Everyone ready to finish off another big one? ;)

Mike: Heck, yeah! Never thought I'd appreciate the ability to walk on two legs so much! ;)

Peter: I'm ready! :)

Davy: Me too!

Micky: Yeah!

Lauren: ...A mermaid? ;)

(We begin on the beach. The twins and Katie dig in the sand while Emma, Lauren, and the boys eat lunch on the picnic table. Everyone is sweaty and paint-splattered.)

Bert: Hey, gang! Looks like you've been busy!

Mike: Yeah, between workin' on the Pad and the new album, it's been really crazy here.

Micky: Moreso than usual. ;)

Bob: So we can tell. How did you guys get that much paint on you?

(Everyone's eyes fly to Davy and Micky. ;) )

Micky: What? ;)

Davy: So we spilled a litt'l paint off the railing.

Mike: On purpose. :p

Peter: You guys are lucky you mostly missed us! :p

Micky: It was an accident!

Emma: Sure it was. ;) :p

Bert: These role-plays are just getting longer and longer, aren't they?

Lauren: We're getting better. ;)

Emma: Well, we started this one late to begin with, and we just kept on coming up with more and more ideas. The next couple shouldn't take quite as long.

Bert: This is your third fantasy story and your first story based around famous books. How did it feel to be playing all those well-known characters?

Lauren: It was fun! :)

Emma: It was kind of fun to be Beauty and the Beast, and the Magic Mirror part was...well, interesting. ;)

Mike: The COWARDLY WOLF? :p

Peter: You got to be the White Knight from "Alice Through the Looking Glass" too, Mike!

Micky: I loved being the Wizard, even if technically he had no real powers and turned out to be a phoney. *grins* And the queen... ;) :D

Davy: Whose idea was it to make Mick the Queen? :p ;)

Emma: Lauren's. ;)

Mike: Figures.

Lauren: But the honor went to Nyles. ;)

Peter: It was really funny. :D

Bob: I thought it was a rather nice touch. ;)

Micky: Off with their heads! :D ;)

Davy: 'E probably just wanted to say that. ;)

Lauren: That, too. ;)

Davy: I got to be the Tin Entertainah and the Cheshire Cat. (Grins) Bein' the cat was kinda fun.

Mike: Yeah, you got to drive us even more nuts than you usually do. ;)

Bob: Where did the idea for both role-plays come from, anyway?

Emma: They were originally thrown out during our spring brainstorming chats but, like our last set, weren't fleshed out until the last few weeks.

Lauren: Em came up with a boatload. I added a few small ideas here and there. ;)

Emma: I wish my muse wouldn't visit me in the middle of work. I had to write down a lot of my ideas between customers on Labor Day Weekend. :p

Bert: How about the first story?

Emma: That was originally just going to be another "guys have fun on TV" story like "Variety Is the Spice of Christmas," but I thought of something better to do with it. We'd mentioned here and there how the Monkees of the "Dream World" universe met and became a band, but we'd never gone into greater detail...and with the boys poised to become rock stars, I thought it was time to take a good look at their roots. :)

Lauren: And it was darn fun. ;)

Mike: That did end up bein' kind of fun, rememberin' Amatuer Night at the Troub and our first rehearsals. :)

Peter: And finding the Pad for the first time! :D

Davy: And that crazy first dinnah togethah. We're damn lucky Dolores knew we didn't 'ave the money to pay for the mess we made. ;) :p

Micky: It was all worth it, though. ;) >:)

Bert: Actually, I have a lot of other questions regarding the warm-up. How did you guys dump that Woody and get the jeep and the MonkeeMobile, and when did you actually move in?

Bob: Yeah, how did that first gig go?

Emma: Those questions will be answered in a few months. Starting in late winter 2006, we'll be doing one warm-up story per arc devoted to the Dream World Monkees' first gig, moving into the Pad, and finding and buying the MonkeeMobile and the jeep. :)

Lauren: We gotta save something for later stories. ;)

Emma: We basically just ran out of time in this warm-up, so we'll be turning it into a mini-series. It'll make coming up with warm-ups a heck of a lot easier, too. :p

Bert: How did the twins feel about being two of the major stars of this story? ;)

Shelly: (Looks up) Stowy fun! :D

Little Mick: *claps* Wanna do it again! :D

Micky: Those are my little hams. ;) :D

Lauren: I can FEEL the ego inflate. :P ;)

(Everyone chuckles at that, even Katie, who stands, clapping, before she falls back down on the sand. She just keeps grinning and tries again.)

Shelly: Katie stand! :D

Mike: (As she toddles a few steps over to him and grabs his leg) Hey there, cowgirl. Betcha wish you coulda been in the story, too. ;)

Katie: Da! (Makes a face :p)

Emma: I think she's jealous. ;)

Bob: We'll have to promise her a star part next time. ;)

Emma: Well, not next month, but Katie and the other kids WILL be a big part of November's main story. ;) >:)

Shelly: Stowy again! :D

Micky: Yay! :D

Mike: (Holds Katie close) I don't like the way she said that. :p

Bert: Speaking of kids...Peter, how's the little Tork coming along? ;) :)

Peter: (Eyes grow dreamy) Oh, WONDERFUL. The baby is due in mid-June, about two months from now. Valerie will take a leave of absense from Headquarters about two weeks before the due date so we can really get ready. (Sighs) Between Headquarters and the baby, she's so happy, and I'm estatic. :D :X

Mike: I can tell. You've been in and out all day. ;)

Bert: So, what's on tap for next month?

Emma: Ask Lauren. Both stories were purely her idea. ;)

Lauren: Heh...our warm-up story is gonna be a MonkeeMen revisit. *grins at Micky*

Mike: Not the suits again! :p

Micky: Uh huh! :D

Peter: Oh good! I've been working on my flying! :)

Micky: But the suits'll be better this time! ;)

Mike: Mick, I told you we were givin' up the suits! :p

Micky: We can't now, Mike! I just upgraded them! :P

Davy: I dunno. They show off our (grins and flexes and arm) advantages pretty well. ;)

Lauren: And certain disadvantages. ;)

Mike: (Raises his eyebrows) Disadvantages? /:)

Emma: (Sighs) Hoooooo boy. :p ;)

Micky: What?

Lauren: Mick, I KNOW who's been coaching you on the suits. I KNOW what could go wrong. ;) :P

Micky: Babe! :P

Mike: Um, just what COULD go wrong?

Lauren: You'll find out. As for the main story... *evil grin* It'll definitely be suitable for Halloween. ;)

Peter: Uh oh. I don't like scary stories! :(

Mike: I don't like the look on her face. :P

Emma: Pete, I normally don't like scary stories either, but this is another one we've been planning for a while, and we're going to have some fun with it. ;)

Lauren: One of the guys pretty much gets to go on a walking tour through Hell. ;) >:)

Micky: *blanches* Uh oh. :-O

Davy: I don't like the sound of that at all. :p

Mike: And given this was Lauren's idea, let me guess who gets to visit Hades? :p ;)

Lauren: *nods* You got it. ;) >:)

Micky: What if I refuse? :P

Lauren: We'll drag you kicking and screaming. ;)

Davy: Don't most people who go down there 'ave to be taken that way anyhow?

Lauren: Pretty much. *nods*

Micky: Uh, guys, I'm really scared here! :-O

Emma: And he's not the only one down there. (Grins) He's gonna make a friend. ;)

Mike: Ok, now I'M scared. :p

Katie: Da! (Hugs her father's leg fiercely)

Mike: I ain't goin' anywhere at the moment, cowgirl. Da's safe.

Emma: For now. ;) >:)

Micky: THAT'S what I'm afraid of. :P

Mike: This ain't good, is it? Didn't you have enough fun making me a cowardly wolf THIS month?

Emma: Mike, it was just in the story! :p

Lauren: Besides, you won't have it AWFULLY bad next month... *grins in Micky's direction--he whimpers*

Emma: I'm not going to be REALLY nasty to you until January. ;)

Mike: Great. :p

Bert: Hey, Davy, how's yours and Daphne's wedding plans coming?

Davy: They're...coming. There's really nothin' definate yet.

Mike: You guys DO plan on gettin' married, right?

Davy: Yeah, but it took long enough for me to ask 'er. It'll probably be sometime next yeah.

Bob: Anything else in the near future?

Emma: We'll get the profiles up SOMETIME this fall. We've both just been really busy lately, and it doesn't look like that's going to change for a while. I have tons of stories of all kinds, Monkees-related and otherwise, I want to write. It's just been so crazy for me, I haven't had the time. :p

Lauren: I've also been wanting to write other stories, but have hit such a case of writer's block, it isn't funny. :P

Emma: I wasn't kidding when I said in the story I'm looking for direction. I'm having a hard time job-wise right now, and I don't know when that's gonna change. :p

Lauren: And I can only offer so much help. :)

Emma: Lauren, you're my best friend right now and you're absolutely wonderful, but my lack of luck is just so discouraging. :(

Lauren: But that's why I want you to remember I'm here. And I know you have been. :)

Emma: I'd never forget that. You're one of the only people I can really talk to these days. :) (Gives Lauren a big hug :D)

*Lauren returns the big hug!* :D

Emma: These stories are some of the only things that really make me happy these days. (Katie toddles over to her mother and tugs on her leg; Emma picks her up) Well, that, Lauren, and these two. :)

Katie: Ma! (Cuddles against her mother; Emma smiles and holds her)

Bob: What was your favorite part of this set?

Emma: I loved telling that long, extended story, especially the part in the Floral Square and the exciting adventure conclusion. ;)

Lauren: Coco's crush. :D ;)

Mike: That was cute. ;)

Micky: I knew she was gonna say that. :P

Peter: She was so sweet! :X

Lauren: Can't say as I blame Coco. ;)

Micky: Babe! :P

Lauren: What? ;)

Emma: On the subject of Coco's crush, we want to thank "special guest stars" William Katt as Jack/Prince William, Julie Andrews and the late Richard Burnton as Guenievre and Arthur De Morte, Carol Channing as the White Queen, and the late Jack Gilford as the White King. I'd also like to thank Dr. Seuss, whose book "The Lorax" provided the Grickle Grass, the Truffula Trees and fruit, and several animals. ;)

Lauren: Definitely! ;)

Emma: Andrews and Burton’s roles are from the original 1960 cast of "Camelot." Channing also played the White Queen in a sprawing 80s miniseries adaptation of both "Alice" books. Ann Jillian was the Red Queen. That miniseries was a lot of fun if you ever run into it. Other favorite "Alice" adaptations of mine include the crazy, colorful Disney version and the recent all-star NBC movie with Whoopi Goldberg as the Cheshire Cat and Martin Short as the Mad Hatter. ;) :)

Peter: How about the "Wizard of Oz?" I got to be the Scarecrow! :)

Emma: If you've seen the 1939 film a thousand times, I recommend giving the 1985 "Return to Oz" a whirl. Fun film, but VERY dark; not at all for very young kids. Interesting movie, though, and quite a different interpretation of the Oz legend. :)

Lauren: And there's also the Muppet version. ;)

Emma: I still haven't seen that, though I did see it for purchase a while back. ;)

Lauren: I have it, but haven't watched it yet.

Bert: How did you get the "fading magic" idea?

Emma: A "Muppet Babies" episode, one of the later ones from the early 90s. Baby Gonzo complains when Nanny reads the kids her old Mother Goose pop-up book, as he'd rather be playing video games. When the book falls apart and Nanny can't fix it, Gonzo imagines that he's in the book and that "Mother Goose Land" is falling apart from children's lack of interest and belief.

Mike: Ehh, parents have been complainin' about variations on that since TV started. Too much violence, you just sit there, vast wasteland. :p

Emma: I watched a lot of TV as a child, and my imagination is fine. It's not really the shows. It's the habit, just sitting there passively. I think that's why I've come to prefer the Internet for entertainment; at least you can type and communicate to people, not just sit there.

Bob: How about the idea of the round robin?

Emma: (Shrugs) Beats our original idea of having it being someone's dream. Not only is that a cliche, but WE'VE done it before. I figured a round-robin story would not only be more interesting, but draw more characters into the plot. :)

Bob: That WAS quite a bit of fun, recognizing the different voices shaping the story. ;)

Davy: Mick's was easy. He even rambles when he tells fairy tales. ;)

Micky: Hey!? :P

Mike: I kinda wish I could have gotten into the story more myself. :p

Peter: I only told one part in the beginning, Mike. We just did it when our voices were needed. :)

Emma: This year's Christmas story is also an adaptation of a very familiar book done with the regular "Dream World" characters much like this one, only we'll probably stick closer to the book with that. ;)

Bob: How are the Dolenz girls, anyway? They were the major stars of this role-play. ;)

Emma: Probably back to driving their brother nuts. ;)

Micky: Oh, yeah, especially since SOMEONE got ONE of those so love-struck...

Lauren: Oh, come on, Mick, she's fine. It's just a crush. It won't hurt anyone. ;)

Micky: It might hurt ME if I get in her way! :P

*Lauren rolls her eyes.* 8-|

Davy: I think it's adorable, the way she follows 'im around. ;)

Micky: How does HE feel? He just showed up and he's already being followed around! *pauses* By the way, how old IS he?

Lauren: Your age. ;)

Micky: Oh great. That makes me feel a WHOLE lot better. :P

*Lauren snickers.* ;)

Mike: As long as he's sober, I can't see how it would hurt.

Emma: Some women LIKE older men. ;)

Lauren: Don't hurt that he's darn good looking, either. ;)

Micky: Alright, who's REALLY got the crush here, huh? :P ;)

*Lauren sticks her tongue out at him.* :P ;)

Emma: (Shrugs) Lauren brought him in during the "Steam Engine" romp, and I thought it was a nice idea, so... ;)

Lauren: See? ;)

Emma: And yes, the train was there mainly so we could use "Steam Engine" and "Midnight Train," two of my favorite Micky songs. Half the reason we came up with this particular role-play in the first place was to use Monkees novelty songs we couldn't fit anyplace else. ;)

Micky: It's nice to be appreciated. :D

Davy: That explains the gnome named Mistah Webstah. ;)Emma: We'll use more dramatic stuff next month. "Elina," BTW, is named after the lead character in "Barbie in Fairytopia." ;) >:)

Peter: (Smiles at the twins) Did you guys have fun telling the story? :)

Micky: Lotsa fun! :D

Shelly: We help Mommy fishie and wolfie! :D

Emma: (Grins) Yes, I came up with the idea of making Lauren a mermaid. Dramatic irony can be lots of fun. ;)

Lauren: That's for sure. ;)

(Katie yawns. Emma pulls the baby closer to her.)

Emma: I think it's time for a baby girl to take her nappie. ;)

Shelly: Katie sleepy! :D

Micky: Go night night! :D

Mike: Cowgirls gotta get some shuteye too. ;)

Emma: (Grins) I'm glad we got to do that story together. (Smiles) It reminds me of when my sisters and I were in our later grade-school years. On days when Mom and Dad were at work and we were alone, we'd while away the hours by telling stories to each other, usually revolving around whatever movie or book we were obsessed with at the moment. They were so much fun to do. :)

Mike: Come on, everyone, let's get back inside for some rehearsal. :)

Peter: Could we tell another story?

Mike: Well...

Shelly: Pwese? :D

Peter: (Grins) Please? :) ;)

Mick: More stowy! :D

Mike: Well...why not? :)

Davy: All right! :D

Peter: Groovy! :D

Mike: I want to start this time. ;)

Emma: (As Lauren and Micky gathers the twins and Davy and Peter pick up the food and the basket; she has the sleeping Katie) If you insist, dear. ;)

Micky: I want lots of action! ;)

Peter: But nothing too scary! :o

Micky: Or too lovey-dovey. :P ;)

Mike: Well, ok, we'll see what we can do. (As everyone walks back to the Pad) Once upon a time, there were these four guys and their four girls and their kids. They lived in three beautiful houses, and in those houses, they played music. (The rest drifts off as the camera pulls away from the group and rests on the back exterior of the repainted Pad before fading out all together.)

(Fade in on the end credits, which show stills from the two "productions" as "I'm a Believer" plays in the background. We end with the final still of the entire group from "I Think I'm a Clone Now" and the words "A Raybert Production.")