Subject 6: Devyn Solway, in need of obedience training

[Humphries]

This one, this one Humphries had to be slightly more cautious about. He'd met Ms. Devyn Solway before. The encounter had been somewhat... strained. Unlike most of the others, she possessed a power that would work in direct opposition to Humphries'. Ergo he needed to make sure that she understood that he wished only to work for her benefit (regardless of the veracity of that statement).

So to this end, Humphries had simply lay in wait, sitting by his laptop and unnerving students by observing them as they settled in to enjoy themselves. He had looked up Ms. Solway's schedule: he knew she would have a free period and that she would likely enter the student lounge during this time. Ergo he had set himself up on one of the tables (currently unoccupied) and waited for her to arrive.

Then she had.

Humphries turned and punched into the keys, releasing the computerized vocal recording: "MISS DEVYN SOLWAY. I, HUMPHRIES, WISH TO SPEAK WITH YOU."

The volume might have been a bit too loud, judging by how many people were looking at them now. Humphries narrowed his eyes, flicked his tail, and gave the room hard looks, the kind of looks that told them to mind their own business and leave staff to staff things. He knew he needed his cover, so he punched in recording 2:

"THIS IS REGARDING YOUR STATUS AT THIS SCHOOL. IT IS OF GREAT IMPORT." There, now no one would think otherwise.

[Devyn Solway]

Class had not been all that bad today; it was actually one of those days that Devyn was in an overall good mood. No she was not running around doing anything that would make people things that she was in a god mood, but to those who knew her it would have been clear that she was not brooding or too caught up in her thoughts. There was only one thing about the day so far that had Devyn not all that pleased. She had to call her mom up and ask her to take some of her stuff back to the house, things that she didn't plan on taking to her to the school she planned to transfer to.

I wonder if she is going to make a fuss about me trying to leave BA. I bet she will be happy that she is getting rid of- Devyn was thinking to herself, but her thoughts were caught off by the very loud automated voice calling out her name. She had just planned on hanging out in the student lounge area while she built up the nerve to talk to her mom, but now it seemed like something wanted to have some of her time. Someone being that cat staff who had apparently upgraded from text to a computer that talked for him. "Sup, S.H.C?" Devyn asked as she walked over closer to the feline, using the nickname she had given him.

She rubbed at her ears a little when the next bit of words left the machine. Her green eyes were already scanning over the laptop to turn down the volume. She might not have had as sensitive ears in this form, but they were still pretty sensitive. Plus who wanted some computer yelling at them? "My status at the school? Are you planning on suggesting that I be transferred to La Delgadillo Academia?" Devyn asked, giving a half smirk to the feline. She was already holding back the urge to growl a little and also that urge to just chase him up a tree or something.

[Humphries]

Humphries tried to remember what the acronym stood for. He seemed to vaguely recall her applying some sort of nickname to him or something along those lines, but he couldn't quite remember. It didn't really matter either, not for what he was considering.

She didn't seem too concerned with the volume, but Humphries turned to lower it regardless. He didn't want quite everyone to know what he was planning and doing here, after all. He then adjusted it, looking for the right recorded messages. He did find the message he'd put together that got right to the chase and, well, he didn't see any reason not to jump to it:

"I am certain that you are wondering why I am here today. It is with regards to someone or something that I believe may be of potential interest to both of us: a certain blog of ill intent." Humphries let out a purr as he finished, looking up to Devyn. He twisted again, sending another message: "you being target and having issues. I would be considering this of high import to you."

Personal interest generally got attention, after all.

[Devyn Solway]

Devyn was pleased that the cat ended up turning the computer down, since she was just about to do just that. It was his computer however and she didn’t want to end up messing whatever he had set up, so it was best that he was the one that handled it. It was interesting that he had managed to even get his hands…er paws on a computer that made communicating even easier. Now Devyn didn’t have to bother pulling out her phone and reading the text. Did she even have her phone on her?

She tended to always have it on her, but where on her person sometimes was a mystery until she would feel the buzz or hear the ringtone. More words were leaving out of the speakers of the computer, but Devyn’s green eyes were locked on the feline. She was still paying attention and was soon turning her head to the side in confusion when talk about a blog was brought up. She quickly figured out he was talking about DL by his next words and now she was growling a little. While she did want to find DL and make her pay, she also didn’t feel like getting into any more trouble before she transferred.

S.H.C was the one asking her about it and he was staff so perhaps getting involved would not really get her into any trouble. Yet, there was nothing DL could really say that would bother Devyn at this point. “I was just planning on ignoring her. I’m going to be transferring out of BA and there is not much more she can say about me that will bother me.” Devyn said as she took a deep breath to keep herself calm. She was waiting to hear more before making her final call, it had to be worth her while if she was going to risk getting into trouble again and in general losing her ‘good mood’.

[Humphries]

Hmm, that was interesting. Devyn was attempting to transfer out of the school? That left her with only so many options, though Humphries had heard that Acton Vale had recently finished enough rebuilding to have an actual school building and everything in place. Still, he knew that transferrals were generally frowned upon, particularly in volatile cases like Deyvn's.

Still, it didn't leave him with much to work with. He flicked his tail, contemplating how to twist the situation. As he saw it, he only had two possibilities, and he figured he'd try for the lower one first. He twisted and sent the message to his computer, hoping that the severity and the emotional impact would outweigh his device's butchering of the English language:

figuring on revenging yourself upon the blog, would be my guessing. but if you would rather let it be knowing that such a thing can strike with you or yours with impunity, far being it from me to be standing in your way.

There, that ought to get a rise, though Humphries did have at least one last card to play if need be...

[Devyn Solway]

Devyn didn't want to go to school in Canada; if she was going to leave BA she was going to go across an ocean for it. Across and ocean and where they had accents or spoke a completely different language, and that was the plan. It kept going up and down in terms of when she was going to leave, and she blamed the school on that. She didn't understand why it was having such a hard time getting papers together for her to transfer. Perhaps other schools didn't want someone with so many marks on their record or someone from Bellefonte in general.

This place did have a bit of a reputation on its own due to the events that had happened. Still, when she graduated she was pretty sure they would have less power over what mutant school she wanted to go to for college. She watched the feline's tail for a moment, distracted by the way it flicked before her attention was drawn back to the computer for a moment. It might have been the cat she should have been looking at but it was hard not to look towards the sound that was speaking to her.

Her head was already tilting a little to the side at the next words that left the machine, confusing her a little. "I already gave into that stupid blog once and nearly ended my life as a result of the feelings that stirred up inside me. I should not even be paying attention to that blog, no one should. Something only has power if people pay it mind." Devyn said as she crossed her arms. Even if she desired to get pay back, she did not desire it enough to try and...do whatever Humphries had planned.

[Humphries]

She nearly...? Humphries paused then, studying Devyn. He did have some morals, if only as much as one would expect from a cat. He did have some lines that he would draw. Hearing someone had essentially attempted to end their life, that there had been that much difficulty...

No, he couldn't use Devyn. He didn't even want to enlist her any more. Humphries could feel the bit of him that was still perfectly human curl up at the thought of it, and he could feel the bit of him that was cat want to attack this stupid blog. Yes, he definitely needed to control the flow of its information, to make sure that it didn't harm.

"It not doing this should be happening," he stated through the computer, wishing it showed the determination he felt. "Giving too much of the power. Blogging must be checked. But doing so will not be needing your help."

Humphries then turned, moving as if to jump onto the laptop and get it closed. Moving it would be a little embarrassing, but he could manage.

[Devyn Solway]

Yes, Devyn nearly ended it all over the matter, but that could be said about a lot of things that she had gone through. At the end of the day it seemed little more than talk or the girl who cried wolf; no pun intended, since she knew she could not go through with it. Her father would not have approved, it would have been giving in to what he mother had said all along, and it would have meant that she was weak. Devyn didn't want to be weak, she didn't want her mother to be one hundred percent right, and she didn't want her father to be upset.

So while she did get to the point often when she felt like she wanted to just go and become with the darkness, she could never do it. Dev was pretty sure that still because of what she said that the cat was already reconsidering. She might have had trouble understanding what he was trying to say because of the broken English coming from the computer but she was still pretty good at reading body language. Now she felt almost challenge as if she had to help him to prove that she was not weak enough to let DL get to her a second time. "I agree that it need to be put in check but...hey, don't just change your mind right away." Devyn said as she moved to grab a hold of his laptop.

"At least tell me what it was you wanted me to do." Devyn said, preventing Humphries from moving his laptop once he managed to close it. She at least wanted to know what he had in mind at the very least, to see if she could have been of some help. She still planned on leaving the school so perhaps getting involved would not be so bad since she likely would not be around for whatever possibly backlash. It was also the fact that she could do something bad with a staffs okay, which was an opportunity hard to pass up.

[Humphries]

The girl took the bait. Humphries practically purred at her comment, though he put on a display of surprise, his eyes going wide, his head swiveling toward her. He waited while she spoke, his body taut in the way that cats could manage. Not change his mind right away? Had she never met a feline before?

But more seriously, he could at least respond to her query. Humphries straightened up slightly, bobbing his head a little. He had to move to further push the laptop open, since it was his most viable means of communicating with a human. "This is an information gathering mission. Several of you are regular targets or mentioned with enough frequency to pique one's interest. One wants to know why DL specifically targets you, and how. If one can figure out its motives, one can figure out much."

Humphries paused for a moment, hearing the words and mulling them over, before bobbing his head ever so slightly in confirmation. "Helping to prevent and curtailing the blog before much more damage is being done will be of great benefit to you, especially giving your positioning in this school."

[Devyn Solway]

Devyn relaxed a little when Humphries seemed to not be ready to give up and move on with his life. He was a darn cat so she was half surprised she did not find him lying on his laptop and licking himself. So just all of this really was a surprise but now her interest was piqued and she wanted to know what a cat wanted to do about a stupid blog. She looked at the cat as the words left the computer, talking about gathering information. Devyn could do that, it was easy enough for her to pretty much get anywhere since she did as she liked and well she liked to think that her charm helped out with being a distraction.

"Uh...well she does not actually target me. I think her actual target is Zoe and I only got mentioned because of me and Zoe being a thing and then not a thing." Devyn pointed out. DL never really seemed to care about her before and when she was going out with Zoe it was still mainly 'attacks' on Zoe and less on her. It was only when they broke up that DL seemed to want to pick as the wound but it was the others that responded that made things worse. Like Alice, commenting on things she does not even know both parts to the story of. Probably hates me for no reason. Devyn thought to herself, unable to hold back a small growl at just the thought.

Devyn gave an even more confused looked at the next words that left the laptop. "I don't mind helping, but I don't know how I would be of any use." Devyn said as her hands went into her pocket as she looked around the room for a moment. "What did you mean by my positioning in this school?" Devyn asked. She didn't fully get what he meant by that, and why she could guess she just wanted a straight answer.

[Humphries]

Hmm, the girl claimed that she wasn't a target. That was definitely interesting, and an unique way of deflecting things. Even were Zoe the primary target, there was still the fact that DL apparently knew of Devyn's actions and reported on it. There was almost too hard of a denial there.

So, the question was: pressure it or not?

Ah, questions and something of a request for confirmation. "doing the paying of attention to things would be of most benefit," Humphries sent through the laptop translator. He continued: "As for the positioning, meaning that good words would be passed along for willingness to help staff in endeavors of great import. Doing much damage and prying into student affairs is this blog. Dealing with it would therefore be of great interest to us all."

Humphries even looked around for a moment, seeing the various people gathered, even nodding toward them. his tail flicked and he looked back up to Devyn, as patient for a response as ever.

[Devyn Solway]

Devyn could not help but to let out a growl as Humphries spoke of; well the computer spoke of, her basically not paying attention. She had been, but overall all of this was kind of confusing. It was a blog, a person that no one seemed to know a thing about, and the owner was able to get a hold of personal information. How did the cat expect to go up against that and what did he expect Devyn to do about it. She could track a person down if she had a scent to go off of, and beat them up when found but she was no computer hacker and she was no longer with Zoe.

So she didn't know what it was he really wanted her to do or why. "Or if they just shut down the...umm site or whatever tec talk for shutting down the site she is using. Or could use like a block with the schools internet to prevent anyone from being able to access the site on the schools internet." Devyn said, she knew that was possible. At home her mother had a block on certain sites, for reasons that Devyn didn't want to think about or get into.

Yeah, she did agree that something should be done about DL but she didn't know what and didn't really get what the cat thought he could do. "Yeah, yeah. Good word in for me, not like that really matters at this point. But whatever. Just tell me what you want me to do." Devyn said, not buying the whole good word in for her thing. What would his word do? What would anyone words do? Nothing. If he said what he wanted her to do, it was not clear to her and he needed him to get to the point. It was already hard to follow just the style of speaking due to the device.

[Humphries]

The slight growl was unnoticed. not commented upon, but most certainly noticed. Humphries simply kept going, waiting patiently while Devyn worked through the rest of it. Her ideas had some merit, and he'd admittedly thought of them himself. He also couldn't help but notice that he had yet another student that was, for whatever reason, reluctant to actually contribute in this particular fight, or at least, was of the mind that there was something they could do to circumvent the circumstance without directly dealing with it.

"Considering this, I have," he sent through the computer. "However, being of hacking skills, DL is likely to possess. Ergo doing this would be of not much benefiting. Far better to work on hitted DL where it is."

Gah, that was awful. Humphries glared at the computer for a few moments, seriously considering giving it a good swat to further punish it for its insubordination. However, he also had other issues to address: namely what he specifically required from Devyn. "Simple, being aware of surroundings will help. Also giving potentials for who else might be of target or potential theories. Some helping would be if allowing me to follow you, seeing if there are those who would be of interest, as well."

Though technically Humphries did and would do that last anyway, but he figured he should at least try to be a little more formal about it.

[Devyn Solway]

Devyn did have to stop and think about the point the cat just made about DL likely having some computer talents. True, she did make blogs and you had to at least have some skills with computers if she was going to be able to do the sort of thing she did. Well, she was mostly typing since no one even knew what she looked like, so did it really take that much skill to write dirt down about people and post it up somewhere? Devyn figured that she could even do that, but perhaps she was not giving DL enough credit.

The girl; she assumed they were a girl, certainty knew how to get her hands on some information. "Fair point." Devyn said, if only slightly reluctant. To admit that a cat was right, yuck. She actually didn't have a problem with cats, most of her friends had cat based powers and she could relate to the whole wanting to take naps at random hours of the day. She just didn't like this cat because he was like more of a real cat; snooty and all high and mighty. That was the vibe she was getting from him anyways and it just made her want to chase him up in a tree or hold him in her jaws in her other form and see how he liked that.

Then he got to the point of what he wanted her help before and Devyn just stood there for a moment and thought about it. She could be aware of her surroundings, that were easy enough to do so long as he didn't expect her to be aware of relationship and emotional stuff that involved her. The bit about allowing him to follow her, well that was something that she was going to have a hard time agreeing with. She didn't like being followed and certainty didn't want him around during private matters of sorts.

"Alright, I can agree to that on a few conditions. You can't follow me around in my bedroom and if I'm with someone and things get intimate, you better not stick around to watch...or at least I better not find out that you are watching." Devyn said with a firm nod. Other than those two things she could not really think up anything else that she would be really bothered by him following her around for. She at least hoped he followed her around in a stealthy way and not in a 'right behind you' way.

[Humphries]

Fair point: Humphries let out a loud purr at those words. Yes, he did thoroughly enjoy being right, particularly when, well, he happened to be so. Even moreso around someone such as Devyn Solway, who clearly fought her more primal urges simply being around him. Humphries certainly understood that battle, however he also couldn't help but look down on those who had not conquered their alternate selves to the degree with which he had managed.

However, his slight disdain had alleviated slightly as she continued. Her conditions were laughable: certainly something that Humphries could work around. The cat nodded and then twisted, sending the message through his computer. "Agreeing with your terms am I. Following you shall begin. Likelihood that you will not be noticing me in the slightest. Trust in my doing this for the help of all."

Humphries hesitated for a moment, looking at the computer. Well, he didn't see any harm in adding this: "Needing letter of recommendation or referring for some reason, particularly involving the switching of schools, and being of help will I," he looked up at her, his posture seeming to indicate that she should be showering him with thanks for his charity.