Soifon

For as long as Soifon could remember, she wanted to have a feline dæmon, just like Yoruichi-sama. The Shihoin heiress who was good and brave and strong and who never ever treated Soifon any differently than anyone else, even though Etana was female. Whenever Yoruichi was training Soifon, Etana would follow Ryo and try to mimic his form.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, Soifon's dæmon could not seem to get it right. All of her feline forms were cute and fluffy, not sleek and inconspicuous, and they didn't feel right. Soifon would never forgive her if she settled as some ridiculous puffy kitten.

Then Yoruichi-sama and Ryo left.

Soifon cried, ranted, and screamed in betrayal while Etana keened in pain and mourning. They didn't understand; what had they done wrong? Why were they left behind?

Two days later, still shaken by her mentor's betrayal, Soifon found herself deployed to deal with a problem in the Maggot's Nest. Upon seeing a petite girl and her tiny kitten dæmon, the prisoners laughed and attacked. To everyone's surprise, including Soifon's, it was Etana that stepped forward, lunging at the leader's Doberman dæmon. At the last second, she shifted.

The startled dog found himself wrapped in seemingly endless black and red coils, sharp fangs buried in the thick skin of his neck. The dæmon almost immediately collapsed, shaking horribly, followed quickly by his human.

Soifon watched in shock as her companion hissed, baring poisonous fangs and curling at her person's feet in a long black coil of muscle almost two meters long. She looked far more intimidating as a snake than she'd ever looked as a cat. In this form, she was powerful; sleek and strong, but capable of being quiet and sneaky too.

"We aren't like them." Etana looked up at her person, trying to make her understand. "We aren't. We can be better."

After a long moment, Soifon began to smile.

Soifon's Dæmon
Species: Red-Bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus)
Name: Etana (Dedication/Strength)

Yoruichi's Dæmon
Species: Black Domestic Cat (Felis catus)
Name: Ryo (Exceed/Survive/Excel)