Post by Munkustrap Etc. on Jun 14, 2007 21:33:41 GMT -5
((Characters: Aneski, Curculio, Djau, Tumblebrutus
Thread Summary: Some of the pirates were allowed to stay at the train station. Curculio and the Things hang out a bit (Aneski gives Curculio a bit of a bath), and Aneski finds Tumble cute. Aneski and Tumble take a walk and talk about pirates and Jellicles.))
Curculio couldn’t believe it. A few words from Aneski and Djau, a little request, and they were sleeping with the Jellicles, away from Grumbuskin and his ship. Why, Grum had even returned to the Lionfish! True, he left Ukir to keep an eye on things, but Ukir wasn’t Grum. You could hide from Ukir. You couldn’t hide from Grum.
The Jellicles hadn’t seemed too keen on letting the pirates stay, but they didn’t protest too much. They were forbidden from entering the closet, though. That was where the newborn kittens were, and the Leader didn’t want to run the risk of any of them wandering out through an open door or getting sick – no offense meant.
And none taken, Grumbuskin had assured him, before ordering all his pirates to follow Munkustrap’s command as if he were their captain, whenever Grum wasn’t around.
It was all for show, of course, but still, the tongueless cat relished the thought of making his bed however he wanted for this night. It would probably be alone… but it wouldn’t be bloodstained! He padded over to the twins and purred, so grateful that they had managed to include him in this respite as well.
Djau smiled upon Curculio, seeing the happiness at his eyes and knowing why it existed. The twins nuzzled the cat, and Aneski gently began grooming him. He hadn't had a bath in so long, and although it was not the most pleasant task, it was the least she could do for all the protection the tongueless cat had given the twins.
Curculio shuddered as Aneski began to groom him, practically collapsing to the ground in front of her. There was a goddess, and her name was Aneski. He surprised himself with how loud he could purr, and he mewed, kneading gently at her paw. If he didn’t know how bad it would end up, he could almost fall in love with the pretty queen.
Djau lay down next to his sister, gently leaning against her as she continued to groom Curculio. Aneski gave a small smile at his delight, happy to see him feeling well. He went through so much.
Curculio turned his head to the side to look up at Djau as Aneski continued her ministrations, unable to do much more besides revel in how good it felt to have a bath, especially a bath from someone who was not simultaneously digging claws into him anywhere. He mewed again, reaching out to touch Djau’s paw, not quite sure why he did so.
Tumblebrutus was trying to pay attention to Pouncival, but he kept looking over at the area the pirates had claimed as their own, tucked away under some benches. He could see the magical pirate twins and that filthy cat. How could they stand to be so close to him? He had to admit, he was very curious. And not just about the proximity.
Djau accepted Curculio's touch, laying his chin down on their two paws. He smiled at Curculio. He found himself wishing Curculio could talk; it would be nice to have a conversation with the cat who had come to be such a valuable companion...
Aneski could feel eyes on her and the other two pirates...she was extremely sensitive to these sort of things. Looking over Curculio, she spotted Tumblebrutus. He's handsome... She thought softly, blushing.
Curculio mewed again, closing his eyes to just slits as Djau set his head down. He was wishing he had a tongue again too, not just to talk to Djau and Aneski (did they even remember what his name was, or was he now just the Weevil to them too?), or to groom himself, but to communicate in more subtle ways. The Jellicles were demonstrating some of those ways, a friendly lick could speak volumes more than any sort of words or gestures.
Tumble noticed the female twin looking back at him and excused himself from Pounce, sending him to play with Tugger. He carefully slunk over to where the pirates were, staying out of the whip reach of that one cat – not that he thought he’d get hit, but some cats, you just didn’t even tempt. He headed for the twins and the dirty cat, though, an excuse all planned out.
“Hello. I’m Tumblebrutus, one of the guardians. Are you three comfortable? Is there anything I can get for you?”
Aneski paused in her grooming to look up at Tumble properly. "Hello," She replied softly, almost too quietly to be heard. "We're fine - I'm fine, at least...Djau...?" She turned to her brother, whose eyes were closed. He was falling asleep. "I think we're all as comfortable as can be." She smiled shyly. "Thank you."
“Oh… all right.” So they didn’t need anything. Well, damn, there went that plan to hang out with the pirates and maybe learn more about them. Tumble didn’t want to come across as a curious kitten, either, so he just smiled back at the queen. “If you do need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask us. We might be currently evicted from our home, but that doesn’t give us any right to be rude to guests.” He gave the purring dirty cat a questioning look before remembering that he had no tongue to talk with. He nodded and smiled again at the queen, slipping back to the Jellicle side of things.
Curculio watched the exchange before reaching up and lightly touching Aneski’s throat. “Mroowr?” he asked. Though she wasn’t a loud cat, she wasn’t usually quite that quiet.
Aneski looked down at the cat, understanding his signal. "Oh..." She felt her cheeks grow faintly warm. "It's nothing. I just ... didn't want to bother him," Her eyes looked up again, following Tumble as he walked away. Aneski wished he had stayed a little longer...but then, she understood, none of the Jellicles wanted to associate with them. Their Guardian was just being polite...
Curculio watched Aneski and then made an odd sound, a bit like a snigger and a bit like a laugh, and he kissed his paw in her direction – she liiiiiked that tom! He then growled and puffed out his cheeks, reminding her of Grumbuskin. Not that she could forget… but the Jellicles were going to suffer enough without having one of their young guardians massacred.
Tumble laid down and turned his face toward the pirates, watching them with simple curiosity, and none of the hostility some of the older cats were showing.
"I know." Aneski said softly. "I know..." She resumed her grooming, determined not to let her eyes wander to Tumble...too much, at least.
Curculio leaned up, butting his head against Aneski’s chin, and offered her a small smile. She lost a tom friend that day, and he lost a best friend, and they both lost their hope of living good lives. He sighed and rested his head on his free paw, looking over at where Djau was lying on their paws. At least they were still alive, and sorta still had each other, even if he did feel left out much of the time from his inability to speak.
Tumble frowned thoughtfully – was that queen looking at him? No… but wait, yes, she did glance his way! But no… Was she just as curious about the Jellicles as he was about the pirates?
Aneski smiled, "I've been thinking...those twins...the Jellicle twins? They're psychic....they can talk to you." She told Curculio happily. "And you can talk to us...won't that be nice?" She let her dark eyes wander towards the tom again and quickly looked away as her eyes met his.
Curculio nodded and mewed happily, but then glanced away, his expression faltering. Yeah, they could talk to him… but would they? They were going to be busy with the fight and all that, and that queen had said it drained them to talk to non-psychic cats. Why would they want to waste that energy to talk to him?
Tumble turned his head on his side, blatantly watching the queen now – why did she keep looking over at him? Did she want something? Was she just curious? Were cats that looked like tabbies but had spots instead of stripes normal where she came from? Where did she come from, for that matter?
Oh, no. She'd gotten his attention now. Aneski could feel his stare...he was probably annoyed with her. Embarrassed, she did not lift her eyes again as she finished grooming Curculio. She began to settle down to fall asleep like her brother, but found she did not feel a bit tired. Tentatively, she looked back at Tumble. He was still looking at her... gently, she stood and disentangled herself from her brother and Curculio. She might as well talk to the tom...she could ask questions about the Jellicles.
Curculio purred and wriggled a little as Aneski finished grooming him. It wasn’t a perfect job, but he didn’t expect one – that would take hours. She had helped the stinging from his most recent cuts, though, and cleaned the wounds for him. Maybe those wouldn’t get infected like they usually did. When she got up, though, he gave her a sleepy little smile, snuggling closer to Djau for the warmth. He wasn’t alone, his bed wasn’t bloodstained… and he wasn’t filthy either. Oh yes, this was definitely a good day.
Tumble lifted his head as the pirate queen approached him, hiding the smile he hadn’t been able to stop when he saw how she ignored him as she bathed that other cat. “Hi,” he said quietly (Pounce was asleep, wrapped around his tail). “Did you need something?”
"Just...well, company, if you don't mind?" Aneski requested softly, a gentle smile across her lips. "I'm not feeling as sleepy as my companions..." She kept her eyes focused on his left ear, too shy to look him straight in the eyes.
“Why would I mind?” Tumble asked. He rose to his feet, carefully pulling his tail free from Pounce’s paws. “Maybe we should go someplace we won’t wake mischievous kittens, though.” He gestured toward the tracks. “Want to take a walk?”
"I would like that." Aneski nodded, taking a step towards the tracks and waiting for Tumble to follow. "It's too bad your tribe couldn't stay here due to the humans, I find it is much more cozy than a place full of garbage...although, being a pirate, I suppose I can't make judgements on filthy." And it would be a plus if you didn't need Grumbuskin.
Tumble laughed as he followed the queen. “So many cats think that, before they actually stay in the junkyard. Yes, it’s full of trash… but it’s human trash. Human trash isn’t the same as cat trash. What they call junk, we call home.” He shrugged. “And really, it’s actually cleaner than some human places. Yes, this place does have heaters, which the queens are gushing over because of the newborns, but look at all this.” He scuffed his paw through a pile of cigarette butts. “None of this is left in our yard, because the only human we allow in on a regular basis isn’t stupid enough to make such a mess.” He offered her a smile. “You just wait until we get back in there. I’ll show you around, if you’d like, and you’ll see that it’s so much nicer than this place.”
Aneski smiled faintly, "I would love to see your home." But not with you as a slave. "I don't know how long we'll be staying, though." A frown crossed her lips. "But, it is a hard winter..."
Tumble nodded, scuffing a paw in the dust. “To be honest, the Monniks are only part of our troubles. Food in the Jellicle lands is scarce… and with all the new kittens, we’ve been having the hardest time finding enough for everyone. It’s a little easier out here, because it’s on the other side of our territory from the ‘yard, but still… it is a hard winter.” He sighed and shook his head, looking over at the queen. “You know… I realized I don’t even know your name… unless you told me and I forgot it. I’m absolutely horrible with names, I’m sorry…”
"Once we deal with the Monniks, we will have the pick of their food. Grumbuskin will be sure of it," Aneski asssured him. She paused, almost stumbling as he asked her name. No one had, in so long...she couldn't remember if she was even allowed to tell! She must be, right? It was her name. "A-aneski..." It sounded strange on her tongue...
“Aneski?” Tumble cocked his head to the side, trying out the foreign-sounding name. “Aneski. It’s pretty. I like it.” He offered the queen a smile, wondering why she looked so shaken up. It was just a simple question… or had he forgotten and offended her? “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but…” He nodded toward her coat. “I’ve never seen a cat with spots like that before. You and your brother both have them. Is that common where you come from?” Where did you come from? Why did you join up with Grumbuskin? What’s it like, being a seacat? How do you hunt? Do you ever get seasick? Tumble had to bite his tongue to keep from asking more than one question at a time.
"Yes...our bloodlines are Egyptian." Aneski explained. "Our names, too. We believe that's how we got our magic. Most folklore of magical or worshipped cats come from Ancient Egypt. Cats were most revered..."
“Whoa!” Tumble made no secret of his awe at that revelation. “You’re Egyptian? That’s so cool! Uh… I mean…” He rubbed his ears in embarrassment at sounding like a kitten instead of a Jellicle guardian. “I know cats were huge in Egypt – the Jellicles claim to have originated around the time of the pyramids and the big Sphinx thing. Gus knows all the stories…”
Aneski grinned at his awe, despite herself. "Thank you." She said gently. "Are you from London? I mean...were you born into your tribe?"
Tumble nodded. “My parents were both Jellicles, and their parents before them. Jennyanydots is my mother – she’s a housecat, though, so she’s safe and warm and fed right now. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about her. My father…” He faltered for a moment before continuing. “My father was the Jellicle Protector before Munkustrap, and the grandson of our Leader, Old Deuteronomy. He… was killed, when I was a kitten.”
Aneski frowned sadly, her eyes full of sympathy. "I'm sorry. It must have been hard, without a father." She didn't mention that she'd never had parents growing up. But she'd had Djau, and that was all she'd needed...it had been fine.
Tumble shrugged. “I missed him a lot at first, and just went and sat by his grave, but Munkustrap sorta adopted me, so I did have a father, in a way. And I had plenty of older brothers to keep me on my toes!” He smiled at Aneski. “What about you? What are your parents like?”
"Oh, I don't know. Never met them." Aneski told him, shrugging.
“You never met your parents!?” Tumble stared at Aneski, shocked by that news. How could you not meet your parents? He could understand not meeting your father… but not knowing your mother?
"No. We were taken away at a very young age. Grew up alone." Aneski replied. "It was better for us. We are not... meant to be more than just us. Djau and I." At least, not if Grumbuskin has anything to say...
“Taken away?” Tumble repeated, wrinkling his nose in confusion. “Grew up alone? That must have been so… lonely. Why did someone do that to you?”
"Because we are special." Aneski said simply. "Maybe our mother was afraid of us. Maybe she thought it would be better for us to grow up and train ourselves. Or maybe she had nothing to do with the decision. I guess I'll never know."
“And you’re okay with that?” Tumble asked. “Cori and Tant are special, magical… but they weren’t isolated. And they’re just fine.”
"I cannot help how I grew up...I don't like to worry over the past; it will not change the present." Aneski told him. "So yes, I am okay with it."
Tumble shook his head. “It just doesn’t seem fair to me… but maybe that’s just because I got to grow up with a large family and close tribe. You have your shipmates now, right? So you’re not alone anymore?”
"Oh...I...I don't really associate with them." Aneski admitted. Because they're pigs and I'm not allowed anyway. "But I have Djau still. And Curculio - that's the tongueless cat - so, that's enough." She flashed a smile.
“Djau and Curculio… Djau is an Egyptian name too?” Tumble asked. “And Curculio… is he your mate?”
"Djau is Egyptian." Aneski confirmed, then started slightly at the next question. "Heavens, no...I don't think...mateship is quite for me." She frowned slightly.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply… well, I guess I did, I just… I mean, I saw you grooming him…” Grooming another cat so thoroughly like that was usually done between family members or lovers, so Tumble had simply assumed that the two were a pair. He was quite embarrassed to be wrong. “But I guess if he didn’t have a tongue, he can’t do it himself… so… I guess it makes sense… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed that about you.” He stared fixedly at his paws as they walked.
She laughed softly at Tumble's length apology. "It's quite alright, I understand." She assured him.
“I’m still sorry,” Tumble said. They walked in silence for a bit before he changed the topic. “So… um… how about that weather?” It was completely lame.
Aneski raised an eyebrow, laughing slightly. "It's fine." She replied. "Except that it's very, very cold and all."
“Yeeeaaah…” Tumble laughed and shrugged. “Okay, I give up. I don’t have any better subject changes. You?”
"What are the Jellicles like?" She asked plainly, simply. It was more like 'who is my captain destroying?'
“Um… oh, gosh, hard question. It’s like asking, ‘What are cats like?’” Tumble thought about that one for a minute. “Well… we try to be good. Like, we don’t pick fights with other creatures, we try not to kill any children of any sort of animal, not even Pollicles. We… well, we tend to just roll over whenever the Monniks start showing off, but we do fight back if they start outgrowing their tails.” He laughed as he recalled something he had been told once as a kitten. “We’ve been described as the ‘America’ of the cat tribes – give us your tired, your hungry, your poor. We try to help everyone and anyone who needs it. Deuteronomy and Munkustrap both say that anyone who asks to join the Jellicles is allowed in. Munkustrap has even said he’d let Macavity in, if he genuinely wanted to be a Jellicle and didn’t just want to try and muck up things.”
Aneski smiled in wonder, eyes shining. "That...sounds beautiful." She said, a bit of sadness in her voice. "What a wonderful tribe. You must all be very happy."
Tumble shrugged a little. “We’re not perfect. We definitely have our own problems.” Like certain ex-Monnik magicians… “But we try. What about your tribe – er… crew? The cats on your ship? What are they like?”
"Well, they're pirates." Aneski shrugged, looking away. "They're fine...really. We don't interact much. They don't bother us."
“What about your brother and the tongueless cat… Djau and Curculio? You must know something about someone on your ship…” Tumble was guilty of curiosity, as were most cats.
"Djau is much like me. We are quiet ... I don't really know how to describe us. We are just there." Aneski paused. "Curculio is...well, he can't talk. It makes it hard to know what he feels." She was afraid to reveal that he'd once had a toungue, afraid to reveal the cat he had been, in case the Jellicles started asking too many questions.
“What about Captain Grumbuskin?” Tumble asked. He glanced around, noticing that they had actually covered a lot of distance, and probably should turn around and start heading back to the station now. “What’s it like, being on a ship with a famous cat like that? How’d you meet him?”
"He takes care of us." Aneski shrugged. "We met a port city one day. He saw us perform a bit of magic, and decided we would be useful..."
Tumble frowned as they turned, thinking. “How long have you been with the pirates?” Something didn’t seem right here…
"Maybe a year." Aneski followed his turn, looking out into the horizon.
She’d been with the pirates a year, and she didn’t have much to say about them? “Are they really that boring?” Tumble asked. “I mean, you’d think that someone like Grumbuskin would be fascinating to work with…”
"My brother and I don't do much. We're only about when our magic is needed. Physically, we're rather...well, useless."
“What do you do when your magic isn’t needed, then?” Tumble asked. “Like, when you’re between cities or something?”
Aneski paused, frowning and not looking at Tumble. "We wait." Or we're the entertainment...
Tumble stopped and sat down, looking over at Aneski. “Are you not allowed to tell me?” As a guardian, he had gone through some basic training, and he had noticed that Aneski kept looking away, kept making her answers vague… she was keeping something secret. And even if Tumble hadn’t gone through the training, it seemed rather obvious to him that part of the picture was missing. “Because if you aren’t, that’s okay, you can just tell me that you’re not allowed to talk about it. There’s no one else around out here, no one will have to know.”
Aneski glanced back at him. "That's all there is to the story, really." She said quietly.
Tumble shook his head. “I’m sorry… it just felt like you weren’t being honest. I don’t mean to accuse you or anything like that. I’m probably just making stuff up.” He stood up again, walking to Aneski’s side. “Shall we get back before people start wondering if we got eaten by Monniks?”
"Yes." Aneski nodded, smiling slightly. "I'm sure Ukir is wondering where I've wandered off to."
“Ukir?” Which of the pirates was that? (Tumble assumed it was a pirate).
"He's here to make sure we come to no trouble, since we're important for the attack." Aneski explained. "He's normally...well, I suppose he's sort of like one of your...Guardians?"
“Responsible for protecting all the cats of the tribe but not the cat in charge?” Tumble asked. “That makes sense. You’re safe with me, though. Since you’re guests of the Jellicles, as guardians, we’re supposed to consider you as honorary Jellicles, and defend you with our lives, just as we would any other member of our tribe.” He smiled. “Somehow, though, I don’t think Captain Grumbuskin will need much defending…”
Aneski grinned wryly. "Oh, no." You'll need defending from him, more likely.
Tumble hopped up onto the railroad tracks, instead of walking along beside them, and balanced carefully, placing one paw directly in front of the other. He didn’t do any fancy flips or anything, not wanting to seem like he was showing off. “Maybe, after the fight, and I show you the junkyard, you could show me your ship? I’ve never even seen one up close.”
"I'm sure you'll get to see it." Aneski told him, successfully keeping the sadness out of her voice. "But it's not much to look at, I promise."
“Still, it’s different from the junkyard, and that makes it interesting,” Tumble said, unable to resist flipping onto his front paws only and walking along the rail. “Different from this station, too. I’ve been in trains before. Never on a ship.”
"Ooh, you've been on a train? Did you travel anywhere nice?" Aneski asked him, smiling.
“Um… we went to Crewe, Carlisle, Dumfries, and Gallowgate before returning back here,” Tumble said. “My… uh… my mom’s current mate is a railway cat, Skimbleshanks. He’s pretty cool – he takes us Jellicles with him on the trains a lot. This is his station, actually.” He flipped back into a normal walking stance. “You might see him – I think he’s out right now, but should be back any day. He’s a yellow tom.”
"That sounds pleasant. I might like to go on a train someday, when I'm not on ships anymore." She smiled softly.
"Do you not like ships?" Tumble asked. "Do they make you seasick?"
"Not really. I'm just not much of a sea cat. I don't want to be a pirate forever..."
“If you ask, Munkustrap would let you join the Jellicles,” Tumble offered.
Aneski shook her head. "I'm not sure if I'd fit in here. But if my brother wants to ... oh, I don't know, this is all future talk." Who knows if there will still be a Jellicle tribe soon...
“Of course you’d fit in,” Tumble said. “We take all types. Like, there’s my mom, who’s the nosiest busybody you’ll ever meet – in a good way, of course! – and then there’s the Tugger, who flirts with everyone, but especially the queen-kits, and then there’s Munkustrap, who’s so awesomely good at everything, even if he is a little stern about rules, and Etcy, who’s a little fluffball of oddness, and Pouncival, who gets into all sorts of trouble, and Bombalurina and Cassandra, who flirt with all the toms, except Bombalurina’s settled down with Munkus now, and then there’s Bustopher Jones, the fattest cat I’ve ever seen, and Jemima, who has an amazing voice, and Coricopat and Tantomile, who are all mystical and quiet… I think you’d fit in just fine with the Jellicles. If you wanted, that is.”
Thread Summary: Some of the pirates were allowed to stay at the train station. Curculio and the Things hang out a bit (Aneski gives Curculio a bit of a bath), and Aneski finds Tumble cute. Aneski and Tumble take a walk and talk about pirates and Jellicles.))
Curculio couldn’t believe it. A few words from Aneski and Djau, a little request, and they were sleeping with the Jellicles, away from Grumbuskin and his ship. Why, Grum had even returned to the Lionfish! True, he left Ukir to keep an eye on things, but Ukir wasn’t Grum. You could hide from Ukir. You couldn’t hide from Grum.
The Jellicles hadn’t seemed too keen on letting the pirates stay, but they didn’t protest too much. They were forbidden from entering the closet, though. That was where the newborn kittens were, and the Leader didn’t want to run the risk of any of them wandering out through an open door or getting sick – no offense meant.
And none taken, Grumbuskin had assured him, before ordering all his pirates to follow Munkustrap’s command as if he were their captain, whenever Grum wasn’t around.
It was all for show, of course, but still, the tongueless cat relished the thought of making his bed however he wanted for this night. It would probably be alone… but it wouldn’t be bloodstained! He padded over to the twins and purred, so grateful that they had managed to include him in this respite as well.
Djau smiled upon Curculio, seeing the happiness at his eyes and knowing why it existed. The twins nuzzled the cat, and Aneski gently began grooming him. He hadn't had a bath in so long, and although it was not the most pleasant task, it was the least she could do for all the protection the tongueless cat had given the twins.
Curculio shuddered as Aneski began to groom him, practically collapsing to the ground in front of her. There was a goddess, and her name was Aneski. He surprised himself with how loud he could purr, and he mewed, kneading gently at her paw. If he didn’t know how bad it would end up, he could almost fall in love with the pretty queen.
Djau lay down next to his sister, gently leaning against her as she continued to groom Curculio. Aneski gave a small smile at his delight, happy to see him feeling well. He went through so much.
Curculio turned his head to the side to look up at Djau as Aneski continued her ministrations, unable to do much more besides revel in how good it felt to have a bath, especially a bath from someone who was not simultaneously digging claws into him anywhere. He mewed again, reaching out to touch Djau’s paw, not quite sure why he did so.
Tumblebrutus was trying to pay attention to Pouncival, but he kept looking over at the area the pirates had claimed as their own, tucked away under some benches. He could see the magical pirate twins and that filthy cat. How could they stand to be so close to him? He had to admit, he was very curious. And not just about the proximity.
Djau accepted Curculio's touch, laying his chin down on their two paws. He smiled at Curculio. He found himself wishing Curculio could talk; it would be nice to have a conversation with the cat who had come to be such a valuable companion...
Aneski could feel eyes on her and the other two pirates...she was extremely sensitive to these sort of things. Looking over Curculio, she spotted Tumblebrutus. He's handsome... She thought softly, blushing.
Curculio mewed again, closing his eyes to just slits as Djau set his head down. He was wishing he had a tongue again too, not just to talk to Djau and Aneski (did they even remember what his name was, or was he now just the Weevil to them too?), or to groom himself, but to communicate in more subtle ways. The Jellicles were demonstrating some of those ways, a friendly lick could speak volumes more than any sort of words or gestures.
Tumble noticed the female twin looking back at him and excused himself from Pounce, sending him to play with Tugger. He carefully slunk over to where the pirates were, staying out of the whip reach of that one cat – not that he thought he’d get hit, but some cats, you just didn’t even tempt. He headed for the twins and the dirty cat, though, an excuse all planned out.
“Hello. I’m Tumblebrutus, one of the guardians. Are you three comfortable? Is there anything I can get for you?”
Aneski paused in her grooming to look up at Tumble properly. "Hello," She replied softly, almost too quietly to be heard. "We're fine - I'm fine, at least...Djau...?" She turned to her brother, whose eyes were closed. He was falling asleep. "I think we're all as comfortable as can be." She smiled shyly. "Thank you."
“Oh… all right.” So they didn’t need anything. Well, damn, there went that plan to hang out with the pirates and maybe learn more about them. Tumble didn’t want to come across as a curious kitten, either, so he just smiled back at the queen. “If you do need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask us. We might be currently evicted from our home, but that doesn’t give us any right to be rude to guests.” He gave the purring dirty cat a questioning look before remembering that he had no tongue to talk with. He nodded and smiled again at the queen, slipping back to the Jellicle side of things.
Curculio watched the exchange before reaching up and lightly touching Aneski’s throat. “Mroowr?” he asked. Though she wasn’t a loud cat, she wasn’t usually quite that quiet.
Aneski looked down at the cat, understanding his signal. "Oh..." She felt her cheeks grow faintly warm. "It's nothing. I just ... didn't want to bother him," Her eyes looked up again, following Tumble as he walked away. Aneski wished he had stayed a little longer...but then, she understood, none of the Jellicles wanted to associate with them. Their Guardian was just being polite...
Curculio watched Aneski and then made an odd sound, a bit like a snigger and a bit like a laugh, and he kissed his paw in her direction – she liiiiiked that tom! He then growled and puffed out his cheeks, reminding her of Grumbuskin. Not that she could forget… but the Jellicles were going to suffer enough without having one of their young guardians massacred.
Tumble laid down and turned his face toward the pirates, watching them with simple curiosity, and none of the hostility some of the older cats were showing.
"I know." Aneski said softly. "I know..." She resumed her grooming, determined not to let her eyes wander to Tumble...too much, at least.
Curculio leaned up, butting his head against Aneski’s chin, and offered her a small smile. She lost a tom friend that day, and he lost a best friend, and they both lost their hope of living good lives. He sighed and rested his head on his free paw, looking over at where Djau was lying on their paws. At least they were still alive, and sorta still had each other, even if he did feel left out much of the time from his inability to speak.
Tumble frowned thoughtfully – was that queen looking at him? No… but wait, yes, she did glance his way! But no… Was she just as curious about the Jellicles as he was about the pirates?
Aneski smiled, "I've been thinking...those twins...the Jellicle twins? They're psychic....they can talk to you." She told Curculio happily. "And you can talk to us...won't that be nice?" She let her dark eyes wander towards the tom again and quickly looked away as her eyes met his.
Curculio nodded and mewed happily, but then glanced away, his expression faltering. Yeah, they could talk to him… but would they? They were going to be busy with the fight and all that, and that queen had said it drained them to talk to non-psychic cats. Why would they want to waste that energy to talk to him?
Tumble turned his head on his side, blatantly watching the queen now – why did she keep looking over at him? Did she want something? Was she just curious? Were cats that looked like tabbies but had spots instead of stripes normal where she came from? Where did she come from, for that matter?
Oh, no. She'd gotten his attention now. Aneski could feel his stare...he was probably annoyed with her. Embarrassed, she did not lift her eyes again as she finished grooming Curculio. She began to settle down to fall asleep like her brother, but found she did not feel a bit tired. Tentatively, she looked back at Tumble. He was still looking at her... gently, she stood and disentangled herself from her brother and Curculio. She might as well talk to the tom...she could ask questions about the Jellicles.
Curculio purred and wriggled a little as Aneski finished grooming him. It wasn’t a perfect job, but he didn’t expect one – that would take hours. She had helped the stinging from his most recent cuts, though, and cleaned the wounds for him. Maybe those wouldn’t get infected like they usually did. When she got up, though, he gave her a sleepy little smile, snuggling closer to Djau for the warmth. He wasn’t alone, his bed wasn’t bloodstained… and he wasn’t filthy either. Oh yes, this was definitely a good day.
Tumble lifted his head as the pirate queen approached him, hiding the smile he hadn’t been able to stop when he saw how she ignored him as she bathed that other cat. “Hi,” he said quietly (Pounce was asleep, wrapped around his tail). “Did you need something?”
"Just...well, company, if you don't mind?" Aneski requested softly, a gentle smile across her lips. "I'm not feeling as sleepy as my companions..." She kept her eyes focused on his left ear, too shy to look him straight in the eyes.
“Why would I mind?” Tumble asked. He rose to his feet, carefully pulling his tail free from Pounce’s paws. “Maybe we should go someplace we won’t wake mischievous kittens, though.” He gestured toward the tracks. “Want to take a walk?”
"I would like that." Aneski nodded, taking a step towards the tracks and waiting for Tumble to follow. "It's too bad your tribe couldn't stay here due to the humans, I find it is much more cozy than a place full of garbage...although, being a pirate, I suppose I can't make judgements on filthy." And it would be a plus if you didn't need Grumbuskin.
Tumble laughed as he followed the queen. “So many cats think that, before they actually stay in the junkyard. Yes, it’s full of trash… but it’s human trash. Human trash isn’t the same as cat trash. What they call junk, we call home.” He shrugged. “And really, it’s actually cleaner than some human places. Yes, this place does have heaters, which the queens are gushing over because of the newborns, but look at all this.” He scuffed his paw through a pile of cigarette butts. “None of this is left in our yard, because the only human we allow in on a regular basis isn’t stupid enough to make such a mess.” He offered her a smile. “You just wait until we get back in there. I’ll show you around, if you’d like, and you’ll see that it’s so much nicer than this place.”
Aneski smiled faintly, "I would love to see your home." But not with you as a slave. "I don't know how long we'll be staying, though." A frown crossed her lips. "But, it is a hard winter..."
Tumble nodded, scuffing a paw in the dust. “To be honest, the Monniks are only part of our troubles. Food in the Jellicle lands is scarce… and with all the new kittens, we’ve been having the hardest time finding enough for everyone. It’s a little easier out here, because it’s on the other side of our territory from the ‘yard, but still… it is a hard winter.” He sighed and shook his head, looking over at the queen. “You know… I realized I don’t even know your name… unless you told me and I forgot it. I’m absolutely horrible with names, I’m sorry…”
"Once we deal with the Monniks, we will have the pick of their food. Grumbuskin will be sure of it," Aneski asssured him. She paused, almost stumbling as he asked her name. No one had, in so long...she couldn't remember if she was even allowed to tell! She must be, right? It was her name. "A-aneski..." It sounded strange on her tongue...
“Aneski?” Tumble cocked his head to the side, trying out the foreign-sounding name. “Aneski. It’s pretty. I like it.” He offered the queen a smile, wondering why she looked so shaken up. It was just a simple question… or had he forgotten and offended her? “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but…” He nodded toward her coat. “I’ve never seen a cat with spots like that before. You and your brother both have them. Is that common where you come from?” Where did you come from? Why did you join up with Grumbuskin? What’s it like, being a seacat? How do you hunt? Do you ever get seasick? Tumble had to bite his tongue to keep from asking more than one question at a time.
"Yes...our bloodlines are Egyptian." Aneski explained. "Our names, too. We believe that's how we got our magic. Most folklore of magical or worshipped cats come from Ancient Egypt. Cats were most revered..."
“Whoa!” Tumble made no secret of his awe at that revelation. “You’re Egyptian? That’s so cool! Uh… I mean…” He rubbed his ears in embarrassment at sounding like a kitten instead of a Jellicle guardian. “I know cats were huge in Egypt – the Jellicles claim to have originated around the time of the pyramids and the big Sphinx thing. Gus knows all the stories…”
Aneski grinned at his awe, despite herself. "Thank you." She said gently. "Are you from London? I mean...were you born into your tribe?"
Tumble nodded. “My parents were both Jellicles, and their parents before them. Jennyanydots is my mother – she’s a housecat, though, so she’s safe and warm and fed right now. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about her. My father…” He faltered for a moment before continuing. “My father was the Jellicle Protector before Munkustrap, and the grandson of our Leader, Old Deuteronomy. He… was killed, when I was a kitten.”
Aneski frowned sadly, her eyes full of sympathy. "I'm sorry. It must have been hard, without a father." She didn't mention that she'd never had parents growing up. But she'd had Djau, and that was all she'd needed...it had been fine.
Tumble shrugged. “I missed him a lot at first, and just went and sat by his grave, but Munkustrap sorta adopted me, so I did have a father, in a way. And I had plenty of older brothers to keep me on my toes!” He smiled at Aneski. “What about you? What are your parents like?”
"Oh, I don't know. Never met them." Aneski told him, shrugging.
“You never met your parents!?” Tumble stared at Aneski, shocked by that news. How could you not meet your parents? He could understand not meeting your father… but not knowing your mother?
"No. We were taken away at a very young age. Grew up alone." Aneski replied. "It was better for us. We are not... meant to be more than just us. Djau and I." At least, not if Grumbuskin has anything to say...
“Taken away?” Tumble repeated, wrinkling his nose in confusion. “Grew up alone? That must have been so… lonely. Why did someone do that to you?”
"Because we are special." Aneski said simply. "Maybe our mother was afraid of us. Maybe she thought it would be better for us to grow up and train ourselves. Or maybe she had nothing to do with the decision. I guess I'll never know."
“And you’re okay with that?” Tumble asked. “Cori and Tant are special, magical… but they weren’t isolated. And they’re just fine.”
"I cannot help how I grew up...I don't like to worry over the past; it will not change the present." Aneski told him. "So yes, I am okay with it."
Tumble shook his head. “It just doesn’t seem fair to me… but maybe that’s just because I got to grow up with a large family and close tribe. You have your shipmates now, right? So you’re not alone anymore?”
"Oh...I...I don't really associate with them." Aneski admitted. Because they're pigs and I'm not allowed anyway. "But I have Djau still. And Curculio - that's the tongueless cat - so, that's enough." She flashed a smile.
“Djau and Curculio… Djau is an Egyptian name too?” Tumble asked. “And Curculio… is he your mate?”
"Djau is Egyptian." Aneski confirmed, then started slightly at the next question. "Heavens, no...I don't think...mateship is quite for me." She frowned slightly.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply… well, I guess I did, I just… I mean, I saw you grooming him…” Grooming another cat so thoroughly like that was usually done between family members or lovers, so Tumble had simply assumed that the two were a pair. He was quite embarrassed to be wrong. “But I guess if he didn’t have a tongue, he can’t do it himself… so… I guess it makes sense… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed that about you.” He stared fixedly at his paws as they walked.
She laughed softly at Tumble's length apology. "It's quite alright, I understand." She assured him.
“I’m still sorry,” Tumble said. They walked in silence for a bit before he changed the topic. “So… um… how about that weather?” It was completely lame.
Aneski raised an eyebrow, laughing slightly. "It's fine." She replied. "Except that it's very, very cold and all."
“Yeeeaaah…” Tumble laughed and shrugged. “Okay, I give up. I don’t have any better subject changes. You?”
"What are the Jellicles like?" She asked plainly, simply. It was more like 'who is my captain destroying?'
“Um… oh, gosh, hard question. It’s like asking, ‘What are cats like?’” Tumble thought about that one for a minute. “Well… we try to be good. Like, we don’t pick fights with other creatures, we try not to kill any children of any sort of animal, not even Pollicles. We… well, we tend to just roll over whenever the Monniks start showing off, but we do fight back if they start outgrowing their tails.” He laughed as he recalled something he had been told once as a kitten. “We’ve been described as the ‘America’ of the cat tribes – give us your tired, your hungry, your poor. We try to help everyone and anyone who needs it. Deuteronomy and Munkustrap both say that anyone who asks to join the Jellicles is allowed in. Munkustrap has even said he’d let Macavity in, if he genuinely wanted to be a Jellicle and didn’t just want to try and muck up things.”
Aneski smiled in wonder, eyes shining. "That...sounds beautiful." She said, a bit of sadness in her voice. "What a wonderful tribe. You must all be very happy."
Tumble shrugged a little. “We’re not perfect. We definitely have our own problems.” Like certain ex-Monnik magicians… “But we try. What about your tribe – er… crew? The cats on your ship? What are they like?”
"Well, they're pirates." Aneski shrugged, looking away. "They're fine...really. We don't interact much. They don't bother us."
“What about your brother and the tongueless cat… Djau and Curculio? You must know something about someone on your ship…” Tumble was guilty of curiosity, as were most cats.
"Djau is much like me. We are quiet ... I don't really know how to describe us. We are just there." Aneski paused. "Curculio is...well, he can't talk. It makes it hard to know what he feels." She was afraid to reveal that he'd once had a toungue, afraid to reveal the cat he had been, in case the Jellicles started asking too many questions.
“What about Captain Grumbuskin?” Tumble asked. He glanced around, noticing that they had actually covered a lot of distance, and probably should turn around and start heading back to the station now. “What’s it like, being on a ship with a famous cat like that? How’d you meet him?”
"He takes care of us." Aneski shrugged. "We met a port city one day. He saw us perform a bit of magic, and decided we would be useful..."
Tumble frowned as they turned, thinking. “How long have you been with the pirates?” Something didn’t seem right here…
"Maybe a year." Aneski followed his turn, looking out into the horizon.
She’d been with the pirates a year, and she didn’t have much to say about them? “Are they really that boring?” Tumble asked. “I mean, you’d think that someone like Grumbuskin would be fascinating to work with…”
"My brother and I don't do much. We're only about when our magic is needed. Physically, we're rather...well, useless."
“What do you do when your magic isn’t needed, then?” Tumble asked. “Like, when you’re between cities or something?”
Aneski paused, frowning and not looking at Tumble. "We wait." Or we're the entertainment...
Tumble stopped and sat down, looking over at Aneski. “Are you not allowed to tell me?” As a guardian, he had gone through some basic training, and he had noticed that Aneski kept looking away, kept making her answers vague… she was keeping something secret. And even if Tumble hadn’t gone through the training, it seemed rather obvious to him that part of the picture was missing. “Because if you aren’t, that’s okay, you can just tell me that you’re not allowed to talk about it. There’s no one else around out here, no one will have to know.”
Aneski glanced back at him. "That's all there is to the story, really." She said quietly.
Tumble shook his head. “I’m sorry… it just felt like you weren’t being honest. I don’t mean to accuse you or anything like that. I’m probably just making stuff up.” He stood up again, walking to Aneski’s side. “Shall we get back before people start wondering if we got eaten by Monniks?”
"Yes." Aneski nodded, smiling slightly. "I'm sure Ukir is wondering where I've wandered off to."
“Ukir?” Which of the pirates was that? (Tumble assumed it was a pirate).
"He's here to make sure we come to no trouble, since we're important for the attack." Aneski explained. "He's normally...well, I suppose he's sort of like one of your...Guardians?"
“Responsible for protecting all the cats of the tribe but not the cat in charge?” Tumble asked. “That makes sense. You’re safe with me, though. Since you’re guests of the Jellicles, as guardians, we’re supposed to consider you as honorary Jellicles, and defend you with our lives, just as we would any other member of our tribe.” He smiled. “Somehow, though, I don’t think Captain Grumbuskin will need much defending…”
Aneski grinned wryly. "Oh, no." You'll need defending from him, more likely.
Tumble hopped up onto the railroad tracks, instead of walking along beside them, and balanced carefully, placing one paw directly in front of the other. He didn’t do any fancy flips or anything, not wanting to seem like he was showing off. “Maybe, after the fight, and I show you the junkyard, you could show me your ship? I’ve never even seen one up close.”
"I'm sure you'll get to see it." Aneski told him, successfully keeping the sadness out of her voice. "But it's not much to look at, I promise."
“Still, it’s different from the junkyard, and that makes it interesting,” Tumble said, unable to resist flipping onto his front paws only and walking along the rail. “Different from this station, too. I’ve been in trains before. Never on a ship.”
"Ooh, you've been on a train? Did you travel anywhere nice?" Aneski asked him, smiling.
“Um… we went to Crewe, Carlisle, Dumfries, and Gallowgate before returning back here,” Tumble said. “My… uh… my mom’s current mate is a railway cat, Skimbleshanks. He’s pretty cool – he takes us Jellicles with him on the trains a lot. This is his station, actually.” He flipped back into a normal walking stance. “You might see him – I think he’s out right now, but should be back any day. He’s a yellow tom.”
"That sounds pleasant. I might like to go on a train someday, when I'm not on ships anymore." She smiled softly.
"Do you not like ships?" Tumble asked. "Do they make you seasick?"
"Not really. I'm just not much of a sea cat. I don't want to be a pirate forever..."
“If you ask, Munkustrap would let you join the Jellicles,” Tumble offered.
Aneski shook her head. "I'm not sure if I'd fit in here. But if my brother wants to ... oh, I don't know, this is all future talk." Who knows if there will still be a Jellicle tribe soon...
“Of course you’d fit in,” Tumble said. “We take all types. Like, there’s my mom, who’s the nosiest busybody you’ll ever meet – in a good way, of course! – and then there’s the Tugger, who flirts with everyone, but especially the queen-kits, and then there’s Munkustrap, who’s so awesomely good at everything, even if he is a little stern about rules, and Etcy, who’s a little fluffball of oddness, and Pouncival, who gets into all sorts of trouble, and Bombalurina and Cassandra, who flirt with all the toms, except Bombalurina’s settled down with Munkus now, and then there’s Bustopher Jones, the fattest cat I’ve ever seen, and Jemima, who has an amazing voice, and Coricopat and Tantomile, who are all mystical and quiet… I think you’d fit in just fine with the Jellicles. If you wanted, that is.”
