WhispersThrough the Willow [Open]

Having discovered his room the day before, Fausto had decided to take a tour of the campus. There were so many things he had never laid eyes on before like the boats in Port Albion, fellow students, and the massive willow tree that stood before him.

While he had been given an education growing up in the laboratory, he learned only the basics of reading,writing,and English- never knowing there was far greater things to be discovered outside the pale walls of his compound. This great willow was one such example, rendering Fausto into a state a pure awe while taking in every ancient detail. He had stumbled across the meadow purely by accident, although he was glad to have found such a peaceful and serene location after experiencing the bustling lifestyle of the other students back towards main campus.

"This is a tree? he asked aloud. He stood about ten yards from the tree, having to tip his head back ever so slightly so he could see where the branches reached the sky.   " I though all trees looked the same." he stepped forward, keeping his eyes on the giant's soft swaying branches." I never learned about this one before. Alibus, do you know what kind this is?" he questioned as he continued closer in a sort of curious trance.

While not visible to anyone else,a silhouette appeared just in front of Fausto;floating for a moment amidst the meadow grass before making its way towards the tree where it stopped just besides the wall of hanging leaves and branches. "This is a Willow tree."Alibus replied, his voice calm as his lightly shadowed form faded through the wall to enter the grand canopy created by the tree's many hanging branches." A very old one at that." he mused, studying the archaic branches and bark. He too was lost in the grand beauty of such an old relic, but was pulled from his wonder when Fausto began pacing in and around the dainty branches." It's..it's so big! I must sketch it." he decided enthusiastically, as he scurried around the meadow in search of the perfect angle at which to capture the giant's massive size and beauty." We really don't have time for drawing today, Fausto. You have classes to prepare for,  supplies that needs to be gathered." Alibus reminded the boy, almost turning a full circle before spotting Fausto with his nose buried in his beloved sketch journal- pencil scribbling furiously over the slightly crumpled paper sheets.

It was times like this where Alibus wished he could leave and complete the tasks that Fausto had yet to tend to, but it wasn't his place to gain control of the boy's physical state unless he was in extreme danger. He also knew that the best way for Fausto to evolve in this world, was to learn on his own and not depend on Alibus for the answers to everything. Even so, it was difficult to see how easily distracted the boy was by his ever growing curiosity for.. pretty much everything. "Nonsense, Ali! We've still got time."Fausto nodded, looking over at his floating friend for a moment before returning his eyes to the tree- all the while his hand continued to trace and shade every little detail of the dormant willow."I just want to get at least...half of the sketch finished... and then we can go back." 

Being on this new island was amazing. Although Saoirse had enjoyed her job back in Ireland, it had its downsides. Namely, she had to be careful about where she released Aine and Morrigan, for fear that they would be recognized, and the various murders would be traced back to her animals. That wouldn't do, now would it? So, she had gone to great lengths to free them in secrecy, finding places deep in the forest where no one would ever discover them. But now that she was at Foresta, it was a brand new start, and her animals could have the freedom to roam where they wished. In fact, just by the courtyard was apparently a perfect place for Morrigan. It was a large meadow, with many small animals scurrying around, which meant plentiful hunting opportunities. 

So, she let the tiger climb off her skin and manifest into a living, flesh-and-blood being. She had long since grown used to the sensation of a piece of her peeling off from her body, though it had been quite strange at first. The tiger's muscles rippled as she stretched, baring her long fangs. Saoirse gave her a pat and relinquished her mental control. In a heartbeat, the tiger caught sight of a large squirrel, and immediately went into hunting mode. The snow did not provide adequate camouflage, so Morrigan's pelt stood out sharply against the whiteness. However. the squirrel was close by and distracted, and was unfamiliar with the scent of a tiger. In a single large bound, the rodent had been snatched up, and hung limply from the tiger's jaws. A drop of blood stained the snow, a spill of cranberry juice on a white tablecloth. 

The meal was quickly gulped down, and the tiger's tail was swishing, already looking for another victim for her sharp teeth. Suddenly, the tiger hissed loudly, staring at the willow tree. There was a boy there, and she didn't seem to be fixated on him, but there was no other reason that Saoirse could discern for the tiger's sudden wariness. Curious, she narrowed her eyes, wondering if there was something too small for her human eyes to notice. 

(OOC: I know Alibus isn't visible to anyone, but animals supposedly have a "sixth sense" type thing, so I hope you don't mind that the tiger was on edge. Let me know if that's a problem!)

Alibus stood just beside Fausto, watching the boy's hand sweep over the page almost effortlessly as a sketch began to form on the page. His head lifted, sensing another being was close by and turned around to see a large feline standing across the meadow. The sight alone was enough to alarm Alibus who remained facing the large animal should it decide to move closer.

"Fausto, I believe it's time to leave."Alibus spoke slowly, trying not to show the worry in his tone. He turned his head towards Fausto briefly seeing the boy was still occupied with his sketch to realize there was possible danger approaching. "Fausto!"Alibus repeated, this time sounding a bit more forceful with his tone. The boy's head raised suddenly, and he looked to Alibus to see what was causing his friend distress. Following the shadow's gaze, Fausto turned around and spotted the tiger staring back at him.

Should he run? Perhaps he could climb the tree to get away. He thought about it, but his body had become frozen."W-what should I do..?" He murmured to Alibus, glancing at the silhouette for a moment but returning his eyes to the large cat shortly after. The last thing he wanted to do was lose sight of it and end up being its lunch.


(OOC: Not a problem at all! It makes sense that the tiger would be able to detect somebody else. Good idea ^_^))

Ankoku had been in this field for the last two hours, trying to avoid anything resembling homework or classes, when he noticed it start to get crowded. Since it was cold and he was bored he sighed, got up out of the grass, and walked around the tree to see what all the noise was about. He had only recently joined the academy and had come out to the meadow to get away from any annoyances. Leaning against the tree in the shade, he grinned at the scene before him.

After seeing this guy panicking he felt somewhat less afraid himself. Calling out to the scared guy Shade decided to impart some of his hard earned wisdom. "My name is Shade, I'm actually kind of surprised you knew I was here," Mistaking the question as being aimed at himself he continued, "As for advice on what to do... Don't climb the tree. If that cat is anything like an alley cat then it probably climbs better then you do. And as a side note in a meadow this size there is probably a beehive somewhere up there. I don't think we need any extra problems right now." Laughing to himself, he added, "Good news is if we can see it, it probably doesn't want to eat us... maybe. Or its messing with our heads." Growing quiet at that possibility, he studied the large cat, trying to determine if it was laughing at him.

Looking at the tiger he noticed a small distance away, a girl, but thanks to the sun he was unable to make out any details. As he considered whether to try waving his arms or calling out to warn her even if it attracted the attention of the 500 pounds of pure killing fury, he waited to see who would make the next move.

All of a sudden, another figure appeared. The tiger tensed her muscles, emitting a low, rumbling growl. A bit reluctantly, Saoirse forced her way into the tiger's mind, commanding her "pet" to relax. After a moment of hesitation, Morrigan laid down in the grass, almost as unmoving as a statue. Come here. The tiger's ears flicked, as if hearing actual sound vibrations, then she stood up and trotted towards the girl languidly, muscles rippling under the striped pelt. She circled Saoirse once, then followed her back in the direction of the two people--who she could now see were two boys, most likely students.

"Sorry if she scared you," she called out, approaching them slowly. If Morrigan had been wary, then it was best for her to be cautious as well. She trusted her animals' instincts more than she trusted her own--human instincts were too diluted by trust and optimism, whereas animals' survival instincts had been tempered and tested over millions of years. The tiger sat calmly, occasionally licking its lips. 

"I'm Saoirse," the girl said. "What are your names?" Her mind was still working to figure out what had set Morrigan off--perhaps the second boy had some sort of invisibility power?

Fausto spun around, startled at the unknown voice from behind him. He blinked, watching the other boy as he spoke and deciding he wasn't a threat seeing as he was discussing ways to avoid the large cat that stalking them from the middle of the field. Maybe they stood a better chance if they stayed together. Strength in numbers.. or something like that.

"Sorry if she scared you," a second voice sounded, coming from just behind the striped predator. Casting a sideways glance at the other young man leaning against the tree, Fausto studied the girl and her.. pet with uncertainty. She seemed to have reined in the large cat for now, but it didn't give him mush reassurance.

Alibus hadn't moved since spotting the tiger, and remained fixed on it incase something should happen. His 'senses' tingled anxiously as the girl and the tiger came closer to the tree. The girl seemed nice enough, but he wasn't going to keep Fausto around if the tiger proved to be less friendly.


(OOC: I'm really sorry for disappearing guys! I dropped my classes this semester and things have gone a bit sideways)

Shade kept one eye on the cat and waited for the boy to answer. When it appeared he wasn't going to, Shade decided to fill the rapidly widening awkward silence. "Ankoku Andreas is my name. I prefer to be called Shade. I'm good at avoiding attention, so sorry if I startled Mr. or Mrs. Big Kitten. To be honest this was the last place I was expecting to meet students... I'm new here." Chuckling awkwardly he finished with, "So, yeah, um, hi."

Noticing that at some point he had straightened up he leaned back against the tree trying regain some form of composure while he waited for the others to make their move. Uncomfortable by the scrutiny he was getting he decided to study the others clothing and the large cat.

Saoirse offered a friendly smile to the boy who'd responded. "It's nice to meet you, Shade," she said warmly. "I guess this lad here--" she gestured to the boy who had remained silent "--isn't quite as sociable." Her expression remained sunny, completely unbothered, though internally she wondered why he'd chosen not to introduce himself. Despite having given up her job as an assassin of sorts, it was recent enough that she still retained the desire to know everything about everyone she came across. It was also still a habit to grow suspicious of anyone who was reluctant to speak about themselves. To be fair, she thought, I've probably gone and startled him by walking around with a tiger. 

"I'm new here too, actually. Just arrived a few days ago, and I'd thought it'd be a good idea to let Morrigan here stretch her legs a bit," Saoirse continued. She decided not to mention her other 'pet', considering their reaction to the one that was currently present. In her general experience, snakes were far more terrifying than tigers, though she couldn't understand why. Snake venom had antidotes, while being mauled to death certainly had no cures. "Really, you don't have to be worried about her. She won't attack you if I tell her not to." Okay, so that wasn't completely true, but most of the time she had complete control over the tiger if she wanted, and she figured it was good enough. Unless one of them exhibited some behavior that made them very clearly prey and elicited an instinctual response from Morrigan, the boys should be safe. Then again, fear was quite provocative...