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.
Indy: I need your help. You gotta present the
next award!
::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!
::
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??
Marty: Hey!
::Indy and
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???
Widget: Well we can read as good as anybody!
::
Dr. Indy: I need something on stage, now. Go for it!
::
Wubbzy: Wow wow WOW!!!!
::They run up on stage.
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...
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!!
Wubbzy: Ooops!
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
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 "
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......