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it only makes sense that the concept evaluation episode opens with a flurry of brightly colored scenes, clips from the performances yet to appear as the editors reintroduce the viewer to NEXT GEN and do better playing in the background. a short recap of RHEE JIAN announcing the concept evaluation plays and the teams and coaches are displayed to the audience one by one. finally, when all of the refreshers are over and done with, the new content begins.

three judges take their seats at the usual table across from the stage. the room is quiet save for the few staff members milling around in preparation for the performances, the contestants somewhere backstage beyond their sight and safe from critique for now.

“SEO RAN,” YOON JIHUN is the first to speak to his fellow ceo, “it’s a little odd that we gave the contestants a concept evaluation but not a single one is performing a SR MEDIA group’s song. are you not confident in your own artists’ selections?” he grins slyly, perhaps trying to start something.

ran, to her credit, only smiles in return. “it’s a favor to the contestants, actually,” she clarifies, “our groups have such clear, well-defined concepts for most of their releases that it can be hard to separate the song from the music video or stage performances you remember and come up with something new. it wouldn’t be fair to try to judge them on something that’s difficult even for seasoned professionals. instead, we gave them songs that had a certain vibe, but not as set in stone in terms of memorable visuals and creative direction. it’s almost a blank canvas for them to work on, in a sense.”

“i understand what you mean,” YUNA nods along. “no matter how good you are, people will always compare you to the original when you’re performing a cover. the more beloved a song is, the harder it is for anyone else to do it justice.”

“exactly. not that any of these songs aren’t great tunes in their own right, but they’re easier to handle than A.MAZE or WONDERLAND,” ran confirms.

“so why organize the groups the way we did?” jihun is clearly reading off a cue card, moving the conversation forward in the way the writers and editors want them to.

“well, some of them are obvious,” ran flips through cards with each contestant’s face printed on them, laying them out on the desk in front of them. “JUEUN, for example, has excellent confidence on stage that makes her look like she’s having fun no matter what she’s performing. the cute and bright concept leans well into that. and SIWOO is just clearly born for the elegant concept. STEVEN, on the other hand, probably would have suited the cute concept as well but i think he needs to be challenged more than someone like siwoo does and he has potential for other concepts in him as well.”

“when we’re putting together a group, they’re very rarely doing one concept for their entire careers,” jihun points out.

“exactly, which is why some contestants needed to be introduced to a different facet of themselves,” ran smiles. “we may be surprised by some of them.”

“are we ready to begin?” a voice from the production staff calls out, and the judges collect their contestant cards to save for rankings later.

a scene of all teams are gathered up on stage around emcee jian plays before fading into the first practice room scenes.

"the judges told us how modifying the choreography could express the storyline we're attempting to tell better," YUWOL muses aloud to HANGYEOL as the NONSTOP team begins preparations for their first performance together. "but to be honest, i'm not the best when it comes to that."

“that’s why i’m here!” hangyeol assures his teammate. and who would dare to doubt the shining star of the season? hangyeol’s confidence is nowhere near unfounded; perhaps his teammates feel better just having him and his good luck nearby. maybe it would be easy to dislike him out of jealousy or resentment, but the man has a rather cute disposition, throwing his hands in the air exuberantly as he volunteers his help to the team.

after a moment of stretching, hangyeol stands and walks over to the sound system while explaining his ideology to yuwol. ““the first step is to find what’s special and unique about the way your own body moves. we’re in a carnival, right? so let’s move through the room as if it is a carnival, but then take everything you do and heighten it by, like, thirty percent!”

“i’ve never been to a carnival before,” yuwol confesses and a record scratch is played as hangyeol’s jaw drops.

“really? never?! yuwol! we have to change that!” it doesn’t deter hangyeol though, who effortlessly links his arm through yuwol’s as if guiding him through an imaginary carnival in the practice room. “i just think everyone should get the chance to ride a ferris wheel and eat cotton candy at least once in their lives! next time there’s a carnival in seoul, i’ll have to take you. how does that sound?”

“pretend you’re surrounded by all sorts of lights, and colors, and smells. and you have all day to experience every single one with the person you care about the most,” hangyeol continues, describing the event in detail in lieu of yuwol’s personal experiences with one. “i know it might seem a little absurd at first, but trust me, it’ll help.”

“i struggled with dance at first, but… nowadays, it’s actually rather fun,” yuwol explains in the interview room, his scene with hangyeol cut short by his own words. “actually, coming up with ideas for the stage was also exciting. these are all rather new to me, so i’m surprised at myself too. that i’m able to enjoy the process this much.”

looks like that isn’t the only new thing being done. the scene shifts, showing yuwol and jueun in front of one of the training room mirrors. jueun makes a face, puffing her cheeks, confident in her cuteness; coming off natural. "come on, i want you to look in the mirror with me and pretend like you're on a date and trying to make your partner smile or something,” she tells yuwol, who seems to be having a harder time making the same facial expressions.

yuwol hums, seeming to be in thought. eventually, like jueun had done earlier, yuwol puffs his cheeks, pouting, imitating his teammate. it’s his first attempt, that’s for sure. “okay… how was that?”

jueun giggles in turn. “well, it’s definitely better than what you were doing before,” jueun approves.

“how did you feel when you saw that your ranking had dropped so much?” a disembodied voice asks jueun, now the only focus of the camera in the interview room. “i knew it could happen at any moment, since this is a competition show, after all. however, i was still a little shocked. however, it motivated me to work even harder to show the judges that i still had a lot more to show them.”

what is it that she’s eager to show the judges? this time, jueun and hangyeol are back on screen, going over their rap lines together. “look at us being the main rappers of the group,” jueun says, nudging hangyeol’s side with her elbow. hangyeol seems to share the enthusiasm, not without expressing some of his struggles.

“why does this feel like it’s harder than singing?” hangyeol questions, although the pair continue to work on their lines. "the professionals make it look so effortless. and here i am, sounding like i'm about to perform a hip-hop remix of the three bears." hangyeol sounds rather distraught, but jueun remains positive still.

“it will not sound like a hip-hop remix of the three bears,” she reassures her companion. “"i've been tapping my pen along to the beat to make sure i don't fall behind since the rhythm seems to be the most important thing in a rap," jueun suggests as a method of practice.

that seems to give hangyeol some sort of epiphany. “oh! I’ve seen something online- thisth-” hangyeol takes his own pen and sets it firmly between his teeth, “this is supposedsh to help with your pronunshiation.” it’s a rather comedic scenario, the camera lingering on hangyeol’s hilarious display for added effect.

most of the team members seem to be new to rapping as a whole. JINGREN is pictured practicing his lines with jueun as well, despite having lesser rapping verses. "it's a safe place here. did you want to practice the rap parts with me? so that we can get comfortable before the song before we split up the lines so that we can take any part that we possibly get,” jingren suggests, motivated to work on a new skill. “i am willing to give rap a try, especially since it seems like i haven't quite found my direction with something specific yet."

“how about we listen to the original a few times on repeat first so we get the basic rhythm down?” jueun says in turn, eager to start rehearsing as well.

“i really didn't know if i had it in me to rap, but i was willing to try,” jingren’s voiceover from his interview plays over the scene of the two practicing their lines. “the song had quite a few rap parts, and while it was divided between a few of us, i'd never rapped before other than during karaoke."

“guess we will all have to pick up some slack since i don’t think anyone in our group is particularly a fantastic rapper. but it’s not possible to cut these key parts of the song out,” jingren summarizes, determined.

despite all the hardwork the team is displaying, there’s a few shared moments where they can breathe and relax. YEJUN is seen approaching hangyeol. “congratulations!” yejun exclaims, a tender smile on his face. “i know we barely have any time for it, but your second first place should be celebrated. i’ll do something better if you get a hat trick.” the moment is sweet, cute and bright, funnily enough a contender for the concept the team had been assigned. yejun is handing something over to hangyeol, presumably a congratulatory gift.

hangyeol seems to appreciate the gesture, expressing his gratitude from the way he takes the vitamin drink and bowing slightly. “thank you, yejun. that’s so kind. i only feel like i have to work…even harder now. maybe even harder than before. i’m afraid one of these days i may run out of ‘hard’ to work.”

yejun rebuts that, almost immediately. "you deserve this, you're amazing,” he reassures, notably gentle. “i’ll be your voice teacher if you be my dance teacher,” yejun adds, not forgetting what they’re here for.

“you’re too nice to me, hwang yejun,” hangyeol tells the other off lightly, although it’s obvious he doesn’t mean it. “but it’s a deal.”

overall, the team seem to be working well together, working on what they know they lack. but where are the coaches?

the scene changes again, this time showing DOHYUN and yuwol separated by a makeshift desk. dohyun is holding a camera directed at the contestant as he is practicing something, a little bit lost in thought. a short clip plays taken from the previous episodes, where jihun had snapped: “i’ve never been more humiliated by a studio delta team in my life.” that, of course, referencing dohyun’s team at the time. is that what dohyun has been thinking about?

“and, like that. that’s what i had in mind… what do you think?” yuwol asks, which seems to bring dohyun out of his haze. the audience doesn’t get to see what exactly yuwol is asking dohyun’s opinion for, that will be saved for the performance later. but whatever it was, dohyun is reacting positively.

“i think.. you’re going to end up with a million new fans and a million other grandmothers wanting you as a grandson- i would call that a success,” dohyun replies as he ends the recording, encouraging and supportive.

“do you have faith in us?” yuwol asks next, and the frame closes in on dohyun’s face, searching for a specific reaction. as if implying, would the same unfortunate occurrence happen again with dohyun’s new team? that unasked question doesn’t receive an answer.

“you were at the mercy of the teams we gave you,” jihun’s voice can be heard once more, playing as the screen zeroes in on dohyun’s face. will this time be different? perhaps, there is a glimmer of hope. there is no verbal answer from dohyun at this time, however.

maybe that answer will show itself in the team’s performance.

the team of five enter the stage wearing matching outfits of a pastel color scheme, showcasing a certain theme. while the stage is still dimly lit, it can be seen that certain corners of the stage have different mini sets, keeping the audience guessing what they could be. but then the set fades away, the camera is instead being greeted by jingren’s face as the music begins.

the lens pans down, showing jingren’s hand linked with the cameraman’s—or in this case, the audience—and leading them towards the stage. jingren’s smile is beaming, taking the audience towards the set, which seems to be a mini carnival with booths and DIY date spots.

the other three have already taken their positions, and the performance begins.

it becomes apparent that the team will be moving across the mini sets, having their own date moment with the camera (a.k.a the audience who are watching). yejun’s is up next, seemingly going through an array of mirrors. the camera ‘trips’, but yejun is quick to rush over to his date, concerned as he helps his date regain their feet. the singing goes on, yejun hitting his notes despite multitasking with his acting. even adds a sigh of relief when he notices his date is okay, pointing to a mirror with a laugh.

as one person gets the spotlight, the others become supporting characters. even though they’re moving from set to set, they maintain the same flare of choreography, modified to fit their elaborate stage.

as yuwol’s rap verse approaches, the camera shifts to a different point of view, carefully taken to another set. this time, it’s a wooden stand colored pink with the sign ‘kissing booth’ plastered on top. the contestant on the other side of the booth is yuwol. he’s holding a lip balm, uncapping it as the audience continues to watch. yuwol acts nervous with the way he bites his lip and steals glances at the camera. using his finger, he swipes the lip balm on his own lips before pretending to apply it onto his date’s. he doesn’t kiss his date though, despite the name of the booth, he lifts his face up and allows it to disappear out of frame, leaving the audience to wonder what exactly yuwol had done. either way, he’s giggling as if he’s teasing.

the song continues on, the team returning back to formation as they move towards the next set: hangyeol’s. he’d be delivering this scene along with his rap verse too. his moment is centered around a snack booth, hangyeol leading the camera towards the booth. a cake is then served which hangyeol takes advantage of, taking a forkful of whipped cream and holding it up to the lens mischievously, acting flirtatious. some of that whipped cream remains on the tip of his nose, followed by a finger coming from behind the camera to wipe the whipped cream away. the scene ends with hangyeol’s blush.

the last individual moment of the stage focuses on a faux photobooth, which is jueun’s time to shine. jueun pulls off a few poses alongside the camera, as if she’s actually taking photos, singing her lines accordingly all the while. it’s a cute and intimate moment, jueun being playful with her company. that is, until the rest of the team ‘photobombos’ the photos and poses with jueun and her date.

“i’d just like to say that i gave it my all, and this was all really fun,” jueun’s voice from the interview room plays as the camera focuses on the group, all with smiles on their faces.

the performance goes on, and with jueun taking charge of the last line, she gives the camera a nice wink for her ending pose.

a round of applause can be heard from the judges, before the contestants get ready for their critique.

ran is the first to pick up her microphone; this is her company’s challenge after all. “first, i want to congratulate you all on a successful performance. i could feel your earnesty in trying to put on a unique, memorable performance and i want to be sure you all know that your efforts didn’t go unnoticed. you were the only team without a representative from sr media helping you, so please know we’ll take that into account as we review this stage.”

“as a whole, it was a very charming performance,” ran continues to smile. “it was sweet how you were able to highlight each member of your team and stay within the theme you chose. however, i don’t think it was very far off from the original performance and came off a bit… amateur-ish? which i suppose is to be expected, especially since you lacked guidance.”

she seems to shoot a look at DOHYUN and SEOJUN, who were notably absent from the preparation clips. however, neither trainee being from her company, she decides to simply let it be.

yuna takes over instead: “while concepts and acting may be sr media’s specialty, lime entertainment also dabbles quite a bit in using stages and storylines to enhance our performances. i’m surprised that seojun didn’t take a more active part in helping to plan your performance. coaches, please remember that it’s your responsibility to support our contestants. we may not be able to eliminate you from the competition, but these contestants are your responsibility. please do not take it lightly.”

the woman sighs before continuing on: “in any case, i do have to agree with ran. the performance was cute and charming, but seemed a bit disorganized at times. like you were trying to fit too much into a short time. it’s easy to let ideas get ahead of you, but it should have been on your coaches to help rein them in and refine them.”

“dohyun, you’re not going to regain my favor by disappearing into the background. you’re still representing studio delta in a competition, so i expect to see a little more effort from you in the final round.” yoon jihun crosses his arms and scowls unhappily. he may not be shouting with the same rancor as he had the previous round, but his disappointment is palpable. “nonstop team, you did well to support yourselves despite the lack of effort from your coaches. i feel like that should be praised more than yuna and ran have mentioned so far; you’re all just beginners, babies really. you had to learn how to walk on your own while everyone else was getting better support. i want to commend you for your effort; you did well with the resources provided.”

“and HANGYEOL,” jihun continues, now moving onto individual critiques, “it was rather brave of you to take on so many rap parts when it seems to be a relatively new skill to you. you’re a great performer so you were able to pull it off decently enough, but it was clear that it’s really not your strongest talent. i can’t quite say you let your team down, but i don’t think you did them any favors.”

“you helped your team with the choreography changes, right?” yuna pipes up, “once again, you’re showing us that you’re an excellent leader. leveraging your talents with the areas your team needs to improve was good. you’re a great dancer, we’re frankly running out of ways to say that, but you’re also a good teacher which is much harder to find in a show like this.”

“i think we did well to put you in this concept,” ran smiles warmly, clearly harboring a soft spot for this particular contestant. “you have a lovely smile, you know. your stage presence is strong enough that even with simple choreography, you still shine. you adapt well to different concepts and that’s something we look for at sr media; being able to be a diverse performer as well.”

“great job, hangyeol,” jihun congratulates the contestant once more before the judges fix their attention on the next member of the team, YUWOL’s face taking over the screen.

“i’ll admit, i didn’t have very high expectations for you with this concept,” jihun begins again, his frown more contemplative than antagonistic for once. “you’re a bit… well, you were put in this team since we didn’t think anything else would suit you very well. you surprised us, yuwol. who knew you had it in you? maybe you should consider acting as a career.” the man laughs.

“jihun is laughing, but i would genuinely suggest the same thing,” ran takes over. “you performed your part well and we could tell that you put a particular amount of effort into selling this concept. half of the road to success is hard work and practice and you certainly gave your best effort with this challenge. honestly, i’m almost sorry that we won’t be seeing this stage ever again. you did well.”

yuna picks up her microphone next, her expression a bit complicated. “i agree with jihun and ran that you performed this concept beyond our expectations, however i want to caution you to not neglect your performance skills as well. you’re still a bit awkward when you’re dancing simple steps. at this point in the competition, i’d like to see a little more improvement in that area. your voice is nice, but i want to warn you not to neglect your fundamentals and fall into the habit of relying on stylization instead of basic ability. overall, you gave us a good performance. but as we reach the end of this competition, you would do better if you tried to be great.”

“thank you, yuwol,” ran finishes the feedback before turning to the next contestant.

YEJUN is the next focus of the judges who waste no time in giving him feedback.

“are you getting more comfortable, yejun?” jihun asks, “you’re not trembling on stage this time. i think it’s the first time we’ve seen you actually smile.” is that teasing in the harsh judge’s voice? the camera zooms into jihun’s face, which actually has a smile on it, before panning to yejun’s expression in return. “if all it took was asking you to act cute, we would have done that ages ago. you seem harder on yourself than even i would be, so i don’t think i can tell you anything about your performance that you don’t already know. i just hope that you don’t lose this spark, whatever it is.”

“is that a compliment from jihun?” ran’s eyes widen in mock-surprise, a wide smile on her face. “in any case, i have to agree that you looked much more at ease, like you were actually enjoying the performance this time. you played cute pretty well, i think you have a good face for the concept overall, but when you’re able to smile you really light up the stage. did it help to have friends on your team this time? while it’s important to be able to get along with whoever is on your future teams or debut units, having familiar faces can help ease a transition. i’m glad we were able to unlock a new side of you with this performance.”

yuna smiles as well. “you’re a talented singer, yejun,” she points out, “and you’re becoming a better performer too throughout this show. it’s been a genuine pleasure to watch your growth. singing is something you love, right?” the camera turns to yejun again for his response. “me too. it’s that passion that got me to debut, and then to all the success i’ve had since then. i hope you’re able to hold onto that through the rest of next gen and whatever comes after.” yuna smiles once more before the camera abandons yejun for now.

“i’d like to point out how JUEUN shined on this stage,” ran beams brightly as she compliments the girl, “your confidence on stage was almost unmatched and this concept suits you almost perfectly. honestly, i don’t even have much to say since there’s hardly anything to critique this time.”

“i wouldn’t say that,” jihun disagrees; of course he would always be able to find something negative even among an overwhelmingly positive situation. “if anything, i would just caution you to be mindful of your groupmates. you were just on the edge of out-performing half of this team, which is good for you in this competition but if you debut in a group someday, being able to work seamlessly together will be important. it could also make your teammates look worse than they actually are and put you at risk for elimination, if you’re not careful. but like ran said, this concept suited you well. you’ll probably be fine.”

yuna ponders over her response for a moment before finally speaking up. “you said that you’d work harder and you had more to show us. talk is fine, but what i’m most impressed with is that you actually put your money where your mouth is, so to speak. you put on an amazing performance that made us all regret dropping you down in the ranks last week, if the other judges agree?” yuna looks over at ran and jihun, who both nod their confirmation of the statement. “well done. it’s no easy feat to do exactly what was promised when it comes to performances like this.”

“JINGREN,” yuna turns her attention to the next contestant, “it was… brave of you to attempt to learn to rap in just a few days of practice. the parts you were assigned weren’t particularly difficult so you were able to pull it off, but i can’t help but think it’s a bit of a shame… you were awkward and it showed to the point it took away from the entire group’s performance. i think that’s why it came across as amateur-ish in some parts, because you didn’t have the ability to sell the performance with confidence.”

“you’re in a team of talented performers this time, jingren,” ran continues, her voice soft and kind despite the criticism coming from her lips. “unfortunately, that can make it even harder to stand out as a performer yourself. i think you did well with the concept overall, you were rather cute, but as yuna said… your performance skills weren’t up to par with the parts you chose.”

“jingren, i’ll be honest with you,” jihun sits forward in his seat, leaning against the table with a rather grim expression on his face. “if nonstop team doesn’t win this battle, you’re likely to be the member we eliminate. the competition is too tight at this point to be too forgiving with poor performance skills. if you’re a singer, you should sing. why try to pick up rap at this point? it was poor strategy that, again, should have been caught by your coaches. if you have to blame someone for this, blame them.”

the camera zooms in closely on jingren’s expression before the entire team is dismissed from the stage, jian’s bright smile taking over as she announces the next performance will be PUZZLE.

as the PUZZLE team prepares for their stage, the scene shifts to the individual who has been told would embody this elegant and sexy concept the most. SIWOO is seen… practicing how to put a tie on? strangely enough, instead of attempting it on himself, he’s doing so around JIHYUN’s neck instead. unlike the previous team’s harmonious chemistry, there seems to be a more tense air between these two. the contrast is made evident.

“do you know how to be elegant?” siwoo asks, not without what seems to be annoyance.

“i’ve taken etiquette lessons as a child, so elegance should come naturally to me,” jihyun answers, somewhat unfazed despite how long siwoo is taking to put on the tie.

“you needed lessons to learn etiquette?” the question slips out of siwoo as if it’s a challenge, or a pointed and directed attack, as subtle as it may be. what has siwoo so bothered? could it be because of their similar circumstances and background?

it looks like siwoo isn’t the only one feeling rather irritated, because it cuts to jihyun speaking in a manner that’s different than his usual self, as if provoking the other. “tell me more about it, partner in crime. siwoo-ya~?”

the scene remains unresolved, instead switching to siwoo in the interview room. “it seemed like you had some sort of tension with jihyun?” the same disembodied voice asks.

siwoo doesn’t seem to respond much at all, and there seems to be a glimpse of displeasure in his face as the name is brought up. “ah…” is all he says, before the scene changes once more to jihyun in the interview room.

“we were happily bantering with each other. siwoo is kinda fun to tease. we were forced to hold hands at some point to get along… but i dont think it’s that big of a conflict?” jihyun answers instead of siwoo, but not giving a lot of explanation for what had transpired.

thankfully, the other teammates seem to be getting along well. HYUNKI and TOUMA are tasked to edit the choreography to suit the concept they have in mind. hyunki is sitting on the floor. “two teams,” hyunki mentions as he nods—what could that mean? is this team being split into two? no answer is given at this time, instead hyunki continues on. “almost like a battle? we could have moments where we change the formations… angled to face each other, but still be looking towards the judges?”

touma is quick to agree, grinning at his teammate. these two working well together, different from the pair before. “yeah, that’s a good pitch! and the battle commencing would be the best time to finally combine the teams and make one formation. SEIRA could be in the center, and that’s when the reveal happens?” the reveal mentioned is never explained in detail, leaving the audience with a moment of anticipation for what this team had cooked up.

hyunki takes up what he and touma came up with to CHAERIN. “if i’m understanding correctly, you’re saying the formation for this part will be different from the original because of the storyline you’ve created, right?” chaerin asks for confirmation, tablet in hand.

“that’s exactly right, adjusting some of the dance seemed like a great way to help highlight the idea of their being these two separate factions within the group.” hyunki seems confident, but open to feedback from someone clearly more experienced.

“i understand the point of it, but i think you should keep in mind that it may be hard to catch your breath if you’re moving around the stage too much,” chaerin verbalizes her concerns, which hyunki takes in stride.

“touma and i practiced it some with the two of us, and it was alright, but i can see how it might be difficult with the full team. it would be an easy fix though! but thank you for the feedback on this,” hyunki responds, happy to accommodate his coach’s feedback. whether they managed to rework the choreography to satisfy chaerin’s expectations is unclear, though. there’s an underlying concern whether the team can manage the demanding choreography.

perhaps the audience is concerned now, as the camera switches to seira and siwoo, who had struggled with dancing in previous episodes. the two of them are seen practicing together. surprisingly, in spite of seira’s lack of confidence in her dance skills before, she’s giving her teammate advice. “for that part, it looks like you’re not moving your arms fast enough?” she remarks. “you’re having great facial expressions though, and you fit the vibe well, i might have you help me with facial expressions.”

that advice seems to work for siwoo, repeating the steps according to seira’s feedback. “thanks seira,” he smiles. “for facial expressions, i think about how no one else can pull off looking like me… but me.”

“so… i should just act really confident?” she asks with her head tilted. that seems to be the theme surrounding seira for this episode, because in the next scene she is asking NAYOUNG something related to her confidence as well.

“how do you seem so confident when you perform?”seira asks as she’s stuffing a riceball into her mouth, with her coach in front of her. “it always looks like i lack confidence…” she expresses, clearly worried.

“i think confidence comes with practice,” nayoung says, providing guidance. “if you don’t feel confident, you can think of it like…playing the role of someone confident. it’s also helpful to just…pretend to be confident to yourself, too.”

as seira takes a bite out of her kimbap, she follows up with another question. “if i pretend to be confident enough, will i eventually turn confident?”

instead of that question being answered by nayoung, it cuts to nayoung in the interview room. “did you have any worries giving seira such a large role, considering she’s currently ranked last?” the mysterious interviewer questions, although it isn’t expanded on what exactly seira’s role is, leaving suspense for the performance later on.

“we realize it’s a risk, but chaerin and i were in agreement that seira deserved the opportunity to prove she’s better than the rank she received. she, and everyone else, worked really hard. i hope those efforts are evident in the performance, and that the judges can see it.” nayoung speaks realistically and to the point, simultaneously invested in her team’s growth but also coming off professional, able to separate emotions from work. perhaps it’s a trait others would appreciate in a coach.

and just what does seira do with this significant role of hers, propelling her to the center of the storyline?

with a seed of doubt planted, it cuts once more to a montage of seira struggling with the concept itself alongside different teammates: with ARA she says, “for this part, could you help me with facial expressions?” to jihyun she says, “the concept, it’s one i’ve never done before, so i’m a bit unsure about my facial expressions, maybe you could help with that?” to hyunki she says, “for this part, would it fit better if i tried to look serious or sexy?” to touma she says, “i’ve never really done a concept like this before.”

can seira live up to her coaches’ expectations?

for now, it focuses on the first scene, showing a clip of seira and ara practicing together, lighthearted and eager to improve. “why not let me take a breather, and i’ll watch you run through this part and i can give you a few tips?” ara proposes, resting against the mirror.

“look for the small things too, they’re also important,” seira requests with a giggle.

ara’s voice can be heard as the pair continue with their practice. “while helping seira with expressions and dance, it also helped me out greatly too. it is true what they say, that teaching something is also one of the best methods of knowing your own material.”

when it comes to workshopping characters, ara and hyunki seem to be having a blast discussing them. “i think i might want to go the angle of a little sneaky myself, a bit mysterious and lurking myself, in some movements if possible,” ara tells her teammate, clearly having put a lot of thought into who she will be portraying. “have you gotten close to finalizing what you want to do for your character?”

“i think so, not that you’ll know much about my character, seeing as you’ll never catch me,” hyunki teases, dropping hints to the audience what character dynamics would be at play on stage.

ara is also working with jihyun when it comes to perfecting dynamics on stage. “do you want this? why don’t you come get it and be lured in by my trap?” jihyun provokes his teammate, holding a phone to his chest like it’s a precious item.

“i won’t perish in your trap… even if it is tempting to get caught up in the lure,” ara replies with determination. it seems the members are enjoying themselves when it comes to the process of building their characters.

but not everyone is breezing through this. touma is seen with jihyun, seeking his fellow contestant for a reason. “you’re all about elegance and… sexiness. any tips on how to… be both of those things on stage?”

it looks like jihyun almost laughs, but doesn’t. instead, jihyun starts explaining by taking touma’s hand. “everyone perceives sexiness differently. play it cool, know how to gaze into their eyes and then smile at the right moment” jihyun gently traces a finger across touma’s palm. “when you do this quickly, it’s not sexy at all… but when you do it slowly, you’re bound to feel something tingly.” that seems to make something click in touma. just like jihyun had flustered stevie in the previous episode—a clip in the corner shows stevie’s reaction from episode three once again as this scene unfolds—jihyun had succeeded in flustering touma as well.

touma seems to be whispering something into jihyun’s ear afterwards, but nothing can be inferred from that short conversation. whatever it was, it got jihyun to laugh; completely different from his interaction with siwoo.

even with his confidence when it came to teaching touma about the vibes of the concept, jihyun isn’t without his own qualms. he seems confused, at wits end even, as he’s seeking some sort of clarity from nayoung. “is there something in me that isn’t shining like the others?” it’s a heavy question, albeit slightly cryptic.

nayoung keeps it honest and blunt, like always. “i think you're a little bit forgettable right now. you just really need to look at it as your time to shine. for now...just perform like it's the last chance you'll get to. hopefully it's not, but if it was, you'd want to give it everything you have and make sure you leave everyone something to remember you by.”

nayoung isn’t just working with jihyun, though. the scene briefly cuts to her working with siwoo, rubbing his shoulders with what seems to be newfound determination, a refreshing state of siwoo’s considering his previously lacking attitude and motivation. “our team has good dancers… i don’t want to fade into the background.” is he finally taking this competition seriously?

“their main issue, in my opinion, is mostly just…believing they’re capable, opposed to their actual skills.” nayoung’s voice is heard as her scenes with the two boys play. “ i think they lacked most when it came to confidence. all of that to say, by the time performance day came, i had the utmost confidence in them.”

chaerin is now the focus of the interview room. “i have personally seen each and every one of you do your best for this performance.” a short clips cuts in, showing chaerin working with touma and siwoo on their singing. “even if things don’t work out exactly how you want it to, just know that somebody knows that you have put your all into it.” she does a little fighting gesture, chuckling.

with each team member working desperately on what they lack, eager to prove themselves to the judges and climb the ranks—how will this performance fare?

there’s no need to wait any longer, as the team members ready themselves for their performance. but instead of opening with the faces of all the contestants, it starts with three of the contestants staring at a makeshift police board, analyzing. touma, ara and seira have taken the role of detectives, which means the other three (siwoo, hyunki, jihyun) have been appointed criminals.

“when we were contemplating the elegant and sexy concept and how it worked with the song itself, we all pretty quickly decided on the idea of criminals and detectives, with one of the detectives actually being another criminal.” hyunki’s voice can be heard as the performance continues, explaining the concept. “we wanted to play with the lyrics that speak about solving puzzle. so the criminals are art thieves who stole a piece of puzzle art, and are leaving small clues along the way for the detectives to follow. they also are confused because the criminals leave the playing cards as a calling card, one for each suit, but they don’t know which criminal represents the diamond, until the end,” he explained, referencing to seira’s reveal.”

the detectives are the only ones visible on stage for the moment, looking at pictures of several art pieces along with images of the three known criminals decorated with their card suits. however, there is one card suit with no corresponding criminal. this seems to be important, but before the audience can start speculating the detectives begin their routine, with seira’s lines being the opener.

so this is the division of teams that hyunki had mentioned, it’s also clear that they’ve included a modified version of the choreography. one that gives the vision of chasing and dodging, a game of cat and mouse. there’s a certain ‘catch me if you can’ aura throughout this performance, with jihyun provoking touma through glances and gestures, as well as siwoo’s eyes finding the camera with a teasing smile, as if daring the audience to look for him. hyunki, too, continued to escape the detective’s grasp. the three criminals remain cocky and confident.

siwoo is seen with the rest of the criminals on the other side of the stage, dropping a large puzzle piece that seems to be taken in as evidence. once siwoo’s first verse closes, the six members come together for a complete formation. this must be the battle that hyunki and touma had discussed prior, where the detectives and criminals are facing one another. a few more puzzle pieces are dropped for the detectives to find, and the song continues on.

at jihyun’s climatic line, the bgm starts to fade out and the puzzle is once again highlighted, the object of the crime. there are two puzzle pieces missing. in this moment, seira takes her detective jacket off and reveals her a diamond attached to her outfit, putting the missing pieces into the puzzle—which is one of the next gen logo. with this, it is concluded that seira had been an undercover criminal this entire time, which must be what nayoung had been referring to during her interview.

the formation returns to six once more, everyone performing the last chorus completed with jihyun’s adlibs. it’s a dramatic scene of triumph and betrayal, a neat closure to a tense storyline.

after applause dies down, the team gathers themselves for their critique.

“did you know that i love crime shows?” ran’s smile is wide as she prepares to review puzzle team’s performance. “so this concept was a real treat for me! you pulled off the detective and criminal concept elegantly, which can be difficult to do considering it’s so easily confused with the children’s game. and tying the title of the song, ‘puzzle’, into your performance by leaving puzzles and clues for the detectives to follow… it was a very nice touch. whose idea was that? nayoung, did you help with that?” ran asks her trainee, clearly approving regardless of who takes credit. “and the grand reveal at the end… oh, i just love it. i felt like i was watching a movie, it was fantastic.”

“where nonstop team came across as a high school theatre performance, puzzle team looked more prepared for broadway,” jihun points out, “nothing against the production value our stage teams put together, and maybe the concepts themselves lent to the difference, but there was clearly more refinement from this team. having an active representative from sr media no doubt helped your performance, which nonstop team also lacked. ah, it’s a shame that we only have one team to compare with, so far,” he sighs, “but you certainly sold us elegance and sexiness.”

yuna sits forward in her seat a bit before delivering her first round of critique of this team. “conceptually, it wasn’t that different from A.MAZE’s sherlock,” yuna points out, the creativity not totally as unique as the others seemed to make it out to be. “but you added new layers to the story that weren’t told before. the playing cards, the heist, the grand reveal… even if you took inspiration from another sr media group, you were still able to make the concept your own, which is impressive in its own right. congratulations on a successful performance, i think as a whole you’ve impressed all three of us.”

“except TOUMA,” yuna continues into individual critiques immediately, “i think you were in your head too much with this performance. you looked like you were fighting the concept more than you were living it, especially in the first part of the performance. the only time your expressions were believable was during your exchange with jihyun. your tone was flat, your dancing was too methodical, and the immersion was broken whenever i was watching you. you did seem to improve your vocals though, so good job on that.”

yuna’s curt review is followed up by ran, who addresses the contestants a little more gently. “you weren’t very comfortable being sexy, were you touma?” she asks, the camera zooming in on touma’s reaction before she continues. “we wanted to challenge you with this concept and… well, you were definitely challenged. maybe we pushed a bit too hard. is there another concept you would have preferred?” again, the camera waits for touma’s reaction. “you did well despite the hardships and i want to commend you for giving it your best without giving up.”

“at least you’re singing better now,” jihun remarks, his words far from soft and gentle as ran’s had been. “as long as we see improvement, we know we’re putting you down the right path. maybe this wasn’t your favorite concept, but you have to trust us a bit more that we know what we’re doing and embrace change more quickly. you did alright. not great, but it’s passable. you didn’t let your team down.” that’s the closest one can get to a compliment from jihun.

“ARA,” jihun turns his attention to the girl once his evaluation of touma is complete, “you seem to be balancing the desire to stand out with the need to support your team. it’s not an easy happy medium to figure out. in fact, it’s one of the hardest things even our trainees have to navigate. these people are your competition, but they’re also your key to the next phase in your career. how do you address that?” he pauses as the camera pans down the puzzle team lineup. “i think you found that balance this time. i could see your ambition, but you didn’t sell out your team to climb to the top. kudos, or whatever.”

“it won’t kill you to give a compliment every now and then,” ran swats jihun’s arm lightly, though she turns to ara with a smile. “ara, you played your part to perfection,” ran praises the girl warmly, “you stood out in a good way, as one of the most comfortable people on stage so far tonight. but, as jihun said, not in a way that made the rest of your team look bad. you were clearly giving this performance your all, which is exactly what we want to see from every contestant at this stage in the competition. it’s only their own fault if they don’t, at this point.”

“you’re a good singer and even better dancer,” yuna compliments the girl, “and i think we were all pleasantly surprised by how well you adopted this concept and absolutely owned the stage. you gave us a good performance. honestly, i don’t really have many notes here for you. if anything, just watch your energy to make sure it’s consistent throughout your performance. it’s okay to be tired at the end.”

“great job, ara,” ran congratulates the contestant one more time.

“HYUNKI… you disappeared into this performance, a little bit,” yuna comments, looking down at something written in front of her before she continues. “you didn’t really have many lines. why was that? the song is a bit rap-heavy, sure, but were you really so content not to give it a shot just to give yourself more time in center stage? you should be a little greedier. this is a competition, don’t forget.”

“yuna’s right,” jihun frowns. “were you really satisfied with the parts you were given? i like to see a little more ambition out of my trainees, especially in the later stages of a competition. did you get complacent just because we gave you a good ranking a couple of times? don’t forget that hangyeol has been first place twice now. you may have been our male center, but you don’t have that much room to fall back on your laurels.” of course the rivalry manufactured early in the season comes back to haunt the contestants now. of course jihun would be the one to bring it up.

ran chooses her words carefully before continuing the critique. “your brand of sexy was a bit… unlikable, at times,” she admits, seemingly unable to find the right words. “cocky can be charming, or sometimes it’s just boastful and loud. i think your performance fell into the second half, i wasn’t as charmed with you as i was with some of your teammates. it’s okay to do things outside of your own comfort zone, but i thought you would handle this concept better.”

“hangyeol would have,” jihun butts in, again bringing up the rivalry. ran doesn’t respond.

the camera watches hyunki’s expression for a moment before turning to the next contestant to face the judges’ criticism, RYU SIWOO.

“siwoo, did you finally wake up and join us?” jihun almost laughs as he addresses the contestant. “don’t think we didn’t notice your apathy in the early rounds, especially compared to how much you seemed to care about this performance now. were you frustrated? did you want to do better? good. that’s what we want to see. if you didn’t, we’d have to send you home by now. we knew you had it in you.” he almost seems smug, as if this discovery was something that jihun himself was responsible for and not siwoo’s own decision to lock in on this competition.

“as expected, this was your concept,” ran beams. “you fit sexy well… your looks help, but your demeanor and expressions during this performance looked so natural. you liked it too, didn’t you?” she teases lightly, a bright smile on her lips as she compliments the contestant. “i think this was our best performance from you yet, siwoo. keep it up and i can’t wait to see what you’ll show us next time.”

yuna presses her lips together in a tight smile. “jihun and ran have praised you for this concept, so i feel it’s my responsibility to point out that your performance skills still aren’t quite up to par. you know this, don’t you? you can cover it up with stage presence and good looks to some extent, but it won’t last forever. siwoo, i hope you continue to take this seriously and show us an even better performance next time. now that you seem more focused, i’ll look forward to how much you can grow.”

“speaking of growth,” ran moves on, “can we talk about JIHYUN’s stage presence? to be honest, at the start of this competition, you looked rather… robotic on stage, jihyun. but this performance… whew!” ran fans herself with her hand as if cooling herself off. “you certainly figured out how to embrace sexy! we knew you had it in you, we’re just glad to see it come out by the time you stood on stage. excellent work.”

“were you really provoking touma on stage?” jihun smiles, amused at what he had witnessed on stage. “i don’t know what’s going on between you two, but we’ve noticed that you seem to be more competitive with each other than the other contestants. it worked well for this performance and you didn’t sacrifice teamwork for whatever it is between you two. sometimes rivalry can bring out the best in both parties. keep at it.”

“this was our best performance from you yet,” yuna smiles, and then glances sideways at ran. “and i’ll admit, i was rather captivated by your performance tonight as well. i’m not sure there’s a girl watching at home who didn’t fall for you a little bit!” she laughs, not at all embarrassed; this is the job of an idol after all. “you sing well, you’re dancing better every episode, and you finally found your confidence on stage. if you can bring that same energy to the finale, you’ll be a hard opponent to beat. great job.”

next to face the attention of the judges is SEIRA, and as yuna picks up the microphone she doesn’t look too happy about what she has to say. “seira,” she sighs, pausing for a moment before deciding how to continue. “you know the phrase ‘fake it until you make it,’ right? we can tell you’re still faking it and haven’t made it yet.”

yuna shakes her head. “i don’t know where to begin. you had the most important role in this concept and yet you didn’t seem special at all on stage. your expressions were inconsistent with the vibes of the performance, your performance itself seemed stiff and robotic, and you keep saying you’ll improve your skills and yet we hardly see a difference from when you first started this competition. i know you worked hard, but it seems that you lack focus and direction.”

“it’s disappointing, to be honest,” jihun also looks unhappy, though that’s not uncommon. “your team trusted you with this role and i’m not sure why when you’ve proved to us over and over again that you can’t stand on stage without leaning on someone else for support. it’s fine to work in a team, but what are you actually good at? if even you can’t confidently say anything, how are we supposed to believe you have any ability? you should be doing better by now. thank your team, since they carried you once again.”

ran purses her lips together. she doesn’t want to be as harsh as jihun, but something has to be said. “i don’t think you were ready for this performance,” she sighs. “i don’t know whether it’s a maturity issue, a skill issue, or if you just don’t have the talent at this point. i hate to be harsh, but you have to understand that we’re late in the competition. everything matters more now. you lack focus in tackling your weaknesses and your performance suffered for it. i’m sorry, seira. if your team doesn’t take first place, you’re in serious danger.”

the camera zooms in close on seira’s face, now the second contestant of the night to receive a similar critique. it’ll all come down to the final judgements at the end of the episode. puzzle team is dismissed from the stage shortly afterward.

before how practice had gone for the ADRENALINE team is shown on screen, there’s the sound of a loud bang of a door cutting in, along with intelligible noises of what seems to be a heated conversation. glimpses of balled fists and shaky hands flit across the screen, followed by murmurs and whispers indiscernible behind the restroom door. just what had happened amongst these team members?

leaving that for later, the camera focuses on INHO and JAEYOUNG, talking about their concept ahead. it seems that the two of them are working on their characters. “do you consider yourself a nerd?” inho asks his companion. it sounds like a random question, a completely different vibe from the preview that was shown earlier.

“i consider myself an enigma,” jaeyoung doesn’t flinch as he says it, uttered with utmost conviction. but he follows that up with a more appropriate answer. “ if i had to say… i guess i’d be the nerd spitting random facts and talking incessantly because i’m socially awkward and spend most of my days buried in books.” why are they talking about nerds, exactly? could this be part of their concept? “you can be the musical nerd. theatre kid vibes, maybe,” jaeyoung urges, giving his teammate suggestions.

“i don’t think i have ever identified myself with the concept of ‘teen crush’ or 'bright’, both of those were ones i knew i would find myself being more uncomfortable with.” inho is seen in the interview room, speaking on his thoughts about the concept he was given. “as we practiced i found myself becoming more and more comfortable with the concept and the storyline.”

“isn’t that you everyday?” inho asks first with an obvious teasing cadence, it’s clear that the two of them have a friendly relationship now, inho listening to jaeyoung’s ramblings with patience. “the music nerd, though, that makes sense for me i think.” luckily, it seems inho is finding his footing even with a concept that he doesn’t seem to be as excited about at first.

jaeyoung seem to be helping others feel in touch with their inner nerdiness, seeing as he’s also talking to KAITO. “have you thought about what cool thing you want to do to impress the popular cheerleader?” he asks, immediately following that up with another question. “actually, do you think i look nerdy enough as is?”

kaito doesn’t seem to mind, answering the questions in succession. “i’m stuck on either bringing a guitar, ‘failing’ to dance, or even just straight up tripping and making myself look like a fool,” the last idea being said in jest. “you look great. what do you think about me?” kaito returns the question, pushing up the glasses he’s wearing.

“it suits you. not all nerds wear glasses though. should we add braces to the costume?” jaeyoung adds on, although it’s clear in the way he said it that it’s not a genuine suggestion.

it seems kaito and inho share the same sentiment when it comes to the concept of teen crush, holding the belief that it’s far from their area of expertise. perhaps because they’re aware of this, they’re discussing their preparations for their future role and how they feel about it. “so, do you think you’re ready to go up there and show how ‘nerdy’ we can be?” kaito asks in a joking manner, gesturing to their attires later—although, the audience doesn’t get to see it just yet. “i wonder if i should have just dressed this comfortably when i was in school.” he tilts his head, as if he’s trying to be cute in that moment.

“ready as i’ll ever be,” inho responds, seeming amused at kaito’s cutesy act. “comfortable was always better if we didn’t have to wear uniforms, but you might wanna work on the aegyo,” he says, teasing his teammate.

“i don’t think i was actually made for the whole 'aegyo’ thing, but if i somehow manage to make it to the very end… well i’ll do my best to show the best aegyo at the finale just for you.” it’s an optimistic promise that kaito is making, hopefully that statement becomes true.

on the other side, stevie and JIAYI can be seen working on the choreography. “what do you think about this?” stevie showcases a few moves to jiayi, seeking her approval and commentary. “looks kinda powerful? maybe? might fit with the drop.”

“i like that it follows the beat drop,” jiayi compliments. “what if we continue that trend throughout the rest of the dance intro?” she hands out her own idea, contributing.

“i think it’ll flow nice. we could add a few transitions too… maybe take turns on each side? so they’d have to pan from side to side? two on the side, then one in the middle to bring it all forward? that could lean towards the end of the intro, if anything.” he speaks as he repeats his motions. “what do you think? am i cooking here?” stevie cracks a joke, grinning.

jiayi is on board. “a panorama of the team. instead of an ending fairy, we’ll have a beginning fairy!” whether a ‘beginning fairy’ will happen or not, will only be shown during the performance itself.

inho seems to be taking on an older sibling figure in this team, helping both stevie and jiayi with their concerns vocal-wise. first, the screen features inho and stevie. “what can i lend my ear for?” inho tells stevie, always willing to help, patient when he speaks and guides a teammate.

“i think i’m good with the tone, but i think my breath control could use a little work…” stevie admits.

“show me what you got so far, and we’ll figure out what we can do to get you a bit steadier. i struggled with that when i was younger,” inho replies, turning his full attention towards stevie. before that scene can be resolved though, it cuts to inho and jiayi instead, working on vocals once more.

“how have you felt about our run throughs so far?” inho asks when he walks over to jiayi. “i think our pitch sounds good together.”

"i thought at first, maybe the harmonies would sound better if it were you and another one of the boys singing this part, but i think it's contrasting in a good way. it adds another layer of . . . depth?" jiayi seems confused at her own wording, but inho is capable of understanding her.

“it definitely adds nice layers as we are winding down the song. sure, me and one of the boys would sound great together i’m sure, but i like it as the two of us.” inho confirms, hopefully putting jiayi at ease. perhaps inho is gifted as a coach, too? or is this because he is familiar with the role of an older sibling?

that being said, the coaches aren’t sitting idly by either. SARANG, with skills in stage presence and performance, is guiding stevie in the right direction with expressions and the like. “i think it’d be fun to do like, some audience eye contact– throw out some more cheeky grins. more personality? that kind of thing. what do you think?” stevie seems eager for a dash of sarang’s wisdom.

“i think that’s perfect, and i think you have the natural ability to know when to milk those moments, and when to lean away from them,” sarang notes. “definitely keep your expressions varied through the ending, but when you strike your final pose, find your camera, and shine; treat that lens as if it’s your favorite person in the world and show it all the love you can!” it’s a helpful imagery, one that stevie seems to understand.

“i think i can do that. i just have to settle on what expression i’d wanna make,” stevie concludes, seemingly thinking about what he should do.

as stevie continues to rehearses in front of sarang’s watchful eyes, stevie can be heard speaking throughout the clip. “i thought it was fun. our song choice helped– it calls for bright and upbeat, and it’s hard not to be when you’re singing along, y’know?” although his face can’t be seen at the moment, it’s obvious that stevie is smiling as he talks. “and everyone was super involved, i feel. there was a lot that we could do with it, but i think we’re all happy with what we ended up with.”

once again, the unseen interviewer poses a question. “you think? were there any disagreements in the creative process?”

it’s then that the screen switches to stevie in his interview room, capturing the nervous look on his face and the shaken laugh. “i mean…a little? i think we all can agree tensions are a little…crazy with how things went last episode. a little probably carried over those first few days.”

finally, there’s a shot of RENYI in frame, accompanied by the voice of jihun in his moment of anger. it plays in the background as ren is closely observing one of the contestants. “renyi, i hope this was an oversight on your part and not an intentional contingency plan for teammates you preferred,” is one of the lines being replayed. “i would have thought that the studio delta teams would have blown everyone out of the water, and yet i’m sitting here and a lime entertainment team is the most unique rendition we’ve seen so far. aren’t you a little bit embarrassed?” jihun’s voice can be heard yet again, almost haunting.

there’s a few cuts on screen as jihun’s voice continues, particularly of ren paying extra attention to little details, every small mistake like the next tick to a bomb. stevie in particular seems to have noticed, on edge, almost like he expected ren to snap at one point. but stevie isn’t the one gracing ren’s attention. it’s jaeyoung, the contestant that ren is currently watching.

after splitting off into individual practice, jaeyoung had been dancing, until something seems to have popped into his head. he pauses for a moment, walking over to his bag to take out a pen, scribbling something into his palm. unfortunately, that is the last straw for ren. “the winner of this battle is team a, but only because we can’t have two losers,” jihun’s voice plays once more as ren stands up, approaching jaeyoung, asking whoever is nearby to shut down the music.

“do you think because you got a bit of praise last time you can do whatever you want now?” even though he’s spouting harsh words, it seems as if it’s almost against his own will. and yet, it continues to spill out of him. “look around. everyone else here was ranked higher than you, and yet you’re practicing the least. is this a joke to you? because for some of us, this is a future. maybe the only future we know. and if you aren’t taking this seriously, you should leave now.” the words are eerily familiar to the things jihun had said before, whether ren noticed or not though is up to interpretation.

before jaeyoung gives his responds, the scene cuts to jaeyoung in the interview room instead. “i take every comment and feedback that’s given to me seriously. i will respond accordingly, too.” jaeyoung puts on what looks like a diplomatic smile, something that he hadn’t done before throughout the show. “i have nothing else to say here—everything i needed to say, has already been conveyed to whoever needs to hear it. that’s all.”

the scene returns to the confrontation, with jaeyoung wearing that same smile he had in the interview room. it’s almost jarring, uncanny. “thank you for your feedback, i appreciate it. earlier too, i appreciated that you steered our concept in the right direction.” it’s clear he tried to make it sound genuine and polite, but it doesn’t come off that way. “i know you’ve been paying extra close attention to me in particular since we finished discussing our concept,” it’s a subtle shade and jab from jaeyoung’s part. it’s revealed then that what jaeyoung had written were things related to the stage, plans and ideas that he had been thinking about for his own part. “i’ve been racking my head wondering what i’ve been doing wrong, realized working with a team meant compromises. it’s why i waited until individual practices to actually start brainstorming so i don’t hinder joint practice.”

when jaeyoung lifts his gaze towards ren’s, it almost feels like a challenge, despite his smile there’s clearly a fury in there that he can’t contain. “what are we to you, exactly? just tools for you to prove your worth? your second chance to show you-know-who that you deserved your prize last season? a trophy for you to present to your ceo as a 'hey-i-did-this-please-keep-me’ thing? our lives are the ones on the line, and here you are plastering your failure onto all of us. waiting for one of us to mess up, maybe. i don’t know. you know yourself best. if you can’t handle the pressure of coaching, of training, of failing to do all that—why did you sign up?” it’s a long-winded speech, only fueling the rising tension between both parties. he looks frustrated, perhaps he realized that arguing with one of last season’s winners wasn’t a very good idea?

of course, ren doesn’t take too kindly to that—that’s to be expected, he almost seems to crumble and break. whether from the pressure as whole or jaeyoung’s words, only ren knows. “do you know that every day, when you go home after filming, we go back to training? that not only do i have to make sure you’re good enough, but i have to make sure i’m not getting worse too? that at any moment, on any day, it doesn’t matter how long i’ve trained, someone can decide i don’t have what it takes? nobody here is guaranteed anything. not you. not me. not anybody. i’m grateful to be here every day, even if it’s with someone like you. you should act like it.” ren sounds tired, the stress reaching its peak.

but that seems to be the end of it, for now. the rest of the group is staring at the pair, the cameras still pointed at them. it’s an uncomfortable situation, where only silence permeates. eventually though, ren speaks up. “i need a break, i’ll leave first.”

the only one who follows after the trainee is sarang. the two enter the restroom, and that’s when the clip ends. compared to dohyun, who had gone through the same brutal criticism, it doesn’t seem like ren has a lot of faith in his team.

there is no conclusion to this fight, really. instead, stevie’s voice can be heard again. “i think i’m being more hopeful, than anything. but i guess, yeah. i am pretty confident with what we’ve done. i think everyone worked hard on it– tirelessly, too. maybe that’s why.” a hopeful lilt, despite what had been shown previously.

with that, the team’s performance is slated to begin.

the setting of the stage is a classroom, with the contestants wearing outfits corresponding to their characters. which, in this case, are a bunch of nerds—except for jiayi, tasked with the role of being the popular cheerleader that everyone is head over heels for and fighting over. as she passes by, the boys act like lovesick fools vying for her attention, following her like a bunch of ducks. each nerd brings out something cool to impress her: stevie doing a trick with his skateboard, inho with his electric guitar, jaeyoung with his small board with difficult math equations.

they all fall into formation for a dance break intro, focused on introducing jiayi as everyone’s crush, highlighting her like the sea parting as she walks on.

jaeyoung’s voice can be heard playing in the background as the dance intro continues. “i think we did pretty well. we worked together and created something fun to watch! my favourite part was working on the dance intro.” it’s shown to be a self-choreographed dance intro, with contributions from stevie, kaito and jaeyoung, something original that they had done for this stage.

the choreography starts off rather simple, but slowly begins to progress as the melody makes a change. it builds up as it goes on, eventually dropping into adrenaline. this team is taking the romantic comedy route with their storyline. everyone seems confident in their performance, with hints of cheeky smiles and boyish attitudes. there’s also a chemistry of rivals mixed in, tensions and heat rising as they compete for the hand of the popular cheerleader. there’s a few petty glances and looks, particularly from jaeyoung, but it seems in sync.

stevie gives a wink, as jiayi smoothly glides to the front. the ending slowly approaches, everyone looking like they have a good time. they strike their ending pose, before it turns to another brief skit. each nerd looks at jiayi with expectations, begging her to choose. instead, jiayi acts unimpressed, choosing no one and confidently walking off. the boys act distraught, there’s even a small yell of “wait! give me a chance!” in the midst of it all. stevie lags behind for a moment, throwing some of the confetti in the air before laughing and continuing with the chase.

after a moment of applause, the team returns to their positions on stage, awaiting their critiques.

“it was cute!” ran laughs into her microphone, her expression bright at first before it fades into a more serious look. “but your concept wasn’t cute, it was teen crush. i couldn’t help but feel that you missed the mark just a bit. teen crush is supposed to be the enviable kids, the popular students who exude confidence and invite others to be like them. i can’t help but think that only jiayi really fit that role in your performance. the rest felt a bit.. comedic. it didn’t suit the image we asked you to portray.”

“like ran said, the performance was enjoyable, but that doesn’t mean that we think it checked the boxes we assigned to you. teen crush is a tricky concept, it’s a bit vague compared to ‘sexy’ or ‘cute’ like the other teams, but groups like our PRIZM have set an example of what it should look like,” yuna sighs. “there was also tension on the team that bled into the performance, wasn’t there? it’s fine, teams fight sometimes, but you have to put that behind you before stepping on stage.”

where yuna seemed unwilling to call out any particular contestant, jihun has no such reservations. “RENYI,” he frowns, though it doesn’t seem to be directed at the trainee behind some of the drama. “i wish DOHYUN had half the fight you do. you should be upset after i tell you you’re doing something wrong. and then you should fix it. you took steps to improve and to help your team, even if they didn’t want to hear what you had to say. dohyun disappeared.”

jihun shakes his head. “as for the performance itself, i’m surprised that a sr media trainee would let this group stray so far from the concept they were assigned. surely you knew the difference, right?” he looks directly at sarang, though he doesn’t scold someone else’s trainee any more. that’s not jihun’s place, after all.

“as we said, JIAYI was the only contestant who we felt fit the teen crush concept,” ran kicks off the individual critiques on a high note, at least. “it makes sense since she was the object of everyone’s affections and the literal ‘crush’ everyone was interested in, but why couldn’t the rest of the team be less…”

“losers?” jihun suggests when ran struggles to find the words. she shoots him a glare but seems to accept that description.

“your confidence definitely shined during this performance,” ran commends the girl, “good job for not letting the boys take over or bully you into the background. you were the star and you played your role well. great job, jiayi.”

“your expressions were especially good this time,” yuna praises the girl as well, “a little bit of cheekiness fit the role really well and made you very charming to watch. the boys didn’t know what was coming, did they?” she laughs. “as ran said, your role was the most ‘teen crush’ role on the entire team. it’s just a shame you had to sell the concept all by yourself; that’s too much even to ask a more experienced idol group. you should have all worked together to build the concept, but that’s not your fault. great job.”

“i can see why none of the boys impressed you,” jihun almost laughs himself. “they didn’t impress us either. you did, however. whatever the fate of adrenaline team may be, you’ll be safe. your performance ensured that.”

while the judges had nothing but high praise for jiayi, it’s not such the case for KAITO.

“honestly, i don’t even know what to say,” yuna sighs, flipping through the papers in front of her as if searching for some sort of comment on the young man’s performance. “you completely disappeared on stage, as if you were never even there. at this stage in the competition, that’s not acceptable. you know that, right?”

“she’s right,” jihun agrees, his expression significantly darker than it had been when talking to jiayi. “you didn’t show up at all, kaito. are you taking this competition seriously? do you want to be here? it’s too late to replace you now, but at least it makes our decision easier should someone from this team have to be eliminated tonight.”

ran folds her hands in front of her, clearly unhappy about having to lay down the law with another contestant. “you’ve done well in the competition to make it this far, but your past performances don’t count toward what you showed us tonight. whatever happens… just understand that we gave you every opportunity we could.”

a deep sigh passes through all of the judges, trying to shake off the tension before they turn their attention to the next contestant.

“JAEYOUNG,” jihun begins, “did you really have to fight with renyi?” however, he doesn’t seem that upset. “was that the only way to make you wake up on stage? you were dancing like you had something to prove for the first time. this might have been your best performance yet. and while we’ve critiqued the overall concept, you played the competitive part of your character well. but that’s about it.” he straightens his papers in front of him. “rivalry is a good motivator, as i said before, but you’d be wise to listen to your seniors too. they do know what they’re talking about.”

“as jihun said, you played your role well,” ran takes over before the tension can mount any more. “there was a fierceness to your competition for jiayi’s heart that the others lacked. while nerds aren’t really the best suited for the concept we asked for, your character seemed to be the closest. you were focused and confident this time and it came across well on stage.”

yuna picks up her microphone last. “if i had one criticism, it’d be that your skills seem a bit… average. you did well with this performance as far as your character work went, but it didn’t quite translate to the way you sang and danced. like, your face had a good expression, but your body language lacked a bit. you performed cleanly, but too cleanly, if you understand what i mean.”

“thank you for your performance, jaeyoung,” ran smiles once more.

“INHO,” ran kicks off the next contestant’s critique, “do you not like the concept we assigned you?” she waits for a response, the slightest frown on a normally warm and happy face. “even if you hated it, i wish you had been a little more enthusiastic on stage. unfortunately, your feelings about this song and concept showed in your performance and impacted your ability to tell the story. we know you’re not actually interested in jiayi, but it was your responsibility to make us forget that for at least a minute. you failed, in that regard.”

yuna sighs as she picks up her microphone. “unfortunately, it’s not just your acting performance that suffers when you dislike a song or concept so much. you’re a better performer than we saw tonight. you can sing and dance better than what we saw. even if you hate it, you should put your energy into pretending otherwise. you owe it to your team to leave your ego at the door when you walk into this competition. you’re all at the same level, you know that right? you’re not better than them for thinking you’re too mature for the teen crush concept.”

“more than that, it’s disrespectful to us, the judges, who assigned your teams,” jihun frowns. “as we said, we chose concepts we thought would fit each contestant or challenge you to put on the best possible performance. do you not trust us to know what we’re doing? do you think you know better?” jihun stares down the contestant, waiting for an apology before continuing. “you should be worried about your rank tonight.” he warns.

“STEVEN, on the other hand,” jihun changes his attention to the final contestant on the team, “lived and breathed the concept, didn’t you?” a slight smile appears on the man’s face, the smallest sign of approval of the contestant before him. “were you a nerd in school? you almost played the part too well,” he laughs, almost mockingly if it weren’t for the way he had praised stevie before. “you looked like you were having fun on stage, which suits the concept. if you hadn’t gone for a nerd concept, i think you would have suited teen crush even better than jiayi.”

“can you show us the skateboard thing again?” ran beams brightly, enthralled by stevie’s performance. “i hadn’t seen anyone do that on stage before! while i do think you were a bit more cute than teen crush, i think it was more of the fault of the character you were assigned rather than your own performance. it’s alright to be a bit of a loser, but you have to be an endearing loser. you fit that role well, great job on this performance.”

“besides the fact that you acted well,” yuna takes over, “your dancing was also the best on your team. you seemed to feel the music move through you and had a great natural groove. honestly, i kept finding my eyes landing on you during the performance in a good way; i was having fun watching you perform. great job, steven. you’ve really grown a lot.” yuna smiles.

with all performances concluded, all three teams return to the stage with jian standing in the middle of them. “after much deliberation, the judges have come to a decision on which team is the winner of the concept evaluation,” she holds up a folded card, the results written inside and hidden from view. “the team in first place and safe from any elimination is… PUZZLE TEAM!”

a moment for celebration and congratulations is shared before the contestants calm down again. puzzle team leaves the stage for the moment, all members safe, while NONSTOP and ADRENALINE teams will be losing members.

“we’ll start with our last place team, ADRENALINE,” jian announces. “JAEYOUNG, JIAYI, STEVIE, please step forward.” as the three contestants step forward, spotlights shining down on them, the music suddenly turns intense. “the three of you are… safe! please return back stage for the moment while eliminations are decided.” the three teammates say a quick good bye to the remainder of their team before disappearing backstage. only KAITO and INHO are left.

“one of you will be going home,” jian tells them. “unfortunately, the contestant we’ll be saying good bye to is… KAITO.”

“kaito, you just didn’t make an impression on us at all with this performance, so we had to let you go. we hope that you continue to improve your abilities and we see you on stage again someday,” ran informs the eliminated contestant, an unhappy expression on her face as if she didn’t really want to eliminate anyone at all. alas, rules are rules.

a moment for good byes is given before both contestants return backstage, where a camera captures the tearful moments with the entirety of adrenaline team saying good bye to their eliminated teammate. the moment is only a few seconds and yet still seems too long before the scene returns to the stage where nonstop team awaits the same fate.

“JINGREN and YUWOL, please step forward,” jian asks them. “the two of you are… NOT SAFE.” the remainder of the contestants are dismissed backstage again as the two bottom ranked members of nonstop team are left alone with jian to announce their fate.

“do you have any final words for our viewers?” jian asks the two, giving them each a moment to speak before she returns to the task at hand. “i’m sorry to say that the final contestant leaving us tonight is… JINGREN.”

“jingren, you had the unfortunate coincidence of just being the lowest ranking person on an otherwise very talented team,” yuna explains. “it was a hard decision to make, please believe us. unfortunately, someone had to go home and the others on your team out-performed you in this one particular performance. you’re still very much a talented individual and we have no doubt that this is not the last we’ll see from you.”

as with adrenaline team, nonstop team is given time backstage to say goodbye to their eliminated teammate.

with the eliminations complete, all contestants are brought back to the stage to see the rankings and reveal the next episode.

“the next episode will be our LIVE FINALE,” jian announces, “you will all be performing original songs, never before seen or heard on any stage, all in front of a live audience of next gen fans! the fans have voted for what songs they’d like each of you to perform, so let’s see our teams for the finale!”

the screen changes to the lineup of each team, a short snipped of the song assigned to them playing as the names appear on screen.

“the top three ranked contestants will be offered a contract from any company of their choosing,” jian explains the stakes again to the contestants, “with the runner-ups receiving a contract from one of the three companies, should they want to sign them. this final performance will decide your fate, so please prepare diligently! we’ll see you LIVE on the next episode!”

do better plays louder in the background before the credits begin to play on screen.

#be:ngs2 #be:ngs2p4 #be:event

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rosietrace · 1 year

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[ Nyx Leech idol profile ]

"Don't be shy, give it all your might. Let's both sing our hearts out while the night remains young."

Full Name: Nyx Leech

Japanese Name: ニックス　リーチ

Romaji: Nikkusu Rīchi

Stage name: Nyxie(ニクシー)

V/A(Speaking voice): Tanaka Minami(田中みなみ)

Age: 16/17

Birthday: November 21

Horoscope: Scorpio ♏

Height: 186 cm

Hair color: Seafoam blue

Eye color: Lime green

──ㅇ─────↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺───ㅇ────

Idol Division: [ Octavinelle Division ]

(Former)Corporal Department: [ Marketing ]

Current occupation: Solo artist

[ Singing Voice Claims:

Kailee Morgue(EN)

[ Undecided ] (JP/日本語)

Jennie Kim(KR) ]

Likes: Punk lolita, music, singing, lullabies, platform boots, Octavinelle division fedoras, receiving gossip, songwriting

Dislikes: Voice cracks, vocal strain, seafood, paparazzi, being behind schedule, badly utilized auto tune, badly written lyrics

Hobbies: Singing, songwriting, writing unpublished songs, mini fashion shows with her friends, spending time in the recording studio, rehearsing for her concerts

Talent(s): Ambidexterity, silent footsteps, versatile vocal range, hitting dangerously high and low notes, fast running, flexibility, agility, speed

Flaw(s): Bratty(?), implied to be manipulative, apathetic, slightly rude, ignorant to what she says

──ㅇ─────↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺───ㅇ────

[ Relationships with others ]

Azul 🐙 Casual & friendly, are on good terms and Azul even helped promote Nyx's solo career when she first debuted

Jade 🍄 Casual & playful, Nyx is a little weirded out by his mushroom aesthetic but as long as Jade doesn't criticize her fashion choices she'd encourage it

Floyd 🏀 Playful & silly, they mess with each other a lot and have a lot of good laughs + Floyd and Jade remain supportive of her idol career

Victoria 💎 Professional & respectful, Nyx deeply admires Victoria despite the discourse she had with Vil that led her to leave NRC Corp

Zen 💚 Casual & professional, they worked together a couple times and Nyx finds him charming but doesn't find anything else about him all that interesting

Chizuko 🖤 Neutral & casual, she likes the videos of her playing the bass and secretly wishes they could collaborate in the future

Ellis ❤️ Professional & friendly, Nyx thinks Ellis's ambition to persevere is cute and works well alongside her aesthetic

Yuuta 👑 Casual & respectful, Nyx finds him kinda hot and likes his fashion sense + thinks his antics pretty funny

Miren 💙 Neutral & professional, she likes his guitar skills as well as his sense of style(which she thinks compliments his personality well)

Juvia 🪞 Friendly & casual, Nyx likes that Juvia always knows how to lighten up a certain mood when the situation calls for it as well as finding her dancing abilities really cute

Carol 🍀 Casual & respectful, they interact the least but they both deeply respect each other

Mayuu ⌚ Professional & friendly, kinda pities that she's pretty stressed out 24/7 but knows she can't exactly convince her to take a break fully

[ Additional Trivia ]

Minami Tanaka voices Mary Saotome from [ Kakegurui ]

Kailee Morgue is most known for her two songs [ Siren ] & [ Medusa ]

Jennie Kim is a member of the Kpop group [ BlackPink ]

Nyx started out as a member of the Octavinelle division marketing department since she couldn't be [ Ocean M4fia ]'s manager

Though it was a little boring, Nyx ended up liking her job a bit since she got to help out her brothers in their careers, even striving to become an idol herself

Nyx left the marketing department and signed up with NRC Corp's record label to become a solo artist, which her brothers and Azul greatly supported

Azul offered to let Nyx join [ Ocean M4fia ] but she politely refused so she could craft her own level of success

Her debut album was called "To the uncalled", and it stayed no. 5 on the billboard charts for approximately 17 weeks

Has yet to receive a Grammy

Has collaborated with [ (Co)-connect ] and [ Ocean M4fia ] to promote both idol groups

Has often joked on Twitter that she's one of Yuuta's biggest simps with Zen

Can somehow walk on platform heels and boots without feeling her feet ache

Her live performances usually get more views than the studio recording of the songs

She's most popular on TikTok in which she does promo for the other idol groups and gives small teasers for her next songs

Due to the uniqueness of her vocal versatility, Nyx has the ability to hit dangerously high and low notes for her songs

She doesn't rap, but everyone agrees that she sounds amazing when she does

Is usually found in the recording studio writing down ideas for songs, writing lyrics for the songs, quietly singing to herself, etc.

Barely dances for performance but dances decently thanks to lessons from her choreographers and Juvia

Jokes about dating Vil , no one can tell if she's being serious or not

Has a plethora of "Nyx being Mariah Carey for 7 minutes" compilations under her belt

She does covers of numerous songs on her official YouTube channel, which currently has 250k subscribers

──ㅇ─────↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺───ㅇ────

Tagging:

@starry-night-rose @nem0-nee @windbornearchon @sakuramidnight15 @authoruio @geminiiviolets @knights-escort @twsted-princess @crazyyanderefangirlfan

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thewomanwhoboughttheworld · 4 months

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Who am I

Hello to everyone who wants to read this silly little introduction (which will be ongoing, as I may forget something or want to add something in the future). I'd just like to tell y'all who I am and, let's be honest, to have a place in which I can easily reach things I've published.

This will probably be boring, I already know that, but let's still put it out there. Ongoing post, as I may be adding something more as things come to mind.

So, the basics:

I'm V. or Val, your choice.

I'm a she/her.

I'm cis, asexual and I don't want to define my romantic orientation - if I have to, I'd say queer romantic.

I was born in 1995, so I'm definitely an adult and definitely that confused generation between Millennials and Gen Z. I still consider myself a Millennial, tho.

My big three are Sagittarius sun (birthday is on 14/12), Sagittarius rising, Virgo Moon.

I'm Italian, so English isn't my first language.

However, I have a BD in Foreign Languages and Literatures and a MD in Music, Film and Theatre.

I can speak four languages: Italian (first), English, German and French.

I'm learning Gàidhlig and Cymraeg on Duolingo!

I work in the theatre! Not an actor or something artistic, I work in the offices, but still!!

I like writing. I'm not very good or consistent, but sometimes I like to indulge in it. I want to try and occasionally write something here.

If you get to talk to me in my DMs, it won't be long until I start talking about my cats. That's it, I'm one of those terrible people whose first thought in the morning is their cats. I have three: one is a senior who, in July 2024, is turning 19, and the others are 7 and 4. My little spawns of Hell ♡

Dream holiday destination? Japan. I'm sure one day I'll have enough money to go there.

Something more about my likes and dislikes:

My favourite band is Queen. I love a lot of other bands, like The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd etc., but Queen will always hold a special place in my heart.

My favourite singer is David Bowie. As for Queen, I love a lot of singers - Queen members themselves, George Michael, Harry Styles... But Bowie's got that je ne sais quoi that makes him special. I even wrote my MD thesis on him.

I generally enjoy reading classics more than new books. I don't think reading classics makes you superior, I think it's just something that has to do with what you're used to and what resonates with you the most. After all, it's all a matter of personal taste!

My favourite genres I think are horror, gothic, science fiction and I don't know. I mean, if I see something I like, I will read it.

My favourite writer must be Stephen King, though I love Edgar Allan Poe unconditionally. I know they are both problematic in certain ways, but what can I do? I just lose myself in their pages, especially in King's books.

Now this could make people see me in a bad light, but I can't help what I feel. One of my favourite books, one of my comfort books is Stephen King's IT. I KNOW, I KNOW but bear with me. I know it's about an alien eating and unaliving children and I am well aware of how problematic that scene is. But I can't help loving The Losers, feeling like they're my friends too. I love how friendship is portrayed, how much emphasis is put on trust and love, and how humanity is depicted. It's better to cut it short because I could talk about this book for hours lmao.

Back to the light - hah, you wish - my favourite playwright is Bertolt Brecht.

Some of my favourite films: Labyrinth (THE David Bowie is just *chef's kiss*), Jesus Christ Superstar (have seen it on stage with Ted Neeley, I'm so in love with this musical I can't put it into words), Jojo Rabbit, Young Frankenstein.

Some of my favourite series: Glee (extremely problematic, but you have to understand I was the right age when it came out and it reminds me of my teenage years. I can't stop loving it), Good Omens, Sherlock, Doctor Who, Bojack Horseman, Happy Days, Stranger Things, Barry.

I may be a little too much in love with David Tennant, but I mean. Who isn't?

I will rage if anyone dares say anything disrespectful in regards to Henry Winkler. That man is too sweet for his own sake and I love him so much.

Master posts under here, so that I too can find it more accessible if I want to get there:

Good Omens headcanons, incorrect quotes, edits & co

Fanfictions

#personal #who am i #fanfic #fanfiction #good omens #queen #david bowie #david tennant #get to know me

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bdminternational · 2 years

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How You Can Help Your Teen Choose A Career That Is Right For Him

"What do you want to do when you grow up?", "What do you want to do in life?" These are two questions that children often hear, especially during high school, the stage during which students must begin to pursue a career. Some have already chosen their path, while others need help and guidance from their parents.

What can you do as a parent to guide your child into the right profession?

Some parents tend to put pressure on their children when it comes to choosing the first profession, thinking that it will determine their entire life course. However, as adults, we tend to reinvent ourselves several times in our lives, changing professions. That is why it is important to remember that whatever your child's choice, it will not necessarily define his entire future.

According to the specialists from one of the top 10 CBSE schools in Kolkata 2022, parents should talk to teenagers about their abilities and interests, not a specific career, and listen to what they have to say. The labour market is changing extremely fast. It is possible that at the end of college there will be jobs that did not exist when your child started college.

According to teachers of a renowned English medium school in Kolkata, it is preferable to help your child become aware of their qualities and talents. Instead of asking "What do you want to become?", Ask "What skills do you have?", "What kind of people would you like to work with?", "In what environment do they want you to work?" Your teenager will begin to visualize a specific career without necessarily naming it.

What do you do if your teenager is not thinking about any career and does not want to discuss this topic?

In this case, according to the best CBSE school near Garia Kolkata, this is the time to take a step back. Some teenagers are not yet ready to think about their future. It is quite rare for a 17-year-old to know exactly what he wants to do with his life. You need to help your child identify what he or she likes, what he or she dislikes, and what his or her strengths and weaknesses are.

Career choice and differences of opinion between parents and adolescents

As a parent, you want your son or daughter to make the best decisions for his or her future. Over time, various professions have been highly rated in the labour market. Especially doctors, teachers, engineers, and lawyers were highly valued from a social point of view. And nowadays, IT is specially promoted.

As the teachers of a renowned English medium school in Kolkata have noticed, parents take into account two criteria when making recommendations for teenagers about their future careers: safety and status.

When parents think about safety, they refer to the opportunities that already exist in the labour market, in various fields of activity. But in no professional sphere are there any guarantees. There are very few options in which they have a secure job, immediately after completing their studies.

When it comes to status, it is rather built-in time, not guaranteed by itself. There may be still a special reporting to certain professions. For example, a doctor enjoys greater prestige, but the results he obtains are also essential. If a doctor proves to be unprofessional, it is hard to believe that he will have the respect of people only because of his profession.

As one of the top 10 CBSE schools in Kolkata 2022, we noticed that parents are often reluctant to the artistic fields. Indeed, artists generally choose to work on a project basis. But many of them also have permanent contracts with various institutions. On the other hand, if they are appreciated, they will certainly gain access to various professional opportunities. The most important factor for success is to be good at what you do. And the level of professional performance is closely related to the level of motivation and interest in the field we study or in which we work.

But what do you do if you, as a parent, think that your child's options are not the right ones?

Adolescents need to be guided, but at the same time, they need to be given the context necessary to build their autonomy. Teachers from the best CBSE school near Garia Kolkata, recommend:

Encourage your child to talk about the options he or she is considering

To be with them in making this decision, it is necessary for your son or daughter to feel comfortable with the idea of talking openly about the areas that attracted his attention. Discuss together the pros and cons for each area. Parents have their point of view, which they can express without trying to impose it on the eyes of the teenager.

Help your child get the most relevant and detailed information possible.

In addition to the information you already have about various areas, there are certainly many others that you do not have access to. And this creates the possibility for you to document yourself together on specialized sites. You can also get in touch with various specialists who are already active in those fields.

Trust the child.

Perhaps, in fact, in this process of identifying the right faculty, the most important thing is to truly believe that your son or daughter can make the right decisions.

Urge your child to take responsibility.

No matter how much you want to protect your child, it is not possible to live in his place, so it would not be fair to decide for him. It is beneficial for the young person to understand that he can rely on parental support, but that he alone is fully responsible for the choices he makes.

#bdmi #bdm international #best cbse schools in south kolkata #cbse school #english medium school in kolkata #parenting #education #career

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ariesjupiter · 3 years

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Mitski Birth Chart Reading

This is just my interpretation based on Mitski’s birth chart and what I know of her music. Let me know if you have any suggestions of someone I should make a post on next! If you’re interested, I offer natal chart readings, just check my pinned post!

Libra sun: In terms of basic personality and ego, Mitski is focused on creating balanced, harmonic relationships. Intimate, one-on-one relationships are a major part of her identity. Libra is ruled by venus which represents love and beauty. After all, she is known for her lyrics relating to her romantic relationships. The lyric “I love everybody because I love you” is so profoundly Libra to me. She is friendly and charming. She sees herself reflected and other people and people see themselves reflected in her (for better or worse). Venus also rules the arts and Mitski is a natural artist in every sense of the word. Her music sonically is very unique, inventive, and creative as she experiments with mixing different genres. This is influenced by her sun in the 11th house. Sun in the 11th house also indicates an emphasis on friendships and memberships of certain groups and communities. It also indicates an importance of her hopes and dreams. Her sun in 3° explains why she is such a talented writer, communicator, and lyricist. Peak libra sun culture: “Young adult romance is the shit” (a real quote from the queen herself). And let’s not forget her iconic quote from 2016: “I’m a libra so my sexuality is essentially “you can really be any gender as long as you treat me like a princes.” Truer words have never been spoken.

Capricorn moon: Despite how personal her music is, Mitski is a rather private and reserved person, particularly when it comes to expressing her emotions. Also, Capricorn is associated with the father and she has been known to be especially private regarding her dad’s career. She is serious and intense with emotions but can sometimes get detached. The emphasis is on having control over her feelings. She is ambitious and a practical person. Her emotions are connected to her career. Those who do not know her well may see her as cold. In temperament she tends to be melancholic. Emotionally mature and wise beyond her years. Straightforward and honest with her expression. She is dependable, loyal, hard working, & realistic. Emotional fulfillment is often tied to achievement and success. Her moon in the 2nd house and 2° suggests material comforts make her feel safe. With the 2nd house being associated with venus, she is able to express her emotions in an artistic way. Could be protective over material objects. Sentimental. Music has a big impact on her emotions and mood. Peak capricorn moon culture: “I didn’t really feel anything. I’ve stopped feeling things for a long time” - Mitski, The Fader Interview, 2017. In all seriousness, I hope my capricorn moons are doing good.

Virgo mercury: Mitski is practical and detail oriented when it comes to communication and matters of learning. She takes the time to choose the right words to convey her thoughts. She is clear and concise. Mercury is in its sign of rulership here. Her mercury in the 10th house suggests that she will be known for her communication style. Has a lot of thoughts but is also organized. Analytical. Mitski likes making lists. Loves to give advice. Mercury is in 16° (cancer degree) and she has a soft spoken voice. Talks about the past and her roots (cancerian themes).

Virgo venus: In love, Mitski will assume a caretaking role and will gladly help her partner finish mundane tasks and chores. A devoted and faithful lover. Love is about the mundane and routine details of life. Love is about service. Acts of service tend to be virgo venus’ main love language. She wants to help improve her partner’s life. She is patient and observant. Values love that is simple and authentic. Appreciates a partner with whom she can have intellectual conversations. May have a tendency to be too critical on herself when it comes to love. Venus rules aesthetics & style and she tends to have a modest fashion sense. Mitski has voiced her interest in astrology and how she has asked people she’s interested for their birth times lmao. Her venus is in the 11th house, she treats a lover like she would treat a friend. In fact, romantic love probably equates to platonic love in her book. She has her venus in 24° which is a pisces degree, which explains this natural interest in astrology.

Gemini mars: Could be impatient because she moves quickly. Efficient. Has a lot of goals and likes to keep busy. She thrives when she talks to others and exchanged ideas. Likes to multitask. Very versatile. Probably has a flirty, bubbly energy when she’s attracted to someone. Attracted to intellect. Desire to see things from multiple perspectives. Gemini rules the hands so she’s skilled with playing instruments and writing. Likes to try new things. Witty and humorous. Could have nervous energy or fidget often.

Leo jupiter: The planet of luck and expansion in Leo is a big indicator of fame. Her jupiter is also in the 9th house and in 7°. Jupiter in the 9th indicates being born in a different country from where you reside now. Mitski is biracial and has lived in multiple countries growing up. She loves to learn, particularly about other cultures and ways of life. She is open minded, philosophical and values freedom and being independent. She attracts good fortune when she travels (touring!) and also when she focuses on partnerships/intimate relationships (7°). Combining this energy, Mitski attracts luck when she acts dramatically, demonstrates/teaches her knowledge, expresses herself artistically, shows her warm hearted and sometimes stubborn side, & takes chances, shows her bravery, and takes the lead. Be the Cowboy is big leo energy 🤠

Capricorn saturn: Mitski is responsible, practical, goal-oriented, and cautious. With saturn in the 3rd house, she probably had to grow up quickly and become mature at a young age. Capricorn saturn people tend to be very successful people. Strong willed. Tendency to be quiet and is a good listener. Could also be outspoken. With saturn in 18° (virgo degree), she’s very hard working but she may need to learn how to take a break and let herself rest and recharge.

Capricorn uranus: This placement also indicates that she goes after her goals and is efficient and practical in achieving them. Uranus being in the 2nd house shows that she could make money from being unique and groundbreaking. 2nd house also rules the voice! Her values are unique and she could be resistant to change them. Her self esteem could be in a constant state of flux and be tied to money. Her income could rapidly change, like maybe she did not get paid much but then suddenly she starts making a lot of money. Uranus is in 5° which is a fame degree. She’s famous for being authentically herself and very much an individual in the industry that can’t be compared.

Capricorn neptune: Capricorn neptunes are most likely realists. She is skilled at going after her dreams. Her dreams are practical and connected to themes of wealth, power, and control. Neptune in 3rd house shows a dreamy, poetic way of communicating. A very creative placement. Dreamy vibes. Could be elusive in communication, open for interpretation. Neptune is in 11° so this gives aquarian energy. Idealistic with friends and always searching for ways to achieve her dreams.

Scorpio pluto: Her power lies in her ability to analayze human interactions and be introspective with herself since it’s in the 1st house. She is very self aware. Mitski understands that life is about going through changes and she welcomes the ability to grow and rebuild. She has intense, deep emotions but has control over them and how she expresses them. Pluto in 16° adds a cancerian energy. Her strength lies in her ability to nurture and be empathetic.

Scorpio rising: First impressions of Mitski can be that she’s mysterious and secretive. A powerful and intimidating presence. This explains to me why she loves dressing in black. She probably has a strong dislike for anything superficial. She likes to get to know people on a deeper level and connect with them. She likes honesty and is probably very perceptive and intuitive. Privacy is so important to her! She has a lot of layers and wants people to unpack them, but it may take her a while to open up. She is powerful and has endurance. Her presence leaves an impact on people. Loyalty and intimacy is important. She’s not afraid to talk about taboo topics or scary, heavier emotions. Passionate and even a tendency to get fixed on or obsessed with something or someone. Her rising is in 15° (gemini degree) so she’s clever, curious, and thinks quickly. a little more flexible than a regular Scorpio rising would be.

Leo midheaven: People might see her as dramatic or arrogant. In the public eye, she was meant to be a performer. At her concerts she’s known for putting on a good show & includes interpretive dance and choreography. She becomes herself more when she’s on stage. The stage is where she shines. Has a lot of pride connected to her career. Reputation for creatively expressing herself and being brave and taking risks. Wants to be admired, especially regarding her career. Her purpose is to become a leader. Mc in 22° (capricorn degree) shows that she is a very hard worker when it comes to her career. She won’t let anyone stop her when it comes to achievement and success in her field. Another indicator of being at the top of her career and being publicly recognized for it!

TLDR: Mitski is a natural born singer, performer and artist. She is unique, talented, and an introspective writer. Being earth and water dominant, she balances practicality & stability with sentimentality & raw emotion. With all of her Capricorn placements, she is grounded and doesn’t let fame get to her head. Her chart ruler is Scorpio pluto in the 1st which means that major transformations will be a big theme in her life, especially regarding herself & her identity. She is always reflecting and looking at herself on a deep level.

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maxismatchccworld · 3 years

Text

Patch Notes

PC: 1.76.81.1020 / Mac: 1.76.81.1220 Console: Version 1.43

Happy Summer everyone! We hope you are well wherever you are in the World. We have a Game Update that we hope you enjoy and some bug fixes.

Thanks again for your continued support and feedback! Stay cool and hydrated and if you are not in a warm season, stay warm and cozy.

Chau Chau!

-SimGuruRusskii

What’s New?

Continuing our Summer of Sims, nothing says Summer like a music festival doesn’t it? Now you can experience them in The Sims! We welcome you to

Sims Sessions

with this update, a music festival where some of your favorite artists come together to entertain and to delight us with some of their most iconic songs. And we sure have a fantastic lineup for all of you!

Drumroll please…

Headlining the event, we have the award winning and critically acclaimed, two-time Grammy nominee,

Bebe Rexha

! She will be performing a magical, acoustic rendition of her song Sabotage.

Also performing we have

Glass Animals

, with their alternative, experimental sound that has captivated audiences across the globe. They will perform their top of the charts single Heat Waves.

Last but by no means least, is the soulful sound of

Joy Oladokun

! Recently deemed “2021 Artist to watch” by Amazon Music and NPR, Joy Oladokun’s words will stir all emotions and take you on a musical journey with the song breathe again.

Now that we have told you about our lineup, you must definitely NOT miss this event, I mean… Why would you? So let me tell you how to get there…

Sims Sessions will be hosted in

Magnolia Blossom Park in Willow Creek

on every Sunday (that is In Game Sunday), starting June 29 (TODAY) 10 a.m. PT to July 7 at 10 p.m. PT. Once Simmers load their game today (after updating the game of course) your Sims will get a message telling them about Sims Sessions (this will happen on in game Sunday in a new Save, but if you are not in a new save you will need to wait for it to be Sunday in your game after the Game Update), they will also receive a ticket in their inventory that they can view for more information and they will be able to travel to the location of the festival.

However, if your Sim is curious and absolutely cannot wait for the message, Sims can see the Sims Sessions pop up in the game in Willow Creek’s neighborhood map.

The festival venue will have vendors from which your Sims can buy merch and spots to relax and unwind while listening to amazing music.

We hope you enjoy this event! If you want to know more about Sims Sessions, you can visit the

Sims Sessions website

And with that we move on to the bug fixes...

Bug Fixes

Sims 4

Our master gardeners treated a few of our plants so they no longer reset to a previous growth stage randomly. If only life worked that way…

We fixed an issue where selected Create a Sim outfit parts on Sims were not showing up appropriately highlighted on the right side menu.

Teens generated with the Play with Genetics options in Create a Sim will no longer have Crow’s feet.

We have fixed an issue where Sims could not use stairs when Simmers deleted the floor of a fence block that was built around the stairs in the upper landing. It sounds like a mouthful, doesn’t it?

Some of our new hair colors (Neutral Black, Warm Brown, Neutral Blonde, and Light Blonde specially) were creating some issues in some Create a Sim hairstyles when applied, making Sims’ teeth disappear (?????) or turn grey in some cases.

Your Sims just LOVED their new hair colors, but noticed it also changed their eyelids and eyebrows instantly? I mean instant eyeliner is something I truly desire but we know that we needed to fix this one everyone, so indeed your Sims can no longer get automatic eyeliner and eyebrow colors from choosing a hair color.

Fixed an issue where when Sims learned about the Likes and Dislikes of other Sims their Sim Profile became blank. I mean, unless they like or dislike nothing, that is… troubling.

Get Together

Invited NPC will now leave… eventually. You know that saying that some visitors start smelling like rotten fish after a certain amount of time? We had to tell the NPCs that well, they were a problem so now they should be leaving appropriately.

Snowy Escape

I see a little silhouetto of a Sim, Skiing next to me - Omg, Omg, this is not a ghost tho? All the snow activities were really frightening me! All fixed now? Fixed now? MAGNIFICO OOOO.

If you had noticed invisible Sims doing snow activities in your game because they switched boots on the slopes… worry not, it should be fixed.

Bust the Dust

Sims with the Slob Trait can now complete the Fabulously Filthy Aspiration goal of Letting at least one floor level of your home become dirty! #goals?

#s4cc #s4 patch notes

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sunnysidefangirl · 3 years

Text

Awaiting (Jungkook x reader)

Pairing: Jungkook x reader

Warning: talks of anxiety, not 100% edited sorry, will probably go back to edit more later

Summary: reader goes to a concert and is transferred on stage when they see their soulmate.

A/N: This idea was inspired by @alpacaparkaseok ! Their soulmate stories are really good and since I have never seen that certain trope be done before I thought I should credit where I got the idea from! Go read their fics, they are seriously amazing! Anyways please don't plagiarize, I spent a lot of time on it so don't be rude! Copyright ©! Also imagine Covid is not a thing! Please like, comment, and repost if you liked it! I hope you enjoy! 💜

*****

You have to admit, you didn't believe it when your friend told you they had front row tickets to a BTS concert. Concert tickets are hard to get, let alone front row seats.

"Thank you!" Your friend said with a smug smile. She happily took the $30 dollars from your bet. You saying they were fake and her insisting they were real.

"Yeah, whatever." You rolled your eyes as the line moved closer to the entrance. The line was long but you and your friend were lucky enough to get soundcheck.

"I'm going to be Jungkook's soulmate, I can feel it." You heard a confident voice say. You wanted to roll your eyes at the adult that bragged her idea to the armys around.

When it comes to the artist you were going to see the only thing fans know is Jin has already found his soulmate but nobody knows their name, let alone what they look like. Other than that people assume the other members just haven't met theirs yet.

It was odd to hear those genuine thoughts. They travel the world and have yet to meet their soulmates from a concert.

Sure, it was a nice thought especially since Jungkook was your bias, but realistically he's probably not your soulmate.

You've imagined more than once what it would be like to meet your soulmate. You secretly hoped it would be somewhere in nature. A park, or on a hike, or over looking a lake. It just seemed like it would be a great experience, to meet the one made for you in beautiful scenery.

However you were probably a little a head of yourself, more than likely you would meet them through work or walking down the street or something minimal like how most people do.

In the blink of an eye, you were in the stadium. You and your friend got settled in your ideal spots close to the stage. Then the two of you fell into an easy conversation.

"So when you go to visit your soon to be mother in law you won't look like a totally idiot for not dressing like the cookie monster-"

"Uh uh oh uh uh ooohh."

Your conversation interrupted by the opening of the first dance number of the night.

"Oh my gosh, it's them! If I faint will you catch me?!" Your best friend asked, dramatically clutching her chest. She stood on her toes to get a better look, as if the front row just wasn't enough.

"No promises!" You shouted with a wide smile at the stadium got louder.

•••••••••••••

The concert was going great! You were having so much fun dancing and singing your heart out with the random people you had met beside you. That song ended and another one began.

When you looked up Jungkook was making his way down the stage with Jimin just behind him. His microphone was raised as he sang the bridge of the song. He turned to your side and looked at the audience. When your eyes locked everything seemed to zoom in on him alone. You got tunnel vision and he was your only focus, just as you were his. He couldn't pull his eyes away from you if he tried.

A sensation of gravity shutting off came next. You felt weightless and could no longer feel the floor below your feet. Then you felt as if you were being pulled, more like yanked, to your new destination. You choose to close your eyes as the motion got to be too much.

Jungkook didn't understand what was going on but he got the feeling that the world around him was spinning. The last thing he wanted to do was alarm the fans but he couldn't help but close his eyes as he stumbled over his own feet.

"Jungkook?" Jimin questioned placing a hand on his left shoulder. Did he suddenly get sick or something?

The feeling went away as quickly as it came, leaving a dull feeling of confusion. He opened his eyes just in time to catch something falling forward, that something was you.

Suddenly the face you had seen over your computer and phone screen, the face you had seen in magazines and commercials for as long as you have been a fan was less than a few inches in front of you. His dark brown eyes were big with shock and wonder and the sides of his face were slightly dampened due to the energetic choreography he had just done. The sea of army bombs created a mini galaxy in his eyes.

At first you thought, wow he looks so handsome.

Then you wondered wait, how did I get onstage?

Your mind seemed to catch up with you. You took notice that you were in fact on stage and in front of Jeon Jungkook. Could it be a possibility that it was the night before the concert and you were dreaming? This couldn't be real.

You felt your heart leap and an unintended gasp left you. Jungkook's mouth dropped a little bit and his own eyes widen in realization. The tall man helped you so that you were standing straight and took a small step back. However, he couldn't quite let go of you instead he kept his hands wrapped around yours.

The melody continued on without the maknae's voice. This caught the attention of many fans and the other members. They were all confused when the didn't hear Jungkook's voice. Luckily his part wasn't long and Jin quickly began to sing his own part.

You tensed within his hold and a feeling of happiness and dread filled you. Taking a look around the stage, you first saw V tap J-Hope and point in your direction. Namjoon was currently rapping his verse but that didn't stop his eyes from widening as well. Jimin who was behind Jungkook grinned at you. Suga had took notice of the situation as well with Jin neither of them knowing how they could fix this. That left every member either looking at you or doing their best to pretend nothing out of the ordinary was going on.

It didn't seem to be working because the audience started to get louder. You question for a moment if it was always this loud for the members onstage. It was hard to understand anything with all the noise but you caught a little bit.

"Look that's Jungkook's soulmate!" A voice closest to the stage squealed.

It was real. It was all real!

You were horrified. This moment, one of the most intimate moments between two soulmates has been seen by hundreds. It's probably been recorded by now. For all you know it would be on Twitter by tomorrow. This wasn't supposed to happen like this. You dreaded the thought of this private moment on social media for days to come.

Namjoon was quickly making his way over to you with a security guard as well.

Everything was moving so rapidly you just wanted to get out of this situation. You wanted to disappear. You began to realize you were breathing quicker than normal.

"Hey." A voice said so soft, you almost didn't catch it over the screams in the stadium. You look back to Jungkook only to meet the softest gaze you have ever come across. He looked so gentle towards you.

"It's okay."

He rubbed his thumbs over your skin attempting to calm you down and a shy bunny smile spread across his face.

"What's your name?" He asked with an excited glint in his eyes. Before you had the chance to respond a hand wrapped around your bicep.

"Come with me miss." The security guard said in urgency. Namjoon appears just a few seconds later and stands next to Jungkook. Just as you were being pulled away a strong grip stopped you.

"Wha-Wait." Jungkook mutters tightening his hold causing you to look back at him. He just met you, how could he be excepted to just let go of you?

"Jungkook, you can see her later but we need to get her off stage." Namjoon says in a stern voice towards the youngest.

Jungkook noticed the fearful look in your eyes and it made his heart ache. As much as he wanted to go with you so he could make sure you were okay he knew that your safety comes first. He then released your hand and in the blink of an eye you were ushered away from his sight.

The security guard took your arm and adviced you to keep your head down. You only looked ahead of your shoes not making eye contact with anything except the glossy stage floor.

When you got backstage everything passed by in a blur. People came up to you from all areas. They got you a bottle of water and lead you to a separate dressing room. You held on to the water bottle tightly, allowing it to serve as your anchor in all of this chaos.

"Wait here." The nice lady said with a small smile before closing the door. You took a careful breath in before gently letting it out. The room was bigger than you expected maybe that was because you were the only person in it. There were couches around making a U shape. Against the wall was a table of food and drinks, and as tempting as they looked you wouldn't dare grab one. The room was brighter and colder than it looked in behind the scenes videos.

Now alone in the quiet room you felt like you could breath a little bit.

You racked your brain with what to do now.

Jeon Jungkook was your soulmate.

Where do you go from here?

What about your best friend? She's freaking out no doubt.

Would it feel weird seeing as you were a fan?

You would just have to get to know him all over again. Learn his likes, his dislikes, and start as simple as possible. As you dig farther in your own thoughts you started to feel anxious.

Would he want to be with a random fan?

You honestly thought you were pretty, but what would others think? You know you shouldn't care but if he doesn't like the thought of you two together that would be another type of pain.

•••••••••••••

Intermission had finally started after another 4 songs. Jungkook practically flew pass the staff backstage once he found out which room you were in.

He rushed to the room that he was directed in but stopped short of running into the door. He stood stiff like a brick wall and took a deep breath. His soulmate was on the other side.

His soulmate.

He only saw you for a bit but his heart quickened at the thought of you.

He had wondered of this moment for a long time. Occasionally when the stress of life got to be too much he found himself dreaming of spoiling his soulmate and treating them like royalty. He would stay up wondering what their date nights would look like and what their love language was.

The other members knew how much of a hopeless romantic Jungkook was. They would often tease him whenever his head was in the clouds, they never took it too far though because they all secretly thought it was really sweet.

Jungkook thought about how he used to ask Jin about the meeting of soulmates and how it felt. He stopped asking after a while because of Jin's vague answers.

"I don't know, it just feels like...your being born."

"It's a warm feeling."

"You feel free...I guess."

"Jungkook-ah you'll know when you meet them!"

He had given up asking his hyung about how it felt to meet your soulmate. He tried to ignore any questions or thoughts of it but that was before he saw Jin cooking with his soulmate.

The look in his eyes while having his special person by his side warmed his heart. Jin's eyes gleamed with a distant euphoric look in them, it's a look Jungkook can't forget.

He wanted to feel that too.

You looked up at the sound of the door opening. Jungkook shuffles towards you in a daze. His eyes wet and red. You sprung to your feet suddenly feeling bashful and a little ridiculous under his intense eyes.

If you would have known you were going to meet your soulmate you would have dressed up a little more.

....maybe you wouldn't have worn your cooky headband.

He wordlessly took your hand once more. You allowed yourself to enjoy the unique feeling. His hand was very soft and a little warm probably because he was just dancing his heart out onstage. Your hands mold together and you swear electricity rushed through your veins. The room was silent as the two of you were deemed speechless. What do you say to the person you were waiting for all this time?

"Are you okay?"

When you look up, you see him blink down at you.

You grin at him and sheepishly nod. Jungkook let's out a small sigh of relief before smiling back at you. He lowers his head looking down at your connected hands. The ghost of the previous smile still on his face.

He looked so beautiful in this moment. You let your mind wander as you take in his features. Were you everything he dreamed of? Where do you go from here? Would you stay here? Would you go back home? Maybe you were getting ahead of yourself. Would you even start your relationship now?

You jumped out of your intermonolouge when you felt something wet on your hand. Looking down at your intertwined hands you saw a small tear.

"Ah," He mutters using his other hand to wipe his face. The embarrassment he was feeling showed through his pink tinted cheeks.

You were stunned. You never imagined that your soulmate would be choked up at this, at you. However it made your grin wider and your heart swell with adoration. You took a small step closer but not by much. You raised your hands to his cheeks allowing his tears to be caught by your thumbs. Jungkook noticed you were hesitant in your actions. He was just glad to have you so close after all this waiting. Jungkook leaned into your touch as a sweet gesture.

You were never told what it would be like to meet your soulmate. Sure, you heard classmates and co-workers talking about their own experiences, however the most common description was that it was a wordless feeling. One that couldn't possibly be capture in a few words.

Now you understood.

Looking into his big galaxy eyes, you felt breathless. It felt like, you could search every planet in the universe and you still wouldn't find anyone like him. Your heart felt like it was craving his but also wanted to shy away from the bizarre feeling. How could you put a word to such an intense emotion.

Jungkook's eyes suddenly catch something above you and his smile widens. "I like your headband."

You let out a small laugh at his comment feeling your cheeks warm. "Day 1, and you're already teasing me."

Jungkook squeezes your hand and holds it with his other, making it so your hand was in between both of his. He held your hand so cautiously, like it was a precious jewel.

He then looks to something else behind you. You turn around and see his six older brothers looking at him with fondness.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt but we need you back on stage." Jin says. He hated to interrupt this moment. It reminded him so much of when he had found his soulmate. He just wanted to spend all of his time with them and to pull Jungkook away when he just met his just made him feel bad.

"Oh right..." Jungkook said a little hesitant. He look back at you, his eyes showing a range of emotions. "You will wait here won't you?"

"Of course." You respond without hesitation.

Jungkook gave you another bright grin before he followed his hyungs out of the door.

You found out later through social media, that while Jungkook was onstage he began to cry.

"I-uh..." Jungkook paused looking out to the sea of fans, that despite everything he wanted to share this moment with them.

"I just found my soulmate."

I hope you enjoyed! Please comment and reblog if you did!

💜💜💜

#bangtan #bts fluff #bts jungkook #bts soulmate au #soulmate au #bts fanfic #bts fantasy au #soulmate fic #jeon jungkook #jungkook fluff #bts oneshot #jungkook imagine #jungkook oneshot #jungkook headcanons #bts army

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hamliet · 3 years

Text

Chemical Weddings in RWBY

So once upon a time Hamliet said she’d write a meta about ships in RWBY, and then arrived months later without Starbucks.

The central tenet of alchemy is solve et coagula: dissolve, and then coagulate. The process (RWBY appears to be following Ripley’s 12 Gates) repeats, rinses, and repeats again and again throughout the steps, “each time at a more refined level.” The point of a chemical wedding is to reconcile opposites, which is something I touched on in my pseudo-quick meta here. Lyndy Abraham, the author of A Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery, describes the chemical wedding as:

a crucial operation in the creation of the philosopher’s stone. The alchemists were ultimately concerned with the union of substances, the reconciliation of opposites.

Basically, it unites opposites (fire and water, air and earth, sun and moon, passive and active, etc., etc., etc.) and then the opposites start to take on each other’s qualities, creating the “Rebis,” or a person both male and female.

The first chemical wedding is usually somewhat violent, primitive even, whereas the second one signifies the creation of the stone. However, characters can have more than two weddings, and chemical weddings do not inherently have to be romantic--Sam and Frodo aren’t, for example--but most often are, because it’s the most obvious way to show a union between separate people (the old adage “two become one” in marriage, for example).

If we look at George Ripley’s 12 Gates, chemical weddings tend to be focused on in the fourth stage of conjunction (which I wrote about here) and in the ninth, fermentation (which is probably going to be in volume 10--maybe a little in volume 9, but traveling between worlds seems to be a hallmark of sublimation in fiction so I’m guessing we’re stuck there for the time being). But in a lengthy series spanning eight years and counting, there is going to be overlap.

So let’s talk about chemical wedding imagery historically. It tends to involve dissolution (via water or fire--keep in mind metal was associated with fire in olden days, so stabbing with metal was considered liquid fire, or so it was believed to be by alchemists) and then coagulation (healing/coming together).

Four of the five ships--two of whom are definitely happening, one of which I think is happening and one of which I think has a good chance--reference historical alchemical artwork and symbolism in key moments. (RWBY does reference alchemical artwork; see here and here.) So let’s dive in and examine potential chemical wedding allusions in RWBY:

Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie (Renora)

Let’s start with the most obvious couple: Ren and Nora. Their first chemical wedding occurs when they are children. In alchemical art, birds are often used to show the volatility/primitiveness of a first chemical wedding:

The raven is replicated in the Nevermore which forms a similarly threatening pose over Ren and Nora when he unlocks his semblance to protect her, thus honoring his father and mother’s legacies.

You can even see earth (trees), water (river), fire, and air (the bird flying) in the scene as it pans out. After this, Ren and Nora become “Ren and Nora,” as Nora herself says in Volume 8. They’re inseparable, because they’re on their way to becoming one. However, unification doesn’t mean that they’re literally the same person; in stories like these, it’s more like they become better versions of themselves through growing towards each other and adopting each other’s traits (like Nora’s courage for Ren, and Ren’s caution for Nora).

Their second, elevated chemical wedding is in the same place as their first, when in Volume 4 they return to the village and defeat the monster they were too young to defeat last time. This time, Nora is the one who protects Ren by telling him he could not sacrifice his life by pulling Ren back, in a reversal of his running to her in their first moment years ago.

Like the first, there’s water involved--Ren and Nora hide next to a river, watching as the Knuckelvee advances on them. I talked previously how I thought this looked like a possible allusion to this alchemical image (look at the moon symbol on the head of the aggressor):

The moon symbol actually shows up quite a bit in this scene, first when Nora and Ren discover the Nuckelvee is still alive in the cave:

And then in the moment when they defeat it:

While I am certain this is a chemical wedding, I’m not certain why the moon symbol is so prominent in this, though I do think it is possibly in reference to this image and how Nora and Ren are united now:

Yang Xiao Long/Blake Belladonna (Bumbleby)

Firstly, the alchemy image is somewhat of a creepy image, right? In this, Mercurius has united the two principles by beheading them (amputation is a Thing in alchemy), leaving them to putrefy and then coagulate.

Like the Nuckelvee for Nora and Ren, Blake and Yang have a somewhat antagonistic Mercurius who unites them: Adam Taurus. He doesn’t cut off their heads, but he does seriously injure Blake and cuts off Yang’s arm in a scene that is romantically charged (you have Blake’s possessive ex telling her he’ll target someone she loves and specifically chooses Yang).

While I have my issues with how Bumbleby is written, it’s hard to interpret that as anything other than him seeing Yang as a rival for Blake’s affection.

Their second chemical wedding also involves Adam. There’s no one direct image that seems to have inspired it, but it does take place in a place full of waterfalls (fountains and flowing water in general, like the ones in Nora and Ren’s village, are common elements of chemical weddings’ settings) and by the ocean (the “mercurial sea” is where the elements dissolve to make the Philosopher’s Stone, so it’s also a common hallmark for chemical weddings).

(To briefly address this: this is where my complaints about the writing pile in, because you can also make a damn strong case that Blake and Sun fighting on the ship to Menagerie is a chemical wedding, which it is, but I think it’s clear at this point that Bumbleby is endgame. Either both were written for a reason, like if they weren’t sure if they could do Bumbleby, or a narrative reason, in which case Black Sun should have been dealt with rather than hand-waved away, or they were just teasing, but baiting fans is never, ever good writing; it’s cheap. All that to say that while I think there’s a compelling case they were interested in pursuing Bumbleby from the start, Black Sun shippers have a right to feel tricked and not all criticism thereof is based in homophobia or a lack of narrative understanding, or even in a dislike of the ship.)

At the beginning of this scene, Adam makes it clear that this is a redo of their previous chemical wedding by reminding them of it:

Blake stabs Adam with a silver weapon; Yang with red. We have earth, air (clouds), water, and weapons as a stand-in for fire.

It’s still somewhat of a violent wedding, which makes me wonder if Bumbleby will have a third (and Renora as well). But it also parallels Renora in this: returning to a pivotal scene where they were traumatized, but this time being able to overcome it because they’ve become more like each other. Blake is in many ways Yang’s trauma stretching far beyond Beacon (Blake runs away, as does Raven, Yang’s mother who abandoned her), and likewise Yang for Blake (she’s hotheaded and holds grudges, like Adam). But Blake and Yang have been working on becoming better versions of themselves.

At the end of this scene, they even exchange quasi-wedding vows (since Blake’s promise is to not abandon Yang):

And the artists drive home the point by drawing Blake’s hair far bushier than normal (more like Yang’s), and Yang’s far tamer than normal (like Blake’s).

Jaune Arc/Weiss Schnee (White Knight)

Weiss and Jaune have had one chemical wedding thus far (possibly two but not sure) and I didn’t ship them at all until I saw this scene. Like Bumbleby and Renora, they have an antagonistic Mercurius: Cinder.

(This one I’ll be arguing a little bit about why I think it’s set up for romance as well.)

In this scene, Cinder directly compares Weiss to Pyrrha in regards to how Jaune feels about them (and we know Jaune and Pyrrha were romantic--you can also argue Cinder was an antagonistic Mercurius uniting Pyrrha and Jaune).

When Weiss screams, Cinder gets an idea and slides her gaze from Weiss to Jaune.

And then reenacts this:

As I also mentioned previously, Jaune then plays the role of the Prince to Weiss’s Snow White (which is an alchemical fairy tale). Like when Ren unlocks his aura to protect Nora, Jaune unlocks his to save Weiss. Weiss looks as if she is in a glass coffin that gets more and more golden, symbolic of refinement.

It’s also probably an allusion to this image of a chemical wedding presided over by Saturn (Mercury in this scene, since he’s there) and Death (Ruby and Qrow, who are also present in the scene with Jaune and Weiss). (For more on this image, see here.)

Weiss and Jaune also have some oppositional imagery and arcs: Weiss starts Beacon with a deep family legacy and an inherited semblance, she chooses to go to Beacon on her own and is the favored child (at first). Jaune too has a family legacy of warriors, but instead of feeling empowered because of this, he is insecure and literally cheats his way into the school. He doesn’t have a semblance until season 5. After this incident, Weiss and Jaune spend some time recreationally together (seeing a movie in vol 7); Jaune becomes more confident as a leader, and Weiss continues her arc in becoming more sympathetic to those from less privileged backgrounds.

Arguably, what happened at the end of volume 8 could be seen as having some symbolism of a chemical wedding for Weiss and Jaune too, but I don’t think it actually is one since they weren’t focused on as characters enough (if this was intended to be the start of one, we’ll get something next season, I’d imagine). The only reason I’m mentioning it is because it does function as an inverse of the previous one, which is the case for Renora and Bumbleby’s first and second weddings too. Cinder again almost kills Weiss (she falls in the exact same position as in vol 5), but Jaune saves Weiss when he screams after killing Penny. Instead of saving Weiss by healing, he kills. There’s also some distinctive red and white imagery.

And then Winter arrives with a six-pointed star and birds before telling them to run together:

But again, I wouldn’t really call this one; it just has some imagery of one and fits a pattern, so I’m including it as a potential lead-in to an actual one in the void or later.

Ruby Rose/Oscar Pine (Rosegarden)

Like with Weiss/Jaune, I’ll be arguing a little bit about why I think this one is likely to end up romantic, too (for example, Cinder most recently in volume 8 used Oscar to taunt Ruby in a callback to using Pyrrha and Weiss to taunt Jaune).

Also: oh look, finally a wedding that isn’t violent. They just... meet. Which is also normal for a chemical wedding but less dramatic.

Behold, the bird uniting the solar king and lunar queen:

(Fun fact: unless CRWBY came up with ship names which I highly, highly doubt, this is pure coincidence, but it’s a funny one: the art series this image is taken from is called Rosarium Philosophorum--which literally means “rose garden philosophy.”)

Let’s look at the scene where Ruby and Oscar meet for the first time. What makes this a chemical wedding is in part how obvious their markings are and the overall imagery is in the scene.

They are united by Qrow (who in addition to being named after a bird can literally transform into a bird):

Oscar asks about Ruby specifically (yes, I know because Qrow’s her uncle, but the writing is telling us to focus on his relationship with her):

And immediately notes/is in awe that she has silver eyes (i.e. the moon):

Qrow seems to realize he’s done something momentous in a way that almost doesn’t entirely work within the frame of the narrative (but he is drunk, so).

The scenery of this room is also telling. The table is literally an Emerald Table, the legendary foundation of alchemy itself.

Once they sit and talk, behind Oscar are the elements of earth and water, which he represents, and also the moon, which while traditionally associated with earth and water, he does not (at least not as strongly as he’s associated with the sun/gold):

Similarly, behind Ruby we have the elements of fire and air (like, if you zoom in, they actually drew air), which she is marked as, and the sun, which again, she’s not as strongly associated with as she is with the moon:

In Splendor Solis, which CRWBY has referenced before, the Solar King does eventually end up grounded in the moon, and likewise the Lunar Queen in the sun:

Oscar and Ruby also do have oppositional arcs and roles: Ruby starts the series in the very first episode by being invited to Beacon two years early because of her leaping into action to stop Torchwick. She’s scolded for her recklessness, but immediately picked out as special because of her silver eyes. In contrast, Oscar is reluctant to leave his farm once Ozpin inhabits him; he refuses at first, and then once he does leave, is nervous and timid.

Anyways I wouldn’t be surprised if Qrow arrives in Vacuo with RWBYJ in tow and this time reunites Ruby with Oscar in an inverse. We’ll see.

I do want to say that I also see potential for Emerald Sustrai/Mercury Black, in that they often act as one and share a theme song, but I haven’t seen any actual visual references to a chemical wedding for them... yet.

#rwby meta #rwby theory #rwby volume eight #rwby vol 8 #rwby volume 8 #rwby volume 9 #weiss schnee #jaune arc #ruby rose #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #lie ren #nora valkyrie #oscar pine #alchemy #rosegarden #bumbleby #renora #white knight

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thesims4blogger · 3 years

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The Sims 4: New Game Patch (June 29th, 2021)

There’s a new Sims 4 update available for PC/Mac and Consoles.

PC: 1.76.81.1020 / Mac: 1.76.81.1220 / Console: Version 1.43

Remove all MODS and Custom Content before updating your game

Happy Summer everyone! We hope you are well wherever you are in the World. We have a Game Update that we hope you enjoy and some bug fixes.

Thanks again for your continued support and feedback! Stay cool and hydrated and if you are not in a warm season, stay warm and cozy.

Chau Chau!

-SimGuruRusskii

What’s New? Continuing our Summer of Sims, nothing says Summer like a music festival doesn’t it? Now you can experience them in The Sims! We welcome you to Sims Sessions with this update, a music festival where some of your favorite artists come together to entertain and to delight us with some of their most iconic songs. And we sure have a fantastic lineup for all of you!

Drumroll please…

Headlining the event, we have the award winning and critically acclaimed, two-time Grammy nominee, Bebe Rexha! She will be performing a magical, acoustic rendition of her song Sabotage.

Also performing we have Glass Animals, with their alternative, experimental sound that has captivated audiences across the globe. They will perform their top of the charts single Heat Waves.

Last but by no means least, is the soulful sound of Joy Oladokun! Recently deemed “2021 Artist to watch” by Amazon Music and NPR, Joy Oladokun’s words will stir all emotions and take you on a musical journey with the song breathe again.

Now that we have told you about our lineup, you must definitely NOT miss this event, I mean… Why would you? So let me tell you how to get there…

Sims Sessions will be hosted in Magnolia Blossom Park in Willow Creek on every Sunday (that is In Game Sunday), starting June 29 (TODAY) 10 a.m. PT to July 7 at 10 p.m. PT. Once Simmers load their game today (after updating the game of course) your Sims will get a message telling them about Sims Sessions (this will happen on in game Sunday in a new Save, but if you are not in a new save you will need to wait for it to be Sunday in your game after the Game Update), they will also receive a ticket in their inventory that they can view for more information and they will be able to travel to the location of the festival.

However, if your Sim is curious and absolutely cannot wait for the message, Sims can see the Sims Sessions pop up in the game in Willow Creek’s neighborhood map.

The festival venue will have vendors from which your Sims can buy merch and spots to relax and unwind while listening to amazing music.

We hope you enjoy this event! If you want to know more about Sims Sessions, you can visit the Sims Sessions website.

And with that we move on to the bug fixes…

Bug Fixes

Sims 4

Our master gardeners treated a few of our plants so they no longer reset to a previous growth stage randomly. If only life worked that way…

We fixed an issue where selected Create a Sim outfit parts on Sims were not showing up appropriately highlighted on the right side menu.

Teens generated with the Play with Genetics options in Create a Sim will no longer have Crow’s feet.

We have fixed an issue where Sims could not use stairs when Simmers deleted the floor of a fence block that was built around the stairs in the upper landing. It sounds like a mouthful, doesn’t it?

Fixed an issue where when Sims learned about the Likes and Dislikes of other Sims their Sim Profile became blank. I mean, unless they like or dislike nothing, that is… troubling.

Get Together

Snowy Escape

I see a little silhouetto of a Sim, Skiing next to me – Omg, Omg, this is not a ghost tho? All the snow activities were really frightening me! All fixed now? Fixed now? MAGNIFICO OOOO.

If you had noticed invisible Sims doing snow activities in your game because they switched boots on the slopes… worry not, it should be fixed.

Bust the Dust

Sims with the Slob Trait can now complete the Fabulously Filthy Aspiration goal of Letting at least one floor level of your home become dirty! #goals?

#news #ts4 #sims 4 #the sims 4 #game patch

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imaginesbymonika · 4 years

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The 36 year old bachelor | Simon Dominic x Reader

Prompt: Jay is done with Simon complaining about being single, that’s why he decides to introduce him to his celebrity crush.

Warnings: fluff

A/N: I read almost every single SD Imagine, so I decided to write my own

Song to listen to while reading:

Jay cares for Kiseok. He truly does. They’ve known each other for so many years- Jay absolutely couldn’t imagine his life without him. But sometimes... he disliked his friend with everything he got.

“It’s like as if my relationship status is more essential than my work as an artist.”, Kiseok exclaims. Whenever he got frustrated, his Busan accent became more notable - and right now it was more prominent than ever before.

It was an accessory sentence.

“ “As one of the most crucial and thriving rappers of Korea, his heart is owned by to none other than the music.” ”, Kiseok reads out loud:” “It seems like, there is no room in his life for love, but-.” First of all, who says I don’t have time for a girlfriend?-.”.

“You do?”,Jay asks, and wrinkles his forehead:” You declare that in nearly every single interview.”.

Without paying interest to his friend's statement, Kiseok proceeds to rant:” Second of all, it isn’t my fault that I’m single- I just haven’t met the right woman yet.”.

Jay massages the bridge of his nose:” That’s because your standards are not only high but whenever somebody asks you about them you say - “look at Y/N, then you know what I want.”.

At the sound of her name leaving his lips, Kiseok turns his head around to face his friend. He stares at him for a few seconds, before he tosses the magazine into the bin next to the couch in Jay's office, before he storms out.

A few seconds later, Gray enters the room, his eyes are wide open:” What’s wrong with him?”. Jay simply makes a hand gesture, before standing up from his spot behind the desk:” He is constantly complaining about being single- but when he has the chance to date, I mean the line is long-“.

Gray nods. “He doesn’t make a move, I promise you- even if the perfect woman would stand in front of him. He would still not make a move.”.

“We need to get that man out of his shell.”,Gray says while sitting down on the couch. He looks at his friend. “And I feel like, I already know who to call.”.

Y/N debuted three years ago with a girl group under SM Entertainment. As the lead rapper, and oldest of the group she quickly had a specific reputation. She was admired by many, but she also had a few more haters than the rest of the girls due to her confidence and taste in fashion.

“Wait- I’m supposed to do what exactly?”, the young woman asks and her eyes widen. She sits on the opposite side of Jay’s desk and stares at him in confusion.

Jay and Y/N had met two years ago, backstage at an award show, and became friends nearly immediately. She told him, no matter what- she would always answer his calls. And she kept her promise.

“You’re like his ideal type.”,Jay explains:” I want to wake him up, from whatever bizarre trance he’s stuck in. Also, Y/N... Sources told me that you find Kiseok quite attractive as well.”.

“Oh shut up.”,Y/N mumbles softly while her cheek turns red. Jay let out a high pitch laugh, while his friend runs a hand through her hair.

“Okay, so we will go into the main area of this building-.”, he turns on his phone to check the time:” Right now, he’s probably eating with Loco and Gray.“. As they wander through the hallways he proceeds to clarify his plan:” Act like this-.”, he makes a hand gesture pointing from him to her:” is natural and no staged at all. Okay.”.

Y/N chuckles:” Sure.”.

“And that is why I truly believe-.”, Kiseok who takes a sip of his water stop talking and starts coughing. Gray and Loco both stare at their friend in surprise while Hyukwoo is the first one to react. He turns around and when his eyes land on Jay and Y/N he softly slaps Grays shoulder:” Would you look at that.”.

“Is that-?.”

“Y/N.”,Kiseok finishes his sentence before he takes another sip of his water: “This-.“.

He watches how Jay points at him as if he notices him for the first time and makes his way over to their table. Closely followed by the young musician.

„Hey.“.he says and smiles at Kiseok: “I wanted to introduce you to my good friend Y/N.”. She smiles and bows at him. He feels how his throat becomes dry, as he smiles back. He holds out his hand:” I’m Kiseok.”. “It’s nice to meet you, I am Y/N.”.

Later that evening, Kiseok drove to the small traditional restaurant Jay made a reservation at. He closes the door and thanks the Uber driver before he steps into the small building. When he can’t hear his friends, he furrows his forehead but continues to make his way towards the back room.

As soon as he walks through the door a sigh escapes his lips when he notices that only Y/N is sitting at the table.

“They’re not showing up, are they?”, he asks, making the young woman look up from her phone. She smiles softly but shakes her head. He nods and sits down in front of her.

“Can I be honest with you?”, she asks and Kiseok, who lays his jacket to the side nods. “I’m just here because Jay wants to prove some ridiculous point of his.”. Simon Dominic looks at her in confusion. “He said, that you’re often complaining about being single- but even if somebody like me, who is supposedly your ideal type comes along, you would still think twice. Because at the end of the day, you’re the one standing in your own way.”.

Kiseok stares at her, he opens his mouth slightly, but when no words leave his lips he closes it again. “If you want to take off, I get that. I truly do.”, she once again smiles at him, and grabs the menu card. After a few minutes, she puts it down again and when she sees that the rapper is still sitting in front of her she chuckles:” You’re not leaving?”.

“Why would I? A beautiful woman is sitting right in front of me. I would be a fool if I didn’t take that chance”.

Y/N’s eyes widen. “Don’t tell Jay, but he is right. I guess I’m just frightened. You see, I’m almost 37- the media characterizes me as some old bachelor. I don’t wish for that. I’m nothing like that. I’m simply terrible at dealing with rejection, so before anyone could do that- I’m dismissing every woman that comes my way. And well, there is another aspect, that he has right- you are my ideal type. So, I feel like I’m winning tonight.”.

Y/N chuckles. “But I’m serious, don’t tell Jay. He will never let me live that down.”.

#Spotify #jung kiseok #simon dominic #jung kiseok x reader #jung kiseok imagine #simon dominic x reader #simon dominic imagine #fluff #aomg scenarios #aomg imagines #aomg loco #aomg gray #loco #gray #jay park #imagine #khh imagine #khh x reader

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kookiepredictions · 4 years

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Jungkook Ideal Type

This was a request so I thought I’d start from here.

Jungkook has high expectations in terms of ideal type because he actually has very small expectations from them. This is obviously confusing so I will explain.

As mentioned in an earlier post, in a relationship, Jungkook is a very giving person. He hardly ever thinks about what he can get from the person he loves. Most of his fantasies are about what wants to give to them. However, he is pretty aware of this personality trait in himself and knows that it is something that can be easily manipulated. This is why his screening process of letting people in is so strict and fussy. He wants to make sure that the person who will be the subject of all of this generous affection, is someone who naturally understands what he needs without him having to ask or demand, because it’s not his natural personality to ask for anything. Even if he needs something, which everyone does, he will just keep it to himself and stay hurting on his own when no one understands it. He is quite aware of this whole process and cycle and therefore feels that he needs to be extra careful of who he brings into this. This is why his ideal type personality traits are so nit-picky-like. They mainly cover the aspects of the ability to understand his own personality traits, which are complex and quite confusing, often even to himself.

Now getting to the specifics, the previous point leads to the most important characteristic that Jungkook wants in his partner: someone who understands him in all his myriad moods. When Jungkook is in his best form, he is the best partner, friend, son, brother, colleague that anyone can even hope to have in a lifetime. But no one is always is their best form and Jungkook is no exception. But what sets him apart from most people is that he has a general awareness of this, and therefore knows that when he goes into his dark place, he is also a really difficult person to handle. And he thinks it would take someone exceptionally understanding to stand by him in those moments. He fears that anyone who gets into a relationship with him only for his good, brighter moments, will stand to be shocked at his not-so-bright moments and then will start unloving or possibly even hating him and it will leave him with a heartbreak that he will never recover from. It’s also a possibility that he has already had an experience of this kind and therefore is even more careful about who he chooses now.

Jungkook has an innate ability of aesthetically appreciating beauty and his head is bound to turn at the sight of someone pretty, but the majority of it is in a more artistic manner, so the subject of beauty can be a woman, or a man or an object or anything else, without always having a romantic or sexual connotation. So although he is a “man” man who enjoys looking at beautiful people with the occasional thought of “smash-worthy” in his mind, he’s also the type to judge a face on its closeness to the golden ratio. It’s just the artist in him lol. When it comes to relationships, Jungkook is definitely the type to find someone a lot more beautiful when he develops feelings for them. Someone can look really average in the books, but if Jungkook is in love with them, they are the MOST BEAUTIFUL person in the world and no Maxim cover model can ever compare to them in his eyes.

Having said that, he appreciates a person who takes care of themselves. It’s an often misunderstood demand because people might think he wants someone skinny and perfect but his mindset behind it is really his own principle of prioritizing health and fitness in life. It’s something he does for himself because he believes it to be important and right. Therefore someone he would spend his whole life with should naturally prioritize this as well, because he doesn’t want to spend his whole life convincing or arguing about something that should be considered as a necessity. However, he doesn’t have a set body type that he idealizes. For him, the personality trumps looks and if he does expect his partner to look a certain way, especially now that he is a famous idol, it’s because he knows that whoever will become his partner will be subjected to a lot of judgement and criticism from really harsh people and the media, so he feels that someone who naturally has an understanding and love of their physical upkeep, will not have to go through an unnecessarily rough time adapting to these societal demands. Interestingly though, personally, Jungkook is a lot more lenient about his partner’s looks. Being a K Pop idol has actually desensitized him to physical appearances because he constantly sees both the before and after glam-room changes, and he now values the things that do not change with or without makeup. Even at his age, he’s the type of mature who knows that no one, no matter how beautiful, will always stay looking the same way, and that if one’s love is dependent on such a fleeting thing, they will never find true fulfillment in life. Peep the old interview in Sydney where BTS members were asked to describe their ideal type in one word and Jungkook said “nice girl”. He has the makings of being the type of husband who, you know how women’s bodies change when they give birth, would shower even more compliments about how great they look so that they don’t feel insecure about themselves. The flipside of this is that if he ends up disliking someone, they’d better run for the hills because Jungkook will say and do everything to make them feel worse about everything about themselves even though he actually doesn’t mean it nor does he consider anyone unattractive for their physical appearance. He tends to be a lot more critical about his own looks that others’.

Besides being someone who can fully and patiently understand him, Jungkook has no other “demands” from his partner. He’s flexible about everything else. It’s just that understanding Jungkook automatically means that his partner has to have a set of really complex and nimble personality traits themselves. Patience and empathy are key elements here. Don’t be too quick to judge him. Like any other 22 year old, he’s in a stage of forming and crafting his own life view, so there are plenty of rough edges that show through without him intending as such. Be willing to listen to his viewpoints without instantly adjudging him wrong. Be open-minded as well as aware of your own limitations. Are you judging him because he is wrong or are you judging him because of your own limitations in thoughts and beliefs? There is that little window of exchange that Jungkook opens and if he feels violated off his own freedom of thought and speech, he quickly shuts it down. On the contrary, the more space he is given to be himself and figure things out for himself, the bigger that window gets and eventually one day, there is no wall at all.

Jungkook admires someone with their own goals and ambitions. It doesn’t have to a very big goal, it just has to be your own and something you are really passionate about. He doesn’t expect his partner to be a hugely successful anything or bring in a lot of money to the table. Jungkook tends to hold this concept that he has to be the bread-earner of his family, so he doesn’t depend on anyone else for his own material needs (kind of a reason why he moved out of his home to follow his own career path so early in his life), so it’s really not about the money or the status. Rather, because of this wanting to be the provider, he tends to feel insecure if his partner is a little too passionate or successful in their own career because then he starts to worry if he will ever mange to match up to that, but that is a minor egocentric blockage that he has to work on which I feel like he will. The reason why he wants his partner to have their own passion is because Jungkook himself doesn’t work solely for money. He works (or at least really wants to) for his ideas and visions. And he needs someone to understand the importance of this in his life.

Although he seems quiet and introverted, Jungkook really enjoys a good conversation. His Aquarius dominated chart really shows through here. It is a stimulant for him to the point that it can be foreplay lol. Jungkook doesn’t engage in any and every conversation because 1) he’s not interested in superficial small talk all the time, and 2) it’s sad really that he has been, for the most part of his life, not taken seriously for his speaking or even thinking skills. He’s been more treated as this person with the “body” and everything a body can do (I’m mostly talking about singing, dancing, exercise, but yeah what you’re all thinking about as well), so he keeps the “mind” part more to himself and only opens up when he feels like he won’t be judged or belittled for what he has to say, because secretly though, he knows that he’s a lot smarter than a lot of people around him. But since he has been directly or tactically told to shut the hell up all his life, he now does it on his own without having to be told. But of course, he wants the one he chooses to spend his whole life with, to be someone who wouldn’t do that and with whom he can have many hours of conversations with.

This directly says that his ideal type can’t be someone who is overcritical of them. That is because Jungkook is overcritical of himself and what he needs is someone to balance that out by encouraging and motivating him to see his better side, and even when he needs to be corrected or critiqued, which he actually wants his partner to do for him, it has to be with genuine love and understanding and not with the intent of insulting him. His own mind and self-talk is pretty demeaning to himself that erodes his self esteem every day, and he doesn’t need someone to add to that.

He likes someone who speaks with love and gentleness but he can also tell when someone is being a fake sweet talker so don’t try that on him lol. He likes honesty with respect. Also when he said in his interviews that he wants someone who can teach him new things via a relationship, he wasn’t lying. A lot of things he wants in his ideal partner are also things that he wants to learn for himself. So if he wants his partner to be honest and respectful, it doesn’t mean he only wants them to be that way while he gets the clean chit to do whatever he wants. Rather, he wants his partner to be that way because he wants to learn to fully embody those qualities too.

Jungkook has a very dominant masculine type personality, and deep down, he longs for that to be balanced. This is why he actually craves for someone with an equally strong personality as his own, who won’t be daunted by the strong aspects of him, yet be fluid enough to fill in the cracks and crevices as needed. The yin to his yang. Like I said, Jungkook’s ideal type right now is flexible for the most part. It is less of ticking from a list of “I want this and this and that” or how she looks and is on the outside, and more of who will best match and adapt with his personality which is also changing every day. This “match” also has to be beneficial for his partner because he believes that an ideal relationship is about the happiness of both people, and when he’s interested in someone, he’s often obsessed with the thought of whether he can keep them happy. So his ideal type is someone who not only fulfills him, but someone whose needs he can fulfill as well.

#jungkookprediction #jungkook #jeon jeongguk #jeonjungkook #BTS jungkook #bts jeongguk #jeongguk #jungkook prediction #bts prediction #btsprediction #jungkook ideal type #jungkookidealtype

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altair-native · 3 years

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My Top 10 Albums of 2020

Now that the longest and craziest year in history is finally over, I figured now would be a good time to reflect and look back at some positive things from 2020. Despite concerts and tours being cancelled, and many bands and artists postponing albums due to not being able to promote them, there was a lot of really fantastic music released this year. Here are some of my favorites!

Honorable Mention: Money Money 2020 Part II by The Network

Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool (plus some friends) brought back an old side project from 2003 this year called The Network. This album is a follow up to their debut album Money Money 2020, and was a huge surprise. I wasn’t sure where to put it on my top 10 list, but I still wanted to talk about it because it ended up being much better than the actual Green Day record we got this year. They experiment with lots of different sounds on this album, and while some of them are definitely meant to be satire, there are some seriously great songs on here that give me hope that future Green Day albums could be much better.

Favorite Song: Fentanyl

Now, on to the top 10:

#10 Last Room by waveform*

The first of many surprise additions to the list, Last Room is a really great album stocked full of songs that are all pretty short, but each stands out on its own. waveform* is really good at making songs that capture the listener’s attention. This is definitely a band that I want to hear more of, and I’m excited to dive deeper into their discography this year!

Favorite Song: Miner’s Lullaby

#9 Petals For Armor by Hayley Williams

After years of being in Paramore, Hayley Williams has finally released her first solo album! Paramore’s 2017 album After Laughter experimented with lots of different sounds, and was also a very personal record lyrically, so it’s no surprise that Hayley took a similar approach here. These songs are a way for her to open up about her life and branch out more and she succeeds on this record. Even if you’re not a fan of Paramore I highly recommend checking this one out.

Favorite Song: Why We Ever

#8 Some Still Morning by Handsome Ghost

I’ve already talked a bit about this album (it was even my first review on this blog!) but I feel like the more I’ve listened to it, the more I’ve started to love the songs that first stuck out to me. I still feel like some of the songs sound a bit too similar, but when the duo branch out and try new things on this record, it’s some of their best work.

Favorite Song: Christmas In Jersey

#7 Healer by Grouplove

Something that has always been true about Grouplove’s music is that it is insanely catchy, and this holds true with their newest record Healer. I’ve liked a lot of their music before, but for some reason this album connected with me on a way that their other music hasn’t. I feel like this album came out at the perfect time for me, because it has a lot of themes about growing up and dealing with the crazy world we live in. If you’ve never listened to Grouplove and want to check them out, I think that Healer is definitely a good starting place.

Favorite Song: Hail to the Queen

#6 Folklore by Taylor Swift

I’ve had a history of really disliking Taylor Swift’s music, especially her earlier albums. I guess for those it was due to overexposure, but with some of her more recent albums (especially 2013′s Red) I actually found there were certain songs I actually liked. Her albums as a whole, however, have always felt bogged down by their singles which often don’t sound like they fit with the rest of the album. When I heard she had announced an album coming out that night, I was very curious. After listening to it, Folklore fixed every issue I’ve had with her previous albums, and I love how she’s shifted her lyrics to focus on telling stories. I didn’t expect a Taylor Swift album to end up on my top 10 list for any year, but 2020 was definitely full of surprises!

Favorite Song: Seven

#5 Possession by Joywave

I had discovered Joywave one day on YouTube by accident, and immediately wanted to hear more from them. Their songs are always so unique and creative, and after seeing them open up for Bastille in October 2019, I got really excited for their third album. They have incredible energy on stage, and that energy is reflected perfectly in their music, especially on this album. It was one of my most anticipated records of 2020, and it seriously lived up to the hype.

Favorite Song: Half Your Age

#4 Figure by Into It. Over It

Yet another accidental discovery, Figure blew me away the first time I listened to it. I was immediately drawn in from the first track, and each song delivers something truly special. I had to listen to this album all the way through multiple times to really take it all in. I planned on doing a full review of it here, but felt I needed to look into the lyrics and the meanings behind the songs a little more to fully understand it. Now, Into It. Over It has been on repeat for a good chunk of the past couple months. Evan Thomas Weiss is an incredible songwriter and really talented musician, and I seriously recommend checking out his music.

Favorite Song: Brushstrokes

#3 Leave What’s Lost Behind by Colony House

Colony House are a band that I discovered a few years ago, and their first two albums quickly became favorites of mine.Their intriguing instrumentals along with Caleb Chapman’s powerful vocals make their music really fun to listen to, and like Joywave they put on a fantastic show even when they’re just the opening act. I had been looking forward to the follow up to 2017′s Only The Lonely, and this record definitely lived up to my expectations, even if I prefer the latter album a little more. There are definitely some incredible songs here, a few of which are among the best in Colony House’s discography.

Favorite Song: The Hope Inside

#2 Zeros by Declan McKenna

For whatever reason, I didn’t listen to this album when it first came out, but when I did eventually get around to listening to it I fell in love. Declan McKenna has always been a really great songwriter, but this album in particular shows just how talented the 22 year old singer is. Blending sounds from different eras of rock along with some more modern production, Zeros is an absolute masterpiece of an album.

Favorite Song: Twice Your Size

#1 Dreamland by COIN

Even though Zeros got really close to taking the number one spot, my personal favorite of the year is still COIN’s third album Dreamland (not to be confused with the Glass Animals album of the same name also from 2020). COIN is a band that just keeps on getting better, and even after losing a member back in 2018, they’ve still managed to grow and improve their sound. Dreamland takes everything I’ve loved about COIN’s music and adds to it. If you haven’t listened to this album and are a fan of indie pop bands like Flor, Smallpools and Young the Giant, then you should definitely give this album a listen!

Favorite Song: Nobody’s Baby

Thank you for checking out my list of my favorite albums from this past year! I’d love to know what you guys think and if we have any of the same albums on our list :)

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socanon · 3 years

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This post is more of a rant, because by dint of holding back sooner or later a person explodes. It's frustrating not being able to speak your (unpopular) mind for fear of a herd of crazed fans descending on me. But on Tumblr I feel a little safer than on other social media, so I can speak my mind. I love David Tennant, I have a lot of respect for him, but I don't like Georgia. Yes, I do, can you believe it? I've never liked her, and that's not to say I hate her. At first I didn't care for her, but then - I think also because of her fanbase - I started to dislike her. I'm not saying people shouldn't like her or anything like that, but I think people should calm down a bit. This woman is being worshipped like she's Jesus Christ and there are a lot of people who seem to go crazy and talk about her as if they know her personally. "She is beautiful, extraordinary, fantastic, etc". She may be, but how do people know for sure? Based on what they see on the web? It doesn't work like that. She's a human being, like everyone else. Honestly, even for David himself I don't see such a crazy fanbase (in general I don't like it when you have to idolize someone, whether they are famous or not). In my opinion this woman is really too overrated, also from an artistic point of view. I don't think she has any acting skills, nor a great career (yes, she took part in Staged, but because she was David Tennant's wife), the only thing she's remembered for is the Doctor Who episode (I know she took part in other minor roles, but that's what she's mainly remembered for). Also, I'm not going to hide the fact that I'm one of those people who believes that between Michael Sheen and David Tennant, and by something I don't mean a "lovers" relationship, I mean I see some real feeling there. I think it has something to do with my dislike of Georgia though (Anna Lundbergs doesn't bother me that much, even though I think her affair with Michael is all a sham). Especially in the last few months I've noticed some really obnoxious attitudes from her. But I think the thing that bothers me the most is people who take for granted: "She is perfect" or "They are the perfect couple". Do you know them personally? I don't think so, so why are you convinced? For all we know they could be one of those couples who fight from morning to night, it's clear they will never show it to us. I hope it is clear what I mean, you cannot say certain things just because they 'appear' in a certain way. But this is just a parenthesis and it's an argument that applies to everyone, famous and not. The point of the speech is that it is frustrating not to be able to say one's own opinions without being told that I (and those who think like me) are stupid, bad, don't understand anything, etc. It doesn't work like that. It doesn't work like that. I respect everyone's opinions even if I don't share them. Well, that's my opinion, where I haven't offended anyone and I sincerely hope no one is offended, also because it's my personal opinion.

#david tennant #my opinion #sorry not sorry #i don't like it #georgia tennant

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missingartist · 4 years

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The Witcher’s Mate Chapter 22

-Geralt was struggling. It was not something he liked to admit, but being so close to Adva and not being able to touch or talk to her was the most intense pain he had ever felt. He had taken her at her word and left his mate alone, giving her a wide berth, all the while staring longingly as she went about her business. Thankfully, she spent most of her time with Ciri, training or in the library. Geralt could barely contain it when Vesemir spent more than 5 minutes in her company, let alone Jaskier. The way the bard slide in next to her as she worked at the table or slung his arm around her shoulder had cost several clay mugs and three chair arms. The bard was doing it on purpose he was sure of that, even now Jaskier was strumming out some filthy ballad.

‘Here she saw little Smitty Jones, walking in the crowd "Come home with me, little Smitty Jones, come home with me tonight. Come home with me, little Smitty Jones, and sleep with me till light"’ the brunette cooed in an off-pitch warble.

The gentle giggle tinkled out into the air, and her eyes light up in a bright glare as she laughed. A surge of unbridled jealousy roared within him. She hadn’t some much as look at him like that since that night. That fatefully night. Throwing a glare across at the singing minstrel, Geralt slammed closed the book sending Triss and Vesemir into a series of splutters as a cloud of dust billowed into the air as well as sending the various scroll clattering across the table and scattered onto the floor before and storming out the room.

The Witcher flew out of the room into the main hallway. Unfortunately, the first thing he saw was a grand antique cabinet, the poor thing was wretched from the wall and sent screeching across the polished floor, a thick gash cracked down the main body of the wood. Grunting, Geralt pulled his hand down his face, a roar vibrated from his chest, echoing across the hall as his hand caught sight of the blue sweat that glistened in the weak sunlight that beams in through the stain glass window. The blue substance that Triss had been painting across his body no coated the majority of his body. It was another constant reminder that Adva had rejected him. Everywhere he went, he left a trail of blue. Despite only wearing the thinnest material he continued to drip with sweat, the sticky ooze had lost most of its potency, barely giving him an hour of relief. Soon he would have to leave, the last of his control was ebbing away. It took all his strength not to sweep in, throw Adva on the table and rip her dress off before burying himself in her thighs and sticking his teeth into her tender flesh. The hours he had spent imaging the bonding, it would happen in several stages, and all of them lead to Adva becoming a panting puddle underneath him, begging to be his. There was only one thing he wanted more than that, and that was her marking him, her longing for him to be hers. But no, at the current situation that would not be happening, and he would need to leave soon before he became feral and gods know what he would do if that happened.

‘My, My, such an angry Witcher! It seems your little mermaid has gone off you.’ Yennefer purred as she revealed herself from behind a stone pillar.

Turn round golden eyes trained on to the mage, a silent sigh running down his body. The dress was, compared to the other he had had to endure, was relatively tame. A velvet halter strap encircled her delicate neck and a tight correct displayed firm breast and a toned waist before the black velvet fell over her hip in a billowing skirt. At least she was wearing clothes this time. For the last ten days, he had seen his former lover naked eight times, the last time sprawled in his new bedroom down by the lake. Since her last attempt to seduce him in the armoury, Geralt took sanctuary in the old lake hunt to rid himself of the mages unwanted advances – and not to tempt himself with any midnight strolls past Adva room.

‘Yennefer don’t.’ Ciri bite in rolling her eyes at the older woman.

‘He needs to know Ciri. She has barely said anything to him since we have arrived. I was just trying to get a rise you when I said she preferred Jaksier but seems I was right all along she does like that singing turd.’ The purple eyes mage pushed, resting her hand on his chest, nails scratching likely against his sensitive skin.

‘Fuck off Yennefer.’ Geralt sneered, flinching away towards the courtyard.

‘You have been ignoring me. I don’t get ignored Geralt; you know that.’ Yennefer snapped, trailing after him, an ugly sneer forming on her face as the Witcher dodge all of her grasps. ‘Geralt…please, we used to be good together.’

She knew she sound despite, but she was too far gone to care. It had been a long time since she felt rejected; her transformation made almost certain of it. She was after all sculpted by the best artist, so why was she being cast aside by Adva. She was no great beauty, passing pretty at the very most yet Geralt was in love with her, and no matter how she demined herself, he didn’t so much as falter. Hitching up her skirts, she trailed after him, grasping at his arm.

‘Geralt…Geralt please.’ Yennefer winced at her needy voice as forced herself in front of him.

Geralt growled down at the bronzed woman in from; the annoying mage had pushed herself in front of his path. Glaring at her, he felt a pang of guilt as she stared up at him desperately with big pleading eyes. He had understood her pain, but every time he felt the first blossoming of sympathy, he remembered Adva, bloodied and battered after being pushed through the floor and the barbed comments forced towards his timid mate.

‘We never were, you never cared enough; I just didn’t realise. Enough Yennefer. Enough. THIS stops now. GO!’ Geralt snarled lowly, before storming off down the path.

‘Great. It's your fault, you know.’ Ciri prodded ‘If you hadn’t manipulated and used him for your own selfish things, he wouldn’t have left and properly would never have stumbled across Adva in that backwater town.’ Ciri snapped.

‘Are you seriously blaming this on me.’ Yennefer yapped as she blinked away, angry tears.

‘Yes. You should be happy for them. Instead, you're making both their lives miserable.’

Ciri loved Yennefer; she would always be her mother, raising her from a scarred little princess into the strong Witcher she was now, soothed her through her trials, fought her corner when Geralt was being his gruff self and refusing to treat her like the adult she was becoming. However, now she felt like the parent of a petulant child, throwing a tantrum because someone had picked up a toy they were no longer bothered with.

‘Don’t I deserve happiness. I knew she would take everything from me, and I was right. First, she takes Geralt, then Triss and now you. The little bitch is up to something I can see it.’ Yennefer yelled.

‘She didn’t take us away. You pushed us. Adva would never take Geralt away; he would always be there for you, and so would she. That’s your problem; you can never see something good in someone. Someone Geralt who can worship without getting cast away. Adva is Geralt soulmate, someone who will love him in the way he needs, selflessly and unconditionally. Can you say you have ever done the same? Adva is a good person; you just have to look into her eyes and see that?’ Ciri pushed

Yennefer let out an unholy scratch as she conjured a bright yellow ball of fire and launched it into the air. Ciri watched silently as Yennefer blasted out a wave of energy knocking down two poor trees that stood innocent at the side before marching off into the forest.

‘Yen…’ Ciri started on after her, but something stopped her. Inhaling deeply, she caught the scent again; it was faint, so faint that it was almost hidden under all the others, almost. It was suspicious, not that the scent was faint or even that it mingled with the other to the point that is was almost undetectable but it what it smelt like. Like the sea, well like seaweed, that healthy smell of salty vegetation mixed with clean cotton. In passing, she might have brushed it off as Adva fragrance, but this was distinctly different; she had spent enough time with her mentors’ mate to know every note of her aroma. Narrowing her eyes, she gave one lingering look towards the path the raging mage had made through the wood before shaking her head and making her way off after the scent.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yennefer growled as she sent a ball of fire across the tops of the trees. The smell of burning foliage pulled at her nose as she eyed the smouldering treetops, now all scorched in a perfect line, blacked and charred. A grin of satisfaction stretched other her face as she squared her shoulders and launched the biggest ball of fire she could at the largest tree closet to her which coincidentally looked the most like Adva head.

‘Such a pretty for a beautiful creature like yourself to be cast aside for such an unworthy thing as the Adva girl.’ A lone voice purred behind her.

Whirling around Yennefer was met by a man with a vivid green eye of a suave nobleman. Violet eyes rolled over him, with deep mistrust. No one, NO ONE came up to the mountain, the forest was too thick, impenetrable, filled with all sort of monsters and danger. Merchants and bandits stumbled up from time to time but never this far and never wearing something that fine. The man was dressed in the finery of a king, a rich quilted jacket in a mix of leather and silk. It sat tight against his chest, showing a toned and crafted body from hours of torturous training. He was tall and lean, learning cockily against the tree staring intensely at her.

‘And why would you care?’ Yennefer reeled back, hand posed and ready as she observed the man.

He let her take him in, unmoving from his positions on the tree as he spoke softly ‘I am what you might call a concerned member of society. I dislike jumped up usurpers.’ The man smiled, pushing himself off the tree and slowly, ever so slowly making his way to stand in front of her ‘I am here to propose a plan..’

‘And what makes you think I will help you with your plan.’ Yennefer snorted, edging herself to the corner of the clearing.

Yennefer did not like it. Not at all, the man was too clean-cut, to pristine. And while Geralt was not in her favourite list right now, she still did not want Kaer Morhen besieged by some arseholes, that would put Ciri in danger since she would rather die than leave. Yet, he stood in front of her arm out. Palm facing her, if he was some assassin or enemy he was a very poor one, he had let her have the advantage the second he made a move Yennefer could send out a deadly blast or teleport him to some unknown fair corner of the world, and that made him interesting and worthy of her attention.

‘My plan permanently gets Adva out of the picture.’

‘And how do you think you would do that? She is protected by two highly skilled Witchers, the Lady of Space and Time, a powerful mage and singing idiot.’

‘With your help, of course. What do you think?’ The man smiled widely, and he inched towards her.

Being a court mage for many years had taught Yennefer to remain impassive, the slight glimmer of emotion would reveal you are true indention and immediately set off a chain reaction of those who opposed your idea or intention. To say there wasn’t a burning desire to rid herself of that kitchen maid was putting it lightly however even before she became a mage she had learnt that if a man offered you something that you truly desired that it was always too good to be true. She did not like him at all; he gave out a claggy feeling, the sort of person who clung to you link a leech and didn’t let go till she had drained you of what he needed.

‘I think… I would go warn them so we can all kick you well-polished arse together’ Yennefer hissed as a purple light bubbled up from her tanned palms and gave off a humming glow.

‘Don’t disappoint me. I have spent so long appreciating you. We are much alike; we know what we like, and when we want it and we have both been cast aside by that wretch. I will kill Adva one way or another, but this way…this way is easier, cleaner and this way you get what you want.’ The man whispered, softly taking her hand and kissing it.

Lowering her attack, she watched as he once again retreated back before answering ‘And what is it that you want?’

‘I have the discretion to breathe life into that barren void between your legs and all I require in return is your help in getting rid of a pest, a blight on the face of the earth. The death of a creature, a deformed halfling who should never have been granted life. In exchange, you will be given the Witcher and a baby. All you have to is isolated and distract the little thing.’ The man said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

‘If you can do what you say…., that is powerful magic. Why do you need my help? It’s not like she some skill warrior Mage.’ Yennefer quarried.

‘You underestimate her, you all do. You have no idea truly what she could be capable of, and if we continue to let her breath, she could find out. ‘The man purred, reaching out to touch her face in a soft caress. ‘I will make it look like an attack, and that you fiercely tried to save her, it will be clean a quick, just lure her to the edge of the forest on the northside.’

‘And how do you know that you’ll honour the agreement?’

Pushing himself back, the man pulled a small silver blade from his belt and drew it across his palm. The blood trickled down the pale silver skin, the droplet of blood where brighter than any ruby in almost look like poppy juice and it run down his hand and dripped drop by drop onto the forest floor but it had that smell of blood, of bitter copper mixed with the tangy scent of freshly forged iron.

‘I solemnly swear, that if you help me get rid of Adva, I will ensure your womb is restored to you, and the girls claim on Geralt will be void. I give this oath in honour, and if I divert from our deal, I shall be struck down.’

The man held out his bloodstain hand to hear the hum of the blood know gave out a near ear-deafening vibration as the blood thicken and turned sticky on his palm. Blood oaths where primitive magic but effective, if the oath promiser diverted from the agreement in any shape or form the magic would strike him down without mercy or thought. That is why people had stopped using it; they were too deadly, the magic took the promise very literally with often deadly consequences. Plus it left a hideous reminder to both parties in the shape of a bloodstained on the hand, a stain so deep it could never be removed, only when the oath was fulfilled was the stain washed away. A troubling thought cross Yennefer’s mind, several in fact but the most concerning thing was the deal, he made no mention of her making the same deal, to pledge herself to his cause. Instead, it was entirely on him; he asked no reassurance he was either very stupid, which she didn’t believe if he had slipped into Kaer Morhen without either of the Witchers noticing meaning he was at the very least he was intelligent enough to remain undetected. Which meant he was desperate, either running out of time or, willing to trust a stranger, to aid him in his quest for end Adva, believing her hatred for Adva would be enough to ensure loyalty.

Narrowing her eyes, she reached out her hand grimacing as she gelt the stick liquid seep into her hand. ‘How do you propose to lure her away?’

‘With this’ the man smirked and pulled out an emerald scroll.

I am so sorry! I had this chapter all planned out then my summer completely went up in flames, my lovely summer of reading and writing is now cancelled. Updates might be patchy for now as my school is trying to get ready for reopening in September and honestly no one knows what is happening and everyone is panicking. I am also trying to find somewhere to live as if and when we go back, I can’t risk taking the virus back to my family who is very vulnerable with not much luck. So as you can imagine, everything is a bit unstable, but please be sure that I am always thinking about my next chapter and nothing make me happier that people want to read my ramblings.

Thank you to everyone who said congratulation. It was so lovely.

The next chapter is planned just need to find time to write it. Stay safe!

@threepupsinapuddle @broco8 @introvertedmouse @luxyash @vikingsbifrost @pastelblogsposts @wastingmypotential @whitespring21 @ayamenimthiriel @wonderlandfandomkingdom @shesthelastjedi @fandom-lover-4 @sageandberries-png @just-a-sad-donut @alicia-d-o @dreamerwithapen1 @evangeline73aster

#witcher #geralt imagine #witcher geralt #geralt of rivia #Geralt #geralt smut #geralt x reader #geralt x smut #geralt x oc #thewitcher #witcher fanfiction #witcher 3

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mwolf0epsilon · 4 years

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BATIM - Helping Hand

Summary: All stories have a beginning and an end. Henry’s ended with kindness, Joey’s began with cruelty.

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Back when he’d been trying to reintegrate into civilian life after going to war, Henry had no conceivable way of explaining his experiences in an eloquent fashion. It was very difficult to put into words the sort of visceral feelings that made his chest tighten with a mixture of white hot panic and instinctual terror. There were no feasible words to express the sensation of looking another human being in the eyes and knowing that they were just as reluctant to be there, and that one of them had to die for the other to live. War was a topic that muted him to a somewhat permanent degree. Too hard for him to talk about. But the studio? The horrifying atrocities Joey had committed in his absence? The lengths he'd gone to get what he wanted? That was the one horrific happenstance in which he could find his voice and curse out a supposed friend for their heinous crimes, especially when he found himself back on that familiar doorstep that led him into that repeating nightmare... The mockery of a long-dead dream. Yes, Henry Stein, the man of few words, would end up spewing out as many acidic profane words that he could conjure up on the spot. So foul they were that they would have had a sailor as shocked and disgusted as a blushing nun. Not that anyone could judge him for it. A man of routine could only bend so much to the insatiable will of another, before he slowly found himself pushed over the precipice of madness. It was by pure miracle he hadn't lost his senses long ago. Because, thankfully, Henry made due with what little leniency and creativity he had to keep himself entertained. Every few loops he changed things up just a little bit.

The “Long Runs” as he called them, were a respite of sorts Henry had concocted long ago as a means to give himself a break from the main storyline Joey so vehemently forced him through, with little to no choice in the matter. They were, in a sense, somewhat of a sacred thing. His sanctuary, as Sammy would put it, and one that he'd long since forced his puppeteer not to disturb. If Joey didn't want his marionette to flop onto the ground in defiance of restarting the same old stale song and dance all over again, he'd have to allow him some time to relax and get back on his game. Otherwise Henry would simply sit down and refuse to even go near the Ink Machine, much less begin this charade. Without the hellish thing as his driving point, it’s not like Joey could find any reason to push him forward anyway. Not without the Ink Demon being let out to take on its role of the relentless hunter. So, having learned this, Joey seemed to begrudgingly allow him to explore the studio to his heart’s content without pushing him to do anything that would immediately set him towards that final stage. That repetitive speech that made less and less sense the more Henry experienced it.

On these breaks Henry took his time and did what he’d done back when he was a kid: He people watched. An odd hobby, but one that taught him something quite valuable about creating characters. Traits and qualities. Everyone had a way of being that was entirely unique to them. Be it the way they walked, if they spoke just with their mouth or with their hands, or how they chose to project themselves out in the world. Dress and speech patterns, certain ritualistic habits, likes and dislikes...All things tended to be readable on a person if you just stopped, watched and listened for long enought. Which is why, on every one of these breaks, Henry took the time to figure out everyone’s gimmicks. Soon after, he’d started his little gestures of kindness...

It all started with the swollen searcher with the nice hat. Jack Fain, the once lyricist that had aided in getting the right words to Sammy’s jolly little tunes. Henry had been absentmindedly exploring the sewer tunnels near the music department when he’d noticed the searcher in a rather bad way. Overstuffed with the thick ink that Twisted Alice so coveted from his brethren. So large and nauseatingly lumpy that he couldn’t even move out of his current spot. He supposed that was his inevitable fate unless crushed with a crate, which made him feel a little less upset about dropping such a heavy object onto the poor thing. Then, much to his surprise, Sammy Lawrence himself sauntered down from one of the adjacent tunnels to find the pitiful creature blocking his path. And even more surprising, he actually seemed sad about it's sorry state. “Oh you silly sheep… This is the 4th time this week that I’ve found you so heavy with your precious wool…” How Sammy could count the weeks, Henry wasn’t sure, since he knew for a fact the music director often forgot his own name. Come to think of it, Sammy forgot a lot of things, reminding Henry of a fellow in his platoon that was afflicted with early onset dementia. He’d been discharged due to becoming a liability, and seeing him fight the disarray of his own mind had been a honestly terrifying spectacle. Henry had felt a great pity for him, which is about the same way he felt for Sammy now. The poor guy could have been great had he not ended up in Joey Drew’s grasp and then tossed into this nightmare realm. “Not to worry...Your shepherd is here now, although you’ll have to forgive me. I have no shears.”

He’d watched in morbid fascination as Sammy dug four-fingered hands into the swollen searcher’s mass, pulling out chunks of it in a way that made Henry’s stomach twist in discomfort. If Jack felt any pain, he didn’t show it. If anything with each clump of ink removed, he seemed almost relieved. Finally, once returned to his regular proportions, the searcher let out a much softer humming sound. One that was much nicer to the ear than the wet hiss he reserved for Henry whenever he got too close to the skittish creature. “You’re welcome my little sheep. The others will be most pleased with the wool you’ve so generously provided…” The pile of thick ink was truly massive, and the old artist could only wonder what Sammy hoped to do with it. “Please refrain from consuming more. Excessive indulgence is a sin you know...”

From the way Sammy had addressed Jack upon arrival, this seemed to be a recurring issue. One the self-appointed prophet seemed to exclusively come down into the sewers to solve himself. It piqued Henry’s interest in such a way that he’d begun to wonder… If he helped with that, would this in any way benefit him? Couldn't do him wrong to have some thick ink at hand... And then he wondered: Would helping them benefit Jack and Sammy in any way? Only one way to find out!

He'd left it for the next time he decided to take a break. First going through a few more loops to give himself time to figure out just how to help the prophet and the swollen searcher that lived down in the sewers. He couldn't exactly allow Sammy to sacrifice him. It would only end with the delusional ex-music director dying faster. So what could he, a humble artist, possibly do for someone who was so lost to devotion? And then there was the question of what could he do for Jack. The only thing he seemed interested in, was being left alone and keeping a hold of that dang valve. Henry hadn't personally known the man, so this was a difficult task. Luckily he found an answer in the form of an audio log Buddy had collected well before the older man had set foot in the studio. As it turned out, Jack Fain was a fan of coffee. That at least was something to look into, as he made his way all around the studio. He'd mostly only found rations of bacon soup, but surely there had been a coffee machine in the break room, right? And if he could keep his seeing tool, maybe he could keep anything else he kept on his person until the end of another run? He'd tried it once with Wally's keys and he was pretty sure he'd kept them on the next loop, only to lose them again later (the man should have invested in a better key ring, that one was a slippery bugger!). But could it work for heftier items? That too was a theory he tested, and Joey surely must have found it quite odd when he'd begun his end of the loop speech, only to stop as he stared in confusion at the bag of coffee Henry had brought along with him. "...I have questions..." He deadpanned as he stared at the bag of coffee with slight distrust. A bag of coffee beans. Nothing could be less threatening. "Funny, I thought that was my job?" Henry grinned. "Asking questions, and never getting any answers?" "Funny indeed… Whatever you're up to, don't think it'll do any good." Joey frowned. "Your path is set, and nothing can change that. Even if I’ve been rather patient with your excursions." "We'll see." That only gave Henry more motivation to try. If just to spite Joey. Another guilty pleasure of his that he indulged in from time to time. He too needed a bit of fresh unpredictable entertainment after all…

To not lug around a bag of coffee everywhere he went (which wasn’t very practical), Henry had decided to take another break on his next run to begin experimenting with this little idea that had been borne out of curiosity. It was easy to set a goal for it: If offering something of comfort to someone that had minimal impact in Joey’s puppeteering did anything of value not only to himself but for the person in question that he sought to offer some kindness to, then what could potentially happen if he tried the same trick with some of the "main cast"? It was, in all honesty, a rather clinical way of thinking and planning things out. He was essentially detaching himself from this reality to test those around him, having superior knowledge of what was truly going on (albeit in a limited and at times fleeting fashion) thus a sort of intellectual advantage over their situations. He was being a less harmful manipulator. Setting up events like Joey. The morality of it all came crashing down just as he’d gotten a coffee machine to work. “Keep it together Henry.” he shook himself out of that nasty train of thought as fast as he could. “You’re not doing anything malicious...You’re just...Making coffee.”

He could maybe use a cup or two himself. If just to settle his nerves. How ironic that a stimulant could calm anyone.

"Yeah, just a simple cup of coffee. No harm, no foul…" Except to his hand when the damn coffee maker scalded him for no particular reason. If anything, he hoped this was the best damn coffee that the swollen searcher had ever tasted in his whole life as an ink slug. There was just one tiny problem with this plan: Henry didn't have any cups. Nor any mugs. Not even those tiny little plastic cups that came with these sorts of machines. The studio was apparently in a "bring your own mug" policy just to skirt around buying a refill of those. "Joey you damn cheapskate…" he had to improvise. Thankfully he wasn't short on containers or an appetite for bacon soup. He just hoped the taps in the bathroom would still have access to clean water...

To Joey it must be quite a sight, watching an old man make his way down into the sewers balancing three cans of soup containing piping hot coffee in them. The stairs weren't exactly up to code and the ink coating them was slippery, so this whole journey to sate his damn curiosity might leave the old artist with second degree burns and potentially a ruined back. Thankfully he managed his way down into the depths with no real issues, and noted the shadow of the prophet following his every move. Good, he hoped an offering would appease him. Play on the same field as Sammy in a sense, just to see what he might do. Granted treating Jack nicely might grant him the cultist's mercy if he treated him like a friend still. At the sight of him, the thing that had once been Jack Fain began to flee as usual. "Hey, wait… I have something for you!" He watched the creature skirt around a corner, hat barely staying on. He stood there, unwilling to run, and simply held the cans of hot coffee with a slightly disappointed look on his face. And then…

...Snhiff shniff shhhhniff…

The wettest sniffing sound Henry had ever heard assaulted his ears, as the swollen searcher peeked back around the corner at him. Its mouth shut but the hollow sockets where it's eyes should be appearing to be wide as it tracked what must be an alluring aroma to it. It appeared searchers still retained a sense of smell, which begged the question of how Jack could stand to live down here. "Smells nice doesn't it? I uh…" he waved one of the cans carefully so as not to spill its contents. "Got a coffee maker upstairs working again." "Ksshhhff…Eeee..." he couldn't understand what it said, but Henry was pretty sure Jack was trying to say "coffee". He recognized what it was, and most importantly it looked like he desperately wanted it. "Yes. It's coffee. Do you want it?" He outstretched his arm, trying to entice the swollen searcher with his peace offering. It looked at the can, the sloshing dark liquid inside it, then stared at Henry. It seemed to be trying to decide if it was worth risking its "hide" to get what it so desperately craved. Finally after an agonizing minute, it went for it.

Henry nearly toppled over as the swollen ink abomination lunged for the can. He damn near spilled the other two on himself as well. Luckily he'd regained his footing and managed to keep everything nicely contained in the repurposed cans. The searcher on the other hand was less the skittish thing that ran circles around him, and more like an overexcited puppy. The slurping desperate chugging noises as it inhaled the coffee were a little gross, but that was easily overlooked by just how happy it looked. "That good uh?"

The gurgling purr that followed got a chuckle out of him, and he couldn't help give Jack a gentle pay on the hat. He couldn't have imagined just how happy the poor fellow would get. And he wasn't the only one. That worn out Bendy mask peering from the corner gave Henry a good idea of just how impactful such a small gesture had been. "I have an extra can if you'd also like some…" He'd brought one in the hopes that Sammy might appreciate some as well, but he wasn't sure if he liked the stuff. In the little time they'd worked together at the studio, the music director had been more of a smoker than a coffee enthusiast. Shame he wouldn't be able to get such an item for him… To Henry's surprise, rather than keep his distance and wait for his dramatical reveal, Sammy actually responded to him. "My stomach does not react kindly to most substances besides the Lord's plentiful gift..." His words were devoid of emotion. Awfully cold but also contemplative. "I'm sure my darling sheep would be more than happy to consume my share…" The happy gurgling more than confirmed this, and Henry wasted no time to give him the extra can. Jack took it gleefully and began to drink it eagerly. "A picky eater…" Henry felt slightly disturbed at the idea that Sammy was drinking any of the ink just laying around. "I can respect that." "I assure you, it is not by choice." The mask cocked to the side, studying him. "Although I must admit the stomach aches have helped ensure my physique stays at the peak of perfection to ensure my tasks are well done."

Henry frowned and stared down at his own stomach. He was a little on the pudgy side nowadays, and honestly chugging cans of bacon soup probably didn't help. But he wouldn't call Sammy's proportions the peak of perfection. "Doesn't sound too fun, getting sick unless you drink… the Lord's gift." Best not step on any toes, if Sammy still had any that is. Play it casual. "I do not believe you've come down here to critique my practices as a devout follower of the Ink Demon." The Bendy mask turned to watch Jack devour the can of coffee. Henry felt like he must have been smiling fondly. "You have… Come down here to present us with offerings. Kind ones." "Yes." He replied calmly, remaining just as calm when the mask turned back to him. Sammy's body language spoke for him more than his words did. He was doubtful. "Why?" A good question. "I had nothing better to do." He responded truthfully, albeit only partially. "And you could both use the kindness I'm sure."

They could, they honestly could. After having their minds, bodies and souls taken from them, their identities torn asunder, both Sammy and Jack could only benefit from being treated with the one thing Joey had stripped from them. Humanity. That run, for such a tiny little gesture as offering Jack some coffee, Sammy let him go without a fight. Joey's speech was much more heated than usual, but nothing really seemed to change on the next loop. At least he didn't think so until he found a can of hot coffee waiting for him in Sammy's sanctuary, as well as a bowl of extra thick ink with the valve propped in the middle of it.

His second gesture couldn't have been more easy. While Sammy still tried to sacrifice him, his speech was more subdoed. Almost playful in a way that said "I know what you did and I'm grateful, even if my actions don't show it". Joey's grip on him was too strong to escape with just one kind action, but not enough that Sammy even in his state of forgetfulness could get the mental image of Henry treating Jack to some coffee out of his inky brain. The alterations to his pattern gave Henry plenty of time to figure out just what to do for his encounter with Twisted Alice. Playing slightly into Sammy's delusions had allowed him to get close, so focusing on her obsession might coax what little of Susie was left. Because he'd gotten wise and asked what it was like to become a toon to the only other person qualified to give him a proper response. Sure Buddy couldn't talk, but his reignited personality had given Henry insight on what it was to become a cartoon character. There was a power struggle at first. The original human personality and the Toon's personality clashing in an effort to remain in or take full control. A chaotic and confusing process until one came out victorious. At first Boris had won… then Buddy had slowly begun resurfacing the more loops Henry went through. Now they had a mutual agreement. They needed each other to survive, and the same turned out to be true for Alice and Susie. Alice being the more dominant and jaded of the personalities, having long since fallen from grace after witnessing the sheer cruelty and lack of hope this abominable studio had to offer. Susie ended up being the weaker of the two, guarded by her dragon like a princess in a twisted castle. She sometimes spoke up, clearly disturbed by what their shared hands had done in the past, but Alice had too much of a grip on her to ever let her go. If Henry could properly appease the angel, he might be able to get to Susie as well. Give them… What? A glimmer of hope? Better than let them stew away in their rotten despair. "You're staying. I'm going." He pleaded with Buddy after taking the gifts left behind by Sammy and Jack. "Don't give me that look, I've told you what she does when she gets her hands on you…" A soft whine as the toon wolf pleaded for him to reconsider. "I know you worry, but I need to reach out to them. Even if it doesn't change much, they deserve some consideration." He pauses to think back on the tapes Susie had left, and then her final speech before he was forced to confront the brute Boris inevitably became. "After Joey used them it's the least I could do." Buddy (and no doubt Boris) growled in frustration before eloquently writing just what he thought of Joey. Henry crinkled his nose at the rather uncharacteristic choice of words, but the very last sentence made him smile somberly: “You don't have to fix Joey's mistakes.” "I wish it was that simple. I really do." It wasn't like he had a choice, not when Joey thought he could evade the responsibility himself and pin it on someone else.

Alice was fairly easy to butter up to. He'd entered her lair and sat through her little song like the patient man he was, and then when she finished up with her usual screeching finale he did something she didn't quite expect. He applauded. She was so caught off guard that she just stood there, even as the lights turned back on. Flabbergasted at the sudden adulation. "What a finish, truly miss Angel, you're quite a gal." He'd continued to clap, bowl of thick ink balancing precariously on top of his head. "I'd offer flowers, but sadly all I have on me is ink…" "...Why, what a flatterer…" She sounded uncertain, a hint of Susie just barely at the surface. She must have been quite shocked as well. No one had ever reacted to Twisted Alice's presence with such a welcoming embrace. She was a creature to be feared after all. "Flatterer? Me? My goodness miss Angel, don't tell me you don't get the occasional fan…" he removed the bowl from his head and made sure the thick black blob was quite visible to her. An enticing offering provided by Jack Fain. It's not like he needed the excess ink. "Sadly not. If only most visitors were as well mannered as you..." She crossed her arms, Alice's suspicions breaking through. "But that's to expect from the real creator, isn't it Henry?" "Glad to see some recognition, but honestly I can't be credited for any of this. Not when it's been… Altered to such a degree." Henry looked around with a saddened expression. "Joey really managed to taint everything he touched..." "Only if you let him." The Angel's hiss was a terrifying thing. "But it was so easy to let him in, wasn't it...? He had a way with words…" Susie was such a meek girl. A scared chick in a world conducted by the big bad wolf. And Alice? Alice was a fox that offered her protection. But Henry could be just as cunning provided he was given the chance. Always for a good reason, rather than satisfying his selfish desires. So very unlike his childhood friend. "Words were his weapon of choice, until that wasn't enough." Henry offered her the bowl, watching as she inspected it. Tested it's stability. She seemed pleased. "Why are you here, Henry? Why come back to this miserable place?" Alice's gaze was piercing, but not as malicious as it often was. "And I'm sure it's not due to nostalgia, or an excuse to flatter your way up to the heavens." "I think I knew once." He replied in truth, because you didn't lie to an angel. "But now? Now I'm not so sure… I think Joey liked that naivety on my part. It certainly worked to his advantage." "That it did, little errand boy. You're just as trapped as the rest of us…" She dismissed him. "You may pass freely… But don't think I'll show you mercy twice. You are, after all, still a thief." "What's a man to do but try to protect a poor pup?" He couldn't help tease as he made his way to the door. He was free to explore her lair and go on about his "day" without her tasks or her looming presence. That was good enough a reward for him, even if it didn't promise Buddy's freedom from the cruel fate that awaited him. "Such a shame that pup wasn't meant to be." Alice responded. "A shame indeed. He was such a nice boy..."

This particular encounter gave him a lot to think. The people he'd once assumed to be monsters weren't inherently malicious. That much he'd figured from Sammy's behaviour after he'd played nice. But while most chose to cower and cry, or lose themselves to desperation and lies, Alice was simply resigned to the hand she'd been dealt. Because, honestly, she was in a terrible position to begin with. Even if Susie clearly wanted better, for the both of them. In the end, the angel was only trying to protect her vessel even if Joey set her on a most cruel path. She was tired of grasping on to shallow hopes of ever getting out. Rather be the hunter than the prey. That run, his old friend seemed even more frustrated with him. "Stop humanizing them. There's nothing you can do for them." Joey had grit out through his teeth, trying to keep a smile that was as insincere as his speeches. "You're wrong. There is something I can do." He'd responded, unbothered by the anger in his captor's words. "And what's that?" "Treat them with decency, which is something you never did."

The Projectionist was a challenge. From what he could tell, Norman Polk had essentially gone feral from years of agony and isolation. Most of the Lost Ones even considered him a dumb and very violent animal. Alice thought of him as useful. Susie felt a terrible pity for him. And Buddy? Buddy both feared and felt anguish when confronted with the Projectionist's presence. Henry had known him for a short while, so he could understand the sentiment. Norman had been a good albeit quirky man. "He looked after us…" Susie spoke over the intercom. "He was so kind. It hurts to see him like this… A monster."

While Alice didn't let up on her list of tasks, and did indeed always take the cartoon wolf as scripted, she'd started letting Susie come forth to speak to Henry. She had a lot to say. "If I knew how, I'd help him." He watched the Projectionist walk through the flooded maze of projectors and hearts. Each step heavy, and the clicking of the projectors somewhat deafening. Occasionally it let out a soft crackly noise from its speaker. "You'd die." Alice interjected. "How so?" "Why do you think it takes hearts, Henry?" The twisted angel asked. Come to think of it, he'd never considered the why of its actions. "It's because its own was stolen long ago." "Joey stole his heart?" "No my dear errand boy." Alice chuckled bitterly, before Susie took hold. "Sammy did…"

Joey was getting awfully frustrated with him, so Henry gave in and followed the plot to a t on the next three runs. He needed to think anyway. Think of how to address the problem. Because, really, how would he convince Sammy to halt his ritual to look for something he might not even recall ever having stolen? And then there was the matter of giving it back to the Projectionist without getting brutally killed. He decided to just wing it on his next break. Starting with visiting Jack with more coffee, if just to get Sammy to talk. It worked, but the prophet seemed hesitant to talk about the resident of level 14. "That beast is a dangerous one… Nothing but my lord can stop it's rampage." "That beast is looking for something someone took from him." Henry explained. "Or so I've been told." "And how am I to fix this exactly, little sheep?" The deranged cultist crossed his arms. "Surely you mustn't think of me as a miracle worker?" "Help me find it. I've been told you might know where to look."

Truth be told Sammy had no idea what he was on about, but he was adamant to repay him for once again bringing some semblance of joy into his favourite "sheep's" life. Luckily there wasn't any need to run around in futility, searching for something that might be long gone. The prophet's memory issues resulted in Sammy placing items he considered of value in the same place. A box hidden under the floorboards beneath the cot he'd set up in his sanctuary. Unluckily, a heart was not among the objects he'd stored. At least it seemed so since it wasn't anywhere to be found in the box of trinkets. "Damn it…" he sighed sadly. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. "I am sorry to disappoint." The Bendy mask betrayed no real emotions, so Henry wasn't too sure if the apology was genuine. He sounded a little miffed about having his personal space invaded, but didn't act upon it. "What is it you seek, exactly?"

Looking through the box, Henry gave a nonchalant shrug. He picked up a golden locket that was coated in dry ink, turning it slowly in his hand as he tried to figure out how to surpass this bump in the road. Sammy quickly reached out and took it from him, clearly upset that he'd touch his personal belongings. "Don't touch that." The cultist hissed. "Sorry…" he watched him put the locket back into the box, next to what appeared to be a series of unlabeled tapes. There was also a chain with a ring on it, and a few other trinkets that seemed to hold some sentimental value. "I know you can't remember much… but… Did you ever take a heart? A literal heart?" "A… Heart..." "Yes. I know it sounds strange but--" "Not at all. They're plentiful down below." Sammy shrugged "Delicious too… More so than the ink or the soup. I cannot explain how."

And Henry would rather not have him explain, because his stomach wouldn't be able to handle it. He’d killed people before as a soldier, seen horrific things, but the thought of someone describing eating a human-ish heart made him sick. "Then, yes a heart. Maybe not an ink one." He added, trying to keep the conversation on track. The ex-music director paused, tapping a finger to the chin of the mask, before staring down at his own chest. Much to Henry's horror, he plunged his fist into his own torso and pulled out…Well it must have been a heart at some point. Now it looked like an amalgamation of stitched flesh and all sorts of wires and weird clicking mechanisms. A perfect fit for the quasi-mechanical monster skulking around level 14. "Would this be the heart in question?" "W-what were you keeping it literally on your person for?!" He couldn't help spit out, much to the annoyance of the deranged ink man. "Where would YOU keep a heart?" He huffed "It was safer here… And it felt important."

No kidding. And important it was, to the point where Sammy didn’t want to give it back. How was Henry going to convince him to do so? Well… “The person it belongs to needs it back.” He pleaded. “Can’t you please hand it over so I can give it to him?” “I cannot trust that you’d find the rightful owner.” Sammy stated. “Sheep need guidance, not to guide. And you, little sheep, are risking falling prey to the wolves.” "I can assure you I know the owner, and so do you." At least he had, once. "The Projectionist needs it back Sammy. Please, be reasonable." "I am being reasonable. I'm protecting this from that horrific beast!" He held the heart closer to himself, very likely glaring beneath his mask. "It doesn't need protecting from him! It needs to go back to him!" Henry argued back. The old cartoonist was getting fed up. "No!"

That was… not the right answer. At least not when Henry was so close to a breakthrough. Or so he thought. He regretted what he had to do to get that heart in the end. Killing an unarmed man felt like cowardice, even if it was for a good cause.

Level 14 was always such a dreary place. Even with a newfound goal, an old veteran like Henry still felt uneasy going through such a maze. After being forced to kill Sammy that run, he wanted good results. If just to justify his actions as being for the greater good. They… weren't. The Projectionist charged as usual upon seeing him, and Henry had to fight his instincts to flee. Instead he held out his gift, closed his eyes, and prayed. No pain came, but the scream… That gutteral and mechanical crackling of sheer agony. Like hot iron had struck flesh. The Projectionist was screaming, it's chest ripping itself open to reclaim the missing piece. And then, when the wires shot out and took back the heart, the screaming only intensified. Boris took hold of the body he shared with Buddy. The cartoon wolf howling in despair to match the screams while curling into a tight shaking ball in the elevator. The Projectionist fell on its knees as it continued to scream. Henry's mind was fraying just listening to it. Watching the pitiful beast claw at its mending chest and screech until its speaker could handle no more. A loud pop filled the air, and suddenly there was no sound. But the clawing continued The convulsing carried on. It was screaming without a voice and it was all Henry's fault. Coward that he was, he ran to the elevator and slammed a hand against the buttons. His eyes too blurry from regretful tears to see where he'd end up. Alice and Susie remained quiet. Their silence was damning. Condemning his actions and allowing his conscience to fall heavy with guilt.

That time, once he set foot in the quaint New York apartment, Henry shakily sat down at Joey's table and stared into nothingness. A tired hollow man that couldn't bring himself to look at the grinning devil that was positively gloating with joy. "I told you so." A choked sob and bitter tears followed. Henry hated how careful Joey's hands were as he wiped away his tears, and as he murmured sweet words into his ear. That burning cobalt gaze aglow with the flames of victory. Fuck him. Fuck Joey Drew. This old war veteran would not give in so easily. He just had to try harder.

There was no point in following the plot. He felt like he had to fix the mishaps of his last run before he even tried to offer his services to either Tom or Allison. This much was clear once he stepped foot in the sewers, because instead of being happy to see him or even feeling timid, Jack outright attacked him on sight. Gurgling and hissing in rage at him having hurt Sammy in his last run. "I know… I'm sorry…" he kept the irate swollen searcher at bay if only just barely, hoping to appease him with his sincerest regrets. "Can you take me to Sammy? I… I want to make it up to him. What I did was wrong."

More than wrong. It was damaging. Because instead of the usual inky figure clad in overalls, boots and a Bendy mask, Henry was met with a shivering searcher with said mask. "Oh Sammy… I'm so sorry." He was at risk of getting his throat ripped out, but he still couldn't help kneeling down to make himself look less threatening to the frightened creature. The searcher didn't try to retaliate, instead it clutched its chest and groaned pitifully. "I know what I did was wrong. But so was keeping Norman's heart." Not that Sammy wasn't aware of this. He'd claimed it to be important, and he'd wanted to protect it, but he'd also been reluctant to give it back. People's selfishness had already done so much damage to this studio, it was only cruelly ironic that in trying to do the right thing Henry too had been quite selfish. "Is there any way I can make this less painful for you?"

Gesturing vaguely at the searcher's current state explained enough. The creature that had at one point been a prophet that had in turn been Sammy Lawrence, seemed to hum in thought before nodding slowly. It dragged itself towards the upstairs, motioning for Henry to follow. He did so, with Jack right on his tail if only to keep a suspicious eye on him. Back in the music department Sammy proceeded towards his Sanctuary, which Henry quickly got to work on unlocking for himself. He couldn't exactly do the little wall trick Sammy did to get around. Once the projector turned on and he plucked or hit every correct note, Henry strolled towards the opening shutter. Sammy greeted him with his box of trinkets. "Is there something in there you need?" He adjusted his glasses as he asked, trying to get a better look at the contents. The searcher nodded eagerly and pointed at a vinyl record, way at the bottom of the pile. "Oh… you want me to play that for you?"

More eager nodding and a wet sounding slap on the ground. Well it wasn't much but considering Sammy refused to touch it for fear of covering it in ink, Henry thought perhaps he hadn't heard any music in far too long. Besides the "hymns" he played for his Lord. "Willow Weep for Me? I don't think I've heard this one." With careful hands he took the vinyl from the box and began to look for a record player. The dinged up gramophone in the corner was almost beckoning him to play it. Once he'd turned it on, the melody was quite soothing. His two searcher companions seemed to think the same. Jack seemed to finally relax and practically curled up near the record player, while Sammy seemed to bob slightly to the tune. Henry simply closed his eyes and listened to the music, only opening them back up when broken words began to sing along. Sammy's form was repairing itself. Slowly, but steadily. Going from slouching and being half submerged in a puddle to looking like he was kneeling on regenerating legs.

"Willo- we'p for…" the prophet coughed "...me."

Not too long after Sammy's recovery, Henry left the music department. He had a lot of preparations to make if he wanted to do any more actual good rather than having a repeat of the last run. Hopefully Sammy would be in higher spirits once they met back up in the harbour. As loathsome as it was to fight him, it was better to see him so full of energy than cowering in a puddle. He already knew what he could do for the duo of survivors, but he had to make a few stops along the way. Starting with giving Buddy the notebook he carried on his person, and Boris his favourite bone. It was a delight seeing the toon wolf's eyes light up as he flipped through several pages of doodles, while he happily gnawed on that suspiciously human sized bone. Then he went to Alice and requested an actual "date" with the angel. Not in the romantic sense mind you, he loved his beautiful Linda like the goddess she was. He merely wanted to sit down, have a can of coffee, and talk. Let Susie feel normal for a little while after both she and the angel witnessed what happened to the Projectionist. Afterwards, he checked up on said ink creature and noted that it wasn't roaming like usual. Instead the Projectionist was sitting on a crate, staring at the wall where one of several Bendy cartoons was playing. It even chose to ignore Henry when he approached, one hand clutching its chest in slight pain. Still adjusting to what had been restored. On his way out, Henry swore he heard a soft "thank you" under all the crackling and static of its speaker.

The Lost Ones greeted him with their sorrowful gaze as usual and he replied not with fear or revulsion as he once did, but with a kind smile and promises that one day he'd find a way to make it better. It wasn't immediate freedom like they desired, but it was something more tangible. Something more human. The path to fighting Buddy in his brutish form was as harrowing as ever, but Henry's mind was set. He left cans of soup out for the Butcher Gang, oiled the joints of the octopus ride Bertrum Piedmont's disembodied head resided in, talked to the animatronic despite having no proof that it actually moved, and even greeted the Ink Demon from within the Little Miracle Station where it always fought the Projectionist. Henry could practically feel Joey's outrage at his nonchalant actions. His carefree actions despite the hopelessness of his situation. Of their situation. Then when he met with Tom and Allison, he promptly disarmed himself and offered them his tools,before accepting captivity without a word. Once questioned, he gave them the honest truth. Hard to believe, but Allison was not as suspicious as her canine companion. It wasn't difficult to give her the proof she needed to know he was being genuine. Pity to see her so crushed that there really was no escape in their foreseeable future. Not just yet. But still a possibility. After all, the others were remembering with each gesture of kindness he offered them. "Joey wants us to feel less than human." He told the not-quite-angel. "It's how he keeps us in the linearity of his failed ending. He can't accept that he can't win." "But neither can we. Otherwise we'd already be free?" Allison sighed, Tom offering her a gentle pay with his good arm as they left the Harbour. "Maybe, but giving up hope is the last thing I'd ever do. Then I'd just be letting him win." Henry calmly replied,ready to plummet very soon as he began walking over the precarious boards. "Joey is a man who dreams big. What he never did was have any faith in said dreams… Instead he forced others to do it for him. I'm tired of being his scapegoat, and maybe we won't get out today or tomorrow, but there's only so much he can throw at me until he gives in." "So we outlive his dreams?" Allison asked. "No. We just outlive Joey instead." With that said, Henry walked forward and felt as light as a feather as he fell into the depths. There was one last person to show some decency to. Even the demon deserved a gesture of kindness.

Joey Drew was furious. For all that he'd spoke of belief and dreams in his many speeches he knew that Henry Stein, that stubborn fool, was right. There was only so much he could throw into the plot before he grew tired. His body was already giving in to time itself, and he'd never quite perfected his methods enough that he could make himself a reliable new form. Not without risking becoming one of the abominations… Buddy Lewek's Boris had been a fluke. A lucky match. The rest? The rest were adamant to not be what he'd set them to be reborn as. Even Susie had failed to emulate the character she so loved. And Henry? Oh his blood boiled… Why couldn't Henry give in?! Joey was so close,so close to getting his perfect Bendy. If the traitor would just let the Ink Demon consume him!

A knock on the door caused him to rip up his storyboard with the ink pen he'd been using. Cursing himself, Joey crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the trash can besides his desk. Already it was overflowing with similarly crumpled papers covered in ink stains. Looking at the clock, a few more profanities spewed from his mouth as he turned his wheelchair around. Who, for the love of God, was knocking on his door at 3AM?! Wheeling himself over, Joey practically ripped the door open. "What?!" He didn't care if he was rude. His mood was completely sour and he hated being interrupted. To his shock and confusion, he was met with a face he thought he'd never get to see again. Nathan Arch smiled down at him with that unnerving toothy smile of his. "Hello to you too, Mr. Drew." Joey blinked up at his old friend and rival. He hadn't heard from Arch since… Since he'd bought the studio and the Bendy IP… What could he possibly want now, when he'd already taken so much? "Mr. Arch." He regained his composure. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Oh, just dropping by to discuss something… Something very interesting." The man used his leg to gently push Joey out of his way, arms crossed behind his back as he invited himself in and began looking around. Joey glared behind his back and closed the door. "At 3AM? Even for you, a punctual man, this is a bit much." He stated as he uneasily observed Nathan as he looked through his storyboards. "Couldn't it have waited until a more reasonable hour?" "Since when were we reasonable men, Joey? Especially when you've been so… Cruel to me." The other turned to stare at him, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "The machine… Joey. You took the machine." "Of course I did. It's mine." And no one else's. Not that fool Thomas Connor's, nor GENT's. The Ink Machine was his and his alone. "Yours is the studio and even my work. But the machine will never not be mine." "Oh, that's where you're wrong. You see,the GENT contract you signed stated that it belongs to the studio… Thus, it belongs to me." Nathan stalked over, arms coming to rest on Joey's shoulder. "It's as simple as that." "Not quite. As it is, it can't be moved…" "Ah yes. Your little… Project." Nathan chuckled. "Show me. Show me the homunculus…"

There was no saying no to Mr. Arch, and no actual way he’d be able to physically force him out, so Joey complied to his request. Wheeling back into his office where the machine resided, Nathan followed and watched with glee as Joey called upon the Ink Demon itself. It stood there, in all its despicably gruesome glory, staring at both men without visible eyes. It shrunk away from Joey, just as it always had. "It's magnificent…" the awe in Nathan's voice was disturbing. "It's a freak of nature." Joey hissed. "Imperfect and incomplete." "In who's eyes, dear friend? Here stands defiance to God's will. Life created by the creation." The Ink Demon shivered, holding it's head in its mismatched hands. Trying to block out their words. "Why throw it away so eagerly just because it didn't correctly follow the template?" "Because it's not enough! It needs to be perfect! It needs to be all we've ever dreamed of!" "We? Oh Joey darling… did you really think creating a living toon would ever bring back your beloved Henry? Did you think he'd ever want you? When he had such a lovely girl that could give him what you never could?" Nathan laughed cruelly. "Henry Stein left you, because you were a selfish boar. And then you were so hung up on trying to win him back with extravagance that you couldn't stop and see what you already had! God above Joey, you were so desperate you hired a mere child that reminded you of Henry, only to torture him the same way you tortured your employees…"

The Ink Demon looked to them again, flinching when Nathan stalked forward and grabbed it by the chin. "This, Joey, is not a failure! It's the doorway to immortality. A vessel of timelessness. A godly power that you rejected vehemently." Nathan's eyes were becoming crazed, that dangerous spark devolving into an inescapable madness and anger. "For what end exactly? To give it away to some shmuck that could never truly appreciate it?! Well… that won't do. That won't do at all!"

And without warning Nathan Arch did something Joey couldn't believe he'd ever dare. He plunged a fist into the Ink Demon itself, and tore out it's heart. "NO!" "If you won't accept this gift, then I shall!"

There was nothing to be done. The ink demon shrieked and soon the machine began its work. Ink flowed out of the nozzle, mixing with the distorting melting figure of the demon and pulling both it, and both men inside. As the world around them passed by, Joey could only watch as the ink began to claim both his form and the form of the one who dared intrude in his project. They both fell with a wet splat, a large puddle, before taking two very distinct newly reborn and remade forms. One a towering grinning demon with disturbingly human teeth. The other a little devil in a suit. The studio was without a narrator. This was the end.

#Eps Writes:#Bendy and the Ink Machine #BATIM #Henry Stein #Joey Drew

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