The Fluffy Thing (Belle)(COMPLETED)

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There was nothing that could describe the scene in front of the fight-torn lioness. Everything was covered in a thick sheet of white that could only be described as a dreamland full off soft lushness that numbed the senses, and relaxed the mind. The temperature was surprisingly warm from the past couple of days, and every once, and a while the Sun would gently peek out from behind the clouds to say hello before disappearing again. The sky was a gray-blue which contrasted against the lightness of the snow to tone down its overall lightness. There was a lake that was not frozen, but had patches of ice here, and there which gave it a smooth, and surreal look. It was beauty that she was not used to, and gave a foreign air to the whole situation. Her life used to be hidden in the darkness, and pain, but now there was nothing, but the brightness of the world that slowly wrapped around her.

Percylla laid on her side on one of the higher rocks that circled the pool of water. Her eyes were closed, and there was a gently pink that stained her lips signalling that she had just recently eaten. No, surprisingly she was able to snag a quick bite from a wounded animal just outside whatever territory this was. The mute could smell nothing, but dog, thought the staleness told her that they would not be here for a while. So, for now she was relaxing on her side with her paws stretched out in front of her. They had finally healed after many days of laying down, and not moving after she had moved out of Carna territory. The Lioness was not exactly sure where she was now, but she planned on wondering from one end of her new home to the other so she could understand all of the territories, and their inhabitants. Trusting the word by mouth was not something she was to keen on doing.

The large feline shifted slight before her large head was rested against the dry stone underneath her. She had never really sunned herself in any way before, she never had the luxury. Sure, she was naturally lazy, but she would not let her physique go to say the least. She needed to stay strong, so now that her paws were healed, she would go on scheduled runs, and practice fighting moves when she had the time. It was strange she still kept herself on a schedule, but it was something that was familiar, and she was used to.

The scarred beast let off a sigh as her mind slowly started to shift into dream land. There was no one around, and if anyone was near, she would most likely hear them through the snow. It was hard to walk through such a substance without making sounds at all.

[Belle]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=82003D] In the Nilda pack, pups were suppose to remain near the dens purely for their own safety and they were to be carefully watched to be sure they would not sneak off. Most pups simply obeyed the rule of staying near the dark but warm dens of the pack and hardly held much trouble. But, Belle was not most pups. Was she suppose to be out here this far from the rest of her pack? No, definitely not. Did she care? Not in the least. The hyperactive pup was always looking for new things to do and it was no surprise that she had an extremely short attention span and simply got bored staying inside the dens. There was so much that could be out in the world and she wanted to see it all for herself! But, it was her naive, stupid thoughts that put her into danger she was completely and utterly oblivious to. In her home where shiny monsters and huge stone dens had been scattered over the land, there had been few dangers. Even during her time with the No-fur's pups had been filled with nothing more but play and that was how she saw everything in life as. A game. The small brown pup knew little of hardship and had that simple, childish mentality that nothing could hurt her. As she padded through the snow -- or more like bounded through it -- she would constantly stop to play with a clump of densely packed snow and ice or simply stick her muzzle into the cold substance. She loved the snow. Simply loved it. It may make her paws cold and her fur wet, but it was so much fun! She could roll around in it and let it cling onto her brown fur until she was covered in the white flakes. She could run around in it or make funny paw steps in it just like mud. The possibilities were endless! With her tail wagging furiously behind her, Belle giggled as she jumped from one spot into the other, her small form sinking into the snow each time until it reached her neck. It was then that an odd scent crossed her nose. She paused in her play, her bent ears twitching faintly as her deep brown eyes searched for the source of this new, foreign scent. It took some time as she tried to see above the snow, but she eventually found it. Now, Belle knew little of any other creatures besides her own kind of her pack and knew little of which were dangerous. But, even the idea that one could hold a possible threat hardly even passed her mind as she suddenly darted over to the new creature. The large beast looked rugged and held a sort of menacing look to it as well that could possibly make others uneasy, but that didn't stop the Nilda pup as she came to a scuttling halt at the base of the rock. "Hi," she yipped at the lioness, her tail wagging nonstop as her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Wow, are you one of those big housecats I always hear about? And, why do you have so many weird scratches on you?"

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She did not open her eyes until the little creature had gotten straight below her. At first she thought the bounding animal was just a rat or some small marsupial that was roaming around int search for food, but she found that she was very wrong. It seemed to be a small dog of some sort... no a puppy? Well, she was not surprised since she could smell dogs in the area, but it did not smell like a Shifter. Maybe this was the supposed Retromorphs she had heard of. Born an animal, and can shift into a human. Interesting. Though, the overall smallness of the animal intrigued her to say the very least. How did it even survive running around alone? Dogs were pack animals, but this little scrapper seemed to have the taste of adventure she used to have when she was a child.

Large house cat? She slowly shook her head no, and shrugged at the other question. Ever so slowly she pushed her muscular rump up so she was standing. Percylla pushed herself back, and then forward into a stretch with a lawn. This movement ended with a shake which caused any snow on her fur to fly all over the place. Her long tongue flicked out to lick the rest of the pink off of her muzzle before slowly moving down the rock.

She moved with a certain amount of caution, and actually stalked forward. She kept her belly close to the ground as she stopped a couple of feet away. Her paw stretched out awkwardly as she attempted to keep her body away as she pawed at the air in front of the small creature to see if she could touch it without being to close. She felt no need to hurt the small creature, but tat this point she actually wanted to pick it up, and carry it around. Percy always had strong maternal instincts, but they were ignored like many other urges she always had.

Her paw gently tapped the puppy on the side as she almost fell forward with a huff. She continued to prod the small creature with gentle touches before finally lying down next to it, and raising her paw to poke her on the head. Her pupils had gotten large to the point that they looked similar to Puss N' Boots from the movie 'Shrek.' She let off a cooing sound before tilting her head to the side. Percylla could not help if the small creature was so interesting. It was a fluffy rat that was actually a dog. Who knew!?!?

She knew of smaller breeds of dogs, and seen them, but this little puppy was different in the fact it could communicate back with her. Wait, the puppy was a female. Hmmm... so the it was actually a she. No matter. The mute's tail slowly swished back, and forth with gentle flicks to reveal her overall interest in the situation. She may be scarred, but it was pretty funny to see such a large creature become so fascinated in such a small animal that she could probably eat in one bite.

[Belle]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=82003D] No matter what or who they were, new creatures always excited her and she was always proud of herself whenever she managed to find something new. So, the fact that she had just managed to find not only a new thing, but a really big new thing had her practically wiggling on her paws. Watching this new creature with a strong sense of interest and curiosity, Belle found herself wondering why the being hadn't said anything. Usually, from what she knew, when someone said 'Hi' to another, they usually responded back, but this one didn't seem to be doing that at all. Instead, she simply gave her a shake of her head and a shrug. What was that suppose to mean? Clearly not the brightest thing to walk on the earth, the puppy hadn't put it together that the gestures had been directed towards her questions. Blinking, she tilted her head, her ears pressing forward as she stared at the rather large feline in confusion. Belle wasn't quite sure what this creature was doing, but...It looked fun. Giggling faintly, she turned with the lioness, her tail wagging as the large creature tried to touch her with her paw. Baring faintly in a purely playful way, she pressed her chest into the snow, sinking even deeper into the frosty powder as her dark brown eyes sparkled. She didn't know what kind of game this was, but it was fun! As the lioness prodded her with her forepaw, a squeal of delight erupted from the small pup, her haunches trembling with excitement as her pink tongue hanging from the side of her jaw. "You're funny," she cheered as she felt the rather large paw press against her head, bringing forth another fit of giggles from the pup. "My turn!" With a playful yip, the small brown pup eagerly jumper at the lioness, giggling as her paws pressed gently against the short pelt of the creature. But, as suddenly as she had jumped on her, Belle leaped back, her haunches raised in the air while her chest and head pressed against the snow. She stayed like that for a few moments before giving a gleeful bark and jumping at the lioness again, jumping to her paw and gently batting at it like a small kit would bat at a ball of yarn.

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It did not take long for the puppy to become all hyper active, and playful towards the intimidating Lioness gone kitten. Her head tilted to the side as she watched the pup romp around, and start to bat at her with teeny paws. She let off a deep coo at the amusing antics of the creature that she had suddenly become so interested in. Her long tongue came out to flick her nostrils as she moved a large paw to gently swat at the pup in a gentle fashion before making a great move.

Ever so slowly she pushed herself to the side before rolling over on her back with her paws in the air. Her large head was pushed into the snow which covered her eyes. The only thing seen was the deep pink of her nose, and a mouth which hid a bristled tongue that stuck out slightly for a second before slipping back into the cavern known as her mouth.

Percylla pawed at the air with a snort with her tail flicking back, and forth. She rubbed her back against the ground to dispel an inch before finally reacting. She flipped herself up before taking off full speed down the shore before flipping herself around, and skidding to a halt. Her tail was held high like a flag as she moved down into a crouch. It was not long before she was in a stalking position. She moved through the snow with only the tip of her tail moving as she came closer, and closer. Finally, as she was eight feet away she jumped forward to land on her side. Her large paw went to pawing at the tiny beast with gentle paws. Her tail thumped against the ground, and her mismatched eyes were wide, and curious as she did these actions.

It was not long before she finally let her front 'arm' wrap around the pup as she scooted herself over so it was pressed against her light chest. She pressed her nose against the young one's bad before rubbing her face against it. Percy was a great lover of children or anything that was young. They reminded her of happier times when she was not stuck in rough cages or chained, and whipped to be kept in line. Children were simple. They only knew right, and wrong in the simplest forms. This pup had no idea how dangerous she was, but the need for such trivial thins such as play were needed for development. This pup did not understand what dangers was, but the mute would not be the one to corrupt something so pure.

[Belle]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=82003D] No matter how any them may react or treat her, Belle saw all her packmates as her dearest friends. Many chose to ignore the excited, hyperactive pup on more than one occasion, but she hardly understood it as them wanting her to leave them alone. No, instead she usually took it as a challenge that she would always gladly except. Of course, there were a few who would play along with her playful antics, but this large, scarred creature was the first to truly play with her in such a manner. And, in all reality, she felt closer to this stranger. She knew nothing of her history, her personality, her thoughts. Hell, she didn't even know her name. But, that mattered little to the small, brown pup. It was this lioness's kindness that mattered to her. It was the only thing she saw that meant something and it was beautiful to her. Eyes wide with wonder and joy, she watched as the feline suddenly rolled over onto her back, giggling with glee at her silly actions. The snow was tossed into the air by her movements and it was something she loved to watch. The flurries of snow scattered around in the air, sprinkling the ground once more with its frosty presence. But, her focus was not on the snow that was kicked up, rather it was on the pale-furred feline that was not flattened against the earth. Belle's tail continued to wag with excitement, her haunches trembling with anticipation, but she held herself still and remained in that spot despite her urge to bound after the female. Her ears twitched in one direction before darting off in the opposite direction, her paws shuffled noisily in the snow. Really, it seemed like the pup couldn't bear the idea of standing still. Then, without warning, the large creature jumped towards her, sending her into a fit of giggles as she suddenly flopped down onto her side and rolled onto her back, exposing her paler brown underbelly as her paws pushed against the empty air. Belle quickly rolled back onto her stomach, burying her muzzle into the snow as she gave a sharp but playful bark at the feline. During the entire thing, the playful pup hadn't stopped wagging her tail even for a moment, and she quickened its pace, if that was even possible as the pale, large feline pulled her closer. Twisting her head around one way then the other, trying to reach the lioness, her soft pink tongue flopped clumsily from her mouth as she tried to lick at her muzzle, to return the affection she was receiving, loving every minute she spent with her newest and at the moment bestest friend.

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She felt something wet on her nose which confused her for a couple of seconds before her eyes slowly crossed so she could look down the tip of her nose. Her mismatched eyes widened as she watched the pup bestow affection upon the loveless female. She was not used to affection, but she could at least try her best to give it back to the child. Her tongue slowly came out, and hung there for a second as if she was unsure really what to do with it, which she was. Her breathe caused smoke to billow up into the cold air before she gently set the pink object upon the pup's small head. A snort escaped her nostrils as she gave a good lick to the tiny creature full of slobber. Percylla saw all the wetness upon the tiny creature before she decided it was better to lap the rest of it off so the poor thing would not get cold. The tip of her tongue lapped at the saliva that clung to the pup with a certain gentleness in this gesture. The Lioness perked her ears back a bit as she did so before resting her head down on top of the moving poof ball.

The mismatched gaze of the Lioness went to the sky to see it already darkening. She let off a deep grunt as a paw gently prodded the pup before the feline slowly stood up. She needed to find shelter, and she did not exactly want to leave the pup alone to wonder back to wherever she had came from. Percy still left a certain playfulness to her movements as she splashed some snow at the munchkin before she took off into a slow trot up the snow encrusted hill. Her long tail was held up like a flag, and she was constantly glancing back at the youngin' with gentle eyes. Her head stayed raised before she slammed to a halt to splash out more snow. There were many rock outcroppings nearby so it would be easy to find a small niche to push herself, and the midget into. She stopped at the top of the hill with her eyes slowly scanning the area. THERE! Her head twisted to look at a deep hole that was only fifteen feet away.

Slowly she moved over to the area before letting her tail come around to flick at the pup. She gently hopped down inside, and noticed that this placed seemed warmer than outside. She let off a sigh before flopping down, and started to poke her new playful friend.

[Belle]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=82003D] All canines in her pack, while larger than her, weren't nearly as big as this lioness. And, as a result, whenever she received any kind of licks from her packmates, whether it be from an actual sense of affection to giving her her daily bath, they had never been this wet. While, yes, she loved the attention she was getting from her new found friend, she hadn't expected it to be so wet or sticky. Perking her ears up, blinking a few times as the fur on her forehead became covered with the lioness's saliva and matted her brown fur against her flesh, she couldn't help but giggle a bit. She shook her head a bit to try to get rid of the moisture from her fur, but it did nothing but set the small strands of fur on her head in odd angles, sticking up in the most random places. As she came to realize this, a goofy smile slid onto her muzzle as she looked up at the large feline before she felt her warm, rough but gentle tongue run over her fur once more, clearing it of the large amounts of moisture. Granted her fur still felt damp, but it was nowhere near as wet as it had been before. And, the hairs that had been standing up in a number of awkward positions had once more been neatly combed flat against her skull. At that point, Belle thought little of the pack that she had belonged to as she rested in the forelegs of this gentle creature. In a way, oddly enough, this affection, this care, it all brought back a sense of familiarity. When she had been a wee little pup, her eyes just barely open and her legs hardly strong enough to hold her up, she had been shown the same love and care from her mother. It was that memory, that familiar warmth that had her wanting to stay with this rather large housecat. As she laid there, Belle thought little to nothing of the darkening sky even as small stars began to freckle the dark blue heavens with their small lights. It wasn't until she felt the faint nudge from the female's rather large paw did she take the time to look around her. Ears perking up, Belle was quickly back onto her paws, her eyes gleaming with curiosity as she stared up at the lioness. "Oh! Oh! Where are we going," she yipped excitedly, her small pawsteps clambering after her. Each wide stride the feline made was equal to at least ten steps for the small pup as they trudged through the snow. With the sun disappearing from the sky, the warmth that the pale sun had once offered was quickly disappearing. The small snow clumps that had gathered on her fur was beginning to melt and sink into her brown pelt, the cold liquid seeping into her flesh. She kept her step happy and upbeat, giggling each time the lioness sent a flurry of snow at her, but each time the feline did such a thing, the small pup became colder and colder until the poor thing was shivering. As they came to a small dip between two jagged rocks, Belle found a sense of relief. The journey, while not exceedingly long or far, had tired her. The seemingly simple strides of the large creature had been equal to at least a dozen for every step and fighting through the snow had not helped in the least. Shivering from the cold and tired, her little paws sore from the frosty ground and the walk, she was more than grateful to be inside somewhere that was warm. But, even with the welcomed warmth of their little cave, the small pup still shivered. Her pelt was damp from the snow and the fur on her legs were plastered against her flesh from how much it had melted and seeped into her skin. She quickly pressed her flank against the lioness's trying to search for something of warmth, but the gleam of joy never left her deep brown eyes. "O-Oh! I Uh-almost for-for-forgot. I'm Buh-Belle," she said between chattering jaws as her small figure shivered from the cold. "Whuh-What's your nuh-name?"

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She saw the shivering of the innocence, and obviously more vulnerable creature, and it did not take her long to act upon her instincts. Her large paw slowly came around, and pulled the insect of a poof ball to her awaiting belly. Percylla laid on her side so she curl around the cold babe. Her tail slowly wrapped around to her face before her head rested near the small form she was focused on keeping warm. Her warm breath slowly billowed out to the dog in a slow, but deliberate motion so the pup would have more warmth from the encounter. Her nose was pressed against the head of Belle. She was not used to such a feminine name. Belle the retromorph puppy that had already attached herself to the underbelly of the motherly Lioness. Now it was time for her to divulge her own name... in a very strange fashion.

Slowly she straight out her head and a strange garbled sound came from the throat of the feline. It was a strange thing to see as the Lioness attempted to form words with vocal chords that were damaged, and hardly ever used. Slowly, a deep 'P' sound escaped from the throat of the brute. Her nostrils flared as she attempted to say her own name or at least part of it, 'pppppppppp-ppppppooooeeeeeepppppeeeeee', sound came from her throat. A hack escaped her throat before she attempted to force her lungs, and what was left of vocal chords to form the words that never seemed to be there. She coughed slightly before the work slowly fell forth from her gullet, 'P-peeerrrcccyy', came a deep coo that came from deep in her chest which ended in a purr. She made the sound one more time, 'Peeeerrcy', and it came out more clearly than before.

Satisfied with the sound that represented her name. She could make noises close to words, but it was hard for her to actually form words into something that could be seen as a normal word. Her head slowly lowered back to the ground, and yawned. Her paws flexed slowly before relaxing. Percylla used her tail to flick the nose of her new friend. Friend. What a strange term to even think.

[Belle]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=82003D] The soft though scarred form of the lioness was already giving her a great amount of warmth in her side, slowly chasing away the bitter cold that pricked at her skin. But, when she felt that oh so familiar paw wrap around her and pull her closer, Belle was quite surprised by the great amount of warmth that radiated from the female's chest. The dark fur that rested on her underside was soft and comforting, much more than the pelt that covered her back and shoulders. There were fewer scars and they weren't as rugged as the others were. In fact, oddly enough, it brought a sense of comfort to the small pup. She knew many times that others would get into fights and, while it did pain her to know that her new friend had been hurt so much, she also knew that she must know much about fighting. That meant that she would be able to protect her if anything tried to hurt them and that simple thought brought a sense of security. It was amazing how the trust of a small child could grow and build so easily. At that point, despite the lack of information either of them knew about one another and the short time they had spent together, the small pup trusted this large feline with her life. As her tail lazily flopped from one side to the other, perfectly content with this setting, she was caught off guard as a number of strange sounds began to come from her friend. Lifting her head up, she stared at the female with both interest and concern, her ears flattening against her head. Was there something wrong with her new friend? Whiskers twitching nervously, she sniffed cautiously towards her until familiar syllables began to reach her ears. It was clear how much of a struggle such a simple action was, and the small, stupid pup found it difficult to make out the word she tried to force out, but when she finally ended her noises, it did gradually click in her small skull. Well...mostly "....Peeeeercy," she asked, tilting her head faintly at her friend for a moment. "That's a weird name," she stated quite bluntly, her curiosity flashing in her eyes. She took a few moments to run the name over and over her tongue, repeating her earlier word she had uttered until something else clicked in her mind. "Oh, wait! Percy! Your name is Percy," she cheered, her eyes widening with excitement as she looked at her friend, her tail wagging a bit faster.

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It seemed that her new charge was not very bright in the first place. Sure, the pup was playful, but clueless to the end. There seemed to be a certain blankness in the pup's eyes when she got to excited meaning that her judgement was impaired anytime that strong emotion wrapped around her small mind. A huff escaped her as soon as the pup realized her name which actually amused her to no end. Her brow crinkled slightly as a sigh escaped her feline lips. Percy's nose twitched slowly before she rested her head back down. She was tired. The day was a long one, and her weary body was ready for a long night's rest. Her light colored eyes watched as the pup seemed to be getting more, and more excited as the seconds ticked on. It was time to calm her down so she could have a good night of sleep.

She lifted up her paw, and patted the pup on the before back legs came up to pushed the canine deep into her belly. This sign showed that it was time for some rest to be had. Her head slowly lowered slightly more, and her whole body shifted so she was further on her side which helped with comfort for both parties in this situation. Percylla watched the pup for a while, but slowly her eyes started to drift closed. All of her muscles that were once tense finally relaxed so she was a big lump of fur that only moved because of her need to breath. Her gold eye was the one to close first while her grey one was only slightly open. In the a slow motion the other eye could finally close. The cat did not fall asleep straight away, but when she did, nightmares awaited her.

The whip. The cane. The tank. All these nightmarish images circled through her mind as she lay down for rest. She knew she would forever be haunted by these images of torture that never seemed to change. Sure, all the dreams were different, but they all held one central theme. When she was to wake up, she would not react to them, and brush them off as the past which haunted her throughout life. A gentle snoring was emitted from her as she lay next to the pup, she would not show any sign that there seemed to be trouble in Dreamland.

[Belle]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=82003D] Even as the earth grew dark from the shadows on night, Belle remained just as hyper and excited as she had earlier that morning. To most, it would seem like her energy was endless, having no beginning and no end. It was simply ongoing. Even her sleep was ladled with bouts of energy as she had a habit of suddenly jerking awake at the most random times or moving around and kicking in her sleep. That is if she ever got herself relaxed enough to fall asleep in the first place. With her eyes still wide with excitement purely from the knowledge that she had gained a new, playful friend, the small brown pup had no plans to sleep any time soon. So, when Percy began to slide further onto her side and pull her against the warmth of her belly, Belle was already beginning to squirm. She didn't want to sleep yet. The night was still young! But, from the look in her friend's eyes, it seemed like she indeed needed the rest. Briefly running her tongue over her lips, she silently rested her much smaller head down beside Percy's, occasionally pushing her nose into the lioness's fur and taking in her scent. Belle tried to go to sleep, she honestly did, but she wanted to play with her friend some more. Becoming quite restless, her legs twitching as her paws continuously repositioned themselves beneath her small form, the small pup finally gave in. Jerking her head up, her ears twitching as she heard the soft snores from Percy, her tail silently wagged viciously behind her as a wide smile slid onto her lips. She lowered her chest to the ground, her haunches wiggling up in the air behind her as she stared intently at her target. With a sharp, playful bark, she jumped at Percy's head, giggling as she gently bit her ear. "Ah, guh oor ear," she cheered, growling happily as she gently pulled at the lioness's round ear, giggling all the while.

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She tilted her head to the side as there seemed to be an annoying pressure there. In her dreams she pictured it as an annoying harness that went over her head to contain her sharp teeth that dug into her ears, but muzzles did not make sound. Her one free ear twitched gently before her large eyes slowly started to open. Slowly she looked up with a blurry gaze at the insect that seemed to have attached itself to her head. A snort escaped her nostrils as she realized that it was not an insect at all, but something furry that was still full of energy. A sigh escaped her black lips before she slowly lifted her head. All she wanted to do was sleep, and dang it she would get sleep. The lioness shook her head back, and forth to free herself of the nuisance before rolling over on her other side so her front was towards the wall. She could amuse the pup another way.

Slowly her tail came around to flick back, and forth slowly to amuse the midget. It flicked her in the nose before it went back to dancing back, and forth. She was able to get at least some sleep by doing this. Her tail usually twitched when she was half asleep so she could at least let her body, and some of her mind rest. The rounded ears a top her head pointed backwards slowly as her eyes made their journey closed again. A deep breathe was sucked in before it was slowly let out which let her whole body relax.

When he eyes closed she was stuck in sleep, but somehow was aware of everything going on around her. The whips, and the chains moved to the back of her mind while the image of a young pup gently tickled her frontal lobe. She started to snore again, but her tail slowly danced, and pranced back, and forth. The dark brown tip always seemed to just dance out of reach before coming to rest a couple of seconds only to go back into a more erratic motion than before.

[Belle]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=82003D] As her small teeth gently chewed on the furry ear, being careful not to hurt the lioness, Belle gave a faint squeal of laughter as Percy suddenly shook her head. She tried to hold onto her as best as she could, but in her fit of laughter, she couldn't keep her grip on her ear and was quickly rolling off her. On her back, her small form wiggling from side to side, she eventually rolled back onto her stomach, her soft tongue hanging from her jaws. But, she found herself disappointed when she was faced with her friend's backside, her head turned away from her. Lowering her ears faintly, a faint whimper slipped past her throat, her tail for once ceasing to move. She just wanted to play with her friend, and it saddened her to see that the large feline did not think the same. They had been having so much fun earlier, so why not have fun now? As young as she was, the brown-furred pup didn't truly understand the need of sleep and she wasn't quite a fan of such a thing. Resting quietly at Percy's side, her soft brown eyes watching her friend, she almost didn't notice the light movement off to her side. Ears standing erect, she turned her head to where the lioness's tail flicked from one side to the other. For a moment, Belle did nothing, thinking it to be nothing more than something her friend did in her sleep. But, as the bushy end touched her nose, she was on her paws, her tail beginning to wag once more before she tried jumping onto the tail. She missed the first few times, failing to catch the thin tail between her paws, but she eventually managed to trap it beneath her. But, by the time that moment came, the small pup found herself growing tired. Her energy, while seemingly never-ending, had finally been drained. Her small eyes became half covered with heavy eyelid, her jaws spreading wide in a yawn. For a time she simply sat there, her shoulders slumping as she allowed her drowsiness rush over her. But, after a time, she gradually dragged her paws over to Percy's side where she silently curled up beside her, her flank pressed against her new friend's fur before sleep finally claimed her too... ~.~.~.~.~.~ As the hours passed, a number of dreams flooded Belle's mind. They scrambled from playing in fields of the delicious meat strips she use to get from her two-legged humans to running around in flowers with Percy. But, such luxuries gradually faded as the sun rose, its pale rays flooding the small dip the two slept in. As the warmth of the sun began to seep onto the earth, Belle found herself stirring, her small black nose chilled from the morning air. With a small sneeze and a large yawn, the small pup eventually scrambled up onto her paws, her brown fur flattened and ruffled in certain places. But, that was hardly on her mind as an odd but familiar scent filled her nose. Blinking away the sleep from her eyes, she turned around, greeted by a large form of the sleeping lioness. For a moment, Belle stood there with a look of confusion plastered onto her face. It wasn't until a few moments later that she finally remembered who this was and what she had been doing here to begin with. Smiling brightly, her tail wagging already, the small pup crouched down for a moment, her haunches wiggling in an exaggerated manner before launching herself at the lioness. "Percy," she cheered quite loudly as she rolled over and over the sleeping feline. "It's morning! It's time to get up. Come on, get up. Get up." Her paws pushed heavily against Percy's side, giggling as she tried to wake the lioness from her sleep.

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'Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmhhhhhhhhhhhhhnooooooooooon', was the reply from Percy as she slowly curled up tighter with her paws over her ears. It took her a while to realize that she had actually gotten a full night's rest, but her muscles were stiff, but warm against the chilled morning air. This caused her to become even less enthused when it came to waking up. A groan escaped the grumpy feline before her eyes started to slip open, but this only last a couple of seconds before those elusive lids decided to slip closed again. A snort, a wheeze, and a puff from her large nostrils before her eyes opened back up again. A yawn made her open her large jaws to reveal large, sharp teeth before closing so she could clear her watery eyes. Percylla used the pads of her paws, with retracted claws, to rub away all the tiredness of the morning.

Her mismatched gaze slowly tuned in on the darkness of the cave, and the morning light that slowly seeped in through the entrance. Her paws pressed against the wall so she could push herself to the other side, and yes she did avoid squishing Belle on the way over. Her muscles tensed, and relaxed as she went into her morning stretches. First her front legs, then her back, clawed toes curled, and twirled before she put weight on the appendages. The Lioness pushed her rump into the air with a curling, and twirling tail before leaning forward to her chest so her rump could be loosened up. Once she was into a standing position she twisted her head back, and forth which caused many cracking sounds to emit from the stiff ligaments. To end the stretching she opened her jaw wide into a yawn, but did not make a noise before closing it again.

Now to pay attention to the pup, and find food. She pushed her nose into the pup's fur before licking her head with the very tip of her tongue. She pushed on Belle's rump towards the exit of the cave as she headed in that direction. Her movements were slow, but swinging as usual. As soon as she stepped into the morning sun, her fur warmed, but her toes grew cold against the snow. Percylla shook herself like a dog before sniffing at the air so she figure out if any food sources were nearby.

[Belle]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=82003D] Being the hyperactive puppy that she was, Belle had always been the first to rise. Such a habit had always annoyed her denmates, but she hardly cared of what they thought. No, the day was a time for play, not sleep. And, that was why she always made it her duty to wake all the other pups and other packmates who weren't already up. That same 'rule' of hers applied here as well and she would do all that it took to get the large feline up on her paws. Tail wagging as she heard Percy's strange, rugged, and broken voice echo through their little cave, the small brown pup watched her as she tried to curl up again. Grinning, she was already preparing for another launch, determined to get this big, lazy housecat out of their den. But, before she had the joy of partially tackling the lioness, the feline finally opened her eyes and seemed to start a strange ritual of sorts. Tilting her head, she watched her as she twisted and stretched out her smooth form, her deep brown eyes filled with wonder. She had seen many others partake in morning stretches, but nothing as long or as thorough as this. Her small ears twitched faintly as she listened to the soft pops and snaps that came from Percy's joints, shifting faintly on her paws before she felt the lioness begin to lead her out. She didn't need any more encouragement, though. With a small yip and a wag of her tail, Belle was jumping out into the morning, landing happily in the snow. But, for once she did not try to make a mess with it. No, instead, she tried to reenact the twists and turns her large friend had performed. She first stretched her chest down to the ground, her haunches up in the air before she switched the position. She tried to copy exactly what she had done, but as she came to the more complicated motions she ended up harshly failing. The resulting occurrence was her falling onto her side, flopping heavily onto the snow, giggling at her failed attempt.

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She payed no mind to the pup at the moment. Now she was in search to sate the hunger that ebbed, and waved in her valley like the ocean in a raging storm. Food was necessary, food meant energy, and she could smell it only a short distance away. Her nostrils flared, and excitement made her toes prickle. Her tail lifted before glancing at the pup, and bounding towards the smell of warm flesh. Along with the scent of flesh, there seemed to also be the smell of decay. As she passed by the brown poof of fluff she slowed slightly to pick up the pup in her jaws so she could carry the bundle towards breakfast. Her strides lengthened to the point she seemed to almost be floating through the thick sheets of snow, and ice. By nature she was a very graceful creature, and her easy movements truly showed in such an instance. Her tail was held up like a flag, and her claws slowly came out to give her better traction in the icy terrain. The female moved along the sandy, but rocky shore of the lake as her eyes honed in on the source of the smell... a dead seal.

First surprise slowly wrapped her features before she skittered to a half a couple feet away. Slowly, Belle was set down as Percylla stalked forward with flaring nostrils. It seemed dead, but was not a Shifter... it was a Retromorph. The Lioness shrugged internally as she went forward to slowly pick through all of the fat. It seemed to have died of natural causes. There were no external injuries to be seen so it must have been older, and by the skin sagged, and face was scarred she was not surprised if the seal was brought here on its death bed. Her teeth sunk into the flesh of the creature before she started to yank off the rotten parts with precision. It did not take long for the meat to be discarded since the cold had preserved the body so well. Her teeth tore into the juicy hide so she could gut it. She decided it was probably a good idea to have meat handy on her at all times.

Slowly, the Lioness grunted at the pup as she dragged the body of the dead animal back towards the cave. She planned on keeping some to eat now, and then using the cave to smoke some meat. It would be simple enough to start a fire. Her tail flick back, and forth as a bloody path was left in the snow directly behind the hunk of flesh.

[Belle]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=82003D] Despite still being a child, Belle was usually never picked up in such a way any more. Her mother had carried her and her brother like that when they had been very young, but since then she had walked on her own. There had been the rare times, though, when her father would pick her up in such a way as well when he wanted to get somewhere in a hurry, but at one point, she grew to be too big for him. So, she hadn't been carried around any more. But, with this feline being so large and strong, it was clear that such a task was not so difficult. Giving a small squeak of surprise, the small brown pup twisted around in her jaws faintly, not use to being carried in such a way, or carried period. But, after a few moments of hanging from the lioness's jaws, she finally fell still, simply hanging limping as she let her friend carry her off. "Where are we going, Percy," she asked, her tail wagging faintly before a sweet smell flooded her senses. She could not clearly identify every sent that surrounded the carcase, but the promise of meat and food was enough for her. Her stomach grumbled softly in anticipation, but that hope for food faded as her deep brown eyes fell onto the dead creature on the shore. During her time in the Menagerie, Belle had eaten the flesh of many fresh kill. They were usually small things, but they had always been enough for her. But, this was entirely different, and there was something else that greatly disturbed her. She knew this poor thing. Not personally, no, but she had seen him before. He had not been here for very long, having been horribly injured to begin with. But, Belle had seen him shift into his two legged form once before. He had seemed to be like on of the silver-furred, twisted humans she had seen in her owner's den. They had smelt of sour water and were covered in wrinkles, but they had been kind to her. The seal had been the same as them in his human form and had simply seemed to be so fragile. But, that had been the only time she had seen him. There had been a few other times when she had glimpsed his smooth pelt in the lake's waters, but nothing more. She had always seen it as a sort of game to try and find him, but to see him now on the shore of the lake, her flesh torn and his black eyes wide and empty, it sent a horrible, sickening shiver through her. As she was placed down, her ears pressed firmly against her small skull, Belle flattened herself against the ground, staring blankly at the seal. But, the seal's lifeless form had been nothing compared to what she saw next. Eyes widening with horror, she watched as her friend tore into the flesh of her fellow retro, her fur bristling in fear. What was she doing?! Couldn't she tell he was like them? She wanted to stop her, but at that point, the small pup couldn't find her voice, cowering into silence. Watching Percy pull and tear at the bloodied meat, a small, trembling whimper shook through her. "...N-No...h-he's just l-like us," she whispered faintly, tightly shutting her eyes as she shook her head. "Y-You can't eat him!"

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As soon as she heard the whimpering the pulling was ceased as her ears perked towards the pup. The slab of meat was dropped to the ground, and stale blood dripped down her once black lips. Her tail moved back, and forth as she moved closer to the small canine. Her head inclined a bit as she pushed her pink nose into her side. The hunk of meat was no longer living which meant that the body should have been put to good uses instead of letting scavengers pick away at it until it was nothing. Her shadow gently hovered over Belle before she lifted her might head to look back at her 'meal.' She saw a meal in that hunk of flesh, but Belle seemed to have a childish attachment to such a strange object. Her ears pushed back as she said.. 'like us.' The pup did not realize she was not like her.

Her nostrils flared as she moved into her human form before her fingers slowly wrapped around the pup to pick her up. In her Lioness form she seemed older, with the hard lines on her features, but in human form she was but a girl. Her body was hardly covered, and pricked a bit in the cold, but that did not stop her from hugging the precious bundle to her comfortable, and supple chest. Her eyes, which seemed to large for her face, scanned over the cowering creatures, and a tongue came out to lick some of the blood of of her now human lips. A finger slowly came up to pet the pup on the head. It was time to make her understand.

'Ssssssssssssssssshhhhiiiffttteeerrrrrr', she cooed in a low hiss that sounded like a growl. She made the same sound a couple more times before she made a sound similar to, 'Ciiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrccccccllll uffffffffff liiiieeeefffffffffff', she cooed with a vibrating throat which caused her to break out in a series of hacks, and wheezes. Talking hurt, or at least her attempt at such a thing was not something that she found herself wanting to do. She continued to stroke the pup's head before slowly shifting into the form of the oh so familiar Lioness. Percy was laying on her back with the pup on her chest. Her head was back slightly as she stared up at the innocent individual. She would have to learn sooner or later.

[Belle]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=82003D] Almost two moons of eating fresh kill had passed and the sight of a dead corpse was familiar to her, but her pack had never brought back another of their kind. No, the seal may not have been a canine, but he was still like them. He could change and look different, and that had to mean something...right? As she lifted her heavy, saddened gaze from the ground, the small pup couldn't help but flinch faintly as the lioness came close to her. Her fur stood on end along her shoulders and spine, a shiver of fear running through her. She was nothing more than a simple minded child and her mind could not go into deep thoughts that would lead her to an understanding. No, she could only focus on the simple things. One: The seal was a retro like her. Two: Percy wanted to eat it. It simply seemed wrong to her. As she felt the lioness's nose press against her side, Belle didn't move. She wanted to both curl up against her friend but flinch away all the same. What threw her off, though, was when the dark-furred feline was replaced with a two legged female. She had known there were others like her, other retros, but she hardly saw any of them change into their human form. They all usually preferred their animal forms and stayed that way. But, she said nothing, she did nothing. Her tail was lowered, even a bit tucked between her legs as Percy picked her up. But, she found herself relaxing faintly as the young woman cradled her in her arms. As she felt the small digit run over her head, she felt a warmth fill her, a sensation she could remember when she had lived with the humans in their dens. Her body relaxed as she rested her head against Percy's chest, her ears twitching faintly before she caught her word. Shifter? This girl, her new friend was a shifter? Belle had heard stories about shifters, though still knew little about them. In her mind, she saw them as all the same. Blinking, her large, deep brown eyes turned up towards her friend, her ears still lowered, but her fear had left her for the most part. As she felt Percy's form change once more, she silently rested her head on her chest, burying her nose into the lioness's fur. "...Y-You won't eat me...r-right," she asked quietly, the question that had been gnawing at her mind since Percy had first tore the other retro's flesh finally surfacing.

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