#older Mistos def strike me as more mature

[naturepointstheway]

How 1998, OBC, and OLC Mistos could represent Misto's whole lifetime

So late last night (meaning after 11pm in bed and brain decides now's the time to party), I started thinking about how the 1982 and 1981 versions of Misto actually fit well if one thinks of them as older Misto when he's fully confident and in control of his powers. For example, you could start with 1998 Misto with his tender age, social awkwardness and still exploring the range of and how to control his magical powers. But I think it could still work with a fully mute Mistoffelees (here I'm thinking more shy and mute like Lindsay Chambers' Zurich Misto), as that same confidence through his lifetime would still show, and he can use his powers to make visuals and other effects when he is practiced and confident enough to show off with all he's got.

And hence with time, Misto becomes less shy and socially awkward as his confidence, magical powers, and generally more life experiences makes him a stronger, better, and even more confident and delightful showman. While verbal Mistos would sing their hearts out a la Timothy Scott's Misto about Mungo and Teazer, with puppets and other effects to entertain new kittens, mute Mistos would create a delightful series of visuals that the chaos pair can interact with (e.g. bapping the Ming vase to make it fall with a PING!)

With time and growth, he becomes more refined and not as wildly energetic with age (Wayne Sleep's Misto strikes me as less energetic than Jacob's or Timothy's, but that's just from still photos so I might have it entirely wrong), and already has endured a few losses of dear ones including JennyAnyDots. To honour her memory at the Jellicle Ball a year after her passing, Misto sings (or practices a series of visuals and choreography if wholly mute) of the highly respected Old Gumbie Cat, wishing that the newest and youngest kittens at the junkyard could have met her.

Oops I'm not crying you are.

Anyway, I think this also fits with the ages of the Misto actors too: younger Mistos (I think Jacob was 23 when he did the 1998 film) who're still exploring the many wonders of oncoming adult independence and responsibilities, and figuring out who the fuck they even are. But with age, you usually figure shit out and it would be no different to Misto with age either (got shit figured out by the equivalent of our mid-late twenties (Tim Scott was about 27-ish I think)--or if not, it's definitely figured out by the time Misto is in his early thirties (Wayne Sleep's age when he was Misto.))