#i think bomba is like. an auntie to him or something

[mysticalcats]

*grabby hands* foxglove… content… pls…?

this ask made me so happy....thank you for asking about my funny guy!!

[herooffire101]

Already, we're heading to one of the two fics I've written for Tuggerulina Week that is more...sad, for lack of a better word. Today's prompt was First Kiss, and I may had listened to some music while writing the end. @jelliclekay enjoy!

It was a quiet night among the troubled kids.

Bomba found him, up on a semi-hidden peak within the yard, starting up into the sky. Her left thigh throbbed a bit as the hours-old cuts that Macavity left on her slowed her down just a tad. Bomba, worried about Tugger, escaped the careful eye of her Aunt Jelly and Jenny. ‘Macavity really rocked our world today.’ Bomba thought, thinking back to Macavity. An adult cat already, he was giving Bomba herself unwanted advances, and Bomba could tell that he wanted her to do the Mating Dance with him, to be his mate, but she wasn’t having it. She could feel his magic, and as they grew up, his magic was at first okay, not really bad and certainly not repulsive, but as they got older, his magic aura just got darker and darker, and increasingly repulsive. It was now so powerful and dark that Bomba could taste it, and it tasted completely horrible. The closer he was to her made her want to choke because it was so bad she couldn’t breathe. Today, however, was the last straw. She snapped at him, her inner magic lashing out, her inner Flames of Creation lashing out, as her grandfather explained to her. She had the magic of the Theater Cat, and it was pushing back against Macavity’s more destructive magic. This event caused what Grandpa said the cards to collapse. “I will not be your Mate, Macavity! My heart does not belong to you!” Bomba words echoed in her head, as she looked at her best friend. He witnessed it, the entire confrontation. James, Dad, AND Skimble had to pull his eldest brother off of Bomba as he eviscerated her right thigh. Aunt Jelly and Jenny were worried that they would have to take her back to Jelly’s humans again, but luckily they didn’t need to. However, they did bandage it and tried to keep her in the medical den, but Bomba escaped. She needed to see Tugger. Limping, she went up to his left side, and laid herself down, right next to him, mindful of her bandages. “That was something. I didn’t think that he would do that.”

“…I don’t know what to think.” Tugger finally said after a few moments, looking out at the night sky, and the distant lights of the city. “He’s my big brother. I can even tell you’ve been brushing off his advances. You never liked him.”

“I know!” Bomba agreed, rubbing up closer to him. “His aura, Tugger. His aura is repulsive to me.”

A silence between them, their tails slowly intertwining with each other. “…His aura?” Tugger asked, speaking the silence.

Bomba sighed. “I keep forgetting that no one else can feel or see magic like me. Tugger, I see magic, and feel it too. I can identify any cat with magic. Grandpa Gus has it too, but mine is a whole lot stronger than his.”

“Oh.” A silence followed, Tugger’s paw finding its way to Bomba’s. “Do I have magic?”

“Yea.” A beat. “Yours is my favorite. Munk is comfortable, protective, but not my right one.”

“What does Dad feel like?”

“Like yours, but older.”

Tugger sputtered. “That can’t be right. Munk’s the heir. I’m just the annoying disappointment.”

Bomba huffed. “Deuteronomy and Grandpa explained to me earlier while Aunty and Jenny were bandaging me up why he tried to make me his mate.”

“Why?” Tugger asked, side-eying her, as she just faced towards the outside of the yard.

“I am like Grizabella.” Bomba said, her eyes never moving, “I’m able to have kittens with magic.”

It didn’t take Tugger long for it to click. “You are able to have magical kittens?!?”

“Yes, you dingus!” Bomba snapped, finally facing him. “If I mate with either Mac, Munk, or you, there is a chance that the kitten will be the Heir to the Tribe!”

“Then are you going to be mates with Munk?”

“No, idiot.”

A beat. And then another beat. “Wait, ME!?!”

“YES, YOU INSUFFERABLE DINGWAD!!!”

“B-but…”

“My magic is repulsed by Macavity. Munkustrap is compatible but is not my true mate.” Bomba glared at him, annoyed. “Neither can be my mate because my magic already chose my mate.”

“Who?” Tugger challenged.

Bombalurina groaned and grumbled. “What a massive idiot you are.” She looked into his eyes, and let her magic pulse, feeling in the bond that her magic made when they first met. “You. You are my mate. The Everlasting Cat destined us to be mates.”

“But you’re Bombalurina. You can have anyone you want!” Tugger said, trying to deny it.

“THE RUM TUM TUGGER, LISTEN TO ME.” She snapped, grabbing a fistful of his mane. “YOU carry the same magical aura as Old Deuteronomy. YOU have the ability to have everyone listen to you. YOU are able to calm me. YOU are my True Mate, and that is something that is once in a few generations, and it tends to happen in my bloodline, according to Grandpa.” She took a breath and relaxed her hold on his mane. Tugger sat there, flabbergasted at her. “Yes, I can have anyone I want, but Tugger. I want you. What I didn’t say was that my heart belonged to someone else, and that cat is you.” Bomba sighed, and sat back down, not facing him. “I just don’t want to be like my mother.”

A stunned silence. She could feel his eyes on her, and his magic reaching out, almost hesitantly. She let her magic relax and welcome his earthlier warmth against her flame’s warmth. What she didn’t say that while similar in magic, Old Deuteronomy had more of a Water magic aura like Munkustrap, while Tugger had the same feel of magic as Old Deut, his was perfectly mixed with Grizabella’s Earth magic. Tugger felt...scared, but also hopeful. “You…want me.” His voice felt full of bravado, but even Bomba could hear the unsureness.

“Whatever words I say,” Bomba said, her emerald green eyes facing the stars, “I will always love you.” It was a bit before she felt Tugger lightly moving her head to face his, and she felt his lips on hers, kissing her. She reciprocated, purring. Both their foreheads touched. “I will always love you.”

~~~~

I may have listened to the Cure’s Lovesong during the last paragraph. Also, for readers who make it down to the this author's note, tomorrow's fic I feel will make you have emotions, because I feel like i went hard on tomorrow's prompt.

[theimpossiblescheme]

number 7 with bomba for the prompts

“She’s a beautiful kitten.” Old Deuteronomy was still lounging in his makeshift nest in the Healers’ den, this time cradling a snoring Electra in one arm and idly combing through her fur.  “You must be very proud.”

Bombalurina managed a very weak smile from where she lay across from him, propping her head up in one paw.  “Yeah… she’s a good kit.”  Sweet little Electra, who’d been born a few short weeks before Jemima, who cried when Bomba was away even for a few minutes, who refused to sleep during the day because she wanted to hear the music upstairs, who wanted to grow up to be like Auntie Teazer within minutes of knowing her, who asked questions she really didn’t want the answers to…

She deserved better.

“She needs a father, though,” Bomba mused aloud.  Macavity hardly counted—kittens were an insurance policy to him, an assurance that his “little pets” would stick around.  Nothing more.  He’d never acknowledged Electra even once, and it was one of the few things she was thankful for.  “And… this is gonna sound so stupid, but… I don’t know if I’m ready.”

Being a mother was never something she’d wanted before.  She was still young, for Cat’s sake—before Macavity ruined everything, all she wanted to do was dance and flirt and live her own damn life without anybody clucking their tongue and telling her no.  She had her own friends, her own bevy of lady- and gentlemen-callers to entertain, her own song she wanted to someday sing at the Jellicle Ball…

Now she had a kitten to take care of.  To endlessly worry about, to set an example for.  To… well, loving her wouldn’t be an issue—of course she loved Electra. It wasn’t a matter of not wanting her.

As much as she hated to admit it, it was a matter of still being scared.  That she couldn’t be everything she needed.  That she still had so much crap of her own to deal with, Electra might get lost in the shuffle.  Her own daughter…

What kind of queen did that make her?

It was a surprise anyone here wanted her back at all.

If Old Deuteronomy sensed any of her thoughts, he didn’t let it on.  At least not at first.  Electra yawned and turned over in her sleep, and he readjusted his paw to better hold onto her.  “You might ask Munkustrap if he could help foster her.”

Bomba blinked at him. “You think he would?”

“Oh, absolutely.”  Deuteronomy smiled.  “He adores kittens—he’s never had any of his own, but he’s taken all the Tribe’s little ones under his wing.  And he’s already agreed to take in Jemima.”

… Huh.  She’d never imagined the Munkustrap she knew before getting along with kittens.  He’d been so upright and stern, so tightly wound he’d snap if you blew on him wrong. Sure, he’d been nice enough, but you had to wonder sometimes if he thought about anything other than being “perfect”, worthy of being his father’s son.

That Munkustrap would have turned them all away.  At least, that was what her stupid, catastrophe-riddled brain told her.  But the one who’d been in before to check on them, who’d sat for so long just listening to Demeter and Alonzo tell their stories, who struggled to help Jenyanydots patch their wounds even with Jemima in his lap… he might understand.  He could be what Electra needed.

Had he been that Munkustrap all along, and she’d just never paid attention before?  Had she really been gone so long she’d forgotten?

Eventually she gave Deuteronomy a nod.  “I’ll see if I can talk to him.”

“I’m sure he’d be more than happy.”  Then he reached over and patted her paw with his free one.  “And that’s all we want for you, as well.  For all of you.  Electra still needs you, and you will always be a part of her life, but if there’s any help we can give, you need only ask.”

She nodded again. Heaviside knew she’d need all the help she could get… her pride could take a back seat for now.  There were so much more important things.

Her daughter rolled over in her sleep again, and that pulled another tired smile out of her in spite of herself.

“Thank you.”

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

man you always get the weird angry anons 😭😭 anyways tell me about your ocs !!

I DO ALWAYS GET THEM

first it was the founder of the 2016 Macavity costume hate club, then it was the rumpus cat anon, and now it's the bomba anon!!

do i just attract strange anons????

but ty dear for asking about my ocs 😭😭😭 here's a random list of hcs for random ocs!!

this is something i've been thinking about for a while, but i fully imagine Hestia having a bit of an identity crisis when she's older, and running away from the Junkyard. she loves her family dearly, but it's hard to not think of herself as "Macavity's daughter", especially once she hears about what he did to Tugger, Munkustrap, and her beloved Auntie Dem and Auntie Bomba, combined with everything he did to her own mother and siblings. I imagine her having a scene similar to "Home" in Beetlejuice, where she sees Serafina's ghost and just completely breaks down, wishing her mama were actually there to help her and give her strength, but she then realizes she's more than her biological father, and she returns to the Junkyard! (seriously... i listened to that song again the other day, and it fits Hestia SO well)

Quasi also has a little identity crisis after he joins the Jellicles, because most of his life has been spent working as a henchcat for Macavity, but Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer really become his closest friends in the Junkyard, because of course they know how he feels, they had the same crisis, and they saw what Macavity did to Quasi. They really start to behave more like siblings after a little heart-to-heart.

Hades is the one who visits the Junkyard the most! mainly because he loves visiting Hestia, but also because he wants to get to know Tugger, Munkustrap, and Old Deuteronomy. He's the ghost who really mourns the life he, his siblings, and his mother could have had, though of course he's not resentful towards Hestia at all! her happiness is one of the reasons he spends so much time with her. Tugger and Munkustrap are more than happy to spend time with their nephew (son in Tugger's case) and tell him stories of all the shenanigans they got into as kittens. Since he spends almost every day in the Junkyard, Hades can be seen by any cat, not just magical cats!

the Con Quintet desperately needs therapy. Crash and Maly have trust issues, and the triplets have abandonment issues, so when they all met, there was absolutely tension, but after a while, Charcoal, Dove, and Pebble were basically like "these are our twins and if anyone tries to hurt them we will kill you" and Crash and Maly were like "i will tell you my deepest darkest secret and all my weaknesses because i love you"

I've also been thinking quite a bit about what if Tugger had made it in time to save Serafina and the kittens from Macavity... and I'm maybe thinking about writing a short for that...

[queen-mischief-fanfiction]

Trailer #2

An: Okay everyone I think this will be my last trailer redesign but I’ll make this promise if this gets a lot of attention then after I see the new film, which is in a view days, I’m going to do a redesign of the film, I will write the movie like I’ve written these okay.

“Jellicle Cats meet once a year At the Jellicle Ball where we all rejoice And the Jellicle Leader will soon appear And make what is known as the Jellicle Choice

When Old Deuteronomy, just before dawn, through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife Announces the cat who can now be reborn

And come back to a different Jellicle Life For waiting up there is the Heaviside Layer Full of wonders one Jellicle only will see And Jellicles ask because Jellices dare Who will it be? Who will it be?”

A black cat is seen walking through the streets, avoiding cars and rummaging through bins. Bustopher jones stands in front of her “oh my, we better get you cleaned up” he says and the screen fades black. 

“Follow me home if you dare to, I wouldn't know where to lead you”

Three knocks are heard and the cat door opens up to a Jennyanydots “oh Bustohoer Jones what a surprise, Jelly and I weren’t expecting you” she says after a small curtesy and Bustopher bowed back “I know but I have an urgent matter about a dirty kitten and this time we will need a bucket of water” he says showing the cat with a streak of white on her cheek. The next shot she’s in the bubbly bath playing with the bubbles, one floats in front of her face and shows Plato’s face before it pops and he wasn’t there. “Sorry I’m late ladies I had a little trouble” duchess says coming inside with Quaxo and Alonzo seeing a clean Victoria with the pink bow “oh whose this darling little queen?”

“Should I take chances when no one took chances on me? So I watch from the dark, wait for my life to start With no beauty in my memory. All that I wanted was to be wanted Too young to wander London streets, alone and haunted Born into nothing At least you have something, something to cling to Visions of dazzling rooms I'll never get let into And the memories were lost long ago But at least you have beautiful ghosts”

*Dame Judi Dench*

“They call me Duchess and it’s now my duty to show you around, now the gentleman that brought you here is my Brother Bustopher Jones,” 

*James Barron*

Bustopher is seen sitting on his hat and the toms standing proudly around him, “duchess listen to me it’s not your fault, do not regret a mistake you did not make” he tells his sister “but it is my mistake Bustopher and I must pay for it until she is back in my arms” she says.

“,the Queen’s that cleaned you are Jennyanydots,” 

*Susie McKenna*

Jennyanydots is smiling wide finishing her song, “now which one? Oh yes thank you darling, run along now” Jenny thanks her mice friend taking the pink ribbon from his paws before tying it around Victoria’s neck “purrfect like a little queen”.

 “,and Jellyorum,” 

*Susan Jane Tanner*

Jellyorum pats Gus’s paw affectionately. “Jennyanydots I heard a rumour yesterday” she says “what is it this time sister?” Jenny was so over Jelly’s gossip “Bustopher Jones was seen strutting about town, perhaps he’ll join us tonight for the celebrations”. 

“Then we have Munkustrap he’s the next leader,” 

*Michael Gruber*

Munkustrap prowls around defensively awaiting an attack on his father behind him, “Everlasting Cat give me strength and sanity to last the Jellicle ball” he prays as his brother watches him bored.

 “, his mate Demeter,” 

*Aeva May*

Munk And Demeter share a dance with each other. “I wish I can be as strong and brave as you one day” Victoria admires Demeter making her smile and pet the younger queen “Victoria if you were any braver you’d be a lioness, and you are strong not every queen can tame a wild Tom” Demeter says “Plato isn’t wild” Victoria replies and Demeter chuckles “not all Toms are wild on the outside” she says mysteriously.

 “Alonzo,” 

*Jason Gardiner*

“Woah! Careful there, kittens must always watch where they are going” Alonzo says stopping the kittens from walking into a pollicle area.

“Bombalurina,”

*Rosemarie Ford*

Bomba saunters up to Victoria looking her up and down “little kitten you have a lot to learn about Toms and luckily auntie Deme and Bomba are here to help” she says making Deme smile as she shakes her head at her sister.

“Rum Tum Tugger!!” 

*John Partridge*

Cettie squeals moving to sit between his legs and rub herself against him as Victoria and Rumple playfully claw at his legs and he smirks blowing a kiss to Quaxo. “My darling Victoria I have discovered that life’s greatest treasures lie in having a family with the ones you love” Tugger tells Victoria as he looks over his litter of seven kittens, three are red, brown and yellow with a mix of stripes and spots and four are black, white with gold spots and two have similar looking names. “How did we let him talk us into mating with the both of us?” Misto asked Bomba “we love him and all his eccentricities” she answers.

“Then we have Cassandra,” 

*Rebecca Parker*

a close up of Cassandra shown dancing. Alonzo holds Cassandra back from Grizabella. “Look at her, she fits in so well with everyone” Cassandra tells Alonzo watching Victoria interact with the kittens, “I know it’s like she’s home” he says.

“,Exotica,” 

*Femi Taylor*

Exotica is shown near Deuteronomy during Gus’s song. She is also seen fawning over Tugger. “I wonder who’ll be picked to go tonight?” Exotica asks the other girls “I’m thinking it’ll be gus” Rumpleteazer says “ladies no one but Deuteronomy knows who’ll be chosen tonight, but Gus is a worthy candidate” Cassandra says.

 “,Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer,” 

*Drew Varley* *Jo Gibb*

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer peak into the house using the cat door before they acrobat their way in. They interrupt Misto’s song by jumping on the piano keys behind him making him jump and hiss at them, “tut tut Quaxo that’s not your story to tell” Jerrie chuckles finding his reaction funny “he’s right, time to let the us troublesome tigers sing our song” Teazer declares before they start singing their song.

“,Tantomile and Coricopat our psychic twins,” 

*Kaye Brown* *Tommi Sliiden*

The Psychic twins are seen reacting to an unknown presence in the yard. Tantomile and Corcipat watch Victoria and Misto sharing a secret smile with each other. “Will the yard’s magician make a big show?” Tantomile asks Misto “I believe it will be a sight one must see to believe” Coricopat says.

“,Skimbleshanks,” 

*Geoffrey Garratt*

Skimble And Jenny are tap dancing together and skimble twirls Jenny around and they pose finishing their dance in each other’s arms. “I still wonder how our daughter ended up with him?” Skimble says watching Rumple  and Jerrie, “if my memory serves me correctly you were just as wild as him in your youth, or did you forget how Rumpleteazer was conceived?” Jenny says smirking at her husband.

“,Gus the theatre cat,” 

*Ian McKellen*

Gus is sitting on a hat telling the kittens his stories. Flashbacks of him as Fireforefiddle and Growltiger are shown. “Back in my day you needed to do more than jump through hoops to be talented” Gus chided the kittens “back in your day dad, don’t be silly that was last week on the telly, we were watching an animal talent show” asparagus laughs.

“Asparagus Jnr,” 

*Tony Timberlake*

Asparagus And Munk share a look of disbelief as someone asked ‘what’s a Jellicle Cat?’ “Boys please settle down you know how upset Munk gets if everything isn’t perfect” he chided his sons stopping then from their prank, making them groan.

“,our leader Old Deuteronomy,” 

*Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy*

Deuteronomy sits down on the tire and he sons come up to bow before nuzzling him. A flashback is shown of a younger Deuteronomy with his sons of varying age with the oldest being Macavity and youngest Tugger. “Deuteronomy do you really believe that she’s out there?” Duchess asks him “all Jellicles find their way home eventually” he says as Grizabella and then Victoria is shown.

“The magical, the marvellous Mr Mistoffelees!” 

*Jacob Brent*

Music pauses as Misto And Victoria sit together on a windowsill “what do you really think of Tugger?” She asks him “I think he’s terrible bore,” a shot of Misto winking at Tugger is seen “,he’s my terrible bore” Misto finishes smiling at Victoria. 

“,the queen kittens, Etcetera,”

  *Jo Bingham*

“Wait! You know Tugger likes Misto then why do you fawn over him?” Victoria asks watching Cettie gussy herself up in the mirror. “Because the more I gush the more Tumblebrutus sees me and one day I’m hoping he’ll take me as his mate when we are older” she says excitedly.

“,Electra,”

*Leah Sue Morland*

���Don’t worry about Cettie I think she was dropped on her head as a kitten” Electra jokes sitting next to Victoria. Electra covers her ears as Cettie squeals loudly “Etcetera for the love of Everlasting Cat shut up!” She screams at her best friend.

 “,the youngest Jemima,”

*Veerle Casteleyn*

“You’re very lonely out there, you should stay” Jemima tells Victoria by the entrance of the yard, “How do you know?” “I can feel your sadness as you remember your life, so please for Plato, for duchess, for everyone please stay” Jemima begs grabbing the taller kitten’s paws, Victoria’s ears and tail tilt down “I can’t” a shot of sad Jemima standing alone at the entrance is shown.

 “,and the Tom kittens, George,” 

*Frank Thompson*

“Is he really a cat?” Victoria says not knowing she could be heard, Bomba slides up behind her “not sure we have a theory going he’s part pollicle” she says watching George smile goofily at Electra and wagging his tail.

“,Tumblebrutus,”

*Fergus Logan*

Tumblebrutus does a double flip and backflip before turning around and seeing Cettie wasn’t watching him. “How the hell can I get her attention if she’s obsessed with Tugger” Tumble rants to his friends “go and say hi” Plato says “that’s easy for you, you are tall dark and mysterious Queens love that plus you have very intense eyes. Meanwhile I’m quirky, flippy and akward especially talking to Queens” Plato groans finding Tumblebrutus’ plans stupid.

 “,Pouncival,” 

*Karl Morgan*

Pouncival and the other Tom kits are on top of boxes looking at Victoria after her bath, Pouncival leans forward too much and falls off the box landing on his feet as the others laugh at him. “,And please be wary of anyone named” “Macavity!” Demeter screeches as the other cats run and hide, Munkustrap stands tall in front of Macavity, who calmly walks up to him and Tugger who was hiding behind Munk “look at this a family reunion” Macavity says mockingly “leave Macavity there is nothing for you here” Munk states making Macavity cackle “Give me what is mine and there won’t be any cats getting hurt” he threatens and the light turns red as the other cats hiss at Macavity before everything turns black.

*Elaine Paige*

Grizabella is shown crying as she lays on the floor, Deuteronomy watches shedding tears for the queen he can’t help. “Does she really think one night can make 20 years of hurt disappear just because she’s sorry?” Tugger said enraged and Deuteronomy sighs “no but even the worst cat in history feels regret for actions made out of ignorance”.

*Bryn Walters*

Plato stares dreamily at Victoria as she talks with the Queens “fellas Plato has a case of Love at first sight” Tugger tells the toms as they watch Plato, “go on up and tell her how you feel” Tumblebrutus orders.

*Phyllida Crowley Smith*

Victoria gazes at Plato and the Queen’s look on hesitantly “be careful around him” Electra warns her “why he seems like a nice Tom?” Victoria asked as the Queens just go “you’ll find out”.

 “Who are you?” Victoria asked Plato as they circle each other in the moonlight, “I’m called Plato, and you?” He asks “I’m Victoria”. “Will it hurt?” Victoria asked as they start dancing together “I don’t wanna lie it will hurt, I can’t stop it but what I will do with your permission is give you the most pleasurable experience in your life” he promises and he drags his claws lightly down her back making her moan.

“And so maybe my home isn't what I had known

What I thought it would be But I feel so alive with these phantoms of night And I know that this life isn't safe, but it's wild and it's free”

Various shots are seen including the kittens all smiling as they dance a chorus line behind Tugger, Munk and Macavity fighting, Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie in their Peke and Pollicle costumes messing up the barking line, and Deuteronomy nuzzling a shiny Mistoffelees. The final shot is Victoria throwing her magic glitter to the camera as Plato holds her up in the center of a circle of mating partners, Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie, Electra And George, Etcetera and Tumblebrutus, Jemima and Pouncival, Misto and Tugger, Demeter and Munk.

*Cats*

[amethyst-labyrinth]

Under the Jellicle Dawn

Capter six.

While Mistoffelees was still trying to catch his breath, Skimbleshanks had run off to his den saying he had just the thing to help. Jenny fritted feeling helpless as well, Victoria place her front paws on Munkustrap's arms peering at the magical cat worriedly. Bomba held Jemima and Victor back while trying to fight the jealousy she felt seeing Tugger act so caring towards the other tom. She told herself she's being ridiculous, The Rum Tum Tugger is a lot of things and one of them is that he is a good and loyal friend and Quaxo is his best friend, he's acting no different then she would towards Demeter and besides, she know there's something between her and Tugger, he's just waiting till Jemima a little older and won't need her so much.

Skimbles came back with a travel size bottle of Scotch no doubt taking from a train dinning car. Too a human the bottle was small enough to carry in one hand. For the railway cat he had to carry it with both paws. After unscrewing the cap with some little trouble.

"Here lad, drink this," Skimbles said holding the bottle up to his mouth.

"No-no," Mistoffelees weakly protested. "I don't." But before he could finish Skimbles shoved the bottle right up to his mouth and forced the alcohol down his throat. Mistoffelees sputtered and gaged as the alcohol burned his throat. He vainly attempted to push the bottle away from him. He knew alcohol is the last thing he needs right now, milk or cream would have been better; it would have given his magic something to sustain on. The Scotch is just going to get him and his magic drunk. He can hear Old Deuteronomy telling Skimbles to stop, but the railway cat thinks he knows best, that the Scotch will help him relax and that will in turn help his breathing relax. Mistoffelees is sure there's some flaw the older cat's logic because he doesn't feel relaxed he feels like his lungs are going to explode from lack of air any moment and that there must be some kind of poison the Scotch Skimbles is forcing him to drink.

"You're making him worse!" Tugger hisses kicking Skimbles and kcocking the bottle away.

"Rum Tum Tugger!" Old Deuteronomy shouted.

"What?" Tugger defended his actions as Mistoffelees has a coughing fit causing him to double over his spits up some Scotch that he hadn't managed to swallow.

"Oh I do believe Skimbleshanks tried to poison me," Mistoffelees whizzed in-between coughing. Tugger pats and rubs his mate's back while glaring daggers at the older tom.

"I was only trying to help," the railway cat said meekly.

"He's faking it!" Demeter yells. "Macavity has done the same thing for sympathy. Very impressive Quaxo! One who think you've gone to Gus for acting lessons. But I know better! You've gone to Macavity! I can see it all quite clearly. Once your powers started to develop you went to your mother frightened and confused. How she tearfully confessed her tryst with Hidden Paw your true father! You sought him out didn't you! Helping you with your powers put you in his! Old Deuteronomy's kidnapping was just a ploy to convince the tribe that you're a good cat with The Rum Tum Tugger as your co-conspirator!" Demeter cried trying to egg him on to prove her point.

"Demeter!" Munkustrap yelled shocked. He hadn't seen this side of her in a long time and he didn't like it. He knew she doesn't like Rum Tum Tugger, but this was going to far!

"I told you she was crazy and paranoid!" Tugger yelled.

"Frist things first," Mistoffelees said digging his claws into the ground trying to push himself up. "You are confusing my mother with your sister. I'm sure if anyone tearfully confessed her tryst with Hidden Paw it was Bombalurina whom most certainly is not my mother."

The red queen took a step back feeling the sting of magical tom's words.

"Secondly don't you dare accuse Tug of any wrong doing!" The Scotch was making him feel a bit braver and confident then he really was though he still felt awful. "I don't know why you hate him so much and you're entitled to if you want, but I think it's because you secretly lust after him and don't want to admit to yourself. But let me tell you something! The Rum Tum Tugger is loyal and true and he is ten times the better cat then you could ever hope to be!"

Tugger purred quietly, pleased of Mistoffelees defense and praise of him.

"You're drunk," Demeter fired back lamely. "Me lusting after that…that…that?"

"Manic Sex God," Mistoffelees finished for her. "The Rum Tum Tugger is a Manic Sex God. And you want to worship him. "

"Jemima it's time for you to go to bed!" Jennyanydot said grabbing the kitten by the scruff.

"But what dose that name that Quaxo called Tugger mean?" The little kitten question innocently.

"Nothing dear, Quaxo is a little drunk and doesn't know what he's saying."

"Oh yes he dose!" Tugger called back gleefully.

"But Granny Dots," Jemima said. "I want to know if Quaxo is my brother or not!"

"He's not dear, your auntie Demeter if just confused."

"Oh good," Jemima said before whispering something in her grandmother's ear.

"Well that's something you and Quaxo can talk about then you're a queen."

"Well I still want to know what Manic Sex God means."

"I think it's the name of his dance move that he dose and when almost all the queens gather around him," Victor supplied helpfully.

"Oh is that what it's called?" Jemima said.

"Victor, be silent!" Munkustrap ordered his son.

"Never mind what it's called," Jennyanydots said hurrying Jemima away.

Demeter was fuming and Bomba wasn't sure if she could find this funny or be worried about just how well Quaxo and Tugger knew each other, but like Demeter had pointed out Quaxo was drunk and of course Tugger would agree with him. Still she found herself moving closer to the Maine Coon swaying her hips hoping to at least distract him a little bit, he was however to focused on Quaxo to notice her.

"You are just as depraved as your father Macavity!" Demeter said.

"My father, Cat Morgan is not depraved! His manner's a bit ruff, but he's not depraved!"

"I'm sure being raised by an ex pirate is any better then being raised my Macavity!"

"Retired! And the last thing for someone who hates Macavity you sure talk about him a lot," Mistoffelees said still panting heavily. "I mean if you're not talking about toilets, singing about your mother, and making fun of ugly old queens, it's Macavity this Macavity that! It's very annoying! And how long did you sing about him away? Like what seven minutes, eight? Tugger didn't even sing that long about me and he's in love with me!" Mistoffelees said too drunk to care about how to tell the others about him and Tugger.

"Oh he is not," Bomba scoffed rolling her eyes. 'Honestly,' She thought. 'Quaxo is just like the rest, Tugger shows him a little attention and he automatically assumes The Rum Tum Tugger is in love with him.'

"Yes I am," Tugger said happily before kissing Mistoffelees on the top of his head.

"What?" Bomba said.

"Look I know this is going to come as a shock and disappointment to some of you here, but yes Mistoffelees and I are very much in love and very much mated."

"Who's very much mated?" Jennyanydots said returning to the group.

"Mr. Mistoffelees and I," Tugger said nuzzling his mate.

"Of course you are dears," She said not believing Tugger for a second like the other, save Old Deuteronomy who had suffered right along with Tugger until Mistoffelees finally returned his feelings.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Demeter shouted. "Even your name is similar to Maca… to his!"

"Quaxo is similar Macavity?" Mistoffelees questioned drunkenly.

"No!" Demeter hissed. "Mistoffelees is!"

"That's my everyday name" The Magical cat replied. "And It's Mr. Mistoffelees. I named myself Quaxo."

"Maca…The Hidden Paw is know to have human associates…"

"Oh come on you're making that up!" Tugger yelled as Mistoffelees promptly burst into tears.

"You horrible cat!" Mistoffelees cried. "You accuse my mother of infidelity, insult my father, Cat Morgan, and now go after my human, my precious one? What's next? You convince Munkustrap to drown my seven kitten siblings? You're just evil!" Mistoffelees continued to wail. "Do you have any idea how warm and loving my precious one is? She feeds and gives us fresh water every day! Shower me with love and attention! Cleans the litter box and the sand pit without complaint, she puts up with The Rum Tum Tugger! I've been with her though every Jellicle and past human life! The only time she ever went to jail was in the 1900's when was a Suffragette! And I was right there with her! She is beyond reproached."

Mistoffelees curled up on ground and continued to cry pitifully. Tugger rolled eyes at his mate, sure Demeter trying to imply that their human was in league with his evil older brother was a bit insulting, after all he liked his human, not to the same devotion as Misto, but she besides feeding, watering, and clean up after him, the girl as Tugger called her brushed his mane, called him handsome, and despite how bad he behaved the worst punishment he ever got from her was an exasperated "Oh Ramesses!" (His family name.) But it was not wroth crying over. Tugger then decided that drunken Misto was no fun at all.

"Come on Misto, stop crying," Tugger said rubbing his back. But the little tom was inconsolable.

"You're not even defending her! After all you her put though!" Mistoffelees wailed.

It was at that moment that Bustopher Jones and Jellylorum come upon the group and seeing his beloved nephew laying on the ground crying he let the most fearsome growl that even Tugger flinched slightly.

"What did you do?" He demanded.

"Demeter insulted your family and Skimbles forcibly got him drunk!" Tugger said quickly.

Bustopher growled again. "Rum Tum Tugger how could you let something like this happen? Right after the ball ended you should had made sure he went right to ether of your dens and gone to sleep! You should know be now what the price of his magic and what unplanned magic dose to him!"

"I do, but…"

"So knowing all that you allow him to put himself at risk and let others abuse him?" Bustopher Jones asked waving his spoon that he used as a walking stick around.

"No you don't understand," Tugger tried again,

"What I understand Sir, is that you are not taking care of my nephew!" He said poking Tugger in the chest where his heart would with the spoon making The Rum Tum Tugger gulp in fear.

"Now hold on a second," Bomba said stepping closer to the 25 ponder. "Why should it be Tugger's responsibly to look after Quaxo? You're his uncle why didn't you stay for the rest of the ball and watch after him if he's so weak and helpless after using magic!" The red queen challenged.

"Bombalurina!" Both her parents cried in shock at her talking older tom like that. Now Bomba liked Bustoper Jones, he was great friend of her parents and he had always been kind to her and Demeter, but she loved Tugger plus she didn't like to see another cat in her opinion being accused unjustly.

The cat about town stared back at Bombalurina without flinching.

"Little queen," He said evenly. "It is not for me to explain my actions or whereabouts to you. It is best that you and your sister each remember your place or you may lose it."

The Scarlett queen gaped in shock she had never heard the older tom to speak to her or any cat so coldly before. She hugged herself as he reminded her of Macavity somewhat, oh Everlasting Cat! She was getting just as bad as Demeter seeing Macavity in other cats now!

Watching them Jellylorum fanned herself with her tail and Jennyanydots kept on telling herself that she was only getting hot out of anger of the way he was speaking to her daughter and that she loved her mate Skimbles very, very much.

"As for why Rum Tum Tugger should be taking care of Quaxo," Bustopher Jones said helping his nephew up. "Call me a romantic old fool," He continued as he handed Mistoffelees a spare handkerchief from who knows where, to dry his eyes and blow his nose. Munkustrap meanwhile placed his paw over Tugger's mouth. "But I always assumed that mates take care of one another…"

"Mates!" Cried the rest of the cat save for Old Deuteronomy.

"You-you mean they really are mates?" Munkusrap asked shakily.

"Yes, son," Old Deuteronomy said. "Your brother The Rum Tum Tugger and young Quaxo family name such as Mr. Mistoffelees are mates."

"Then what you said about being in love you meant it?" The gray tabby asked his brother.

"Munk, dear brother," Tugger began. "I couldn't be more in love with my darling Quaxo, my Magical Mr. Mistoffelees if I tried and he with me. Our love is the stuff of…"

Munkustrap tuned out Tugger's speech about how epic his and Mistoffelees love was.

Munkusrap was in shock his brother The Rum Tum Tugger in love? He had always assumed Tugger's fickle nature would make it very hard for him to be interested in any one cat for to long, that was why he thought Bomba and Tugger would make a good a match they were both flirty and independent they could handle each other, but Tugger had rejected her repeatedly now that Munkustrap thought about it. He also thought about how his brother and Quaxo interacted with each other, sure the little tom was unfazed, unimpressed and seemingly uninterested in him and yet they hung out together a lot. When Quaxo got a human family and didn't live and spend much time in the junkyard anymore Tugger was often moody and irritable when the little tom wasn't there, and he was there Tugger was in a better mood though he still would scowl somewhat when the other tom wasn't paying him any attention like spending time with Victoria and the younger cats. It was only after Tugger got himself a human family that his moods improved he wasn't so desperate for Quaxo to notice him, but at the same time Tugger and Quaxo seemed to have grown closer too.

Munkustrap would often find the two of them in a quite corner of the junkyard huddled together in deep conversion and other times he would see joking with each other and playfully insulting one another. At times the gray tabby would feel a pang of jealousy towards the tuxedo, before Quaxo joined the tribe he was the closest cat to Tugger. Had Quaxo been a queen, Munkustrap might have suspected that Tugger might have a romantic interest. He had seen Tugger flirt with toms before, but it seem that Tugger just wanted to get a reaction out of them then get some action he had even seen Tugger flirt with Quaxo, but the little tom only reactions where to answer with a confused "Huh?" or tell Tugger he was busy and didn't have time to play with him. They were mates? Mind boggling and yet as Tugger spoke in earnest about his and Quaxo's (no wait was calling him Mistoffelees not that it mattered they were the same cat after all) love, and mirrored looks of shock and devastation on Bomba's and Victoria's faces, Munkustrap finally believed him…them.

'Oh Heaviside above! The Rum Tum Tugger is in love!' He thought before promptly fainting.

[theimpossiblescheme]

Of Worried Kittens and Wee Bairns

(I couldn’t not do the Lady and the Tramp scene with Skimble and Asparagus now that the idea was in my head, and @the-cat-at-the-theatre-door has been her usual wonderfully inspirational self, so... here it is!)

Jemima hadn’t been acting like herself all day.  While she and Etcetera were usually the first kittens up every morning, even before Munkustrap and his patrols, today all of them had taken off without her, and she was left sunning herself all alone on the roof of her den.  At first, Skimble didn’t think much of it—the lass had her days when she wanted to be alone for one reason or another, and he’d like to think that he, Jenny, and Jelly had raised the other kittens well enough to respect that. And when he saw Demeter climbing up to keep her company, he assumed all would be well.  But even after everyone came home for the afternoon and Jemima would have plenty of cats to play with, she still kept to herself.  When Plato’s junior hunting party came back with the day’s catch, Electra immediately pounced for the fattest mouse and generously carried it over to her friend… only for Jemima to murmur a no and flop glumly onto her other side.

That was enough to really worry Skimble.  He clambered down from the car boot just in time to hear Electra frantically telling Asparagus, “She hasn’t eaten anything today—I don’t want her to starve!”

Asparagus gently chucked her under the chin before looking up and making eye contact with his mate. “We’ll look after her, dear, don’t you worry.”  Taking the offered mouse from her, he crept closer to Jemima and quietly settled down a few feet away, dropping the fresh kill in front of her.

The soft noise made her jump slightly, and she raised her chin from her front paws.  “Oh… hi, Uncle Gus… you keep it, I’m not hungry.”

“Oh, come on now, Jem, you need to eat.”  He cocked his head down slightly to meet her eyes as Skimble settled down on her other side. “Is something the matter?”

Jemima shrugged, a very small movement of her shoulders.  “I don’t know… it’s… it’s Emily.”

Skimble’s eyes widened a bit at the name of hers and Munkustrap’s owner.  “She hasn’ae been mistreating you, has she?”

“Not… really?  I guess it’s… I guess it’s my fault honestly.”

“Now that’s hard to believe, lassie,” Skimble replied, offended on the kitten’s behalf, but trying not to show it too much in his voice.  “Why, all the times you’ve been travelling with me, I’ve never heard a bad word about you from any human.  What could you have done to bother Emily so much?”

“I don’t know, but I must have done something.  She’s been acting so weird lately… I don’t think she likes me anymore.”  She swiped a paw over her eyes, and Asparagus let out a soft moue of concern, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against his hip.

“It’ll help talking about it, I promise.  That’s what I tell your dad when he’s being a stubborn ass,” he added, prompting a tiny wet laugh out of the kitten in spite of herself.

“I’m gonna tell him you called him that.”

“Oh, it wouldn’t be the first time.  Now tell us what’s going on, Jem.”

Jemima hesitated for a moment before swiping another paw over her face and straightening up a bit, tucking herself more snugly against Asparagus’s side as she sat upright.  “Well… you know she’s a writer, right?  She doesn’t write so much anymore—she’s got all these little books that she’s always in the kitchen reading, and sometimes she gets up in the middle of the night to cook or read, and she always comes back smelling… different.  She doesn’t smell like herself anymore.”  She crinkled her nose like she’d just had a pile of dung shoved in her face.

Skimble nodded—that could mean any number of things, in his experience.  “Go on.”

“And she… she doesn’t play with me so much anymore.  Or clean the dirt or give us water… Daddy keeps trying to get her attention, but it never works.  Then the other day Jacob—her mate—came home to see her, and he said… he said ‘Those cats made a mess again.’”  Her eyes brimmed with tears at the memory.  “He called us those cats… he never calls us that.”

“Well, it sounds like Jacob still has some manners to learn,” Asparagus said primly.  “Still… I suppose I wouldn’t hold it against him too much. They’re only humans, after all.”

“Aye.  Remember, it’s yours and your da’s house truly—Jacob and Emily are just keeping it while you’re away.”

Jemima shook her head, still not looking convinced.  “That’s not even the worst part.  Yesterday, Emily had a bunch of her friends over, and they all brought her a bunch of gifts, but none of them said a word to us!  Daddy told me to just leave it be, but… I probably did something bad.” Her ears pinned back and a muscle jumped in her jaw, as if she were afraid of saying what happened out loud.

But Asparagus merely bumped his shoulder gently against hers.  “Better get it off your chest now, dear.”

“I… she was holding some kind of little blanket, and… well, we usually play peek-a-boo with her bedspread in the mornings, so I jumped up and tried to play… and she… she smacked me on the nose and made me get down.  I mean, it… I guess it didn’t really hurt, but she’s never done that before… is that normal… Uncle Gus?  Uncle Skimble?”

So that was it. Skimble caught his mate’s eye over her head, and the two shared a conspiratorial grin.  If they only had a shilling for every time they’d heard this particular song and dance before… and at least it was that and not something much more dire.

“Well now, lassie,” Skimble replied, unable to stifle a chuckle, “I wouldn’ae take it too seriously. After all, it’s… well, it’s a rather delicate time for your Emily.”

“Oh, yes… what is it they call it?  The, ah—the birds and the bees?  Or… the stork?  Has she mentioned anything to you about a stork, Jem?”

“No.”  Jemima looked at him blankly.  “What do bees have to do with it?”

Asparagus gave Skimble a quietly helpless look, and Skimble tried not to sigh, remembering what a difficult time he had giving this talk to Plato when he was Jemima’s age.  “What he’s trying to say is, Emily’s expecting a wee bairn.”

Jemima’s face was even more blank.  “Bairn?”

“He means a baby, Jem,” Asparagus replied quickly, happily relieved to be back on familiar ground.

“Oh… that’s… like a small human, right?”

“Well, yes,” Skimble said after some hesitation, “but it’s a wee bit more complicated than that.”

“They’re much smaller than humans at first,” Asparagus explained.  “When they first come home, they’ll be no bigger than you are now, and they’ll walk on all four feet just like we do.”

“And they make such a fuss,” Skimble tutted, shaking his head.  “They won’t know how to talk like humans do, so they’ll scream and yell at the top of their wee voices every chance they get.  And they grab at your fur and drink up all the milk in the house—I remember when our Abigail was small, she could never get enough to drink.”

“But that sounds horrible!” Jemima, exclaimed, pulling out of Asparagus’s grip and backing away a few inches.  “Why would Emily want a baby if they’re gonna be that much trouble?”

“Well, it’s like Skimble said—it’s only because they don’t know how to talk yet.  And when you can’t talk, everything’s so much more terrifying. You remember when you were small, how big the world was and how scary?”

“Kittens are the same way, lassie, believe me—you should hear the horror stories about your Auntie Bomba.”

“Oh, don’t you remind me.”  Asparagus glared at him with an exaggerated shudder, earning only a laugh from Skimble in return.

The stormclouds had cleared somewhat from Jemima’s expression as she tried to follow what the older toms were saying.  “But… so they’ll grow, right?  They won’t just… do nothing but scream and eat forever?”

“Oh, definitely not. And when they grow up a bit, Emily might finally let you play with them.  It’ll be worth the wait, trust me.”  Asparagus gave her a reassuring smile.  “They’re very sweet.”

“And very very soft,” Skimble added, giving the lass a gentle tap on the nose, finally prompting another smile from her.

“That doesn’t sound so bad… I guess it’ll be all righ—”

“Are you guys talking about babies?”  A loud voice suddenly sounded from above, and all three of them looked up to see…

“Tumblebrutus, what have I told you about eavesdropping?” Asparagus thundered up at him, jabbing an accusing claw in that direction.

But the young tom wasn’t the least bit bothered.  “Pouncival’s humans brought a baby home a few months ago—her name’s Farida, and she’s really fun.”  And with that contribution to the conversation, Tumblebrutus ambled off and disappeared again into the higher rubbish heaps.

Asparagus was shaking his head, but Skimble couldn’t help another laugh.  “Well… there you have it, lassie—the Tumblebrutus Seal of Approval, whatever that might be worth.”

That actually got a giggle out of the kitten, and it was the happiest sound Skimble had heard all day. “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Jemima said at last, her eyes bright and her face content at last.  “I’m just glad it means Emily doesn’t hate me.”

“Oh, who could ever hate you?”  Bringing a paw down on her shoulder again, Asparagus playfully jostled her until her smile grew even wider.  “Between you and your dad, your baby’s going to be in the best possible paws.”

“Just remember—give them a few months before playing,” Skimble put in, raising a claw for emphasis. “They’re rather expensive, you know.”

“I know.”  And Jemima butted the side of her head against his paw, nuzzling him and earning an affectionate scratch over her ear in return. “Thank you, you two… we’ll be okay.”