Realistic or Modern ꜰɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʀʜʏᴛʜᴍ ♫ musical rivalry rp

[femslasher]

ᖴIGᕼTIᑎG TᕼE ᖇᕼYTᕼᗰ
femslasher & LaneyBug closed rp​

Two voices. Two ambitious young girls in rural Japan.
Small-town bumpkins is all it seemed they'd ever be, until music offered a way out.

One taught to fight for every inch of fame she got, trained from birth into stardom. The other a natural, whose voice is simply a gift from God. A gem found amongst mere stones. They shared a childhood together, giggled in blanket forts whispering about their futures and their biggest dreams. When one faught with all she had for her spot amongst the top 100, the other girl's easy success breaks them apart. As they both rise up the charts, scandals, paparazzis, and their obsessive fans force them together once more. With stakes getting higher and higher, they're one false note and one misstep away from falling back to square one. Is the big city ready for them? Are they ready for it?

OCs Mae Yanagi and Cecelia Evans will be played by LaneyBug.
Nahla Hanako and Kibe Ichirou will be played by biwheels.

 

[LaneyBug]

((Mae's dialogue will be in purple! < 3 ))

Mae had come quite a long way since her little bout of fame after the talent show but only a small bit had been musical. You'd think someone pursuing a career in music would learn all that she could but that just wasn't how Mae did things. She had her own way of composing songs and there was nothing wrong with that! That was a phrase she repeated in her head often, especially when anyone tried to tell her she was doing things wrong! If she was doing it wrong then why did so many people love her songs!? Okay, to be fair she had only released a few but they had been met with a lot of praise. That was something, wasn't it? No fancy training, or music lessons. She didn't need to understand theory if she felt the chords in her heart.

A small sigh burst from her lips, her finger anxiously swiping pictures on her phone. The festival looked huge! Three days of live music, thousands of people in attendance. During the talent show, she had played for a live audience but that was only a couple hundred people. She didn't need to think about the thousands watching on television if she couldn't see them! This was very different, very new to her and already she felt a wave of anxiety washing over her like a tsunami.

"Gosh... this is a lot of people.."

Mae was supposed to be getting her suitcase packed but instead she was busy looking at pictures on her phone. She couldn't help it! Part of her wanted to call this whole thing off!

"How many songs do I have to play again, Ichi? I don't have enough for three days! I only have to play one night, right?"

She had a million questions and none of them could wait!

 

[femslasher]

Ichi // Mae's family home

Kibe Ichirou's suit was feeling increasingly tighter from the humid countryside air.

His newest protégée, Mae, was turning less endearing and more naive on this early Friday morning. The grass on his way to her family's house was wet with dew drops, and he was still rather morose at the state of his shoes and his damp socks. Half of the battle, as a manager, was to be tidy and proper even when your client was clearly a mess -- big names in the industry would look at him and not at her, as though he were her second father smoothing things over at an elementary school parent-teacher meeting.

Looking at the young twenty-something in his care sighing, navigating her childhood bedroom with eyes glued to her phone, working up her anxiety like a little kid made him reconsider taking a newbie under his wing, and not for the first time this month. He was a weathered manager, having brought many doe-eyed talents to celebrity status… but it'd been a good few years since real talent caught his eyes enough to be worth his time. He had been mostly managing models and other talents outside the music industry, dillusioned by the whole thing, until that fateful night at the talent show where he met Mae Yanagi.

She had the talent, for sure, and he had been lucky to snatch her as a client mere hours after her massive success at the show… but it takes more than a pretty voice to make it these days. The work hours were long, and only 20% of those were actually making music. Most were building an image to the people that was catchy and widely recognizable. Mae's entire persona was this country bumpkin, and he didn't really know whether to embrace it or not yet. He went with embracing it for now. Either way, she would be going through much more than a simple countryside festival within the next year if everything went well… this was only a blip in her future as a musician. He was so used to big events, he struggled to remember how it felt the first few times he managed to get newcomers smaller opportunities like these. He had only attended Mae's talent show because a few celebrities were making guest appearances, after all. It had been too small for his tastes.

He tries to be patient and kind to her, working up sympathy, but he can't help the condescending tone. "You're scheduled for one night, but they may demand an encore. Which is what what we want," Ichi emphasized. "Don't think of the people in the seats or the other singers, countryside nobodies flock to this festival every year and get nothing out of it. The only reason this year is a big year for the festival," he put a stray strand of hair behind her ear in a comforting gesture, "is because of you."

He takes the opportunity to grab her phone out of her fidgetting hands and pointedly throwing it into her open suitcase. It was only helping her brain spin worst-case scenarios and fuel her fears. He starts picking good festival outfits from her closet, making faces at each option in there. He might have viewed it as impolite to dig through someone else's stuff previously, but clearly she needed some help to get going.

"You're all over magazines and online articles as a mystery singer. I'm expecting phone recordings to be posted all over the web and streamed by thousands. Everyone's trying to see if you're worth the hype." He packs a few hats, and some dresses with oversized scarves. It couldn't hurt to fully commit to this girl next door style she got famous wearing, he settles on. Most newbies to the music scene the past 10 years had been fully glam, trained from birth, perfect dolls with no emotional depth… the last thing they wanted right now was for her to be forgettable. He shot a glance to his golden watch. "Leave the freaking out for later, will you?"

 

[LaneyBug]

Mae listened with wide, intent eyes, though she didn't miss the tone of his voice. It brought back memories of a distant friend, using that same sort of tone when Mae was carelessly scrolling on her phone when she should have been practicing for the talent show! The memory was both bitter and sweet. She knew that Ichi only wanted what was best and they were, of course, on a very tight schedule. She didn't have time for a freak out. It also helped that he spoke rather kindly to the young musician. She put on a big smile, laughing as her phone was tossed away. It took all of three seconds for her to grab it again, but this time it was stuffed into her pocket.

"Oh..." She squeaked out like a little mouse. "Stop touching my clothes." A devious little smirk made way to her lips. Even if she was pretty nervous about this whole thing, she trusted Ichi fully. He was an amazing manager after all! He got her this gig and helped build her up. She had been so lost and scared after the talent show and he was the light that guided her from the dark. Another few minutes and she was zipping up her suitcase and setting it on the ground to be wheeled out, along with her guitar. "Okay, I'm all set." A bright and beaming smile was offered up to show that she truly was ready for this. This was her dream! She couldn't give up now.

"But... what song do you think I should open with? I'm really excited to play the new songs but I wonder if I should play the ones I did on the talent show first? Or is that too predictable?" If she wasn't worrying about one thing, she would definitely find something else to worry about. It was a lot of pressure to put on a show for people! All she wanted to do was sing her songs but there was so much work involved. That was where the worrying came in! Before all this fame, it had just been her and a guitar. That had been more than enough before but now everyone wanted to hear her sing! Everyone was looking at her, expecting so much. She looked to Ichi with questioning eyes but didn't stop to wait. She had her guitar and suitcase in hands, eager to get moving. Best not to keep Ichi waiting.

 

[femslasher]

Ichi // Mae's family home

Letting another possible fashion option, a bit too glam for Mae, slip from his fingers, Ichi smiled as the suitcase zipped with satisfying finality and his client shook off the anxiety enough to get ready for her biggest show yet. He gave a sharp nod of approval at the determination in her eyes and took a minute to take in all the chatty questions thrown at him. She was a rowdy one, for sure. Not that he could blame her for wanting everything to be perfect. It'd certainly take a few dozen shows for that perfectionist mindset to ease up and allow her to breathe before performances. Even then, some high-class celebrities never managed to fully shake off the nerves. All in all, she had gotten herself together in record time compared to past newbies he had dealt with. He could deal with a little bit of childish questioning. That was his job, after all. "Keep the best ones, the ones most familiar to your audience, for last," he said with ease. "It'll remind them why they liked you in the first place and keep them from clicking away from the videos near the end. New songs show you've got more to offer, too, so begin with those."

He began following behind her, down her house's narrow stairs, into her childhood house's livingroom. He allowed his steps to be slower, as to give her some time in the comfort of her own home before going into the big wide world and onto her biggest stage yet. He indulged her for a few minutes. "This is just like how you practice in your bedroom, m'kay? In no time you'll be singing in stadiums to thousands more than you are today, and with much more important people in the seats. Then I'll let you worry. This is as easy as pie, trust me." He waved a hand, as to prove how much of a no-brainer this would be. To sympathize a bit more, he gave her head an encouraging pat and a thumbs up. "For the next three days, gone are your nobody days. You'll be Mae the internet famous musician sleeping in your own luxurious," his eyebrow twitch at the word betrayed the sentiment, "celebrity cargo van." While luxurious was debatable at best, it did have a star on it and her name in big, smug letters. Truth is, she hadn't be too good for business as of yet, not really bringing the big bucks to the table. Hopefully this event would change that, and then he could buy her something more worthy of praise. He gestured towards the door, wanting to avoid wasting time any longer.

But of course, soon enough, her family members came out of the kitchen to "ooh" and "ahh" at Mae's very own manager -- to his embarassment, and no doubt hers -- and hug their goodbye with extensive monologues. You would think she'd be gone for years from how they talked, not just a festival a bit out of town. Said festival was a few hours away from their house, and this thought only reminded him how late they could end up being from just thirty minutes of teary goodbyes too long. Despite how endearing all the parental support was, his polite smile turned strained and his hand pulled at Mae's sleeve.

 

[LaneyBug]

"Got it! New songs first, familiar songs last. I might mix it up a little too, you never know?" She chuckled, a quick glance cast over her shoulder. Even if it seemed like she wasn't all that excited, she truly was. Sure, she'd rather just play her music but one day she would look back and be able to tell the story of how she had her brush with fame! That was something anyone could get a little excited about, right? Besides, weren't a lot of the people at this show just there to see her! She couldn't possibly let them down. So after a very lengthy goodbye with her family, she let her manager pull her along. She tossed her things in the car and then hopped in with a huff. The girl was an antsy mess in the back of the car but she had bouts of passion as well where she'd break out into melody or start singing the chorus to a particular song or two. She definitely wasn't shy about her voice. She wanted to share it with anyone who cared to listen! And that's exactly what she was going to do.

--

The day the festival started was a mess of heat and people scrambling around as different bands on various stages set up in the early morning. The smaller bands and artists that people didn't really have too much knowledge. Most of them were local but as the day went on, more popular groups began playing, all leading up to the main event of the festival which would be played on the main stage. It made the others look like little food stands in comparison. It was the stage that Mae would get her chance on. But she was the main event and before she would get her chance, Nahla would have hers on the third day of the festival.

Cece was very late, as usual but he always had a way of arriving at the last minute with amazing news. It was just the way he did things and you kind of had to put your trust in him. Still, this was one of those times he could have very easily just picked up a phone to let Nahla know where the hell he was! Where was the fun in that though!? It was so much better to see the surprised look on her face when he just randomly popped in. Which is exactly what he did on this particular occasion. He stepped into the little dressing room with a big grin on his face.

"Okay, I know I'm late but I have crazy good news!" He stepped toward his client, placing both hands on her shoulders and leaning in real close. "So, there was a mix up and guess who is now opening the main stage." His hands left her shoulders and he spread his arms wide as if expecting a hug. It was a step up considering he had only been able to book Nahlo for one of the smaller stages until now. Of course, this might come as good and bad news to the poor star. She would be opening on the main stage but she'd also be opening for Mae. "So, you might as well get comfy. We'll be here for a few days. Oh!! I can set up a meeting with Kay! He's been in the music industry forever! Something mutually beneficial would be good, I think... a little nod to each other or something. Yeah, yeah, I like that! We'll do it!!" He liked to get way ahead of himself without even asking how Nahla felt about all of it. Of course, part of the reason he did things like that was to make sure she would succeed. They had to work twice has hard as Mae considering Nahla didn't win any national talent shows with her music. That didn't mean anything though! She would be bigger than Mae! She would be the biggest star and Cece was determined to make sure of it.

femslasher

 

[femslasher]

Nahla // Music festival, dressing room

Lately, days were a blur of different contracts and events scheduled one after the other. Everything one could do to keep their finger on the pulse and their talent honed enough to make it past the top 1000 charts, then top 500, then top 100... until the numbers were all that mattered and things that, once, were jaw-dropping accomplishments were as easy to shrug off as learning a few words in Spanish.

It was what was expected of Nahla since she turned 12; she never had the time to pause and breathe in the excitement the way these young musicians parading around this festival did. Not that she wasn't grateful of her luck, mind you. But it wasn't some passion of hers that she did on the side. It had been a job since the day she showed off a bit too hard in church and her mother gasped, buying her endless musical classes, training her voice like tuning an old guitar, enrolling as Nahla's first manager. She never exactly had talent the way child stars often are recruited for ─ she had potential. It may sound as though it's the same thing, but to her it meant the difference between being wide-eyed and starry-eyed, reaching your dreams... and being sharpened into a pop doll because you "suit" the role.

There she was, being pessimistic again, alone in a dressing room. A glass half-empty, her aunties would say.

This festival was fairly bumpkin compared to her higher gigs. Her newest manager Cece always shuffled apologetically getting her into the van when all he could find was something like this, but in truth Nahla had barely registered where she went next the past five or so years. Rural settings at least had some pretty greenery and took her mind off of the never-ending people-pleasing.

She was no diva when it came to the location or the venue, although she was no fool and obviously noticed whenever her schedule was getting more empty spots than full ones, and when the crowds were getting smaller and smaller in her scheduled venues... still, this year hadn't been too abyssal in that regard. Despite not having anything to complain about outside of her too-full schedule and the lack of... fulfillment she had in her work, her mind naturally leaned towards thoughts of boredom and bitterness. If she hadn't been raised to be such a polite woman with strong emotional privacy, she would be a dark cloud hanging over Cece day in and day out, something he would definitely gossip with her already over-involved mother. Clearly, that wouldn't be helpful nor necessary, and so she kept most negativity to herself. She nodded, gave pretty smiles, and maintained the out-of-reach mysterious pop star image she had cultivated.

Until she got to interact with her fans one-on-one without paparazzi, that is. She may not care for the job itself or the gigs, or for the dark side of fame, but she knew how much her music meant to some of her fans. Tired as she was of the buzz of the festival, she already wanted to private message her fanclub's page and schedule a meet and greet at a quieter, last-minute location. Her fans may be passionate and in-your-face, but Nahla wasn't a big enough idol to get huge amounts of weirdos quite yet. She still got to enjoy meeting and talking and bonding with people who enjoyed her music, and receive their criticism without being stalked everywhere.

They even got the hashtag #ProtectNahla trending and made vigilante-like posts on social media after two loud-mouthed paparazzi interrupted her grocery shopping last year, revealing her identity to other shoppers. It resulted in her needing to move apartments and city neighborhood... and her fans were quick to find the men's identity and scare them off. It was strangely comforting, for people to care. Although overwhelming that faceless crowds followed her every move.

Others in the business always told her she hadn't seen anything yet and to mentally prepare. That as she climbed her way to fame she would get less and less independence. They said it with a funny little laugh, and a pat on the shoulder, as if they were already numbed to it themselves and it was no big deal.

She clenched her eyes shut and let her forehead rest among her makeup littered on her dressing table. Her silky brown hair acted as a curtain, blocking her from the competitive world of music awaiting her outside. The the shouts and chatter from outside her room were only getting louder.

Cece barged in, and she straightened her posture as her face was soothed back into professionalism.

He announced she was now the first act, and she held back a sigh. "First act it is, thanks Cece. As for Kay, he isn't... the easiest to work with. Still, you're the manager here. We can give it a try once the festival is over." Contradicting anything Cece said always felt like kicking a puppy, but she couldn't help warning him. Kay was an old name in the industry and after working in it for so long had grown to be picky, flimsy, and out of the loop. He tended to quit for a few years and come back in the spotlight with a new recruit.

Today was nothing to be worried about. Only a few countryside nobodies and a late night of drunk partying as she hid back into her van to rest. Tomorrow would be a bit more interesting with the festival's competition. She was getting too used to the city's manufactured, heavily edited music, and getting a chance to see newbies and more authentic artists show off might inspire her to work on her next album. Who knows, she may even have fun doing it.

***

Ichi // Festival, backstage lineup

He banged his head on the van's ceiling as he exited it, and his swearing was the first impression the smiling woman signing musicians in had of him. Not completely unusual coming from him. She still had a sparkle of recognition in her eyes, probably remembering his good old days of being on every front page alongside his newest protégée. His smile had been genuine in those pictures, and he used to look forward to shaking the hands of staff members like her. Today, he simply nodded and pulled at his collar in the heat.

The festival staff was buzzing around like anxious bees as the sunshine was dimming. What an interesting night it would be.

Bringing Mae here felt like flipping a coin on her future in the industry. Would she flop? Would she fly? He would have to sit down tonight on an uncomfortable plastic chair, fight off mosquitoes with his hand, make frantic hand signals towards her and just pray for the best. There wasn't much else to do. His stomach was churning in a way it hadn't in over ten years as a celebrity manager.

He brought his volume low, away from Mae's eager face. "Does she get her own dressing room?" The woman shook her head with pity and handed them their backstage pass for the duration of the festival. It was a rank B pass... not good enough for Mae to get the royal treatment.

Ah, what sweet irony. What a high-level manager he was. Even as the main act she didn't get anything fancy, huh? Well, it was a rural festival after all. And she wasn't a very recognizable celebrity that the festival would need to pay extra money to keep. They must have at least two or three better known musicians at the ready if she bailed out. He had to pull every move to get her onto the stage at all as it is, and he knew he should feel lucky that he got her the opening act. Quite a few of his celebrity relations now were resting on young Mae proving herself tonight. If she screwed this up, he was seriously screwed. Not that he could tell her that.

"Alright. Alright, that works. Mae," he said in a louder tone, "you get to share your dressing room with the crème of the crème. A lot of competitors in there, so you need to make a good impression, y'hear? This is an opportunity like no other." He was pulling her arm away from the woman and the festival's entry, towards the door leading to backstage. "We'll get you all nice and ready for your big moment."

Time to make a celebrity out of her.

 

[LaneyBug]

Cece slumped and crossed his arms. He looked like a kicked puppy in that moment but that didn't stop him from wildly moving about in a moment as his voice rang out in excitement and frustration. "You have got to give me more than that. It's a huge step up from the mud stage you were going to be playing. At least pretend to be excited about it, okay? I know things are tough right now but we're going to have to go through a few of these before you can play the big stages, alright?" He was at least hoping his client would be a little more excited for the new arrangement. Now she would get to the play the main stage as the opening act! It'd be perfect. And he didn't exactly need her approval to speak with Kay about some sort of agreement. They might need all they help they could get, especially from someone who truly knows the industry! "Look, I'm going to let you get ready. I'll catch up with you just before the show but just in case I'm late... knock em' dead out there!" He offered the brightest grin before dipping out as he often did.

Where was he going? To scope out the competition for the second day of the festival. He wanted to get an idea of who all they were up against. So far, he hadn't seen anyone that would pose too much of a threat to Nahla. She could probably win if she really put her heart into it!!

--

Mae was absolutely clueless to the fact that she was not the biggest name at this festival. The way Ichi made it sound, she was going to be the star and this was her stepping stone toward the top of the charts. Perhaps he was right but she felt a little anxious as they stepped into that dressing room, crowded with other musicians. At least at the show she got her own and they tuned her instruments, did everything for her! It seemed she wasn't quite at that place yet but that didn't really bother her. Under those anxious feelings was a bubbling excitement. Soon she'd take the stage and all her worries would melt away! Unlike many others around her, she did practically nothing to get ready. She put on a nicer sweater, tucked a bit of hair back with a bobby pin and that was the extent of it. She didn't care for flash and that was partly why she had done so well in the show. Her voice shined brighter than all the others who had been just way too vain to make it that far. She cast a look at Ichi in the mirror, offering a silly smile. Clearly her nerves were starting to settle. The poor girl was in for a mess!!

"So, how long until showtime? I'm really excited to play this new song. I think you especially will enjoy it!" She beamed at her manager in delight. So what, she had written a song for her manager! It wasn't a big deal or anything! But it was definitely going to be when she poured her heart out, singing it for thousands of people.

--

Cece had a funny way of just popping up and that was exactly what he did. He reached out and gently tapped at Ichi's shoulder. "Excuse me! You're Kay!! Gosh, it's so good to meet you! I've followed your work for years. It was a thrill to hear that you took on another client! And... this must be her!" Cece just had a way of being kind of dramatic when he spoke but he meant well at least. "It's a pleasure to meet you both! I'm Cecelia Evans! My client is opening the main stage and I would be absolutely beside myself if I didn't ask for some tips from a legend himself!" He stated rather proudly.

--

Mae turned her attention to the stranger that kindly approached the two to offer praise of some sort. But what caught her attention most was when he said that his client was opening the main stage! "Wait, Ichi... that isn't right? I'm opening the main stage! I'm sure you just have it mixed up." Mae chuckled lightly, her eyes following Ichi though as if staring at him alone would provide the answers to her questions!

 

[femslasher]

Ichi // Festival, dressing room

Ichi's face betrayed how underwhelmed he felt by this young manager barging into a private dressing room suite. Where was the floor guard? He must have snuck in while someone with a B badge was scanning the door open. Little weasel. This wasn't the first or the last time Ichi had to deal with his title as Kay bringing in starry-eyed newbies to request his mentoring, be it from wannabe stars or from their low-scale managers. The latter was particularly annoying for him to deal with ─ wasn't he supposed to be on the right floor, taking care of his own idol? Preparing them for an event such as this was huge and he should have his hands full rehearsing her and caring to her every need. Especially if you are lower on the ladder, as Ichi expected of this grinning fool who disobeyed basic rules of showbiz and clearly didn't have his idol in the room. Did he have a C-grade idol? Or even a D-grade, the type that was competing here for the very first time? Kay had a number he could be reached at, an email address even, and all his social medias were at this guy's fingertips. And yet he breached Kay's and his idol's priva─

Wait.

His client is opening the main stage? His client?

Mae pulled at the end of his suit and edged him on to say that yes, everything was fine, it was just one simple mix up. He hummed and nodded distractedly, without much vigor. This wasn't the first time he had brought an idol here, to this desolate but opportunistic rural stage. They weren't top notch organizers, sure, but he knew many on the staff and they wouldn't mix up choosing an opening musician such a major event of the night. Whoever was opening this show and this festival would be plastered on the cover of quite a few local magazines, and hopefully beyond onto mainstream issues and social media, since a few celebrities were invited. The stakes were high and although they were a small place easily overlooked by bigger names, many starter idols and idols whose career was going down the drain from scandals or a dwindling fanbase came to this festival to boost it. Some new celebrities who crawled their way to the top also took the chance to fly around the country embracing every fame opportunity that came, bonding with their fans throughout the festival.

Was this Evans' client a starter idol, a top idol, or a controversial idol? He was hoping the first (inexperienced young'in) or the last (reaching her expiration date). Either way she was mixing up young Mae's chance at making her mark on the rural scene and tempting city folks into considering her. She may be a starter idol but she had one foot in the door already from being an internet sensation and the winner of a national singing competition, broadcasted on live television. She should not be underestimated. Kay ─ the famous nickname strengthened his resolve ─ wouldn't allow it.

He brushed Cece's search for managing tips under the rug. "Listen, bucko. Mae right here," he made a point to bring his voice higher, grasping the attention of the dozens of other idols around busy doing their makeup, their managers brushing their hair, humming their songs in preparation, "is the one opening the show. Not sure what type of game your client is playing, but I've pulled more strings than I can count to get her here and I won't pull out of the deal."

As strict and smug as his tone was, talking about the efforts he had made... about the people he had contacted to make this happen... made the next words die in his throat abruptly and his eyebrows furrow in thought. "Strings..." he thought aloud. Double-booking wasn't common here. They usually talked about the celebrities coming to the show weeks in advance, publicizing, advertising as much as they could, but this year they hadn't and had an air of mystery about it... was it possible they had seriously wanted both girls to be booked together? His friends on staff had complained about how few celebrities were reaching out to be here this year. Maybe they thought that if they booked two somewhat popular idols together their profits and public attention would double, even triple...

He took a heavy breath and dragged a tired hand on his face. "Ah. Screw it. I hate to say it... but I think this was planned. I think they want both of them." He patted Mae's head in a vague attempt at an apology. "Mae, I think you'll have company on stage. Don't panic. You'll need to fight for that spotlight like hell, okay?"

He knew kids in the industry had a passionate fire burning like nothing else. As uncomfortable a situation as it was, and despite the small percentage that this buffoon might just be playing a trick on them or thinking too highly of his client, he needed to mentally prepare his protégée. He knew she was the anxious type, but she was also the obnoxiously positive type. If anyone could improvise with another talented stranger, it would be her.

In a few years he would think of this as one of the first few clumsy successes in Mae's long, successful career as a music star. If he even remembered it anymore. As long as Mae kept her eye on the prize despite this new circumstance, they would both make it out of here with hundreds more fans and a special spot in dozens of magazines.

 

[LaneyBug]

Cece brought his hands up defensively. He wasn't trying to upset anyone! He simply couldn't pass an opportunity to meet with the legendary Kay! But he was starting to regret that choice as the man firmly stated that Mae was the one opening. That was definitely a mistake though considering all the strings Cece had to pull just to get Nahla to that opening place. And he was just about to protest this fact until Kay continued speaking, shedding more light on the situation than Cece ever would have got. It was almost a miracle that he knew this much because Cece was about to go into freak out mode. He still kind of was but not nearly as bad now. "You're kidding. Shit... that actually makes a lot of sense. You know what, Kay... can we catch up after the show. I better run..." He still seemed determined to have a real conversation with Ichi after this whole mess was sorted. For now, he had to warn Nahla about what was to come. She needed to be ready to outshine this girl!! Even if it was Kay, he wouldn't let that get in the way of Nahla becoming a star!

While he was anxiously making his way back to Nahla, Mae stood up, her arms folded over her chest. She didn't look all that happy with Ichi right now. After all the hype and crap she had to go through, she wasn't even really the opening act!? "Seriously, Ichi?" She huffed. "Easy for you to say when you don't have to step on stage in front of thousands of people unprepared! I need a little warning next time, okay? I'm very grateful for this opportunity but this is not at all what you made it out to be." She was pretty salty about this mix up but she wasn't about to let it ruin her night. No, not at all but that would come later when she found out just who she had to play with. After she said what she wanted to say, she huffed again, grabbing her guitar and taking her seat again so she could tune it up nice and neat. "Sorry... I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just.. this is silly, right!?" The funny thing about it was she didn't even raise her voice but in her head it felt like she did!

Meanwhile, Cece knocked on the dressing room before letting himself in before even hearing the go ahead to come in. This couldn't wait. Before he said anything, his hands were raised awkwardly and the look on his face pleaded for mercy. "Nahla... don't be mad but... there was kind of a mix up and you're going to have some company on stage, alright? Don't even worry, this girl looks small time. You're going to out shine her, no problem!" He tried to sound reassuring but he was kind of panicking a little. This wasn't supposed to happen! And this was Kay's client! What if she was amazing and got all the attention!? The thought was killing Cece but he just tried to smile through the anxiety, putting his faith in Nahla. She could do this! "Y-you can handle this, yeah?"

 

[femslasher]

Nahla // Festival, A-level dressing room

She had been in the industry since she was prepubescent, in one way or another. Practically forever.

Even just winning small-level pageants as a little girl, singing at birthday parties, or appearing in a random commercial... any gig her mom could score for her. She put in the work and climbed the career ladder one foot in front of the other. She had lately plateaued as a pop idol, not quite famous but still recognizable enough that she got fan mail and high-level jobs when a more famous person couldn't make it that day. As unsatisfying as it was to not be the name on everyone's lips, to tiptoe the line between being a nobody and being famous, she would have given anything even four years ago to be where she is right now. The past two years had given her more opportunities than most. But it wasn't easy to get there ─ she had played the game, and her managing mother had also done everything to tip the scale in Nahla's favor.

Now most people took a second glance when she bypassed them, trying to place where they saw her. That was enough for her, for now. It had to be.

As zen as she was feeling, clearly that wasn't the case for her manager. He was more nervous than her own mother would be. He worked for a large idol company, had all the proper training, and was reporting to some of the best names in the industry; why he was buzzing about like an anxious bee was beyond her. It was a middle-of-nowhere festival after all, just something to fill in some blanks in her schedule. She would be the star of it, compete for publicity, and go back to bigger-scale city gigs.

The novelty at the greenery and the small-town people didn't last long. She forgot why she tended to book gigs in the city instead of out here.

Being in the countryside always brought about some discomfort. The overwhelmingly friendly, simple feel to it. The way people looked at her as if she was as big a name as the top 3 and still asked for permission before taking pictures of her. Some even came to her and played ─ from a tiny mp3 player ─ her songs at her, rambling on and on about how certain lyrics made them feel a certain way. They didn't have the fast-paced mindset city folks had where they knew someone always had somewhere better to be; here, they talked at you and with you in the grocery store as if you were lazying in their backyard. As if you were old friends.

Maybe that's what irked... no, irked wasn't the right word. Nahla had no bad feelings towards these kind people. Still, it made her uncomfortable. It reminded her too much of her simple upbringing, something city idols often giggled and elbowed her about. They often were children of rich parents, or of famous musicians. Their talent was manufactured from years of relying on mommy and daddy's money and influence. Nahla didn't have that. She had a mom with two, sometimes even three jobs who made sacrifices to get her here. Who noticed her skills and believed in her future enough to put everything on the line. To shape her into this.

Maybe that's why she disliked the countryside: it reminded her of everything about her that slowed down her career. It reminded her of how easy and slow life used to be when she was a young child, before she started singing.

Her mood was already turning sour by the time Cece gave her the news, although it didn't sour it any more than it already had. Fine, whatever. She would have company on stage. She would need to share with some girl and play nice. She rarely did duets but it wasn't unheard of.

She mustered up a smile and patted Cece's shoulder as if they were siblings. He didn't have the same authority, big brother feeling most managers did; usually she was the one to keep his mood up and praise his work. Still, he did do good work on her behalf. She was grateful she had a real manager in the first place.

"Chin up, Cece. Nothing we haven't dealt with before, right?" She turned back to her mirror and brushed her hair, eyeing the clock. She had an hour and a half at most to get dressed and fix her hair, and then makeup artists would arrive to do her face before the evening show. "It's a bumpkin show, and a bumpkin girl. I'm willing to share some of my spotlight with her. Why not? I have bigger gigs in a few days anyway, and those are what we should be worrying about."

The fact that those bigger gigs were the biggest she had scheduled in a while, and were planned months ago, didn't escape her. But as her mama told her, never look the gift horse in the mouth. Do you best for whatever gigs you get and mentally prepare for the next one. Worrying wouldn't do her any good.

After all, it was a small show. How difficult could it be?

***

Ichi // Festival, B-level dressing room

Ichi shook his head at Mae's meek attempts at... anger? Frustration? He could barely tell. She was too sweet to do much more than stomp her foot and pout.

"This is silly, as you say," he agreed. "Downright stupid." He walked around her and put his hands on her shoulders in sympathy, looking at her in the mirror. Her hair was a mess. Her clothes were plain. Still, he knew she had a star quality he hadn't seen in years. "Idiotic. Moronic. A dumb change of plan." He gave a chuckle, maintaining eye contact. She was so new to this and so young, it was hard not to be endeared by her reactions to plans changing. She'd get used to it in no time. "Still, no one can stop you from singing your heart out and stealing the show from her. Who is she, anyway? Who cares? You've been on national television. The world wants to see you." He squeezed her shoulders as if to punctuate his words.

If she could sing even half as well as she had when he first found her, she would steal the show from anyone. Or, well, not anyone. If it was a huge star, she may need to calibrate her expectations... but hey, most idols they could get out here in the wilderness were retired country stars no one liked anymore or inexperienced wannabes. She already had her big debut broadcasted to millions. At the very least she would be able to siphon off the fame of whoever joined her on stage, if they weren't too old or too unpopular for it.

"Let's get my star ready for her big entrance," he said with a tone of finality, nodding at a makeup artist as she finished applying final touches to a ginger-haired woman a few chairs down from Mae's. With enough lipgloss and sparkles, anyone would think she was a huge name in the industry. No matter the clothes.

In fact, Ichi knew the makeup artist didn't need to do much to Mae beyond highlighting what she already had. People here would enjoy her simple beauty and the heart in her songs. Much more than a hyper edited pop star looking like a doll.

This would work out. Ichi would make sure, no matter the bumps in the way, that this would work out for Mae. It had to.