded.

“That is really interesting, actually. My undergraduate degree is in psychology. I had a little exposure to hypnotism, but most of my professors were of the opinion that it was very limited pseudo-science,” she said carefully.

Jing-Mei chuckled.

“I hear that a lot, actually. All I know is that hypnotism has been very good to me,” she said.

“Obviously it has, judging by your home and the private jet. Again, thank you for that, and the extremely generous consulting fee. I would have been happy to do this over video chat for my normal rate,” Jenna replied.

Jing-Mei waved her hand dismissively.

“It was the least I could do. You are considered the best in the field of postnatal fitness and athletic training. I require the best, and I value your time. Twenty thousand dollars is well worth it to me to have you here in person,” she replied casually.

Jenna smiled and blushed slightly at the compliment.

“Thank you, I genuinely appreciate that. Now then, let’s see…we need to figure out a schedule for video chatting. I am thinking three times a week will be sufficient…,” she said, tapping on her tablet again.

Jing-Mei shook her head.

“Actually Jenna, I am planning on you moving here. I will be your only client, at least for the first year after my child’s birth, probably longer. I will require all of your attention and effort to be on me, helping me getting back into prime shape. I know it will be a challenge at my age, and your knowledge is going to be invaluable,” she said matter-of-factly.

Jenna looked surprised, and a little annoyed.

“I…I’m flattered, Jing-Mei. Truly. I am afraid that I cannot do what you are proposing. I have a life in San Francisco; a family, friends, a business,” she said apologetically.

Jing-Mei raised an eyebrow, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

“I will be paying you seventy-five-thousand dollars per month, plus I will be giving you a five-thousand square foot home in the next neighborhood over free and clear. You and your husband cannot pass up that kind of money. I am sure you will settle in Boise nicely,” she said.

Jenna chuckled uneasily.

She shifted in her seat, obviously surprised by the unexpected turn in the conversation.

“I…that is an incredibly generous offer. Truly, it is very tempting…but I can’t just leave my life, uproot my family…,” she said, shaking her head.

It was obvious that she was tempted by Jing-Mei’s incredible offer.

However, Jenna also possessed a sizable ego, and she clearly found Jing-Mei’s assumption that she could be so easily bought offensive and even insulting.

“Your family will adjust quickly,” Jing-Mei said dismissively.

Jenna sighed and shook her head again.

“I’m sorry but my answer is no. You will have to be content with the same access and service all of my clients receive,” she said firmly.

Jenna looked Jing-Mei squarely in the eye, unwilling to back down.

The hypnotist smiled arrogantly.

If only you knew with whom you were truly speaking…, Jing-Mei mused silently.

“Jenna, I am afraid I cannot accept “no” for an answer,” she said calmly.

The hypnotist casually reached up and grasped the long chain of her ruby pendant, lifting it from where it rested between her breasts.

The large gem dangled about four inches below her hand as it began to swing gently back and forth, sparkling invitingly.

Jenna sighed.

“I…I cannot do what you are asking, I am sorry. It is an interesting and immensely generous offer, but it is too…too much of a change too fast. I am sorry but you cannot strong arm me into agreeing,” Jenna said slowly as the ruby reflected the light into her eyes.

Jing-Mei smiled, continuing to casually swing her pendant.

Back and forth.

“You need to relax, Jenna. Relax, and listen to my words…take a nice deep breath in, and let it out slowly as you focus on my words…allowing the glittering ruby to draw your eyes…follow it back and forth and relax…relaxing more and more with every word I speak,” Jing-Mei said in her well-honed hypnotic voice.

Now Jenna chuckled.

“Are you trying to hypnotize me?” she asked incredulously.

The fitness guru frowned as she spoke; she suddenly felt her eyes drawn involuntarily to the sparkling gemstone.

Following it back and forth.

Jing-Mei’s voice was incredibly soothing, and Jenna was surprised that she almost immediately felt the tension leaving her body.

“I am hypnotizing you, Jenna…just keep your eyes on the swinging ruby…back and forth…you cannot look away…watching it swing is so soothing…you want to follow its every move, you must watch it swing back…and forth…a wonderful feeling of relaxation starting in your chest and spreading pleasantly to your arms and legs…all your worries and cares fading…along with your thoughts…you mind becoming blank…hearing only my words…relaxing more and more as you continue to watch the ruby…listening to my voice…my words becoming your thoughts…relax, Jenna…relax deeper…deeper with each and every swing…,” Jing-Mei continued.

The ruby was now ticking briskly back and forth, and Jenna found her eyes riveted to the beautiful red gemstone.

To her surprise and horror, she could not look away from the spectacle of the swinging ruby.

“Wait, I don’t…I don’t understand…s-stop…,” Jenna stammered.

She felt panic rising in her as she realized Jing-Mei was indeed hypnotizing her. She tried to stand up, but her normally strong legs felt suddenly weak and she remained seated; her shoulders slumped a bit as she felt herself relaxing against her will.

Jenna found it suddenly difficult to think; she was unable to take her eyes from Jing-Mei’s pendant, no matter how hard she tried.

She grunted in frustration as the feeling of relaxation increased, her arms and legs starting to feel limp.

“Very good, Jenna…so relaxed now…you are getting sleepy…sleepy…your eyes are tired from watching the ruby…your eyelids are getting heavy…the harder you try to keep them open, the heavier they will become…it will feel wonderful to simply allow them to close, so when I tell you to do so, you will close your eyes and relax completely for me…you will fall deep, deep asleep and be ready to follow my commands and suggestions…you will be hypnotized and completely in my power…,” Jing-Mei said, easily projecting her hypnotic energy through her ruby and into the hapless fitness coach.

Jenna felt light-headed and dizzy; she growled in defiance.

She had a remarkably strong will.

However, it simply was not remotely strong enough to resist the hypnosis of a High Mistress.

Absurdly, unbelievably, Jenna was being hypnotized against her will.

Her eyelids began to flutter, as she continued to rapidly relax.

“N-nnoooo…s-stop…I…you can’t hypno…hypno…,” she mumbled.

Jenna slumped back into the comfortable couch.

She whimpered, then fell silent.

She was unable to think clearly enough to form words; Jing-Mei’s voice filled her mind and overrode her own fading thoughts.

The ruby continued to swing.

Back and forth.

Jenna continued to relax deeper with every swing.

“So relaxed now…so sleepy…eyelids so heavy…you cannot stay awake any longer…close your eyes and sleep, Jenna….sleep…sleep…sleep now,” Jing-Mei purred.

The hypnotist snapped the fingers of her free hand loudly.

Jenna’s eyelids slammed shut, her head lolling to the side as she dropped into hypnosis.

Smirking, Jing-Mei let her pendant drop back to her bosom.

She had given Jenna a chance to accept her offer willingly, and she would have kept their relationship professional if the fitness instructor had done so.

Jenna had chosen her pride over Jing-Mei’s absurdly generous offer.

Jing-Mei almost never gave second chances, so now the fitness guru would become yet another of her hypnotized servants.

The High Mistress did not care either way; it made no difference to her as long as she benefitted from Jenna’s expertise.

“Very good, Jenna. You are now in a hypnotic trance. Just keep listening to my voice and relaxing deeper…deeper with every word I speak…I want you to imagine yourself at the top of a set of ten beautiful white marble stairs…you are naked, the marble cool beneath your bare feet…the stairs represent your free will, your ability to resist me…I am going to count back from ten…with each number you will step down, and a piece of your will is going to disappear…when you reach the last step, you will be mine, utterly and completely…you will obey any command, accept any suggestion I give you, awake or asleep…you will know in your heart that it is your purpose to serve me, to obey me..serving and obeying me will make you feel wonderful and happy…Your purpose will be to serve me, obey, me please me…you will realize that you love Jing-Mei and will happily, eagerly do anything I command to please me…you will obey and please Jing-Mei…do you understand?” Jing-Mei asked in a powerful voice.

“Yesss…,” Jenna murmured slowly.

“Very good…so relaxed for me…Ten, step down…relaxing deeper…nine, another step and another piece of your will fading away…eight, step down again…the cool marble feels so good…seven, stepping down…going deeper into trance…six, step down and sink deeper…five…step down….four…another step, dropping deeper, deeper into my power…three, step down, feeling so good, so relaxed. You want to obey me, please me, serve me…two…step down…almost there…complete surrender only a step away…your body, your mind and your heart belong to Jing-Mei now…one, step down and surrender your will completely! You are now mine, Jenna. My obedient slave, ready and willing to listen and obey…,” Jing-Mei said in a gently but firm monotone.

Jenna sighed.

“I…am…yours,” she murmured.

Her free will was now almost completely gone.

“Very good, Jenna. In a moment I am going to snap my fingers, and you will come out of your trance. You will have no conscious memory of being hypnotized or any of my instructions. They will be locked permanently into your subconscious, and you will follow them as if they were your own thoughts and ideas. Now then, you will be eager to move to Boise and be my personal trainer and nutritionist; you will do whatever it takes to convince your husband to move so you can take the job. You will be grateful for the opportunity to serve me, and you will also realize that you like me very, very much. You will be extremely attracted to me, and be eager to please me sexually as well as professionally; it will simply be part of your job, a part you will enjoy very much. You will believe that I am an amazing, powerful woman, and you will be grateful to serve me and do my bidding. Serving and obeying me will make you feel special and filled with joy. In private you will address me as ‘Mistress’ and know in your heart that you are my slave and that you must obey me. Do you understand me, Jenna?” Jing-Mei asked, her voice flowing powerfully into Jenna’s mind.

“Yes, Mistress,” Jenna whispered.

A tear rolled down her cheek as the tiny part of her still desperately tried to resist, to hold onto her freedom, her will.

Jing-Mei was unmoved; to her, Jenna was merely an asset, a resource she needed.

“Excellent. If I, and only I, ever say the phrase “My Fitness Puppet” to you, you will instantly drop into a deep hypnotic trance, ready to obey my commands and accept my suggestions,” she added.

“Yes, Mistress,” Jenna agreed helplessly.

She sighed, finally giving in completely.

Jenna had truly become Jing-Mei’s slave.

Satisfied, the High Mistress raised her hand and nonchalantly gave a loud snap.

Jenna’s eyes fluttered open.

She looked around, confusion on her face.

Eventually, she looked at Jing-Mei and smiled.

“I cannot wait to get moved here! I have so much to do, though…,” she said excitedly.

Jing-Mei smiled back.

“Yes, you do. I would like you here as quickly as possible, so you will be taking the jet back to San Francisco tonight so you can tell your husband you accepted the job as my personal trainer. Tomorrow you will start making preparations to move to your new home,” she instructed.

Jenna nodded eagerly.

“Yes, Mistress Jing-Mei,” she agreed.

“Now that we have settled that, would you like to pleasure me?” Jing-Mei asked with a raised eyebrow.

Jenna laughed nervously.

“Definitely, but…I…I haven’t been with a woman since college, I know that is such a cliche, but I would be honored,” she said, flushing.

“Wonderful. Remove your clothes and help me out of my dress,” Jing-Mei commanded, rising to her feet.

A few minutes later, both women were naked.

Jenna had a truly spectacular body; she had a silver piercing in her belly button, and a tattoo of a Phoenix on her left thigh.

“You are truly beautiful, Jenna. Now before we begin, I trust you are aware of how to safely perform oral sex on a pregnant woman?” Jing-Mei asked.

Jenna nodded.

She was well-educated on all aspects of safe physical activities for women during pregnancy as well as after.

“Yes, Mistress. I will be careful not blow air into your vagina,” she said.

Jing-Mei nodded her approval; she knew doing so could actually be dangerous, causing an air embolism which could negatively impact her cardiovascular system or even worse land in her placenta and harm her fetus.

She had thoroughly instructed Sean on how to pleasure her safely.

“Why don’t we begin with a little foot worship,” she said, retaking her seat.

Jenna nodded eagerly and knelt, taking Jing-Mei’s right foot reverently in her hands before raising it to her lips.

Jing-Mei closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying the attention of her latest conquest.

Though awkward at first, Jenna proved to be an excellent foot-slave; she kissed and licked the tops and soles of Jing-Mei’s exquisite feet, as well as massaging and sucking on her toes.

After Jenna had thoroughly attended both feet, Jing-Mei instructed her to kiss her way up her legs slowly; soon, the fitness guru was licking eagerly at her new Mistress’s pussy, teasing her labia with her tongue and fingers before sucking vigorously at her clit.

It didn’t take long for Jing-Mei to orgasm; she let out a long, loud moan as Jenna continued to worship her, and it didn’t take long for her to cum a second time, even harder than the first.

“That was lovely; thank you, Jenna. There is no need to tell your husband about that part of your duties,” Jing-Mei said after she had recovered a bit.

“Yes Mistress,” Jenna said with a giggle.

The newly-minted slave felt wonderful; pleasing Jing-Mei had in turn brought her great pleasure of her own.

Jenna was flushed, her nipples rock hard as she continued to kneel before her owner.

“Forgive me, you must be intolerably aroused. Go ahead and masturbate to me before you get dressed; bring yourself off and relax,” Jing-Mei instructed casually.

“Yes Mistress!” Jenna said gratefully.

Jing-Mei watched the woman begin to rub at her own clit.

Jenna gasped and moaned, and a short time later she let out a shriek of ecstasy.

“Oh…OH JING-MEI!” Jenna cried out, shuddering.

Jing-Mei smiled as she watched the woman orgasm powerfully.

Jenna sagged to the floor, breathing heavily.

After she had caught her breath, she rose and began to dress.

“You will get your nipples pierced soon, Jenna. You have fabulous breasts,” Jing-Mei ordered casually, idly fingering the ring in her own pierced left nipple.

She now saw the sexy Jenna as property, and she wanted her decorated to her taste.

“I will get my nipples pierced soon,” Jenna agreed as she finished dressing.

She had no choice but to obey.

“Very good. This was a highly productive meeting, Jenna. Thank you for coming. You will go now; Miranda will take you to the airport, and my jet will take you back to San Francisco. I expect you to be back here by the end of the week, wether your husband agrees to come or not,” Jing-Mei instructed.

If he causes trouble, he will regret it, she added silently.

Jenna frowned slightly.

Jing-Mei could tell she was fighting her programming.

The powerful hypnotic suggestions won easily.

“Yes, Mistress,” Jenna said with a smile.

Jing-Mei smiled back.

“It was lovely to meet you, and I am happy to have you, Jenna. You are a wonderful woman,” she said.

Jenna flushed as Jing-Mei’s praise caused pleasure rippled through her.

“Thank you, Mistress. I am happy to serve you. I will see you soon!” she said.

Jing-Mei smirked slightly as she watched Jenna pick up her briefcase and leave the room.

The High Mistress sighed and rubbed her swollen belly.

Her stomach growled.

“Soon, little one,” she said softly, Jenna all but forgotten.

A few minutes later, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

“It’s me,” Sean said as he stepped into the room.

Jing-Mei looked up and a big, genuine smile found its way onto her face.

“Hello, High Mistress. Did you get hot?” he asked upon seeing her nakedness.

Jing-Mei chuckled as admired the handsome young man; strong and fit, Sean’s dark hair was cut into his customary short mohawk, and he was wearing a stylish dark blue long-sleeved button up shirt and dark grey slacks.

His new Pit Viper pistol was on his belt, a gift from Domina Peggy; he never went anywhere without it, wanting to stay ready to protect both The Dragon of Hypnothea and High Mistress Jing-Mei at all times.

“I was under the impression I am always hot,” Jing-Mei replied dryly.

Sean laughed; he loved when the stoic High Mistress joked around.

“Fair enough. Did you get warm?” he asked.

Jing-Mei smiled.

“I simply gave my new postpartum trainer the opportunity to worship me as a sign-on bonus. Did you get what I asked for?”Jing-Mei asked with her trademark raised eyebrow.

Sean laughed again, nodding.

“If you mean pickled jalapenos and cookie-dough ice-cream, then unfortunately yes I did,” he said, setting a grocery bag on the coffee table.

Jing-Mei grinned.

“Excellent! Give them to me!” she demanded.

Sean smiled as he opened a pint of ice cream, then a jar of the pickled peppers, dumping some of the latter into the ice cream and handing it to Jing-Mei along with a spoon he had picked up in the kitchen before coming into the office.

“Mmmm, thank you!” Jing-Mei said as she began to eat.

Sean made a disgusted face.

“You’re…welcome…?” he said, shaking his head.

Jing-Mei winked at him as she devoured her snack.

“So, I take it Jenna is part of your stable now?” Sean asked, sitting on the floor in front of Jing-Mei.

He began to gently, skillfully rub her feet.

Jing-Mei nodded.

“She is; she will be a great help getting me back into fighting shape after our child arrives. I gave her a chance to work exclusively for me willingly, but she refused. So I hypnotized her with my pendant just for practice, and I rather enjoyed taking her free will. As a bonus, she is decent at both oral sex and foot-worship, although not in your league,” she said.

Jing-Mei gave him an exaggerated sultry wink.

Sean chuckled.

“Do you ever not enjoy hypnotizing someone?” he teased.

He knew most hypnodommes got an almost, if not outright erotic thrill from placing someone into a trance against their will.

Jing-Mei chuckled.

“Fair enough. I could have just “zonked” her, as you put it, with The Mistress’s Gaze; however, sometimes using a pendulum is very satisfying,” she said, taking another large bite of her bizarre concoction.

“I’m sure she didn’t stand a chance against your skill,” Sean said, raising Jing-Mei’s foot to his lips and kissing it gently.

“No more than you did against my toe ring,” Jing-Mei replied with a wink.

She patted her belly; she was of course referring to the time she had hypnotized Sean and made him her sex-slave, which had in turn led to her current condition.

Sean laughed, then began to suck gently at the mother of his child’s toes.

Jing-Mei finished her snack and leaned back, a wistful smile on her face.

Sean would play with her feet for hours if she allowed him to, and at the moment she wasn’t inclined to stop him.

Sean worshipped her feet for a half-hour or so before Jing-Mei opened her eyes.

“I really should go for a walk. Will you take me to the park?” she asked.

“Of course. Although…you really ‘waddle’ more than walk these days,” Sean said, rising.

Jing-Mei stuck her tongue out at him.

“Watch it darling, or I will hypnotize you into believing you are a duck and then we will see who waddles,” she retorted.

Sean laughed and held up his hands in mock surrender.

He then picked up Jing-Mei’s dress and helped her into it.

“Do you want shoes?” Sean asked.

Jing-Mei shook her head.

“I like the grass on my bare feet, and shoes are…annoying at this point. Just bring a pair of my flip-flops in case I need them,” she replied.

Sean nodded.

“As you command. I love it when you go barefoot anyway. Go use the bathroom, and I will bring the car around,” he said.

He kissed Jing-Mei lightly on her lips.

“Thank you darling. I swear if this child does not make an appearance soon, I am going to scream. I miss you being able to take me in certain positions,” the beautiful Chinese hypnotist said with a sigh.

Sean chuckled.

“I miss them too; I will admit, I was hoping that your…snack would trigger labor,” he said.

Jing-Mei gave him a sour look.

“That spicy food thing is an old wives’ tale. Besides, jalapenos aren’t even that spicy,” she said with a snort.

“They are to me,” Sean replied.

He looked back and winked as he walked out of the room.

Twenty minutes later, Jing-Mei and Sean were walking through a large, lightly-wooded park not far from downtown Boise and The Spiral.

The it was a sunny and pleasant early Fall Wednesday; the park wasn’t particularly crowded, with only a few joggers and people walking their dogs present.

“I spoke with Emily last night. She is planning to be back in Boise in two weeks,” Jing-Mei said as they strolled through the park.

Sean chuckled nervously.

“I am looking forward to it,” he said.

“I know you are; I also know you are nervous. Having Piper back here will be a big change, on top of our child’s imminent arrival,” Jing-Mei replied.

“Yes, I am excited and scared shitless,” Sean admitted.

“No need to be frightened, darling. You have Peggy and myself; Piper still has Sophie as a dedicated au pair and nanny, and Emily will be involved in her niece’s life. You will be an excellent father to both children,” Jing-Mei assured him, slipping her arm around his as they walked.

Sean took a deep breath and nodded.

“Thank you, High Mistress. Both Domina Peggy and you are bing incredibly supportive, and I am extremely grateful. I will do my absolute best,” he said solemnly.

“I know you will. I have been meaning to ask, are you ok with the woman I selected to be our child’s au pair?” Jing-Mei asked.

“Sure, she was very nice, her qualifications and references were excellent. Besides, I assume she got the full “Jing-Mei Hypnosis Experience”,” Sean replied with a chuckle.

Jing-Mei laughed, in a way she rarely did unless it was with Sean.

“She did indeed; two intense sessions. Our child’s welfare will be her main priority in life, and she will obey me without question,” she replied with satisfaction.

“That’s all I need to know,” Sean said as they walked.

Jing-Mei sighed.

“I am afraid I have to use the restroom yet again; I swear this child is purposely pressing on my bladder,” she said.

Sean chuckled.

“I hope you won’t hold it against her,” he said.

Jing-Mei raised an eyebrow.

“You are certain we are having a girl, aren’t you?” she asked.

Sean sighed.

“I hope we have a girl, High Mistress. Someone you can train to be a powerful hypnotist to carry on your legacy,” he said.

Jing-Mei stopped and faced her lover.

“Sean, I genuinely do not care if we have a boy; if we do, he will be a trained hypnotist if he has the aptitude. He will be our son, raised to be properly respectful of women and an independent, educated and powerful individual whom we will love. And we could name him after you,” she said seriously.

Sean smiled and nodded.

“Thank you, High Mistress. I love you,” he said.

Jing-Mei smiled.

“I love you too; and I told you, you may call me ‘Jing-Mei’ in private,” she admonished him playfully.

The Chinese hypnotist leaned in and kissed Sean deeply.

“All right, Jing-Mei, go use the restroom and then we will find some lunch; I heard your stomach growling…again,” Sean replied, dropping a pair of thin black flip-flops he was carrying so Jing-Mei would not have to go into a public restroom barefoot.

Jing-Mei smiled wryly as she slipped on her footwear and turned to walk toward the restroom.

Sean slapped her ass as she walked away, an act that would have dire consequences for nearly any other person.

Jing-Mei merely giggled.

Sean sighed and sat down on a nearby bench in the shade of some tall trees.

He was lost in thought when a feminine voice shook him from his reverie.

“Hello there. Do you mind if I sit?” the woman asked.

Sean looked up to see a beautiful woman in perhaps her late twenties; she was short, with long straight dark hair and lovely brown eyes to go with full pouty lips that framed a dazzling white smile; breasts were large and round, and she had lovely lightly-tanned skin.

The woman was dressed tight black spaghetti-strap tank top and curve-hugging jeans along with very tall strappy black sandals with square heels. Around her neck was a simple gold chain with sun-shaped charm, and she sultry eye-shadow and eye-liner that only enhanced her natural beauty, and a pair of large gold hoop earrings. She wore a very expensive gold watch on her left wrist, and a white-gold ring set with a large yellow amber stone on her right middle finger. Her long fingernails were painted in a French manicure, her toenails white; on her left middle toe was a silver band set with an amber stone similar to the one in her ring.

She carried a large black shoulder bag

“Oh, uh, sure,” Sean replied, moving over a bit.

“Thank you, dear. My name is Farah, by the way. I am new to this city,” the woman replied, sitting beside Sean and flashing a warm smile.

She spoke with a hint of an accent; Sean guessed her native language was Arabic.

“Nice to meet you, Farah. I’m Sean,” he replied pleasantly.

Farah nodded and looked around the park.

“This is a lovely place, not too far from where I am staying. I have been coming here to walk almost every day,” she said, crossing her legs.

Farah began to bounce her foot, causing the amber in her toe ring to flash in the sun.

“Where are you staying?” Sean asked politely.

He did not truly care about anything the woman had to say he had two spectacular women in his life, not to mention Lavea as a fuck-buddy; however, he was a foot-guy, and he glanced unconsciously at Farah’s sexy sandaled-foot and toe ring.

“Oh, I have a lovely condo downtown, right near where I am working,” Farah replied.

“That must be really nice,” Sean replied with a nod.

Again his eyes went to her foot.

Sean truly appreciated nice feet on a woman, and Farah’s were extremely well-maintained.

“It is. I am working as a salesperson at a high-end jewelry store. It is a lot of fun, and I get to be around a lot of glamorous pieces every day. May I ask what you do?” Farah asked casually.

Sean smiled.

“I am…a personal assistant. I work for a very powerful woman, actually,” he said, referring to his beloved Domina Peggy.

While he genuinely loved Jing-Mei, Peggy was of course his first love.

Farah grinned.

“Powerful people are fascinating to me; they are really like jewels, in a way. Unique, often beautiful, and command respect. Take my ring, for example,” she said, holding up her hand to display the large glistening amber stone.

“That is nice; my employer would love it. She has an impressive jewelry collection,” Sean said.

Peggy doesn’t have anything amber that I know of; she needs a toe ring or pendant or both, he thought, making a mental note for the next time he wanted to buy her a gift.

“I am sure she would. Amber is not the most valuable stone, but it is very beautiful. I like to match my ring with a toe ring, as I am sure you have noticed,” Farah said, extending her foot a bit.

Sean glanced at her toe ring again.

“If you look back and forth at them quickly, you will see they are very similar, but not quite the same…can you see the subtle differences in the facets?” Farah asked.

“I…sure,” Sean said slowly, his eyes flicking from her hand to her foot and back.

Alarm bells were going off in the back of his mind.

Farah’s behavior was very much like a hypnotist.

“It is difficult to see…look closer at my toe ring…then my ring…back to my toe ring…the yellow light is very soothing…very relaxing,” she purred in a very hypnotic voice.

Shit, she is trying to hypnotize me, Sean realized.

With an effort, he shifted his gaze from both Farah’s pieces of jewelry.

He looked right into her eyes.

“Very good, Sean…look into my eyes…see the amber highlights swirling…inviting you in…you already cannot look away…you must keep looking deeper…deeper into my eyes…listening to the sound of my voice and relaxing…deeper…,” Farah purred.

Sean gasped as the familiar feeling of hypnotic energy hit him full force.

Not only was Farah a hypnotist, but she was a fairly skilled one, emitting impressive power from her eyes.

“No, stop…stop, you will, you can’t—,” he stammered, his eyes now riveted to Farah’s.

The beautiful young woman smiled as she continued to pour hypnotic energy into him from her eyes.

“Of course I can, dear. You cannot resist me; you can only continue to look deeper into my eyes and listen to my voice…look and listen…listen and obey…so relaxed now…and, SLEEP!” Farah said firmly.

She snapped her fingers beside Sean’s head.

He just managed to resist going into a trance, opening his eyes wide.

“No,” he growled, trying to shake off Farah’s hypnotism.

“Sleep now!” Farah said loudly, snapping again.

She opened her eyes wide and released yet more hypnotic energy into Sean.

His eyes slammed shut.

Farah smirked, leaning close to Sean so she could speak softly but firmly into his ear.

“That’s better. No peasant personal assistant resists me, dear. Now you get to serve me, Mistress Farah. You are very relaxed now, Sean…listen carefully to my instructions…,” she began.

Jing-Mei stopped in her tracks as she approached the bench where she was expecting Sean to be waiting for her.

The High Mistress was stunned—and angered—to see Sean was indeed there; however, he was down on his hands and knees, his shirt off, and he was kissing the sandaled feet of an admittedly sexy young woman.

A hypnotist; we are very close to The Spiral, and Sean is handsome…and he supposedly attracts the attention of hypnotists, Jing-Mei thought to herself.

Taking a deep breath, Jing-Mei slipped off her flip-flops and suppressed her rapidly-rising anger as she walked toward the spectacle of Sean debasing himself in a public park.

The woman was unaware of Jing-Mei’s approach; she was smiling and looking down at her phone, seemingly absorbed in a text conversation.

“I believe the saying is ‘there’s something you don’t see every day’,” Jing-Mei commented loudly.

Farah looked up to see the gorgeous, pregnant Chinese woman regarding her with a raised eyebrow.

The younger hypnotist laughed.

She clearly did not recognize the High Mistress.

“I suppose it is; I guess I am just good at convincing stupid men of their place…at my feet,” Farah said arrogantly.

Jing-Mei smiled thinly.

We will see how you like being at my feet very soon, she thought

“You are saying you somehow convinced a complete stranger to kiss your feet? In a public park?” she asked skeptically.

Farah grinned.

“Yes, I did exactly that,” she said, obviously pleased with herself.

“I see; he seems to be…content down there,” Jing-Mei replied.

“Oh he is. Impressive, no?” Farah asked slyly.

“Indeed; very impressive. Are you a witch? Is he under some kind of spell?” Jing-Mei asked in reply.

Farah wrinkled up her nose.

“No, I am not a witch. I have another…talent that allowed me to turn this pathetic man into my helpless foot-slave,” she said haughtily.

Jing-Mei nodded, trying to look impressed.

“I see…that is some talent. Can you make him do other things?” she asked.

Farah smirked.

“Indeed; I can make him do anything I desire. Are you interested in seeing how I accomplished it?” she asked slyly.

Jing-Mei suppressed a smirk.

I am sure your amateur techniques will make me cringe, she thought with contempt.

“I must admit, I am very curious,” she said aloud.

Farah nodded.

Sean continued to enthusiastically kiss her sexy feet.

“I will be happy to show you. Please, sit down. Slave, kneel beside the bench and do not move or speak until I command otherwise,” Farah ordered.

Sean immediately obeyed.

The perceptive Jing-Mei noted his eye twitch and his lips form a slight frown.

He is fighting her control, she thought proudly.

Jing-MeI suspected that Sean might indeed be able to free himself from his captor’s suggestions; Peggy had conditioned his mind against other hypnotists, and this twit could not have possibly taken him very deep into trance in the short time she had been in the restroom.

“You don’t think I am going to kiss your feet, do you?” Jing-Mei asked timidly as she sat beside Farah.

“You never know. I am Farah, by the way,” Farah replied cheerfully.

“Lily,” Jing-Mei replied.

She did not use her real name in case Farah had heard of her.

“Alright, Lily. The trick is getting your subject to relax…,” Farah said in a soothing voice.

Jing-Mei nodded.

“Alright…,” she agreed, pretending not to realize what was happening.

“If you can convince someone to relax enough, you will be able to speak directly to their subconscious mind,” Farah explained.

Her voice had become a gentle monotone which Jing-Mei recognized as that of trained hypnotist.

“I see…but how do you get them to relax that deeply?” Jing-Mei asked.

“There are actually several ways to accomplish it…you can often do it simply by talking…telling them they need to relax, that they want to relax…that they must listen to the sound of my voice…,” Farah said, subtly emphasizing certain words.

Jing-Mei of course recognized her admittedly decent attempt at covert hypnotism.

“You do have a lovely voice…,” she said quietly, feigning being affected by the induction.

Farah smiled.

“Thank you…it is very soothing, isn’t it? Very relaxing to simply listen closely to my words—,” Farah’s sentence was cut off when Jing-Mei almost casually struck her in the throat with the edge of her hand.

“However, I have heard much, much better…dear,” Jing-Mei said coolly.

She grabbed Farah’s hair and pulled the younger woman roughly off the bench; the stunned younger woman fell to the grass, clutching her throat and gasping.

Jing-Mei kicked the still-choking Farah hard in her stomach, causing her grunt in pain.

The High Mistress’s trained eye had told her that while she had a nice body, Farah was not particularly strong nor athletic; it was unlikely she knew how to fight with any real skill.

“Unfortunately for you, the man you hypnotized is the father of my child and very dear to me. I am High Mistress Jing-Mei, by the way,” the Chinese hypnotist said calmly.

Farah had managed to struggle to her knees a this point, though she was still coughing.

Jing-Mei smirked and smashed the heel of her hand into Farah’s face, knocking her back to the grass.

Due to her condition, the High Mistress was moving much slower than she normally did when fighting, her blows about two-thirds their normal strength.

It was more than enough.

Farah rolled over onto her stomach and began to crawl away.

Jing-Mei walked calmly after her and kicked her sharply in her side.

Farah curled up in an effort to protect herself from Jing-Mei’s blows.

The High Mistress squatted down and grabbed the younger woman’s hair, then stood and dragged Farah roughly to her feet.

“S-stop, I—I didn’t mean—,” the younger woman gasped.

Jing-Mei raised her eyebrow.

“Didn’t mean to what? Hypnotize my lover? Attempt to hypnotize me? Too late, dear,” she said.

Jing-Mei punched Farah in her stomach, chest and face; she could not lift her legs very high in her current state, but she was able to kick Farah once in each thigh, infusing her blows with hypnotic energy.

“Your legs are asleep, too weak to keep you up; kneel,” Jing-Mei said firmly, releasing Farah’s hair.

Farah began to sob, blood trickling from her mouth as her legs grew numb and she dropped to her knees.

“P-please—,” Farah said with a choked gurgle.

Jing-Mei viciously slapped her across the face.

“You will get no mercy from me, imbecile,” she said.

The High Mistress slapped her again, then grabbed Farah’s chin in an iron grip and forced her to look up at her.

“Look into my eyes!” Jing-Mei said in a powerful voice.

Her eyes began to glow red, then shifted to a dazzling green before changing back to red.

Farah whimpered as she was instantly caught in The Mistress’s Gaze.

“That’s it dear, look…keep looking…deep into my eyes…your thoughts are fading, your mind becoming blank…you cannot move or speak…I am now your Mistress…you hear only my voice…listen to my words and obey…obey…obey…OBEY!” Jing-Mei said loudly.

Tears were streaming down Farah’s face.

“I…will…obey…,” she said meekly.

Jing-Mei released her chin.

“Yes, you will. You are now mine, my obedient slave-girl. You must obey High Mistress Jing-Mei! You are my slave,” she said firmly.

“I am…your slave,” the entranced Farah agreed, her eyes vacant.

Jing-Mei smiled.

“Well done,” came Sean’s voice from behind her.

Jing-Mei turned to see the father of her child buttoning his shirt.

“You broke her trance,” she said happily.

Sean nodded.

“She has some skill, but she did not take me very deep and her power is nothing compared to yours or Peggy’s. My mind has been fucked by the best,” he said with a chuckle.

Jing-Mei walked over and took his face in her hands, kissing him deeply.

Sean put his arms gently around Jing-Mei as he passionately returned the kiss.

“Well done. I am proud of you,” she said after the kiss.

Sean shrugged.

“She was sloppy; if she had deepened my trance or given me a double-bind, I would have been fucked. Luckily, she assumed I was just some normal,” he said.

Jing-Mei grinned.

“The mark of an amateur. Unfortunately for her, I will not make that mistake. Farah, get down on your hands and knees. You made Sean kiss your feet in public, now you will get to become acquainted with mine. Crawl to me and kiss my feet, you piece of trash,” she ordered.

Farah immediately obeyed; Jing-Mei took Sean’s hand, then walked over to the bench and sat.

Farah crawled after them.

“Alright my little foot-slave, listen carefully…,” Jing-Mei began.

Sean smiled and nodded at a young woman who jogged past, a look of bewilderment on her face as she saw the sexy woman down on the grass kissing the pregnant Jing-Meis’s bare feet.

Jing-Mei paid no attention to any passersby as deepened Farah’s trance.

Farah awoke with a start. She blinked her dry eyes as she attempted to discern where she was.

She started again as she realized she was naked and kneeling, her fingers laced behind her head.

Farah appeared to be in a large luxuriously-decorated living room.

A feeling of dread flowed through her as she realized she was in someone’s condo in The Spiral.

Someone powerful.

In a panic, she tried to rise and found she could not, held fast by powerful post-hypnotic suggestions.

“Welcome, dear,” Jing-Mei’s voice said.

The black-clad High Mistress sauntered into view and sat on the couch in front of Farah.

“High Mistress, I had no idea—,” Farah began.

“Silence,” Jing-Mei commanded.

Farah’s mouth involuntarily clamped shut.

“That’s better. You were going to no doubt tell me that you had no idea Sean was my lover and the father of my child, and that you did not know who I was. That does not matter to me, I am afraid. You showed poor judgement, hypnotizing Sean and attempting to hypnotize me. You were not that far from The Spiral, and in a city that is a nexus of the True Hypnotist community. You did not bother to even find out who we were before you plunged ahead with your petty domination. In any case, I do not care what the circumstances are; you hypnotized my lover without my permission, and tried to catch me with your little covert induction. You are arrogant, sloppy and a poor excuse for a hypnotist,” Jing-Mei said coldly.

Farah whimpered.

“You were of course very forthcoming while I had you in trance; in town from Lebanon to join Mistress Cassandra Hayek’s organization. I am afraid you won’t be doing that now,” Jing-Mei continued.

The High Mistress held out her hand; Sean stepped into Farah’s view and handed Jing-Mei her burgundy Spiral iPhone. She dialed a number and put the call on speaker.

“This is Mistress Cassandra,” a sensual female voice answered.

“Hello Mistress Cassandra; this is High Mistress Jing-Mei. I am calling you as a courtesy to tell you that I have a young woman named Farah here who will not be able to meet or work for you,” Jing-Mei said.

Cassandra waited a dozen seconds before replying.

“May I ask why, High Mistress?” she finally asked.

“Of course. Farah hypnotized Sean, the father of my child, and made him her foot-slave in a public park. She also attempted to hypnotize me. As a result of her actions, she will no longer be pursuing a career as a hypnotist; she is going to be far too busy training to be my dedicated foot-slave,” Jing-Mei replied casually.

“Oh. I understand, High Mistress,” Cassandra replied carefully.

“I knew you would. I trust there will be no hard feelings over this?” Jing-Mei asked, an unmistakable threat in her voice.

“No, High Mistress. Not at all. Enjoy Farah; I understand she is an excellent dancer. A very sexy young woman. She will make you an excellent slave,” Cassandra replied cheerfully.

Jing-Mei smirked at the kneeling Farah.

“Thank you for the tip about her dancing skills. I will have her perform for me,” she said.

Cassandra chuckled.

“I truly appreciate you calling me, High Mistress Jing-Mei,” she said respectfully.

“Of course, Mistress Cassandra. Have a lovely rest of your day,” Jing-Mei replied amiably.

She disconnected the call and patted the couch beside her.

“Sean, please have a seat. As much as I would love to have this little brat pleasure me, I don’t feel like training her to do so safely while I am pregnant. She will get the honor of licking my pussy after I have given birth. Right now, how about another foot-worship lesson? Farah, crawl to me and pay tribute to my feet; lick them and kiss them, suck every one of my toes,” Jing-Mei ordered.

She and Sean both grinned as a now-sobbing Farah obeyed, crawling to where Jing-Mei sat.

They watched as she began worship Jing-Mei’s bare feet, clearly horrified by her actions yet utterly unable to stop herself.

Jing-Mei looked at Sean, or more accurately at his pants; a massive erection was straining against the fabric as he watched Farah sucking on Jing-Mei’s toes.

The High Mistress smiled at Sean as she casually unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock.

Jing-Mei began to gently stroke Sean’s shaft, causing him to moan with pleasure.

She allowed Farah to thoroughly worship both of her feet, licking the soles clean and sucking at each of her toes before finally ordering her to stop.

“Now, I believe you owe Sean an apology, slave-Farah. Why don’t you tit-fuck him? You will wrap those lovely jugs of yours around his cock and pleasure him,” Jing-Mei commanded.

Eyes burning with hatred, Farah repositioned herself and began awkwardly tit-fucking the grinning Sean.

He moaned and closed his eyes as Farah held her tights tightly around his shaft and moved slowly up and down.

“Do you like that, darling?” Jing-Mei asked.

“Oh yes…fuck she has the perfect tits for this. Faster, bitch,” Sean said with a chuckle.

“You heard him, slave; move those tits faster,” Jing-Mei commanded.

Farah obeyed, increasing her pace.

Sean moaned with pleasure.

Jing-Mei nodded approvingly, enjoying the ecstasy on her lover’s face.

Sean began grunting loudly, and Jing-Mei knew he was ready to climax.

He needed either Peggy, Lavea or Jing-Mei’s permission to do so.

“Cum Sean! Cum now,” Jing-Mei said loudly.

Farah let out a comical squeal as Sean’s cock suddenly spasmed and he began to shoot his load onto her face and tits.

“Hold still, Farah; let him finish,” Jing-Mei instructed.

Farah began to cry again as Sean painted her with his semen.

“Alright, get back on your knees where you were, slave-Farah. Do not move or speak until I tell you to,” Jing-Mei commanded.

Sniffling, her face streaked with both tears and Sean’s cum, Farah reassumed her kneeling position in the middle of the room.

“Thank you Jing-Mei. May I pleasure you now?” Sean asked.

Jing-Mei smiled and nodded.

“Please do,” she said, lifting her dress.

Sean moved to kneel before Jing-Mei.

The High Mistress moaned softly as Sean began to gently eat her pussy.

He pleasured her with his fingers as well as his mouth, and Jing-Mei trembled in ecstasy.

It didn’t take her long to orgasm; Sean continued to work her pussy until she had done so twice more.

“Oh my that was lovely!” Jing-Mei gasped, shuddering as she orgasmed for the third time.

Sean grinned and rose.

“I am going to go clean up real quick, then I will fix you some more ice cream and peppers,” he said, heading for the bathroom.

He froze when he returned.

Jing-Mei was standing, the carpet beneath her wet.

“I think you finally did the trick. My water just broke,” she said, smiling.

Sean’s eyes went wide.

“Okay, we need to get you down to Doctor Carson…I…just a minute…remember your breathing,” he said in a shaky voice as he fumbled to get his phone out of his pocket.

“Sean…Sean, look at me,” Jing-Mei said firmly.

He obeyed.

“You will relax. Every thing is fine. I can walk to the elevator. Come, please give me a hand,” Jing-Mei said calmly, smiling at him.

Sean took a deep breath and nodded.

“Okay,” he said.

Sean walked over and put his strong arm around her.

The High Mistress was breathing slowly and deliberately as they moved toward the door.

Sean dialed his phone with his free hand.

“Hello Doctor Carson, it’s Sean. Jing-Mei is in labor. We are in The Spiral, and on our way down to you. Okay, thank you. goodbye,” he said, disconnecting the call.

“Please call Jayde; she is here in The Spiral,” Jing-Mei instructed next.

Sean nodded, dialing Jing-Mei’s sister’s number.

“Hello Mistress Jayde, it’s Sean. Jing-Mei is in labor, we are on our way down now. Okay, we will see you there in a few minutes. Goodbye. She is on her way,” he said.

Jing-Mei smiled.

“Thank you, darling,” she said.

Sean put his phone in his pocket and opened the door. He supported Jing-Mei as they stepped out into the hallway.

“Are you okay? Do you need to bring anything?” Sean asked.

Jing-Mei shook her head.

“Just you; I already have a packed bag in the delivery room…oh…oh my, that was definitely a contraction…,” she replied with a wink.

Sean smiled.

“Alright, let’s go; time for you to have a baby,” he said, kissing Jing-Mei’s cheek.

“Mmm…time for us to have a baby, you mean; I expect you to be there for the entire process, and remain conscious until it is time to cut the cord,” Jing-Mei replied, taking deep controlled breaths.

“Yes Jing-Mei,” Sean replied with a chuckle.

He closed the door to the condo and helped Jing-Mei toward the elevator, neither of them giving Farah another thought.