Title: The Protector (7/14)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Character death
Summary: When some Jellicles are cat-napped, Munkustrap has to descend back into Monnik territory, back into his old life, and must confront his biggest fear - the truth escaping.
I put the last two chapters up, then came back a few hours later to find thirteen (THIRTEEN) alerts from about reviews, favorites, and being put on other people's alert lists.
I felt so very, very loved. Thank you all!
Roleplays:
If you're not into RPing, feel free to skip this part.
Ourjellicle (o u r j e l l i c l e s . p r o b o a r d s 5 1 . c o m ). is a normal Cats RP set after the Jellicle Ball. Currently, Macavity has taken over the junkyard, but the Jellicles escaped safely. They're enlisting the help of a crew of pirates, though, to reclaim their yard… but that decision may cause more pain than pleasure.
One of These Nights (w w w . s 8 . c r e a t e p h p b b . c o m / o n e o f t h e s e n I g h t / I n d e x . p h p ? m f o r u m (equal sign) o n e o f t h e s e n I g h t) is an AU RP where the Jellicles are human members of a band (named Jellicle). Tugger (taken) is the lead singer, with Bombalurina (taken), Alonzo, and Plato (taken) as other members, and the rest of the Jellicles helping out as friends, stage hands, special effects, etc. Munkustrap (taken by me) is the manager of the band, and his father, Deuteronomy, is a huge music mogul. Macavity (taken) leads the rival band, the Depraved. Most of the characters are still available, though. If you're interested, come on by!
The Protector
Munkustrap leaned over and smacked Admetus' paw away from his mouth lightly. "Don't wash," he whispered. "I know it itches, but we need to blend in." The three toms had rolled in dirt and soot to get that proper unwashed Monnik look, and now they were sitting on a rooftop. Munkustrap had led the other two up the fire escape Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer had shown him about a year ago. He had remembered how they said only the thieves used the rooftop paths, and since he knew exactly what building Plato and Cattivo had been held in (there was only one "prison" building the Monniks had, and it matched Plato's description), he figured the safe way to travel was the best way.
"You're sure this is the right building?" Admetus asked, crouching at the edge of the roof and staring at their target. "How do you know so much about the Monniks, anyway?"
Alonzo, who had been hanging back a little ways, looked over at Munkustrap with curiosity.
Munkustrap looked away, biting his lip. His kittenhood wasn't something most cats knew anything about. "I grew up in Monnik territory," he mumbled. It was the truth, after all.
"You did?" Alonzo asked. "I thought you were a street-"
Admetus cuffed Alonzo's ear. "The Monniks have street cats too," he whispered. He was trying to be quiet about it, but Munkustrap heard. He almost laughed.
The Jellicles didn't approve of street cats in general. Street cats were loners, trying to survive on their own, and they were usually half-starved and battle-scarred, and often quite pathetic-seeming. The Jellicles thought that was a horrible way to live, and always invited street cats into their tribe. Some accepted, but others refused. There was a certain pride to living on the streets, in knowing you could make it on your own. Munkustrap had considered it, back when he was fleeing the Monniks. He figured the Jellicles would be safer, though.
The Monniks didn't mind street cats quite so much – they made good practice fights and scapegoats, and were excellent for the demonstration of ways to get cats to talk. They were also a quick source of extra muscle, if the Monniks needed to swell their ranks. No, Monniks didn't mind street cats… but street cats didn't like Monniks. The Jellicles, at least, would leave them alone, except to ask them if they wanted to join yet.
"So… that's where they are?" Admetus asked, changing the topic from Munkustrap's "street cat" past.
Munkustrap nodded. "Cattivo, at least. Simbol's probably in there too. Unless…"
"Unless what?"
"Unless they wanted to have a bit more fun with him," Munkustrap said quietly. "Normal prisoners are kept in that building. Special prisoners… and I think the Jellicle Protector would count as one, would be taken over there." He pointed to the burned out warehouse a few buildings over. "That's their headquarters. He'd be in the middle, and they'd be… having fun." What was fun for the Monniks would certainly not be fun for Simbol, if he was indeed there. Munkustrap prayed that both father and son were being kept in the normal rooms, the normal cages.
Admetus looked down at the street below. "Well… it looks like that crowd has passed. Do we go down now?"
The Monniks had been changing their guards, so cats had been swarming in and out of the prison building, but now things had calmed down. Munkustrap nodded. "Follow me, and be careful."
The three dirty cats crept down another fire escape and slunk across the street. Munkustrap looked both ways before waving the other two toms in. This was going to be the challenging part now – finding Cattivo and Simbol, and not alerting any guards to their presence.
Double-update, double-update, have another double-update...