Deep into the Infinite Stair

[Ebiris]

Pure bile fascination has her try to focus more on that memory of being content after everything is finally silent.

[Anastasia]

You remember the voices. From the first memory you have they spoke to you. They showed you thinks, words of power and words that hurt the people who hated you.

They all hated you. Your scales instead of skin, your strength, your differences to them. The voices told you what they thought.

But they never stopped TALKING.

You couldn't sleep with the voices talking.

They kept talking about all the elves around you, tall and proud and hateful.

You remember the blood. You remember the sword and then the club.

You remember that blood and flesh don't talk.

BLOOD AND FLESH DOESN'T TALK.

You remember laughing in relief as the fucking voices finally had NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT.

...

Until they began talking about you.

Until they began talking about the one they bowed to.

Until they told you how you were one of Demogorgon's, now.

[Ebiris]

How unpleasant. As a palate cleanser she focuses on the one with Syala to see if it brings forth other differences from the reality she knows, and if they match with the Malcanthet scenario earlier.

[Anastasia]

You remember the heat of Syala's embrace, the warmth of her body and all that entails.

You recall how she held you after and you drifted, so content and warm. So happy to be held again, after what happened with Antenora, just before the Spark Hunters struck.

Syala's gentle whispers to you, of love and encouragement. No tears, not this time.

You remember how utterly content and happy you finally were.

[Ebiris]

What happened with Antenora? Can she ferret that out from the memory, dig deeper?

[Anastasia]

You feel yourself drawn in deeper - the Spark Hunters. You remember this battle, a battle on the streets.

Pain.

They're just too fast. Antenora's scream as she vanishes, a sound of terror unlike anything you've heard from her in a long time.

Seira. Her magic just in time, enough to save you if not Antenora.

[Ebiris]

And she still feels content and happy after that? Really? She pulls herself free of the memories to try and explore another set and see if it has a sting in the tail.

The tailor content with their job, can't be anything wrong with that, right?

[Anastasia]

You recall the tailor.

You see your young protege. She's a learner, you remember teaching her.

You remember the day you retired with money, no child to pass on. You and Mathyia were never so blessed, but you were content.

A simple life in a city, every day like the last. A life of gentle movements and flows, everything good and right. All's right with the world now.

[Ebiris]

No money? How would you live and eat then? How can you be content with that?

[Anastasia]

There is money, just no child. He did retire with money.

[Ebiris]

My bad, I misread that. Strike my last post then.

Well that seems blandly inoffensive enough. She withdraws her focus from the orb. "Contentment takes many strange forms," she says to Jessica. "I remembered the contentment of an insane murderer after he killed everyone around him. I remembered my own contentment being comforted by Syala after Antenora was killed. At least the tailor enjoying a quiet retirement seemed inoffensive."

[Anastasia]

"Does this bring us any closer," Jessica asks at last, eyes on the orb. "It seems capable of taking intent or emotion or some such and providing the memories of lives attached to it?"

[Ebiris]

"Yes, but there's still mysteries," Alicia says. "The memories you got earlier all involved me, but the memories I've received so far have had almost no relation to you - you were there in the memory of fighting Malcanthet but that's it."

[Anastasia]

"Hm. It may have to do with our will or our intent? For mine, you surrendered to my will on purpose," Jessica surmises.  "Should you project harder and overcome mine, you'd use more force - and your force of will is already stronger than mine, sister."

[Ebiris]

"So where is it choosing the memories from?" Alicia asks. "Lets try again with the same feelings and see if I get the same set of memories?"