Chapter 28: Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats

Rafik and Bombalurina dispersed to the edge of the crowd. "So," Rafik began lazily. "Who will you be dancing with at the Ball?"

"I dunno," Bombalurina said, still flirtatious. "Whoever asks, I suppose."

"Well, I guess I'm asking," Rafik winked. Bombalurina grinned. Whatever Bomba wants, Bomba gets. She thought.

"Well," she purred back, placing a paw on his shoulder, "I guess I'm dancing."

*~*~*

Demeter placed a paw over her mouth and giggled as Munkustrap spoke with Plato, patiently. It was so ridiculous to listen to. "Munk," she interrupted after a moment. "Munk!"

"What?" The tabby looked up at her blankly.

"Too much. Just leave it. Plato will be better if you just leave him be; you aren't very clear." She patted his shoulder and led him away. "Time?" She asked as she put her arms around him and made him start to dance with her.

"Fifteen minutes. Should we get into place?"

"Not yet, love." Demi rested her head wearily on Munkustrap's shoulder and watched as Plato threw his arms skyward in frustration as he stormed over to Persephone and began complaining. Persephone giggled and patted him on the shoulder. Then she began talking very slowly to him and pointing around at the different Cats. "Wow, I have such a wonderful daughter." She held onto Munkustrap a little tighter so he wouldn't think she meant to exclude him from that.

"I think that's pretty fair to say," Munku agreed as they spun and he saw Persephone.

"Is it bad that I'm so tired already?" Demi asked, yawning. "You think I'll droop in the middle of this thing tonight?"

"Excuse me," Munkustrap said in a very affronted, pompous voice, "but I cannot let you call the most important event on the Jellicle social calendar 'this thing'. And no, I think you'll be find. You're in your prime; you're meant to stay up to all hours of the night."

"Munk, was that last remark supposed to have hidden implications?" Demeter asked him suspiciously.

"No," Munkustrap said innocently. "Well, not intentionally, but now that you mention it…"

"Oh, shut it." Demeter giggled. "C'mon, you should be in place." She stepped back from him and looked him up and down. She brushed dust from his shoulder and nodded approvingly. "You look good."

"Why, thank you," Munku beamed. "And you look lovely, as usual. Go get Seph. Good luck. I guess I'll really only see you after Jellicle Songs, The Naming, and Jemima's solo."

"Yes sir, I'm off to pull my daughter away from lover boy." Demi winked at her lover.

"Now you mention it…that is a pretty good name for ol' Plato." Munkustrap walked back towards the tire. "He's had two queens in a year. That's pretty good." As usual, Demeter rolled her eyes at him.

*~*~*

Victoria pulled away from Jemima, who had been chatting with her. "Listen, I should go. Good luck in your solo this year. You'll to fine, it's not that hard."

Jemima smiled anxiously. "Well, since that came from someone who performed it last time, I'll accept that consolation. Oh, I can't wait!" Mima hugged Victoria then began to dance backwards. "Okay, I'll see you later! Good luck to you too!" Victoria pushed her lips into a smile while Jemima watched her, then dropped it quickly. She felt a coat of despair drop on her shoulders. She didn't have a date, and that was important to her. She made a quick list of the singles this evening. Old Deuteronomy, yeah right; Gus, how?; Jellylorum, well, it was possible; Coricopat, he still had a chance because of; Mollieta, strange, she's a pretty queen; Exotica, she hadn't been there that week; Mistoffelees…; and her, Vicky.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Jellylorum and Mollieta grinning excitedly at her. "We should get ready, dear," Jellylorum patted her on the shoulder. She seemed understanding, and Victoria didn't like that.

She swallowed and nodded. "All right. I'll be there in a second." She took a deep breath as Jenny and Molli made their way to the 'wings' of the Junkyard. Then she followed.

*~*~*

Electra grabbed at Pouncival's paw and dragged him to her spot. "C'mon you, we need to get ready," she giggled. Pouncival laughed to as she pushed him forward into the shadows.

Etcetera heard a small scream and a giggle from Electra as she climbed onto the oven. She rolled her eyes to Ademetus as he climbed after her. "Those two. They're a good couple." Lovebirds, she added mentally. "I'm really glad they left the trapeze part in this year. I really like that part. You don't mind, do you?"

"Nah, I just get a little worried about catching you. What if I miss?" Ademetus shrugged.

"Oh well, it won't matter. It'd be a laugh, I'd say. I'm only sad that I don't get to be in that part when you all sing 'The mystical divinity of unashamed felinity'. I like that part when you're all standing around the tire in kind of a triangular arrangement. I come out when we start again on the 'Jellicles can and Jellicles do'." Etcetera sighed.

"Well, take it up with Munkustrap next year. I don' t see why you couldn't do it. I rush over there after I finish catching you the second time. You'd just have to catch your breath and come over too."

Meanwhile, Tantomile squeezed Tugger's paw and followed after her brother. "See you later!"

"Bye, Mila!" Tantomile giggled. A new nickname!

"Hey, Tanti, you wanna hurry? We're about to start," Coricopat complained, paws on his hips.

Grizabella smiled at Plato. "You're with me then. Well, c'mon." Persephone shot a worried glance at the pair as Grizabella started to lead him behind the wagon wheel, where she'd been last year. She suddenly stopped short and turned around. "Oh, I actually don't know where to go."

Plato nodded. "Demeter!" He called "Hey Dem, can you help us."

Demeter looked up at him and nodded. "You want to know where you need to go." She grinned, approaching them.

"How did you guess?" Grizabella asked.

"Everyone's been asking me," Demi laughed. "Okay, let's see…you guys need to go…" She thought for a moment, her eyes closed. "Yeah, Grizi, you two are still back in your spot from last year. You'll come out like this." Demeter showed them a step similar to the one that Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer did to open their dance. Grizabella nodded as she moved on while Plato shot Demeter the thumbs up.

Demeter led Persephone to the drainpipe. "Okay, my darling, black shadow, we're here in the drainpipe. We're going to come out eighth, after Tugger. It's like last year, though you weren't here. Anyway, it's simple, just follow me. We sing after Munkustrap, second. And remember, the line is 'Can you see in the dark?'" Demeter sang the last bit, making Seph smile. Her mother had such a nice voice.

"Sure, course I can!" Demeter ruffled Seph's headfur, a gesture that Persephone repeated on her mother. Demeter laughed and then jumped.

"Oh gosh, we need to get in here. We're starting!" Demeter ducked in after Persephone, curling up at the rim so she could easily get out. "Five, four." The Junkyard was empty by now. "Three," Demeter whispered to her daughter. "Two…one. And there he is!"

*~*~*

Munkustrap slid across the car trunk, this time on his feet instead of his knees. Cassandra slithered out on stage and developed* her leg into the air while reaching out to Munkustrap with her paw. In front of Demeter and Persephone, Skimbleshanks jumped down, past Asparagus, from the drainpipe, sniffing the air. Pouncival jumped out of the shadows where Electra usually came from instead of from 'his chair'. From the side of the Junkyard, Coricopat and Tantomile dragged themselves along the Junkyard floor until they reached their spot. Electra jumped out, next to Pouncival, and sat on the ground beneath him, staring challengingly ahead. Demeter nudged Persephone as Tugger jumped down from the brass bars of a bed and they ran into the middle of the Junkyard. Persephone took her queue and running after her mother, gracefully. Demeter posed with her hip sticking out and resting her head on her paw. Persephone slid underneath her and rested her head on her paw while taking the other paw and almost smoothing the air above the ground as if it were a blanket.

And then the first lyrics of the night echoed through the Junkyard. Munkustrap stretched his torso down to the ground, with his back still flat, and as he sang he extended a paw into the semi-darkness. "Are you blind when you're born?"

Demeter placed her paws on Persephone's shoulders as a signal. "Can you see in the dark?" They chorused, each voice seeming to complete the other.

"Can you look at a king?" Skimbleshanks's Scottish accent couldn't actually be head very well in this line.

"Would you sit on his throne?" Asparagus's voice sounded regal. Cadmus almost managed it, but sounded a little shy as well.

"Can you say of your bite that it's worse then your bark?"

"Are you cock of the walk," Alonzo began, prancing into the Junkyard in front of Cassandra.

"When you're walking alone?" Grizabella and Plato did their entrance step while singing together. Grizabella ended up in a kneeling position while Plato leaned over her. And then they were all up and dancing. The Cats who had been their last year were very comfortable with the choreography since it was very similar to that of the last Ball.

Persephone did her best to follow along in the dance as they all sang. "Because Jellicles are and Jellicles do. Jellicles do and Jellicles would. Jellicles would and Jellicles can. Jellicles can and Jellicles do." Behind them, Alonzo, Regina, and Jellylorum slipped into the Junkyard to sing the last line.

"When you fall on your head, do you land on your feet?" Jellylorum and Regina jumped on the tire at the word 'fall'. The only difference was the Regi did a back flip.

"Are you tense when you sense there's a storm in the air?" Coricopat sang as he and Tantomile arched their backs.

"Can you find your way blind when you're lost in the street?" Sang Jemima, guiltily, as she entered the Yard.

Old Deuteronomy wasn't there yet, so they all sang together. "Do you know how to go to the Heaviside Layer?" And then they were dancing together again. "Because Jellicles can and Jellicles do. Jellicles do and Jellicles can. Jellicles can and Jellicles do. Jellicles do and Jellicles can. Jellicles can and Jellicles do."

"Can you ride on a broomstick to places far distant?" Tantomile did her usual 'broomstick' step, accompanied by Coricopat.

"Familiar with candle," Mollieta, Jenny, and Victoria began the line about excommunication while Alonzo watched the way their bodies twisted through the dance step.

"with book and with bell?" Pouncival and Electra harmonized together, just like a good Jellicle couple should.

Bombalurina was there, with her usual swagger, followed by Rafik. "Were you Whittington's friend?" As they sang, Rafik wrapped his arms around Bombalurina and they rubbed heads. Choreographed by Demeter and Munkustrap in a state of being reunited, everything was a little more romantic this year.

"The Pied Piper's assistant?" Mistoffelees question was sung with a little less feeling this year. His dancing, while powerful, didn't hold all of its usual energy.

"Have you been an alumnus of heaven and hell," Tumblebrutus's deep voice made Jemima smile. It wasn't as deep as that, but he liked to sing it that way. He tumbled out into the middle of the Junkyard, almost knocking Cassandra over.

"Are you mean like a minx?"

"Are you lean like a lynx?" Rumpelteazer and Mungojerrie sounded as jaunty and mischievous as they had last year. Mungojerrie sported a wide grin from having gotten the sound and lights to work again. Persephone remembered the way Munkustrap had messed up the line when she first came to the Jellicles.

"Are you keen to be seen when you're smelling a rat?" Ademetus came out with Etcetera this year to sing atop the oven. Etcetera lifted her leg to rest on his shoulder and flexed it while they worked through a complex arm pattern.

"Were you there when the Pharaohs commissioned the sphinx?" Cassandra stretched her upper body backwards and letting the full moon catch her eyes once more.

"If you were and you are, you're a Jellicle Cat!" Again, they were up and dancing all together. Persephone liked the feeling of unity it gave her. Electra just like moving, dancing. Jemima loved to be stretching her voice, trying to hit notes higher then anyone else in the Tribe. Etcetera took a deep breath and tried to calm her excitement and nerves. Ademetus, to his horror, found his palms sweating. What if Etcetera slipped from his grasp? Before either of them knew it, it was their turn and the others were singing different lyrics. "We can dive through the air like a flying trapeze."

Ademetus pushed Etcetera out through the air. She swung on the trapeze, this year managing a flip after getting her body to swing up vertically for a moment. She swung back and was caught by Ademetus. One down. The next line began. "We can turn double somersaults," and Etcetera found herself hurtling through the air again. She managed another flip, but felt herself going faster then before. Her stomach was knotting up as she approached Ademetus. He reached out and tried to snag her around the waist, but his slippery paws missed. She swung out once more, after hitting a large barrel and getting propelled the other way. Instead of panicking, which was her instinct, she waited until she was low enough before dropping into the midst of the Cats. There was one good thing, she'd get to sing with them "The mystical divinity of unashamed felinity."

*~*~*

Jemima didn't even see Etcetera's slip. She was too busy preparing for her first almost solo of the night. Last year, Victoria had been the featured queen, the debutant of the Ball. This year, it was Jemima's turn. It was her turn to officially exit kitten hood. As all of her friends began to sing, "We can run up a wall, we can swing through the trees," Jemima turned to Munkustrap and was lifted up onto his shoulders. They spun around and she was put down, sliding backwards into the splits. Then she was up again, singing with the others.

After spending all time before that awaiting that first moment, Jemima felt the rest of the song go by quickly. Soon, Ademetus had joined them and they were in a pyramid like formation singing, "Can you sing at the same time in more than one key," then, "The mystical divinity of unashamed felinity." Then the pace picked up again and they began on "Practical Cats, dramatical Cats," and so forth. Before she knew it, all dancing had stopped as the usual Naming of Cats began. Her solo approached.

*Dance term. See Jemima during Old Deuteronomy while she's yawning and stretching her leg into the air.