#these are mostly from the first 4 episodes
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Richie as Actor and Director: A Mirror to Carmyâs Journey
Just a little fun episode guide, mostly for me and my Richie collection to see how Richie serves as both actor and director in season 4, and what it means for The Bear- both the restaurant and the show.
Richie Shifts Roles
In Season 4, Richie shifts roles. He's no longer just the surrogate director to himself and Carmy's emotional arc this season, he's the actor, stepping into environments Carmy once faced. But Richie responds with growth, an appreciation for Groundhog Day, a clearer understanding of his role, and confidence in letting go of the past.
Richie Mirrors Carmy â Episode 2
Richieâs actorâs journey begins in Episode 2, where we first see Carmy sitting alone, sulking over his mistakes. Richie asks if it's performative, almost like a director trying to guide an actor into emotional truth.
This is the last time we really see Richie as a surrogate director for a while. But before Richie steps into his own role as an âactor,â he delivers one last, uncanny piece of direction to Carmy:
âToday is tomorrow, cousin.â
He knows Carmy is stuck in groundhog day. Even Carmy, lost in his spiral, seems momentarily shaken out of his thoughts.
Richie is reminding him: youâre not stuck. You donât have to keep sulking in guilt, shame, or mistakes. You can break the loop.
Itâs a line that quietly offers Carmy a way out of his Groundhog Day. And as we learn later in the season, much of the shame Carmy carries stems from not being there for his family at Mikeyâs funeral, a silence that haunts him still.
But Richieâs message is simple and grounded: Today is all we have.
Carmy can live stuck in yesterdayâs pain and expect to live in that cycle the next day or he can choose to show up for today.
Richie always is keen director. But Richie as the actor, although observant, is stuck in his own story.
The episode continues similarly to Carmyâs 1x02 moment, with the same music playing. Richie, now in Carmy's role, ends the shift in solitude. He's just as lonely Carmy He watches 3:10 to Yuma and hears the line, âSqueezing the watch wonât stop timeâ â a mirror of Carmyâs struggle with today and the next day.
Later on his sofa, Richie watches Ridley Scott speak on directing and reflects on the importance of knowing the space. It's meta for Richie knowing and learning later on that the vibe will influence the guest and the bear. And if he can fix the environment, he can keep the restaurant going.
Another meta moment in this episode was Richie rehearsing his prep speech for the cast of The Bear. Sydney provides the advice that his direction or movie is too inteelligent, too lofty. Richie points out its elitist (maybe a referencee to the reviews about the show).
Richie's Evolution Through Environment: The Scallop Episode
In Episode 3 Richie is back as director in this episode. Richie realizes and applies what director Ridley Scott says- that when the atmosphere is right, people perform at their best. The Bear is perfect for a night.
Before service, he sets the tone for the show- as Marcus asks how many of these can we do (my opinion, this is Marcus asking about seasons of the show or restaurant), and Richie gives the right advice of living day by day.
What I love about Scallop is that it's an episode where everyone shines at Service as Richie returns as director. Sydney's scallop is the highlight of the episode, carrying hues and shining for the reviewer. As Jessie says, theyâre on pace. The Bear, both the show and the restaurant, embodies what it means to take care of others, to make people happy, and by serving the Italian Beef the bear lets the guests and the viewers in on their family and shared history.
On the night of the service, the environment has a significant impact on Carmy's performance. Richie creates a space where Carmy isnât overwhelmed by dysfunction, but instead is engaged, caring for the guests and supporting his family, rather than shouting or pushing. He's calm amongst the pressure and pace, taking care of others, creating memories for the family they're serving, making them happy.
Itâs something Carmy once deeply wanted, but now believes he no longer has a spark for.
One of the most beautiful moments for me in Scallop- besides Sydney's gorgeous montage- Richie watching Carmy plate the italian beef beautifully and with surprise for a guest. Richie knows Carmy should be thriving here. As Dionâs âOnly You Knowâ plays, Richie gives this little nod as he watches Carmy love what he's doing.
The lyrics, âI wanna see something that used to be in your eyes again⊠you know itâs only a question of when.â I could cry!
Richie sees at that moment, the light in Carmyâs eyes and believes it can exist in The Bear and for Carmy.
But he's still going to step back and let Carmy live his journey.
Episode 5 Replicants: As an actor, Richie is still struggling with attending the wedding, accepting Frank as stepdad, moving on from Tiffany, and coping with the harshness of loneliness.
Richie is still the actor, but the opposite of Carmy. Heâs living in the loop, but showing up, he's working, building tentative intimacy with Jessie, and choosing presence.
Richieâs Dual Role in Later Episodes
In Episode 6, Richie shifts back to director, offering a psychological analysis of Carmy by reminding the audience that Carmy has a mother's complex
But at the end of Sophie, Richie sees Carmy in a different emotion
Richie ends the episode with his usual parting, but it holds a different meaning , and Happy Thursday is the possibility of Carmy being happy in the family in the restaurant, and out of The Groundhog Day Loop.
In Episode 7, Richie is an actor who initially feels nervous about his performance as a supportive ex-husband. Despite his sadness, he takes on the role of director once again for Frank and Eva, who are scheduled to perform at the wedding. Richie also guides Carmy to the kitchen, where Carmy accidentally connects with Lee. By the end of the episode, Richie embraces his role as the "sand", the director who brings others together.
In Episode 8,. he directs while writing in his notebook. After he writes his director notes, Carmy moves like an actor hitting his mark, turning to Sydney to connect.
Throughout the rest of the episode, he shifts into actor mode as he flirts with Jessie and tries to redirect what happened by saying, âThereâs no âI love youâ in the workplace.â
Funny despite being a director, Richie still lacks some self-awareness of the story since he's also acting in it. The surprise that The Bear is a love story reflects this. He seems to be grappling with the ghost of loneliness, which clouds his perspective.
Does he even realize that he is the one who frequently says "I love you" in the workplace?
He'll know soon that love would make the restaurant and show perfect again.
In Episode 9, Richie does not direct until the end because Carmy is absent. When Carmy finally returns, Richie greets him like a director waiting for his lead, asking where he has been and expressing concern about their limited time. Carmy, the actor, communicates to Richie how emotionally "free" or unstuck he feels by talking to his mother.
This is a contrast to the last time Carmy and Richie sat at the table, which was filled with sorrow. But in episode 9- their very last shift, Carmy the actor experiences an emotional breakthrough and becomes more open.
Although Richie kept his distance while directing Carmy, he couldn't help but show a hint of a smile, proud that Carmy is moving forward.
At least with his mother and at least by the next episode with Richie? Sort of.
In Episode 10, Goodbye, the two actors, Sydney and Carmy, become so emotionally full in their scene that Richie has to disrupt the direction the story is taking. But he has little control over the twist these two actors pull.
The last season casts Richie in a new light: his role will be a partnership in the upcoming season. However, he will also, unwillingly, become the director of the chaos between Sydney and Carmy. As he puts it, heâll be the ambassador of a St. Paddyâs Day and @turbulenthandholding, @moodyeucalyptus, and I know that any St Paddy's Day in Chicago is a shit show.
The last time we heard about St. Paddy's Day being described as a shit show was by Claire.
But he doesnât realize that being the ambassador of this upcoming shitshow will actually be a good thing. As a holiday is represented by a color that repsents the good and being on time in the bear.
Richie is the sand. The one who connects.
And next season itâs St. Paddyâs Day and the clock has run out.
But Richie will direct a beautiful, loving mess of a story, right on time.
#sydcarmy#it's a love story#long meta#this took a while but it was fun#richie the director#season 5 is right on time
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AMBIKA MOD & LEO WOODALL as EMMA MORLEY & DEXTER MAYHEW One Day actual scene / blooper
#one day#one day netflix#onedayedit#emma morley#dexter mayhew#leo woodall#ambika mod#bts one day#one day spoilers#tvedit#netflixedit#netflix#mystuff#one day tv#these are mostly from the first 4 episodes#WHERE ARE THE REST OF THE BLOOPERS NETFLIX#this took five million years and a day
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â And KENDALL needs to stop talking back to me after everything I say! â
#WOE INAUGURAL TRASH BLOG REVIVAL KENDALL KNIGHT GIFS BE UPON YE!!!!! IT'S ONLY RIGHT OFC PEACE AND LOVE ON PLANET EARTH đđïžđ#i hope this atones for all the immediate shitposting i did right outta hiatus;;; the shitposting will continue though but still#i'm not even capping i have so many random solo kendall gifsets that i never posted. the chokehold this man and his eyebrows had on me đ#also heck it why not i'm leaving the embarrassingly unhinged og (2022?) tags i had for this post as well here are They:#TOP TEN DEVASATING INCIDENTS THAT GOT ME HOLLERING HE'S MY BABYGIRL FR DOT GEE EYE EFF!!!!!!#THAT 3RD GIF SPECIFICALLY GOT ME ACTING UP SOME KINDA WAY;;; PURE ATTITUDE ALL WRAPPED IN SASSY FLANNEL DIMPLY BITCH BOY UGH HE'S SO VERY !#'Chill pill!' bro was so proud of getting the last word that gustavo made sure it ended up on his gravestone đđđ#brb omw to be kendall knight's b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend <3 that's what that song was about right he's looking for a one so babyyy imma be that#idk if this is any good it's my first time attempting gifs in gÄ«mp and i have zero idea .-. the filter is babygirlifying ken good tho#but it also looks like some fever dream mf sequence which um. isn't too far off from what my subconscious mostly looks like tbh :^/#i prolly shoulda grided this bUT DANGIT I SPENT TOO LONG ON THIS AND MY MANS BEAUTIFUL FACE DESERVES TO BE APPRECIATED IN 4KHD SOZ LONGPOST#if it looks like a mushy grainy dithering mess with 4 pixels across the boards that's on tumblr so pls click on it hopefully it's better???#btr#big time rush#kendall knight#kendall schmidt#s02e08: big time guru#all my btr episodes are locked away and i can't fact-check if that's the right one so i really hope i'm remembering it right â àŒàș¶â  â à·Žâ  â àŒàș¶â #edit#tvedit#gifs#gifset#btrgifs#rusher#mine#turn that thing big time!#my rusher besties aren't really on tumblr but imma use their friendship tags anyway bc. i Love them sm đ«¶ kenny is liz hehe#stop it forever#big time eps#tv gifs
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Help Iâm thinking too hard about the unexplored world building implications of the seven kisses lead to pregnancy in a world where there seems to be/have been a patriarchy and also somehow it works interspecially despite humans and akiridions having entirely different modes of existence/bodily function
#that movie is still fucking me up (derogatory) almost four years later#like Aja overcomes a seemingly patriarchal issue of âprincesses canât be warriorsâ that she at least thinks is systemic sexism until#she learns her mom was a warrior#but also her parents created a new global government so perhaps systemic patriarchy was a thing before they upended the old system (that#morando was trying to restore??)#but also what are the implications of this world that had make warriors predominantly but also the men got pregnant? I mean the women still#have breasts and the baby thing is quite fast so perhaps women stayed home with newborns?#and also that culture would probably have some sort of milestone associated with each kiss right? like Aja mostly didnât care about Rules or#The Way Things Should Be Done so it makes sense she didnât think too hard about milestones especially when surrounded by human dating cultur#BUT ALSO in the first episode(s?) the go out of their way to say that humans are biological and akiridions are âenergy basedâ so like how#does that factor into this whole shitshow?#did she maybe think the whole species thing meant she and Steve couldnât ever have kids (which could be an issue with the whole âRoyalâ thin#thus deserving exploration too)#and like also thereâs the Aja and krelâs parents were somewhat less fertile or Aja and Krel have at least one dead sibling thing cause she#says 3 or 4 babies#and we donât necessarily know if she and Krel were even from the same pregnancy since she consistently calls him little brother#and how do repeat pregnancies work? is it on multiples of seven or like is there something else to it?#donât even get me started on vex having had a family (implied to be a wife and kids) nor how his relationship with Nancy will work in the#long run cause Jesus#I hate rott so much this isnât even its worst writing decision#trollhunters rise of the titans#3below#3 below#aja tarron#krel tarron#tales of arcadia#toa
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I'm still sad
#4 minutes#4 minutes the series#mostly because Dome's dead#and the woman Great hit with his car#and Nan and Tyme's grandma#they are all dead#I kind of knew it from the first episode tbh
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Iâve reached the point in my Fairy Tail rewatch where itâs further along than tfd ever got, which means shit keeps happening that makes me go âfucking WHATâ
#mobbtalks#Iâll be real tfd embedded in my brain more solidly than the actual plot did. because tfd is my baby#specifically Iâm on the oracion seis arc which I mostly remember for trying to puzzle around how to like. actually tackle it in tfd#it was next up on the chopping block. when I hit the wall I was like. Iâd say 3-4 chapters away from it#so the plot beats I remember -the seis themselves#- the guild alliance and (most) of whoâs participating in that#- big weird land thing goes walkabout and they have to destroy all its legs at once#things I did not remember but that have BLASTED me. - Ichiya.#and I. I fucking hate to say it. bc I hated ichiya the first go round but I think he might genuinely be funnier in the sub? god. god.#maybe itâs also because every time I have an episode going Iâm also doing a few other things#- the monkey guys. genuinely thought they were a filler side plot didnât expect them to come back#- Erigor comes back???? I uh. I killed him off in tfd bc I forgot that. haha. whoops.#- fucking *JELLAL* which is something I am. quite frankly. *shocked* I forgot#this guy is at the centre of like. every goddamn arc <- exaggeration#things I half remember which have yet to be confirmed one of which is kind of alarming#- there was a guy who was real obsessed with potatoes?#- Iâm pretty sure this brain guy was uh. white. heâs black. he also has a line about switching âdarkâ and âlightâ. the implications of this#concern me.
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remember when the dragon prince was like... good
#genuinely season 1-3 was some of the best kids media i've seen#the representation was fantastic#and the story itself was interesting#the characters were compelling#aside from callum and rayla who i honestly never cared about#but season 4 was... eh#though it had good parts. mostly with amaya#and i literally couldn't get past the first episode of season 5#like who fucking wrote that dialogue. it's horrific#like the second hand embarrassment was through the roof#i already fast forwarded most of terry's scenes in s4 bc jfc#but it's like... everything#also rayla's voice acting. has never been great lbr but it's SO BAD in s5
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ÊàœČá” â NANA TOUR àŁȘ ! Ë à±šà§ àŁȘË âââ episode 1-4.

Nana Tour with SEVENTEEN
synopsis: Episode 1-4! Something happened in their house. The travelers take breaks, but their fun never stops! SEVENTEEN must beat Guide Na in a game to win toiletries!
wc: 17k
i know, i know, i know and i apologize that this took so long. i have been so busy with my other works and busy with drama i never asked for, i completely ignored Nana Tour, so Iâm sorry, my lovelies! anyway! this is the last part of episode one! after this will be the fan reaction tweets for all of episode one before moving on to episode two, specifically episode 2-1! hope you guys enjoy this! happy reading, my loves! đ€
p.s. i also added the first 7 minutes of ep. 2-1 at the end to make this episode longer and to make up for taking forever to post this đ€
ⰠౚৠLUNA-VERSE MASTERLIST
Ⱐౚৠfan reactions Ⱐౚৠnana tour masterlist
[added captions are in brackets] áŠ
bold dialogues are spoken in english áŠ
The bus finally slowed to a stop on a quiet street, the gentle hum of the engine fading as the brakes hissed beneath them. The night was cool and the street was bathed in a soft yellow glow from the vintage lampposts. Outside, the narrow cobblestone road curved gently uphill, flanked by charming stucco buildings with wooden shutters and crawling ivy, their windows glowing with the warm light of evening residents.
[They have arrived⊠kinda]
Inside the bus, the SEVENTEEN members stirred, stretching and groaning softly, their bodies stiff from hours of travel. Just as a few hands reached upwards toward overhead compartments to stretch and others began adjusting their jackets to brace for the walk outside, PD Naâs voice rang through the bus like an announcement at school assembly.
âSeven-minute walk. Group yourselvesâ two groups of four people and one group of five people.â
A collective groan rose up in good-natured complaint.
âSeven minutes??â Dino whined jokingly from his seat, already slumping as if gravity had doubled.
[Yes.]
âI thought we were there,â Wonwoo muttered, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses.
But despite the exaggerated sighs and complaints, the energy was still light. They were in Italy. The exhaustion was real, yes, but the buzz of being somewhere newâ somewhere this beautifulâ kept their spirits alive.
The members slowly made their way out of the bus, stepping into the crisp air one by one.
The first to bounce out, unsurprisingly, were Jeonghan and Luna. They both looked like they had just escaped from captivity, heads immediately lifting to scan their surroundings, legs already moving before anyone could even call roll.
PD Na stepped out next and began counting. Jeonghan, standing beside him, helped in his own wayâ mostly by pointing.
âOkay⊠one, two, three, four, five,â PD Na and Jeonghan said almost in unison, gesturing to the first cluster: Jeonghan, Luna, Woozi, Dino, and Seungkwan.
[Grouped together due to the large amount of members]
âFirst group, go ahead,â PD Na announced, waving his hand like a traffic officer.
The five nodded, and just like that, the front group began making their way up the cobbled street, Jeonghan and Luna instinctively leading with brisk, determined steps.
[And they are off]
Behind them, the second group began assembling: Minghao, Jun, Wonwoo, and Hoshi. They exchanged glances, checking that everyone was ready before following the first group with a more relaxed pace, chatting among themselves.
Lastly, the final group brought up the rear: Mingyu, Dokyeom, Joshua, and Vernon. They trailed behind the camera crew and PD Na, who strolled alongside them while keeping an eye on the groups ahead.
Though they were exhaustedâ bags under their eyes, hair tousled from the flight, shoulders droopingâ they were in Rome. And that fact alone kept everyone wide-eyed, pointing at the quaint balconies, the parked Vespas, and the small cafĂ©s still open late into the evening.
Minghao glanced at a hanging plant outside a window and whispered something to Jun that made them both laugh. Hoshi occasionally paused to point out something âcoolâ about the buildings.
Meanwhile, up ahead, Jeonghan and Luna had started to outpace their own group. Their strides quickened, not quite a run, but unmistakably a power-walk, almost as if there were a race to the Airbnb and they were neck-and-neck in first place.
[Itâs every man for themselves]
âAre they speedwalking??â Woozi muttered.
[They are.]
âTheyâre gonna be tucked in before we even find the house,â Dino said under his breath.
The rest of their group chuckled, keeping a steady pace while watching the two sleep-deprived bunnies dart ahead, side by side.
Back with the last group, Dokyeomâ hands shoved in his pockets, hair still ruffled from his bus napâ suddenly chuckled and lifted a finger to point toward the front.
âThose two are really something else,â he said with a laugh, nodding in the direction of Luna and Jeonghan, who were now about ten paces ahead of even their own group.
PD Na followed his gaze and let out a chuckle, amusement crinkling his eyes. The rest of the group followed his line of sight and instantly burst into laughter.
There they wereâ Luna and Jeonghanâ marching like their lives depended on it, their silhouettes framed by the ancient walls around them, looking less like idols on a filming schedule and more like two classmates desperate to get to a sleepover first to claim the best bed.
âItâs like weâre not even here,â PD Na chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.
âYou have to excuse them,â Seungkwan piped up from the middle group, throwing an exaggerated glance back over his shoulder as he jogged to keep up. His voice was perfectly theatrical, like a translator explaining cultural context. âThey are running on adrenaline at this point.â
[Team bunny is low on battery]
The members burst out laughing again.
Jeonghan and Luna were far ahead of the others now, their silhouettes cutting sleek outlines against the night, moving like a pair of escapees on a mission to conquer the bed first.
Behind them, the sounds of laughter drifted from the groups catching up, chuckles trailing like distant music.
âThey think we canât hear them,â Jeonghan snickered, tilting his head slightly without turning around, his voice low and laced with that signature drawl of mischief. His lips curled into a smug smile, pleased by the obvious attention they were getting from the peanut gallery behind them.
[Loves the attention]
Luna hummed in agreement, her steps slowing just a little, her eyes lazily blinking. Without a word, she reached out, wrapped her arms around Jeonghanâs, and hugged it close to her body. Her cheek pressed against his shoulder, the soft material of his shirt cushioning the side of her face.
[Battery saving mode]
Jeonghan glanced down with an arched brow but didnât say anything. The smugness faded slightly, replaced with a soft amusement at her dramatics.
âIâm tired,â Luna mumbled, her voice muffled against his arm like a toddler ready to throw herself to the floor in protest.
Jeonghan, without missing a beat, looked straight ahead and deadpanned, âThen sleep here. Iâll tell Seungcheol you lived a good life.â
[Snitch]
Luna scoffed through a tired laugh, hitting his arm with the flat of her hand. âYouâre so dramatic.â
âSays the one clinging to me like sheâs being dragged out of a funeral,â Jeonghan quipped, not even flinching as she gave him another light smack.
She groaned exaggeratedly and dragged her feet even more for effect, her head still leaning against him like he was the only thing keeping her upright. âCanât we just teleport? Isnât that one of the SEVENTEEN perks?â
[Lack of sleep makes you want to have superpowers]
Jeonghan snorted. âYou shouldâve joined the performance team. I heard Hoshiâs been working on teleportation through dance.â
âThatâs too much work,â Luna grumbled.
[Everything is too much work at this point for her]
âExactly. Thatâs why youâre stuck walking like a zombie beside me.â He smirked and glanced down at her again. âYou look like Cherry after she gets thrown across the bed.â
Luna paused and then let out a cackle. âExcuse me, Cherry always lands with style. Sheâs a survivor.â
âSheâs in the pocket of your jacket right now like a hostage,â Jeonghan said.
[Peekaboo]
âAnd sheâs sleeping better than both of us,â Luna shot back, eyes barely open now. âI shouldâve been reborn as a plushie.â
âYou kind of are one,â Jeonghan muttered.
âHuh?â
âNothing,â he said, smile tugging at his lips as he looked ahead again.
Their pace had slowed to a gentle crawl now, like two elderly citizens taking a midnight stroll through Rome, except one was leaning all her weight on the other, and the other was just smug enough to make it look like he wasnât tired at all.
From behind, the rest of the members could still see them, even from several meters back. Luna clinging onto Jeonghan like a toddler on a shopping trip, Jeonghan walking like he had the entire street reserved just for himself and the girl glued to his side.
The cobblestone echoed under their feet. Rome whispered around them. And ahead? The promise of warmth, of beds, of pajamas, and maybeâ just maybeâ some peace.
If they could survive the last few minutes without collapsing from chaos or each other.
The group had finally turned onto the narrow cobblestone street where their Airbnb was supposedly located. The air was colder now, carrying the scent of old stone, faint pasta from nearby restaurants, and a hint of jetlagged misery. Lunaâs steps dragged behind Jeonghanâs, her arms still locked tightly around his, eyes nearly closed as if she could nap while walking.
Jeonghan slowed as they reached the edge of the quiet street, eyes scanning the buildings before his gaze locked onto a massive, ancient wooden door across the road. It looked like something out of a medieval RPGâ arched, heavy, slightly weathered, and holding the kind of presence that whispered, secrets live inside here.
[Not castle doors⊠Airbnb doors]
âI guess itâs that one,â Jeonghan said, casually nodding toward the intimidating door.
Luna lifted her head slightly from where it rested on his shoulder, her eyes squinting at the direction he pointed. âWhich one?â she asked sleepily, voice gravelly like she was seconds away from snoring.
âThat one,â he repeated with a tired nod, gesturing across the street again, like he was pointing at a haunted castle.
âItâs here?â Woozi asked, his voice dry and a little skeptical, as he and the rest of their group caught up from behind.
âWow, itâs here?â Wonwoo echoed, blinking as they all shuffled forward, bags hanging from their shoulders like battle-worn capes. The entire group stood outside the wooden gate, staring up at it like it might suddenly open on its own and welcome them with a butler and slippers.
Jeonghan, ever the oldest-child energy when it came to things like this, walked ahead and reached out with one hand. Luna stayed right beside him, standing upright for the first time in ten minutes as she eyed the door with suspicion.
He pressed his palm against it and gave it a push.
The door creaked open, slow and dramatic, as if it had been waiting for them for a century. Luna peeked in beside him, the hallway beyond dimly lit and lined with stone steps curling upward.
âIs this the right place?â Dino asked cautiously, his head leaning in from behind Jeonghanâs shoulder.
[Yup]
PD Na, bringing up the rear of the second group, looked at his phone and gave a confirming nod. âThis is it. Go ahead.â
With that, like migrating penguins spotting their seasonal nest, the first group started filing in. Jeonghan led the charge, stepping through the old doorframe as if it were a portal into salvation. Luna walked beside him like she was entering a sacred temple.
Stairs. There were stairs. Of course there were stairs.
âMan, Iâm tired,â Jeonghan muttered under his breath as he trudged upward, each step sounding heavier than the last.
âTired,â Luna echoed in a hum, her tone flat like an automatic voice response, her hand gripping the railing like it might dissolve if she let go.
[Stairs will help with that!]
The others followed behind in clusters, their dragging footsteps echoing off the narrow stairwell as more and more SEVENTEEN members filled the tight hallway like clowns piling into a miniature car. Their sleepyheadsâ all bundled together in a sluggish swarm of idol exhaustion.
And they just. Kept. Coming.
[Takes them years to get inside]
âOh, they keep on coming,â PD Na muttered under his breath with a soft chuckle, standing at the foot of the stairs as the tail end of the last groupâMingyu, Dokyeom, Joshua, and Vernonâ filed in, their bags thudding softly against the walls as they tried not to trip over each other.
The staircase creaked beneath the weight of idol dreams and fatigue, but the energy was lighthearted, funny in that surreal âweâve-been-awake-for-too-longâ kind of way.
And even though they were practically zombies⊠the laughter and muttering never stopped.
They were finally homeâ for tonight, at least.
Once all thirteen members had made it inside, the door shutting with a collective thud behind them, the energy shifted instantly. Gone was the medieval castle aesthetic from outsideâ the heavy wooden door, the worn stone walls, and the echo of centuries past. Inside? It was a complete 180. White walls, soft yellow lighting, light wood furniture, cozy rugs and potted plants tucked in cornersâ it was clean, minimalist, almost Ikea-esque.
[Wasnât expecting that]
âOh?â Jeonghan blinked, eyebrows rising as he stepped further in.
âThis is kinda cute,â Seungkwan muttered as he looked around.
The members instantly split off in every direction like kids whoâd just been released into recess. Shoes thumped against the floor, travel-weary bags were dragged along, and the tiredness momentarily gave way to exploration.
âThis is the two person roomâ two people is cozy,â Woozi announced, peeking into the first room. He opened the door wide, revealing a simple room with two single beds, white sheets, and a small window that let in the soft glow of a streetlamp.
âFour people room,â Jeonghan said as he opened the next door across the hallway. Inside, two single beds sat side by side with a double decker bed pushed to the corner. The walls were just as plain white, but a few small paintings gave it a tiny bit of character.
âThis is a three person room,â Wonwoo said, gesturing to another door while stepping aside so the rest could peek in. The moment he opened it, the boys skillfully weaved between each other, craning their necks like they were examining rare PokĂ©mon cards.
[Itâs a full house]
âThere are bunk beds! Bunk beds!â Dokyeom called out from the far side of the apartment. His eyes were wide, almost glittering. He might as well have discovered buried treasure.
âThatâs cute,â Luna said, stepping into the three-person room with a slow, appreciative nod. Her voice was quiet but pleased. There was a soft sense of nostalgia in her tone.
âThis is very nostalgic,â she murmured, walking her fingers along the metallic edge of the top bunk as if mentally placing herself back in their first ever dorm.
[Reminds them of the past]
âRight? They have bunk beds from the past. They have that,â Dokyeom echoed enthusiastically, practically bouncing on his feet. âOh, I like it so much.â
âIs this the three people room?â Jeonghan asked as he joined Luna by the door, eyes scanning the space.
âMhm,â Luna hummed in confirmation.
âItâs neat,â Dino said from behind.
âBut how do we decide this?â Mingyu asked, turning back toward the rest with furrowed brows, his arms half-crossed as if already bracing for chaos.
âJust like how we always did back in the day,â Jeonghan replied, waving everyone to the dining table with a half-tired, half-playful authority.
And like that, all thirteen members gathered at the center dining table. The table wasnât big enough for all of them to sit comfortably, but they made it work anywayâ knees bumping, elbows knocking, loud voices overlapping.
[This is how 13/14 SEVENTEEN looks when they eat together]
Jeonghan, slipping into his natural oldest-hyung, vice-leader mode with the smoothness of someone whoâd done this for over a decade, sat at the middle of the table.
âOkay,â he said, looked around at all of them. âLike we used to do beforeâ pre-debut and rookie days style. Weâre deciding rooms old school.â
The members nodded, some smirking knowingly, others already preparing to fight for bunk beds.
âAs always,â Jeonghan added, holding up a finger as he looked directly at Luna, âJiyeonie picks first.â
[The princess picks first]
No one protested. Not a single voice argued, not a single eyebrow twitched. It was an unspoken law among SEVENTEENâ one not written, but honored consistently throughout their years together.
When it came to games, Going SEVENTEEN challenges, variety show chaos, and on-camera nonsense, Luna was fair game. They teased her, joked around, made her guess the lies, cheated, and sabotage answers. But when it came to her actual comfortâ her sleeping arrangements, her wellbeingâshe always got first pick. No games. No rock-paper-scissors. No age order.
Luna chose first.
It was SEVENTEEN Rule.
Jeonghan turned to her, voice softening just a touch. âGo ahead, Nana-ya. Choose.â
She blinked slowly, half-asleep already. âThank you,â she muttered, her voice almost a yawn as she stood up with Cherry in her arms.
[Off she goes]
She padded off toward the three-person room she had her eyes on earlier. Inside, she walked straight over to the single bed by the doorâ slightly apart from the other two single beds that were right next to each other.
Gently, she placed Cherry on the bed.
[Chosen her bed for the their stay tonight]
âIâll stay here,â she announced, patting the plush on its tiny head as if signing a deed of ownership, before quietly walking back out and returning to the table.
âYou done?â Jeonghan asked, glancing at her.
âYup,â she replied with a sleepy nod.
âYou like the one you chose?â he asked again with a small grin.
âYes, thank you,â she said sincerely, standing off to the side.
Jeonghan gave her a brief nod, then cracked his knuckles like a seasoned game master preparing for battle. He raised his fist.
âDivide and do rock-paper-scissors and the first place will go next followed by the second and onwards,â he announced.
âOkay!â came a collective chorus from the members, energy suddenly rising like theyâd just downed three shots of espresso each.
[The battle begins]
The room exploded with movement as the members quickly grouped off into informal clumps, already sizing each other up like Whoâs the weak link? Who always does paper first?
âRock-paper-scissors!â
âRock-paper-scissors!â
âRock-paper-scissors!â
The chant bounced off the walls in overlapping waves, as hands flew into the air with every round. Laughter, fake betrayal, and loud accusations echoed through the apartment like a chorus of overgrown kids trying to decide who gets the top bunk first.
From her spot leaning on the wall near the kitchen, Luna simply watched them with an amused expression, arms crossed, and blinking slowly like a panda about to hibernateâ comfortably amused, completely unbothered.
[Is used to it]
Once the room order was finally settled through a flurry of dramatic rock-paper-scissors matches and chaotic cheers and groans, the members began shuffling through the Airbnb with renewed energyâ despite the fatigue weighing down their limbs. With Luna already having claimed her spot in the three-person room, the rest of the boys moved like curious tourists through the hallways, poking their heads into doorways and inspecting every bed like professional room critics.
[Finally choosing their rooms]
They filtered in and out of the rooms, chatting amongst themselves and silently marking their chosen territory. Some went straight for top bunks like it was muscle memory, others tested mattresses with light bounces like they were considering a hotel suite instead of a nostalgic lodging in the heart of Rome.
Lunaâs room ended up shared with Jun and Dino. Her bed was the single one separated by a bit of space from the other two parallel bedsâ one Jun quickly claimed and the other Dino flopped on without contest.
The two-person room, cozy and minimalist, was quietly taken by Vernon and Minghao, both naturally leaning into the quieter atmosphere as they wordlessly nodded and unpacked⊠a Vernonâs baseball cap and the one jacket they each wore.
[NANA Tour unpacking style]
The first four-person room became home to the louder quartet of Dokyeom, Mingyu, Hoshi, and Joshua. Predictably chaotic, they practically dove into their beds while comparing who could starfish the widest.
[The loud room]
Meanwhile, the second four-person roomâ slightly more tucked away and quietâ housed Woozi, Wonwoo, Seungkwan, and Jeonghan. Despite being a powerhouse lineup of loud commentary and variety charisma, the room itself was unusually calm as the four boys settled in with their phones.
[The quiet room]
With no real luggage to unpack, their belongings consisted mostly of jackets hung on bedposts, caps and sunglasses tossed aside, and pouches from the airplane either abandoned or tucked under pillows for safekeeping. There was no immediate rush to unpack or organize; instead, the house began to fill with low, comfortable noise: footsteps padding between rooms, casual conversations drifting through doorways, and the occasional âHey, Iâm stealing your bed for a secâ followed by laughter.
Members wandered between rooms naturally, laying across each otherâs beds without hesitation, continuing conversations that had started either on the bus or mid-flight. Jun poked his head into the first four-person room to join their group. Hoshi wandered into Lunaâs room to talk to Dino before moving again. It was the usual brand of SEVENTEEN chaosâ messy, loud, familiar.
[They are making themselves at home]
Luna found herself walking down the hallway again, arms folded, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she slowly wandered to where Jeonghanâs room was. When she nudged the door open, she was met with a picture of pure stillness: all four boys, the sound of the air conditioning was the only thing heard and then there they were on their phones like monks in quiet meditation.
[No noise whatsoever]
Wonwoo was curled into the top bunk, one leg hanging over the side, phone raised above him. Woozi was sat on the bottom bunk with his head down as he scrolled through his phone. Seungkwan was sprawled across his bed horizontally with both legs hanging off one end. And Jeonghan was propped up lazily against the headboard of his single bed, arms relaxed behind his head as he stared into his phone like he was waiting for the stock market to crash.
âHannie, can I have my AirPods? I gave it to you earlier,â Luna mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes as she stepped closer, dragging her feet slightly.
[Bunny broke the silence]
Without looking up, Jeonghan calmly reached into the front pocket of his pants and pulled out the AirPods. He extended his arm, wrist flicking slightly as he handed them over like it was a well-practiced move.
âStop rubbing your eyes,â he said flatly, a soft sternness in his tone that only Luna ever got from him.
[Bunny scolds bunny]
Lunaâs hand froze mid-rub then blinked at the warning and immediately dropped her hand from her face with a small pout, now blinking at him like a scolded kitten. âOkayâŠâ
Jeonghan raised a brow, already shutting his phone off before dropping it on the bed. âYouâre going to rub them until they fall off.â
âThey wonât fall off,â Luna muttered, her voice small and defensive as she pocketed her AirPods.
âThey might,â he shrugged, still watching her. âYou rub like youâre trying to erase your entire day.â
âI feel like erasing the day,â she replied, dragging her voice with a sleepy huff.
âYouâre dramatic,â Jeonghan deadpanned, settling back onto his bed.
âYou like it,â Luna shot back, already half-turned to leave the room.
Jeonghan smirked faintly, his voice following her as moved to walk away, âI must, because I havenât thrown you out a window yet.â
[Yes. This is how they talk to each other]
Across the room, the others were unfazed, still immersed in their phones. It was a natural rhythm they hadâ somehow peaceful despite their number.
But just as Luna reached the door, a voice called out from the hallway.
âWait in the room for five minutes!â one of the producers announced from the corridor, voice echoing slightly as he knocked on their doorframe to get their attention.
[And now they canât leave]
They all glanced up from their phones just as PD Na poked his head into the room.
[Peekaboo]
âPlease wait in the room for five to ten minutes,â he said.
âYes,â Woozi responded, his voice not even lifting from its half-mutter tone.
âOkay,â Wonwoo added simply.
With that, PD Na disappeared down the hall again, presumably delivering the same message to the rest of the members.
[What is he planning?]
There was a short pause before Woozi chuckled and shook his head, eyes still on his screen. âHis eyes are weird. I keep saying this.â
A chorus of low laughter followed.
âThey have spun around,â Seungkwan added with a soft wheeze, thumb scrolling through his feed.
âCrazier than to just express it like that,â Woozi muttered again, grinning as he rolled onto his side.
âThey were setting something up outside,â Luna muttered, eyes already heavy as she wordlessly walked back and crawled onto Jeonghanâs bed. Without needing to be told, Jeonghan shifted slightly, creating space for her to plop down next to him. She didnât hesitate to settle against his side like it was instinct, head resting on his shoulder.
[She is ready to tap out]
âThey are,â Wonwoo said in agreement, peeking through the door and seeing PD Na and crew members moving things around in the dining area.
[Doing something he is told not to do]
âSleepyâŠâ Luna trailed off in a barely-there whisper, eyes now fully closed, cheek pressed against Jeonghanâs shirt.
âYou should take a nap before we get called back out, noona,â Seungkwan said, still scrolling, tone warm but distracted.
But Luna didnât reply. She was already half-asleep.
[She has indeed tapped out]
Jeonghan looked down at her fondly, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.
âSheâs way ahead of you,â he said, lifting one hand to rest it gently on her head, fingers combing through her hair in slow, absentminded strokes before turning his attention back to his phone like it was just another day in their strange, wonderful circus.
Finally after fifteen minutes of waiting PD Na called for them.
[15 minutes later]
The muffled buzz of movement started faintlyâ soft thuds of slippers against hardwood floors, the creak of bunk beds shifting, and rustling clothesâ as PD Naâs voice carried through the walls from the dining area.
âOkay, members who are ready can come in first!â
The call wasnât loud, but clear enough to stir the atmosphere. In Jeonghanâs room, the quiet had settled so comfortably that the sudden outside movement felt like a different world. The others stirred.
Wonwoo and Woozi were the first to silently leave the room and head out. Seungkwan was the next to move, standing up with a groan, cracking his back with all the drama of someone whoâd just completed a triathlon. He stretched and turned toward Lunaâs small frame still curled tightly against Jeonghan, fast asleep, arms loosely tucked near her face, her cheek pillowed against Jeonghanâs shoulder.
He bent forward, hand raised halfway to gently tap her awakeâ but paused.
[Scared of the bunny]
Jeonghan was already looking at him.
Still sitting comfortably against the headboard, one leg bent, one hand still rhythmically carding through Lunaâs hair, Jeonghan stared at Seungkwan with the most you go ahead and try expression on his face. His smirk was small but sharp, almost imperceptible if you werenât familiar with his arsenal of subtle chaos. His eyes, however, were practically daring Seungkwan to proceed. Go on. Wake her up. See what happens.
Seungkwan held his hand there for another beat, then dropped it with a deep sigh of surrender.
[Should I?]
He pointed directly at Jeonghan, eyes already half-glazed with defeat. âYou do it.â
[I shouldnât.]
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and shuffled out of the room, muttering under his breath about how this would be the last time he tries to help anyone in this group.
[Bye]
Jeonghan chuckled softly, watching him go. Once the footsteps faded down the hall, he looked back down at the girl curled beside him, the tiniest pout now on her lips in her sleep.
He tilted his head, mischief playing just behind his lashes. Then, slowly, with a gentleness only he could muster, he leaned down and whispered right near her earâ
âCherryâs been staring at me for ten minutes. I think she wants me to give her away.â
[What?]
Luna stirred immediately, brow furrowing. She didnât open her eyes just yet, but she groaned softly.
âSheâs judging me, Nana-ya,â Jeonghan continued, voice still low and full of innocent concern. âI think sheâs thinking about pressing charges.â
Still no response. Just a louder groan.
Jeonghan leaned a little closer.
âShe told me you snore,â he whispered.
At that, Lunaâs arm sluggishly reached out to blindly swat in his direction. It didnât connect. He chuckled under his breath.
âMmmn⊠stop saying lies⊠Cherry is in my roomâŠâ her voice finally emerged, hoarse and soft with sleep.
[She is⊠Jeonghan is seeing and hearing thingsâŠ]
âShe also said you drooled on me.â
Lunaâs eyes barely fluttered open now, narrowing at him with the effort of someone still fighting the gravitational pull of a nap. âI didnâtâŠâ
Jeonghan tilted his head innocently. âI have the emotional trauma to prove it.â
Luna groaned again, rolling halfway onto her back and covering her face with one arm. âYouâre so annoying.â
[He is.]
He smiled. âAnd youâre awake. Mission accomplished.â
Luna peeked at him from under her arm, blinking slowly. âHow long was I asleep?â
âLong enough for Seungkwannie to chicken out and make me do this.â
[Yup]
She yawned, sitting up slowly and running a hand through her tangled hair. âOf course he did.â
Jeonghan stood first and reached a hand out to her. âCome on, theyâre herding us into the dining room.â
Luna took his hand without hesitation, still sluggish, still blinking sleep away. âI hate you,â she muttered as he pulled her up.
He grinned, patting the top of her head. âYou love me.â
âUnfortunately.â
[They love each other]
With that, they stepped out into the hallway, soft laughter trailing after them as they made their way toward the commotion slowly building in the dining room.
The small dining area was now fully lit, crammed tight with crew members, lighting gear, and two cameras squeezed into opposite corners to capture every possible angle of the chaos about to unfold.
Jeonghan and Luna emerged from the hallway, the tail end of the last ones to exit their rooms, and found the rest of SEVENTEEN already filing into the dining chairs squished around the table. The place looked barely enough to hold half of them, and yet somehow, all thirteen of them made it work with the well-practiced choreography of a group that had done this for over a decade.
[Its crowded]
The once-empty wall behind them now featured a glaringly large white banner hanging slightly askew with bold red letters that read: TAX FREE.
âTax Free?â Luna muttered under her breath, her tone vaguely suspicious as she eyed the banner with her brow furrowed, the syllables slipping out with a trace of her natural accent, muddled from sleep. She rubbed her eyes once more and let her body fall into the seat between Jeonghan and Dokyeom. âWeâre playing for necessities arenât we?â
[Yes, you are.]
The members were still shuffling, elbows brushing, thighs pressed close. Chairs creaked. Shoes scraped the tiles. Jun settled into his seat across from her, squinting at the banner as he adjusted his hoodie. âAnyway, itâs an individual battle starting now, right?â
âTax free?â Joshua echoed as he read it aloud, voice laced with intrigue.
âTax free?â Hoshi blinked at it like he was just seeing it for the first time, despite staring directly at it the moment they walked in.
âTax free means no tax,â Joshua offered helpfully, ever the gentleman with an explanation even when no one asked.
âI guess we are buying accommodation items,â Dokyeom chuckled, eyes darting around as if trying to guess what sort of chaos they were about to be thrown into next.
[Yes, you are pt. 2]
From behind the cameras, one of the producers suddenly raised his voice to be heard over the chatter, âJeonghan, is everyone here?â
As vice-leader, especially with S.Coups absent, Jeonghan instinctively straightened in his seat and swept his eyes across the group. His gaze moved like a scanner, silently counting heads and noting the familiar faces one by one. Then he gave a single nod towards the crew, casual yet definitive. âYes.â
[Lets start]
âOkay,â the producer replied before stepping aside, allowing PD Na himself to reappear from the back of the roomâ dragging behind him a tiny black luggage bag that looked more like a prop than anything useful.
âCute,â Mingyu commented instantly, watching PD Na shuffle dramatically toward them.
âItâs an item,â Woozi muttered with squinted suspicion.
They all leaned in slightly, interest piqued.
With an exaggerated grunt, PD Na heaved the small luggage bag up onto the dining table. It landed with a solid thud that echoed across the cramped room.
[Whatâs inside it?]
âWow,â a few of the members said in unison.
âWhat?â Seungkwan asked, eyebrows raised.
âWhat is that?â Luna added, her brows furrowing again as she leaned forward, already plotting mentally whether this was going to be food, clothes, or some sort of trap disguised as a reward.
âFood!â Dokyeom yelled with sudden enthusiasm, hands clapping as if willing it to manifest into snacks.
[Sorry]
PD Na raised both his hands in the air to settle the growing energy. âOkay, everyone. First off, congratulations.â
A few claps erupted on cue.
âWe arrived at the dorm in 24 hours.â
[They have been traveling for a whole day]
The room burst into louder applause and celebratory noises. Some tired, some genuine.
âGreat work. Really,â Dokyeom nodded with a bright smile, even applauding towards the crew who were crouched behind the lights.
âBut since you all came in a hurry, these outfits are the same from 24 hours ago,â PD Na continued, gesturing towards their wrinkled hoodies, jacket, travel-worn and caps.
âYes, thatâs right,â the members groaned, voices overlapping.
âBut you have money,â PD Na reminded, lifting a finger. âPocket money. Which, Dino is in charge of.â
The entire group twisted to look at the youngest member.
âIf you ask Dino and he say yes, you can buy it,â PD Na clarified.
âItâs only if I say okay?â Dino blinked, taken aback by the sudden responsibility.
âOnly when he says yes?â Luna repeated, chuckling with amusement.
[ONLY]
âBut you know youâre a really cool manager, right?â Dokyeom piped in immediately, putting on his most sincere expression as his eyes flicked toward Dino.
âYou know itâs cool if youâre not too strict, right?â Dokyeom added, laying it on thick now with exaggerated charm that made the room burst into laughter.
[Sucking up already]
âOkay. I will try,â Dino replied with a laugh, shaking his head at how quickly things were turning against him.
[Dino the cool manager]
âAnyway,â PD Na continued, tapping the mysterious bag, âyou can buy things from tomorrow.â
He waited a beat for it to sink in.
âBut you need toothpaste, toothbrush and underwear right now. Itâs also nice if you have clothes to change into.â
âYes. That would be nice,â Dokyeom nodded solemnly, echoed by groans and hums of agreement from the others.
âThatâs why we are going to open a very generous tax-free shop today,â PD Na announced, hands spread wide like a game show host.
[Key word: Generous]
âWhy does it feel like we are at a disadvantage? It felt like we are just going toâŠâ Woozi began suspiciously, trailing off before pointing directly at PD Na. âHis eyes are weird. I told you this before.â
[PD Naâs eyes scare Woozi]
The room erupted into laughter again.
âHe looks like someone who always sells this,â Dokyeom chuckled, motioning to the suspiciously neat little bag.
âRight?â Luna muttered as she rested her head sideways on Dokyeomâs shoulder, a small smirk tugging at her lips. âHeâs too eager to let us play.â
The game hadnât even started yet, but the members could already feel the subtle chaos brimming beneath PD Naâs âgenerousâ tax-free smile.
The moment PD Na let out a chuckle and announced, âFirst off, I am going to show you this product,â the members instinctively leaned forward, all eyes locked on the modest-looking luggage bag on the table. As the cameras zoomed in, he unzipped the top flap and reached inside with a dramatic pause like he was unveiling the Holy Grail.
âThis one,â PD Na said, pulling out what appeared to be a stack of neatly folded clothes.
[Clothes]
The table shook slightly as he placed the bundle in the center, and immediately, the members swarmed in like seagulls spotting a bag of chips. Hands reached forward from all directions, curious fingers grazing the fabric as their chatter began to rise in volume.
âI will open it,â Mingyu volunteered, already unfolding the first white shirt from the pile.
âOooh, itâs cute,â Woozi commented beside him, his eyes narrowing as he inspected the design.
[NANA Tour shirts]
âT-shirt name is Woozi,â Mingyu declared, holding it up for everyone to see. Across the chest of the shirt was the familiar Nana Tour design, but now, personalized with Wooziâs name in stylized fontâ along with a tiny dumbbell icon printed subtly in the corner.
[Personalized t-shirts for each member]
âWah, itâs pretty,â Luna lifted her head off Dokyeomâs shoulder, momentarily shaking off her sleepiness as she reached for another shirt and unfolded it. Her eyes found Dinoâs name on the tag. âI guess these are custom-made.â
Dino leaned closer to check. âThey are.â
âThese are custom shirts and shorts for each of you,â PD Na explained, gesturing proudly. âIf you look at the picture, there are different parts for each member.â
âWhat part?â Luna asked, her voice still slightly drowsy as her eyes scanned the shirt in her hand.
âThere, lookâ dumbbell,â Dokyeom pointed at Wooziâs again. âExercise. Woozi who likes working out.â
PD Na, energized by their interest, dove right back into the bag. âUnderwear,â he declared.
âThereâs kimchiâŠâ he added, pulling out a sealed container with a grin.
âAigo!â Hoshi suddenly stood from his seat, arms flung wide in excitement, like a contestant on a cooking show who just saw beef rib stew.
[The most excited heâd been]
The rest of the members burst out laughing at his dramatic reaction, already used to Hoshiâs deep, emotional bond with fermented cabbage.
PD Na then reached for two tiny objects nestled at the bottom of the bag. âAre you not going to work out?â he said, holding two small dumbbells up. They clinked slightly in his hands as he raised them.
[Itâs cute]
âYou need to work out. You need to work out,â Jeonghan parroted his words in a rhythm, chuckling at the tiny weights, his sarcasm landing just right as the members burst into laughter again.
âItâs so cute,â Luna laughed as she leaned in to inspect the dumbbells.
â3kg,â Hoshi observed, still smiling, though his eyes gleamed like he was already planning to do curls between meals.
PD Na continued pulling out items like a magician with an endless hat: âCup ramyeon, shampoo, guidebook, zipper bag, fans, wet tissue, gochujang, toothbrush, toothpaste, earphones.â
[Guide Na has prepared everything for SEVENTEEN]
Each item was followed by murmurs of approval or gasps of glee, some members reaching out to claim their favorites as if they were contestants in a supermarket sweep.
And then finally, he slowed. His hand hovered above the final item. He turned, a mischievous glint in his eye as he looked squarely at Jeonghan.
âJeonghan, you really need this. Youâre going to cry,â PD Na said, holding his expression like a punchline waiting to hit.
[The vice-leader will cry apparently]
Jeonghanâs eyes lit up in anticipation. He sat straighter, already smiling.
âFor all of you, filled with his heartâŠâ PD Na continued with a hint of drama, âS.Coupsâ letter.â He pulled out a pristine envelope, the handwriting unmistakable.
As soon as the name was said, Jeonghan burst into exaggerated wails, hands coming up to furiously rub his eyes like a cartoon character bawling. âWAHHH!â he cried, his voice booming theatrically as he slumped forward on the table, drawing roaring laughter from the rest of the group.
[Seems excessive]
Luna perked up at the name, suddenly wide awake, her eyes zoning in on the envelope like a hawk.
[She realized something]
âWe need to win the letter,â she said with fierce determination.
âThatâs the one,â she added with a firm nod, causing several heads to turn toward her in confusion.
[The most important letter]
âWhy?â PD Na blinked, surprised by her intensity.
âCoupsie told me about a letter before we left,â Luna explained.
[He did]
The room shifted. Even Jeonghan paused mid-fake-sob to glance at her, blinking with curiosity.
âReally?â PD Na asked again, genuinely intrigued.
âMhm. He told me he wrote a letter and to choose it,â Luna said nonchalantly, as if she wasnât about to start a civil war over a piece of paper.
[Actually looks like she would choose the letter over everything else]
âI had no idea what he was talking about, but he made it sound so important,â she shrugged.
âNothing gets past you, huh?â PD Na chuckled, narrowing his eyes at her playfully.
âIâm the favorite, thatâs why,â Luna said sweetly, her voice a sing-song as she smiled innocently at PD Na, drawing loud reactions from the group.
[Self-proclaimed favorite of the leader]
âWhat do we do to get them?â Dokyeom leaned in, already on edge.
âI donât know,â Jeonghan shook his head, clearly wary.
âIsnât it the person quiz again?â Jun cautiously asked, his voice lined with mild trauma.
âPlease no,â Luna groaned immediately, sinking back into her seat. Jeonghan chuckled at her timing, nudging her side with his elbow in amusement.
[Trauma as its finest]
PD Na raised a hand, commanding attention. âThis is a very beneficial game for you,â he said cryptically.
âBeneficial?â Seungkwan repeated, suspiciously.
âBeneficial? Game?â Dokyeom echoed, frowning.
âThe category is so easy,â PD Na reassured them. âHuman Zero.â
[First recreational game of the trip: Human Zero]
PD Na cleared his throat, already grinning at the mental image of what was to come.
âOkay, listen carefully,â PD Na said, hands behind his back like a teacher about to deliver a pop quiz. âThis game is called Human Zero.â
The members blinked at him, processing the name with slight wariness.
âI will say a number,â PD Na began, raising a finger for dramatic emphasis. âAnd youâ all of youâ will have to decide whether to stand up or stay seated.â
The members nodded slowly, still unsure of the twist.
âBut the goal,â he continued, pausing for effect, âis for the number of people who stand⊠to be different from the number I called out.â
[SEVENTEEN will have to defend]
There was a moment of silence, then a series of scattered âAhhâs as the realization sank in.
âSo, if I say âfourâ and four people stand up, thatâs a fail,â PD Na clarified, grinning wider now. âIf I say âtwoâ and one or three or five people stand upâ success.â
âEvery time you defend it, you take one product,â he added, pointing toward the pile of desirable dorm essentials beside him.
âSo, we just need to not get caught every time, right?â Jeonghan clarified, eyes narrowed like he was already calculating probabilities in his head.
[Already looking for loopholes]
âDonât get caught,â PD Na confirmed with a firm nod.
âWe canât get caught?â Vernon echoed, squinting suspiciously like the rules had a hidden trick.
âItâs really easy,â Mingyu said confidently, arms folded like heâd already won the game in his mind.
âIs this something we can try again if we fail?â Jeonghan asked, still looking wary, his tone playful but probing.
[Nope]
âThereâs only one try,â PD Na replied.
âOne try?â Luna and Dokyeom echoed in perfect unison, heads whipping toward PD Na in disbelief.
âIsnât it easy for us?â Dokyeom asked, eyebrows raised as he looked around at the members, trying to gather confidence.
âThis is so easy,â Mingyu said again, waving his hand as if brushing off the challenge.
âItâs probability or luck,â Luna commented, tapping the table with a thoughtful expression.
âWe are really at an advantage,â Seungkwan added, confidence practically oozing out of his pores. âWe are going to sleep luxuriously if we withstand it five times.â
âWe can do this,â Dokyeom said, hyping himself up as he rolled his shoulders.
âBut PD is good, too,â Mingyu acknowledged with a knowing nod in PD Naâs direction, causing the older man to chuckle proudly.
[Scary PD]
âNo, we can do thisâŠâ Luna said, her voice trailing with a slight dramatic edge before continuing, âwe have to or elseâŠâ
âOr else what?â PD Na asked, clearly amused by her sudden drop in tone.
âOr else I might lose my mind. I need to shower,â Luna deadpanned, face serious but her voice cracking slightly with suppressed laughter.
[She cannot live like this]
The members all burst out in chuckles, nodding in agreement. Some even dramatically sniffed themselves for comedic effect.
âThe level is always high,â Woozi muttered, referring to PD Na, shaking his head with a resigned smile.
âWe can do it,â Jeonghan nodded solemnly, trying to rally the group.
âWe canât fool around,â Mingyu added with a stern expression, though the corners of his mouth betrayed the urge to smile.
[They are serious when it comes to games]
âOkay, should we go?â PD Na asked, shuffling on the floor where he is seated like a game master starting the first round.
âStick out your butt a bit and get ready to stand up,â PD Na instructed, his words so sudden and silly that half the group broke into laughter while instinctively scooting to the edge of their seats.
[Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle]
âIâm nervous,â Seungkwan admitted, shifting in place, his knees bouncing.
âJust decide in your heart right away now,â PD Na advised, his tone mock-serious.
âOkay! Professional,â Hoshi declared with his usual flair, straightening his back like he was preparing for Olympic-level squats.
âIs the tail section okay? Did you understand?â PD Na called out toward the end of the long table.
[People in the back]
âYes, of course,â Wonwoo answered calmly, always the reliable one.
âIâm getting nervous for no reason,â Joshua muttered, letting out a light laugh as he adjusted his posture, tension slowly building.
The stage was set. The trap was ready. And so was the chaos.
[Round 1]
The members sat on the very edge of their seats, backs straight, thighs hovering just above cushion as if they were in a silent game of musical chairs. Nobody moved. The only sound in the room was the distant hum of studio lights and the creak of someoneâs leather shoe shifting. Thenâ
âOne, two, three⊠four!â PD Na suddenly shouted with a mischievous grin.
Instantly, three bodies sprang to their feetâ Mingyu, Dino, and Joshua. The rest of the group whipped their heads up at the sight, eyes wide in a silent gasp before the entire room erupted in chaos.
[+1 point]
âWaaaaaaaahhhhhh!â The table collectively gasped in a mix of shock and exhilaration.
âI was going to stand up! I was thinking about standing up!â Seungkwan burst out, dramatically placing a hand on his chest as if he just dodged death.
[That was close]
âWooooooowwww!â Dokyeom exclaimed at the top of his lungs, voice bouncing off the walls like a stadium announcer.
âGood job!â Luna chuckled from her seat, grinning at the three who managed to unintentionally sync their instincts perfectly.
âThat was close,â Dokyeom added, still shaking his head as they all sat back down, the energy still pulsing like electricity through the table.
[Round 2]
âOkay, Iâm going,â PD Na said coolly, barely giving them a chance to recover as he stepped forward again, already queuing the second round.
âOne, two, three⊠four!â he called out again, same exact number, but this time, a different set of legs shot up âVernon, Seungkwan, Dokyeom, and Hoshi.
[4?]
The moment their knees locked and they stood at full height, a wave of horror and disbelief swept across the rest of the team.
âNo⊠waitâŠâ Luna said, her voice quiet but urgent as her eyes darted around the tableâ until she spotted him.
âOppa! Good job!â she shouted, pointing.
[+1 point]
[They didnât see Woozi]
At the same exact moment, every head turned to the far end of the table.
Woozi stood quietly at the edge, almost blending into the background with his small frame, but unmistakably uprightâ unmoving, like a statue holding up a peace sign.
[Peekaboo]
âWOOZI!â Hoshi and Dokyeom shouted in stereo, their faces breaking into wide, open-mouthed grins as they reached across the table for a triumphant high five.
âI almost thought of a lie just then,â Luna whispered to Jeonghan, her voice low but her shoulders shaking with restrained laughter.
âMe too,â Jeonghan replied, biting back a grin as he chuckled softly, nodding.
[What are we going to do about them?]
They both exchanged a glanceâ a shared wavelength of panic and mischiefâ before Luna couldnât hold it in anymore and broke into a louder laugh. Jeonghan followed, the two of them giggling quietly to themselves while the others celebrated, both amused at how quickly their minds had gone to âWhat if we fake it?â
[PD Naâs headache personified]
âI was in a dilemma after I got up,â Dokyeom announced dramatically, hands thrown up in amazed relief.
âOkay, we succeeded twice,â Minghao calmly pointed out as the table buzzed again with satisfied nods and excited chatter.
[Round 3]
The energy never had a chance to dip before PD Na struck again. âOne, two, three⊠four!â he called, sticking to the same number a third time.
[Again]
Like dominoes, the entire right side of the table roseâ Luna, Dokyeom, Joshua, Seungkwan, Minghao, and Vernon.
[Thatâs 6!]
[+1]
All eyes immediately started darting. The air was so silent, you could practically hear the wind from their blinking.
The members, still seated, started silently counting, heads swiveling like a slow motion wave as they tracked each standing person.
ââŠOne, two, three, four, five⊠six!â Dino muttered before the dam broke.
âItâs six! Six! Six! Six!â Dokyeom clarified to PD Na excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet like he was ready to lift off.
[I think itâs sixâŠ]
âI wasnât going to stand,â Luna and Joshua said at the same time.
[They would have lost]
The group turned to look at the two, their timing eerily identical. For a beat, there was silence âand then laughter burst out again.
âGood job!â Jun said encouragingly, nodding at both of them with a relieved smile.
âThis line. This line stood up at once,â Joshua explained as they sat back down, gesturing to the entire right wing of the table.
âThatâs a relief,â Dokyeom said, slumping back into his seat with a dramatic sigh.
âPD-nim, is four your favorite number?â Luna asked, tilting her head innocently as she looked at PD Na.
[Caught on his tricks]
The room erupted againâ laughter spilling over the edges as the members chuckled at her completely genuine question.
âI think that it keeps on going back and forth from four to six people,â PD Na answered with a laugh, clearly amused by how the game was unfolding. âThere are no more than six and no less than three.â
âEyy! Letâs make it interesting and start calling out double digits,â Luna provoked, leaning back comfortably in her seat with a raised brow.
[Starts provoking him]
The guys pointed at her immediately, a chorus of âOoooooooh!â echoing like a group of middle schoolers hyping up a dare.
âThis is also a psychological game,â Jeonghan smirked, voice cool as he leaned slightly toward Luna, clearly ready for war.
âCall out a higher number,â Luna added, still smirking directly at PD Na with a teasing glint in her eyes.
[She likes to dare Guide Na]
âNoona, youâre scary,â Seungkwan said, shaking his head with wide eyes as he leaned slightly away from her in mock fear.
âOur Jiyeonie is a psychology graduate,â Wonwoo informed PD Na casually, glancing sideways at Luna.
[Thatâs why]
âReally?â PD Na asked, visibly intrigued now as he looked over to her and the rest of his crew leaned forward slightly.
âYes,â Luna smiled, nodding proudly.
âJiyeonie is good with probability. Sheâs lucky like that,â Jeonghan informed them, his tone oddly proud for someone usually so playful.
[Proud]
âSheâs a psychic,â Woozi teased, earning snickers from a few members.
âSheâs alsoâŠâ Seungkwan said, trailing off.
âA psycho,â he and Luna said in unison, immediately high-fiving each other as everyone burst into loud laughter.
âShe might look like thatâ all pretty and innocent, but sheâs crazy,â Seungkwan added in an exaggerated tone, leaning back and laughing at his own line as Luna giggled harder.
[She has matching crazy eyes with PD Na]
âOkay! I can analyze people too!â PD Na declared with determination, accepting the challenge as the members whooped and clapped around him.
âOr are we going by probability?â Seungkwan asked, lifting an eyebrow and gesturing toward PD Na like he was interrogating a game show contestant.
âItâs vague. So Minghao has no thoughts of standing up,â PD Na began, suddenly scanning the group like a detective on the case.
âJun has no thoughts of standing up either,â he added, pointing at Jun who blinked back, caught off guard.
âWonwoo has no thoughts,â PD Na continued, making the others laugh as Wonwoo chuckled shyly and looked away.
âThese twoâŠâ PD Na pointed at Luna and Jeonghan, sitting side by side like a scheming duo, ââŠscare me.â
[Bunnies scare PD Na]
[Rightfully so]
The members broke into another fit of laughter, hands slapping the table, some even leaning into each other as they laughed.
The room buzzed with a low hum of laughter and excitement, but before they could fully dive into another round, one of the producers looked toward Hoshi with a mischievous grin.
âHoshi, what number should we go with next time?â the producer asked, almost teasing.
Hoshi paused, visibly shifting in his seat as he gave the question some serious thought. He squinted a little, brows furrowed, lips pursed, clearly trying to visualize potential combinations in his head. The members leaned closer, anticipating his answer like he was about to solve a math equation that would decide the fate of the nation.
[Serious]
ââŠFive,â Hoshi finally said, as if he were declaring a lottery number. The members laughed, nodding in agreement.
With that, the atmosphere shifted with renewed energy. Round four was about to begin.
[Round 4]
PD Na straightened up, cleared his throat dramatically, and with a teasing lilt in his voice, he began to count.
âOne, two, three⊠six!â
Chaos exploded the moment the number left his lips. Jeonghan shot up from his seat, followed almost instantly by Dokyeom, Seungkwan, Vernon, Wonwoo, Jun, and Dinoâ seven in total. The room erupted with gasps and half-shouts as realization hit everyone.
âThatâs seven!â Joshua called out with a wide grin.
[+1 point]
âWe win again!â Mingyu hollered.
âGood job!â Jun clapped with a proud smile as they all sat back down, visibly impressed with themselves.
âOh⊠this is so hard,â PD Na sighed dramatically, half-laughing, half-exasperated as he shook his head.
[Sigh]
âDo you want all of us to stand up?â Mingyu asked, his voice light but filled with mischief.
âTeamwork. We need to show our teamwork,â Dino said seriously, straightening up.
[Plotting]
âWe will all stand up,â Mingyu promised PD Na with mock determination.
âYes, we will,â Luna added, nodding firmly like they were plotting something righteous.
âWe will all stand up right now,â Jeonghan added, his voice cool and casualâ like a bait laid out with perfect confidence.
âWe will all stand up. All thirteen,â Dokyeom echoed with a sly grin.
âI will stand up,â Mingyu declared with a proud hand on his chest.
âI will also stand up,â Woozi chimed in, voice perfectly deadpan.
âMe too,â Luna joined in, a grin pulling at her lips.
âI will also stand up,â Jeonghan added again, more casually this time, like he was really just warming up.
[What are they planning?]
Suddenly, the room exploded into noise.
âI will stand up!â
âMe too!â
âIâm going to stand up!â
âIâm standing, Iâm standing!â
[All for one and one for all]
It was a chaotic chorusâ everyone talking over each other, voices layered in disarray as the members simultaneously declared their intentions. Their expressions were all over the place: some deadly serious, others grinning like devils, and a few who clearly couldnât keep a straight face anymore.
PD Na blinked at them, overwhelmed, trying to keep up with what was happening.
[Confused]
âDino?â PD Na asked, trying to single out the youngest for some clarity.
âWe need to stand up. All of us,â Dino replied solemnly, like it was their final mission.
âHoshi?â PD Na tried again.
âMe too. I will also stand up,â Hoshi said immediately with an overly enthusiastic nod.
âMinghao, are you going to stand up?â PD Na asked, hopeful.
âI am not standing up,â Minghao said bluntly and honestly, without hesitation.
[Honest]
Laughter broke out around the table.
âYouâre so cute,â Luna chuckled as she looked at Minghao fondly.
âThat was honest,â Mingyu said with a nod of approval.
âSo honest,â Dokyeom added, grinning as he pointed.
âI will just be standing up,â Jeonghan said suddenly, and to prove it, he simply stood up, locking eyes with PD Na with a bold, unfazed stare.
[Has the upper hand all of a sudden]
The members went, âOhhh!â in unison like it was a mic drop.
Luna smirked at him knowingly.
âThen, I will be half standing up,â Dokyeom announced and mimicked sitting on air, awkwardly half-standing, half-squatting with a strained expression. âI can go like this,â he demonstrated further, bobbing up and down as if testing out different levels, and looked at PD Na as if expecting him to judge. âI can decide like that.â
[Lack of sleep makes then react like this]
PD Na burst into laughter, holding his cue cards like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.
âOkay. It might be the last round. It might be the last game. At once. Itâs over when you decide,â PD Na said dramatically, like the game show host of an epic finale.
âOkay!â Hoshi responded, voice full of fake resolve.
âPeople who want to sit can sit, and stand if you want,â PD Na declared, throwing in the towel and surrendering the rules to the chaos.
Round five began.
[Round 5]
âI think three people are going to stand up,â Mingyu muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the group.
Then came the count.
âOne, two, three⊠thirteen!â PD Na shouted boldly.
Immediately, Jeonghan remained standing where he had been the whole time, completely unfazed. Dokyeom, who had been doing his squatting act, finally sat down. Wonwoo and Hoshi suddenly popped up on their feet.
[3!]
That made three.
The room broke into cheers and laughs again.
They won. Again. Another point in the bag.
[+1 point]
âI got it right! I was right!â Mingyu celebrated proudly.
ââThirteen!ââ Dokyeom teased PD Na with a laugh, mimicking him with wide eyes.
[DK found PD Na amusing]
âYou guys have no faith at all! Youâre going to go like this?â PD Na exclaimed, laughing helplessly while throwing his hands in the air.
[Got tricked]
âHis expression is so funny,â Dokyeom laughed harder, barely breathing as he clutched his stomach.
âThereâs no honesty at all,â PD Na said, slumping into his chair. He had completely fallen for their tricks and he knew it.
Luna, still chuckling, reached over and gently grabbed Jeonghanâs arm before hugging it close. Her eyes were visibly drooping now as her cheek found a home on his shoulder, an amused smile on her lips despite clearly fighting off sleep.
[About to nod off again]
âYou should have known we werenât being serious,â Luna said sleepily, voice muffled against Jeonghanâs sleeve.
Jeonghan glanced at her briefly, then addressed PD Na with a sharpness that made everyone laugh again.
âI think we are going to win anyway, so letâs just have us take everything and end this. Letâs hurry and go to sleep,â Jeonghan said at lightning speed, his voice dead serious, his tone devoid of any playfulness.
[Serious]
It made Luna giggle again, her face still nestled in his arm.
âI really donât think weâre going to lose,â Dokyeom agreed with a dreamy sigh.
âWe think itâs a meaningless game when you guys are all tired,â Mingyu added, glancing toward the production team with an almost diplomatic shrug.
âNo. Weâre not tired at all,â PD Na insisted, quickly trying to recover his pride before continuing, âWe can do this all night long.â
[What?]
The members burst into laughter.
âAh⊠ah⊠okayâŠâ Mingyu said in disbelief, chuckling in defeat.
PD Naâs gaze slowly drifted toward Luna againâ she was still hugging Jeonghanâs arm like a pillow, eyes half-lidded.
âRight, Luna-ya?â PD Na teased her gently.
The members chuckled.
âI donât know what youâre talking about,â Luna deadpanned, not even looking at him, instead burying her face deeper into Jeonghanâs arm like a defiant cat refusing to acknowledge anything.
[Out of sight, out of mind]
âHis eyes are definitely turned around,â Seungkwan muttered, looking at PD Na with mock pity.
âThey are really no joke,â Woozi added, voice laced with playful concern.
âIâm okay,â PD Na said quickly, trying to sound unbotheredâ though it was clear by now, he had completely lost control of the game and is trying to get it back.
[SEVENTEEN succeeded in defending 5 items]
[Earned 5/16 prizes]
Round after round, the members of SEVENTEEN showed no signs of letting up. Even after securing five out of the sixteen prizesâ already more than generous for a single segmentâ they were gripped by an absurd, collective determination to sweep everything. Their energy had shifted into something almost mechanical now: focused, chaotic, relentless. They were aiming for a clean sweep.
[And the game continues]
As the game clock ticked forward and the members rallied, it became obvious they were entering a whole new phaseâ speed round mode.
Round Six was on. No pause, no banter, just action.
[Round 6]
âOne, two, three⊠four!â PD Na counted quickly, barely giving the boys time to breathe.
Jeonghan and Jun stood up with the coordination of synchronized swimmersperfectly timed, effortless. Another point. The room filled with the clatter of applause and soft clapping, some even chuckling at the sheer absurdity of how seamless it had all become.
[+1 point]
âLetâs speed through this,â Luna challenged, her voice soft but edged with that cheeky competitiveness she and Jeonghan always brought out of each other.
Without a single beat of hesitation, PD Na dove right into the next count.
[Round 7]
âOne, two, three⊠five!â he called out.
As if summoned by a secret code, Jeonghan, Luna, and Woozi rose to their feet in perfect unison. The moment their backs straightened, it was already another point. The trio sat back down almost immediately, no celebration needed.
[+1 point]
âOkay! Good,â Dino chimed in, the momentum now completely unstoppable.
No time to wasteâ Round Eight was already in motion.
[Round 8]
âOne, two, three⊠eleven!â PD Na exclaimed, tossing out a much larger number.
But Hoshi, Dokyeom, and Joshua were already rising from their seats like seasoned veterans. Another point. It was automatic at this point.
[+1 point]
âOkay!â Luna cheered again, a sleepy smile tugging at her lips as her body started betraying herâ sleepiness creeping in, eyes half-lidded.
[Excited + Sleepy = Luna]
Before Round Nine began, Mingyu leaned forward and spoke up with a grin, âLetâs just stay seated.â
âJust stay seated,â Dokyeom echoed, his excitement uncontainable.
âWe are zero now,â Jeonghan deadpanned to PD Na, as if declaring a tactical reset.
âZero!â Dokyeom chimed again, grinning from ear to ear.
[Plotting once more]
Luna couldnât hold back her chuckle. They were lying through their teeth and everyone knew it, but that was part of the fun. They were so obviously up to something.
âReally,â Mingyu added, eyes wide in feigned innocence.
âReally zero?â PD Na raised an eyebrow, suspicious.
âYes,â the band chorused, entirely unabashed.
Then came Round Nine.
[Round 9]
âOne, two, three⊠six!â PD Na exclaimed once more.
Mingyu, Vernon, and Dokyeomâ who, notably, stood up while swaying his hips like he was performing a solo stageâ rose from their seats, winning yet another point.
[+1 point]
Laughter exploded from the members as Dokyeom continued dancing. It was less of a stand and more of a performance.
âHe doesnât believe us,â Mingyu said with a mock pout, gesturing to PD Na.
[Trust issues everywhere]
âWerenât we doing this in trust?â PD Na asked, exasperated, drawing even more laughter from the group.
[Apparently not]
âBut isnât that nine items now?â Jeonghan casually brought up, his voice laced with faux innocence.
âNo. This is all separate,â PD Na snapped back quickly, now scrambling to break down the items into even more individual components, clearly trying to make it harder for them.
âOf course it is,â Luna said dryly, her tone matching the absurdity in the room.
âSuddenly? Suddenly like this?â Dokyeom gasped between laughs.
âNo, letâs do this until we can. If we donât have any products, we will make them and give them to you,â PD Na offered, waving his hand as staff members added chargers to the table like a desperate bribe.
[Suddenly have chargers]
âThey have it. They have chargers,â Jeonghan noted, eyeing the prize pile suspiciously.
âThey have it. Okay, okay,â Dokyeom nodded eagerly, ready to play along.
Round Ten began.
[Round 10]
âI will start. One, two, three⊠six!â PD Na declared.
Jeonghan, Wonwoo, Dokyeom, and Vernon stood up with zero hesitation. Point. They sat down like clockwork.
[+1 point]
âOkay, we will go right away,â Jeonghan said, not even giving them time to exhale before charging into the next round.
[Round 11]
âOne, two, three⊠three!â PD Na said for Round Eleven.
This time, it was chaosâJeonghan, Luna, Wonwoo, Woozi, Hoshi, Minghao, and Seungkwan stood up all at once. Seven in total. Another win.
[+1 point]
âWe will go right away,â Jeonghan repeated like a robot, voice unwavering, already preparing for Round Twelve.
[Round 12]
âOne, two, three⊠five!â PD Na announced.
Jeonghan, Dokyeom, Joshua, Vernon, Mingyu, Jun, Wonwoo, and Dinoâ eight membersâ stood up. Point. It was their twelfth now.
[+1 point]
They didnât even cheer anymoreâ it was routine.
PD Na went straight to Round Thirteen.
[Round 13]
âOne, two, three⊠seven!â he called out.
Dino, Wonwoo, Hoshi, Minghao, and Luna rose, precise and fluid like soldiers. Point thirteen. They were getting dangerously close.
[+1 point]
âWe will go right away,â Jeonghan prompted again, and everyone obeyed.
[Round 14]
âOne, two, three⊠six!â PD Na announced again.
Jeonghan, Joshua, Dino, Wonwoo, and Vernon popped up. Point fourteen. It was becoming ridiculous.
[+1 point]
âShouldnât you just give us the entire bag at this point?â Luna asked, deadpan, her eyes half-closed with exhaustion but her voice laced with sarcasm.
[At this point? Yes.]
The room broke into laughter.
âOh⊠why?â PD Na sighed, nearly whining in defeat.
âWait, itâs fourteen right now?â Jeonghan asked as if he hadnât been keeping track all along, his poker face firmly in place.
Then, Round Fifteen.
[Round 15]
âOne, two, three⊠five!â PD Na said.
Seungkwan and Woozi stood up like clockwork. Another point.
[+1 point]
âWhat could you do?~ What could you do?~â Luna teased in a sing-song voice, shaking her head and laughing as she formed a heart with her hands toward PD Na.
[Loves teasing PD Na the absolute most]
âThatâs fifteen,â Jeonghan reminded PD Na, his smile devious and eyes twinkling with amusement.
[15/16]
âOkay, fifteen!â Luna repeated, smug.
PD Na stared at the two of them in a state of resigned defeat, scoffing dramatically.
âWe will stop here and give them everything,â he declared, hands in the air, drawing a round of thunderous applause, cheers, and laughter from the entire room.
[Gave up]
[He lost everything]
âI cannot with you two!â PD Na pointed an accusatory finger at Luna and Jeonghan, his tone torn between exasperation and laughter.
âI knew it from the airport when you two disappearedâŠâ he muttered, voice trailing into a full-blown rant while Luna and Jeonghan laughed the hardest they had all night âbodies doubled over, eyes squeezed shut.
[The bunnies have given PD Na a hard time]
âI knew you two will cause me trouble,â PD Na sighed as if prophesying doom from the very beginning.
The members were in hysterics, clapping, laughing, hooting, and hollering at the sheer absurdity and genius of it all. PD Na had been outplayed. Again.
Mingyu, stretched out on his seat with his hands intertwined in front of him on the table, looked around at the team, then turned to PD Na with a cheeky grin.
âThen, should we end it now?â he asked, voice playful but low with finality. The members hummed in agreement, some nodding lazily, others blinking in confusion.
Mingyu turned to PD Na, raising a brow and tilting his head slightly as he made the request, âCan you say âoneâ?â
[Ending with a win for PD Na]
PD Na blinked, caught off guard by the oddly specific request. âOkay. If I say âoneââŠâ he started cautiously before Mingyu smoothly turned his attention to the next target.
âMinghao, do you want to stand up by yourself and end it?â
âEnding it?â Minghao echoed, a little baffled by the theatrics, but he nodded all the same. He adjusted his posture and gave a small nod of consent, a quiet agreement to be the gameâs symbolic finale.
[Cutely agrees]
âThank you, guys,â PD Na said sincerely, already laughing as he realized they were staging a faux ending win just to feed his dignity. âOnly Minghao. We will only have Minghao stand up.â
âOkay!â Luna agreed brightly, lifting her hand with exaggerated enthusiasm.
[They are too excited]
The room stilled. The silence, for once, was heavy with anticipation and barely-contained laughter. PD Na, playing along with the final moment, raised his hand.
âOne, two, three⊠one!â PD Na announced, and in perfect comedic betrayal, not only did Minghao standâ but Jeonghan and Luna popped up beside him like synchronized traitors.
[Bunny rabbits hop⊠hopâŠhop]
The room exploded.
âAHAHAHAHAHA!â The members screamed in disbelief, clapping and howling with laughter. Hands smacked the table, people leaned over, Dokyeom even rolled off the side of his chair from laughing too hard. Dino pointed dramatically at Jeonghan and Luna like heâd just caught criminals red-handed.
[Betrayal at its finest]
PD Na chuckled as he stared at the two, speechless. His jaw dropped open in mock betrayal.
[Trust issues]
âYour eyes were already looking at us likeâŠâ Mingyu started, turning to face PD Na. He squinted his eyes dramatically, lips pursed, copying the very expression of suspicion PD Na had worn seconds before.
Dokyeom immediately jumped in with an impression of his own, his voice pitched and eyes wide, mimicking PD Na with exaggerated panic. ââWhy is Minghao the only one standing up?ââ he mimicked, sending the room into another spiral of laughter.
[They knew]
âJust take all of this,â PD Na said with mock defeat, waving a hand at the mound of prizes.
[SEVENTEEN won]
Still smiling despite the betrayal, he reached down and picked up the final envelopeâ the one marked with S.Coupsâ name. With a sigh, he handed it to Jeonghan. âLetâs look at S.Coupsâ letter at least,â he said, voice a touch gentler.
[The letter their leader wrote before they got kidnapped]
Jeonghan took the envelope, brow arching with curiosity as he tore the flap open. Luna immediately scooted closer, peeking over his arm with interest. Her eyes widened.
[What is it?]
âOh?â Luna said, blinking in realization. âThatâs why he was so adamant we get the letter.â She smiled, suddenly touched.
âWhy?â Dino asked from the other side of the table, voice curious as the rest of the members close leaned in, trying to get a better look.
âItâs not only a letter,â Luna revealed cryptically.
âOh!â Dokyeom exclaimed, leaning forward just in time to catch a glint of black from Jeonghanâs hand.
âWah!â Jeonghan drawled, lips curling upward as he slowly slid the object out from behind the paper.
âItâs not a letter,â Dokyeom gasped, blinking rapidly.
âWhat?â Hoshi squinted, still too far to make sense of the reactions.
âThereâs a card,â Jeonghan said, holding it up triumphantly. Gasps erupted around the room like fireworks.
[S.Coupsâ personal card]
âWow! Awesome!â Dokyeom yelled.
Jeonghan cleared his throat and began to read aloud: ââThank you for picking my letter. I feel sorry for you guys going without any preparation. I will be waiting for you well in Korea. You can use this card however you want, okay? Have fun. I love you.ââ
âWah!â Several of the members sighed at once, impressed.
âI miss Cheollie,â Luna pouted, her voice small and genuine, the sudden shift in emotion hitting her like a wave. Her bottom lip jutted out as she stared at the card.
[Sad bunny]
âWow, thatâs so touching,â Wonwoo said softly, as the room broke into soft claps.
âItâs really Coupsâ personal card,â Dokyeom said, holding the card reverently between his fingers.
âPersonal card?â Woozi asked, peering over his shoulder in amazement.
âIt is,â Luna confirmed, nodding at the familiar design. âThatâs the one he uses.â
âWah!â Mingyu echoed, eyes wide.
âChoi Seungcheol did some work,â Woozi said, impressed despite himself.
âAwesome,â Dino added, nodding.
âHe said that we can use it whenever we need to,â Jeonghan added with a small smile, handing the card over to Dino.
[Their generous leader]
Without hesitation, Dino took it and tucked it carefully into the small money pouch heâd been given earlier. As the groupâs unofficial trip treasurer, he knew the weight of that gesture.
âManager, you should take care of this too,â Woozi said with a pointed look, his voice teasing but firm.
âHeâs awesome⊠I can buy clothes now,â Luna deadpanned suddenly, earning a wave of laughter from the others.
[Spoiler: she is being serious]
âMe too,â Jeonghan said immediately, looking dead serious.
âLook at these two,â PD Na interjected, pointing directly at the duo. âAs if you two didnât bring your own cards.â
[Oops]
Jeonghan chuckled shamelessly, leaning back into his seat.
Luna quickly turned away, hand flying to her mouth to stifle her laughter.
âIt was an accident,â the two chorused without missing a beat.
[SureâŠ]
PD Na and the rest of the members chuckled, shaking their heads.
âAlright! Since itâs late, hurry up and wash up. Change into these clothes and letâs rest well. We are done for the day,â PD Na announced, clapping his hands together like a tired parent declaring bedtime.
[Finally!]
A chorus of âThank you!â and âGreat work!â echoed across the room as PD Na and the production crew began packing up the equipment and quietly filtering out, leaving the members to breathe easy again in the now much quieter dorm.
The prize pile sat triumphantly on the table like a monument to their chaotic victory. And SEVENTEEN, still grinning from ear to ear, began preparing for their long-awaited rest.
Once the last of the staff and camera crew filed out of the dorm with soft goodbyes and a final âGreat work, everyone!â from PD Na echoing down the hallway, Seventeen was finally left to their own devices. It was a rare kind of peaceâ fleeting and chaotic all at once.
[Time to wash up]
Jeonghan, as if clocking back in for his second job as unofficial dorm dad, immediately took it upon himself to organize. A pile of white Nana Tour shirts and matching black shorts sat in a heap beside him. He crouched, peeled one shirt from the pile, squinted at the name printed in bold on the tag, and began his announcements.
âSeungkwan,â he read aloud, holding up the shirt like it was a prize at a raffle.
âSeungkwan here,â Seungkwan said, perking up from where he was, shuffling over to claim it.
Jeonghan continued, eyes scanning the next one. âThe8.â
Minghao raised a hand. âThank you,â he said calmly as he accepted his shirt.
âVernon,â Jeonghan called next.
âGot it,â Vernon replied as he spotted his own name and snatched the shirt himself with a grin.
âMingyu,â Luna chimed in, holding the correct shirt out toward him without looking up.
âThank you,â Mingyu said, bowing his head slightly as he received it.
âThis is Jeonghan,â Jeonghan said smugly, pulling his own shirt close to his chest like a proud mom choosing her outfit for a parent-teacher conference.
âLuna,â Jeonghan said next, tossing her shirt gently into her awaiting hands.
âThank you,â Luna replied, already inspecting the print.
Around them, the rest of the members had started rummaging through the neatly sorted shirts and shorts, grabbing their names and holding them up like souvenirs from a field trip.
[Like they are thrift shopping]
âMine is a puppy,â Mingyu said with a little giggle, turning the shirt around to show a cartoon puppy printed on his shirt.
âIâm 1004,â Jeonghan followed proudly, âAngel,â he added with a chuckle.
[Satisfied customer]
âMine is a small drum,â Seungkwan noted, flipping his shirt inside out to double-check.
âMine is the moon. Itâs cute,â Luna said softly, holding hers up to admire it.
âYours is a tiger,â Jun pointed out to Hoshi with a smile. He held his own shirt up after. âMine is a cat.â
âWhat are you?â he asked, turning to Wonwoo beside him, then squinting at the small symbol under Wonwooâs name. âComputer? Ah! Game boy.â
Wonwoo nodded without expression, as if being likened to a game boy was both accurate and inevitable.
âGuys, each of you take one of these chargers,â Mingyu instructed, holding up a bundle of small phone chargers they had won.
The room turned into a bustling market of shirts, shorts, and charger distribution. Members moved like a busy noodle shop at lunch rushâ laughing, nudging each other, calling dibs on lotions and toothpaste.
[Itâs chaos already]
Without saying a word, Luna stood and grabbed the communal shampoo and conditioner from the prize pile like a practiced mother of seven in a small apartment. Before she could step away, Jeonghan raised his voice like he was announcing a royal decree.
âJiyeonie is first to wash up, okay?â he said.
A chorus of agreement came from the others, with a few loud âYes!âes and âLet her go!âs peppered in.
âDonât worry. I wonât take long. Iâm exhausted already,â Luna replied, her voice a little hoarse but still chipper as she padded out of the dining area and toward the bathroom with her arms full.
[She might sleep in the bathroom]
âTake your time!â Dokyeom yelled after her as they continued to look at the Nana Tour merchandise they were given.
And so began the unofficial second variety show: Seventeen vs. One Bathroom.
Despite her usual long-shower tendencies, Luna did her best to hurry. She kept it to twenty minutesâ miraculous by her standardsâ quickly rinsing off the exhaustion of the day. Steam rolled out as she opened the door, dressed now in the crisp white Nana Tour tee with her name printed neatly on the front in a lavender color and the matching black shorts. Her damp hair clung to her cheeks as she towel-dried it, walking barefoot down the hallway with tired but light steps.
By then, the rotation had begun. Some were already changed and fresh, others still lying in wait. Every few minutes, someone would knock on the bathroom door with hopeful curiosity.
[Elsa? Do you wanna build a snowman?]
Just as Luna sat herself on the edge of her bed, her limbs finally surrendering to gravity, a familiar sound suddenly cut through the quiet hum of the dormâ a low mechanical whirring that started soft, then built up with power. Her head snapped toward the hallway. The hair dryer. Her eyes narrowed like a hawk spotting prey. That meant someone had it. And if she waited even two minutes, sheâd be forced to dry her hair using a hand towel and the ceiling fan.
[Needs the hair dryer immediately]
She stood immediately, towel still draped around her neck, hair damp and curling at the ends. She followed the noise like a hound on a scent trail, her footsteps padding quickly against the wooden floor. The hum got louder as she passed the living room, past the kitchen, finally stopping just outside Mingyuâs room.
[Aha!]
Mingyu was in front of the mirror with the hotel-provided hair dryer in hand, one side of his hair sticking up like seaweed and the other half perfectly styled. Luna didnât even wait for him to notice her. She reached out and gently poked his arm, making him flinch just slightly as he turned his head.
âIâm next,â she said plainly, eyes wide and slightly demanding beneath her damp hair.
Mingyu looked at her then he hummed casually, the kind of hum that meant he had understood, and also that he was about to take matters into his own hands.
âTurn around,â he said.
Before she could even process it, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and physically turned her around, towel slipping from her neck to fall softly onto the bed. Luna blinked at the sudden manhandling but said nothing. She just stood there, straight as a ruler, arms at her side, staring at the doorway as he pointed the hair dryer to her scalp and began drying her hair.
[Teamwork makes the dream work]
The warm air blasted down on her neck as Mingyu lifted sections of her hair with his fingers like heâd done this at a salon once. Her hair, still wet at the roots, began lifting and flying around her head like a poodle caught in a wind tunnel.
Right in front of them, by the bathroom across the hall, Wonwoo was loitering near the door with his hands holding onto his stuff. He stood still like a bored teenager, knocking lightly against the wooden door with the back of his knuckles.
[Elsa?]
âWho is it?â Wonwoo asked, voice completely calm as if this was a totally normal situation and not a full-scale dorm-wide bathroom hunger games.
âMe,â someone replied from inside, their voice muffled through the door. Lunaâs head tilted slightly. She swore that was Dino. Definitely Dino.
âWhoâs me?â Wonwoo asked again, monotone and vaguely tired. âAre you Mingyu?â
[What?]
That did it. Luna burst into giggles, shoulders shaking forward while Mingyu tried to hold her head still to dry the back of it. Her now half-dried hair was flying in all directions, the gust from the dryer blowing it into her mouth, across her cheeks, and even into Mingyuâs face.
âMingyu is here,â Luna said through a laugh, managing to keep her voice steady as she pointed loosely behind her.
Wonwoo turned his head lazily and spotted himâ Mingyu, still holding the hair dryer with one hand while trying to dodge a particularly wild strand of Lunaâs hair with the other.
[Peekaboo]
âAh,â Wonwoo said, eyes narrowing in amusement. He chuckled to himself and gave a small nod, like this was all perfectly logical, then turned and strolled back toward his room without another word.
Luna smiled, then gently stepped away from Mingyu, her hair now puffed and frizzing in places, but mostly dry.
âDry your hair. Iâm fine. Itâs mostly dry already. Thank you, Gyu-Gyu,â she said sincerely, turning the hair dryer slightly toward him before giving him a small flying kiss and walking back to her room.
Mingyu just blinked after her, blinking away one last rogue strand of her hair from his cheek, then returned to drying his own head like none of it just happened.
Luna had barely reached her bed when Dokyeom peeked his head in.
[Everyone is everywhere all at once]
âCan I see if there is a comb here?â Dokyeom asked sheepishly, eyes already scanning her bed.
âThereâs one inside,â Luna nodded toward the small airplane pouch lying neatly on the blanket. âTake it. Just return it back after.â
[Generous bunny]
âThank you!â Dokyeom chirped as he walked in, rummaging through her things like a raccoon in a picnic basket.
Just as Luna walked out again, she passed Mingyu in the hallway asking Joshua, âHyung, do you have the toothpaste?â
Without a word, Luna stopped in front of them, silently pulling out her toothbrush and holding it up in expectation like a soldier in formation.
[Me too!]
Joshua, completely unfazed, dabbed toothpaste on hers, then Mingyuâs.
âThank you, Joshie,â Luna said sweetly, then popped the brush into her mouth and walked off to brush her teeth like nothing had happened.
The dorm was alive with this quiet chaos. Matching shirts padded through the rooms, hunting down missing items. Someone shouted from the living room about not being able to find their socks. Another tripped on a charger wire. Somewhere in the back, Jun and Seungkwan were arguing about whose turn it was next while Jeonghan calmly dried his hair with his towel with ferocity.
After brushing her teeth and giving a final spit into the sink, Luna wandered out of the hallway and into the dining area. She immediately spotted the lotion bottle sitting like a prized relic on the tableâ surrounded by what was basically the human version of late-night chaos.
[They are very much still awake]
Wonwoo was there, sat quietly like heâd been queuing politely for hours. Jeonghan, with a towel draped around his neck, was sitting with a small fan in his hand, slowly rotating and fanning his hair like he had all the time in the world. And Hoshiâ yes, Hoshiâ was sitting at the table brushing his teeth in silence.
âIs the lotion there?â Luna asked, voice low and raspy with sleep, shoulders sagging like a retired puppy.
Wonwoo, in his usual calm, ghost-like fashion, slid the bottle toward her. âHere,â he said softly.
Luna plopped herself in the chair between him and Jeonghan, letting out a small huff as she unscrewed the cap. âThank you,â she mumbled, squeezing some lotion into her palm before rubbing it up her arms with slow, sluggish motions. Her energy was basically on 2%, blinking red.
[She is on the brink]
Jeonghan glanced over at her, eyeing the strands of damp hair still clinging to the back of her neck. âYour hair is still damp, Nana-ya,â he said, eyebrows pinched with light concern as he reached out to rake his fingers through it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
âYou canât sleep with wet hair,â he muttered, clicking his tongue as if she had committed a mild crime against herself.
[Scolded]
Without waiting for a response, he picked up the tiny fan heâd been using on himself and redirected it towards Lunaâs head. With one hand fanning her hair, the other resumed combing through her hairâ carefully, slowly, almost absentmindedly like he was styling a doll.
[Second member who tries and dry her hair]
Luna simply hummed, a soft noise of consent, eyelids drooping halfway. She was too tired to react, too exhausted to resist. She just let him do whatever he wanted, letting the fan blow across her scalp as his hand made light, repetitive movements.
Then came the teasing.
âIf you sleep with wet hair,â Jeonghan said suddenly, dropping his voice to a soft-yet-mildly-ominous tone, âitâs going to grow an organism. Like⊠a fungus. Maybe even a mushroom.â
[What?]
Luna blinked.
âA mushroom?â
Jeonghan nodded seriously, still fanning. âYeah. Mushroom. Like shiitake. Maybe enoki if youâre lucky⊠but youâre allergic, angel face.â
Luna squinted at him, then slapped his thigh lightly. âYouâre so weird, I swear.â
Jeonghan grinned, victorious. âYouâre welcome.â
After a few more minutes of exaggerated care, Jeonghan apparently decided it was time to pack for warâ or at least an emergency trip to the convenience store. He started picking up random items from the table and around the kitchen: a gochujang tube bottle, a plastic bag someone left from their prize haul, the fan he was just using, and even a packet of napkins. He stuffed them all inside the reusable black bag they had won earlier during filming.
[What is he doing?]
âJust in case,â he said simply, as if that explained anything before going to his room and keeping the bag.
Meanwhile, Luna was reaching the final stages of battery drain. Her movements were molasses slow, eyes barely open, lotion half rubbed in. The warm buzz of the chaotic dorm life continued around her, but her body had clocked out. She took one deep breath and stood up like a zombie queen rising from her throne.
It was bedtime.
And with bedtime came her little âgoodnight ritualâ.
This was something all of them knew by nowâ especially they all had shared a dorm with her since their rookie days. Luna had a habit. A tradition, really. Ever since those early nights in their tiny old dorm, sheâd never gone to sleep without giving each of them a hug and saying goodnight.
Every. Single. One.
She started her nightly rounds like a general making sure the troops were tucked in.
[A woman on a mission]
As she made her way toward the hallway, she spotted Jun stepping out of his room, rubbing his eyes like he had just time-traveled.
âGoodnight, Junnie,â Luna said, already holding her arms out before he could register anything else.
Junâs entire expression softened. He stepped forward and gave her a firm, warm hug, the kind that said I got you. His arms wrapped tight around her, and for a second, they just stood there, swaying side to side gently.
âGoodnight,â he murmured before heading back into his room, yawning like a sleepy prince.
Luna then spotted Vernon emerging from one of the hallways, dragging his feet, hair slightly ruffled like he had just come back from an astral projection. Luna blinked.
âAre you just about to wash up?â she asked, walking up to him with that mom-friend tone loaded.
âMhm. Fell asleep,â Vernon mumbled, barely managing to open his eyes.
âAlright.â Luna nodded, arms automatically opening.
âGoodnight, Solie,â she said.
Vernon gave her a sleepy pat on the back as he returned the hug. âGoodnight,â he replied before trudging into the bathroom like a zombie.
Just then, Minghao rounded the corner, his posture already indicating bedtime mode. He paused when he saw Luna, a smile tugging at his lips.
Without a word, he opened his arms already reading her mind.
[Thatâs twin telepathy]
Lunaâs smile bloomed as she leaped into the hug without hesitation. He hugged her tightly and gently rocking them like they were back in a practice room in 2015 with nowhere to go but up.
âGoodnight, Hao-Hao,â Luna whispered into his shoulder.
âGoodnight, Jiyeonie,â he said before heading into his room, closing the door with a soft click.
Luna kept walking.
Back in the dining area, she saw themâ Dino and Wonwooâ still up, bent over two steaming bowls of ramyeon. The two of them looked like they were in the middle of the most serious midnight snacking known to man.
[Drinking and eating]
âNot sleeping yet?â she asked, stepping into the light.
The two of them looked up.
âWeâll sleep after this, noona,â Dino answered.
âAlright. Iâm here to say goodnight.â Luna nodded.
She walked to Wonwoo first, who was seated. She leaned down and hugged his head, and he wrapped one arm lazily around her waist like it was the most natural thing in the world.
âGoodnight, Wonie,â she said gently.
âGoodnight, Jiyeonie,â he replied before going back to slurping his noodles.
When she turned to Dino, she was surprised to see the youngest already standing up, arms wide open like a big baby bird ready to fly.
âGoodnight, noona. Sleep well,â Dino said with a grin.
Luna stepped into the hug, squeezing him tight. âGoodnight, my baby,â she said softly before turning on her heel and heading off to finish her goodnight rounds.
Luna padded softly down the hall, she approached the next roo, the door creaked open gently as she peeked in.
There they wereâ Joshua, Hoshi, Mingyu, and Dokyeomâ all sprawled out on their respective beds like tired, oversized children, each illuminated by the cool glow of their phones. Hoshi was sideways, his foot dangling off the edge like a limp carrot, while Mingyuâs head was barely peeking out from the blanket, scrolling with laser focus. Joshua sat at the top bunk like a perched owl, legs crossed, relaxed as ever, screen brightness turned all the way down like a lowkey dad. Dokyeom had earphones in, head bobbing slightly as he smiled at something on his screen.
âIâm here to say goodnight,â Luna announced, chuckling softly.
Their heads snapped up so fast, it was like theyâd just been caught watching anime instead of sleeping. Four sets of eyes darted to herâ wide, shining, immediate.
And then it happened. Without hesitation, Hoshi, Dokyeom, and Mingyu all flung their arms open simultaneously. A perfectly timed choreography of yearning and sleep-deprivation-induced affection.
[Ta-da!]
âAhhh,â Luna laughed, pressing her palm to her cheek. âYou guysâŠâ
It hit her thenâ how long it had been since they all lived together under one roof. The way their arms opened like reflexes told her everything: they missed this. Missed her. Missed them.
She started with the highest point firstâ Joshua, the ever-collected hyung sitting calmly on the top bunk like a character out of a coming-of-age novel.
âGoodnight, Joshie,â Luna said, giving him a soft smile.
Joshua chuckled, leaning slightly to glance down at her. âGoodnight, Luna.â
With that, he lay back down, folding his arms behind his head like a prince waiting for his dream sequence to begin.
Luna crouched next, slowly descending to Hoshiâs level. He was already beaming at her, cheeks puffed out like a hamster trying not to explode with excitement, arms still wide open and jiggling lightly in anticipation.
âAigo⊠goodnight, Shi-Shi,â Luna giggled, her voice fond and light as she let herself fall into his hug.
âGoodnight, our Jiyeonie,â Hoshi replied, squeezing her tight with a giddy hum before letting go with a gentle pat.
Next up was Dokyeom. Before she could even angle her body toward him properly, Dokyeom lunged with zero grace and full force, tackling her into a rib-crushing hug.
âGoodnight!â he basically sang, his voice echoing slightly in the room like a musical number had just begun.
âYahâ!â Luna wheezed, laughing as she patted his head like a parent calming a sugar-high child. âGoodnight, Kyeomie.â
She peeled herself out of his grasp with a chuckle, only to find Mingyu waiting patiently with his arms already open, seated on his bed like a good puppy dog at the vet.
His big doe eyes blinked up at her, soft and full of longing. âGoodnight, Lulu-ya. Sleep well.â
Luna walked into his embrace, only to immediately pat his biceps twice. âYah, youâre squeezing me too tight, you big log.â
Mingyu laughed and loosened his grip slightly. âSorry, sorry,â he whispered.
âGoodnight, Gyu,â Luna said, smiling as she backed away. She gave them all a final glance, standing by the door now.
âGoodnight, my loves,â she said gently, giving a small wave before slipping into the last room.
[Last room]
Inside, she found Seungkwan folding his towel, rearranging his things like an overworked flight attendant. Woozi was laying on the lower bunk, screen hovering inches from his nose, earbuds in but clearly aware of everything. Jeonghan lay lazily on his own bed, one leg crossed over the other, scrolling like he was doing serious business on a stock trading app instead of reading memes.
âNoona? Are you looking for something?â Seungkwan asked curiously, making all three heads turn her way like meerkats.
Luna shook her head with a soft smile. âJust going to say goodnight.â
Seungkwan gasped like a child who had just heard the ice cream truck. âWahâ!â he said, immediately rushing over to open his arms wide.
She stepped into his hug effortlessly, the gesture so natural between them. âGoodnight, our Boo,â she whispered.
âGoodnight, our Bae,â he replied with the same softness, patting her back before pulling away with a smile.
Then came Woozi. She turned to him slowly. He was already eyeing herâ suspicious, resigned, already predicting what was about to happen.
His eyes seemed to say No. But Luna was already preparing for launch. With a dramatic leap, she threw herself gently onto him. Woozi let out a small grunt of surrender as she hugged him tightly.
âGoodnight, Z,â she mumbled against him.
âNight,â he replied, patting her back with a firm thud like he was burping a toddler.
Then⊠she turned. Jeonghan looked up from his phone, smirking slightly. Lunaâs eyes narrowed teasingly.
She tilted her head and grinned. âOkay, goodbye,â she said, faking a turn.
Seungkwan laughed from across the room, while Jeonghan raised a brow. âCome here,â he said, the usual faux-bored drawl in his voice doing a poor job hiding the amusement in his eyes.
Luna rolled her eyes playfully and climbed onto his bed, only to plop right on top of his chest like a weighted blanket. His arms instinctively came around her, pulling her in. Unbeknownst to her, Jeonghan was already looking over her shoulder, silently motioning to Seungkwan⊠then the light switch.
Seungkwan caught the signal, eyes wide, nodding like a secret agent before subtly flicking the lights off. Darkness swallowed the room.
âGoodnight, Hannie,â Luna whispered, voice muffled against his neck.
Jeonghanâs fingers had already slipped under the back of her shirt, grazing and tracing soft lines up and down her spine. His other hand gently combed through her damp hair, calming her like waves lapping against a shore. âGoodnight, my moon,â he whispered in her ear, so quiet, it almost blended into the stillness.
If they were homeâ in their houseâ this would be normal. Standard routine. This is how they always ended their nights: tangled limbs, whispered jokes, quiet warmth. But here, surrounded by cameras and creaky bunk beds and roommates, Luna knew she had to fight it. But Jeonghan⊠he wasnât helping.
Her eyelids fluttered. âI need to go back to my room or Iâll actually end up sleeping here.â
Jeonghan just hummed, his fingers still trailing soft patterns down her spine, the other gently stroking her hair behind her ear. âGo later,â he whispered, breath warm against her cheek.
âWeâll get caught,â she whispered back.
âWe wonât,â he said, soft but sure. âI covered the camera earlier.â
âYou didnât.â
âI did,â he teased.
âYouâre bluffing.â
âAre you scared?â
Luna buried her face in the crook of his neck. âNot of the camera. Iâm scared I wonât want to get up.â
He chuckled quietly, chest rumbling under her.
âI missed this,â she whispered.
âMe too,â he replied. âYou smell like that citrus body wash again.â
âItâs lemon vanilla.â
âSmells like missing you.â
âCringe as hell,â Luna giggled sleepily, fingers curling into his shirt.
They lay there a little longer, letting silence stretch between them. The thrill of being in the dark, hidden, surrounded yet unnoticed, added an unspoken mischief neither of them wanted to admit they enjoyed.
And then⊠Jeonghan lifted his chin slightly.
He kissed her. It was slow. Careful. The kind of kiss you give when time is short and everything unsaid is packed into one press of lips. Her breath hitched. Their noses bumped lightly. His hand pressed softly against her back, drawing her closer. No noise. No urgency. Just the warmth of knowing and the slight tickle of her sigh as it escaped her lips.
They pulled back, and Luna could almost hear the smile in his voice as he whispered, âGo before I keep you here.â
He gave her a light pat on the butt. âGoodnight, Nana-ya.â
She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. âNight night, Jeongje,â she yawned.
âIâll see you in your dreams, okay?â he said.
âMhm⊠see you,â she replied, already shuffling toward the door like a half-sedated penguin.
She closed the door quietly behind her and padded back to her room. Still empty. Dino was still out in the dining area, probably finishing his second bowl with Wonwoo. Jun, her other roommate, hadnât returned from the bathroom yet.
Luna plugged her phone into the wall with her eyes barely open, then climbed into her bed with all the grace of a sloth in molasses. Cherry the bunny was already waiting for her on the pillow.
She hugged it tight and whispered, âNight night, Cherry,â like a promise fulfilled.
She told Seungcheol Cherry would be him for now. So, in a way, she had completed her little ritual.
Their first night in Italy wrapped itself in quiet, sleepy magic. Somewhere in the chaos, in the laughter and sneaky kisses and old routines reawakened, they all found pieces of home.
Tomorrow, their first day in Rome awaited.
But for now⊠it was night. And they were together.
[To be continued in Clip 2-1]
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Dating Bob includes (part 2/?)
[I'm not going into major detail about what happens in Thunderbolts* but as this is set after the film, proceed with caution from here on out! Hope you enjoy!]
CW: mentions of depression/the void; but mostly, it's just fluff!
[Author's note: some of these points/ideas turned out to be a little longer bc I'm really enjoying writing these! Maybe I'll turn some of them into more detailed one-shots/a series if you guys are interested?]
Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Masterlist
One morning, you're dancing in the kitchen, music streaming into your ears from the headphones while you're making breakfast for Bob and yourself, the rest of the team out on a mission. Bob was still sound asleep when you snuck out of his bedroom, the sun slowly creeping through the opening in the drawn curtains and casting the room in a soft glow. You're humming along to the song, trying not to be too loud so as not to wake Bob, flipping the pancake in the pan and opening the envelope of kitchen roll keeping the stack of already made pancakes warm to put the next one on top in a second. Wearing headphones, you don't notice Bob walking up to you until he wraps his hands around your waist and places a kiss on your cheek, making you jump a little into his figure. You push one of the headphones off your ear and look over your shoulder, a smile on your lips. "I missed you when I woke up just now," Bob mumbles into your ear, his voice still laced with sleep as you turn off the music on your phone. "Wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed," you explain, motioning to the stack of pancakes by your side. After taking off your headphones completely and putting them aside, you turn around in his arms and smile at his tousled hair and the pillow creases left on his cheek. You run your fingers over them and stand up on your tiptoes to give him a peck on the lips.
Some days, especially when Bob is struggling with a depressive episode, he'd sit at the dinner table, lost in thought and a heavier air around him. His gaze glued to the food on the plate before him or slightly off to the side, he'd mumble to himself, barely loud enough to make out specific words. From time to time, his eyes would flash with a faint grey glow, and then he'd shut them, shaking his head to get rid of the thoughts. You'd try to get his attention by slowly and carefully running your foot up his shin so as not to scare or hurt him. When he opens his eyes again and looks at you, you send him a smile, asking if he's alright without having to use actual words. He'd sink lower in his chair but nod slowly, trying to play off the fear visible on his face. The same night, he falls asleep with his head on your chest, tears slowly running down his cheeks while you're running your fingers through his hair and telling him he'll be ok and that he isn't alone anymore.
With him still trying to figure out how to be the sentry while being in control of the void, he isn't put on active missions and the team decides that you'd switch who stays home with him regularly, at first. So, even before you started dating, you'd spend the days reading on the couch or playing video games together, Bob whopping your ass in Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. But ever since the two of you got more serious, the playful bantering about whether or not he cheated would turn into more and more steamy make out session, the games quickly forgotten.
Your shared kisses would be sweet and soft at first. Just a few quick pecks as if testing the waters and then getting more and more heated. He'd pull you close, one of his hands on your waist, the other tangled in the hair at the back of your head, and deepen the kiss, his teeth carefully tugging at your bottom lip. When you let out a quiet moan in response, he slips in his tongue, moving it delicately with yours. There's no fear or awkwardness in the way he kisses you, and it never seizes to take your breath away.
Whenever Bob is with you, his awkwardness and distant nature disappear, leaving him feeling lighter! He feels safe with you by his side, which deepens the love he feels for you. It doesn't take long for the others to notice a change in his general behaviour as well, and they soon start to ask him about his change in mood. While Bucky and Ava seem genuinely delighted whenever Bob has a good day, Walker mocks him, some days more playfully than on others, trying to get any information on who's got Bob feeling this way. Yelena, having had seen you sneak out of Bob's room, usually just looks at you, trying to see your reaction to Walker behaving like a prepubescent teen.
#bob reynolds#robert reynolds#the sentry#the void#thunderbolts*#thunderbolts#thunderbolts* spoilers#thunderbolts spoilers#bob reynolds x reader#robert reynolds x reader#bucky barnes#yelena belova#ava starr#john walker#robert reynolds headcanons#bob reynolds headcanons#the sentry headcanons
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10 step sunday reset routine
as someone who struggles with depression, cleaning my room and getting my life together is a struggle.
having a reset routine can help bring me out of a funk and lift my spirts a little.
i'll be completely honest i have a pretty bad depression room going, and my depression has taken over my life these past few months. so even though this is my sunday reset routine, i haven't done it in a while. but i've had enough. i'm determined to dig myself out of the hole i put myself in. and the first step for me is doing my sunday reset routine.
music, stretch, and workout
i am resetting my whole routine, and the first thing i prioritize is my physical health. when i'm in deep into my depressive cycle, i don't prioritize my physical health at all. in fact, i find that my physical & mental health overlap a ton. so in order to properly reset and get off on the right foot, i need to move my body in a positive way.
2. wash bedsheets
bed rotting is my favorite activity during my depression. so, it's a must to clean my sheets and make my depressive rat's nest into a cute bedspread again.
3. put away dirty and clean clothes
i always make piles of dirty and clean clothes when i start to get back into bad habits again. it always starts with cleaning my clothes but not folding/putting them away. this is usually a majority of what's on my floor in the first place, so this frees up a lot of space and immediately makes the room look 50% better. my favorite thing to motivate me to do this (& make it more fun) is putting on a mindless tv show in the background (i always watch greys anatomy).
4. clean & get rid of dirty dishes
i usually stack up some cups and bowls during this time. so now is a good time to start getting rid of these items and bring them down to the kitchen. i unfortunately dont have access to a dishwasher, so i need to handwash all of my dishes, but this would definitely go by faster with one!
5. wash dirty clothes
by this point my bedsheets have most likely finished in the wash and i've sorted through all the clothes on my floor, so now it's time to finally get the giant pile of dirty clothes tackled. as a uni student living in the dorms (don't worry, i have a private room), scent beads are my favorite go-to to feel comfy and more at home when i wear my clothes.
6. pick up and take out trash
my trash and recycling has definitely piled up at this point (in my room and in their respective cans). i'm also halfway through my routine and i most definitely need some fresh air for a minute. this step may be inconvenient (especially as a uni student who has to lug their trash cans to their uni dumpsters somewhere on campus) but its also a good way to get some vitamin d (and add to my daily steps!).
7. clean & tidy surfaces
i dont know how it happens but there is always some mystery gunk on my desk (usually from my makeup), so all my surfaces need a serious wipedown. i also find this the most satisfying part!
8. vacuum/sweep (my least favorite...)
i may not always do this step, mostly because i absolutely loathe vacuuming, but after this recent depressive episode, my floors need a good vacuum. so unfortunately, i must do what needs to be done...
9. make my bed and put away clean clothes
the finishing touches. i'm tired at this point, and this is where i usually call it quits and tell myself that i will fold and put away my clothes later. but i have to call myself on my bullshit0; i will not fold and put it away later. i have to do it now. a useful tip is imagining your crush (or just a hot celebrity) is coming over. now i want my room to be perfect for them!
10. light a candle and pat yourself on the back
this is a safe space and you deserve to be proud of yourself! even if you only did one thing in this routine... because that's one more thing than you did yesterday <3
xoxo
#self growth#health and wellness#healthylifestyle#wellness#healthy living#university#mental health#mental illness#positive mental attitude#pink pilates princess#fitnessmotivation#reset#clean girl#wellness routine#daily routine#morning routine#change#habits#health & fitness#guide#it girl#self care#self love#self improvement#becoming that girl#girlblogging#girlboss fr#self development#confidence#level up
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Full map of Exandria, 2024 update!

Map images and Wonderdraft file download [HERE]
Hi everyone! It's been about 4 years since my last map. In that time more of Exandria has revealed itself to us, and while it is still not a complete picture, we now have enough that I felt it was time to make an update.
The biggest change from my previous map is that I am no longer using the Elven Tower Cartography assets. This is because previously I installed them incorrectly, in a way that meant that people who downloaded the map file were unable to see the assets unless they installed it in the same weird way that I did. Rather than fixing this, I instead opted to use the default Wonderdraft assets, that way it can be viewed out of the box without having to download something else first!
As before, Tal'Dorei and Wildemount are the most accurate to official maps, and we also have an official map of at least one arrangement of the Shattered Teeth, which is re-created here. We have a portion of Marquet via the Oderan Wilds and Hellcatch Valley maps, but the rest, including all of Issylra is still mostly made up, based loosely on a very old and tiny map briefly shown on screen by Sam in episode 103 of Campaign 1! Naturally when any new maps come out, this map will (eventually) be updated to reflect them.
There are some locations that are new to this map as well, such as the Demithore Valley in Issylra from Campaign 3 and all the towns visited in The Re-Slayer's Take up to episode 10, these being Himblewood, Josgren's Hollow, Shoresight Isle, and the Hug Hive. Ta'Dorei has a few new towns, Mooren and Heldenfaire, which were mentioned in Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, as well as a few unnamed village clusters, the Foramere and Vues'dal villages. For these and the Mornset Countryside I included some non-canonical paths connecting them to the main roadways. Also included in Mornset is Roch Mar, the village that Vox Moronica visited all the way back in Episode 12 of Campaign 1, before Critical Role even did separate numbering for one-shots and thus included this unrelated episode in the campaign. This town isn't officially confirmed to actually exist in Exandria, so consider it my headcanon and a paper town. Moving on to Wildemount, Vo Village got upgraded to proper town status, and I've also included Yardel from The Nine Eyes of Lucien, Ghostwall from The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen, and Galgarad from the Dark Star adventure on DnDBeyond!
I want to give a special thanks to Don Farland for his original fan map of Exandria, created all the way before the release of Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, upon which I originally based my map of the Shattered Teeth. Incidentally, I believe that this depiction of those islands was the basis upon which the official map by Andy Law is based upon. I would also like to thank Niko Vanhala for his fan-made maps of Marquet and Issylra, upon which I have loosely based my maps of those continents. And of course thank you to Andy Law and Deven Rue for the official cartography of Exandria!
#critial role#critical role fanart#fantasy cartography#fantasy map#exandria#tal'dorei#wildemount#issylra#marquet#shattered teeth
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yellowjackets is genuinely so fucking bad this season i have to laugh. the writing is so ass! they truly don't know what to do with any of their characters. they introduce random twists purely for shock value, refuse to actually elaborate on the interesting parts of the plot, and leave so many storylines half finished.
this is coming from someone who really loved season 1, both the teen and adult timelines were actually interesting. the writing was well done and cohesive and the choices that were made actually paid off or were implied to be explored in later seasons.
season 2 dropped the ball a bit. the first half of the season was basically just setup for the teen plot last 3 or 4 episodes. the adult timeline was fine? but mostly directionless - it didn't feel like there was really any continuity between episodes, just a bunch of diconnected events and callbacks/parallels that were supposed to make the audience Feel Something, and it worked to some extent for me - enough that i could overlook some of the shortcomings of the season and try to enjoy the show for what it was.
season 3? genuinely awful. there's one episode left and like three things have happened in the teen timeline. there's basically no stakes in the teen timeline right now either because we know they don't get rescued until during or after the next winter. instead of actually spending time on any main characters other than shauna (ESPECIALLY taissa and lottie, who are some of the most interesting characters on the show, and we can get into the implications of the writers ignoring their woc another time) the writers are putting their time, effort and budget towards melissa, a character who literally was not named during the first season of the show and had like ten lines in season 2. the adult timeline is also a whole lot of nothing! shauna's on some kind of wild goose chase, taissa and van have no characterization or plot outside of each other, no one really cares about the fact that nat died last season when they all seemed to respect her greatly in season 1, and for some fucking reason, lottie is dead. mind you, we know next to nothing about who she really is outside of the wellness guru we saw last season. all of this is being sidelined for the melissa plot which is just truly so idiotic i can't bring myself to watch any scene with her with a straight face. and with episode 9's ending of melissa stabbing van, i really feel like the show has gone off the rails. her entire plot this season has been about whether she and taissa are going to have a future. whether van will survive cancer and the wilderness is appeased by natalie's sacrifice in the season 2 finale. but no! get rid of all of that for background character #4 who has literally no personality but gives your season shitty underdeveloped #gay representation! or whatever
#aashna.txt#yellowjackets#shauna shipman#van palmer#taissa turner#lottie matthews#yellowjackets spoilers
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Jane Espenson writing the majority of Spike episodes where he shows positive character growth, the fact that Spike is the antithsis of Angel and that Joss Wheadon hated his popularity can not be by coincidence.
I know I'm connecting a lot of dots with this one (that have probably been connected before), but she quiet literally wrote the episode where he is reintroduced in season 4 with "Harsh Light of Day", where he becomes part of the Scoobies with "Pangs", "Doomed" and "A New Man".
Then later on in Season 5 saved his character with the masterful "Intervention" where in the same episode she writes Spike creating the sexbot he also shows his worth by being tortured (where we see him being penetrated) and not breaking.
In the season 6 episode she wrote "After Life" where we see Spike's trauma of Buffy dying and how he is literally the only Scoobie to be able to look after her after being resurrected, as he himself has gone through the trauma of dying then digging out of his own grave. Also in this episode we see that he has now taken the mantel of Dawn's supernatural protector, out of surviors guilt from the events of the season 5 finale, and then later on how those events have haunted him every night. Jane then wrote Spike to be the only person in Doublemeat Palace to offer Buffy a way out of working there.
Season 7 Jane co-wrote the highly acclaimed "Conversations with Dead People" then "Sleeper" and "First Date" where we see Spike's fall to The First and where he killed people, but also where we see how he has risen in Buffy's eye's to being trustworthy in "First Date".
With all this being said you can probably understand now why I'd say a lot of Spike nuance is credited to Jane Espenson. To quote James in the SDCC 2012 Buffy panel "Joss would come up to me about 3 episodes in to every season and say he has no idea what to do with me", so this meant the other writers (mostly Jane) to take over with writing Spike. So you can see why it's not too far fethced to say she is the reason behind his popularity as she set a lot of the ground work after s2, outside of James's himself giving a masterful preformance. Later on in the SDCC 2012 Buffy Panel she says "we knew we had this amazingly verstial character largely because we had this amazingly verstial actor, we knew whatever we put infront of James he could do..." this shows that she felt comfortable making Spike into whatever she wanted.
For my last point, there's a lot of examples here that the fandom loves to highlight Spike's being Angel's opposite, like how Spike's treament of a Minor having a crush on him compared to the soul having Angel's. Spike's complete polar opposite on how he see's love as something postive to protect, where as Angelus's use of love as a tool to torture someone with. William loved and respected women where as Liam only used the ones around him.
This all leads me to the conclusion that Spike was more popular than Angel mostly because of Jane's input and groundwork on the character after season 2, and we all know how Joss felt about Spike's popularity and there's no way Jane didn't make all his postive traits the opposite of Angel by coincidence.
Thank you Jane for creating what I believe to be one of the best characters in media history and for being the original Spike girlie.
#btvs#spike btvs#btvs spike#spike#buffy the vampire slayer#buffy#buffyv#jane espenson#this is what happens when i dont have work a good amount of sleep and a lot of caffiene#merry xmas to the spike fandom i know how you all love a big write up on spike
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The stained glass windows of the Owl House I love you you're so cool looking
*All analyses are pretty fast and loose, mostly just spitballing and taking notes
Episode 4: Episode in which the Titan deems Luz worthy enough (and enters the right situation) to learn the light spell. Could be due to her empathizing with King and putting someone elseâs feelings before her own and showing that despite her naivety, she has a good heart and is capable of growth.
Shows that Eda is unlikely to share things that bother her with even the person who has lived with her for several years (King), though it's likely because he's just a kid and she didn't want to burden him with knowledge of her curse.
When the glyph first appears on the phone screen, King asks Luz what sheâs looking at, so perhaps this first appearance of the light glyph is something that only she can see. Perhaps the Titan gave her this spell as a way to give Luz further ability to prove herself worthy of the other glyphs. It also feels significant that the first spell given to her is the one spell that Philip lacked before they met in the time pool episode. Presumably this is to show that Luz is Belosâ natural foil, and that she is worthy of the trust needed to have the light spell (which had resulted in Belosâ attainment of the Collector, which would destroy the Isles) that Philip never obtained from the Titan on his own. Also can't remember how Philip found the glyphs back then in the first place, maybe the Titan gave them to him with good intentions but only realized after that it had been a mistake and this was a person who would seek to hurt other people. Or Philip just yoinked them off of someone
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deltarune is utena: a collection of parallels
since chapter 3 and 4 came out and it's become increasingly clear to me that deltarune is taking some heavy utena inspiration, i wanted to collect the parallels i noticed along with a friend. this is spoilers for deltarune chapters 3+4 and for revolutionary girl utena.
now, the first and biggest parallel i noticed: kris is anthy in deltarune.
- cages for a "greater power" as part of a plot. agency removed due to that role
- working together with (and being manipulated by) a much older figure as a child to orchestrate the negative events and forces of the plot
- being pushed towards a powerful girl closely connected to their manipulator in order to hold more control over that girl
- the truth is, i...... nevermind.
there's more, even.
kris sleeping "like a corpse" through class and other imagery of death for them; anthy sleeping in her coffin.
kris trying to protect people: susie, noelle; anthy trying to protect dios and utena.
both of them trying to return to an ideal of the past, which is why they're doing the things they do (kris's feelings about dess. anthy's feelings about dios).
both of them taking on the painful and harder part in their plot instead of their co-conspirator/abuser.
the egg rooms; the chick needing to break the shell of its egg.
you can even say that the tendency of players to blame kris for things we made them do, or condemn them excessively for their involvement with the knight or carol or for them not telling susie the truth as though they are a demon and not a traumatized child is similar to how anthy is blamed for everything as the rose bride and used as a scapegoat.
prankster's gambit
what does this all mean for kris? mostly bad things! yay!
the next big parallel i noticed: susie/noelle as utena. noelle and susie both being utena seems weird at first, but it actually makes sense when you consider their interchangeability in the text of the prophecy. i imagine that carol wanted noelle to be the one adventuring with kris in the dark world to control both of them better, but susie got in the way. also, we see both of them are strong, and very much revolutionary in how they can bypass the limits of the game, of what we can normally do
the parallels are pretty strong for each, with susie:
- wanting eternity
- being a deeply lonely girl believing in true friendship and empowered by it. also, the protagonist. and someone who is seemingly miraculous, pulling through even when all seems lost and saving herself and others with the power of hopes and dreams
and noelle:
- manipulated by a ring, a symbol of love. we are akio in the weird route. our scenes with her are coded like an abusive relationship
- i can't remember...
there's also noelle's stuff with nostalgia, and her nervous babbling in That Scene in the weird route is reminiscent of utena's in That Scene of episode 33. basically, susie is utena in the main route, and if you choose weird route, noelle is instead
given all this i would be shocked if deltarune was not taking inspiration from utena here (and i wouldnt be surprised if the rose that was originally in That Scene in the weird route was taking a leaf out of utena's book). deltarune is utena yay yippee
#noelle isnt anthy. sorry.#the new graphic in the weird route might make that seem like a good parallel. but its not. sorry#rgu#deltarune#kris dreemurr#kris deltarune#susie deltarune#noelle holiday#carol holiday#revolutionary girl utena
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My Dragon Prince Boards season 7, episode 705, part 2: The Moonberry Surprise.

It's true, the Moonberry Surprise moment, it is my fault
I hope you can forgive me for my sins. Hahahaha.
Ok, let's talk about this little sequence. But first, some... context?
Ok, so, Dragon Prince was my first job as Storyboard Artist, before coming to DPR I was working as a Storyboard Revisionist in Lego NinjaGo Crystalized. So I applied to Dragon Prince with not hopes that they will hire me, and when the offered my the job I was in awe.
So basically, I arrived to work in season 4 as a Junior Storyboard Artist. They gave me little sequences during season 4 (I was mostly helping my unit director with revisions) they gave me more during season 5 and 6, working on my strengths, emotional moments, long talking sequences and some combat. You know what was not there? comedy, because it was not one of the things I knew well how to do. But after a year and a half working in the show, I was seasoned enough to be a proper Storyboard Artist, not a rookie anymore. So they finally assigned me a comedy sequence.
I was terrified. Today after years in the industry, I can say that I am not scared of comedy anymore. But when I read the script and I realized that they were expecting a big comedy moment from me , I knew I was in trouble. But as they say, "you fake it until you make it" I took a deep breath and smile to my unit director like "Of course I can do this!"
But ok, lets talk about the sequence. We start nice, with the moon fam enjoying some time together. Was an opportunity to work with Runaan and Ethari, and that is always cool! I love how Ethari is just happy of everyone being there, and Runaan just wants to kill Callum (in an affectionate way, like he is just a protective dad, you know, a no nonsense dude)


So yeah, they talk a little and Rayla handles Callum a slice of Moonberry Surprise. Is like this almost mythical dessert that is said tastes like nothing else in all Xadia. And Callum is so excited to try it!


So, the script did not call for anything you saw in that sequence. The script instructed to reveal the Moonberry Surprise like something out of this world, and then have Callum almost having an epiphany when he tries it. My first idea was to have Calum almost levitating on his seat while eating it, while the rest of the moon fam looked at them in confusion. But during the launch of the episode (this is the stage where directors and in the case of DPR writers, tell SB artist what they want for every sequence we will board, we pitch ideas, and so on) was more clear to me that they were expecting something more of an "out of this world experience". Like the "I love books" moment that Callum had on season 5, episode 2, but on steroids.

So I was ok, lets make it as trippy as possible. So we have this fast zoom in into Callums face, that lead us into this "dimension of flavor" he is being transported to.


And he opens his eyes and he is floating in this space of color and flavor, his spirit being lifted by this experience.


He is experiencing all this flavors, eating this huge blue berries (this was my Unit director idea, Thanks Katherine!!), when something catches his eye. A figure, looking to him from the above, almost like a god.


And Callums looks up, revealing... this:


So, I have a really particular sense of humor (not unique, because I feel a lot of people share it, particular because really specific things make me laugh a lot). I was born late 80's grew up on the 90's with all the weird cartoons and anime of that time. For me adding muscular arms to things is the best joke ever.
This is peak humor to me:
So I was like, what if, Callum does the Titanic spinning thing, with a muscular slice of pie? So I did that... And I was SURE they will reject it.


So I finished my roughs, and I sent them to my Unit Director. She was "this is so stupid" (in the best way) so, she added some placeholder music, and send it for review from the directors, while both of us were expecting to have it rejected.
A couple of days after, our Storyboards Supervisor was like "WHO DID THE MOONBERRY SURPRISE SEQUENCE??" And I was like "me?", and he was like "Aaron LOVED IT!" and I was like "?????" so, yeah, was approved.
So yeah, that is my legacy, I guess. I am Runaan in this shot:


So well, those are all my sequences in episode 705.
Sorry again for being responsible for the birth of that thing. But that is my son now, and I kinda love him, even if he looks like that....
Next post will be my last! So yeah, stay tunned for my last post about my boards in The Dragon Prince, episode 708!

#the dragon prince#dragon prince crew#dragon prince spoilers#storyboards#mjbarros#the dragon prince season 7#moonberry surprise
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