[PRP] Story for a Song?

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"Oh, my. What happened next?" Lianyi breathed as she leaned in, completely enthralled in the story being told by the male.

It happened to be a hot day, and while hunting for her lunch, had to take a break in the shade of a tree. And, it just so happened, was approached by a fellow with not only lunch in the form of a nice fat antelope, but what seemed to be a wealth of stories.  

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"But then suddenly I just kind of saw these jellyfish without any tentacles floating around in the water and was like “oh cool.”" Zevthas chuckled, taking a bite from the antelope's haunch before continuing.

"The next day back with the pride, our mentor asked us what we had done over the past few days. Now, normally, I never pipe up. But I did this time. I ******** did it this time. The worst possible time. So I wiggled and raised my paws and everyone was obviously shocked to see me so eager to share."

He paused, waiting for his lunch guest to catch up.  

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"Oh, I understand not being the one to share. I hardly did as a cub, either. I left the talking to my sisters." Lianyi giggled, shifting herself to lay on her side.

"...Though your pause makes me wonder..."  

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"Oh, you'll get a laugh out of it. I didn't really back at the time, but...."

Taking a deep breath, he continued.

"I was excited, so I just said-
“I saw this jelly fish in the aquarium and I thought it was really cool because it didn’t have any -testicles-.”"

He waited. Again.  

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He paused.

She paused.

The words sank in, and for a moment she couldn't believe what he'd heard. But once processed, a smile slowly crosses her face, and Lianyi burst into laughter.

"Tes...Tes...Te-- hahahah!" She couldn't even finish her sentence, she was laughing so hard!  

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"Right?! My friends also dissolved into laughter JUST Like that. I had no clue what was going on so I pleaded my closest friend to explain what was so funny, I mean even our mentor was curled up laughing and I just...I didn't get it!"

After a hearty chuckle, he stretched out, shaking his mane a bit.

"So, eventually my friend explained to me. It took...I want to say two hours of begging but when he did, I was so embarrassed."  

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Finally recovering from her laughing fit, Lianyi sat up straight, wiping tears from her eyes with a paw.

"Oh...Oh my goodness...And that's why you haven't been to a beach since you were little?"  

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"And that's why I haven't gone to the beach since I was a cub." Zevthas affirmed with a nod of his head.

"In hindsight, it was hilarious. If I was my mentor, I too would have collapsed with laughter. A little cub, talking about a jellyfish without testicles?"

Another chuckle, and he settled down in a laying position.

"Well...You got a story out of me. And a meal...What will I be receiving in return, Miss Lianyi?"  

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Oh. Oh, she felt super rude in that moment. Indeed, she had gotten not only a belly full of meat, but a story that made her cry with laughter. And thus far, she hadn't given him anything in return.

"I...I'm so sorry, I didn't even think...My mother used to trade songs for a night's rest in other pride's lands, but I'm not sure I would be up to the task..."  

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Perking up, Zevthas mulled it over in his head. It was tempting to ask for something more substantial, a story for a story, but...Well, he was short on songs honestly, and he was curious.

"I'm sure you have a voice as lovely as your eyes. I mean, don't feel pressured but I wouldn't decline a song for a story and a meal."  

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"I...Well, I don't know many, but..."

Taking a breath, Lianyi hummed a few notes to get herself steady and to clear her throat.

I dreamed I was missing
You were so scared
But no one would listen
Cause no one else cared
After my dreaming
I woke with this fear
What am I leaving
When I'm done here
So if you're asking me I want you to know...

Drawing out the last note, she waited for Zevthas' reaction before continuing.  

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Even her humming sounded so melodic and soft, he could have accepted a hummed tune without any words. But once she started, there was no turning back.

Closing his eyes, he soaked in the song. Her voice was so soft, sounded so sad, but there was a tint of what was probably hope for something better in the song itself. He could only hope that she didn't stop before the song was ended.  

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His reaction was...well, it wasn't bad, and she hadn't sung in so long that her voice seemed to steady even further as she continued. The tune was mournful, yes, but it made her heart feel lighter.

When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some
Reasons to be missed
And don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest...

Trailing off, she wrapped it up with a hum of what seemed to be a continuation.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I don't really remember the rest of the song..." She admitted, shuffling her paws in the grass. "I...I don't remember many other songs either, I haven't sung in so long..."  

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"I...That was perfect."

Zevthas smiled at her, clapping his paws together as if to applaud her.

"I think you should sing more, Miss Lianyi. Not only is your voice beautiful, but you have such a grasp on the harmony...."

Looking up to the sky, he squinted at the position of the sun once he found it near the horizon.

"Er...I would love to stay, but I do have a fair distance to cover before nightfall." He apologized, standing up to stretch, arching his back and shaking his tail up in the air. "Do you need an escort somewhere?"