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Jann is minding his own business. He is playing by himself in the courtyard with a wooden sword: this definitely constitutes minding his own business. Nothing that follows is his fault.
first-and-final
"I don't actually think Reko likes boys, for one thing. And he's five years older than me and has known me literally all of my life, for another thing. And even if he does like boys I have no indication he has ever considered liking me. And - and it would fix the crown - I can't - if I just went and asked him, he'd be in kind of an unfair position, all things considered!"
abeance
"Do you think he'd marry you just to fix the crown if he didn't like you? For one thing even if he felt very wedged about it he could point out that you can't produce heirs. For another it doesn't seem very like him."
first-and-final
"I know, but... I don't want to make him turn me down. Given everything. And if he did marry me just to fix the crown that would be - just - ugh."
first-and-final
"...maybe. I don't know. Not - I mean - I'm fifteen, I don't currently want to marry anyone."
abeance
"Sure, not right this minute, but at some point. Since it would probably fix the crown nobody would have to have any inklings of anything else to bring it up, if you wanted somebody to bring it up."
abeance
"You're welcome."
Jann's knighthood, combined with his general social position, means that he is a default escort when anyone in the Raxwell ducal family wants to go anywhere, such as when Milo is invited to Chirailia of Otashire's wedding (she has been rescued by a prince and they are in the way of things getting married).
Jann's knighthood, combined with his general social position, means that he is a default escort when anyone in the Raxwell ducal family wants to go anywhere, such as when Milo is invited to Chirailia of Otashire's wedding (she has been rescued by a prince and they are in the way of things getting married).
first-and-final
Milo is very pleased to go to Chirailia's wedding! He liked her and Beryl when they were all being captives of dragons together. It's nice that they kept in touch.
It grates on him a little bit that he needs a knightly escort, but it's hardly Jann's fault. And it sure beats being carried off again by who knows what sort of creature this time.
The wedding is beautiful. Chirailia and her husband seem pleased with each other. The food is also very good. Milo congratulates the happy couple, eats delicious food, and wanders off with a slice of the incredible cake. By the time he reaches the library, the cake is gone. He admires some books and then goes looking for Jann, on the off chance that Jann has not yet found any girls to kiss.
Unbeknownst to Milo, he acquires a small grey passenger during this time. She blends in almost perfectly with his fine grey trousers; one would have to be looking from just the right angle to spot the little fuzzy lump behind his ankle.
It grates on him a little bit that he needs a knightly escort, but it's hardly Jann's fault. And it sure beats being carried off again by who knows what sort of creature this time.
The wedding is beautiful. Chirailia and her husband seem pleased with each other. The food is also very good. Milo congratulates the happy couple, eats delicious food, and wanders off with a slice of the incredible cake. By the time he reaches the library, the cake is gone. He admires some books and then goes looking for Jann, on the off chance that Jann has not yet found any girls to kiss.
Unbeknownst to Milo, he acquires a small grey passenger during this time. She blends in almost perfectly with his fine grey trousers; one would have to be looking from just the right angle to spot the little fuzzy lump behind his ankle.
abeance
Jann has actually found a girl to kiss (she is one of the maids and has a thing for knights! being a knight works out so well for Jann!) but he has made plans to do more substantial amounts of this later in the evening when the party has wound down more thoroughly, and he is not kissing her right now.
When Milo finds Jann, Jann peers down at him and says, "You've got an addendum on your leg, there."
When Milo finds Jann, Jann peers down at him and says, "You've got an addendum on your leg, there."
first-and-final
"A what?"
He twists to look. The kitten climbs around his pant leg and out of view. He twists around the other way and glimpses the tip of her tail before she whisks it out of sight.
"Hello," he says. "What's this all about?"
Tiny meow.
"I can't understand you, I'm afraid, not being a witch. Puts me at a bit of a disadvantage here."
He twists to look. The kitten climbs around his pant leg and out of view. He twists around the other way and glimpses the tip of her tail before she whisks it out of sight.
"Hello," he says. "What's this all about?"
Tiny meow.
"I can't understand you, I'm afraid, not being a witch. Puts me at a bit of a disadvantage here."
first-and-final
"I'm not sure this is anyone's cat in particular."
Tiny meow.
"If we're going to have a conversation and I can't understand anything you say, it might be more convenient if you weren't clinging to the back of my leg at the time so I could at least try interpreting body language."
The kitten considers this line of reasoning, and then climbs daintily around to perch on his boot. Milo peers down at her. "Hello there. I'm Milo. And you're a kitten."
This meow has sort of a mildly sarcastic tone.
"Well, if I knew your name, I'd happily use it. Do you have one? Is there someone I could ask to find it out?"
She darts around to hide behind his foot again.
"...You don't want me talking about you to anyone?" he hazards.
She emerges into view again.
"All right then, I won't."
Tiny meow.
"If we're going to have a conversation and I can't understand anything you say, it might be more convenient if you weren't clinging to the back of my leg at the time so I could at least try interpreting body language."
The kitten considers this line of reasoning, and then climbs daintily around to perch on his boot. Milo peers down at her. "Hello there. I'm Milo. And you're a kitten."
This meow has sort of a mildly sarcastic tone.
"Well, if I knew your name, I'd happily use it. Do you have one? Is there someone I could ask to find it out?"
She darts around to hide behind his foot again.
"...You don't want me talking about you to anyone?" he hazards.
She emerges into view again.
"All right then, I won't."
first-and-final
"No kidding," says Milo. "So. Kitten."
Meow.
"I don't think I'd have much luck trying to guess your name, I'm afraid. I'm not even sure what gender of kitten you are. Did you have a particular purpose in attaching yourself to me?"
She hops off his boot and walks a short distance away and turns back and climbs on again and looks up at him expectantly.
"You... want me to take you somewhere?"
This meow sounds affirmative, as meows go.
"I'm going to take that as a yes. Is this place you want me to take you any more specific than 'away'?"
Silence.
"I'm going to take that as a no. Is anyone going to be very angry with me if I let you stow away with us when we leave?"
Silence again.
"I'm going to take that as another no. In that case, you're welcome to join us."
She meows and rubs her small fluffy cheek against his leg. He smiles.
Meow.
"I don't think I'd have much luck trying to guess your name, I'm afraid. I'm not even sure what gender of kitten you are. Did you have a particular purpose in attaching yourself to me?"
She hops off his boot and walks a short distance away and turns back and climbs on again and looks up at him expectantly.
"You... want me to take you somewhere?"
This meow sounds affirmative, as meows go.
"I'm going to take that as a yes. Is this place you want me to take you any more specific than 'away'?"
Silence.
"I'm going to take that as a no. Is anyone going to be very angry with me if I let you stow away with us when we leave?"
Silence again.
"I'm going to take that as another no. In that case, you're welcome to join us."
She meows and rubs her small fluffy cheek against his leg. He smiles.
first-and-final
"I'd sure argue it, if the accusation was made," says Milo. "The kitten is clearly coming with us of his or her own will."
first-and-final
"I don't know, I think we've been managing pretty well under the circumstances."
The kitten meows.
"Sounds like Kitten agrees. I'm going to have to come up with a name for you, aren't I, Kitten."
Meow.
"I'll think about it. I don't have any good ideas off the top of my head. Um, which variety of kitten are you, though? Boy?"
Silence.
"Girl?"
The particular meow that has come to mean 'yes'.
"Girl it is. That narrows down the name selection somewhat."
The kitten meows.
"Sounds like Kitten agrees. I'm going to have to come up with a name for you, aren't I, Kitten."
Meow.
"I'll think about it. I don't have any good ideas off the top of my head. Um, which variety of kitten are you, though? Boy?"
Silence.
"Girl?"
The particular meow that has come to mean 'yes'.
"Girl it is. That narrows down the name selection somewhat."
first-and-final
"Would you like to be named after a rock, Kitten?"
A meow of a different variety.
"...Need more information to decide?" he guesses.
Yes-meow.
"The horse is named Morganite. Morganite is a pretty pink rock. You're not any shade of pink, though, you're grey and white... there's 'Silver', I guess, not a rock but the same sort of genre, do you feel like a Silver?"
Silence.
"Not Silver then. Um... how about, I don't know... Catherine?"
Yes-meow.
"All right. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Catherine. I'd bow, but it's awkward to bow to someone who is standing on my foot."
Catherine hops off his foot and strolls away a short distance. Milo grins and bows to her. She sits and starts washing her ears with one white-tipped paw.
A meow of a different variety.
"...Need more information to decide?" he guesses.
Yes-meow.
"The horse is named Morganite. Morganite is a pretty pink rock. You're not any shade of pink, though, you're grey and white... there's 'Silver', I guess, not a rock but the same sort of genre, do you feel like a Silver?"
Silence.
"Not Silver then. Um... how about, I don't know... Catherine?"
Yes-meow.
"All right. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Catherine. I'd bow, but it's awkward to bow to someone who is standing on my foot."
Catherine hops off his foot and strolls away a short distance. Milo grins and bows to her. She sits and starts washing her ears with one white-tipped paw.
first-and-final
"It might be difficult. But I do like a challenge. What do you think, Catherine?"
Unidentified meow.
"I suppose there's no good reason for you to know what chess is, being a cat. Do you know what chess is?"
Different unidentified meow.
"Hmm... was that a 'sort of'?"
Repeat of different unidentified meow.
"It wasn't a 'yes'... was it a new 'no'?"
Yes-meow.
"All right then. My Catherine-vocabulary is expanding by the minute."
Unidentified meow.
"I suppose there's no good reason for you to know what chess is, being a cat. Do you know what chess is?"
Different unidentified meow.
"Hmm... was that a 'sort of'?"
Repeat of different unidentified meow.
"It wasn't a 'yes'... was it a new 'no'?"
Yes-meow.
"All right then. My Catherine-vocabulary is expanding by the minute."
abeance
"At some point this probably counts as understanding a cat without being a witch," snorts Jann. "You'll be famous."
first-and-final
"Anyone could do it if they just took the time to listen. And had a cooperative cat. And were good at guessing what questions to ask."
Meow.
"Commentary from Catherine. Proud of your choice of human, by any chance?"
Yes-meow.
Milo grins at her.
Meow.
"Commentary from Catherine. Proud of your choice of human, by any chance?"
Yes-meow.
Milo grins at her.