Rain Falls

Super Scooter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2002
Messages
6,255
Reaction score
109
Chapter 4​

Over the next few days, Oscar was acting very, very odd indeed. He had undergone a complete transformation, one that everyone was impressed with, though perhaps none more so than Bob. He had always hoped to see the day when Oscar would change his ways, but never thought he’d actually live to see it. He found himself spending more and more time with Oscar as the days went on. He taught the ex-Grouch chess, one of his favorite games, and though Oscar was uncomfortable at first with playing what is, in essence, a game of war, he loved the time spent with his good friend Bob.

As Bob was around Oscar the most, he saw firsthand how Oscar’s new personality affected the residents of Sesame Street. Oscar greeted everyone passing by, inviting them for tea, sharing a laugh, or just shooting the breeze. Nobody left Oscar’s can without a smile.

When David accidentally lost his basketball behind Oscar’s trash can, the Grouch gladly returned it… and without deflating it first! He stopped calling Big Bird a turkey, and whenever Big Bird did something “turkey-like,” Oscar was the most understanding person around. He relished the Bird’s tales of Mr. Snuffleupagus, that hulking, hairy elephant creature that the others had written off as imaginary, and he was the only one on Sesame Street willing to believe the creature was real and encouraged the stories.

“And then,” Big Bird would tell him, “Mr. Snuffleupagus raised his trunk way up high, and blew water all over Susan and Gordon! They thought it was raining!”

Big Bird laughed at his story of misfortune, but Oscar was only presented with a moral dilemma. Truly the story was amusing, but he couldn’t help but feel sorry for poor Susan and Gordon, who were surely drenched by the beast’s carelessness. Oscar decided he would be polite and say nothing except to tell Big Bird what a good storyteller he was.

Much had changed about Oscar’s attitude, in particular his attitude towards his surroundings. Where at one time he took pleasure in the mess around him, he soon found himself as disgusted by it as everyone else. And so, he cleaned his trash can from top to bottom, making it sparkle and shine! You never saw a cleaner trash can. For that matter, you never saw a cleaner anything!

In addition to this, one day Oscar decided his surroundings were too drab and dull for his tastes. He wanted his world to be full of color and life! He called all the neighborhood children together to help him plant a garden that would grow all around his trash can. The children, who had recognized the change in Oscar’s personality, knew that he wasn’t trying to trick them, and so they were more than happy to oblige.

Oscar and his team of young gardeners planted all sorts of flowers and plants. Peonies of all sorts surrounded his can, perched atop boxes, cans, whatever would bring them up to his level so he could watch them bloom. They had planted climbing vines all along the railing to 123 Sesame Street, and they were coming along nicely.

Yes, as Bob went about his day, he would notice all that went on over at Oscar’s. And one thing he had noticed, perhaps the most interesting of things, was also the most perplexing to him. Maria, that young Puerto Rican girl of twenty (or so), had been spending a great deal of time hanging around with Oscar as well. Oscar, who had stopped his occasional inappropriate advances on Maria, had instead begun courting her as any gentleman might.

“Maria,” Oscar told her, presenting her with a beautiful bouquet of roses, “I don’t know if I’ve ever told ya this, but I’ve been a cad!”

“A cad?” Maria asked. She knew it was true, but didn’t know he knew. She didn’t even know he knew the word to use it!

“Yeah, a cad!” Oscar said. “But... You’re a princess, Maria. You deserve the very best, and a Grouch would be lucky to be in the same room as ya. I compare ya to the glorious peddles of the rose…”

Oscar continued on with more sappy stuff like that, making Maria feel uncomfortable… but at the same time flattered and a bit attracted to the newly reformed Grouch. The two soon formed a friendship unmatchable. Oscar dropped everything to be with her, and she dropped everything to come see him. They shared their dreams with one another, their goals, their desires.

Oscar had definitely changed. He had changed a great deal.
 

The Count

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 12, 2002
Messages
31,234
Reaction score
2,919
O-o-o-o-o. Ima just gonna wait for next chapter. Me not sure what me think about this yet, and me wanna encourage the author's continuance of the story to find out. More please? :insatiable:
 

redBoobergurl

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2005
Messages
6,838
Reaction score
207
Ooh, I like this! It's so strange to see Oscar being nice! I like the concept alot though!

And hey Ed - you're right, it is sort of like the one I wrote about Cookie Monster. Sigh. I wish I had more time to write these days. At least I have time to read good fics like this though!
 

Alpha Centauri

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
201
Reaction score
10
Ship is short for relationship. Anyway can't wait to read what's going to happen next. Will Oscar go back to normal?
 

Super Scooter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2002
Messages
6,255
Reaction score
109
Chapter 5

All good things must come to an end…

What was once a blessing quickly became a curse to the people of Sesame Street. Oscar was once essential to the harmony of the neighborhood. One would have thought a fellow with a sour disposition would be contrary to harmony, but it just wasn’t so…

One day, Oscar and Maria were sharing a good laugh over some tea when David happened to pass by.

“Hey, guys,” David greeted the pair. “What’s goin’ on?”

“Oh, Oscar was just—“ Maria couldn’t explain further without cracking up laughing.

“I told you it was a good joke!” Oscar laughed along with her.

“Yeah, sounds hilarious,” David said, without a hint of interest. “Well, come on, Maria, we ought to get going if we’re going to catch that movie.”

Maria nodded, a bit disappointed that she would have to cut her afternoon with Oscar short, but also really looking forward to the movie. She stood to join David.

“Maria,” Oscar was upset, “you’re leaving already?”

“I’m sorry, Oscar. We’ve been planning on seeing this for weeks.”

“Yeah,” David chimed in, “it’s all about space cheese attacking the planet Koozebane!”

“But, Maria,” Oscar pleaded, “we were havin’ such fun!”

“We can continue another time,” she assured him.

“You said you’d stay for tea,” the dejected Grouch stated.

“Well…” Maria was very tempted to stay… and David knew it.

“Wait a minute,” David said, “you’re thinking of staying here with him, aren’t you?”

“Now, David, I didn’t say that!” Maria started out defensively, but then meekly asked “But, what would you think If Oscar maybe came with us?”

David was appalled at this suggestion. He hadn’t a moment with Maria since Oscar’s change, and he was tired of it. He was at one time the closest to Maria, and had learned to ignore Oscar’s advances long ago. Well, no more, he thought, and then he stormed off. Maria tried to stop him. “David!” she called out, but he ignored her and just continued on his way. Maria looked back at Oscar.

“Now you can stay with me,” Oscar said with a huge smile on his face. Maria just shook her head and followed after David. “Maria!” He called after her. “Don’t leave me!” But it was too late. She was already gone.

****

The climbing vines Oscar had planted along 123’s railing had grown wildly out of control. Vines sprawled across the stairs, and were starting to make their way up the front door. This was a terrible nuisance to the residents who without the front door were forced to use… the back one. One morning, as Gordon was taking out his trash, he forgot about this dilemma, and made his way out the front door. He found himself caught in the vines, the thorns of which grabbed onto his shirt and tore his trash bag open, spilling garbage all over the place. Gordon managed to break free of the vines’ grip, and went down to confront Oscar.

“Oscar,” he stated sternly, “what is all of this?”

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they Gordon?” He reached over to pet one of its leaves. “I call her Sheila.”

“Oscar,” Gordon meant business, using the Grouch’s name to start each of his sentences, “I don’t care what you call it; it’s causing problems and it is in everybody’s way.”

“What?” Oscar was stunned. “How can you say that? This is a thing o’ beauty!”

“That may be, Oscar, but it doesn’t change the fact that—“

“What are you suggesting I do, Gordon?” Oscar interrupted. “You want me to rip her outta the ground?”

“No, of course not,” Gordon told him. “But there is such a thing as pruning. You could cut the vines back a little.”

“Cut the vines back?” Oscar shouted, shocked at the suggestion. “Never! Not ever! You’re talkin’ about a living thing here!”

“It won’t be hurt by it,” Gordon said, trying to help Oscar appreciate his view. “I understand that you care about it, Oscar, and I don’t want you to have to get rid of it. But it’s in the way! It has to be fixed!”

“Fixed? You dare suggest that a beautiful plant such as this could be broken? Just because of the way it grows? Her life is an inconvenience to you, Gordon?”

“Oscar—“

“No!” Oscar shouted. “Never! I will not hurt that plant!”

Oscar turned away from Gordon, crossing his arms. Gordon let out a sigh and gave up. He tied off the hole in his trash bag and went to collect the garbage that was scattered about. Once it was all gathered, he returned to Oscar.

“Oscar, I’m sorry if I upset you,” He said. “I know this means a lot to you, and I suppose I was just frustrated.”

“Well, that’s better!” Oscar said, rather smugly.

“Yeah, well…” Gordon didn’t know what else to say, and instead just offered his garbage over to Oscar. “Here.”

“What’s this?”

“My garbage,” said Gordon.

“And what do you expect me to do with it?”

“You always take my garbage into your trash can.”

“I take that filth into my home?” Oscar asked, questioning this obviously mad notion.

“Of course!” Gordon said, growing more frustrated. “I have trash, this is a trash can, and trash goes in the trash can!”

“That ‘trash can,’” Oscar growled, “is my home! I ain’t muckin’ it up with that stinky, yucky, miserable trash! Get outta here with it! Do you have any idea how long it took me to clean up the mess that was in here before? Because of people like you?”

“Now, Oscar—“ Gordon’s intent, aggravated as he was, was to explain simply and rationally, but it was no use.

“No!” Oscar cut him off. “No! Not one bit o’ that garbage will make it in here! Now, leave me alone!”

“Oscar—“

“SCRAM!”

It was a word not uttered on Sesame Street for days, but to Oscar it was the perfect occasion for it. He slipped down into his home, slamming the lid behind him.

Gordon was stunned. He couldn’t believe that this was Oscar. He wasn’t old Oscar; he wasn’t even new Oscar anymore. He was a very different creature, a greedy, selfish character. Something had to be done.
 

RedPiggy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2008
Messages
5,125
Reaction score
400
SkinnyMushyMuddyshipping!

Oscariashipping!

Yeah, IIRC, shipping was invented around the time of Jessie and James of Team Rocket (hence: Rocketshipping ... a pun and a cool way to describe their relationship, and I'm a devoted member, LOL). The concept caught like wildfire all over the internet. Now everything has a ship labeled somewhere.
 
Top