THE DANCING KING
PART ONE (/3)
Author's Notes:
If anyone is uninterested, there's a humanized version on AO3. That one was actually the original before I decided to write this version as well.
This is an AU in which the penguins did not get caught at grand central station. The other animals there were sent to the Kenya wildlife reserve. The zoo replaced them with lemurs, and some of Julien's other friends and acquaintances.
Unnamed Song References:
Thunder - Imagine Dragons
Disgusting - Miranda Cosgrove
Stamp on the Ground - Italobrothers
I only wanna be with you - Volbeat
Antarctica had been a bust, so they traveled the world. It was an interesting experience, and the penguins grew closer as a team and a family. When Skipper returned to the zoo, he expected it to be peaceful and dull. He yearned for it, after all the action he had seen.
Instead, he would find himself dealing with the worst neighbors ever.
Skipper is returning from a solo mission foiling Hans. The lemur habitat is suspiciously quiet. As he gets close to his home, he hears the usual ruckus coming from his headquarters. The sound of music comes down like a hammer on his already sour mood. His neighbor, the thorn in his side, has invaded his space. He's a lemur whose name nor face does he know, but he despises with the full burning heat of the sun.
He can't imagine the bozo got past his security. Someone must have let him in.
Skipper bursts through the entrance.
Kids were laughing in my classes
While I was scheming for the masses
Who do you think you are?
Dreaming 'bout being a big star
He jumps off the top of the ladder and lands on a ruddy brown lemur.
"Oh, a thousand apologies sir," he murmurs, even though it's Skipper who bowled him over. Then, he picks himself up and holds out his palm. He has a friendly, unassuming aura that makes Skipper's beak itch.
The lemur asks, "May I see your invite?"
Skipper clenches his flipper, and the lemur throws an arm up to protect his face. "Nevermind! You and your fabulous feathers are welcome to join the party!"
Skipper must be a sight to this bubbly wimp. He cuts a threatening figure, despite his relatively short height. Skipper's eyes flick to the to the crowd, dancing and drinking in his home as though they have every right. He keeps his flippers clenched, prepared to pummel their leader.
"What have I done to deserve this," Skipper mutters to the cowering invader. "This is my HQ, the penguins' base of operations!"
The interloper in front of him recovers from his fear and offers his hand. "I'm Ted, it's nice to meet you. Your HQ is wonderful, and so very clean." Ted's eyes travel the length of his body. "My aren't you strapping?"
Nearby a lemur with black, orange, and red fur and a devilish grins half-yells across the room, "Who is that you're flirting with Teddy?"
Skipper glowers, noticing the lemur is gathering as many valuables in his arms as he can carry. He catches Skipper's gaze, but he doesn't even look sheepish. He does a pelvic thrust and stage-whispers, "Hoo-ah!" He simply disappears into the crowd, items falling from his overflowing pile. A tall bat scurries behind him, picking up the things that were lost in the hurry.
Ted ducks his head a little, embarrassed. "Sorry about Pancho, bit of a kleptomaniac. He's been getting help, really, but it's a work in progress. Andy is such an enabler."
Skipper opens his beak to lay into the guy when another voice pipes in.
"Hi, Skipper. Welcome back," Private says. "How was the mission? All go smoothly?"
Skipper skips on the pleasantries. "Why did you let these miscreants in?"
"Mr. Julien gave me a big bucket of fish and - and a doll of a new lunacorn character that hasn't even been officially released yet. They aren't doing any harm!"
Skipper grips his beak in frustration. He supposes he can't entirely blame someone as naive as Private for accepting a bribe so easily. He should blame - possibly punish - the briber instead. First, he needs to dissipate this rabble.
He surveys the area. There are at least eleven lemurs, an aye-aye, an otter, a cat, a bat, a squirrel, four chameleons, a black and white creature with a long skinny nose, a civet that's holding a cockroach, a fossa, a toucan, and a cobra of alarming size. Some of those creatures aren't even members of the zoo. Skipper ponders that he's certain he's heard that fossa are a predator that eat lemurs.
He grabs the nearest idiot, which is still Ted. "Who is the ringleader of this obnoxious circus?"
Ted giggles, but it's a nervous sound. Good. "He uh - that would be King Julien - mister - sir -"
Skipper doesn't recall seeing anyone who looked like royalty.
Skipper says through a tight beak, "Take me to him. Now."
Ted leads him through the crowd. A portly gray lemur stops them. He meets Skipper's stormy gaze with only a slight flinch.
"I wouldn't interrupt King Julien when he's in the groove thing zone. He gets very testy," he explains. "My name's Maurice by the way, his majesty's advisor and best friend. You're Skipper right?"
"I don't actually give a shit. Why are you even here. In my base, with my species on the exhibit label? I could have every last one of you banned from the vicinity."
"Private's one of you penguins too, and he allowed us in. The thing is - I tried to stop him but Julien is stubborn. There's been two noise complaints so far, and he thought partying in a different exhibit would avoid the third. It's after hours, I don't see what the big deal is."
"The deal is that some non-party-animals are trying to sleep."
They stare at each other in heavy silence for a moment. Ted awkwardly excuses himself.
"You're the one who filed the complaints?"
"Obviously. One has to have low standards to live here true, but still, there are standards. Your ringleader has got on my last nerve."
"From what I've heard this lemur is minor royalty," Skipper continues. "Why are you in New York? I'll be glad to help you get back to your home - what was it called, Madagascar?"
Julien doesn't seem like the type who belongs here. You can take some animals out of the wild, but you can't take the wild out of them. They either need to settle into this kind of life or get the hell out as fast as possible.
"Please, we can't go anywhere else. Let's just say… there are people looking to put a permanent end to his li - uh, his parties. He can't go back home right now, and he can't live somewhere fancy that would attract attention and be easily found."
"Unfortunately for your idiot, his parties are the next habitat over. I get very cranky when I can't get any sleep! He's lucky I haven't snuck into your pen to smother him where he sleeps."
"Look, we'll leave your place right now. I'll talk to him, see if he can tone it down. OK? Just. Give us a - a week. A second chance. At the very least to get another option sorted out."
Skipper wants to snarl in his face and deny him. However, he seems earnest and semi-intelligent. Skipper sighs and strokes his beak.
"You have a week to improve your behavior or prepare to get the hell out."
Maurice gives a solemn nod. He heads to his boss or whatever. Skipper watches in an intimidating soldier stance as everyone files out, carefully giving him a wide berth or even cowering. Ted waves goodbye to Private, who waves back. Ted stumbles at the ladder and is caught by another lemur. Skipper recognizes his species as the famous ring-tailed variety, though he doesn't recall seeing any others among the crowd. He's carrying the boombox, which is still playing.
"There, you've got to be careful, Ted."
"I know sir!"
My heart is slipping, too intense
I need an escape
I'm seeing stars and there is
Nothing more that I hate
The young lemur with silver-mocha fur and licorice highlights pauses at the bottom of the ladder. A black and white fluffy tail is slightly curled behind him. His back is on Skipper, and he is motionless until the others have left. He is the last, and spins around to raise an eyebrow at the one rightfully kicking them out of his headquarters. Skipper's breath catches. He quickly notices the lemur is well-groomed. A fresh smell still wafts from him, even though his fur has a luster produced by sweat.
His amber eyes gleam in the low light, captivating Skipper. Skipper glances over his lighter gray stomach, not completely flat, but not taking away from the shape of his hips. He tries to not linger. The stranger smirks and puts his hands on his hips. His nails are trimmed to perfection and shiny. Skipper has to force himself to look at a point over his shoulder to stop staring at this unexpected ethereal beauty.
"It is a shame we have to go. You have such a nice place," the ring-tailed lemur remarks.
"I - thanks?"
"I hope you are having sweetest dreams. Au revoir, monsieur pingouin autoritaire." His voice is saccharine and light as a feather at the same time, smooth and proper in a way then sends an electrified tingle down his spine. He flutters his dark eyelids, waiting for Skipper to recover.
"Goodnight," Skipper replies in a stilted tone, his tongue dry. The lemur slips out of the base with grace unparalleled by anyone else he's met. He's gone before Skipper can ask his name or figure out a way to see him again.
Who is that stranger that has him so transfixed? He realizes with a jolt that he's seen him before, on his morning patrols. When he returned to the headquarters he saw him in the lemur habitat, stretching with yoga-like poses in the late morning sun.
Skipper can't help give him a nickname in his head - his glorious and striped, downy tail coming to mind - Ringtail.
END OF PART ONE
TO BE CONTINUED