𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 ! 𝚂𝙾𝙻𝙾

𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 // ~ 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴 𝚄𝙽𝙺𝙽𝙾𝚆𝙽 Jamie attends his formal interview …

Formal interview? The mere mention of formal has Jamie sweating. Nothing about Jamie is formal, or even can be formal. This sounds important though, so hoping it’s just a normal review of the evaluation, he puts on his barely worn, only slightly creased shirt and dress pants, brushes his hair, and arrives, surprisingly, right on time. He’s nervous, and it’s obvious in the way he can’t sit still in the few minutes he sits outside the interview room, waiting to be called. His knees bounce and he rubs his hands up and down his thighs, the repetitive feeling of mild burning as he creates friction between his palms and the material of his pants is surprisingly soothing. 

Then, after what feels like forever, Jamie’s called into the room and he takes his seat, making a very conscious and sustained effort to stop fidgeting. He plants his feet flat on the ground and wills them not to move for the entirety of the interview. The interview begins with a review of the group’s overall performance, and instantly Jamie relaxes. It all sounds better than he’d expected to hear, and he can’t keep the smile off his face. He’d enjoyed their performance—had genuinely felt like he was having fun throughout the entire thing, and he was glad that that energy had seeped out into those watching them. The more he’d practised the song, the more he wished he could debut with it, or a song like it. The upbeat sound just felt so right for him. He was filled to the brim with energy, and to be in a group that meant he could let it out like he’d been able to during Beatbox would be truly more than he could hope for. 

Yet that however kicks the smile off his face and reminds him where he is and what he’s here for. He nods, expression now much more serious as he listens intently. But, then the question is posed to him and Jamie stumbles over his thoughts for a moment, not expecting to be asked to speak. “Uh- I had a lot of fun with the performance, actually. It felt like a song that needed… genuine pep to get the energy across to the audience. But… there’s always room for improvement.” Jamie knows he’s nowhere near perfect, but he likes to think that that song had been the perfect fit for him to really show off what he’s good at. 

The individual results, however, leave Jamie stunned, mouth slightly open for a second, before he clamps it shut and swallows thickly, unsure of how he’s allowed to react. It’s hard not to smile, though he tries hard to bite it back, when his voice is complimented. If there’s one thing Jamie’s confident in, and proud of, it’s his voice. He’s put so much into honing his vocal abilities in the last two and half years, and it seems to be paying off. But then, they start talking about the survival show, and the pressure now on his shoulders. It’s good to know they think his efforts aren’t going to waste, but now, with eyes so focused on him, he can feel his stomach twist into nervous knots. 

We’re aware of your audition to Kiss Studios… Jamie feels just a tad feint at that, as if they’re about to scold him for disloyalty. But, the more he listens, the more clear it is that they’ll accept whatever decision he decides to make, and he’s almost certain that, through this conversation, and the assurance that they believe he’s doing well, he has potential, that he just needs to keep working hard, he’d made up his mind to stay at Wonder. His dream isn’t just to debut, he wants to debut with his best friend. He wants to debut with Mason, and if he decides not to stay at Wonder and partake in the survival show, then he’ll not debut with him. He’d known that auditioning may lead to him not debuting with Mason, but then he’d not been sure of his future at Wonder—if the higher ups there even saw potential in him. Now, though, he’s ready to fight to the death for a chance to debut with his best friend, as they’d always promised each other they would.

The anticipated evaluations marked a crucial moment to your character’s idol progression. Team A, B, and C, were slotted for the very first day of evaluations between over 30+ qualified trainees. With training reverting back to normal, your character, James Han, will receive an e-mail from Hydra Staff with the date and time for their formal interview. Dress code is business casual, and the interview place will take place in the Office Section of the building, led by Talent Consultant Jang Hei-ran and her team. They’ll be the ones relaying individual scores, remarks from personnel (CEOs, instructors, etc.), and as previously stated, providing next step strategies. It’s a hallmark moment that, admittedly, the company believes your character is ready for. The meeting will presumably last for half a hour or more, pending on dialogue.

𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐀 will hear great remarks about the group’s teamwork, best overall within the six qualifying teams. “We were delighted to see a combined effort, the seven of you fit extremely well together. You were tasked with an upbeat hip-hop inspired track, and it was a uh, new genre our in-house producers were testing out. And there was a perfect synergy.” The compliment draws on and seems to be gearing towards that inevitable ‘but.’ “However, the overall mood should’ve been stronger in a lot of areas.” Heiran nods in agreement to her assistant’s words, having a few thoughts of her own and cuts in. “The team got us excited for the performance, and it showed you all were excited. How do you remember the performance?” The woman’s voice was pointed, yet her curled grin made her look pleasant at face value. A dichotomy between genuinely curiosity to know the trainee’s point of view, and accusatory, goading a response that could be neither right or wrong. “Hmm, let’s move forward to your independent results.”  

“The first impression we received was your energy level was very high, you were a secret weapon / component to your group. Vetted judges were especially pleased by the smoothness/consistency of your vocal range.” Heiran seems to conclude her thoughts by leaning back into her chair, so her assistant stepped in, “Your results means many things; first, being your eligibility for the upcoming survival show and personal vouch for your attendance. Wonder Nation believes in your potential within this project. We will comment on honing your skillset, the pressure will double now knowing the strengths of your vocal abilities; make sure to show your best sides. Now,” they flip over a few papers to the trainee’s Global Audition notes. “We are aware of your audition to Kiss Studios, and we’re not here to sway your choices. We want to assure you that you’ll be able to choose wisely between the two — however, we’ll need a final answer in a week from today. You can contact our Consultant Team for any and all inquiries. We sincerely wish you the best luck.”

This tasks is for James Han! Formal Interviews traditionally go over more overview notes (skillset critique), and the extended trainee contract to highlight the need for discrepancy. Your character is now a Debut Candidate under 𝐖𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 and will have access on to the backdoor entrance of the company building, allowed mostly for artists and staff. In order to complete the Debut Preparation Task, players will have to:

SOLO: Write a complete thread (300+ words) about your character’s second interview. Take into account the fact the results, potential debut news, feelings about meeting fellow contestants, potential label changes, and having to be on their best behavior. The interview will be between your character and two Hydra personnel in a private training studio located on the lower floors of Hydra’s main building. Earn 25 POINTSto increase any skill on their point page or choose to collect.

Be sure to tag threads with #hd:tasks & #hd:eval! The deadline for threads/point submissions is February 14, 2023. Please, do not post mod submission until thread is completed. The thread should be placed above the divider and under a ‘read more’ if not already placed.

"feel good.” performance solo 

wc: 683

focus

that had been the word she repeated to herself as got into positions for the performance. sure, the initial meeting wasn't something that set off the alarm bells in her head but now that the day had finally gotten here? siyoung felt like it they were in a different ball park. this evaluation felt like it would actually mean something in the end. maybe, just maybe this would lead to a real debut. it was fear she rarely shared but as she grew older...the idea that she would debut felt more and more distance. or if she did debut, would she quickly be labeled with the title of being old? if they were given a cute concept that her age didn't help deliver.

then she shook her head.

that wasn't something to think about right in the moment. right now, all she had to do was pretend that it was just them in the practice rooms. just thinking about it, her bones ached. there was never a time that she had pushed herself more. the risk, the risk felt too big at this point, if she failed, how many people would she bring down in the end? even more, when she looked at herself in the mirror, siyoung wondered if she would bring herself down. they'd lead her into a room and gently or not so gently tell her that she didn't make the cut.

that would be the kicker.

what had to be seconds felt like hours until she heard the music come on. it was with the snap of the music that siyoung threw her game face on. she only had a bit of time to get into the correct headspace. by the time they fell to the floor and her part started, she had her balance. other than getting the moves right, there was the expression, her stage presence. there were few moments she had to make an impact. so much of an impact that when she moved from the center, the eyes stilled followed her. at the time, she tried to remember the advice their trainer's gave them. for her to relax a bit with her moves, this song needed balance. powerful when she needed to be but at the same time, she had to be smooth, relaxed and elegant to an extent.

as she performed, those words stayed in her mind. in the end, siyoung felt like she knew her body best, how she could pull a great performance out of herself. that didn't mean she didn't try to apply the advice given, it was all about making it work. there were times that she made sure to catch her members movements, just to make sure they were sync, that she matched with them. it was another piece of advice that siyoung found herself working on, making sure she didn't lip-sync her members parts when she wasn't in the center. it was mentioned that it could be a bit of a distraction, everything had to be conveyed through her eyes, the way she looked and the intensity she could give.

or other emotions if needed.

there was another part when she had been able to center for a moment. siyoung played it a little more teasingly, easy and relaxed. a quick moment to shine before she had to move as one. the pressure didn't really hit until it was time for her to sing the chorus, vocals weren't her best skill. while not horrible, siyoung knew she was behind some of the other girls. the advice given during their singing session came into play here. the effort was there, the tireless nights with the weight of this performance resting her shoulders. she wanted to do a good job, to get a step closer to the dreams she had almost given up on.

when the song came to an end and they hit their final poses, siyoung breathed slowly, her breath more so coming from her nerves than anything else. soon after they found themselves bowing in goodbye and now she could do was wait.

personally, she hated waiting.

𝐇𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ! 𝚂𝙾𝙻𝙾

𝐉𝐀𝐍 𝟐𝟓𝐓𝐇 ~ 𝐅𝐄𝐁 𝟏𝐒𝐓 // ~ 𝟷𝟸𝟹𝟶 Jamie performs for his evaluation … 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐃: his teammates

Weeks and weeks of practise, and here it is, the day of the evaluation. It had flown by, the practise that took up each and every day revealing more and more to Jamie, over the month, that still had so much room to grow, and develop as a singer. He was nowhere near perfect, nowhere near the level he wanted to one day be, but as they performed their eval song over and over again, and he worked on his breath control, his expressions, his energy levels, he knew this was it for him. There was nothing else Jamie could imagine himself doing. He had to become an idol. He just had to.

Working alongside the other boys had brought them together even more so than they had been before, though Jamie knew, at the end of the day, they were all rivals when it came to debuting. Yet, somehow, Jamie could never look at a few of the boys that way. Taegyeom, he could see being his rival; another vocalist, someone who's just as good as Jamie, who's frankly more handsome than him, taller than him. Taegyeom really did make up for the things Jamie lacked, even if it wasn't in vocals. But with Mason... Jamie could never, and would never see Mason as a rival. He is, and always will be, Jamie's best friend. No one besides Robby knows Jamie the way Mason does, and if he knows he can rely on anyone, he can rely on Mason.

Then, there's Haneul, who frankly Jamie see's as a distraction sometimes. Not in a bad way, and certainly not because of anything he does, it's just Jamie's brain that's at fault there. He can't look at Haneul and not blush sometimes, can't see him smile and not bite back one of his own. So, to put it simply, training had, at times, been difficult for more reasons than the choreography was hard. But, they'd made it here, and as they stand, ready to perform, Jamie looks around at them all and breaks into a grin. Hwan had led then well, Jamie had tried to keep their spirits up the whole time, and finally it's time to show just how good they can be. Because they can be incredible—Jamie's certain of it.

Thank god Hwan starts off the song, his energy carrying them into it, and Jamie, with his back partially to those watching, shoots a smile at the other boys, before they all begin to dance. Then, it's a rush of movement and strong singing. Jamie had practised singing while jogging on the spot to try and keep his voice as stable as possible while moving, had lay on the floor and belted the lyrics to the sky, had done cartwheels while singing scales, and done a handstand while singing the hardest part, just to over-prepare. He never knew when an evaluation could be a way to pick people for the next debut group, and this could be it, so he had to prove he was ready.

Jamie has one line in the start of the song, before the first chorus, but that doesn't matter when he's trying to show that not only is he a good singer, he's a good dancer too. He's a performer, and this is what he was born to do, so he's going to make people take notice. As he's in the center for the first time during the chorus he beams and cheekily winks to the people watching, reminding himself that this should be fun. If he isn't having fun, how can he expect anyone watching to have fun? His energy, he learnt long ago, can be contagious, and so that's why he likes to think he's the mood-maker of the group, always ready to cheer the other boys on and make them forget their worries and feel the music.

Before Jamie knows it, the songs coming to an end, and he picks his energy up just a little bit more, hoping that it will spread throughout the group members, wanting to lift them up, fill them with excitement and hope that this will be the best performance out of all the trainee eval groups. Then, it's over, as quickly is it began, and Jamie's chest is heaving, head spinning, but mouth drawn wide in a bright smile, as though he'd just had the time of his life. No matter how scary it had seemed before it began, he realised he forgot about all that when the music started and his muscle memory kicked in and he could just enjoy it.

After a few seconds, brain still buzzing, Jamie bows with the rest of the group, wondering what feedback they'll receive, and if he did anywhere near as well as he felt like he did. He'd done all he could do, now he just had to see whether he was on the right track, or sorely misguided.

𝐇𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ! 𝙲𝙷𝙾𝙾𝚂𝙴

𝐉𝐀𝐍 𝟒𝐓𝐇 // ~ 𝟷𝟸𝟹𝟶 Jamie makes his position choice … 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐃: his teammates

Jamie knew instantly what position he wanted. Main vocal, that had always been what he'd been gunning for, ever since he began training. He's a good dancer, charismatic and fun during performances, but when it comes down to it, Jamie's voice is really what he has going for him. He'd always been told it had character, a huskiness that others voices didn't have, one that didn't impede his ability to reach high, clear notes, but that made his voice stick in the listeners head. That's why he knew he had to stand up for his decision—his voice could make their eval performance really stand out, and he wanted his whole group to do well, not just him on his own. Sure, Jamie could catch people's eye no matter where he was; he'd mastered facial expressions before anything else, and knew how to have fun on stage, so he could've backed down and done something else, but truthfully... he just wanted to sing, wanted his voice noticed.

He realises how full of himself he sounds when he goes over how to voice his decision to the group—he can't very well say his voice will do them good. So, when they all sit in a circle and begin to discuss who will take what part, Jamie is among the first to speak up. "I want to be main vocal." He says, confidence behind his words. "I know my voice is among the strongest here, but I think I suit the song. Not just vocally, but visually too. It needs a boyish energy, and that's what I've got." Then, he realises he's got to broach the subject of the other position he wanted, this one he's more shy about. "And... since I suit the song really well, I was thinking that... I'd also like to be the center." He flushes as he admits it, knowing it'll sound like he wants to be the damn main character of the eval or something, but he really does believe he suits this song.

This concept had been one Jamie hadn't even let himself hope for over the years he'd been training. If he got to debut with a group that had a concept like this song did, he'd be living the dream. He'd never seen himself, really, in a group with a sexy, or cool-guy concept, maybe something fantasy-themed could suit him, but he'd really always had his eye on peppy, bubbly, upbeat type of concepts. Things that got you on your feet, things that were widely palatable. Sexy was something he struggled with, to be honest, despite spending hours perfecting his facial expressions in the mirror. He'd just never in his life felt sexy, really. Which was why this concept felt just right.

"I know I can do it, and that I can make you guys proud, if you trust me to take these positions." He promised the group, looking around at each of them. He already knew Mason would back him up, knew he could count on his best friend to support him and his decisions and desires, just as he would for Mason. He was close with almost every member of the group, but he had a feeling that Taegyeom might butt heads with him over this—they'd always been somewhat rivals when it came to vocal things, always trying to be better than each other, and this time, he knew, would be no different. But, this was how things had to be done; Jamie needed to fight for these positions, plead his case and convince them he was the best man for the part.