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"Thrilling! Exciting! We bring you back to Powder Point for a second sugary scent wafting right your merry way in the near future! Bring a fresh-baked welcome to Funfetti Frenzy, serving cakes that will wash all your worries away!"
It was only at eight in the morning had Allan, having struggled to sleep all night, finally begun to wake up and readjust himself on the couch. He yawned greatly and took a moment to turn the TV volume up a notch having noticed that the white noise he turned on had ended and switched to today's news. Always leave it to Duke Gotcha to highlight the greatest unexpected finds across day-to-day life.
"And now we will interview the mastermind behind this whole operation: none other than Jojo himself!"
Allan's face turned from flat exhaustion to exhaustion with a bit of confusion. Wait... Jojo?
"You heard us right, folks! Yes yes, that Jojo you all know and love! Please, sir, tell us all there is to know about your newest venture!"
Jojo's hand covered his mouth slightly as he gave a nod to the camera, "I simply wanted to know if it could possibly be done."
"Ah, no other reason? You don't wanna show ol' Papa's contenders what a competitor is truly capable of?"
"...I do not wish to dabble on too much about my work. But just know it will bring a smile to your face."
"Well, Jojo, I gotta say that this interview sure has done just that!" Gotcha gave a hearty laugh as he put his hand on Jojo's shoulder, the other scowling and tensing a bit but the reporter not noticing. "I'm sure a critic's knowledge is bound to make the upmost delicious treats! Thank you for your time!"
"Of course, of course..."
Still holding the remote, Allan promptly shut off the TV. A grumble left his throat for a multitude of reasons, but for now, all he felt like doing right now was just trying to go back to sleep. Insomnia was a cruel one, she was. The couch wasn't very comfortable, but he really, really didn't have the motivation for much at all today. Scratching a slight itch on his head, Allan went to lay back down, but jumped at the sudden ringing of his phone.
Fumbling to find it on the coffee table, he answered with a sleepy "'Yello?"
"You heard the news, right?"
Carlo? Why did he care? Allan didn't respond right away, mind drifting off to Carlo's old workplace. An entire year of gnashing stress and a poor relationship with his coworker. And the greaser just so happened to be staying around the scene a bit longer for his own personal reasons, hearing the torment in Carlo's voice at the time and frequenting to bring at least a little relief to these tough days. And now... oh, that musician quickly became light of his life.
"Y-Yeah..." He responded with audible tiredness in his voice. "I don't know what that means for you, though? Like... That's your biggest source of trauma and all... I remember when you screamed at Koilee during closing hours that you were going to-"
"I know, I know..." Carlo groaned, followed by an extremely nervous laugh. "But I'm out of there now! Better than ever... trust!"
"Hey, you know I always keep my phone with me for a reason. Say whatever you need, man."
His voice became a bit more shaky, "Awesome, well... I kinda needed a favor from you. I-I mean... only if you're up to it, obviously..."
"It's the off-season," Allan chuckled, trying to lighten his boyfriend's mood. "I could sit here for days on the line with you!"
"Thanks, um, there are like... a ton of flyers up for Jojo's sign ups. I know he's only just recently scouting, but I think there's something up with it all. But you know me! If I'm behind the counter again, I'll probably do it for real this time! I know it's a lot to ask, but-"
"Yeah, sure."
"Really?"
"You got a link I can follow?" His laugh seemed to be a lot more energized now. "Whatever operation Jojo's cooking, I wanna bust it. I really wanna bust an operation right now. We'll be the Funfetti Operation Busters. Doesn't that have a nice ring to it? Doesn't our awesome new title make you less suicidal?"
There was nothing Carlo could have done to hide a small laugh of his own. "Yeah, I guess. I'll send you the site now. Catch you later."
"Aight. Thanks!"
The musician hung up and soon enough messaged Allan the link to Jojo's site and jobs page. What a start to the day, certainly. He finally stood up, stretched his limbs, and decided to get started on a small breakfast before anything too ambitious.