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naturepointstheway · 2 years

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Flufftober22 - Day 7: “Movie Marathon”

Cats the Musical - Tugger/Mistoffelees - Tuggoffelees - Day 7 - University AU - Mute Zurich!Misto inspired.

@flufftober

It hadn’t escaped Tugger’s notice that this past week whenever he saw Mistoffelees around the university campus, he had looked more glum than usual, avoiding everyone including himself. Wanting to do something to try to cheer him up, Tugger caught up with Jemima first chance he could get, with an idea of a movie marathon on the weekend already taking seed in his thoughts.

“Hey, Jemima?” Tugger said, flopping down on a couch next to her and her pile of study notes.

“Yeah?” Jemima asked, looking up and tossing aside her notes, putting study off in favour of a chat with Tugger.

“What movies is Misto into, you know?”

“Why?”

Tugger shrugged in an air of casualness. “Oh, he was looking down all week.”

“Sometimes he has weeks like that--this is one of those weeks.”

“And exams are looming close too.”

“That too,” Jemima agreed, wincing. “I have definitely not been procrastinating until the last minute.”

“I have,” Tugger said, sounding perhaps a little too proud of it. “Makes it more exciting, you know?”

“Anyway--movie marathon, huh?” Jemima said, pulling the topic back to where it was before. “I think he likes any movie that doesn’t overstimulate him, you know? And, yes, it’s October, but please stay away from horror movies.”

“Noted,” Tugger said, “Any dance movies?”

“I think he has a few in his collection, actually--maybe I can ask if he can pull some of those out? But ballets are long.”

“I know--but if they make Mistoffelees feel better? Sure, I’ll watch them with him.”

“And so will I,” Jemima hinted, “My flat or yours?”

“Oh definitely yours,” Tugger said, “We love our rowdy parties and loud karaoke nights. Which something tells me Misto isn’t as into.”

Jemima smiled, shaking her head. “Nah, but that’s okay, you know? He doesn’t have to be like everyone else.”

“So, this weekend then?”

“He’ll probably be okay with it, but I’ll ask anyway, and text you later.”

Tugger gave her a double thumbs up. “Excellent! Tell him I said hi, I love you.”

Jemima opened then closed her mouth and raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“I said, tell him I said hi, I’m looking forward to our movie marathon.”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll tell him you said that,” Jemima nodded, giving him another side-long look of amusement. “Can’t wait to see his reaction. Sad you won’t be there to see it!”

With that, Jemima sped off at a run, like she was late for her next class, though Tugger knew full well she didn’t have any classes today until the afternoon.

A second later, Jemima’s last words finally fully processed in his head.

Wait...she’s not going to tell him the first thing is she?

Knowing Jemima, he wouldn’t put it past her to do exactly that.

---

Which is how Tugger found himself snug on the old sofa at Jemima and Misto’s flat, a pile of ballet movies on the floor, with one already showing on the big flatscreen. Mistoffelees didn’t seem to mind being sandwiched between Jemima on his right and Tugger on his left--on the contrary, he practically melted into their presence. Jemima had her legs tucked up under the huge quilt, while Tugger sprawled his legs under it on the floor. Mistoffelees had his own legs crossed under him on the sofa, leaning back on a favourite cushion at his back, eyes fixed on the screen, very slowly devouring a chocolate bar in his hands--it had lasted thirty minutes so far, and it wasn’t even halfway eaten yet.

Aside from their initial greetings and some chit-chat earlier in the evening, all three stayed quiet as they watched the ballet on the screen, all transfixed by the graceful spins, jetes, and arabesques of the performers dancing through fantastical stories. Mistoffelees sat so still during the movie that Tugger kept glancing over to see if he’d fallen asleep, but he was still wide awake, all his focus on the show. He yearned to whisper to Mistoffelees how much more relaxed he looked now than he had all week, but knew the other cat didn’t like being interrupted when watching something he was fully absorbed in.

So, instead, Tugger let himself quietly love how less tense and stressed Mistoffelees appeared as the movie--and then the second one (it was now already midnight)--played on. His posture became less stiff with time, relaxing so much that he uncrossed his legs and pushed his back feet towards Jemima, who gasped at the contact.

“Cold paws as always, Misto!”

Mistoffelees drew his feet back a little under the quilt, and, much to Tugger’s astonished delight, leaned his head on the latter’s shoulder. He was so warm and relaxed and purred with contentment that Tugger could feel his heart literally melting in his chest. He caught Jemima’s eye and she grinned, before mouthing an “Aw, so cute!” at him.

“I know.” Tugger mouthed back, before whispering to Mistoffelees: “Hey, mind if I ask Jem if she can take a photo of us with her phone?”

A sleepy little nod, before a paw tugged at his arm, as though Misto wanted him to put it around his shoulders. Tugger was only too happy to shift around to a more comfortable position to raise his arm and drape it around Mistoffelees’ shoulders. Tugger caught a glimpse of Mistoffelees’ soft smile and eyes closing with bliss as he tucked himself under his arm, head resting on his chest. Jemima looked ready to squeal at the cuteness of it all.

“Photo time?” she whispered.

An enthusiastic nod and wide grin from Tugger. “Yes!”

Jemima removed the quilt from her legs and leaned down to pick up her phone from the floor, fidgeting with it as she looked for the camera.

“Okay, ready!” she said in an excited whisper, now raising the phone to face Tugger and Mistoffelees. “This is too adorable.”

Tugger gave the camera an open mouthed grin with raised eyebrows and thumbs up as Jemima rolled her eyes from behind the scenes.

“Tugger, I’m going for cute...oh whatev.”

Click!

“Aaand there you are!” Jemima said, now turning the phone around so Tugger and Misto could see.

“Aw, look how adorable we are, Misto!”

Tugger felt Misto starting to shake against him with quiet laughter.

“What? What’s so funny?”

Misto looked up as he pointed at Tugger.

“Me? Why?”

A mysterious smile and happy squint of his eyes was the response from Misto before he put his head back down on Tugger’s chest, cosying up as the latter pulled his arm a little tighter around his shoulders.

We’re all cute here, but you’re the cutest, Misto. I love you.

#cats the musical #Tuggoffelees #flufftober2022 #Zurich!Misto #mute Misto #day 7 #Rum Tum Tugger #Mistoffelees #Mr Mistoffelees #Jemima #Jemima & Misto & Tugger friendship #autistic Misto

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emimii · 7 days

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autism diagnosis appointment!!!

#this ideas been stuck in my head all week.#misto and his stupid autistic swag #once again his jacket isnt drawn consistently #but thas okay hes just decked out w two bajillion different jackets #cats the musical #cats musical #mister mistoffelees #mr mistoffelees #the rum tum tugger #rum tum tugger #tuggoffelees #art

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per-the-jellicle-magician · 8 months

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The worst part about shipping what is essentially a crackship as my current main ship is that I literally got no art no anything of them unless I do smth myself

Which, getting myself to make/post any content is like an uphill battle every single time even tho I like it

So yeah XD

#because ofc I ship 2 characters from 2 different productions that are in the same universe in an au in my head #i mean munkoffelees is decentlish popular but not my crack 98 x Warsaw version XD #now that i think about it 98 Misto x Warsaw Munk would be kinda hilarious with Michał's Munk #the gay magic cat x the protector cat who up to a point somehow misses every single instance of magic performed by a different magic cat #and is thus very confused about it later XD #they are both autistic #but back to the point: mefistrap is a crackship and i love and adore it #cats the musical #warsaw guy talks

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tertain-the-original · 1 year

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u probably already did this (i havent seen ur stuff in like 2 years bc i didnt know u had a tumblr)

but imagine if you will…the cats from the cats movie…as warriors…

Omg hi so like, I started drawing them as Warriors but then I lost steam… so instead I’m obsessed with Cats the Musical again thanks for that.

These drawings are based on my very talented and extra cool friend @taileaves ‘ take on Cats the Musical, although I don’t think she’s drawn a reference for Mistofeles yet so I decided to give it a go. Ahem this is my nudge to her that she posts her cat designs because they’re so beautiful….

#I like the idea that Misto is autistic that’s such a cute HC #so I’m borrowing that lol #we love cats the musical…#I got her into it lol I’m contagious with my love for things #my art #cats the musical #mistofelees #mistofelees cats the musical

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aclairvoyant · 2 months

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*smashes through window* Tuggoffelees anon back at it again because YES AUTISTIC MISTO 👏👏👏👏👏👏 as a person on the autism spectrum just yes yes yes a million times yes and I’m so glad that I’ve seen so many people in the fandom headcanon it!! And Tugger being so aware and familiar with Misto’s stims and reactions that he knows when to draw some of the overexcited cats away to give Misto a chance to regroup or just escape for some alone time!!! It’s,,, so so so so good

i also just love the idea! also,,, between you and me, misto definitely stims by creating/watching his sparkles and tugger stims by playing with said sparkles

#cats #tuggoffelees #personal #tuggoffelees anon

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millenari · 10 months

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misto for the headcanon asks please !

☾ - sleep headcanon

Misto sleeps curled up in a ball, with his tail curled up over his side. He's slept like that his whole life, and he can even tell roughly how long he's been asleep by how stiff his legs are when he wakes up.

He gets cold easy; when they were smaller he and Tugger could often be found curled up together in a nap. ('But you don't like cuddling' Munk says. 'He gets cold, Munk' baby Tugger says, as if he's speaking to an idiot.)

★ - sad headcanon

Misto gets sad pretty easily. I hc him as autistic, and when he was small it made it hard for him to feel like he was 'part' of any community because the differences in how he acted and thought and behaved. Everyone loved him, but he never felt like he was 'like' everyone else. He's much happier as an adult, but still gets nervous/insecure/paranoid about being the last to understand something and will frequently pretend to know/understand things if he thinks it's something he should know.

Additionally, his palms produce glitter when he's nervous. It's always happened since he was small. He tries to play it off as a deliberate act of magic whenever he notices it happen.

☆ - happy headcanon

He sparkles when he's happy! Misto's favorite thing to do is dance, so oftentimes when he's dancing for fun he'll start sparkling without realizing it.

☠ - angry/violent headcanon

On account of growing up in Macavity's shadow, Misto is very very good at not lashing out physically or magically when he's angry. Because of this, he's often only left to lash out with words when the mood takes him, and when it does he can be vicious.

✿ - S‌e‌x headcanon

-Most of the jellicles are bi, it's just kind of how they tend to be. You oftentimes see cats that have a preference one way or another, but 100% straight/gay cats are kind of a rarity. When he hit the cat version of the age of majority/consent and wasn't interested in any queens, everyone thought he was just a late bloomer. They all learned otherwise a year or so later.

-Misto actually happened to have his sexuality crisis while watching Jerrie goof around one night, which is something he plans on taking to his grave. 'MUNGOJERRIE OF ALL TOMS????' he oftentimes thinks to himself when recalling that particular occasion.

(Unrelated to the topic, but while Misto & Jerrie are friends, Misto thinks Jerrie is the most obnoxious motherfucker on the planet, and Jerrie's had an on-and-off crush on Misto since he was small. But like, come on, the guy can get into so many shenanigans with his magic that anyone would like him a little. Right? Right??????)

■ - Bedroom headcanon

Misto never ends up putting together a den for himself; he ends up moving into Tugger's before he gets around to it. He does spruce Tugger's place up with a big fur coat he stole repossessed from a human as well as some shiny bits and bobs he took from that 'Christmas tree' thing his humans put up every year.

♡ - romantic headcanon

-Misto doesn't think he's particularly good at being romantic. Tugger would entirely disagree: Misto has a tendency to say largely casual but also super meaningful/touching things offhandedly pretty much all the time. Misto never thinks much of these remarks but they mean the world to Tugger, and even make him annoyed sometimes that Misto can be so thoughtful/tender/supportive seemingly without thought-- meanwhile he has to put a lot of thought and work into his (very grand usually) romantic gestures.

-Misto can be lost socially without having a 'script' or expectation on how a conversation should or usually would go. As he got older he gained a lot of 'scripts' and grew better at interacting with people in a way that seemed ''''normal'''' (masking, essentially). When he started getting into the romance trenches with Tugger, Misto was entirely lost for scripts for that kind of interaction, as he'd never been in a romantic situation before and never paid attention to other people's, so it was kind of distressing for him at first.

-Prior to their relationship and in said relationship's early days, Misto & Tugger got frequently stuck in a cycle of 'Tugger makes a romantic gesture' > 'Misto doesn't know how to interpret said gesture or how to respond' > 'Tugger doesn't get the reaction he'd wanted and doubles down with a different gesture' > 'Misto grows even more confused & even distressed by Tugger's unusual behavior' > 'repeat until someone gets sad/annoyed enough that an actual conversation happens'

♥ - family headcanon

Misto & Victoria being siblings is my fav thing. (I never got into Alonzo being their brother even though in terms of cat genetics it would make sense they'd be related). They're not entirely close with their uncle Bustopher, but Misto looks up to him to an insane amount.

Their father was Bustopher's twin, their mother was another white cat like Victoria, and both died when they were young. Neither of them remember their mother well enough to say, but Victoria looks a lot like her.

They were placed in Munkustrap's care by Bustopher after both of their parents died. (As a result Tugger and Misto have been close friends for a long time)

☮ - friendship headcanon

Most of my hcs are at least loosely based off of 98, so this surprised me when I first noticed it, but 98 Misto doesn't seem to like Pouncival and Tumble very much! I always kind of figured the three of them as buddies-- but I was watching 98 a few weeks ago and noticed Misto doesn't seem to enjoy it when either of them are near him.

But whatever, I hc the three of them as pals. They have contests about ballet positions and backflips & dare each other to hassle the older cats without getting caught.

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

Cat quirk: He scratches behind his ear when he's nervous/overstimulated. When he's going through bad times, he'll scratch it so often it'll get to the point of breaking skin.

Human quirk: He hates clothes that are loose (as well as scratchy or constraining) so he wears a lot of tight-fitting and movable things-- think athleticwear. His closet is also 90% black with some navy blue and the occasional white piece thrown in. ('Why are you dressed like kim kardashian attending a funeral?' -Victoria Jones, expert fashionista)

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon

-He's very particular about his fur, especially around his jaw and neck, and doesn't like being nuzzled in the area. Most cats have their own way around this: Skimble pats him on the shoulder, Munk nuzzles the top of his head, he and Victoria bonk foreheads, Tugger (post-get-together) will take one of his hands and rub his face against that whenever he gets nuzzley. Most cats tend not to touch Misto though, they have a vague awareness he doesn't like it, though they don't know the specifics.

-Misto loves to feel useful/helpful, and when he was small Munk was always giving him fake jobs to do because he kept asking for a way to help, to the point where he'd cry if Munk told him there was nothing he could help with. Misto folded up many old cardboard boxes over the course of his kittenhood.

▼ - childhood headcanon

I accidentally talked so much about his childhood because I forgot about this section.

-Munk partially raised Misto and Victoria, as well as a handful of other regulars in the Junkyard, but since Misto and Tugger were such close friends, Munk considers Misto to be essentially another Deuteronomy brother.

-For a long time, when teleporting, Misto couldn't make himself 'go' to a certain place; every time he blinked out he had no idea where he was headed, just that it would be somewhere nearby. He gave Munk several heart attacks with this ability over the years.

∇ - old age/aging headcanon

After Deuteronomy dies, Munk steps into the role of the Jellicle leader and Misto steps into the role of the caretaker that Munk left vacant (while Alonzo gets the protector part of Munk's job, even if Misto's magic makes him a pretty efficient protector himself). This isn't something Misto willingly set himself out to do-- he kind of fell into it. But man, is he a good babysitter. Kitten ran off? No worries, he can teleport them back with a snap of his fingers. No one paying attention for dancing lessons? He has a million tricks to catch the attention of a distracted kitten. Is someone just all around poorly behaved? He grew up alongside Tugger, he's seen the worst London has to offer.

On account of interacting with a lot of kittens of London through the years, as he gets older he's a pretty universally beloved cat. After a certain point just about every cat in London so many years younger than him calls him 'Uncle', a nickname Victoria encouraged after having kittens of her own, very well aware of how much Misto looked up to their own uncle. He becomes the 'kind and wise spiritual leader' figure once he becomes an elder. And Tugger is his crazy old man husband/mate.

♒ - cooking/food headcanon

Human Misto's not a great cook but he is a bit of a health freak so he can fend for himself in the kitchen. He doesn't really have any sensory issues with food so he'll eat pretty much anything & is always snacking on trail mix, bananas, and other healthy stuff around lunchtime.

His favorite foods are lemonade and dark chocolate. He usually tries to limit his intake of these things, but Tugger is always buying Misto a bar of chocolate or a can of lemonade and then arguing that Misto has to 'pay a fee' to actually receive them. ('You want me to pay a fee for the thing you're giving me?' 'Yes.' 'What- What's the fee?' '😇A kiss.😇' 'WHAT.')

☼ - appearance headcanon

Misto can change the color of cats' fur: add patterns, remove patterns, change color of certain parts, change color of the full body... It's all temporary, though. And that's how he changes his look for his song during the ball.

He's not a fan of his white markings on his arm and legs, which is why he removes them for his big moment. He thinks not having them makes him look more sleek & mature, and dislikes that they're asymmetrical. Plus he heard Tugger call Alonzo 'splotchy' one too many times when they were kittens to not take it to heart.

(Tugger actually likes Misto's leg markings a lot; he was pretty disappointed when Misto came down from the ceiling and they were gone.)

ൠ - random headcanon

Pretty much all of the kittens around his age or younger had a crush on him at some point of their collective childhoods. Just about every cat other than him in the Junkyard is aware of this fact.

#mr mistoffelees #cats the musical #i will tag this one as #tuggoffelees #since i talk so much about the two of them #I didn't intend to!#cats fan on main

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jelliclekay · 2 years

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how do bomba, tugs n misto express passion for things they r passionate about?

OOOOOO

So all three are autistic (I headcanon all the Cats to be autistic oops) but they all express passion differently!

Tugger is very loud about his passions and will tell anyone willing to listen about whatever new thing he's found that's caught his interest! Tugger is very passionate about music and singing, so he's often heard in the Junkyard loudly singing a new song he just made up. Of course, his singing is phenomenal and everyone loves when Tugger is passionately (but loudly) singing his heart out.

Bombalurina is the type who tries to keep her passions and interests a bit on the down low, but whenever a subject she is super passionate about comes up in conversation, she begins fact bombing and excitedly telling the other cat everything she knows on the subject. She gets a bit embarrassed when she does this and has a habit of accidentally repeating herself and saying the same thing, but sometimes the spirit takes over.

Misto expresses his passions by basically drowning out the rest of the world and only focusing on whatever it is he is interested in at the moment. Whether it be doing a new dance or learning a new magic trick or maybe just reading a book, he becomes fully invested in it sometimes to the point of forgetting to eat (absolutely not projecting here nope not at all).

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fluffytuffles · 2 years

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hmmmmm....! top 5 headcanons (for cats probably) [can be urs or others uve seen]

In no particular order (and this was super hard to narrow down so these could change at any moment)

Braincell triplets

Autistic Misto

Kittens sleep in a pile in a communal den protected by a rotation of adults

Demeter and Bomba perform "Macavity" to lure him back

Junkyard kittens are made to wear collars to go out into the city

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autismmydearwatson · 2 years

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Asking for autistic Cats the Musical headcanons?

Mistoffelees has autism, and Etcetera has both ADHD and autism

Misto is nonverbal, and closer to Victorias age, making him a child prodigy

#Thanks so much for asking me things #Serotonin #Cats the Musical #autism headcanon

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gaylittlewizardcat · 2 years

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Some Jacob Brent Misto faces I like a lot :]

#cats the musical #mistoffelees #cats 1998 #and for personal reasons #autistic misto #he has such a smile™️#peak autism moment #gif #which misto makeup design am i going to be not normal about today?#technically more the way he moves his face and not the makeup #but shhhhhhh #undescribed

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rainbowratsstuff · 1 year

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Tuggoffelees won my "what should I draw next" poll so here it is!

An idea I've had for a while and I finally drew it. I think Tugger gets very emotional very easily, whereas Misto's face rarely matches how he feels on the inside. But he's always there with a tissue box for Tugger on movie night if there's an emotional scene 💜

Also wanted to draw thrm in a cute cosy fort for snuggly movie watching 😊

Also also I actually remembered to record myself drawing so hopefully I'll get a speed drawing video of this out soon.

#cats #cats musical #cats the musical #mistoffelees #my art #rum tum tugger #cute #tuggoffelees #tugger #tugger x misto #mr mistoffelees #mister mistoffelees #autistic mistoffelees #magical mister mistoffelees #magical mr mistoffelees #the rum tum tugger #cats headcanon

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bag-of-broadway-snacks · 3 years

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It wasn't that Mistoffelees didn't like mice, they tasted just fine and were a great meal for any cat. It wasn't pickiness that kept him from eating the small rodents, nor was it a desire to rehabilitate them like it was for Jennyanydots. And it certainly wasn't because he wanted to impress his Uncle. No, it was the awful sound they made when they were being eaten that just drove him crazy.

At first, when Misto had been little, the other cats assumed he was just being a fickle kitten. (Who could blame them with Rum Tum Tugger running around?) So they insisted he eat the mice he was brought. Misto tried his best, he really did. But the second his teeth made that horrible squelching sound he cringed up on the inside. In an effort to impress the adults he attempted to continue eating but the sound only got worse and worse. Misto had frozen up and burst into tears, shaking uncontrollably and eventually gaining the attention of the nearby adults who thankfully took the hint that mice were off the menu.

It was Jennyanydots who ultimately diagnosed him. Her humans had a young son who acted the same, it was called 'Autism and apparently, it was perfectly manageable as long as they listened to Misto's input. Ever since then the Jellilces had been more than accommodating. Even the kittens were known to quiet their play if they noticed Misto anxiously scratching at his ear in discomfort. Over time, he learned that certain things set him off the same way eating mice did. But other things had the opposite effect. A nap in the beaming sun curled up against a particularly soft cat (Tugger was his favorite but he'd never admit that) was like being in the Heaviside layer. Sensations made him scratch his ear but with joy rather than discomfort. It was a challenge at times, but he was able to get through it. And he certainly didn't have to do it alone. Jellicle cats, he found, were never alone.

#cats the musical #cats 1998 #mr mistoffelees #autistic spectrum #autistic characters #autistic misto #jennyanydots #rum tum tugger #fanfic #the Jellicle cats are good

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sevenkittensinatrenchcoat · 3 years

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Those Six Mistos: Old Deuteronomy

Vienna:

Vienna-based productions have a longer version of Old Deuteronomy that starts with different music. It’s the music that opens act two, instead of Old Deut’s theme. Versions that use Old Deut’s theme here have a very specific timing for “Old Deuteronomy?”, so this different version is weird and distracting.

With that out of the way, Misto goes to the front of the stage, followed by Coricopat and Tantomile. He listens, he looks, then he points and smiles. Coricopat and Tantomile figure out that he’s seen Old Deuteronomy approaching and he nods to confirm.

Munkustrap sends Misto to go get Old D. Misto does his Most Gentlemanly Bow before he leaves, taking his mission very seriously.

Misto leads Old D with both hands up onto the stage, giving Munkustrap a chance to greet him before getting a hug for himself. He leads Old D to the tire and stands with him, Munk, and Tugger and the end of the number.

Paris:

This version starts the same as the Vienna one does, though it’s not in close-up, so Misto’s body language isn’t quite as clear. Misto’s Most Gentlemanly Bow is a bit more awkward than the Vienna version.

Once Misto returns with Old D, the lighting makes him disappear into the void for a while, but we eventually see that he never left Old D’s side. They walk up to the tire arm-in-arm. Munk and Tugger are vaguely visible in the dark void. Old D sits down and Misto crawls into his lap for more cuddles.

Zurich:

Once again, we open with Misto and the Psychic Twins, and I’m not quite sure of this. Tantomile says “Old Deuteronomy?” very quietly, so a male voice stands out, but it doesn’t sound like it’s coming from Coricopat, so Misto might’ve just spoken a single line in this production. There’s also no moment where Misto nods to the twins to confirm that he too sensed Old D’s presence, so it plays out as if he’d just spoken. However, listening to Coricopat’s line in the opening, it sounds like that could be the same voice, so this might just be the result of bootleg audio making Coricopat sound so much louder than Tantomile that it seems like a single male voice is speaking. Since Misto is otherwise mute in this version, the “bootleg audio did a thing” explanation is more likely.

So, Misto senses Old D and there is much dramatic gesturing. He eagerly runs to Munkustrap, getting his permission to go get Old D. It’s not Munk’s idea in this version, possibly because this Munk doesn’t have much respect for Misto. While Vienna and Paris Mistos walked slowly away as if in a trance, Zurich Misto rushes off. He is just bursting with excitement.

Misto stands back while Old D greets everyone else and then follows him up to the tire. He sits down next to him, with Munk and Tugger nearby, as in the previous two productions.

Now, this all happens after the song is technically over, but it’s worth pointing out:

Old D reaches towards Misto and Tugger stops him. Misto then dives into Old D’s lap for hugs and pets. Despite being a bully before, Tugger seems to be trying to keep Old D from overwhelming Misto by hugging him when he wasn’t ready for it, letting him initiate the physical contact himself. Artful and knowing Tugger understands Misto better than he previously let on.

So, Zurich Misto finally gets the hug he’s needed throughout this entire act.

Also, when Munk says “Jellicle Choice”, Misto points to himself, implying that he wants to be chosen. According to some interpretations of this play, that applies to everyone anyway and it’s not surprising. But, if you interpret the show as being mainly about the celebration of the Jellicle Ball, with only a handful of older cats actually interested in being chosen, this is really sad. Misto probably feels like, despite his magical powers, he has nothing to contribute to the tribe, so moving on to his next life in a big celebration is the best thing he could possibly do. His next incarnation might also be magical, and the tribe might like that one better.

I highly doubt this moment was meant to be that depressing, but everyone’s spent the forty minutes being a dick to Misto, which puts this in a darker context than it was probably supposed to.

Anyway, one of the kittens pokes Misto in the chest and he scratches his head in what really looks like a prototype of 1998 Misto’s stress scratch. This is why Tugger stopped Old D from touching Misto and let him initiate.

So, Misto is still sad, but at least he got a few cuddles.

Buenos Aires:

Buenos Aires and Troika Mistos are interesting in that they are not mute, but they’re also not not mute. In these productions, Munkustrap sings the Invitation to the Jellicle Ball, but Misto still has a few lines in crowd songs and sings in the chorus, so he’s not mute, just really quiet, closer to how Victoria is in these productions.

Coricopat turns around a second before Tantomile and Misto do, which is weird because Cori and Tanto usually move together while doing psychic things, but that’s not important. It’s also no important that there’s no background music here, because the audio in this version has a habit of shorting out for brief periods of time and this is just one of those times.

Anyway, Misto is definitely the one who says “Old Deuteronomy?” this time. Munkustrap gets the “I believe it is Old Deuteronomy” bit, so instead of having the other psychics confirm, either Munk can sense Old D as well, or he has complete faith in Misto’s intuition.

Misto crawls off on his own, not waiting for any signal from Munkustrap. That’s because he’s not actually going anywhere. This is one of a handful of productions where Munk sends Skimble to get Old D, because Skimble is already important or something. This doesn’t have the emotional weight of young Misto being rewarding for his intuition by being entrusted with a very important job, but that’s what we’re going with here. Maybe it’s to even out the Bustopher feud. Misto won Bustopher’s attention, so Skimble gets to retrieve Old Deuteronomy.

Misto lays down in front of the pipe and cleans himself up. Misto’s usual role in the rest of the number is taken by Skimble. Like in most productions that aren’t Vienna-based, Munk and Tugger are the cats who stand next to Old D on the tire. Skimble sits down with the rest of the crowd after getting Old D to the tire.

1998

This version takes advantage of the fact that it was made to be filmed, able to get a close-up on Misto’s movements. While most Mistos just walk to the front of the stage, 1998 Misto crawls, but in a way that goes in time with the music. He acts like he’s tracking, as if he can pick up on Old D’s scent, which is a very feline way of portraying supernatural powers: picking up a specific scent from a great distance.

Anyway, other cats gather around, with Jellylorum seeming freaked out and slightly offended, perhaps not knowing that this is something Misto can do. Munkustrap knows that this is something Misto can do, but he’s still figuring his powers out, so Munk turns to the twins to confirm, which they do.

After giving Electra some cuddles, Munk turns to Misto, giving him the important assignment of retrieving Old Deuteronomy. Jellylorum is cautiously optimistic. Misto is thrilled.

Misto leads Old D up onto the stage and bows like the grown-ups are doing, instead of tackling like the kittens are doing, because he’s a big boy. He then goes to sit with the crowd, sitting in the back despite having done an important thing. He doesn’t lead Old D all the way to the tire, mostly letting Munkustrap handle things.

Troika

Misto crawls to the front of the stage and paces around on all fours for a bit, similar to 1998, but simplified. Since Coricopat and Tantomile don’t exist during US Tours from this era, Demeter gets their line. She’s often played as being very sensitive, just not supernaturally so, so this makes sense as a replacement.

This is another production where Skimble fetches Old D, Munkustrap going to him instead of Misto. Perhaps this was a thing that Broadway did for a while. Meanwhile, Misto stares out into space. He joins the others and nothing interesting occurs.

Misto is one of the first in line to greet Old D, who stops to give him a Formal Hand Touch, possibly aware of Misto’s role at the beginning of the number.

#mr mistoffelees #cats vienna #cats paris 1990 #cats zurich #autistic misto #zurich misto needs a hug #cats buenos aires #cats 1998 #cats troika #old deuteronomy

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