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Post by deuteronomy on May 3, 2007 17:32:00 GMT -5
Deuteronomy snorted, though it was quickly covered up by only a half-fake cough. A tragedy... Well, thinking he would stay dead, he supposed it was. Still, he felt like Tom Sawyer, watching over his own funeral.
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Post by rustystarlight on May 3, 2007 17:33:23 GMT -5
((basically her grandmother once met a jellicle who saved her life (dunno who) and she kept in contact and told stories...but she died a long time ago and Rustys memory is fuzzy))
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Post by rustystarlight on May 3, 2007 17:35:50 GMT -5
Rusty looked around the silent cats and bowed her head in respect, she hadn't known the leader but still she felt sorrowful as all the other cats seemed so sad. Was this that strange sense offoreboding she'd gotten when she first stepped into the piano?
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Post by Munkustrap Etc. on May 3, 2007 17:36:38 GMT -5
Tumble's eyes widened at Munkustrap's news, covering his mouth with a paw. Deuteronomy... dead!? "No..." he whispered. That couldn't be! Deuteronomy was ageless, practically immortal! He couldn't die!
Burelle sighed and bowed her head in a moment of silence for the fallen Jellicle Leader. She wasn't surprised. He was an old cat. He probably had been living on borrowed time at the end. Still, she hadn't known him all that well, and the needs of the living took precedence over those of the dead. She reached out to give Mali a swat between the ears when the oldest kitten tried to chew on Aprilli's foot, and she touched Dew's back when he coughed.
Oh. Wait. Deuteronomy was dead. That meant Ritzy couldn't go fetch him to heal the kitten. Burelle looked down at Dew and hoped he wasn't really sick - her own kittens were still young enough that a strong enough cold could kill them.
Etcetera looked around between all the cats before she curled up around her snugglebunny with a sniffle. Old Deut was dead, which meant that Munkstrap, being an old kitty himself, was going to die soon too, and her momma, and Brelle, and then Mistokitty and Tumblebrutus, and she and Tugger would be allllll aloooooone...!
Munkustrap sat down again, his posture slumping. And now everyone knew why he was so glum... and why it was so important for them to be in the piano, and why he hadn't wanted to repeat the news. Once was more than enough.
((Tumble just told Rusty who he was in his last comment.))
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Post by deuteronomy on May 3, 2007 17:39:20 GMT -5
Suddenly, Deuteronomy didn't find it so amusing... His tribe was mourning him in sorrow when they had no cause to... He couldn't even speak for the pain in his chest, could offer no words of comfort, of assurence... He was once again helpless.
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Post by Munkustrap Etc. on May 3, 2007 17:46:18 GMT -5
Etcetera uncurled slowly and lifted her head to look over at Munkstrap. She asked the question that was on a lot of cats' minds, but which they were all too hesitant to ask. "Munkstrap... if Old Deuty's dead... who's our Leader?"
Tumble glanced at Etcetera, and then turned to Munkustrap, nodding. Who was their Leader? Would the Protector move up a rank? But then who would be their Protector?
Munkustrap ran a paw over his face before sighing and looking up again, meeting everyone's gaze. "I... I suppose I am. I don't believe Deuteronomy picked anyone to replace him..." He turned to Alonzo, placing a paw on the patched tom's shoulder. "Alonzo... if I am to be the Leader of this tribe, we will need a new Protector. Do you think you're up for the task?" Munkustrap didn't want to be Leader. He wanted to remain the Protector, to defend the tribe and follow Deuteronomy's guidance. He didn't want to be the guidance everyone followed. Heaviside knew how bad he was at that. A glance at Quaxo was all he needed to remind him of his shortcomings.
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Post by rustystarlight on May 3, 2007 17:51:15 GMT -5
Of Course! Rusty could have kicked herself for forgetting! This was the tribe which her grandmother had spoke of. It all fit together now all with that word Protector. She remebered her grandmothers dying words "Rusty, if you are ever in trouble seek out the Jellicles and ask for Munkustrap the Protectors protection" Her ears suddenly pricked and her tail waved back and forth happily.
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Post by Sonja [Alonzo] on May 3, 2007 17:52:56 GMT -5
Alonzo looked to Munkustrap, and nodded, "I'd do anything for this tribe. I'll protect them with my life." He said, taking in a deep breath. He had hoped he'd never need to move up a rank; he'd always thought Munk would be their Protector forever...but he would never shirk from the responsibility, especially in times like this. "And, 'Straps, I believe Deuteronomy would have wanted you as his successor....you'll make a wonderful leader."
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Post by deuteronomy on May 3, 2007 18:00:05 GMT -5
Alonzo was right... Deuteronomy knew he should have set those things in order but... The whole thing had been rushed. Besides, he had come back, hadn't he?
He'd regain his strength soon enough, be able to tell them the good news, but for now... Perhaps it would be interesting to see how Munkustrap handled himself as the leader.
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Post by Munkustrap Etc. on May 3, 2007 18:09:03 GMT -5
Munkustrap managed a faint smile for Alonzo. "That's what the Protector does. The safety of the tribe must come before all else now. You will be my right-hand cat, my advisor, my aide, my assistant. When I am absent, you will be in charge. And... should something happen to me, and I am unable to fulfill my duties, you will take my place as Leader." The words were all nice to say and hear, formalities in a sea of grief, but Munkustrap had no idea what to do next. He wished Deuteronomy was around to question.
Closing his eyes, he imagined being in the place of one of the other cats in the tribe. If his Leader had died and he wasn't expected to fill his place, what would he want the new Leader to do?
When he opened his eyes again, Munkustrap had pushed his grief into a small, tight ball in his chest. He smiled wearily at the gathered cats. "We all miss Deuteronomy," he said. "But death is not always an end. Deuteronomy has ascended to the Heaviside Layer. Bombalurina is expecting kittens. Perhaps Deuteronomy will walk among us again, reborn to a new Jellicle life."
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Post by deuteronomy on May 3, 2007 18:20:38 GMT -5
Or perhaps a bit earlier, as soon as he can haul himself off of the ground... Deuteronomy sighed, trying to speak and again coming up with a weak mewling. Heaviside, the things a cat took for granted...
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Post by Munkustrap Etc. on May 3, 2007 18:25:59 GMT -5
Etcetera rubbed her face into her snugglebunny to wipe away her tears, nodding at Munkstrap's words. Her momma always told her how good kitties who joined the Everlasting Cat could be reborn to new Jellicle lives, and that cats who went up to the Heaviside Layer during the Jellicle Ball were always reborn, eventually. Old Deut was a very good kitty. He nver broke any of the rules, and was always nice to everyone. He would be reborn for sure.
Would a reborn Deut be a kitten? Etcetera couldn't help a giggle at the thought of the big old cat being shrunk down to Leathik's size. He'd be soooo cuuuuute!
Hearing a mewling coming from beside her, Etcetera turned to see which of Brelle's kittens was hungry. Much to her surprise, she found herself nose-to-nose with a new kitten. "Brelle? Did you know you had another baby?"
Burelle looked over at Etcetera and nodded, reaching down to stroke the tomkit's head. "Munkustrap brought him in today. He's an orphan, so I'll be raising him. He says his name is Dew... I think."
"Dew..." Etcetera nuzzled the kitten and smiled. "I think when Old Deut's reborn, he's gonna look like Dew," she said. "He's gonna be iddle witty-bitty, and he's gonna have fluffily fur like Dew, and the same colors as Dew, and he's gonna be a little tom kit like Deut. Uh... Dew. Um..." Etcetera blinked, looking at the little kitten, and then looking up at Burelle, who was nursing Leathik now. She leaned close and whispered into the kitten's ear, "Are you Old Deut?"
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Post by deuteronomy on May 3, 2007 18:52:41 GMT -5
Wonderful. Just wonderful. The whole tribe had seen him, and it was a kitten that figured it out. What did it say about them? Then again, he couldn't blame them. He had read somewhere that only a madman and a genius could draw a perfect circle, so perhaps kittens were not so different from adults. On the other paw, he was pretty sure he had read it on Wikipedia, which put into question its accuracy.
Deuteronomy nodded, smiling slightly at Etectera. Who would have known the kitten's hyeractivity would come in handy?
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Post by Munkustrap Etc. on May 3, 2007 18:58:37 GMT -5
Etcetera let out an ear-piercing squeal and flung her arms around Deuteronomy, spinning around as she hugged the little kitten. "Yaaaay!"
"Etcetera!" Tumble had his paws over his ears. "Calm down!" He scowled at the kitten - Deuteronomy was dead, and she was off being her normal hyper self! Did she have no heart?
Etcetera held little Deut up and giggled. "Looky, looky, looky!" she chirped. "Munkstrap's right, Old Deut got reborneded! But he's not Old Deut anymore, he's BABY DEUT!"
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Post by deuteronomy on May 3, 2007 19:01:06 GMT -5
Deuteronomy was thankful he had a young heart now, because being spun around by Etcetera was enough to make a bad heart fail. As a result, he looked a bit more like a startled dustbunny with eyes and a tail than a leader as the kit presented him to the Protector.
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