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YOUR NAME: Kat
PERSONAL JOURNAL: perfect_gold
E-MAIL: visions.in.my.head@gmail.com
AIM: SugiKat
CHARACTERS IN TAXON: Party Poison
CHARACTER NAME: Dwight Hendrickson
CANON: Haven
MEDIUM: TV
BIRTHDAY/AGE: October 30, 1973 (age 38)
CANON POINT: After 2.10, Who, What, Where, Wendigo? - Just after he drives the girls to the slaughterhouse to survive.
WHY THIS CHARACTER AND CANON POINT?: In the show, it's when you really get to learn about Dwight and the character he is. Instead of a background character, he steps up the the light--you see a side of him that's not just 'taking care of business.' Dwight's reminded that there are other people out there that need his help--and on the verge of a war and trying to choose sides, Dwight's predicament is quite difficult. Throwing him into Taxon after a whirlwind of emotions is sure to set an interesting angle.
PROGRAMMED POSSESSION: Crossbow. A PSE Reaper Crossbow 2011 Package, to be exact. (6 20" bolts, quick-detach quiver, cocking strap and a Viper multi reticle scope, as well as the crossbow itself). Image of most of it here. Him with said crossbow here.
ABILITIES/WEAKNESSES: As Dwight is Troubled, his trouble comes in the form of a bullet magnet of sorts. Any shot fired when he is within a hundred yard radius gets redirected to him, though he still gets injured. He wears a bulletproof vest because of this, and is very careful about what situations he chooses to step in to. Unfortunately, being an army ranger with the ability to attract bullets from either side gets you injured, fast and often. He's only in his late 30's, but every morning he's woken up with terrible pain in his limbs or achy joints, a reminder that he's lucky to even be alive.
As Haven's unofficial 'cleaner,' Dwight is able to do a lot of things: he is an electrician first and foremost, running Hendricks electric repair and is pretty handy with a wrench or two. Because he was once a soldier in Afghanistan and still works out, he's retained the strength and discipline required to be an army ranger, as well as a patient game hunter and fisherman. He is loyal to Haven, and the residents of Haven, especially the Troubled. So much so, that it has gotten him nearly killed many, many times.
Due to his Trouble, being out on the battlefield is quite dangerous for him. Additionally, due to the nature of his daughter's death and the psychological impact, it should be noted that Dwight's judgement is often clouded when it comes to children, as well as the looming anniversary of his daughter's death and the subsequent death wish that follows every year.
PSYCHOLOGY/PERSONALITY: Dwight, at first glance, is a normal, unassuming man in his 30s, and behaves as such, if with an outdoors-y, woodsman-type vibe. He is calm and quiet, but only seems like he is easy going and laid back. Due to his job in Haven, and having to 'fix' or make certain problems 'disappear' or look like accidents, Dwight has long since learned not to say more than needs to be said. He's quite secretive, and while it rarely comes out to people who don't have a problem with the Troubled or haven't gotten themselves into sticky situations requiring his help, there's an underlying slightly worrying air to his magnetic (no pun intended) and persuasive personality.
Underneath the exterior of a man happy to fix your power, or help you cook a mean venison stew (that he killed with his crossbow, of course), Dwight Hendrickson is something else entirely, especially after the early demise of his daughter, Lizzy. The months building up to the anniversary leaves Dwight not to find solace in the bottle, but in dangerous situations--be it dealing with the troubles that have begun to resurface, or purposely wandering the woods without the proper orange reflective vests, Dwight behaves rather recklessly and dangerously. He blames himself for Lizzy's death, despite the contrary, and once her birthday rolls around he sinks deeper into a depressed-like state, constantly searching for a death sentence. This is most likely a knee-jerk reaction to the fact that Lizzy died young, as well as the fact that with his wife, daughter, and family gone, there is nearly nothing left to live for. For the most part, though, he focuses on helping other Troubled people, and often that's enough to keep him happy and optimistic.
It has been the case, however, that on more than one occasion when a child has been in danger or he himself has been in a situation with high risks and stress, Dwight has seen his little girl in a ballerina uniform, hallucinating her in improbable places such as the forests or an abandoned warehouse. He's often quick to shake these off, though it's a large detriment to his ability to think clearly and straight in situations where it arises.
HISTORY:
Dwight comes from a long line of Hendricksons, and the entire lineage traces back to the very founding of Haven, Maine. He grew up there his entire life, perfectly at-east with the fishing and hunting the sleepy, small town had to offer. He didn't leave it for a very, very long time, in fact--and after a few years came straight back.
His childhood was rather turbulent. While the Hendrickson lineage did help found the city, the bloodline was also plagued by Troubles, certain unique and inhuman qualities that certain families of Haven had. In their case, it was being a magnet to bullets. To the outside world, and those of Haven who didn't understand, it meant being called a freak, or a mutant. Dwight's father didn't take well to that.
When the Troubles quieted down for the first time, Dwight's father refused to acknowledge they even happened. Ashamed by who he was, he took to drink, secretive. Dwight was unaware as his father became an alcoholic, abusive to both him and his mother. Oftentimes, the only conversations the young Dwight would have with him was a barking command to go to the store for another 6-pack.
While his mother found solace in the Church, and subsequently, the Reverend, who would later go on to be Dwight's most disliked person, Dwight instead focused on training and gearing up, joining the military at a young age. His father, completely aware that the Trouble would get his son killed, let him enlist. Needless to say, it didn't take long after being assigned to Afghanistan to figure out who he was and what he was; Dwight was immediately hospitalized in just under a week of arriving in a combat zone, an incident involving a volley of shots. His squad was protected, yes, but at the cost of him nearly dying.
Every cloud has it's silver lining, however: the nurse who was staffed to him and only him due to the severity of his injuries turned out to be the woman of his dreams. After who knows how long in the hospital, the two fell madly in love. Upon his release it wasn't even a question: the two immediately went back to Haven, where Dwight proposed. She accepted, and two years later, Elizabeth Anne Hendrickson--better known as Lizzy--was born. It was both a curse and a blessing. His wife passed due to complications. Dwight raised Lizzy on his own, vowing never to let her see how horrible the world is. He began work as an electrician, though Garland Wuornos, who had known his father and knew that Dwight was Troubled, struck a deal with him for a bit of extra cash so Lizzy could be comfortable: if he could hide any evidence that there were unnatural occurrences in Haven, he would be fulfilling the promise he made to his precious daughter.
For a while, things were good. Things were perfect. Dwight made sure to spend every waking moment possible with Lizza, going to every ballet rehearsal he could attend. Lizzy adored her father and vice-versa. At age 7, Dwight was in the audience to see her ballet recital when the last Hendrickson tragedy struck.
Someone from the Revrend's church--a soul who wasn't Troubled, just crazed--brought a gun into the school, demanding he get custody of a girl that was on stage with Lizzy--a domestic dispute, no doubt. The wife, who had separated from the man, immediately went to her daughter's side. The man fired, panicked, and the Trouble activated.
Only instead of it hitting Dwight, it hit the Hendrickson closest to the shot: Lizzy. Troubles were, after all, a family affair.
The only thing that kept Dwight from falling apart that day was Chief Garland Wuornos. Since then, he's been more devoted than ever to the police officer, helping him without so much of a question or an eyebrow raise. With Garland's suicide, Dwight's shifted his knowledge and ability to get people to listen to him to Garland's son, Nathan, and the mysterious former FBI agent known as Audrey Parker. The problem now is getting Nathan to trust him.
(NOTE: The bare-bones, to-the-point history can be read here. I've decided to take what is known and revealed about Dwight and elaborate on it.)
ARRIVAL POST: This was new.
Dwight had been dropping a few Troubled children off to the slaughterhouse, and now he was..well, no where near the slaughterhouse. Not that said slaughterhouse was to kill the little girls, no--but they could survive there until the Troubles passed. They could only survive by feeding on living flesh, and after an incident with a young boy in the forest..well. Dwight Hendrickson cleaned things up. It's what he did, it's what he always did, and what he'd always do.
"So..." He was speaking out loud, eyes darting around the room. This looked more like a sci-fi movie than anything in Haven, but he wasn't going to rule anything out. "This is interesting." There was a familiar weight on his back, a nice, familiar weight. His crossbow.
...No. That wasn't right. Not only had he just been in a car with three frightened girls, but he had purposely made a point to put his crossbow away so the kids wouldn't think he wanted to kill him. This was different, and if the glowing panels that looked like they were from Galaxy Battles were any indication, this wasn't like any Trouble Dwight had encountered.
The large blonde man rubbed at the scruff on his face. His posture was slightly slouched, but that didn't mean he wasn't observing. And, carefully, he tried to look for anything familiar. Nothing but a podium and something that looked like the newest version of whatever cellphone. 6G? 8G?
"Shit."
Dwight's attempt at taking a casual stride over to the table failed--mainly because his left pant leg had been cut off and a bandage that was now seeping blood meant that the wounds he'd been ignoring were finally getting the best of him. That's what you get for stepping in a bare trap and refusing medical attention, he supposed, but it's enough for him to grab the railing, face pressed in what his daughter used to call his 'trout-face.' He was thinking.
And, calmly, Dwight reached the only conclusion he could: "I don't think I'm in Haven anymore."
ADDITIONAL SAMPLE: There he was.
Dwight's eyebrow raised, face contorting in a familiar half-smile, the 'not bad,' facial expression he normally had. His daughter used to call it his trout-face, but that was a long time ago. He was looking after someone else's son now, even if someone else's son was...Well, Nathan Wuornos. Troubled, too. But weren't they all Troubled in some form, here in Haven?
The blonde and the brunette were looking terribly confused, hunching over the baseball game, and while Dwight couldn't read lips, he could certainly tell what was happening in the conversation. He'd been weary, at first--Audrey Parker, the blonde, sleek, Boston FBI agent.. He'd told Wuornos' father, Garland, that he wasn't sure he trusted her. She was headstrong, sure, and arrived when the Troubles came back, of course, but outsiders in this town meant a lot. Haven meant a lot. All it took was for Garland to mention the name 'Lucy Ripley' for the tall man's posture to switch from the usual slight slouch to the perfectly straight soldier he used to be.
It was a silly thing, caution, but that was the reason why Dwight was watching the younger pair poke around, glancing only briefly at the pee-wee team in the baseball field. Audrey Parker had saved that little kid's life, and if she was Lucy Ripley, then he had all the reason to help her and Nathan. Besides, adopted or not, Nathan was a Wuornos, and Dwight had a promise.
There are lot of reasons why Dwight took the call, anyway, and at the end of it all he rolled up in the truck, examining the breaker box for the 'odd electrical surge.' He knew what it was, and he knows Nathan and Audrey know, too.
..And, sure enough, they were peering over his back as he fiddled with the box. He sighed, heavily, and shook his head. "It'll look normal by lunch. Make it work in a couple of days."
"You're working electrical and construction?" Aah, yes, Audrey Parker. Lucy Ripley. Either way, she had a nose for this kind of thing, something Dwight both appreciated and was apprehensive about. But if Garland liked her... That was a good enough reason for Dwight. When he sat up there was an audible creaking of his knees, and the blond himself winced. Old army wounds, and a hard life of working in general.
"I'm Dwight, I clean things up," he summarized simply. His gaze shifted to Nathan, though, and he winked. "That's what your dad and I used to call it."