☞002; video

[invigor]

[On comes the video feed, to show one (1) Booker DeWitt. His collar is a little undone and his sleeves are rolled up higher than usual due to the heat, but that's not the reason why he's addressing everyone today. The issue of the temperature and people seeing "shadows" doesn't escape him, but he figures he'll be keeping an eye on network posts for any development in those departments.

Right now, he has something else on his mind, and as always he gets straight to the point.]

Got a question for the people on this ship with -- [what's the proper phrasing to use? Even though he's the one asking it still sounds awkward leaving his lips] --unusual abilities. Does this place seem to affect them in odd ways, such as some of them not even workin' at all?

[Oh, and those watching might also notice Booker's left hand and part of his forearm, which is smattered with patches of sprouting black feathers and nails that have grown into long black talons. Yeah.

Even as he speaks, he's shaking out the aforementioned limb with an annoyed grimace, and it begins to revert back to its everyday appearance of a normal human arm.]

Or is it just me?

[Damn vigors. More trouble than they're worth.]

Comments

[video]

[yardbird]

[UGH NO Murphy still has the vision of that guy -- Schue, was it? -- fresh in his mind. Seeing this guy show up with bird talons and feathers is all the kinds of déjà vu he doesn't want.]

Er, that's... normal to you?

[video]

[invigor]

[HEY NOW at least his arm is back to normal so it won't be too terribly distracting during conversation--!]

I guess since it seems like something I'm stuck with now, then I might as well consider it normal for me.

[He's frowning. He's starting to regret not reading the warning labels on those things; who knows how they're going to start acting up now? They're certainly not working the way they were before.]

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[withlace]

[ well. that seems to be quite the unfortunate rash... ]

How unusual are we talking?

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[invigor]

[That is quite the understatement]

Anywhere from a little to very. Don't really matter, I just need to know if this is something normal for everyone or something I need to start worrying about for my own sake.

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[bearwitness]

[What in the fresh hell Booker, Abbie looks equal parts horrified and amazed.]

... I've heard of crow's feet, but definitely not. This.

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[invigor]

[And Booker looks rather unaffected and unamused.

So you know, the usual.]

Not exactly helpin'.

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[redhotsummers]

My powers are a bit stunted, and it's harder for me to recharge, but they still work.

[Alex shrugs.]

What exactly can you do?

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[invigor]

Recharge? So what kind of powers, then?

[As for the question:] Little bit of this and that. Was trying to call in a murder of crows, but I guess that's not happening here.

[Which probably didn't really explain a whole lot, did it.]

[chuffle]

Everyone seems to be curious about this this month.

[invigor]

[Well hey there again.]

What? Their abilities?

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[tumbleweeds]

[ Oh. Jaye has the video on, waits until she's certain Booker can see her, and then turns fully into a crow. Her head bobs, just once, and then she turns back into a person. ]

I can still turn into animals, but nothing too large, nothing too out of the ordinary.

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[invigor]

[UM.

So Booker knows there are all sorts of strange abilities people possess on the ship, but he's never gotten such a sudden demonstration of such skills before. Especially shapeshifting. After all he's seen and been through, that's still a bit shocking to him.

A moment while he gathers his words into a sentence.]

I, uh -- you turn into animals?

[What.]

anon text;

[endureandsurvive]

[WOW, NO. Because she's seen some shit this past month dude, and that looks a lot like some of it.]

r u a monster

[invigor]

[Booker stares for a moment at the question on his screen. If he were asking himself this, he'd type out a quick "yes" -- but as it stands, he knows that's not what this person is really asking, and he's not inclined to say something publicly anyway. He'll keep his self-deprecation to a minimum right now.]

pretty sure I'm a human.

[...also is something wrong with this person's keyboard or something. He thought he had a hard time with touchscreens and texting and what have you.]

text;

[ancientalien]

I have lost the abilities of my people. It is most likely because of this body.

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[invigor]

[Well that's something of an odd sentence. The response on his end might be slow, because touchscreens are awful and they always will be. (But he's getting better.)]

What's wrong with your body,?

video; late sorry!

[growling]

[ there's an awkward delay before josh actually speaks up; he's too busy squinting at the screen, expression somewhere between concerned and skeptical. ]

Not just you. Not speaking from experience, but I know other people have noticed things being— off.

[ and that's the polite answer out of the way, so on to more important things. ]

So that's not normal, right? The feathers.

video; never late! apologies for my slowness!

[invigor]

[Booker looks unaffected by the skeptical look. He'll be the first to admit that that particular vigor is a bit... theatrical, but he's grown somewhat used to it.]

Not exactly reassuring, but I'm glad that it isn't just me. And no, I wasn't born with this, if that's what you're asking.

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[parallels]

[Clara flicks on the feed because she recognizes Booker from the locker room. Her blouse is unbuttoned and she's removed her tights. Then she stares wide-eyed at those feathers. She definitely didn't notice that before. Is that natural? What is it?]

Don't have any unusual abilities. And starting to feel a bit unusual because of that.

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[invigor]

[Even though his hand is beginning to revert back to normal, Booker really shouldn't be surprised by all the stares he's been getting. He remembers her, of course, from the lockers.]

Bein' strange seems to be the new normal around here, that's for sure. I guess just be glad you don't have to deal with 'em.

[Strange abilities, he means.]

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[braverys]

Is magic in your world always like that?

[ She's never seen anything quite like it; her eyes are fixated on his hand and she has to wonder... ]

I don't have powers, but some people I have met have been experiencing something similar.

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[invigor]

I'm glad to know I ain't the only one. [Though as for his hand...] It's not magic -- though what it is exactly I'm not sure I can explain. Science probably.

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[gothchicklit]

[ October resits the urge to say something like Holy crow! but only because this is sort of... Unsettling. To say the least. ]

I've heard of werewolves, but werebirds? That's definitely a new one. [ Pls to be explaining, Booker. ]

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[invigor]

[Booker gets that a lot. Well. Not the "holy crow!" part, but definitely the strange looks since the posting of this to the network.]

I'm not a... "werebird", whatever the hell that's supposed to be. I'm still human, no matter what you just saw.

voice, late 5ever;

[i_swear]

'Unusual'. You call that 'unusual'. [Joel stops, scoffs. He's seen some shit; this takes the goddamn cake.]

voice, /collects

[invigor]

[Booker doesn't understand why people don't just answer his question -- it's not like it's a complicated one. Instead they keep acting like they haven't seen a guy with a bird hand before yeesh.

(And is it just him or does something about the voice on the other end sound rather familiar?)]

And what would you call it then?

voice »

[rancorously]

[ Before there's real words that Nico means for people to hear, there's what sounds like a curse to, of all people, Hades, before he actually says the real words he meant to say. ]

Is that how your arm normally looks?

voice »

[invigor]

[Booker catches that, if faintly, though he isn't quite sure how to remark on it. Answering the question is easier.]

No -- or I wasn't born with it like this, if that's what you mean.

video » did i unlock an achievement for being the latest

[blabbers]

There are more of us who were stuck in different bodies. [ you know, people who aren't on the same level of grumpiness as javik 'i talk about eating people' the prothean. ] If I had to guess, I would say the ship decides what it sees as a threat and acts accordingly.

[ which hardly explains why it saw fit to arm her, but that's a thought to figure out later down the line. there's a pause, like she's considering not asking at all — until she eventually blurts out: ]

You turn into a bird?

video » 50 gamer points for being awesome

[invigor]

I -- no, I don't turn into a bird. [Maybe he should have explained what he had shown on the feed before asking his initial question. He figures he'll go ahead and straighten out the issue now.] My hand looks all crow-like, but that's just theatrics. It's supposed to call in actual crows.