#loretiny

The IOMT chess pieces theory got me thinking about the GH5 concept trailer and the pairings we saw.

We have Rook vs Rook as Mingi and Yunho square off by quite literally towering over Hongjoong.

Knight vs Knight with San and Jongho, although they seem to be keeping distance between them.

Bishop vs Bishop with Yeosang and Wooyoung. They're even moving diagonal to each other like they would be on a chess board.

And finally...King vs Queen. In a total inverse, where the Queen usually protects the King, Seonghwa is targeting Hongjoong.

Ok this is probably gonna be rambling as hell and probably mostly/entirely grasping at straws/tinfoil hat theories, but it’s been rotating in my brain for days like a rotisserie chicken and I feel like it’s overheating now so I have to get it out in some form before it sets on fire. Maybe if anyone else more eloquent than me sees anything sane in this lunacy then feel free to add to it lol. Sorry folks, this is a long one but walk with me...

Something about the traumas/trauma responses depicted in the Not Okay MV (which has the same colour scheme of black and red as the GH5 concept trailer (in which the girls are fighting and are very much not okay)) and the solo MVs and Sopro’s influence, and Wooyoung’s wish to make everyone happy again.....

Hongjoong is trapped by his phone, something about the hellscape of social media and the harmful effects of phone addiction and online comparison and dissociative doomscrolling and fear of getting cancelled and having to be 'perfect' all the time. Maybe even tormented by the fact the happy fun image he has to portray online isn't true to himself but is what people expect of him?? Something then about his solo song being about being Number 1, ie the best, ie he doesn’t have to worry anymore about comparing himself or being perfect or reading every review or comment - he’s No.1 and already perfect and everyone loves him. He's got the girls feeling holy lol. Sopro fixed it, he’s “happy”, you’re welcome.

Seonghwa being trapped and controlled by task lists, being filmed and watched, people controlling his time, societal expectations, having to obey and constantly work, deeply aware of time ticking away and feeling unable to get everything done, vs in Skin being free to express himself and be himself and make his own choices and examine his own feelings and ideas, free from the limitations of societal expectations (be they about beauty, gender, or time/productivity). Sopro fixed it, now he’s happy...?

Something too about this same/similar "scream" pose in both videos, and the red light/distortion......

Yunho…. Hmm. Yunho was haunted by his brother’s ghost but also by multiple versions of himself? He’s feeling isolated, alone and traumatised, haunted by his brother’s ghost, doesn’t know who the hell he even is himself, feels pulled in a thousand directions. So he seeks out connection, any connection, just to feel something. Something about Slide to me no need for words and the entire depressed/bored/numb casual hook ups vibe of that MV…. Sopro went oh you're searching for someone, you want connection, ok here you go... but it doesn’t ring true for him because maybe Yunho is aware of something the others aren’t?? As previously discussed by @eehijal is he possessed and/or is he aware of the surveillance? (also discussed by @thirstkanaphan here) Or lol did Sopro try to make him happy again by reuniting him with his brother except lol oopsie it’s his brother’s spirit in his body lmao tinfoil hat time

Yeosang is trapped by the expectations of his parents right? Feels like a bird trapped in a cage, crying, wishing he could fly, deeply aware of time ticking away but for a different reason than Seonghwa - he's aware how much time is passing him by while he's trapped, how much time is being wasted when he could be free. Something then about his solo song being about what will HIS legacy be (he doesn’t want to be like (or parent like) his parents perhaps?), breaking out of the cage - literally shedding layers - and screaming about what HE wants, not what they want. Forging his own legacy. One more step, let it all out louder… What are you waiting for? Scream with all your might, loud loud loud

San is an interesting one and probably another absolute stretch lol. In Not Okay he’s running from people who are capturing him (arresting him?). Constantly running away from authority (and/or being hunted down/hounded for doing something deemed ‘wrong’?) could make him feel like the Bad Guy (I stfg if Bad is about him…) so… Sopro fixes it by freeing him of that guilt?? Somewhat?? Like there’s such a cognitive dissonance in saying “I feel like a creep” but then saying how much you love the feeling of being with whoever he’s singing about (*cough* Wooyoung *cough*) that he’s almost become accepting of being seen as bad/a creep? Like he doesn’t care what people think anymore because he loves it/them? I dunno. Maybe also something about him being the one who sacrifices himself for others (leads the guards away and gets caught so others can escape...?), still doing that but here in a way that actually makes him feel good too (lolll the service top of it all) by getting to indulge and make his partner feel good? I'll give you everything you need and want, every touch a special detail... you're what matters all day 'n' night

Mingi is either rejected OR pushes people away, either way he doesn’t get close to people, hence the crowd in Not Okay are facing away from him, not listening or looking at him. So then in Roar he gets to fucking RAVE with a crowd who does love and accept him, he’s no longer alone on stage, everyone wants to touch him (lol), he’s now so popular he’s confident enough to address the haters and the copycats directly. Maybe, to project one of my own coping mechanisms for a second because it's also a very common one, doing the classic "they can't reject me because I reject them" thing, bad-mouthing & laughing at the people who rejected him? (Oh the neurodivergent tropes of it all, being rejected by people no matter how hard you try, feeling unheard and unseen, so you stop trying and start pushing them away to avoid the pain, but then you find your own people who DO get you and it's amazing)

Wooyoung had stage fright? He looks vulnerable and scared on stage, the crowd angrily demanding everything from him, perhaps he's also uncomfortable being so closely watched and observed and judged as well as demanded of. So what does Sopro do? Put him on a huge ass stage, the star (get it) of his own show, in control, with confidence in buckets, singing about how his sadness/doubt is gone and replaced with light (Sopro's light...?). Every night he'll be our sign, aiming his arrow, steady and sure of himself. And like the lyrics just spell it out (translation from Genius):

The truth I've been keeping in silence in the dark, the night of my sky I've been hiding without an end, The world with no such thing as light, The galaxy that has lost its brightness, Now your light is making changes in ways I never imagined. Now, I'm shedding light on you

He was a star hiding his light because of stage fright/fear of being perceived/judged, but thanks to Sopro’s light, now he can shine light on everyone else (and 'help' them feel better too 👀)

And Jongho being taunted/haunted by his injury, being unable to run and play sports, his lost dream, his fear of re-injury, being overwhelmed and tormented by his own mind and thought spirals (depicted externally on the tv screens). To Be Your Light (something something be the light oh Halazia, Sopro’s light…) then talks about running to someone, and something about doing the things he misses doing, dreams coming true, old things we thought impossible becoming possible again (depending on which translation you go off but that's the basic idea it seems)

TLDR: Was Sopro trying to make everyone happy in the IYF solo songs by “fixing” their traumas??? And is it now backfiring massively because they're starting to realise it’s hollow and not real etc? 👀

**Update to thoughts on San in the reblogs!**

⋆ Masterlist ⋆

Hongjoong x Fem!Reader // completed

⟡ synopsis: Life was decided for you in the monotonous society of Strictland. Enrolled in Prestige Academy, everyday was the exact same- until him. You now live as one of the masked vigilantes known as the Black Pirates, fighting against the tyranny of Z and his forces. When an opportunity arises where only you can make a change at the risk of your safety, your captain, Hongjoong, grows wary, his care for you masked but strong. You both must decide what is best: your feelings in a world so devoid of them, or the greater good.

⟡ content warnings: THIS STORY IS 18+, MINORS BE GONE🫵🏻, general violence (on and off scene), gun violence (mostly used by android guardians), swords (also guardians), blood, near death experiences, character injuries, deaths (ateez is safe), trauma, guilt, grief, reader is somewhat learning how to feel/emote still, so much pining, angst, jealousy, eventual smut, unprotected sex, penetration, creampie, fem receiving, male receiving, oral sex, fingering, slight overstimulation, much aftercare

Chapter 1: Wonderland 🩸

Chapter 2: Wake Up

Chapter 3: The Leaders 🩸

Chapter 4: Dreamy Day 🩸

Chapter 5:

Chapter 6:

Chapter 7:

Chapter 8:

Chapter 9:

Chapter 10:

Chapter 11:

Chapter 12:

Chapter 13:

Chapter 14:

Chapter 15:

warnings-

🩸= violence

🔥= smut

a/n: I wrote this story for a dear friend of mine, and it became a brain child I grew very fond of. This is a slow burn, tragic romance/sci fi thriller as it all takes place in a mostly lore-accurate World Z. I took some creative liberties, but I tried adhering to what we know from the diaries.

I’ve changed my friend’s name to y/n and mine to Vera, so yes- your humble author is on this adventure with you (as a side character).

what stood out initially are the similarities between these pictures and the dining room from the answer mv - while the rooms are not one in the same things are similar enough you could almost equate it to being the answer manor but slightly to the left.

hongjoong and san's photos give us A LOT to look at right off the bat.

what grabbed my attention immediately was the razor blade very conspicuously placed on san's plate while there's none on hj's. razor blades can be a symbol of transformation and new beginnings which would tie in well with what we know of the teased impending collision of worlds. what's interesting is it being attributed to san - other interpretations of razor blade symbolism are a removal of distractions, self preservation, or a deepening of connection. it will be interesting to see if that will be relevant.

dominoes are another element present for san, their meaning is a lot more straightforward; connection, teamwork, or a web of relationships. it's not hard to see how that may play a role in the coming events.

(i swear i'll get to the circles, i'm saving them for last)

hj has what appear to be grapes? my eyesight is awful. anyway - grapes are another symbol of transformation as well as more commonly prosperity/decadence. there's a common theme to a lot of the symbolism peppered in here but i don't think we can totally rule out a lil nod to luxury. and circles.

hj (as well as a few others) also have the bell prominent in their display. what could the bell possibly mean? transformation perhaps? yuuuup! transformation, unity, consciousness, and TIME. can't fathom what/who that could be referring to (/s)

crystal balls also make an appearance across multiple table sets, again i'll talk circles in a minute, but just the crystal ball aspect could be in an effort to communicate wisdom, unity, spiritual communication, and unseen realms. so once again we see there's a real running theme with not just transformation but unity.

ok circle time.

ateez utilize a lot of shape language in their mvs - maybe intentionally, maybe it's baader–meinhof phenomenon, maybe it's maybelline idk, but i like to believe it's intentional.

anyway - circles often represent truth (squares lies, triangle rebellion, etc. etc.)

symbolically they can also represent unity, reflection of self, eternity, and the cycle of life.

i don't point out shape language a lot bc imo it's very hard to prove intent with something as simple and prevalent as a geometric shape but it drew my eye so consistently it felt worth mentioning.

i'm not going to tell you what i think this all means for the lore as a narrative, i don't like to speculate too much bc kq always likes to surprise us (and i have a deep fear of looking foolish) but i've shown you some of the tools they've given us in the sandbox for this comeback.

just remember - i'm just a creature on the internet with no qualifications to tell you what any of this means, i don't know shit about dick, but i like spinning media around in my head like a bethesda loading screen.

as @haunted-by-sweaters would say:

Yeah, that's right, I want you Baby, got a type

I feel your trembling That crack you can't hide

I dive in and spread In a fleeting moment

Lines blur between Good and evil

Release your inhibitions

You're starting to realize

Don't need no good intentions

This fever seeps in deeper

I feel it, yeah

In your trembling eyes I stain you red

Read between the lines look here, lucifer

Devil in disguise, we know how this works

Come take a seat In Your Fantasy

I'll set you free from your sanity

Come get it now

Your eyes, consumed by desire, are sweet

Read between the lines look here, lucifer

Devil in disguise, we know how this works

Come take a bite, like it's what you need

I pull you in closer till it's hard to breathe

Come get it now

Seduced by impulse Addicted to the thirst

Read between the lines look here, lucifer

Devil in disguise, we know how this works

Don't rush it Having you isn't everything

I don't care about the ending just want the process to be deeper

Broken completely Finally, it's worth watching

I know you're afraid But it's only a moment

I'm getting in your head

Ice cold with no chaser

Let's cut it short like a razor

That goosebump rise and subtle move

Even if you want to escape, you can't

Give in to desire

I can make you feel so

You want something more intense

Come here, I'll show you your fantasy

Read between the lines look here, lucifer

Devil in disguise, we know how this works

Come take a seat In Your Fantasy

I'll set you free from your sanity

Come get it now

Your eyes, consumed by desire, are sweet

Read between the lines look here, lucifer

Devil in disguise, we know how this works

Come take a bite, like it's what you need

I pull you in closer till it's hard to breathe

Come get it now

Seduced by impulse Addicted to the thirst

Read between the lines look here, lucifer

Devil in disguise

Break it down

Break it down now

Come take a seat In Your Fantasy

I'll set you free from your sanity

Come get it now

Your eyes, consumed by desire, are sweet

Read between the lines look here, lucifer

Devil in disguise, we know how this works

La-la-la-la lucifer, hotter than hell

La-la-la-la look at her fallen angel

Skydiving from the peak

Highlight to the rock bottom

Good and evil - just a fine line

Yeah, we're so high

Good girl, now you're not so sure

Watch yourself crumble, enjoy it, Lucifer