*The Author enters the screen*
ATF: Er, greetings readers (…aka, those who take time to give this fic a glance). I would like to inform you that the next chapter will be on slight delay because of technical difficulties…
Flip (offscreen): The camera is on fire!
ATF: Uh, as well as some wardrobe malfunctions-
Pugsy (offscreen; smoke is billowing overhead): The dressing room is on fire!
ATF: And, um… problems amongst the cast.
Shaggy (running by): I'M ON FIRE!
(Shawn runs by next with a fire extinguisher)
ATF: So… yeah. Difficulties. (a crash is heard off-screen) A-HEM! However, I didn't want to leave anyone waiting TOO LONG for the next chapter, so I prepared a bonus-episode to keep you entertained in the meanwhile.
(something explodes; Vincent runs by with a bucket of water)
ATF: With that out of the way, sit back and enjoy a never-before-seen, lost- and supposed-to-stay-secret-due-to-threats-from-certain-characters—episode of Shaggy, Pugsy and Flip: Season 2!
(Zippy drives by in a fire-truck; the walls cave in, showing a view of the studio lot where paramedics are standing by)
Mister Cartoon: *stumbles in* …I thought we TOLD you to keep your gerbil in its cage!
ATF: *sweatdrop* ROLL EPISODE!
d~b
'Lost' Episode (but we found it, ha ha!)
*~*Pugsy's Date!*~*
…
(yes, you read that correctly)
O_O
I'm afraid to see what happens in this episode.
No, nuh uh, you read that title! Anyone associated with this project is gonna die! It's the final horseman of the apocalypse! The world is ending! I just know it! Game over, man! Game over! I'm out of here!
*ka-ching*
…wow that's a lotta Benjamins… Okay then! Bring on Dooms Day!
It was a not-so-ordinary-so-why-bother-calling-it-that night in the city (taking place a couple weeks BEFORE a hostile takeover, I assume) as two figures stood on the roof of Paradise Towers, keeping to the shadows.
"…and that's the jist of it. I just saw an opportunity and thought, 'Why not'?" one of the figures said; the other said nothing. "I'm sorry. I should have consulted you first… But, you understand, right? I am a big fan. I doubt it'll happen, anyway- a lot of people did it, I bet."
The other figure only sighed. "Suppose it DOES happen… You won't take it seriously, will you?"
"Have I EVER taken anything seriously? …Don't worry, I won't do anything that would jeopardize our relationship."
"Fine… but next time talk to me about this first."
"Sure thing. …So, what should we do now?"
"I need to get back to my patrol,"
"Okay… See you inside for a 'One Punch Man' marathon afterward?"
"Sure,"
With that, the two figures parted ways.
…
Even though we already know who they are-
*BONK!*
d~b
~After the narrator regained consciousness~
…the things I do to pay off alimony…
That Friday morning, Shaggy and Pugsy were preparing for work- the masculine roommate looking more annoyed than usual, as he just sat there with his face in his hands, a small cloud of smoke swirling overhead.
"Morning guys," Flip greeted as he walked out of his room, sitting at the island counter.
"Morning, Flip," Shaggy replied.
"Hngh," Pugsy grunted, not even budging.
"One more school day 'til the weekend, right? Any plans?" Shaggy asked the pre-teen.
"Nah, I'm just going to have a chill weekend. What about you guys?"
"RNGGHH…" Pugsy groaned a little louder.
Flip then noticed his friend's discomfort. "Um… are you okay, Pu-"
"The dumbest idea ever thought of!" Pugsy began ranting, standing up and pacing around. "The studio is losing profits, so what do they do? Pick better sponsors? Cut out those lousy 'Top 20 Modern Songs That Sound Alike' lists? Get Rick Dees to cameo? …NO! They decide to use some contest in order to produce recognition! Of all the dumb, stupid, waste of… arrrggghhhh!"
"(He's been like this since yesterday)," Shaggy told Flip quietly. "(That's why he didn't come out of his room after work),"
"(Really? I thought his new swimsuit magazine was the reason for that),"
*SLAM!*
The two jolted when Pugsy slammed his palms flat on the table. "Would you two knock it off?!" he snarled, then paused, slowly lifting his hands (now sore) off the table. "Owwwwww…!"
Shaggy looked at the hand-shaped dents in the counter. "*sigh* And we just buffed out the scratches,"
"Um, what kind of contest is it, and why are you so upset about it?" Flip asked Pugsy with caution.
Pugsy sat down, rubbing his temples. "The execs thought it would be a 'fun idea' to hold a contest in order to gain some ratings, and announced that the first one to answer a question on our website correctly will win a date with… *groan* Leo Brave," he groused.
"Leo Brave… but isn't that your radio name?!"
"I can hear the prank calls now…"
"To be honest, Pugs, the way you talk on the radio, no one ever recognizes your voice." Shaggy replied.
"It's not that different! You'd have to be a complete idiot not to recognize it!"
Right at this moment, Fangs rushed in. "Hey guys (pardon me barging in) did you hear the radio announcement?" he exclaimed. "Some lucky sucker is going to win a date with Leo Brave!"
Pugsy gave his roommates a look. "…My case in point." He turned to his best friend. "Why are you so excited about it?"
"Ooh, ooh, are you kidding? I listen to that show all the time! I even entered the contest!"
Shaggy almost choked on his coffee stifling a giggle, and Flip had to stuff his hat in his mouth and turn away. Pugsy's eye twitched. "Why did YOU enter?!" he sputtered.
Fangs shrugged. "What? I'm free this weekend." He turned off-camera. "And it's not like I WAS GIVEN A LOVE-INTEREST OR ANYTHING!"
"Shut up and keep to the script!" the director hollered.
Fangs turned to his friends. "Anyway, I came over to talk to you both. Since you work at the same studio, maybe you could put in a good word for me? You know, in case I win."
"Trust me, Fangs…" Shaggy coughed, trying to keep his voice even. "He's gonna know you REAL WELL!"
"Yeah… it'll be like you both (hee hee) met already!" Flip wheezed.
Fangs arched an eyebrow, looking at the two (while Pugsy face-palmed). "Is there a gas leak or something in here?"
"C'MON, we're late for work!" Pugsy sneered, grabbing Shaggy by the shirt-collar and dragging him toward the door.
"Whoa! Pugs! We don't have to be there for another hour!" Shaggy sputtered.
"It's best to be early!"
"What about breakfast?"
"We'll grab something on the way!"
"I need my shoes!"
"You work in radio, you don't need 'em!"
Slamming the door behind them, the two were out. Fangs turned to Flip. "Sheesh, what's with Pugs? Did his swimsuit magazine not come in this week?" he asked.
"Just, um, trouble at work. I'd better get to school, bye!" Flip quickly said, struggling not to burst into laughter.
Fangs looked at his watch. "It's only 7 AM!"
"I can use the study time!"
"Don't you need breakfast?"
"The cafeteria serves it before eight!"
"You're not even wearing your jacket!"
"It's warm out!" With that, Flip was out the door.
Fangs blinked, turning to the audience. "Am I missing something?"
d~b
It was 11:50 AM when it came time for the guys to announce the winner of the contest, and it was no surprise that… only 12 or 13 people tuned in to find out who won.
"… and that was 'Despacito'- and to everyone calling in to request that we never play it again, consider your prayers answered," Pugsy announced in his radio voice. "And now, before we go to commercial, it's time for us to announce the winner of our contest! Case, why don't you give us the details?"
"Sure thing, Leo- though, you'll want to keep your schedule clear for Saturday night, because the winner of this contest will have the honor of joining you on a dinner-date!" Shaggy replied in his radio voice (while using all his strength to keep a straight face). "In order to win, the contestant had to be the first one to answer THIS question correctly: What date did the first 'Fangface' episode air on television?" He then covered the mike and turned to Pugsy. "(Why did we have to use a question related to YOUR show?)"
Pugsy swatted him with his hat, keeping in-character. "Well, lucky for us, someone actually knew the answer to that question! Congratulations to…" he looked at the piece of paper that printed out the name. "Uh… hey, Case, what was their name? The ink smeared!"
"Stupid printer… Well, lucky contestant, we may not know your name, but your number is still clear! Let's give 'em a call!" Shaggy exclaimed, and they gave them a ring.
"Yes, yes? Hello?" The contestant answered in an excited tone.
"Hello, mystery contestant! Are you listening to the Case and Leo show by any chance?"
"Yeah! Holy cheese-nips, I listen to you guys every day! You play great music, and you sound so cool, and- and- oh I can't believe I was the first to answer!"
"This voice sounds familiar…" Pugsy whispered to himself, but it was speaking so quickly he couldn't pinpoint it. He cleared his throat. "Well, would you mind giving us that answer again?"
"Yes- it was September 9th, 1978."
"That's the answer we're looking for! Congrats, caller! This Saturday, YOU and Leo Brave will be meeting at the restaurant on 38th and Flash St, Le CoinceDonce, at 8:00 PM!"
"Yeeeeeeeeeeee I'm so excited!"
Both of them flinched from the high-pitched squeal. "Uh, before we go, caller, can we get your name? Gotta have something to call my lucky date by," Pugsy asked.
"Oh! Right! My name is… Zee Isaiah Pugnacious- but friends call me Zippy!"
(insert dramatic zoom in of Pugsy's stunned expression here)
"…Z-Z-Z-Z-Zippy?" He gasped, and suddenly froze.
"Well, uh, congrats to you, Zippy! Looking forward to see how the date goes! Until then, here's Pink with 'So What' to close us out!" Shaggy said quickly, hanging up the line and turning on the music, turning to his friend. "Pugs? Pugs! Speak to me! You're in shock, man!"
"I'm… I'm going on a date… with… with Zippy…" Pugsy stammered. "Our psychotic neighbor… we're dating Saturday…"
"Pugs, Pugs calm down. Breathe."
Pugsy took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
"That's it…"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!"
Shaggy toppled over from his friend's shout of pure, undefined terror. After his lungs had completely emptied, he sat there in stunned silence. "Wow, man, I didn't know your voice could go that high!"
Pugsy said nothing, looking more shocked than… well, geez, you could set off a grenade on his lap and he wouldn't even flinch!
"Pugs? Pugsy… Yoo-hoo! Earth to Pugs!" Shaggy snapped his fingers in front of his face, clapped, and even dumped water on him. He turned to the camera. "…I think we're going to need a scene change,"
d~b
Pugsy was still stunned that afternoon, sitting on the couch. Flip sat beside him in concern. "Is he going to be alright?" he asked Shaggy.
"Has he moved at all?" Shawn inquired, visiting upon hearing of his neighbor's episode.
"He vomited for 3 hours straight once I managed to drag him in," Shaggy replied, rubbing his shoulder. "…which reminds me, anyone got an ice-pack handy? I pulled something,"
"Pugs! Snap out of it, buddy!" Uncle Ted exclaimed, shaking Pugsy.
He blinked several times. "I blacked out. What happened?" he asked.
"Shaggy said you found out who you're dating this weekend, and you had a massive freak out!" Flip replied.
"Who is it that's so bad you'd scream, throw up, then resume shock?" Shawn asked.
As if on cue, the balcony doors opened and Zippy raced into the room! "GUYS! Guys guys guys guys guys guys guys guys!" she exclaimed, running around in circles in the living room, kitchen, walls and ceiling before landing before them. "I won the contest! I'M GOING ON A DATE WITH LEO BRAVE!"
There was a tiny *crash!* as Uncle Ted dropped a glass of soda, Shawn's jaw dropped, and Flip… quickly covered his mouth and ran into his room because there was no way he could keep himself from cracking up.
Zippy looked around, seeing all was quiet. "Hey, what's with the stunned silence? You guys didn't think it was possible?" she asked.
"(I'm pretty sure I threatened the writer to make it that way…)" Pugsy muttered.
"Um, Zippy, listen. I think you should know something about Leo Brave-" Shaggy began to state.
"Later, Shag! I gotta go find out what to wear! Ooh! You think he'd be willing to take song requests? I keep trying to call in, but the lines are always jammed- everyone can't stand 'Despacito' and all anymore, y'know- I'm thinking something from the 90's, Christian, or… I dunno! I'm too excited! Wish me luck!" With that, she ran out, jumped off the balcony… and used a grappling-hook to swing up onto her own and crash through into her living room.
Everyone remained silent. Flip came out, inhaling deep. "..So, how'd it go?" he asked.
"She has no clue who Leo Brave is!" Shawn replied, then turned to Shaggy and Pugsy. "Doesn't your website post pictures?"
"With our budget?! We're lucky the site includes pop-up ads!" Shaggy scoffed.
"Well, at least we know the date won't be boring! It shouldn't be too bad, right Pugs?" Ted stated, but received no response. "Um, Pugs…?"
Everyone looked, seeing Pugsy stepping on the ledge of the balcony!
"PUGSY!" Shaggy screamed, and everyone ran forth and grabbed him, pulling him on level ground- though he was putting up a fight!
"No- no! Let me go! Please! Don't make me do it! I'm begging ya…!" Pugsy was imploring, trying to pry out of their grips.
"Pugsy, calm down!/I don't wanna do it!/Chill out!/It's not worth it!/It can't be that bad/It's worser than werewolf attacks!/Get a grip!/Let me go!" everyone was talking at once.
~After managing to help Pugsy to chill out~
…
~Which took five hours~
Pugsy was lying face-down on the couch. Everyone looked exhausted. "Well. The tranquilizers finally kicked in," Flip sighed.
"Good- because we ran out of darts," Shaggy breathed, while Shawn put away a dart-gun. "…Why do you carry that around, by the way?"
"Does the term, 'Rabid fan-girl attack' give you any hints?" Shawn responded. "…none of them took 20 shots at once, though. He should be fine once he wakes up- he might have a twitch, but he should be fine."
"So long as no one brings up his date with Zippy, you mean."
Pugsy's foot twitched.
"Yeeeaaaaah… just keep him away from the balcony." Shawn said, walking out. "I'll check in on you guys later. Let's go, Ted!"
"See ya guys- good luck with the date Pugs, once you're conscious!" Ted stated, shaking Pugsy's foot before walking out with Shawn.
As Shawn and Ted walked out, Fangs and Flim-Flam walked in. "Hey guys, who won the contest?" Flim-Flam asked.
"Yeah, I missed the program- I think I spaced out or something," Fangs added.
(Quick image of Fangs listening to the radio while driving, his eyes falling on a moon-picture on the side of a truck; he transforms into Fangface and begins howling- only to end up crashing into a car in front of him- flashing lights making him revert back to normal just as a large, angry cop storms out of his own vehicle; Fangs grins nervously).
"…by the way, I'm not allowed to drive anymore." He looked at the couch. "What's with Pugs? He looks like he was shot with 20 darts,"
"Well, um, you see…" Flip began to state.
The door swung open just then, and Zippy ran in, holding up 2 shirts. "Guys, I need your advice. Which shirt should I wear on my date?" she asked. "The 'Stupidity Is Not A Crime So You're Free To Go', or the 'I Miss My Sister- But My Aim Is Getting Better'? …Or would it look like I'm relying on humor too much for a first impression, and should go for a more casual route?"
"Oh, you and the boyfriend are going out, huh?" Fangs asked- then turned to the others. "(Just to clarify my safety, she DOES have a boyfriend, right?)"
"Actually… she's the one who won the contest," Flip replied, cringing a bit.
"AUGH! WHAT?!" Flim-Flam shouted, turning to Zippy. "Zee! If you were looking for a new suitor, you could've looked ME up first!"
"Yeah, Zippy, why ARE you so eager to date Pu- Leo?" Shaggy asked. "You and Vincent having problems?"
"Is he two-timing with a chick named 'Catherine'?" Fangs cracked. Everyone looked at him. "…Oh like no one was expecting THAT joke to come up any time soon!"
"Guys, guys, it's okay. Vincent and I are still an item, and he's cool with me having dinner with a radio-celeb… I helped him enter and win a contest to win a date with a model in return, too." Zippy replied. She then took note of Pugsy. "Okay, I've been talking about going out with a guy, and your roomie hasn't made any wise cracks. Is he alright, or should I get the paramedics?"
"Zippy, there's something you should know. Leo Brave is actually-" Flip began to say.
*KA-BOOOOOM!*
"Confound it! What did you idiots do wrong this time?!"
The whole building shook from the explosion- and mostly Robotnik's enraged bellow.
"*sigh* Hold the conversation, guys. I have to check on Ryojii- lately the explosions have been making him nervous and he ends up hiding anywhere." Zippy sighed, turning to walk out.
"Oh, did you get a new cat?" Flim-Flam asked.
"On the contrary- Ryojii is my pet snake." With that she left.
Shaggy, Fangs, Flim-Flam and Flip quickly crawled on top of any nearby furniture, looking around. "Okay, first we snake-proof the place, then we draw straws to see who tells Zippy she's dating Pugs,"
"Pugs? You said she was dating Leo Brave!" Fangs replied. Everyone gave him deadpanned looks. "Wait… you're saying… they're the same person?!"
"You didn't know that?! Good grief, Fangs, he's your best friend!" Flim-Flam questioned.
"…who I haven't spent time with in three years!" He looked off-screen. "Could've been resolved if I had a BIGGER ROLE!"
"In the words of the Great Confused One: 'Fangs, you're an idiot'."
"You wanna talk smack, kid?! Come over here and we'll throw down!"
"GUYS!" Flip exclaimed. "Keep in mind, Pugsy's on the verge of being put through intense therapy, and Zippy might go into conniptions if no one tells her the truth!"
"Yeah, and if a date doesn't happen, our jobs will be on the line- and no one believes Pugsy's stories about how he spent his Saturday nights anymore, so making something up is out of the question." Shaggy added.
Everyone looked at Pugsy, still out cold. His foot twitched again.
"Wow, it's weird not hearing a retort out of him."
"He's really out cold, huh?" Flim-Flam asked.
"I guess so," Flip said, poking Pugsy.
"…Let's draw on him!" Fangs giggled.
"You read our minds!" Shaggy smirked.
d~b
Down in the lobby, The Black Alchemist was sneaking out of the basement (which was filled with smoke), hiding on the stairway and speaking into his watch. "8:47 PM, managed to disable 'Lasertron-55, Mk. 7, The Sequel'; also hacked into Amazon account and cancelled the order for 'Diet-Nuclear Waste With Extra Aspartame'. Evil-but-quirky mastermind will be out of commission for at least two weeks," he recorded. "…Additional note, remember to renew Netflix subscription and catch up on the second season of Castlevania,"
He heard footsteps coming up and quickly dove into one of the elevators; two seconds later, 'Vincent' walked out of the other one, casually whistling as Robotnik came up. "As soon as you're all conscious, clean up!" he bellowed down to his lackeys.
"You know, with all the 'technical difficulties' you have in the basement, don't you think it would be a good idea to upgrade the building's insurance policy?" Vincent quipped.
"…If I could still hear voices instead of colors, I'd tell you to shut up!" Robotnik sneered, storming out.
Zippy at this point was walking down the stairs… holding a snake! "There, there, Ryojii. Maybe a slither through the park will calm your nerves," she said to the reptile, putting a tiny leash-and-collar on him. She looked at Vincent. "Oh, hey boyfriend. How goes the exploding?"
"Good. …I heard you won the contest today. Congrats," Vincent said, awkwardly.
"Thanks. …I'm kind of nervous, though. Outside of you, I have no dating experience." Zippy shifted. "Be honest with me, Vince… do you think Leo would really hang with a girl like me?"
Vincent paused a moment. On the one hand, he wanted to tell his girlfriend the truth…
On the other hand, this would be a good lesson to teach her for entering a dating contest behind his back, so he held his tongue. (Very sneaky, Vinny…)
"Hey, if he tries to back out of the date, I'll give him a hard time at work the next day," Vincent assured her instead. "If he so much as states he has the flu and leaves… I'll hide Ryojii in his underwear drawer!"
Zippy arched an eyebrow. "You'd follow him home just to pull a prank?"
"He lives closer than you think," Vincent gave a sly look to the audience as he said this.
"Aww, you really do love me." Zippy leaned against him, then walked out. "Glad to see you're taking it well!"
Vincent watched her leave, rubbing his chin. I never considered that… I don't like the idea of my girlfriend going on a contest-date, but I don't like the idea of her feelings getting hurt, more. He thought to himself.
"(Oh snap- Ryojii, get back on your leash!)"
Next time I see Pugs, I'll have to give him some… 'advice'. With that, Vincent walked up the stairs.
…
Robotnik ran in, shrieking like a girl and climbing on top of his desk. "BLAST IT, WOMAN, KEEP THAT SNAKE IN A CAGE!" he shouted at Zippy.
d~b
It was 6 AM when Pugsy woke up, groaning. "…need… coffee…" he murmured, sitting up-
PFFFFFFFT!
*narrator has a laughing fit*
*wheeze*
Okay, okay… I'm good now.
He got up, sluggishly walking over to the counter and pouring himself a cup of coffee, his back to the camera.
Normally, he would be getting ready for work, having the morning-to-noon slot at the station on Saturdays, but due to the contest the manager gave him the day off in order to 'prepare for his date', and allowed Vincent to fill in for him.
Realization hit him just then, and he dropped his coffee-mug, which shattered on the floor with a tiny *crash!*
"Oh, crud! …Vincent's gonna murderfy me!" Pugsy yelped, clutching his head, and he quickly ran into Shaggy's room. "Shag! Wake up! I got a problem!"
"Gah! Whoa! What is it?!" Shaggy gasped, sitting up and clutching his blankets. He looked at Pugsy- then snorted, covering his mouth.
"What's so funny?"
"N-Nothing, nothing… *ahem* What's your problem?"
"Zippy- beyond my understanding- is dating Vincent, remember?! Once he hears I'm dating his girlfriend, he's going to go into connipulations!" He gripped Shaggy by the shirt-collar, shaking him. "What am I going to do?!"
Shaggy patted him on the shoulder. "Okay, okay, take it easy. I'm sure Vincent understands-!"
"Understands?! Shaggy, the guy hospitalized one of his college-buddies because he spilled soda on his 'Goofy' slippers! I DON'T WANT TO DIE, SHAG! I WANT TO LIVE!"
*SLAP!*
Shaggy smacked Pugsy across the face. "Get a grip, man! *sigh* Zippy said she already cleared everything up with Vincent, and he's cool with it."
"…She also jumps off balconies for kicks, carries a machete, and isn't allowed in the state of Kentucky. You actually believe her word?! Vincent might SAY he's cool with it, but I bet any minute he's going to come through that door-"
"Is everything alright?!" Flip gasped, rushing in.
"GAH! SPARE ME!" Pugsy then ducked on the other side of Shaggy's bed.
"…Pugsy's a bit nervous about his date tonight," Shaggy summed up.
"C'mon, Pugs, I doubt it will be that bad!" Flip scoffed.
"Speak for yourself!" Pugsy snapped, popping up.
Flip began to snicker, biting his lip. "(Oh man, it's still there…!)"
Pugsy arched an eyebrow, looking at the two. "…Okay, what's going on? Why do you two keep looking at me and lau-" he paused, realization hitting him *again*, and he hurried to the bathroom.
"We should run," Shaggy whispered.
"I'm already gone," Flip responded, dashing out ahead. Both of them ran out to the hall, just as Pugsy looked in the bathroom mirror.
3. 2. 1.
"WHO DREW A-"
*convenient explosion*
"-ON MY FACE?!"
Vincent poked his head out the door. "Sheesh, what exploded this time?" he wondered.
"Pugsy's blood vessels- gotta go!" Shaggy said, as he and Flip ran down to the elevators at the speed of light.
Pugsy (back still to the camera) dashed out of the apartment. "Get back here yo- WAH!" he yelped, seeing Vincent, and quickly ducked and rolled back into his apartment, slamming the door shut.
Vincent blinked several times. "Why was there a…"
"Mew!" Captain Sprinkles mewled, conveniently passing by.
"…on his face?"
Zippy poked her head out the doorway. "I heard the Brooklyn Banshee's mating call. What's going on?" she asked.
"I have no idea, but I'm going to see what exploded before I head to work," Vincent gave her a kiss on the forehead, before tying on his mask. "See you later, sweetie!"
"Okay, see ya!"
Around this point, (geez, how many people are up at 6 AM?!), Fangs was walking out of the elevator. "Hey, Zippy! Excited for tonight?" he asked, while biting his lip.
"Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out what to wear," she then held up two shirts. "Black or Blue- which draws less attention away from my machete?"
Fangs flinched. "Ah, maybe NOT take a weapon along?"
"Tch. Fangs, no young woman should ever go on a blind date unarmed,"
"Er, right… Well, you shouldn't have to worry about Leo Brave. There's actually something you should know about him," Fangs sneered, looking at a tiny straw. "…which I, unfortunately, have to share."
"What is it?"
Fangs rubbed the back of his neck, pacing. "Well, you see… the funny thing is… Leo is actually-" he paused, his eyes falling on a picture of a moonlit bridge. "Actually… actua-a-a-arrooooooo!" Spinning around, he changed into Fangface. "(grr) Where's Pugs?! Where is he?!"
"(I guess I'll find out later)," Zippy shrugged. "…Last time I saw Pugs, he was passed out on the couch."
"Ooh, ooh, I'll get him this time!" The werewolf began to run off… only to double back. "By the way, who won that contest for the Leo Brave date?"
"I did,"
"For reals?! …aw man, and I entered my name and everything… Oh well! Good luck, Zippy!" He paused, looking at her. "Aren't you already-"
"Boyfriend's cool with it, so long as nothing lovey-dovey happens."
"Oh, good. Have fun then!" With that, Fangface burst into his best friend's apartment. "PUGSY, I'M HOOOME!"
"…I thought I locked the door!" came Pugsy's bitter voice from down the hall.
Fangface paused, looking at the door and seeing the busted lock. "…whoops," Clearing his throat and casually shutting the door, he raced down the hall to where his friend was. "I've got you now- er, why is there a…?"
"Shut up!" Pugsy was in the process of washing off his face, drying it off before facing his best-friend (and the camera, now that the ink was off). "I don't have time for any games, nit-wolf. I'm in the middle of a crisises!"
"What's wrong, Pugs? Landlord blast one of his lackeys through the floor, again?"
"No…" Pugsy walked out, sitting down on the couch, rubbing his face. "I'd rather not talk about it,"
"Aw, c'mon, Pugs! If something's bothering you, I wanna help!" Fangface sat down next to him.
"Ya can't help with this… you'll just laugh like everyone else."
"Someone's laughing at my best buddy? They'd better have a good reason! …C'mon, Pugs, we've been through all sorts of trouble! You can count on me." The werewolf put his arm around him. "We're best pals, right?"
Pugsy took a deep breath. "Alright. …See, there's this Leo Brave dating-contest, and Zippy won it,"
"Yeah, she's all excited about it! …But why does that have you down?"
"Because… I'm Leo Brave."
Fangface stared for a moment. "Ooh, ooh… are you serious?"
"Y-Yeah."
"You're Leo Brave… and you're going on a date with Zippy."
Pause.
"BWAHAHAHA! Ooh, ooh, that's a good one Pugs! *snort!* Ha ha ha! You… and Zippy… on a… a… AH HA HA HA! That would be hilarious! Hee hee ha!"
*2 hours later*
(Pugsy remained sitting there, deadpanned, throughout this).
"Ha ha ha…! Oh man… that's funny. But seriously, Pugs, what's the REAL problem?" Fangface asked, wiping a tear. His friend only turned and gave him a glare. "Oh, no. C'mon, Pugs, if you were serious, that would mean… would mean…"
The words 'I'M SERIOUS' were in Pugsy's glare.
"…you… actually are… Leo Brave?" Fangface's humor disappeared. "Werewolves alive, Pugs! We've been best friends since 1978, and you never told me this?!"
"I'm surprised you didn't figure it out- actually, not really." Pugsy stood up, walking towards the balcony. "Forget it. I ain't humiliating myself and going out with that psychopath! …If anyone needs me, I'll be in the hospital."
"HOLD IT!" Fangface- suddenly standing in front of him and pushing him back inside- snapped. "Now look here, Pugs! I know Zippy is psycho, possibly banned from 47 states, might have more animals than Ace Ventura, and is strong enough to tie me up in a pretzel in the wrestling episode, but she's still a big fan of your radio-show! A fan who won a contest, and is expecting to go out with Leo Brave!"
"Yeah, yeah.. I know…" A lightbulb appeared over his head just then. "Hey, wait. I got an idea-"
"And you are NOT having someone else pose as Leo Brave to get out of it! …That cliché has been done to death,"
"Dang it!"
Fangface shook his friend by the shoulders. "Loosen up, Pugs! There's nothing to worry about!"
Zippy at this point then came through the balcony. "Hey, Pugs, quick question- does Leo Brave like techno music? I hear there's going to be a rave downtown tonight, and maybe we could check it out after dinner." She then put on a pair of kitty-eared headphones. "Everyone who wears Cat-Ear Headphones gets in free!"
Pugsy only blinked. "Um, Zippy… ah…"
Fangface nudged him. "Go on, Pugs. Tell her and get it over with."
"Tell me what?" Zippy asked.
"Zippy… you see… I'm…" Pugsy began to say, but the words were stuck.
"Oh, good grief, man!" Fangface rolled his eyes. "Zippy, Leo Brave is actually-"
There came barking just then, and Zippy looked out the window. "Confound it, Rickshaw got loose again!" she climbed on the edge. "Inform me later, boys! I gotta catch my puff!" she then leaped down, a hang-glider popping out! "Rickshaw, you stop chasing after that motorcycle right now…!"
"…I'm moving to Canada." Pugsy said, walking off.
"No!" Fangface scolded, yanking him back.
d~b
After his shift, Vincent walked down the street back to the apartment…
Seeing a motorcyclist driving past, a little Pomeranian running after it… followed by his girlfriend, handing onto his leash and riding a skateboard.
"Hi, Vincent!" Zippy called, speeding by. "Bye, Vincent!"
"Hi, Zee! Bye Zee!" Vincent called.
Flim-Flam happened to be walking by, crossing his arms. "Mm-mm-mm. Vincent. I'm disappointed," he said, shaking his head in disapproval. "Letting your girlfriend go out with another guy- much less, your own neighbor! How do you sleep at night? If she were my girlfriend… I'd ground her."
Vincent gave him a hard look. "She's MY girlfriend, and I TRUST her. It's just part of a contest, and Zee is decent enough to keep things platonic. …Trust me, we've been dating for eight years, and still on the 'holding hands' level. …Plus, I'm more cautious about Pugsy- if he says or does anything to hurt her feelings…!"
"I'm pretty sure Zippy's gonna be too shocked to care. Unless Fangs told her the news already," Flim-Flam rubbed his chin. "Actually… why didn't YOU tell her anything, Vince?"
"Still scorned, teaching her a lesson, 'nuff said."
"Ah. …So, you're not at all worried that she'll kill you in your sleep for not telling her?"
"If she forgave me for spoiling Persona 3, she'll forgive me for this. …But just to make sure she's treated decently, I'm going to go talk to Pugsy."
"Check the balcony first," With that, Flim-Flam parted ways with Vincent.
As he walked, he heard a few girls talking, one of them Brattina. "Can you believe it?! That psycho-tomboy won the contest and is going out with a radio star!" she was sneering.
"Their show isn't that popular… but still, it would be more interesting than going out with a nobody," Whitney Biskut scoffed.
"Totally," Britney Biskut agreed.
"Watch it, you brats, I'M a Nobody." Larxene sneered, crossing her arms. "But I agree; Leo Brave sounds so hot, smooth and masculine- how could a crossdressing-freakshow end up dating a supposed-stud?"
"I bet he stands her up," Brattina said with a smirk. "Everyone knows how crazy Zippy is, and knows her by that reputation."
"Yeah, he did freeze on-air. I bet he's on his way across the border, now!" Britney chuckled.
"No kidding. I doubt ANYONE would want to date that nut-job!" Whitney added, then paused. "Wait, doesn't she already have a boyfriend?"
"Must be one pathetic loser if he's THAT desperate," Larxene scoffed.
Flim-Flam glared; looking around, he climbed up a fire-escape right above them; he took out a magician's magic-scarf, held it over his hand. "Ala-ka-zam!" he whispered, making a bucket of water balloons appear, and dumped it-
*SPLISH! SPLASH! SPLOOSH!*
"EEEEEEEK!" came shrieks from the bad-mouthing girls.
"Hey you creep! I see you up there!" Larxene snarled, then shot a lightning bolt at him, which he barely dodged!
"In the words of the Great Confused One: Exit, stage left!" Flim-Flam exclaimed, then took off, pursued by some very angry girls.
d~b
Back with the 'lucky man' who has a date with Zippy…
"Shut up, Narrator!" Pugsy snapped. He was currently standing in his bedroom, while Fangface helped him search for an outfit to wear for his rendezvous with the psycho-chick. "That's it, where's my brick?!"
"Oh calm down already, Pugs. Zippy's a nice girl once you get to know her!" Fangface assured, pulling out a few outfits. "Now, let's find you something to wear for tonight. Hmm… too old school, too rustic, too fancy, too- where did you get this?!"
He tossed away Pugsy's old trademark outfit, a Tin-Man suit, a dress, before holding up a 'Please Use By Date On Bottom' T-shirt, and a pair of pants with the word 'Tonight' printed on the back. Pugsy quickly grabbed the latter and tossed it aside. "That's not mine. *ahem*," he muttered, blushing.
"Um, right… C'mon, Pugs, help me out here! There's gotta be SOMETHING you'd like to- wait, this is mine!" Fangface held up a jacket. "I KNEW we got our laundry mixed up!"
Pugsy shook his head, sitting down on the bed. "There is no way I can pick an outfit for this. …Heck, once Zippy finds out I'm Leo Brave, she'll probably cancel!"
"Ooh, ooh, but if you guys don't go on a date, you could lose your job!"
"You think I don't know that?! *sigh* I've still got a few hours… Tell you what, I'll try to find an outfit, and YOU can go find my room-mates,"
"Okay… Uh, what should I do when I find 'em?"
"Clock 'em!"
Fangface shrugged and walked out of the apartment. Pugsy sighed, standing up and pacing around for a bit. He picked up his phone, considering calling Zippy- but telling her over the phone would be too low-brow, if not make her think it were a prank. He considered walking over to her apartment and telling her… but he was afraid to set foot inside it (the only time he had seen the inside was during that horrid 'body switch' incident- and he didn't want to be surrounded by animals and weaponry if she didn't take the news well).
"I'll just have her come over here," he sighed, taking out his cell-phone to call her.
"This is Zee- I cannot come to the phone right now, please leave a message after… GAH! CAPTAIN SPRINKLES, WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE?! VINCENT, GET THE GRAPPLING HOOK-! …please leave a message after the beep. *beep*" came her voicemail.
"Zee, this is Pugsy… come over when you get this message. There's something I have to tell ya," After leaving the message, he hung up, laying on the couch, his arm over his eyes.
*Shhk-click* came the sound of the screen-door opening and closing.
"Oh, good, you got my message," Pugsy said, assuming Zippy had come in from the balcony as she always does. He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Listen, Zee, I don't know how to break this to ya, so I'm just gonna say it. I'm actually-" he turned to face her…
…seeing Vincent standing behind him.
His pupils shrunk. "…a dead man…"
"Pugsy-" Vincent stepped forth.
"Yeow!" Pugsy rolled off the couch, backing away. "N-Now, calm down, Vincent! Let me explain everything!"
"Pugsy…"
He staggered to his feet, moving around to the other side of the couch when Vincent started walking over to him. "I didn't want to do this! It was all our management's fault!"
"Pugsy."
"I didn't TELL Zippy to sign up! How did I know she was a big fan?! I would've told her before if I did, and this wouldn't have happened!" He backed into the counter when Vincent stepped over the couch!
"Pugsy!"
He shielded himself. "For the love of all that's pure, don't kill me…!"
"PUGSY!" *Slap!* "GET a GRIP!"
Pugsy blinked several times. "…you know that's the second time someone's had to slap me, today."
Vincent took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I'm not going to lie, Pugsy. I don't like this any more than you do… in fact, I think this sort of contest is considered illegal- I mean, these sort of dates never end well, with all the crazy stalkers out there. But, that isn't the case here. Yes, I'm upset that my girlfriend is going out with you- but she's promised to keep everything strictly platonic. She may look at other guys, but she won't do anything to hurt our relationship- a hug is the farthest she'll go."
"O-kay… then why are you looking at me like I just insulted your mother?"
Vincent gave him a hard glance. "Because I don't want you to hurt Zippy. …Let me tell you something about my girlfriend, Pugs- she's been the odd-one-out everywhere: school, home, work… Some think her funny, but others think her weird in a bad way. She can't stand regular socializing because she doesn't feel like there's anything she can share- not many people are into anime, videogames, fanart, fan-fics, and very few are interested about hearing about Jesus. …When she heard that she won a chance to date Leo Brave, she didn't just get excited- she got nerve-racked. 'What if he thinks I'm too weird?', 'What if he ditches me?', 'What if he gets a restraining order?'"
Pugsy eased down, listening.
"You know how she was the first to answer that question, Pugs? She's a BIG fan of your show- ever since she was 9! Barely anyone else knows about it, but to her it's an inspiration. YOU are an inspiration- you think she was always tough? No. Not until she saw you on TV did she learn how to stand up for herself, even if there was a chance she'd get attacked or harassed for it."
"Yeah? Then how come she's always picking on me?"
Vincent rolls his eyes. "She picks on every guy she likes. Or did you forget she gets a kick out of Shaggy's freak-outs?"
"Hold it, hold it, hold it… Zippy LIKES me?"
"What, you think she comes over and visits just for the coward?"
"And this doesn't bother you at all?!"
"I told you, she keeps things decent- no more than a hug. Plus, considering you see her as a psychopath, she knows nothing will ever happen."
"Okay… but what if a guy liked her back?"
Vincent shrugged. "I don't know. I've never met another guy who loves her as much as I do,"
("AAAUGH! LAY OFF THE LIGHTNING, WOMAN!" came Flim-Flam's shout from outside).
"…should we ask?" Vincent asked.
"…No. But what are you getting at, Vincent?" Pugsy inquired.
"I want you to be decent to Zippy. I don't care what she does after she finds out, but if you're going out, I want you to be a gentleman- no different than how you'd treat any other woman. Calm her down if she freaks out, don't swap nasty comments, and if you so much as THINK about ditching her… I will hunt you down. I will break your knees. And I WILL shove my bo-staff somewhere unpleasant. Do we understand each other?"
The masculine room-mate had paled a bit, cringing. "…crystal clear." He squeaked.
"Good." Vincent then grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Have fun, Pugsy. …By the way, Bumblebee is playing this weekend if you guys want to catch a movie. See you around!" with that, he left the apartment.
Pugsy stood there a moment, unable to respond.
By this point, Shawn and Ted walked in. "Hey, Pugs. Feeling better?" Ted asked.
*THUD!*
Pugsy hit the floor, passed out.
"…I'll take that as a 'no'." Shawn guessed.
d~b
With Shaggy and Flip, they were hiding- I mean, 'hanging out' at the café. Flim-Flam happened to be running in- ducking under a table as the girls chasing him ran by- before crawling over and sitting with Shaggy and Flip. "What's up with the angry mob?" Flip asked.
"Let's just say they need to watch what they say about my woman," Flim-Flam muttered, then told his friends what Brattina and the others had said about Zippy.
"Geez, I wonder what they'd say if they learned Leo Brave was actually Pugsy," Shaggy sneered.
"Nothing better, that's for sure." Flip replied.
"Oh, like you two have been nicer about it," Flim-Flam scoffed. "Pugsy finds out he's dating Zippy and freaks out about it- Heaven knows why- and you guys treat it like a joke!"
Shaggy gave him a look. "Excuse me? Which one of us drew a-"
*Crash!* a coffee cup conveniently fell off a tray and shattered.
"-on his face last night?!"
Flim-Flam crossed his arms. "I only suggested it. YOU drew it!"
"But he does have a point. Pugsy's freaking out, Zippy may be freaking out if Fangs has told her… and none of us have been very supportive. Considering there's people like Brattina out there already giving Zippy a hard time-"
"If not the possibility of Vincent turning Pugsy into a piñata if he upsets Zippy-" Flim-Flam threw in.
"There's a chance things might end badly."
"So what should we do?" Shaggy asked.
"First off, we go back to the apartment and help Pugs get his act together. Then we talk to Zippy,"
Fangface came in just then. "Oh, hey guys! There you are," he said.
"What's up, Fangface?" Shaggy asked in greeting.
*THONK! DING!*
"OW!" Shaggy fell back after the werewolf chucked a time-clock at his head! "WHAT THE HECK!" He took out a picture of the sun and showed it to Fangs.
"Oh, hey Shag, what's- OW!" Fangs cried when Shaggy hit him back with the clock! "Why you-!" he jumped Shaggy, the two of them getting into a scrap!
Suddenly, Brattina, Larxene and the Biskut Twins burst in. "There he is!" Britney shouted.
"YIKES!" Flim-Flam shouted, as the girls started to chase him around the café!
"Or… maybe we'll talk to him AFTER things cool down." Flip said as chaos unfolded around him, ducking when a chair flew overhead!
d~b
You know what? This has been going on for 20 pages now, I think we should hurry up to the plot-point. (That, and I don't think we can afford to break any more props).
7:30 came around. Pugsy stood in front of the mirror, having pulled on a blue cover-shirt over a black shirt, a pair of jeans, and combed his hair. He decided to leave the fedora at home, figuring less people would recognize him without it. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the living room.
Shawn, Ted, Flip… and a beat-up Flim-Flam, Shaggy and Fangs (both who were sporting black eyes and glaring at each other) were sitting in the living room. "Well… how do I look?" Pugsy asked, clearing his throat.
"Ooh, ooh, you look great Pugs!" Fangs replied first.
"So you're really going through with it, huh?" Shawn asked.
"I might as well… Vincent will kill me if I don't show up- and that's only if he's feeling merciful," Pugsy sighed.
There came a knock at the door. Flip answered, and Zippy walked in… wearing a jean-vest over a black shirt, a nice cross necklace, slim jeans with gems lining down the sides, and her hair was done up in a ponytail. "What do you guys think?" she asked everyone.
Flim-Flam's heart throbbed, Shawn nodded in approval, Ted gave a thumbs up, and everyone else just stared. "Whoa…" Flip whispered under his breath.
"Hi, I'm Fangs," Fangs said, striding over and shaking her hand. "You must be new in the building."
"It's Zee, you knucklehead," Pugsy told him.
Fangs quickly let go and turned on his heel. "WHOA… talk about before-and-after… I mean, you look great, Zippy!"
Zippy blushed. "C-C'mon guys, be honest…" she muttered.
"We are. You look wonderful!" Shawn assured her.
"Wonderful? Try astonishing! Try spectacular! Try… Try… please marry me!" Flim-Flam exclaimed.
"Down boy," Shaggy told him.
Zippy then looked over at Pugsy. "Whoa, you clean up nice. What's the occasion?"
"I… uh… g-got a date too," Pugsy replied, blushing as well.
"For reals? Wow- and here I thought you'd never get a love-interest."
"That's… putting it nicely. No wise-cracks about the apocalypse? No jokes about the sun freezing over? Nothing?" Fangs asked.
"We're saving those for when YOU get a date," Pugsy sneered at him.
Fangs glared. "That's it! Hey, Zee, guess what?! You're actually going on a date with-!"
*KA-BOOM!* ("Seriously?! I just turned on the sink!" Robotnik shouted.)
This explosion shook the building; a piece of plaster fell off the ceiling and landed on Fangs' head, knocking him out!
"Um… let's head out before the place falls in shambles," Pugsy replied, walking to the door.
"I'm surprised it hasn't already," Zippy scoffed, walking out with him. "Hey, would you mind giving me a lift? My motorcycle is in the shop,"
"Y-Yeah, sure." With that, they were out.
Fangs came to, rubbing his head. "Did they leave?" he asked.
"Yep," Shaggy replied.
"Well, we're heading back to our place. Let us know how things worked out," Shawn replied as he and Ted walked out next.
Shaggy waited, then turned to the others. "...We didn't tell Zippy."
"Nope." Flip replied.
"But Pugsy seems cool about it… for now." Flim-Flam stated.
"Yep."
"…Think it'll still go badly?" Fangs asked.
"Without a doubt."
They all exchanged looks.
"I'll go get the camera!" Shaggy exclaimed.
"I'll get the popcorn!" Fangs added. They rushed to the door-
…finding Shawn standing there, arms-crossed. "Don't even think about it."
"Awwww…" the guys groaned.
d~b
Pugsy parked his car down the street from Le CoinceDonce, Zippy stepping out. She drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Nervous?" he asked.
"Y-Yeah… Pugs, be honest… do I look alright? A-And is there anything I should do so I don't freak him out?" she asked.
He arched an eyebrow. "Since when do you care about how you look or what others think?"
She shifted. "I… um… I've never gone on a date before. I mean, Vincent and I started out as friends first! Watching movies, playing videogames… heck, the way we met was because we both liked your show! …I don't know anything about Leo, and vice-versa! S-Suppose he's expecting something else?"
Pugsy watched her; he had never seen her look so flustered before. "Again, why would you care? L-Like you said, you barely know this guy!"
"I know, it's just… I like hearing his voice on the radio. I don't know why, but… something about it just makes me feel at ease. If you got to meet someone who left a positive impact on your life, only to find out they considered you a freak… it would be heartbreaking, right?"
Pugsy held his breath a moment. Letting out a soft sigh, he patted her on the shoulder, giving her a sincere smile. "Don't worry. I know Leo pretty well. He may think you're crazy at first… but he'll warm up to ya."
"You sure?"
"Yeah… to be honest, he's dealt with crazier."
Zippy sighed with relief. "Okay, I'll take your word for it," She turned towards the restaurant. "Wish me luck… and good luck on your date, too."
Pugsy nodded. He gave her ten paces, before he followed.
Zippy approached the waiter at the podium. "Hi… I'm Zee Isaiah Pugnacious. I have a date scheduled here with Leo Brave?" she stated. "I-Is he here, yet?"
"Not yet, miss. Would you care to wait inside?" the waiter replied.
"No thanks, I want to greet him at the door. I'm… I'm pretty excited to meet him," she replied.
(Pugsy stayed hidden behind a bush, listening. He took a deep breath, counting down before preparing to step out and make the reveal…)
"I doubt the feeling is mutual," came a snobby voice, and who should show up but Katrina Stoneheart and Brattina. Oh, la-di-fluffin-da! "…Can it, Narrator! I carry bricks, too!"
Zippy gave them a look. "What are you two doing here?"
"I told my mom about your date with Leo Brave, and we decided to come down and watch him blow you off!" Brattina said with a malicious grin.
She crossed her arms. "What makes you think he'd ditch me?"
"Oh come on! Everyone knows who YOU are- the psychotic stunt-girl who's always flying around, jumping off balconies, and owns those disgusting animals!" Katrina scoffed. "A radio celebrity like Leo Brave would obviously know about such a reputation, and would NEVER go out with such a freak!"
"Yeah- otherwise, he'd have shown up by now, right?" Brattina asked.
"I've been here for the last five minutes," came the voice of Leo Brave.
The women turned, looking at Pugsy- who at this moment was giving Katrina and Brattina quite the death-glare.
Katrina stared for a moment… then laughed! "Ha! Nice impression, Pugsy! …Did you put him up to this, Zippy? Are you SO ashamed about getting stood up that you'd-"
Pugsy shut her up by showing her his studio membership card; sure enough, the ID had his picture on it, right next to the words "Pugsy- AKA Leo Brave".
Zippy stood there, surprised. "Wait… you're Leo Brave?!" she gasped. She turned to the audience. "…sheesh, how did I miss that?"
"EEEEEEEWWWWWWW!" Brattina shrieked. "I've been fawning over PUGSY'S voice all this time?! Gross gross gross gross!" she ran down the street, continuing her freak-out.
"Ugh! You two match up perfectly, then!" Katrina sneered, storming off.
Pugsy turned to Zippy. "Well? Shall we go in?" he asked.
"Huh? Oh, uh, sure." Zippy replied, still a bit flabbergasted (I've always wanted to type that word!) about the reveal.
The waiter opened the door for them; Pugsy casually motioned Zippy to go in first and she gave a respectful nod, both of them being led to a table in the back corner. The waiter handed them their menus and some complimentary water before walking off. "So, what looks good?" Pugsy asked, squinting as he read the menu. "…er, provided you can read French,"
"Um… the steak looks good," Zippy replied, still a bit flustered. "Pugs… why didn't you tell me you were Leo Brave earlier?"
"Well… I had been unconscious most of the time, for one thing. I expected someone else to tell you already but they'd get interrupted, and… I was nervous on how you'd react. I mean, you and I don't exactly swap compliments on a regular basis."
"I see. So… why did you show up at all? You could have just had someone else fill in, or faked sick or something."
Pugsy scoffed. "I may be a jerk, Zippy, but I'm not cold enough to stand someone up-"
"Vincent threatened you didn't he?"
"With his bo-staff. …You're pretty lucky to have a boyfriend like that,"
"Heh, he's lucky I don't clock him for not telling me who you are… but I guess I deserved it for entering a contest without his consent."
"Hey, could be worse- I heard these things turn out to be dangerous,"
"Yeah, that's what Vincent told me earlier. I wanted to bring my machete, but he told me to just stick with bug-spray and aim for the eyes if things got risky."
Pugsy rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, because I'm REALLY going to take risks with you,"
"Hey, you're on a date with me, right?"
The two chuckled; the waiter came by and took their orders.
Most of the dinner conversation involved how Pugsy got into radio (he aced some auditions), how he came up with the name (claiming it's based off a 1940's actor he was inspired by and his voice-actor), how Zippy got into the program (she heard one of her favorite song "Dive" on the radio and liked his voice), and eventually led to what kind of songs they liked, leading to their favorite movies.
After dinner, they decided to check out the rave Zippy had brought up. "I'm not much of a techno fan, but I did promise your boyfriend I'd show you a good time," he said as they walked to the club.
"Thanks, but if you don't like it, we can leave and do something else." Zippy replied. They entered the club, being greeted by colorful lights and techno music, a remix of 'How Do You Do' playing.
Pugsy sat by the bar while Zippy hit the dance-floor; after a moment she coaxed him into joining her. As it turns out, the music was easy to dance to… though after thirty minutes he was starting to go deaf from the loud techno music, so they left.
"It's still early. Want to see a movie?" Zippy asked.
"What?" Pugsy asked as if he still couldn't hear. She gave him a look and he grinned. "Heh, just kidding. Wanna see Bumblebee?"
"Heck yes!"
They went to the movie. …I have yet to see it, but from what I've heard it was spectacular. During the movie, Pugsy automatically stretched his arm over her head, and she leaned and rested on his shoulder. He paused a bit, looking at her for a moment, but turned his eyes back on the screen, a small smile on his face.
After the movie, it was getting late, and the two returned to Paradise Towers. Pugsy walked Zippy to her door. "There, now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Zippy joked.
"Sure… except I may never get that 'Country Roads' remix out of my head," Pugsy replied in sarcasm.
The two stood there awkwardly. "Seriously… thanks for not bailing on me. Ha, it's kind of funny… I was expecting to go out with someone I was psyched about meeting, yet he was living next door the whole time."
"Yeah… Hope it wasn't too much of a disappointment,"
She blushed. "Actually… it's better than I expected."
Pugsy paused, looking at her. Suddenly he remembered what Vincent had said before about Zippy liking him. "Oh… well, great to hear."
She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well… goodnight," She turned to go in.
His mind raced for a split second before he tapped her shoulder. "Hold it," he said, having her face him… then he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug.
Zippy stood there stunned; once her mind registered what was happening, she returned the hug.
Afterwards, he pulled away. "Goodnight, Zee," he said quietly, patting her on the back.
"Y-You too…" Zippy replied. She opened the door- bumping into the doorframe before slipping inside, giving him a short wave before shutting the door.
Pugsy stood by his door a moment. He counted down on his fingers. "3… 2… 1…"
"VINCENT, YOU JERK!"
Giving a nod of confirmation, he walked inside. No surprise, he found his room-mates and their friends waiting up for him. "So…?" Shaggy asked with a smirk.
"How did it go?" Flip asked with an equal smirk.
Pugsy sneered, rolling his eyes. He walked towards his room and slammed the door shut as hard as he could.
"…Uh, I guess we'd better not ask." Flim-Flam replied.
"Ooh, ooh, I hope we'll hear about it on the radio Monday," Fangs stated as he and Flim-Flam left.
Shaggy and Flip exchanged a glance. Gathering their courage, they entered Pugsy's room, finding their roommate lying on the bed, face-down. "Pugs…? Is everything alright?" Flip asked.
"The date didn't go that bad, did it?" Shaggy added.
"No… it was… actually great." Pugsy replied.
"Then… why do you look upset?" Flip inquired.
"I dunno… maybe because I feel like a heel about earlier." He turned on his side, his back to them. "Right now, I just want to get some sleep."
"O-Okay, well… glad you had a good time." Flip replied, walking out.
"Night, man." Shaggy stated, shutting the door.
Pugsy rolled on his back, staring at the ceiling for a while, deep in thought.
d~b
~Monday Morning~
No one had talked about it yesterday, but everyone was eager to tune in and find out how the date went. Zippy sat on her balcony, tying on her bungie-cord while having the radio on, listening to some music. She watched as the Black Alchemist stood on the roof-top with a few water-balloons. "If you need me, I'll be over at Trueblood Plaza," he said with a wink.
She smiled. "Give 'em heck, honey… Oh, and don't forget, you have that date with Ann Takamaki tonight," she said.
"I know. …I hope she likes videogames,"
"Likes 'em? She's in one!"
They paused, as a couple voices came on the radio. "And that was Skillet with 'Hero'… boy does that song take me back," Came Shaggy- or 'Case Roger's'- voice. "But let's take a break from the tunes for a while, because we have an interesting topic to get to. With that said, tell us about your date last Saturday Night, Leo!"
"Just couldn't wait any longer, could you?" Leo Brave's voice came next. "Well, Case, it went pretty well. Zee turned out to be a great gal!"
"No kidding? ...I heard she was crazy,"
"Oh she is- but in a good way. Don't listen to what anyone else says- especially those Stoneheart broods who tried to put her down."
"Oh man, they were there, too?"
"Not after they saw me show up. But other than seeing their faces, the night went great. Zee, if you're listening, thanks again for a great time- oh, and I STILL have that 'Country Roads' remix stuck in my head!"
"Zoinks- I mean, wow Leo, what all did you guys do?"
"Dinner, movies, and a rave, that's all I'm gonna say. …Speaking of which, let's get back to the music."
"Oh come on! Give us more details!"
"Let's just say- Zippy, your boyfriend is lucky to have ya. Here's a song that I figured you'd like…"
They listened as the song 'Dive' by Steven Curtis Chapman played. Zippy smiled.
"Well, I guess I don't have to worry about kicking his butt," The Black Alchemist joked. He gave Zippy a peck on the cheek before taking off.
She nodded then- making sure her bungie-cord was secure- dived over the edge while listening to the song.
~…It's time to take a leap of faith, so here I go!
I'm diving in
I'm going deep
In over my head I wanna be
Caught in the rush
Lost in the flow
In over my head, I want to go
The river's deep
The river's wide
The river's water is alive
So sink or swim I'm diving in…~
Flim-Flam and Fangs were watching from the yard, while listening to the radio. "…Your friend is one lucky guy," Flim-Flam sighed.
"Either that… or he's crazier than I thought." Fangs replied.
*SPLOOSH!*
Fangs got doused with a water-balloon. "Ack! Thph! What the…?! FLIM-FLAM!"
"In the words of the Great Confused One: 'Don't bad-mouth my gal!'" With that, Flim-Flam took off!
"GET BACK HERE!" Fangs took off after him.
Zippy bounced down, grabbing something, and pulling up a sign that read 'THE END' on it.
d~b
A/N: …okay, for everyone who wanted to know… *holds up a picture* They drew a unicorn on Pugsy's face. XD
We will continue this story… after we're done repairing the set. And replace the equipment. And find enough money to keep paying everyone to stay on the show. And find Ryojii, he got loose again.
*girly shriek in the distance*
…Oh, never mind, Robotnik found him.