[PRP] Dancing to a Tune that Can't be Heard (Aapep and Mawi)

[Kimaria]

He walked, but he didn't walk as a normal lion might walk. He moved with a bounce in his step, extending his legs as far as they would go and bouncing on his toes. The action rocked him from side, almost as if he were swaying to some silent beat.

Almost as if he danced.

But he didn't know what dancing was. He was just...playing. Trying to keep himself amused. And, if one watched closer they could see that he was moving oddly because he was trying to step only on the stones along the pathway.

Stones good.

Dirt bad.

And then he lost his footing and stumbled, rolling sideways in the dirt and sneezing as dust got up his nose. He shook his head, then laughed merrily, seemingly unhurt by his little stumble. However, now that he wasn't moving however, the smile faded a little.

What could he do now?  

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi Mai was crouched low to the ground. Most likly hard to see, you'd have to look very close to notice her. Why she was doing this? She was praticing being a little more calm, who knows when it would come in handy? Plus she was being a tiny bit lazy, that was good now and then right?

You might have been able to see her red and black markings. Maybe her eyes too, but you would have to look close. She yawned then something caught her eye. A boy, he wasn't from the group, and she was sure she had never seen him around before... He was dacning though, but at the same time it looked very awkward.

She began flopping her tail on the ground as she pushed herself up to sit she noticed the cub fell. She stood up ajusting her drum strap and wandered over. "You ok?" She asked making sure that he wasn't dead.  

[Kimaria]

The boy looked up, surprised. He hadn't expected another creature to be out here, especially a little lion like her! Well...actually...she wasn't as small as him, which he realised when he stood up.

This one was certainly older than him.

"Yep, yep, yep. I'm fine. See, all okay!" He shook himself vigorously and sent dust clouds up into the air. He blinked. "Hey, what are you trying to do there? Strangle yourself?" He waved a paw at the drum hanging around her neck. "Are you like...one of those slaves people keep talking about? Is it as bad as they make it sound or is it quite fun? I mean...you look happy enough."

He blew the little tuft of mane out of his eyes and gave her a roguish grin. It was clear he wasn't from around here. He was a little less plump than most pride-born cubs and had a rough-and-tumble demeanour about him.

"Want help to escape? I could...." He looked away, put on an act of looking thoughtful. "...try and organise something if you wanted."  

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi Mai giggled as the cub jumpped up. "Good." She laughed sitting down looking at the striped cub. She arched a brow at him, kinda like one of those 'is this kid serious.' things.

She then sat back on her haunces listioning to him talk then she burst out laughing, falling over but at the same time making sure she did not land on her drum. "No silly!" She laughed and pushed her self back up, that was a good story to tell her sister.

"This is a drum, you make music with it." She then picked one of her paws off of the dirt. "This is a shaker." She smiled.  

[Kimaria]

He bounced back as she burst into laughter, looking confused and...perhaps frightened for the briefest second. Then the grin returned and he flicked his little mane upwards with a sharp tilt of his head.

"Music?" He lowered himself and crept forwards, almost as if he were stalking the odd instruments hanging from her being. "Why do you want music? You're not a bird!" He laughed at his own 'joke' and curled his tail thoughtfully.

Then, bouncing on his toes he leapt up onto a small rock, balancing on it expertly, his tail stretched out behind him. "And doesn't it slow you down? All that...music." He waved a paw at the drum. "What if you get attacked by a speedy rogue? Ya'll knock 'em on the head with that?" He sniffed at it curiously. "It doesn't seem safe to me."  

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi Mai's brow just seemed to arch futher, was this cub serious, he was dancing so good but he did not know that the music was life, well atleast for this pride.

"These are the Nchi'mahadhi Lands, everything in life has a rythem, uncluding us lions." She leaned down so she was eye level to him. "You dance so good." She said with a laugh.

"No it doesn't slow me down." She shook her head. "Music can't slow anyone down. I llove music." She then felt really defensive. "NO!" She growled to his question about hitting some one in the head with her drum, she pulled it away from him. "I spent a nice amount of time on this drum, its part of me."  

[Kimaria]

"Nchi'mahadhi? What is that, a pride? Wow...I probably shouldn't be here. Mother told me not to go wandering into anyone's territory." But his concern was lost as she continued to speak.

"Dance?" He tipped his head to the side and blinked his red-brown eyes curiously at her. "I don't dance. When did I dance?" He looked down at his paws as if expecting to find them doing something out of the ordinary.

They weren't.

Lifting his eyes up to look at her, he grinned, trying his best to get to grips with this conversation he was having.

Both ears lifted forwards and he flinched again at the sharpness of that one word. Whoops, apparently he'd said something wrong. He watched as she tugged the drum towards herself protectively and dipped his ears. "You made that?" Well he supposed it had come form somewhere. Instruments didn't tend to fall out of the trees like apples.

"Sorry. Don't worry, I won't go hitting anyone with it." He lay down and tucked his paws against his chest as if to prove his words. "Oh, I'm Aapep by the way. Do you have a name, drummer girl?" He grinned again, that same mischevious, somewhat charming grin that seemed to be a characteristic expression for him.  

[Yin-Bug]

"Yes it is a pride ." She nodded, god she was hoping a mother wouldn't come out of no where and maul her for taking her son. She looked at the cub for a moment before laughing.

"Yes you were dancing, just now before you fell." She pawed at the cub and laughed. This cub was clueless. How did he not know he was danceing?

She smiled as she looked down at the drum. "Yes I made it. My mother is incharge of everyone making drum's she has the second hightest rank in the pride." With that said she puffed out her chest.

"My name is Mawi Mai Aapep, but you can call me Mawi or Mai."  

[Kimaria]

"Ah well, you don't seem the type to put your claws in my face for being here. It was an accident and all." Though he probably should have noticed the signs. Ah well, he was still growing up and apparently had a lot to learn.

"Dancing before I..." Oh yes. The rock game. He glanced back the way he came as if expecting to see an image of himself performing the act. But all he saw was dust and stones and grass. "Oh, well, I dance so much I hardly notice it!" He replied, attempting to dodge her paw and failing.

And then his eyes fell to the drum.

"What does that make you then? Like a princess or somethin'?" He grinned. "The drum princess!" He bounced. "I suppose I couldn't get myself a drum like that, could I Mai?" He waved a paw at the instrument.  

[Yin-Bug]

"Don't worry I won't, plus we are all very friendly here, I'm pretty sure Nsundu won't be worried that a cub is in her lands." Her voice trailed and she looked down and muttered somthing like, 'I hope.'

Then at his next question she blushed. "Me a princess! No, no, no." She shook her head. "No, my mom is second in comand so to speak but I'm not really that high in rank, there is a princess though, I think my sister met her." Her voice trailed again and she slipped the drum off and sat down sitting the drum between her front legs. "You could make a drum I don't know you might have to be part of the pride." And with that she started beating on the drum.  

[Kimaria]

He nodded. "'sides, I don't cause no trouble. Well, not much anyways." He grinned. "Though mother might disagree sometimes." He laughed. He was always getting himself into trouble, harmless mischief of course, but trouble none-the-less. Yes, if he had been born a pride cat he'd be the type always getting scolded for sticking his nose where it didn't belong...

Eavesdropping, exploring in other lions' dens, churning mud in the waterhole, pouncing birds or making a racket when others were trying to sleep...

Yes, his poor mother had to put up with a lot, but then he had been born an only child and he loved attention!

"Well...that's like halfway to being a princess, ain't it?" He found an itch behind his ear and worked at it with a hind paw. The scratch sent him rolling over, his eyes sparkling sheepishly at his clumsiness.

"Prides get all the fun!" He whined. "No fair. Mother probably wouldn't want to join and I couldn't join without her so...I guess I'll have to make do with dancing."

He fell silent as Mawi Mai started to beat on the drum. He felt the sound vibrate through the ground and thump gently against his own chest. But not just against his chest. He felt it inside his chest, against his heart. And without even realising his paws started to tap against the ground and his tail started to twitch from side to side with her rhythm.

He opened his mouth to speak, but worried he'd ruin the soun, he clamped his jaw shut, closed his eyes and swayed with the beat of Mai's playing, joy clearly evident on his little, striped face.
 

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi Mai stopped beating on her drums, she looked up at him for a moment, he seemed like he was stunded silent. She looked up and had a wide grin on her face. "What do you think of that?" She was pretty sure she saw his tail moving but she wasn't sure.

Most of the time lions danced when she played unless they were rouges then she was pretty used to them just sitting and pretty much gawking at her.  

[Kimaria]

He gave a small, dissapointed squeak when she stopped beating on the drum, bringing both ears forwards to focus on her. His eyes were bright and his tail, that had been swaying, now fell still against the ground, reluctantly it seemed.

"Amazing!" The word was blurted from his mouth and suddenly he was up on his paws again. "That was amazing Mai!" He was bouncing now, seemingly with hyperactive energy. "It...it hit me right here." He pressed a paw to his chest, over his heart. "I've never heard anything like it in my life! It made me want to...to...move around and...well...I dunno!" He laughed merrily.

"Can you play more?" He readied himself, leaning towards her, poised to listen.  

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi Mai smiled. "Thats good, everyone in this pride hears it," She placed a paw in the same place but on her chest. "There, and thats good." She smiled.

"Sure." She grinned and started beating on her drum again. "This time move to it, dance!" She enouraged with a bright grin. Her tail flicked, making a rattling sound due to her shakers, behind her and she smiled as her paws his the drum.  

[Kimaria]

One ear turned towards her and then another. He nodded, closed his eyes and listened. Again he felt it, trembling up his legs, filling his chest with a rhythm that seemed to drive his soul.

He drew in a deep breath, held it and then as if he'd made a connection to himself, he found the beat and let it drive him.

And his paws led him into the beat, tapping a gentle but matching rhythm on the ground as he went. He danced in a circle, beating out the sound with his paws as if using the world as his own drum. Then the thump of his own paws strengthened, made sound as he moved. His tail waved in time, he span, and suddenly he felt alive.

His eyes flared open, the roguish smirk spread it's way across his face and suddenly, for the first time, he focused his energy into something that could be considered wonderful. True, his steps were not always so clean but he was young and he could learn. For now he possessed raw desire to dance. Only time would let him hone it into a master skill.

He lowered his head, arched his back, quickened his steps and then did a half arch, sliding sideways and pausing to catch his breath. His whiskers flinched as he panted, exhausted and yet eager to continue.

He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words to express what had awakened inside him.