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Eight Ball Rhumba

WebMistressGina

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---------------
Hey -- where's the betting pool run by Rizzo? He always gives better odds to the rats...
You know...I hadn't even thought of adding Rizzo in, but now...

I admit that I can already foresee a problem writing Rizzo, though I think it might be time for me to delve into MFS in order to get the full rat treatment. I actually didn't know that Riz was an original MS member until I started watching the eps on YouTube.

Still trying to wrap my head around the idea of Scooter messing up a schedule. It just doesn't seem at all likely... beyond that, though, intrigued by the comic mayhem possibilities inherent in the pool tourney/Muppet show. More please!
That's just it - Scooter wouldn't mess up a schedule...unless completely ga-ga over a pretty girl. I may do a flashback or a prequel to the reasons that Scooter is completely besotted with this girl.

No worries; this is a minor lapse for our favorite go-fer. Believe me, Kermit's going to be worried about more than his assistant's crush. I've had chapter 3 done up for a bit and just finished it this morning and will be working on chap 4 later today. Things to look forward to -

The opening number!
The first of the singles matches!
The first of the doubles matches!
Veterinarian's Hospital!
Famous pool players! (no, really!)
Fozzie's monologue!
An act by the Great Gonzo!
And a betting pool by Rizzo (I will work this in somehow!)
And some other stuff I haven't even thought up yet!

Hey quick question, as long as I have you here captive...er...not that Heh.

Um, anyway, in my original planning for this, I was going to end with then end of the first round and then maybe doing a sequel, but now, I'm wondering if I should just keep it all together in one story. This would allow for the other rounds, including a showdown between the winner of the singles comp and that of the doubles comp, as well as a...um...actually can't tell you that cause you'd figure it out. *tee hee*
 

The Count

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Yes keep it all here in one single story thread, makes it easier to follow. So post more now please?
 

WebMistressGina

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Yes keep it all here in one single story thread, makes it easier to follow. So post more now please?
Like, done and done!

Chapter III

“Hey everyone! Thank you so much for being here tonight and to those of you watching at home, thanks for watching. My name is Amanda Cosgrove and I am happy to greet you all to tonight’s program.

“For some of you, you’re turned in to the very famous Muppet Show and are probably wondering where’s the show.”

“No we weren’t!” cried a voice from the upper balcony.

“We were wondering what took so long for you to get rid of it!” called his seat mate.

“Well,” the Whatnot continued, ignoring the two older gentlemen seated above her left; she had been warned by Scooter that they could be a problem. “The Muppets being the great people they are..”

“Great people?” continued the pair.

“They certainly are,” said the counterpart. “They are great at being grating…on our nerves!”

“Isn’t there a retirement home the two of you need to be gracing with your presence?” the night’s host retorted. Returning her attention back to the audience, she continued with, “As I was saying, the Muppet Show has not only allowed us to present tonight’s tournament here from the Muppet Theatre, but as an extra treat, several of them are going to show off their pool skills.”

“That’s assuming they had any skills to begin with!”

“So why don’t we start of right with the first set of the singles placements? It’s Andy Schweeb versus Link Hogthrob! And to present this billiard battle, I give you the Muppet Show’s opening number!”

As Amanda walked off to stage left, the red curtain opened to show a large pool table in the middle of the stage, along with various equipment normally associated with the game of 8 ball pool. A purple Whatnot dressed in a loud Hawaiian shirt held a pool cue stick in his hands and appeared to be the first to make the first break.

Link Hogthrob, dressed elegantly in a dark blue smoking jacket that was wrapped around a black ascot tied to his neck, watched from one side of the table.

In the orchestra pit, the rocking sounds of an electric guitar were easily heard even for those in the back of the theater. As the second spot light hit the pit, the audience easily saw the blonde lead guitarist of the Electric Mayhem, Janice, starting out said rift.

She was replaced with the smooth sounds of a harmonica that was held by Rowlf, who sat on the stage, while Scooter laid down a groovin’ bass beat.

The spotlights converged to present not only the first set of the pool tournament, but that of the opening number that was such a standard in every Muppet Show piece. Sitting on stage were that of Kermit, who played banjo, and Rowlf on harmonica; in the pit itself was Animal at his normal place on drums, Dr. Teeth who sat at the familiar upright piano that usually saw the brown dog sit, Janice on lead guitar, and Scooter playing bass.


As the song began, Scooter took a deep breath and began to sing.

Now listen just a minute while I sing this song,
Don’t you worry, baby, it won’t take long
I’m just about ready to draw the line,
So don’t be surprised when I leave this time.

"Well’ I’m goin’ north and I’m goin’ south
Don’t want no more of your lyin’ mouth
I’m hittin’ the road, gonna ring some bells,
Better know I can do it well.

The entire group sang the chorus, while Link stood back and watched his chances of making it past the first round began to evaporate.

Midnight train, ramblin’ ramblin’
All night long I’m gamblin’, gamblin’
Been losin’ all my money and it’s really funny, umm badda dum
Midnight train, ramblin’ ramblin’
All night I’m gamblin’, gamblin’
Well tell you what baby, well you better be movin’ on

As Dr. Teeth took the next lyric, Link was finally able to get his one shot in when Schweeb missed his mark. It didn’t help Link any, however, as he managed to completely miss the seven and hit the eight ball in the corner pocket, ending the game.

Well, I really don’t know where I’m goin’ for sure,
Ain’t gotta map, it ain’t no tour
Just headin’ out to the open sky
Who knows, might even die. Go head, Lady J!

Janice took her cue and sang in her light, happy voice. “Well don’t you worry your pretty little head,
Like you never gave a dang what I did or said.
That’s why I’m packin’ to leave this place.
Can’t stand to look at your cheatin’ face. Fer rully.

They repeated the chorus again, while Schweeb put his arm around the sobbing Hogthrob, comforting him after his loss. Link really was on the verge of hysteria, crying into a silk blue hanky that had his initials monogramed on it. And when it seemed the small hanky wouldn’t do, the male diva just pulled his ascot from his jacket and used that for tissue instead.

Kermit took the last verse, as the two players walked off stage, allowing for some of the professional players assembled to show off some of their style and tricks.

Well you treated me like a little boy
And played around like I was a toy
Guess you thought I’d have the blues,
Look whose cryin’, guess you lose.”

The chorus repeated as balls clanked and ricocheted off the sides of the pool table, trick shots bounding back and forth; those in the audience were able to view the tops of the pool table by the use of a drop down projection screen, lowered whenever a close up of a shot needed to be shown.

With the song finished, those who needed to be out of the orchestra pit quickly left, making their to backstage left; all except for Kermit, who just used his position from the stage to stand and greet the audience proper.

“Hi-ho everyone!” he exclaimed. “Nice opening number. And congratulations to Mr. Schweeb for his win! No worries, folks, Link will be okay.” Suddenly, the sounds of loud sobbing could be heard from backstage. “After he has his nightly cry. Up next, how about a little song and dance with our very own tap dancing duo, Abe and Bernie! YAAAAAAAY!”

Backstage, Scooter had quickly donned his customary headset and was directing the cameras that were set up on stage, effectively making sure that they captured both Abe and Bernie and that of the current lieu in pool activity. Amanda sported him as she made her way through to introduce the first of the doubles round, stopping when she caught his eye.

“That was a great set you guys did,” she replied.

“Oh!” Scooter sputtered, fighting to contain the blush he was sure was already sprouting on his face. “Well…it was…it was…um…”

“I didn’t know you played bass.”

“Oh, well…uh…” came the stutter.

“Like, Scooter’s an awesome bass player!”

“You think that’s good, you should hear him play guitar.”

“You play guitar, too?” Amanda asked, her face lighting up. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to play, but I don’t think I have the fingers for it.”

“Nonsense,” said a voice to Scooter’s right, the third which had joined the conversation. “All it takes is practice. Scooter didn’t know and was taught; quite simple.”

“Fer sure,” replied the voice to this left. “Like, Scooter is so totally musically inclined. But you would have to be to work around here, right?”

Amanda giggled, a sound that seemed like heavenly bells for the besotted go-fer. “Well, it was great,” she whispered, green eyes trained on the stage manager. “I should probably go out and introduce the next round. You guys are up next.” And with a lingering smile to Scooter, the pool organizer headed off to the stage.

By the time Scooter remembered to blink again, there was a plastic cup in front of his face, being held by a lavender satin glove. “If you’re going to melt into goo,” replied the same voice that Scooter finally recognized as Miss Piggy. “Could you at least melt into this cup? That would certainly make Beau’s job a lot easier.”

Scooter groaned and tried to ignore the friendly, furry arm that was slung over his shoulders and the hair tousling he was receiving from the Electric Mayhem’s lead guitarist.

“Aw,” Janice cooed. “Like, our little Scootie has a crush!”

“Oh I think it’s more than that,” Piggy chuckled. “I think he’s a little love sick. Don’t you think so, Dr. Bob?”

Rowlf also chuckled, stating, “Maybe you need to be our patient today.”

The muffled groaning that had started at their arrival that was full parts embarrassment had now receded into annoyance. “Is there no where the Peanut Gallery is going to torment me today?”

The three troublemakers behind him laughed in good humor. “Did you forget where you worked?” Piggy asked.

“Or like, who you work with?” Janice added.

“Don’t the three of you need to be doing something?”

As soon as the question left Scooter’s mouth, Kermit’s statement of, “Hey, Larry, Moe, Curly! Don’t you need to be on stage?” rang out from the small desk that was kept backstage.

“Like, soitenly!”

“We’re going, we’re going,” the dog pianist laughed, patting the stage manager on the shoulder as all three left.

Both Kermit and Scooter watched the trio headed to the stage, two of them participating in the first of the doubles matches, while the third went to her place on stage with the rest of the Electric Mayhem for their musical set.

To be honest, this was the part that Kermit had been dreading since discovering that nearly all of tonight’s acts would be participating in the pool tournament, especially in light of who those acts and participants were. While he never doubted the group’s overall abilities to perform on stage, as well as their inherent abilities to ad-lib their way through a bad performance, he always doubted their abilities to do both at the same time.

Especially when he hadn’t been informed beforehand in order to go over these little details before the show.

Looking at the schedule that sat on his desk, he knew that Veterinarian’s Hospital would be the next sketch, followed by Fozzie’s act, and only one act stood between that and Gonzo’s. Maybe that’s what was bothering him – all of these acts had been known to fall apart in the past.

Vet’s Hospital, with its hurricane of puns flying everywhere, could easily go from groan to downright giddy giggling; it had happened once, when Piggy – ever the consummate performer – had barely been able to deliver the next line in a routine because she was laughing so hard. In the end, she had ad-libbed it, which caused her fellow castmates to laugh hysterically too.

In times like those, Kermit blamed himself. He really should insist that they read off the script like some of the other acts, even when he knew they wouldn’t do it anyway. He was convinced the three sat around scheming on which inappropriate, inanimate object or person would be their next patient, just to see how many puns they could get in on their short segment.

He had tried calling their bluff once, asking if he should even bother to give them a script next time –

“Oh,” Piggy replied, with a grin. “You should bother.”

“We just won’t bother to read it,” Rowlf chuckled.

Looking around, Kermit noted he didn’t see the normal hospital equipment that was usually backstage in order to change sets, which of course worried him. Of all the cast members he thought wouldn’t suddenly break into ad-libbing or act crashing, it had been those three.

Had, being the appropriate word at the time, until that Swedish Chef act with the percolator. He still wasn’t sure whose idea that was, though his money was on Rowlf; it seemed he always bet on Rowlf when it came to something like that.

And then there was Fozzie.

Fozzie Bear, whom Kermit loved like a brother no doubt, would normally not strike gold until it was least expectant. And while Kermit had sometimes been the unofficial guinea pig when it came to testing out said jokes, the frog couldn’t deny the bear had a tenacity and determination that warranted his going on stage, night after night, with the prospect of his every joke falling on deaf and humorless ears.

There were no words that even came close to describing the torment and terror that Gonzo could put him through.

Shaking his head, Kermit stepped closer to the curtain to get a better look at how the act and pool playing was going.

And certainly not to gaze at Piggy’s legs when she took a shot.


And, for anyone who would like to know what song this is - here ya go!


Sadly, the TV version of this isn't featured on any Monkees albums (I know, I've looked) and personally, I think this is the superior version versus that of the original (which I have)

More acts and more songs coming up next!
 

The Count

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*Is royaly satisfied with this update. At least we know Andy got stripes and Link solids, though that didn't help when he got sunk as the Infinity-Ball's first victim. Interested to see how Rowlf and Piggy fare against the tapdancing pigs. Good song choice, nice to see Scoot getting flustered by a fetching fem. Also liked how Kermit categorized the acts lined up for the night. Thank you for sharing.
 

WebMistressGina

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Here's chapter four and...like the audience, I expect everyone to sing along! :big_grin: Trust me, you'll like it! Oh and a big thanks to Newsmanfan for the suggestion of Rizzo, whom I didn't even think to add. So hopefully, this lives up to the hype. For the moment.

Chapter IV



Back on stage, the risers that the Electric Mayhem used for their performances was set up, overlooking that of the pool table and players that were below them. Amanda had just come off stage, announcing the first of the doubles competition that pitted famed Muppet pool player Pete Gartner and his partner, the famed human pool player of Mika ‘The Ice Man’ Immonen against that of Miss Piggy and Rowlf the Dog.

As the intro was played by the Mayhem, backstage Rizzo the Rat was taking down bets on who would make it out of the first round. He was already looking at fifty bucks for Link’s spectacular failure and he was hoping to add to that when Piggy and Rowlf went down in doubles.

Not to say that he didn’t think his Muppet co-stars couldn’t make it past the first rounds, but these two were up against two all-time champs – Gartner was a five time champ in Muppet circles, while the Ice Man held his own as a two time winner in the men’s division and was a former two time winner of Player of the Year. No slim pickings, for sure.

The only wild cards he could see were that of the singles matches with Gonzo, Fozzie, and Dr. Teeth. While he was sure the leader of the Mayhem would come out on top, Gonzo he didn’t know, especially when the whatever planned on doing his act while playing.

Well, the rat thought as he scurried around taking up bets and money. Even if I lose the pool on his playing, I still got the pool for maiming himself during his act. That always makes big money.

Back on stage, Janice’s soulful voice began the lyrics of the song and the guitarist couldn’t help but smile when she heard some of the audience start singing along.

Just a small town girl,
Livin’ in a lonely world.
I took the midnight train goin’ anywhere.”

Floyd, with his raspy drawl, took up the next verse.

Just a city boy,
Born and raised in south Detroit,
I took that midnight train goin’ anywhere.”

Down below at center stage, Rowlf and Piggy had taken a startling lead, thanks to a missed shot done by Gartner, which accidently sank one of the opposing team’s balls. Rowlf looked over the table, as he lined up his shots. If he could hit the cue ball with the right trajectory, he would be able to knock the three easily in to the left side pocket, which would send the cue down the table to knock the blue number two ball in the corner pocket.

If that worked, it would also line up the cue with the purple number four in the opposite corner.

One of the caveats for those who were not used to chaos ranging around them at all times, the other players were allowed industrial strength earplugs in which to shut out any background numbers. This of course was a shift in the normal rules, as background music could be allowed, but could not overwhelm the participants and distract them. It was this reason that, for the second round, the tournament would mostly likely be held at the pool hall itself.

Dr. Teeth took up the next verse, as Rowlf took his shot, making the three, but missing the two.

A singer in a smokey room,
A smell of wine and cheap perfume.
For a smile, they can share the night.
It goes on and on and on and on, oh right!”

Both the band and the audience were really getting into the song, as were those waiting backstage. On stage, Immonen tried a trick shot that was supposed to hit the striped eleven, to make it jump the orange five that would then send it careening into that of the striped thirteen, which would then sink itself into the right side pocket.

Unfortunately, the angle was off, so instead of landing in the side pocket, it bounced itself off the side to clank against the cue ball and sending it straight at the five, lining up for a near perfect shot in the corner pocket. As Piggy made her way around to make her shot, she of course sang along with the next verse, smugly as she could easily see this was going to be a game in their favor.

Some will win,
Some will lose,
Some were born to sing the blues,
Oh the movie never ends,
It goes on and on and on and on.”

Rizzo, who of course enjoyed a good Journey song, was none the less preoccupied with the fact that he was going to be losing money. And in the fact that he would be losing money, made him wonder if perhaps he should hedge his bets a little better by switching his money over to the long shots; after all, if the dog and pig combo could beat out the pros, there was an actual chance that Fozzie, of all people, could actually win his match with Dr. Teeth.

However unlikely that was, Rizzo immediately switched sides and moved his fifty bucks from the gold tooth band leader to the fuzzy comedian.

On stage, the Mayhem led the crowd in a rockin’ call and answer for their song, as the game between the two teams began to wind down. Gartner and Immonen only needed to hit their last ball, that of the maroon striped fifteen, in order to get their shot at getting the eight ball; Rowlf and Piggy only needed to concentrate on the eight ball.

Don’t stop believin’
Hold on to the feelin’
Streetlights people
Oh oh ooooooh!”

The pool crowd and some of the Muppet crowd applauded when Gartner made his shot with the fifteen, but awed when he missed the eight ball for the side pocket. Piggy and Rowlf seemed to be in a conference about their next shot, but when they broke, anyone who had eyes could see that Piggy was going for the gold and the win.

Just like she did with anything in life.

Hopping up on the end of the pool table, set the eight ball in her sights, just as the band ended the song and the crowd went wild. “Quiet!” came the whispered growl, though it seemed to be loud enough to get a good portion of the audience to quiet themselves.

Pointing her cue stick at the right end corner pocket, the way a baseball player would point to which stadium position their homerun was planning on going, the porcine princess announced, “Eight ball, corner pocket. Nothin’ but net.” Taking careful aim, as well as holding herself as still as possible in order to fall over, Piggy took her shot.

The stick hit the cue ball, which went zooming into the eight ball. The eight ball then made its way, unencumbered, to that of the upper right corner pocket, without so much as touching the sides as it went in. The crowd again went wild, as Gartner and Immonen gracefully shook hands with Rowlf, while Immonen skillfully lifted Piggy from the table and placed her on the floor.

“Merci, Mika,” she cooed, when he made a gentlemanly bow for her expense.

As the two went off stage, they could easily make out the sounds of a pitiful moan coming from the side. “How could ya guys lose?!” cried a brown rat with a red jacket that crossed their path. “I had a hundred bucks on yous guys! What the heck happened?”

“I don’t think you’re aware of just how distracting Miss Piggy can be,” Immonen replied. Looking over his shoulder, he sighed. “What a woman!”

“Better not let Boss Frog hear you say that,” the rat griped. “Or better yet, how about you pay me to keep my mouth quiet on that front?”


:shifty::shifty::shifty::shifty::shifty:


The next segment of the show, the continuing stooooory of a quack that had gone to the dogs, came easily as Rowlf, Piggy, and Janice were already on stage. The backdrop had been changed for the familiar of a hospital outing, however the actors themselves were hardly dressed to operate, much less even give medical advice.

“Dr. Bob,” Nurse Janice began. “I think our next patient is here.”

“A pool table?” the good doctor asked. “I can see how it managed to get past the front desk.”

“How’s that?” asked Nurse Piggy.

“He obviously avoided the queue.”

“Dr. Bob, this is serious,” Nurse Piggy pleaded. “The table seems to be looking a little green.”

“What do you think, Dr. Bob?” Nurse Janice questioned.

Dr. Bob placed a paw on the flat surface and said, “I don’t know. I’ve never felt this way before.”

“Hey wait a minute,” the doctor continued. “I’ve seen this guy before, in fact I saw him right as I was coming into work today.”

“Did you?” asked Janice.

“Where?” asked Piggy.

“In the car pool lane.”

“Dr. Bob,” Nurse Janice interrupted. “If it’s any help, the patient did come in with this.” Janice held up a pool cue before handing it over to Dr. Bob.

“That’s perfect!” the doctor exclaimed. He then placed the stick on the table and announced, “There. I put a stick in it, maybe it’s done.”

“Well, we certainly are,” muttered Piggy.

“Tune in next time when you’ll hear Nurse Janice say…”

“Dr. Bob, I certainly hope the table has the ability to pay.”

“As do I,” replied the doctor. “However, I think it’s okay if we were to give this guy a bit of a discount.”

“Why?” asked both nurses.

“Because the guy’s driver is a real pool shark!”


Seriously not liking my Vet's Hospital bit. Do you know hard it was to find puns in regards to billiards and pool? Harder than I anticipated. However, here's something to make up for it :big_grin:


Next up -

Our next singles match, some another random act, and the Great Gonzo does something utterly insane and stupid.
 

The Count

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Hee... Vet's Hospital isn't that hard to write for. Just keep rolling on with the puns, or the occos, ole!
Magic Voice: Oh lay off. Commercial sign in fifteen seconds.

Don't know that Journey song though, so I'm not singing along, at least not out loud.

Just thought of a bit you could look up and use, a sketch about the number 8 where Grover ends up beating famed pool-player Minnesota Shorts.
:super: Whoever that guy was I'll never know. BTW: Why do they call him 'Minnesota Shorts'?

Is the 7-Ball maroon? Thought they were rainbow-themed: 1 yellow, 2 blue, 3 red, 4 violet/purple, 5 orange, 6 green, 7 indigoish, 8 black.
Thanks for the story, post when you can. :dreamy:
 

WebMistressGina

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Hee... Vet's Hospital isn't that hard to write for. Just keep rolling on with the puns, or the occos, ole!
Magic Voice: Oh lay off. Commercial sign in fifteen seconds.

Don't know that Journey song though, so I'm not singing along, at least not out loud.
I really wanted to do a lot more, so wasn't happy that I couldn't.

And *le gasp* You haven't heard one of the greatest Journey songs ever!?!?!? You, my friend, need to go to a bar with a jukebox and hopefully they have the song and then request it. I guarantee you that everyone will sing it.

Just thought of a bit you could look up and use, a sketch about the number 8 where Grover ends up beating famed pool-player Minnesota Shorts.
:super: Whoever that guy was I'll never know. BTW: Why do they call him 'Minnesota Shorts'?
I went looking for it and found that it's the Rick Moranis episode? For some reason, I'm having issues actually finding it. It sounds familiar, so I'm wondering if it's an episode from my childhood that I've actually seen.

Is the 7-Ball maroon? Thought they were rainbow-themed: 1 yellow, 2 blue, 3 red, 4 violet/purple, 5 orange, 6 green, 7 indigoish, 8 black.
Thanks for the story, post when you can. :dreamy:
I believe it is, at least from this picture -



And these look like the standard ball colors that I've played with. I've never seen an indigo color for any ball type, though I could see the 2/stripe 10 being an indigo color depending on the set.

The next chap may be a little late as I try thinking up a good Fozzie monologue. Luckily, I remembered the insanity that Gonzo planned, so that should go well. Presumably. Is it just me or has the night been going swimmingly? As in, no weird occurrences, no out of place hijinks?

Might have to fix that.:halo:
 

The Count

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Silly WMG, pics don't help me much personally, blind batty eyes and all you know, or maybe you didn't. Meh, common mistake.
Yes! You must provide some chaos or mishap happening (or should that be not happening? or mishappening?) backstage for the Boss Frog, cause them thar Mupp boys are gonna drive him buggy as they jump the balls over the rails never meanin' the Bear-on-Patrol no harm.

More when you can get it. *Departs to finish off the plotting around the castle.
 

Hubert

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And there you go! Hey quick question - so I've seen video of the Muppet Show intro when there's no guest star, but I don't think I've come across any episode in which the show actually didn't have a guest star. I was thinking of one in order to tie with the pool tournament, but couldn't think of someone current that also played pool off the top of my head.

So the question is, were there ever episodes of TMS in which they had no guest star? Thanks.
This is late, I know, but though there weren't any episodes, I do believe that I have seen an intro on some video release or something that was edited to not include a guest star name.
 

WebMistressGina

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Silly WMG, pics don't help me much personally, blind batty eyes and all you know, or maybe you didn't. Meh, common mistake.
Huh. And here I thought that was just your character. Live and learn.

But yes, to my knowledge, the seven & striped ten should be maroon in color.

Yes! You must provide some chaos or mishap happening (or should that be not happening? or mishappening?) backstage for the Boss Frog, cause them thar Mupp boys are gonna drive him buggy as they jump the balls over the rails never meanin' the Bear-on-Patrol no harm.

More when you can get it. *Departs to finish off the plotting around the castle.
I decided for this chap, I'd do a bit of a flashback (I like flashbacks) as to why our little Scootie could completely forget all that makes him the manager with the mostest. And, some background hijinks. :crazy:

Chapter V


Earlier in the month

Scooter Grosse, stage and production manager for the Muppet Show and Muppet movies, was not the kind of guy who hung out in pool halls. His passions ran more towards that of the technological, ever had since he was a kid, and it was only the fly by chance of getting a job as the go-fer for the vaudeville like show that was being put on in his late uncle’s theater that had even introduced the young Muppet to the sights and sounds of the entertainment world.

The theater itself had been a no thought purchase by his uncle, the JP Grosse, on the advice of lawyers that the theater could bring in those richy rich customers who liked going to Broadway shows without needing to actually fly out to Broadway. JP of course hadn’t imagined that a motely band of crazed, insane, and utterly poor group of performers would lease the theater, hence why he had put his nerdy nephew as part of the crew.

One part spy and four parts getting rid of a dorky teenager was all JP had on his mind.

Years later, the young go-fer had made his way up to that of invaluable manager and personal assistant, as well as beloved cast and family member.

On the occasions when either Rowlf or the Mayhem had invited him out, the Muppet had enjoyed the camaraderie with friends than that of the atmosphere of a bar or the games. Once, when he had gone with Rowlf to a little hole in the wall, there had been a darts tournament which had utterly taken over the entire establishment, to the point where – had the two been even five minutes in the door – there would have been no tables for them.

That’s when the idea of perhaps hosting one of these tournaments at the theater had first appeared to him; given the amount of money that was following between the participants and those that were spectating, the young stage manager could easily see the bar making more money in one night than they probably did in the entire week. The amount of money they could raise for their production costs…

The only thing he needed to do was find a tournament that would be bringing in a huge crowd and that would be too small to handle it.

That’s when he first heard about Cosgrove Cool Pool.

:search::search::search::search::search:

Cosgrove Cool Pool was located in Hollywood, but wasn’t on the main strip. This meant it was out of the way, but not completely inclusive of the Hollywood highlife; it was a perfect little pool hall that catered to the non-celebrity citizens who also happened to live in and around the popular and famous city. A detour on the way to the theater had Scooter noticing the flyers for the upcoming pool tournament, a call to all pool players to test their mettle and skills against some of the top players.

Chase Cosgrove was the current owner of Cool Pool, a former pool player himself who enjoyed not only the game, but that of the friendships that could be forged around a good game. The Whatnot seemed the jovial type, a rather tall individual with spikey red hair and matching goatee, and a friendly disposition. While he normally hosted the tournaments in the past, this year he had decided that his daughter Amanda would take over that duty; she had already organized the last two tournaments as well, so this was a chance to fully get her immersed in the business.

When Mr. Cosgrove had called his daughter over, Scooter hadn’t been expecting the gorgeous beauty that came over. Immediately, time seemed to stop and the only thing he saw was her, with an angelic halo above her head and a glowing aura around her. And he heard music in his head…

“She’s Venus in blue jeans,
Mona Lisa with a ponytail
She’s a walkin’ talkin’ work of art
She’s the girl who stole my heart.”

The young Muppet couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this way about a girl; most of the time, his rather high informative personality, mixed in with his inclination to the odd and curious – due in part, he was sure, with the people and the place where he worked – had put many girls off from a romantic pursuit. His high school days had been awkward in general – a highly intelligent Muppet who worked on stage and wasn’t interested in the same gender – put him apart, while mixed with the general awkwardness that most teenagers felt.

He wasn’t adverse to infatuations – beautiful guest stars like Raquel Welch, Julie Andrews, and Melissa Manchester of course had every male on the show jockeying for their attentions; but Scooter had also shouldered infatuations with his co-stars – Janice, Wanda, and even Piggy – for the lovely and kind ladies that they were. Even in his teenaged heart, he knew there was no way that infatuation was or ever could be returned, but in a sense it warmed his heart in the knowledge that somewhere, there was a girl who was every bit as graceful, fun, and talented as those he worked with.

And on that day, standing in Cosgrove Cool Pool, Scooter Grosse was certain he had found it.

:wink::wink::wink::wink::wink:

Amanda Cosgrove had never been backstage at a real theater before. Oh, she had friends who were in the theater while in both high school and college, but she had never seen the kind of antics that were going on back here. All she had to do was go out on stage and introduce the next game in the tournament and that was it; she couldn’t imagine needing to go through this craziness on a daily basis.

Already, she had seen a group of rats involved what looked like an outright fight, a group of chickens running through backstage being chased by a chef holding a carving knife, all the while fish seemed to be zooming back and forth in the air, and the sobs of one Link Hogthrob as he was ‘persuaded’ to forgo one act for another that was hastily thrown together for the comfort of making him happy.

Scooter had given her the rundown on some of the antics she could expect being backstage at the Muppet Show; if cast members weren’t trying to upstage themselves, acts were being performed offstage or things were happening that shouldn’t be happening; it all sounded intriguing and insane at the same time.

In fact, she had been convinced that he had been joking with her on some of those things, until she saw them herself.

And in the thick of things stood one lone frog and one red haired Muppet.

The young Muppet couldn’t help but admire the way the two seemed to conduct and orchestrate the craziness that was going on around them; she likened them to two generals leading their troops on the battlefield – those who were active were either on the battlefield (the stage) and when wounded, would be hauled off for their nightly medical and emotional support.

Fighting occurred on stage, where active members had to combat not only the audience, but their co-stars, and those two dudes in the balcony. Currently, Fozzie Bear was doing a monologue, all the while trying to play pool against Dr. Teeth and retorting against the elderly gentlemen in the balcony. Amanda had ended up stopping a passing member of the Mayhem – Janice, she remembered – to ask her why they would allow the two to heckle not only the bear, but the other acts.

“Like, they don’t mean any harm,” she replied. “At this point, I think Fozzie likes it.”

“Likes it?” Amanda asked, incredulously. “He likes being heckled?”

“Oh no,” the guitarist laughed. “Just by them. I think it gives him an edge he probably wouldn't get anywhere else. And despite what they say, the old dudes like us; they’ll deny it, but they do.”

“I can’t stand it!” she heard from one such gentleman.

“This is completely unbearable!” said the other.

“I’ve bearly started!” came the retort, along with the bear’s signature, “Wocka wocka wocka!” at the end of it.

“All this talk is makin’ me lose my bearings,” Dr. Teeth chuckled. “Hey my comedic compadre, less talkin’ more playin’.”

“I guess that could be pawsible,” Fozzie replied, setting up his shot to make the striped fifteen. Seemingly against all odds, the bear was actually winning, already up by two shots as he went for this. He would need to get around the eight ball, but the comedian managed to use the black ball to his advantage, using it to tap the fifteen into the corner pocket.

“How is the bear winning?” asked the elder man on the left.

Why is the bear winning?” asked his companion. Shouting down to the stage, he asked, “Why aren’t you using those big golden teeth of yours to take a bite out of him?”

“Hey man,” cried the musician. “I’m strictly on the ‘no eating my friends’ band wagon. Categorically speaking.”

“Thanks buddy!” Fozzie said, patting the striped cool cat on the back.

Seeing Kermit sidled up next to her, she couldn’t help but say, “And I suppose you think this is very punny.”

“Sheesh,” the frog groaned. “You haven’t even made it past the first half hour and you’re starting already. No escaping now.”

Amanda laughed before covering her mouth with her hand, afraid that it could have been heard across the stage. “I can’t imagine you guys doing this on a weekly basis,” she whispered. “Scooter said the craziness only intensifies the closer to show time.”

“He’s right,” Kermit said, scrunching his face when he heard a particularly bad joke from his bear best friend. “Sometimes, I wonder what I did without him; he can be a real life saver on any given day.”

“I’ve noticed.”

It was the dreamy sigh that caused him to turn to look at the young lady, watching her watch his second in command, as he went around trying to corral the next few acts to get their stuff together. Kermit had seen that look before, heck he had held that look before, and he couldn’t help but hide a smile. “He’s a good kid, our Scooter,” he said, seeing her nod her agreement, but obviously not paying him any attention.


Another quick question - I have a lot apparently - do we know where Scooter grew up? Like, we know Kermit's a Southern boy, Miss Piggy's from the midwest, Fozzie from the eastcoast (Fozzie's from the east coast, right?), and Gonzo's from outer space (ymmv), but what about Scooter?

I kinda have the idea that he's a city kid, probably from Cali, but not like surfer kid (which now that I think about it, Janice makes a good candidate for being from Cali too). And yes, this is important. Not for this, but... something else.
 
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