the transformation of madame Penelope Von Meretrix
Standing at the window, madame Penelope gazed out upon Viola Parker's Institute for Young Women. She half grinned counting the number of students who she had, in the kindest description, prevented from becoming feral. Her latest project, scarlett, was coming along quite nicely. scarlett was sweet, innocent and the tiniest bit bratty, she was eager to please and obey; not unlike the madame herself.
Watching, amused, as the students scurried past the building that housed the Standards, Code, and Discipline Department -- she wondered if they whistled as they hurried past. Penelope knew her reputation across the school, and did nothing to change it, as perception is, indeed, power.
Turning toward the door, one of Madame's assistants had entered with the reminder her meeting with the Headmistress was soon and the Madame's calendar had been cleared for the afternoon as had been requested.
Reapplying the dark lipstick, specially blended for her, adjusting her tie, and reaffixing the barrets holding her hair back, she strode across the quadrant with a focused look on her face, dark lips pursed together. The Madame thought that she saw students freeze mid-step or turn the other way as she walked past. madame Penelope could hardly contain the telltale Chesire grin -- one of the campus's newest rumors was that she sacrificed small animals. For what purpose, she was trying to find out. She made a mental note to put scarlett to the task of gathering information for her.
At the Headmistress's office door, madame Penelope paused and took a deep breath. Today's meeting was a special one. She felt a surge of anticipation and excitement as she entered the reception area; Headmistress had flawless taste and it showed, the furnishings, the art, all reflected her personality and her vision for her institute. madame Penelope was immediately shown to the Headmistress's personal space.
Headmistress Parker was anticipating this meeting as well. penelope had been all that she had hoped, and more, for the Institute. She was proud of her protege; madame Penelope's ruthlessness, precision, relentlessness, and aura had brought a new feeling of order to the Institute just as Headmistress wished. The madame had an uncanny knack for getting just what she wanted -- the Headmistress had known of penelope's reputation as a fixer but hadn't thought it would translate so well to the education of the young women in her charge. The results the madame had already achieved were impressive; even if one had to look past some of her methods.
Headmistress stood as penelope entered and embraced her warmly feeling penelope flinch, then relax, if ever so slightly. penelope was guarded, though in her presence Headmistress found her to be engaging, curious, and vulnerable -- this was something that would need to be worked on. Headmistress reminded penelope that her secret was safe, as long as she remained loyal and under Headmistress's mentorship. But should penelope stray, well, then her little secret would be out and her time at the Institute would come to an unceremonious end. Headmistress would make sure of it.
The Headmistress knew penelope would never violate their bargain, but that was not about to stop her from reminding penelope of her place; Headmistress delighted in watching penelope take what she doled out, in teasing and tormenting her, watching penelope struggle as she so wanted to please. Starting with inspection, just as penelope so often did, the Headmistress announced each flaw, each failing a disappointment. She watched penelope lower her head, knowing that pointing out flaws was just as effective a punishment as any paddling she would deliver. Satisfied with the inspection, she said it was time for penelope to get a taste of her own medicine, of what each of the girls that penelope had disciplined felt, because these were Headmistress's girls afterall. She had an Institute to maintain and penelope would not be allowed to simply terrorize the campus. She coolly told penelope that a fate far worse would befall her, should her secret slip, were she to refuse the Headmistress.
Just as each young woman who came before the madame for corrective action, penelope had to count out each stroke of the wide, heavy paddle. The stinging sensation was one that penelope had never gotten used to, but she would not buckle, taking a deep breath she counted out each until Headmistress was satisfied.
Standing against the wall now, her bottom warm, penelope found herself secured. Headmistress was close, penelope entirely in her clutches. Headmistress was enjoying this; she always did when penelope offered herself. Teasing and tormenting her protege, telling her all manner of things, Headmistress Viola pushed penelope further into herself. Taking a step back, picking up the dragontail, Headmistress Parker landed each blow deftly, letting the sting and the pain be a reminder of penelope's place just as her words had completely and utterly controlled penelope. Yes, penelope might be her protege, might be the Madame, but penelope was, just as all the others, beneath Headmistress Viola Parker and any act to the contrary would be met with swift, and harsh consequences.
Removing penelope's underwear and taking up the cane, the Madame's preferred implement, Headmistress reminded penelope that she was Headmistress's tool to wield, that penelope was an extension of her and her power and penelope would not forget that. Without hesitation penelope agreed, wishing nothing more than to please the Headmistress and to continue to do her bidding.
Did the madame understand? Of course she did, and she would have it no other way. Closer now, Headmistress was in penelope's ear, highlighting what they were keeping a secret, questioning penelope, extracting penelope's confession and her loyalty anew. penelope had to articulate the excitement she felt when disciplining the students -- Headmistress, grabbing penelope, commented that it was good that penelope was secured, who knows what might happen otherwise.
Now was the time to bring penelope to her most vulnerable place, the place where Headmistress knew that penelope needed to go. Strapping her into the chair, leaving her immobilized, wholly exposed and vulnerable, she watched penelope struggle as Headmistress began to tease and torment her protege, bringing her again and again to an edge, then making her watch Headmistress, to witness her power over her, the power that penelope so readily ceded. Watching penelope struggle to stay composed, to struggle for relief, Headmistress was very pleased. Yes, madame Penelope was exactly the right choice, she was just the one Headmistress needed to do her bidding...for all the Headmistress had planned.
