It's only wasteful to hire a cleaning service if your money is more valuable than your time. If your time is more valuable than your money, hiring a cleaning service is the most efficient choice. (My aunt's family hires cleaning services on the regular; Mom can't do it as much because our house has things like the family library of books on magic, which would be a bit unfortunate for a cleaning service to get their hands on even if in a pinch we could pass it off as a really, really, really involved set of RPG sourcebooks. So Dad ends up doing a lot of the cleaning just because he's the least busy available adult.)

I do really genuinely think that it's an urgent problem to find out what motivational system works non-harmfully and non-coercively to get you to keep house for yourself. I know I like to think that I'm going to be yours forever, but it is entirely possible that someday you will decide to break up with me and I won't be around to put on a sexy maid outfit and wash your floor or do your laundry, and then where will you be?

(But if she's his, they can't break up, right? That wouldn't be ok.)

(Well, he could, but it still seems wrong to him to decide that, after she's his slave and having a good time, that he doesn't want her any more, and release her and leave her on her own. He'll have a responsibility to her. Maybe if she wants to break up with him? That of course he'd let happen.) 

I suppose if one has a lot of money, it wouldn't be as wasteful to hire a cleaning service? And you have a lot of money. Still feels like cheating somehow, but I suppose it's possible that it's ok. 

I don't even know where I'd begin to figure out that sort of system. It's hard enough to get me to do my homework or learn lines without some sort of external or internal coercion, as you call it. I just need to get better at convincing myself to do things, I guess. 

And it's true, there's not a very large supply of sexy maids out there for me. (I don't really plan on breaking up with you, also, I suppose it's possible that things might not work out but I don't think I'm going to decide I don't want you anymore.) I'll just have to keep myself satisfied with you. How awful. (That's sarcasm in case it's not clear. I'm very very happy with my sexy-maid-to-be.)

Okay, time to get ready for school? Time to get ready for school. (He should remember to set his alarm earlier, tonight. Or well, Monday. So he can do this more without it being an issue.) 

Wait, you're using coercion to get yourself to learn your lines?

....what? 

I mean, kinda? Like, if I don't learn them then the ritual will go badly (or won't work, anyways) and so I have to learn them. Even if I want to read or go to bed, it's something I need to be doing. So I do it. 

That's not going to mess up the ritual, is it? 

It's not going to mess up the ritual, but, um, it's concerning me a little? Like... from my perspective, the way my motivational system works, if something is a necessary step toward something I really want, I can draw myself toward it with joy and anticipation, I don't need to push myself toward it with the threat of failure. I only need to push myself toward things with the threat of failure in extreme circumstances where I mostly don't want to be doing something on any level and just have to get through it anyway. So if you're coercing yourself into memorizing your lines... I mean, probably the answer is just that your motivational system works differently from mine, but what it feels like is that you don't want to do the ritual at all and are just going into it out of a sense of obligation or because you're afraid of what will happen if you don't? And that's pretty concerning! Please don't coerce yourself into owning me! That sounds likely to end badly and also just really upsetting on a personal level!

He needs to be getting ready for schoooool, why didn't he set his alarm for earlier, he really needs to remember to do that... 

(He's not coercing himself into owning her, is he? He can't be. He's a little scared of it, maybe (okay more than a little), but he does want this. He really does. Plus, she wants it! And he's leaving in whatever safeguards he can. He does want this.)

You don't need to worry that I'm coercing myself into owning you! I just have trouble doing things in the moment, even if I really want the thing that results from that step. (College application essays were awful.) I'm not doing this out of obligation, I'm doing this, well, because it's hot and fun and I really like you. And I'm making sure there are easy ways out if things go wrong somehow. If it turns out not to work, we can drop this and potentially do something else. Okay? 

This looks good, right? Right? He's worried he didn't word everything perfectly (this one is important) but he really, really needs to get ready for school. He dithers for three moments more, hits send, feels immediate regret (it's probably fine) and heads off to get himself together. 

Okay. I just... really don't want to end up in the Terrible Timeline where you're making yourself act toward me in what you think are the "right" ways while making yourself miserable because those aren't what you want and making me miserable because they aren't what I want either. If you're going to make me miserable I'd rather you at least be having fun yourself. 💖

How does she respond so fast? Doesn't she also have to get ready? Or is she already ready. How early does she get up? 

Between bites of cereal, he writes:

I am planning on having a lot of fun myself, yes :-P . But no, I don't want either of us to be miserable in that way. 

He'll be miserable in that way if he has to be, but he'll have a slave. It should be fine. 

I could in theory make you tell me if you feel miserable like that, but I suspect you'd just tell me anyways. I mean, unless I ordered you not to, but that's not something I'm going to do. And if that turns out to be happening, I can (and will!) just release you, and we can work things out from there. 

Well, be it known that if it seems called for, I stand ready to gently bonk you with a pillow while chanting "stop hurting yourself! stop hurting yourself!" in the traditional annoying schoolyard bully cadence until you either agree to treat yourself better or order me to stop. ❤️

He giggles. Some spillage may have occurred when he does. 

I appreciate that. I'll do my best not to let that happen, but if it does I'll listen. Thanks. 

He's more worried about her mental well being than his, but if she cares about it so much (which makes an amount of sense), then he'll do his best. And his own well being is also important. Probably. 

I care about you and want you to be happy.

I'm glad! And the same to you! 

Man, he wanted to add something to the end of that, but nothing fits. (Not "my dear" or "my darling" and certainly not "my love". "my slave-in-waiting" might work, but it's the wrong sentiment.)

Oh well. He sends as is. 

Mom gave me the keys to the old house this morning on my way out the door! I'm torn between the part of me that wants to spend our first night together as master and slave there, and the part of me that wants to save exploring the very cool, moderately spooky mansion (decommissioned for spookiness crimes!) for a time when we're less tired and have less going on. I don't know, what do you think?

....oh. Oh, fuck. Man...

So... I do very much like the idea of spending a night together with you as Master and slave. Our first night especially. I am not entirely sure that I can swing that. I don't think my dad would mind, but mom would be, well, difficult to convince. And even if mom is working that night, dad is still going to make me ask her. I really really want to do it, though, and it's not even a school night! 

I can try though. Because I want to. If you want me to. Possibly this afternoon, if she's home? I don't know. Sorry. 

Of the two options we should probably explore it together first, if we can, I think? At the very least so we know where we're sleeping. Though, well, that point may be moot. 

Man, fuck. 

Ah, right. Parents.

Tell you what, if they won't go for it so soon, how about we plan to explore (and have fun in) the house over the course of the next month, and then when we renew the ritual next full moon you can ask again?

They're much more likely to go for it after we're more established, yeah. We've only been dating about a week and a half! Mom may still take some convincing. 

Even if we can't enjoy ourselves too much Saturday night, there will be all of Sunday. I'm looking forward to Sunday. 

Your slave-in-waiting is looking forward to Sunday too. 💖💖💖

Hot. She's so very hot and into him. 

Do we want to explore it at all today? I'm probably going to be spending a lot of tomorrow (and some of today) getting as much homework done as I can so I can spend as much time with you on Sunday as possible. We can meet at my locker as per usual. 

Meet at your locker, go to my place, do some homework, I take you to see the old house?

Sounds good to me! It's a date! 

💖💖💖

He helps out someone asking for his help, as quickly as he can, because that's what he's supposed to do. He's just so excited he maaay have sped through things a bit fast. But he's pretty sure he understood John's explanation. Mostly. 

(Damnit.)

He explains it more slowly, a second time, and his classmate gets it for sure. 

And when he finally gets there... man, she's still so pretty and excited and cute and going-to-be-his! And it's Friday! Friday after school, no more into Monday! A whole weekend of Rosy! (And homework. Homework is also involved. Homework is always involved.) 

The hallways are mostly empty now, but he's still not sure how he feels about kissing her here. He wants to though. He very much wants to. 

"I should wait until we get to my place to show you the maid outfits I'm looking at," she says, bouncing a little.

....gosh. Gosh. 

"Probably, yes," he says. "Not a good idea to look at them here." Even if he wants to. "Though I'm now very excited to see them. Let me get the rest of my books, and then we can go." He starts putting in his locker combination. 

"I can meet you at the bike rack? So I have time to get my skates on."