||Book I||
It has been a year since Grizabella the Glamour cat was chosen by Old Deuteronomy to be reborn and journey to the Heavyside Layer. Now it is time for the next Jellicle to be chosen, however the appearance of a new cat threatens the old ti...
*Pre 'warning' this chapter shows the more vulnerable side of Cassandra, something incredibly rare*
Her short chocolate coloured coat bristled on end as she crouched in an alcove of one of the dens. Some kits whispered 'Macavity' as the shock from the junk crash was still fresh in their mind. Cassandra - the aloof and sassy queen- had crawled away from the rest as she waited for Admetus or any of her other friends to show their faces. Bombalurina was crouched at the open of the den, staring out for any trouble. Cassandra watched with mild interest as Coricopat crawled over to the red queen, they exchanged a few words which surprisingly brought a smile to both of their faces. Closer to Cassandra was Mungojerrie, he was too busy nursing his tail to be a possible conversation option for the female feline.
Just as she began to accept the idea that they might have taken cover in a different den, Admetus crawled through the entrance of the den. His usual bright smile was no where to be seen and instead he looked worried and lost.
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"Admetus!" Cassandra hissed from her spot. It took the tom a moment to find her in the dimness but once he had, his eyes lit up instantly and he made his way over. Cassandra placed a paw to the tom's chest before nuzzling her cheek to his. Both purred affectionately, Admetus drew away but not completely as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.
"Turns out it was a false alarm." Admetus stated quietly as he and Cassandra laid down side by side. They faced the other cats, Cassandra's sky blue eyes following their movements. Cori was now doing acrobatic tricks with Mungo for Bombalurina whom was watching with a wide grin.
"Again." Cassandra muttered irritably. "Next time Macavity shows his face, I'll be first in line to rip him apart."
"Why are you so set on destroying him?" Admetus queried with a concerned frown. Cass shrugged her shoulders and lowered her chin to her front paws.
"Remember when Misto sent me in place of Old Deuteronomy, for that brief few minutes? The things I saw, the way I had to protect myself...us cats would be so much better off without his constant threat. Besides, can't let Lonz have all the glory of fighting him." She explained with a halfhearted smile. She would never forget appearing in Macavity's hideout in place of their leader. The white and grey tom stared down at his soon-to-be mate in bewilderment, this was the first time he'd ever heard about what happened after she had volunteered for Mistoffelees' trick.
"What if you get hurt?!" He persisted. Cassandra's gaze forwards never broke, her body tense. "Cass?" He prompted more softly after a minute or so. Admetus rested his tail over her back and she relaxed ever so slightly.
"I'm a big girl, I can look after myself." She answered coolly. There were times she still felt she could never fully be herself around Admetus, sure, he was the only cat she had ever liked this way, in fact before she and Admetus had decided they were going to be mates, Alonzo was convinced Cassandra would never trust enough to find a mate. Well she proved him wrong; something she frequently enjoyed doing. Her and Alonzo's relationship was complicated, they were like the brother and sister that hate one another throughout the day yet when times get tough they have each other's back. Of course they weren't actually siblings, neither had any known family, perhaps that's why their friendship was so strong. "I'm going to find Lonz." Cassandra murmured. Admetus nodded understandingly before removing his tail from her back.
Slinking out of the den, Cassandra emerged into the moonlit yard. She took a moment to inhale the the fresh air and enjoy the coolness of the night. Munkustrap, Old Deuteronomy and Mistoffelees were on the further side of the yard, still hunting for any dangers. As they turned their backs, Cass leaped out and sprinted across the yard to what was normally the tom's den. Callus' loud shrill of a meow made her cringe and hiss, causing her to contemplate on going back to Admetus, but she sucked it up and crawled in. The male kittens, George and Callus, were rolling around on the floor as they attempted to learn some tricks from Tumblebrutus and Pouncival. Hariena was learning some ballet from Victoria and Jemima was perched near by, watching with a small smile. If Jemima was here, Alonzo couldn't be too far away. Cassandra climbed upon the perch beside Jemima who flashed the queen a soft smile.
"Hey, I thought you'd be with Admetus?" Jemima pointed out.
"I was, I thought you'd be with Lonz, have you seen him?" Cassandra questioned, her gaze flitted about the den. Jemima noticed her skittish behavior and placed a paw comfortingly on Cass' shoulder.
"He's up top." Jemima mewed knowingly. Cassandra gave the black and red kit a thankful nod before disappearing back out.
'Up top' was the highest peak of a junk pile in in the Jellicle territory, often used as a look out post. When Alonzo was busy with third in command duties, nobody really bothered him as he was quite dedicated to his tasks at hand. On this occasion, Cassandra didn't care, she needed to vent to her bestfriend. As expected, the black and white tom was perched up top and observing the surrounding yard.
"Alonzo!" Cassandra yelled out as she climbed the junk. Alonzo scoffed playfully before leaning over the side to see Cass.
"Whatever you've come to talk about must be serious if you're going through the trouble of climbing up here!" He laughed down at her, extending out a paw so he could hoist her up the rest of the way. Once she was on the platform that Alonzo was standing on, she brushed off her coat and sighed.
"Yep." She confirmed. Alonzo's eyes widened in shock as he realized his dearest friend was being serious.
"Uh-oh, you aren't playing about." He croaked nervously. "What's wrong?" Alonzo frowned as his whiskers twitched in curiosity. Cass sighed again, only more stuggled this time, her face twisting with anguish.
"I think I'm scared." She admitted quietly. Cassandra scratched at her right ear self-consciously, a bad habit she had when her nerves were on end. Which was rarer than Bustopher Jones' visits.
"Scared?" Alonzo meowed in dismay. "Scared of what? Macavity isn't here..."
"No not Macavity you idiot. I think I'm scared of becoming a mate..." She confessed. The pair were silent for a moment. Alonzo could not believe that confident Cassandra was...scared of becoming a mate.
"Why?" Alonzo exclaimed in astonishment. Cass shrugged for what felt like the one hundredth time that night.
" I feel like I am letting Admetus down, I'm such a cold and distant cat...he deserves someone who is as bright and as bouncy as he is." At that moment, Cass crumbled, her walls breaking down.
"Cassandra, you're one of the most confident, strong and independent queens I know. You're beautiful, witty and your insults are music to my ears-" The friends broke out in laughter for a few seconds before getting back on track. "-You need to talk this through with Admetus, because I know for a fact he's head over heels for you." Alonzo grinned as he planted both of his paws on Cassandra's arms. She mustered the biggest smile she could handle before pulling the tom into a hug.
