A/N: This chapter contains alcohol and cats who are more than a bit tipsy. Teenage cats and alcohol can only lead to one thing: one hell of a party. Don't be surprised if there are a few brawls! Enjoy the chapter!
During the next week, Victoria spent her afternoons watching Mistoffelees practice magic and her evenings with Plato. She noticed that Misto wasn't nearly as shy when it was just the two of them in the small clearing, but whenever she brought Plato or one of her friends along, for example Electra, he would revert back to his original behaviour: timid and almost silent. He would clam up and only explain what he felt was absolutely necessary. This irked Victoria, because she knew her tuxedoed friend could be so much more open and joyful. On one such sunny afternoon when she invited Etcetera to accompany her and Misto, she decided to address the subject of his shyness.
Mistoffelees was occupying himself and entertaining Etcy with a simple magic trick involving a cork when Victoria brought up her concerns. "Misto, remember yesterday when you said you talked so much your face hurt?" The white queen-kit questioned offhandedly.
Her black and white friend nodded, but continued to perform his spell. Etcetera giggled with delight at all the shapes he twisted the discarded cork into.
"Well…why aren't you doing that now? You're so much happier when you open up a little. Right now, you're not saying a word and you seem so uptight. It gives you an edge that shouldn't be there…" Vicky said quietly, almost as if she were complaining.
The tuxedoed tom-kit froze, and the cork he had floating in the air dropped to the ground. He ignored Etcy's disappointed whine. "Maybe I just don't feel like talking today? Has that ever occurred to you?" He snapped back bitterly.
Victoria winced at his piercing tone. She knew immediately that there was more to his quiet mood than met the eye. She turned to her yellow and white friend and requested politely, "Cetty, can you leave us? I need to talk to Misto alone."
Etcetera understood the importance of the situation judging from her friend's serious voice, and dashed off without another word.
"Tell me what the matter is, Misto. I can tell something's wrong." The ivory queen-kit demanded in the friendliest manner she could.
Mistoffelees growled a bit because he knew she was right. Victoria could read him like a book, and sometimes he would rather she didn't have that ability. This was one of those times. "It's nothing important. Not to you, anyway." He beat around the bush.
Victoria sighed good-naturedly as she took Misto's paw in hers. She smiled as his brooding gaze instantly softened. "Well I'll decide if it's important to me as soon as you tell me what it is." She prodded determinedly.
The black and white tom-kit had a feeling his friend wasn't going to give up. He knew better than to evade her prompting. "Alright, fine" he relented, "I'll tell you. Alonzo's making me move out."
"Move out? Whatever for?" The white queen-kit gasped in surprise. Even after two weeks, it didn't seem like either tom had any reason to separate themselves. In fact, Alonzo and Misto only seemed to have developed a stronger bond since they arrived at the Jellicle Junkyard.
Mistoffelees sighed sadly as he recounted what his older brother had told him. "'Lonzy said that I'm old enough to have a den of my own. He reasoned that I was settled in enough to live without him. Of course, we still need each other because we're family and all, and he promised that I could visit him whenever. I bet he wants to have the den all to himself to impress Cassandra. That and it gets really awkward when I'm trying to sleep and they're making out in the bed next to mine…" He shuddered and Victoria stuck her tongue out in disgust.
"Alonzo's getting pretty serious with Cass, isn't he?" The white queen-kit commented. She pursed her lips as she mused, "Do you think he's going to ask her to be his mate?"
Misto shrugged. "I dunno. I like Cassandra and Alonzo keeps asking me how he's ever lived life without her, so…I wouldn't be surprised if he did eventually. Cass is a year older than him, and he's turning eighteen tomorrow. I wouldn't mind having a sister-in-law. It would be the closest thing I've ever had to a mother, I suppose." He feigned approval, but there was a twinge to his voice that suggested he didn't like the idea of his brother being mated so soon.
Victoria's eyes practically bulged out of her head at the mention of Alonzo's birthday. She bounced excitedly on the spot like Etcy when she saw Tugger. "Alonzo's birthday is tomorrow? We must throw him a party! C'mon, let's go make party plans!" She exclaimed as she shot up and bounded in the direction of the center clearing.
Misto could barely keep up with her, and his countenance grew uncertain. "Do I have to help with this? I'm terrible at decorating, let alone social stuff. Can I sit this one out?" He suggested with an unenthusiastic groan.
"What? Are you crazy? You're the most important cat next to the guest of honour himself! Now, what do you think we should have for food?" The ivory queen-kit asked as she halted in the middle of the center clearing. Her face had gone from excessively cheerful to intensely concentrated as she tried to imagine where the decorations and lighting would go.
Since he knew there was no getting out of this situation, Misto simply decided to go along with it. "Umm…'Lonzy likes pigeon a lot…and beer, too. Are you allowed to drink beer here?" He inquired half-heartedly.
Victoria pursed her lips as she replied, "Sometimes. This is a pretty important occasion, so I'm sure the adults wouldn't mind. I'll have to ask my Dad if Skimble and a few others toms can go buy some. Alonzo likes pigeon, you say? Jenny makes the best pigeon wings and drumsticks!"
The tuxedoed tom-kit nodded half-heartedly. He gazed around at the giant, abstract piles of human junk around him. They all appeared to have the same purpose to him: taking up space. "Where are we going to find decorations and lighting? If you haven't noticed, you live in a trash dump." He reminded his friend with a snort.
"Oh don't worry about that! We always keep some stuff close by for parties. We have everything we need, except for food. What do you think of having the middle here for a dance floor?" The white queen-kit asked as she paced out the approximate spacing she thought would be suitable.
Mistoffelees shrugged. "That depends on who is coming. Are there going to be lots of cats at this party?"
Victoria shot her friend a dumbstruck look. Whenever there was a party at the Jellicle Junkyard, the whole tribe celebrated. Obviously parties were something exclusive from the place Misto came from. "Of course, silly! The whole tribe is always invited to a birthday party!" She answered like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her expression grew contemplative as she pondered aloud once more, "Should the food table be by the tire or closer to the dance floor…? Hmm…"
"Well, it seems like you've got this whole party thing figured out, so I'll just leave you to it." The black and white tom-kit tried to leave inconspicuously, since it seemed Victoria was preoccupied enough with the decorating so he could escape. Just when he thought he was home-free from this dreaded social gathering, he felt a paw on the scruff of his neck.
"Nice try, Misto!" Vicky scolded, "You're not getting out of this one that easy! I need you to be my advisor!" She giggled at Misto's whine, and then continued, "We have a choice of red and blue lights, or yellow and purple. We also have lanterns or just normal lights. Which ones do you think would set the mood better?"
Mistoffelees thought about this for a moment. It seemed that Victoria's seriousness about the celebration rubbed off on him, much to his displeasure. "I say we use lanterns around the table, and the bigger red and blue lights for the dance floor. Do you have a spotlight somewhere?" He suggested. A mental image slowly developed in his mind, and so far it looked pretty impressive.
"See? That's the spirit! That idea sounds awesome! I almost forgot we had a spotlight, too! Ooh, Alonzo's going to be so surprised!" The snowy queen-kit gushed, but suddenly clamped her mouth shut as a voice made itself known from behind her.
"Surprised about what?" Alonzo's voice queried. He casually strolled up to the pair with an intrigued smirk on his face.
Victoria shot Misto a desperate glance to rescue her from spilling the secret. Mistoffelees smiled at his brother, but it faltered slightly. "Uhh…Umm…W-we were j-just uhh…discussing gifts f-for your birthday tomorrow! You don't want to ruin your own gift, do you?" His voice grew more confident as he finished. He hoped to Bast that his brother would buy it.
The patched tom stared at his sibling for a moment. Then he merely nodded to himself and strode off as he whistled a tune. Vicky and Misto let out an enormous sigh of relief.
"That was too close for comfort. Nice save! Now we absolutely can't let him find out anything about the party!" Victoria whispered urgently in case Alonzo was still listening.
The tuxedoed tom-kit flashed a smile in response. "So who is going to be doing what?" He asked once he knew his older brother was out of earshot.
The ivory queen-kit furrowed her brow as she contemplated the responsibilities. After a minute passed she spoke, "Electra and Etcy are really good with lighting and they're really sneaky. The adults can get alcohol and do the hunting. You and I can do the decorating along with Plato and anyone who's left over. Cassandra has to keep Alonzo at bay from noon to when the party starts at sunset tomorrow. So that leaves us about…seven hours to cook the food and get everything set up. Let's go tell everyone!" She dashed off in the direction of the path of dens and Misto followed.
It didn't take long to tell the whole neighbourhood of cats about the event planned for the following evening. Within the hour, everyone knew what they were supposed to do. Victoria and Mistoffelees met up with Plato when they were done, as he had finished his afternoon patrol by that time. It was mid-afternoon and the trio sat together on the TSE-1 to relax for a bit.
Before a minute of relaxation was up, Victoria broke the comfortable silence, "This is going to be so exciting! Just think: by this time tomorrow, everything you see in front of you is going to become a replica of a night-club!"
Plato chuckled as he pulled his queenfriend close and kissed the side of her head. "Yeah, and we're going to dance the night away." He purred alluringly, which caused the white queen-kit to blush slightly.
Victoria suddenly sat upright as an idea came to her mind. She turned to Misto and asked him, "Misto, do you think you could perform some magic for the tribe? It would be a great way to show everyone how far you've come!"
The tuxedoed tom-kit looked away as he kicked the edge of the tire beneath him with his heels. "I don't know…Everybody still thinks I'm a freak. They're still scared of me…" He mumbled unconfidently.
"Ain't that the truth…"Plato commented, but shut his mouth once his queenfriend ribbed him.
"Please? It would show everyone that your powers aren't scary, only amazing! Can you do the one where you summon those lights? That would mesmerize the tribe for sure!" The ivory queen-kit pleaded. She clasped her paws together for extra effect.
Mistoffelees turned his gaze towards her with a soft sigh. How could he say no to his best friend? "Alright…Maybe. We'll see about it." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his uncertain ochre eyes.
Despite his reluctance, Vicky gave him a quick hug. "Thank you! You'll floor everyone, I just know it!" She squealed joyfully. Misto couldn't help but share in her enthusiasm and chuckled a bit.
The trio rested until dinnertime when they had to split up. Misto went off to hunt for his supper while Plato and Victoria went to their respective dens to eat their prepared meals. As Victoria was walking, she glanced over her shoulder at her black and white friend. He was crouched by a trash pile, probably waiting for a rodent to show itself. Victoria reminded herself that Misto also had no place to sleep tonight since his brother had kicked him out.
She turned around and ran back to him calling, "Misto! Do you want to have dinner at my den?"
The tuxedoed tom-kit's head shot up at the sound her voice and he nodded fervently. He jogged over to her and smiled his thanks. Dinner went quietly at Victoria's den, but her father asked the odd question about how Misto was settling in, or how his magic practice was coming along. Mistoffelees replied politely to these comments, but there was no real enthusiasm to his answers. After supper Victoria and Misto went to search for a suitable den for the latter.
The pair scanned the trash piles for a potential dwelling. It didn't take Misto very long to find one. He strode over to the drain pipe he had used as a hiding place a couple of weeks ago. "I remember this pipe was actually quite cozy the last time I was in there. It just needs a few blankets and I'll be happy." He commented as he tapped the metal to produce a hollow echo.
Victoria cocked her head. "Really? It's so…bare, though. Not to mention cramped…Are you sure you want this one?" She questioned uncertainly.
Mistoffelees nodded firmly. He crawled inside and motioned for his friend to follow. They traveled about ten feet in complete darkness when the pipe suddenly widened. Victoria glanced up and used her night-vision to determine that the drain pipe was interlocked with a larger pipe. Misto stopped and announced, "See? I told you it was homey. You may not be able to stand up, but you can sit up straight. C'mon, let's go find some blankets." He and Victoria turned around and crawled back out into the fading light of the orange sunset.
They spent until nightfall equipping Misto's new den with soft fabric and torn quilts. Victoria still thought it was too small for her friend, but he seemed to like it. They even found a little plastic book stand for his spell book. When they were finished, they met outside the drain pipe with tired, but satisfied smiles.
"Thanks for helping me out. You're pretty good at interior decorating, I must say. I'll be sleeping well tonight. Goodnight, Victoria." The tuxedoed tom-kit bowed his head in farewell, and spun on his heel to face his den entrance.
"It was no problem. I enjoyed making a den with you. If you ever decide to move in with someone, call me up to decorate! Goodnight, Misto!" Victoria twittered joyfully, but she didn't see Misto's sad smile. He took one step forward and disappeared in a puff of white smoke before her eyes. Victoria stood there for a moment in surprise. Of course she had seen him perform this trick before, but it never failed to mesmerize her. It made her magical friend seem so much more…vague. On her way home she ran into her uncle, The Rum Tum Tugger. He was an adult Maine Coon that made all the queens squeal like schoolgirls.
Tugger nodded in acknowledgement as Victoria passed by, but he hesitated as something came to mind. He turned to his niece and asked, "Hey Victoria, who was that I just saw you with? Was that one of the new cats I've heard so much about recently? The one who can perform magic?"
The white queen-kit smiled in a familial manner and giggled. Tugger was often too busy chasing queens to pay attention to the happenings of the junkyard, but he eventually caught up. "Yes, his name is Mistoffelees. He's actually your nephew, you know. His brother Alonzo is, too. They're Macavity's sons." She paused as her uncle pursed his lips in interest. "Misto's really shy and only Plato, Cori, Tanto, and I are his friends so far. I'm planning to teach him how to be more sociable at Alonzo's birthday party tomorrow. Are you coming?" Vicky asked.
The Maine Coon thought for a moment. He laughed and responded, "I wouldn't miss a good party for the world! It also sounds like this Misto kid isn't very good with queens…Once I tell some of them that he's my nephew, they'll be all over him. Good evening, Vicky." He gave a small wave and continued on his way.
Victoria shook her head after her uncle. It was kind of him to give Mistoffelees a bit of a good reputation, but she thought it was more to help himself than help Misto. Etcetera and Electra hardly ever left Tugger alone, and she was sure he would be happy to hand them off to Mistoffelees, even if for a little while.
The morning of the party had finally come. For the whole day, Cassandra did an excellent job at keeping Alonzo out of the center clearing while the rest of the tribe set to work. Jenny, Jelly, and Munkustrap worked tirelessly to prepare the food while Skimbleshanks took a day off from his job at the train station to purchase drinks and supervise the set-up of the light and sound systems. Mistoffelees, Victoria, and Plato spent their morning decorating and their afternoon double-checking with Skimble to ensure that the food was prepared, the lights worked, and that the music was chosen for the sound system. After a whole day of work, they at last saw the sun sink behind the horizon of darkening trash piles. It was time to fetch the guest of honour.
Mistoffelees ran as fast as he could through the assembling crowd of Jellicles to his brother's den. There he found Cassandra as she attempted to calm her tomfriend, who was clearly anxious about something.
"But why, Cass? Why can't I go to the center clearing? I'm sick and tired of being cooped up in this remote area of the junkyard with nothing to do!" The black and white tom complained with a growl.
As soon as Cassandra saw Misto coming down the path, she spun Alonzo around and shoved him out of the den. The pair met up with Misto and Alonzo sneered at his little brother, "Where have you been all day? Do you ever even bother to visit anymore?"
Misto chuckled at his brother, "I saw you yesterday morning when you forced me to pack up and leave, remember? I promise I'll visit more, but tonight something special is going on."
Alonzo raised an intrigued eyebrow, but he didn't say anything more. He didn't have to because the blaring music and flashing lights from the center clearing provided him with an answer. Alonzo quickened his pace and before the trio knew it, they were at the mouth to the center clearing.
The patched tom stood agape at the dancing cats, colourful lighting, and pounding music. Even Cassandra seemed impressed at what everyone had managed to do. Everyone was already enjoying themselves on the dance floor, or chatting by the buffet table. Some of the older adolescent cats had a bottle of beer in paw.
"Happy birthday, Alonzo!" Mistoffelees and Cassandra chorused.
The stunned patched tom just threw a grateful smile at both cats and towed Cassandra off to go to the dance floor. Misto was now left to himself, so he decided to search for Victoria among the crowd. Because of his small size, he could easily weave through everyone and eventually found her with her friends, Electra and Etcetera, by the table of food. They were chatting cheerfully, but Electra and Etcy suddenly grew quiet as they noticed Misto approach. Victoria had her back to him, so she didn't immediately see the cause of their silence.
"Good evening, girls. How do you like the party so far?" The tuxedoed tom-kit started up a new conversation with an awkward twinge to his already breaking voice.
The tortoise-shell queen-kit and Etcy shot him skeptical looks as Victoria turned around at the sound of his voice and smiled welcomingly. "Hey Misto! We were just talking about you! So, are you going to perform some magic tricks for us?"
Misto glanced from Victoria to her friends timidly and asked, "N-now?"
The queen-kits giggled, and Vicky stopped because she felt a tap on her shoulder from behind. She spun around and beamed up at her tomfriend. Plato bowed gallantly as he took her paw and kissed it. "May I have this dance, my Queen Victoria?" He offered eloquently.
It only became apparent now to Vicky that there was a slow song playing. She blushed and let Plato lead her away. She smiled apologetically over her shoulder at Misto, but he waved it off, indicating it was no big deal. Now he was left alone with Electra and Etcetera.
"So…" Electra began a bit flatly, "What kind of tricks can you show us, Mistoffelees? Etcy here tells me you're quite the magician now compared to last week's incident." It was clear that she hadn't forgotten the accident that left Plato bed-ridden for a day.
Misto opened his mouth to speak, but Etcy cut in before he could say a word. "He can do this awesome thing with a cork; it's so cool!" She gushed, and the tuxedoed tom-kit silently thanked her for the interruption.
Electra immediately appeared more interested. "Is that so? Can you show us?" She inquired expectantly.
The black and white tom-kit was about to answer again when he observed a brown and white tom a year or so older than him approach the group. "What's up, guys?" The new tom greeted casually.
"H-hi, Tumblebrutus…What brings you over here?" The usually confident Electra replied shyly to the brown and white-patched tom-kit. Etcy smirked knowingly and Misto just watched the exchange with little intrigue. He was glad he didn't have to perform magic yet. He was deathly afraid of screwing up, especially in front of queens who were already wary around him.
Tumble smiled at the black and orange queen-kit. "Well, if you must know, I was just looking for a dance partner. Care to join me in a pas-de-deux, Electra?" He offered her his arm, which Electra took without hesitation. Cetty gave her friend a thumbs-up as she passed by.
Etcetera giggled deviously once Electra was out of ear-shot. "'Lectra's been dying for Tumble to ask her out for weeks! Don't you think they make a cute couple?" She mused, focusing her attention on Misto. He was preoccupied with watching Victoria dance at the moment and didn't reply. Etcy waved a paw in front of his white face as she called, "Yoo-hoo, anyone home?"
The tuxedoed tom-kit snapped out of his reverie and muttered, "Huh? Yeah, whatever…Umm, since we're both sort of the odd ones out right now, do you want to dance?" He asked with lacking enthusiasm.
The yellow and white queen-kit crossed her forelegs over her chest. "Give me one reason why I should. I don't even know you." She snorted at his pathetic attempt.
Mistoffelees remembered something Victoria had told him earlier during the party preparations. Apparently, a tom by the name of The Rum Tum Tugger lived here, and he was also quite popular with queens. Vicky also informed him that Tugger was Macavity's younger sibling. "Umm…Tugger's my uncle?" He tried.
Etcetera gasped like she had just met a celebrity. "Really?" She squealed, but she instantly became skeptical once more as she narrowed her eyes at the tom-kit in front of her. "Hold on, how do I know you're not making this up?"
Misto shrugged and answered, "You know how Macavity's my father? Guess who one of his two brothers is."
This time Cetty eyes bugged out in amazement. She immediately took his paw and towed him to the dance floor. The slow number was still on, and he and Etcetera swayed to the music. He danced a few simple waltz steps with her, and he found that she was a very good dancer. She didn't really seem interested in him as much as his label of "Tugger's nephew", though. Misto glanced around for Victoria and caught sight of her white blur as Plato spun her around gracefully. They looked perfect together, and as the final note of the song rang out, the russet-patched tom held his queenfriend close. Once again, the tuxedoed tom-kit wished to be in Plato's place. It wasn't that he wasn't enjoying himself with Etcy, it was just that he didn't feel the same spark with her as he felt with Victoria. As he watched Plato and Vicky, he silently begged the Everlasting Cat to not let Plato kiss her. Misto didn't think he could bear to see such a thing. It seemed to be answered, because the pair's lips didn't brush and the red and white tom-kit merely whispered something in Vicky's ear after a moment and left the dance floor.
Misto dipped his head towards Etcetera in thanks and she hurried off to go gossip with Electra. He walked over to Victoria, who wore a dreamy expression on her face.
"Where did Plato go off to?" Mistoffelees asked and Victoria turned her attention to him, alert again.
The white queen-kit answered non-chalantly, "He went to go get a beer from his brothers. I hope he doesn't get drunk, though…He would be grounded for a week if he did. Was Etcy a good dance partner?"
Mistoffelees nodded, but he didn't seem too attentive on the subject of Etcetera. Instead he smiled timidly back at Victoria, "You and Plato were magnificent…You dance quite beautifully together, you know."
"Thanks, Misto. I know you think Plato's sort of rough around the edges, but he's really a respectable, caring tom. He's like a whole new cat when he's dancing, though. Plato's so gentle and sensitive when we're dancing together…" Vicky sighed contentedly.
The pair fell into a comfortable silence, and the tuxedoed tom-kit tried not to let his envy show as he and Victoria made their way to the buffet table by the tire. The adults had really outdone themselves this time. There were fried pigeon wings, spiced rat, pigeon drumsticks, and even breaded fish fillets. Misto had never seen so much food in all his life, and his stomach growled voraciously at the enticing sight of it. He grabbed a plate on the side of the table and picked up a couple of pigeon drumsticks while Victoria split a fish fillet in half and put some on her plate.
They ate their delicious dinner, and set their empty dishes aside. Victoria wore a concerned expression as she scanned her surroundings. "Hmm…I wonder where Plato is. It's been almost fifteen minutes and there's still no sign of him…" She commented worriedly.
Misto wasn't as concerned as Victoria, but he still found it odd that Plato was gone for this long. He thought the russet and white tom-kit was just going to get a beer from his brothers and come back. Mistoffelees didn't exactly approve of drinking alcohol at age fifteen, but peer pressure could be very hard to resist at times. He had recently been informed by Vicky that Plato's brothers, Tumblebrutus and Pouncival, were actually older than Plato by a year. It was the norm to drink alcohol at age sixteen, even though it was frowned upon by the adults.
Misto's short, black hackles rose as he sensed three presences over on his right from behind a trash pile. Not a moment later, Plato, Tumble, and Pounce staggered out from behind it. Plato came towards him and Victoria, while his brothers stumbled off somewhere else.
Both sober cats could plainly see that Plato was drunk just by the way he walked over to them. When he came close enough, Misto and Vicky could smell the strong stench of alcohol on his breath.
"Plato, did you go and get drunk? I thought you said you vowed never to become drunk around me?" The white queen-kit accused her tomfriend harshly.
The tipsy tom-kit eyed Victoria for a moment and then replied with a heavy slur, "So…what if I d-did? C'mon kitten, I know a q-q-quiet p-place where we can get frisky." He inexplicably developed a kind of lustful glint to his dulled eyes and lunged for Victoria. He managed to clamp a paw around her petite waist, but she squirmed and desperately attempted to free herself from his strong hold.
"Ugh, no! Let me go, Plato! You're drunk and you're not thinking straight!" The captured queen-kit tried to push her tomfriend's face away as he tried to kiss her. Plato kept a firm grip on her, however.
Mistoffelees observed the scene with a stunned horror. Victoria kept refusing Plato's lewd requests, but the situation was getting more hopeless by the minute. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes when her intoxicated tomfriend finally managed to smash his lips against hers in an aggressive kiss. The white queen-kit froze with shock for a second, and Mistoffelees felt fury break loose within him. He stalked over to the pair and wrenched Victoria out of Plato's grasp. The freed queen-kit collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.
He might have only reached Plato's shoulder, but that didn't stop Misto from slugging the drunken tom-kit across the face. Plato stumbled sideways from the considerable impact and tripped over his own feet. He fell over onto the giant tire beside him and went limp. Mistoffelees gave the unconscious tom a warning hiss and went to go help Victoria. The white queen-kit was sobbing on the ground and Etcy and Electra were trying to comfort her. They immediately made way for her rescuer.
Victoria felt a paw on her back and glanced up to see Misto smiling gently down at her. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly as fresh tears stained her damp cheeks. Mistoffelees returned the hug as he stroked Victoria's back soothingly and rocked her from side to side. Despite the commotion that had just occurred, not many cats noticed because the music practically drowned out Plato's and Victoria's voices. Everyone was also on the dance floor, and it was too crowded to pick out anything wrong through the thick crowd.
"Th-thank you, M-Misto…" The sobbing queen-kit chocked out. Misto merely shushed her gently and tightened his hold on her. When Victoria's crying had ceased a few minutes later, he felt it was safe to let go. He saw the fragile and vulnerable look in her sapphire eyes, so he escorted her out of the vicinity of the party and returned her to her den. Munkustrap looked up from his place at the table and furrowed his brow at his daughter's red, puffy eyes.
"What happened?" The silver tabby demanded as he stood up and took Victoria's outstretched paw. He pulled her into a protective hug.
Misto reluctantly described his tale. "Well, uhh…Plato and his brothers got drunk and Plato tried to take advantage of Victoria…Then I umm…punched him out to protect Victoria and brought her straight here, Sir. Plato's passed out on the tire."
Munkustrap's mouth formed a tight line. "I'm sorry, Mistoffelees. Such an unsettling task should not have fallen to you. I'll inform Jelly and Asparagus of their sons' actions in the morning, but I'm glad you saved my daughter. Thank you." He dipped his head gratefully. Victoria smiled from behind her father's foreleg despite still feeling upset about the whole incident.
The tuxedoed tom-kit smiled back and walked out of the den wordlessly. He hadn't even taken ten steps when he heard Victoria call softly from behind him, "Wait, Misto…" The tom in question halted and turned around with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, Victoria? What is it?" Misto asked as he cocked his head.
Victoria bit her lip for a moment as she continued hesitantly, "I-I just wanted to-to thank you…again. It was really brave of you to stand up to Plato like that."
The black and white tom-kit nodded in acknowledgement. "I just didn't want to see you get abused by Plato…Goodnight, Victoria." He gave her a small wave and turned to continue on his way, but the white queen-kit placed a paw on his shoulder to get his attention again. "Yes? Is there something you forgot to say?" Misto chuckled light-heartedly in response.
Rather than say anything, Victoria took a step towards him, gently cupped his cheek, and kissed it. She giggled as she pulled away to see Misto's dumbfounded reaction. "Don't tell Plato I did that…Goodnight, Misto." Vicky smirked deviously as she dashed back into her den.
Mistoffelees felt a goofy smile creep up his face as he made his way over to the center clearing where the party was still going on. He felt like he was walking on air. The tuxedoed tom-kit crawled into his drain-pipe den and conjured up some earplugs to block out the noise from the party outside. He draped a blanket over himself and fell asleep within minutes with a content smile playing on his lips.