⫯ backstage

@✩ umida ivanova ᵐᵘᵃ he was almost completely settled with resting in place, and giving the woman a go at working her magic. but keyword? almost. for as soon as she had let out what was supposedly a poorly landed joke, he essentially felt the need to retort in his own usual fashion to slice a knife in the air of painfully awkward silence he had intentionally placed once he’s extinguishing the mere look of grief from his face. “and what happens if we don’t though. are you gonna lose another one of your precious items i’m going to miraculously locate in a couple of seconds? trust me, i’m down for some hide and seek.” he adds with the click of his tongue and a brief nod of his head, leaning back further into his seat just to simmer down then ultimately let her catch a breather or two. “anyways, i’ve got a duet coming up with one of my bandmates, tomo. it’s a song we pieced up pretty quick and hell, i’m not even sure how, but i feel like it definitely covers a good load of the damn hardships we went through just to get to where we are today. it’s in japanese though, so if you wanna look at it differently? think about it like a typical anime opening. it’s got that energy either way.”

standing in the hallway outside where dox's room was, she busily went through email after another and overheard the music already blaring outside of the hallway. curious as to how the audience was enjoying the stages so far, she shifted a little to where there was this huge monitor filming every stage yet making sure that she was a few mins away lest she was needed. her eyebrows furrowed together slightly in concentration, merely watching other artistes and trainees going up slaying one after another. not too soon, klaus's face appeared on screen and she let out a short exhale, praying and hoping silently that his stage would be greatly received like always in other various events, lives and concerts before.

@✦ kim hanjun ʳᵉᵛᵒˡᵗ with just minutes before they were expected to be called onto the stage, yejun had been taken hostage by makeup artists and stylists who insisted that they /must/ fix his look with final touch ups. reluctantly he agreed and stood by the vanities, silently rethinking his life decisions as he wished he could be saved from the hoarde of women fussing over minute details no one would even notice.

it wasn't until the familiar voice of his longtime friend made his ears perk up with attention, quickly turning to face the other with sparkling eyes that for once couldn't be happier to see his friend. "gee, i sure ing hope so! we only worked on it for ages... not to mention we go on in, like, five minutes tops?" the young man sighed in total distress as now he was running through the song in his head as if to scan it for problems like a computer database. better judgment begged him to let things be as they are yet hanjun had already ticked off his perfectionist second guesses. ", fine. let's check it one more time. get my laptop /quick/."

The backstage was a bit of a mess, much like it usually is for such big events. There were staff members and technicians running back and forth trying to tend to everyone's requests while making sure the schedule was being followed to the best of their abilities. Stylists and makeup artists were also rushing through their assigned performers and hosts to get everyone ready on time, and the artists, trainees and others were spread through the rooms and hallways as they warmed up, went through their performance one last time, or carried out their pre-stage rituals and traditions. Tomo wasn't much different. Laying the simple black outfit he'd be wearing on stage by his side on one of the couches that filled the waiting room, he brought his socked feet onto one of the small coffee tables, crossing them at the ankle. He then carefully pulled the black six-string onto his lap to tune it by ear, a bit of a challenging task considering the loud atmosphere that surrounded him, but he'd recheck before they got on stage anyway so he didn't bother moving elsewhere. They still had a good amount of waiting time before their turn even neared, so for now he'd just entertain himself for a bit and mingle before he had to get started on his own pre-show routine.

@✦ ahn yejun ʳᵉᵛᵒˡᵗ Backstage, the atmosphere was electric with a mixture of pre-show nerves and excitement. Hanjun could feel his heart racing as he weaved his way through the maze of equipment and cables to find Yejun. They were just moments away from taking the stage, and there was something important that needed to be addressed. Spotting Yejun amidst the flurry of label members and crew preparing for their own performances, Hanjun took a deep breath and approached his fellow musician.

Hanjun took a moment to collect his thoughts, knowing that this conversation with Yejun was essential before they hit the stage. He could hear the distant murmur of the crowd, the hum of excitement building as the minutes ticked away. This was their chance to make an impact, and he wanted everything to be perfect.

As he closed the gap between them, Hanjun observed Yejun's focused expression. Yejun was always the steady hand, the one who exuded calm even in the most nerve-wracking moments. It was one of the reasons Hanjun admired him as a groupmate.

"Yejun," Hanjun began, his voice laced with urgency but tempered by the camaraderie they had built over the years. "I know we're about to go on, but I need to ask you something crucial. Is the song ready? Are we good to go?" Hanjun's eyes locked onto Yejun's, a mix of determination and anticipation in his gaze as he waited for his bandmate's response, hoping they were indeed prepared to deliver an unforgettable performance.

she pinched herself and no, she was truly not dreaming at all! she was finally here, her first official gig as a fully fledged (assistant) stylist. the festival had been in the works for a while and she was honored she was chosen as part of an excellent team to prepare the participants for their stages. the idols and managers and the rest of the staff had poured in and within a matter of minutes nari was running to and from with clothes, shoes, accessories, and even an iced coffee at hand. "now wait a minute, goodness gracious- this performance is purely based on a fast paced dance which includes a few acrobatic movements so pray tell why are we giving the performer black wedges it's an absolute hazard- not to mention they don't even look coherent with the outfit how about we..." she pauses and discusses something with the main stylist who gives her nod of approval, "do these gorgeous nike air force ones, they still complement the outfit for that casual look and the are slip resistant so we won't be having any unprecedented hiccups!"

() just dropping an open starter ><

@✧ reece nishiya「ʀᴇᴀᴘ.ʀ」ᵈᵒˣ as much as she wanted to curl up into a ball and hide under the desk away from the world, she was still at work where so many people relied on her to be on her A game. so she inhaled a long slow breath and held the air tightly within her chest before finally releasing, allowing herself to relax her frazzled mind. "alright, let's do this! what kind of look are you aiming for? if you don't have anything in mind then tell me about your upcoming performance and we can figure it out quicker than you can say reeces pieces." umida grinned after letting a little teasing joke slip through, giggling softly as she pulls out a little cheat sheet she created and held it up against his face, analyzing his skin for a brief moment until finding a foundation in her collection she felt would suit his skintone perfectly. "and hey, don't talk about yourself like that. i know what i'm doing and i promise we'll get through this as quick as we can."

@✩ umida ivanova ᵐᵘᵃ “nah, you’re good.. i think.” he added as yet another measure of assurance for the girl, because while he might’ve been tempted to slide in a remark at how embarrassingly jittery she was, he refrains from doing so. her state of panic potentially able to adversely affect him one way or another, and he had no energy to deal with karma for now. with teeth nibbling onto his lower tier, and his foot essentially tapping onto the ground as he soon took a seat and aimed to rest— reece took in what form of relaxation he could muster up still and pointed at his face. “you’re gonna need the luck. ‘cause this here might be a whole lotta work.” he felt the need to add, knowing just how long he took with other make up artists at times compared to his fellow band mates when it came to covering up his scars and other minuscule imperfections.

@✧ reece nishiya「ʀᴇᴀᴘ.ʀ」ᵈᵒˣ panic truly began to set in as the blonde pulled her long waves into a high ponytail and desperately searching all over it seemed, losing herself through the endless tunnel vision packed full of eyeshadow palettes, brushes, and makeup galore. umida was so hyper focused that she failed to notice the man walking up to her vanity desk, jumping with sudden surprise as a tiny soft yelp slipped out. "oh! ...huh?" brows furrowed in confusion at his next words, her gaze following the trail until spotting her precious blue brush sitting in plain sight. both hands rest upon the desk as umi hung her head low in total defeat and embarrassment, mumbling in her native tongue. "thank god. i'm so sorry, thank you! ugh this place is a madhouse."

@✩ umida ivanova ᵐᵘᵃ maybe there was something in the way that it was absolute chaos backstage; people frantically running about to get to where they needed to be, get to what they needed to do. or perhaps it was the fact that reece didn’t get a lot of sleep prior. but all in all, the man simply wasn’t in the best of moods. trudging about like a snail compared to the fast pace everyone seemed far too accustomed to all too soon, until he made it to his assigned make up artist. her predicament amusing him at best as he stood behind the female, essentially eyeing the blue makeup brush she seemed to be looking for. “i know i’m no ing makeup guru, or anything but.. isn’t that it by the table right there?” he added with a sigh, having watched her struggle long enough.

everything was chaos. performers all shimmying into their best stage outfits, stylists making last minute changes, managers and stage crew barking orders left and right. umida did her best to remain professional and keep her cool as she moved from one face to the next, working on different makeup looks more like she were an art factory churning out AI paintings than her usual liking. "oh no..... oh god.. where's my kabuki brush?!" umida cried out as she desperately dug through her bags and checked the messy desks to no avail, realizing one of her most important tools was suddenly missing. "has anyone seen a big blue makeup brush?!"

　★ ˙ 。❛ ʜɪᴛs ғᴇsᴛɪᴠᴀʟ ❜　↬　head in the stars festival has now begun !

@✧ moon eunhwi〈 ᴛᴏᴍᴏ 〉ᵈᵒˣ "That is very true, maybe we can find out the truth or start a even crazier rumor of more than one ghost being in the fields" he laughed softly. "Though the stars are pretty and very relaxing its the fresh air that can't be beat it's different at times the city almost feels stuffy with all the fried food smell at every corner." he said honestly as he leaned on the chair he was sitting on. "I don't mind rumors, it did hurt slightly people though I was a emotionless person but I did repress a lot back in the day" he said to the other. "I will make sure that tour dose happen don't you worry about that but if you do lets not tell my parents about the idol job just yet " he hummed.

@✦ gong chanshik〈 ɢᴇʟᴀᴛᴏ 〉ʳᵉᵛᵒˡᵗ "I guess we'll have to make arrangements with our schedules in mind for all that... Might take a while" He acknowledges quietly before offering a shake of his head "I am pretty much a night owl, I sleep more through the morning and to the afternoon rather than night, so it should be fine" He jokes lightly before readjusting his positon, keeping his eyes on the other as he shared his own experience with town rumors "I'm sure it does, especially if you're the type that really minds what others say or think about you" The last comment rips a chuckle from Tomo, head leaning back onto the back of the couch for a second before he is nodding in confirmation "I'll be counting on that tour during my visit!"

@✧ moon eunhwi〈 ᴛᴏᴍᴏ 〉ᵈᵒˣ "If you ever do and I am back at home I will gladly show you around show you all my favorite places to go" he mused softly and shook his head lightly "It can be very quiet at night though if you are use to the city noise in the background." he mumbled to the other. The city was the biggest thing to get use to but he did love it thought just different. "That is true small town will forget someday but when they talk about it even the adults it really bad some other rummors that was not about me were crazy as well. But forever on the internet sounds so crazy but I can see how it can happen" he mumbled in though before looking at the other and chuckling "That is true for all I know it could be ghost or the adults trying to scare the kids at night" he mumbled "maybe we can check it if you ever visit" he mused softly

@✦ gong chanshik〈 ɢᴇʟᴀᴛᴏ 〉ʳᵉᵛᵒˡᵗ As Chanshik put away the remaining of the snacks, the bassist offered a nod even though the other didn't seem to be talking directly at him, then nodding again once the other responds once more "Yeah, it sounds super nice... I'll definitely have to find me some break to go down to the countryside and check it in person" He acknowledged as he popped one of the snacks into his mouth, taking a few seconds to take in the taste before humming lightly in validation. "I'd say it is mostly the same with the rumors steaming from the 'he saw, she heard, they said' but with the difference that within the internet whatever is posted is there to stay forever and never be forgotten" He added with a short laugh, bringing one more snack into his mouth with joy. At the boy's words, Tomo lifts his eyebrow teasingly, an amused smile contouring his lips "If you were not the one to sneak into the haunted area, how did you know it was actually wild cats and dogs?" He joked lightly before closing the snack package and setting it beside him to take along later.

@✧ moon eunhwi〈 ᴛᴏᴍᴏ 〉ᵈᵒˣ Okay I will “ he mused softly to the other watching the other pick a snack before putting the others away besides the one he had opened himself. “I should really lets the others try as well” he mumbled softly to himself. “ It’s different for sure, the nights are quiet few lights out…” he mumbled and nodded “yes the stars were my favorite part I grew up in a smaller town so sometimes the stars were out bright.” He said to the other. “That is for sure but instead of the whole town that knows you it’s online sources which I think is the same I guess” he ch unless lightly and hummed softly thinking “ I think the worst rumor was either I was a emotionless robot…..or I was the one who snuck into the “haunted” area which was really a field where wild cats or dogs hung out but it was always dark and weird noises could be heard” he shook his head “thinking back as adult I think it was just the animals fighting or something “

@✦ gong chanshik〈 ɢᴇʟᴀᴛᴏ 〉ʳᵉᵛᵒˡᵗ "It's bound to happen so you might as well not think too much of it, just ignore them" He reassured lightly with another quick pat to the other's knee. After shortly looking through the package, making sure it wasn't some type of spicy snack or anything he thoroughly disliked, he picked it open and pulled a bite out of it. "I'm sure it is quite different" Tomo commented around the food he kept chewing "I've always lived in the city so I wouldn't know... But I've heard so about the stars in the countryside" He acknowledged with a small nod of his head before raising his eyebrow a little with a scrunch of his nose "Is it really like that? That's definitely something I wouldn't be really into either... And yet here we both are in an industry that's all about getting your privacy exposed" The comment was followed by a sarcastic laugh before he went for a brighter tease of the other "So... What was the worst rumor they spread about you back home?"

@✧ moon eunhwi〈 ᴛᴏᴍᴏ 〉ᵈᵒˣ "True true" he said to the other and smiled again and hummed softly at the other, he closed his eyes for a moment. "I hope I can learn quickly, but it might be weird to see awkward pictures of myself and laugh about it later about it" he mused softly and nodded offering the other some of the snacks. The city snacks were good but something about the ones from his hometown just made him smile. "It dose honestly I missing the quiet at night you sometimes could see many stars" he said to the other and hummed softly. "Though what I kind of don't miss is everyone knowing everyone rumors could spread like rapid-fire" he mused softly. He nodded happily "I will ask them for sure then it would be nice to try to make new friends though I might not be that talkative" he said to the other.

@✦ gong chanshik〈 ɢᴇʟᴀᴛᴏ 〉ʳᵉᵛᵒˡᵗ "That is unavoidable" Tomo replies with a laugh and a dismissive gesture of his hand "But you'll eventually get a grip on how to keep in control of it" The conversation quickly diverges, the bassist offering his friend a positive hum to the question and watching as the other dives into his bag only to pull out a few small bags of snacks which he hardly recognizes "Oh? That must bring home a little closer to you, some comfort and such?" Tomo recognized the feeling from whenever he could get a grasp of any food that could transmit him the feeling of eating real japanese food rather than the half-assed versions you could get overseas. "Sounds good to me! The more the merrier really, I'll reach out for the plans" He agreed positively, eyes carefully scanning the package the other had handed him.

@✧ moon eunhwi〈 ᴛᴏᴍᴏ 〉ᵈᵒˣ Nodding he chuckles softly as he listened to the other, he remembers seeing awkward pictures of idols while he was training along with the classes he took on photos while he was a trainee. "I already know I will be getting some awkward pictures already" he mumbled a bit shaking his head, He was back then one to keep to himself never really showing his true self until moving to the city. "That is true oh speaking of different sides remember how I am from the country side small town I was able to get some snacks from there" he beamed reaching into his bag pulling some out handing it to the other. "It's so hard to find in the city" he pouted a bit, the city was another thing he had to get use to at night. He smiled and nodded a bit "I would like that, oooh that would be fun I can ask the hyungs as well I think Jay hyung would say yes"

@✦ gong chanshik〈 ɢᴇʟᴀᴛᴏ 〉ʳᵉᵛᵒˡᵗ "Keep it in mind, you'll wanna look good at all moments in case of videos and pictures" The slightly shorter one suggests, his mind immediately flashing back to the various pictures and videos he wished he could take back. Of course, being caught off guard in a weird moment was more than normal, but with experience, one would usually manage to get some good control over their facial expressions, what they wanted to showcase on stage, and how to do it. "Showing different sides of you keeps it interesting" He agrees with a laugh offering the other another nod "You'll do great, just be confident and enjoy it... As for the plans, that sounds good! I'll check with Maia and let you know, maybe we can ever plan up with some of the others and have a hang out to get acquainted or something?"

After his performance he made his way down to backstage once more, he felt happy with his performance. It was nice once more to be on stage from the the time he was training his mind would often got to his past and the joy he had preforming. Knowing that he did the best he could do he sat down on one of the open seats and sighed happily. It was different from film to broadway to know as a trainee and one day hopefully idol.

@✧ moon eunhwi〈 ᴛᴏᴍᴏ 〉ᵈᵒˣ “It has slipped my mind I about fliming for a second but yea I know~ I think it’s just not use to preforming yet.” He said laughing softly. He looked at the other outfit again he shook his head in amusement “well I do wonder what they will think since I know I seen comment about how sweet and cute I am” he jokes. “I will I do the best I can and hope everyone will like it” he stated with a proud smile on his face. Listening to the other he nodded “ I hope so and I think that would be a good idea maybe after the music bank we can get some food or Ben before hand we can”

@✦ gong chanshik〈 ɢᴇʟᴀᴛᴏ 〉ʳᵉᵛᵒˡᵗ Tomo's amusement broke through him in the form of a louder chuckle this time as he noticed the pinkish tone to the other's skin "What? You hadn't thought about the fans at all? Not to pressure you or anything... But everything you do on that stage is likely to end up recorded and shared somewhere, especially when exposing some skin" He teased, playfully tapping his own stomach before letting himself fall back onto the couch, back hitting the soft cushions "Will make sure to give a worthy performance" He joked as he let his elbows rest over the back of the couch comfortably "She's pretty amazing, I'm sure you'll get to meet her soon... But worst case scenario I can plan us some hang out session together or something"

@✧ moon eunhwi〈 ᴛᴏᴍᴏ 〉ᵈᵒˣ "That is true I do hope to see the other's who I know to at least say hi" he said with a smile on his face and nodded putting the other outfit away and looked back at his current outfit and blinked a bit before nodding a bit before realizing that what the other said could happen and blushed a bit darkly. "I forgot that could happen..." he said to the other and chuckled "I can see some of the captions already" he said to the other and chuckled knowing his image was the total opposite of the outfit he was going to wear. His eyes widened a bit with a smile adoring his face. "Oh? I am excited to see the both of you preform I rarely get to talk to the others but I know their music is super cool I hope I can officially meet them soon"

@✦ gong chanshik〈 ɢᴇʟᴀᴛᴏ 〉ʳᵉᵛᵒˡᵗ "Don't worry about it, I'm sure you won't... Just use it as a way to get some connections, make some friends and all that" The bassist encouraged, leaning forward just enough to be able to pat his hand over the other's knee once before quickly setting back into his original position. "I'm sure it will look great, the fans will love that... Within a couple of hours it will be all over the tiktok edits and twitter fanpages" There was a light chuckle from Eunhwi before he let out the reassuring words, knowing it was not something the other would usually wear, but it was certainly something that would catch him some attention. "I'll be going for a solo more in line with DOX's style and also a duet, with your senior, Maia" He admitted, chin motioning towards Chanshik at the end. Honestly, the two hadn't really talked about Maia at all, but since both his friends were from the same company, it was likely that they were familiar with each other.

@✧ moon eunhwi〈 ᴛᴏᴍᴏ 〉ᵈᵒˣ "That is true, but I hope I don't to much I don't want to be in anyone's way. "He said to the other and hummed a bit following the other sitting across from him and hummed softly but nodded none the less. Watching the people around him rushing around either trying to get ready or staff ushering people to the stage. It was overwhelming a bit but he knew he would get use to it and be okay. "I think I should so I don't get to overwhelmed" he said and chuckled a bit. The outfit for sure was something he would wear on a daily basic but he was okay with it for a stage outfit. "I know the slit seems much but it looks nice and is a contrast to my this outfit" he said which was very modest. "Oh a solo and a duet with my hyung" he said to the other and shook his head. "I kind of did I hope it looks nice on me" He tilted his head for a moment and smiled "what are you preforming?" he asked the other as he grabbed one of the water bottle from his bag taking a sip.

@✦ gong chanshik〈 ɢᴇʟᴀᴛᴏ 〉ʳᵉᵛᵒˡᵗ "Yeah... With the fast pace of everything back here and all, you'll probably end up bumping into a lot of people too" He acknowledged with a nod, moving around the other to let himself fall onto one of the leathery couches spread through the main area. With a shrug of his shoulders, he pressed forward to lean onto his knees "Your choice... But I get it, especially with the industry being so tight it's probably best to stay safe" Although DOX had been mostly promoting in LA, they'd been testing out the territory for Korean promotions so he was aware of the limitations of the industry, especially when coming from the companies that focused entirely on national promotions. "Two stages? Assuming one's a solo and... what? A group performance? Duo?" He asked curiously, smoothly slipping his phone out of his pocket to check for the time, then facing the other once more "Oh? Rather bold?" The bassist let out, eyes landing over the short top that would quite obviously showcase the other male's stomach "I'm guessing you've been working out for that?"

@✧ moon eunhwi〈 ᴛᴏᴍᴏ 〉ᵈᵒˣ "That is very true I know I should try to get use to being backstage too" he said to the other with a soft smile on his face when the other nudged his shoulder. He was thankful for the other, one of the first friends he met after leaving his home. He himself back them was much more workaholic than he was now, which surprised him in all honestly. He shook his head a bit with a slightly larger smile on his face. "Maybe but I think I should take it slow for now" he said to the other. "Besides my second outfit but be umm...yea" he said pulling out his second shirt that would show part of his stomach. "I have two preformaces I think" he mused softly. "We should met up sometime before you have to go back home" he suggested "After the bash of course" he mused softly at the other. He himself was thankful for the rest of revolt who really made sure he felt safe. "I know hyung is okay with me hanging out with friends as long as I behave since image but lucky for him I like relaxing in the dorm" he joked softly/