Kitty and the Rocktumbler

By Todd Fan

Disclaimer: "She's amazing! She makes the women I dream about look like short, fat, bald men".

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ACT NINE - Singing for dinner.

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Kitty quietly leaves her room, walking past a curtain where three spots of light are and some giggling. Pietro comes out, chasing Rogue

"Oh no". giggles Rogue

"Oh yes". grins Pietro

"I said NO, damnit!", snaps Rogue.

"Oh yes, yes, yes", laughes Pietro, ignoring her.

"I have been burned by you before", says Rogue

"Badumpump!", says Kurt.

Pietro grabs Rogue in his arms and purrs at her, then notices Kitty, dropping Rogue on the floor.

"Zut alors! She has emerged!", says Pietro.

"Oww...on floor here", mumbles Rogue

In the kitchen, Hank is putting the cups and kitchen utensils to bed. Todd is there, as is a stove which looks remarkably like Freddy

"Come on, Jamie. Into the cuboard with your brothers and sisters", says Hank

"I'm sure there's a law against putting your child in a cupboard", mutters Jamie, before yawning, "But I'm not sleepy".

"Yes you are", says Hank

"No i'm no..zzzzzzz".

"I work and I slave all day, and for what?", shouts Freddy, looking sadly at his uneaten food, "A culinary masterpiece gone to waste".

"Wow, those are big words for you Freddy", wistles Todd.

"Shut it. Ticky!", snaps Freddy.

"Oh, stop your grousing", says Hank, "It's been a long night for all of us".

"Well, if ya ask me, she was just bein' stubborn!", grumbles Todd, "After all, the master did say 'please'".

"But if the master doesn't learn to control his temper", points out Hank, "he'll never break the sp....".

Hank stops as Kitty comes in, Todd cutting him off

"Splendid to see you out and about Mademoiselle. I am Todd, head of the household...".

Pietro speeds in knocking him away and kissing Kitty's hand

"An' this is Pietro", mutters Todd.

"En chante, cherie". says Pietro, throwing her one of his dashing smiles.

Todd tries to talk over Pietro as he continues to kiss Kitty's hand.

"If there's anything", he gives a frustrated sigh, "stop that!...that we can..please!".

He pushes Pietro off Kitty

"...Ta make your stay more comfortable".

Pietro burns Todd's hands to get him out of the way

"Oww!", snapes Todd, jumping out of the way.

"I am a little hungry", smiles Kitty.

"You are? You hear that? She's hungry", shouts Hank, the kitchen items coming to life, "Stoke the fire, break out the silverware, wake the china".

"I'm stoking, already", grumbles Freddy.

"Remember what the master said....", protests Todd.

"Oh pish tosh. I'm not going to let the poor child go hungry", says Hank stubbornly.

"Pish Tosh?", blinks Todd, "Oh, all right. A glass of water, a crust of bread an' then....".

"Todd, i'm surprised at you", chides Pietro, "She's not our prisoner. She's our guest! We must make her feel welcome here. Right this way mademoiselle".

Pietro begins to lead Kitty into another room.

"Well keep it down", whispers Todd, "If the master find out about this, it will be our necks!".

"Of course, of course", says Pietro, then returns with a wicked grin, "But what is dinner, without a little...music?".

He goes thorgh the swinging door, catapulting Todd into the wall

"MUSIC?!!!!", screams Todd.

In the dining room, Kitty is settled down at the head of the table, it all goes dark and a spotlight falls on Pietro

"Ma chere, mademoiselle. It is with deepest pleasure and greatest pride that I welcome you tonight. And now, we invite you to relax. Let us pull up a chair, as the dining room proudly presents...your dinner".

He clears his throat, ready for his big singing number.

Be our guest, be our guest

Put our service to the test

Tie your napkin round your neck cherie

And we'll provide the rest

Soup du jour, hot hors d'oeuvres

Why we only live to serve

Try the grey stuff, it's delicous

Don't beilive me? Ask the dishes

They can sing, they can dance

After all, miss, this is France

Kitty blinks as dishes dance around her, forming an Eiffel Tower.

"Techinally, it isn.....", she starts.

"Keep singing!", shouts Kurt, "this stunt is costing us half the parody!"

Pietro blinks, then continues to sing.

And a dinner here is never second best

Go on unfold your menu take a glance and then you'll

Be our guest, be our guest, be our guest

Various food come dancing out in front of Kitty as Pietro sings.

Beef ragout, cheese souffle

Pie and pudding, en flambe

Todd pokes his head out of the dish as Pietro sets it alight.

"You're worse than Pyro!", he says as he drops unconsious

We'll prepare and serve with flare

A culinary cabaret

You're alone and you're scared

But the banquets all prepared

No one's gloomy or complaining

While the flatwears entertaining

We tell jokes I do tricks

With my fellow candelsticks

Two mugs appear, that look like Mesmero and Angel

And it's all in prefect taste

That you can bet, they sing

The other random objects of the house begin to sing.

Come on and lift your glass

You've won your own free pass

To be our guest, be our guest, be our guest

If you're stressed, it's fine dining we suggest, adds Pietro

Be our guest, be our guest, be our guest.

The music hits a down beat as the room is pitched in darkness, a spotlight falling on Pietro, who grabs Todd, hugging his neck sadly as he sings.

Life is so unnerving

For a servant who's not serving

He's not whole without a soul to wait upon.

"Get off!", mutters Todd as Pietro continues to sing.

Ah those good old days when we were usefull

Suddenly those good old days are gone

It suddenly begins to 'snow'. Todd looks up to see a salt shaker thowing salt on them. He sighs, rolling his eyes as Pietro sings.

Ten years we've been rusting

Needing so much more than dusting

Needing exercise, a chance to use our skills!

Pietro dusts the salt off Todd as Todd escapes, falling into a jelly

Most days we just lay around the castle

Flabby fat and lazy

You walked in and oops-a-daisy

He jumps on a spoon, catapulting Todd out of the jelly and across the room. Inside the kitchen, Hank is getting everything sorted, singing as he goes.

It's a guest, it's a guest

Sakes alive, well I'll be blessed

"It's begining to become obvious why Todd Fan wanted Hank in this role", mutters Kurt, "it's worse than 'Stars and Garters'".

"Shut up, I don't make fun of YOUR catchphrase", says Hank.

"That's because I don't have one", says Kurt, "I'm the COOL blue guy".

Hank rolls his eyes continuing to sing.

Wine's been poured and thank the lord

I've had the napkins freshly pressed

With desert she'll want tea

And my dear, that's fine with me

While the cups do their soft shoeing

I'll be bubbling, I'll be brewing

I'll get warm, piping hot

He pauses, seeing a dirty spot on his teapot self.

Heavens sake, is that a spot?

Clean it up, we want the company impressed

Some napkins float alogn to clean him up.

We've got a lot to do

The tea-trolly he is on comes in and stops by Kitty as Hank sings.

Is it one lump or two?

For you our guest

She's our guest, sing the appliances

She's our guest, sings Hank again as the whole cast begin to sing.

She's our guest

Be our guest, be our guest

Our command is your request

It's been ten years since we had anbody here

And we're obsessed

With your meal, with your ease

Yes indeed, we aim to please

While the candelights still glowing

Let us help you, we'll keep going

We see Pietro, wearing a candle stopper like a berret, he sings a slower beat again.

Course by course

One by one

The appliances sing in their manical way again.

Until you shout, enough i'm done

Then we'll sing you off to sleep as you digest

Tonight you'll prop your feet up

But for now, let's eat up

Be our guest, be our guest, be out guest

Please be our guest!

There is a fantastic finish, with everyone dancing, until Pietro takes the centre stage bowing

"Thank you, thank you", says Pietro, "Ahhhh me public!".

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This time, you lucky readers, you get two acts instead of one! So click onwards!