#Misto’s dreams are coming with this hug | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

acefeather2002 · 4 years ago

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Love: Something That Is Quite Ineffable (CATS 1998)

We try our best to understand the true meaning of things in our lives. It’s in our nature. Everyone wonders how somethings happen or even why. Sometimes we get an answer, and we can finally understand. But, sometimes we don’t, and we continue to ponder. There is one thing that everyone knows about, somewhat understands, but can never truly be put into words, and that thing is “Love.”

For some people, Love likes to come in, make friends, and live happily ever after. At least, that’s how it went for Plato. A young tom and protector-in-training in his adolescent years. A little goofy, but he’s serious when he needs to be. He makes a few mistakes, but has a good heart nonetheless. Having tagged along Munkustrap and Alonzo since he was a small kit, he had always dreamed of being a protector and truly be able to defend his tribe one day. He has indeed come a long way, taking every tip and word of advice from his mentors and putting them to work.

He just came back from patrol with Alonzo one day when he first met a stunningly beautiful white kitten that was a couple of cat years younger than him. He couldn’t help but stare at the pure white angel that gracefully danced in the open space of the junkyard. Alonzo noticed his gaze, and a smug smirk glided onto his face. “I take it you have the hots for my little sister, huh?” he teased. Plato did a double take to his mentor in surprise and asked in shock, “Wait, what?! That’s your SISTER?!”

Alonzo gave a hearty laugh at the younger tom’s reaction as the latter looked down with a blush. He finally responded from his laughing fit, “Yeah, she is. Beautiful isn’t she?” Plato gave a silent nod as stared back to where the white queen practiced. The kit turned and saw her brother and another tom she didn’t recognize watching her. She gave a smile and gentle wave as she quickly ran over to give her big brother a hug. Alonzo chuckled again at his sister’s antics that he and Plato found adorable before greeting, “Hello to you too, Victoria.”

“Victoria?” the soon-to-be-protector repeated, “That’s a lovely name.” The queen in question looked up at him and signed a “Thank you.” Plato, of course understood the signing but still gave a slightly confused face. Alonzo noticed his bewilderment as he shyly explained, “Sorry, there was a...complication during her birth that didn’t allow her vocal cords to be fully developed." Victoria looked down a bit, worried that the tom would pity her as her brother continued, "So, ever since she was a newborn, she’s been mute. The main way she communicates is through signing and dance.”

Plato nodded in understanding but then surprised the two siblings with a smile, “Good thing I studied signing in my spare time.” The two gaped in shock at the revelation, and Victoria excitedly wrapped her arms around his neck with a grin. Plato returned the strong hug just as tight but gentle with a small smile as his mentor watched with a bright and knowing smirk. He watched as the two started talking, or rather signing a conversation, learning more about each other all the while with happy faces. The monochromatic tom walked away and let the two get to know each other more, clearly seeing where this relationship was going and already accepting it.

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So yeah. Love can be friendly sometimes...

But, sometimes, Love can be a total jerk! It could string you along forever if it wanted to! Stuck in an almost endless chase, but luckily, there are times when you finally catch it. Take the Rum Tum Tugger for example. He always has queens throwing themselves at his feet willing if able to do his bidding just to be his. What they tend to forget, though, is that the Rum Tum Tugger only likes what he finds for himself. He likes to work for his prize. He enjoys the challenge almost as much as a horrible muddle. Well, apparently, it seems the Rum Tum Tugger has finally met his match. The challenge: the Magical Mister Mistoffelees.

Skilled and talented at everything he does: Check. Sleek, dark black fur that sparkles like the night sky: Check. A sharp tongue that could cut anybody that crosses him with his sass: Triple check!!! Quaxo was everything Tugger dreamed of, and he didn’t even realize it until his song came on and he was called “a terrible bore” by the smaller tuxedo for the first time. Ever since then, he’d been chasing after the magical tom. Unfortunately for him, nothing worked. Every hip thrust only got a scoff in response. Every pick-up line earned him an eye roll. Each time he tried to flirt, the reply would be of remarkable wit and sass that he sometimes wouldn’t know what to say. He was losing his touch...and confidence! What shocked him even more was the day he overheard Mistoffelees talking to his sister, Victoria.

“Come on, Vicky,” the tux tom complained, “It’s obvious that you have a better chance with him than I ever would! And you’re with that Plato character!” “Geez, Quaxo how oblivious are you?” the white queen signed exasperatedly. “I am NOT oblivious!” the magicat argued, “Almost every queen throws themselves at his feet. He could choose any one of you if not all if he wanted!” Victoria gave a sigh and facepawed(Hehe. Get it? Sorry, I’ll stop now). Tugger had to keep from laughing at the exchange but felt discouraged to know that Misto had his heart for another tom until, “What? You actually think I have a remote chance with the Rum Tum Tugger himself?”

For what Victoria’s face didn’t say, which wasn’t much, her signing made up for, “YES! That’s what I’ve been TRYING to tell you for the last HALF HOUR! THINK about it! The pick-up lines, the flirting, the hip thrusts. He may do that with the other queens, but for YOU? You’re the ONLY TOM he’s ever tried to actually woo. The more he chases you, the more you resist which adds on to the ever growing challenge that HE LIKES!”

Mistoffelees fell silent for a moment and pondered his sister's words. Thinking back, how could he have missed the signs? The occasional stolen side glances, the light blush in both their cheeks when interacting with each other, he even realized that he actually missed the company of the Rum Tum Tugger himself when they were apart! That just added more to the shock factor! "Oh, my Everlasting!" he exclaimed as he facepawed, "You're right! How could I have missed this?!" "Because you're an oblivious, lovesick dork, and I knew I was right when I told you," the queen signed with a smug look on her features.

The tuxedo rolled his eyes playfully annoyed, "Gee, thanks," he replied, dripping with sarcasm before being serious, "I guess I have to find him again. Maybe tell him how I feel?" Realizing the way that idea would likely pan out, he let out a groan laid his face in his paws, "Oh, but then he'll just shrug it off like, 'I knew you'd fall for me one day,' and that's the last reaction that I need!" Victoria laid a paw on her brother's shoulder, urging him to look at her before signing, "I think you should just let him come to you, and once he asks you to be his mate (in his own way, no doubt) then you could say yes." Quaxo looked down again in thought and agreed the idea to be the best course of action. No sooner did he nod when the Maine coon of the matter decided to reveal himself.

"Well," he announced, "There you are, Midnight. I've been looking for you everywhere! Hello, Victoria." He ended his statement with a kiss to the queen's paw and flirty smirk, a shy but silent giggle and rosy cheeks accenting her pure white fur. "T-Tugger!" Misto called out a light blush painting his own cheeks, "What a coincidence because I've been avoiding you everywhere!" "Oh, come off it. You know you love me," the flirty tom teased as he stood closer to him with an overly cocky smirk. The magical cat subtly glanced to his sister in the corner of his eye and saw her nod in understanding and encouragement. "Yeah? Well, what if I do?" he asked, not wanting to give in entirely yet. Tugger stood in mock surprise, knowing full well what the smaller male is trying to pull.

Okay, he'll play along.

"Well, what if I asked you to go on a hunt with me?" "And what if I said yes?" "Then perhaps I could ask you to go to this year's Jellicle Ball with me, too?" "And say that I do go to the ball with you?" "Then maybe I ask you for the mating dance." "But, wouldn't that make us mates?" "Only if you said yes." "But would you really want to do the Mating Dance with me, though?" Tugger stood shocked at the question. His immediate answer was yes, obviously, but this is the Mating Dance which meant commitment to a singular cat alone. Even so, his answer was still, "Yes."

It was now Mistoffelees' turn to be shocked, and for once, he didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent as the tom in front of him continued, "More than anything or anyone else in the tribe. In the world. I know I usually act all flirty and brash and indecisive. And, to be honest, I do have commitment issues (which shouldn't really come as a surprise), but I've never been more sure about anything or anyone as I am about you. I want to stay committed to you, and you make me want to stay committed, too. If you'll just give me a chance, I can show you how much I mean it and how much you mean to me."

Victoria watched the whole exchange from the side with anticipation and nervousness (and blinked back the tears in her eyes from the emotional speech). Mistoffelees stayed silent for a moment more before uttering quietly, "Alright. I'll give you a chance. Yes, I'll go on a hunt with you. Yes, I'll go to the ball with you, and yes, I'll even do the Mating Dance with you. Yes." The Rum Tum Tugger beamed ecstatically as he picked up the tuxedo tom around the waist and spun him around the area a little with a joyful laugh bubbling from them both. Once he placed down the other tom, Victoria ran over and hugged them both, a grin splitting her face in two as she was excited to see how her brother's new relationship would grow.

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So, as you can see, Love can be friendly. Love can be a tease. But, consider the idea that Love could be a saving grace, too. That was Demeter’s story. She found herself in a dark room. Turning in circles, she frantically scanned her surroundings, noticing all the familiar aspects of the room. The place was a mess with cardboard boxes all over and covered in dust and a few covered and torn pieces of furniture here and there. The air reeked of ash and smoke. It was cold and intimidatingly uninviting. But, the icing on the cake was the spine-chilling voice that whispered behind her ear.

“Hello, darling. So good to have you back,” the voice said menacingly. The golden queen jumped away and turned to see the Hidden Paw himself, Macavity. The ginger cat bore a sinister smirk on his face, his dark eyes flaming with lust and evil desire. Demeter cowered back, fear and anger filling her own green eyes as she spat back, “What do you want with me? Why have you brought me back?!” “I brought back what was rightfully mine,” the criminal cat stated matter-of-factly, “You were the sheep that left the herd, and I was the shepherd that had to fetch you and bring you back.”

“I’m no sheep, and you’d never be my shepherd if I ever were one!” the nervous queen uttered coldly. Macavity clicked his tongue in scoldingly, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Why so harsh, my stunning goddess?” he leaned close to her ear, causing her to freeze in place, “Think back to those nights. You and I both know that you actually enjoyed the nights we had such fun! Why the cold company? I know you still love me, and you still want me more than anyone.” He used the tip of his tail to guide her face to look at him. When their gazes met, all she saw was fire burning and evil intent. “You just wanted to mess with me with that terrible prank of acting like you fell for my uptight, pitiful excuse of a brother. You just wanted to make me jealous.” Still frozen in fear, Demeter found that she’d also lost her voice. She couldn’t say anything, even though none of it was true. She could barely even squeak a noise when the Napoleon of Crime leaned into her neck and whispered darkly.

“Well...it worked.”

He bit down on her neck, and she let out a scream of pain as she began scratching and clawing at different areas of his body to get him to stop. He soon released from the bite, taking pride in the mark left behind, shoved her to the floor on her back, and pinned down her arms over her head. “You’re mine,” he demanded dominantly, “You always have been, and you always will be. You’ll never escape me no matter how long or how far you run. I’ll always fetch my sheep!”

“NO!” Demeter screamed out as she sat up in her bed. “Demeter, it’s okay! It’s okay. I’m here! I’m right here. It’s okay.” The golden queen turned to her right to see her silver knight, Munkustrap pulling her to his chest. It was still the middle of the night. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her breathing was ragged and shaky as if she was crying. She WAS crying. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed into her mate’s strong chest. Munkustrap held her close, adjusting to where she could listen to his heartbeat, knowing that the steadiness and constance would calm her and provide a focus before she’d fall into a panic attack.

The silver tom started humming a tune, allowing his baritone voice to vibrate through his chest. No true song in particular, but a tune that they both knew and shared with just each other in times where one of them was overwhelmed mentally, physically, or emotionally. Five minutes later, as he stroked the back of her head, Demeter let out one more sniffle before taking a deep breath to show she’d truly calmed down. “Are you alright, dear?” Munkustrap asked cautiously. The queen in question looked up at the tabby tom with glossed eyes, the moon shining through the window and causing them to sparkle. She looked down again before finally answering, “Yes. I’m sorry if I worried you. It was just a nightmare. You should get back to sleep. You have patrol the next morning.” “Part of my roll as Protector is to protect everyone in the tribe from any danger, and that especially includes you,” the Protector explained, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Not wanting to relive the terrible dream, all she said was, “It was about him.” Munkustrap nodded in understanding as to why she’d left it at that, but he couldn’t leave her in this state. “Just know this then, dear: The only thing that my brother is right about is that you are definitely worth fighting for. You’re not a prize. You’re not a possession. You’re not anyone’s toy that they can get rid of when they get bored. But, you ARE my pride and joy. I love you, and nothing will change that. I’ll always be there to protect you, and I’ll always find a way to save you. No matter what. Don’t forget that.” Another tear slowly dripped from her eye as Demeter nuzzled her head into Munkustrap’s neck and uttered quietly, “I love you too.”

The silver tom laid them both back down and pulled up the blanket to cover them, and the two snuggled close together purring in comfort before dozing off to sleep.

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See, Love is a strange and quite mysterious thing. It can be tender and sweet or feisty and improbable. We can’t truly understand the full concept of Love, but if we work with proper guidance, we can find our best interpretation of Love. And, when we do find it, the amount of happiness brought with it is something quite ineffable.

#tuggoffelees #demestrap #platoria #cats the musical #cats musical oneshots #cats 1998 #cats munkustrap #cats demeter #cats rum tum tugger #cats mistoffelees #cats plato #cats victoria #Love Is Something Quite Ineffable.#potential series

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dcjelliclequeen33 · 4 years ago

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Here’s a little short I did for @uppastthejelliclemoon’s human AU! I’ve already shared this with you all but I’m sharing it again @queencurlycrown @kineticjellyfish @terpsichorian so enjoy XD

Summary- Sek took a deep breath as she peeked through the curtain, the theater was packed with no empty seat to be found, the knowledge made her stomach twist. Could she really do this? What if she failed? What if she got hurt? What if-

Or the short where Sek has her first big Dance competition with big things at stake and her nerves are trying to get the best of her.

Beautiful Ghosts

It was just past sunset in London, people were returning home from work and school. The restaurants lining the streets were populated by couples and families but no place was more populated at that moment than The Egyptian. The theater looked right out of an old photograph in full color, the lights were shining bright, the gold trimmed details glimmering softly under the lights, the sidewalk of stars were roped off for the night but they still drew attention from passers by, the large marquee sign that wrapped around the building boldly proclaimed ‘Regional Dance Competition Tonight!’ and beside it in bold red letters ‘SOLD OUT!’.

Inside the grand theater people filled the seats in their best attire, men in finely tailored suits, women dripping with diamonds and pearls in breathtaking dresses. The front most rows were saved for other dancers competing and the section of seats behind them for families and coaches, the rest of the seats in the large building were for ticket holders, people who liked to come and watch the dancing, but one special roped off section in the highest balcony with the best view of the stage was for the important people of the night, the ones that could make or break many of the competitor’s dreams, the scouts from many prestigious dancing schools all over the globe.

Backstage Sekhmet took a deep breath as she peeked through the curtain, the theater was packed with no empty seat to be found and the knowledge made her stomach twist. Could she really do this? What if she failed? What if she got hurt? What if-

“Sek?”

The girl jumped suddenly hearing a voice behind her making her drop the curtain and turn around ready to explain herself, but her fear soon melted away seeing her papa standing behind her looking worried as she felt. Letting out a small breath she offered a sheepish smile.

“Sorry Papa, I heard some of the girls say it was a full house and I just wanted to see.”

Mistoffelees returned the smile going to his oldest daughter and carefully wrapping an arm around her shoulders, being sure not to accidentally ruffle her dance costume or smudge her makeup.

“Feeling nervous?”

Sek nodded making Misto squeeze her shoulders before leading her away from the stage, it was intermission so they still had plenty of time before the contest started again and Sek still had three dancers ahead of her before she had to go on the stage. He led her over to the stretching area and carefully picked up her pointe shoes, he held them in his hands for a moment with a soft smile as he ran his finger over the silky royal purple material. He could still remember when he and Tugger had first given these shoes to Sek, right after she’d won her first dance competition two years ago. How time seemed to fly.

He held out the shoes to Sek and she took them with a thankful smile before he grabbed a spare black pair and began slipping them on.

“Let’s get some of those nerves out and make sure you’re all stretched.”

Sek nodded and put her shoes on before taking her place. With a deep calming breath she let herself fall easily into stretching with Misto carefully guiding her and making sure her feet were pointed right and that she didn’t fall over. They didn’t speak, they didn’t need to, Misto knew exactly how nervous his oldest daughter was and he knew excessive talking and consoling wouldn’t help and so he distracted and helped her prepare instead, Sek was grateful. After the stretching routine was done Sek gave a smile to her papa earning one in return.

“Feeling better?”

She nodded.

“A little, I’m still scared but I can do this.”

Misto smiles softly with a nod.

“That’s my girl.”

Sek wanted so badly to hug him but she didn’t get the chance before a young woman with brown hair and black framed glasses, Emily if Sek remembered right, softly cleared her throat holding a clipboard in one hand while the other covered the microphone part of her headset.

“Miss Deuteronomy-Jones, you’re on next. One of the girls from the other school was disqualified for getting into an altercation with another dancer, so you are moving up. I’ve already notified the DJ and he has your music ready.”

Sek swallowed thickly, looking at Misto slightly panicked but the dark haired man just gave her a reassuring smile before nodding to Emily.

“Thank you for letting us know, she’ll be ready.”

Emily gave a bright smile before leaving with a nod. As soon as they were alone again Sek felt her stomach twist hard as she looked at her papa.

“I-I don’t think I can do this Papa, I’m scared. What if I forget a step or I get stage fright or I get hurt?!”

Misto shook his head taking his daughter’s hands meeting her teary eyes.

“Hey listen to me, take a deep breath,”

He took a deep breath through his nose and slowly let it out.

“Smell the flowers, blow out the candles.”

He did it again and this time Sek copied him taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. Misto gently squeezed her hands.

“There we go. Now Sek it’s okay to be scared, I was terrified before my big show, but you know what? As soon as that music starts all you have to do is tune out the people watching, forget about them, every last one okay? It’s just you, the music and the stage. Imagine you’re at the dance studio, it’s just you practicing your dance for your dad and I and your siblings. If you make a mistake oh well it happens, you're still an amazing dancer and we all still love you no matter what happens.”

Sek felt more tears well up, happy ones this time as she nodded and finally let Misto pull her into a tight hug. He held her for a long moment before pulling back enough to kiss her forehead.

“Alright, now let's go show them why they shouldn’t mess with a Jellicle shall we?”

Sek chuckled a little and nodded. Together they made their way to the side of the stage Sek would enter from, Emily was waiting with a kind smile. Sek looked at the dancer currently on stage, Sek recognized her from the last regional competition. She was about Sek’s age, maybe a little younger, her skin was white as snow, her hair was red as a flame and just as wild with its curls that were neatly pinned up with peal ended pins, she wore a simple grass green costume, the sheer sleeves had dark green vines of ivy curling down them to her wrists, the tulle skirt was the same color as the slip layered with darker greens and a few golden leaves scattered about, but the pointe shoes on her feet looked out of place with the outfit, they were white and worn, the ribbons slipping down her legs and the shoes scuffed. Sek felt a pang of sympathy for the other girl, she was going to get points deducted for that, because her outfit didn’t flow well and because her shoes looked rough.

Sek was pulled from her thoughts when the music ended and the redhead stood center stage breathing hard but smiling at the clapping crowd until the curtain was drawn allowing her to relax and exit the stage. As she did she passed Sek and gave her a playful teasing look.

“Break a leg out there Jones.”

Sek knee of course it was how to say ‘good luck’ in the performing business but the knowledge that this was the same kind of dance contest her papa had been competing in and had gotten hurt in made the saying sound so terrifying. Misto sensed his daughter’s unease and took her hand gently squeezing it.

“You’ve got this Sek, remember imagine you’re at the studio with me and your siblings, just practicing and playing around. I believe in you.”

Sek took a few deep breathes to calm herself again before kissing her papa’s cheek then among her way to center stage. She closed her eyes slowly tuning out the sound of the crowd settling on the other side of the curtain, she blocked out the bright lights and focused on her breathing as it evened out and her heart rate lowered to normal.

The curtain opened revealing a dark stage to the audience, the room was silent and for a moment people began to worry the music wasn’t working until the air filled with a song, Sek’s personally chosen song Beautiful Ghosts, and small pinhole lights began to fill the dark stage.

As the soft singing began a soft spot light shined on Sek illuminating her like the pale moon glowing outside. Her costume fit perfectly with the setting of the stage, the long dusty lavender sleeves hugged her arms elegantly with the black floral patterns catching the light with the slight sheen they held, her skirt was the same dusty lavender layered with black, white and royal purple tulle, her shoes had been cleaned and carefully maintained for this very moment. As the song played Sek let her body follow the moves it knew so well while her mind focused on the music, blocking out all thoughts of the audience, of the judges, of the scouts, right now there was just her and her memories.

Visions of her mother dancing with her around their small apartment singing movie songs and laughing the sweet laugh Sek missed so much even years later. Of her and her brother sitting close to their mother looking down at a newborn Persephone and the bright loving smile on her mother’s face as she held all three of them. Of the day her uncles had shown up at the rundown apartment and taken them away from the place that had once been home before their mother died. Of the day they sat on the hard benches of the courtroom watching as their father seemed like he’d rather be anywhere else as Tugger and Misto made every effort to take them in despite knowing next to nothing about them.

As the song began to wind down the last memories to begin playing in her mind were all of being with her family, spending time at the studio with Misto and her siblings, family events with the whole clan, silly moments with Tugger, long nights practicing with Misto, silly adventures with Bomba, happy pictures and moments listening to her grandfather and Gus tell stories and playfully arguing about their theater days….all the things that brought her to where she was at this exact moment and all the things she’d never ever change no matter how painful.

As the last note of the song played Sek finished her last turn and faced the audience slowly opening her eyes, she was crying and it took a moment for the sound to come back to her ears but when it did it was an uproar of applause and as her eyes focused she could see the entire theater was standing and clapping. She started to feel overwhelmed but she quickly found Tugger in the crowd and she couldn’t help but smile seeing the proud look on his face along with those of her aunt Victoria and a few of her siblings before the curtain closed.

As the curtain closed and Sek made her way to Misto, who was trying to dry his own eyes and sporting a huge proud smile, he pulled her into a tight hug.

“You did so well Sek, so amazingly well.”

Sek could only smile into his shoulder closing her eyes as he held her together while her heart rate lowered. As the theater beyond the curtain slowly returned to calm and quiet no one noticed a singular figure slipping out of her seat and walking to the exit of the theater, pausing only a moment to look back at the stage, then down a few rows where Tugger was happily talking with Victoria while holding Persephone in his lap, before the figure slipped out of the theater seemingly unseen.

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mortimers-cross · 5 years ago

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We Could Be Heroes (CATS 2019)

As usual, the title has little to do with anything, the song was just in my head. Have some adorable kitten bonding!

Somecat was poking him repeatedly in the back. Poke, poke, poke… “Go ’way,” mumbled the tomkit irritably, turning round to lie on his other side. The poking ceased, but then a voice started in relentlessly: “Cori. Cori. Cori. Cori. Cori…”

“What?” he hissed finally, sitting up, realizing he’d have to actually do something about the annoyance himself or it would never go away. In front of him, leaning over the handlebar of the abandoned baby pram where he and his sister had been sleeping, was Syllabub. Might’ve known. Coricopat glanced over at Tantomile to see if she’d managed to sleep through the disturbance. She, too, was sitting up, looking half-amused, half-apologetic.

Syllabub, heedless of any of this, broke out into an excited grin the moment Cori’s eyes opened. “Good, you’re awake,” she cheered.

“I am now,” Coricopat grumbled.

Syllabub leaned closer, as close as she could without actually climbing into the pram with the two older kittens. With no further ado, she demanded, “Were you having a nightmare?” She looked at Tantomile. “Or you, Tanto?”

Coricopat thought a moment. “Yeah. Come to think of it, I was.”

Syllabub now leaned precariously over the handlebar, practically falling into Cori’s lap. “What was it? Tell me!”

“I dreamed I was trying to sleep and my annoying baby cousin wouldn’t leave me alone!”

Syllabub’s face fell, and her bottom lip began to quiver.

“Cori,” Tantomile scolded, “don’t be so mean.”

“Me, mean?” exclaimed the grouchy tomkit. “But she’s the one who woke me up!” He did glance quickly up at the younger queen, somewhat regretting his harsh words. He hated it when younger kits cried, sometimes it seemed they would never stop and then they went and told adults on you for nothing… “Look, Sylla,” he sighed, “just come on in here and take a nap with us, and no hard feelings, okay?” He reached up and tugged on the gold queenkit’s paw. Unprepared, Syllabub came tumbling down into the pram and ended up squashed between Coricopat and Tantomile.

“Nice and cozy,” Tantomile giggled. “Now everyone go to sleep, and no more fighting!”

“Why is everyone trying to make me go to sleep?” Sylla exclaimed, exasperated.

“Maybe,” Coricopat suggested, “because we were awake all night and everyone’s exhausted and anyone who keeps running around refusing to sleep is going to drive themselves and everyone else crazy?”

“We’ll play after everyone’s had a good rest,” Tantomile added. “I promise, Sylla. If you just shut your eyes, I bet you’ll realize how sleepy you really are and sleep for hours…”

“This isn’t about playing,” Syllabub insisted, “and it’s more important than sleeping.”

“Well, then,” Tantomile bargained, “we’ll stay here, nice and relaxed, so that we’re all at least resting, and you can go ahead and tell us what you’re on about.”

“Hey,” Coricopat protested, “I reserve the right to go back to sleep immediately.”

“You can’t,” Sylla whined, “you’ve got to hear what I have to say.”

“Well, make it quick then,” Cori sighed.

“Just what exactly do you mean, Sylla?” asked Tantomile. “Start from the beginning. What is this about?”

“Well, I’ve told you,” Syllabub explained, speaking as slowly and clearly as possible, “it’s about nightmares.”

Tantomile nodded sympathetically, reaching for the younger kit’s paw. “Why do you want to talk about nightmares? Did you have one? Is that why you don’t want to go to sleep?”

“No,” Sylla shook her head, “I didn’t have one, and that’s unfair. I mean,” she corrected, “it means I can help others who did have one. Misto said…”

“Misto?” Coricopat interrupted. “Is that who told you to come wake me up?”

“Don’t interrupt, Cori,” Tantomile frowned.

“No,” Sylla said, somewhat guiltily, “er, he doesn’t even know. He fell back asleep after we talked.”

“So probably,” Tantomile pointed out gently, “he didn’t mean you should go around and talk to everyone immediately.”

“M…maybe not,” Syllabub admitted, “but it’s too important to wait!”

“What’s so important?” complained Coricopat. “So people have bad dreams. It happens to everyone sometimes. No need to lose your blinkin’ head over it.”

“I don’t mean just any bad dreams,” Sylla sighed impatiently. “I mean the really bad ones that Macavity put in everyone’s heads so they’d be too scared to notice when my granny was kitnapped.”

Tantomile’s ears pricked up at that, and she automatically pulled the younger queenkit into a protective hug. “That’s all over, Sylla, and you don’t have to be afraid anymore. It wasn’t real.”

“I know that, Tanto, and I’m okay because I didn’t have a bad dream, but somecats did, and your dad and auntie Cassie think they should talk to everyone and make sure they’re okay, and I want to help.”

“When did you talk to dad?” Tantomile asked curiously.

“Well… I didn’t actually talk to them,” Sylla admitted, “I…heard.”

“If you heard, miss Eavesdropper,” Coricopat groused from a few feet away from the pram, where he’d moved without the two queens’ noticing, “you’ll know dad already talked to me an’ Tanto and you didn’t need to wake us up and give us another talk.”

Syllabub climbed up next to Coricopat. “But maybe I did. You’re still upset and scared, right?”

“No.”

Tantomile climbed up to sit on her brother’s other side. “Cori…”

“Can’t you both just leave me alone?” growled the tomkit. “You’re neither of you one of those human mind-reading therapist people, and I don’t need you to sit there and tell me what I’m feeling. You wouldn’t get it, anyway.”

“I miss my mummy too,” Sylla murmured.

“How nice for you,” Cori snorted. “But you’ve got a nice mum who’ll be back whenever her humans get their act together. I don’t miss mine, I can tell you that.”

Sylla gasped. “But, Cori, how can you not miss your own mummy?” She looked appealingly at Tantomile. “Do you miss her, Tanto?”

“I do,” Tantomile nodded.

Coricopat turned round to gape at his sister. “Don’t lie through your teeth, Tanto. How can you miss her? You know as well as I do that she’s a bad sort, through and through.”

“I miss who she once was,” Tantomile explained. “You don’t remember, Cori, but…”

“All I remember is what she is now. What it did to dad after she left. I know you remember how for months he couldn’t sleep nights. You’d get up with him and you two’d walk back and forth, back and forth. When he was at his humans’ house, you had to go there just to make sure he remembered to eat his kitty chow. You may think I didn’t notice these things, but I did.” He kicked out at an old tin can and sent it tumbling down to the ground below. “So don’t talk to me about ‘how she used to be,’ she’s bad now and we won’t get her back.”

“We may,” Tantomile contradicted. “One day she could realize what a mistake she’s made, and be back. You can’t give up hope.”

“Hope,” Syllabub exclaimed excitedly, “that’s just it! Misto said I’m a magical Hope-Spreader and so I came to spread Hope to you two!”

“And it was very sweet of you to think of,” Tanto beamed at the kitten.

“Sweet,” echoed Coricopat, “maybe. But silly too. Somecats are beyond hope, Tant. If our mum ever tried to come back, she’d probably just be tricking us, and we should…”

“Chase her away?” Tantomile interrupted. “Like Grizabella?”

“No, no,” Syllabub fretted, “that was a terrible mean thing to do!”

“Exactly,” Tanto agreed, “and Old Deuteronomy showed us just how wrong it was. But why was it wrong, Sylla?”

“Because…well, because… She was sorry, and tired, and sick, and needed help. Instead the grownups kept chasing her away because of things she did a long time ago! When someone’s sorry, we…we help them…and…” She scratched her head, searching for the right word.

“Forgive them,” Tantomile supplied.

“Forgive! That’s the word!” Syllabub clapped her paws. “When your mum comes back, you can forgive her, Cori.”

“Maybe,” Cori mumbled, “but she won’t. At least, I’m not holding my breath.” He lay down atop the junkpile, leaning his chin on his paws and surveying the ground below without really seeing any of it.

Syllabub plopped down next to him with a weary sigh. “I don’t know what else to say. Hope-spreading is much harder than I thought.”

“Coricopat does have a point,” Tantomile murmured, placing a paw on her brother’s shoulder. “Our mum might never come back. For that matter, your mum…” She hesitated, sending a sidelong glance at Syllabub. She wasn’t at all sure the younger kit was ready to hear this, and besides, it was Munkustrap’s place to tell her, not Tantomile’s.

“My mum what?” Syllabub prompted, leaving Tantomile no choice.

“Well…she may not be back for a long time,” said Tantomile carefully.

“You mean never?” Syllabub corrected. “That’s what you were going to say, isn’t it?” Her ears drooped. “It’s okay, Tanto. I know. My daddy said that her humans might be living somewhere else from now on, and so they won’t bring her back. But,” and her expression brightened, “he didn’t think of Misto! If Misto keeps practicing his magic, I bet one day he could bring her back. So, you see, it may take a while, but she will get back, just like granny!” She gasped, as if something had just occurred to her. “What if he could bring back your mum too?”

Coricopat shook his head. “It’s not the same. She doesn’t want to come back.”

“It does have to be her own choice,” Tantomile agreed, “or else she’d never be happy.”

“Oh.” Sylla’s face clouded over once more. “Well, then…if she doesn’t come back…what will you do, then?”

“What do you think we should do, Sylla?” Tantomile countered, eyeing the younger kit keenly. “What helps you when you’re sad or lonely?”

“Well…” Syllabub frowned, concentrating. “My family.”

“And who’s your family?” Tantomile went on. Coricopat stared at his sister as if she’d sprouted another head.

“You’re just being silly now, Tanto,” Syllabub giggled, “you know who my family is! It’s my daddy, and Deme, and granny, and mummy—even if she’s not here now—and…” Her face grew thoughtful. “And Misto, and you, and Cori, and Uncle Lonzi, and Cassie, and Plato, and Socrates, and—well, all the Jellicles,” she exclaimed. “That’s what you’re getting at, isn’t it, Tanto? We’re all one great big family, and so whoever’s here or isn’t here right now, no one’s alone. We can all help each other and love each other and take care of each other, no matter what.”

“Exactly,” Tantomile beamed.

“Now that that’s settled,” Coricopat cut in, “can we—eep!” he squeaked in protest, as Syllabub unexpectedly pulled him and Tantomile into an enormous squeeze-hug, nearly causing the three of them to topple over in an avalanche of rubbish.

“I love you more than anything in the whole wide world,” Syllabub declared, “and I’m never letting anything happen to you or any of the rest of my family, ever!”

“That’s nice,” Coricopat mumbled into Sylla’s fur, “but your license tag is stabbing me in the neck!”

#Cats 2019 #Cats 2019 Vignettes #After the Ball #Cats the musical fanfiction #Short fanfiction #Coricopat #Tantomile #Syllabub

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shortsrifle7-blog · 6 years ago

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‘Top Chef Kentucky’ Recap: Bouillon, Basketball, and Boxed Mixes

The latest episode of Top Chef Kentucky includes an over-the-top arena-themed challenge, a surprising elimination, and one of the biggest strategic blunders of the season so far. Here’s how it all goes down:

At the start of the episode, the cheftestepants are congratulating Michelle for winning the last challenge. She prepared a plate of red snapper with vegetables for the judges as an homage to her father, who committed suicide when she was a teenager. “This whole challenge was a way for me to process my thoughts about who I am as a chef and give me a little bit of closure,” Michelle says. “And I’m finding that I’m a lot stronger than I even thought I was at first.”

When the competitors arrive at the Top Chef culinary bunker, they are greeted by host Padma Lakshmi and local chef/restaurateur Ed Lee. It’s time for a Fort Knox-themed round of cooking. “For your Quickfire challenge, you’ll have to work together to figure out how to break into our own version of a heavily-guarded bouillon reserve,” Padma says. “Bouillon cubes, that is.” A bunch of gold bouillon cubes are locked inside a little lucite cabinet in the kitchen, and the chefs have to answer a series of food-themed riddles to find the numbers to crack open the lock on the box. Once they’ve obtained the bouillon, they will have 30 minutes to make dishes with the dehydrated stock cubes and ingredients related to the riddles.

Eric Adjepong, Sara Bradley, Adrienne Wright, Justin Sutherland, Eddie Konrad

David Moir/Bravo

A sample clue: “This ingredient shares its name with the federal law enforcement agency responsible for protecting the U.S. Treasury’s gold bouillon at Fort Knox.” Obviously, that refers to ”mint,” and the mint in the fridge is attached to a number that the chefs can enter into the padlock. Most of the rest of the clues are equally easy to solve, although the gang stumbles a bit figuring out the one for “bread.”

Once the bouillon cubes are unlocked, the chefs begin whipping up their Quickfire dishes. As it turns out, Eric wrote a thesis about how West African and Southeast Asian families use bouillon, so he’s a real expert on the subject. Sara also has a strong affinity for the little dehydrated stock cubes. “Growing up, when we were sick, we didn’t go to the hospital, we didn’t stay home from school — my mother gave us bouillon cubes and hot water and told us to get over it,” she explains.

After tasting all seven of the bouillon dishes, Padma and Ed determine that Michelle’s smelt fritto misto (AKA “fries with eyes”) and Justin’s way-too-salty chorizo with clams are the two duds of this round. But the judges love Sara’s monkfish dish, Eddie’s “gold caponata” with bouillon-poached scallops, and Eric’s Chinese eggplant with skirt steak. The winner of this challenge is Eddie, who made a dish that was “delicate and refined, and yet had so much flavor,” according to Padma. He wins what must be one of the greatest of all Top Chef prizes: immunity as well as a pass to sit out the next challenge completely.

“I’m pretty happy, probably the happiest I’ve been this entire season,” Eddie remarks. “I’m pumped to not be stressed to the point where I’m going to drive myself crazy. You’re going to see a whole new side of Eddie. Pretty much the same face and everything, but actually, deep down inside, I’m pretty stoked.”

Left to right: Adrienne Wright, Eric Adjepong, and Justin Sutherland

David Moir/Bravo

For the elimination challenge, the chefs will prepare comfort food for the crowd at Rupp Arena, where the University of Kentucky Wildcats play basketball. They break off into two teams and start doing some menu planning. Eric, Justin, and Adrienne draft a menu with fancy wings, chicken & waffles, and a riff on a Jucy Lucy burger. “It’s not that often that you get to make a burger and chicken wings on Top Chef, so this is setting up to be my favorite challenge to date,” Justin says. Meanwhile, on the other side of the kitchen, Michelle, Kelsey, and Sara plan a game day menu with dumplings, ribs, and chicken & waffles. “Dumplings are one of my best kept secrets,” Kelsey explains.

Left to right: Sara Bradley, Michelle Minori, and Kelsey Barnard

David Moir/Bravo

During a trip to Whole Foods, Adrienne and Sara become aware of the fact that they are both making chicken & waffles. And after seeing Sara pull a bag of generic waffle mix from the shelf, Adrienne remarks, “A boxed mix is never going to be as good as a homemade waffle.” As the rest of the chefs scramble to get all the ingredients for their stadium challenge, Eddie kicks back and enjoys a sushi lunch in the Whole Food cafe — because he literally doesn’t have to do anything.

Before prepping for the big arena feast, Kelsey FaceTimes with her husband and newborn son. “I’m sacrificing [watching] him walking for the first time and saying ‘mama’ for the first time — I hate it,” she says. “But this pain has become my biggest motivation. If I win Top Chef, I’ll be able to give him a better life. And I’m not going to stop until I can do that.”

During meal prep at the Rupp Arena, Tom Colicchio and Graham Elliott visit all of the chefs to see what they’re working on. When Tom asks Adrienne if her waffle mix is coming from a box, she shoots him some side-eye and says, “Would I come on Top Chef to use boxed mix? I don’t think so.” Adrienne also gets in a little playful, off-the-cuff trash-talking about her competitor on the other side of the kitchen. Meanwhile, Michelle is running into problems with her ribs. Although she often makes this dish for her family when they watch Golden State Warriors games, she’s having a tough time getting the meat crispy on the edges using the ovens in the arena’s kitchen.

Michelle Minori

David Moir/Bravo

The dishes for this competition are presented on the court in front of a cheering crowd. For the first match-up, Kelsey serves her “Kentucky proud” dumplings against Adrienne’s chicken and waffles. Although the judges — including University of Kentucky coach John Calipari and Food & Wine editor Hunter Lewis — like both of these dishes, Kelsey’s dumplings have the winning edge. In the second round, the judges enjoy Eric’s tamarind-glazed wings more than Sara’s “big blue nation” chicken & waffles. And in the third round, Justin’s ornate Jucy Lucy burger beats Michelle’s too-soft ribs.

While some of the chefs enjoyed this spirited round of competition, Sara is mad about the fact that Eric and Justin’s team got the crowd to start chanting about how she used waffle mix. “I’m not happy,” she tells her fellow chefs backstage. “I got heckled because someone threw me under the bus.” Adrienne replies, “I’m sorry mama, I didn’t mean to.” But Sara is not accepting her apology. When Justin comes to Adrienne’s defense, Sara replies, “It was a ‘playful joke’ that ended up getting me heckled by 4,200 people.” Michelle, always the team player, convinces everyone to join a group hug. “We don’t bully each other,” she says. “We lift each other up and we’re all extremely talented and we’re above that.”

The judges liked all of the winning team’s dishes, but determine that Eric’s wing creation was the best of the bunch. Ed Lee tells the chef that he “showed us technique and then elevated it to a level where it was mind-boggling.” All three members of that team win $5,000. Meanwhile, there were only two lackluster dishes from the losing team: Sara’s chicken & waffles, and Michelle’s tasty-but-mushy ribs.

“You know, you come to Rupp Arena or you watch a basketball game and it’s very easy to be marveled by the athleticism — you know, that fast break punctuated by the slam dunk that just gets everybody off their seats,” Tom says to the losing team. “But what wins games are fundamentals. And the chef that’s going home tonight just messed up with something that they fundamentally should have done really well.” And that chef is Michelle.

“The major feeling is disappointment,” she says on her way out the door. “I could have done better, and I can do better. I am a good chef — I’m a great chef — because I don’t just know how to cook good food; I’m creative and smart and strong and confident.” Like all eliminated contestants, Michelle will get a shot at returning back into the competition through Last Chance Kitchen. “I don’t want to jinx myself, but I’m gonna fight for it,” she says.

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Source: https://www.eater.com/2019/2/8/18216599/top-chef-hoop-dreams-recap-season-16-episode-10

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lazulia-fics · 8 years ago

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Written in Blood, chapter 9 (Cats fanfic, Tugger/Misto, NSFW)

New chapter of Written in Blood has been posted! You can read it here on Fanfiction.net or behind the cut.

(Be aware that this chapter is NSFW and contains Macavity/Misto sexual coercion/rape. If you need to skip it, go ahead and rejoin the story when the next chapter comes along.)

Macavity’s unreadable eyes were on him for a good, long time. When the Hidden Paw finally decided he’d built enough tension, he smirked knowingly and nodded.

“I’m very glad we could come to an agreement, Mistoffelees. Come inside.”

Mistoffelees balled his paws into tight fists, tried his best to keep them from shaking, and followed Macavity inside the house.

The house was different than Mistoffelees remembered. At least, he assumed it was. When he’d first been dragged here, he’d been too frightened and preoccupied to notice his surroundings, and on his way out, he’d been too busy laboring with his kittens to notice much of anything.

There was more activity now, that much he knew. Everywhere he turned there was a tom or a queen. Some slumbered in corners, others were wide awake and pacing the house. Others were huddled, talking, tousling. As they rounded a corner, Mistoffelees saw three toms and a queen savagely tucking into a meal of roast chicken. One of the toms was Bixbite. Mistoffelees shuddered in revulsion.

They passed by a sight that Mistoffelees recognized all too well: the large brown bureau covering the entrance to the basement. A miserable-looking tom stood by the bureau and watched him and Macavity walk by.

“I want to see her,” Mistoffelees said, his eyes fastened to the bureau. “I want to talk to her first. Let me see that she’s all right.”

Macavity’s pace came to a gradual halt. He turned on his heel and gave Mistoffelees another long, cold stare.

“All right,” he said after a few moments. “Don’t ever claim I’ve not been generous with you.”

He followed Macavity to the bureau and watched as he moved it aside with a simple flicker of his wrist, as though it weighed nothing.

Macavity turned to the brown tom. “Vincenzo, you will remain here. If anything comes up those stairs without me, slit its throat. Understood?”

“Y-yes boss,” Vincenzo nervously said. The tom’s fur was dull and his face looked haggard. Mistoffelees would have felt pity for him, if he hadn’t been one of the toms keeping his daughter locked away.

He followed Macavity down the flight of stairs, a sick feeling of familiarity in his gut. It was replaced by numbing relief when he spotted Mandragora, who stood strong in front of a nest of blankets. She was strong. Mistoffelees was proud.

Macavity stood by the bottom step, making it clear the visit was going to end the second he said so.

“Mandra,” Mistoffelees gasped. His heart broke as his daughter’s composure crumbled and she threw herself into her father’s arms.

“Dad!”

“I missed you, kitten!”

“Am I going home?”

He hugged her tighter. His eyes darted around the basement, making sure she had blankets, noting the food and water that had been brought to her. At least Macavity was keeping his word and caring for her.

“Soon, Mandra,” he said, taking her by the shoulders and pressing his forehead to hers. “I promise you’ll be out of here soon. I’m taking care of everything.”

She pulled back, alarmed. “Dad, you’re not… I know what he wants, you’re not going to…”

“I’m so sorry, Mandra. Please don’t hate me.”

“Don’t… please…” she said weakly. “I’ll find a way to escape on my own! Don’t do it, please…”

“Just trust me,” Mistoffelees said. He pushed the words out before he could give himself time to doubt them. “Trust that I know what I’m doing, okay?”

Mandra pressed her head to his again, defeated. “Oh dad. Don’t do this for me…”

“Come.”

Macavity’s curt voice made them both start. Mistoffelees drew his daughter into his arms, squeezing the breath out of her. Once he was out of here, he was going to hug her every single day. “I love you, Mandra. Keep yourself safe. You’ll be out of here soon.”

He let her slip from his arms, and as much as it tore his heart apart to do it, he turned and followed Macavity back up the stairs.

Mistoffelees waited awkwardly as Macavity spoke to the brown tom by the basement entrance, and made him move aside as he used magic to drag the bureau back into place. That was the sort of magic Mistoffelees could do now, he thought fumingly. He could probably destroy that damn bureau now with a bolt of energy. But there was no way he was bringing Macavity down with his little zaps.

Instructions given, Macavity fixed his gaze on the smaller tom. Mistoffelees braced himself, though for what he wasn’t quite sure. He supposed he expected Macavity to toss him over his shoulder and drag him to his bed while cackling, but the Hidden Paw merely cocked his head in the direction of the corridor and said, “Follow me.”

The masses of queens and toms thinned out as they walked down the corridor. It was a relief, as with every step Mistoffelees felt more and more as though the hench-cats knew exactly why he’d come here, what his purpose was in dutifully following Macavity to his bed.

When they got to Macavity’s room, Cesare stood by the entrance, smiling icily, his sister Eris grinning at his side. They stepped aside to let their master in and Cesare made a great show of sniffing the air lecherously as Mistoffelees walked by.

“No one interrupts us,” Macavity said to the twins, and the moment Mistoffelees was inside, he shut the door.

Mistoffelees wasn’t sure what to expect from Macavity’s sleeping area. He’d made himself a nest of cushions and blankets, nothing peculiar or ostentatious, and the room was otherwise bare. It looked clean and smelled of Macavity, and no one else. Mistoffelees wasn’t sure why that surprised him. Somehow he’d pictured Macavity dragging over and rutting a new cat every night.

It was strange to imagine someone like Macavity resting here, vulnerable in sleep. What did he think about before he drifted off? Did he ever relax, even for a moment? Did he think of books, of his favourite foods, did he practice his magic for the fun of it, did he enjoy music or dancing? What did he dream of?

Kittens, evidently, Mistoffelees mused. He dreamt of heirs, that much was obvious. He wondered if Macavity had ever been around kittens. Did he have siblings? Bast, he had parents, and he obviously had been a kitten himself once. What sort of child had Macavity been?

The Hidden Paw was busy circling the room, and when his little inspection was complete and he seemed satisfied, he came to a halt uncomfortably close to Mistoffelees. He swallowed; he’d forgotten how tall Macavity was.

“I’ve instructed Vincenzo, Eris, Cesare—everyone—that if any harm should come to me while you are here, your daughter will be killed. And it will not be quick.”

“Stop,” Mistoffelees said, his stomach churning at those sinister, casual words.

“It’s reality,” Macavity said cryptically. “I don’t care for violence. But I certainly understand the need for it.”

Mistoffelees scoffed. “You have a strange way of showing you don’t care for violence.”

He wondered if the comment crossed a line, but Macavity grinned. “All a means to an end, Mistoffelees. When this is over, we’ll get both what we want.”

“Do I have to stay here with you until the kittens are born?” Mistoffelees asked curtly.

“No,” Macavity said. Mistoffelees blinked; that was not the answer he expected. “You may return to your junkyard, so long as you keep my kittens healthy and come here when the time comes to bear them.”

“Are you also going to let Mandra go the moment we’re done here?”

Macavity’s grin widened. “Well that would be quite foolish of me, wouldn’t it? Do you think I would risk any harm to my kittens, after you get what you want? No, your runt will stay with me until this litter is born and brought to me, alive and healthy.”

Mistoffelees started. What did Macavity mean by any harm, specifically? He swallowed hard, and said, “Then… you need to know something.”

Macavity gave him an impassive look.

“I was pregnant a second time, but I miscarried the kittens a little under a year ago.”

“Miscarried,” Macavity said evenly.

He couldn’t tell if Macavity was simply repeating the point, or if he didn’t know what the term meant. “I lost them. They died inside me. I-I don’t know what caused it, it just happened. So… so if I miscarry your kittens through no fault of my own, what then…?”

Macavity stared at him for a few long minutes. “Then you will return to me, and we will repeat this little ritual until you have given me my heirs.”

Mistoffelees nodded numbly. This was going to happen, then. He stood stiffly, ready for the ordeal to begin, and flinched when Macavity raised a paw. There came no blow, no slap, no move to throw him across the room and onto the bed. Instead, Macavity cupped his jaw, lifting it slightly, and buried his nose in the exposed neck.

Macavity had been obsessed with his scent before and it seemed it was still the case. Clenching his paws, Mistoffelees let the other cat have his way, inhaling his scent, running a rough tongue along the delicate curve of his neck. If this worked to get it all done faster, then so be it. Mistoffelees stole a downward glance and nervously noticed that Macavity’s length was slowly thickening.

So far it was all quite gentle, and Mistoffelees wasn’t sure what to make of it. Macavity’s paw pressed against Mistoffelees’ chest, inadvertently palming a nipple, and Mistoffelees couldn’t help the shudder that ran through his body. Any hope that Macavity hadn’t noticed the reaction was gone as he lifted his head from Mistoffelees’ neck and gave him a curious, amused look.

Mistoffelees held his breath. To his dismay, Macavity dragged his paw against his nipple, rolling it beneath the thick pad of his thumb. His efforts to hold his reaction in only served to make his inevitable moan louder. He pulled his body away on instinct and realized with horror that he was getting excited.

With a wicked grin, Macavity rolled the nipple one last time and reached down to give him a firm squeeze, sharp burning eyes boring into his the whole way. “No, stop--” Mistoffelees gasped, before realizing it was rather futile to protest. He’d already given his consent, even if it was under duress.

Macavity chuckled knowingly. “Get on the bed.”

Swallowing hard and fighting the urge to cup his paws in front of himself, Mistoffelees obeyed and padded over the bed, crawling over the blankets. He hesitated, balancing on all fours, before deciding he’d rather stick with the undignified position and avoid having to see too much of Macavity. He pressed his cheek to the blankets, his stomach churning anew, and lifted his rear in the air, flicking his tail out of the way.

The blankets shifted as Macavity crawled behind him. There were only two sounds in the room: Mistoffelees’ ragged, nervous breaths, and the soft wet sound of Macavity stroking himself, preparing himself for what was to come. Mistoffelees pressed his face harder to the blankets, doing his damnest to block out everything—the scent of Macavity on the blankets, the sounds of Macavity touching himself, the inevitable discomfort of what was to come.

He nearly jumped and yelped as Macavity placed his paws on his rear, touching him a little tentatively. Mistoffelees wasn’t sure what to make of it; the touch was a little hesitant, squeezing his rear, stroking his lower back. It wasn’t unpleasant, and perhaps that was exactly what made it so disturbing.

Macavity’s paws wandered over to his hips, and suddenly Mistoffelees was self-conscious about Macavity’s hands on his body. No tom but Tugger had ever touched him, and no tom but Tugger knew the imperfections of his body. Macavity’s paws roamed until they pressed against the soft, loose skin of the smaller tom’s belly.

Mistoffelees shuddered and tried to squirm away, a difficult task when squirming away from the paws made his buttocks bump against Macavity’s erection. The thing already felt huge and violating.

Macavity’s paws fondled his stomach for a few more moments before moving lower and briefly stroking the tux’s softening erection. The touch wasn’t enough to arouse him and Macavity didn’t seem to care, anchoring one paw in Mistoffelees’ hip while the other paw slid off his body.

He knew was what coming. He tensed, face buried in the blankets, trying to block out the reality of Macavity shifting just a little bit closer, erection in paw, until the thing was relentlessly pressing at his entrance.

Mistoffelees bit the blankets and whimpered, as the pressure quickly became a sharp spike of pain. Macavity pressed all the way in, tightening his hold on Mistoffelees’ hips, and pulled back out, leaving a fiery pain behind.

Relax. Bast, just relax! Mistoffelees stifled a groan of pain and tried to force his shaking lungs to draw in a slow breath, trying to will his tense muscles to relax a bit, to give himself a little bit of relief until this was done. He hoped Macavity wasn’t a prodigious lover; the sooner he spent himself inside Mistoffelees’ body, the better.

The thrusts became harder, faster, and Mistoffelees gave up on trying to relax, bunching the blankets tightly in his claws, his jaw clenched so tight his teeth felt ready to crack.

He almost missed it when Macavity spoke. “You – enjoyed it when you made your first litter?”

“What?” Mistoffelees hissed. What kind of question was that?

And suddenly it dawned on him. Macavity wanted him to conceive successfully, and that meant recreating all elements that may have been responsible for his previous pregnancies. Magic, of course, along with the Jellicle Moon, were huge factors. But something told him the magic here was strong enough to make this happen without any outside help.

He thought about lying, because he didn’t want to deal with the shame of having an orgasm in Macavity’s presence, but maybe it had been a factor the other times, and he had to grudgingly admit that he did want this to be a successful mating.

“Oh…” he ground out, wincing in discomfort. Macavity was big, about as big as Tugger, but his thrusts were rough and careless. “Yes, I… I did.”

“What will it take for you to enjoy it?” Macavity asked through halting breaths. It was strange, Mistoffelees thought, to hear Macavity in such a borderline-vulnerable state. But he had no allusions; Macavity was not vulnerable, ever.

He was only half-hard, an instinctive reaction more than anything. Macavity wouldn’t be pleased until he came, so he would have to work at it somehow.

Mistoffelees unlatched one tense paw from the blanket and, struggling for balance with Macavity still thrusting at him, slid the fingers into his mouth to moisten them before reaching down to caress his nipples.

The contact made him gasp, and a few rolls and pinches did convince his member to reluctantly harden, but the whole situation soon made any sensation of pleasure turn to pain. Mistoffelees groaned in frustration and reached for his erection, pumping it a few times, though he had to stop both because it wasn’t working, and because Macavity’s thrusts were knocking him off-balance.

He clenched his claws back into the blanket and, grudgingly, resorted to his final option.

“Bite me,” Mistoffelees said in a weak voice. “Bite my scruff.”

Macavity chuckled, maybe a little incredulously, but obeyed the instruction, slowing his pace for a moment. Mistoffelees felt intense heat all along his back as Macavity leaned over him, fastening his teeth into his scruff and pulling hard.

The bite was harder than anything Tugger had ever attempted. To Mistoffelees’ horror, he reacted more intensely as well, unable to hold back a loud groan as his body shuddered with excitement. Macavity’s teeth stopped shy of breaking the skin. He straightened up, forcing Mistoffelees to straighten with him. With his teeth in the smaller tom’s scruff and his paws clasping his hips, Macavity resumed his pace.

This felt dirty. More so than being fondled and penetrated, this felt like a violation, because this was something he’d discovered with Tugger, something that gave him so much pleasure, and to have another cat do it to him made him feel sullied.

Still, it was working, and as he felt Macavity’s thrust become short and erratic, the bigger cat’s breaths hot and heavy against his scruff, Mistoffelees took his erection in his paw again and stroked, trying to concentrate hard enough to climax. He finally managed a brief, unpleasant orgasm, spilling himself onto the blanket and tightening despite himself around Macavity’s length.

Evidently his orgasm was all Macavity had been waiting for. Two more hard thrusts and the Hidden Paw was done, jerking soundlessly as Mistoffelees felt the burning seed spreading inside him.

It took a few long, painful minutes before Macavity finally pulled out of him, leaving a burning ache behind. Bit by bit Mistoffelees relaxed, unclenching his paws, relaxing his jaw, getting breath back into cramped lungs. His scruff felt sore and the less said about his rear, the better.

He let Macavity get to his feet, clean himself off, do whatever he wanted before Mistoffelees turned around to face him. It was only when the sound of movement stopped and Macavity curtly said “Rise” that he moved, gingerly crawling off the blankets and back onto his feet.

He felt weak, shaky, sick. Macavity looked poised, not a strand of fur out of place. He met Macavity’s eyes and the returned gaze was impassive. “How long until you know?”

Mistoffelees drew in a shaky breath. “Soon. Within the week.”

“I am letting you return to your junkyard as a favour. I expect you to return here the moment you know. You will either prove to me that you are carrying my kittens, or we will repeat what we’ve just done until you do. Am I clear?”

“Yes.”

No more needed to be said, and Macavity headed to the door, nodding to Eris and Cesare as he left. It wasn’t clear if Mistoffelees was being left to his own devices to leave the house and return home, but it hardly mattered at this point. There was nothing he could do in a house surrounded by hench-cats and magic.

But still…

But still, he tried. Macavity and the twins were gone. Mistoffelees closed his eyes, pictured the basement, pictured Mandragora, and gathered his energy to teleport.

For a moment, there was no resistance, and Mistoffelees felt the familiar sideways pitch as his magic prepared to bend space and bring him to his destination. But before his body could leave the room, a force like a full-body slap nearly sent him stumbling onto his arse.

Mistoffelees whimpered, placing his paws on his knees and struggling for breath. Of course Macavity would have wards in place to prevent him from swooping in and teleporting Mandra away. Of course he’d have thought of everything. Damn him.

Tears prickled at his eyes as he hurried out of Macavity’s room, past the queens and toms littering the house. He saw no sign of Macavity.

The moment he was outside, Mistoffelees practically ran to the only place in Elmsmere Way that made him feel safe, propelling his aching body until he’d reached the house where he’d given birth to his kittens, leaping in through the broken window.

Once inside, he tongue-bathed himself to remove Macavity’s scent until he retched and when he was done, fell to all fours on the cold floor of the room.

He stared at his paws, tensely clenching against the floor, until he realized the darkness of the room had been joined by a faint, silvery glow.

Mistoffelees squeezed his eyes shut, dangerously close to tears. When he opened them again, the sparkling had reached his arms, tiny dots of magical light illuminating his black fur, heralding something he’d planned, but did not want.

It was done.

#cats fanfiction #cats the musical #tuggoffelees #mistoffelees #rum tum tugger #mpreg #macavity

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uppastthejelliclemoon · 5 years ago

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okay, since stray!tugger has me very sad, could we possibly get a little of misto spoiling his new crush/bf/what have you after the ball? no pressure and thank you!

MISTO SPOILING TUGGER WITH CUDDLES AND COMPLIMENTS AND COMFORT HERE YA GO

Misto could tell that Tugger was getting overwhelmed. The sudden rush of Jellicles towards him had made Tugger immediately freeze, his eyes going wide. The kittens were babbling away, asking rapid-fire questions about him.

Where did he come from?

How did he know Misto?

Was he going to stay?

Tugger couldn't answer, staring at the kittens, but Misto could answer the questions in his head.

He lived near Misto’s human. (Technically the alley near his human’s home, but he was over enough that Misto knew his human was thinking about giving him a collar)

They met when Tugger broke into Misto’s house looking for food. (Misto had been angry, but when he saw the skittish maine coon, he had softened and shared a meal with him)

Knowing Tugger, he probably would hang around the Junkyard for a bit. (That’s what Misto had thought about his own home, but now Tugger was a permanent fixture, which he didn’t mind at all)

Misto watched as Tugger backed up into Old Deuteronomy, and the old cat gave the younger tom a broad smile before wrapping him in a hug. The magical tom bit back a laugh at how quickly Tugger melted against Old Deuteronomy, trying hard to appear indifferent, but he subconsciously pressed closer. However, Misto knew Tugger. he saw the way his tail was flicking back and forth in agitation, and he saw how tense Tugger was as Old Deuteronomy released him, so he took that as a sign to move in.

"Mr. Mistoffelees! Did you teach Tugger your song?” Etcetera asked, obviously already enamored with the maine coon.

Misto smiled slightly, patting the kitten’s head. “He came up with it all on his own. But right now, I need to speak with him for just a moment.” The kittens all pouted. “Just for a little while! Then you kittens can have him so he can answer all your questions!” The demeanor of the kittens changed, and they all bolted off towards their parents, Jemima shyly nuzzling against Tugger before rushing off to join Munkustrap and Demeter.

"I didn’t know what to say.” Tugger said, his shoulders already relaxing.

Misto took his paw comfortingly. “Come on.” The black cat met Old Deuteronomy’s eyes, and the Jellicle Leader gave him a warm smile and a nod, and Misto tried to stop the bright smile on his face as he led Tugger away from the busy main stage area.

Tugger smirked slightly when he realized where Misto was taking him. “Bringing me to your den already? We don’t even know each other!” Misto simply rolled his eyes, bumping his arm against his companion’s. The two toms entered the den, and Misto flopped down on top of his bed, stretching out his arms.

“Come here.” he said, and Tugger’s smirk turned into a shy smile, and he joined Misto, wrapping his arms around the smaller tom and snuggling against his chest. “Thank you. You did great tonight.”

“Was it okay?” Tugger asked, his voice filled with worry as Misto ran his paws through the coon’s thick mane. “You don’t think they’re angry I intruded like Grizabella?”

“Not at all.” Misto insisted. He let out a small laugh as Tugger nuzzled against his shoulder. “In fact, I’m pretty sure that Jenny wanted to adopt you on sight, but it looks like she’ll lose out to Old D.”

Tugger frowned slightly. “Is that silver tabby okay? It looked like Macavity got him and the other tom pretty bad. And that gold queen.”

Misto smiled softly. “They’re okay. Munkustrap, the silver tabby, is used to dealing with Macavity and coming out relatively unscathed. Alonzo, the other tom fighting Macavity, is our second-best Protector after Munk, so he knows to only step in when he’s needed.” Tugger listened intently, grabbing one of Misto’s paws and playing with it as they cuddled. “And the gold queen, Demeter, she’s got enough cats to look after her, and she’s gotten pretty strong after her time with Macavity. Her kitten, Jemima, was the one who got close to you when the kittens all left.”

“I like them. I like this. It feels safe.” Tugger told Misto. Misto looked down at the larger tom, trying to keep himself from sparkling too much (which he tended to do when he was excited. So bad sparkles).

“Are you going to stay?” he asked, and Tugger looked up, meeting his eyes.

“Griz is gone. You’re really the only cat that I know and care about, and I want to stay with you if you want me to.” he said quietly. “So if you’ll let me, I’d like to try this whole ‘Jellicle cat’ thing.” Misto said nothing. He just beamed and wrapped his arms tightly around Tugger, nuzzling closer happily, making Tugger huff out a laugh and hug him back.

After a moment, a thought hit Misto. “You’re a liar.”

Tugger’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“You said you didn’t care for a cuddle.” Misto said, grinning mischievously. “You’re literally the cuddliest cat I’ve ever met. You’re a liar.”

Tugger snorted, making the magical cat laugh. “Don’t ruin my image, Sparkles.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Tugs.”

#liv's writing corner

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uppastthejelliclemoon · 5 years ago

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Can I please request a drabble of exhausted new dad Tugger and fussy inconsolable baby Hestia where Tugger learns the song “a million dreams” calms her down and puts her to sleep? Please and thank you💖

BABIES BABIES BABIES

(@queencurlycrown and @kineticjellyfish because you two were waiting for this as well XD)

“Come on, princess, it’s time for bed.” Tugger said as he swayed back and forth, attempting to calm a sobbing Hestia, who had woken up in the middle of the night.

She was teething, which was doubly hard for Tugger and Mistoffelees, as it meant that their baby girl was getting older, and that she would be getting less sleep because of it.

Hestia continued to cry, her little face scrunched up and red, her cheeks wet with tears as she fisted Tugger’s undershirt in her tiny hands.

Tugger sighed, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead as he fought away a yawn. “Alright, let’s go downstairs and see what we can do.”

It had been four months since Serafina had passed away, and there were still things of hers strewn about that neither Tugger nor Mistoffelees had the heart to move.

One such thing was her blanket, the one she had used all throughout her pregnancies, so Tugger picked it up off the couch and swaddled Hestia up. The little girl paused briefly as she was wrapped in the soft fabric, and a new smell hit her.

It was warm, comforting, but not like her daddy or her papa.

This was something else.

Tugger felt a flash of triumph, but saw Hestia’s face beginning to screw up again, and he frantically thought, glancing around the room. He spotted a small toy carousel, and a lightbulb went off in his head.

“There's a house we can build. Every room inside is filled with things from far away.” he began to sing quietly, and Hestia looked up at him, her blue eyes wet with tears. Tugger smiled down with her, beginning to spin around the room as he sang. ”The special things I compile, each one there to make you smile on a rainy day.”

Hestia’s cries now became whimpers as she listened to Tugger, and he nuzzled his nose into her red curls with a small smile.

“They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy.” he continued, keeping his voice quiet. “They can say, they can say we've lost our minds.”

“Dance with me, Sera!”

“Tugger Deuteronomy-Jones, I am seven months pregnant!”

“So?”

“You are insane if you think you’re spinning me around!”

“I don't care, I don't care if they call us crazy! Runaway to a world that we design!”

“How do you put up with him, Misto?”

“It’s a daily struggle, Sera, trust me.”

“Hey!”

“That’s Mama’s song.”

Tugger whirled around at the quiet voice, and his smile grew when he saw Hades standing there, the small boy rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“You should be in bed, Roo.” Tugger said gently, sitting down on the couch and beckoning Hades closer.

The boy walked forward and climbed into Tugger’s lap, careful not to disturb a half-asleep Hestia, whose small body still shook with the occasional quiet sob.

“Mama sang that song a lot.” Hades said again as he snuggled into Tugger’s chest.

Tugger nodded. “She did, Roo. Etta wouldn’t calm down, so I think your mama’s song helped her quite a bit.”

Hades made a small, content sound as Tugger hugged him close. “Can you keep singing, Daddy?”

“Anything for my kiddos.” Tugger replied, his voice barely above a whisper. “Every night I lie in bed, the brightest colors fill my head. A million dreams are keeping me awake.”

Only a few towns over, a woman was sitting beside a small bed, hugging her own two children close in a tiny apartment, and she sang to them as well, rocking the little girl and little boy back and forth.

“I think of what the world could be, a vision of the one I see.” she sang softly, kissing her daughter’s forehead. “A million dreams is all it's gonna take.”

A million dreams for the world we're gonna make

#liv's writing corner

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uppastthejelliclemoon · 5 years ago

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may we have some Hestia fluff. as a treat.

(fuckfuckfuck I made myself cry @queencurlycrown WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF)

Hestia knew it was coming. Her dads had been aging for years, Tugger no longer moving like he used to, and Misto’s coat didn’t shine as strongly as it once had. All the Jellicles knew that the Ball that year would be a special and bittersweet one.

The night of the Ball, Hestia made it as wonderful and magical as she could, since it was also Anthea’s first Ball. It was distressing, knowing that her fathers could be witnessing their granddaughter’s first and last Ball, but Hestia knew Tugger and Misto would be happier once they were with the Everlasting Cat. So it was with tear-filled eyes that she watched their final performance, a mix of their songs, Tugger’s swagger and suave nature returning for the night, and Misto’s coat sparkling brighter than it had in years.

Watching them, Hestia couldn’t help but smile as she hugged Anthea close, the young queen snuggling close to her mother as Tugger and Misto sang. Beside Tumble, Charon watched his grandfathers in awe, and Hestia laughed as Misto called Tugger his terrible bore. Tumble kept a tight arm around her the entire time, nuzzling her cheek from time to time in comfort.

When the song finished, the Jellicles needed no verbal confirmation. They all knew, as Tugger and Misto finished their performance, who would be the Choices that year. As Hestia got up and hugged her fathers tightly, they were all holding back tears as she hid her own in Tugger’s fur, pitying the queen, but understanding why she had not sung their song. Only Tumblebrutus knew, however, what his mate wanted to do.

At the end of the night, when it came time for the Choice, Munkustrap stepped forward with the help of Jemima. It would only be a matter of time before the leader of the Jellicles was Chosen as well, but he had one final Choice to make. Munkustrap approached Tugger and Misto, and placed his paws on their shoulders with a proud, sorrowful smile.

Hestia took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Uncle Straps?” Munkustrap looked at his niece, who was holding back tears. “Can I sing?”

“Of course, Hettie.” Munkustrap said softly. Hestia smiled, and walked to Tugger and Misto, kneeling down in front of them and taking their paws in her own, looking up at them.

I may not be every mother’s dream for her little girl

She may not have had a mother, but she had her dad and papa. The two cats who had been there for her since day one, and the two cats she loved most in the entire world.

And my face may not grace the mind of everyone in the worldBut that’s all right, as long as I can have one wish I prayWhen people look inside my life, I want to hear them say

Hestia was a kitten, running home to Tugger and Misto after creating her first burst of sparkles that floated down onto her and her cousin.

“I did it, Papa! I did it!” she squealed excitedly, dancing around the den as her fur shone in the light. Misto laughed and picked her up, making her laugh in delight. Tugger watched from the doorway, a soft smile on his face as Misto showed Hestia how to control the sparkles, their fur glittering.

Misto glanced up, and his eyes twinkled. “Do you think your dad wants his fur to glitter too?” Hestia gasped in delight, and Tugger grinned, stepping forward and taking Hestia from his mate, throwing her up in the air. Hestia shrieked with laughter, and Tugger pulled Misto into his arms around, the large tom spinning them around, all three laughing happily.

She’s got her Father’s eyesHer Father’s eyes

Hestia had Misto’s eyes. His bright blue eyes that she was so thankful she had. They were her mother’s too, but Hestia liked to think that the Everlasting Cat had given her that small blessing. She also had Tugger’s eyes. His amber eyes that glittered with amusement whenever he got to annoy his brother or tease Misto. Along with her mane, Hestia’s eyes were her favorite physical characteristics because they made her look like her dads.

Eyes that find the good in thingsWhen good is not aroundEyes that find the source of helpWhen help just can’t be found

Eyes full of compassionSeeing every painKnowing what you’re going throughAnd feeling it the same

When Jemima found out who her real father was, she had immediately run to her cousin, collapsing into her arms and sobbing. Hestia had simply hugged Jemima tightly.

“You do realize what this means, right?” she had asked, and Jemima had looked up in confusion.

“I’m the daughter of a monster?” she whispered.

Hestia frowned. “No. Uncle Straps isn’t a monster.” Jemima smiled slightly, and Hestia tightened her grip on her cousin. “Even if he’s a monster, we’re sisters. We’re sisters, and that’s all that matters. Not who our dad is. Because we know who our dads are.”

Just like my Father’s eyesMy Father’s eyesMy Father’s eyesJust like my Father’s eyes

And on that day when we will payFor all the deeds we have doneGood and bad they’ll all be hadTo see by everyone

Munkustrap often said that Hestia was the perfect combination of her dads. Tugger’s strength and welcoming nature, and Misto’s protectiveness and kindness. Hestia liked to think that too.

And when you’re called to stand and tellJust what you saw in meMore than anything I knowI want your words to be

She had her Father’s eyesHer Father’s eyesEyes that found the good in thingsWhen good was not aroundEyes that found the source of helpWhen help would not be found

One of the main lessons that Hestia taught her children was to never judge a cat simply based on their appearance or one part of their personality. There had been too many moments in Hestia’s life where she, or another cat, had been angry at her real parentage, and she thought she would turn out to be a monster just like Macavity. Tugger and Misto would immediately put a stop to that.

“You’re not his daughter.” Tugger would say firmly while hugging Hestia. “You’re ours. You’re our kitten, Etta.”

Misto would kiss her forehead gently, smoothing down her fur. “You’re our world, Etta. And we know you’d never turn out like him. The same blood that runs in you runs in Tugger, and it runs in Munkustrap. But blood doesn’t immediately connect you to someone. Look at you and Jojo, or Jojo and Teazer.” Hestia had smiled and laughed slightly. “You’re like sisters, and you don’t have the same blood.”

Eyes full of compassionSeeing every painKnowing what you’re going throughAnd feeling it the same

Tugger had told Hestia, when she was old enough, about the whispers after Macavity had left. About how he would follow his older brother and betray the tribe. Misto told her about the whispers also, after he revealed his magic. No one understood Hestia’s troubles and pains like her dads.

Just like my Father’s eyesMy Father’s eyesMy Father’s eyesJust like my Father’s eyesMy Father’s eyesMy Father’s eyesJust like my Father’s eyes

Hestia finished her song with tears falling down her cheeks, clinging to her dads’ paws like a lifeline. The two old toms were also crying.

“Oh, kitten.” Tugger whispered, his voice shaking. Hestia stood and threw herself into her fathers’ arms one final time, clinging to them as if she was a kitten again. Misto held her tightly as Tugger wrapped his arms around both of them.

“Thank you.” Hestia whispered. “Thank you for saving me. Thank you for giving me a home, and taking care of me, and giving me so much love.”

Misto kissed her forehead, and she could feel her magical father’s tears soaking into her fur. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to us, Etta. We love you more than anything.”

“Walking into that alley was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I’ll thank the Everlasting Cat for as long as I can that you survived that day.” Tugger said, pulling back and pressing a kiss to Hestia’s forehead as well. Hestia closed her eyes, savoring her final moments with her fathers before stepping back, pulling them both up with her.

As Munkustrap approached them, Hestia gave them a soft, shaky smile. “Say hello to Nana and Grandpa for me.” Misto nodded as Munkustrap put his arms around them, and Tumblebrutus appeared at Hestia’s side, wrapping his arms around her as Anthea and Charon stood beside their mother and father, watching as Tugger and Misto ascended to the Heaviside Layer. Hestia stared up at the sky, her smile widening as she joined with the tribe in singing them up, leaning into Tumblebrutus’ embrace with tears in her eyes, lifting her arm up in a final farewell as her fathers disappeared into the sky.

Sparkles fell down around the Jellicles, and two landed on Hestia’s cheek, a kiss from her fathers and a reminder. They weren’t truly gone. They would always be with her, watching and protecting her, just like they always had.

#hestia the hearth cat #character death #liv's writing corner #my ocs

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