The Awful Battle of the Pekes and What's Possible

The Representative of Silence

Munkustrap couldn't feel his body. He floated above it in a shocked and wafted kind of way. He'd see Macavity running across the wall in front of him. His shadow would creep close to him and cut into his stomach, making it gasp and gargle. His ears would ring and he'd be knocked off his feet without so much as a touch, but after he sat, the Macavity in front of him would fade away. Did Macavity even have teleportation? He appeared and disappeared, but not in that manner...

Everything hurt, but he couldn't sleep on the job, he couldn't back away. He was going to hurt the tribe, disappoint his father, and put his love in danger. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if Macavity took his Deme away from him.

That's when he saw another shadow come up from behind him, he turned, backing up from the figure, giving him room to get into a pouncing stance, trying with all of his might to get his vision to focus. The figure put his paws up in a surrendering way, causing Munk's stomach to squeeze. What is Macavity surrendering for? Not that he had much time to think about it, before his legs gave in and he collapsed on the wall where he stood. The figure rushed in, holding his head in the crease of their elbow as another leathery paw petting at his chin. Wait... leather? This couldn't be Macavity, this was Tugger!

The feeling of leather was removed from his face as a bowl was pushed up to his mouth. "Please, just drink for Everlasting's sake-" It was hard for Munk to hear the words being spoken, only the strained panic of the tone, so drink he did. With each gulp, he felt his eyes adjust to the world around him, occasionally moving with the dizziness left, but he felt better. Once the bowl was empty, Tugger helped Munk sit up, placing his weak head onto Tugger's shoulder facing the sunset. He hasn't had much time to admire the beauty that was the world in front of him since he only was able to see it as a danger.

Munk was finally able to register how he felt and all he felt was pain. His head was pounding, eyes heavy and stingy, paws sore and throbbing as his stomach both ached in hunger and swirled with nausea. Above all the pain, he felt a paw on his stomach, heavy and warm, bringing his thoughts back to the person he's sitting with. Tugger has never been affectionate or caring, he was a very "do everything for yourself" kind of guy. Maybe the arch with Grizabella at the ball changed his heart in some way?

The arm wrapped around his side pulled him closer into Tugger. "I'm so happy you're safe-" Munk was hazy and confused. "Of course I'm safe, I wouldn't let anything happen to the tribe." Tugger let out a huffy sigh. "No, not the tribe. You. I thought you were coming down two nights ago! You're lucky I keep a travel bowl on me. There's perks to never going to my den." Munk didn't react, he didn't move. His entire body pulsed with his aching heart, still able to do nothing but stare out into the horizon, looking for this danger that never came.

Tugger looked down. He wanted to be surprised or baffled that his brother wasn't giving him the usually snarky comment back to his antics, but he was just flooded with a raging ocean of concern and regret. His limp body looked deflated, yet swelled. He could see the outline of all of his ribs in hunger and the sunken holes that cradled his puffed eyes were deeper and darker than the Kola borehole. Tugger, instead of petting it, flattened his paw on Munk's chest, leaving a warm compress. He saw Munk's face tighten a little bit as his stomach vibrated violently against Tugger's hand.

"We gotta get you some food, alright?" Munk tried to open his mouth to speak, but the sides of his throat burned and rubbed like sandpaper in his dried out mouth. So instead, he simply shook his head to the immediate reaction of Tugger. Tugger stood up, swiftly grabbing Munk in his arms, keeping one arm under his head and the other arm under his thighs, using his forearms and hands to hold him at his torso. This shouldn't be so easy. Tugger was disgusted by how little he had to strain himself to carry Munkustrap. He felt lighter than his Mistoffelees, who was half Munk's age and half his height.