bexstevie

[bexstevie]

at the clear of not interrupting anything, stevie perks up even more. “really? cool!” he rocks on his heels, hand moving from his hair to mess with his earrings instead. “would you do a run through of some of my lines with me? i can’t tell if i’m too shaky or…” he trails off with a sheepish shrug and a little laugh.

stevie does feel like he’s gotten better, though. definitely from last season, and definitely episode by episode. baby steps are better than nothing, after all; and even if stevie can’t see drastic improvement, he knows its happening bit by bit.

“i think i’m good with the tone, but i think my breath control could use a little work…” he thinks back to the critiques he’s gotten. shakiness on his voice, perhaps nerves or it’s bound to be his breathing, right? that’s what he’s narrowed it down to, at least. but who knows; if anything, inho will give him another thing to think about.

inho considered himself as someone who could go with the flow well. it was something that he found helpful in adjusting to "adrenaline" and its concept. while initially unsure of the song and concept at first, he found joy in it now. it was fun to try new things. the dance wasn't too wild, and he still got to sing and show off his vocal abilities. he decided it was very doable.

while inho wouldn't call himself an expert, he considered himself to be someone with a good voice coming into the competition. that wasn't to say he wasn't open to opinions of others, and wanted to keep growing his vocal abilities. but he liked to think he had a good base coming into everything.

the team was mostly new to him, as well, minus jaeyoung and sarang. no one was wildly younger than him, which helped as he tried to get to know these new people. they all were getting along well for the most part as well. stevie was fun to hang out with. as he approached, inho turned to face him, greeting the younger with a smile. "no i'm not too busy right now," he informed the other. "yeah, sure, what can i lend my ear for?"

#inhobe #thread. #p: the sound #be:ngs2p4

[bexstevie]

stevie's grin is blinding, shooting a thumbs up right back at jiayi. it's not much, but they can work something out. they've got multiple brains at work, and if anything their coaches can maybe critique them in the right direction. teen crush seems like a concept that doesn't need to have anything super wild.

stevie tilts his head, giving a hum of approvement. "i like it! why not?" it goes well with it; all it really needs to do is give them a bit of intro and start engaging the audience with it. "i think it'll flow nice. we could add a few transitions too..." he mindlessly does the motions of what they've come up with so far, humming absentmindedly. "maybe take turns on each side? so they'd have to pan from side to side?" he scratches his head.

"two on the side, then one in the middle to bring it all forward? that could lean towards the end of the intro, if anything." stevie frowns in thought, before turning his attention back to jiayi. "what do you think? am i cooking here?" he jokes, cracking a grin.

high off the judge's praises, jiayi feels invigorated working towards this new goal. she's the only girl on the team, which makes her stand out for better or for worse. she has a lot to prove during this concept evaluation.

they all do.

she wouldn't say her choreographing skills are top notch, but she wants to provide input where she can. truthfully, she's a bit rusty but dancing has always been her biggest passion. while her contributions might not be as large as some of the others, working together will show that she's a team player, an essential quality to have in an idol.

she watches as stevie showcases his ideas in the mirror, nodding and following along. jiayi hums the tune to adrenaline, repeating the moves. "i think it looks good," she faces the other contestant with a smile and a thumbs up.

"i like that it follows the beat drop," jiayi compliments him. "what if we continue that trend throughout the rest of the dance intro?" she asks, trying out some of her own ideas.

#p: one shot one shot #thread. #bejiayi #be:ngs2p4

[bexstevie]

with the last song and concept they chose being a bit more of a challenge, teen crush seems a bit more up stevie’s alley of familiarity. the song choice has a choreography that is easy for him to nail, the style of it easy and more on tune with stuff he’s more acquainted with. as they go through it, stevie feels like he sails through it with easy, the motions fun and bright along with the melody of the song itself. it’s hard to not enjoy it when stevie’s dancing to it, a natural groove to his form .

he’s sipping some water, taking a break when he’s approached– stevie perking up mid gulp and rushing to cap his water bottle. “h-hi!” he sputters out, followed by an embarrassed laugh as he shoots kaito a wide grin. “that’s me!” he’s nice. that’s great! not that stevie thought he wouldn’t be, but it’s always good to have more reassurance.

“sure, kai.” he adapts to the nickname easily, tossing his water bottle onto his stuff and straightening up a bit, stretching out his legs. “two pairs of eyes are better than one, after all. did you have a specific part you wanted to start at?” stevie asks, cocking his head to the side. “i was thinking of maybe the outro, but then again maybe making sure the chorus is good might be more important? i dunno.”

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✧ Batter Up

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

kaito thought that he would have been one of the three that got kicked from the show, so the moment that he was told that he'd be staying he couldn't help but feel a bit shocked over the results. he knows he still has a lot to work on, and a long way to go, but there's a part of him that can't help but also be proud of himself for still improving as quickly as he had during the previous two episodes.

as they're practicing the song they had been given, adrenalin to be exact, he keeps an eye on the others as they dance to the choreography. he can't help it, it's just a habit he's grown to have over the years from not only dancing with his friends back in japan, but also teaching dance here in korea as well. only once they've run through the choreography (for what felt like the millionth time by now) does he approach @bexstevie with a warm smile. "hey, you're stevie. right?" he pauses to get some sort of confirmation before finally continuing. "i'm kaito, or kai for short. do you wanna, by chance, practice together so we can sort of 'judge' each other and help one another out a bit?"

it was at least a start to making connections... right?

#p: batter up #thread. #bekaito #be:ngs2p4 #( ty for the starter lovely!! )

[bexstevie]

oh, adrenaline!

< w. @sarangbe >

sarang is the most familiar, out of his whole team. he’s also incredibly nice– stevie remembers from last season, though it’s his first time getting to work with him this time around. but he’s been pleasant since, and incredibly helpful. stevie’s been blessed each time with a team he feels pretty confident about. or maybe that’s just wishful thinking–either way, stevie vastly prefers it than to worrying incessantly about it. all he really can do is work hard and try his best. 

“okay, so like– at the end, when it’s the adrenaline, oh adrenaline part that inho and jiayi does, we’re all kinda dancing together in the outro” stevie explains, quickly firing word after word at sarang as he does a weak version of the dance, more for example than anything else. “am i on the right track in thinking that’s a perfect place to show off like, expressions and stuff?” sarang’s good at that, right? stevie thinks so. sarang’s looked so composed and put together this entire time. “i think it’d be fun to do like, some audience eye contact– throw out some more cheeky grins. more personality? that kind of thing. what do you think?” 

#sarangbe #p: oh adrenaline! #thread. #be:ngs2p4

[bexstevie]

the sound.

< w. @inhobe >

stevie likes his lines. to be honest, they’re pretty simple– most of them are the same, and in english to boot. stevie’s got those in the bag! but there are singing lines, and with vocals being the most obvious of his skills he lacks at, he seeks out someone he thinks he has a little more experience with it.

he bounds over to inho, an easy smile pulling over his face– and maybe a skip to his step. stevie won’t lie, he’s been really happy these last few episodes. it feels like a vastly different experience than last time, much more enjoyable, or rather he’s looking at it in a more enjoyable way. it’s been fun, educational. the grind not as bad as he thought it would be.

bringing himself to a stop by the older, stevie rocks on his heels, shoving one of his hands into his pocket. “hey,” he greets. “you busy? i was wondering if i could get your opinion on something,” he asks, casual– though the way he fiddles with the ends of his hair with his other hand tells some of his nerves. “or an ear, more like.”

#p: the sound #inhobe #thread. #be:ngs2p4 #( here u go!! hope it was okay omg <3 ) #( lmk if not and i'll fix it!! )

[bexstevie]

going with a concept is...kinda fun, stevie's finding out. last episode is vastly different than to what he's doing now, and the switch up is kinda...refreshing. makes things exciting, he thinks, added onto the ecstatic nerves of reaching this far.

teen crush had caused quite a bit of discussion, at the beginning. catching one another up on the concept and then finding one that everyone agreed on; it's the safest one, for sure-- but now they've gotta make it theirs, in a sense.

"yeah. like setting the scene." stevie comments, rubbing the back of his neck. he thinks back to what they've got going, expression pinched in thought. "we're all goo goo ga ga over her and like, nerdy. out of her league." or that's what stevie's been getting; that's what the stereotypes in the movies go for.

"since there's a few of us too, i think we can make up some fun transitions into center positions for it. like, all of us moving out of the way and boom! she's in the middle." or something along those lines-- he'll have to workshop a few ideas and go over it with everyone else.

working on choreography is fun, for the most part. jay didn't do enough of that in the previous mission, as much as he wanted to. then again, there was already so much going on with the concept they had, putting too much into the choreography might've been overkill. this time around though, his new team agreed on a dance break as their intro. he thinks it fits the theme, as long as they keep the choreography fun and... bouncy, for a lack of a better term.

another thing that's funny is being put in the same team as someone who was technically his opponent in the episode prior, like @bexstevie. jay isn't bitter—not really—because his team got compliments too, but still. he isn't one to dimiss someone else's talents when it's right there in front of his face. stevie is good at what he does, a capable dancer too.

"so the point of this dance break is to highlight jiayi as the one everyone has a crush on, right?" he starts, recalling their discussion when brainstorming for the concept. "i'm guessing she'll take the center spot during the introduction, then? that'd make the most sense. like we're introducing her to the audience."

#bejaeyoung #thread. #p: center stage #be:ngs2p4 #( ty for the starter lovely!! <3 )

[bexstevie]

one shot, one shot

< w. @bejiayi >

the stakes are rising everyday. this is the furthest stevie's ever been in next gen ever, officially-- it's a pretty impressive feat, he thinks. he really has felt like he's grinded a lot. and he's improving, which is all that he can hope to do, at this point.

outside of the coaches, he doesn't know the others well-- but they seem nice enough! and stevie's been able to coast through social gatherings meeting new people easily-- especially when they all have a common interest keeping them altogether.

or mission, rather-- but who cares! semantics, whatever that means.

"the bass drop into this part goes a little hard, so like..." he trails off, brow furrowed humming the beat under his breath as he moves his arms around. trying to find what feels right; they have some semblance of choreography done-- and stevie's trying to conjure up more ideas that fits with the beat. while also keeping in line with their concept.

he meets jiayi's eyes through the mirror, head cocking to the side. "what do you think about this?" he makes the motion of throwing his arms up roughly, feet moving loosely with the motion. "looks kinda powerful? maybe? might fit with the drop."

#be:ngs2p4 #bejiayi #thread. #p: one shot one shot #( here u go lovely <3 ) #( hope this makes sense; stevie knows what hes talking abt but i don't! :D )

[bexstevie]

“i hope so,” stevie’s pretty confident with it. he’s convinced he’s mastered the art of gift giving– at least for his friends, but who knows. people make bad calls all the time (stevie in other things– notably!). though it is jewelry, which stevie feels he’s got pretty good taste for. it makes it even better that joomi is more on the minimalist side of things in that department– more to work with, in the end. but, at the end of the day, the sentiment is all that matters anyway. “if not, always next year,” he jokes, elbowing the other.

stevie files that information away for later. if they can, they’ll avoid any big name brands. stevie can work with that. he nods, rubbing his chin in thought as his eyes move from box to box. “should we go with the ugliest, then?” he jokes, mouth quirking into a cheeky grin. “we can find something that feel like clouds or something but they’re like, puke green and neon yellow or something.”

that’s a good idea. white gets dirty so easily, unless you’re dedicated to wiping down your shoes everyday. “maybe pile it is.” he sets the box aside and goes back to looking. he’s plucking a box from the same brand but a different style, lifting the box to read the tag when joomi speaks up. tilting his head towards the other, he blinks, before shaking his head with a laugh. “it’s not your fault,” he points out, turning back to the box. these ones are grey and black– full-sole, brandishing a material that’s supposed to be light-weight and flexible. “life gets busy, y’know? i couldn’t fault you for that.”

stevie’s been busy himself, or keeping busy. “i’ve been good!” he says honestly, letting out a long uhhh… after, gathering his thoughts together. “i started a job. or two. maybe three. i dunno–trying out things. that’s what the doc said.” stevie pauses. “therapy’s been good too, though i feel like a lot of it is just me running my mouth without a filter and hoping i don’t sound like, cringe or something.” which hasn’t been an issue so far; he’s learned a lot because of his long winded tangents, about his thought process.

he hands over the box to joomi. “these ones are a little different. they’re pretty versatile– full sole are good. i think if you’re dancing a lot, then these would be good. i don’t see any solid colors though.” he explains, head turning back to the shoes. he’s staring at them– not really reading, but more thinking. going over what else has gone on in his life. “oh. and i’m going on a date. i think. i’m being wooed– that means it’s a date, right?”

stevie hums, head cocking to the side as he thinks about it. he can work with that– he’s not much of a fashionista, but he can match things pretty well and know what looks nice and what looks weird. besides, joomi will be the final judge of that. he’ll know better than anything whether or not it fits his gift recipient.

“yeah, that’s true.” if they get it wrong, it’s nothing an easy return and swap can’t fix. he’ll make not of any ones that are discounted and what their return policies are. it’d suck if they went through all this shopping, messed up, and couldn’t return it. stevie wants to groan at the thought of it.

stevie blinks at joomi. “well, yeah. why wouldn’t i?” he laughs in question, shaking his head. “you’re my friend! that means i get you a gift.” his tone is simple. straight to the point. as if not getting a gift wasn’t even apart of the equation. “that’s the rules.” he says cheekily. he likes it though. makes him feel good, fulfilled in a sense. “it’s not a lot– or well…” he trails off, stevie’s expression turning a little pinched as he thinks about it. it’s subjective, probably. for jewelry, it’s not anything amazing. but it’s stylish and minimalistic in a way that reminded him of joomi. “…anyway, you’ll like it! i think.” stevie’s pretty positive he has a keen eye for gifts. maybe that’s the wishful thinking, but he’s pretty confident, for what it’s worth. at least when it comes to this.

“of course! i like gift giving. it’s part of my love language, or something. i took a quiz on it once.” he doesn’t really know if there’s any importance to it– if people buy it because it makes sense or because it’s fun to humor it. “also– pfft. they’re two different days,” stevie points out, as if that will speak for itself. “that means you get two gifts! nice try!” in a childish move of petulance, he sticks out his tongue, unable to make it without cutting himself off with a silly laugh.

attention moving back to the shoes, stevie rocks on his heels. “shoes, “ he repeats. shoving his hands into his pockets, stevie squats a bit, starting at the bottom to peer at the options. at the one that joomi points too, he stands back up swiftly, stepping closer to look at it. he hums in thought, tilting his head. “yeah, probably. most of the time, i think you’re paying more for brand and style rather than like, actual…usefulness.” stevie pauses. “the middle ground is probably fine–, that one isn’t too bad.” he nods to joomi’s pick. “it says it has arch support, which means it’s probably…split sole?” his brow furrows on the word. “whatever it’s called. that’s good– if you’re gonna be on your feet a lot.”

he glances over the selection, looking for the right size. finding it, he tugs it out– peeking inside to check the color. “this one is white and blue trim. does color matter?” stevie glances back up, furrowing his brow as he looks around at the other options. “could put it in the maybe pile?”

#bejoomi #p: dancing shoes #thread. #( stevie will always be happy to talk to joomi <3 )

[bexstevie]

in the face of affection, stevie can’t help but melt. he doesn’t hesitate to lean into the half-hug, lifting his head to shoot jindallae a smile. “me too!” he chirps back in response, eyes crinkling at the corners with the force of his grin. stevie believes it too; the ride here was great, the choice of date is exciting, and everything has felt…comfortable. different, with the notion of it being a date, but not in a bad way. comfortable is nice though. stevie’s a bumbling fool when nervous– but jindallae is making it easy.

he was baiting for it, but the compliment still turns his cheeks red none the laughs. he laughs, shy, resisting the urge to tug at his ear piercing, and instead just moves right past it. own it. though jindallae’s next words have him pausing, processing. then he snorts, elbowing the taller softly.

there’s a bounce in his step as he and jindallae approach the wall. stevie listens to the instructions (well, partially— most of it is stuff he knows), eyeing the wall curiously. he rocks on his heels and greets the staff pleasantly as they get hooked up. he’s fiddling with his clothing once they’re finished, and he steps back over to jindallae.

“me? okay,” stevie agrees easily. “don’t blink, you’ll miss me,” he jokes, cracking a grin as he spins around to face the wall. after another quick glance at the staff to ensure he’s good, he doesn’t hesitate to step closer to the wall– and then begins his trek up.

well, attempts to. the first few grips are clumsy (clammy palms– damn!), but he laughs it off and tries it again– this time with proper grip, and scales up it, slow at first. testing, hesitant. partially because this is a date and stevie doesn’t want to embarrass himself right off the bat.

growing comfortable after a little, stevie pauses, pleased with the distance. he glances down, attempting to see jindallae through his own limbs. “how’s the weather down there?” he jokes, unable to help but laugh a little at his joke.

stevie's reaction to the location of their date brings a shy smile to jindallae's face, one that he tries to conceal or play off, but it's difficult not to feel smitten with him. he doesn't think he's ever met someone that's so good in every way. no one is free of flaws, but regardless of whatever stevie's may be, his sunny demeanor seems to overpower them immensely; its brightness making it hard to notice any imperfections. grinning like a dope is something he's come to expect whenever they hang out, but luckily for him, their height difference makes it hard for stevie to see his face, so he's mostly able to get away with any blushing or grinning whenever it happens. more than anything, he's just glad that sports monster was a good call.

taking a few steps closer to him, jindallae drapes his arm around his date's slight shoulders; pulling him in close. "m'happy you're here, too. i know we're gonna have a good time." maybe it's bold of him to assert that, maybe he'll come across as overconfident, or even cocky, but the truth is, he's just feeling good about this. stevie's vibe makes it easy for him to relax, after all, and that's why his worries have all but disappeared.

"trust me, you are cute all the time." he reassures, squeezing onto him tightly to drive home his point. "i just think i'd have a really nice view watching you from below..." his tone is soft and teasing. any suggestiveness is well-cloaked. he has a feeling that any provocative undertone will fly right over stevie's head anyway. though, when his challenge is accepted, he nods. "alright, then. even though your limbs aren't as long as mine, i have a feeling that you're much faster than me. i can't wait to test my theory—let's go!"

with that, he keeps stevie close as he leads the way to the rock climbing wall, and after they receive instruction from the staff and are attached to the provided safety equipment, jindallae gestures toward the massive structure; stoked. "you go first. i wanna check out your form. that, and i don't know. i feel like you'll need it." maybe he's acting somewhat smug, but it's all in good fun. he hopes that stevie can read into that. if not, he'd feel bad for seeming like a douchebag.

#jindallaebe #thread. #p: i've got you

[bexstevie]

NEXT GEN SEASON 2: EPISODE 3

( STEVIE PARK performing a.maze don’t call me, with team b: feat. @hangyeolbe, @lucielxbe, @benayoung - line distribution / stage performance ver. w piano break [3:00 - 3:29] dance break inspiration /— outfits: zhixin, hair styling visual. )

judgement day.

that’s what stevie’s been calling it at least these past few days. it sounds more scary than it feels though. the nerves from last week are still there– but he thinks he’s doing a pretty good job at hiding it. instead, it translates to rambling at his teammates, and greeting other contestant during the waiting times. it helps get the nervous energy out. if stevie socially drains himself, he can focus on just performing. he won’t think about what’s on the line, won’t think about how high the expectations are. he’ll let the music take him into the story and let his body tell the rest of it. 

it’s okay, either way. stevie’s tried a lot this time around, way more than he did last season, that’s for sure. he’s learned a lot too, especially with this group mission. contemporary has been something he’s been interested in, looked up and thought about. never had any time to really try– but he sure has been trying it a lot this time around. 

he’s found a blooming love for it, though. when he got over the worry about how he looks to other people during it, and just focused on feeling it– it was easy. it was nice, the fluidity of the movement and how much the style of music is nice to dance to. refreshing, in a sense. and plus the team that he has with him– they’ve been great. stevie doesn’t know as many people this season as he did the last (which, in hindset, might be a good thing), so it’s been fun getting to know new people. he lucked out with nayoung too, already familiar so it was easy to be comfortable, but also have that stern direction to improve himself. 

when it’s their turn, stevie murmurs words of encouragement to his teammates, patting each of their shoulders and bouncing on his heels the entire way up. as they settle into position, he retracts a bit of his excitement, eyes glancing over everyone with a small smile. he fixes his clothing, adjusts his color– their chosen attire to match their added dance break. it’s nice visually, stevie finds. it adds along to the feel of the vibe they’re going for. 

coming up here doesn’t seem as scary as last time, stevie can tell already. there’s a thrum in his body that stevie can attest to his nerves, but he doesn’t shake this time. short introductions made, stevie settles into this persona he’s learned to fall into once the music begins. 

“check this out, yo.” stevie starts, stepping forward. his confidence flows with ease, going right into the next line. “i don’t want you back, don’t call me.” 

the choreography for don’t call me is something he could do with his eyes closed. he’s heard this song so many times both on his own accord and on top of the continuous practice this last week. he likes a.maze, likes their style– it’s fun and it always looks so cool done. the choreography is always incredible, and stevie loses himself in the midst of doing it. “you just search my name all day long,” stevie comes in after luciel easily. “you find my traces and lick them,” tacks on the other line, armed with the motion of going to lick his thumb. 

he thinks he’s lucked out a bit. the rapping comes easier than singing; they don’t feel hard, at least. stevie can imitate, and he can try to emulate– but he knows that he’ll never be on the level of a.maze. stevie does his best, and at least it sounds good to his ears; he doesn’t strain, doesn’t try and push for a note that he can’t reach, but tacks on inflection that matches the core concept of the song. keeps his flow smooth

“sorry– the number you have called has been disconnected,” then comes the dance break. it’s like muscle memory, when nayoung steps back and the rest of them take a step forward. their puppet strings being cut, and seamlessly, they fall to the ground, before quickly easing into the dance break. the piano sounds eerie, somber and despaired as it begins– so stevie replicates the expressions as well as he can. longing, pain– his body moves with practiced ease, letting the instrumental take him through an illusion and down to the ground. despair, hope. how he knows the bridge is going to sound and what kind of feeling it instills; he replicates it his body language, in the twists and crinkles of his features. 

a seamless transition back into the main choreography, the added flair of sensuality easing into it. stevie adds the slightest bit more of despair into his voice, each part of his lined delivered in succession after luciel’s verses. and as they close up, the last few seconds of the song as hangyeol closes– all of them staring forward, stevie’s eyes moving to land on ceo yoon’s, keeping in mind the ending fairy note in his head, expression set in that determined expression the ending calls for, before he easily follows the rest of the group and turns to walk their last few paces.

and with his back turned, his chest heaving, stevie can say for sure that he’s pretty proud of that performance. no matter what happens.

#wc: 889 #solo. #be:ngs2p3

[bexstevie]

STEVIE PARK - episode three reflection interview.

“hello~” stevie greets staff cheerily, waving his hands around as he sits in the seat before the camera. he feels a lot less…rigid than the last time, nerves settled into the bouncing of his leg rather than his features. “long time no see, right?” he jokes, dropping his hands to his legs.

welcome back! you seem in good spirits this time around.

“yeah!” he grins. “i feel pretty good today! i’ve been stressing so much about today that now it’s just like. i dunno. feels relieving, but also good?” it’s a nice weight off his shoulders, that’s for sure. 

leads me into asking– does your good spirit have to do with how well you think you did?

“well..." he trails off. “i feel good with it. i think everyone else is too.” stevie shifts, kicking his feet forward. “i at least hope so. we spent so long working on it, that it’d feel wrong for me to not feel kinda like, proud of it.” he admits, mouth curving into a smile.

sounds tiring. any big challenges you had to face?

“i think out of everyone i have the least experience with…contemporary style. and anything with like, classical music in general…” there was a lot of research done in his downtime, memorizing styles and techniques so he could come to practice prepared. helping with choreography is always nice when you have something to add to the table, even if it’s something minuscule. “the vibe of the song is also something i’m not really used to. our concept it’s a little…serious? and i’m, y’know…” he gestures to himself. “me. haha.” 

last time, you were asked if you were scared of the judges. how do you feel about that now? 

“oh. now? i feel way better. they’re not scary.” stevie assures, then pauses. follows up with a “okay, maybe a little scary…” he adds, slipping into english tongue with a shy laugh. 

last season, you made it to the third episode, only to be eliminated at the end. do you think you’ll make it to the next one? 

oh man. stevie has been stressing about that a little, in the back of his mind. group mission and then he got the axe. it could happen. “i hope so.” he says, honestly. “like, at the very least i think it’d be cool to make it to like…episode four or something.” a joke. he’d like to make it to the end, but if he lasts longer than last season, he’d be okay with that. even if he doesn’t make it this time around, he’ll at least be happy with the progress he’s done so far. “i feel good about it though. no matter what happens, too. i think.” he hopes.

#wc: 455 #solo. #be:ngs2p3

[bexstevie]

#music.

[bexstevie]

#visual.

[bexstevie]

he waves off the apology. it’s not luciel’s fault that stevie has terrible composure under pressure. stevie really should get himself in gear– though he does think it’ll be easier on judgement day to get this down. with enough distance and dividing his attention between performing and making occasional eye contact with the judges– he thinks he can do that now. 

stevie won’t lie, it feels a lot less scary now, when he’s working as a team. individually, he finds it’s a lot easier to get lost in his head– a lot more susceptible to thoughts of negativity and worry than he would be surrounded by other people. 

the encouragement is nice, though. luciel’s been a good sport about it– stevie gives a sheepish laugh in response, rubbing the back of his neck. it won’t be too hard of a hurdle to jump over; stevie just has to adjust. he’s adjusted to situations before, he can do this now. they’ve still got time, even if it’s steadily ticking down day by day. he’ll get out all of his reservations and awkwardness now before judgement day. 

stevie catches his breath, listening to luciel’s comments and nodding his head. he does make a point– it’s just a matter of getting used to it. once he isn’t worried about the faces he’s making or how to make his body tell a story, he can work on fine tuning the vocals. "thanks," he murmurs softly, cracking a smile. "practice makes perfect, right?" he rocks on his heels, humming.

“i’m down with that,” he says easily. it’ll be easier to look back on recorded too. memory can feel unreliable once they’re at it for hours at a time. “dance with me? i feel lonely over here.” he gives a playful pout. it would definitely help his nerves. “probably help with timing and stuff too.”

the flush on stevie’s cheeks breaks luciel into a lighthearted laugh, away from the seemingly romantic gestures and expression he had just moments ago. “haha, was it too much? i’m sorry about that, it may have been too sudden. but i’m glad that it’s working… in a way?” then he thinks to himself that his hosting job wasn’t for nothing after all. at least it was working on stevie. maybe it was too much for the guy for a start, so he makes a mental note to tone it down a little the next time. luciel also adds in a mumble, barely audible, “someone would had called me a weirdo for that…”

he straightens his back. even in practice, his posture remains perfect. it was mostly out of habit from the etiquette lessons he was grinded through when he was younger. luciel waits for stevie to collect himself, and when he makes another attempt with the eye contact he gives him some claps as positive encouragement, “you’re doing better already, you can do it~ paiting~” wait, was it paiting or hwaiting…? it’s the same thing, right…? ah, whatever. he hasn’t yet familiarised himself with korean slang.

luciel nods along what the latter suggests, maintaining the same eye contact. temporarily playing the role of the toxic love chasing after their ex was also a foreign concept to him, he’s never been involved in such relationships. so this experience was turning out to be more fruitful than he thought, and he will take this experience and feeling into account the next time he practices.

“ooh? that was great. your voice sounds clearer now, and the tone is good,” he throws what he has observed. “if you continue practicing like this and get used to eye contact, your nervousness will go away and you’ll be able to shift more attention on your vocals.” luciel pauses for a while before adding in another suggestion, “should we try with dancing now? i’ll record at the same time so we can look back on it.”

#lucielxbe #thread. #p: sweet misery #be:ngs2p3

[bexstevie]

stevie flushes at the attention, and the tack of his korean name that he’s still getting used to. “aah, y’know…” he trails off, fiddling with his earring. “i’ve been researching. i was watching some videos this week to kinda help give me an idea of what i’m doing.” contemporary isn’t something he’s confident he can get down without some extra attention. maybe stevie can chalk that up to interest in it; he always learns better if he’s enjoying what he’s doing, after all. 

“thanks,” he says, hand dropping from his earring. “i couldn’t come empty handed, y’know?” not at this point. not when he’s put in this much effort already; he’s gotta make it to the end. or at least try to. that’s what he promised himself this time, this season. 

stevie blinks, head cocking to the side– similar to that of a dog as he thinks about it. he tries to picture it, but once hangyeol goes to demonstrate, stevie straightens up and observes. stepping back a bit to give enough distance, watching the seamless movement between moves. once hangyeol hits the floor, then lays there– he confesses a nap. it breaks stevie out of his concentration, and he breaks out into a laugh, hand snapping over his mouth. 

he’s still giggling once hangyeol sits up, amused as he thinks about it. “honestly, i think that looked good.” he confesses, meaning it. at least all the way up to the end. “though i’m not sure how well a nap will go over,” he pauses. “though it does sound pretty good right about now…” as a frequent nap taker, he does miss being able to freely take one the moment he gets tired.  “i’ll try it,” he agrees easily enough. bouncing a bit on his heels, he takes a moment to gather himself before he shuts his eyes and does the movement all the way through. once he finishes through, ending the reverse scorpion the older showcased. after a moment of laying there, he pipes up with a, “okay, maybe a nap would be nice, once you do it…” he gets it. laying here does feel kind of nice, and knowing if stevie does it any longer, he will start snoozing. he pushes himself to sit up, giving a long sigh.

hangyeol can't help but feel anything but blessed in moments like these. yes, he had fallen two ranks, but considering the height he fell from, a couple stories was hardly anything to cry about. he would not suffer any broken bones (thank goodness), he still sat comfortably in the proverbial winner's circle, and it served as good television to feed the fabricated rivalry the network was trying to sow between himself and hyunki.

but it is not the good publicity or the inherent popularity contest of the competition that feels like a blessing: it's the fact that he gets to dance again, to his fullest, after going so long without, just to nurse his wounds into healing; it's getting to perform a song by a group of massive idols, some of his favorites, for the world to see, and still while putting his own flair on it; it's being acknowledged as one of the best, after all of the lifelong work he's put into his craft; it's having a shot at a dream he'd long stowed away in the attic of his mind after his disappeared partner had delayed it into impossibility.

and he gets to experience all of this while in the presence of fellow like-minded creatives and performers. he knew he liked stevie from the first round of this season (he had opted out of watching anything other than social media highlights of season one, his personal life at the time leaving a bile-sour taste in his mouth at the thought of a full viewing). they were, the pair of them, a matching set of warm, boisterous personalities, and hangyeol is already enjoying adopting him as one of his students, guiding him through the journey that is transitioning seamlessly between kpop and contemporary dance.

"oh--!" hangyeol pauses the dabbing of his shirt's hem across his forehead to react to stevie's demonstration in pleasant shock, "it's called an illusion-- where did you learn to do that out of nowhere? i'm impressed, subin-ah~" he sing-songs his teammate's korean name with all the fondness of a proud mentor, brushing his hand over the younger male's shoulder affectionately before lifting his knee one after the other to rotate the joints where his legs meet his torso.

"it might be nice as a quick roll-off too. ooh- what if we did something a little spicy coming out of it? maybe one of those reverse scorpions, since we're already so close to the floor? here-"

he steps back, putting several feet between himself and stevie, before demonstrating, executing the same choreography into the illusion as the latter did only minutes before, before slipping out of a kneeling position into the move he described.

"and then..." he continues from his spot on the floor, voice somewhat muffled by his proximity to it, "we take a nap," he jokes, taking a humorous moment to close his eyes lay his cheek against the cool, freshly waxed pine, before pushing himself up into a seated position.

"what do you think? want to try it?"

#hangyeolbe #thread. #p: let's crack the code! #be:ngs2p3

[bexstevie]

“oh, yeah.” stevie says, belatedly. he turns a bit to look at nayoung, and his expression is sheepish. “i’ll be honest, i kinda…forgot you were there for a second.” a little giggle leaves him. he had been so focused on finishing through the break. “you’re also not as scary as them.” he says pointedly, meaning it. nayoung can be scary but between getting the judges criticism and nayoung’s, he knows who he’d rather be on the receiving end of a correction. 

create a moment. okay. stay immersed; only make eye contact with needed. stevie will have to run through the choreo again and see where it would be nice to squeeze it in. next time they do a run through, he’ll have to note where his eyes gravitate naturally when he’s dancing. try and make it look seamless, or something. stevie will figure it out. 

stevie gives a long, thoughtful hum. mostly because he kinda forgot about that, but he fights back a grimace at the remembrance. oh yeah. that didn’t go over well. “true,” he mumbles, frowning in thought– furrowed brows as he stares at his reflection in thought. nayoung continues, nodding his head as he processes. that makes sense, stevie supposes. it is a more serious performance, added even more so with their chosen dance break. 

“i could just do it here, i guess.” stevie says absentmindedly, after nayoung finishes and he stews in silence more. and then without any further addition, turns his head to the nearest camera, and winks, breaking out into a shy grin after. turning away from the camera, he gives a groan as he stands up. “okay, goofball break over.” 

retraces back to what nayoung said. “so like, kinda like an ending fairy, right? except don’t break composure.” he tacks on, mostly to remind himself. stevie tries the last couple seconds of the song again, keeping in mind the advice. once it ends, he holds the position, staring at his reflection and managing eye contact. he keeps it for a few seconds, before turning away and doing the slow walk away. he makes eye contact with nayoung, and his lips twitch.

“i think that won’t be too bad.” stevie confesses, pivoting back on his heel. he sounds genuine, more at ease. between practice with luciel and hangyeol and them as a group, stevie thinks he’s getting the hang of it. “like, i could just treat it as a staring contest, or something.” he frowns, thinking for a moment. 

“actually, can i get your thoughts on something? i was thinking in the dance break–” he tries one of the moves, something flowy with a lot of wide arm work. at one point, his arm covers half of his face for a moment, eyes still apparent, before he has to spin. he holds the position of his arm above his face. “i think i could probably stick some sudden eye contact here. the piano picks up a bit afterwards, and then i really gotta into moving, but i think it could be a nice addition?”

nayoung thinks her team is stacked, if she does say so herself. stevie and hangyeol are, in her opinion, the best dancers in the competition. jihyun, who prefers to be called luciel, she's discovered, didn't capture her attention much previously, but he has his own talents.

on paper, they should win easily. nayoung knows in practice, it isn't that easy. the other don't call me team could put together something spectacular and improve astronomically in a short period of time. she saw it happen last season, so she's not about to let her guard down or let her team slack.

she thinks they've come up with a good concept, though: really playing into the idea of a relationship with someone you should never talk to again – something toxic, something you feel like you can't escape from. nayoung's role is to play puppetmaster, or the toxic relationship, that the others eventually escape from.

she watches from her spot, sat against the far practice room wall, as stevie runs through the dance break in question, and she thinks he's doing well for his lack of contemporary experience. nayoung doesn't think dancing technique will be the biggest concern for the judges in this case, though, especially because they're representing sr media, where performance and concept is key.

"it's also me," nayoung points out with a hint of a smile. "but i think developing the right mood in this case is more important than eye contact. for something like 'do better,' it makes sense, but with a performance like this, you want to...create a moment, and bring the audience into it with you."

he mentions something cheeky, and nayoung shakes her head. "one of the contestants got in trouble for that last episode," she remind him. eunwol, if she remembers right? "just stick with what matches the mood. you'll want to look confident by the end, though, and maybe even a little tired – like you just broke free of a bad relationship after fighting for a long time. you can try staring at ceo yoon instead. i think he'd appreciate that more," she chuckles.

#be:ngs2p3 #thread. #benayoung #p: can't give up so easily

[bexstevie]

better is good. stevie nods, satisfied with that. now he just needs to get through the rest of it. he tries not to grimace, mindful of the cameras. but, whatever. think positive! he’s straightens up a bit, blinking at luciel as he takes in the next words. 

stevie listens, and in the back of his brain he acknowledges oh yeah, the point of the lyrics, but luciel makes direct eye contact with him, sets up the scene for him in such a way that it surprises him. stevie stares for a moment too long, feeling his cheeks heat up. “i– wait, i’m shy,” he splutters out, slapping his hands over his face, a near hysteric laugh leaving him. “okay, i’m sorry. that was just– i felt that. okay, okay i’m sorry. one sec," it felt romantic and he’s shy! sue him!

embarrassed, he ducks his head forward, hands still plastered over his face– taking a moment to recuperate. okay, it’s fine! clear reset– just act! stevie takes a deep breath, and straightens back up, hands dropping from his face. “eye contact, got it. okay.” he swallows, taking a step back and focusing himself on the moment. 

gathers himself, and he starts off shaky, but he attempts the line again. a little stronger towards the end, but he keeps staring forward, eye contact with luciel continued right until he finishes the line. stevie’s silent for a long moment after, before he silent drops his head into his hands once more.  and then immediately after, he drops his hands and spins around. “okay, what if i like– i’ll stand the distance away where the judges are.” he says in a rush, pivoting on his heel and walking back a little bit. he doesn’t go too far, wanting to be heard properly. maybe a little closer, but he feels better about singing at this distance and keeping direct eye contact. stevie isn't sure he can do that without breaking composure and laughing.

this time, he doesn't wait-- and goes right into it. this way, he can focus on getting the right note and get the tone when the melody changes; keeping eye contact until he finishes the line.

the comments and critiques from the judges has certainly gotten to luciel, though it did eased him down knowing that he wasn’t alone on this. he’s been observing his teammates closely, since this would be his first time sharing the stage with other people.

he listens to stevie’s singing practices, gives a small clap and nods, “that’s better.” then again, he still isn’t too sure if he’s the right person for giving vocal advices. so he thinks back to the times when he had vocal lessons in the past, carefully picking out his words for the latter. “could you try singing while making eye contact with me? think that i broke your heart, and you hate me for trying to mend your heart.” luciel flashes a small smile at that while holding his hand out, ‘beckoning’ him to take his hand while gazing into stevie’s eyes intently. “tell me that if i love you, i have to let you go,” he says softly, sounding as if he means it, even though he was merely quoting the lyrics.

might as well go with something he’s more familiar with: singing while feeling the emotions in the song’s story. he’s noticed that the latter has been showing signs of nervousness, perhaps that could be a wall preventing him from singing like he wants to. luciel hopes that he could offer him more confidence if that were the case and see how it goes.

#lucielxbe #p: sweet misery #be:ngs2p3 #thread. #( made perfect sense!!! ) #( also im sry for him jsdlkj fjgsdlkljlglkks )