𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕀𝕕𝕠𝕝 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕣 | 𝕊𝕒𝕓𝕖𝕣 & ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕗𝕠𝕡

[Saber]

"Time to go, Ari."

The sunshine was just starting to filter through the windows as Ari Young had been up for a few hours, sitting in her dorm scrolling through social media on her phone. Her blue eyes shifted up to the staff member that had come to fetch her. While she had yet to make her debut as a singer, her following had been growing over the past few years when her music had been leaked onto the internet. This had been sort of a blessing in disguise. While most pop stars didn't get much recognition until they had been properly introduced to the public by their company, she had skipped most of the marketing thanks to some hacker.

"I'm ready." The blonde rose from the sofa and shoved her phone in her pocket. She groaned softly as she stretched her arms over her head in an exaggerated flourish and moved towards the shorter woman who was scrolling through the agenda on her tablet. "I'm assuming Preston is going to meet us down there?"

"Mhm." The woman just nodded as she spun and opened the door, Ari following like a loyal pup. "He's making sure everything is set up correctly and that there is enough security in the surrounding area."

"Great." Ari sighed as she folded her hands behind her head and sighed.

Today was her first mini fan event. While she wasn't a rock star just yet, she had a small cultish following that was extremely loyal and dropped a lot of money on what little merchandise she had. So why not promote her even more before her debut? Either way, deep down she knew that being part of the "business" was bringing in revenue, and even though that part of her career was a little bit messier than she'd like, everything else was impossibly intoxicating for her.

The promise of fame and fortune was one thing, but the overall power one could have over crowds of people was something they should warn you about. Let it go to your head too quickly and you could fall before you even reach your potential. It was an old tale freely told by the press and tabloids. 'So and so celebrity burns too bright and fizzles out'; a headline she'd read once as a kid that warned of the dangers of being famous, but none of that worried her. If there was anything she held near and dear, it was her determination to stay herself. No matter how famous or how fervently the company would push for a change, she wouldn't give in. She'd quit before falling prey to people who thought they knew what was best for her.

"All right, they'll be ready for you in ten minutes." The young woman barely looked up from her tablet before opening the door to a dressing room where they had a "team" waiting to put the finishing touches on her outfit and make up, which was minimal. "Remember, while this is for the fans, it isn't a signing. You're allowed to autograph a few posters that were offered for sale when the fans got here, but nothing from home and don't accept any gifts." This time the woman did look up and gave Ari a firm glare. "Got it?"

"Loud and clear." Ari saluted the woman who just nodded before stepping aside so she could enter the room. Since she wasn't a headlining artist yet, Ari's team was small. One woman who doubled as hair and make up, and one stylist. Simple, like she wanted. Having fifty people hovering around her wasn't her idea of fun.

Preparation didn't even take the full ten minutes. A little touch up to her face and a distressed, black leather biker jacket to add to her already casual attire of an off white t-shirt and slim fitting black jeans. Even after almost ten years of training, there were certain things that she still wasn't used to. But the company had made adjustments for her that she was thankful for. She got to pick her own aesthetic and her own style of music that she got to sing. For a brief moment when she was in her early teens, they tried to fit her with a group, but she didn't fit in with the pastel pinks and overly bubbly personas. So being a solo act was the best option.

"We're ready for you, Ari." A man popped his head into the room and Ari looked at his reflection in the mirror. Preston Wells had been Ari's manager ever since she was eighteen. He was a very anxious man, which she probably didn't help with since their personalities were the complete opposite. "The fans are all waiting for you."

"Ok." Ari stood from the chair and gave herself a once over in the mirror. She barely recognized herself from how she used to look. Pitch black hair had been dyed silvery blonde and she had leaned out with the excessive training she had been put through. A small grin bloomed on her face as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked towards Preston. "Let's do it."

 

[Presfop]

“Listen. Babe. Please, I’m begging you, just come with me!” Mary begged her friend, Adriana Hartman, to come and join her. “It’ll be so lonely going alone!” Who was the fan meeting thing even for, Adriana hadn’t a clue. Some person named Hex, apparently. Her friend seemed to be bouncing off the walls at the prospect of meeting whoever the fuck this was for, and Adriana was having absolutely none of it. Adriana didn’t call it fun to be dragged out of bed at an ungodly hour and forced to be somewhere.

She looked up from her phone at her now-best-friend, looking disappointed. It had been, what, 5 in the morning once her friend broke down the door of her dorm room in order to bug her about this? Before the sun even came up, that was for sure. Now, it was hours later, and Mary still hadn’t left, or stopped bugging her about this. Adriana had vehemently denied going at first, but now that literal hours had passed of Mary asking, she just stopped responding altogether.

They were a weird pair, to be sure. One was quiet to the point of pain, while the other was so energetic that it was a miracle she was able to stay still at all. It would’ve been odd, but Mary had the inherent ability to drag people into her like a black hole. And anyone who found themselves past the event horizon, like Adriana? Well, Mary was persistent. Very, very persistent. Before Adriana had realized it, Mary had ingrained herself into her life so hard that it was impossible to excise her without a surgeon, and at that point, she just threw in the towel and let herself get a new best friend.

Best not to think of her old best friend. That would just open wounds that no one wanted to deal with, including herself or Mary. Even Mary didn’t know about her. Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately, before Adriana could spiral herself into thinking about her past, Mary forced her very conclusively into the present.

“Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!” Mary shouted, jumping up for where she sat on Adriana’s bed and running to tackle her friend in a hug. Her eyes widened, and she curled herself slightly into a ball in preparation for her friend to slam into her at mach speeds. It knocked the wind out of her when she did, falling backwards onto her sofa with an unceremonious ‘Oof!’.

“Alright, alright, I’ll go with you! Okay!?” She shouted, or the closest thing that she could manage to shouting. She was a naturally quiet person, the loudest sound she could make could barely preclude a slightly incensed argument for regular people. Adriana really, really, really didn’t actually want to go, but she’d do anything, at this point, to get Mary off her back. “J-just let me change first, and please, get off me!”

Mary giggled softly before letting her friend go, grinning all the while. “You’re a peach!” And with that, she jumped up and left the room. Adriana sighed before smiling softly. She found it very difficult to stay mad at her. She changed out of her pajamas into her classic sweater and skirt, no makeup – not today, Mary didn’t fucking deserve it this time. Nor did Hex, whoever the hell that is.

As soon as Adriana finished, her friend dragged her out to her car, and dragged her into the front seat. Mary was literally vibrating in the driver’s seat, and Adriana was kind of worried that she wouldn’t be able to focus enough to drive. Fortunately, she was, and soon enough, they were on their way off to this fan meeting for a star that hadn’t even been born yet.

“So… who is this person, exactly?” Adriana asked her friend. She had never, never gotten a straight answer out of her, and she was hoping that she would get one.

“Like I told you, her name is Hex! She’s a singer!” Mary chirped back, all the while focusing on navigating through the parking lot that they found themselves in. “Well, not technically. She isn’t a singer yet, but her debut is coming close!”

“... Wait, so we’re going to a star’s event that hasn’t even debuted yet?” She asked back, incredulous. How the fuck did this happen? Who the hell let this happen??

“Yup!” Mary said back, finally backing into a spot and jumping out of the car, with Adriana following suit shortly.

It wasn’t a large event, by any means, considering the very small following that she had generated online. There were maybe 20 or so people milling around, wearing merchandise, all seemingly waiting for the woman of the hour to make her grand appearance. Adriana felt out of place, here. Suddenly, she heard a gasp from her friend.

“Looklooklooklook! They have a raffle for a date!” Mary jabbered directly into her ear, as if this was a massive event with hundreds of people. “I’m going to put my name in!” Before she could discourage her otherwise, she saw her march towards the booth and scribble her name on a piece of paper before dropping it in. Adriana sighed. She turned her body towards the mini stage that had been built, waiting like the rest of them for the elusive Hex to make her grand appearance. She couldn’t lie, she was… kind of interested in seeing what would result from this experience. Maybe this person had good music.

 

[Saber]

The venue for the event wasn't large, but it was enough to hold the amount of people they had predicted to show up. There was a table set up on a small stage for Ari and Preston to sit at as she met with her fans. A few booths were set up that were selling the small amount of merchandise she had, which included promotional posters and a 'special' mini album that had three songs she had produced herself. The other booth, she had been informed of and was a little wary. A raffle for a 'date' with Hex herself. A date that would be closely monitored by security and Preston, of course. As she waited off to the side behind a screen, one of the announcers walked up to the microphone and there was a whine from the feedback before he began to speak.

"Welcome everyone, to the special meet and greet with our newest up and coming artist, Hex!" The die hard fans that were there cheered and began to gather in front of the table. "In a moment, Hex will come out and you'll be able to meet her for a maximum of five minutes, as well as getting one item signed! At the end of the event is when we will draw a name for the biiiiig date!" There were a few giggles from the crowd and some chatter that began to spread at the mention of the date. "Now, without further ado, please welcome, Hex!"

Ari inhaled slowly before plastering a bright smile on her face and walking out from behind the screen. The small crowd applauded and cheered as she walked over to the table and bowed her head, Preston taking the seat to her left. She hadn't expected a lot of people to come out, but there were a few more than she thought there would be. The die hard fans that wanted anything they could have of her before she debuted.

"Thank you all for coming." She looked up over the crowd and smiled. "I look forward to meeting every one of you."

"If you would like to meet Hex," Preston began to speak as Ari took her seat. His calm voice carrying a very clear and firm tone as he addressed the crowd. "Please form a single file line behind the white line by the stairs. Only one person approaches at a time. Thank you."

Immediately the young women...and a few men, started to form a line by the stairs to the stage, behind a white tape line like Preston had demanded. Even though Ari was a little nervous, she pushed it down as far as she could as Preston waved the first person forward. A girl, probably in her mid teens approached, she was clutching a rolled up poster to her chest as she timidly came forward and set it down in front of Ari.

"Could you sign this to Larissa?"

"Of course." Ari smiled as she uncapped the marker that was provided and signed her stage name like she had practiced a hundred times over. It was a little strange, even though she had been training for several years, it still didn't seem real.

After signing the poster and handing it back, Ari reached out and gently shook the fan's hand. The rest of her interactions went on in a similar fashion as the first. Some of the fans were a bit more enthusiastic than others, but none every tried to push her boundaries. The next young woman in line seemed overly excited as she approached, which Ari expected from some. She smiled brightly as she approached and held out her hand to greet her.

"Oh my gosh!" The girl practically squealed as she reached out and clasped Ari's hand. "I can't believe I get to meet Hex in person!"

"It's nice to meet you," Ari smiled as she let the girl shake her hand a bit vigorously. "What's your name?"

"Mary!" She took a half step to the side and pointed to a shorter blonde that was standing behind her. "And this is Adriana, my best friend!"

Ari glanced at the girl and was a bit surprised. Adriana looked familiar, but she couldn't think of where they could've possibly met before. She shook off the feeling and offered the blonde a kind smile. She had to keep up appearances, after all.

"Thank you both so much for coming." Ari made sure to make eye contact with Mary. "I truly appreciate all the support from my fans. I hope you both have put your names in for the raffle." Blue eyes glanced over to Adriana then. It was clear by her body language and general disinterest in the goings on that she was probably not an actual fan, but maybe a potential one.

 

[Presfop]

Larissa quickly shuffled past both Mary and Adriana in line, holding the poster close to her chest and gleefully walking off to browse the merchandise that they were selling. They weren’t close to the front, but weren’t terribly far away either – it was a nice middle ground that they seemed to inhabit. Well, Adriana, more realistically, would’ve preferred to be many miles away in her dorm room, reading a book or something.

Mary and Adriana stood side by side, looking like complete opposites. Mary could barely stand still, bouncing and fidgeting, while Adriana was standing by her side looking like she was about to fight a god and had no confidence in her own abilities. The people in front of her, what looked to be a couple, seemed like Mary. She felt out of place.

Mary, immediately after shaking her hand, looked down at it in awe, like it had somehow managed to resurrect the body of Christ, and looked about to never wash her hand again. She cringed inwardly into herself at the thought of it. She wasn’t totally aware of the depth of Mary’s… support, she’ll say, mainly because she would like to keep Mary as a friend for future endeavors.

Adriana looked back at Ari, taking the opportunity to get a good look at the person that her best friend idolized so much. Surprise colored her features for a split second. She got a wave of nostalgia just by looking at her, for some reason, a similar feeling to Ari’s. She didn’t act upon it, though. Instead, she seemed more like she was trying to shrink in on herself, seemingly terrified of being acknowledged in a situation like this. She didn’t even respond to the question, she just shook her head.

“I have!” Mary chirped, before pouting. “This party pooper hasn’t, though…” She threw an arm around Adriana, who went down with a squeak and a bewildered look on her face. It would’ve taken a while for her to become a fan, considering she hadn’t heard a single song from her yet. And she really wasn’t too hot on the idea of going on a date with a person she didn’t know (some part of her brain chose to protest at that, but it was very quiet and ignorable), so of course she didn’t put her name in the raffle.

While Adriana was having a mini-mental crisis over this, Mary was absolutely over the moon right now. It was clear from her demeanor that she was absolutely, 100% willing to take up 5 hours of everyone’s time, much to the anger of the people behind them. Adriana had to turn around and give them an apologetic smile. It was gonna take a while.

Suddenly, Mary seemed like she got an idea, like a literal lightbulb had just emerged above her head and had flicked on. Adriana recognized this – it was a sign that whatever was going to happen was probably going to end badly, piss off Adriana, maybe get the police called on them, and possibly threaten the security of several major nations and the Security Council. Mary just had that effect on anything she touched.

Mary turned to Adriana, flashed her a grin (which she responded with a very, very characteristic grimace at this point), and turned to Ari with a glint in her eye and what looked like pleading.

“Can you try to convince her to put her name in?”

Adriana froze immediately, a look of horror on her face. It wasn’t exactly that she was worried that Ari would somehow manage to convince her to put her name into the raffle – sooner would the sun explode than she would do that – but more accurately, because now that Mary had set her mind on it, there was no way she was going to get out of it.

In other words, she was fucked beyond belief.

Mary continued innocently, a telltale sign that she knew exactly what she was doing.

“I mean, she doesn’t really have any friends outside of me and barely leaves her room, unless she’s going to class… she spends most of her time reading or writing alone and she doesn’t seem to have interest in getting a date, so I think this is a good opportunity!”

With every comment, Adriana just looked more and more miserable. It got to the point where the people behind her, originally pissed, now just looked concerned and was patting her shoulder comfortingly. Adriana shrunk more into herself, covering her face with her hair, which was a habit she thought she had trained herself out of. Clearly, she didn’t.

“I-I’m good! You don’t need to do anything!” Adriana protested, her voice shaky and pleading at the same time. She refused to look at Ari, just silently pleading that she would have enough and end up having them move along, or have security kick them out. It would end her embarrassment, right now.