The Cat Meets the Countess -)(- A Log

[Arcadia Caughey]

JOHN:  John had been home a few days, almost a week, maybe. And since being home, his panther hadn't had much room to move. Much room to run, sure the farmland was good, and it had its land, but none the less, freedom was what he wanted. Well, more time out without one of the nieces and nephews following, and having already gotten a deer back on the farm land, he decided a good long run through the woods would be the best thing for him, and everyone really. So it was because of this, he escaped his now sister’s lands and headed out full speed through the thicket and bramble into the surrounding woods. Gods it felt amazing to feel the wind whip through his short fur, the black of his coloring helping him to blend in with the dimming light of the near setting sun. Coming up to a small hill he looked about and let his blue hues shift along the sights he could make out in the dim light, lifting his nose to take in the surrounding scents. yes he needed this, badly. Very badly.

ARCADIA speaking of wind, the wind that was formerly little more than a lazy winter breeze was picking up enough that what wayward leaves were left on the trees were in danger of being swept away from the nearly barren branches.  on the back of that wind, clouds followed.  the sun was nearly set, the chances of any of its rays being in a position to shine upon her skin were little, but she was not arcadia if she wasn't cautious.  as it was her wind, it carried upon the air a very particular scent - a very peculiar blends of scents, actually.  the sweet lush scents of nature in the spring which was the scent that arcadia had carried with her ever since she was born, the invigorating freshness of the air that had become part of her scent since she was wed to the wind, and something more primal, more beastly, that had been part of her for just over a decade since she'd been given the blood.  oddly, some of the wind that blew about was retreating and going back in the direction from whence it came.  carrying back to arcadia a lay of the land and its odor, so to speak, so that she knew what creatures were about, and what of nature needed tending on this night.  for that was why she was here, truly.  to serve this land in the months that were most difficult for the great elder trees in these woods.  there was no doubt that her wind would bring scent of him back to her nostrils.  as for the strength of her own scent if it hit upon his nose...she was not far off.  and coming from the west.

JOHN: John hadn't expected much but a good run, a new land to learn the lay of, and.... that scent came upon him. Slowly, and faintly at first. A light sneeze from taking in too much of its pleasant odor. He drew in another deep breath of it and the direction he had intended to go was looked towards. Another deep inhale and that scent was fading. Pulling back... blues searched the trees, the brush and the fauna that milled about here and there. Taking a slow lazy stretch, with such cat like grace he righted himself and turned, no longer heading to the East, but instead turning to follow that scent, not in a quick manner, no no. One can't be to greedy when they smelled a scent that was.... so odd at this time of year. Slowing to a light saunter he stopped about 200 feet from where he had been and took in another deep breath of the air. Opening his mouth a bit to allow his olfactory sense located there take in any hidden scents his nostrils missed.

ARCADIA: the wind continued to blow, east to west, helping the night to grow darker as it obscured what little sunlight had been casting its glow.  but once that happened, how strange the movement of the wind became - or rather, winds.  one blowing west to east still, yes, but also now, a wind that came from north to south, warring against a wind from south to north, and perhaps worst and strangest of all was a wind that seemed to wish nothing more than to circle the area as if it aspired to become a tornado someday.  tampering with the scents of the area, that is what arcadia was doing.  crashing the scents to the north with the south and the west and mixing them up into a jumble that would make it rather hard to tell here from there when it came to what one could smell upon the wind.  a clever little creature, that was caddy.  all the while she was still on the move.  her relationship to the earth beneath her feet was truly unfair on occasions like this, as she inherently knew just where to step to make as little sound as possible, if there was any sound at all.  violet eyes were watchful of the area, easily adjusting to the darkening of the night, as she continued to move east but also just slightly south of the path she'd taken before.  even still.  even with all that cleverness, if he were not moving she may have missed the darkness of his fur against this backdrop.  she waited until he'd walked past where she was to move around to where he'd just been only moments ago.  watching him as he tasted the air.  taking this moment when he didn't realize she was there to study him carefully, curiously, with a cryptic little smile upon her face that was far wiser than the years she looked.  "yours is not the type of scent that walks these woods often."  the wind died down just in time for her to speak those words, her smooth brogue as calm and reserved as it was rhythmic.  if he turned to face her, he'd find her not particularly tall, 5'6'' only because of the help from the stout heel of her knee high black boots.  her stockings were as blue as a robin's egg, her dress likewise black - and high waisted in a youthful cut to again highlight her youthful features for strategic reasons.  over it, she wore a long grey coat.  tonight her indigo black hair was pulled in a pony tail, and she had a well worn brown drawstring pack slung over one shoulder.  arms were currently folded across her chest, she was purposefully taking a stance that was casual.

JOHN: Oh those winds, those dastardly winds. They weren’t moving how wind should. One direction, at one time. Well, except for hurricanes, those were different, and well a few other natural things but he wasn't busting out semantics. That smell picked up, then faded, but the winds handn't. When he thought he had it figured out, he didn't it would change. His eyes lingered over the woods a moment while he thought curiously. The smell had come and gone somewhere, and this wind wasn't normal, but it wasn't abnormal and that irked him too. As the wind began to pick up, spin and jumble the leaves about he crouched lower towards the ground. Letting his eyes try and pick up what was a mess, the smell momentarily forgotten, moving forward he settled on that spot to take another deep breath, slightly opening his mouth, letting the scent fill his mouth and tease the roof of it. And just when the winds died down, that voice came through. It had been awhile since anyone had gotten the slip on him, but perhaps, well, perhaps this was a different circumstance. John heard the accent, and the human in him melted instantly, but the panther in him, the panther didn't fall for such silliness. That was probably all that kept him from falling over his words, turning his eyes took her in. A respectful look over her, he was human, and well not Clark, but he also looked for weapons, anything that could bring him harm. Being happened upon in the woods was something his sister had warned him about, and here it happened, but I mean... look at her. It could have been worse right? His words were a bit clipped, but she would be able to understand them, even if some seemed more or less pronounced fully than others. "Yours is not the scent I most often find in the woods." Least this time of year, or so.. alluringly anyway.

ARCADIA: that cryptic smile remained.  the more beastly side of her was enjoying watching this one move and lean into his senses in such a way.  there were far too many creatures of all types that leaned back from such things, tried to normalize themselves as much as possible, downplay such fascinating and unique talents, it was nice to stumble upon one who seemed to be doing just the opposite.  violet eyes watched him giving her a look over, and while he did it she did not move a muscle nor say a word.  he'd find no weapons upon her, not visible ones at least, as her lips were closed and her magic invisible unless one was sensitive to those sort of energies.  arcadia's magic could be sensed as a low hum that seemed to come up from the earth and wind its invisible vibrations inside and around her like living vines.  how appropriate.  ancient energies.  "well we often set out unsure of what we're huntin' for, aren't we?"  that cryptic smile grew, just a little, after she said that.

JOHN: He was letting his senses tell him what was going on, something he found far more useful than shying away as many had tried to tell him to do. So far, he hadn't died, so there was a bonus right? Taking in a slow breath he tried again until the winds stopped and her voice carried. He wasn't going to give up the game he was human, not yet. His eyes looked over her, and he didn't see any weapons upon her, a good thing, though he knew from past experience, they could be hidden. His eyes shifted along her a moment, and he could sense something about her, he didn't know what. It wasn't bad either, it seemed to be a bit pleasing in that puzzle way. Hearing her he looked over the woods about them a moment and then back to her. "Well, as luck would have it, you have happened upon me post meal, or have I happened upon you?" He arched a feline brow in curious thought. She studied her a moment and took slow cautious steps towards her, and unless she stopped him he would move to circle her, not in a predatory way, but in a way to ensure he was safe, moving to sit with feline grace before her, that tail giving a slow twitch to and fro.

ARCADIA: "is one circumstance mutually exclusive of the other?"  offered with a smooth, slight shrug of her shoulder, the first moment she'd made since he'd set eyes upon her.  he had happened upon her, as much as all manner of creatures and circumstances happened upon her when she sent her winds through wildlands.  slender brow lifted slightly as he moved toward her, but she stayed where she was, and her arms stayed folded across her chest.  the only sign that he should take caution was a sudden burst of wind - this one was localized, originating from the very air around her, and as he circled it followed, blowing in the space between them.  had he tried to get any closer to her, he would have found that wind all too ready to push him back.  she was not one who cared to be touched without invitation.  "y' certainly wished to happen upon me though, aye?"  with the way he was tasting the air, she knew he'd caught her scent.  and he could have chose to run off and avoid her, but there he sat.  her violet eyes regarding him thoughtfully as she considered his behavior and approach, and against her better judgment she could not help but ask, "have ye found trouble in these woods before, that you're so cautious when y' stumble on a lass takin' an evenin' stoll?"  so she was selling herself grossly short by calling herself simply a lass.  she had her reasons.

JOHN: Hearing her question he thought a moment, studying her a moment and that slight shrug of her shoulder. "Depends on the individual I would imagine" he offered easily. But he did move towards her, cautiously mind you. not all beautiful lasses were created equal, or equally safe. But he thought a moment as he studied her in his approach, blues not normal the species shifted over her before he took that walk, feeling the wind, he hadn't even tried to waver in his path before he moved to take a seat before her. Looking over her as he took in a slow breath, catching her scent being nearer her presence. But hearing her question he studied her a moment. "Your scent is intriguing, tempting." He thought about those words and much like bagheera, his face was easy to read his brows scrunched slightly trying to better word that. "What I mean is, it stood out, in a pleasant way from the flora and fauna about here. I wanted to know if its source was as pleasing to the soul as her scent was to the nose." Yeah she was foxy, don't get him wrong, but he knew better than to judge books, that got him halfway through fifty shades before he was tossing it into the fire. Cause, yeah, f-ck that book. But with his words better stated, and making her think herself less of a meal he heard her next question and his tail shifted from his left side to his right, curling at his feet where the tip twitched like a clock pendulum. "Truth be told, it is my first time in these woods. Though, in my experience, one should never be to trusting of those they happen upon. And never mind the ones that literally freak the fuck out when a black cat crosses their path. Literally that's their focus, not that it's a panther, or oh god, it talks... nope.. just that I am black. Really? Even animals, it's a color thing" He offered, there might have even been a laugh, as much as a panther could muster mind you. "John by the way. My grams always said to give your name to pretty ladies." I mean, names might be good to give, eventually.

ARCADIA: and he gained points for that, that he kept the radius of his circle and did not attempt to push in closer.  one might be surprised how quick folks were to press straight up against a young female barely a spit's time after saying hello, and that was the sort of thing that arcadia had little patience for.  his words about her scent clearly didn't surprise her, but they certainly amused her.  if there was any point where she'd thought that he'd meant to make a meal of her, clearly she wasn't worried about such in the least.  "oh aye?  which part of it, then?"  naturally she knew how multi-layered her scent was, both from what she'd been told and also from knowing her multi-faceted nature all too well.  violet eyes dropped, watching the moments of his tail, until he make those remarks about color.  eyes lifted then, to meet his own.  "black cats of any size certainly do not have the best of reputations, john."  it was an agreement, one wrapped up in that faint, dry humor that she had.  the sort of humor that ended in reserved little smiles that showed no teeth instead of grand and foolish grins like her genius relation was wont to flash around.  "just to the pretty ones?  ye can call me arcadia."  it was not her only name, certainly not her oldest name, but it was the one she tended to give when she was in this area.

((. . .to be continued. . .))

[Arcadia Caughey]

JOHN: Well, John didn't like to be crowded, not since he took on all of this.... fun. But he looked to her, he had moved around, keeping his path and then sat, at a space apart that was appropriate. John tended to treat others as he prefered to be treated, pending the circumstances. Sometimes. Nonetheless, to her question he studied her a moment while he drew in another open mouth breath of her to take in all of the scents offered to him. He even closed his eyes, permitting the scents to tell him their maker best they could. When those blues opened again he looked square towards her. "I think it is the Hyacinth that brought me closer, along with a small few handful of others that call the winter slumberers from their nests." He offered as he let out a slow breath to clear his nostrils. His tail twitched, not in a nervous manner, quite the contrary, it was moving with idle patience, perhaps even mild enjoyment of the conversation he was having. he looked to her when she said that about the black cats he gave a nod. "Black sheep too... poor fellows." He even gave his own cat like grin. But he liked the dry smirks she gave, it was enough to hint she was humored without pasting it out there. Subtle was good, he enjoyed subtle more often than not. letting those blues shifted to look at the lack of light he just noticed, at least sunlight, but it didn't stop either of them as those hues settled upon her once more as she asked if it was just the pretty ones. "Everyone’s soul is beautiful in their own way, so yes, just the pretty ones." He flashed a toothy grin before he rose and stretched again, splaying out those taloned paws before he sat in a princely fashion. "But it is a pleasure to meet you Arcadia." He even bowed his head to her in a sign of respect for her as a human being.

ARCADIA: "aye, sheep as well.  and the crows and ravens, their lot is little better." birds that few with the omens of man weighing down their wings.  there was a specific reason she'd asked him that - to see if the predator within her was of any consequence to her, if he had even caught that layer in her scent.  to hear the notes of nature he'd caught within the scent of her was fascinating, however.  "you have strong sense of smell."  the obvious was observed as she crouched down, one knee kissing the ground.  the same distance between them, though she did lean forward to draw a circle a few inches in front of her, her finger pushing away wayward leaves and twigs as she did so.  "do ye know what pretty soul is waitin' out its winter slumber here, just beneath the dirt?"  perhaps this was her manner of bow, for she was never the sort who followed manners in a way that was proper.  she was a bit too...stoic and distant for that.

JOHN: He looked towards her, studying her a moment, hearing her response he let it marinate in his brain a few moments. "But the crows and ravens wear their black cloaks to hide the weight of the world, or so a professor once convinced me." He offered as he studied her a moment. He caught a lot, but he answered her question truthfully, not taking a note of anything he wished to go after or worry over. Her scent was pleasant and it eased his senses enough to tell him she wasn't one he should worry about, until he should worry about her. For that he let his guard down a bit as she lowered to the crouch. Watching her knee press to the ground he studied her further and when she asked him that he watched her hands move things from the way of the ground. He looked to the trees about and then to where she played with the leaves, he lowered to lay down and in doing so closed the distance with his long body and sniffed at the ground some before his head lifted some and held her gaze a moment. "As good as my nose my be it does not tell me what lies there, but if I had to guess it would be another of these oaks to join its family here?" He wasn't sure, he wasn't taking horticulture. But he did take that time to shift to his human form, the jeans he wore fit just right but hung just low enough to give him the movement to bend as he looked to the ground. yeah, John still hadn't figured out the good segway into hey look what I can do.

ARCADIA: "how poetic of your professor."  a casual observance, it was hard to tell what she felt about his professor's views on the matter.  after all, her point of focus the vast majority of the time was on the things that grew from the earth, not the creatures that flew over it.  once her circle was drawn in the earth she sat back, folding her arms on her knee and watching him creep closer to put his nose over the spot.  "a fine wager, but no.  there are trees enough that surround us, and if ye give a look up to their branches and imagine we are in the thick of summer, ye can almost see how even lush with leaves where we sit remains uncovered by their canopy.  this makes this a spot ripe for the ferns and wildflowers to grow."  her violet eyes had lifted to the cloudy sky above when she said that, so there was certainly surprise flickering across her features when she looked back down and found that john had elected to take human shape.  "i didn't think there was many a panther that would go by the name of john."  lips quirked into a conservative smile, and she added, "violets. that's what lay under the ground beneath your nose, and i am one of the earth's servants who can come to the plant's aid if she finds herself strugglin' to grow."  which is why spring lived in her veins, so to speak.

JOHN: He looked over her, watching her a moment. "Well, it was american lit, but he also taught a philosophy class." Which made sense now that she pointed that out, he was quick, but sometimes things got stuck in the cracks. However John was watching her, the way she acted, spoke and the ease with which she seemed around him, in the middle of a forest. I mean Blair witch anyone? But no, she was calm and settled and it only aided him to be such. Listening as she spoke, his ears flicked some and then settled as he listened about the wildflowers, and when she looked up he hadn't noticed she wasn't looking so well, they were both human and he looked over her as she said that about the panther and the name. "Well, I mean it would make sense. Why give your real name when you can simply be John Doe?" he asked arching his brow easily as he smiled to her. He looked to the violets or what would be when spring came and he heard her speak of what she was. He.. well he for one was at a loss as to what to say for a moment as he looked about the area. "Would you might perhaps walking with me? telling me more about that? I mean, given your job can't be easy I don't want to pull you from your duties, but... for as much time as I spend out in nature having one of her helpers as a friend wouldn't be a bad thing in my eyes. if I am not imposing." He well he had manners thank you.

ARCADIA: "mm." a non-committal reply to the information about his class.  arcadia was a curious sort when it came to things like that, she tended to shy away from any situation that had a crowd or an organized mission.  besides nightclubs.  she rather liked nightclubs.  a wry look given to his comment about names.  "because one isn't afraid of bein' hunted down by stray lasses they meet in the woods?"  there was something to her smile when she said that, however. a reserved brand of mischief.  behind closed lips, her tongue lazily rolled against the sharpness of one of her eyeteeth - a secret punchline to her comment that she was sharing only with herself.  "aye, that can be arranged."  except she was doing the opposite of standing up.  leaning forward once more, she brushed away the dead leaves and twigs from the area she'd earlier circled.  palm pressing against the ground, there was no hiding the golden shine that came from her hand.  the scent of spring would grow stronger as that golden light channeled from her and into the earth.  warming the ground, bringing it to the sweeter temperature that was the feature of april or may, so she might stir the roots beneath the dirt and entice them to grow.  as she slowly drew her hand away, he would be able to watch the green shoots growing up in time with her gesture, so very much faster than would happen if left to its own devices, and naturally not something that would happen in this month of cold winter.  arcadia drew her hand back, she even stood and brushed off her knees, and the plant continued to grow until it was a healthy, blooming violet.  to do that with one plant, the energy was not so great that it would change her appearance in any way.  "shall we then?"  her look of expectation suggesting that she thought him to be the one to pick a direction.

JOHN: John was watching her, curiosity playing his eyes as he took her in. She was something, it was more than beauty, he admired the free spirit she seemed to just radiate. The thought of that made an absent smile pass his lips as he looked over the surrounding area a moment. "Sometimes one just likes to toe the line of sanity and trust that pretty lasses in the woods won't shank them with the nearest tree branch. And given I don't see one in your hand and you might have smiled once or twice. i think I might be doing good with my judgement call.... so far." He winked, yes he did, it was quick and slight and meant with humor. He continued to watch her, intrigued a bit by her and the way she acted and reacted. Watching her fingers move the underbrush away and then slowly grow the smell filled his nostrils as it became fuller in the air. It was damn near intoxicating given how close he was to her and what she was doing. It caused and lazy growl to pass his lips in enjoyment of it. his eyes couldn't turn from what she was doing, watching the green shoots risse forward and the blooming violets added to the smells, his eyes looked from the plants back towards her and when she asked if they shall he thought a moment. Sniffing the air, that smell still fresh he had to shake his head a bit to clear his mind then walked in the direction it appeared she had been going in. "I didn't think I would find someone when I was out here, and yet I can't be upset that I did run into someone.”

ARCADIA: "oh i would never pull a branch from a tree just give someone a smack with it."  her smooth brogue was waving off that notion with casual effortlessness, but when her eyes landed on his there was a distinct mischief in them.  "not when the tree can be asked to take care o' the swattin' on my behalf."  her gaze wandered then, traveling innocently over the thick of trees that surrounded them.  so many trees, so many branches, so many potential directions for a thwack to come from.  she had heard his growl, while she was bringing the violet from the earth, and no doubt it pleased her to be in the company of someone who appreciated her work and the nature that sprung from it as a result.  when he chose their direction, she followed.  footfall almost soundless, which was quite a skill considering the ground was littered with the remains of leaves and twigs that had been shed last fall.  depending on their proximity, if one was near enough to arcadia they could always feel the tendrils of the wind that surrounded her like an invisible aura lazily wafting around her, noticeable in the same subtle way that one might notice a draft.  "what were ye hopin' to gain from solitary company?"

JOHN: Hearing her about the tree John looked towards her a moment.  When her eyes landed on his he didn't turn away, he seemed to look into them with a curiosity that made him want to know more about her no matter he got thwhacked by a branch or not. He would take the swat. Depending on his mood, he might even ask for another. But that's a story for another day perhaps. he held his own mischief, almost taking the bait to tempt the fates but he resisted and looked over the forest as she did. He had always enjoyed being out, alone and in nature, though his journeys ended in cool findings of various animal skulls, they didn't usually have him wandering through the forest with a woman he just met with an accent that made his mind want to let his blood wander lower. Good thing he was able to hold those thoughts at bay, amiright? The growl couldn't be helped, the scent she carried seemed to cause him to let free the walls that normally kept his beast a bit more at bay. The fact those limbs sprouted up was another part of her that intrigued him in multiple ways. As they walked he heard her question and thought a moment. "Initially i went for a hunt, and when that was done I needed to run. Just.... be. Which was when I happened on you... though a part of me gets the feeling it wasn't mere happenstance that causes you to be walking beside me, silently might I add. Impressive, and mildly unnerving." He flashed a bit of a grin because to a point it was, but he was a cat so silent stalking sort of made sense to him. Slightly.

ARCADIA: "mm." a quiet, thoughtful sound as she digested his response.  for the most part, her eyes were on the way ahead of them, for no other reason than habit.  she was always watchful when in the wild, and taking careful note of the state of things was why she was there, after all.  "do ye have trouble just bein' when others are present, then?"  only an inference, based on how he'd fashioned his answer.  a soft, melodic laugh briefly colored the air, the amusement clear on her features when she glanced over at him.  "unnerving, is that right?  if one were t' stroke another's body as far as they could reach, their fingers would know the texture of the flesh and the landscape of the body in a way far more intimate than their eyes could inform them.  in such a way, like the touch of fingers to flesh, i can read the land stretchin' around us."  which is why she knew exactly where and where not to step.  of course, the preternatural grace her blood afforded her only helped when it came to the stealth department.  arcadia still gave no outward hint that she was a vampire, she was always quite skilled that way when it came to things that she didn't care to share.  "if it wasn't happenstance, what do you think it to be?"

JOHN: Her quiet response didn't have his eyes looking to her, he took it for what it was, a response of one considering things. made sense to him. John was a bit distracted by her, her scent kept finding his nose and it was enjoyable to him and cause his mind to wander in thought at the tones within it. "Since the change yes. The smells, the sounds, the busy of it all. Since I was turned it has been a lot to take in and get used to and I find myself just....enjoying being in solitude more. Long walks on the beach sort." he offered absently not even minding how cliche it sounded aloud. Her laugh was a whole new music to his ears and for a brief moment she might see that kid on christmas morning cover his face but he was good in recovering it, and clearing his throat to wash away a slight frog that might have been forming and he blushed because he caught himself getting slightly flustered. however those words she spoke. Oh, those toyed with his senses, and the descriptions allowed his brain to build that picture in his head. He had to clear his throat again and shift in his walk as he cracked his neck a bit. yup just gonna shake that one off, try not to think about that, goats and pigs, goats and pigs, just keep saying it. "With a description like that I can understand how silently you walk. I envy whomever gets to experience it though." Okay, so he just, his mouth, it got in the way sometimes. His steps were not nearly as artful or well placed as hers and he sounded on the right side of an elephant tiptoeing through a jungle. However, hearing her words he thought a moment. "Well, the cliche part of me says fate, but that seems to obvious, so perhaps we should land on curiosity brought you before me? or I before you, either way."

ARCADIA: "aye, of course."  said with the sort of confidence that came from experiencing similar first hand.  when she was first turned, the days were turbulent at best, and utter chaos at their worst.  a terrible time for her, when she was a creature who prided herself on having an unprecedented level of willpower and restraint.  it was no small feat to be filled with the wild energy of nature and yet radiate an energy of calm reserve.  "bein' alone in a settin' that feels like home to you and your changes is restorative, aye, but it won't make your time at more bustlin' locations among the thick of people any easier.  food for thought," she added with a light shrug of her shoulder.  violet eyes glancing over at him once more, a slight smile playing upon her lips.  his blush was easily caught - when blood flowed to the cheeks it was always a welcome sight to her eyes.  "more than ye might think."  those cryptic words lingered in the air for a moment with no further explanation, and forward the conversation went to another matter entirely. "and how you walk the ground suggests that your change was recent?  i mean no offense, but i would expect more poise from a man whose long moved about in the shape of a large cat."

JOHN: He nodded to her of course. His eyes looking over the woods, taking in the views he could see. But it had been a bit of a change and one he was still at times working to control in the stressful situations. Though her words about being alone in a setting that felt like home would be good it wouldn't help with the hustle and bustle he thought a moment and looked towards her a moment. "Not, it doesn't but it makes the times I have no choice but to be there easier to handle." There were times when he couldn't get away, couldn't get out and run, feel the air against his fur and the dirt beneath the pads of his feet. That feeling was an addiction to him one he was also trying to keep in check. Right now he was trying to keep himself in check as her words had stirred him a bit more than perhaps one without the accent would have. But wow, yeah... he focused real hard on repeating his mantra to keep himself from getting too lost, her voice was what pulled him a bit from it as she said more than he might think, she was a vixen as she wasn't helping his matters even if she didn't know it. Lost in his befuddlement he heard her about the change he cleared his throat and stopped walking as he looked to her. Taking in a deep breath to settle himself, or try poorly too. "I have to admit, your words, perhaps even your.... aura have me a bit out of sorts and dare I wound my pride and admit nervous. i fear I am not normally this... fat footed." he offered, there would perhaps even be a hint of a blush at admitting his befuddled state. however, digging deep he cleared his throat and looked towards her.

ARCADIA: "aye.  easier to find center among others when your own center is firmly rooted." it was something that she too had to work for, especially these days when she spent so much time at the clinic with donald, or at various fancy functions with adrian.  more people than she'd ever care to be around, truly, but arcadia's sense of duty and her passion ran deep, and honoring those sometimes meant situations that she found taxing.  "my words?"  a curious look was cast at him then, as inwardly she wondered if she'd allowed her thrall to creep into her voice.  but no, arcadia was too careful for that, and simply didn't realize the effect that her presence and demeanor could have on others.  another soft and brief laugh followed, arcadia's eyes rolling up at the sky with an amused shake of her head.  "and my aura?  i certainly hope not - when it comes to my aura i've got a lid on it so tight that i promise you your senses are only catchin' glimpses."  so if mere glimpses had such an effect on him, she could only imagine how he might react if she dropped the spell she used to mute her true appearance and energies.  "i used to make the wee folk of these woods nervous - the small fae," she translated that with a glance over at him, not wanting to assume he knew about them.  "they enlisted the help of a wizard to take care of the powerful scary dryad in their midst.  but i'm no dryad...and they're not scared of me anymore.  really it was a big misunderstandin'."

(( . . . to be continued . . .))

[Arcadia Caughey]

JOHN: John looked to her a moment with a nod, turning his head forward once more he thought. "It's the simple things my grams would say." He offered a bit off handedly, his eyes were looking through the darkness a scent caught on the wind but no where near then brushed off, happily fed from his last hunt. So, at least that part of him was settled, so that was good right? His eyes looked outwardly and he was thinking a bit more on his present predicament. normally so much easier to control his thoughts, and not be a 14 year old boy all over again. Was it her, was it him, was it a combo of the two? Probably, but then again that wasn't impossible in the slightest. Hearing her give those words of the glimpses he took in a slow breath. "Then i dare say i am envious all the more then." he was grinning a bit more playfully, flirty but not obnoxiously so. "Though, the adventurer in me dares to ask just how much of a slice of heaven unlocking that lid would be." Well, least he had the balls to say it, though he wasn't asking for it, just saying it. While they were paused he looked over her as she said that about the fae and the woods, his eyes turning left then right about them to look over the woods as if he would actually see them. "Well, then it is a good thing, to have a compromise, or understanding, or exactly whatever it was that you have." he smiled to her, but he was thinking a moment before he finally answered her earlier question. "I was turned at the start of my freshman year, so three years ago." He realized it was because of him they stopped so he continued them in their walk once more, letting his eyes linger ahead of them a bit in thought of it all.

ARCADIA: her lips curled with one of her knowing little smiles. "in that instance ye have precious few to be envious of, that's not a lid i take off often in the presence of others.  it's a rather...potent thing t' experience, and the slackjaws, wide eyes, and frozen tongues are hard for a lass to weather when she doesn't like to be the center of attention."  so in that way, the 'more than you might think' club of folk were the ones who experienced the touch and result of her actual fingers and the sensual energy that poured from her when she was feeding.  she was a handsy one, during all that.  but those she fed from seemed to enjoy it too much to mind.  a smile that was almost large enough to show her teeth followed when she caught him looking around the woods.  "few wee folk flit about at night...too many predators skulkin' about.  ye should keep an eye out for their faery circles, though, while you're runnin' through the woods - they get a bit bent out of shape if they're trampled or trespassed, and their brand of retaliation is nothin' to sniff at."  eyes turning to the way ahead, she nodded at how long ago he was turned.  that she would not have expected, from his behavior with her tonight. but, then again, he had said she made him nervous.

JOHN: hearing her about the precious few he studied her a moment. he swallowed a bit and took in a deep settling breath as he studied her. A slow cat ate the canary grin settled over his lips, such a tempting thought." Oh and it was, but he also wasn't sure she was offering, or if it was a good thing, so he wasn't all, hands up like ah-oh... However that smile that covered her lips had him making a small one of his own, thinking it quite the accomplishment to make such happen. He had looked at the woods, why not? He just watched her grow a bush flower, thing like it was nothing, you bet your ass he was gonna be looking for anything he might not think he would see. However, her warning brought an arch to his brow. "A who?" Yeah, that one confused him, he had no idea what that was and wanted to find out so he didn't do anything like that. She made him nervous, an odd feeling he was trying to calm down. Deep breaths, calming breaths, was it working? He was trying so, I mean yeah... not very well. Clearing his throat he looked ahead letting his gaze find focus out in the darkness and pull his mind that way rather that the fact he got a bit closer without thought and her windy forcey stuff was there, feeling it on his arm he widened the gap and looked towards her a moment in thought. After that brief mind clearing his steps seemed a bit better placed but he wasn't cured per say. "If I forget my manners, I want to thank you for walking with me, even if I am a bit awkward, I swear it will pass." he wasn't pleased with himself at the nerves he had for absolutely no reason other than she smelled nice, get a grip buffalo bill.

ARCADIA: there was something in his energy, or perhaps his scent, or perhaps even something as subtle as how his heart beat in his chest that drew her eyes over at him in time to see that smile.  she arched her brow at him, and in that moment her more primal nature got the best of her, the itch to play with him one she didn't ignore.  "john." the way she spoke his name, it purred off her tongue with power that would - fun enough - almost feel like he was stroked by unseen fingers.  she'd let her thrall off her leash, and her smooth brogue had a luring, captivating quality to a degree that was much more pronounced than before.  "you're quite welcome, but be careful.  it's not wise to wish for things that would get ye in deep over your head." as if to illustrate her point in perhaps the most devious of ways, arcadia sent her wind after him as she said that, the tendrils of air that wafted around her aura now breezing in his direction, slithering up one arm and round the back of his neck much like a snake before it moved off into a regular breeze.  and then, that demeanor was turned off, like a switch, with arcadia looking at the road once more and the thrall absent from her voice when next she spoke.  "a faery circle john.  their place of power, and sanctuary.  some are marked in a way the eyes can see - a circular growth of moss or tall mushrooms, sometimes a collection of rocks - but some of them you have to feel on the air.  a shift in the temperature, suddenly very warm or very cold.  a change to the quality of the air, feeling suddenly lightheaded or deeply heavy.  the change, you see, depends on whether you're dealing with the summer folk or winter."

JOHN: He had given that smile, sometimes he couldn't help it, this time he could, and he he didn't care. Which might have been good or bad for him, time would tell, but given that fact that she said his name, and the way she spoke it had his eyes flaring a bit more focused on her, and a tinge more delight in them. The idea of fingers playing over his skin was something that only enticed a growl saved more for areas that weren't a forest with a woman he had just met. his pupils flared then settled and his eyes couldn't pull from her own. He wasn't ashamed to her see the affects, he had an idea that she wanted to see it anyway. Her warning was met with a look that almost worked to determine how worried he should be about her and her abilities and what he was getting himself into, but that thought was pressed aside as the winds cascaded him in her scent and the feel of it moving along his arms and over his neck, eyes closed and a slow inhale of his breath was given. Goosebumps lined his flesh at the teasing of it before he visibly shook the feeling from his body as if he were letting the feeling settle further into him. The almost whiplash feel of her response though left him a bit heady and slow to focus, so he was only really listening when she said his name and beyond about the circles and he nodded. "I should find someone who knows about these things to teach me more. Wouldn't happen to know anyone willing to put up with a dumb panther while they walk around looking for fairies would you?" he asked. He was serious, and forgive him, being flirty at the same time, though still not that pushy flirty, just the kind that could be taken as humor.

ARCADIA: it would have been hard for him to pull his eyes away from hers anyway, in a moment like that. she caught that flicker of wondering, a sly curl to her lips as she was proud of him for having that very wise second thought.  yet beast as she was, the vampire in her was funneled through her service to nature, and created a creature that was much different than many other vampires when it came to motive and deed.  "aye, ye should.  it's all well and good for folks who get a wild hair up their arse to take a walk in the wood once a year to know next to nothin' about such things, but if you're lookin' to wander the wild often, ye need to know more about the wild in this wild."  an impish look was cast at him.  "for example, ye shouldn't go seekin' the wee folk.  you'll end up in a puddle of trouble.  perhaps even in the literal sense."  turning to face him, arcadia folded her arms across her chest.  violet eyes traveling over him, clearly measuring him up.  "i know someone who knows the wild more deeply than most are ready for."

JOHN: Well, then it was good he didn't mind looking into those violet eyes, those eyes that he seemed to not mind looking at at all. The sly curl was only barely caught in his peripheral vision. The second thought was one that was passing, but it was there so small credit. He wasn't sure if he should, but at the same point he wasn't thinking much on it long as those winds. Hearing her words he looked over her a moment, shaking free the last tendrils of her power, intoxicating as that could be, he was curious if it was something she would delight in doing to him randomly, a large part of him hoped for just that. "Then it is a good thing that I plan to do just that." Learn about the woods about them, he spared them a look, but her eyes, well she captivated his thoughts a bit more heavily than the woods at the moment, and to her words of the wee folk he shook his head. "No, I knew more than a few irish that warned to never think the little folk don't exist." He never asked if they meant fae or leprechauns, he heeded the warning much as a sane individual could. her eyes trailing him as he was measured up seemed to add a mix of confidence and a dash of charm to his smile. She was looking him up, a hot chick did that, go him pat on the back, back to business. "I am almost afraid to ask this, but that wouldn't be you would it?" he asked clearly.

ARCADIA: that knowing little smile was lingering on her lips, as she was watching him do his best to shake off her influence.  she hadn't been kidding when she warned him about sniffing around somewhere where he'd end up in over his head.  an amused cluck of her tongue followed his comment about the irish.  "aye, they're certainly a people driven not to suffer an ounce of mystical anythin' if they can help it, and the result is that they suffer such all the time as they step into situations right and left in their desperate attempt to snoop around and learn how to not step in situations right and left." tricky business, learning one’s way around the mystical creatures and forces. arcadia bit back a grin when he asked her for her assistance outright - an act undertaken so that the sharpness of her eyeteeth would remain hidden from him.  it was not a secret she was willing to spill tonight.  at any rate, the fact that he manned up and asked her directly was a test he passed that he had no idea he was taking.  "i'll consider it.  in the meantime, you best be tellin' me while you're almost afraid."  a pointed look was given to him before she resumed walking in the direction that he had chosen.

JOHN: He saw her smile, and to say it made his own appear he slowly and almost sheepishly before he took a breath and turned his head to avoid the urge. He wasn't saying this was bad, he rather enjoyed it. he was doing his best to just let the ride ease without pushing it away to fast or seeming to savor it to much. It was a hell of a test thank you. But by no means was the man before her complaining about anything. he listened while she spoke about the irish, not an untruth, any of it. The irish he knew where always salt over the shoulder or whatever old wives tail was trending that year. Like cronuts or whatever. But not one to back down from a challenge, probably why, no exactly why he was a panther in the first place, but he did ask for her, outright. Why beat around the bush when you can go straight to the source and get the best teaching possible. hearing that she would even consider it was a godsend, but to her next question he didn't take long to think before he answered. "Because the answer could have been no." Like that was the most logical answer in the world.

ARCADIA: "but if a question is left unasked, the answer is still no, aye?"  asked with a glance over at him.  then her attention turned off the path they were walking, to a three not far off.  an old tree, with an admirably thick trunk, but one an overzealous woodsman had thought could be cut down only to give up not long into the attempt.  a narrow of her eyes was the only window into her inner thoughts upon seeing such negligence.  "the one danger of havin' me as your teacher is that if i'm not kind to those who don't treat the land and its growth with respect.  were i to hear a whisper about misconduct on your part..." she left that sentence unfinished.  and didn't specify who she might hear such whispers from, though the sources were multiple.  a sigh followed as she stood next to the maimed trunk, her frown deep as she petted a hand just above the area.

JOHN: Hearing her question he turned his gaze towards her a moment in curious thought. "it is, not to mention, if you don't ask you don't experience, be it good or bad you learned from it." Oh he sounded much the intellectual in that moment, go college. Though, it didn't make the answer any less true. his hues shifted along her and then towards the partially cut tree, he missed the narrowing of her eyes but he caught her voice and the actions her hands took upon the trunk of the tree near where it was cut. he had never understood things like this. don't bother starting if you couldn't finish, don't hunt if you weren't going to do anything with the animal, so on and so on. her unfinished sentence didn't need to be finished. He didn't want to know the price to pay for maiming her forest, but that didn't stop him from looking her square in the eyes and speaking words he wasn't sure would kill him later or not. "If you ever find me guilty of in fraction that makes the face you have on now, i will gladly bow before you and leave my fate in your hands." he looked to the tree a moment and then towards her. "You don't come across many who give to shits about the land they walk through do you?" he was honestly curious about that.

ARCADIA: when he stepped into her line of sight to catch her eyes, he'd watch her brow slowly lift at the words he spoke.  not because of what he said, but because of who he'd said them to.  "ye should be careful, john, who ye speak oaths to.  i mean that seriously." those who knew arcadia well would have snorted to hear her say that, because how rare it was that she wasn't serious when she spoke with such levity, but john was new to her ways and she wanted to be sure he knew she wasn't kidding.  "depending on the person and their origins, such things are a binding that can't be broken."  which was the case with her because of her origins, as a matter of fact.  "besides.  m' told my standards are impossibly high.  i make this face often."  that was her attempt at humor, as evidenced by the wry smile she gave him.  she turned her attention back to the tree, and her petting hand went still against the bark.  that followed was much the same as when she'd pulled the violet from the earth - the winds which surrounded her stirring the air, and carrying that more fulsome scent of spring.  underneath her hand that was pressed against the bark, the same golden glow, but this time that glow crept up her arm and started to become apparent around the whole of her shape.  trees were larger than violets, after all, and mending more of a challenge than growing.  slowly but surely, however, the bark grew back, starting from the innermost  part of the wound and healing outward.  "i come across enough who don't."

(( . . . to be continued . . .))

[Arcadia Caughey]

JOHN: He did watch her brow slowly lift, something he truthfully had half expected. He almost would have been worried had she not given him a warning, but he was standing there, not backing down from his words. "And I mean what I said." Stupid? potentially, but he also understood things, he got that there were things he didn't know that went with his words, but he also didn't seem to fear it nearly as much as he should. So, that could be good or bad right? But alas, he looked over her when she said that about their origins and he had a feeling those words were given because she just happened to be one of those, he could be smart sometimes. "I don't often break my words, some weird boy scout code I started with myself when I was changed. Gave me reasons to beat the beast and learn to live in harmony with it once it was thrown upon me. Though, her humor wasn't lost and it caused a smile on his own lips, "even that face doesn't knock you down any pegs on the pretty scale" See, it was said so off handedly, it really should have been one of those in your head comments that just sort of feel right on out of his mouth, hate it when that happens. As she was making the winds start, and her scent pick up he watched as she slowly but surely mended the tree, a trick he didn't think he would ever get tired of seeing, but her words, her words reminded him of the fact she was probably right. Too many now cared more about the tv than they did about fresh air and the serenity one gets just sitting next to a stream doing absolutely nothing. So incredibly freeing, and yet so many didn't even try it. "Sadly, that is to true, all I can do is offer you the chance to let me show you, and you accept it. I mean, I did ask you outright to teach me, and if that doesn't say over the top willing to learn, short of kissing her feet and begging he didn't know what else would.

ARCADIA: "i understand that to be true in this case, but i'm speakin' of the future.  take the fae, for example, such bargains and oaths feed their lifeforce and their thirst for mischief, and it's their habit to bargain with the hope that it'll cause chaos for the one who's makin' promises to them."  the fae were a safe answer to give, mostly because she wasn't one of them.  once her healing work began, her violet eyes did not stray from the spot where the tree was wounded.  "aye, it's best to accept one's place in nature, even when where she sees fit to place us has changed. did ye know in the exotic forests, the ones the least traveled by creatures who walk on two feet, it's the prettiest flowers that are usually the most deadly?"  surely she was just  making conversation, though that cryptic little smile had curled its way over her lips again.  she said nothing of whether or not she would approve or deny his request to learn from her, that was a topic that would be revisited after she was done with her work.  healthy bark continued to grow back in the beautiful ancient tree, and the hum of energy that flowed effortlessly up from the earth through arcadia only strengthened the longer the process went on.  by the time the bark had grown back completely, there were telltale golden streaks running through her dark hair, and the coloring of her eyes was as bright a gold as a field of wheat instead of her preferred violet.  "i can only open the channels so wide without it muckin' up my other magic." funny how she came right out and said that, but she'd dealt with it long enough that she knew when her true appearance would start cracking through.

JOHN: John thought a moment as she poke about the fact that she got what he was saying, but she was giving him a hey dumb ass, perhaps in the future, nodding that he understood that he looked towards the tree a moment. Now, the quip that almost popped from his mouth was along the lines of all the more reason to teach me, but there was a point where kicking that horse would make it come back from the dead and kick you right in the teeth. He prevented that by nodding to her. "I will be sure to watch my words when speaking to others." There we go, that was a much safer response. Good boy John, good boy. Listening as she spoke about places and that there were some trees he nodded to her. "Yes, the same is true with many of the insects and amphibians in the region, it is a smart scheme" he offered as he saw that cryptic smile play her lips, and another quip was held back but, she might see that humor of his thoughts in his eyes, and the utter defiance and desire to play with fire he was having of late. Again, she didn't speak on his request and being a smart boy sometimes, he let it go without much word about it, though as he watched her heal the tree and bring it back to strength, he also watched as her powers took their toll, caused the flares of golden streaks, and the way those violets turned to that color, her scent made all the more sense to him for some reason. "A shame to hide it. though understandable why one might... Are you alright? Can I help keep it from mucking it up?" He was such a helpful boy wasn't he?

ARCADIA: "good."  such is what she wished to hear.  there was no point in having someone who wished to learn from her if they were unable to heed what she taught.  her fingers slowly stroked over the spot that had been injured only moments ago, as arcadia was exchanging silent communication with the tree before she stepped away.  "a smart scheme, aye, one that's true for the pretty people as well."  that wry little smile cast at him a moment longer before she set them on their way back to the path.  "aye, so many are quick to tell me.  but as i said earlier, i don't much fancy bein' the center of attention.  it's nothing to worry yourself after, it's a run of the mill glamour that's unable to keep itself together when challenged by stronger power."  that power being the one she'd used on the tree. she looked amused by his offer to assist her.  "and nothin' ye need to help with.  i can only channel nature's will so long before she insists that i appear as she's made me, simple as that and certainly nothin' shameful about it beyond my reticence to be looked upon as some awe-strikin' being."  even if she kind of was one of those.  a shrug of her shoulders punctuated her point.

JOHN: being rewarded with her simple word was good enough for him to know he made the right choice of words, good job filter! Watching her take those tender attentions to the trunk he looked back towards her as she said it went for the pretty people as well he grinned slow. "Pretty or not that is true for most people. But pretty goes beyond the body we are blessed with" he countered back towards her as they were back on their way along the path. Remembering her words from earlier she had said that and he let his gaze move over the night covered woods along their walk. He had offered assistance, and either way she was striking, but he seemed to be settling himself more now, to the point his steps were now much quieter than they had been, his catlike grace replaced the minor imbalances that occurred before. his focus settled out along the trees and not so much on her, though he was being sure the winds were kept just so, so he wasn't getting heavy doses of it. "Well, if it would make you feel better I could muster up some disdain and look at you with it for a few minutes so you felt something different? Perhaps completely ignore your company for a solid one minute?" She would hear the humor in his voice, lightening any sort of blahish mood that might have sprung over her. he was trying. "I mean it is what friends do for each other, if I may be so bold as to assume you as such.

ARCADIA: "aye, so it does." as he caught up to her, arcadia looked in his direction thoughtfully.  whatever she noticed, she didn't remark upon it.  his joke seeded a smirk, and her second glance was one of playful warning. "it takes me less than a minute to disappear from sight, laddy, so if i were you i'd opt against that."  especially since she'd made it apparent when they first encountered each other that she had means at her disposal to make her scent incredibly hard to track.  "if i were you i'd also be more cautious about callin' me a friend so quickly - this is just our first meetin', after all, and you've yet to discover that i'm not the easiest person to pass time with."  it was delivered wryly, likely meant to come across as a joke, but for arcadia there was a kernel of truth within it.  so many people in her past had urged her to be more like everyone else, whatever that meant.  of course, like most who had made their way into arcadia's inner circle, john was not the run-of-the-mill sort of person and he'd was well on his way already to proving that...if one put his habits of flirtation aside, that is.  that he'd already proven himself different than the rest was most of the reason behind her next words.  "i will teach you, if ye wish, and if you're certain that what i know is what you wish to learn."

JOHN: Hey just his thoughts, and it was probably good that she agreed with them. Though as they walked he caught her playful glance, a grin playing his own lips a moment, though it was fleeting as his attentions turned from her and towards the dark as they continued on, he listened as she spoke about the fact it took her less than a minute, and she would opt against that. he held a smirk, oh the humorous comment he bit back in that instance was lost in the night while his eyes shifted upwards to the nighttime sky, though they turned downwards back towards her as she said that about the calling her friend. he could tell there was a glimmer of truth in the words that she wasn't the easiest one to pass the time with and John seemed to be a bit unwavering in his comment as he turned from looking at the path back to her. "Some of the best people are that way. The ups and downs form a truer relationship than one that always follows and easy straight line, that who good with the bad, yin yang thing." he shrugged absently returning his gaze ahead, and he was simmering down, so see, he did stop once the nerves settled, so bonus there that wouldn't be a constant annoyance for her. The fact she would teach him though, his eyes looked about the forest and then back to her as he held those eyes that at the start had been violet, but now held that gold from when she helped the tree and he offered his hand, not sure if that was the custom but he did it. "It is what I wish to learn. And I am honored you are willing to teach me." Even still he kept enough space to keep her scent from taking over his nostrils.

ARCADIA: while her focus was on the stretch of woods ahead, her lips quirked into a smile that would have been a grin, in different circumstances. "by no means am i a straight line."  she was also an excellent case of the good with the bad, or the yin and the yang, when when measured the fact that she was a vampire against...her much longer existence which included tending to nature as he'd seen tonight.  she had noticed that he was mindful of the distance between them, which she found both entertaining, and wise.  it was hard for her not to laugh, however, when he stopped and held out his hand, and that she was holding such back would show in her features.  she was terrible when it came to proper manners, mostly because as was the case now she found them a bit strange, and silly.  "ye should mind whose hand you shake, too. 'seal the deal' is no mere turn of phrase."  yet she shook his hand, because she wasn't about to leave him in the lurch.  he would find her hand cold to the touch...but perhaps he might think it was just the fact that it was winter and she'd been out here a long time?  she kept the handshake brief, partly for that reason, mirth sparkling in her golden gaze as she looked him in the eyes.  "then your first task shall be figurin' out how to make our paths cross again."

JOHN: Unfortunately for John, he would miss her smile, his eyes were ahead and absently focused on either his thoughts or the night he saw before him, either way her words were heard but only partially understood until a few seconds later when they sunk in. "Nor is anyone." he countered as he looked towards her a moment then once again forward. His ability to keep that distance was a telling mark in its own, that he was quick to learn, quick to adjust. he got to close, and her scent made him all twitterpatted, a feeling he liked in certain circumstances, but was sure came off as outright annoying and he felt mildly ashamed of himself for it now that he was cleared headed and thinking about it. But he did hold out his hand, and when she said that about the mind whose hand he looked to her. "I have a feeling a lot of my teaching from you will start with, 'ye should mind whose...' " and he did a pretty good impression of her, but he was being humorous, to lighten the mood slightly, he was glad to have her shake, and while he noticed the chill to her hand, given all he had seen he made no reason to take note of it, as she would note while his shake was firm it was just as brief as her own for his hand withdrew just as quickly. not because of her, but because of him. he wasn't big on touch a large majority of the time. But hearing what his first task was he caught her eyes and the mirth there. "Then until we meet again Arcadia, I look forward to your scent, as well as your company, even if it happens to be cantankerous at that time. And if its not, then even better." he winked towards her but not a flirty one, a jovial one as he looked over her and unless she made move towards him he shifted to his panther form and looked towards her, taking those few steps closer, taking in a heavy breath of her scent to place in the memory banks of his senses before he looked up to her with those blues. Studying her a moment, he took in a full look of her before he turned towards the night, letting her finish what she needed in the time she needed to, while he should probably be getting home, but her scent was heavy in his lungs, and she would not easily be forgotten by him.

ARCADIA: "drop the 'whose', and i'm sure you're spot on." an impish smile buttoning her good natured retort.  she knew all the words that people favored when they spoke of her, and john was certainly not the first to poke fun at her manner of instruction.  she was a formidable teacher, to be sure, but also an intense and sometimes intimidating one.  which was a funny sort of contrast to the youthful innocence of her appearance, especially when her height was average at best.  her good-natured humor continued as she added, "and the intricacies of m' mood hinge on your timing, i'd wager."  no pressure, john.  "may nature tend ye well."  when he shifted into panther form and drew near, she watched him as he committed her scent to memory, a knowing smile upon her lips.  she was a creature that wandered far and wide, and spent her days in literal worlds other than this one.  to get her attention, he was going to have to be a bit more clever than merely track her scent.  she looked forward to seeing if he was able to figure such out.  the direction she went was a different one than where they'd been traveling - the night was just beginning for her, and if the information her winds had given her was true there was much to be done.

(( end of log! ))

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