barely surviving has become my purpose '' JACK

[IVY EVIAN NIGHT]

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing

Tap tap tap Ivy's pencil drummed repetitively against her uncomfortable desk. She had felt off the entire day. Something in the pit of her stomach had told her something was just not right. She wasn't even able to fully follow along in her class. She felt like an ADD kid trapped in a test for eight hours. She wanted an escape. Something was wrong.

Ivy hadn't even realized that her night class had been dismissed until her fellow students started moving around to exit the room. "Crap!" She whispered grabbing her own notebook and shoving it into her school bag. Rushing out of the class to not be the last one left behind Ivy exited the building, inhaling the cool night air.

She watched as everyone laughed and walked together back to either their dorms or cars to exit the campus. She sighed and started to head back to her own, single dorm. Where she would throw herself into her books, read up on different plants that had just been discovered all around the world - she had nothing better to do.

The wind picked up and Ivy could feel the pull, like always. The trees wishing for her to listen and talk with them. The wind wanting to play and dance all around her. It was an uplifting feeling and something she didn't allow herself to indulge in often. "Just for a moment." She told herself and she looked from side to side, making sure she wouldn't be spotted as she walked towards a wood area the college had set up for runners and nature walks. The wind picked up to rejoice in her decision and the trees swayed ago with the wind as if rejoicing too.

Stepping into what seemed to be a cleared off section of wild life Ivy stretched out her hands as if embracing something, but nobody stood before her. The woods pulsed as if suddenly coming to life. "Hello-" She replied in a soft tone, as if she just found an old friend.

[JACK WES URKIN]

It was a wicked and wild wind, blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums..

[/i][/size][/center]

Jack's business had donated a few pieces of art to the local campus and he was overseeing the transfer there to make sure they were unharmed and placed properly once they were inside. He directed the moving men as to where it needed to go and then left the building, seeing the men that worked for him off. When he was satisfied that they were gone and the pieces of art were properly taken care of, he relaxed on a stone bench that was resting outside the building.

His eyes watched the students as they moved their way back and forth. Something fascinated him about people who thought their lives meant anything in the grand scheme of things. It was not until he noticed one girl flit off by herself that he cocked his head to the side and followed her, though making sure she would not see him. His distance was enough that he could just keep tabs on her while keeping himself hidden and out of sight. This woman had embraced the air, it seemed. What kind of madness was that?

As far as he could tell, there was nothing there. Was she speaking to the trees? Was she one of those green new-age hippies? He laughed slightly to himself and shook his head. Some people were absolutely crazy. This girl seemed to be one of them. He had met all kinds of people in his time, but this girl seemed to be speaking to and looking at something that was not there. Did she too have a voice in the back of her head, speaking to her and telling her what to do?

That would definitely be something interesting, but as far as he could tell, the girl smelled human. Unless she was insane, or a slayer, that sort of thing really did not happen often. Jack's eyes were on her the entire time as he drew just a bit closer, trying very hard to remain out of sight all the while.

[IVY EVIAN NIGHT]

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing

Breathing was the first thing Ivy needed to do. Never stop breathing- Had been her fathers first lesson. To be in control was key to staying in power. As she walked further and further into the man made woods she inhaled allowing her lungs to expand and fill, exhaling to allow herself to focus on her soul purpose.

Feeling better about her location Ivy once again stretched out her hand and a pulse exploded from the palm of her hand and if awaiting to be called upon a root burst from the ground and wrapped itself around her hand. She smiled in welcoming, "So tell me-" She spoke to the root as if it were her own child, "What secrets linger within this toxin city." She asked as she allowed her fingers to lightly touch the root that was entangled with her hand.

The wind danced within her hair as if begging for attention. The trees and ground seemed to creak and shift wanting to be closer to the girl that stood embracing a small single root. Her eyes were now closed as if the tiny root spoke to her, her eyes fluttered and her facial expressions changed from calm and relaxed to worried and confused. "Interesting-" She said in a low tone, unsure of what she just saw.

Ivy was confused by what she saw. She had seen countless thing before the plants shared images with her. Sometimes it was different flashes of multiple things. Sometimes they had a story to tell. This time, they had something dark and rotten to see but it was only feelings that they projected, no visual. "That very odd" She said to the root bring it closer to her eye level. "Try to find me more information, please" She asked, the worried look still placed on her face.

The wind still asked for attention, like a small child, and Ivy couldn't help but oblige. Despite the disturbing images, she pushed them aside for the moment. Bringing her opposite hand up into the air reaching high, her hand tilted upward and a moment later her hand swished downward sending a small gust of wind blasting from her palm, it had its own tint of blue, so as the two different currents of wind danced with one anther. Ivy couldn't help but smile, it when she allowed herself to be full out in the open was when she felt complete and whole.

[JACK WES URKIN]

It was a wicked and wild wind, blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums..

[/i][/size][/center]

The sight was more than he could have understood at first. The way the root wrapped around her hand, as if greeting her and shaking her hand, confused him. What kind of being could have an ability like this? He sniffed the air absently and only smelled human. Maybe it was because they were close to campus, but as far as he could tell by scent, the woman in front of him was in fact a normal mortal. His eyes, however, were able to perceive the truth. The gust of wind with a slight coloration to it was just one more piece of evidence to prove that there was no way this girl was human.

Jack suddenly became very perceptive of everything around him. The girl seemed to be talking to the plants in some way. His eyes shifted to the trees, the ground, the bushes. Could she communicate with all of these? This woman presented him with so many questions that it was almost frustrating. There was not a thing about her that made sense. She was not muttering incantations or even using gestures to cast spells, so this was no simple act of witchcraft. No, this girl was something else entirely and he had no idea what she was. The answer was not simple to come by, it seemed.

Moving just a bit closer, Jack narrowed his eyes and picked up a rock from the ground. He tossed it up and down in his palm quietly as he tried to discern what she could be. There was not a word from the voice and this girl seemed even more weird than some of the strange folk that he was already aware of; demons and vampires included. As he rolled the rock back and forth between his hands, he took a few steps closer to the girl. It probably was not a good idea to sneak up on the girl, but what choice did he have now? She was already very strange in his eyes and he had already followed her for a bit through the woods. What was this girl and what was she doing?

[IVY EVIAN NIGHT]

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing

The elements were her friends and her children. The earth wished for her guidance and in return it protected her and allowed her control. Ivy's fingers trailed up and down the root as if petting it like a house cat. The trees in this area had been badly damaged due to a summer heat. Ivy had been slowly nursing them back to health. She did not wish for her new friends to wither away and perish. Ivy's heart lied within these plants, if they perished, so would she.

The wind was the first alert that they were no longer alone. Carrying the scent of something not human. Eyes eyes widened but her face showed no stress or worry. The tree's warning came next, they sensed something, something not right and wished for her to take shelter and allow them to protect her. She smiled, "Don't be silly." She said looking at the countless trees that surrounded her. The root that still hung on her hand tightened and tried to pull her, her feet even stumbled slightly. "What do you wish for me to do." She said, her voice was singsong like, she commanded the root to stop and the root stopped but it did not release her. "Fair enough-" She said, more amused by the actions of her fellow friends. The grounded vibrated, allowing her to know the direct spot where her "company" was located, this was on tactic she had been taught early in life and had been useful on countless occasions.

"If you insist on lurking around," Ivy spoke, her head turning to the direction of her onlooker, sending her blond hair to fall around her face. He was a blur to her but she didn't need to see him but he was there. "At least introduce yourself. Its rude to stare" She said, her voice still singsong but held a snap of annoyance.

The more she was aware of his location the better she felt. If he was friend or enemy she was unsure. But her mind was now calculating multiple escape routes and attacks. The rock he held within his hand could be easily used as a weapon for her use. The ground beneath him could easily cave in. She just stared, her emerald greens eye stared straight at him, not wavering.

[JACK WES URKIN]

It was a wicked and wild wind, blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums..

[/i][/size][/center]

Jack froze when she called him out. How did she know he was there? Could she actually communicate with them? The fact that she had been able to even gather that he was there astounded him greatly. As far as he could tell, he had not stepped heavily, snapped a twig or even crumpled a leaf on his way out here. This girl was definitely something unique if she could catch him without any of the signs.

"I, uh, yeah." Jack took a breath and fell back into the face that he put on every day for his business. He stepped into sight and smiled, sliding his hand into his pocket to produce a business card. Moving closer, he extended the card to her and nodded.

Jack Wes Urkin
Art Dealer and Appraiser
07133121994

"I wasn't intending to scare you. I donated a few pieces of art to the university today. I saw you and wondered what you were doing. Is everything alright?" Jack tilted his head to the side as he gave the girl a once over. She was definitely unique, he could say that for certain, and she had a sort of strange mystery to her. His nose said human, which confused him even more, but it was not the first time that a human exhibited strange gifts. These kinds of people, albeit rare, were not unheard of. His eyes shifted to the ground and then back up to her. He was glad that humans, even slayers and witches, could not innately tell a demon from a human on smell or feeling alone. It was the only thing that allowed him to have a normal existence.

Jack looked around at the man-made park-esque area that had been made right outside campus. It had been a year or two since he had even seen the place. He was really young when he was last here, getting his arts degree. Despite the normal time, it only took him two years. He wanted to get in and out as fast as possible and then leave. "Didn't mean to interrupt you, if you were wanting peace and quiet. I can leave, if you'd like?" While he always avoided apologizing if he could help it at all, he still had to act like he was mortal and have some sort of a moral compass. Sneaking up on a person and invading their personal time was sort of a raw deal amongst humans. Well, it was that way amongst everyone, but Jack failed to care.

[IVY EVIAN NIGHT]

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing

The root snaked around her even tighter, the earth sensed something, something it was not comfortable with. Ivy tried to connect with the plants around her but they had shut themselves off, as if concentrating on one thing. Ivy eye still remained on her "visitor." The circulation to her hand was being cut off and Ivy felt the throbbing pain for no blood entering her hand.

Cardamine Bulbifera Ivy mumbled in Latin, as if yelling at the protective root. She tried to hide her hand and the root from his eyesight . She knew the root had protectively wrapped its way along her arm and hand was that of a coral root, stubborn among its species. She wanted to demand that it release her but she could feel the intense alarm within the air.

Her visitor had mumbled something and tried to hand her what looked like a business card. Ivy just looked at it, her face slightly showing her uneasiness. "You didn't scare me-" She said, calmly and cool, allowing the words to roll off her tongue. He had thought she feared his approach, that was furthest from her reasoning. He seemed, slightly, worried. Ivy found this odd, why would he care what a lone college student was doing, "Thank you for your concern, I just needed some fresh air." She told him, which was true or half way true.

As she spoke Ivy found it odd, she had never been followed into her woods before, ever. Usually the woods cleared her tracks and sighted to make it see like it was impossible for humans to trek to the regions she has discovered. Ivy's eyebrow rose, "How were you able to follow me?" The question was spoken in a curious tone but his answer would tell her what she needed to know.

The wind carried warnings, screams to escape and run; allow the earth to protect her while she escaped. For a moment Ivy allowed herself to look skyward as if looking at the wind for more answers. Something was off, something was not right.