[PRP] We got the genes [Lalawethika x Aapep x Capella]

[~Kiana_Nala~]

Lala laid quietly in the hot sun, his body completely motionless. The cub was extremely hot even though it was still very early in the morning. It also probably didn't help that he was just laying there in the sun but, he didn't want to lay in the den where it was cooler. So instead he positioned himself near the drumming circle and just laid there as silently and motionless as he was possibly capable of.

Why can't we live in the water? He thought to himself with a light groan. Gently the cub raised his head a bit and looked around. His siblings were sleeping the day away in the den due to the heat and here he was in the sun. It felt to hot to do anything but not doing anything would just be an utter drag. His yellow eyes continued to scan the immediate area for someone, anyone to save him from his boredom. And maybe if he was lucky, the heat. Though, that probably wasn't going to happen. Lalawethika groan again and flopped his head back on the ground and tightly closed his eyes.  

[Kimaria]

Thankfully the little one would not be alone for long.

That morning Capella had decided to drag ehr father out for a musical interlude - to cheer them both up along with the rest of the pride, too. For a land of drums, it had been far too quiet recently. Perhaps people were frightened or summoning further rains in case the lake came to wet their paws again.

"--been practising." She could be heard saying.

"I'm sure you have. Unfortunately, I have not!" Aapep replied, though there was laughter in his voice. "You'll have to pick a slow drumbeat."

"Of course, Dad."

And then they appeared, father and daughter, crossing towards the drum circle. Around Capella's neck swung a drum, though Aapep had only the shakers around his legs.

"Okay! I'll go take a place in the shade. Let me know when you're ready." Capella continued, moving across to a nice shady patch at the edge of the circle and setting her drum onto the ground. As of yet, neither had noticed their little relative; motionless nearby.  

[~Kiana_Nala~]

The small cubs ears perked up at the sound of two voices near by. He opened one eye and saw that there were two not far from where he was. Lala had yet to meet any of his relatives, or at least if he had he didn't recall meeting them. It was most likely that his mother had shown them off before they were even able to see. Actually, that really was probably the case as a lot of lions in the pride seemed to know he was, despite having no idea in return who they were.

Slowly and as quietly as he could the cub rose onto his belly and then his feet. He noticed that the male and female had similar coloring, most likely relatives. But then something about the male stuck out to him. He looked from his pelt to the male's. They seemed similar. Sure his pelt was darker but they seemed to have a similar pattern for the most part. And with that the cub was all to curious to know who he was, even though upon further inspection of the female he would have seen that she had the same eye markings as his mother.

Silently the cub wandered from his spot to where they were, but hiding himself behind the tree. Then when he noticed the chance to strike he lept out from his hiding spot and onto the males back. A very cub like growl bellowing out from him as he did so before his teeth latched onto the males ear, though he didn't bite hard enough to even hurt the male. It was probably clear to the male right then that Lala's intention wasn't to harm him in any way.  

[Kimaria]

Aapep's eyes widened as he felt something leap up onto his back, a soft growling depicting that the owner of such sound was a cub. He tried to turn his head to get a good look at who he had been 'hunted' by when his daughter, Cappella, gave a burst of delighted laughter.

"My little nephew!" She sang, leaving her drum to dash across to say hello. She took just a moment before she recalled his name. "Hello! I can't believe you're up and about already! You've grown very quickly, Lalalwethika! I'm your aunt, Cappella, and this is your Grandpa Aapep." She gave her father a teasing nudge, she often liked to call him an 'old man'.

Aapep laughed. "He certainly takes after his mother, what with his hunting skills."

"Do you want to join us for a music lesson?" Cappella asked.  

[~Kiana_Nala~]

Lalawethika continued to knaw on his grandfather's ear for another moment or two before pulling himself up further onto the males head, his arms dangling over his nose. "I knew it." Lala said as he laid down there on Aapep's head as if this was now his perch. Now he finally took a good look at his aunt Cappella. Yes, she was definitely related to him. In fact had some crucial colors not been missing he probably could have mistaken her for his mother. Maybe that was a bit of a stretch but hey, who knew. "Cappella." He said, messing up her name. Lala pursed his lips and repeated it a couple more times out loud until he got it right.

Then the small cub turned his attention to his grandfather, his yellow eyes peering down into his brown one's. "Aapep." He said, having to repeat it a couple times as well though not as many as Cappella's. "Music lesson?" He asked with an inquisitive look. His ears perked up as well as his tail. He was usually much more quiet and apathetic than this, but today the heat must have been getting to him as he was certainly more playful and outgoing then usual. Maybe it was the idea of possibly getting to beat on the drum his aunt had around his neck. "Did you take that from Uncle Jukka?" Lala asked, unaware that the monkey's uncle actually had the baboon's make them for other's in the pride.  

[Kimaria]

Aapep could not help but chuckle at the little one's playful antics. It was good to have cubs around. They certainly helped brighten up a pride! "That's right." He encouraged when the cub practised with his pronunciation. "You've got it."

"Yup! Music lesson. Grandpa Aapep was going to practise some dancing whilst I drummed a beat for him. You can join in if you like!" Music was for everyone, after all, no matter how young or old. "My drum?" She asked at his question. "Nope! This one is one I made myself. It isn't very good - not as good as some of the others, but it does have a decent sound."

Cappella preferred to sing and she would once she got the lesson going. "You can help drum with your paws or you could dance, or you could even sing. I know a song and it has some simple words."

Aapep's smile widened to see the generations of his family coming together. "Or you can just watch if you prefer. No pressure!"

Cappella seemed to frown at that suggestion, though she quickly brightened a moment later. "Yes! You can do that, too, if you like."  

[~Kiana_Nala~]

Oh there was no chance this little cub was going to pass up being able to drum if offered. Ever since Jukka had let him pound on one he had felt like that was the most wonderful thing in the world. "I'll play the drum." He said, his eyes wide as they were trained on the drum. Then he looked down at his grandfather. "How do you dance?" Lala asked, obviously confused at the concept of dancing. Then again he had acted the same way when he was first showed a drum.

Then his eyes shifted to his aunt. "You sing?" He blinked his yellow eyes in awe. "I don't think I can sing." He said as he lightly batted out his paw towards his aunt as if he was trying to get her nose. "I want to play the drum." He smiled a bit sheepishly for a moment before it faded away back under his sea of mysteriousness.  

[Kimaria]

"Excellent!" Cappella was overjoyed to hear that he was going to join in, moving to where the drum was positioned and sitting beside it, waiting patiently to begin.

"Dancing is..." Aapep began. "Movement. You move your legs and your body to the rhythm of the music. Dancing is to use the world as a drum." And to demonstrate he raised a paw and thumped it down against the ground. The shakers around his wrist chimed merrily as he did so. It can be done without the aid of drumming, but it is much better with it."

"I sing!" Cappella agreed. "I'm better at singing than most other things, though I like to practise everything. Come, come, little nephew! You can play the drum. I'll sit by you in case you need help." And she settled more readily into position, watching as her father, Aapep, took a spot in the middle of the circle, standing quite still until everyone was in position.

"Let me know when you are ready." He called.

"Do you want to do a practise first, or just leap into it?" Cappella asked Lala.