Henry Olin, & Dana AlcottHenry's attention was brought away from the nothing he had caught himself staring off into. His sensitive ears picked up that his name was being called. He blinked and looked over to the person who had said his. He turned his large reptilian head over his shoulder, his neck long enough so that he could manuever his skull without having to turn his body at all. Flexability and an elognated spine were one of the gifts that came with his transformation. There was no one at eye level, so his eyes dropped downward. His yellow coming to meet with Dana's blue. He blinked again, his eliptical pupils thinning and expanding into various variation of a slit, before widening out into an almost circular orb.
She had said something. He looked her up and down again, processing what she had said before turning to look back at the auditorium's empty stage. "No, we haven't." He stated simply. He hadn't forgotten what she had said. He was sure she hadn't forgotten what he had done. And he wouldn't forget the help she game him in doing it. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding before looking back down at her. He worried for her mental state. Less about with the Vera incident, although that shone through innately, and more so about how she fared in the darkness, where no one could see her. "...How was the blackout for you?" he said, trying to start up some conversation for her. They were close. They always had been, and while it was a bit of a touchy subject for Dana to discuss she had decided long ago she trusted him enough to confide with him what happened to her. He hoped that her comfort with his being, despite being the opposite of cuddly, was still there.
The blackout, oh right. Dana found her blue eyes wandering downwards before looking back up to Henry. She blinked and coughed, pressing a palm against her lips. "Me?" She asked, rather awkwardly. "I..." She trailed off. Well, this isn't a good way to catch now is it? Everytime the blackout was even
mentioned Dana felt weak. Not physically, but mentally. Like there was all the things she
could have done to save Vera, but just couldn't. It made her feel... Ack, she honestly didn't know. But, while she wasn't there for Vera, she was there for Aislin. That was a difference in her eyes. "... I was guarding a friend," She spoke proudly, because it was honestly the most she could feel proud of. "Aislin. She... got into something after she left the hospital..."
The edges of Henry's lips turned upwards at Dana's remarks, and he nodded his head. "I thought I smelt her." he stated. His sense of smell was around that of a blood hound's, and like a real dog, he never forgot a scent. He still recalled exactly what an Irish student smelt like, that he met at a party well over six year ago. He remembered the scent of those who he came to the island with. He walked into this room and was able to distinguish exactly who everyone was, and where they had been based upon how dispersed their scents had been. His tongue flicked out, tasting the air. It was how he sensed Vera to begin with. He had tasted the blood in the air. His sense of smell was by far his most powerful sense and he could, in a way, see through his tongue and nose. He leaned down and smelled Dana's shirt, retracting his head at the alien scent mixed with the smell of rain and Dana's clothing softener the she used when she washed her clothes in combination with her shampoo. It was too weak to make our distinguish, but it was there. He stood back up to his full hieght again and looked over the the stage.
"I wish I would've been able to do the same. I guess there's only so many people I can take care of in a day." he commented, a mixture of a smile and a frown on his face warping his expression into something foreign. "I'm glad you two are okay though. I'll probably be speaking to Adam after the speech, you dont mind if I ask what happened, do you?" He wanted her to tell him herself, but if she didn't want to, he would ask Adam. If she didn't want it known, even to him, it was probably in his best interest to not ask Adam about the scenario unless he brought it up. He wanted to respect Dana's wishes though, whatever she replied with.
What happened? Dana thought that was a better question for Aislin, but she might as well repeat what she was told. "Okay." And there was the fact that Henry would most likely ask someone like Adam and get his question answered. "There was... a woman, I don't know who, but Aislin claimed she made that child fall and transform into that godforbiddened beast...." Dana's head darted off to the side, her curly head of hair shook in rhythem. "... She went back to the cave where it all started, and met a strange man. I... don't know what happened from there, but he attempted to kill Aislin, before getting killed himself." Dana felt the strength to return gazes with Hery now. "That was when I showed up, and got her back to the school, and vowed to protect her."
Henry was quiet for a moment. "I've seen a lot of shit." He commented. "I've seen kids snap and got on small scale rampages, I've seen some kids make a mess of themselves and everybody around thim in this school." He said. "I've seen people die, more people than most will ever see, luckily." he said. "I've even seen what the inside of my leg looks like while a ship was collapsing around me. I though I saw one of my best friends be crushed right in front of my eyes." he said. "But it wasn't until Tuesday night did I find a cold blooded murder." He said. "And it wasn't until now that I found out I wasn't the only one to see one."
He shook for a second, his eyes closing, one of his huge breathes escaping his nostrils with heat and power behind his diaphram's movements. "I dont know whether to be upset that more than one passed Tuesday night, or happy I'm not alone." he said. Most of Henry's life he had suffered in silence, it was better that way. There was no need to put his anxiety and anger and frustration on others. It wasn't often that he didn't suffer alone, and whenever he didn't it was always because of something so terrible it couldn't be taken by one person alone. He had face this conundrum before. "This isn't the academy I've lived most my life and grown up in," Henry continued. "...Dana,"
"I'm scared."
Honestly, Dana couldn't say that anyone was prepared for the death of Vera - like Henry, Dana has seen... strange things. Like
herself. When she looked into the mirror when she was ten and saw what she is in the dark... She shuddered. She hadn't gotten over it to this day. But the death of Vera? Dana never experienced the death of a friend before and she never knew it would hit her this hard. She had lived in bliss, and was hoping that she would never have to see the evils of the world. But that only caused it to feel all the more crushing when that ideal fell to pieces. Dana sighed.
"I'm..." Dana groaned, since she was looking for the words to say. "Terrified... this isn't the academy I grew up in anymore, is it Henry...?"
Henry made no response, he seemed to not move for a few moments before he slowly sank down, resting on his haunches next to Dana. He was a little higher than she was, even at this level. He scooted next to her and wrapped one arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him and into his shoulder in a hug. "No, no- it's not." He said, relaxing his arm but not pulling away entirely. He had thought he lost a friend at her very age right now - Chris. He was fortunate enough to get him back. He knew that Vera would never come back for either of them. Not after what he saw. "But I promise you I'll be here to get you through it. Every step of the way." He said, locking eyes with Dana and attempting a comforting smile that was lopsided and melancholly.
But he was here. And he never went back on his promises.
These words... Dana didn't know if they were empty words to make her feel better, or had some meaning behind them. She has lived a life-time of pity because of her disability, and right now it was... blurry... to say the least. It was for the best she took it at face-value for once and move along with it. "Thank you, Olin." Dana said, looking up to Henry. "I really needed that." She meant it too. Henry here was the person she was the closest to, and easily one of the kindest people on this island... But there were all the unkind and malicious people here as well. Dana has a few suspects.
"Henry, can I talk to you about something...?" Dana leaned in closely, talking quietly, she knew his senses were so keen he'd be able to hear her. "I don't want to point fingers but..." She started tapping her fingertips together awkwardly. "But do you know who would have killed Vera? I-I... don't really want to talk about it, but I believe it's Vespera...." Dana quickly scanned the room, hoping to find everyone's evening spider. "That woman... that woman is malicious, and she scares me...."
Henry was silent for a moment. "A good suspect choice." He commented, thinking. "Whomever it was looked like they used a knife. There was a lot of... wounds, when I found her." he said. "Too sharp to have been made by claws. Whoever it was also wore boots. I couldn't find their scent throught he smell of blood." He said. "It could've been her. She is smart, cunning, exactly what you would think from a spider." he continued, his voice low. "If she is the cause, she cant be ruled out based on lack of intelligence." He said. "My only question is why would she do it? Vespera is shallow and self driven. I doubt she'd kill another for fear of me hunting her down." He said. Vespera most insect based meta humans always had an inherent fear or distaste for him. His mere presense put them off. Reptiles were the top of their respective food chains, and preyed upon nearly anything they could fit in their mouths, and then some. "She seems like the type of person to do it... but she doesnt have the motive. Vespera's too self concious behind closed doors." he said, more to himself than to Dana. "If it had been Vespera, if she had gone far enough to do it, she would've stayed to feed." he finished. "The puzzle pieces we have done match up."
He momentarilly realized that if he had killed a person he would've stayed to feed. He didn't doubt any animal meta human would hunt down or kill another without the intent to reap the benefits of their labor. He shivered at his thoughts. He had just admitted to himself that if he had killed Vera, he wouldn't eaten his fill of her corpse when he had finished. That scared him even more.
Maybe Henry has a point... or maybe he could be wrong. There was something wrong with that woman and everyone on this island knew it. But why would she do it? Motive was where this all fell apart. Perhaps Dana was simply attempting to shift blame to Vespera because she was the
easiest. "I understand Henry." She nodded. "I just..." Dana coughed. "Nevermind." She cut herself off, figuring there was no point in even continuing this. Motive or not, Dana was going to keep her eye out on Vespera.
"I'll keep an eye on whatever the investigators find. You'll be the first to know if another clue comes to light." he said. "...Thank you for showing interest though. I... I'm sure Vera would've liked to know that someone cared."