#other side - daeho

[cherrylgc]

well... definitely wasn’t me!

        somehow the universe kept making cherry meet idols, which should seem like a fortune, but with the stupidity cherry has, it was almost a punishment. when cherry joined legacy, it had been due to seeing her friend perform, finding it cool and giving it a shot, it wasn’t like she could do even worse in school anyways. truth be it though, she didn’t know much about the kpop industry, even after her five years of living in korea. she of course knew a lot of songs, but with her terrible memory she couldn’t remember song names nor group names, how would she be able to remember idol faces? finding a song was terrible for cherry, often forgetting the name of which song she was in the mood to listen to, having to go through them all on her playlist. she’d with time created many many playlists. but it wasn’t her fault (it was), her brain didn’t have that much space, and she used all the space in her brain to remember friends’ names (which she did have like a million of) and it was also just filled with stupid questions.

the return of warmer weather was something she enjoyed, though she loved snow, summer was her best friend. and it was only a bit more until summer came and summer break would come, though perhaps with the school break maybe legacy would just end up filling her schedule even more. and though it’s been a while since she went to high school, she’s remained friends with many of the people from high school, and now her old class was meeting next weekend to play soccer together. cherry had never been good at soccer, nor would she probably ever be, but she’d still managed to borrow a football and end up practicing. just as she feels proud for not having fallen yet, she makes another mistake, which is she kicks it and it doesn’t go the way she wants (stupid ball), no actually, it hits someone passing by right on the head.

she stands still, wondering how to respond to this situation. “wow… where did the ball come from?” she yells out to the other, before looking up “i think it came from the sky…” she looks at the stranger with an awkward smile, “maybe it was an angel hitting on you” she should’ve just apologized.

written for... @lgcdaeho

[slytherinshua]

THE BEST VOICE IN DAEHO

genre. fluff. warnings. kissing & they're a little whipped for each other tbh hehe. pairing. husband!seo yul x wife!reader. wc. 1.2k. a/n. yeah i'm delusional for him..... ugh hwang minhyun and all his characters <33 i love him guys :(

“You never told me you could sing.” You said softly from the doorway, gazing fondly into the room where your husband sat, flipping through a spell book. He looked up with wide eyes, his cheeks dusting a light pink. He hadn’t realized that you had been watching him for the past 10 minutes.

“I can’t.” He shook his head, acting as if he hadn’t just been absent-mindedly humming one of your favourite songs.

You crossed your arms and walked over to where Yul was sitting, “I don’t believe you.” You insisted. Your hands rested on his shoulders, massaging them gently to work out the stress they held. Yul sighed, eyes fluttering shut.

“This is why I shouldn’t allow you in the study.” He muttered, though he only leaned into your touch, showing no signs of wanting you to leave.

“The door was left open, though? If anything, I think that was a sign that you were hoping I’d come in at some point.” A smile grew on your face at the suggestion you were making. You and Yul both knew that he had just forgotten to close it because he had been too scatterbrained. You always kissed him before he left to work on something, leaving him flustered every time.

“I was hoping to finish reviewing this book of spells before it goes to get copied and sent to Jeongjingak…” He trailed off, tilting his head up to look at you with shining eyes. You just shrugged and placed a kiss on his forehead.

“Well, I was hoping to hear more of my lovely husband’s singing that he chose to hide from me for 2 years.” You laughed as Yul sighed again. You knew all his weaknesses, one of the biggest of which was when you called him your husband. It made his heart melt whenever he was reminded of it— that he was really truly yours forever and ever.

After successfully working out the knots in his shoulder, you moved a little higher, your fingers gently starting to work on his neck. You had him more than distracted by the pleasant massage and he tilted his neck a little to the side so you could more easily work on it. You moved a little closer to press a kiss to the side of his neck, hearing the small hitch in Yul’s breath because of it made you smile.

“I guess I’ll finish this later.” Yul whispered with a small smile, closing the spellbook and placing it on top of a stack of books on the table. You laughed slightly at your victory, your breath hitting Yul’s neck and causing goosebumps to spread on it. You pressed one more long kiss to his adam’s apple before pulling away.

“I want to hear you sing. I’m sure you’ll sound good.” 

“I think you should lower your expectations, my love. I’ve never studied how to sing.” He said simply, but you shook your head.

“My expectations are extremely high, so don’t disappoint me.” You joked, though it wasn’t entirely sarcastic. You had high expectations for everything your husband did, only because he seemed to be so good at anything he tried. He excelled in so many areas, and you would truly never get tired of seeing his proficiency. Whether it was spells, sword-fighting, bird whistling, writing letters, or kissing, he was an expert in all areas. 

The last two, you were especially familiar with. You had received dozens of letters from Yul before you were engaged, and each one was as heart-fluttering as the first. As for kissing… Well, you had daily reminders that there was no one that kissed better than him.

You weren’t quite sure how his lips were always so pillowy soft. In your two years of marriage, that had still stayed a mystery to you. You could daydream about the way his lips moulded with yours like an elegant dance, a perfect balance where neither was overbearing the other. He always kissed you with a gentleness that had you dizzyingly falling even deeper for him. 

Yul took a breath and closed his eyes, starting to softly sing the song he was before— this time from the beginning. It started out slow, deep honey-like notes blending together to create a glorious melody. His voice was soft and gentle; exactly what you would’ve expected from him. But it was somehow so much more than you could’ve imagined.

It wasn’t just soft, it was rich as well. As the song progressed to its chorus and the notes climbed higher and higher, he didn’t falter. His high notes sounded just as clear and perfect as his low notes did, and you quickly fell into the trance his voice had created. You wanted to hear him sing forever now that you had discovered this hidden treasure.

The song came to an end far too quickly, though you were sure he had been singing for at least four minutes. But four minutes just wasn’t enough— you craved more of the intoxicatingly sweet sound of his voice. He blinked open his eyes and smiled shyly at you.

“I hope it didn’t disappoint you?” He asked, still a little embarrassed about singing in front of you for the very first time. Of all the people on the earth, he wanted to impress you the most. He knew you were already his, and even if he failed at something it wouldn’t change your image of him, but the satisfaction of pleasing you was something he never got enough of.

“I didn’t know I married the man with the best voice in Daeho.”

Yul flushed at your comment, “I’m sure I don’t have the best voice in Daeho.”

“Well, it’s all subjective isn’t it? And I meant it when I said it.” You clarified and leaned a little closer, “Can you sing for me again?” 

Yul couldn’t possibly say no to you, especially not when you were looking at him with such soft love-stricken eyes. He seemed to get lost in them all too easily, glimmering as if the entire night sky of stars was captured in your irises. He leaned in slowly, not even realizing that he was drifting closer and closer to you until he felt your breath on his lips. He closed his eyes again and quickly captured your lips with his.

If it was anyone else, he would’ve been bothered that his work had been interrupted.

If it was anyone else, he wouldn’t have believed that they were telling the truth when they said he had the best voice.

And if it was anyone else, he wouldn’t have felt so shaken with the warm feeling of butterflies and comfort and adoration and love.

But it was you, so Yul didn’t particularly mind you distracting him; in fact, he couldn’t deny that he even liked it. Especially when it ended like this: with his lips on yours, the sweet taste of your lips ending up on his by the end of it.

“Of course I can sing more… Whatever you’d like.”

↳ k-drama taglist: @yeonjuns-redhair,, @wolfmoonmusic,, @edensgardenn

[mikanotes]

— COLD-BLOODED

seo yul x gn!reader | 2.1k words

genre: established relationship, hurt/comfort

warnings: death, blood, injuries, overthinking, canon-divergence (this takes place in ep1, first battle w naksu)

synopsis: Under a dark sky that means no good, Seo Yul discovers the feeling of loss— Or the fear of it, rather.

author’s note: finished watching pt1 i hate aos all my homies hate aos /j but Seriously can yul just be happy. (i say as i proceed to write angst for him)

Flames were tossed into lanterns around Songrim, slowly lighting up the place as the sun set into the horizon.

Yul flipped a page in his book silently, scanning the words with careful concentration. Truth be told, the focus he had on the words he was reading was entirely forced as well as entirely an attempt at easing his worries.

It had been hours since the group of mages planning to fight Naksu had set off. You being part of them. He had full confidence in your abilities, being one of the strongest mages alongside your leader there— But it didn’t make the slow passage of time since your departure any better.

The boy heaved a quiet sigh and closed his book, setting it down on a table before getting up. When he stepped outside of the study room, he realized just how dark the sky had gotten. His brows furrowed at the sight.

Something was deeply wrong.

The clouds swirled in ways they shouldn’t, gray and threatening as they loomed over Daeho. Sure, it was getting late in the evening— But no time or weather could possibly be this dark without any sort of reason behind it. Maybe it was more related to his gut-feeling than logic, unusually so, but Yul was certain something was up.

He huffed and looked down, thinking. It wouldn’t be the right move to head over to where the rest had gone. It wouldn’t be wise to act rashly based on instinct, either.

Just as if the skies had heard him, a solution presented itself before him.

The group of mages sent to fight Naksu were back.

It was obvious from the number of people being sent to Sejukwon and the amount that waved off anyone trying to get them medical aid in favor of trying to run after Naksu.

He stopped one of them. The latter startled before looking up and smiling politely, bowing his head. “Seo Yul!”

“Where is [name]?” he wasted no time in asking. The boy scratched the back of his neck, seemingly a bit clueless as he looked around. He brought his gaze back to him after a bit.

“I don’t know. I didn’t see them with Master Park when we came back. Some people stayed back at the lake, if I recall.”

“What?” Yul muttered, brows furrowing. His gaze wandered anxiously, confused, before slowly looking back up, “Why?”

A boy in Jeongjingak’s uniform rushed over, grabbing the other’s shoulder to tell him something, before freezing at the sight of Yul. He seemingly hadn’t seen him there. The boy straightened up a little, eyes wide, before he redirected his gaze elsewhere.

“Oh, Jeongje, do you know where [name] is? Yul’s wondering, but I haven’t seen them.” the other speaks casually, clearly oblivious to the drastic change in attitude in his friend. Something’s wrong. He didn’t want to see me. No one at Songrim was stranger to yours and Yul’s relationship— No one talked about it in front of either of you, but everyone knew. So if something happened to one, people feared mentioning it to the other.

Which is why Yul felt so uncomfortable with how distant this boy was being the moment he saw him.

He desperately tried to catch the boy’s gaze. The latter accidentally looked up for a glance, but once Yul caught it, he didn’t let it go. He gulped and stammered over his words. “[name].” he hesitated, “The lake… They’re… Me and some other guys were headed to Sejukwon to get them help.”

Yul’s eyes widened at that and his lips parted to speak, before he bit on the inside of his lower one in frustration. So he was right. He wish he hadn’t been. He stepped back, eyes hazy and moving aimlessly. His hands moved to check for his swords at his sides before he nodded to himself. “Get mages from Sejukwon to follow me to the lake.” he spoke with a slight shake in his voice.

“Yul—”

When the two boys didn’t move, he looked up, eyes uncharacteristically and frighteningly cold. “Right now.”

The boy had reached the area mentioned before he’d even noticed. His mind was blank and all he could picture was the possible death of the person closest to him. He stopped once he reached the edge of the frozen lake, and took a breath. He stepped on it and checked how slippery it was. Once certain it was fine, he ran as fast as he possibly could.

On a lake covered in ice, clear under the night sky, red was the most obvious thing in the world. He spotted it from meters away, causing an uncomfortable twist in his stomach.

Blood.

Yul never felt so much fear before. Never has he felt the cold gust of wind that seemingly went through his chest, touching his heart itself and momentarily depriving him of all senses, smothering all of them with pure anxiety. The feeling of the sky falling above him. The world pressing around his limbs. Suffocating him. Forcing his mind into a frozen state of numbness.

He forcedly shook it off.

“[name].” he hurried, dropping to his knees the moment he reached you. You looked near-frozen and he wondered why no one had thought it better to bring you away from the ice to wait. Your eyes were closed, and the main source of blood seemed to be at the back of your head. He figured there must’ve been an injury towards your neck as well and they didn’t wanna risk movement until the right tools arrived.

There was no way you were gone. Despite this thought, Yul knew there wasn’t much to back it up. In the middle of nowhere, freezing on top of a lake of ice, with blood pouring out from a wound on your head. The possibilities of your survival seemed to lean more towards a negative result. He refused it entirely.

He pressed two trembling fingers on the side of your neck and checked for your pulse.

Behind him, a group of mages waited anxiously, not daring come any closer. The silence was suffocating for a few seconds, before Yul looked over his shoulder, gaze clouded and worried. “Bring them to Sejukwon as fast as you can.”

Two people hurried over and carefully lifted you onto a stretcher and Yul’s gaze sharpened at the sight of blood instantly staining the fabric. You were carried away as several people rushed to get you to Sejukwon, all whilst trying to keep a proper balance on the ice. Yul only looked away once they stepped foot on land and their risks of falling lowered.

He brought his gaze back to the ground, fingers dipping onto the pool of blood that seeped through the cracks in the pristine white ice. He allowed a deep sigh to leave his lips as he tried to reassure himself. It was no use.

The warmth of the fire burning next to him inside Sejukwon seemed to do nothing to calm the chill in his veins. He was entirely still, sitting on a bench outside the room you were being treated in, save for the violent trembling of his hand on his knee. He stared at the wall like his soul had left him entirely. He himself wasn’t sure where he was, really, his thoughts void of anything that made sense. Just flashing images of blood and possible death.

Around an hour passed before a familiar voice called out to him, telling him to come in. His limbs felt heavy when he stood up. He didn’t know if Master Heo calling him instead of stepping out to give him a look of pity his mind had imagined in the past hour was a good thing or not. Maybe he would step in and he would do exactly that. Maybe he would step in and Yul would feel like crumbling to the ground instantly.

He entered the room and closed the doors behind him, eyes focused on the bed where you laid. Master Heo glanced over at him and Yul gave him a look of what he figured seemed like desperation.

Master Heo nodded reassuringly and the boy visibly relaxed, back hitting the door behind him softly. Thank Heavens.

“Yul-ah, you know…” the man started, voice uncharacteristically serious, “If you hadn’t brought people from Sejukwon with you when you went to check where [name] was, they might not have made it.”

He swallowed thickly and looked down, nodding a little.

“What— You fool, what have you done to your hand?”

Yul looked up, surprised, before glancing at his hand. “Oh, this is just [name]’s blood.” he muttered, blinking at the dripping crimson on his numb hand, “I’ll just wash it off.”

“Are you so worried over them that you’re blind to the fact that your hand is freezing? Seo Yul, you— Argh.” the man cut himself off with an exasperated huff.

In a few minutes, he’d rinsed and dried his hand, as well as forced him to hold it close to the fire of a torch, before bandaging it. “You fool probably let your hand in the ice too long and then failed to notice it was freezing. How that happened is beyond me, but now it’s fixed, at the very least.” he sighed.

Yul bowed in gratitude, frankly still a bit hazy, and only now realizing he was regaining feeling in his bandaged hand. He closed his fingers and moved them again, before taking a deep breath. It felt as if his senses altogether were coming back to him. He didn’t realize the fear of losing someone could hit him to the point of being this oblivious to everything that wasn’t them.

Master Heo pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded to himself, “Then, I’ll leave you alone. Park Jin told me to come to the secret room… Something about Naksu. You should come over when you can. [name] will wake up soon. Try not to worry.” the man said warmly.

He walked towards the door and stopped at Yul’s side before opening it, setting a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, “There’s wine in that cabinet if you really need it.”

Yul didn’t need to look at him to see the teasing smile he wore as he spoke. A familiar attempt at lightening up the atmosphere, before he left and closed the door behind him.

Once silence settled in the room, Yul slowly walked over to you. He stood at your side, looking down at your face. Your features seemed less sick— The warmth of the fire as well as the treatment you’d received bringing back some life on your face. He softly touched your cheek with the back of his hand and felt a wave of worry leave his system. It was as if now that he could feel you were okay, his mind finally, properly registered it.

He thanked the stool behind him for catching him when the exhaustion got to him enough to make him fall back. He heaved a deep sigh and leaned his forehead on the bed, hands finding yours. He fiddled with your fingers as his consciousness slowly left him, dozing off.

His dreams were empty.

When he awoke, the lights outside Sejukwon were still lit, and the sun barely awake. He blinked tiredly and pushed himself to get back up, when the sound of someone mumbling held him back. He looked to the side, “[name]. You’re awake.” he spoke softly, voice laced with fondness.

“And you should go back to sleep.” you replied, and he chuckled. You looked just as tired as he probably did, eyes barely staying open. You were smiling a bit though. Yul tightened his hold on your hand and sat up.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. You moved your gaze up to the ceiling in thought, before slowly moving each of your limbs.

“I think I’m alright. My head hurts a bit, though.”

Yul smiled and got up, a hand moving to your forehead to move strands of your hair away. His thumb caressed your skin softly before he leaned down, planting a kiss on your forehead.

“I have things to do now that I know you’re okay.” he said quietly.

“Are you sure you weren’t just using me as an excuse to sleep?” you joked, and broke into laughter when Yul shot you a half-hearted warning look. “Naksu was running away, it’s probably about that, right? Go do your job, Mr. Seo.”

He smiled and looked away, hand still at the top of your head. “Okay. Take care.” he said softly, sounding nothing like someone who was leaving, and you smiled, sighing.

“Let go of me.” you raised your eyebrows, nodding your chin towards his arm, “You have to if you want to leave.”

He hesitated, gaze lowering.

After hours of worrying, he could allow himself this.

“… Maybe I’ll just stay, then.”

[aetherialpiplup108]

Park Jin and Conflicting Responsibilities

One of the many reasons I love Alchemy of Souls is because the characters and relationships are so intricately designed. Park Jin especially is a fascinating character because he's someone who genuinely tries to do the right thing but is misguided and wrapped up in the corrupt values plaguing a country where peace (read: protection of those in control) is prioritized above anyone and anything else.

Throughout the story, Jin’s character is defined by his responsibility to other people, whether they’re his close loved ones or the entire public living in Songrim and Daeho as a whole. In separation, Jin more than satisfies both groups. As Songrim’s leader, he’s willing to make any sacrifice, be it his own life, to protect those depending on him. Through his relationship with Kim Dojo, we see a softer side of him emerge and he completely disregards social class to openly love a woman the public would regard as “beneath his status". Park Jin also prioritizes his loved ones over his own reputation, demonstrated as he continually takes responsibility for the social nightmares Uk causes routinely, is willing to destroy his image by falsely confessing involvement in an affair (though this is beyond inconsiderate of Do-ha), and even risks Songrim’s honor when he urges Uk not to show up to his duel with the CP.

Clearly, as much as Park Jin values Songrim, he also cares deeply about his family. However, when he must choose between what his loved ones ask of him and his duty to Daeho, time after time we see Park Jin making tough decisions that he believes are necessary for the country. This isn’t inherently wrong. Park Jin’s decision to lock Kim Doju in Jinyowon was tragic, yes, but also a heart-wrenching, selfless act from both that saved many lives. This is leadership. To do what's needed even if it hurts you deeply. In fact, this acceptance of duty is literally Uk and Yeong's character arcs, culminating in their sacrifice of each other at the end to protect Daeho, closely paralleling Kim Dojo and Park Jin's earlier decision.  

However, we begin to see the issue in Park Jin’s almost blind devotion to his duty within his relationship to Uk.

While Jin loves Uk too much to view him as a monster not deserving to live, he can’t ignore the potential Uk has to destroy everything Jin has been conditioned to protect (Daeho’s social structure), and he probably does believe that Uk shouldn’t be alive. This is why Park Jin does everything in his power to obstruct Uk’s growth in hopes of somehow striking a balance where Uk is both safe (if not happy) and doesn’t come in the royal family's way. This mindset is an excellent foil against Uk’s perspective on Yeong, where he similarly recognizes the “monster” inside her, never really refuting Yul or Master Lee or anyone else when they point out how dangerous she is. Unlike Park Jin though, Uk puts his faith in what Yeong has shown him and who he knows her to be over what she could be or was, handing her a sword and trusting her to choose her path. In the end, it’s this—albeit, risky—confidence in her that saves everyone in Jeojingak as Yeong ultimately chooses him.

However, because Park Jin believes that protecting the royal family/unanimous assembly will prevent unnecessary conflict that could harm Daeho's public and is so wrapped up in doing anything to prevent a change to the country’s social structure, he immediately dismisses Uk as a threat without even considering that Uk doesn’t want the throne or political power or…anything, really, other than respect and acknowledgement. And later, justice for a woman who was nothing but controlled and manipulated by the gwanju her entire life long.

Similarly, even though Park Jin recognizes the unfairness of a society which protects murderers like Jin Mu and power-hungry royals and the actual worst piece of scum Jang Gang (boy do I have thoughts on him), he simply accepts it as the way of the world. He lets people tarnish Do-ha's name and protects Jang Gang's reputation until the very end because yeah, sure, dude inflicted unbearable pain on his own wife and friends and caused pretty much 80% of all problems in the series, but he was still the Gwanju, a figure that had to be respected. After Mu-deok dies, Park Jin can see that Uk is right, that it’s unfair Naksu is saddled with all the blame while Jin Mu and the royals lounge away in Cheonbugwan, that the public deserves more than living in fear of what those with authority can do, and he still protects the current hierarchy. Of course, Park Jin does feel some guilt at the torment he’s causing the kid he loves like a son. It's why he pushes Uk towards Bu-yeon hoping she'll act as a salve and, possibly, a distraction shielding the country's hypocrisy.

But while Park Jin might regret his words for their effect on Uk, he never believes himself to be in the wrong because, to be fair, it did bring an inevitable clash to a standstill, preventing a power struggle/vacuum that could have hurt numerous of Daeho’s innocent civilians because if Uk did destroy the Unanimous Assembly/Royal family that early—way before he comes to decent terms with Go Won whom he still blames in part for Yeong’s death—who exactly is going to lead the country? And how are they going to gain legitimacy without some sort of conflict?

But does that mean what Park Jin did was right? Is it okay to crush a few to protect the others or to redirect and hide blame to maintain peace? And is that peace worth having even if it's not true?

tl;dr: Park Jin's a very interesting character to take a look at because for the most part, I feel like his heart is in the right place but either his means are sketchy or he's just not willing to risk Daeho's stability. In general, I love how we see “good” characters or those aligned with the protagonist (Park Jin, Jin Ho-Gyeong, even Seo Yul to a minor extent) upholding Daeho's corrupt system despite how unfair it is due to the stability it offers and protection for the four mage families. This is definitely brought to light in Shaman Choi’s excellent speech where she highlights the blame on all their parts regarding the ice stone coming to light, but I do wish the societal problems were emphasized a bit more, even if I do think it was effective as a backdrop silently influencing every character's action.

[meenawrites]

Seo Yul Deep Dive–Part 2

SO I am back while in class but the professor's not here yet so whatever.

I've clearly been browsing the Seo Yul tag here and I've seen some opinions that really shock me so I hope I can address them here and in future posts.

First of all, we start Part 2 with Yul finally returning from Seoho Fortress after having been forced to leave three years ago.

Guys, he has been SUFFERING from this blood parasite FOR THREE YEARS! So of course, he looks kind of sickly when he arrives. I honestly don't know how he's been holding in there this long.

We also find out that So-I, despite being able to escape now that the blood parasite is no longer in her, is actually opting to stay Jin Mu's little puppet or pawn and let him believe she still has the blood parasite all so she can continue to receive medicine for said parasite and send it to Yul, which is kind of heartbreaking actually and kind of redeeming for her character. (I have a lot to say about her but that may be for another post, we'll see).

So Seo Yul comes back to Daeho Fortress, reunites with his friends, and it's like something clicks back into place for our favorite trio.

We know that Danggu was feeling kind of uncomfortable with Uk not because of the ice stone exactly but he just doesn't know how to talk to him with everything that happened three years ago weighing on their shoulders; which is fair, it was A LOT. But as soon as Yul comes back, it's like they all know how to act together once again.

I really wanted to point this out because I think traditionally a lot of people might find Yul's character kind of boring because of how quiet and strict he is with himself AND HE'S NOT. And we can see that by how his mere presence brings the trio back together, that they start to talk and joke around again as soon as he just makes an appearance. It really highlights how core he is to their friendship, not just an accessory. Yes, his two friends are louder and more lively than him, but because Seo Yul is so quiet and reserved, when he does choose to make a joke or tease it has that much more impact. To top it off you can just FEEL how much he loves his friends and I really think these are two main factors in why Uk and Danggu love him so much. Seo Yul is central to their group, always has been, and he has been looking out for Danggu and Uk his entire life.

Moving on though, we have Seo Yul meeting Jin Buyeon/Naksu, and all of their interactions in the show (prior to him finding out she's Naksu) are ADORABLE! I think they really highlighted once more that Yul and Naksu would always gravitate towards each other in some way because their relationship/bond goes way deeper than anything romantic.

Like yes Yul's care for Naksu has always had a romantic connotation, but his regard for her went way deeper than that. I don't quite know how to articulate it but I think overall he really respected and cared about her as a PERSON just with romantic undertones, not necessarily an all consuming romance. And I think Naksu feels the same way. There is something in Yul that brings her comfort and she likes spending time with him, but it's also never been precisely defined that she loves him romantically. Again, I think there are definitely romantic undertones, even on Naksu's side (made clear by how often she emphasizes how handsome he is) but I think above all her regard for Yul is a lot deeper and purer than that. He is someone who gave her shiny and happy memories in the midst of a life that was anything but happy. This kid showed her that people CAN be unconditionally kind, that people could still be good at a time I think was very important for her, and I think frankly Seo Yul does that for a lot of people. He just constantly reminds people in his attitude and actions that unconditional kindness and care does still exist and he's a prime example of that.

So yes they gravitate towards each other again without remembering the other for a while and it's precious to watch. They frankly just enjoy each other's company, and I absolutely love the scene of them agreeing to be "foolish friends". Might do a whole other post on that scene but yeah.

Let's move on to the agony of Yul's character arc this season.

As we know, the aftermath of the tragedy of season 1 DEEPLY affected Yul. He has no idea that Naksu/Mudeok was controlled into going wild and killing so many people. All he knows is that she went wild, killed Jang Uk and ruined Danggu and Choyeon's happiness. It's his ultimate failure in his point of view. It's been drilled into him that soul shifters are unnatural, that they will inevitably cause great harm, but he elected to ignore that not only for Naksu's sake but also for Jang Uk's sake. He had been watching over her actions all of season 1 both because he cannot stay away from her but also probably to ascertain whether she would really be a threat.

And right when he'd made the decision to leave her alone, to let her and Jang Uk be happy, that maybe the absolute rules he's been taught to believe in unconditionally can be broken, everything he'd feared in letting Naksu/Mudeok continue to live came true.

So OBVIOUSLY he's consumed with guilt. Because he knew exactly who she was for so long, knew that she was a soul shifter, knew the risks and his duties that weigh so heavily upon him, but elected to ignore them for his own feelings, his own moral compass that for once was disagreeing with this set of absolute rules he abides by. And in his view, everyone he loves has paid for his inaction and his decision to let her be.

Like just think about it from his POV, he feels like it's all his fault, especially more so because we know that Yul (and literally every adult around him) holds himself to a very high standard, so his guilt is just that much more intense.

This is why he's letting himself die silently by the blood parasite. This is why he never took the medication even though his pain throughout the last three years must have been so so bad. Because he feels like he deserves it. He's punishing himself, and he thinks he should die for the role he played in the tragedy of season 1.

Yul is someone who feels everything very deeply, and from the way he takes everything upon himself, we can infer that Yul's never had anyone who actually takes care of HIS inner world and HIS feelings. We don't know much about his parents, but from the few family members we have seen –his aunt and uncle – no one seems to care much for him and his feelings. Reinforced by the fact that he's the only heir and the way all the adults treat him, I have to believe that Yul grew up largely having to take care of himself in the emotional aspect. An he grew up, emphasis was heavily put on responsibility and duty as the next head of the Seo family. Combine that with what usually happens with children who act more mature and are more obedient than others -> adults LOVE you. And for someone like Yul who I have to believe didn't really have that emotional support that any child should have from their parents and adults in their life, I think that was just more incentive to cling to this good boy title of his, to foster his absolutist sense of morality that he was being taught, and striving to be as responsible as possible.

That's where his self-flagelating attitude comes from, and that's the kind of background we can infer from the way he acts and reasons through his feelings.

So yes, he was going to let himself die no matter how stupid that is because he thought it was only right.

When he discovers that Jin Buyeon is really Naksu but without her memories, he's in moral agony once again. Because on the one hand he is so so happy she is still alive, but on the other, all that trauma from what happened when she went wild last season is brought right back to the surface (as if he isn't constantly thinking about it already).

And we can see that in the scene where upon discovering it, he just hugs her and asks to stay like that for a while. He cannot believe she is standing in front of him but he is also deeply sad because he feels like she and Uk are destined for tragedy once again (especially with him again not knowing that Mudeok/Naksu was hypnotized last season into going wild, it now feels like an inevitability, a certified truth that the tragedy will repeat itself eventually).

And this time, Uk DOESN'T KNOW. So in Yul's mind, he thinks that that's better, that this is an opportunity afforded him to correct his mistake from last season, and again take care of everyone else's happiness aside from his own.

This combined with how sick he is from the blood parasite I believe largely contribute to his plan to kill Jin Buyeon/Naksu in Danhyangeok. But he also cannot live knowing he did that to her and also Jang Uk. He feels like this is the right choice for everyone's future happiness in the long term, but it will destroy him. So instead of killing her and then just waiting to die, he plans to kill both of them. Infuriating from the viewer's side but totally understandable from his perspective and disposition.

But then we have So-I who is ready to do anything to save Yul, and he ends up being not only discovered but on the verge of death. And So-I dies trying to protect him. Once again, he's just in moral agony because someone has died for him when he was resolute on killing himself. He thought that would be the best course of action for everyone, was convinced, but then someone new dies specifically for him and he's in distress again. What is the right choice? What should I have done?

And when Uk comes to his rescue and grabs him by the back of his neck, we can see just how in despair he is. His "I'm sorry" to Uk is an apology not for dying here and needing to be rescued but for so many other things. For his inaction last season, for having run like a coward to Seoho Fortress for 3 years (in his opinion), for knowing that Jin Buyeon is Naksu and not being able to tell him, for knowing who she is and not being able to protect Uk from pain at her side. For so many things and it's so so heartbreaking.

When Yul is healed and saved, he honestly just doesn't even know what to do anymore, what the right thing to do is. Jin Buyeon/Naksu has saved him, which then makes him feel guilty for planning to kill her in the first place. But he also can't see any way out of a repeat tragedy. Basically his moral compass is going haywire.

Side note: we were totally robbed of the trio reuniting with Seo Yul and then scolding him for being an idiot. Might fuck around and write another Missing Scene oneshot for that.

But then he finds out that Naksu's soul is going to disappear anyway. And he's again conflicted (I swear my man can never catch a break). On the one hand, he's very sad that Naksu is going to disappear out of this world, just gone without ever having been happy. On the other hand, he's relieved because he thinks that with her disappearance no tragedy will occur. Furthermore, the body will be returning to the soul of its original owner which is morally correct by all standards.

So all he can hope for now is for Naksu to be happy with the time she has left with the person she loves. He even goes and threatens Jin Hogyeong (which is not something he would ever normally do) just to give her the chance to be happy with the time she has left. (I'm sobbing yall, I love him).

But then, thanks to Heo Yunok (was very upset with her this season), that all goes to shit because she exposes Naksu right when Uk is finally admitting he's fallen for Jin Buyeon/Naksu, that she's finally going to be happy. And now she remembers everything and how she essentially screwed up the happiness of not only the love of her life Jang Uk (who she LITERALLY KILLED like I can't imagine having to deal with that) but also everyone else she cared about. So she decides to distance herself.

And Seo Yul is just there talking to both of them like won't you use your disappearance as an excuse to be together? Even for a little while? Because damn it they deserve to be happy and they're both so dear to him. And he's just sad once again because the world seems intent on hurting these two people he loves so much.

Now lowkey this is where I feel like the writers kind of failed Seo Yul. Take this with a grain of salt though because they had a limited amount of episodes, so all things considered, they did a great job.

But after all his suffering, Seo Yul didn't really get an emotional payoff. Like yes we see him become in charge of the training center in Songrim and he's going to institute a new and fairer system for training mages. But what really would have been good for him and his character would be for it to be pounded into his head how much his friends care about him, how he doesn't have to suffer alone, how he's not guilty of everything he feels guilty of. For someone to recognize finally how much of a burden he has on his shoulders and show him that he doesn't have to shoulder it alone.

I don't think I'm articulating this properly, but I wanted and needed everyone important to Yul to step up after him almost dying to knock some sense into him, to realize how truly fucked up it is for someone to feel so responsible and guilty and self-sacrificing as to just be willing to die in silence. That's why a scene where Danggu and Uk scold the shit out of him would have been necessary, should definitely have happened. He needs some emotional healing and to realize that people in his life are ready to be aggressively there for him.

Just after this incident, his friends constantly coming to check up on him. Like are you good? Your feelings aren't going crazy, right? You don't feel irrationally guilty for something out of your control, right?

I lowkey have way more to say about Yul and his relationship with other people but that's for a different post.

All in all, I'm super glad that Seo Yul found his own path at the end of the season. I think reforming Jeojjingak (if that's what it's called) is his own way of paving the future so that people like Cho Yeon and So-I who had unlucky lots in life have more of a fair chance in the future.

I clearly love this character A LOT.

Congrats to anyone who actually made it this far.

[ofsvnshine]

closed   starter   -  @jadedblud ( hazan )

daeho   always   saw   hazan   as   all   powerful   and   knowing   that   she   had   her   powers   back   in   full   swing   ?   he   pitied   anyone   that   ever   planned   on   getting   on   her   bad   side.   “   so,   ”   he   started   as   he   rolled   over   to   face   her.   “   how   long   do   you   give   it   until   everyone   starts   killing   each   other   now   ?   ”   he   questioned,   a    lopsided   smile   on   his   face.

[captaincoffeegirl515]

Finally got to watch eps 7 and 8 and y'all

Y'ALL

I gotta take another social media break bc people keep going "How could he?! I hate the Crown Prince he's evil now!! He's such a psycho/coward!! Why's he listening to and siding with Jin Mu again??"

And all I can say to them is ARE Y'ALL BLIND??

To me and my sister, it's glaringly obvious that Go Won is planning something with Jang Uk to bring Jin Mu down. Like, in your face obvious.

First clue is during his convo with Jang Uk over the golden plaque and the North Fortress.

This isn't the first time the choice between staying in Daeho vs going to the North Fortress was brought up. There is also a heavy emphasis that "going" means "not fighting" or "doing nothing". Now in ep 6 Jang Uk says "what if I do go?" bc back then he had no fight/vigor in him and Go Won outright scolds him bc that would put Daeho in grave danger.

In ep 8, Jang Uk's answer is cut off completely. In front of Jin Mu and the King, Jang Uk agrees to go, but later when he's talking to Park Jin he says that he's ready to take up the fight and asks if Park Jin will stand with him.

Why would that be other than to show that Jang Uk and Go Won are working together to set a trap for Jin Mu. By Go Won making Jang Uk "leave", it lets Jin Mu drop his guard and allows Go Won to be in better standing with Jin Mu.

Something is clearly not being shown from Go Won and Jang Uk's convo and will probably be revealed in the last 2 eps.

Jang Uk even says to Bu-yeon that he'll be back earlier than expected. Why? Because he won't be going that far away in the first place.

I also wonder what Go Won meant when he told Jang Uk to wait for the "black clouds that bring energy". Is it similar to the black clouds/smoke that forms whenever someone performs sorcery like soul shifting? Whatever it is, it must be some sort of signal or cue for Jang Uk and Songrim to attack.

Then there's the turtle. After he first saves the turtle, Go Won literally spends almost every scene he's in harping on about his special turtle and how smart it is. Did you see how worried he was when he noticed it went missing and going so far as to ask Jin Mu what happened to it. He fucking loves his turtle! Now all of a sudden he's telling Jin Mu that he doesn't really care about it?? That's so sus! And did y'all see at the end of his talk with Jin Mu how Go Won's smile dropped and how he looked at his turtle's empty nest before giving one hell of a death glare at Jin Mu?

Go Won also keeps asking Jin Mu about his secret organization and clarifies details about Jin Mu's plans. He's clearly gathering all the info he needs so he can relay that to Jang Uk. Even his face in the scene where Jin Mu was showing him the firebird earthenware just screamed "Oh so that's what you're planning?"

They're definitely trying to get Jin Mu's entire org together in one spot so they can put an end to the whole thing in one blow.

And if I'm wrong I'm going to be screaming at the Hong sisters bc anything else would be a complete waste of Go Won's character arc and the growth they've been giving him along the entire show.

That's if I'm wrong, and right now I have never felt more confident about my predictions.

[xiaochiyo]

jin buyeon being the one true villain in the alchemy of souls universe is quite predictable (and honestly? pretty justified). picture this:

you are supposed to be dead. actually, you were never supposed to be born at all, yet you are pretty much alive and doing just fine thanks to jang gang, your mother, her terrible obsession over a heiress for the jin clan and the power of the ice stone. now, you are a half mass of energy, half human child who lives to fulfill your mom's desire of a perfect daughter and the role of future leader of jiyowon. pretty cool!

since most of your vital energy comes from The Ice Stone™ itself, you also inevitably become the most powerful sorcerer that has ever lived in the country of Daeho. except nobody in said land knows that. because no one has ever... you know... seen you. they have heard of you and your immeasurable faculty, of course, but most can't even prove you exist de facto, in flesh, bones and all. why? because you don't go outside, your crazy mother doesn't let you. to her, you are a treasure! a blessing more than a daughter. you are blind and weak! how could you survive in this cruel world? you are not allowed to have a life, because she fears someone might steal you, kidnap you, kill you or (even worse!) discover the truth about you. so she keeps you in jinyowon, safe, where she can keep an eye on you and control what you can or cannot do with your powers. you have no friends nor life outside jinyowon.

fine, you live with your clinically insane mama, but you're used to it. you have a little sister and a good father. right? right? but oh no, you also have a megalomaniac uncle, jin mu. your father suddendly sides with him and they both go on a mysterious crusade to find the once lost Ice Stone, the same magical stone that gave life to you. the quest is hard and they can't find it anywhere, so they need help. yours, for that matter! who better to find a lost magical stone than the girl that carries the same energy of said stone? you are coerced to go and, eventually, you find it in a river (no surprises, you're just THAT powerful). but your uncle gets way too excited and shoves you down the water in a brief ecstasy at the sight of the ice stone. you drown. your father tries to save you, but it's too late and jin mu doesn't help at all. you're screwed.

happy news! you're saved! a lovely old lady spots you lying unconscious on a beach, takes you home and feeds you. but when she asks you your name, you don't remember it. in fact, you don't remember anything due to the shock and the trauma. you are now powerless. you don't know who you are. you're just a blind girl without a name, a family and a home. you have to start your life from the beginning, and the neighbours at your new place are not nice with blind young ladies. is someone out there looking for you? does anybody, besides that old lady, care about you?

the point is: jin buyeon has a ton of reasons to be a villain, if she even is one. all she ever had was a thoroughly planned life that was given to her by other people and which she had no control over; and out of nowhere, everything she knew was taken from her.

when she met naksu, she saw an opportunity: revenge. buyeon knew what naksu wanted, she wasn't dumb. so she gave her it: a new body and a new, untouched identity. and naksu did have a lot to offer to buyeon too. she had great, although not anywhere comparable to buyeon's, magical power and a good dose of hatred for the people who wronged her in the past (who happened to be the same or related to those who wronged buyeon in the first place). naksu was the perfect pawn, blinded by her own past and too naive to realize why she ended up on a body she didn't choose, and buyeon (then mudeok-i, the poor blind girl) loved that.

i believe, at some point, buyeon did care about naksu. they have, like it or not, a lot in common — dark past, parents that lie non-stop, enemies — plus the swapped body and soul situation. but since buyeon is special and, therefore, her body is special, naksu became useless when buyeon's flesh absorbed most of the energy it needed. the eldest daughter of the jin clan doesn't need a pawn anymore. in fact, keeping naksu (who doesn't remember her past, her original body nor her real name) in a body that isn't hers will only delay buyeon's revenge plans more and more. so, in buyeon's pov, there is no reason to keep naksu/cho yeong alive.

i might be imagining things, but buyeon is a great choice of a possible villain! she is cruel and a well constructed character overall, much as i would love it if the writers gave her more screen time. her relationship with naksu, jinyowon and jang uk is what makes her such a delightful to see manipulating little bitch.

so go girl! gaslight, gatekeep and girlboss the hell out of everyone in daeho!

[blueberryjam1201]

Alchemy of Souls 2, Ep 1

- Why did they lock up such an incredible priestess? What crime are you guilty of? -...Being alive... ...existing in this world... ...I am guilty of existing in this world when I should not...

Another story is starting now. Both are not aware of sharing the same past nor the feelings, buried in last 3 years...

SCREENSHOTS AT THE BOTTOM!

Daeho has changed in last 3 years. Not only country but most important, people. We won't see the same Danggu, with blond hair, always the sweetest one. Both his hair and personality has changed. He became a head of Songrim after Park Jin step down and took all the blame for what has happened 3 years ago. Seo Yul is not there. He was sent by his uncle to the Seoho Fortress. Meanwhile JangUk is an outlaw. Used by the royals to kill soul shifters. Living alone and fighting with the power of stone inside him. Hated by community as someone who shouldn't exist. He died once.

Then we have Jinyowon family...

After Naksu's death, they were the one who regained Mudeok's body. However, her petrified body couldn't survive. We still don't know how exactly this happened, but Naksu's original body has resurrected with a soul inside. Soul without memory. Jin mother decided it's her BuYeon, daughter which she was looking for for years...

So that was just summary of changes, of course it's many more but I don't want to write a whole book about first episode haha

And yes, there is many to discuss. Let's start with BuYeon. Many were afraid she won't give the justice to the character - but look at that! I love her from the first seconds! She is rebellious, she is manipulative. She doesn't have memory or mage powers but she could see stone in JangUk! And their every encounter was like a blast haha they have this similar energy which I couldn't find in Mudeok. Now, they don't know each other, there is no tense, she is just looking for freedom and he is the best candidate. He is looking for freedom, she can be useful to get rid of the stone.

When mother said about the wedding with Seo, I felt shivers. Does she wants to make Yul a husband? Naksu and Yul? Oh my God! My heart broken straight away because we all know how Yul was and definitely is still in pain.

Crown Prince, my man...I am afraid he is manipulated by JinMu already, maybe not fully but let's hope he won't go to JM side.

Master Lee, everywhere he is, he flips the situation upside down. Having his own script and making sure everything is going according to his plan haha I really enjoy it!

Last scene!

OMG BuYeon is so straight forward haha and when she said "let's go my husband", it sound same as "let's go my pupil" by Mudeok and UK notice that. We could see his face frozen for a second. Also, there was many references to season 1. For ex. BuYeon saying she is the most beautiful: "...I turn heads wherever I go" that was definitely reference to Naksu's "wherever I go, heads are falling down".

And there was few more...

But for now I'll stop, this post is already long and if you reached to this point, thank you! And if you like it, please leave a heart or a comment. I am very open for any discussion!

Have a lovely evening/morning!

[setediconoscenza]

So, final thoughts on Alchemy of souls. I've waited a bit (I saw the episode yesterday) to let it all sink in and I can now say that I am satisfied with the ending, with the show in general. I genuinely think it's one of the best of the genre and one of the best kdramas I've seen in the latest years.

I loved the characters, especially Naksu and Jang Uk, and I absolutely love when they said that it wasn't fate who brought them together but it was them who chose to stay by each other's side and to love each other. Their bond is absolutely the best thing of the drama for me

I am happy that they got their happy ending and they are chasing monsters around Daeho, together

I am happy that CP became King, he really is the best

Cho Yeon and Danggu are adorable, so are Kim Doju and Park Jin (I wouldn't have minded him dying, if I have to be 100% honest)

Do I wish it had more action, more greatness in part 2? Yes, but I'm not dissatisfied with the evolution of things neither, I think they did a great job by portraying the heaviness of the responsibilities UK and others had, the sense of sacrifice, of justice

They could have shown this great big battle and I would have loved it but I'm fine that they didn't

(I do wish that Naksu killed Jin Mu with her sword, I can picture it in my mind and it would have been AMAZING)

[sourdough-morbread]

No pressure but could we get some excerpts/thoughts about master, king, star 😔🤲

OMG HI HELLO! yes OF COURSE you can have all the excerpts! thank you so much for letting me giving me a reason to anon i love you im going to cry. im. hyperfntilating seriously this ask made me so happy! i was having a very hectic week.

I don't really know how to organise this so I apologise in advance that this is going to be a bit all over the place. I think I should start with some stuff about the upcoming chapter because it has been a stupid amount of time since chapter 2. This is the header on my draft on ao3:

Chapter 3: Whose Loss Is It Anyway? (The Bet I) Summary:

Among the mages of Daeho, lost friendships are plentiful, and they all suck at talking to each other.

There's a lot that's going to happen. There's going to be some Seo Yul and more of Heo Yun-ok. And there isn't a lot of time I can breeze through like chapter 2 with the ten day time skip. I'm also setting up some stuff with Heo Yun-ok and how energy works for building out detail in what's going on with Jin Bu-yeon and Cho Yeong later. All of that has to go into the chapter somehow without making it a disjointed slog to read. Its going to be a long one. I'm guessing over 10k. Could be 12k. I don't know. It feels like it's too long but I also have no idea what to cut out.

But anyway! Here's some of what's coming:

"Your Highness," he greets after coming just close enough for the jade to stop nudging at his heart and puts it away. "Jang Uk," says the prince, and does the same with a severe look to his face, just like the one he had in Cheonbugwan. Then he spots the sword in Jang Uk's hand, "Why do you have that with you?" "You called me here at the dead of morning," he states the obvious, "I didn't know what I was going to be walking into." "Were you concerned I was in danger?" he asks, disbelief replacing his severity and scoffs a laugh, "Did you come here to defend me?" He looks so pleased with himself. Like a peacock admiring his own tail feathers. How obnoxious. "I just came prepared." The Crown Prince continues his evaluation, trailing his eyes up and down Jang Uk. Without the jade interfering with his emotions, he is quickly growing very upset about the flippant manner with which he is being made into entertainment. "You look so conspicuous," the prince says with a scoff of laughter. … He can't believe he let himself be concerned over the Crown Prince, of all people!

Go Won and his problems with socialising make me giggle so much. He just HAS to comment on Jang Uk's dishevelled clothes. Just like he HAS to say Mu-deok definitely will lose the race or fail the exam. He has no idea what encouragement is, just like Mu-deok, because they were both traumatised by the same person.

Honestly, the similarities between Mu-deok and Go Won are just… I am unwell about them. They both compensate for feeling affection and compassion by being mean or immediately criticising whatever is going on. And anything real has to have a hurtful side to it to them. If its not mean, it feels like its a lie. Because the only positive feedback they got was cruel and reinforced that they were disposable.

For Go Won it looks like him randomly insulting people when he's trying to make friends and feeling like he has to defend his position as the Crown Prince constantly. For Mu-deok it's her insanely blunt feedback and interpreting affection as a danger to herself. Her own well being is not even a factor in her decisions. Both of which makes them so easy to manipulate and use.

At the point Master, Star, King picks up the story, Mu-deok has moved away from this somewhat, but Go Won still has a long way to go. He will get there, but it's not going to be easy.

Speaking of Go Won and Mu-deok, here's a bit of them talking coming up in chapter 3:

"Have…" she scoots closer, with a dramatic glance at the door, then puts one knee on the floor and leans over the other towards him, "Have you noticed anything else strange like that, Your Highness?" she asks in a half whisper. It's just the right mix of nervous and fascinated, as if there is no ulterior motive to this at all. Just a silly question from a silly maid to serve her own morbid curiosity. He raises a knowing eyebrow at her, "Worried for your Young Master, are you?" Her eyes grow wide and she nods, "Oh, yes, I am, Your Highness! I knew would understand," she said and sighs in seeming relief, "That's why I am asking you. If anything amiss was going on, you would be sure to pick up on it." "Of course I would have," he says, his tone even and guarded, "I'm the Crown Prince." Her focus locks on him, eyes razor sharp. He can imagine them glint like a sword in the sunlight moving into position, but she masks it with her signature kowtowing, "So you did notice something weird!"

He's trying to out-conversation Mu-deok as if that can ever happen. This part is subject to change becasue there is somethig off about this scene in particular, but the dialogue will probably stay the same.

I have other parts from chapter 3, but they are subject to major editing, or huge plot spoilers. The general flow of this I've had worked out since posting the previous chapter but it takes a while for me to be happy with it. That's why it takes me so long to post anything. Also right now I have a lot of IRL stuff to keep up with, that has slowed me way down. But things are starting to settle and I'm speeding up, so fingers crossed.

I don't know what else to say really. This is already way too long of a post lkfjlsdf. If you want more or anything else specific please tell me.

But I have a bit from farther down the line, when Go Won is firmly on their side and all of their feelings start getting very confusing. I've been dying to post this ever since I wrote it like months ago. So I will finish this off with that.

Go Won notices Jang Uk staring at him again, with an expression he can only describe as wonder. A slight upturn to his eyebrows, cheeks flushed from how much they have had to drink and a pout. He keeps eye contact with Jang Uk for just a little too long before looking away. It's enough to make him feel disoriented. Mu-deok is across them, trying to shake out the last little bits of alcohol from the bottle into her mouth. He feels too uneasy to draw her attention. She doesn't like this new habit of Jang Uk's. Him watching Go Won. "What is it?" "You know what you remind me of?" He stays silent. From across the table, Mu-deok sets down the bottle, frowning. "What?" "A tiger." Only after the answer sinks in does Go Won realise he had been half expecting an insult. Why was he expecting an insult from Jang Uk? That's so stupid. "A tiger?"

According to my outline this is coming up in chapter 9 (Three Seasons Worth of Welcome). I know I post very slow but this fic has a fairly detailed outline, beyond to Jang Uk and Cho Yeong getting married. And it should get easier to write the further I get, because right now I'm setting up plot threads and figuring out their pay offs in like 7 or 8 chapters later. When I get to them I will have a lot less to figure out. I will finish this fic if it's the last thing I do.

Anyway, thank you so much for giving me a reason to ramble about this on tumblr! I hope you see this and and enjoy it!

[lgcmanager]

FUTURE DREAMS SEASON 7: ALUMNI

SCHEDULE TYPE: VARIABLE ( PART 2 OUT OF ? ) RESTRICTIONS: see below

ELIMINATION

a week after the ELEVATED performance, LEE YUSHIN and YOO DAEHO are both met by their coaches and respective managers to inform them that they unfortunately have been eliminated from the competition.

in LEE YUSHIN's case, the judges left the following comments: "we were expecting more from YUSHIN and didn't the feel the same desire for the solo opportunity compared to the others."

in YOO DAEHO's case, the judges left the following comments: "we feel like DAEHO isn't completely ready for this just yet. additionally, considering TYPE ZERO's current position, as the leader, DAEHO's commitment to a solo career would be difficult."

CONCEPT INTRODUCTION

now down to SIX, the following artists are invited to a meeting with the company's higher ups:

LEE JIHO (agito)

LIM SANGHYUN (model)

MOON HAYOUNG (fabula)

OH EUNHYE (fabula)

SU PARKER (type zero)

WON YEONWOO (versus)

CEO PARK JEONGAN is the one to reveal the order of the day: the next evaluation. "so far, when it comes to music, each of you have followed the company's direction. though some of you have had the chance to participate in music production and/or lyrics writing, none have ever decided on a concept for a to z. well, all this is about to change today through your next mission: CONCEPTUALIZING and PERFORMING an ORIGINAL SONG. in other words, you'll be in charge of deciding the type of song you will be performing, those with the skills will also be allowed to participate in the production of said song and its choreography, as well as deciding the design of the stage and the styling of the clothes worn for the performance. naturally, our in house producers, coaches and marketing team are at your disposition to help you with this immense task."

as mentioned above, this round, the contestants will SELF-PRODUCE their OWN ORIGINAL SONG. those songs are meant to introduce the type of concept each artists would like to do ic. ooc wise, each of you have already submitted their ideal concept and song examples. we've used one of the B-SIDES examples sent for each of your muse.

ic wise, your muses will have 7 stages in which they will be able to contribute:

SONG CONCEPT: this is the general concept of the song, not only the audio aspect (genre, theme) but also the visual aspect of it (type of choreography, type of styling, type of performance). it's a bit of a summary of everything related to the song

COMPOSITION: song composition (related to MUSIC COMPOSITION + INSTRUMENTS skills)

LYRICS WRITING: lyrics of the song (related to LYRICS COMPOSITION skill)

ARRANGEMENT: song arrangement (related to MUSIC COMPOSITION + INSTRUMENTS skills)

CHOREOGRAPHY: choreography of the song. please note that even if some slower songs have no proper dance steps, most of the performance are still choreographed for the lightning and cameras to follow at the right moment during performances

STYLING: encompass hair, make-up and outfits

STAGE PRODUCTION: the props, effects and lights used

how much and where a muse can contribute is based on their OWN points:

POINTS AVAILABLE: total points of SINGING + DANCING + RAPPING + PERFORMANCE + ACTING

MAX # PER CATEGORY (song concept, styling, stage producting): based on the muse's highest point in a single category

MAX # PER CATEGORY (composition, lyrics, arrangement, choreo): 250*

*attention, the muse's skill in said category is the upper limit they can contribute to. i.e: even if lyric writing's maximum is 250, if a muse has 150 in the related skill, they can only contribute maximum 150/250

check your muse's tab HERE for specific details.

POST EVALUATION INTERVIEW

each artist will perform their song on SEPTEMBER 29 in front of a panel of INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS and LEGACY HIGHER UPS. after their performance, the staff will ask the following questions:

how do you feel about this experience as a whole?

what have you learned about yourself during the past few weeks?

which preparation stage(s) did you like the most?

if you were to win this season, which stage(s) would you like to contribute to?

where do you think you could improve if you were to do this again?

REQUIREMENTS

CONCEPT: write a 300+ SOLO or HEADCANON on the evaluation. make sure to include the points distribution in your post, as well as mention the concept, staged design and performance (it's up to you if you wish to describe the final performance, or do it as presentation done by the muse, ect. as long as those elements are present in your solo). completing this requirement will reward you +8 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +10 NOTORIETY !

INTERVIEW: write a 300+ word solo where your muse is interviewed by the future dreams staff. completing this requirement will reward you +7 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +6 NOTORIETY !

make sure to use the hashtag lgc:futuredreams for everything pertaining to this mission. you have until SEPTEMBER 30, 2023 at 11:59PM EDT to complete the requirements and validate your points. please submit the following form ONCE on the points blog:

TITLE: MUSE NAME ∙ FUTURE DREAMS 7 PART 2 - CONCEPT: +8 ( skill points distribution ), +10 notoriety [ LINK ] - INTERVIEW: +7 ( skill points distribution ), +6 notoriety [ LINK ]

[fadinglights]

continued  from  here,  @solisocasum

junso  has  always  been  greedy,  the  kind  of  person  who  acts  on  whims  and  impulses.  when  he  starts  to  want  something,  whether  it’s  another  late  night  snack,  an  overpriced  toy  or  a  shiny  medal,  he  always  gets  it.  it  must  be  why  he’s  so  competitive  in  his  trainee  days,  fighting  with  all  he  has  for  his  chance  for  the  spotlight,  despite  everyone  being  older  and  more  experienced  than  he  was.  then  why  is  it  that  when  it  comes  to  his  heart,  he  is  never  just  as  brave?  

what  daeho  is  seeing  is  not  junso  losing  his  timidity,  but  rather  him  letting  the  suppressed  desires  float  to  the  surface.  his  greediness,  too.

amidst  the  hunger  and  frenzy,  buttons  pop  and  fall  to  the  ground.  his  defenses,  too.  all  his  worries  and  doubts.  they  can  worry  about  it  in  the  morning.  write  songs  about  drunken  mistakes  if  they  need  and  pretend  that  the  cryptic,  overlapping  lyrics  have  nothing  to  do  with  each  other.  for  now,  they  can  be  as  greedy  as  they  want.  as  hungry  as  they  are.  every  tremble  and  whimper  under  him  spurs  him  on,  makes  his  skin  swelter  with  anticipation.  he  is  pretty  sure  daeho  is  messing  with  him  by  playing  coy,  but  hell,  he  probably  deserves  it.  

he  lifts  his  weight  off  daeho  and  does  just  what  was  asked  of  him.  fingers  eagerly  loosen  the  tie  before  pulling  the  pants  down  and  tossing  it  to  the  side  of  his  bed.  the  sight  in  front  of  him  makes  his  throat  go  dry  and  his  wandering  gaze  betrays  him.  his  greed  grows,  grows  and  grows.  it  is  even  better  than  the  vivid  dreams  conjured  by  his  imagination.  “fuck,  you’re  so  pretty.”  so  breathtaking  pretty,  so  much  that  he  aches  to  ruin  him.  not  unlike  the  urge  to  pluck  a  blooming  rose  and  keep  it  for  himself  only.  he  undresses  himself  in  a  rush,  not  taking  any  longer  than  necessary  before  his  lips  reunite  with  daeho’s,  aching  hand  pulling  him  close  by  the  back  of  his  head  as  he  pins  him  down  again.  

[lgcdowoon]

sweet tooth.

TYPE ZERO MISSION : fanmeeting gift preparations ft. @lgcdaeho

this was dowoon's first fanmeeting as a type zero member, so he wanted to make a good, lasting impression on their fans. he still felt a bit like the new kid in town, but was doing he best to keep the fans on his good side...maybe even make some fans of his own! when he got the idea to cook, bake, or just make *something* edible for the fans, he knew which hyung he wanted to help. daeho was the fellow chef in the group, so the two were apronned up and ready to make something nice. dowoon wanted to make something sweet and quick, that fans could eat while they enjoyed the fanmeet. white day was also around the time of their fanmeetings, so he did a google and found a pretty good recipe for white chocolate strawberry truffles he thought wouldn't be too difficult to pull off a few hundred times.

"ok, so we've got the white chocolate melted and ready, the ganache is chilled...so i guess we just have to dip and sprinkle!" dowoon let the control freak burried deep inside of him out in the kitchen. he wanted this to go well! luckily, daeho had proven himself as a good baker, so he was willing to let some control go. "do you think one of us should dip while the other sprinkles, or should we both just go for it at the same time?" he turned to the elder to ask his opinion.

[ofsvnshine]

lee soo-hyuk, cis man, he/him, 36 / 360 , illyrian ’ ― cauldron save you. it seems IM DAEHO has been teleported to the dusk court, the GENERAL from THE NIGHT COURT is said to be STEADFAST and is said to describe themselves with WINNING THE BATTLE BEFORE STEPPING INTO THE FIGHT, WHISPERS OF OLD WOUNDS UPON YOUR SKIN AND EMBRACING THE DARKNESS TO BECOME LIMITLESS and with all of this in mind their RUTHLESS nature always seems to get them into trouble. may the mother hold them as they navigate this unthinkable time.

statistics :

label: the cataclysmic. positive traits: steadfast, clever, perceptive. negative traits: ruthless, brazen, cynical. orientation: bisexual, biromantic. gender: cis man ( he / him pronouns ). age: 36 360. species: illyrian abilities: possesses a siphon. profession: general of the army. court: night. mbti: intj. zodiac: scorpio.

introduction :

death tw, murder tw, manipulation tw

ever since you were young, you have been a fighter. it was what you were raised to be, trained tirelessly by your father to be something great. he would simply not accept anything less. your two brothers were pitted against you from the start. it was sad, really, how you three never got to really form any sort of genuine relationship. your father simply used the three of you as pawns against the other. and while it did make you stronger as you wanted nothing more than to come out on top ( you were the middle child and scrappy as scrappy could be ) in doing so you only destroyed any chance at a relationship with them through doing whatever it took to earn your father's approval. your desire to be great, to be better than those around you, consumed you. it was all you ever focused on. you became the closest to your father out of all your sibings as you only became more and more clouded by the praise and acknowledgement that he gave you to realize the true monster you were becoming. you wanted to be his legacy, you wanted to make him proud. to you, your siblings were just jealous. you never could see things from their perspective. which of course was why when your father was randomly found murdered, you felt completely lost. that was when the paranoia started to settle in. you felt as though you had a target on your back, as if you would be next. you fully believed there was a chance that one of your brothers did it, only furthering the divide between you three. you didn't listen no matter how many times they told you they hadn't. you leaned completely into the darkness that seemed to surround you after that, growing more and more reclusive, more and more dedicated to the goal your father always wanted for you - to be something great. and you never felt as though you accomplished that until you became the general of the night court army, but even now a deep part of you still craves more.

wanted connections :

unlikely friendships

enemies / adversaries

childhood friends

exes ( he didn't really let himself get close to anyone so it would have been definitely more one sided on y/m part but that could lead to angst! )

HIS BROTHERS ( going to make a wc on the main ! )

[dvpendable]

🎮 / 🍸 / 😓

DETAILS ABOUT YOU › ANSONG MEME WEEKEND 001. current status: still accepting / not accepting! . . . 🌱

🎮 — what are three of your favorite hobbies?

"my hobbies?" danbi blinks, head tilting to the side as she taps her index finger against her chin. she found herself doing a lot of activities when she wasn't busying herself with extra shifts at fresh fields, but she never considered what her favorite of the many interests would be. she ponders for a moment before removing the digit from her skin, holding it up in front of daeho as she counted. "gardening, because it's always really fun, and very relaxing." she says with a bright smile, thinking about all of her potted plants back in her apartment. "taking care of the stray kitties outside with insu," she continues, holding up a second finger. "and," she pauses, thinking hard on the last one. "going to 8-bit?" it comes out as more than a question as opposed to an answer. "or, well - anywhere that has crane machines, really. like the shopping mall or smaller arcades." a pause. "er, maybe i should clarify - i like collecting stuffed animals, so playing crane machines is definitely on the list." she lifts the last finger, smiling at him a little shyly. "not the most exciting, but those are my favorite things to do."

🍸— what is your favorite alcoholic drink, if you can drink or like to drink?

"i've been doing my research ever since we ran into each other at the club," she says happily, the corners of her mouth stretching into a delighted grin. she wasn't a connoisseur by any means, and truthfully hadn't had a single drop to drink since the night she'd officially met daeho, but she had browsed around in some of the magazines at the grocery store during her break times in an attempt to at least be more knowledgeable on the subject. "i'd really like to try a butterfly martini," she states, feeling proud to have recalled the name of the lavender-colored drink she'd seen last week. "it's really pretty, and i'm sure it's delicious." the fact that she hadn't even tasted it, and she was naming it as her favorite, hadn't dawned on her just yet. "have you ever made one before?"

😓 — do you think that you're more open-minded or stubborn?

the question catches her a little off guard, and danbi takes a second to consider it before answering. "i'd like to say open-minded," she says after a heartbeat, looking up at him with sincerity in her eyes. it wasn't in her nature to be stubborn - she never held grudges, and wasn't someone that was uncompromising. she tried to view things from all different aspects - the world was a kaleidoscope, not a single-view telescope. "i think it's really important to be accepting, and to be flexible with things, and with people." she pauses for a second. "i'd like to think that i'm the type of person to hear all sides of a story, or get to know someone first before passing judgement." her words taper off as she thinks for another moment, before her cheeks start to burn, wondering if she'd maybe said a little too much or gotten a little too passionate. "sorry, that kind of sounds a little conceited, actually." she laughs, a little shyly. "next question?"