H.A. ~ Volume Two: Active Time Event (ATE) Thread

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Huntress : 11 }
{ The Broker : ??? }

A password? Interesting condition.

"As I said, the price is two-fold. First, the required effort," they began, looking toward the young woman. She would feel their eyes more oddly piercing than before. "Some time ago, you heard a voice calling for the Black Chosen. In that moment, you were granted power at a price you never knew nor agreed to: within your half-heart there now lies a seed of corruption, linking you directly to that nigh-omniscient abomination. It fuels your emotions, feeds your darkness, and the more tainted acts you commit, the greater its influence grows. You must meditate, searching the deepest corners of your false-heart for this seed, and you must rip it out.

"While I am suppressing the darkness, the seed will be dormant; the connection is temporarily severed, and as such it will not react or attempt to harm you," they explained. "But the process may still be painful, depending on how deeply it has rooted itself. Search your heart. It will be in your darkest shadow."  

[LevDa]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ The Case of the Huntress : 12 }
{ Ashley : ??? }

“Alright. I accept,” Ashley said as she closed her eyes and began the meditation.

For Ashley, searching through her mind was like going through the darkest parts of the ocean. There was no light and no sound. The water itself was heavy to wade through. After some time however she found a small cave hidden in some sort of pocket. She swam towards it and started to sift through the sand until she found a small dark plant. At the same time back with the Broker her hand started to move to her chest.

In that instant she ripped the plant out of the sand and opened her eyes. There in her hand was the dark seed. “That felt like I ripped off a huge bandage but here is that seed you talked about,” Ashley said in between breaths.  

[Kaegoe]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 2 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris}

Since her talk with Elleon, Dusk had remained in the streets of Paris. She had watched the changes that Follo had made. A few of his goons had even accused her of being a witch or a gypsy. A mistake they paid for with their lives when she summoned a wind storm so strong it sent them flying into a building, which crumbled on top of them.

Dusk would be lying if she didn't say that it didn't bring her pleasure to kill the weak. Those who were strong lived. Anyone who was weak, deserved to suffer and die. That is what Dusk believed with all her being. That is why she was here after all. She was strong.

That thought is what made the Dark Dancer pause. There was something missing. Something she needed to know. However, the unknown made her not go to where she knew she could get the answers she wanted.

'Ultimecia...'

The sorceress. The one who locked Noelle in time compression. If anyone could allow her to see what really happened, it had to be her.

'F*** it all... she thought as she started to summon the portal to the castle. But stopped when something made her freeze. Someone was watching her

The dancer turned to anger as she summoned her fans with wind gathering around her as she turned on the cloaked figure.

"Depends," Dusk hissed, "Who the hell are you, and what the f*** do you want?  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Huntress : 13 }
{ The Broker : ??? }

As she showed them the seed, the pulsing, black tumor that it was, the Broker seemed to visibly tense before snapping their fingers. In an instant, the seed was consumed in radiant, multicolored flame; it let out a small, unnatural screech, but seconds later it was little more than ash, and then... nothing. The flame would have felt warm to Ashley's touch, but left her unburned.

"Good. Your connection is severed. They will know this, though, so you must henceforth be careful," they said. "Now, for the second price."

They slipped their right arm up the loose sleeve of the left before pulling out an ornate oil bottle. They held it out, one hand carefully at its base and the other tightly gripping its neck.

"Within this bottle lies a genie," they said, their tone slipping from casual and lighthearted to fairly serious. "Through her cosmic power, she may create a heart out of your own memories, allow you to keep the information from your previous life, and all the while keep you alive through the process, rather than inventing some new life form.

"However, this genie is ours; she is not a bargaining point. Rather, the wishes you might have had are," they continued. "As you will never have this bottle, you will never have these wishes. However, should you freely give your wishes over to me, I will gladly use one of those wishes to grant you a heart and set of powers all your own. You lose nothing, save a potential you would never have received. Should you agree, merely place one hand on the bottle and repeat this phrase: 'I do freely give my wishes to your current master'."  

[LevDa]

{ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Huntress : 14}
{Ashley : ???}

With no hesitation Ashley moved her hand to the spot indicated by the Broker and said “I do freely give my wishes to your current master.”  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 3 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris }

In the moment that she felt the repression of that dark gift, the corridor she opened also closed; the very restraint that gave her clarity also cut her off from the dark pathways between worlds..

The figure made no motion to draw a weapon, nor any attempt to distance themself. They simply remained stationary, calm, and not hostile.

"I go by the Broker, though that does not answer your question, I guess. I am an ally of existence, so by virtue of that, I am an enemy of the dark abomination that seeks to unravel us all," they said. "What I want is merely for you to hear me out, and to make a decision on your own—without that dark presence manipulating your thoughts, your feelings, your very being. Will you give me your ear, for just these moments?"  

[Kaegoe]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 4 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris}

Dusk's blue eyes narrowed upon the figure. Her wind was gone, but her fans still in her hand.

"I am listening. But speak clearly. I have no patience for games or riddles."  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 5 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris }

They simply nodded in response before beginning. "I've come to gauge your own intent. You are a half-heart, no? Made in a tube as little more than a weapon of darkness. I speak not to offend, but to seek understanding, because I wonder: is that what you want? To be a tool of endings?

"If you stay with them, with those dark fiends, you only go to your own grave. Yes, you might kill everyone else if they succeed, but you also kill yourself. If that's truly what you desire, then I'll leave, you can go to them, and you can lose more and more of yourself as they gut what little heart they gave you for the one thing they care about: a new vessel for darkness," they continued. "But if there's even one piece of you that wants to live your own life, one shred of soul that wants to exist, to be your own person? Then do not consider them allies. Do not compromise with them.

"You may not believe me—in fact, I'm sure you don't, all hatred and rage you are—but know this: if there is that shred of you, then I want to give you the freedom of choice. Of life. Of your own heart," they said, remaining utterly stationary. "There is a slight price, as nothing is free, but you will receive greater than what you pay, and it will require no allegiance, no sworn debts—you can go back to being as neutral or loathsome as you desire—just your word that you will never serve that horror's designs."  

[Kaegoe]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 6 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris}

"Oh really, now? the replica said with a harsh reply, "Who are you to decide what is best for me?

"I am free. I am finally free to show the emotions that my 'weaker half' would never show. She may cry on how everyone is gone. On how she regrets not saving those brats. She wants to make things right. But she is just a lying crock of s***. After EVERYTHING those people did, what that world was, she should be grateful to be even where she is now. She could be free herself. However, she is clinging to her weakness of doing 'the right thing."

Dusk paused a moment before giving a small twisted grin before she continued, "I for one am glad they are gone. They deserved it. They were weak. The Earth was a grim dark place. Where the weak just barely carried on while the strong lived 'happy' lives."

"Now look at us though. Earth is dust. The ones who oppressed us are gone. I am free to express myself. This time I can be on top. the dancer started to shake with laughter, "If you look at it that way, the darkness is really not that bad.  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 7 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris }

The Broker let her speak, and did little in response. In fact, they seemed almost hesitant to speak.

"Darkness itself is not bad. This dark abomination has perverted every growing shadow, however," they began. "Since you either did not hear me or ignored what I said, let me repeat myself: it seeks only to consume and erase everything. Including you, including me, including its own servants. It will not stop until all is naught."

"I do not care how you live, only that you have the chance to live, that we all have a chance to live, to thrive if we can and fall if we can't. This abomination that forced itself into your heart does not care," they continued. "Did it give you any choice before it penetrated your heart? Did it ask you if you wanted it inside you at all times? No. You are nothing but its tool. If you continue down this path, that seed will grow and consume you. If you doubt me, search your own heart. It is there even now."  

[Kaegoe]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 8 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris}

"Oh I heard you, she said as she stopped laughing, 'You are like so many. You assume so much about a person and what is good for them when you know jack crap."

"I am living. I am showing the suppressed emotion that I've wanted to for so long, This dark abomination did me a favor. It took away all those that held me back. Everything that dies is weak. End of story.

Dusk's eyes narrowed upon the figure in suspicion, "Though I fail to understand why you would care so much. You said their is a price to everything. If this 'seed' is my price for freedom, I will take it. I am free from my former self. I am stronger because of it."  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 9 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris }

"Are you?"

She felt the stare, felt it pierce. She might not have cared, but she at least knew something about this person was allowing them to see into her.

"If you're truly so free, why do you constantly bring up the past? Why do you constantly bring up your original?" they responded, only to shake their head sadly. "Both times you've responded to me, you've brought Dawn up. You've brought up your feelings. Your freedom. If you were truly so free, why then do she and your past consume your thoughts and responses?"

The Broker turned sideways, shrugging his shoulders almost dismissively. "Sounds more like obsession to me. You're so free, but you can't even be open to other options. So free, yet you say you're dependent on that dark seed to be free. Are you an individual, or someone trapped in a brainwashing club? Because dependency is literally the opposite of freedom."

They turned their head sideways to gaze at her. "There are multiple paths to freedom. If you think that seed is one of them, you're dumber than Donald," they said. "How do I... hrm. Hrm hrm hrm..."

They turned around entirely, putting their back to Dusk.

"Aha!" they said, lifting a finger in epiphany and turning around. It was as if their personality shifted entirely. "If that seed is so great and makes you so free, then how come I can just waltz up and cancel it out?"

They paused, bringing a hand up to sheepishly scratch the back of their head. "And, like, why won't you even hear out my offer? That's kind of close-minded, isn't it?"  

[Kaegoe]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 10 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris}

The wind swirled around Dusk as she glared angrily at the figure.

"Shut up. you know nothing of me," she sneared, "I want this power. No fool in their right mind wouldn't want the power I have." the dancer continued to sneer as she continued, "So just spit out what you want or leave me alone. You''re pissing me off."  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 11 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris }

"I wouldn't want the power you have because I have more. I have the power to offer you more power. More freedom," they said, stressing the words a bit dramatically, as if talking to a toddler. "Freedom from the past. Freedom from darkness. Freedom to just do what you want."

"Let me be clear, and I say this because of how some of your other brethren have been treated," they continued. "That freedom you get from the seed? It's conditional. All freedom is conditional, really, but that one is moreso: you are only free as long as you do dark things. And the more you do dark things, the greater that seed grows. The more it consumes your heart, your identity. You might not trust me, but I've dealt with the seeds before. You remember Louis? His heart was consumed by one. He was utterly lost as a person.

"I am not be dramatic or exaggerating. If you keep that seed, the person you are will slowly cease to exist, and all that will remain is darkness. You will die," they explained, and their shoulders sagged, their androgynous voice almost... upset. "The main gifts I offer you have no conditions. Some of the perks do, but that condition is simply not to help that abomination or its allies.

"The main body of my offer, though, that is without condition, is a heart of your own," they said. "A real, true, genuine heart that is just you. You will still have the knowledge from Dawn's life, but your heart and memories will be yours, unsullied, untainted. No dangling strings. No ominous voices.

"Before you respond, just... think about it. You're from earth. Think back to those little stories you experienced. Think to Riku," they implored. "What happened to him when he let that dark temptation inside him? Riku ceased to be. Later, he learned to harness darkness, and I'm not saying darkness is bad, but that evil, that horror that wants to consume... that's different."  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Huntress : 15 }
{ The Broker : ??? }

A small flurry of mist swept from the bottle's opening to Ashley's wrist, swirling around it before pulling over to the Broker's wrist and doing the same; it then slid back into the bottle, and the transaction was complete.

They pulled the bottle back, and took a deep breath. "Before we begin, let me explain what will happen to you as this occurs. The first step is filling in the holes in your current half-heart, making you momentarily whole, a perfect duplicate of your original down to the moment of your creation. Even your personal memories from that moment onward will be touched; having been nothing but dark before, the process will show you what possible good you should have felt or noticed. However, as a result, your heart will become too much like your originals, and it will begin to break down—the Earthlings bear some unique protection from true duplication—and that is when the genie will break your chain of memories in two. The first chunk, containing everything from your original's birth to the memory copying, will be pulled away, left only in your mind like information. Meanwhile, your memories will be used as the basis for a new heart. As a result, it will be like a newborn, vulnerable, uncontrolled. You will keep your mind, but the feelings will be new, unrestrained. You will have to learn to be all over again," they explained.

"However, this will effectively sever any emotional connection you have with your original self. Your identity will be your own—no historical ties or considerations. And so you will grow to be. You may find your old name and tendencies to feel... unfitting. It may take time, but your self will develop, and it will feel... amazing," they continued. "However, as a result, the powers you currently have—the weapons, the abilities, the spirit—they will fade. The Earthlings received their gifts uniquely. As a replica, you received dark mirrors. As a unique individual, they will no longer be yours. That said, I will word the wish such that you gain powers and abilities that fit this new you. I will leave you as strong as you were before, if not stronger. And these powers will be your own—not hers."

"The process will leave you in a state of catatonic meditation until it is complete, which may be a few minutes. I will not leave your side—I give you my word," they said, nodding. "And if you accept this... we can begin."

Ashley paused, analyzing the information, before accepting. And so the Broker intoned the wish, and a green vapor snaked its way out of the bottle, surrounding the young woman like a raging cosmic storm; her body was lifted on the ground, and she went limp, her eyes glowing with blinding light as the genie began to act upon her essence.

She experienced a forced Dive, as it were, watching the deepest layers of her heart go through everything. The missing holes in her heart's memories, from her original life before replication, were filling up, and for a brief moment, it was as if she had once more become Danielle, only having lived the past few days as Ashley. As a result, however, the black core holding her faux-heart together unraveled, and in that short, immeasurable instant, she ceased to exist, no heart to keep her alive.

However, a wish cannot end in someone's death or erased existence. The memories that unraveled, which would have simply slipped chaotically into the cosmos, were gathered and managed. Those from before her replication had their heartfelt ties shed away, and with the emotional factor gone, the memories were kept stored in the mind, as information—clear, concise, but impersonal. Those from after replication, those that were uniquely her own, were once more linked together, piece by piece, into a chain of memories. However, without the tainted core, the memories were wholly blackened no more; light was allowed to shine through, illuminating moments just as often as darkness would enshroud them.

The final result of this newly-formed memory chain was a heart borne of a natural balance, with no outweighing tendencies toward shadow or light. She was Ashley, and yet she was more. Her goals and thoughts were still her own, but now she could perceive so much more on the spectrum. She was whole—but she was also unique. Alive.

The process ended as the emerald maelstrom slowed, allowing the woman to land softly on the ground, on her feet—before she fell to one knee, trying to recompose herself. In actuality, she was still on her Station of Awakening, getting a feel for her new self. Her new identity.

In her heart, she heard a soft, unfamiliar female voice:

You are still safe. Take your time.

The green dust, now simply mingling in the air, flew back into the bottle, as if sucked in by a vacuum, and the Broker replaced the stopper.

———

On her new station, blank as it was, the nascent woman stood surrounded by a thick, multicolored mist that largely obscured her vision. Leviathan, dark clone that it was, was absent—she could feel a presence, but it was not that spirit, and it was dormant.

As she tried to compose herself, she heard the woman’s voice again—not as soft, almost removed, like it wasn’t really her.

Your will, given form, will grant you strength... can you wield it?

The mist in front of her parted, revealing a pedestal, above which was a hovering magnum revolver.

As she approached the pedestal, the voice spoke again:

The power of the machinist.
Unbound curiosity.
A revolver of piercing resolution.

Is this what your heart desires?

With acceptance, she found herself drifting back to reality.