[Laughter] Try, Try Again [Rising Sign x Taiko]

[Chrystali]

Practicing outside was a treat, and with the weather warm and the sky clear, Taiko took the opportunity to practice his craft and bring thunder where there was only silence.

Not literal thunder, of course, but his two massive drums had a deep resonating thrum that could easily be mistaken as a storm, even without a cloud in the sky. Having put his drums in place, the red stallion trotted in a large, lazy circle, twisting his neck from side to side to loosen up. Both of his drum sticks lifted by his magic as he rounded back towards the drums, both of them spinning slowly in the air as he came to a halt.

What today? A piece he'd performed before? Something new? Taiko hummed deeply, centering and grounding himself, deciding a warm up was as good a place to start as any. All his hooves balanced beneath him, he head held high, and with a mixed sound of a neigh and a shout, he reared up and swung his head down; the large end of the sticks beat against the drums, heralding his beginning.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

It was a beautiful day for a walk, which was why Rising Sign was doing just that. The small brown phony wasn't really used to trotting about in the daytime - she preferred the night to be honest - but something about the warm sun and the clear sky had called her from her little home to explore.

A steady, low noise caught her attention as she meandered around, drawing her own small hooves to an open field where a lone unicorn stood with two...large...things. Wrinkling her nose, she laid her ears back and headed towards the strange things and the red phony. The low noise came again as two large sticks hit the strange objects - low, but loud. Rising Sign could feel the sound now that she was close enough. It made her pause, a little nervous about getting closer. The unicorn was quite large...maybe he'd mistake her for one of those brown things and hit her with the stick instead.

Content to stay where she was to watch, she plopped down on her rear and kept her eyes trained on the other phony. Hopefully he wouldn't mind an audience.

Chrystali

 

[Chrystali]

Taiko was a cascade of movement, whipping one direction and tossing his head, throwing himself back around the other way; each sway and shift was keyed with a thump of the drum, and as his movements became more fluid, the beat began to pick up. He opened his eyes to make sure he could step back for the next part, and instead caught sight of a small brown form a ways off, prompting him to rest back on all fours, the drumsticks held up, inert.

His pale gold eyes rest upon the babben watching him in turn. Very slightly, he bowed his head to her in a nod of acknowledgement, though his face didn't change from his stern rest.

The stallion turned back to his great drums and started again, the beat slow, a distant vibration of thunder. He reared up on his hind legs again, eyes sharp, jaw set; his mane tossed and the beads traced the motion, flowing, a crest of a crashing wave. The beat of the music began to increase, closer to a heartbeat, and rising.

SilverLutz

LMAO HITTING HER INSTEAD XD

 

[SilverLutz]

Rising Sign watched with slowly widening eyes as the stallion began to dance as he drummed. It was a one Phony show and it was just for her! Wow! The way his long white mane followed his movements was especially fun to watch, especially the way it would settle perfectly back into place when he stopped.

That was when she realized the beating had stopped as well and the stallion was staring right at her. She sat up a little bit, ears perked up, and for a moment neither of them moved. Then the red Phony bowed his head in her direction and continued, a silent blessing that she could watch.

Relieved that she wasn't going to be shooed off, Rising Sign got him to move a little closer so she could observe the more subtle movements. Everything about the dance and the drumming was powerful and loud, but it was the details that interested her. She couldn't help but admire how stoic and serious the male was through all this, too. It made the whole performance seem symbolic or ritualistic rather than just for fun or to practice.

Chrystali

She has a healthy respect for things bigger than her XD Sticks included!

 

[Chrystali]

He did not mind the audience; he was used to a greater one, albeit, not during practice. She was silent, though, at a respectful distance, and he could accept that.

The jo-ha-kyū began to pick up speed, faster, like rainfall but with thunder in each drop, but his motions were fluid and constant. Taiko spun, and the sticks spun with him, beating against the opposite drum, and when he spun back, they circled, and struck once more --

Ready to end this bout of warm up, he prepared for his abrupt stop, but he'd made the decision rather suddenly rather than going through the motion. When he'd meant to go on all fours, he tossed his head instead, and with it, one of his sticks whirled and bounced between the drum's sides before spinning back and narrowly missing his audience of one.

Taiko came to a complete stop, jaw clenched, eyes wide at her, the remaining stick hovering before being forcefully lowered to the ground.

SilverLutz

the idea of them being bigger than her is hysterical to me XD

 

[SilverLutz]

The beat of the song was speeding up, and with it the red stallion's movements. Rising Sign was so mesmerized by the performance that she almost didn't notice the large stick flying her way. She gave a startled yelp before flattening herself to the ground, hooves over her head, eyes squeezed shut. She heard the heavy stick clatter to the ground behind and a bit beside her, which let her know she had ducked for nothing.

Cautiously she lifted her hooves from her head, peering behind her at the now very innocent stick. Turning her head, the little Phony silently met the stare of the stallion who looked rather surprised himself.

"H-hey!" she said, her voice a little shaky from the scare. "Watch where you're swinging those, mister!"

Chrystali

DRUMSTICK OF DOOOOM

 

[Chrystali]

"Are you alright?" he asked before the stick even came to a halt, his voice as deep and rhythmic as the drums he played, heavy with concern.

But she was okay, if not shaken. Her somewhat indignant question proved that.

They stared at each other for a long moment, silence stretching. The corner of his lip curled upwards, briefly. It was a little ridiculous - this child, the same age as his grandchildren, merely wanting to watch him work. And he damn near brained her with one of his sticks.

"Heh." His stern expression cracked in the form of a vaguely amused smile. It grew, and before he knew it, Taiko was laughing, a deep sound from his belly full of mirth. Even as the laughter spilled, the stick next to the child lifted and returned to him, wavering before joining the other one on the ground next to him.

And he laughed, because there was nothing else to do for it.

SilverLutz

it could look like her too, brown stick with a white gold-color top 8V

 

[SilverLutz]

The deep voice sounded quite like those drums the older Phony had been playing, deep and it sort of felt like she could feel it in her chest as well. She got to her hooves just as he began to laugh.

Wait. Laugh? Her ears perked up and she lifted her head, unsure if he was laughing at her or for some other reason. But why else would he laugh? She hadn't said anything funny, had she?

"What's so funny?" she said after a moment. If he was laughing at her she'd high tail it out of there and leave it at that. But something in the tone of the sound made her think it was something else completely. Maybe nothing was funny?

"You're not laughing at me, are you? Because you were the one throwing things!"

Chrystali

Oh lawd probably XD Good thing she's not shaped like a stick

 

[Chrystali]

"At you, little one?" Even through his mirth, the red stallion seemed incredulous at the idea. "Never. I laugh at myself, my fair audience."

Taiko laughed again, soft and rolling, slowly taking heavy steps towards the small foal. He whuffled softly near by, his smile mingling between holding place and breaking into a light chuckle. "If one cannot laugh at their own mistakes, then how can one hope to improve? Anger is a vicious cycle, child, but laughter is a relief." He looked down at her near his large hooves, stalwart, but the good humor lingered in his golden eyes.

"I laugh, and I try again." Taiko bowed his head to touch his muzzle between her ears - a gentle gesture - before turning with a swing of his tail making his way back to his drums.

SilverLutz

SORRY I'M A TURD

 

[SilverLutz]

Rising Sign nearly let out a soft 'oh!' of surprise when the red giant said he was laughing at himself. Himself? But he was so stoic and regal and-

The little touch between her ears from his massive muzzle made her freeze for a moment. Laughing at yourself...wasn't bad? Relief...her mind turned back to the other day when she had been struggling to put together her new telescope. It was fancy and bigger than her and worked so well, she could see the various craters in the moon! But before she had put it together, she had very nearly tossed it out the window in frustration at herself. She had made so many dumb mistakes that could have easily been avoided, like tripping over the screws or getting bonked in the head when the telescope dropped because she didn't tighten one of the bolts hard enough. If she had laughed then, perhaps she would have actually used the telescope that night rather than going off in a huff. She had missed a really great meteor shower, too...

"Oh," she finally said as realization dawned completely. She trotted after the stallion, curious still. "Even though I was here? You didn't mess up in private...I saw it," she said, mildly embarrassed for asking. She might be able to laugh off her own clumsiness in private, but what if that had happened right outside in front of the whole town?

Chrystali

Do not say such lies!

 

[Chrystali]

Picking up his sticks again, he turned his gaze upon the babben, his expression stoic again. Even so, his voice was still gentle. "I can only hope you've seen it's okay to make a mistake. That perfection takes hard work and learning - from your triumphs, and your mistakes."

One of the sticks lowered, the large end of it gently nudging her chin, encouraging. "No one can make you feel poorly without your permission, child. You will see, someday, that the only opinion that matters, is your own. How you react to what happens to you makes all the difference."

SilverLutz

WEEPS I'M STILL SORRY FOR THE WAIT

 

[SilverLutz]

Rising Sign stared up at the once more stoic and reserved male, her blue eyes wide. He had gone from this, to laughing, and right back! He didn't look embarrassed at all! Granted, she was just one Phony, and a babbin at that. Imagine messing up like that in front of a whole crowd of Phonies...

The stick - almost her size and fairly similar in color - bumped her chin and brought her back to reality. She let her brows furrow into a serious expression to match his and gave a sharp nod. She'd take his advice to heart, for sure.

"Yes sir! Uh...what's your name?" she asked, blinking as she realized she had no idea to whom she was speaking. She wanted to remember this stallion and just knowing his face wouldn't do!

Chrystali

ITS OKAY I FORGIVE. Also I think your next post can be your last and I'll wrap it up in my next!

 

[Chrystali]

"Taiko," he replied with the same unmoving expression, his voice the only indication that he was amused. "And if I have done anything for you, little one, come to my show sometime and let me know. It does this old stallion well to know he hasn't fallen out of the times."

He smiled, then, the briefest curve of mirth before the sticks spun back up in the air, awaiting any final words by her. They understood each other - and that was good enough for him.

SilverLutz

SOUNDS GOOD. <3 If any of my other nerds can help, please let me know!

 

[SilverLutz]

Taiko. Rising Sign nodded a bit at the offer. She'd definitely come watch him actually perform and not just practice. Maybe then he wouldn't 'throw' his stick at her!

"Okay. Thanks, Mr. Taiko," she said with a little flick of her tail and a tiny smile of her own on her face. She turned away, trotting out of the field he was using to return home to mull over what he had said about laughing.

Chrystali

AAAAAND scene! And yasss definitely, she's got a few more to go XD I'll poke you in-thread :>