Playtime with Percy; Before Playtime

Prelude: The Show

1996, August 16

The announcer addressed the stage. He wore a black tuxedo-looking outfit, with instead of a bow on his neck, it was a blood-red tie. His Sleek black hair shined as the stage lights aimed at him. The large crowd quieted as he stepped onto the aged stage, the lights above following him.

" Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I would like to announce... The Playhouse Gang!"

The announcer walked off the stage. The stage was old, you could easily see some broken wooden boards on the edges of the highest part of the stage, and every now and then there would be weird creaking noises coming from below the stage. The edges of the curtains had been slightly ripped. Even though the stage had some flaws, there was an overly-sized crowd mainly because of the people- No, the things behind the stage.

The curtains swiftly opened to the revival of 4 human-sized figures. The crowd can't see the figures in full detail, since the stage lights didn't shine on them. The overflowing group of people held their tongues and silence came over them. They stared at the figures. And the characters stared back. The first figure, the tallest figure, had an electric guitar with a belt attaching the guitar and the figure, with a microphone on a microphone stand in front of it. It also had some sort of dog tail.

The second one on the left had a bass guitar also with a belt attaching the figure and the guitar. Unlike the first figure, the figure on the left didn't have a microphone stand or a microphone. The left figure also seemed to have... Cat ears? And some sort of clown hat? The third figure had just as many weird animal features.

The third figure had a keytar with another belt attaching the figure and the keytar. The animal features in the figure were a bushy tail and bear-looking ears. It also had boots and a farmer's hat.

The Final Figure was between the left and center figures in the back. Unlike the other figures, the last figure was on a stool behind a perfectly sized drum set. The fourth figure had rat-like ears and a rat tail.

Finally, almost the exact time when the stage lights shined on them, the first player strummed the first few chords, and the bass, keytar, and drum players joined along. The mass of people screamed in enjoyment and excitement. Music pounded in the flock's ears as the first player started to sing the lyrics. His voice was smooth, staying right on the pitch, singing the word clear enough, Not too overpowering, not too surrendering, and never missing a beat on the guitar. Same for the other players too, just the right mix of instruments and song. The Crowd cheered even louder when the eclectic guitar and bass solo came on. The First player seemed to almost pluck and strum at the same time. The Keytar player and the drum player smiled confidently. A few people may have even screamed their vocals out. The people were happy. The company was happy. The band was happy.

They were.

Things were so much better back then. Percy's Playhouse was one of the most popular Playhouses. Paltronics was one of the most successful child entertainment companies. Percy was thrilled to be with the kids. Charlie was with his friends and the Ringmaster. Moose was with well-behaved kids. Felix was safe with his friends. Rowan had his legs. The Playful Poodles were together with Percy. Nick was a loyal and hard-working worker. John wasn't as angry or depressed.

Back then, Percy was with his friends.