Open to Join Oh, Mr. Toulouse!

What are you afraid of losing if nothing in the world actually belongs to you.

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

Today was... ordinarily mundane, aside from Goosesong noticing Lilyriver travel to the medicine den for something that was none of his business, there was nothing that had happened today that was worth remembering. And so Goosesong had decided to dismiss his apprentice for the rest of the day, best she find something to do other than working her bones to the core, Goosesong wasn't like Stoneclaw, at least her certainly hoped not.

As the large silver tabby stepped further into the camp, Goosesong raised a brow at one of the cats within the camp, his silhouette a recognizable for sure, the unique and messy curls in his fur making for a unique shape for sure. Goosesong tilted his head at the situation Tangleloon had gotten himself into, was he... talking to the pebbles?

Goosesong decided that the day had nothing to offer him aside from this, so he moved calmly over to his clanmate and sat beside Tangleloon, not exactly comfortable though, more rigid and tense-looking compared to the cat he was sitting next to, but Goosesong didn't really mind that. "What's this Tangleloon?" he asked in his unreadable flattened voice that he always wore over his real voice.

"Seems I'm not the only one with nothing to do today"

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon didn’t move at first, his eyes still locked onto the precarious stack of pebbles as if sheer willpower alone could keep them standing. At Goosesong’s question, his ears flicked, but he didn’t look up right away.

"Ah, Goosesong. You have arrived at a most critical moment..." He meowed, his voice grave with mock importance. "Behold - the Mound of Tangleloon! A feat of delicate, patient precision. One wrong breath, one ill timed twitch of a whisker... and it all comes crumbling down."

A single pebble wobbled atop the pile. Tangleloon exhaled ever so carefully, as if his very presence might doom his creation.

Then, finally, he turned to look at Goosesong, eyes glinting with something between mischief and absolute nonsense. "I had considered alternative activities, of course. Staring at the frozen river until it thaws for one. Or perhaps attempting to bargain with the clouds - convince them to hurry along with the warm winds. But alas they don't speak to me and I, despite my many talents, am but a humble cat."

His tail flicked idly against the ground before he turned back to his tower. A gentle thump or two as he considered his options. "And so, I dedicate my time to this. A structure that will stand as long as possible. Which... frankly isn't looking to last very long at all." His voice was a touch quieter, obviously lamenting his boredom.

He gave Goosesong a sideways glance, an eyebrow raised. "Tell me, have you ever built something of great importance only to have it fall away from your paws?" His voice was casual but there was the faintest hint of genuine curiosity beneath the eccentricity.

What are you afraid of losing if nothing in the world actually belongs to you.

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

Goosesong raised a brow at such innate concentration from the tom, he knew that Tangleloon had been a great warrior and could have served the clan well if it hadn't been for his incident. Curse you Stoneclaw, Goosesong thought to himself, keeping his silent cursing for his sire to himself rather than saying it aloud. He just wished that he could rip his affiliations with Stoneclaw without difficulty, but he was his sire, and no cat can go against their own lineage.

"Well, that is certainly... a creation" The silver tabby tom replied, genuinely trying to be supportive but attempting to understand the purpose of the 'Mound of Tangleloon' and the other plans that his clanmate had contemplated. Though the two had grown up somewhat similarly, there was something about how Tangleloon saw things that felt so completely alien to him, but it was not for Goosesong to judge.

Goosesong soon found himself oddly drawn to the progress of the tower, teetering on a shaky balance between falling and standing tall, and part of Goosesong wanted to see where this endeavor would go. His response to Tangleloon complimenting himself earned a simple twitch of Goosesong's ear, Nothing wrong with being confident.

The fairly large tom mulled over potential responses for a moment, unsure how to respond to such a question, he hardly knew what Tangleloon really meant by that, was it more literal? Or was it more symbolic than that? Maybe Goosesong was just thinking about it too much. "It's a fine mound, but its chances look rather slim, and yet it has not fallen. Only a cat like you could find entertainment in that, Tangleloon"

"However, I cannot answer a question like that without a bit more, information no? You must be able to give me more than that" 

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon hummed, tilting his head as if weighing Goosesong’s words with great importance. He gave the Mound of Tangleloon a somber nod, as if mourning its inevitable demise. "If you insist on clarification. Let me paint you a picture..." Tangleloon sat up straighter, flicking a paw dramatically toward the sky.

"Imagine a grand endeavor - a vision painstakingly assembled, carefully balanced, every piece placed with intention." His voice dipped lower, a note above a whisper. "And just when you think you've achieved greatness..."

He lifted his paw - then, with an exaggerated gasp, tapped the base of his tower. The pebbles clattered down in an unceremonious heap. Tangleloon stared at the ruins for a long moment, then exhaled slowly through his nose.

"Tragic, isn't it?" hFlopping himself onto his side, his pale green eyes half lidded, he half feinted a sigh. "Some might call it fate. Maybe poor structural integrity. Me? I say the wind is a fickle and vengeful thing." He stretched his paws toward the sky, as if shaking them at the heavens. "Oh, but we rebuild! We persist! Because what else is there to do?"

Tangleloon turned his head toward Goosesong, green eyes giving the tom a wink. "So...what answer were you hoping for?"

What are you afraid of losing if nothing in the world actually belongs to you.

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

Goosesong's silence hardly faltered as Tangleloon spoke with exaggerated enthusiasm, there was a certain charm to it rather than anything else, so his silence wasn't really because Tangleloon was too much for him or had grown irritating, though that was almost never the case regardless. "You have a way of wording things that make tragedy sound, vaguely interesting, Tangleloon" Goosesong responded, flicking his tail over his paws. "Perhaps you could give me some ideas, seems I bore Stormpaw with how I speak" he added, trying his best to make a joke to the other tom-cat

"But I can't say I've experienced much of anything as you've spoken of, nothing has really been destroyed from what my memory recovers" He added in response to Tangleloon's first question, watching at the pebbles clicked and clacked against one another until they fell into an unceremonious pile of rubble. The large silver warrior raised a brow at Tangleloon's mention of rebuilding and let out what one would only consider a faint chuckle out of his nose, though it was more of a wayward breath than anything that seemed to resemble real laughter.

"So we'll be rebuilding the Mound of Tangleloon I assume?" He asked with a slight tilt of his head, the amusement was there, but it seemed to be locked away from releasing itself completely, like most things that Goosesong couldn't hide away in the pit of his belly. "Perhaps Mound of Tangle-goose or Goose-loon would have a better ring to it"

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon’s ears flicked as if considering Goosesong’s words with utmost seriousness, though the lazy curve of his smile suggested otherwise. "Ah, what a tragic affliction..."" He mused out loud, rolling onto his back as he gazed up at the sky. "To be dull in the eyes of one’s apprentice. A fate worse than a crumbling mound of pebbles, surely." He let out a theatrical sigh. "But - perhaps even my guidance - you too may master the art of keeping young minds captivated. Or at the very least, confused enough to stay interested."

His tail flicked idly against the ground before he propped himself back up, shaking out his pelt as the strands of his mane bounced. At Goosesong’s admission, Tangleloon’s gaze sharpened, just slightly, before he leaned in, voice a touch lower. "Nothing destroyed, hmm?" His eyes gleamed with playful skepticism. "How terribly fortunate for you."

Then, just as quickly, the moment passed, and Tangleloon straightened up, a grin curling at his maw. "But let us not dwell on what has never been lost! We must think forward - we shall rebuild. The Mound of Tangleloon shall rise once more, stronger than before! Perhaps even... with a collaborator?" He waved a paw dramatically toward the remnants of his fallen masterpiece.

He gave Goosesong a pointed look, tail twitching with expectation. "Mound of Tangle-goose, you say? Sounds a bit ridiculous if you ask me." He hummed, as if genuinely weighing the options. Then, he flashed a mischievous grin. "I like it. Go on, then. If we are to immortalize this partnership, it’s only right you lay the first stone." The lean chocolate point tom rose to his dainty paws, before he bounced over to the larger, stockier tom while his tail flicked towards the stone in question.

What are you afraid of losing if nothing in the world actually belongs to you.

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

Goosesong hardly made a sound while Tangleloon rambled on for what seemed like quite a while, but it didn't bother him. There was nothing the Clanmate could do inside the warrior code that could frustrate or anger him. Nothing had really caused that sort of reaction in Goosesong, not for a long time anyway.

The last comment made Goosesong tilted his head for a moment and look at the unceremonious mound of pebbles before pulling one away with one of his paws. It was one of the larger pebbles, a good stable for a tower if he thought so himself. The large silver tabby moved the pebble in front of Tangleloon, pressing his paw down on the flatter side of the pebble and lifting his paw to reveal the small stone, a staple for what could be.

"There we are, something to build from" he finally spoke, wrapping his tail around his body as he watch Tangleloon to gage his next move. Goosesong was mostly contemplated what stone the younger tom would use next, then back to the foundation for the new and improved 'Mound of Tangle-Goose' "I'd say you should place the next stone, I can't do all the work now can I?"

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon watched with a wry smile as Goosesong carefully selected a sizeable, flat stone and set it before them. The methodical care of the silver tabby was a stark contrast to Tangleloon's usual whimsical flair and the sight elicited a warbling chuckle from him.

"Ah, a foundation of true substance and stability..." Tangleloon intoned, his voice dripping with playful mischief as he lowered the tone of his voice and mimiced Goosesong's own. "A promising start indeed... But the true spirit of the Mound of Tangle-Goose isn't measured solely by its stability alone but by...character!"

He scanned the ground until his eyes fell upon a small, smooth pebble that caught the light just so. With a dramatic flourish, Tangleloon delicately picked it up between his teeth and placed it atop the larger stone, deliberately setting it slightly askew.

"There..." He declared with a theatrical pause, stepping back to admire their collaborative creation with a flurry of small steps. "A dash of unpredictability to keep things ever so interesting. After all, what is life without a little delightful imbalance?"

Turning to face Goosesong, his sly grin widened. "Your move, Goosey."

What are you afraid of losing if nothing in the world actually belongs to you.

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

Goosesong watched as Tangleloon placed the smaller pebble atop of the base stone, it truly did show the duality of the two... in a way, but the stones will still be able to make a tower nonetheless. Of course they would with Goosesong and Tangleloon building it.

"Character? I suppose if the 'character' doesn't make it topple like it did before, there is no problem with a little personality to the Mound of Tangle-Goose." Goosesong had no idea why he was still entertaining the name, perhaps it was for Tangleloon's own entertainment, but something about it made Goosesong crack a rare grin before returning to his regular vacancy.

Goosesong's eyes traced the tower for longer than they should have, studying the best maneuver to choose in order to keep it up for so long, the large tabby wondered why this tower meant much more to him than anything else recent, not enough for him to get attached to it, but perhaps this was Tangleloon's doing, perhaps the pebbles brought the two together, but he would never really know.

After careful consideration, Goosesong leaned down and gripped a pebble between his front teeth and bravely placed it on top of Tangleloon's with as careful precision as he could muster, placing it on the side that was more likely to fall free if anything were to happen to the stone, once the stone was steady, Goosesong waited a few moments to speak again. "Sometimes unpredictability is just what some cats need, but with not enough stability, it will crumble trying to balance both, and even share of both would be preferred, but its not all the time that we get to pick and choose that do we?"