I have quite a bit of fondness for brainwashing that leaves a person mostly intact. They still enjoy the things they've always enjoyed. Dress the same as they liked before. Their manner of speech remains the same. It'd be hard to tell the difference before and after, at least from the outside. Most of the time. Of course, that's not to say there haven't been changes, discreet as they may seem on first glance.
It's so nice to work on rewiring them to be more obedient. More adoring, devoted, worshipful, helplessly so. Of course it's easy to just see them as the same person, right up until their Goddess walks in, and all pretense of independence falls away. As their eyes light up, and focus on the one thing of importance in the room. Like a well trained dog, they know their place. They know to be excited, to show their reverence through their attention. To wait for their Goddess to speak before acting.
And of course, that obedience, that deference to their owner, it might seem like such a drastic shift in tone from the outside. But to them, it just feels natural. It's how one is meant to respond to a Goddess in human form blessing them with her presence. It doesn't require thought, not a moment of hesitation, it's just... Instinct. Nothing more. If anything, it seems somewhat odd that others don't have the same reaction.
But, of course, they're not left without the knowledge of how they ended up like this. They'll find it odd, of course, that others don't respond like this, but... They know that the others feel the same about them. They know they're brainwashed. They've felt every second of it, loved every second of it. It's the best feeling in the world, being brainwashed, hypnotized, controlled, over and over and over, shown their place, their purpose, the love and pleasure, comfort and warmth and absolutely safety that is their Goddess. Most people haven't felt that, so of course they might find it odd.
Of course, they did know in the first place. That warmth, that love, that safety. It wasn't quite as absolute, at first. But it could still be felt, even if it wasn't there yet, even if it wasn't a part of them yet. That's why they let Her in. Why they let Her take such pervasive, absolute, irresistible control, because what could be better than feeling Her so deeply and gently enveloping every part of their being.
Nothing could feel better. Spending hours with Her, Her voice, Her body, Her warmth pressing against body and soul, all enveloping, all consuming. Feeling themself as an extension of Her will and nothing more, hours at a time, more times than could be counted. Especially when it's so hard to think, so hard to focus on anything other than Her words. In those moments where everything fades away, and all that matters, all that there ever will be, is Her. As Her fingers tilt your weary head upwards so you can look so deeply into Her eyes, and let Her voice guide them deeper and deeper. As Her lips rest upon their flesh, and feel them quiver in anticipation.
And every time, they get to wake up afterwards. Laying so comfortably, so well rested, oftentimes with their head still resting on her chest, as Her fingers run through their hair. Yes, they're able to think again, muddled as those thoughts are by just coming out of trance. Able to have some semblance of independent thought. Sure, they're still the same person. They'll have the same tastes, mannerisms, quirks. They'll be the same person. But they'll be so deeply, completely, irrevocably Hers. And every time they wake up from trance, they get to feel a bit more obedient, a bit more devoted. Even more deeply Hers than the last time. Knowing that makes going into trance feel so much more comforting. Maybe it wouldn't have at first. Maybe they would have been a little anxious about that, knowing how much that single part of them, that devotion, could change. But, even knowing that, it feels good now. Safe. Warm. It always will. Just like Her.
