[PRP] Silence.

[Zosie]

Alili was going for a run. This happened often, with no particular goal, or end result. She didn't always have to be hunting, it was just something she liked to do. Since growing into adulthood, with all her siblings parting ways, she had missed the rough and tumble. The black lioness always felt she needed to keep up with her brothers, to make sure that even as a girl she was one of the strongest ones.

Her charcoal legs pounded against the hot earth, she had chosen a particular spot to run where she hoped she wouldn't bump into anyone, the Pridelands was a very busy place in recent times. Her mind raced as she moved, wind and dry grass whipping at her limbs. She continued for a while, until she felt the sharp pang of exhaustion building in her rips and she slowed, beginning to move slowly and softly across the earth, instead.  

[Bronze Coffee]

Silence, as always. Nothing ever changed for the male. He could see the grass rustling, feel it, and the wind, but there was silence. Not even a buzzing in his head. Xai, his bird, was picking worms not too far away from where he came to be alone. The pride was too busy for him. Too many lions to try to 'talk' too, too much hustle and bustle. He got a headache from everything. So, here he was. He was laying in the grass, panting because he was in the sun. Wyconda's tongue was out as he panted to cool down but he refused to go into the shade. The warmth felt good against his skin and white fur.

Xai, however, looked up when she heard paw steps racing towards them. She flew over and landed on Wyconda's head and looked about, tilting her head this way and that. "Hmm..." She said, moving to get in front of Wyconda to tell him there were paw steps.

That made him get to his own paws and looked about just in time for a female to nearly run over him. He'd gotten out of the way, barely, but it still scared him!

Zohwhee

 

[Zosie]

Saint Sergio

"What wa' that?" She exclaimed outloud. Alili had just begun to pick up her pace when a large and rather furry white thing had jumped up from underneath her paws! Turning her head around, the surprisingly bright blue eyes against her jet black fur tried to find the creature again in the grass, she guessed an apology was in order. That and she was curious as to why someone would lie in the grass and not notice someone else steaming towards them!

"HEY!" It was a friendly greeting she roared as she pounded back on herself, onto the route of the stranger. "Wha' 'appaned there, yer didn't see me?" A quizzical look was fixed onto her face, and she noticed the stranger had a small bird by his side. She'd seen many a lion with a companion by their side which wasn't a lion, but she still found the concept a little strange. Small animals were normally for eating, not playing with.  

[Bronze Coffee]

He kind of just stared at her as she spoke. Lip reading was hard. She wasn't pronouncing some of the words right. His brows knit together in confusion before looking to his bird for translation. When the bird's wings and beaked moved in a familiar way, he nodded and let the confusion off of his face, replaced by one of content. Still 'talking' to Xai, he asked the bird to translate the following for her. Xai flew up and perched on her lion's head, watching the lioness with narrowed eyes.

"He says that he didn't see you coming. He's deaf so he can't hear you coming, he relies on sight, but he was watching me. He's blaming me, again," she said, making an irritated noise, puffing up and scratching the lion on the head.

Huffing at the scratch, Wyconda swipped a paw at the bird and tossed her to the ground. That was the 'get off of me before I kill you' signal for the two of them. "He also says his name is Wyconda." Xai looked back to the lion and then to the lioness. "I have to tell him what you say."

Zohwhee

 

[Zosie]

Saint Sergio

"Oh, Oh wow." The lioness was quite taken aback. She had never met a deaf lion before. She knew it was a possibility for some people, but had never had to talk to another that couldn't really hear. Alili felt guilty for assuming he wasn't paying attention and she bowed her head gently with a smile.

"Tell 'im, my name is Alili, and er, I'm sorry if i scared 'im!" She offered a reassuring smile. On the plus side, this gave her more confidence, he couldn't mock her for her rubbish pronounciation or her strange accent. "How are ya, both?" She added. This situation was a little out of her comfort zone, but it sure beat the usual boring gallop around the savannah.  

[Bronze Coffee]

Wyconda watched as the bird translated what she said and then shrugged, giving her a smile. Her words weren't complete and it drove him a little crazy, but, this was the drawback of being deaf and having to lip read. He told his bird to translate exactly what he said and then looked at Alili directly, as if talking to her. His face was very animated as he 'talked' using his ears, tail, nose and even paws do this.

"He says he's alright. You didn't scare him too badly and it happens more often than not. No hearing and all. He blames me for not paying attention," she said, glaring back up at the male and sighing. "It's not my job to hear for him, but translate. He has to learn to be more alert." Of course, as Xai said this, she translated it for him and got a paw to the head for her troubles. Squawking indignantly, she puffed herself up and pecked his paw when it landed on the ground before huffing.

"He also says to talk to him, and not to me. He's got to learn the way you talk in order to read your lips. He's a quick study. It makes it hard if you talk to me instead of him."  

[Zosie]

"Oh, 'kay!" She was a little taken aback, and a little nervous if truth be told, she imagined that her strange way of speaking wasn't exactly helping the process along, but she found it rather fascinating and sweet. Despite not being able to hear, he seemed to be quite good at communicating.

She let out a hearty laugh as the male swatted playfully at his companion, they were a funny pair, but then seemed perfectly paired together, too."'m sure it's not yer fault!" She offered to Xai gently. She turned her large blue eyes to Wyconda, and though she was usually bold, found herself a little nervous. However as she began to talk and look at him, it didn't feel like there were any barriers at all.

"Sorry if the way I say things ain' helpin', I can't 'elp it, I tried! Glad yer alright, though" Although she wasn't totally self conscious about the way she talked, after all, it was a part of her. There wasn't any usual pattern to her slang, either, there were words she always pronounced the same, and words that changed when she tried to focus more. Alili accepted however, that she was never going to be completely eloquent. "So, if yer don't mind me askin' 'ave you, always been this way?" She started the sentence with almost comical mouth movements, trying to exaggerate what she was saying, but began to feel overly patronising and just talked normally, looking Wyconda in the eye and knowing that between his skills and Xai, she would become clearer.  

[Bronze Coffee]

Wyconda studied her face as she talked, specifically her muzzle, trying to get a grasp on what she was saying. He could get bits here and there and figure most things out for himself, but he would still ned Xai to translate for him. Looking down to the bird after she was done talking, he let Xai translate before his face went to total understanding. He looked to Alili as he 'spoke' and nodded.

While he spoke, Xai translated, almost as if it were Wyconda speaking. She cleared her throat a little before starting. "I was born deaf. My mother was deaf and I have another deaf sibling and then a half deaf sibling who's balance is off because of it. It's not a big thing, for me. My family learned how to handle it because of mom, so by the time we came around, it was like the whole pride could understand us. We came from a pride surrounded by mists. Sadly, that pride quickly fizzled out and lions kept leaving.

"It's not that bad of a thing... Well, it was bad when mom left without much warning and dad had to take care of us. He's got a new mate now, though, and I've got siblings running around that aren't deaf. I can't connect with them because they didn't have the patience to learn how to communicate with me. Learning the way I talk can be a big hassle." Finally, the lion stopped talking and Xai caught her breath.

"Geeze, he talks a lot."  

[Zosie]

She smiled gently. The lioness was gifted with tact, something she knew some lions lacked. She knew when to be softer, kinder, and overall more gentle with others. Not that she usually mouthed-off boldly to some, that was not the case.

She was also more aware of her body language, and her facial expressions. She slid her paws down onto the ground gently, so she was sitting, as gracefully as she could manage. Truth be told this wasn't very graceful, but she was trying all the while. Giving Wyconda a sympathetic look she nodded. "Tha' is a shame indeed, sorry ter hear about tha'." She didn't understand how some mothers could leave their children, even if they were older, you still had to be there right? Especially when you were both in the same boat, it was a matter of understanding each other.

Alili was sure she'd heard of this pride, in a story or maybe a passing tale, but then again she could have just been dreaming it up, she shrugged her head slightly. "Well, ter be honest, I think it's pretty inspiring. People should take the time ter understand you." She knew how it felt to not be understood sometimes, although she could never relate her plight to his, it made her feel selfish, and quite silly.

But truthfully, she did find it inspiring, and how many lions took for granted the fact that they could hear? It was such a big thing, as were all the senses, most were lost if they were underwater and couldn't hear, or closed their eyes for too long. It was indeed, very inspiring to see how he managed to communicate, and live his life seemingly unburdened.  

[Bronze Coffee]

When he noticed her become more aware of herself, Wyconda was very thankful for it. Not everyone did that, despite being told he was deaf. Some just didn't believe him, either and raised their voice in an attempt to hurt him or make him feel stupid or embarrassed. However, they only made themselves look like complete idiots. He watched her mouth moved and was confused on a few of the words. It would seem she had an accent? He couldn't be sure because accents didn't translate at all. So, those pale blue eyes looked to his bird as she translated and he nodded a little more.

He completely agreed. It wasn't his fault he was born deaf. He took the time out of his day to learn how to lip read and read body language, but most wouldn't learn. Ah, well. He'd always suffered some kind of stupidity.

Looking to Xai, he continued to talk. The bird would translate as he spoke.

"Wyconda says, you're right. But people are often too busy with their own lives or just too lazy and not interested in learning for the sake of one lion. When he was a cub, he says, he ran into a lion who told him he was better off dead because a deaf lion was useless, just like a blind one or one with a deformed leg." Xai, of course, new this. She'd been with the male for along, long time now.

However, the bird was becoming annoyed and really just wanted to fly off. She hated this job sometimes. She was hungry and she wouldn't be able to pick at the ground while talking.

Zohwhee

 

[Zosie]

"I think people should mek an effort to at least try, ya know?." She shook her head slowly. All in all, it was interesting, and a new way to communicate with anyone, was always good.

Alilis face became contorted for a second at what Wyconda had told her. "That's 'ORRIBLE!" Her bright blue eyes blinked at him. There was no need to try and enunciate those words, she supposed they would be clear enough. Everyone had a right to life, and just because you were born slightly different should not make a difference. Sure, some things would be harder, but they're plenty of lions around the Pridelands that were different.

"Pardon me askin' but, do ya always hang out together? Or is it jus' when it meks things easier?" She could see inklings of the birds desire to be somewhere else.

Saint Sergio

 

[Bronze Coffee]

Wyconda just shrugged when Xai translated what she'd said. He didn't care much one way or another. He knew better. Wyconda had a lot to live for, even without hearing. Besides, he got the better end of the deal, he thought. He couldn't fall in love with someone's pretty words. There was only so much Xai could translate, and tone wasn't one of them. He got to watch body language and he was pretty good at sensing intent.

Xai, however, huffed at the questions and fluffed herself up. "I've been with him a long time, but I don't really like to stay close a lot. He's always hitting me with his paws, or biting at my tail feathers. A rough one he is. Wyconda's just too rough, just too rough." Xai hopped to pick at Wyconda's paw now, annoying the lion to where he squished the bird under his paw. "See?!"

Zohwhee

 

[Zosie]

Alili thought it was incredibly interested how others were able to compensate and make up for difficulties they had. It was inspiring, even, and she strived to attack life with the same kind of attitude.

"A long time eh? Mus' be nice though, 'avin someone ter look after you!" She said loudly. She let out a rough laugh at Wynconda's actions. She noticed the sun was hanging a little lower in the sky than when she had begun talking to the pair, and could feel a rumble forming in her stomach. It was nearly dinner time.

"Well, I hope ter be able ter see ya again soon, but my stomach needs feedin!" Exclaimed the charcoal coloured lioness. She gave them both a wide smile and a bob of her head, before making her way further out to the plains.