A Heart of Gold

[redBoobergurl]

Wow....still so much pain there, but methinks this is good for Kermit to finally be around his family. Really touching scene with him and his father and I also really enjoyed the scene with Maggie. Great stuff Lisa, please keep going!

 

[TogetherAgain]

Well aren't you folks lucky!

Yes, yes you are, very lucky, my dear friends.

You see, one of the beautiful/annoying things about writing through torment lines is that you lose track of just how long a scene is.

The next two chapters are one scene each. The second scene heavily depends on an exact memory of the last line of the first scene. (Which was quite unfortunate for Leyla, who was completely discombobulated by the end of the first scene...) Therefore, I'm posting both chapters today.

Lucky, lucky vous.

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter Twenty-One

She was young and energetic. Her eyes flashed as she pushed her hair back and grinned at the camera. "And now we'd like to welcome to the show a very widely admired celebrity. She's just done it all, I swear. I know I, for one, am a huge fan of hers- I mean really, if I don't faint, it's a miracle. I'm sweating all ready- oh gosh, I shouldn't have said that! Um- You all know her, and as I'm sure everyone has heard, her frog has been serving overseas for over ten months now. We sure appreciate that, don’t we? So let's give a great big round of applause for the one and only, absolutely fantastic, incredible, amazing, inspiring, intelligent, beautiful, wonderful... talented... um... I'm out of adjectives, but- Ladies and gentlemen, MISS PIGGY!"

The audience cheered as she came out.

"Oh thank vous! Thank vous all! Hello, there! Kissy kissy!" Miss Piggy happily settled into the chair across from the other woman.

"Welcome to the show, Miss Piggy," the woman said.

"Oh thank vous, Lila!"

"Um, it's Leyla."

"Whatever."

"Did you like your introduction, Miss Piggy?" Leyla grabbed her seat and held tight, hoping she wouldn't bounce.

"Yes, Lola, it was a very accurate introduction."

"Um- Leyla, and yes, I think so too!"

"Oh, sorry Lily."

"Leyla."

"Right."

"So how have you been doing, Miss Piggy?" Leyla asked.

"Oh, just wonderful!" Miss Piggy trilled.

"Now how is Kermit doing, overseas? Have you heard from him lately?"

"Mm-hm! Moi have! And I have news, too."

"Yes, you mentioned that!" Leyla sat up more, if that was possible. "What sort of news?"

Miss Piggy proudly straightened up. "Well!" she said. "Are you ready?"

"Yes. We're ready."

Miss Piggy cleared her throat. "Because it's big."

"We are ready, Miss Piggy."

"If vous insist, Linda!"

"Leyla."

"Lena. Be quiet."

"Sorry," Leyla said. "What's the news?"

"The news!" Miss Piggy carefully articulated her words. "The news is that Kermie has come home."

The audience murmured.

"He's home?" Leyla said, clearly surprised and thrilled.

"He's home," Miss Piggy said.

"Oh! Well um- well with all due respect, why?" Leyla asked.

"Well, he- he was injured," Miss Piggy said.

There was a second, more concerned round of murmurs.

"Injured?" Leyla echoed the audience's concern. "What happened? Is he all right?"

"Thankfully, he is all right," Miss Piggy assured. "He was shot in the shoulder, and he needs a sling for a while, but he's healing very well."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Leyla put her hand over her heart. "He's doing well, then?"

"Yes. Kermie's doing fine," Miss Piggy assured.

"Well I'm glad to hear it," Leyla smiled. "So he's home now! Is he-"

"They gave Kermie an honorable discharge," Miss Piggy said proudly. "And he was awarded a Purple Heart."

Leyla nodded appreciatively. "You must be very proud of him, Miss Piggy."

"Yes, moi am just- just overflowing with pride for my Kermie, Lisa."

"Leyla."

"Who?"

"My name is Leyla," Leyla said gently, with something of a sheepish smile.

Miss Piggy hesitated. "Oh! Oh, I'm sorry, um... Leslie."

Leyla sighed and shrugged it off. "So is Kermit at the Boarding House now? How long has he been home?"

"Well Lacey, he came home ten days ago," Miss Piggy said. "He stayed with us at our house- you know we all live in one house, all the- weirdoes and crazies and everyone- he was with us for a week, and now he's visiting the swamp for a little bit. And then he's coming back. Here."

Leyla nodded. "Here," she said.

"Not to the show, though," Miss Piggy clarified. "To the house. And to the theater."

"No, not to- not to this show," Leyla agreed. "To the house and theater."

"Yes, the house and theater," Miss Piggy repeated.

"Well I mean, but he's welcome on the show!" Leyla said. "I mean, I'd love to have him on-"

"Well yes, of-" Miss Piggy suddenly stopped and gave Leyla a suspicious glare.

"Um- if you come too!" Leyla said quickly.

"Moi would be happy to," Miss Piggy said elegantly. Then she added, growling under her breath, "Nice save."

Leyla blushed. "Um- So you said, uh, you said he's coming back to the theater, too, you made a point of that," she said, stumbling slightly on her words. "Um, are there are, are there plans with the theater now? All ready? I mean he just got back, um-"

"Are you done mumbling yet?" Miss Piggy asked calmly.

"Yes! Yes, I'm done now." Leyla sat attentively.

"Good," Miss Piggy said. "Because, Lucy, as vous will see... that is moi's other news."

"Oh there's more news?" Leyla said. "Oh what is it?"

"It's about the theater," Miss Piggy said, reclining luxuriously.

"Uh- yes, I- I sort of thought it might be," Leyla said, nervous with excitement.

"Naturally," Miss Piggy said. She crossed her legs. "Vous see, Lindsey, my Kermie is never one to sit idle."

"No, of course not," Leyla said. Her face was suddenly puzzled as she mouthed to herself, Lindsey?

"And he's very eager to um... to adjust, you see," Miss Piggy smiled. "To civilian life again."

"Mm-hm," Leyla said. "And?"

"And," Miss Piggy said. "We will be starting our usual weekly show again one week after the Fourth of July."

"Oh!" Leyla said. "Oh, that's just a month away, isn't it?"

"Oui, and thank goodness," Miss Piggy sighed. "Moi have missed the stage so..."

"And we've missed seeing you there," Leyla said firmly. She turned to the audience. "Haven’t we?"

The audience obediently cheered and applauded.

"Well." Miss Piggy smugly tossed her hair. "Naturally," she said. "Moi have missed moi's fans, too."

 

[Aaron]

more please i'll give a cookie for more

 

[TogetherAgain]

Ooh, goody! Great to see you, Aaron! And I'll post some more!

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter Twenty-Two

"She sure has," Kermit observed.

He was sitting at the counter at Jerry's Pizza Place, watching the show with another frog his age.

"You noticed that, huh?" the other frog said. "In only a week?"

"Well actually it only took me a day to figure it out," Kermit said.

"Hey!" A flyswatter swatted near their faces. "You guys aren't much help, you know!"

"We're distracted," Kermit said, not even taking his eyes off of the screen.

The flyswatter-wielding teenage girl raised her dark eyebrows over her bright blue eyes. "Clearly," she said, folding her arms. She brushed her apron off. It read, simply, "The."

"He’s distracted," the other frog said.

The girl rolled her eyes and jerked her head towards the television. "Clearly."

"I'm distracted, I'm not deaf," Kermit reminded them absent-mindedly.

The other frog and the girl looked at each other. "Clearly," they both said.

"Knock it off," Kermit said. He didn't seem to be paying much mind to them, however.

The girl sighed. "I thought you two were going to help with these flies while you were here," she said, swatting at a fly that got a little too close to her face.

"I'm trying," the other frog grumbled. "You know most customers just have to pay, not work."

"Yeah but y'know what, Croaker?" the girl smiled. "Most customers don't order the pests as a side dish."

"And most employees actually work!" A washcloth whipped into the girl's face.

She grinned as she peeled it off and wadded it into a ball. "Then why don't you, oh sweetheart?" She threw it back in the direction it had come.

"Sweetheart?" Croaker echoed. "What are you two up to today?"

"Apparently we're engaged," the girl grinned teasingly.

"What?" Kermit turned his head slightly.

"Oh I'm not believing it until I see a ring," the girl said, her grinning growing more broad. "Which is why SOMEONE HAD BETTER BE WORKING!"

"Speak for yourself, Ms. Lisa," a British accent reprimanded from the other end of the counter.

"Bitter, bitter Bo." The voice that had thrown the washcloth came up to the counter. He was a brown-haired teen with an apron that read, "Cook."

"Very bitter," Lisa agreed.

The British boy turned around. "I should not have to wear something that says kiss!" he said.

Sure enough, his apron read, "Kiss."

Lisa and the other boy laughed. "Oh come on, Bo," Lisa said. "You know I can't wear that- the customers actually try to kiss me."

"So they get a few bruises," Bo said. "At least you still get your pride."

"Can't say the same for them," Lisa said smugly.

"Serves them right, trying to kiss my fiancé," the other boy teased, leaning across the counter to her.

"Maybe you should try it some time, darling," she said as she pushed him away.

"Ryan! Lisa!" Bo groaned. "I thought putting a counter between you would be enough- do I have to separate you more?"

"ARE YOU THREE GOOFING OFF OUT THERE?" a voice called from the kitchen.

"Yes Jerry!" all three of them said in cheery unison.

The voice in the kitchen chuckled. "What do I pay you for, anyway?"

They hesitated.

"...Pulling pranks on the customers, right?" Bo asked.

"Left," Ryan and Lisa decided.

"Sounds good enough," the voice in the kitchen said. "Carry on..."

The three teens laughed as they resumed whatever semblance of work they had been doing.

"And you two, quit squabbling," Bo scolded with a grin. "You're supposed to be engaged, not an old married couple."

"Oh, as if you didn't start it!" Lisa grinned as she cleared some abandoned plates off of the counter.

"I did not start it! It was all you two!" Bo protested. He filled some half-empty water glasses and gave a quick smile to the customers.

"Oh you did so," Lisa said.

"Who's squabbling now?" Ryan wiped another table down.

"Squabble!" Lisa repeated. "Squabble squabble. That's a fun word."

"You and your fun words." Croaker flicked his tongue at a fly.

"It's a fun word!" Lisa argued. "Say it! It's kinda like scribble, but it's squabble. It's fun! Squabble-squabble."

"Squabble." Ryan thought about it. "Yeah, that is kinda... squabble."

"Squabble," Bo said. He looked at Ryan expectantly. "Squabble squabble?"

“Squabble," Ryan agreed. "Squabble squabble squabble squabble."

"Squabble!" Lisa declared.

"Squabble squabble," Beau added.

"Squaaaaaaaaabble," Ryan said, drawing the word out and over-articulating every letter.

They laughed, and proceeded to have an entire conversation using only the word 'squabble.'

Croaker shook his head. "It's impossible to have a quiet meal here," he muttered to Kermit.

Kermit lazily tore his eyes away from the screen. "Croaker," he said. "If we wanted a quiet meal, we wouldn't have come here."

 

[Leyla]

<cough>

<bluuuush>

<cough>

Um... well! Lisa, I have to point out that you forgot that classic disclaimer... Any similarity to Piggy fangirls living or dead is entirely coincidental.

<Veerrrrry shifty eyes>

Anyway... yes... discombobulated...entirely so, and I'm not yet recovered.

She was young and energetic. Her eyes flashed as she pushed her hair back and grinned at the camera.

Why THANK you! <preens> Young and energetic....<giggles> Boy, don't I come off great in this.

"And now we'd like to welcome to the show a very widely admired celebrity. She's just done it all, I swear. I know I, for one, am a huge fan of hers- I mean really, if I don't faint, it's a miracle. I'm sweating all ready- oh gosh, I shouldn't have said that! Um- You all know her, and as I'm sure everyone has heard, her frog has been serving overseas for over ten months now. We sure appreciate that, don’t we? So let's give a great big round of applause for the one and only, absolutely fantastic, incredible, amazing, inspiring, intelligent, beautiful, wonderful... talented... um... I'm out of adjectives, but- Ladies and gentlemen, MISS PIGGY!"

Ah! There it is! Proof that the names are entirely coincidental. Look at her, falling all over herself like some sort of crazed fangirl. I assure you, I would NEVER let that happen.

I... would faint.

I would faint after spouting a whole bunch of gushy gibberish that would probably irritate, yet flatter, the life out of PIggy.

That doesn't make me a fangirl however. <shifty eyes> It probably does make me a raving looney however. Now! Where did I put my Piggy drawing book and fanfic notebook? I need to gush...er...write about her in a completely cool and logical way...yes.

"Oh thank vous, Lila!"

"Um, it's Leyla."

"Whatever."

That high pitched squeal everyone heard some weeks ago... nothing to worry about...and... certainly unrelated to me laying eyes on this for the first time. <shifty eyes>

"Did you like your introduction, Miss Piggy?" Leyla grabbed her seat and held tight, hoping she wouldn't bounce.

Ah, good to know she's looking after her dignity... and mine.

"Yes, Lola, it was a very accurate introduction."

"Um- Leyla, and yes, I think so too!"

"Oh, sorry Lily."

"Leyla."

"Right."

I'm pretty sure I changed my name at this point... I'm not even sure what it is anymore. Ah well, it was boring anyway.

"If vous insist, Linda!"

"Leyla."

"Lena. Be quiet."

Yes, ma'am.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Leyla put her hand over her heart. "He's doing well, then?"

<giggles> That's a rather dramatic gesture...you know me far too well, Lisa!

"They gave Kermie an honorable discharge," Miss Piggy said proudly. "And he was awarded a Purple Heart."

Leyla nodded appreciatively. "You must be very proud of him, Miss Piggy."

"Yes, moi am just- just overflowing with pride for my Kermie, Lisa."

Oh, me too, Miss Piggy... also overflowing with sorrow and delight and gushiness and fear and um... impatience.

"Leyla."

"Who?"

"My name is Leyla," Leyla said gently, with something of a sheepish smile.

Miss Piggy hesitated. "Oh! Oh, I'm sorry, um... Leslie."

Hey, she's trying, Leyla! Give a diva a break! Wait... am I yelling at... me?

Leyla sighed and shrugged it off. "So is Kermit at the Boarding House now? How long has he been home?"

"Well Lacey, he came home ten days ago," Miss Piggy said. "He stayed with us at our house- you know we all live in one house, all the- weirdoes and crazies and everyone- he was with us for a week, and now he's visiting the swamp for a little bit. And then he's coming back. Here."

I DO know you live in a house with weirdoes and crazies... I think it's marvellous!

"Well I mean, but he's welcome on the show!" Leyla said. "I mean, I'd love to have him on-"

"Well yes, of-" Miss Piggy suddenly stopped and gave Leyla a suspicious glare.

"Um- if you come too!" Leyla said quickly.

"Moi would be happy to," Miss Piggy said elegantly. Then she added, growling under her breath, "Nice save."

Why THANK you, Miss Piggy! Looks like that survival instinct kicked in after all.

"Are you done mumbling yet?" Miss Piggy asked calmly.

"Yes! Yes, I'm done now." Leyla sat attentively.

"Good," Miss Piggy said. "Because, Lucy, as vous will see... that is moi's other news."

Piggy's on a talk show with me telling me news.... eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!
(Sorry... had to come out at least once)

"Naturally," Miss Piggy said. She crossed her legs. "Vous see, Lindsey, my Kermie is never one to sit idle."

"No, of course not," Leyla said. Her face was suddenly puzzled as she mouthed to herself, Lindsey?

L is a great way to start off a name, I must say. There sure are a lot of ways to end an L name.

"And he's very eager to um... to adjust, you see," Miss Piggy smiled. "To civilian life again."

Oh, is that what they're calling it nowadays?

"Oui, and thank goodness," Miss Piggy sighed. "Moi have missed the stage so..."

"And we've missed seeing you there," Leyla said firmly. She turned to the audience. "Haven’t we?"

We sure have, Leyla!!! <is confused>

The audience obediently cheered and applauded.

That's right, do my bidding, minions!

"Well." Miss Piggy smugly tossed her hair. "Naturally," she said. "Moi have missed moi's fans, too."

Aww... she missed me! YAY!!!! <waves arms around>

Yeesh... I sound even crazier that normal. And what's with the socks? I should stop having cold medicine for breakfast. Oh, please, may no muppet person ever stumble on to this post.

 

[redBoobergurl]

TWO fantastically wonderfully Muppety chapters with some MC craziness thrown in! You get TWO big hugs for that! (HUG) (HUG) I loved Miss Piggy and Leyla and getting her name wrong, you must have thought of a ton of L names for that! And then you and Bo and Ryan at Jerry's Pizza Place, just comic and totally how you guys are and I loved it! I could just sit here and gush and gush and gush, but instead I'm simply going to ask for more. Come on, two chapters in one day? Not enough, let's go for three!

 

[The Count]

LOL! This last chapter, #22, is the perfect embodiment of MC goings-on.

I instantly knew who those three at the pizza shop were before you even told us their names.
But Jerry? He's still alive? Thought you took over the pizzeria after he passed away. For all of you reading this, go read A Hidden Jull as it connects with the new kitchen staff's origins.
As for that conversation, that's another perfect MC encapsulation... The Happy 30th of December thread, or go read through Lisa's review of the latest chapter in Don't Trip The Driver and pay close attention to the quotes she uses to refer to the writer of that other yarn.

So much to laugh about as you captured yourselves so perfectly it's no joke.
More please!

 

[TogetherAgain]

Well, I felt it presumptuous for us to have full control of the place, but it didn't quite feel right for us to SEE Jerry, so I left him in the kitchen.