Thread: Safe & Sound [Merc & zPrimal]

The cameras were all angled in such a way that they never caught another in their frame while filming, at least three men per camera crowding the already stall studio as Kekoa tuned her guitar. She glanced up through the veil of her lashes to flick her gaze to the wall of glass rounded at the other end of the crowd, three men and a single woman standing behind the barrier with their heads together while they watched her. Tell us what youll be singing for us Swann, came the soft but masculine voice of the specials host, standing behind the camera directly in front of her with his hand on his ear piece and his gaze not even on her. That painted smile came quickly, like a light switch flipping as her eyes lifted to look into the lense of the biggest camera as if she were shy embarrassed by the attention. Hi guys, Came her voice, bubble gum sweet and timid as if she were addressing each fan who would be tuning in to watch individually, This is Way In The World, I wrote this with the help of my good friend Eric Divine for my album Take Flight. Of course that meant she hadnt written a single line. Eric Divine and his team had done it all on their own, but the purchasing agreement between her label and the songwriter had them never correct that Koa had any part of the writing process. If they were ever asked, they were by contract required to say that she was a great influence and help on the project. It was all part of that squeaky clean image she was required to uphold. Especially with the release of her newest album. Only released for a week and already in Billboards Top 50 albums of the year. It paid to have an army of pre-teens and their parents as your fans. The truth of the matter was that none of the music Koa performed as her alias Swann were her own. Maybe when she had first been discovered, when theyd first approached her parents with ten grand a four year contract. Ten years and many, many more thousands of dollars later, and Koa was almost free of her latest contract with the label. They had refused to let her buy out of her contract last year, and shed been counting down the days since. She had a chest full of her own material, ready to take her risks and jump out into the world with her true self. Not this cavity-inducing wholesome virgin they dressed her up to be. Cameras flashed and zoomed in and out, getting every possible angle and photogenic evidence of Swanns brave and triumphant return to music after the attack that had occurred in her own home less than a month ago. The crazed fan who was yet to be caught broke into the young pop stars home at 3am and cornered her in her bedroom. She had miraculously been able to fight him off and lock herself in her private bathroom until the authorities arrived. The black eye and cut on her lip had made several paparazzis mortgages, and sent her PR team into an even more feverish frenzy. After this live YouTube exclusive was completed, Koa would be meeting the man they had hired to be her personal bodyguard. She glanced up as she strummed her guitar, belting out the last chorus of the song, meeting his eyes through the glass. Handsome, she thought absently, though her mind was far from another bodyguard to fuck. She had enough on her plate already, and was certain that the head of the previous security team had purposefully let that stalker on the premises after shed refused to meet his demands. No matter. Theyd all been replaced now. A move by the PR team to show that her label truly cared. Closing her eyes, she turned her head away and clapped her hand over the strings so that it was only the sound of her voice reverberating through the room. I'm not lost, I'm just finding My own way in the world In the big old world Silence carried through the room, the producers holding their hands up to signal the silence before gesturing to cut. Theyd piece together interviews from earlier that day and a few other promotional songs for the Take Flight tour. She was only a few more precious moments from being able to end this exclusive and go wash her mouth out with a bottle of gin. Turning to face the man in the suit, he asked her a few questions, prompting her to laugh, or cant her head coyly, or act as if the perfectly PG question he had was enough to make her blush. Thanks everyone for tuning in! And remember, Take Flight tour dates are listed now. Get your tickets by clicking below, and the first one thousand fans will get an autographed picture of me, Swann, exclusively with Renegade Records. She held the grin into the camera for as long as the producers hand hovered just in her line of sight, able to drop the grin only when he took his hand back. Swann laughed, reaching up to rub at her cheeks and thanking the men and women who had come to record her. Just because the exclusive was finished, didnt mean Koa could be herself yet. Not until she was behind closed doors, just herself, the new bodyguard, and her management team. It wasnt much longer until she was stepping to the other side of the fishbowl barely taking up the doorway as she stepped inside. Kekoa, as her management new her, was a petite girl. She stood barely more than 52 and couldnt weigh more than a hundred pounds. Her teased white-blonde hair probably took up at least five pounds of that, styled up in the messy, bed-head version of her signature ruffled look. Befitting for the childhood nickname her grandmother had given her when she was just a baby. The label had loved the story so much when she was eleven that they had trademarked it. Kekoa! came the bright and cheerful voice of the personal assistant to the head of the label. He couldnt make it here himself, of course, but she was in his stead. I want to introduce you to your new head of security. His name is Bridgit blinked her bright blue eyes and turned to look back at the gentleman, a charming laugh on her lips as she reached over and touched his arm. Im sorry, what was your name one more time?