Dr. Batorious: And now the award for Best Author…

 

::Nobody comes out. An awkward pause fills the auditorium. Dr. Indy peeks out from behind the curtain, makes a circular hand motion and the orchestra plays.  He runs around backstage and pokes his head out a door near where Pupspals is sitting enjoying the show::

Dr. Indy:  Psst!  ...  Psst!

::Pupspals thinks she hears something and turns her head towards the door.  She sees Dr. Indy waving her over.  She goes to the door and the two talk in whispered tones.

pupspals: what is it?

Indy: I need your help.  You gotta present the next award!

pupspals: But I haven't prepared anything!  What happened to the person who was supposed to do it?

::Indy notices that others are starting to watch the conversation.  He tries not to make a scene::

Indy: Everything's already in the TelePrompTer. I just need you to read it!

pupspals (confused):  But if it's in the TelePrompTer then can't you do it?

::pupspals looks past Dr. Indy to backstage.  Gadget's playing with a new invention::

Gadget: I told you, Monty...  this should work with no problems!  Don't worry!!

::Gadget licks a switch and there's a huge flash of light followed by people backstage running away from the machine.  Dr. Indy blocks her view as well as nearby audience members::

Dr. Indy (desperate):  It's complicated.  Please??

pupspals:  Sure!  No problem.  I'll be right up.

Marty:  Hey!

::Indy and pupspals turn to look at the voice.  It's Marty from “Eon Kid” who was sitting next to pupspals in the audience.  He's joined by his robot dog Buttons as well as Wubbzy, Widget and Walden from “Wow Wow Wubbzy”::

Marty:  You said if you presented something this year we could help so we could plug our shows!  That was the deal!

Walden:  Yes, yes, yes!  We need not recreate our discussion from outside the taxi.

Marty:  Season two hasn't been greenlit for me yet.  I need a plug!

Buttons:  Don't tell me you've gone back on your promise!

Wubbzy:  Can we help?  Pleeeeeese???

pupspals:  I didn't write the presentation, it's last minute!  I'm just reading the prompter!

Widget:  Well we can read as good as anybody!

::pupspals turns helplessly to Dr. Indy.  He shrugs::

Dr. Indy:  I need something on stage, now. Go for it!

::pupspals points to the stage::

pupspals:  Help yourself guys!

Wubbzy:  Wow wow WOW!!!!

::They run up on stage.  pupspals motions for the music to stop. Wubbzy bounces up and down on his tail behind the podium::

Wubbzy:  I... can't... see... the screen!

::Widget gently nudges him to the side::

Widget:  Why don't you go get the award, little buddy.

::Wubbzy bounces off stage to get the golden acorn.  Buttons runs after::

Buttons:  Hey!  I can't let you have all the fun!

::Marty and Walden share the podium and look at the TelePrompTers::

Marty (reading): Hi!  This is Gadget and I—wait...

::The audience laughs::

Walden (reading): And I'm Clarice!

::More laughter::

Marty:  I think we need to skip that part...

Walden (reading): Say, Gadget... how important is the author in a fanfic?

Marty:  We should skip the names...  (reading) Very important!  Why without an author the story wouldn't exist!  And what makes a good story, Clar...er... Walden?

Walden (reading) Why a good author, Gadget!

Marty:  I'm Marty!!

 

::Dale rolls on the floor, laughing::

Walden (reading): That's why we're here right now.  To display the best of the best!  To give the award for the Best Author!  Ready to give the award, Gadget?

Marty:  Marty!!  I'm Marty!!

::Widget steps in between them::

Widget:  The nominees are...

Midnight Man

Mr. Spumoni

RangerReady23

Stainless Steel Rat

Indy

Walden (reading):  What a great group of authors with great stories!  Don't you agree, Gadget?

Marty:  I'm not even going to answer that...

Widget (reading):  Why yes!  Let's find out who won!

 

::Dale can’t catch his breath on the floor and goes into dry heaves as he tries to wipe the tears of laughter out of his eyes::

::They turn and watch as Wubbzy, riding Buttons like a horse, comes on stage.  Wubbzy is holding the trophy and Buttons is holding the envelope in his mouth.  Buttons gives the envelope to Marty::

Marty:  The winner is...

::He tries to open the envelope but his big right hand of Iron gets in the way.  He struggles with it, bends the envelope, twists it, wiggles it back and forth. Widget pulls out a Swiss army knife from her pocket and flicks out the letter opener::

Widget:  Let me get that for you...

::She opens the envelope in a simple swipe.  The three gather around it and announce it together::

Widget:  The winner is....

Marty/Walden/Widget:  Mr. SPUMONI!

::Wubbzy bounces up and down with excitement.  Buttons gets slightly trampled::

Buttons: Hey, watch it!!

WubbzyOoops!  Sorry!

 

Spumoni (from the audience): Imagine that!

::Spumoni struggles a bit to once more climb up and out of his seat and down the long aisle towards the stage. He is merely strolling now, perhaps a little worn out due to the late hour and his surprising (though pleasantly so) number of calls to the stage::

 

:: Wubbzy gladly gives the award to Spumoni.  The toons take a couple of steps back for the acceptance speech. As Spumoni takes the stage and accepts the award he even looks tired, his usual smile and smirk are present, but perhaps a little dark around the eyes, drooping in his arms. Still, he looks out over the crowd gathered inside Rockefeller Center and throws his arms wide::

 

Spumoni: Wow guys, wow…wow, what can I say?”

 

::The audience rises and applauds. For the first time that night Spumoni is grasping for words. If he had dared in his heart or mind to mentally prepare a speech it has long ago been driven from him in the blur of the excitement of the evening and the blur of the day’s activities::

 

Spumoni: Well, I’m drawing a blank so we’re gonna do this one free form. I wanna thank my co-conspirator Midnight Man and my buddy Secesh who inspired me with their craftings. I want to thank Sinclair, Silver Shadow, May and ‘Tau who kept on me to improve my grammar, mechanics and usage. Gotta throw in Boxy and Rose who provided moral support and Sweddie and Yunkel whose interest in my works have always been appreciated…

 

::Spu is so tired that he’s swaying on stage::

 

Spumoni: I want to thank The J.A.M. and Mr. Pierce and all the other Learned Elders and Founders who agreed to my odd requests, and with that Dr. Indy and the other moderators who put up with my insane ideas.

 

::He looks up to the crowd; he’s semi-smiling now, balancing on the award::

 

Spumoni: Hey guys, it’s been quite the night and I’m overwhelmed. I’m afraid I’m going to leave someone out if I continue on this way, so let me just say that I appreciate all of the awesomeness that everyone has shown me as I went about the exploration of the Rangerdom. You all rock.

 

::The crowd erupts into applause again and with that an exhausted looking Spu starts to leave the stage, forgetting to salute. The toons begin to follow::

Widget:  Wait!  Wait!

::Everyone stops::

Widget:  After all that we didn't plug our shows!

::Marty waves::

Marty:  Please watch "Eon Kid" on Kids' WB at 10:30 on Saturday Mornings!

Walden:  And keep an eye out for "Wow Wow Wubbzy" on Nick Jr and Noggin at... err.... well... I'm not exactly sure when we air.  But we'll have season two coming out soon with some new surprises and friends.  And that's also where your friend "pupspals" is the animatic editor!

Wubbzy:  Thanks!!

 

Spumoni: And watch for me on—oh wait, I don’t have a show.  But I do a mean soft shoe…

::Now the toons walk off stage while Spumoni dances his way off. Widget ponders as she walks::

Widget:  You know?  I bet I could invent something that'd make this process a whole lot easier!  Hmmm......