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Amaurot was facing turbulent times.
Amidst the turbulence, they were able to find a replacement to one of the most prominent positions in their band; Emet-Selch. This was the very position that had caused the turmoil surrounding the band, with a huge scandal on the previous member with such a position. In the end, he was taken out of the band and replaced with another. Rumor has it this new member's real name is Hades, yet there hasn't been way of confirming it.
The moment he showed himself to public media, the band quickly rose back to the fame it used to have. It even reached new heights. The man had an allure about him. He didn't look too young or too old, his hair had two tones and his gaze was piercing as it was bright. Truly, it was as if they had brought an otherworldly creature to join Amaurot.
And everyone adored it.
Quickly, the previous scandal lost its fame, replaced with everyone's desire to see and hear the new member live. Today was finally the day for everyone to judge him in person.
G'raha Tia kept his love for the band a secret from his friends and peers. After all, for them, it was amusing to make fun of things that were gaining lots of traction, especially when it came to bands and the like. Yet, even for him there was solace in the net. He had gained friends and joined forums that specifically discussed the Amaurot band. One of those was The Forum, a spot dedicated to Amaurot and all of its lore. Today, they were as active as ever. His chats were blowing up as new forum threads were posted rapidly in the span of seconds. It was a big day, after all.
[Amaurotine1stFan]: Did you guys listen to Emet-Selch's rendition of To The Edge? Elidibus is great but goodness did Emet-Selch's voice pierce my soul!
[Bestlidibus]: He didn't do as well as Elidibus, of course, but I will admit he did quite well. Looking forward to his own EP so we can judge him on his element.
[Annamaurotine]: gotta wait for the live performance. i don't think he'll do as well as the previous Emet, that guy was great. a shame. this one only has the looks.
[CrystalExarch]: I agree with 1stFan. Despite To The Edge being such a hard song to cover as it was tailor-made for Elidibus's range of voice and tone, Emet-Selch did a great job, it was heartfelt and soulful. I just know he'll be great once we see him tonight. I'm looking forward to it. Also, rumor has it he will be singing his EP live tonight. Look forward to that, too, fellow Amaurotines.
"And send." G'raha commented to himself, happily clicking the post button before someone placed an arm over his shoulders. Quickly, he locked the screen of his phone, feeling cold sweatdrops fall.
"What were you sending G'raha?" The man speaks with an upbeat tone, though a slightly raspy voice. G'raha needn't look towards him to know who he was.
"Ah, Meteor! U-Uh, just some college work is all." He said with a shaky voice. Meteor, of course, did not believe him, yet he nodded anyway. If G'raha didn't want to share whatever that was, he didn't need to pry. Quickly, he shoves the mystery aside to continue the conversation.
"Oh, that's cool! Uh, are you busy tonight? Want to go out for some drinks, maybe? I've been feeling really stressed, as of late." And anxious, but he wouldn't mention that. Him and the redhead had been going through some turbulent times of their own. Their friendship seemed to be budding into something more, but Meteor had no way of confirming it. Instead, he was stuck guessing, trying to see where it all led.
Usually, G'raha Tia would say a hundred times yes to an invitation from Meteor, especially seeing as his own approaches had been reciprocated positively these days, but tonight was important... He couldn't back away from supporting Amaurot. He needed to be there and witness Emet-Selch in all his glory... He had to be there, yet he couldn't confess to Meteor what his plans were. So, with pain, he shook his head.
"Sorry, I would've loved going but... I'm really busy tonight. B–But maybe tomorrow!"
"Ah... I see, well, that's alright. Yeah, tomorrow sounds good!" Meteor said with a somewhat dispirited voice. Mixed signals weren't his forte–or any signals, for that matter, so this only made it harder on him. Had he pushed too hard? He glanced away. Oh, how it pained G'raha to hear that tone, see that shaky expression, but he couldn't back down. He knew he'd regret it if he wasn't there to witness Emet-Selch's live debut. "Well, I won't keep you anymore. I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
"You got it! See you tomorrow!" Meteor waved and walked on towards the college dorms, it seemed he would just crash for the day. G'raha observed his lonely back, glistening with the last rays of the sun, and wondered if he had hurt him with that rejection. It wasn't like he knew what he was ditching him out for, right? With that question in mind, he went on his way to his own dorm. It was time to change, he didn't want to arrive late or he'd have to wait in line for hours.
Inside his room, he took a glance at his VIP ticket, squealing in delight at the thought of being able to see the group from up close. Placing the phone on the desk, he heard it vibrate immediately after, it was The Forum.
[Amaurotine1stFan]: Amaurotines!! The title for Emet-Selch's debut track just dropped! It's called Who Brings Shadow! What do you suppose it means?
[CrystalExarch]: It HAS to be related to the ever-teased Shadowbringers album right? It somehow gives me the vibe that it'll be similar in theme to To The Edge. But Emet-Selch's subtitle is the Angel of Truth, is it not? Maybe he'll shed light on the current state of Amaurot itself (in the story or maybe even as of late with the scandals and such).
[FANdaniel]: Whatever it is I just hope they give Fandaniel a chance to shine. It's been AGES. Where is his EP!?
G'raha giggled with how lively The Forum had gotten. They were so close to seeing them again, it always gave them a giddy feeling, they air felt static, alive. He dropped the phone over the desk once more, charging it and letting it vibrate intensely as he took to the shower.
"Are you nervous? Hythlodaeus asked the new member of the band, a tablet in hand.
"Of course not. This is merely another step to my permanence here and I will not fail." Though Hades said this, his manager could notice the shaking of his lips, the exaggerated squint of his eyes. He did not want to fail at all and, therefore, he was nervous. This could make or break his stay at the band. Even though he didn't know them well, it seemed he had already grown fond of them, of the band itself. Hythlodaeus would know, he saw how he practiced, how he seemed to light up on the stage.
"They'll see how much you love this and they'll accept you. As long as you expose that of yourself, you'll be alright."
"Hmph..." he pouted, as if he didn't need the pep-talk. Yet, it brought a bit of peace.
He was ready. Today, they wouldn't be performing with robes. His leather jacket and pants were in perfect order, his shirt small enough to expose the entirety of his abs – fanservice, Hythlodaeus called it – remained tightly in place. He thought it was a bit too much, along with his high-heeled boots, but the lavender-manager insisted for him to keep them. It suited him, after all. Two-toned hair messy yet somewhat orderly landed against parts of smoky eyes, making for an ethereal look. He was grateful this wasn't the usual attire, he'd be looking forward to the next performances covered in the comfort of their custom robes.
And just like that, the moment came and it was time to perform.
"Break a leg, Hades... or should I say, our new Emet-Selch." Hythlodaeus gave him a small pat on the back, pushing him to the stage along with the other members of the group.
They started with regular performances, showing off Emet-Selch's skills with a guitar and how well he harmonized with each member of the group... And then, it was the moment for him to show off his vocalizing skills in person.
"You've been waiting for it, haven't you? Well, I guess I should give you a glimpse of my skills. You'd better remember it, yes?" Emet-Selch spoke to the audience that roared into applause, scanning each and every one of the fans over at the VIP zone, slowly, taking his time. "Who Brings Shadow."
As soon as he said this, his guitar started ringing, applause only increasing as he started vocalizing. Throughout the start he scanned through, until his eyes landed upon crimson-red ones. He remained there maybe for a second too long, studying the boy. He seemed... familiar. The sparks in the air flew straight to his heart, a bothersome but not unwelcomed sensation. He assumed this was the thrill of having all eyes on him. With a small wink, he drifted their eyes apart and continued. Soon, he came alive on the stage, shining as bright as Hythlodaeus had noticed in practice. Easily, he moved the masses to the rhythm of his voice and movements, he gave it his all, as if there were nothing left to live for after this.
Yes, this was where Hades was on his element, his favorite place to be, already. A natural on the stage who could strike the souls of the audience with but a glance.
That was exactly what had happened to G'raha Tia. He had been cheering over the VIP section with their Amaurotine Elpis flower, its light a bright white. The moment they locked eyes, though, his cheering stopped... He was enchanted by him. Starstruck as he thought he could never be. Those honeyed hues brought him to his knees, metaphorically, just like his voice had the first time he heard him. At the exact same moment they locked eyes, the Elpis flower switched to that golden glow, new, majestic.
Could he be any more perfect? Looks, voice, spirit, energy... Everything was awe-inspiring. After that, G'raha Tia couldn't keep his eyes from him. During the entirety of their performance, he could only look at that man, who glanced back at him maybe once or twice again. Each and every time, his heart wavered, jumped in joy. What was that feeling, anyway?
In the blink of an eye, the performance was over.
Emet-Selch returned backstage last, saying his goodbyes and thanks to the audience for the chance they had given him.
"Remember it. Remember our performance for you, and judge us–judge me accordingly." He said before giving a quick bow and taking his leave, parting drops of sweat away along with messy hairs from his forehead. He walked away into the backstage where Hythlodaeus congratulated him for a successful performance. Immediately, Hades returned to his annoyed, scowling expression.
"Let's just hope they're rational enough to think the same." He said before walking away. Hythlodaeus couldn't help but chuckle.
"Truly, you can never be honest when it comes to your feelings." He placed a hand over his mouth, giggling away. His manager was right, his heart was still racing with uncertainty. He desperately wanted to be accepted and understood by the audience, he wanted to be loved by them... Hopefully, those feelings reached them, somehow.
G'raha Tia was now gazing at the empty stage. His heart also pounding desperately. This had been a performance like no other. Quickly, he had turned into that man's biggest fan, he thought. There was a need for him to meet him, to get to know him, to have those eyes land on his again. He was hoping to have that happen at least once more. That was all he could think of.
Even on his way back to his dorm, he could still see the intense glint of the man's eyes over his, overwhelming everything, overpowering the stage itself. The Elpis flower had lost its glint once the performance was over, as it usually did, but he could still see it, that enchanting golden.
[Amaurotine1stFan]: What did you guys think of tonight's performance? To me, it was phenomenal!
[FANdaniel]: The new Emet-Selch fits right in, I just wish Fandaniel had a chance to solo.
[Annamaurotine]: i was wrong about Emet-Selch. he's pretty good damn. i was rocking so hard!
[Bestlidibus]: Who Brings Shadow was awesome! It fit him waaaay better than To The Edge! AND we got to hear Eli sing To The Edge live again, 10/10!
[CrystalExarch]: It was magical. Emet-Selch took the time to glance at the VIP section and I instantly became a fan, haha.
[Amaurotine1stFan]: So I wasn't the only one to sense that!? Damn it's like he really took the time to get to know us with a glance I kid u not!
[CrystalExarch]: Agreed! It truly felt like he was studying us or... connecting or something. Whatever it was, it was amazing.
He spent the night reading and writing back and forth at The Forum until he passed out.
The Forum was facing vigorous times, as was Amaurot.