To begin...at the beginning (just to be original!), Newcomers is NOT a new concept. The idea was never completely mine to begin with. When I joined the CATs community - almost two years ago now - I never imagined that I would be writing fic, let alone this particular story. I got the idea for this Series, however, from Ahdeya's Yeahlika Tales. This was the first CATS fiction I ever read and I did it - albeit with an extraordinarily numb bum by the end of it - in one sitting. The whole idea was just incredible and I was hooked from the moment I started reading it. It never once dawned on me that this wasn't a professional writer, so when I met Ahdeya in a chatroom, acting the zany fan seemed quite acceptable.
Still, it wasn't for almost another six months that I started wondering "What if...?". Up until then, I'd been playing with fiction of my own, developing bits and pieces. Then I saw CATS live and saw Griddlebone for the first time and realised that this *wonderful* character had not yet appeared in Ahdeya's fiction. I had done a couple of sequels to the story, but now, I was seeing the opportunity for something more.
After much deliberation, I approached Ahdeya about it and basically threw all ideas at her feet, asking if she would at all mind if I started writing a big ol' ficcie thing to be a kinda follow up for the felines that didn't make it into her story. She said (obviously!) yes. From there on in, sections have been appearing from time to time and I've finally decided to stop being lazy and actually put them on my site too. So here we are. For more background of the actual plot of the story and such, I suggest you read some, if not all, of Ahdeya's fiction. Not only is it a cracking piece of writing, but there's a whole heap of background that I'm just waaaaaay too lazy to go into at the moment.
Characters
The First Tribe
Human twin sister to Genghis, Toni Adamson and her brother were semi-celebrities before the change. Originally cast as Tantomile, she became Blaze when they arrived in the new world, her "Henchcat" costume turning her into a black and red feline.
One of the mystics of the group, she is also the first mother in the tribe. Mated to Grumbuskin, their daughter - Hope - is the first kitten born to the new arrivals. Relatively quiet and calm, she lets her mate do all the mischief-making and overacting.
Before the change, sixteen-year-old Dylan Thomas, the youngest of five boys, played Bill Bailey. On arrival in the Yeahlika world, it was immediately Billy who tried to make light of the situation, searching for something to cheer the rest of his new tribe up.
The youngest and smallest of the group - with the exception of the slight Little Dragon - brown- and white-furred Billy is a cheeky prankster with a completely irreverent sense of humour, never wanting to take anything seriously in the slightest. Fortunately, he is also a tough little tom and a strong hunter, in spite of his size.
Formerly Tony Adamson, the black-haired dancer and his sister - Toni - were a well-known double-act on the West End circuit. Quiet and pensive, at least compared to his hyperactive sister, he remained so after the arrival in the Yeahlika lands, where he became the aloof warrior feline, Genghis (over his orginal casting of Coricopat).
Holding a place in his heart for Griddlebone, the Siamese tom is the perfect embodiment and strong-and-silent, in contrast to the other toms. He does what he has to, helps where he can and cracks jokes at the most bizarre moments. There are suggestions he may be one of the tribe with magic abilities, but as yet, he has said nothing about them.
One of the shortest members of the touring CATS cast, twenty-three-year-old Sara Braithwaite balanced singing and dancing and was officially the youngest Griddlebone on record for the show. However, on arrival in the new land, she immediately assumed the role of leader, the mother figure of the group.
Petite and delicate-looking, with an abundance of the white-and-fluffiness, the Persian queen has a fondness for Genghis, which she believes - sadly - to be unrequited. Involved in a comfort-relationship with McDuff, she has taken it upon herself to be the mother of the group, willing to do what she can for them all.
As with every pack of the Yeahlika, there simply *must* be a silver tabby (or Ahdeya would sulk! Really!) and Grumbuskin fills this role. Formerly Nick Benson (a choreographer, club dancer and *ahem* professional stripper), he also played the role of Munkustrap on stage. However, as fun-loving pirate-cat Grumbuskin, he loses little of his outrageous personality on arrival in the Yeahlika lands.
Although reluctant, he - alongside Griddlebone - is seen as a quazi-leader. The group often turn to him for support, as the tabby and as the first father among them, father to Hope.
Second youngest actress in the cast, Ariadne Mzimba had been suffering from AIDS since her childhood, so it came as a kind of warped blessing when she was pulled from the human world and into the world of the Yeahlika, her health restored to her in full as she became a young Siamese, Little Dragon.
As the physical channel through which the mysterious Charumcah (The equivilant of God in the Yeahlika world) can and has chosen to communicate with the tribe, Little Dragon is a young mystic, with more promise and power than any of the tribe have come to realise. She is also mated with fellow-young-one, Bill Bailey, a friend from their human days.
The Scots actor that played Growltiger (as a Scots pirate, no less), Andrew McFadgen was one of the tallest members of the cast. As a feline, he was equally so, the only differences between him and Growltiger being the lack of a pirate costume and a solid, muscular form.
Large, strong and resilient, the tom is one of the strongest hunters in the tribe and seems to be a type of father-figure for the two kitten-like youths. Involved with Griddlebone, he longs to find a mate of his own, even if it means outwith their tribe.
Hope - The kitten of Grumbuskin and Blaze, Hope is the first of the new tribe to actually be born in the new lands. As of now, her future is uncertain, life for a kitten being perilous.
The Second Tribe
Admetus - A confident Japanese professor, Tadashi Yuy became equally confident Admetus. Although still reasonably quiet compared to some of the other toms, he is tough enough to hold his own.
Callista - A black- and gold-tabby queen, Callista was one of the few in the new tribe who was actually a dancer. Similar to Demeter in many ways, Callista is one of the calmer, older queens in the group.
Dodger - South African, Mickey, was a mischief maker as a human and it has carried over into his personality as a feline. A multicoloured tabby, he's a flirt and always getting up to something or other.
Estariolle - The only mated queen on arrival in the new world, Estariolle was once Marie Bailey, wife of Jordan Bailey, the man who became Wolfgang. A red and white queen, she is confident and out-going and ready for anything. Except being a cat.
Glory - A divorced mother who had lost her children as a human, Glory sees her change into a feline as a chance for a new start, with a new family. A golden feline, she immediately takes the maternal role and is held in high regard by other members of the tribe.
Jinx - Looking like a combination of Jemima and Etcetera, Jinx is a quiet, shy young queen, formerly Hiroko Nagoya from Tokyo. A close friend of Admetus, in human form, she often turns to him for comfort and advice.
Mercedes - Formerly an Irish teenager by the name of Joely, Mercedes looks like a silvery version version of Cassandra. Her personality, however, is anything but. Hyperactive and lively, she and Misty together are the worst combination.
Misty - A toroieshell feline, Misty was the Californian side of the Misty/Mercedes pair, equally as bubbly and hyperactive as her Irish counterpart.
Plato - In turning from Kristov (the Russian dancer) into Plato (the tomcat) there was a huge personality shift. Plato became confident, cheeky and out-going and always ready to make a move on the ladies.
Reajin - The dark horse of the group, Timothy Henlan was an abused child, his father an alcoholic. In some senses, as Reajin (ray-gin), the move to the new world is his chance for a clean start.
Shadow - A former gymnast and wannabe Olympian, Marco Santorelli's jump to the Yeahlika world was a dramatic one, after his hopes of being a professional gymnast were shattered by injury. In losing his lover, he gained a new life, strength and hope.
Siah - A dancer from the Australian tours, Siah was thrown into the new world along with Plato and Callista. A black, persian feline, she is Glory's right-hand queen, helping the older queen with the leadership of the group.
Tiddles - The biggest member of the tribe, at 6 foot 6, Tiddles seems an incongruous name for the Garfield-lookalike. However, his size means nothing. A big cuddly feline with a heart of gold lurks beneath the massive - and sometimes terrifying - exterior.
Wolfgang - The first mystic to be seen in the group, Wolfgang is (like Mistoffelees), a tuxedo-patterned tomcat. Although not as loud as he was as a human, he is one of the most well-respected cats in the group.
Human twin sister to Genghis, Toni Adamson and her brother were semi-celebrities before the change. Originally cast as Tantomile, she became Blaze when they arrived in the new world, her "Henchcat" costume turning her into a black and red feline.
