- JAIN WELBERTON -
Me: Oh my gosh... I have just the dumbest smile on my face right now, because I am.... absolutely giddy to be talking with you.
I have with me, Jain Welberton.
Jain I am thrilled to have you here, and I think everyone is going to be thrilled to hear what you have to say, so on behalf of myself and everyone, seriously thank you.
Jain: Phoenix... I- sorry do you prefer Phe or Phoenix?
Me: I go both ways haha. Usually people naturally gravitate towards one and we just go with that.
Jain: Well I think I will go with... Phoenix.
Me: I accept!
Jain: Well, Phoenix I’m honestly thrilled to be here myself.
Me: Okay. Big reveal time.
Are you ready, Jain?
Jain: hahaha yes!
Me: So, is it true, Jain, that you are indeed... a Werewolf?
Jain: Hahaaa, that’s one way to call it, but yes, Phoenix, I am!
Me: Again, people can’t see my face, but it is very dumb and happy again.
So... I’m sorry if this is insensitive, but just to clear things up. You turn into a dog? More or less.
Jain: Yup! The fuuullll thing. Fur, wet nose, everything haha.
Me: And is this... at will? Or -...
Jain: Nope! Once a month, during the full moon. There is indeed something to that myth.
There is something... well... I can touch on this later.
Yes. Once a month!
Me: Absolutely amazing.
So, Jain, I have a few questions here that I thought we’d try to get through. I might jump around a bit, and I’m totally down for tangents, but for now I’ll start at the beginning.
How did this happen? Were you bit?
Jain: Well no actually! I wasn’t bit... although that is one way of contracting the virus... no, my partner at the time was a carrier, so... what that means is, both her parents were Werewolves... well…
... okay. Haha tangents already. Lots to unpack.
Firstly, Werewolf isn’t derogatory or anything, but it’s a little bit misleading with today’s social influence. We like to use the term “J’uhntaiee”. It translates roughly to “Held by the moon” in a language that is far too old
for its own good, but yeah... I honestly love the word. It’s something that has come to resonate very deeply with me.
Me: That’s absolutely beautiful.
Jain: Yeeaaahhh it’s become a little bit of a mantra for me actually.
But anyway, so yeah, her parents are both J’uhntaiee, so they actually turn, but the offspring are born with the virus in their blood, and if the body develops with the virus present there’s something that sort of keeps it in check... there’s some science behind it but it gets a little deep for me at a certain point.
So yeah.
Parents, J’uhntaiee, they turn.
She... her name’s Sasha... Sasha, is what we refer to as, “J’uhntoa” which roughly means “moon anchor”.
I can circle back to why that is if we have time but... hahaha oh my god your face.
Me: My eyes are actually watering right now. I’m THAT excited haha
Jain: hahaha
... sorry what was the actual question again?
Me: How did you, contract the virus, or, how did you become a... so are you J’uhntaiee or J’uhntoa?
Jain: So I’m J’uhntaiee. I wasn’t born with the virus, so I turn like Sasha’s parents.
And... I uhh... I actually contracted it sexually.
There’s a herbal concoction that Sasha would take regularly that her parents made that would suppress the virus count to a point where it can’t be transmitted, but... yeah, m’gurl’s strong haha
It got through anyway.
Her parents had never heard of that happening, but here we are!
Me: Jain... we might have to do a second interview... I’m conscious of time right now and want to get to some other stuff but it’s... REALLY hurting me to jump over these things.
Jain: Hey! We both live around Sydney. We’ll hang out again.
Me: Yes! I would love that.
But for now!
My big question.
What does it feel like?
Jain: oooh my gosh I love that question! Nobody asks that!
Ooooh I’m excited!
Believe it or not it doesn’t hurt!
It’s intense, that’s for sure, but yeah, not painful.
So... hmm... okay a lot to unpack again here.
Me: I saved a good amount of time for this question, so please take it!
Jain: Awesome.
Okay. So when you change, your body basically doubles in size. Certain muscle groups will get even bigger.
To accommodate this, the body needs a LOT more blood and many more blood cells.
So the transformation actually starts in the circulatory system.
The veins and arteries will reinforce themselves, because next, the heart grows and starts to beat quite a bit faster and you suddenly start producing the red blood cells you need. The rest of the body starts to expand pretty soon after, but there’s a brief moment when you have just SO much blood and subsequent oxygen coursing through you and.. h-.. am I allowed to swear on here?
Me: Yes you can!
Jain: HOOOLY fucking shit it’s a lot to handle... again... not painful, but woooaaahhh!
Hahaha it’s actually pretty funny, men will always get a VERY noticeable erection right before the rest of them changes.
Sasha would always loudly point it out when her dad was going through it.
Her mom and I were usually on the floor at this point ourselves, but there’d be some laughing going on.
Me: Oh my gosh I love that so much!
Jain: Hahaha yeah it was a highlight for sure.
So... right!
So the blood first, and that’s actually the most intense bit for me, then the body. Some people have issues with the bones, but that was never too bad for me.
They just grow really quick, but your skin doesn’t rip or anything like that.
To prepare for the growth the skin becomes really elastic, kind of like puppy skin, and the bones themselves just kind of ache, but in a way I kind of weirdly liked haha.
Plus your body absolutely FLOODS with adrenaline and other hormones, so you’re pretty impervious to pain. The day after can be a bit of a downer, but the night itself is pretty brilliant actually.
Now the biggest thing-... sorry do you mind if I go off on a little something here?
Me: Oh my gosh not at all.
Jain: You’re way too nice... in like a... not trying to be nice... almost upsettingly adorable way. I could probably talk way over your 15 minutes and you’d let me.
Me: No! I’ve got this time container on LOCK! 7 minutes and counting. But yeah. I have a friend who says he wants to punch me sometimes for similar reasons... but this isn’t about me!
Please go on!
6 minutes.
Jain: Ahhh okay!
So the biggest thing that can go wrong, and the source of a lot of the movie monster stuff, is when J’uhntaiee turn, while they’re far away from there kind or in a heavily human populated area. It’s a clash of instincts. You are not a human anymore, you’re mostly canine at that point. If you can’t smell another J’uhntaiee or J’uhntoa nearby and you’re surrounded by humans, you’re going to freak out. Not to mention you are... VERY strong when you’re like that... so... yeah, that’s when some very unfortunate stuff happens. It’s painful for both sides really.
Me: oof. Yeah I believe that.
Jain: Yeah...
Luckily! It’s very easy to smell the virus on others. Sasha’s parents picked it up on me RIGHT away, so we were ready for my first time.
I went out to their’s, a gorgeous place out in the bush, and it was actually pretty special.
There was some ceremony leading up to it. Some cuddling... yeah. It’s a very fond memory.
I’d be happy to tell you more about that if you want but, I’m aware that your timer has about 3 minutes on it.
Me: haha I did actually want to ask something else... and by all means, feel free not to answer.
I noticed you said “partner at the time” earlier.
Jain: oh! Yeah...
Sasha and her parents actually passed a few years back.
That’s the downside to the virus. It’s a lot on the body to support it, so you actually kind of go half on dog years in a way.
The average lifespan of J’uhntaiee is about 40. For J’uhntoa, and we don’t really know why this is, it’s a bit shorter. Around 30 is the average.
I contracted when I was about twentyyyy... gosh... twenty seven! So I’ll go a bit longer.
Me: oh... umm... gosh... sorry I’m starting to cry a little now... that’s uhh... I can’t really imagine what that must be like.
Jain: It was rough... that’s for sure.
Me: So... now you turn alone?
Jain: Well. So... what I was going to say earlier... there’s actually another herbal paste that we learn to make once we’ve done our first transformation, it’s actually pretty simple. You can put off changing for about 2 years if you take it throughout each month.
So turning is actually a bit of a ceremonious thing.
The first time is the only time you don’t have a choice, so one of the ceremonies where most J’uhntaiee will turn is with someone for their first time, to bring them into the pack.
Now.... I actually only turn during Sasha’s birthday month.
It is a lot on the body.
But I take it as an opportunity to reconnect with nature.
I go way out in the bush.
I strip naked.
The moon is BRILLIANT, you actually LOVE the sight of it, especially if you haven’t turned for a while, then it’s particularly nice.
And yeah. I think about Sasha and her Dad boner jokes and run around as an animal for a night.
Me: ... well.
Damn.
Haha my.
Wow. Yeah. Talking is... wow.
Jain: hahaha
30 seconds, Phoenix!
Me: What’s the weirdest part about being a wolf!?
Jain: The feel of your own mouth!
To suddenly switch to that mouth shape and to feel that with your tongue is SO bizarre!
Me: aaaaand TIME!
Haha I TOLD you! 15 minutes! Boom!
Jain: Haha well done well done.
Me: Real talk though can we hang out. I want to know the things you know about plants.
Jain: Come out to the mountains sometime and we’ll romp around!
Me: Oh my gosh yes.
Well. Thank you again, Jain. That was fucking awesome.
Jain: Thank you for having me!