Journal of Etcetera
 by Barbalurina

Part 1:

A few hours before the Jellicle Ball: 

The Jellicle Ball is tonight.  Tonight every Jellicle
will be in this junkyard, dancing, singing, and
enjoying each other's company.  Tonight, my sister
Victoria will become an adult cat.  I can't say I will
miss her in the Kitten's circle.  She's always been
soft.  I doubt she could survive out here on the
street like most of us.  Papa says I shouldn't be
jealous of her that my time will come.  I'm not
jealous of her.  Who wants a smelly old tom sniffing
around, anyway?  Victoria can have the toms.  Fine.  I
just want to dance and be with my friends and family.


The next morning  following the Jellicle Ball: 

Oh my!  Where do I start?  I definitely need to sort
things out for myself.  I suppose the best way is just
write everything down as it happened.  

Well, the Jellicles all arrived in our big junkyard
meeting place.  We sang about ourselves, and what it
means to be a Jellicle cat.  I got to swing on the
trapeze this year!  I wanted to swing out holding on
with my legs, but of course, Papa would've had a fit.
He thinks I'm reckless enough as it is.    Anyway,
since I swung on the trapeze, I missed the pyramid of
Mystical Divinity of Unashamed Felinity, but I
rejoined them speaking on the Naming of Cats.
Victoria was on my left, Jemima, a younger kitten, and
our half sister, was on my right.  

When we finished the Naming, Victoria did a solo dance
invitation to all to join the ball.  She really is
graceful.  I don't know if I could have made some of
the moves she did.  Another young cat, Mistoffelees,
(we call him Misto) came out when she finished and
danced with her.  I don't know why, but I was suddenly
very envious of her, indeed.  It seemed like the whole
night was hers.  She would be commanding a great deal
of attention from toms and queens alike.  

Munkustrap, our future leader, came forward.  He's a
handsome silver and black tabby, with the most
beautiful tom voice I've ever heard.   

He explained why we were there that night.  One
Jellicle would be chosen by Old Deuteronomy,  to rise
to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn.  

He began to sing about a particular cat,
Jennyanydots.  Of course, I knew her, she didn't just
teach mice and cockroaches!  I wasn't one for the
homely talents, but I definitely could dance!  Jenny
was a tap cat, and so taught beetles....and us, too!
When her song came to an end, that's when the Rum Tum
Tugger showed up. 

I don't really understand some of what I did last
night.  I was acting crazy.  Rum Tum Tugger really
isn't my type! I don't really have a type!  I was, for
a moment, just following the others, then I was
leading them in "admiring" him.  I screamed so loud,
he had to shut me up.  I feel pretty silly about
that.  I agree with Misto....Tugger's pretty boring.
I guess I wanted some of the attention drawn away from
Vicky......but there she was, falling all over him,
too.   Throwing ourselves at him is PLAINLY not the
way to get him, so I'm safe.  

It never occurred to me that maybe other queens felt
the same way.  

Tugger left when an old, ugly queen showed up.   I was
curious how a street cat could let herself go like
that!  I looked at Vicky, and we both approached her,
with Mama on our heels.  She obviously thought this
old queen was a threat to us.  Maybe to Vicky, but not
me.  I could handle anything.  

One of the adult queens, Demeter, knew of her, and
told the rest of us about her......Grizabella the
Glamour Cat......she hung about Tottenham Court Road!
No wonder she looked that way!  It's rougher than even
I care to think about.  Still, I have to admire that
she survived it.   She left when no one here would
accept her.  

We turned around and Bustopher Jones, a fat,
prosperous cat came to the junkyard.  Late, of
course.  He was probably eating.  The older queens,
Jennyanydots, in particular, act really strange when
he's around. Even Mama!  I just don't get it.  Maybe
it's the food.  Any queen who was his would never have
to worry about where her next meal came from.  Jenny
sure likes to eat, too.  She's pretty hefty, herself,
but it seems more comforting, somehow.   Bustopher
took off leaving Jenny with a big red flower.  She
fainted.  

Is this what being an adult cat is all about?  It
seems so silly.  

Suddenly a crash of thunder, and a blaring of sirens,
and we all dashed away.  I don't care to tangle with
Macavity, myself.  I hid where I could still see the
junkyard, and saw, not Macavity, but the cat burglars,
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.  I'm amazed they still
HAVE a home with all the stunts they pull there!  

Still, looking at Mungojerrie, I felt something odd
inside me.  A strange warmth.  What was happening to
me?  I decided I would ask Papa later.  I wasn't going
to miss the Ball because of a fever!  

We all finally came out of hiding and chased
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer off to the car trunk.  

The Mystical Twins, Tantomile and Coricopat, as well
as Misto told us Old Deuteronomy was almost here!   We
all spread out and groomed ourselves the best we
could, then  we gathered together to wait for him, and
I found myself stroking my face on Munkustrap's leg!
I thought I would die of embarrassment, but, just
then, Old Deuteronomy approached with Misto helping
him.  I rushed forward to embrace him, hoping that no
one, least of all, Munkustrap, noticed what I'd
done.   

Munkustrap didn't even glance at me!   I was relieved,
of course, but on that strange level where the warmth
was coming from, I was annoyed.  Was I going insane?

I didn't have time to think about it, since we were
about to put on the Battle of the Pekes and the
Pollicles as a show for Old Deuteronomy.  

I sat on the side of the junkyard with the other
queens, and listened to Munkustrap begin the tale.  

When a Peke and  Pollicle were supposed to meet,
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer jumped out, decked out
like the dogs they were supposed to be.  Mungojerrie
messed up.  Twice.  I could tell Munkustrap was
frustrated and Mungojerrie just acted like he didn't
care.  

I turned out that Mungo wasn't the only one to mess
up.  Let me just say, that cats who lose their fake
Pollicle paws shouldn't throw stones, and cats who are
drunk.....I won't even go there.  

It was just about time for the Ball, but the sirens
blared again, and yet again, we all scattered, except
for Munkustrap, who stayed to protect Old
Deuteronomy.   

Old Deuteronomy didn't even look worried.  Didn't he
know what Macavity would do to him if he got him?  He
stayed his serene, calm, self.  He even managed to
coax out Jemima and Victoria to begin the Ball.

Eventually, we all came back, gathering to witness the
mating of Victoria......and who?  She never mentioned
choosing a tom.  Maybe she didn't know.  She certainly
didn't care to talk to ME about it.  

Plato, a tall, lanky tom, moved toward her.  He ducked
his head toward her stomach and she jumped back in
surprise.  I guess it was surprise.  Anyway, he
approached her again, this time, she didn't move
away.  In fact, she turned her back to him and he
lifted her over his head.  He stroked her leg, and it
trembled.  He brought her back down face to face with
Papa.  

He must have approved of her choice, as I heard no
objection. 

I couldn't watch anymore.  Everyone was pairing off,
and I had no one.  I balanced on my front paws and
moved my rear legs back and forth until everything
quieted down.

Suddenly, the Twins, and Misto alerted us that someone
was coming.  It was Grizabella, again!  Alonzo chased
her off as we began the dancing in earnest.  I
stretched out, let go, and forgot about all the
strange feelings I was having.  

Oh, there is nothing like dancing to cleanse the
soul.  

Of course, we didn't all dance at once.  A few of us
at a time.  My eyes kept following various toms as
they danced.  Mostly Misto, Munkustrap, and
Mungojerrie.  I refused to think about what that
meant.  

The dance finally drew to a close.  We all gathered
around Old Deuteronomy, as Grizabella approached the
yard for the third time.  I left before I could be
pulled away.  I watched Victoria try to approach her,
but Mama would have none of it.  Jemima, too.
Jennyanydots pulled her away, baring her teeth at
Grizabella. 

Grizabella tried to dance, as we did, but couldn't.
It looked painful.  I couldn't imagine what life would
be like if I were unable to dance!  She tried again,
and again, failed.  She began to sing about her
memories and what her life had been like in the past.  

This time, she seemed to leave with more confidence.
Pride.  

We all trickled back into the junkyard.  I stretched
myself out, since I'd been cramped in my hiding
place.  I felt something behind me.  I tried to look
without really looking, and saw Plato, Victoria's
mate, smelling me.  ME!  I didn't know what to do.  So
I did nothing.  When he moved away, he winked at me.
I felt a chill go down my spine.

He just got done with my sister!  Now he's smelling
me? What's THAT about? 

Then I saw Victoria saunter by Alonzo and he nuzzled
HER!   What's going on?  

I lay out on the ground as Mama brought out
Grandfather Gus.  He's older than Old Deuteronomy!  

Old Deuteronomy sang of the Moments of Happiness.
Deep Philosophy is not my strong suit.  I was
surprised when Jemima seemed to share this
understanding of Philosophy with him.  When she sang,
she drew us all in.  Even Grandfather Gus.  

Mama sang about Grandfather Gus and his long stint as
a Theater Cat.  He sang in a soft, shaky voice of how
things were different in his time, and how kittens
nowadays didn't get trained.  Of course, he reminisced
about his most famous role, Firefrorfiddle, the Fiend
of the Fell, and seemed to reach out to someone none
of us could see.
He broke down in the end, and Mama led him away.  

Would I someday sing of my Papa, Skimbleshanks, the
same way?  Not for a long time, anyway!  

Now we all did sing of Papa, but he was still the
Railway Cat, and could sing very well for himself.  I
enjoyed myself very much, and I was very proud of
Papa.  It was always fun gathering the junk together
to make a "train".  Vicky and I had done so a few
times, until she tired of it.  

Papa's song came to an end, and Macavity showed up IN
THE JUNKYARD!  He had his huge henchrats kidnap Old
Deuteronomy!  It was horrible!  

The toms scattered to go find him.  We stayed behind
while Demeter and Bombalurina, another adult queen,
told us of Macavity.  It was odd.  All their words
said they despised him.  Their bodies told a different
story.  Something tells me there's more to this than
just Demeter's kidnapping as a kitten.

The toms returned.  Apparently, so had Old 
Deuteronomy!  The rats led him toward us, and we
kittens embraced him, happy that he had been brought
back to us.  Maybe Macavity wasn't as bad as Demeter
and Bombalurina had said.  

I was wrong.

We were still gathered at Old Deuteronomy's feet, when
Demeter, who is pretty nervous to start with, bared
her teeth and snarled at him.  Huh?  It was Old
Deuteronomy.....wasn't it?  She apparently didn't
think so, and ran wildly through the yard, scattering
us away from him, and finally leaped on his back!  

He spun around and his disguise fell away revealing
Macavity!  

I was scared, and I didn't know how much damage I
could do, but I ventured forward, fully intending to
bite, or scratch, or anything to hurt him.  

I wasn't alone.  I just never saw who else dared,
because I never made it.  I should say, I didn't do
anything to him.  He knocked me away before I could
reach him.  Oh, my ribs hurt.  

Macavity grabbed Demeter, dragging her across the
ground.  Munkustrap followed, grasping her other end,
with Demeter being the object of their tug-of-war.
Alonzo (another handsome tom) joined in and they got
Demeter away from Macavity.  Alonzo took her to
safety, while Munkustrap fought Macavity himself.  

Watching the toms fighting was not new.  It just never
affected me the way it did then.  Munkustrap was so
brave and he was facing Macavity alone! 

The warmth inside me returned with a vengeance.  By
then I was certain that I was in heat.  

Now, I watched Munkustrap with entirely different
eyes.  Every move he made was......beautiful.  I
couldn't stop staring, until he got injured.  Then, I
saw red!  I was ready to make a second try at
Macavity, but was firmly held back by Papa.   Alonzo
leaped in and managed to dig his claws into Macavity's
side before Macavity threw him aside, too.  

After that, other cats, Mungojerrie, Jennyanydots,
even Mama took a swing at him as he tried to escape.
Just before he disappeared, he shorted out the lights
in the junkyard, leaving us in darkness.

Someone switched on the light we used on our "train".  

Munkustrap was illuminated by the light.  Before I
could even think, Demeter approached him and they
nuzzled.  Oh noooooo!  Were they together, or was she
just grateful?  It's not FAIR!  Oh, why him, and why
now?????  

I turned the pain inward.  I would not let anyone
know.  Least of all him.  I still had my pride, after
all.  

Tugger started talking about Misto, and how he could
perhaps bring back Old Deuteronomy with his magic.  

I drowned my sorrow in seemingly pursuing
Tugger....again.  A little more subdued, perhaps, but
I felt better when he included me.  

Misto is a FINE dancer.  His movements, while
different than Munkustrap's, were beautiful in his own
way.  

He was closer to my age, too. 

He didn't choose me as his assistant.  He picked that
Siamese queen, Cassandra.  

For a moment that didn't matter since he managed to
bring back Old Deuteronomy for REAL, this time.  And
made Cassandra vanish!  He brought her back, though.
Darn! 

Misto finished off by jumping up and vanishing into
thin air.  Impressive!

Old Deuteronomy was about to make the choice of
Ascension, when Jemima gave the sign that dawn was
near.

And Grizabella showed up again!  She's got guts, I'll
say.  She sang about memories again.  I think she was
sick.  She ended up on the ground, until Jemima took
up her song.   There must be healing in my young
sister's voice, because Grizabella stood up and sang
again, with seemingly renewed vigor. 

Well, Old Deuteronomy selected her to go to the
Heaviside Layer.  We all gathered around and watched
and listened as the sky opened up to receive her.  She
went slowly, but steadily up, up, up past the Russell
Hotel.  

Old Deuteronomy finished the night with how one is
supposed to address a cat.  

And then the sun came up.  

Electra and I usually share a cardboard box, but I
wanted to be alone this morning.  She gave me an odd
look, but said nothing.

I wandered away from the junkyard, deciding that maybe
talking about these feelings with Papa wasn't the best
idea.  I poked around in a close by alleyway and found
a stereo box with the white insulation still in it.
It would be warm.  

I climbed in and curled up.  The heat was still with
me, but I ignored it, trying to sleep.  

I don't know how long I slept.  I don't guess it was
long, since the sun hadn't moved much.  Someone
grabbed me by my scruff and pulled me out of the box!

That's just plain RUDE!  I started kicking,
scratching, and mewling trying to get free, and found
myself face to face with.....Macavity!

In spite of my mortal fear, I felt a rush of totally
unwanted desire.  No!!!!  If he found out......he
wouldn't hesitate to use me.  I knew it.   I think I
knew now what Demeter and Bombalurina were about last
night.  The heat didn't care.  Only that he was a tom
and could take the heat away.

Maybe he wouldn't find out.  If I were lucky, he would
kill me instead of having me bear his kittens.  

"You've been hiding your condition, Etcetera."

I said nothing, and didn't look him in the eye.  He
had a way of mesmerizing cats that looked at him.  

"I can take away your pain."

I tried to twist out of his hold on me.  "I'm not in
pain." I was defiant, even to the end.

He laughed, and stroked one paw down the fur on my
back.  My breath caught.  The heat rose.

He started dragging me away, even with my struggles,
laughing the whole time.  

I don't think I've ever been so scared in my whole
life.  My kittenhood was about to be over and he was
going to be the one to take it from me.  I felt my
eyes water, but ruthlessly swallowed the tears.  I
would not let him have any more than he took.   

I had never been to Macavity's hideout before.
 Rumpleteazer had described it once, but didn't care
to talk about it much.  Did he "take away her pain"?
 Possibly.  She was only a few moons older than I, and
being in Macavity's gang didn't really bode well for
queens.  

He dragged me into a warehouse.  It was empty, except
for stacks of empty crates and blankets.

He pulled me close.  "What are you afraid of?"

I looked away.  "I'm not afraid.  You attack kittens
and queens.  That tells me you're a coward!"  I spat
in his face, and began struggling again.

He dug his claws in my scruff and shook me hard.  "I'm
no coward!"  He let me go and I slammed into the
warehouse wall.  Dazed, I could fight no more.  

Later that afternoon: 

I was out of it for a while.  When I came back to
myself, I was alone, and the warehouse was dark.  

My eyes adjusted, and I began to look for a way out.  

I leaped up to a window ledge, hoping I could break
out a window.  

"You won't get out that way," said a familiar Cockney
voice. 

I turned around so suddenly, I fell off the ledge, and
landed, deftly, on my feet, right in front of
Mungojerrie.  

I looked him right in the eye, and then the heat
became so unbearable I couldn't suppress a loud meow.
How embarrassing!

"You're in season, aren't you?"  He sniffed at me.

There didn't seem to be any point in lying, and if my
kittenhood were to go to anyone, at least he was a
Jellicle.  I nodded.

" 'ere, rub this stuff on your fur," he indicated a
pile of black soot, "then follow me."  

I rubbed the awful stuff all over my body.  When I was
finished, I looked like a very grubby Cassandra.

I trailed behind him, feeling like my insides were
twisting.  The fur on my back was standing up, and in
spite of the fact that he was a Jellicle, I was still
terrified of what was going to happen.  

He stopped abruptly, turned around and without so much
as a by your leave, sank his teeth into my shoulder.
I shrieked.

"Shh!!!  It's all right!  I only did that to show that
you were claimed."  

"Claimed?"

"Under my protection."

"Oh." Ordinarily, I would take issue with a statement
like that, but just then, the thought of belonging to
someone....to HIM....was very appealing.

The pain also took my mind off the heat, briefly.  

We went on, passing several rats and cats that I
didn't know, that were lounging around.  A few of the
cats turned in my direction, sniffing the air.  Before
any of them could investigate, Mungojerrie snarled and
they immediately backed off.  

Finally, we made it outside!  I fully intended to run,
RUN all the way back to the junkyard, when I realized,
I didn't know where I was.  I hadn't taken notice of
the direction Macavity had dragged me as I had been
too busy struggling.  

"Should I take ye 'ome?" 

"I don't have a home, just a box I usually share with
Electra."

"I meant MY 'ome."

Oh!  The heat was back, just at the mention of going
home with him!  I nodded shyly.

Suddenly I felt terribly grubby and very
unattractive.  I desperately needed to groom myself.
I sneezed out some of the soot.  

"Come on, then."  

He led the way to Victoria Grove.  I'd never in my
life seen a bigger, fancier house!  We went around the
back and through a small swinging door inside.  

Looking around, I was amazed!  These humans certainly
had a lot of interesting things.  

"This way."  

I was jolted out of my reverie, and we went down a
flight of stairs.  It was dark, in the basement, but
again, my eyes (and his) adjusted.  

"Are you 'ungry?"

I nodded.  I hadn't eaten since before the Jellicle
Ball.

He nosed a bowl in my direction.  It had some dry
stuff in it.  Not the best food I've had, but also not
the worst.  In fact, I'd finished off what was left.  

"Thank you." Somehow it didn't seem enough, since he'd
done much more than feed me.  I didn't know what to do
next. 

When all else fails, I groom myself.  I hated the feel
of all that soot on me.    

"You're welcome."  He moved closer to me.  "Can I 'elp
you with that?" Shyly.

My voice seemed to have dried up.  I nodded again,
feeling silly. 

I stretched out on the floor and I felt his tongue
rasp quickly across my fur.  I stopped grooming myself
and just allowed myself to feel it for a moment.  It
felt so good.  

We managed to get most of the soot off, when he
reached my shoulder, where he'd marked me.  

His eyes met mine, questioning.

The heat overtook any fear I may have had.  "Yes,
please....I - I need you." 

He smiled, then rubbed his face against mine.  Then he
drew his front paws lightly down my back.  Pleasure
cascaded down my spine, forcing a loud cry from me.  

I didn't know what I was asking for.  I mean, I knew a
little about mating, but not what actually happened.
I thought he would just....I don't know, climb on me,
I guess.  

He didn't.  He was very sweet, and as gentle as his
own heat would allow.  It only hurt for a minute. 

As things....progressed..... he re-marked my shoulder,
growling in this......masculine......way.  Somehow,
that brought everything to a head.  I felt like I was
going to shatter, the pleasure was that intense.   

We cried out in the darkness of the basement, then it
was over. 

I was no longer a kitten.

He was still curled around me when suddenly, we
weren't alone.  

" 'ey Mungo!  I found a beautiful bracelet in
the......" Rumpleteazer stopped when she saw us.  "Oh
my....aren’t you a pretty pair?"  She grinned at
Mungojerrie.  "When were you goin' ta tell me?"

He let me go.  "It's not a secret.  Macavity 'ad 'er.
I got 'er out."  

"You what?!  'e'll know you 'elped 'er escape!  'e'll
kill you!"  

"No 'e won't.  I 'ad her soot 'er fur when she left.
No one recognized 'er."

"Hmph!" She looked disbelieving.  

I didn't know what to say.  I was glad he'd rescued
me, of course, but not if it meant that he would die.  

She turned to me.  "So.....shall I leave you two
alone?" She grinned knowingly.

"Uh, no, that's okay.....really."  I was stumbling
over my words.  It was embarrassing.  

"No, I don't mind.  It's 'bout time 'e loosened up
with a queen."  She scampered away, winking at Mungojerrie.

As soon as she was gone, we were together again on the
floor, nuzzling.  I fell asleep.


Part2.3.4.5.6.7.8.

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