day 16: memories | Ashes of Memory
cw: mild profanity (ass, damn, middle finger); implied non con drugging (idv core)
(There was supposed to be nobody at the door.) (Nobody was coming to save him.) “I knew that would be the look on your face, Norton.”
A pale-faced, wide-eyed, kicked-puppy-esque Norton Campbell, a man older than Orpheus, a man who had more wisdom that Orpheus, a man who could beat Orpheus’ face into a pulp in mere seconds, sat across from him in the elusive Baron DeRoss (aka Orpheus…)’s office.
“I figured all of this would get boring after a while— as wholesome and cutesy seeing all of these precious residents bond, it's quite obvious that ‘the power of love’ and ‘the power of friendship’ is not enough to save anybody,” a devious, yet cold smirk appeared on Orpheus’ smug, ugly cracked lips.
Norton had the sudden impulse to shove Orpheus' monocle down his throat— but alas, Orpheus knew the little troublemaker too well to not think of tying him up and drugging him sevenfold first.
“And what makes you think that, huh?!” Norton thought the stupid terms Orpheus spouted made no sense, either… but he’d rather scream Orpheus’ face off than agree with him.
“Well, for starters… Eurydice Lamb is not coming to save you,” Orpheus chuckled.
“What the hell does that mean!” Norton flushed immediately. “I wasn’t talking about Eurydice, you jackass!”
“At least I look good as one,” Orpheus sipped from… his tiny china teacup. Like a refined gentleman. Except he was anything but.
He was, clearly, a madman.
“You let me out of this chair right now—“
“Ooh, careful, Norton. You might just tip over.”
Norton stopped rattling about. But he huffed and attempted to fold his arms. “You tell me why you’re doing this now, Orpheus.”
“Uh, because I just told you love and friendship aren’t getting anybody anywhere?” Orpheus scoffed. He stood up from his ornate, cushioned chair and strolled over to him. “I had everyone, aside from my confidante Joseph, come here for the sole purpose of developing some drugs.”
“Shoot me now.”
“I could, actually. I’ve been thinking about booting Emil off first, actually— give everybody a reason to want to erase their already trauma-filled minds? Push them all off the edge a little further?”
“You’re screwing with me.”
“Can a villain not be honest in his monologues???” Orpheus stared down at the prospector with disdain. “You love books yet not their creators! Your hypocrisy is always astounding.”
“I—“
“Anyway, Norton, I’m running out of time. Simply put, you’ve been quite a bother to me as of late. Prancing around, helping Eurydice… her name is actually Alice, by the way.”
“No it's—“
“Anyway, that needs to stop. Simply put: immediately. So… I’m erasing your memory!”
Norton blinked. And then he grit his teeth. “So you're the whole damn freakshow, eh? Where the hell does this end?”
Orpheus put a finger to Norton’s lips. “When you stop cussing, Norton. It's really bad for my own sanity, so please stop swearing. I’m a good gentleman. A bona fide Christian ma—“
“You lost me at ‘gentleman’, Orpheus!” Norton hissed.
“Okay, okay, sorry. Anyway—and remember dear sir, this will all be quick— count this as a favor. After all… is remembering Eurydice worth living with your pain?”
“Just shut up!!”
“I’ll make you shut up. But first listen to my villain monologue please! It’s really important for the next few times I say it in front of everyone else.”
“So I’m your first—“
“YesNortonit’sveryobviousandyouareverystupid. Anyway, is remembering Eurydice worth living with your pain? You know, you are technically a murderer. And knowing Eurydice… she could have your sorry self in jail in half a second the moment she finds out.”
“She wouldn’t—“
“Yes, she would. She’s not some dame looking to romance a serial killer—“
“Not a serial killer—“
“She’s not some dame willing to excuse your moral wrongdoings just because she loves you, alright?”
“Well, that’s Eurydice’s choice. And… and she seems to always make the right choices.”
“Hm. Astute. Well, good thing you won’t remember her when I’m done with you. Shame I couldn’t kill Emil first…”
“Shut up about Emil already!”
“I’m just toying with you, friend,” Orpheus’ tone was saccharine. Overtly so. He smiled widely with a strange glint in his eyes.
Very evil.
“Any last words?” Orpheus tilted his head. “I’ll write them in my next poetry anthology. And I’ll make sure to give credit while you're miles away living your best life.”
“You—“
“Really, you should be thanking me. I’m your savior— I am granting you a new life where you will not suffer the weight of your actions, or your troubled childhood, or your traumas. I’m, in all honesty, your savior.”
“Don’t have a savior.”
“We all have the chance to accept the savior. And in this case, I am yours.”
“I’d tell you to shut up but you just can’t stop barfing up cack— you’re leaking it.”
“Tell that to me when I’m done with you. A shame Eurydice can’t see your face right now.”
“Eurydice’ll tell you this is wrong. Eurydice’ll help me remember everything even when you’re done with me. She will help everybody.”
“You speak as though you’re already consigned to the fact that I am and will do this to you. That’s… really empowering, actually.”
“I feel empowered at the thought of Eurydice beating your ass.”
“I own no donkeys.”
“Jackass.”
“Norton, please— the vocabulary. Eurydice would have your ass (donkey) if she heard you right now.”
“She’d have yours even more—“
“Stop talking about my donkey and I will halt my discussions on yours. Okay, Norton: last words. Now, please. Chop-chop.”
“Eurydice—“
Orpheus snatched some paper off the table nearby and began scribbling. The sounds were very distracting.
Orpheus went to work as a scribe. He occasionally looked up to Norton, who went silent the moment Orpheus wrote the first ‘E’ with his pen.
“Fudge this!” Norton raised his middle finger. “You know what, Orpheus? I’d rather live with all my cack and work through it with Eurydice than be handfed a miracle drug by you, you scumbag!”
“Okay? And not everyone else will say the same?” Orpheus threw his pen at Norton, letting ink splatter all over his face. Norton gagged.
Orpheus drew closer once more. “You live in a Manor with serial killers, criminals, and victims, Norton— all of which are in desperate need for a new life. Why else do you think my letters worked?”
“Doesn’t matter why they worked. Your miracle cure is as real as my wealth.”
“Oh, but it works all right,” Orpheus chuckled. “I’ve been high for the past twenty four hours. I can’t remember a single ounce of pain since yesterday.”
“Oh, I can give you pain if you cut me free—“
“No thanks— I’ve actually suffered a lot already despite being twenty four. And you… you’ve suffered even more. So, again, thank me. And give your last words immediately. I really need to see if Emil is—“
“It’s not funny anymore!” Norton spat.
“Are those actually your last words?” Orpheus almost appeared offended. “I thought you were going to go on a rant about your love for Eurydice… I’m… disappointed…”
“Shut it with your melodramatics! Eurydice is a wonderful woman— she’s more of a saint than you are!”
“Never said I was a—“
“‘Good Christian man’ my PYRITE!”
“…Okay. Can those be your last words already?”
“No!” Norton seethed. “You wanted a da—“
“Dang.”
“You wanted a blasted love confession?! I’ll give you a blasted love confession!”
“Oh, okay. Go on.”
“Eurydice is going to tear you limb by limb when she finds out about all your bullcrap. Eurydice is going to expose your… your devilry to the world when she finds out you’ve been drugging people. And Eurydice is never going to let any of us stay complacent in your hands, Orpheus.”
A pause.
Orpheus blinked. “So where’s the ‘I love Eurydice’ in all that? You’re a sorry romantic, Norton.”
“You’re a sorry excuse of a decent human being, Orpheus.”
“Thanks. You’re helping my savior complex a lot right now. I do honestly feel like a god sometimes.”
“Never thought I’d hear those words from your ‘gentleman’ mouth.”
“There’s a lot of things people don’t think about me,” Orpheus tenderly smiled. He knelt down to be eye-level with the chaired man. “And when all is said and done, perhaps Eurydice will never believe I was behind it all. After all, I’ve known her a lot longer than you have, Norton. Even she has forgotten—“
“Eurydice will remember. She is not a dummy— she’ll track you down and throw you in jail before you blink.”
“You have that much hope in her, hm? Again, a shame it’s all getting erased.”
“Doesn’t matter. If Eurydice loves the truth that much, she won’t let you win.”
“I’m not the father of lies or anything… you’re sounding a little poetic.”
“I am, aren’t I? Let me continue. Maybe you’re a slave to lies. ‘Cause you think you’re some kind of savior for erasing people’s memories.”
“…Egdy. Again, they’ll all thank me later.”
“You don’t know that. You’ve never given any of us an actual chance to see what would happen if our lives now were any different. Better, I mean.”
“Explain.”
“You’re rich, aren’t you? Yet you’ve done nothing to try and get us help. And not just basic ‘help’— that’s just what people need to survive.
Norton scoffed. “You could pay for everyone’s therapy. You could send the residents who have loved ones waiting for them back home. You could use your money to help the people we are now rather than sitting on your ass mixing memory-erasing potions. You ever think of that?”
“Admittedly not the most eloquent speech… nor do you have the most strategic solutions, but I’ll give your resilience to you, good man.”
“So you shouldn’t erase all of my memories.”
“Eh— I will. Have fun in your new life, Norton.”
“Have fun in hell, Orpheus.” his voice was barely audible in the office.
“I won't look back,” Orpheus crooned.
(And his Eurydice stood behind the entrance to his underworld, horrified.)
