#Tugger is everyone's big brother

[aclairvoyant]

ive been putting a lot of thought into why this:

triggers uncanniness more than this:

and i think it mostly comes down to the silouettes of the characters and the overreliance of cgi for the bodies.

in the stage productions of cats, there's a lot of work put into each cat's costume. unless the characters are intentionally meant to have similarities (e.g: mungojerrie and rumpleteazer, munkustrap and tugger, coricopat and tantomile, etc), they all look pretty distinct. even when characters have similar color pallets, they have distinct enough silouettes that it's easy to keep them separate in your head.

here is demeter, bombalurina, and jellylorum in the 98 movie. they have similar colors, but each detail in their hair, ears, shoulders, and even tails stands out and helps them look distinct from one another.

now let's take a look at the same trio in the 2019 movie.

despite each cat now having a different color pallet, they all have the same silouette and blend into the ensemble. each of the character is incredibly important to the cast, and instead of being easily picked out from the crowd, i had to look up demeter and jellylorum on the fan wiki just so i could remember what they looked like. honestly, if you didn't know what taylor swift looked like, would you be able to pick bombalurina from the crowd?

in my opinion, the cg fur definitely does not help. it smoothes out purposeful imperfections in the stage designs. also, oddly enough, almost none of the cats have any fluff around their heads, leading to a very weird silouette. they literally just look like humans with ears and tails.

just look at tugger in both films.

would you be able to believe that the 2019 version is supposed to be a big, fluffy maine coon cat? why is his silouette so different from 2019's munkustrap when they're supposed to be brothers?

in the 1998 movie (and all stage productions if we're being honest) it is incredibly easy to see these two are related. even without matching colors, they have similar silouettes.

in the 2019 version, munkustrap just looks like any other cat. i genuinely don't think anyone who has only seen the 2019 movie would know that tugger and munk are brothers, let alone that they are old deut's sons.

cats 2019 was a failure in many, many ways, including adapting the story and butchering the songs and characters. but it's so visually offputting because of the decision to smooth out any physical quirks the cats originally had in their designs. they're too sleek and just blend in with everyone around them. it's genuinely so disappointing to see such a colorful, vibrant, and uniquely costumed show turned into a muddy cg nightmare.

#cats #cats the musical #cats 1998 #cats 2019 #essay #personal

[afairytalestray]

So last week I saw the UK/Int tour of Cats in Switzerland and oh. My. GOD. I have thoughts and I am going to share them right now! I have vaguely attempted to keep them organised by timeline/character but I scribbled these down at the intermission and on the bus back to my hotel as quickly as I could before I forgot anything (fully made myself travel sick but it was worth it).

Act 1

First thing I noticed was that Demeter, at the start, was so shy and skittish around the other Cats. I think they were definitely playing into the idea that she had just escaped Macavity and come home. The only one she was ok with right away was Bombalurina. They two were so sweet together – Bomba was always making sure she was ok. Dem got really into her role in the Gumbie trio and was having a great old time.

TumbleBailey got to ride on the flying trapeze during JSFJC and he was living his best life. The boy was not happy unless he was gymnastic-ing.

The lift that Munkustrap and Victoria did in ‘98 was done by Coricopat and Tantomile which I thought was fun! Always happy for my boy to get more screen time 💪

Side note: This is my third time seeing Cats, but because of Covid it was my first time getting to see the Cats all come in down the aisles at the start wearing the green goggles! I was in the front row, so I didn’t get the full effect, but it was still cool.

Tugger’s song was so much fun. Harrison Wilde was so energetic! During the number he came down off the stage into the audience (again the first time I got to see this!), and began twirling the security lady and dancing with her. 11/10. Bomba was SO PUT OUT when he said “no” and booped her away – like, she was raging, it was so funny. Munk was so annoyed the whole time. Peak big brother energy.

I got the impression almost right away that Jennyanydots is Cori and Tanto’s mum, they were interacting quite a lot and she was always looking after them. Ditto with Skimbleshanks and Jemima - he was definitely her dad - he was so protective of her when Grizabella showed up, it was adorable! I hadn’t considered that relationship before (despite my love of Skimbledad), so it was super fun.

This Misto does not like rice pudding, this is not a drill! The face he pulled during that line in Bustopher Jones was hilarious, he looked so disgusted. Misto was definitely more of an adult than he was in ‘98 or the Broadway Revival. Liam Mower is a bloody FANTASTIC dancer; I couldn’t take my eyes off him! He was clearly loving life and I appreciated every moment.

This production said Casslonzo RIGHTS and we love to see it. They kept on snuggling up to each other when they were in the background and you can bet your ass I noticed EVERY TIME. We stan a power couple of protectors. Alonzo’s actor Sebastian Goffin's voice was so deep and I was LIVING. Like I was not expecting this voice to come out of this man. Twas brilliant. Cassandra was so beautiful I nearly cried like ma’am PLEASE HAVE MERCY. She was definitely an obvious protector with how she was always looking out for the other Cats. Also during the first song she was lying right in front of me and I had to try so hard not to explode.

Old Deuteronomy was such a loving dad to everyone, he had such a warm vibe and energy and I just wanted to hug him! Like all of these Cats were his babies and he adored them all. He and Jerrie and Teazer had a wee “oh, you”/slightly nervous giggling moment when they had just come back on stage after getting busted in their number and it was excellent.

Cori and Tanto were definitely portrayed as younger than they were in ‘98. Cori in particular reminded me of Misto from ‘98; like an adult and everything, but a young one who still had a bit of kittenish energy. Their wigs were pleated up the sides which I thought was unique and cool, I don’t think I’ve seen Cats wigs like that before! Cori was so pissed when Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer ran under his and Tanto’s arms during the back-and-forth dialogue-y bit of the Jellicle Ball and interrupted them. He enjoyed hissing a lot which I can respect. Nothing but love for my hissy prince. I actually think Milan was covered by a swing on my night. There wasn’t anything saying so, but I don’t think it was Milan? Idk, it could’ve just been the lights or my position. Either way, loved her. This tour gave the twins so many characteristics unique to it and they will definitely affect my headcanons from now on.

RETURN OF THE SKIMBLETABLE.

Ok but every time Grizabella showed up, Munk genuinely looked like he wanted to/was about to cry, which I thought was an awesome bit of character work. I really got the impression that she was his mum, and she had abandoned him when she left the tribe. Russell Dickson was trying to make me feel things and he succeeded, I was so invested in his performance.

Also, during the ball, he was sitting just below Old Doots on his tyre who was patting his shoulders. A WHOLE DAD AND HIS BOY.

Jemima’s actress Lottie Stephens was also a fantastic dancer who was leaning just on the edge of cryptid and I loved it.

Plato spent a lot of time trying to look like a very distinguished boy and it was so cute. He definitely still had some kittenish moments though. He wass definitely learning to be a protector; every time there was a protector moment on stage he was there, just to the side or behind the others, looking nervous but wanting to make Munk and co. proud.

Act 2

OK OK OK Moments of Happiness? Not usually my favourite song of the show, but there were two excellent moments of personal happiness for me. First, Shakeel’s Cori slinked right over in front of my seat and I became even more unhinged than before, to the surprise of probably 0 people. But SECOND was omg, so Demeter and Munk were sitting a bit apart at the front of the stage and the atmosphere and chemistry between them was literally off the charts. Dem had become more comfy around most of the other Cats throughout Act 1, but here she was acting really nervous and shy. So the two of them locked eyes for a moment and it was EVERYTHING. Like I cannot describe in a human language what they made me feel at that moment but it was SO MANY. Dem almost immediately looked away all shy like, but Munk kept looking at her until the end of the song in the most softest beautiful way. Like omg the acting was SO GOOD and I’m still not normal about it. Like you could tell both of them really liked each other but were too nervous to do anything about it and inside I was screeching infinitely.

Jellylorum my Queen. Aimee Hodnett was actually mind blowing I was totally enraptured. Her expressions and vocals were outstanding. When Old Doots said to Gus “you could do it again” before Pekes and Polls her face was like ‘exsqueeze me sir what are you doing? Desist immediately!’ But then she got involved and it was great.

I really enjoyed that Gus and Munk shared the narration of Pekes and Polls. Gus’ actor Hal Fowler was so expressive and dramatic and everyone was loving it and laughing along with him, and Munk still got his stressed-theatre-director moment.

TumbleBailey was super put out when Gus had his “youths today” lines, like, he proper turned around, folded his arms, and sulked. He was a whole baby and it was precious. PounceBucketty looked a bit more maturely cowed (he was definitelythe big brother of the two), but Cori was actually DEVO’D. Like my boy was so hurt, he needed a big hug from Tanto before Skimble’s song started. Tbh my reaction to Shakeel’s acting throughout the show was practically feral. On the outside I was calm, but inside it was like Guy Fawkes Night, Christmas, and Hogmanay all rolled into one.

Both Cori and Jerrie seemed to be close pals with Tugger – Cori even got a Tugger hug at one point. Shakeel’s Cori is very cuddly and I love it with all my soul. He doesn’t seem to like Jerrie all that much though, which is hilarious to me as a dedicated Coricojerrie stan. Good thing enemies to lovers is a popular trope amirite 👀

Jerrie has so much respect for Skimble it was so sweet. He was really active all throughout his song, helping him out and pointing out when others weren’t doing what they should be (the irony) during the “hilarity and riot” lines. Top notch stuff. He was also the bottom step of the Skimblestairs at the end of the song.

He definitely has respect for Alonzo as well, he was always on his best behaviour when Lonz was nearby. I loved these little character relationship decisions SO MUCH, like you could tell the actors had put a lot of thought into their characters and that they truly cared about the show.

Bomba was in the background for parts of Skimbleshanks, but she started making flexing motions at the “weak or strong” line and Tugger was next to her ooh-ing and ahh-ing appropriately. It sparked so much joy y’all I love her forever.

SPEAKING OF BOMBA HYPE – Macavity. Omg the song slapped! Dem was super spooked, but Bomba? She was absolutely ripping the piss out of Macavity and I loved every second. Not a single facial expression missed, every one clearly read: oh, you think you’re hot stuff? You’ve got NOTHING YOU LOSER. She was so smirky and sassy, almost like she was challenging him to come and have a go.

Macavity Fight was A++ 5 gold stars stuff. Demeter has a moment when “Old Doots” comes back, and it was great how at first everyone was like, “girl wtf get a grip,” only to be like OMG MACAVITY when my Queen rips into him. Mac starts to drag Dem away and then Munk starts to batter him. The fight was super dramatic and gripping, and when Munk went down he went down HARD. But then we got this magical moment when the whole tribe was like “NOT TODAY SATAN” and started fighting back together, and I feel like this production made more out of this moment than others do. Of course it wrecked me, because I am weak. (Also the Cat standing over Munk and protecting him was my angel Cori so I was delighted by that.) After that, Dem and Munk said Demestrap supremacy and the image was so magical of them nuzzling in the light of the single lamp when everything else was dark, it was *chef's kiss*.

So like, I was never sure why I wasn’t the biggest fan of the new Quaxo look for this tour, but now I think it’s because it’s just a bit too different from the Mistoffelees costume? Like I know Jenny also has a really dramatic costume change, but that change happens on stage and we see her transform. But for Misto, this change happens off-stage and we don’t get to see it, so it just seems a bit less smooth of a transition. I know Mistoffelees is kinda like the stage persona of Quaxo, but I guess I prefer it when they’re clearly the same Cat. I presume this was intentional but, and you’re supposed to be like, omg is that really him? But idk, just not my personal fave.

Having said that, IT WAS STILL LITERALLY THE BEST PART OF THE SHOW FOR ME. Because I’m Misto trash so I guess it doesn’t matter. I really liked that they made it a Tugger solo again, I like that a bit better than the duet. Everyone was appropriately surprised and awed at the magic, but it obviously was not new information to Tugger, who was standing there like, “oh, haven’t you heard?”. And the only word for his expression when the dance solo started was adoration, it was so lovely how enamoured he was. And the slow lines when Tugger addresses Old D were so soft and loving and I die. So my hc for this production is that they were close friends up till this point (and Tugger is the only one who knew about the magic), and this is when Tugger realises, oh, I LIKE like him. May write a thing around this later because I am predictable and basic and easily pleased. Also Cass was so nervous about being Misto’s chosen assistant – she wasn’t even volunteering when he picked her! It was such a cute moment.

Then there was more Casslonzo lounging in the background when Grizzy showed up again. Ok so all throughout the show I was worried about Memory, because Jacinta White started really strong in Act 1, and she did again with her big solo and I was like, oh no this is going to fizzle where can it go from here? I have never been happier to be a fool and a jester. That woman has some set of pipes I was blown away. Think my jaw might have literally dropped.

The bows were fab, but especially TumbleBailey. He came out last as usual and did his flippy flips across the stage, but then he decided to do an extra backwards one, and I don't think it was planned as he nearly kicked Jacinta and Martin (Doots) in the face and they looked surprised. Either that or they're really good actors! Everyone was fine though, and they were laughing about it.

But yeah. So glad I splurged on my Swiss weekend and saw this show. Worth it.

FIN

#cats the musical #cats uk tour 2022 #cats international tour 2022 #tuggoffelees #casslonzo #demestrap #demeter #mr mistoffelees #bombalurina #munkustrap #the rum tum tugger #macavity #Tumblebrutus #bill bailey #victoria #coricopat #tantomile #jennyanydots #skimbleshanks #jemima #grizabella #alonzo #cassandra #old deuteronomy #mungojerrie #rumpleteazer #plato #Jellylorum #gus #Pouncival

[greenelectricsky]

Hi everyone! I'm GreenElectricSky and this is my blog, mainly about Cats. Also my earlier posts about flowers and every other stuff I liked are here. Now, what is not related to Cats will be published/rebloged on @violetskyatnight :) Because it's become problematic I also made a blog only for my fanfiction and Cats Scenes, so if you like to see them go to @moonyskyallthetime :)

Those are my main OCs:

Cysiek and TuśTuś:

Cysiek is more my OC when TuśTuś is more my catsona, as they are more similar to me:) They are Tugger and Munku's twins.

My Cats Scenes are tagged #i think im funny. I'm doing them almost daily from 12.07.2023, so it's a solid number now :) Also, now they are linked together, so have fun. And my writing is tagged "my writing" ;) It can happen I post here links to my other fiction too.

Although, because it was a problem a few times, I want to say one thing loud and clear: PERSONALLY I DON'T SHIP INCEST AND CHILD/ADULT. It doesn't mean YOU can't - if you like it, it's your fun, not mine, so we probably won't talk about it and we're cool. If I ship someone you think they are siblings or kittens, in MY headcanon they are NOT. (I have a lot of ships, so when I write tuggerstrap they aren't brothers but when I write tuggoffelees, then yes, there is a big chance Tugger and Munku are brothers, etc.) I hope it's clear now :)

This blog is LGBTQIA+ friendly. It's also friendly to everyone who behave respectfully to others. I don't want to be part of any kind of war in fandom, I'm too old and peaceful for this shit. Pro-shippers, shippers, non-shippers are welcomed here.

I hope we all can have fun together, be fans and show our love for Cats in every form we like!

If you want to ask, then ask, I would love to respond to your questions. Also about my OCs to Cats (TuśTuś, Cysiek, Mirage, FinFun, FanFanGrace, Cream, Tango, Papyrus, Sky, Silenia, Jemmysweets, Adonis, Star, Sun, Moon, Shyny, Haze, Oranglow, SpicyJuice, Amberlina, FlowerFlow, EarthyRose, HoneyTrap, AlmonDisco, Vanilliarity, Bumblee, Tikku. More about them here) or any other things you like. If you want to just be friends I also love to know you better, start a talk, don't be shy :) But please, don't send me anons with luck chains or other things like "and tag another ten mutuals/blogs" because it's... Creepy? From anon I can take the real question because someone can want to know but is shy or something, I can understand that. Chains only from not anons, please :)

P.S. My pronouns are they/them here, he/him. Please, not girl, she/her!!!

P.S.II (08.12.2023) I wanted to do something for less appreciated pairings/ships, other relationships too and started to do it in my advent calendar (now with tag #advent calendar and #cats advent calendar). If you want something with them or any other pairings/ships I didn't write send me a prompt, ship and tag (or at last two of them) and you get something! HERE (another update 16.04.24, 16.02.24, 07.01.24, 28.12.23, 25.12.2023) is a list of pairings/ships/ and other kinds of relationships (with tags) I'm making (here or somewhere else like my published/no published fanfiction). If there isn't your ship - don't worry, I can write it too and even add it to that list :) One thing - I'm not doing abusive/toxic relationships, because... well, because just no.

2023! Achievements!!!!!

Lovies!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[realreulbbrband]

What are your CATS headcanons for Rum Tum Tugger? Family, Personality, Ships? All of it pls?

The Rum tum tugger

(ofc no need to ask twice tyy)

These are just my silly hcs, interpretations, and ships so plz no discourse about them:) Big post below

Family:

He's the only kit from Olivia's litter, she wanted nothing to do with the father however she passed some short time after Tugger was born. • she knew she wasn’t going to make it before hand and so she asked her dearest and closest friend Grizzabella to raise him as her own if she’d be willing too which Grizz accepted.

So tugger is the youngest Deuteronomy son his elder brothers are Munkustrap and Macavity. Though Macavity never liked tugger that much since he wasn’t “his real brother”

• grizzy girl stills ends up leaving though leaving the responsibility of watching a still very young Tugger in the hands of old D who being the Jellicle leader and now solo parent was very stressful.

• So munkustrap sort of taken up the responsibility of watching and taking care of Tugger.

No kits brrrr

(I can elaborate more on the Olivia tugger mom timeline if anyone wants)

Personality:

I really struggled with how to pinpoint what I think tuggers personality could go based on the wiki where he's said to be "Vain, perverse and inconsequent" but I wanted to add a lil more

While Tugger can be immature at times especially when he's messing with the older cats like Jenny and Jelly he means well, He's artful and knowing after all so he knows when it's time to joke around with the kittens and adults or when it's time to get serious.

He loves any and all attention he can get which is when he plays up to his "tugger antics". tugger's very charismatic and bold especially when he knows what he wants.

He's very caring with those he's closest with and he basically has a big soft spot for all the kittens.

This is completely headcanon based and I have no evidence to support this but he does have some fear or small anxiety that he's only tolerated for his looks which is why he's very particular about his grooming and appearance.

Ships: (omg screams in multi shipper) and bonus hcs for ships

I expected I'd have a lot more ships for Tugger but I don't? huh anyways

Tuggoffelees: I mean come on how can I not? They're adorable in that video of Tugger kissing misto after the "Terrible bore" line and the Tugger wants what he can't have thing sold me. So they're often my main Tugger ship.

I loved it even more when I came up with the headcanon of Misto being Tuggers secret admirer before they get together, since Misto is a good listener he'd make things he found or conjured appear in Tuggers den that he heard tugger talk about as his way of showing gratitude.

Tugger was curious about a cork? and one sits right outside his den before noon

Tugger only found out it was Mistoffelees after he had just entered his den and a perfectly new yarn ball appeared out of thin air.

Tuggerina: Bisexuals in love are the moment the everything, I don't know why I ship this I just think they're a great power couple and their dynamic is cute.

They play flirt with eachother so often that everyone just assumed they were mates before they got together. While Tugger isn't as into PDA as Bomba keeping it more subtle with an arm over Bomba's shoulder or waist. However when they're alone togethere Tugger is practically putty in her hands.

he does in fact care for a cuddle though he'll never admit it to anyone else. when they've been mates for a while tugger plays way more up to the PDA.

Rarepairs:

-Bombatuggoffelees: everything I love wrapped in a neat little bow. (I also love Bombatuggoffelees when Demeter is another one of Bomba's partners)

-Tuggerjerrie: they they they they they are silly, I just like the potential dynamic between the two and Jerrie being a simp for Tugger. They can both get into some trouble together though I think Tugger would be slightly more responsible about it.

-Platonic! Demtugger is something I'm a big softy for too

This post is very long but I can't help it Tugger was one of my first favs of the show ^^

(updated this a lil)

#rum tum tugger #headcanons #deutabella #olivia cats #tuggoffelees #tuggerina #tuggerjerrie #bombatuggoffelees #answered ask #munkustrap #maxavity #Grizzabella #deuteronomy brothers

[certifiedwerewolf]

*pops in*

Copying Hayley

I know nothing about cats but I love how you talk about Tugger, could you tell me more about him?

OH BOY

Tugger is my special little guy. Like I went into Cats going "I usually tend to be a bit meh about the popular character, so I'll probably be that about Tugger too" and then he took over my brain with his goofy silly guy energy.

Listen. You have to understand. Everything you hear about Tugger from outside of the fandom is wrong. He is not this big sexy tomcat. I mean he is but. He's goofy and silly okay. He makes funny faces at the camera, he plays air guitar on his tail, he teases the other kittens, and that's just in his song! He also drapes himself over bits of trash throughout the rest of the show, sings a duet with his brother about how much they like their dad, takes over Munk's attempt at a serious play with a bagpipe solo, sings a whole song about his crush on a magician of all things- a magician whose only line in Tugger's song was to roast him, no less!- and does the woo woo motion with everyone else during Skimbleshanks: the Railway Cat.

He's also just an absolute dick to Grizzie but, you know, nobody's perfect.

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

Uppast's Tour Commentary time!!!

unfortunately tumblr decided to delete the first commentary post i made before i could post it, so this might be missing some details!

if you have any questions on a specific actor/character, let me know!!

i saw the 8:00 p.m. show on 3/4/2023!

cast changes:

Gracie as Tantomile

Kieran as Mistoffelees

if i talk about a Cats character, i will be using that cat's name and pronouns, but obviously, if i'm talking about an actor, I will be using their names and pronouns (so Demeter and Skimble I will be using she/her and he/him, but obviously, for Nora and Zamb, i will be using they/them)

Act 1:

SUCH a powerful cast holy shit

like their harmonies were so strong, and every dance mark was hit perfectly

I think they’re the strongest cast I’ve seen

Plato and Tori are????? So in love????? Sobbing?????

Nora!Dem and Kade!Munk are also VERY IN LOVE like they're adorble

Michelle is honestly my favorite Jennyanydots, now I've seen her three times, and she's just as amazing

SKIMBLEDOTS IS REAL TY ZAMB AND MICHELLE FOR FEEDING ME SKIMBLEDOTS CONTENT

literally they are the fucking cutest skimbledots

Kade's Tugger is honestly now in my top three Tugger's, and about 50% of that is because i got to talk to him at the stage door and he was the nicest person

but seriously, his Tugger reminded me SO much of John Partridge's Tugger, he was such a rockstar, and his voice is so good

ofc I have to mention the Tugger and Misto dance, they were giving "everyone look at my best friend because my best friend is better than all of you" and that's so valid

also it was adorable but before Tugger's last moment when everyone's gathered around him, Demeter trips him a little and just gives him a little "who, me?" look when he looks at her, and that's what makes him shoo everyone away

Hank and Nora said Tugmeter are best friends rights and once again i am validated

god Nora's version of Demeter is so soft and sympathetic towards Grizabella, and it's honestly heartbreakingly beautiful

This Demeter felt like a younger sister compared to Bombalurina, so once again, ty to Nora for supporting my hcs

tbh even if I don't ship it this tour is really saying demebombalonzostrap rights

Tugger was trying to get Deuteronomy's attention when he arrived, and had to give himself a lil pep talk before greeting him 😭 that's his DAD

literally every single one of my hcs are being so validated by this cast

Tumblebrutus was SUCH a big brother to Pouncival, always making sure he was having fun and it made my heart explode

Tugger gave Mistoffelees a cute lil nudge during the ball, there were so many little moments like that between them, just playful, silly moments and i'm 😭😭😭😭

like this cast really made it more prominent that this is Victoria and Plato's Ball, because everyone was paying a little extra special attention to them, whether it was greeting them, dancing in front of them, or just watching them, and i loved that so much

Plato shared a fist bump with Tumblebrutus and Pouncival before they did their section of the dance at the ball 😭

SKIMBLEDAD SKIMBLEDAD SKIMBLEDAD

Mungojerrie got scared by Grizabella so he cuddled into Skimbleshanks' leg that's his DAD

Tayler did these little gasps as she did the dance before "Memory", and i can't remember if she's done those in the past times that i've seen her, but they added so much to the moment, because it felt like she was either trying to remember the moves, or she was hurt.

Act 2:

Sillabub seemed started by the fact that she was singing during “moments of happiness”, which i thought was a really great touch

overall, I loved Sam's Sillabub so much, she was so sweet, and her voice was gorgeous

Brian Mungo is the Most Mungo to ever Mungo

I'm so happy that Babysitter Plato is one of the decisions that's stuck around, I love seeing Plato minding the kitten trio and just being the best big brother to them

he and Tori were also cuddling together during Gus' song 😭

Jenny and Skimble snuggled during Gus’ song, and first Jenny was laying her head on Skimble’s leg, and then they switched so he was resting on her leg, and I sobbed

and then Tugger and Misto cuddling together during Pekes and Pollicles. That’s it, that’s the post.

Tugger kept trying to hit the pompom on the dog head the queens were wearing

I'm in awe of Erica's voice. She is SUCH a powerful Bomba

Nora has the most unique, gorgeous voice, and their performance during Macavity was one of my favorites, honestly. The way Nora and Erica's voices blended during the song gave me chills

Nora’s Demeter gave me “just joined the Jellicles” vibes. Like, her wig’s a little more wild, and she’s a little more hesitant, and the way she sang during Macavity was more boastful than fearful. I honestly loved this version of Dem, SUCH a good take ngl

like the way Demeter and Munkustrap interacted was very much a "we've only met recently but oh i think i'm falling in love with you" and once again SUCH a good Demestrap take

Nora also played Demeter VERY skittish, and it was honestly heartbreaking watching her during the Macavity fight, she was absolutely terrified

BUT she also protected Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer!!! they were near her and she moved them over to the side

honestly Jerrie and Teazer gave me more 2019 vibes, like they had also just joined the tribe recently

Sammy's Alonzo was SO good, and I loved his moment of preparing himself to face Macavity

MUNK WAS STRUGGLING TO GET UP AFTER THE MACAVITY FIGHT AND DEMETER HELPED HIM BY PUTTING HIS ARM AROUND HER NECK UP I’M SOBBING

When Tugger said “you ought to ask magical mr Mistoffelees” Deméter got startled 😭 and Munkustrap was so concerned about her

Tugger got so excited when Misto brought Deut back, he had to take a moment compose himself which was ADORABLE

They also did like a lil handshake before the final part of the song which was also VERY CUTE

God Tayler is just so so good as Griz

#uppast's tour comments #cats the musical #cats us tour 6

[jelliclekay]

Cats 3/8/2023

Went to see the tour in Charleston last night! I was really happy for there to be another stop on this tour leg close to me. I had an absolutely amazing time and my negative experiences were not the fault of the cast at all but rather the venue itself.

I went in cosplay, which is always such a fun experience. Got a lot of people complimenting my costume, a few people who wanted pictures with me and many who thought I was in the show 

Here was the cast board for that night.

(Not listed was Elana from the last leg of the tour who was on for Tantomile!)

I was INCREDIBLY lucky to see Rachael on as Grizabella. Tayler Harris is phenomenal of course, but she has been Griz for every show I’ve seen so far and I was so excited to see a different performer for her. Many of my thoughts on the show are going to be about her because I was concentrating so hard on her and her performance.

Also, the venue did NOT have physical Playbills which was unfortunate. The venue itself had some tech problems going on that but I am probably the only one in the audience who even noticed.

On to my thoughts!

Act 1

During the “feline, fearless, faithful and true” line, Jerrie put his arm around Teazer and the two shared a cute little look. So cute.

When the boot dropped, the audience reacted so strongly, more so than I’ve ever heard. Like everyone either laughed or gasped, I even heard the woman behind me go “Oh that scared the shit out of me.” 

Michelle Jennyanydots my beloved. She always changes up the delivery of her lines which I really really like. 

LUKE TUGGER. I was both excited and a bit sad to not see Hank. I love Hank’s Tugger, but was excited to see a Tugger cover go on. Luke was great, he actually MEOWED which I appreciated. Luke is also so huge, he towers over practically everyone so he gives “Big Little Brother” energy to Kade’s Munk. Him and Erica had great chemistry together too, which for me is really important.

When Demeter takes a photo of Tugger at the end of his song, he posed with Jenny and Jelly like it was a family portrait. It was SO CUTE, Tugger and his moms <3

Rachael Griz. Oh man, where do I start. I think the biggest difference between her Griz performance and Tayler’s is the way they conduct themselves. Tayler Griz still holds her head up high, still trying to hold on to a sense of pride while also asking for forgiveness. Rachael Griz however is a lot more... pitiful, more desperate to be accepted. Her facial expressions are more sad, her posture is more slumped and she is more visibly effected when the younger cats mess with her and when Munk hisses at her. 

I just love the part where Alonzo and Munk dance with Bustopher when he comes out on stage. It makes me smile every time.

Yuka Victoria and Samuel Plato are still the most in love. Yuka Victoria just is non-stop smiling the entire show, it’s so cute to see.

Will I ever shut up about Rachael? No. Her version of the first part of Memory was incredible.

Act 2

I’m 12/12 now for seeing John Anker Bow as Gus but he’s fantastic every time so it’s alright. I’m always worried about the audience during Gus’s part, but thankfully this audience loved him. He got more applause than I think I’ve ever seen Gus get both during his song and Pekes. Also Allyson really nailed that high note right at the end of Rumpus Cat.

At the “At a Shakespeare performance” Teazer dramatically pretended to fall into Jerrie’s arms. That was adorable. 

Just obsessed with Erica Bombalurina, truly. The way she moves and acts on stage is insane. And her voice is phenomenal, truly she is the most Bombalurina ever. The way her and Nora perform Macavity really falls in line with my own headcanons for the two, both in their own relationships with Macavity and their relationship with each other. Erica Bombalurina really tries to play up just how much she knows about Macavity, in a “yeah, that’s right, I’ve been with him too” in her voice and mannerisms when she’s singing her parts of the song. And during Bombalurina’s solo, Demeter at one point angrily crawled towards her with a face that read “Are you seriously doing this to me right now?” Erica really understands the assignment with her portrayal of Bombalurina and I will never shut up about her.

During the Mac fight, Tugger quickly checks on Bombalurina to make sure she’s okay, and my Tuggerlurina heart was so Happy. Obviously I love every single Tuggerlurina moment, and thankfully there are plenty in the revival but ugh. This really got me.

Then some tech issues happened. Right after Mac shuts the lights off, the head lamp that they swing around and shine out into the audience wasn’t working. I was sitting there expecting it but it never happened. The music that plays during this moment went on for an awkwardly long time until finally a spot light very quickly fumbled on stage so the cast could do the “Macavity’s not there.” It was so bizarre and even my friend who was seeing Cats for the first time thought it seemed strange.

RACHAEL’S VERSION OF MEMORY WAS INCREDIBLE. I knew it was going to be, but UGH she was fantastic. Really expressed just how much pain Griz is in and how desperate she is to be forgiven while still giving one of the best vocal performances I’ve ever heard. I’m so happy to have seen her perform. 

Also got to talk to so many of the cast members after the show, and many of them recognized me from a few months ago which I wasn’t expecting! I didn’t have a playbill for them to sign, so I improved and had them sign my tote bag instead.

That’s about it that I can remember off the top of my head. It was a great night and I’m so glad I made the trip to go see it. 

#cats the musical #cats us tour 6

[ima-ghost-art]

My kinda Cats the Musical Timeline

(Including ocs)

A few months after Macavity is born, Deuteronomy invites a local circus cat, Merlinite, to the Jellicles to help teach his son how to use his powers.

Merlinite meets Bellona Jones, a protector of the tribe and Bustopher Jones sister and the two quickly become fated mates!

Macavitys magic starts becoming more volatile and he ends up attacking the couple during one of his training sessions.

Bellona and Merlinite move away from the junkyard for safety soon after due to Bellona being pregnant with their first kitten Alonzo

Other cats are born (including munk, dem, bomba, tugger, teaze and jerrie)

Bustopher takes a real shine to Tugger once he was born.

Macavity looses control of his magic and attacks his brothers and is banished by the tribe, Dem and Bomba go with him

The hidden paw is created and a few weeks later, Bellona Jones and Merlinite are killed by the hands of hench cats.

Mono fam move in with bust when twins 2m

Misto kitnapped- 5 ish months, a freind he trusted sold him out to Macavity for a place in the hidden paw.

Other 2 now sent to junkyard for safety by Bustopher.

Misto meets Dem and Bomba (the two basically become his protective big sisters, Demeter is especially regretful she cabt stop Mac from hurting him.

Demeter finds out shes pregnant with Jemima

3 months later Dem Bomb and Jem (newborn) escaped with the help of Mungojerrie, but he ends up having to return to the hidden paw for misto!

Victoria meets lil Jemmy and they are imedetly best friends!!

Month later mist and mungo escape (9 and 12 months respectively)

Misto comes to the junkyard and reunited with his family!! (Its a slow going process to get close again but Victoria is thrilled to have her baby twin brother (bc she is definitely the older of the 2) back! Alonzo and Bustopher feel guilty about allowing mist to be taken (and Alonzo feels it's his fault bc he was mad at misto for sneaking out with a friend Alonzo didnt trust but didnt stop it instead being passive aggressive about it))

Demeter, Bomba, Jerrie & Mistoffelees def are a little quartet after being reunited outside of the hidden paw! Misto and Jemima are lowkey besties now he can be her fun sassy uncle, (tugger gets jealous Jemmy likes Misto better than him)

Misto Tugger freindship!! And them meeting the 7 kittens (earning misto a sick collapsible top hat that can change size)

6 month later is the jellicle ball with Grizabella

*insert new kittens born/ arriving* death of Tililith and Coricojerrie become fathers

Misto and his nephew is attacked by Pennyfathing, Victoria (and Alonzo) nearly kill penny in return and Hiraeth is left injured/ now blind

A year later Gus is the jellicle choice

3 months later Alibi and Admetus arrive at the junkyard

The next year it's old Deuteronomy as jellicle choice and Jemima becomes the new Jellicle Leader. She is supported by her mates (Pounce and Electra) as well as the rest of her family!

(Its really emotional for Munk Tug and Dem plus her siblings since they are losing Old doot, but everyone is all exited for Jem for being the next leader!!)

The next year Jemima's first choice is Alibi. Its definitely as emotional as old doot and her siblings are all heartbroken to let her go but the tribe knows it's for the best.

(plato is sobbing as he let's his little sister go, and their younger siblings are heartbroken to see there big sister leave, but everyone can tell it is the right choice.)

#cats the musical #cats ocs #cats the musical au idea #cats the musical oc #cats the musical fanfic #TIME LINES!!! #i am definitely not tagging all the cats rn lol

[munku-collar]

For human Demestrap AU

Do either of them of any of their circle ever have body image issues?

Munk and Deme actually both have body image issues! Demeter has a handful of scars from her time on the streets that bother her on occassion, and her fur can be a bit unruly, doesn't lay as softly or as uniform as some other cats because it got quite matted at one point in her youth and doesn't want to behave these days. Her tail is kind of scruffy as well, and that always bothers her but she tries not to let it show. She tries to be confident and view herself in a good light despite these 'imperfections.'

Munk's body image issues tend to center around his mane, or lack thereof. Both Macavity and Tugger have these big luxurious manes, and Old Deut has a rather nice amount of fluff too, but Munk's never quite grew in properly, and it used to make him very self conscious. He's also the shortest of his brothers (though Tugger is really just an inch or two taller) and that bothers him as well. He always feels like he has to compensate to be taken seriously, usually with good posture. But his lack of mane never ruined his chances at romance, so he learned to accept it, and many look up to him, so his height isn't a pressing issue.

Jemima, it pains to admit, also has a bit of an image issue. She may share features with Deme but not with Munk, and although her parents haven't explicitly told her Munk isn't her birth father, she suspects. And when she sees Macavity at the ball the year he attacks, well, she's smart enough to notice their similarities. She worries that she looks too much like him and that it makes her bad or unappealing, that she just reminds everyone of Macavity. When Sillabub is born she's admittedly a little jealous, because her little sister looks like Munkustrap, but Munk and Deme always assure her she's perfect the way she is, and that she's beautiful and kind and everyone loves to be around her.

#finally in a decent enough headspace to answer this one #my shit #cats the musical #asks #cats 1998 #munkustrap #demeter #cats demeter #demeter cats #demestrap #jemima #sillabub #macavity #rum tum tugger #JH

[theimpossiblescheme]

(I don’t have a title for this little piece, but I did realize that I don’t write Tugger very much, so I wanted to have a go--hope everyone enjoys!)

“No guarantee it’s as good as Dad would make it,” Tugger acknowledged, handing the cup and saucer up and over the old stove and suddenly feeling very aware of how breakable porcelain was.  “But I hope it’s drinkable, anyway.”

“I’m sure it will be.”  The fluffy golden queen in the equally fluffy dress coat–Berenice–accepted the tea with a polite smile and a nod, and Tugger definitely didn’t wait on tenterhooks for her reaction, the hell are you talking about?  He simply fluffed his mane and waited as she hummed in appreciation and took another sip.  Granted, after a day like hers, he imagined he’d be glad to drink out of the nearest puddle.  Turned out, not every cat in the area had gotten the memo about the old Egyptian Theatre being condemned, and the lady and her little ones had passed a pretty dismal night amidst all the dust and half-finished construction before making it here..  Tugger’s own memories of the place were starting to be consumed with yellow caution tape and boarded up windows and headless statues perched mindlessly by the doors, and the fact that that was all it would ever be to some folks… well, it was a damn shame.

“You know, I actually grew up there back in the day,” he said, ascending the bedstead and perching on a rung just above her, back legs swinging freely.  “Me and my brothers.  It was a pretty gorgeous place then, especially with the stage all lit up and the chandelier over it.  And after the skylight caved in, you could see the stars.”  Thinking about it now, he almost regretted not being quite brave enough to climb that high, but still…  “There was a much better view, too–you didn’t have all the streetlamps drowning them out.  Dad used to point out all the constellations and tell us little stories about ‘em, and if we didn’t like what the humans came up with we’d make up our own.”  He’d actually recently overheard Jemima telling her friends about Felis Major and Minor, the eyes of the Everlasting Cat (because obviously humans were too busy making up bogus stories about “man’s best friend” to recognize what was right in front of them), and it didn’t come as any surprise that Straps had apparently remembered them down to the last detail.  Maybe Tugger could tell her about their lion cousins next time…

Berenice’s head tipped up and her eyes narrowed, as if she were trying to see past all the London light pollution.  “It’s hard to imagine.  The place is so desolate and run-down now.”

“Oh, man, it was really something.  And you had that huge ballroom space for the Jellicle Ball every year, the big murals on the walls, more backstage than you ever knew what to do with…”  Tugger smiled to himself, lost in another memory.  “We used to sneak around in the light booths, see how far we could get across the old catwalk.  ‘Course, first and only time Dad caught us was after Straps fell off and gave the whole game away.”  He chuckled, remembering Straps landing with a very undignified plop into a bowl of punch left on the bar and Mac–his other brother laughing his head off at Tugger’s side.  “Oh, he was pi–mad at me, rather, for a whole week after that… then we found the tunnel under the orchestra pit together, and he forgot all about it.”

Berenice’s smile this time was a little bemused.  “It does sound rather dangerous for a kitten.”

“Nah, that was just us going off looking for trouble.  It was a lot safer back then, especially with Dad and everybody looking after us.  Much less chance of… well, of anything happening.”  He almost said of having your head taken off, but apparently that was a very real danger now, especially with little kittens getting lost in all the ladders and loose boards.  And give him some credit, he wasn’t that tactless.  “But that’s eventually why we came here.  Junkyard’s a lot smaller, more places to hide, less chance of humans stumbling in and disturbing anybody… you’ve got nothing to worry about here.  You or the kits.”

“And nobody here… minds, do they?” Berenice asked haltingly, as if she had to force the words out of her mouth little by little.  “I mean, I would–I would hate for us to intrude–after all, this is your home–”

“It’s home for any cat who wants it.  Trust me on that.”  Tugger grinned down at her.  “We take in strays all the time–half of us here just wandered in off the streets one day and never looked back.  And a good chunk of us have humans we go off with in the evenings, but the gates are always open when we come back.  Nobody’s gonna make a fuss over you being here, don’t you worry.”

“Even if we aren’t… Jellicle cats?”

“Who says you’re not?  Somebody tell you that?”

“Well, I only assumed… I keep hearing the word around, and I thought that–”

“Honey, all cats are Jellicle cats,” he said with a bit of gentle stress.  “Exact words might change, but the basic idea’s the same, and anybody who says different doesn’t have a clue what they’re talking about.  Things are tough enough out there–we gotta stick together somehow, wherever we are.  You could’ve swam here all the way from the North Pole, and we still would’ve offered you a den and some underbrewed tea,” he added, a touch of self-deprecation in his grin now.

Berenice shook her head and took another slow sip of her tea.  “You’re sure the kittens will–?”

“Your kits’ll be fine.  My mate’s already got ‘em occupied right now.”  His tail flicked towards the car boot, where Misto was conjuring a hail of colored sparks for the delight of three rapt kittens.  With a wave of one paw, some of the sparks coalesced to form a mouse made entirely of light and stardust, and one of the kittens was gearing up to chase it, tail waggling from side to side.  Misto flicked a claw, the star mouse went scuttling up one of the pipes, and suddenly all three little ones were scrambling to catch it.  Berenice chuckled beneath him, almost in spite of herself, and Tugger felt a rush of affection welling up in his chest–Sparkles was outdoing himself tonight.  Hopefully he still had some of that magic left for later…

“Do you have any kittens of your own?” Berenice asked, snapping him out of his reverie.

“Hm?  Oh, no–no, I’m usually too busy trying to fend them off,” Tugger replied with a smirk, leaning back against the pipes with his forelegs looped around to keep him from falling.  “Couldn’t ask for a better fan club, though.  And they’re all great kits.  Not supposed to play favorites, but you know… I’ve got a couple of nieces I spoil rotten.”

“I would love to meet them.”  This time, Berenice’s smile seemed to come much easier.  “And you have all been very kind.  I really can’t thank you enough.”

Tugger waved away the thanks.  “Don’t sweat it.  Least we could do, really.”

No sooner had those words left his mouth than there came a muffled thump against the bed of rags above them, and a blue-furred head stuck itself down through the top of the pipes.  Berenice squeaked a bit in surprise and nearly dropped her teacup, but Murad merely gave her a nod and jaunty little salute.  “Evening, madam.”  Then he turned to Tugger.  “Evening patrol’s just come back–your brother thought you might want to join the discussion.”

“Damn right I would.”  As Murad disappeared topside again, Tugger hoisted himself to his feet on the pipes, luxuriating in a long back stretch before extending a paw down to Berenice.  “Feel like tagging along?  We can show you just how we do things around the Junkyard.”

“Oh?”  She laid aside her cup and cautiously took his paw.  “Are you one of the Protectors here?”

“In all but name, really.”  He squeezed her paw and gave her a wink as she finally rose to meet him.  “But don’t tell Straps I said that.”

#Inspired partially by how much I love the 2019 sets and by Jemi's idea that Tugger might have a bit of his Uncle Gus in him after all... #cats the musical #rum tum tugger #fanfic

[gaylittlewizardcat]

tuggofelees for the ships ask!

Ship it!!

What made you ship it?

A few different things. Firstly, since they’re such a big ship I was introduced to them very early when I first got into Cats, which sort of just put them on my radar. But then there’s also the fact that the both look and act like opposites, and “opposites attract” have always been my favorite shipping trope lol, they look aesthetically pleasing next to each other, and then there’s the whole thing with Tugger singing Misto’s song. They feel like two ends of a spectrum that somehow both balance each other out and make them more themselves, I guess? Then there’s the whole thing of Misto being my favorite character so I’m more likely to focus on relationships involving him

But yeah it’s mostly the “opposites attract” thing

What are your favorite things about the ship?

Like I said before, opposites attract, but also how I like to imagine they support each other. Mistoffelees is sure in his ability to dance and do magic, but is insecure when it comes to interacting with others and putting himself out there, to which Tugger responds by being unendingly supportive and encouraging. Tugger, in turn, hides a lot of himself, both good and bad, behind a persona that, while he feels like it protects him actually hurts him and others in the long run. Misto isn’t charmed by his persona, and slowly the real Tugger dares to come out. His more true self is still confident, still in everyone’s face without shame and still thrives on attention, but he also talks to his brother with genuine kindness, and lets himself actually connect with people without an invisible wall in between.

While there are a lot of other aspects of how I interpret their relationship I really love (like how they make each other laugh and really understand each other through healthy and fluid communication) fundamentally it comes down to the fact that they’re good for each other. They don’t magically “fix” each other’s flaws, but they give each other the motivation to improve themselves.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I tend to lean towards polyamory in the Cats universe for a lot of ships (both for CATS as cats and Human AUs) but especially for the two of them, which there is certainly some of here and there, but far from common

#thank you for the ask! #they’re great and their dynamic is so much fun #tuggoffelees #cats the musical #jellicle answers

[herooffire101]

So, for Tuggerlurina week, I wrote some fics. As I wrote them, I realized that they are in my Human Au. Here we go.

Also, Happy birthday to me.

~~~~~~

A childhood promise under the star-lit sky

Mid-September 1996

After what seemed like a long time waiting for her sister to fall asleep, Beatrice, or as she knows and calls herself, Bombalurina, managed to sneak out of hers and her sister’s room, after what she witnessed earlier that day, which caused her friend Travis, or as everyone called him the Rum Tum Tugger, Tugger for short, to run to her house and spend the night. Mac lashed out on all three of them; her, Tugger, and Marcus, otherwise known as Munkustrap and Tugger ended up with a nasty looking bruise on his cheek; just because Grizabella left only a month ago and Mac took out his anger on them, Tugger most of all. (Unbeknownst to them, Grizabella left that day wearing makeup to cover up a nasty black eye Mac gave her after she tried to stop him from attacking his brothers). Bomba’s Mom, Jellylorum, took one look at his while Bomba gave her the explanation of how Mac was being mean (an understatement), and gave him an ice pack and pain relief, a hug, and assurances that he could stay the night. Bomba looked into the guest room where Tugger was supposed to be in and saw that he wasn’t there. Quietly walking towards the kitchen, pausing each time she heard her dad snore and when the floor creaked, she noticed that the sliding door was open, and the screen door was closed shut. Bomba, curious, gracefully creeped up to the screen like a cat, and noticed that her best friend was standing on her porch, looking up in the clear early September night sky, at the stars, in his pajamas that luckily his dad Old Deut brought over after supper. Bomba opened the screen door, stepped out and closed it behind her. Tugger didn’t look bothered at the sound of the screen door, as she padded up to him. “Penny for your thoughts, Tugger?” Bomba murmured, keeping her voice low in fear of her mom waking up.

Not moving to look at her, his eyes stayed focused at the stars. “Do you think that’s there more to why she left?” He asked, quietly, not expecting an answer from his mother’s favorite student and his best friend.

“I know that she had her reasons.” Bomba spat, hurt still laced her voice at the mention of Grizabella, slightly unbecoming of an eight-year-old, “But with Mac becoming worse to us, and how she looked when she left, I think that Mac was the last straw.”

“How do you know, Bomba?” Tugger asked, glancing at her.

“I overheard Mom and Jenny talking. Said that while her words hurt us, she didn’t know what to do with Mac.” Bomba said, relaying what she overheard accidentally, “Didn’t hear the rest of it, though. Ran. But I think that Mac hurt her more than us, and Mac is hurting us more now since she’s gone.” Some of her words laced with a light Irish accent.

Tugger gave a watery laugh. “She ran away to be glamorous because how Mac was hurting us? Hah, that’s stupid.” Though Bomba could tell that he wasn’t believing it. “She didn’t want to deal with Mac and me. Mac was her favorite, getting all of the attention.”

“Tugger, you were her favorite. Both of us were. She tried to stop Mac from hurting us. Remember, we’re little compared to Mac. Big kids aren’t meant to be hurting little kids. She gave him attention because he was, what did Mom say? Jealous. Yeah, that’s it. Jealous.” Bomba said, thinking back on how Grizabella treated them compared to Mac. “Mom explained to me that she was jealous of me!”

“You, Bomba? She was teaching you.” Tugger said, in disbelief, “I thought that she was proud of you and Demeter?”

“Proud and jealous, Tugs. Mom explained that to me.” Bomba expanded, “The Ball, Tugger. I accidentally shown her up at the Ball.”

“When you danced with me?” He asked, confused, “Bea, we’re eight. How can mom be jealous of eight-year-olds?”

“I don’t know, Trav!” Bomba harshly whispered, “Me and Demmy are dance prodigies, and you’re not far behind. I’m still asking myself on why she got into her head that a seven- and eight-year-old exceeded her teachings during the Jellicle Ball!”

Tugger ran a hand through his curly dirty blond hair, looking older than he really is. “We’re kids, Bomba. She shouldn’t of ran because of jealously.” A quiet moment ran between them, both of them looked towards the stars. Orion’s Belt glimmered in the sky as a thought ran through his head. “Bomba, do you think…Mac did something that caused her to leave?”

Bomba nodded. “Must of. He’s a mean cat, deceitful too. Like a…Macavity.”

Tugger snorted, realizing that she gave him an actual Jellicle name. “Like Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes?”

“What? Don’t like it?”

Tugger blushed in the pale moon light, looking so much like Grizabella in that moment. “No! It…fits him. He’s always able to make trouble and not get in trouble.”

“He always has an alibi.” Bomba rolled her eyes, thinking of all the times in the past several months since Grizabella left how much worse Mac had gotten, “And one or two to spare.”

A comfortable silence between them, Tugger weaving his arm around her as they both look at the stars. After a while, he broke the silence. “Promise me.”

Bomba gave him a confused look. “Promise you what, Travis?”

“Promise me you won’t leave me, like Grizabella.”

Bomba looked at him, in the pale moonlight. “I never want to be like her, running from my problems, rather face them head on. I promise to not leave you, Travis.”

“Pinky promise?”

“Pinky promise.”

Ten years later, 2006, about in early November…

Tugger stood on the deck, right above the stage area of the Heaviside Bar & Grill. He could hear the muffled sounds of the customers enjoying themselves. Looking up at the stars, his leather jacket a comforting weight on his shoulders. Not the first time he’s thought about how the years went by with him and his best friend Bomba, he thought about the promise they made back when they were eight and confused on why his eldest brother was hurting them and why Grizabella left them. While the newer members of the Jellicle Dance Troupe thought that the Rum Tum Tugger didn’t look back, only those close to him knew otherwise. While he was the most annoying, the most impulsive out all of them, he was the most caring, the most kind of all of them, especially with Bomba by his side.

“Penny for your thoughts?” The voice of his lover cut into his thoughts. He turned around to see that as always, nimble, and sneaky like a cat, Bombalurina still manages to sneak up to him.

“Oh, just thinking.” Tugger said, giving her his smile that he only gave to those he loved.

“Well start the presses, the Rum Tum Tugger is actually thinking.” She sashayed to his side, sarcasm lacing her voice, “Demeter still thinks that you don’t think at all, sometimes.”

He looked into her emerald green eyes, her left one still slightly swollen from last month when she finally punched Mac and got one in return, breaking her left cheekbone, and subsequently having plates put in. Still recovering from the surgery, Tugger still felt so proud that Bomba, finally after years of torment, abuse, and trauma, was able to finally punch Mac in the face, her rage and desire to protect her sister and their daughter leading her to do get over that fear of physical retaliation. “Hah, it’s more like my head gets so jumbled that I have to give into my impulses time to time and not think.” He said, still breathless at the sight of her. “Jem finally asleep?”

“After being a little fussy, yes.” Bomba said, holding a baby monitor in her right hand, “So is Plato, by the way.”

“I think that Jemmy scared that mommy would be hurt by that bad cat again.” Tugger easily said, “I think that Mom is right, that she’s more aware about what’s going on around her than we think.” Pulling her into an easy embrace, Bomba leaning her head onto his shoulder.

Bomba chuckled. “Another thing that she got from me.” Pride lacing her voice. The light coming from their apartment above Heaviside shone onto her, lighting up her eyes and dark red hair, the waves in her hair reflecting the light, making Tugger fall in even more in love with her.

“You’re so beautiful, Beatrice.” Tugger murmured into her hair, kissing her forehead. He squeezed her with the right amount of pressure that she liked. “I was thinking about our promise.”

“Mhmm, which promise, Annwyl?” Bomba muttered, wiggling herself closer to him. “We made each other a lot of promises.”

“The one we made when we were eight and on your mom’s porch.” Tugger expanded on which promise he was thinking about, “The one where you’ll never leave me.”

She lifted her head so that she could look at him. “Well, I haven’t broken that promise. We have a lifetime to get through to see if I break it.”

Tugger laughed. Of course, she would say that. “I would say that you haven’t broken it yet. And you do face your problems head on. Your, uh, face shows it.” He gave her a cringing smile, hoping that he didn’t get slapped for his comment.

Bomba gave him a glare, and rolled her eyes, sending a twinge of pain into her expression. “Bast, I hope that it’ll stop twinging after a while.” “You and me both.” He agreed, giving her a soft smile. Together, they faced the star-lit sky, just enjoying each other’s presence.

#tuggerlurina week #tuggerlurina #cats human au #cats the musical #bombalurina #rum tum tugger

[rainbowratsstuff]

Sense u seem to enjoy wings of fire u got any ideas for cats characters designed as dragons? Or ideas on what some of the cats tribe would be?

This is going to be a bit of a long one as I spent probably too long thinking about this, it's almost turned into a whole AU, but here we go.

Munkustrap, Macavity and Tugger would be mudwings. That might seem like an odd choice but I chose this because of a particular story idea I really want to see. Munk, Mac and Tugger would all be in a mudwing sibling group with Macavity as their big wings. But then Macavity turns against everyone. What would happen to a mudwing sibling group if one of them turned evil? Especially the big wings. I just think this would be so interesting.

Alonzo and Gilbert would be icewings. I think they have personalities that work perfectly for the icewing ranking system. Alonzo would be a lower ranked icewing who is insecure and worried about having a low rank. Even thinking about whether he would consider the diamond trial. Gilbert would be the highest ranked icewing with Griddlebone as the queen who he would do anything for. He does almost anything to avoid losing his top rank. Alonzo is envious of him.

Mistoffelees, Victoria, Bustopher, Exotica (her name would be changed but just so everyone knows who I'm talking about), Coricopat and Tantomile would be nightwings. (Its just too perfect for Misto to be a nightwing. The colour scheme alone with the black and stars on the inside of thier wings 😍) Bustopher is a nightwing withought powers and when his nephew and niece's parents died he took their eggs away from the tribe to where Exotica (she has mind reading and vague prophecy visions) is living with her dragonets, Cori and Tanto. Mistoffelees is hatched with mindreading and animus powers, whereas Victoria has mind reading and the gift of prophecy. Cori and Tanto only have mind reading but they have developed it to become really advanced, they can hear thoughts from really far away. I also like the idea of Misto and Vic talking to each other through mind reading, especially around dragons they dont know.

Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer, Jennyanydots, Jellylorum and Gus would be sandwings. Jenny doing a good job managing her way around the Scorpion Den, while also having to look out for her children, who definitely would be theives and con artists. Just trying not to let their mum see. But it's not like Jenny doesn't know, she just likes to make them think she doesn't know ;) . Jelly could be Jennys close friend who's trying to keep her old father Gus alive despite how difficult things are getting. Maybe M and R try to steal to help them too.

Etcetera, Pouncival and Plato would be rainwings. These guys are mostly happy go lucky and just want to have fun. I think they'd fit in really well with the relaxing low stress life of rainwings. Plus they'd love to change colour when ever they want. But I think Plato might try exploring outside the rainforest. Like one of the very few who's actually curious what's going on out there. Also he would definitely be protective over the little ones. They may not know who their parents are but he'll be their big brother for them.

Skimbleshanks, Cassandra and Tumblebrutus would be skywings. I don't have as much reasoning for these guys as the others. It's mostly just a feeling I get. I think Tumble would be trained up for fighting like in the dragonet play area but when he's older he doesn't really want to fight, especially seeing what happens in the arena. Skimbleshanks I think would use those powerful wings to go on long journeys to scout out other places for the queen but maybe also secretly looking for a better place for Tumble. Cass is hoping to take the throne and stop getting these kids into needless violence and give Skimble the safe place he's looking for. Maybe Tumble is also her son here.

Demeter, Bombalurina and Jemima would be seawings. I love the idea of Demeter leaving and coming back to her sister, who's now the Queen, for protection with her animus dragonet Jemima (probably a hybrid if I want to go with Jem being Macs child).

Thats my ideas right now. I'm not sure what to do with Griz and Deut. I have this idea of Griz being the mudwing Queen and maybe feeling responsible for Mac and running away or something, leaving Deut to take care of the kingdom? Since I have Griddlebone as the icewing Queen. I should probably have Growltiger somewhere but I'm not sure where, maybe she double crossed him and stoll treasurer from him? But I'm not sure what type he should be.

But maybe I'm getting too much into this. It was a fun idea to consider. Thank you ^^

#cats #cats musical #cats the musical #wings of fire #wings of fire cats au #cats au #mistoffelees #munkustrap #rum tum tugger #mungojerrie #alonzo #macavity #demeter #bombalurina #jemima #pouncival #tumblebrutus #plato #cassandra #rumpleteazer #gilbert #etcetera #electra

[the-metaphorical-jellicle-cat]

My Play

If you follow me on my main, you know I am a big fan of the band AJR for many reasons. One of those reasons is how relatable the lyrics are and how wonderful the orchestration is for each song. Their music is perfect for writing inspiration which is what I have done for this short. ‘My Play’ (from their album OK ORCHESTRA) is about a young boy experiencing his parent's divorce and having to move with his father. I took a lot of inspiration from the lyrics and the music video. 

Anyway, when I first listened to this song, my mind immediately went to Munkustrap who (in one of my headcanons) wrote plays as a child to show his creativity which helped him become a director as an adult. I will warn you that this story will make you cry without a doubt.

Yes, I will be posting this on AO3 eventually.

Summary: Munkustrap knew something was wrong when their mother stayed out of the house longer than she used to. Sometimes staying out overnight which caused so much pain to everyone in the family.  When she was home, she and dad were always arguing nonstop. Nothing could stop them.  It was those times where he would try and make it a game with his younger brother as an older sibling should

Characters: Munkustrap, Tugger (meantioned), Grizabella (mentioned), Macavity (mentioned), Deuteronomy (mentioned), Demeter (mentioned)

Warnings: Divource, emotions

Prompt: My Play by AJR (Link to Music Video)

Munkustrap knew something was wrong when their mother stayed out of the house longer than she used to. Sometimes staying out overnight which caused so much pain to everyone in the family. 

When she was home, she and dad were always arguing nonstop. Nothing could stop them. 

It was those times where he would try and make it a game with his younger brother as an older sibling should. 

But then it really shattered when he was told to start packing his things into boxes. He asked his dad what was happening but was told they were going on another adventure. 

Without mom.

And so he kept his mouth shut to his mother knowing he wouldn't get answers from her. He stopped talking to his older brother Mac. It was his younger brother who tried to make him smile though he had trouble understanding what was going on.

When they moved in and settled into the new house without mom, Munkustrap kept thinking. He kept thinking about the plays he wrote and put on for his family. It was one of the few times he caught everyone smiling and laughing. 

Then it came crashing. The old house was a place of love and where he and his brothers’ imagination thrived. Kind of like that spaceship they drew on the basement wall that no one had the heart to clean. 

He wondered if it was still there.

The years went by and Munkustrap witnessed Mac leave for good and Tugger pull away. He saw what finding love did to his father. Love caused his family to break. What good was it for him to love?

There were times where he wrote in his notebook of plays that made sense to only him and no one else. He kept it hidden from everyone for it was the only place where no one could sense his true emotions of anger, abandonment, or even loss. But damn if he didn’t want his mother to be here in the moment to watch him give a soliloquy from one of his plays. 

Now as an adult. Now learning what it truly meant to be lonely. Watching Tugger find love. It was now his turn to find his place in the world that he’d rather isolate himself from. For what would happen if his relationship were to turn out like his parent’s.But then he met her.

Demeter was a woman that he never thought he could possibly talk to. She was beautiful inside and out, charismatic, and brought out sides of him that he forgot about.

On their first date he brought her flowers, all while trying to be great for at least an hour. It lasted for almost 4 hours. But that fear still lingered. That fear dissipated after the 5th date when he asked her to be his girlfriend. 

Of course he added to the notebook over time with new plays and ideas, most of them were about family and love. A turn around from what he was writing as a young adult.

Though he still wished to share his experiences with his mother for whom he hadn't seen in years. Or maybe his older brother who still held anger at their father. 

By the time he himself became a father to his daughters, he flashed back to being a child with the piles of boxes in every room. He wished. He desperately wished he could go back in time and spend one more day with his mother and brother. Showing them a play they just might have brought their family together. Or maybe tear or even further apart.

@storyweaverofgondor  @uppastthejelliclemoon  @roxycake  @is-it-mungojerry-or-rumpelteazer  @the-pied-pipers-assistant @the-bunny-wife  @thunderwhenhepurrs  @queen-with-the-quill  @dramatical-cat @falasta

#cats the musical fandom #cats the musical fan fiction #music prompt #munkustrap #cw: divorce #feelings #cats the musical #human au #family #rum tum tugger #old deuteronomy #grizabella #macavity #though this does take from a lot of different hcs that i use I'm my writing #i highly suggest listening to the song

[certifiedwerewolf]

Oo please tell me how you’re pretentious about the rum tum tugger, I am very curious! 👁👁

(—also likes Cats the Musical an inordinate amount and likes to listen to infodumps)

Oh god

So I am in fact working on an entire essay about how he's actually a huge soft goofball who loves his dad and gets stuck in drawers and literally can't stop smiling when he's actually with the rest of the jellicles but has this reputation for being ooooooh so coooooooool so people just chalk him up as this big sexy tomcat and don't notice all that other stuff. I have gifs (I have so many gifs). I have citations (I actually have citations).

However, the essay has been put on hold (as has my high school au) because I started writing a Regency au and haven't been able to work on any of my other Cats projects except for the Jellicle Brawl.

But, like. Listen, okay. Listen. Tugger gyrates and hip thrusts his way through the crowd and he's so sexy that you kind of don't quite realize that he's singing about being a picky eater and getting stuck in bureau drawers. He makes goofy faces the whole time. During Old Deuteronomy he pops up to sing a duet with his brother about how cool their dad is and not only is he so soft and tender through the entire song, he gives Munk THE softest, tenderest smile at one point. Just. It's so FOND. He then proceeds to light up excitedly because he spots Old Deuteronomy. He literally can't stop smiling for the rest of the song. During The Aweful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles he pops up to play the bagpipes and dance a jig, which he is again excited about. During Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat he drapes himself over some trash apart from everyone but he still does the whoo whoo!! arm pump with everyone else. He sings a song about how cool and awesome and impressive Misto is. When Old Deuteronomy comes back he's so relieved to have him back he not only reaches out to him, he pulls himself into Old Deuteronomy's space and wraps an arm around him.

Like. Tugger is objectively sexy, I'm not pretending otherwise, but the sexiness is such a microscopic part of his character! He's soft! He's silly! He makes goofy faces! He loves his dad and his brother! He plays the bagpipes! He has a crush on a tiny pompous sycophantic magician of all things! He wants you to think of him as cool and sexy and aloof but he is not those things. He's a dork, and I'm going to scoop him up and put little kissies on his silly little forehead curl.

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

it's @queen-with-the-quill so OF COURSE i had to write something for her!!!

happy happy birthday bestie, you deserve to have the best day ever!!!

"Alright, everyone, let's pick up the pace!"

Tugger was pacing in and out of each room in the house, inspecting the decorations, and making sure that everything was perfectly in place.

Munkustrap watched his younger brother with a fond, amused smile.

"Tugs, calm down." he said, reaching out to grab his brother's shoulder. "You've bought out probably every party store in the city, and everything looks great."

Tugger's shoulders fell, and he let out a deep breath. "I just want everything to be perfect. It's her first birthday with us, and I want her to feel special."

Munkustrap raised an eyebrow. "Tugger, you spoil every single one of your kids to death. Of course she's going to feel special."

Tugger let out a huff of laughter, and he leaned into his brother, resting his head on his shoulder. Munkustrap wrapped an arm around his shoulder, a comforting, grounding gesture.

In the living room, Hades was directing the triplets with all the seriousness of a ten-year-old whose only goal was to make sure his siblings did everything perfectly.

Apollo, Iris, and Thetis were following their older brother's directions carefully, Apollo clumsily climbing up onto a stool to scatter blue glitter all over the fireplace.

"How's that?" he called over his shoulder, and Hades nodded approvingly.

"Perfect, 'Pol." he said, and Apollo beamed at the praise. "Iri, 'Tis, are you guys almost done?"

The two sisters excitedly held up the paper chain they were finishing, a rainbow of pastel colors that Tugger was waiting to hang up on the now glittery fireplace.

A few minutes later, the decorations were finished, and the rest of the family had arrived. Demeter was prepared with her camera around her neck, already snapping photos of Tugger and Hades waiting, and Amunet had brought along her own twins, Coricopat and Tantomile, who had immediately been swept up with the triplets.

Jennyanydots took a glance outside of the window, and let out a gasp.

"They're back!"

In a flurry of frantic movement, the gathered family tucked themselves into the living room, Jemima standing with her cousins and friends, all the little ones waiting excitedly.

Mistoffelees swung the door open, and Jubilee and Hestia entered the house, hands entwined and giggling as they darted past their papa's outstretched hands.

As the girls approached the living room, they were stopped by the sight of their family jumping out in front of them.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Jubilee stopped in her tracks, and her eyes went wide as she took in the house, which had been transformed into a Wonderland.

Hestia let out a delighted laugh as she tugged her sister forward, bouncing on her toes as she exchanged a beaming smile with Mistoffelees, who followed the two girls at a more sedate pace.

Jubilee's eyes clouded with confusion as she looked between Mistoffelees, Hestia, and the house. "What?"

Tugger approached the curly-haired girl, and knelt down, reaching out to take her hand. "We wanted your first birthday with us to be extra-super special."

"Really?" Jubilee asked, voice shaky as she took in everything around her. "This is for me?"

"Of course, Jojo!" Hades, always the devoted big brother, exclaimed, darting forward with the triplets to surround their younger sisters. "Deuteronomy-Jones kids get the best birthdays!"

Jubilee sniffled, and flung herself into Tugger's waiting arms, her dad instantly gathering her up as Mistoffelees joined him in hugging their newest addition.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Tugger and Mistoffelees exchanged a ecstatic look, and Mistoffelees kissed his daughter's head.

"Come on, Rabbit. We've got a tea party waiting for us!" he said, tugging on Jubilee's hand. "And we can't be late."

He winked, and Jubilee giggled as she reached out to take Hestia's hand as well.

Her smile never faded as she took in the Wonderland-themed decorations, as her family gave her soft smiles and warm hugs, as her sister stuck by her side.

It was a very happy birthday indeed.

#not me fully forgetting which kids got adopted first #cats the musical #tuggoffelees family human au #jubilee the library cat #hestia the hearth cat #rum tum tugger #mr mistoffelees #liv's writing corner