"So what do you think?" the Rum Tum Tugger put down his bag pipes and grinned widely at his brother.
"That is … that is really something else," Munkustrap told his younger sibling. Tugger beamed with pride, not catching the hesitation and forced cheerfulness on the silver tabby's face.
"So, I get to go in the play?" he urged happily.
"Yes - yes, that might be for the best …," Munkustrap considered what else the Rum Tum Tugger might get up to and quickly decided that the frankly quite awful bagpipes was the lesser evil.
"And I have even better news!" the Tugger crowed, reaching behind him and dragging a reluctant Mister Mistoffelees into view.
The kitten had been holding his paws over his ears, and gave the Jellicle Protector a sheepish grin as he lowered them. "Presto?" he said softly, and a light began to shine down on them. Looking up Munkustrap noticed an old electric light that no longer had power going to it, shinning with energy.
"What in the name of the Everlasting Cat … that is amazing!"
"Told you," Tugger nudged Mistoffelees and gave him a toothy grin. "We found some Christmas lights and stuff too – he can make 'em shine all night. Pretty things, all sparkly and colourful."
"This is perfect, Mister Mistoffelees." Munkustrap congratulated the bashful cat. "It will make a wonderful addition to the night. Thank you."
"If you could…," the small cat began, but the Rum Tum Tugger grabbed his shoulder and started pulling him away.
"Oh, look at the time. Our humans have been so annoyed at us wondering off, best to get home now. Night Munkustrap!" When they had gone a little way he let go of his friend and scolded him for trying to get his brother to let him have a song – Munkustrap was very busy right now, after all. And they did have to get home early.
"They're only upset with us because you jumped up when that human was doing something and made a mess of it, when the hairy one had been trying to get you to sit with it for hours," the younger cat sulked.
"You still have a needle stuck in your ruff, by the way." Mistoffelees added, purposely not pointing to where it was. To his annoyance the Rum Tum Tugger stopped being in a hurry and started a full groom to find the needle and remove the odd threads and wool strands that were hiding in his wild mane.
"Not a bad bit of work tonight," Tugger noted. "You get to show off your magic and I get to play the 'pipes. Cats will be talking about this Ball for ages!" he gave the smaller cat a grin.
"Yes, you're right," Mister Mistoffelees agreed, thinking solemnly of the bag pipes. He was never going to forget the amount of practicing the Tugger had been doing on their roof top, and neither would their humans. It was a good thing Tugger was so adorable, or they would both have been out on their ears.