#elsewhere

Minerva reads near an open window. .. it so happens HER window connects to the garden, so some autumn sunlight and cool air blows in

A lovely fall day. The sun filters through the autumn leaves, a cool breeze plays with her hair, and the sound of birds is a light accompaniment to the day.

"owm."

Now, that one isn't precisely the sound of a bird. The birds have gone a bit quieter though.

Again, the sad tone from outside. "Mowww-oowwwwm."

She ponders ignoring it, but...damn it. She's curious and she peeks over "Yes?"

A few leaves filter down as the maker of the sad sounds shifts, just overhead. Not too far up, really, but out on a branch that looks a bit thin for the bulk of this fluffy beast, the orange-and-cream fuzzsicle shifts his weight, and another few leaves fall as the branch sways. Now out of reach, the bird-of-paradise bloom tweets mockingly at the previous offender, before fluttering back to it's flower patch. "Owm."

"i'm trying to study" she explains to the beast

But... the bird. His sad eyes seem to complain, as he carefully places paws to inch back along the branch, and over on another limb that brings him closer to her windows. "Owm mowwww."

"Well, we don't always get what we want, do we?" Minerva states to the beast

A swish of his tail in defiance. Why shouldn't they get what is due to them? And he crouches forward, rump in the air, and makes a spring over to the windowsill, fluff-tail swishing the air to provide balance.

A graceful landing on the sill!

"I don't make the rules" She pets the odd orange cat despite herself "I just have to follow them while others don't"

He purrrrs under the stroking. Why not be a cat? Cats make their own rules. A hint of silver around his neck, half-buried in the fluff? Ah, it's a ribbon. It says, "Whiskers".

"Whiskers?" A look, brows fly , then "What an amazingly unimaginative name"

He yawns, and shows off his whiskers - they are INDEED long and lovely.

And a roll over, displaying an expanse of creamy tum fluff.

"Oh no, rubbing your belly only to be clawed would be a TOO apt metaphor for what I've had to endure" she says , though she clearly looks tempted

Big eyes blink and he says "Mrrrrp?" Who, me? To do such a thing?

Rubbing his head against the hand that was stroking.

She resumes stroking slowly "Miss Zara was honest I suppose. Sluagh are like that, reserved, but they do not skimp on the truth as they see it however painful, or so I'm told. Still, I was hoping that I, as a fellow intellectual, would get a bit more on the sympathy side. " A smile "that's a meme, you know? 'Me- an Intellectual' as if we're a step above. I find it soothing. It's like a sidhe wrote it. Sue me. Everyone gets to be themselves around here" A sigh "Except me. I'm not even supposed to go by a name that's theo nly one I have. I'm looking at others, but the one I'm supposed to SPARE is a jackass everyone loves . And I'm not even learning how to hex his hair out. Is that fair? I ask you?"

"Mowf." He says, a glance back out the window towards where the bird had flown. He didn't even get a fair swat at it, and yet, if he had caught it? Perhaps HE would be the naughty one.

"Yes, got off scott free, didn't it? You're better off without" A sigh "Maybe I should change my name to 'Adamsuckssohard ap whatever' but that's giving him too much credit in my life"

He rolls over, resting a paw upon the book pages, lest she become distracted and try to read them again when he is far more important.

"I'm reading that" she sahys even though it is no longer true "You should be careful. I know a bookwyrm I could feed you to. She'd get hairballs, but she's very protective of books" A happy sigh "Bronte is wonderful. And I like the spiders but I suspect one is spying on me"

Spying? Septa would clutch her pearls if she wore them!

He sits up, and peers into her curls a bit. A soft velvet paw pats at a lock of hair - he will hunt down any interlopers!

Oh, but it does sway so temptingly. Bat... bat bat...

"No no.. don't. I don't want you hurting the spiders and eating them. They're just trying to learn I guess. who can blame them? " Her dark straight hair moves as if the autumn breeze gathered under it "You're a cat. You should know. The lesson that curiosity killed the cat, it's meant by some as a warning. Everyone can die eventually, but to die empty, dull, and ignorant? that is a hell of an individual's own making. Let me die of knowing too much, let me die full and bloated with the true name of every shadow on my lips. Curiosity might kill me yes, but surely the satisfaction will last forever"

He purrs and bumps his head instead lightly against her chin in a fuzzy fond gesture, and then FLOPS onto the tabletop between her and the book. A small nudge, and the book is just visible beyond the valley of the tum. She can read it, yes, if she doesn't mind reaching over the fluff to do so. And an occasional pat may not go amiss.

"Oh goodness.. you are a tyrant , Mister Whiskers. " And yet she pets "But I understand. It's not fun to be ignored save when someone wants to 'teach you a lesson'"

He purrs. She may read her book, he won't even bat at the pages... well, much. And certainly only with the softest of velvet touches. Isn't it more pleasant with company?

it would appear so, for she reads more intently, and strokes along gently as she reads, and she even talks "Ah, you see, this is what happened while I was gone. High King David's story. A gwydion, well no WONDER everyone in this land is angry and tense"

"Mrrrp." If everyone valued warm laps and a saucer of rich cream over fighting, why there would be no war at all.

"Precisely" As if she understood him

He purrs softly, ears flicking as they listen to the sounds around them. Her soft voice, the tempting twits of the birds in the yard, and especially for any footsteps in the hallway. She feels spied upon, and, why, does he not know how simply awkward it can be to be interrupted in surprise? If any steps come near, even passing past, eyes open and turn to the door. He will watch out so that she may focus on reading.

And stroking. Especially the stroking.

She's a good student of books and absorbs the knowledge

And yes, keeps petting

"And everyone in this hold seems to be obsessed with sex" She adds "I know it's a Fiona hold with a lot of satyrs, but really? Sex can't be THAT good" She says

His fluffy tail swishes and tickles her nose. She asks this of a tomcat? Well, surely she can imagine that all the lady cats admire him. Rightfully?

A delicate sneeze "Stop that," But she smiles "Fine. Sounds like there's room for a prude here. I volunteer. Yay. I have a niche" Dryly

And she goes back to reading. Unaware she has just thrown down a gaunlet , not to Vince, he's a gent, but to Earthrunes itself

(End Scene)

***********************
Adam marches flatly along after his audience with the Baroness.

"Fear of Goddess is the beginning of wisdom " The jester says to him from the hallway "Trouble lad?"

"No, thank you."

"Come on, lad... you want to die in the practice yard" The Jester says

He motions to the sparing area

Adam follows.

And there are... targets. they look like Minerva!

Well the sidhe

they got pointy ears!

Adam shakes his head. "No. Thanks."