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Hello hello!
Again, sorry for the lateness here and for the lack of dialogue in this chapter. I figured, I gave you a whole chap of talking last time, so here are some reflections from our two co-owners.
VI.
The days leading up to their eventual meeting on Monday seemed to go slower than normal.
There was a tenseness in the air around the theater that week; while the normal sextet were on speaking terms, there was a more professional aspect to it that Kermit had never experienced before. He knew Piggy had somehow gotten him a reprieve of sorts with the others and he was determined to reward her for that.
How, he wasn’t sure, but he had some ideas.
Despite her assurances that everyone was a bit calmer – and that neither Rowlf nor Gonzo would murder him in his sleep anytime soon – the frog wasn’t exactly feeling that. True, they were talking to him at least, but the same camaraderie that they had before seemed to have slipped through his flippers at some point.
Even Fozzie, of all people, was a bit standoffish with him those final days. He had once told the bear that he was probably the only person that was loyal to him – during that dark days at the end – and now he done the utmost unthinkable thing ever. Complete and total mistrust from the bear who trusted everyone.
Kermit had certainly made his share of mistakes in the past, but this one seemed to be the biggest and most glaring. Even with all the excuses he could come up with didn’t seem to hold any water to what was the ultimate betrayal to the others; it wasn’t as though he lied to them! Okay, he didn’t exactly tell them anything, but really. What would telling them have done in the first place? And in that thinking, Kermit realized that a lot of this was his fault.
If he had told everyone what happened, maybe it wouldn’t have gotten to this; perhaps if he had been truly honest with himself in that Jim’s death hurt him more than he realized, he would’ve gotten a little more time off; maybe if he spent more time showing Piggy how much he really did love her instead of denying it every five minutes, she wouldn’t have left.
Thinking over regrets wouldn’t get him anywhere and he knew it. What was to say that with the film scrapped, the others wouldn’t have left then instead of three weeks later? What if his time mourning his friend never ended, then what? And what if he had done all of the romantic gestures, would Piggy have still stayed? What was to say that she wouldn’t have gone to Paris and met some other guy? What then?
He knew what then – he’d still be in a house, by himself, still saddened and feeling without a friend in the world, that’s what.
Sheesh, when did he become such a cynic?
The only way to go now was up and Kermit was determined to do just that. Sure, his friends were probably barely tolerating him, but so what? Despite his objections to the contrary, the frog had made a promise, to himself and to those that courageously and stupidly followed his dream down the path to Hollywood, and he had kept that promise.
And he would continue to keep that promise.
Even if he had to be the bad guy to do it.
[hr]
Wednesday started off a busy rest of the week for Scooter.
On top of his duties with the theater, he had been hard at work trying to get in contact with his lawyers in terms of how to go about splitting his share of the Muppet Theatre with the others. The entire process reminded him why he had given it to Kermit in the first place and why he had never been interested in business.
Scooter couldn’t say he wasn’t fortunate for it though. Certainly he couldn’t do his job properly if he didn’t know something about the business world and how it operated in sunny California. Luckily with his interest in most things technology, learning the tricks of the trade through an electric sense was suited to him and being quick study and eager learner he was, learning the admin tasks that he needed to keep Kermit on task, Piggy on task, and himself on task was all the better.
Of course, being assistant to the power couple and everyone else in the Muppets was a heck of a lot easier than trying to run all the companies that his uncle had managed to get under his belt. When JP died, as his only living heir, Scooter pretty much got everything and the kitchen sink in the will, including the lot where Muppet Studios was. He had honestly been quite surprised at that, as he had always thought he was somewhat of a burden to the businessman, especially when they didn’t share the same interests.
So for him to read the rather lengthy note his uncle had left for him, dealing everything he had ever done in his life and what he was giving the young Muppet had been a shock. Some of the things in that letter – regarding his parents, the Muppets, and even JP himself – had been an eye opener and something that Scooter was glad he was a bit older to understand and absorb. He had never thought to once thank the mustachioed Muppet for putting him where he was.
As much as he hated this aspect of his life, he wasn’t going to complain too much; that inheritance had made sure he was able to go to the most prestigious of film schools in California, as well as making sure he had a home to live in and food to eat. Not that his paycheck with the Muppets was bad, but shelling out money to what amounted to nearly a hundred crazy cast of characters sometimes didn’t leave enough to pay the bills.
Luckily, JP Grosse was an astute businessman and made sure to keep astute businesspeople around him. He only hired the very best when it came to his businesses and, as Scooter would later learn, only the best when it came to securing a future where Scooter was the only Grosse left. JP had of course been very prolific when it came to his business practices – not only did he invest in companies and buildings, but he had several stocks and trades that were worth millions and billions of dollars. In the whole scheme of things, it was only the Muppets that were the lowest cost he had on the books.
This was of course during their old show days, when production and filming had to be done across the pond and then brought back to the states, but when their first, then second, then third movie hit theaters, their stock hit the roof. Before their eventual demise, the Muppet name was making the Grosse name very wealthy.
Currently however, it didn’t matter how much wealth Scooter had, his patience was wearing thin by the time the weekend rolled around. While his and Kermit’s idea had been quite simple, the process of getting it all done was way more than he bargained for. Every lawyer he talked to wouldn’t let him simply hand over shares of Muppet Studios; in the legal sense of it all, it was an acquisition on his part, for that’s what he was planning on doing – taking over the company from Kermit the Frog.
Even trying to get them to possibly consider that he was actually merging the company into five different hands didn’t come out right, because every lawyer insisted that it was an acquisition and that ‘merger’ was the nicer way of saying he was basically taking back control over his company. Acquisition, he decided, was a better term than what they were using, which was takeover, but even he couldn’t argue against the merits. He was effectively taking over the company from Kermit and while the frog would still have control, it was only partial and split between him and five others.
And no doubt, Scooter would have the ultimate say in what happened.
This was exactly what he didn’t want and was trying to avoid when he first learned that Muppet Studios now belonged to him. He had been too young, too shocked, and frankly, too scared to handle everything that went with his new status of celebrity heir; Kermit had saved him from that by taking the studios, where Scooter was at least aware that the frog would do whatever he could to keep it afloat and well within their grasp.
Kermit’s recklessness in that regard had not only stunned the page, but disappointed him. Admittedly, for those he kept close, they could do no wrong in his eyes and Kermit was one of those people. It wasn’t until the ultimate collapse that Scooter could see the not nice traits that the frog held to him and it was only when he was older, that he realized all of his friends – his family – had bad quirks.
Even he did it! While helpful when he could and should be, Scooter could equally be a bit petty, spiteful at times, and even a bit childish.
This week had been the hardest on him, as well as one that made him grow up just a bit. Kermit hadn’t been in a good place for a very long and it wasn’t hard to imagine the frog at his wits end at trying to keep everyone together when it was clear they were all falling apart. Scooter knew, deep down, that Kermit would never do anything to willingly jeopardize them or their name; the redhead had no doubt let his previous anger cloud his judgment and he had done what he had wanted to do, had wished he had done, the last time he had seen the frog.
But that was all in the past and what mattered now was the present.
Stopping by one of the local coffee shops for his fourth cup that morning, Scooter sat in his car enjoying his beverage before the inevitable. Pulling out his cell phone, he quickly thumbed through his contacts before he found the one he needed, grimacing as he did. He always hated talking to this guy. On the upside, the lawyer had told the staff that if anyone with the last name Grosse called to put it to him immediately, no matter what.
Dialing, he drank the hot liquid, letting it warm his soul before this next conversation left it, he listened to at least four rings before the other line was picked up by one of the office secretaries.
“Julie,” he said. “Andrew Grosse. How are you? Good. Is Sterling in his office by chance? I have something important to discuss with him.”
Again, sorry for the lateness here and for the lack of dialogue in this chapter. I figured, I gave you a whole chap of talking last time, so here are some reflections from our two co-owners.
VI.
The days leading up to their eventual meeting on Monday seemed to go slower than normal.
There was a tenseness in the air around the theater that week; while the normal sextet were on speaking terms, there was a more professional aspect to it that Kermit had never experienced before. He knew Piggy had somehow gotten him a reprieve of sorts with the others and he was determined to reward her for that.
How, he wasn’t sure, but he had some ideas.
Despite her assurances that everyone was a bit calmer – and that neither Rowlf nor Gonzo would murder him in his sleep anytime soon – the frog wasn’t exactly feeling that. True, they were talking to him at least, but the same camaraderie that they had before seemed to have slipped through his flippers at some point.
Even Fozzie, of all people, was a bit standoffish with him those final days. He had once told the bear that he was probably the only person that was loyal to him – during that dark days at the end – and now he done the utmost unthinkable thing ever. Complete and total mistrust from the bear who trusted everyone.
Kermit had certainly made his share of mistakes in the past, but this one seemed to be the biggest and most glaring. Even with all the excuses he could come up with didn’t seem to hold any water to what was the ultimate betrayal to the others; it wasn’t as though he lied to them! Okay, he didn’t exactly tell them anything, but really. What would telling them have done in the first place? And in that thinking, Kermit realized that a lot of this was his fault.
If he had told everyone what happened, maybe it wouldn’t have gotten to this; perhaps if he had been truly honest with himself in that Jim’s death hurt him more than he realized, he would’ve gotten a little more time off; maybe if he spent more time showing Piggy how much he really did love her instead of denying it every five minutes, she wouldn’t have left.
Thinking over regrets wouldn’t get him anywhere and he knew it. What was to say that with the film scrapped, the others wouldn’t have left then instead of three weeks later? What if his time mourning his friend never ended, then what? And what if he had done all of the romantic gestures, would Piggy have still stayed? What was to say that she wouldn’t have gone to Paris and met some other guy? What then?
He knew what then – he’d still be in a house, by himself, still saddened and feeling without a friend in the world, that’s what.
Sheesh, when did he become such a cynic?
The only way to go now was up and Kermit was determined to do just that. Sure, his friends were probably barely tolerating him, but so what? Despite his objections to the contrary, the frog had made a promise, to himself and to those that courageously and stupidly followed his dream down the path to Hollywood, and he had kept that promise.
And he would continue to keep that promise.
Even if he had to be the bad guy to do it.
[hr]
Wednesday started off a busy rest of the week for Scooter.
On top of his duties with the theater, he had been hard at work trying to get in contact with his lawyers in terms of how to go about splitting his share of the Muppet Theatre with the others. The entire process reminded him why he had given it to Kermit in the first place and why he had never been interested in business.
Scooter couldn’t say he wasn’t fortunate for it though. Certainly he couldn’t do his job properly if he didn’t know something about the business world and how it operated in sunny California. Luckily with his interest in most things technology, learning the tricks of the trade through an electric sense was suited to him and being quick study and eager learner he was, learning the admin tasks that he needed to keep Kermit on task, Piggy on task, and himself on task was all the better.
Of course, being assistant to the power couple and everyone else in the Muppets was a heck of a lot easier than trying to run all the companies that his uncle had managed to get under his belt. When JP died, as his only living heir, Scooter pretty much got everything and the kitchen sink in the will, including the lot where Muppet Studios was. He had honestly been quite surprised at that, as he had always thought he was somewhat of a burden to the businessman, especially when they didn’t share the same interests.
So for him to read the rather lengthy note his uncle had left for him, dealing everything he had ever done in his life and what he was giving the young Muppet had been a shock. Some of the things in that letter – regarding his parents, the Muppets, and even JP himself – had been an eye opener and something that Scooter was glad he was a bit older to understand and absorb. He had never thought to once thank the mustachioed Muppet for putting him where he was.
As much as he hated this aspect of his life, he wasn’t going to complain too much; that inheritance had made sure he was able to go to the most prestigious of film schools in California, as well as making sure he had a home to live in and food to eat. Not that his paycheck with the Muppets was bad, but shelling out money to what amounted to nearly a hundred crazy cast of characters sometimes didn’t leave enough to pay the bills.
Luckily, JP Grosse was an astute businessman and made sure to keep astute businesspeople around him. He only hired the very best when it came to his businesses and, as Scooter would later learn, only the best when it came to securing a future where Scooter was the only Grosse left. JP had of course been very prolific when it came to his business practices – not only did he invest in companies and buildings, but he had several stocks and trades that were worth millions and billions of dollars. In the whole scheme of things, it was only the Muppets that were the lowest cost he had on the books.
This was of course during their old show days, when production and filming had to be done across the pond and then brought back to the states, but when their first, then second, then third movie hit theaters, their stock hit the roof. Before their eventual demise, the Muppet name was making the Grosse name very wealthy.
Currently however, it didn’t matter how much wealth Scooter had, his patience was wearing thin by the time the weekend rolled around. While his and Kermit’s idea had been quite simple, the process of getting it all done was way more than he bargained for. Every lawyer he talked to wouldn’t let him simply hand over shares of Muppet Studios; in the legal sense of it all, it was an acquisition on his part, for that’s what he was planning on doing – taking over the company from Kermit the Frog.
Even trying to get them to possibly consider that he was actually merging the company into five different hands didn’t come out right, because every lawyer insisted that it was an acquisition and that ‘merger’ was the nicer way of saying he was basically taking back control over his company. Acquisition, he decided, was a better term than what they were using, which was takeover, but even he couldn’t argue against the merits. He was effectively taking over the company from Kermit and while the frog would still have control, it was only partial and split between him and five others.
And no doubt, Scooter would have the ultimate say in what happened.
This was exactly what he didn’t want and was trying to avoid when he first learned that Muppet Studios now belonged to him. He had been too young, too shocked, and frankly, too scared to handle everything that went with his new status of celebrity heir; Kermit had saved him from that by taking the studios, where Scooter was at least aware that the frog would do whatever he could to keep it afloat and well within their grasp.
Kermit’s recklessness in that regard had not only stunned the page, but disappointed him. Admittedly, for those he kept close, they could do no wrong in his eyes and Kermit was one of those people. It wasn’t until the ultimate collapse that Scooter could see the not nice traits that the frog held to him and it was only when he was older, that he realized all of his friends – his family – had bad quirks.
Even he did it! While helpful when he could and should be, Scooter could equally be a bit petty, spiteful at times, and even a bit childish.
This week had been the hardest on him, as well as one that made him grow up just a bit. Kermit hadn’t been in a good place for a very long and it wasn’t hard to imagine the frog at his wits end at trying to keep everyone together when it was clear they were all falling apart. Scooter knew, deep down, that Kermit would never do anything to willingly jeopardize them or their name; the redhead had no doubt let his previous anger cloud his judgment and he had done what he had wanted to do, had wished he had done, the last time he had seen the frog.
But that was all in the past and what mattered now was the present.
Stopping by one of the local coffee shops for his fourth cup that morning, Scooter sat in his car enjoying his beverage before the inevitable. Pulling out his cell phone, he quickly thumbed through his contacts before he found the one he needed, grimacing as he did. He always hated talking to this guy. On the upside, the lawyer had told the staff that if anyone with the last name Grosse called to put it to him immediately, no matter what.
Dialing, he drank the hot liquid, letting it warm his soul before this next conversation left it, he listened to at least four rings before the other line was picked up by one of the office secretaries.
“Julie,” he said. “Andrew Grosse. How are you? Good. Is Sterling in his office by chance? I have something important to discuss with him.”
Maybe it was the soup that killed him.
No no! Soup güd! *Sips some, then keels over too.
