Part Two: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
After The Jellicle Ball
Chapter Eleven: Sad Clown
All the
feelings they remain like a still life
A dying swan song forever
lost your cries of glory
The rain is falling down like silence in
a shroud
When All that really matters left to lose...
He had tried. But had he tried hard enough? The entire junkyard was a buzz about the public engagement of Tugger and Bomba. At least this got Demeter out of the closet home, but now she wouldn't even look at him. Not that she had really looked at him much before anyhow, but it had been nice to see a stolen glance here and there in his direction... now he just got nothing at all from the golden queen. She also looked more tired and worn he noticed.
" You've sure been staring at her for a while brother." Alonzo settled himself next to Munkustrap, who at first was paying him no mind at all and the black and white tom understood why.
" Hm?" His eyes tore from the golden queen who was talking with a collection of other queens and some kittens as well," Hey Lonz. Haven't seen you in a bit, how's things?"
The younger tom just slowly shook his head," Man. You got it bad. Everlasting Cat do you have it bad my friend." He amused at his serious older brother's sudden demeanor shift and lazily stretched," Still can't believe Tugs is gunna settle down. With Bomba of all queens. Well... I mean I can see it, but not in a Jenny Skimble sense," He gave a side glance to his brother who's blue eyes were back on the only thing noticeable to him in the entire junkyard," Right. Catch you later Day dreamer."
"Oh? Yeah.. seeya..." Maybe Alonzo was right, he did have it and badly, well he had been like this about Demeter for a long time, for as long as he could remember really. With a sigh the Sentinel stood and made his way towards the Old Ford to take his usual post for the remainder of the evening and night.
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Bombalurina shook her head. All this moping around from Munkustrap was seriously putting a cramp in her happiness. Tugger's too. Perhaps it was time for the red queen to have a chat with her sister, a not so nice chat maybe. She was tired of the girl going about avoiding Munkustrap even more so now. Any chance she got, Demeter would sneak back into the closet home and stay there either until the next day or until she was forcefully dragged back out again.
" Something wrong Babe?" Rum Tum Tugger gave his soon to be life-mate a curious glance, something was bugging her and bad. Something told him he knew exactly what it was too.
" Yes. We seriously need to get those two to snap out of it." Bombalurina growled," Most especially my sister. There she goes sneaking off again. Damnable coward." Without another word, the scarlet furred cat moved after the golden queen. if it came to it, that queen was about to get some sense knocked into her older sister style.
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" Hey Vicki." Alonzo smiled and settled himself next to the young white queen, his mind trying to think up a good conversation topic," Um... so are those real diamonds in your collar?" Oh that was a good pick up line, real smooth. He was worse than Munkustrap.
The snow white queen turned, her blue eyes settling on the rather shy black and white tom curiously, her little pink lips forming a small smile," Yes they are actually." She answered his question nicely," How are things? " She smiled again, her shoulder gently moving to touch his briefly in a rubbing motion.
" Uh...um..." The young tom gulped and scratched the back of his head a moment," Nothing much... I um... I'll see ya around Vic." The youngest son of Old Deuteronomy moved to leave the queen be again only to pause and turn around," Oh by the way uh... I really like your dancing." He smiled and turned back to leave now. it really hadn't been so hard now had it? Not at all.
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"Misto my main magic cat, what's up?" Tugger noticed his little friend was looking a bit sore about something, which was highly unlike the conjuring cat," New trick not working or something?"
" Erm... no not that." The black kitten settled himself in a comfortable position by his maned friend.
" Queen trouble? Or did Cori and Tanti kick you out again?" Tugger arched a brow," Didn't blow something up did ya?"
" Not that I'm aware of... but queen trouble..." The kitten shrugged slightly," Could say that yeah." He felt odd asking Tugger about this, normally he could charm most any queen with his tricks, but for some reason he couldn't think of a good enough trick to impress one in particular.
"So... who is my little buddy after this time?" With Bomba off to sort out her sister, Tugger figured helping out Misto with whatever the problem was could pass the time.
" Jemima." He blurted out, but almost instantly regretted it as he spied a devious gleam in his friend's eyes.
" Nice choice. Very nice indeed, only I'd wait till Demeter is less fragile." Tugger amused, finding it hard to believe that the kittens were growing up so fast," But take it slow Mist, you're both young still so don't rush stuff alright."
Mistoffolees nodded and showed the Tugger a new magic trick in thanks for his advice," I think... I think maybe it's best I be her friend right now huh?" The tuxedoed kitten asked in a slightly rhetorical manner.
Rum Tum Tugger gave an approving nod," Got it right in one kid. Now go play or something, I think I'm gonna catch myself a nap."
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The door was practically tossed off it's hinges as Bombalurina came stalking into the closet home she shared with her sister. Her red fur stood on ends and every so often a hiss of disgust left her lips," Demeter. I know you're in here and I don't bloody well give a rat's ass if I have to turn the entire closet upside down to find you."
With a sigh, Demeter without protest slowly stuck her head out of her little fortress of blankets and looked at her highly disgruntled sister," You yelled?" The gold queen knew a smart remark would get her no where but into more trouble.
" Damn right I did. So you refused him did you? He said he loves you and you turn him out, push him away." Sharp claws tore the blankets away from the smaller queen," He's not Macavity, Demeter. You need to knock this crap off. "
"That's what he says to me too... but they have the same eyes... I... I can't look at Munk without seeing his half brother. I wish..." Demeter fought her tears as best she could," I wish he'd forget about me... so... so I wouldn't make him hurt anymore." Biting her lip, the queen turned away from her sister, curling into a ball," So I won't hurt anymore." She muttered, but knew that Bomba had heard it anyhow.
"Girl. You're seriously one piece of messed up work ya know that?" The scarlet queen shook her head," If you love Macavity so damned much why didn't you just go back to him hm? Why did you even stick around here?" She knew this was a small part of the root to the problem with her sister.
" I... I don't know. I think I still love him... but I... was it really love?" Her small frame gave a small lurch as the tears fell with sobbing results," I'm so confused. Even more so since--"
" Since?" Bomba's sharp green gaze narrowed ever so slowly," Spit it out girlfriend."
"Since Munk came here yesterday morning... since he tried to show me what love really is like... I... oh Rumpus Bomba... we...we almost mated... right here." Why had she just admitted that? Why had she just told her sister about what had happened? About why she was suddenly paying less attention to Munkustrap more than ever now?
" Ah ha. So that's it. You're scared to love him? Scared to let someone in, afraid it might feel good?" Bombalurina was leering at her sister now," Well little sister? Is that true?" She sported a snide grin," I bet he was taking his time wasn't he? Moving slow and easy, making every touch count, making you become clay in his paws huh?"
Demeter gave her sister a shocked look," Go away. Just go the hell away and leave me alone. I... I... don't need him or you. Go live with your maned lover and let me rot here in my misery. I want nothing more, nothing less." How she hated it when Bomba was right, and in this case she was too right.
"Fine. But I've just got a few more things to tell you missy." The red queen stood tall, paws on hips," One, you best get your tail out of your ass and get off your cloud and let Munk know you do care before he goes off and does something stupid for you. Two, You need us other cats Deme and three remember our Mother and the lesson she taught the whole tribe." Bombalurina slowly cleared her throat and began to sing the words of their mother's song only with a slight twist to them.
" If you touch him, you'll understand what true love is and a new life will begin."
End of Chapter Eleven
