Gem's face immediately was a mix of sympathy and disappointment as her eyes closed and she sighed, her heading tilting downward. She raised her hand to her face, the same reaction she had to a situation similar to this one before.<span style="font-style: italic">You've got to be kidding me. Of course she shifts into a cat,</span>Gem thought.<br/><br/>Behind her, a growl echoed throughout the Meadow as a large all-black wolf stepped forward, a snarl across its muzzle. Striker leaned down, sizing up the girl sitting in front of him, imposing his plan of striking fear into this student, to show who was at the top of the food chain at the Academy. He tried to instill the same fear as he had done each of the semesters before since his enrollment in the Academy.<br/><br/>Finally, after a few moments, Gem patience and annoyance levels tipped over and she shifted, but was facing Striker. Her sandy colored fur shining from the sunlight, as she growled back at Striker.<span style="font-style: italic">Back off Striker! I'm not in the mood for this bulls**t right now</span>Gem cast her thoughts out to him, one of the abilities the two of them learned as a shifter for their species. Striker snarled back at her, but Gem was standing her ground as she stepped forward, daring him to start an incident. This time she wasn't going to allow him to take control like he, normally, did. In a quick instant, Gem cast a glance back at Aiki, telling her to get lost before Striker escalated the scene to a higher level where Academy officials would become involved.