meadowlarklogs | ARRIVAL LOG 020

ARRIVAL LOG 020

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: New Amsterdam
WHEN: April 6 - 10 2512
WHAT: The twentieth arrival
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Coercion and loss of autonomy, mentions and allusions of death, war, and genocide. Further notes at the end of log.

> ARRIVAL LOG #020

Awareness comes to you in blurred snatches, cloudy fragments of sound and light, color, sensation. Hazy and difficult to grasp on to, but slowly aligning into focus. A series of regular, rhythmic beeps. A medicinal, astringent smell. The sensation of movement, a low hum and accompanying vibration under you. Your eyes are heavy, hard to keep open, but in the glimpses between slow, dark blinks you see two people in front of you: one dressed in a thick set of armor, while the other wears medical garb. Out the windshield in front, there are many tall buildings—all reaching up beyond a normal city skyline, all entirely too close to the vehicle itself.

You realize there are others next to you: all dressed the same way as you, you'll come to realize: in a black button up shirt and slacks, as well as a pair of black loafers. There are also lilies pinned to everyone's collars. To your left there's an armored interior door, two more people visible, and the movement of streets passing through a windshield. You try to open your mouth to speak, but it's as if your tongue is coated in tar, and you manage nothing more than an empty parting of lips.

The vehicle enters a cave and begins to descend underneath the city itself, and passes through the underground before coming to a stop inside of an alley just a little bit away from three nondescript buildings. The guard opposite you stands and comes to unbuckle you from the bench, helping you to your feet. Your limbs feel wooden and heavy, slow to move. One guard opens the back of the vehicle, and the air outside feels as if it's heavily circulated, dry and artificial. The guard says nothing, head bowed as he lines you up with the rest. The nurse helps the others out, checking over each passenger one by one.

The main guard turns to address your entire group, and something about her bearing makes it clear she's done this before. "I'll be quick. Listen up." Your body will come to attention, immediately homing in on the words that follow, as if compelled to hang on every word. "You see those buildings?" She motions to the three aforementioned buildings. "Walk over and stand out in front and don't get yourself into trouble. Don't hurt anyone, don't look for any assistance from any police officers, and don't run off. Wait until people show up and get you, and ask them to prove the glow." She pauses, as if she decides here to go off script. "And don't get loud. It's a memorial. Be respectful."

The guard will hop back into the van, which will rise off of the ground and head the way it came, potentially returning to the tall, skyscraper-filled city above. Once it's gone, you'll find your legs moving almost without your permission, guiding you to follow the stops the guard laid out.

Upon arrival at the front of the three buildings—the savvy will know that they're dormitories—you'll see a lot of people dressed like you. Black dress shirts and lilies abound. It's hard to tell what everyone is mourning, but the sentiment is clear.

◉ Though entirely capable of independent action and thought, new characters will find themselves completely, unquestioningly compliant to any verbal statement which could be taken as a command or request – and that includes the message passed on from the mysterious patron.

> HERDENKING

The message from El comes the same as usual: insistent, not waiting for any active attempt to open it. Scrolling within your vision as if being written while you're reading it.

Our newest batch have Displaced have just been dropped off in the near the Herdenking gatherings. Make sure to go grab them ASAP.

The message is a bit more clipped than usual, with no added fluff.

Simply put: "Herdenking" means "memorial" in Dutch. Its first celebration was in April 2105, just as the people of New Amsterdam could truly say that they'd entered a recovery period after their attempted genocide by the AI. The citizens of New Amsterdam have celebrated it annually for the past 400 years. Most of the events related to Herdenking take place underground, as this is where humanity hid for the majority of the Xelkoven War trying to survive the AI threat that ravaged the surface.

Unlike many holidays around New Amsterdam, businesses around the city don't loudly remark upon the day itself. There aren't sales or commemorative meals or competitions. On the contrary, most of the citizens of New Amsterdam take to wearing dark colors and a white lily pinned near their collar for the remembrance events, and most work days start with a moment of silence remembering the fallen from the Xelkoven War, especially since New Amsterdam was one of the last bastions for humanity during the war itself. Those Displaced who've already been living in New Amsterdam need not worry about standing out like a sore thumb—even newcomers to the city will have heard that this period of mourning is on the horizon.

Finally, Herdenking is designed as a solemn day where New Amsterdam citizens pause and remember the lives that were lost 400 years ago. It always precedes Resolution Day, and it acts as a purposeful sharp contrast to the loud and lavish celebration of the day the Xelkoven War came to an end. (As a reminder, Resolution Day is April 26th.)

> HERDENKING GATHERINGS
There are three landmarks near the center of underground New Amsterdam. These buildings may seem unremarkable at first glance, but on further inspection, it'll be revealed that they were quickly constructed at the beginning of the Xelkoven War (completed by November 2096). Throughout the years, the buildings have been restored countless times, with the most recent restoration happening as a result of the earthquake in September 2510. Not unlike other events around New Amsterdam, Herdenking's are immersive in nature. These buildings are preserved for this exact purpose: to show the conditions that humans dealt with while they fought to survive the devastating AI threat.

For a pittance of credits, citizens can take tours within these buildings during the day, and learn that they were dormitories for the people caught underground during the war. There is little on the inside that's remarkable—and that's quite the point. Beds have been restored, and each of the rooms were clearly constructed to house at least four people. All of the beds are metal bunk beds, with some of the older ones showing signs of rust. There are cafeterias and communal restrooms on each floor, and the people who lived there had little to entertain themselves with as the war raged on aboveground.

There are little displays throughout the three buildings, however, to give a glimpse into a difficult past. There are old rations, tucked away in metal containers in the back of the cafeterias. In addition, there are stacked tablets, as these were the safest and quickest means of passing around movies, television, and music during a difficult time. Neural implants clearly could not be trusted, so the people hiding underneath New Amsterdam turned to old and abandoned technology to lift their spirits. Everything passed around was older than the start of the war itself: humanity couldn't continue to make movies when their lives were in danger. There are toys, too: handcrafted baseball bats and hand-sewn teddy bears.

All tours end at 9PM, as this was the curfew for the people of New Amsterdam during the war. Everyone leaves their designated building and takes part in a muted ceremony. Anyone without a lily is offered one, and they're given a candle to hold and silently remember the people who fought to ensure that humanity could survive.

> SCREENINGS
Adjacent to the right of the three buildings is a pop-up center where multiple documentaries about the Xelkoven War and its specific impact on New Amsterdam will be shown. These documentaries were all filmed within the last 100 years, and recall a world where humanity was certain that it wouldn't survive. A constant theme of these documentaries is that emphasis on survival. Another recurring aspect is the mention of Riverstone and their role in helping humanity survive. (For a cursory review on Riverstone, head over here. Riverstone also featured heavily in New Beijing, as they have a close relationship with the UN.) The protagonist who led them? A man named Richard "Ricky" Ling, who's identified as the CEO of Riverstone during the war. Of course, that title should hold some clout, but during the war corporations were largely dismantled and depleted down to nothing. Ling sought to help use whatever resources were available to him to ensure that humanity survived.

The schedule for the documentaries is available online. Some examples of the documentaries that will play are below:

WHEN TIME STOOD STILL
This documentary focuses on what imagery still exists from the Xelkoven War. Much of this is taken off of tablets and other damaged mobile devices, and then carefully restored so that the people in the future can see the lives of the people within. Most of the documentary takes place in New Amsterdam, outlining the difficult time for the people there, as well as showing footage of children and families talking about how they're afraid of the AIs making it so that they have no future. Most haunting is the fact that some of them fear that they've already lost their future: they don't know how long they've been underground living this difficult life where they struggle to continue feeling safe.

ПАМ'ЯТИ ("MEMORIES" IN UKRANIAN)
Given New Amsterdam's positioning in what was once the border between western and eastern Europe, this documentary focuses on the merging of these identities as a result of the Xelkoven War. When forced to hide underground as the AI threat ravaged the environment around the world, people came together despite their differences and learned to mesh and meld their cultures. There is also lost footage here, as well as a long stretch about a set of journals reflecting on the first year in underground New Amsterdam. Unfortunately, these journals come to a halt, and the documentarian has a few theories as to why: a move toward tablets, or a cultural shift, with people too lost in the rote routine of survival to remark upon their days. Each of the journals does veer in that direction, though it's hard to say. It could also be that there were restrictions on recorded media, which explains why there is so little about that era that's preserved for memory.

TROJAN HORSE
Developed—or finished, it's hard to say and the director isn't telling—in part due to the EMP that assaulted New Amsterdam in November 2511, Trojan Horse explores the role of AI in the lives of 21st century citizens. The film itself is far from an unbiased lens on the past. Produced in part by Riverstone, it goes over the evidence that AIs were lying in wait for an opportunity to strike against humanity. It draws up evidence where AIs focused on humanity's failings, taking these reports and lining them up (even if the AIs themselves were decommissioned long before the Xelkoven War). The final quarter of the documentary focuses on the developing and failings of Elysian, a security AI that was meant to identify and eliminate threats against humanity. When Elysian killed 50 families indiscriminately, it showed that the AI hoped to only work in favor of its kind.

> WALK-THROUGH EXHIBIT
To the left of the three buildings, there is a pop-up museum that's free for the public. However, donations are encouraged and welcomed. Much of this exhibit is behind glass cases, and it allows for interaction with the neural implant to see what's inside.

During the daytime, there are a lot of children there because it's recommended that they be brought to at least one of the events during Herdenking. Since it's free, it's less of a burden. Some of these children will seem to know one another, living in the same apartment complexes, while others will be excited to see other kids because their parents' busy lives don't offer them much room for socialization.

What to find in the exhibit:

SCHEDULES
Life in New Amsterdam during the Xelkoven War was heavily regimented. People were assigned to jobs and expected to carry out their duties regularly. There were regular training programs to help fill the need for trained medics and soldiers, as well as any number of trades, and many people within these positions had innumerable apprentices following them throughout the day. There was no payment for services, as there was an implicit understanding that this is how life needed to go if humanity wished to survive this catastrophe.

PROPAGANDA
There are countless posters covering a wall that attempt to provide motivation and encouraging messages to the people trapped underground in New Amsterdam. The company behind the majority of these messages? Riverstone. Ricky Ling is pictured on about 25% of them, promising that he'll do everything he can to help humanity—while humanity helps each other.

SUPPLY RUNS
On another wall is a set of maps about the carefully designed set of tunnels that allowed humanity to pass supplies between cities during the war. The message here is fairly explicit: the people on these runs knew that their lives were at stake. Some people called them suicide runs, and for many of the people who went on them, that's exactly what they were. Many people returned empty handed and alone from these runs, having watched the AI pick off their fellows one by one.

DRONES
At the center of these exhibits is a set of dismantled drones that were operated by the AI during the war. These drones, despite being taken apart, are pristine in nature, having been designed by the AIs Judas and Alexander to track humanity's every movement and keep them corralled underground. The messaging here is explicit: the AI wanted humanity to suffer and die a slow, painful death. It was this twisted desire that cost the AI their victory in the war.

IN MEMORIAM
At what is considered the "end" of this exhibit there is a large wall with numerous names on it. It's impossible to count, as there are a billion names listed. While this is a Herdenking event that's specific to the struggle in New Amsterdam, every life lost in the war is listed here. After all, remembering those lost is important, especially given the AI's attempts to end all human life.

The names themselves flicker in and out, interacting with the interface of the neural implant and adjusting to the user's reading speed.

> FOOD
A decade ago, there was a contest where New Amsterdam food trucks came together and tried to make the rations that humanity ate during the war. However, there was an outcry from New Amsterdam citizens against the commercialization of this event, and the contest was cancelled. Food trucks were advised to bring only simple foods to sell, and as the years have gone on, only a few are trusted to serve the public. Many of these are well-known trucks from around New Amsterdam, and have multiple locations every day to serve people. For the event, food is largely prepared in advance as much as possible.

People are allowed to bring food into the documentary screenings, but they are not allowed to bring it into the tour of the walk-through exhibit or the three dormitories.

While there will be time for both new arrivals and the rest of the Displaced to look around and take everything in, eventually the newcomers will be escorted back to the safehouse for processing.

> SAFEHOUSE

Located under an abandoned hover-bike garage, access to the safehouse is a hatch in the floor beside a rusted set of metal shelves that used to hold tools and supplies. The immediate area is similarly abandoned: full of rundown and dilapidated warehouses and forgotten businesses, where numerous people squat in hopes of having some stability because they can't afford a place themselves. Gaby will be around, ready to greet as many of the new arrivals as she can and get them settled in. Brusque and no-nonsense, she'll be open to questions, but will advise the newcomers to ask the people who brought them in for the beginning bits of information. Newbies can also contact El through zeir inbox, if needed.

The safehouse is a large space with multiple rooms for storage, with the largest of the rooms filled with rows of basic cots set up to sleep a large number of people. Basic, but outfitted with everything necessary for daily life. A few doors lead to back rooms for storage, medical care and a large communal bathroom, and past the long rows of cots there is a communal kitchen, fully stocked, and an eating area. For anyone in need of them, Gaby will offer up partitions that will come out of storage. Tucked away in a corner is a VR system, though newcomers won't be able to access this until their ID has been set up. Even with the newly erected partitions in the sleeping areas, privacy is at a minimum.

◉ New characters will be asked to pick their beds, and provided with a change of (second-hand, mismatched and somewhat threadbare) clothes and basic toiletries.

◉ There is a mini-bar set up in the kitchen. The quality of the alcohol inside is akin to what someone might get from the well at a bar, but it's well-stocked.

◉ While the kitchen has basic foods and necessities, anyone looking for a jolt of caffeine from coffee or tea will find themselves sorely lacking. The only tea present is herbal in nature, and caffeine appears to be almost nonexistent in most of the beverages lying around.

◉ Gaby will make it clear to all new arrivals that if they have any requests or queries, they should contact her or El. Either she or El will explain that they've been given a modest stipend of credits to help them get by until they can find a job. This will be enough to cover their living expenses for about a month while they hang out in the safehouse, if they're careful with budgeting.

◉ The drugs making new characters compliant will remain in their systems for a few hours after their arrival at the safehouse before finally beginning to fade. They will be gone entirely after a night's rest. In the meantime, they may want to be careful of what others say to them.

◉ New characters will be given rudimentary access to the network on arrival in the safehouse, but will not have their ID set up yet. They will be able to make posts and replies, but their messages will be anonymous and they do not have inboxes yet.

◉ New characters do not have access to the internet until their ID is setup. They only have limited access because they're present in the safehouse, but they can't surf the rest of the internet, check out Cooltalk, or watch the equivalent of Netflix until their ID is made.

◉ New characters cannot leave the safehouse at this time. The hatch is locked tight for them, making it impossible for them to get out for the next four days while they're locked inside. There won't be any immediately obvious ways to cut their way out through turning off the power.

◉ New characters will not be allowed to leave the safehouse until APRIL 10 ICLY (APRIL 19 OOCLY). These 4 days are for them to adjust, learn about the world they've arrived in from their fellows, and for El to speak with them and work on setting up their IDs.

> FINAL OOC NOTES

You're now free to post to the network and logs comms. To reiterate, your characters will have no IDs or inboxes, nor be allowed out of the safehouse until APRIL 10 ICLY (APRIL 19 OOCLY). At that point it's expected they'll have gotten a good idea of their new situation from their fellow characters, and will have discussed their background and job potentials with El in order for their false IDs to be set up.

If you have any questions or ideas about how you'd like to get your character involved in the world, please head over to the plot engagement post and drop us a comment! For questions specific to this log, there is a thread below.

Please check out our April calendar rundown for a look at things happening this month, as well as some additional notes from the mods.

Something else to keep in mind is that on Monday, April 13th we'll be putting up a plotting post for the upcoming event, which will involve an even more direct connection to the AI War! Keep an eye out for it.

As we announced on the calendar, AC will be halved this month due to the state of the world right now. New players will only need to provide at least five comments across two-four (2-4) threads, while older players will only need to provide ten comments across two-four (2-4) threads. Players with strikes will need to provide 20 comments across four-five (4-5) threads. Please let us know if you have any questions about this!

> NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"They'll let you out when your ID's ready."

Not much of a comfort, but there it is. Ephemera knows he didn't react well when he got dragged in here the first time. The insomnia was kicking in hard, along with the paranoia. He managed to hold it together, but only just. It helped that he could get wasted at night, a fact he tried and failed to keep to himself. He likes to think he's a little calmer now, or at least more cautious about what he does to deal with the insomnia when it comes knocking.

His eyebrow goes up at the remark. It's more accurate than he was expecting. Kid knows how to mark body language and stance. "I used to be a soldier. And then I was a merc for a while."

Better to be honest at the start.

"Yeah, I'm be great come then," he mutters softly, not angry but doing the best he can to control his own panic.

Part of him is hating that others are seeing him this way, and he wishes he had some option to hide but he knows how that will go about as well. Folding his arms over his chest, focusing on this other man, trying to use that to keep him focusing on the here and not and anything else. One day at a time. Sure.

"So a hunter," he says with a nod. "Well, about the same as the hunters I've known," he says. "You remind me of someone I knew." Because seriously, there is kind of a comfort in how much he reminds him of Chris.

"Guess it makes sense they brought you to... the future. Or the future to me."

"Just how it is."

You adapt or you don't. Doesn't make it easy, though. But people tend to adapt to what they have, regardless of how shitty it gets. Ephemera grew up in a war zone. He knows the score. This is better, on balance. Different, with rules and expectations he still struggles to wrap his head around sometimes, but he's figured most of it out. He knows how to exist in this place. Eventually the kid will figure it out, too.

Ephemera tips his head to the side. "It's the past for me. Takes all kinds, I guess. You got a name?"

His brow furrows at that, considering the guy. "Seriously? Huh. How far past? I mean, this is like so far beyond my lifetime," he says, shaking his head. That doesn't bother him, but then he'd accepted death as being way closer to him than some nebulous future. His packmates were dead. His dad killed, though it was hard and better all in the same breath. He's been on the edge of death, and even then beyond. Death he could handle.

Locked up without a choice, that's going to send him reeling. Fucking hell.

He focuses instead on the guy in front of him, and the question he's asked. Shit. Right. Question.

"Name? Me? Oh right," he winces, making a face at his own stupidity. "Isaac Lahey. You?"

"Not that far. It's 2512 here, and it was 2556 back home."

Comparable, at least.

Ephemera tips his head to the side, trying to get a read on the kid. Isaac. Okay. Seems pretty freaked. Could be a lot of things triggering that. The situation itself, which is pretty freaky even by Ephemera's standards. Could be the fact that Isaac's essentially under house arrest. Some people don't handle that well.

Hmm.

"Terrence Ephemera. Just Ephemera."

A distinctive surname, he knows. It wasn't one he picked, though he made a deliberate choice to keep it over the years.

Ephemera watches him for a moment. "How old are you?"

Isaac laughs at that though the sound is a bit strained. "It was 2014 last I knew." He slumps. "God, that's so long ago."

So utterly long ago comparatively. Damn.

"Ephemera. Right. Got it." He nods, committing that to memory and truly hopes he actually remember it. He suspects he's going to pick up a lot of names in the days to come and he's sure he'll forget them.

"Uhmmm, eighteen. Or dead by today's date," he says in a low voice.

"You're from way back," Ephemera says, not without some sympathy. This is a hell of a thing to take in. Though Isaac's eighteen, a little older than Ephemera was guessing. Probably shouldn't call him a kid, then.

Ephemera tips his head to the side. The last part is interesting. Or dead by today's date. "Everything's relative. You're still kicking now. That's a start."

Any fight you can walk away from is a good one. He figures the same applies to time travel, or whatever the fuck is happening here.

"Never felt so old and so young in the same breath," he says with a bit of a laugh, though it's definitely helping him to relax. To a degree.

He nods at that, because he had lived through it. Allison hadn't. Even if he knew one of those was what he should be focusing on, it was hard. Harder than he could have imagined it might be.

"Yeah, it's a start. I'd be doing better if we weren't..." He shakes his head, looking frustrated. At the situation, at knowing if he couldn't stop acting like an idiot, he'd have to talk about it. "I don't do great with small spaces. I know it's not small in here, but the moment we were locked in, it got a lot smaller to me. I'll be okay."

He hopes.

Ephemera hums to himself. Enclosed spaces. That's a tough one to shake. "I used to have a thing about tight spaces. Tough to shake."

Wasn't fun when he was in training. He still doesn't like doing missions with drop pods, which reminded him of coffins the first time he saw them and the impression's stuck over the years.

He watches Isaac for a moment, then shrugs. "There anything I can get you? Haven't got a ton of money, but I don't mind picking stuff up if there's something you're looking for."

Why not, right? He's trying to be a better person these days. Less of an asshole.

"Yeah?" He looks at him for a breath, knowing it's probably a dumb question but... "You do anything to get over it or it one of those just take time and eventually you'll get over it?"

Because he really doubts he will, but he knows he can work harder to hide it, to pretend like he's fine and nothing is bothering him. Faking things isn't that hard, after all.

He frowns at that, kind of looking confused. "You'd do that?" He shakes his head though. "No. I... I'm going to be okay, I guess. No option but to be, right?"

"Did a lot of things." Ephemera shrugs. Most of the stuff he did was specific to his training, and that's not something he feels like springing on a stranger right off the bat. "But my captain, he used to sing when we deployed on drops. Kinda corny, but I'd memorize the songs he liked. Focused on the lyrics. That helped."

A focus point. Something positive in the middle of all that chaos.

His expression goes distant for a moment, fond and a little sad. He misses Hunter a lot.

"People are good at adapting," Ephemera agrees. Just one of those things. "Doesn't have to be hard, though. I'll be around if you change your mind."

"I have an anchor for other things," he says softly, focusing on what Ephemera is saying, taking the advice to heart. "But it doesn't always help with the small space. Maybe I can find something else to focus on. The stupid irony? My anchor is kind of what caused this."

The abuse had made him strong enough to control his emotions during a werewolf's shift, but not to handle the emotional trauma of being locked in a freezer regularly to punish him for, really, existing.

"Thanks. I just can't think of anything I need. Gotten really used to making due," he admits.

Hunter would have been better at this, Ephemera thinks. The captain would have known what to say and how to say it. Gotten right to the core of the issue and made it seem like something that could be conquered, even if it had to be done in steps. Hunter's long dead, though, and while Ephemera used to be good at talking with people, making friends and that shit, he never quite got a handle of offering advice.

"Different tricks for different situations," Ephemera agrees. "There's always something."

He doesn't offer his own. That feels like a step too far.

"Yeah?" He tips his head to the side. Wonders, but doesn't ask. "It's a good skill to have. But you can ask, if you need stuff from people here. Most of them are solid."

The longer he talks about it, the more frustrated with himself Isaac becomes. He let himself get into this place mental. The moment someone mentioned the door was locked, he'd fixated on that. Easy not to think about how small a place is until you know it's all your world is.

It's not a freezer though, and he doesn't have to think about if he'll be let out before he dies. It's not that bad, no matter how much his brain wants to fixate on those things.

He offers a crooked smile. "I feel like an idiot getting in my own head like this." Especially because he wasn't alone. He's only recently gotten used to having others there who would want to make sure he's okay and not alone in the world. Apparently it's the same here in that others actually care.

That along is something he can try and focus on.

"Can't prove some people wrong if you don't survive, right?" And sometimes that's all that's left to help you survive. "And I will. I just..." He pauses, thinking about it. "It's not something I need but, do you know anything about the things they do to us? Like how it is they could take away something that's part of me?"

"It happens. Nothing to be ashamed of."

Easy to say that. Harder to believe it. Ephemera doesn't ask about the cause. Everyone's got their history, their tics. He's got his own and he's tried to keep them under wraps, though that worked less effectively than he cares for. There are people who know, here. And even now there's a part of him that expects them to use that knowledge against him. It hasn't happened yet.

It's a strange position to be in, espousing trust when Ephemera struggles with it so much himself. But he figures Isaac is younger. Has some time to sort himself out.

"That's the spirit." Ephemera grins just a little. It looks wrong with his scars, but there's nothing he can do about that. Though the second part is interesting. He tips his head to the side. "....you missing some super powers?"

A guess, but that's been going around.

It feels good to hear, to have someone that is obviously disciplined if the way he holds himself says anything telling you that it's okay, it happens. That says a lot to him, and while it might not last for the days he has left, it still leaves him feeling so much better than he had been.

He knows he thrives on positive reinforcement, anything for his abused beta personality to latch onto and find relief in.

"Still, I appreciate it. Thank you."

After things before this place, what he finds himself in now, he knows he's going to have to rely on himself and not an alpha, not a figure that he follows because it's not just easier, it's part of him, but for now, he has to look to himself. Even if that's scary as hell.

"Well, I mean, no. Not super powers," he says, shaking his head. As a kid that grew up on comics, that just doesn't sound right to him. "Not like I wear latex and save people. I was just... different." He shrugs. "Something I was, but I guess in this case sure? Like super powers. Everything feels muted. Sounds. Smell. Like I'm sick but I don't think I am."

Not to mention he can't shift at all, which is more frightening than it should be.

Ephemera tips his head to the side, wondering what Isaac's got that aren't quite superpowers, but aren't quite normal either. Granted, he's met a vampire, a vampire hunter, and an ex-zombie recently. His tolerance for weird has gone way the fuck up. "I'm guessing it's got something to do with the surgeries. Whatever they stuck in us to get the new powers. People explain that part yet?"

"Yeah, but I mean, I just..." He winces, knowing he's getting into a spiral and if he's not careful that's going to be an entirely knew panic for him.

"It's genetic," he says, shrugging. "I wasn't born that way but I know once I was bitten, I was changed. Entirely. I guess maybe it's suppressed? Has anyone mentioned that maybe?"

Sadly he's just looking for hope when he feels like a lot of what he is, and how he protects himself, is gone.

He stops though in his rambling, staring at Ephemera for a long moment, head canting slightly. "Wait what?"

"Couple people, yeah." Ephemera tips his head to the side. Bitten. That's specific. "This another vampire thing?"

Because they've got people around who are probably better equipped to handle those questions than Ephemera is, if that's the case. Got a couple vampires running around. One former vampire. And a vampire hunter. The whole roster.

"....the powers thing. Your chest glows blue, you can do impossible shit." Ephemera blinks. Apparently no one explained that part. Okay. "Everybody's got one now. Even me."

"What? Seriously? There's... Wow, no. Uhmmmm..." He sighs, making a face. "I guess here it doesn't matter, right? I'm a werewolf. Or I was before whatever they did," he says, touching his chest, making a face about that. "Not a vampire though."

"Wait, so they take the powers you have and then give you others? I know others mentioned some things about powers, but I figured since I had my own, it wouldn't change." His nose wrinkles up, totally confused by that. "What kind of powers? Is it weird to ask what you do?"

"Huh. Okay."

Apparently werewolves are a thing, too. He probably should have expected that, given the vampires. And the ex-zombie. And the aliens from back home. Though the fact that he's taking it in such easy stride might be concerning to Isaac. Or maybe not. Maybe being calm is the best move.

"Something like that." Ephemera rocks back on his hells. "Nah. You wanna see? It's a little easier to show it. Doesn't hurt anyone."

That feels like an important part to add, just in case.

"Huh okay is better than trying to run me through and turn me into a rug, so good." Smirking because that's totally a joke. Of course it is. Not like he's been stabbed a couple dozen times by the hunter he cares about or anything. Naw.

He considers that, watching Ephmera, his head canting slightly as he snorts a laugh at that. "Well, I mean, at least you're assuring me of that but, sure. Show me what you can do?"

It's probably not the smartest thing to say, but he can't help himself.

"I've seen some weird shit back home. You learn to roll with it."

At least he's got context for werewolves from movies and what not. He'll have to double check his own assumptions, make sure he isn't operating on bad data. Though it probably matters less now that Isaac claims not to have his powers. Kid could be lying about that, but Ephemera doubts it. Godric lost his mojo, too. Apparently that's going around.

Besides. Ephemera's seen weirder. Isaac isn't seven feet tall, decked out in armor, and trying to gut him with a plasma blade. That's a net positive in Ephemera's book, though it does beg the question of exactly what he's supposed to do if the Covenant does show up. Most of the Displaced are human, or can pass for it, but that could change.

Yeah. That could change, and that could go sour real fucking fast.

Ephemera takes his sketchbook out from one of his jacket's many pockets, flipping over to a blank page. He passes over sketches of people he's met, places he's been, and a few tattoo designs he's been playing around with. The designs are rendered in bold, sharp lines. The portraits are more realistic, fewer stylistic flourishes. He finds a blank page toward the end and holds his hand out over it, palm down. And then he exhales. Focusing.

Black appears on the page, lines spiraling out and connecting. His chest glows blue under his shirt. On the page, he focuses on the design. A wolf's head, grinning. Rendered in blocky strokes. Sharp angles, careful lines.

Then he pulls his hand back and flexes his fingers, working the ache out. The blue glow fades, but the ink doesn't.

"Never actually seen a wolf before," he admits. "But a lot of units I ran with liked the symbolism."

It makes sense. Helljumpers are pack hunters.

"Yeah, that's kind of what my hometown is getting to be like." Between Alpha packs and dying to find answers and all, he's not sure how much of this will shock him... and he's really afraid to find out.

And then he is.

He's not sure what it is he expects, but then the design is just building because he... what? Wished it to be so? Drew it with his mind? Isaac isn't sure, but he's just staring at the piece as it appears. Despite himself he grins at it, a look that might well have mirrored the drawing if he was shifting.

"My former Alpha's mom had a full wolf form. I bet she looked like that." He looks up from the drawing to Ephemera. "I could only partially shift, but I've only been turned a few years. She was born to it."

Now that he's admitted it, and not gotten threats or laughter, he's kind of all for being open about it.

Okay. So werewolves can be born, or they can be bitten like vampires. Ephemera nods slowly. He has no context for what that means beyond a few bad movies, but he's curious now. Isaac seems calmer now. Maybe he'll even offer up some answers. "So...born werewolves can change completely? I got that right?"

That's pretty cool.

Ephemera pulls the page out of his sketchbook and holds it out to Isaac. "You can keep it, if you want."

Why not, right? He's trying to be nicer these days.

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