Coming out of hiding ((Open))

Wush, Wush, Swish, Swish! The sounds of shrubbery being pushed and shoved to the side rang throughout the otherwise silent forest. A scarred animal with pitch black fur and blood-red eyes panted hard, trying to outrun the THING chasing her. Her senses worked overttime and soon a slight sillohuette of a large castle come into view. 'Yes! Yes! I'm almost there! I'm almost back to the school!' A loud roar shuddered Signer Nox, Coyote shapeshifter out of her happy thoughts. The monster that pursued the Coyote had taken her from the woods and kept her in its cave for months on end. Now, Signer was free... and she didn't plan on going back.

Signer skidded to a stop and built up the speed to take off again. Vaughn Academy suddenly loomed over her, the tall black towers dark and foreboding... never before had Signer been so excited. Still in a run, Signer converted back into human form and smoothed out the long, ragged skirt. Signer tripped over her feet and landed on the ground with a hard thump. Signer scambled further toward the castle, knowing the monster wouldn't dare follow her there. Slowly, she leaned against one of the trees closest to the mouth of the forest.

"Oh," She said to herself. Signer listened intently which wasn't hard with her coyote senses. The monster was gone... for now at least. Signer whimpered like she would in her shape-shifted form and gripped her left shoulder with her right hand. "Oh," She repeated forlornly.

OOC SIGNER! -HUGS YOU- I'm so glad you're back!

IC Evelyn had been hunting, and she knew her appearance. Her long unruly raven hair fell to her hips, a few twigs drifting through it. Her lips were red from the hunt and adrenaline coursed through her, she smelled something.. No.. someone.. SIGNER!

She bolted through the forest, her senses keen, her speed uncanny. Signer.. Signer.. where are you? Ev flew through the forest. She was close. She peered around, finding Signer against a tree. She ran up to her.

" Oh god, Signer! You look dreadful.. What happened? Where have you been? We need to get you to the castle... " Suddenly Evelyn wrapped an arm around Signer's waist, using her unnatural strength to support her.

OOC Oh crape. Forgot to colorcode. XD I was so excited!!!

((Haha, its nice to be back! And its nice RPing with you again!! ))

Signer thought about just morphing into her Coyote form, curling up into a little black fluff ball and sleeping through the rest of the day. All the running drained most of her energy... she wasn't even sure if she could muster up the strength to turn INTO a Coyote. She let out another dejected whimper and felt herself drifting off until... Signer's senses pricked up like a radar, mostly her nose. Sigenr sat fully up and tried to pinpoint the scent. A vampire, that much she was certain of.

A familiar voice called out her name, and the shape-shifter readided herself for an attack, but all she got was an arm around her. Signer looked at her savior, a VERY familiar face. Signer's pale complexion softened into a relieved smile. "Evelyn?" Her vampire friend helped her onto her wobbly feet, asking what happened.

The shapeshifter looked tiredly at Evelyn. "A monster," She started, then shook her head. "No time, maybe later." Signer felt her legs give out under her and she grunted in an effort to keep up. "I-I'm fine, r-really."

Indeed I missed you! ))

" Oh please.. I'm so glad to see you, but this might seem awkward. " Evelyn had a concerned look on her face and awkwardly lifted Signer up in her arms.

" You might want to close your eyes.. " And then she ran. Evelyn bolted off at the speed of light, arriving outside the Academy's main door barely winded ( What vampire needs to breathe? ).

Delicately, she set Signer on the ground and opened the door, then wrapped a cautious arm around her to support her as they made it through the door way. Ev slammed the door behind them.

" Home sweet home.. Signer, we have some steps until we get you to your dorm, or the nurse's office, I'm here to help. " She offered a comforting smile, that seems so.. inhuman.

(( that sounded wrong : / ))

And just like that, Signer found herself laying injured in her friend's arms. 'Awlward?' She thought. 'I can sort of see that...' But Signer decided not to mention anything. Eveyln was already going out of her way to help the Coyote shape-shifter and Signer didn't want to seem ungrateful.

'You might want to close your eyes..' Signer didn't question and followed Evelyn's instruction. Signer felt a sudden burst of wind which slapped at her face and left her even more dazed. She should probably get used to that. When the wind halted, Signer opened her eyes (which she feared were red like her Coyote form and not indigo like normal). They were already at the front of Vaughn, which normally would take hours to get to from the forest! The shape-shifter smiled. "Th-thank you."

At the mention of going to the Nurse's office, Signer bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't want anyone ELSE worrying over her, and besides, the nurse probably already had enough to worry about. "I-I don't want to bother her," Her voice could barely be heard. "I'm f-fine, really Evelyn..."

" Signer.. God, you've been gone for months. I am your friend, I want you to feel better, and if you don't go to the nurse, I'll run you up to your dorm and nurse you back to complete health. " Evelyn grinned her signature smiled, her hands on her hips.

" I know you feel like you'd be burdening us with this but, we care about you, as awkward as that may seem. You're my only real friend I have left at this Academy, it seems, And I want you better, alright? " Evelyn's voice was strong, but her large green eyes softened at the last bit.

Signer could sense the truth in Evelyn's words. She REALLY didn't care how long it took. Evelyn just wanted Signer to be up on her feet again. The Coyote felt grateful, she really did. It felt refreshing to know that she still had someone who cared around. Truthfully, Signer would've preferred to just be taken to her dorm and 'nursed' there, but the only injuries she had suffered were very minor. Most of it was just fatigue.

"Y-you're a good friend, Evelyn," Signer told the vamire honestly. The bit about Signer being her only friend left at the Academy startled her. "What? What do you mean? Wh-what happened to them?" Signer only knew a few other people in Vaughn besides Evelyn, but she wanted to know what had happened to them too... especially Nix...

" Signer.. Everyone we once knew.. Disappeared. No one has heard any news of Ever or Nix, and then Saylon, Raja, Rachel.. Cole.. I just don't know what's going on. We have lots of new students, it seems. "Evelyn murmured,

" Can I take you up to your dorm? "

Signer felt a wave of shame wash over her when more than half of the names Evelyn mentioned didn't ring a bell of recognition. The shapeshifter had always been the shy one in just about any situation, but there was no excuse to not know these people's names. Only Ever and Nix Signer had met. The news of their disappearance caused a new worry to fill Signer. She knew she shouldn't, worry just made the fatigue worse. Signer worried anyway.

"O-ok," Signer agreed to Evelyn, her red/indigo eyes on the stone floor of the Academy. What else could she do in her state? Signer had to choice but to heal.

Evelyn smiled and wrapped an arm around Signer's waist, delicately lifting her off the ground awkwardly, but Ev didn't dwsll on it. She chuckled lightly as she said, " You might want to close your eyes again. "

Soon she was speeding up the steps, bolting down hallways. It was an advantage, her speed. She could feel the refreshing air bolting past her face and then they stood outside Signer's dorm. She carefully opened the door, smiling brightly as she said,

"Welcome home. "

Before she knew it, Signer felt her feet leave the ground again as Evelyn lifted her up. The shape-shifter twidled her thumbs and had her eyes closed LONG before Eveyln instructed her to do so. The wind blasted in Signer's face again and she couldn't help but feel afraid at the immense speed Ev carried her. Of course the speed could be a good thing then again what if Signer rolled out of her friend's grasp? That... wouldn't be pretty.

Signer feared to open to her eyes even when the wind finished howling in her face. The only time she knew she was safe was when Evelyn uttered the two words that Signer ached to hear: 'Welcome home'.

The Shape-shifter opened her eyes and glanced around her old room. Her bunk remained the same, made but with a few wrinkles in the covers. She frowned at that. Signer would have to fix that soon... Signer dropped from Evelyn's arms and supported herself on the doorframe. "I can't thank you enough for this, E-Evelyn," Signer said sincerely. The feeling returned in Signer's legs and she walked a few steps into the room, still a bit wobbly.

Signer collapsed on her bed, wrinkling the sheets even more. A thought about fixing the bed crossed her mind, but Signer shot it down completely. She just needed a bit of rest. That was all. Signer sat up and smiled weakly at her vampire friend. "A-anything else I need to know that changed in Vaughn?"

" Mmm.. Besides the fact that we have a bunch of new students, lots of new vamps.. Nothing really. I hated the change though. " Evelyn sighed, her bright green eyes darkening beneath long lashes. She delicately sat down in a wooden chair near the door, a disgruntled expression on her beautiful face.

"Signer.. If you need anything, or want anything, or just want someone familiar to talk to, I'm always here. " Evelyn flicked her gaze to Signer, something dark and full of sorrow resting in them, like the look she had when she first arrived to the Academy. Evelyn plastered a smile on to her face, but it isn't very real.

Evelyn had a look on her face... one that clearly showed her disapprovement. Signer bit her lip softly. Did the school REALLY change? Evelyn then mentioned the increase in Vampires and Signer tried to stifle the building anxiousness. She had never taken kindly to the undead species, with a few exceptions of course, like Ev. The bloodsuckers didn't seem to enjoy her company either...

At Evelyn's second comment, Signer gave her a small nod. The Shapeshifter would need a friend to help adjust to the absence of her other classmates. Anyone else could've easily went out and made acquaintances with the new students, right? Not Signer. The Coyote turned out to be PAINFULLY shy in human form, and I mean PAINFULLY shy.

"I think I'll need a friend," She conceded and twidled her thumbs. Signer noticed a smile on Evelyn's face... a smile that looked forced. Signer swung her legs over the bed. "E-Evelyn," She started, straight-backed, eyes cast on the ground. "Is something b-bothering you?" It took a bunch of Signer's courage for that one simple, casual question. Once again, PAINFULLY shy.

Evelyn peered at her and murmured, " There are a lot of things bothering me. But don't worry. This year, I'm hoping to not worry about anything else besides school, you know? It'll be so much easier. " She bit her lip, wrapping her arms around her legs, thinking to herself.

' I've lost everything I want.. Cole, Andra, Parents, Mortality, The ability to not want to drink someone's blood.. Maybe I am cursed.. ' She thought despondently to herself, sighing .

She flicked her gaze up, " So. Do you need anything? " She offered a kind smile.