#sing nana noodleman (only mentioned)

[hoperays-song]

The Troupe Adults + Homework Help Chart

[setoangel01-fanfiction]

Offering

Rocker and the Mechanic - Chapter 19 (Previous Chapters)

Rated: T

Fandom: Sing 2016 AU

Pairing: Johnny x Ash

Chapter Summary: After a successful performance, Buster approaches Johnny with an offer.

--- o 0 O 0 o ---

Fanfiction.net

A03

--- o 0 O 0 o ---

It was a strange feeling, one she swore she hadn't experienced in way too long. In all her years of performing, Ash never ended a set feeling like this before…

Ash was…happy.

Content.

Thrilled!

Fucking ecstatic!

An almost annoying constant pull at the edges of her lips that wouldn't relent and she knew it wouldn't waver anytime soon. Especially now that the audience was on their collective feet and clapping loudly as Johnny and Ash stood side by side. The final song long since faded around them and Johnny suddenly was looking at her like that; his coffee tinted eyes crinkling on the edges and flashing her the most gorgeous smile she'd ever seen.

Fuck, she never wanted this feeling to stop...

But sadly, the cheers slowly wavered when Eddie took to the stage and stood to her right. Calming down the audience with one hoof, the sheep quickly shot her a look she did not want to decipher so she turned back to look gratefully at the audience instead.

"Thanks for sticking around everyone! It was totally worth it though, right?" Eddie spoke confidently into the microphone and, going by the intense reaction from the audience, it was a resounding 'yes'. Smiling at them, Eddie suddenly gestured toward the performers in a flourish, "Than be sure to give it up for Ash and our newcomer, Johnny, for providing us with such great entertainment tonight!" he nudged her side was when she realized it was her cue.

Without even thinking, Ash breached the small space between them to grab Johnny's hand. Her tiny fingertips brushing across the callouses at the base of his fingers; the sensation of those rough markings caused her fur to bristle pleasantly. Ignoring her tingling spines, she craned her neck to meet the gorilla's confused eyes.

"Take a bow," she mouthed and Johnny's face lit up in understanding.

Johnny inadvertently scooted toward her before gently grasping her hand. Taking her lead, they both bowed low to the cheering audience.

The crowd 's excitement quieted when Eddie's voice dispersed their cheers, "Thank you all for coming and be sure to come back tomorrow night for some more great live entertainment. Have a goodnight!"

After a final wave, Eddie turned to Ash; motioning to the end of the stage toward the exit, and while she could bask in the spotlight forever, she sent one last wave to the audience before squeezing Johnny's hand and nudging him as Eddie led them both off the stage.

It wasn't until they were back behind the safety of the curtain when she realized she was still holding his hand.

--- o 0 O 0 o --- As soon as they were backstage, it was like a fucking paparazzi rush of crew running here and there; sending the pair congratulatory smiles and waves.

Buster was suddenly there, pushing his way to the front, and Ash had to remind herself that they did fucking brilliant tonight so whatever complaint he had about her changing up the set, tardiness or the fact she brought her own duet partner wasn't going to bother her. But criticizing seemed to be the last thing on Buster's mind as he approached her in a rush of gray and blue.

"Ash!" Buster, completely out of breath from running all the way backstage as fast as he did, approached them. "…Johnny," he acknowledged the gorilla a second later with a disarming smile.

It was only then that Ash noticed how warm one of her hands was and that it was indeed still nestled comfortably against Johnny's palm. Ash gingerly brushed her thumb across his palm before gingerly removing her hand from his grip before Buster realized her slip up but Eddie's eyes latched onto her reddening face knowingly.

"Moon," Ash replied, crossing her arms and waiting for Buster to finally blurt out what she wanted to hear.

Buster's fists were fidgeting by his side before he met her eyes and in a seemingly unbelievably deep sigh later, he acquiesced, "Great job."

"...and…?" she baited her boss in a sing-song voice, missing the confused look Johnny flashed her.

"...And…" Buster sighed, averting his eyes to the floor than toward the ceiling as if asking a higher power for strength before he uttered out in the most pained voice she heard out of him. "…you were right."

Ash smile stretched eagerly across her face giving him the toothiest smile possible. Ahh, it felt so fucking good to be proven right; her only regret was not recording those words to be enjoyed again later.

"...And Johnny," Buster ignored the cocky grin Ash sent by turning his attention toward Johnny.

Johnny flinched at suddenly being addressed in such a serious tone and Ash heard him gulp before muttering, "Um, y-yes, Mr. Buster Moon?"

"...I owe you an apology - I was wrong about you."

Ash's eyes grew wide. Buster Moon admitting his faults not once but twice?! Was hell actually freezing over?

"I-It's okay." Johnny stuttered out and as fucking adorable as it was to hear his British accent get thicker the increasingly more nervous he became, Ash was tempted to elbow him. He didn't know that you never apologized to Buster without it biting you in the ass later. But she didn't.

"Ya never heard me singin' before so ya don't really owe me nothin'," Johnny continued with a shrug, "I just appreciate ya giving me a chance to sing tonight."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, dear boy!" Moon trilled, gesturing widely with excited hands, "With a voice like that, you deserve more than just one chance!"

Johnny looked down at the small mammal in confusion, "...Pardon?"

"Johnny!" Moon suddenly grabbed Johnny's large hand and held it in his tiny shaking paws, "My boy, how would you like to join the prestigious Moon Theater Company?"

"I - uh..."

"You shall do no such thing, Johnny!" Nana Noodleman's domineering voice suddenly broke through their conversation like a samurai sword through warm butter.

"Excuse me?" Buster Moon was almost hyperventilating by this point and Ash was merely enjoying the show.

"I want him. I heard how you admonished the poor boy before the show and you should be ashamed of such behavior." Like a predator after her prey, the elderly sheep's sharp eyes turned toward the towering gorilla with an unsettling smirk crossing her lips, "Now, don't listen to him, darling. Now, how would you like to do performances for me and, occasionally, my dearest friends? I shall pay you handsomely - much more than Mr. Moon could offer a talent such as yours."

"Uh...You don't own a theater, grandma…" Eddie pointed out.

"Exactly! What sort of venue do you have?" Moon cried, his face turning ten different shades of outrage while Ash merely bit back a laugh.

Other than the intense drunken haze covering her eyes, Miss Noodleman spoke with the seriousness of a heart attack and eloquence coating every word, "I prefer…private performances at my residence."

"Grandma, you're drunk," Eddie was finally a voice of reason.

"...That may be so, but I know talent when I hear it."

"Uh, grandma? …His face is up there…"

Ash stifled a snort when she seen exactly where Nana Noodleman's eyes were hovering on the statuesque gorilla. The same place Ash just happened to be eye-level with…

"I'm well aware of that, Edward. I was merely appreciating his strong form; such a statuesque man of his caliber would make a fine employee."

"*cough* boy toy *cough*" Eddie hacked into his hoof but wasn't fooling anyone.

"Miss Noodleman!" Buster cut in, "I think it should be up to Johnny who he decides to work for. Besides, if he worked at my establishment, he'd be getting to work with Ash and it's already obvious how well they work together! And even solo! Especially since he established how well he can play piano! With that kind of talent, he'd be able to branch out doing multiple venues and would have a very successful career working for me! I see big things happening for this boy! Huge even!"

"Hogwash!" Nana broke in with a cackle, "That little theater of yours is on its last legs - when was the last time you renovated that place?"

Buster's face turned scarlet before stuttering out, "I just added a few new seats that needed replacing, the overhead lights, sanded and re-stained the hardwood floors of the stage, not to mention - "

"Bandaids, Bandaids, Bandaids, Mr. Moon… I'm well aware of your minuscule upkeep you perform to keep the bank off your back, but with the crumbling foundation and poor sense of management, I fear it won't help much…"

Buster outright growled, his ears stiff as he wagged a finger at the elderly sheep but Eddie placed a hand on his shoulder which stopped him in his tracks.

Johnny, by this point, was just trying to keep up with the argument going on in front of him and Ash. The adrenaline of a kick-ass performance was a hell of a high so it probably wasn't easy.

"Um…" Johnny stuttered out when he found himself at the center of all of this attention. Ash felt a pinch in her chest when he suddenly looked down at her for guidance and she just smiled and shrugged.

It would have to be up to him to decide.

Johnny let out a resounding sigh, lifting his hand to rub the back of his neck, "I-I'm sorry. I really don't know what ta say. While I sincerely appreciate all the offers - I really do - but… ya need to understand, I have a business to run. I can't exactly just drop it to pursue something else."

Moon and Nana Noodleman's face filled with discouragement at Johnny's words, and seeing that, Johnny elaborated.

"I-I'm not saying no exactly! I'm just saying…ya know - not now. This is all so sudden - i-if it's alright, I need 'ome time ta think on a decision like this." Johnny finished thickly, hands shaking a bit at his sides and Ash resisted the temptation to reach out and steady it.

"Hmm. I suppose that's reasonable." Nana butted in quickly, "It's been an exceptionally long night after all." Out of nowhere, Nana Noodleman pulled out a card from her purse and handed it to Johnny, "Now, you go home and think about my offer, dearie."

Johnny flashed her a brilliant smile, "I will. Thank you, ma'am."

"It's Miss Noodleman to you…" she outright winked at him before passing by him and Ash didn't even bother hiding her laugh at Johnny's loud "EEP!" when Miss Noodleman pinched his ass before sauntering off to her group of drunk friends to her awaiting limo (and hopefully a sober chauffeur to drive the old biddies home).

"...Does this always happen after performances?" Johnny asked, rubbing at his tender bum and Ash couldn't stop the smile from creeping up her cheeks at just how red Johnny's face became.

Ash shrugged a shoulder, "Eh. Typical Friday night." she laughed when his jaw seemed to unhinge. "Just kidding," she clarified with a wink.

"Johnny," Buster made his presence known once again once things quieted, "I can't offer you as much money as she can but what I can offer you is coming from a mind uninfluenced by alcohol." Buster flashed him a smirk and pulled out a business card. "I know you have other responsibilities and I respect that, son, but hearing you tonight - you shouldn't hide your gift from the world. A voice like that deserves to be celebrated. I'm not gonna force you, but just think about it, okay? I'd love to have you on my team."

The tenseness in Johnny's hand fled as he accepted the card.

"Thank you, Mr. Moon."

"Please. Call me Buster," the koala replied, before suddenly, he was gone and Johnny and Ash were left alone backstage.

[andrea-odown]

Lessons in Love - Chapter 26

A Sing (2016)-fanfic. Sequel to my story “Keep on Singing”.

Read it on FF.Net and AO3.

Description: After their kiss on stage there’s still so much to figure out for Johnny and Cia. None of them has been in a relationship before, after all.

Chapter 26: Cia

Cia feels something between a laugh bubbling in her chest and a sound of relief tickling her tongue, and in the end, she ends up staring at Ash with a dropped jaw when she hears the news. For a few moments her mouth refuses to close, refuses to form words, but when it’s finally working again, she laughs a little laugh of relief before she congratulates Ash and Lance.

With a smile and another shake of her head in disbelief - she’s done this at least ten times this evening - she climbs into the truck and settles down on the passenger seat.

Really, how could she’ve been so dumb! It was right there all the time, right before her eyes, yet she didn’t see it!

Ash is pregnant!

The passing out, the throwing up in the morning, the not-being-well - it should have been so obvious, yet no one got it. Not even Rosita, and Rosita should know a thing or two about pregnancies. So that even she missed the obvious makes Cia feel a little less dumb. But still.

Cia shakes her head again, laughing a little.

But then she realizes something else. And it’s a little off.

Johnny is unusually quiet.

She turns her head to look at her boyfriend.

Johnny is keeping his eyes on the street. That’s not unusual. Johnny always takes driving seriously which Cia thinks is a good thing.

What is unusual is the little frown crinkling his forehead.

What is unusual is that he’s not smiling.

After worrying about Ash so much, about hearing the good news, Cia expected him to be grinning like an idiot.

Yes, he was smiling at the party now that Cia’s is thinking of it, but why isn’t he smiling now?

And even more importantly, why isn’t he talking?

Shouldn’t they be talking about what happened now? Shouldn’t they be laughing about how dumb they were?

Cia bites down on her bottom lip.

“You okay?” she finally asks.

Johnny jumps a little, his eyes widening for a second.

“Yeah, sure!” he replies quickly.

“You sure?”

“Yes! Why wouldn’t I be? I mean Ash is fine, in fact, she’s better than fine, she’s pregnant, and that’s great! Really, it’s awesome!”

Cia isn’t buying it. He’s talking too quickly, and there’s something in his voice that seems a little off. Besides, he’s still frowning.

“Because you aren’t smiling,” Cia says.

Johnny’s eyes widen again for a second, and then the corner of his mouth Cia can see moves up a little, but it doesn’t look like a real smile.

“Johnny.”

“Yes?” he replies, and the corner of his mouth moves up a little more.

“I’m not buying it,” she tells him.

A few moments pass, then Johnny lets out a sigh, and the fake smile disappears from his face.

Cia waits for him to say something, but Johnny just keeps staring at the street with a frown.

“Mind telling me what’s going on?” she asks.

“I’m not sure I should…”

Cia lowers her eyes. Sure, she can’t force him to tell her, but seeing him like this after such great news is worrying her.

“You don’t have to,” she says as she looks up again. “But if it is upsetting you that much, maybe it could help?”

Johnny lets out another sigh. “But you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone, not even Ash, okay?”

“I promise!”

“Okay.” Johnny takes a deep breath. “Lance asked me to help him with something a few days ago.”

“Something?” Cia repeats.

“Yeah, with an … with an engagement bracelet for Ash,” Johnny goes on. “He wanted to ask her to marry him this evening.”

“Oh.” Everything clicks together in Cia’s brain. “And then Ash held her little ‘speech’ on marriage and free spirits.”

“Yeah.” Johnny nods.

“Wow,” Cia says. “This … this is … wow! Poor Lance!”

“Yeah,” Johnny says again.

Cia mulls over the news.

“So what are you going to do now?” she asks.

“Me?”

“Yeah,” Cia affirms. “Are you going to tell Ash?”

“I don’t think I can,” Johnny says as he stops the truck in front of Cia’s apartment building. “I promised Lance not to tell anyone.”

Cia mulls about it a bit more, closing her eyes to be able to concentrate better. She wants to do something to help Johnny. He’s so upset about this! And she wants to help Lance, too.

There must be a way. There has to be a way!

“Well, the way I see it,” she begins to form her thoughts into words, “you promised not to tell anyone before this evening. You promised not to tell anyone that Lance wants to ask Ash to marry him, but you didn’t promise to tell anyone that Lance wanted to ask Ash to marry him because we can’t tell for sure he still wants to ask her.”

When she opens her eyes again and turns to look at Johnny she finds him looking at her with wide eyes.

“What?” she asks with a little laugh.

“I love how your brain works!”

She laughs a little more at his words, then shrugs. “It’s all a matter of interpretation.”

“I guess,” Johnny replies.

“So?” she asks. “Are you going to talk to Ash?”

“I’m meeting her for lunch tomorrow anyway,” he says. “We wanted to talk a bit about the work on her new album. She thinks of doing a duet with me.”

“That’s a good idea!” Cia calls out. She loves Johnny’s singing, of course, but she loves Ash’s just as much, and she could totally see them doing duet together. It’d be amazing! “And then you’re going to tell her?”

Johnny shrugs. “Maybe.”

Cia smiles at Johnny, but he can’t see it. He has his eyes lowered and the little frown is back on his forehead. He’s probably thinking about what to say to Ash.

Cia decides that it’s time to get his mind off this.

“Soooooo,” she drawls as she leans in a little closer, her smile turning into a smirk, “you said you love how my brain works.”

Johnny looks up at her, his eyes a little wide with surprise. “Yeah.”

“What about the rest of me?” Cia goes on, leaning in even closer. “Do you love how the rest of me works, too?”

“Yeah,” Johnny says again. “I do.”

“Mind showing me?”

Now it’s Johnny turns to smile and he bridges the little distance left between them to press his lips to hers, immediately letting his tongue glide into her mouth, stroking, teasing, playing with her own tongue in a way that makes her heart beat faster in her chest.

When he breaks the kiss, it takes Cia a few moments to catch her breath and to bring that smirk back to her mouth.

“I am … not convinced,” she says although her hammering heart is putting the lie to her words and opens the passenger door, not to mention that Johnny raises a brow at that.

But before she climbs out of the truck she looks back at Johnny. “Maybe you’ll have to try a little harder,” she adds with a little wink.

She closes the door and walks up to the apartment building.

She only manages a few steps before she hears another car door being shut followed by some really quick steps. Next thing she knows is Johnny grabbing her hand and dragging her with him as he rushes to her apartment.

Cia has this strong feeling that they aren’t going to make it to the bedroom tonight.

On Monday morning Cia is back at the office. She wants to get as much work done as possible because Ms. Crawly is going to be back at work soon. And she’s going to need a walking stick even though she can dump the crutches in a few days. So Cia wants to make sure that the old lady doesn’t have to leave her desk too often.

Cia is going to be around at the beginning, too, but then, she really needs to get some work done on the new play. She really has to catch up on that. The office work somehow kept her from doing it. And the other things that happened.

She had planned on working on the play on the weekend, but after the news on Friday - both Ash’s news of being pregnant and Johnny’s news that Lance wanted to ask her to marry him - she somehow was thinking too much about that than the scene she had planned to work on.

Okay, it had been more because of Johnny’s news. Cia spent most of the time on Saturday when Johnny met up with Ash trying to write - and not getting anything done.

And then Johnny came home and all that she got out of him was that yes, he had talked to Ash and that she’d been surprised and thoughtful. He didn’t say if Ash was going to talk to Lance and if she was going to say yes if he asked her again or if she still insisted on them being free spirits.

It made Cia so mad! She wanted to know more! She needed to know more, and she was this close to send Ash a text.

A good thing Johnny decided to take her mind off things back then. And most of Sunday.

Cia still wants to know what Ash is going to do, but the good thing is that she can keep herself busy with office work now. And when that fails she thinks of Johnny taking her mind off things on the weekend. It makes her grin like an idiot, but she doesn’t mind. Not one bit. She only has to tone it down when there’s a chance someone might catch her grinning like that.

She checks Mr. Moon’s schedule for the day and realizes he isn’t going to be back too soon. He’s having lunch with Nana Noodleman and that always takes a little longer.

It’s the moment Cia ponders if she should go down to the rehearsal rooms and check if Ash is around. But she probably isn’t. She’s probably having a doctor’s appointment or taking it easy or thinking about Lance’s proposal or… Argh!

Think of what Johnny did yesterday during lunch! Come on, Cia, you can do it! There you go! That was good, so very good, wasn’t it?

And then the door to the office opens and Ash steps in.

“Hello, Cia! Is Mr. Moon around?” she asks.

Cia manages to tone down her grin just in time, but not so much when she realizes that Ash is here and that now she can ask Ash herself. Well, not really. She isn’t supposed to know anything. That makes her grin fade a little again.

“I’m sorry, Ash,” she says. “He’s having lunch with Nana Noodleman. That’s going to take a while. Should I get you when he’s back?”

“Yeah, that’d be great,” Ash replies.

And then the grin is back on Cia’s face when she sets eyes on something on Ash’s wrist, something silver and glittering.

“Is that an engagement bracelet!?” she asks a little too loudly.

Ash looks from her at her bracelet.

“Yeah, it is,” the porcupine says with a shrug before she turns back to Cia. “And thanks for the normal reaction, Cia. My ears are still ringing from the shriek Rosita made when she saw it.”

“So, Lance asked you to marry him?” Cia asks.

“No, it was Johnny during our lunch on Saturday. Didn’t he tell you?”

Cia feels a little pang in her heart. What?

And then Ash bursts into laughter.

“That was a joke, Cia!” she calls out. “You should have seen your face!”

“Yeah, haha, very funny,” Cia replies.

“Sorry,” Ash says with a grin. “Couldn’t resist.”

“Haha,” Cia says again.

She looks at Ash a little more closely. Her eyes are sparkling and Cia can’t help, but think that it’s not only from laughing so much.

“And there I thought you were a free spirit,” Cia says with a wink.

“I’ve always been a rebel!” Ash replies with a little laugh. “Told Lance the same thing when he was staring at me with big eyes when I said yes.”

“So, when’s the big day?”

“Soon,” Ash says. “We want to get it over with before the whole being young parents-madness begins, and I want to fit in a nice dress, so we’re running out of time.”

And there is the rebel Ash, again, Cia realizes, speaking of getting it over with instead of getting married. It makes her smile a little more.

“I get it you just want a small ceremony?”

“Yeah, registry office, some friends, that’s all.”

“A white dress?”

Ash blows a raspberry. “Of course not! Me? Wearing white? Come on!”

“It could definitely do a little damage to your rebel-image,” Cia says with a chuckle.

“Thank you!” Ash replies. “Rosita didn’t get that!”

“Bridal shower?”

Instead of a reply, Ash laughs, waves at Cia and leaves the office again.

Cia assumes that this meant no.

[hoperays-song]

Some of My Favourite Random Sing Canon Things

Johnny is small for both his family and for other gorillas around his age.

The mob/mafia does exist and Mike legit thought cheating them was a good idea.

Buster is left-handed (or ambidextrous).

When Ash's guitar gets unplugged, she stomps her foot, which is based off the real life occurrence of porcupines stomping their feet as a warning if they are scared.

Buster went to the Modern Drama Institute based on his diploma.

Marcus’s truck is a 1953–1956 Ford F-Series pickup truck, though he seems to have made some modifications.

Gunter literally put Johnny’s home address in his commercial for his dance studio. Why? Who knows!

Eddie apparently models?? Or does something that puts him on magazine covers (as seen in Sing 2). Leaning towards model just because I feel like he would be most ok with that.

Mike legit mugged someone in his first scene... so there’s that.

Gunter, while being an agent of chaos, is able to not cause any problems for himself personally in both movies (other characters handle it) which in this franchinse is just impressive.

Johnny reacts dramatically to things a lot and tends to be/come across as sarcastic.

It’s implied that Darius was going to be the center performer in the short “Come Home”... for some reason. 

The first friend that Johnny makes outside of the theatre is, drumroll please, Nooshy, a British criminal. Because of fucking course he found one in a huge multicultural city. (This annoys me to no end.)

Mrs. Crawly’s glass eye was apparently made in China.

Adding up the totals (in terms of violent crimes) from both movies (that I remember clearly), there are five threats on a character’s life, one mugging, one hostage-ish situation, one hit-and-run, and one aggravated assault. This is a kid’s series right? Am I understanding that right? A kid’s series???

Nana Noodleman likes to play checkers with Hobbs to pass the time.

Buster Moon has committed more onscreen felonies than the actual criminal gang (two for Stan and Barry, three for Marcus).

[hoperays-song]

Why The Gang Became Robbers

CW: Discussions of Poverty and Money

So, it’s somewhat theorized that the gang started stealing because of financial reasons. There’s actually some allusions to this in the movie itself, with them planning to stop stealing after the heist they were eventually caught for, them seeming to live in the shop, Johnny’s clothes seeming to be hand-me-downs (his dad’s jacket, a shirt that’s a few sizes too big with worn out sleeves, well worn-too large jeans), and mostly using walkie talkies instead of their phones (data is expensive). I started to wonder how deep in debt they actually were sooo... I did some calculations.

--------------------------

Disclaimer: All of these were based of the average costs of everything in the state of California (Calatonia is based on LA and San Francisco). There were some generosity here in debt calculations including giving them a good credit score when they applied for the loan and assuming they had only been in the states 7 years. Oh and that they had a bit money when they came to the US.

----------------------------------------------------

Debts

The Garage Itself

Building Price: $2,250,00

Down Payment (20%): $450,000

30-Year Fixed Loan Plan with Interest of 5.395%

Credit Score (I’m trying to help them out here): 729

Annual Property Tax: $28,125

Annual Home Insurance: $7,875

Monthly Payment: $13,102

Annual Total Building Payments: $193,224

Plus Other Expenses (calculated from average 2 person household costs)

Food, Water, Electricity: $24,475.8

Health Insurance: $0

Car Insurance: $0

----------------------------------------------------

Now, the total mortgage would be around 4.62708 million when calculating in 7 years of interest rates. And if we look at the average yearly income of a mechanic in California... 

Yeah, Marcus is only taking home around $16,958 dollars per year, and that’s being generous with both rates and overtime. So, without even factoring in the debt, as well as assuming that Stan and Barry are not included in their household income, the Taylor family is almost $2,000 dollars below the Californian poverty line.

Now, let’s take a look at their plan here. We know that the gold shipment they were planning on stealing in Sing 1 was around 25 million dollars worth. Well, that would clearly pay off their entire mortgage, as well as probably help Stan and Barry with whatever financial issues they might be facing. It would also give them a good cushion for a few years going forward, preventing them from going into debt easily again.

With the seven years of payments totaling $599,844, and assuming that they have stolen at least $2.163,677 to pay towards the debt before, in Sing 1, they only owe a much more reasonable $1,863,559.

And while that is still a lot, if a rich person, say an old musical theatre star, wanted to guarantee that the performers at their old theatre troupe wouldn’t be falling onto a bad path, they could pay that off much easier than the full mortgage.

So, in conclusion, Johnny and his family, stolen money included in this, are still some of the poorest characters in all of Sing. They probably didn’t want to steal in the first place either, judging by how they were planning on stopping after the flubbed heist anyway. They were just desperate. they needed money, and clearly the garage plus whatever side jobs Johnny could have potentially had were not enough. 

I believe that the main reason we don’t see them still stealing in Sing 2 is that their debts were paid off, more than likely by Nana Noodleman as she’s the only one with that amount of money lying around. This allowed them to begin working again without a immediate threat of debt, and with the money Johnny’s bringing in from the theatre, the family is probably in a bit better shape.

[andrea-odown]

Keep on Singing - Chapter 45

A Sing (2016)-fanfic.

Read it on FF.Net and AO3.

Description: A few months have passed since the grand re-opening of the Moon Theater. All in all everything seems to be fine. But under the surface, everyone has to deal with some problems. Ash is facing writer’s block with her new album, Rosita is enjoying her new life as a famous singer, but has less and less time for her family, Mike is still hiding from some angry bears, Meena may has overcome her insecurity when it comes to singing, but interviews are still a challenge for her, and Johnny wants to turn the garage he and his father used to live in into a youth center. And Buster has to keep the theater running while keeping Ms. Crawly from driving the new secretary crazy and writing a new play.

Chapter 45: Buster

If someone had told Buster a few weeks ago how things would turn out in the end, he wouldn’t have believed it.

Just a few weeks ago, he had no finished play, no idea how to keep Nana Noodleman interested in funding his latest play, and a new secretary who was being chased around by his old secretary.

Now his play is finished, Nana Noodleman loves it, and his old secretary has stopped driving the new secretary crazy. Actually, Ms. Crawly is now very nice towards Cia. Which might have something to do with the fact that she isn’t the new secretary any longer. Cia now officially is a writer. Yes, she still helps when Ms. Crawly’s desk seems to break under towers of papers, but it’s not her main job any longer.

And she’s doing great. He loves the idea she had for the next show. The one following up the one starring Johnny.

Rehearsals have already started, and so far, Johnny’s doing great. Although they had to go for only one performance per week because after the charity concert a label contacted Johnny and has him signed up for his first album.

Which is fine for Buster. Given Cia’s idea for the next play, he’s going to have another show up and running pretty quickly.

The charity concert was a huge success, by the way, which adds some extra workload to Johnny because now he’s organizing to get the youth center started as soon as possible.

Buster has even volunteered to do some classes on acting.

Ash’s album is finally out, and her album-release concert was a success, too.

Meena seems to love her new image as the always singing talent. Now she even seems to enjoy her interviews, something Buster would have thought impossible some weeks ago.

Just like he thought it impossible for Rosita to find a way to get her tour and her family reconciled. He never told her so, though. And she did it.

From what he can tell she and Norman spend every free minute in their motorhome because Norman needs to practice. Buster thinks it’s more because Norman loves to drive around in the motorhome. He even invited Buster and the rest of Rosita’s Theater-friends for a little tour, and it still makes Buster chuckle how much fun Norman had doing announcements whenever they passed something he thought worth mentioning. Like the Moon Theater. Or Johnny’s garage/youth center. Or the grocery store where Rosita uses to shop.

What still is a mystery to Buster is how Mike has changed after what happened on the rooftop. Yes, he still makes fun of the others, yes, he still has his moments when he can be very annoying, but somehow, he seems more open towards the others.

Although, maybe Buster shouldn’t be so surprised. Mike did call them friends on the rooftop, after all, something Buster never thought he’d hear Mike say.

With a deep breath Buster gets up from his seat, stretches and walks over to the door of his office.

He opens the door, giving the staggering towers of papers on Ms. Crawly’s desk a suspicious look.

He makes a mental note to ask Cia to help Ms. Crawly out in the next days.

When he closes the door of his office, however, the towers collapse.

Buster flinches.

“Sorry, Ms. Crawly!” he calls out as the iguana gets up as if she had all time in the world and starts picking up the papers again. “Do you need help?”

“No, Mr. Moon,” Ms. Crawly replies. “I have everything under control.”

Buster shakes his head with a small smile. Of course Ms. Crawly doesn’t need help. She never needs help.

He decides to ask Cia to show up at the office today.

Johnny’s coming in for rehearsals any minute now, so Cia can’t be far. She usually accompanies her boyfriend, showing up at Buster’s office to talk about her ideas for the new show or brings some notes on new scenes.

If Buster’s lucky he doesn’t have to go looking for them again. Sometimes, they disappear. And really, Buster could do without finding them making out in one of the dressing rooms again.

Although, it’s nice to see Johnny so happy when he’s with Cia. The young gorilla has been through so much, so who’s Buster to judge? As long as Johnny shows up for rehearsals and meetings in time or not waaaaaay too late, he’s fine with it.

He descends the stairs and runs into Johnny and Cia in the foyer. He smiles when he sees they’re holding hands.

“Hello, you two!” he greets them. “Ready for rehearsals, Johnny? I think we should try the song at the end of the first act. And Cia, do you have a moment?”

“On it!” Johnny replies. He shares one quick kiss with Cia before he gets to the stage area.

The snow leopard watches him leave before she turns to Buster. “Yes?”

“Do you think you could show up at the office?” he asks. “Ms. Crawly has to deal with another paper-flood.”

“Again?” Cia asks with a little laugh. “I’m on my way.”

“You know the drill, right?”

“Yes, accidentally show up at the office and start working as if it were the most natural thing in the world.”

“You got it!” Buster smiles at her. “Things are easier now with her, aren’t they?”

Cia shrugs. “She doesn’t chase me around and she calls me Cia, so I guess the answer is yes.”

Buster laughs a little at that. “I’ll tell Johnny where he can find you after his rehearsal. Good luck!”

Cia replies with a laugh of her own. “I’m gonna need it. Maybe.”

And with that she leaves for the office.

Buster shakes his head with a smile before he gets going himself.

Yes, if someone would have told him how things would be now a few weeks ago, he wouldn’t have believed them. Not one single word.

But to be honest, he couldn’t care less.

He has his theater, he has his friends.

Yes, life is good.

Well, this is it, folks, the final chapter of “Keep on Singing”. It was one hell of a ride! I think I never wrote so much for a fandom in a bit more than two months. And I definitely never finished a multi-chapter fanfic in such a short time. I had a lot of fun with this story, and I hope you, my lovely readers, had fun, too. :) I want to thank you all for your support! You are the best! *hugs*

For those of you who want to read more about what’s happening afterwards (especially with Johnny and Cia) I plan on doing a sequel. ^^

[andrea-odown]

Keep on Singing - Chapter 43

A Sing (2016)-fanfic.

Read it on FF.Net and AO3.

Description: A few months have passed since the grand re-opening of the Moon Theater. All in all everything seems to be fine. But under the surface, everyone has to deal with some problems. Ash is facing writer’s block with her new album, Rosita is enjoying her new life as a famous singer, but has less and less time for her family, Mike is still hiding from some angry bears, Meena may has overcome her insecurity when it comes to singing, but interviews are still a challenge for her, and Johnny wants to turn the garage he and his father used to live in into a youth center. And Buster has to keep the theater running while keeping Ms. Crawly from driving the new secretary crazy and writing a new play.

Chapter 43: Buster

Buster checks his watch. It’s about time he gets to the rehearsal rooms to remind everyone that they are going to leave for the garage soon.

Eddie’s already there for the final checks on the lighting and sound system, and from the last text he sent Buster, everything seems to be working just fine.

Buster sighs. The last weeks have been so eventful, he barely got any time to rest, yet he wouldn’t have missed them for the world.

He’s positive the charity concert is going to be a success. They have some of the greatest local talents around the city performing, plus Meena’s new popularity as the girl who always sings added an extra spotlight to the concert.

Johnny, however, looked like a nervous wreck when he arrived this morning. Which probably is understandable because it’s primarily his project, but no matter how hard Buster tried to convince him that everything was going to be fine, Johnny didn’t look convinced.

So Buster told Ms. Crawly to check on Johnny every thirty minutes and provide him with hot chocolate.

So far, it seems to be working because Johnny didn’t have a mental breakdown. Yet.

Buster checks his watch again and gets up. He puts on his jacket and leaves his office.

“Okay, Cia,” he says to the snow leopard who was on phone-duty all day, “let’s round them up.”

Cia just nods and follows him.

While Cia is getting Johnny, Rosita, and Gunter, Buster checks on Meena first, just in case.

Her nervousness could have made a comeback. But he’s pleased when Meena just smiles at him and gets the clothes bag containing her dress for tonight.

Next up is Mike, and as always the mouse plays it cool.

“Time to go already, Mr. Moon?” he asks. “I’m ready.”

That moment, Mike’s phone rings.

“Sorry, Mr. Moon,” he says, checking the caller-ID. “That’s my girlfriend. I better take that.”

“No problem.”

Mike answers the call.

“Hi there, sweetheart!” he says, and Buster is about to turn away to give Mike some privacy, but there something in the way the mouse tenses that keeps him from doing it.

“Wh-who’s there? … No, no, please. Please don’t hurt her! … I’ll be right there!”

And with that, Mike makes a beeline for the door, just stops to tell his bodyguards go go home when they try to follow him.

“Mike, where are you going?” Buster calls after the mouse, but he doesn’t seem to hear.

Buster turns towards Meena, but the elephant already set after Mike.

What’s going on? Buster asks himself. This can’t be happening! We’re two acts down already!

And then he sees how Meena stops to talk to the group of the Rosita, Gunter, Johnny, and Cia. They just share looks, and then they follow Meena.

Okay, okay, Ash is still left! Buster thinks.

In that exact moment Johnny runs over to Ash’s rehearsal room, telling her something and the two of them run off.

“This isn’t happening!” Buster calls out. “We’re down to zero acts!”

And because he doesn’t know what else to do, he runs after the others. He almost bumps into Ms. Crawly who’s just leaving Johnny’s rehearsal room.

“Ms. Crawly, call Eddie!” he tells her. “Tell him we’re probably going to be a little late. He might have to entertain the guests till we get there!”

“Wait, what?”

“Just do it!”

And then he picks up some extra speed.

He doesn’t know what’s going on. He only knows it must be something big and terrible or not all of his acts would have left within two minutes. If he ever had any doubt, seeing Johnny leave with the rest wiped it away. Johnny would never have left so soon before his concert if hell didn’t break lose.

Buster reaches the street the moment Johnny starts his truck, with Rosita and gunter sitting on the passenger seat and Ash, Meena, and Cia on the truck bed.

Buster jumps on the hood, spreading his arms as a sign to stop them.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks. “We have a concert coming up?”

“Something’s wrong with Mike!” Meena explains. “He might need some help.”

“You are not going anywhere!” Buster calls out to them.

“But, Mr. Moon…” Meena replies.

He doesn’t let her finish.

“You are not going anywhere!” he repeats. “Without me!”

And with that he moves over to the window on the passenger side and climbs inside, telling Rosita and Gunter to move over while he does so.

They catch up with Mike when he stops his car in front of a building.

Buster doesn’t know how Johnny did it, how he managed to keep up with Mike’s super-special sports car in this old truck of his, but he did it.

Although Buster did get flung around quite a bit, not to mention the gasps coming from the truck bed whenever Johnny took a quick turn.

Buster quickly looks back. Yes, Meena, Cia, and Ash are still there, although they do look a bit whacked.

He gets out of the truck as quickly as he can, following Johnny as he runs up to Mike.

Mike has opened the trunk of his car, trying his best to haul a big bag out.

“Mike, what’s going on?” Buster asks.

Mike freezes for a moment before he looks at them.

“What are you doing here?” Mike asks them in return. “You are not supposed to be here and you have to leave right now!”

“We won’t!” Meena replies, and a look around tells Buster that the others have caught up with them. “Not before you tell us what’s going on.”

“They have her!” Mike calls out. “The bears! They have Nancy! And if I don’t show up on this roof,” - he points up the building - “within the next five minutes, they’re going to hurt her! Or worse!”

If Buster remembers correctly, Nancy is the name of Mike’s girlfriend. As for bears, he immediately thinks of the bears who barged in when they did the special performance for Nana Noodleman.

“You have to leave now!” Mike goes on as he continues trying to get the bag out of the trunk. “They said no police and no bodyguards!”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Johnny says as he grabs the bag and flicks it over his shoulder. “Besides, you need someone to carry that bag for you.”

Then the gorilla smiles down at Mike, and as surprising as it is, Mike replies with a smile of his own, a weak and thin smile, but a smile nonetheless.

Buster doesn’t get why Cia insisted on waiting by the cars, but Johnny just nods and there was no time to question anything.

And the moment they step out on the roof, Buster’s premonition is proven right.

Those are the three bears from back then.

And one of them is holding a female mouse in his big paw.

“What are they doing here?” one bear wearing a hat asks, his voice heavy with an accent, just like Buster remembers it while nodding at Buster and the others. “I said you come alone!”

“No, you said no police and no bodyguards,” Mike replies. “And those are my friends!”

Buster isn’t sure if he heard that right. Did Mike really just call them his friends?

Somehow, this makes him want to smile, somehow, it has a wrong ring to it. All in all, it seems weird.

“Besides, I needed some help with the money,” Mike goes and nods at Johnny who throws the bag at the bears’ feet.

One of them bends down and opens it, showing it to the bear with the hat.

Said bear holds out his hand and the other hands him the bag.

“That’s twice the amount I owe you!” Mike says. “Now let Nancy go!”

The bear with the hat shakes his head.

“Oh, Mike, Mike, Mike,” he says, tossing the bag over the roof edge, sending dollar bills flying. “You don’t get it, do you?” This isn’t about the money any longer! It is about destroying you!”

He nods at the bear next to him, the one who’s holding Nancy in his paw and he stretches his paw holding the mouse over the roof edge. Then he opens his paw and Nancy falls.

“Nooooooo!” Mike screams, running a few steps ahead.

He stops looking at the bear’s paw, and Buster follows his gaze.

And then he sees it. There’s a cord wrapped around one of the fingers of the bear, and from the silent scream he can hear coming from below, Buster presumes that Nancy is dangling on the other end.

The bear with the hat walks over to his companion placing one sharp claw at the thread.

“Now, come on, Mike,” he says. “Beg.”

“Let her go, please!” Mike calls out. “She has nothing to do with this! Take me instead!”

“Oh, we will come to you!” the bear replies. “But you can do better than that, can’t you?”

Mike sinks to his knees. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have cheated at cards! I should have given you your money! I’m sorry! Please let her go! Please!”

“Not bad,” the bear says with a silent chuckle.

Then he cuts the cord.

Buster gasps.

Next to him, Mike is screaming.

[andrea-odown]

Keep on Singing - Chapter 34

A Sing (2016)-fanfic.

Read it on FF.Net and AO3.

Description: A few months have passed since the grand re-opening of the Moon Theater. All in all everything seems to be fine. But under the surface, everyone has to deal with some problems. Ash is facing writer’s block with her new album, Rosita is enjoying her new life as a famous singer, but has less and less time for her family, Mike is still hiding from some angry bears, Meena may has overcome her insecurity when it comes to singing, but interviews are still a challenge for her, and Johnny wants to turn the garage he and his father used to live in into a youth center. And Buster has to keep the theater running while keeping Ms. Crawly from driving the new secretary crazy and writing a new play.

Chapter 34: Buster

Buster thinks that this must be the first time he's actually looking forward to the meeting with Nana Noodleman.

And it for sure is the first time he asked for a meeting with Nana Noodleman.

Which might be the reason he's looking forward to it.

Because today, he has to tell her something important.

He's finished his new show.

The corners of his mouth quirk into a smile.

He's finished his new show!

And once again, for good measure, he's finished his new show!

He can't help, but giggle at the thought, making some animals give him weird looks. Okay, it must look funny to be passed by a giggling koala on a bike, but heck, he couldn't care less!

For heaven's sake, he's finished his new show!

With a little laugh, he parks his bike in front of Nana Noodleman's mansion, takes one deep breath to calm himself down, grabbing his bag with the notes a little tighter before he rings the bell.

Nana Noodleman looks over the pages, her mouth twisted, and Buster isn't sure how to read her expression.

Nana Noodleman's mouth is twisted ninety percent of the time, she wears this bored and angry look on her face ninety-five percent of the time. And she even does it when she's neither bored nor angry, so it's hard to tell what she's actually thinking.

There's only one thing that always makes her smile and leaves her eyes glistening. And that's the squids.

For a moment, Buster thinks of mentioning what he has planned for the squids again, add a little detail here and there, but he decides against it.

She must see through this act by now, and if she doesn't, he doesn't want to make her see through it.

"I…," - he clears his throat - "I know there are some scenes that still need a little polishing, but all in all, that's it."

"Hm." It's the only sound Nana Noodleman has made ever since he finished his explanations.

He didn't like the silence that followed before and he doesn't like the silence that follows now.

He looks from her face to the papers and back to her face before he lowers his eyes back to the papers.

He shifts a little in his seat.

Could she please say something? Anything?

Right now, he doesn't even care if she tears his show apart bit by bit if she'd just speak up!

Okay, he does care, but it'll still be better than this silence that has been stretching out for way too long.

Nana Noodleman taps a piece of paper with her fan.

"I like this twist here in this scene," she says, and Buster can only do so much as to not release the breath he's been holding in a loud sigh. Instead, he just starts breathing again.

The scene Nana Noodleman is pointing to is the one he's almost lost his mind over. Until Cia helped him out.

"Oh, thank you!" he says. "I had a little help with that."

He doesn't know why he said that, but he doesn't regret it. Cia did help him out, so he can at least give her credit for it.

Nana Noodleman nods her head in something he can only name as approval.

"It gives the story more depth," she says. "And I do like the fact that you, again, stay as close as possible to the lead's real story."

Buster's eyes widen a little in surprise. He didn't think Nana Noodleman would know anything about his singers' background stories, but yet again, this is Nana Noodleman. No one knows for sure what she knows and what she doesn't.

Buster clears his throat again. "So all in all, what do you think?"

He isn't sure if it was a good idea to ask. Maybe he should have given her more time to put her thoughts into words. But heck, he needs to know!

The diva straightens her back and looks down at him with that bored and angry expression on her face.

Yes, he knows that doesn't mean she really is bored and/or angry, but it makes him shrink into himself the tiniest bit. He still forces his mouth into a smile although the corners of his mouth already start hurting.

Nana Noodleman cocks her head the tiniest bit and her expression turns into something warmer.

"All in all, I like your new show," she says.

He sighs for real this time which makes the sheep raise a brow at him.

"You are right about the polishing, though," she goes on.

It makes him flinch a little.

That was something he just said to say something. He didn't mean it!

He doesn't even know which scenes she's referring to!

Should he ask? But that would show her that he doesn't know what is going on.

No, he can't do that, can't risk it.

"Hahaha, I know," he says with an insecure laugh. "I'll start working on that today."

"Good." Nana Noodleman nods her head. "You are dismissed."

At these words Buster jumps to his feet, collecting his papers and stuffing them into his bag.

"I'm glad you like it, Nana," he says while doing so. "You aren't going to regret funding this new show."

"I don't have a doubt," she says as she gets to her feet herself.

She's standing there, her back so very straight, her expression so majestic, it reminds Buster why she's called the last diva alive.

With a just as majestic gesture she holds out her right hand to him. Buster takes it and kisses it before he turns to leave.

On his ride back to the theater he wracks his brain for what scenes actually might need some polishing.

He really can't wrap his head around it.

His face lights up when an idea forms in his brain.

He pulls out his phone, dialing a number. He almost crashes into a lamp post when he looks up from his phone again, making a mental note that driving a bike and making a call might not be such a good idea.

But he can't wait for this until he's back at the theater.

He's just too impatient.

"Hello, Cia? This is Mr. Moon," he says. "We are going to have a little meeting in my office as soon as I'm back. … No, you don't have to inform anyone. I meant you and me. … No, you aren't in trouble, no worries. See you later! Bye!"

He ends the call and almost crashes into another lamp post when he looks up at the street again.

What was that about a mental note, Buster? he reminds himself, shaking his head.

[andrea-odown]

Keep on Singing - Chapter 16

A Sing (2016)-fanfic.

Read it on FF.Net and AO3.

Description: A few months have passed since the grand re-opening of the Moon Theater. All in all everything seems to be fine. But under the surface, everyone has to deal with some problems. Ash is facing writer’s block with her new album, Rosita is enjoying her new life as a famous singer, but has less and less time for her family, Mike is still hiding from some angry bears, Meena may has overcome her insecurity when it comes to singing, but interviews are still a challenge for her, and Johnny wants to turn the garage he and his father used to live in into a youth center. And Buster has to keep the theater running while keeping Ms. Crawly from driving the new secretary crazy and writing a new play.

Chapter 16: Buster

The thing Buster hates about last minute-meetings with Nana Noodleman is that they are last minute. And the fact that they are meetings with Nana Noodleman doesn't make things any easier. So it might be legit to say that he hates everything about last minute-meetings with Nana Noodleman. Period.

Meetings with Nana Noodleman are difficult even when he knows about them for days.

Yes, he and the old diva get along better now, but that doesn't mean she's friendlier, especially not when it comes to funding a new show. The success of Dreaming the Singer's Dream made her more open to fund his next show, too, but now she wants to see progress at least every two weeks. Unless she calls for a last minute-meeting. Then she wants progress right now.

Buster managed to get on her good side by telling her about the nationwide tour of Dreaming a Singer's Dream. And when she asked about the play he's recently working on he didn't actually lie. He just extended the truth by telling her that he's making great progress with the writing since their meeting last week. Great was the part where he extended the truth because, really, even two sentences are progress, right?

Then he told her about what he has planned for the squids to do during his new show. Nana Noodleman loves the squids. So Buster is doing his best to include them the best way he can. He even improved his squid-powered stage when they rebuild his theater. The stage is a normal stage most of the time, but the panels can be removed and then there it is, the first squid-powered stage in theater-history! Well, second, actually, if he counts in his first attempt on it. Which he shouldn't. Not after what the poor construction did to his beloved theater. But the new stage is amazing, and he loves every bit of it. And so does Nana Noodleman.

So he went on about the squids and the different formations and colors, and it did the trick. Nana Noodleman didn't ask about the status of his new show again.

He couldn't help to release a deep sigh of relief once he was out of her mansion, though.

He just hopes Cia did a good job getting together all the necessary information for Johnny's charity concert. But really, why shouldn't she? She's been doing a great job so far, even managed to get some of the work on Ms. Crawly's desk done when the iguana was out for lunch or just not looking. And that although Ms. Crawly does all she can to make office life hell for the snow leopard-girl.

He has to admit, he's a little bit amazed by Cia's endurance. He can only guess, but every other secretary her age would have quit by now.

Well, better for him, right? And for his theater - which is even more important.

He hums a little melody as he walks back to his theater - or, to be more precise, home.

"Well, I guess Johnny thought about everything," Buster admits as Cia is done with her explanations and showing him the little sketches and notes she made. She doesn't seem to be that good at drawing, but he can imagine what Johnny meant when she explains them to him.

The only thing he doesn't get is why she went over the details for the roof so quickly. To him, it sounded important, and Johnny's ideas for the roof are rather ambitious. But hey, she gave him all the necessary details, so who is he to judge on how she presented them?

"I guess so," Cia says with a little shrug. "There wasn't anything else I could think of. Johnny will come in after rehearsals to hear your opinion on this."

Buster nods. "Good. Thank you, Cia!"

"You're welcome!" And the young snow leopard turns around and leaves for her desk.

Buster waits till the door shuts closed behind her before he reaches into his drawer for a pen and paper. He better continues working on his new play so next time he has a meeting with Nana Noodleman, he doesn't have to talk about squids ninety percent of the time. Not that he couldn't pull it off - again -, but it'd be better if he could actually show Nana Noodleman some progress.

He stares down on the sheet.

Just a few notes, Buster, he tells himself. If you can distract Nana Noodleman by talking about squids for most of your meeting, you for sure can take a few notes for the next scene. Now come one! Do it!

When he looks at his clock again, he realizes he has been staring down on the piece of paper for ten minutes straight.

Before he can stop himself, he lets out a frustrated groan.

Well, there's still time left until Johnny shows up. He's sure he'll get something done by then.

However, when he hears Johnny greet Ms. Crawly and Cia, there are still no notes on the piece of paper, just pure, sheer whiteness. He crumples it up anyway, just because it might make him feel better. Which it doesn't.

As he tosses the paper into the bin, Johnny enters his office, and Buster puts on a smile, although he'd prefer to scream in frustration.

"Johnny!" he says way too cheerfully. "How are you, boy?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Moon," the gorilla replies in his usual gently voice. "How are you?"

"Great, great." He broadens his smile to hide the fact that he's anything, but great.

"Did Cia show you my plans for the concert?"

Is it just him or did Johnny's voice sound a little insecure?

"She did." Buster finally manages to get his thoughts away from the empty piece of paper and to the charity concert, and his fake smile turns into a real one. Because a concert, no, a charity concert! That's great, right? That's something he can organize, right?

It's the moment he realizes he could have told Nana Noodleman about the concert, too, and just catches his hand before it impacts on his forehead. Well, at least now he knows what he's going to tell her about during their next meeting. If he doesn't get any writing done on his new play. Which he would. For sure.

"So?" Yes, there's no doubt there, Johnny does sound insecure.

Buster's smile turns into such a big grin, the corners of his mouth start to hurt.

"I think all your ideas are great," he says.

"So it's doable?" Johnny asks, still with some insecurity in his voice.

"Yes, it is."

"Yes!" Johnny calls out, doing a joyful leap and punching the air.

It makes Buster laugh silently.

"And I've talked to all your fellow performers. They're in."

"Even Mike?" Johnny asks.

"Even Mike," Buster confirms.

Now it's Johnny's turn to laugh. "What did you do? You didn't sell your soul or something?"

"No, no, I can be very convincing if I have to." Actually, Buster has no idea what made Mike change his mind, but well, never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Buster opens his mouth to say something about how great charity concerts are for a singer's career and that Mike must have realized that, he hears Ms. Crawly address Cia.

"Lucia, be a dear and fetch me that pink binder over there?" the iguana says.

He doesn't know why, but this makes the words get stuck in his mouth and he listens to what happens next.

Johnny looks at him with a frown, but he couldn't care less. He has a bad feeling about this.

"There is no pink binder, Ms. Crawly," Cia replies.

"Isn't there or are you just not looking hard enough?"

Buster flinches inwardly, and even Johnny's eyes widen in surprise at the angry undertone in Ms. Crawly's voice.

"No, really, Ms. Crawly," Cia insists, "no pink binder there."

"Oh? And what about this one?"

"That's purple."

"Well, it looks pink to me."

Johnny's eyes grow even wider, and Buster decides he has to intervene.

"Excuse me for a second," he says to Johnny who doesn't do as much as nod, and gets up. Once in the secretary's office he finds Ms. Crawly holding up a purple binder in some sort of a triumphant gesture.

He has to give it to Cia. She doesn't look as close to scratching Ms. Crawly's eyes out as he expected her to. Actually, she looks rather calm, although a bit annoyed.

"Cia, would you be so nice to get down and help Eddie with the setup for Meena's interview training tomorrow?" he asks.

"Sure!"

"But Mr. Moon …," Ms. Crawly starts, but he cuts in before she can go any further. "As for you, Ms. Crawly, could you make me some coffee? Oh, and hot chocolate for Johnny."

The iguana's face lights up a bit at the mention of Johnny, and Buster is relieved that his plan worked out.

"Of course, Mr. Moon," Ms. Crawly says.

By the time she finishes the sentence, Cia is already out of the office.

When Buster is back in his office Johnny looks at him with such wide eyes, he's afraid they might fall out of his face any second.

"What was that!?" the gorilla asks.

"Office life as it is around here nowadays," Buster explains with a sigh.

Johnny's eyes grow even wider, and the koala decides to change the topic before the eyes falling out-part finally happens.

"So about this charity concert," he says as matter-of-factly as he can. "Maybe we should start thinking about a date."

And this plan works out just as fine as his plan with Ms. Crawly just a few moments ago.

Johnny's eyes go back to normal size.

"Sure!" he says with a smile.