That's A Queen
Author: The Passionate Admiral
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I do not own CATS. If I did, I would save Jemima from her innocence (Kidding (By that I mean I'm kidding about saving Jemima from her innocence, not about not owning CATS)).
Plot: Bombalurina gets her own song at the Jellicle Ball. I was thinking about this one song the other day, and I could not help but realize how much it could apply to Bombalurina. So, I decided to write this one-shot based on it. The song is originally entitled "That's a Woman," and I've slightly modified it to fit Bombalurina. It specifically follows the rendition by Paul Bryon and Ryan Kelly from Celtic Thunder.
One warm summer night, almost the entire human population of London was asleep in bed. However, in a certain local junkyard, the annual Jellicle Ball was being held by the Jellicle cats.
The ball was halfway through the first part. They had just finished singing a song about Coricopat and Tantomile, the two psychics of the tribe. Right then, everyone except Bombalurina moved to the front of the clearing. Bombalurina stood alone on top of the tire in the back, remaining absolutely still.
Slowly, gentle music started playing up in the background. Bomba started to dance by herself while standing on her hind feet. She was very graceful and very agile in her all of her movements.
Before long, Rum Tum Tugger appeared standing on his hind feet on top of the TSE-1 on the right side of the clearing. Everyone listened as he started singing:
"Bombalurina…
Such a delicate creature…
Every feature…
Needs to be loved from the start."
Bomba executed some more dance moves as Tugger got off the TSE-1 and held out his front leg towards her. He continued to sing:
"Be tender…
And she'll surrender.
Offend her…
And she will harden her heart."
Right then, Alonzo appeared standing on his hind feet on top of the pipe on oven on the left side of the clearing. The music started to quicken a little, and he sang as if he was addressing Tugger:
"A delicate creature is something she ain't,
Better take it from me; that's Bombalurina!
That isn't an angel; that isn't a saint,
Better take it from me; that's Bombalurina!"
Bombalurina stopped dancing then and she and Tugger (and basically everyone else) focused their attention on Alonzo. The black-and-white patched tom went on:
"She knows how to please and she knows how to play.
Take it from me; that's a queen-ah!
Forget to honor, love, and obey.
She'll take you
And break you
And throw you away!
That's a queen: Bombalurina."
The others were really interested in what else Alonzo had to say. In the meantime, with every passing verse, Bombalurina got off the tire and got a little closer to Tugger.
Alonzo continued singing:
"She knows every move and she knows every trick.
Take it from me; that's Bombalurina!
How to kill with a word and cut to the quick –
Take it from me; that's Bombalurina!
How to look through you as if you're not there –
Take it from me; that's a queen-ah!
How to say 'no' with a flick of her hair –
She'll turn you
And burn you
And not even care!
That's a queen: Bombalurina."
By then, Bombalurina was standing directly in front of Tugger near the center of the clearing. Both of them were still standing on their hind feet, and Bombalurina had her back turned to Tugger. Just then, the music got a little softer and Tugger put his front paws on Bombalurina's shoulders as he sang:
"Faithful and true…
That's Bomba."
Bombalurina turned to him, looked up into his eyes, and smiled.
Tugger sang on:
"Trusting in you…
That's Bomba."
The two of them danced a little together as Bombalurina sang:
"Gentle and constantly caring…
Strong as the love I am sharing!"
As they danced Tugger sang:
"When you look in the eyes of Bomba…"
When Tugger sang that verse, Alonzo sang halfway through it:
"Look in her eyes?
You'll see nothing but lies!
She's Bombalurina!"
Tugger still sang:
"And through the disguise of Bomba…"
Almost simultaneously, Alonzo sang:
"Every word is the same;
She's just playing a game!
She's a queen-ah!"
Tugger: "You'll see it all there…
There's romance in the air."
Alonzo then joined in with the Maine Coon:
"Nothing else can compare;
That's Bombalurina!"
Bomba then brought her head up a little and kissed Tugger on the cheek. He pretended to blush, and Etcetera and a few other queen-kits watched them in envy. Everyone else focused on the song.
The music returned to its original pitch as Tugger sang on:
"Bombalurina…
So soft and beguiling…
See her smiling…
And feel your heart all aglow."
Bombalurina then rested her head on Tugger's shoulder as he sang:
"Enfold her…
Lay her head on your shoulder…
And hold her…
Till you just can't let her go."
It was then Alonzo's turn to sing again. The music changed pitch again and everyone turned to him (Including Bombalurina and Tugger). He sang from his perch on top of the oven:
"Treat her as if you just don't give a damn.
That's how to handle Bombalurina!
Be more of a stallion, less of a lamb.
That's how to handle Bombalurina!
Keep her hanging around till she's ready to burst;
That's how to handle a queen-ah!
Don't try to be bad; be the worst!
Do unto others, but just do it first
To that queen: Bombalurina."
By that point, Bombalurina and Tugger were standing a little apart. Tugger was doing some gentle vocalizing during Alonzo's lines. Bombalurina just remained standing still in the center of the clearing.
Alonzo: "Be wise, be wary, and be on your guard;
That's how to handle Bombalurina.
If you feel that you're falling, you better be hard,
Cause that's how to handle Bombalurina.
Don't let her get closer and don't let her in;
That's how to handle a queen-ah.
Cause if you allow her get under your skin,
My friend,
That's the end,
Cause you ain't gonna win
With a queen: Bombalurina."
Right then, Bombalurina started dancing sensually around the clearing. Everyone (especially the toms) kept their eyes on her. Alonzo seemed quite interested in the way she moved her body. After she danced for a bit, Alonzo got off the oven and sang:
"Look at her body and look at her move.
Now that's what I call a queen!"
Bombalurina continued dancing in that same manner. After a moment, Alonzo looked off to the side and sang:
"I'm thinking now I've got something to prove,
Cause that's what I call a queen!"
Bombalurina repeated those dance moves again, and Alonzo appeared to sing to himself:
"All my moves are stolen here,
I can't get through to this queen-ah.
The pipes, the pipes are calling here."
He then directly faced everyone and sang:
"I think I could be falling here
For this queen: Bombalurina!"
The music changed tone again and Tugger sang:
"Faithful and true,
That's Bomba."
At the same time, Alonzo sang: "She couldn't be true!
She's just playing with you!
What a queen!"
Bombalurina was starting to approach Alonzo as she danced on.
Tugger: "Trusting in you,
That's Bomba."
Alonzo: "Trusting in who?
You just haven't a clue!
What a queen!"
Bombalurina was very close to Alonzo at that time. Tugger sang:
"Gentle and constantly caring…"
Alonzo: "Just let it be!
This one's for me!
What a queen-ah!"
Bombalurina was then directly facing Alonzo. He looked down at her and smiled. Then he bowed to her and held out his front paw. She took it, and the two of them started dancing as Tugger sang:
"Strong as the love she is sharing!"
Then all three of them sang together:
"When you look in the eyes of Bomba…
And through the disguise of Bomba…
You'll see it all there.
There's romance in the air.
Nothing else can compare!"
Tugger and Alonzo sang together:
"That's Bombalurina…"
The music stopped for a moment as Alonzo turned to the front of the clearing and sang:
"Who would have thought
I'd ever get caught?"
Immediately after that verse, he and Tugger sang together:
"What a queen-ah!"
And the song ended there.
Everyone erupted into applause.
Bombalurina took Alonzo's left paw in her right one, and she took Tugger's right paw in her left one. The three of them bowed together. When they came back up, Alonzo and Tugger lifted Bomba into the air and let her sit on their respective left and right shoulders. Then they carried her out of the clearing.