The Josscars 2009, Our 3rd Tribute to The-Year-That-Was

[Bugger Jones]

His sober eyes surveyed the scene of the theatre, and though it had been a trying year to say the least, Bradford ‘Bugger’ Jones smiled.

The man he once was would have surely played the drunken fool at such a gathering, or at the very least sought the attention of the assembled. However, Jones was a different man now, and in keeping with that theme, he walked quickly to the microphone…and did his duty,
”Good evening to you all. The Nominees for best NPC are…”


WAR MACHINE: On the Subject of Names
Vamp: No Fighting
Elizabeth Heller: Magic Tricks


"And the Josscar goes to..."


"WAR MACHINE!"

[Round Jack Brannigan]

Round Jack crossed from behind the curtain and stood before the gathered heroes and rogues and drank in the atmosphere of his home. More gray colored his hair and beard and more heft weighed on his frame, but he was still the man he had been these three years past: a warrior, a hero, a dancer, and a father. Though closer to the end of his life than the middle, Brannigan could think of no better place to spend his final moments than with the people surrounding him.

With a smile and a wink, the old giant began,
”When you’re as old as me and Romulus,” he nodded toward Kasern’s table, ”You tend to ignore the ‘new’ in favor of the ‘now’, but this year we had more than a few new faces that made even an old man stop and take notice. The nominees for Best New Character are…”


Annaliese Parson: Onboard The Crucible
Karzelli Moto: Night Out
Sal McKenna: The Ambassador



”And the Josscar goes to…”


"Annaliese Parson!"

[Annaliese Parson]

Annaliese walked nervously up to the podium again. She smiled out at everyone.

“Wow! The gala people said I should come out and say ‘hi’ to everyone again! I do say that you all have got to be the friendliest bunch I ever saw,” she said. “I met some interesting folks back behind the scenes too. That rather large gentleman that was just here, he was sooooo nice. Just like a big teddy bear.

“And that other guy? I haven’t seen so many tattoos on a guy before in my life! Though ‘Bugger’ seems like an odd name for a parent to give a child…

“Oh!” she exclaimed as she seemed like she recalled something important. “And that Mr. Cobb? He is very funny.

“Then those two gentlemen… ‘The Lads’ I think they are called? I would hardly call them evil. I think they just want to seem that way, especially with the wardrobe choices they made this evening. They were actually quite personable. One of them may have offered me a job. I always wanted a real job…”

She trailed off a bit as she looked out into the audience then realized that she had been chattering away.

“I’m sorry, I’m rambling,” Annaliese said as she blushed a bit. “I would just like to say it has been a dream come true being here tonight. I’ve never been to anything like this before nor have I met so many people at once. Wynn and I have made so many friends since we left home and I cherish each and every one.”

She looked down at the crew of the Crucible.

“Especially the ones aboard the Crucible,” she said with a little bit of emotion. She smiled genuinely out at the whole crowd. “I hope everyone I meet along my travels will be as pleasant as everyone here. Thank you again for letting me attend this wonderful party.”

She waved excitedly at everyone before starting to head offstage. Someone gave her a statue and whispered something in her ear.

“I get to keep this? Awww… That is so nice! A party favor!”

[Round Jack Brannigan]

Jack smiled and nodded as Annaliese left the stage, and then with a shift of his girth, he reclaimed the microphone,
"This is my favorite part of the night, friends...the Josscar for Best Actress."

The old cook joined in the applause, as the nominees were introduced...

Synthia Lyndon Heller-Hawthorne Resolution
Gwyneth Paul Gwyn VS Pilate Round 2
The Breeze -Saving Tilly



Jack read the card with the winner, sighed and turned to The Dancer's table,
"Girls, you couldn't have lost to any better. The Josscar for Best Actress goes to..."

"The Breeze!"

[The Breeze]

"HAH! You ruttin' bet it does!" The Breeze screamed, audible even above the applause as the spotlight moved over the Atillian table--

--and kept going, over to where she was cozying up at the Heart of Gold section. She grinned over the head of the rancher she was using as a seat, his square hands framing her hips white and ghostly, exploring her cleavage. "Wanna know why?" She sighed, then, almost a purr, as the rancher touched just so, and shifted. Raised her voice. "'S cause I ain't messed up like alla you people!"

"All a ya rat-faced finks are the same! But not me! I don't need ta be all tore up 'bout some dumb war or gettin' rutted by the 'lliance without lube ta make me, me, do I? No! I get 'long just fine without all that whingin' an' complainin'! Y'all should be more like me!"

Oh, and one more thing...

Standing, The Breeze flipped up her skirt in the direction of the Dancer table, screaming with laughter. "Suck it, Tsenko!"

"Hey Cap," she could be heard asking Rahl as the spotlight jumped away, "whaddaya think I'd get fer that statch of the naked guy?"

[Round Jack Brannigan]

"Suck it, Tsenko!"

Jack barked out a laugh and returned to the microphone,
”Now I’d pay a credit to see that.”

As the ruckus died down, the old giant returned to the task at hand and without either pomp or circumstance, gave the audience its nominees for Best Actor…


Tiberius Kahn-On The Subject of Loyalty
Karlov Womack - Entering Mass
Nate/Randi - Randi/ Nate


Jack opened the envelope, pressed the unread card to his great chest, and said,
”And the Josscar for Best Actor goes to…”, looking at the name, Jack smiled…and put his hand on his Grizzly…

”Karlov Womack!”

[Round Jack Brannigan]

As it was obvious that Womack wasn’t going to reappear to accept his award, Round Jack looked toward the Ares Shield table. The moment was saved when Bugger Jones, Clown Prince of the Cortex Jocks and last of the Faceless 666th, walked to the stage, shook Jack’s hand, and accepted the award on Womack’s behalf.

“We all know he’s a rutter,” the thin man smiled, “but he’s our rutter. Congrats, bossman.”

After Bugger returned to his table, Jack turned back to the audience…and a large smile split his grey beard,
”I’ve been waiting for this next part all night,” he happily confessed.

”We all have friends…all of us. Might be these friends are absent…might be they’ve been taken from us too soon, but for a lucky few of us, our friends are close by. When we need help, we don’t even bother looking over our shoulders…because we know they are already there. When the dark closes in, a light shines out from their lamp.”

Jack’s old eyes took in every table and tried to light on every single face in the theatre,
”It’s this feeling that someone is there for you…that someone loves you like no other…it’s this feeling that we turn to now. As our tales are scribed and shared, someone always watches out for us, keeping them pure and honest. Someone painstakingly works behind the scenes tackling the mundane so we can ride in a‘Verse where adventure and legend are never hindered by the mundane.”

With a nod, he spoke for the crowd,
”It is a thankless job…one that even produces animosity and misunderstanding, yet this person accepts those trials selflessly. How many of us could do the same?”

His smile returned,
”We run and play, love and die, war and make peace…we tell tales of the highest rank, but none of it,” Jack’s face grew serious, ”None of it would be possible if not for Ertia.”

After the roar of the crowd died down, Jack continued,
”I’m not want to steal lines, but considering the setting, I believe it can be excused. So with all my fickle heart I say…”

”Ertia. You take a place like the BDV into the Black without Ertia and it’ll shake you off just as sure as the turning of worlds. Ertia keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down…she tells you the BDV’s hurting before it keens…Ertia makes this place a home.”


Walking offstage Jack returned with a trophy,
”For her selfless sacrifice and her love of the BDV, we proudly present Ertia with the Serenity Lifetime Achievement Award!! She carries us on her shoulders, and we love her for it…until the end of it all!”

(Posted Image)


(Award construction and inspiration compliments of Dave. Speaking for the Admin team, we love you, Ertia...completely)

[Ertia]

"I ... ..."

ellipses.

"..."

more of them? "..."

"..." come on. she was E. she could make words come out at any time, right? she was the mistress of post-on-command! aw...

Bursting into wordless sobs, Ertia shakes her head as she takes the beatiful Golden Serenity from Round Jack. Then she puts it on the shelf behind him, above the stage, where everyone can see it.

"I ... love you guys. All of you! And... Can I get Bugger to do this for me, too?"

When no one makes a move to rescue her, she somehow swallows and forces more words past the dots in front of her eyes...

"And I love this place. But this award isn't about me. It's about us, and the world that Joss Whedon built and the way that we inhabit it with our own imaginations. Every player here is a part of something special, something bigger than ourselves."

This was Jonestein and GrimJack's dream, and it's grown and evolved over the years into something amazing. And if I've shared just a small part of that dream, a small part of the amazing body of work that we've accomplished here, then I'm more than content. I'm ecstatic.

The award belongs to all of you, without whom there would be no BigDamnVerse, no tales of glory and love, and without whom this place would be pretty darn lonely."

"So.. Uh... thanks ..." Ertia dashes the last few tears from her eyes and manages to stand up straight, "And... I'll have those crew rosters completed by the end of the week, I promise."

Throwing a quick hug at Round Jack, Ertia flees the stage before she starts bawling again...