(Super overdue log. XD)
Percival:
Percy watched as his mentor walked off to his guard duties. He had already heard about the other gypsies coming back with cubs from a different pride and as much as he didn't want to cause any trouble, he really, really wanted to meet the newcomers. They were cubs, that would mean new gypsies, new friends, and best of all new ladies about his age! Frankly, he liked the attention from the fairer sex and found it generally a lot nicer spending time with them than his brother. Baris had such a short fuse. And then Ace, well, he could be hard to handle sometimes. What he needed was a friend he could just spend time with, not running around causing trouble or having to calm down have the time.
So once he was on his own, he moved through the pride heading towards where he'd heard they were being kept.
Harmonia:
She hadn't completely known about the cubnapping. Her mother and her 'nanny' would hide thoughs things from them, and now she didn't know who these lions were or anything! They had taken her while she was sleeping on one of the bay's rocks. Mother had told her she could, the whole pride was around and about- it was in the middle of the pride! Then when she woke.... she was NOT around pride members. The girl curled in to a bush and lowered in to it til they couldn't see her.
Scared, and she made the bush shiver with her.. Looking around and poking her head about to find a way to get back home.
Percival:
The clever little male saw the bush shivering when he came near the place where he heard the cubs had been brought and figured that had to be something. If it wasn't one of the cubs, it might be someone else, maybe even with ill intentions. He couldn't have that!
So without a second thought, Percy wiggled into the plant just to his shoulders, the rest of his body stretched out behind him, his head hovering over his paws.
It was one of the cubs. He didn't recognize her, so she had to be one of them. She was curled up and shaking like a leaf in a windstorm and it tugged at his heart. He couldn't leave her like that.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked, lowering his voice to a soft whisper.
Harmonia:
'Moni's crushed spirits... When the grass started to move- she quickly tried to get as far away from it- and as quickly as possible. Looking extremely like a prey animal with her reactions, and itched away- then saw the lion and screamed. "GET AWAY! AWAY FROM ME!" After inching backward with another quick step- turning around and tripping over herself.. And maybe possibly a rock that ended up in her path.. Tears stained her face and it was likely that she tried crawling away but in that instant.... A vision.. of turmoil.. but as quickly as it came.. was as quickly as it went. "NOO!!" She cried out.. "Please... no.." But she stopped moving at least.. Her whole body moving with her breath as she cried.. Digging her claws in to her head and her face..
Percival:
Percy had never seen such fear in another living creature. His eyes, the color of the lightning that marked his paw, widened over the creamy jagged marks on his cheeks. He didn't know what to do! He had only wanted to see the new cubs, to maybe find a friend in one of them, but he had never considered how scared he might be if he was taken from his mother. Oh, sure, she was a little off at times, but she was still his mother. Still cuddled him when he needed it and he knew she loved him. And he loved her, with all his heart. She was his mother after all. His father he didn't care much about, he wasn't there. But Stormclaw, his brothers and sister? It suddenly dawned on him that he'd be devastated if he was taken from them.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he started to say, but his words were suddenly lost when she clutched her head and started screaming. He watched in horror as her claws started to dig into her head as if she was trying to force something out and he had no choice over what he had to do. He wouldn't let her hurt herself, not if he could help it!
Without a second thought, he lunged at her and forced her paws down, holding her in a hug so that she wouldn't do it again. He was bigger than she was, a little bit older, and already he felt protective. On instinct, he started rocking her a bit, softly repeating over and over to her that it was okay, that she would be okay.
Harmonia:
The horror she saw... After the cubnap... maybe something shifted. The world balanced- there was too much innocence and happiness in their lives. Their had to be something... thatchanged.. These horrible images. Made her scream and try tare them out of her head.. She thought they were gone but they were quick images... Maybe it was due to her fear... due to the stress of the situation.
As she started to dig and almost about to drag blood out of her head- she felt a sudden weight shift upon her and latch her paws to the ground. 'Noo..NOOOO' She thought Shaking her head violently- but he was trying to calm her raging fears that started to creep up on her.. but as he rocked her... Her heart started to calm and the images lessened. Lessended and lessened until her eyes glazed of tears became stained with that gloss.
"NOO!!" Tiredly she screamed- her voice breaking.. Just everything was crashing but he calmed her.. Until she just sniffled.. Through her whimpering she quieted down... Digging her claws in to the ground... "...." Then started to lavish being hugged- and her heart calmed.. and started to beat with his. The shaking stopped finally...
Percival:
For a few moments it was like trying to hang on to a hurricane. She was doing everything she could to shake herself out of his hold, but Percy refused to let go. She was alone and no one deserved to be alone in something like this. It took him a minute to realize it but he suddenly wondered if she wasn't a seer, like Godchild and the Hatter and the other fortunetellers. Oh, Hatter wasn't a fortuneteller, he was the crazy head crafter, but he was descended from a god, just like the head fortuneteller was. Only nobody knew exactly who Hatter came from. He didn't talk about it, no one was sure if he even knew to begin with.
The shaking finally stopped and Percy's hold loosened just a little bit though he continued to rock her just a bit. After a few more heartbeats, he finally pulled back and wiped a paw at her cheek, dashing away the tears there with a little more roughness than he had intended. Little boys didn't always know proper comfort or their own strength sometimes, after all.
"Are you okay?"
Harmonia:
'Set... Where are you.' She was calling him inwardly.. Calling for him in every thought of hers.. She was so scared.. but she was embaressed- or even scared to admit that this boy had calmed her/ Where when it should have been Set.. Or her mother. Squeezing her eyes shut tight... All these images had calmed but they were fresh in her mind- but she couldn't explain. She couldn't just tell what had been happening to her when she was already in a mess. And when he whiped her cheek.. Though rough it felt like her twin trying to comfort her.
He wasn't good with those kinds of things though.. She tried to keep her face hidden, with all these tear stains- she didn't wanna show this. Sadness.. She was mother's joy- she was all her brothers' little princess- the kindest of them.. Mother said she reminded her of daddy..
But when she finally turned around... her face was that of her mothers. That gentle look of innocence that was shattered.. Though terrified she hope to find something when she looked in his eyes.. All her emotions were so easily revealed to him.. and she clung to him... Digging her face within his chest fluff.. A makeshift hug from this angle.
She was.. Mother's angel. She shook her head to answer him. 'no'..
Percival:
He saw the play of emotions on her face and could barely catch any of them before they were replaced by another. In that moment Percival decided he was going to be her friend. No, her protector. He'd already decided he was going to be her friend when he went looking for the new cubs. In theory, he should take her back home, but it didn't help matters that he had no idea where she had come from. And he was still a cub, really. There was no way he could take her out of the pridelands safely. So he would be her friend and ally in this new place. He'd take care of her just as he took care of Baris.
Though, he really hoped she had more sense and less of a temper than his brother.
She pressed her face to his chest and shook her head. He rested his chin on top of her head and hugged her again.
"I'm sorry. But it'll be okay. I wanna be your friend, and I'll make sure nothing bad happens." A cub's promise, it was full of empty sincerity. When push came to shove, there wasn't a whole lot in this world that he could protect her from, at least not right now. When he grew up and became the warrior he dreamed of being, then he could protect her and the entire pride from the dangers of the world, but for now... At least he could protect her from nightmares and other cubs and hurting herself like she almost did today.
Harmonia:
Though everything about her was in fear, through his fur she opened her eyes, and had inhaled his scent... It with unfamiliar and distinct. Could she trust a stranger... he was a cub like her. She... needed to hold on to SOMETHING.. And he was going to be that something. Thats all that she could tell... and reached for him. Putting a paw on his neck and slid it down to where her face hid. Her soft ocean eyes naked of all that had gone on thus far. His words had painted her with a shield that she could confy in even if they had been so childish to adults.
Nuzzling up against him when he put his chin upon her head. Seeking the comfort from her fears and he so easily gave that to her... Coiling her. "Please... don't leave me here." Her voice so meek and delicate sounding... Still her cheeks were moist and matted down by now but still she had that beauty so angelic- like the gods above. Yes, a god child.
Tormented by her fears...
"Please.. don't..Pleassse.." Her voice was breaking still..Which she was probably at the brink of crying but tried so hard not to. Not so he can see at least. Her grip on him had gotten tighter. A friend.... he had become a savior for her. 'Just.. please don't leave me..' Her eyes could only say now as she didn't want to continue breaking and showing how much she was hurting. ...Friend... Her heart warmed just a little.. and in his arms their was that feeling of that nurturing protection at least from the world around them.
"I'm.. scared.."
Percival:
"I won't leave. You can stay with me if they're okay with it," Percy replied without thinking about it and immediately regretted his words. He didn't want her to stay with him because Baris could be really mean. And on top of that, he couldn't really take her with him when he went hunting with Stormclaw, could he? Well... she was being really quiet when she wasn't upset. Maybe... Maybe his mentor wouldn't mind. He didn't want to leave her alone, not when she was so scared of everything.
But there was no taking back what he'd said. He'd just have to find a way to make it work.
"My name's Percy. What's yours?" he asked, trying to turn her mind to something else.
Harmonia:
The delicateness of a cub that never knew what fear was... But the paw that clung so tightly was softening.. but it hadn't entirely let go. But the habit of snuggling was from their mother and she was by habit doing so, as if he had given her permission to. If there was a way to be closer- she would that's how much she needed someone there. Needed Set there..
Sniffling she looked up at him, then retorted one paw to rub her nose and face. With eyes shown so much graditude for him staying with her. Or- rather her staying with him that she would probably never be out of his sight. "Moni.." Her voice sounded more like a gentle chirp with out meek it was. "...Percy..." She repeated and closed her eyes tight. She would remember it... always.
"Harmonia." Having given him some space from where she had stuffed her face, to show him her face entirely... Given she also didn't know what personal space was. "... I.. I have to get back to my momma..Can take me- to my momma.. Are you... one like me..? Did they take you away from your momma too.." She was, shy, and she didn't want to talk- so her words were spaced out and had gotten lower and lower with each word.
Percival:
Moni, oh Harmonia.
"Kinda like Harmony. That's nice," he replied. Girls liked that, didn't they? Being associated with music? He wasn't really sure why that was the case, but if it made her feel better he'd be okay with it. He didn't want to see her crying anymore. It was anything if not a little unsettling.
Percy sighed and shook his head a little bit.
"No, my mama's here, my family's lived here for a long time, before I was born." Well, all his family but his father. And no one really knew where he had gone off to. It wasn't like he'd been a member of the pride, anyways. His ears flicked down. He was doing a pretty poor job at being her friend.
"I can't take you back. I don't know where it is, and I... I'm not old enough to leave the pridelands by myself, anyways. Someday, when I'm older, but... not now."
Harmonia:
Her... name was nice? Her family was all named after musical angels.. of the heavans. She was just another one of the litter... Of boys. It was ... calming slightly, to hear a compliment. A lot of her pride had complimented them, they were musical if at all adoring. They were also the sign of new life within the pride, welcomed new additions. But that all came tumbling down..
"...Your... You..live here...?" Her softly holding him became more like grabbing and she hesitated in his arms. "Please- Please! Tell them to take me back! Please! I .. I will do anything! Just.. Take me back to my momma!" Probably up in heavan, their father was looking down on them- maybe he would give them a chance to change their minds. "Please!" Anxiety was creeping in to the girl's actions.
"Maybe- Tell your momma! Tell someone then! Tell them to take me back!.." Trying to scramble out of his arms, yet still grab on to him as though desperation was apparently obvious. "Percy..Please..I wanna go back home.." Looking like she was fighting her way out of a box. "They can't keep me here- my momma would worry! My momma misses me!" An outlet- had she finally found a way home?
Percival:
Oh yeah, he felt downright horrible. He was being selfish, he really was, but was it really so much to want a friend his age that wasn't a distant cousin or some other such relation? There was that one family, but frankly he didn't get along with most of the boys. He didn't much care for nonsense and they seemed to have egos bigger than Baris. Was it really that bad to want a friend that wasn't as volatile as his brother or chock-full of bad ideas like Ace?
If it meant keeping said friend around against her will, yeah. He was being a selfish little brat.
"I... I'll try. I'll talk to my mentor about it, if anyone could take you back, it's him. But..." Percy didn't want to give her too much hope, he wasn't sure why she in particular was brought into the pride but if the king and queen wanted her to stay there wasn't much he or even Stormclaw could do about it. He gave her a small smile even though it hurt just a bit to have made a friend only to be asked to try and let her leave him forever. "I'll try."
Harmonia:
She was about to turn on the rejection lights- how could someone live where someone else steals lives.. They had stolen hers... and little was her eyes started to glaze again.. but she quickly rushed back in to his arms. Even being not inches away from her made her fur feel old again and she knew that if he left her alone... she'd be REALLY alone... and the visions would come back.. scarier ... and scarier.. He said he'd protect her. Though this friend, he didn't have a choice of where to be born.
Kindness and collection was coming back in to her heart and she took a deep breath.. Trying to calm herself once more.. BUt he had already done that, for some reason this embrace just... Felt safe. But she couldn't help a tear escaping her. Just one more. "..Trying.. Thank you. Try your hardest..please." Snuggling up against his neck once more.. But this time... she was sinking literately in to his arms. As if this had become second nature. His scent- will be her familiar.
She wouldn't know what kind of hinderance she'd cause. Especially when she would meet the family. But the female was now starting to feel like her hope was given to him, and he was in control. Closing her eyes.. She would have to trust.. Like mother said...
"....Amazing grace..... how sweet... the sound.." A soft sniffle.. A song her mother would sing to them.. Then looked to him... "Does your momma sing to you..." She would note it.. Because hearing her mother's song was making her want to cry.. "Can you sing me.. a lullaby.."
Percival:
Try was all he could really do. Percy wrapped a paw around her shoulders and gently patted her. It was all he knew how to do to help her. She started to sing and he smiled a little. Did that mean she was feeling better? That she wasn't sad anymore? No, probably not, she was probably still sad. But at least she was singing.
"Not really..." He couldn't remember Mother singing to him. They didn't really need it, but for is sister it was just a bunch of boys. He wasn't sure if their mom was much of a singer anyways.
He blinked at her when she asked if he could sing her a lullaby.
"Uh... No, I don't know... I don't sing," he replied with a shake of his head.
Harmonia:
He.. didn't know how to sing..? Then a smile creased upon her maw.. but it was weak and subsided as quickly as it came. It was so gentle and angelic- with no judgement to attach to it. "I dun wanna sing mumas song.." It made her want to cry for her more.. But still her eyes kept glazing even with the remote thought of never seeing her again.. Or her brothers..
Sniffling and rubbing her nose in his fur... Then she looked up at him.. Maybe she didn't wanna hear a lullaby.. made. "...A story then..?" Blinking up, with the ocean trapped in her eyes.. She wanted to close her eyes and open them to be back home. But she had done that for hours now without hope-.. And cried so much before he came along.. At least she wasn't alone anymore..
Percival:
Well, it wasn't that he didn't know how to sing. It wasn't that hard, was it? Just talking, only kinda different. But one couldn't really sing if one didn't know any songs. So in that sense, at least for now, he was utterly useless.
A story, now he could do that. One of the merchants, a friend of Master Godchild, she liked to tell stories all of the time when she wasn't working, and even when she was. Sometimes when he didn't have anything better to do, he might go and listen to one or two. he hoped sometimes that he'd get some good advice from them.
"Okay, I can do a story," Percy finally replied and started telling her one about a pride that had problems with a wild dog invading their territory to steal from the herds and the cub who set out to catch the dog with his bird friends.
Harmonia:
The saddened cub was literately hopeless for what he was offering her. Literately hanging on his every reaction, motion. That want... and she clung to him. Hearing his story and nuzzling in to him. This was the cub innocence that leaked out of her so easily. The attraction to this kindness, only her mother knew of. Maybe it was her father whom had given her this gift.. A yawn escaped her.. then finally.. After almost mid way through the story.. Though entraced- still she fell right in to a dream state where the story was becoming all to true and realistic.. And she cuued in to his arms as if she were meant to be in them. So natural and so angelic as she slipped out of conciousness. She'd been awake since she was cubnapped- three days prior.. What the girl held now within her.. was slowly leaving her fears for tomorrow...
