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pinksilvace · 4 months

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Fern guides their mutuals and followers through Cats 1998 as if we're all sitting on the same couch watching it and I'm shouting out stuff (2/?)

MASTERPOST

Character Wiki Pages

This time around, we're getting to some of the character songs!!! Jennyanydots and RTT ahead:

5: The Old Gumbie Cat

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Okay, first off, I'm obsessed with the staging here... literally every kitten and kitten-adjacent character is paying attention (Plato and Bill Bailey are in the back upper-left of this shot) and then you've just got. Alonzo and Cassandra. Two characters that famously do not care about some other members of the cast. Why is this so funny

These faces also get me every time... the perfect image of bewilderment and regret

Anyway, this is another example of the kitten characters literally being lower than the others. Coricopat and Tantomile's ages and how they're presented tend to vary wildly from production to production (they kind of do their own thing), but aside from them, I think the only adult cats on the ground are the aforementioned Alonzo (who's there because of Munkustrap), Cassandra (who's there because of Alonzo), and Asparagus, though the camera notably never focuses on any of them. Everybody else is either standing or elevated à la Bombalurina, Demeter, Skimbleshanks, and Jellylorum.

One of my absolute favorite things about Munkustrap across productions is how he moves. He and Skimbleshanks come to mind as the cats with the most distinct affects (aside from examples like Tugger, who has clearly manufactured his mannerisms to an extent). I'm not sure what to call the aesthetic of this motion, but I'm obsessed with it.

And, gosh, Michael Gruber's voice is heavenly.

Skimble's cute little gesturing at her!!! Even when I was little, I was under the impression that these cats would get along. I don't know if it was because of the character acting, the fact they're both ginger tabbies, their similar ways of directing folks around, or what, but I've never seen a version of Skimble and Jenny that I didn't think would get along. It's no wonder they're so commonly shipped.

These are all (female) kitten characters playing the role of the mice, which brings us to one of the biggest questions anybody who gives this show too much thought will ask: what is the Jellicle Ball? Obviously, there's a number named that later on, but is it just a dance number, or is it the entire show?

I tend to see and agree with the interpretation that the Ball takes place over the course of the whole show, as Jellicle cats of every kind are invited and encouraged to attend. If not, then I think it would be a bit surprising to see so many cats with collars - and, we can infer, owners - showing up this early, even if the goal is to be there before Old Deuteronomy.

In that case, we reach the question related to this segment: what does this look like from the cats' side of things? I'd always thought of it as the classic "when there's too much [x] for words, you sing" principle of musical theater, wherein songs are used for emphasis and the things that happen during songs are either not literal or heavily exaggerated, but I know some folks also think of each number in Cats as a rehearsed piece, which is canonically the case for one of them.

Realistically - as much as any of this can be considered realistic - I imagine it as a combination of the two. Jenny and Skimble's numbers might very well be rehearsed. Tugger's probably isn't.

The fact that the mice are all portrayed by female kittens, which is a relatively specific demographic of the characters, makes me think (story-wise, not practicality-wise) they were specifically chosen for the roles of the mice.

The way Skimble copies Jenny's movements here reminds me HEAVILY of how Tugger copies Mistoffelees' movements during his number at the end of the show... alright alright I'm getting on board with this one

A few things with this bit:

1 - Pouncival is reprimanded #1

2 - I love that '98 used actors generally representative of the characters' ages. A lot of casts - post-revival US casts specifically come to mind - tend to have Jennys and Jellys that seem exponentially younger than the ones portrayed here, and with a title like "The Old Gumbie Cat," there's an expectation that Jenny, at least, should have a sense of age about her. This isn't a dig at other casts or anything - those actors still do a phenomenal job - I just really like this presentation.

3 - I've posted about this in short spurts before, but this song/poem might just be my favorite to analyze. I wrote my first-ever college essay about Jennyanydots. Part of what makes me love it so much is how much meaningful exposition it gives, but it's also one of the more prominent examples of Eliot's bigotry seeping into his poetry, and an example of how the staging of Cats actually reduces it.

I'm far from the first to point any of this out and I am far from an expert, but let's dig into some lyrics:

She is deeply concerned with the ways of the mice— Their behaviour's not good and their manners not nice; So when she has got them lined up on the matting, She teaches them music, crocheting and tatting.

To address the behavioral issues of the mice, Jenny introduces hobbies to them - namely, music, crocheting, and tatting (another sort of fiber art relating to lace creation). An argument can be made over the practical labor of crocheting and tatting, but music is often associated with leisure - time away from work, or time spent performing for the leisure of other people.

Depending on how one looks at this, this passage could point in two directions. These skills could have been used to familiarize the mice with work commonly associated with being dainty and ladylike, with the hope the mice would become much the same. They could have also been introduced as a way for the mice to perform highly detail-oriented work for somebody of higher standing: Jenny herself. Either way, this passage rings with a mildly classist tone.

As she finds that the mice will not ever keep quiet, She is sure it is due to irregular diet; And believing that nothing is done without trying, She sets right to work with her baking and frying.

This one is a bit more straightforward. The wording "irregular diet" implies, to me, that access to food (and/or "good" food) is the problem here, i.e. lack of access to food prevents the mice from holding a sense of propriety about them. While these lyrics do not make a judgement about that, they do potentially make an association between food insecurity and unruliness, which, again, rings with classism.

She thinks that the cockroaches just need employment To prevent them from idle and wanton destroyment. So she's formed, from that lot of disorderly louts, A troop of well-disciplined helpful boy-scouts, With a purpose in life and a good deed to do— And she's even created a Beetles' Tattoo.

The first two lines from this verse are extraordinarily direct; I don't think I have to explain how the idea of "going to work and getting a job will prevent unruly tendencies" is rooted in bigotry. What makes this bit even more specific is the last line about the Beetles' Tattoo. For those unfamiliar, I'm fairly certain this is the kind of tattoo this line references:

So, not only does the Jennyanydots of the poem seek out employment opportunities for the cockroaches; she does so with what can be interpreted as militaristic intent, thinking it will give them "a purpose in life."

I don't really feel like going into how all of this connects to ideas irl, but you get the gist. So, how does Cats make all of this better?

It plays everything completely straight.

No, seriously.

The troubling bits of Eliot's original poetry come through, in large part, the use of metaphor; in Cats, the cats are actually cats, the mice are actually mice, and the cockroaches are actually cockroaches. All of these characters are literally different species at different spots on the food chain, but that's not the best part.

The best part is that the mice are portrayed by the female kittens and the cockroaches are represented, principally, by the male kittens. Rather than mice or cockroaches, this performance can be used to represent how Jennyanydots corrects the behavior of unruly little girls and unruly little boys. Combined with other lines from the poems and alternate productions, such as those about her cooking for the mice, she becomes much more of a maternal figure.

What about the Beetles' tattoo?

That's the name of the tap number. That's all.

Yes, many of these implications remain in the lyrics, but it just goes to show how important careful staging is and what a difference it can make. Isn't it just so cool?

First-time viewers may be thrown off by the cuts in this number. The original VHS release couldn't handle a very long runtime, so this is the compromise :(.

I've always loved this little lean Cassandra does.

Pouncival is reprimanded #2

6: The Rum Tum Tugger

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YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT THIS MAN IS JOHN PARTRIDGE. YOU NEED TO SEE HOW GREAT HE IS. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT HE PERFORMED IN CATS FROM 1989 TO 2005. AT AGE 18 HE EARNED THE ROLE OF ALONZO, THE DANCE CAPTAIN, IN THE ORIGINAL UK TOUR.

I've never seen another Tugger move quite like him.

I'm pretty sure Pouncival is the one doing the backflip here

AGAIN. I LOVE THAT THIS JENNY HAS SOME AGE TO HER. I LIKE THAT SHE WALKS HUNCHED. I LIKE THAT MUNKUSTRAP IS HELPING HER UP.

For fic reasons, I've previously had to keep track of Pouncival during this song, and if I have to know that he disappears between these shots, so do you.

Also, I'm not adding images for it because I'm running out, but the amount of wingmanning Plato does in this number is unreal.

This is the part where, were I actually sitting on a couch with my non-Cats mutuals watching this, I would look over at all of your faces to see your reactions to somebody treating the Rum Tum Tugger like this. Usually, nobody cares :(

^^^This is my second-favorite bit of choreography in the number. The idea of Tugger intentionally tripping up Pouncival and Tumblebrutus just to mess with them is really funny to me. He's literally playing around with the kids. Why do I never see anybody talk about this

^ This is my favorite bit of choreography in this number because nobody I show this to, whether they enjoy the experience or not, ever forgets it.

They

And the little sequence of looks they do...

Welcome to my favorite character detail in this number. "Is it-" yeah it's alonzo catsthemusical. We're talking about him again. My friends are tired of hearing me point this out every single time but I LOVEEEE that the characters rubbed the wrong way by Tugger are the older cats, who are sitting at the back of the stage, Munkustrap, who is standing in the back because Tugger is his cringe middle schooler brother, and Alonzo, who is as far away from and above the front of the stage as possible without physically falling off the set.

I love when Tugger hates him back. I love when Tugger doesn't acknowledge him whatsoever because he doesn't think about him whatsoever. Bonus points for monochromatic siblings enjoyers, since Alonzo here then gets to take on the perspective of "my bestie's cringe middle schooler brother is dating my middle schooler brother and it sucks." There's no losing here.

These two are literally me. Ignore the crotch. Sometimes I think about getting a cat and then I remember "I'll leap on your lap in the middle of your sewing" and I'm like haha yeah no... no can do sir...

THE THOUGHTFULNESS THIS SHOT GIVES TUGGER!!! I know he'd normally be going through the audience but the fact the director said "hey what if Demeter is having a Moment and this curious cat snaps her out of it" is mwah. Chef's kiss

yeah.

Literally, how did I ever watch this number without paying attention to Pouncival

I no longer have picture privileges but there's also a little detail near the end here where Tumblebrutus nudges Skimble and Asparagus to make sure they're paying attention. These two kittens <3 <3 <3

#fern muses #fern's 1998

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afairytalestray · 1 year

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Day 16 of Cats-pril, @storyweaverofgondor‘s April baby! Today’s prompt is rehearsal, and I tried my hand at writing a chat fic! Also on Ao3 here.

HarvestGoddess: Since my darling Munkustrap refuses to interact with the digital world, this is a formal request from the friend group mum for everyone to turn up to Pekes and Pols rehearsal tonight please. If Munk loses any more fur from the stress he’ll be a sphinx cat! x

Rumpled_cheese: im gonna be there now i really wanna see that sedhfwiuh

QueenVic: me and Plato will be present and accounted for! @MagicalMisto, are you needing a lift? x

etc.: BALD MUNK BALD MUNK BALD MUNK

Lettie: …I’ll make sure Etcetera comes, Dem

HarvestGoddess: thanks Lettie!

MagicalMisto: thnx Vic, Tugger has his bike so he’ll bring us. @HarvestGoddess I can confirm that Tugger will be there, regardless of whichever way he is currently contributing to Munk’s hair loss

QueenVic: np!

HarvestGoddess: Thank you Misto! I can tell you that Tug is currently convincing Munk that he’s signed up for a Japanese ikebana class under the guise of impressing you, and that Munk can’t possibly expect him to miss it. Of course, this class runs on the exact same times and dates as Pekes & Pols rehearsals x

MagicalMisto: of course it would lmao

MangoJelly: what is an iceban class

MangoJelly: wait nvm Cori knows thats hilarious

lonz: you lot are mean

lonz: I’ll be there, @HarvestGoddess, and I’ll try and talk Cass into it as well

etc.: it’s called being funny lonzy, LOOK IT UP

Georgeofthejunkyard: pick me! :D :D :D

HarvestGoddess: @MangoJelly, will you be at rehearsal? Also, is it safe to assume that @C-oracle-pat is with you, and that his poor phone is dead or abandoned somewhere? x

Tantomile: It is always a safe assumption that wherever my brother is, Mungojerrie will be nearby. Coricopat has left his phone on the coffee table, as per. I’ll plug it in and bring it to rehearsal tonight.

Rumpled_cheese: Tantomile - hero of the people!

MangoJelly: oshit sorry Demeter yeah ill be there!

MangoJelly: OWIEUFOI yeah Corks is with me the now, he says hell be there too, and thanks Tanto!

QueenVic: … :o

MagicalMisto: oooooooooohhhh

Tantomile: What.

HarvestGoddess: no murders until after the show please and thank you!

Lettie: RIP Jerrie

MangoJelly: nOoOOOOOOO

MangoJelly: it was a quote TANTOMILE I prommy!

MangoJelly: Cori said: “oh, thank you, Tanto”

MangoJelly: I wouldnt dream of giving you a nickname id never do anything that might make you revoke your blessing!!!!!!

Tantomile: See that you do not, Mungojerrie.

Cassss: 6 at the Egyptian, yes?

Cassss: I’ll be there for you, Dem, and NOT because Alonzo is badgering me

HarvestGoddess: That’s right! Love ya, Cass! x

QueenVic: lol get rekt Lonz

lonz: :’(

MagicalMisto: I would advise everyone to bring earplugs, Tugger has decided to treat you all to a bagpipe solo

etc.: yeeeessssssssss i love the bagpipes!!!!

Rumpled_cheese: lol it was nice knowing ya @RumTugTummer Munk is gonna kill u

RumTugTummer: RUDE Cats today just don’t appreciate classical pibroch

lonz: I can confirm this to be true.

RumTugTummer: aweoiufaAMNWIUFC see y’all later bye

lonz: @MagicalMisto please do something about this

MagicalMisto: nah it’ll be funny

Lettie: YES MISTO

lonz: why hast thou forsaken me, brother?

etc.: YES MISTOOOOOO!

RumTugTummer: YES BABE

HarvestGoddess: I don’t care what you bring as long as you all show up!

MagicalMisto: o7

RumTugTummer: o7

Rumpled_cheese: o7

Lettie: o7

etc.: o7

MangoJelly: o7

#cats-pril2023 #cats-prilday16 #cats the musical #demestrap #tuggoffelees #coricojerrie #demeter #Rumpleteazer #victoria #Etcetera #electra #mr mistoffelees #Mungojerrie #alonzo #george #tantomile #cassandra #the rum tum tugger

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musicalmystery · 10 months

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My Ships(even if I don’t ship it I will write/draw it as long as it’s under my conditions which is in my fandoms post):

Super Mario Bros Movie:

Peach x Mario

Bowsette x Luigi

Luisa x Bowser

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Alice Keingsleigh x Tarrant Heightopp

Wednesday:

Wednesday x Tyler

Ajax x Enid

Be More Chill:

Jeremey x Christine

Michael x Jenna

Dear Evan Hansen:

Evan x Zoe

Jared x Alana

Cats (stage):

Plato x Victoria

Pouncival x Rumpleteazer

Pouncival x Jemima

Pouncival x Etcetera

Munkustrap x Demeter

Bombalurina x Rum Tum Tugger

Mistoffelees x Jemima

Mistoffelees x Cassandra

Old Deuteronomy x Grizabella

Demeter x Macavity

Cats (movie):

Munkustrap x Victoria

Mistoffelees x Victoria

Munkustrap x Jennyanydots

Bombalurina x Macavity

Old Deuteronomy x Gus

Cassandra x Mistoffelees

Cassandra x Rum Tum Tugger

Demeter x Tugger

Heathers:

J.D. x Veronica

Heartless:

Jest x Catherine

Raven x Mary Ann

Mean Girls:

Caddy x Aaron

Wizard of Oz:

Dorothy x Scarecrow/Hunk

Where the Crawdads Sing:

Kya x Tate

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uppastthejelliclemoon · 1 year

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@bombawife's OC Week, Day 1: OC x Canon

in another time, tugger, cassandra, and plato get to the alley in time for tugger to chase off his older brother. cassandra is able to fetch katherine, who brings an injured serafina and her kittens back to the apartment. tugger and mistoffelees stay at serafina's side until she recovers, and in the wake of healing injuries, a new love blossoms. tugger is able to return to the junkyard with a smile brighter than the sun on his face, mistoffelees and serafina on either side, five grey and red kittens snuggled up in their arms, little fuzzy fluffs who are perfectly content to snuggle against their parents.

#everybody be quiet they're sleeping!!!!!!#lil fuzzy baby lumps in the corner <3 #it's their first night in the junkyard #after sera finished recovering at katherine's apartment #seruggoffelees once again has me in a chokehold #cats oc week #cats the musical #rum tum tugger #mr mistoffelees #serafina the tragic queen #seruggoffelees #my art

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multifamdomfan · 7 months

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Things I would have changed about 2019 Cats

Hold the freaking camera still

Keep making each cat's character have their own unique designs

Tom Holland as Misto

Don't make Misto clumsy, I'm fine with him being shy and insecure though

Please let him be graceful and elegant but not fully aware of it

Make Munkustrap's fur more dark and dramatic

Make Old Duet a man

Victoria should stop shaking while she is dancing

"Rum Rum Tugger is a terrible bore" line should be a playful jab

Don't make Bustopher Jones a joke, he is sophisticated, proper, and well respected. Not whatever Janes Cordon was

Same for Jennyanydots

Misto and Victoria being siblings

Plato x Victoria

Macavity keeps his jacket and coat on

Not make the set as big

That's it! I'll maybe make a pt. 2 of I think of anything else

#2019 Mistoffelees #cats 2019 #munkustrap #victoria #cats #jennyanydots #bustopher jones #my changes

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per-the-jellicle-magician · 1 year

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i don't remember if I already sent u one but misto for ask game?

You did, still thanks! I'm gonna do both 98 (Misto) and Warsaw (Feliks) cuz why not XD

My NOTP for them

I don't really like Mistojerrie, and for Feliks Mistoria, just cuz i headcanon W Vicky as his daughter

My BROTP for them

Munk x Misto and W Bomba x Feliks, I really find their dynamics fun and satisfying

My OTP for them

Not that long ago it would have been Tuggoffelees for both but rn it's Tuggoffelees and Mefistrap aka Feliks x 98 Munk

My second choice pairing for them

Casstoffelees for both, but also Tuggofflees for Feliks

My fluffy pairing for them

Probably Casstoffelees in both versions, I just really like their best friends to lovers thing

My angsty pairing for them

Misto x Plato - smth smth falling in love with someone interested in your sister; 98 Macavity x Feliks - I sometimes do have them as ex-friends/lovers in my one universe/crossover aus

My favorite poly ship for them

Bomba x Tugger x Misto, and W Tugger x Fantazja x Feliks

My weirdest pairing for them

I don't have any weird ones for Misto cuz Tuggoffelees is a bit of a default that overshadows everything, but for Feliks i guess either of the 98 cross ones XD

#cats the musical #cats warsaw #mistoffelees #mefistofeliks #ask game

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greenelectricsky · 3 months

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Oh, for Cats sake! Now I have 10 new OCs from the world where Munkustrap is Rumpus Cat in a relationship with Macavity (and they together save the Junkyard from a catastrophe, with the help of Victoria and Old D.) when Misto and Tugger trying do the same thing, but they think Macavity is bad and Rumpus is fighting with him. Also, Victoria is a Griddlebone, and helps her best friend - Mac. Aaaand Macavity is walking in the Junkyard as Plato, so they are faking relationships to better hide when one of them is doing something elsewhere. So now I have 7 Tuggoffelees' kittens, two kits from Munku and Mac and one cat from outside a Junkyard.

And of course I have in mind fanfiction, where the first part is about the situation before kittens and the second is after they are born.

FUCK - -'

But hey, at last I wrote down my Cats x Strange Magic cross! It was supposed to be sweet and funny and I traumatized Munku to the end of his life.

FUCK AGAIN - -'

#cats the musical #cats musical #jellicle cats #cats ocs

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cryptidvoidwritings · 3 years

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*punts (an unkinky sfw mess) into the void*

Day 24: Being Loud - 750 words

The neighbors were at it again.

Plato sighed heavily and set his glasses on the desk. He rubbed his temples as next door a bed began to pound irregularly against the wall. He considered giving up; he was never going to get anything done like this. Maybe he could still make it to the library before it closed…

His dorm phone rang and he jumped a little. Not many people called his room.

“Hello?”

“Babe! Hey! Whatcha up to?”

Plato relaxed into his seat and bit back a smile. Only Tugger would use the dorm phone instead of a mobile.

“I was trying to study.”

“But I’m keeping you from it?”

“No, my neighbors.”

“Your neighbors?”

“They won’t pick a rhythm and stick with it.”

“Plato!” Tugger sounded gleeful, though he was clearly pretending to be scandalized. “Are you telling me you’re listening to your neighbors fuck?”

“They’re not giving me the option not to listen,” Plato muttered.

“I’ll be right there.”

“Wait— what— no!”

But all that came back was the dial tone. Plato started putting away his notes. So much for the library. He couldn’t even say he was mad about it. Well, he could always make Tugger do flash cards with him. Tugger was only down the hall and a couple floors up, so he was knocking on Plato’s door in no time.

Plato opened it and had to stop himself from staring. Tugger’s wild gold hair was slightly damp, and he’d clearly thrown his clothes on. Plato had to wonder if he’d been about to sleep. Had he called Plato on a whim, then?

“Hi babe,” Tugger said.

Plato flushed. He was still getting used to his crush, which he’d assumed would stay unrequited, actually being reciprocated. A painfully played up moan warbled out from his neighbor’s door.

“Hey,” he murmured.

“Your neighbors have no technique.”

Plato laughed. “Tell me about it.”

He stepped back to allow Tugger in and closed the door behind him. Tugger wrapped his arms around Plato’s waist and brought Plato’s back to his chest, nuzzling into his shoulder.

“How do you put up with that?”

“They usually start earlier so I just go to the library.”

Tugger made a face against Plato’s skin. “You know you can always come up to mine. My neighbor is the RA and my roomie is chill. It’s pretty quiet.”

Plato blushed down his neck and Tugger laughed. He kissed a line down the heated skin, nipping playfully at the top of Plato’s spine.

Plato cleared his throat. “And where would you study?”

“I get by between swim meets,” Tugger loosened his grip enough to allow Plato to turn around. “You could help me, if you’re concerned.”

Plato draped his arms around Tugger’s neck. “We’ll see.”

They were leaning in to kiss when the bed next door took the opportunity to rattle loudly four times on the wall. The mattress started squeaking. Tugger caught Plato’s gaze and they dissolved into helpless giggling, Plato tucking his head under Tugger’s chin to steady himself. When they calmed again, Tugger placed his forehead against Plato’s and they grinned at each other.

“They really are awful,” Plato chuckled.

“We could be worse,” Tugger suggested, wagging his eyebrows.

He seemed half serious at best but Plato tilted his head.

“Could we?”

Tugger’s face lit up with a delighted grin. “I knew you were holding back a mischievous imp on me.”

Being of a height, Tugger dipped Plato back just a little. Plato rolled his eyes but went willingly and accepted the kiss. Tugger’s lips were soft and freshly chapstick’d. Plato hummed into the kiss and licked the flavor away with flirting, teasing laps of his tongue.

“Coconut?” he murmured as they broke apart.

“Couldn’t find my regular ones.”

“Tastes good on you.”

Tugger grinned and leaned in for another kiss. His tongue traced the seam of Plato’s lips. Plato parted them, tilting his head as they moved against each other. Tugger’s fingers tangled gently in Plato’s hair, large hands cupping the back of his head. His thumbs stroked up either side of Plato’s jaw so tenderly that Plato went a little weak in the knees. Their lips dragged apart bare centimeters; Tugger’s breath was warm and damp on Plato’s skin and his hazel eyes had gone dark.

Someone next door let out a painfully loud moan. Tugger bit down on his bottom lip to keep from laughing. Plato rolled his eyes.

“That’s it. Let’s give them a run for their money.”

#cats the musical kinktober #cats the musical fanfiction #sfw #sft #tugger x plato #plato x tugger #platugger #plato deserves the most boyfriend #the one turned into a college human AU again because I am just that uncreative #what are you doing void?

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