"If we could turn down the soppiness for a moment," Exotica sighed. She dearly loved her friends, but being around them could be sickening at times. At least they tended to keep romantic gestures to when they were alone or with close friends. Going around with them if they were like this in public would just be embarrassing. "How about I ask her for you?" Rumpleteazer asked. "I hate to break this to you, but I don't think you're Jemima's type," Mungojerrie quipped. "Anyway, I thought you were going with me. And how does you asking Jemima to the dance help Erik here?" His mate cuffed him around the back of the head. "Ignore him Erik," Exotica mewed. Erik shrugged. "I'd like to ask her," he began. "Aha!" Mungojerrie exclaimed loudly. "So you do like her? J'accuse you of wilfully attempting to deceive us. How do you plea?" Erik shook his head in annoyance. "Ok, so I like her," he snapped. "Oh we know," Mungojerrie smiled slyly. "I said you tried to deceive us, not that you succeeded. You are not very good at hiding your feeling for the young queen, my dear Romeo."
Erik arched an eyebrow in confession. "You know?" he stammered. Rumpleteazer rolled her eyes. "Yes we know." "Does she?" Erik asked desperately, the usually taciturn and morose cat being moved to panic. "I don't know. It really depends on how blind she is to subtle thing like the way you look at her, the way you act, thunderstorms, the moon, things like that," Mungojerrie joked. Erik sank onto his haunches, his head in his paws. "I've made a fool out of myself," he whimpered. "Well … a little bit yes," Rumpleteazer offered. "You could have just asked her. Fortunately for you, queens love a tom that makes a fool out of himself for love and Jemima is just as blind to your affections as you are to hers." Erik's head shot up. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "Oh come on Erik," Exotica waded in. "Do you see any other queens batting their eyelashes at random toms and going out of their way to sit near them?" Erik looked blank. "I think I see the problem," Mungojerrie declared. He smiled at Erik. "You don't want to be happy. You've spent all your life having to act like a father to Rusty and Syrie, and now you can't let yourself be young. Ask queens out, make a fool of yourself, make mistakes, have fun. It's what this age is about." The tabby thief stroked Rumpleteazer affectionately. "You and I both lost the chance to be normal kittens due to forces beyond our control. But we were both also lucky and have a chance to be young for a while. Don't miss that chance."
Plato was livid with his brother. "What the hell were you playing at!" he demanded. Admetus shrugged, a cocky smile on his face. "Just a bit of fun," he drawled. In that moment, the resemblance to Rum Tum Tugger was uncanny. "Oh, you think it's funny do you," Tumblebrutus snapped. Admetus stood up, towering over his smaller littermate. "Yes. Why, have you got something to say about it," he sneered. Plato stepped between the two, forcing Admetus to sit down. "Listen up," the more authoritative brother snarled. "You are going to take this seriously." "Why, so I don't mess up your date with Exotica?" his brother laughed. "Just shut up," Bill Bailey howled, the usually happy hearted prankster starting to lose his temper. "You are going to take this seriously, or I'll personally make sure that you aren't allowed to dance," Plato growled. Admetus's pale face went even whiter. Admetus loved dancing – after Quaxo and Victoria he was one of the best in the yard and he loved to show off. "You wouldn't dare..." he started, but Tumblebrutus cut him off. "We're working hard on this. The others are working hard on it. Everyone else is putting their heart and soul into this dance, and we're all going to become adults. Now straighten up, or you won't be joining us." With that Plato and the twins turned and left, leaving a dejected and shocked Admetus all alone.
Erik had joined the guard rota, taking his turn in guarding the tribe. He, Mungojerrie and Alonzo formed a three cat team that covered half of the perimeter. Munkustrap, Skimble and Tumblebrutus were forming the other for tonight, while the other toms rested. Suddenly a yell from the other side of the yard brought the guards running. Demeter lay on the ground, pointing quivering figure at the top of the tallest rubbish heap. A tall, ginger figure with matted fur and tangled hair stood there, glaring down at the cats. The toms swarmed up after the intruder, but upon reaching the top of the pile, Macavity wasn't there. A muffled scream attracted their attention as, on the ground, Exotica was dragged away, kicking and screaming. Plato didn't think, he just jumped. The grey cat, crashed to the ground heavily, coming up claws bared. Macavity had Exotica by the throat. "Let me go, or the queen gets it," he snarled. Macavity looked even worse than usual. His fur was ragged, his skin visible through missing clumps. Scaly lesions were visible around his eyes, nose and ears. Macavity squeezed, choking Exotica. "Stop right there," Munkustrap bellowed, tearing towards his older brother. Macavity dropped Exotica, turning his attention to Munkustrap. The two toms wrestled with each other, clawing and biting.
Macavity was steadily getting the upper hand over Munkustrap, the silver tabby exhausted by long nights on guard. Plato launched himself at Macavity as Exotica ran to get help, clinging onto the ginger cat's back. Macavity howled in pain, spinning around to dislodge the cat. Plato hung on for dear life, waiting for help to arrive. Macavity however slammed his back into the corner of an abandoned fridge, knocking Plato free before making good his escape.
Mungojerrie raced to intercept the mystery cat, just getting ahead of him. The tabby cat burst into a clearing, slamming into Macavity. The larger cat glared down at the winded thief. Mungojerrie saw a trio of ugly, half healed scars on Macavity's stomach where he had clawed him. Mungojerrie felt his body go into meltdown, the face that had haunted his nightmares causing his limbs to lock up with fear. "Are you scared?" Macavity sneered, planting a foot on Mungojerrie's throat. "No taunts, no jibs?" The cat laughed. "You should have stuck to petty larceny kit. It's all you're good for." "Burn in hell," the thief snarled, lashing out with his claws and causing Macavity to stumble. With that, Mungojerrie's vision dissolved into blackness.