eccentric-curious-cats

[eccentric-curious-cats]

double trouble

[eccentric-curious-cats]

this shot from cats 98 always sends me bc you have two(2) female characters in frame whose Whole Thing is to be s‌exy and then you have misto there effortlessly out-thotting them both. equality.

[eccentric-curious-cats]

pov you're going on a walk near your local junkyard

[eccentric-curious-cats]

ummm big fan of the hc that they r brothers

[eccentric-curious-cats]

forever an advocate of soft sided tugger

[eccentric-curious-cats]

So I’ve decided that in my CATS as cats verse, Alonzo has a terrible secret: his humans also have dogs and he likes them.

Alonzo grew up an indoor cat around two dogs: a golden retriever named Sadie, who has one braincell that’s heart shaped, and a german shepherd named Lulu who has dreams of being The Best Guard Dog Ever.

The Jellicles, of course, have Opinions about dogs, and as part of Alonzo’s fitting into the tribe he never, ever mentions his dog family (he diligently washes every day before going to the Junyard so no one can smell that he has been having Forbidden Cuddles).

Which works out, until an incident protecting the Junkyard gets him hurt enough he ends up at the vet and then stuck inside with a Cone of Shame. Concerned about him, Munkustrap treks to his house (which he’s never been to before, because Alonzo has always been oddly cagey about it). He slips in through the cat door, padding about to look for Alonzo—

And comes face-to-face with a full grown german shepherd, who FLIPS. There are sounds of chaos as Lulu chases Munkustrap around the house, until he’s a puffed up, spitting terror on the kitchen counter while Lulu snarles and barks—

“STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!!” There in the doorway is a woozy looking Alonzo, trying to look as dignified as he can in his Cone of Shame and brightly colored wrapped leg. Lulu and Munkustrap both freeze. “Lulu, he’s a friend.”

Before anymore explaination can happen, Sadie trots up. “You’re supposed to be in bed, Lonzie!” To Alonzo’s complete mortification, Munkustrap gets to watch this golden retriever pick Alonzo up like a naughty kitten and trot off back to the dog bed with him, tail wagging.

Munkustrap is sworn to complete secrecy (once he stops laughing, that is).

(Months later, Mistoffelees goes missing. Considering Misto is generally how the tribe finds missing cats, this becomes a serious issue. Afraid of revealing his secret but willing to do it to help his friend, Alonzo convinces his dogs to help follow the trail.

Misto may not ever get over the trauma of having the cat carrier he had been trapped in busted open by a very exuberant golden retriever yelling about how she had won “the hide & seek game”, but his safe return does endear these two dogs to the Jellicles — and ensure Alonzo only gets made fun of a little bit for being a dog-friend.)

[eccentric-curious-cats]

seeing Cats live would fix me mentally and physically

[eccentric-curious-cats]

Thinking about that one moment in 98 when Munk makes eye contact with the camera and like widens his eyes weirdly like why did he do that what was the stage direction

[eccentric-curious-cats]

Wah

Ahahahah what if I made a series drawing jellicles as tarot cards hahaha

[eccentric-curious-cats]

I went thrifting today with my sister and usually I have bad luck because I have niche interests and I’m plus sized so most clothes don’t fit me. Today, however, I came across Cats (1998) on VHS!!! Only 50¢!!! I haven’t had a VHS player in well over a decade but it’s a fun little collectible for my shelf!

[eccentric-curious-cats]

MY TIME HAS COME... TIME FOR ALONZO CATSTHEMUSICAL PROPAGANDA FOR @eggcrackerbracket

Watching Cats 1998 as a child fundamentally changed me as a person. I don't even know where to start with Alonzo, but every few weeks, I introduce a new group of friends to Cats 1998. Not a SINGLE viewing session has gone by without a trans/enby friend pointing Alonzo out with statements like, "He's pretty gender," "I want his gender," "I like the vibes of that one," or, I kid you not, "That's the gender cat!"

"But Fern," I hear you cry. "He's a cat!"

Look me straight in the eyes and tell me that the trans community doesn't have a large furry population, then look me even straighter and try to tell me that the furry community doesn't have an enormous trans population. Heck; regardless of the costumes, every actor in Cats is at peak physical performance.

What is it about Alonzo, specifically, that makes him such an excellent egg cracker?

1: The Design

Alonzo's costume is very striking. Many of the cats - especially those in major roles - have costumes with some semblance of symmetry. This is not the case with Alonzo. He's also one of the few cats that has a solely black and white design. The pattern of it creates a special illusion with his body lines that alters the effect of his performance.

When a costume is symmetrical down the center, it gives an impression of where an actor's sternum and spine are located. Alonzo's design has led to him being commonly referred to as one of the "boneless" cats; his center lines are not well defined, so his movements feel less constrained by biological factors. A good example of this is located two gifs up from here; see how the white stripe going down his center to his right leg seems to warp an unnatural amount? It's a gorgeous effect that makes him stand out.

Additionally, I KNOW a lot of us like half & half characters. Even without moving, you have to admit that he's got a pretty cool look.

2: The Actors

Every role in Cats has specific demands; in Alonzo's case, the actors must be very good dancers. Here's a snippet of his casting call:

5'10"-6'0", excellent ballet technique, good partner. Strong presence, attractive.

There are a few important things to note here. First, all of Alonzo's actors are pretty tall. Second, they have to have a "strong presence" - the kind that, say, could catch the attention of young eggs. Third, the actors literally have to be "attractive." We'll never truly know how many people look at this character and think either "I want him" or "I want to be him," but I'm willing to bet that it's not an insignificant number.

In some older productions of Cats, Alonzo's actors also played a more androgynous role. During the "Macavity" number (a number well-known for its involvement of the female cast), Alonzo used to "shadow" the dance movements of Demeter and Bombalurina, two of the most feminine characters in the show. To my knowledge, no other male character does movements like these.

(^In this second video, an older Broadway-based design is used for Alonzo.)

3: Projection

Alonzo is a chorus character. He has no song. His entire character consists of three adjectives: vain, uncertain, and bravado. In most productions, he's played as a potential successor to Munkustrap, but that's as far as the show goes to develop him.

What does this mean? The field is WIDE OPEN for him to be whatever kind of character the audience wants him to be. You want him to be the Gender cat? By gosh, then, he's the gender cat.

In conclusion: ALONZO SWEEP

[eccentric-curious-cats]

Where’s Misto?

Based on an Anonymous ask sent to @aclairvoyant that gave me Tuggoffelees brainrot.

Summary: Tuggoffelees. Misto takes a nap with Tugger basically laying on top of him. The tribe thinks Misto has gone missing. Chaos ensues. Munkustrap probably has a headache. ~1500 words. Rated G. Not beta’d.

~~~~

It was a chilly day in the junkyard, even out in the sunlight. As the humans might remark casually over breakfast, “it’s cold for autumn” and “don’t forget your cardigan, dear.” For Tugger, the cold weather didn’t matter much—his thick fur kept him cozy and comfortable even in the winter (although he practically roasted in the summer).

Most of the cats had dragged old blankets and towels into the sun to make temporary nests with their friends as they dozed through the morning and afternoon. The kittens played, warming their bodies with movement while the older cats watched with amusement. Pouncival and Tumblebrutus had been practicing relentlessly to mimic some of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer’s acrobatics, and they had made some good progress and impressed Electra, Etcetera, and Jemima with their attempts.

Tugger had arrived at the junkyard and drawn all of the kittens straight to his side, with excited squeals and Etcetera begging him to dance for them.

Mistoffelees had come to the junkyard, as he normally did, alongside Tugger. Their humans were neighbors and it was only sensible to walk together, regardless of their relationship. While Tugger greeted and gently teased his fan club, Mistoffelees slinked up onto the old oven, which was gently bathed in sunlight, waving his tail in polite greeting to Munkustrap and Demeter, who were cuddling atop the tire, and Alonzo who was sprawled out in the middle of the yard looking dead to the world.

While Tugger sang and danced among the kittens, Mistoffelees dozed in a tightly curled ball, ears twitching when the kittens squealed but otherwise paying no mind to the antics of his mate. At some point, the black tom must have drifted fully into sleep as he was awoken by a thump as a cat leapt onto the oven beside him. He cracked open one eye, though he already knew who the other cat was.

“Have your fans finally tired of you, Rum Tum Tugger?” He asked, a small smirk spreading across his face as his whiskers twitched in amusement.

“Of course not,” Tugger huffed as he stretched, ruffling his thick mane, “Jenny came to collect them for a nap.”

Mistoffelees hummed and closed his eye, nestling his nose between his paws with a shiver.

“Speaking of naps,” Tugger yawned.

Before Mistoffelees could encourage the Maine Coon to continue, a warm weight flopped on top of him.

“Tugger, you’re suffocating me,” Mistoffelees complained.

Tugger shifted, moving more of his weight off of Mistoffelees but keeping him buried under his thick fur and mane.

“There, all comfy and cozy. You can thank me later, Mr. Mistoffelees,” Tugger said smugly, settling himself comfortably.

“I’ll admit, your fur is nice when it’s this cold, but I thought the Rum Tum Tugger didn’t care for a cuddle?” Mistoffelees teased with a purr, rubbing his face against Tugger’s pelt fondly.

“I’ll happily make an exception for the marvelous, magical Mr. Mistoffelees,” Tugger replied.

The two toms fell asleep on top of the stove, quietly purring each other to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It must have been hours later, as it was dark when Tugger next woke. There was a sizable group of cats gathered by the tire, with Munkustrap standing atop speaking. Tugger pricked his ears to listen to his older brother.

“And we are certain that nobody has seen Mistoffelees since this afternoon?” Munkustrap asked the assembled cats and received shaking heads and worried murmurs in response.

Tugger watched, curious, as Munkustrap paced atop the tire before sitting down to address the crowd again.

“Cassandra, Alonzo, and Skimbleshanks, can you go check the western edge of the junkyard?” Munkustrap asked, and the aforementioned cats nodded, splitting from the group and disappearing into the garbage piles.

“Victoria, Plato, will you make sure he hasn’t returned to his humans’ home?”

The young couple darted off.

“Jenny, can you and the kittens double check the main yard? Maybe he’s tucked away in some corner napping.”

Jenny nodded, gathering the kittens like little soldiers and instructing them on how and where to look for the missing tom.

“Demeter and Bombalurina, can you check the eastern side?”

The two queens vanished into the trash with waves of their tails.

“Where will you check, sweetheart?” Jennyanydots asked, turning her attention away from the kittens to look at the Jellicle protector.

“I,” Munkustrap said with a massive sigh, “will go check Tugger’s den.”

That was when Tugger realized that he should probably speak up. Afterall, his den was a disaster and it would be embarrassing for his older brother to see it. Yet Tugger was so comfortable and sleepy, snuggled up with Mistofellees, that he decided to let it be and closed his eyes again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Munkustrap was frantic as he returned to the main yard, where many of the other cats were returning from their searches. Mistoffelees was nowhere to be found.

Sure, the black tom was more introverted than some of the other cats and tended to avoid large groupings when he could, but to have him absent for an entire afternoon and evening without so much as a glint of his eyes or flicker of his tail was concerning. Afterall, a pair of stray dogs had moved into the alleyway behind the nearby Italian restaurant, according to Bustopher Jones, who had a run-in with the two when he went for dinner with a friend. Of course, Macavity was also an ever-present threat, especially following the last ball when Mistoffelees was able to rescue Old Deuteronomy from the mystery cat’s clutches.

And Tugger, Munkustrap lamented, had hardly stirred at the ruckus. If he hadn't been too worried about Mistoffelees, he might have chewed his younger brother out for his disinterest in finding his mate. In fact, Munkustrap almost wanted to claw his brother, how dare he be so unbothered. At the very least Tugger could get off his lazy rear and help, instead of lounging on the old oven and barely paying them any mind.

All of the other cats had returned to the main yard and were looking anxious and worried. Nobody had found Mistoffelees. Munkustrap hopped back atop the tire and looked at the small crowd.

“It doesn’t seem like Mistoffelees is with his humans or in the junkyard. Does anybody know where else he might be hiding?” Munkustrap asked, a bit desperately.

Heads shook and Victoria sniffled, worried for her brother.

“Then we will have to extend our search into the city. Alonzo, Plato, and I will go.”

“What? Why not all of us?” cried Tumblebrutus, “we can help, too!”

“You will stay here in the junkyard, in case Mistoffelees comes back,” Munkustrap soothed.

“Precisely, and must I remind you that there are nasty dogs about? No, you kittens will stay right here with me,” Jenny butted in, rounding up the kittens somewhat frantically, “there will be no leaving the yard with those monsters out there, not on my watch.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Plato, Alonzo and Munkustrap began gathering themselves to leave the junkyard, Old Deuteronomy appeared from the piles of garbage. He was greeted, as always, with excitement from the kittens and respect from the older toms and queens.

As intuitive as he was, he surely felt the tension and concern in the air, particularly from Munkustrap as he fondly greeted his father.

“My son, what has happened? What has you all so worried?” The old cat asked.

And Munkustrap explained, concisely, how Mistoffelees had not been seen for some time and the search efforts conducted at his human home and throughout the junkyard which had turned up empty. Old Deuteronomy nodded, sagely, and turned his head to look up at Tugger on the oven.

“And have you asked Tugger where Mr. Mistoffelees might be?” Old Deuteronomy asked the silver tom, with a chuckle.

“Tugger,” Munkustrap sighed, “has refused to get up and help us.”

“But did you ask him?”

“I–” Munkustrap stuttered, “no, but–”

“Excuse me, Tugger,” Old Deuteronomy called up to the oven.

“Hello, Old Deut,” Tugger called, blinking his eyes a few times and yawning.

“Have you seen Mr. Mistoffelees lately? Or do you perhaps know where he might be?”

“Misto? Of course I know where he is,” Tugger replied, fluffing his mane.

“Where?” Munkustrap demanded, ears pinned back in frustration.

Tugger sighed dramatically and stood with a stretch, revealing a disheveled looking Mistoffelees, who raised his and blinked drowsily. Munkustrap seemed to deflate as all the worry and stress from the evening left him in an instant.

“Ah, there he is. Good evening, Mr. Mistoffelees,” Old Deuteronomy said warmly.

“Oh, hello Old Deuteronomy,” Mistoffelees replied sheepishly, scratching behind his ear.

Old Deuteronomy turned to Munkustrap with a heartfelt smile before glancing back up to watch Tugger pull the smaller tom closer and begin grooming his ears. Tugger glanced down at Munkustrap and smiled smugly, and Mistoffelees looked down at the gathered cats with confused, owlish eyes.

[eccentric-curious-cats]

one of my biggest conundrums is that i loveee mute misto but i also loveee misto getting the "terrible bore" line

the concept of a selectively mute misto who talks once the entire night and it's to call tugger a fucking loser is so abkkjbsdkjsbdsjdf

[eccentric-curious-cats]

Guess who got obsessed with Cats again and decided to draw half the cast?

I wanted to share these here just in case.

These were really good art practice and I think it shows in the later designs.

If anyone sees this post and reads this. If you like these and have any character/ pose/ ship you'd like to see, let me know and maybe I'll draw them while im still motivated!

[eccentric-curious-cats]