theclipper_tlv | First Change

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First Change

[Video]

[The video that comes up looks...off, somehow. The subject seems normal enough: human male, with spiky blond hair and eyes the color of a clear summer sky. And grinning.]

[It takes a moment to realize that, while the video comes through right-side up, the spikiness of the hair is more from the fact that his head is hanging off the seat of a couch with his legs up over the back.]

Good morning, campers!

And for those of you who have just arrived? Welcome to the Clipper! We have fun and games!

[And if anybody is wondering if that's a reference? The fact that he hums a riff of Welcome to the Jungle by Guns 'n' Roses will clear that up. Well, if they recognize the song, at least.]

[The picture goes fuzzy for a moment as Jason does a somersault from the couch, landing in a crouch and shaking his head.]

Whoo, headrush.

Anyway. My name is Jason Schuyler. [Pronounced 'Skyler', because Dutch.] I'm one of the Assistants here on the Clipper, though I haven't been here for THAT much longer than you newbies.

I run a dance class most days in the Common Room, so feel free to drop in and participate. I subscribe to the Elle Woods school of happiness: exercise gives you endorphins, and endorphins make you happy.

[Ignore that the rest of that quote is about happy people not shooting their husbands. He knows THAT part is a lie.]

I also, occasionally, turn into a wolf. That's entirely under my control, so if you decide you need something to pet, give me a little bit of warning. It takes some time and I'm kinda stuck that way for about six hours or so afterward. But I'm happy to do so to help the general happiness quotient.

And even without that, I've been told I'm a good ear if anybody has something they need to get off their chest. Just come and find me.

[Spam - OTA]

[Those looking for Jason will mostly find him in the Common Room, either lounging on one of the couches or sometimes playing one of the VERY G-rated video games. Or dancing.]

[Assistants can sometimes find him in the Treehouse. Usually listening to music while keeping an eye on things.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kid's way too smart, realizing that the answer wasn't a 'no'.]

Okay, first, you need to work on your anatomy, because there's no guts in the throat and...

[Jason stops himself there, taking a breath and letting it out slowly before managing a half smile.]

Also not the kind of thing that should be talked about over these communication devices. Likely to give somebody nightmares.

[One of those people MIGHT be Jason, honestly.]

Ahhhhh, oh my god, oh my god.

Tell me everything! I'm coming over right now!

That wasn't a--!

[Nope, too late. Jason switches off the communicator with a sigh and goes to get some juice boxes.]

[Louise bolts into view of Jason, excited as all get out]

Hey. Big dog!

[The amusing thing is that...Louise is going to be disappointed in how 'big' Jason is, because he's only JUST taller than Anita is.]

[He shakes his head, offering over one of the juice boxes.]

You're a weird child, Louise. Have I told you that before?

[Louise takes the juice box, poking a hole in it with her straw without taking her eyes off of Jason]

Yeah, yeah. Make with the teeth and howling already!

Do you want me to talk or do you want me to shift? Because one of those, I'm not doing in public.

[Public nudity is frowned upon on the Clipper. Outside of the bathhouse, at least.]

I want you to tell me how you turned into a werewolf and times where you just laid waste to everyone who messed with you!

[That gets a laugh and a shake of his head as he sits down.]

Well, how I turned into a werewolf is easy. I got bitten by somebody who was shifted. Though I didn't know for certain that it took until the next full moon.

[It's not the WHOLE truth, but no way is he telling a kid the full details of how him being a werewolf came to pass. But it's enough truth that she shouldn't second guess it.]

[He points at her, though.] And no, I'm not going to shift and bite you. One, it wouldn't take here because you're still a patient. And two, the shifting itself hurts like a son of a biscuit, and that's not something I'm putting on anybody who hasn't reached the age of majority in their home country. It'll stunt your growth.

That said, I try not to fight people when I'm shifted. Punching works just as well for most people.

[Louise already has her mouth open to ask, but drops her arms in irritation]

Wow. Just ruin a girl's hopes and dreams like that. You're a literal monster. Not for the wolf stuff, for the not-turning-me-into-a-wolf stuff.

How do you know I'm not mature in my home country? I'm twenty-five. I have a pituitary gland issue.

Because I've seen your file.

[He's an Assistant, Louise. He knows better than that.]

I have a genetic growth issue. You are 9.

Prove it.

I don't have to. I'm the one who controls who I make a werewolf and you're not one of them.

[A small pause, then--] Also, I'm pretty sure that would get me demoted and I definitely wouldn't be able to shift then.

Oh my god, who CARES?!

You can turn into a wolf and you're not sharing that with someone who really, really wants to! What if I just snuck up on you when you were sleeping and dropped my neck onto your open fangs? They wouldn't demote you for that!

[He sits back, taking a deep breath through his nose, holding it and letting it out through his mouth. Which Louise might recognize as somebody trying hard not to lose their everything at her.]

Louise. I've said no. Whatever reasons I may have for it are my own, but I ask you now to please respect my lack of consent in this issue.

Stupid consent issues.

FINE, Jason. I won't use your blood to make me into a wolf. You beautiful idiot, I just wanna slap your face off.

You're thinking of vampires.

[It still gets a small laugh out of him as he shakes his head.] You're not the first one, kiddo. Doubt you're going to be the last.

Seriously, though. This is the sort of thing to wait for until after you've finished growing. Shifting involves all of your bones breaking and reforming when you go either way. That takes a toll. I'm not kidding when I say it'll stunt your growth.

Shyeah, whatever. I bet Anita would turn me into a vampire if she knew a guy...

So I'll be a short werewolf! Big deal, I can get in and out of places you big dogs can't. I'll be USEFUL.

[If it were possible for human ears to perk up and swivel, Jason's would have done just that. He's able to, just, keep from laughing.]

[Mostly by making it sound like a bit of a coughing fit and clearing his throat.]

We don't need short werewolves. We have enough of those. And getting in and out of places we can't is one reason why we're friends with the wererats.

[Okay. It doesn't work QUITE like that. Conservation of mass is still a thing and wererats are still pretty big. But it SOUNDS better when faced with Louise.]

Shut up. You guys have wererats?!

What the HECK, Jason!

Oh yeah, there's a lot of weres in my world. My best friend is a wereleopard. We have werelions, weretigers and werebears. Oh my.

[He had to.]

We also have werehyenas, werefoxes...not many of those. There are some other were cat types in the southwest and other parts of the world back home. I'm sure there are others I've not heard of, too.

Wow. Okay. Guess somebody has to brag about coming from the coolest freaking world in existence.

It'd be a little more impressive if people weren't people.

[Jason lifts one shoulder and lets it drop in a move that he absolutely has picked up from Jean-Claude. Not that Louise would know.]

There's a lot of places in the US where weres are still classified as vermin and can be shot on sight.

Jason. Jason.

Shh. Stop trying to make animal transformation uncool. You're not gonna do it.

[That gets another snort.]

I might be able to find a wererabbit. And somebody named Tim to warn people away from you.

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