Stitches In Time - Paradise Universe WIP

[A/N: Paradise setting here.


Prologue

[Editor’s note: The following are excerpts from a blog started in 2006 and an electronic journal begun in 2005.  Additional biographical evidence is from a series of 2013 interviews, from after the Change went public.  Both the blog and journal have continued to the time of this writing and as such contain a rich history of the Change from a personal perspective.  This compilation contains those entries relevant to the Change and much more personal testimony from the interviews.  More blog entries can be found at www.****************.****.net.  Credit to original author and biography subject ***** *******, alias TimeStrike.]

Stitches in Time – Intro and Overview – Thursday, January 27, 2006 @3:11 PM
Hello, world!  This blog isn’t anything particularly special.  It’s mostly going to be a place where I put up my thoughts and musings about anything I find interesting, and maybe experiences about interesting things.  But I’ll cross that second bridge when I come to it.  For now, I finished my mid-terms earlier (homeschoolers just get done when they get done, no set completion date most of the time) and I need to go look for anything that piques my intrigue.

Signed by way of pseudonym,
- TimeStrike

Stitches in Time – Second Post – Thursday, January 27, 2006 @8:36 PM

This afternoon I located a paw-print near a friend’s house.  That may not sound like anything special, but knowing a fair amount about paw-prints I definitely found it interesting.  Why?  It was larger than most...and honestly, it just seemed a bit off.  I haven’t nailed down what it belongs to yet, but I’ll carefully examine the casts I went back and made.  Maybe I’ll even write a story about it once I get the chance.

Signed by way of pseudonym,
- TimeStrike

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Date: Thursday, January 27, 2006

Dear Journal,

Happy first birthday to you (more or less) and happy fifteenth birthday to me.  I took time today to start writing ideas and experiences online as well.  That way I’ll have them stored here and there.  I’m not particularly like those people who want to be remembered forever, but backup copies are nice.
I also visited John earlier today for a while.  He’s still recovering from that cancer…it didn’t really help that shortly before it was discovered he sick from a relative (I think it was called sleeping sickness?) last August, though it’s going better on all counts.  While I was there I found a paw-print in the snow and made a cast of it.  Funny thing was, John got really edgy when I pointed it out.  Hope he’s okay.  I think that’s about it for today.  I’ll write in some more later if I think of it.

- Jaye

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Stitches in Time – Vestigia – Saturday, January 29, 2006@12:14 PM

You know that paw-print I mentioned Thursday?  I’ve matched it to a type of wolf local to my area.  Here’s the problem: the print is way too big to be a normal one.  And it’s out of proportion.  Looks almost like the creature that made it was planigrade and not digitigrade.  Mysterious stuff.   Oh, and the title is Latin for ‘paws’.  I’m gonna look further into it and post more later unless I get distracted (which is pretty dang likely, actually).

By way of pseudonym,

- TimeStrike

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Date: Monday, May 29, 2006

Dear Journal,

…
…so here’s the thing.  I was wandering around on forums today.  Now, I normally avoid the ‘post a picture of yourself’ threads – don’t even look at others’ pictures.  But today I figured, why not, and so before I was entirely awake and aware I went looking.  And I didn’t know that this one Sonic forum had so many fursuiters.  Those people who wear anthro costumes.  There are several of them there.  At least, I think so.  When I went back and checked later, it seemed like there were less.  Perception, maybe?  But the ones that were still there seemed less vivid than I remembered.  Well, I’ll probably let it go, costumes aren’t really my thing…
…

- Jaye

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Stitches in Time – Notice – Monday, August 14, 2006@3:00 AM

…hey all…I feel absolutely terrible.  Worst flu I’ve ever had.  So my demi-daily updates will have to stop for now.  Catch you on the flip side.

SBWoP,

- TimeStrike

-----------------

Date: Monday, August 14, 2006

Dear Journal,

Sick today…not like fall allergies or the occasional cold.  Sick like influenza except three times worse.  Honestly…ugh.  Don’t know if I have the strength to write much longer.  Probably won’t.  ‘Cya tomorrow, journal.

- Jaye

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Date: Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Dear Journal,

…
John called today.  He seemed interested in my illness.  No, not normal, friendly interested…I don’t even know.  Maybe he thinks I got what he did last year?  I guess it’s not unheard of.  Hope it’s ending soon…I feel a bit better, that’s why I got on the computer to write this entry in the first place, but…still not really great.  I’ll ask him next time.  I should probably head back to bed; think that the worse part of the sickness is coming back.

- Jaye

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Chapter 1

Stitches in Time – Delay and Request – Thursday, August 17, 2006@7:17 PM

Hey, everyone…well, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I have to stop updating for now. Something came up in my life, but I did want to give warning here. As for what happened…well, this being the internet I won’t go into much detail about reality. Let’s just say there are lots of Changes going on. There’s a fairly large reader base by now, I know, so if you’re a religious type – and maybe even if you aren’t – please send your thoughts and prayers with me.
As for the good news? Well, there’s a lot of hardship in my life right now. But I think it’s something I can use to get a new outlook on life and it’s a chance to start a new adventure. So for now, this is it. If you’ve subscribed, you’ll know when I return to this blog. Feel free to e-mail me, I should still have that. I wish nothing less than peace to all of you. Fare well.

SBWoP,

- TimeStrike (TS)

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...and with that, the anthro arctic vixen sat back from the desk. She reread the message once after posting it, then closed the browser and buried her face in her paws. “…what am I supposed to do…?” Her parents weren’t home – a vast, vast relief to her – but reality still sucked when it came down to it.

When she stood, after a while, this vixen reached a height of about 5’6”. Her fur wasn’t quite white or grey, more of a silvery color. She didn’t look quite comfortable in her stance – or, for that matter, in her clothing. Two bulges under her t-shirt had no constraints, and her shorts didn’t fit particularly well – too wide at the waist, too narrow at the hips. Though she self-consciously glanced at herself often, she shuddered when she did and tried not to think about her situation.

Then, the phone rang. Indeed it could be said that she jumped at the noise. Warily, still doubting herself, she picked up the phone. “…hello?”

“Jaye! How are you doing?” John’s voice came over the phone, for the first time since yesterday when he called and asked almost the same thing.

“I’ve…been better.”

“Still sick?”

“Nah, just…tired, and recovering…that kind of stuff.” Did he know, or maybe was he even Changed? From here, it was impossible to tell.

“Anything…unusual come up?”

“…unusual?”

“Like a rapid recovery, and maybe rapid acceleration in hair growth, that sort of thing…”

“…John…what would you know about hair growth?”

“It happened?”

“…”

“Jaye. Jaye! Focus, stay with me. Was there a major Change of some kind?” Even from this end, the capital ‘C’ was unmistakable.

“…yes. And I got a bare-bones briefing from a random internet person. So I assume you’ve been Changed for a year or more?”

“I’m what we call ‘Known’, actually. Still human, but in on the secret. As you probably figured out, ‘sleeping sickness’ is an outright fabrication to make sure that Changed anatomies don’t get messed up by well-meaning medical professionals. As for me…it’s just said that I have it to make the story with my cousin more plausible.”

“…oh. Is your cousin…you know, when I found that paw print back in January…”

“Yeah, it’s hers.”

“Okay. Well…I’m…I’m coping, I guess.”

“At least you don’t have illusions about how the world is any more. What all was in that briefing?”

“Not much…being told that real anthros exist, that humans are becoming them every year around this time, that regular humans can’t tell that it’s happening, and that it’s a global secret expanding exponentially to encompass the globe anyway.”

“That covers the basics. What are you now?”

“A, um, vi-err, fox. Arctic fox, I think.” Jaye already had enough to deal with. If the Veil held and John couldn’t see her as ‘her’, so much the better. For now, anyway.

“Jaye…is something up? As in, ‘JG’ up?”

The vixen sighed. Couldn’t get anything past John. “…yeah, John. Yeah, it is. I’m a vixen, okay?! Happy now?”

“Woah, woah! Calm down! I can help. I’m getting my cousin’s contact info for you right now. Her name’s SN.” He emphasized the pronoun, and the initials…but that would mean…

“…like…me?”

“Yes, JG. Like you. …gah, that seems too weird. I’m still going to call you Jaye, not like anyone will notice a difference. And…for what they’re worth, you have my condolences, though Sam said that after learning to cope h-she was fine with the change. Just hope I’m not losing her…or you, for that matter. Anyway…can you write yet?”

“I can type.”

“Good enough. In fact, from what I’ve heard, better than good; apparently it usually takes a few days to start typing with claws. Here’s her contact information for the new-Changed station she helps run in her area.” John relayed the details. “H-She does live in Missouri, a few states over [Review note by JG: This was in southern Ohio], but she’s going to be here a couple hours Saturday on the way to Pennsylvania to meet with friends.”

“All right…I’ll see about getting in contact with her now, if that’s okay.”

“Sure you’re all right?”

“…” The vixen hesitated for a moment. Sighed. “Yeah, I’m okay. But I should talk to her.”

“All right. It should be fine, only around seven her time. Take care of yourself. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Okay, okay. Talk to you tomorrow, John.” After a quick ‘bye’ her best friend hung up.

Then Jaye looked over the contact information he gave her. She sighed again, then picked the phone back up and started dialing.

-----------------

“Sam’s Changing Service, how can I help you?” The female voice on the other end sounded somewhat tired; perhaps even exhausted.

“Hey…SN, right? I just got your number from your cousin, John, up here in Ohio. He said you’d be around in a couple days but it’s a bit more urgent.”

“Oh? Well, hey, he finally did something helpful for the Changed, got someone in on our radar. But…urgent? What’s the nature of the Change?”

“Arctic vixen.”

“Fox? That doesn’t sound so bad.”

With a dangerously low amount of inflection in her voice, Jaye replied, “I am the one percent. My name as of today is JG. That sound ‘so bad’?”

On the other end of the line came a dull ‘thud’. The voice returned momentarily. “Woah! Okay, okay. That explains a lot of things. All right, calm down, girl. You’re on the hotline with someone who has two years practical experience. What do you need to know?”

-----------------

An hour later, Jaye put down the phone. She had some answers, a lot more questions, a plan for part of Saturday, and perhaps most importantly had, for now, come to terms (at least for the moment) with her Change.

Not too shabby a beginning for the first day of the rest of her life.

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Chapter 2

Date: Thursday, August 17, 2006

Dear Journal (or is it Diary now? I have no idea),

Life…Changed today. Since I have no simple means of keeping this book to my paws only, I’ll leave it at that. Being part of the furry community before had nothing on this initiation. Anyway…I’ll be meeting with John’s cousin, SN (Sam would seem to work neutrally, but initials it is) the day after tomorrow. Hopefully after talking with her I can get settled. Hopefully…

-----------------

Though Jaye wrote swiftly, at this point the words stopped coming as easily. However, a more concrete substance than words did start coming more easily…specifically a clear liquid, dripping down from her muzzle and marking damp blots on her clothing. “…dang it…not again…” Despite the she-fox’s quivering and attempts to calm herself…the tears not only continued, but strengthened. Pushing away from the desk, she weakly flopped onto her bed and broke down completely for the second time that day.

-----------------

The next morning brought the vixen back to consciousness, after crying herself to sleep the night before. She sniffled. “…first day of the rest of my life…ugh…” The worst part, she suspected, would be facing her parents, who would have arrived back from their four-day trip sometime last night. With her father being a high-ranking U.S. Air Force general and her mother taking the role of his secretary, long trips weren’t that uncommon; though she really wished that she had a bit longer to plan.

Jaye checked the computer. The unfinished journal entry brought her back to the verge of tears, but she hastily blinked them away. “…no…got to be strong…for myself and everybody in on the secret…wait…what if they know what’s going on?” Thinking about the statistics, she did some quick calculations. A 1 in 12,500 chance that either of them was Changed and had experience wasn’t great, but it was something. And that went up to 1:6,250 for newly-Changed. Her ears and tail – really, her whole posture – lifted at the slight hope.

Then the vixen heard a knock at the bedroom door. Her mother’s voice sounded. “Jaye…you okay? You did say you weren’t feeling so well…”

‘Oh, heck…must have heard me crying and came…’ “Erm, yeah. Feeling better.” Well, the Veil should keep her new voice secret. There was whispering on the other side of the door. It wasn’t anything distinct, but in all honesty she probably would have missed it entirely were not her new ears so much more sensitive.

Finally the voice sounded again. “All right. Come down for breakfast soon; it’s almost ten. We stop serving at 10:30!” A laugh. Jaye also laughed before she could think about it. Then footsteps sounded, leaving the door…two sets, not just one. Both of her parents were definitely there.

-----------------

Finding the right clothing wasn’t as much a matter of feminine instinct – though it probably was part of it – as it was a matter of comfort and practicality. Even when Jaye came to the kitchen from her bedroom, some new physical requirements just couldn’t be satisfied with the clothes she had. As she rounded the wall’s corner to the kitchen, she saw a rather odd sight. Her mother was nowhere to be seen. Her father sat at the kitchen table, wearing…sunglasses and some complicated-looking sort of headset. She stared at him. He stared right back…but he stared at the vixen as she stood, not as where she should have. The young fox took a step back. “…um…?”

The older man, for his part, was also taken aback. He sighed heavily, then looked down. “…no…not here, not now…not you…”

“Huh?” Playing stupid should work…hopefully…and what the heck were those things?

“Jaye…what happened yesterday morning?”

Still the fox craftily tried to avoid the question. “I…woke up and felt better?”

“Is that a question?” A terse silence followed. “We Know, Jaye.” And there was no mistaking the capital ‘K.’ But there was no way…unless…

“…can you…see me?”

“And hear you. Though I almost wish I didn’t carry that burden.” When the vixen looked down, he quickly added, “Not because of you. Because it’s a big thing to keep from the world.” Jaye didn’t speak. Her dad beckoned her, kindly saying, “Come here…” And so she did. “You’re still you. We know that. We just…didn’t expect it. Especially if these strange goggles are right...young lady.”

Whimpering, the vixen tightly wrapped her arms around her dad and buried her muzzle in his shirt. No matter about the fact that she wasn’t really comfortable. The general held his newly-turned-daughter close, rubbing her back. For the third time since her Change, she let loose a flood of tears, absently wondering how she had any left.

-----------------

Two stacks of chocolate chip pancakes, several explanations, and an hour and a half later, Jaye (or Jayne, as her parents were asking her to consider going by) and her parents were both up to date. General Granger was brought into the Know two years ago, when he accidentally received incriminating information about two of his direct subordinates who simultaneously began having medical concerns in mid-August. He got details in November ’04 and after much deliberation told his wife came January.

Jaye informed her parents of what it was like – as best possible without treading on delicate topics. The Saturday meeting she mentioned briefly, with slightly hesitant agreement on her protective parents’ part that having another ‘one percent’ Changed coach her was a good idea.

Armed with the promise of any support she needed, the vixen went back to bed, feeling much more at peace. Concern over being out in public at some point still lingered in her mind, but she tried to ignore it. Following on the heels of a few yawns, Jaye fell asleep.

-----------------

Extremely startled, the vulpine woke up with strips of sunlight shining on her muzzle through open blinds. She shivered out of habit, trying to avoid thinking about the dream that just preceded her waking. Having a mate…raising kits…it seemed so vivid. In the same way thought avoidance usually works, she thought about it plenty. At first wrapping herself in blankets and tucking tail between her legs to stop shivering, she wasn’t helped much by having to use the restroom and having physical reminders of the Change. ‘Can’t get away from myself…going to go crazy…’

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Date: Friday August 18th, 2006

Dear Diary,

I’m not ready for this! Nor will I ever be ready for this! I’m not supposed to be a fox, I’m definitely not supposed to be female! I hate my life!
… (This text was partly unintelligible and the rest was strung up with profanities.)
I think I calmed down some now, Diary…what are those stages again? They’re about grief, I think. There went denial and rage. Is toleration next? It feels like it. Come to think of it, why did I get so angry? Is my emotional control – my entire being – slipping with the two facets of my Change?

I hope not.

I’ve decided (as long as my resolve holds) to accept the things I can’t change. As of tomorrow, an anthropomorphic arctic vixen looks out on a world that doesn’t recognize her, confident in herself, wearing the right clothes for a she-fox, and staying always ready for the next challenge. My name is Jayne Granger, and I am that vixen.

- JG

P.S. …Lord, let my resolve hold…

-----------------

The fox arrived at John’s house the following morning. Her close friend answered the front door. “Jaye?”

“It’s Jayne now, long as we’re in the company of those in on the secret.”

He frowned and hissed, “Keep it down! We’re not yet.” John returned to normal tone and expression: “Good to see you too, glad you’re feeling better. Please, come in.” As such, Jayne did. The house was always a nice place for her; traditional and a little rustic but for the better part completely modern. She followed the human to his bedroom, where he closed and locked the door as a defense measure (he had a younger brother of about ten at home, as opposed to Jayne who had a younger sister who was fourteen, only two years younger than her but off staffing a summer camp for very young children) before slightly opening and peering through the window blinds. “Sam was supposed to be here by now…”

Suddenly he reeled back from the window, muttering something under his breath. Jayne took the chance to also look out the window – greeted by the grinning face of an anthro she-wolf. The vixen blinked, a little confused, but figured that this was the expected visitor.

-----------------

“JG, in the flesh…” started SN when the two had a room to themselves a bit later, sitting across from each other.

Halfheartedly smiling, the vixen replied, “…Jayne…I took a new name….”

“Suit yourself. Like you know, I’m Sam. I’m here to support you, but sad to say we have to do the awkward part first.”

Jayne looked down, swinging her hindpaws and sighing. “Just get on with it.”

“Starting off, going to tell you about hygiene…”

-----------------

“…and I’d tell you more, but since neither of us were born into this it’s more awkward than I can say.”

Jayne, finally looking up, asked again, “…do I really have to know this?”

Sam hopped off the chair, gripped the vixen’s shoulder, and looked right into her eyes. “I won’t mince any words. It is a basic guarantee that you’re going to be an arctic vixen for the rest of your life. You need to know how to deal with the changes, physical and mental.” Jayne again looked down. “Hey. It’s okay. I’ve heard and seen that you’re strong. I know you can get through this, just like I did.” Another sigh escaped the silver-furred figure, who now closed her eyes. Sam let go and sat back in her chair.

“…I’m more scared than I want to admit…”

“Is there anything else that might help?”

“I had this dream…I was a mother…” The wolf tensed slightly, though she tried to relax as quickly as possible to avoid notice. Luckily for her, with her eyes closed Jayne didn’t take note.

“That usually comes later. But there’s nothing wrong with it. If anything, Jayne…you should be proud. You look great. You are great, far as I’m concerned. And I’m not just saying that to be corny, I mean it.”

"You sure?"

"Positive." Unfortunately for Jayne, even after looking up again, she really couldn't read Sam's sincerity.

"...how do you deal with the Veil?"

"Honestly? Very carefully." A slight laugh from the lupine. "Here's the thing. You might not have any experience as a vixen to go on, but you do have experience from your past life. Use it. And remember that the Veil is going to help you out. Anything that particularly worries you?"

"...my parents are extremely overprotective. Is there any way they won't find out?"

Sam frowned at this. "...hm...you'll have to be extremely careful if you want to keep a secret. Honestly, I'd just say that it's safer to see if they Know. With half a million Changed, there are probably something like five million Known. Sure, that's only a piece of humanity, but when the multiplier to total Change is...eh, help me out here."

"Sixteen thousand, three hundred and eighty-four. So 16,384 to what?"

"Well, if you're that great with math you hardly need me to explain, but that means a little over one in 1600 people are Known."

"How is this supposed to help me?"

"You're not getting it? Listen, there are seven billion people out there. A tiny section is furry. That means that there are about five million in on the secret and with a number that huge at least one of them is bound to be one of your parents."

"...isn't that where we started?"

"Jayne. You're missing the point. There are so many Known that it's not worth worrying over, and if worse comes to worse make both of them join that five million."

"I guess..."

"Before I go I'll give you several sites to check out. They have reveal tips and a bunch of other Change info." After a moment, she added, "And my contact information in case of emergency. I don't know yet if I'll pass this way on the road back to 'Miz."