Welcome back, my lovely reader!
I hope you're ready for some drama, my lovely! This episode is gonna have it in spades and then some!
We're gonna see a few familiar faces, both from past L&L and Guarded again, okay well it'll just be that jerk-goat Jacob, but whatever! We'll also be hearing from everyone's favorite mysterious informant and that one fox whom I hold oh so dear to my heart!
Not to worry, I won't leave you with just drama, there'll be some fun too! In all these new changes for our lovely couples, wouldn't it be nice to let them get back to basics, back to just some quality time with one another as well?
Let's jump right in!
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Episode 7:
Welcome To The Family
"Oh, my, gods... is it finally done?" Ivory hissed out while putting her paws on her hips and looking at Bianca.
She snorted back at the calico and gave a nod. "I am satisfied with these songs, yes. We will let the sound producer and engineer work their magic, but I feel we have reached your current limits."
Karen tilted her head curiously at that. "What do you mean, current limits, Bianca?"
Bianca tapped her own chin in thought before flourishing a paw towards the rabbit. "You are a fighter, you surely realize, it takes time to instill more knowledge, experience, skill... a bodybuilder can not just become massive overnight. It is the same with this my coniglia! Singing, performing, living this life, it will all take time. When you come in to make your next album together, you will be so far beyond this level, I know this!"
"Oh, gods... Don't even talk about that right now, I don't want to even think about the next one." Ivory hissed out with a groan.
"Hey, making another album would be a very good thing," Joseph hummed as he looked over the tablet he had in his paws. "Bianca, the label is chomping at the bit since it's been a few weeks, can I get an ETA on the production?"
Bianca gave a snort and then shrugged. "It is not a fast process, my volpe, perhaps... two weeks, more than likely three."
"So I can at least get a few weeks out of my season-long vacation? How lovely." Ivory rolled her eyes with another hiss.
"Yeah about that..." Joseph gave a little bark of a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head, seeing his wife glare daggers at him.
Crystal cleared her throat, playing wingman for the fox so he wouldn't suffer the brunt of his wife's diva-rage. "Ivory, we've got you and Karen scheduled with instructors with the studio to work on choreography and the like. It's not just enough to sing you-"
"I know how it works on stage!" Ivory snarled at the other cat with a glare.
Crystal returned her glare and pushed her glasses up on her snout, the lights from the recording studio glinting off them. "Well, Karen doesn't, and you two are a team, so you endure it with her. Once they approve the album we may be on the road touring before it's even finished yet."
"Ivory, sorry you're having to work harder for me, but you know I appreciate all your love and support." Karen moved to grip the other idol's paw, offering her a small smile as she squeezed it.
"Hmph... good thing I love you, yes it is fine." Ivory poked her nose up with a huff.
"Now you are starting to sound like me, my gattina!" Bianca gave a laugh and then looked to the two managers. "I will have a digital copy to you for the labels confirmation before the day is out."
"You get all that, handsome?" Crystal looked over her shoulder to the wolf that towered over them all but Bianca.
"Yeah, I've got an update already out to John and Jacob, as well as the scheduled times for the lessons ready for the girls." Isaac gave a nod as he scrolled through a few screens on his own tablet he sported. Joseph wanted him to have a more paws-on approach with things, not just security, so he started helping the managers with logistics.
So it went, and a few days later the album was ready to go in earnest. Joseph was sitting at his laptop with a frown as the call connected, it was just Jacob this time, since he was the one that would give the go-ahead.
The goat looked a little more introspective this time as he drummed his fingers on the desk, as if chewing on his words. Finally, Ivory hissed out over her husband's shoulder at the VP, "Jake, as a performer, I can appreciate suspense, but this is a bit much!"
He looked back at the camera and frowned. "Right, apologies, I just had a very pissed-off wolf in my office and I wasn't sure if I was leaving in one piece."
"Wha? You mean you actually have people that want to kick your ass, Jacob? With your sparkling, award-winning personality?" Crystal drolled out from behind Joseph, Ivory and Karen giggling next to the fox.
Jacob scowled at that but then folded his hands on the desk before sighing out, "I'll admit it now, this is an excellent album, certainly leagues better than your first one, Ivory."
"Yeah, well, she's a pain in the tail, but Bianca really is the best, you know?" She purred and smirked at the camera.
The VP nodded at her words then quirked a brow. "Alright, I think we can run with this, I'll ask as a courtesy, you sure about this, Mrs. Convel? No going back once you sign that contract."
"If Ivory is at my side, I can take on the world, especially with my dogs and best friend to boot!" Karen offered a cocky grin, Joseph giving an awkward smile of his own at being called hers, his tail wagging behind him.
Jacob gave a roll of his eyes but then offered a smirk. "Alright, Mocha. I'll send over the contracts. Once you guys make it to this side of the country, I'll officially shake your paw and welcome you."
"Thank you!" Karen squeaked out, feeling the nerves fully settle on her, clinging to Joseph's shoulder harder, the fox just offering a wincing grin at her.
"Joseph, you've got your work cut out for you, not sure if I should envy you having those two clinging to you or pity you." Jacob scoffed, then folded his hands on his desk, quirking a brow. "Are you already working on show planning?"
"Yes, Jake. Bianca predicts two to three weeks before the album is finished, so I figured that'd give the girls three weeks to-"
"I'll be sending you a proposed venue map and get on our advertising department. Have your performance sorted out in two weeks, your first show will be shortly after." The VP spoke out cooly, the small group on the other end of the video all looking shocked.
"Now hold your damn horses, Jake!" Ivory snarled out as she jabbed a padded-finger at the screen.
"You want to be the best? You get out there and you push your album before it's even off the presses or in the digital marketplace. Smaller and bigger names than you have had to hustle to make it."
Joseph perked his own ears as he spoke out, "Yeah, but-"
"But nothing, get that contract signed if you're still doing this, Mocha, then you and your girlfriend get your tails to work, you've got two weeks." The Vice President of the label spoke out calmly, then the video call ended.
"Son of a bitch..." Ivory snarled.
"I think I know what he's doing," Crystal spoke out conversationally.
"Being a dickhead?" Joseph grumbled back towards her over his shoulder.
The persian smirked at that and shook her head. "Well, yeah that too. However, I think he did this to rattle you, Karen."
"Rattle me?" She stood up and turned her full attention to one of her oldest friends and now manager.
Crystal nodded as she tapped her padded-forefinger on the rim of her glasses. "Yes. I've done my own research into this, and these two have told you how rough the lifestyle can be. I think he threw this gauntlet down to give you an idea of what awaited you, to give you a chance to back out before you signed on the dotted line as it were."
"Huh... well, he doesn't know me and how I deal with adversity, does he?" The rabbit offered the cat a challenging grin, her tail flicking behind her as she rested a paw on her hip.
"Or he looked into you and does know, so he's counting on it." Crystal shrugged. "Anyway, this is where we are, it's a good thing the planning has already been sorted."
"Yeah, good thing..." Ivory hissed as she rolled her eyes.
"C'mon, baby... once we're trapped on the bus for days at a time, you'll be wishing you could go do stuff like this, right? Let's make the most of it!" Joseph barked out optimistically.
Ivory hissed out and folded her arms. "Your optimism is cute and infuriating all at once, love." She sighed and shook her head before offering a smile to her husband. "I have a feeling I'll be wishing to be on a beach or lounging watching a movie at home, but I get what you're saying."
"This is still so unreal... how did it come to this? How am I going from just being a bondsman to an idol?" Karen shivered as she felt it all starting to settle, all the lines converging to this single point.
"It's not what you know, but whom you know, isn't that the old saying?" Crystal pushed her glasses up as she looked to the rabbit and gently rested a paw on her shoulder. "Karen, we rarely get what we deserve in life, so here you are, you've been through some mess that I'm fully aware of, so just focus on yourself for a bit, then when you make it, use that influence to get your story out there, you know?"
Her green eyes sharped as she nodded to Crystal, resolve settling into her face. "Y-You... you're right, Crystal. I don't deserve any of this, but if I can use it to save even one girl from having to go through what I did, it's worth all the work."
The four of them grew quiet for a few moments before Ivory clicked her tongue and spoke, "Wow... most people would celebrate with drinks or something, we got all heavy? This is gonna be a fun tour."
Karen offered her girlfriend a smirk and then playfully shoved her paw against the cat's shoulder. "Come on, you know I won't be all doom and gloom, besides, Crystal brought it up, she's the one going all emotional."
The persian perked her ears and hissed out, "Hey, I was just trying to motivate you!"
"Yes, I'm teasing you, Crystal." Karen grinned at her and flicked her tail a few times.
