x - 0004 [Shapes]

[call_me_spooky]

What is it that we find so captivating about the concept of a man shedding his humanity and becoming a beast? Is it merely the appeal of the uncanny, the unfamiliar arising in a familiar setting—the wolf where no wolf should be? I’ve always suspected there’s an element of longing we don’t like to admit to; the desire to shed not only the form but the trappings of our day-to-day existence, an association of what we perceive as a simpler form with a simpler way of life. And yet, who’s to say we’d be happier, thrust back into the food chain we’ve spent thousands of years trying to ascend, trading office politics for the rule of eat or be eaten?
Still, as the City seems to know, the concept of transformation remains rooted deep in our minds. The first X-File, created and shelved by J. Edgar Hoover himself, dealt with a man who was more than a man—hidden away so people would stop fixating on the circumstances. But such things always come back to haunt us.
For those of you who don't usually check the homo sapiens box on the form, feel free to substitute your favorite species for the top-of-the-foodchain spot; I can only speak for my own facet of reality. Do the things that go bump in the night have dreams and nightmares of shedding their wings and fangs for suits and ties and ending up the pawns of bureaucracy? Now that is a horror movie in the making—not the man waking up to find out he’s become a cockroach, but the cockroach waking up to find a cubicle with his name on it.
Lions and tigers and bears, oh, my.
Sorry, I couldn't resist. So, who's been keeping score? Looked like a lot of cats and dogs, a handful of more exotic beasts and birds, a couple of things I didn't recognize and a number which don't exist where I'm from. For those of you affected, out of curiosity, any idea why you ended up with the fur, feathers, or otherwise you did? Or is the City’s madness without method?

I didn't end up with paws yesterday, so points to the deities for not making the cheap and obvious joke. I'm pretty much waiting for something dreadful to happen, since so far I haven't really been affected myself. Just a matter of time, right?

Rose, I'm afraid I had to ...borrow some of your things yesterday. It was for a good cause, I swear. Anything I can't retrieve, I'll replace, I promise. I would've asked but I didn't have a chance.

[Private to Lucy Saxon]
Ms. Saxon, my name is Fox Mulder. I'm working with the police force here, and if you don't mind I'd like to ask you some questions about your attack.

[Private to Clow Reed]
Mr. Reed; I'm Fox Mulder. I'd like to ask you a few questions about your report on the Saxon/Master crime scene, if you don't object.

[ooc: orz, this would’ve been up earlier but I had to go out unexpectedly. >< per Cap’n Kuchiki’s request, Mulder’s put on his investigative hat. Lucy- and Clow-muns, I hope this is an acceptable way for him to harass you, I thought it’d be a little weird for him to just pounce your entries. >_>;]

Comments

[Private / orz I won't be this slow all weekend, promise]

[i-themagician.livejournal.com]

All of them, or specifically the instance with Mr. and Mrs. Saxon?

[Private]

[call_me_spooky]

The Saxons in particular, as you were the first on the scene... but any insights you have into the others would be welcome, too.

I'm interested in knowing what type of magic we're looking for, here... what we should be looking for.

[Private]

[i-themagician.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, the only insight I have is that I don't have any insight. Magic did not appear to have been used in the actual murder of the Saxons, though I cannot be so certain about the cleanup and transport of the bodies afterwards.

It's still possible that the perpetrator had some kind of invisibility spell or something so that they could sneak up on them. Specifically, I find it difficult to believe that someone just walked up and stabbed the Master from the front without him noticing them, but if such a spell was used I would not have been able to detect it after the fact.

[Private]

[call_me_spooky]

I see... Seems reasonable. Not many people would stand there calmly taking a dagger to the chest, right?

It's probably not worth asking but-- how many people in the City would be capable of that kind of spell? Probably too many to make a preliminary list of suspects, right?

[Private]

[i-themagician.livejournal.com]

In most systems of magic that I'm familiar with such a spell would be of an intermediate or difficult variety, so we can eliminate any novices and apprentices who might be here. Unfortunately, I can count on one hand the number of people I'm familiar with who might be capable of such magic and are currently in the City, and none of them are likely suspects.

So, the perpetrator is likely to either be someone relatively new or very secretive, perhaps both.

This is assuming that whoever it is wasn't using an invisibility cloak or something, but again - someone would have to have manufactured that, and I don't know that anyone here is in the business of magical items.

[Private]

[call_me_spooky]

That's about what I'd figured, but I thought it'd be worth asking. Thank you, Mr. Reed. I've been involved with a few cases, before, in which magic played a part, but generally there's been more in the way of trace evidence...

I'm inclined to assume the latter, personally, though there's no reason it couldn't be both. I'd be a bit surprised if anyone felt confident enough to commit this many crimes right away, upon their arrival... But it's certainly not outside the realm of possibility.