The Enduring Man-Child (Registered User) Sunday, June 30, 2002 at 9:56:30 AM CST The party begins : The Coffeehouse was now filled with the Rescue Rangers, some Rangerphiles and their creations, and various beloved cartoon characters. And it was now approaching the magic date of july 1, the twentieth anniversary of the day Man-Child first heard the words "The Secret of NIMH" uttered on the old PBS "Sneak Previews" show (back when Siskel, Ebert, and Spot the Wonder Dog were on it). Man-Child, who had been pestering the daylights out of KS to play with the cute weasel, was reminded by Foxglove that the time was nigh for the arrival of the guest of honor. And looking about to see the decoration of the Coffeehouse almost in place, he reluctantly left KS and the (supremely relieved) Drywall and approached the Palomino who had once again arisen out of the Bureau Drawer With The Neckties. "Is she really coming? Is she going to be here?" Man-Child asked, making no attempt to hide his anxiety. The Palomino winked. "Never fear," he assured him. "But . . . but this is Mrs. Brisby! How can we possibly get her here without her somehow finding out what we've been up to and ruining the surprise?" he asked again, never satisfied unless he had something to worry about. The calm look on the Palomino's face managed to calm even him. "All has been taken care of," he assured him once again, giving a luck-dragon like wink. Man-Child surrendered to the Palomino's confidence at last, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. Suddenly there was a knock at the front door and the Coffeehouse became uncharacteristically quiet. This was a public establishment and no knock for admittance was required. This could only be the signal for the arrival of the Guest of Honor. Man-Child, considering himself Mrs. Brisby's Number One Fan, presumed to open the door. There he found the four Brisby children (Teresa, Martin, Timothy, and Cynthia), Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy (the former "Miss Right"), and even the grumbling Auntie Shrew. And with them, her mouth open in shock and surprise, was Mrs. Jonathan Brisby. "Happy anniversary, Mrs. Brisby," Man-Child said, his returning nervousness showing up in his voice, "welcome to this party, which is in your honor." The newly-arrived group ushered the apparently awe-struck Mrs. Brisby into the room. Man-Child would have never believed it possible to hide anything from her. He was ecstatic. And the party began in earnest. ------------------------------------------------------- Indy (MB Admin) An awesome moment... It was truly an awesome moment as Mrs. Brisby walked in. She'd never been the kind to seek the spotlight; indeed she'd done her best to avoid it. Getting her to come to the coffeehouse had taken quite a bit of cajoling, and now she was embarrassed to find that the whole thing was a party in her honor. "I...I don't know what to say," Mrs. Brisby stammered. "Aw, go on, Ms. Briz," Jeremy said. "These are all your friends, remember?" The mouse nodded and came forward, first to Man-Child. "You've always been a good and true friend to me. I just want you to know that I've always appreciated it." Mrs. Brisby kissed Man-Child on the cheek, which not only had the effect of sending him into low orbit but elicited a hearty round of applause from the group there. "Hey, it's a party!" Dale said at last. "So let's par-ty!" With that, the assembled group began milling in earnest. Indy and Bedivere came over to pay their respects to the lady of honor. Indy took off his fedora--a rare thing indeed--and Bedivere took Mrs. Brisby's paw in his wing and saluted her with all the charm a Texas prairie bat can muster. "It's shore an honor to meet ya," Bedivere said. "You must have some Texas spunk in ya, considering all you've done." Mrs. Brisby blushed in kind. "Well, thank you. Indy, he's yours?" Indy nodded. "Yes, ma'am, and might I add my own congratulations as well. The world was a better place the day you made yourself known to the rest of us." The duo continued to talk with Mrs. Brisby for time, then others came up to take their turn. Bedivere pulled Indy aside for a private chat. "I never knew she was that nice and kind," Bedivere said. "That there Jonathon feller was a mighty lucky mouse ta marry someone like that." "Yes, he surely was," Indy said. "I think the party's a smashing success so far. Now if only we can sort out the multiuniversal mess at the end of it." ---------------------------------------------------------- The Enduring Man-Child (Registered User) And with that . . . . . . the time had come for Dale, after personally greeting Mrs. Brisby along with Foxglove and the rest of the Rangers, to fulfill his duty as DJ by bringing back 1982 with a vengeance! "Wow!" said the usually socially subdued Man-Child, "Asia! Culture Club! Dexy's Midnight Runners! Thomas Dolby! 1982 truly was second only to the 1970's as the zenith of human civilization!" That got him a few weird looks, but his sincerity was evident and they didn't give him any trouble over it. {This is just a suggestion, but how about the rest of you joining in to express your own (and your characters') feelings to Mrs. Brisby and suggesting your own golden oldies from 1982? } ------------------------------------------------------- Loki (Registered User) Loki kinda hung back from the party. . . Loki did his best to be gracious, which for him consisted mainly of politely greeting everyone he could and keeping out of the way otherwise. For whatever reason, he always managed to feel extremely self-conscious and out-of-place at parties. The ferrets had a good time at least, Loki had indeed given his crew general liberty, and many of them expressed their thanks to Mrs. Brisby, since "The Survivor of NIMH" was Loki's first ever fanfic, which in that case would make it the great-grandfather of their still-to-be-written story. Loki's thoughts wandered from the party, mainly due to the music. 1982 had not been a good year, and 1983 had been even worse. Loki was late getting to know Mrs. Brisby, but that made the timing of her appearance in his life all the more fortuitous. Memories crashed upon Loki's mind like waves breaking on shore. Summer of 1982, young Loki was spending the summer vacation at a campground on Cape Cod, with his brother, his father, and his ailing mother. It was this summer, at this campground, that Loki's mother celebrated her 43rd birthday. She was feeling well that day, being on a break from the chemotherapy, and enjoyed the celebration immensely. It was a glorious summer, which was overshadowed by his mother's sudden return to the hosptal, by ambulance, barely a month after his fourteenth birthday. With all that was going on, Loki missed "The Secret of NIMH" in theaters. March 16, 1983: Loki awoke without the alarm clock's usual noise. Upon seeing the time, he realized he was late for school, which accounted for the sudden cacaphony that erupted from his bedroom before he burst from it, pulling on clothes and looking for something to eat. He found his father in the kitchen. "Dad, my alarm clock didn't go off this morning. I'm late for school." "I switched it off," his father replied sadly. Loki wondered why, then realized there could only be one answer. His father said more, but it was lost in the numbing shock of the knowledge that his mother had finally succumbed in her two-year battle with cancer. In accordance with her wishes, her remains were buried at sea off of Gloucester, near Thatcher's Island. Christmas 1983 seemed empty. For the first time though, the house had cable, including HBO. Here at last was Loki's first sight of "The Secret of NIMH". "So you see," Loki found himself saying to the group, not quite realizing how he'd gotten into this conversation, "Mrs. Brisby came along at a critical juncture in my life, at a time when I was feeling the loss of my mother very keenly. Here was a strong mother-figure in a beautifully animated story, which renewed my faith in two ways. "First, I was happy to see that classical styles of animation were alive and well, which gave me hope that other studios might return to the art, especially Disney. Second, and most important, in some way Mrs. Brisby reminded me that though my mother might be gone from this earth, she would never cease watching over me. It is for this, that I am most truly grateful." Loki finfshed and sat down, feeling drained. "I'm sorry. This is supposed to be a party, and is not a proper venue for the review of such melancholy stuff." Thomas patted his shoulder. "Now I see why you wrote that story. You had to." ------------------------------------------------------- KS (Registered User) KS finally pried Dee off of Chip... "That Chip wasn't from your Ragnerverse," KS explained, "That's why he wasn't reciprocating." "How dare you bring me here without a Chip to cuddle," Dee scolded her creator. "I didn't bring you here, you wandered in on your own." As KS was going to promise to get Chip to snuggle with her the next time they came this way he noticed the guest of honor arrive. Together, the trio politely waited their turn to greet the venerable Mrs Brisby. "It's an incredible honor to meet you, ma'am," KS stated as he gently shook her paw. "And I must admit, you're even more beautiful in person," he confessed as his old crush on teh honored mouse resurfaced a little. "Well, thank you," Mrs Brisby replied with a bit of a blush. "It's wonderful to get a chance to meet you!" declared Dee as she shook the paw of the guest of honor, "Everything I know about being a mother I learned from you, I just wish I'd had the chance to be more of a mother when Raven was still a toddler." "Oh, what happened?" Mrs Brisby asked out of genuine concern, having heard some of the regret in Dee's voice. "It's a long story," Dee pointed out, "And it can wait till later, I wouldn't want to hold up everyone else who wants to show their respects." Mrs Brisby nodded, then extended a paw of friendship to Drywall. The ever curious weasel quickly grabbed her paw with both of his and examined it intenslely in the off chance she was holding something interesting. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he finally shook her paw, "Pleased to meet you!" ------------------------------------------------ The J.A.M. (Registered User) And now, the other newcomers. [...unWARP!!!] Good evening. "And who are these lovely ones?" asked Mrs. Brisby, as she bent down to greet the cubs. "They are my nieces and nephew: The N.I.M.H., named after you, The T.A.N, and The E.M.M.Y" "Nice to meet you!!" As she got acquainted with the cubs, T he J.A.M. reminisced as well. For some reason, he considered 1982 to be the "Year of the Century". Back then he finished 5th grade and began 6th, the second and third year in an American school, honing his English skills, but he would not get a single 100 in Spelling until September of 1983... 1982, the premiere of Pac-Man and Shirt Tales, as well as the debut of his beloved Commodore 64, which he kept until 1992, always faithfully connected to his TV which had no remote control... 1982, the year of Mrs. Brisby, but due to reasons beyond his control, he would not be able to see her until September of 1988... "But I *do* remember my mom getting a "Secret of NIMH" glass for a gift," he told her. "For some reason, the movie was translated, 'La Ratoncita Valiente', i.e., 'The Little Brave [female] Mouse'. Not necessarily grammatically correct, but fitting for you nonetheless. I do wonder though if the translators ever saw the original book." "Did you ever see me in Spanish?" "No, and I don't want to. No one would do you justice." And so the party continued... Until next time, remember: I AM THE J.A.M. Good evening. [WARP!!!] ----------------------------------------------- Q (Registered User) Partycrashers from 1982............................ Everything was going fine until a large roar was heard overhead, a few moments later a small spaceship landed outside of the cafe. After a few tense moments the doors busted open and in walked 3 figures all shrouded in layers of cloth. The figure in the lead slowly surveyed his surroundings. Then in a Corinthian accent he asked “I am looking for Admiral Kirk” Q stepped out of the crowd and replied to him. “Dude, you really are lost, you probably took a wrong turn at the Mutara Nebula didn’t you?” he snorted “So much for genetic engineering” “It doesn’t matter how much genetic engineering you do to them.” One of the other figures said in a clearly female voice. “The men still refuse to stop for directions” The lead figure turned to her and said “You want to spend the trip on the outside of the airlock?” He turned back to the crowd. Sorry for disturbing you we shall be on our way. With that he turned and left the building, a few seconds later his spaceship took off and headed back to the stars. ------------------------------------------------------------- CD (Registered User) Suddenly, there was movement on CD's part He had been staring after his wrote-in Clarise so long most thought he turned into a statue. He walked over to the twenty year old mouse to congratulate her. "Hi, I'm CD" He said and shook her paw. "I never saw your show but I don't want to be a mannerless pig so I'll just chime in and congratulate. Besides, I love parties. Now if you exuse me, I have to stare at Clarise's wonderful figure." With that, CD was gone just as soon as he came. He felt like a jerk, but looking at his favorite cartoon charachter was important business to him. Next was the Stereotypical Hunter who had returned from hunting down the Fire Marshall. "Hello, I'm a stereotypical hunter and shoot anything that moves. But just not now, I'm out of ammo anyway. And this party is to much fun to disrupt. Best wishes to you and many more years." Next were Steve, Flora and Mercy, CD's creations. "Nice to meet you." Steve greeted. "That's about all I can think of. Your turn girls." "Hello, I'm Flora. And this is Steve, my boyfriend. Congratulations on all the succes you had in merely twenty years, it's really impressive how long your fandom lasted and will last." "Same here." Mercy agreed. "I wish you a happy birthday and best of luck as a famous cartoon characher. I hope to become just as famous as you later when I get my live back on track. I hope you'll like this party." After they had said their congratulations they went of to party. Steve and Flora dancing together. CD staring at Clarise and drawing more pictures of her with the materials that were left for him to work with. Mercy tried to get Chip's attention, which was futile since their universes were incompatible. The worthless stereotypical hunter meanwhile tried to make someone believe his fairy tales were true, without succes. ---------- Nice, a party. We should do it more often. Don't miss the next exciting chapter of Briby's birthday party! Good day and is it just me or did praise this party for exitment while it's more oriented toward fun? ----------------------------------------------- Karl (Registered User) Not wanting to seem forward, Karl had waited until - Mrs. Brisby, thronged by well-wishers and fans, passed close by. "Congratulations, Mrs. Brisby!" He added to the happy din. "I may be the only one here who has never seen or read any NIMH movies or novels, but it's obvious you must have played an impressive part in many lives. May I order something for you to eat or drink? You seem to be otherwise occupied just now." "Well, I.." The dear lady looked around, noting that the entire crowd was poised as if to sprint to the bar, kitchen, or anywhere else one might find sustenance. She began laughing, and finally had to accept a chair. "Oh, my. This is all likely to go to my head, you know." She waved a finger in admonishment, smiling, "I'd like an iced tea, with sugar and lemon. AND -" She winked. "And - I would like it served by that young servobot who is currently hiding in the cupboard under the bar." Gadget looked from Mrs. Brisby to the bar, then back. Chip's actions mirrored hers as they turned to each other and whispered "How??" The cappuchino machine prepared a double shot, and then drank it. It was going to be one of those parties... ------------------------------------------ SomeGhol (Unregistered User) Then, the door slammed open admitting.... Three arguing figures that were preoccupied in wiping whipped cream off of their faces and shoulders, and babbling incoherently at each other. "I TOLD you not to laugh when Wacko got to the bottom of his bag!" said a short, gray, very irritated mouse in a battered red shirt. "Could one of you guys help me get this pie crust out of my hair?" asked the sole human of the group. "The whipped cream seems to have bonded it to the point of no removal." "Umm, guys?" asked the third member of the odd trio. "Are you sure this is the right place?" SomeGhol stopped messing with his messed up hair for a moment to look around the crowded room, then at his two creations. "Yes, this has to be the place. Look over there." he indicated a Chipmunk in a fedora and bomber jacket who was standing next to a... very lovely female mouse in lavender coveralls. Both, for some reason, looked mildly shocked. "That's Chip and Gadget from the Rescue Rangers. I'm sure they wouldn't be anywhere else right now." "Also," began Great, the smaller, gray mouse. "We are all near enough to each other in size that his has to be the Dragon Planet. Right Redding?" Great paused for backup from his friend. "Redding?" Redding, having spotted not only Gadget, but also Mrs. Brisby, was somewhere beyond the bounds of speech at that particular moment. Slowly, as if in a trance, he started towards Gadget and Chip... well, actually he was going to Gadget before his forward motion was arrested by Greats strong hand pulling hard on the collar of Redding’s coat. "Hey!" Redding protested. But Great would have none of it. "Oh good, he speaks." said Great sarcastically before turning serious. "Listen Redding. Since we are uninvited *guests* at a celebration for an *important lady*," he gestured in Mrs. Brisbys direction. "We will be *polite* and give our thanks and congratulations to her *before* you start making a fool of yourself." Redding, knowing that Great had far more experience with these type of events, nodded meekly, and followed his friend over to the table where Mrs. Brisby was chatting with a number of people, including SomeGhol. As the pair arrived, SomeGhol was finishing up his gushing session with the celebrated mouse. “… and to think that you and I were unleashed upon the world at the same time! Wow.” He seemed to come to his senses and smiled at Mrs. Brisby, who smiled back in a bewildered manner. “Anyways, it was real neat to meet you Mrs. Brisby, real neat!” With that, SomeGhol went off to mingle (he didn’t get out much really) and hopefully find something to get that confounded crust out of his hair. Great and Redding were both preparing to introduce themselves to the Lady in the Red cape when the door, again, burst open. Everyone in the room looked at the door in annoyance (after all, slamming doors are not conducive to pleasant conversation) and gaped in shock. “NO!” People began diving for cover as Great, Redding and SomeGhol all exclaimed the simple denial as one. In the doorframe, outlined by the moonlight, stood three figures a tall one, a short one, and a cute one. The horror was… well, horrible. Wacko stepped forward into the room. “Has anyone seen my pogo stick?” ----------------------------------------- Karl (Registered User) This was a chance Karl simply couldn't ignore. "Welcome to the Rescue Ranger Coffee House! We're here to celebrate this distinguished lady's anniversary, and couldn't be happier that you were able to attend! Would you care for a cappuchino latte?" He gestured to the battered-looking but unfazed cappuchino machine, which, having faced The Ultimate Evil in battle, simply prepared a latte and offered it to Yakko with a smile. Dot began, "You know, you really should cut down on caffeine.." But by then it was too late - or latte. Whichever... It really doesn't matter at this point. Yakko, buzzing slightly, said "Ohhh, I LIKE it! May I have another?" Dot covered her eyes to the horror - the ...horror. Mrs. Brisby sat calmly at a corner table and suggested someone turn on the house music system."Perhaps a nice Polka?" Dot flinched, visibly. She knew what had to happen next. Meanwhile, Wakko had his mouth on the soft-serve ice-cream machine spout, holding the lever down with one toe while slowly inflating. Two servobots stood by with mops and buckets. Another sported a first-aid kit, a fizzing glass with two "seltzer" tablets in water, a large handful of sanitary wiping cloths, and a single small after-dinner mint. ----------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- The Enduring Man-Child (Registered User) Monday, July 15, 2002 at 8:30:07 AM CST The Mrs. Brisby 20th Anniversary--wrapping things up The drinks and food had been consumed. The Secret of NIMH had been viewed twice (on Man-Child's soon-to-be-obsolete VHS) and everyone had lip-synched Time: Clock of the Heart with Mrs. Brisby at least ten times. Since this is a celebratory thread, without a real storyline or villains to vanquish, what else was left to do? The Coffeehouse cleanup crew stood ready to begin their work as soon as everyone left. Man-Child concluded reluctantly that there wasn't much else to stay for. He approached Mrs. Brisby, whose face was shining with happiness, to say good-bye until the next story thread. "Well, I guess this is good-bye for now, Mrs. Brisby, but I'm sure we'll meet again real soon." "I'm sure we will, dear heart," she said. Then, with a mischievious gleam in her eyes, Mrs. Brisby took out a small notebook and checked something off with a pen. "There. That's one 'surprise party' down. Now I really must be going. Tom Lawless is also throwing me a 'surprise party' and I don't want to let him down!" Man-Child was stunned. "You . . . knew???" he asked. Mrs. Brisby's smile automatically healed whatever emotional disappointment he had been feeling. "Oh come now. I am your own personal 'furry toon mother,' after all!" "In that case . . . may I ask you something?" Man-Child asked, a bit shyly. "Of course, Man-Child!" she answered. "Whatever became of him--Tom Lawless?" he asked, "I've always wondered whatever happened to him." "Now dear heart, you know I never tell anyone's story to anyone else. I'm sorry. But don't worry. He doesn't know anything about you either!" Man-Child was disappointed, but he understood The Rules. "Well, now it's time I took my leave of everyone," she said. Man-Child nodded his head in understanding. Loki: if you have not yet revealed Mrs. Brisby's surprise, please do so on the thread below rather than here (she's saying good-bye here). Everyone: I suppose it's time for each of you to take your own personal leave of Mrs. Brisby. And thanks to all of you for participating. ------------------------------- Indy (MB Admin) First in, first out... Indy and Bedivere approached once Man-Child had completed his talk with Mrs. Brisby. They'd just finished a multi-day Secret of NIMH Scrabble tournament and came in third. "Well now, how was I to know that the thang was gonna go that long?" Bedivere asked. "I simply said we oughta have a tournament using words and things that appeared in the movie. You liked the idea when it started!" "Yeah, gotta admit that's true," Indy said, stretching his legs. "But in a roomful of Brisby fans and writers besides! Guess we should've looked before we leaped." Bedivere and Indy walked on up, arguing over whether 'anthropomorphic' should've been allowed, particularly on a triple-word score. "Well, you two don't look much worse for wear," Mrs. Brisby said. "Did you two enjoy yourselves?" Bedivere took of his Texas ten-gallon hat, bowing. "Ma'am, it was a fine, fine time. It was a sight of a pleasure to get to meet one of the real ladies in this heah world." Mrs. Brisby smiled and turned to Indy. "And you--did you find it pleasing as well?" Indy nodded and put an arm around Bedivere's shoulders. "When this cranky old bat and I can agree on something, it's bound to be good. Thanks, Mrs. Brisby. It was more than worth the price of admission." Indy and Bedivere both bowed gentleman-like again, and headed for the nearest portal to Hondo. "Grab yourself a pair of aluminum-foil chaps and I'll show you mah beetles!" Bedivere said. "Then after we'll have a Texas helping of mah triple-alarm chili!" Indy tightened down his fedora at the thought of that, and waved goodbye to Mrs. Brisby and Man-Child. "Twenty years sure did pass quick." ---------------------------------- Loki (Registered User) The old sea captain felt younger. After the show they'd put on (See link to "Loki's Surprise", below), the Verdandi returned to the pier, to the reception of the crowd. After congratulations had gone all around, everyone returned to the party within, which was now even more boisterous, charged with the excitement of the fireworks. Loki was finally able to relax. He'd shed his uniform in favor of more casual clothing, the khaki slacks and a subdued hawaiian shirt that he'd been wearing when he left Norfolk. As far as he was concerned, the night had been a success, and no one got hurt. Some had been scared, but a good fireworks show was supposed to be a little scary, Loki reasoned. Thomas kicked off the karaoke by singing "Flying Dreams", with musicians from the ship accompanying him. He was very nervous about it, but had made it through okay. Even Loki got up after a while and dis some old Billy Joel numbers. It was an eighties theme, after all. Loki even danced with some of the other authors and characters, which was rare for him. Now the night had grown old and weary, and the ferrets cheerfully helped to clean up the Coffehouse, which was only fair since they were responsible for a great deal of the debris. Loki had changed back into uniform. "It was a great party, but of course nothing that much fun lasts," Loki remarked. "I have to return home now, because I have to deploy in a week. This time it's for real, I shall almost certainly be sailing in harm's way." "We'll pray for you," Mrs. Brisby assured him. "Thank you for the fireworks and for the flowers. Tonight has brought memories that my family and I will treasure all of our lives." "It's no more than you and your family and friends have done for me," said Loki. "Yeah," Jeremy added enthusiastically, "that fireworks stuff was real neat! "Hey, Dom DeLuise! One of my favorite people!" said Loki. "Who?" Jeremy asked blankly. "Er, never mind. Had you confused with someone else." Loki said his rounds of good-byes, and returned to the Verdandi with his crew. Once again, the lines were pulled in, and the ship made sail, headed away from the great stone wharf in front of the Ranger Coffeehouse. ====== "That was a great adventure," said one of the ferrets. "How soon will we see you again?" "I don't realy know, I guess it will depend on what happens during deployment. I may use some of my free time to write, however, so you can never be too sure." "Well don't wait too long, we're itchin' for another adventure already." "I won't, I promise. Thomas, stick around here. It'll be fun, and I think you'll fit in. Unfortunately I can't take you where I'm going." "I understand." "That song came out just fine. I told you it would," Loki ribbed his character. Tom flushed just a bit as the Ferrets had a little laugh at his expense. "Good bye everyone," Loki said, and simply vanished. ====== Loki was again seated in the cockpit of his 24' sloop, amidst the gentle rocking of the Chesapeake Bay. The navigation lights burned brightly in the pre-dawn mists, and the eastern sky was just showing the first streaks of sunrise. Loki sighed and turned on the GPS receiver and VHF radio, listening to the familiar hum as the equipment warmed up. After ascertaining his position, he gybed in the light winds and headed south for Norfolk. In a short time, he would put his boat in storage, and cross the Atlantic Ocean, going once more into harm's way for his country. The party had the effect of reminding him why he went to sea to protect the country. ------------------------------ Karl (Registered User) Having had a few moments to chat with Mrs. Brisby... "You really are quite a wonderful person." Karl said, bowing and kissing her hand because, well, somehow it seemed the right thing to do. "Most people are, dear. You only have to look." "Thank you. I promise, I'll see your movies." "would you mind reading the books instead? Not to be demanding -" "You? Demanding? The books it is, Mrs. Brisby! I'm a reader anyway." Smiling, they parted company, for there were still several others wishing to speak with the mouse who had become their "furry godmother" without ever once resorting to a magic wand. --------------------------------- The J.A.M. Four more out [...unWARP!!!] Good evening. ******* Mrs. Brisby carried The T.A.N. in her arms, while The J.A.M. carried The N.I.M.H. and The E.M.M.Y. in his. The three cubs were profoundly asleep. "Thanks for the party, Mrs. Brisby," he said. "Thank *you*," she replied, as they headed for the door. "And thanks for bringing a new generation to see me and know me." "They loved you, just as much as we all have." "Speaking of love, J.A.M......um, will you be okay." He gave a soft sigh, and replied. "Yes. Bunnie made her choice, and I have to respect it." "And you *do* know that it had nothing to do with *not* losing your shirt?" He smiled. "I know. And hey, this is the second time I don't lose a shirt while visiting this place!" "Well, now that's a first! I knew this planet didn't have anything against you." At the door, he looked into her eyes, and said, "See you later, Mrs. Brisby. Thanks for all the help you've given us." She only smiled. Then, following his feline instincts, the jaguar leaned over and took The T.A.N. from her-- --with his jaws. The cub hung curled up under his muzzle, through which he gave the mouse a farewell smile. He then changed his grip with his other niece and nephew, and he was now holding them from the nape of their neck as well. He gave a polite bow, and in the next moment, he was out of sight and sound. ******* Until next time, remember: I AM THE J.A.M. Good evening. [WARP!!!] ---------------------------- KS KS led his entourage up to the mouse of honor... "I guess we'll be seeing you, ma'am," the writer stated as he gently took her had, "It was an honor and a pleasure to be here for your anniversary. Esgöge:ae'!" KS stood aside to let Drywall say his farewells. The weasel took some time out from periodically sticking his head into the Bag-O-Mystery to face Mrs Brisby, who promptly held both her paws open to save him the time of searching her paws for concealed anything. "Nice to meet ya'! See ya later!" Drywall stated, shaking a paw, before plunging his head back into the Bag-O-Mystery to see if anything had changed. Dee walked up next. "It's been really great to meet you," the raven haired mouse confessed as she shook paws. "Maybe the next time we meet we can swap parenting stories," Mrs Brisby offered. "That'd be cool!" Dee replied as she took her leave of the venerable lady. Then she spoke up at her writer, "Remember, you owe me the Chip from my rangerverse the next time we're here!" "Your rangerverse?" KS shot back in an somewhat amused tone, "As I recall I'm the one that did the writing..." The two continued to discuss ownership of that particular corner of the literary world as they and Drywall disappeared among the decorative plants. -------------------------------- -------------------------------- The Enduring Man-Child The Mrs. Brisby 20th Anniversary--wrapping things up Final words [n/sp] I apologize for starting a slow-moving story thread with little action, no drama, and small participation. But it has been twenty years, and I simply wanted to celebrate Mrs. Brisby without story lines or threats or villains. It was merely an act of affection for the greatest cartoon character of all time (pretty good considering her one appearance [and Timmy to the Rescue doesn't count]!). My thanks to all who participated, particularly Loki who shared his own very personal memories with us. I stand ready to participate in the next story thread whenever someone wants to start it. ----------------------------- Whaddaya mean no drama? Loki ----------------------------- The story idea was excellent! The timing... Well... Karl ----------------------------- I know. But it had to be this time of year. [n/sp] The Enduring Man-Child