Munkustrap walked into Janelle's house without hesitation. He found Misto and Tugger cuddling up together, looking like two adorable kittens. He hated to have to wake them up, but he had to. He shook Misto gently and then batted Tugger on the head, since Tugger is so hard to wake up. Tugger bolted up and hissed at Munk as Misto yawned and woke drowsily.
"What?" Tugger snapped.
"I need your help with the ball," Munk said.
Misto sat up intently, a smile growing on his face. He had always wanted to go to the Jellicle Ball. "Me, too?" he asked eagerly.
"Yes, I have quite the surprise in store for you. Now be at Dad's den in thirty minutes." Then he walked out of the den.
Tugger frowned and stood up. "Not even enough time to eat," he mumbled. He looked to Misto, eye's big and pleading, super cute and irresistable.
"Fine," Misto sighed. He stood up and concentrated on creating two rats. He moved his hands over a hat, having difficulty keeping steady thoughts since he just woke up. He yawned and kept moving his hands, but forgetting what he was doing as he thought about Bomba and Demeter and then Bustopher and Vicki. He thought of the kittens and how he should do a magic show for them later.
Then he heard a soft mew coming from below him. He looked down into the hat and saw many eyes looking back up at him. He screeched and jumped a foot into the air.
"What is it?" Tugger asked. He walked over to the hat and gasped. The hat tipped over and seven kittens came out of the hat. Tugger smiled. He loved kittens! "Misty! What did you do?" he asked as the kittens toppled over him.
Misto walked over hesitantly, awed at what he was seeing before him. "I produced...seven kittens right out of a hat?" He plopped down next to Tugger. "I was thinking of the kittens as I was doing it." He picked one up that was a tuxedo cat but with cheeta print on the tail and ankles, and with a mane. "Look, this one is like us," he said, admiring the kitten.
"Yeah, he is. And look, this one is like Vicki." He held up a pure white cat. There was another one that had firey red hair like Bomba, a silvery colored cat like Munk, two cats that looked like Tanto and Cori, and one bright orange cat that looked like Skimble.
Then Janelle walked in. "Da fuck?" she mumbled under her breath. She bent down and examined the kittens, confused. "Are one of you, like, a hermaphrodite or something? It's probably you Misto. Do you have a bajingo?"
Tugger snickered at that and Misto frowned.
"Well, we can't keep them, but I don't want to put them in the pound." She bit her lip. She left and then came back with a box. She wrote Free Kittens on the side and started to place each one in the box gently, the Tugger-Misto mix being the last one.
Before she could pick him up, though, Tugger protected the cat, hissing.
Janelle frowned. "You little bitch-ass mother-effer. Fine. You can keep the kitten. Be gay for all I care. I guess I rubbed off onto you cats." She picked up the box and walked away with it.
"What're you doing?" Misto asked.
"Haven't you ever wanted to be a parent Misto?" Tugger replied.
"Yeah..." But he knew it wouldn't happen.
"Come on, this kitten is adorable and beautiful. Don't you feel like it's father?"
"Well, yeah, kind of..." Honestly, he felt like its mother, but would never confess that to Tugger.
"You can be the mom-" Misto threw his hands up. "-And I can be the dad. Come on, we'll be great parents." He gasped, a smile forming on his lips. "What should we call it?"
Misto lied down and looked at the kitten. He smiled. "Charismo."
Tugger looked down at him. "I love it. We both have charisma, just in different ways. It's perfect." Tugger went to Janelle's bed and knocked off a pillow. He pulled off a small blanket and made a bed out of the two, placing it right next to their bed. He meowed loudly until Janelle came in. She rolled her eyes and placed some food and water into the bowl. Then she picked up Charismo, already in love with it, and mumbled, "You could use some milk couldn't you?"
Tugger smiled. "There. Janelle can take care of her as we're gone. We'll be back quickly, though."
Tugger was all smiles on the way to the Junkyard, and Misto absolutely adored him for it. I always knew he'd be great with kittens. And he even said we could be Charismo's parents! Of course, we just have to develop the relationship and then we'd be a complete family. Misto sighed, daydreaming about it all.
"Took you long enough," said Munk once they entered.
"Sorry, we had some...trouble with his magic," said Tugger, smiling still.
Munk gave orders and schedules as to when the ball would begin and when something would be happening. He approached Misto last and said, "Misto, I have an idea for you and Vicki. I plan on having her dance at the beginning of the ball and then the two of you dancing, as you announce the beginning of the ball."
Misto smiled, ecstatic.
"Then there will be more opportunities for you to come in and dance during the Jellicle Ball Dance."
Misto nodded. "What about Tugger? What's he get to do?"
"Well, he'll have his song after Jenny's, and then he'll play the bagpipes in the story we'll tell Old Deuteronomy, and then a small dance number for him. He doesn't need any more attention than he already gets."
Misto snickered, but felt bad for Tugger. Misto knew Tugger loved the ball so much, especially when a cat gets to go to the Heaviside Layer. He always thought that was amazing, and all though he never really wanted to go anytime soon, he enjoyed seeing others having the opportunity to. This year, he wanted it to be Gus, the theater cat, but he wasn't sure.
After the planning Tugger said to Misto, "Okay, let's go back to Charismo."
"I'll be there in a few Tugger. I have to tell Vicki what Munk had in mind for her," Misto said.
He sighed. "Alright." Then he went off running.
Misto smiled at him, admiring his fatherly ways. He walked along slowly, in a rather blissful mood. He couldn't help but notice how everyone seemed to have somebody they either loved or wanted to love. Vicki and Plato, Demeter and Munkustrap, Alonzo and Cassandra. Then there were those who weren't obvious about their feelings, unless someone really looked, like Misto. He noticed how Bomba and Pounce flirted, but not the same way her and Tugger flirted, more innocent and loving really. He laughed at how Cori looked back at Electra, both sharing a smile, as him and Tanto walked in unison, and as Tanto winked at Asparagus. He noticed how Admetus flirted with Etcetera absent-mindedly, both giggling at nearly everything. So perfect for each other. He caught on to how Tumble and Jemima had such a kittenish attraction to each other. They both liked each other, but neither knew it. He saw Mungo and Teazer skip along, carrying bags of stolen goods, and share a kiss in the process. He saw Jelly and Skimble share a loving look, too.
Misto sighed and smiled. Everyone has someone, he thought. Except for Tugger and I. He can have almost any queen here, but it's not like the relationship would last. I should really make a move on him, but how? Misto sat there and thought on how to make a move. He gasped as he came up with the perfect idea. He went a scurrying away, back to Tugger.
Tugger smiled at Charismo, loving how he was a perfect mixture between himself and Misto. He could picture it then, him and Misto being great parents to Charismo. Tugger would play with him as Misto would feed him and they'd both pamper him and love him. He just wanted to bring him to the Junkyard, but that's where he frowned. What am I suppose to say? That Misto and I are parents but we aren't together? Tugger was utterly confused, just so horribly confused that he wasn't sure about anything anymore.
Then Misto ran in and slid next to him. He tilted his head and looked at Charismo. "How big do you think he'll get? The size of me or you?" he asked.
Tugger smirked. "Me. But he'll still call you Dad. He can call me Pop."
Misto smiled. "It suits you." He pulled Charismo to him and started cleaning him.
Tugger looked at Misto all over, loving the way he was so motherly. He sat behind Misto and started to clean him, giving one long lick up Misto's neck, making Misto shiver. He did this frequently, and Misto just took it. If I kissed him, would he kiss me back? Tugger thought. Of course, not in front of Charismo, but maybe when we're alone. I should just try it. When though? I know Misto is such an airhead and a hopeless romantic. It has to be in a romantic place. Ah! I know when and where.
At the Jellicle Ball!