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 Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:00 pm
Having just finished her meal, the young lioness was in the process of cleaning herself up. Her necklace was back in place, as were several of her bracelets, however many lay strewn around her. Kitambi idly licked her paws clean, mind elsewhere as she relaxed. It had been a good catch today, and she was feeling pleasantly full. Content that she was in no danger, the lioness began to hum softly as she worked.
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:02 pm
It had been a long time since he'd gone along with anything, a long time since he'd even known what it was he was searching for on the savannah. Surely it had once had something to do with ridding himself of the ghost that writhed beneath his now gray fur like it belonged there. Naturally it was as unnatural as anything on the savannah, like any god that existed. Even like Akiiki himself.
Demi gods shouldn't exist, at least not in his belief any longer. Sure once upon a time he would have agreed with his parents that he had a place in the world. Now he was older, now he'd seen too much, now Aki understood that his place was to die young so the monster within him could die as well.
About to flop down and sulk more at his own misfortune, Akiiki's sharp ears picked up a noise that he hadn't heard in a long time. Once up on a time he had hummed himself, sang to the sun and the moon, and all the clouds above his head. But that had long since dissapeared from even his own deep chest. Now he was hearing a beautiful sound rising over the wind.
Rolling his shoulders, Akiiki set forward and followed his ears towards the noise until he rounded a bend where a smaller brown lioness lay covered in bracelets and trinkets before his silver eyes. She was the one making that noise?
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 11:46 am
The sound of approaching footsteps made Kitambi look up, brown eyes spotting Akiiki as he made his way towards her. She didn't allow herself to be distracted, however, continuing her humming as she put the remainder of her bracelets on. In between bracelets she would glance up at him, as though making sure he was still there, but didn't say anything. Only when she was finished she did turn her full attention to him, watching him expressionlessly.
"Are you looking for someone?" She asked, head tilted a little in a display of curiousity. Males were somewhat of a rarity back in her pride. The only adult male she had known was Juke, and he had come with a mate. The rest she had grown up with, or at the very least were younger than herself. Kitambi wasn't used to dealing with adult males, but she didn't necessarily feel afraid. Just a little cautious, a little unsure. Still, this male didn't seem like he was the aggressive type. He hadn't charged her or snarled at her, and that was a good start.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 7:25 pm
Hollow eyes watched her with a sentiment that seemed a lot like curiosity flashing behined the light silver. Another lioness that enjoyed music was laying before him, jangling together bracelets and necklacess and things that sounded almost like instruments.
"Looking? No. More like wandering." Akiiki's voice escaped his muzzle with a sound similar to a beating drum with a flute in the background. "It's just nice to find another that appreciates music."
Aki tried a smile out, only to find that it fell a little short when his scars stretched over his muzzle a tad. Still, at least he gave it an attempt. Okoth was silent and the lioness before him didn't seem as though she were all that bad other than a deep and unwavering lack of expression that was settled over her dark face.
Looking her up and down with almost uncaring eyes, Aki took in the beads and tangles all hanging off of her. Was she a dancer that she wore all of that?
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 1:54 pm
Wandering then? Kitambi's cheetah friend did a lot of that. She had never really considered it a lifestyle she would enjoy despite being somewhat solitary. Kimanda said that he never got lonely on his journeys and so far the young lioness had not felt lonely either. But she had a much deeper sense of duty and homeland than he did, which was why she would return to lead the pride once she had found her rhythm. Rhythm-seeking would come later. She had to focus on this stranger, whose voice was perhaps the strangest she had ever heard. It was definitely musical, but in a different way than she was used to. He made her very curious, despite the neutral expression on her face.
"It's more than an appreciation for music, sir. Music is my life. I am here to find my Rhythm, and thus find myself." It was something everyone in her pride did, and thus Kitambi did not feel shy or embarrassed to talk about it. The outside world could judge as they wished. She would return home soon anyways, where her rhythm would be regarded with pride. The lioness watched as the male attempted to smile, eyes drawn to the way the scars moved on his face. His smile was answered by a curious look reflected in her eyes, mouth still set. Kitambi was a lioness of little expression, though perhaps he could get a smile out of her by the end of it all.
His scrutiny did not go unnoticed, and she gave a small shake of a paw to demonstrate the way the bracelets clicked and jangled together. Had he never seen bracelets before?
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:29 pm
Aki's violet and white head tilted a little at her words and at the jangling noises of her braclets. She spoke of finding her rhythm, though she was playing it by herself just now, the jangling and clicking noises that came with a simple shake of her paw. It was a rhythm like he'd never heard before and the simple gesture made him want to sing.
Only years of mental torture kept him from singing out in his instrumental voice when she did that.
"Wandering yourself then are you? In search of rhythm when it's already within you?" His voice lilted like a flute, asking for attention and deeper thought with the haunting noise it held behind it. "Rhythm is carried deep in your heart, it never leaves so you have to find it. Though I suppose if you lose sight of it for a time..."
He'd lost his own rhythm long ago, the rhythm of song that rose from his throat so willingly. Akiiki on the other hand, unlike the lioness before him, hadn't tried to find it once it had gone. Only his voice remained to remind those of the bard he'd once been, but Okoth had taken the rest away. All the songs, all the poems, all inspiration that welled within him.
"Are you a dancer with those bracelets? It seems like you'd make a very good one if such a noise can come from a simple shake."
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 3:51 pm
Kitambi's head tilted at Aki's response, a slight frown forming on her face. "I don't think I understand what you're getting at. Rhythm is always centered in your heart, for your heart has the ultimate rhythm. But you still must find it first, or allow it to come to you. You can have your own unique Rhythm within the steady rhythm of your heartbeat. That's what makes it so special." This male was confusing. Where else would she be searching for her Rhythm but within her? Were there other places to search for it? Of course, you could find rhythm outside of you but then it wasn't your own. If you wanted to find yourself you had to first find the rhythm that made you special. It was the pride's primary teaching.
"All things lost can be found if you look for them hard enough." That was what Binafsi had told her, and she believed it applied to things like rhythm. Certainly, this lion could find his rhythm if he looked hard enough for it. "Perhaps you have lost your rhythm because it no longer applied to you. You have changed enough so that you need a new rhythm to echo your heart." Kitambi nodded at his question, shaking the bracelets again. "All the members of my pride wear bracelets like this to dance with. It helps us make our music."
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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 12:53 am
A sad smile passed over Aki's face at her words. She'd seen within him what he hadn't said alloud, was it that obvious that the rhythm within his own heart had abandoned him with the demon that infested his mind? Certainly not, maybe it was just a simple assumption of the lioness before him.
"Of course everyone has their own rhythm, you could never dance or sing or play to anyone elses. But it's hard to imagine having to find it when you have it all along." Akiiki allowed to the adolescent female before him in a deep drumming noise, his silvery eyes watching her without a hint of real curiosity. "Your mind may not think that it knows but your heart always knows the rhythm is there. Your paws were just tapping out your heart's rhythm only a moment ago."
The large lion sat himself down, his violet tail tapping on the ground in no sort of beat other than to keep that part of him occupied while his mind thought. Akiiki was a creature of habit and as such needed to move, needed to keep running despite the fact that the demon he wished to run from could never be run away from. Not when it was speaking in his head.
"Your pride must be a truely pleasant place, if lions like yourself walk around wearing and making music every moment of the day." Aki said at last, the drums still in his voice. He was happy to think that a pride of bards and singers had risen from the ashes of the ground to inhabit a place, to let the world hear the music their minds and hearts played out in forms other than simply song. Dance and music, such things were amazing to think of. "If I could live so long I'd wish to see that pride someday."
Aki's eyes took on a faraway look as he thought on that, the ability to see a place so far away, so magical in his mind. A land of song and music, it was like a fairytale his mother used to tell him.
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 6:32 pm
"I would disagree," Kitambi argued, "You can dance or sing to anybody's rhythm, even if it does not match your own. That is the beauty of rhythm. It can apply to everybody and apply to you without having to change itself." Everyone in her pride could dance and sing to any rhythm that someone beat out on the drum. It didn't matter how good you were or whether or not you could dance or sing at all, you were always welcome to indulge in the rhythms of others. Thus, the young lioness didn't understand how the lion before her could say that rhythm was exclusive to only one person. "Rhythm can always be shared with others. We can dance to the same rhythm but be unique at the same time. It's one of the main teachings of my pride."
At his praise of her pride, the young lioness couldn't help but look rather pleased. "It is a very nice place, very restful and relaxing. We don't have any great expectations of our members like some other prides I've heard about. We're like one big family." It felt strange to be able to brag about her home, but Kitambi decided she didn't mind doing it. She could have a little pride some times, especially when it came to the Nchi'mahadhi. "You would always be welcome to visit. My pride welcomes all strangers to come and share their stories and rhythms with the pride so we can appreciate all aspects of music."
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 7:15 pm
Violet fur fell before his eyes as Akiiki tilted his head a bit to the side, amusement lighting his hollowed eyes. Rhythm was exclusive, though he could be wrong. The beat in his heart was different than this female's, he knew that for certain. He could feel it in the air around them though until then he had refused to acknowledge it for his own indecision of life.
"You dance and sing to another's rhythm because the rhythm within you tells you to do that. You cannot take the rhythm they posess and have it for yourself. When one lion begins singing the hearts and inner rhythms of those around them either tell them to sing with the other or to ignore it and watch. That's why some lions will sing and why others will not. Not because they share in the spirit of one another's rhythm but do not share their rhythm within the hearts of others. I simply meant that one rhythm cannot be the same in the hearts of two lions unless they're sharing it through song or dance or music." Aki explained in a flutey noise, his head throbbing a bit from attempting to explain something his heart knew instinctively.
Taking a deep breath that stretched out his skin over his ribs tighter than before, Aki lifted his head and looked up at the sky. Would Okoth do well in a pride? Would he himself do well in a pride, surrounded by so many others that might find out the wickedness that inhabited him?
"It would be... interesting... to visit. Though I could not begin to say how long I would stay." the lion said slowly, "It's been too long since rhythm has left me and I couldn't begin to explain the pain it brings to be around others that posess it."
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 3:24 pm
"Rhythm cannot be ignored once it is recognized. Whether a creature chooses to join in the rhythm or sit back is their own personal preference. It has more to do with character than anything else," Kitambi argued, a slight frown appearing on her face. "In my pride, there are some who sit back and let others dance simply because they are better at beating out their rhythm on the drums. How you express your rhythm is up to you, but expression is part of having rhythm. Even if you are not good at something, you can still do it, right? And I think you are wrong when you say that two lions cannot share the same rhythm. All creatures of the same species share a heartbeat, do they not?"
"Of course, one cannot share their unique rhythm with another, for it is theirs. But everyone has a heartbeat. That is why rhythm is both a unifier and a divider. It both includes and separates." The young lioness was glad she had been told so much about rhythm. It made conversation much easier. "Length of time is no problem. We have several members of the pride who simply visit from time to time, but are not actively part of our drum circle. And you should not feel pain being around others who understand rhythm." At this, Kitambi's frown deepened. "Perhaps you simply need to embrace the rhythm of the heartbeat before you seek out your own rhythm. In my pride, we leave the pride when we are young to find the rhythm in our hearts. It is possible that you have to leave your routine to find yours."
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:37 pm
A strangled laugh came upon Akiiki's muzzle and he held both of his white paws up. The both of them were repeating what the other was saying with only a few differences. In essence they agreed on the exact same thing, but they were still arguing about it.
"I appologize song sister. I didn't mean to laugh, but we agree on what we're speaking about yet we both appear to want to argue on the point. Maybe it's time we start over and find common ground amidst the two of us. We agree that a rhythm can only be shared communally when others are sharing their own, however you cannot own theirs but share with it. Why do we argue when we agree?"
His violet tail swished across the ground slowly as he listened, his silver eyes watching her without betraying the blackness that inhabited his own mind and soul. Okoth writhed beneath his skin, trying to interject his thoughts and meld his own mind. That was why he lost his rhythm, because he was subjected to such negativity and anger every day without pause. Because he couldn't turn Okoth off even if he wished he could.
"In truth, it would be interesting to go in an attempt to find my rhythm again, but I fear that it's gone for good. Painfully, I haven't felt rhythm in years and my days are dimming slowly. If I had to do anything it wouldn't be a search for a deceased rhythm, it would be to visit a pride based off of rhythm itself." Aki explained to her slowly and carefully, knowing he sounded like he was complaining and whining. In reality he was simply stating a fact he knew, the demon that possessed his soul was trying to kill him and he was running out of time...
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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:28 am
Kitambi blinked at the lion’s response, and for a moment she looked somewhat amused. “Indeed, we so seem to agree on many things, however I would have said we were having a discussion rather than and argument. Simply putting forth our point of view and letting the other explain how they feel. That is part of the reason I am here and not at my home, to listen to how others view and understand rhythm. Everyone in my pride sees it in a similar way, and I was curious as to how others see it.” That much was true. She had lived in her pride her whole life, and was interested in the rest of the world. Did they love music as much as she did? Or did they spend their whole lives living without music? She could not imagine the latter, but she knew it was possible. What a horrible life it would be, though, to live in silence.
The young lioness tilted her head at his words, quiet for a moment as she considered it. “Rhythm cannot end, even when a lion dies. Those who remember the rhythm can continue to play it to remind us of those who are no longer here. Perhaps your rhythm is simply lost, and you need to let it find its way home. Sometimes the things we are searching for will only find us when and where we least expect them to. I’m sure my pride would welcome you though, brother, even if you did not bring your rhythm with you.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 4:18 pm
A grin passed over Aki's tired muzzle and he let his head droop a little bit. Some lionesses were strong of heart, this was one of them. She knew what the answer should be and how she wanted to hear it, or at least so Akiiki believed. What came from his muzzle was of little consequence other than to be logged away for later use by her.
But at least someone would remember.
"Many don't even knowing what music is. To them the sound of birds in the air is the only music they'll ever know, the sound of the wind in the grass. Music lives everywhere but if you don't know that it's music you live without knowing. All the same, the music of the world around us is everywhere and it touches lions and other creatures daily. My father once told me that when he was younger the sound of the sands dancing in the air helped him to sleep yet if you asked him about music he wouldn't be able to tell you what it was, and him being a god." trumpets sounded in Akiiki's voice, not loud but sure of what he was saying.
He watched the other in silence, his voice stuck in his throat as she talked of acceptance, something that was foreign to someone like him. Akiiki had to keep himself from smiling sadly and choked back a tear at the thought of being welcomed. As he never would be anywhere else.
"My time is up to search for it and those that know me would never remember the rhythm I once had, for it's been many years since it was lost. But it would be nice to be welcomed somewhere, as that has never truely been the case with me."
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:49 am
The young lioness listened in silence, save for the occasional tinkle when her bracelets moved together. She had never considered the fact that those who did not understand music could appreciate the natural music around them. It had always been one and the same to her. If you knew about music, then you could hear it anywhere. But, she supposed, there were always other creatures in the world who sang for pure pleasure, and those who heard it could enjoy it without knowing it was music. It was an interesting thought. “I have never heard the sands dance, though it sounds like they are quite soothing. And your father was a god?” The word piqued Kitambi’s interest. Her mother had met a god once, though the way she told it he was a rather obnoxious creature. Changed her colours and did other strange things. Surely this lion’s father could not have been the same kind of god. He was not arrogant enough to be the offspring of a self-centered god.
“Perhaps, then, we shall give you an honorary rhythm so that we will not forget you even when you are no longer with us.” Kitambi gave a small shrug. “Rhythm is special to my pride, as it appears it is to you. Your appreciation for it should make you feel more welcome there, but even if you did not know of music or feel rhythm through your paws then you would still be welcome there. Everyone has a heartbeat, whether they choose to recognize its beat or not.”
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