SPINNING A LANTERN ♦ open

More people floundered over to the tired bakedanuki. What a bother-- she only wanted to sleep on the warm and sunny stone of the fountain and down the sandwich. Now she had an audience and some suspicious and annoying cat. A dark-haired boy suddenly rushed over to interrupt the white feline, calling him a professor. Could animals really teach here? How interesting. The boy suggested they call a vet, which did not sound pleasant to the tanuki. Before she could respond with something like a warning growl, another student approached. A blue-haired man joined the action and asked Izayuki something rather… odd. There were not many silver tanukis in any world, so how did he expect to know her? She was not even from this place. He had pushed by another dark hard man who luckily regained his balanced before he could fall. Why was she such a source of attention? Were these kids really that bored?

The dark-haired man from before, whom she had taken the sandwich from, sent the silver-haired girl off to buy more. The raccoon dog’s rose-colored eyes traced the movements of the girl as she arrived with meat sandwiches to hand to the man from before. He took them and stretched them out to offer to the bakedanuki. The white feline began to speak again, however, which triggered the tanuki to launch her muzzle forward faster, snatching a single sandwich and once again holding it under her paws defensively. No, the cat was wrong. She would get the food regardless of what he said or wanted. She had no reason to talk to him, so she would keep the dumb animal act up. Protectively holding the sandwich under a paw while she ripped off chunks with her fangs to quickly force down her gullet, Izayuki kept her ears pricked as the cat began to speak in a different language entirely; one she understood, just barely.

How long had it been since she had to communicate with other tanukis or animals? She had last spoken to one of her own kind, a non-yokai tanuki, as a pup, in her earliest memories. She did not know the form of communication all too well, but instinct could guide the tanuki to communicate with the feline trying his best. However, in her eyes, the cat deserved nothing of the sort. She would just quietly allow him to make a full out of himself with the canid body language, barks, yips, and whines. The only thing the tanuki would respond with was a periodic deep growl from her throat in between bites, warning him to back off and not come too close to her or her food. He did not want her to have food so easily and that made him an enemy and threat. Eventually, she finished that sandwich and gazed up towards the first man who had given her the food. Knowing that it had worked in the past, the tanuki threw on the “puppy dog eyes” and let out a small whimper as she begged for more of the tasty and satisfying sandwiches. Perhaps it was pathetic for an intelligent yokai such as herself to stoop back to behaviors such as that of average, dumb canines, but instinct drove her to do what she could to regain her strength. Instinct told her that the white cat was an enemy and the ice-eyed man was a friend.

"When I'm hungry, I'm barely a sentient being myself. You get more with sugar than with vinegar, Felis," Theo said, having taken the sandwiches from the helpful girl. He didn't mean to act contrary to the other teacher's warnings, especially not in front of other students, but he had to go with his gut. Before he could barely reach one toward the creature, it was snatched like before and torn into with warning growls. Felis might be a cat, but Theo wondered if the familiar had ever gone without meals. "When I'm hungry, I don't feel like talking either.." he trailed. There was no venom in the man's words, though. No one in this gathering group knew much about each other, so he wasn't going to assume anything. Hunger was no laughing matter, however. Way back when there'd been a time for the niffler when food had been so limited that he thought he'd pass out, only to find some sort of primal energy to get sustenance, no matter the cost. Survival instincts. With all the students lingering, like heck he was taking a chance on the silver-furred stranger lashing out for more grub.

The puppy dog eyed begs worked like a charm, and before he knew it he was handing her a third sandwich. "I hope you're feeling better," he said to the creature, unsure if it'd understand but trying to be inclusive and civil anyway. Maybe if he ate with her they'd form a bond, and she'd speak, especially since the canine had seemingly taken a dislike to the feline professor. Cats and dogs rarely mixed in the best of times. Unwrapping the last sandwich, Theo took a bite, still keeping his distance, but trying to get on equal footing with the tanuki by sharing a meal. "I know you don't feel much like talking...you seem really worn out. But maybe if you tell us what you need, we can help you rest up. Get you back on your feet, yeah? I know there's a lot of eyes, but I think we all just want to make sure you're ok," he smiled, keeping his tone soft and even. For all his wild energy and crazy antics, Theo knew when to be gentle. "Plus, Felis and I have to make sure you won't attack the kids. The academy would get sued for sure!" the onyx haired man chuckled, about half joking. His humor might need a little work in the timing area.

Puppy dog eyes never failed. As humiliating as it could be at times, Izayuki was of no mind for that. She only wanted to eat. The third sandwich was handed to her and quickly received as once more the tanuki repeated the steps of tears off large chunks and downing them in a fast manner. Survival instincts told her that if she did not eat quickly, her meal might be taken away. As a result, she needed to eat quickly in order to avoid the meal being stolen before she was done or satiated. Luckily, as she neared the end of her final sandwich, her hunger had greatly disappeared. She felt for the most part content by the time she had devoured it all.

Turning her silver-furred head, Izayuki gazed at the odd human-formed creature who was eating a sandwich of his own. She did not feel the need to beg for any more and was happy to have at least some company to eat with, so she was not the only one stuffing her face. The man then spoke kind words once again and mentioned that they had to ensure the safety of the nearby students. Well, at least they had some idea of what a youkai was capable of. Perhaps long ago she had the power to take down many of them, but now she was reduced to an exhausted weakling-- her power used up in trying to break the seal of her dark prison.

The cat muttered something malicious, but the annoyance of the feline was rather pleasing to the tanuki. He had tried to force her to speak and deprive her of food. What a rude being. Well, he would continued to be ignored until he could lighten up. The obsidian-haired man, however, would receive some of her words and attention. He was a friendly fellow, though she was still trying to figure out exactly what he was. Scent told her that he was not necessarily human, but she had yet to understand or recall what type of being he was. “Thank you for those sandwiches,” she said softly, speaking the language everyone there could understand, rose eyes peering up at ice blue ones. The tanuki still rested on her belly and tiredly put her silver muzzle on two fluffy forepaws. “I just need some time to sleep and recover, then I’ll be fine. Also, I have no interest in hurting anyone; it’s too much effort, anyways,” she concluded, tying a lighthearted but possibly poorly timed joke to the end of her words. She still wanted them to believe that she was partially a threat that should not be bothered and not some weak pushover that could be caged.

Theo's eyes widened in surprise and victory. She could talk, and was thanking him. "You're welcome," the man beamed, so far feeling proud of himself. Very slowly, so not to alarm her, he reclaimed his seat on the fountain nearby, chowing down on his new sandwich as if he hadn't eaten in days. He burned lots of calories, and any delay in meals felt like he'd been starved. A few bites in, he paused to get a drink, heaving a satisfied sigh after. A student had asked a question, one he also wanted the answer to, but would settle for just knowing the tanuki spoke.

"Feel free to take a nap," Theo said after a few moments, picking up a piece of meat that had escaped his lunch into the wrapper and dropping it in his mouth. "I know you have little reason to trust me, but I'll sit here for as long as you need so you aren't bothered, if you'd like. Or would you rather move to an empty classroom? I have one assigned to me that I've never used..."