Intoxicate | Lapidot Human AU |

𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕪

The next chapter should be good. I'm sorry for the slow romance!!! like, really sorry, I don't want this to be boring... the next few chapters should be fun...

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The lights were strobing, flashing in all sorts of directions and in different colors. Music was blaring, but the audience was louder. The stadium was hot and sticky on this California night, bringing a sweat onto Lapis's brow before she entered the stage.

"Let's here it for Exiicution!" Roared a male, from visibly no where. It was deep with an entertainment tone. Lapis wondered if the members of the audience thought it was the music artists.

Exii entered the stage and stood behind the large sound station that had all sorts of discs, buttons, and switches. How could he remember what every button did?

Instead of greeting his fans, he waved and set a hand on his green headphones before pressing a button to find out what beat it is. Wouldn't the music be muffled with his ski mask on?

Sooner or later, Lapis couldn't tell, the entertainers voice appeared overhead and it was time for them to shine for the first time in their own forms of white ski masks. They practiced this before, the music would change into a marching theme as they would march upstage into an arrow-like formation then break out into dance as one of Exiicution's songs dropped the music.

For a few rounds of songs, Lapis was getting a bit winded giving it her all in this hot confounded area. She could tell some other dancers were, too. Thankfully, that was when a girl, who's dancers name was Aquamarine, came out from behind the curtains of stage left with a microphone.

"Really, Exiicution? You're going to let your dancers preform while you just stand up there and watch?" Aqua scripted with her annoying, high pitched, British voice. "Come on. I'm sure your fans would love to see what you've got."

The audience roared at the idea and wouldn't stop until Exiicution held up his hands and mouthed several 'okay's. Before he came down to join the approaching dance, he flicked a button. Aqua passed the microphone to one of the members backstage and the whole group got into their formation.

Exiicutions fans didn't stop screaming until a backstage member brought up the microphone and gave it to the music artist. The area silenced to his voice... that didn't come.

He tapped on the head of the microphone and put his lips up to it to mouth an hello. He shrugged and held it up to the girl next to him who also mouthed an greeting. That acting was spontaneous as it went from Lapis Lazuli who also mouthed an hello to Aquamarine, who actually spoke into the speaker.

"Hello?" She smiled as Exii gave her the electronic to make the announcement. "Well, fans of Exiicutions, I am happy to have the pleasure of announcing this exhilarating news. We will be a part of the next season of Dancing in A Daze!"

The crowed yelled in excitement at the announcement, but Aqua wasn't finished yet. "And that's not all. During the season, you'll get to find out who we are. And Exiicution will finally reveal his identity!"

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"Come on, Exii! We've known you for, like, two months now."

"Why can't we see who you really are?"

"You can trust us."

It was after the night of lights. The team, choreographers, manager and two body guards sat around the music artist, eating their arrangement of fast foods in one of the designated tour buses. Some of the dancers were begging for the revealing of his identity before the Television series.

A fake chuckle came from the music artist as he played with a french fry. "I will eventually. Just not today."

One of the beggars whimpered and pouted. "At least tell us your name..."

"I'm sorry, girls." Exiicution have a fake smile, but Lapis could see he was grinding his teeth. His jaw was clenched, she could tell even under the mask.

"But—"

"Just leave him alone." Lapis rolled her eyes. These girls were intruding. It was immature and annoying. She was surprised the body guards didn't stop anything. "He said he doesn't want to."

"I don't recall anybody saying your name, Lazu-bitch." One of the girls snapped back. Lapis remembered her as the biggest fan that stuffed her sports bra before she saw the music artist each day. Her name was Lemon-Adde, resembling a stale Sour Lemon Head. "You shouldn't even be here."

Lapis gave a short laugh. Her eyes were sharp and her smile wasn't friendly. "You're one to talk. If they were judging you on your personality and love for your beloved star, you would never make the cut. I'm surprised you haven't been convicted of murder from your blood curdling voice."

A dramatic gasp and a hand to her heart was seen. Her blonde hair could have stood up like an angry stray cat. "No one deserves to get hurt. But you? You deserve to die."

What she said, shouldn't have hurt Lapis. But, it did. She knew that she did deserve to die. She had been told that her whole life, and she believed them. She kept living though, grasping the little hope she had, but she hadn't stopped trying to off herself until recently. She kept hanging onto her dreams, but sometimes she thought maybe her dreams were too much for her or not for her at all.

It took Lazuli a while to crack open her lips to retort, but nothing came out. The sour bitch smirked, along with a couple of other dancers that Lapis couldn't stand. Lapis was tempted to storm out of the bus, but she knew she'd have to face them sooner than later and didn't want to seem like a spoiled brat or drama queen. Just as one of the sour apples were about to say something, someone sweeter spoke up.

"Adde. Stop." Exiicution said. "Lazuli is a kind individual that deserves to live like everybody else on this planet. She did nothing wrong to any of us. Dying is not a punishment because it is inevitable."

Lapis didn't know she was frowning until one corner of her lips turned upwards. It was comforting that someone was sticking up for her, even if she didn't know that person well. Jenny, her only friend in the dance team, didn't know her enough to either comfort her or stick up for her. It didn't help that she traveled on the other bus.

But, for some reason, Lapis appreciated the music artist for doing this for her. Sure, it was a small move, but Lapis hadn't had someone that stuck up for her in ages. She had resulted in biting back to bullies, to help her pride. Silently, mentally, Lapis Lazuli thanked the person behind the mask for helping her. Even if it was so little.

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(Words: 1132)