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Sophie had become momentarily separated from her escort, the man she and her brothers had been living with, Mister Light. In all the hustle and bustle of the crowds, it wasn't all that surprising that a young puppy following at the heels of a male could become confused and start to follow the wrong person, but the fact that Boothe hadn't done it with her, and was perhaps just as lost as she was, only lost separately, frightened her. She hovered uncertainly in the crowd, and then had to stumble out of the way as someone didn't see her, their paws nearly coming down on her tiny head. She began whining, the sound unconscious and quiet, and then crying more loudly, her frantic eyes searching for someone familiar to her.
The festival was supposed to be something fun, even if it had activities more aimed at Luperci than anyone else. Still, she'd wandered over to look at some pretty carvings, and then the soft furs that someone was selling, and after finding Mister Light's heels again, she'd followed him farther into the crowd--only to realize it wasn't him. The paws were right, but the face was all wrong, and the large man had been quite surprised to find a little girl tagging along at his heels. He'd gone off to find someone to take care of her for the time being, but for these moments that meant she was alone.
She'd been left at the edge of the marketplace, and told firmly--but very kindly--to stay put. Sophie was doing her best to obey the man's command; but people kept walking up behind her, and over her, and sometimes they didn't see the small puppy, so she had to move. By the time he might have made his way back, Sophie was half way around the market, edging around the outskirts and whimpering in fear. There was no one there to see her; Leon and Light and her other brothers had lost her! Where were they? What had happened to them?
What was going to happen to her? With a little cry, she began dancing back and forth, making herself known. "Brother! Brother! Sophie lost! Sophie is lost! Someone help Sophie!" She yelled tearfully, becoming nearly frantic as it seemed no one was paying attention to her.
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Terra had been helping herself to people's pockets as she went along. In optime form her neck was draped in the various stolen necklaces, a beautiful jeweled dagger on her wrist. Not too sure how she'd gotten it, Terra found herself wearing a purple skirt that reached just mid thigh. Bracelets coated her arms. Moving through the crowd Terra prepared for more fun before a whimpering of a pup grabbed her attention. She stood stock still, listening. It had a fairly familiar tilt to it. This time, words were spoken. Sophie!
As easily as cutting through the woods Terra wove through the crowd, reaching the tiny pup crouched on the ground, in danger of being stepped on. Not waiting a single moment Terra scooped her up, moving over to where the crowd was thinner. In another gap between stalls Terra bared her teeth at the crowd. How dare they threaten this puppy! Didn't they realize how precious they were? The strange mood that had struck her yesterday still hadn't disappeared, leaving her moody and wanting. Looking back down at the colorful pup Terra nosed over her, checking for injuries. She glanced back at the crowd, searching for Boof. Are you okay? What happened?
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She heard someone call her name, and looked about fearfully, scrambling about a little more and whimpering. "Over here! Sophie here!" She cried, and hunched down, watching the crowd for anyone familiar. No one was there, at least no one she recognized, and it took a long moment before someone appeared quite suddenly and scooped her up, leaving her quite terrified, but no longer in danger of being trodden on. She stared up in fear at the strange woman who'd lifted her, for a long moment not recognizing her, but after a moment that long-ago afternoon came back to her, and she asked hesitantly, "T-Terra?" Her eyes watered, and she buried her face in the woman's shoulder, allowing herself to be looked over without protest.
She was carried to a less-occupied area of the marketplace, and slowly managed to calm down, her breathing slowing to a more even rate, and she had almost calmed down completely until Terra asked her questions. That started the waterworks all over again, and she could barely get the breath to whine, "Got...lost...don't...know...where...brother...went!" She was nearly hyperventilating by then, and the low wail that came from her throat soon turned into a high-pitched howl, clearly conveying her distress.
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Sophie wasn't hurt. That was a relief. Letting out a sigh Terra cuddled the puppy, a fierce motherly feeling filling her. It was something she'd never really felt before. Always Terra had been protective of pups, placing them above everything. This was different though. While Terra had known their worth, caring for them without games that could entertain herself had been a burden. She felt none of that now, watching the tiny bundle of hope in her arms.
Hearing that she was separated from her brother Terra whined softly, not quite sure what to do as Sophie howled her distress. Someone glanced their way, and decided that Terra had been kidnapping the pup. Hey! Let that pup go! Like that was going to happen. Terra retreated further into the shadows, snarling at the canine. She turned and fled until they came out at a different spot. It's alright Sophie, it's alright. We'll find them. How, Terra didn't have a clue. She couldn't track the scent like she normally could through the crowd.
Deciding to shift the pup's attention to happier things Terra pointed. Look at that! Someone was giving a demonstration of carving, something Terra had never seen before. She walked over, Sophie still cuddled in her arms, and watched as the man formed a simple wolf. She glanced down to measure Sophie's reaction, hoping the pup was feeling better.
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Sophie sniffled, once more attempting to calm herself down, and looked up sadly at Terra, hiccoughing a little as she got her breathing under control. "Y...You think so?" She rubbed her paw against the end of her nose, hoping she wasn't leaking all over Terra's nice clean fur, and then nodded a little, sniffing again. "Okay...'M sorry...'M sorry I got so upset..." She added quietly, her ears welded to her skull in shame. It wasn't okay to get upset and noisy; Father had said that a lot. When you were sad, you were supposed to be quiet. But she hadn't been sad, she'd been scared... Maybe Terra wouldn't mind her slip-up.
A moment later her attention was captured by something else completely, and she stared in awe as the man carved a simple wolf statue out of wood. Sophie squirmed excitedly, turning to her new companion and waving her front paws about to show off the wooden bracelet she'd gotten from Hotaru a few weeks earlier. "I seen that before! Miss Hotaru can do that! She made me this!" Sophie added proudly, and waved her paws about some more, before looking back at the wolf, her eyes shining. "I wanna do that some day."
She looked up at Terra hopefully, her tail wagging behind her and her ears half-perked. Her gaze was somewhat shy, looking for the approval of one of her role-models, one of her friends; she hardly ever saw Leon to share all her hopeful wants with him, like her desire to one day ride a horse, and to find and make friends with elves, and to catch the glowing fairies who granted wishes. But she had other friends who could tell her when she was just being silly, anyway; she didn't want to tell Leon anything silly. She wanted him to love her.
And Father said that no one loved silly little girls.
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Terra's ears flattened in confusion as Sophie apologized to her. What an odd thing. She could think of no real reason why the pup would apologize. She was just a child, and had almost been trampled to death. Keeping quiet and not getting upset would be something for Terra to be mad about, not actual panic and trying to survive. Her ears stood back up as they watched the carving. The colorful pup spoke out proudly, her attention caught by the wood. She couldn't help but smile at the reaction, pleased that the pup liked it. That was important.
She looked at the pup's paws, noticing the tiny wooden bracelet this time, perfectly fitted around Sophie's leg. It was a wonderful match for the pup, quite pretty. Terra smiled at the sight, enjoying Sophie wriggling around in excitement about something she liked. Sophie declared herself wanting to do that, catching Terra slightly off guard. She'd never thought about such things as a pup, more interested in getting the other puppies in trouble and causing mischief than thinking about things she'd do when older. Then again, she hadn't known she'd change and end up on two legs. Perhaps that changed things.
Gently Terra smiled at the puppy. When you do, you'll have to show me your carving. I bet it will be really pretty. In the meantime though, Terra wanted that wolf trinket. Slipping through the crowd that pushed around after the end of the demonstration Terra took the wolf, slipping it so the joined legs let it hang off her necklace. She stepped back, and looked over where a booth of meat was cooking. Want something to eat? Terra walked over, securing a stick for the both of them. Her mouth watered at the tasty treat before delicately pulling it off and swallowing a piece.
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Sophie nodded eagerly in agreement as Terra told her to show her the carving when she did it one day, and the young pup decided the idea must not be so silly, after all. Maybe she would share that one with her brothers, although perhaps not Boothe first. He tended to laugh whenever she talked about the future; she didn't particularly want to be laughed at. She let that thought trail off, her eyes returning to the carving booth, but the wolf was no longer there, causing her to blink and furrow her brows in confusion. Where did it go? She twisted her head to look at Terra, about to ask her, and then she saw it, hanging off one of the older girl's many necklaces. Sophie relaxed, seeing that the little carving was safe, and studied it from up close, her eyes tracing all the minute details. It was really pretty!
Terra questioned if she wanted something to eat, and Sophie's stomach growled loudly in response, causing the little girl to giggle nervously. She was indeed hungry, and when Terra swiped two sticks of meat, she wrapped her entire body around one, gnawing on both the meat and the stick quite happily. She thought nothing of Terra simply taking the things she wanted, as she was too young to know better, though she knew if Boothe had tried something like that--take, for example, on Bug, though why he would want her doll no one knew--she'd have smacked him silly, and possibly torn his ears off. Because Bug was hers, and if people didn't protect what was theirs, well, that was their own fault.
A vague portion of the back of her mind was aware this was wrong, however, and that she should never bring it up with Leon, or Trigger, or Light, because they would tell her it was wrong and she would feel silly and unloved again.
Ripping off a piece of the meat on her stick, she chewed noisily, finding it somewhat difficult to eat without dropping anything while being carried, and looked up at Terra. " 'S good! Real good!"
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Sophie's entire body wrapped around the stick of meat, an amusing sight for Terra. It looked like it would swallow the pup whole as she happily chewed on it, stick and meat bringing equal joy for the small puppy. Terra's own mouth exploded with flavors she'd never had before, with spices added to the meat. It was a shock for her, all kinds of things she'd never tried before. Right and wrong didn't even enter the equation for Terra, seeing nothing wrong with scavenging food. She didn't really understand the concept of trade, so leaving the food out like that meant it was free to take for her.
A piece of the meat was ripped off as Sophie tried to fit the entire thing in her mouth. It was rather comical to look at, the juices running down both of them as they walked around the crowded market. Terra's nose and ears were still prepped for the slightest hint of Boof, though they hadn't come across anything yet. In a less crowded area Terra gently placed Sophie on the ground so they could finish the meal. It was very satisfying, chewing on the meat. Whenever someone got too close Terra growled, giving Sophie a large berth without worry of being stepped on.
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They found a slightly less crowded area of the marketplace, and Sophie was placed on the ground, glad to have Terra there to give her a little space as she dropped her stick and meat and began tearing into it for real. It was such a good side, nice and spiced as Sophie had never had it before, that she completely forgot they were supposed to be looking out for Boothe and Light, her simple, childish mind totally encompassed by tearing apart her ill-gotten meal.
When the stick of meat was gone--at least the meat part--Sophie waddled back a few steps, licking her chops happily. Her entire front, and most of her stomach, were drenched in juices, and some of her fur had clumps of dirt stuck to it from where she'd gone just a little crazy on her meal, but she was quite happy, something easily seen by her distended belly and shining eyes. With a little growl, she attacked the stick left over, and then blinked curiously and looked around at the crowd, chewing on one end of her treat and holding the rest of it between her front paws. "D'you see my Brother?" She asked Terra, and then wrinkled her nose a bit and added a bit more hesitantly, "Or Misser Light? I came with him..." Her eyes looked around as best she could, but she didn't see anything, and finally simply turned back to Terra, her tail wagging and her ears perked. "Hey, s'there anything fun t'do here?" She asked curiously, content for the moment to let her missing caretakers go.
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When Sophie finished the meal she was a mess. Juice ran down her body, as well as clumps of dirt. Terra knew that was a sign of a good time for a puppy, but still pulled her over and began licking the puppy clean. It took some work, since Terra was trying not to push too hard and hurt the pup, unused to cleaning anyone other than herself. Terra even got the ears, sticking the tongue in there and removing all the juices. Satisfied that the pup was clean and no longer sticky Terra licked the juice off her own body and looked around. There was still no sign of Boof, or the mysterious Light person. She didn't even know who that was.
Luckily Sophie's attention quickly returned to what else there was to do at the fair. Terra rubbed behind her ear, thinking. They'd watched carving, and they'd eaten, but this was very much something for adults. She needed to find something for such a small child to do. Standing back up she scooped Sophie into her arms. I saw a place where you can play with fish. They were just minnows kept in an old horse trough, but the game had caught Terra's attention, though she hadn't joined in. Maybe Sophie would like it. She moved through the crowd to the small booth and passed over a necklace. The merchant lead them over to a section and brought over a trough that water and fish were in. Go ahead, grab them.
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"Hnngh!" Sophie was a bit startled as Terra picked her up and began cleaning her, something no one had ever done before--not counting, perhaps, the baths Mother had given her that she couldn't remember. She couldn't help but squirm a bit, flailing her legs about and whining in protest, though the unwanted cleaning was soon over and Terra turned her attention to her own messy fur. Sophie whined some more, and rubbed her paws against her ears, attempting to clean them out herself--or dirty them up again; she wasn't quite sure which. She didn't go as far as her brother might have, though, in that she didn't decide to undo everything Terra had just cleaned by rolling around in the dirt, fearing she might get another bath if she did.
Sophie perked up as Terra mentioned a place you could play with fish, and allowed herself to be scooped up and taken there, her eyes soon catching site of the tiny silver things playing about in the water. She started squirming again, and when the trough was brought over, took a nose-dive into the water, seeing as she couldn't stand at the side and attempt to catch them from the ground--she was too small. She didn't want to play from Terra's arms, either, and so swimming with the fish, so to speak, was the best solution. She splashed eagerly among the little fish, snapping at them but always managing to miss--she didn't really want to catch them, anyway. They were pretty fast, though, and while she was big enough to wade in the water--in a way; her feet reached the bottom with her head still above the waves if she lifted it, at least--she couldn't actually swim. Her giggles and eager splashing more than made up for that, though, and it was clear the young girl was having quite a bit of fun.
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Keeping a grip on the squirming puppy was difficult as the trough was set up. Soon as it was ready Sophie worked her way free, diving head first into the water. Terra leaned over, anxious that she hadn't been hurt. Sophie was fine though, splashing around and chasing after the fish. Her little body paddled around happily, the fish always just out of reach of the pup's jaws. Terra was hit by the tiny splashes, soon looking like she'd rolled in the water herself. Laughing Terra scooped her hand in, chasing some of the fish herself before pulling out and letting Sophie have all the fun.
A male went by, examining Terra. There was a silent appreciation there, causing Terra to giggle and wink at him. Encouraged he moved closer, only to spot Sophie floundering around. He looked a bit flustered at that, and went to move away. Terra was too quick though, snaring his fabric. I'm just pup sitting. Sit. Her reluctant prey sat down, and Terra nuzzled into him happily as Sophie moved around. It became background noise to the heated female as the confused hybrid sat, uncertain of what to do.
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Sophie didn't notice her friend's company at first, chasing little silver fish and clacking her jaws happily, but at the giggling and strange noises coming from their direction, she turned her head and saw what had to be the grossest thing on the planet. Why was Terra being all cuddly with that boy? Boys were icky! You were only supposed to do that with family, weren't you? And he didn't look like family. Huffing slightly in irritation, Sophie went back to her game, laying her ears flat to try and ignore the disturbing noises made while they nuzzled each other. She couldn't help but be a little annoyed; Terra was supposed to be having fun with her, after all, and instead she'd gone and found some stranger to play with. It wasn't fair.
No longer quite as interested in playing with the fish as she'd been a few minutes before, Sophie stole another glance at the two and furrowed her brow in confusion. She had no idea what was going on over there, but it was strange enough that she didn't want to be around it anymore. It made her uncomfortable, and had it been Leon, she'd have whined at him to get his attention; but Terra wasn't family, and she could play with anyone she wanted. Sophie just didn't want to play with them. Scrabbling at the side of the trough a bit until she managed to get a good grip, she heaved herself out and then tumbled to the ground, rolling for a moment in the soft grass before she regained her footing. She shook herself off, and then glanced back at Terra, laying her ears back a bit and wrinkling her nose before she began wandering off, shaking her feet out as she went. She'd just find her brother or Light on her own; if she yelled really loudly, as she hadn't before, people wouldn't step on her. Right?
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out of character text
Terra had been enjoying herself quite thoroughly, teasing her new friend and cuddling up to him. His response was low soft growls and answering nuzzles, leaving Terra tingling all over. She couldn't be happier if she tried at that moment. Well, yes she could. What she was feeling wasn't exactly happiness, but something else Terra didn't have the words for, and she knew she hadn't hit the limits of it yet, still needing so much for. Scrambling noises caught her attention though, and turning Terra spotted Sophie walking away. Sharply she stood back up, barking at the small pup. Her companion tugged on her, wanting her to return, but Terra spun around, ears flat as she growled at him. No more.
The confused male watched as she chased after Sophie. Terra was frantic with worry, her whines keeping strangers clear of the pair. At last she caught up, scooping Sophie into her arms. Terra was a little angry at the puppy now, though her emotions were still a mess. Worriedly she licked Sophie before holding her up. Why did you leave? I promised to take care of you, to help you find Boof and Mister Light. Her eyes showed the hurt, as well as a bit of anger at having to leave her new game to chase after the wandering puppy.
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Word Count → 289 :: Out of Character text.
Sophie didn't get very far, as Terra soon noticed she was gone and scooped her up again. Sophie struggled a bit, suddenly not liking being man-handled so much, but at the question she pressed her ears flat and wrinkled her nose, looking away from her friend. "You were playin' with him. I don't wanna play with him, so I left." She grumbled, and then struggled a bit more, glancing at Terra in a hurt manner. "Didn't wanna make you stop. Not family or nothin'." She added with a little sniff, and looked away again.
Terra looked hurt, and angry, and Sophie didn't want to look at her while she was being stared at with that look. She didn't like it; and she didn't want to be held, either, so she struggled a bit more and finally managed to wriggle her way out of Terra's arms, tumbling a bit as she hit the floor and bumping her chin hard enough to rattle her brain. Still, she felt some measure of independence now. After all, she was nearly three months old! She was just small, so, so small, that she didn't nearly look her age. Standing her beside Boothe now was rather comical, actually, if it weren't also so sad.
She shook herself a bit, rubbing her chin, and then looked up and blinked at Terra, her ears doing an odd dance atop her head as though unsure what to do with themselves. She didn't really know that, either. "You di'n't have to come af'er me. I can find Boothe and Misser Light." She offered, because though she was angry at feeling pushed aside for some boy, she also felt bad for dragging Terra away from her game, after all.
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ooh, a whole three months! lol you can bring light in now
Sophie was not happy to be caught at all. She turned away from Terra, pouting. Terra was very confused about this, still very young and not ready for pups of her own, even if her body was. Caring for puppies was an instinct pressed into her, but the actual complexities of it escaped her. Terra could feed a puppy, keep it warm and safe from harm, but keeping it happy and entertained was much more difficult. Now she was faced with that very trouble, Sophie extremely displeased with her and working her way out of her arms. Terra was worried that she'd been injured, but Sophie seemed well enough.
Terra sighed and sat down on the ground. She hadn't realized that she'd hurt the pup's feelings playing with the male she'd found. It had been complete instinct driving her forward, mindless actions without thought. That wasn't good at all. Normally her instincts were something for Terra to trust, but now she wasn't so sure. This was something new, that Terra didn't really understand. She reached over to pet Sophie. Sorry about that. Guess I was a little distracted. You can still tell me though, okay? Even if we're not family. Straightening up Terra surveyed the crowd. Besides, I promised. You keep your promises, Sophie. Terra sniffed the air, catching the scent of Boothe, as she know understood.
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Word Count → 492 :: Lol yeeaah Sophie's a big girl now! xD And I'm just gonna bring Boothe in, I don't wanna bug Micki. 
Sophie just shrugged as Terra apologized, still not entirely comfortable with her promise. Even if she said it was okay, Sophie knew it wasn't; the lesson had been pounded into her head too many times for her not to feel uncomfortable with its reversal. When people did things you didn't like, you ignored it, or walked away and left them to do the things they were doing by themselves; you didn't ask them to change, or stop. It wasn't her place. Still, she managed a weak smile toward Terra, and then pressed her ears down as Terra pet her gently.
Her friend began glancing around the crowd, and Sophie did, too, her ears swiveling hesitantly atop her head. A moment later, a large--at least, larger than her--form slammed into her, causing the tiny girl to yelp and tumble head over heels, quite literally, until she landed with her twin atop her. Boothe, for his part, looked both worried and angry, and his ears were pressed back against his head, his brows brought down and his face set in a snarl. "Where you been?!" He demanded, and Sophie pressed her ears back guiltily, staring up at her older brother with wide eyes.
"I got lost! I been lookin' for you guys..." She added, her tail curling up between her legs as she attempted to look even smaller than she was. Boothe growled and bent to snuff at her fur, looking just about as displeased as he usually did, although that wasn't really all that surprising. "Light went to get Leon. You're in trouble." He informed her matter-of-factly, and Sophie whined, glancing at Terra helplessly before shoving her front paws a bit at her brother.
"Lemme up! I don't want Leon to find out I got lost..." They had to go catch Mister Light before he found their brother, or left the festival without them; if Leon discovered Sophie had gotten lost, he might not let her come back, and she wanted to. The festival was a lot of fun, and they hadn't even gotten to do everything yet! Boothe seemed to agree with her on that front, and stepped off her, careful not to squish her too badly as he removed his back paws from her gut. "C'mon, then. I took off around the artsy tent wit' all the paintings and stuff, he might be hangin' round there lookin' for me."
Sophie got to her feet, shaking herself off, and then both puppies looked at Terra, Sophie somewhat shyly and Boothe with a sort of, "oh, we had an audience," look on his face. Sophie scraped her foot along the ground, and then glanced toward the male they'd left behind shyly before smiling at Terra. "I s'pose we're gonna go find Misser Light now." She glanced at her brother, and he nodded firmly, nudging her playfully with his shoulder. "I don't get lost." He added with a little sniff.
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just archive now, eh?
Sophie smiled at her gently, boosting her feelings a little. She wouldn't let the puppy down. Not even as a larger puppy came racing forwards, slamming into her. Terra was surprised to see that it was Boothe. He practically dwarfed his tiny sister, gently bullying her. Terra's tail wagged in delight as they argued, telling Sophie about the trouble they would get in. Terra watched them stand to go, and smiled gently. It's alright. Enjoy your time at the festival. And be more careful this time! She ruffled both the pups' heads before stepping back, watching them scurry off. Humming slightly Terra turned. Hello, handsome. Smiling she walked over, hips swaying as she approached the poor struck male.
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