Part Twenty-Nine
The dance couldn't have come fast enough for some cats. Etcetera sat in her livingroom, worrying the string of her corset-designed tank top and fiddling with her skirt. Jemima was at home helping Demeter get ready for Mungojerrie to arrive to drive them. Electra was miserably getting ready for Tumblebrutus to come and pick her up. Bombalurina was at Pouncival's house, giggling at his expense with his mother.
Munkustrap sat in a pristine livingroom with his leather jacket, a clean white t-shirt and a pair of dress pants. Tantomile was in her room getting ready, and Coricopat was talking with their father about getting the car for the evening. The twin's mother was in the kitchen making dinner and the smells wafted out to the silver tabby tom.
"Whatever it is you're cooking smells heavenly." Munkus said loudly, breaking the silence in the room. He was nervous, considering this would be the first time he and Tantomile were really close. Coricopat had asked the shy Siamese Pharasophatees to the dance, and would be picking her up soon if he got the car.
"Well thank you darling, I am hoping I will have it done before you three leave so you will all at least have a chance to eat a little something." Tantomile's mother, Allegra, was a beautiful queen. She was slender, with lithe muscles running through her elegantly long arms and legs. Her face had an exotic angle to it, with her pointed chin and sharp, high cheekbones. Her eyes were angled, but a more subdued color of gold than the fiery sulphur of her twins. Her thick, wavy shoulder-length hair was was black with a few brown and rusty-colored streaks in it.
"I'm hoping Tantomile will get something to eat; if not here, then I'll pick something up. I don't like the idea of dancing all night with an empty stomach." A gentle smile spread over Allegra's face and she chuckled.
"You treat her so well; I'm glad." She turned back into the kitchen moments before Tantomile emerged from her bedroom.
The calico queen glided down the hall in black soft soled ballet flats. The black skirt she wore was long, with a filmy layer over top the opaque black layer. It flowed around her legs as she walked and gave the already mysterious queen a very ethereal look. A long slit up the side of the skirt revealed Tantomile's slender, long leg at every step. Her tunic styled shirt was a pale gold, with an empire waist and long, open and flowing sleeves. Metallic thread ran through the seams and caught the light. Tant's make up was smokey and accented her exotic shaped, golden sulphur eyes. Her hair was loose, but had some sort of product in it that made it look more chunky than it normally was. A single dangling rosy quartz pendant was the only jewellery she wore, and Tantomile looked shyly at Munkustrap before walking down the stairs from her room.
Munkustrap had been standing since Tantomile emerged, since he was frozen to the spot. His emerald green eyes were locked onto her face, taking in her smile and the mysterious hooded look in her eyes.
"You had better close your mouth, Munkustrap, before the flies start to congregate." Her husky voice jolted the silver tom out of his daze and he crossed the room. Taking Tantomile's arm, Munkustrap smiled gently down at her.
"You look so beautiful, Tant." The queen lowered her eyes with a soft blush and touched Munkustrap's paw gently.
"And you look handsome Munkustrap; you always do and always have." Munkus reached out and tilted her chin up a little. Starring deeply into his eyes, Tantomile smiled shyly. Leaning in, Munkustrap gently pressed his lips against hers.
Rum Tum Tugger, however, was ready and had been ready for the dance for the past hour and a half. At the moment, he was sitting at the entrance of the airport, unbuttoning the top two buttons of his dress shirt. His brown eyes flicked up when there was a movement at his window. Tugger drove away from the airport five minutes later, but he wasn't alone. In the passenger seat was a very lovely silver queen with black markings on her chest, boots and gloves.
The doors of the dance opened at exactly eight o'clock, and Etcetera was standing just inside the doors of the gymnasium with Jemima and Electra. Electra was still miserable at the fact that Pouncival had gotten over her, but Jemima was trying to keep her from thinking about it. Cettie was playing with the strings on her corset top again, her teal eyes glued to the door.
"Tugger did say that he'd meet us here, right?" Leccy rolled her eyes and gave Jemima and knowing look.
"Yeah, and he said he was gonna have a surprise. I wonder what that'll be..." Jemima glared at Electra and looked around. Tumblebrutus was walking over, a large blooming red rose in his paws.
The tan and white mixed tom was dressed in clean and dressy black pants with a white tank top shirt that formed to his body quite nicely. He wasn't an exceptionally muscular tom, but the shirt made him look very dashing anyways. He stopped just beside Electra and touched her elbow gently. Her brown eyes turned to him with little warmth, until they scanned down him to the rose. With a squeak, Leccy tried to keep Brutus from going down on his knees.
"Tumble! If you don't get off the floor, I swear to whatever God I will break you..." She hissed urgently, looking around at the people watching with interest. Tumblebrutus remained where he was, but he took Electra's paw. Glancing down at him with clear embarrassement, Leccy sighed.
"Electra, do you really want this? Us, I mean..." He asked, and Electra's mouth dropped open. Tumble was completely serious and he was hurt by the fact that Electra might not be with him because she wanted to be. The queen in question was opening and closing her mouth, strangled and confused sounds coming out in the place of words.
"Tumble..." She tried, but the look in his eyes stopped her. Closing her eyes tightly, Electra took a deep breath.
"You want the truth?" She asked in a low, slightly sad voice. Tumblebrutus's eyes flashed, but he nodded. Looking down at him again, Leccy's mouth curled a little at the edges into a smile.
"In the beginning I was just using you to make Pouncival jealous, and I'm sorry for that part. But now I do want to be with you. You're sweet, gentle and amazingly cute with everything you do. But the reason I'm staying with you now is because you have something that most toms lack: maturity. You know where the line is and you have the decency not to cross it." Standing up, Tumblebrutus pulled Electra against him, crushing the rose between them as he crushed his own mouth against her. Electra was surprised at first, and then she wound her arms around his neck.
"Whoa! Am I interrupting something?" Misto walked up with Alonzo and his date, Cassandra. The Siamese queen was dressed in an elegantly flowing silk dress with tank top cut sleeves. Her hair was styled a little and her make up was sparse. Jemima went to Mistoffelees and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She nuzzled his cheek gently and giggled.
"Just a little scene with Romeo and Juliet here." Alonzo laughed and kissed Cass gently on the cheek. Etcetera was still watching the door, and let out a surprised squeak that made everyone look.
All eyes around Cettie went to Tugger as he entered the gymnasium. On his arm was the lovely queen from the airport; her curvacious body clad in a pair of sleek dress pants and a lovely tight dress tank top. Her long, straight silver and black hair was pulled back from her face and her dark green eyes regarded everything with interest. She leant in and whispered something in Tugger's ear. He laughed, and then spotted Etcetera staring at him.
"Cettie!" He called out, letting go of the queen, who followed him as he moved quickly through the crowd towards his girlfriend. Etcetera folded her arms over her chest and looked up at Tugger with an unimpressed look on her face. Her eyes rolled blatantly towards the queen behind Tugger, and then back up to her boyfriend.
"Hi." Cettie said flatly. The tall Maine Coon tom blinked in surprise, and looked over his shoulder.
"Uhh... what's with the cold shoulder, Cettie?" He asked, cocking his stance to one side. Cettie fuzzed and glared openly now.
"Hmm... let me think. You tell me you can't pick me up the for the dance and tell me to meet you there. You also tell me there's a surprise, and then you show up with another queen. I wonder, Tugger, I wonder..." Tugger flinched at the sarcasm, but the queen behind chuckled. Walking up beside Tugger, the mystery queen extended a black paw to Etcetera.
"I'm sorry for the confusion, I wouldn't date this moron for the world. I'm Mistyshade, or Misty for short. I'm Tugger's big sister."
