The Many Faces of Tully

I don’t want to fall back asleep. I don’t think I could even if I tried anyways. There is too much on my mind. I’m thinking too much about my nightmare and about what happened afterwards. My emotions were everywhere today. It’s draining, but I can’t sleep now.

I look at my watch and it says 1:33. I sigh and get dressed. No point in hanging out in my room when I’m not going to sleep. I grab a book just in case I decide to read, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to focus on my book. I need something more mind numbing. Something that will help me not think as much, or clearly.

An idea occurs to me and I head to the practice room. I sit in the middle of the room and try to practice by myself. Maybe I can turn into an animal without my racing heart or something. I exploded once without the racing heart.

I liked being a cat. I like the sharp senses. Maybe if those were sharper then my thoughts wouldn’t be as clear. I would be too busy processing what my overly sharp senses were sensing. I’ll turn into a lion this time. That would be cool. Lions are pretty.

I focus on the morphing, and how it feels. Feeling my body get larger and more muscular. Having claws instead of fingernails and having a tail. I focus on my skull changing its shape to become feline, with my ears at the top of my head and whiskers around my wet nose. Sharp teeth and a scratchy tongue.

Lion, lion, lion. I chant to myself. Nothing is happening. Maybe I need the racing heart. I wish I didn’t. I wish I could just morph whenever I liked. That would be a lot better, and a lot more impressive. I sigh and then I feel myself changing.

I open my eyes and I love the clarity. I stretch my paws out in front of me and stretch my claws out. I straighten up and start running around the room, feeling my lioness muscles. The stretch and pull of them as I bound around the room. I wish it was bigger.

I don’t know how long I run around the room, but after that I start chasing my tail. I wish I had something to play with in here. Then I remember the hidden door in here with the table of weapons in it. I bound to the door and push on it with my massive paw. It pushes inward and then slides open.

I put my teeth around the table and drag it outwards. I search the table for a bit until I find the right box of shotgun shells. I try to swipe just that box off but I end up swiping off a few guns with it.

I flinch at the sound and look towards the window and wait. I marvel at how still I can stand until I know no one heard me. I pull the box away from the guns and smack it so it tips over. The shells spill from it. I swipe at them and they start rolling around the floor. I start to chase them.

I pounce on them and swat them around. I’m rolling around with them and trying to pick them up with my massive paws. I chase them all around the room and then make them all go to the center of the room in a circle.

After all of that I get bored. I leave them in the center of the room and then I go and lay underneath the window. I don’t want anyone to see me if they look in here. I lean my head against my arms and just lay there for a long time. I don’t know what time it is and I don’t care. I’m too busy being a lion and trying not to think too much.

I’m almost dozing off when I hear the door hiss open. My eyes snap open and my ears perk forward. My tail twitches as I smell humans.

“What the hell happened in here?” I know that voice.

“I have no idea. Were we robbed?” I think I know that voice too.

Then I see them. I do know them. It’s Jace and Nash. It’s probably around 7 o’clock then if Nash is up.

“That’s what I’m checking,” Jace says. They don’t look towards me. They’re too focused on the mess I made.

When they are further into the room I stand up and slink against the wall. When I’m behind them I start advancing on them. I love how quiet my lion paws are.

“Isn’t this place under surveillance twenty-four seven?” Nash asks.

“Yes, I’ll be checking that next.” They make it to my shotgun shell pile. “This makes no sense.” I watch as Jace shakes his head. I’m almost right behind them.

“I know it doesn’t. Do you think someone was out here practicing last night?” Nash keeps questioning him. I stop then and crouch low to the floor.

“Possibly. The footage will tell us. What’s that noise?” He stops suddenly.

It’s me. I’m growling slightly and preparing to pounce. They both hold still and listen for a second. Then they both turn inwards towards me. Their eyes widen at the same time as they take in the sight of me prepared to pounce. I take my chance.

A small roar escapes my throat as I leap towards them. My paws hit them both square in the chest and they fall backwards with me on top of them. They both groan when we hit the floor. I lie down between them with my paws still on their chests.

“What the hell is a lion doing in here?” Nash nearly screams.

“Tully?” Jace looks at me. I start purring and I rub my head up against him. “What are you doing in here? Why are you a lion?” he asks me.

I sigh. I can’t answer that, and he should know that. I take my paws off them finally and they both sit up.

“Right. Being a lion you can’t answer me. Guess I’ll ask later.” I start purring again. “You know lions are my favorite animal,” he tells me conversationally.

I lean forward and lick his cheek in response. I don’t know why I did that. I guess that’s how my lion body dealt with physical attraction like that.

“Dude, I think she just kissed you,” Nash jokes. I reach over and swat his head.

“It wasn’t a very good one. Too scratchy for my taste,” Jace teases back. I grumble and swat him too. He just laughs.

“What the hell is a lion doing in here?” I hear someone shout. I turn and see Haides, Mirage, and Toshi in the doorway.

“It’s Tully,” Jace says, standing up.

“Really? That’s fascinating,” Toshi says walking forward a few steps. “Is she, safe?” he asks warily, hesitating.

“Yes, she is. She’s not dangerous at all,” Nash teases me, punching my shoulder. I get up on my hind legs and put my front paws on his shoulders. I push him and he falls down on his butt. He laughs.

“Fascinating,” Toshi says again. He walks forward until he’s right in front of me. He crouches down and stares me in the eye. I cock my head to the side. “She’s really in there, isn’t she?” he asks.

I nod my head and Jace says, “Yes. It is fascinating.” I feel his hand on my head. I turn and look up at him. He starts scratching behind my ear and I start purring automatically. I like being a lion.

“That’s so cool!” Haides shouts. He walks forward too then with Mirage at his side. They start talking about me being a lion and wondering how. Jace never stops scratching behind my ear as they talk.