<deeeeep breath>
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh....
<backs up a few paces>
Thump. Thump. Thump.
<backs up a few more>
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
<ponders>
Hmmmm...
<backs up, why not, a few more>
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
<exhales>
Whoooooooosh...
<inhales>
Ahhhhhhhh...
<darts towards target at top speed>
ThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThump
<GLOMP!>
WHEEEEEEEEEE!
Okay, we both know I've been Lurky mcLurk Lurk lately... and I honestly DO expect that to change... but anyway, I'm sorry I've been hidden away... but! You know I love ya, AND your story, right? Cause, of course! It's one of my all-time favorites of yours really, and you even started posting it on my birthday, which is too classy for words!
You do know how to my a gal feel loved, you rascal. <ruffles Prawnie's hair>
theprawncracker said:
"Ah ha," Kermit said with a frown. "Um, Animal?"
"Yah?" Animal asked, wide-eyed, from behind his drum set on stage.
I already knew I was going to love this conversation by this point. Animal is SO much fun, and for whatever reason, I love it when he talks to Kermit. They're such opposites, and yet, I think there's a little Kermit in Animal, and a little Animal in Kermit. (Just don't ask me to give evidence. My essay writing days are, for the most part, behind me.)
Also... "Yah?" I
love how you spelled that! I know, I know, what difference does it make. Well, when you're obsessive about such things, then it makes a big difference, and little words like that make such a big impact on me. See, I actually think about how I'm going to spell words like, "um," and "uh huh," and "mmhmm." And I even think about which one I'm going to choose... for instance, is Kermit going to say 'um' or 'uh'... I will actually turn that over in my head for a while, until I pick the one that sounds right in my head. (Betcha you didn't know I was that crazy.) The point is... "yah?" is awesome spelling that makes me very very happy. Thank you.
"I don’t think the stage can handle another performance of that song," Kermit said.
Animal blinked. "No more love song?"
Kermit shook his head. "Not when it’s a high-octane version of ‘Unforgettable.’"
<laughs!> Oh, yeah... that's a beautiful thing. I was listening to "Tenderly" just yesterday, and thinking of how fantastic it is. Makes me want to jump around wildly. Animal's rendition of Unforgettable would certainly live up to its name I'm sure.
Fozzie rubbed his head. "The headache it gave me is certainly unforgettable..."
Fozzie is only not funny when he's on stage.
Kermit nodded. "Go bye-bye, Animal."
"Go bye-bye!" Animal shouted, pushing his drum set off stage. Quite literally actually, right off the stage, back into the band pit.
I love Kermit... so... low-key... until enough of his buttons have been pushed. The mind of anyone else in his position would have snapped like an old rubber band YEARS ago, annd whilst I have my doubts of Kermit's sanity... he does love them, and he does know how to talk to the muppets. "Go bye- bye, Animal." Beautiful.
Clifford propped his feet up on the seat in front of him. "Now what?"
"A death-defying spectacle of unbeknownst proportions?" Gonzo asked wildly.
"What?" Fozzie asked.
Gonzo shrugged. "I’m not sure. I just thought I’d ask."
So... they just watched Animal performing "Unforgettable," and Gonzo's still looking for something death-defying? That's our dear whatever, isn't it, whatever it is. So, that on it's own, is funny enough, and then Fozzie asks what? and, you know, it took me awhile to catch on that he's actually wondering what Gonzo's idea is... not, say, in fear for his life, not, as I would be, trying to brace for impact, but just...what? So open...and that's Fozzie too, no matter how many times he gets burned, always open.
I wish there was more muppet in the world, and no, I didn't for get the 's'. Not more Muppets... more muppet.
"Man, I just wish you’d hurry it up with this next act," Floyd called from the band pit (that was noticeably missing Janice). "We can’t be real musicians if we’re workin’ all day!"
<laughs!>
I have a degree in music. Not only would this make musicians laugh... it would make them nod their heads in agreement. Prawnie, you rock.
Kermit scrunched up his face. "We wouldn’t want that... Scooter, what’s the next number?"
Frog knows musicians too.
Scooter looked down at the clipboard and grinned. "I- uh, well I think I’ll keep it a surprise."
Nice little ribbing (not ribbiting!) of the boss there from Scooter. For all of his "Yes, boss" and "Sure thing"-ing, Scooter is a positive expert in giving Kermit a hard time... and he's one of the most subtle at it too, and I like to see that tweaking now and again.
"It’s not the union of susceptible jack hammers again, is it?" Kermit asked.
I don't know what they're susceptible to, but given their uh, occupation, it can't be headaches... uunless of course it IS headaches, which would be beautifully ironic and very muppety.
"Check!" Gonzo shouted. "Gonzo to Rowlf, Gonzo to Rowlf! Launch the next number!" he said into his headpiece.
Was anyone else VERY glad Gonzo said that to Rowlf, and not to virtually ANY other muppet? "What? Launch? Well, if you say so..." or perhaps, "What? Lunch the next number? Great, I've been so hungry today..."
"Knock ‘em dead," Rowlf called after them. "‘Course ya already killed Gonzo, Clifford, and Floyd inside, but who am I to judge? I’m just a dog," he mumbled.
OOoh, ouch, Rowlf. I'll assume that was with the break up, and not their hard work before the break up.
Love the song choice, rully very fun. Nice to see the girls teaming up to put the guys in their place after that nasty little display not too long ago.
Skeeter took center stage and pierced a gaze through Clifford’s shades, and continued singing. "Some guys take a beautiful girl
And hide her away from the rest of the world
I wanna be the one to walk in the sun!" Skeeter sang. Clifford sunk down into his seat slowly.
Am I the only one who hears this in Larry King's voice? I am? Hmm. Just checking.
Until Fozzie and Scooter broke out in manic applause. "Yeah! Yeah! Oh, that was so good!" Fozzie applauded. "Didn’t you think so, Kermit?"
<giggleS> Scooter being manipulative, for the sheer joy of it? Check.
Fozzie being a naive pawn with a heart of gold? Check.
"Yeah, wasn’t that just great boss?" Scooter asked. "I think they should open this weeks show!"
Kermit gulped, knowing for certain he was getting glares from a whatever, a bass player, and a... catfish type thing. "Well... uh, we still have other acts to-"
Frog caught awkwardly and innocently in the middle with no clear escape route? Check check.
Also... CATFISH! Prawnie I LOVE you ...like the auntie...granny I am.
Kermit kept his eyes glued to the pavement, drawing his trench coat close to his neck as he walked out of the theater. The walk home had gotten longer these days, without a pretty pig or a bouncing nephew walking with him and holding his hand.
Aww... <sniff> Now that is a sure way to get to my heart. Without a pretty pig or a bouncing nephew. Goodness... like shooting Layla in a barrel... and believe me, I'm an easier target than fish would be.
"This dumb trench coat," he muttered. "It’s blazing out here, and I have to wear this thing just to maintain my image."
What a BRILLLIANT line, Prawnie! I mean, that's SO funny! Where on earth did you find that inspired piece of dialogue?
"Hey, frog, watch where you're goin'!" a voice shouted at him.
Kermit looked up, and his eyes were blinded as a camera went off in his face. Kermit brought his hand in front of his face. "Ach," he cried. "What is going on?"
I'm always sort of impressed with Kermit that he still has the strength to ask that question after so many years of Muppet chaos.
The photographer let his camera hang from his chest, pulling out a notepad and pen from his ear. "Name’s Vic Romano, reporter slash photographer for ‘Slanderous Junk Weekly’, you must've heard of us," the man said with a thick New Jersey accent.
YAY! Love the reference, love that he actually says "slash" and love the accent.
"Are you kiddin’ me, Frog?" Vic Romano laughed. "You practically are the tabloids these days!"
How I want that to be true.
Kermit let his eyes meet that of the reporter slash photographer. "Pardon?"
"You mean you don't know?" Vic Romano asked. "You and those two pigs have made the front pages for almost a week! It’s amazin’ gettin’ a picture of that girl pig, though. She practically poses for ‘em!"
<snickers> That's my girl! Well... that's Kermit's girl! Or... she will be again anyway!
Kermit frowned again. "How do ya mean?" he asked.
Has it been THAT long since you've been around Piggy, Kermit?
The salesmen took Kermit's money and handed him a copy of the magazine. "Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?"
Vic Romano swallowed his bite of apple. "Page thirteen."
Ha! Great line!
In big, bold, red letters, splattered above Piggy's head, it read: "PIG ON PIG ROMANCE! DOES THE PUBLIC APPROVE?" Kermit scoffed. "Does the public approve?" he asked aloud. "Since when does Piggy care what the public-"
<giggles> Wow... heartbreaking for Kermit, very funny and just a little bit disturbing. You pack a lot in a paragraph, Prawn!
"You’ll find out that the answer’s yes." Vic Romano kneeled down besides Kermit.
More evidence that public opinion has never matched up with mine. Fascinating idea though, that the public approves Piggy and Link... intriguing.
Kermit frowned. "You know, you’re not helping," he said blankly. He returned his attention to the magazine. Down in the bottom right hand corner of the cover was a picture of Kermit from a past show, when he sang "Bein’ Green", he looked positively miserable. Underneath, it read: "Frog Wallows in Grief, Pig Wallows in Link, the Exclusive Story, page 17."
Well, he's not really trying to Kermit. Don't worry! I'm still in your corner! The headlines are fantastic PRawnie... very grating and cruel and... yeah... true to tabloid form.
"Yeah, not a very flattering picture, I must admit." Vic Romano had sat down now. "But open up, there are some good ones of you and the pig before the spat."
"No thanks." Kermit shoved the magazine in Vic Romano’s chest. He stood up and began to walk away.
Ooh, good Kermit and Piggy pics? I wanna see them!
Kermit stopped dead in his tracks, his back still facing Vic Romano. "Here’s an exclusive story for you," he said without turning around. "Frog hires dynamite plunger-happy lunatic to take out annoying reporter slash photographer."
Oooh, go froggy! I've always wondered why he hired Harry. I guess he was too kind hearted to put him to good use in the past. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, Harry's gotta blow us all up sky-high...
Vic Romano laughed. "Nice talkin’ to ya, Frog. See ya ‘round the swamp sometime."
"Only if you're really, really lucky," Kermit said, starting to walk again.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Vic Romano called down the sidewalk.
"If you’re really, really lucky," Kermit called back. "In the swamp, that means you’ve just seen an alligator."
Oooooh, NICE reference!
"Yeah, what about here in the city?" Vic Romano asked.
Kermit finally turned around, and smirked. "Watch out for semis."
The frog turned around, and slowly walked away.
<laughs> Wow, dark from our erstwhile frog, but I like it. Nice spin on the old line, and one can hardly blame, Kermit!
So... am I forgiven my lurkiness yet?