#also they've got different outfits (other than the ones in the outfits section) so you can tell it's a different time than in the games

[lulu-draws-stuff]

This was gonna be a comic, but I wasn't having fun drawing it, so I scrapped it

You get the cover and outfits section

[naileadevoras]

zarayna + luciano : your love is all i wanna know .

ship headcanon ideas for @pcrtrait based on this post !

how   did   your   muses   meet   ?

i'm now realizing how much of a throwback this ask meme is going to be bc omg ? i can't believe they met through his father ... & we all know how much of a mess that era was 👀 like , from zara just being an assistant to them now married im ... yeah <3

how   long   have   your   muses   known   each   other   ?

pleaseee i know it's only been about 3 years since we first started writing them but like , they've gone through so much together ( they are literally married hello ) & i genuinely think they've lived so many different lives together too ?? surely they've been together for more than five years now ... & a billion more to go ? they find each other in every lifetime type vibe ? yes .

have   your   muses   ever   traveled   together   ?

yes !! aside from their yearly holiday with the group , i can see zara attending almost every show he has bc that's our supportive queen ,,, catch her in the vip section every time yup 😌 & lucio would most def. surprise her with cute trips abroad as a date :') he'd be like ' wake up babe , we're going to morocco today '

what   was   the   last   place   your   muses   went   to   together   ?

i feel like it would be somewhere lucio would've performed at ; like , them trying out a new restaurant in every country they visit . so they'd be somewhere like reykjavik , iceland & even though lucio would b a bit tired from performing , he'd still insist on going out w zara & they'd prolly have a cute lil sushi date at night im so :(

what   was   the   last   movie   your   muses   watched   together   ?

okay so zara's definitely the type to love old romcom / coming of age movies from the 90s ,,, & she has made it her mission to re - watch all of her favorite ones w lucio . so every time both of them have a few hours of free time , she's setting up the living room with cute pillows + soft blankets ( maybe even building a fort ?? ) for them to watch on ,, & tonight's movie of choice would be sixteen candles !

do   your   muses   have   playlists   made   for   each   other   ?

why yes 🤭 like , it's absolutely canon that lucio will sneak in some of his own songs he's written about zara in the playlist & she secretly loves it LMAO . as for zarayna , she's totally the type to make a playlist for every major / minor event in her life so she'd have a specific playlist for that time they went to london ... or that time they cooked breakfast together at germany ... or that time they got lost in bora bora , & etc etc .

what   was   the   last   gift   your   muses   got   for   each   other   ?

i also think it's canon that these two will just give each other cute trinkets & random gifts that remind them of the other ; there doesn't have to be a special occasion for them to be giving each other gifts yk ? so zara could be shopping & she'll see a hoodie that would look so good on him ,,, next thing you know she's walking out with five sets of outfits for lucio i'm 💀 also , they def. still continue their tradition of luca giving zara a new teddy bear for every country he tours at <3

does   your   muses   have   a   '   place   '   that's   just   for   the   two   of   them   ?

i'm sticking w the touring theme here but yk how in paris they have that love lock bridge ? i feel like zara & lucio would have a place similar to that , but it wouldn't be a popular tourist destination ... they would've found out about this ' secret ' place during one of their date nights ( of course it HAS to be in a country where they dont live smh ) & now every time they visit that country , it's another cute tradition for them to visit that place only the two of them know abt !

does   your   muses   want   children   ?

i had to giggle with this one bc we've both talked abt them & their future kids 48304830 times now 😭 i just knooow these two wanna build a soccer team so bad with how many kids they want omfg ... like u said , they'd probably end up having five kids ! so they better start trying rn because the clock is ticking ... cough cough

do   your   muses   want   to   get   married   ?

[ stares into the camera like im in the office ] ... do i have to answer this bc ? bff they are HAPPILY married & in love & we are manifesting that no more drama or scandals come their way !!! ( very unlikely but we can dream ofc ) sigh their wedding day must've been sooo fun though omg it definitely ended with them + the guests all jumping in the massive pool to end the night :')

do   your   muses   have   any   pets   together   ?

i'm aware they have rambo ( im a rambo stan btw ) & zara has the cats she left back in sweden ,,, although i feel like she would've brought them with her once she moved in w lucio , but i highly doubt they would adopt more right now esp. since they're never really home anyway ? so maybe they can have more pets once they've settled in & are ready to start a family .

what   do   your   muses   do   for   fun   together   ?

not my mind suddenly swerving to an nsfw answer i'm ... lock me up , goodbye !!! but i'm being so fr , they are always so busy & are constantly travelling that having days where they're just in a hotel room in their robes , in bed all day ordering room service must be incredibly fun for them 🥹 just wrapped up in each others arms , living their best life with no distractions yup ! they be having 30 minute intervals to rest before they're going at it again smh no decorum !

did   your   muses   take   each others   virginity   ?

i- well ... knowing zarayna's history with luca's father ? & him being for the streets before he met her ? the answer is definitely a no 😑 but we don't talk abt that anymore !! i refuse to speak about it ... although one drunken night , she would deffo share the embarrassing & awkward story of when she lost hers at 17 or smthn ,, just for the laffs xx

when   did   your   muses   realize they   had   fallen   for   each   other   ?

it's the way we've probably written this exact scenario back in our indies ... right before they both found out about the affair </3 i simply cannot think abt it or else i will actually go through the five stages of grief ... although for zara i'm pretty sure it was during one of their many dates <33 when he asked her to be his gf <333 she was like yuuup i have fallen for this man & i do Not want to get up .

which one of your muses is more affectionate ?

this is hard bc they show their affection in different ways , yk ? i feel like luca is the type of person who would see a puddle & offer to place his jacket over it just so zara wont have to step on it and get her heels dirty , while zarayna would be the type to notice the tiny details & would care for him , like bringing luca a glass of water when she notices he hasn't been drinking much all day , or giving him a forehead smooch & reminding him it's time for bed when she can clearly see he's been up all night writing song lyrics or smthn !

who's   most   likely   to   apologize   first   after   an   argument   ?

ooo , it depends on who started the argument ; whoever is in the wrong would more than likely apologize first . idk why but out of every one in our group , i can see these two being the most level - headed ones when it comes to disagreements ? ( ezra & rom can't relate btw ) it's like u can just tell they rarely ever argue because they're so good at communicating their thoughts and feelings w each other . we love the character development wow it's giving stable & healthy iktr !

what   was   your   muses   first   impressions   of   each   other   ?

i wanna say it was infatuation at first sight . bc bestie , lucio was sooo flirty with her when they first met i bet zarayna thought all he wanted from her was to be hook up buddies & yet she was like , ' how can u say no to him wtf he has such a pretty face ... & a nice body ... ' she did NOT stand on business and it showed 💀

what   is   one   word   that   would   describe   your   muses   relationship   ?

adventurous ♡

do   your   muses   have   a   '   song   '   that's   just   for   them   ?

bff we have an entire playlist for them !!! ( somehow i still cant add anymore songs to the list & im sad abt it ) but i rlly do love be honest by jorja smith though ,,, however , in their universe i can imagine luca writing a song just for zara . like a song / ep / mini album of unreleased songs just for her :((( ok let me go cry now ....

what   is   your   muse's   sex   life   like   ?   how   frequent   ?   what   are   they   into   ?

oh ok ending the ask meme with a spicy question i see ... i meaaan we both know they're 100% obsessed w each other & simply cannot keep their hands off each other for more than 5 seconds or else they'll go insane 💀 however , i just feel like zarayna is such a vanilla girlie ,, she likes to keep it sweet & simple yk ! but would also be willing to try anything lucio suggests bc she trusts that man w her entire soul fr <3 if he wants her to dress up as a sexy teacher ? hell yeah !! handcuffs in the bed room ? she's down !! she's out here doing tricks & twists for that man yup give that girl an award ,,,

wow what a ride ... the way i developed carpal tunnel from typing all of this was so worth it idk !!! i love them bad <333 KEJWKJDS hope u enjoyed <33

[excelsi-or]

summoned (pt. 10)

hi everyone! thoughts on God of Music??? I finally listened to it over the weekend (still have to listen to the mini album). Maybe it's just me or maybe i'm just into different music these days, but it was not my cup of tea. it felt too cookie cutter for me? the meaning was sweet and the visuals were vibrant. loved the saturation of the video. naturally they all looked great. and i loved getting to see coups' parts. but overall? i was underwhelmed by the song. shall listen to the whole mini album before i post again. then we'll see. BIPOC rec (been a while since i've done one of these): Portrait of a Thief - Grace D. Li. A book about art, art heists, colonialism of Western museums, experience as children of immigrants. For a debut novel, I was pleasantly impressed. Was a bit disappointed, but overall, a good read.

pairing: woozi x fem!reader/fem!OC

w.c. 3.7k (a bit longer than the past parts, just because I didn't really wanna break these sections up)

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9

"You're going to have to talk to them alone," Jihoon says when they pull up to the first house. "Because if it's a demon—"

"Okay, but we need a real game plan now," she says. "Because what are we trying to do?"

Jihoon taps his fingers on the steering wheel. "We obviously know what they're trying to do, but how are they trying to do it? What's the purpose of going through humans and dumping their bodies?"

"My guess was create as much havoc as possible without drawing attention from the angels."

"Confirm it."

She frowns but decides this isn't the hill to die on. She climbs out of the car, but Jihoon quickly leans across the gear shift so he can meet her eye.

"Scream if they try to possess you or kill you."

"And you'll come running?" She slams the door closed. She looks both ways before crossing the street, because dying from a car accident on her way to ask a potential demon what the fuck he's doing is not how she wants to go out.

She glances down at her outfit, realizes who she can pretend to be, and pulls her phone out. Luckily, this is also the bag with her tiny sketchbook in it, so she takes that out too. When she knocks at the door, she has a cover story ready.

The person who opens the door is the person they're looking for: Rhett Palmater, gang member.

Well, ex-gang member. She'd had time to do a brief social media search, scrolling and reading posts prior to his hospital stay. They show an ex-gang member trying to turn his life around. Until he got shot. And wound up in his mother's care.

"Hi, are you Rhett Palmater?"

The man gives her a once over. When his gaze meets hers, she knows. There's a demon in there. His pupils have either dilated so much that they've completely overtaken his irises, or possession changes eye colour. His eyes almost feel hollow.

"I am."

Voice sounds normal enough.

She makes up a name and tells him she's a journalist. "I'm doing a story on gang members who are interested in leaving the gang life. I was just wondering if you would be willing to chat about your story." When he doesn't respond immediately, she adds, "I wouldn't name you, of course. I know you were in the hospital recently."

Rhett gives her a slow once over. This would have been unsettling in and of itself. However, knowing there's a demon possessing this man's soul, she feels even more discomforted. Her mother's words ring in her head. 

Stand straight, be powerful. There aren't any other humans with angel-demon blood running through them. She can feel her mother straightening her spine. Don't let them in.

At that last statement from her mother, she thinks of Jihoon. Who she had definitely let into her head, even if it was just to ease her suffering.

"You came alone?" Rhett asks. His eyes go out to the street over her head.

She nods.

The way his lip curls sends a shiver down her spine. "Come in."

Jihoon watches the human disappear into the home. When the door shuts, Jihoon frowns. He is suddenly feeling very antsy about her going in alone. He hesitates, worried about getting caught. Resigned, he gets out and walks across the street. Sneaking around the side of the house, he tries to find a window he can see into.

The first few windows look into a relatively empty living room. They don't seem to be there.

However, he notices a faint smoke trail on the floor, floating out from another doorway. But he can't get too far, because he's met with a gate.

Experience tells him that this gate will be noisy. Experience also tells him that there will likely be a dog on the other side that he'll need to placate. Jihoon soundlessly scales the gate and peers over the edge. Sure enough, there's a dog staring up at him. It's a black dog, medium-sized. Jihoon's bad at differentiating between dog breeds, but black dog and unlikely to maul or attack him are the only things he really needs to know.

The dog is quiet, ears back. Jihoon swears is shaking.

This dog is not going to attack, but it may definitely start barking. Jihoon slides down the other side and squats in front of the dog, one hand out to it.

Jihoon tries to keep his voice gentle and non-threatening. He lets the dog decide whether it wants to come to him or not.

It sniffs him out but recoils so quickly, Jihoon realizes what the dog is smelling.

You know I'm a demon.

"Are you scared of your owner in there?" Jihoon whispers. "He's probably really different from what you remember, hmm?"

Jihoon takes the time to talk to the dog for a while, reassuring it that it will be okay. "I need to check on the person your owner let in. Is that okay?"

The dog doesn't know what he's saying, that's obvious, but Jihoon still thinks he should ask for its consent. When the dog simply watches him as he checks a few more windows, Jihoon has made a decision.

The dog trails after him as he moves along the side of the house. Jihoon peers through every window until he finally finds one he can look through that won't get him caught. The human has her back against the wall, which is probably a smart move; the demon across from her.

They each have a glass of water before them, the human also has a notebook in front of her. He wonders what she's asking, because it seems the demon is doing most of the talking.

Is this demon just laying out the Grand Plan? That would make his life a lot easier if that was the case.

Jihoon feels the dog curl around his feet. It seems to be sleeping; most of the shaking seems to have stopped. He gives the dog a quick pat before straightening up again.

He happens to catch the human's eye. Her gaze darts back to the demon across from her. She nods and jots something down.

Jihoon makes sure the rest of the interaction goes well, and when they start to stand, Jihoon acts on the decision he'd made earlier. He scoops the dog up and hurries to the gate. He launches the dog over the fence, making sure to quickly follow after it. He manages to catch the dog before it hits the ground, and it stares up at him with fearful eyes.

"Sorry, can't scale a gate, race some humans, and carry you. Come on." He sprints across the street, shutting the car door, dog tossed in the back seat, just as the human exits Rhett Palmater's home.

He placates the dog with head pats until she climbs into the car next to him. Her cheeks are red, and her hands are shaking.

"Good?" Jihoon asks. He scans over her, making sure she hasn't been possessed.

"Fine. That was terrifying." She takes a few deep breaths before realizing they aren't alone in the car. "Where did you get a dog?"

"I didn't get a dog. You got a dog."

"Where did you get me a dog?" She twists in her seat and the dog rests its head on the center console between them. When she holds a hand out to it, it nudges its nose against her fingers. She gives it a scratch behind the ears.

"I stole the dog for you."

Her jaw drops. "You stole a dog of an ex-gang member?"

"I stole the dog of an ex-gang member who is now being possessed by a demon for you."

She shakes her head. "This is a lot to process."

"What did you learn? What were you writing in there?"

She relays what had happened from the second she stepped foot into the house. As she does so, she punches in the next patient's address into the GPS.

"How did you even get him to talk about the demon stuff?" Jihoon asks, pulling out of the parking spot. Their new furry acquirement moves to the window and watches the house disappear.

She reaches back a hand to pet the dog. "Why don't you sit and watch the traffic?" she asks the dog. It moves to her side of the car, and she asks Jihoon to crack the window open.

Reluctantly, because he feels stupid for indulging this dog's whims even more, he opens the window a crack.

"Once I got him talking, it was actually pretty easy to ask him anything. What's he going to assume? That I know he's a demon? We started talking about Heaven and Hell. Started talking about the reasons why he wanted to leave the gang. I asked him if it was because he found God."

Jihoon snorts. "What did he say?"

"Started bad-mouthing God, obviously. Asked him if he believed in that kinda stuff. God and the devil and whatnot. He asked me if I really believe the world is so good. I said no, and he went on this passion speech about how the world is tipping to chaos."

"Tipping to chaos," Jihoon echoes.

She nods. "He mentioned that there are servants 'all over the globe'."

"So, it's not isolated here." Jihoon flicks his left turn signal and listens to its rhythmic click as he thinks.

"No, and he also alluded to something big coming. I asked how he knew and if he knew what it was, but he wouldn't speak more on it. Thought I should get out of there before I could show my hand. My questions were getting pretty specific."

Jihoon hums. It was a good call to get out of there. "Something big is coming."

"Yes."

"Nothing in his house to show what that is?"

She shakes her head. "No. He was clearly in the middle of working when I got there."

"Working? On what?"

"No idea." She turns when the dog starts whimpering. "Do you want to come sit here?"

"No, human. He stays back there."

"You can't be allergic to dogs."

"Why can't I be?"

"You're a demon. Does your body even work like a human's?"

"It might."

She rolls her eyes. "Fine." Unbuckling her seatbelt, she grumbles about useless demons. This time, he definitely hears her. Then she's climbing over the gearshift.

"What are you doing?" Jihoon demands. He nudges her butt to help her into the back seat.

"You've kidnapped a terrified dog, and it doesn't even know where we're going or who we are." The dog rests its head in her lap and the whimpering stops. She scratches behind its ears and takes a few deep breaths. "You're going to need a bath when we get home, pup."

"So, the possessed human said that something big is coming, we don't know what."

"Well, let's see if the others will be more forthcoming."

Two of the patients weren't home. Neighbours had told her that one had gotten evicted; the other had moved abroad. Another patient hadn't been seen or heard from in months.

"I called the police, because I was getting worried," The elderly neighbour had said when she'd knocked on their door. "She doesn't have any family members, but I know she was putting herself through school."

She doesn't ask what exactly the elderly woman meant. But she hopes the girl knew that someone was looking out for her.

"We'd made a sort of code. She'd knock on my door in a specific pattern to let me know she was back and safe. I haven't heard the knock in a while, and then she just stopped coming home."

She can guess where the young woman had gone.

She collapses onto her couch. Yawning, she lays onto her side. Both angel and demon are now standing in her living room. Hansol's on his way with a very late dinner. Her new dog, Pup, is curled on the floor next to the couch.

She and Jihoon go back and forth on what it could mean that two of the patients aren't home. They've been at it all day.

"Well, Rhett did say there were servants all over the globe," Jihoon starts.

"You think they've moved to join some sort of cause?"

Seokmin has been watching their conversation volley, impressed at the way they finish each other's thoughts. "Seems you two are getting on well."

She and Jihoon share a look before he begins pacing in front of the TV. She turns to Seokmin. "What did you and Sollie find at Mrs. Han's?"

Before Seokmin can respond, the door opens.

"I've brought food for the supernaturals!" Hansol calls. He joins them in the living room and kneels next to the coffee table. The man has been obsessed with tacos lately for some reason. Despite Jihoon's annoying protests at tacos, she'd told Hansol to buy whatever he was craving.

When he notices Pup on the floor by her feet, Hansol stares a few seconds before saying, "I didn't get any tacos for our new friend."

She scratches Pup behind the ears. Both feel much better now that he's had a bath. "That's okay. We stopped by to grab food for him on the way home."

Hansol doles out the food to his friends, already knowing what they wanted. He looks up at Jihoon. "Figured you'd want something spicy. Being a demon and all." He sets a box on the table with four large Xs on it.

"Does that mean you took all the toppings off?" Jihoon asks as he picks up the box.

She chuckles as she tilts her head to take a bite. "No. It means it's going to literally burn a human mouth."

"Yeah, they triple checked that that is what I asked for on the phone," Hansol says. He falls back on his butt. "I hope it's okay, hyung."

The honorific makes her choke on her taco. "You're going to start being casual with the demon?"

Hansol shrugs. He pulls a tiny piece of meat from his taco and holds it out to Pup. It seems Pup has gotten used to the demon and angel aura, but he clearly prefers the humans. "I need to be nice to the demon, don't I? He can take my soul."

She glances at Jihoon, who is munching quite happily through his first spicy taco. "I don't think this demon wants your soul."

Once everyone's settled and she's brought refreshments to the table, Jihoon asks again what the angel and Hansol found at Mrs. Han's.

"Well, as I was about to say, Hansol said all she had back there was a computer."

"Seokmin hyung got me in through the back alleyway door."

"We were debating just going in there without my distracting her," Seokmin continues. "But I was worried she'd be sat right at the computer."

"Which she was. I caught her leaving just as I pushed the door open. But anyway, while hyung was distracting Mrs. Han, I poked around in the back. There isn't anything back there. It's just a storage room, and she has a computer."

With his mouth full, Jihoon asks what was on the computer.

She waves him off for bad manners, clicking her tongue in annoyance. Jihoon rolls his eyes.

"Well, she was watching a drama."

"Did you click around on the computer?" she asks.

"I snooped, but there didn't seem to be anything of interest on it. But I can't say for sure."

She sighs and turns to Seokmin. "Theories?"

"For the black smoke literally spilling out of her back room? Sollie took photos." He juts his chin in Hansol's direction. "Show them."

"She didn't hear the shutter sound?" she asks, stepping over Pup to sit by Hansol on the floor. Pup scoots forward to rest his head on her leg.

"I downloaded another photo app."

Jihoon moves to stand behind them, careful not to drop any food on the floor in case Pup tries to eat it. "Why?"

"Turning off the shutter sound on the phone's camera is illegal," she explains.

Jihoon's expression can only be described as one of disdain.

"It's made me very aware of people taking creepy pictures of me."

"Then can't everyone do what Hansol did?"

"Sure, but for some reason, they don't."

"Oh-kay," Seokmin butts in. "Hansol, photos."

Hansol holds his phone up so that everyone can see. Then he flicks through very slowly.

"Well, it's obviously coming from the computer," Jihoon states. "Now, I really wish you'd looked at the computer properly."

She swats Jihoon's leg behind her, as she leans against Hansol's arm to get a closer look. "Sol can't see it."

"See what?" Hansol asks.

She gets up, despite Pup's protests, and eases around Jihoon to get to her desk. When she returns, she has a scrap piece of paper and a pencil in hand. She does a very arbitrary sketch of the desk, computer, and the black smoke coming off the computer. "To us, the photo looks like this."

"That's... what all your building drawings look like."

"And that's what we're concerned about," Seokmin explains.

"But those were associated with bodies when we went." Jihoon finishes the last of his taco. He straightens up to look at Seokmin, arms crossed over his chest. "It's not just bodies."

"You guys said that all the people that you spoke to said something big was coming."

"Which we assumed was the Grand Plan."

"It ends in the Final Day. But it's hard to stop it if we don't know how they're doing it."

"Which is the problem."

"So, we've gotten nowhere."

The humans watch them talk before Hansol says, "Well, we're somewhere. You guys thought it was just bodies. We can assume now that it's anything 'bad', and can be attributable to the Grand Plan."

"Attributable," she murmurs, nudging Hansol. "Good word."

Hansol smirks.

"Hansol's right," she says so that the supernaturals can hear. "We know that they're thinking that something else is happening."

Jihoon hums. "Do we know that?"

"Yes." She tips her head back to meet his eye. "Demons have been pretty direct in my knowledge. 'Something big happening' is really vague by demon standards. That suggests that they also don't know what's going on."

Seokmin nods, picking up another taco. "That's a good point. It must be something that the demons can't even fathom."

Jihoon doesn't know why, but he feels offended.

"Could it be possible that Mrs. Han is possessed too? And whatever I took pictures of are just remnants from her having been in the room?" Hansol asks. He looks between Jihoon and Seokmin. "Can demons even possess angels?"

The two supernaturals size each other up.

"Unknown." Jihoon's gaze drops down to Pup, who is looking up at him with begging eyes. "You can't eat this. Steal from Hansol."

Pup wiggles his way between her and Hansol.

She leans back on her hands to look up at Jihoon. "What do you need to possess someone? A vulnerable host, right?"

"Sometimes people just let us possess them." He scowls at her. He actually hates this parasite description.

She either doesn't notice or doesn't care about Jihoon's irritation. She leans against Hansol, deep in thought. 

"We can't just ask her, can we?" Hansol asks.

"Who? Mrs. Han?" She shakes her head.

Jihoon looks to Seokmin. He hadn't been paying much attention to whether the older angel did or did not have a soul. "Did you notice Mrs. Han having a soul?"

Seokmin nods, running his hand over his face. "She had one."

"Then it's most likely the computer." She turns to Hansol, making sure not to squish Pup in the process. "Can I see the picture again?"

Hansol hands the phone over to her. She zooms in on the computer screen.

"What are you trying to see?" Seokmin squats down next to her to look over her shoulder.

"Whatever's on her dang screen."

Despite zooming in as much as she can, the icons are still quite blurry. She, Hansol, and Seokmin are able to pick out some of the obvious applications. They go back and forth on a few of them, Seokmin going so far as to looking them up. They're left with 3 that they can't identify.

"Why does this old woman have so many apps?" Jihoon laid down on the couch, Pup snuggling against his side. He gives the dog languid pets and can feel Pup fall asleep again.

Angrily, Hansol ruffles his hair. "I'm just so frustrated that I didn't think to take a picture of the actual computer up close."

"You were panicking." She yawns. "It's fine. But unfortunately, this actually tells us very little."

Jihoon studies his human, notices the way she leans into Seokmin. "Maybe we call it a day." He nods at Seokmin. "For the humans."

Seokmin glances at the time. It's early for either human to be going to bed, but then he notices her eyes closed, now muttering to Hansol about what she needs for a dog.

"We still don't have a plan," Seokmin says to Jihoon as the demon leads them out of the apartment.

The humans trail behind, discussing picnic plans with the others.

"Yeah, I'm down," she yawns. "Just..." She rubs her eyes, yawning so much she feels her jaw crack. "Just set it up. The demon has to come too."

Hansol nods with a smile at Jihoon. "Of course."

Jihoon nudges her towards her room once Hansol and Seokmin leave. "Go sleep. You're tired."

With one eye open, seemingly half her body already asleep, she says, "You're being nice. And taking care of me. It's weird." Pup waits for her by her bedroom door.

"You're no use to me tired. Go. Sleep. Now."

part 11

[changeling-rin]

Question for all the Links: Favorite place they've been? And I do mean all of them, even the sequel ones

Oh dear, you’re gonna make me Longpost.  *cracks knuckles*  Best get started then, but I am gonna stick to the canon places they’ve been, otherwise I have way too many options.

Gen is really fond of the Faron Woods, specifically the bit leading to Lake Floria.  It’s the first piece of land he ever touched down on, so it’s got a special place in his heart, and also the lake is just really soothing, okay?  

Speck’s favorite travel spot is the Minish Village in the Minish Woods.  Everyone is incredibly friendly, and also they like to give him language lessons since he ate his Jabber Nut there.  

The Four are pretty chill, but usually will hang out with Zelda in the Castle.  It’s explicitly stated that Link is ‘the boy she trusts above all others’ so I’d say that’s pretty solid evidence for a good relationship, and they’re probably super comfortable with each other.  As far as travel goes though, Talus Cave was pretty neat.

Ocarina’s favorite spot was probably Death Mountain, because he and Darunia are bros.  Mask, on the other hand, would pick the LonLon Ranch.  He would most definitely not pick anyplace in Termina, because Temina was one big mess of stress, and the LonLon Ranch was just that peaceful place where he got his horse.  (Ingo, when compared with Majora, doesn’t even rank on the list of evil opposition.)

Dusk would choose Kakariko, most likely.  It was his support network for a vast majority of his adventure, and people get attached to places based on the experiences within said places.  

RGBV aren’t really keen on going back, but the Frozen Hyrule was a pretty interesting place.  It’s not often you see that much ice, after all.

Lore is probably more a fan of Holodrum than he is of Labrynnia, if for no other reason than that he gets along famously with the Subrosians.  But if Koholint hadn’t been imaginary, he probably would have claimed that as his favorite instead.

Sketch doesn’t mind Lorule, but the method of getting there is probably always going to remind him that it was originally a curse.  Therefore his actual favorite is probably the Desert of Mystery.  It’s interesting down there.

Realm... has no idea where his favorite spot is, literally.  He does remember a nice forest that wasn’t too monster-infested, but then again he also remembers stumbling into two dungeons in a row somewhere in that nice forest.  Or at least, he thinks they were in the forest.  

Wind really likes Dragonroost island for several reasons, but most of the reasons are because the Rito are so nice.  Also Medli is one of his best friends, probably second only to Tetra.

Steam thought the Ocean Realm was the coolest thing, because he got to go to the Ocean Floor.  It was completely different from anything he’d ever seen before, although he does admit that it’s kinda hard to get to without the Spirit Train making sure he can breathe.

Shadow’s favorite places are the ones where he doesn’t have to deal with any idiot desert kings thinking they’re in charge.  That said, the Mirrored Lake at the bottom of the Water Temple was actually pretty peaceful for his introverted soul until Ocarina popped his head in.

Oni... doesn’t have very much to go on.  But in comparison with the inside of his mask, he prefers the inside of Majora’s Moon.  He does have good memories of beating Majora up, after all.

Rune is probably the most comfortable in Zora’s Domain.  It’s calm, it’s pretty, and it doesn’t hurt that his most supportive friend spends most of his time there.  Sidon is just one of those welcoming sorts of people.

Lux’s entire experience revolves around battlefields, but he does fondly remember the battle in the Temple of Time when he got the Master Sword.  That was a good day, barring all the ghosts of the deceased Temple Guards that he had to get through.

The TriLinks will happily forego the Drablands entirely and spend the entire day in Madame Couture’s shop.  There’s so many outfits and so little time, you know?

Lyric is honestly good for anywhere, as long as it doesn’t mess up his rhythm.  That said, he has more fun when he’s dancing with people, and therefore Kakariko is where he spends the most of his time.

Now I’m not sure if you wanted the OC Links, as well, but just in case!

Codex is happiest in the library, any library.  But within the library, he’s most likely to be in the historical section.  He tried the autobiographical shelves once and it just didn’t have the same appeal.

Wraith, for all that he’s a ball of sunshine, will actually spend most of his time in burial sites.  It’s easiest to talk to his friends that way, after all, because unlike his many insistent mentors, most spirits don’t have enough strength to wander too far from their bodies.  

And there we go!  I’m almost positive that I got everybody, but just in case: SUBJECT TO FUTURE EDITS.  

Hope you enjoyed!

[itsbenedict]

Two-Faced Jewel: Session 8

Welcome to the Hotel On-The-Floor, Yeah

A half-elf conwoman (and the moth tasked with keeping her out of trouble) travel the Jewel in search of, uh, whatever a fashionable accessory is pointing them at. [Campaign log]

Last time, the party identified the culprit behind the murders in Barley and Wheat, but... well, it's complicated. The culprit was apparently being coerced by a dragon, and they managed to talk him down rather than fight. If they want that to stick, though, they'll need some kind of plan to get rid of that dragon. And... is it really worth bailing this guy out, anyway?

Saelhen, Oyobi, and Vayen all start discussing their plans in Elvish, which it doesn't seem like Arnie understands. Oyobi advocates for just killing the guy, but is a little less keen on the idea once Vayen advocates for the same. Saelhen would rather give the guy a chance, and points out that there's not much point to killing him as long as the dragon is still around- they'll need an answer for that, and the answer to a dragon is probably just as good an answer to Arnie.

Looseleaf, oblivious to their Elvish chatter, describes the basic plan to Arnie.

Arnie: "So you're, what... you're gonna get the church involved somehow? What're you gonna tell 'em?" Looseleaf: "Well, probably also Deathseekers," Looseleaf thinks, out loud. "We'll tell them there's a dragon conducting sacrificial rituals at the site of an altar to the god of pain. We'll get the church involved by virtue of proving to them that there's a dragon fucking around with divine shit, and we'll get the deathseekers involved by convincing them that there's a dragon stacked to the gills with cool magic items, which we'll prove by bringing them one of said items." "The important thing is to get going as soon as possible, right? There's a time-limit here measured in, uh... human... corpses..." Arnie: "Wait, how are you gonna get one of its magic items?" Looseleaf: "How do you think, mister 'I work for the dragon so he gave me a bunch of magic items to serve his dread will'?" "We'll bring the deathseekers that magic cloak you said you had." Arnie: "Uh, that's..." "Mine, though."

Eventually, after a persuasion roll or two, Arnie agrees to loan them the cloak, as long as it comes back in one piece. He also tells them how to safely retrieve it from the laundry room- as long as they exchange some dirty laundry for the clean cloak, they'll be happy and won't attack. He's got plenty lying around downstairs, which he heads down to grab.

While he's downstairs, the party confers, and decides to all go together to the nearest city- Cauterdale- to ask the local Deathseekers for aid. They figure Arnie's not a flight risk, since he doesn't have anywhere to run and a draconic boss who'll hunt him down if he tries.

(As they prepare to leave, a natural 20 on a perception roll alerts Looseleaf that Vayen has ransacked Lumiere's personal library, stealing- specifically- Lumiere's books on gods and divine magic, for some reason. She doesn't make any objection to this, though- Vayen's a creep, but it's not like they weren't all on board with looting the dead guy's tower.)

With Arnie's bloodstained laundry in hand, Looseleaf heads upstairs and retrieves the cloak without incident. She tries it out, and...

The result of her crit failing her Wisdom saving throw on the magic item is... nothing, apparently. That's always good to hear! The cloak appears to work exactly as intended! She's wearing a very fancy outfit.

Further experimentation reveals a few limitations- first, the cloak's shape is illusory, so it can't become armor or anything with particular utility. Second, it can get overly literal if you ask it to copy an outfit outright- you have to use your imagination properly. Third, it seems to get tired the more you ask it to change, so there's some limit on how often you can update your wardrobe. Those appear to be the only drawbacks!

So, with Arnie temporarily kept from murdering people, the party gets back on the road.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: For caution's sake, Saelhen calligraphs a piece of paper to say WE HAVE NOT BEEN TORTURED TO DEATH, and sticks it on the door on the way out.

As they make their way northeast, they make some Animal Handling checks to keep hold of their giraffes, as something seems to spook them. Looseleaf gets a critical success and is able to calm her giraffe right away... but the party ranger, who is proficient in neither Animal Handling nor Nature nor even Survival, because what kind of monster hunter needs to know that boring crap, has no idea how to handle an overexcited giraffe and is thrown from her mount with a critical failure.

Benedict I. (GM):There's a small sign by the road, heading off west towards what appears to be an actual forest. The prairie is giving way to a somewhat hillier and more forested terrain here, but the forest is thicker than anything you've seen on your way there. And as you're approaching the crossroads marked by that sign, your giraffes all try to bolt for it. Looseleaf is able to realize that they've been forced to graze on grass for miles, and when they see the trees, they get overexcited. Vayen and Oyobi get completely thrown from their mounts, and you have to follow them down the road a bit to catch up with them and rein them in. Looseleaf: Haha, oh, well, hopefully they don't try and spend the rest of the whole day grazing a pit-stop is within tolerances but we really do have to make it to Cauterdale sooner rather than later. Many lives are on the line! Saelhen du Fishercrown: Good thing Looseleaf can radiate peace at them! Benedict I. (GM): Looseleaf is able to beckon them back before they completely get out of reach, and pretty soon you've got them calmed down- but you've lost some time. There's a choice to make here, now: continue on to Cauterdale, but make the last hour or so of the journey in the dark- or rest at the location marked on the map near here.

On the map, where the sign marked "Umbrella Village" points (shut up, I don't even play Resident Evil, don't worry about it), is simply a warning that reads "EVIL WITCHES- AVOID!!!"

Oyobi and Orluthe inform the others that "witches" usually means "druids"- and Zero cashes in something from character creation. Looseleaf's background as an academic provided her with a book on some historical topic, which was never allocated because at character creation he didn't know enough about the world to decide on something interesting. Here he declares it's a book on the history of druids!

Benedict I. (GM): Druids, from what you've read, are sort of like clerics. They channel a divinity of some sort- which is typically revered as Mother Nature, or Gaia, or... every druid you meet is going to have a different name for it, because while it needs to have a thing to call it by, it is emphatically not a god. Druids have a complicated relationship with Ccorde, who's ostensibly the goddess of environmentalism and hippy communing with nature type stuff- but most druidic traditions regard this as a false claim on a divine domain. Nature is untamed and wild and exists on its own terms, a vital force that is not to be tamed with rules- people must forge their own relationships with Nature. The author of the tome you acquired was herself a cleric of Ccorde, and the tone of the book is defensive on that subject. The author's curiosity outweighed that defensiveness, though, and there's a long section dedicated to the theoretical differences between the channeling of Nature and the channeling of Ccorde- in particular, there's no common dispositional element with druids. Whatever Nature is, it's willing to act through anyone who puts in the effort. The author didn't seem to know anything about animism, but you suspect druidic practice might be related in some way- that their nature-spirit-channeling abilities may be a form of animism. The book is unfortunately light on the practical details of druidcraft, as the author prefers that the reader eschew the practice in favor of fealty to Ccorde.

Okay! So, they head down the road to stay at the druid village for the night- and notice something odd on the way, after some Nature checks. They notice that the dirt road they're going down seems to divide the forest in two- between a sparse, ivy-choked pine forest to the northeast, and a dense, healthy-looking deciduous forest to the southwest. You usually don't get such a sharp delineation between forests like that.

And Looseleaf notices... that their map doesn't show a forest on the southwest side of the road. The road is supposed to just go along the edge of the pine forest. Also, Looseleaf can see the trees' spirits there, and there's something... not quite right.

Benedict I. (GM):The left side of the woods- there does seem to be some ambient magic. Your Sight Unseen ability doesn't exactly detect magic, so much as it lets you see spirits, including the spirits of spells- but what's going on here isn't a spell effect. It's just that the spirits of these healthy-looking deciduous trees don't quite match their physical forms. Their spirits seem... sickly? Frail? Like they're not full trees, not trees that grew in their places from fallen seeds. There's something false about them.

Looseleaf: When you said 'the left side of the road is full of healthy-looking deciduous trees and the right side is full of misshaped thorny things' you know what the first thing i thought was it was, 'the left side is the dangerous side.' i didn't say it out loud but i was totally thinking that, and i am glad to have been vindicated.

The weird forest doesn't seem to be attacking them, though, so they head onward towards Umbrella Village, which seems to be built entirely on the pine side of the road. It's kind of cool-looking- every inch of available space, on the lawns, roofs, and walls, is covered in fruiting vines and various plants. The whole village is a carefully-cultivated ecosystem.

The villagers seem surprised to have visitors- apparently it's not a common occurrence. They seem normal enough, though- while they don't have an inn, they direct the party to visit the village elder, who might know where the best place for them to spend the night is.

(Oyobi once again crit-fails her Animal Handling check, and is unable to prevent her giraffe from ripping a tomato plant off the side of someone's house, which gets her scolded. Why are you a ranger, Oyobi?)

They head down to the village elder's house, which is unique in not being overgrown with crops- and knock on the door.

The door is answered by a little lizardfolk girl, who doesn't have any idea what she's supposed to do about there being... people... here? People she's never seen before? Who don't live in the village? What???

Benedict I. (GM): "...Who...?" "GRANDMAAAAA," she calls back into the room. Which she didn't really need to do so loudly, because there's an elderly lizardfolk woman sitting right there next to a small fire.

Looseleaf: Oh, and Looseleaf was about to ask if the little girl was the elder. Never let external appearances color your preconceptions, and all that. Benedict I. (GM): "Eh?" "Gramma there's Mysterious People!" "They don't exist!" The old woman gets up. "Who's... oh, visitors?" The little girl looks confused. "Vizza-what?" Looseleaf:"Indeed, we are emissaries from the Faraway Phantom Lands of Nonexistence," Looseleaf says in deadpan to the girl. "Behold as my incorporeal voice from out of the thin air astonishes you!" To the old lady, Looseleaf says. "Excuse us. You must be the elder?"

They inquire about a place to stay for the night, and the elder... checks the weather. Looseleaf, who has Druidcraft as a racial ability, also checks the weather, using a fancy little snowglobe spell!

Looseleaf: "I'unno, does this help?" Benedict I. (GM): "Oh, goodness. I thought you were from outside- do they..." "That's very well-done, really, and you smell delicious, but..." Saelhen du Fishercrown: uh Benedict I. (GM): "Well, it ought to be fine." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "...hmm," says Saelhen. Benedict I. (GM): "Just put your bedrolls out anywhere- we're not doing rain tonight." "Well, anywhere in town, anyway." "You shouldn't set foot in the Mysterious Woods." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Ma'am, rest assured that we have less than no interest in Mysterious Woods."

So the party beds down in some soft pine needles, making use of Looseleaf's recently-acquired Extremely Comfy Pillow and a few bedrolls. They have a druid elder's assurance that the elements won't be a problem, so... nothing wrong with camping!

And as they're going to bed, Looseleaf rolls a 21 on Perception.

Luckily, Looseleaf fails her unarmed strike roll, which would do no damage even if it hit because her strength mod is -1. So she does not do any damage to...

Benedict I. (GM): So, you kick out at the mouth full of sharp teeth. Saelhen du Fishercrown: Fwff, goes Looseleaf's puffy moth footsie. Benedict I. (GM): The mouth full of sharp teeth goes "Eeek!" and recoils before you make impact, and you see the little lizardfolk girl scamper away into the darkness. Looseleaf: "What." "Wh- how dare you bite me! I am an emissary of the Phantom Lands and all that or whatever." "Come back here and explain yourself to My Imperial Nonexistingness!"

The little girl, affronted, explains that if she's not real, then it's not bad if she bites her!

Vayen: Vayen stirs. "...Shouldn't kill a child," he mumbles. Saelhen du Fishercrown: "...this is a new dream," remarks Saelhen. "Better than the dreams about dad." "Vayen's even deciding not to kill someone. This is super neat, subconscious, keep going."

Saelhen argues that maybe Gramma doesn't know what things taste good, because sometimes grammas think things that taste bad taste good, like bell peppers! The child has no defense against this devastating logic bomb, and scampers off into the darkness, indignant.

Next time: the journey to Cauterdale, and the menace of the bobbledragon.

[courtneyyharper]

10 Christmas Gifts ‘for her’ if you’re completely clueless

Since it's apparently time to start thinking about that time of year I thought I'd jump on and attempt to give you some help in an attempt to spark​ some ideas. Whether you're using this list for ideas for your other half, your mum or sister, or even if you are that person that likes something on this list why don't you send it over as a wee hint... the irony of this is that I've banned my boyfriend from looking at this list as there's a few spoilers on here for his gifts! (Hope he enjoys a wee eyeshadow palette😬).

So let’s start...

1. AIRPODS

I'm sure this will be a big gift this year and a perfect gift if you know they'll be getting a new phone or laptop! Perfect for a music lover or just the person that always needs to have the next big thing! I'd recommend planning to get a pair of these bad boys from Amazon or Currys during the Black Friday sale.

2. STUDIO LIGHT

A gift my mum got me unexpectedly a few years back and I haven't looked back. Not just for the MUA or photography student in your life but even just for every day make up application and I know my friends always use mine for checking their outfits or taking selfies before a night out! I've shown in the product photo how you can get a full sized one or a desk sized one easily on Amazon, your choice. Along this line would also be a Hollywood mirror, the big vanity mirrors with the bright lights installed but they can be hard to source as they're so popular and you need to make sure they're the bright studio lights. Top tip would just be to check the dimensions so you know what you're getting.

3. POLAROID CAMERA

I wanna say this is a cult favourite. I don't know many girls who don't have one of these now but if your gift recipient is one of them then it'd be a great gift! They're a great idea for Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries because it means you can capture the memories and of course ironically take a photo of the polaroid with your phone and post it to Instagram!! They come in a variety of colours and you can purchase accessories and refillable polaroid packs for other special occasions after, making it the gift that keeps on giving.

4. VINYL PLAYERS

Another gift that keeps on giving. If they're a real music lover and always have Spotify going in their room, and with the lack of concerts this year, this would be a very thoughtful gift. You can get these lads pretty cheap on Amazon or fork out for the pricey ones from UO. The only downside is that the actual Vinyl records themselves is where this gifts will cost you the most, but at least you'll always have an idea for next years present.

5. FOREVER ROSES

Now these guys can be quite boujee and I remember them being really popular a few years ago. If you type 'forever roses' into google or, probably better yet, Instagram you'll get a lot of companies selling gift sets of these specially preserved roses that can last for years. An incredibly romantic and surprising gift, this one can cost you big bucks but if you shop around enough you can get single roses for around £20 or major bunches for a few hundred but it's sure to win you major brownie points.

6. LUSH

This is the standard gift and perfect for a Christmas Eve bath. If you couldn't come up with this present on your own then please pay close attention to this blog because oh buddy you will need it! There are so many gift boxes to choose from at Lush and the great thing is you can't go wrong with any of them. Not to worry if you don't have a bath too because I also have you covered with these Lush sprays which are sooo good that you won't need to work out what their favourite perfume is for the third year in a row. (Also a great brand to support for its morals which is a bonus!!)

7. BLANKETS

Not only perfect for those cosy Winter and lockdown nights but also a great home decor item that is so popular on Instagram! These massive knit blankets can get incredibly pricey online, ranging from 20ish quid for a tiny one to a few hundred for the massive ones, so if you're willing to pay that then go ahead but top tip is to have a look in Home Bargains because they had these guys in all year for £25 and even Primark Home had a few in recently but I'd get ahead of the game for this one before they sell out...

8. JEWELLERY

Now I'm not a massive jewellery fan myself but some girls just go ga-ga for a princess ring. If you're wondering if your girlfriend/sister/daughter is one of them you can identify these people by their less-than-subtle 'just gonna post this here xx' social media posts sharing the Pandora sales. I know most boys get scared to choose jewellery in case the person 'doesn't like it' blah blah but chances are unless they've told you somethng they specifically want or you've been missing some massive hints (ie. ring photos 'accidentally' sent to you) then they'll appreciate literally anything you choose. It's the idea you've went and chosen something specifically for them more than the item itself that matters. If you like it, they'll like it more. The big site is Pandora and many sites like it will have 'Christmas Gift Guide' sections to make it super easy for you. Top tip: you could do a wee price low-high if this is just an add-on gift and although it's horrible to say they will most likely look it up and check how much you spent on it... sorry about that!

9. EYESHADOW PALETTE

Now this is one you will most likely skip over because it feels like delving into a massive jungle with no map and no water and actually no shoes and no clue whatsoever of where to start. That's what boys feel like trying to buy girls make up and I really can't blame you. In fact, if you haven't been told exactly what to buy then who could blame you but if you're really looking to impress and go the extra mile and know they like make up then I'm going to attempt to help you as best I can and try and keep it really simple! So, first of all you'll need to somehow have a look at their collection when they're getting ready or be super stealthy and just double check they don't have the palette you're going to get them.

This is important. Right, so question one is do they watch YouTubers do make up? Because if they do then simply find out who they watch and check if that influencer has a palette or collab with a makeup brand because then your job is done for you!! If they've told you all about the James Charles/Tatti/Jefree Starr drama that encapsulated YouTube in the past then find out who's side they support because all three of those guys have palettes! James Charles x Morphe Artistry palette, Tatti has her own brand, or if they came out supporting Jeffree Starr and Shane Dawson in the whole fiasco then the Jeffree Starr 'Conspiracy palette' is for you. To each their own. These two main palettes I've featured on the left below for you to have a look at.

The top right palette is the new HUDA Beauty Naughty Nude palette and it's the one I'd go for if you're really unsure still! It's a new release so doubtful they have it and there's no crazy colours so can be used by everyone. It would be my top recommendation for make up this Christmas.

The three below that are all YouTuber/Influencer collabs with makeup brands that have been pretty popular this year. From the left: BPerfect x Stacey Marie Carnival III Love Tahiti Palette is one to get if you know they love doing colourful and adventurous looks, middle: Carli Bybel Palette x Anastasia Beverly Hills and far right: BPerfect x Jah Makeup Artist Clientele Palette are both perfect for more simple looks or if they don't go wild with colour and are both from big brands so will be very much appreciated!

God, this really could have been its own post where I explained it a bit better but alas...

10. HAIR CURLERS/WAVER

Maybe they're not as into makeup and prefer hair, or maybe they just love both? Then a Beauty Works hair styler would be a boujee gift for them. So, for this you can do the standard version of the products (gold) or you can do the newer versions in the collab with Molly Mae (pink). It's up to you. These products are pricey but great quality. First is the hair curler (Professional styler) which is great if both you and they love their hair curly, and you can't go wrong with Molly Mae's signature bouncy curls. The second option is a new trend in hair his year, The Waver, which creates the mermaid waves that I've pictured Molly Mae wearing below (and yes boys they’re different than curls) and a great gift if they already have the curler. Top tip: is to get these lads while ASOS have 20% off because you're grabbing yourself a bargain or if you're really on a budget many brands do these products without the hefty price tag.

BONUS: GIFT ADVENT CALENDER

This year there is a major boom in the idea of gift advent calendars, so behind every door is a small gift instead of chocolate. Now what would be super adorable is to buy advent boxes online and fill them yourself with personalised gifts but luckily many brands have brought out their own versions! The best one I have saw so far this year is this PrettyLittleThing beauty calendar but it has been sold out for some time now! ASOS etc. are doing their own versions and there have even been adorable versions in the likes of HomeBargains and B&Ms where you can get candle or even alcohol versions.

Well, I hope this helped even a little bit! If you're really on the ball you'll have noticed I haven't included anything like the staple Primark pyjamas or everything seems catered towards girlfriends or 'for her' but not to worry I've many more versions planned, including 'for him', 'on a budget', and 'how to dress up your present'!

Happy (very early) Christmas!🎁🎄

[popliar]

Ateez in Seoul, 8 and 9 February 2020

Olympic Hall at Olympic Park

No one will believe this but I actually had my holiday with @flywithturtles planned before I knew the dates coincided with Ateez's Seoul concert dates. But it's true! I have the WhatsApp conversations to prove it!! Anyway I secured the tickets and all was well.

This is the first concert I've been to where they were handing out masks, making sure everyone had hand sanitizer and checking temperatures as you entered. Haha. Well they also checked our temperature going into the Line Friends store that day so, that's corona virus life. I was actually really worried the concerts would be cancelled, given so many other events have been, so it was a relief that it went ahead.

Structurally this is the same as the show I saw in August last year, after Wave/Illusion: starting hard with pirates, a lighter middle section, and a mythology-heavy last third. And then the encore which went for ages.

What's great to see is that the gaps and pacing downsides of the previous year have been corrected and improved. The pacing has been tightened up, the banter and ments flow much more smoothly and the show just feels very professional and well run.

Here's my post about last year's show: https://popliar.tumblr.com/post/187095347758/ateez-in-sydney-11-aug-2019

It's a shock to realise they've only been around one year four months but they were able to fill out a full 2.5 hour set, every song solid. And KQ spent proper money on this, the production was good - it's not like LAVISH but there were good stages and fancy screens and new VCRs and plenty of back up dancers, and it all worked well. There were maybe too many fireworks on the first night (I hate it when it obstructs the choreo) but they'd adjusted well on the second night.

Surprising but welcome - they had English subs for some of the ments. I don't think they were "live" subs because sometimes they'd get ahead of what the members were saying. But it was helpful. Even without them, body language and tone says a lot. Though I'm regretful that I don't understand Seonghwa's acrostic poems or all of their stupid jokes lol.

The show is called Fellowship and they leaned into it hard, asking Atiny to be part of their shared journey and to stick with them forever. It's a familiar refrain from other shows, but each time I find it both surprising and effective - this very overt, explicitly stated entreaty to be a fan, to enter into this imagined relationship, the appeal to reciprocity. "We've made you happy, make us happy too, be with us and we'll be with you."

But you can know a thing and it can still be effective. I did love the shows. I want them to be happy too!

A list of observations and random things:

Spoilers follow, I'd put it behind a cut but I can't figure out how on mobile haha

OK REALLY SPOILERS NOW

-first VCR to open the show expanded on the Treasure theme.

-Desire opens with blindfold choreo. Was this a gift for me? THANK U.

-for Lights, they had cute moments where they held up little speech bubbles over each others heads. They paired up with Hongjoong and Mingi, San and Wooyoung, Seonghwa and Yunho, and Yeosang and Jongho. Both nights, Woosan held hands. On the second night Yunho held Seonghwa's hand and Seonghwa was like a shy maiden. Mingi and Hongjoong had very strong flirty energy. Yeosang and Jongho are cute.

-the VCR in between part 1 pirates and part 2 fun boys showed what felt like a series of different dimensions? An ocean, a mountain, fields of flowers, cosmic surrealism, etc. As though each of them was alone somewhere in time and space.

-During If without you, they threw out balls to the crowd as gifts (mini riots ensued). Mingi put the empty basket on his head both nights, what a beautiful fool.

-Night 1 was the first time with the light stick! Hongjoong announced its official name: Lightiny (light of destiny) but also Tinybong lololol. The light stick is super pretty. I was tempted but didn't have time the first night. The second night it was sold out when I arrived!!!

-The VCR in between parts 2 and 3 is the really intriguing one. It paired them up into the Lights pairs again. Yeosang and Jongho searched for each other in a hall of billowing drapes. Mingi and Hongjoong were rockstars (with great lipstick). San and Wooyoung were mirrorverse versions of each other. Yunho and Seonghwa put together the pieces of a puzzle in a set that reminded me of both Treasure and Wonderland.

-In the intro to Say My Name on the first night, Hongjoong went halfway down the stairs then turned around, went back and grabbed his mic, then went down again lol. The second night he very firmly took his mic before descending the stairs lol.

-The final VCR before the encore showed them uncovering items on pedestals as though in a museum: a camera, a gramophone, a painting, a book of poetry by Yeats... Then they all created a painting together. When viewed through a red screen (like the puzzles in their albums) the pattern revealed a compass. They then all showed their wrists to reveal each had a compass tattoo.... WHAT IS THIS OT8 SOULMARK FIC!!!!!

-They said they had planned for every audience member to have this compass stamp (the Fellowship again) but it was cancelled due to health concerns. But we could see it with our true eyes, right???? On the second night, the 99s swarmed Seonghwa at this point to try to look down his shirt. I see. I see. (Later on Hongjoong also tried to peek into Mingi's shirt also fine just fine.)

-Early in the show Hongjoong said there would be clues through the show about the next steps in their concept/narrative. The hourglass and compass were very recurrent but these are not new. Hmm. I wonder.

-In one ment on night 1, Jongho spoke to all his hyungs informally and it was HILARIOUS. He did something similar on the second night, patting Yunho on the head and pinching Wooyoung's chin etc.

-During Star 1117 on the first night, Hongjoong and San started crying. Then in the following ment, they and Yunho and Wooyoung were crying, and Seonghwa and Jongho were teary. Yunho cried so hard (missing his grandfather!) that during Hongjoong's ment, Mingi quietly went over and gave him a towel. There were like five members in between that he passed to give him the towel, it was so sweet I'll cry. Night 2 felt more joyful and upbeat.

-Some ppl really left way too early like before the encore. The encore is half an hour long omg! You missed out on so many songs!!!!!

-On night 1 between main set and encore the crowd didn't quite know what to do. Huge kudos to the fans who led some cheers otherwise it would have been so quiet. Second night was better and also they kept the light sticks on while we were waiting which added to the atmosphere.

-They didn't sell a couple of sections in the hall at all, they were curtained off. It's interesting to think BTS had their first Muster here at around the same point in their careers. Like BTS, Ateez too are more popular globally than at home. They were beaten quite handily in voting on music shows by SF9 this comeback, who are more popular at home than internationally.

-It is great being in a huge fandom like BTS but also you know this is actually a great time to stan a group like Ateez. They're big enough to be exciting and have good shows, they are interesting and still developing, they're still playing intimate venues... They're good!!!!!

-A few of them had fake neck tattoos. San helpfully labeled himself "San" on the second night lol.

-Hongjoong briefly went off stage during sunrise On night 2. Hopefully just a technical issue.

-Treasure and Precious choreo start and end in the same place, echoing their musical connection.

-They had different encore outfits for Answer each night, before changing into hoodies. On night 2, Yeosang saw some of the others had scarves/banners tucked into their back pockets and was like "where's mine????" Instead of a banner, Yunho had a baseball cap. Seonghwa took his off and Hongjoong tied it around Seonghwa's wrist.

-For Star 1117, everyone held up their mobile phone lights. On night 2, San repeated the request in English too. Very pretty to see all the lights.

-On second night, Seonghwa and San got their mics and necklace tangled up during a ment lol.

Setlist:

(Intro)

Win

Horizon

Pirate King

(Introduction ment)

Medley: Twilight, Stay, My Way

Light

Mist

Desire

(VCR)

Illusion

Crescent

Wave

Sunrise

(Ment, lightstick announcement)

If without you

Aurora

Utopia

(VCR)

Say My Name

Dazzling Light

Hala Hala

Treasure

Precious

Wonderland

--

Encore:

(VCR)

Answer

(Ment)

Thank u

Star 1117

(Ment)

Promise

Dancing like butterfly wings

Setlist from: https://twitter.com/updateez/status/1226112679728812032?s=19