The Tiberius J. Swann Education Facility

Who: Lirije and Fenrir
What: The scared little kitty is brave enough to go to yoga with the big bad wolf
Where: The courtyard
When: 7:30 a.m.

Lirije was earlier than necessary for this yoga session, but she'd woken up at 7 and knew that if she didn't make herself go down to the courtyard immediately, she was likely to talk herself out of going altogether. Yes, the teacher was a man. He seemed a bit gruff, too, but he was a teacher. He wasn't allowed to do any harm, right? And even if he was, there was little chance that he actually would. She continually told herself that not everyone was like that, but it was easier to say than to believe.

With her yoga mat in tow, Lirije stepped out into the chilly morning. She was wearing a loose sweatshirt and stretchy track pants, appropriate for the class. She was experienced with yoga. Both it and pilates had been part of her ballet training for years and the positions had become almost second nature over time. She checked her watch when she arrived at the designated location, still utterly empty and quiet. It was still thirty minutes until the class was set to begin, so she lay out her mat carefully and sat cross-legged, eyes closed and arms at her side, relaxed in a state of semi-meditation.

It was quiet times like this one when she let herself really feel the beast inside her, though to her it wasn't so much a beast as just another part of herself. The panther, elegant and graceful, seemed to wake and stretch somewhere inside her, languidly shaking off both sleep and the confines of living within a creature who was split between two worlds. Liri tried very hard to be human most of the time because it was necessary, but she was still very much in touch with the animal within. It grew weary, tired of being trapped within for all but one night a month, but like Lirije, it endured patiently, accepting the injustice with a sort of dignified grace.

It was a peaceful feeling, to acknowledge and accept the feral side of herself, to know that despite the fact she looked human, she would always be something more. There was a comfort in coexisting, especially in moments like these where she allowed the panther to come so close to the surface, let the leopardess almost take complete control and yet maintain human form. It was that point before shifting that she knew how to control perfectly, how to suppress, but not how to overcome. Too many years of attempting to avoid the change because being caged while shifted was utter torture had made it an obstacle to just let go. This edge, this boundary before jumping off into her animal form, was a nice place though. A comfortable place.

Lirije sat and enjoyed the feeling until suddenly the panther--or maybe it was her, the two were so closely intertwined at the moment that it was difficult to tell where one began and the other ended, and perhaps neither began or ended at all. Perhaps they were one and the same--but she smelled a wolf. Nearby. Her human mind knew that it was the teacher, that it was okay, but the cat wasn't so sure.

Who: Lirije and Simon
What: A meeting in which Lirije does not get hurt. Or tooo scared.
Where: Wandering around
When: Wednesday afternoon

Lirije was always physically active, always exerting herself. Form a young age she had found that getting rid of excess energy was an effective way of keeping her inner panther from getting to antsy. That part of her loved a good run, or a long day's ballet rehearsal, or even a pilates or yoga class. It just kept everything more balanced and at peace. She'd spent too long in her room, so a few miles were definitely called for.

When she had finished, she had barely broken a sweat. Her heart was pounding a bit though as she began to cool down and then stretch out. As if it was nothing at all, she leaned down to touch her toes but went much farther than that. Her palms were flat on the grass and her elbows were bent a little, far from fully extended. Her nose was between her shins, brushing the skin, and her ponytail was flipped over her head, brushing against the ground.

Unaware of anyone else around, she sat down and slid easily into a sideways split position before leaning to grab first one foot and then the other. Years of ballet had made her body extremely pliant, and it was hardly a stretch at all.