Welcome to Gaia! ::

Oz battled internally with the situation, the struggle evident on his tormented facial expression. He was big teddy bear, he didn't want to reduce this poor girl to tears by telling her the truth, but neither would he want her to feel the same pain by being informed by a staff member. Oz had been phsyically sick for days after he found out.

He bit his bottom lip so hard that it eventually bled. As he licked his lip to stop the small nick, he ran a large hand through his ruffled, fluffy hair.

"No...this isn't a school..." he sighed heavily. "But...I'm not sure if I should tell you exactly why you're here...it might be upsetting..."

He tried to choose his words carefully. Maybe this way, Doe could decide whether to know or not.

Oz grunted and sighed again, leaning his squishy rump against the rock, taking a spot near the youngster.

"I don't know everything myself, but from the other residents of this nut-house and what the lab staff have told me direct to my face...its well...ugh...pretty bad. You might find it cool, I dunno. The age gap is kinda weird," he started, but began to mumble in nervousness.

He'd never had to carry such a weighty issue before. And it felt even worse having to tell a young girl. He took a deep breath.

"That injection...it wasn't for infections and diseases...it will trigger some...changes...as the months go on...Do you really want to know more?"

Oz grunted to himself, rubbing the back of his head and neck in a nervous manner. That usually chipper face had wrinkled into a frown and all the time, he wondered if was doing the right thing.

"I know this is going to be hard to accept...but...you're going to turn...into an animal..."

Oz wondered just hoe she'd react - disbelief, disgust, humour?

Oz's expressione became even more pained. Why was this so hard? How was it that the labstaff could break the news without even furrowing a wrinkle, whilst Oz was ready to collapse trying to break the news to a teenage girl.

"Its...not a joke...Doe...have you seen anybody else on the Island yet? Any of the people who have been here long before you or I? They're...different...kind of part human...part animal..."

He had to steady himself, both physically and mentally to try and tell her this. He had the water ready in case she felt faint, and he was always ready for a hug if she needed it.

Oz felt sick to his stomach. There was no way he could make this situation better, and he was likely to make it worse. He still felt the bottomless pit inside himself when he discovered his fate. He took a swig of his water nervously.

What could he say? It'll be alright, and that maybe she'll come out a better person. Well...better animal-person to be precise.

"It sucks, I know. And I'm so sorry you had to find out this way, kid," he said sincerely. He knew what it was like to be in that position.

"Nothing to be sorry about. I cried like a baby when I found out too," he made an effort to smile and lighten the mood. And it was all true.

"You look like you need some time to yourself," he said after a brief silence between the pair. He took a few steps from the rock, getting his headphones ready. "I can walk you back to your duplex if you wanna go back, or I can just leave you be."

Oz beamed a pleasant smile at the youngster, trying to lift her spirits just a little. He would have offered a hug, but a pudgy adult must be kinda scary for a little one like herself.

"You're not silly," he said cheerfully, but with that hint of reassurance one might find in a father-figure.

She had every right to be upset, but for some odd reason, Oz felt like it was now his duty to keep her safe. He'd started to feel a bit like this towards some of the other Islanders as well, but he'd never thought anything of it.

He stood up from the rock, and waited for her to show the way.