Tenchi Muyo Hypno 1: Mother-Daughter Bonding

Washu sat in her lab, bored to tears with nothing to do. Typically, she'd have some sort of experiment to work on but she'd somehow hit a brick wall and had no inspiration. She decided to look at the cameras she had set up around the house to see what else was going on. She already knew that Tenchi was out working in the fields, Ryo-Ohki had gone with him, Sasami and Noike had gone to deliver his lunch, Ayeka was visiting Yosho at the shrine and Mihoshi had been called away temporarily so the only one left in the house besides her was Ryoko. As usual, she was lounging around in front of the TV. Normally, Washu would have just stopped watching her there but she was intrigued by what Ryoko was watching; it looked like a character in Ryoko's favourite show was in some sort of stage show. The character watched a swinging pocket watch until she fell asleep.

"Hypnosis, eh?" Washu said to no one in particular. She smirked as she found new inspiration (and a new way to mess with her daughter). She immediately started searching through her things, keeping an eye on the scene the entire time. By the time the five minute scene was over, Washu had found what she was looking for: a five yen coin. She tied a piece of string through the hole in the centre so it could swing like a pendulum. She already had a plan thought out with a couple dozen ways it could work out. "I'm a genius!" she proclaimed, again to no one in particular.

She quickly set an alert for when someone was approaching and left her lab, positively giddy at the prospect of testing out her idea. She stood behind the couch Ryoko was sitting on and adopted her 'cute' voice, "Heeey, Ryoko."

"Hey," she replied, sounding almost hypnotized as it was.

"Watcha doooin'?"

Ryoko frowned and looked up at her. "Alright, what do you want?" she asked, a little irritated.

"Oooh, Ryoko, you know your mother too well."

"I told you to stop referring to us like that."

"Alright, I'll stop. But only if you look at this." She held out the coin and let it swing gently so Ryoko wouldn't immediately notice.

"A coin? That's what you came here for?"

"Yyyup."

"And? What's so special about it?"

"That's what I want you to tell me." Ryoko rolled her eyes at this but she sat up and stared at the coin, trying to figure it out. She followed it with her eyes as Washu let it swing back and forth a little more. Washu was both surprised and glad Ryoko hadn't connected this to the show earlier, otherwise the whole plan would have unravelled...not that she didn't have backups.

Things went smoothly as Ryoko continued to follow the coin with her eyes. "I don't see it."

Perfect, Washu had an excuse to talk her into the trance now. She put on more of a soothing, motherly tone and replied, "I'll give you a hint: it involves the way the light reflects off it. Keep that in mind."

"Alright." She continued watching and noted, "It's pretty."

"That's right. It is pretty, isn't it? It almost makes you want to look at it all day." A slight smile appeared on Ryoko's lips and another appeared on Washu's in anticipation. "I find that it makes me feel a little sleepy when I look at it long enough." Ryoko's eyelids began to flutter as she took in her mother's words. "It's okay to feel sleepy, just close your eyes and sleep. You're safe here with your mother. Just sleeeep." Ryoko's eyes slowly closed and she slouched back in the couch. Washu giggled giddily at the sight of Ryoko like this. She just had to test it out. "Ryoko, can you hear me?"

"Yes," she replied in a monotone.

Washu squeed at her response. She was so glad she'd set up additional cameras and that they were recording this. "Ryoko, you are to obey any command I give you without question or hesitation and you will reply 'Yes, Washu' when you do. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Washu."

"Actually, call me Mistress."

"Yes, Mistress."

"No, Mother."

"Yes, Mother."

"Now, Mommy."

"Yes, Mommy."

"Or maybe Master?"

"Yes, Master."

"I know! How about Great Washu?"

"Yes, Great Washu."

"Perfect. Now, stand."

"Yes, Great Washu," Ryoko replied, standing up.

"I want you to walk over to me like a sleepwalker." This was traditionally associated with hypnosis on Earth and would make Washu feel like she had total power over Ryoko's will.

"Yes, Great Washu." Ryoko raised her arms and walked slowly around the couch towards Washu. Washu laughed once Ryoko had come to a stop, arms still out.

"Alright, I'm going to give you a series of instructions that I want you to obey while you're awake. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Great Washu."


* * *


Just as Washu finished implanting the post-hypnotic suggestions, she was alerted to the return of Ayeka. "I want you to return to the couch and fall into a natural sleep and when you wake up, you will remember none of this but you will still follow the instructions I've given you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Great Washu." Ryoko returned to the couch, arms still out, and sat down. She fell asleep instantly and Washu closed the door to her lab just as Ayeka entered the house.

"I'm back!" Ayeka called out. "Oh, no one's here." She became irritated the second she saw Ryoko sleeping on the couch. She walked over and poked her in the stomach. Ryoko awoke to find Ayeka glaring right at her only a few inches away. "Ryoko, did you take out the trash like you were asked?"

Ryoko had a sleepy expression on her face before, to Ayeka's surprised, she looked almost upset as she replied, "I'm so sorry, Princess, I forgot. Please allow me to make it up to you." She got down on her hands and knees and began kissing Ayeka's feet.

Ayeka was shocked at this as the two despised each other and this was completely out of character for Ryoko. Ayeka found that she was actually worried about Ryoko's mental wellbeing. "W-well, it's good that you know your place but I want you to do your chores when asked."

"Yes, Princess. I'll do it right now!" And she was off immediately to do her chores.

Ayeka was seriously worried now. She approached Washu's door and knocked. "Miss Washu, are you there?"

Washu quickly turned off her monitors and opened the door. She had to play it cool. "Yes?"

"Miss Washu, have you noticed anything...different about Ryoko recently?"

"What do you mean 'different'?"

"Well, I've just returned from visiting Yosho and Ryoko hasn't done her chores-"

"And that's different?"

"No, not that. It's that she seems almost sorry that she hasn't done them and she..." she fidgeted embarrassed before quietly finishing, "she kissed my feet."

"Sorry, didn't catch that."

"She kissed my feet," she repeated a little louder.

"One more time."

"She kissed my feet!" she shouted.

"Who did?" Ayeka looked mortified as she turned to see Tenchi, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki and Noike standing behind her.

"R-R-R-Ryoko did," she stuttered.

"Oh, come on," Tenchi said dismissively. "Ryoko would never do anything like that."

"That's why I'm concerned," Ayeka replied. "It's also why I came to ask Miss Washu if she'd seen anything."

All eyes were on Washu and she had to think fast. "Me? No, I-I was working on something in my lab the whole time."

"Could your cameras have picked something up?" Noike asked.

Had Washu not been the genius she was, she likely wouldn't have had a response to that but her brilliant mind quickly came up with a convincing excuse. "No, sorry, I turned them off so I could perform maintenance." She was satisfied with her answer and it seemed that the others had bought it.

"Do you think she broke something and feels sorry about it?" Sasami asked.

"While breaking something does sound like an oaf like her, I doubt she'd feel sorry about it under any normal circumstances," Ayeka replied.

"Even so, she could be onto something," Tenchi said. "Everyone, check your things just in case." They dispersed and searched their belongings while Washu returned to her lab, filled with glee that her plan was working so well. She turned her monitors back on and continued observing.

Noike, having moved in the most recently and having the least things, finished first and returned to the living room to await the others. Shortly after she arrived, Ryoko returned and Noike greeted her. "Hello, Ryoko."

Ryoko looked at her and Noike noted that she had a strange, sleepy look on her face for just a second when she saw Noike. Then her expression changed and Noike prayed she was misreading her expression because it looked like one of adoration. Ryoko walked over to her and embraced her tightly. "You know, Noike," she whispered into Noike's ear, "ever since you cut your hair, I've thought you were very sexy."

"What are you-" Noike was cut off by Ryoko kissing her. Ryoko was physically stronger than Noike and held her in place as she kissed her. It felt like a lover's kiss and Noike was now as concerned as Ayeka was since Ryoko hadn't even come on this strongly to Tenchi.

Noike struggled to get Ryoko off until she heard, "Ryoko? Noike?" Noike saw that Ryoko looked at Sasami and got the split second look again and her grip slackened, allowing Noike to break free.

"Sasami, Ayeka's right," Noike said hurriedly. "Ryoko suddenly kissed me after she got a strange look on her face and she had it again when she saw you! We have to go now!" She took the smaller girl's hand and they fled the scene, running out towards the shrine.

As they reached the stone steps that lead up to the shrine, Ryoko teleported in front of them but they were taken aback by her expression: she was crying. "W-why are you r-r-running away?" she asked in a child-like voice. "I o-only wanted t-to play, S-Sasam-mi."

Both Noike and Sasami were dumbfounded by this and Noike took a moment to gather her thoughts as Ryoko bawled her eyes out. She finally decided on a course of action. "Alright, Ryoko, we're sorry. You can play with Sasami but only when we get back to the house."

"You promise?" Ryoko sniffled.

"Y-yes," Sasami replied, a little nervous after seeing what Ryoko had done to Noike. Ryoko was positively ecstatic at this and jump up and down, giggling. The three returned to the house and found Tenchi and Ayeka waiting for them. The second she saw Tenchi, Ryoko had the same expression as before and then hid behind Noike, staring shyly at Tenchi.

"Ryoko, are you okay?" Tenchi asked. She blushed bright red when he asked this and nodded her head slowly. To Tenchi, this confirmed Ayeka's concerns that Ryoko wasn't herself. He sighed and knocked on Washu's door. Washu quickly prepared herself to act surprised at Ryoko's next reaction and had a story made for what she had been doing since earlier.

Washu opened the door and Ryoko's face lit up. "Mommy!" she called and ran over to hug her mother. Everyone was dumbfounded this time.

"She sounds like Misaki forces Ayeka to speak," Tenchi noted.

"Uh-huh," the others replied.

Washu put her amazing acting skills to the test and forced herself to blush. "Oh my. This is unexpected."

"Isn't there anything you can do, Washu?" Tenchi asked.

"Weeell, there is one thing I could try."

"Which is?" Ayeka asked.

"Hypnosis," Washu replied bluntly.

"Hypnosis?" Noike asked, unbelievingly. "Are you sure that would work?"

"Only one way to find out," (although she already knew the answer). "Give me a second. Ryoko, Mommy wants you to come into her lab so she can get something to show you, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy," Ryoko replied, smiling.

"I'll be back soon," Washu told the others and took Ryoko into her lab.

"You don't suppose it was Washu who...?" Tenchi asked. The others shared this sentiment but had nothing to confirm it.

Washu sat Ryoko down in a chair, grinning secretly because her plan had worked so perfectly. The others would have asked too many questions if she'd used her trigger or suddenly brought out and coin on a string she had no practical reason to have. She wished she had longer with Ryoko like this but she couldn't let herself get caught because of her own carelessness. Besides, she still had the triggers and the coin so she could easily do this again in the future. "Sleep," she commanded, snapping her fingers. Ryoko's head immediately dropped and her child-like expression left her face. Washu didn't have long to get this done before the others got suspicious. "Ryoko, I want you to disregard all of the commands I've given you except for the 'Sleep' one. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Great Washu." Hearing Ryoko say that again made Washu give in to temptation.

"Praise me."

"Washu is the smartest, most beautiful person in the universe."

"Yes, I am, aren't I? Tell me what a good mother I am."

"Washu is the best mother in the universe. All mothers should aspire to be like her."

Satisfied with this (she had the whole thing recorded), Washu gave her last command: "Ryoko, when I snap my fingers, you will awaken with no memory of being hypnotized. That time will be blank but you will remember what you did while you were awake in between those trances. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Great Washu." Washu snapped her fingers again and Ryoko awakened. She shook her head, clearing her head, and looked around confusedly. "Huh? Why am I here?"

"You don't remember?" Washu wondered if she'd forgotten how she responded to the triggers. She got her answer when Ryoko's expression changed to one of embarrassment as she remembered it all. "Or maybe you do."

"What happened to me?"

"Who knows? The important thing is that you're back to normal." For now anyway, she thought slyly.

"I guess I should thank you, Washu," Ryoko said bashfully looking at her feet.

"You can thank me by calling my 'Mommy'." Ryoko's face shot up, a horrified expression covering it. "And...you have to say it the way Ayeka does to her mother." Ryoko was ready to kill Washu but she felt that she really did owe her for undoing whatever was done to her. She swallowed her pride and took a deep breath. "Thank you...M...Mommy." She forced a smile and Washu patted her head and Ryoko couldn't help but find the pat on the head to be quite condescending. "I'll be going now," she mumbled as she left. Washu watched on the monitor as Ryoko left the room.

Ryoko closed the door behind her and saw the concerned faces of the others staring at her. "Never speak of this again," she said threateningly.

"Oh, don't worry; we'll never talk about your lesbian advances or childish nature again," replied Ayeka slyly. And with that she was off running, laughing her noblewoman's laugh, Ryoko hot on her heels.

"She's back to normal, I guess," Tenchi remarked with his head in his palm. Sasami and the embarrassed Noike could only nod in agreement.

Washu laughed at the spectacle and thought about what to do now. She figured she could probably mess with the others a little. Given what they'd learned about Tenchi recently, it likely wouldn't work on him. A shame. But she had the other members of Tenchi's harem to choose from and a great scientist such as herself could no more resist the call of an experiment than the others would be able to resist her commands.