A Plant's New Palate

It was getting late in the forest. The trees, bushes, flowers, had all began to loose their vibrancy from the lack of light to reflect colors off. Most of the creatures in the forest were preparing for sleep, while others were preparing to wake. A lone siberian tiger stepped through a thick brush of bushes, metal bo staff in paw. He had lost his way a while back, and was having trouble finding his normal way. This place... he had travelled through it many times, but many things seemed unfamiliar this time. New, unfamiliar scents filled the air, the trail in which he had walked along had vanished.

He tried continue in the direction he normally went to get through the forest. He should've been out of the forest and wandering around in the fields by now, but instead, he only seemed to travel into the deeper, darker parts of the forest. He didn't like this one bit. He kept his bo staff held in one paw, eyes quickly darting left and right for anything suspicious. The tiger felt apprehensive to say the least, and ready to attack on a dime.

"YOU!" Daisy cried out from her perch on a branch. The old oak told a great story, but was interrupted by the intruder on her newly claimed land. "Who dares set foot in my forest! The Princess of Plants and Lady of Lilys demands to know your name, beast!" She pouted a bit, losing most regal air. "Here to sully and bother my flora, are you?"

Ryuji looked up suddenly as he heard the cry of a woman above him. He looked up to see.. a green skinned girl, pointing directly at him. His striped tail swished around behind him as she yelled at him.

"Princess?" He blinked. "I've.. travelled past this patch of forest many times." He replied. "I'm not here to sully or bother anything. I only wish to pass through, if you will permit me. I mean you no harm." He spoke in a calm voice to her, and bowed politely to her as he spoke, trying to show he was respectable. "My name is Ryuji Takami." He introduced himself.

"Hmm..." Daisy looked him over thoughtfully, stepping off onto a large leaf of her tree. Others popped out in place, forming stairs for her. "Well the forests of the world be my land, for I am the queen of trees and grass and flowers. You seem to be causing no harm to my land... but what sort of being are you anyway? Demon? Beast? Man?" she started to walk around him inspectingly

Ryuji stood still as Daisy stepped towards him. He watched as large leaves moved in the way to serve as stairs for her until she reached the ground, and then kept an eye on her as she walked around him. "I believe I'm classified as the last two. I am a siberian tiger, but I walk and talk like a human being." He replied calmly. "Do you have a name?"

"Me? Why, I am Daisy Rosalina DeFleur, princess of the plants, lady of the leaves! Thus every forest is my kingdom, every blade of grass my peasant..."

She raised her thin eyebrows. "It's a very tough job, I tell you. And I won't see just ANY man-beast poking through my forest, I'll have you know!"

Ryuji wasn't really sure he liked the sound of that, indicated by his tail starting to flick. "I would not advise attacking me, miss. It would not be in your best interest to make me an enemy." He warned her, keeping eyes locked with her the whole time.

"Not an enemy," Daisy said with a light smile. "More of a plaything. Just to test your worthiness of my forest!" The trees creaked around her, as if by some flexing of her power or just excitement to see her in action.

She raised her hands in a loose, unpracticed martial arts stance. "Come and test me, my fuzzy mammal toy."

Ryuji glances around at the large trees seeming to move, then frowned a little as Daisy started to look at him as her plaything. He said nothing about it, however. He'd twirl his staff above his head before sheathing it behind him, and then took his own stance as she saw she wanted to go hand to hand.

He watched her carefully after she challenged him, and darted towards her, aiming to swing a left fist for her head to start things off.