Kon'nichiwa my fellow Otakus, CosmoK13 here and I am happy to announce that we are here for the second season of YouTube Outcast Legends! Before we begin, I want to thank everyone who has faved, followed, and commented on the previous season; Enter the Dark, which you can see on the fanfiction page. So this is the sequel to that and if you have not seen Enter the Dark yet, I highly recommend it so you know the situation of this season. Also, wanted to give a huge shout out to Monakaliza Arts for letting me use her characters for this story. Her designs, which you will see in this season, can be seen on her Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and YouTube. Be sure to check her out and go support her, her work is amazing and her series is what got me writing this story. With that said and done, we will move on to the next season of YouTube Outcast Legends.
Prologue
It had been nearly a month now since that night. The night where Kate Leer, or Cosmo's life had changed. Darkiplier, Markiplier's' alter ego, had trapped the young blonde in a mindscape every time she went to sleep. Though she only went there four times, every night was more traumatic than the last. She had to put up with so much negativity, she had to solve crime scenes, and worse, she had to even witness death. She was surprised she came out of it with her sanity left in her. Even though she was able to cast the demonic creature out of her mind, he wasn't reluctant to let her go. He still tried to torment her even in the real world, but they came to an agreement of sorts.
After that creature attacked during the fundraiser, Dark was able to use his powers to drive it away. Thanks to the ring he wore with the blood moonstone in it. The same one Cosmo stole which was the reason he went after her to begin with. Still, she returned it to him regardless but that wasn't enough for him to forgive her. Though she had been through enough as it was. The poor girl not only lost her parents almost two years ago, but her poor sister ended up getting so severely damaged that she had to go to the hospital. If it hadn't been for that creature that ruined the fundraiser back in April, Kris would be chatting up a storm with her on the phone. The only few good things that came out of that situation was that Cosmo was able to get out of a potential new living arrangement Kris wanted to set up for her. As well as the fact that Dark wouldn't haunt her anymore, and would help her find that creature that took her parents away to kill it. Of course, once he did, she would most likely die. Well, maybe. Dark never did state what he would do to Cosmo once the deal was done, but he did give her ideas. Such as mental torture, which she already experienced during her dreamscape adventure. At least she would have some idea of what awaited her, as morbid as it was, it was comforting to know what may become of her.
Still, Cosmo didn't realize that her troubles were only just beginning. For unbeknownst to her, there were more forces waiting in hiding to get to her. And one of those forces, she would be facing at around this night. Exactly one month after she first met Dark.
Chapter 1
I still couldn't believe how long it had been, seemed like only yesterday I was just living in my empty house trying to get through college. Now, I have Darkiplier, an alter ego of one of my favorite YouTubers, as my roommate. I know, I know, I can hardly believe it myself. Under any fans' dreams, it would seem like a fantasy come true. After all, many did consider Darkiplier as a romantic figure even though that wasn't who he actually was. Though to be fair, he wasn't a bad roommate, though I could think of about five others off the top of my head I'd rather be sharing my house with.
I sighed as I pedalled down to my house, approaching the corner of the street. It was a beautiful day in May, the second to last Saturday of the month. I was just coming back from a long day at the library. I had done a full day of research but didn't get much out of it. I would have gone to the library on the college campus, but due to my research, I felt I would have a better chance at a more public one. After all, my research was that relating to… demonology as some may call it. Earlier that morning, I had left my house to head out. I didn't have any classes today nor would I have any tomorrow, so I wanted to take the time to figure things out with Dark.
I didn't tell him this, mostly because he would most likely forbid me from doing it. However, I had to know. I needed to find any way to rid Mark of his darker half. I still couldn't shake off everything that happened. Those nightmares… that mindscape I was trapped in… I could remember it so clearly even now. All the death, watching those poor egos and Markiplier himself suffer. Somehow, I blamed myself, because in a way I was the cause of it all coming together. Even though Dark had agreed to spare me until the murderer of my parents were killed, I was sure it was only a matter of time before he fulfills his end of the deal. Don't get me wrong, I was perfectly okay with this arrangement, even if it meant I might die. Whatever happened to me, so long as my siblings would be alright and my parents would get their justice, I cared not what would become of myself. After all, considering my current state and occupation, perhaps it would be best if I was to leave. Then they would have one less thing to worry about. Great, now I'm talking all suicidal, I'm really not like that. But… that doesn't make the situation any less true.
It wasn't the fact that I could die, but rather the fact that even after I go, Dark will only wander and keep Mark locked up. It's this very thought I had that wants to try to do something. As far as I knew, I was the only one that was even aware of… what was happening with Markiplier. So, for the past few weeks, whenever I had the free time, I would head to the library and do some research. About demonology, mostly. Of course, I never checked out any of the books to bring them home. The last thing I wanted was for Dark to find them, and that would most likely cause some trouble between the two of us. Even though he seemed to respect my privacy, well more like he doesn't care, I still didn't want to take the risk. I read what I could and jotted certain notes down on my phone. Luckily, Dark couldn't get into it since it was password protected. Now that I thought about it, aside from light switches and certain household appliances, the ego never made any effort to get involved with modern technology. He doesn't go anywhere near my phone, nor does he even want to participate in any games I have on my console. It was strange. Being around Markiplier and the teamiplier crew, I would have thought he would have much more knowledge and experience with these kinds of electronics. Yet he seems to do whatever he could to avoid them. Well, whatever his reasons are, it was his business.
Today, I think I got further in my research. Lately, I've only been studying the history of demons and the lore behind them. Now I'm focusing on different types of demons at this point. Since I'm not exactly sure what Darkiplier was, I needed to dive deeper into that subject. After all, until I could figure out what or who was taking over Mark's body, expelling it from the host will be a challenge. Yet, I wasn't going to give up. I was sure the answer would reveal itself to me in due time. I just had to wait and keep researching. With any luck, I'd be able to get somewhere.
It was only early afternoon by the time I came home, just a few minutes passed three according to the watch on my wrist. I smiled as I looked at my Bendy watch, seeing the strange cartoon character from the 1930's pointing his short arm for the hour and the longer arm for the minutes. I smiled, loving the fact that I was able to get some more merchandise from some of my favorite fandoms thanks to the paycheck I got working for the nonprofit. Even after what happened, we still have to work to keep it afloat. Still, I didn't mind, it did give me something to do to take my mind off of things. And Dark didn't interfere with that either, so that was another good thing. I biked up the driveway to my house and headed to the shed. Once I put my bike away, I went to the front door and unlocked it, then stepped inside the entryway. "I'm home," I called out. Even though Dark never really responded, at least it was nice to say it and someone listens to it. Once my voice rang out, it only took a few seconds for Oliver, my black pug, to come running down the stairs and yapping at me. I giggled as I patted his fluffy fur. "Hey buddy, hopefully Dark was able to take care of you while I was away."
Even though Dark didn't like technology or having long conversations with me, he did seem to tolerate Oliver. Giving him a few treats, letting him snuggle next to him while he was reading, he even went as far as to play tag or fetch with my pup. For a demonic entity that was so hellbent on trying to torture my mental state, he was really good when it came to animal care. At least Oliver wasn't lonely when I was gone. I took him out to go to the bathroom immediately. Afterwards, I brought him back inside and we headed up to the kitchen. As I entered, I noticed that the shades were drawn back on the windows. Strange, Dark usually keeps the rooms… well, dark. "Huh? Strange, the blinds and curtains are always drawn back by the time I come home. Did Dark forget?" I decided to investigate the matter by looking around the house. I checked my room first, even though we both agreed he wouldn't go in my own room, better to make sure. I opened the door and no trace of him. Then I checked the room across, where he usually stayed. Nothing either. I searched the whole house and yet, no trace of him anywhere.
"That's weird… Did Dark go out already? He usually doesn't head out till after I get home," I thought to myself as I pondered this. Did something come up and he had to leave right away? Maybe he finally got a lead on the creature that killed my parents. Why else would he just up and leave without leaving so much as a note? I shuddered, thinking about the very idea of the creature itself appearing right at my door. Though to be fair, it probably wouldn't just walk up and knock. Then again, I could be overreacting. Dark tended to keep a lot of things to himself, and for all I know, he could just be out to get an early start or to walk around. After all, he could only be cooped up in the house by himself for so long.
My thoughts were interrupted as Oliver jumped on my leg and pawed on my jeans. I looked down at him as he stared at me with round, brown eyes. I sighed, realizing what he wants. I headed back to the kitchen and fetched him his dinner. Instantly, he dug his flat face into the bowl and ate the contents like there was no tomorrow for him. "Eat up, Olly." I smiled as I watched him chowing down. I looked over to the patio door where the deck was. It was just last night I saw Dark heading out there to go and scout the area. I know he only does it to protect the house and to find the creature that killed my parents, but I still worry. He may end up bringing something back unintentionally, or he may never come back at all.
Then again, perhaps this would be a good thing not having him here tonight. Even though things have settled back down, I still have terrifying visions of the night of the fundraiser. I don't have any homework, I was by myself with Dark not telling me what to do or patronizing me… and I still had money from my last paycheck. "You know, Oliver…" I smiled as I knelt down to him. "I have been pushing myself a bit these last few weeks. Between school and work and even Dark… I think tonight can be a binge night. Just you and me, watching some shows on Netflix, and then I can go online and chat with my friends on Discord. What do you say?" Of course, he only tilted his head at me as he licked his lips. I chuckled at his response, it wasn't a no at least.
?
The rest of the night went pretty well for me. I ended up cleaning the house, which took me about an hour. Once that was done, I worked up an appetite so I checked to see what there was to eat. Most of it I had to make, and even though I was hungry, I didn't want to cook anything. So, I grabbed my phone and ordered my usual from 'China Dragon'. Luckily, they were able to deliver to my house, so I didn't have to go anywhere to get the food. Once my food got here, I took it downstairs and watched the first season of 'Supernatural' on Netflix. A lot of my friends on Discord told me about this series, and it was one I would most likely get into. So I binged the whole first season the last few days and finally finished the last few episodes of season one that night. I had to say, the series so far really blew my mind! When the credits rolled for the final episode of the season, I jumped off the couch and couldn't contain my excitement anymore.
"Holy hell, that was one heck of a season! I can't believe they would end it on a cliffhanger like that though! But seeing as how there are more seasons, clearly the brothers will survive. I can't wait to binge the second season, but I think I need some time to recover from what I saw before I get into it again." I took a deep, calming breath to gather myself. I was a sucker for myths and magical stuff, so it was no wonder I was falling in love with this series. I looked at the clock above the fireplace and noticed that it was almost eight at night. "That late already? Guess I got lost in the fantasy world again." I chuckled to myself. "Well, might as well check and see who is online right now." As I headed up the stairs, Oliver followed me. The two of us soon headed back to the kitchen, already cleaned up after I took care of my plate. Just as I was about to turn the corner to get to my room, there was a loud ringing coming from the house. I turned my head and walked over to the right side of the refrigerator where the landline was. Sure, it was strange to have a landline nowadays, especially when it was only me. But I didn't want to get rid of it just in case there were important calls that couldn't reach my own phone. I walked over and picked up the landline, answering it and holding it close to my ear. "Hello?"
"Kate?" A familiar voice called on the other end. My face lit up as I heard my sister-in-law's' voice.
"Kay, hi!" I was overjoyed as I held the phone close to my ear. "It's been awhile, how have you been?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. Sorry for not keeping in touch with you this past week. Things have been crazy over here with the nonprofit and the hospital. I've pretty much had my hands full."
"No, no, it's alright. I've been doing well over here, so no need to worry about me," I assured her and sat down on the couch. It had been a few weeks since we talked. She texted me now and again, but after the incident at the fundraiser, she's had a lot to work with. I've been able to help her here and there, but it's still hard. I worried about Kris just as much. "Uh… so, why'd you call?"
"Well, not only to check up on you but to give you some good news." There was an excited tone in her voice and I was a bit nervous wondering what it was. "I got off the phone with Kris' doctors, and she's not only made great progress with her physical therapy, but they said by the end of next week, she can come home."
Upon hearing that, the smile on my face grew wider if possible. That was amazing news, and honestly some news I've wanted to hear for a long while. That creature did a really bad number on my sister over a month ago. When we got to the hospital, they had to take her to the ICU. I didn't get the chance to look at her when I was there, I didn't have the courage to see what that monster had done to her. I could only imagine it was terrifying and even gory. I already saw what the beast did to my parents, I couldn't live through that again. I was happy that she was alive, and that she was in such a stable condition she could return home. Hopefully, I would be seeing her again real soon as well. "Th-That's great news! She's doing well, then?"
"Well, she's still pretty banged up with a lot of scars. But for the most part, she should be able to go about doing daily routines. Of course, there will be limits for her for the next few weeks, but we'll try to keep her comfortable to help get her back on her feet." Kay told me.
"Whatever happens, I'll be there for you guys," I assured, the smile never leaving my face. It seemed like things were finally looking up for me and my sisters. Sure, we've hit a few bumps along the way, but at least things are finally settling to a point where everyone was happy. "So, how has the nonprofit been?" I asked, changing the subject to see what other events I should have known about.
For a few moments, there was only silence. I first thought that perhaps she was taking her time to answer, wondering what I should know. But instead, she was the one to ask. "W-what was that?"
I blinked as I held the phone closer to my ear, and spoke louder. "I asked how's the nonprofit?" again, there was that long moment of silence, and it started to get on my nerves. "Hello? Can you hear me?" I raised my voice into the speaker, waiting for her to answer. My response, was the beeping of the line on the other end dying. I looked back at the phone with a raised brow, confused by the sudden ending of the conversation. Naturally, my first instinct was to call back and see what happened. I dialed the numbers, thankfully I remembered her own phone, and waited for an answer. As it began to ring, I was sure she would pick up right away to tell me what went wrong. However, after a few rings, all I heard was static. "What the?" I held the landline away from my ear for a moment as the static effect could be heard, even though I wasn't on speaker. I was, very confused but shrugged it off and ended my attempted call. Stranger things have happened to me after all, so a disturbance with the phone wasn't something too out of the ordinary. At least, that was what I thought. I placed the phone back on the charger and gave an annoyed sigh. "Alright, that's new. I wonder if there's something wrong with the connection on the landline? Or maybe I just forgot to pay the bill? Do landlines even still have bills?" now I was starting to get confused. I shrugged it off at that point though. "Eh, whatever. I'll call her in the morning. The connection might be better then." I assured myself. I probably could have used my own cell phone, but considering how many notes I took today, it needed to be charged. And again, I didn't really think that much of it until later that night.
?
"Okay, okay, tell me again why you think that would be canon?" I asked through my headset while I typed on my computer. After that 'call' with Kay, I headed back to my room to get online on Discord. Luckily, a few of my friends were online and since I was in a good mood that night, I grabbed my headset and hopped on the voice chat to talk with them. I usually tended to get online most of the nights, mostly at around eight or nine on my end. I tended to get on the computer to chat more at night, mostly 'cause I had more time in the later hours. Now and again, if I have no classes or any work to do, I can get on in the morning, but no one was usually on that time. Still, being online helped make things more bearable for me. With everything that has gone down in my life, it was nice to know that I still had those to talk to and a place I can escape to.
"Asgore was trimming the hedges from the school that Toriel got when they arrived on the surface. You can't tell me that, considering how long it would take them to even establish a sort of law for monsters to get the same rights as humans as well as managing that school, that the king and queen of the Underground didn't spend at least a little time together?" a male voice pointed out on my end.
"Well, that's to even assume if we are considering reality into a video game," a feminine voice pointed out. I giggled as my friend made their explanation based around a famous game called 'Undertale'. They were both known as Cap and Sage, the ones I was talking to at least. Cap was a guy and though we were in different states at the moment, we can still connect through Discord and even some of the Google Apps. Then there's Sage, a non-binary friend of mine. Technically, biologically they are a girl and they used to go by the name Tetra. But they came out as non-binary and pan about half a year back and being the caring friend I am, I supported them. Of course, deep down I'll always think of them as Tetra and now and again call Sage a girl or address them with feminine labels, but Sage doesn't mind. Most of the time, we usually just talk about our favorite fandoms and games and even roleplay with our original characters we made based around said fandom.
"Sage has a point," I added to the conversation. "Besides, the war between monsters and humans happened like a century ago. I'm sure most of the humans would be more curious about said monsters than scared of them. Plus, a lot of them don't even look that scary. Creepy, maybe, but not horrifying."
"Did you see Flowey's transformation towards the end of the game?" I could feel Cap raising an eyebrow at me as he had an annoyed tone in his voice.
Sage, however, came to my defense. "That was because he absorbed the human souls, which caused him to become OP. Plus, that's only Flowey."
"What about the experiments from the Secret Lab? Surely some people would be more than skeptical about them," Cap pointed out.
"Again, they are still technically monsters, and while they may look a bit more nightmarish than the others, once they see they are harmless, the humans won't be too scared for long." I shrugged.
"Besides, there are far worse AUs that we could discuss. Imagined how humans would feel if, say, the monsters that appeared on the surface were from Underfell. Or even Horrortale."
I shuddered as Sage mentioned the other AUs. It's not that I was against alternate universes in certain series, but it was what the AU was based around that would raise a few eyebrows. Like Horrortale, and the concept that the monsters in that universe had to eat humans just to keep their sanity. "I think I would prefer Underfell than Horrortale monsters any day. At least the fell monsters won't try to eat me!"
"Yeah, but the Underfell monsters will most likely torture you before they kill you," Cap noted.
"I still prefer them any day, because at least they have somewhat of a nice side if you show them kindness," I defended.
"Plus, I think she would want the Underfell monsters before she goes into Underlust," Sage chuckled.
I instantly blushed at that remark and bit my lip before speaking. "Don't you dare bring up Sugar Plum!"
I could hear Cap chuckling on my end and I swore I heard him falling off the edge of his seat. "You can't deny this ship forever!"
"I would rather die than ever be shipped with that creepy skeleton!" I pouted. This had been a running joke between the three of us since Sage and Cap discovered Underlust. The Sans in that universe, which they call Sugar Plum, they decided to pair him up with me. Mostly because the ship annoyed me to no end. To be fair, though, I did end up shipping them with characters that would make them mad as well.
"Says the one who calls herself the 'Goddess of Ships'," Sage quoteded.
"I may be a fan of shipping others, but when it comes to ships with me, I'd rather not get involved," I pointed out, calming myself down. "Besides, I'm not a huge fan of Undertale like you guys."
"Just 'cause you aren't that into it, doesn't mean we can't have our fun." I could literally feel Cap smiling behind the mic.
"He's got a point," Sage admitted.
I rolled my eyes at that and smiled. "Fine, fine, you two made your points." I gave in, knowing that by continuing the conversation would only get me more into the ground. At least the topic was very interesting and it was a nice distraction. It was times like this I could take my mind off of recent supernatural events and try to be a normal young adult. And at least I didn't have to worry about Dark, my sisters, school, work, or anything. I only wished that all my days could have been as peaceful as this.
"So, how have you been lately?" Cap asked me.
"Well, aside from finishing up college projects before the summer break, and the fact that I've been doing a lot of work for the nonprofit, I've been pretty good."
"Oh yeah, when is your summer break?" Sage asked.
"About two or three weeks from now. I for one am looking forward to it. I mean, sure there is the fact that I'll be working a lot more, but that also means that we can spend more time together! Well, Sage and I at least…" I trailed off, being reminded that not all of us would be able to be together. I felt bad because of it and wanted to do whatever I could for the three of us to hang out again like the old days.
"Come on, don't worry about me. Trust me, if I could get there on my own, I would," Cap assured us. Even though both me and Sage knew he would want nothing more than to be with us.
I sighed and tried to put on a brave smile, getting an idea. "You know, my sisters promised me that I would be getting my license this summer."
"Does that mean you're getting your own car?!" Sage jumped from their seat with excitement.
However, I had to calm them down. "No, no… I'm just trying to get the experience. If I do get a set of wheels, I would want to have a scooter."
"Then what will you do when it gets to the wintertime?" Cap questioned.
I had a feeling he would have asked me that. I sighed and thought for a moment. "I guess… I dunno, I might get a car, but nothing too large like a truck. I might get a Slug Bug or maybe even one of those Kias! My sister has one, it's small enough for me since I don't live with anyone. And it would probably be easier to maneuver than a larger car," I thought out loud. I looked back to the screen and waited for their response, however, after a minute of no voices, I grew curious. "Hello?" I called out through my mic, yet nothing could be heard. I looked at my icon on my screen, but there was no green circle that appeared when I was talking. That was weird, it said I was connected. I raised my eyebrow at that but figured it was probably a small malfunction with my headset. I really needed to get a new one, I've had this headset for about three years now. I rolled my eyes and clicked my mouse to refresh the page.
After a minute, Discord reloaded and my connection was strong again. "Sorry about that, I think my mic went on the fritz."
"You've only had that headset for a few years," Sage stated.
"This has happened before, now and again Discord will disconnect my mic."
"That never happens with me," Cap admitted. "Then again, I'm usually on my phone when I talk with you guys."
"I only go on my phone to type. I don't use the voice chat. Well, not often at least. If I'm too far away from the mic, then no one can hear me," I explained.
"Yeah, I noticed that happened with me as well," Cap added.
"You know, Discord recently added in this new feature where you can actually see who is on a mobile device just by looking at their name," Sage pointed out. "You can see a small block that looks like a phone next to it."
I looked at the screen and smiled. "Oh yeah, I noticed that earlier tonight."
"I don't see them on my end," Cap stated.
"You can only seem them when you are on a computer monitor," Sage told us. "Ironically enough."
"Hey Cap, I can see a device by your name." I laughed looking at the name he went by on the server, seeing the phone device next to it. "Who would have phone?" I chuckled at my dad pun. Sage snickered as well and I could hear Cap groaning.
"Seriously?"
"Come on, you know I can't go to bed until I make my pun for the night," I told Cap with a sly smirk on my face.
"You could say Cosmo is the… PUNisher?" I nearly gasped as I heard the pun that Sage made. Which only caused Cap to groan in annoyance.
"Why do you two torture me!?"
"It's spreading, Cap. Accept reality." I smirked.
"When we see each other in public again, remind me to slap you both for those puns."
"Like Cosmo would actually remind you of that." Sage gave a snicker.
I rolled my eyes at that. Cap says he hates my puns, but deep down he loves me. Platonically, at least. "Alright, alright, since Sage made the second pun, no more," I promised. And it may or may not have been an empty promise, but no one knew that at the time.
"..ank...yo…." I blinked as I thought I heard Cap's voice, but it was hard to tell.
"Uh, what?" I asked as I held the mic closer to my mouth and held onto the headset.
"...aid….th...nk ou…." Cap's voice kept cutting out that I was getting annoyed again. I checked my connection on my headset, and it was still green. Was it really my end? Better check, just to make sure. I looked at the tower for my computer on my desk, and pulled out the small port to help me connect to the internet. I placed it back in and looked at the internet connection. It took a few minutes, but the connection was re-established. I sighed in relief and went back to Discord.
"Sorry about that, I think it must really be the connection." I told them.
"I thought you said that your connection was the best during the summer time," Cap said.
"It has been finicky lately," I admitted. "I'll have to get my brother to check it out. He knows the most about this stuff anyway."
"Isn't he supposed to come over this weekend?" Sage asked.
"Usually he does, but he's been putting in some overtime. He's trying to save up for the third Kingdom Hearts game."
"I thought that game won't come out until January 2019," Cap questioned.
"Well, apparently you can pre-order the game once they arrive in stores, so once they get there you can just pick it up. But it will cost a bit more so he needs the money."
"Shouldn't he be more worried about food and rent?" Cap pointed out.
"The guy has a roommate to help him out with that, so it's not like they have debt to worry about. Besides, he even invited me to come watch him play the game when he gets it," I told him.
"I didn't know you liked Kingdom Hearts," Sage admitted.
"I don't play them, but I have watched my brother played the first one when I was still in elementary school. I always did have a fondness for Disney," I explained.
"Who doesn't?" Sage asked rethocially.
"How many games are there in that series?" Cap questioned.
"I believe this next one that will come out will be the thirteenth one in the series," I stated.
"They made thirteen of them?" Cap sounded surprised and even amazed.
I shrugged. "The first game came out March 28th back in 2002 and they've been going with this since. It's a pretty good series, and they've added a lot to the lore. Although, only half of their games are actually part of canon. Some of them are pretty much filler and just spin-offs. You can literally skip them and miss nothing."
"Did your brother play said spin-off?" Sage questioned.
"Of course, if it's Kingdom Hearts related, he'll play it. They even released a few of them on the DS as well, but he never played those games."
"Don't you have a DS?" Cap reminded me.
"No, I sold it so I could get the Nintendo Switch. But I did have a Kingdom Hearts game for said DS, though I didn't really get into it. And even David didn't like it that much. Maybe it was because he didn't like the controls."
"Well, when you play a certain game a certain way for a long while, switching to different consoles can be a bit tedious." I nodded with Sage at that. "It's like when you play Phoenix Wright on the DS and all of a sudden they switch it over to bigger consoles. But as long as the gameplays are the same, I don't mind."
"You know, ever since the Switch came out, Nintendo have been re-releasing older games so that the Switch can be played more," Cap told the two of us. "Like the 90s Sonic games, Kirby, Super Smash Bros, even some other games that were released on XBox and PlayStation like Dark Souls. I actually wouldn't be surprised if they ended up getting Phoenix Wright on the Switch here soon. Though, considering how old and how much the franchise has worn down, that may be awhile."
"Well, if it ever does come out on the switch, I promise I will buy it and you can come over to play it with me, Sage," I promised them. To which they replied with a giddy squeak. That reply only made me giggle, knowing that Sage would love that. I never really played those Ace Attorney games, but I did see a playthrough of some of them and I do have a pretty good understanding of what the game is about. And there were more anime tropes in that game alone than any TV series I've seen. After the shrills of delight were over, I spoke up again. "We may have to wait until after I get said games, though," I told them.
"Fair enough. Gawl! I really hope they make some for the switch!" Sage spoke in such a gitty way, I thought Oliver would be able to hear.
"There's also a bunch of other games as well that will be coming out on the switch, like Bendy! I can't wait to actually play that one!" Now it was my turn to squeal like the fangirl I was.
"Oh yeah, theMeatly announced that he and Rooster Teeth were planning on having the Bendy game released on console once all five chapters were out," Cap added.
"As soon as it comes out, I plan on buying it. I'm saving up 'cause I know as soon as it comes out, it will be pretty expensive. I wouldn't be surprised if it was 60 dollars."
"60? Seems a bit overpriced for a game with little gaming mechanics that should take up about two and a half hours at most." Cap raised a brow.
"I dunno, there are some games that can actually go for over a hundred dollars in stores and online. Then again, most of those games tend to come with certain extra material like they are deluxe versions, limited edition, or maybe they have some special code or extra pieces you need to play the game. Personally, I think it's baka that they would overprice something just because of those features alone."
"Well, how else are you gonna separate the games?" I asked Sage after their rant.
"By genre?" Cap stated with amusement.
That comment alone made us laugh like crazy. And he thought that I was the one that made way too many jokes. Still, it was nice to know that I wasn't the only one to have a sense of humor. It was times like this I wished I could chat with them in real life, or at least more often. But between college, my "job," and now even Dark… things have gotten a bit more complicated with my friends. Although, I did plan on having Sage over at my place for the summer break… Only problem was, how was I going to deal with Dark? Either I had to explain to my friend that I had one of Markiplier's alter egos possessing the living version as a roommate at my house, or I would have to kick Dark out for however long Sage was going to stay with me and risk the chance of him causing mayhem around probably the whole district I was in. The latter of the two seemed like something I would be able to have a better handle on.
I put that thought on the side for a moment as a small ding came from my phone. I looked at it and smiled. "Hang on a few guys, I need to switch my laundry," I told them as I set my phone in my pocket.
"You're doing laundry on a Saturday? Why?" Cap questioned.
"Because Sunday is the day of rest," I remarked.
"I thought you didn't believe in God," Cap retorted.
"Just because I don't believe in a higher power, doesn't mean that there aren't supernatural forces out there." I gave a half-hearted chuckle as I removed the headset from myself and set it down. After I muted and deafened myself on the chat, I headed out of my room and turned to go downstairs. "I knew I should have done the laundry yesterday… I guess I forgot after…" I looked back over to the patio door, being reminded of when Dark had to leave for the night to scout the area for anything unusual. 'It's not like I care…' I told myself as I looked away from the screen door. 'He can handle himself just fine. Besides, he doesn't care about me anyways… we only have this arrangement until…' I trailed off just thinking about that creature… the Scavenger as Dark called it. I would never be able to get its hollow face and blood red eyes out of my mind. I shook my head and bit my lip. 'Stupid Dark, I blame you!' Okay, yeah, I knew blaming others for my troubles wasn't mature, but when you live with such a being for a whole month, your sanity would drop somewhat.
I turned away from the patio door and headed downstairs to take a turn to the entryway. As I did, I looked outside to see some light… The outside lights of my house. I went to the door and looked out, seeing them shine in the darkness. "That's strange… why are the lights on?" I took a step back and scratched the side of my head as I looked at the light switch. "Did I accidentally turn them on when I got home? Yeah, that must be it. I've been a bit scattered-brained these last few days…" I chuckled to myself. I then flipped the switch and the lights from outside turned off. I didn't need to keep them on for Dark anyways, he could see fine in the night. I then headed downstairs to the den and went to the laundry room, heading for the washer and dryer.
I let out an annoyed sigh as I lifted up the top of the washer lid and opened the dryer lid. "Even though I live by myself, I still seem to go through a week's worth of clothes for a family. At least Dark does his own laundry around here, so that's one less person to worry about." I sighed as I put on a brave smile. "At least this is my final load for the night." I did the task of placing the clothes from the dryer into a basket, then placed the wet clothes from the washer into the dryer. After I started it up, I took out my phone to set the timer for sixty minutes, then I took the basket of the dry clothes to the den and set them on the couch. I would just fold the laundry, put it away, and then get back to my friends. Before I could even touch the clothes and towels, I noticed a strange hotness coming from my back. I turned around and noticed the fireplace was on. It wasn't a normal chimney fireplace like in the olden houses, more like an automatic gas one that lights with the flip of a switch.
"When did that fireplace get turned on? It isn't even wintertime!" I rolled my eyes. Though, I was a bit hesitant to go over there, mainly because I knew for a fact I didn't turn the fireplace on. Still, I shrugged it off and turned off the switch, the fire went out, but the vents were still on so it could filter the heat out. With the fireplace off, I could focus on doing the laundry. Luckily, it didn't take me that long since it was mostly towels, washcloths, and socks. Which were pretty easy to fold, so it only took about three minutes for me. Once that was done, I placed the laundry back in the basket and grabbed the handles, ready to head back up. "Alright, that's done, now to put these away," I told myself as I was about to head upstairs. Until my eyes darted back to the fireplace and as I took the first few steps, the wood was set aflame. I gasped and dropped the basket at that, taking a step away from the fireplace. "W-what the…?" I watched as the fire in the wood flickered and danced until my eyes darted to the switch. It was still turned off, but then why was the fireplace on?
I looked around the den, mostly at any place that held shadows. I shook my head as I went over to the fireplace switch, turned it on, then off again. "Real mature, Dark," I groaned as I walked back and picked up the basket, then started placing all the clean laundry away. Dark was the only one who could control the lights and even the electronics to an extent, so I believed it was him. Even though he wasn't in the house physically, clearly his hold on the house was still present. When he got back, I was going to have a word with him. Dark may be some supernatural being, possibly a demon, but I was the one who owned the house. Well, technically, it was still my parents' house for the next few mortgages, then it would be up to mostly my sisters and my brother to keep up with the payments. Added in with the money I was getting between the job I have and the money I'm getting from the state. Okay, so not all of it was going to be my money, but I was putting in more cash to the mortgage than he was!
I blamed myself, I should have just let him think I was still scared of him, even though I knew that until he accomplished his part of our contract, he couldn't do anything to me. I just had to stay strong and let it go. After I finished putting all the towels away in both bathrooms, I went back down to put the basket back in the laundry room. Once it was back there, I dusted my hands and sighed. "Alright, that's done. Now to get back to my friends." Feeling pumped up now, I walked back up the stairs, going to head to my room so I could keep chatting with my friends until my eyelids wouldn't let me see the screen anymore. However, I stopped in the entryway once again as I looked outside seeing the brightness. I glanced around through the window of the door and sighed, seeing the outside lights on once again.
"Seriously?! I TURNED those off!" I groaned in annoyance as I went to the switch to turn off the lights. My patience was starting to grow very thin, mostly towards Dark. If this really was his doing, I was planning on scolding him when he came back. The guy literally traumatized me and wants to torment me more once he kills off a monster. The least he can do is be a decent house guest, especially when he was the one that wanted to live here by choice! Not like I had much of a say in it anyways. Once the lights were off, I turned my back towards the door and headed upstairs. I only took the first step before my back got covered in a shine, making me turn my head back to the entry door to see the lights outside go off again. "URGH! Can't you just stay-" I almost yelled at the lights for going off again, until they started flickering. My eyes went wide as I saw them flip off for a moment, then back on again, almost like they were speaking morse code. I leaned up against the wall as the light show went on outside. If I was outside looking at the house and the illumination right now, I would think whoever owned that house was either crazy or was playing a prank on the neighborhood. But considering where I am standing now, I was more worried as the flashing started to increase in speed and brightness. I held my breath for how long the radiant show lasted, until the final flicker caused the outside lamps to go out.
My body was frozen to the spot as I looked out through the window in the door, only looking at the darkness of the night for the longest time. Even though it wasn't cold in the entryway, I could feel the chills of anxiety creep their way from my legs up to my spine. "D-Dark?" I called out to both the house and the driveway. "Dark…? Is that you?" My voice was raspy as it was losing confidence. I swallowed the fear rising in my throat as I started to walk up the stairs, slowly and cautiously while gluing my eyes to the front door, looking at the bolt lock. Once I was back up in the living room, I took a deep breath as I clutched the shirt and my heart. "C-Calm down, Cos… it's… just Dark messing with you. He hates the light, and he is always looking for new ways to freak you out… Hopefully he didn't burn out the bulbs…" I tried my best to reassure myself, wanting nothing more than to believe that it really was Dark. Because then I would know I was still safe. My thoughts however were invoked as the lights in the kitchen started flicking on and off like the ones outside. As if that wasn't bad enough, the television in the living room switched to show me a static channel while the landline phone was buzzing and ringing nonstop. The lights were one thing but… technology like the phone and TV… that wasn't Dark at all!
The panic grew inside of me as I looked around my surroundings, devices being alive and buzzing one moment then dead the next. The animation of the shining fluorescence, the crunching and glaring of the television screen and the ringing of the phone, it was all growing too much for me. I covered my ears, feeling the anxiety in me climbing its heights, about to reach its limit. Closing my eyes next, I dashed into my room and closed the door, pressing my back against the wooden frame and took rapid, deep breaths to ease my nerves. It didn't help the situation, but it did ease up my fears. I was feeling my heart elevate and my brain racing a mile a minute. I really thought at the time it was Dark that was haunting me, but the more I was thinking about it, the more I began to doubt it. Not even Dark would have gone this far, and he didn't have this much control over technology either. I didn't know what to think anymore, all I knew was I hoped it would be over. Once I gathered my breathing, I took a step away from the door and headed back to my computer, I just wanted to get back to my friends and try to at least get some normality out of this night. "This is all too crazy… This has to be Dark… I…" I took a breath as I walked up to the monitor. I reached for the mouse, ready to get connected, but just as I was about to move the clicker, I heard the same buzzing as from the television in the living room. I backed away as I looked at the computer monitor. It felt like my pupils had taken over my sockets as I watched the static appear.
My whole body was paralyzed, I couldn't even speak. I only stood there as the lights in my room went out, but the screen on my computer showed only a blaring fuzz. "Dark…?" It was all I could say as I looked around the blanket of blackness, hoping he would appear out of the shadows and ask me if I was scared. But his voice never came, and for once, I wished I could have seen that gray figure before me. What I had instead was the sound of glass breaking in the other room. I whipped my head towards my door, still closed. For a brief second, I was too scared to even move, let alone consider looking outside. I had wished I was actually smart enough to have not done so, but my curiosity grew over my fear, and before I knew it, I took a step towards the door, then another and another. Eventually my shaky hand reached for the door handle and trembling like a leaf, my hand felt heavy like a rock, turning the handle and creaking the door open.
Because of the angle from my room to the living room and kitchen, I couldn't see much. What I did see however, was enough to make me go pale. All around the floor of half the kitchen and half the living area, glass was scattered everywhere. None of the windows were broken, but what happened to have been the only other entry to this level, the patio door leading to the deck. None of the glass remained in the frame, all of it laid on the floor as pieces like a puzzle. The glass, however, was the least of my concerns. For above the glass, a figure stood up from the floor. I had first believed, and prayed that it was Dark who had come home early from scouting the area. My hope and courage only faded as I looked at the figure. It was definitely a guy, and though he was dress in black, he was much slimmer and a bit shorter than Dark. The most noticeable thing about the one that entered the house, was the fact that even though he was far away, I could see a faint glow of green on his face, where his eye should have been. Now I was certain, that creature wasn't Dark, but rather a new nightmare that would enter my life.
My sanity and anxiety shouted at me to run! To get out of the house before the creature could get me. But where could I have gone? I was on the second level of the house, and though I had two windows, I didn't believe I had enough time to make a rope to throw and climb down with. And I wasn't that crazy that I would risk jumping out and either getting a broken bone or neck. With the former, it would only make it much more difficult for me to run away. And there was no way I was going to take my chances and bolt out of my room to speed past the new figure. One, I didn't know how fast he was and two, I was not a very fast runner myself. The only other option I had was to hide. With that plan in place, I made a dash to my closet, closing the two sliding doors, and cowered in the corner. I covered myself up with as many clothes as I could to blend in, though it wasn't easy since the floor was taken up by a lot of junk like a small Frozen chest and bags of old artwork and story ideas. Even so, determined as I was, I sat down in the dark corner. My knees huddled into my chest as my hands covered my mouth, all while being covered with summer dresses and tank tops.
Because the walls in the house were thin, it didn't take me long to hear what was happening outside. I could hear the sharp cracks of the glass breaking as feet collided with the thin material. Cack, crisp, snap. I could hear the sinking of the floor getting closer and closer with each footstep that was taken as the creature made their way into the hallway. Thud, thud, thud. The most disturbing sound that was made, getting me really chilled, was the sound of claws scraping against the walls, like an animal marking its territory. Sssssscccccrrrrrreeeeeecccccccchhhhhhh.
It felt like an eternity as I sat in the closet, hoping that the one out of my room would see no one was here and leave. But it was foolish thinking, to believe it would work. The creaking of the door to my room could be heard, and I knew that the being was closer to me now. There was a slit opening between the closet doors, so I could only see a sliver of my room, but I could see the figure slowly moving further into my place. Their head turned in different directions, looking for something, no doubt me. The creature walked over to my bed, lowering down to look underneath the mattress. I knew right away the one in my room was looking for me. I held in my breath, not letting out even a squeak. My heart raced in my ribcage so much that I thought it would burst out. I hoped it wasn't loud enough for the creature to hear. I could only watch in the corner through the slit of the closet the being looking around my room. When he got up from under the bed, he sat on the mattress and looked around, as if he seemed to want to stay there longer.
'This isn't my imagination…' I thought to myself as my own body shook with fear. 'The second that… creature finds me, I am completely fucked! I am going to die and no one is around to help me… Dark… wherever you are… please, save me!' I felt on the verge of tears, but I had to hold them back. For I knew if I cried, it would lead me to sniffle and hiccup, and if that happened, the one in my room would hear and I would be dead where I was. For the first time since me and Dark had met, I wanted him there. If it meant he could have taken care of this monster that was lurking in my bedroom, I would have given anything for him to come back! But I was on my own to face this monster.
I watched as the figure hopped off my bed, and started to walk away from it, towards the only entrance of the room. I had believed that it would finally leave my space and my house, thinking it found no one of interest. I was just about ready to breathe again, as I felt I was going to be safe and sound. Alas, my prayer was not answered, for that green eye stared at the closet. At that moment, I covered myself with my clothes, hoping to look like a pile of dirty laundry I just shoved in my closet because I was too lazy to actually bring it downstairs to wash. But the eyes kept coming closer and closer, the green light shining through the crack in my closet door. I nearly fainted as clawed hands wrapped themselves around the wooden frames, slowly pulling them away from each other. My eyes went wide as the figure opened up the doors, but because it was so dark, I couldn't get much detail of who or what was in front of me. But clearly, they could see me underneath all the clothes.
I gasped, as I looked up and saw the only two notable features, a shining green socket on the left side of their face, and a sharp, toothy grin that spoke with malicious intentions. The creature had found me, smiling at me, ready to do whatever it was that it was going to do. I could only stare with saucer eyes as the creature reached with sharp fingers, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look it straight in the eyes. I tried my best to look away, wiggling in protest, but their grip was so strong, I could feel their fingernails digging into my cheeks. A few droplets of blood escaped from the pain, causing me to yelp and give in. I only saw green cloud my vision, my body finally relaxed though. For the being put me under a spell that caused my body to go numb, no longer feeling fear or anxiety. As my body fell unconscious, so did my mind. All I saw before I lost my vision was green… and then, blackness.