Amadeus shook his head, reaching to cup her jaw. "Yeah he would...I
can only imagine what such a man would do if he realized just how
incredible you are. No, you're secret is safe. Let me adjust here,
but I'll keep your secret safe. Is that why you came out? How long
has it been since you got to come outside? Darn it. I didn't catch
your name," he said, looking up to see if the moon would come
back.
Benji could smell the wild, the freedom. He held onto her, looking
out the window. Did he trust her? Did he trust her enough to let
her see? He wasn't sure that he did. Trust her not to hurt him like
this? Yes. But that was a whole new ballgame.
Momentarily the moon came back out, the thick cloud having been
small. Myanna stood back up, a smile rested on her features
illuminated by the soft white light of the moon. "Myanna. My name
is Myanna... And it's been far too long since I last got out... If
I remember correctly it has been over a year since I last saw hands
in place of paws..." She had lifted her head to look up at the
moon. "And what is your name?" With that question she returned her
gaze to the man in front of her.
Jabrielle carried him back to the cage and closed the door behind
her. "Thank you..." She let out a quiet sigh of relief. No one
seemed to have noticed, but if he responded to her like that,
perhaps she could vouch for him and find a way to get him
outside... "You really seem to understand what I'm saying, or at
least the meaning behind it..." To say she was perplexed would be
an understatement.
"How often do you want to come outside, Myanna? I'll help you come
outside. You don't have to sneak. He'll, you don't have to stay
here if you don't want to," Amadeus told her, reaching out to take
her hand. "My name is Amadeus Zimmerman. A mouthful, I know."
Benji was slow moving as he made his way over to the little
doghouse that was his den. He looked up at her, pausing, when he
heard her comment. Of course he knew. But no one had really paid
attention before. He was just a smart animal. He just had to get
her to believe that.because anything more would lead to too many
questions.
Myanna froze, her expression fell from a smile to a quizzical one.
She didn't have to stay with her owner? She'd never thought of
that. She had always had an owner. When he took her hand it took
her out of the trance she was in. "Amadeus... I like it." Her smile
returned and she cocked her head to one side. "How often? As often
as I can..."
Jabrielle let out a short quick breath as she got up. "I'll be
right back." She carefully slid out the door so he didn't get out,
and she made sure to use the latch lock properly this time. She
went to go see Maggy. "Hey Maggy?" She called out into the kitchen,
not sure where the woman had gone.
His smiled grew. "Glad you approve, Myanna. So...you are just a
tiger under the moonlight? What causes it? You're like a werewolf
but a tiger?" Amadeus asked, curious and excited.
Benji got himself some water before settling down. Maggy poked her
head around the corner of a cabinet, a sugar glider on her
shoulder. "Jabrielle! How's it going?" She asked softly so as not
to startle her passenger. "Have you been enjoying yourself?"
"I don't really know... I remember this voice talking to me when I
was really little saying something about a curse... But I don't
really know much else about it and haven't heard the voice
since..." Myanna didn't seem upset by it, and the truth was, she
wasn't upset by it. She had accepted what she was and how it made
her life the way it was.
Jabrielle gasped softly as she spotted the sugar glider. "Oh
goodness! Its so cute!" She didn't want to use the wrong pronoun,
so she chose something neutral. "Everything is going great, and
yes, I've been enjoying myself very much." She paused, her hands
clasped in front of her. "Do you think there'd be a way that I
could bring the red panda outside? Maybe a collar and leash? He's
really smart and seems to listen to me..." She was careful to not
mention that he had gotten out.
"A curse? It could be...under the right circumstances. But I think
you can have it be a blessing. Especially with the changes I intend
to help with. You can have a wonderful life. Not that you haven't
already. Just, I think it'll be better when you can go out at night
and have a pool. A place to hunt and someone to wrestle with is a
bonus too," Amadeus said, intending to do so.
Maggy smiled, reaching up to scritch inched the little girl gliders
chin. "She is, isn't she? She can't fly well yet and needs someone
to feed her yet, being young, so I let her tag along. We've got
pretty good security door wise so as long as you avoid taking
animals places they could be in danger, feel free to let then tag
along. I am okay with that. There is a door that'll lead to an
outside enclosure for the animals to use. He's too big to fit
through so feel free to let him run around if you want too. I am
glad he's made a friend in you."
Myanna was quiet for several moments as she thought a few things
through. "Did you mean it?" Her smile had fallen and she sounded
serious. "What you said about not staying here? Did you mean it?"
She had never really not been in a cage like that, so she wasn't
sure about where else she could go other than another cage.
Jabrielle smiled very broadly and hopped for a moment. "That's
wonderful! Oh thank you Maggy! I'm so happy that he's comfortable
with me. He even curled up on my shoulders!" She was so excited!
She could bring him outside like he had wanted! "Just, thank you!"
She turned and practically ran back to his cage, but calmed down a
little so she could open it and get in without startling him too
much. "Hey, if you'd like, I can take you outside to an enclosure
so you can run around a bit..." She said after she had closed the
door behind her.
"I did. If you want to be free, I would help you escape. He got you
illegally, I assume. And as you are part human, it is illegal to
own a human. We decided against that as a society," Amadeus told
her. "You could live as a wild tiger. It would be a bit harder. You
have to hunt and find everything on your own, but there are
predators. And disease. Poachers as well."
Benji paused, looking out at her from the doghouse. He had so
walked himself into a corner. She was being so nice
though...maybe...maybe she would be okay...walking out, he made his
way to her. He chittered, brushing against her leg.
Myanna looked a little confused. "Do you live wild? You seem to
know about that sort of thing... I don't ever remember being
wild..." If she was released into the wild from where her kind
lived, she would very likely die of any or all of those things he
mentioned. She had never lived in the wild, and really didn't know
how to be a real tiger. The humans who took her ruined her. She was
a house cat, and as a house cat, she wouldn't be able to function
as a wild cat.
"There's my good boy," Jabrielle reached down and carefully picked
him up before opening the door and heading for the enclosure. The
sunlight hadn't crested over the building, so they walked in shade
to the enclosure. She got in and closed the tall door behind them
and set the panda down in the shade of the fence. The other half of
the fenced in area was filled with sun, and the shadow was starting
to decrease.
"It is probably best not to let you out free...like out loose in
the wild. You were a cub then, when taken. So you'd have to live
with someone. My house is an option but I live here, on site. And
don't have the money to support both of us," Amadeus explained. "I
live as wild as a human can live, though. It is terribly
unexciting. Well...it was. Now it isn't. It's pretty awesome."
Benji stared at that line, inching back slowly as he explored to
look normal. Soon, the sun would turn him and he would shift. Maybe
he should do it now...get it over with...taking a deep breath,
Benji ran over to Jabrielle and rubbed against her leg. Then he
turned to the sun line. Walking slowly, he felt the warmth of the
sun heat his fur and begin his shift. Growing in size, Benji grew
to his full size, sitting on the ground, his hands covering
himself. His dark red, shaggy hair fell over his dark, downcast
eyes. His expressive mouth was grim. His tanned, slim shoulders
were hunched forward.
"I can stay here... Is my owner paying you to take care of me?"
Myanna wondered if there could be a way that her owner could pay
him more. What if she got a job? No, that would never work. What
job could a tiger do? Unless it was some sort of thing for animal
training. Do people even do that? She sighed as she changed into a
tiger as a slightly larger cloud passed in front of the moon.
Jabrielle smiled as she watched him explore, but as he started
changing her smile fell and so did she. Right onto her rump.
"Y-you're..." She didn't look scared, just extremely confused. How
often does an animal turn into a human in front of you?
"He is. But now that I am here, I am more in it for your sake and
the sake of the other animals. I am very much invested now.
Man...if I wake up tomorrow and this was all a dream, I am going to
be so disappointed. You're fascinating," Amadeus told her, reaching
out to give her some scratches behind her ear. "I hope that this is
still okay."
Benji winced, nodding. "Not entirely just a red panda. Please don't
put me in a zoo," Benji pleaded, his voice soft.
Myanna rumbled a deep purr as she leaned her head up into his hand,
very happy with the scratching. She moved forwards and rubbed her
head and shoulder against him like a cat would. As long as he was
gentle with the scratches, it was okay with her. Though it might be
a wise idea for her to get back just in case her owner checks up on
them.
After a moment of silence Jabrielle spoke up. "Why would I put you
in a zoo?" She had leaned forwards looking him over, her eyes
filled with wonder and amazement. "Y-you're amazing..."
"I hate to make you go back...but we kind of need to get you back
inside. Make sure my boss doesn't hear about this. Calling him your
owner sounds so wrong...but technically, he still is, huh? I
promise, I will see to it that you get outside time like this,
Myanna. If you will put your faith in me, I will see to it that you
get everything you need," Amadeus told her, turning to lead her
back inside. He chuckled, realizing she still had on his shirt.
That needed to come off somehow. The dark haired youth was fairly
certain Lionel would not appreciate having his prized tiger dressed
up in a band t-shirt.
"Because I am a strange creature. Because I am different. I would
really not like to be a lab experiment," Benji murmured quietly.
What she said sunk in and he jerked his gaze up to hers. "You think
so?"
Myanna followed beside him, her large pads making no noise as she
stepped on the forest floor. The moon pushed itself through the
clouds and allowed her to change back. Her footfalls still didn't
make any sound as she practically glided across the ground. "Oh,"
She took a moment to remove his shirt and hand it back to him. From
there on she kept to the shadows until the moon was concealed
behind another cloud.
Jabrielle was still staring, but who could blame her? "I do... You
are very different..." She paused a moment. "What are you?" She
shook her head as she realized that must've sounded quite rude.
"I-I mean, do you know what kind of strange creature you are?" She
also didn't seem to mind him being nude. As an art student they
worked with models of every size and shape, some clothed, others
not.
"Oh! Thanks," Amadeus said, pulling his shirt back on. "Do you want
clothes to wear when out under the moon? Just so I know and can get
you some if you wanted. We are going to have to come up with some
way to communicate while you are in your tiger form. So that I can
do things how you'd like." He opened and held the door for her,
glad that things had ended well.
Benji was surprised she wasn't embarrassed by his nudity and moved
to stand up. He had no shame there. He ran around nude every day.
"I am not exactly sure what I am. My family has been able to so
this for generations. We shift in sunlight. That is why I was
trying to go outside. To run away. But I don't want you to get in
trouble. I...was not treated well before this. I am not going to be
hurt here, right? You'll keep me safe?" He asked softly, his hands
moving to find a tail that wasn't there.
Myanna let out a deep sounding meow as she went inside and back to
her cage where she sat by the door until he opened it for her. She
stretched once she was back in her cage, her claws made a
scritching sound as she pulled them across the stone.
"No! Of course you won't be hurt here. I will do everything I can
to keep you safe." Jabrielle stood up with him very curious. "Your
family? Do you know where they are?" She was wondering if perhaps
there'd be a way to get him back to his family. Even if she had to
walk him there herself, she'd find a way.
Amadeus chuckled, giving her a hug and playful push. "I've got to
finish a few things and then I will come back and play before
heading to bed. You okay if we talk more in the morning,
Myanna?"
Benji shook his head. "No. I don't know where I am. Or where I am
from. It is colder here then home was. Not much right now but I saw
white stuff. Fluffy and cold. I have not seen any bamboo either. I
like that very much. And mangos. Mangos are so good."
Myanna mewed again and lifted a paw to wave, a little bit of a
rough maneuver, but a wave none the less. She quite liked Amadeus.
He was nice and he seemed to actually care about how she was
treated.
"Bamboo, mangoes, and snow... Huh... I'm not sure I know of a place
like that, but I will do some research when I get back to my room.
Perhaps Maggy would know where you came from..." Jabrielle was
rambling a little, but once she'd finished that train of thought
she gasped. "Oh! Do you have a name? Mine is Jabrielle."