The Tale of a Ladybug and her Black Cat // Chat NoirXReader

14. Guitar Villain

(3rd person)

A few days later after the Pixelator incident, at Le Grand Paris. Jagged Stone performs a new song on his guitar for Bob Roth and Penny Rolling.

"Mah Miraculous!" He belts out finishing the song, as Penny applauds while Bob watches with crossed arms. Jagged turns to Bob, "So, what do you think of the first single off my next album? Can you feel it, Bob? Isn't it killer?" He asks excitedly, to the balding man.

Bob bobs his head in agreement, but pulls out a CD case, "Not bad, Jagged, not bad. But if you really want to be making something killer, let's talk about this duet with Mr. XY." He tells him. Jagged gives him a look of disgust, "No way. He's not a rocker, he's a baby! I bet he doesn't even shave yet."

"Well, this "baby" just pushed you out of the number one sales spot." Bob informs him.

Jagged just shrugs his shoulders, "And? Doesn't make him a true musician like me. Penny thinks everything I'm doing is rockstar material. She thinks I'm killer."

Bob raises his voice a bit, "Penny might be your agent, but I'm your real boss. Listen. Bottom line is that Bob Roth Records cannot afford to be number two in sales! Or rep a number two rock star! Get real, Jagged! You're going to have to modernize your music. Change the way you look. Get a whole new style!"

"You want to talk about real? I'm a genuine rock 'n' roller, Bob, not some pop star in diapers. I'm a real artist. Real talent! Even my hair is real. And that's what people love about me." He strokes fang, "Isn't that right, Fang? Yeah." He says before turning back to Bob, "And the artwork you came up with for my album is a waste of my time! Seriously, Bob, what is this trash? It looks like a perfume ad!" He tells him, pointing at the non-rockstar like artwork.

Bob points a finger at Jagged's chest, "And that's what people want these days!" He yells at him.

"Well, I don't. My album covers are raw to the bone, exuding the smell of sweat and leather!" Jagged expresses.

Bod goes a bit red in the face, "You do know, don't you, that if your next album doesn't rate #1 on the charts, it'll be the last one you ever do with Bob Roth records." He shouts at him, making Jagged turn away and cross his arms, "I'd rather put out nothing at all than sing some pathetic duet with a baby-faced nobody."

Penny finally steps in, "Bob, Jagged and I had an idea. Its concept is modern, but it also respects Jagged's own...rugged style." she informs him, sharing a look with Jagged, who takes off his glasses and shows them to Bob, "The schoolgirl who made these glasses has some real talent. She totally gets my style. She's going to design the cover of my new album."

"A schoolgirl?" Bob asks in disbelief.

'See? That's just it. She's the same age as the target audience." Penny tells him as she holds out a piece of paper, "Here's her address."

Bob folds arms and growls, but Fang growls in return, making Bob jump away from Fang in alarm, "Okay! But just think about that duet with Mr. XY." He shouts as he takes the piece of paper, and begins to leave the room.

"Find that girl, Bob!" Jagged shouts after him.

(Name) finds herself stunned as she stands in the bakery speaking with a balding man, her parents and Marinette listening eagerly behind her.

"So, are you interested?" The man introduced as Bob Roth asks her.

"Uh...wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. You want...me to design the album cover for Jagged Stone?! My...all-time favorite singer?!" She squeals, she couldn't believe this.

"That's right! Requested by Jagged Stone himself." Bob confirms as he pulls out an XY album, "I brought a few visuals so you can get a sense of what we're going for." He tells her, handing the albums to her. (Name) looks at album designs a bit confused, "This doesn't seem like Jagged Stone material. More like...a perfume ad!" She tells him.