Say Cheese!

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter Four

The Entertainer played in electronic notes through the darkened theater. The sound could be traced to a dressing room. From there, it could be followed to the vanity, where a cell phone sat, charging and ringing.

The Entertainer came to a close. No one was there to answer the phone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

Kermit frowned as he hung up the pay phone after leaving a message. “She didn’t answer,” he said.

Fozzie squeezed his hat in his hands. “Maybe she’s back at the house all ready,” he suggested.

“I hope so,” Kermit said. “But she always answers her phone…” He tried to push it to the back of his mind as he went to the front of the waiting room. “Everybody ready to go?” he said. A boomerang fish slapped him across his face, which he promptly scrunched. “I guess that’s a yes,” he said. “Come on, guys. Let’s go home.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

Miss Piggy stopped walking and smiled. Finally, she knew where she was! Now she had to get to the hospital. As much as she hated to sweat, she ran. She had to get to the hospital now.

She reached the hospital door just in time to see the Studebaker and the Electric Mayhem bus pull away.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

Rowlf settled in on the couch and examined his casts. “Eating will be interesting,” he said. “We got straws?”

“Of course,” Kermit said.

“What can you eat with a straw?” Fozzie asked, confused.

“Milkshakes!” Robin proclaimed as he hopped onto the couch. “Three milkshakes a day! Right, Rowlf?”

“Hey, sounds good to me,” Rowlf said.

The door creaked open, and everyone looked up as an exhausted Miss Piggy slid herself in. Her eyes went straight to the piano and, seeing it vacant, she stiffened.

Kermit’s face leaked a little relief before growing firm. “Where have you been?” he asked, standing up and approaching to face her. “Are you okay?”

Her eyes scanned the room. “Fine,” she said vaguely. She saw Rowlf and her shoulders relaxed. “Are you all right, Rowfie?”

All eyes shifted from the pig to the dog.

Rowlf lifted his casts. “I’ve got stubs for paws and all I smell is Swiss cheese. How d’you think I am?” He grinned. “Besides those things I’m fine.”

She nodded.

“Where were you?” Kermit asked her.

She turned and looked at him levelly. “I was chasing a purse thief,” she said quietly. “And after that I was lost.”

“Did you try Harry Krishna?” Gonzo asked.

There were a few chuckles, but Kermit kept a steady gaze on Miss Piggy as she visibly tensed and then took a deep breath.

“I’m going to bed,” she said quietly. She moved around Kermit and began to climb the stairs.

“Why didn’t you call someone?” Kermit asked, turning to face her retreating back. “Why didn’t you answer when we called you?”

Miss Piggy slowly turned and looked at him. “My phone is at the theater,” she said slowly and softly. “Otherwise, I would have called. Of course.” The last words were biting. “Goodnight…”

She turned and made her way to her bedroom. With the door closed and her privacy secured, she sank down to the floor. Hadn’t she done the right thing? Wasn’t it right of her to chase her purse? She opened it, looked inside, and picked out the most valuable items for evaluation- the most important of them all being a picture of Kermit.

She gazed at it for a long time without seeing it. Instead she saw the look of disappointment that had just been on his face.

Kermit was disappointed in her. She had let him down.

She burst into tears.

 

[theprawncracker]

PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh the poor baby!! I NEED to hug her!!! And Gonzo! HA! Fozzie was great too! MORE PUH-LEASE other half!

...I'll leave the rest of the raving to Layla.

 

[redBoobergurl]

Poor Piggy...

Have you tried Harry Krishna! It's the gag that never dies!!!! Love it! Three milkshakes a day, lucky Rowlf, but I suppose that could get old fast!

Great chapter, looking forward to more!

 

[The Count]

Oy... Yes it can, remind me to tell you of when I went on a 2-week liquid diet after an operation I had some years back.

Lisa! Yaey for the new chapter!
Short and yet it carries across what needs to be said... Rowlf's back home. Piggy found her way back to the theater and then the boarding house. Gonzo and Fozzie making small talk jokes we recognize and squee at. And then Piggy breaking down in the privacy of her inner sanctum.
Great stuff... Now post more please!

 

[TogetherAgain]

AIEIEIE! You want more NOW? ...True, chapter five is ready for typing... But that doesn't mean I am! Please, I just got back from a board meeting and I've got two more deadlines in front of me- the LAST thing I want is another one!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I know you're not giving me a deadline you're just nagging like the wonderful readers you are! So I'll see what I can do for you, and when I can do it...

 

[Leyla]

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She's started another one! Boy, Prawnie should have birthday's more often!
Anyway, hooray!!!

Kermit was looking a tad more stressed than usual. Rowlf could easily see why.

"Oh, Ty!" Miss Piggy was saying to the guest star. "Moi am just THRILLED to be working with vous again!"

<giggles> Yep! that would do it! Ty Pennington! What a great choice for a guest star! He's a fun guy on camera, and wacky enough to fit in very nicely with our loveable gang. Obviously Piggy has noticed how easy on the eyes he is! Ah, and dear, dear jealous, frustrated Kermit. In this case he seems to be more frustrated than jealous in fact, because of Piggy's jealousy! It's about that double standard she has. On the other hand, she's made a public display of devotion to him far more regularly than she's flirted with anyone else, and Kermit's no stranger to... a little harmless flirting himself, and he's been rather dodgy on the subject of his interest in her... professional or otherwise (Yes, yes, I know I'm hopelessly biased. There's a reason I'm an ushy gushy girl, and I've made that nice and public.)

Kermit turned to Rowlf and sighed. Rowlf shook his head, patted the frog on the back, and headed onto the stage.

Ah, the frog and the dog. There's a sort of easygoing wisdom in Rowlf, and of all Kermit's friends, he's really got the most "older brother" kind of relationship with the frog. Everyone looks to Kermit, and Kermit does, in fact, rely on everyone around him, but with Rowlf it's more overt, and with Kermit in the dependant role. At least, that's how the emotional dynamic can work sometimes, in other ways, Kermit is unquestionably the leader.

He sighed. "I don't understand her sometimes."

"I don't understand her most of the time," Rowlf said.

Kermit folded his face. "You're not helping."

Folded his face... yes, he does do that. I like it! Kermit may not appreciate it right now, but Rowlf IS making a valid point there. Kermit's got a frog leg up on most of them!

Backstage, Miss Piggy was coming down from her dressing room. "Oh, Kermie!" she said. "It's so wonderful to have Ty here, don't vous think so?"

Kermit put down his pencil and turned to her. "Miss Piggy, why do you do this?"

Ooh! Kermit's feeling confrontational today! Actually, Piggy obviously is too, baiting him shamelessly like that. There's no possible way that she doesn't know she's provoking him. It's always a little dangerous when she's pouring on the chirpy, sugary charm.

Miss Piggy made a face. "Moi am not THROWING moi's self at Ty's feet."

"Oh? And what are you doing, then?"

She huffed. "Oh, well, Kermie, that- that's different..."

"Oh yeah? How?"

"Well... well Ty knows that we're just friends."

"Yeah, and Julia knows that we're strictly professional. So why can't I talk to her?"

"Well, you can talk to her, Kermie, it's just that-"

Nice argument you've got going on here, Lisa. Nice dynamics between the two of them, the back and forth. Feels like a Jim and Frank one to me, and I can't think of anything nicer to say than that!

Kermit was starting to get angry. "But you wouldn't LET me talk to her, Piggy! You keep controlling everything I do. It's driving me crazy, Piggy!"

Miss Piggy glared at him, turned and began to storm back to her room. She stopped outside the door and turned to face him. "I control because I care!" she shouted, and she slammed the door behind her.

<giggles> Yep. Love the similarities with that spying argument in MTM... and we all know how that ends. Anyway, you've gone a lovely job setting up all the tensions here... because of course, having read every other chapter, my stomach is all twisty over the two of them, Rowlf and Gonzo... trouble a brewing!

Rowlf shook his head as he sat down at the piano and Kermit came out in front of the curtain. "And now, for another unique theatrical experience from our own in house daredevil, the Great Gonzo! YAAAAAY!" He waved his arms around in the air as he left the stage. Rowlf shook his head, wondering where the frog got the enthusiasm from.

Some things we will never know this side of the curtain! Great Kermity introduction!

The curtain opened on Gonzo, standing with a line of cannons. A few members of the audience clapped, more out of sympathy than enthusiasm.

<laughs> Ooh, nice touch... sympathy claps!

"Yes! Thank you!" Gonzo shouted. "Tonight, I shall fire Swiss cheese from these well-tuned cannons to the melody of 'Figaro' with accompaniment on the piano!"

Rowlf turned to the Electric Mayhem. "How would one go about tuning a cannon?" They chuckled.

<shakes head> Wow. Only Gonzo. That would be incredibly fun to watch though, wouldn't it? Kudos on coming up with one of the most crazy Gonzo stunts I can recall at present. <sigh> And the Rowlf joke... it's sweet, just like him, and of course, makes me want to scream, "duck!" before that act gets started.

Rowlf began to play, and he heard the cannons boom. Swiss cheese flew through the theater, smattering on the ceiling and raining down on the audience. It was a surprisingly accurate rendition.

<laughs> That last line there MAKES this act. Simple, and hysterical.

Rowlf didn't notice that the second cannon was no longer pointing at the ceiling.

Six over, ten back, five left, nine right, four left, second to last, farthest right, second farthest right, seven to the left...

BLAM!

<flinches> Oh, Rowlf! What a terrible and muppety accident!!

The second farthest cannon to the right fired straight into the band pit. Swiss cheese hurled at Rowlf, smacking his head, slapping into his ears, smothering his nose, ricocheting onto the piano keys. The force of the cheese knocked him onto the floor. The smell overwhelmed him.

He felt a thick darkness creeping over him. He groaned, tried to fight it. But, oh, the pain... and that smell... His whole head was throbbing with pain... pain... pain... and that smell... pain... smell...

<shudders> Oh, and the smell of it! Oh course, Rowlf is a dog so his nose is SO important to him. Wow... scary, Lisa... and I know he's gonna be okay!

I'll catch up on the other chapters later, Lisa! I'm at the end of my reviewing strength right now. Know that I love them though, and you'll find out why soon enough!

Hugs!

Leyla

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter Five

Early the next morning, when most everyone else was still in bed, Rowlf found himself sitting at the piano, staring at the keys. He was here out of habit more than anything. It was just part of his routine. He woke up early each morning, came downstairs, and quietly played piano.

Almost always, someone else came down at some point. They would sit near by and talk about something that was bothering them, and he was more than happy to listen as he played.

Today he looked at his casts. He did not wonder if he could play, or how he could play. He wondered if he knew how to not play.

He lifted his paws and gently uncurled his fingers to touch the keys. His paws were swollen and aching. The casts bound his fingers just a little too tightly for him to reach for any notes, and it would be nearly impossible to use his thumbs at the same time as his fingers. Sharps and flats would also have to be forgotten.

His eyes drifted towards the stairs. Who would come down today? Maybe Kermit would; Miss Piggy had caused him noticeably more distress than usual last night. On the other hand, maybe Miss Piggy would come, although she was more likely to stop by the band pit when the frog took a lunch break.

He took his forefinger and lightly pressed on Middle C. Too lightly. The piano did not make a sound.

Maybe Fozzie would come and release all the extra stress from suddenly taking over the show when Kermit had gone with Rowlf. Maybe Scooter would come and complain that he should have taken over.

He pressed Middle C again, a little harder. The note was soft, but it was there- and so was the stinging pain running from his finger through his wrist. He lifted his paw.

Maybe Gonzo would come down; he felt guilty about last night, despite Rowlf’s reassurances. Maybe Robin would want to talk; he always had interesting things to say, but he usually liked to sleep a little later.

He lifted and twisted his wrist slightly to set his thumb on Middle C. It hurt to twist, but he pressed the key. It still hurt. He raised his paws to his eyes and frowned at his casts. “Hey,” he murmured sternly. “I’ve gotta play.” He shook his head. “Don’t know how not to. You’ve gotta let me play.” He settled his paws on the keys. There had to be a way.

Maybe Rizzo would come down and vent about his siblings; from the look on his face lately, they were vexing him again. Or perhaps Hilda would come and ramble about the recent dilemma of choosing the proper stitch to resize Miss Piggy’s costume.

He decided to try something different. Instead of using the strength of each finger to press the keys, maybe he could use his whole arm. He tried Middle C again. His fingers pressed up against the inside of his cast, and it hurt… but not as much as the other attempts had hurt. Or maybe he just didn’t notice anymore.

Perhaps Floyd or Clifford would come down for a long banter about women and female-related troubles. Clifford, more likely; his date had gone sour two nights ago, while Floyd and Janice were on good terms.

The trouble with this new method of striking the keys was that it was hard to hit one key at a time. He was more likely to strike at least two or three keys at once. He would have to work on it. And what better way to work on it than to practice? And what better way to practice than to play a song? No matter if it was unrecognizable. The point was just to play.

Maybe a penguin- or a few penguins- would come to quack. One penguin kept getting dropped when they flipped, which brought all of their spirits down. Or maybe Pepe would come and talk about choosing which hand to use for what. No matter what was on his mind, when he had a morning chat with Rowlf, he would talk about his hands.

Rowlf lifted his paws from the keys, stared at his casts, and sighed. It was time to stop playing for the morning. He felt sore from trying. Besides, there were noises from above, which meant people were awake. The time of confidentiality in the Muppet Boarding House had passed.

And no one had come to talk.

The Swedish Chef came humming down the stairs to make breakfast. “Groo shfeer, de huulney!” he cheerfully greeted the dog.

Rowlf smiled a big, broad smile. “Woof, arf, bark bark!” he said.

“Wellno svuunee?”

“Woof woof!”

“Shvear de huushkey duumly.”

“Bark, bark! Woof.”

Neither of them could understand the other, and in that, there was understanding.

Just like every morning.

 

[theprawncracker]

...Oh my gosh...Lisa this was so...Wow. I really can't describe to you HOW awesome this was. The line about Clifford and Floyd! WOW! Pepe! WOOT! Penguins!! WHEEE!! Speaking of which...

*Zany runs in with a cue card that reads: "APPLAUSE!"*

And I think that says it all. Oh and this:

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLF!!!

There, that should do it. Oh! And this: MORE PLEASE!! Wait, no, hold up, I can't get behind...

 

[The Count]

Well now... That wasn't too hard was it? But how can Rowlf and the Chef not understand each other or not speak the same language? They're rooming with you at the moment.
Great chapter and I rully do like how you take the time to go through all the different Muppets' conversational ploys during the early morning break as Rowlf tries to attempt playing the piano. It also strikes at the hearts the concept of Rowlf mentalizing he doesn't know how not to play.

Great stuff, thanks for the update. Besides, you just couldn't let Prawny get the upper hand, all even at 5's apiece.
Expect more from the two of you when you can... And don't forget to update your other stories like Flippersteps or The Time to Beat Time.

 

[redBoobergurl]

Ohhh....poor Rowlf....I thought I put him through alot in my stories about him! I felt so bad as he was trying to play and figure out how to play and it's just so hard for him. And then as he's waiting for someone to come down and talk to him and no one comes. I just wanna give him a hug! But I do love when the Swedish Chef comes down and how neither of them could understand each other. It's humorous but the last line is actually quite beautiful

Neither of them could understand the other, and in that, there was understanding

.
Very nice. Can't wait to read more (Although I'd love some more of Flippersteps too...)