Rites of Sound

Acetyl twists, leaps, throws himself to the ground. Pulsing through his molecules, the bass bellows thunderously. He finds himself a puppet on sonorous strings, incapable of remaining still in the face of such intense kinetic stimulation. The music is as far from radio-friendly as one can get; best of all, it has a strong beat and a powerful riff, and that's all 'Cet needs to lose himself in it, abandon his flesh, and thrash out. 1

He ricochets off a fellow slamdancer, each flying off in their own direction, like being one sleek silver sphere in a whole crowd of maddened pinballs. 2

Abruptly, just as he's spinning into a leaping kick, something huge and heavy slams into his side, and he falls flat on his back. A massive crocodilian (who appears to have forgotten his 'SECURITY' T-shirt in the ecstacy of the moment) has taken up the Obligatory Huge Guy role. 3

'Cet struggles wildly to retain his footing but the momentum throws him onto his back as the pit giant stumbles off at a 90-degree angle. He skids a full twenty feet as the people making up the ring dive out of the way, but before he has a chance to climb to his feet at the end a dozen hands furred, skinned and scaled close around his limbs and toss him back into the pit paws-first. The raindrake has just enough time to cheerily appreciate the ring -- As it should be, he thinks -- before someone else, a felid much closer to his own size, comes crashing into his other side completely out of control. 4

Instinctively the raindrake seizes the other man's arms, pulling him to his feet. Without missing a beat, the cat backs up three steps, as does 'Cet. Staring deep into each other's eyes, surrounded by a swirling maelstrom of rejoicing flesh, they run and lunge at each other, crashing together midair.5

The impact serves to throw each other back into the madcap mix, laughing and twisting with glee. 6

An instant eternity later 'Cet slides on his paws, preparing to run back into the fray, only to feel a sharp tug -- another mosher has taken ahold of the trailing edge of his duster. Then the spinning begins, around and around and around. 'Cet is still laughing when the man lets go, sending him spinning and stumbling uncontrollably into the main knot of dancers. 7

Claws scrabbling at the floor, the raindrake flails his arms out for balance. Just as he skids to a stop in a quiet part about ten feet from the outer ring, 'Cet looks over his shoulder.8

Just in time to see the huge croc stumble backward into a knot of three people all flying in the same direction. This is just enough warning to raise his arms, but not enough to dodge the inevitable.9

Next thing he knows he's flying along, clinging desperately to the crocodile's side to keep from falling and being trampled as the reptile stumbles forward at top speed utterly unable to control himself, a freight train jumping the tracks. 10

At the first safe opportunity 'Cet lets go and drops lightly to his feet, shaking himself. The ring immediately moves forward, absorbing him into its safety zone, and 'Cet slips into the rhythm again, catching, righting, lifting, and otherwise aiding those who come hurtling out of the main knot just as he himself had just done. 11

Mesmirised by the rhythm, 'Cet comes close to disappearing into the protective hive mind of the encircling pit ring. Then the crowd parts to admit the croc, finally. Laughing voices carry the news that skidded for a full sixty feet before finally regaining control.12

As the croc re-enters the pit, Acetyl follows eagerly, spotting the alleycat from earlier. Their eyes meet, their muzzles split into identical grins -- and the song ends.13

They throw the horns enthusiastically to the stage, clapping for the band, but they don't take their eyes off each other, jaws gaped, panting openly and unashamedly. 14

When the vocalist finally gets around to introducing the next song, they take off running at each other just like before, eager to lose themselves once again in the pure kinetic rapture of slam-dancing, to become, in every way, as pure as the sounds dancing in their ears.15

It was beautiful.