#idoltrickster

[bubblepoptunes]

[ask-the-boogeyman]

Guess who is shirtless, toting around torn pants, a halligan clipped to his belt, and a polar bear hide adorning his crown that hangs down his back? The Shape is not exactly thrilled to be shirtless, but things happen.

art by @idol-trickster

[billyholztisch]

@idol-trickster glad you are here~☆

[ask-the-boogeyman]

It's not often that someone boldly walks up to him, not only with an air of confidence but offering him a cheeky remark and drink on top of it. It perplexes him for a moment, his head tilting off to the side before looking down at the drink. You know, he could politely take the drink, he could even resort to his a-typical brand of violence but a flicker of mischief rings in his skull and something else comes to mind.

Similar to what he did to one of the Franks, he moves his jaw to make the boney mask move, promptly chomping down onto the champagne glass to snatch it from Ji-Woon with a sudden quickness. It's not as if he wanted to drink it, and it drips everywhere, especially between the bloody teeth of his mask and onto the ground...

But Michael has an inkling of a feeling that it will startle the man into recognizing who he is, and that makes this very much worth it in the end.

[Wall - to find my muse leaning against a wall]

Among the seas of faces, the Shape sees the Ji-Woon and wonders briefly if this is the same one he stalked awhile back. Either way, he is going to proceed the same, approaching silently until he is behind the other, peeking at the man against the adjacent wall. There is clear malice but also... curiosity. What an odd animal choice.

The hyena-masked idol was taking a small breather from the crowds and array of food, a drink in hand for idle activity. He was knocking more than a few back earlier, but now moving away from the others, he was taking his time nursing the glass of champagne to keep his joyful tipsy buzz.

As he stared down at the glass, reflecting the beautiful sights and lights, he saw a figure in it that seemed to be lurking. Jiwoon brought the drink to his lips, tipping it back for a small sip before noticing the figure still there in the downward motion. The idea of being stalked by a curious fan made a smile bloom as he turned to face the masked figure, the hyena boldly taking a chance to approach them.

Hand reached out holding the glass in an offering, a quiet chuckle given as the idol couldn't help but notice the cute furry ears the other wore. An ominous teddy bear, how fun.

"Here. Something else to drink me in with. It pairs well, I promise."

[wanderingsongbird]

Amusement danced in those blue eyes. "Didn't think hyenas ate flowers and cake," the doe teased. "You all tend to enjoy the type of food that ya hafta hunt down, right?"

Kate would have to do flip the mask up sooner or later, so she went ahead and did so — it was just an added bonus to get a better look at the odd glow he had from his eyes. That sort of thing with killers was always intriguing to her, even after her stint of being corrupted.

Perhaps one day the draw for that wouldn't be quite so high.

"How're ya likin' the party so far?" Kate made herself comfortable, fingers working on removing the cupcake paper from the confection.

"Seat taken, darlin'?" Kate asked, the doe mask tilted inquisitively as she regarded him. Two cupcakes balanced on two different small plates, each held in a different hand. One of them was held out to the hyena masked idol, almost like an offering for the seat. @wanderingsongbird

The hyena-masked idol looked up from his seat, over at the deer staring back at him. A glance at the cupcakes given; hand reaching out to grab for one of the plates, accepting the offer graciously. A pleasant relief from the alcohol he'd had prior. "If you're being so considerate, make yourself comfortable."

Jiwoon placed the cupcake down between them, moving over once Kate had taken a seat and leaned in with a smile, glowing yellow eyes looking straight into blue ones behind her mask. "Unless you were hoping to feed me yourself. It might be fun."

@wanderingsongbird

[bubblepoptunes]

Noting the way they both were uneasy with the interaction, Jong-In takes a breath and calms himself before presenting a bubbly smile in a parody of Ji-Woon's own. The question, however, gets his brow to arch. Autograph? Well, no, not at all. Blinking a few times, he politely shakes his head before speaking, his tone gentle and calm.

"A fan? So you are Ji-Woon, you look... different. Ah, no, I'm afraid not. Not that your autograph would be bad, of course!" He hastily adds in, clearing his throat a bit. "But ah... How to put this...."

Realization strikes before he goes to slip the bag off of his back and digs around a bit, before producing his phone, and pulling up a picture.

"It would be a bit silly, to get an autograph from a fellow bandmate heh."

Jiwoon noted the apology and rubbed at his neck, trying to rid the uneasy feeling.

"It would be a little difficult to hurt me- and for too long." He joked half-heartedly and curiously looked the other over. Shin Jong-in...? -and they spoke Korean? It'd make him interested to get to know them if there wasn't a strange awkwardness he wasn't used to. Still, he could tell they were nervous, so he took in an inhale.

Giving a smile, like he was used to for cameras, he asked the other out of curiosity, "So are you a fan? Hoping for an autograph?"

@bubblepoptunes

[bubblepoptunes]

Having so rudely bumped into the other, Jong-In immediately goes to bow respectfully, softly spouting out a formal apology. Of course, he's not sure exactly how he just got thrown into such a situation but there is no hesitation in his manners. When he stands up properly, a nervous, shy smile is offered as he speaks.

It would be rude to say he looked like someone he knew, just due to some similarities? Though there is this sensation... A prickling at the back of his neck makes him wonder. People change appearances all the time, and perhaps the other is just different these days.

What if he is Ji-Woon?

-Drops a Jong-In Shin next to Ji-Woon and runs off. Enjoy the sugary sweet doormat!- (sent by Az >:3c)

The cutesy and pastel figure shoved Jiwoon's way had taken him by surprise, causing him to stumble. As he corrected himself, he looked over and felt his stomach drop in an uneasy wave of anxiety; a discordant tune like a broken music box somehow stirring inside and conducting forth long-ignored emotions as the two idol's eyes met.

They were a stranger to him, but Jiwoon's instincts were acting like any moment they'd kick into overdrive. Something was wrong here- maybe the supernatural tie with the Entity was telling him so; making it so the Trickster's body wanted to get away from this oddity.

Yet despite the wave of emotions, hands reached up and grabbed the other by the shoulder to steady himself- look into the source of this rattling experience and hope for an answer.

@bubblepoptunes

[bubblepoptunes]

He knows this is not what the other probably wanted to see, wanted to hear, or even indulge in but he didn't know how else to explain. The falsities of his fogged memories had been cleared the more he met others and the more he examined his last memories and moments on earth. The day had been normal, it had been fine until smoke could be smelt in the air. Jong-In remembers rushing to be on time, having prepped snacks for his bandmates, to encourage them through the hard work and grueling hours they had each day. A pick me up in the darkness of more soured moods, and they were rehearsing as they waited for Ji-Woon. The smell of smoke will never leave his clothing.

The more he analyzes it, the more he realizes... He died. He died in a fire, the cause unknown, but the burns across his back and burns across the back of his legs are evident enough of this. It's why he very rarely takes off his jacket now. The only time he's taken it off, of course, was with Ghostface. The man had been... nice to be around, he's a friend in his eyes. They've shared some personal information with one another and he enjoys chatting with him. That of course comes at a cost, the killer trying to knock some sense into the cotton-tailed, sugary-sweet idol. He lacked self-preservation even in trial, wanting to help everyone, even if he is hurt.

He wonders if Mister Ghostface, as he so fondly calls him, would be scruffing him up over this encounter. He's not entirely sure. What he is sure of, however, is the panic and unsteady breathing of his fellow idol. A man he admired, that was endeared to his heart, even if this was not... His Ji-Woon. His eyes close as he brings his thumb to his lips, biting at the nail for a bit. As he takes his own calming breaths for he doesn't rush to comfort, Jong-In opens his eyes to look off to the side, misty-eyed as he tries to explain.

"Why the fuck am I here... Well... That's a big thing to answer." As he speaks, it almost feels as if the room begins to grow colder as he looks up at him finally with a sad smile that morphed from the momentary frown prior.

"그것은 내가 죽었기 때문이다."

The air gets colder, brisker now after he speaks that, confirming to not only himself but to the man that he knows he died.

"And so I... wound up here. I have met some nice killers though... Mister Ghostface is nice, I enjoy his cats a lot. I have met other versions of you too... But, that is okay too... Best to try and find the positive even in this place. I am sorry for making you feel uneasy at all Ji-Woon. You don't deserve feeling like that."

Jiwoon raised a brow at the comment. Different? So they had seen him before. No surprise. It wasn't the first time that someone recognized him. I mean, how could they not? He was a big news headline. A silver lining to a tragedy that had certainly made MighteeOne scramble with their stocks; and is partially what made them want to push Trickster's career so hard- a reassurance that everything was still in working order. His story had become circulated news to various types of people, not just for fans or the ones interested in music, but also to those interested in worldly, economic, or even morbid affairs.

He watched as the other pulled out a phone- not what he expected; some merch or photocards, but not a cute-cased phone. He envisioned a music video or maybe a wallpaper to be shown to him. As expected, there was a photo, one which caused him to huff and tilt his head with curiosity.

NoSpin- he could guess this was some iteration of them. An odd concept of 'variants', but one that became normality here in the realm. As he scanned the image to see the iteration that looked like himself, yet not quite as he never remembered the memory depicted, he was suddenly reminded of tests they gave magpies with mirrors; a test to see if they recognize images of themself for sentience. Funny. It's how he would brush this off too: Funny. With himself spotted, he looked over the other faces, spotting a cute bubbly one- which he was currently talking to. His brain processes are too quick for their own good, ruthlessly shattering blissful ignorance in all but a second. It can't be. The thought birthed a following second of dread: He felt his stomach cold and hollow as blood froze with his breathing, almost all at once his body received an icy wave of dread that traversed up his spine. It made his lungs beg for air through quivered and unsteady breaths, quiet panic threatening to overflow as Jiwoon tried desperately to recall the emotion he was faking before. Smile! His body moved on survival instincts and forced a grin, the unspoken last resort of begging and placating the other to not say the words which his brain supplemented.

Yet... in a single sentence with a light tone given by the other, Jiwoon felt his world in disarray.

His hands trembled as if they were trying to shake blood and sensation back into them, physically asking for charity from the brain that was greedily running through possibilities and scenarios; trying to rationalize and answer questions about something it didn't understand because it shouldn't be happening. He needed to steady himself. Jiwoon sluggishly moved the heavy weight of his arms to allow pleading hands to clap in front of himself, holding them together in a fake sign of enjoyment and glee.

"Shin Jong-in." Jiwoon repeated the name, internally imprinting it as something to be cautious of, "A member of No Spin." giggle followed as the absurdity- impossibility even, of such an event was that in itself: foolish.

There were so many questions; so many ways to move on the conversation and continue, yet... in disbelief, all he really wanted to know was, "씨발 왜 여기있어?"