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

[Kaegoe]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 12 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris}

Dusk stared with her eyes narrowed as the cloaked figure spoke. She remained silent for several moments before she turned away.

"No," she said, "This is the path I have chosen. I am not going to let you change my mind. Where it leads me, I will find out for myself. I was given a gift. I am going to use it."

"Now are you done yet? I am going to Ultimecia, now, if that is alright with you."  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 13 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris }

The Broker paused. There was a moment of silence. Tension.

And then Dusk would feel all magical power leave her. Her weapons would vanish. Her summon would go silent.

The Broker began walking forward slowly.

"Tell me, how free do you feel right now?" they asked. All joviality was gone, all casualness absent. Their voice was neutral, apathetic. "Tell me, why has the darkness not come to your rescue?"

They simply continued their approach.  

[Kaegoe]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 14 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris}

'What the hell?" Dusk shouted in pure confusion and panic. She turned to face the figure as he approached her, "What did you do?"

Though she was glaring at it, her body shook in rage and fear. The dancer, unknowingly, started to take a step backward. One for each step he took towards her.

"What does it matter? she rambled, "Why would it even matter to you what I do? What happens to me is none of your business. You don't know me. You don't care about me or what I want. Just leave me alone."

She was against the wall.  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 15 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris }

"You stupid, stupid girl."

They pressed forward. They were just a foot away now. Easily in striking distance, yes, but if she tried any forward attempt, Dusk would immediately feel restrained, unable to move--but only if she tried.

"What part have I not made clear?" they hissed. "They wish to destroy everything. I am a part of everything. Everyone and everything I care about is a part of everything. Why does it matter? Because you are willingly threatening existence."

Their hand was suddenly upon her head, the thumb pressed directly into the middle of her forehead, but nothing happened. Somehow, despite the closeness, she still couldn't see their face.

"Because of your petulant, childish rage at a world already dead, already dead, you would destroy a world that has done nothing but give you power and a second chance," they whispered. "Do you understand how stupid that is? How completely, utterly stupid that is? Why? What do you get out of doing this that you couldn't get doing literally anything else? Or can you even think that deeply? I need to know."  

[Kaegoe]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 16 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris}

Dusk would of closed her eyes, but she couldn't only a foolish tear rolled down her cheek as they put their finger on her head.

"Because... No one could ever hurt me anymore..."  

[LevDa]

{ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Huntress : 16}
{Ashley : ???}

When Ashley finally felt herself return to her body, she wasn’t entirely sure what to do. She looked up at the Broker before finally standing on her own two feet. “I am… not sure what do or really feel at the moment,” Ashley responded to the Broker. “I guess the best I can say is thank you and as much as I want to continue my work, there is a lot I need to do or understand. How will I now be protected from the Darkness?”

Ashley then turned away from the Broker as she started to shut down her laptop and put it into a case that put the laptop just over her shoulder. “This brings me to two more questions and I swear I am done. I still want that password that I bargained for and also I was wondering if you could take me to where Elleon, or whatever her name is to be determined, house so that I can talk to her. I assume by what you said earlier she might have taken a similar deal to this. I need familiar companionship if that is alright.”  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 17 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris }

There was silence for a moment. Processing. Breathing.

"Do you truly believe Xehanort and his fiends won't hurt you more than anything those bastards on earth could even fathom?"

It was softer by vast margins. No threats, no rage, no frustration. Just... a sense of sorrow. Loss.

The Broker backed up, step by step, until they were a couple yards away. Dusk's powers, however, had yet to return.

"I'm sorry. And I do not say that seeking forgiveness, because I have not earned it," they said, their head lowered somewhat.

"I cannot force you to take my offer, and even if I could I would not do so," they said. "But tell me... tell me what you seek from them. Why are you so, so sure that they can help you when no one else can, so sure that you're willing to take the risk that they might corrupt what little of you is left into something terrible?"  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Huntress : 17 }
{ The Broker : ??? }

Though Ashley continued talking, the Broker seemed distracted, shuffling the bottle back into their cloak and instead reaching into his other sleeve to pull out a vial of iridescent liquid. When she turned back toward them, they tossed the vial to her.

"Drink that, and you will receive a multitude of powers," they explained. "First: a passive power that masks your identity from any magical means; no one can discover who you are if you disguise yourself, no one can sense your heart's identity without your permission. This is only really relevant if you are attempting to disguise yourself, but the use remains.

"Second: a new form of teleportation. The corridors of darkness are controlled by the abomination; any attempt to use them will alert the darkness to your presence, and you will be redirected wherever it desires. So with this new ability, you may go where you please in a similar way, without the shadows. Simply will yourself to the location you picture.

"Third: increased immunity to the various magical hexes and physical statuses that might be used in combat against you. It is not a total immunity, as there may be unique work-arounds people invent, but it covers a vast swath of common statuses.

"Fourth: minion control. You may summon heartless without staining your heart, and create unversed without ripping it in twain. You may also command Nobodies, though you must be wary, as they may simply go back and report to their original superiors once they're done.

"Afterward, I have three other gifts from another ally," they said. "A dress sphere infused with the material of this cloak, to give your new summon form and keep you from the darkness' prying eyes. Crystallized light, to grant you greater invisibility and protection from dark intrusions on your heart. Crystallized darkness, to grant you greater power. The latter two will balance each other out so as not to tilt your heart one way or another."

After she took the vial, they Broker held out a small leather satchel. "Reach within for your sphere. You should remember how this works now."  

[LevDa]

{ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Huntress : 18}
{Ashley : ???}

“Well I guess this answers my questions, “ Ashley chuckled while catching the vial given to her. It was a simple release of the cork and she drained the contents of the vial before turning around to the Broker.

“Yeah, I do remember something like this happening. Although this feels more…personal,” Ashley questioned as she reached into the leather satchel and took the dress sphere and holding it for a second before the effects washed over her. She smirked as she changed her outfit to have a normal almost college student attire.

“So, “ Ashley focused back on the Broker. “Did u know the password to the computer at Hallow Bastion? Or should I ask whoever I find at my destination? I don’t even know who I am working with now or what I am supposed to be doing at this point. Heh that’s honestly kind of cool.”  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Huntress : 19 }
{ The Broker : ??? }

"So impatient," the Broker mused. "Do you want the rest of what I've offered or not?"

Both hands slipped into the opposite sleeves before pulling out two very different crystals. One was jaggedly cut, translucent and a pale teal. The other was iridescent and smoothly round, like a baseball sized pearl.

"The first is nethicite--crystallized darkness--for power. Impose your will upon the stone and absorb it; you will grow in strength after a brief stint in a chrysalis," they explained. "The second is æthecite--crystallized light--for security. You must request its gift with humility, and then it will fuse as well. Take these, and then I will bring you where you wish to go and tell you what you wish to know."  

[LevDa]

{ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Huntress : 20}
{Ashley : ???}

Ashley started to laugh as she took the items from the Broker. “My apologizes, I am a guess a bit happy and excited. It is like getting new toys for Chris- oh wait I am not sure you would know what that would mean.”

As explained, Ashley took the crystallized darkness and was almost commanding it to bend to her will. Sure enough that crystal was absorbed. She took the crystallized light next and remained humble to it. This crystal was also absorbed into her form before she nodded to the Broker.

“I think I got everything this time right? I got the dress sphere, the drink, and the two crystals in me now. I feel like a cocktail” Ashley laughed at her own joke.  

[fractalJester]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Huntress : 21 }
{ The Broker : ??? }

The Broker seemed amused, chuckling.

"That's everything, yes," they said. "Now, do you remember Elleon's mansion in Paris? Picture that in your mind. Try to picture the entrance, though--the new owner has put up a protective barrier. The only way in is to be invited first. So... well, if you haven't seen the entrance before, I suppose you'd need to just go to Paris and get to the entrance yourself."

"I could take you, but I think this would be a good test of your teleportation," they said, patting her on the shoulder. "Also, be warned. Do not trust any allies of darkness. The people you can currently trust go by the names Hati, Adam, and... well, you probably know Azrael. The Darkness knows now that you've been separated from it, and that you've joined this little... rebellion of ours. It will want to convert you or kill you."

"The mansion, if you are allowed, can serve as a sanctuary for sleep or other resting needs. The World That Never Was will also be open to you, if you wish. Both are protected by powerful magic," they explained. "You may make your bed wherever you go if you are careful, but one wrong move, one witness from the shadows, and they will come for you. They may not be able to detect you magically, but physically, sight is sight."

There was a slight pause.

"Oh! Right. The password to the Hollow Bastion terminal is SORADONALDGOOFY, all caps, no spaces. But there's not much left after the past few years of turmoil and attacks."  

[LevDa]

{ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Huntress : 22}
{Ashley : ???}

Ashley looked at the Broker as they said names off before setting up her laptop fast and typing out the information. “Okay and… got it,” Ashley exclaimed before packing everything up again.

“It shouldn’t be that hard for me to remember the entry way so I will try that way. I will probably not be moving around that much except for that information you gave me. Which by the way I now feel stupid for not knowing that.”

“Thanks again though,” Ashley waved to the Broker before concentrating on the entrance to the mansion in Paris. Remembering how she traveled there twice before she disappeared from the apartment, heading to find out what was left there.  

[Kaegoe]

{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 18 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris}

Dusk averted her eyes from the figure. She look up when it spoke, though her shoulders were shaking from a mix of fear and anger.

"They know the worlds were destroyed. I intend to join them. With ones of that power, I can make sure that no one can hurt me again. If they do... I can destroy them. That is what I want."  

[phoenixianCrystallist]

{ATE: The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse .:. 2}
{Janex .:. 1900’s London}

Janex stiffened at the sudden calmness in her ill-formed heart. One minute she was skulking, glaring out at the world full of normal people, loathing them for what they had, hating them for existing. There was a seething turmoil within her, consuming her, directing her to kill, maim, destroy everything. The anger, the jealousy, so all-encompassing she had little room for other thoughts. It ate at her, tearing her apart, because all she truly wanted was to be left alone. But then something changed, a slight shift in the atmosphere within her, and she knew immediately that something was wrong. She felt weaker, but at the same time her head was clearer than it had been in days.

She whirled on the spot at the sound of a voice, her bow out and arrow trained on the trespasser’s heart. How dare this interloper stick their nose in where it wasn’t wanted? First that t**t at the Forbidden Mountain, then that voice that even now echoed in her head, and now this fool. Would nothing leave her in peace?

"Who are you and what do you want?" she snapped, hoping against hope that she could simply get away from this without a fight. She wasn’t in the mood to kill anything at the moment, after all. Not after that echoing rage was silenced. If she could escape with a minimum of effort, that would be ideal. Then maybe she could study this phenomena, find out what was causing the turmoiled thoughts and be rid of it, now that she knew it could be stopped.