🎬 Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience (2026)
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pairing : Skz OT8 x black!fem!9th member OC
— genre : fluff, angst w comfort
—warnings: ⚠️tw self harming, eating disorder(if you squint, depression). Just a fyi, I haven’t seen the movie at all so I’m goin on clips I’ve seen on social media (even though we should respect the company and idols for not recording since it’s copyright) but I managed to get a good idea but I know I might have some errors so if you have seen the movie please don’t bash me work is taking its toll on me so please take this fic with a grain of salt. 🫶🏽
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The fresh aromatic atmosphere of freshly popped popcorn, the sound of cups hit the machine, the sound of laughter, singing and joy as fans gathered for this once in a lifetime experience. Never would they believe a movie about Kpop would be in the works let alone in movie theaters. Fans dress up in all sorts of customizable clothes, handmade clothing, etc their lightsticks and keychains and accessories dangle as they make their way to their assigned seats.
As the final trailer shows, the lights dim, the faint glow of the lightsticks simmer a bit, the sounds of murmuring silenced.
The movie screen is black.
Bright lights flash. So-fi stadium in all its glory, the sound of thousands chanting and cheering like it’s a prayer. The brightly lit glow of a multitude of colors are sprawled across the stadium flashing respectfully as the live band sets up the entrance.
Seventy thousand voices roar before the members even appear. The camera moves through the tunnel at SoFi Stadium — crew rushing, stylists adjusting in-ear monitors, the sound of boots hitting concrete.
Silhouettes appear. One by one, the members step forward.
There she is. Florentina Cecilia De Angelis stands in the tunnel, head slightly bowed, long waist-length red hair cascading down her back like liquid fire. The final touches of her outfit just got done, fixing the white laces on her boot, her white jacket curled around her body as if keeping her warm amongst the almost 100k fans who’s been watching and waiting and cheering.
The people in the movie theater scream at the big screen seeing this once idol who was the most hated out of the group, now become the most loved and worshiped. The dark woman on screen briefly smiled showing off sharp canines as she hums that being the only sound that is heard.
She closes her eyes for a second.
Breathe in... Breathe out…
The brief sound of her breathing indicating the woman’s nervousness as if she hasn’t done this her whole life.
The stage manager counts down. “Thirty seconds.”
Bang Chan and the others hum to themselves, warming up vocals, stretching their muscles properly. The leader looks over at the woman he calls his girlfriend (wife). Adorned in the beautiful white leather fabric silver jewelry dangles as she finishes her “You ready?” She doesn’t answer immediately.
She just lifts her chin. Chan catches a glimpse of the matching in ear monitors they got as a gift, smiling to himself reflecting how much he is spoiled by his gf. The red lights flicker again. “Let’s dominate.” As the nine members go on the platform and starts rising while “Mountains” plays the crowd roars.
Text flashes: “STRAY KIDS: THE dominATE EXPERIENCE”
The first performance “Mountains” plays loudly as the roar of the crowd begins. The lightsticks and signs all waved high up almost trying to reach for something, or someone. All nine members sing their part as the camera pans to their 9th member who throws a flirty wink and heart causing fans at the concert and in the theater to cheer. The concert noise fades. The screen transitions to black.
Flora sits in a simple chair against a backdrop, floods of memories playing behind her on a green screen. The white jacket glistening in the light, the final touches of her makeup, the crew members watching the camera and microphone all being set up as the crew begins their recording.
Her long dark cherry pink hair falls past her waist, slightly curled at the ends. Hands folded in her lap. Freckles seeping through the makeup that covered the woman’s face, her cocoa colored eyes blink darting around the room.
She looks calm… for now. But there’s something behind her eyes. A soft sparkle twinkled in the distance only seen if you really squint. Before the interviewer could ask her a question, a soft sigh escaped the woman, who at the moment is currently holding her tears away from the camera.
The interviewer’s voice is soft, off-camera. “Would you like to introduce yourself?” The dark woman smiled softly before looking to the camera as the audience in the theater didn’t see Flora the 9th member of Stray Kids; they saw a woman who has been racially spat on, mistreated, an inspiration to people of color all over the world, a woman born into the mafia world who learned how to throw a knife at the age of 6.
“Hello this is Stray Kids Flora.”
“What did the dominATE tour mean to you?” She exhales slowly. “…Everything.”
A small laugh follows — not nervous, but reflective. “It was the first time I felt like I wasn’t just trying to keep up.”
The clip shows Flora in the practice room. Sweat dripping down her jaw. Restarting choreography alone while the others rest.
The camera zooms in on her red hair dripping color on the floor nearby. A clear sign of her overwhelming and overworking herself to perfection… an unfortunate sight to behold for her 8 members.
“When I first debuted,” she says carefully, “I knew I had to work twice as hard.” A pause. She chooses her words thoughtfully.
“I wasn’t just joining Stray Kids. I was stepping into something already established. And I didn’t want to be the weak link.”
Her hands tighten slightly together. “I don’t think people understand what it’s like to walk into a room and feel like you have to earn oxygen.” The theater audience shifts in their seats.
“Did you or do you ever feel out of place?”
She doesn’t answer immediately.
Instead, the screen cuts to early dominATE tour footage — her standing slightly behind formation during rehearsals, watching carefully, analyzing.
“I felt like I had to justify being there. Every single night.” She smiles faintly. “But the members never made me feel that way. It’s already a struggle of a woman of color debut in the world of Kpop let alone make it to become an idol is crazy talk.
“What was the hardest moment of the tour?”
Her expression softens, her heavy eyelids close together for a moment before opening answering the question. “Night one at SoFi.”
Cut to backstage footage. She’s sitting alone in the hallway. Eyes closed. Breathing deeply.
“I heard seventy thousand people screaming.”
Her voice trembles slightly now.
“—what if I mess this up?”
The footage shows her stepping onto stage. The scream of the crowd. Her first step under red lights.
“I’ve never felt that small and that powerful at the same time.”
Chan appears in his interview chair. “She was harder on herself than anyone else was. When I first met her, I knew she was the one. And honestly I wouldn’t want anyone else to share this beautiful memory with holding hands at a sold out So fi stadium fireworks blazing, the blinding flashing lights of the lightsticks, the thousands of posters and cameras in our faces.”
Lee Know, arms crossed, nods once. “Flora rarely takes a break because she feels if she takes a break it’s her basically quitting. When we first debuted together she would deliberately avoid eating with us to fit the idol image. Starving herself but Han would secretly feed her and get her to eat. She’s a very passionate person who loves music and dancing and turns it into art and she and Chan Hyung help me when we travel overseas on my English. It’s nice having them not judged my pronunciation. She’s amazing and truly does deserve to shine bright and proud of how far she’s came with the sacrifices.”
Felix smiles softly. “Aww man I could truly see Flora’s eyes light up when we went on this long journey or an era. The dominATE tour was for Flora. Fans saw and utilized their voices and options for our noona. Saying how she owned it, demolished it, devoured it. Seeing fans cheer her name I look over and Flora (who’s usually stone cold no emotions) it’s like seeing a Christmas tree get lit up and her face I swear it lit up and salty warm tears flowed from her face and by the end of the night our faces hurt from smiling so much. She truly deserved everything and this tour really showed how loved and adored she is.”
“When did that feeling change?”
“During ‘Cover me.’” Cut to the viral vocal clip. As her and Seungmin are preparing their iconic performance she sees the crowd and feels their presence and some STAYS in the front as if feeling their nerves yelled to the vocal duo, “you got this Seungmin and let’s go Flora”!
The crowd roaring. The lead vocalist and the lead female dancer duo sing in perfect harmony as the crowd bellows in excitement, in exclamation hearing their raw vocals live. Fans are seen in tears as the overhead camera catches many STAYS breaking down, smiling or just content being at a place they can comfortably call home.
Her eyes glisten slightly. She takes a breath, a bit shaky as her hands fiddle together to calm her nerves and anxiety she has slowly running down her body.
“In that exact moment I already knew I was home. I already knew that these eight goofy lovable men would be family. I wasn’t comparing myself. I wasn’t worried. Because that’s when I knew I belonged.”
“What did you learn about yourself while on the dominATE tour?”
She leans back slightly. She smirks showing off her sharp smile and eyes that show only compassion and kindness.
“That I don’t have to shrink.”
The screen flashes with moments; Her laughing with the members backstage while stretching or eating. Her cherry pink hair whipping mid-spin in the face of Changbin who casually smiles and walks away, her hugging I.N after the final bow her and the others staring out at the sea of lightsticks.
The audience in the theater softly laugh seeing her smile while eating with Hyunjin and Han as she spoils them with yangneyom gejang feeding them as if they’re her own kids (cmon now 😂🫶🏽).
The camera zooms slightly closer. She glances off-camera. “Stray Kids was never something I joined.” A small smile forms. It became something I grew into.”
The song Miroh begins playing as both the fans and the audience hear the nostalgic song rushing through their veins as the lightsticks suddenly glow green and yellow. Flora yells in the microphone “EVERYBODY STRAY KIDS WHOO”!!!
The crowd jumps feeling the beat in their feet, the adrenaline rush coursing through their hands as their bodies move around. The sound of the confetti explodes and showers the fans in a variety of colors and streamers and fireworks work their magic as fans come to the unfortunate reality of the concert ending. Water splashed on waves of fans as all nine members with a water bottle in hand sing their hearts out and douse the unfortunate (fortunate) fans in the front. But for everyone who never got to experience the concert, many think this the sad harsh moment of an era, a long term memory engraved into their brains.
The screen fades to black. Then the faint sound of seventy thousand fans chanting: “Stray Kids everywhere all around the world, YOU MAKE STRAY KIDS STAY…”
Her voice plays softly over darkness. “I used to think I had to earn my place.
But dominATE taught me something. I don’t have to shrink. I don’t have to quiet myself. I can stand exactly where I am…and belong.”
Applause in the theater. The credits roll as fans are not to joyed leaving the theater as if leaving behind memories but many know that stray kids is more than a movie, but one big blended happy family. And for Flora, little does she know how many STAYS she has inspired and healed on this long awaited journey.
(Tw⚠️ not eating, self harming, big amounts of depression)
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She didn’t say that there were nights before dominATE where she sat in the studio bathroom alone.
She didn’t say that she read comments she shouldn’t have read. She didn’t say that during early rehearsals she went home and replayed mistakes in her head until 3 a.m.
She didn’t say that sometimes she felt like the “extra piece” in group photos. She didn’t say how heavy it felt to represent so much at once.
Not just a 9th member, a visual, a performer but seen as a Black idol in Korea, a foreigner, a woman stepping into an already solid brotherhood. She c
She didn’t say that sometimes the silence was louder than criticism. She didn’t say how often she wondered; Do they really see me? Do they even feel empathy? Why am I like this? Does skin color matter? What if I’m not as skinny enough or have long beautiful straight hair or flawless skin with a perfect complexion? Am I too dark?
Underneath that hate, criticism and anger was a little girl who hid in the closet and sometimes questioned whether she was too different, just doing her best to fit in. K-netizens complained how she was too loud. Too visible. Too much. To ugly, too disgusting.
During the first night at the So-Fi stadium she felt small, powerless, an ant. She’s alone in the dressing room for a moment. The cheers still echoing faintly through the walls. The members are seen eating, munching away as the woman sits with phone in hand trying her hardest not to read hate comments but hides her tears. Her stomach growled seeing the delicious cooked Korean food players arrayed in different containers.
The camera catches a slight glimpse of of her face all red and puffy until she leaves quietly as Felix is seen looking for his sunshine and sees her tear streaked face, ruining her makeup. Her arm is slightly bruised as he goes to question her but realizes the bruises are a more deep purple color seemingly fresh, a clear sign of the woman had been hurting herself whether intentionally or unintentionally.
She stares at herself in the mirror. Sweat. Smudged eyeliner. Red hair slightly tangled. Her hands are shaking. Not from fear. From release. Her brain signals that she’s safe, she’s having an amazing night sold out but her body… it doesn’t want the attention. He hugs her making sure the camera isn’t nearby and sits with her as the two talk.
Flora realized something that night. The crowd didn’t hesitate when she stepped forward. They screamed her name. Not out of obligation. Not out of politeness. But because they meant it. And that terrified her in a different way. Because if they loved her—then she had to believe she deserved it.
