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AbillioncatsAsh holds the stone in both hands. It feels somewhat silly for a long moment. As he feels about ready to let go, the world around him fades to black. The inky darkness is so complete, yet somehow he can still perceive himself perfectly. He also has this strange sense of moving, as if something is carrying him. And yet everything is still in the darkness. Underneath him is a swirling light. The circle reaches up, forming a column of brightness around him. In the column of light, he can hear the theme song he'd dreamed of having for himself... upbeat and with plenty of nice guitar licks.
Swirls of color float through the column of light, all shades of blues in varying degrees of vibrancy. In each of these swirls is one of his memories. Some are good, some bad... but the swirls seem to move into the background as more swirls start to rise up beneath him... swirls of purples in every shade. In these swirls are new memories... memories that seem so real, so vibrant. As they come closer, they feel that much more personal as well. They get so close, in fact... some of the purple swirls brush against his face... through his hair... and into his mind.
Each swirl that enters his mind brings with it a new memory. In these memories, he is not Ash Landes, vigilante. Rather, she is Sonia Rodrigues, and each succeeding memory reminds her not just of her past... but of her present. She remembers growing up in the orphanage, a loving place with kind caretakers and plenty of friends to play with. She feels her body shift into something more slender and delicate. She remembers crying after another family decided against adopting her, unsure of her feline features. Her ears shift upwards, getting velvety fur and more pointed... a long and slender tail forming at the base of her spine. She also recalls happy times working at the orphanage, helping the younger children. Her delicate features gain the subtle curve and swell of her years. Finally, she remembers becoming too old to be in the orphanage... and just before she would have to leave, she was given an offer to stay at a nice boarding house run by a friend of the caretakers. She would have a place to stay... new friends to make. And she would have time to find her place in the world... find a family to call her own.
Turbulent and emotional as the memories are, she still remembers everything from her life as Ash... even if it seems kind of awkward to imagine herself as a man now. She knows very well how to take care of herself... despite not being a big fan of water. The spotlight starts to fade... but not before she hears her theme song still playing... now with a more orchestral, playful air. The light fades, the light returns to the world...
And
Sonia stands in front of the boarding house, a small drawstring bag at her feet. From the looks of things, it's about mid morning.
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WhatevrThose with more pressing morning engagements come and go. Estelle has enough leftovers to cover anyone else who might want something to eat. She may as well get ready for her own day. It will be nice to get something a little more casual on and go for a walk to the store. Hopefully, not too many people will stare... her past memories remind her that ears such as hers are quite the rarity, and would most likely draw attention to herself. In the case of nicer people... like Lance... said attention can feel quite nice. Perhaps the neighbors here are nice as well... and she can continue to receive positive attention.
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Knight ErrantAs Lily curses her condition, her fate, her luck, she starts to see things again. The stone... it's going to show her that useless scene again, isn't it? Well... yes and no. She does see the ancient couple sitting on the thrones to their desert kingdom. She does see that the heartbreakingly beautiful woman has the same stone in the brooch around her neck. Although... as the woman wears it, it seems to have a luster and a clarity to it that Lily's stone lacks. It almost radiates light as it nestles just above her impressive cleavage. The woman leans over to the man... who looks to her with hungry eyes. The words are muffled, but she makes a request. Lily can tell that the man thinks this something preposterous, maybe even impossible. But the woman leans farther... draws her lithe finger along his arm. The man gulps... and he accepts. The woman coos and sits back on her throne, satisfied. She... controlled him. She used her body to lower his defenses and...
Lower his defenses. Lance is somehow immune to whatever hostile attack anyone has mustered. But she has a weapon she never had before. With this... her body... she could lower his defenses... and finish her job.
"Well, you'll have plenty of time to live in a van down by the river, when you're living...in a van down by the river!" --Matt Foley, motivational speaker