Paradox Chapter One: The More Things Change...

[Aerozord]

Something drew Eibon to the parade, though he did not know what. He didn't like going out in daylight anymore. Foolishly thinking that if he avoided his shadow, he avoided the change. The crowd only made it worse. The smell of flesh tempted him further. One that was observent could even notice the shadows laying on his body did not behave as they should. They grew and moved over him as if trying to engulf him and Eibon knew they were.

With a wince and a force of will he drew them back. The shadows behaving as they should, for now. However it seems there was some good to coming out. He could sense it from those in the crowd. It was, something. Not sure what, like a kinship. Perhaps he was not alone. Perhaps someone would know more.

[Riin Whitewind]

Following a short phone conversation, Rawli found herself in the backseat of a police cruiser. She tried not to squirm in her seat, but the faint scent of vomit and blood was making her uncomfortable. Hungry... "Everything alright, Miss?" The officer - Greene, he had said his name was - stole a glance into his rearview mirror. Miss Prochainezo nodded, not quite trusting herself to speak. She wished she could have a smoke, but - it was only a short drive, she could stand the smell until they arrived.

The phone call from Detective Nearstaph had been brief, a polite request to come in to look at a line-up. Knowing her truck had been thrashed in 'the accident' - though he didn't refer to it as such - he offered to send an off-duty officer to pick her up. Nearstaph also waved away her amnesia surrounding the event, citing his hope that the line-up would jog her memory. His tone was professional, but even Rawli could hear how tired he sounded.

Arriving in style, Rawli stepped through the door to the bustling police department, the scarf over her face muffling her thanks to the officer who held open the door. Automatically tugging the white-and-green striped cloth off, she shoved it awkwardly into a coat pocket. Meri had drilled into her that wearing any head or face covering inside was inexcusably rude. Cooling her heels in the small lobby designated for visitors, she waited nervously for someone to show her where to go.

[Steel Shadow]

"You ok, Charlie? You look like hell."

"Oh, you know. I think I might be coming down with something. Slept without my blanket last night," Charlie replied, smiling politely.

Flatemate Alan snorted and went back to washing the dishes. It was true, Charlie knew. He looked like hell. His short black hair was a greasy mess, all random tufts and sticky bangs. His eyes were sunken, his breathing heavy, and he just couldn't work up the energy to stand up without slouching. He knew all this without even having to look, because no matter how bad he looked, it didn't do any justice at all to how terrible he felt inside.

But Alan spoke up again before more introspection could set in. "Well you'd better get over it, man. Fast. The twins will be here in two hours."

Charlie suppressed a groan. Right. Twins. Alan had finally managed to set up a double date for the two of them with the Thompson twins from work. They were going to a carnival, or something. Charlie wasn't sure who'd suggested the location, aside from knowing it sure as hell wasn't him, but it seemed harmless enough. Of course, Alan's 'brilliant' schemes always seemed harmless at first.

A look from the mastermind told Charlie all he needed to know. He wouldn't be getting out of this date even if he came down with leprosy. A minor cold certainly wouldn't be tolerated. The plan for tonight was set in stone.

Rolling his eyes, he headed for the bathroom to try to clean up. Hopefully a shower and some clean teeth would do wonders for how he felt. With a little luck, maybe the date wouldn't be a complete disaster.

Alone in the bathroom, there was no one to notice Charlie refuse to so much as look at himself in the mirror.

[Astral Harmony]

Kaitlyn managed to find a parking spot nearby and exited her van.

A circus. Kaitlyn had only ever seen a traveling circus once. In particular, she liked the trapeze artists and the amazing things they did while so high off of the ground. Kaitlyn didn't mind heights, but she wasn't a fan of them.
This circus was quite a bit different, showcasing a considerable number of freaks. The circus Kaitlyn had seen before didn't have a freakshow.
"Freakshow, eh?" Kaitlyn said to herself. "These guys don't hold a candle to the kind of freak that I am."

Then it hit her.

What? What is this?
Kaitlyn was nearly overwhelmed by a strong sense of vertigo. A pulse of something indescribible reverberating throughout her body.
Something is definitely not right.
Despite this being her first time feeling these sensations, Kaitlyn understood all too well.
That..."other me"...
Kaitlyn assumed that Mawface had somehow overridden her senses and replaced them with its own. Mawface was trying to tell her something, and it wasn't going to let Kaitlyn ignore it.

God help me...
She knew it to be true, but tried to believe that it was only her. That she was the only one who had to deal with this horrible alternate persona.
Somebody...help me...
Kaitlyn wanted so badly to run, to get in her van, to drive until she ran out of gas and keep running until her legs gave out...
But...
Mawface kept her in position. Kaitlyn still had control of her body so far, but Mawface somehow exerted control over Kaitlyn's desire to flee. So Kaitlyn remained in the crowd at the circus, giving off the silent challenge of her presense to those who could sense her.
"I can't run away," Kaitlyn said through deep breaths. "You want answers, Kaitlyn? There they are. You're not going to find what you seek without getting your hands dirty."

[lazy man]

After getting home from work all Ryan could really do was stare at the ceiling on his bed. He had been trying to sleep, but couldn't because of what felt like something crawling around in his head. And he knew it was related to the thing from eight days ago, the sensation just felt... similar somehow.

But the fact that it was there wasn't what worried him now. The fact that it wanted to get out and feed was. And sitting there staring at the ceiling wasn't helping him as his stomach growled... when the phone rang and Detective Nearstaph called him down to the police station it almost felt like a relief to try and get out, maybe get a handle on the thing.

But getting out and moving wasn't helping at all, and now Ryan was actually worrying about changing again. His head and stomach were growling so much that he didn't even know how he was able to drive to the police station without somehow crashing into something.

Walking into the lobby of the police station was a different story, though. Almost immediately he ended up bumping into Rawli, who looked nervous just being in the station.

"Ah... sorry..." Ryan barely managed to mumble. He was pale, not only from the lack of sleep and seeming lack of food, but also from worrying over the monster inside him stirring, looking for food. "...sorry."

[Overcast]

Riley stared at the streets of the city. They seemed to be moving even if he was standing still, like rivers that proceeded down the lines of reality, leading toward the center. He felt great, like a million dollars plus change. His footsteps absent but directed, but he had no idea where. He was about one syringe and two shrooms south of existence, and sadly enough so was Fiend. The need to eat wasn't creeping, his head wound didn't ache, everything was fine.

Everything was beautiful.

By some odd miracle had found himself staring at a parade, marching down the street, with strange figures that smiled and some even seemed to call out to him. To him and Fiend, calling him forth. He couldn't tell if they looked so strange because he was tripping balls or if it was some kind of theme, but then his thoughts weren't exactly clear then anyway, and before he knew it he was stepping into the the river of blacktop, that pulled the circus on and marched with them in glee.

But in reality he seemed a zombie, tripping over his own feet along with the freak show. Trying desperately to keep up. But god only knew if he was doing anything other than making a fool of himself.

[Girasol of Chaos]

The owner of the hummer would never return home. The man had his achilles tendons slashed when he approached his car, not that the authorities would know. The bones and blood that remained were well under his vehicle, out of sight.

Beatrice was now out of the parking garage and trudged down the street. She was immensely thankful that her coat was unaffected by her combat. The needle-bitten area was somewhat bruised. Other things were sore, and the girl was tired, but she didn't mind. She got her food, and now all she had to do was go home.

The two faces of that monster were ingrained in her head, and now she was wary of the streets. The walking gave her plenty of time to think, and perhaps keep an eye out for the thin man.

Bea was not alone. There were more beasts in the city who ate humans. Shivering at the thought, she wondered how many there were. It...it explained the crime rate recently. Fear struck her heart in a way it hadn't since she was a child.

Stricken by paranoia, Bea didn't feel like visiting the noise-ridden area of the carnival street. Instead she opted to go to the drug store. Her reserve of money should have enough to afford a first-aid kit. She may need it in the future.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

This was the part of the plan James felt most self conscious about, but it was also genius, and the most important part of his plan. If anybody was to come across him now, he'd look a complete fool, or maybe just a complete wacko who may or may not be high on something. Luckily there wasn't much chance of meeting anyone out here, he'd made sure to drive as far out of the city as seemed neccesary, and then made his way on foot deep into the woods. Having lived in Hampington most of his life he was pretty sure he knew where most hikers and campers would spend their time, so had picked the most untracked area he could find.

Certainly the area he was in now looked suitably unnatended, overgrown and devoid of any human presence. He just hoped it would stay that way. He looked down at the chicken on the ground that he was dragging behind him and laughed sourly. Chicken on a string, jeez I must be mad. The plan was sound enough though; he had realised by now that the monster hunted by scent and it craved meat. By tieing meat onto a piece of string James could drag it around and around in a huge circle in the middle of nowhere and then transform in the middle of it. When his transformed self picked up the scent it would follow it, around and around, never leaving the bondaries of the circle. He could keep it trapped, without walls or chains or a cage. Trapped, like a vicious monster should be.

James had circled the area 3 times now, a vast circle maybe a hundred metres wide. Picking up his bait he made his way to the centre, where the rest of his food was laid out. The monster still needed feeding after all. At the site of the food the beast began to salivate inwardly, it was nearly time, and it was so hungry. James began to strip off his clothes and throw them over a nearby tree branch, then took a deep breath of resignation as he stood before the food.

"Ok you piece of shit, dinner time."

For a moment nothing happened, and James wondered if there really was a monster living inside of him after all, ready to rip open his body and take his place. Maybe it had all been in his head all along?

Then it happened. James doubled up on the floor and gasped as a sudden pain erupted across his body. He was on his hands and knees, his skin bubbling and boiling with heat as if he was being flash fried. There were sounds of ripping and tearing as his flesh came apart and reshaped, new muscle bulging up out of his chest and limbs. James screamed in agony as he felt bones break and nearly fell on his face as his spine popped when extra vertebrae sqeezed into place. He was yelling uncontrollably now, until suddenly all sound ceased; his ear drums had burst as the ear cannals had expanded. Within seconds they regrew and the awful sounds of his torture returned in full.

He was getting bigger, almost at full size. His jaw had long ago dislocated and new oversized teeth had filled out his mouth. Amongst all the other pain he'd barely register that happen. His hands too had changed, each now sporting a set of three massive claws. He was still screaming when his skull broke open and horns began to push out through his head. Then the screaming stopped again, leaving James with only the sounds of rapidly stretching bone. For a moment he wondered vaguely why he couldn't scream, then the realisation occured; his voicebox had melted and was reshaping. For that moment, try as he might, he was incapable of making any noise. Then with a rush his screaming returned, but this time with a bestial roar that shook the nearby trees with its fury. Finally, the change almost complete, James' back erupted into red hot flames that dance upwards, singing the lower branches of the trees above.

But this was no longer James Wade, this was Ifrit, hulking, angry, hungry, Ifrit. Ifrit let out another lion-like roar of fury, as if announcing his presence to the world at large, before looking down and seeing the piles of meat in front of him. Without a second thought he began his long awaited feast, barely pausing to chew the pieces as he threw them into his mouth. No sooner had he finished, he then set off at a run to find more to consumed. In the distance, he could smell more meat...

[Astral Harmony]

Cheryl Railspoon finished a bowl of Frosted Flakes and sat down with the case files and crime scene photographs in front of her. She demanded an explanation for what happened on that strange night when she was called out to the woods to investigate a mysterious and horrible murder.
Rustlesong Park was what they called that area. The victim was one Jeffery Woods. The crime scene provided a jumble of information that simply didn't connect to any one human, particularly none of the ones from that town...

There was no body and there wasn't much gore to speak of, either.

Railspoon frowned. There was a considerable amount of saliva at the scene, and none of it belonged to the victim. None of it belonged to the only possible witness, Kaitlyn Wales, either. It wasn't even human saliva.
"Which suggests that a large animal attacks and devours the victim. Yet the victim's friend manages to escape without recieving a single injury, not even a tear in her clothes."
This set off one of Cheryl's alarms.

1. Rustlesong Park isn't exactly easily traversible. The crime scene was pretty deep in the wood. If Kaitlyn fled from there, she would have taken some kind of damage from the local flora. Branches and thorns would have torn at her body and clothes.
2. Rustlesong Park has no known large predators, and one certainly would have been seen before it made its home in the park.

"Not to mention that the police have combed that park over and over, looking for any other evidence, and we've got nothing," Cheryl said, then gave her attention to other evidence.
One of the pieces was a set of photographs that had shown the cuts in the trees and the ground. The report suggested that these were inflicted by something large and sharp slicing clean through as the cuts were very neat and tight.
And then there was Kaitlyn's testimony itself. She claimed that she didn't remember anything that night, which suggested that she blacked out the terror of that event uncontiously.
"A defense mechanism that people use, forgetting traumas in order to return to some semblance of a normal life."

None of it made any sense. A woman sees her lover brutally murdered, and carefully escapes out of the thick woods without any injury to herself and without the creature catching up to her while she must've been moving slowly, all the while blacking out the memory of it all.
Kaitlyn Wales was already released from questioning and had left town a good several days ago to find work elsewhere. That made sense. There were plenty of jobs to be done around here, but who would wanna work in the town where their lover was horribly murdered.
Railspoon had already interviewed Kaitlyn's parents, who were quite talkative but not particularly helpful. And that left Kaitlyn's older brother, Trevor Wales. He was still in town, and Railspoon didn't feel like ending her investigation in this town until she met with him.

[Girasol of Chaos]

There was one thing good about the town being more dangerous- it drove prices down. Although she had access to supplies at the campus, that wasn't an option anymore. Now stocked up with enough supplies to last her a long while, Bea began her journey home.

To enclose her supplies Beatrice also purchased a metal case. Perhaps when she had the energy again she would buy some cheap clothes. There was no way she could wear the same outfit forever. Teeth filed through her hair, carefully eliminating the knots that had been produced over the last few days. The brush's attentions were a small comfort to her disturbed brain.

Beatrice passed the police station and paused, considering that it was unlikely they could defend themselves from monsters. Then again, the force had bullets. Those had to work, right? Peering in the window, she pondered if the station was always this busy and continued onward. It was a little painful knowing that she would only be labeled as a madwoman.

If she had to transform, she could still hold the supply box in her mouth. The amusing thought had been the only good thing about her day so far. Bea smiled and tried not to think of the people she consumed earlier as she made way towards her dilapidated shelter.