(( Sitala - Manda
Iya - Das Tor ))
Iya was bigger than a month ago. But that didn't really matter much. She was still as tone deaf as a rockslide. And that got her down. VERY down. Her brothers and sisters could at least hum. She couldn't even do that. Oh she could recognize a good beat. And she could tell a bad note from a good one. But for some reason it never worked with HER. Her own 'singing' voice hurt her ears and made her cringe. The browny-red juvenile sighed and flopped on a rock.
This sucked. Immensely.
Sitala was wandering about outside the den a little today, eyes half-closed as she hummed a little melody to herself. It wasn't complicate... rather repetitive actually - but then again, she was still learning. And personally, she liked it. She was just trying to think of -words- to go along with the tune.
The soft sound of one of her sisters reached her ears, and she held her head up a bit to see which one. Ah...Sitala. She smiled slightly. "Having fun, 'Tala?" As much as she wanted to be jealous of her family...she just couldn't. She loved them too much.
Sitala jumped a little bit at the sudden voice - having been lost in her own world there. "Oh! Iya... sorry I didn't see you there. I'm just trying to think of some words for this song. What're you doing?"
Iya nodded, then froze. "I uh..." She tried finding something to say...and couldn't find something without lying. And Iya HATED lying. She sighed. "Moping, I guess. You're really lucky, 'Tala..."
Sitala tilted her head at that, then jumped up onto that rock to nuzzle at her sister a bit. "Not really ... I'm sorry that you're sad, though. I wish there was something I could do ..." They'd all tried to help Iya find her voice before. It just... seemed like nothing worked. And Sitala couldn't help feeling -now- like she'd made her sister sadder, since she was humming before, and Iya couldn't do that.
Iya leaned against her sister. "It's not your fault." It really wasn't. And...she tried to not make her family feel bad. She really tried. But she was only small, and not very good at hiding her emotions. "I'm sure...I'll find something eventually. I mean...I can't stay voiceless forever, right?"
Sitala purred softly. "I'm sure that you will," she said, trying to sound confident. Maybe ... maybe Iya just needed to grow up a little more! And then her voice would change, or something ... and be better?
Iya purred back. Yeah...she'd find her voice once day! She just HAD to. Until then...She wrinkled her nose. "I still don't have anything to contribute to when you all sing though." She wanted to do SOMETHING...Something just as pretty as their songs!
Sitala nodded at that, frowning slightly. "Well ... there's other things that are like... uhm. Musical, besides singing. Right? Maybe you could try doing one of those things." She thought for a moment. "Like drumming on the ground with your paws, or .. or ... dancing, or something."
Iya blinked, and tilted her head. "I...guess..." She thought. "I think I tried the first but...what's the second?" She didn't think she'd ever heard of 'dancing'. But...it sounded kinda fun. Certainly sounded fun to say! "Is it something Mommy or Daddy does?"
Sitala shook her head at that. "Not ... reeeally, but I've heard about it. I think it's kinda like... you move around, with the music." She knew that she wasn't describing this well at all. But then again, she hadn't ever seen anyone dancing before.
"Huh..." Maybe they could try it? It wouldn't hurt to try...Would probably hurt less than listening to her gravelly voice. "Let's see if it works!" She bounded onto the ground, a smile on her muzzle.
"Okay!" Sitala grinned, and backed away a little, then cleared her throat, and started singing. She chose one of the songs they all sang together a lot, so it would be something Iya would know. The beat of it was fairly fast too, which she was pretty sure would be easier to move around to, rather than something slow.
Iya stayed still a little bit, listening...then tried shuffling around a bit to the song. And started getting more into it. A quicker step there, a bounce here, and then a spin! She giggled. This was fun!
Sitala grinned as she kept singing, bobbing her own head in time to the beat of the song. What her sister was doing was more complicated of course... and Sitala could tell that with some more practice, Iya would probably be really good.
Iya stopped after a bit, out of breath. Woo...this dancing thing was pretty hard! But...definitely fun! She blinked. Wait. "I DID SOMETHING!" Her voice was full of glee and a little more energy as she pounced her sister. "I did something! I have something I can do too!"
Sitala stopped singing when Iya stopped dancing, and then nodded rather enthusiastically at her sister. "Yup! See! I KNEW there was something you could do!" She was incredibly happy that they had figured it out... now Iya wouldn't feel so sad all the time.
The spice-colored girl grinned brightly, nuzzling her sister. "We gotta tell Mom and Dad!" They'd be so proud that the two of them figured it out! No more sulking for Iya! From then on, she was going to be all real smiles and cheer! She had a talent of her own now!
"Yea! I'll go with you!" Sitala replied with a quick nod. "I mean ... if you want me to." After all, Iya might want to tell them herself - Sitala wouldn't blame her for being proud.
Iya nodded. "I want you to come with! After all, you helped!" She purred then hopped back down and started for home.
"Right behind you then!" Sitala called, bounding after her sister.
