What's Wrong With Me? (Tugstoffelees) Cats the Musical

The Jellicle Ball

It was the end of the Jellicle Ball and Mr.Misoffelees was still riding the high of saving Old Duetoronamy. His tail, moving jaggedly, kept contorting its shape, his paws were balled up and clapping into each other, occasionally moving up to knock his head and scratch his ear before going back down to knocking one another again. Once Macavity appeared, his breathing grew quick and his eyes were a blur. All Misto remembered from that moment was Rum Tum Tugger getting him out of there.
Tugger might have helped him slow his breathing or talked to him to get him to calm down, but he only really grounded himself when he heard from Victoria, his amazing sister who came to check on Tugger, knowing he was probably comforting Misto, that Old Duet was taken. This, normally, would make Misto freak out more, but for some reason it did nothing but make him feel like stone. He didn't get a chance to present. Not only did he now have no chance of being the Jellicle choice, but who knew if there would be a jellicle choice at all.
From the corner of his eye, Tugger saw Misto move closer, relaxing his shoulders to try not to freak Misto out even more. "How do we get Old Duet back? It's not like we know where Macavity put him. He's magic! Old Duet could be anywhere." Victoria jumped, turning to Mr.Mistoffelees. "He's magic, but so are you, Misto! You can magic him back, right? I've seen you magic mom and dad into the room when you were scared as a kid. You have to at least try!"
Tugger took Misto by the paw and squeezed it tight. "I'll settle them down for you. You got this, hun." Hun? Misto's stomach flapped at the nickname. He's always giggled through Tugger's affections, but wondered if there was something more there. Misto climbed himself up to the top of an old pipe to watch Tugger control the crowd. He didn't know how he planned on calming them down when all the lights went out, but he trusted Tugger.
Trusted, sure, but Misto still wanted to slap him across the face sometimes. He used Mr.Mistoffelees himself to calm them down! "You ought to ask Mr.Mistoffelees! The original conjuring cat- there be no doubt about that. Please listen to me and don't scoff; all his inventions are off his own bat. There's no such cat in the metropolis. He holds all the patent monopolies for performing surprising illusions and creating eccentric confusions!"
These cats would stop in their tracks for Tugger at any time, but to have them fawn over him while Tugger talked about Misto made him almost queasy. "The greatest magicians have something to learn from Mr.Mistoffelees' conjuring terms! And we all say-" Wait, wait, wait, what!? Misto thought to himself in a panic. This was going to be his song to prove that he should be the Jellicle choice? If he gets Old Duet back, he's the choice this year for sure. If not, he might be an outcast like Grizzabella. Misto never knew her deal, only that she was hated and not to be tolerated.
"He can pull any card from the pack. He is equally cunning with dice!" Misto couldn't help but chuckle with that line. Tugger knew Misto could do real magic, but flaunted the card and dice tricks he showed Tugger when they were kittens. At this point he looked down and spotted Victoria, she gestured for him to come down, but Misto wanted to play into it if this was the song that got him the one way ticket to the Heaviside Layer. He noticed Tugger was about to hop back into that chorus from the top of the song, so he grabbed a piece of rope hanging from a higher piece of metal and swung down with the grace that only an expert dancer like himself could possess.
"Presto!" And with that, he magiced the lights back on. No longer were they only illuminated by the glimmer of the moon. No matter how big and bright it might be, it wasn't practical for seeing. Misto went to town leaving small explosions of lightning as he perched himself confidently on the tips of his toe beans. Mr.Mistoffelees was no good with communication. If he was having a conversation, there was lots of stuttering and no eye contact to be made with him, but he was a performer. The stage is where he felt comfortable and the more people in the audience the better. They were a blur, he was a blur, and nothing else mattered but entertaining them and that rush he got.
He practiced a mock routine like this growing up, wanting as a kitten to be selected as the Jellicle choice, much like other cats. He practiced his dance with Tugger who would dance alongside him for fun, what he never thought was that Tugger would dance with him. He got a brief peak of Tugger dancing alone side him before spinning forward and catching a kettle. It felt empty, but he needed to add some spice.
He focused and pulled out a rainbow handkerchief with ease, swirling it around Tugger before throwing at a pack of cats behind him. He looked over at Tugger, who continued the song, smiling strongly at Misto for encouragement. It was time.
Misto picked a random cat from the crowd, pulling a red cloth from an old car trunk to cover her. Tugger scoffed that he wasn't chosen to perform more with Misto. He took a deep breath, wiggling the cloth, letting the cat slide under it. At this point, he flicked his wrist, switching that cat for Old Duetoronomy, or so he hoped. He let the figure out, blowing some glitter to, if nothing else, calm himself down and then pulled off the cloth.
He was there! Mr.Mistofelees turned so he could revel his pride. He did it! But, it wasn't over, he heard Rum Tum Tugger continue the song. He turned slowly as Tugger pointed at him and Old Duet looked up, beaming at him with his own pride. Misto couldn't help it, he ran for Old Duet, jumping in his powerful arms and licking him welcome back. He ended his show with some jumps and one big jump off a piece of metal. He was sure that he was going to be the Jellicle choice now. After that, Munkustrap found his way over to Mr.Mistoffelees to thank him for saving his father. Misto just gave an understanding smile. Munk was basically already taking his father's place, being a father figure to all cats. All Old Duet did was make the Jellicle choice, all the other stuff was done by Munk.
Misto was glad he could be such a help. He felt guilty every time he saw the tired circles around Munk's eyes. No cat should have that much stress on them. Just as he looked at Old Duet once more, he saw Grizabella emerging from the shadows. He backed away cautiously as she started to sing. Misto understood her broken soul. Maybe not socially, but Misto knew he was outcasted. Everyone treated him like a kitten when he was a grown cat. He felt pandered to and always needed "saving" and "extra care". The moment Misto was surrounded by too many cats or too many noises or he didn't like the texture his paw swiped, he could shut down for the rest of the day. Nonverbal and helpless like a kitten.
Mr.Mistofelees, despite his hurdles, was very mature growing as a kitten and made it a point to care for others. He thinks to himself that maybe it was disregarding his time as a kitten that makes him so sensitive now. His attention is pulled away from his reeling mind of static when Grizabella breaks down. "Touch me! It's so easy to leave me all alone with the memory of my days in the sun. If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is. Look, a new day has begun."
All the cats around heaved their breaths in and out of their chest. He went to glance at his sister for help, but she was in front of the glamor cat, reaching for her tattered coat. She was always the most understanding cat Misto knew, so naturally kind. Of course she would be the first to come to her aid. She led the kittens to her also. Grizabella was then declared the Jellicle choice.