An excited hush settled over the crowd as the lights in the auditorium descended, and the curtains rose on the stage of the Prairie Theatre while a bright, moon-shaped spotlight shone centre-stage.
And then she appeared, Florence Fletcher herself. Clad in an elegant blue dress, she posed gracefully on an ascending platform while the orchestra swelled for her big number.
Don't know why
I'm surviving every lonely day
When there's got to be
No chance for me
Florence continued belting out her signature song with her deep but angelic voice, her adoring fans being too mesmerised to notice that she was standing dangerously close to the edge of the platform.
Am I strong enough to see it through
Go crazy is what I will do
If I can't have you
I don't want nobody, baby
If I can't have you, ah-ah
"AAAHHH!"
Hundreds of cries and screams echoed from the audience when Florence suddenly lost her footing, and plummeted into the darkness below with a resounding THUD!
Though this was about the twentieth time he'd rewatched the video in the last hour alone, Buster still couldn't help but wince with one eye shut when the footage got to Florence's fall. The timebar at the bottom of the screen showed that this was the most replayed part of the video, and judging by the millions of views and hits that it had, it wasn't hard to see why.
"Hmm... such a wonderful talent, struck down far too soon..." He lamented softly. "It's gotta be one of the greatest tragedies in theatre history, huh Ms. Crawly?"
"Oh yes, Mr. Moon. Very tragic..." Ms. Crawly dropped her mournful tone as she glanced out the window of the taxi - Buster having insisted that she not drive them there herself - and quickly looked back to the driver. "Right here, young man!"
The taxi pulled to an abrupt but comfortable enough stop, and Buster quickly paid the chimpanzee in the front for their journey before he and Ms. Crawly stepped onto the street corner. There was a slight chill in the Autumn air - the day before having officially been the last of the summer - but they shrugged off the cold as they headed towards the tall, impressive looking building ahead.
The Blind Tiger - formerly known as Fat Cat, prior to its restoration - had once again begun to flourish as a major pillar of Calatonia's late night leisure industry, thanks in no small part to the live music and talent shows organised by the Fletcher Foundation. While it seemed somewhat more low-key than his own theatre, Buster couldn't help but admire the appealing aesthetic of its architecture.
"Moon! Hey Moon, wait up!"
A slightly distant but still familiar voice got Buster's attention. He and Ms. crawly then turned to see Ash and Porsha running over to them, the two roommates both wearing beanie hats and heavier coats due to the chillier weather.
"Oh hey, girls!"
"Hi, Uncle Buster! You too, Ms. Crawly!" Porsha then looked up at the building ahead, her eyes widening slightly. "Oh wow... they really fixed this place up after the fire, huh...?"
"Yeah, sure does look like it..." Buster nodded. "So anyway, what are you two up to today?"
"Well, we were getting a few things down at the market, so we figured we'd come by and give you some backup..." Ash looked over to the visibly excited wolf. "Porsha really wants to meet Fletcher, too."
"Ah, of course she does!" Buster laughed. "You're still into vintage, huh kiddo?"
"What, are you kidding?!" Porsha scoffed. "Florence Fletcher is a legend, Uncle Buster! Vintage has nothin' to do with it!"
"Ah, well... more the merrier, I suppose..." Buster then turned back to the door of the building, where a familiar caracal was waiting. "Caleb! Hello again!"
"Mr. Moon. Ladies." Caleb nodded to the party, before holding the door open for them all. "Ms. Fletcher is currently seeing auditions in the rehearsal hall, but she shouldn't be too long. If you'll just follow me..."
The group mostly remained silent as Caleb led them through the main auditorium, while the audience present enjoyed a beautiful saxophone rendition of George Girafferty's Baker Street echoing from the stage at the other end of the room.
"Hey, uh... Porsha?" Ash suddenly spoke up as they headed down an isolated hallway. "Didn't you say Fletcher used to perform in Redshore back in the day?"
"Uh-huh! Yeah, my Dad had her in a few shows back when I was little..." Porsha giggled, before slightly gasping with another realisation. "Ooh, I wonder if she'll remember me!
"Oh, I think she just might." Buster looked to Ash and Ms. Crawly. "Y'know, maybe we oughta lead with that."
"Yeah, well... maybe Jimmy Crystal's not the best person to be associating ourselves with, Moon." Ash objected, though they all stopped talking as they arrived at the door to the rehearsal hall, where the soft thumping of music and singing was slightly audible from the other side.
A short, fluffy-looking serval - who seemed to be somewhere between his late teens and early twenties - was sat in the corner typing on his laptop, though Ash's attention was drawn to the familiar porcupine that was sat beside him. She didn't say anything at first, but her hesitation was all for naught as her roommate came out with it for her.
"Hey Ash, isn't that the girl Lance cheated on ya with...?"
"Porsha!" Ash snapped quietly, though Becky seemed more amused than offended as she sat up. "I already told you, we buried that like two years ago, stop bringing it up!"
"Nah, come on, Ash, it's fine..." Becky chuckled. "You guys are here to talk to Ms. Fletcher, right? She wants you to do a show or something?"
"Oh... uh, yeah..." Ash cleared her throat. "Wait... Becky, why are you here...?"
"Working. Well y'know, technically I don't work here, but I'm on duty, though..." Becky playfully gestured back to the young serval, who was still fixated on his screen. "Yeah, this little wiz-kid's Tim. He does the sound and stuff backstage..."
"Oh great! It's nice to meet you, kid!" Buster reached a hand forward for Tim to shake, shrinking back a bit when the serval didn't respond or acknowledge him. "Hmm... guess he's really into that game, huh...?"
"Tim...? Hey, Tim!" Caleb gently tapped the younger cat's shoulder, finally getting his attention as he looked up from his computer. "There you are, mate. Right, Tim... this is Mr. Moon, that's Ms. Crawly, and of course, you remember Ash and Porsha from the show..."
"Oh my -! Wow, this is just... yeah, okay... um... hi!" Tim quickly shot up when he saw the stars, his face and voice striking a midpoint between excited and nervous. "Hang on... that pretty lynx isn't here too, is she...?!"
"What, ya mean Nooshy...?" Porsha stifled a laugh, making Tim even more anxious. "Nah, she's not here, buddy. We'll tell her ya said hi, though..."
"What? No, don't tell her that, it's weird!" Tim gasped when he noticed his laptop's screensaver - an official publicity photo of Nooshy in her Planet Of War outfit - was plainly visible for the new arrivals to see, and his cheeks went a deep scarlet as she clumsily shuffled over to close it. "Sorry, that's just, um... that's nothing... so anyway, what are you all, um... what y'doing here...?"
"They're here to see Ms. Fletcher, Tim. She nearly finished in there...?" Caleb gestured towards the door.
"She's still got a few more to see, I think..." Becky then held the door open, letting the entire group see what was going on inside for themselves.
Florence was sat at a folded-out table, wearing a casual but stylish black blazer over a glittering white shirt. She was keeping a tight grip on a long black cane with a silver orb handle, and remained fixated on the stage while a trio of female leopards danced and sang together.
Na-na-na, come on
Come on, come on
I like it, like it
Come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it
Come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it
Come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it
"Oh my -!" Everyone went wide-eyed as the leopards started removing their clothes for the next verse, and Caleb quickly covered Tim's eyes, though the young serval still managed to peek through and get a small glimpse before Florence stood up and out a stop to it.
"Alright alright, let's not be taking our clothes off, thank you..." Her tone was blunt and critical, making the three performers lower their heads in shame. "Good dancing, great singing, but we have families coming here, and we can't have the little ones looking at that now, can we...?"
The next act was a young beaver with a bowl cut and a sparkly silver outfit, though Florence couldn't help rolling her eyes when he started screeching out through his auto-tune microphone filter.
And I was like
Baby, baby, baby, ooh
Like baby, baby, baby, no
Like baby, baby, baby ooh
I thought you'd always be mine!
"NEXT!" Florence yelled as soon as the song was finished, prompting the beaver to leave while the next act - a brown-furred llama with big glasses and a violin - shuffled in and sat centre-stage while he played an upbeat tune.
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow
The kids are asleep, so I keep it kinda low
Thank God I'm a country boy
I'd play Sally Goodin all day if I could
But the Lord and my wife wouldn't take it very good
So I fiddle when I can, work when I should
Thank God I'm a country boy!
The next act was a band of howler monkeys, all wearing dark makeup and black grunge vests and jeans. Ash and Becky seemed to be the only ones actually enjoying this aggressive rock number, the others all covering their ears while Florence was being blasted back by the thumping music.
WHOA! YEAH!
KICKSTART MY HEART, GIVE IT A START!
WHOA! YEAH!
BAAAAAAAAAA-BY!
The well-dressed wooly sheepdog that came on next was a nice pallet cleanser, calmly shuffling some playing cards in his hands while he sat centre-stage.
You got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done
Next came a pair of Highland cattle, near identical in appearance, who stood side-by-side as they marched on the spot while playing their guitars.
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
The short, chubby white cat that came on next was dressed completely in black with dark makeup, singing completely monotone into the microphone while she kept her bulging blue eyes fixated on a midly disturbed Florence.
Mm, whatcha say?
Mm, that you only meant well
Well of course you did
Mm, whatcha say?
Mm, that it's all for the best
Of course it is
Mm, whatcha say?
Mm, that it's just what we need
You decided this
Mm, whatcha say?
Ooh, what did she say?
Despite this unusually dour performance, the young feline was considerate enough to leave her seat and microphone for the four tiny beetles that climbed up onto it. The quartet sang in perfect harmony, and Buster couldn't resist bopping his head along to their song.
Oh, I get by with a little help
From my friends
Oh, I feel high with a little help
From my friends
Oh, I'm gonna try with a little help
From my friends
Having spent the better part of twenty minutes silently observing the auditions from the side, the New Moon visitors were finally treated to a proper spectacle, in the form of a group of energetic, vibrantly-dressed kangaroos, all bouncing on the spot while they sang an upbeat, ragtag jazz-style number.
I got bills
I gotta pay!
So I'm gon' work, work, work
Every day!
I got mouths
I gotta feed!
So I'm gon' make sure
Everybody eats!
I got bills!
While the performers all went on their way, Florence reached for the cane and propped herself up as she walked over with a slight limp, flashing a small grin at her right-hand man. "Ah, there you are, Caleb."
"Florence..." Caleb nodded to his old friend as he gestured to the new arrivals, prompting Porsha to nearly curtsy before Ash stopped her. "Allow me to introduce the representatives of the New Moon Theatre."
"Ah, wonderful. Hmm... so this must be the famous Buster Moon, eh...?" Florence pursed her lips and tilted her head to look down at the koala. "Hmm... Nana's told me an awful lot about you..."
"She has...?" Buster was surprised, though still flattered. "Well, I'm hoping it's good things!"
"Somewhat good, but very much warts and all." Florence responded rather bluntly. "I'm actually curious. Is that story about you sleeping in your desk true...?"
"Wait, what...?!" Ash and Porsha both went wide-eyed.
"Oh... well, y'know how it happens when folks start rumours. First one person says something and it kinda snowballs, but it... it um... y'know what, not important. Anyway..." Buster stopped his stuttering and cleared his throat. "I just wanna say, on behalf of myself and my friends here, that it really is an honor to have you wanting to work with us, Ms. Fletcher."
Florence began heading back down the hallway towards the main lounge, so Buster and the others quickly trailed behind her. "I will admit, I had more then a few reservations when I heard that the son of a little local car washer had shown up out of nowhere to buy the Prairie. Though aside from that nasty flood, it seems you've taken quite good care of it these past few years, Mr. Moon, so I have to admire that."
"Oh, I'd settle for nothing less!" Buster laughed as they arrived at a circular table near the back of the lounge, clambering up to sit opposite Florence while a rather familar voice bellowed out a compilation of classic jazz numbers on the stage. "The old girl's a palace of wonder and magic, and I fully intend to keep it that way. Just like Nana's always said."
A small smile crossed Florence's lips as she silently reminisced about her beloved mentor, before leaning slightly closer. "You know, it's been the better part of two decades since I've even set foot in that theatre, but... but it truly is a place I hold very close to my heart, Mr. Moon. So, with our city's centennial celebration, I felt there was no better time to have the biggest face of our entertainment industry performing in my festival."
"Oh-ho, I couldn't agree more, Ms. Fletcher!" Buster stood up in his seat, reaching into his satchel to pull out the small notepad he'd been working on in the taxi. "Yeah, just imagine it. A spectacular, one-night-only performance in the Calatonia Wharf, celebrating a century of history, music, and -"
"Yes yes, wonderful..." Florence cleared her throat, making Buster purse his lips. "I'm sure you have some incredibly creative ideas, Mr. Moon, but our mutual friends have a few of their own in mind, so you'll have to take it up with them."
"Oh yeah, of course..." Buster then pursed his lips, not noticing the lights on the stage beginning to dim. "Wait... what mutual friends?"
"Hmm...? Oh, forgive me, I thought you knew..." Florence then looked over to the stage, a small smirk forming on her face as she gestured towards it. "Ah... speak of the devil..."
"Oh, you gotta to be kidding me..." Ash's words prompted Buster to turn around and see for himself, the koala's eyes bulging to their widest point as he finally spotted the tiny, well-dressed rodent that was belting out the song onstage.
There may be tear drops to shed
So while there's moonlight, and music
And love and romance
Let's face the music and dance! Dance!
Let's face the music!
That lovely music!
Let's face the music and dance!
"MIKE...?!" Ash and Buster both shouted in-sync while the audience erupted into applause, the mouse taking a few moments to bask in the adulation before he made his way over to them.
Porsha was clapping and cheering as well, having not caught on yet who this particular mouse was or when she and Ash had previously bumped into him - or rather, when he'd bumped into them. "Whoa-ho! You were totally awesome up there, dude!"
"Appreciate it, sweetheart. Hey, Moon! Ah-ha, great to see ya, pal! You too, Amy..." It was hard to tell from his tone whether Mike was being genuine or condescending, particularly with him misnaming Ash, but he seemed rather unhappy when Caleb suddenly lifted him up and placed him in the centre of the table.
"Uh... y-yeah, it is... nice to see you too, um... it's just pretty surprising..." Buster said. "Last I heard, you and Nancy split town to get away from those bears..."
"Eh, that's all in the past now, Moon." Mike shrugged. "Me and Nancy, we started over. Y'know, spent a couple years in Redshore, then we came back here and started working for Fletcher and Co."
"Hmm..." Florence nodded. "Well, now that you boys are all caught up, I was just saying that Michael here is going to help you organise the performance, Mr. Moon."
"Oh... really...?"
"What, ya gotta problem with that?" Mike said in an accusatory tone, though neither he or Buster had noticed that Florence's attention had suddenly turned to the young wolf that was stood beside Caleb.
"Well no, it's not a problem, Mike, I'm not just not all that used to having a co-director." Buster regained his friendly tone. "Still, it should be a great partnership!"
"Um... you there, darling. Yes, you, just... just come here for a moment, will you?" Florence made a small beckoning gesture with her hand, prompting Porsha to approach her after a few seconds of hesitation. "You look awfully familiar, do I know you from somewhere?"
"Oh, uh..." Porsha wrung her hands nervously. "Well, I dunno if you do, Ms. Fletcher, but um... I'm Porsha... Porsha Frangipane."
"Formerly known as Porsha Crystal..." Ash cut in, though it seemed Florence's interest was already piqued by the first surname Porsha had mentioned. "Yeah, we don't really talk about her Dad, but he -"
"Frangipane, Frangipane, now where have I heard that name before...? Just let me think..." After another moment or two, Florence's eyes widened a little. "You're not related to Stephanie Frangipane, are you?"
"Oh my gosh, yeah! She's my Mom!" Porsha's face lit up, but she cringed a little as she calmed down. "Well, she was my Mom, but she uh... she died a few years back."
"She did..? Oh, that's such a shame..." Florence clicked her tongue. "Always liked her. She was lovely, very talented too, but... still, it's quite strange looking at you here, Porsha, because you're very nearly her spitting image."
"I am...? Wow!" Porsha giggled, quickly taking a seat beside Buster and leaning closer to Florence. "You uh... you guys used to perform together, right?"
"We did. A few times, actually..." Florence chuckled. "I remember, a couple years before she went to Redshore, they had this stunt show on for the festival, and your mother did this amazing trick with a high jump, and this big dive, and they... hmm... they called her the -"
"The Swan in Wolf's Clothing...?!" Ash cut in, clambering up on the table in a more excited manner. "Wait wait wait, that was Stephanie...?!"
Florence nodded with a wink, prompting silent but awed expressions from Ash, Porsha, and even Mike. On the inside, Buster was just as blown away by this revelation as his two cast members, but the koala decided to seize this opportunity to further get on the gorilla starlet's good side.
"Indeed it was, Ash!" Buster kept a tight grip on his honourary's hand. "And that's exactly why Porsha here is gonna be doing that very same stunt in this show!"
Porsha gasped, going slightly higher-pitched. "Ya really mean it, Uncle Buster...?!"
"Course I do, kiddo!" Buster was taken slightly off-guard when Porsha pulled him into a hug, though he gladly returned it. "You're really gonna make your Mom proud, Porsha..."
Mike didn't seem that convinced by this, though he quickly changed the subject as he looked back to Florence. "Y'know, speakin' of making Mamas proud, Ms. F, Nancy's not seen your kid all day. We were wondering if she was gonna bother showin' up for -"
"Mum, are there any pop tarts left...?!" A voice suddenly called as the doors to the lounge opened. Ash noticed Becky sigh in relief when a short, slightly unkempt looking gorilla entered the room, freezing awkwardly when she noticed the entourage that was currently surrounding her mother. "Oh... I didn't know you were having a... wait, hang on a minute... aren't you lot from that Out Of This World show...?!"
"And what time do you call this, young lady...?!" Florence sounded more stern stood up from the table, Buster quickly noticing the more submissive posture the teenager suddenly took.
"Oh, um... sorry Mum, I was just in the park for a bit..." The girl cleared her throat while Becky ran over to her. "I was gonna ring, but I just lost track of time..."
"Well, sorry's not going to cover it, Audrey. That's one hour of extra practice..." Florence's strict tone intimidated Buster as she sat back down, not even looking her daughter in the eye anymore. "Now, clean yourself up and report to Nancy..."
"Right..." Audrey sighed as she removed her jacket, letting Becky take her hand and lead her away. "Oh, but about the pop tarts...?"
"You'll get them when you finish your lesson. Now hop to it!" Florence nearly barked, making Buster and the others tense a bit, though she calmed down a bit when she turned back to them. "Sorry about that... teenagers, you know how it is..."
Buster hesitated as he looked over to Ash and Porsha. "Well, you handled that very um... very militantly, Ms. Fletcher. In a good way!"
"Well, how else do you expect to run a big place like this?" Florence scoffed. "Tight schedule, strict rules, that's the way I've always been taught."
"Ah, well um... I can definitely respect that. Anyway..." Buster sat up. "So I got a lot of ideas for the musical numbers that we can do for my cast, and I'm more than happy to hear any of your suggestions too, Mike. And I don't suppose you'd like a number of your own, would you, Ms. Fletcher?"
"Me...? Oh no, definitely not. My days of performing are far behind me, Mr. Moon..." Florence cleared her throat, before her eyes suddenly widened with intrigue. "Although, that being said, I actually was wondering if you'd consider giving Audrey a part..."
"Audrey...? Oh yeah, absolutely!" Buster shot up, though he glanced over to see Ash and even Porsha raising an eyebrow. "I mean... of course she'll have to audition first, cause, um... well, after a previous unfortunate incident, I kinda have a rule against just giving parts to folks I don't really know."
"Oh of course, obviously..." Florence nodded. "Believe me, Mr. Moon, one thing I'm not is a nepotist."
She then stood up, leading the group over to the door. "Well then, I think that just about sorts it. Now, at the end of the month we'll be throwing the Festival at the Calatonia Wharf, as always, so if you just speak to Caleb and Michael, they'll get things up and running for you there. We do have a set crew and costumers, but I presume you also have your own, so I'll leave that for you to decide who you pick."
"Oh no, it's fine. We're all for collaboration, aren't we, girls...?" Buster said, prompting echoes of agreement from Ash, Porsha and Ms. Crawly. While the rest of his group headed outside and waited for him, Buster stayed in the doorway for a moment to hear the rest of what Florence had to say.
"I know you've had your share of ups and downs, Mr. Moon, but I will say that one thing I certainly can't stand is a time waster, so I'd appreciate it if you avoided your usual hijinks here..." Florence still spoke softly, despite her critical words. "And I do hope you can understand that you're dealing with two things that I value very highly. My reputation, and my daughter."
"Oh absolutely, Ms. Fletcher."
"Good, so I'm only really asking two things of you. Don't do anything to waste my time, and do not - under any circumstances - let anything happen to Audrey."
"Oh believe me, Ma'am, they're in very good hands!"
"Excellent... otherwise, I'll crush you like a grape." Florence's blunt tone and straight face seemed threatening, though her playful chuckle afterwards indicated that she wasn't being completely serious. "Anyway, I do look forward to seeing what you come up with, Mr. Moon. Take care, now."
"Right, yeah. We won't let you down, Ms. Fletcher!" Buster regained his signature spring in his step as he ran back over to his group, most of whom didn't seem as enthusiastic after hearing what Florence had just said. "Hoo boy! Y'know, guys, I really don't think that could have could have gone much better!"
"Uh... didn't she just say she was gonna crush ya like a grape, though?" Porsha said.
"Nah, that's just hyperbole, kiddo." Buster shrugged with a chuckle, being slightly surprised when Ash grabbed his hand.
"Moon, the last time someone said something like that to you, they literally threw you off a balcony! Twice!" Ash almost scolded, before taking on a softer tone. "Look, are you sure you wanna go through with this?"
"Of course! Yeah, I know things didn't go well with Crystal, Ash, but this is different. For one thing, I didn't promise her anything that we can't deliver!" Buster straightened his bow tie and flattened down his shirt. "We've set her expectations, so all we gotta do now is exceed them!"