Found Out (Lark.)

[Willow Birdsong]

Willy didn’t understand why she had to be burdened with the power she had. Wouldn’t it be nice if people could chose what they liked? Something that suited their personality? What if someone had the power to change other people’s abilities? Many different questions ran through Willow’s head as she sat in the cafeteria. It just after dinner, and everyone was gone. Willow had been the last one in line on purpose, as she had a strategy that never failed her to fulfill this evening.

Moments before, she had filled a food tray and left it stranded on a table. It contained mostly sweets like pudding and fruit. It made sense to her because that kind of food wouldn’t get cold. She then went back for the hot portion of the meal. Willow sat down by herself and waited for any stragglers to get left behind. Her ritual was about to be performed, and she ate with a sense of purpose and control, not too fast and not too slow, just fast enough to get everything inside while trying to enjoy the moment.

It probably seemed impossible for such a small girl to eat so much food. But thanks for her power, Willow had to eat more almost every time if she wanted to get any sense of feeling out of it. Almost everything she came into contact with was like a drug, and she needed more. Folding one tray on top of the other, Willy looked around the cafeteria before standing up. Now she had to leave as quickly as possible. She hated doing this to herself, but she loved it at the same time. A pleasant smile rose onto her face at the sense of impending success. So why was she also feeling tears come to her eyes?

On her way out, she ducked her head as a boy came into the cafeteria, rushing into the nearby girls’ washroom. Popular boys, they always talked about everyone, and this one even dressed better than most of them. Willow never understood the desire for such a thing and felt like she had nothing in common with someone like Lark. Why was he alone too though? Willow never stopped thinking while she was hunched over the toilet and she stood mechanically. People evaded her, as much as she understood the world around her.

Washing her hands, Willow dried them, the texture of the paper towels felt like nothing against her skin which had become used to the feeling. She left the washroom, walking into the boy she had seen before. Literally. “Sorry,” she muttered, dark blue eyes glancing up at the older boy. Hopefully he hadn’t overheard what she just did.

[Larkein Blackhawk]

Lark had gotten hungry. He put on his favorite black t-shirt and tight fitting black jeans with his biker boot. He bit his lip, styling his longer hair to flip into his gray-blue eyes. Perfect. Turning around, he made his way to the cafeteria. There was only one other person,she was carrying more than one tray to the trash. How lucky for some people to eat all they wanted and never gain a pound. He took his salad plain. Actually, the only thing he ate was the salad. He finished the salad in a short amount of time.

The rich boy hadn’t really been a germaphobe growing up, but still, the fact that his hands were dirty was still niggling his mind. He hadn’t seen where that girl had gone. Pushing that out of his mind, he made his way to the men’s restroom, which was right across the hall from the women’s. His somewhat sensitive hearing had picked up the sound of someone retching out their dinner.

Lark went into the men’s restroom, running his hands underneath the scalding water. The sound echoed in his mind. He shook his head to clear it, running wet hands through his hair. It dutifully fell back in front of his face, a few wisps tickling his forehead. He exited the bathroom with eyes closed temporarily. “Oh, hey, are you okay?” he asked automatically, holding his hands out to possibly catch her. His eyes searched her pale face. “That was you wasn’t you? That vomiting in the bathroom? Is everything okay? Do we need to get you to the nurse?” His long, slender hand felt her head. She felt clammy. “Come on, you look sick.”

[Willow Birdsong]

There was absolutely nothing special or intriguing about how Willow dressed or acted. Her hair was plain brown and she didn’t think she looked pretty at all. She was wearing jeans and a baggy sweater, trying to hide her sorrows. Where had her sister gone? Had she, Willow, done something to wrong her? She was the perfect image of someone trying to get away from everything.

Willow wasn’t lucky. She was obsessive and couldn’t look someone in the eye. She ate what she wanted at a price, and to feel like she could control at least one thing in her life. But with her power, even that was starting to subvert on itself.

Nodding a couple times, Willow flushed. It was every day that someone attractive got close enough to touch her. She looked down, her hair falling off her shoulder to hide her face. And then he spoke some more and she stiffened, suddenly defensive. Willow stepped back from his hand as he decided to take on a mothering role. “Something I ate didn’t settle,” she said flatly. It was plain and simple, she didn’t have to see a nurse. Didn’t he have friends to attend to or something?

[Larkein Blackhawk]

Lark stepped back as well. There was a space beginning to create between them and this space was called angry awkwardness. He raised a slender eyebrow, he had just gotten them done, and shook his head. "This is why I don't bother caring for people," he said nastily. "They go and throw the kindness back in your face!" He threw up his pale hands and turned around to face the wall.

"I was only making sure you were fine," he deadpanned. He wasn't going to put up with whatever she wanted to bring to the table. He had already had a bad enough day, because he could only work out for hour because homework was calling his name. "Why don't you say the truth? You're skin and bones. If I didn't know any better, I would say you were bulimic."

Lark faced the girl again, the concern rippling through his facial features fast. "Are you?" he mock whispered.

[Willow Birdsong]

“I’m sorry,” Willow said quickly, watching him overreact. “Most people don’t care for me to begin with.” Now why had she gone and said that? As if she didn’t look pathetic enough. Perhaps she was pale from her actions or maybe she was pale because of their proximity. Either solution, Will was nervous.

Holding onto an elbow, Willow couldn’t believe someone had claimed to be making sure she was alright one moment and then insulting her the next. She at least knew his name, could he say the same for her? Why did he care?

Willow broke. She was tempted to get on her knees and beg him not to tell anyone, but he really didn’t have any proof. Besides, who would he tell and why would she care? But the shock on her face was a telltale sign. “How would you know?” She asked softly, her eyes flicking back and forth from his to the floor.

[Larkein Blackhawk]

Lark's blue-gray eyes caught her dark blue ones. Lark put his hand under her chin, bringing her face up to meet his. "Because, I've dealt with friends who were doing drugs, drinking excessively, and cutting. You are tiny, but you aren't that tiny to not have any meat on your bones. And... I can smell the vomit on your breath. I can't guess what you've been going through or if you were really purposely throwing up, but I can tell you, I'm here to help you."

Lark supposed that because he wanted to help her, because he wanted to help everyone, he didn't want them to feel the pain he did on a daily basis. The pain was self-inflicted, but so was drugs, drinking and eating disorders. Everyone was just trying to run from something, each story unique.

He tried to think of something to make the girl feel better. "Hey, wanna see something?" he asked, holding out his hand. His eyes said, "Trust me." The tiger-boy was going to show her something he didn't show easily.

[Willow Birdsong]

Willow tensed at his touch, feeling the need to throw up again. It wasn’t his fault, she was just unused to anyone being so upfront. Some colour returned to her face as she listened to him speak. At least he was empathetic. But she didn’t trust him, especially when she barely knew him and he knew her biggest secret before her sister did.

And she could tell he was lying. Maybe he was the drinker or the cutter, but he wouldn’t care at all if her actions didn’t remind him of himself in some way. She had studied enough psychology to see the signs, and it was easier to focus on him than the fact that she had been caught.

Knowing nothing about him, the offer seemed suspicious. “Are you going to hurt me?” She asked, not that that would stop him from doing so if that was in his intention. Hesitantly, Willy reached out her slender hand to his. This was something she had never experienced before and like a light to a bug, he was irresistible.

[Larkein Blackhawk]

Lark flashed her his Smile. The one had won over so many females. He gripped her hand a little bit harder and pulled her out into the cold air. His breath made mini white fog clouds. "I won't hurt you." He held his hands up in surrender, looking at her with big innocent eyes. He would never hurt a female, not as long as he lived. A forest surrounded the campus, which he disappeared into.

There was one thing he liked about shifting in the cold, his body heat went up being a tiger. But, the funny thing about shifting, he had to make sure to strip himself completely naked before he could make sure that his designer clothes weren't ruined by tiger claws. The shifting took less than a minute, becoming more smooth each time he did.

The black tiger shook out the scruff around his neck. He padded silently out to where the expectant girl was waiting. He tried his best to mew at her, to get her attention. Lark knew he was hard to see in the dark, after all, he was black. The mew came out more as a small roar. He swiped a massive paw in the air.

[Willow Birdsong]

Will immediately smiled back. They were going outside and her hair bellowed out behind her, trying to keep up. They weren’t really dressed for the weather, so she held her shoulder, making a cross in front of her chest. Going onto her tiptoes, Willow tried to see where Lark had gone to. Nature intrigued her, as did the outdoors.

Making a small ‘o’ with her mouth, Willow let out a surprised, jovial sound. “Whoa...” She said to herself. The first thing she noticed about him was the eyes. They were bright against the black. He was amazing to her. “I’ve never seen a black tiger before,” she said. Finally, her lips turned up into a smile.

No comment was made as to where his clothes went, after all, she knew all about animal shape shifting, and the clothes didn’t just disappear for one’s convenience. “C-can you hold it for v-very long?” She asked, shivering in the cold. This was amazing, and it took her mind off of everything.

[Larkein Blackhawk]

Lark made what was supposed to sound like a happy tiger sound. A deep rumbling started in his chest and he allowed himself to rub up against her legs. He was trying to keep her from going completely warm.

Truth was, he could probably hold his form for about two more hours if it looked good, but if he got emotional distraught, the animal tended to take over. That was the problem with having two beings in one body. The animal usually tried to take over when it was a fight-or-flight situation. For him, the tiger always stayed to fight, always. That's how it was. He was gone in a flash and he had his designer clothes held delicately between his massive teeth. He inclined his head to the courtyard, to lead her back to the warmth.

Lark's paws never once made a sound, the claws never making actual contact on the concrete. He sat in front of the foyer door, unable to open it in tiger form. His long black tail made a swishing sound in the air.

[Willow Birdsong]

Willow had spent enough time with animals to know what the sounds meant. She giggled to herself, reaching her hand out a little. It took a few moments, but eventually she touched the fur on his back. "You're really soft," she commented. A few strokes later, she pressed her hand firmer onto his body. Already she was getting used to the feeling and she pulled her hand away. This was something she didn't want to get accommodated to.

Willow had always found it easier to talk to animals. Following him back to the school, Willy didn't comment on the clothing, it didn't really bother her that much to be honest. "Kitty wants in?" She cooed, though it wasn't meant to be teasing. Willow wouldn't know what flirting was, and she wasn't about to do so with someone of another species.

Holding the door open for him, Willow walked through the courtyard, unable to keep her bright eyes off of him for long. He had broken through many walls with just one action, and though her arms were still wrapped around her body protectively, she had to admit she enjoyed the company.

"You're not cold?" She asked, concerned over him now.

[Larkein Blackhawk]

Lark shook out his fur. He felt the protective tiger instincts coming on and coming on strong. Someone, something had led him to her. He never, ever ate in the cafeteria. What made him want to do that tonight? What was so different? Seeing the smile on her beautiful, pale face was definitely something worth it.


She was younger than him, younger than he usually picked, but he didn't feel the romantic feelings blossom that usually would burst in his chest by now. This girl purely hitting his brotherly side.


At her question, he visibly rolled his eyes at her. Tigers could withstand temperatures like never before. He scratched at the next door, this one actually leading into the warmth. He was more concerned about her...and his clothes.

[Willow Birdsong]

Willow hardly left her room, so yes, she was inclined to believe that this meeting wasn’t coincidental. Admittedly she did feel some kind of attraction to him, what kind she wasn’t sure yet. She always felt this way when someone made an effort to be around her.

“Alright alright...” Willow said, smirking to herself and opening the next door. “It’s not my fault you’re naked.” And she was right, he could’ve changed back in the woods and opened the door himself right now. Or he could always break down the door if it really was that urgent.

“Thanks for showing me,” she said once they were both inside. Glancing from him to the clothes in his mouth, Willow went to go sit on a window ledge, glad for the warmth but missing the outdoors already. Her back to him was a silent vow not to peek. She doubted it would be a good idea to go into the bathroom in full animal form.

[Larkein Blackhawk]

Lark could change in his dorm. He got on his hind legs, and dropped the clothes into the trash. Fortunately for him, clothes were expendable, and unfortunately, clothes had been trapped in his teeth for that long were going to have holes in unseemly places.

The tiger-boy usually didn't have a problem with showing off his body, but this was a different situation. The ice he tread on was thin and if anything scared her off, then he couldn't hope for another chance.

The window ledge was just wide enough for her to seemly sit comfortable on it. Silently, he watched her. Lark noticed things, in his tiger form of course, that other people wouldn't notice. Lines around her mouth pointed to more frowning than smiling. This was a sad girl. A sneeze quickly came, bringing the silence to an end.

Lark barked once, a cat like bark. Getting her attention, he went to sit at her feet, his head easily reaching her stomach. He nudged her hand with his nose, hoping she would pet him. That was his favorite thing about being in his shape-shift form. It was being petted.

[Willow Birdsong]

What was the point in taking his clothes off in the first place if he was going to just throw them away? Willow made a mental note to fish them out later, for someone who might actually like them and be able to fix them. She doubted he wanted such a charity. But the action in and of itself said a lot – he was most likely popular because he was rich. But if he was popular, why bother making such strides with her? What was the loss in watching her run away frightened?

Jumping at the sneeze, Willow turned her head over to him to smile. She hadn’t smiled like this for a long time. Usually Willy wasn’t this sad, but everyone had their limits, he just got to see the end of them. But her eyes were sharp simply from using them, and she too noticed things that others wouldn’t. She watched his legs closely, deep gashes appeared on his inner thighs where no fur grew to cover them. That only happened when something was done on purpose.

Petting him softly, Willow treated him like the giant cat he was and rubbed behind his ears and then under his chin. “Don’t you have other people to see? A lot of friends to play with, hmm?” A secret for a secret, she would keep his if he kept hers.