Danielle would take a tad longer to respond to the quiet CEO than she would have liked.
Boo, perhaps she had to finish some stupid text.
If she had known this was the case she would have just waited with her driver!
She subconsciously rubbed her decorative bracelet. Beneath it was a secret tracking device of sorts. Chelsea hated having personal security butting into her life so she decided it better to use remote communication and tracking instead. A simple touch of a button or use of a codeword would have someone arrive in moments.
What? That's not fast enough? What do you know, it's better than Chelsea having to deal with more unwanted company!
The ironic similarity to her in-game bracelet activating the N-Suit was likely just a jest of fate.
The stall of interaction now led the Nexon's dark eyes to gaze around and take in the sights. It was Central Park, it wasn't like she'd never been here before, but there was a festival and she didn't care in the least for it but... sometimes there might be a barely adequate performer present.
That was the other reason Chelsea rarely went to these things. Most music was just... subpar. Maybe a few were worth it. Although you would never hear her give away who she liked. Perhaps it was because of her upbringing, the people she met, the things she knew...
Her own pride like everything else that guided the petite tsun's life.
A very pink and very annoying-looking figure caught the Nexon's eye.
Oh... that Angelique stupid. There was an example of bad taste and performance based on looks and nothing else. Chelsea was certain that one always used lip sync. Thankfully the talentless hack was far away and probably didn't notice the bored girl's stare.
Angel blinked a few times as the awkward woman sputtered out a word salad that didn’t really answer any of the questions she’d had. Smiling, she waited for her to collect herself, hoping the initial fame-shock would wear off soon-ish so they could get back to normal human conversation.
"Hi, hi, hello there~" Angel answered with a wink, masterfully diverting the lady’s awkwardness into a playful joke. "Thanks, that’s very kind of you to say. I don’t feel quite like a superstar yet, but I’m sure trying my best~!"
Angel turned to the side to see the duo approaching fast. Aww, the young redhead was cute! And the guy holding his hand……… less so. Actually, he kinda scared her a lil’ bit. Professional, but there was something subtle about his expression that gave her the impression he was super irritated about something. Or maybe she was just overthinking things.
"Aww, a princess~? You’re too kind~!" First superstar and now princess? Next thing she knew, someone would call her a goddess or something. That totally wasn’t going straight to her head. Nope. Not at all.
"I’m Angel, and I’d love to share a picture with you~! Come here~!" Drawing him close, Angel offered a wink and a double-peace sign as the picture was taken.
However, as the area suddenly became a wall of suits, her smile felt more forced. It was hard to fight back a sigh whenever this sort of thing happened. She loved Ecclesia’s crazy dedication to the job in that they’d launched her forth to stardom in unprecedented time, but their security was just insane. How was she supposed to win over people like this poor, purple-haired woman when she was constantly surrounded by scary-looking guards!?
"… That’s actually why I’m here," she lied. "I thought a tasty ice cream would help keep me cool." Yep, there was zero chance she‘d buy that. But it wasn’t really for Kaya as much as the onlookers.
To Angel’s delight, however, Dayeon returned for the poor woman with the thousand-yard stare. And she was even a fan!? "Wow! Of course!" Angel nodded, quickly taking the sharpie and signing the album, careful to dot the i with a heart. "I’m actually really glad I got to meet you! You know, Slime Girls was actually a big inspiration for me, so I was happy to see you were still performing on your own~! Oh! Here you go~!" she handed the album back.
"Ahaha, right, don’t let me keep you. But it was nice to meet you, Dayeon~! And you too, Naomi~!" If that could even be called meeting her. She seemed nice enough though. "I should be going too. Enjoy the festival, everyone~!"
As she left the food court with her marketing head, Angel felt a shiver run down her spine. She could swear she’d caught a glimpse of a certain stare… one of pure, icy judgement, cutting through the waves of enthusiastic partiers. It was probably just Kaya, Angel thought to herself. Kaya’s look really gave her the creeps sometimes…
Danielle swung her face right in front of Chelsea’s in that moment, ashen eyes glimmering with curiosity. She tilted her head about to take a glance from the petite girl’s point-of-view, but with the sheer amount of people present for the largest music festival in New York City, it was honestly hard to tell what exactly they were looking at. People costumed up were a dime in a dozen, even in such scorching temperatures, and while there may have been a couple folks here that looked so off they may have been straight outta Terrasphere, the majority of people were just inoffensively bland.
“Don’t tell me you…you didn’t just put a hit on someone, didja?” Her eyes bounced then onto the fancy-smancy smartwatch that Chelsea wore, before the older woman skipped back a couple steps to give her introverted friend some space.
“Love the idol-lite look you’re rocking today, by the by. Summer-y chic af, and the puffed sleeves are a hella cute look. Don’t suppose you’re a Zeus’ fan, Chelsea?”
Whatever had pre-occupied Danielle enough to ignore the lady’s approach for a solid few seconds seemed to have been…ignored. Her phone, by now, was stowed away, and she appeared wholly present. @Lady N
Chelsea's frown only accelerated in downwards A tier momentum as Danielle's big head now blocked her vision.
The woman that played an annoying, very over-the-top even if sharply dressed, muse was now finally done with whatever she had been doing.
The displeasure on Chelsea's face would fade at the accusation of...
A hit?
Nexons DO NOT put out HITS. As always stupid's say the most ridiculous things! The young CEO would be angry if not so shocked by the idea. If anyone deserved that it would be the ones behind Terrasphere but in all seriousness...
Did she really come off as that kind of person?
It certainly made her wonder.
"N-No... Not at all. Just some of the stars here are disappointing."
A shake of the head with eyes closed in disapproval. It felt strange, Danielle was very difficult to tolerate in-game but outside of it. The slighter older girl was one of the few people Chelsea even gave the time of day to. Mostly due to their shared conviction to deal with the death game, certainly not due to personality.
Of course, Chelsea would never mention this friendship as anything more than business. Chelsea did not need others so she could just lose them like her father and company. Her loneliness was a real problem she continued to reject.
"Yeesh no. None of those artificial people are worth idolizing. They exist to trick people into dying..."
Honestly, she was beginning to wonder about that after the Kurungaar Mother battle. The NPCs looked like they were trying to protect players during that fight. Still, she couldn't let just that disprove her theories. Unless... the devs were so twisted they created NPC just to be tortured as well?
Would not be a surprise.
Putting the dark thoughts away as well as the somber girl could. Chelsea would let Danielle lead from here. This was definitely more her kind of event after all and in Terrasphere she was the master of harmonics.
"I'm no idol. It's just something I put together. I don't even like singing stupid ...I have a business to run."
It's embarrassing and stressful...
Memories of her aunt's endless lessons crept up on her.
"Be like my sister, she was such a beautiful and talented woman until that Nexon came along!"
"Why do you think that asshole of a father married her anyway?"
"Everyone on my side of the family was perfect at housekeeping AND performing arts!"
Urgh...
"Sigh ...it's not like I don't know what to do, but... what do you want to do?"
A lot happened all at once, and for the normal person it would be rather overwhelming, but Isaac had been trained since birth for this sort of thing. One of the few things his father had allowed him to do was learn what it was like to be a line cook in five star bistro's, the amount of stress and rush one was constantly under. It kept him cool like a cucumber even in this muggy heat. First was the army of suits and bodyguards which he immediately recognized. He didn't even need to turn to see @Azykia AKA Kaya approach. Painting a practiced smile, he would turn and give a simple wave.
"Goodness, Kaya? Is that you? I haven't seen you since..." he would idly tap his chin ponderously. "Oh dear, your eighteenth birthday party? Have you been well? I've been meaning to reach out and congratulate you on several of your successes, but I have been busy with work." A devilish grin would then slide across his face. "Of which I am not doing any today, certainly not trying to undermine a dear friend of mine."
@Sai
Isaac would take the photo as Angel pulled his cousin closer, the young red head beaming as they struck their pose. He would send this to the family, as well as his social media manager. The boy was positively starstruck, which was adorable and for a moment Isaac's frozen heart thawed. Perhaps that would he would attribute to his next few actions. As she left Ikarus would bask in the glow of having a pretty girl wrap her arm around him (he's twelve cut him some slack).
He would turn to the purple haired girl (@Kyra Vashtana ) and raise an eyebrow in concern. "Ma'am are you all right? The heat isn't getting to you is it?" The moment the words left his lips, Daeyon (@Moonsong ) would make an appearance drawing his attention immediately. The business part of his brain immediately sounded the unsigned talent alarm.
"I'm not sure if I have business with your lovely friend, but it appears she might be in the early stages of heat exhaustion? If so she might need to be escorted to some shade or to a nearby medical tent."
The appearance of the artist roused the twelve year old from his buzz as his eyes widened. "Isaac that's-" he would find a gentle finger pressed on his lips from the CEO, playfully shushing him. "Remember what your mother taught you about this sort of thing?"
"Oh!" The child's eyes would widen. "Hello!" He would offer DJ a hand to shake. "I'm Ikarus Steele, of Steel Security! This is my cousin, Isaac Clarke of Clarke Industries! Can I have your autograph?" He would turn to the older man shooting him a beaming grin, proud of "remembering his business manners"
Kaya recognized Angel's professional-faced excuse and decided to give her more of a hand than she had wanted. "Ice cream does sound appropriate for the occasion, doesn't it?" With a performing smile, she reached her hand up to her ear. "Z. Provide an ice cream voucher for Angelique and her new friends, won't you?" @Sai
Not a second later her nearest bodyguard started speaking under the ambient sounds of the festival crowd. None could really hear it, but they were describing the people around Kaya to the insider working through concessions. Meanwhile the woman in command looked to Dayeon and merely watched with her overly polite 'upper class grin' as the two performers exchanged gestures of kindness and support. It definitely wasn't the sort of thing one would see in her own line of business, that's for sure. @Moonsong@Kyra Vashtana
"Well, Miss Dayeon, I have business with Angelique, who seemed to momentarily have business with your friend, Miss Naomi. Please understand that the last thing I would wish is to make you miss your Despacitwo." Normally, as the daughter of the CEO of Ecclesia, she would feel more obligated to try and steal Dayeon over from her current marketing agents, but fighting music labels in particular was a level of stress she just didn't care to combat today even in the best-case scenario. "Don't forget to pick up your free ice cream on the way, you two~!" She looked and sounded as pleasant as she wasn't trying to be. After all, it was already all she could do sometimes to want to do anything but indulge in Terrasphere for days at a time, so she really didn't like having herself rushed when she was already having to run such a tight schedule.
It was nothing personal against the idol. She was sure Dayeon was actually really sweet when she wasn't in a hurry to see some "musician" Kaya couldn't stand. Finally, as her security gave a brief word to Angelique about coming along to get back to promotional work--they feared Kaya's potential wrath just as much as the idol herself--she gave Isaac the time of day that he had given her. It was only polite. @Alexander The Great
"Hm. Time certainly flies, doesn't it?" The man could parse quite easily, like staring into a fourth-dimensional mirror, that Kaya was up until now being one hundred percent professional. That was to say, she was being fake, formal, and polite. She was as exhausted and unemotional as she used to look all the time. The difference was only how much more effort she put into hiding it. "You have quite the mature young man with you today, I see. Why, I'm sure my whole security team pales in comparison to your dedicated bodyguard there!" She laughed and raised her hand to her mouth as a communicative garnish as she did.
"While I'd love to stay and talk, it seems we're going two different directions at the moment. Reach out sometime, won't you? And don't forget your free ice cream, and to be here on the sixth day for Angelique's performance~!"
With very little time left in her schedule to stand around with the current group, she turned and began walking off with as much casual grace as she could manage.
It was only once she got away from them and next to Angel again that she dropped any amount of public façade for the time being. "Angelique." She stressed the idol's name, expunging what little insult she actually felt at the whole scenario. "Did I not mention to you that I took your attendance at this festival solely into my hands? I'm trying to give you a little more breathing room at this event than normal, but you've got to work with the schedule for right now. Okay? Pretty please?"
There was so much going on, surrounded by people who were clearly leagues above Kyra's own social standing - if she even had something that could be called social standing. These people were...well, people, important people. Not like her.
So when Dayeong returned to drag Kyra away, she put up no resistance. Her mind had gone numb, trying to figure out how she'd not only managed to get herself trapped in a circle of people, but important people. People who could likely snap their fingers and have anything happen.
"Wow...you people are like...super intense. Has anyone told you that before? I mean...the whole security detail...and the flashy outfits, and the whole...that..."
Her hands waved in the air from behind Dayeong, as if trying to motion towards everyone else. There was a confused smile on her face, and an almost distant appearance to her eyes.
"I mean...no disrespect or anything, it's just...wow you're easy to spot...and you all look fabulous, and...I'm talking way, way too much but you're all very...overwhelming, and awesome, and over the top, and...I need to go now."
Spinning on the spot she made her way towards the venue that Dayeong had disappeared towards, her steps almost robotic in movement as her body remained stiff, the encounter causing her entire system to react. She knew it was absurd, that these were people just like her, but their entire presence was...well, something else entirely. Something that she could never aspire to, something impressive.
Between the loud music, the blistering sun and numerous crowds that littered the place, this was not his forte, especially since his wife's parents would be looking for him, having essentially eloped with their daughter without their consent a few years back. This forced him to wear his black aviators and a black baseball cap he had picked up earlier in an attempt to disguise himself when they went out, not only from them of course but also the numerous fans he had, much to his dismay. Though he had important business in New York City revolving around the possibility of a new global, hybrid racing series being formed, he had no interest in leaving his hotel beyond meeting potential investors, let alone join the festivities below but Michiko wouldn't have it. Under the pretexts of wanting to check up on Ren Nanamoto and the rest of the members of the Narusawa Speed Stars, his academy's up and coming idol group, before their debut later in the day, she had managed to drag him away from his laptop and his research. If It had been anyone else, It would have been easy to say no, to stand firm in his decision but atlas, Michiko was his kryptonite. For numerous reasons he could never admit, he could never say no to her. As a consequence, within thirty minutes of being dragged away from their room, he found himself seated in between a brewery stand and the Speed Stars stage that was currently being used for photo shoots, having a hefeweizen while he waited for them to finish. In the mean time, as numerous men ran past him to see the Summerfest's authentic race queens, he kept his head down as he kept himself to his drink, trying to keep his boredom and identity in check, otherwise he end up occasionally staring at his black Nissan R34 the Speed Stars were using in their photo op when no one was around, remembering all the memories he made with the car. Eventually however, he found himself unable to contain his boredom any longer, forcing a small to sigh escape him as the bottom of his head sat within the palm of his left hand. This in return drew Michiko's attention whom stared with eyebrow's raised, showing clear signs she was concerned for his well being. "Ryosuke? Are you alright? We can head back inside If you want? I'm sorry, I just wanted to see how miss Ren was doing." He heard her but he didn't divert his attention from his R34 sitting on the stage or Ren performing a gravure like pose on it's hood for some of her fans who were taking pictures.
It's fine, don't worry about it. I know you have a soft spot for her.
The moment he said that, Michiko clapped her hands together and smiled, clearly relieved. While there was some truth to her words, he knew she lying. She really just wanted to spent time with him before they returned home, which was fine, just why now? Why HERE of all places? Between his wife's parents, his own fans and his idol group's debut today, he was practically asking for a incident to unfold here. Regardless of his own happiness, he didn't blame her for what she did. They were the closest people they had in each other's lives. He in no way wanted to be here, but If it meant making her happy, he stomach it for the time being. Still, as time passed on, he was beginning to have difficulties in taking his eyes off Ren who was still posing for the numerous camera's that were surrounding her. He had no idea how his former pupil went from professional racing to the leader of a idol group but he wouldn't question it. It was far from the strangest thing he had seen before. While he didn't encourage such behavior either from women, he couldn't deny the results it was bringing to his academy or his own reputation. If he was a unfaithful man, It would certainly be easy...
It had been quite a drive to come all this way. The trip and the tickets cost her good bit, but...it wasn't really much of a dent in her funds. Definitely not as much as the bill for getting her old folks' motorhome fixed up.
April had started getting used to big city traffic, but navigating the horde of lunatic drivers, locating the venue they were all flooding to, and actually managing to find a place to park her studio apartment on wheels...it was a much bigger challenge than anything she'd faced in the last couple of years. But in the end, she had made it. And pretty early, too. She'd had time to wait around in the motorhome for a bit, meander around as things were just getting started, browse some merch stands...
So now, here she was. She had a new hat featuring some band or artist she wasn't super familiar with, but whose hat had a nice design, which she was wearing sideways for the fun of it. Her other piece of 'merchandise', a single corndog, kept her company as she went with the flow of the crowds around here to see what there was to see. It was certainly cool to be here, and she knew there'd be plenty of entertainment, but it was still a bit disappointing to be here alone. Oh well. If she'd still had anyone to come with, she wouldn't even be here anyways.
...She takes a bite out of her corndog, the greasy cheapness of it dispelling her morose thoughts as she continues to try and enjoy her time here.
Dayeon took the autographed album, flattered. "Really? I'm glad." Coming from Angelique (@Sai), it was such high praise that your old idol group inspired her. Slime Girls in its four-year run managed to be an international hit, but it was nowhere near Angel in terms of western market breakthrough. "Thank you, I'll not disappoint you. Oh, and I'll be there on the sixth day for your performance!" She waved at the idol disappearing with the sea of bodyguards. She was right though, the marketing head woman was really scary.
Her attention switched to the long-haired drug dealer guy (@Alexander The Great), who mentioned that the heat might be too much for Naomi. "Yup, that's why I'm bringing her towards the stage area. I should get going too, I don't want want to get drenched in sweat before my performance, or miss Despacitwo." Dayeon said to the man before looking back at the purple-haired woman excusing herself into the crowd. "Well, there she goes. I should also get going—" She was going to run back before getting interrupted by a young boy.
"Wait, you know me?" She bent down with a great interest in her face. "Aren't you the cutest thing? How old are you?" Ikarus Steele, of Steel Security? Is this boy a bodyguard or something? "Hold on, I'll grab a card." As she autographed a white card, she would steal glances at the man with long hair who apparently is not a drug dealer. Isaac Clarke of Clarke Industries. Somehow the name is familiar but she is drawing a blank today. "Here!" The girl grinned, handing the little kid her autographed card.
"FONSI!"
Shit, that's Luis Fonsi's signature shout. If she sprints now, she can make it before the main chorus of Despacitwo, and maybe find Naomi among the crowds."Whoops, gotta run now."Wait. Doesn't that mean her performance is due next? And she hasn't even finished her chocolate ice cream yet. "My performance will be in around fifteen minutes. I expect you two will be watching?" She clicked her tongue, shooting finger guns at both Ikarus and Isaac, before running off towards the main stage area. Multitasking between furiously licking ice cream and trying not to crash into people.
She made it just right in time.
Despacidos (Released internationally as Despacito 2, also known as Despacitwo)
Sí, sabes que ya llevo un rato mirándote
Tengo que decir lo que siento hoy
(DY!)
Vi que tu mirada está cansada de mi
Muéstrame como salvar lo nuestro hoy
Tú, tú eras un imán y yo era el metal
Pero seguimos separándonos lentamente
Sólo pensarlo me rompe por dentro
(Oh no)
Ya, ya nada en este mundo significa más que tú
Todos mis sentidos están desvaneciendo
No puedo vivir si no estamos juntos
"I think that's some wishful thinking... but hopefully more variety pops in the next couple of days—or hours—so people can disperse around all the options instead of crowding that food truck."
The pair walked and snacked as they made their way towards the gathering crowd, the energy that radiated from the multitude of people gathered around now palpable as Ari and Valeria got closer. She was quite familiar with the current song playing, Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ready to send off the crowd with their latest hit.
"Dees paaah cito...!"
Valeria couldn't help but add her own voice to the growing chorus from the crowd, humming along to the beat and lyrics as her eyes scanned the crowd before catching a glimpse of a good location. "Come on, I think there's an open spot a bit up ahead~!" She was definitely in her element now, a bright smile directed to Ari as her hand reached for his without much thought—not wanting to run the risk of them being separated as they attempted to navigate through the crowd.
"It'd be crazier if they didn't have anymore trucks show up," Ari replied as they walked, throwing out the empty box of chips in the first trash can they came across after they'd finished. "Lot's of hungry people at events like this. And that means a lot of money to be made, I'm sure half of New York's food trucks that are worth their salt will be here at some point or another this week."
As Valeria started to sing along to now, decade old song, with a smile on her face, the dark haired man couldn't help but steal a glance over at her as she belted out the lyrics. If he knew even half the song, he probably would've joined in, but instead the man just chuckled softly, enjoying her enjoyment.
"Come on, I think there's an open spot a bit up ahead~!" the girl suddenly said, extending a hand to Ari with a beaming smile. Returning the gesture with a smile of his own, the man took her hand in his and let her guide them through the crowd, until eventually they'd made it.
Even when they stopped though, Ari didn't let go of Valeria's hand, only loosening his grip enough to let her slip her hand out if she chose. "Man, there are a lot of people here," the man commented, readjusting his bag on his shoulder.
Ari definitely had a point there, with the amount of hungry people that would be flocking into Central Park as the day went on—not to mention the week, especially once the weekend arrived—it would be inconceivable that more food trucks wouldn't take the opportunity to line their pockets while also increasing their reputation and presence on the web.
A win-win for everyone involved, so long as the cards were played right.
"Yes~!"
There was an excited cry by the blonde as they managed to snag the spot she'd seen without issue, delighted to see the good view it afforded them of the stage without being so close that when the music blared from the stage monitors it would be uncomfortable to endure. Her body swayed to the rhythm of the song as it entered its last chorus, and it took a moment before her mind quietly reminded the blonde that she was still holding on to Ari's hand.
His own grip on her own had loosened enough where Valeria could have slipped out if she chose to... but was that something that she wanted to do? "Y-Yeah... I thought it would've been emptier considering it's a Monday." That's usually how Summerfests worked after all, the first few days used to slowly build up the hype towards the incoming weekend were all the super famous and big A names would be scheduled to play one after another.
A slight stutter slipped into her words before Valeria seemed to overcome it, the girl aware of the heat that began pooling into her cheeks as a soft blush overtook them, but her hand remained nestled comfortably inside Ari's own as she continued to sway with the beat. Just for a little while... After all she was quite aware that the chances they'd see one another after the summerfest came to a close would be abysmally low, he lived in PA while she was all the way over in Michigan, but there was always the possibility or that promised road trip... or perhaps a visit to the Caribbean.
She'd cross that bridge if they ever reached it, but for now Valeria figured it couldn't hurt either of them to enjoy the moment... that's what summer was all about, right?
The crowd had packed in tighter than Naomi had been expecting, leaving her jostled and pushed around as she followed in behind the more eccentric girl who'd saved her from the collection of overbearing people who'd trapped her earlier. Now, in return, she'd allowed herself to be dragged into the middle of a performance that she hadn't originally intended to attend. Not that she was necessarily disliking the music, now that she was here.
"This...this is actually...rather good!"
She had to shout to hear herself over the music, and the people around them. Even with the anxiety that had built with this many people around, Naomi had to admit that she was having fun, actually enjoying the moment.
"Hey...hey uh...Dayeong! You're on stage next, right? Don't you...have to go...get ready or something?"
She glanced at the other girl, wondering if she could even hear here over the loud music and general roaring of the crowd. Giving up, she found herself giving in to the call of the music, dancing in what she could only assume was likely absolutely embarrassing - if anyone was actually paying attention.
As she was exiting the main concert area, Naomi bumped into a black haired individual, bouncing off the larger individual and almost tripping over her own feet.
"Oh! I'm so, so sorry about that! I uh...wasn't watching where I was going...I'm sorry!"
"Y-Yeah... I thought it would've been emptier considering it's a Monday." Ari didn't miss the fact that Valeria hadn't removed her hand from his. With a secret smile, he grasped her hand a little more firmly. Stealing a glance over at the girl, her face flushed light red as she spoke to him. The man suppressed an amused, teasing chuckle, relegating it to nothing more than an amused smile. "Yeah. Me too," he replied to her, unable to take his eyes off her.
Well, at least until a body bumped into him. Stumbling forward, he knocked against the railing slightly, sending vibrations through the metal as it jangled briefly. Turning around to look at the person who'd bumped into him the man blinked as his eyes fell on face he'd only seen in a world that wasn't this one. "Kyra?" The man voiced the name as if it were a question. Was that really her?
She felt the way Ari's fingers tightened slightly against her hand, the motion reciprocated even if her gaze remained focused on the stage... she didn't quite trust herself to look at him right now, not with the way she could feel the tip of her ears burning. That changed when she felt a light tug on her arm as another person bumped into Ari, turning to look at him and the slightly smaller figure that had bumped into her friend.
"Are you both okay—" The words died down for a moment as the blonde got a better look into Naomi's face—She looks so familiar... is that Kyr——before another figure (@Moonsong) slightly behind the woman instantly captured all of Valeria's attention. "Oh... my... god! IsthatDayeonsong?!"
For a moment she completely forgot about pausing in between words as she spoke, before Valeria's hands quickly rushed to cover the woman's lips as she realized she'd uttered the star's name out loud. Her eyes quickly darted around, hoping the music was loud enough to drown her words for most bystanders—completely missing the name that Ari had uttered towards Naomi in a questioning manner.
Her head bopped to the beat of the sad music as she noticed Naomi (@Kyra Vashtana) enjoying the concert. Looks like the performance was exciting enough for her to forget all the anxiety. "It's good, right?!" Dayeon shouted back at her in the middle of the crowd, punching the air as the song almost its climax. "These guys are timeless! Good job!" She let out praise for Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi before the purple-haired woman reminded her that her performance comes next. "Shit, you're right. Time to go backstage, then. See you in fifteen minutes!"
Just about when she was about to disappear into the backstage, someone in the crowd called out to her. Did the Clark Kent method not work after all? Luckily, it seems that the music played by a DJ was so intense that it drowned the shouting. She would like to interact with the fan, but the time is slowly catching up, so Dayeon just waved at her with both hands, pointed at the stage, made a praying motion, and gave thumbs up to the blonde girl (@Luthien) before running off. She'll understand.
The girl appeared in one of the backstage rooms, already
changed to her stage attire. "I'm here, guys, chill." Dayeon reassured her team backstage who looked very concerned as she was very late. "No offense, Dayeon, but you smell really bad." One of her dancers joked as she passed the in-ear monitor to the idol, to whom she just chuckled. "Hey! It's summer, everyone stinks. Besides, I ran here at the speed of light." She inserted the in-ear monitor and tested her trusty pink mic, rehearsing the chorus part of her song a few times before being called to the stage. "Let's go."
"Annyeong! It's DAYEONSONG!" She greeted the massive audience with a wave as the idol came out on the stage. "I trust you guys have been well?" Dayeon came on stage like a completely different person; hair unbraided, matching pink turtleneck crop top and yoga pants, green suit, trendy sneakers, white cap, and completed with her signature pink whiskers make-up, a call-back to the Slime Girls era.
"Today, I'm going to perform my first English single, releasing tomorrow. You guys are so lucky, you know?" The crowd is filled with excitement from the announcement. "Excited? Let's hear it then." The girl announced the title of the track. "Red."
The melody of piano filled the concert area as the noise from the crown slowly subsides. The singer tapped her feet a few times, before singing the intro to her song.
Not the whole skies, not a golden throne
All I ever wanted was you alone
Wherever place you might be
Remember we were in L-O-V-E
On bronze skies, iron rained
Like destiny, we are intertwined
So let me revolve around you
Listen to your heart, I know you feel it too
One of her crew member walked towards her and passed her a pink electric guitar, on which Dayeon played a riff as the chorus approached and the basses started to play. The anthem for lament quickly turned more exciting the beat entered double time, giving off heavy metal vibe before going all out with her vocal.
Darling, you are my Crimson Disease
Without your hug, I'll cease to exist
I'll paint the town with my cherry love and tears
I'll make it Red, so that you'll come here
The chorus has just finished, and she quickly followed up with a rapid-fire rap, which further draws excitement from the audience.
Not queen of hearts, just a moon among the stars
Resolve reborn, kindle relit, phoenix soars
Light and the dark, fills the loveless' song
Back in black and red, it's me, Dayeon Song
Passing the guitar back to her crewmember, who in turn played some electro, distorted chords during the dance break. Dayeon tossed her green suit towards the audience, before dropping powerful dance moves, supported by her dance crew behind her. Her legs and arms moved with precision, and the core strength needed for the flexible moves showcased the idol's proficiency at dancing. She cheekily turned her cap backward and winked before going into the last part of the song.
Cause darling, you're my Crimson Disease
Only with hope, I cross the Red blood seas
For me, not even Ichor make me fear
Until the end, as long as you're here
The instrumental faded, as she slowly repeated the last line once again under her breath. "Until the end, as long as you're here." Her sad eyes wandered to the crowds, searching for someone that she hoped would be there. A particular, green-haired lovable idiot. Alas, it's nothing but a simple dream.
Her new friend, Dayeong had slipped away into the crowd - clearly hearing Kyra's warning that her own performance was about to start, and needing to rush to get ready. As she turned back to face the man she'd bumped into, Kyra got an odd feeling, as if she knew the man. But that couldn't be right, she'd never seen him before, she was sure of that.
He seemed to say something, a question perhaps, but with the noise around them Kyra couldn't quite catch it. What she wouldn't give for her fox ears from Terrasphere. Although, maybe not, considering the amount of pain that would bring.
Suddenly realising that Dayeong's performance was going to start any moment, Kyra grabbed the two in front of her, pulling them along behind her tiny little frame as she rushed forwards towards the other stage. She called out, hoping they'd hear her as she went.
"Come on! You don't wanna miss this next performance! I was told it was going to be awesome! By...well, by the performer, but still! I'm sure she wouldn't lie!"
I mean if she said it's gonna be good, it must be good, right? She was certain that must be the case, it wasn't like performers would do anything but provide the best show. She shrugged the thought off as she pulled the other two towards the next stage, stopping only once they had pushed through towards the front of the crowd.
"My names Naomi, by the way! Nice to meet you two! Uhm...do you happen to know Dayeong?"
The woman who bumped into him, who looked exactly like Kyra, sans the cat ears looked back at the man as if she couldn't place him, like she might've seen him passing by her on the street. "Oh, uh, sorry, nevermind, you just look like someone I know," the man apologized before going to turn back around, only for him to feel the woman strongly pulling not just his arm, but Valeria's too.
"Wh-hey!"
"Come on! You don't wanna miss this next performance! I was told it was going to be awesome! By...well, by the performer, but still! I'm sure she wouldn't lie!"
Ari shot Valeria a confused look, before shrugging at her. Should they stop her? Wasn't DAYEONSONG playing at this stage? Was all this ok with her?
Either way, they were being dragged away to another stage, making it all the way up near the front, through the roaring crowd, all waiting for the show to start.
"My names Naomi, by the way! Nice to meet you two! Uhm...do you happen to know Dayeong?"
Wait a second, wasn't that who Val had wanted to see?
"Ari," the man introduced himself to the woman, offering a hand for her to shake. "And nope, but I take it you do?"
"Annyeong! It's DAYEONSONG!" the woman on stage shouted, the crowd roaring in response.
"Today, I'm going to perform my first English single, releasing tomorrow. You guys are so lucky, you know? Excited? Let's hear it then. Red."
As the song began, the crowd's clamor dimmed, just enough so that the soft notes of a piano could be heard as the woman began to sing. Soon her singing was joined by the strumming of a guitar and other instruments as the chorus began.
For some reason an eerie sensation of familiarity crawled up the man's spine. As if he'd heard this singing before, and not through his phone. Her voice, some of these words, they plucked at something in Ari's mind that he just couldn't place.
DAYEONSONG started dropped some bars, rapidly spitting out words before passing her guitar off and shrugging off her jacket and tossing it into the crowd.
Ari might not have been tall, but he could jump. Leaping into the air, Ari plucked the green blazer out of the air, landing back on the ground with the article in hand. Ari glanced at it briefly, surprised that he'd even managed to grab it, before looking over at Valeria. "Here," he said with a soft smile, holding the jacket out to her. "It's yours."
As the figure waved towards Valeria she couldn't help the excited squeal that slipped from her lips, before her head tilted slightly as the girl watched Dayeon point towards a stage the blonde hadn't noticed existed followed by a praying hands motion and some thumbs up. To most the woman might as well have been speaking in hieroglyphs before she rushed off in the direction of a stage in the distance, but when the other girl grabbed onto Ari's wrist and also Val's own everything slowly fell into place.
"Ay, mierda...! This is the wrong stage, isn't it?!" "Come on! You don't wanna miss this next performance! I was told it was going to be awesome! By...well, by the performer, but still! I'm sure she wouldn't lie!" "W-Wait, you actually know her?!"
Naomi was kind enough to drag both of their asses away from the stage Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee had been performing on mere moments before, their own performance having just wrapped up, and the trio quickly hoofed it to the center stage located in the park. To the purple-haired girl's credit she managed to push her way right to the very front of the gathered crowd as they reached the correct stage, just in time to hear Dayeon's signature call as the woman stepped onto the stage in an entirely new outfit compared to what she'd been wearing moments before.
"I'm Valeria—oh gosh, thanks for dragging us over here Naomi!"
Had it not been for the other girl Valeria was pretty sure they might've missed the start of the show, not to mention finding such a close spot to watch it from, and the blonde couldn't help but mentally kick herself for not double checking on which stage DAYEONSONG would actually be performing from on her phone earlier. "Did she say an English single...?!" Surprised eyes turned to glance at Ari and Naomi to make sure Valeria had heard correctly, before a wide smile quickly spread on the girl's face shortly before the crowd began quieting down as the first piano notes began.
She loved the woman's voice in her songs, a big reason why Valeria had many of them in various playlists on her Spotify account, but while Dayeon did incorporate some English into them it was never the main language... until now at least. This was a song Valeria would be able to actually properly learn, and therefor eventually sing out loud, and it made the blonde more excited than she thought possible. Already the intro had the crowd captivated, before they errupted into early cheers when the singer was handed her iconic pink electric guitar, playing a magnificent riff out as the song entered its first chorus.
Valeria's voice had been among those cheers, of course, excitedly listening as Dayeon delivered a sick rapif-fire rapping segment that easily excited the present crowd even further. It was then she passed the guitar back to a crewmember, the woman slipping off her green jacket with ease as it was then chucked right into the crowd before Dayeon and her dance crew began their choreography as the last chorus of the song began.
Before the blonde had realized it the man besides her had already jumped in response, his hands managing to catch the fabric of the discarded blazer before landing back on the ground with a surprised look that properly mimicked the one on Valeria's own face. "Here, it's yours." The article in question was then held out towards her, her hands reaching out to take it, before the soft smile Ari offered certainly caused Val's heart to skip a beat in response as a rosy coloration quickly flushed the girl's cheeks.
