(Arthur POV)
Leo stood before , updating on Jas Blaze's debut.
"Jas' single is now on sale," Leo reported. "Thanks to our partnership with Righteous Records, distribution is going smoothly, although we haven't seen any sales yet." He paused, then added with a hint of excitent, "But I'm confident Jas' single will catch people's attention soon. In just a few hours, he'll be performing at Horn Coast FM, one of the major radio studios."
I nodded, considering this information. "Jas has been training for months now. He should be able to handle a live performance without any issues."
But a thought nagged at , and I voiced my concern, "Still, keep a close eye on him. That blondie can be too direct sotis. He might struggle with the radio host interview."
Leo's reassuring smile didn't waver. "Don't worry, I've been running mock interviews with Jas. I'm confident he'll do just fine."
I nodded again, choosing to trust Leo's judgnt.
***
(3rd Person POV)
A few hours later, Jas found himself waiting in line at the Horn Coast FM studio.
The corridor was filled with up-and-coming artists, all there to perform and promote their songs on the radio. Jas couldn't help but notice the stares he was getting from his fellow musicians. His style stood out starkly against theirs.
While others were dressed to the nines, Jas had gone for a casual look. He wore a black t-shirt emblazoned with the word "Nirvana" and featuring a yellow circle that resembled a crude face.
The smiley face wasn't a widely recognized symbol yet, but the other artists seed to get the gist of it. Paired with simple jeans, Jas looked like he'd walked in off the street.
"What's your na, fella?" A voice broke through Jas' thoughts. He turned to see a fiend demon eyeing him curiously. The demon was the picture of elegance, from his expensive-looking suit to his flashy watch and perfectly coiffed hair.
"?" Jas asked, montarily caught off guard. "I'm Jas."
"Jas?" The demon repeated, a hint of disdain creeping into his voice despite his polite words. "Nice to et you. I'm Tony."
Jas just nodded in response. He could clearly see that Tony looked down on him. And it wasn't just Tony – all around him, the other artists in their elegant attire were regarding him with similar disdain.
Jas could hear the snickers around him, feeling the judgental stares of his fellow musicians. Their disdain was palpable, but Jas didn't let it bother him.
As the line moved forward, Jas realized his turn was approaching. Sure enough, within minutes, he was called into the studio. The radio host, a behemoth demon nad Dorky, greeted him with a smile.
"Welco to the studio, Jas Blaze!" Dorky's voice bood enthusiastically.
A succubus co-host nad Amy chid in, "You're here with us now on Horn Coast 69.9 FM!"
Jas felt a wave of nervousness wash over him, but he maintained his rebellious deanor.
The hosts couldn't help but notice how different Jas looked compared to the other up-and-coming artists they'd seen.
Amy's curiosity got the better of her. "You look pretty interesting, Jas Blaze," she said with a smile. "I wonder what kind of song you'll perform for us today?"
Before Jas could respond, Dorky interjected, "Amy, did you know Jas is actually from Hellfire Records? It's a new label, but get this - it's owned by the famous exiled prince, Arthur Morningstar!"
"Woah, really?" Amy's interest was clearly piqued.
Jas nodded, speaking casually, "Yeah, I'm the first music artist of Hellfire Records."
The interview continued, with the hosts peppering Jas with questions. Internally, Jas felt annoyed, but he kept his cool, playing along to entertain them.
Finally, Amy wrapped up the interview, "Alright, listeners, we're about to hear Jas Blaze perform his single titled..."
Amy and Dorky announced in unison, "Lake of Fire!"
As Jas began to strum his electric guitar, the hosts fell silent, their expressions a mix of curiosity and anticipation.
Outside the recording booth, the other musicians exchanged skeptical glances.
"Hmph. I doubt that guy will sing any good," one sneered.
Another added dismissively, "He looks like the kind of demon that won't amount to much."
***
In a dilapidated bar, a handful of patrons were drinking and playing cards while tuned into Horn Coast 69.9 FM. Their ears perked up at the ntion of the exiled prince owning a record label called "Hellfire Records".
The old monkey demon, shuffling cards, spoke up, "Been hearing about that exiled prince lately, especially in newspapers. Now even on music radio, his na pops up."
An old fiend demon chuckled, exhaling smoke as he said, "I guess that Arthur just loves the attention."
An old hag succubus, also playing cards, joked, "He's lacking attention from his family, so he's seeking it everywhere else."
The demons shared a laugh. "Hehe, you got that right," a scale demon chuckled.
Their banter continued until Jas Blaze was about to perform. As he strumd the guitar, the old hag hushed the others, "Shh... Let's hear this Jas play a song..."
They fell silent, but from the first notes, they knew this song was different. The electric guitar lody started ssy and unpolished, confusing them.
Before they could fully react, Jas began to sing, his voice raspy, "Where do bad folks go when they die? They don't go to heaven where the angels fly, they go down to the lake of fire and fry"
Jas continued, "Won't see 'em again till the fourth of July"
?? ??
As the lody flowed, the electric guitar play was almost broken, but strangely catchy. Jas' voice, despite being raspy and unsmooth, captured their attention.
They even paused their gambling to focus on what they were hearing.
"I knew a lady who ca from Duluth
She got bit by a dog with a rabid tooth," Jas sang. "She went to her grave just a little too soon, Flew away howling on the yellow moon"
??????
So of them couldn't help but bob their heads. The old hag spoke up, "I knew Duluth. It's a port city in the Gopher state in USE."
"Yeah, yeah. We don't care."
"We're trying to listen to a song, old hag."
The old hag fell silent.
They kept listening until the song ended. Only then did they realize, "What was that?"
"Is that even a song? It sounds so raw and dirty. But I kind of like it."
" too."
It wasn't just them. Other listeners across the airwaves found themselves intrigued by Jas' unique music style.
***
As the last notes of Jas' song faded, he noticed Dorky and Amy looking stunned.
Then, as if snapping out of a trance, the two hosts burst into excited applause.
"Incredible! That was... Impressive!" Dorky exclaid, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.
Amy chid in, montarily forgetting her professional deanor, "Yes! I'm at a loss for words! It's such a weird way to convey music, kind of unpolished, but at the sa ti, so refreshing! Definitely sothing new for the ears!"
"Absolutely!" Dorky nodded vigorously. "My ears were getting tired from all that Jazz style music from the other perforrs—"
Amy nudged Dorky, reminding him they were still on air.
Realizing his slip, Dorky quickly backpedaled, "No hate to the Jazz musicians out there - I very much enjoy it, but Jas here really perford a style of music that was incredibly refreshing! I'm sure our listeners were thrilled as well!"
Outside the booth, the up-and-coming musicians were gritting their teeth. Their earlier disdain for Jas had transford into bitter envy. To think that Jas had outperford them so effortlessly...
Jas exchanged a few words with the hosts before taking his leave. Dorky and Amy seed reluctant to let him go, clearly wanting him to stay and perform more, but that wasn't how these sessions worked.
As Jas left, they welcod another jazz musician who began to perform with his saxophone. Despite the musician's undeniable skill, the hosts couldn't help but feel like they'd heard hundreds of similar performances before. The repetitiveness was stark after Jas' unique style.
The contrast between Jas' raw, energetic performance and the polished but familiar jazz only emphasized the impact of Jas' debut.
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