Starlight: OPEN

Chloe walked swiftly and silently through the corridors, hardly able to withstand her excitement of returning to her favourite place. As she reached the front hall, she gently pushed the front doors open. As the large, wooden doors swung open to the darkness, Chloe inhaled deeply, loving the coolness of the air and the sweet taste of flowers nearby. She quickly shut the doors behind her and headed to her comfort... The Forbidden Forest. The forest had always been Chloe's favourite place for sanctuary and she could not wait to return to its lush trees. In a matter of seconds she was standing before it. She smiled at it's dark, menacing beauty and softly stepped in, letting it embrace her.
She wandered through the forest for a while, with no real urge to go in any sort of direction. She wanted to see it all again - retrace her old steps. Eventually she came upon a familiar path, made by hers truly, and crept along in a chilling silence. It was not long before she could see the opening and the very familiar log, laying all alone in the middle, that she had sat upon for hours in the past. Chloe stopped at the edge of the little open and sighed in delight. She was home. She glanced around the little spot and could not help but smile at old memories. Chloe then entered the little opening and sat on the old log. She inhaled deeply and then looked up... The stars were out and putting on quite the Welcome Home show for her. She could see millions of them, all twinkling brightly as if saying 'Hello' to their old friend.

Keir couldn't really see what the big do-whop was about regarding the forest. He'd been wandering around in there since sun down and as far as he could tell it was just dark and quiet. Nothing had tried to attack him or do anything negative at all. On the contrary, the few creatures he came across all scurried away as quickly as they could. It was all rather disappointing. He had just convinced himself that there was no more point to sticking around when a soft sound caught his attention, he stood listening for any other sounds but heard nothing.

He could've sworn it had sounded like a sigh, and he could guess at the direction it had come from, but it was a rough guess. The fact that the forest was so quiet did alter perception a little when it came to sound. He double checked that he still knew which way led back to the castle and then set off in the opposite direction - the direction the sound had come from.

The next moment was rather strange, all around him the forest was black with darkness but up ahead the light seemed to change. The air changed as well, where as a moment ago it had felt thick and balmy it was thinner and it seemed there was a bit of a breeze. Keir neared this strange section and then smiled when it was all explained, it was a small clearing where the moonlight filtered through.

He stepped out into the meager light and stumbled over a root he hadn't noticed but froze when a figure close to him came into focus. His eyes went wide, this was larger than the other creatures he'd seen and his heart suddenly started pounding. He felt almost high, but was thrust back to earth when he looked closer. The effect was almost nauseating, the super speed change of emotion. "What the hell?" He mumbled and took a step toward the figure, it was a girl... he blinked several times in shock before muttering the same words again.

As Chloe gazed upon the beautiful stars, a sudden noise in the distance snapped her head back down. Her keen eyes roamed the edge of the clearing like an animal hunting its prey. She heard the noise again and followed the sound of the footsteps as they made their way closer to the clearing. Quite suddenly another student stumbled his way into the clearing. Chloe raised her eyebrows in disgust. "Smooth..." She mumbled in regards to his horrible entrance. What is with men these days? She though coolly. As the student stepped closer in what appeared to be a drunken stupor, Chloe leaned back on the log, her face twisting from disgust to annoyance. She raised her hands up in case he fell over while trying to get a good look at her. "I know I'm attractive, but you don't need to get quite that close. You can see me just fine from about 5 feet back." She gave the student a gentle shove, knowing that if she pushed too hard he could go flying through the trees.

Keir all but jumped back and stared at her with the same shocked expression on his face, almost like he'd expected her to be made of stone. It took him a few seconds to register the fact that just like him she was doing something against the rules right now - the forest, as far as he knew, was off limits.

Chloe Wilkinson wrote:

"I know I'm attractive, but you don't need to get quite that close. You can see me just fine from about 5 feet back."

It wasn't her words as much as the tone of voice and the look on her face, she looked really put out by his presence. He laughed shortly. "I'm sorry, it's just a shock for me to see anyone here, I've been wandering around for hours and there was nothing but lame ass creatures that ran away at the snap of a twig." He took a deep breath and realized he'd been blabbering. He cleared his throat and looked away from the girl. She was rather attractive... "Perhaps this isn't the best place for star gazing." He said suggestively, hoping she would agree and she would allow him to walk her back to the castle, the forest - no matter how lame - wasn't any place for someone like her.

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"I'm sorry, it's just a shock for me to see anyone here, I've been wandering around for hours and there was nothing but lame ass creatures that ran away at the snap of a twig ... Perhaps this isn't the best place for star gazing."

Chloe rolled her eyes and shook her head. "It's the perfect place for stargazing. It's secluded, and generally is not happened upon by other students," she retorted, her annoyance still masking her typically silky voice. She sighed heavily and crossed her arms over her torso. Could she not get one moment of peace? "You should probably return to the castle." Chloe examined the boy and grinned slightly. "The forest really isn't the best place to wander, especially at night." Her emerald green eyes sparkled in the moonlight as her grin widened. She stood slowly and stepped so close to the boy that her cool, hypnotizing breath would blow across his face, "You never know what sort of creature you might come across."

The girl's grin made Keir feel uncomfortable, the silence of the forest around them was getting to him as well now and everything started feeling closed in despite the soft breeze that waved through the little clearing. In the moonlight he could see her features quite clearly, the grin was nothing friendly. He took an involuntary step back but she approached, closing the distance between them. His mind had sunk into some kind of pit, little moments in time were being cut out and it seemed she'd approached him without seeing her do it, but he knew he'd seen her move.

He felt her breath on his skin when she spoke and he closed his eyes, his mind fogging up even more and he swayed drunkenly. She stopped talking and after a few seconds his eyes flashed open and he breathed quickly, his eyes went cold but he didn't move away from her. "What are you?" He couldn't move away from her, something had locked his legs in place, he could feel his panic rising, his heart was pounding in his chest and he felt suddenly cold and then boiling hot - uncomfortable in several different ways.

Chloe grinned viciously at the sight of the student swaying as her breath washed over him. It was so thrilling to know how well she could control a Human. At times, Chloe often wondered what her life would have been like had she remained mortal, but at times like this she embraced her immortality with a menacing grip. Being a Vampire added an extra layer of darkness onto Chloe's already black soul.

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"What are you?"

Chloe's grin disappeared but was replaced by an expression so serene that it would appear more frightening than her sly grin. She peered into the boy's eyes and wished that her own mind powers had not blocked her ability as a Vampire to read others thoughts. Forgetting about the mind reading, Chloe licked her lips and lightly brushed her fingers down the side of the boy's face. She then leaned in so that her lips were nearly touching his ear and whispered, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

Keir stiffened when her expression changed, something inside him wouldn't allow fear to overwhelm him. It was the strangest moment - he felt confused and yet stronger than he'd ever felt before. His skin felt strangely detached, like it would shift if he moved an inch. Shivers ran up and down his spine when she leaned in even closer and his breathing sped up. Her voice was as mesmerizing as her breath had been and he could feel his mind clouding over again.

There was an instant of change again, as if something had clicked in his mind and suddenly each breath he took burned like fire. He tried to step away from her then but fell over a root and landed on his back, looking up at her, his expression frozen in confusion and fear at what was happening both inside his body and out. His mind was not clear, she was not friendly, he could not protect himself. His hands had started shaking and he struggled to keep them still. "Get back." He said, trying to sound forceful but his voice came out in a whisper that wouldn't intimidate a field mouse.

Chloe could feel a change in the air around them after she spoke and then she noticed the boy shiver. Though she knew she was terrifying, she could sense the shiver involved more than fear. As Chloe leaned back, she inhaled and caught a new scent coming from the boy... Animal? Chloe's eyes narrowed as she looked him over. He tried to take a step back and managed to trip over another root. Smooth, this one was. Chloe laughed lightly and shook her head. "You're ridiculous."

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"Get back."

Though the boy whispered, Chloe heard the words loud and clear. She laughed again but then stopped as she looked into his eyes. Something was happening... He was changing somehow. Nothing could bring fear into Chloe, so she did not initially react. "You're not going to vomit or something are you?" Chloe grimaced and leaped into the tree over her head, not wanting to get vomit on her very expensive shoes.

Keir's eyes tightened, his chest felt like it would burst open at any second - he tried fighting the feeling, trying to calm himself but it was to no avail. The girl moved away from him then and he knew for sure something was wrong with him. A second ago she was menacing. He pushed himself up, came to rest on his knees and stared down at his hands that were still shaking violently. The shaking moved up his arms and soon his whole body shook so badly that he could barely keep his balance. "I don't know..." His voice sounded frantic, like he was having some kind of nerve attack.

He looked around the clearing, not sure what he was looking for but his eyes darted around until his focus stopped at the girl. He stared at her and his entire body froze, everything went deathly quiet and as soon as everything had stopped a scream forced it's way out from his lungs and the world shimmered and seemed to pulsate around him. He heard the loud ripping sound and felt his body tingling all over before all the pressure was released. It felt like he'd been trapped all his life in a too small bubble and he'd suddenly been freed from it's confines.

He still stared at the girl, his breathing still burned his nose ... and the forest went into focus, he could see the smallest rock and the highest leaf above the girl's head. A low sound built up in his chest that made him feel like he was shivering again... it turned into a rumbling noise and then the loudest roar he'd ever heard. His body was tensed as if he would spring at any second. He was torn between looking down at himself again and keeping his eyes on her but the first impulse won out and the roar died when he saw the change...

He wasn't human...

Chloe watched the boy from her comfortable perch 10 feet up in the tree. He managed to get himself to his knees, but he still did not seem quite right. Her face was still contorted into a grimace and she turned her head away as she waited for the sound of vomit hitting the ground.

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"I don't know..."

The sound of the boy's frantic voice caused Chloe to look back at him. She narrowed her eyes and silently moved down one branch, not taking her eyes off the boy. The animal scent coming from the boy was growing stronger. Chloe's head tilted slightly in confusion as she looked deep into his eyes. The purity of being Human was changing within them. Quite suddenly a loud scream tore from the boy. She hung her head, "Great. Now others will find us." As Chloe glanced back at the boy she leaped up five branches. The boy was changing...fast. What had once been smooth skin was now fur. Her eyes widened as she stared at the large animal beneath her, though not from fear, from amazement. In all her years she had never seen a Shape Shifter in action. Though she was now some 20 feet up the tree, Chloe's body tenced in preparation for whatever came next. She was perched on her branch much like a stealthy Cheetah.

Edolie Holcombe had silently made her way out to the Black Lake like she usually did after darkness fell and her Head Girl duties were done with. She crouched over the waters edge and trailed a finger along the surface of the deathly still waters. As she did so a strange energy caught her attention. Ed looked toward the forest where it seemed to be coming from and just sat there, trying to analyze the familiar yet unfamiliar energy. It was very odd and disconcerting. The strangest part was that the energy was changing and becoming more pronounced.

Without realizing that she had done it, Edolie stood and had taken out her wand. The next moment a scream rent the air and a chill ran down her spine. Edolie rushed to the forest, following the feel of the strange energy as she wove her way through the trees. As she did so another noise filled the air, but this time it wasn't human. Moments later she came to a clearing and stopped at the very edge. In the clearing was the creature that the strange energy was emanating from. Another presence caused Edolie to look up into a tree. There she spotted none other than Chloe Wilkinson.

"Wilkinson," she said as a greeting, no longer surprised at seeing another familiar face at the school. She walked further into the clearing and stared at the beast. "Who is this?" she ask without even thinking about it. Her own words caused her brows to knit and she realized what instinct had already told her; that the creature before her had been human moments ago.

The creature that was Keir roared again when another figure approached, the scent was similar to the girl in the tree and yet the same, it caused the animal in him to tense up. These creatures were familiar to the animal part of Keir even though he knew little of them. Another girl entered the clearing and something in Keir jolted, it was Edolie Holcombe.

He'd met Edolie near the Black Lake not too long ago, the girl he'd wanted so desperately to be happy. The animal faltered but didn't relax it's aggressive stance, the burning scent was just too strong to be denied. He crouched low to the ground, preparing himself to spring.

Chloe was slowly, and without a trace of sound, moving down the tree, branch by branch. She wanted to get a closer look at the transformation but she also was not sure if she was in the mood for fighting such a large creature at the moment. A new sound nearby caused Chloe to stop her movements dead. Her eyes shot towards the sound and followed the distinct footsteps created by another student. Sniffing past the animal below her, Chloe caught the scent of the student. Vampire... Intersting, Chloe thought curiously. As the Vampire emerged, Chloe's mouth popped open. Did we ALL become Vampires?

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"Wilkinson."

Chloe grimaced, "Ugh, Holcombe." She sighed heavily and stepped down to the last branch on the tree. She sat, with her legs on either side of the branch and leaned against the trunk.

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"Who is this?"

Chloe's lips parted to respond, but then she realized that she did not know the boy's name. She smiled slyly towards Edolie, "Good question." She began picking at her finger nails, displaying a lack of interest and disregard towards Edolie. "I was merely stargazing when this idiot showed up. Next thing you know, he was like this," Chloe waved her hand in the direction of the boy...animal, and then returned to picking her nails.

The sound of their voices was like nails being dragged on a black board and Keir growled low. He looked from Edolie to the other girl and back again, staring at the unknown girl who Ed had called Wilkinson when she moved closer to the ground. He was sure she was close enough now for him to grab hold of her and rip apart, but he waited until she sat down. Even if he couldn't reach her, he could at least grab hold of one of her legs. He took a step forward to see if there was any reaction but his body had it's own agenda...

Keir shot forward, leaping past Edolie towards the tree where Wilkinson sat seemingly completely at ease. The branch was a little higher up than he anticipated but he dug his huge claws into the bark of the tree and started pulling himself towards her, a menacing growl still reverberating in his throat.

The animal snapped Chloe's attention back from Edolie. She had just enough time to see that it was leaping past Edolie and clawing its way towards her. In less then a second Chloe had reached the top of the tree. She peered down at the animal and then towards Edolie. How come it didn't leap at her? Chloe thought bitterly. She easily leaped to a much sturdier tree on the other side of the clearing and settled herself on the top branch, her eyes staying locked on the animal. It had been a while since she had taken down such a large animal, but she was positive she could do it. She could always tap into her other abilities if necessary.

Edolie watched in astonishment as the great beast leapt past her and went after Wilkinson. Her eyes followed Wilkinson across the clearing and then looked back at the animal. "It's alright," she cooed at him as she took a few slow steps toward him and held out her hand. He seemed familiar some how. The fascination that used to fill her when she was any where near any sort of dangerous beast returned as she looked upon the lion. His beauty was awe inspiring and his sheer strength terrifying.

Even if he did decide to turn on her, Edolie wasn't that worried. She healed quickly and had something that Wilkinson didn't; a way to subdue him with a simple touch. All she had to do was draw his energy into herself. "Who are you?" she whispered to him as she moved closer, hoping to keep his attention off of Wilkinson. This beast was likely a student and the death of a student certainly wouldn't do anyone any good.

Chloe watched in astonishment as Edolie took a few steps closer to the beast, all while cooing at it like it was some fluffy, little kitten she could take home with her. Chloe raised her eyebrows at the disgusting display of affection happening below her. Not wanting to appear afraid of the beast, Chloe slithered down the tree and seated herself upon the bottom branch, a mere 5 feet above the ground. She hung both legs over one side of the branch but twisted her torso so that her back could rest against the trunk so she could be perfectly comfortable while watching the Lion Tamer in action. This should be interesting, she thought with slight interest.

Keir watched Wilkinson intently, she was on the other side of the clearing now - it had looked as if she'd disappeared from this tree and reappeared in the other, but he knew it wasn't so. Something inside him just told him, drove him forward with confidence. His focus was torn by Edolie, she was approaching him and though he didn't want to hurt her, the animal was still walking on a tightrope of fury. He turned toward her and snarled but drew himself back all the while thinking that he couldn't hurt Edolie, not even one hair on her head.

The other girl slipped down through the branches, calling Keir's attention back and he shifted his eyes, looking from Wilkinson to Edolie. He was torn and Edolie's approach, though steady and slow, was making him nervous. His teeth were still bared and his hackles were raised but he stepped back from Edolie, trying to circle around to get to the other girl.

There was a small opening after Edolie started walking towards him and he grasped the opportunity, springing forward again. This time he moved faster, Wilkinson was low enough to grab hold of. He pounced forward, extending his claws towards her.

((Power plays allowed on my side.))

As Chloe continued to watch Edolie and the beast, her eyes narrowed as the lion looked between her and Edolie. It was as if it were contemplating between being a good boy and rolling over so Edolie could rub its belly, or attacking Chloe like a savage lion in the wilds of Africa. Her eyes turned to slits as the Lion quickly dodged Edolie, for the second time, and came at Chloe, claws barred. The lion was much faster this time and Chloe knew she did not have enough time to jump to the higher branches. As the lions claws nearly had her legs, Chloe leaped onto its back.

As the beast lunged past her, Edolie sighed and wished that she had just rushed him and taken him down before he had even realized what was happening. She followed his progress and inwardly prayed that Chloe wouldn't kill him. The the strangest sight Edolie would likely ever behold, even after being alive for so long, had been presented to her. Seeing a girl on the back of a wild lion was something else. Ed didn't know if she should laugh or be even more worried for the lion whom had previously been a boy.

((Meh, just let me know how long you two want this to go on. Then I'll have her do her thing.))

Keir snarled when he felt the pressure of the girl on his back and flung himself backwards toward the ground. He was new to all this but he had assessed his weight, the weight of the lion was enough to pin her to the ground if he played his cards right. He was still falling when he felt her weight disappear and, turning in mid air, he saw her tumbling down. The height of the fall wasn't anything spectacular so the landing wouldn't really hurt anyone but he had his own weapons - he didn't need to rely on the objects around him like he had before. With a loud roar he slashed at her just as she hit the ground and saw his claws cut through her clothing on her stomach. He felt the thickness of flesh and the rip of her skin as his claws dug into her. Everything stopped, Keir pinned the girl to the floor with his claws extended into her stomach.

As Chloe clung to the lion's back, it suddenly snarled loudly and Chloe could feel the vibrations of the snarl against her body. The lion then flung itself back, intending to pin Chloe against the ground, or smother her to death - Both impossible, but the lion was obviously not aware of that. Chloe slid from the lion's back and dropped to the ground, but before she had time to protect herself, the lion slashed at her torso. Its large claws tore through her shirt and scarped along her stomach. The wounds were already beginning to heal when it dug its claws further into her stomach, pinning her to the ground. Chloe's eyes narrowed to slits and a bone chilling hiss escaped her lips as she grabbed hold of the lion's leg. Her grip tightened as she began lifting the paw away from her, removing the claws from within her stomach. The moment the claws were removed, the wounds began to heal, but Chloe did not remove her grip from the lion's leg. Her eyes grew darker as the intensity of her anger increased her strength and power, and her grip literally became bone crushing.

Keir felt her flesh tightening around his leg, her fingers were twisted around his paw and as he stared at her her eyes became darker. Something quickened in him and he suspected that perhaps he was outmatched - the lion wouldn't have such thoughts though and he snarled again in reply to her hiss. Her hand tightened even more on his leg and he heard the bones start cracking, it was a slow process but she was crushing his leg, he had to get her off him. Growling and snarling he snapped at her hand with his teeth, but she didn't relent. His jaws closed on her wrist and he started ripping her flesh from her hand in a frantic effort to get her to release him.

As Chloe relentlessly held onto the lion's leg, attempting to crush the bones, the lion snapped at her hand, but that did not faze Chloe: those were mere flesh wounds that would heal in a second. Then the lion closed its jaw around her wrist. Chloe's eyes flared wide and became entirely black. She drew her legs up under the lion and then punched them straight into its torso, flinging it across the small clearing. Before the lion had even landed, Chloe had sprung up onto her feet and stood at her full height, her black eyes locked onto the lion, waiting for its next move. She wasn't about to play nice anymore.

Keir felt the weightlessness of flying across the clearing and the searing pain in his torso. His body seemed to curl in on itself and then straighten out when he landed, making him land dead straight on his paws. His front paw crumbled though, the one the girl had just tried to crush and the leg gave way. A grumbling sound echoed in his chest as he tried to hold himself upright using the other three paws - balancing such a huge body without the use of all four paws was a tricky task but Keir realized that the longer he was in this lion form the more this huge body felt like a part of him instead of something borne out of him.

He kept his eyes on Wilkinson, snarling every few seconds as if the growling would cause her to pause. Keir leapt forward again, rushing at the girl, his paw was healing already, he felt the tingle of the splintered bones collecting themselves and sped up. He was only five feet from the girl when he pounced again, pushing his body off the ground and flying through the air towards her.

Chloe's lips slowly formed a sly smirk as the lion landed on all fours and began growling at her in an attempt to frighten her or distract her. Her eyes flitted to the leg she had just attempted to crush and she reviled in the fact that she had caused some damage. However, she was not sure of how quickly wounds healed in Shape Shifters. Chloe's eyes darted back the moment the lions paws left the ground. As if in slow motion, Chloe saw the lion charging towards her and her head tilted as she watched it leap at her again. Chloe's right arm extended forward just as the lion was about to crash into her, and her hand gripped at its throat. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth opened to reveal her fangs as she herself growled. With her grip on the lion, she twisted and slammed it into the ground, her hand pressing down hard onto its throat.

The strength of the girl was overwhelming suddenly and Keir felt all the air leave his lungs when she slammed him down on the ground. He knew several bones were broken this time, all on his right side but whereas it would've caused Keir to withdraw before... now it was fueling his aggression. Keir started scratching frantically at the girl's legs, hoping to cause enough damage to make her at least stumble and let him go. She held vast to his throat, crushing his larynx. The growl that he'd formed in his chest was stopped short and it sounded more like someone had tried blowing through a pipe that had too many holes in it. With his back legs he pushed against the ground and then forward, forcing the girl back. Her grip faltered and Keir pulled away from her, staggering back and away from her. It took him a few seconds to recover and prepare for the next attack. He needed to wipe this one out!

Chloe glanced down at her legs as the lion attempted to distract her from her grip by swiping at her legs with its claws. Though she was angry about having one of her favourite pairs of jeans ripped in several spots, the small wounds he inflicted did nothing to distract her. She smiled viciously as she heard the lions growl falter under the pressure she was enforcing on his throat. However, the smile vanished as the lion managed to push her away with its hind legs. As it staggered away, Chloe raised herself to her full height again and locked her eyes on the lion. She was very tempted to just kill the beast, but she knew inside the lion there was a student, and she could not have the death of a student on her record... not yet at least. Instead, she dropped her eyes to the ground and ignited a line of fire to separate herself from the lion.

Edolie watched the fight between the Lion and Chloe Wilkinson in amazement and realized that this would be a good chance to see what exactly both were capable of. However, she wasn’t about to let the two kill each other. As the battle became more and more violent, Edolie had to hold herself back from interfering just yet. The longer Edolie watched, the less Wilkinson looked like a girl. The beast in her was becoming incredibly apparent, but there was still some sense in the girl.

The line of fire was Edolie’s cue to take care of the Lion. She rushed to him in a flash and simply ran her hand along his spine from his shoulder blades to the tip of his tail in less than a moment. As she did so, Edolie drew his energy away from him and into herself. The strange, hot and wild power was almost nauseating. The closest she had ever come to something like that was when she absorbed Roslin’s energy, but it still didn’t have that wild feel to it or the warmth that the energy she absorbed did then. Her body temperature went up dramatically along with her energy.

She watched as the lion lay on the clearing floor because of exhaustion, still conscious but unable to do much more than breathe and then turned to Chloe. “I’ll take care of him,” she said before walking to the line of flame that Chloe had made and running a hand long it, extinguishing it as she stole it’s energy as well, causing her core temperature to rise even more. Only a charred line of grass was left behind. Edolie figured that taking any more energy from the beast would reveal the boy and she didn’t want Wilkinson to get any better of a view of him than she might already have had.