[PRP] I Shall Call You Teacher (Jiza and Aapep)

[Kimaria]

The striped boy was there, as promised, rolling on his back in the dust. Laughter rang free from his lungs as he brought up clouds around him, whisking his tail upwards and waving his paws frantically in the air.

He had a scratch - though he hoped it wasn't a flea - and was desperately trying to free himself of it's irritating burden.

Then the dust clouds whirled up his nostrils and he paused to give a huge sneeze, rolling onto his belly and scrunching up his little face. His nose was wrinkled up, trying to hold another sneeze - but failed.

Aaa-chooo!

He wiped the back of a paw across his snout and turned away from the dusty patch he'd left behind, spying a bright red butterfly perched delicately on a twig. It fluttered its wings rhythmically, almost as if it were dancing and he watched it curiously for a moment, his tail automatically moving to the beat of its beautiful wings.

And then he knocked it with a paw and watched it twirl erratically up, his eyes following it until the glare of the sun forced him to look away.

Yes...Aapep was not one for sitting still.  

[MoonRazor]

Ever since she had been little, she had realized that there were mornings when she would wake up, and she could just feel that the day would go smoothly. Usually, those feelings came when she knew there was something special she was doing that day. Like teaching a talented little cub to dance.

Or rather, helping him discover dance further. Like she had told him, he already knew how to dance. All she was doing was helping to delve further into the world of rhythms and funk and jiggling all about the place.

A little sneeze told her that, as they had agreed, little Aapep was already there. Up bright and early and waiting for her. How eager he was. She never remembered Ronan ever being quite so excited about a music lesson. Indeed, he had always shown a little less interest than most when it came to music. But then, she could hardly complain about her youngest son. Or any of them, for that matter.

"Good morning, Aapep," She greeted the cub brightly once she had got within earshot of him. He had so much energy to spend that she was sure he would be able to channel it into dancing.

There was that about dancing that she loved. Really getting into the rhythm and simply letting the flow carry her away. Enthusiasm, that was key to getting your dance on, and Aapep was definitely not short of that.  

[Kimaria]

He was eager. Maybe a little too eager. But either way, whilst he was here his mother was finally getting some well deserved rest. He was a little bundle of hyperactive energy, currently desperate to focus it into something productive. Something beautiful. And hopefully, if Jiza could put up with his overwhelming energetic personality, she could help him achieve.

At the sound of Jiza’s voice, Aapep’s eyes snapped up to attention.

“G’morning!” He chirped, wiggling forwards with anticipation. “You came!” He came to a halt a few steps away, peering up at her curiously. “I found Mawi in the end. Told her all about meeting you. She was happy.” He twirled his tail and puffed out his chest. “I said I’d dance for her when I got better.” He giggled.

“Hopefully I’ll get better before I have to leave, though.” He shook his head, scattering the thoughts. If he didn’t think about it, it wouldn’t happen, right? No point jinxing himself with negative thoughts.

“But never mind about that, I gots myself a teacher now.” He beamed. “I can call you my teacher, right?”  

[MoonRazor]

Jiza grinned. His perpetual joy was so infectious that she couldn't help but feel happier in the little cub's presence. Positivity. What a great way to live life in. Sometimes at night, her thoughts would turn to a bitter, angry leopardess she had met out in the rogue lands. She had been paranoid about everything and everyone, and it had always made Jiza wonder. What was it like to live thinking every single creature was out to get you?

"I'll bet she was," The green lioness said, lowering her head so she could slide the drum she had brought with her onto the ground. It was an irregularly shaped one, with a strange nob at one side, but that was what had drawn her to it in the first place. Irregularity was something that would always catch Jiza's eye.

"You'll get better in no time," She reassured the cub. "You have a lot of potential." And he did. But there was also a part of the potential that Jiza had mentioned that consisted of how eager he was to learn. That, too, would put him at an advantage. It was always easier to learn something enjoyable than something that wasn't.

The lioness curled the neck strap of the drum around its base, keeping it out of the way, then nodded at Aapep's question. "Of course you can," She said with a grin. "Now, do you want to show me what you already know how to do? Or should we just hop right into teaching?"  

[Kimaria]

Aapep smiled, puffing out his little chest and lifting his head higher. Compliments were wonderful to hear, especially when he was being complimented on something he loved doing. Potential. He had potential!

"I hope you're right, Jiza."

His eyes lowered to the drum that she had placed in front of her, noticing that it was indeed odd-shaped. But a drum was a drum and he found himself suddenly eager to hear it's beat. He craved the sound, the sound of rhythm. You could almost say he'd become obsessed with it. All he knew was that it was unlike any other sound he had ever heard.

He took a step back and suddenly felt nervous, shy almost. He'd never felt like this before, but then again it was different dancing in front of a teacher than dancing by yourself. He tried to clear his mind and closed his eyes, cutting out the world. If he couldn't see her watching then maybe he'd forget she was there.

"Hm, I think I should dance first, then you can tell me how to improve, right?" He opened one eye and peered at her.  

[MoonRazor]

Jiza rapped on the drum lightly with a paw to test its sound. This one made a slightly different sound from her drum, the one she had left in the den. She had found this strangely shaped one lying out and, having decided whoever had left it there wasn't going to miss it for the short time she would need it, borrowed it for her lesson with Aapep.

The drum twanged slightly against the tap. It had a rather nice hollow sound which tended to resonate within itself before fading, and it was a higher pitch than usual. The green lioness nodded her approval of the sound, and set it aside for the moment.

She nodded her head. "That would work well," She said as she sat down. Here was a little lion who seemed to her to have the potential to be made into a very talented dancer indeed. Though it might seem to an inexperienced eye that all dancers could dance well, Jiza knew what separated the good dancers from the excellent ones. It was a certain attitude. Sometimes they weren't naturally the most talented, but when they weren't, they worked hard and fought their way to the top.

It was those that really loved the dance that made it all the way up there. And it certainly helped to love it and have talent all at once.  

[Kimaria]

He gathered himself, closed his eyes to focus and then tried to find the little spark that drove him to dance. The rocks. The rocky ground beneath his paws had always helped him before, it was what had started his whole little 'jig in the first place.

So, opening his eyes again he swept a paw across the ground, stirring dust but revealing rocks beneath. They were scattered somewhat randomly on the floor but close enough that it'd make dancing easier. The one thing he did like about dancing on rocks was the little tapping his claws made when he stepped on them. It was a different beat from the drum - it was softer and didn't quite resonate in his chest - but it made him feel as if he was creating music with each step that he took.

You could probably call it a lion form of tap-dancing.

"Okay, here goes." And this was where being smaller helped. He was skinny - being a rogue cub - with long gangly legs. One day these legs would become more like dancer's legs with toned muscle, but until then he had to make do with what he had been born with.

Being slender meant faster movement, quicker steps, and as he moved his feet the rocks did indeed tap gently beneath his claws. His quicksteps brought him forward and glancing down he spotted a path to the side which he took, revolving so he had his back to her. His shoulders rolled as he tapped his front feet and then again he was turning to face his teacher, sweeping up his tail as his hind quarters arched behind him.

And then he stopped, pausing for breath, glancing up at her. Not having the luxury of a mirror, Aapep had no idea what he looked like when doing his regular jig, let alone a sped up and more intricate one. It would be interesting too, to hear Jiza's interpreation of his little tapdancing show and whether it was worth building on.  

[MoonRazor]

The concept of dancing on rocks was rather new to Jiza. She had always danced to the music she heard around her, or the music made by the drums in a drum circle. She had never danced to music that was made with the dance.

That was what you got when you grew out of cubhood, she decided. Imagination. Everyone had it, but none so strong as a cub. They seemed to come up with things that nobody else would ever have considered thinking of, but that seemed to make so much sense. It was some sort of intuition they had that she could not explain for the life of her. An intuition which, unfortunately, most tended to grow out of with age. It was a shame, that.

She watched as Aapep danced about on the rocks, which tapped lightly together with every step. He had the build of a natural dancer, and grace to go with it. If he stuck with it, he would be something great some day. She was sure of that. He seemed to fall wholly into his dance, completely absorbed, and the speed at which he was dancing made it all fall together wonderfully.

"That was great," She beamed when he stopped. "The rocks and the speed make it fit together all very well. If you took the time to develop it, I'm sure it would become a well recognized dance style. Mainly, I could tell that you aren't completely used to dancing at this pace, but that's okay. Once you practice more at it, the speed will come naturally. It all seems to flow already, except for maybe a few little things here and there, and mostly, I think it's because you have such long legs, which of course you'll grow into eventually."  

[Kimaria]

And her words flourished inside of him, warmed his heart and raised his spirits. It was great? Did that mean there was some hope for him? Did that mean he could truly become a dancer?

"The rocks are what brought me to dance in the first place." Aapep explained with a twitch of his tail. "I like the sound they make and it's ncier to walk on rock than dirt." Or atleast, he thought so. It was also easier to dance on too, but he didn't bother mentioning that.

He nodded. He was quite out of breathe but that would come easier with time and training. "Thank you." He chirped merrily. "You think it works well? I showed it to Mawi yesterday but I wasn't sure, not until I heard your view." He looked happy though - more than happy in fact. Then he nodded. "So I'll have to wait till I grow up, guess that makes sense. By the time I'm big I'll be real practised and then my legs will move better." He waved each paw in turn, laughing merrily.

"What kind of dancing do you do, teacher?" He piped up then, bringing both ears forward curiously.  

[MoonRazor]

It was very interesting indeed. Rocks that brought him to dance. But she guessed, in a way, it was rather like the type of dance she was used to, simply bopping along to random inspiration. Certainly, being introduced to dance through the tapping of the rocks seemed to make a lot more sense.

"I think its worth developing. It's interesting, you see, and probably not a lot of lions know how to dance on rocks. Special goes an awful long way." She said cheerily. "Growing into those long legs of yours would definitely help," She said with a chuckle. "But in the meantime, what you can do is really try to feel the movement in your body while you dance. If you can, you can close your eyes and dance on the rocks and hear the sounds that are made and connect them to what you feel in your paws and legs and body while you make that sound. Or if you can't yet, practice on the ground, and once you've got that down, then go back onto the rocks and dance with your eyes closed."

She thought for a moment. "Me, well, I listen for the tune - there's always one out there, and it comes rather easily if you listen for it - and then I dance to it." She pricked her ears and listened for the wind to bring her that familiar whisper of song. Mostly, for her, she heard the leaves sway and the branches creak. The song floated to her, and for a moment she simply listened. And then she began to move her paws and her tail, and swayed to the gentle lullaby.  

[Kimaria]

And his eyes sparkled. In his future he could see himself dancing, see an audience of awe-filled faces watching him, clapping. And then the ground would quake with the rumble of drums and Mawi would be there too, with the sister he had yet to meet.

"Maybe one day, if I get good enough, I can become a teacher too. I can teach them how to use the rocks in dance and spread the joy that I feel. Everyone should learn a step or two, especially if it makes them feel how I feel."

He took in her advice and held it close to his heart, treasuring it like some precious gift. Her words would not be forgotten and he hoped they would be the first of many. One could never stop learning, never stop getting advice.

And then she paused and he waited eagerly for her response, nodding slowly in understanding. Always a tune. Anywhere. He pricked up his ears, intent to listen, but heard nothing. He was not as in tune to the elements as she and was void to their gentle, subtle sounds.

In fact, he didn't hear it, not until Jiza had and she was dancing and swaying to its soothing melody. Only when he watched her steps did he realise what she was dancing to. Nature. All around him. Creating a music all of its own. The realisation put such a thrill into him that he couldn't sit still. He, too, found himself swaying on his paws, almost in a trance from watching her.

"I understand. I can hear it." He whispered, not wanting to disturb her concentration.  

[MoonRazor]

She beamed, and nodded. That moment. It was something that always touched her and made her feel almost uncomparable joy inside. The moment when a musically inclined cub really listened and heard. And realized that music was truly all around.

She remembered the first time that had happened to her. She had been around Aapep's age, and she was staring up at a tree. With time, her fascination with leaves and slowly lessened, but then, they had been a work of art to her. They still were, and the only diference now was that she didn't spend so much time studying them anymore.

She remembered staring up at the leaves, and watching the wind shake the branches. In that moment, she heard the rustling, and she realized that it was not simply rustling. It was something else entirely. Something magical.

From there, she had developed her ear, listening. Constantly listening, and she realized in no time that every being, every little thing, had a tune of their own. Whether or not they realized it, they gave it off. It was almost like a little aura of music that surrounded everything, and gave every new place its own unique sound.

"That's how I learned to dance," She said softly after a moment. "By the sea, with Juke. The music was wonderful there. If you ever get the chance, Aapep, you have to go and visit the sea."  

[Kimaria]

“It’s wonderful, Jiza. I never realized how much music there was all around. It’s impossible to go anywhere without hearing it.” He breathed deeply as if inhaling the sound into his being. And he listened to her words with a throbbing heart.

Learning to dance with a friend, her mate perhaps? What a wonderful feeling that must be. To not only discover a love for dance, but to discover it with a friend, to develop it with another.

“Maybe I’ll go visit it someday. I really would love to. But for now, I think, I’ll stay here a while. There’s enough songs here to keep me content for a good time I would think.” He pondered. “And maybe, maybe if I do go, I could take Mawi with me, maybe her sister too.”

And then he noticed the steady incline of the sun and knew that time was getting the better of him. “I’m sorry Jiza, I have to go now. My mother didn’t know where I was going and she might be waking up by now. Next time, I’ll tell her so I won’t have to rush off.” He lifted an ear tentatively towards her. “D’yah think next time you could teach me one of your dances, then we could dance together. That might be fun! After all, it’s probably better to play drum with someone else, so dancing must be the same.”  

[MoonRazor]

"It's terribly hard to get bored of all this music," She agreed with a nod. The gentle thrum of music buzzed lightly in her ear, as it always did when she stopped listening for it. To begin with, that slight buzzing had driven her crazy. The sound hummed in her ear day in and day out, and nothing she could do would drive it away.

Over time, her ears became accustomed to the steady line of music playing constantly, until she became so used to it that she knew if ever she were to try to live without it, she would feel as if a chunk of her world had simply disappeared.

"I'm sure Mawi and Jua would both love to see the sea, too," Jiza said. Her voice, laced with wistfullness, was soft as she recalled once again the time she had spent at the sea with Juke. She had difficulty imagining that any place could be quite as unforgettable as the sea. The image was stamped into her mind, an image that would never fade, and she would always treasure the sea as what she remembered it to be. Something akin to paradise, she reckoned.

"Of course I can teach you one my dances," She answered, already wondering which one Aapep might find the most fun. "And you're right, it will be fun. Dancing and drumming are always fun to do with others. And someday, I'll teach you how to dance in a group with different parts. Those can be hard to get, but when you finally get there, it feels like nothing else."  

[Kimaria]

And he listened to the sound of her voice and the other sounds all around them, floating and zipping and bringing the world to life. He found that if he listened carefully he could hear things he'd never heard before. It was as if he'd been deaf for the entirity of his life.

Until now.

"I hope they will. I wouldn't want to go by myself. It's much more fun to be with friends." And he waved his tail, trying to imagine what the sea was like. If the music was as beautiful as Jiza said it was, he wanted to see it badly. Maybe he'd mention it to Mawi next time he saw her.

"You'd really teach me one of yours? I'd love that, I really would." And already he was picturing it, dancing to a new dance, dancing with others. His little heart raced and suddenly he had yet something else to look forward to. "Thank you Jiza, for teaching me and stuff. I'm real glad I met you and now, I get to be even better than before. Mawi will be real impressed and maybe next time, her sis will be there to watch. I dunno how things are gonna work out but I want to stay here. Maybe I can't now, maybe not for a long while, but one day I'll join." He nodded firmly.

"Thanks!" And then he was off, speeding along on his gangly legs. He hadn't arranged a time or place to meet Jiza, but he would be back. There was no doubt about that.