Disclaimer: I don't own CATS!
Fact: In football, the huddle was invented by deaf players who didn't want the other team to see them signing what their next play would be. Even if they were playing a hearing team they would all huddle up in case someone on that team knew sign language. Hearing teams picked the huddle by playing deaf schools.
When people hear this their reaction is usually something like "really? Wait, so deaf people can play football?"
It was morning in the Jellicle junkyard, the sun was rising, casting radient beams across the landscape. The jellicles were waking up, starting their daily routines, but not Quaxo. Quaxo lay in his nest staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything that he'd been through in the past several weeks. He'd been seeing Rumpleteazer, a thieving calico queen with whom he had been completely infatuated; they had broken up because she was totally addicted to stealing. He thought he could get used to her going out to rob with her brother at night, but he had his morals and was always bothered by it, so he ended it with Teazer. They remained friends, but he couldn't go out with someone when he was always aware that their favorite pass time was taking others' property. The thing was, he was heartbroken, he had been alone so long, he had never had a queenfriend before. He wanted to settle down with her immediately because he didn't think he would ever get another chance.
Getting up out of his nest, Quaxo put on his bow tie and washed his face, realizing he couldn't just lay around all day. As he groggily groomed his head fur, he realized he had a meeting with the psychic twins Coricopat and Tantomile that morning. He looked at his clock and saw he had five minutes to get there. He rushed out the door and ran past mountains of scrap metal and other junk, and splashed other cats as he ran through a puddle.
He finally arrived at the old wardrobe the twins' used as a lair, all the way on the other side of the junkyard. He would have normally teleported, but because using magic takes concentration, he didn't want to use any before he was completely awake. He walked up to the bottom drawer and knocked, but no one answered.
"We've been waiting for you Mistoffolees," the twins said right behind him. Mistoffolees jumped as they said that and turned around to face them. They backed up some, moving in perfect unison, their expressions blank and emotionless. Misto took a deep breath and sat down in front of them, panting because of the scare he had just had and from running all the way there.
"So why did you want to talk to me this morning? Is there a magic council meeting or something?" he asked.
Tantomile shook her head and said, "It's nothing like that Mistoffolees, it's"-"actually a personal matter," her brother finished.
Misto who was fully awake by this time was surprised by this, because the twins normally didn't discuss personal matters with anyone. "Allow us to explain Misto," said Cori, "it concerns another cat," put in his sister.
"another cat?" asked Misto. The twins nodded and then proceded to explain, "our cousin Lyplora is moving in with us," said Tantomile.
"Her owners are moving and don't want her anymore, so she has nowhere else to go, we need your help Mistoffelees," said Cori.
"What do you need my help with?" the black and white tom asked.
"Our cousin is deaf," explained Tantomile, "we know you know sign language and"- "we thought because the other cats are more willing to listen to you, you could help her get settled in and help the other cats to except her"-"and teach them sign language," they said, repeatedly interrupting each other.
Misto looked at them confused, "why wouldn't they listen to you?" he asked.
Cori, trying not to seem sarcastic, explained, "because even though you are pretty socially awkward, you are related to some of them and they are at least impressed by you"-"but they consider us freaks," said his sister.
"So you honestly think that they won't listen to you?" asked Misto.
They both nodded in response, Misto didn't know how to react, so he continued to question them. "So what is it I need to get across to them?" he asked exasperatedly.
Tanto rolled her eyes and said, "You know how they treat anyone who's different, they will probably yell in her face thinking that will make her understand"-"or they will shun her completely, you need to teach them how to communicate with her."
Misto was getting annoyed by this point, partly because they kept cutting each other off, and partly because what they were saying didn't make sense. They could just as easily help her get settled and could teach everyone sign language. Why did they need him?
"Alright guys," he said, "seriously, why can't you do this yourselves, I don't mind doing this for you, but what you have said doesn't make sense."
The twins looked at each other for a little while, obviously using their telepathy, and then turned back to the tux cat in front of them and explained.
"Misto," they said together, "you have been so distracted lately because of your break up with Teazer, it appears you are moping and wasting your powers, so we thought you needed a distraction."
Misto didn't know what to say, he hadn't been practicing magic much lately, and he knew what they were saying was true. He finally said, "fine, I'll do it."
Misto knew what they were trying to do, and didn't mind helping out, but he was annoyed because at that point all he wanted to do was sit around and mope, he didn't want them meddling with his business.
Cori left to go pick up his cousin from the back of the apartment building she had been dumped at. When he finally got back, he found Misto and Tanto sitting in the yard discussing mind reading. They both stood up as Cori approached with this gorgeous queen. She was long and thin, had a brown, white and black coat that was spotted and dubbed, with a pink nose and bright blue eyes.
Tanto signed while saying, "Hello cousin, this is mistoffolees, he will be your interpreter."
The young queen turned to the black tom and signed, "Hello, I'm Lyplora." Misto just smiled and nodded, he was dumbstruck, she was gorgeous.