Post by Munkustrap Etc. on Apr 17, 2007 1:42:46 GMT -5
Bombalurina beckoned for Munkustrap to follow her outside. She ran through the ice quickly and slipping in to her old den. She waited for Munkustrap to follow; she had a lot of questions for him.
Munkustrap eased out from under the sleeping Burelle and followed Bomba, knowing that to deny her now would end any chance of keeping her friendship, at the very least. He ducked into her box and shook off the snow, picking a seat near the exit, just in case.
"Munkustrap, I'm not stupid," Bomba started. "I see how Burelle treats you. And Apollinax is not a name that is often repeated. You two are related, aren't you?"
"Burelle's about to have kittens," Munkustrap said. "Jenny and Jelly did the same thing before they delivered, treating the cats closest to them like kittens of their own." He didn't answer the question.
Bomba shook her head. "Munk," she said, "you two are so much alike. You two have so much in common." She paused. "Answer the question."
Munkustrap was silent for a long while, studying Bomba as if trying to decide how much he should tell her, could tell her, before he nodded his head once.
"Tell me," Bomba said, sitting closer to him. She looked into his eyes and smiled. "It's okay, honestly, Munk."
"Burelle..." Munkustrap looked at Bomba, not smiling. He reached out, traced the curve of her cheek, the line of her jaw. "Burelle is my mother."
Although Bombalurina had a feeling he would say that, she was still surprised. "So... so..." she trailed off. "You're a Monnik. Was a Monnik," she corrected herself.
Munkustrap had a set to his jaw that revealed his stubbornness, his readiness to defend something, whether it was himself, or his mother, or his place in the tribe. He didn't speak, he merely nodded again. He was a Monnik.
Bomba stroked his cheek. "It's... it's okay, Munkustrap." She kissed his cheek. "I've been closer to Monniks before, remember?"
"I'm a Monnik." It sounded so odd, saying that out loud, to a Jellicle. "And I've been trusted with the safety of this tribe." He reached up, hesitantly wrapping his arms around Bomba in a loose hug. "Sometimes, I wonder what Simbol and Deuteronomy were thinking," he whispered.
Bombalurina kissed him softly. "It doesn't matter if you're a Monnik, Munk. You're brave and caring and cunning regardless of the tribe you came from. I could think of a few toms who didn't half of your charm. Or manners." She smiled. "And I bet I could guess what they were thinking."
Munkustrap tightened his hold on Bomba suddenly, pulling her close and breathing deeply her scent. "You are wonderful, Bomba. I wouldn't trade you for the world." He kissed her, right between her ears, and laughed softly. "Four years, I haven't told anyone the truth, and now, in two weeks, I've told two."
Bomba leaned in against Munkustrap, but said, "Two?"
"Quaxo knows," Munkustrap said. "He found out... when Burelle came. She stayed with him the first night, remember?" And now Munkustrap was slipping back into a lie, but not a deep one. He wouldn't betray Quaxo's secret to Bomba. "I... I thought Burelle had been killed. I wasn't expecting to see her again... and Quaxo got rather jealous when I all but fell into the arms of a pretty red red queen."
Bombalurina nodded. It made sense. "So... I guess our kittens have a grandmother now?"
"They do," Munkustrap said. "And aunts and uncles too." Burelle's kittens would be his siblings. Munkustrap hadn't known any of his siblings (save Macavity). He was rather used to having no real family, and now, he was going to have five additional members.
Bomba hadn't thought of that. "Wow. Having aunts and uncles your age? That would be fun," she said. "Now the kittens will have some kittens their age to play with."
Munkustrap put a paw over Bomba's lips. "But we don't tell them. We can't." He shook his head. "I can't be a Monnik, Bomba. All it would take is one cat to overreact... for Macavity to find out and turn it against me..." He shook his head again. "I have to be a Jellicle now. Burelle cannot be my mother."
Bomba nodded. "I understand. About half the tribe would freak out." She kissed his cheek and hugged him. "I'm just so glad you're honest with me."
Munkustrap nuzzled the top of Bomba's head and whispered, "But I'm not honest with you."
"What?" Bomba asked, pulling away. "What aren't you telling me, Munk?"
Munkustrap looked sadly at Bomba. If there was even the slightest chance that she would be his mate, he had to be honest with her, had to know she would accept everything about him. Things would probably go over easier if he laid all his cards on the table now, instead of slipping them out one by one (or worse, having her see them before he was ready to share). As much as he didn't want to continue, he knew he had to. "Burelle's first litter had six kittens. She named off five of them.. She didn't name the oldest..."
"You?" Bomba assumed. "She didn't say Munkustrap."
"I was the youngest," Munkustrap said. "And I didn't answer to Munkustrap."
Bomba now had two questions she wanted answered. "What did you answer to? And, who was the first?"
"My name used to be Ritzkin," Munkustrap said, not answering Bomba's second question. If she had heard any of the stories, she would know who Ritzkin's brother was. If she hadn't, then she would ask again, most likely. Munkustrap wanted to know if she knew of Ritzkin's reputation or not.
"I've heard of a Ritzkin before... I just can't remember where..." Bomba tried to remember, then shrugged.
"Ritzkin, the Terror Twin?" Munkustrap suggested darkly.
Slowly, Bomba nodded. "I think someone told me a story about him and his brother, Macav--" she broke off, her eyes going wide. "Oh my Heavyside layer."
Munkustrap said nothing, but he relaxed his hold on Bomba, understanding if she wanted to get away.
"And, the stories?" Bomba said, looking at Munkustrap. "There're all true? About you and... him?"
"Considering that one of the stories details how I ate my mother before I was actually born, no, they're not all true," Munkustrap said. "Just... most of them. Mostly. You usually have to add some months to our ages... but we did do most of the things in the stories at some point or another." He said this very flatly, his ears back, as if talking about something distasteful that had happened to someone else. He did not like his past.
"So you really did... do... those... things...?" she asked, trying to be sensitive, while being extremely curious.
"Most of them," Munkustrap said. There was a definite detachment now from what he was saying. He was acknowledging what had happened without really laying claim to any of it.
Bombalurina kissed Munkustrap again. It was like she had to make sure it was the same tom, not another phony replacement. "It's okay, Munkustrap. It's all in the past."
Munkustrap was stiff against Bomba, and not in a good way. He looked at the red queen, studying her with eyes that held more darkness than usual. "You're okay with it?" He didn't sound like he believed her.
"Not... exactly," she said carefully. "I'm not okay with what you did-- it truly was horrible, Munk-- but I am okay with who you are right now. Who you have become. I'm okay with you being a Monnik. I'm okay with you being related to Macavity and Burelle. I'm okay with your old name. I love you, Munkustrap. You."
Munkustrap smiled, a small, barely-there quirk of his lips, but it was real. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against Bomba's. "I'm not okay with it either," he said, as if divulging a secret. "And I still would kill Macavity for you, if you wanted it."
"I'll consider it," Bomba said smiling. "I'm really glad we had this talk, Munkustrap. It's great to know... well, you. The whole you." She kissed him, letting her lips do the rest of the talking. "Now come on, let's get to the piano. It's freezing!"
Munkustrap was slowly relaxing in Bomba's presence, calm enough now to return Bomba's kiss, with some feeling. "I love you," he whispered. "Thank you." With a smile and one last hug, he pulled away and took her paw in his, leading her back to the piano.
Munkustrap eased out from under the sleeping Burelle and followed Bomba, knowing that to deny her now would end any chance of keeping her friendship, at the very least. He ducked into her box and shook off the snow, picking a seat near the exit, just in case.
"Munkustrap, I'm not stupid," Bomba started. "I see how Burelle treats you. And Apollinax is not a name that is often repeated. You two are related, aren't you?"
"Burelle's about to have kittens," Munkustrap said. "Jenny and Jelly did the same thing before they delivered, treating the cats closest to them like kittens of their own." He didn't answer the question.
Bomba shook her head. "Munk," she said, "you two are so much alike. You two have so much in common." She paused. "Answer the question."
Munkustrap was silent for a long while, studying Bomba as if trying to decide how much he should tell her, could tell her, before he nodded his head once.
"Tell me," Bomba said, sitting closer to him. She looked into his eyes and smiled. "It's okay, honestly, Munk."
"Burelle..." Munkustrap looked at Bomba, not smiling. He reached out, traced the curve of her cheek, the line of her jaw. "Burelle is my mother."
Although Bombalurina had a feeling he would say that, she was still surprised. "So... so..." she trailed off. "You're a Monnik. Was a Monnik," she corrected herself.
Munkustrap had a set to his jaw that revealed his stubbornness, his readiness to defend something, whether it was himself, or his mother, or his place in the tribe. He didn't speak, he merely nodded again. He was a Monnik.
Bomba stroked his cheek. "It's... it's okay, Munkustrap." She kissed his cheek. "I've been closer to Monniks before, remember?"
"I'm a Monnik." It sounded so odd, saying that out loud, to a Jellicle. "And I've been trusted with the safety of this tribe." He reached up, hesitantly wrapping his arms around Bomba in a loose hug. "Sometimes, I wonder what Simbol and Deuteronomy were thinking," he whispered.
Bombalurina kissed him softly. "It doesn't matter if you're a Monnik, Munk. You're brave and caring and cunning regardless of the tribe you came from. I could think of a few toms who didn't half of your charm. Or manners." She smiled. "And I bet I could guess what they were thinking."
Munkustrap tightened his hold on Bomba suddenly, pulling her close and breathing deeply her scent. "You are wonderful, Bomba. I wouldn't trade you for the world." He kissed her, right between her ears, and laughed softly. "Four years, I haven't told anyone the truth, and now, in two weeks, I've told two."
Bomba leaned in against Munkustrap, but said, "Two?"
"Quaxo knows," Munkustrap said. "He found out... when Burelle came. She stayed with him the first night, remember?" And now Munkustrap was slipping back into a lie, but not a deep one. He wouldn't betray Quaxo's secret to Bomba. "I... I thought Burelle had been killed. I wasn't expecting to see her again... and Quaxo got rather jealous when I all but fell into the arms of a pretty red red queen."
Bombalurina nodded. It made sense. "So... I guess our kittens have a grandmother now?"
"They do," Munkustrap said. "And aunts and uncles too." Burelle's kittens would be his siblings. Munkustrap hadn't known any of his siblings (save Macavity). He was rather used to having no real family, and now, he was going to have five additional members.
Bomba hadn't thought of that. "Wow. Having aunts and uncles your age? That would be fun," she said. "Now the kittens will have some kittens their age to play with."
Munkustrap put a paw over Bomba's lips. "But we don't tell them. We can't." He shook his head. "I can't be a Monnik, Bomba. All it would take is one cat to overreact... for Macavity to find out and turn it against me..." He shook his head again. "I have to be a Jellicle now. Burelle cannot be my mother."
Bomba nodded. "I understand. About half the tribe would freak out." She kissed his cheek and hugged him. "I'm just so glad you're honest with me."
Munkustrap nuzzled the top of Bomba's head and whispered, "But I'm not honest with you."
"What?" Bomba asked, pulling away. "What aren't you telling me, Munk?"
Munkustrap looked sadly at Bomba. If there was even the slightest chance that she would be his mate, he had to be honest with her, had to know she would accept everything about him. Things would probably go over easier if he laid all his cards on the table now, instead of slipping them out one by one (or worse, having her see them before he was ready to share). As much as he didn't want to continue, he knew he had to. "Burelle's first litter had six kittens. She named off five of them.. She didn't name the oldest..."
"You?" Bomba assumed. "She didn't say Munkustrap."
"I was the youngest," Munkustrap said. "And I didn't answer to Munkustrap."
Bomba now had two questions she wanted answered. "What did you answer to? And, who was the first?"
"My name used to be Ritzkin," Munkustrap said, not answering Bomba's second question. If she had heard any of the stories, she would know who Ritzkin's brother was. If she hadn't, then she would ask again, most likely. Munkustrap wanted to know if she knew of Ritzkin's reputation or not.
"I've heard of a Ritzkin before... I just can't remember where..." Bomba tried to remember, then shrugged.
"Ritzkin, the Terror Twin?" Munkustrap suggested darkly.
Slowly, Bomba nodded. "I think someone told me a story about him and his brother, Macav--" she broke off, her eyes going wide. "Oh my Heavyside layer."
Munkustrap said nothing, but he relaxed his hold on Bomba, understanding if she wanted to get away.
"And, the stories?" Bomba said, looking at Munkustrap. "There're all true? About you and... him?"
"Considering that one of the stories details how I ate my mother before I was actually born, no, they're not all true," Munkustrap said. "Just... most of them. Mostly. You usually have to add some months to our ages... but we did do most of the things in the stories at some point or another." He said this very flatly, his ears back, as if talking about something distasteful that had happened to someone else. He did not like his past.
"So you really did... do... those... things...?" she asked, trying to be sensitive, while being extremely curious.
"Most of them," Munkustrap said. There was a definite detachment now from what he was saying. He was acknowledging what had happened without really laying claim to any of it.
Bombalurina kissed Munkustrap again. It was like she had to make sure it was the same tom, not another phony replacement. "It's okay, Munkustrap. It's all in the past."
Munkustrap was stiff against Bomba, and not in a good way. He looked at the red queen, studying her with eyes that held more darkness than usual. "You're okay with it?" He didn't sound like he believed her.
"Not... exactly," she said carefully. "I'm not okay with what you did-- it truly was horrible, Munk-- but I am okay with who you are right now. Who you have become. I'm okay with you being a Monnik. I'm okay with you being related to Macavity and Burelle. I'm okay with your old name. I love you, Munkustrap. You."
Munkustrap smiled, a small, barely-there quirk of his lips, but it was real. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against Bomba's. "I'm not okay with it either," he said, as if divulging a secret. "And I still would kill Macavity for you, if you wanted it."
"I'll consider it," Bomba said smiling. "I'm really glad we had this talk, Munkustrap. It's great to know... well, you. The whole you." She kissed him, letting her lips do the rest of the talking. "Now come on, let's get to the piano. It's freezing!"
Munkustrap was slowly relaxing in Bomba's presence, calm enough now to return Bomba's kiss, with some feeling. "I love you," he whispered. "Thank you." With a smile and one last hug, he pulled away and took her paw in his, leading her back to the piano.
