#elevator pitch contest | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

be-netz · 8 months ago

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a quick recap of the previous episode opens up this week’s show, reminding the audience of the twenty-odd idol hopefuls who have joined this year’s competition. it’s certainly a colorful bunch this time around with a few familiar faces peppered in among the crowd; do better plays in the background as the screen focuses on STEVEN and the winners of last season, now coaches for the new contestants, before bursting into the title screen and logo.

the scene shifts abruptly to the three judges, ceos YOON JIHUN and SEO RAN of studio delta and sr media respectively and YUNA, the face of lime entertainment. the trio sit at a shared table draped in a thick black cloth, elevated just slightly to give them a good view of a stage specially set up for this week’s evaluation, decorated in purple, teal, and pink like the show’s logo.

“who are you most looking forward to seeing?” yuna asks her fellow evaluators, hands clasped as she leans forward to glance over at both ran and jihun.

“personally, i can’t wait to see more of HANGYEOL,” ran admits. a short clip of the contestant’s audition from last week and his subsequent first-place rank at the end of the episode plays across the screen. “he’s a talented young man and i have a feeling he’ll do well with this challenge.”

“actually, i think i’m looking forward to STEVEN,” jihun considers his words for a moment before continuing, “he’s already familiar with this type of mission, even though it’s a different song and dance from last year. i’m hopeful that he’ll show us a new side of himself this season.”

“since i asked, i should answer as well,” yuna smiles, “while i agree with both of you, i’m personally looking forward to seeing AHYOUNG’s performance. she has a strong personality and a lot of energy, so it’ll be interesting to see how that fits into the group.”

it’s no wonder that the judges are looking forward to the top three from last episode. they chatter for a few moments more before the talented emcee RHEE JIAN takes her position in center stage, ready to announce the first contestant.

ASAKURA TOUMA is the first contestant up, taking the stage shortly after a brief introduction from jian. the camera focuses in on his silhouette, silent except for the exaggerated sound of his breathing, as he waits for the music to start. just as it looks like the performance is about to begin, the scene abruptly changes to the very same contestant in the practice rooms provided for the NEXT GEN participants.

it seems that touma is quite the practice-bug, staying late hours in the practice rooms with KAITO and separately with HYUNKI, and stretching with JIHYUN. “i understand that i was doing more than i can chew, back then.” touma’s voice plays across a scene of him helping jihyun lean further into his stretch. “i’d like to think that i was able to balance things a bit more clean this time, focus on what i can do first.”

the scene fades back to the judges, their sharp eyes digging into the contestant even as the song has yet to start. “this will be… interesting,” jihun remarks. the two women remain quiet.

do better starts playing and the very first performance begins. touma is clearly enjoying the stage and while he starts strong with the rapping and his dancing isn’t bad, it’s singing where his performance begins to fall apart. the edit seems to highlight this, featuring every shaky note or slightly missed beat and making the boy’s performance out to be much worse than it may have been without the repeated cuts, replays of imperfect moments, or quick zooms into the slightest shake or wobble.

even touma admits that he struggled; “it’s different from training,” he tells the camera, the scene suddenly cutting to the young man seated in a simple room. “i had to keep in mind the pitch and everything. i had to keep it stable while dancing too, somehow it’s easier with rapping.”

the performance comes to a close with an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air as the judges seem to collect their thoughts.

“i suppose i’ll start,” ran picks up her microphone and begins to address the contestant directly. “touma, i can tell that you took our advice to heart from last episode. we appreciate a trainee who’s coachable and applies feedback to their efforts, however…”

while ran seems at a loss for words, perhaps looking for a softer way to say what’s on her mind, jihun has no such delicacy. he takes over immediately: “just because we thought you were doing too much last time doesn’t mean you should have neglected your vocal training now.” he sighs, perhaps regretting that they were not more clear with their expectations, or that the contestants understood the assignment so poorly.

“it’s a good thing that you can rap and dance,” yuna takes a more balanced approach to her critique, the carrot and stick method in a sense. “but for your sake, you should focus on learning to sing better. no matter how good of a dancer or rapper you are, the public will always perceive you as untalented if you can’t sing.” she speaks from a place of experience, her advice genuine.

there’s one last scene of touma in the interview room. “i’m happy i did it. i’m confident that i did my best, and i’m sure all my hard work will shine through somehow.” his optimism despite the rough critique is admirable. perhaps he’ll become a contestant to watch closely as the competition goes on.

“ah, well,” jihun sighs, “hopefully the next will be better.”

perhaps disappointed that the first performance was not a show-stopper, the judges moods brighten anyway as jian announces that CHOI HANGYEOL will be the next contestant on stage.

“mr. first-place,” yuna smiles warmly as the young man takes his place on stage. he bows politely and greets each of the judges.

“i’m sorry,” hangyeol announces, “i’m a little starstruck at the moment. thank you for this opportunity, and for your kind words of support from before. i’ll do my best to make sure you won’t regret them.”

“he speaks well,” jihun remarks, low enough that the contestant on stage can’t hear her just yet.

“he was working with my NAYOUNG this week,” ran informs the other judges, the scene shifting for a moment to show hangyeol and the trainee-coach in a practice room.

“how does it feel to have them say they want to sign you on day one? i'm pretty sure they didn't say that about anyone last season," nayoung asks her question of her student for the day, her competitive spirit obviously not at all dampened since her last appearance on television.

humble as always, hangyeol’s response is as perfect as if written in a storybook: “it’s an honor, but one that i still feel like i need to earn.”

the scene shifts again, this time to just backstage as the young man stretches in preparation for his performance for the judges. a paper armband displaying his number one position wraps snugly around his upper arm, lest anyone forgets who wears the crown this week. suddenly, his arm flops down. “tsk…it’s heavy isn’t it? nobody tells you that part.” his tone is light, as if joking, but the viewer can read into the meaning behind it. first place is a heavy burden for a contestant to bear. will he live up to last week’s performance that earned him the title?

hangyeol once again seems to be a professional on stage. his mistakes are overlooked by the camera and the editors, zooming into his flawless expressions and sharp-yet-fluid movements which suit the heavy beat of the song well. it’s like it’s his personal music show… the captions praise him, the cuts suddenly looking very reminiscent of an idol performance as it cuts between different angles of the same performance. he’s stable, if a bit imperfect, but it’s clear that the powers that be behind the scenes are much more forgiving of their first number-one than they had been of the previous contestant.

all three judges clap their approval in a tiny applause as hangyeol finishes his performance.

“i’ll be honest,” jihun doesn’t smile, but he doesn’t look displeased either, “i didn’t expect you to be able to sing. you were surprisingly stable for someone who hasn’t done this before… have you?” he suddenly questions; it’s not out of the question that there may be small idols that disbanded or retired without the general public’s notice.

“there were mistakes, but you never let them slow you down,” yuna nods her appreciation of the performance. “that’s hard to do, even for seasoned performers. it’s easy to get caught up on a mistake and make more because of it. your resilience makes you a stronger performer.”

“if i had one bit of advice to give, it would be to practice your enunciation more,” ran suggests, not unkindly. “your details with dancing are top notch, so i’d love to see the same attention given to your voice, whether you decide to pursue rapping or singing going forward.”

“good job, hangyeol,” yuna congratulates him, smiling warmly.

“if i can get yoon jihun himself to smile, i’ll consider it an accomplishment,” hangyeol’s voice is heard momentarily as he leaves the stage. for a moment, it seems as if his mission has failed. but after he’s gone, the tiniest upward curve is revealed on jihun’s lips.

“this is the part where i have to give you some not-so-good news,” jian announces to the judges, who frown as they listen to the emcee. “HAN YURA and MOON SOOYOUNG have both withdrawn from the competition for personal reasons. we wish the both of them the best of luck in their future endeavors and hope to see them on stage again soon.”

while the expressions of the judges don’t brighten they do give the two withdrawn contestants a round of applause to send them off of the show.

“with that, we’ll move on to our next contestant,” jian announces, “please welcome HAN JUEUN to the stage!”

the young woman walks out with a confidence rather uncommon among the contestants, which the judges pick up on immediately.

“she hardly looks nervous at all,” ran remarks.

“she doesn’t look nervous at all,” jihun corrects his fellow judge as all three stare down at the girl on stage.

“i’m pretty confident,” jueun herself confirms her aptitude for the stage, smiling at the cameras as she sits in the interview room. “with how hard i’ve been working, i don’t think i’m going to slip tremendously with this next ranking, at least.”

and she has been working hard; the scene cuts to the practice rooms, a montage of her sessions with various fellow contestants displayed. in each clip, she’s seen practicing a different skill, seeking advice from more experienced participants, and even giving advice of her own.

the scene settles on a moment shared between jueun and JIAYI, the two women talking together during a short break. “this whole thing is being televised,” jiayi reminds the other, followed by a confession, “i'm worried about that too, but i try to ignore all the cameras.”

“they’re kind of hard to ignore though, aren’t they? i mean, they are literally everywhere,” jueun laughs, perhaps betraying the slightest sense of nervousness with the sound. “but i’m trying my best as well.”

back to the present, to the woman standing confidently before the judges, and the music begins playing yet again.

jihun notices something, though.

“she’s staring at me a lot, isn’t she?” he remarks. the women to his left and right have to stifle their laughter.

the performance wraps up and yuna is the first to speak this time. “you’re comfortable on stage, aren’t you? your expressions are good, and you didn’t look even a little bit nervous. do you have any acting experience?” she questions appreciatively, curious more than anything.

“like yuna said, it’s clear that you have experience on stage. i just can’t help but wonder why you seemed to only perform for ceo yoon?” ran’s tone is light enough, though her words more biting than typical of the soft spoken ceo. perhaps this is a sensitive spot for her. “yuna and i are also here, and also judges. picking one place to look is good for ballerinas who need to keep their balance while spinning, but performing to one person alone in the audience can make the rest feel a bit uncomfortable.”

“it’s clear that you practiced hard and put a lot of effort into this performance,” jihun shuffles the papers in front of him as he speaks. “your expressions are good and make for an engaging performance, but your skills could use a little more work. keep practicing, you’re doing well.” small words are a large compliment from the pickiest judge.

jueun is seen in the interview room one last time as her portion comes to an end. “i would love to see how much i grow skill-wise. i came onto this show like a blank canvas, and it’d be nice to see how colorful i become at the end!”

“HAN YUWOL,” jihun realizes who the next contestant is, echoing jian as she announces the next name. “he’s one of the odd ones, isn’t he?”

“this should be interesting,” ran agrees, though she appears to be more looking forward to this than jihun is.

the scene cuts abruptly to yuwol in the practice room, coach SEOJUN talking him through his session and addressing the contestant’s weaknesses as he approaches this challenge.

“i’ve never actually done any dancing before, much less performing dance,” yuwol admits. no dancing at all? certainly he has a daunting task ahead of him.

“i can help with that,” seojun assures his student, “i’ll do my best to having you knowing the whole routine in no time.”

the scene changes in such a way that it’s hard to notice that it’s a different time, a different person in yuwol’s company. it’s AHYOUNG now, abruptly pausing the music during their dance practice session. “enough!” ahyoung shouts, seemingly frustrated with the lack of progress either from herself or her companion. “i’m putting a random song on and dancing to that,” she proclaims. the camera focuses on yuwol’s face, taking in his reaction.

“like we’re supposed to… freestyle it?” yuwol asks, as if it’s an entirely foreign concept to him. and, based on his discussion with seojun, maybe it really is.

how is he going to pull himself together for the judges? the captions drag out the tension, setting the contestant up for a disappointing performance if some miracle isn’t pulled off. the scene shows a few more seconds of awkward, stiff dance movements before fading to black. yuwol reappears on stage in front of the judges not a moment later. the young man takes a deep breath– is he also afraid of the results of his practice?

the poor thing. the cameras pan to the judges’ pained expressions as yuwol opens with an awkward rap, only made better by how the dance is somehow even worse. if ran and yuna try to mask their expressions, or at least soften them slightly, jihun does nothing of the sort. he frowns openly, disappointed with the performance before them.

an uncomfortable silence hangs in the air as the music concludes, the judges seemingly at a loss for words for a moment.

“yuwol,” jihun finally breaks the silence, “i think you know what we’re going to say. that just… wasn’t good. we thought you were a good singer in your audition, but we didn’t see any of that talent tonight. frankly, you have a lot of work to put in if you’re going to make it in this competition.”

“learning to dance is hard,” yuna tries to smooth over the harsh words of her fellow judge, giving the poor young man the benefit of the doubt. “it’s not something that can be done in a few days. i think you did your best to learn as much as you can in a short time. i can congratulate you on that.” somehow, even as she tries to find something nice to say, it falls flat.

“there’s nowhere to go but up from here, yuwol,” ran smiles, the kindest of the three despite the pity in her eyes.

the interview room makes another appearance, yuwol now seated in the center of it. “i looked… rather stiff, i’d be the first to admit that,” he confesses to the camera, “i’m new to all this, though that’s not an excuse… of course, it’s far from a perfect performance… there’s a lot to learn from it.”

“next,” jian’s lovely, smiling face takes over the screen after a brief pause in the wake of yuwol’s poor performance, “we’d like to welcome HWANG JINGREN to the stage!”

there’s not much preamble to jingren’s entrance to the stage. there’s only a short clip of him in the practice room, chatting with JAEYOUNG. “i don’t know if i’m any good. especially, considering how i ranked near the bottom,” jingren confesses, “i don’t have the natural beat at all.”

“everyone loves an underdog story,” jaeyoung offers encouragingly, “someone rising from the very bottom to the top. you have a whole arc ahead of you.”

will jingren rise or fall?

as the music starts and the young contestant begins his solo performance, smiles are seen across the judges’ faces. the audio finally kicks in so the audience can hear what the judges do; a surprisingly stable voice, despite shakiness during the rap and imperfections in his dancing abilities. it’s not a winning performance, but it’s solid.

the judges applaud him regardless when he’s finished.

“to be honest, i wasn’t sure how this would go,” jihun confesses. “i was ready for another trainwreck on stage. you pleasantly surprised us, thank you for that. it wasn’t a perfect performance, but we can see your improvement already.”

“like jihun said, it wasn’t perfect. but we don’t expect perfection at this point. you’re all looking to become trainees, not to debut tomorrow. so i wouldn’t worry too much about being the best right now and just focus on continuing to improve your skills. you’re doing well, jingren,” yuna smiles through her feedback, encouraging the young hopeful before her.

ran is the last judge to speak, a little slow as she tries to find something to say that hasn’t already been shared by her peers. “it might be nice to see you enjoy the stage a little more,” she comments, “you looked a bit scared up there. i know this is all new and nerve-wracking but i’d love to see what you’re capable of if you can become a little more comfortable.”

“thank you, jingren,” jian congratulates the man on his performance as he’s ushered off the stage. “next, we’re excited to welcome HWANG YEJUN!”

“i like the way you dance,” it’s actually INHO’s voice that’s heard, the scene cutting to a practice room where the two young men rehearse together. yejun, the one on the receiving end of the compliment, looks flabbergasted more than anything.

“thank you,” he sputters out.

the editors do him small favors to be a little more interesting, peppering the scene with rosy pink hearts and painting a picture of a practice room crush, at least on one another’s skills if not literally in a romantic sense. clips of yejun in practice, both in the main group classes, alone, and with inho and other contestants play in a short montage. and then, a clip of his singing voice, without dancing. he has skill, to be sure. will he be able to show it to the judges?

the camera catches his deep breath, the tremble of his hands as he stands before the judges.

“are you nervous, yejun?” ran smiles into her microphone. “it’s alright, we just want to see what you’ve learned.”

kind words can only do so much for the poor man’s nerves. but like it or not, the music begins regardless.

his nerves don’t completely disappear even as his performance starts, a shake in his voice and a wobble in his step even as he does his best to project confidence during his song and dance. that voice that was heard in the practice rooms lacks some of its power now, yejun’s energy split between singing and dancing. had inho been right to compliment the other contestant? yejun’s not terrible, but he may be his own worst enemy.

at least he hits the final note and pose, ending the song on a high.

the judges applaud for a moment before yuna is the first to pick up her microphone. “yejun, do you have stage fright?” she asks suddenly, “we could all tell you lacked confidence in this performance. you shouldn’t, you sing well and your dancing isn’t bad either. but when you make yourself seem so small, how are we supposed to react?”

“my trainees like you,” jihun adds.

his commentary is interrupted by a clip of RENYI and DOHYUN discussing the contestants they’re supposed to be coaching. the camera shows yejun’s profile photo in renyi’s hand. “i think he’d be really good at a company that encourages his creativity, and we already know we get along well with him,” the trainee reveals the friendship he’s already fostered with yejun, though it’s yet to be caught on camera.

“i agree,” is all that’s heard from dohyun, though the cut is awkward as if he had more to say.

the scene returns to jihun, who has more to say: “but i don’t see why just yet. keep practicing and show us a better version of yourself next time. whatever it is your friends see in you, i’d like to see that too.”

“you’re here because we saw star potential in your audition, yejun,” ran cleans up the conversation kindly, unwilling to beat down a nervous contestant more than he’s already been beaten by himself. “i hope you’re able to show us that side again.”

yejun bows, utters his thanks, and leaves the stage. a gloomy atmosphere seems to hang in the air.

“well then,” jihun claps his hands together and leans back in his seat. “what do we have next?”

ITO SEIRA is the next contestant to showcase her skills, but before showing her on stage the screen cuts to the girl working in the practice room with HYUNKI. and then the screen splits to show her with JAEYOUNG. it splits again, now in quarters, to reveal her practice sessions with JIAYI and EUNWOL, and then into eight pieces with TOUMA, INHO, JIHYUN, and YUWOL, with the coaches CHAERIN, NAYOUNG, and SEOJUN, with JUEUN, STEVEN, and JORDAN.

the audio is filled with each time seira introduced herself to her fellow contestants, the voices multiplying clip over clip until it’s a whole chorus of introductions.

is there anyone who seira isn’t friends with? the captions suddenly question. it’s clear that the girl is quite the social butterfly, already befriending most of the contestants and half of the judges in the first week of practice alone.

“almost everyone was willing to help me,” seira appears in the interview room in the next shot, telling her story with a fond smile. “i was so surprised, nobody turned me away when i asked for help… we’re all in this together, we help each other. i don’t think there’s a single person i’m thankful for, i’m thankful for everyone, i hope people keep being willing to help, after all, this is a competition”.

and then, finally, seira appears on stage. the camera captures her bright personality, making it easy for the viewer to understand just how she was able to befriend the majority of the competition so quickly. “hello i am ito seira, my korean name is sunah, i am twenty-one years old, i’m thankful you’re willing to watch my performance, i hope you enjoy it!” the girl introduces herself, seemingly without so much as stopping for a breath.

“she must be a rapper,” the cameras catch jihun making the remark quietly to his fellow judges, who smile and suppress their giggles at the man’s rare attempt at humor.

the music plays again and very little is shown of seira’s performance, perhaps neither so good nor so bad that the editors felt the need to draw any special attention to any point of it. they are sure to capture the ending though, zooming in on the woman’s face as if an ending fairy in a music show. the camera catches the way she breathes heavily, despite trying to hide it.

“you’re a hard worker, aren’t you, seira?” yuna is the first to address the girl on stage, a fond smile on her lips. “we have staff report to us on your activities throughout practice as well watching your final performances, to see if you’ll be a good fit in any of our companies. i have to commend you for your collaborative efforts, even on a solo evaluation like this. it’s easy to get caught up in the competition but it seems that you have a knack for bringing people together.”

“you have some skill,” the ever-unimpressed jihun rubs his chin as he considers seira’s performance, seemingly undecided about his feelings on the matter. “you’re not perfect, obviously. you’re not debuting tomorrow. but there’s promise. and, as yuna so aptly put it, you have other talents that are just as important to have in an idol group. i think we’ll have to watch you more closely.”

“i heard you had a fall in practice, are you alright?” ran is the first to show concern for the contestant.

the scene suddenly cuts back to the practice room and seira’s practice session with JAEYOUNG. as they begin the dance, the girl somehow loses her balance and ends up flat on her back in the middle of practice.

silence fills the room for a moment, uncomfortable as if about to welcome in bad news to the wannabes working so hard.

jaeyoung breaks that heavy quiet; he laughs aloud. “how did you get on the floor like that?”

it turns out seira isn’t hurt, she’s smiling in return. “who knows? maybe i was adding breakdance into the dance.”

the screen returns to the evaluation stage and ran smiling warmly at the young woman before her. “i’m glad to hear you’re alright. please be careful when you practice, we’d hate to have to send you home due to any injuries. i’m excited to see what you’ll be able to show us next time.”

with those kind words, seira is dismissed from the stage.

"it wasn't exactly pleasant to see my name so close to the bottom," the scene fades into the next contestant, JANG HYUNKI, sitting in the interview room. clips from the previous episode play, the judges’ harsh words echoing over a clip of hyunki sitting quietly, as if haunting him like menacing ghosts. “it did make me want to work ten times harder to show everyone here and at home that i'm much more than what i showed in the audition."

will hyunki be able to show a better side of himself this time?

the scene cuts to the practice room, of hyunki and JUEUN standing in front of the mirror. "look,” jueun instructs him, “everybody knows you're a skilled dancer, but you've got to convince people that you're really feeling the music, and that involves using your face!"

hyunki, responding to her advice, straightens his posture and adjusts his face. “believable?” he asks.

“it looks like a customer service smile, if you know what i mean. your eyes are pretty much empty." jueun is honest with him, even if it’s not the results he probably wants to hear.

as the pair continues to rehearse, hyunki’s voice is heard over the scene: "i worked exceptionally hard, and felt more confident this time around. i had the critiques to work off of and those all gave me a good starting point."

the scene changes again, this time to just backstage. SARANG is seeing the contestant off, playfully slapping his backside as hyunki steps up to take his turn on stage. "go kill it! one slip up isn't gonna kill you. you're gonna dominate this whole thing!" the trainee assures his student.

"all the coaches were super helpful," hyunki is shown in the interview room once more before his performance begins. "if i had to pick one, sarang's advice was probably most helpful for me this time around."

clips of sarang’s time on last season flash across the screen in a quick montage. if anyone could teach hyunki to be more expressive on stage, it would be mr. charisma sarang himself.

the camera pauses on hyunki as he stands on stage, building tension in the silence as he waits for the music to start. when do better finally starts playing, the young man begins moving, rapping, singing. it’s immediately clear that he took the criticism to heart; this performance blows his audition away entirely.

the song comes to a close and the young man bows, awaiting the judges’ response. all three are smiling, a much better sign than the last time they evaluated this contestant.

“well, hyunki, i feel like we owe you an apology,” ran begins, her smile wider than all the rest. “what you were able to accomplish in such a short time is a testament to your skill. we recognized your good foundation, but your ability to apply critique is unmatched so far. you worked closely with sarang? that was a good choice. he won last season for his charisma and stage presence, which was exactly what you lacked in your audition. excellent job.”

“i never regret my words,” jihun leans back in his seat, showing he’s impressed in his subtle mannerisms. “but you did make me eat them this time. you overdanced a little to the point your vocals suffered, but i can’t say you weren’t engaging to watch this time. good job.” rare praise from the strictest judge.

yuna pauses, smiling at hyunki before she speaks. “well done,” she congratulates him. “the audition was a bad time to have an off-day. i’m so glad to see we were right to bring you on the show, and that one off-day is not indicative of your abilities. i’m excited to see if you can continue to improve at this rate throughout the show.”

“great job, hyunki,” ran praises the young man again as jian gestures him off stage.

“he really did a one-eighty,” jihun murmurs aloud.

“did he actually impress you?” ran teases.

jihun shrugs. “maybe. maybe not.”

“i feel for whoever has to follow up that performance,” yuna remarks.

the lucky contestant is KIM ARA. a short clip of the girl stretching with KAITO in the practice rooms floods the screen. “next time, i’m going to bring my foam roller here too,” she announces, seemingly dissatisfied with the quality of her stretch without it. still, she bends in half easily, still having the breath and strength to chat with the other contestant even as she stretches. it’s clear that she’s flexible and a skilled dancer.

“i won’t be defeated by my placing,” ara tells the cameras in the interview room, suddenly reminding her that she’s fourteenth, rather low in the ranks. “but i will use it as fuel to further my ambition. there is room for me to improve and hopefully rise up.”

the girl is seen climbing up the stairs to the stage next, ready to show the judges what she’s prepared.

the music starts and her flexibility in the practice room pays off as she reaches out to each movement in its fullest completion, never skimping or leaving a step incomplete even if the choreography is easy.

“i really did try my best to give a balanced performance and work on my singing,” ara’s voice is heard over the music just before the singing portion starts. and in the next moment, it’s her singing voice that’s heard through the speakers, surprisingly stable despite the dancing. her performance passes by quickly, the camera continuing to highlight the best parts of her dance ability, until the final pose is struck and she’s being greeted by the judges.

“ara, you did well,” yuna praises her immediately. “i wasn’t sure if you were going to sing well or not, but you even did well with rapping. i don’t think any of us expected that from you, so i want to congratulate you if you learned that well in such a short time or apologize if we overlooked your skill during your audition.”

“i do wish we saw a little more of your personality come through,” ran adds to yuna’s thoughts, “but honestly, it’s such a minor critique in the grand scheme of things. this was a solo performance but it felt like you were holding back a bit. it’s alright to be a little greedy in this stage. this is a competition, after all.”

jihun is quiet for a moment, collecting his thoughts. finally, he picks up his microphone. “i don’t think i have anything more to add,” he admits. “ran and yuna have more or less said it all. you’re very talented and we’d like to see what you’re able to do with this talent going forward. thank you.”

“we’re excited to welcome the next contestant to the stage, MOON JORDAN,” jian announces as the camera shows a brief clip of the contestant climbing up to the stage to take his position in the center.

the scene cuts to jordan in the practice rooms, rehearsing choreography that’s distinctly unfamiliar. what is he doing? the captions question as the young man runs through movements that the other contestants certainly had not been doing. was he given a different assignment than the rest?

“i attempt to turn things into my own to make it fun and enjoyable for those watching me,” jordan tells the camera in the interview room, a sort of confidence in his demeanor even as he’s sitting there. some might find it attractive; others might find it cocky.

back to the present—or at least back to the stage and the performance in front of the judges. jordan’s performance begins the same as every other contestant, dancing, rapping and singing do better in front of the three people who will decide his fate in this competition. but, as he nears the end, something is different. it appears that jordan has added his own dance break, something that no one else has dared to do before. it’s a risky move; just how will the judges respond?

silence falls on the room as the performance comes to a close. the cameras pan across the judges who scribble notes down on the papers in front of them before they give their verdict to the young man before them.

it’s yuna who speaks up first.

“moon jordan,” she reads his full name off the paper in front of her. “do you have a problem with following directions?”

a hush falls over the room again. yuna has been kind, if a bit strict with the other contestants so far. her voice nearly shakes, as if she’s holding in her anger for the sake of all the people watching her through the camera right now. a veteran idol knows how to take care of her image, after all.

“this was a test of your performance skills so we could better evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. this was not a test of your creativity or an invitation to modify the song given to you. this song may not have been performed by anyone else before this group of contestants, but that doesn’t give you the right to change it on a whim.” she sighs, trying to relieve some tension. “you know you’re all expected to perform this together on mcountdown later this week, right? how do you expect to do that when you’re incapable of following simple directions?”

even ran looks rather displeased, though she lets yuna do the bulk of the scolding. this was a mission right up lime entertainment’s alley anyway.

“you should keep in mind that we’re looking to sign trainees from this competition,” ran’s words are phrased more as suggestions for improvement than yuna’s had been. “your performance skills are important of course, but we’ll also be teaching you to improve your natural talents throughout this competition and if you’re signed to one of our companies. your intangible skills are just as important to us. that includes things like teamwork and listening skills and your ability to take critique and direction.”

jihun, the scariest of the judges, is the last to speak. he’s silent for a moment, scowling at the young man in front of them. “i can’t say anything,” he finally raises his microphone to his lips. “you did not complete the mission assigned to you, you just made up your own. i can’t critique a performance that doesn’t even remotely fit the rubric that was given to you.”

perhaps the lack of comment is the greatest insult of all.

jordan is dismissed from the stage. the scene changes to a staff member approaching the contestant backstage, pulling him aside from the other contestants as they deliver a message from the judges.

“i’m sorry, but it’s been decided that you will not be performing with the rest of the next gen contestants on mcountdown this week. the judges’ decision is final on this.”

a camera hangs onto jordan’s face for a moment longer, displaying his reaction for the world to see.

a moment later the scene shifts to PARK AHYOUNG backstage, chatting with various contestants as she awaits her turn. a staff member taps her on the shoulder and lets her know that it’s her turn on stage. jian’s voice can be heard announcing the girl to the stage, but just after the camera watches ahyoung hurry off to her position it shifts to her in the interview room, speaking her mind.

"i guess i've never really danced before outside of like, the club,” the young woman shares, her words met with an uncomfortable silence after she speaks them. “i'm a great dancer in the club, don't get me wrong, but it's not really the same thing.”

the scene cuts to her practice session with YUWOL, the same that had been shown earlier in the episode. now, however, the camera focuses on ahyoung’s dance moves as the pair shake off their nerves with random dancing. how did you learn these moves…? the captions question, though no outright accusations are made.

finally, the camera cuts to ahyoung on stage before the judges. as the music begins, so does her performance, and the judges’ sharp eyes watch her every movement, their ears listening to every word, as they assess her performance.

she starts strong, as many of the contestants do, but as do better goes on, she seems to be losing steam. her voice becomes more strained and breathless, her dance lacks some of the energy it had in the beginning. the camera flashes to jihun for a moment, his stern glance as ahyoung’s heavy breathing is exaggerated on the audio.

as the song wraps up, the judges scribble down some final notes on the papers in front of them.

it’s jihun to speak first this time. “i think we may have rated you too highly based on your audition,” he admits a mistake, though only to point out the failures of the contestant in front of him. “let’s just say what you and i both already know; you lack endurance. if you smoke, quit now. work on cardio at the gym. you won’t survive this competition with your current condition. i’m saying this for your health.” he seems to attempt to extend some kindness, even if it’s still tough love.

“i’m more concerned with your work ethic, to be honest,” yuna frowns at the wannabe before her. “plenty of your competitors came in with little experience in dancing. they’ve improved their endurance a lot in the short time they’ve been with us. i think you’re taking practice too lightly. do you want to be here? or would you rather be at the club?” yuna becomes vaguely accusatory, perhaps a bit sensitive as an idol herself who has heard all of these criticisms before. maybe it’s better for ahyoung to hear them now from someone who genuinely wants to see her improvement instead of blasted a thousand times at her online by anonymous netizens who have nothing better to do but complain.

“you’re a naturally gifted performer,” ran starts with compliments, perhaps trying to soften the blow of her fellow judges before her. “you definitely shine and capture attention easily on stage. but that’s not enough past this point. please continue to improve your skills, you’re here because we saw your potential and we want to see how great you can become. thank you, ahyoung.”

the contestant is dismissed from the stage.

"i'm not gonna pretend i'm an expert, but i had fun.” ahyoung tells the camera in the interview room. it almost seems like she didn’t take the judges’ criticism to heart at all…

“up next, we’ll be watching the performance of RYEO JIHYUN!” as jian announces the next contestant up to the stage, the camera cuts to jihyun climbing the steps and waving to the judges with a smile, a confidence in his movements even as he approaches what’s likely the most nerve-wracking part of this competition so far.

“why are you even here?" the scene cuts suddenly, TOUMA and jihyun in a practice room stretching together as they prepare to run through the dance again. the camera seems particularly interested in touma’s question, however. it seems a bit inflammatory, bordering on accusatory. is this a rivalry budding already? touma sighs. "is this a side gig to you? are you here to feel something again?" neither is a very charitable interpretation of jihyun’s participation in the show.

“can you guess which is right then?” jihyun retorts, seemingly not giving an answer to the other contestant. at least he can handle himself well without starting a true altercation, verbal or otherwise.

“there was some fear and guilt that was lingering at the back of my head.” the scene cuts to jihyun in the interview room quickly. is touma bullying other contestants? the accusation is never verbalized or written anywhere on screen, but the viewer may start to get a sense of the story that’s being told here.

regardless of backstage practice drama, jihyun takes the stage anyway. his performance begins and jihyun seems to capture the spirit of the song well; tough, fighting for glory and recognition, and unafraid of anyone in the room, yet still having fun with every step. maybe his supposed spat with touma had helped him find his attitude for the performance. he’s captivating on stage regardless, almost sensual in the way he moves.

but the illusion of the competitor is shattered at the very end when jihyun sends a heart to the camera instead of maintaining the same persona he had for the entire duration of do better.

a laugh bubbles up from the judges without their permission, both jihun and ran having to cover their mouths to try to stifle the giggles. yuna just smiles, though it’s obvious she’s also amused.

“what happened at the end?” jihun questions immediately, too amused to think about anything else. “you spent the last three minutes convincing us that you were really here to ‘do better’ than all the rest of the contestants… and then ending with aegyo?” it appears that jihyun has not yet earned his way out of the ‘strange crowd’ among the contestants. “i’ll be honest with you, it ruined the performance. it doesn’t matter how well you sang and danced, all i’ll remember is feeling like you played a joke on us at the end. staying strong and following the mood for the entire song can make a performance. in this case, it broke.”

“aside from the heart,” yuna picks up her microphone next, “your rap skills are… well, they’re lacking. while not every idol needs to be an all-rounder, it is important to have some foundations in all skills. if you debut as a soloist, it allows you to release a more diverse portfolio of music. in a group, it allows you to fill in for a member if a situation should occur that demands it. you may not enjoy it, but i still recommend developing your basics better in the future.”

ran smiles warmly at the contestant before speaking. “first, i’d like to apologize for laughing. that was unprofessional of us, but you did take us by surprise. i didn’t think i could still be surprised like that,” she admits. “you’re already showing signs of improvement, but i think we would have liked to see a bit more from you this week. i don’t think we saw anything surprising, like your skills didn’t improve so much from the last time we saw your perform that there’s much to talk about. please continue to practice and improve. you’re here because we want to see everything that you’re capable of.”

“thank you, jihyun,” jian announces his departure from the stage.

“it was something relatively new to me,” jihyun admits to the interview camera, “i think i did quite well for my first time, and i’m satisfied with it. but of course, i’m not stopping at just being satisfied. i’m going to be even better the next time and come back with an improved version of myself.”

the camera flashes to touma’s face for a moment once more, gauging his reaction to his supposed rival’s critique and response.

“RYU INHO?” the scene cuts to the next contestant quickly, CHAERIN calling out a contestant’s name from a clipboard in front of her as she meets some of the participants she’s in charge of. "is this your first time singing and dancing at the same time?"

"ya, noona, so formal," inho starts joking with her immediately, obviously comfortable with the coach far more quickly than his fellow participants had been. is his familiarity disrespect to the young woman in charge of helping him grow?

he does admit it, though: "i'm not much of a dancer at all, let alone singing and dancing at the same time."

cutting to the interview room, inho addresses the camera. "i wasn't expecting such a high ranking," he admits, but then after a short cut to remind the viewer of inho’s fourth-place ranking, he issues a promising statement: "i plan on continuing to do what got me there in the first place. that is giving everything i do my absolute best effort, and then some. alongside ensuring i use my resources, such as the coaches.”

oh, so is the young man trying to schmooze with the coaches? the editing certainly seems to imply such.

chaerin, seemingly only slightly ruffled by his overfamiliar greeting, clears her throat and looks down at her clipboard again. "have you memorized the choreography, at least?" she steps toward inho, not backing down in the slightest, her brow knit together in concern. chaerin, at least, is all business.

the scene cuts to a different time and place, now with inho and SEOJUN. again, inho greets the coach with unprecedented familiarity: "didn't expect to see you here. how have you been? it's been a while."

seojun makes no attempt to hide the friendly relationship he apparently has with inho. "didn't expect to see you here either," he responds amicably, “i've been good. busy since i've been training a lot. glad i get to see you again."

the scene cuts abruptly again to seojun in the interview room this time. “would it be biased if i mentioned inho?” he asks.

yes, it most certainly would be.

at least the cameras don’t do anything further to damage inho’s reputation on the show, cutting away again to the young man taking the stage in front of the judges. his smile is confident, cocky, as if already in character for the performance he’s about to give.

the music starts; inho dances, raps, and sings. there’s moments when the camera catches that confident smirk fading from his face, unable to remember to hold it throughout the performance. it catches the moments where he pauses and catches his breath; while it’s in the choreography, the heaviness of his breathing almost becomes distracting. his voice stays stable for the most part, and the raps are decent from a contestant who doesn’t have a ton of experience in this area.

inho is gasping for breath as he holds the final pose. the judges furiously scribble notes down in front of them, capturing their last thoughts for when they have to rank all of the contestants later.

“inho, i think you also need to work on your cardio,” yuna half-teases the contestant with a smile on her lips. “i was disappointed in your performance not because of your skills, but because i felt that your breathing distracted me from your abilities. ‘ah, if only he had the strength…’ that sort of feeling.”

“you sing well and your rap and dance wasn’t bad,” ran compliments the contestant, “especially for your first time attempting these things. but you’ll have to work harder to maintain your position in this competition. there are so many talented participants this season… it’s not enough to only be a good singer anymore. i hope you can improve quickly.”

jihun is the last to leave his remarks: “taking advantage of the resources offered to you is good. however, i’d be more careful to watch your image,” he advises on the content the coaches have seen of the practice sessions rather than the performance in front of him, which the other judges had already covered well. “please be sure to mind your manners with our trainee coaches. even if you’re friends outside of work, it’s important to give them the proper respect in our buildings and in front of your fellow contestants. they’re trying to help all of you improve, so they need to be taken seriously.”

“otherwise, your performance was mediocre. i expected better.” jihun shrugs.

inho is dismissed from the stage just after, the cameras following him to capture the initial reaction on his face to the judges’ critiques.

“RYU SIWOO is next,” ran reads from a cue card in front of her. “wasn’t he the one with all of the luxury brand clothes?”

the camera cuts to siwoo in the practice room, somehow still wearing luxury clothing items as the camera identifies the sweat-soaked t-shirt he’s wearing as ralph lauren.

a disembodied staff member’s voice is heard behind the camera in the interview room, the cut trained on siwoo and his reactions as they ask the question: “you were introduced as someone who comes from money and luxury brands. how do you feel about that?”

siwoo pauses uncomfortably, seemingly put on the spot. “i’m…thankful for the interest,” he words his response carefully, “i’m really interested in fashion and i like to dress up a little. so i guess they aren’t completely wrong.”

he seems to address the camera a little more directly in his next statement: “i’m a lot more than just that though. i hope it shines through on the show.”

and just what does he show? the scene cuts to he and NAYOUNG in a practice room, the trainee coach trying to help him learn do better and perfect his performance.

“fix your posture,” nayoung barks orders like a drill sergeant. “stand up straight and keep your head straight as you sing. it'll support your diaphragm and make this easier." she seemingly has an endless tirade of critique for his performance. the editors animate a hammer dropping on siwoo’s head. this is almost as tough as the military… the captions read.

but nayoung wouldn’t say such things unless the critique was warranted. the next several seconds play several of siwoo’s failures and shortcomings and nayoung’s quick corrections, her words as sharp as a whip as they lash out at every little mistake that her student makes. is siwoo really more than the money and luxury he comes from? at least he seems to take the critique well.

the scene cuts to the stage, siwoo already introduced by jian and ready to begin his performance. while he may seem a bit nervous in the beginning, he’s smiling by the end. there’s mistakes in his performance and he’s breathing heavily like many of the previous contestants; maybe nayoung wasn’t harsh enough on him.

“siwoo, do you think you can get by on looks alone?” jihun rips into the contestant early, not pausing for more than a moment before tearing into his performance. “i heard that you worked closely with the coaches, but i doubt that any of them would have let you come on stage with a performance like this. please take advice from the song next time; do better.”

“ah,” ran seems a bit taken aback by jihun’s harsh words. he’s not incorrect though. “this is still a bit unfamiliar, isn’t it?” she tries to sympathize, “you don’t look like you’re enjoying being on stage. when you smile, it looks like it’s just something you think should be done rather than something you’re actually feeling. even if you don’t like the song, you should be trying to make your audience fall in love with it. convince us that it’s the best thing ever, even if you secretly don’t agree. it’ll make you a better performer.”

yuna frowns into her microphone. “this choreography was rather simple, but you still struggled to execute it. i understand we’re trying to move quickly through this competition, but please do not neglect your basics. strong fundamentals will help you move farther down this competition than quickly learning one dance and forgetting about it immediately afterwards. this goes for your singing too.”

just as it seems that the judges are about to dismiss siwoo, jihun suddenly adds one more complaint: “also, what’s wrong with the name NEXT GEN?” he accuses the contestant.

the scene changes, giving context to jihun’s words, as it brings up a practice room with JAEYOUNG. “i was just thinking about the name next gen,” siwoo complains, “an idol survival show called next gen. who comes up with these names?”

the cameras cut back to siwoo before the judges, jihun’s arms folded crossly in front of his chest. “i thought we made it clear that we’re looking for the talent to lead the next generation of kpop. you might want to decide if you really want to be a part of that.” there’s a subtle threat to jihun’s words; disrespect the judges and face the consequences.

siwoo is finally allowed to exit the stage.

the scene cuts to the next contestant and, coincidentally, the very same as the young man siwoo had been complaining about the name of the show to: SONG JAEYOUNG. jaeyoung starts in the interview room, a disembodied voice questioning him from behind the camera. “you didn’t seem very happy with your current placement,” a soft feminine voice remarks.

“yeah, i’m not,” jaeyoung scoffs, “but that’s not surprising, is it? it’s not a very good ranking, all things considered.”

a quick reminder that jaeyoung placed sixteenth out of twenty-one total contestants last week plays across the screen.

“what did you find challenging during training?” the same voice asks him.

jaeyoung’s answer is unhelpful. “a bunch of things,” is all he says.

to try to shed some light on his practice experience, the camera cuts to jaeyoung and JUEUN practicing together. during a quiet moment, jueun strikes up conversation.

“i heard you’re good at spinning things,” jueun asks, “can you spin this?” she hands him a water bottle.

“i swear, people will only remember me for that now,” jaeyoung appears in the interview room once again, clearly annoyed with the question his fellow contestant had asked him.

"it's funny that that's what's making rounds and not the performance itself,” he responds just as wryly in person as well, though he ultimately takes the bottle to demonstrate his unique ability. “jueun. this is for you…” he somehow still sounds sarcastic.

and, frankly, the cameras focus more on jueun’s reaction than they do on jaeyoung.

little else is shown of his practice sessions before jian is announcing jaeyoung’s name on stage, inviting the competitor to begin his performance for the judges. his introduction is short, though maybe that’s for the best considering how hostile all of his moments in the interview room have been thus so far. instead, he wastes no time showing his performance.

jaeyoung is a little different from the other contestants. while there’s others also proficient in rap, he spits the words out with a particular kind of venom. the words seem like a challenge, like an attack on anyone who dares to critique him.

the performance is cut midway to the interview room again. “do you think you did better with this performance?” the same disembodied voice asks.

“i put my all into it, that’s what i can say,” jaeyoung responds, “i danced, i sang, i rapped. it’s not easy, anyone here can tell you. but i wanted to make sure people hear; that i’m not just yelling.”

it cuts back to his performance, where it does very much seem like he’s yelling as he sings and dances, his perceived anger boiling over in the face of the judges. jaeyoung bows at the end of his performance, punctuating it with a polite gesture at least.

“you certainly have spirit,” ran decides to speak first, cutting off jihun who was reaching for his microphone first. “and passion is so necessary in this industry, it’s good to see. i do think your performance was a little… intense for this song. we want you to do better like the song says, but it shouldn’t sound like you’re declaring war either. if you could work on your balance in your performance the same way you’re able to balance things on your fingers to spin them, you’ll be able to really shine in front of us.” ran, as always, advises kindly.

jihun is never nearly as kind. he’s ready to jump in and say his piece before yuna can also stop him. “you need an attitude check,” he condemns the contestant in front of the panel immediately. “you’re not the best contestant here. you’re just not. so instead of complaining about your rank, do something about it. being angry at us and our staff will not change your performance. if anything, it’ll make your life harder here. i’ll tell you the same thing i tell dissatisfied trainees: you can get with the program or get out.”

an uncomfortable pause falls over the room as yuna attempts to pick up her microphone and say her own advice and critique. that is, assuming jaeyoung and his supposed hot temper will still listen to anything after being scolded by jihun.

“one of the most important traits a trainee can have is their ability to accept critique,” yuna tries to explain. “it feels like you lack that ability right now. until you’re able to hear us with an open mind, there’s nothing we can do to help you improve.” she keeps her feedback short, turning her mic off and placing it on the desk in front of her as soon as she’s done.

jaeyoung marches off stage as soon as he’s dismissed. the judges don’t look worried about whether they’ve offended him or not, though the atmosphere still seems tense even in his wake.

“i don’t know about you, but i could use a break,” ran suggests to her fellow judges.

jihun shakes his head. “we’re almost done here. let’s just hope our next performer is a breath of fresh air.”

they watch as jian introduces SONG JIAYI and welcomes the young lady to the stage. jiayi smiles brightly to the judges as she takes her spot on stage. but the performances never start so quickly. instead, the viewer is taken back to jiayi’s time in the practice room, working with JINGREN. the pair are talking in a different language, mandarin based on the chinese flags that suddenly appear on screen around them. are they keeping secrets? are they gossipping about their fellow contestants?

after a few comments back and forth, the broadcast finally replays them with subtitles in korean.

“you seem to be a natural at catching on to the choreography compared to me,” jingren compliments the woman.

“i’ve always been a dancer,” jiayi explains with a rather vain flip of her hair. “i’m confident i’d do it perfectly.”

the cameras show jiayi in the interview room, now speaking korean with the staff asking questions from behind the cameras. “i have to rank myself number one until proven otherwise,” she tells the staff confidently.

she seems to have a bit of an ego… the captions spare no moment to criticize the woman’s confidence. however, it’s only empty boasting if she’s unable to back it up with her actual abilities. the scene shifts back to the stage in front of the judges and jiayi’s confident smile. "i practiced long and hard to show the judges something i'm proud of.” her voice echoes over the image of her meeting the judges’ eyes.

the music begins and it’s clear immediately that jiayi’s confidence in her dancing is not completely unfounded. she’s sharp, precise, and fluid when the movements call for it. where it begins to lack refinement is in her voice. yuna had called her voice weak in the previous episode, and it seems that that critique comes back to haunt jiayi even now.

at least her breath control is decent. by the time she’s wrapping up the song, she’s not half as gassed as some of the previous contestants had been.

the cameras cut to the judges, who don’t look nearly as frustrated or upset as they had been when giving feedback to the previous contestant. jihun may not be smiling and ran may smile even when she’s upset, but the smile on yuna’s lips tells the viewers all they need to know about the atmosphere at the judges’ table.

“jiayi, you’re right to be confident in your dancing,” yuna begins, addressing the girl rather frankly. “you clearly have a strong foundation there and there’s not much for me to say. but your voice is still lacking. work closely with your vocal instructor for the next challenge. just like your body, your voice is a muscle that needs to be trained and exercised. since you haven’t done that much before, it’s not going to develop overnight. but keep working at it diligently to improve.”

“just because you’re a good dancer doesn’t mean you’ll make a good trainee or idol,” jihun gives his critique much more harshly, as per usual. “do you want to be a backup dancer or an idol? listen to yuna and follow her advice, or else your future will be at the back of the stage supporting the main show.”

“be nice,” ran chides jihun gently, seeming to think he crossed a line with his latest criticism. “jiayi, you’re a beautiful girl and an excellent dancer. as yuna and jihun have said, that’s only half of what you need to be an idol. the good news is that there’s still time to work on the other half. we enjoyed your performance and i can’t wait to see you continue to grow.”

ran leads all three judges in a round of applause as they release the girl from the stage.

“up next we’d like to welcome back a familiar face,” jian announces from her spot in the center of the stage. “back again to chase down his dreams of being an idol, please welcome STEVEN PARK!”

a shaky smile from the young man floods the screen before fading away to a short recap from last season’s appearances. steven had been a little… unrefined at that point, to put it lightly. he joked around in practice, he never took anything too seriously. ultimately, it had been his downfall and the reason he was removed from the show before the finale. and despite the humiliation, the harsh words from the judges, and not even making it to the end let alone earning a chance at a contract, he’s back. not only is he back, but he took third place in the last episode. has steven park turned over a new leaf after all?

“i kinda missed the grind,” steven’s voice is heard as clips of him practicing with the new group of contestants flicker across the screen.

a voice is heard from behind the camera as steven sits in the interview room. “compared to last season, do you think you’ve improved enough?”

“i’d like to say that i have,” steven smiles.

the scene cuts to the judges briefly as they wait for the young man’s performance. they had already mentioned looking forward to him once; will he surprise them? or will it be the same old steven park who they had to eliminate last year?

“ah, finally,” yuna smiles as she watches steven take the stage. “he looks a bit nervous… good.” one might think that she wants to terrify the young wannabes if they didn’t know better.

“be on your best behavior in front of the cameras,” another flashback to the practice rooms shows steven with JUEUN, the latter receiving advice from the more experienced contestant on this show. he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “i’m not sure how great of tips i can give you… i didn’t last a long time here.”

steven’s performance finally is set to begin. the camera focuses in on him, capturing the slightest twitches in his expression that betray his anxiety. he’s taking this more seriously than he had last season, that’s immediately apparent. the music starts, and steven begins.

“he dances well,” ran murmurs to her fellow judges midway through the performance, the cameras suddenly picking up on her instead of focused on steven. “but he’s not making eye contact with any of us, is he?”

the other two judges shake their heads to confirm ran’s assumption.

steven is a talented dancer, that’s for certain. he controls his movements well, leaving himself with enough energy to breathe (and therefore sing and rap). “i think i could have probably worked a little more on the vocals,” his voice is heard over the dimmed sounds of his do better performance for a moment, before the original audio turns up again and the shakes and instability in steven’s voice can be heard more clearly by the audience now that they’ve been pointed out. he succeeds in finishing the performance though, and the judges remain quiet as they wait to dole out judgement.

“steven,” jihun begins, the slightest smile tugging at his lips, “are you afraid of us?”

a chorus of giggles goes up from the judges. of course steven is nervous around them, who wouldn’t be? perhaps steven doubly so after his previous experiences.

“you should know that we’re only hard on your when we think you’re not living up to your abilities or when you need a little tough love to reach your potential. there’s nothing for us to scold you about right now.” the man smiles a little more openly, suddenly softened in front of this contestant. “in fact, you did really well. it would have been nice if your voice had improved more since last season, but we can work with that.”

“congratulations on getting a compliment out of jihun!” ran exclaims, acknowledging that this is a major accomplishment for the man on stage. “those were probably the best words we could have told you, weren’t they? it’s true, we can tell already that you’ve matured a lot since we last saw you. however… i wish you weren’t so afraid of us.”

a short clip replays of every time steven had looked toward the judges but never quite at them, always above, below, or to the side of where they were actually sitting. the avoidance seems painfully obvious in the compilation.

“remember that until we invite others to sit in, we are your audience. you’re performing for us, so you should try to connect with us or… at least have the confidence to look at us. you’re a good performers when you’re focused, steven. i’d like to see you shine.” ran smiles warmly, hoping her advice is taken to heart.

yuna is the third and final judge to speak. “as a final word of advice, i’d try to keep in mind that you are the single most experienced contestant on this season. the others may start looking to you for leadership and guidance. try not to shy away from this opportunity; you’ll have more chances to shine by helping the people around you grow quickly as well. and it’s good to see you again, steven,” yuna smiles herself.

it seems the judges have laid aside their past perceptions of steven and are looking forward to what he can show on this season. the three whisper and nod approvingly among themselves as they prepare for the next contestant.

“up next is YAMAMOTO KAITO,” jian announces, but rather than show the contestant on stage the scene shifts instead to kaito in the interview room.

"what was the greatest challenge during this mission?" a voice from behind the camera asks him.

"i think that the greatest challenge was probably pushing myself too hard,” it may sound like a humble brag from kaito, but clips of him practicing until the wee hours in the morning, only to return nearly at the crack of dawn the next day fade into the screen, still overlaid with his own voice. he’s seen at different times with TOUMA, INHO, and ARA. “i tend to overwork myself when it comes to various things, in this case practicing and not being completely satisfied with my personal results."

the scene is overtaken by a particular practice session with TOUMA. it’s late, based on the quick cut to the clock on the wall, but things seem to running well as the two young men run through their rehearsal of do better again. it all comes to a halt as kaito makes a mistake, cutting himself off with a loud groan and kicking the air in frustration. “seriously!” he shouts out his frustration before turning to touma apologetically. “one more time…. just…. one more…”

kaito’s exhaustion is clear. from the way his shirt is soaked with his own sweat to the dark circles under his eyes, it’s hard to miss. touma picks up on it too, if the short temper tantrum hadn’t been enough to signal something was wrong.

“this is a pretty good place to stop, i think,” touma suggests, laying a hand on kaito’s shoulder gently, “you did a lot already, you can pick it back up another day?”

“touma actually I've known for a while now.” the scene cuts back to kaito’s interview. “he's one that really helped when i was pushing myself too hard, again, and helped me realize that i needed a break before i ended up probably passing out, or worse."

back in the practice room, kaito has to acknowledge touma’s suggestion. “maybe you’re right…” he admits.

“you’re already doing great. you’re getting fluid!” touma encourages his friend. “take a deep breath.”

you’re already doing great, kaito! even the captions cheer him on with soft sound effects, trying to ease the young man’s pressure on himself.

“i just feel like i could be better. you know?” kaito confesses aloud and surely the other contestants can relate. so many of them must feel the pressure as the competition is kicking off with such a difficult challenge, and the looming threat of a live performance.

"i'm actually really confident,” kaito tells the camera once more, “with the amount of practice that [i] put in i'd like to say that i did the very best that i could.”

the scene cuts to kaito standing on stage before the judges. the camera catches his deep breath, perhaps the only thing betraying his nerves, as he waits for the music to start. and kaito’s practice does pay off; he dances well, though his singing and rapping struggles some with the sheer amount of effort he puts into his movements. he’s breathing heavily by the end of the performance, not unexpectedly, and the judges give him a short round of applause as he’s finally able to relax and prepare himself for their feedback.

“you’re really fun to watch perform, kaito,” ran begins with a smile. “you look like you’re genuinely enjoying every minute on stage and that’s always a pleasure for the audience to watch you do what you love. i do think your singing needs some attention. we can tell you worked hard, but i’d like to see you improve further moving forward.”

“we heard that you’re quite the practice bug,” yuna takes over next, “and it’s great to hear that you’re taking this competition seriously. it’s what we want to see from our contestants. but we don’t want to see you get hurt. things will only get more challenging from this point onward so please be sure to keep yourself healthy even as you’re rehearsing. we would hate for you to have to exit the show early due to injury or illness.” the judges seem genuinely concerned for the participants’ health.

jihun is the final judge to speak, his words never overly kind or as soft as those that came before him. “ran saying you need to work on your singing was an understatement,” he’s as harsh as always. “even rappers need to be able to understand how to carry a tune. while the future will allow you to play to your strengths more, please do not disregard practicing your vocal fundamentals. they’ll only help you as a rapper as well.”

“great job, kaito,” ran congratulates him once more before he’s dismissed from the stage. “i like him,” she tells her fellow judges once he’s out of sight. yuna smiles her approval, though jihun only frowns.

“our final contestant performing today is YOON EUNWOL,” jian announces from the stage, drawing the judges’ attention back to the next contestant up.

the scene shifts to a practice room, eunwol sitting by himself as other contestants practice nearby. is he hurt? he seems to be fine, physically. but a rather forlorn expression on his face seems to betray that there’s more going on in his head that meets the eye.

“my greatest challenge?” eunwol is seen in the interview room. “working with others, acquaintances and strangers. well not strangers, fellow contestants, challengers. i’m not sure what we are called.”

is it awkwardness that keeps him from interacting with others? thankfully, there’s a social butterfly ready to help everyone out at next gen. SEIRA approaches eunwol with a smile. “wanna go over the moves with me? i keep forgetting them,” she offers.

"are you sure you want my help? i didn't place high and blanked," eunwol’s self-deprecation doesn’t cease even in the face of next gen’s friendliest participant. “i am currently debating with myself about walking out that door. i don't belong here."

the editors leave an awkward pause between eunwol’s confession, before seira has a chance to respond. she’s determined not to be rejected, though. “last year’s season, the person who originally placed last made it all the way to the final,” she smiles warmly again, “who says you don’t belong here? do you know how many people auditioned for the show, and only twenty-one made it, you passed the auditions, you deserve to be here”.

it seems to convince eunwol enough and the two begin to work together, seira helping him to feel more comfortable in this competition through being the one to ask him for help.

eunwol survives, despite the hardships, and finds himself standing in front of the judges for his performance. the three wait patiently for the music to begin again; they may very well be sick of hearing do better after about twenty times today.

the music begins, and it’s clear very quickly that eunwol has taken a different approach than many of the others. a cut back to the interview room, and the young man explains himself: “well i’m not sure if it will work, but i did try and be cute,” he tells the cameras. the scene cuts back to his performance and the movements he modified to fit his vibe better. the performance plays in its entirety uninterrupted, not once betraying the judges’ reactions to the rather bold choice until it comes to a close, eunwol smiling brightly as he holds the final pose.

a pause takes over the room as the judges frown into their notes.

“eunwol, what about do better made you think that it was a cute song?” jihun wastes no time with his criticism. “this is a solo performance, but keep in mind that you’ll be performing this with a group very soon. we’re here to evaluate your performance skills but you covered them up with your cutesy act, so i’m forced to believe that you’re actually quite lacking. is that the message you meant to send us?”

jihun doesn’t stop laying into the contestant with his harsh words. “if you don’t want to be here, you’re welcome to leave. there’s thousands of children and young adults around the world who want to be exactly in the spot you’re in right now. if you’re not grateful for this opportunity, you may as well do them a favor and drop out now.”

quiet uneasiness lingers in the few seconds after jihun finishes his tirade. it’s ran who’s bold enough to break the silence. “eunwol, even if you don’t trust yourself, you need to trust us as professionals who have been discovering and refining talent for years now. if we didn’t want to see more from you, you would not be here right now. i hope to see better effort from you in the next challenge, but i do hope to see you still with us for that.”

yuna sighs, the tension in the room still hanging vaguely in the air around them. she’s not so much of a fan of when jihun gets heated. “you’ll need to re-learn do better to do it properly for the mcountdown performance with the other contestants. in a team, you can’t just do your own thing. that’s going to be more important going forward, so please try to make an effort to be more of a team player. working with others is how you’ll succeed.”

eunwol all but sprints off the stage as soon as he’s dismissed. he’s looking a bit green, so the judges make no further comment.

with all performances complete, it’s time to gather the contestants to the stage as one big group. jian smiles at them as they take their places, the judges’ deliberation finishing up in the background behind them.

“contestants, you’ve been re-ranked based on your performances today. we’ll be revealing your positions from last place to first.”

one by one, the numbers are revealed. it shouldn’t be a surprise that moon jordan takes last place, his punishment for going rogue still weighing heavily on his shoulders. things start to get exciting with the top five, however. stevie, hangyeol, hyunki, and ara all have a shot at being the centers of their respective genders.

“in fifth place is… one of the girls,” jian announces. “so we’ll know who our female center is once this rank is announced. who do you think it will be?” she asks a few of the contestants, most declining to give an answer. jueun and ara’s faces are watched closely by the cameras.

“our fifth place contestant for episode two is… han jueun,” jian finally announces. the participants congratulate ara and applaud jueun, now that the battle has been decided. stevie, hangyeol, and hyunki are all still in the running.

it’s revealed, however, that stevie took fourth place for this particular episode. it’s still a great rank, but it brings hyunki and hangyeol, rivals set up by the judges since the first episode, into the final competition.

“in third place…” jian draws out the tension, the camera zooming in on each potential center’s face as they try to guess whose name will be on her lips in mere seconds. “please congratulate… choi hangyeol!” the top three ranks are revealed at once, hangyeol in third, just below ara, and hyunki taking first place for episode two. “congratulations hyunki, ara, you’ll be our male and female center for your performance of do better on mcountdown next week. everyone, please give yourselves a round of applause!”

a roar from the contestants goes up, though some may be lamenting their ranks.

“i have good news for all of you; there will be no eliminations this episode. however, next episode they will begin. those of you in lower ranks should do everything you can to rise quickly. those in higher ranks, don’t get too comfortable! you’ve seen how high hyunki jumped up, the same thing could happen in the wrong direction to any of you,” she warns the idol wannabes carefully, hoping they know how serious the next challenge will be.

“your next mission is the PERFORMANCE EVALUATION,” she announces. “this will be a head-to-head teamwork mission lead by our trainee coaches,” the camera pans to SARANG, RENYI, SEOJUN, NAYOUNG, DOHYUN, and CHAERIN briefly. “each of our trainees will be overseeing their own team. coaches, your responsibility is to be a guide and resource for your team, but not a leader. the contestants are being challenged to come up with their own unique performance of a senior’s song from each company.”

“this is your chance to show your creativity and how you can transform an existing song to be your own,” jian instructs the contestants. “but here’s the twist: two teams will have the same song. you’ll be battling head to head for who was able to create the better performance. the winning team will be entirely safe from eliminations. the losing team… not so much.” a hush falls over the crowd as the stakes are finally revealed.

“take a look at your team assignments,” she gestures up at the massive screen, which already shows six teams, their assigned coaches, and what song they’re tasked with making their own. “we can’t wait to see what you’ll show us next week.”

do better plays one more time as the title card takes over the screen, episode two finally complete.

#be:ngs2p2 #be:ngs2

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dullahandyke · 9 months ago

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gods strongest soldier I'm so sorry you got a popular post, my condolences

its not that bad bcos i muted it way back when it only had like 150 notes n i only found out bcos i logged in to a shitton of followers and someone atted me on it but like. genuinly baffled. its the middest unfunniest post in the world, not even making an attempt at observational humour its just observation, and ive SEEN the 'lol tumblr is sooooo random' edition thats been floating around and thats not funny either!!! i have so many awesome posts and this is the one thats on the verge of breaking 40k notes??? why is it always the shitty posts that go viral i wish this had happened to 'serving fish', my elevator pitch for a comedy movie abt a cishet man who has to dress in drag to join an oyster eating contest and dominate the competition (because oyster eating was recently mandated to be done only by nonbinary people). like it was a bad movie pitch but i still think about it on occasion which is more than i can say for that post

#if one of you guys finds serving fish for me ill give u either cash reward (€3 maximum) or a short ode composed in your name #its one of many posts that tumblr search has nuked i cant find it on my blog...#it was originally a post like 'hey you guys wanna see something cursed' which i reblogged w a reply from lostlovepunk saying yes #alongside the movie pitch #KEYWORDS THAT COULD BE SEARCHED: lostlovepunk trixic sal oyster shelley 'serving fish'

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beautifulwhensarcastic · 2 years ago

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i'm intrigued. what is willow about and why should I watch it? please give me your elevator pitch 😁

So I'm gonna skip the whole retelling of the 80s movie, of which this series is a continuation, because the show is constructed in a way that doesn't require for you to watch the movie before entering the series.

Willow (2022) is about a quest to defeat evil (as you do), rescue a slutty himbo, and uncover some family secrets. That mission is carried out by a couple of sword-wielding lesbians (one disaster angry and one more chill); a nerd betrothed to one of the lesbians; chaotic uncle who has seen some shit in his life; a lustlove-struck medieval gbbo contestant who turns out to be The Chosen One; a retired wizard who used to be the main lovable disaster of the original movie; and the wizard's best friend who holds the only working brain cell of that group.

Also they're all blessed by the hot cougar queen.

There's magic, sword fighting, character journey/growth, 80s fantasy movie aesthetic, lesbian kiss in the very first episode, and flashbacks of young Val Kilmer.

#Anonymous #Reply #Willow #willow 2022 #willow disney+

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inventors-fair · 1 year ago

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Going Up - Elevator Pitch Winners

An uplifting round of applause for our winners this week: @bergdg, @bread-into-toast, and @izzet-always-r-versus-u!

Marchesa, Queen of Paliano - @bergdg

The other mods were quite enamored with this one, and as a fan of venturing into the dungeon, I can definitely see why. Plans, conceptually, are very good as a sort of more linear execution on the aforementioned dungeons. Your sample plan, Maintain Order, I think does things mostly right, namely starting off with a low-board-impact ability, so that your opponent doesn't have to worry quite so much about the exact contents of every scheme you could possibly go on. That said, I do wish it was at least a step longer to complete, if only to tone down Marchesa's last ability, which feels potentially very overwhelming given that the tokens it can make can themselves generate more tokens. I also do kind of wish that abandoning the plan was perhaps more of a discreet step? Just so that switching gears is just a smidge more difficult, and maybe give players some scaling payoff for when they complete or leave whatever plan they were on, so that seeing things through closer to the end is more heavily incentivised, but I think that's more me exploring this cool space you've created than an actual criticism of how you've done things. At the end of the day the plan mechanic is clever and endearing and that's a hard combination to not speak highly of.

Quintorius, Digsite Delver - @bread-into-toast

Planeswalkers are the sorts of things that are generally both difficult to design and difficult to evaluate, so it's a bite rare that they find themselves this high on the podium. That said, we're here, so let's talk about why, starting with the two words that make this card an eligible contestant. Backup planeswalker feels so natural you'd think they'd've already done it, and the particular loyalty abilities you've chosen to grant this card simultaneously feel very appropriate for the character, while still being generally useful on just about anyone else. That said, I am not without concerns. Getting to abruptly generate four loyalty counters and a 3/2 blocker certainly seems safe on the Elephant in the room, but I am a little worried about how well it might play alongside planeswalkers with somewhat more dramatic loyalty abilities. Strixhaven Kasmina certainly never broke anything, and this is two more mana than that, but generating blockers on a positive loyalty ability has historically led to very strong planeswalkers, so I do feel some concern is warranted. All that said, I don't think I'd really change anything about what this guy is doing, aside from maybe dropping the +2's to +1s, just to be safe. Lovely execution regardless.

Awaken from Slumber - @izzet-always-r-versus-u

Straight to the point: Pray is an inspired attempt at fixing conspire. I love how, by removing the payoff inherent to the ability, by adjusting the ceiling, you've made it so that the floor can kind of rise to meet it. Three mana to dredge back two creatures from your graveyard is far from a bad rate, and getting to turn that into an actual full reanimation spell is just delightful. This also just feels like a very clever design to show off this mechanic on, as the off-mode very cleanly gives you precisely enough creatures to allow you to pray for something else. Certainly not flashiest thing submitted this week but I have full faith that this will play quite well and honestly that's worth a lot in my opinion.

#mtg #magic the gathering #inventor's fair #custom magic card #commentary #winners #elevator pitch contest

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magdacat · 1 month ago

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Top OC Round 1: Left in the Wild

So it looks like everyone got kicked out of the hotel…

Conk would be upset, but luckily, there’s a good patch of wilderness right over here, and what does that mean? CAMPING TRIP!!! Conk loves camping. As all the contestants began to pull themselves together and pool their resources to make camp, though, someone approached Conk for help… and he was 13 feet tall…

Reuben (belonging to @/4lic7ron ) saw that Conk had a laptop, and asked if they could get access to wifi with a bit of elevation. Conk said yes… yes, in fact, they could definitely gain access to the hotel’s systems… reverse the mix-up… get back into the hotel… but then what of the camping trip??? They’d certainly act like they were trying to pull off this hack, but in reality, Conk had no intention of using their laptop for such a task. After a while, Conk declared his “hack attempt” a failure, and Reuben let him down. Their laptop could have been useful, but was once again reduced to a simple prop, and they happily left it with Noemi and K1T4 (belonging to @/infinitemacaroni ) at their charging station.

Then it was onto the main event: camping!!! Conk would partake in all the standard tasks: pitching tents, gathering firewood, et cetera… but the real fun comes in the evening. As the sun sets, as darkness seeps through the trees, as the creatures of the woods emerge, what the people really need is a morale boost! Conk wasted no time in busting out his acoustic guitar once the fires were lit. They were sitting by the fire, playing and singing their songs, when a strange lookin’ fella walked on over and joined right in with his banjo! Lemuel explained that he was a traveling musician, but not much more than that. Well, the guy might look a bit funny and keep some secrets, and he may dance a bit too close to the fire… but he can play a mean banjo, so who cares? Conk spent the rest of the night dancing around the fire with their new friend, Lemuel, warding off bad vibes and the creatures of the night, before falling asleep under the stars, happy as can be.

Thanks for letting me draw Lem! @/sockfleecy

Present-day notes: The Top OC goofs of the past.... they continue

I got real deep into collaborating with friends on the order of events ahah... all the tags were originally for IG. Ummm uhhh ummm shoutout to @4lic7ron and @smittyw for letting me rant about their OCs, and @sockfleecy, to whom Lem the banjo-playing fox fellow belongs.

(Originally posted with Shuffle Your Feet (Live in Paris) by BRMC)

(⚙‿⚙)

#year of Conk #TopOC24 #non-canon neurowires #oc #digital art

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mlqueen89 · 1 year ago

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never find another like me | 01. goldfish

pairing: jamie tartt x OFC (ted lasso)

rating: T(language)

word count: 5,147

summary: i know that i'm a handful baby, uh. i know i never think before i jump. Richmond calling - Nat arrives across the pond for a life-changing opportunity.

A/N: So, this one took a bit longer than originally anticipated – a flu swept through the house and left an exhausted me in its wake. I've got lots of Jamie/Nat planned (already wrote a future chapter) and I want to get to it! Translations are linked to the French and Spanish in this chapter - not a lot of it, just some cause I like to rep the boys properly!

Feedback is always appreciated and let me know if anyone wants to be tagged.

never find another like me masterlist | previous chapter

Last time on Lust Conquers All, Footballer J –

Nat hadn’t realized her eyes had wandered to her neighbour’s screen, the subtitles blinking across the display as the hostess, wrapped in a small green dress, stepped out in front of a couchful of contestants, her mouth moving wordlessly. Nat watched for a minute before the small seatback viewer cut to the British Airways logo and a text screen announced the entertainment had been paused for an announcement.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We’ll be making our descent shortly with an expected arrival time of 8:00 AM, 14 minutes ahead of schedule. Local time is 7:31 AM, five hours ahead of the New York area, current weather is 18 degrees with a bit of overcast. On behalf of the cabin crew and the pilots, we’d like to thank you for choosing British Airways and welcome you to London.”

Quietly, Nat began to pack her stuff as the seatbelt light came on overhead with a ping. The numbness of the quick decision had finally started to wear off and the idea that she’d actually done it, jumped and then thought about it, was sinking in. It had never been in her character to do something so... rash. Maybe that had been the problem – maybe that was what had led her into the situation with Adam – she had thought too long on the idea of being with him, immersed herself in his presence nearly every day for two months and manoeuvred her way around all the bright red, waving flags. Adam had been what she thought was a safe choice, a carefully calculated decision she had come to regret. Maybe rash decision making could be her friend in the future... maybe.

Are you free? Nat thumbed out the message, eyes flitting between her phone and the crowd at London Heathrow as she wove her way through to baggage claim when she finally deplaned. Wanted to ask you a few questions about Richmond. Might be thinking about a visit. The message was cheeky, sneaky, and the idea of the surprise on Zoreaux’s face when he saw her had her absolutely giddy.

Free in a few hours, came the reply from Zoreaux’s number, just have a training session this morning and then I’m all ears.

Shit.

Nat hadn’t had a chance to figure out the time she’d be landing before she’d quickly booked her flight to London on her hurried walk back over to the New York Times building. After it was booked, she’d used the elevator ride back up to the writer’s floor to figure out a pitch to Perry – all she needed was a month or two to get her head on straight, to come back stronger for Lenny’s job. To her surprise, Perry hadn’t outwardly hated the idea. In fact, after he’d moved past the pacing back and forth behind his desk and blowing air noisily out from puffed cheeks, hands planted firmly on his hips, he’d come up with a compromise – a job share. A job share would give Nat the space and time and the experience she needed for Perry to justify the promotion, as long as she promised to deliver that Lockwood story. A small speedbump. Without giving herself a chance to talk her way out of it, she accepted Perry’s proposal. The first moment Nat had a chance to even think about what time she might be landing in London, she was three hours into the seven-hour flight.

By the time Nat collected her one suitcase from the belt and found her way to the exit, her phone flashed 8:35 AM. It took her another few minutes to find a cab willing to take a fare.

“Where to, love?” The cab driver adjusted his rearview mirror as he shifted back into the driver’s seat, on the opposite side Nat had expected, after tossing her luggage into the boot.

“Where does Richmond play?”

“That’d be Nelson Road.”

“Nelson Road then, please?” Nat settled into the back seat of the black cab as her thumb slid through her texts, a few messages popping up in her notifications.

“No game today,” The cab driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror for a moment, hesitant, “just closed training.”

“Oh,” a few emails popped up with individual pings, each momentarily distracting her from the cab driver who still stared at her, his bushy brows slowly becoming one solid knit row across the top of his dark eyes. Three messages from Perry sat at the top of the notifications, all titled in varying states of all-caps scream that denoted some level of urgency, followed by one from the building management in New York and one from Virgin welcoming her to the travel phone plan. It took her a second to find the cab driver’s gaze once again as he cleared his throat, “where does Richmond pract- uh – train?”

“Still Nelson Road.”

“Okay. Nelson Road it is, please.”

Nelson Road stadium crept up on the unsuspecting, a giant looming on a slight hill, a stark contrast over the smaller houses and businesses surrounding it. So much so that the sudden stop of the cab shook Nat’s nose out of the middle of her mad thumb tapping email responses to a connection she had at the The New York Post about the Lockwood press conference she’d blown off.

“Nelson Road, Miss,” The cab driver reported as he grabbed her suitcase and set it down outside the door she exited from.

Dragging her suitcase up to the temporary barrier, Nat squeezed herself between two people wearing blue and red jerseys, Rojas and Obisanya printed over the numbers 14 and 24 on their backs. From where she stood, it took her only a second to spot him. Wearing a bright orange hoodie, his Beats resting just off his ears, Thierry Zoreaux stood out amongst a few of the other players.

“Excuse me, Mr. Zoreaux,” Nat called as he approached where she stood on his way toward the club entrance, “Natalie MacCormack, New York Times. Can you comment on your ability to help a girl out?”

For a moment, Zoreaux’s head swivelled, his eyes scanning the crowd before he zeroed in on her and Nat watched the recognition light his eyes. “Mac? No way! Tabarnak.” The Quebecois curse left his lips easily, a force of habit. In three quick, jogging steps, he was upon the barricade and the few people around Nat reached toward the keeper, holding out Richmond gear and sharpies. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“I was just in town, thought I’d swing by - wanted it to be a surprise,” Nat feigned the nonchalant tone, waving off the “in town” part as if she hadn’t just flown across an ocean on a completely rash decision. “Are you surprised?” Nat spread her arms as much as the crowd around her would allow, her fingers wiggling as if she were some kind of awful birthday party magician, her final trick revealed.

“If I woke up tomorrow and Yeezy started selling heels, I don’t think I’d be more surprised than I am now.”

Nat quietly noted that she wouldn’t be the one to tell him – lest the surprise about Yeezy heels overshadow the surprise of her surprise. “I kind of bungled the timing though. Grabbed the first flight out of JFK, so I wasn’t thinking about what that would mean when I got here.” Nat watched a few players filtering into the club, some hanging back to sign autographs and take photos with fans. Across the way from where she and Zoreaux stood, Nat watched a man with a baseball hat, the word “ICON” stitched into the dark material, sign a woman’s jersey as another screamed and leaned over the barrier for a selfie with the side of his face. Nat could feel herself staring, watching as the man stuck his tongue out and threw up the ‘peace’ sign for the photo when he noticed the camera - she stared until his eyes found hers and she quickly looked away, embarrassed at having been caught. When she looked back at Zoreaux, he was signing a few autographs for the fans that stood around her while others snapped selfies.

“Listen, I’ve got an early check-in, so I’ll head to the hotel and catch up with you when you’re free.”

“Nuh-uh,” Zoreaux was already bent over the barrier, grabbing Nat’s suitcase before he hefted it over the fencing easily. “Not a chance. Training’ll be over by the time you get there, just hang out a bit and you can stay at my place. I have a crazy stupid number of guest rooms.”

In one swift motion, Zoreaux was pulling the barrier back, murmuring quiet apologies and waving off the club security as the fans around Nat shifted to let her pass. The moment she was behind the barricade, the Richmond keeper had swept her up in his arms, lifting her off the ground slightly until she groaned against the squeeze, and he placed her back down.

“Guess you won’t take no for an answer?”

“Absolutely not.”

In another beat, Zoreaux had Nat’s suitcase and started to wheel it away as he headed toward the club doors. “What happened to the I have a job here,” Zoreaux batted his eyelashes and flipped his hand in what Nat assumed was his best impression of her.

“Is that supposed to be me?” Nat hustled to catch up in several long strides, making a concerted effort to not get caught staring at any other players, “you’re awful at impressions, you know that right?”

“My life is here, Zee...” he continued, his voice pitched higher in a comically ‘female’ tone, his hips swaying as he wheeled the suitcase, “and then you accused me of conspiring with your mom...”

“Perry gave me a bit of a break – I have a job share thing here for the next month or two if I can impress a panel during an interview,” Nat interrupted, wrestling the handle of her suitcase from Zoreaux’s grip with a few swats at his hand. The last topic she wanted to get on was that of Eve. “I might have a promotion in New York if I can get my sports coverage up to snuff.”

“Oh,” Zoreaux’s head bobbed in understanding as Nat struggled to keep pace with the 6’3 footballer, “so you’re on like - a loan?”

“A what?” Nat furrowed her brow as Zoreaux opened the door and stepped back to let her in first.

“Like, Man City loaned Jamie to us before -”

“I literally have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Nat shifted to the side of the entrance as a few others filtered into the club after them. Just inside the doors was a small little lobby in front of the security desk where a red-headed woman sat, a husky security guard standing to the side, his eyes directed to the phone in his hand.

“I can wait here. I have an article to finish and send to Perry,” Nat nodded at the small bench under the large crest featuring the silohuette of a Greyhound, the Latin banner underneath Gradarius Firmus Victoria furled out in gold.

Zoreaux scoffed and ushered Nat forward as he nodded at security, “much more comfortable spots to wait.” Leading Nat down a long corridor and through double doors, Zoreaux motioned to a white leather couch sandwiched between a water cooler and backed by a set of stairs.

Nat settled into the couch wordlessly, taking a breath as she waved Zoreaux off when he hovered over her too long. Waiting until he disappeared through the double doors at the end of the hall and around the corner, Nat fished out her laptop and pulled up the article she’d been putting the finishing touches on for Perry. Plugging her AirPods in, she hit play on the last album she’d been playing on the flight.

Nat sat this way for a few minutes before, just out of the corner of her eye, she could see a pair of loafers enter her peripheral. Glancing up, a man in a suit stood before her, a smile on his round face as Nat removed her earbuds and he offered her a short wave.

“Ah yes, hello,” the portly man smiled, his thin, round wire-framed glasses reflecting some of the overhead lighting. “Leslie Higgins, Director of Football here at Richmond. You must be, ‘Mac’, Zoreaux’s friend?”

“Word travels fast around here, I guess,” Nat offered her hand as she stood, which the man took up in his clammy one. “Nat is fine.”

“Ah - American?”

“Canadian, actually.”

“My apologies – the accents are a bit foreign to me,” Higgins laid into the joke, tipping his chin and raising an eyebrow at Nat, “can’t tell them apart, I’m afraid.”

“Par for the course,” Nat reassured him with a nod, chuckling at the joke as she waved off the apology. “Trick is to listen for the eh or the profuse apologizing.”

“I actually came to offer you the use of my office while you wait,” Higgins motioned to the small couch with a jab of his thumb, “these training sessions are notoriously long and truth be told that couch has seen a number of sweaty players.”

As if to punctuate his words, the sound of a dropped bar loaded with weight plates sounded from down the hall. Glancing at the couch, Nat nodded enthusiastically as she looked back at Higgins, quietly considering what else that couch might have seen.

Jamie Tartt pulled his bag out the boot of the Aston Martin, swinging it over his shoulder before nodding in Sam's direction as the Nigerian stepped out of the Tesla parked beside him. With the promotion at the end of last season just a few months ago, Richmond fans had been buzzing with the excitement of the team’s return to the Premier League. City fans, while numerous and proud, had nothing on Richmond fans in Jamie’s opinion. Even though City had been Jamie's team throughout his childhood, thanks to his dad, Jamie had never felt more at home than when he was playing for the Greyhounds. A return to City and a subsequent banishment following his very short stint in reality television confirmed his feelings for Richmond.

Approaching the club, Jamie stopped to scribble a few signatures here and there, posing for a picture or two. He caught the woman on the other side staring, her eyes darting away before she continued to chat with Zoreaux. Jamie was used to women staring at him, screaming his name, in fact, those were the tamer things women had done to get his attention – being stared at wasn’t something that surprised him.

When he’d made his way into the club and stepped into the locker room, it was already abuzz.

“She’s mad fit,” Isaac McAdoo grunted, shoving his bag into his locker before he turned back to Zoreaux, “ain’t no mistake.”

“Who?” Zoreaux was already laughing like it was a joke that only he was in on, “Mac? No.”

“Physically, yes, she is quite attractive.” Jan Maas shrugged, pushing his arm through the Richmond training sweater and zipping it up sharply. “Scientifically speaking. Very symmetrical features.”

“Pourriez-vous me présenter?” Richard’s voice added another layer to the already noisy space, “she is single, yes? You are not seeing her?”

Jamie rolled his eyes slightly before he began to strip his street clothing off and shift into the dark blue Richmond training kit. Jamie could never hope to understand more than a few words of French, most of which centered around “voulez vous coucher avec moi” and “je veux te baiser” which he knew the French model he’d shagged that one time in between Keeley and his return to City had responded well to. The rest was Greek to him. Though he’d never quite understood why French would be Greek...

“Oi, Tartt,” Jamie turned slightly from his locker, Isaac McAdoo’s eyes on him from across the small room, “you see this chick Zoreaux’s been keeping a secret?”

Jamie’s eyes slid over to Zoreaux who waited, staring at him, for the eventual response, “Listen mate, Zoreaux’s secret girlfriend ain’t none of my business, yeah?”

Jamie was secretly proud of himself, the mark of real change in his life and his attitude was the casual disinterest he’d just shown. If this had been the topic of discussion only a short while ago, he’d be listening intently, mentally noting what he could during the locker room chatter about which woman might be the easiest to fuck. If the woman was someone who was off-limits, excluding teammates’ girlfriends of course, it made the chase challenging, interesting and the eventual victory even more satisfying. After all, who was able to resist him? Star footballer, sexy baby with fantastic hair, Jamie Tartt. Not any woman he’d met as of yet.

“No, it’s a no.” Zoreaux’s arms waved in a crossing motion to suggest he was done speaking about the topic, waving off Richard who continued to murmur in French. “There’s no secret girlfriend, Mac’s a childhood friend from Montreal. I’ve known her for like, forever.”

“In Mexico, we have a saying los amigos son como las estrellas, no siempre podemos verlos pero; sin embargo, siempre están ahí,” Dani nodded, his head bobbing up and down smoothly, a wide smile reaching his eyes, his hand mimicking the sweep of constellations in the sky, “but you can also not see when friendship turns to love, yes?”

“Screw you guys,” Zoreaux scoffed, counting off on his fingers pointedly, “first: Mac is like my sister. Second: My mom would kill me if she found out I’d subjected Mac to a footballer. Third: I wouldn’t introduce her to any of you guys, except for maybe Sam.”

“Thank you?” Sam looked confused as he stepped into the dressing room, shooting Jamie a questioning look as he passed to get to his locker across the room. Jamie responded with a shrug, his bottom lip jutting out as if to say he had no idea either.

“C’mon bruv,” Isaac groaned, throwing his hands up as he shook his head, “despite my occasionally disgruntled disposition, I’m a gentle lover.”

There was an eruption of voices then, Zoreaux’s frustrated tone and Dani’s loudly proclaiming he was “for love”, while Richard made his argument about how dating him could be like riding a bike without training wheels. Whatever the fuck that meant, Jamie thought.

“Fine, fine -” Colin’s raised voice cut through the noise as he finished lacing up his boots and stood, waving his hands as if to calm the tension in the room, “I’ll have sex with her.”

The room quieted for a minute before Zoreaux was up in arms again, Richard yelling something in French and Isaac shaking his head, his short bulldog-ish stature moving and pointing and yelling about something Jamie couldn’t quite decipher. “I swear, if anyone tries to mess with Mac, I’ll -” Zoreaux started again, this time from the top of the bench he had climbed to cement his authority.

Jamie smirked, shaking his head as he reached for his boots and found an empty spot where they should have been. Pulling his Richmond heat gear over his head, Jamie’s feet were already leading him out of the locker room and down the hall to the boot room. Halfway down the hall, his foot stepped on something that pulled his attention down, pivoting his foot to see what he’d stepped on, Jamie’s eyes pinpointed the issue – a passport, dark blue against the green flooring ‘CANADA’ embossed across the top in gold lettering. Reaching down, Jamie collected it and immediately looked around for the owner. It took him a second to clock the woman from the parking lot, her suitcase wheeling behind her and Leslie Higgins leading her away in the opposite direction.

“Excuse me,” Jamie piped up, jogging down the hall after them. The woman turned to face him, her hair swept away from her face in a ponytail that draped over her shoulder, her green eyes finding his. “I think you dropped this?”

“Thank you,” she smiled slightly, reaching out and taking the passport before she carefully tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans. “I’d definitely be in trouble without it.”

The quiet and staring between them stretched for a long moment before Higgins cleared his throat, his small eyes staring Jamie down from behind the thin, wire framed glasses, a small, genuine smile growing on his lips. “Yes, thank you Jamie.”

“No problem.” Jamie nodded, his eyes shifting away from the woman for just a moment to the Director of Football.

“Nice to meet you, Jamie.” The woman smiled again, before Higgins continued to walk away and she turned to follow.

“As I was saying – you can use my office for now, I’m on my way out anyhow,” Higgins’ voice carried around the corner. Jamie found himself staring at the curve of the denim as the woman walked away before she rounded the corner and reminded himself he was trying to be respectful, shaking any bloom of inappropriate thought from his head before he rolled his hands up under the layer of his shirt and continued on to the boot room.

Zoreaux heaved Nat’s suitcase up the front steps of his place, ushering her in through the front door. Quietly, Nat had been thankful to get out of Zoreaux’s car alive – not only was driving on what she deemed the wrong side of the road ulcer inducing, Zoreaux was clearly not used to it either. Gripping the door handle, Nat had counted two near accidents in the short 7-minute drive from Nelson Road to Zoreaux's.

“So, this is my place,” Zoreaux tossed his keys into a dish in the front entrance before leading Nat into the main hallway where a staircase opened up to the second floor. “I haven’t even been in most of these rooms, so it's a feel as you go situation.”

A quick tour of the Richmond keeper's house concluded at the door of a second storey guest room. “And this is your room. Not as good as a hotel room, but it’s yours for however long you need.”

“Thanks, Zee,” Nat sighed, an exhale that felt heavy as if a weight had come off her chest, “I don't even know what I'd do without you. I'm serious.”

Zoreaux's features softened, and Nat opened her mouth to continue before he pulled her into a tight hug, the kind that felt comforting, a warmth in the embrace that almost felt like if he squeezed hard enough and held her there long enough, the pieces of her that had fallen apart might somehow stick back together. “You don't have to thank me for anything. I've got you.”

For the first time in just over two weeks, Nat felt comfortable, felt like maybe everything was going to be okay. Like maybe, just maybe, Richmond would be a good thing for her.

“I’m back to the club for a night training session, then heading out to have a drink with some of the guys,” Zoreaux clapped his hands, rubbing them together excitedly, “you want to meet up after and see some of the city?”

Nat found her thoughts drifting to the man in the hall, the one who had picked up her passport, the one who Higgins had called Jamie. Part of her wanted to ask Thierry if he’d be there, but she thought better of it and shook her head. “I’m pretty wiped, actually. I’ll probably just go over my portfolio and send that article to Perry. Call it an early night.”

A look of what Nat could only consider was relief washed over Zoreaux’s face. “Okay, well – if you need anything...”

“I’ll call,” Nat recited for what felt like the twentieth time since they’d shuffled through the front door.

“Oh, and I’ve got a game tomorrow so I might not see you until tomorrow night.”

Nat nodded, taking note of the fact before her hand was on the handle to the room. Every part of her was ready to settle in under the sheets after a long, hot shower to wash the travel off.

Taking that as his cue, Zoreaux was off down the hall. “Just be a goldfish, Nat.” Zoreaux called back as the top of his head disappeared down the staircase, his voice faraway as he followed up, “Richmond is your new start.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about...” Nat muttered, more to herself than anything, shaking her head slightly as the front door closed downstairs.

“Ms. MacCormack,” The Independent Sports Editor Tomas Sharon adjusted his glasses as he flipped through to the final page of his copy of Natalie’s portfolio of work, closing it on the dark oak conference table and folding his hands over top of it. Quietly, the two other men and one woman, whom Nat had been relieved the see, perused the pages in the black folder, all mirroring Mr. Sharon’s body language – closed, cold, difficult to read. “We understand that you come highly recommended by Mr. DeGrossman.”

“Yes. I - ” Nat began, her back straightening as she adjusted herself in the uncomfortable chair, prepared with an answer she’d hashed out on a mental loop through her commute over to The Independent offices in London.

Nat had been so nervous that she’d arrived way too early and so sat in the coffee shop across the street, picking a table right by the window from the office, flipping through her portfolio a few times and sipping on a flat white. The night before had been one of very little rest, her sleepless eyes staring at a darkened ceiling and listening to cars on the street outside, distant sirens or horns going off occasionally. Part of Nat thought that the amount of noise wasn’t the problem, but the lack of it. New York had always been so noisy, so full of life, that Richmond seemed quiet in comparison. Yet another marker that she wasn’t there anymore. A reminder that she was trying to rebalance the delicate nature of her life now. As per Perry’s email instructions regarding her interview, which she’d found herself looking at as her bedside clock hit 3 AM, she expected to meet with Tomas Sharon. What Nat hadn’t expected was for Sharon to be in his early 30s with a slight French accent, his blond hair swept to the side, his look completed with thin, round framed glasses that worked well and that Nat was sure he didn’t just wear in “smart” situations.

Holding up his hand, Mr. Sharon continued once Nat had returned to silence. “We understand that you come highly recommended by Mr. DeGrossman, with whom Mr. Best and I have a close working relationship,” Mr. Sharon cast a glance down to the end of the table where Benjamin Best sat, a small man in a neat suit and cornflower blue tie, his lips tight and unsmiling. From what Nat understood, Benjamin Best had been the youngest Managing Editor the Independent had ever seen when he’d taken over the position at 24 years of age eight years ago – the same age as Nat was now. If she was able to pull this off, Nat would return State side and become the youngest Sports Editor the New York Times had seen. “We also understand this is a job share, to bolster your coverage of sport.”

Instead of speaking, Nat nodded, a sharp jut of her chin only once to confirm she was following.

“Although we have all faith that Mr. DeGrossman would only send us the best, we find the lack of any sport coverage, save for this article on a -” Mr. Sharon paused for a moment to lazily lift the cover of the portfolio under his hand with the mildest form of interest, a glance as if he had forgotten what he had decided on when the server came around to take orders, “ - Lockwood trade, somewhat troubling.”

“That having been said,” Mr. Sharon continued, “your potential is evident. We’d like to offer you a chance to write us a completely new piece in order for us to properly consider your candidacy.”

“I’d be happy to -.”

“As an American, it should only be fitting that the article we want from you is an article on newly promoted Richmond AFC and their success with Coach Lasso at the helm.” Mr. Sharon waved his hand at Nat as if he were doing her a kindness, “two weeks from now. I expect to see a copy of the proofed article in my inbox, with copy to my colleagues. We’ll make our decision then and only then.”

Nat didn’t even have a chance to bristle at the American comment, in fact it had become such a common assumption now that she learned to quietly accept it in moments where the correction was not welcomed or appropriate. Instead, she smiled politely, tightly, pressing the cold panic down into the very depths of her toes, “thank you for the opportunity.”

Nat rose from her seat, collecting her briefcase, the one she’d bought herself when she’d first been hired on under Perry and clicked out of the room in the only pair of heels she'd brought with her from New York. It was only when she’d powered through the waiting area and stepped into the elevator, alone and surrounded by her own reflection in the mirrored walls of the compartment that she’d let the curse she’d been holding in escape her lips – fuck. The cold panic started to surface for a moment before the elevator opened on another floor and a few people stepped on, pushing her back until Nat was squarely in the far corner trying to hold herself together. As Nat’s mind wheeled and reeled, her thoughts an unorganized chaos, the problem now became that Nat didn’t know the first thing about soccer, let alone football.

A/N: Next chapter is all planned out and mostly done! Hope to get that up soon. Remember, feedback, like football, is life.

#jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt #jamie tartt x ofc #ted lasso #ted lasso fanfiction #never find another like me series #ted lasso fanfic #jamie tartt fanfic

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thelensofyashunews · 7 months ago

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Ice Spice remix stamps Cash Cobain's "Fisherrr" as the Song of the Summer

The newly-minted Billboard Rookie of the Month, and multi-hyphenate NYC star, Cash Cobain has just linked up with Ice Spice for the long-awaited video remix for "Fisherrr" (feat. BaySwag) [18m+ Streams]. After bubbling the past few years with R-rated anthems over his own ethereal production – creating the playful "sexy drill" sound that he's pioneered and taken to mainstream heights, Cash Cobain is stamping himself as a serious song of the summer contender with this remix. Following up his two smash singles "Dunk Contest" (8m+) and "Fisherrr" (pronounced, 'for sure), Cash is primed for his moment in the spotlight –– hitting 1M Monthly Listeners on Spotify, Top 3 NYC Shazam Charts, having occupied the #1 + #3 slots of the NYC Apple Music Charts, hitting #45 on the Urban Radio Charts and counting, and now landing Ice Spice's third feature ever –– in the words of COMPLEX, "the summer of 2024 is looking very slizzy". On the highly-anticipated remix, Ice Spice is simply in top-tier shape. Adding her signature magnetic 'it-girl' flair, charming cadence, and instantly-coinable one-liners, she bolsters the lightning-hot single into astronomical territory with the opening lines –– "Got an attitude but I'm feelingless, so I ain't mad at you, And I'm tatted too on this fatty-tude, I'm the baddest boo". The long-overdue collab from the two Bronx natives is seamless, with her being a tailor-fit alongside the ethereal, dreamy production and silky smooth verses from Bay Swag and Cash. With the recent releases of "Dunk Contest" (watch Genius 'Open Mic') and now the Ice Spice-assisted remix for "Fisherrr" (feat. BaySwag), Cash Cobain is using his collaborative momentum from last year to continue elevating his signature sound, showcasing its influential and ever-growing widespread appeal in the process. In the words of Cash:

“It’s a beautiful record. It feels amazing, it feels like NYC is back stronger than ever with me and Spice -– two Bronx legends. Get ready for the song of the summer.”

youtube

Last month, Cash took over NYC with his birthday show, 'Slizzyfest' at Irving Plaza –– a night that was slated as a stacked lineup of NY's finest, with rumors of an A-list superstar surprise set. After chatter spread online and the hype reached a fever pitch, the crowd became too much to handle and the show was ultimately canceled –– but Cash wanted to give the fans their money's worth so he ventured into Union Square and threw a makeshift show with his crew, a Bluetooth speaker, and hundreds of adoring fans (read 'I Went to Cash Cobain’s Slizzyfest and All I Got Was That Classic NYC Feeling' via Rolling Stone + statement in Billboard). Also in Billboard, Cash recently teased potential collaborations with Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Don Toliver (seen filming a music video here), Lil Yachty and more –– a surefire sign of the worldwide stardom soon to come.

These recent releases arrive on the heels of a career-defining year in 2023 that closed with the production of PinkPantheress' "Nice To Meet You" (feat. Central Cee), which debuted at #20 on Billboard Hot 100 (he alsostarred alongside her in a nationally-syndicated Apple commercial for the new MacBook). This was preceded by producing Drake's"Calling For You" (feat. 21 Savage), which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, DJ'ing at Travis Scott's Cactus Jack x Audemars Piguet event, and releasing his critically-acclaimed debut solo album Pretty Girls Love Slizzy with Giant Music.

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celestiall0tus · 1 year ago

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Miraculous AU- Chapter 10 - Stormy Weather

Beginning || Previous || Next

Aurore Beauréal stood before the cameras on stage while the announcer prattled on. Today was the day when the KIDZ+ contest would conclude, and a new weather girl crowned. She fought hard to be here and now she just had to wait. She took a glance at her opponent. She smirked to herself, knowing she’d win. Despite the voices, she knew was beloved and the people would vote for her.

“The votes are in, and the winner is… Mireille Caquet! Congratulations!”

Aurore’s jaw dropped as the audience roared with applause. This wasn’t happening. It wasn’t. How could she lose? She was supposed to win.

“Better luck next time, Aurore,” the announcer told her.

Aurore growled and stormed off, making her way to the elevators. She should have been the winner. The people were wrong to choose that Mireille girl when she was the better choice. She’d show them how wrong they were. She’d make them pay. Someway, somehow.

A voice whispered to her: I can help you in your quest, young lady.

Aurore laughed as she stepped into the elevator. “You’ve been in my head for days and only now offer help? What could you possibly do?”

I can offer you power to show the people who the true weather girl is and make them suffer. If you accept, simply step outside.

Aurore clutched her parasol. Her scowl twisted into a smile as she let out a slow, maniacal laughter. What other choice did she have? How else would she make the people pay for their actions?

Once the elevator doors opened, Aurore made her way outside. A crowd of reporters and fans waited outside. There was an onslaught of questions, but she ignored them. She looked on as a strange little butterfly disappeared into her parasol. Shadows wrapped around her. The crowd buzzed as they watched the shadows fade away.

Aurore’s skin turned sickly white like snow. Her blue sundress transformed into storm clouds that clung to her body with crackles of lightning flashing through the dress. Her blonde hair now black and undone from their pigtails as it frizzled out behind her. The yellow parasol turned a dark purple and pulsed at the tip.

Aurore grinned. “I would advise everyone head indoors. We’ll be expecting a freak storm right about now.”

Aurore thrust her parasol up. It opened and the winds picked up. Pitch black storm clouds formed overhead and spread across the city. She cackled as lightning flashed, then struck.

Juleka sat at her vanity table, messing with her hair. She and the girls would be spending the day out on the city for another “back to school” outing. She thought maybe she could do something different, but nothing felt quite right. She sighed and let her hair fall. Maybe some different accessories might do it. She opened her jewelry box and paused.

Something was different. Everything looked like it had been moved. Juleka reached in, moved things around until she unearthed a silver pendant necklace that wasn’t there before. She took it out and examined it. It looked to be made of fine silver and was smooth without any markings on the side she had up. She turned it over and saw an engraving of a mouse symbol on it.

Juleka’s breath caught, and her heart skipped a beat. Was this a piece of jewelry like what Marinette and Alya had? There wasn’t a kwami around that she saw. Maybe it was just a piece that Rose wanted to surprise her with. Rose tended to hide things for her to find, but she doubted it was Rose. When Rose hid things, she would make a big deal, and Rose hadn’t prior to her finding the necklace.

A knock startled Juleka as she quickly put the necklace back into the jewelry box. Luka stepped into her room. Pain hit her as she looked at the dark circles under his eyes. The dull glossiness to his eyes as he smiled weakly.

“The girls are here, Jul. Be careful, it looks like it might storm.”

“Have you been sleeping?”

“Huh? Oh, I have. Just, bad dreams.”

“Do you need something to help? I have lavender incense.”

“I can’t handle those things, Jule.”

“What about an amethyst or a citrine?”

“I’m fine, really.”

“Ok. Hey, did you… do you want to come?”

“I don’t want to intrude on your outing with your friends.”

“They’re your friends too.”

“I know, but-.”

Juleka looked at him puppy dog eyes, cutting him off. “Please, Luka?”

Luka sighed. “I will, only if they’re ok with it too.”

Juleka nodded. She gave Luka a quick hug, then headed out to meet her friends. She slowed when she saw the sky covered with the darkest clouds she’d ever seen. Her gaze moved to her friends who stood on the deck, staring at the sky. She stepped out to join them, her eyes never leaving the sky.

“Hey, Juleka, I know we were supposed to spend the day on the city, but could we maybe stay here until the storm passes?” Marinette asked.

“Yeah, I feel that we shouldn’t be out when that hits,” Alya added.

“That’s fine. And when we head out, do you think Luka could join us?”

Alix shrugged.

“Of course! That would be awesome,” Rose cheered.

“That would be fun. He’s always good company,” Marinette added.

Alya nodded.

“Thank you, girls. Let’s go below before it starts to rain.”

“Alright, you have your hour for lunch, then we’ll continue lessons after. I’ll check on the lunch preparations and call you down when it’s ready,” Nathalie said.

Adrien nodded and stood. He turned and looked out the window. Lightning streaked across the sky as thunder boomed overhead. A moment later rain poured from the sky in sheets. He sighed and headed to his room. He took a seat on the couch and turned his TV on to the weather channel. Plagg emerged from his nightstand and hovered beside Adrien.

“The weather channel? Really?”

“What? I want to know how long this storm is supposed to last.”

Plagg rolled his eyes but remained beside Adrien. They watched until the broadcast turned to a white-skinned woman wrapped in storm clouds.

“Plagg, is that?”

“It is.”

“Good afternoon, Paris. Today’s forecast is a freak storm with bone-chilling rain with winds to tear you apart. Oh, and expect dagger shaped hail for the unfortunate bastards caught in the weather.”

“We need to go,” Adrien said.

“Do we have to? It’s raining.”

“Plagg, claws out.”

Plagg vanished into the ring and transformed Adrien.

Chat Noir ran to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He opened the window and hopped out. Once outside, the rain hit him hard that left a stinging feeling. The wind whipped around him, daring to push him its way. He pushed on, leapt over the fence, and made his way towards the news center.

Alya stood in the doorway, looking out at the storm. She watched the rain come down in sheets while lightning struck everywhere. The wind whipped the water around, creating waves that reached onto the deck. Something about this wasn’t right. It felt supernatural.

“Hey, Alya, can I talk to you,” Juleka said quietly. She approached and stood beside Alya, looking out at the storm.

“What’s up?”

“I, uh, I found something. And I was hoping you could maybe look at it with that kwami.”

“Sure. Let’s see it.”

“One moment.” Juleka ran back downstairs.

Alya continued to watch the storm. A feeling crept up through her body. She shivered as it sent chills up and down her. She squirmed as her body prickled. The feeling blossomed into dread as the waves got bigger. She grabbed the railing as a wave slammed into the boat that sent freezing water into it.

Alya jumped down the steps, slashing ankle water. “We have to leave! We can’t stay here.”

Luka nodded. “C’mon, let’s go!”

Marinette, Alix, and Rose scrambled to their feet, rushing up the stairs. Another wave hit them and sent them tumbling while the boat filled with more water. Alya helped the girls to their feet and out.

“Let’s go, Luka!”

“Wait, what about Juleka? Where is she?”

“I’m here!” Juleka called as she ran through the water, now knee high.

A third wave hit them, causing Juleka to fall into the water. Luka started towards Juleka, but Alya grabbed him.

“Let go! I need to help her!”

“No. Get out of here!” Alya yelled.

“Absolutely not! I need to save her!”

“But who’ll save you if you fall?” Alya challenged.

Luka paused. He looked away as he gritted his teeth and furrowed his brow. Alya took the chance to push Luka onto the deck. She braced herself as another wave hit.

“C’mon, Juleka!”

Alya waited as Juleka stumbled from the water. Alya held out a hand for Juleka. Juleka reached out but placed the silver pendant necklace in Alya’s hand. Juleka grabbed onto the railing as she hoisted herself out of the water.

“Go! I’ll catch up.”

Alya nodded. She stuffed the necklace in her pocket as she ran out. She ran for the walkway but was caught off guard by another wave. This one tilted the boat away from the walkway. Panic seized Alya as she grabbed the railing.

“Fang, let’s hunt!”

Fang materialized and disappeared into the bracelet, transforming Alya.

Through the storm, Louve heard the faintest splash. She turned to see bubbles foaming where something, or someone fell in. She readied to let go, to dive in as she saw Chat Noir dive into the water. She grimaced, then jumped onto the walkway, taking shelter under the bridge with the others.

Marinette, now Ladybug, approached Louve. “Where’s Juleka?”

Louve didn’t speak. She watched the other end until Chat stumbled onto the walkway with Juleka in his arms. She ran over to him with Ladybug. She took Juleka while Ladybug helped Chat.

“Chat, are you ok?” Ladybug asked.

Chat let out a long breath. “Oh lovely. Just a pleasant stroll through a torrential storm with winds that’d otherwise blow me away. The fight against the undertow was a nice touch too.”

Ladybug grimaced as she helped Chat sit. “Take a moment to rest.”

Chat nodded and leaned against the wall. Ladybug watched everything. Luka performed CPR on Juleka while the others watched anxiously. After a few moments, Juleka coughed up water and moved. They all exhaled while Luka and Rose hugged Juleka. The others looked after Juleka while Louve approached Ladybug and Chat.

“So, what’s the plan?”

Chat took a deep breath. “Head towards the news station. I think the akumatized person is there.”

“Did you see something?” Ladybug asked.

“I was watching the weather when I saw her. Skin like snow and dressed in a storm, boasting about a freak storm. It’s gotten worse the closer I’ve gotten to the building, so I assume she’s still there.”

“Then we head in that direction. Once you’re ready, we’ll head out.”

“Just five minutes.”

Louve nodded and walked back to the girls.

Ladybug sat beside Chat. “So, what should we do?”

“What do you mean?”

“With these winds, I won’t be able to travel through the city at the same pace as you or Louve.”

“I could always carry you if you’d like, Bugaboo.”

Ladybug blushed. “It might be better that way. Especially if-.”

Before Ladybug could finish, the lights flickered and went out. They were plunged into absolute darkness, except for Chat and Louve.

“Great. Why did I have to say something?” Ladybug mumbled.

Chat smiled, about to comment, but his ears twitched. He turned and glared at Luka, who muttered about them being in the company of the creature of misfortune. Luka glared back at Chat’s bright green eyes that glowed in the dark.

“Let’s get going. I think I’ve rested enough.” Chat stood and turned to see splinters of hail fall with the rain. “And there’s the hail.”

Ladybug looked out into the void as she heard the hail hit the concrete. She felt for her yo-yo and pulled it out. Louve put a hand over Ladybug’s.

“Save your powers.”

“But-!”

“If Chat made it through the storm. We can too.”

Chat scooped up Ladybug. “Trust us, Lady.”

“What about the hail?”

“Just watch your heads,” Louve said.

Ladybug gave a hesitant nod.

Louve looked at their friends. “Will you guys be alright?”

“We’ll be fine. You guys put an end to this, please,” Rose said.

“Hopefully before we freeze,” Alix remarked.

Louve nodded and joined Chat Noir and Ladybug. Chat took his staff and tossed it to Louve.

“Here. With Lady, it’s probably best you use it. The green pawprint button extends and retracts it.”

“Got it. Ready?”

“Ready,” Ladybug and Chat said.

Nathalie knocked on Adrien’s door before she entered. She moved her flashlight as she looked around. She furrowed her brow when she didn’t see him.

“Adrien?”

No answer.

Duusu crawled out from Nathalie’s suit jacket. “Is he gone?”

“Hush. He’s probably in the bathroom.”

Nathalie approached Adrien’s bathroom and knocked. She waited for a minute but didn’t hear anything. She knocked again and announced herself before she entered. She waved the flashlight around. There was no sign of him, and the windows were open. Cold dread seized her as the flashlight fell from her hand.

“He’s not here.”

“So, he is capable of more. Who’d have thought.”

“Duusu, this isn’t good. Gabriel is going to kill me! His son is out doing who knows what in this storm and he’s going to blame me for it.”

Duusu patted Nathalie’s cheek. “Relax. Let’s look around his room.”

Nathalie picked up the flashlight. She went through his room, looking in typical hiding spots, but didn’t find anything unusual. Panic gnawed at her as she came up empty handed.

“Duusu, what am I gonna do?”

“Well, I might have found something.”

Nathalie turned towards Duusu’s voice that came from one of Adrien’s nightstands. She opened the drawer and found Duusu next to a round golden container. She opened it and recoiled at the odor of camembert cheese.

“What’s this have to do with anything?”

“Well, we kwamis do like food to recharge our powers, yes? And he just happens to have this specific food.”

“But there’s a cat that comes by that likes this cheese and-.”

Nathalie stopped her thought. Was that cat a kwami? When she met Duusu, he was a peacock before he approached her with his brooch.

“I think you know already.”

“Which kwami is it? The cat?”

“The black cat of destruction. He’s the one paired with the creation kwami. The two that are out in this storm cleaning up Papillon’s supernatural disaster.”

Nathalie frowned. She tossed the container back into the nightstand. “Why would he do this? Doesn’t he realize how dangerous that is? He could get himself killed!”

“Look, not that I’m defending that cat or Adrien, but as it is, Adrien is safest with his kwami, even in this weather.”

“But-!”

“Nathalie, you can’t fully understand as you haven’t activated the brooch. Adrien, on the other hand, has with that little nuisance. So long as he is with the cat, he will be safe with very minimal casualties. The only thing that could really hurt him is another holder or if he has any exposed skin that isn’t otherwise shielded.”

Nathalie sighed and sat on Adrien’s bed. “What am I going to do? What if Gabriel finds out? He’d absolutely kill me then.”

“Just don’t tell him. You’ve kept me secret.”

“I’m an adult and he’s a now rebellious teen. It’s not the same.”

“Then maybe you should be there for him, now more than ever. Help him. I admittedly don’t like the idea of helping any of the cat’s holders, but I know how you feel about the boy. And despite what you tell yourself, the boy does see you as more than just a nanny. I also know that cat doesn’t tell his holders anything until after the fact.”

“This seems like a bad idea.”

“What does that cat say? The bad ideas are the best, or something like that.”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?”

Duusu snuggled up against Nathalie’s neck. “About as much as you believe you’re Adrien’s mother.”

Nathalie rolled her eyes and kissed Duusu on his head. “Very well. I guess we wait until the storm ends.”

Chat and Louve maneuvered through the city and storm until they made it near the news station. The storm was the worst in this area. The wind carried with it glass shards from the countless shattered windows of the buildings in the area. A fog rolled in with the downpour made it impossible for Chat and Louve to see more than a few inches in front of them. Hail continued to fall with the rain, sharp and cold. Ladybug managed to keep her and Chat safe enough from the hail, but Louve had several cuts from it and the glass. Despite the weather, the news station glowed like a beacon in the night, surrounded by a cage of purple lightning. Once they were close enough, they took shelter in an office building.

Chat placed Ladybug down and guided her as she found her balance. He took her hand and lead her closer to the edge for a better view of their target. It was the only other thing Ladybug has seen since being plunged into darkness that wasn’t Chat’s eyes.

“What’s the plan?” Ladybug asked.

Louve looked at the building and focused on finding the akumatized person. “Trail!” A purple trail formed and moved towards the top of the tower. “She’s at the top!”

“Think we’ll fry if we try to get in?” Chat asked.

“I feel like we just might. Not unless we have luck on our side.” Louve remarked, looking at Ladybug.

Ladybug felt Louve’s gaze on her. “What?”

“Your Lucky Charm. You should be able to use that to get in past the barrier, right?” Louve said.

“But I don’t know if that will actually work! I know I’ll be blessed with luck, but I don’t know if there’s a limit to that luck.”

“It may be our only way of getting to her. We don’t know if our suits will protect us from a lightning strike the same way they protect us from the elements,” Louve said.

Chat placed a hand on Ladybug’s shoulder. “Give it a try. If it doesn’t work, we’ll think of something else.”

Ladybug nodded. She sucked in a breath as she turned back to the building. Her hands and body while she clutched her yo-yo. “Lucky Charm!”

Chat jumped back. The black spots on Ladybug’s suit glowed a bright red, offering liminal light. She reared back her arm and chucked her yo-yo. It sailed through the storm despite the wind and snagged the railing atop the news station. She yanked on the line, and it pulled her from their shelter to the building. The wind moved around her as the rain and hail didn’t touch her. When she neared the barrier, the lightning moved away from her as she grabbed the railing and hoisted herself up.

Ladybug peered out at the rooftop. The glow of the lightning offered just enough light to reveal the girl with snow white skin. The girl waved her parasol around as if it was a magic staff and she were performing a conjuration ritual. Ladybug’s eyes followed the pulsing light of the parasol. She had a feeling it was in there.

Ladybug threw her yo-yo, and it wrapped around the parasol. She yanked on the string and the parasol flew from the girl’s hands. She grabbed it and ran as the girl shrieked and pursued her. She dove off the top of the building, narrowly avoiding one of the lightning bars of the cage. She threw her yo-yo into the darkness and it snagged onto something. She pulled on it and it brought her back to the office building. She rolled on the floor, got up and looked around. She saw Chat’s eyes approach in the darkness.

“Is the Akuma in here? The parasol?”

“I think so.”

Ladybug held out the parasol. Chat reached for it, his destruction powers active. Louve ears twitched as dread clamped onto her. She turned to the news station as the barrier became a single ball of electricity. It streaked out towards them. Louve panicked and dashed forward. She pushed Chat into Ladybug that ended Ladybug’s charm, as the lightning hit Louve. Ladybug and Chat watched in horror as Louve took the bolt. Her chain ring bracelet sparked before she de-transformed and collapsed.

“Alya!” Ladybug screamed.

Ladybug shoved the parasol into Chat’s arms as she rushed to Alya’s side. He destroyed the parasol. It crumbled to dust as the Akuma flew from it and fell apart. The storm eased until it stopped, and the clouds parted. He moved beside Ladybug as she clung to Alya, sobbing loudly. He looked Alya over. She seemed ok on the surface. Her scratches had cauterized from the strike, but that was it. Her kwami was sprawled out on her stomach with smoke emitting from it and parts of its body blackened.

“Is she ok?”

“She is breathing and has a heartbeat, but why? Why did you do this?” Ladybug sniffled.

Alya shuddered and groaned. “Don’t worry, I’m alive.”

“Alya? Oh, thank goodness. What got into you?”

Alya grunted as she propped herself up. “Storm bitch had gathered her lightning shield and launched it as an attack. I couldn’t let you guys take the hit, could I?”

“You reckless bitch. Don’t do that again. Do you hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah. How’s Fang?”

“I’m alive too,” Fang wheezed. She twitched as electricity passed through her.

“Alya, we need to get you to a hospital,” Ladybug said.

Alya sat up. “I’ll be fine. I’m just a little woozy.”

Chat grabbed his staff. “I don’t think we should take that chance. Do you want me to carry her, or would you want to?”

“Let me take her. You should get home,” Ladybug said.

“But, wait, shouldn’t we use our Miraculous to fix things?”

“We’d drain our powers doing that. You might be ok, but with my charm, I only have a single use of my powers before I’d need to transform back.”

“There’s gotta be something we can do. We can’t just leave the city like this. What if we used it to clean up some of the city and create food for our kwamis?”

Ladybug considered. “Fang, is that possible?”

“You have the creation kwami, Ladybug. So, I’d like some biscuits please. With strawberry jam.”

Ladybug gulped and nodded. “Chat, what does your kwami like?”

“Camembert.”

Ladybug took several breaths, then scooped up Alya. She jumped down and placed Alya on the ground. Chat joined them, standing close to Ladybug.

“Ready?” Chat asked.

“Real quick. Can you replace my phone?” Alya asked as she raised her phone that was fried.

“We’ll try. I’m ready.

Ladybug and Chat turned towards each other. Circles appeared at their feet with a symbol in each of them. Their suits glowed as the orbs appeared in their hands. Ladybug took a deep breath, focusing on fixing some of the city and creating food for their kwamis.

“Miraculous!” Ladybug and Chat yelled as they tossed the orbs up. The orbs worked, destroying the debris, and repairing the buildings. Ladybug focused and a plate appeared in her hands with the food for their kwamis. The Miraculous faded not long after as the last spot on Ladybug’s earrings disappeared and the pawprint on Chat’s ring.

“I’ll be back once my kwami’s eaten.” Chat took the camembert and ran off.

“Tikki, spots off.”

Tikki appeared, transforming Ladybug. Marinette took Tikki and placed her next to Fang along with the plate. Tikki inhaled the cookies while Fang nibbled on the biscuit.

Alya placed a heavy hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “Thanks for the new phone.”

“Alya, now is not the time. I need to finish here with Chat and get you to the hospital.”

“I’m fine. You should be more worried about Fang. She looks like she got it worse than me.”

“I’m not taking that chance. Tikki, spots on.”

Tikki vanished into the earrings, transforming Marinette.

“Chat! I’m ready!”

A moment passed before Chat reappeared. They nodded and used their Miraculous again. This one finished clearing the debris and repaired most of the damage to the city. Once it finished, Chat turned.

“I’ll see you later, Lady. Our usual time tonight?”

Ladybug nodded. Chat smiled, then ran off.

“Alright, let’s get you to the hospital.”

“Wait. Let Tikki eat first.” Fang said as she pushed the plate with the other biscuit half on it.

Ladybug nodded and de-transformed. Tikki sat on the plate and ate the biscuit. She flew up once she was finished. Marinette transformed back and faced Alya.

“Now, let’s go.”

Alya huffed and scooped Fang up. Ladybug knelt, allowing Alya onto her back.

“Hold on tight, please.”

Alya tightened her grasp as Ladybug threw her yo-yo and they flew off.

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