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Fair warning: this chapter contains a touch of ush and possibly gush, with implied snugglebunnies.
*****
*****
When Boober woke up the next morning, he found Sage asleep next to him. She had come to him for comfort after all, but hadn't awakened him. It would have been fine if she had but, he guessed, she had been a little too proud.
He got out of bed without disturbing her. There was some water in a jug and a cup full of small, green twigs. He peeled one of the twigs, chewed the end to separate its fibers, and used that to brush his teeth. He rinsed his mouth, then changed from his pajamas and nightcap to his scarf and day cap.
To that he added his apron. He regularly started breakfast as soon as he awoke; it was an enjoyable way to begin the day. He went into the kitchen and checked the stove. The fire beneath was almost all ash, but by the heat he could tell there were still live coals at the bottom. He scraped out the ash, added some dry wood, and blew the fire back to life. Then he closed the oven door and went to the pantry. Looking at the shelves, he thought, Decisions, decisions...
He had gotten down some eggs when Sage, still in her nightshirt, came in. "I'll help."
Boober said, "I'm going to cook an omelet. What else should we make?"
"Blueberry quickbread," Sage replied.
"All right." He could have guessed she'd suggest that. It was Janken's favorite, and quickbread was popular enough that he mixed the dry ingredients in big batches so he'd always have some on hand. He took down the jar and gave it to her. She carried it into the kitchen. He brought the honey jar and some blueberries.
She said, "Can I make the omelet?"
"All right."
"Thanks." She put Boober's omelet pan and the honey jar on the side of the slate griddle.
While the slate was heating up Sage and Boober mixed a batch of quickbread batter, sliced mushrooms and vegetables and spices for the omelet, and cut up fruit. When water skipped and sizzled along the cooking surface Boober greased it with butter and began frying hand-sized dollops of batter. They quickly puffed up into thick, lightly browned cakes, which Boober scooped off the slate and into a cloth-lined, lidded clay bowl to keep warm. He told Sage, "I was thinking of cooking up a special dinner tonight. Want to help?"
"Yeah! What're you gonna make?"
"I haven't decided. Do you have any suggestions?"
As Boober cooked they discussed the meal, and decided on tender baked radish, with ratatouille on the side and a light soup as a beginner. For dessert, fruit in cream.
As soon as they had decided this and Boober was cooking the last of the cakes Mokey, Red, and Poncle came in. Red said, "I hope you're making plenty. I'm gonna need lots of energy for the cliff climb today!"
Feigning offense, Boober replied, "Have I ever sent you away hungry, Red?"
"Never. Or dirty, either," she said, patting his hat. It slipped down and blocked his eyes; he pushed it back far enough to let him see under the brim.
"Speaking of which, you wore that shirt in the wall race yesterday. It needs a wash."
"It's not that bad. I've got the cliff climb today. I'll wear it to that, so when I give it to you it'll be really good and dirty!"
"Red, that shirt needs cleaning now."
She knew when to stand firm and when to surrender, and it was always best to let Boober have his way in matters of laundry. "Okay, fine, after breakfast."
"Thank you." He put the last of the quickbread cakes into the bowl and set it on the table, then told Sage, "Your turn."
Sage put the omelet pan on the center of the slate to heat up a little more and greased it liberally with butter. Then she poured a third of the egg mix into it and watched as it cooked. This recipe was a little tricky, so she had to pay attention.
Wembley and Gobo came in. "Hi, guys. What's cookin'?" Wembley asked.
As the others chatted Sage slid the spatula under one edge of the omelet, which was almost but not quite cooked through, and using a wooden spoon rolled it back on itself. When she had rolled it tightly to one end of the pan she poured in more egg mix. That cooked almost all the way through. When only a bit on the top was still soft she turned the roll from one end of the pan to the other, making a larger log. So far, so good. She poured the rest of the egg mix.
When Sage was almost done Janken, Scooter, and Skeeter emerged from Boober's hidey-hole. Janken said, "That smells great."
"Thank you," Sage and Boober said together. Sage smiled; this wasn't the first time that had happened. She was Boober's apprentice, and he encouraged her to take pride in what she did. She said, "We're making blueberry quickbread and rolled omelet."
"So I smell," he replied. "I've missed both your cooking."
She grinned happily at him. Red said, "Is that ready? Then serve it up!"
Wembley brought ten plates from the pantry. There wasn't enough room at the table, but that never stopped them from eating together before. Boober uncovered the bowl of quickbread cakes, and Sage put the omelet—neatly sliced into ten segments—beside it. A plate of cut-up fruit and a bowl of warm honey were already on the table. The Fraggles got plates. Janken handed plates to the twins, saying, "Just jump in. Meals here are about as formal as anything else in the Rock."
Meaning not at all, of course. "All right." Scooter acquired one of the cakes, some fruit, and a piece of omelet. Skeeter did the same. When he bit into the cake he thought it was pleasant, but a little bland. Janken nudged him with an elbow and said, "Try it with honey."
"Oh, I missed that." The other Fraggles were just dipping the cakes into the honey bowl. He dipped a side he hadn't bitten into, then tried that. It was surprisingly good. "Yeah!"
Skeeter said, "Neat. I've never had an omelet like this. What's it called?"
"It's a rolled omelet," she replied, pleased.
"Well, it's good. I've had omelets before, but not one that tastes like this." Skeeter told her.
"Thanks! I used mushrooms and radish greens and slivered radish and wild onions."
Red said to Gobo, "I hope you're ready to lose that rock climbing trophy today."
"I hadn't really thought about it," he told her.
"The heck you haven't. You've had it for two years in a row. You flaked out on the Fraggleathelon this year because you knew I'd clobber you in front of everyone."
"No, I just decided I wanted to explore with Uncle Matt," Gobo said in an annoyingly reasonable tone of voice. To further the insult, he added, "It's not like it's all that important. It's just a trophy, after all."
"You can say that when you deliver it to me after I win!"
Janken said, "Skeeter's going to enter the rock climb today. What if she wins?"
"A Silly Creature as champion climber?" Wembley said, interested. "That'd be neat."
Skeeter said, "Isn't the trophy for the whole Fraggleathelon? I wasn't in the wall race."
"The trophy Red wants is just for rock climbing," Gobo told her.
Poncle piped up, "Mama will win!"
Red said, "Yeah, probably." To Skeeter she said, "You're not gonna back out now, are ya?"
"Shoot, no. But what if I win the trophy?"
"Then you come back next year and give someone else a chance," Janken told her. "Red and Gobo have been passing that trophy back and forth for years."
Skeeter was doubtful of her chances; this was the Fraggles' home turf, and she was willing to bet Red was a lot more experienced in free climbing. Skeeter didn't want a trophy anyway; it would just be a thing taking up space. What she was interested in was the competition itself. "All right, deal."
Boober said, "Sage and I will be cooking a special dinner tonight. I want you all back here at dinnertime sharp. And, Mokey, I need some things from the garden. A radish about this big around—" he made a hoop with his arms—"and a full pod of peas, and a squash, and a zucchini, and a small eggplant."
Mokey listened to his request, then began to sing,
Boober said, "That's perfect. Oh, and if you see some fresh parsley, I wouldn't say no to a few sprigs for garnish."
Sage said to Janken, "Want to help us cook?"
"I'd like to, but there are some parts of the Rock I want to show Scooter."
"Can I come too?"
Janken shook his head. "Sorry, but this wouldn't be a good time."
She looked down at her plate and wiped up some honey dribblings with the last of her quickbread. Boober waited for her to say something more to Janken, but she didn't.
*
After breakfast Scooter and Janken put on light backpacks and went off. Janken had packed for them both. They weren't going to be gone for long, so Scooter didn't know what they needed to carry, but Janken had insisted.
They passed through some beautiful caves. One was like the inside of a geode, with huge, glittering crystals lining the walls. Another had a series of curtainlike flowstone formations that, if you tapped them gently with a stick, rang like a xylophone. A third cavern had huge clusters of long, thin, crystalline stalactites hanging off the ceiling like chandeliers. Scooter looked at each of these with wonder, and each time thought this was what Janken had wanted to show him, but then Janken had led him further on, to what looked like a large crack in the side of a passage. Janken found two rocks, and set them one on top of the other in front of it. Then they entered the small, rough-walled passage, and walked through—taking off their backpacks and turning sideways to squeeze through one pinch point—and finally emerged into a small room. The floor was covered with pillars, stalagmites, and simple boulders. There were so many Janken had to climb around to go further into the room.
Scooter followed him, curious as to what wonders could lie beyond. What he saw was an area covered in soft, green moss, with a small pond along one wall. Janken said, "What do you think?"
"It's nice," Scooter said, trying to guess what was special about this cavelet. "What kind of water is this?"
"The usual kind. Fresh. Do you know why I brought you here?"
"I was wondering."
"There are many wonders in Fraggle Rock. This cave boasts one of the rarest qualities of them all: privacy. It's so far out, nobody comes out here. Mokey discovered it, and did some beautiful paintings of it before telling everyone about it. It never became popular because it's not close enough to the main colony. Although Fraggles do come here at midsummer."
The Fraggle breeding season. Scooter had to laugh. "Jan, you brought me all the way out here to get me alone?"
"Yep," Janken said. He took Scooter's hand between his.
Jan's hands were warm... "How sure are you that nobody will wander by with the same idea you had?" Scooter asked.
"Did you see the stones I put in front of the cave? Rocks piled up, or a dropped sock, or some other sign that someone's there will tell others that they want to be left alone. Among Fraggles privacy isn't a matter of locked doors, it's courtesy." He lifted Scooter's hand and licked one of his fingers.
"Jan, what's on your mind?"
"Frisking," he replied with an impish grin.
Scooter chuckled and glanced around. "Um... This is not exactly what I'm used to. But, well, I don't mind giving it a try."
Janken said gently, "I understand. Maybe something will happen and maybe it won't. We'll just ride the train where it goes, all right?"
"All right," Scooter agreed.
"First things first. These backpacks and things." Janken took his backpack off and set it on a flat rock formation like a stalagmite that had been sawn off. Scooter put his there too. Janken put his jacket on top. Scooter expected the Fraggle to slide right into the pool, but he didn't. "Lose the shoes and socks. Feel the moss under your feet."
Scooter was already taking off his jacket. He said "Yessir. What's in the backpacks?" as he removed his footwear.
"Snacks. A few small knit blankets for towels."
"Of course you'd plan for a swimming trip," Scooter laughed. He rubbed his feet on the cool moss. "Nice. Fuzzy."
Janken untucked part of Scooter's shirt from his jeans, then put his arm around his waist. When Janken was in this mood, he wanted to touch Scooter, not Scooter's clothing. Scooter removed his shirt and set it on top of his jacket. Janken kissed him, then said, "Lie back on the moss."
The two lay back together. Scooter said, "Feels like halfway between grass and a carpet."
"Smells better, though," Janken said. He turned on his side and, putting an arm around Scooter, breathed warmly into his ear.
Scooter closed his eyes and shivered. He turned and kissed Janken full on, his hands ruffling through the soft fur on his body. Janken stroked Scooter's warm, bare skin.
After several minutes Scooter heard Janken whisper, "Scooter?"
He opened his eyes. Janken's face was flushed. "Yeah?"
Janken laid his hand lightly on Scooter's belt buckle. Scooter had to smile. Janken was such a polite lover. Scooter knew that if he said not yet, or just no, that Janken would accept that without argument or hurt feelings. Knowing that made it easy to say yes.
He set his glasses on top of the rest of his clothes.
*
A crowd of Fraggles were assembled at the base of Schist Cliff. Well, almost at the base; the cliff ended in a pond. This made it an ideal site for climbing competitions because anyone who fell would land safely in the water. Skeeter, Red, and a female green Fraggle named Geezil were at their starting spots on either side of the water.
The World's Oldest Fraggle announced, "You know why we're here! I know why we're here! It's the final event in the Fraggleathelon, the cliff-climbing contest! Who will win? Will it be Red? Will it be Geezil? Or will it be..." He stopped and stared, then said, "Henchy, I must need new glasses. I don't recognize that Fraggle there without the tail."
"She isn't a Fraggle, she's a Silly Creature," Henchy told him.
Red called over, "Her name is Skeeter, and I invited her to race! Anyone mind?" She looked around, challenging anybody to object.
The World's Oldest Fraggle said, "A Silly Creature, eh? That's a first. Well, I knew that if I lived long enough eventually I'd see everything." He shouted, "On your marks! Get set!" He looked at them. "Are you set?"
"Yeah!"
"Then GO!"
The three contestants began climbing. Skeeter worked partly by sight, looking for things to hold onto, and partly by touch, finding the best grips with her hands and feet. She thought she was making good time until Red passed her. When Red was well above her she paused and smirked down at Skeeter. "Need some help?"
"No," Skeeter said, irked.
The Fraggles below were cheering for their favorites. Poncle, sitting on Mokey's lap, was cheering lustily for Skeeter. Poncle had wanted badly to climb the cliff herself, and Red's explanation that it was too long a climb for a little Fraggle did not satisfy the little Fraggle in question. Red had hit upon the idea of making her part of Skeeter's team, so she would help Skeeter along by cheering for her. Amazingly, Poncle had agreed. She was participating, so she thought, and that's what mattered!
Red looked down again. Both Geezil and Skeeter were far below her. No surprise there; Red had scaled this cliff so many times she could climb it with her eyes closed. She wished Gobo were here; then she'd have some real competition. It would be mean to finish too fast and leave the other two to struggle in her wake, so she slowed down.
Skeeter hadn't expected to win, and, she told herself, she was living up to her expectations. But she was gaining on Red. But even if she caught up it would be hard to pass her, as she was right above Skeeter. Skeeter was starting to get irritated by seeing Red's orange behind every time she looked up.
Red looked down again. The Silly Creature was gaining on her. She had guts. Red resumed her normal speed. When she was near the top a crumbly bit of rock slid out from under her left foot, almost making her lose her grip. She held on tight and cried "Watch out below!" while she tried to find another foothold.
Skeeter heard Red and looked up just in time to get a faceful of gravel and grit. It struck her glasses and covered the lenses with crud. If she hadn't been wearing glasses that stuff would have fallen into her eyes! She shook her head as much as she dared, because she couldn't spare a hand to wipe the dirt off her face.
Red pulled herself over the final ledge and stood at the top of the cliff, raising her arms and whooping triumphantly. The Fraggles below cheered, even those who had been rooting for the other two. Somebody won, and that was worth cheering for. But they continued encouraging Geezil, who reached the top second, then stood there, panting and looking surprised that she had actually made it. Red patted her back. It took longer for Skeeter to get to the top, as she was barely able to see through the dirt on her glasses. Red, realizing that Skeeter was in trouble, called down, "Need help?"
"No thanks!" Skeeter snapped.
When Skeeter finally reached the top Geezil and Red each took an arm and pulled her up over the ledge. Red said, "Nice going!"
Skeeter said in a low voice, "Nice kicking dirt down at me."
"What? I didn't do that on purpose. My foot slipped. Didn't you hear my warning?"
"'Look out below'? Was that what that was supposed to be?"
"Yeah, what else would I mean?"
Skeeter stopped herself. She wanted to be angry with Red, but if that was a proper warning, and Skeeter just didn't understand in time, well, it wasn't Red's fault. "Anyway, I need to clean my glasses. I hope they aren't scratched." She couldn't wipe them on her shirt; that would be sure to rub grit into the lenses. "So how do we get down? Climb again?"
Red picked up a coil of rope. One end was tied to a big boulder. She tossed the other end down. "We rappel!" she cried out, and bounded over the edge. Skeeter watched as she bounced down the side of the cliff and plunged into the pool at the bottom. Geezil went second, hand over hand. Skeeter slid down. She would have thrown a few gymnastic tricks in to make up for her glitchy climb, but the way her luck was running today she would have smacked face first into the cliffside.
She had cooled off by the time she reached the bottom. The other Fraggles were celebrating the winners, the runners-up, or just celebrating in general. Wembley asked Red, "Want me to get you the trophy from our room?"
"No, that's all right, Wembley. I'll wait 'til Gobo comes back. I want to get it from his hands!"
Poncle said to Skeeter, "I cheered for you. Did you hear me?"
"Yeah, I did. Thanks!" To Red she said, "No hard feelings."
"Yeah," Red agreed. "You're pretty good. Next time you join a Fraggle race, I'll give you some tips so you won't get caught by surprise again."
"I don't know. You've got the home field advantage. I probably wouldn't stand a chance against you in any Fraggle sport, just like you'd have a hard time with 'silly creature' sports." She knelt by the pond and dipped her glasses in.
As she swirled them around in the water to wash off the dirt she heard Red's voice close beside her. "What do you mean, Silly Creature sports?"
"Oh, things you couldn't do in these caves. Parkour, for example."
"What's that?"
Red was hooked. Skeeter wiped her glasses gently on her shirt, then squinted at the lenses. No major scratches, whew. She put them on again and said, "It's like a race, but with obstacles. You go over, under, through, whatever."
"Oh, an obstacle course? Shoot, no problem," Red scoffed.
"Maybe down here, in caves that you know by heart, and I'd just get lost in," Skeeter said mildly. "Home field advantage, after all."
"I don't need a home field advantage. Tell you what—you choose the course, and we'll race!"
Skeeter smiled. "You're on."
*****
Scooter and Skeeter are copyright © The Muppets Studio, LLC. All Fraggles except Janken, Sage, Poncle, and Geezil are © The Jim Henson Company, LLC. All copyrighted characters are used without permission but with much respect and affection. Janken, Sage, Poncle, and Geezil Fraggle and the overall story are copyright © Kim McFarland (negaduck9@aol.com). Permission is given by the author to copy it for personal use only.
*****
Brothers and Sisters
Part 8: Love and War
by Kim McFarland
*****
When Boober woke up the next morning, he found Sage asleep next to him. She had come to him for comfort after all, but hadn't awakened him. It would have been fine if she had but, he guessed, she had been a little too proud.
He got out of bed without disturbing her. There was some water in a jug and a cup full of small, green twigs. He peeled one of the twigs, chewed the end to separate its fibers, and used that to brush his teeth. He rinsed his mouth, then changed from his pajamas and nightcap to his scarf and day cap.
To that he added his apron. He regularly started breakfast as soon as he awoke; it was an enjoyable way to begin the day. He went into the kitchen and checked the stove. The fire beneath was almost all ash, but by the heat he could tell there were still live coals at the bottom. He scraped out the ash, added some dry wood, and blew the fire back to life. Then he closed the oven door and went to the pantry. Looking at the shelves, he thought, Decisions, decisions...
He had gotten down some eggs when Sage, still in her nightshirt, came in. "I'll help."
Boober said, "I'm going to cook an omelet. What else should we make?"
"Blueberry quickbread," Sage replied.
"All right." He could have guessed she'd suggest that. It was Janken's favorite, and quickbread was popular enough that he mixed the dry ingredients in big batches so he'd always have some on hand. He took down the jar and gave it to her. She carried it into the kitchen. He brought the honey jar and some blueberries.
She said, "Can I make the omelet?"
"All right."
"Thanks." She put Boober's omelet pan and the honey jar on the side of the slate griddle.
While the slate was heating up Sage and Boober mixed a batch of quickbread batter, sliced mushrooms and vegetables and spices for the omelet, and cut up fruit. When water skipped and sizzled along the cooking surface Boober greased it with butter and began frying hand-sized dollops of batter. They quickly puffed up into thick, lightly browned cakes, which Boober scooped off the slate and into a cloth-lined, lidded clay bowl to keep warm. He told Sage, "I was thinking of cooking up a special dinner tonight. Want to help?"
"Yeah! What're you gonna make?"
"I haven't decided. Do you have any suggestions?"
As Boober cooked they discussed the meal, and decided on tender baked radish, with ratatouille on the side and a light soup as a beginner. For dessert, fruit in cream.
As soon as they had decided this and Boober was cooking the last of the cakes Mokey, Red, and Poncle came in. Red said, "I hope you're making plenty. I'm gonna need lots of energy for the cliff climb today!"
Feigning offense, Boober replied, "Have I ever sent you away hungry, Red?"
"Never. Or dirty, either," she said, patting his hat. It slipped down and blocked his eyes; he pushed it back far enough to let him see under the brim.
"Speaking of which, you wore that shirt in the wall race yesterday. It needs a wash."
"It's not that bad. I've got the cliff climb today. I'll wear it to that, so when I give it to you it'll be really good and dirty!"
"Red, that shirt needs cleaning now."
She knew when to stand firm and when to surrender, and it was always best to let Boober have his way in matters of laundry. "Okay, fine, after breakfast."
"Thank you." He put the last of the quickbread cakes into the bowl and set it on the table, then told Sage, "Your turn."
Sage put the omelet pan on the center of the slate to heat up a little more and greased it liberally with butter. Then she poured a third of the egg mix into it and watched as it cooked. This recipe was a little tricky, so she had to pay attention.
Wembley and Gobo came in. "Hi, guys. What's cookin'?" Wembley asked.
As the others chatted Sage slid the spatula under one edge of the omelet, which was almost but not quite cooked through, and using a wooden spoon rolled it back on itself. When she had rolled it tightly to one end of the pan she poured in more egg mix. That cooked almost all the way through. When only a bit on the top was still soft she turned the roll from one end of the pan to the other, making a larger log. So far, so good. She poured the rest of the egg mix.
When Sage was almost done Janken, Scooter, and Skeeter emerged from Boober's hidey-hole. Janken said, "That smells great."
"Thank you," Sage and Boober said together. Sage smiled; this wasn't the first time that had happened. She was Boober's apprentice, and he encouraged her to take pride in what she did. She said, "We're making blueberry quickbread and rolled omelet."
"So I smell," he replied. "I've missed both your cooking."
She grinned happily at him. Red said, "Is that ready? Then serve it up!"
Wembley brought ten plates from the pantry. There wasn't enough room at the table, but that never stopped them from eating together before. Boober uncovered the bowl of quickbread cakes, and Sage put the omelet—neatly sliced into ten segments—beside it. A plate of cut-up fruit and a bowl of warm honey were already on the table. The Fraggles got plates. Janken handed plates to the twins, saying, "Just jump in. Meals here are about as formal as anything else in the Rock."
Meaning not at all, of course. "All right." Scooter acquired one of the cakes, some fruit, and a piece of omelet. Skeeter did the same. When he bit into the cake he thought it was pleasant, but a little bland. Janken nudged him with an elbow and said, "Try it with honey."
"Oh, I missed that." The other Fraggles were just dipping the cakes into the honey bowl. He dipped a side he hadn't bitten into, then tried that. It was surprisingly good. "Yeah!"
Skeeter said, "Neat. I've never had an omelet like this. What's it called?"
"It's a rolled omelet," she replied, pleased.
"Well, it's good. I've had omelets before, but not one that tastes like this." Skeeter told her.
"Thanks! I used mushrooms and radish greens and slivered radish and wild onions."
Red said to Gobo, "I hope you're ready to lose that rock climbing trophy today."
"I hadn't really thought about it," he told her.
"The heck you haven't. You've had it for two years in a row. You flaked out on the Fraggleathelon this year because you knew I'd clobber you in front of everyone."
"No, I just decided I wanted to explore with Uncle Matt," Gobo said in an annoyingly reasonable tone of voice. To further the insult, he added, "It's not like it's all that important. It's just a trophy, after all."
"You can say that when you deliver it to me after I win!"
Janken said, "Skeeter's going to enter the rock climb today. What if she wins?"
"A Silly Creature as champion climber?" Wembley said, interested. "That'd be neat."
Skeeter said, "Isn't the trophy for the whole Fraggleathelon? I wasn't in the wall race."
"The trophy Red wants is just for rock climbing," Gobo told her.
Poncle piped up, "Mama will win!"
Red said, "Yeah, probably." To Skeeter she said, "You're not gonna back out now, are ya?"
"Shoot, no. But what if I win the trophy?"
"Then you come back next year and give someone else a chance," Janken told her. "Red and Gobo have been passing that trophy back and forth for years."
Skeeter was doubtful of her chances; this was the Fraggles' home turf, and she was willing to bet Red was a lot more experienced in free climbing. Skeeter didn't want a trophy anyway; it would just be a thing taking up space. What she was interested in was the competition itself. "All right, deal."
Boober said, "Sage and I will be cooking a special dinner tonight. I want you all back here at dinnertime sharp. And, Mokey, I need some things from the garden. A radish about this big around—" he made a hoop with his arms—"and a full pod of peas, and a squash, and a zucchini, and a small eggplant."
Mokey listened to his request, then began to sing,
"Boober needs a radish big as he can hold.
And a pair of squashes, green and crookneck gold.
Climb up on a pea plant, pick a pod that's ripe,
Then a small black egg—plant, not the nest-bound type."
Boober said, "That's perfect. Oh, and if you see some fresh parsley, I wouldn't say no to a few sprigs for garnish."
Sage said to Janken, "Want to help us cook?"
"I'd like to, but there are some parts of the Rock I want to show Scooter."
"Can I come too?"
Janken shook his head. "Sorry, but this wouldn't be a good time."
She looked down at her plate and wiped up some honey dribblings with the last of her quickbread. Boober waited for her to say something more to Janken, but she didn't.
*
After breakfast Scooter and Janken put on light backpacks and went off. Janken had packed for them both. They weren't going to be gone for long, so Scooter didn't know what they needed to carry, but Janken had insisted.
They passed through some beautiful caves. One was like the inside of a geode, with huge, glittering crystals lining the walls. Another had a series of curtainlike flowstone formations that, if you tapped them gently with a stick, rang like a xylophone. A third cavern had huge clusters of long, thin, crystalline stalactites hanging off the ceiling like chandeliers. Scooter looked at each of these with wonder, and each time thought this was what Janken had wanted to show him, but then Janken had led him further on, to what looked like a large crack in the side of a passage. Janken found two rocks, and set them one on top of the other in front of it. Then they entered the small, rough-walled passage, and walked through—taking off their backpacks and turning sideways to squeeze through one pinch point—and finally emerged into a small room. The floor was covered with pillars, stalagmites, and simple boulders. There were so many Janken had to climb around to go further into the room.
Scooter followed him, curious as to what wonders could lie beyond. What he saw was an area covered in soft, green moss, with a small pond along one wall. Janken said, "What do you think?"
"It's nice," Scooter said, trying to guess what was special about this cavelet. "What kind of water is this?"
"The usual kind. Fresh. Do you know why I brought you here?"
"I was wondering."
"There are many wonders in Fraggle Rock. This cave boasts one of the rarest qualities of them all: privacy. It's so far out, nobody comes out here. Mokey discovered it, and did some beautiful paintings of it before telling everyone about it. It never became popular because it's not close enough to the main colony. Although Fraggles do come here at midsummer."
The Fraggle breeding season. Scooter had to laugh. "Jan, you brought me all the way out here to get me alone?"
"Yep," Janken said. He took Scooter's hand between his.
Jan's hands were warm... "How sure are you that nobody will wander by with the same idea you had?" Scooter asked.
"Did you see the stones I put in front of the cave? Rocks piled up, or a dropped sock, or some other sign that someone's there will tell others that they want to be left alone. Among Fraggles privacy isn't a matter of locked doors, it's courtesy." He lifted Scooter's hand and licked one of his fingers.
"Jan, what's on your mind?"
"Frisking," he replied with an impish grin.
Scooter chuckled and glanced around. "Um... This is not exactly what I'm used to. But, well, I don't mind giving it a try."
Janken said gently, "I understand. Maybe something will happen and maybe it won't. We'll just ride the train where it goes, all right?"
"All right," Scooter agreed.
"First things first. These backpacks and things." Janken took his backpack off and set it on a flat rock formation like a stalagmite that had been sawn off. Scooter put his there too. Janken put his jacket on top. Scooter expected the Fraggle to slide right into the pool, but he didn't. "Lose the shoes and socks. Feel the moss under your feet."
Scooter was already taking off his jacket. He said "Yessir. What's in the backpacks?" as he removed his footwear.
"Snacks. A few small knit blankets for towels."
"Of course you'd plan for a swimming trip," Scooter laughed. He rubbed his feet on the cool moss. "Nice. Fuzzy."
Janken untucked part of Scooter's shirt from his jeans, then put his arm around his waist. When Janken was in this mood, he wanted to touch Scooter, not Scooter's clothing. Scooter removed his shirt and set it on top of his jacket. Janken kissed him, then said, "Lie back on the moss."
The two lay back together. Scooter said, "Feels like halfway between grass and a carpet."
"Smells better, though," Janken said. He turned on his side and, putting an arm around Scooter, breathed warmly into his ear.
Scooter closed his eyes and shivered. He turned and kissed Janken full on, his hands ruffling through the soft fur on his body. Janken stroked Scooter's warm, bare skin.
After several minutes Scooter heard Janken whisper, "Scooter?"
He opened his eyes. Janken's face was flushed. "Yeah?"
Janken laid his hand lightly on Scooter's belt buckle. Scooter had to smile. Janken was such a polite lover. Scooter knew that if he said not yet, or just no, that Janken would accept that without argument or hurt feelings. Knowing that made it easy to say yes.
He set his glasses on top of the rest of his clothes.
*
A crowd of Fraggles were assembled at the base of Schist Cliff. Well, almost at the base; the cliff ended in a pond. This made it an ideal site for climbing competitions because anyone who fell would land safely in the water. Skeeter, Red, and a female green Fraggle named Geezil were at their starting spots on either side of the water.
The World's Oldest Fraggle announced, "You know why we're here! I know why we're here! It's the final event in the Fraggleathelon, the cliff-climbing contest! Who will win? Will it be Red? Will it be Geezil? Or will it be..." He stopped and stared, then said, "Henchy, I must need new glasses. I don't recognize that Fraggle there without the tail."
"She isn't a Fraggle, she's a Silly Creature," Henchy told him.
Red called over, "Her name is Skeeter, and I invited her to race! Anyone mind?" She looked around, challenging anybody to object.
The World's Oldest Fraggle said, "A Silly Creature, eh? That's a first. Well, I knew that if I lived long enough eventually I'd see everything." He shouted, "On your marks! Get set!" He looked at them. "Are you set?"
"Yeah!"
"Then GO!"
The three contestants began climbing. Skeeter worked partly by sight, looking for things to hold onto, and partly by touch, finding the best grips with her hands and feet. She thought she was making good time until Red passed her. When Red was well above her she paused and smirked down at Skeeter. "Need some help?"
"No," Skeeter said, irked.
The Fraggles below were cheering for their favorites. Poncle, sitting on Mokey's lap, was cheering lustily for Skeeter. Poncle had wanted badly to climb the cliff herself, and Red's explanation that it was too long a climb for a little Fraggle did not satisfy the little Fraggle in question. Red had hit upon the idea of making her part of Skeeter's team, so she would help Skeeter along by cheering for her. Amazingly, Poncle had agreed. She was participating, so she thought, and that's what mattered!
Red looked down again. Both Geezil and Skeeter were far below her. No surprise there; Red had scaled this cliff so many times she could climb it with her eyes closed. She wished Gobo were here; then she'd have some real competition. It would be mean to finish too fast and leave the other two to struggle in her wake, so she slowed down.
Skeeter hadn't expected to win, and, she told herself, she was living up to her expectations. But she was gaining on Red. But even if she caught up it would be hard to pass her, as she was right above Skeeter. Skeeter was starting to get irritated by seeing Red's orange behind every time she looked up.
Red looked down again. The Silly Creature was gaining on her. She had guts. Red resumed her normal speed. When she was near the top a crumbly bit of rock slid out from under her left foot, almost making her lose her grip. She held on tight and cried "Watch out below!" while she tried to find another foothold.
Skeeter heard Red and looked up just in time to get a faceful of gravel and grit. It struck her glasses and covered the lenses with crud. If she hadn't been wearing glasses that stuff would have fallen into her eyes! She shook her head as much as she dared, because she couldn't spare a hand to wipe the dirt off her face.
Red pulled herself over the final ledge and stood at the top of the cliff, raising her arms and whooping triumphantly. The Fraggles below cheered, even those who had been rooting for the other two. Somebody won, and that was worth cheering for. But they continued encouraging Geezil, who reached the top second, then stood there, panting and looking surprised that she had actually made it. Red patted her back. It took longer for Skeeter to get to the top, as she was barely able to see through the dirt on her glasses. Red, realizing that Skeeter was in trouble, called down, "Need help?"
"No thanks!" Skeeter snapped.
When Skeeter finally reached the top Geezil and Red each took an arm and pulled her up over the ledge. Red said, "Nice going!"
Skeeter said in a low voice, "Nice kicking dirt down at me."
"What? I didn't do that on purpose. My foot slipped. Didn't you hear my warning?"
"'Look out below'? Was that what that was supposed to be?"
"Yeah, what else would I mean?"
Skeeter stopped herself. She wanted to be angry with Red, but if that was a proper warning, and Skeeter just didn't understand in time, well, it wasn't Red's fault. "Anyway, I need to clean my glasses. I hope they aren't scratched." She couldn't wipe them on her shirt; that would be sure to rub grit into the lenses. "So how do we get down? Climb again?"
Red picked up a coil of rope. One end was tied to a big boulder. She tossed the other end down. "We rappel!" she cried out, and bounded over the edge. Skeeter watched as she bounced down the side of the cliff and plunged into the pool at the bottom. Geezil went second, hand over hand. Skeeter slid down. She would have thrown a few gymnastic tricks in to make up for her glitchy climb, but the way her luck was running today she would have smacked face first into the cliffside.
She had cooled off by the time she reached the bottom. The other Fraggles were celebrating the winners, the runners-up, or just celebrating in general. Wembley asked Red, "Want me to get you the trophy from our room?"
"No, that's all right, Wembley. I'll wait 'til Gobo comes back. I want to get it from his hands!"
Poncle said to Skeeter, "I cheered for you. Did you hear me?"
"Yeah, I did. Thanks!" To Red she said, "No hard feelings."
"Yeah," Red agreed. "You're pretty good. Next time you join a Fraggle race, I'll give you some tips so you won't get caught by surprise again."
"I don't know. You've got the home field advantage. I probably wouldn't stand a chance against you in any Fraggle sport, just like you'd have a hard time with 'silly creature' sports." She knelt by the pond and dipped her glasses in.
As she swirled them around in the water to wash off the dirt she heard Red's voice close beside her. "What do you mean, Silly Creature sports?"
"Oh, things you couldn't do in these caves. Parkour, for example."
"What's that?"
Red was hooked. Skeeter wiped her glasses gently on her shirt, then squinted at the lenses. No major scratches, whew. She put them on again and said, "It's like a race, but with obstacles. You go over, under, through, whatever."
"Oh, an obstacle course? Shoot, no problem," Red scoffed.
"Maybe down here, in caves that you know by heart, and I'd just get lost in," Skeeter said mildly. "Home field advantage, after all."
"I don't need a home field advantage. Tell you what—you choose the course, and we'll race!"
Skeeter smiled. "You're on."
*****
Scooter and Skeeter are copyright © The Muppets Studio, LLC. All Fraggles except Janken, Sage, Poncle, and Geezil are © The Jim Henson Company, LLC. All copyrighted characters are used without permission but with much respect and affection. Janken, Sage, Poncle, and Geezil Fraggle and the overall story are copyright © Kim McFarland (negaduck9@aol.com). Permission is given by the author to copy it for personal use only.
into a round of obstacle-running.
