The Jellicle Chronicles - Year Six

Shades of the Jellicle Ball

Rumblepurr looked at his notes one more time before he got ready to write it down in the actual Chronicles. His inkbottle and fountain pen were lined up on the table, along with a blotter and a small bottle of whiteout. He tried using an ink-eraser one time, but that did not work as well. The page for the new entry waited for him, but he wanted to be sure of this one. 

      He glanced over to the side, and saw the lump in the blankets he shared with Altaica. The Tabby Queen had long since convinced him that she was going to sleep with him for warmth and companionship. He had to admit that he enjoyed the company as well, but he still wanted to wait on anything else. Still, a part of him truly wanted her, for more than just companionship. Especially after the Ball… 

      The Jellicle Ball. This had been the Second one that Rumblepurr had witnessed, and the first one in a long time that had a Courtship Dance. An interesting ritual, he thought. An open declaration of a Princess wanting to become a Queen, and asking the Toms to declare themselves as potential Mates. This dance was an ancient ritual, according to what Prometheus was able to ascertain from his scrying, and later confirmed by Nightchaser. A Princess ready to Mate in ancient times did not have the luxury of love or bonding. The Tribe needed to survive, and the ritual was there to provide for the Tribe. Matings from the ritual did not always survive more than a certain time. Some did for a lifetime, but they were the exception. 

      The Writer Cat looked over to the blankets again. Altaica had turned in her sleep, and was now facing him. Tear-tracks were on her face, and Rumblepurr knew why, but not how to get rid of them. He looked back at the blank white pages of the Chronicles waiting for him and nodded. With a gentle decisiveness, he closed the volume, and left everything on the desk in its place. Standing, he went over to the blankets, and knelt. He located Benoni curled up around the backs of Altaica’s thighs. Finding another blanket, he carefully maneuvered the kitten into a ball of blankets away from the Tabby Queen. Then, he carefully lay down next to her. 

      He rolled onto his back, and gently pulled Altaica on his shoulder. Her mouth was immediately pressed against his throat, and her arms went around him. Rumblepurr did not worry about anything inappropriate happening, but he was concerned when he heard the sobs. So, his arms tightened on her, and he lay there, letting her cry. When she was ready, she would tell him… 

      As he rocked this beautiful Queen, Rumblepurr allowed his mind to wander. His mental paths did not take long to travel back to the Jellicle Ball…

      Tonight, an early night this time in the Human’s month of May, the full moon would be the Jellicle Moon. To say that there was excitement in the Yard was an understatement. The House Jellicles were at the Yard early in the day. Mistoffelees and Victoria arrived magically again at the Nursery to collect little Aurora. Victoria was her usual self - hardly able to wait before her little one was in her arms again. The Conjurer shook his head, getting an amused chuckle from Jellylorum. It was Adonis all over. 

      Out at the Square, Tailkinker and Aphrodite were getting some lessons in on Scatterburr’s “balance beam.” Claiming she needed the exercise, the Brown Tabby Queen had Quaxo build her the board-wide plank wedged between two good-sized masonry blocks. Pillows padded them, but kept the top surface of the board at least shoulder high to Scatterburr. Regardless of how long Scatty had been away from it, the Brown Tabby Queen was up, doing cartwheels, handstands, back flips, and tumbling “runs” on the board. 

      “She makes it look so damned easy,” Aphrodite complained softly. 

      Tailkinker giggled slightly. “She was raised doing it from what Quaxo said. For her, it’s as if it were flat ground to us.”