Part 13
Munkustrap jumped at the Stray leader who just ducked and Munk flew into the trashcan behind him. The Strays blinked and then started to laugh. Even Grizabella chuckled a little and caught Deuteronomy's eyes. He looked happy to see her. When Munk's head appeared from the trashcan he had some old rag on his head. It covered his left ear and eyes and the Strays laughed even more and some of the Jellicles chuckled.
"I see you still haven't outgrown you old habits Munk", Alonzo grinned. "You're still roaming trashcans for treasures." Munk growled and climbed out.
"Shut up", he said. "Why don't you and your tribe do something good for once?"
"Like what", Alonzo grinned. "We're really good at saving Jellicles but there is no one to save for the moment. Save Jellicles is as easy as dancing."
"Then do it", Tugger yelled.
"Huh", Alonzo asked. "I thought I told you there is no one to save… well I could save the queens by getting your ugly face out of here."
"Why I-"
"Tugger", Munkustrap warned. "He's right Alonzo. This is a ball. You've been watching us perform so why don't you let us watch you?"
Alonzo looked at his tribe who grinned.
"Okay", he said. "Give us some room then."
"And destruction is no problem for us", Admetus said as he walked past Tugger and bumped into him on purpose. "We are masters in improvising."
The Jellicles walked to the sides and Alonzo's tribe stood in the middle. Grizabella had moved to the TSE 1 to watch. The Strays lined up in a rhombus with Exotica in the front with Coricopat and Tantomile beside her and Alonzo right behind her. Misto and Quaxo was between the twins and Alonzo and Admetus was in the middle.
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.…/Q.... M\.....
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Then they started to move, they did the movements the Jellicles begin with in the movie version, in the beginning at the ball. They were all bending forward and doing a sweeping movement with one of their arms and then Exotica straightened up and pointed at the sky, followed by Alonzo, Admetus and MQ. Then they did the sweeping movement again. Then they split up so they were all standing in a circle and were all facing the Jellicles surrounding them. They did a move that looked as if they were trying to pull the Jellicles towards them. I'm trying to describe the dance in the movie… I'm not too good at it so if you wonder what the heck I mean watch that part. I've done some modifications since they are so few. Then they started to move around looking as if they were searching for something. They joined in the middle and all of them looked at the sky and moved their heads in some kind of sweep and then bared their claws and teeth and hissed.
Then they spread out again doing some ballet-like moves before everyone ran to the side except Quaxo. He did a short solo before being joined by Alonzo and Misto. They did a little dance where Misto and Quaxo danced the same steps and Alonzo did more of a solo using his moves to tease Bombalurina. Alonzo walked across the clearing doing a strange thing with his arms and then pointed at his "sons" and they jumped and spun in the air and then Coricopat came in from behind them doing some acrobatic moves. Alonzo, Quaxo and Misto did a gesture that looked mocking and Coricopat did the same towards them before the four of them moved their hips. Coricopat then decided to flirt with Bombalurina as Exotica made cartwheels into the clearing and then joined Alonzo dancing a little with him.
As the two of them hurried to the side MQ did some pirouettes across the clearing and when they stopped Tantomile took the stage and performed the same dance Bombalurina does in the movie. She felt all the Jellicle toms stare at her in awe. She was joined by Exotica and the two of them did the same moves that Bomba and Cassandra does. Coricopat and Admetus came up from behind them and they did the dance the toms and queens did. – To make it easier for you to understand what I mean, watch the Jellicle ball on youtube and pretend that it's only the Strays doing them. It's kinda hard to explain.
As Admetus carried away Exotica and Coricopat carried away Tantomile Misto and Quaxo took the stage again and performed a small solo. In the movie that would be Quaxo and Tumblebrutus' dance. Then all the Strays joined in to do some kind of spinning move but Old Deuteronomy held up his paws to stop them. Then the Jellicle kittens joined in that dance because they thought it looked funny. So Deuteronomy had to do the same to them. The Strays and the kittens spun around him before moving off to the sides. Alonzo caught his kittens and whispered:
"If you don't want to find a mate I think you better join Bella at the side."
"What", Quaxo asked but Misto pulled him with him.
The Strays joined with their partner… well except Coricopat who joined MQ and Grizabella at the side.
"You don't have a mate dear", she asked him.
"No… not yet", he grinned. Then they looked in awe at the mating dance. They all agreed Victoria and Plato looked good together. Misto couldn't help his smile as he saw his friends cuddle and his eyes went big in awe when the joined the Jellicles in some kind of bundle in the center of the clearing. Then music came on again and everyone danced together. Even Tugger and Alonzo performed together with some other toms without killing or taunting each other. Deuteronomy grinned. This was what he'd hoped for. The Strays and the Jellicles were united and happy. No one thought about how amazing it was that all of them just knew what to do and when to do it.
When the dance was over Grizabella applauded as did Deuteronomy. Alonzo grinned and hurried over to her as the others all talked happily with the cat standing closest to them.
"Come Bella", Alonzo grinned and took her paws.
"What?" she asked confused.
"They wanted the Strays to perform but one Stray hasn't. If I remember correctly you're a great singer!" His enthusiasm rubbed off on her and she started to walk towards the Jellicles. But when she got closer they hissed and started to leave the clearing. Jemima reached out to her and Alonzo's face furrowed when he saw his father lead her away. Then the kitten Pouncival ran up to her and rubbed his butt on her and then used it to push her forward. Something flashed in Alonzo's eyes and he caught Coricopat's shoulder.
"Make sure she's okay", he hissed. "I got a score to settle."
Pouncival, Plato and Tumblebrutus were laughing at the shaggy queen from their hiding places.
"Did you see her face", Pouncival giggled.
"Yes", Tumble shrieked. "It was funny."
"Oh it was funny was it", a cold voice said and they turned around and saw the Stray leader walk towards them.
"Hi Alonzo", Plato grinned.
"Shut up", Alonzo spat and they saw that his eyes were burning with fury.
"Is something wrong", Pouncival asked him and in one quick movement Alonzo held his paw around the kitten's throat and pressed him up against some junk.
"Listen her runt", he spat. "Grizabella is part of my tribe and I won't tolerate anyone hurting her."
"It was just a bit of fun", Pouncival piped in horror.
"Oh then it will be fun if I trash your sorry little ass or cut your pathetic little throat?"
"No", Pouncival shrieked in pure horror and panic. "Please I-I won't do it again."
Alonzo hissed at him and bared his teeth. "You better keep that promise Jellicle. If you don't…" he let go and Pouncival fell to the ground in a heap. "I won't go see easy on you." With that he left the three terrified young cats.
He got back to the clearing and joined his tribe in their corner just as Grizabella started singing:
Memory - not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight the withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
Every street lamp seems to beat a fatalistic warning
Someone mutters and the streetlamp gutters
And soon it will be morning
Memory - all alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
She starts to walk back to her new tribe and ignores Deuteronomy reaching out to her. Tantomile reached out her arms and hug the small, shaggy queen to her and the other Strays join them trying to sooth her sorrow.
"Don't worry Bella", Exotica tells her. "We'll make sure they hear some of your song one way or another."
The Jellicles came out again and Jellylorum lead out an old cat and Admetus jumped to his feet and hurried over to great him.
"Who's that", Quaxo asked. "And why is Ad so happy seeing him?"
Alonzo smiled softly as he watched his friend greet the old tom.
"That's Gus the theater cat", he told Quaxo. "He was like a father to Ad when we lived here."
"What's happening now", Misto asked as the Jellicles settled down and looked ready to go to sleep.
"Deuteronomy will sing", Coricopat said.
"Are we going to interrupt?"
"No", Alonzo said softly. "Not this time. Deuteronomy gave us the opportunity to come here and we won't break his trust in us by destroying his song."
"But we can make and addition to it", Grizabella said and looked up from her place in Tantomile's soothing arms.
"What do you mean Bella?" Exotica asked.
"My dear you have a sweet voice… you can sing this…" and she whispered something to her and the Stays started plotting. Deuteronomy watched them with a soft smile before starting singing.
The moments of happiness . . .
We had the experience but missed the meaning
And approach to the meaning restores the experience
In a different form, beyond any meaning
We can assign to happiness . . . – The Strays lied down in a heap and cuddled together for comfort.
The past experience revived in the meaning
Is not the experience of one life only
But of many generations - not forgetting
Something that is probably quite ineffable- Here it was quiet then Coricopat reached up a paw and so did Tantomile and they raised Exotica to her feet and the Abyssinian started to sing:
Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you
Open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin
Strays: Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you
Open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin – Deuteronomy watched them with a fond smile and most of the Jellicles thought it sounded beautiful. Then they all rose and watched the stars and Gus walked into the clearing a bit and Deuteronomy greeted him and gestured for him to go back to Jelly.
TBC Hope you liked it:) It was hard to describe the dancing.