With the life affirming gift of coffee, all present were able to fully wake up and great the day with something at least resembling cheer. At least, as much so as the various and sundry (and surly) personalities available could manage. And so it was after a couple minutes that the consensus was to try and release the memories from the taken they'd managed to finally find.
Together, Ramona, Milo and L'aire all sat clustered around the cage, while Morgan stood vigilant on the sidelines. One by one, they all reached out to touch the cage, the birds falling silent as the turned black button eyes on the Changelings, the colors of their plumage starting to bleed out once again. Of the three, Milo failed on his first attempt, but sheer stubbornness had him kept him focused long enough to make a second attempt.
I'm going to lay the memories out in order of successes, so Milo, L'aire and then Ramona. Each person will be able to access the same memories as the person before them, but will not be able to see what the next person in line could see. Make sense?
Milo experiences an odd warping, suddenly seeing the world loom up around him. He was a little girl, running and screaming along with all of her friends, chasing after a dog as it ran though a back yard. The sheer excitement was almost overwhelming for the child, sturdy legs propelling her through the leaves as her family watches indulgently. Somewhere there's the smell of cooking meat and the vague knowledge that all her cousins have come to visit.
/break/
A middle aged man chases after a meter maid, yelling uselessly and waving the coins he'd been about to put in the parking meter.
/break/
A young couple are on their way to the pawn shop, carrying a box full of old trinkets. They're trying to sell some of her grandfather's things, so they can afford to pay his hospital bills.
/break/
L'aire had no problems with finding the memories locked inside the token. Sorting them one from another took some skill, but by concentrating hard enough....
A man sat alone in his car, staring across the way at a store window. He's sold everything he owned, just to try and keep his head above water, try and feed his habit. In the seat beside him, there's a bottle wrapped in brown paper. There's also a gun. He's not sure which he's going to pick up.
/break/
A young man nervously looked through a selection of rings. She swears that she doesn't want much, but he wants to give her the world.
/break/
Emma's standing on a street corner, nervously looking around. She knows what's likely to happen once she opens the cage and she's written instructions to herself to make sure she follows the plan. No matter what, Moira is going to be safe. They're not going to get her too.
/break/
Ramona bowed her head and closed her eyes, feeling the surge of memory and emotion break over her like a tidal wave. Pulling the strength to withstand it from the very stone in her bones, Ramona became still, the center of the whirlpool.
She was walking towards a small luxury yacht, balancing against the swell of the tide easily in her thin soled shoes. She hated this town, hated this place, hated the fact that they were still laying low. She wanted to fight, wanted people to know her, fear her. Why should she have to "behave" herself? On the deck she could see a fat white cat basking in the sun. It hissed at her as she walked by.
/break/
A man looked over his shop in pride. He'd built it up over forty years in business and it'd kept him and his family well fed the entire time. He just wished that one of his children wanted to take it over. If they didn't start showing an interest, he'd have to find a buyer for the store.
/break/
A traffic cop walked her beat, shaking her head as she pulled out a pad to write a ticket. She'd wanted to be nice, but this guy had been parked here twice as long as local ordinances allowed for.
/break/
A song plays on the radio, almost unheard as the two lovers lose themselves in each other. They've stolen this moment together and the world will crash down on them quickly enough. But for right now, the instant in time, they're together.
The memories crash through the Changeling's minds, bright and beautiful like fireworks on a warm summer evening. The memories aren't just viewed from a safe distance. They're experienced, each person not reliving, but living the moment. Sorrow, anger, fear, despair, joy, love, lust, pride . . . it all pours through the memory seekers, leaving absolutely no doubt in their minds just why it was that this is so addicting. Because the urge is there. Just one more taste, one more memory. Just so they can feel that way one more time....
Since the emotions associated with these memories are so intense, anybody who was experiencing them gains Glamour equal to their successes
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