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The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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The smell hit Emberdust like a wet frog to the face - sweet stars above, what was that?

Her yellow eyes narrowed as she peeked through the underbrush. Standing in the squishiest part of ShadowClan’s finest swamp like a kit with no sense of survival was a she-cat so clean she looked like she'd been licked clean by ten queens at once. Her pelt practically sparkled...beneath the mud she was clearly trying very hard not to touch.

Emberdust couldn’t help it. A grin split her face. "Whatcha doing out here?" she questioned aloud, stepping out with all the grace of a frog flopping from a log. "You enjoying yourself? You should be careful...you could sink into the mud and never be seen again!" A goofy tactic, but one that played on the suspicion of outsiders. It was better than unsheathing claws, in her opinion.

She circled lazily, keeping a few tail lengths away but clearly seemed non-hostile, or even unbothered by the other molly's presence. Emberdust flitted over the mud, clearly unbothered by the mud too.

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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Laetitia froze mid-step, one dainty paw hovering above the mud like it might bite her. Her whiskers twitched at the sudden voice and her pale green eyes snapped towards the source with a flick of her large ears. She blinked at the stranger, a cinnamon tortoiseshell pointed she-cat, once, then twice, before adjusting her posture with a flick of her tail, she drew herself up with the grace of a cat who'd once been taught how to pose for twoleg cameras.

"Oh! Bonjour" She greeted, her voice sweet and polished, she took note of the lack of aggression in the stranger's voice, her friendly energy, and acted accordingly, though there was a touch of something breathy in her voice from the shock. "You startled me, mademoiselle" She gingerly stepped back from the deepest part of the mud, trying hard to pretend she hadn't almost lost her paw in the muck. Her paw shook of a string of swamp water with the force of someone offended by nature itself.

"I am on an expedition, you see. Observing the... ah... mysterious and wild territories of the, how you say, untamed clans." her head tilted, as though this were perfectly normal, she could finally reveal what exactly she was trying to do without being interrogated like some criminal, good. "It is quite, rustique. Très authentic." Her nose wrinkled ever so slightly as she tried to find a drier patch, but there was no real disdain in her eyes, despite the blatant distaste for the mucky earth. "You must be from this... charmingly murky place, non?" she added, tilting her head "I assumed you cats had... unique tastes. I see now it included recreational wading."

Then, with a polite smile and a flick of her tail that was far to elegant for someone with swampy paws, she laid out an offer. "Would you be so kind as to escort me out of this..." she glanced at the mud "very committed puddle? I believe I have made a petite erreur"

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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Emberdust blinked once. Then twice.

Then she burst into a wheezy cackle, the kind that came from deep in the belly and left her shoulders shaking. "Bonjour yourself, puddle princess..." She wheezed, tail lashing in amusement. "An expedition, huh? What’re you lookin’ for? Lucky for you, I happen to be a very accomplished swamp-wader." Emberdust puffed out her chest, though her scrappy, mud splattered look made it hard to take her posturing seriously.

She trotted a little circle around the kittypet, kicking up a bit of muck as she went, clearly delighting in Laetitia’s attempts to stay clean. When Laetitia requested an escort, Emberdust gasped, paws flying up in mock scandal. "Escort you? Miss, I am not only a ShadowClan warrior, I am also a proud member of the Muck Appreciation Society. This territory is our pride and joy. You’re gonna twist a paw trying to tiptoe like that. I’ll guide you - back to the border, but maybe in this direction!"

With a flick of her ear, Emberdust began leading the way, keeping just enough ahead to force Laetitia to follow… right into the next patch of squelch.

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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Laetitia's ears twitched at the sound of Emberdust's laugh, and though she didn't flinch, her expression tightened like silk stretched too far. "Puddle princess?" she echoed with a lift of her brow, as if she was tasting the phrase on her tongue and found it much too... common. "How charming" she added dryly, her tone floating somewhere between amusement and insult.

Emberdust kicked up the mud and Laetitia let out a soft gasp. She took two careful, deliberate steps toward a patch of higher ground, there was risk in being so close to a cat so willing to trapeze around in the mud, the dirty... dirty mud. She found a place on some dry, root-knotted earth just outside the worst of the sludge. She perched there with the elegance of a heron, tail curled and neatly avoiding her currently mucky paws as she gave her muddy companion a look that could've belonged to a disapproving duchess.

"I can assure you, mademoiselle, I have no intention of sinking for the sake of local culture." She gave her pristine chest a quick lick, then glanced up through narrowed eyes. "If you are part of this.. Muck Appreciation Society, then I do believe your club should consider a proper trail system. or at least... quelque-chose resembling dry land"

And still, her voice softened, not by much, but enough to let the faintest flicker of a smile tease the corners of her mouth. "But... I will accept the courtesy. As condition you stay two pawsteps ahead and keep your tail from splashing" She began to follow, but not into the path Emberdust had so helpfully sloshed toward. Instead she nimbly circled around to the edge of the brush, picking out a drier, root-covered path while still keeping a close eye on her guide. "Lead on, chère tour guide"

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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She bounded ahead with an exaggerated spring, tail flicking just a little too close to where Laetitia was trying to keep clean. Not enough to actually hit her...but just enough to threaten it. Mischief gleamed in her golden eyes.

"You do walk like a heron..." Emberdust added, squinting thoughtfully. "All dainty and floaty... Bet you’d fall over if you tried to pounce on a beetle." She made a half-hearted pouncing motion and promptly slid a little sideways in the muck. It was fun for the mud loving she-cat, fond of her territory much more than she'd ever say in words to a stranger.

As she led the way Emberdust kept half her attention on Laetitia’s drier root path efforts. "I gotta admit, I didn’t expect you to follow me in this exact way... " Something about the way the other molly spoke caused her to pause.

Then she turned and walked backward a few steps, keeping her paws high to avoid splashing (mostly), and added. "Wait a minute...Something is familiar about you. The way you speak in kitty-pet tongue." Her whiskers twitched and those pointed brows furrowed as she pulled the memory back by the tail. Then, she lit up.

"Oh yeah, Duskpaw mentioned you! He's one of my clanmates - didn't seem too happy about finding you. He can be generally grumpy, though, and we've all had a lot to think about these past couple moons..."

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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Laetitia still trailed a few pawsteps behind Emberdust, sticking to the root path that she had picked out for herself to avoid the mucky earth that lay just a whisker-length below her dainty, and needlessly muddy, paws. At Emberdust's off-handed comment of her walking with the gait of a heron, Laetitia raised ab brow and one of her triangular ears flicked with a glimmer of insult at the fact she questioned her abilities. 

"I shall have you know, mademoiselle, that I once with grande finesse mind you, killed a rodent in this very territory, on the last occasion my noble expedition was how you say? Rudely abbreviated" She replied, her poised walk still evident in how she carried herself along the top of the tangled roots with very little struggle. As if she had been practicing in balance and etiquette  since before she could speak.

Laetitia's whisker's twitched at the next statement made by Emberdust, a mix of amusement and that sort of look that was made by a judgmental duchess, but mostly amusement. "But I do appreciate your comment on my dainty démarche it is refined, is it not? A graceful stride is the mark of a cat with distinction." she added, lifting her tail high in pride, it was long with silky flowing fur and her pelt held the distinct dappling of a spotted tabby. "As with being born to the matriarch of Duchy Von Noon of course"

A single ear flick was all that Emberdust could have gotten from the comment on her change in path, but then the amusement carved a grin on her face like and effortlessly carved marble statue, everything perfect, intentional, that's all she could ever be. "You truly believed I would lower myself into such... mud, such sludge, as the path you now dare to tread? Pardon my words, but I would much rather follow by means infinitely more practical and civilized." she replied, making another elegant, dainty bounce over a gap in the roots and unsheathing pointed claws to get her grip on the next batch. "Would this Duskpaw be, by any chance, a cat of blue fur, oui, with a smokey appearance? Because I did encounter such a figure, very dramatique. Who would hardly lend their ears to a single word I spoke. Quelle impolitesse!"

As Laetitia was about to ramble on about the apprentice's rudeness, she paused at Emberdust. "Quoi? A lot to think about? Would one be impolite to aske what you speak of mademoiselle?"

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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Emberdust gave a huff of a laugh, amused by the sheer elegance Laetitia seemed to exude even while discussing rodents and mud. She cast a sideways glance at the kittypet duchess, the corners of her mouth twitching upward even as she more or less admitted to stealing prey.

She paused mid-step to give her muddy pelt a proud shake, flecks of dirt flying though she was kind enough to angle herself away from Laetitia. Mostly. "I'll give you this your balance is impressive, even if you've hunted prey from ShadowClan territory ." But when Laetitia mentioned the Duchy Von Noon, Emberdust’s ears twitched. She didn’t have a clue what that meant.

"You say that like it's supposed to mean something, and yet I’m standing here with two ticks in my tail and none of them seem to care much about that..." Still, her tone wasn't cruel, just blunt in the way of someone who'd never had the luxury to consider titles or duchies as anything more than frilly distractions.

She scrunched her nose at Laetitia's theatrical outrage. "All those extra words to say ‘I hate mud.’" Emberdust grinned, showing a flash of teeth. At the mention of Duskpaw, her ears perked again, and she snorted. "Yup, that’s him!"

But her mood dipped at Laetitia’s next question. The grin faded into something quieter. She slowed her pace, just for a breath. "Yeah… a lot to think about." Emberdust echoed. She didn’t look back at first, just kept walking, tail swaying low behind her. "There's someone out here that's been hurtin' folks, catching us unawares. Be careful when you're out here."

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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Laetitia's ear twitched at Emberdust's accusation, though it wasn't far off to think such a thing, she knew she didn't hunt on purpose for the sake of it, it was quite the opposite actually, Emberdust should know that before running off to tell her clanmates that she had caught a food stealer. 

"Believe it or not, mademoiselle, the demise of that poor rodent was entirely involontaire. It ran toward me as I was most elegantly making my expedition, most likely from that Duskpaw and, against all better judgment, I... panicked, and most vulgarly attacked the poor creature. A tragedy, really." she wove her explanation with care and what she saw as truth, explaining exactly what happened, as she witnessed it through her pale green eyes "This Duskpaw, he collected the mouse, I had no intention of thievery"

It wasn't long after Emberdust showed her misinformation on her cattery that Laetitia's expression lit up with an almost kit-like excitement. "Oh, tremendous! I shall be the premier to enlighten you on ze matter of my illustrious lineage!" she cheered, her tail held high in pride. she took a breath, knowing the explanation was going to be long winded, but she didn't care, Emberdust should know about the Noon Cattery, everyone should.

"Duchy Von Noon is, as you might say, a Cattery, mais oui, an institution of high standing, devoted exclusively to the creation of most distinguished show worthy kits. My own maison is particularly regal, our one and noble purpose is to pass down our exquisite genes to future generations. In but one moon’s time, I shall be ready to fulfill this duty for the Cattery... if the attendants so wish, Of course." she explained, but her voice trailed off for a moment, her paws kneading on the roots and bringing up bark with her claws. "Although... I must admit, with sincerity, I do not believe I desire kits of such mechanical arrangement. It's to... personable, non?" she admitted, standing still as if it was weighing her in place.

Though she took her head, shaking away the notion and making pace to catch up with Emberdust. She seemed surprised by the mention of harming cats, thinking back to what Duskpaw had said in the past "Ah, so that murderer that Duskpaw mentioned was no fabrication intended to frighten me? Très bien I shall keep my prudence close, like a well-worn cloak." she stated, lowing her tail like she was trying to hide as if the kill was right behind her.

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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The molly's version of events was so flowery it nearly made her laugh, but something in the kittypet’s tone kept her from brushing it off.

"So... the mouse attacked you?" Voice caught somewhere between disbelief and amusement. "That’s a first." Still, she didn’t sound accusatory. If anything, her tone suggested she’d already moved on from the idea of reporting any sort of breach...At least this one time.

At Laetitia’s sudden burst of enthusiasm, Emberdust raised her eyebrows and listened with the kind of wide eyed tolerance reserved for elders telling grand stories or kits who’d just caught their first bug.

She tilted her head when Laetitia hesitated, the proud recital faltering into something softer. The bark curling up beneath her claws didn’t go unnoticed. "Huh." Emberdust murmured, her voice gentler now. "You don’t want to live your whole life by someone else’s plan. That’s not so different from some of us out here, y’know. You might walk like a heron, but you're 'cat' deep down."

She turned away, giving the other molly a moment of privacy while she processed her own thoughts. The forest path was muddy and uneven again, but Emberdust walked it without complaint, her stride slowing only when Laetitia caught up. At the mention of the murderer, her ears twitched, and she nodded grimly.

"No fabrication." she confirmed. "We all need to be careful." Together they passed a few notable shrubs, teasing reeds, roots and brambles, but she avoided the ones that grasped. They were nearing the border soon, and then, Emberdust would return home to nap off her adventures with her kits.

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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It was a lot easier to talk with Emberdust then it was with Duskpaw, as if she would be able to talk to the cinnamon she-cat for the whole day and not feel the need to leave if it weren't a situation of trespass. Except, Emberdust was not chasing her away as fast as Duskpaw had done. Emberdust was kind for this, Laetitia liked Emberdust. 

Laetitia couldn't help but let out her own, more regal and composed version of a snicker at Emberdust's assumption, placing her paw over her muzzle in light amusement before moving her long legs across the collection of twisting roots. "I wouldn’t say attacked... the rodent seemed just as frightened as myself. It was, perhaps, a mutual frayeur, nothing more." she replied thoughtfully as if explaining the situation without pushing blame onto either side, her words still as frilly and uncommon as before, but her sentences were much less drawn out.

At the mention of her heron-like gait and her, now, 'true cat' like behavior, the spotted tabby tilted her head to the side, letting out a purr as her whiskers twitched with amusement. "Ah, maybe I am a heron-cat, then? Half cat, half bird? What a charming idea! Shall I grow feathers next?" she giggled, amused at the own fantasy that she had conjured up in her mind, with the help of her newfound company of course.

She gave a single nod at the she-cat's reiteration of being careful, and she followed it with a sigh "My lineage... it’s too important for me to be reckless. I was raised with grande responsabilité, and I carry that with me." she replied, a touch of vulnerability hidden under her pride. "I will be as careful as I can. I don’t come out often, it is, as they say, a start."