#rose your middle finger at my clear and concise instructions

[tenebriism]

// My customer service mutuals . . . you ever have that one guest who just DRAINS your social battery near immediately? So, for our hotel's wifi, you have to select an option that says ' 14 days free ' or else you get charged. I explain this to the guest.

Tell me why this guest goes ' I don't see the 14 day option, only $12.95, $19.95, and 14 days. '

And then she proceeds to choose one of the priced options.

I'm... I had to stop and just... stare for a moment. And then open the reservation and adjust off the charge because LITERALLY what and HOW???

[flipomatic]

Internship Chapter 3: Day 1 - Emira

Author Note: It’s possible that the Illusion Coven is led by two people, but I think there’s only one coven leader. Canon might prove me wrong someday.

First Chapter Previous Chapter

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Emira glanced down at her map, making sure she was in the right place. She marked the location of the Illusion Coven before she left so that she wouldn’t get lost. She had decided to walk, since it would only take about 15 minutes and her access to other modes of transportation were quite limited.

Emira decided to wear her casual clothes, since she didn’t want to look like a student at her internship. She wanted to be taken seriously.

Before she left, her mother said to give her regards to the coven leader. She placed heavy emphasis on the word regards, but Emira knew better than to ask for clarification. She just agreed to do so, and then set out on her way.

She thought about the internship while she walked. She felt mostly neutral about the assignment, not really sure what it would bring. While she had been hoping for the Emperor’s Coven, she did love doing illusion magic. This could be a good chance to learn some new spells and, as her mother often put it, do some networking. She still wasn’t sure what that meant.

Now she stood in front of the building she had marked, double checking that she made it to the right place. The building was two stories tall, with windows every five feet or so. Beige paint covered the external walls. It looked fairly ordinary, but Emira could feel a hint of residual magic in the air.

The front door had a neon flashing sign that said ‘OPEN’ in bright green letters. That was where Emira entered, taking her first official steps into the coven.

Inside, there was a small lobby like room. It had a couch and a few chairs to one side with a set of large doors behind them, and a counter on the other. The walls were fairly muted in color, but had flashes of bright accents. Behind the counter sat a male witch with eyes cast towards the door. He was the only witch in the lobby, and he smiled slightly when Emira looked his way.

“Welcome to the Illusion Coven.” He said as Emira approached his desk, sitting up straight in his chair. “How may I be of assistance?” He spoke politely, in an even tone. From the question, he seemed to think she was a customer. He must’ve been a secretary of some kind.

“I’m the new intern.” Emira replied, stopping in front of the counter. She could see a binder on the table, full of lines of text. “Emira Blight.” She added, since there would likely be more than one intern from Hexside coming to the coven today.

The witch looked down at his binder for a moment, then his eyes snapped up. “Oh, yes that starts today doesn’t it.” His smile grew into a grin as he jumped out of his chair. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Blight.” Emira took a half step back from the counter, his  sudden enthusiasm putting her off slightly.

“Same to you.” Emira kept her response concise and polite.

The coven member was still grinning as he stepped around his desk. “The coven leader is expecting you, if you’ll follow me.” He gestured towards a back door, and when Emira nodded he started walking that way. She followed after him as instructed, passing through a door labeled ‘employees only’.

On the other side was a series of magically lit hallways that were lined with doors. The magic lights caught Emira’s eye; she wondered if they could be manipulated with an illusion spell. That would be a great way to prank witches passing through this hallway. Perhaps by making them flicker or change colors, she had to think about it.

The coven member led Emira through a few turns, then stopped at a door that was larger than the rest. The doorknob had a gold colored plating on it, which stood out from the others as well.

The coven member knocked twice on the door and received a call of “Come in!” from inside. He pulled the door open and gestured for Emira to enter.

Emira thanked him as she moved past, resisting the urge to look back as the door shut with an audible click behind her. Instead she glanced around the office. The two side walls were lined with bookshelves, full of what looked to be illusion magic books. Along the back wall trophies and awards were displayed, all for magic competitions and performances.

The head of the Illusion Coven sat behind a large desk in the middle of the room. Emira had met him a few times before, but hadn’t spent much time speaking with him.

“Why, if it isn’t Emira Blight.” The coven leader said, drawing Emira’s wandering eyes to him. He was smiling broadly, showing a few too many teeth to be natural. “When I heard you would be joining us for the internship, I was absolutely thrilled.” Interesting that he had said her full name.

“I’m happy to be here.” Emira replied, only half lying. It would be rude to say she wanted to go to the Emperor’s Coven instead. “My mother sends her regards.”

His smile shrunk by a few teeth, but quickly snapped back into place. “Please tell Odalia I return them in kind.” He spoke smoothly.

As she did that morning, Emira did not ask for more details. “I will.”

The coven leader gestured to a chair in front of his desk, moving on from the pleasantries. “Please take a seat, we have much to discuss.” Emira did so with a nod, finding that the chair was comfortable to sit in. “Let me fill you in on our marvelous system. Illusion Coven witches go on jobs every day to provide illusion magic to those in need.” He emphasized the word need. “Customers request work and witches are assigned to help them. Starting tomorrow, you will shadow one of our finest witches. For today, you will work with me.” He lifted one hand to his chest to emphasize that information.

So it was mostly small jobs then. “What kinds of jobs are requested?” Emira asked, curious about what exactly she would be doing.

“All kinds.” The coven leader counted on his fingers as he listed them. “Things like performances, advertising, special effects, temporary cloning, astroturfing, and too many others to count.” The list piqued Emira’s interest, especially work in special effects. “Today we’ll be helping set up signs for the construction coven. I’ll show you around our building, and then we’ll be on our way.” The coven leader rose from his seat as he finished.

“Sounds like a plan.” Emira stood as well, smoothing her pants as she did. The coven leader stepped around his desk and led her out the door, back into the hallway.

“Our building is small, most of the rooms are offices for our witches. The bathrooms and the break room are at the end of this hallway.” The coven leader pointed down the hall to the left. “There is a small theater next to the lobby, where we perform amazing shows.” He started walking down the right hall, with Emira following behind.

They made the same turns through the hallways as Emira did to get in there, which she made note of in case she needed to get back to the coven leader’s office. When they reached the lobby, they went to a set of two large doors on one side of the room.

“This is our grand theater!” The coven leader pulled the door open as he spoke, showing off the room to Emira. It was larger than expected, with a stage in back and seats that could hold a crowd of about 100. She wondered if she’d get to perform there during her internship; that would be cool. She looked around for a minute, taking in the sights, then backed away so the coven leader could close the door.

“Are you ready for your first job with the coven?” The coven leader asked, that too large grin returning to his face.

Emira nodded. “I’m ready.”

“Let’s go then.” They walked towards the front door, passing by the coven member who had returned to his counter. The coven leader stopped to speak with him. “Assign the other interns to Jennifer for today, I’ll have permanent assignments for them tomorrow.” The coven member nodded and wrote something down in his notebook.

With that done, the coven leader led Emira outside to start walking to their destination. He said it was only a few blocks away, so they could walk. The weather was clear, and it had warmed up since Emira’s earlier walk to the coven.

It only took about five minutes to reach their destination, which was a large empty lot surrounded by a fence. Construction Coven witches milled around it, hauling in equipment and large pieces of lumber. Some were using glyphs to enhance their strength and were carrying massive stone blocks like they were filled with air.

Emira looked around, eyes landing on the clear leader of the project. She was wearing a bright orange vest and were carrying a clip board, a sure sign of being in charge. When she saw Emira and the coven leader approaching, she waved them over. Emira followed him over, staying back and to his right.

“Thanks for coming.” The construction member said in a low, gravelly voice. Now that she was closer it would be easy for Emira to make that orange vest neon green instead, so so easy, but she would have to wait for the right moment if she wanted to do it.  “We just love your work.”

The coven leader smiled, giving a practiced flourishing bow. “Glad to be of service.” He then gestured back at Emira. “Ms. Blight is one of our interns from Hexside, she’ll be helping out today.” Emira flashed a brief wave and a smile from behind him.

“Fantastic.” The construction members tone of voice did not match her word choice. “You’ll be setting up the construction signs today. We need one on each corner, at the entrances, and every ten feet as warnings around the perimeter.” She pointed to each area as she mentioned it, spinning her finger in a large circle to represent the perimeter.

“We’re on it.” The coven leader said, then turned to Emira. “Let’s start at the front.” She nodded, so he strode back towards the entrance.

When he reached it, he lifted his right hand and drew an illusion circle. “The construction coven likes their warning signs to be bright.” He finished the circle and cast the spell, causing a flash of light. When it faded a moment later, a large sign had appeared on the fence next to the entrance. It said ‘warning, active construction’ in bright orange letters, the same shade as the vest. With a second spin of the finger, it lit up with flashing light.

Emira raised her hand to make another one, perhaps in a different color scheme, and started to draw a large magic circle for it. She had drawn about half of the circle when a hand on her wrist stopped her.

“Oh no, don’t worry about it. I’ve got this.” The coven leader said, once again wearing his large grin. He didn’t close his hand around her wrist, but the firm touch carried his intent clearly. Emira pulled her hand back, allowing the magic circle to dissipate. She couldn’t help but feel confused, hadn’t he brought her here to help?

“I’ll do the ones at the other entrance then.” Emira suggested, pointing over at the specified location.  

The coven leader shook his head, his smile not giving an inch. “That won’t do at all, you must stay with me. Come, watch how I layer these spells.” He again cast an illusion spell to make a construction board, and then lit it with a similar lighting spell.

Emira felt her jaw slack; if she had less restraint she’d be openly gaping. He didn’t want her assistance then, did he? He just brought her along to show off his two layered sign magic, which wasn’t anything special in Emira’s opinion.

They moved next to the other entrance, where he again insisted on creating the signs himself. By the time they made it to the outside corners, Emira wasn’t even watching him cast anymore.

She was one of the finest illusion witches in her year, good enough that she could’ve been sent to the Emperor’s Coven instead, but here she was just standing around doing nothing. She turned to watch the foot traffic move by, combining that with staring into space.

It was only day one, and her eyes were already glazing over.

She didn’t think it was possible, but she hoped Edric was having a better time.

Next Chapter

[rkroyalsurvival-blog]

Episode start.

A familiar scene materializes: thirteen talented girls form a single-file line at the center of a well-lit stage. The contestants’ expressions vary when the camera exposes their most vulnerable emotions bubbling up to the surface. From intimidated, to anxious, to eager -- it’s easy for the audience to feel just as nervous as the girls when they hear their fates read off one by one by Royal’s CEO.

“Eunae, you may go join the Majors.”

“Jiwon, you may join the Major group.”

Ahn Hyojin appears and Jisub casts her a measured glance. Thoughtfulness is affixed to his handsome face as he speaks without hesitation: “It’s your talent that got you here, however... sheer talent alone will not be enough for anyone to win a place in the Major group. Elly, please go stand with the others in Minor.” A clear warning to all.

“Welcome, ladies, to... Royal Survival.”

In the next second, the VTR music hits hard. A strong beat accompanies the show’s title, Royal Survival, as it flashes on screen and the girls appear next, absolutely striking in their visual line-up of bright reds and whites. All eyes are drawn to the center to focus on Jo Eunae as “Team” explodes in full force. Her face appears in a close-up, followed by her name scrolling below to identify her to all those who watch. In the next group shot, all girls are seen moving in sync together, the energy of the choreography making the hard work look seamless; for those who make mistakes, it goes unseen by expert editing. A professional has cut away major flaws before they’re visible, covering one girl’s lack of stamina and another’s missed step with closely timed edits to make the resulting performance look perfect. Yang Jiwon is seen up close, then Park Chaeyoung. In group formation, Kim Seolhyun takes over the spotlight when it’s her turn to be in the center, her name appearing below her face before the rest follow in succession: Manoban Lalisa, Ahn Hyojin, Kim Yubin, and Jung Soojung. When Jegal Seoyoung appears, the focus goes straight to her as she pulls in viewers with her charm alone. In the seconds afterwards, the audience is introduced to all who are left: Nam Dawon, Lee Soohyun, and Lee Jihyun. The best dancer, Lee Jieun, is saved for last -- the final image of strength and talent Royal wants the world to see before the song is over.

It takes just one minute and twenty-four seconds to create a worldwide sensation.

Yoo Jaekyung appears next, a flashback to her first appearance behind So Jisub as she introduces herself and the previous challenge. “All of you will learn and film a dance VTR for the opening of this show,” she explains concisely to the gathered girls. The camera hones in on her serious expression and the cool delivery of Jaekyung’s parting, warning words to them: “Work hard, obey my instruction, and I will turn all of you into stars worthy of the Royal name.”

The audience isn’t to be disappointed. Immediately after Jaekyung’s announcement, the girls are seen dispersing from the stage to return to their dormitories. Glimpses are given of the girls’ luxurious living environment, including the state-of-the-art practice studios and the gym they’re all allowed to utilize at their leisure. However, these elegant surroundings aren’t enough to mask the serious mood that afflicts most of the girls; the question of what next? hangs heavily in the air -- pungent and all-consuming.

Park Chaeyoung, identified by her stage name “Rose” for the first time on the bottom of the screen, is the first one who’s asked outright, the camera settling on a shot that highlights her from the shoulders up as she sits in the interview room. Behind her, a dark-shadowed background has been superimposed to bring her face forward in a flattering contrast. “I’ve only been a trainee for eight months, and that isn’t a long time compared to a lot of other trainees,” she tells the camera directly. “It’s scary to think that I could debut at the end of the program. My Royal sunbaes-- Jihyun unnie, Jazz unnie, Seolhyun unnie and Soohyunnie… we aren’t very close but I look up to them immensely.” Rose’s breath is heard hitching in her throat. “I’m still in shock if I’m being honest.”

“Rose hasn’t been training too long, but we’ve met a few times,” Lee Soohyun explains further as she comes into focus next. The professional lighting has been set-up to shine at a perfect degree upon her face, emphasizing the charming round curves of the young girl’s cheeks. “I think musically we’d sound good together so I hope to sing with her soon!” The epitome of youthful exuberance, Soohyun raises her brow and hints cheekily, “Want to know a secret? Lee Jihyun is my rival, while also being my role model.” An image of Jihyun appears briefly: the older girl awaiting her judgment as Jisub stares piercingly back at her. Soohyun’s voice continues, “She’s the one in my eyes to beat. Jihyun unnie… I have a head start, keep up!” she challenges, and the camera returns to Soohyun to catch the way the girl shoots a finger gun towards her unseen opponent. “I’m just going to be myself, and work hard! It’s all I can do right?”

Time races forward, a flurry of behind the scenes as the girls are seen waiting in the practice studio for their choreographer to arrive. When Jaekyung finally does, the woman doesn’t waste a single second before sweeping her judgmental gaze over each one of them in turn. Clad in her trademark head-to-toe black ensemble, she asserts to the group in an icy tone, “Line up. We have a lot of work to do.” And so they do, as clips flash by of Jaekyung teaching the group the Team choreography over a span of several days. Some of the girls are seen making visible mistakes in their steps, Lee Jihyun especially, and many more of them are seen with flushed faces and pained expressions as they rehearse together and alone. One evening, Ahn Hyojin is seen in the studio by herself, staring at her reflection in the mirror as she goes through the choreography repeatedly to sharpen up its movements. Not a perfect performance by any means, it’s nevertheless a perceivable improvement from the first days of Jaekyung’s teaching.

“Honestly, I was hoping for Major,” Kim Yubin admits honestly as the camera switches over to her. The audience is reminded of her brutal setback as a previous scene of her walking over to the Minor side of the stage appears. “I didn’t want to let my heart get excited,” she continues once she’s seen again in the interview room. The same image contrast is given to Yubin’s visual, a shadowed background and lights serving to complement her appearance in the best way.  “A part of me knew I wouldn’t but I still hoped. So when I was put in Minor it brought me back to reality. I still have a ways to go.” She’s seen hovering near the wardrobe racks on the VTR’s fitting day, her hands combing through the clothing and shoes to select the right look for her.  “We don’t know how many girls will be in the group and we’re already trying to climb ranks... I know my talents on stage, so I hope to show them I’m a hard worker.”

A date appears on screen: September 15th, 2017.

So Jisub’s confident walk takes him through the large central aisle of the stage venue’s seating. He heads directly to the table situated in the middle where the audience can see Yoo Jaekyung has already taken an extra chair to wait for the CEO to arrive. Additionally visible on the table’s wooden surface are single profile sheets of the contestants, each paper accompanied by a picture of a girl on the upper-left corner and comments written in lines below. So Jisub takes his seat, and also takes a sip from a cup of water placed out for him, before addressing Jaekyung directly. “So, what did you think?”

She answers without skipping a beat. “Some are decent,” the choreographer acknowledges while pointing to the photo of Lee Jieun. “Others were more disappointing than I thought.” A wave of her hand towards Park Chaeyoung’s sheet has So Jisub’s eyebrows skyrocketing upwards. “I can teach a few but the rest have a long way to go,” Jaekyung taps one silver-painted fingernail against Manoban Lalisa’s sheet. “Some might be impossible.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” So Jisub murmurs in assent. There’s thoughtfulness and a vivid shade of reluctance on his face as he tosses his next words to the nearby staff. “Bring them in, please.”

The stage manager nods and quickly moves behind the grand stage to where the girls have already been assembled, their makeup and styling finished an hour prior to the CEO’s arrival. The manager directs the contestants to come out on stage and line up at their respective sides: the ‘MAJOR’ team on the stage-right side and the ‘MINOR’ team on the stage-left side. Behind the girls’ backs, the names of the teams stand out brightly on their LCD screens. At the very back center of the stage, a third screen is revealed and the dance VTR can be seen on it, paused and ready to be played.

“Hello, ladies,” So Jisub greets them all politely. “When I call your name, please come forward for your evaluation,” he instructs. “Lee Jieun, first, if you please.”

For each girl, her individual screen time in VTR is what’s shown to all: several seconds of Jieun’s solo close-up is seen first, followed by her placement in the group formation. When Jieun’s clip finishes, Royal’s CEO clears his throat to redirect attention, and the camera’s focus, back to him. “Jieun, I told you last week that your dance talent is what landed you here. I’m glad, really, not to be disappointed by seeing it on camera. There’s no doubt that when you dance, all eyes go to you and stay there.” He nods in Jaekyung’s direction, the choreographer who offers up a small smile of agreement. “Jaekyung has agreed with me that, even though this first challenge was almost too easy for you, your place on the Major team is unquestionable for now. Well done, Jieun.”

“Yang Jiwon,” he calls next. Jisub plucks out Jiwon’s profile sheet from the papers in front of him and glances over it intently. “Jaekyung here gave you one of the center spots, I see.” He pauses, taking a moment to scan over the written comments before releasing a quiet sigh. “Honestly, you have much less training in dancing than I was hoping for, Jiwon, and it revealed itself in the group number especially. I tell all of you now that the group I intend to create out of Royal Survival will be expected to dance constantly and well to a lot of different styles. Jiwon,” he says, pausing to collect his thoughts before continuing, “I would like you to switch to the Minor group, please. In your time there, I’d like you to brush up on the dance basics until the next time I see you.”

“Ahn Hyojin.” When Elly’s name is called, Jaekyung leans over abruptly to whisper in Jisub’s ear. A quick, unheard exchange is followed by the CEO’s slow nod of acknowledgment. He bends a considering stare on Elly before finally addressing her. “Your dance training is lacking, too, Elly,” he observes regrettably. “Your current technique is lower than I’d like to see but, the energy you’re giving off on camera is surprisingly good. Jaekyung here assures me that you’re one of the ones who has been rehearsing the hardest on the choreography. It’s not good enough to move into Major just yet, however, it’s a step in the right direction. Keep practicing your dancing, Elly, and I will reconsider.”

“Jung Soojung, please come forward.” Jisub watches the video behind her with a discerning eye, choosing not to speak for several seconds until he’s collected his thoughts. “Unlike the others, I can tell you have basic grasp of technique when you dance, Soojung. It’s not bad, really, and Jaekyung here thinks she can work with you on it.” A quick glance to the female choreographer confirms this opinion. “Unfortunately, though, Soojung, your presence on camera is severely lacking,” he points out, not unkindly. “In the group formation, you practically disappear.” Jisub pauses here, the look on his face revealing a conflicted decision. “Stay in the Minor group a bit longer, Soojung, and try working on how to distinguish yourself a bit more.”

“Jo Eunae,” he calls next and beckons her forward with his hand. “Our first center. Your dancing is undoubtedly the level I was looking for. Any thoughts?” He directs the question to Jaekyung, the latter who shakes her head with a rare smile. “She’s one of the better dancers,” the woman admits openly, “I wouldn’t mind challenging her with a tougher choreography.” Jisub looks back at Eunae, a warm smile affixing itself into place. “If that’s so, then that’s all that needs to be said. You’ve protected your place in Major team, Eunae. Congratulations.”

“Park Chaeyoung.” The male sighs deeply, clear reluctance visible in his gaze. “Rose, I’m going to be honest with you. After viewing the VTR, it’s become clear to me that what I was hoping to see from you was not there. Your audition had given me hope that you’d be more well-rounded but, after seeing this performance, I’m not convinced now that you’re capable of handling the level of choreography you’re going to have to do in the future. That, combined with a total lack of presence in the group is incredibly worrisome.” He lifts a hand to rub at his chin, visibly warring with the decision he’s about to make. Jaekyung meets his eyes and Jisub nods, conceding the unspoken opinion. “Rose, please go to Minor group.”

“Manoban Lalisa,” he calls out, and Jisub waits until Lisa has taken her directed place on the stage before opening his mouth to speak again. “What a hard time I’m having with you, Lisa. Unlike Rose and Soojung, you have absolutely no problem standing out when the camera is on you. I doubt anyone could look away even if they wanted to.” The CEO casts her a sidelong glance, taking his time to consider his decision carefully before he makes it. “Sadly, though, ‘standing out’ isn’t always a good thing when your weaknesses are more visible than everything else.” There’s no hesitation in his voice as he gestures towards the Minor side of the stage. “You still have time to improve, Lisa, and I suggest you do so. Go stand with the Minors, please.”

“Nam Dawon, come up here, if you would.” Jisub peruses the papers on the table until he finds her sheet, studying the outlined profile with an intent gaze. “Well, the good news is: you’re not the worst.” Amusement bubbles up from Jisub’s direction and this jesting tactic is just as much to diffuse the stressful tension filling the room as it is to tease Dawon good-naturedly. “It’s not bad, either, considering dancing isn’t really your forte. As it is, you already have more visible technique in your movements than most of the other singers. As expected of Hyun Bin’s trainee.” He offers her a small smile and nods to the Minor side of the stage. “I advise you not to let those Nova roots go to waste just yet, Dawon. Please keep practicing your dancing until we meet again.”

“Lee Soohyun, next.” The VTR plays Soohyun’s segmented clip after she has arrived to the front and Jisub watches it critically, his expression remaining stoic up until the very last second. “It’s become clear to me that finding a singer who can also dance is going to be problematic for this CEO,” he jokes idly. “I shouldn’t, in all good conscience, keep you in the Major team when the dancing you show me in that VTR is such poor quality, Soohyun. It’s absolutely crucial that idols, even those who aren’t the main dancers, be able to keep up with choreography that’s taught to them. Luckily, you do have a saving grace. You alone, among all the singers here, don’t completely disappear from sight whenever the group line appears.” He places her profile sheet aside and nods towards her. “It’s enough to keep you in Majors for the time being. You may go over there.”

Jaekyung lays the next contestant’s paper in front of Jisub and he takes it unhesitatingly. “Jegal Seoyoung,” he reads off aloud. “Your center part was rather short in this one, wasn’t it? Jaekyung has told me that, despite you not being one of the better dancers here, there’s apparently enough natural ability in you for her to tap into.” He glances to the choreographer, who flashes Seoyoung an approving smile as she nods in agreement. “I can work with it,” Jaekyung agrees. “If she remains willing to learn.” Jisub nods and keeps eye contact with Seoyoung as he waves towards the Major side of the stage. “You heard her, Seoyoung. You’re safe for this week.”

Kim Seolhyun’s sheet comes up next and Jisub motions for her to come to the front of the stage. “You also did well this week, Seolhyun. I’m fully aware that this style of choreography isn’t the usual I see from you but, despite that, Jaekyung and I are both in agreement that the end result on camera was the quality level we’d hoped to see from you. You delivered it well. You and Jieun got off easy with this first challenge, so I’m especially looking forward to seeing how you both survive the next one.” A mischievous gleam shines in Jisub’s eyes as he waves his hand towards the stage. “Your spot is safe in the Majors, Seolhyun. Please go and join them.”

“Lee Jihyun.” A senior trainee whose skill levels are not unfamiliar to him, her lackluster dance performance on the LCD screen inspires no real surprise from Jisub as he watches her clip all the way through to its conclusion. “It goes without saying that there’s still a lot you need to work on, Jihyun,” he observes finally. He is careful to keep his tone neutral as he addresses her with a stiff expression. “Nobody is expecting that a main vocalist should also be a lead dancer in her group, but it’s my wish that she not be an eyesore in the middle of a group formation either. I’d like you to stick it out in Minor and keep practicing, Jihyun. You may have a chance at a comeback very soon.”

“Kim Yubin,” he calls out last. A consummate professional, Jisub would never let his weariness appear on his face, but there’s no denying he’s pleased to have arrived at the final contestant. Especially this one, whose appearance in front of him encourages a small smile to appear. “I told you last week that I wasn’t sure what to do with you, Yubin. This week, I’ve changed my mind. I can tell that you have a higher level of training in your dancing despite it not translating perfectly with this difficult style of choreography. Being one of the longer trainees is a benefit in your case as you clearly have more technique, as well as more experience, in performing on camera. That is something I have a use for, Yubin, so you may switch into the Major team this week. Congratulations.”

The end of the reassignments comes with a relieved sigh from the CEO as he rises from his seat to stand up to his full height. Beside him, still seated, Jaekyung leans back and folds her arms over her chest. The two seniors both analyze the newly-sorted groups on stage before So Jisub clears his throat loudly. “It’d be unfair, I think, to eliminate anyone today based solely on this first challenge. There’s still more that I’d like to see from all of you and I intend to.” The camera fixes on Jaekyung, who nods in agreement with the CEO’s words. “Your second challenge is going to show me exactly what each one of you is capable of… and also exactly where you’re lacking.” A handsome grin appears on Jisub’s face as he explains further, “Idols need to be able to perform well as a group, pooling together their strengths as one in order to pull off a successful performance in front of their audience. For the next challenge, you will be put into groups and be asked to perform a Royal senior group’s song in front of an invited audience. Your best efforts at singing, rapping, dancing, and the extent of your stage presence -- I will be watching for all of these specifically. For many of you up there, this will be your comeback opportunity to be considered for the Major team.”

He waits for this news to sink in first, pausing for dramatic effect before the final ax is dropped: “After your performance is over, I will be deciding who has shown herself to be the weakest member of your group overall. Of these girls that are placed into the ‘bottom three,’ one of you will be returning home. Do your best, ladies. I look forward to seeing what you’ll show me next time.”

End of episode.

EPISODE 2, Writing Prompt:

With the intention of testing every contestant’s performance skills on the stage, as well as seeing how they perform within a group dynamic, So Jisub has decided to split the girls up into smaller groups to cover one of Royal Entertainment’s senior group’s songs. The songs he has chosen embody two of the most frequent girl group concepts that are seen on stage: cute and ‘girl crush’. Well aware that at least one of these concepts is not in every contestant’s comfort zone, each group has been carefully selected by So Jisub so that members can prove their adaptability to concepts that’ll likely be asked of them in the future. Don’t be too surprised by an uncomfortable placement: it is on purpose!

The assigned groups and songs are as follows:

Group 1: “Goodbye Baby” (Brave Girls) Lee Jihyun, Lee Soohyun, Jo Eunae, Kim Seolhyun

Group 2: “Over U” (Brave Girls) Nam Dawon, Kim Yubin, Jegal Seoyoung, Lee Jieun

Group 3: “Be My Baby” (H.A.M.) Jung Soojung, Park Chaeyoung, Ahn Hyojin, Yang Jiwon, Manoban Lalisa

All groups are expected to perform all vocal, rap, and choreography parts that are found in the reference videos. You do not have to limit one person per part if you do not wish to, but every contestant should at least sing or rap during the performance. Royal Entertainment’s costume staff will provide the wardrobe, recycling the same costumes as the senior groups and tailoring the fit to the contestants who will wear them. This will include shoes: if your senior group wears heels in the video, the girls must also wear heels on stage. Choreography for the songs will be taught to your group individually by Yoo Jaekyung and no part of the choreography can be modified (this includes the removal of aegyo parts!) Jaekyung will teach all the groups their choreography starting on September 19th, with two hour blocks for each group. Group 1 will learn from 10AM-12PM, Group 2 will learn from 1PM-3PM, and Group 3 will learn from 4PM-6PM. After this date, the groups will be expected to arrange their own practice schedules and you may call on Yoo Jaekyung to supervise rehearsals, if needed. Dress rehearsal for the pre-recording will occur during the afternoon of October 1st, and the actual recording will be done in front of a small invited audience shortly after. Each group will get to record their song twice, with the best take being chosen as the one that airs on the following episode.

For this episode’s writing opportunities:

Required: write a 300+ word performance solo about your muse performing the cover song for the filming. Optional: write a 300+ word preparation solo about any event leading up to the cover song filming. This can include learning the choreography, rehearsals, costume fittings, dress rehearsals, etc. Optional: write a 250+ word interview with your muse reacting to the events unveiled during this episode. As before, you do not have to answer all of these, and you are allowed to come up with your own questions for this interview. However, all questions for this episode’s interview should relate to these following topics:

What did you think of seeing your performance on the final version of the VTR?

What would you change, if anything, about your performance?

Who do you, personally, believe should be on the Major and Minor teams?

Tell us about your personal motivations/inspirations that led you here today.

Tell us a little about your family/friends/those who are supporting you on the show.

The reward for writing the required solo is +5 SKILL POINTS TO BE DISTRIBUTED AS YOU WISH, +5 DANCE POINTS, +10 CHARISMA POINTS, and +5 DEBUT points, as well earning +1 week of a RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT. Additionally, all girls will automatically receive +1 week VARIETY achievement for being present during Episode 2. Point forms will always be due the Wednesday after a deadline passes; this means for Episode 2, verification forms should be submitted after the Activity Check post on Wednesday, October 4th. These form dates have been added to the writing schedule, so be sure to refer to it periodically to make sure everything is being submitted on time!

ROYAL SURVIVAL EPISODE 2 (for the Oct 4th form)

[ x ]  *one 300+ word performance solo

+5 ___ POINTS

+5 DANCE POINTS

+10 CHARISMA POINTS

+ 5 DEBUT POINTS

+1 WK RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT (CURRENT LEVEL + NUMBER OF TIMES TAKEN)

+1 WK VARIETY ACHIEVEMENT (CURRENT LEVEL + NUMBER OF TIMES TAKEN)

+ NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:

The deadline for all solos is midnight EST at the end of October 1st, and please tag each solo (including the interview) with #royalsurvival2. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to the Royal Survival inbox!