Juliet's chateau had found itself seeing more "business" than it had ever had before, partially in relation to its establishment as an Animalian "colony" following her conversion into a Silver Fox Animalian, though not all that business was necessarily something that was good. The nightclub and casino that had been insisted on was one thing, but the biggest issue was the presence of Juan. The male Golden Island Fox Animalian was polite and had many respectable qualities as an individual, and a real part of Juliet wished to provide for him a second chance, given what had gotten him in trouble in America. That was all a good thing, but some people seemed to see more into it than that.
The biggest issue was more that people assumed that because Juliet was a silver phase Red Fox Animalian and that Juan as a Golden Island Fox Animalian, a hybrid species that came from breeding two specific color phases of the Red Fox and Arctic Fox, that the pair of them would automatically want to be together and "start a family." Some of it also added in assumptions that Juliet had no control over herself, her hormones, or desires based on the incident in which she'd found herself a bit too inebriated and very nearly revealing all she had at the Meat Market in Animalia. That hadn't been her best moment, and it seemed to be something that fueled a lot of the rumors. Though the actual rumors likely started with Olympe's misstatement to Animalia Ambassadoria that Juliet and Juan were involved and thus people then saw "silver and gold" as the "perfect couple."
Juliet did not blame her charge for the misstatement. For while some of the girls she'd been raising and educating did take to some of the more... exotic sides of how Animalians lived, she also had the sense that they also weren't the sort to push those sorts of things. The misstatement on Olympe's part was more a genuine sign of respect and that she had seen Juliet get along well with Juan and figured that he would make Juliet happy. But once the rumors were created from that, people seemed to keep running with that, even though her relationship with Juan remained professional and purely professional, and some of the other girls latched onto it. In this, playing to the reputation that foxes had in the western world as cunning tricksters, she began putting together a cunning plan that she hoped would put an end to all of this.
It required a few behind the scenes efforts, including talking the Horizon doctors in the medical wing to make sure they were on board with it. It took a little bit of effort, but those she'd talked with had followed Animalia's rules and edicts fairly closely. Much of the talk around Juliet and Juan being an "item" continued to miss that the pairing broke Animalia's fifth edict... "5. Heat and Rut is to be dealt with by members of the same species, for it will inevitably lead to offspring." That line was not something that assumed Animalians would be barren, it assumed that Animalians would be reproductively capable, even if they were of different species. Maintaining that breeding only took place between Animalians of the same species was to make sure any and all children wouldn't have any confusing issues or forms. Juliet knew that there had been some amendments to that edict, but they had also been more relate how close the "different" species were. But much of this related determining the percentage of the DNA make up came from and related to how Syntixisaurus related to Tyrannosaurus and handling Animalians that represented animals that could be different species, but in nature did hybridize and produce viable offspring, such as wolves and dogs. However, the Red Fox and Golden Island Fox didn't qualify for that. One was a "pure" species while the other was a hybrid in which while the Red Fox made up half the Golden Island Fox's genetic makeup, kits among the mundane animal were not viable in any way.
Which meant that while the Animalia Virus would enable Juan to impregnate someone, that didn't mean that he was the same species as Juliet or that the Golden Island Fox was close enough to qualify. And yet the rumors persisted and created something was rather annoying and had reached a point where the local hospital was willing to get in on Juliet's prank. The last was to get the last bits of contact with Animalia's deputy mayor and some element of the Animalia Police Department who were in on the prank. That would then be televised to see which of her girls was perpetuating these rumors and giving them the attempt to drive those rumors. All that would be needed would be to put the announcement out once everything was ready.
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The announcement on Juliet's pregnancy sent bounds of excitement among many of the girls that had been there for Juliet to teach and instruct, largely as means to help them to try and overcome various mental deficiencies that France's public school system struggled to keep up with and that their parents couldn't easily afford. The girls were all excited because they saw a partnership between Juliet and Juan as something that was bound to happen, as they were both Fox Animalians and he often did join them for dinner, though he often had a textbook that he was reading from at the same time. And for many of them it seemed like something that was obvious, particularly when many could hear the muffled moans coming from Juliet's bedroom.
"I don't know why Olympe is still skeptical," Fifi said to Mia as they made their rounds in volunteering to help keep the rooms clean and often came complete with wearing a stereotypical maid's outfit as a uniform, even if Juliet's normal staff didn't dress like that. "I mean... they do look good together, don't you think?"
"Silver and gold are good color," Mia agreed, "but Olympe has said that Juliet has said that their relationship is purely professional."
"Yes, but they're both foxes and Juan does look rather strong," Fifi commented.
That was something that was part of a debate that had been there among the girls. Olympe had been rather skeptical that this was true and had sited the direct correction from Juliet that she and Juan were NOT interested in each other and that their relationship was purely professional and NEVER went beyond that. But the sounds they'd heard sounded like heavy sexual moaning, and while no one had seen Juliet and Juan go into the room together, and the chateau had no secret passages, the sound was enough to Mia and Fifi fairly certain on what had been going on, which then raised the present mission as they were looking for some other way to confirm it since Olympe had remained skeptical even after the report on what the doctors said.
And so, the two went about their work. They collected the waste baskets and dusted the hard surfaces while also looking over the carpet to see if it needed vacuuming. They were also looking for any of the more golden colored fur that they knew Juan had. After all, they'd all found that old fur could be shed at times and was part of aspects of basic hygiene that any Mammal Animalian needed. Though as they went about their work, they found themselves not finding any. There wasn't even a faint lingering of Juan's scent in the room and as Mia was checking something around the bed, her foot hit something underneath it that was hard, but the impact then triggered a sound coming out that sounded just like the heavy sexual moans that had them thinking that Juliet had been with Juan. That then got her to drop to a knee to find a CD/cassette/radio and she found that her toe hit the "play" button.
"A recording..." Mia gasped as she then turned it off and looked to Fifi, who'd come up to her, "I think someone pulled a trick on us."
Fifi was unable to fully respond as the main door chime sounded and getting both of them to finish and then move to investigate.
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To some degree, Robby was a bit nervous as he and two of Animalia's detectives, both Wolf Animalians in plain clothes, arrived at Juliet's chateau. He was in on the prank and knew that Juliet had suspected someone in her charge of helping to push the rumors that she and Juan were involved romantically which had proved to be part of the irritant. And the prank to announce a pregnancy, which would then be a violation of Animalia's 5th edict that he and Clara had put together years before when Animalia was just starting and would then trigger the rather delicate matters in which Animalia would have to handle it.
With Animalia, Dino City, Dinotopia Aquatica, which were all in the US, Animalia's edicts had been codified into local law and could be enforced locally. Juliet's chateau, in the Champagne region of France, was more subject to French law and French administration, which actually brought the chief responsibility for enforcing said laws coming back to Paris and what the Fifth Republic wished to enforce, and they had largely notified Animalia and Horizon that while they respected Animalia's edicts as a "guideline" and code of conduct, but they wouldn't be enforcing it. Which would change how this would have to be handled if this weren't the result of a prank. While Robby felt the plan itself was quite cunning, he did recognize that he would have to play his role delicately in order to sell his role in the prank.
The door opened to find a Racoon Animalian, who's fur was all shades of purple. It took Robby a moment to recognize that this was Juliet's lady in waiting, Violet.
"May I help you, sirs?" Violet asked carefully.
"Yes, I am Animalia's Deputy Mayor, Robert," Robby spoke, "and these are my escorts. We're here concerning reports regarding Madame Renard Argenté."
Violet blinked for a moment and then sighed, "this will be about her pregnancy, no doubt."
"So, the report is true?" one of the two Wolf Animalians said in a low voice.
"From what has been revealed, yes," Violet answered, "though not that I fully believe it. But supposedly there has been hospital work and everything, and something the girls think is joyous."
Violet stepped back from the doorway and then looked them all down, "I trust you are all clean? No dirt? No Covid? Georgette would be most displeased if something were to add to her staff's work."
"We've all been vaccinated, both regarding the Animalia Virus and Covid," Robby assured her, though he heard the two Wolf Animalians rubbing their feet on the large stones that made up the path to the front door.
"Very good," Violet answered come with me, "I will take you to where Madame Renard-Argente is."
They then followed Violet as she led them into the chateau. It proved to be larger than expected and they picked up a few tag-alongs in that Josephine, Eloise, Marie, Olympe, and Gigi all came in curious about the newcomers. Fifi and Mia were the last to join the procession with Georgette with them. Robby paid no mind, as to a degree, this was part of the plan that went into the prank that Juliet had running. Violet led them into the chateau's library where Juliet was presently seated across from Juan as he was looking over some set of notes. Both were also discussing the differences in French and American education practices and where Juan was also clearly noting those differences.
"Madame Renard-Argente, you have visitors from Animalia," Violet spoke, getting both Juliet and Juan to look up, "curious about recent events."
"You're here to congratulate Juliet?" Gigi asked.
"More to confirm that Animalia's Fifth Edict has not been violated," Robby answered looking to the black furred Poodle Animalian, "which if the reports are true... has happened."
"Fifth Edict..." Gigi said slowly.
"As stated, when Clara and I put Animalia's edicts together... 5. Heat and Rut is to be dealt with by members of the same species, for it will inevitably lead to offspring," Robbie quoted the edict.
"But Juan are Juliet are both foxes," Eliose commented.
"But there are many species of fox," Robby answered, "just being a fox does not make said breeding in line with the edict. And that makes things rather critical. As the edict was not made with the idea that interspecies breeding among Animalians was impossible but that it WAS possible and could then problems that would come from it. Amendments have been made, but that has been limited to cases where the species in question has enough of its genome matching up with the genome of another that it would effectively be a subspecies of the second. Thus, the breeding would still be within that species. The other would-be regarding cases where these animals already crossbreed in the wild and produce viable offspring there."
"That all sounds like you don't want Juliet to be happy," Gigi commented.
"We didn't know Ms. Renard-Argente when Clara and I put Animalia's edicts together," Robby answered, "we were just uplifted and trying to establish rules that would sit at the heart for a community that would have multiple species and not just one."
"But..." Eloise began, "Animalia has couples that are married that aren't even the same type of animal, let alone the same species."
"And none of those couples have had reports of them having children," Robby answered, "The edict relates to interspecies breeding, not interspecies love. There is a difference. And a few of those couples are also same sex couples and thus cannot have children together."
"If I may ask..." Marie began slowly, "what would be the punishment if one of these edicts were broken?"
"In Animalia?" Robbie asked, "there would be a certain set of punishments. We wouldn't execute those involved or abort the child, BUT because such action would represent that both individuals have no control over themselves, they would have the choice of either life in solitary confinement or they would be... "fixed," I believe the term is for assuring that pets aren't breeding uncontrolled. This would have to wait for the female to give birth, obviously, but the child would then be raised in foster care with the intent to make sure that the next generation isn't hurt by mixed adaptations coming from different species and that when he or she grows up, they have the maturity and capability to control themselves."
"But so far there hasn't been a case of that in Animalia," the second Wolf Animalian commented, "we may have a higher libido than most Humans, but we'd know and understand who we can breed with."
"Then it's a good thing the whole pregnancy thing isn't real," Fifi spoke up which alerted the ears of all that were there.
Juliet watched quietly as Olympe and Georgette blinked in surprise, Violet looked almost relieved. The rest, aside from Fifi and Mia looked on in almost complete disbelief to Mia and Fifi.
"It isn't," Mia spoke, "we were helping Georgette and found a player under Madame Juliet's bed. It PLAYED all the moans that were heard."
"But that could be faked... or recorded while mating," Josephine commented.
"Yeah, and you two were both in on the plan to set madam and Juan up together," Gigi added, "why suddenly lose all hope over this? The only one who wasn't in on it was Olympe."
"Because if someone wants something for posterity, it's not going to be just an audio recording of moans," Mia commented, "they'd want something they can see and share."
"Which is correct," Juliet spoke at last turning the eyes of her girls to her, "and it was a prank. And I must say I am very disappointed in you."
"But we wanted you to be happy, and Juan is a handsome looking fox," Gigi spoke, "why would you trick us?"
"I can appreciate wanting to make me happy," Juliet answered, "but if that was your goal, then the answer is to ask on what would make me happy and what I would be looking for in a romantic partner. And not just assume that because someone is also a fox that we are pair, regardless of the "silver and gold" look."
"Particularly when the Golden Island Fox is not a color phase of the Red Fox, like Juliet is," Juan added, "it's a hybrid fox created by man for the fur and pet trade, breeding two specific color phases of the Red and Arctic Fox. Now... yes, the Animalia Virus corrects for the viability that the actual animal doesn't have, but the key fact remains that without it, the Golden Island Fox CANNOT breed naturally and thus those involved in the trade have to keep those specific phases of the Red and Arctic Foxes in conditions that would force them to interbreed, which behaviorally they DON'T do in the wild all that much. Red Foxes actually tend to bully or at least squabble with Arctic Foxes more than there would be the case for them breeding in the wild. As such, even if the romantic interest was there... Juliet and I are too different foxes to be able to breed, even under the amended terms for that edict."
"You don't like Juliet?" Marie said weakly.
"I respect her and like her in a platonic way," Juan answered, "particularly as she's been able to give me a shot at something that my own past mistakes cost me in America. You do understand how and why I ended up agreeing to convert?"
"Something related to drugs..." Fifi said slowly.
"Yes, but before then I'd been a special ed teacher in the US," Juan spoke, "a lot of my work, like Juliet's, was with students that were suffering from various mental deficiencies. To help them reach their highest potential and be able to function in a society that is likely to toss them aside without it. But... after a bad injury that left me in pain, I ended up addicted to pain killers or anything that dull that pain, and that consumed everything. And while I'd actually left the school I'd been working for before I got caught... once I did get caught, I lost EVERYTHING with regard to my certification in the US. For even if it wasn't revoked, no school is going to hire a convicted drug addict."
"And to a degree, it took a fair bit of convincing that the Animalia Virus "cured" that addiction to get Juan enrolled in an online course here in France that would allow him to begin work to transfer his existing American credentials into French ones," Juliet added, "and it came with my assignment to also serve as a tutor and helper in that program to make sure that Juan meets France's standards in terms of education."
"Which is then a teacher/student relationship between us, not that unlike what Juliet has had with you while you were growing up," Juan added, "and in the US... sex between teacher and student is forbidden and the consequences can vary. Largely because of the perception that a teacher engaging in such action is using their role as a teacher to coerce those favors out of the student. Not something coming from love or romance. If it's between a teacher and a student that is 18 or older, assuming that consent is given, that's STILL improper behavior on the part of the teacher and he or she loses their job and certification. Some, particularly those running big sports programs, manage to avoid this... but that only lasts for a time, and eventually even they get caught and lose. Because that kind of relationship is forbidden. If the relationship is between a teacher and a student under the age of 18, because the official age of consent in the US is 18, the teacher not only loses his/her job and certification but is then charged with statutory rape because a minor cannot legally give consent. That teacher then also goes on a watch list for pedophiles, meaning that when that teacher gets out of prison, they're not likely going to get a good job anywhere. And I would assume that France has similar standards regarding the behavior of their own instructors."
That left everyone's eyes wide in surprise and almost fear, particularly with the reporting on the rules teachers in America had to follow. They'd never had that concern under Juliet's tutelage and remembered plenty of times how their parents often got to come up for Christmas and how Juliet had made sure they were protected. None of them had ever imagined that anything like that happened in which teachers would be involved with students in a way that wouldn't be seen as "romantic."
"And your attempts to try and keep this story that Juan and I are romantically involved has added its own set of troubles," Juliet spoke, "I have received emails from people that have picked up these rumors and have spread them, creating the impression and image that I have no control over myself or my instincts. And that in turn has led to most of the families and those that I could hope to help have said "no" and that they would rather risk public schools or no schooling at all for their children because they won't trust THEIR child to the care of a "sex starved Animalian masquerading as someone respectable." And orders for the vineyard's wine and champagne have dropped by a third since the start of the year. Because people see those rumors, tales, and lies, and then see me as a sex addict that has no control, and therefore CANNOT do ANYTHING respectable."
The group was silent for a moment.
"We're sorry," Fifi said slowly, "we only wanted you to be happy and thought we might... set up something romantic."
"Much of that happens on its own and often on its own accord," Juan commented, "my parents really had nothing in common. Yet, when they met... it just seemed to work out. You'd have hope that Juliet meets someone that does the same... and on her own terms. Not try to push something because it looks good."
"Particularly if it violates Animalia's edicts," Robby added.
"With the exception of Olympe, you are to explain your role in helping these rumors spread," Juliet instructed, "and that none of them were true."
"Yes, madam," the girls said, sounding very much like scolded children.