Ask to Join The Lady and the Knave

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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The damp wind brushed softly against Laetitia's lilac coloring as she sat as the edge of her garden. This was not her first time being so close to her manor's exit, far from it. But today just seemed so peaceful that she had to at least observe the experiences of other creatures passing by, feline, avian, reptilian, mammalian, anything she could find, her pale green eyes seemed to be locked onto it. Until....

A bicolor form came into view, the coils of the fur resembled that of the LaPerm breed, but there was something... wild about him. Intriguing to say the absolute least. Against her inner judgments, Laetitia lifted from her elegant lay with the poise she had trained into her from when she could first walk, now it came as if it were first nature. Sometimes it made her feel separated from her companions like Smokey... Duskmantle... more, probably more, she recalled meeting a queen, Ember...something. It was a while ago. Regardless, it felt she would bring honor to hospitality.

"Salut! You there! What pursuit occupies you at such a remove from the..." She paused, to investigate his scent, unsure of where it was from, but it smelt of water, of fish... though the fish she ate were a little bit more faint in scent than the radiance that clung to his fur. "...Waterway?" She assumed he had come from the cats occupying the river system by scent, but if she was wrong, she was sure she would be corrected... at least, she hoped she would be.

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon's ears perked immediately at the voice that floated across the garden. His paws slowed, pale green eyes lifting toward the lilac she-cat with immediate fascination. A small grin tugged at his whiskers before dipping forward in an exaguurated bow of sorts.

"Caught red pawed...Ah, Loitering. Wandering." He gave her a curious once over, abnormal pupils taking her in as he seemed simply delighted. She held herself like a swan - all elegant and composed.

And stars above, the way she spoke!

"Waterway! You make the River sound terribly glamorous, you know." His tail curled upward behind him as he stepped closer to the fence line, though respectfully shy of trespassing further into her garden. Rainwater still clung in beads to the curls along his chest.

"Fish and reeds and river muck all very glamorous things. I hail from the 'waterways' themselves. My name is Tangleloon and I happen to be a professional busy body - among other things...But I don't wish to bore you with all my titles." He puffed his chest with mock grandeur before his head tilted towards her again.

"And you are...Surely a cat who says salut instead of 'hey you' must have their own story."

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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Laetitia seemed just as amused with Tangleloon as he was with her, he may not have spoken with as much eloquency as she had, but there was a flair in his voice that seemed to have a pull on every word that he spoke. A story-teller by heart, as it seemed. But... busy-body worked as well. The lilac she-cat gave a warm purr to greet him, still holding herself with the grace she had developed like she was born with it.

"Indeed, 'glamour,' as you so aptly observe, is a quality upon which the Von Noon felines pride themselves." She chirped, her long-furred tail drifting to gesture to the manor behind when she spoke of her cattery. There was a hint of pride there, but not a lot of conviction, yet still, the words carried with elegance and poise as they should do. "We converse with eloquence and composure." she added, making truth of the statement simply by the way she held herself when speaking. One of the fanciest in Whitehart, so she thought.

When Tangleloon asked of her introduction she let out a chirp from the back of her throat. "Oui! Though many of said tales occur from acquainting myself with the felines of the forest." She began curling her wispy tail around her pale paws. "My formal appellation is Laetitia Von Noon, as my lineage dictates, yet many affectionately refer to me simply as Laetitia. You may refer to me as such as well."

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon looked positively enchanted by the cadence of her voice alone like a tom being handed a jeweled fish. "That's a name! Was it gifted by your Two-Legs?" A grin split across his face before he dipped his head again, curls bouncing. "Forest cats, you say? You must mean Clan cats!"

Then as if suddenly remembering himself, Tangleloon cranked his his chest out with renewed importance and sat taller near the garden fence. "Well... Since you’ve honored me with your formal appellation, I suppose it would be rude not to provide the full spectacle in return." He cleared his throat with absurd seriousness.

"Tangleloon of RiverClan...! Stacker of Stone Towers, Soundest of Sleepers and...according to at least one kit, Senior Storyteller of RippleClan, which is a very prestigious title, I'll have you know..."

He hoped up onto the fence as his long, curly coat bobbed with clownish absurdity.

"And now an acquaintance of the illustrious Laetitia Von Noon. Not bad, right?"

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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When Tangleloon wove the tale of his titles and rose to her stature on the fence, Laetitia let a smile curl the sides of her mouth, something that lay between amusement and fascination. He was unlike Duskmantle or Ember, but perhaps something far more intriguing to her. Something much more to her level of entertainment. She would hope for this encounter to continue beyond pleasantries.

"Oh mon dieu! A feline of such numerous appellations must be venerated within his noble 'clan'!" She replied, almost in a cheering, sing-song tone as her tail tip twitched, the only indicator of her excitement beyond the sparkle in her pale green eyes. She had never met a cat such as Tangleloon and it changed her perspective of the cats hailing from what she now knew where called 'clans'.

Her ears pricked at the mention of two-legs, for a moment, she was unsure of the words, however, the more she thought of it, the more the definition came to her, the only creatures she knew with two legs had been the attendants that raised her inside of the manor. "Ah! You must refer to the beings who attend to mon frère and myself. Indeed, my name was bestowed upon me by them." Her triangular muzzle rose, proud of her own title, even if it was only one. She held it with pride and without wavering... usually.

However, another question ebbed at the very mind that was keeping the conversation going, perhaps the question could do just than, instead of answering enquiries of the curly furred tom, she would ask them. "Pray, how does a cat of your ilk acquire so many distinguished titles?"

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon's whiskers quivered with delight at her reaction. "You do know how to make a tom feel gloriously important." His curly coat bobbed dramatically atop the fence he now straddled with the neighborly she-cat. Surely kittypets weren't that bad if they were all like Laetitia.

He held a paw up, paused at his chest as he considered his words. "I must confess...such titles are honorary and mostly upholded by the smallest amount us, but titles are funny things, aren't they?" A soft laugh bubbled from him before he settled more comfortably on the wood, curls spilling around his paws in damp ringlets from the earlier rain.

His pale eyes flicked toward the gardens around them, warm sunlight catching strangely in his mismatched pupils. "I stack river stones! Although I suppose I could try using other types of stones too...Soundest sleeper, well, that's from my...very unique condition." He could have sounded embarassed, but his grin softened the edges of his anxiety.

He tilted his head toward her then. "Though now I wonder if Whitehart grants titles too. Surely a cat who speaks like poetry must possess more than just Laetitia Von Noon? We could...make our own, if not? Who leads your Clan so that we may make a suggestion?"

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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Laetitia's smile grew at the mention of the smallest of his clan, kittens! Kittens bestowed his titles to him! Adorable! A purr rose in her throat at the notion, almost forgetting her delicate poise at the idea of a kitten bringing forth a title to such a noble of Tangleloon's kind. "The most diminutive of felines may indeed be of paramount importance. Their intellects are molded by those in their proximity." She added, watching as the coils of his long fur draped damply over his paws. She bent to briefly groom the dampness from them. Scandelous for her ilk? Perhaps, but it was a kind notion to commit to. "Appellations bestowed in youth oftentimes endure for an extended period."

When asked if Whitehart had given titles to cats, her smile cracked open with gleaming white teeth. "Verily, I am the noble lady of the Von Noon dynasty. Yet my beloved frère is the rightful heir." she answered him, flicking her silky, lengthy tail behind her, still not really lingering comfortably on the fence, but allowing Tangleloon to have his rest.

The more she thought of her cattery, the more that the ways of their workings occurred more prominently to her... once again, and her smile drooped ever so slightly. "I... shall likely in due course receive a suitor to sire a litter... for my cattery." She explained, however she didn't seem as confident about the path laid before her, as much as she tried. She felt that her attendants shouldn't have rights to her own autonomy, and yet, here they were, her lifestyle built around appearances. It is how it must be. 

"But pray, do not concern yourself with my affairs." She spoke again, shaking her head in an attempt to rid her mind of her thoughts, turning back to Tangleloon with a smile that no longer reached her eyes. "If you hail from the waterway, you must have journeyed for some time. Would you care for a place to repose your paws?"

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon shivered when she bent to groom the rain from his curls before a small laugh took him. Oh, it tickled! His grin lingered but as Laetitia spoke of heirs and suitors and litters chosen for her something set in his jaw.

Still...he didn't pry when she waved it away. Instead he leaned theatrically against the fencepost, nearly sliding off it entirely before correcting himself at the last second. "Such a noble burden...Meanwhile my Clan expects me to rest on my laurels."

When she spoke of her offer, the triangles of his ears perked with surprise. "O-Oh!" He half stammered, a rare moment when he felt lost for words. Echos of the Code flashed in his mind, pricking the ends of his curls like the prick of a bramble.

"A soft place to rest...Well, as long as you don't convince me to abandon the waterways forever. My warrior ancestors would...disapprove."

He hopped lightly down from the fence, paws sinking into damp garden soil as he peered toward the manor with obvious fascination. He would have fearlessly led the way...if he wasn't a bit hesitant still.

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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Laetitia's eyes softened when Tangleloon had spoke of resting upon his own laurels. A soft purr rose from her throat then she let out a sweet giggle. "At times, to repose upon one’s laurels affords the opportunity to behold the world in its resplendence." she breathed gently, letting herself relax a bit in Tangleloon's presence. She then gave him a coy smile. "And to truly earn the titles you bear." 

"Bien!" Laetitia cheered at the acceptance of his offer before slipping from the fence into the Garden of the Von Noon manor. At his worry, she turned and let a soft laugh slip delicately from her throat. "The waterway shall remain, now and for all eternity, your abode. I seek only... the solace of gentle companionship." She replied calling with a flick of her tail to a soft looking garden of fresh, well maintained grass. "Simply within the tender embrace of the garden’s verdant grass." she trilled as she slipped onto the fresh scent and rolled for a few moments before letting her body rest comfortably on her back.

Laetitia then found herself staring at the chocolate tom, his coils bounced as he moved, it was a marvel to look at, his eyes, they were unique and such a leafy pale green. The pupils of his eyes caught her attention, the asymmetry of his eyes was almost beautiful, the intrigue soon found itself to her words. "You are a wonder, Tangleloon... yet you spoke of a condition? If it is not too forward of me to inquire, to what does that refer?"

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon hesitated only a moment longer before padding after her into the garden. The scent here was different from the riverbanks... He watched Laetitia roll amongst the greenery and couldn't suppress a warm chuckle as he joined her.

Even if her curosity brought a flick of nervousness to his eyes he still smiled. "Ahh, the dreadful inconvience." His tail curled lazily over his hind paws as he gazed up toward the clear sky above the garden."Well...Sometimes my body simply decides it's done standing. Or anything, really."

He snorted softly at himself."Sometimes if I'm startled. Sometimes for no reason at all except perhaps StarClan enjoys practical jokes." His voice remained airy and musical despite the subject.

"I crumple, mostly!"He turned his head toward her, odd pupils catching the sunlight. And somehow...he made it sound like a triumph.

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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While still planting herself amongst the vivid grass, Laetitia's triangular ears perked as Tangleloon spoke of his misfortunate condition that had befallen him so. But instead of showing guilt or pity, her perspective distanced from the clans had given her something new to see for him. Something far beyond what some cats might have seen within the youthful elder. "If such be the case, perhaps repose becomes you most fittingly." She began, moving her gaze to view the vast sky that they lay above the two.

"You are granted greater leisure to behold the world through eyes that others do not... cannot possess both in literal and figurative circumstance." She added rolling over to her side as she stared into Tangleloon's mismatched eyes, her own expression softening, almost captivated by the look of them. With a soft smile she continued. "It is a perspective solely your own. And it is singularly unique."

A purr rose from her throat as she continued to stare, but glancing away ever now and again, as fear of seeming... as claiming the behavior of a creep crept through her body. However, part of her couldn't help but admire him. "Am I correct in surmising that this is the reason your gaze is so... enchanting?" she spoke just barely above a whisper, mon dieu... if she were caught fawning over another cat from the clans, LeLouch would have a right mind to never allow her to leave again... perhaps. 

The mention of a word she didn't know met her ears... StarClan. It seemed, elegant in the way it was spoken, but not simply just the slip of the tongue, it was almost as if they weren't thinking when it was spoken. Interesting. "StarClan? Pray, if I may inquire, what precisely is this 'StarClan'?"

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon's expression softened like warmed butter, or freshly caught prey. He sat where the wind stirred the curls of his pelt listening to the lilac she-cat. Her responce didn't seem uncomfortable...sometimes uncomfortable sympathy would be afforded him. She seemed...enchanted?

His whiskers twitched suddenly unsure where to place themselves. "You make me sound terribly mystical somehow. Better than a glorified puddle." Despite himself a small purr crept through the lopsided smile.

At her question about his eyes, he gave a theatrical shrug that shook his mane hair. "Maaaybe. My body and mind don't always speak properly to one another, so that could be why... Hit my head waaay too hard."

Ah, but then came StarClan. Curse his loosened lips and her attractive demenor. Clan cats did not, or rather, should not, speak so freely of such things to outsiders. It sat in him like an old reflex that rooted like the Twinwillow.

But Laetitia didn't feel like danger. "StarClan are...our ancestors, I suppose. And I bet they're laughing right about now...Me here. With you. You probably think I sound like I have bees in my brain." He admitted with a wheeze of a laugh.

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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Laetitia rolled to her side, observing Tangleloon as he spoke, still unequivocally enchanted by him, the lifestyle he lived, how different he seemed from the other cats of his kind that she had met. Him, how could she NOT be astounded by him, so unique and breathtaking. But her body perked immediately at his explanation of StarClan, he didn't have bees in his brain! StarClan seemed just as beautiful!

"Non! Non! Ancestors are of great import, particularly for you, it would appear." She spoke quickly, her ears perking ever so slightly and her whiskers twitching as a smile curled to him, something encouraging and genuine. "I have encountered felines of the clans before. From my visions, they adhere to a code, was that code ordained for you by this 'StarClan'?" she spoke, trying to continue the conversation that she had chosen to invest herself into... although, part of her couldn't help but hang on every word.

Once her pelt relaxed, the length flowed over her shoulders, her chest easing from the wants to continue to conversation with such an enchanting feline. The rest just seemed to come naturally. "Though I have met selections of your kind before... none have approached the enigma that is you, Tangleloon." she spoke, her voice soft and almost fragile as her gaze turned back skyward, however, she had unintentionally moved herself closer unaware of the slightly closed space. Her eyes softened as she watched the clouds drift past slow as they wished. "You speak as though nothing tethers you to the earth."

"I beseech the heavens to know such freedom..." She spoke softer, almost ashamed to admit, her life had be tethered to the cattery that gave her life, food, warmth, shelter, she would lose all of that if she had left, she would be left to the elements. While it frightened her a pinch, she didn't stop herself from dreaming.

"The dream is so unattainable that striving for it is akin to reaching for the moon." She began, flicking one of her large, triangular ears. "only to be left to merely admire its beauty from afar." She didn't look at Tangleloon, she was too ashamed now, how could she be saying all this out loud! Not even LeLouch knew this information! He couldn't possibly! Instead, she let out a sigh, slightly somber, yet bittersweet. "And such shall come to pass when it is time for you to depart."

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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With a roll of his head, he fell back into the well manicured lawn. Cut short by something...he didn't know what, but other parts were grown or growing, beyond a wall of equally impressive rocks. Maybe he'd inquire about those...

A bit cross eyed he watched her from his lopsided, awkward vantage in the grass. "You've met other Clan cats...Oh, I hope they were polite. The last thing a wonderful creature like yourself would want would be to be chased off like a ruffian." Poor Laetitia tail tucked as some ThunderClanner had sight to slash her ears.

But when he blinked closer at her she seemed distant and he tilted his head, chin up against the brush of foliage. "You're out under StarClan's sun...Surely you could simply walk with just as much freedom as I? If not for your duty, that is. Odd duty." He voiced, muzzle wrinkling slightly. A she-cat should be able to choose when and if they wanted to kit.

"Well...if you decide to come visit RiverClan...You should come by the Tree-Cut Place, spot a small thicket of trees near its south western side. Maybe I can see you there sometime...?"

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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Laetitia faced Tangleloon again as he spoke to her, her large, triangular ears almost too big for her head, folded under her head until she readjusted them with a sharp flick. His talk of the other clan cats she had med gained him a shrug in a response. "Oh, not as courteous as yourself, I admit." She let the air between them settle before speaking again. "Yet they never bared their claws, for I have never had occasion to defend myself against them." she confirmed, as if trying to reassure him that the cats of his likeness never harmed her, even if he didn't ask.

However, StarClan's sun was granted it's own words and she took a brief glance towards the sky then back again. "Beneath their sun, oui, but I do not rest under the canopy of your stars." She spoke with longing, she hadn't seen much of the stars, save from outside of the windows of her manor, night was a time where she didn't get to leave the manor, not truly. She was told the elements would be her death, but... Tangleloon was fine...

"A part of me yearns for the liberty to do so, yet duties... arduous in their demand, call to me and require swift answer." She spoke softly, narrowing her eyes slowly and in an almost exhausted yet thoughtful manner, she had little choice, if any at all. But maybe more could be gained, more choice. "I desire no offspring if they are sired by a cat I am not permitted to choose."

Her words, true as they were, still made her chest tightened, she trusted this cat enough to share the secrets she hadn't even shared with her own kin. How strange, that was. But her head lifted when he mentioned visits and her smile widened. "Pay you a visit? In your Clan beside the waterway?!" Laetitia gasped, as if the mere mention of it was something of fantasy, and for a moment, she had believed it to be so, but the offer seemed too genuine. "I should be most delighted, Tangleloon." she spoke more quietly, letting her body ease once more

"I shall arrive at the zenith of the morrow, when the sun rides highest in the sky. Will you grant me that honor?"

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon's breath caught as a whisper left him. Tomorrow...at sunhigh? It seemed a bit sudden but at the same time the thought fluttered like a butterfly through him rather strangely. He rolled onto his side again to disguise it, letting out a dramatic groan.

"Laetitia Von Noon...how could I refuse such an offer?" Tangleloon could not imagine never seeing Silverpelt overhead... "You should see the stars over the river sometime." He caught himself slipping too close to sincerity, he abruptly flopped one paw over his eyes.

"Uh...but yes! Yes! Tomorrow. Sunhigh" He huffed dramatically while one eye peeked out at the dainty she-cat, eye full of michief.

Grace is effortless when born into it.

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At his acceptance, Laetitia stopped herself from jumping to her paws and embracing him rather brashly, instead, she curled her lips in a gentle smile that grew quickly into an uncontrollable excited grin that was even able to curl the unders of her eyelids. "Bien! I shall behold you then, mon ami! At the Treecut place, when the sun reaches its zenith!" she beamed.

It was then that Laetitia finally rolled onto her paws and stretched out her limbs before giving her fur a clean to make sure it was clear and presentable after all the rolling. She was sure if it were up to her mother, she wouldn't be rolling at all, but Laetitia was grown enough to decide those things for herself, and if she were careful enough, she would never even know the difference.

"Should you wish to rejoin your clan, you are free to do so." She spoke, almost upset to make the offer for a guest to leave on his own accord. She wasn't sure why or how, but she had a feeling she would miss him more than usual when he jumped back over her fenceline. "I shall remain content within the secure confines of the manor until the sun descends and ascends anew." she added, her fur once covered in the scent of grass and with the faded evidence of dew, was now perfectly pristine as it usually was. But she looked toward him with the beaming smile that he earned from her.

"Then our convocation shall commence!"