[Sanura]

One leaf, two leaves, three leaves, four. . . I must be bored if I'm dropping more. Crouched in a tree in the Fae Forest, Sanura had taken to gently shaking the leaves one at a time from the small limbs that came from the branch she was sitting on. A mew slipped from her mouth as she looked down at the floor of the forest below her, then took to licking her front left paw. The ebony kitten was growing bored, and she had only been back in Elysia for a couple of days. She had had an encounter with two young shifters in the caverns, but other than that, nothing of interest had occurred. She had noticed her shop gone, so she figured she'd look into that later, and she had gone home with Socks and Mystery and made some coffee. . . Other than that, nothing. A squirrel was staring at her from a few branches up, looking half frozen with fear, as if it could not decide whether it needed to be afraid of the kitten or not. Because she was still feeling upset and angry over what had happened with her sister, Sanura was not in the mood to befriend a little squirrel. Opening her mouth and letting tiny, pearly white kitten teeth show, she hissed a silent hiss, sending the squirrel in the opposite direction until it leapt the the next tree over. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Sanura wished she knew what had happened to all of the friends she had once had in Elysia, and if any of them were even still in Elysia. It would help to find someone again, because she already felt very out of place here, where she had called home for a long while, had felt accepted. Well, if anyone's still here, I probably won't find them just sitting in a tree as a kitten, she thought, though she had no will to shift back and look for anyone at the moment. In fact, Sanura was feeling rather lazy, and attempting to find anyone would require her to move around and actually look. No, I'll just stay here for now, unless something happens where I have to or want to move. . . Socks and Mystery will be just fine for the day, and I am rather comfortable. . . Perhaps I'll nap. [[Table by me]] [[cat images]]

[Ilire]

Some people were born with an intutive sense of geography, and could stray far from the paved path without worry. They were almost one with nature; naturally knowing which way to go, which paths to take.

Ilire was not one of those people.

The poor smelly thing had been wandering around for some time now within the expansive forest looking for a way out. He had been lured in by the beams of sunlight wafting through the leafy canopy overhead, and the promise of a nice, brisk walk. Instead, Ilire had found himself skittish as a mouse; dodging behind a tree every time a blade of grass rustled. The deeper he travelled into the lush forest, the more he recalled terrifying "bed-time stories" his sister had told him. Stories about werewolves and rabid unicorns...

A wide-eyed squirrel chittered and scampered past him, and Ilire let out a - totally manly, I assure you, ladies - shriek of terror that sent a few birds flapping from their perches on the knobby branches. Blinking at them, he noted a small kitten snoozing on a branch. Practically oozing cuteness and fluffy wide-eyed wonder. Ilire shuddered and immediately thought of a story his sister had told him about a purple cat with a spooky smile that spoke in riddles and led people astray. This cat, however, was black. Most likely some lost pet of a snivelling little girl.

He bent over to pick up a fallen twig to poke the cat with. Afterall, this was the Fae Forest - with any luck, the cat (purple or otherwise) would be able to point him towards a way out.





ooc - oh gah. I didn't see your edit until after I posted. feel free to report if you wanted a one-on-one RP with Aiden. ><

[Aiden]

It was summer in the Fae Forests, but the intensity of heat was barely noticeable under the shade. Resting atop a rock in his favorite form, Aiden basked lazily under the limited sunlight that streamed past the canopy of leaves. Little cat whiskers twitched as a leaf happened to fall on his head. Shaking it off, Aiden rolled onto his side. Nothing was better than lounging in the Fae Forest. The forest was one of his favorite haunts. Especially when he was a cat. It was so much easier to waste hours catnapping as a cat. Perhaps cat-thought affected him and dulled his conscience. He blinked as a squirrel jolted the branches of a tree above him, scattering leaves. It moved toward ground, avoiding Aiden as it scampered past his rock and farther away. A shriek broke the silence, and the cat shook his head in annoyance as a flock of birds flew off, cawing in cacophony. There was an awful smell as well…Glancing toward the source of noise, he saw only a pair of wings on the back of a demon who was doing something to the tree. How odd. ((OOC: No biggie. The more the merrier. ))

[Sanura]

Sanura stared at the ground, nose cringing as a slightly foul smell wafted beneath her nostrils. Letting her green-eyed gaze drift a bit away from the ground immediately beneath the tree she was in, the therian noticed a demon fledgling looking at her, a stick in hand. He's not planning to use that to prod at me, is he? she thought, blinking at him. But then, why else would he have picked up a stick and then looked at her like that? A few silent moments passed, in which he had the chance to poke her if he wanted, but she would surely be very unhappy about it if he did use it to disturb her in any way, shape, or form. Of course, she could have easily just shifted and leapt down and spoken to him, or leapt down and then shifted, but she really saw no reason. If he wanted something, he would make it clear, wouldn't he? She mewed, a bit high-pitched and quiet, at the demon below her. He smells awful, she thought, wrinkling her nose without meaning to. True, she knew that all demons smelled bad - or did they? - but she had never actually come in contact with one for more than a few seconds, and even that had been quite some time ago. I always tend to forget minor details, she thought unhappily. Another smell, vaguely familiar, caught her attention, but she was not able to place who or what the smell belonged to. As she was preoccupied with watching the demon below her, however, she did not take the time to look around thoroughly. If she had, she would have noticed the spotted cat laying on a rock a few yards away, and she would have been overjoyed to see and talk to Aiden again. As it was, however, Sanura wasn't sure what to think of the demon with the stick. All she could think of were those children playing in yards on Earth with sticks in hand, ready to hit, swipe at, or throw the stick at any animal nearby. She mewed again, before stretching her body, still struggling over whether or not she wanted to shift back into human form. [[Table by me]] [[cat images]]

[Ilire]

A soft mewl startled Ilire into dropping the stick, and he stared with dinner-plate sized eyes at the cat. He didn't do soft and fuzzy - and awake. The demon took a step back, but the movement sent a slight pain through his left foot, reminding him to ask for directions before night fell and trouble came. Warily, he held both of his hands up in a peaceful gesture and inclined his head to the side in what he hoped was a polite manner.

"...hello there; do you speak? Better yet, could you point me in a direction out of the forest? I seem to have, ah, lost my way."

Ilire couldn't help the way his eye twitched. He was talking to a cat. A soft, fuzzy cat. Not just talking - asking for directions. If this was indeed only a plain house cat, he'd never live this down. Mentally bracing himself, he thought, 'At least nobody's around...'. He looked back up at the feline.

"By the way," he added snidely, "I don't normally do this; talk to animals, I mean."

[Aiden]

He sat on his haunches and tilted his head to watch the demon, whatever it was doing. He’d rarely met demons, Kisei being one of the firsts. And even then, it had been a brief meeting. They had few words to share and minutes later they were in the epic battle for their lives. Or just Kisei’s. As she and a few others fought The Hind, the rest, including Aiden, were busy evacuating victims. During the commotion, Aiden hadn’t the chance to note the peculiar smell of demons. Now he did. At the distance, the smell wasn’t very strong, but it was strong enough to make him uncomfortable. It would be better if he became his more senseless, human form. He stretched a bit before proceeding to shift. Bones and muscles tended to hurt during shifting, especially when they haven’t been used for hours. Aiden hated shifting when he was young, preferring instead to remain in a form for as long as he could to delay the change. Thank goodness the pain that came with shifting has dulled since then. Leaning back as his legs straightened out, he heard a voice as he changed to full human. It took every bit of conscience to quench the snicker in his chest. Was the demon talking to a tree? Oh wait. There was something on the branches. A black ball of fur. He’d missed all those mews and movements of the kitten, and noticed it only now. It was impossible for domestic cats to be in the Fae Forest unless it stumbled into a portal or an Imp had spirited it away. Or perhaps it was a shifter. However, his senses weren’t keen enough to discern its scent, so Aiden directed his attention toward the demon. “Of course you don’t. And you shouldn't. They’ll never be able to tell you directions.” He grinned.

[Sanura]

Sanura grinned as the demon spoke to her, asking if she spoke and could she give him directions. She had been about to shift back to her human form to answer him, but then he continued to speak in a tone she was far from fond of. Why wouldn't he talk to animals in the Fae Forest? Chances were, they were 'shifters. Her mouth parted slightly, then clamped it hut as another boy spoke in answer to the demon. The kitten smiled, recognizing Aiden. I haven't seen him in ages. . . Wonder how he's been. Twisting herself slightly on the branch, Sanura willed her body to change forms. The fur on her body slowly diminshed, replaced by her usual pale skin. It only took a few moments to shift her body, and when she was finished, she was left sitting on the tree branch, swinging her feet in front of her like a young child would do in a tree, though she made sure she wouldn't hit them with her feet. She wanted to make a new friend, possibly, and be reunited with an old friend, not cause them physical pain. "They don't speak, do they?" She giggled softly, her tone as quiet as always. "Only if they're a 'shifter. I'm Sanura," she continued, introducing herself to the demon before turning her attention to Aiden. "Hey, Aiden. How've you been? It's been a while since I last saw you." [[Table by me]] [[cat images]]

[Ilire]

“Of course you don’t. And you shouldn't. They’ll never be able to tell you directions.”

For the second time that day, Ilire shrieked like a little girl at the sudden voice behind him. He whipped around, mouth still half-open, only to be greeted with the sight of a boy with sandy hair and a wide smile. Ilire nodded vaguely, trying to calm his racing heart. He made a solemn promise to never set foot in this horrible, horrible forest ever again if he could only get out. Right now. Before something else popped up.

Pointing an accusing finger at the newcomer, Ilire prompted shouted in a panicky voice, "Where did you come from? Who are you?" And then, after a moment, in a much peevish voice, "...how would you know?" Before the other boy could answer, a gentle voice behind him said,

"They don't speak, do they? Only if they're a 'shifter. I'm Sanura,"

The demon nearly jumped out of his skin. A look of complete horror crossed his face as he pivoted sideways, looking back and forth at the two people that had both materialized from no where. The black cat that had been lounging on a branch was no where to be seen. It was times like these that Ilire cursed his innate lack of direction. All he wanted to do was drop into the nearest café and curl up under a table. His sister had never warned him about how strange the Fae forest could be. Rabid plants where nothing compared to freaky disappearing animals. Deep breaths, he told himself. Deeeeep breaths.

Gathering his thoughts, he nodded politely, albeit shakily at the two shapeshifters.

"Pleased to meet you...though I'd rather it had been under other circumstances..." he cleared his throat. "I'm Ilire, and I apologize for the shouting and such. I'm not very used to shapeshifters - or much of Elysia at all, really. I appear to have gotten lost, and I'd be happy to treat you all tuna sandwiches or a drink if you would please lead me out of this forest.

He looked hopefully at the two.

[Aiden]

He’d expected the demon to be surprised, but hadn’t expected the shriek. Wincing, he waved affably and stood. Rocks were uncomfortable to sit on in human form. The demon pointed at Aiden, but whatever he said was lost to the shifter, whose gaze had traveled to the kitten on the tree. The kitten who was in the process of shifting. She changed forms fluently…much more elegantly than Aiden had. His grin grew wider when he realized who it was. "Hey, Aiden. How’ve you been? It’s been a while since I last saw you." He winked at her and waved, but before he could reply, the demon introduced himself. The poor guy and his look of horror; Aiden felt a tad bit guilty for appearing so suddenly. "”Pleased to meet you…though I’d rather it had been under other circumstances…”" Hearing that, Aiden smiled sheepishly. Walking closer to the Others, Aiden held out his hand and replied, "Sorry for the surprise. I’m Aiden." He glanced around the forest in attempt to place their location. "Everything looks different than when I was a cat…I think the portal’s that way." He pointed toward a cluster of bushes. "Sanura?" Aiden had a horrible sense of direction and chances were that he was wrong. She’d know better.

[Sanura]

Sanura flinched, wrinkling her nose and scrunching her eyes tight, as the demon shrieked, shaking her head slightly. The shriek was caused by Aiden's appearance, but quickly he had turned and gave her a horrified look. Sanura couldn't help but feel just a bit badly for frightening him, even though it had sort of been her intent. Holding onto the tree limb firmly, Sanura leapt down with the grace of a feline, holding one arm out to steady herself as she stumbled for a moment. Sanura grinned at Aiden before turning to Ilire. "I'm sorry about frightening you. . . It hadn't been my intent to scare you that much," she apologize sheepishly, giving him a small smile. A quick glance towards the bushes where Aiden had indicated did her no good, as she wasn't very aware of where the portal here was, either. It had been a while, prior to just a few days ago, since she had last been in Elysia, and most of the time had been spent in the body of a cat. "To be honest. . . I haven't been here in a while. . . I just got back a couple of days ago, afff. . . Hm. I don't know where the portal is located, actually. . . Not from up here." A few moments passed in which she thought about where the portal might be. It crossed her mind to get down on her hands and knees and try to see it as if she were in the body of a cat again - she didn't want to shift and frighten the demon even more than he was - but that just seemed like a silly idea. [[Table by me]] [[cat images]]

[Ilire]

"I'm sorry about frightening you. . . It hadn't been my intent to scare you that much,"

Ilire nodded, slightly annoyed at his previous display of weakness. He hadn't really been afraid. Just startled by the sudden appearances and disappearances. He voiced this opinion, but the others had already began discussing which way to go, with limited success.

"...I think the portal’s that way..."

"...Hm. I don't know where the portal is located, actually. . . Not from up here..."

Ilire's mood dropped lower and lower with each passing word. Just his luck that the only two people in the forest were people that were almost as lost as he was. On the other hand, rudeness would probably get him no where, so the demon simply nodded and looked from person to person as they scratched their heads and ho-hummed about which route to take. Upon his return to civilization, Ilire made a mental note to petition Xanth for little information booths out in wild territory - complete with maps and pamphlets on how to stay on a trail...

"'Up here?'" Ilire echoed, slightly confused at the girl's choice of words. He looked around in a quick 360, then raised a questioning eyebrow at Sanura.

[Aiden]

He immediately began to doubt the direction where he had pointed. It didn’t seem right, for one. He knew he’d brushed past some bushes when he came to the area, but those bushes weren’t the right color. But then again, he’d been a cat. Hah. "To be honest…I haven’t been here in a while…Hm. I don’t know where the portal is located, actually…Not from up here." Hearing this, Aiden looked curiously toward Sanura. So she’d been out of Elysia as well? He’d ask her about it later, but for now, they had to help Ilire, who seemed quite dispirited by their cluelessness. As the demon in question questioned Sanura about her wording, Aiden shrugged and relinquished his human form. He wasn’t as sensitive to the demon’s jittery emotions as Sanura was. The process of shifting from human to cat was more fluid, for the cat was his main form. As his cat form took over, he sank toward the ground. Moving away from the much taller Ilire, the cat bounded toward the bushes, leaving Sanura to explain herself. The bushes he'd pointed at were indeed wrong. Shrugging internally, he slowly walked to another thicket, searching for a familiar scent. He wasn’t prone to traveling far from the portal, so it should be close. Ah, there. He dove into the dense growth of bushes, and, after fighting through roots and leaves, stepped onto a path. He returned into the bushes, and once he saw the Others, he meowed and disappeared into the bushes again. It was the path to the portal, and he was looking forward to a visit to Daoine's. Paws stepped lightly over the dusty path as he moved further onto the path. It would be painful if Ilire were to erupt through the bushes and trip over Aiden.

[Sanura]

Sanura laughed gently, involuntarily, as Ilire repeated what she had said and did a quick turn-around. During this time she also noticed Aiden shifting, but decided it might be best for her to remain as she was, lest they alarm the demon any more than they already had. "I'm not usually in my human form," she explained. "My primary form is that of a feline. . . Shifter thing," she added, hoping he wouldn't think that even stranger than the changing body forms. Aiden's mew caught her attention and she grinned, nodding at the cat to Ilire. "He's found the portal, so let's go." Before letting her body's make up blend and stretch, Sanura added an apology. "I'm sorry if it freaks you out to see people turn into animals, it's just easier and less taxing for me to be in a feline form." With that being said, she turned away from him and willed her body to change, following Aiden through the bushes. She hissed involuntarily as a branch came towards her face, brushing against her whiskers uncomfortably. I don't miss fighting through brush, as much as I missed this place, she thought as she came behind Aiden, checking over her shoulder to check that Ilire was following. Hopefully he hadn't thought them too strange and was planning to leave them immediately - he seemed pretty nice, and Sanura was hoping to make new friends now that she was back in Elysia. Can't exactly do that if you scare them all, she thought, her mind laughing at her. [[Table by me]] [[cat image]]

ooc. Does someone want to start in the Cafe?