*glances nervously around* Hi everyone! I'm so so sorry for being ridiculously slow in updating. No excuses for my absence, but I'm sorry for leaving you guys hanging. I'm back now though, and I promise to update this more consistently.
To my reviewers:
Evelyn Knight: I always look forward to your reviews, and I'm glad you liked my backstory. I was nervous because it wasn't something typically seen, so I didn't know how fans would react. But I'm glad you liked it and I will be delving into it even further in future chapters, as well as my backstory for Mistofolees. :)
PrettyRecklessLaura: Thank you for the review! More has arrived, I hope you enjoy!
Guest: I'm glad you stuck around, and I'm happy to hear you enjoy my story so much. Characters are always something I worry about, especially staying true to who the characters are, so I'm glad for that confirmation from you. I hope you continue to read and enjoy.
Ok guys, on to the chapter. It's a bit longer for you, to make up for my absence, and we're finally starting to get into the swing of things with preparation for the Jellicle Ball. (If you couldn't tell by the title. ;))
***There is a slight warning for mentions of anxiety/panic attacks towards the end of this chapter, so for those who are sensitive to those sort of things, be warned! I don't go into detail, but it's there.***
I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review!
- Raven
I woke up still inside the barrel I'd shared with Exotica, and I stretched carefully before peering out and seeing that it was light inside the Junkyard. I crept out slowly, and heard some kind of commotion, the noise coming from the clearing way off to my left. I shook my fur out and made my way towards the sound, weaving my way carefully through and around various piles of trash and odds and ends, and stopped just outside the edge of the clearing, taking in everything I was seeing.
Various decorations were strewn about the clearing, from birthday to Christmas and everything in between, all in different stages of either being torn apart or hung up, and almost every cat I had met, and some I hadn't, were all scrambling about trying to put it all together. Even the kittens were there, though most of them were playing in the decorations more than helping, and I spotted the twins talking with Munkustrap over by the tower of car tires towards the center of it all. I made my way over to the familiar faces, avoiding Tumblebrutus, who was still trying to do a flic flac.
"…don't know what we're going to do!" I heard Munkustrap saying as I got closer. "The lights aren't even strung up properly, the dances haven't been picked, and Bustopher is due to arrive any day now, which will set us back even further and…"
"Persephone!" Tantomile cried, cutting him off. Her face split into a smile, and she darted forward to give me a quick hug before drawing me into the group. "We were afraid you'd gotten lost. I was all set to come looking for you when you didn't come back once it had gotten dark."
"I told you she was alright," Coricopat said, sounding disgruntled, though he, too looked relieved to see me, even if he didn't express it as fervently as his twin.
"I was with Exotica," I told Tantomile, and she nodded a little, as though she had known, but still wanted to be sure.
Munkustrap had broken off from his tirade at my arrival, and now smiled at me as I stood between him and Tantomile, though I noticed that his eyes seemed guarded, and I had a feeling he hadn't forgiven me for the earlier fiasco with Demeter and Bombalurina either.
"Hello Persephone." At least he was still polite in greeting me, and I smiled back, albeit awkwardly.
"Morning, Munkustrap." It was still so weird for me. Here I was, addressing all these cats as though it were a normal thing.
"We were just discussing plans for the ball," Tantomile said, bringing me up to speed, oblivious to my train of thought. "Munkustrap worries too much, if you ask me."
"The ball?" I said, thinking that it couldn't possibly be…
"The Jellicle Ball," Munkustrap said, staring at me again in that 'what land are you from?' way.
"I suppose you wouldn't have heard of it," Coricopat broke in thoughtfully. "Since you came from outside the Junkyard."
I nodded, grateful. He had supplied the alibi and I didn't even need to say anything. But the Jellicle Ball? How was I supposed to fit into that?
"Right," Munkustrap said, still eyeing me warily as he turned back to the twins. "Some of the kittens have volunteered, and Victoria will open, of course, but…"
"Wait did you say Bustopher?" I cut in, remembering what I'd heard him say as I came in. "Bustopher Jones? In white…." I trailed off as I also remembered I wasn't supposed to know anything, and now all three cats were staring at me curiously.
"How…?" Munkustrap began to ask, and I tried to think of any excuses I could make to defend myself.
"I…I've seen him around, here and there. He could always get into the fancy restaurants and I could never figure out how he did it. I uh…I just didn't expect to see him here."
Munkustrap was staring at me even harder than before, but the twins both seemed to accept my story, nodding a little before turning back to the conversation. I fought hard to meet Munkustrap's gaze and not look away suspiciously, but he finally nodded once before turning back to the twins, and I decided to join the kittens before I said something else that would get me in trouble.
"Persephone!" Tumblebrutus cried the moment he saw me. "Check it out! I've finally got it!" And before I could ask him what 'it' was, or even fully process his excitement, he leapt backwards into the air and performed three consecutive flips, landing in an upright position with his hands above his head.
"See?" he said, once he'd stopped moving. "I got it!"
"That's amazing!" I cried, just as enthused, and he purred, straightening in pride. "I'm really glad you've finally figured it out."
"Yeah, and maybe, if I get good enough, Deuteronomy will let me do something for the ball!"
The other kittens had crowded around, and Victoria brushed shyly against my ankles. "What are you doing for the ball, Persephone?" she asked me, and all the kittens looked to me eagerly.
"Oh, uh…I don't think I…I don't know." I stammered lamely, and the shock on their faces was so priceless I would have laughed if I weren't so nervous.
"Well you have to do something!" Pouncival said sternly, drawing himself up importantly. "Every member of the Jellicle tribe participates and has a number in the ball."
I didn't want to crush their expectations by telling them that, technically, I wasn't a member of the Jellicle tribe, or even a real cat, but the thought was in my mind. Mistoffolees frowned thoughtfully before speaking, and I had to lean in to hear him over the noise of the other kittens' suggestions and arguments.
"What is it that you're good at?"
I shook my head. "I'm really not as talented as you guys are. I don't really dance, and I'm not a great singer."
"Can you play an instrument?" Etcetera asked, and I glanced down at my paws.
"No."
"Maybe you can do magic like Misto!" Electra gasped, while the kitten in question bristled slightly at being addressed as Misto by someone other than Victoria.
I took all of their suggestions with a grain of salt, and was getting ready to head back over to the twins when I heard a soft laugh. I looked up, and saw the last person I wanted to see. I felt my own fur stand on end a bit, and I scowled at the silky Tom making his way towards me. The kittens sensed my mood shift and carefully scattered, disappearing further into the clearing.
"Tugger." My voice held every bit of hatred and disgust I could conjure up, but he simply smiled at me, his eyes twinkling merrily.
"Persephone." I shivered in spite of myself at the way he said my name. "Are you going to dance at the ball?"
"No," I said coldly, still glaring at him. "I don't dance."
"Shame," he said, making a tsk-tsk noise. "I was hoping you'd save me one."
I growled, but was saved from any further remarks by an arm, slipping smoothly around my shoulders. I couldn't see who it was from how I was positioned, but I could smell them; a sharp, sweet sort of spicy smell, like bergamot and mint.
"Tugger," the cat said, with the same inflection of loathing I had used. "Don't you have a musical number to practice?"
"Deme!" Tugger cried with over-enthusiasm. "I was just wondering when you'd step in and kill the mood."
Demeter. I thought, feeling relieved and nervous all at once. Was she still mad at me?
"I'm sure you were," she retorted, and Tugger laughed, winking at me before sauntering off humming a tune under his breath.
Once he had disappeared from view, Demeter's arm dropped from my shoulder, and I tensed inwardly as I turned to her, expecting her to start yelling at me. Instead, she smiled, and laughed just a little bit as she shook her head incredulously.
"You alright?" she asked, and I blinked, realizing that she was actually concerned, and that she wasn't raging like I thought she would.
"Yeah, he was just…." I shook my head, deciding not to finish that sentence. "I can't stand him, sometimes." I confessed, following her out of the clearing. "It's weird; I hate him, but I don't. Like every time he looks at me," I shivered briefly, thinking of it, then mentally slapped myself. "I can't decide whether I want to kill him or…." I trailed off in a frustrated groan, and Demeter chuckled a bit beside me.
"I know the feeling." Her tone was light, but there was something more to it, and I stopped, realizing that she did in fact, know that feeling.
"I did it again, didn't I?" I groaned, cringing inwardly.
"Did what?"
"Said something without thinking and brought up things I shouldn't have."
"It's fine," she said, so quick to reassure me. "And Bomba's fine, too. Really, it's alright.'
I didn't see how, but I didn't push my luck and comment further. I noticed we were drifting further away from the clearing and towards the other side of the Yard, and I glanced around curiously at the various dens and half formed set pieces in the midst of construction and decoration.
"Is all this stuff for the ball?" I asked, motioning to a giant carriage wheel propped up against the side of a den.
"Most of it," Demeter said, nodding. "Whatever we don't use this year gets recycled into dens, or else cleared away into the rest of the Yard. We usually reuse a lot of the pieces, though, so it's not too big a deal."
"Better not let Munkustrap hear you say that, he takes his decorations very seriously." A new voice broke in, amusement lacing its tone. I froze, feeling my fur raise, and I stepped back involuntarily.
Bombalurina appeared, a small smirk on her face as she approached, pausing briefly when she saw me before turning back to Demeter.
"Did you still want to practice or have you found something else?"
Demeter's eyes widened slightly at her words, and I shifted nervously, hoping to fade into the background.
"That's right, I almost forgot!" she gasped. "No, of course we can still practice. I take it you've already stretched?"
"And managed a warm up," Bomba replied smugly, grinning when Demeter made a face at her.
"Fine, give me a second and then I'll join you."
She jogged around Bomba and dissapeared through a large metal pipe, and I realized when I looked closer that it was the same pipe I'd seen in the memories Exotica had shown me, the one Grizabella had used to get to her den. I was pondering this revelation when Bomba spoke up suddenly, startling me.
"What are you doing for the ball?"
I blinked, turning slowly to face her. She was in the middle of a stretch, reaching down as though to touch her toes, but twisting instead to grab the opposite foot. She made the simple move look graceful, and it took me a moment to process that she had spoken to me, and that it hadn't been an angry yell.
"I…I'm not…I mean, you're not…" I stammered nervously, and she glanced up at me, one brow lifting curiously. I cleared my throat, trying to focus. "Nothing, I mean I don't know. I didn't think I counted."
She straightened at that, frowning at me, and I shifted a half step back, anxious. "Counted?" She repeated, a look on her face I couldn't quite interpret.
"Uh, as…as a Jellicle," I clarified, and her expression went blank at that, her eyes sharpening. I felt a twinge of fear as she took a step towards me, reminded all too painfully of our confrontation in the alley.
"Of course you count," Bomba said, her voice just as intense as it had been then. "Why wouldn't you?"
I said nothing, taken aback and oddly touched by the vehemence by which she swore I was part of the tribe. I hadn't expected it, especially from her, and the gesture was so unlike what I had imagined that I was literally speechless for a moment as I took it in. Demeter appeared, thankfully freeing me from further awkwardness, and Bomba and I both turned to face her, though I did so a little dazedly.
"Everything ok?" She asked, frowning slightly as she glanced between me and Bomba.
"Fine," Bomba answered, and I nodded, still reeling but shaking it off quickly.
"Yeah," I assured, smiling a bit and looking at Bomba. "Yeah I think so."
"Good," Demeter said, grinning back at me. "You wanna come watch us practice?"
"Sure," I agreed, and followed them back through the piles of junk. I thought at first we were returning to the clearing, but they turned off the path just before we reached it, and instead we stepped out into a large open field, random tufts of grass sticking out here and there amongst a few trees.
There was a large empty patch of dirt and sand that had been flattened and hardened until it was almost as solid as a wood or tile floor, and it was this section of the filed that Bomba and Demeter headed to. As I drew closer, I could see the impressions in the dirt from where it had been walked and trampled on, numerous paw prints indented into the sand.
"Should we start with stretches or are you good to work the routine?" Bomba asked Demeter, who was already halfway through a complicated looking stretch.
"No, I'm good to go," Demeter answered, standing from her stretch and shaking out her arms and legs. "It's been a while, so…"
Bomba nodded, frowning in thought. "Places?"
"I'll take point," Demeter said, and Bomba scowled.
"You always take point."
"But I'm good at it," Demeter stated calmly, smiling in the face of her sister's disapproval.
"Fine," Bomba answered sharply, a sly smile on her face. "Then you can start with your passes."
Demeter's smile fell from her face, and Bomba laughed as she growled. "Do you want to take point, then?" Demeter grumbled, a spark in her eyes.
Bomba lifted her chin triumphantly. "I thought you'd never ask."
Demeter growled again, but more exasperated than angry. "Let's just start, or we'll never get the routine done in time."
"Right." Bomba answered with a quick nod.
I realized as they started moving through a few paces that I was in the middle of their 'dance floor,' and quickly backed out of the space to sit against a nearby tree. As I watched them, I found I could recognize a few of the moves. I thought it was because I had a friend back home who took ballet and often could be seen doing random stretches in the school hallways, but then I realized it was because I knew the dance.
"Isn't that-" I started to say, then stopped and corrected myself quickly. "I mean, is that the dance you're going to do for the ball?"
Bomba didn't answer, still focusing on finishing her turn, but Demeter completed her own turn easily, and nodded, panting a little as she smiled at me.
"Yeah, what do you think?"
"It's…really good," I answered, unable to think of anything other than that. It was seriously incredible, a much more complex version of the Macavity dance from the ball, with a few added spins and turns, and ballet moves I couldn't have hoped to pronounce, let alone actually accomplish.
"You're just saying that," Demeter blushed a little, and Bomba turned to face us, brushing aside a stray tuft of fur that had landed in front of her eyes.
"I'm really not, though," I said with a slight chuckle. "You guys are really good. What…um, what's the dance called?"
Demeter shook her head a little, and something flickered in Bomba's eyes as she gave a wry smile. "We haven't decided yet."
Something about the way she said it told me it would be smart not to question any further, and I nodded at her in understanding.
"What about you?" Demeter asked, and Bomba's smile grew a little more genuine.
"What?"
"What does your dance look like?" Bomba clarified, and I shook my head, backing a step away from the 'dance floor.'
"Oh no, I- I don't…I can't dance." I tried to emphasize as much as possible just how bad an idea me dancing was.
Demeter laughed, and Bomba smirked, her eyes lighting mischievously. "We'll see about that."
I tried to protest further, but Demeter's ears flickered, and she turned her head sharply to stare in the direction we had come from.
"Hey," she said, her brow furrowing as she stared. "What's going on in the yard?"
Bomba and I turned to follow her gaze, and sure enough there appeared to be some kind of commotion, and pricking my ears forward I could just faintly hear the sounds of things banging and crashing. I exchanged a nervous glance with Bomba and Demeter, and then all three of us were racing back up the path towards the heart of the Junkyard. I didn't know what to expect, but I could tell by the looks on the sisters' faces that they weren't expecting anything less than a fight or something equally big and unpleasant.
We reached the outskirts of the Yard, Demeter the first to see what awaited us. She froze, her mouth opening and closing a few times in wordless surprise. Bomba pulled up short beside her, her arms going out instinctively to pull her back from the danger, then she too froze, her brow furrowing and lips pursing in a silent question. I felt my stomach lurch in fear, but when I finally reached the two I saw what it was that had them so shocked.
The Yard was a mess, to put it simply. Various other synonyms strode through my mind; a war zone, a battlefield, a massacre. Bits and pieces of half formed sets and costumes were thrown all throughout the space, and I could hear shouting from up ahead.
"No no no! Absolutely not!"
I glanced over at Bomba and Demeter, frowning my own confusion. "Is that Munkustrap shouting?"
They shook their heads, just as unsure, and we jogged down into the clearing, mindful of the ruin. We reached the clearing in time to hear a loud crash, and a horrible wailing noise pierced the air. I flinched, as did Bomba and Demeter, and I was preparing to face a massacre, when the wailing suddenly ceased, and Tugger's voice spoke up.
"Come on, Munkus! It'll be great!"
We finally caught sight of what was going on, and we froze, unsure how to handle it. The Rum Tum Tugger stood in all his glory, his usual leather abandoned in favor of a plaid monstrosity that hung about his waist. An even larger plaid monster rested on his shoulders, tubes and funnels of all kinds sticking out at various angles. Munkustrap stood scowling in front of him, his paws pressed firmly over his ear while the few cats in the clearing cowered off to the side, Jellylorum glaring murderously at Tugger as she covered one of the kitten's eyes.
As we watched, Tugger squeezed the thing on his shoulder, blowing into one of the funnels and producing the horrible wailing noise we'd heard before. Munkustrap growled, and flung a shoe in Tugger's direction, which he nimbly dodged, sending the shoe into a pile of props, which fell over with another loud crash.
"Munkustrap," Demeter said quietly, her voice blank. "What is this?"
"Deme!" Tugger lit up, a smirk on his face as he bounced over. "Munkustrap is being entirely unreasonable and is refusing to allow to me to play my bagpipes for the ball."
"He's being perfectly reasonable, if what we just heard was anything to go on," she retorted, grimacing as she took in his appearance. "And what on earth are you wearing?!"
"Do you like it?" He asked, his voice lowering suggestively. Jellylorum made a shocked noise and tried to cover the kitten's ears as well, while Demeter growled at him in response.
"Tugger," Munkustrap said with a groan, rubbing his eyes tiredly with a paw. "You are not playing the bagpipes in the ball, and that's final."
"But-"
"Final," Munkustrap repeated firmly, and the two Toms glared at each other a moment more before Tugger sighed and drooped in defeat.
"Fine," he muttered, sulking away and muttering under his breath. I stared, completely caught off guard and not sure how to react to what I had just witnessed. Demeter seemed to feel the same, just as silently shocked as I was, but Bomba chuckled, glancing at Munkustrap with a smirk.
"How long until he starts parading the bagpipes down the street?" She asked, and Munkustrap groaned again, shaking his head.
"I don't even want to think about that right now," he confessed, and Demeter cracked a smile, the shock of the moment wearing off.
"Just tell me you've got your dances figured out, and I'll be happy," he continued, and Bomba and Demeter nodded. He looked to me, and I froze, my eyes widening.
"Um, about that," I stammered, glancing around nervously. "I…kinda…don't know how…to dance." My words lowered to a quiet mumble, but he still heard, and his own eyes widened as he stared at me.
"You don't…" he began, then stopped, wincing as though he couldn't bear the thought. "But you're…how do you not know…." He looked like he might pass out, and Bomba rolled her eyes while Demeter placed a comforting paw on his shoulder.
"It'll be alright, Munk," she said. "We're teaching her, she'll have a dance for the ball, don't worry."
"She will?" He whimpered, his eyes lifting hopefully.
"I will?"
Demeter glared at me, and I quickly changed my tone. "I mean, yeah. I will." She smiled, and Munkustrap nodded, seeming to rouse a little more.
"Ok. Ok, then, good. The last thing I need right now is another complication for the ball."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Demeter offered, and Munkustrap shook his head.
"No, no, it's fine. Just…if Tugger's bagpipes were to…mysteriously go missing…."
Demeter laughed, nodding her understanding. "Sure thing, Munk." He brightened considerably, and moved off to oversee some more decorations, while Bomba, Demeter and I headed back in the direction of Cori and Tanto's den.
"Is he always so worried about the ball?" I asked, watching the lights begin to glow as night fell.
"No, but this ball is a bit…special," Demeter said, and I frowned.
"Special?"
"Old Deuteronomy chooses who goes Heaviside this year," Bombalurina said, her voice quiet.
"Oh…" I whispered, clarity hitting me. "Right, I knew that."
"You did?"
"I mean…" I cursed myself for yet another slip. "I mean, I figured there was…something going on."
Bomba frowned, her eyes narrowing as she stared at me. I shivered, trying to meet her gaze and not look suspicious but certain I was failing.
"Yes, good job," a voice whispered harshly in my ear. "Why don't you also mention that you work for me? That will go over well."
I froze, a pang of fear going through me before being replaced by anger. I don't work for you! I hissed mentally, and he laughed in response, making me shiver again. Bomba was still staring at me, but Demeter stiffened suddenly, her ears twitching as though she too had heard the laugh. The slight movement drew Bomba's attention, and she turned to her sister, concern flooding her features.
"Dem," she said softly. "Are you alright?"
Demeter's eyes had gone glassy, unfocused as she stared around us, her ears twitching and turning at the slightest sound.
"I…I thought…." Her voice was low and hoarse with fear, and Bomba stepped closer, but didn't make a move to touch her.
"It's alright, Dem," she said, sorrow filling her eyes as she continued to speak quietly. "We're in the Junkyard, remember?"
"I know that!" Demeter hissed, her ears pinning slightly in frustration before shooting forward again. "But I heard…"
"No," Bomba said firmly, her voice still low but her eyes hardening. "No, you didn't."
Demeter growled, her body tensing slowly as she shifted her weight on her paws, and Bomba's face fell even further.
"Dem, please," she whispered. "Not now, please don't do this now."
I stared anxiously, unsure what exactly was happening, but feeling like I had an idea. "Is there anything I can do?" I asked Bomba.
She shook her head, sighing a little. "No, it's…" she stopped short of saying 'fine.' "She'll come out of it eventually."
"What's 'it'"? I asked, and she grimaced, her eyes hardening even further. I fell silent, stepping back and trying to give them space.
"Dem," Bomba started again, but Demeter shushed her, her eyes flickering warily back and forth.
"I know," she muttered again. "I know, I know, but I heard him."
Bomba made a pained noise in the back of her throat, and I froze, understanding hitting me at the same time his voice filled my head again.
"The Phan..tom…of the Op…era is there…inside your mind!" He laughed cruelly, and Demeter flinched, another low growl slipping past her bared teeth.
Oh you sick bas-
"Language!" He crowed, and I could almost see his vindictive smirk as he cut me off, reveling in the torment he'd caused.
"Take this as a lesson, Persephone," he turned suddenly serious, and I fought my own urge to growl as I watched Demeter tremble before me.
What kind of lesson? I growled mentally, and he added his own growl, a dark rumble taking over his words.
"You make think you have the upper hand, but in the end, you will never truly escape me."
As I watched Bomba trying vainly to calm a paranoid Demeter, I couldn't help but wonder if he was right. And if he was, what other things were in store? The ball was drawing ever closer, and even though I knew what would happen, things were already so different; who knew what my presence here could bring? Whatever plans Macavity had in store, I knew one thing for absolute certainty: I would not have any part in it.