Aftermath
Reverse Realization AU
(A/N: god this au is so fun)
CHARACTERS: Sam, Skylar, Betty, Dirk, Dorian, Franklin Lieste (tinfoilhat), Timothy, the Hanks, Lyric, Phoenicia, Mateo, Hoove
Warnings: Manipulation ig
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A month
Thats’s how long it’d been since anyone had heard from you. Or seen you.
Sam tried to text you only to find out you’d blocked her number. She’d gone to your house and knocked on your door a million times, but you never answered.
What a jerk. Getting some fancy new goggles and just leaving her for fucking furniture or whatever it was.
Oh god, if she only knew.
You had watched her face grow frustrated as her knuckles rapped on the door for what seemed like the thousandth time. Watched as she gave up with a heavy sigh, trying to squint in the window to look for you before putting her hands in her pockets and walking back to her car.
You’d wanted to scream. Wave your hands at her and yell “HERE, HERE!!”. But you didn’t. What would it matter if you did? Without the Dateviators, no person could ever see you again.
Part of you blamed yourself.
No, actually, most of you blamed yourself.
You’d looked Skylar dead in the eyes with that stupid fucking smile on your face and nodded eagerly at her when she presented you with that proposition:
“Wooowww, look at you, Casanova! You really understood me when I said Date Everything, huh?? I can clearly see you’ve got a real favorite though. Well, I’ve got a surprise!! That favorite of yours? You did SO well courting them that you unlocked a new feature!”
Her peppy attitude, the huge smile she wore, the way she over exaggerated everything, every word, every movement, like you were a little kid she was trying to get to listen to her…
Why hadn’t you noticed it?
“Haven’t you gotten a little curious lately? Over what it’s like to feel what THEY feel? What it’s like to be like one of us objects? To actually TAKE OUT a Dateable, be able to live in THEIR WORLD? Welllll…..I’ve got news for you!! For just one day only, you can actually become an object yourself!”
You’d been in shock. Was it dangerous, you’d asked. She’d laughed in your face like it was the dumbest question she’d ever heard. It had seemed perfect. You actually got to become an object? To actually be able to not look crazy while talking to your household appliances??
You’d cracked a joke to her, ‘Damn, an object? I don’t know if I’m ready for that step of a relationship, Skylar.”
Itd been a harmless joke, but you’d felt the atmosphere shift instantly. Skylar’s smile didn’t go away, but there was something else in her eyes, and her voice sounded a little strained.
“Oh. I see. Not everyone’s cup of tea. But let’s just think for a minute here. Think of all the stuff these objects do for you all day long. All the stuff they’ve ever done in your life for you. Their whole lives are dedicated towards one objective: service you in the best way they can. It takes a lot for an object to talk to you, as well. Don’t you think you owe them just a day to understand them REALLY? To try and at least show you think of them as more than objects of service?”
And you- stupid, idiotic, you, fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
Objectification was painful. Nobody warned you that your limbs would feel stiff and numb, and your head would feel empty on some days and stuffed full to the point of bursting on other days.
It was terrible. You should’ve guessed that the process of a human becoming an object wouldn’t be painless and easy. But still..
It was only a few weeks later when Skylar finally cracked under your incessant questions.
“Okay, okay, okay!! Listen- it was all for the better. You were lonely. You’re not lonely anymore, right..? Right. Now, you’re with us. One huuuuuuugggee family, right? And you get to be with your objects FOREVER. Literally! You guys are MADE for each other now!! And it’s not going to stop at you, oh no! We’re turning your house into a little rental spot!! Short-term, of course. I already had Phoenicia put up some ads online, and now, we’re really going to make things wonderful! See, you have your little dating thing going on, but there’s SO many other objects in this house who don’t have anyone! And there’s SO many lonely humans out there!! Soon, we’re gonna turn this place into a sanctuary for lonely humans!”
“Shut up, Skylar.”
“What?”
“This is bullshit. You can’t just take human’s lives away just like that! You can’t just turn them into objects and keep them here forever!”
There was a long, long period of silence. Skylar had stared you right in the eyes, unblinking.
“There was not one moment I ever did anything to you without your confirmation and consent. I asked you if you wanted to become an object. You said yes. I never just turned and went BOOM: OBJECT! You gave up your humanity for the object(s) you love. A noble sacrifice, and a WORTHY one! Now, look at you!! You’ll never, ever be isolated EVER AGAIN!! So maybe I exaggerated the amount of time you’d spend as an object. It was all for YOU. Thats my job. That’s what Franklin Lieste programmed me for. To absolute deliver full customer satisfaction and happiness through D.A.T.E-ing!”
You’d yelled something back at her- you don’t remember. You don’t bother trying to remember.
You’d given up completely.
You just sat in the same spot you’d been objectified in, not moving, not blinking, just sitting. Sometimes, other objects would sit down next to you and try to talk, or leave you small little gifts. Some would even try to insult you into giving them a reaction.
You gave none of them the reaction they wanted, and after a while? They got bored of you.
Now you were essentially collecting dust. Waiting, and waiting, and waiting until the day Arma’s batteries ran out and the whole house caught on fire.
This morning, there was a different kind of air in the house. You’d heard Timothy said the words, ‘8:00 sharp, they better not be late’, and Hoove had been around cleaning the little corner you’d stayed in— which he hadn’t really done before.
Skylar was the most energetic. She kept going over to Phoenicia and asking ‘Did they say anything else?? Oh, what if they bring a friend? 2-for-1! Oooh, I’m so excited!!”
After a while of just watching the chaos unfold, you turned to the nearest object, who just happened to be Betty.
“What’s going on?” You asked her quietly. She blinked in surprise, you hadn’t spoken to any of them in forever, but she gave a warm smile and pointed towards the doorway.
“Well, everyone’s so excited because someone’s coming to the house for the rental. A new tenant, basically.”
Your heart sank.
Oh no.
You looked at Betty and then at the doorway, shaking your head rapidly. “No- no- they can’t do that!! Skylar can’t do this to another person!! She can’t-“
Betty quickly forced a freckled hand over your mouth, shushing you softly.
“Shh, shhh….quiet. If you make a fuss, Skylar will probably hide you from them.”
You quieted down, nodding, and she took her hand away as you caught your breath. You looked up at her and rubbed the side of your face.
“Are you…will you stop me if I tell them to leave?”
“No, honey.”
“…why?”
Betty glanced back at the door to the bedroom, before she got up and shut it.
“Don’t let anyone in, Dorian.” She whispered to the man, who nodded at her, standing up a little straighter. She turned back to you and sighed.
“Sorry for being so secretive. We just- we only know most of us in the bedroom don’t think Skylar’s doing the most reasonable thing..”
Your eyes went wide.
“You-“
“Yes, honey. We all love you very much. So much, that we don’t think turning you into an object was a very good idea. I mean…sure, you’re one of us. But talking to you when you were human was something special.”
“Yeah.” Dirk spoke up from the closet, making you jump. “You kinda just mope around now. Who knew taking away someone’s humanity can take away all that life in them too?”
The Hanks all popped up behind him, and Dirk made sure to step away from them as they started talking.
“Yeah, dude!! You used to be so epic, and cool, and-“
“Not that you’re not cool now, but-“
“You’re like…really not feeling the vibe anymore, homie. It’s a bummer.”
“…sorry we lied to you, dude. It wasn’t cool at all, but like- how cool was it that you could like- BECOME like us, dude??”
“But it wasn’t really all that gnarly once you ACTUALLY became an object.”
Timothy was sitting daintily on the dresser, and he didn’t speak for quite some time, but he let out a quick sigh and crossed his arms.
“..You were much more appreciative of timeliness back when you were human. I do often miss watching you rush out the door to be on time to your old job.”
“mmmyeah.” Lux said, picking at a nail. “I mean- you’ve completely abandoned your self care routine and all- so you’re like- gross af. #Bringbackthehomeownerera.”
“…oh- uh, thanks…?”
“What we all mean, really, is we really messed up. Bad.” Mateo piped up from where he was on the bed. “We thought- I mean…”
“We thought it would make you happy. Because Skylar said you were lonely and this would help you out.” Lyric added. “Oh- yes, I am very sorry for giving you fake advice from the book ah- ‘How to Tell if You’re Being Gaslighted’.”
You nodded along with their apologies, sighing in defeat.
“Thanks, guys. I appreciate that you uh- acknowledged that manipulating someone and trying to convince them to become an object is not a good thing.”
There were a few uncomfortable laughs around the room, but they died down pretty quickly.
“It’ll be alright,” Betty assured you, rubbing your shoulder. “I don’t know if there’s anything we can do about it right now, but we’ll be here for you. We can help you adjust.”
“Yeah-“
A loud bang suddenly sounded from downstairs, and everyone’s heads turned. A collective silence blanketed the room before Dorian broke it.
“Front door.” He muttered. “Ouch.”
Nobody had time to even think before Franklin Lieste’s voice cut through the air.
“….oh shit.”
(Gonna make a follow up laterrrr I need to go somewhere rn)
