I did it! It finally took me less than a month to update! XD Thank you time off work lol I'm back to work, but I've made some good progress with this story :D Granted, it'll probably be a while before I update this again, but this story is definitely my writing priority at the moment. Now I just gotta balance that with work and making a Halloween costume for next month during my free time lol. Let me know what you guys think of the chapter!
I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.
Christina's heart fluttered with excitement as she looked at the clothes she'd laid out on her bed. Any minute now, Bao would be arriving at their apartment. The stars had finally aligned, and their crazed schedules gave them an opportunity to meet up. She'd been texting him regularly anyway, but hadn't seen him since the album release party, and that was weeks ago now. Midnight Embrace was already hard at work on their third single.
The "My Apocalypse" music video was still undergoing major editing, but she'd heard whispers throughout headquarters that even the executives were really excited about it. The single itself would be released any day now.
Christina turned her attention back to the matter at hand, trying to decide what she wanted to do about her date. Was this a date? She wasn't entirely sure. She and Bao had definitely hit it off well, especially at the party, and there had definitely been some flirting, but she didn't want to come off too strong in case she'd read the situation wrong. Texting was great, but it still wasn't quite the same as face-to-face communication. She groaned.
She'd styled her waist length blonde hair into soft waves, which felt casual enough, but still more than she'd normally do. Even if this wasn't a date, Christina definitely wanted to look good.
Looking at the pile, she picked out her best pair of jeans and one of her dressier shirts that wasn't too much, and paired them with some boots. She glanced at herself in the mirror, satisfied.
She heard a knock at the door and dashed out of her room. Ninel gave her a knowing look from where she was laying on the couch, watching a video of bassist Lee Jae-jin from Korean rock band F.T. Island performing. He was one of Ninel's major inspirations.
"Have fun!" Ninel called as Christina double-checked for her key before slipping out the door.
Bao was right outside, looking cuter than Christina remembered now that she finally had time to see him in decent lighting. Every other time his appearance had been half hidden in the dark or dim lighting.
"Hey, Christina. You look great," Bao complimented her.
"Thanks." Christina felt her heart flutter again. "Call me Crissie."
They headed down the elevator toward the entrance to the apartments. Christina could definitely get used to this. It was so convenient, with both bands living in the same building. Of course, it wouldn't be long before Dauntless Inferno would be leaving for their headlining tour; it wasn't a secret that DNMM was starting to book venues for them with the growing success of their debut album. Christina felt a pang in her chest. She only hoped Midnight Embrace would still be around to welcome the boys when they got back.
Bao had already called a taxi, which was set to take them into the heart of the city. It wasn't too far, but they planned on doing a fair amount of walking once they got there. Taking one of the cars DNMM had provided them wasn't an option either, in case another band member needed it for work reasons. Plus, it wasn't like there was much for parking in the city, outside of overpriced parking garages.
The taxi dumped them off in a crowded downtown area. Bao led the way, weaving through the throng of people.
"Do you want to get a drink?" Bao asked.
"A drink?" Christina knit her eyebrows in confusion. "Not that I'm not down for a good time, but it's barely two… Don't you think that's a little early?"
"Oh, right," Bao said sheepishly, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Sorry. After you've been here a while, well, it's kind of just like an all-out party all the time. I forget what normal is sometimes. There are days I don't leave DNMM until after midnight. My sleep schedule's a mess."
"So the guys in Dauntless Inferno like to party, then?" Christina teased, though she was curious to learn more.
"Actually, not so much, unless there's an occasion. King doesn't even need to if he wants to go nuts, he's just that wound already. And Dashan and Kyoya are hyper-focused on achieving their goals. They won't let anything stand in the way of that. But a lot of other bands here… let's just say it's not too hard to get dragged into a party if another band invites you to their apartment."
"Oh. And DNMM is okay with that?"
Bao shrugged. "As far as I can tell. I think as long as it doesn't hurt them, they don't really care what you do as long as you still hold up your end of the bargain and produce good music. But I don't doubt if a band's drinking becomes a problem they'll be kicked out. There's actually a zero-tolerance drug policy, too. It's in the contract everyone signs as when Nebulous Records picks them up."
"Huh." Christina couldn't remember every minute detail of the pages-long contract. "Do they test regularly?"
"Sometimes, mostly only if they have reason to suspect something's up. They'll do random ones every so often to keep people on their toes, too. Being a rock star's not easy," Bao flashed a crooked smile. "It's easy to get caught up in the wrong thing. But if it happens too soon in your career, DNMM isn't gonna waste time, not on someone who hasn't even established themselves yet. They figure sending a newbie to rehab costs more than it's worth. They'll look for someone else less likely to get swept up in that lifestyle and move on to the next band."
"Yeah." Christina could think of far too many celebrities whose lives had been completely wrecked by substance abuse. With so much constant stress and pressure, it wasn't hard to understand why they wanted an escape, but it all had a tendency to catch up in the end… and sometimes by then it was too late. "There's a million people waiting for an opportunity like we've got."
"Exactly. They won't hesitate to replace you if you go down the wrong path." There was a bit of an awkward silence. "So… How about coffee instead?"
"Sounds great," Christina said, relieved. What Bao had told her was almost too scary to think about. The deeper you got in with the glitz and glamour of this business, the easier it was to fall into the enticingly extravagant, darkly sinister underworld of it all. Having money only made it all too simple. "Drugs, sex, and rock 'n roll" wasn't classic phrase for no reason. Christina shuddered.
After grabbing their orders from one of the local coffee shops, which Bao swore up and down was one of the absolute best in the city, they walked past a small shopping district. Bao pointed out the best stores, which ones were overpriced, and which ones were best to avoid. Some were notorious for attracting the rich and famous, however that meant it was also frequented by those trying to catch a glimpse of the rich and famous. Christina decided she definitely didn't need that kind of attention, and made a mental note to avoid those next time she came down here. She'd stick to some of the less conspicuous stores. That was where most of the best clothes were found anyway. Besides, Bao might be starting to rake in some money, but as far as Christina was concerned, even with the generous stipend from DNMM she still felt broke sometimes. Nothing was promised until they were signed with the parent label.
They headed over to the park, which was the only source of greenery in the area. It was nice, Christina supposed, with its large trees and winding paths, but it wasn't like back home.
"What do you think?" Bao asked eagerly.
"Pretty," Christina murmured.
"That doesn't sound convincing." His hand brushed against hers. Christina wondered if it was an accident. Bao didn't really seem to notice.
"Sorry," Christina cleared her throat. "It's just, I'm more used to the country. Where I'm from, there's miles and miles of woods, not buildings."
"So it's an adjustment," Bao gave her an understanding smile. "I'm sure you've noticed by now, but if you're looking for woods, there's a bunch of paths around the apartments."
"I hope they're not as small as this park," Christina smirked. His hand bumped hers again, and this time she was almost confident it was on purpose.
An hour later, they were back in a taxi headed home. Bao needed to be at the studio soon, and the girls had to practice for another upcoming show DNMM had organized.
They sat in silence for most of the short ride, worn out from all the walking they'd done even if it hadn't been for very long. Christina stared out the window.
She noticed through the reflection that Bao's hand was definitely creeping closer to her side. She stuck her own hand toward the center, so they overlapped, her fingers resting on his. Her heart thudded in her chest. She hadn't been reading the signs wrong at all.
They stepped out of the taxi and into the apartment lobby. Christina still couldn't get over how much the apartments were like a hotel. She wondered if the building had originally been one, or if it had been built by DNMM for the express purpose of housing their talent.
"I had a great time," Bao said.
"Me, too," Christina replied warmly. "Thanks for showing me around."
"No problem, Crissie. Would you want to do it again sometime?"
She was surprised he even had to ask. She thought it'd been clear she'd had a great time. "Absolutely."
Ninel couldn't believe how fast the next DNMM-hosted show had come up. After being mixed and mastered, "My Apocalypse" had just been released on Friday, and even after less than a day was starting to produce some positive results. They couldn't rest on their laurels yet though, because the video was still being worked on, and that would really be their big debut once people could put faces to the music. Naturally, DNMM wanted to get them out there, too, hence the show right after the release. Ninel wondered if anyone would be coming to the show purely because they'd heard their singles. DNMM had gotten them some airtime, though usually not during peak hours just yet since they were technically still starting out. Hopefully the newest single would change that, and their luck would be turning. How many people really could've heard it in such a short time though? Then again, some songs and artists seemed to just blow up overnight. Maybe they'd be one of them, Ninel thought enthusiastically as she popped a piece of sour candy into her mouth.
The other girls flitted about backstage. Four bands were playing tonight: a new one, which had been signed in the past week, Midnight Embrace, Lovushka, and the Garcias. The girls weren't thrilled to be playing another show with the band that had gone out of its way to bother them the most, but it would be cool to finally see Lovushka play.
Stella twisted a loose strand of hair. "I hate seeing them here," she murmured, jerking her head over toward the Garcias. "They give me such a bad vibe."
"Agreed." Christina hadn't forgotten the nasty comment Selen had given Stella. "It's too bad such talented people can be so awful."
"We'll ignore them," Ninel said determinedly, carrying her bass in its black case. "We do not need that negativity ruining our night."
"Right," Avari commented, holding a vodka nip unsteadily in her hand. Gin eyed it, mild concern marring her face. Before she could say anything, Avari dashed off. It was still twenty minutes before the first band went on, so Gin refrained from chasing after her.
Following Avari's departure, the band seemed to fracture a bit. Stella went to double check every piece of her drum set had made it safely, and Christina slipped away before Ninel even noticed.
Gin fidgeted, playing with a guitar pick between her fingers. "Do you think Dauntless Inferno will show up again?"
"Maybe." Ninel shrugged. "They seem to enjoy coming to DNMM events. I wouldn't be surprised."
"I hope so," Gin murmured, almost too quietly for Ninel to hear.
As if summoned by their conversation, a gust of air from the open entrance drew their attention to the door, where part of Dauntless Inferno had just passed through. King and Dashan walked right in, King heading over toward the bar.
Gin couldn't hide her excitement. It'd been too long since she'd last seen Kyoya. Hopefully he'd be coming through the doors any minute now, too. Her face fell when she didn't see him right away.
"I'm going to check on Stella," Gin announced. "I've got to make sure my second guitar's tuned anyway." One of the songs the girls were playing was in a completely different tuning, and rather than having everyone wait for her to retune on stage, DNMM had lent Gin a second guitar so she could switch for the one song, then go back to her personal one for the rest of the set.
Ninel smiled when Dashan caught her eye and started heading toward them. Selen had interrupted them at the release party, and Ninel was keen on not having that happen again, especially not knowing where Selen was. It didn't seem like the Garcias had shown up yet, thankfully. Still, she motioned to Dashan, leading him over to a more secluded area of the venue, past the bar and behind some tables.
"What's with meeting over here?" Dashan asked cheerfully.
Ninel realized it might've been a bit weird to draw Dashan away from the crowd for some privacy when they didn't have any kind of relationship- not even friendship really- just yet. Regardless, he'd come when she'd beckoned, so hopefully that meant something.
"Oh, you know. Just looking for a little break before the show starts. I needed to get away from the excitement for a minute," Ninel hastily explained, waving at the crowd gathering around the stage and bar. "I still can't believe how many people come to these shows. It's a bit of a shock, compared to back home."
"It took me a while to adjust as well," Dashan told her confidentially. "You guys played a great show last time. I'm sure you'll do it again."
"Thanks." Ninel's eyes sparkled.
The first band took to the stage, grabbing their instruments and finishing making last minute adjustments.
"Want me to get you a drink?" Dashan offered. Ninel was about to respond when an uninvited guest nosed her way in.
"Hey Dashan," Selen purred. "It's so great to see you again! Did you come to see us play?"
"We were looking for a good night out, and thought it'd be nice to stop by the show," Dashan replied diplomatically.
"Well you definitely made the right choice." Ninel couldn't help but notice how low-cut Selen's top was, and knew there was no way Dashan would've missed it either. It was a bit hard to ignore.
"I was just about to go get us some drinks," Dashan explained. "Would you like one?"
"Sure," Selen said brightly. "I'd love an espresso martini."
"Of course," Dashan turned to Ninel. "Anything for you?"
"Um, a Mai Tai would be great," Ninel said. "Thanks." As he left, she fumbled through her bag of sour candy, hoping to soothe her raging nerves, but found it empty.
"What do you think you're doing?" Selen's low, aggressive whisper snapped her to attention.
"What do you mean?" Ninel asked, confused and not sure where Selen was going.
"Dashan. I don't know who you think you are, but he's mine. And everyone knows it," Selen tossed her hair.
"Excuse me?" Ninel responded coldly, amber eyes sparking. "First, Dashan and I are just friends. We were talking. Second, last I checked Dashan was single. So if you want to go around telling people you're together, you might want to mention it to him, too."
Selen's eyes flashed. "If you're 'just friends' then why did you lure him all the way over here to talk? Don't think I don't know what you're up to. Nobody talks to me like that."
Ninel simmered. "I think I just did."
Selen glared. "We both know Midnight Embrace's days here are numbered, so I don't know why I'm wasting my time on someone like you. Your first single was a dud, and your second one's even worse. I'd be so embarrassed."
A wave of calm washed over Ninel, even as Selen insulted the band. She felt her temper die down, and spoke in an even tone. Selen could be as rude and nasty as she wanted, but in the end she was nothing more than the mean girls in high school had been. Selen didn't have any real input at DNMM. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but that's your opinion. We aren't going anywhere."
"Look," Selen hissed. "Stay away from Dashan, and I'll let this go. Otherwise, I will personally make sure Midnight Embrace doesn't get to stick around long enough to record a third single."
Ninel was about to strike back, when Dashan returned, fully oblivious as he carried three drinks.
"Thanks, Dashan," Selen said sweetly. "I think it's too bad Dauntless Inferno isn't playing tonight. You would've brought in such a crowd!"
"I have to go check on my band," Ninel said, not wanting to watch anymore. She stalked away, frustrated and thankful she'd ordered a stronger drink than usual. Being around Selen for more than five minutes was enough to make anyone want to forget that experience.
Selen was probably telling Dashan what an awful, terrible person Ninel was. Ninel couldn't believe how good Selen was at flipping her personality in an instant, as if she had a sixth sense that let her know when someone important was coming. Ninel hoped that would backfire on her some day.
A strange smile stretched across Ninel's face as she headed backstage. Two could play this game. Ninel wasn't one to back down from a challenge, especially one issued by someone as two-faced as Selen.
And Ninel always got what she wanted.
The other girls were already backstage when Ninel got there. Gin's two guitars were set up neatly side-by-side on stands. Avari's spiky bejeweled microphone was ready to go.
Ninel debated telling them what had happened with Selen, but decided it might be best to wait until after the show, or at least until after they performed. They didn't need any distractions. Besides, if she told them now, they might not want to stick around to watch the Garcias play, not that they wanted to in the first place, and if they left early they wouldn't get paid. Plus, Ninel didn't want to give Selen the satisfaction of thinking she'd won.
Argo and Ian Garcia were talking nearby, but fortunately they didn't so much as glance in the girls' direction. Ninel pushed all thoughts of the Garcia family out of her head.
"We saw you talking to Dashan," Christina gave her a knowing wink. "How'd it go?"
"Well he bought me this drink." Ninel gestured to the orange-red beverage she held.
"Ooh!" Gin squealed. "I bet he likes you."
"I think he was just being nice," Ninel downplayed it, remembering how he'd been so quick to offer Selen a drink, too. Then again, he'd only done so when Selen had shown up as he'd been about to leave. Maybe he thought it would've been rude to only come back with a drink for Ninel?
The first band was finishing up. The girls brought their instruments closer to the stage, so they could quickly set up and not eat into their playing time. Unlike the last show, which had been at a significantly bigger venue, there were fewer techs available to help, but still a couple on hand for any heavy lifting.
"Hey!" Lera appeared. "I can't wait to hear you guys play! I've heard so many good things."
"Thanks!" Stella beamed. "We're really excited to hear you guys, too."
Lera's face faltered a bit, but the expression vanished so quickly, replaced by a smile that they didn't even notice. "Tonight's gonna be great! I've got to go check on Alexsei and Nowaguma! They're unloading our van. See you soon!" She dashed off.
"So I hear Hikaru might be here tonight," Avari whispered conspiratorially, leaning in. She seemed a bit drunk, wavering where she stood. Ninel hoped she'd be able to sing without issue.
Stella seemed to be thinking along similar lines. "I'm going to get her some water." She jumped up and ran over to the table where they were keeping bottles.
"You okay?" Gin asked cautiously.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Avari frowned. "It's just been a long day. Has anyone seen Ryuto?"
"I thought you were with him earlier," Ninel commented.
"No, I don't think he's here tonight," Avari said sadly. "He must be busy. This is the first show of ours he's missed since we met him."
Ninel supposed that must've been weighing heavily on the singer, not having her crush and primary support outside the band nearby, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. Stella had come back with Avari's water. The first band had finished, and most of their gear was off the stage.
Set up didn't take too long, especially with the few techs helping Stella put together all the pieces of her drums. She headed back to get the last snare. As she picked it up, Stella glanced around for her bag of drumsticks. She was certain it had been laying on one of the chairs, but it was gone. She shrugged, heading back towards the stage where Avari was already calling to the crowd, opening their set. One of the techs must've put the bag by the kit when she wasn't looking.
Stella sat on her drum stool, ready to go. They were starting out with "Inner Riot", saving "My Apocalypse" for last since it was their newest, and probably best, song. Gin and Christina launched into the power chords. Stella reached for her drumsticks, assuming they'd be right there.
There was nothing.
Panic seized her. Stella whipped her head around, looking everywhere around the drum set, even under her seat. Her drumsticks simply weren't there. There was no sign of her bag anywhere.
She tried motioning to the other girls, to get their attention, but they were already too into the song. The drums didn't kick in until the first chorus, so they didn't even realize something was wrong.
She tried waving to some of the people backstage, hoping to grab their attention, but it was pointless. Some were distracted by the rest of the show, while others ran around doing their jobs. Not one person noticed.
Avari turned to face Stella as they hit the chorus. Her voice wobbled as she saw the distress on Stella's face. Stella held her hands up helplessly, glancing around. Avari's eyes widened in concern as the situation clicked for her. She seemed torn, unsure of whether she should stop singing, or if the show should go on.
The other girls had realized there was a problem now, too, as they turned back to see what was happening with their drummer. The shock threw all of them off. Christina and Ninel both missed several notes, and Gin nearly tripped over one of the cords trying to get closer to Stella.
Avari stopped singing, realizing they'd lost it. "Um, sorry! Technically difficulties," she explained, her words slightly slurred as she struggled to keep it together.
One of the techs had finally caught on, and ran out with a pair of sticks for Stella. Stella's face burned with embarrassment. Worst of all, she could see King watching her with worry etched on his face. She must've appeared grossly irresponsible to the audience, coming on stage as a drummer without her sticks. This looked so bad.
And it wasn't even her fault! She'd tried to find her sticks, she really had. She'd done everything she could, short of awkwardly using her hands to hit the drums to try to keep the song going. Where could they possibly have gone? Stella bit back tears.
"One more time! We're uh, Midnight Embrace," Avari almost winced as she said the band name, though her voice was steady again. "Let's go!"
Stella put everything into focusing on her drums for the next three songs, not even wanting to look up. She couldn't bring herself to face the crowd.
Gin switched to the loaner guitar for the next song. It was a newer, expensive model that she'd never thought she'd get to hold, let alone play. Granted, it wasn't her style, but it was still cool to use it in their performance.
The crowd was cheering, and it seemed like they'd gotten past their awkward start. Finally they were getting into the groove of things.
She started playing the first notes, teeming with excitement. She'd only practiced with it a few times prior, preferring to tune her own guitar instead, but it was different playing live.
She almost gasped, but refrained when she remembered how close the microphone was to her. The guitar was out of tune.
Horribly, at that. It wasn't in any sort of tuning, instead like a five year old had gotten ahold of it and twisted all the knobs on the guitar head for fun. Gin was positive she had tuned the guitar correctly. Her stomach curdled. How had this happened?
The guitar was horribly off-key. There was no saving it. The other girls had noticed, and stopped playing. Gin flushed. She hurried to retune the guitar as quickly as possible, fumbling with the tuning keys as her hands shook anxiously. She hadn't seen him earlier, but Gin really hoped Kyoya hadn't come. Christina told her Bao had a conflict with DNMM and had to be at headquarters tonight, so Gin prayed that applied to Kyoya, too. She was like a total amateur up there.
Avari covered again, saying they were having more technical difficulties, but even her confidence had been shot. She took another shot on stage, though her voice was wavering. Her singing was still well enough despite the alcohol, but if they ran into any more problems, the band would be done for.
Midnight Embrace finished out their last few songs, carefully and without the excited fervor they'd been consumed with before the show even started. With all the holdups, they'd run short on time, and had to cut their set short. They didn't even have time to get to "My Apocalypse."
Meekly, the girls headed offstage to moderate, polite applause though half the audience was no longer paying attention and had already wandered off to the bar. Breaking down their equipment was a blur.
Worse yet, they were stuck there to watch the next two bands play, unable to properly process what had just happened.