I do not own Cats or any of its characters
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Sunrise came quickly and I twitched my eyes open, feeling the smallest of sun rays on my face, creeping in through a hole in the wall. I stretched my morning tired muscles and groomed myself down, checking in an old mirror I had found Jellicle Moons ago that my head fur was tamed. Seeing I was okay I headed out of my room. Dad was still asleep, obviously yesterday tiring him out. I smiled and started to creep out of our den when I remembered what he said last night. I sighed. I didn't want to wake him up but if I left without telling him I'd probably get grounded for a few nights. Eventually I decided I'd wake him. Sneaking into his room I found him stretched out across his set of old rags. Tiptoeing towards him, I gently shook him awake.
"Hmm? Tory?" He struggled to open his eyes and I almost laughed at the sight.
"I'm going out. I'll probably be hanging out with my friends, okay?" I watched the silver tom give me an almost confused look then nodded and closed his eyes, rolling over to go back to sleep.
"Sure, whatever you say, sweetheart"
I bounded out of my den, stretching as I felt the warm sunlight on my fur. My white fur glowed a slight golden colour in the sunrise's light and it felt so nice on my muscles.
After hunting around for a bit of breakfast, I set off in sight of my friends. It was well and truly into the morning now, and the clearing of our Jellicle Yard was slowly coming to life.
I could see Demeter stretching in front of her den and not far off Bombalurina, lying lazily in the sun. Alonzo was on the TSE 1, giving orders to Admetus, Tumble and Electra. Obviously he had taken over Dad's usual job in the morning, being his second in command. I was so happy when he chose Alonzo. Not only was Alonzo a (usually) serious and strong tom, despite his joking personality and constant flirting (sometimes he acted like such a kit) he was worthy of the position and it meant Dad would have a little less work and more time to rest.
I padded around the clearing, seeing if anyone else was up.
"Tory!" My ears pricked up at the sound of my name and I turned to the familiar voice.
"Uncle Tugger!" I sprinted towards him, jumping up to give him a massive hug. He laughed at my kittenish nature, returning the hug and giving me a friendly Victoria-only-nuzzle.
"Well good morning to you too. How's my favourite niece?" He gave me his trademark smirk and ruffled my hair. I dodged, swatting away his paw, laughing.
"I'm your only niece" I corrected.
"All the more reason to be my favourite" he rumbled back.
"Just as well the feelings mutual" I replied with a grin. He retaliated with a swat to my ears.
"Cheeky Vixen" I said nothing and settled for poking my tongue out at him. "I haven't seen you in a while, any toms I should know about?" I rolled my eyes at the question. If Dad was bad enough then Tugger was worse. He seemed to find it his job to know about my love life and if he needed to give any toms a good encouraging or scaring away.
"With the way you and Dad are going, I'm never going to find a mate when I'm older" I pouted at him.
"Which means we get you all to ourselves!" he replied, laughing at the look of horror on my face, "Well, I'm sure you'll find a tom soon. And when you do I'll be the first one to know all about it. I'm sure Bomba and I could give you a few tips on how to reel him in too" He turned his gaze to the red Queen, sending a suggestive smirk her way as she returned back her usual sexy smile.
I couldn't tell if I wanted to shudder, blush or laugh at the thought. I managed a combination of all three.
"Don't ever let Dad hear you say that, he'll have your tail off" I joked back. He smiled a wicked smile.
"Which is why it'll stay our secret" He tapped my nose knowingly, making me scrunch it up in protest, "I'll talk to you later, little Vixen". I growled at his nickname for me but he just laughed, sauntering off towards Bomba.
Like Dad, Tugger was certain that I'd have the toms drooling over me in no time, hence 'little Vixen'. It annoyed not only me (once I managed to figure out what it meant) but Dad as well, to no ends. But despite my name, I truly loved him. I wasn't obsessed with him like Etcetera and Jemima were... Etcetera especially. No, I just loved him as my Uncle. Besides, fan-kittening over him was just plain weird.
I watched him a few steps more before turning back to my search. Knowing Etcetera she would probably be beside Tugger's side the moment she was up, and Tumble was on patrol. Rumpleteazer was off on some little trip with her best friend Mungojerrie, much to Jenny's disapproval. That left Jemima and Pounce. Luckily I didn't have to look long. I found Pounce bounding out of his home, his foster-mother's shouts following him. He laughed as Jenny stepped out of the entrance, telling him off and waving her arm around threateningly. I watched the amusing scene, one I had seen a few too many times and was soon spotted by my best friend.
"TORY! SAVE ME!" Pounce sprinted towards me at break neck speed and I had to jump out of the way to avoid getting barrelled over.
"What did you do this time? Throw up on your mum's bed again?" I laughed at the last memory of Pounce's lecture. Pounce blushed.
"That was a total accident! I didn't mean to eat so many mice!" he shouted back.
"Sure it was. But seriously, what'd you do?" I'm pretty sure Dad would disapprove at the eagerness in my voice.
"I found a dead snake this morning, must've forgotten to take it out of her room. She freaked!" I gasped at stared at Pounce in horror.
"You didn't?"
"I did!"
"Are you crazy? She'll kill you!"
"She already tried!"
We fell to the ground, laughing.
"Hey, what's so funny?" I opened my eyes to see Jemima stand before us, her huge eyes wide in question. I tried to open my mouth but ended up laughing even more which made Pounce laugh even harder.
In the end, we eventually quieted down as Pounce told Jemima what happened. I struggled to keep my laughter inaudible but soon we were all giggling by the end of it. After a few moments our laughter died down leaving us with sore cheeks and stomachs.
"So ladies, what's the gossip lately, anything I should be aware off" I rolled my eyes as Pounce waggled his eyebrows. Jemima's laughter quieted and her face turned thoughtful.
"What about the new arrival?" she asked glancing at me.
A couple of months ago had been the Jellicle Ball, an event that only took place once a year where cats from all over the place (most of them were from our Jellicle Clan) joined us in celebrating the full Jellicle moon and to see which cat will next be picked to go to the Heavyside Layer. It was the last Jellicle Ball that I would spend as a kitten and the last time I would ever have to only watch it. Next Jellicle Ball I would be coming of age, and I would finally be old enough to participate.
As I was saying the last Jellicle Ball Jemima and I had noticed a new cat. We didn't see much of him but he piped into songs and dances here and there and to tell you the truth, he was pretty good. However after that we hadn't seen much of him though apparently he would be joining the Jellicle Clan.
"Yeah, guess you haven't seen him?" I asked Jemima and she shook her head.
"Wait, new arrival?" Pounce asked in confusion, "What new arrival?" He glanced between us in confusion.
"What you don't remember him? Quiet black and white cat? Joined in at the last Jellicle Ball?" Jemima asked him. His eyes brightened at this.
"Oh that guy! I thought he was just some random relative of, I dunno, Bustopher or someone"
"It could be a possibility" Jemima nodded.
"But we heard my Dad talking to Demeter after the ball, remember Jemmie? He was talking about a new cat joining us and that he was really shy. It has to be him" Pounce pricked his ears up at this.
"He did?" He asked excitedly. I nodded. "Good! Shy people are my speciality" he exclaimed, standing up and buffing his fingers against his white chest. I rolled my eyes.
"At scaring away, you mean" He grinned down at me, poking me with his foot.
"Come now Tory, I'm not that bad!" I ignored his toe and turned to Jemima.
"Did you catch a nam-Pounce stop poking me!" I grabbed his foot, pulling it towards me so that the tom landed in a thump beside me. His face looked shocked and I couldn't help but laugh into my pawhand. He shook his head and turned to Jemima for an answer, tilting his head in a 'well?' look. Jemima thought for a moment.
"Not really. Something with an O? It was a really odd name" she frowned, trying to think back to the memory. Silence enveloped us for a few moments only to be broken in true Pounce-fashion.
"QUAXO!" He shouted, making both Jemima and I jump.
"Qua-what now?" He turned his excited face towards me.
"Quaxo! Was it Quaxo? It has an O and it's a weird name!" Pounce looked proud at himself while Jemima shook her head, one eyebrow delicately raised.
"I'm pretty certain it isn't" she mewed while I simultaneously asked, "Where on earth did you get Quaxo?"
Pounce shrugged and raised his paw, finger pointed to the sky, in the air.
"From this day forward our Mr. Mysterious Cat Dude shall be known as Quaxo!" He stated, proudly puffing out his chest. Jemima and I shared a look.
I felt sorry for this cat already.
We talked for some more until Jemima eventually headed off for a singing lesson with Jenny, leaving Pounce and I by ourselves. He turned his eyes towards, and looked at me expectantly much to my dislike. Don't get me wrong, I love Pounce to bits, but I can never seem to take him seriously with a calm and mature look on his face.
"So...?"
"So, what?" I asked back. Pounce sighed. Everyone in the yard immediately assumed Pounce and Tumble were best friends. Which they were but no one even seemed to realize that the 'two Best Friends' were actually a trio. Pounce, Tumble and I and been friends since we were born and we'd stuck like that. Nothing could separate us. Pounce and I were particularly close.
"Just wanted to see how you were after Jemmie's performance" he stated simply.
"I'm fine. I'm happy for her. She's got an amazing voice and she's been working so hard with it too!" Pounce however gave me a knowing look.
"Vic, you know that's not what I'm talking about" he murmured gently. I scowled at the ground, cursing his inquisitive nature and the fact he knew me too well. I heard him sigh again. "Vic, look at me. I care about you alright? You're like the twin sister I never had... only less annoying" I smiled at this and looked up at his smirking face. I laughed nudging him with my shoulder gently.
Pouncival wasn't Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks kitten. Like many of the cats here, he had been abandoned, left near our yard and Skimbleshanks had found him on his way back from the Railway. Jenny and Skimble had only had Rumpleteazer at that stage so they decided to take him in and raise him. To him, they're his real parents and if he didn't tell you his story you would never guess he was an adopted.
"I'm fine Pounce, really. I just... I still wish I could be like you guys, excel at something. Something that I could show off at the next Jellicle Ball" Pounce nodded and watch me with sympathetic eyes.
"Tory, I know how much you worry about it but truthfully, just you being there will be a joy to us all. The beautiful Victoria! And plus, all those jealous eyes on me when I dance with you at the ball, it's going to be priceless! I wouldn't give it up for the world" he chuckled. I smiled but it didn't last.
"But that's all people see in me Pounce. My appearance. I don't want some tom to fall in love with me because I look pretty. I want them to fall in love because I am pretty!" Pounce cocked his head in confusion.
"But you are pretty, Vics" I grounded my teeth in frustration.
"No! I mean me personally. Myself, my nature, my character, my habits, all of that! I want them to love that" Pounce's eyes cleared in understanding and he murmured in agreement and didn't push the conversation.
Instead we sat there in perfect, comfortable silence, both just happy to be in the others company. I knew how much Pounce appreciated it when I opened up to him, as I rarely did. It would frustrate him to no ends and caused quite a few major fights between us. But when I did I knew I wouldn't regret telling him.
However his company soon ended as Tumble called him over. Something about finding new junk to explore. Pounce seemed to feel my reluctance and before bounding over to him, gave me a friendly nuzzle, purposely tickling a rather sensitive spot cheekily. When he reached Tumble he whispered something in his ear and the Brown and white tom nodded in understanding glancing up at me and giving me a sincere smile. The two mischief makers then headed off in search of their new treasure.
I watched the two of them before decided to have my own adventure and headed of in a random direction, hoping the sight of something new could take my mind off things.
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I'm currently using Online Microsoft Word to write this ... it keeps telling me I'm spelling colour and favourite wrong when I'm not D'X
I miss my laptop :(
Anyway. Sorry, nothing truly interesting happens except for more lovable Pounce moments. Next chapter something more interesting will happen hopefully. Thank-you for the reviews :) And sorry no, it's not Misto... although I had thought about making him Mr Nightshade, but it works better if it's not.
Anyway hope you enjoyed it :)
Xx A.S