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 Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:31 pm
 Rio twisted, spinning around in a flash of black and strips of colour. She slowed to a stop, extending her back legs out and stretching her neck upwards. The leopard slowly moved up into an arch, leaning back until her front paws were extended instead. Then, in a great burst of motion, she sprang upwards, twisting again, her tail swishing below her in a circle. The dancer spun slowly as she landed, dragging one of her front paws and leaving thin claw marks in the sand. Rio repeated the motion with her other paw, giving one more complete spin before sitting down with a huff. Her chest heaved as she regained her breath. The afternoon sun was hot on her back, heating her body up quickly underneath her dark fur. She needed to get into the shade. Legs shaking slightly from exertion, Rio dragged herself over to the shade of a tree and collapsed, head pillowed on her paws.
She had been trying to choreograph some new routines to teach her son, Lume. But the boy had been gone for three days now. Rio was starting to get a litte worried. If he didn't come back by tomorrow night, Rio would have to go looking for him. That was their family rule. Four days away from each other maximum, unless stated otherwise. But she thought she understood why her son had stayed away from so long now. Rio had chewed him out royally for pushing her into that pond. Sure, it wasn't his fault that she didn't know how to swim, but she had still blown up at him anyways. Rio would have to apologize once he returned.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:36 pm
 The "long-furred" cheetah watched the blur in wonder and confusion. What the heck was that feline doing? It leaped and twisted as if it were battling some sort of unknown, invisible enemy or trying to hunt a bird or insect, but as Arashi breathed in through both her mouth and nostrils, she didn't scent any such creatures. It appeared to only be only the two of them freshly in this vicinity, with the small mixture of gazelle and elephant somewhere in the backdrop of the scents, either long gone or just a distance away. Regardless, Arashi was absolutely stunned. Very confused. She stared at the odd spectacle with a blank, pretty much dumbfounded expression on her face as both ears, even her torn one, swiveled and focused solely on the dark and rainbow colored feline. It was even a rather hot day, and this leopard was simply wasting all of its energy in such an odd and wasteful way, so much so that when it reached the point of fatigue, the leopard was huffing and puffing away, trying to catch its breath.
Arashi was just...so confused. She just didn't understand. She had ever seen such an odd bodily display before, from any type of feline, as she traveled through the rouge lands. If anything, it looked like some weird type of training routine, but who on the earth would train so oddly? That wouldn't reinforce any kind of battle style or catch any type of prey she had encountered before, so what good was using all of her energy in such a way? It couldn't possibly be for training, especially when it was an adult, but she had also never seen any creature waste energy in such a way when it was hard enough to survive or anything relating to such a thing she had experienced before.
When the leopard retreated to the shelter of the shade, Arashi sat up from her crouched stalking position to try and get a better view on the tired feline. What could it be up to?The Captain Britain Did I tell you about my Semi-hiatus and my new school semester? D: I can't recall if I did or not! :C But if I did, then you know about my new crazy class schedule, and if not, then most likely my catch-up days will be the weekends, with the occasional exceptions of the week like today as an example~
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 9:06 pm
[.Silvr-Moon.] You didn't, no. But it's all good. I'm kind of on one myself, what with classes and mandatory volunteering for my major and such. Take your time. 8D
Many who first encountered the art of dancing assumed it was a physical act. Though they had a point, it was not the whole truth. Meditation and mental discipline were just as important. Rio felt the earth beneath her paws, seeing the heavy steps and stops to match the earth's strength. The rustling of leaves above her showed Rio short, erratic twists and turns. The smell of a nearby cheetah....
Rio's red eyes snapped open. She hadn't even realized that someone was nearby. The dancer surveyed the area, eventually pinpointing what looked like a grey cheetah not so far away. It didn't seem like the stranger was trying to hide from her, so Rio thought it safe to say that they weren't dangerous. She wondered how long they had been watching. "You will have better view if you come up closer, no?" Rio called out, tail twitching playfully. She did like to have an audience.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:45 am
When the leopard, a leopardess actually, finally focused her attention on Arashi, the gray cheetah briefly ducked her head instinctually, although not too far down. She flicked and swiveled both ears around her environment, pointing them at the leopardess after a few moments. She raised herself back up again, actually getting up onto her hind legs as well. She didn't quite want to approach the leopardess, but Arashi was a feline of manners and civility, however connected to her instinctual natural side, as well.
The tone of the leopardess' voice didn't seem to be intimidating or anything of the sort like that, and with her own personality, she couldn't quite entirely ignore the leopardess' request. Perhaps when she approached, she could make her usual brief, smalltalk conversation with this leopardess and see if this feline was even sane or not, and if she was, then perhaps get a grasp on a better understanding on what exactly she was just doing. Perhaps it was a species difference? And when it came down to hunting or being in proximity with other felines, her survival could depend on being able to predict their movements a little easier.
"Yes, Miss," she called back out to the leopardess, slowly beginning to walk her. She trained her eyes on the leopardess' eyes and coat, her eyes finding themselves to be mesmerized by their vivid and beautiful colors. It reminded her of the days when she was first exploring the world with her siblings and mother and "aunt", when she had laid her eyes on a zebra for her very first time.
"I don't mean to come across as rude or ignorant," she began to say as she got to a closer proximity to the leopardess, "but what exactly would I be getting a better view of by coming closer?"The Captain Britain I really apologize for that! T___T I thought I told you about it a head of time! That's all on me, not you of course so no worries~ I promise to try my best to write back on a timely manner, however! <3 I feel really bad that it took me so long to respond!
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Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 8:54 am
[.Silvr-Moon.] Naw, don't sweat it! I might be a tad slow myself. 3rd quarter is the worst one at my university, since they're aren't any breaks until spring break.
The dancer quickly blinked. She would have felt embarrassed about staring, but the leopardess found that she was being stared at as well. So that's how it was. A small smile curled up her mouth. How often did Rio get the chance to educate a gorgeous cheetah on the art of dancing? It was turning out to be a wonderful day already.
"Don't tell me you have never heard of dancing?" She asked playfully. Obviously the cheetah hadn't, based on her apparent confusion. "Well then, 'Miss' Rio can teach you all you want to know, if you are wanting to know it." Rio leaned back a little, giving the cheetah a coy smile.
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:54 am
The closer and closer she stepped towards the leopardess, the more she seemed to have to adjust her eyes and pupils, as if stepping in and out of direct sunlight. Not in a negative way; the bright rainbow of colors that painted her back really stood out and seemed to morph into different shapes when the leopardess moved, really standing out from her black base. It was unlike any coat she had seen before, and it was quite mesmerizing. Yet, the way the leopardess stared at her seemed rather...odd, a familiar glint of something that reminded her about looks she had seen in the past with her mother and "aunt" when they occasionally looked at each other...
But she disregarded such a guess; most likely, she was just looking upon her odd appearance, being that Arashi was a cheetah with not only a torn ear, but an odd, "long-furred" sort of coat, a coat unlike Arashi had ever seen before in her species, other than in two of her three siblings. In that case, the leopardess' staring was understandable, and it didn't have to go to that thought of..."interest"?
When the leopardess asked her the question about 'dancing', she opened her mouth to give her an answer; but, she was quickly cut off from doing so. Her words seemed harmless and friendly enough, having a playful sort of vibe and feel to them as they rung in her ears. Arashi approached ever closer, finally leaving about six or seven feet between the two of them. Her muscles were relaxed yet tensed at their cores, ready to sprint of something wrong happened. But as she said to herself before, this leopardess seemed harmless enough; and besides, she probably wasn't at her best being that she made that odd, exuberant display of jumping around and twisting this way and that.
"My name is Arashi, Miss Rio," she introduced herself to the colorful leopardess rather flatly, yet politely. "And you may teach me of it, but what is 'dancing'? I have never heard of that word before," she admitted with a plain tone, her serious nature still seeming to shine through.The Captain Britain Well thank you very much for understanding! And please, take your time with responding if you're too busy with school! I totally understand since I'm in the same exact position! <3
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:25 pm
Rio clucked her tongue disapprovingly. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought she was speaking with a ghost! Arashi didn't seem to have any life, any passion, any emotion, in her voice at all. It was no wonder the cheetah had never heard of something so expressive and joyful as dance before. She would just have to educate poor Arashi, and perhaps see if there was any emotion underlying such a stoic exterior.
The leopard got to her paws, stretching out her back before giving herself a little shake. Where to begin? It was easy to teach those who had at least heard of dancing. But this cheetah was completely in the dark. Rio would have to start with the very basics. "Well, dancing is an expression of the heart." She began to sway a little bit, body moving from side to side. "It shows what you are feeling, whether it is a sad feeling or a happy one." She circled the cheetah slowly, her movements becoming more exaggerated. "Dancing uses the movements of the body to show these feelings, as sometimes words cannot fully express our emotions." The dancer did a quick spin, as light on her paws as a feather in the wind. "Many creatures in nature do the dancing. The birds court each other, the butterflies dance in the air, and we dance for enjoyment." Rio ended with a short bow, smiling at the cheetah. "Surely you have seen something like this somewhere in nature, no?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 6:25 pm
Was she disappointed in her lack of knowledge? Maybe it wasn't quite her lack of knowledge, but her serious disposition? Arashi was so used to being so serious in life that she hardly noticed the bland way that she spoke; her inner passion only given away in the depth of her eyes sometimes. And even if she would one day learn this 'dancing' for herself, her body was much different than a leopard's or a lion's! They had more muscular builds, big and strong. She had a muscular build, as well, but a cheetah like her was much thinner and lankier than the other feline breeds out there. Pulling off such jumping maneuvers and such would be difficult for her body to create! However, twisting and flexing wouldn't be so bad for her body, would it?
She watched Miss Rio's swaying as she explained to her just what dancing was, keeping her eyes tactfully yet harmlessly trained on her body's every movement as she walked around her. The concept that was being explained to her wasn't too difficult to grasp, but the usage of that energy being placed for something other than hunting or traveling was still a bit confusing with her on the inside. But, the more examples Miss Rio gave her, the more she began to understand the emotional side of it a lot more and memories of observations she could remember as she was growing up.
"Yes, you're right. I've seen it once before between some insects and birds, and, umm, my mother and aunt, even a pair of lionesses one time..." she admitted with a shy and awkward voice as she revealed some of her memories. "Is...is dancing used for courtship, mostly?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 7:12 pm
Rio quirked an eyebrow. Courtship? Between her mother and her aunt? The leopard was willing to bet this cheetah's "aunt" was in no way related to her mother. It was a concept Rio was familiar with, hiding the true nature of a relationship under the guide of family bonds. Not all in the savannah took kindly to relationships of a more...unique nature. Rio's own mother had told her horror stories of prides that killed hybrids or chased other species off their territories. The leopard had made an effort ever since to stay away from such prides and coalitions. She had been with plenty of those differing from her in species, and even sired a litter from a cheetah. Not to mention she had held the affections of more than a few females. Rio didn't think that such prides would take to kindly to that kind of knowledge.
The leopard considered Arashi's question. "Mostly, this is true. But this is not always so. We, creature who are more intelligent, can use dancing to express emotions other than love." Rio answered with a coy smile. She turned to the side, regarding Arashi out of the corner of a red eye. "But many times dancing, no matter what emotion is being portrayed, can be an act of love if the audience is receptive enough." She said playfully, flicking her tail across the underside of Arashi's muzzle. "And when two are united in bonds of love, dancing can be a very sensual way for lovers express how much they are for one another." The dancer winked at Arashi, waiting for the cheetah to process everything Rio had just told her. Rio had the feeling that Arashi was an analytical thinker like that. It would potentially cause a problem if Arashi actually wished to learn how to dance, so Rio would have to go slowly with her.
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Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:26 pm
"Y-yes, they were both cheetahs though, of course, because she was my aunt...and the lionesses, well, were both lionesses. Do the same species usually dance like that? And with the same gender?" Rio seemed to give her an odd type of eyebrow raise; it wasn't quite disapproving, but it wasn't entirely amused with her responses. Did she think that she was dim at all? Perhaps not, being that Arashi knew just how serious she could appear to be to others as well as herself. But the more and more Rio contemplated the words that she shared with her, the more and more Arashi felt her heart race with some odd feeling of anxiety while staring into those pretty ruby red eyes...and the more she noticed an odd, particular look in her eyes as she thought about something Arashi had no clue about.
She continued to watch at listen to Rio's words very carefully, trying to genuinely learn about the answers to her question about dancing, but for some reason her breathing and heart beat continued to change the more and more she told her about the emotional side to dancing and the heightened sensual emotions between two lovers who were dancing together, and that way she flashed those coy smiles and looked at her just the right way...it was an odd feeling she had no knowledge of, but yet had felt a couple of rare times before when talking to specific felines. The specie and gender didn't seem to matter, but just their overall appearance and the way they acted with her...
"S-S -" she began with a slight stutter, pausing to briefly clear her throat and 'refresh' her lungs and face as she looked upon the leopardess again. "Can you show me?"
"If that's even possible, at least," she asked with a more flat and serious tone. She was interested in seeing what that would look like...just the dance moves, that's all...
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Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:49 pm
Rio smiled a knowing grin. Well, it seemed as if her assumption had been right. She turned to face Arashi fully again, smiling at the cheetah as she would a cub who was finally starting to understand the ways of the world. It was a smile of praise, a way of saying "good job" without words. The leopardess was good at that, at speaking without words. After all, that was what dancing really was. It was an expression of feeling, a message that could be conveyed without the need to open one's mouth for anything but breath. Her mother had once told her of how she taught a mute lioness to dance once. When she was younger, Rio hadn't thought it possible. But now that she understand her family's art, it made perfect sense.
"Species? Gender? Who is to say that love can be defined in these terms? Love is for all, no matter who it is between." Rio could see Arashi beginning to get a little flustered, a little unsure. That was good. It meant she could actually feel emotion, the dancer thought with an inward laugh. Rio had begun to worry about that. Her ears pricked at the stutter, at the hopeful tone in the cheetah's voice as Arashi asked to be taught how to dance, the corners of her mouth twitching downwards as the cheetah's mouth fell flat again. Rio would have to find a way to tap into that raw emotion she had just heard if Arashi was going to be able to dance. This was going to be quite a long process indeed.
"Anyone can learn how to do the dancing, Arashi. Come. I will show you the first few steps, if think you are fast enough to keep up, no?" Rio teased. Of course Arashi had the speed to keep up. She was a cheetah, faster than Rio was. Even Rio's hybrid son had considerably more speed than she did. This was turning out to be an interesting afternoon. And perhaps after the two were worn out from learning the basic steps, they could sit down, and Rio could learn a little bit more about these two aunts. Maybe she could try to squeeze a little bit more emotion out of the strange cheetah as well. But that was a thought for later. Rio focused herself and began showing Arashi some simple moves, a small smile on her face as they danced.
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![[.Silvr-Moon.]'s avatar](https://a1cdn.gaiaonline.com/dress-up/avatar/ava/a2/89/59e868a46889a2_flip.png?t=1364596114_6.00_01)