Pleasantry

"…You know what, Marron?" Noir asked offhandedly. She lay on her back on her bed, staring dreamily up at the ceiling.

"Besides the obvious? I'd guess not," Marron said with a small smile.

Noir glanced down at Marron. She sat in the middle of the floor with a cup and a pair of dice, playing a game that Thor had brought her. "What do you mean, the obvious?" Noir asked quizzically

Marron glanced up and shrugged, smiling softly. "You and Prince Loki… something happened with you last night, didn't it?"

Noir slowly shook her head. "No, not really."

"And that's why you were about two inches apart when Thor opened the door?"

"Ooh, Prince Thor's got you on a first name basis too, eh?" Noir teased. "You called him Thor,, not Prince Thor."

"You called him Loki, not Prince Loki," Marron accused, blushing slightly. "Anyways, what were you saying before," the brown neko distractedly tried to change the subject again.

Noir smiled. "As I was saying… you know what?"

Marron smiled ruefully and replied with the standard, "What?"

"I've been thinking…"

Marron raised an eyebrow. "…Is that something new…? That would explain so much…"

Noir laughed. "No. But what I've been thinking of is new. I was thinking of changing my last name."

Marron blinked. "Really? Why, and to what? You've never changed it before, have you?"

Noir slowly shook her head. "It's always been Etoile. Star. It's what my mother gave me… but…" she trailed off. "I can't hold onto it forever. My mother's gone, and I don't need to hold onto the name she gave me. I was thinking of changing it."

"To?" Marron repeated.

"I was thinking… Voleuse."

Marron blinked twice, staring at her friend. "…Voleuse?"

Noir nodded, waiting for Marron's thoughts.

Marron crinkled her nose. "Why?"

Noir shrugged and smiled faintly. "You know what it means, don't you?"

Marron nodded. "It means thief. Why would you want to change your name to thief?"

Noir merely smiled, thinking of Loki's nickname for her… little thief.

Loki had now returned to the roof of the tower to wait out the simmering anger within him towards his father. Why wouldn't he even listen to his son? Why wouldn't he consider his ideas until Thor repeated them, nothing more than a parrot repeating what he heard? Why did Odin favor the older son, and shun the younger?

Loki surveyed the land below, his legs dangling off the edge of the tower's top. Normally, the sight was calming. Normally, he could close his eyes, feel the faint breeze on his face, breathe in the fresh air, and be calm. But for some reason, the conditions on the tower top today seemed… trivial. Mere pleasantries that did nothing to calm him. They made him fidget with their simplicity and naivety. Something about the tower roof had changed. Something about sitting up here alone didn't have the same effect it had before.

Sighing and glancing around, he realized what it was. Noir. Noir was not here to lace her fingers with his, or to lie next to him and change the solitary silence into a companionable one. He smiled wryly. This wasn't just his place anymore… it was his and Noir's. The rooftop had lost its charm without the charm of his little neko thief.

He repositioned himself and stared at the blue sky, wondering at his situation.

Noir and Marron looked up from where they both played the dice game Thor had brought Marron while Noir and Loki were gone.

The door opened, and the older prince stepped in, holding a platter piled high with food. "Hello, Lady Marron and Lady Noir. I see my brother is not here. Have you seen him?"

The girls shook their heads simultaneously. "He hasn't been here since breakfast."

"Speaking of which," Thor held out the platter, and the girls jumped up and took it greedily, digging into the fruit and meat and eggs.

Noir sucked on a grape as she looked at Prince Thor. "Where is your brother?" she asked slowly.

Thor shrugged, and a shadow passed over his handsome features. "He and my father got into a bit of a spat this morning at breakfast. Loki left in the middle of breakfast, and I haven't seen him since. I thought he might have come here."

Noir shook her head. "No. What were they arguing about?"

"Loki was saying that Father should consider granting the nekos rights and revoking or revising the decree," Thor explained. "But our father would hear nothing of it, until I agreed with Loki."

Noir and Marron both frowned. "Your father wouldn't hear anything of Loki's ideas until you agreed?"

Thor shook his head, not quite understanding what the girls were getting at. "In any case, I am sure he shall be back here later. Enjoying the game I brought you, Marron?"

Marron nodded, blushing and glancing down at the pair of red dice.

"How'd you get all this food, Prince Thor?" Noir asked conversationally, trying to ease the embarrassment of her younger friend.

Thor shrugged. "Simple. I simply took a plate, loaded it with food, and left."

"Your parents didn't find that at all suspicious?" Noir asked skeptically.

"No," Thor smiled. "I merely said I was saving it for a snack for later."

Marron and Noir glanced at the plate laden with a mound of food. They exchanged bitter looks. Thor was really a horrible liar.

"Thank you, Thor," Marron smiled. "But maybe next time you should be a little more subtle? Perhaps slip some extra food into your pocket or cape?"

Thor considered. "Maybe that would be less suspicious… excellent idea, Marron."

Marron blushed brightly, and Noir clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Thor remained with the nekos in the safe room for a good hour or more, discussing various subjects. He seemed to shower Marron with small compliments, and to think everything she said was rather brilliant (though she hardly spoke from bashfulness, and what she did say was quiet and rather reserved). Noir found herself loving to see the two of them together. Thor was bold, brash, and brazen, whereas Marron was small, sweet, and soft. Yet somehow Noir thought the two of them were rather adorable, in an impossible way.

Noir could totally understand how Loki thought Thor was an oaf with nothing brilliant to say. He was no great thinker, and the thoughts he had were simple and slightly arrogant. But the blonde still had a kind of kindness and charm. His self-assurance was both irritating and endearing. Though every word he said made someone with wit want to cringe and roll their eyes, Thor's demeanor was so energetic and lovable that it was impossible not to smile ruefully at his blissful ignorance of his own ignorance.

After a while of playing their dice game on the floor, Thor sighed, "I should probably go now… I have been here for quite some time."

Noir and Marron both let out 'awww's at the statement.

Thor laughed heartily. "I am sure I shall return sooner or later. I greatly enjoyed both your company, Marron and Noir. Yes, I shall probably be back tonight. But now I must go and catch up with my other friends… they have not seen much of me in the last day or two," he smiled at the girls. "I have other little games I can bring to amuse you, if you like. I have some card games, if you want them, and a few other dice games I could teach you."

"Yes, please," Marron said in a small voice, looking hopefully at the prince.

Thor gave her a warm smile. "Of course."

Noir covered her smile with her hand. "I don't suppose you have any books to lend us, Prince Thor?"

Thor scowled slightly. "I do not enjoy reading. I am sure Loki would be happy to lend you some reading material…" he paused. "I wonder where he is, anyway? Ah, well, I am sure he shan't stay away for too long." He threw a mischievous grin to Noir, making the neko blush slightly, knowing exactly what Thor was thinking about… the little incident outside the safe room this morning.

Noir threw him a mutinous look. "Yes, yes, Thor. Shoo. If you see Loki, ask him to bring some books for me."

Thor nodded. "Of course." He stood up and stretched. "I shall be off, then."

The girls stood, and Thor kissed both their hands and left.

Chatte Noir Soir sat on the battered armrest of an armchair in the neko rebels' hideout, absentmindedly kicking the scratched wood of the floor. She was thinking of her children… the ones who had been lost all those years ago. She wished they were here now to see the changes she was helping to bring about… but it was not to be.

Noir Soir had not seen her children since the escape from the plantation. She recalled it well… the fear and uncertainty in Etoile's and Gris's eyes as Soir assured them that all would be well. Soir wasn't even sure they had made it to the city. She had returned to the plantation to find that the warden of the plantation slaves was already in the thick of things, bringing soldiers and guards to prevent the slaves from succeeding in freeing the children. The soldiers had been victorious. Several of the neko slaves on the plantation had died that night; not only from the skirmish, but also from the fire that had burned down half the slaves' quarters, started when a soldier dropped his lantern. The only ones who had managed to escape the plantation as planned were Chatte Noir Etoile and Chatte Gris Fumar. The other children had either been killed or simply kept under more careful guard, never to escape from the plantation.

And Soir's children had probably died quickly after the escape. Soir should have gone with them, she had always thought to herself. The kits didn't stand a chance on their own in the city. Soir smiled bitterly. Noir Etoile would have been a grown woman by now, about the age of Chatte Blanc Lune. Gris Fumar would have been nearly a grown man… he would've been exiting juvenility and entering adulthood.

Noir looked up from the scarred wooden floor to see Chatte Blanc Lune entering the room.

"Look who it is," she sneered quietly.

He said nothing, but gave her a searching look.

"Anything to say, or shall you continue to stare? Didn't your mother tell you it's rude?" she continued.

Blanc smirked. "Actually, no. I was raised by my grandparents… I never knew my mother," he said drily. "And my grandparents actually didn't teach me anything except to sit down and shut up."

Noir scoffed. "Didn't teach you very well, did they, kit?"

Blanc rolled his eyes. "Didn't teach me for very long… I ran away as soon as I could. Joined a little gang… there were four of us. We became good friends, actually."

Noir raised her eyebrows, wondering what the significance of Blanc Lune's telling her this was.

Blanc smiled wryly. "I think you would have liked them. Especially the brother and sister. They were sweet… the sister was always very protective… and when her brother was hung, she was heartbroken. Our four became three. And then when Prince Loki came and shoved his way into our little circle, and he took the other two away, there was only me. I'm back on my own again."

He walked away without another word, white cloak swishing behind him.

Noir Soir blinked slowly. Blanc Lune was a very odd neko. He was hiding something from her, obviously. But the woman was unsure what it was. She didn't like the white neko. But Chatte Rouge Catalysseur seemed to be under the impression that he was useful, and would be able to bring in more useful people… who could give information on the palace… which would help the neko rebels complete their mission. Noir scoffed at the thought. She didn't think very highly of Blanc.

Loki walked back to his room sometime after lunchtime. He hadn't eaten. He had been on the roof the whole time. But he had grown restless, and was returning to his room.

"Loki?" his mother's voice asked from up ahead.

Loki glanced up. He had been looking at the ground, still lost in thought as he walked automatically to his room. His mother was striding down the hall towards him. "Hello, Mother," he greeted her flatly as she stopped in front of him.

"I was just at your room… but you weren't there," she explained. "Where have you been?"

Loki shrugged. "Just thinking."

"About how your father acted at breakfast?" Frigga asked gently.

Loki nodded slowly. "Partly, yes. Why does he favor Thor so highly above me?"

Frigga's eyes saddened. "I do not know. Perhaps simply because Thor is what Odin expects a prince to be. He is bright and charming, and is a warrior. He is favored by everyone he meets. These are things valued in a king at times."

Loki scoffed. "Thor's daft. He doesn't have a clue how to run a kingdom. He knows nothing of strategy or tactics… only how to swing his stupid hammer, wink, and grin. I don't see how everyone finds that so attractive."

Frigga paused, giving her son a searching look. "Have you spoken with your lady?"

Loki's eyes flicked up from the ground to see his mother. "Ah… yes, a little," he admitted uncomfortably.

She nodded eagerly. "How did it go?"

He smiled faintly, thinking of Noir gently kissing his cheek, and the rueful disappointment when they had been interrupted from kissing.

Frigga smiled faintly at the distant expression on her son's face, and the trace of a smile on his lips. She recognized the signs. "Things went well, then?"

Loki glanced at his mother. "Well enough, I suppose. I told her I was sorry, and we spent some time together. I think we've made amends."

"Will you yet tell me who she is?" Frigga smiled, barely able to hold back a pleading note in her voice. She would not reduce herself to begging, of course, but she was filled with burning curiosity.

Loki smirked. "No, I still shall not tell you." He kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Mother," he added teasingly.

The queen merely shook her head. "Shame on you, Loki, for making your mother wait in suspense."

Loki just shook his head, thinking of Noir. What would be his mother's reaction, when she found out? …if she found out? Loki was unsure how long this could possibly continue in secret.

"So will she be coming to the ball?" Frigga asked resignedly.

Loki felt his heart sink. "…Er… I don't know… She doesn't know, either… nothing has yet been decided. I have to go."

Frigga nodded and smiled. "I will see you later, Loki." She brought him down to her height and kissed his forehead. "Do not let your father get you down. Confide in your lady… keep your relationship strong. That is the only way to ensure its endurance."

Loki nodded. "Thank you." He strode away, leaving his mother behind. He continued walking in solitude for a few moments.

"Loki!" Thor's voice suddenly said behind the god of mischief.

Loki bit back a groan of annoyance and turned to see Thor, walking with three other warriors. Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg. Loki's eyes roved the group, and he waited. "Yes, Thor?" he asked irritably.

"Where have you been all day?" Thor asked, approaching his younger brother. "I have not seen you since breakfast!"

"Is it true that you were suggesting peace with the nekos?" Fandral asked incredulously. "It's all over the kingdom… Prince Loki has taken the neko's side, defending them and saying the king's own son has turned traitor!"

"Exaggeration, Fandral," Thor said quickly. "All Loki said is that we should hear out the nekos' requests."

"That's absurd!" Volstagg put in. "The nekos are savages, bottom-feeders, pickpockets, thieves, and bandits. They're low rogues that—"

Volstagg broke off at the mutinous looks from both princes.

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"The nekos are not savage beasts; they are just as intelligent and civilized as you and me," Thor said reproachfully.

Loki threw Thor a grateful look. If it had been he who had said it, he realized, he would have been censured and further accused of being traitorous. But if Thor said it, he would be praised for his care and understanding. The realization made Loki bitter, but he said nothing.

The three warriors looked taken aback that Thor was also taking the rebels' side.

"Thor… that's madness," Fandral scoffed. "Don't you think-?"

"Not often, but he does think occasionally," Loki put in with a smirk.

Thor threw an affronted look to Loki. "In any case… I think the nekos may be misunderstood and shunned for the wrong reasons. Perhaps we should reexamine our opinion of them, and grant them opportunity to better their way of life. Now… go on ahead. I have something to say to Loki."

The three gave the brothers odd looks before turning away and heading down the hall.

Loki raised an eyebrow at Thor. "…Yes?"

Thor watched the retreating backs of his friends. "Er… our little friends… they missed you this morning… Also, Lady Noir was wondering if you could bring her some books to entertain her. I brought Lady Marron a dice game, and shall bring some more, but I have nothing for Noir's interests."

Loki hesitated. "Actually… I shan't be going to visit them tonight. Apologize to them both for me?"

Thor looked confused. "But what are you doing that is so important you cannot go see your friends?"

Loki shook his head. "It's nothing, Thor… Believe me. You can stop by my room after dinner and pick up some books for Noir, if you like… but tell them I'll see them tomorrow."

Thor frowned. "Tomorrow?" he asked in confusion.

Loki merely nodded once and turned, walking back to his room again without another word.

Thor stared after his little brother. "But… tomorrow is the ball," he said to himself.

Note from LoquaciousQuibbler: This chapter seemed really short an a little uneventful, yet very eventful at the same time… *filler*

Okay, anyways. So, Noir is deciding to change her last name to Voleuse, which means thief. Hence, I have finally settled on Noir and Loki's ship name. It is FrostThief. It has been pointed out to me that Noir is used for all black nekos, and so is not all that personal. I also realized that it's possible that Noir would change her last name, and so Etoile might not work… so she has now changed it to the nickname that Loki calls her. It seems more fitting that way… Are we in agreement? All those in favor of FrostThief say aye.

Alright, and then Loki just missing being with Noir…

And then Soir, thinking about her lost babies… and Blanc. He be kinda creepy, whatcha say? Gotta feel bad for him, though… he just wants to have his family/group back together…

And we got some Thorron, too! Though not much FrostThief…but we got more mother/son time, as well as some brother/brother backing each other up.

To Isa: Aww, your idea would have actually been really cute… but actually I already have it planned out… *sings* Be prepaaaared! (from the Lion King)

But for those of you who don't know, Isa suggested that Loki throw a little personal feast for himself and Noir (and Marron? Not quite clear on that), and not invite Thor… One-shot, anybody? Haven't done one since Keeping Me up… I think we may be due for another. All those in favor? Leave suggestions for said one-shot, and I may write it.

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