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lightblue-flower · 7 years

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Love Lies - Prologue I

Summary: Arthur Kirkland is one of the most successful producers and DJ in the world. Known to the public as KING, he managed to dominate the EDM scene after his first year breaking into the mainstream. Unluckily for him, another DJ also broke through at the same time - French DJ and professional womanizer Jean Épine-, and after a bit of a snarky conversation and Jean winning first place on the DJMag Top 100, Arthur made it his mission to beat Jean at all the awards and become the real number one DJ.

That all changes when, after a few more years later, after the two always managing to keep the top two positions to themselves, newcomer Lars Jensen rocked the EDM scene by being the youngest DJ to win the title. Not wanting to disappear from the public eye and wanting to stay relevant, Arthur and Jean decide to collaborate on an album that would top the charts.

Little did either of them know that there would be more to their year together other than producing music…

A/N: Hey everyone! It’s been a long while since I posted a story here, and since I made a new account, I decided I’ll post my most recent works here- if you’re in the FrUk sphere, you may have heard of a small EDM/DJ AU that I really wanted to do so..I wrote it! I hope anyone who’s reading this will enjoy this chapter, I will try my best to update it (though it won’t be a long work), and thank you so much for just reading this piece!

Pairing: FrUk (Main), Undecided small pairings (RoChu, NedPort)

Characters: KING/ Arthur Kirkland - England Jean Épine/ Francis Bonnefoy - France LUK∀S/ Lukas - Norway Matthias- Denmark, Tino - Finland, Berwald - Sweden Mei Xiao - Taiwan Camille Bonnefoy - Monaco Eduard Von Bock - Estonia Raivis- Latvia, Toris - Lithuania

Also Read Here: AO3

Prologue I

Click, click, click, click, click, click!

“King! Over here!”

Click, click, click, click, click, click!

“Smile for me, KING!”

The man was absolutely awestruck at his surroundings. The sudden flashes of the cameras lined up behind the barricade nearly blinded him as he stood on the carpet, trying his best not to squint too much as to not stupid in the photo.

The man was currently in Festhalle Frankfurt, the huge arena located in Frankfurt, Germany, where he was attending the MTV Europe Music Awards. See, this man was no ordinary man- he is now one of the rising names in the DJ and music producer scene internationally so far, and his popularity is only rising from there.

After meticulously and slowly doing DJ gigs from small bars to getting signed by Braginsky Entertainment , a small yet well connected management group, to doing EDM concerts in Europe, the man was able make his big break at the beginning of summer that year with the release of his EP Runaway , with the titular track breaking through to mainstream. He didn’t expect the success with Runaway would be as huge as it did, but it landed him nominations after nominations, and after actually winning Teens Choice Awards for best EDM Song, placing 20th on the DJMag 100 list, he went on to winning Best Breakthrough DJ from the DJ Awards in Ibiza.

Things were looking up for this man, and even though this was his first attending these sorts of events, he was sure that he would be at least in the top 10 in the 100 list next year.

“Arthur, come over here right now,” he heard a woman beckon from the side, a bit further back in order to allow other singers and attendees to pass them. Arthur sighed, as he trailed away towards a short woman with long brown hair, who was extending her tanned arms out towards him towards his neck. “How did you manage to loosen your tie again!”

“Why do I have to wear this stuffy suit, huh Mei? I didn’t have to wear this at the DJ Awards…”

“Because no photographers were allowed there,” Mei whispered sharply, her eyebrows pulled into a slight frown, though due to her voice having a high and sweet sound to it, it didn’t sound as threatening as she would have liked it to be. “If you keep up this good image when you go events, you’ll be taken more seriously by potential collaborators and artists, which would help you kickstart your album for next year.”

“We just finished the tour and we’re already talking about another EP…”

“This is what you were working towards Arthur! Producing your own music! And thanks to that mix, you now have to opportunity to make your way up to the top 10! That would only make your base bigger!”

What started as a hobby one afternoon when he was 20 in order to escape the dread of his everyday minimum-wage life in his small, cramped apartment his family of five shared, soon turn into a skyrocketing musical career ever since he started to upload mixes online. Arthur was originally in an indie rock band as a guitarist and backup vocals from secondary school until then, who did relatively well in the U.K., however, since their disbandment he had no idea what he was going to do with his life. He didn’t want to go to university - something his parents wanted him to do- and he wanted to keep making music.

“Now, smile,” Mei said smoothly, her glossed lips turning up as a smile, as she mindlessly brushed Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur gave a smile, knowing that she was only thinking about what’s best for him - Mei was his manager since the day he signed on to the label.

Although at first, most people at the agency were hesitant to sign an inexperienced person on (at the age of 22, Arthur only performed in clubs and had few mixes to present), Mei felt that he could make it big, and immediately extended her help to Arthur. Arthur knew his hard work and endless hours poured into producing was what helped him on his way to success, though he admits that he’s as big as he is now because he Mei by his side, along with his agent and publicist, Yao Wang, who unfortunately couldn’t make it (or so he claims…Arthur knows he’s having another rendezvous with the CEO’s son).

It’s only been almost 1 year since he signed on, and he somehow managed to make his big break from a small record company. This kind of thing wasn’t unusual, but for someone to have such little experience before entering the industry, this was a pretty amazing feat.

Arthur strode down the red carpet, looking up and standing on one spot for photographers to take photos of him. Both hands in his pockets, he stood up straight and flashed a smile. He may not be the most attractive man attending the event, but he knew that his somewhat boyish, punkish charm is what wins the media’s heart. It clashes with the way he talks- with a delightful London accent that doesn’t sound too posh or too much like a chav- which gave him a somewhat gentlemanly air.

He eventually walked down the carpet, where he can hear the screams of the public being held behind the silver rails, and additional bodyguards holding some of the girls who were trying to lean over to touch the people that pass. Some could be heard slightly saying his stage name, but Arthur was still unsure how to handle fans, so he walked down to the area where the interviewers were standing, busily trying to interview as many of the attendees as they can.

“Hey, King! If it isn’t everyone’s favourite new DJ, how’s it going man?” Arthur was called over by a tall, young man with a dirty blond undercut, and a very who he recognized immediately as one of the most popular music reporter for the magazine Weekly Entertainment: Eduard Von Bock. Arthur has done a previous interview with him about his album in one of their issues (Mei knew Eduard personally, and was able to get him to interview Arthur) and the two encountered the other more during the festivals and events Arthur attended over the course of the year.

Edward was a decent man and was very level-headed, but the moment the camera is on he becomes the talkative, confident, and vibrant guy the internet loves to watch. He also tends to contribute to the magazine’s many gossipy articles claiming it was from ‘an anonymous source’, but everyone in the music industry knows that he’s the source and finds information first hand. Eduard has a way with words, and he could easily analyze whatever you say and find a hidden meaning behind your facial expressions- he knows just the right times to press on with questions.

Even though Mei trusts Eduard not to harass Arthur, Yao coached him on what to do when the press tries to badger you with personal questions- he especially made sure Arthur was prepared for Eduard’s questions, making him watch a few of his interviews and pointing out how to counter most of his questions.

“It’s been a while Eduard- I’m loving the white,” Arthur replied lightly as he approached the man, who was wearing a white suit black lapels and tie. He definitely stood out from the rest of the reporters. Arthur has seen him when he would be lounging around at his flat one time when Arthur tagged along with Mei as she tried to squeeze some intel about other potential competitors from Eduard. Eduard was mild with his outfits at home, with dark earthy hues as his usual palette- but that wouldn’t match his online character, and so he would wear these bright colours in order to grab the stars’ attention and to get an interview with them before anyone else.

“If it isn’t the one and only King!” Eduard smiled brightly as Arthur approached, shifting the microphone to his left hand and reaching out to shake Arthur’s hand with the other. “Good to see you, man, you’re looking quite snazzy with that suit. I didn’t think you’d be the type to wear something like this- you always wear jeans and shirts to your shows!”

“Well, this is the biggest music awards in Europe and I wanted to at least look as good and fancy as everyone else. Of course, I don’t look as handsome as you Eduard,” Arthur quipped back. “You need to give the rest of us a chance, you know!”

“Always with the compliments Arthur save it for the ladies,” Eduard replied with a cheeky grin. “I was just taking a break from the interviews and I’m starting it up again- it would be awesome to get an interview with one of the best DJs in the world so far.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m the best DJ,” Arthur laughed his comment off, wanting to appear humble. He can’t let his sudden success get into his head early on- he especially doesn’t want to give Eduard’s any reason to claim him to be arrogant and egotistical.

“Alright, we’ll be going live soon, so get ready. Raivis, you steady the camera! Toris, how’s the audio?”

“Yessir!” The small man holding the camera said quickly, looking nervously as he fumbled to hold the camera over his shoulder, as another taller man handled a little pad and headphones, fidgeting with a metallic square.

“You’re going live, Eduard, in 3, 2,” the taller man said, mouthing ‘1’, and Eduard immediately had a much clearer and louder voice. “Ladies and gents, we are back on the MTV European Awards, standing on the red carpet, and I am currently joined by King, who is one of the most talked about DJs in the world. King, how do you feel being here in Frankfurt tonight?”

“Well, Eduard, I am very happy and grateful that I was able to have the opportunity to attend this award show- this is my first time at anything like this, and it’s really exciting being able to actually witness everything as it happens,” Arthur said cooly into the mic, give a small smile. “Everything is just so new to me, and I can’t wait to watch all the live performances.”

“That’s right, this is your first time attending the EMAs, and this year really boost your popularity with the release of your song “Runaway” during the summer allowing you to attend these sort of popular events. Not only is this your first year attending this sort of thing, but you’re also nominated for two awards, for both Best Electronic Artist and Best New Act award. Tell me, how do you feel being nominated in two categories during your first year attending this show?”

“Well, it’s certainly a lot of anticipation and pressure, because in Best Electronic Artist, I’m against veteran DJs who are amazing, and as a newer DJ I’m just happy being in the same category as they are.”

“Ah, but you’re also against newcomer Jean Épine for both awards. How do you feel having to compete against him again for Best New Act after winning Best Breakthrough Artist in Ibiza? Do you think you have a chance of winning again?”

This little shit starter , Arthur thought as he gritted his teeth upon hearing that name, and he could see Eduard’s eyes twinkle behind his glasses, ready for Arthur to say something.

“Look, we’re both here because we love to produce music and I think Jean Épine makes good music, but I don’t really care about winning the awards. It’s all about making the music and experiencing the journey,” Arthur replied, as Eduard did his usual end of the interview laugh and smile.

“Alright, well, thank you for talking with us King, we hope to see you on the stage!” With that, Eduard looked at the camera, a sign for Arthur to walk down the red carpet.

Arthur continued along while being stopped here and there for an interview from other magazines and entertainment channels. As it was approaching the start of the main event, Arthur found his way to his spot at the nosebleeds section reserved for artists, special guests, and participants in the award show. As he trailed along the railings, he managed to thread his way through the myriad of people standing around. He gave a quick hi to some familiar faces that came up to him and introduced themselves.

He didn’t make friends as easily as he should have, so he was grateful that people were mostly approaching him rather than the other way around.

“Well, well. If it isn’t the King himself!” Arthur turned around to the source of the voice, and immediately knew who it was from the high tone to the Danish accent. There were three men sitting around a table, all wearing casual, yet stylish, clothing, and Arthur felt a bit more relaxed seeing them.

“I thought all of you were performing tonight. I was looking forward to Matthias’ singing!”

“You know you love my voice,” the one with his long yellow-blond hair pulled into a bit of spike replied - that being Matthias. His eyes crinkled slightly as he smirked, “If you bothered to read the itinerary, you’d know whether we’re performing or not.”

“I was too busy to read it- besides, it’d be nice be a bit surprised with the acts,” Arthur waved him off as he exchanged a quick handshake and hug with Matthia, happy to see him after a long while. He turned to the other two- one who was shorter than the other two with short, blond hair and the other one with shorter hair and glasses-, and did the same. “Tino, Berwald, it’s good to you lads. How was your tour?”

“Hm.” Berwald, the tall one with the glasses, nodded, while Tino laughed.

“We’re still really tired from it, but we didn’t want to miss the chance of hanging out with you and Lukas,” Tino said, his voice light with a Finnish accent. “It’s been too long since we’ve partied together!”

“Where is Lukas anyways? I didn’t see him when I was walking down the carpet?” Arthur asked, as Matthias allowed Arthur to slip between him and Tinos to sit down on the couch. “Is he also going to perform?”

“I texted him and he said he just arrived,”, Matthias replied, glancing over to his phone. “Though I don’t remember if he’s going to be performing right now.”

“No, he’s just going to be hosting until the Best Electronic Act portion in the middle of the night,” Tino replied, pulling his eyebrows down slightly, as if thinking. “And we’re presenting right after Jean Épine’s performance.”

Arthur pulled his lips in when he heard that name again.

“Jean Épine?” Berwald repeated with a monotone voice, before pausing momentarily. “…Who’s that.”

“Seriously Berwald! You’ve heard his track ‘X and O’ before, it was playing on the radio on our way here!” Matthias laughed.

“Your head’s always up in the clouds,” Tino sighed, taking a sip from the drink he had in his hand.

“That guy’s doing pretty good isn’t he? He’s already gotten an award at the VMA for that single,” Matthias replied. “Along with NRJ’s Best Single and Song of the Summer…”

The NRJ Awards are bias towards French DJs though , Arthur scoffed in his head, remembering Yao’s words about holding his tongue from saying anything about an award he could potentially win in the future.

“That’s crazy good compared to our first year in mainstream,” Matthias sighed, turning his face slightly up as he leaned back into the couch, a hand running through his blonde hair. “You and Jean are killing it on the charts. I’m kind of jealous…

“You two are already got nominated for both Best Electronic Artist Category and Best New Act!” Tino said cheerfully, in order to show support. “I’m sure one of you would win!”

“Hey, you guys are nominated for Electronic Artist too! You guys might have a better chance than me,” Arthur waved Tino’s comment politely with a kind smile, although he felt his ego boost by two folds.

Jean Épine…that’s all he’s been hearing about ever since his song started to climb up the charts.

One of the most talked about DJs in the world at the moment, Jean Épine is a French DJ that made his breakthrough that year with his hit song ‘X and O’ featuring one of the biggest pop singers in the world, RiRi. From what Arthur knew about him, he had been in the Parisian club scene much longer than Arthur, but only turned to producing songs that year, with much success from having a decent following from his mixes. Other than that, he didn’t know anything other than what he saw on magazines.

It’s true what Mathias said thought- both him and Jean Épine broke out into the mainstream around the same time, and rather than either of them one upping each other, their popularity skyrocketed at the same time.

Matthias, Tino, and Berwald all belong to the Scandinavian DJ group called The Aftermath- a name that they carried with them for the past three years since they started to make songs that were a hit with the public. Though, their first song didn’t nearly do as good as either Runaway or X and O.

Arthur never directly encountered Jean surprisingly- he only ever attended music festivals that year instead or reward show. Even so, Arthur knew he didn’t like the French DJ the moment he saw Jean Épine’s face on the cover of Weekly Entertainment. He was a man that was a few years older than Arthur, with long blond hair that he didn’t bother to tie back, with a light stubble along his jaw and chin, and small, yet beautiful blue eyes that were enclosed with long lashes. He had a smirk on his face that Arthur read as Jean saying, “ Yeah, I know I’m hot, what are you gonna do about it?” He wore a white and black style shirt with a blue jacket, and he had rings adorned on his fingers, along with a single gold chain tucked into his shirt. His black jeans were too tight for Arthur’s taste, and he wore very expensive trainers that must have been Christian Dior. Jean exudes sex appeal in his cover photo, and even more in the small photoshoot in the magazine itself

Arthur immediately did not like Jean. There was something about him the oozes narcissism, overconfidence, and arrogance. It didn’t help that Arthur had a feeling he was one of those rich kids that grew up with all the luxury in the world that this producing thing was just for fun, and he probably doesn’t even produce his own stuff.

Despite this subtle hatred from Arthur’s part,here were no rivalry between them, though, exemplified by Eduard’s interview, the media sort of attempted to make it seem like there could be one. They are never seen talking to each other, but really they never had the opportunity to.

Mei wants to introduce Arthur to Jean after this awards show though- Jean will be performing and attending The Aftermath’s after party that’s mostly for producers and DJs, and she wants them to be acquainted as soon as they can, much to Arthur’s dismay. Luckily, he hasn’t yet run into him, but he knows that he’ll have to see his stupid French face when he performed.

It won’t hurt to meet him, Arthur though, as the light started to go down, and the entire stadium went silent for a moment. Maybe we can even collaborate on a project.

The even started immediately, with the fans who attended the show in the front of the stage screaming when the first act went on. Arthur wasn’t prepared for all the excitement that he felt - it was much different being there than watching it on a tv screen. It was even more so exciting when he was one of the people that other scream and get excited about- this is how fame must feel like.

As the night progressed, their friend Lukas appeared on the stage. Arthur was, needless to say, impressed with how clean cut Lukas looked in his little navy blue suit and his wheat-blond hair being brushed back to show his baby blues. He still didn’t forget to wear his iconic silver cross clip in his hair, but he made it work with the rest of the outfit.

Lukas was a Norwegian DJ Arthur met through Matthias and his group. His stage name was simply his name stylized as LUK∀S- he was one of the lucky few who could use their actual name and make it sound cool enough to put on an album cover.

Imagine if Arthur put his name on an album- he doubts people would be interested in buying songs from a guy named Arthur Kirkland. That’s too posh and uptight of a name that didn’t scream ‘ I’m cool, I like to stay out late partying and drinking until I pass out! ’

Lukas presented a few awards alongside a well-known singer while giving a bit of a spiel for each of them. Finally, he said,

“And now I’ll be presenting this award before we get back into the performances. The Best Electronic Music Act!” People for the audience cheered as Lukas picked up a hin, metallic black envelope from the side of the stage, as the screen behind them lit up with a blue, pink, and yellow geometrical formation, and the pre-made video with all the artists that are nominated for the award appeared.

“ Best Electronic Music Act, ” A women’s voice said from the video, as she started to list the contestants. There were five people per nomination, and a snippet of their most popular music video of the year played. “ …The Aftermath…Jean Épine…KING .”

Arthur felt goosebumps on his arms as he saw his face appear from the music video for Runaway , and felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement well up in his chest. Despite what he thinks, he knows that he has a good chance of winning both awards tonights. He can’t wait to add this award to his list… it would be amazing if he managed to win all these awards in his first year.

“And the winner is…” The girl beside Lukas started, as she opened the envelope, before turning it around. In that millisecond, Arthur was ready to hear that one word, when he saw Lukas lean into the mic.

“Jean Épine!”

Screams and cheers could be heard as the stage lit a bit brighter shade of blue, and Arthur could the cameras attached around the balcony shift over to the main catwalk to the stage. He could hear Matthias wolf whistle, and Arthur forced himself to clap as a vague disappointment washed over him, but nothing too serious.

Jean Épine walked down the aisle, wearing a casual grey jacket with a long black shirt, and pants to suit it. He wasn’t as dressed up as Arthur, but he still looked good in what he was wearing- again, with the stupid rings and the chain kept hidden, and his long golden locks were pulled back into a low ponytail. He managed to look like he was walking out of a fashion catalogue, even while wearing the most ridiculous thing ever.

His song played in the background as he accepted the award, and he smiled that sweet smile. Arthur could hear most of the girls scream and swoon as he winked at a few near the stage. He shook hands and hugged both Lukas and the girl, before taking the award in his hand and the mic.

“Um, sorry if I don’t say this right,” Jean started, and Arthur realised for the first time that he actually never heard the man speak. Ever.

There was something seductive and romantic about his voice- the tone wasn’t too deep, but not too high. He had this weird fluidity, and his French accent, although thick, had this weird charm to it. There was a bit of a rasp to his voice, but it could be because of how he pronounced his ‘r’ in that French way.

“Thank you to all my fans for supporting my work,” Jean continued a bit slow, as if he was being careful with what he said. Arthur knew then and there that this must have been the first time Jean was speaking English publicly. He grew up in London - a very multicultural city in its own rights. There’s a thing most people do when they learn a new language where they look like their thinking about what to say and making sure not to say it in their own language- and that’s exactly what Jean was doing. “Et uhh, to my beautiful manager, Camille, for helping me with the album and supporting me with the making of it. I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you Record Spinnings for allowing to continue to make music that I love, and thank you MTV for the award!”

Of course, more screams, and Arthur can tell that the girls must have been swooning over how cute he was for how careful and slow he was, and how charming his stupid French accent was. None of which Arthur found nice on him. If it were others, he would have been fine with, but there was something about watching Jean talk and the fans screaming that really…

Annoying, Arthur thought trying so hard not to make any obviously annoyed faces, know that if the camera happened to zoom in on him, there’s going to be another supposed beef between him and Jean. And he was not ready to get into any celeb fights. Not this soon anyway.

It was perfect ‘coincidence’ that Jean was performing soon after this award, because a good few minutes after Matthias, Tino, and Berwald left to go backstage to prepare for their performance, Jean Epine came back out on the stage to present his song with RiRi. The stage was set with a small disk jockey, as the lights started to dance to the beat of the music, and the singer, RiRi, came out looking as much of a fashion icon as she can. The crowd was completely hyped, and Arthur tried to enjoy it, but he was cringing at the excessive use of electronic sound to the song.

Arthur tended to be the type to merge a bit of piano and guitar into his piece instead of relying heavily on whatever Guitar Band rehash that every DJ abuses - hence why he doesn’t actively listen to Jean’s music in the first place.

The Aftermath went on soon after, and as the night rolled on, Arthur was caught up with all the amazing performances that he was disappointed when the show ended. But he knew the night was not quite over.

“Let’s have another drink!” Matthias exclaimed, as the cork from the champagne he held in his hands catapulted up to the dimly lit roof of the limousine they were in. Along with Lukas, Arthur had joined his mates to go to one of the after parties in Frankfurt- more specifically, the one The Aftermath was in charge of, but they were running a bit late thanks to Matthias’ Snapchat spree he did at the end of the event.

Arthur texted Mei, who was waiting at the club and trusted him to get there in one piece.

Remember, don’t drink before you get here! Mei had texted him, and Arthur consciously knew that he shouldn’t accept the glass Matthias was handing him, but his subconscious said he deserves to party after being stuck in the studio for so long and touring around Europe during the summer without properly partying.

One little drink won’t hurt, Arthur thought, taking a small sip from the glass, laughing along with the others as Matthias drunkenly sang along the pop songs that came on the radio.

Mattias had to get Berwald to help him out of the limousine, as Tino and Lukas trailed along with Arthur, who was a bit tipsy on his feet as he walked up the stairs to the doorway. The music was blaring, and the ground felt like it was shaking, but it must have been Arthur’s imagination. He couldn’t see much through the light fog that clung in the air, but he managed to make his way to the top floor with the others to were all the couches and tables were.

He managed to spot Mei near the little bar on the side and started to make his way over. As he approached Mei, he saw that she was talking to a young woman who was slightly taller than her, with peach skin and long blonde hair that was tied back in a French braid. She was definitely pretty, but she had a cold air to her, and her resting face didn’t help.

“King!” Mei exclaimed loud enough for him to hear, as he pulled Arthur into a gentle hug. “I want to introduce you to Camille Bonnefoy. She’s a manager at Record Spinnings!”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Bonnefoy,” Arthur courtly replied, reaching out his hand and shaking hers.

“Please, call me Camille,” the woman replied, and Arthur noted her slight French accent. She reminded him of someone - from the clear blue eyes to the dark blond hair-, but he wasn’t sure of whom…

“She’s Jean Épine’s manager,” Mei said to Arthur before he can open his mouth, and a sudden dread swept over him, the swirling around him intensifying. He really shouldn’t have drunk before coming here…did Matthias put something else in his drink? Or did he drink more than one glass?

“Well, you must be proud of his win tonight,” Arthur said, before muttering, “and of his subpar act.” Mei immediately pinched his back so he would straighten up and watch what he said, but luckily for her, Camille didn’t hear anything.

“Yes, he’s really surprised that he managed to win amongst all the other artists! But he worked really hard on his EP,” Camille smiled kindly. “I must say, King, I am a big fan of your EP as well. I wish I brought my copy for you to sign!”

She knows how to flatter you, Arthur though, though he didn’t mind that at all. At least someone is showing him a bit of love. Mei was good at that too- flattering other artists. It must come with being a manager. “I’ll be sure to send you one with my autograph.”

“Camille and I were talking about a possible collaboration between you and Jean Epine,” Mei started, as she took her glass of Sangria from the countertop. “But we wanted you two to meet.”

“Now, where is that guy- Jean?” Camille exclaimed into the crowd of other people, looking around, until she looked behind her, and sighed. “Always with the models… Jean vien ici!”

Arthur looked passed Camille, and lo and behold, Jean Épine was at a couch nearby, surrounded by a bunch of female models who had managed to make it on the invite list. He could see that the Frenchman was chattering away, and his hand gestures made it seem like he was flirting- a few of their smiles and laughter confirmed that he was, indeed, flirting.

When Camille called him over, Jean looked up. He didn’t make any sign of agitation, and instead stood up with a smile, told the girls something, gave another wink, and waltzed over to bar where the group was standing.

“Je veut t’introduire a Mei Xiao et KING, ” Camille said in French, and Arthur was slightly confused as to why. Thankfully he paid a bit of attention to French class from high school, but he knew Mei didn’t know a lick of French to save her in the streets of Paris. “Il est le nouveau DJ de Londres dont tout le monde parle. He’s the new London DJ everyone is talking about.>”

Jean looked up to Arthur, and Arthur sort of froze on the spot. There was something completely different when you looked at him in person, and it was completely different looking him in the eye rather than through a magazine cover. Arthur felt his heartbeat slightly, and he remained even more entranced when Jean broke into a warm smile and reached out for his hand. “Hello, nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Arthur quickly mumbled, not wanting to look like a baffoon, and shook his hand quickly. “You had a good performance tonight, and congratulations on winning your award.”

He heard Camille quickly translate exactly what Arthur said in French, and Jean nodded along, not breaking eye contact with him.

“Thank you,” Jean replied, and there was something about it that sounded incredibly sincere. But that vanished as soon as Jean let go, and he looked at Mei - and then that arrogant clint in his eyes returned, and he had more of a flirtatious smirk.

“Et vous aussi, mademoiselle,” he said and his voice turned smooth and low, taking Mei’s hand and planting a kiss.

Arthur was back to not liking Jean.

“Oh, oh, merci,” Mei said quickly with the only few French words she knew, a flustered look on her face, and she giggled like an idiot. Arthur was gravely disappointed with his manager- not even she can control herself around this man.

“Je savais pas que les femmes de Londres sont si belle,” he continued to Mei, who had no idea what he was saying, but Arthur knows what ‘femme’ and ‘belle’ means and put two and two together.

“Elle n’est pas interested,” Arthur suddenly mumbled close to Jean, knowing that he spoke some serious Franglish at that moment, but he just wanted him to get out of Mei’s face.

Jean laughed at what Arthur said, and leaned back, his smirk not leaving his face and pissing Arthur off greatly.

“Okay you two, me and Mei are going to go and talk some more business stuff, so have fun,” Camille said, and repeated it in French, before looping her arm around Mei’s, to escort her out of the area.

“Yao said he can pick you up and take you home,” Mei said before she started to walk away. “Make sure to call him! Have fun!”

“I will!” Arthur replied back as he watched Mei start to go down the staircases to the main floor.

Now it was just him and Jean Épine. No Mei. No Camille. And now that whatever he had in the limousine started to overtake his system, Arthur has no filter.

“Do you always flirt with any women or is that just a thing you French men do?” Arthur slurred as he leaned on the counter. Jean looked at him, and there was an expression of amusement on his face.

“Pardon?” Jean asked, as Arthur huffed.

“Right…you don’t understand English much, do you?” Arthur replied, a bit more clearer for him to hear him properly. Jean looked at him for a moment, thinking.

“I understand…but it’s harder to speak,” Jean replied, his silky smooth voice still sounding nice even when he’s struggling to talk. “I know more now than when I was…petit.”

“I thought they taught English in French schools?”

“Yes, but I didn’t need to learn it,” Jean continued, his voice a bit more sure, before his smirk returned. “Plenty of women don’t mind me speaking French.”

“So you’re that type, huh,” Arthur mumbled, glancing over at the table. One of the models was getting up and coming towards them. He then felt a bit annoyed and wanted to be a bit of a douche to him. “Did you get into DJing because you knew fame came with all the models and sex in the world?”

To this, Jean laughed. Then, it the clearest and most confident voice, “Well, at least one of us gets to experience it.”

Now Arthur knew that he did not like Jean at all.

The model that came up to them hooked her arm around Jean, saying, “Come on, let’s dance!”

“Oui,” Jean replied, and spoke a bit more of French.

Jean Épine turned around as the model dragged him along past Arthur, and he glanced back Arthur…only to give him that same stupid smirk he used on that magazine cover. Except now, Arthur read it additionally as “I know I’m hot, everyone wants me, and I’m the shit, what are you going to do about it?”

“See you around, little king,” he could hear him say, a bit of a teasing tone in his voice, and Arthur gritted his teeth.

What an ass! Arthur thought, wanting so bad to call him out, but Jean disappeared amongst the many other people in the club around them.

At that moment, Arthur swore he was going to be a better producer than motherfucking Jean Epine. He’ll even be number one next year on the DJMag Top 100!

Watch out Jean Épine, Arthur scoffed, before hearing Matthias calling him over from the bar. I’ll make you regret making a fool out of me…

And he’ll do exactly that.

#fruk #aph fruk #aph hetalia #aph france #aph england #fruk fanfiction #wooooo new storyyyy #dj au aph #really small pairings #like #rochu #nedport

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mysticalmusicwhispers · 4 years

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APH College AU: Hong Kong

AU Intro here, AU headcanons are tagged #college au musings.

- Music major. However, he took quite a lot of computer engineering and business classes in high school because China insisted (in classic Asian parent fashion), and he still takes them because he sees them as useful for later life (freelance musician or managing a songwriter or something).

- His reasoning for going into music was that it was a relatively cool and not boring job; he wouldn’t have to always be tied to a computer or an indoor office and had more freedom. I think HK kinda hates getting a job in general because he’s got to Do Very Specific Work and doesn’t have time to do side projects/fool around, but he could deal with being a freelance musician or someone who creates background tracks for other artists, game music, etc. Also chose music to spite Yao, because he was expected to do either business or computer science/engineering (but he’s still pretty thankful for taking a lot of business and engineering classes because he legitimately needs them now)

- Soundcloud artist, and has quite a lot of followers. He does a lot of electronic instrumental mixes (idk how to describe it), but also sings sometimes, with lyrics about taking what you’ve got and running with it, carpe diem, breaking away from norms imposed by elders and parents; a mix of hopeful and rebellious. Never writes love songs, because he thinks it’s rather sappy and would rather express love in other (chill) ways. Doesn’t really write sad songs, but there are occasionally ones about rejection and estrangement.

- Re: soundcloud; he really wants to get in their direct monetization program, but doesn’t want to pay for a pro membership. Complains about it a lot to anyone who’ll listen.

- Memes memes memes memes memes

- Trendy™. He knows all the latest fashions and cool things, often tries to brand himself as the one to go to for fashion advice. He gives good advice most of the time (will tell you if your outfit sucks), but also makes questionable decisions (he stripped in the manga because he said Jackie Chen would do it too). Moral of the story, take some things he says with a grain of salt.

- Internet guy (knows all the hacks). He WILL find a free WiFi network anywhere he goes to avoid paying cellular, and knows way more hotspot passwords than he should via word of mouth and eavesdropping.

- Also, his phone is his lifeline. HK: “What do you mean, you’re taking it away from me?” CHN: “You’re using your phone too much; it’s bad for your eyes!!” HK: “No it isn’t! My eyes are fine; you’re the only one who has contacts in this family!! Give it back Yao!!!”

- Routinely called by other students to fix their computers and stuff, charges 25-75 dollars on average per fix. He is such a stickler with prices and absolutely refuses to go lower than a certain price. When Netherlands comes to him for a repair, they’ll haggle for hours and it’s not fun; Leon will postpone literally anything to keep on bargaining and not give up on his offer/price bar

- Avoids 8 AM classes as much as possible, but has never missed the ones he has to attend

- Learned Cantonese to spite Yao. I think Yao would’ve taught all his siblings (the East Asian squad) Mandarin, but they all picked up another language (or dialect of one) somewhere. Leon learned Cantonese specifically because he was lazy and it uses the same Mandarin characters (traditional vs simplified characters but similar enough) but is pronounced different enough that his brother can’t understand most of what he’s saying.

- Gets really whiney when he’s tired, or when he’s frustrated. Complains a lot.

- When he gets really angry, he becomes really cold. He’ll stop talking as much, but other than that he acts almost the same as usual, and it’s hard for people to pick up that he’s mad. However, everything he says kinda sounds passive aggressive, and he won’t laugh at anything. You have to be the first one to acknowledge something’s wrong, and then he’ll talk.

- Re: anger, it’s really awkward if he won’t talk to you because he’s usually really lighthearted, and seeing him serious is rather unsettling. Plus he can end any conversation when he wants to if he wants to make someone uncomfortable

- Is asked to be the DJ for a lot of college parties. He’s the type of person a lot of people vaguely know about because of just one “thing”, the “thing” being that he’s really good at mixing music and has good taste

- He makes sure everyone who even says hi to him knows about his music and his hobby, so he can get popular. Shouts about his Soundcloud profile (it’s not really bragging, but more like advertising himself)

- Types up all his notes onto his computer, but he uses so much slang that his notes read like weird text messages. His history notes read like a giant reality tv drama, because he tends to put things into modern terms and create his own way of remembering things, if that makes sense.

- Hasn’t touched a pencil in forever; he’s so comfortable in the digital world it’s insane

- Buys luxury brands to show off but is also really cheap, and judges certain products hard because they don’t live up to his very finicky standards (read my last post, it’s my take on his consumerism and is more in depth)

- Rather picky with his food, because he has really high standards. He will complain on and on about a restaurant’s noodle’s being too stale or too salty or something, finds flaws in everything when he wants to.

- B to A range grades, doesn’t stress too much over school. He doesn’t mind missing a couple of assignments (as long as they’re not big projects) and makes up for it with his other work

- Delays stuff until the last minute, but doesn’t panic or anything. It’s basically a habit by now; HK doesn’t mind it because it’s efficient and works for him. He can chill for the evening and then get all his work done between 3-7 am

- His relationship with his professors is okay; they all know his name and that he’s the “music dude” but he’s not too close with any of them; he prefers his friends’ company more. He’d get along with fun or young professors better, since they’re more in touch with “the youth” and he doesn’t see them as boomers

- Average at math, kinda bad at science, it’s just not his thing. He does better in the humanities, although he doesn’t exactly enjoy English and history classes. He’s very good at debating though, so his essays and thesis statements are very strong

- He’s pretty functional on 3 hours of sleep, but loves to sleep in when he can

- Proud of his Asian heritage and shows it!! He sometimes shows up at Asian American Culture Club but isn’t very dedicated, because he thinks some of the meetings are a little cringey

- He’d love to have a last name that isn’t Wang (such as any X starting Chinese surname) because he’d love to watch people struggle to pronounce it and he’d love to correct them (in a polite but simultaneously obnoxious way)

Thanks for reading! sksks these were much more general headcanons that probably could apply to nationverse too, but anyways... Next’ll be Taiwan probably!

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teenagesheepblizzard · 7 years

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A small DJ!AU art of Gil that I did. Please, give me your opinion! I'm always trying to get better! @its-prussia-aph

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lightblue-flower · 6 years

Text

Love Lies - Chapter 1

Prev | Next

A/N: I posted this a while ago on AO3 but wanted to keep it on here as well (since I...already posted the prologue here lol). Anyway, I’m glad that this story has gotten a positive reaction, so I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Pairing: FrUk, Minor Pairings (NedPort, SweFin, DenNor, lightly salted RoChu)

Also Read Here: AO3

“Always remember Arthur- it’s better to not say anything if you don’t have anything nice to say towards other artists. It’s best not to give the paparazzi what they crave for- they sell off of drama, and one day it’ll come back and bite you in the ass when all they’ll ask about is your fight with the other person. You don’t want to get into one so early in your career.”

Those were the wise words of Yao during their first session of Yao coaching Arthur on how to present himself to the public.

There really is no difference in the reaction around you when you explicitly say you don’t like someone or you diss someone, whether your famous or not.

When you’re not famous, and you say something about someone in public, there’s the chance of someone you know that is outside of the people you’re telling this to hearing it and it becoming gossip amongst your circle of acquaintances and friends.

Same for when you’re famous, except the outsider you know is the paparazzi and entertainment reporters. And the gossip is not only within the industry- it belongs to the entire world who gives a shit about these things.

And, from the multiple line up of tabloids and magazines one would find at the local supermarket, it’s clear that there’s a lot of people who do give a shit.

After Arthur’s interview with Eduard that one fateful night, the gossip and talks already spread to most news outlets the next afternoon- when Arthur woke up back in his hotel bedroom.

Yao and Mei were sitting in the small living room area, waiting for Arthur to wake up, with Mei’s laptop propped on the coffee table with the interview on full screen. Yao, who’s face was almost as red as the shirt he was wearing, gave Arthur a long, well deserved lecture one what he has done and the implications of what he said to his career.

It’s different when you’re a DJ- you should be in solidarity with others due to the simple fact that your beginnings were harder for wanting an unconventional dream within the music industry. Not just anyone makes it big, and there is a reason there are fewer mainstream DJs compared to singers.

Mei had her nose scrunched up slightly- something she does when she was also angry, but she wanted to hide it. After Yao’s scolding, Mei tried to be calm, and take a more gentler route.

“You’ll still get work, it’s just that now people will be pitting and comparing you and Jean against each other,” Mei said, tapping her slender fingers on her folded knee. Arthur, messed up from yesterday’s party, was laying back on the sofa, still trying to keep up with what Yao had just said. “And you’ll be getting more questions about him- something you always complained about.”

“And I don’t think you want to be known as that guy who starts fights,” Mei continued in the same tone, before Arthur cut her off with a groan.

“I didn't start a fight,” Arthur grumbled, covering his eyes with an arm, the light giving him a greater headache. “I just stated my opinion- it’s just an honest critique!”

“Yeah, well, your little ‘critique’ will get you into a fight,” Yao snapped, his brows furrowing deeper. He took a deep breath, as he gathered his loose long, chestnut hair and began to put it in a neat ponytail, saying in a cooler voice, “We all know this industry loves when people have a beef, and it would come to the point that people will only remember you because of the fights.”

“We’re not rappers- we’re not going to release diss tracks.”

“No, but people will eventually start being choosy with who they collaborate with. You’ll have artists that will only collaborate with you, and those who would choose Jean, giving you limited opportunities,” Mei replied in Yao’s place. “You might get the short end of the stick and end up with unpopular artists-”

“Look, I don’t care that much about who I collaborate with- as long as my work is original and sounds good, and isn’t some generic shit that the rich kids from Notting Hill are partying to.”

“That’s not the point,” Yao huffed, before shaking his head in defeat. “Aiyaa….Mei what can we do?”

“Do nothing- so I say shit about his music. So what? It’s not gonna end his or my career,” Arthur rolled his eyes, fixing the sofa cushion that was underneath his neck. “Now can you two please leave me alone? I don’t feel good and I have a headache and your voices are making it even worse…”

“This is why we tell you not to drink!” Yao exclaimed, immediately going into the kitchen, going to the cupboard to grab a pot. Arthur couldn’t help but feel happy when he saw the pot- he knew Yao was going to make him soup. Despite him not being overseen and sort of babied by Mei and Yao, he appreciates it greatly when they would make food for him. And at this moment, Yao’s infamous soup is all Arthur wants. “It’s like we’re taking care Siu Chun everytime we go on these trips with you…”

“Thanks Yao, you’re my favourite publicist,” Arthur said loud enough in a slurring and cracking voice, sounding like he was in the midst of dying. Which he partly was.

“I’m your only publicist,” he could hear Yao mumble back.

After that discussion (or moreso, a lecture), Arthur decided to turn to his phone to see what might have happened after that disastrous interview. Immediately, he saw Tino’s name on the screen, with a message accompanied with a bunch of worried face emojis.

Tino: Arthur! I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone with Matthias! Are you okay? Did you see Weekly Entertainment??

Arthur immediately replied back to let his friend know that he was okay, he safely made it to his hotel room (somehow), and that he was going to check the interview right away.

Arthur didn’t look too bad in the video, but he could tell that he was far away from sober and sane during the interview with the swaying and the dazed look on his face. And honestly, he didn't say anything really bad- he just called Jean’s music generic, he didn’t even say that his music was shitty.

But, after he read the comments on the video, he started to feel bad, and Mei’s opinion started to sink in properly- he really doesn’t want his life to revolve around Jean.

And so the young Brit took to Twitter at the advice of Yao, ready to formerly write an explanation saying how he still respected Jean as a producer (even though it’s a lie, but nobody needs to know that), when he saw the issue trending on the homepage. Clicking it, one tweet popped up immediately, and caught Arthur’s attention- the one with little blue check and the accent egu in the username.

And it read simply:

The king is whining like a little prince. Sore loser much?

@JÉpine

Out went the civility and out went any way of saving a professional relationship. Arthur in turn lightly insulted him, but the light insults soon turned into them calling each other intentional insults through subtweeting. Notable insults include being a “weak motherfucker who wouldn’t dare fight Arthur because he might break a fingernail” and a “a whiny pussy who’s jealous that their music isn’t as good as they thought it was”.

Jean Epine’s true colours did show to the world during that Twitter dispute. So did Arthur’s.

What really took Mei by surprise, however, was that neither of their reputation was tarnished. Rather, people were still lining up to book Arthur for their festivals and his album sale actually increased suddenly. There were still plenty of fans backing both of them, and the biggest thing was, their dislike for one another just added on to their popularity.

This was the turning point in both of these young men music careers-their rivalry has been sealed for the public to enjoy.

And all of these events lead up to the present, years later.

***

“Just want to feel

A bit alive for a moment...”

Arthur glanced down to the array of slides and buttons, pushing and twisting them when appropriate, as João’s familiar voice sung the lyrics to the song from a playback recording. He could hear the crowd of people that surrounded the huge stage singing along, most bouncing up and down in a dance.

Lights flashed around from the stage where he was standing, and lit up the darkness that had started to consume the open arena.

He was happy to do a set again at Tomorrowland, one of the most popular music festivals in the world, even though at this point in his life. Boom, Belgium had always been one of his favourite places to go, and there was always had a vivid and excited crowd.

"Thank you, Belgium!” Arthur yelled into the microphone he had, and the crowd continued to scream and cheer, as he walked off to the side, feeling the adrenaline pulsing through his body starting to slow down.

He passed by the buzzing stage crew, who were scrambling to usher Arthur away from the stage and trying to find their next act.

“Good job, King! That was great,” one of the performers called to him and he smiled and thanked them, before joining most of the performers that stood idly behind a curtain, hanging out.

He was in a good mood as he talked to the others, and wanted to stay, but he got a message from Mei saying that she was at the back of the arena to pick him up. Arthur intentionally wanted to hang back to watch Matthias, Tino, and Berwald’s performance, but decided against it- it was already late, and he was starting to feel slightly tired.

Arthur got up from the chairs and started to walk out when he suddenly, he spotted a man walking towards his direction, to the waiting area. His smile faltered, and his eyebrows drew in slightly, as he kept his walk at a consistent pace. The man noticed Arthur as well, and a smile grew on his face.

“Jean.”

“Petit Prince,” Francis replied with his thick French accent, taking off the dark sunglasses that covered his eyes.

What kind of douche wears sunglasses at night? Arthur thought, though it did suit his face.

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” Arthur replied evenly, not wanting to show that that nickname that Jean gave to him bother him. “How was rehab? Are you still getting over your heroin addiction?”

Jean scoffed. “I have standards when it comes to drugs- heroin would ruin my perfectly beautiful arms.”

“There are different ways to take heroin,” Arthur rolled his eyes at Jean’s self compliment, while Jean smiled smugly.

“Yes, you seem to know a lot about it. Nice shirt by the way. Where did you get it from- Tesco?”

“You’re lacking in the creative insult department- you better step up your game,” Arthur replied. “Then again, what can I expect from a man who lacks creativity?”

Jean clicked his tongue, and looked ready to talk back when suddenly, Matthias came out of nowhere between them.

“Jean! ‘Sup!!” Matthias suddenly interrupted their bickering, grinning wildly as he hung off of Arthur’s shoulders. The rest of Arthur’s friends have actually maintained a good relationship with Jean, despite Arthur’s personal feud with him. It was often that they would even invite him to the parties they would host, though, in those situations, Arthur learns to tolerate the Frenchman. “You’re on next right? Good luck with your set! Me and the guys can’t stick around too long to watch- but we can catch up next time at the DJ Awards, alright?”

“Thank you. I can’t wait to see you guys in Amsterdam!” Jean smiled, as Matthias was called over further away by Tinos.

Arthur was about to leave as well, not wanting to give the Frenchman the respect to say farewell, but Jean spoke up.

“Goodluck, petit prince,” Jean said in a more soothing tone. He then said in a much slyer voice, “You’ll need it.”

"Suck my dick, frog,” Arthur grumbled, his hands clenched into fists, marching away as Jean entered the stage. Arthur frowned when he heard the eruption of screams from the crowd, and quickly went further backstage to meet up with Mei, who was waiting in a limousine to take him to his hotel.

It’s been about 8 years since that one fateful night. 8 years of Jean and Arthur going back and forth like this. And was Arthur tired of it?

Hell no. If anything, his burning passion to be the best - or, at least, better than Jean- burned just as brightly as it has since their first conversation.

Each year was an opportunity for him to one up Jean and maintain his rightful place as the top DJ. And each year, well- it alternated.

See, after that year where Jean Épine took first place at the DJ Top 100 Awards, Arthur continued to create music, as did Jean. The next year, Arthur managed to beat Jean by getting first place, whereas the Frenchman got 2nd. It was one, if not, the single best thing that happened to Arthur at that point. The EDM scene went crazy over it- KING, who some tabloids made it seem like he was all talk and no bite, managed to beat Jean Épine.

But that sense of achievement only lasted for a year. Because the year after Arthur’s incredible win, Jean Épine once again reclaimed his spot, with Arthur coming close behind.

And thus, their rivalry, specifically in music,become more and more intense, with subtle jabs here and there when reporters would ask them about each other. Arthur maintains that Jean Épine has no actual substance to his music, whereas Jean flaunts that Arthur may just be jealous, because his music also lacks a particular motif- love. Sometimes they do manage to make civil conversation if the situation calls for it, though it would still be sprinkled in insults, and if they were unlucky (as they are) it dissolves into an argument.

They didn’t necessarily win first place each year, sometimes a different DJ that was not involved in the same areas as either of them would take that spot. However, they did manage to get a higher spot than the other.

So far, Arthur has won first place 3 times, with Jean placing first twice. Arthur, obviously, is winning in this little game they found themselves in.

This year, if Jean managed to get first place, they would be tied. Something Arthur would like to avoid, in order to further crush Jean’s ego.

“Hey Artie, did you have fun?” Mei said in a motherly tone, a way of teasing his as Arthur slipped to the seat across of her. Arthur, however, was not in the mood for banter.

“I’m tired,” Arthur replied, as he leaned over to look out the window. “I can’t wait to go home.”

“I thought you liked coming here?”

“It was nice until…” He didn’t finish his sentence, knowing that it was the pettiest reason to want to leave a place.

“Jean?” Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

“You two are too old to keep this fight,” Mei continued, as she fidgeted with her phone.

“I’m not that old,” Arthur grumbled, now feeling a bit grumpy thanks to Mei.

“30? In the DJ world, I’d say it is,” Mei asked, though it was more so rhetorical. “Some tend to retire before that age and go into something else.”

“Those ones can’t handle the scene. And there are DJs that still play after they reach 40.”

“Yeah, but most go back to being more underground or they go to a genre that isn’t house,” Mei replied, finally taking her eyes off the screen, and looked directly at Arthur with a frown. “Which is what both you and Jean have been doing.”

“The day I retire is the day he dies,” Arthur muttered, returning his gaze back outside. “Can you play the radio?”

Mei did as she was told, flipping the channels around before landing on one playing popular music. There was this one song that started playing, a newer release that Arthur has heard once or twice before. What was it again...

“Did you hear about this guy?” Mei asked suddenly.

“What?” Arthur replied, not understanding what she meant.

“Lars Jansen,” Mei replied. “The guy who produced this song. He’s a DJ too.”

“Okay, and?” Arthur still didn’t understand why she thought he was relevant.

“He’s 19,” Mei shrugged. “What do you think of this song?”

Arthur listened to it for a moment, frowning slightly. “Reminds me a bit of Jean Épine’s songs...He’s 19?”

“I heard this from Eduard,” Mei continued. “He’s a rising producer this year. Kid’s from Amsterdam.”

“Why does it matter? He’s just a new kid- he might get written off in a few years.”

Mei raised an eyebrow, and Arthur read her thoughts. “You think this kid is going to knock me off the map?”

“Lukas even started to rebrand himself and his sound slightly, and Matthias and them continue to make music, but they no longer rank in the top 10. You might get a lower ranking this year,” Mei replied, in a more softer tone. “I’m just saying- there’s going to be newer DJs rising up. You two should stop wasting energy fighting like this. It’s like your rivalry is the only thing that’s keeping you in the public eye. If you want to keep it mainstream, you’re going to have to change up your music to be like Jean-”

“I’m not doing that,” Arthur cut her off in a louder voice. “And I don’t care about the popularity! I just want to beat his arrogant ass.”

“You say that,” Mei sighed. “But trust me, when you stop being as famous as you are now, you’re going to have a hard time adjusting.”

“Like that'll ever happen,” Arthur mumbled, allowing himself to sink into the leather seats, watching the building pass by.

Maybe Arthur should consider this option of rebranding himself. He wasn’t going to be any younger, and the older he got, although he maintains a famous, close to veteran status, the time where his music might fall out of popular demands is likely. Sounds are changing with the times, and now Arthur should try to stray away from his roots and go towards the sound that is well received nowadays.

Giving up his branding is rough, moreso for personal reasons. He is known for that punk mixed with electro sound and image- it symbolised his own emergence from a punk band to electronic music, by taking the best of both sounds and blending it beautifully. His lyrics had a tinge of angst and anger found in punk, meant to make the audience be in tune with their harshest emotions- he wasn’t into this chilling and relaxing, ‘oh please be with me in my bed, I miss you boo hoo’ shit.

Maybe it was time to rebrand.

Maybe.

***

They need to really stop paparazzi from getting in here , Arthur thought as he walked behind the rails leading into the backstage of the arena, smiling as the flashes of the cameras nearly blinded him.

It was now October and Arthur was currently in Amsterdam, which can only mean one thing: tonight was the awaited DJ Top 100 Awards.

The year had gone extremely well for him- with his newest album peaking the charts for a good few weeks, with the songs still playing on the radio till that month.

Arthur was expected to score quite high on the list- even hitting number one- however, ironically once again, so did Jean Épine. It was a close call really- a lot of people wasn’t sure who would win, but it was guaranteed either of them will get the number one spot.

I’m going to beat him, Arthur thought as he walked down the carpet, entering through the set of doors backstage to where the performers were hiding away.

As Matthew and Tino chattered with interviewers that stopped them inside, the Brit noticed long blond hair flowing from the corner of his eyes as they entered through the door. He could hear some people screaming outside the person’s name, and Arthur tried not to let his smile turn into a frown.

“Jean Épine!” One of the interviewers called as he politely smiled and talked to them. Arthur knew he was staring for far too long, and started to shuffle away, when he saw a familiar face almost intervening his step.

“King! How about a pre-show interview?”

“What happened to saying ‘hello’?” Arthur asked Eduard with a smile.

“Nah, we’re tight, we don’t need to say that,” Eduard replied with a sly smile, a microphone in hand, and his usual cameramen standing nearby. “Shall we start?”

“Alright, as long as you don’t interview me at the after party,” Arthur said, as Eduard laughed, and they started the interview. The usual questions as usual, until Eduard asked this question, which Arthur didn’t know how to answer.

“So, this year we have a newcomer that a lot of people say might actually beat you two,” Eduard started, and there was a subtle intent in his voice. “Lars Jansen. Now, he has said previously that he was a fan of your work while he was trying to figure out his own sound, but he also says that Jean Épine was also a source of inspiration. Do you think that, considering how different your sounds are, Lars Jansen would be a worthy adversary ?”

This kid again? Arthur casually thought after he gave some motivational answer along the lines of “Of course, I’ve heard his music and he does stand a chance!” as he caught up with Matthias, as they start to go into the auditorium again.

For some godforsaken reason, Arthur was seated right next to Jean Épine in the audience. He had specifically requested to sit in between Lukas and Tino, though they must have ignored it in favour for this seating, letting his other side open for Matthias.

There must be cameras on us, Arthur figured, scanning and noticed a camera perched so that it could nicely capture their section.

“Looks like we’re sitting together, prince,” Francis said from his seat as Arthur started to sit down beside him. He leaned closer, and Arthur could smell his cologne, which was mixed with the smell of tobacco. It wasn’t a bad smell- Arthur just didn’t like that he liked how Jean smelled. “I didn’t know you wanted to sit next to me all this time.”

“I don’t want to,” Arthur snapped. “Why would I want to sit with a pervert like you?”

“You always call me a pervert, but I don’t understand why,” Jean sighed. “I just love love. Why can’t we just be friends and get along, cher?”

“I’m not one of your little fuckbuddies, Jean,” Arthur replied, finally making eye contact with him. He could see the amusement in Jean’s attractive blue eyes, which made him slightly more agitated. “And I’d rather get hit by a car than be your friend.”

“That’s extreme,” Jean smirked, still leaning too close than necessary to Arthur. The lights on the stage started to flash slightly- a sign for the attendants to take their seats. “Looks like they’re going to start. I can’t wait to beat you.”

“They say that I have a good chance of getting top of the list,” Arthur sighed, pretending to be calm and not caring that much. Slight boredom crept as Matthias left Arthur’s side to bug Lukas when he thought. If he was going to sit beside Jean motherfucking Épine, he might as well talk to him. It can help him recharge without losing his egde.

“Hey, did they ask you about Lars Jansen?” Arthur suddenly asked, thinking back to the interview question he got from Eduard.

“Yeah, they asked about whether I was worried he’d beat me,” Jean replied, a perfect eyebrow raised. “Though, I said I only care about our little competition.”

“It won’t be a competition if I win tonight,” Arthur scoffed, as the hosts for the event appeared to on the stage, and the event started.

The night progressed and finally, it was time to announce the top 10 DJs of the year. The familiar screens lit up and the lights started to dim slightly.

“Number 3...KING.”

“Number 2...Jean Épine.”

“Wait...that means,” Arthur mumbled wide eyed, completely taken by surprise at his ranking for two reasons. The first, which wasn’t too devastating, is that Jean Épine beat him this year. Which isn’t too bad- they were technically tied in this case. The second, which was much more of a big deal, was the fact that neither him or Jean snagged first place.

He glanced over to Jean, who had a mixture of content, but mild confusion, on his face. Mei guaranteed that spot would be either of theirs...so why did they place second and third?

“Ladies and gentlemen, the world’s number one DJ is…” the host opened the envelope once again. A pause, and the leaned into the mic.

“ Lars Jansen! ”

Arthur didn’t know what to do. And neither did Jean Épine, actually. Neither of them really cheered, instead opting to simply clap to be polite.

Now this took them by surprise.

They watched as a tall man walk down the catwalk, wearing stylish clothings as you would expect Jean to wear, with his gelled up blond hair kept up like Matthias to reveal an incredibly handsome, yet stoic, face. It was hard to believe the this person was still considered a teenager- he wasn’t awkward looking and well built, and he didn’t have a single mark or pimple on his white skin.

He spoke into the mic to say thank you to everyone, and Arthur was taken aback by how deep his voice was, which carried a Dutch accent that added a control to his voice.

Arthur didn’t know what to say to this spectacle that he was witnessing. Neither could Jean, evidently, because throughout the post op and the drive down to a fellow DJ’s mansion that was located in the city, they both didn’t talk or argue (to everyone in the limo’s relief) as much as they would.

They weren’t the only ones surprised- most of the people who greeted them at the party (all around his age and were considered to be nearing veteran stardom as well) made a comment about how a young boy like Lars Jansen beat both of them.

Arthur and Jean were currently sitting on the bar stools at the island in the kitchen, across of Tino and Lukas who sat opposite to them. Pre downloaded songs shuffled through the background, and everyone around them were either guzzling down beers, snorting lines on any surface, skinny dipping in the swimming pool outside, or doing a combination of all three. Arthur decided to not deep dive into the scene right away- everytime he does, he gets wasted too early and gets into some shit- and waited as Berwald tries to find some decent beer.

Lukas was mindful not to bring up Lars at all during their conversation, and it was starting to be a complaining circle of how little sleep they receive, when Matthias stumbled towards them, cackling at his phone.

“Bros, you two are definitely not gonna like this,” Matthias laughed as he nudged his phone towards Arthur, as Jean leaned over his shoulder to peer at the screen. It was originally a live post show interview that occurred inside of the arena, and lo and behold, it was by everyone’s favourite reporter.

“What do you think about placing above both KING and Jean Épine whom you've always looked up to? The world is amazed that someone as young as you was able to dethrone two of very popular veterans, and a lot were surprised at that feat. Do you, yourself, find it surprising that you beat them?”

Lars, with his piercing dark blue eyes, held eye contact with Eduard, and Arthur could tell there was a cocky smirk playing on his lips. “I really respect both of them and I’m happy that I won, but I’m no surprised that I beat them. At this point, their music and sound doesn’t resonate with the EDM crowd as it once did, and, you know, times are changing and people are liking different things. As they say, out with the old and in with the new, and right now their old sound isn’t as popular as it once was. It’s mostly popular with people who are their age- old people, maybe- but not for the new generation of EDM listeners.”

Arthur heard Jean audibly gasp (but only when he implied to be old), and he himself was at a lost at words at how direct Lars’ answer was. What happened to respecting your elders?

“Kid’s got guts to say that,” Lukas noted as he took a sip from his beer. Berwald slid two bottles towards Arthur and Jean as he sat on the stool beside Tino, nodding along.

“A lot of the newer DJs are starting to get feisty with each other,” Tino replied, taking a nacho from the platter. “You know, it’s not like how it used to be- everyone used to keep it behind the scenes.”

“These two really helped start the whole public beef thing in the EDM scene,” Matthias shrugged towards Arthur and Jean, and Arthur threw a look of annoyance. “You two would cuss each other out publicly, and would’ve threw hands if Jean wasn’t so civil.”

Arthur just made a slight grunt and starting to down the drink. Jean made a hum in agreement, while taking a quick sip.

“Now you guys can join the underground squad,” Matthias continued, reaching out for another bottle. He took his bottle opener keychain and popped it open, the white foam spilling over the tip down the neck. “Just like the rest of us here.”

“What do you mean?” Jean spoke up.

“C’mon Jean, you know what I mean,” Matthew laughed, his smile a bit wicked. “You guys won’t be invited to so many popular events, and if you do, you won’t be headlining compared to the popular ones. Less paparazzi hounding you down, which is nice, but less attention means less fans and smaller concerts. Partying will be the same, but don’t expect the famous bitches to be there- they’d rather be with someone relevant. It’ll be just like the good old times before you made it mainstream-”

“You’ll be one of those people that are known,” Lukas said, lifting Matthias bottle so that it was in his mouth, to shut him up. “And now you’re rich, but you’re just not relevant. You’ll be considered old school.”

“If the drugs and alcohol won’t force you to retire, this will,” Tino said cynically, though he had his usual upbeat voice. “Most people do it and go back to playing sets at the club sometimes.”

“You’ll definitely miss the rush of being famous,” Matthias mumbled, and if the gloominess of the conversation hasn’t fallen on them yet, it has now. The Aftermath had fell off from the public eye, and while Lukas has a grip on the fame, it was only a matter of time before he would have to start to go underground.

They were all older though, nearing their late 30s. Jean and Arthur were still in their early 30s, with Arthur turning 30 that April. He was quite young to be written off from the media as out of touch with the younger crowd, yet, he did break out into the mainstream early on in his life. It’s been more than a decade since he has- was he really ready to let go of being relevant.

The idea of ending up like Matthias was unpleasant. Arthur wasn’t sure how to word it exactly, but he knows he hasn’t seen them at all during the big events yearly events DJs would be invited to, and their not as hyped up in popular media as they once were, much less in the EDM scene. There were just a distant memory, a name dropped here and there on radios during their ‘Throwback Thursday’ days.

Nowadays, due to not being as busy as they once were, Arthur noticed that Matthias had started to find other ways to feel high and satisfied with his life - mostly through drugs and alcohol- much more than he did before, but he couldn’t really judge him. After all, Arthur isn’t exactly clean himself.

“Pass me another one,” Jean demanded in a louder tone, his eyebrows pulled in, as if he was having the same internal talk with himself as Arthur.

“Same,” Arthur said immediately and Berwald didn’t hesitate to silently stand up and grab them their drinks.

“Don’t look so gloomy guys!” Tino said, his voice chipper. “This is a party! Let’s have some fun and do some shots!”

“Fuck yeah! Who wants some fucking tequila?!” Matthias suddenly exclaimed, standing up, and started to chant drunkenly ‘Tequila! Tequila! Tequila!”

“Let’s not dwell on this any long, mon prince,” Jean sighed whimsically, putting an arm on Arthur’s backrest, brushing against his back amicably. Maybe it was the warm buzzing feeling Arthur had started to feel after his first drink, but for once, Arthur didn’t feel the need to tell Jean off. If anything, he leaned back deeper into the arm, and a flicker of appreciation lit in him. “Let us drink the night away.”

“What else can we do,” Arthur replied as whimsically as Jean had, and downed the rest of his beer, as Matthias lined the glass shots in front of them.

#fruk #aph fruk #fruk fanfiction #fruk dj au #aph france #aph england #nedport #aph hetalia #hetalia #hetalia fanfiction

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lightblue-flower · 7 years

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Love Lies - Prologue II

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A/N : The second part of the prologue is here! I really should have made it into one, but what’s done is done- just think of this as a continuation of Prologue I! Thank you to those who read and continue to read this little fic I’m writing- your support is much appreciated!

Pairing: FrUk

Characters: João Santos - Portugal Krishna - India

Also Read Here: AO3

———————

Mei wasn’t lying when she said that Arthur would be able to release a new album and have more collaborations with popular artists in the coming year.

After the EMAs, the young Brit was getting calls from all various singers (that he, unbeknownst to them, was a fan of) wanting him to produce songs for them and for him to release remixes of their songs.

And of course, Mei immediately accepted most of the requests that came, wanting Arthur to be able to launch a new album that coming year so that he could win this year’s title of number one DJ in the world at the DJ Magazine Top 100.

Even though Arthur didn’t win any of the awards, winning an award from MTV wasn’t exactly a DJs number one goal. And surprisingly, a winning a Grammy is not something that most people in the EDM scene would prioritize (even though it would be a big deal to win one). Everyone knows that there are two important events that really helps determines one’s success in the industry: the first is being invited to the DJ Awards in Ibiza and winning a title from one of their categories. Last year, Arthur was able to secure a title of Best Newcomer, which really helped his brand and helping him get booked to more festivals and events than he previously had when he was still working up the ranks. If he doesn’t win an award that year there, it would be the fact that he was invited to such an exclusive event that would really help him connect with other exclusive producers.

The second event is the DJ Magazine Top 100 Awards that occurs yearly in the fall at the Amsterdam Music Festival - one of the biggest festivals in Europe (and even in the world)!

See, that really was the award to win when you become a mainstream DJ- making it on at least the top 10 on that specific list. DJ Magazine was one of the most highly esteemed magazines when it comes to DJs and the EDM music industry in general. They always publish a yearly list of the top DJs in the world that year, chosen by both the editors of the magazine and by votes from the fans worldwide. To be on that list- especially in the top 10- would guarantee Arthur to maintain his face to the public and allow him to continue his career at a steady pace rather than being considered as a one-hit wonder.

Last year, Arthur won the 13th spot on the list- which is not so bad, once again considering that he wasn’t on the EDM scene for too long compared to the other competitors. Jean Épine on the other hand, managed to snag 12th place.

When the list came out that year, Arthur had not encountered Jean at all, and maintained a neutral opinion on it. He had always wanted to make it on the list, but he felt that maybe he should try not to tire himself out so soon and release a few songs rather than work on an album.

Now, after he met Jean and talked to him, there was something inside him that suddenly lit up. A fiery, red hot fury that forced and motivated him to dive headlong into all these separate projects as soon as he got back home to London in order to release an album by the summer the coming year, and at least releasing enough songs to present at various festivals such as Coachella and Tomorrowland. This leap in motivation could be mostly the anger and annoyance he felt whenever he saw his face and remembers how he mocked him that one night, as if they weren’t on equal grounds…actually, yes, now that he thinks about it, that is the reason why that flame lit up inside of him.

And so he met with artists, and started producing beats as soon as he can- Krishna, the owner of the studio that he uses so often, was a close friend of his when he first started to try to make music professionally. He should have used the studio that Braginsky offered to their artists, but Arthur owed Krishna a lot for helping him out and allowing him to use his space to make demos and remixes. Mei thought that it was a good idea- she knew Krishna wasn’t cheap, but he didn’t demand a lot.

“If you can get me signed on to an agreement with your company, I’m willing to give you the keys so you can use it whenever you want, and a cheaper rate,” Krishna had bartered, to which Mei knew would be good to make the company stronger since their studio was not as updated as Krishna’s studio.

And so, that’s where Arthur spent most of his time, if he wasn’t out partying with other producers, flying out to events to perform or at home hungover and high from whatever he had the night before.

He managed to land a collaboration with a singer from Portugal, a young man named João Santos, who was starting enter the English market in Europe and had a good following in the U.S. At first, Mei thought it would have been better to find someone who was already popular- and Arthur admits that João was hard to work with at first, not being used to collaborating with artists a lot. Arthur usually lends his voice when necessary, so working with someone else and allowing them to be equally involved in the process was new.

But, he made it through, and they eventually became really close friends during the production process. Their song, “Something Else” , was a hit right away, and ended up being the main track on his album that he later released during the summer. The music video was trending on YouTube for a long time, and Arthur had heard the song play on the radio for a long while.

Most of songs played a lot as well and were good hits, but he knew that “ Something Else ” would really help him out more than anything if he wanted to reach his goal.

Maybe reaching for number one is a really high goal for someone who just started to have, but he would be fine with any number on the list- as long as he beated that womanizer, Jean Épine.

He assumed that Jean Épine would not release an album that year- he didn’t think the man had the worth ethics to dedicate to another album so soon. Maybe Arthur had stalked him on Instagram and Snapchat to see what he was up- and most of his Stories were him partying and living it up surrounded by all these gorgeous people.

Was Arthur jealous?

No of course not!

…okay, maybe Arthur was a bit jealous of how Jean seems to be surrounded by all these lavish things while looking like a million dollars while Arthur is putting in the work and looking sleep deprived to release good music. He does party, but it’s not like he’ll fly to Monaco with his friends for a whole week to live it up with models.

No, he had to stay close to his new mansion in London and not get too distracted.

However, his work certainly paid off - even though Jean Épine released an album after Arthur did, Arthur had a good feeling that his album would have a better chance. Jean Épine’s music, although catchy and good, still lacked some messages and relied heavily on love, sex, drugs.

However, the media and fans had a different image of this. They saw that it was another form of competition between them, and started fuelling a few rumours of them only talking once and having a fight that resulted to them never meeting again. Although to Arthur, it is true there is a rivalry, it was entirely one side, and was less or a rivalry and more of showing to Jean what he’s made of.

And Arthur especially felt good as he landed in Amsterdam the day before the festival on a jet that he can afford thanks to all the money he was accumulating over the year, with Mei and Yao accompanying him.

Yao managed to book two wonderful rooms in one of the most high end hotels - one for Arthur that was located on the top floors and one for them further away as to not disturb him and be plagued by the sounds of potential partying all night.

They were able to travel a bit around Amsterdam safely- it helped that Arthur could pass as a nobody with the right kind of clothings- and finally, the day arrived for him to get ready for to head for the Johan Cruyff ArenA.

Yao stood his grounds against Mei when she wanted Arthur to dress formally, and Arthur was internally grateful that Yao was the one styling him. Yao had a good taste in modern fashion (especially street fashion), and he made sure that Arthur looked like a good mix of casual, but not too casual. The olive green jacket overtop a regular black shirt surprisingly suited his peach undertones and although he had to wear tight black jeans, he had to admit that he looked extremely nice in.

They took a limo to the event, but Mei and Yao allowed to Arthur to get out first and meet up with his friends backstage.

After talking to a few interviewers, as per usual before an event, Arthur caught up to Matthias, Tino, Berwald, and Lukas, who saved him a seat.

The setup was like any award show, though the artists were further back from the stage, with the stage being on one end with the rest of the bottom floor being opened for fans and music goers. There were multiple screens on the wall of the stage- one in the middle in the shape of an hour glass and two closely fitting into the spaces. There were also two extra rectangular screens hung up on the pillar like parts of the stage. with a singular catwalk allowing them access to the presenters. There was a disk jockey station set up already for the performances that would go on during the award ceremony.

“Ladies and gentlemen…welcome. Mesdames et monsieur…bienvenue. Dames en heren…welkom.”

The stage slowly lit up as the women’s monotone voice continued, “Welcome to the world famous DJ poll …The Top 100 DJs, presented by DJ Magazine.”

The two co hosts appeared on the stage from behind the huge jockey, all dressed as one would expect to these awards. The crowd went wild until the cohosts started to talk, giving a small speech about the year in a nutshell for the community.

Before announcing the top positions, the show presented awards on who had the highest position in each categories they offered.

Lukas managed to snag one of these awards, coming up to 10th place, along with The Aftermath coming up to 5th place with the Highest Group Award.

“Now, we will be announcing the top ten DJs that made it on the list!” The female announcer beamed, and the lights started to dim as the screens behind them lit up.

The same monotonous women started to lost off the names of the winners besides the ones that won an award.

By number four, the anticipation was building up for Arthur. A part of him was dreading that he didn’t make it on the list at all, and that his ranking was actually lower than last time. But a past of him knew that he was going to make it in the top 10…

As long as I beat Jean , Arthur thought hopefully, wringing his hands slightly. I didn’t hear his name at all…does that mean he was lower than 10th?

There was a bit of glow inside of him, but he knew he had to suppress it until they named the number one DJ.

He could hear some fans in the audience chant- some were saying KING repeatedly, which made Arthur feel good. But then there were some who said Jean, which slightly annoyed him, but he can’t lose face.

“Number 2…” Arthur held his breath, and he could tell the audience was waiting. “KING!”

Arthur’s heart skipped happily when he realised that not only was he in the top ten, but he was so close to first. Not bad for a newcomer…not bad at all. The crowd cheered and he saw his face on both of the side screens flanking the sides of the main screens in the middle, and Arthur finally felt less anxious and more relaxed.

“THAT’S MY GUY, WOOOO!!!” Matthias yelled as he shook Arthur’s shoulder with a tight grip.

“Amazing!” Tino exclaimed happily, clapping in joy for Arthur’s achievement.

He may not have reached his goal, but this just means that he is still one of the top DJs. Things can only go up from here.

“Now, we will be announcing the No.1 DJ in the world,” the male announcer started as the stage lit up for everyone to see. “No only will this DJ win this amazing title, but they will also be winning this year’s Dutch Artistic Prize created by the infamous classical Greek Artist, Grecia Karpusi.”

The crowd cheered as a young woman brought a marble white statue on the stage- it was in a form of a pillar, and represented what it really means to be number one. To stand on top of the world that only has room for one.

“And the world’s number one DJ is…” the man opened an envelope, and Arthur held his breath. It’s most likely one of the older, veteran DJs that released an album that year- it is likely they were going to win. They tended to have the biggest base compared to the newer DJs like himself and Lukas.

“Jean Épine!”

Screams and cheers are heard. The stage went blue- the theme of that year’s poll.Confetti fluttered from the air as the stage lit up the catwalk, and all the cameras swooped around.

Arthur froze.

He couldn’t believe it.

Did he hear that correctly?

“How…”

JEAN ÉPINE shone brightly in white in front of the disk jockey that was behind the hosts, and his name and face was plaster on all of the screens.

Arthur’s eyes followed the figure that waltzed down the catwalk to the front, and he felt his stomach churning. His body felt heavy.

It would have been fine if this was anyone else. He would have been okay with not winning the title.

But the fact is, he already lost to Jean Épine. He may have won of a prestigious award in Ibiza, but towards the end, it seemed like he wasn’t winning anything against him. Neither of them won an award at Ibiza…but in this case, between the two of them, there is one winner.

Arthur gripped his fists, his knuckles turning whiter than they already were, and grit his teeth. Unfair. So many countless days working at the studio while Jean Épine partied and released a subpar and generic album.

“Arthur are you okay?” Tino asked, worry in his voice, but he knew that Arthur was not okay. Arthur had talked to his friends before about how he felt about Jean Épine- though he made it seem like it was a small thing that just annoyed him slightly. Not some crazy goal he wanted to achieve to rub into the Frenchman’s face.

Even though winning would really help him with bookings and opportunities, he wanted something more than the title- he wanted to feel like his creativity and hard work got him somewhere further.

“Yes,” Arthur said as he started to clap with the others, wanting to be polite. “Just great.”

Jean smiled as he accepted the award, and started with a quick speech, but Arthur tuned out. For the rest of the night, Arthur was out of it- the shock was too much for him.

What was the appeal of Jean of all people? Lukas was in the same genre as him and he didn’t rank this high before.

By the end of the night, Matthias was happily chatting with Tino as they started to walk out of the auditorium to head to a club with some other people they knew.

“Arthur- are you okay?” This time it was Lukas who asked him, his voice soft and cool.

Arthur tried hard not to have a frown, but he couldn’t help but feel like he let himself down.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Arthur replied quickly, trying hard not to sound salty. “Just feeling a bit tired. Maybe I should head back to the hotel.”

“Bro, don’t leave now,” Matthias whined as he slung an arm around his shoulders, grinning wildly. “We still got to party while we’re all here! We have to fly out to LA tomorrow, and I don’t know when we’d have the time to see each other!”

“It’ll be fun, c’mon Arthur,” Tino said a bit more gentler than Matthias.

“Besides,” Matthias leaned in. “Amsterdam has some good weed- it might help ya. I gotchu.”

Arthur easily gave in, and didn’t protest as they entered the same limousine to head over to their hotel- they all were staying in the same place, but the party was taking place in the big event room the hotel has to offer.

Maybe it would help me , Arthur thought, quickly messaging Mei where he was going, but she didn’t reply right away. Maybe she was sleeping.

He did the same to Yao, who said not to do anything he wouldn’t do. And knowing Yao, he wouldn’t take drugs- which is what Arthur was most likely to do.

They entered the hotel, and they could hear the loud music of hip-hop from the event room down the hall, with the loud cheers of people that were inside the room and outside pool.

Arthur greeted the host of the party, and the moment Matthias brought him to the island bar in the kitchen, Arthur didn’t think twice about downing the shots handed to him. The tequila burned his throat, forgetting to lick the salt and lime along with it, but Arthur was more concerned of getting drunk than the taste of whatever alcohol he consumed that night.

Fuck it, was the only thing he thought clearly, before he was absorbed into the party scene. With Matthias and Berwald, they found a place where there were other people waiting for Matthias to hand out the goods.

Arthur inhaled the blunt deeply, and closed his eyes while exhaling. He immediately started feeling a bit droopy…he felt a bit more relaxed. Good thing he’s not taking ecstasy- he would have been more anxious than calm. More alcohol is passed around, and Arthur accepted a beer handed to him by who knows.

God knows what happened next. He got up at one point and staggered outside of the room, saying that he wanted some fresh air. In the hallway of all places, of course, but he wasn’t thinking straight.

Arthur laid across the couch that was near the door facedown, trying to breathe in something other than marijuana and tobacco smoke. His heart beated steadily to the sound of the loud music that shook the sofa slightly.There was a plant he couldn’t name right beside him, and the way the big leaves touched his hair made him feel like he was one with nature.

Arthur was completely gone at that point.

Breathing in nature’s finest oxygen source , he thought happily, lifting his head up here and there to make the leaves rustle.

“I don’t think we’re allowed to go inside…”

“Raivis, shush!”

Arthur glanced up when he heard those voices and saw the familiar dirty blonde hair and glasses of one of his favourite person.

“King! How’ve you been buddy! I didn’t get the chance to talk to you during the show!”

Not now…

“Eduard, how’d you get in?” Arthur tried his best to not sound as hazy and drowsy as he feels, sitting up immediately and straightening up his body.

“I wanted to interview a few more people, and I know the guy. It’s still an open event ish,” Eduard said happily, smiling. He had a microphone in his hand, and his little cameraman was there with a smaller camera than he would usually lug around.

"Don’t worry, this isn’t live! It’ll all be pre recorded! Can we ask you a few things about the event?”

Arthur haphazardly thought about it- his mind was foggy, and he didn’t say anything other than nod.

Eduard started the mini interview, asking him some things about the event, what he was wearing that night, and all those basic questions.

Then he asked the million dollar question.

“How did you feel when Jean Épine won as the world’s number one DJ?”

Now. If Arthur was still the sober man that he usually is, he would have immediately praised Jean, saying that he deserved to win the award.

But this isn’t sober Arthur. This is a mixture of drunk and high Arthur, Arthur who felt disappointed with his loss, and Arthur who was angry that that sorry little excuse of a producer managed to be number one without taking the whole music thing seriously!

“Well, people will always like someone as long as they release generic sounding songs that you can party too,” Arthur slurred, smiling. “And if all it takes is to use samples of beats and waves to make hit songs that make people vote for you, then by all means, he deserves this award.”

At that moment, Arthur felt proud that he said exactly what he wanted to say. What he said was what he said, and that was the end of people constantly asking him about that stupid man, Jean Épine.

Unfortunately, Arthur didn’t know that this would actually be the beginning of his long standing media rivalry against Jean Épine.

#fruk #aph fruk #fruk fanfiction #aph england #aph france #aph dj au #rochu #nedport

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