Reflections in Foam

Java

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Hi everyone!

I thought that while I iron out my issues I'm having with The Great Desire that I would share with you the piece I've been working on in my absence from here.

I do want to add a side note before posting the prologue and the first chapter tonight (it's taking me forever to type this, so that's all I can manage for now) that it maybe just a little confusing at first, but this will all iron out as we get to explanations that occur in the second and following chapters.

Without going into too much detail though I will tell you that for this story there are three ways to become a Muppet:
1. You are born into being a Muppet as your destiny.
2. Circumstances change you into being a Muppet.
3. You choose to change into a Muppet from your own personal reasons and there is a place in the group for those reasons.


Enjoy!
 

Java

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Prologue

Hensonville 1970

The red haired boy stopped just short, fighting for breath, at the curb as he watched the limousine turn left leaving him alone. Again. In a strange little town that he didn’t know much about because he spent so much time working in his uncle’s office. Quickly he scanned to his left and his right for a phone but saw nothing but empty lots and deserted buildings.

Quickly he turned around and sprinted back to the doors of the office building only to be met by a sad look from Bert, the night security guard who had already locked up for the night. “Sorry,” he mouthed to the boy and then picked up the bottle cap that had been left on the floor.

Forlorn, the boy turned and walked in the opposite direction that his uncle had left in, hoping to find some type of shelter or phone in the main part of the town.

Bert watched as Jonathan Patrick walked way. It was a shame that J.P. Grouse was such a stickler that he wouldn’t even let his nephew spend the night in the office building. “It will use to much electricity, taking my hard earned money from me,” was how he had explained it to Bert.

He watched Jonathan disappear around the corner then turned to settle in for the night at his desk. If only, he thought, pulling out his lunch box to stick the bottle cap in, I could do something that would change just a small corner of this world and make it easier for kids like him.

Jonathan continued down the deserted streets knowing that there was little chance of finding a business open that would allow him to use the phone. Fat rain drops began to fall from the sky and Jonathan sank to the curb not knowing what else to do.

Carefully he examined himself between the ripples in a puddle, looking for anything he could change to make himself more wanted. “It’s not as if I have any friends to hang out with anyway,” he muttered as he studied the freckles sprinkled across his nose and cheeks that stuck out on his pale skin as much as his disheveled red hair. “It’s not as if there’s anything special about Friday nights anyway,” he spoke louder as he pushed the bottle thick glasses back up his tiny nose and rubbed his ears that stuck out slightly from years of supporting them. “It’s not as if I fit in anywhere!” He shouted to the street as he kicked the puddle to distort the view of lanky, skinny twenty five year old boy who looked like and overzealous teenager in the suit that his uncle insisted he wore to work everyday.

“Is he the next one Kermit” Jim asked as he stood at the doors to the theater looking out on the scene.

“I think he is.”

“He’s J.P. Grouses nephew isn’t he?”

“Yes.” Kermit put his hands on the door, ready to go out to talk to the boy.

“What makes you so sure that he’ll want to be a Muppet?” Jim asked even though he already knew the answer. He just wanted to hear it out loud.

“Who would give up the chance to be with all of us bears and pigs and chickens and things?” A smile crossed Kermit’s lips as he continued, “I’ve paid attention when he’s with his uncle and I’ve noticed that he’s good at organizing and juggling details. We’ll appreciate his work and he’ll belong.”

“That’s what he needs,” Jim agreed as he watched Kermit take a seat next to the boy.

Quietly Kermit placed a hand on Jonathans shoulder as he said “I think the rains supposed to get worse if you’d like to come inside with us.”

“That’s okay,” Jonathan said still staring at the puddle, “I should wait out here in case my uncle decides to come looking for me.”

“It’s got to be pretty rough to try to keep up with an uncle who is determined to barrel through life without you.”

Apprehensively Jonathan looked at the frog sitting beside him. It should have seemed strange that he was having a conversation with a frog and yet he felt comfortable with it. Slowly he glanced back towards the theater that his uncle was renting to the motley group. It should have been strange that it was being rented to a theater group that was made up of random animals, but somehow that seemed natural too; somehow it worked.

Kermit watched as he saw the wheels begin to turn in the young mans head. “I’ve noticed that you have a knack for handling all the details in your uncles’ life. We could use some help with that ourselves.”

“You’re just saying that because you feel sorry for me.”

“No, I’m saying that because our chef and our weirdo somehow ended up practicing their acts at the same time today. We’re still trying to get the theater back into a reasonable condition to continue rehearsals.”

Jonathan closed his eyes a moment as he pictured the man who claimed to be Swedish attempting to charm the food into his will as the whatever it was he had seen around the theater launched himself from a cannon full of cream into the fray. “What’s in it for me if I help you out?”

“The chance to show your uncle what your made of,” Kermit appealed to the practical side of the boys logic.

“Well,” Jonathan paused as he weighed his options. It would get him out of the stuffy suit. It would get him out of his uncles' constant obsessions too. If he could manage this group of misfits working together it would serve to show his Uncle that he could take on more responsibility and maybe he could have a share in the company, “maybe… Maybe we can try it for a few weeks.”

Kermit knew that it wouldn’t take long to incorporate Jonathan into the group. “Okay, let’s give it a try. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when you decide you want to become one of us.”

Jonathan took one last pensive glance at the theater as he started to stand then turned and helped the frog up.

“So, what should we call you,” Kermit asked as they started towards the door.

“When I was little my sister would call me Scooter…”
 

Java

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Chapter 1

Hensonville 2007

It was unusually dark in the Muppet boarding house tonight. Which was causing significant problems for Fozzie. With no moonlight or lamp light to cast shadows on the familiar objects around him he couldn’t make out what it was creeping through their home.

Carefully he listened for clues. Unfortunately all he could make out was the even breathing of Rowlf and the slow deliberate creaks of the boards that had awoken him in the first place as something moved through the house.

Rowlf worked hard to keep his breathing even as he listened to Fozzie start to search for something in his bed. He didn’t want to let Fozzie know that he was awake and listening as one of the smaller residents of the boarding house worked their way back to a bedroom. Besides, if he startled Fozzie now there was a risk of waking those who were still in the house.

A creak sounded from inside their room. Fozzie carefully raised himself to a standing position on the bed raising the only weapon he could reach high in the air.

Suddenly a sharp thud echoed through the room followed by a terrified moaning half yell and the heart-wrenching sobs of the equally terrified and hurting of the youngest resident in the Muppet boarding house. Rowlf sprang up flicking on the overhead light switch and scooping the helpless little frog who was a puddle mass on the floor. He would have laughed at Fozzie who was crouched on his bed holding a teddy bear by the ear backwards behind his raised arm ready to battle the fiercest of enemies had he not been trying to find where Robin had hurt himself.

“There now,” he gently whispered rubbing his hands in circles on Robins back, “it’s alright.”

Fozzie sank back to sitting on his bed as he watched Rowlf’s efforts to stop the sobs. Rowlf joined him on the edge of the bed as Fozzie reached out and took Robin from him.

“What’s wrong?” Fozzie was desperate to ease the heartbreak he could hear in the broken breaths.

“He… he… he left me,” Robin managed to choke out.

“Who left you?”

“Un… uncle Kermit!”

As Fozzie and Rowlf’s eyes met in a puzzled glance Scooter showed up blinking at the door.

“And now,” Robin looked up at Fozzie as lily pad tears dropped from his eyes, “I have to go back to the swamp alone and get a real job!”

“What? Why would you have to do that,” Fozzie half whispered.

“Because,” Robin hung his head in shame trying to find a way to hide from them, “because I disappointed him?”

“How’d you do that kid,” Rowlf’s voice was edgy as he waited to get to the bottom of the mystery.

“I told him. Oh, Rowlf I told him… but I didn’t mean it!” Again Robin was lost in uncontrollable tears, his fingers pulling Fozzie’s fur into mats as he searched for comfort from the bear.

“Robin,” Rowlf whispered so that the sobs would quiet for Robin to be able to hear the question, “what did you tell Uncle Kermit?”

“I didn’t mean it,” Robin emphatically whispered back, ashamed of what he was about to confess. “I told Uncle Kermit that I didn’t want to be a Muppet anymore. I told him I was sick of being a kid and I wanted to grow up.”

Scooter took the moment to take charge, kneeling beside them and whispering to Robin, “How much of the conversation did you overhear this evening when your Uncle was on the phone young man?”

Fozzie’s hand found the sheets slowly beginning to twist them in lieu of his necktie as Rowlf continued to look on in puzzled helplessness.

“I don’t know,” came the muffled answer as he burrowed his face further into Fozzie’s chest.

“Are you sure,” Scooter emphasized every word, “that this wasn’t just a bad dream? I know that Kermit told you he had to go take care of some things before he left.”

As if Gonzo had just landed on him after being launched from his cannon, the realization that he’d had a nightmare made Robins eyes fly open and the sobs cease. “It was a dream,” the whisper broke through the air as Robin pushed back from Fozzie. “It was a dream,” he cried excitedly as he hopped around the bed and walloped into Scooter for a hug.

Scooter hoisted the little frog onto his shoulders and headed towards the door. Looking back at Rowlf and Fozzie he added “I’ll get this little one tucked back in where he should be and then come fill you in on what you missed when you were at your fundraiser tonight.”

Still stunned the pair watched Scooter make the left and head towards Robins room. Fozzie curled into a ball as Rowlf sat unmoving as they both thought about what the conversation they’d had.

“Rowlf, who would want to leave the Muppets that badly?”

“I think it’s more important to know who is so desperate to become a human again that Kermit would risk scaring Robin like that.”

“What if it’s someone who’s always been a Muppet? Oh, I wish we hadn’t gone to the fundraiser tonight. Then we’d know more.”

“Not necessarily,” Scooter replied as he reentered the room. “I was here for the conversation and I don’t know much more than that.”

Fozzie took a quick glance at Scooter, “Who is it?”

Scooter only shrugged in reply.

“Then would you care to tell Fozzie and me what you do know?”

“Just after dinner Kermit got a call directly on his phone. Apparently, from what Kermit was saying back to the caller, whoever it is had just wanted to thank Kermit for his generosity and everything that he’d done over the years. But, no matter what Kermit said, this Muppet needed to return to the world he had come from because he was no longer making an impact for the better. Desperate, Kermit reiterated that no matter why we are each now Muppets that once we choose to let go of this life the magic is lost and there is no returning to it.”

Scooter paused as he heard their breaths draw in sharply.

“Kermit lost the call at that point and ran upstairs to grab essentials. I last saw him going out the door and shouting to me that he knew I could handle things here until he got back.”

“Wow,” was all Fozzie could muster as he began to think of his own decision to join the world of the Muppets.

“And we have no idea who called?”

“I’m sorry, Rowlf, I wish I did.” Scooter quickly glanced down at his phone to make sure there weren’t new messages that would give them the answer. "But it's hard to know when so many of us are away on vacation or live away from here."

After a long time Rowlf spoke again, “There’s really nothing that we can do about this until daylight. I guess we should rest until then.”

[FONT=&quot]In agreement Scooter moved went to the door until Rowlf got back in his bed and Fozzie rearranged everything to his suiting. He flicked off the light and went back to his own bed for the same restless sleep they would get.[/FONT]
 

Fragglemuppet

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Oh wow, intriguing! You have this thing for moderate darkness, don't you? No matter; I like it!
:wink: Then again, isn't everything having to do with transformation and personal alchemy at least a little bit dark? Dark and light and everything in between... Never mind, that's just me rambling again.

More please, as soon as you can!
:smile:
 

The Count

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Wow! That's all I can say as well... This is indeed something of most heavy-duty proportions... And it shows you've taken the time and invested the love into crafting such a narrative. Love how thisstarted with Scooter's joining/transformation. Was scared for Robin... Was touched at how perfectly Bert fit in here and how well you captured his personality... Am concerned about just what Muppet is desirous of returning to the human world and leaving the magic behind. Of course, that Muppet and Kermit shouldknow, you can't ever rully leave the magic behind.

Love this story and how it's starting out... More please when you can post it!
 

redBoobergurl

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Have I told you yet how glad I am that you're back Melissa? This story is amazing. You just have this power to captivate me from line one! I am so curious about this whole thing, it's just so dark and mysterious and magical and amazing! Poor little Robin though. Please, give us more!
 

ReneeLouvier

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This has to be the most intregiung (sic) story I've read yet. It's amazing, Melissa!!! Transforming from the real world to the Muppets and such....wow....I can't wait to read more of it!!!
 

Java

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Thanks everyone. I'll get the next chapter typed up as soon as possible.
 

Java

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Chapter 2

Rowlf paused at the top of the stairs watching Robin who was sprawled on his stomach in the middle of the living room floor furiously writing in one notebook and examining another. I didn’t think he had any summer homework, he thought to himself. Rowlf continued down the stairs and took a seat at his piano bench.

“What are you working on?” Rowlf tried to look at the notebooks but Robin was quick to scoop them up in his arms and hiding them beneath his body as elementary schoolers learn to do to keep their friends from copying their paper.

“Mmph,” was the only reply he got back.

“Well then.” Rowlf turned to face the keys and lifted the music he kept in a stack on top of the piano. Quickly he leafed through to the one that he wanted and even though it was more suited for the guitar, started playing quietly.

“Hush now, don’t you cry
Wipe away the teardrop from your eye
You’re lying safe in bed
It was all a bad dream
Spinning in your head
Your mind tricked you to feel the pain
Of someone close to you leaving the game of life
So here it is, another chance
Wide awake you face the day
Your dream is over… or has it just begun?”

Robin stopped his writing lifting his head to get a better look at Rowlf. His eyes were closed and he was gently rocking forward and back as he lost himself within the song.

“There’s a place I like to hide
A doorway that I run through in the night
Relax child, you were there
But only didn’t realize it and you were scared.
It’s a place where you will learn
To face your fears, retrace the years
And ride the whims of your mind
Commanding in another world
Suddenly you hear and see
This magic new dimension.”

Carefully Robin put the pen down on top of his papers and sat up.

“I- will be watching over you” Rowlf’s voice carefully held out the words, emphasizing their full meaning.
“I- am gonna help you see it through
I- will protect you in the night
I- am smiling next to you in Silent Lucidity.”

Rowlf opened his eyes as he caressed the tune from the piano. Not quite right, I should talk to the Electric Mayhem about doing the music.

“If you open your mind for me
You won’t rely on open eyes to see
The Walls you built within”

Robin joined Rowlf on the piano bench, enthralled by the way Rowlf could feel the song and stayed moving within it as he continued to sing, his voice slightly raspy lending more to the words.

“Come tumbling down, and a new world will begin
Living twice at once you learn
You’re safe from the pain in the dream domain
A soul set free to fly
A round trip journey in your head
Master of illusion, can you realize
Your dreams alive, you can be the guide, but…

I- will be watching over you
I- am going to help you see it through
I- will protect you in the night

Rowlf opened his eyes slowly and peered into the little frogs eyes.

“I- am smiling next to you…”

His fingers slowed as he moved from the music of the song to the Brahms’ Lullaby that punctuated the end.

“Wow,” Robin whispered as the fingers stopped moving over the keys.

Rowlf nodded with appreciation and then tried to coax the truth from Robin. “I didn’t think young frogs like you received summer homework.”

“It’s not for school,” Robin quickly replied and moved on to tell Rowlf about it before loosing his nerve, “After my dream last night I thought it would be a good idea to find out how each of us became Muppets and write it down.” Seeing Rowlf’s contemplative look he whispered the end, “before we forget. This is our family history. If we don’t get it recorded now, it may never be recorded.”

Rowlf half turned on the bench and looked down at the notebooks Robin had on the floor.

“So what is that you have there?”

“My story and the notebooks that I’ve listed the questions I have from overhearing things you all won’t talk about when you know I’m there.”

“Sneaky little frog,” Rowlf smiled as he recalled a few of the times he had cut off from saying things because he noticed Robin in the area at the last minute.

Robin smiled slyly before continuing, “But I’ll need your help Uncle Rowlf, because not everyone here will be willing to tell me their story. They’ll think I’m too young.” Robin bit out the last sentence in the disapproval only a naïve kid could manage.

“Sure, we can do that. If we enlist the help of Fozzie and Scooter I’m sure that we can get almost everyone to tell us their stories.”

“Yeah!” Robin started bouncing slightly in place, picturing everyone working together to get the true history, “Let’s do it!”

“Okay, let’s start with you. Show me what you’ve written of becoming a Muppet.”

“Well,” Robin began, “I know that you are either born a Muppet or become a Muppet. And I know that even if you are born a Muppet you still have to choose what to do with being one.”

“That’s right,” Rowlf nodded reassuringly to him. “But those of you that are born Muppets are few and far between.”

“That’s what Uncle Kermit said,” Robin quietly replied as he closed his eyes remembering how Kermit had come to the swamp and told him about it…
 

Java

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Chapter 3

Robins Story - The Swamp 1969

“Robin the Frog, all you ever want to do is play television! We’re sick of playing television! You don’t even know what a television is!” Becky Sue stomped with disgust at her brother. All of his siblings lined up behind Becky Sue and voiced their agreement.

“I do too! Uncle Kermit makes everyone happy by being in it! And I know that it’s better than anything else in this world because Uncle Kermit works on it!” Robin’s voice was shrill as he shouted back at them.

“You haven’t even seen anything that Uncle Kermit’s done. How would you know?”

“Yes I have. We all took that trip into Leland to see him and his friends on that night show.”

“You didn’t stay awake for that. Mommy told me so. It was too late for a little frog like you to stay up for.”

“Not true, you’re the one who couldn’t stay awake!”

“Well, if you like Kermit’s world so much why don’t you go live with him!”

“Maybe I will!” Robin slowly backed away, plunged into the water and swam towards his favorite log.

Kermit sat on the edge of the swamp with his brother watching as his nephew swam towards the special spot. He turned and looked at Jimmy a tense smirk upon his face.

“And that’s how it’s been Kermit.”

“Mmm hmm.” Kermit closed his eyes a second, picturing the possibilities. There was this one special that Jim and he were starting to bat around the ideas for. “Do you think he’s made his decision already?”

“Look at how much smaller he is than his siblings. He doesn’t have a choice, just as you didn’t when you realized that you were no longer in the same place as us. What was it that your friend Jim told you?”

“That some are just Muppets from the start.”

“Yea, and wasn’t there something else about your ages staying the same and why you choose one over another?”

“Jimmy, you know as well as I do what he said, you were there.”

“Just checking little brother. Leaper and I won’t object if you take Robin with you. We’d rather him be with someone we trust than some agent that gets lost in a boat in the middle of the swamp.”

Kermit shook his head pretending not to hear the last comment as he jumped into the water and swam away to talk with his nephew. He slowed as he neared the log Robin sat on, listening quietly as Robin sang his heart out while trying to strum the cords on the banjo that was perched there.

“So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.”

Kermit slowly climbed out of the water and onto the log next to his nephew. Robin looked up at his Uncle as he continued to sing.

”Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.”

Kermit picked up the banjo picking up the melody in the middle of the song and singing with his nephew.

“Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that
And someone believed it,
And look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing?
And what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell,
We know that it's probably magic....”

Kermit continued strumming as he let Robin sing the rest of the song solo.

”Have you been half asleep
And have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
Is it something that I'm supposed to be?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
La, la la, La, la la la, La Laa, la la, La, La la laaaaaaa”

Robin pushed the banjo out of Kermit’s lap, replacing it with himself. “Uncle Kermit, I don’t belong here.”

“Really?”

“No, I don’t belong here. I’m not like all of my siblings.”

Kermit peered down into the eyes of his nephew. In them he could see wonder and innocence, wisdom and amazement. In them he could see the need to belong to something that was bigger than he was; the need to find a family that accepted him with all of his quirks, not just for all of his quirks. In them he could see everything he was at that age and everything he knew Robin could become.

“What do you mean, Robin?”

Robin hopped down from his Uncles lap. He dove quickly into the water and surfaced again on a lily pad. “I don’t know.” He continued jumping from lily pad to lily pad. How do I explain how uncomfortable I am? How do I say I love my family but need something else? “I just… I don’t like the same things they do. I like the same things you do!”

Kermit watched silently as Robin puzzled out his feelings. They were the same ones that he had before he’d gotten together with Jim.

“I like rainbows and dreaming. I like making people happy, I like that knowing that no matter what, if you have love and people to support you it will be alright. I like music and dancing and singing and… and… and I don’t know why it matter’s anyway. I’ll never be big enough to do what you do.” Robin came back to sit beside his uncle, his chin in his hands.

“Robin, do you remember meeting my friend Jim?”

“Yea, I remember him being surprised that there were so many of us.”

“We are an overwhelming group. Do you remember anything else about that visit?”

“No, not much. Just that he told you something about having the heart and having something muppetty like that took you away from living with us and being able to do what you like.”

Kermit picked Robin up placing him gently in his lap. He looked down into Robin’s eyes captivated by everything in them as he spoke. “Jim said that while we all may look the same and be brothers and sisters that some of us are special because we have the heart that wants everything for others and nothing for ourselves.”

“But Uncle Kermit, I want to dance and sing and do all of that because I like it.”

“Yes, and you like it because it makes others happy. You like it because it puts a smile on others faces and makes them forget about their troubles. You like it because it’s what you can do to ease someone else’s pain. You have the heart of a true Muppet, the theatre troupe that Jim is trying to put together.”

Robin looked at his Uncle, puzzling through what he had said. “I’m still never going to be big enough to do what you do.”

“You could be. If you want to try it we can.”

“Okay Uncle Kermit,” Robin slid off of Kermit’s lap into the water having not paid attention to what he had been told. As the words that had been spoken sank in he popped back up onto the log in a swift motion, spraying Kermit with water. His eyes were wide as he bounced around, “Do you mean it Uncle Kermit? We can try and see if I like it? I can come with you and be on the television?”

“Sure, we’ll give it a try. I have to go talk to Jim first, but I think we have something coming up fairly soon that we can put you in. It will be a lot of work though.”

“Oh, boy! I can’t wait!”

* * * *

Rowlf handed the notebook back to Robin as he closed his eyes remembering when Kermit had told them his nephew would be joining them.

“That’s very well written, Robin.”

Robin looked almost embarrassed as he whispered back to Rowlf, “thank you.”

“Are you going to add more to it about getting to come here?”

“I wasn’t finished yet! You said you wanted to see what I had.”

Rowlf chuckled through his reply, “You’re right. I did. What do you say we go tell Fozzie and Scooter about this plan of yours? That way we can decide who everyone will interview and get started.”

“Rowlf, do you think Uncle Kermit will like what we’re doing?”

[FONT=&quot]“I’m sure he will Robin. I’m sure he will.”[/FONT]
 
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