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 Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 5:32 pm
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse : 3 }
{ ??? : 1900s London } They kept their hands up as passively as possible. "I am a dealer of freedom, if you like melodrama. If not, just someone looking to lend a hand and also flip a bird to the abomination that would use you and others like you as tools. You can call me the Broker," they said, voice calm, unworried. "And what I want is to extend an offer."You are a replica, no? False heart, with memory holes and all?" they asked, though rhetorical, though knowing. "I've met others like you. They no longer exist, because me and those with me dislike the darkness' way of treating living people just looking to survive as little more than puppets and weapons to turn into husks and vessels."But we did not kill them, in the direct sense. We gave them new life," they continued. "You're feeling a difference of emotions and impulses right now, yes? Because I've dampened the seed of darkness a strange voice forced into your heart the night before last. Forced into all those like you. That's it's way in--a gateway to its power and consciousness. So I've found other replicas, warned them, and helped them remove it before trading them the one thing most of them wanted most."So, lots of words later, my turn to ask a question: do you want to be your own person?" they asked. "Because I can create for you a heart of your own, full and true. and give you the means to keep it that way."
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 5:49 pm
{ATE: The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse .:. 4}
{Janex .:. 1900’s London} Of all the things she had expected to hear, that wasn’t it. It took a moment for the words to fully register, but when they did, Janex was pissed.
"You mean to tell me," she growled, though she did not once let her bow waver, "that some sunnova b***h decided that they could just waltz into my heart—" By now her voice had grown in volume, not quite yelling but definitely raised. "My heart!—and do whatever they wanted to it? No, ******** that, that’s unacceptable. I don't care how ******** damaged I am, my heart is mine and I get to decide what happens to it! Not some twisted bullshit without the balls to face me head on. I want them out. But I don’t trust you, either. What’s the catch to this deal of yours? The end results sound way too good to be true."
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phoenixianCrystallist Crew
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 5:51 pm
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 19 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris } The person remained stationary, seeming to hesitate. "You're from Earth. Or, rather, your original is from Earth. You know how this plays out," they said, a solemness to their voice. "Those in darkness are the ones that do the hurting. In wanting to protect yourself from abuse, you're allying yourself with those who don't just abuse others, but enjoy abusing others. That's what they do.
"If you doubt me, be still. Feel. Tell me: it's different, isn't it?" they asked. "For a brief time after you were born, this is how you felt, isn't it? And then that voice shouted out inside your head, and suddenly yes, there was a bit more power, but you felt different. Your emotions grew darker. More malicious.
"Then I came along, and that fell silent, right? The moment I showed up, you felt that additional darkness dampen, and you were back to how you felt before. You know why?" they asked. "Because these are your feelings. Everything else you've felt in the past twenty-four hours... it's been your feelings, but altered. Some strengthened, some suppressed. And the more power you take from that seed, the more control of you they take in return.
"You might ask, how can you trust someone like me? But take a second. Breathe. Feel this heart of yours, now that I've silenced the intruder. You know it's true. And so I ask you: how free can you really be if someone or something is controlling your own emotions?" they asked, pleading. "Yes, you're physically free to go wherever you want, but how can you even be sure what you're doing is because it's what you want? Your own heart, the sanctum of your identity, is defiled, lost to you.
"There are two ways I can prove this, if you wish, but doing the second... may also mean I can no longer help you. They may steal you away the moment this little trick of mine gets undone," they said, lowering their head, almost... defeated. "Because they want your power. You're valuable to them... like an object. Like a weapon. Not like a free living person."
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 6:06 pm
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse : 5 }
{ ??? : 1900s London } There was a pause. Suddenly, with a breathy start, they began laughing, bowing over. It wasn't loud or booming, but it was completely authentic. "Wow, you are way easier to talk to than the dancer was," they said, straightening up and and scratching the back of their head through the cloak hood. "Sorry, sorry, don't get me wrong, I really appreciate it," they said, getting somewhat--somewhat--more serious. "There is always a catch, isn't there? All magic comes with a price, et cetera et cetera, and that's true. In this case, it's something you'll never have the chance to have anyway. That sounds crazy ominous, sorry. It's just that I can't really show my hand until I know you're at least willing to extend yours. If you decline my offer, then there's a solid chance the abomination and its playthings will find out exactly what I'm doing, and let's just say it's gonna get a lot harder for me.
"More importantly, let's break down what your options are, including what I'm selling. First thing's first: because of this trick I've got to dampen the abomination's influence, the seed is weak, its power source cut off," they said. "Depending on how much you've already fed it with negativity, it could either be a barely-germinated thing or a pretty heavy sapling. Personal negative emotions don't really feed them much, I've found--it tends to grow stronger based on the stains you personally accumulate, typically through malicious actions--the worse off you've made the world around you, the stronger it is.
"Either way, it's on its own now. Vulnerable. And all you have to do is focus, dive into the darkest corner of your heart, and rip it out. For saplings, it's a walk in the park. For worse, it might... take some time," they said. "If you're concerned, we can find somewhere you feel safe, and I'll watch over you. But that's a trust thing, so... yeah. I get it. Very shitty situation, you hardly know me, et cetera. Your choice.
"However, you can do this on your own. That information is free. If that's all you want from me, then I'm not gonna just walk away and wake it up. But let me utterly promise you: if you think it sounds way too good to be true, I haven't even gotten to the good part," they said, leaning forward somewhat. "Because I hate that mother ********. I want to make sure it loses as many little tools as I can take, and if I can give some people who didn't have a choice a new chance at living life, just to throw it in that abomination's face? All the ******** better. So whatever power you think you're getting from it, I'm prepared to give you in freakin' spades."They sounded significantly venomous, but not toward her.
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phoenixianCrystallist Crew
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 6:19 pm
{ATE: The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse .:. 6}
{Janex .:. 1900’s London} Janex raised an eyebrow at the laughter, but decided to let it slide for now. Easier to talk to than the Dancer? She didn’t know of any of the Earthlings with that class. Then again, she’d kept herself isolated since her "birth," so she shouldn’t have been surprised that there were others. But as the Broker continued, Janex found that they made sense, and certainly possessed a spitefulness that appealed to her. Hell, just to be petty, she’d probably go along with whatever they had cooked up. But not if she didn’t know the exact price. Something she’d "never have the chance to have," apparently. Well if she gave that up it guaranteed she’d never get it, wouldn’t it? Seemed like a self-fulfilling prophecy. But, she was intrigued, so she let her bow drop, dangling loosely in one hand as the other started twirling the arrow between her fingers.
"We’ll see just how difficult I can be, I guess," she said with a shrug. "You said the price, but what’s the catch? What are the terms and conditions? The fine print, the one seemingly insignificant thing that ******** me over. I’m not agreeing to anything until I know that."
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 6:30 pm
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse : 7 }
{ ??? : 1900s London } They froze. "Oh. Huh. Valid!" they said, standing up straight and lifting a finger, as if to say 'ah-ha, I remembered a thing!'. "So, I don't like the big bad darkness, nor do I like its fiendy followers, and most especially do I not like their goal: consuming all existence in shadow, chaos and, well, not existence.
"So, the catch? Don't help them," they said, shrugging. "I can't undo the new heart or some of the perks that's going to come with, so if you decide to jump back into bed with them, you'll still have that at least. But some of the other perks will get revoked, because like hell I'm letting my aid go to the cause of total erasure.
"And that's... really it," they said, lifting their hands nonchalantly. "How you want to live your life is your choice. With the deal, you will basically be completely hidden from any means of trying to locate you at a distance, and I'll also give you the locations of two safe houses which are guarded by ancient magic where, if nothing else, you can find allies and a place to sleep at night in utter security. But whether you want to help our little rebellion or just go live your own life is totally your decision. Hell, I'm not even going to hold you to some moral or ethical code besides 'do not erase existence or help those that will'. I'm not using this as a way to gain an indebted army. I just think it's unfair that you and those like you got shafted without a choice in the matter. It's a bit of a personal issue for me."
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 6:34 pm
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 20 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris} Dusk shook her head, trying to shake off what this person/thing was saying. She wanted to hate him and dismiss him out right, there was also that side of her that longed for complete freedom.
"My path was set. I had made my mind up before you waltzed in," Dusk looked down before she continued, "Show me what you will. I will take the risks. If the 'darkness takes me. So be it."
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 6:38 pm
{ATE: The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse .:. 8}
{Janex .:. 1900’s London} Janex waited patiently for a moment after they were finished talking, expecting something else, something more. But when it didn’t come, she fixed the Broker with a look of disbelief.
"That's it? Don’t do something I didn't want to do in the first place, for the price of something I wouldn’t have had, all so I can get rid of this dark seed bullshit and be my own, whole person, plus extra protection and incredible power if I pick that add-on package? No strings attached, nothing? I don’t believe you. What else is there? That can’t be all of it."
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phoenixianCrystallist Crew
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 6:43 pm
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 21 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris } "Except the only person deciding that the path is set is you!" they said, spreading their arms in clear exasperation. This was not the attitude of a manipulator, or it was someone crazy good at manipulation. Still, it seemed more genuine than false by magnitudes. "You are free to sever the chains of fate that bind you. That's a saying from your old world, which had a lot of s**t but still had some good things. Good things you can't even remember because they stripped you of any good memories the day you were made--no, Ajora stripped you of those memories. Ajora, the fool half-heart who gave himself over to them and was nearly turned into a goddamned battery before he committed suicide first."The last part came off significantly more bitter and furious than the rest. They lifted their arms and grabbed at their head, pacing in a circle. "Why? I'm literally giving you a choice, and you're insisting that you have none. Why? You have a choice at a better life, and you specifically choose the worse one because, what, honor? Dignity?" they started waving their hands wildly as they spoke. "That doesn't make sense! I want to help you! You have someone in front of you who genuinely wants to help you, to give you a new life, to give you crazy amounts of power, to give you freedom to have your own heart--"They stopped, pivoted mid-step, and turned to look straight at the girl. "You never responded to that," they said, their voice suddenly lower, more intense. "How can you say you want freedom, and then pick the path you now know for a fact actually takes away your freedom? That doesn't make sense, unless you're purposefully being a hypocrite. Do you want freedom, or not? Yes, or no? Only two choices here."
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 6:56 pm
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse : 9 }
{ ??? : 1900s London } They hesitated. A sort of long, drawn out 'uhhh' could be heard under their breath. "I... uh... well, um... tell me if you like waffles or pancakes more?" they asked, tilting their head. "I'll be honest with you, I kind of jumped through a lot of loopholes and not-quite cheat codes to get what I've got," they said, scratching the back of their head through their hood again. "And I've... I've seen what happens to your kind when they decide to continue down the dark path. I don't like it. It's not fair, it's not right, and it just causes more destruction. So I took what I could from worlds all over, combining stuff that was never intended to be used together, and I grabbed for myself more power than I could ever really need, but still not enough to make a direct difference. So I looked at your kind and I said to myself: there. There is where I can help. They deserve more."Their shoulders seemed to sag as they told the story, before they finally shrugged off the gloom. "It sounds too good to be true, I know. The closest thing to a catch really is just that me and those with me can take away some nice perks if you help the bad guys. Those strings will always be there. Oh, and I guess don't stop us from stopping them? Though that's still indirectly helping them, so..."
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 6:57 pm
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 22 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris} Dusk started shaking again with frustration and anger, "I told you before I made up my mind. Stop trying to sway me to what you think is best for me. I don't want or need your help."
"Just go away!" she screamed before turning to sprinting away down the road.
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 7:00 pm
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 23 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris } "Nope."Suddenly, she was completely lifted off the ground by an unseen force, turned around, and brought straight back to where she was before, dropped only a couple inches so she could catch herself easy enough. "Why can't you answer the question?" they asked, tilting their head and leaning forward to get more toward her eye level--not that she could see their eyes. "You do understand that this refusal to answer is, like, Psychology 101 for repression and s**t, right? Just breathe, think, and answer the question. Do you want freedom, or not?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 7:06 pm
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 24 }
{ Dusk : 1500s Paris} Dusk growled deep in her throat as she glared back at their face. Why wouldn't they leave her alone? She was already clear on what she wanted and it wasn't them.
"Yes," she answer softly, "I want freedom from you."
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 7:08 pm
{ATE: The Broker ~ Case of the Recluse .:. 10}
{Janex .:. 1900’s London} Janex thought about the Broker’s words, pursing her lips and staring off at a spot just slightly to her right. She ran through everything that had been said, and everything that had happened to her since she came into existence. How she’d known since before she’d even opened her eyes for the first time that she was incomplete, broken, and how she longed with every fiber of her being to taste even the smallest crumb of what her original self had felt. She wanted nothing more than to be whole again, and this was the best, and so far only means to get what she wanted. It was too good to be true, there had to be something she was missing, something this Broker wasn’t telling her. But what?
She was being offered everything she had ever wanted, and more, all for a paltry price of something she would never have anyway. Or so it seemed. What if this price turned out to be more than she could afford?
"You say your price is something I would have never had anyway," she said, slowly, as if feeling out the words in her mind before she said them. "What is this payment, exactly? If I don’t have it and never will, how can I possibly pay it? Unless I’m paying with the possibility of having it. If that’s the case, I want to know what it is. I want to judge for myself if the price you’re asking is too high."
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phoenixianCrystallist Crew
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 7:08 pm
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Accuser : 25 }
{ ??? : 1500s Paris } "Which you will get when you answer the questions appropriately," they said, though there was a hint of amusement to the voice. "Touché, though. Let me be clearer: do you want true, personal freedom from all concerns, or do you want to be the darkness' mindless slave-tool? It's one or the other."
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