In the Woods || Open

[John Alexander]

A faint creaking was the sign of stress on the aging branches of the oak as John attempted to scale it. His hands were surprisingly gentle, given how powerful they were, and the amount of bark raining on the grass below was minimal. His beige cargo pants were loose enough not to restrict his range of motion, which was helpful, due to his freerunning. His sunglasses were folded and placed in the inside pocket of his light black jacket, revealing his pair of silvery eyes, reflecting the light like those of a wolf. His night vision allowed him to see as if it wasn't dark on that night.

Another average night. But who could look at the sky on that night and think that it was anything less than a spectacular night? The stars blazed overhead, only outshined by the half-moon which bathed the dark blue forest in silver. John was one of the few who could always appreciate the beauty of the night, as much as any normal person appreciated the beauty of a sunrise. From where he sat, on one of the higher branches of the tree, he could see a good deal of that sky, the moon as bright as the midday sun to his eyes. In the time since he'd lived in Arizona, he had seen many such nights, but rarely ones as serene as this.

The city bordering the preserve was as loud as ever, full of people going about their lives, most of which were less than wholesome if they were out as late as this. John was almost always out this late, for similar reasons to the one that he was out on that particular night. Fewer people, less light, and the privacy that came with it.

He turned his eyes from the sky, as he heard something on the ground below.

[Antoinette Albany]

Antoinette sighed. This isn't satisfying, she thought to herself as she walked through the empty park. There were a few trees. Of course, they didn't have much green on them. No plants here did, or at least not the ones that Antoinette saw. She growled, brows furrowed as she stepped on a twig, purposefully. This human form was so boring! Compared to what she could do in her panther form, anyways. She had made a goal tonight, not to shift. So far, she'd put up a good struggle.

Everything was so.. clouded. Her sense of smell, hearing. Antoinette shook her head, gaze falling as she made her way silently toward the edge of the so called park. "Ugh," Antoinette said, her voice just above a whisper. With that, she took off with a running start. There were more trees, past the park, she realized, and without hesitation, she shifted into a panther mid jump. She felt so powerful in this form, so free. It was only once she was sheltered by the many old trees that she stopped, finally noticing the brightness of the stars as she glanced upward. However, there were two other circular figures, two bright and close together to be stars. Instantly Antoinette dropped, lips peeled to reveal teeth much whiter than the normal animal's.

With a snarl, she leapt to the lowest branch, tail curling behind her. She continued upward until she was nearly level with the person, if not a bit higher. And with that, she shifted back to her human form. She was wearing the outfit she usually did at night, when she went out in her panther form. Black shorts and a bathing suit top to match. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced down at the person, her hair falling over her shoulders.

"And who might you be?"

[John Alexander]

He watched with narrowed eyes as the creature... seriously? A panther in the nature preserve?... He watched as it scaled the tree with the ease of a cat, his alarm nonexistant. After all, in the darkness, there was nothing that could harm him. He was safe as long as the sun was below the horizon. He did blink in surprise as he was suddenly confronted, not by a panther, but by a girl. She was a teenager, perhaps three or four years his junior, and she had inquisitive eyes with a touch of wildness in them, as if the instincts of the cat had carried over from her previous form. His dark eyebrows lifted with the barest hint of surprise.

"Seems that's the question I should be asking you," he said, his eyes steady as they met hers.

His eyes were unique, with no apparent pupil in the silvery lavender color that made up his irises. They were usually hidden, as he was usually hidden, but one couldn't help but be struck by his eyes when they actually were shown. Equally striking was his voice, rarely heard but equally unique. The low tenor sounded as if it had a growl to it, along with a gentle rasp which spoke of a good length of time since he had last spoken to anyone.

The girl, however, was an oddity in and of herself. Apparently, she had some sort of transformation ability, and she was far too curious and confident for her own good. Even he wouldn't just wander up to a random stranger and ask for their name, and he looked like he had a good hundred pounds on her, not to mention his powers. He had to admire the confidence, even if he felt it to be a tad foolish.

[Antoinette Albany]

The creature that sat below her in the tree seemed to be a human, but his glowing eyes said otherwise. Maybe he was sort of like her, human, just gifted with a special ability. Glancing up at the sky, a smile set upon her lips. This night was so serene, like nothing could disrupt the peace. Antoinette's gaze fell to the person below her in the tree.

"Seems that's the question I should be asking you," A giggle passed her lips, however, the tone of his voice stopped it. Hmm. The permanent tail that sat behind her curled and uncurled, one brow raised, the other positioned normally as she glanced at the human. Curiosity killed that cat, not this cat, Antoinette thought.

"You can call me Panthera," Antoinette purred. "Maybe later you'll learn more." Her eyes narrowed slightly. A hand ran through Antoinette's red hair as she sighed once more. "But that all depends on your attitude." Another giggle slipped her lips, though she automatically bit her lip and held her breath, an obvious attempt to be serious.

She lowered her stance from a squatting position. Antoinette was now laying on the branch, one hand kept her head propped up as she waited for an answer. What is with this guy? She thought to herself. With his strange eyes and mysterious voice. She couldn't really see all too good at night in her human form, but she could put out his figure. Just not the details. But it wasn't like those would be important, at least not right now.

[John Alexander]

"Uh-huh," he grunted indifferently, his eyes flat as he looked at her for a moment.

He stood without another word and dropped from the branch, one hand catching on it to break his fall before he dropped himself to the next enormous limb of the tree. He descended rapidly, with a grace that seemed unnatural to his great size. At last, his feet touched the ground quietly, and he stood, his full six and a half foot frame becoming apparent in the dim moonlight. His square jaw and thick muscles gave him a harsh and dangerous silouette in the darkness, but there was no menace in the way he carried himself, just a smooth confidence and a lithe way of moving.

He didn't care to get to know this girl, not because of anything she'd done, though her enthusiastic and bubbly demeanor wasn't something he was used to dealing with, but because of past experience. He didn't get to know people. He didn't trust people. People betrayed you. People who didn't betray you got hurt by just being around you. It was a jaded and bitter way to see the world, but he'd learned it over the years, not leaving him as a personable individual. He continued through the forest, away from her and her friendliness.

The judging moon stared down at him, berating his rudeness, but he tried to ignore the guilt he felt creeping over him, as well as the loneliness he would deny feeling.