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jaz-rites · 2 years

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Trash Prince Chapter 3 - Ensouled (Part 1)

Howdy y'all, welcome back to Trash Prince. We're starting chapter 3 today. The Prince finally gets a soul! Congrats to him, he better not take it for granted.

Have no idea what I'm talking about? Start from the beginning

Previous Part

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Riley felt Melissa's arms around her, and heard her voice in her ear. "[You can do it, Riley. Doubt is your enemy, something something morale boost!]"

The vivid colors of her surroundings drained into monochrome, the speck of light on the wolf-shaped void's head becoming infinitely brighter, until it was all she could see. The star shot out at her, searing a line of pain straight through her head, and sound gave way to an overwhelming ringing. Though it was muffled, she heard Melissa's quiet grunt behind her. Her elder's embrace slackened, and then evaporated.

"Melissa, no!" Matilda's voice rang out in Riley's mind, from the waking world.

Riley spun on her heel, echoing her sister, but her elder had already gone. Her hand gingerly covered her dripping eye, tears pouring forth as she struggled to process the pain. She turned back to face the spirit of Death, though she couldn't remain standing any longer and dropped to her knees. "What have you done?" she demanded, her voice hoarse.

"No, Bugaboo, what have you done?"

The spirit of the Land held the star in her hands, now a ball of wispy blue flame, and approached Andrius, who took half a step back, staring at Riley with a vague horror.

"Do not fail me." The Land's many voices whispered as she pressed the fire to the Prince's chest, and the horror on his face twisted into pain. His image flickered, and then disappeared, and with a feeling like she was being pulled through the ground by her ankle, Riley landed back in her body.

She sucked in air, and then released it as a throat-shredding wail. Her eye burned like a blown glass orb, all the way down the nerve, shadows enveloping the entire right side of her field of vision, and she curled onto her side, cradling her head. The ringing in her right ear had followed her to the waking world, as well, and seemed louder.

"Riley!" her sister sobbed. "What happened in the Otherworld? I think Mels is dead!"

Melissa stirred, groaning. Matt's attention snapped to her.

"Ma! Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, Bright Matilda." Her voice was weak. Keeping her eyes closed, the elder witch drew a sigil on her palm that flared to life with bright green light, which she pressed to the left side of her face until her breathing steadied. She did not try to sit up.

Riley could only cry, and her mind reeled faster than complete sentences. Her sister knelt next to her, reminded herself to breathe, and pressed her hand to Riley's head. Some of the pain melted away, and Matilda grit her teeth as she shared it.

"Gods alive, what did you do?"

"I'm so sorry, Matty." were the first words she could manage, her volume raised over the ringing. "I don't know what I just agreed to."

"'Agreed to'?" Matilda's tone was shrill. "Oh, Rye, no..."

"Heya, we got company! All your screaming and crying has attracted Mirabelle!" Grim rasped from the threshold, his claws clacking as he hopped along the scraggly branch.

Melissa managed to get to a sitting position, keeping her left eye closed, just as the tapestry peeked open on one side.

"Come in, sister," Mels called, and another elder witch entered the space, wearing only a linen shift and her grey wool cloak, her curly hair covered by a silken bonnet. She carried with her a bulky leather bag, her brows heavy with concern as her gaze was drawn to the sniffling ball of Riley, though Andrius's paleness immediately distracted her.

"Hey, so, I just heard, 'I think Mels is dead!' and figured I should get out of bed," Mirabelle's lilting voice spoke softly. She sniffed the air. "Did you go to the Otherworld?"

"Indeed." Mels answered.

"And... who is this?" She kept her eyes on the Prince, pointing with her chin.

"The reason we went to the Otherworld." her sister said flatly, looking away.

"Ma Mira, I think Riley really needs you right now." Matilda interjected, rising to her feet. "And then I think we're all owed an explanation or two," she added, stepping out of the way.

Mirabelle set her bag down next to Riley and opened it. "Let me see you, dear."

It was a struggle for Riley to take her hand away from the side of her head that hurt; the ringing had only subsided a tiny bit from Matt's sigil. Mirabelle's deep brown hand hovered over her, scanning her injury, and quickly recoiled, accompanied by a little gasp.

"Oh, my dear... I'll do what I can for your pain, but... that's all I can do. Can you see or hear on your right side at all?"

Riley took a shivering breath, and answered miserably, "No."

Melissa sighed. "They were taken as collateral. As long as... our guest... fulfills his promises, you should recover them."

"And why, pray tell, is any 'guest' of 'ours' making Deadly promises?" Mirabelle put on fresh gloves, and withdrew a square of paper from her medicine bag, painted with a complicated sigil in bright purple ink.

"He what who?" Matilda exclaimed, her eyes moonward before sinking her face into her hands for a muffled groan. "Riley, when you find things in the trash, sometimes there's a good reason they're there!"

"Shut up, Matt!" her sister wailed. "You were gonna marry him like five clicks ago."

"Beef later, sisters. Please." Ma Mira rubbed the paper between her palms until it glowed, draped it over Riley's head, and picked up two dropper bottles from her bag. Within a few seconds, the younger witch fell right to sleep as sensory overload diminished to a dull throb. Three drops from the amber bottle went in Riley's injured ear, followed by a clean piece of cotton fluff, and one drop from the green bottle went onto her eye, which had turned entirely purple.

"Gods alive... She's gonna need an eyepatch." Mira advised, wrapping the young witch's head with a long strip of white linen gauze.

"So will I, I imagine." Melissa mentioned.

"Why, did Deadly take collateral from you, too?" Her sister wished she was just teasing.

"Indeed."

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Well, that was a doozy! There's a lot going on here. I hope you're having fun reading along. Please come back tomorrow for Part 2 of Ch 3 - Ensouled.

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gravitymirage · 7 years

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Taking Back Control – Part 11

Warning: This chapter contains some blood and gore and general angst.

@intplier

See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil.

Amy spent that night in a haze. She had assumed she’d be unable to sleep, but after so many days of such little sleep, she eventually crashed. Twisted ideas of escape bled into her dreams, leaving her tossing and turning. The plan had gone as hoped, and she was running through the woods with Mark in a desperate attempt at freedom. The trees thinned out, and relief crashed through her. She had left the alter’s dimension, she was safe. But something wasn’t right. It felt as if ice had seeped into her veins and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. It was dark, and she didn’t know where she was. Amy reached to grasp Mark’s cold hand, holding onto it like a lifeline. She was in a bedroom, and it seemed vaguely familiar. Spirals stairs moved upwards in the corner, and a grand piano stood proudly in front of her. It was monochrome, and the realization hit Amy like a blow. This was Dark’s room…

“Mark…” She turned to her boyfriend, and her heart stopped. A coy smile graced his pale lips. The ringing started again. Always the ringing.

“What’s wrong, dear?” It was him. His gaze regarded her, seemingly amused. She pulled away desperately, but he wouldn’t let go. “Come on Amy, what’s wrong? Don’t you love me anymore? You certainly didn’t seem to mind my kiss. I mean, you didn’t pull away, did you?” He leaned in, his breath on her ear. “What would Mark think?” She screamed, and his spare hand quickly shushed her, causing the sound to die in her throat. Her voice was gone, but she mouthed frantic words

“Please. Don't…” He tutted. A hand twirled her hair, before moving down her cheek.

“We have guests, dear. We don’t want to frighten them with your noise.” He contemplated her with mocking sympathy as silent tears ran down her face. He wiped them away with his thumb, though his other hand still held her in a painful grip. “Don’t cry dear, please don’t. Not yet. You haven’t even seen what I have in store for you.” He pulled her into a forced embrace, planting a cold kiss on her forehead. A hand traced down her neck and spine, before pulling away. She trembled but found herself unable to retaliate. She was frozen, and it was terrifying. “Come with me, up the tower.” It wasn’t a choice, he dragged her along beside him up the spiral staircase. The ringing burned her brain, her heart pounded in her ears. She couldn’t escape. She never would. Mark wasn’t here. It was always Dark.

When they reached the top, her heart plummeted in her chest. He let go of her, but he stood in the doorway, she couldn’t leave. In front of her, three alters were pinned to the wall. On the left was the Host, eyes covered by his bandages, desperate words leaving his mouth. He spluttered as the blood tears seeping down his face dripped onto his lips. Bloody spit dribbled down his chin as he waited there, unmoving, accepting defeat. Next to him was Dr. Iplier. At first, nothing seemed different as she watched the enraged doctor struggle vainly at his restraint. But then she saw it. His ears were mutilated and bloody. She clicked her fingers experimentally. He was deaf, in his frantic movements and curses he hadn’t even noticed them enter. Hadn’t heard the ringing. She stared at the last alter. Bim. His eyes were wide with fear as he stared at her desperately. He yelled out pleadingly, but no sound came. His mouth was bloodied. His tongue was gone.

Strong arms wrapped around her and she tensed up. She couldn’t think of what to do. She couldn’t think of how to save them. How to reassure them they’d be alright. The cold metal of gun touched her skin, the weight nearly causing her to drop it from her frail, shaking hands. Dark held it firmly, however, a low chuckle reaching her ears

“These three have been causing a lot of hassle. I tried to help them, Amy. Stop them seeing things they fear. Stop them hearing things that sadden them. Stop them saying things they might regret…” He sighed, adjusting her grip on the pistol. “They don’t understand that they’re disposable, and I wish to prove it. I’ll let you leave Miss Nelson, but you must choose who to dispose of.” He moved his hands, and Amy pulled away quickly. She couldn’t do this. Freedom wasn’t worth this. She turned to face Dark and pointed the gun at her head. For once, he looked stunned. Fearful even. The three alters struggled behind her. “Amy…”

The bang woke her.

For a moment, she thought she might’ve been dead until her surroundings caught up with her. She was in the guest room she’d come to call home, and for once, that was a relief. She’d been dreaming. Mark was still coming, and the alters were fine. Though that quickly led to Amy wondering if the dream actually meant anything.

Clearly, the bang had been knocking on the door, for Dr. Iplier poked his head into the room. His ears were still there, perfectly fine. No blood. The image of him screaming and struggling flashed through her mind. He gave a slight smile, though it faltered slightly as he examined her. He stepped into the room quietly.

“Well, at least it looks like you got some sleep.” She nodded, her hand wiping at her face. Tears. It’s not like she could hide her distress from him anyway. He regarded her sadly, before gesturing towards the bathroom. “Feel free to get changed into something more presentable than your pajamas. I’ll explain everything when you’re done.” He placed a laptop, which she had originally assumed to be his clipboard, onto the coffee table, seating himself on one of the available chairs. She pulled herself out of bed, calming her heart rate. She took a second glance at the doctor’s ears, just to confirm they were still there. He seemed to note her concern but didn’t comment. Her gaze skimmed the doorway, and she jolted back when she noticed the figure standing there. She relaxed as she realized it was just Oliver, and the robot offered a pleasant smile. Of course, he was always smiling, as it was a design choice to make him more approachable. In reality, the fact he was almost always smiling regardless of the situation was just unnerving. She offered him a weak nod, before moving to the walk-in closet filled with the findings of her shopping trip with Bim. Thinking of him immediately soured her already dull mood, the memories from the vivid nightmare making it worse. She pushed the thoughts aside, examining her clothing options. She had been disturbed previously by the realization that some of the clothes had been disappearing, normally the used ones. She’d assumed that one of the Google’s had taken them during the night for washing, which was already vaguely unsettling, yet none of them had come back. She wasn’t sure where they were going, but that was of little concern now. It wasn’t like she was going to be around much longer. Amy grabbed a simple outfit, a loose sweater, and shorts, realizing she would probably have to run through the woods again anyways. This wasn’t a fashion show, it was an escape attempt.

Amy changed in the bathroom, not bothering with anything fancy. She tied back her hair to keep it out of the way, noting that it would need to be re-dyed once she got out. As she sat in the chair opposite the doctor, she examined his handiwork. A laptop had been set up, along with a pair of earphones. She noted with a slight smirk the Chrome branding on the laptop, she doubted anything in this household wasn’t owned by Google. Dr. Iplier was currently standing over Oliver. The robot had powered down, she could tell by his dimmed shirt logo and eyes, and a small panel had been opened on the back of their neck. Dr. Iplier noticed his audience with a slight grin.

“I’m generally not the technological genius, but I don’t think it’s safe to ask for the other Google’s help with this. I think Dark has them wrapped around his finger.” She noted how tentatively he spoke Dark’s name, and he was still clearly listening out for ringing, as he asked her to keep quiet. She had to keep reminding herself that he wasn’t deaf. That the content of her nightmare wasn’t a reality. That Dark hadn’t done any of those things. That she hadn’t shot herself. She shook herself out of her thoughts, continuing to watch Dr. Iplier’s work. He had plugged what appeared to be a USB into Oliver’s neck and was now waiting for the little holographic progress bar to finish loading. When it was done, he selected a few options, and the display disappeared. He removed the USB and closed the panel on Oliver’s neck, causing the robots head to return to neutral position, staring blankly at the wall. A faint whirring could be heard. “He’ll be back online in a moment, we’re just lucky he’s willing to help us. Not as corrupt as the others. Not yet anyway.” He seemed to be talking more to himself than her. He inserted the USB into the computer, staring intently at the screen.

“Can I ask what this is? Mark’s here in an hour, right? I thought I was escaping not hacking into the Matrix.” She gestured expectantly at the weird set up, and Dr. Iplier laughed. She couldn’t help but feel grateful for the response, just confirming in her tired mind that he really wasn’t deaf.

“This is important, Miss Nelson, don’t you worry! I can’t have you sitting down here fretting that something’s gone wrong, so Oliver here has volunteered to be your eyes and ears!” He spun the laptop to face her, enlarging a tab that showed a black screen.

“Wow. Innovative.” She snorted, eyeing the blank screen sceptically. Dr. Iplier rolled his eyes.

“It’s not on yet! Wait till Oliver powers up again!” A few moments passed before the G on Oliver’s shirt lit up. The black screen flickered to a perfect image of the wall. Amy immediately realized it was video footage from the robot’s perspective. “See, now you can watch everything like a live-stream! It was Oliver’s suggestion. Your eyes and ears!” Pride was evident in his tone as he wiggled the earbuds at Amy, before tossing them onto the table in front of her, letting them clatter against the glass surface. Oliver turned to face her, and she looked at her image on the laptop, impressed.

“I hope it is sufficient, Amy.” The robot stated. She nodded, smiling.

“It’s perfect. Thank you, Oliver.” Dr. Iplier suddenly furrowed his brow.

“Oliver, what’s the time?” Amy noted that technically he didn’t force them to answer, as by not using the phrase ‘Okay Google.’ She wondered if Dark used it. Or if he ever really needed to.

“It is currently 8:48.” The doctor’s eyes widened.

“Right, well we best be on our way. I want to be there to greet Mark first. Oh, wait! One more thing!” He handed Amy a phone, which she immediately recognized to be her own. “It doesn’t have a connection and please don’t try to use data. The other’s might be able to trace it back to you. Wait till you get out of here before turning it on!” She nodded, pocketing it.

“Thank you, Doc, I swear I’ll come back for you guys.” He smiled shaking his head.

“I wouldn’t recommend that Miss Nelson, but thank you for trying.” She couldn’t help herself, she rushed over and hugged him. Sure, in a way, he was one of her kidnappers, but he’d been nothing but kind. He’d done nothing but try to free her. Dr. Iplier seemed stunned too, but he still returned it. He regarded her warmly. “Keep yourself safe, Amy.” She gave Oliver a slight hug too, though it was a bit strange. He was mechanical, and feeling something that appeared to be a human vibrate and whirr was vaguely unnerving. A smile graced her lips. Mark wouldn’t like the Googles, they were too much like the living mannequins he feared so much. She pulled away, and the pair left. Amy was left staring at the computer screen, the clock slowly ticking to 9 am.

As she waited, her thoughts immediately went to the other alters. She wouldn’t get to say goodbye to them like she had with Dr. Iplier. Her mind immediately went to Bim, and guilt settled in. She’d caused him so much damage. Partially, it was his reckless behavior due to his apparent fascination with her. But no one deserves to be treated so horribly, and no one deserved to be convinced to hate themselves. In a way, she had been no better than Dark. In the beginning, her relationship with Bim had been an escape plan. She’d been manipulating him. She wondered if it counted as Stockholm Syndrome that she liked him now, even if it was platonic. Though, she doubted it was platonic on his end.

As it grew even closer to 9, Amy plugged in her earbuds and waited, feeling the tension crackling through the air. She watched through Oliver’s eyes the mansion entrance. A few minutes late, someone knocked on the door, and Oliver opened it. Amy’s heart fluttered in her chest. There, awkwardly, stood Mark, wearing a simple white t-shirt and pants. Somehow, despite being surrounded by clones of him for a week, he was somehow just Mark. The real one. She wished there was some way to tell him that she was there as he eyed the robot suspiciously. It was weird, watching him make eye contact with her knowing that he wasn’t actually seeing her. She saw Oliver’s hand gesture him inside, and Mark shuffled through the doorway, eyeing the entrance hallway with slight awe. Dr. Iplier made his way down to Mark, smiling. He extended out a hand, which he politely shook. Amy heard their words through her earbuds as if she was actually there. It seemed the Google’s ears included binaural audio.

“Mark! A pleasure to finally meet in person!” Mark nodded, offering a smile.

“Same to you, I assume you’re Dr. Iplier?” The doctor seemed to notice Mark’s slightly worried expression.

“Don’t worry, I’m quite sure I’m not like what you remember.” Mark looked around again, eyes flicking back to Oliver. Amy was quite right in her assumption that he’d be unnerved by the robot, though he seemed disturbed in general by the clones of himself, which was logical. His gaze flicked down to the hallway, and Amy knew who he was waiting for. Mark cleared his throat.

“It’s, uh, a nice place you got here.” The doctor smiled, but it seemed forced.

“Look, Mark. I need to get to the point. Can you follow…” He trailed off as he heard footsteps down the hall. Amy stiffened. Dark made his way down the stairs, a slight smirk gracing his lips. Mark took an involuntary step back.

“Ah, doctor. I’m glad you’ve already greeted our guest.” His voice echoed on different planes, the ringing and creaking painful in her ears. He turned to face Mark, his entire figure twitching and screaming before quickly regaining its composure. An attempt to hide his rage at his counterpart. “Mr. Fischbach, my apologies. It seems there was an issue with the scheduling.” The wrath that fuelled those words made Amy flinch, along with the doctor. “The other egos aren’t prepared for your arrival. However, fret not. I can still give the tour. We just might need to reschedule to introductions to a later date.” Mark nodded slowly.

“Of course.” He managed, though the prospect of spending time with Dark, possibly alone, seemed to frighten him. Dark offered a smile that looked more like a grimace, straightening his suit.

“Excellent.” He gestured to a chair in the corner of the entrance hall. “Could you wait there a moment? I need to speak with Dr. Iplier. Oliver, could you be so kind as to join me too?” The doctor flinched, eyes widening. It wasn’t up for debate. Sensing the tension, Mark quickly moved to sit, eyeing the alters carefully. Dark spun on his heel and strode down the left hall that came off the entrance, Dr. Iplier and Oliver following stiffly. He passed the entrance the garage on the right wing, instead continuing to the end of the hall and pushing through some double doors. The room would’ve been gorgeous if it wasn’t for Amy’s fear of Dark’s presence. The wall opposite the door was coated in windows, causing the room to be lit entirely by natural light. Dark didn’t offer them to sit as he closed the doors behind them with a shuddering thud. He turned to face them, shell cracking and spluttering with curses and screams before he suddenly calmed. The contrast sent shivers down Amy’s spine.

“Do you think I’m an idiot, doctor?” He finally spoke, his echoing voice laced with malice. Amy wasn’t even in the room, yet she pulled away in fear.

“No, sir.” He managed in response.

“Really? It sure doesn’t seem like it. You seriously believed I wouldn’t notice an email I never sent with schedule changes? Or that I didn’t hear your conversation with Miss Nelson yesterday?” Dark pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. “We can discuss this later, Iplier. We have a guest waiting. And Miss Nelson? I know you can hear me.” Dark’s eyes met hers through the laptop screen. “I don’t blame you for this little, incident, and you are free to watch the whole thing. However, if you so much as make a whimper while Mark is near your room, I’ll elicit you and your dear boyfriend to a punishment you can’t even fathom in your worst nightmares. Do you understand me?” The way his voice was as calm as ever caused her innards to squirm, her blood running cold. The wrath of a being older than time seeped through his façade. “Alright. Now, let’s get back to the tour.”

As they neared the entrance, Mark was nowhere to be found. Dark looked as if he might destroy the entire dimension they stood within when an angry voice declared itself. Dark led the way up the entrance of the library, where Mark stood, hands help up placating.

“The Host states again that does not wish to talk to Mr. Fischbach and firmly requests that Mark leaves his library. If Mark were to disobey the Host, he might find himself suffering tortures well deserved for his ignorance.” The voice was laced with venom, and Mark quickly backed away. He collided with Dark, causing him to leap forward, before scrambling out of the library once more. Amy watched as he glanced back into the library, guilt evident in his eyes. Amy knew that the Host didn’t enjoy company to begin with, and he had already displayed his hatred for Mark previously. He blamed Mark for everything that had happened to him, and in a way, he wasn’t wrong. Mark seemed to realize this fact, he may have even tried to apologize, clearly to little avail. Amy stared at the screen, just able to catch the Host in Oliver’s vision. Her heart plummeted. She could see the blood dripping down his face, the way their body shuddered with frantic breaths. The doctor noted this immediately and stepped into the library.

“Stop.” Came the response, a voice that could kill, and the doctor froze in place. “Didn’t you hear me? I said get out.” Dark shook his head, seemingly disappointed.

“My apologies, Mark. It seems the Host is unwilling to talk with us today. Like I said, we need to reschedule the introductions. Come, all of you, it’s time for the tour.”

It was the same as what Amy had experienced a few days prior. However, this time, Dark seemed almost nice, leading both Mark and Amy alike to be suspicious. He never brought up Amy as the bargaining chip or asked for the use of Mark’s channel, which only unnerved Amy greater. He was waiting for something, and that scared her. He had motives he hadn’t expressed with her, and Amy was really starting to realize that she was disposable. She had sat with hands covering her mouth as the tour passed her room, taking all her self-control not to scream out to Mark. Throughout the tour, no other alters were found. Bim didn’t show himself, which worried Amy considerably. She assumed he was in his room, and trusted the doctor to have kept him safe. But Bim was always one to show himself, he’d wanted to meet Mark. What had changed?

Amy knew the answer to that, but she wanted to forget what had happened to Bim.

When it came time for Mark to leave, she could see the suspicion in his eyes. He suspected she was here, and that offered more worry to Amy than relief. This is what Dark wanted. To bait Mark. To lure him into thinking he was in control when in reality he was being carefully toyed with. As Mark left, ready to schedule another meeting, Amy wanted to vomit. As Dark turned to Dr. Iplier, murder in his eyes.

“Meet me in the sitting room, now.” Amy shut down the laptop, hands clenching, eyes watering.

How had she convinced herself it was over? That she would escape?

It always gets worse before it gets better.

But she had an idea, it seemed pointless, dangerous even, but maybe she would get something from it. She knew where the sitting room was, it was the room outside of Dark’s bedroom.

She was going to eavesdrop on Dark’s punishment.

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#taking back control #part 11 #amy nelson #markiplier #markiplier alter egos #darkiplier #dr iplier #googleplier #google oliver #the host #bim trimmer

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