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JimAndFrank
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Head-canon time!Im a big fan of Lips too!!
So my question is, since no one knows what Lip's character background is, in your opinion, what do you think Lipss character background is??
Lips came from a family full of artists and grew up being the incredibly shy band nerd in school. He got his nickname from an incident where he attempted to play his trumpet in a blizzard and his lips were frozen into the mouth piece. When his older cousin was learning to become a hairdresser, she tested her skills on Lips' hair. This didn't go too well. He ended up having his entire head shaved. Lips was so embarrassed, he's been avoiding the hairdressers like the plague ever since, hence the afro. Lips greatly enjoyed playing in the school band, but often got in trouble when he began to improvise during rehearsals. It wasn't all classical music for him though, he also joined a band of his friends where he learned to riff and excelled in jazz and rock. Unfortunately, the music never left the garage.
When Lips graduated from high school, he moved to New Orleans to pursue his passion for jazz music. He had a few short romances, one of which lead him to developing a love for books, but they were all put off by just how little he'd talk and in the end left out of frustration. His jazz career wasn't going too well either, being the typical story of a struggling artist. He failed one audition after the other. One night when he was busking on Bourbon Street, competing with dozens of other street performers, he was startled when he heard someone actually throw a few coins into his trumpet case, but when he looked up to see who it was, the charitable ghost had disappeared. This went on for the next two weeks, Lips never being able to catch a glimpse of the culprit.
One night, Lips was walking back to his shabby apartment when a couple of kids who had been picking on him since he had first moved in came over to continue their harassment. As he tried to defend himself, the thugs noticed how protective he was of his trumpet case. They managed to grab it off him and promptly threw it onto the busy road, the case being run over by the congested traffic. Satisfied they had broken him down, with a final shove they left Lips to mourn the loss of his most prized possession. He wasn't overly attached to the trumpet itself, he was attached to the fact that he could play it, and actually be heard for who he was in way that words never could convey.
Lips sulkily plundered around the streets for a few days after, worried about the future and considered moving back in with his parents. Eventually he came across his usual busking spot, sitting down in the bench and sighing in defeat. After a few moments he started to hear soft footsteps coming towards him before a small figure plopped itself on the bench. Lips turned his head only to see a heap of green.
'There you are,' said the curious frog gently, 'I was starting to think I'd never here your music again.'
With an inquisitive look from Lips, the frog introduced himself. His name was Kermit the Frog and he had come to New Orleans to check out an entertainment troupe for the next season of a show he ran called 'The Muppet Show' over in Hollywood. Lips had heard of it, but never really had access to a TV to watch it. As it turns out, Kermit had been the one throwing coins into Lips' trumpet case. He had wanted to talk to Lips earlier, but hadn't had the time due to people constantly hounding him for an audition. What Kermit said next surprised Lips to great effect.
'You know, our house band, The Electric Mayhem plays music not too different from what I've heard from you. I'm heading back to Hollywood tomorrow, so why not come with? I think you could be a good fit for them.'
Lips considered the offer for a moment before remembering a very important detail. He hesitantly told the frog about what happened to his trumpet. All the more reason to come along, stated Kermit. Gonzo the Great would be more than happy to donate one of the trumpets he had yet to destroy during the opening theme song. It took an hour to convince Lips to leave New Orleans, but in the end, he realized there really wasn't a future for him there.
Meeting The Electric Mayhem was an apprehensive situation for the shy trumpeter, but it's members didn't seem to mind his lack of vocal interaction. In fact, they respected it and took it in stride. His prowess with his new trumpet certainly helped to establish him as a key player and it wasn't long until he was being featured in musical numbers. The process of integrating him into the Muppet family was a slow one, but after the first year, Lips felt like he could relax. While he still didn't say much, he had to admit that being one individual in a sea of weirdos was a pretty good place to be.
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