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whitmerule · 11 months

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(ficlet! little tuggershanks+bombastrap with some tuggerstrap drabble, plus angst of trans tugger escaping from his crime lord dad when pregnant.)

(@skimbly-shanks and i have a WHOLE AU...)

“Yours”, purred Munkustrap, the night breeze cold on the back of his neck and Bombalurina’s nape warm and willing under his lips. “Such as I am, yours. With all my faults, all my follies…”

He never would have thought he’d find a woman who could understand and reply to his John Donne quotes, but—

“... yours utterly and forever”, she finished for him, all amused heat as his mouth skated up the side of her throat. “While this poor passionate mountebank body has hands to hold you and lips to say ‘I love you’...”

They fell through their front door, his hands already sliding up to cradle familiar curves and tease at her buttons and ties. But even as the latch snicked, she tensed up in his arms.

He lifted his head, and saw what she saw.

There was a pot of water cooling on the stove, and the package of baby formula nearby.

Munkustrap let out a breath. His arms tightened around his wife. Then he dipped his head and nuzzled softly against her shoulder.

“I’ll…” he said, and gestured toward the bedrooms, and she nodded and said “You know he only crashes here when he’s desperate,” and headed for the pantry.

Turned out, he hadn’t got as far as the spare bedroom.

Munkustrap sank to his knees in front of the armchair and laid a soft hand on his arm.

“... Tugger?”

He was gaunter than ever. The hair that he’d used to toss around fell lank and lifeless over too-sharp collarbones. His face was stubbled—not in a sexy deliberate way, but in the way of a trans guy who was currently producing a lot of oestrogen and didn’t have time for a razor.

Patchy. Pimply. Starved.

Munkustrap reached out his hand, and laid it over the most tender part of him, which was the baby cradled against his ribs.

Carbuckety stirred, and yawned, and fisted his chubby oblivious hands in his papa’s shirt, and went straight back to sleep.

Tugger just kept on snoring.

“Tugger,” Munk insisted softly. Achingly.

One year ago, this man had been the swaggering audacious poster child of a crime syndicate’s new regime.

One year ago, he had been his father Macavity’s darling, and never had to pay for anything or clean a single dish.

One year ago, his shirt would have been designer and barely worn. Now, a fraying seam of cheap cotton sagged off one shoulder, where he tugged it down every time he had to feed the baby.

(Munkustrap had never prodded at the edges of Tugger’s gender dysphoria. But he strongly suspected that breast-feeding was a practical necessity born of poverty, not a… joy.)

(Which would be why he and Bombalurina kept formula and bottles in the kitchen all ready and waiting. Even though Jemima was almost entirely on solids now.)

“Tugger.”

Munkustrap gently tried to prise Carbuckety from the protective curl of his arms.

That got a reaction. The eyes flew wide (too wide) and Tugger’s other hand lifted in something like a swipe. But it fell away, and sagged into his lap, and Tugger grinned groggily at Munkustrap, and tipped his sleepy head back against the sofa.

Munkustrap sighed loudly at him, and carefully gathered the baby into his arms.

This time, there was no resistance.

Carbuckety made a happy soft noise, and punched Munkustrap in the face with vague baby fist-flails. Munkustrap sighed at him, and kissed the fists.

'Skimbleshanks'. That was the name of the man who had so carelessly begotten this... this entire human being on Munkustrap's friend. And then left.

Of course, Tugger swore that he'd been the one to leave, that he'd had higher standards. But he would say that, wouldn't he. And Munkustrap had seen the way Tugger's self-esteem had crashed after... well, was it really even a break-up if the other guy had never regarded him as more than a convenient lay?

“When did you last eat a full meal?” Munkustrap asked Carbuckety.

“Fuck off,” Tugger grumbled half-heartedly. And Munkustrap pointed out, “There is a bed eight metres away and you know you’re welcome to use it,” and Tugger growled and grabbed at his shirt front and dragged him (or his baby) in closer and turned his head helplessly in against them.

“The kid always eats,” Tugger found it necessary to point out, even though Munkustrap knew that, knew Tugger would sacrifice anything to make his baby happy for one more hour.

“Yes,” Munkustrap purred, against the side of his head, and didn’t add, but do you.

Carbuckety yawned, and squirmed, and blissfully added another burp stain to Tugger’s shirt.

“Shut up,” said Tugger anyway, and Munkustrap’s heart clenched, and he drew Tugger’s head in softly (unresisting), and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Tugger’s breath hissed out in a rush. Just for a moment, he almost began to sag in against Munkustrap’s body—to rely on his strength.

Munkustrap leaned in against him, breathing in, one hand still cradling the child. Their fingers interlocked.

“Soup’s up,” said Bombalurina from the door, holding three steaming mugs—and both men pricked their ears, and turned to her with relief.

#tuggershanks #tuggerstrap #bombastrap #and yes the bombatuggerstrap swinging is entirely consensual #skimble is currently out of the picture so doesn't get a say #tugger needs love #munkustrap #rum tum tugger #mpreg #trans mpreg #trans tugger #also munkustrap is of course wrong about what went down between tugger and skimble #but he protecc him friend!

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namethat-i-oughttohavetoldyou · 2 years

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There Are Many Benefits To Being A Matelot

Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate fic for @cryptidvoidwritings >:) First time writing the Raffish crew! At first I wanted to think up different names for them, but I thought it would be a little confusing and you did ask for Tuggerstrap in particular, so the Raffish crew happens to share the names of the cats who portray them during the musical. I hope you enjoy! :) Quick warning: alcohol and sex are discussed, but neither consumed or performed. Love to everyone who reads, likes or reblogs! ♥♥♥

The screams of the seagulls almost tuned out the other racket going on above them, therefore, Tugger was as relaxed as one could be.

Although…

He stretched and threw his left leg over Munkustrap’s right.

Now he was relaxed.

Munkustrap commented this with little more than a soft huff of breath, eyelids heavy and ears flicking ever so often in half-asleep, drunken stupor.

Tugger turned his head to admire his companion for a moment, from the tips of his black ears to the equally black, folded paws that were resting on his stomach, down to his worn-out leather boots with the small lopsided heart carved into the left heel, courtesy of Tugger himself.

“Why not your initials?” Grumbuskin had asked while observing the shoe-carving almost a year ago.

“He can’t read,” Tugger had answered. Munkustrap had just sat there and giggled.

Well, maybe they just all drank too much too often. But then again, who would withhold this one last source of pleasure from them?

Or rather second to last source. One source was currently lying right next to Tugger.

Said source was also humming and somehow swaying even though he was laying down, so maybe they should really give the drinking problem a little more thought. Later, though. When they weren’t so drunk.

Growltiger and Griddlebone’s duet reached a new level of volume on the deck above them, and Tugger crossed his arms behind his head and wondered what it must be like to have a paramour.

Might be nice to have someone waiting for you at the shore. But then again, wasn’t it much nicer to have them right with you on the ship, at all times? Maybe he preferred having a matelot instead of a lover.

Tugger grabbed Munkustrap’s tail, who stopped humming for just a second to quietly huff again, then resumed humming.

Yeah, matelotage was much better. More benefits to it, too. Griddlebone probably wouldn’t inherit any property if Growltiger decided to kick the bucket.

(Not that Tugger was very eager to inherit anything soon. He had his own pair of worn-out boots, thank you.)

He petted the soft striped tail in his hands, smoothing down the fur and watching the tip twitch lazily.

“Don’t pull,” Munkustrap said without moving his lips, blinking excruciatingly slow.

“Would never think of it,” Tugger answered and pulled a little.

“Mmph.”

Tugger hid a grin in his shirt collar and turned his head to where Mistoffelees and Mungojerrie had long become an unorganized cluster of limbs. Skimble sat at the bulkhead and stared at the ceiling, fully immersed in the passionate singing that went on up there.

“You’re pining.”

Skimble startled and shot Tugger an offended glare. “Yes. And what about it?”

Tugger shrugged. “As long as Growltiger’s still alive…”

“Well, maybe we should wish upon a star, all of us together. Our contracts are far from over.”

That was true.

Piracy was great, all in all: sailing was fun and there was always enough to eat (and too much to drink), it was nice to fall asleep to the sound and movement of the waves, they had health insurance and what was matelotage if not the greatest invention ever? (Poor Skimble. Maybe they would have to consider polygamy, he seemed so dreadfully lonely sometimes.)

The only disadvantage was… well. They had a boss. And said boss was, frankly said, an asshole.

There was a reason why the crew only consisted of five cats. They were the toughest and most steadfast, and they survived getting bullied, shoved, kicked and punched just because Growltiger felt like it without much of a complaint. At least in Growltiger’s vicinity.

Tugger spent many hours of his day wishing for the Navy to catch up to them and simultaneously fearing what would happen to the crew if they did so.

“Kind of hard to wish upon a star when we’re down here, though.”

Skimble scratched his chin. Then he stared at the ceiling again. Tugger did the same.

Truth to be told, everyone was pining a little for Griddlebone; it was almost impossible not to. She was one of the most beautiful living creatures wandering on this green earth, that much was certain. Her voice was hypnotic and her sense of humour even more so, and she could drink tea in the most fanciest manner Tugger had ever seen, and he and the rest of the crew thought that to be highly impressive, not to say attractive.

If Growltiger did kick the bucket and Griddlebone was willing to go for a bit of mattress sport, Tugger wouldn’t think twice before accepting. He’d probably bring Munkustrap, though, just to have something familiar to fall back on should something not go according to plan.

…Yes, matelotage was much better than just having a lover.

“I made the right decision,” Tugger told Munkustrap, pulling a little on his tail.

“Ah,” Munkustrap said.

Then: “That’s good.”

“Yes.”

“…”

“Concerning you, I mean.”

“Oh.”

And then Munkustrap smiled, and smiled and smiled and smiled and Tugger pulled a little on his tail again because he could barely stand it. He would surely burst if he looked at the smile for even one second longer, so he continued with staring holes into the ceiling.

From the corner of his eyes, Tugger could see Munkustrap’s paws unfolding themselves, and the right one reached, grasped Tugger’s, held on and pulled back to refold with his left.

Tugger let go of Munkustrap’s abused tail and rested his remaining paw on his chest, absentmindedly playing with the loose buttons of his linen shirt.

“I’m glad you made the decision.”

Tugger silently noted that he said ‘decision’, not ‘right decision’ and squeezed his paw.

Munkustrap squeezed back.

“Me too.”

For a while, nothing was heard but the two lovers’ voices hitting new record heights, the seagulls and Skimble scratching his chin from time to time.

“What do you think of polygamy?”

Munkustrap’s eyes opened a little wider; he almost looked awake now. “Probably a lot of effort to manage so that nobody is jealous of someone else. Why do you ask?”

Tugger was about to lift his paw off his chest to point at the lone tomcat sitting at the bulkhead, when suddenly all hatches slammed shut at the same time with a BANG.

The tangle of limbs and fur that was Mungojerrie and Mistoffelees flinched and untangled at a breathtaking speed. At least that’s what Tugger assumed was happening, because with the closing of the hatches their only source of light had been decimated.

To be precise: it was pitch black, with only slivers of light poking through the ceiling beams.

Munkustrap’s wide yellow eyes stared back at him when Tugger turned his head back around, apparently very suddenly very sober.

A loud, wailing shriek rang out and made the Raffish crew’s ears press to their skulls. Then the ship vibrated with a lot of cats stomping about, a lot of screaming and several swords clashing, interspersed with a splash of someone falling into the water here and there.

“The Navy!” Mungojerrie breathed, at the same time as Mistoffelees whispered “It’s Gilbert!”

The noise kept up for several more long minutes, then there was a very big splash, and loud cheers of “Huzzah!” relieved the crew’s accumulated tension.

Growltiger had been defeated.

As their crewmates whooped and hollered, Tugger and Munkustrap looked at each other without a word. The hatches were closed; there had been no way for them to enter the fight and help, but they hadn’t really felt like it anyway. They could reach the gun deck easily, however, and the gun ports were most probably still open. A successful escape was more than likely.

Maybe they’d even come across Griddlebone, swimming around in the Thames somewhere.

Tugger squeezed Munkustrap’s paw, and Munkustrap squeezed back.

Matelotage was great.

Poor Griddlebone hadn’t gotten anything out of being Growltiger’s lover other than wet fur and a head cold, if she was truly unlucky. But at the moment, she wasn’t their problem, and they all enjoyed their sudden unemployment very much.

“Now, tell me, Skimble,” Mungojerrie grinned as the five of them climbed out of the gun ports into blessed freedom, whiskers blowing in the wind and sharp teeth bared to laugh at the moon, “how did that star you wished upon get below deck?”

All pirates are bisexual, I don’t make the rules. This was utterly and completely inspired by the time I saw Cats in Vienna; Everlasting Cat bless Dominik Hees’ pirate Tugger and his unstoppable urge to cuddle with Alexander Auler’s giggly drunk pirate Munk. ♥ Originally this thing was almost four times as long, but it got a little long-winded and world-building-y so I had to reduce it quite drastically XD It’s very probable that I’ll come back to it at some point, because I love pirates. You love pirates. Everyone loves pirates. Thank you for reading! ♥ Also:

#cats the musical #rum tum tugger #munkustrap #tuggerstrap #namethat-i writes #catsiversary: the sequel

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theimpossiblescheme · 1 year

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Another shorter piece inspired by @the-cat-at-the-theatre-door for Jelly’s day--I’ve had this idea kicking around in my head for a while, and I hope everyone likes it!

Her writer was still clicking away on that typewriter of his. Day in and day out, always by the same window overlooking the rose garden… he always seemed to get stuck on the same page, too, pulling out the paper and crumpling it up and starting again. Just like humans, wasn’t it, to insist on the silliest things? Any cat could do it better in a few hours, simply by walking across the keys just so, but her writer never seemed to think of the obvious things. He just spent a few more hours clicking away.

Of course, he wasn’t really her writer. But he’d almost been. Once upon a time.

Jellylorum had tried to be a proper housecat, she really had. She knew how to use a litter box and eat out of a ceramic dish and play without using her claws too much. And she hadn’t been much fuss, or at least she’d tried not to be. All she needed was a patch of sunlight and a few scraps of fish when she could get them, and she was happy. It was a lovely house, too—all blue with painted flowers and animals and bright curtains adorning every window. Apparently, he’d tried to be an artist first, but there hadn’t been any money in it, which never made any sense to Jelly. Why on earth would anyone pay money for art? Did humans pay money to sing, too, or dance or have any fun at all? Why put something so beautiful, so essential, behind a way of nonsense papers and numbers? Then again, she’d never pretended to understand why humans did anything, so why start now? She only watched curiously as he took up writing instead, making a corner of his bedroom into a little office space and filling notebooks with ideas every night. Before he went to bed, her writer would tell her about his future creations, every story and character he wanted to share with the world, and she listened raptly. Even if she couldn’t quite follow every word he said, she still hung on them—he was excited, so she was excited, and it brought to mind every fairy tale and adventure epic her parents had told her as a kitten. When he turned out the light, Jelly curled up at the end of his bedspread and went to sleep, content as she’d ever been. For a time.

She’d tried to stay there. Tried to tell herself she would never want for more. But every cat’s feet start to itch if they can’t find enough roads and pathways, and that was how she found the Junkyard again. She’d been several times as a kitten, and it was astounding how little it had changed. There was the same broken-down old car, the same tire propped up on cinder blocks, the same stringy clothesline stretching high above the wall… it felt like a time capsule. Except the inhabitants had changed. Her father was still there and her brother and sister, and so was dearest Jenny from across the way who always smelled like kitchens and tap shoe polish. And there were so many kittens. She couldn’t turn a corner without hearing a little voice, making her heart swell every time. One kitten in particular, a silvery tom with black stripes and the most serious eyes she had seen in anyone so young, liked nothing more than to sit with her and Asparagus whenever he couldn’t find anyone to play with. Eventually Jenny, Hathor, and Skimble would join them, and they became a little council of six. Demeter and Bombalurina also needed someone to play with, so Jelly and Jenny would take her off for an explore, mostly to spare Asparagus’s poor nerves. Occasionally, kittens would just turn up as well, and they would need to be assigned a den to sleep in… Jelly had shared a blanket in an old rusty pram with so many shivering little ones. She had lullabies for all of them, and some of them learned the words well enough to sing along, even if she had to explain what they meant. And every moment she was away, she worried about them. Were they getting enough to eat, were they getting along with the other kittens, were Demeter’s ankles any better after she’d twisted them dancing…?

The longer she was away, the guiltier she felt. Of course, she loved her home with her writer… but the Junkyard was home, too. Every time she approached the gates, it was as if that entire corner of the street sang out to her. I’ve been waiting for you—did you not hear me calling?

She was needed there. Too many cats relied on her, not just her blood family, for her to stay away too long.

Her writer… could get along just fine. He was an adult, perfectly independent and devoted to his work. If anything… if anything, she would be one less thing for him to worry about.

If she’d been a little more heartless, she would have just disappeared one day and never come back. But even if her writer could get along just fine, Jelly just wanted to make sure. So she made a tradition of sitting between the bushes of his garden and sitting, peacefully lulled by the clacking of typewriter keys. Every Saturday, when she knew he would be home. She still wore his collar around her neck as well, a very simple band of braided leather. Even after years and years, it still smelled like ink stains and rose petals, and she kept breathing in the scent… it was hard to explain, but it comforted her. As long as the scent remained, his roses still grew tall and lovely, and his typewriter kept clacking away. Never letting up for a moment. All was well.

There had once been a little yellow charm hanging from the collar. She’d worn that for many years, too, even if the name on it wasn’t quite right. But shortly before her son was born, Jelly knew she wouldn’t be able to visit her writer for some time. This next visit—the last one until Jenny was through nursing and Mungojerrie could walk by himself and eat solid food—would have to be special. So before she left that final time, she dug a small hole beside the biggest rosebush and buried her charm, patting the dirt carefully over it when she was finished. Above her, her writer never stopped for a second. The keys tapped to the beat of an imaginary song, one only he could hear. The struggle of the old torn-out page was gone now, and she could tell from the steady rhythm across this new page that he’d hit upon something brilliant.

He wouldn’t even notice Jelly had been there. But she had left him something to remember her by.

#Showering a second round of love on my girl after yesterday's playlist <3 #cats the musical #jellylorum #fanfic #oldiesweek

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munku-collar · 1 year

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all my love to the various current casts, but i rlly wish the old cats were allowed to be old. even if younger actors are playing them, the production could at least make efforts to have them Look old. im rlly tired of seeing super young jelly, jenny, and Especially griz. if no one else, griz should always be old imo. the only ones shown old nowadays are deut, gus, and (usually) skimble. meanwhile all the queens are becoming more and more instagram style

hard agree buddy the disney-ification of makeup + costume designs starting around the time of the bway revival drives me up the wall insane. everyone looks more or less the same and (at least in the US tour's case) the quality of the costumes has decreased exponentially, they look like halloween store costumes. i've said it once i'll say it a million times, i fucking HATE new munkustrap wigs. id bust it out for whoever gets them to bring back the 90s broadway or 98 munk wig. not particularly fond of a lot of the other new wigs too, esp because they all more or less look the same. there's no life to the costumes, they're extremely cookie-cutter in terms of fabrication, and I've already had people bitch and moan and attack me for this last year, but I do NOT like the makeup designs. in general. but esp the lack of readable diversity in age/life stages of the characters.

not only should the old cats be allowed to look old but honestly i think they should open the age range for casting a bit more again. i know someone who auditioned for the current US tour who would've been a great fit but he's late 20s instead of early 20s so he didn't make the cut basically. there's plenty of dancers & singers who can keep up momentum well into their 40s; look at the cast for 98. let more seasoned performers be in the show again, their singing ability is superior and they have the knowledge and know-how to really bring a character to life, which is important when most of the character's don't have standout moments.

i'm not a fan of the young grizabella thing especially because her song literally insinuates that she's old/lived a long hard life. her being young cheapens the message and makes it really unclear where she would have/did fit in the tribe. you don't feel the urgency of her situation, or the grief she carries. that's not to say young people can't be traumatized, but the way the tribe treats griz vs the way they treat gus is also like a Big Thing in the show, and that only works if they're in a similar age range.

gonna specify this because i know someone with poor reading comprehension is gonna become an anklebiter about this post and i don't have the energy to deal with that: i don't blame the performers at all for what they're told to work with or what the casting directors decide. they're just doing their job. i just don't like the artistic decisions being impressed on them and i would give them better <3

#asks #fine to rb im just not sticking it in the tags

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jellicle-brawl · 10 months

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Round Wrapup

And that's a wrap on the quarterfinals! (Sorry this is going up so late, I was hanging out with my housemates after I got home from work and only just got down to my computer recently.)

Side A saw a couple of sweeps, with the two teams taking out their opponents with no problem (rip Victoria. all of my girlies are gone now ;A;). The only question remains to determine which of the teams will claim victory- or will they tie and move into the semifinals as a team? Time will tell!

Down on the b-side, the real contest proved to be Skimbleshanks vs Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, with the twins lagging only a step behind Skimble until the final lap, where they managed to overtake him- barely! I confess I was hoping for a tie here, I genuinely couldn't decide between them. But we persevere, and the people have spoken.

And now, let us poor one out for our losers 😞🤙

Tomorrow will be the semifinals, and we'll run both of those together, and then drop the final on Sunday and run for a week. See you then :)

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jeffyouarenormal · 2 years

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I just saw a pro-ship skimbleshanks themed blog, go to hell, skimbleshanks wouldnt even respect you, ect, Dont do this to poor skimble

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storyweaverofgondor · 3 years

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Mungojerrie: *Texting* I have a cold and would like French Fries.

Munkustrap: *texting back* Why don’t you ask Teazer? Isn’t she with you?

Mungojerrie: Skimble separated us for the sake of world peace. She has the flu and would like onion rings.

#cats the musical #cats incorrect quotes #munkustrap #mungojerrie #Poor Skimble

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peterpandiedtoday · 2 years

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every time growltiger starts i’m now internally chanting sail mishap sail mishap and today i got lucky again. with the cast as well. gotta name drop b/c i loooove barbara obermeier’s griz, i still think 50+ y/o griz’ are the best but she’s sooo good. so strong in being weak? wah. love her. and fetterle old deut again heart heart. originally went to see a different vic for once and got so much more

#personal Davy #the audience was soo responsive today esp to gus. and they laughed at misto for blowing the lights out which i hadn't have happen before #but some sweet sweet moments again #especially of note was alonzo coming to lie before munk und pressing his back into munk's chest and munk resting his chin on his head #when munk had to move on moments later he looked soo sad #not sweet but a bit funny was tanto running into mungo at the back of the ball and making Thee most disgusted face lmao #misto kept hitting mungo's butt to make him move along the sail during growltiger #and munk and tugger slept face to face in the oven 🥺 and tugger kept twitching his leg. what for my boy. what for #he also used griddle's tail to caress munk's face #and when he had his hand on munk's thigh during skimble he turned his palm up like an invitation to take it but munk didn't :((#so he tried again a few moments later and munk squeezed his knee in return. i'll take it #and when skimble jumped off of mungo's back he ended up with his fingers locked with munks and essentially jumped into his face #so they stayed like that for a moment grinning at each other with minimal face distance until munk let go and flicked skimbles ear lol #oh yeah and then tugger bit skimble's tail during misto's solo. plopped down next to him took the tip into his mouth and bit it #skimble was scandalized but no one payed attention to the poor chap #a tall man sat in front of me so i missed a lot especially queen things :( but it's ok hope he had fun #apparently even taller people sat behind me and a women yelled at them that it's rude for tall people to sit where these people sat like oki

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junkyard-gifs · 1 year

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Carbuckety doesn't exist today, so guess who gets to join in Tugger's song in his place?

... and, though we can't see it behind the heads, gets a light slap on the butt from the cat himself?

Alex Snova as Tugger and Tommie Luyben continuing to be an icon, fussing all the way down. Vienna revival, March 2022.

ETA @millenari's tags 😌

poor skimble just keeps ending up in situations today. like. why don't Alonzo and Jenny appreciate his attempt to seize the spotlight in the middle of her song?? rude.

#tuggershanks #skimbleshanks #rum tum tugger #tommie luyben #alex snova #swings love #s: rum tum tugger #skimbleshanksxtugger #vienna revival #2021 vienna #220300 #cats the musical #c: skimbleshanks #c: rum tum tugger

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the-cat-at-the-theatre-door · 4 years

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Skimbleshanks and Asparagus are the married couple that have one set of reading glasses that they share between them because it’s the same prescription.

Jellylorum and Jennyanydots have several dollar store sets each (all with chains) that are scattered throughout the house because they keep misplacing them and buying more.

#everytime skimble leaves he takes the reading glasses with him and poor gus is just...reading from a distance #for a month #and jelly's like you can get your own you know and he's like nah it's fine #i don't even really need them #jennylorum #skimblegus #my headcanons #skimble and gus have rounded circle glasses and jenny and jelly have flat rectangular ones #this scenario sounded cuter in my head but i just like the idea of the older cats having glasses

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skimblyshanks · 2 years

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You can't convince me Skimble and Pounce aren't the parent and child who maintain a super close relationship all the way through. Like regular unprompted check ins, mostly regular open communication, Pounce never turns down pictures with dad, and vice versa.

(Ramble abt how i see their relationship. Allusion to my Pounce pairings below, including munkupounce and platopounce and similar age gap ships, feel free to avoid if these kinds of ships male u uncomfortable)

Not to say skimble and Teazer aren't also close, they are, but just. Differently. And Teazer likes having a bit more personal space and distance on family outings, etc. She and skimble love each other, they still try to be mostly open books with each other, they're just not as obviously close as he is with Pounce

And that's cuz like. Pounce needs physical affection. He needs the constant reciprocation. Bc buddy has abandonment issues. And on the irrational part of his brain he thinks the reason skimble loves him is because he is cute and cuddly; that those are the sole draw instead of fun features. But also he doesn't fully consciously realize this, so he hasn't brought it up, and Skimble doesn't think there's anything wrong bc why would he? They have good communication as far as he knows, and Pounce feels comfortable enough to be super affectionate, so it's going well! It's good!

And that's where things tie into the skimble hates platometus/skimble is oblivious to the munkupounce happening before his eyes jokes, bc....well, Pounce and skimble do have mostly open communication. But also, Pounce thinks his only appeal to Skimble is being cute and innocent and cuddly. And that's not the case, but he thinks it is, so he tries to present that facade to Skimble. Which is easy bc being cute and cuddly are just in his nature, even as he grows up and gets less ""innocent"", he's still a Goofy, lovey, cuddly, tactile kinda dude. So he just makes sure to flip the switch to go from "Pounce who has partners and goes to different lengths with them" to "Pounce who is dad's baby" and downplay the fact that he isn't naive to the world of sex and romance and quite the contrary has explored it quite a bit

And that active curation of an innocent image. Makes things complicated when it comes to Skimble as his dad, and also makes poor poor Platometus a scapegoat for parental concerns. Because yeah, Pounce is his baby in that he's the youngest of skimble's kids, and he's actively trying to be considered his baby. But Teazer's his baby too, and Skimble is aware that Teazer isn't some sheltered, angellic being who's never so much as kissed someone else romantically. And that's fine.

Along with the fact that cats don't have human standards of sexual "morality", even if they did Skimble would not be a puritan. This dude gets in the middle of an orgy to make sure everything's cool and also to provide a surface/maybe even get in on it a little. He'd be a sex positive parent and I won't be told otherwise. But like I mentioned earlier, he trusts Pouncival to come to him about stuff, including sex and romance and such, so when he just. Doesn't. Skimble assumes they're just not his kid's cup of tea, either for now or forever; he'll operate under that assumption until he's told otherwise.

But he still worries. He worries about teazer and he worries abt Pounce. But they're different worries. They manifest differently. He knows Teazer is like. Active in these things so he worries for her but there's also a comfort in that she knows what she's doing most of the time, and even if they aren't talking abt every little thing, if something big happened she would confide in him areas somewhat.

But with Pounce, he doesn't know he's Active in that world. As far as he knows, as far as Pounce performs for him, the boy barely grasps sexual innuendo, and doesn't seem to know you can use them beyond crude humor. So, as far as he assumes, Pounce doesn't know when someone is making Overtures. He doesn't know when a friendly encounter is being escalated. So like. As Pounce is getting older, and as skimble is being given no sign whatsoever that Pounce is exploring these kinds of relationships, and is instead getting signs to the opposite, he starts getting v concerned abt his baby getting taken advantage of.

Plato-Admetus is, for all intents and Purposes, across most depictions, A Good Boy. A little simple, perhaps, but well meaning. He's also just the right age group to be old enough that he strikes Skimble's suspicion, and young enough that he can't figure out a way to delude himself. Skimble misses Tumblepounce/Jemival/etc., bc those are his childhood buddies! They're friends! Skimble misses Munkupounce/Bombapounce/etc., bc not only is denial one hell of a drug, but Skimble trusts them. And he trusts them to not manipulate his kid. He'd be suspicious of Tuggerpounce probably but also dismiss it because Tugger is just Like That. But PlatoPounce is just the right intersection. He's older than Pounce but younger than Munk, and Skimble can't get a perfect read on him, so the gentility and the quiet shyness are probably too good to be true.

Meanwhile platopounce in reality as a ship is largely A.innocent fun, and B.10000% instigated by Pounce. But Skimble doesn't know that, he doesn't even know that Pounce picks up the way Plato's demeanor shifts around him. So he's suspicious.

Then off to the side you have Munkupounce 3 steps away from needing to get a bedroom but once again. Denial is a hell of a drug.

And like, of course all this blows up eventually. Pounce has kept a whole facet of his life and relationships an active secret; he's LIED to his dad. A Lot. And however it gets found out (Teazer finally spilling the beans, on purpose or on accident, surprise babies, walking in on something unrationalizable; there are many possibilities) Skimble is. Not gonna be happy. Especially not with Munk, who he probably has to fight the urge to kill, but also not with Pounce, and that scares him and Pounce. Bc like. They haven't had this kind of friction before. Not to this level. He's gotten mad at Pounce, sure. He's punished him, sure. But this is different.

Not only did Skimble think they were closer than they wound up being, but like. How long has Pounce been keeping this secret from him? What kind of risks was he taking that Skimble could have at least informed him on beforehand? Why didn't he trust that he could come to Skimble; had he made some huge formative fuckup early in Pounces joining the family?

And Pounce, of course, is horrified, because now the jig is up, and one of the things that kept him cute is proven a lie. And skimbles upset at him. And is walking away from him and not talking to him and tensing up near him and swallowing back growls and he's gonna be kicked out any day now isn't he.

But like. He isn't, of course. After a day or two Skimble's ready to sit with him and talk with him and slowly they get p close to identifying the motivation for Pounce to hide this stuff. And I mean like. There's not too much they can do except move forward. Skimble makes sure to affirm that Pounce is his kid no matter what goes on. He asks to at least be the slightest bit in the loop abt Pounce's activities, just so he can make sure everything's safe.

And like he doesn't stop worrying. And some of his trust in Pounce has chipped off, but also it's kind of like. Long overdue for him to have some suspicion? You know?

But the main thing is that he doesn't stop affirming Pounces place; his care for Pounce as his kid. Their relationship recovers v well; they're still taking pics together and checking in unprompted, it just needed an adjustment to factor in All of Pounce, not just the cute parts.

Anyway idk I've mentioned some of these hcs before but clearly I wanted to ramble abt them today. Hopefully soon I can do one for Teazers' relationships with both of them, too

#Skimbleshanks #pouncival #carbucketty #teazer shows up as does platometus but they arent focused on really #skimbledad

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jelliclewhiskers · 2 years

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Part one of me liveblogging this recording of the Mexico 1991 production of Cats !

It gives us the overture, but the recording skips Jellicle Songs. Sad to miss that but this Munk could totally grow on me. I think he will. His headfur is so fluffy!!!! His voice is also very good.

No Misto gag for the start of Gumbie Cat

All of the Gumbie Trio have such fluffy headfur too. Munk again didn't flinch when Jenny plucked some of his fur.

Look at this rascal beetle— cute ! I'm lovong this production already. Ooooh, and its the older instrumental vesion of Gumbie Cat. Should've expected this as a given but I like it.

For she's a jolly good fe-eellow!

IT JUST CUT TO TUGGER TARAZAN SWINGING INTO THE SCENE THIS IS WILD

Several cats, including Quaxo/Misto sung the Terrible Bore line

RIP Bomba taking that fall. Tugger has entered the crowd and is dancing with some poor audience member, but they seem happy so. Who could blame them?

Loving how he struts his stuff. That little chuckle was quite something.

He has entered the crowd to antagonize another member real quick

Here comes Grizabella to ruin his show again 🙄 Munk is instantly doing the Stance at her. Vic is shooed off from touching her, and other Jellicles play mean little tricks as Griz reaches for them. Her voice is strong though

Demeter looks cool, and so does this Griz. This production is unlike the usual with the designs because of the headfur especially.

Bomba lightly grooms Demeter's shoulder before signing with her.

Quaxoffelees is excited to see Bustopher, who is wearing an interesting hat and twirling a cane. He sits on the side of a guitar.

Okay, this Misto? Really cute. I've decided to switch between using Quaxo, Misto, and Quaxoffelees to refer to him. He's so excited !

Bustopher just bapped a cat trying to touch him with his cane.

Cats are scrabbling over him to the side before lining up for him

Bustopher kissed some happy queen's paw, who in return purred in delight. I think it was Jellylorum.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer!!!! Rumple's laugh

Oh they're devious rascals. Not the older and more sister version of the song as I was expecting. A mix of some interesting pauses in the song though

THEY HAVE ENTERED THE AUDIENCE AND ARE BEING RASCALS

Back to the stage for them. I think they're a couple in this production? Hard to tell. Rumple shoved him down to say her name after him, LOL

And there's nothing at all to be done about that!

They're being chased off by the cats, but their bags of loot were thrown to them this time, which they caught.

Munk sings the "I believe it is Old Deuteronomy" line, I think, and sends off some Jelllicle (Skimble?) to get him instead of Misto.

I'm sold on this Munk.

Tugger is being gentle when signing about Deut. They're getting along well it seems. Love seeing them work together.

In comes Deuteronomy! I think they're using a different name for him. Tugger did a very respectful bow to his fluffy highness.

Happy kitties running about! Before there's a loud crash and it all goes dark. First Macavity Scare. I think they're skipping Pekes and Pollicles to put it in Act II.

Sillabub/Jemima and Victoria are so pretty, especially Jemima.

I want more Misto shots.

Jellilcle Ball time. My favorite part, alongside all other songs in the musical. Munk is dancing woth turm a bit.

Misto does his leg thing and gets some spotlight :] I love that

Demeter has come to spice things up with some queens before Misto and Pouncival (?) mellow things out again. Apparently Deut was in the audience for a minute, lots of audience interaction, and I'm living for it.

Victoria being the pretty Spirit of Cats right before the Pas de Deux stsrts. She's paired with Plato I think? Can't tell, but it's beautiful. I can't make out who's with who, but Munk is watching at Deut's side as always.

Second half of the Ball begins :D Griz is watching from a corner

Butt wiggles

Camera gives us a nice shot of the Jellicle Moon before panning out again. Very cool. Thank you

This part of the musical always gets me hyped up, it's my favorite @##@

Guitar going at it for the instrumentals, really liking them here. As well as the brass. I love how memorable this part always is. This production is really worth watching.

When people talk about the spectacle of Cats, this has to be one of those examples.

Final pounce towards the audience!

Recording cuts to Gus being brought in. I'll continue this in a second post.

@eh-dot-dot-dot

#abrax rambles #liveblogging #Part one

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sevenkittensinatrenchcoat · 3 years

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Korean Character Bios

I posted before about some characters bios from the 2008 South Korea Tour. I tried to translate the bios for the named swings with mixed results.

Well, it turns out that I’d completely failed to notice that Google Translate actually has a Korean keyboard that let me type more letters than other online keyboards did, and I was able to get some slightly better translations this time. Also, I did all of them. I’ve Google Translated all the character bios.

So, here they are:

Seductive Cat / Grizabella

She was a member of the Jellicles as a seductive, pure, curious cat, but she left the Jellicle society to experience a bigger and wider world. Now, marginalized for her shabby appearance, she returns to the Jellicle society to become a Jellicle member again.

(Notes: It appears that the word “seductive” is used to mean “glamorous”.)

Rebellious Cat / Rum Tum Tugger

A member of the Jellicles, he’s a cat who does only what he wants to do and has a clear sense of self. He likes to receive attention and is charismatic just by being himself, so he is the most popular with female cats.

Prophet Cat / Old Deuteronomy

As the eldest ancestral cat of the Jellicles, he is intelligent, wise, respected, and loved. Every year at the Jellicle Ball, a cat is selected and sent to the Heaviside Layer to become a new Jellicle cat.

(Notes: “ball” was actually “festival”, but I shifted terminology to match. Also, is Old D the ancestor of all Jellicles?)

Leader Cat / Munkustrap

A young and responsible leader cat who protects and takes care of the Jellicle Tribe. the Jellicle Cats trust and follow him as a leader.

Theatre Cat / Gus

After Old Deuteronomy, he is the oldest and has been a Jellicle member for many years. He was a famous actor when he was young, but now he is suffering from a serious illness.

Wealthy Cat / Bustopher Jones:

Although not a member of the Jellicles, he is an aristocratic cat who is always welcomed. In his spare time, he likes to play golf and enjoy lavish meals.

(Notes: So Bustopher isn’t a Jellicle? I’m still not sure what defines a Jellicle in this version.)

Kind Cat / Jellylorum:

She is a middle-aged, kind-hearted cat who always takes care of old Gus and the kittens.

Thief Cat Couple / Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer:

A playful and clever couple of thief cats who are always causing trouble together.

(Notes: The word for “thief” sometimes translated as “stray” but only when applied to the word “cat”, so I’m guessing the Korean term for “stray cat” might be “thief cat”. But, Jerrie and Teazer are clearly not strays in their number’s lyrics, so I used the translation that applied to them. Also, the word “couple” translated as “pair” sometimes, so this isn’t confirming a romantic pairing, but they could’ve been playing it that way anyway, for all I know, so take that how you will.)

Train Cat / Skimbleshanks:

As a train conductor, he is an orderly cat who takes on all the responsibilities of the train. An uncle to all cats, kittens love to hear his stories as a storyteller.

Magician Cat / Mr. Mistoffelees:

The best magician, though he can’t speak. He can even make things disappear. As a great magician, he rescues the kidnapped Old Deuteronomy.

(Notes: “Magician” can also translate as “wizard” or “sorcerer”. This Misto is mute, which makes sense for a production from this region and era. Outside of Japan, east Asian productions are usually based on Australian ones, which is where the named swings come from. Although the first Australian productions had Misto sing, they later made him mute, only to switch back more recently. 2008 was during the mute era.)

Sensual Cat / Bombalurina:

She is a very sensual and sexy cat, popular with male cats who pay attention to her sexual desires. As Demeter’s older sister, she always protects her.

(Notes: I think “older sister” might not be literal. She might just be a sort of “older sister figure”. It’s not clear.)

Sensitive Cat / Demeter:

Because of Macavity, she is anxious and nervous about everything. She is also at risk of being kidnapped by Macavity. If she shows any signs of anxiety, it’s always a sign that Macavity is nearby.

(Notes: So, she’s always anxious, because of Macavity, but if she’s anxious, which is all the time, Macavity’s nearby. Is Macavity nearby all the time? This one is weird.)

Siamese Cat / Cassandra:

Possesses a strange beauty. As the only hairless Siamese cat, she always behaves arrogantly.

(Notes: Despite the better keyboard, this one wouldn’t translate properly, so there’s some stuff missing. This is the general idea of what I think was being said. I wonder how having a Siamese cat in the cast affected Growltiger.)

Gumbie Cat / Jennyanydots:

During the daytime, she sits all the time and seems lazy, but at night she’s actually a busy cat who educates bugs and mice.

White Cat / Victoria:

She is the purest, most innocent cat. This Jellicle Ball is her first, but she presents a beautiful dance.

Philosophical Cat / Plato:

A cat who doesn’t move much, so he looks lazy, but he reads a lot and is always careful with his actions.

(Notes: I thought this characterization was weird until I realized that he’s “philosophical” because he’s Plato. He’s literally named after a philosopher. Since Australia-based productions at this time where Broadway-based, Broadway inspirted Australia inspired South Korea, Plato is just Macavity’s double and doesn’t have much to really do, so I guess they decided to have a bit of fun with the character.)

Villain Cat / Macavity:

The mob boss of the feline world. Kidnapped Old Deuteronomy as the villain who commits evil deeds.

Just Cat / Alonzo:

A masculine cat who is always dignified and protects young cats, even in inconspicuous places. He rescues Demeter from Macavity. They spend their lives together.

(Notes: More Broadway-based stuff. It seems like Broadway-based Alonzos are the superheroes of the Cats world.)

Copy Cat / Pouncival:

A boy who wants to be a man. He follows Skimble around.

(Notes: His title more literally means “mimicking cat”, but how could I not translate it this way? Anyway, here’s another translation that wouldn’t cooperate with me. The first sentence ended up something like “a young male cat who wants to be worn by an adult male cat”. I couldn’t get it to make sense, so I guessed at what it was supposed to mean. He is Skimble’s copycat at that’s adorable.)

Curious Cat / Sillabub:

Victoria’s best friend, a curious, intelligent, and pure kitten. She helps Grizabella return to the Jellicles by singing ‘Memory’ together.

Twin Cats / Coricopat and Tantomile:

Mysterious twin cats who are not yet adults, but are still mature and have excellent cognitive skills. They always move together and do the same things.

(Notes: The twins are kittens/junior cats in this version, apparently.)

Teenage Cat / Tumblebrutus:

A teenage boy who wants to be a man. His actions take precedence over thoughts and words, and he gets a lot of guidance from Munkustrap, because he can’t read the room.

(Notes: Very much a Broadway characterization. His first sentence was nearly the same as Pouncival’s. “read the room” was more literally “interpret the atmosphere”, but I thought this sounded more natural. Also, Munkustrap Adopts Kittens With Poor Social Skills.)

And now, named swings:

Stubborn Cat / Victor:

He is more stubborn than any other cat and has a temperamental personality.

Meditating Cat / Olivia:

She is a deep thinker with a determined personality.

Gentleman Cat / Admetus:

An internally strong, generous, and gentle cat with a masculine appearance.

(Notes: Admetus has a personality closer to your average Broadway-based Plato than Plato does.)

Loner Cat / Quaxo:

He’s a solitary cat with a strong sense of pride and arrogance, so he doesn’t fit in well with those around him.

Busy Cat / Electra:

She likes to be involved, so she’s always busy and distracted.

Bragging Cat / George:

Has a tendency to show off what he has.

(Notes: This one, just like the last time, broke down completely. It ended up saying “He has a tendency to show off what he has, rather than what he has”.)

Attentive Cat / Jemima:

She’s attentive in everything and always acts responsibly.

Emotional Cat / Etcetera:

She’s a cat who fits in everywhere and has emotions that take precedence over her head.

Emotional!

That’s all of them.

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