From: formaldehyde	Date: January 12th, 2011 11:37 am (UTC)		(Link)

"But it doesn't matter what you would rather have, does it?" Ben's tone, just for a moment became rather sharp. He sighed and began again more gently.

"If it was a person, they were probably avoiding attacking you for a reason." He finished his coffee and set the mug on the floor by his foot. "Isn't there some sort of security in the owlery? Someone watching over them?"

	From: learntofly	Date: January 12th, 2011 04:06 pm (UTC)		(Link)

She winced a little at the sharp change in his tone. She knew it didn't matter what she wanted, in fact she was under the impression that it rarely ever did. "I know," she resigned quietly. A girl could hope though, right?

She took a deep breath. He was right, she didn't get attacked because that was too brazen, but still... she had to wonder who would hate her that much. She picked up her own coffee mug and drank before responding. "There's wards and stuff on it to make sure no one gets into the dorms and the owlery but there's no one watching them all the time. It had to have been someone who was supposed to be there or someone who was let in." She felt like she was finally getting somewhere now that she was taking reason into consideration.

	From: formaldehyde	Date: January 13th, 2011 12:03 am (UTC)		(Link)

"I'm sorry," Ben muttered, feeling he was doing more damage than good at this rate.

"Then we could deduce who it was based on who was supposed to be there, right?" He tried to sound hopeful, but it still felt like a little bit of a long shot.

	From: learntofly	Date: January 13th, 2011 12:48 am (UTC)		(Link)

"It's ok," she said, doing her best to put on her brave face. He was right, there was nothing she could do as to how she was being attacked.

"It was Thursday night," she said. Maybe this would help. Maybe they could figure it out. "I came back from the dining hall at seven thirty, I didn't stop at my room, just went straight up to the owlery to give Milo a treat. That's when I found him. He was all alone, all the other owls had flown off."

	From: formaldehyde	Date: January 13th, 2011 01:05 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Who was supposed to be there?" Ben sighed sitting a little farther back. They had all the information but did it really lead anywhere?

"Did you see anyone else?"

	From: learntofly	Date: January 13th, 2011 01:12 am (UTC)		(Link)

She closed her eyes, trying to remember exactly what she had seen. Blood and feathers. "I heard him screeching when I was at the bottom of the stairs. I heard him... fighting." she remembered.

She pressed her hands against her closed eyes. "No one was there, I think... I mean... the shadows... the shadows were weird, moving. And Milo was in the middle of the owlery, on the ground and bleeding, still screaming but I didn't see anyone go out." She hadn't thought of how weird that had been until she talked it out with someone.

	From: formaldehyde	Date: January 13th, 2011 01:24 am (UTC)		(Link)

"The shadows were moving...?" Ben sat straight up again. Her description of what had happened sounded... disturbing at best. "How were they moving? As in movement or the shadows themselves?"

	From: learntofly	Date: January 13th, 2011 01:45 am (UTC)		(Link)

She took a deep breath and tried to remember exactly what she had seen. Granted she had not been staring at the shadows on the wall intently, she had been more concerned about Milo and getting him out. Still... she had seen the shadows shifting.

She opened her eyes. "A shadow. One shadow moved across the wall. It all happened so quick. I just, I wanted to get out of there fast so I didn't stick around to look at it."

	From: formaldehyde	Date: January 13th, 2011 02:54 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Ben's brow furrowed, he was starting to wonder if they were onto something bigger than he originally thought-- but he kept those thoughts to himself.

"On the wall? Or cast from the floor?" He asked quietly.

	From: learntofly	Date: January 15th, 2011 04:47 am (UTC)		(Link)

"It was... it was in the window and then gone," she rubbed her temples. "Probably something that flew by," she shook her head. It was just too hard to have to relive that night one more time.

	From: formaldehyde	Date: January 16th, 2011 03:07 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Ben sighed. He thought that maybe they were getting somewhere, making some progress. No such luck. He wasn't about to press the subject with Meka--she looked strained. Tired. Maybe the coffee would help her a little bit.

"Maybe it's best if we just wait and see before we go chasing after shadows?" Ben shrugged, trying his best to look sympathetic--which he was never really good at.

"We don't have to talk about this if you're not ready yet, Meka. I just... I just wanted to help."

	From: learntofly	Date: January 16th, 2011 04:55 pm (UTC)		(Link)

She nodded quietly, trying to find the right thing to say. "You're right. I just... I don't even know Ben. It's like everything went wrong at the same time," she shook head. And I feel so alone. "Thanks," she offered a small smile.

Neither Ben or Meka were particularly touchy-feely people but lately she felt like all the hugs she had missed in her childhood were coming back to haunt her. She stood and moved over to stand in front of him and only contemplated it for a second before she wrapped her small arms around his shoulders and hugged him.

	From: formaldehyde	Date: January 17th, 2011 12:28 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Life has a tendency of doing that," Ben nodded, slightly smiling back. "You don't have to thank me."

She didn't have to hug him either. Though luckily enough he'd learned a long time ago to stop recoiling when people hugged him. He stiffened for a moment, caught a little by surprised at the sudden display of affection, but relaxed and even seemed to find it in him to wrap an arm around her back.

"Just... try not to worry so much about it, okay?" He said quietly, "You'll make yourself sick."

	From: learntofly	Date: January 20th, 2011 04:56 am (UTC)		(Link)

She felt his reluctance at first but was relieved when he wrapped an arm around her back. She didn't want to let go but she knew she would have to. She felt that heavy regret flip her stomach but she pushed all that out of her head for a minute, she would have to deal with boy issues later.

She nodded against his chest and sighed. "I'll try," she took a step back and smiled at him. "You're really great Ben," she said quietly.

	From: formaldehyde	Date: January 26th, 2011 05:48 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"I'm not," Ben shrugged. "You're just... kind of my only real friend." He rubbed the palms of his hands on the bedspread reflexively.

"You'd do the same for me."

	From: learntofly	Date: January 26th, 2011 06:11 pm (UTC)		(Link)

She just wanted to hug him all over again but she knew it was a bad idea so she grabbed her left elbow with her right arm and swayed a bit to the side. It meant a lot to hear him say that and it hurt even more that she felt like she betrayed him.

"I would Ben," she nodded. "Anything you need, I'm here, ok?" the sincerity on her face was palpable as she looked her her friend.