Ok, now that we have refreshment, everyone ready for the first role play of 2007? ;)
Mike: Yeah.
Peter: This is going to be so much fun! :)
Micky: You bet! :D
Davy: Ready, mates.
(We open in a large, slightly dim room filled with nothing but various articles of clothing and accessories. Some are normal outfits, but most are elaborate costumes depicting everything from space suits to fuzzy cavemen wraps, fine silk waistcoats and breeches to huge gowns covered with plumes and sequins. We hear giggles and grumbles as the four Monkees walk in carrying boxes, followed by the Dolenz twins, Katie Nesmith, and, more timidly, Jordan Thorkleson.)
Mike: How did we end up back here? Jack Williams is the prop man!
Peter: Jack's busy with another movie. I told Bert we'd find what we need on our own. We've been back here before.
Mike: Yeah, but...(sneezes)...it's so dusty back here, and it ain't our job.
Peter: So? It's fun, and it'll give the kids something to do until their mothers come for them.
Mike: How did we end up babysitting?
Peter: Valerie's busy at Headquarters, Em had to do an interview for the Malibu Beach Register, Daphne's at the recording studio with the Abbies, and Lauren had to run errands and couldn't take the twins along.
Mike: Hey, where ARE the kids?
Peter: (Puts his hand on his son's head) Here's Jordan.
Jordan: (Looks up with a shy smile) Hi, Dad!
Katie: (Peers out from behind a rack of dresses) Peek-a-boo, Papa! Here I am! :D
Mike: (Catches Katie as she runs to him) Yeah, sweetie, here you are. Don't scare Papa like that, ok?
Katie: (Nods) Ok.
*The twins pop up amongst a box of costumes.*
Shelly: Here we are! :)
Little Mick: Hiya! ;)
Micky: Okay you two, out of those. They don't belong to you.
Shelly: Okay, Daddy. *climbs out of the pile*
*Little Mick rummages some more, then follows his sister, an innocent look on his face.*
Mike: Ok, I know those looks. What were you two doin' this time?
*Little Mick puts a hat with a feather sticking out of it on his head. He beams proudly.* :D
Shelly: Nice hat!
Katie: Oooh, cool! :D
Jordan: Pretty!
Mike: (Takes the hat and plops it on his head) Oh, that's the kind of hat they useta wear in those old Errol Flynn movies, you know, the ones with sword fightin' and everythin'. Like "The Three Musketeers."
Peter: I used to like those movies. They always seemed so exciting!
Davy: I still like those movies!
Micky: They do have some groovy action in them...
Katie: Action! (She leans into a box and grabs a sword that looks like Davy's dueling sword - Mike grabs it)
Mike: Sorry, cowgirl. That may not be as big as Papa's sword, but it's still metal and not for you.
Katie: Aww!
Jordan: Sord?
Katie: Swords! Like this! (Waves her arms and hands in what she thinks looks like a dueling stance)
Mike: Sorta, kiddo.
Peter: Those movies were a lot of fun, and so were all the swashbuckler books. I miss those.
Katie: Story!
Mike: Yeah, but not now, cowgirl. Your papa and uncles gotta find the stuff they need for their movie. It's almost finished filmin'.
Katie: Ok! (Grabs another small sword and waves it at Shelly) We duel! You be bad guy!
Shelly: I don't wanna be the bad guy! Don't like bad guys!
Katie: Ok, you good guy! (Turns to Little Mick) You bad guy!
Little Mick: Yay! I'm the bad guy! *laughs an evil laugh reminiscent of his daddy's*
Micky: *slaps his forehead* Oh brother.
Peter: I think they're cute! ;)
Katie: (Turns to Jordan) Jordan, we save you!
Jordan: (Nods shyly) Ok.
Mike: (Takes the sword from his daughter) No, no, Katie, that's not how you do it. (He takes the other sword from Little Mick and hands it to Davy) Wanna show them how it's done, Dave?
Katie: Cool!
Davy: Gladly. ;)
(Davy hands his daughter Elizabeth, who is now six months old, over to Micky. Mick and Peter push the kids back as Davy and Mike give the kids a short fencing demonstration, ending with Davy knocking the sword out of Mike's hand with a grin.)
Mike: Maaaannn, I just ain't used to duelin' with a thin sword like that! :p
Davy: Excuses, mate, excuses.
(Elizabeth claps for her da as well as she can.)
Jordan: Wow!
Mike: Well, that was fun, but...
Katie: Want more!
Mike: Kids, we gotta...
Jordan: More sords!
Peter: (Grins) Hey, how would you kids like to hear a story about swordfighting?
Katie: Oooh!
Jordan: Yay!
Mike: Pete, we don't really...
Peter: Michael, it's just a little story! We're on break now. They won't need us for filming for an hour or so.
Mike: We should be learning lines and rehearsing "Circle Sky."
Katie: Stowy! Stowy! :D
Jordan: Story!
Peter: It's been a long time since we've done one of those round robin episodes.
Little Mick: Story! Story! Story!
Shelly: We wanna hear the story!
Peter: (Looks at the others) Hey, do any of you know "The Three Musketeers?"
Mike: No, but if you hum a few bars, I could fake it.
Peter: (Swats Mike) I mean the book.
Micky: I remember most of it.
Davy: I know it, too.
Mike: I've only seen the Gene Kelly movie.
Peter: Then you know the general idea. (Looks at the kids) How would you like to hear "The Three Musketeers?"
Katie: Oooh!
Jordan: Yay!
Peter: (Looks at the twins) I'm assuming that goes without saying for you two and Lizzie.
Little Mick: Yeah! :D
Shelly: Yup! :)
(Lizzie grins as well as a baby can.)
Peter: Ok. (Dives for some boxes) We're going to need some props for this one! (Pulls out another large hat, a sword, and a blue silk tapestry he pulls over his head; hands similar items to the others) Ok, guys, here you go! You gotta wear these to tell the story!
Mike: (Grumbles as he pulls the tapestry over his head) We didn't need props for the last round-robin we did.
Peter: More fun for the kids this way.
Micky: Visualizations are proven to help get points across to kids.
Mike: Um, yeah, sure. (Shrugs) Ok, who's gonna start?
Peter: I'll start. Once upon a time...
(The kids settle down on boxes or crates, and Davy sits on a chair with Elizabeth on his lap. As Peter speaks, we fade out on the cramped, costume-laden prop room.)
Peter: (Voice-over narration as the camera pans over a beautiful, lush countryside, filled with old-fashioned, white-washed houses and palaces and castles like something out of an old European fairy tale book) Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Belgravia, there were a group of men known as Musketeers. Their sworn duty was to be guardians to the King Laurence and Queen Mildred, who were in charge of Belgravia.
(The camera finally wanders to a country road, as an elaborate carriage guarded by men in red and black plumed hats, silk coverings, and ruffled shirts and breeches. We catch a glimpse of the head of the guards under his wide-brimmed hat...and see his familiar almond-shaped brown eyes and nasty scars.)
(Cut to the largest castle, with it's white and blue banners flying. A group of men, including what looks like Peter, Mike, Micky, Jack, and the Four Martians, practice dueling in the main courtyard. They part, though not happily, as the carriage rides by. There's a lot of name-calling, some of it imaginative, swearing, and tomato-throwing at the carriage and it's guards.)
Mike: (He stops dueling with Jack and makes a face) Isn't that the carriage of Queen Sheila of the kingdom of Hades, the country next to ours?
Jack: Looks like it. :P
Chris: And she's more beautiful than ever!
*The other guys groan.* :P
John: (Smacks Chris over the head) Get your head out of the clouds, Christophe! You know she's trying to convince Queen Millie and King Larry to give up our fair kingdom!
Marcus: She cares nothing about the people in her own kingdom who starve while she and her courtiers enjoy lavish parties and build gigantic homes. She only cares about money and riches and having fine, empty-headed young men in her bed. :p
Chris: (Grins) Sign me up! :D
(John whacks him over the head so hard, he knocks him down.)
Mike: You won't be sayin' that when you're outta work.
Peter: What?
Mike: Rumor has it one of the first things she intends to do is get the king and queen to disband the Musketeers and share her own guards with her.
Marcus: Man, they're a bunch of ruffians!
Chris: And they're not even nice!