Looking To Help (Open)

Daciana bit at her lip, scratching Eri's head and trying to stay calm as she approached the gates of the Xavier Institute. She looked down and Eri looked back at her, meeting her eyes. Calm yourself, all is well. Eri said calmly, nosing Daciana's hand.

Eri, these people may fear you and attack. Daciana reminded her protector, fixing her hair to cover her eye better. She pressed the call button on the gate, biting her lip still. "Hello? A-Anyone home?"

Character: Cat Hemming

Cat had been put on gate duty, which had to be the most boring duty ever. Still, it was better than prancing around with her twin all day, surrounded by people and crowds. Cat shuddered just thinking about it. How her sister could manage to be enveloped and actually like the huge, obnoxious crowds was beyond Cat. She, personally, would rather be by herself, or tucked up in the rafters of the room watching everything and everyone.

It had been rather uneventful all day. The most fun she'd had was trying to stay in different shape longer. Honestly, she was rather bored, so when the intercom suddenly clicked on, Cat became completely alert.

"Hello? A-Anyone home?" A female's voice asked. Cat quickly sat up and rolled her chair over to the two-way radio. "Yes, yes, someone is home." Cat said. "This is Cat. I'm guessing you're here to be enrolled as a student?" Cat asked. Finally, something interesting.

"Um, this is Daciana Hatfield, is Professor Xavier around? I'd like to speak with him." She looked down at Eri excitedly, using her other hand to scratch the large cat's head. Eri looked back at her calmly.

Daciana, stay calm, the voice was of a young woman, don't you think he would have answered if he were in?

You're right Eri. Xavier might not be here...

"Um, this is Daciana Hatfield, is Professor Xavier around? I'd like to speak with him." Said the excited voice on the other end. Great. Cat would get the one person who wanted to speak with the one person who just so happened to be gone at the moment.

"Sorry, but Professor X isn't in right now. I can buzz you in and you can wait til he gets back." Cat offered. She wished that some people would realized that the Professor wasn't the only person they could talk to. There were plenty of other staff, and they could always talk to the students. But, the Professor's reputation always preceded him, so they always wanted him.

"Um... That may not be the best idea... I kinda needed the Professor to help out... Large animal that some may pose as a threat. If they saw him with her, they would trust Eri," Daciana explained, now barely patting the cat, still meeting her protector's eyes.

Typical... People always expect me to attack... Eri growled to Daciana. Daciana smiled, barely laughing at her.

"Um... That may not be the best idea... I kinda needed the Professor to help out... Large animal that some may pose as a threat. If they saw him with her, they would trust Eri," said Daciana. So, this girl thought that everyone would freak out about some animal? She'd obviously never been here before. Cat thought.

"Believe me, no one will be afraid of an animal. You'll be fine." Cat said, and pressed the button that opened up the gate. It buzzed, and the giant gate swung open. Cat emerged from the gatehouse to see a girl older than she was, and a giant mountain lion. Without thinking, Cat shifted to a mountain lion, smaller than the one by the girl's side.

Daciana bit her lip, softly petting Eri's head as the large gate opened. She slowly walked in, Eri staying beside her and looking around warily.
"Hello?" Daciana called, barely catching a glimpse of a younger girl before a mountain lion, smaller than Eri, replaced the girl. Daciana studied the large cats, trying to lock eyes with the new one.
Can you hear me? she asked the cat, gripping Eri's scruff as the bigger of the two lions hissed at the smaller.

"Hello?" The girl asked. Her eyes searched, and Cat's locked with hers.

Can you hear me?

Cat heard in her mind. Startled, Cat growled at the girl, and then shrunk back as the larger cat hissed at her. The animal instincts that came with shifting told Cat to growl and hiss back, to try and appear larger. Cat fought them down, and concentrated on the telepathic message.

I can hear you... Cat thought, not really sure if that was how you conversed with a telepath.

Daciana smiled slightly at the smaller mountain lion before stepping in front of Eri and meeting her eyes. Eri, she may be a shifter, but I do believe she is harmless. She softly pet the mountain lion's head, smiling still.

Be careful. Not all of these people are stable. Call it a mother's instinct, but I know. Eri replied, breaking the connection and looking at the smaller creature before walking towards it and carefully sniffing her. Daciana held her hand out to the smaller feline and she stood, slowly raising her hand towards the mountain lion's muzzle to allow her to get the scent as she focused her eyes back on the smaller cat's.

We won't hurt you. I needed to speak to the Professor about a possible bit of help with the students. I may be able to help the more animal-like ones, such as yourself, to stay connected to the group, with a bit of practice on my part. Daciana slowly moved her hand towards the cat's head, trying to keep the animal calm by rubbing a small spot between the ears.

There was the look of communication between the larger cat and Daciana, and Cat watched them warily. The larger cat, probably the 'Eri' the girl had talked about, walked forward towards her hesitantly, and then sniffed her. Cat shrunk back a bit, growling softly. Daciana crept forward, and raised her hand to Cat's muzzle. If mountain lions could laugh, Cat would have been in hysterics. This girl was treating her like some kind of, of, well, a real mountain lion. Like one that had been some-what tamed. It irked Cat to an extent, and was completely hilarious at the same time.

We won't hurt you. I needed to speak to the Professor about a possible bit of help with the students. I may be able to help the more animal-like ones, such as yourself, to stay connected to the group, with a bit of practice on my part.

Cat heard in the same voice from earlier. Cat stared at her. Who on earth did she think she was? Help the more animal-like students 'stay connected to the group'? And what's this whole thing about 'We won't hurt you'? Did she think Cat was scared of her? Perhaps she didn't realize that Cat was the girl she had been talking to.

Daciana moved her hand towards Cat's head, as if to rub her head. Cat freaked, shifter instincts taking over. In a matter of seconds, the small mountain lion had been replaced by a giant African lion, which gave a mighty roar. It crouched, getting ready to pounce. At that, Cat came back to her senses. The lion shifted back into Cat, who was crouching on the ground. Cat looked up at the two.

"...I should probably apologize for that..." Cat mumbled. Why on earth did she have to get so, so shy around people? "Sorry...I, I don't really have control..." Her voice continued to get softer and softer as she spoke, till it was almost indiscernible.

"It's fine, I've noticed that some carnivores leave a bit of an imprint on me, so I was trying to be careful about that if it happened with you," Daciana said with a little smile, offering her hand to help up the girl. Eri looked at the shifter, growling slightly and taking her place beside Daciana. "I sort of triggered that reaction."

"It's fine, I've noticed that some carnivores leave a bit of an imprint on me, so I was trying to be careful about that if it happened with you," Daciana said, and held out her hand. Phew. I'm so glad she didn't sic her cat on me. Cat thought, relieved. She hadn't been sure how Daciana would receive Cat almost attacking her as a giant African lion. She seemed OK though. Cat hesitated a moment, but slowly gave in and took Daciana's hand to help herself up.

It seemed, however, that the cat, this 'Eri' didn't take kindly to Daciana almost being attacked. Eri growled at Cat, and then padded over to Daciana. "I sort of triggered that reaction." Daciana said. Cat allowed a small smile.

"Yeah, I am sorry about that...I don't really like people touching me. It's why I'm usually by myself, out here, on gate duty." Cat said. She didn't know why she was talking so much to this girl. She thought it may have something to do with the fact that this girl had a giant mountain lion, and could communicate with animals. It appealed to Cat's animal side somehow.

"So, I'm guessing that this is the 'Eri' you spoke of?" Cat asked, looking pointedly at the cat.

"Yep, Eri here took over the role of my mother when I was thirteen," Daciana admitted, softly rubbing the mountain lion's head. "Her name means protector, and she's pretty much exactly that to me." She looked down at Eri, the large cat meeting her eyes.

I don't trust her. Eri growled as she thought this, causing Daciana to stop rubbing her head.

Eri, calm down. It was a simple control problem. Remember that zoo visit where I tried eating the zebra after I saw the lions?

You're comparing yourself to her? Daciana rolled her eyes at this, looking back at the girl with a nervous smile.

((So sorry. I really meant to reply sooner, but I got really sick and I couldn't even get out of bed.))

"Yep, Eri here took over the role of my mother when I was thirteen," Daciana said, gazing at the great cat fondly. "Her name means protector, and she's pretty much exactly that to me." She followed, rubbing Eri on the head.

The two, cat and human, seemed to have a silent chat. Messages seemed to pass between them, and Cat was curious as to what they were saying. In fact, she was curious about everything. She supposed it came from the cat half of her.

Cat watched the two. She'd heard the part of Eri taking over as Daciana's mother when she was 13. Cat was struck with a pang of home-sickness, wishing for her own mother. Of course, Julie hadn't been the twins real mother---no, she had given them up at birth---but Julie was the first person they both thought of when someone mentioned the word 'mother'. It had been seven years since Julie had left eight year old twins Cat and Avis at the doorstep of the Institute late one night, but Cat still missed her terribly. She absently wondered what Julie was doing right then.

"...So, you came here to be a teacher?" Cat said, after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Yes, and if not, an ally at the least." Daciana confirmed, nodding slightly. "Of course, so as not to worry anyone of a cat possibly eating them in the night, Eri and I will continue staying at our current residence.

"Yes, and if not, an ally at the least." Daciana agreed, nodding slightly. "Of course, so as not to worry anyone of a cat possibly eating them in the night, Eri and I will continue staying at our current residence."

Cat couldn't believe that Daciana still thought that everyone would be afraid of a cat. "Did you not just see what I did?! Believe me, no one will be worrying that a cat will eat them: their more likely to be afraid of me eating them! Seriously, you'll want to be staying at the Institute. And besides, no one will ever get to know you if you're living away. It's not like half of us can even leave the Institute without causing mass panic." Cat said, gesturing at her cat ears and eyes.

"Well, the ears could be passed off as a headband, and the eyes as contacts," Daciana pointed out, smiling a little. "Plus, you know, the shop my dad and I run could use you around. You can even say you're helping a promotion on cat items." She smiled, trying to be nice.

"Sorry I worried so much, but y'all would be in control of the animal, minus a few small moments, but they would know Eri is an actual predator. "

"Well, the ears could be passed off as a headband, and the eyes as contacts," Daciana pointed out, smiling. Cat snorted.

"Yeah, a head band that's in only two places and moves on it's own. And I really doubt they make contacts that cover your entire eye." Cat countered, her negative nature coming out.

"Plus, you know, the shop my dad and I run could use you around. You can even say you're helping a promotion on cat items." Daciana said, obviously trying to be nice.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I've had enough of humans treating me like a freak thank you very much. I've already seen what they do to those who are different." Cat said, remembering the attack on her and her sister, the event that caused them to be dropped off at the Institute and separated from their mom forever. And that fact that Daciana had a caring parent still sorta stung Cat. Sure, the Institute was like home now, but it could never replace a parent in her heart. She was always a little jealous of those who had loving parents.

"Sorry I worried so much, but y'all would be in control of the animal, minus a few small moments, but they would know Eri is an actual predator. " Daciana said.

"You do know that we have actual predator's here right? Like, this one kid has a giant white wolf. Another I think might have a bear. And I'm pretty sure one of the new kids brought a tiger with them. My point is, kids bring 'actual predators' here themselves. There's really nothing to worry about." Cat pressed. And I wouldn't be the only cat person here. Cat silently added in her mind.

"Okay..." Daciana said, smiling a little. "But, I still think this is kinda something to talk to the Professor or one of the teachers about." She bit her lip a little, heading towards the doors of the mansion.

"Okay..." Daciana said, smiling a bit. "But, I still think this is kinda something to talk to the Professor or one of the teachers about."

Cat felt relieved that this girl had finally gotten that it was OK to have a mountain lion here. "Yeah...I don't think the Professor's in though. I haven't seen him in a while. We can try and find one of the teachers. I don't really know where they would be at this time though..." Cat said, following Daciana towards the mansion.