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"I think...I think I'll stay her for a bit," Leila said, looking around at the myriad plants in the clearing.

Leila barely noticed the tiger cub jumping out of her arms. She'd become lost in the memories that the plants in this part of James's garden evoked. There were only six years worth of memories, but to her it was a lifetime. Especially because it was a lifetime ago. A couple tears rolled down her cheeks, but Leila didn't bother to wipe them away since there was no one to see.

After a little while, Leila's keen ears caught the sound of splashing. Huh. She hadn't seen a pool or lake earlier. Maybe it was on the other side of the house. Taking one last look at the garden, she went to find out where the splashing was coming from.

Reaching the line of willow trees, Leila heard the sound of laughter. She guessed it was James since he was the only one aside from her who had the ability to laugh in the vicinity. At least that she knew of. Even if he had been paying attention, James probably wouldn't have known Leila was there. That was part of why her collar was gray for unpredictability. Leila could be more silent than cat's paws. Seeing James playing with the tiger cub, Leila leaned against a willow tree and watched, keeping an eye out for any movements that didn't belong. She didn't need James to tell her to do this. It was something she'd been trained to do anyway.

Leila saw James look over at her and cocked an eyebrow. Staying alert, though outwardly relaxed, she walked over to the edge of the pool and crouched beside him. "It's rare than anyone can tell I'm near when I'm like that," she said. "How'd you know I was there?"

Leila cocked an eyebrow. "You can smell me? Strong nose for a normal human," she said. The thing about the willows letting James know of others' presence was also interesting. "But you're not a normal human, are you?" It wasn't so much a question as a statement.

Leila cocked an eyebrow, but that was the extent of her expression change. "Truly? How, I wonder, can he stand being around me?" she said, almost to herself. She looked away from James for a moment and realized the sun had started setting. A small spark of alarm ran through her. "It's getting late. Erm, sir? Do you know what phase the moon will be in tonight?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

Leila's eyes went wide at the mention that it might be a full moon that night. She got to her feet, slowly moving away from the pool with her eyes on the horizon. The instant the moon cleared the treetops, she could see that it was indeed a full moon, and she turned and fled to the clearing with the all the plants from her homeland. In the clearing, she stumbled and fell in a heap beneath the branches of an olive tree, and something strange began to happen: she began to change. Leila's short brown hair grew and took on an orangeish tinge; her ears traveled to the top of her head, gained pointed ends, and grew fur, becoming like a fox's; a bushy tail sprang from the base of her spine; and she seemed to shrink a bit as her figure took on a definitely female aspect. Groaning, she lay where she'd fallen, semi-hidden in the shadow of the olive branches.