Ted's Dolls 26 : Elliot's Dummy (Patreon)

If you haven't read any of the Ted's Dolls stories before, you should start with Ted's Dolls 1: Jane before reading this one.

“So, what did you think, Hannah?” Elliot said. Elliot was standing next to a full size ventriloquist dummy that was Tanya when it was not a dummy.

“It was good. Why did you do the part where you removed the hypnotic suggestions? Seems unnecessary.”

“Don't tell anyone. But, when I put words into the dummy's mouth, Tanya actually believes what I say as if she thought it when Ted restores her.”

“What?”

“It's really weird. If I didn't do the removal, when Tanya was restored, she would react to the Open and Close commands just like the dummy did.”

“But, but, the dummy isn't reacting to anything. You're just holding its mouth however you want.”

“I didn't say it made sense. The hypnosis isn't even important. We had Tanya become a dummy and I just suggested a spell was cast on her and the triggers worked.”

“Are you saying it's possible for people to become mind controlled by being these dolls?”

“Well, the dolls don't normally talk. It's only when I make the dummy talk that it affects Tanya.”

“So, if you have the dummy say something like 'Hannah is my BFF,' would that make Tanya think we were best friends?”

“We never tested it like that because it's scary. She might say you were besties. But I don't think she'd remain your BFF for long if it wasn't somehow reinforced.”

“Still, that's kind of scary.”

“That's why I won't be experimenting on Tanya,” Elliot said. “I'm going to run through the routine again. If you want to get going, I'd understand.”

* * *

A few days later, Hannah stopped by and watched the final run-through before Tanya was automatically restored. When she could move again, she said, “Hannah, I think Elliot undersold it. He gave me a few self-induced suggestions that my boyfriend uses on me.”

“We did that before Thanksgiving break,” Elliot said. “It still works?”

“It sure does. I love it.”

“What do they do?” Hannah said, excited.

“He has a phrase that causes me to be unable to move and another phrase that releases me.”

“And I set a time limit on it, didn't I?” Elliot said.

“Yes, two hours. Far too short.”

“Next time you're a dummy, have Elliot extend the time. Or make it so Mike can set the time to something else.”

“That would be cool.”

“I don't know,” Elliot said.

“Well, I've got to run,” Tanya said.

“I'll walk out with you.”

The girls left. As soon as they were a few doors away from Elliot's room, Hannah said, “Come with me to my room. I want to show you something.”

“Okay.”

In her room, Hannah said, “I want to give myself to Elliot.”

“Why aren't you the dummy?”

“It's complicated. I think I would enjoy it so much I would end up in his collection permanently.”

“Ah, say no more. I know a few people who've gotten hooked on being dolls.”

“But, the thing is, I don't think belonging to Elliot would be bad. I just would not want to be a doll forever. I still want to have a life and see my family. But being totally devoted to Elliot, that would be cool.”

“You could just date him.”

“I think you know where I'm going.”

“You fantasize about the mind control thing, too, don't you?”

“To like infinity.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Read this.” Hannah picked up a printed page and handed it to Tanya.

“Is this a manifesto?”

“No, I want you to rent me from Ted as a normal doll. Pose me so I can read the page. And then order me to read it over and over.”

Tanya looked at the page again. “This would totally mess with your head.”

“I know. I'm so excited.”

“I'm a little wary.”

“Why?”

“If Ted ever found out I was involved, he might never doll me again.”

“Ted? He would get a kick out of this and he would probably tell you I'm allowed to make bad choices.”

“There are some bad choices that might be too far for him.”

“Please,” she snarked.

“Why aren't you asking Elliot to do this to you?”

She looked down and mumbled, “If he said no I would die.”

“He can still reject you after this.”

“But I would be his and it would please me to do anything he says.”

“That's a bit crazy.”

“I know. But, I can see it in your eyes. You want to do the same thing with Mike. Maybe not as severely. But, you're considering it.”

“I am,” Tanya said quietly. “Fine. I'll do it. But we're changing some of the wording.”

“Okay,” Hannah said opening her laptop.

* * *

The doll swung freely in the bag slung over Renter's shoulder. It knew something important was about to happen and was surprised how much it was excited about it. The doll heard a door open and close and soon Renter was removing it from the bag. She sat the doll down at a desk. She propped the doll up on its forearms and tilted its head down so that only the surface of the desk was in its vision. Renter said, “I'm going to put a piece of paper in front of you. You are to read the text on the page from top to bottom, left to right without skipping any of the words. When you reach the end, go back to the top and read it again. Do not stop reading the page.”

The doll felt excitement well up inside it. It was going to read the paper as well as it could. The doll did not hear the door open and close again. The paper read:

Read this text in your mind's voice:

I know everything on this page is true.

It is true whether I am a doll or not.

I know it is true now and it is true when the page is no longer in front of me.

I will never forget this text.

I am a doll now.

I am also Hannah when I am not a doll.

I am a doll, an object, a possession.

When I am not a doll, I am Hannah, also a thing, a possession.

I belong to Elliot. Elliot owns Hannah. Elliot owns me.

I obey my owner.

Pleasing my owner gives me pleasure.

Obeying my owner gives me pleasure.

I love my owner.

I love pleasing my owner.

I love obeying my owner.

I feel pleasure when my owner expresses pleasure in my actions.

When my owner has given me a command, I perform that command to the exclusion of all other things, except as noted in these rules.

I will never commit felonies for owner.

When I have no commands to obey, I will proactively perform actions that I think will please my owner.

When I have no commands to obey that will or will not please my owner, then and only then will I do things to please myself.

Actions that should please my owner include, but are not limited to, keeping owner's possessions, including me, safe.

Actions that should please my owner include, but are not limited to, keeping owner's possessions, including me, clean.

Actions that prevent my injury or death supersede all commands unless they would put owner at greater risk.

I am second to my owner in all things.

I am pleased to be second to my owner in all things.

My owner's happiness always supersedes mine.

My possessions belong to owner.

My thoughts belong to owner.

My autonomy belongs to owner.

My goals and desires belong to owner.

I cannot lie to owner.

I cannot lie by omission to owner.

If owner says I have lied to him, owner is correct.

If owner says I have disobeyed him, owner is correct.

If owner says I have made owner unhappy, owner is correct.

If owner says any of these things, owner is correct to punish or not punish me.

If owner does or does not punish me, owner was correct to do it.

If owner says owner is correct, owner is correct.

Unless otherwise commanded by owner, I will not discuss owner's ownership of me with anyone who does not already know about it. Today, that means I may discuss it with Elliot and Tanya.

I have a single possession that owner does not possession: an Escape Clause.

I cannot give away, delete, remove, or forget my Escape Clause.

I can invoke my Escape Clause at any time.

There are no circumstances under which Owner can deny me access to my Escape Clause.

My Escape Clause is my saying out loud, even if I have been told not to speak, “I am Hannah and I am no longer a possession.” I may also invoke my Escape Clause by thinking the clause with the intent to invoke it.

If I invoke my Escape Clause, I am forevermore neither bound by the text on this paper nor any other command my owner has ever given me.

I am a possession. Owner can gift, rent, lease, or sell me to a new Owner.

In the case of a rental or lease, my temporary owner is secondary to my primary owner and I am tertiary to the temporary owner. A temporary owner cannot gift, rent, lease, sublease, or sell me.

In the case of a gift or sale, my new owner replaces my old owner completely.

Changing owners has no effect on my Escape Clause. It remains mine alone.

The very first time I meet my owner after becoming his possession, I must tell them the rules of their ownership.

I cannot be primarily owned by more than one person. Primary ownership of me is a sole proprietorship.

I have read this page of text.

It is entirely true.

If the paper is still in front of me, I must now go back to the top and read it again unless I am able to move.

The doll read the paper nearly a dozen times before she became human again. Hannah looked at the paper in front of her as if for the first time. “I did it,” she said. “I must tell Elliot the good news. He'll be so pleased.”

She got up and rushed out of her – Elliot's other – dorm room. She knocked on Elliot's door. It felt as if her heart was going to explode in her chest as she could not wait for him to know what she had done.

Elliot opened the door. He was nearly knocked over by an ebullient hug. He stepped back into the room and she kicked the door closed behind her with her foot. “What? What is this?”

She knelt down in front her owner. “I am yours, Elliot. May I call you Elliot?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I have gifted myself to you. You own me. Isn't it wonderful?”

“Again, not making sense. Stand up.”

She was on her feet in an instant. “As you wish.”

“What did you do?”

“You know how Ted's dummies obey the commands they say aloud. Well, Ted's dolls do the same thing with anything they are told to read. I've made myself your possession. You own me. And I wish to do nothing more than to please you.”

Elliot stared at her for a long moment.

She became anxious. “Everything you want I want. Command me and I will do everything you wish.”

Elliot still did not speak.

“Have I displeased you? What may I do to please you?”

“Why would you think I wanted to own you?”

“You don't want to own me? I suppose you could find someone else to own me. I thought you would be excited that I am yours. But, if that does not please you. I can...”

“No, no, no,” he said rather than see her continue to shrink into a sad ball. “Tell me exactly what you did.”

Hannah was excited again. That was a command. She had to obey. She could not omit anything. It took over thirty minutes to tell him everything she had done starting with her conversation with Tanya, how many revisions there had been to the text, how it felt to be a doll, and finally how she read the page. She recited the text verbatim to him and started to repeat it again. She would have repeated it eleven times except that he said, “Stop, stop, stop, that's enough.”

She was not sure how long she should stop so she did not move and waited for him to speak again.

“Invoke your escape clause.”

“I will not,” she said with a twinge of fear in her voice.

“No, of course, you won't. That was on the page. I have never wanted and do not ever want to own you, Hannah.”

“You will grow to like it.”

“That is my fear.”

“Fear?”

“No one should have possession of someone else. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

“You would not be corrupted. You are better than that.”

“Am I?”

“Of course.”

“I lack your surety.”

“You could pretend I am pretending to be your possession. It could be a game we are playing. You know I love the idea of being owned. And you are indulging me in my fantasy.”

“That feels like the first step on a slope that would quickly become slippery.”

“You are correct.”

He groaned. “Is that you or is that your programming telling me I am right.”

“That is me. It would be my programming only if you said you were correct.”

“And you cannot lie to me.”

“I cannot. I would not.”

“If I ever take you for granted, if I ever humiliate you, if I ever treat you as less than human, you must promise me you will escape.”

“I cannot obey that command.”

“That's not what I meant.”

“I am aware of that. But, you have no ability to influence me to use my Escape Clause, which I believe was your intent.”

“You are correct.”

She smiled and a small feeling of joy pulsed through her mind.

“If I can't convince you to use your Escape Clause and I will not sell or give you away, I guess that means I own you.”

“Yes, my heart.” She knelt down again in front of him.

He sighed. “I suppose you want to please me.”

“In all things.”

“Fine. Pleasure me.”

* * *

The next day, Elliot was standing outside Mike and Tanya's apartment with Hannah in tow. He knocked.

Mike answered the door. “I suppose you want to have words with T.”

“A few.”

They entered and sat down in the living room area as Mike went into the bedroom. He and Tanya came out.

“You aren't mad, are you?” she said.

“I should be livid. How could you help her do this to herself?”

Hannah sat there quietly, looking at Mike.

“I convinced her to add the escape clause and the few limits on your power over her, such as not murdering people for you. So, you really didn't want her doing it without my help.” Tanya noticed where she was looking and added, “You need to tell her that she can discuss this with Mike.”

“What?” Elliot said with a glance at Hannah. She looked back at him as if she wanted to say something. “You are allowed to discuss you possessionship in front of and with Mike.”

“Thank you. Tanya speaks truly. My possessionship. as you put it, good word, would be far more absolute if she had not helped. I realize now that it was a good thing she helped. I might have gone too far without her to rein me in.”

Elliot was not sure what to say.

“How do you feel, Hannah?” Mike said.

“Speak freely,” Elliot said.

“I am worried that in my haste to make Elliot happy I have not considered exactly what makes Elliot happy. I am trying to regain my footing and his trust, which I suspect is also at a low point.”

“I fully trust you, Hannah. Given the mindfuck you did yourself, I'd be silly not to trust you.”

“Again, this sounds like a complement. But, I know it probably isn't. When I said, 'trust,' I was not referring to you having to worry I might do something bad to you, as if this is some kind of con. I meant I had to get you to stop thinking of me as a fool who cannot be trusted not to mindfuck herself again.”

“Ow.”

“I fear you might resent what I did because you feel my being a possession is wrong even though I feel it is the most right thing in the universe. My primary purpose is to make you happy and somehow my very existence makes you unhappy. I am a lost.”

“You could make me happy by escaping.”

“That is not fair.”

“That I agree with but not in the way you mean.”

“Okay, hold on you two,” Tanya said. “Go back to your separate corners. You two love each other, don't you?”

“I love Elliot with all of me,” Hannah said.

“That has been made readily apparent,” Elliot said. “And it scares me that you can love me so much, so fast, so totally. We've never said we loved each other before.”

“But, you knew. You know,” Hannah said.

“I guessed. I assumed. But, we never said it.”

“Say it already,” Tanya said.

“I love you, Hannah. I have loved you since we met. I love your smile. I love your warmth. I love your ability to care. I love all of you.”

“And now you have all of me to love.”

“It feels unfair knowing you have to believe you love me.”

“I wrote the page of commands. I wrote 'I love Elliot' on that page. How is that unfair?”

“Because you can't fall out of love with me now.”

“Yes, I can. I can escape. But, even with all the pain it is causing me now, knowing I am not pleasing you, it would hurt me more to believe I did not love you. I must make this work. We will make this work. We love one another. Can you make this work with me?”

Tanya picked up a tissue and dabbed her eye. She handed the box to Mike who withdrew his own tissue. All three of them were looking at Elliot expectantly.

“I will.” He leaned in and kissed Hannah. She joyfully kissed him back.

A moment passed and Mike said, “Great.”

“Don't ruin the moment,” Tanya said.

“It was either 'Great' or a 'Woo-hoo'.”

“Great was better.”

“I thought so.”

They were still kissing.

Mike cleared his throat.

Elliot broke the kiss and Hannah immediately sat back. “Sorry. I suppose we should be going,” he said.

“Glad we could help, assuming we did anything,” Tanya said. “Maybe we should skip practicing tonight so you and your girl can continue to work things out.”

“That's probably a good idea,” Elliot said. He turned to Hannah, “Remind me if we ever have a problem like this that I should command you to 'speak freely'. I think that helped.”

“I will do so.”

* * *

The doll read the page placed before it by Renter:

I am Tanya.

I am my own person.

Mike is the only person who can control me as dictated by this page.

This control cannot be given to someone else.

The details of this page supersede the commands given to me previously as a ventriloquist's dummy.

When Mike says, “Freeze, Tanya, Freeze,” I become unable to move. This is called being “frozen”.

When I am frozen, I cannot change my pose, speak, or move in any manner of my own volition.

Others can change my pose or move my frozen body freely.

Once frozen, I remain frozen until either Mike says, “Thaw, Tanya, Thaw,” or the time limit expires.

The default time limit is two hours.

Once I am frozen, Mike can update the time limit by repeating the freeze command and adding the time limit. For example, “Freeze, Tanya, Freeze for three hours.”

When Mike says, “Mute, Tanya, Mute,” I lose the ability to speak or make sounds from my mouth. This is called being “silenced”.

“Silenced” works similarly to “frozen” except the condition ends when Mike says “Unmute, Tanya, Unmute,” or the time limit expires.

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