Present Day
Spring gives way to early fall as you return to yourself. Your hands shake in your lap. You weren't ready to relive your last moments with Darcy.
You breathe deeply, trying to banish your returned memories. You've got to pull yourself together. Even though you're so tired you could sleep for a geological age, you've got to go meet Dr. Ellison.
You pull out your pattern cards.
Patterns change when magical energy flows through them. The more physically sturdy the material, the more it resists the change, and the more likely the pattern on it will return to its original configuration. Pattern paper is thin and disposable. Thick paper is better than thin, and metal is better still. The exception to the rule about sturdiness is materials made from animals, which hold up to magical energy the best. The more self-aware the animal, the more resistant the material is.