pied piper — pafp

Muse A is an international popstar. They are charismatic and outgoing and, at times, flirtatious. They have amounted a massive and dedicated fanbase from all over the world and they are bombarded with those fans everywhere they go. Even still, they love their fans, even if their fame doesn't give them much of a chance to communicate with them. Muse A is constantly being invited to various events around the world, whether that be awards shows, performances, or music festivals. However, with all the focus on them, they find it hard to have a personal life. Every move Muse A makes is under the watchful public eye and they are subject to their mercy.

Muse B is another singer, albeit much less extroverted than Muse A. They are quieter and more soft-spoken, but all of that changes when they get on stage. Muse B's stage presence is unparalleled and they command the audience's attention at every performance. However, they have a much smaller fanbase. Muse B's fans are loyal, though, and tend to support Muse B in everything they do. Although, Muse B idolizes Muse A and strives to be like them one day. Eventually, after Muse B gains enough fans, Muse B begins to be invited to similar ceremonies and performances like Muse A is. And that's where their worlds collide and their lives are changed forever.

At one particular awards show, Muse B is invited to give a performance. Instead of opting for a high-energy pop song, Muse B chooses a laid-back and melodic ballad. The performance is angelic, and in that moment Muse A becomes enamored with Muse B.

After the ceremony and during the after-party, Muse A chooses to talk to Muse B. The two hit it off and quickly become close to one another. After Muse A asks Muse B, they decide to go out in public. But when they are spotted together, everything falls apart. Rumors begin that the two are dating, and while they are true in secret, their companies vehemently deny the rumors and fight to keep the two from going public. Muse A, while in love with Muse B, also wants to keep things a secret because now that they've finally got a semblance of a personal life they want to keep it that way. As the rumors continue to unfold, their fanbases become split between people that support their relationship and fans that don't. Drama and angst erupts between them as the Muses get into fights about whether or not they go public. All the while they continue to mature as individuals and explore what it's like to be in a relationship while being the center of attention.

If you made it through all that, good job! You're now at the not-fun part. I'm not a real stickler for rules, so I'll try to keep it short and simple.

— Please be active! I'd prefer at least one post per day but it's fine if that's too much. Just let me know if you're going to be inactive!

— Out of personal preference, I'd prefer no emo/goth/really out-there faceclaims. Beyond that I'm good with just about anything!

— Age preference would be from around 19-24/25.

— This can either be bxb or bxg. I don't really mind!

First and foremost, though, this will be an rp about romance. There will be other stuff mixed in but that will likely be the main focus. If you're interested, just post a short form like what I've done for my character and I'll get this thing started!

Looks good! I forgot to mention that both of our characters need stage names, but that's kind of a minor thing. I changed my character's faceclaim as well. I'll get started on the first post now!

The red carpet. By now he'd set foot on one so many times that it felt like routine; the awards shows and performances and such were so commonplace now that basically become a part of the man's normal life. The ecstatic cries of the fans barred from entering the red carpet. The flashing lights from the paparazzi's cameras. The interviews. Unfamiliar people constantly calling out his name. At one time all of those things intimidated him, but that feeling has long subsided. The anxiety he felt at his first ceremony like this has long since been replaced by an easy confidence.

August remembered his first time at one of these events. It had been a more well-known event, as as such many people other than himself had been invited to attend. Back then, as a lesser-known artist, he hadn't been expecting much; he'd nominated for an award for best up-and-coming artist, but he certainly didn't anticipate that he would actually win it. After receiving the trophy, a split-second decision was made by the producers to invite him to give a performance of what was then his most popular song.

It was nerve-wracking. Getting up on stage once more to give a performance that had only just been planned a few moments prior was no easy feat whatsoever, but he did it. It was a melodic ballad about a love lost by circumstance that explored both the depths of his range as well as his upper octaves. The performance was, in one word, amazing. The after party, for him, consisted mostly of being attacked with questions and compliments of genuine intent. He ended up making several friends that night, many of whom would end up assisting him in his rise to the fame and success attributed to his name now. Videos of his performance even trended on Twitter that night, skyrocketing his renown to new heights. That night ended up becoming what he believes to be one of the defining moments of his career.

Tonight, though, he wasn't asked to sing a song. August was being nominated for album of the year for his album Raindrops Fell, and while everyone seemed to be predicting another win for him, something about not being asked to perform put him on edge. Despite that, he couldn't find himself to be all that concerned. A number of trophies of all shapes and sizes already decorated his New York penthouse, but winning had never been everything to the man.

Although, he had to admit that hearing the nominations for the other awards always piqued his interest in one way or another. A girl named Kit T was being nominated to receive the best new artist award. August had heard of her in passing, but never really went out of his way to listen to her music. Perhaps today that would change, considering she was set to deliver a performance tonight.

Something about having an awards show in the middle of New York City always came as a joy to August. It meant that he didn't have to reserve a hotel room or pack a suitcase or worry about arranging a flight on his private jet. It also meant that he would be able to return to his own home and sleep in his own bed at the end of the night.

It was now an hour before the ceremony was due to begin, and he was stepping out of a limousine in a sharply-pressed suit. Dressing up in formal wear always made August feel more confident than usual, although he could never really explain why. Immediately after exiting the car, lights from camera flashes illuminated his face. He offered a smile and wave to the horde of cameramen before actually stepping onto the red carpet and joining the other celebrities.

For a while he drifted from place to place in search of different people to converse with. A very popular man and somewhat of a social butterfly, he never stopped for too long to chat. Instead he walked with seemingly no trajectory, talking to whoever happened to cross his path. In doing so he caught up with a few friends he'd made since his rise to stardom, but as more people joined the conversations he stealthily slipped away from them.

This wandering eventually landed him squarely in front of a much blonde-haired girl who also happened to be much shorter than him. Truly, August had almost run directly into the girl because he wasn't exactly paying attention, but stopped himself at the last moment after coming to his senses. A slight chuckle escaped his mouth as he tried to play it off, saying, "Sorry about th-" His words were cut off when he finally got a direct look at the girl's face. It was Kit T, in the flesh. "Hey, aren't you Kit T? I've heard a lot about you." He offered a smile and his hand out for her to shake in greeting.

// Here it is, clocking in at just over 800 words. I hope this is good enough for you to play off of!

August had to admit — the girl was pretty if anything. Her gown was gorgeous, and the embroidery only made it that much more extravagant. Her makeup was nice too. The brilliant red painted on her lips was stunning, and contrasted nicely against both her blond locks and the white of her dress. Her look was bound to make a good first impression on the carpet. That was assuming that she hadn't already done that. The paparazzi tended to eat it up whenever there happened to be a new arrival.

The girl's words didn't come as much of a shock to August. His fanbase was massive, and he knew that several of the people here liked his music. At one time, thinking about how there were people that liked his music came as a massive surprise to the man. He still struggled to wrap his head around it sometimes, but slowly he had come to accept that there are, in fact, people who consider themselves fans of his work.

"Just August is fine," he responded. "And thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you as well! I'm very excited to hear your performance later. I'm sure you'll do great." He gave another warm smile. "Do you know what you're gonna be singing?"

Just as he finished making his inquiry to the girl, an usher came rushing up to them both. "The show is about to begin. Please head inside."

"Thank you," August returned, and the usher went on their way, talking to whomever their path crossed and presumably conveying the same message. He watched the usher go for a few seconds before turning his green gaze back on the girl before him. "We might as well head inside then. Care to join me?"

// Thank you!

So far, Kit was proving to be much calmer than what usually came out of his fans. August had dealt with his fair share of fanatical fans; crazy, obsessed people that genuinely thought that they were in a relationship with August, stalkers (a few of whom tried to break into his home. Not fun nights at all), banshee fans that screamed and chased him whenever they happened to spot him — you name it, August has probably dealt with it. He even discovered one day that some circles sexualized him, and that was a whole rabbithole that he wasn't interested in delving deeper into. He supposed that that was just one of the drawbacks to stardom, but it still didn't excuse their actions.

Kit, though, she was different; the girl had yet to show any signs of being a fanatic. He was grateful for that, too, because for once it was nice to chat with someone who wasn't trying to suck on his face. At times he felt bad for disliking those types of fans so much, because at the end of the day they were still his supporters and they were the people that were responsible for his wealth and fame. And he knew that not all of his devotees were like that, too, which was comforting on some level. For the most part, they tended to be supportive of all he did, even when his music changed drastically from album to album or when he made a questionable decision.

The girl also reminded him of what he was like back when he was first starting out. Being invited to an awards ceremony made him beyond anxious, and that was before he'd even been asked to perform. He remembered stepping onto the red carpet for the first time and being momentarily blinded by the paparazzi's cameras. Those pictures did not turn out well at all. It was not a good first impression, but eventually the people behind the cameras managed to snap a few good photos. Even now those first few pictures haunted him, and his fanbase used them oh-so-lovingly to taunt him.

Being asked to perform, though, was what really got to August. He had never performed in front of an audience of his peers before, so it was to be expected that he would be incredibly anxious. He ended up choosing a song called "Runaway". It was a ballad about a romance cut short by circumstance, and back then it was by far his most popular song. The performance ended up being a complete success, and afterwards it seemed that his followers were multiplying by the second. The bliss he felt that night had previously been unmatched.

But now, as he began walking alongside Kit, she began to make small talk. "Yeah, it is a lot of people. Just wait 'til you get inside, though." He knew from experience that there were almost always more people on the inside. Thank God for reserved seating for celebrities, cause otherwise there would basically be no way for August to get a seat.

Hearing the girl ask for tips on performance made him recall briefly his own first performance. A smile formed on his face as he reminisced on his own first performance at a ceremony. It was only then that his mind registered that the girl had called him a master. He laughed a bit, before saying, "I don't know if I would call myself a master, per se." He racked his brain for any advice that he could give to the girl on how to get over her nerves, but wasn't able to come up with much. "I mean, I could tell you to just imagine the audience in their underwear, but for me that was never helpful. Personally, it helped to just close my eyes and go for it. I pretended as if no one was there and sang my heart out. And it was great. Maybe that will work for you, too."

As with most venues, the place was magnificent. The stage was overly large, seemingly built just for shows like this. Off to the left was the largest part simply because that was the place where sets were placed whenever an artist happened to need one for their performance. Center and right stage were much slimmer than the other portion, but instead of a rotating wall they were adorned with large screens set up behind them. August had seen a number of people perform on this stage — some better than others — and he'd even performed on it a few times himself. He had high hopes for Katherine, and anxiously anticipated her performance. He wanted the girl to do well for her own sake.

Of course, performing in front of such a large crowd was never easy. With a capacity of over twenty thousand people, the selected venue was certainly one to marvel at. Plus, every seat had been filled, whether that be by a celebrity or a regular person who managed to secure a ticket to such a prestigious event. Performing here was not going to be a breeze, especially for Katherine who had yet to do so in front of a crowd like this one.

August took a moment to process the girl's words as she spoke once more. "It's no problem, really," he responded simply with a shrug of his shoulders. He opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could, the stage manager rushed over to them both with the intent of whisking Kit away. Before she walked away, the girl said that it was a dream come true to meet him. Not one to easily take such a compliment, he simply chose to speak again. "Go out there and do your thing. We can talk some more later. At the after party." He then proceeded to watch as the girl was hurried away, and as she turned back to look at him he waved to her reassuringly.

After the blonde girl disappeared backstage, August proceeded to his seat. Like with all the attending starlets, his name and face had been plastered on a piece of paper along with "reserved" written in big, bold letters. After a moment of searching, he found his place in the front row directly in front of center stage. He was appreciative of the placement because this was definitely one of the best seats in the whole venue. He settled into the chair easily

A few more minutes passed before the lights dimmed and a person stepped out on stage with a microphone in hand. The man recognized the figure as a woman who went by the name Cardinal — but August knew her better as Wendy Kim. She was a gorgeous Korean-American singer who happened to be popular worldwide like August was, despite the bulk of her fans being located in America and South Korea. Despite that, she was still massively popular, and her being chosen to host the awards show was something that August should have seen coming.

Wendy, wearing a flowing red dress, moved to center stage where she raised the microphone to her painted lips. "Hello and welcome to the thirtieth annual Trident Music Awards!" came her beautiful voice. "I've never been one for formalities, so I think tonight we'll just jump right into it," the woman continued, her deep brown gaze sweeping across the crowd. "As you all know, Trident likes to choose talented up-and-coming singers to perform as the opening act as a way of showcasing their undeniable talent. Tonight, I am excited to welcome Kit T, a woman whose musical career has so far been quite impressive." The woman paused for a moment as cheers and applause erupted throughout the arena. "And now, I present to you, Kit T!" Wendy made a sweeping gesture behind her, as if welcoming Katherine to the stage, before making her own way backstage.

August could only sit patiently as he waited for the girl to come out onto stage. A piano had been rolled out, presumably for her, cluing the man into what kind of song she might be singing. A piano usually a melodic, soulful piece, but the opening acts of any awards show usually opted for a bright and jumpy song in order to kick things off with a bang. But the piano's presence suggested that maybe that wasn't going to be the case tonight. His curiosity only continued to build as he waited for the show to begin.

For a moment he also wondered what they could possibly be doing backstage. He recalled the unpleasant experience of being rushed into a brightly-lit room full of mirrors before his own first performance. A small team of women fussed over his appearance for the span of a commercial break, and those memories became something that August has jokingly called traumatic ever since. One of the women smeared a light brown powder all over his face that he later found out was intended to keep him looking like a ghost on stage due to his pale complexion, while two more fought over the way his hair should be fixed. Another woman took the time to tighten his tie and spiff up his suit.

He didn't have time to completely immerse himself in his thoughts though. Wendy Kim had announced Kit's name, signaling that she was about to come out on stage. August was a bit giddy to hear the girl's singing, so much so that he felt quite like a child. Despite the feeling, he was content to clasp his hands in his lap and lean back. It wouldn't show on his face, but internally he was eager to hear the girl perform; after all, this would be the first time that he would actually hear her music.

It wasn't long before the blonde was walking out onto stage and heading for the piano. A smile formed on his face as the woman took her place on the bench and placed her hands onto the piano. August's attention was stolen away from whatever was happening around him as soon as the music began. He grew increasingly mesmerized as her fingers cascaded across the keys gracefully, and that feeling seemed to increase tenfold when she actually began to sing.

Something about the song reminded him of his own first performance. Perhaps it was the piano's sweet melody, or maybe it was the way the lyrics had her reaching into both her upper limits as well the depths of her range. His attention was completely and thoroughly captivated, and as she continued to sing something blossomed within him. He couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, but he knew it was a feeling that he'd only experienced once before.

He hardly even noticed as the song drew to a close. Suddenly he was being snapped out of his trance as applause and cheering exploded around him, and he swiftly joined in. The lights that had previously blinded her were now dimmed, and if she looked hard enough she could probably see August, front and center, clapping and cheering for her.

The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur. Unsurprisingly, they both won the awards that they had been nominated for, but that wasn't what really mattered to August. It probably did to Kit, though. All August wanted was to get to the after party as soon as he possibly could.

The audience quickly began to file out of the venue, leaving the celebrities in the massive room behind. They had been instructed previously to stay behind in order to make the transition to the after party smoother. As soon as the entire crowd had left, the starlets were told to make their way back outside. Once there, they were greeted with a sight that was familiar to some. The red carpet area had been converted into a place to hold the party during the show, with tables piled with food and drinks pushed up against one side. August swiftly made his way over to the tables, where one of the caterer's employees poured him two glasses of an expensive wine.

Looking around once more, the man spotted her. She was exiting the venue, and without even a note of hesitation August rushed over to her. "That was absolutely amazing. You effing killed it," he spoke, a beaming smile plastered on his face. The man censored himself purely because of a deal that he had made with himself that involved not cussing in public. He held out the second glass of wine to her. "Care for a glass?"

Chatting with the girl was quickly becoming one of the highlights of his night. At this point, he'd been to so many ceremonies that it just felt like a chore sometimes. But skipping ceremonies was a good way to garner bad press, and although all press is good press in some people's eyes, August could never find it within him to see their point.

Honestly though, ceremonies and awards shows tended to bore August. He appreciated all the work that went into them, whether that be planning, performing, or simply doing the awards show, but oftentimes he would go to one and there was just nothing particularly different from any of the other awards shows he attended. It was the stage that he lived for, not a seat in the audience.

For August, the stage and the studio are where he, as well as many of his fans, believe that he really "comes alive" in the sense that those are the two places where he can really bring out the best in himself. In both places, he can just lose himself in the music. It always came so naturally to him; singing and stage presence were really never anything that he had to work on. It was just easy somehow. He could never really explain why, either, it just kind of happened like that.

Despite the ceremonies and shows themselves being boring, the after party was always fun. He enjoyed being able to catch up with the other celebrities, many of whom had lives just as busy as his own. But tonight, he wasn't interested in them. He wanted to get to know Kit better, and perhaps make a new friend in the process.

He listened to the girl speak about how it didn't feel real before catching the part about her living in the Village. "Wow, you live in Manhattan?" he inquired, cocking his head slightly to the side. After a moment, he shook his head, but more at himself than Kit. "Sorry, that sounded rude. Just, with the accent and all, I assumed you'd be living in London or something. I live in the Lower East Side, by the way. We're not that far apart."

August listened to the girl continue to speak, and he a grin came upon his face at the mention of going out to get beers at some point. "I would love that," he responded, taking a sip of the incredibly expensive beverage in his hand. It didn't take long for the girl to begin speaking again, and this time around she was asking what the best thing to do at these kinds of parties happened to be. "Well, normally I'd go around and catch up with some of my older friends. Maybe make some new ones in the process. Sometimes I stuff my face at the food tables, but I think tonight I'd rather just stick with you." His face reddened a few seconds later when he realized that he had just unintentionally flirted with someone he'd just met. "Oh, uh, sorry, that sounded really weird, didn't it?" He chuckled awkwardly, hoping to play off what he'd just done, but doing so was never easy for him.

// So how should be continue this after the after party ends? Any ideas? Also, sorry for the wait. I've been really, really swamped for these past two days.