Thank you. For helping me with them. I... might be the only person left who remembers them now.
[ The mirrors begin to shift, showing a different scene. A luxurious ship in the sky, and Firefly's running to a specific point. Here to 1:21:17.
You've witnessed several other people's wishes come true. Now, it's time to go back to Jade herself. She turns towards you, as you approach her.
"So, you're back, Miss Samuel."
"Yeah, I found those people, and it seems their wishes did come true after visiting the Bonajade Exchange. But I'm not sure what you want me to see. They all seem to be living... fulfilled lives." They came to her pawn shop, and they got what they wanted. That's what you've been looking for too.
"Not so fast. This step was just to show you that the Bonajade Exchange is genuine, that I had the power to grant their wishes. And now, I'll tell you the price they paid.
"Dell was from a wealthy family. He was head over heels for Dorothy and wanted to win her heart, so he made a deal with me. He put up his entire fortune in exchange for a gift that would impress Dorothy. It was a piece of cake for me, thanks to my IPC connections. However, Dell will soon find himself evicted from the Dreamscape because he can't afford his room. Whether he can bounce back from poverty... well, that depends on him. Let's just hope that necklace will keep their relationship from crumbling.
"Then there's Stacy, a lady with a gambling addiction. She wanted some serious luck, but she had nothing to offer, so I took something else instead. I took away all her close relationships. From the moment she stepped out of the Bonajade Exchange, every casino in the cosmos would remember her name, but her parents and siblings would sever ties with her, and it would be impossible for Stacy to make any real friends again. She will accrue a vast wealth due to her good luck but she'll never be able to use it for the people who truly matter to her.
"As for Detective Walker, he spent two decades chasing down a wanted criminal for some heinous crime, but he never caught the guy. In his desperation, he came to me. He offered his own memory system as collateral. In due time, his memories as a detective will be erased, and he will completely forget his own identity and all the sacrifices he has made.
"Interesting, don't you think? I fulfill people's desires and grant them favors, and soon, they come back to me with even greater desires. When people see others' desires get fulfilled, they develop their own desires. It seems like an endless cycle but it does have a goal. In the end, I will get what I desire from this whirlpool.
"And patience happens to be one of my greatest strengths. So now, do you understand what you must give up, Miss Samuel? Or should I address you as...
"AR-26710, a remnant of Glamoth's Iron Cavalry?"
You meet her gaze, unfaltering. Somebody like Jade would have all sorts of information flowing to her. If she was able to grant all those wishes then knowledge shouldn't be much of an obstacle for her. You close your eyes as you respond, "...I'm not surprised."
"You are much calmer than I expected," as she turns back to the massive window, leaving her back to you. "Entropy Loss Syndrome... truly an unjust misfortune, isn't it? The higher-ups in Glamoth implemented such a fail-safe within the genes of their warriors, just to make sure the Republic's most powerful weapons wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.
"As for the price... Those Iron Cavalries weren't exactly seen as regular, independent humans, so there wasn't really a price to be paid.
"However, you are different. You're now a Stellaron Hunter, a living being named Firefly. Naturally, you want to continue your existence, but with the Firmament Front gone, the people who know the secret and can cure the disease are nowhere to be found."
You listen closely as she speaks, "Are you suggesting that the IPC has a remedy?"
She shakes her head, "Well, there might be a silver lining. That's all I can say for now."
So that's how it is. Your gaze falls, along with your hopes. "I see. It's no wonder you said I can't provide anything of equal value, because nothing I own holds any meaning..."
The current Firefly watches this exchange with a frown. ]
[ zhongli also watches this exchange with a frown, startled from the bittersweet memories into confusion, then suspicion, and then -
distaste. disapproval. while he understands that the scales of a contract must be balanced, and that there are some things that will cost quite handsomely in exchange for what someone wants... they should be fair. these contracts are hardly that. they destroy lives in such a way that they would cause despair. ]
... I hope that, after this memory, you did not make a contract with her.
[The cycle of desire only begets more desire. If not from the customer, from someone who knows the customer. Get what you want, but always at a steep cost.
For people who can actually pay that cost, that is.
Firefly had nothing that matched the worth of her own life.]
She wouldn't let me make a deal.
[ Born a weapon, nothing to her name. What could she possibly hope to balance the scales with? ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ The mirrors begin to shift, showing a different scene. A luxurious ship in the sky, and Firefly's running to a specific point. Here to 1:21:17.
You've witnessed several other people's wishes come true. Now, it's time to go back to Jade herself. She turns towards you, as you approach her.
"So, you're back, Miss Samuel."
"Yeah, I found those people, and it seems their wishes did come true after visiting the Bonajade Exchange. But I'm not sure what you want me to see. They all seem to be living... fulfilled lives." They came to her pawn shop, and they got what they wanted. That's what you've been looking for too.
"Not so fast. This step was just to show you that the Bonajade Exchange is genuine, that I had the power to grant their wishes. And now, I'll tell you the price they paid.
"Dell was from a wealthy family. He was head over heels for Dorothy and wanted to win her heart, so he made a deal with me. He put up his entire fortune in exchange for a gift that would impress Dorothy. It was a piece of cake for me, thanks to my IPC connections. However, Dell will soon find himself evicted from the Dreamscape because he can't afford his room. Whether he can bounce back from poverty... well, that depends on him. Let's just hope that necklace will keep their relationship from crumbling.
"Then there's Stacy, a lady with a gambling addiction. She wanted some serious luck, but she had nothing to offer, so I took something else instead. I took away all her close relationships. From the moment she stepped out of the Bonajade Exchange, every casino in the cosmos would remember her name, but her parents and siblings would sever ties with her, and it would be impossible for Stacy to make any real friends again. She will accrue a vast wealth due to her good luck but she'll never be able to use it for the people who truly matter to her.
"As for Detective Walker, he spent two decades chasing down a wanted criminal for some heinous crime, but he never caught the guy. In his desperation, he came to me. He offered his own memory system as collateral. In due time, his memories as a detective will be erased, and he will completely forget his own identity and all the sacrifices he has made.
"Interesting, don't you think? I fulfill people's desires and grant them favors, and soon, they come back to me with even greater desires. When people see others' desires get fulfilled, they develop their own desires. It seems like an endless cycle but it does have a goal. In the end, I will get what I desire from this whirlpool.
"And patience happens to be one of my greatest strengths. So now, do you understand what you must give up, Miss Samuel? Or should I address you as...
"AR-26710, a remnant of Glamoth's Iron Cavalry?"
You meet her gaze, unfaltering. Somebody like Jade would have all sorts of information flowing to her. If she was able to grant all those wishes then knowledge shouldn't be much of an obstacle for her. You close your eyes as you respond, "...I'm not surprised."
"You are much calmer than I expected," as she turns back to the massive window, leaving her back to you. "Entropy Loss Syndrome... truly an unjust misfortune, isn't it? The higher-ups in Glamoth implemented such a fail-safe within the genes of their warriors, just to make sure the Republic's most powerful weapons wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.
"As for the price... Those Iron Cavalries weren't exactly seen as regular, independent humans, so there wasn't really a price to be paid.
"However, you are different. You're now a Stellaron Hunter, a living being named Firefly. Naturally, you want to continue your existence, but with the Firmament Front gone, the people who know the secret and can cure the disease are nowhere to be found."
You listen closely as she speaks, "Are you suggesting that the IPC has a remedy?"
She shakes her head, "Well, there might be a silver lining. That's all I can say for now."
So that's how it is. Your gaze falls, along with your hopes. "I see. It's no wonder you said I can't provide anything of equal value, because nothing I own holds any meaning..."
The current Firefly watches this exchange with a frown. ]
no subject
distaste. disapproval. while he understands that the scales of a contract must be balanced, and that there are some things that will cost quite handsomely in exchange for what someone wants... they should be fair. these contracts are hardly that. they destroy lives in such a way that they would cause despair. ]
... I hope that, after this memory, you did not make a contract with her.
no subject
For people who can actually pay that cost, that is.
Firefly had nothing that matched the worth of her own life.]
She wouldn't let me make a deal.
[ Born a weapon, nothing to her name. What could she possibly hope to balance the scales with? ]