[PRP] The Broken and the Musical

[Atheare]

Fear. An emotion he hadn't had to deal with since he was a young cub. True fear, fear for ones life, fear that the worst will happen and even worse, nobody will care. He was so exposed, unable to hide or find shelter, the brightly colored lion stumbled along in the unfamiliar lands filled with mixed emotions. He was afraid for his life, angry with his pride for treating him like a fragile cub all the time, and even more angry with himself for being foolish enough to run away on his own. As much as he hated to admit it, they had been right. His weakness had only fully become apparent recently, even more so once he had left home.

Constantly aching limbs, random dizziness often accompanied by fainting, it was as wonder that Genge had managed to survive two days without protection. He was small for his age, and frail to boot. If only he hadn't inherited his grandmother's illness, a constant plague on his being... But no, grandmother Embamba was the only one who understood what he was going through. Only she could relate with the frustration of being caged for his own safety. Only she knew the haunting illness that would never stop, only become worse with time, and perhaps be the death of him. No, he did not hate Embamba for passing her weakness to him. He loved her more than anyone else in his family.

Such thoughts ran through the head of the small adolescent lion as he wandered the strange lands, filled with heathens, as his pride said. The rogues were dirty creatures, according to his pride, and yet he found himself among them. Did that make him dirty too? Perhaps. Did he care, though?

Absolutely not.

He didn't want to be a part of that pride. They had only caused him more trouble. He'd wander forever if he had to. A futile thought, perhaps, seeing as the famished lion could barely stay standing as it is, but he was determined.

"I don't need them." Genge tossed his bit of scruffy mane from his eyes as he pressed onward, though his limbs were at the point of refusing to take one more step. "I'd rather die a rogue than live in a cage like that." His vision began to fade as his body went a bit too far, and he collapsed. His face had a blank expression on it was he lay still, ready for the end to come. Be it by starvation or by the claws of a larger being, he had all but given up.

"I don't need anyone..."  

[Yin-Bug]

Little drum like sounding beats soon filled her ears to her delight. Mawi Mai was not that far from the beloved Pride witch she spent all of her time in. Today she was... some what preparing herself for her coming of age cermony. It would be soon. Because her mother let her and her sister play at distances from the pride she was taking it happily.

She had a rather large rabit hanging out of her mouth, she cought it and was taking it to a watering hole to eat it in peace. She was slowly learning how to catch things for her own.

As she danced across the savanah -insead of walking- she spoted somthing.... somthing pink? Her eyes perked up with interest and she walked over. It was a he... and a cub a bit older then her.

"Oh no."

Her voice was quite normal and calm, it was a sing-song voice, however it was slightly muffled but the rabbit hanging from her jaw. A few thoughts ran through her mind but the first thing was.

She dropped the rabbit out of her jaw and nudged it toward the male. "Here... Eat." A small smile grew across her face.  

[Atheare]

A snarl formed on Genge's maw as the strange female wandered over and offered him her food. An odd thing for him, to become angry like this, as he was normally meek and shy, but it seemed that anger was the only emotion he could currently display to the world.

"No." He grumbled. Limbs shaking, he forced himself into a sitting position. His body protested, and his entire body shook, before he collapsed again. Curse this illness of his! He could not even be dignified before some stranger!

"I don't want your help." He spat, his tail lashing behind him in an irritated fashion. "I don't want anyones help. I don't need it." Pride. He had never been too proud to accept help before, but his family had made sure to make him despise anyone who took pity on him for his condition.

"Just leave." Genge continued to try and stand, or even sit again, but failed. His limbs simply refused to obey him any longer.  

[Yin-Bug]

She watched the male as he had a hard time getting up. She made a slight face as he sat there. "No." She said quite stubornly. She sat down and looked at the male.

"By the looks of it you need alot of help." She nodded and nudged the food again. "My name is Mawi Mai, you don't have to tell me yours." she muttered slightly. "You should eat though, I won't leave until you do."

She sat back on her haunches and started humming and tapping her feet slightly out of habit, soon she would be out on her own for a few days trying to figure out her rythem, until then she had been spending some of her time tapping out beats.  

[Atheare]

Genge flicked his ear irritably as he glared at Mawi. From the looks of things, she was not going to go away unless he accepted her help. Reluctantly, he lifted his head and grabbed the rabbit by the leg and pulled it toward himself.

"Genge." He said simply, without indicating that this was his name. His voice indicated that he didn't desire to give his name, but he saw no harm in it. There was no way he'd have to deal with her ever again once she left, right?

The pink lion ate the rabbit quickly, failing to mask his desperate hunger as he went. All the while, he watched as Mawi hummed and tapped her feet. An odd behavior, to Genge at least. Why on earth would someone do such a thing? His energy renewed by his snack, he managed to get himself to a sitting position and maintain it without too much trouble.

"I am grateful." His voice indicated otherwise, but he felt that she deserved at least a little acknowledgment for her kindness. He wanted to chew the bones left from his meal and lick the scraps from them, but he was FAR too proud to resort to that. He swatted the little skeleton away with his paw as he sat proudly before Mawi.

"You may go now." His voice softened. He really did enjoy having someone to talk to for at least a while. It was clear that he didn't really want her to go. A proud fool, that's what I am... Genge thought scornfully to himself as he watched Mawi, waiting to see if she would stay like he wanted, or go like he said.  

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi Mai smirked and sat back on her haunches relaxing a bit. "..." She went to say ok but then she started to realize, just a bit, of what was going on. She smiled lightly. "No.... It would be nice if you got some water... You need it." She nodded and stood up giving him a bit of a glare.

She acted like her mother some times... and as her mother told, her father too, even though she never would want to admit that. She was going to vist her father soon she was not too sure if she was ready for that.

But Mawi always seemed to be flirting with the boys all the time, even though it was in her own little way, she always did.

She stood up and wandered to his side, flipping some of her mini mane that she had out of her eyes. She nudged him a bit and stood sturdy next to him just incase he was still to weak to take it by himself.

The entire time she kept a cheery hum coming from her gut.  

[Atheare]

Genge flinched as Mawi came closer. Had that thing just TOUCHED him?! The filth! How dare this, this HEATHEN come so near? He thought irritably, but managed to keep quiet about his disgust.

"Water. Right." He managed to stand, the full extent of his weakness and emaciated state revealed. His ribcage was quite visible through his white pelt, and his limbs were thin and weak looking. As he forced himself to stay upright, his entire body shivered for a moment, but he refused to lean on Mawi for support.

"Show me where it is, then." He grunted. It was clear from the strain on his face that he was making a large effort to stay standing, but he had to admit that she was right. Starvation and dehydration could only be amplifying his illness. It had never given him quite this much trouble before... It was a sure thing; Genge needed to keep himself fed and hydrated if he was to survive and prove his family wrong.

Genge glared at Mawi as she continued to hum, but said nothing. If this stranger wanted to be insane, so be it, but he wasn't going to meddle in her business.  

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi Mai smiled. "Ok." She started slowly walking toward the watering hole she saw not to long ago, when she was leaving the pride for a bit. She grinned as she heard the song of the lake water rippling a bit. "Here." She said as they approced.

She moved foreward a bit to lap up some water herself. The entire time they were walking she could just feel his tence-ness coming off of his body. She didn't care, most of the Nchi Lions were friendly, she knew this boy was not a Nchi but she did not care, that was no reason not to be nice.

She smiled and sat back some waiting for him to lap up some water. "So why are you out here anyway?" She asked calmly.  

[Atheare]

Without a word, Genge followed Mawi to the watering hole. His legs had stopped shaking now, but he felt them ache with each step. He had a grim expression on his face as they approached the water, and carefully lowered himself so that he could drink.

Never had he appreciated water so much! The cool liquid flowing over his parched tongue and into his skeletal form, the one ingredient which all life needed! For several minutes he lapped up the water greedily, paying little mind to Mawi's question until he raised his maw from the glassy surface of the water.

"I wanted to escape." He sat his bony rump down on the ground and, surprisingly, smiled. This simple gift of a cool drink had completely rejuvenated, and he was truly glad to have run into this lioness. Perhaps she wasn't so bad. "My pride. My family. They all think I'm useless."

Another involuntary chill ran down his spine and for a second his whole body shook. "I am weaker than most, and I fall severely ill with little warning." He did not sound upset. His illness was not to be ashamed of, but his family and the way they treated him, that was a crime.

"I doubt they care that I'm gone. I caused nothing but trouble there anyway."  

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi listioned to his words carfully. Her ears twiched as he talked. She picked up every tone of his voice. She bit her lip a bit and tried not to smile, she always smiled. But this time she did not.

She could not belive his story and did not blame him for being like that. "That is horrible Genge..." She sat back some and wondered, but all she could do is shake her head. "I have a story too, My mama and daddy were both flirts, and thats how me and my sisters were born... Ya' know of course my parents never loved eachother and most likly never will." She bit her lip. "And my other sister I don't think I will ever meet." She sighed and sat back. "But me and the sister that lives with me and my mom get along. We live in a musical pride." Her smile grew widly. "We don't care about anyones past, as long as they begin to understand that everyone has a rythem."

After saying that she hummed a bit, then looked at him. "But your story sounds worse than mine..." She looked at the water for a moment. "I think you are strong... Getting away from a place that did not enjoy you being there, and mistreated you because of you illness." She looked at him again. "You need to join a pride though, not because your weak, but because you need some kind of family, and support." She smiled at him.  

[Atheare]

Genge listened to Mawi without any sign of emotion. He could not imagine what it would be like if his parents didn't love each other, but it didn't sound like a good thing. For one thing, Mawi sure seemed upset about it. On the other hand, he had to agree with her. He was worse off, at least at the moment.

"I know I'm not strong." He shrugged, "But I can handle myself." He trailed off at the end as he stared at his reflection. A pride? Why should he join up with another pride? His old one hadn't accepted him, so why should a group of strangers? No, he was done with prides of lions.

"I don't need anyone." His voice was sharper than intended, but he hardly noticed. "I'll be fine on my own." Right. Even he didn't believe that.

He felt stronger now that he had some food in his belly and water in his system. He stood up and watched Mawi for a moment. "I'm glad to have met you." He said softly, "But I must move on. Thank you." He bowed his head respectfully before turning to walk off. A slow, stumbling walk it may be, but he was not ashamed.

As he walked he turned his head back toward her and called out, "Perhaps we will meet again, Mawi Mai. Once I am stronger, I will find you and your pride and give you proper thanks for helping me."  

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi Mai blinked at what he said, did, even after help from a stranger, refuse to still join a pride. She let out a small huff, hoping he did not hear it, she bit her lip slightly and stood up shaking some dirt off of her.

"Glad to meet you too If you must leave that is your bussiness...." She started moving the oppsite way then him then he said somthing else... A spark of hope came to her. "That would be wonderful Genge!" She smiled. "You will probaly hear my pride before seeing it, we are near Lake Victora!" She started walking off and had to throw in something else. "We are the Nchi'mahadhi!" She said with a great deal of pride and started walking home.