Fifteen Minuites To Showtime

Written by & copyright of Earl Bacon Foxonian@aol.com

Featuring Cassie, the Rock & Roll Vixen
http://members.aol.com/rufinoform/Cassie.htm

Please read the sequil, "Cassie Meets Vixina", featuring Cassie and Vixina at
http://members.aol.com/katkottage/cassie_meets_vixina.txt

Cassie and all other characters are created by & copyright of Earl Bacon

Cassie looked around the stage.  Everything seemed to be in order.  Her amps and
her equipment had been brought up by her road crew.  She usually carried the guitar that
she was going to use for the first set.  Two others would be brought up later.  Despite
all the preperation, the red fox vixen still fretted.This was the first time that she
was going to perform solo, no bass player, drummer or keyboardist.  Just her and her
guitar.  Why she ever let her manager talk her into performing alone she couldn't
fathom.  At least this was going to be a small show, less than 100 people, mainly
music industry types.

"Guess I have to live up to the hype of being a furry rock legend," Cassie thought as
she began to unpack her guitar.  She chose her best one, a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Custom
3-pickup.  She looked at herself for a moment in the shiny black finish of the
guitar's body.  Seeing that her ultra long black head hair was still flowing without
any frizziness, her white fur under her muzzle looking soft and fluffy and that the
oval blue gem on her black leather neck choker was centered properly, she began to strap
on the guitar.

"How are you doing, Cass?"  The vixen turned to see er old friend Andy, the head of
Apogee Records (her record label), standing about 3 feet behind her.  "Okay,"
Cassie replied.  "I'm just about ready.  When do you want to get started?"  "In about
15 min.  When you hear me introduce you, I'll have the stage curtain opened."  Andy
looked slightly quizzical at her.  "You didn't sat what you were going to play, stuff
from your solo record or from your stint with Furrosity?"  Cassie gave the suited
wolf-morph one of her sly fox like smiles.  "I think I'll just wing it.  That OK with
you?"  "The wolf smiled in return.  "Okay.  I have no problem with that.  Good luck
Cass!"

With that, Andy turned and departed.  Cassie turned on her amp, checked the volume levels
on her guitar and slipped her light blue pumps off, allowing her stocking feet to touch
the stage floor.  During a concert, she would have worn one of her autographed pairs.
She would have kicked them off so they would have ended up sailing into the audience
for fans to fight over.  However, since these were business types, she decided that
they wouldn't take to that kind of thing, so she just placed them on one of her
speaker cabinets.  Now she could jump around and let her whole body flow into her
guitar licks, her long bushy tail acting as a natural metronome, without having to
worry about spraining her ankles by landing down from a high jump while wearing high
heels.  Besides, Cassie loved the feel of the wooden stage floor under her feet.  It
gave her a sense of being a part of the stage and that gave her confidence.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, here she is just as I promised: Cassie-The Rock Vixen!"  Andy's
cue.  Cassie placed her left hand on her guitar's neck and held her pick in her right as
the curtan rose up to show the familiar bright limelights and crowd faces.  It's showtime.