Gosh this has been such a long time coming and I’m so excited to be able to finally share this with you all. As plenty of you know Layla is one of my most cherished characters and I just love getting stuff commissioned for her whenever I can get the chance to. I absolutely love seeing all the different styles people have made her in and it’s always a joy to see her come to life through other peoples art. But at the same time, while I love the original version I adopted from Ifus nearly two years ago now, I always felt slightly awkward whenever I wanted to commission something where she was in a more anthro form, especially since I would have to use other art pieces as reference material for those works which wasn’t great at times, especially without a color chart for those that need. Because of this, I have been thinking of getting Layla a whole new reference page for quite some time as a result, but I just wanted to be sure I found the right artist who could do her justice. Thankfully after my work with Sushiroll on Gwen’s reference page a little while back I know right away that she’d be simply perfect for the job! And boy she absolutely nailed everything I could have wanted for this reference! Layla’s fur looks absolutely stellar and her anthro look matches her so perfectly! I was so nervous going into this reference project as I wanted to make sure she looked absolutely right, and I can’t thank Sushi enough for how incredible she was to work with, taking every input I had in stride while also adding her own wonderful flurrish. When we were finally finished I was so over the moon with excitement and now I’m so happy to be able to share her new look with all of you. I hope you all enjoy^^

Now for her story, just as a warning to any normies that may see this there is some stuff involving my normal fetish interest in the last paragraph so if you wish to ignore this feel free to skip that part.

Born in the city of Renaul, Layla’s folks would have no idea how much their new arrival would test their burgeoning skills in parental care-taking. Rambunctious, outgoing, outspoken, and carrying a great interest in exploration, there wasn’t a crevice the young kitten could not find nor a bug or animal she did not find interest in. She was a handful in every sense of the word, with far too much energy that many would consider normal even for one so young, which made trying to corral her all but impossible. This especially became true once Layla was able to start walking outside on her own, which quickly turned into a routine of the young cat disappearing for hours at a time only to return smiling, covered in dirt, and maybe a bruise or two. Initially this was greatly concerning for her folks who tried to keep a tighter eye on her, but they would find that Layla’s love of the outdoors simply too great for them to keep her cooped up inside the house. Thankfully the young kitten was well into school at that point so her parents were able to catch a break somewhat, but eventually they came to realize their daughter could maybe use some extracurriculars to help keep her engaged, and so decided to enroll her into a youth activity club for sports, art, sightseeing and more. This would be where Layla would first meet her best friend Gwen’s, the two becoming inseparable even though they went to different schools, finding time to play, craft, and learn as much as they could together given Gwen’s impressive book collection. They did everything together and the program was great for helping the two find their mutual interest, with dancing being a big favorite of theirs until they discovered fire dancing later down the line, meeting their favorite big derg dance partner T’moria along the way.

These youth groups would also be where Layla got her first experience with photography, as one of the group counselors would be in charge of taking pictures for parents to enjoy of their youngsters. Layla soon asked if she’d be able to take a look at the camera, the counselor guiding her on how it worked and what the different settings could be used for. She was enamored by the device, using it to take all sorts of goofy pics whenever she could get her hands on it. It wouldn’t be until the group took a nature hike that the counselor would tell Layla’s parents about her interest, learning over time that the kitty seemed to have a natural talent as a photographer. Layla was about 13 at this time and had been begging for her folks to get her a camera of her own, and after learning a bit more from the counselor the two decided to surprise the kit on her 14th birthday with her very first digital camera. It was love at first sight for Layla, the new teen trying to find every chance she could to use it to capture the moments of her day. This camera became her personal treasure, accompanying her everywhere she went and would not leave her side, especially when she had a chance to go on nature hikes with her folks and really test her skills. It was around this time she would also be entering high school, with the school's photography club becoming a must for her to attend and learn as much as she could as she prepared to attend Renaul University’s prestigious photography program.

It wouldn’t be long after Layla graduated that she would find herself work in her field, her college work being strong enough to be hired on as an assistant at Emblem Digital, which focused itself on modeling and advertisement but also did great work in areas like nature photography and niche pop culture (for all your cosplay lovers out there). Most of Layla’s early work wouldn’t be behind the camera but instead be behind the scenes, learning everything there was to know about lighting instruments, camera makeup, “stage” management and direction, along with a host of other skills. True to her curious nature Layla managed to pick up on all these pretty quickly, eventually becoming the studio ‘every-women’, able to fill in on every role that was needed in a pinch and soon becoming one of the studio’s rising stars. She even featured as a model herself once or twice when a scheduling conflict arrived. She loves her job to a great degree, always willing to lend a hand in any way she can. Learning as much as she has though has started to bud a dream of her own, to be able to one day open up her own photography studio where she would be able to fund her own projects and cover topics and scenes that she took the most interest in. For now though her current position is doing her quite nicely, and she knows she still has a lot more to learn before she’s ready to take that next step towards her dream.

Just because Layla’s all grown up now doesn’t mean she’s lost any of that rambunctious energy of hers, though she may have found some better uses for it in her abundant free-time. Late night clubs, beach day sun, fancy parties and ruckus bars, there are few things better for the starry blue cat than spending some time with her friends where there is plenty of music, people, food, and drinks for all who wish to partake. Such big gatherings simply seem to have a life of their own to them that Layla just can’t help but be sucked into, to feel their flow and rhythm and enjoy the rush of energy such crowds bring her. These types of scenes also mean she gets the joy of meeting all sorts of different people any time she goes, learning all about who they are and where they may have traveled as her new friends share stories back and forth. This also means you could not find a much better tour guide for Renaul city, as Layla has through her still young years learned nearly every bar or club or beach and entertainment hub there is to see and would be more than happy to give new arriving friends the tour the second they so much as ask. This offer also extends to the surrounding wilderness too, for as much as Layla may feel right at home with the noise and crowds of a city's nightlife, that doesn’t mean she’s lost any love she’s felt for the great outdoors. Normally once a month she tries to make time for a nature hike, to get away from the noise and center her mind to the things that matter most. That’s what the outdoors has always been for Layla, a quiet retreat, a place to rest, and be able to lay in the grass till dusk arrives and dazzling stars emerge soon after. These moments peace are always fleeting though, and before you know it this starry blue cat will be pulling a friends hand to come with her to the newest club, with her best attire ready to dazzle and her glossy fur as pristine as can be for the two to dance and drink the night away.

Of Course, all that energy spent on late night dances can produce quite the appetite for a party kitty like Layla, and just because the two people might walk through the door together doesn’t exactly mean they’ll be “walking out” together when they leave. That’s right, this blue beauty can hecking eat you if you happen to be someone that finds themselves on the bottom of the food chain regularly. She wouldn’t call herself a top pred by any stretch, and lord knows she has found herself on the other side of a gulping far more than she can count, but for Layla the act of eating someone is a pleasant treat that she enjoys every aspect of: from the subtle courting and teasing when she first finds one that peaks her taste buds, to the tasting and gulping that comes after getting that special someone right where she wants them, to the exquisite bliss that washes over her when she feels the shifting motions of her prey within her enlarge belly as it slowly works to make her gurgling guest feel right at home. While she may have a good grasp on the game of pred and prey however, as said before that doesn’t stop her from finding herself on the inside of someone’s else’s tummy just as much as she would likely have someone inside her own, as for Layla the tight confines of a warm belly can be just as sweet a way to end her night as any other. For Layla it is all about the game and who can play it better, who can make the other desire it more, find the right buttons that just make them want to crawl down your throat right that moment and not a second later. This also means that turnabout is fair play, and with how much Layla has been around there are just those preds out there that know exactly what buttons to play with, what sweet words to say that will simply have the starry kitten diving down their gullet; this is especially true when she has had a few drinks and becomes a giggly mess, though that only happens on a few occasions as she can hold her liquor pretty well for the most part. This preference she has for the “game” doesn’t mean that she is beyond eating someone after only saying hi, as everyone needs a quick snack every now and then especially when a cutie you just met starts giving you massive cravings, but she doesn’t want to be to rude to her chosen prey and she’s not the strongest predator out there either. In contrast, there are quite a few predators in the Renaul area that could easily snap up Layla without a second thought, even with such a case being quite rare for the kit. Everyone may reform after a short stay in another's belly or waistline but that doesn’t mean that prey didn’t have things to do that day, and if folks kept getting snapped up on your way to work how would anything in society function. Better to keep the vorish shenanigans to the after-parties then, that’s where Layla is in her element anyway so it helps give her an advantage~.