Yellowstone National Park

Kitty [The Shy & Curious Artic Fox Hyrbid]

Kitty waited a couple seconds then looked around as if she expected someone else to answer the snake. She noticed she was the only fox-thing-whatever around "Oh wait you mean me don't you..?" She said now looking down, unhappy at the sudden change of the situation. She sighed as she thought Should've figured I would have to talk sometime.. "Sorry. Curiosity got the better of me." Her voice was silvery(a silvery voice is clear, light, and pleasant) it was also quite soothing almost like a lullaby. She looked up a little her full lips were in a apologetic smile and her long wavy white hair covered half her face so it only showed one silver doe eye. "Really didn't mean any harm by it, honest." She said her one showing silver eye was full of innocence at her words and her lips now parted in a pouty-frown. "I also wanted to warn you that another storm is coming. I don't know if you can til that like I can. So I wanted to tell you." She added quickly. Her nervousness had made the words sorta fly together but it was alot easier to understand then the fruit bat's were. Kitty was looking down as she talked and she was blushing. She had one of her hands closed loosely around some of her long hair that was over her shoulder the same hand would then slide loosely down her hair and when she ran out of hair she'd replace that hand with her other hand and it would slid down her hair until it ran out of hair the action was a shy and nervous repetitive motion.

Kallik {Fruit Bat}

Kallik tried to focus on the snake as it moved from side to side, but it wasn't easy. He knew that if he didn't get back to his cave now, one of the two hybrids around him now would eat him. The snake seemed to be toying with him, staring at him so long without speaking. It seriously unnerved Kallik way too much. He nearly blurted something out - which he would have probably regretted - until the cobra lifted it's head off the ground even more, which made Kallik tense his already taught muscles. "Ah, yes. You're one of the first Hybrids, too, hm? Funny, we must have spent so much time near each other and have never met." Kallik gave a little nervous laugh, since the snake said that it was funny, and Kallik knew that most predators wanted to be right all the time. However, his throat constricted out of fear as the snake's tongue was still out for a few more seconds than before. His knees were already slightly shaking from the snake and lady, that tongue didn't help him at all.

Finally, the snake deterred his attention to the fox and asked it a question about what it wanted. Odd question, Kallik thought it wanted to eat something. However, the fox was in its human form, so Kallik was pretty sure eating a snake or a bat wasn't a smart idea for a human. Nevertheless, he stayed wary. It dawned on him when she started talking that he could make a run for it. The sun kept moving up into the sky, the cursed ball of flame that exposed him so often. Kallik also remembered that he was only wearing a pair of shorts, and that his clothes still waited for him at home. He needed to get home.

He nearly stood up and made his made dash for safety when the lady-fox started to sound nervous. Really didn't mean any harm by it, honest. I also wanted to warn you that another storm is coming. I don't know if you can til that like I can. So I wanted to tell you. Kallik made a little squeak from his throat at the sound of a storm. Storm meant rain, and if the rain came he wouldn't be able to fly. But it was the way she said her words that made him stay put, as if she was afraid of them or something. How could she, this lady was at the top of the food chain! It made no sense to the little bat-human. She also seemed to have an obsession with running her hand through her hair, which he knew meant she was nervous. How did he know? As a human, he had similar urges to stair at his feet while scared, laugh in a funny way, and make himself look even more stupid and scared.

"We-ell, thanks for the... head's u-up." He stumbled together. "That just, well, m-ee-ans I nee-eed to get home so-ooner."

Kitty [The Shy & Curious Artic Fox Hyrbid]

Kitty looked up a little more but then looked down quickly "I know. I was wondering if I should help you..you seem to not have such good vision..in the sun..I mean if your okay with that. You can say no of corse. I mean I am a odd...me" She said quickly not knowing what else to say but not wanting to spill her guts to the two.
"But it's really about to start raining so you should prob. decide quickly." Her silver eyes would switch to Shinji then to the fruitbat then down then to Shinji then to the fruit bat then down over and over again, She was still very nervous, her blush deepened in color, her white hair blew gently in the wind. She was still playing with her hair still. Her voice shook a bit at her words every so often. She really had no idea what she was doing she only knew that she felt like she should help the fruitbat get to his den before it began to rain and that she had to do it fast.

If his reptilian features were much capable of expression, Shinji might have arched a brow at the fox's belated response. She wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, it would seem - but her looks certainly made up for it. But Shinji inwardly scolded himself a little at the thought; she was in human form, first of all. Humans were not supposed to be attractive. And even if she wasn't, she would otherwise be a fox, and canines were better than humans but still not half as good-looking as snakes. His tongue flickered at her answer. "… Oh. Well, that's fine. Just don't expect to stalk me all day," he replied lightly. "And thank you, though I could have told on my own." His tongue darted in and out again. His senses could generally pick up on the certain charge in the air before a storm, not to mention the humidity beforehand. Though neither of these things were present now, he would have been able to detect the approaching storm in advance eventually. He wondered what sense enabled the fox to tell so early.

His unblinking golden eyes returning to the fruit bat, Shinji inwardly smiled again at the boy's nervous laughter. His scent was overflowing with anxiety, and the cobra's tongue continued to flicker in and out to take in the delightful smell. He was all the more amused at the bat's small sound upon hearing of a storm.

His gaze turned serious when the fox spoke up again, though, and he turned to eye the girl. She presented herself as very timid, but perhaps this was a ruse to lead the fruit bat away and eat him. Shinji's hood undulated slightly at the thought. He had decided he didn't want to eat this entertainingly nervous creature, and so he certainly didn't want anything else to eat him. "… Allow me to accompany you home as well." He said coolly, looking to the fruit bat. "What is your name..? I'm Shinji. I am a king cobra, but don't let that scare you, I'm not hungry right now. I only eat once every week or so," he offered reassuringly. He would have smiled to complete the gesture, but his serpent muzzle was not very expressive and already held an ever-present sort of smile anyway.

Kitty [The Shy & Curious Artic Fox Hyrbid]

Kitty looked at Shinji. He was handsome very much so. She blushed more. "Of corse..." She said embarrassed she even assumed he didn't know about the storm. She backed up when she saw his hood. She squeaked a bit. "N-no. Y-You two go ahead. I-It was nice to meet you. I'm Kitty...and I don't want to eat you either..I don't know what a fruit bat is but I prefer berries over meat." She said still back away her hands up as if to surrender or say she wasn't a threat and turned to walk away. "Good luck to you both. I hope you get home safely sir fruit bat." She said.

There was only so much that Zuhuru could take. At some point Shinji went from being slightly amusing, with his quirky attitude and attempts to get her out of the tree, to complacent and social. Two years must have been some sort of limit for Zuhuru, because after spending so much time with the damn King Cobra Hybrid she was rather fond of him. The Black Panther Hybrid was, despite what Shinji would tell you, a rather level-headed girl. As long as she had a cigarette between her lips she would be glad to hang around for a pleasant chat. She would even play with all of the hybrids, be they predator or prey. For the most part she had always been closest with the other big cats, but she stayed pretty friendly with everyone as long as she got her daily dose of nicotine. When Shinji was around, however, Zuhuru was like a different person. She got moody and possessive because he is one of the oldest hybrids, along with her, and she doesn't want to lose that close connection. Instead of being calm and relaxed, she was slightly tense and uptight. Every little thing seemed to alert her. It might have had something to do with the fact that the snake didn't quite enjoy her habit of smoking so she tended to not do it around him, and that was never good.

The first year had been the worst. Sure, throughout the five years that Zuhuru spent in the San Diego Zoo as a hybrid she had hung around with Shinji often. In the zoo, however, there had been other hybrids to distract the somewhat obsessive panther hybrid. The moment she got trapped in one of the cells in the government's laboratory with Dr. Preston though, things had gotten a bit out of hand. There had been violence and then lab tests and then attempted murder and then another attempted murder and then attempted rape and then more violence. It had been a wild ride and both of them had gone a little stir crazy. Needless to say, the escape had certainly been needed. Zuhuru had stayed to watch over the eccentric Dr. Preston while he fiddled with his experiments, but Shinji went out on his own and she often times would come to visit him.

In the meantime, Zuhuru's lean black shadow of a form smouldered into the laboratory and with a sickening snap, she reverted to her human form, wrapping the thin jacket she'd stolen earlier around her flawless skin. The female glanced about the cold facility and called out to the silence, waiting on some time of ridiculous response.

"Dr. Prestooon~ Kitty is here."

"OH MY LOVELY KITTY CAT!"

With a vicious cry and shriek, there was a loud thump, regarding that both adults were now on the floor as Dr. Liam Preston had leapt from the test table behind her and tackled her to the ground as his means of a joke. A very bad joke. After a few shouts and arguing, they were back on their feet and Zuhuru was being embraced in such a tight hold she felt as if her head would pop off.

"Zuzu my lovely, LOVELY kitty! How've you been dear? How are the hybrids? Did you bring me something good to look at? Oh PLEASE tell me you have something new for me to experiment on!"

"Woah woah woah, chill out, Dr. Preston. Chill. I'm fine and I'm not here to play with you today, I'm here to report that there is a new wild one in our territory, and for my fix."

"Of course, OF COURSE! Splendid, simply splendid! Good job KittyKat, good job!"

Forking his trembling hand into his pocket, he tosses her her weekly box of cigarettes. Zuhuru snatched the box out of the air with minimal effort, speaking quietly towards him. After explaining the situation, Tsuchi's name, her species, her height, her weight, and pretty much all she could get out of all she noticed from the earlier meet-up. Dr. Preston went on a marvelous rant, bouncing ridiculously along the way about how he had always wanted to dissect a wolf, and even more so a skittish wolf. More fight. Zuhuru curved her head to the side and avoided his frantic rambling, not wanting to hear such nonsense until he made a comment about how Zuhuru should go capture her. When she went to protest, she was stunned by the look in his eyes and shrugged it off into a nod. With few words, tighter embracing, and even more teasing, Zuhuru made her way out of the facility. Couldn't she ever have a day were she didn't have to chase someone?

Trusting the good doctor to handle himself, Zuhuru left the lab in search of some preparation time before the hunt. She needed peace, she needed quiet, and she needed a fucking smoke. The thick metal doors shut behind her and the first thing she did was to reach into the pocket of her jacket and pull out her pack of cigarettes and her lighter. It was the same lighter that she had gotten from the scientists in the government lab. She had kept it as some sort of souvenir. Sly smirk on her face, Zuhuru flicked the lighter and lit her cigarette in the cool air of the early morning. Later on she would need to shift into his true form, but for now she was content to suck the nicotine into her system and wander away from Dr. Preston's laboratory. She was wearing nothing but the thin jacket that barely covered her features and her bare feet padded along the warm earth of the mountainside, toes curling pleasantly.

Zuhuru took in a deep breath, scenting the air for any nearby hybrids. She knew the smells of all of them—every single one. Each of the hybrids she either remembered from the San Diego Zoo or she had watched being made by Dr. Preston inside of the lab that she had just left, or she had met them recently. Up near the mountains it was cloudier than the rest of Yellowstone. She caught the scent of her prey and she finished up her cigarette. In one smooth movement she shifted, flowing easily from one form to the next. Unlike a lot of the newer experiments, she knew how to keep her clothing during a shift, though often times didn't. As a panther, Zuzu weighed nearly three-hundred pounds, diversely larger then the other panther species, whether branched from jaguar/leopard/or cougar. She was the largest of the big cats currently stationed in Yellowstone National Park until they get their first tiger or lion hybrid, something that was apparent in her size as a human as well as her size in her animal form. The creature she was after now was considerably smaller and lighter then her, and that was normally the way it was: Tsuchi, the White Wolf Hybrid. It was Tsuchi that the doctor had decided to have her bring back, wounded or not. Her large paws and powerful muscles carrying her sleek form quickly through the trees, Zuhuru was familiar with Yellowstone and knew her way.

With a deep and unsettling eerie resound, a vicious snarl ripped through the forests and bounded it's way over the trees. Any hybrid that had been in Yellowstone knew that bloodcurdling snarly scream that signaled the hunt. Any hybrid knew it would be a good time to clear the forest, for if they took up any of Zuhuru's precious time to collect the beast, she'd take them down in an instant. With the hunt on, Yellowstone pleasant morning were broken into tense stillness and unease.

Kitty [The Shy & Curious Artic Fox Hyrbid]

Kitty heard the sign and remembered it instantly. She didn't know where but she knew it was bad and she knew she needed to get the hell out of dodge so to speak. She was terrified. She stood there wide eyed in surprise. "Sorry..." She squeaked but couldn't move she was too scared.

Tsuchi [Soon to be White Wolf hybrid]

Tsuchi heard something that almost made her jump out of her skin! A snarl the likes she has never heard before. She went deeper into the new den she had found. It did have a back exit for emergencies. Tsuchi was shaking like a leaf as she kept herself at least ready to fight if she had to.

Kallik, the Fruit Bat Hybrid

I know. I was wondering if I should help you..you seem to not have such good vision..in the sun..I mean if your okay with that. You can say no of course. I mean I am a odd...me" Kallik sat there, flabbergasted at the proposal. He didn't know how to respond to such a request as ludicrous as this. She could already tell that he had terrible vision, that much was given already since he was merely hearing them, but she even went as far to make it like it was a problem for him! Does she really not know the hierarchy around here? I get eaten by you guys! And you want to help me? But I can't refuse, or they might get angry and eat me anyway... He started to squirm a little at his royal disadvantage. He already knew his luck was terrible, but now this? Either the world was going insane and he was suddenly not food, or these hybrids weren't animal driven. "But it's really about to start raining so you should probably decide quickly." He blinked his large eyes, and was going to reply when the snake pulled a fast one on him that completely knocked him out of his senses.

"… Allow me to accompany you home as well." His eyes got large. Since when did a snake want to be with him?! This went against how things worked! I eat fruit and you eat me! What is going one here?!?! "What is your name..? I'm Shinji. I am a king cobra, but don't let that scare you, I'm not hungry right now. I only eat once every week or so," Now it came back to Kallik, who was beginning to remember the Cobra. He was a friend of the Black Panther Hybrid, the one that scared him most of all. But that still didn't change how terrified Kallik was at the moment, and it wasn't just because of the snake and fox, but of the whole situation. Even with his reassurance, Kallik had no doubt that they would probably try to kill him. However, since they were the predators, he was hoping that he could at least have a little peace treaty between them, so he didn't have to worry about more predators.

"Al-Alright. Oh, and m-my name is Kallik, an-and I'm an Egyptian Fr-fruit bat." And I'm taking your word on that fact, but you probably are hungry... he thought depressingly as the Arctic fox once again spoke, but this time her face was an odd shade of red. Or had it always been? "N-no. Y-You two go ahead. I-It was nice to meet you. I'm Kitty...and I don't want to eat you either..I don't know what a fruit bat is but I prefer berries over meat. Kallik completely lost it. His jaw dropped, his eyes widened considerably. Did this fox, who eats meat and kills anything it can, just say that it liked to eat... berries?! Kallik couldn't understand, couldn't handle the absurdity of the entire situation. He must be losing it. Good luck to you both. I hope you get home safely sir fruit bat. As Kitty began to walk away, Kallik was totally and utterly confused. But for the first time in a long time, he finally spoke on his instincts.

"I-If you need a dry place, my c-cave should be somewhere o-over there." He then quickly stopped himself and added in a quiet squeak "As long as-as you don't eat me." He then finally stood up, and began to run towards his cave, but not nearly as fast as he did before: He was too worried that the Cobra would be upset if he did.

Kitty [The Shy & Curious Artic Fox Hyrbid]

I-If you need a dry place, my c-cave should be somewhere o-over there." He then quickly stopped himself and added in a quiet squeak "As long as-as you don't eat me."

She blushed a bit more. She could til by his face he couldn't believe she only ate berries. She couldn't understand why. Arctic Foxes ate both berries and meat. They ate what they could find. Was it so weird that she preferred berries over meat? She wondered but looked at the snake he was probably furious. And she wanted to live the snakes venom could kill her she at least knew that. She looked at the snake "The same offer he gave you is up for me too. I understand if you very well dislike me..I didnt mean for this...honest..I just wanted to stay silent and not talk to anyone and be a idiot fox-thing-whatever I am. I didn't-" She cut herself off. My den's near the plains. She said hoping he didnt want to kill her for her rash actions. She wanted to take a step closer and apologize more. But again she felt like she was only being a nuisense to the poor snake. "Sorry again..." She said her voice showing how bad she felt. She turned and ran to her den. Once there she took off her clothes and shifted. She then curled up in a ball using her fluffy tail as a pillow and fell back asleep.

The scent of fear hit her nose, instinct kicking in faster then the human mind could ever catch up. Adrenaline coursed through Zuhuru even harder and faster now. She may not have been as fast as the cheetah, but she was still rather fast and unlike the cheetah she could control her transformations and maneuverability like no other. Not that it would do much until she managed to get free and find other panthers though. The only blessing she had was that it wasn't too odd for a panther to be here. Without a second thought, she turned directions, time seeming to slow down as she bolted. In an instant the panther mind began to take over. She had the distinct feeling of the shift ready to happen. No, not yet. Keeping low to the ground as she weaved through the territory. She could hear padding of fleeing prey. Great, obstacles. Her lips curled back into a smile as she jumped over the last obstacle. She landed with a jolt, freezing for just a second. She was in the forest. She looked quickly, breathing heavily as she caught the scent of the complete and utter terror. Did the wolf not know that her fright radiated off her like a fire drawing moths to it? Silly creature, for it would soon learn of it's mistake.

Zuhuru's thick and heavy paws dug silently into the earth around her claws as she crept up on the den, tail poised low and barely above the ground. She was tensed, like a spring ready to break as she waited. Zuhuru knew that Tsuchi would have to come out eventually. The longer she waited, the hungrier she grew, the quicker the chase would end. As the smouldering black shape crouched into a bush a few meters off, clear view of the den, she called out to the wolf in fair warning.

"Tsuchi, I told you I'd be back. You should have left. Come with me or I will have to take you by force, and you won't be unscathed from that. You have 10 seconds to make your choice."

Zuhuru quickly shifted positions into a deeper part of the bush, entire body still and cranked to full potential. With her entire body concealed by a shadows and foliage, the demon was hidden and poised for attack.

Let the countdown begin.

Tsuchi [White Wolf]

Tsuchi started to head for the back exit of the den that was well away from where she heard the panther. She just needed to get into a good pace once out to get away. She managed to make it to the back exit and poked her head out. She smelled the air and found here the panther was and where she could start running. Once her body was out completely, she started to make a dash toward the weird looking fence pole things! Tsuchi had to get out of there! Her ears were down and her body sleek as she ran.

Shinji couldn't help but recoil slightly at the snarl that tore between the trees. Its source was easy enough to guess, and the cobra understood its meaning, too. He wondered what the doctor was after now… Probably nothing too dangerous for Zuhuru, at any rate.

His unblinking gaze refocused on the fruit bat once he spoke up once more. Kallik… What an interesting name. Shinji's tongue flickered in and out at it, but his serpent maw was incapable of attempting its pronunciation. It would be an experiment that would have to wait until he took human form again. He, too, eyed the silvery-haired girl at her talk of eating berries. It must have been further deceit to lead Kallik into a false sense of security. Mammals ate much more than snakes did; there was no way she could live off berries alone.

The cobra's tongue darted out again at Kallik's offer. Shinji still did not think it was going to rain quite so soon, and he had taken cobra form to lay out in the sun, after all, so resting in a cave did not sound terribly appealing at the moment - but it was nonetheless an offer he would keep in mind later, if Kallik's home proved to be comfortable enough. If it did rain eventually, he would need a dry place later, at least. So once the fruit bat took off again for home, Shinji slithered after him, keeping up with relative ease. King cobras were fast, if not just for their size, but could not move at top speed for too long of long distances, so Shinji hoped the cave was not far. He was not having to move at top speed to keep up so far, but moved at the equivalent of a jog - still a pace he didn't want to have to maintain for too long. He didn't like exhaustive amounts of exercise.