Three days since the Ball

[Munkustrap Etc.]

((Characters: Bombalurina, Cassandra, Etcetera, Mungojerrie, Munkustrap, Pouncival, Rumpleteazer, Quaxo

Thread Summary: Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer have been helping Macavity steal things, and Munkustrap isn't too pleased with them. Quaxo is upset about what Macavity had done at the Ball three nights ago, and Pouncival gets in trouble with a Pollicle, requiring Munkustrap and Quaxo to save him. Later, as Quaxo helps Munkustrap clean up, he reveals his secret about Macavity, and Munkustrap shares a partial truth about his own past.

Afterwards, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer get told off for nearly letting Pouncival get eaten by a Pollicle.

Bombalurina shows up and begins flirting with Munkustrap, setting Quaxo off. Pouncival shows up and attempts to flirt with Bombalurina.

Quaxo kisses Munkustrap off-screen. Bomba kisses Munkustrap on-screen. Cassandra flirts with Quaxo unsuccessfully and kisses him on-screen. Cassandra finds out Quaxo likes toms. Cassandra wakes up the junkyard with her shouts. Munkustrap gets things under control.))


Night was falling over the junkyard, heralded by the rattle of keys as the human overseer went home for the evening. Munkustrap woke up slowly, yawning from his nap on the hood of a broken car. It had been several days since the annual Jellicle Ball, and the tribe was still talking about everything that had transpired. Grizabella’s return was a much-discussed topic, as was Mistoffelees’ rescuing of Old Deuteronomy from Macavity.

Speaking of Macavity… The silver tom stretched, testing his limbs. There were still some aches here and there and a bit of a burn where Macavity’s claws had cut into his back. Munkustrap made a disgusted face. He had lost to Macavity… again. The Hidden Paw always seemed to get the better of him in fights… but at least Munkustrap could boast of being able to do enough damage to keep Macavity from hurting the rest of his tribe.

Usually.

Munkustrap shook his head with a sigh. The battle at the Ball had been pathetic, on his part. It didn’t help that Macavity had used his magic. At least everyone was all right. “I have to do better next time,” he muttered to himself as he leaped off the car. Next time, Macavity might actually manage to seriously hurt someone, if Munkustrap didn’t put up more of a fight.

[Arya]

"It wasn' tha' hard! Ya' jut' needed to go in therah' and get tha' pearls!" Yelled a female voice who has a crisp street English that came from never learning how to say your vowels and words correct and living on the poor streets of England. "But no! Ya' had to mak' loud noise'!" She yelled her voice ringing through the tunnel that they where in. The male cat took his head his hair bouncing as he did. He was normaly yelling at her for being loud and all this yelling was giving him a headache. Even more so now that they had been thieving more. He placed his paws over his ears every movement they made in this tunnel could be heard clearly imagine how loud the yelling was. He shuffled his position wait for her to stop yelling at him. "Mungo? Ar' ya' even listenin' to me? MUNGO!"

The male cat turned his head toward the golden tabby. "Yes?" He said the same street English accent in his voice. The tabby was standing with her paws on her hips, her eyes narrowed at him. "Jut' go and mak' sur' the coast is clea'!" She yelled pointing a finger at the end of the tunnel. Mungo's ears droped down aswell as his whiskers, that sad face always got Rumple, but she was to busy being disapointed to notice. The cat poked his head out of the tunnel, looked left, then right, then slid his sleek body out a small bag that had Rumple's brand new favorite necklace in it, slung over his shoulder.

"All clea'!" He stated hopefully. Rumple slid her tiny slim and sleek body out. She still looked mad though. She fiddled with her pearl necklace, she never went anywhere without it. It was the first item she had ever stolen with Mungo so it was thus the best in the world, it must be! Her tail swung from side to side, her furr puffed up because of how upset she was. Because of Mungo she had to give up the necklace the had stolen because she crashed into her, making the loudest noise possible. She didn't know that family of fat humans could run so fast. She smirked though Mungo has his tail between his legs like a dog. She let out her high shrill giggle at the fact that Mungo had the saddest face he could possibly make plastered on his face. But when the male cats face brightened she frowned again. He has always yelled at her just for laughing once even when they were out of the house. And she didn't know when he would mess up again so she was going to make his pity last. For once she hadn't messed up she had. She felt a sigh of relief come over her tiny figure as she thought of that she wouldn't be in any trouble with Macavity.

Macavity never really liked her, he only aproved of Mungo, thought that he was a better thief hen her. Well maybe she could prove him wrong with this little mess up. She for no resion jutted out her cheast and chin. Wait till she told him that because of Mungo they could only smuggle one necklace. With one swift and unpredicted movement Rumple swiped the bag away from Mungo.

"Best not trut' ya' wit' this!" She proudly proclaimed hiding the bag behind her bag. "Rumple," Said Mungo smiling." Wher' did ya' put it?" The feline let her eyes drift toward the sky and she whistled. Before she knew it Mungo had playfuly tackled her to the ground pinning her down.

"Now I can b' a bad cop' or a goo' cop!" Said Mungo doing a bad impression of a cop. "Wher' is tha' neclace!" He yelled choosing to be a bad cop. The pearl necklace laid beside them, the two thieves burst into a fit of giggles. Then Ruumple frowned swooping her body out from underneath him and grabing the necklace.

"I'll giv' tha' necklace to Macav' thit' time." She stated sharply. Mungo frowned and his ears drooped, he was still in trouble.

[[scean]]

A pair of dark green eyes opened from within the darkness of a hidden tunnel.
Night time, already? Ugh.

A long stretch and young Quaxo pulled himself from his tunnel, spotting someone he was quite happy to see doing well. His left ear twitched and the tom gently scratched it, sauntering toward the cat he thought of as one of his best friends; someone who'd protected him and the tribe many times, no doubt.

"Munky!" Quaxo giggled, shaking his fur a little as he reached one small paw over, gently tickling the older cat in the side. The younger cat's tongue ran across his own lips as he leapt onto the hood of the broken car. "Feeling okay?"

Three days before had been a nightmare. He'd seen the one cat he hadn't ever wanted to see again, hence his disappearance during the fight. Any other cat, under any other circumstances, Quaxo would have been right there, spelling away their opposition. Macavity was too much, though.
Quaxo knew Munkustrap was in the fight, though, along with Alonzo. Hopefully neither of them was hurt.

[Munkustrap Etc.]

Munkustrap flicked an ear in mild annoyance at the nickname, leaning away from the tickling paw. "I thought I told you not to call me that," he scolded Quaxo, but there was no real irritation in his words. As long as only Quaxo called him Munky, and the name did not spread to the kittens, queens, or, Heavyside forbid, Rum Tum Tugger, Munkustrap no longer minded it. Still, he needed to voice a protest to keep up appearances.

"I'm feeling better, thank you for asking. What about you? Are the kittens still begging for magic shows?" Though he was looking at Quaxo, his attention was divided. He couldn't hear any trouble in the junkyard (Yet...), but that didn't mean he could let down his guard.

[[scean]]

"Always."

Quaxo rolled his eyes at his friend's scolding, leaning over to gently peck Munkustrap's cheek, smirking. "Don't you tell me what to call you, Munky. It's my name for you and it always has been." The young tom giggled again and curled his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and resting his chin on his knees.

"I'm doing pretty well. The Ball scared the Heavens out of me, though, Munky. Did you beat him good? I hope so."

It had been a while since he'd seen the older tom, three days to be exact. Since returning Deuteronomy to the tribe, Quaxo had hidden away from everyone. He'd wanted some time to himself, just to think. There were some important issues the tom had to work through for himself. Issues he'd spend the past year trying to overcome.

[Arya]

Rumples ears flickered at the sound of the cats voices. Mungo was now begging to give the necklace to Macavity not wanting the cat to see that he had messed up.

"Come on!" She yelled doing a flip and landing on the broken car. She however saldy, fell into the window cuasing it to make a really loud crash.

"RUMPLE!" Mungo yelled half annoyed, and half scared. He ran over to the car jumping ontop of it. "OUCH!" Yelled the cat now in the front seat upside down with her back legs over her head.

[Munkustrap Etc.]

"Macavity scared the Heavens out of everyone," Munkustrap replied sourly. "Quaxo... Mistoffelees..." He turned his attention fully to the young cat for a moment. "I never did thank you for rescuing Old Deuteronomy. You pulled a vanishing act of your own after the Ball." He bowed his head slightly in respect. "Thank you." He chose not to tell Quaxo about the fight. If he hadn't seen it... well, Munkustrap wasn't about to explain how Macavity had actually beaten him up, and it required Alonzo and the rest of the tribe to drive him away this time.

The moment was broken with a loud CRASH. Munkustrap spun toward the broken window of the car with a hiss, sinking into a fighter stance as he unsheathed his claws. Of course, of course, as soon as he took his attention away from the yard for one minute... "Quaxo, behind me!"

The voices, however, were familiar, and not in a bad way. Once Munkustrap recognized them, he dropped his hostile mood with a roll of his eyes and leaped onto the car. "Nevermind," he muttered to Quaxo as he passed him. "What are you two up to? Trouble, no doubt..."

[[scean]]

Quaxo's fur raised as he too heard the crash. He jumped behind Munkustrap, kneeling down and flattening his ears against his head. The tom let out a loud hiss, but calmed as well when his friend did.

The young cat stood once more and rested his hand on Munkustrap's shoulder, his thumb gently stroking it as he glared at the mischevous duo.
Quaxo let go of his friend's shoulder and crossed his arms over himself, yawning cutely and glancing at Munkustrap.

"There's no need to thank me, Munk." the tom said modestly, shaking his head slowly. "Really, there's not. It was my duty to return our leader back to us."

He paused. "I had some thinking to do. The best place to do it is alone."

[Arya]

The two thiefs looked at the two then as if on cue hid the bag behind their backs. "Nothin'." They both said at once. Then they took to steps back, looked up towards the air, then started whistling.

Rumples eyes wondered over the two as she gently tugged her mate toward the open window hoping to make a run for it. Then she got into the conversation and stoped whistling and started listening.

Mungo was annoyed that she stoped whistling she was closer to the window so she had to jump out first. She finaly stoped listening and leaned in to Mungo. "On three we jump out of the left window." She said. Sadly Mungo was now listening to the conversation so when Rumple made a move to jump out he stayed still and the bag split in two. And the necklace landed on Misto. "Get em'!" Mungo yelled jumping to tackle Misto.

[[scean]]

Quaxo's eyes widened when he felt something land on his head. He took it in his hand and glanced at it, then turned his gaze up to the duo.

"Guys...?"

He frowned a little and wrapped his fist around the necklace, jumping out of the way of Mungojerrie. Quaxo laughed quietly. "You two haven't been thieving again, have you?" he asked, immediately glaring at the pair and staring at the necklace.

Sighing heavily, the young tom dropped the necklace onto the ground. "Jerrie, you guys should really stop."

[Munkustrap Etc.]

"Uh-huh. Why don't I believe you?" Munkustrap had noticed the bag before the thieves hid it behind their backs, but even if he hadn't, the whistling and moving back really gave them away. However, Quaxo then spoke, and Munkustrap turned to him, nodding once. "I figured you had gone off alone. You can hold your own against anyone else, so I wasn't too worried." With Quaxo's magic, the smaller cat was more dangerous than he seemed, despite his age. Still, Munkustrap always fretted when a tribe member went missing, even if there was a reasonable explanation. He was relieved to see Quaxo back among them.

By talking to Quaxo, however, he had looked away from Mungo and Rumple, something that you really should never do. He looked back in time to see Mungo leap toward Quaxo and moved to intercept as quickly as he could, getting between the two toms as Quaxo dropped the necklace. He leveled a flat stare at the striped thieves, unamused by their less-than-lawful habits (though amused by their antics).

[[scean]]

The young tom smiled at his friend and reached over, running his fingers through the fur on the top of his head. "Munky, you were worried. Don't lie to me. I've known you for ages. Don't worry too much. You know if I disappear, I'll be back."

Quaxo smiled and slid his arms around Munkustrap, hugging him tightly once and pulling away. Beneath the white fur on his face was a tinge of pink as the tom averted his gaze back toward Mungojerrie and his female counterpart.

[ugh, bad.]

[Munkustrap Etc.]

"I was worried," Munkustrap agreed. "Just not too worried." He didn't take his eyes off the troublesome duo this time. As a result, he stiffened slightly when Quaxo hugged him from behind, but relaxed a half second later - it wasn't an attack. He brushed his paw against Quaxo's, acknowledging the embrace. Quaxo always seemed to want to touch others, even though he often went off on his own.

[Arya]

Rumple picked up the thief. "HEY! We can't loo' tha' Macavity will kil' us!" She said before Mungo pushed her so harshly she fell off the car. "OUCH!" She yelled again.

"Ya' heard nothin'!" Mungo yelled looking at them both. "And we ain't gonna' stop!" He yelled as if ending the conversation. "RUMPlE! Ge' up here!" He yelled loudly. Rumple jumped up onto the car again.

[Munkustrap Etc.]

Munkustrap narrowed his eyes at the thieves, stepping toward them. "You're working for Macavity again?" When these two were hanging out with the Jellicles, Munkustrap considered them part of his tribe, and extended his protection to them, but when they were serving Macavity...

His claws slid out in a threatening fashion, but he didn't make a move to attack.