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#a lovable rather intelligent boy
ghostly-schematics · 3 months
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I think what more people need to understand is that the pjo cast were cast with the intention of matching the reasoning behind their book appearance, rather than just how they were described. Luke, for example, was described in the books as a blond, muscular surfer kind of guy. At the time of publishing (2005), that was your generic attractive character, and he was described like that to make you trust him more so the betrayal was more unexpected. Now, almost twenty years later in the show, he looks like a tiktok fuck boy because that’s what people now tend to like more. On the other hand, Annabeth was blonde in the books because that was what made people doubt her intelligence, which isn’t something as common now. However, racism is still very real (as proven by people’s responses to Leah being cast), which makes people underestimate her, giving way for the same character arc. This concept works with the rest of the castings as well. Grover still gives the vibes of a lovable loser. Percy looks ready to sass a ninety year old man. Chiron looks appropriately wise and the Ares kids look ready to fuck you up.
The only character that I would say is different is Clarisse. In the books she’s described as big and muscular and ugly, as it was quite common at the time to say ugly = bad which is something that has not aged well at all. Dior’s casting goes against those negative attitudes and ties into the theme of “not everyone who looks like a monster is a monster and not everyone who looks like a hero is a hero”
And at the end of the day, everyone in the cast perfectly captures their characters’ personalities regardless of their appearance
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Preliminary Poll
Toothless
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Submission reason:
Ok this is a scalding hot take that many people will disagree with but the 3rd movie completely ruined his character. First of all, his visual design. He went from sleek and majestic in the 1st movie to bumbling and built like a brick in the 3rd. Despite the 3rd movie's plot supposedly wanting to emphasize that dragons are wild at heart, they made Toothless look MORE domesticated for the sake of cuteness: bigger and rounder eyes, huge "McDonald's arch" eyebrows, shorter snout, steeper forehead, etc. And his features are all much more squared off as a contrast to his dragon girlfriend being rounded, because boy = rectangle and girl = circle, gotta have gender roles even if they're literal fantasy reptiles amiright? They even changed the anatomy of his torso, giving him a much deeper and broader chest, causing his walk/run cycles to look lumbering and awkward rather than smooth and graceful. Not to mention they removed many of the realistic details from the 1st movie, like having a subtle stingray/panther-like pattern on his scales and scars all across his body, in favor of having him be solid-colored and smooth like a toy - something the art team specifically said they wanted to avoid in the 1st movie. (Btw, for the submission picture I'll include a comparison someone made of his head anatomy in each of the 3 movies, since it illustrates the fact that he's been massacred better than just picking 1 screenshot would) Second, his personality. In the 1st movie he was cute and playful and lovable, but also dignified and self-reliant and intelligent, much like a cat. In the 3rd movie meanwhile he might as well be a golden retriever puppy in a dragon body - he's playful ALL the time and extremely goofy and scatterbrained and slobbery (?!) And whereas in the 2nd movie he showed interest in Hiccup's maps and would be playful in a respectful reciprocal way, in the 3rd it's considered "cute" that he doesn't pay attention at all and instead uses Hiccup's prosthetic leg as a chew toy (!!) Worst of all, whereas the message of the 1st and 2nd movies is that Toothless and Hiccup's friendship can overcome all obstacles and change the world, in the 3rd film Toothless happily abandons Hiccup for a pretty girl dragon he JUST met, sending the deplorable message that it's ok or even necessary to abandon your friends once you get a boyfriend/girlfriend (since Astrid affirms that this was the correct decision, tells Hiccup to get over it by focusing on his own romance with her, and "you gave him his freedom, what did you expect?" as if Hiccup is being unreasonable or unfair by expecting their close long-term friendship to last... Worth noting Hiccup had already made a "self-driving tail" for Toothless once in the past, so it's not as if he was trapping Toothless against his will, Toothless actually CHOSE to destroy it in favor of the old prosthetic because he loved Hiccup so much he wanted to be with him all the time!!) Oh, and the 3rd movie also tries to claim that humankind is too bad to "deserve" dragons because of the actions of ONE villain who gets defeated by the end and never even killed anyone... So much for their friendship overcoming all obstacles and changing the world, eh? 1st-movie Toothless is one of my favorite characters of all time. He had changed a LITTLE in the 2nd movie (cuter anatomy, more playful/goofy, etc) but not to the point it grated on me or ruined my enjoyment of the film, especially because the actual plot still had the same heart & soul. But 3rd-movie Toothless is an abomination, just like the movie as a whole. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk ✌️
In the third movie he acted like a stupid dog or something instead of the cat-like graceful but adorable dragon with intelligence just as high as a human. He was so so much better in the first movie. The third movie was beautifully animated but I hate so many things about it and the way it handled Toothless was once of the biggest things. The first movie had this beautiful theme about the humans and dragons who were both intelligent beings overcoming their conflict and learning that they could be happier, stronger and just overall better working together. Toothless was clearly a person with thoughts and feelings just as much as Hiccup. The third movie's theme was like oh actually we can't coexist because some people are bad so we're actually going to send away this other group until the world is ready for them. And somehow this one group of dragons controls them all. But the world could never be just randomly 'ready' to "deserve" dragons without the humans and dragons being a team and learning about and respecting each other. It's like they decided to act like the dragons are now wild animals wrongfully kept as pets who need to be set free so they portray Toothless in a more pet like way instead of the intelligent dragon he really was. And the stomped all the way the Gift of the Night Fury went with Hiccup making Toothless a tail he could use without Hiccup and Toothless smashed it up to tell Hiccup that he didn't want to fly without him. That was such a great short that showed their bond so much better than the third movie.
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I'm genuinely curious but why do you care if people headcanon that Arthur is himbo? I'm not trying to start a fight, sincerely. I'm coming from the perspective that we should let people have their headcanons, y'know?
Yeah, I get that! I guess, to answer this question, I have to talk about my philosophy (if you can call it that) when it comes to media consumption and my critical takes on fandom culture writ large. So if you have time, buckle up!
I should point out that I both don't care and care very much about people's hc's when it comes to my favorite characters. I don't care, in that I'm not going to get upset or get my panties in a wad if you headcanon something that is easily proven to be inaccurate wrt the canon. Like, if you want to headcanon Arthur is bad at reading, go for it. Lol, I'm not going to be upset or go out of my way to stop you.
However, I care enough to point out when this is inaccurate, especially when it enters into my sphere of fandom interactions. Now, this is where I get into trouble? A lot of people feel when I point out something is wrong or inaccurate, that I'm invalidating them or censoring them? Lol, like it's okay to be wrong/inaccurate. It's not the end of the world! If you choose to adjust your headcanons so that it's more canon compliant/accurate, then good for you. If you choose not to, also good for you! I promise, Lia isn't going to come after you :)
That said, in general, people need to be more open-minded if they're 'corrected.' Like I said, it's not the end of the world. Take the note and move on with your life.
Now, let's get to the larger, heftier part of this question. This need fandom has to transform their favorite man into a himbo (when he isn't) is a projection issue to me? Like, the unspoken assumption here is that it's safe and unproblematic to like himbos. Force this character into the himbo mold, and you can stan unproblematically! A couple of issues here:
As a Marxist, I should point out that there is no such thing as ethical consumption. It's fool's gold, and you're better off abandoning this all-or-nothing way of thinking and accept that life has its compromises WHILE still trying to work on yourself and your habits
Flanderization often leads to more problematic representation, as it erases the nuance that went into the writing of Arthur. He is a very complex dude. A lot of his sense of humor is subtle and off-the-cuff. Many people mistake it for genuine stupidity, and that's just... unfair? Like my boy did not just whip out witty repartee that belittles the presumptuous upper class of America for you to dismiss it as stupidity.
Now, as for himboism itself...
Okay, I love himbos. Kronk from Emperor's New Groove is a great and lovable example of a himbo? Big beefy dude with a big beefy heart but of very little brain UNLESS it involves his favorite pastime: home-making and cooking. Himbos aren't necessarily dumb, btw, they're just not considered conventionally intelligent (the way Yzma is). The charm of the himbo is that their kindness overpowers our traditional valuations of intelligence, and it reminds us that emotional intelligence (which, stereotypically is not recognized in cis men) is worth appreciating.
The problem here is that Arthur Morgan is both emotionally and intellectually intelligent. To overemphasize the former at the expense of the latter makes you miss a lot of his more complicated and unsavory personality traits?
For instance, one of the MAIN character traits (recognizable anywhere) of a himbo is that a himbo would never say a nasty word to ALL women. Now, don't get me wrong, Arthur is indeed a feminist who respects women, but a himbo would not be caught dead saying this line (credit to @papaue00 for reminding me it exists):
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It's worth listening to how Roger Clark deliver those lines. Arthur speaks with malice here :)
Now, the point isn't, "Arthur is sexist! Cancel him!" Because that is NOT true. He's not sexist. Rather, he has moments where he gives in to petty malice? And he goes out of his way to demean her by bringing up sex work (i.e. she isn't a lady so she doesn't deserve his respect) to get back at the embarrassment and irritation he feels given the situation.
If you insist on him being a himbo and read him as only himbo, you miss out on his flaws. His flaws are key to understanding why he is the way he is; why he is perfectly capable of making his own choices and making the wrong ones. An unintended bias people have of Arthur as himbo (and therefore wholesome and unproblematic) is that they end up blaming other characters for his decisions. A famous example is Mary's missions. The fandom writ large tends to blame her for stringing Arthur alone, solely because he uses the phrase, 'play me like a fiddle' in his journal. Rather than reading that phrase as self-deprecatory (he's poking fun at himself while also expressing a vulnerable side of him that still loves her), they take that to mean she's manipulating poor helpless Arthur who is totally unaware of what she's doing to him.
Another example, someone wrongly attributed Arthur's pedantic interests to Dutch in one of my reblogs. Dutch and Hosea may have taught the boys how to read, but Dutch has no interest in botany. A quick conversation overhead between him and Lenny shows that his intellectual pursuits are actually just grandstanding and peacocking. He doesn't know and understand wtf he's talking about. Not once does Dutch even talk about botany. Arthur, though? Loves drawing plants. Can identify them. And he has a book of it by his bedside. Like, reading him as 'an idiot' sincerely (and not with a hint of irony, as Arthur does) misattributes his strengths and weaknesses to others, and that's just... unfair to the writers who WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO WRITE THOSE LINES OF EMULATED 19TH-CENTURY SCIENTIFIC PROSE!!! Like, people worked hard to characterize him environmentally. Don't let their efforts be in vain!
Do you see why I care a little bit if people mischaracterize him? It's like, I care in the sense of: okay have a good life. But I also care enough to point out an inaccuracy if I see one. I know it's more polite to not say anything, but it's also condescending of me to treat you like you're a child and just give a bemused smile from behind my screen. I think it's more helpful??? when I point out things you might have missed in game or are deliberately erasing when you choose to ignore the game.
I don't really care about being polite. I care about having good, healthy discussions and endless obsessions over my faves. So yeah there's your answer.
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Sunday and her fellows had too flee from their home. attacked by the forces of evil.
while Saturday stayed with the royal sisters and their entourage as they fled onto Earth. while Friday went to recruit a group of earth teens to be heroes against the forces of evil. while her brother Monday vanished and Wednesday went to work with the forces of evil...
here Sunday was with a rag tag team of people she thought were human. but oh boy was she wrong.
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the story follows a mentor mascot named Sunday as she deals with the fact that the magical girls she hired aren't actually human.
concept largely based on the many times pretty cure has had non human teammates over the years
members include!
Sunday herself, the mentor mascot and de facto leader. she comes from an Otherworld that was home to a good kingdom before having to run to the human world. she kinda has a big ego problem. but she does actually care. she's like, a teenager, give her a break.
Helen, a rather stoic robot girl. she doesn't need magical girl powers to kick utter ass. built as more or less a weapon from the get go. she is going through the effort of trying to understand matters of the heart.
Dotty, a lovable and excitable teddy bear brought to life by the power of love (for love makes you real after all!). able to assume a human form for a little while at time. while maybe not always the brightest, she works hard to be a good support for those around her.
Thistle, a young fairy from the Green court. a known trickster, she enjoy roping others into games and prank. although sometimes she pushes her love of tricks too far. and isn't all that knowledgeable about mortal limits.
Lila, an alien that crashed onto earth a few years before the events of the story. has largely been getting by under the radar while trying and failing to repair her ship with what earth has to offer. struggles with earth mundanity and the supernatural.
Trivia, a cat familiar who after stealing her former master's magic for herself, is able to transform into a human (or at least, human enough). tends to be rather solitary and is not above doing some less then squeaky clean things to get a job done.
Sirona, a mermaid with a rather headstrong personality. proud and often times selfish. but you can't deny that her unshakeable confidence is charming. and she has a knack for bringing out other's confidence in themselves.
Olive, a dog who stole a transformation trinket which resulted in her getting human intelligence and being able to turn into one. even while human looking you can tell that yes, this is in fact a dog. a sweet, but utterly stupid dog.
Ariel, a divine aspect sent down to the mortal world. something akin to the angels of myth, although nothing like the angels in play in the world. quiet and contemplative. she tends to take on being a watcher on matters then an active player.
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skinnypaleangryperson · 3 months
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I'm convinced that Rick is literally inherently like some sort of deranged spoiled overly sensitive person to the point of borderline dysfunctionality, and because of this extreme sensitivity, he quite literally needed a person with a certain type of personality like Diane to keep him grounded- and without her, he's like an erratic array of nothing but incredibly sensitive emotional neurons and crippled with loneliness and erratic emotion and barely able to keep himself grounded.
After seeing Rick theoretically be an incredibly cocky independent badass it's so endearing (in a really pathetic way) to imagine him being the lazy one in the relationship, which seems to be what was suggested with what he had with Diane. He said he worked with FEDS right before he met Diane but when she dies he is just playing around in his garage and when she comes out and asks him what he's doing he's saying that he might be "giving up on the whole science thing", and now that we know that was Diane smart enough that she was studying her Masters in something science related, she probably had a really good job and was ranking in bank, which probably means that they could switch off every now and then in terms of who was bringing in the money.
Right before Diane was dead, it seemed like Rick was taking a time off from helping other people out with his own intelligence to basically... play around in the garage, while Diane was probably off doing a just as equally important job as much as Rick had before to support the two of them while he explored himself. She probably loved him enough that she allowed him to simply have the time to experiment and to explore his intelligence just for the sake of it. It might be part of the reason why by the time she died, he was aware about how much he was capable of: or at the very least was far more aware of it then he was when he was just working with FEDS and helping fairly averagely intelligent people out.
I know that it's not necessarily real, but I think that it's interesting that Diane had a little pout on her features and told Rick that he didn't deserve her, and considering that it was basically confirmed by the writers that it was as canon as much as it ever could be anyway for a dead character, and that Morty has Rick's brain downloaded with this past, I'm going to assume that it's pretty much all true to fact with what their marriage was like.
Rick to the present day has already been a complete ass in his relationship with Morty-in a really, really pathetic toxic way. It's almost incredibly endearing how drunk and complacent he is; as long as it was with a partner that knows how to deal with it rather than a confused helpless 14-year-old boy. Might have ended up being the same long-term even if he had been with Diane-not because he doesn't love her, but it just seems to be inherent in his "edgy melodramatic drooly hypersensitive princess, spoiled kid in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory" personality that he has going on, which we've seen a lot this season ❤️ (I know he's been depressed but regardless, he's pretty much always been that way). Like Morty has said himself, he's like a spoiled 8-year-old kid. But it's endearing to imagine a independent, smart, but oddly sweet woman like Diane keeping him down from falling too much into that part of himself and keeping him together.
Granted, the only reason why it's so lovable when it comes to Rick is because you know how actually competent he is if it was an actual problem how lazy he is, and ultimately in the ways that count he actually does have a good graceful heart (like with the way that he's constantly cutting Jerry slack); but I get major pillow princess vibes from him and from Diane. He's such a spoiled little wreck ❤️
When he whacked his toe while running around with Summer earlier in the season and then jumped up and down and scream "my ankle", he gave off such spoiled little boy vibes. He definitely needs a good self-respecting strong sense of self woman like Diane to remind him how about being at least someone respectable with that natural little spoiled pillow princess personality he has.
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puella-peanut · 1 year
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In your College AU, did Twig decide he needed to workout and seem grown up because he wasn't getting Daniel's attention otherwise? I mean did he try to flirt with his professor and realize he wasn't being taken seriously or what? I think it's so cute that Daniel was his motivation. Relatable! Lol
Terry with a crush but in a more normal way. Well. Maybe. I'm sure John is like why why, you just had to fall for your teacher didn't you, you drama llama
Such a fun ask, thank you Anon :3
In your College AU, did Twig decide he needed to workout and seem grown up because he wasn't getting Daniel's attention otherwise?
Yes and no Anon!
Here’s a bit of backstory for my fic:
Poor Twig, the moment he started his first day off at college, he was hit Very Hard with Daniel LaRusso Derangement Syndrome. You see Anon, Twig couldn’t find the building his class was in, and he stumbled around, eventually bumping into this small, sports-jacket covered figure in the main library. And when Twig politely asked where that particular Lecture Hall was on campus, the small figure, a guy, turned around—and Twig got the full blast of the doe-eyes, and the rabbit-smile, and the fluffy, scruffy hair and just the overall cuteness of Professor Daniel LaRusso. Anyways, the Professor oh-so-kindly walked him to his class, chatting cheerfully all the way and, well. It was over for poor Twiggy then and there.
So what did our Twig do?
Oh, he made sure that the Professor knew who he was, that’s what. Every day (almost like a routine that one like, actually enjoyed) he dropped Professor LaRusso a friendly word and a toothy smile—between classes (he didn’t have any class with him unfortunately, but he memorized his schedule what like, day two of college?), in the aisles, outside on the campus grounds...whispered with him in the library, asked him for homework help (not that he needed it), dropped into the Teacher’s Lounge (and made himself a nuisance), brought him back souvenirs from his Anime-Con excursions. Etc. 
But sadly, despite all this effort—nothing seemed to...happen. Professor LaRusso was always so kind and friendly and chatty and sweet...and that was it. He wasn’t, in Twig’s opinion, getting it, understanding (though it had been months) that Twig wanted to See Him. Exclusively. And was kinda-sorta in love with him. 
But Twig was 18, and was still awkward and boyish and...kinda insecure. And had what, 2% worth of experience in the dating world? I mean, he’d only ever been on one (1) date—and that was a pity-date for Senior Prom, conjured up by Betsy, John’s steady girlfriend...which had led nowhere, outside of two (2) awkward dances and an even more awkward bit of kissing in the parking lot (yikes). He’d never been popular, and his (dorky) hobbies and (obsessive) love of school and learning, as well as his rail-thin figure (hence the name Twig) had made him a social reject all through his academic years. 
So Twig, feeling that Professor LaRusso wasn’t attracted to him, took it upon himself to have a Summer Glow Up (and boy, Did He!) to help improve his chances. 
(Which is where Twig—or Terry, as we should call him now, was totally mistaken, because Daniel had always liked him from the start. Very Much actually. And thought that he was charming and cultured, intelligent and sharp, and...rather good looking despite the lankiness and bad haircut.) But Terry was his student, and it would be inappropriate and wrong to have him be anything else. Besides, Terry was just being nice to him. There was no way this bright, lovable boy actually liked him. And even if he did, Daniel wouldn't do anything about it...
...(Though that was a stance that was getting harder to stick to by the day. And close to impossible once Terry returns looking like a wet-dream. Oh dear.)
I mean did he try to flirt with his professor and realize he wasn't being taken seriously or what?
Twig, bless the bean, cannot flirt. He only amuses the object-of-his-desire if he tries. And makes everyone in the near-vicinity cringe. Unless you’re Daniel LaRusso that is, and you remain blissfully oblivious to the fact that a) you’re being flirted with, and b) your student is in love with you. So it’s not that he’s...not being taken seriously, it’s actually that all his attempts are flying right over Daniel’s adorable head. 
*Twig only "flirts" when he glows-up and becomes "Terry"...but even that came from close studies of flirty dialogue and one-liners. It doesn't come naturally to him.
Terry with a crush but in a more normal way. Well. Maybe.
Well Anon, he does borderline stalk poor Daniel his entire freshman year (not that Daniel minded, so maybe he’s a freak too), then the following summer, makes him his motivation to bulk up, turn suave, have an immaculate glow-up, he gets hundreds of pictures of Daniel all from meticulously gathering clippings from newspapers and yearbooks and around campus and the town archives and, and...
What’s normal, Anon? 
I think it's so cute that Daniel was his motivation. Relatable!
Daniel LaRusso Derangement Syndrome can be used for good, sometimes it’s true...
I'm sure John is like why why, you just had to fall for your teacher didn't you, you drama llama
John actually isn’t with Terry on campus—summer after high school, John went ahead and joined the military like a Real Man. Which turned out to be good in more ways than one, because it was rough enough dealing with Terry’s novel-length letters (consisting of 90% Professor LaRusso) and his hours-long phone calls (mainly about Professor LaRusso)—can you imagine dealing with all that lovey-dovey nonsense in person? 
Damnit, Betsy—at this point I almost wish I were stationed in another country with no form of communication. But only with you of course, Dollface. 
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kahran042 · 10 months
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About one of my newest projects
Title: Jonas Corbin’s Guide to Life
Jonas Corbin’s sophomore year of high school is getting off to a good start - he’s been assigned the locker next to his childhood friend and long-time crush Kiera Bernhardt in the same year that Kiera’s rather intimidating older brother has gone off to college, giving him the perfect opportunity to confess his feelings. However, will he be able to talk to Kiera without choking? And why is their mutual friend Chloe suddenly being so harsh towards him? Tells the story of Jonas’ sophomore, junior, and senior years at Foxwood High School in New Hampshire.
Other things:
Lots of esoteric references, mostly to anime and JRPGs.
Some degree of fourth-wall awareness, but not to ridiculous levels.
Teen characters are treated with respect.
Despite being named after a specific character, has an ensemble cast. Jonas is the narrator, though.
Everyone is ****ed-up to some degree, just like in real life.
At the same time, no one is purely good or bad. Again, just like in real life.
Some supernatural elements, although most, if not all, of them would be Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane.
Musical numbers, not necessarily in every episode, but a decent number.
Starts out fairly lighthearted and gradually becomes darker throughout, possibly even with some deaths, but never loses its humorous side and ends on a hopeful note.
No one is beyond redemption, but not everyone accepts it.
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TV TROPES THAT APPLY TO THE SETTING AND CHARACTERS
Jonas Corbin:
Brilliant, but Lazy
Captain Oblivious: Oblivious to both Chloe's and Mia's feelings for him. However, it's slightly implied that he may be faking it to avoid breaking the heart of one of his best friends or his other best friend's little sister.
Character Narrator
Childhood Friend Romance: With Kiera - they've known each other since they were kids, and he's had romantic feelings for her since they were in seventh grade.
Clueless Chick Magnet: Especially in the later seasons.
Deadpan Snarker
Determinator: Despite his lazy tendencies, he can be surprisingly persistent if there’s something he really wants.
First-Person Smartass
Friendly Enemy: He has this kind of relationship with Principal Mazlish.
Fun Size: The shortest boy in the core six, and a pretty fun guy.
Guile Hero
High School Hustler
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
Not a Morning Person
Obfuscating Stupidity
Obliviously Beautiful: A rare male example, especially later in the series.
Occidental Otaku: Although it’s never made clear whether he has a genuine interest in anime or just joined the anime club to be close to Kiera and became the mask.
Oral Fixation: He's often seen chewing gum, with ginger being his favorite flavor. It's implied that he does it as a way of coping with anxiety.
Rebellious Spirit
Sad Clown: Has a lot of insecurities, mostly related to his parents’ divorce, which he covers up with his class-clown persona.
Second-Year Protagonist
The Leader
The Slacker: At least before he starts trying to improve himself.
Brad Thompson:
Academic Athlete
Deadpan Snarker
Farm Boy
Gentle Giant: The tallest of the core six, and also one of the nicer ones.
Lovable Jock
Only Sane Man: Sometimes shares this role with Nate and Kiera.
Shout-Out: His favorite chicken is named Catherine as a reference to Robotrek and Terranigma.
The Lancer
The Reliable One
Why Did It Have to Be Spiders?
Chloe Seaver:
Bifauxnen
Bifauxnen and Lad-ette: Bifauxnen to her rival and eventual girlfriend Mia’s Lad-ette.
Big Eater
Boyish Short Hair
Brilliant, but Lazy: Although she's not as lazy as Jonas, she still doesn't apply herself in school despite having intelligence at least on par with her Academic Athlete brother Mark.
Bruiser with a Soft Center
Competition Freak
Cross Player: Plays a male dwarf barbarian in the RPG Episode.
Cute Bruiser
Deadpan Snarker
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
Lovable Jock
Occidental Otaku
Passionate Sports Girl
Pets as a Present: She was given her pet hedgehog Frodo as a fourteenth birthday present.
Pint-Sized Powerhouse: The shortest and arguably the strongest of the core six.
Shorttank
Super Drowning Skills: Despite being incredibly fit and athletic, she can't swim.
Sweet Tooth
The Big Guy
The Napoleon: Physically the smallest of the core six, but also the most aggressive.
The Rival: She is the rival of Mia for Jonas' attention, at least initially.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to both Kiera's and Alicia's girly girls.
Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Although she is very much a tomboy, she also took flower-arranging classes at one point and actually enjoyed them.
Tsundere: Towards Jonas.
Kiera Bernhardt:
Academic Athlete
All Girls Want Bad Boys: She's attracted to Connor Urquhart during the first two seasons, although it's somewhat downplayed by the fact that she's not drawn to him because he's a bad boy, but because she can see a glimmer of goodness within him.
Big Brother Attraction: Notice all the tropes that her brother Adrian and her crush Connor have in common. This is not a coincidence.
Bookworm: Although not to the degree of her brother, she does enjoy reading, especially the works of Tamora Pierce.
Brainy Brunette
Camera Fiend: While she isn't as passionate about photography as Courtney, she does still have an interest in it, and she and Courtney eventually bond over their shared interest.
Childhood Friend Romance: With Jonas.
Class Princess
Deadpan Snarker: Not as much as some other characters, but she does have her moments.
Dude Magnet
Even The Girls Want Her: Morgan is attracted to her.
Gentlewoman Snarker: She comes from a wealthy family, and can snark with the best of them.
Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: Generally very feminine, but is also a passionate lacrosse player and skier.
Heavy Sleeper
Ms. Vice Girl: Arguably the nicest of the core six, but takes great pride in her good looks and athletic accomplishments.
My Nayme Is: Her name is spelled Kiera, not the more-common Keira or Kira. Getting it wrong is one of the few ways to get her mad.
Occidental Otaku
Only Sane Woman: Shares this role with Nate and occasionally Brad.
Passionate Sports Girl
Proud Beauty
Silk Hiding Steel
Spoiled Sweet
Team Mom
The Heart
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Zig-zagged. She's the girly girl to Chloe's tomboy, and the tomboy to Alicia's girly girl.
Trademark Favorite Food: Buffalo wings.
Unaffected by Spice: A downplayed example, but she loves spicy food, especially buffalo wings.
Uptown Girl: Coming from a wealthier family, she counts as this for Jonas.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: She's afraid of heights due to taking a nasty fall while climbing trees with Jonas when they were eight years old.
Nate Kellerman:
Adorkable
Bespectacled Cutie: A rare male example.
Bookworm: The most well-read of the core six.
Brainy Brunet
Character Tics: Ties his hair back when he's thinking hard.
Deadpan Snarker
Genius Sweet Tooth
Jewish and Nerdy
Lovable Coward
Neat Freak
Nice Jewish Boy
Only Sane Man: Shares this role with Kiera and sometimes Brad.
Proud to Be a Geek
Smart People Wear Glasses: Wears glasses, and is the smartest of the core six.
Teen Genius
The Smart Guy
“Well Done, Son” Guy
Alicia Ramsey:
Animal Lover
Apologizes a Lot
Cloudcuckoolander: Has her moments of this.
Covert Pervert
Cute Clumsy Girl
D-Cup Distress: She hates having large breasts, both because of the attention they attract and because she had to give up on her dream of becoming a professional gymnast because of them.
Daddy’s Girl
Expy: Pretty much a human version of Fluttershy.
Genius Ditz: Despite her Cloudcuckoolander tendencies, she knows a lot about animals and nature in general, and is a talented pianist and budding composer - self-taught, to boot!
Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: The most feminine of the core six, but is also an Outdoorsy Gal with an interest in insects.
Granola Girl
Hiding Behind Your Bangs
Huge Schoolgirl
Missing Mom: Her mother died when she was three.
Obliviously Beautiful
Outdoorsy Gal: A rare girly-girl example.
Shrinking Violet
Signature Instrument: A self-taught pianist, but prefers the electric keyboard.
The Chick
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly girl to both Chloe and Kiera's tomboys.
Mark Seaver:
Academic Athlete
Aloof Ally: Not the friendliest person, but is willing to help out when needed. 
Ambiguously Bi: Easily the biggest womanizer in the cast, but he and his best friend Connor are depicted as closer than most best friends usually are.
Big Brother Bully
Big Brother Instinct: Despite his Big Brother Bully tendencies, he is fiercely protective of his younger siblings and would do anything for them.
Big Brother Mentor: Sometimes fulfills this role to the core six, especially Chloe since he actually is her big brother.
Big Eater
Bully Turned Buddy / Friendly Enemy: To the core six.
Chivalrous Pervert
Embarrassing Middle Name: His middle name is Read, which makes his initials M.R.S., or Mrs. Fortunately for him, the only ones to know it are his younger siblings and his best friend Connor.
Hidden Depths: He loves tabletop RPGs, especially Wayfarer.
Incompatible Orientation: Has a crush on Lesbian Jock Lauren Reinholt.
Jerk Jock with a Heart of Gold
Occidental Otaku: Although he doesn’t like to admit it.
Real Men Wear Pink: Generally very masculine, but has a taste for shoujo anime.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Manly man to Connor's sensitive guy.
Signature Instrument: Drums.
Connor Urquhart:
Aloof Big Brother: At his best.
Big Brother Bully: At his worst… although see Cruel to Be Kind, below.
Animal Motifs: Crows. He dresses in black, is both clever and creepy, and has managed to befriend a local murder of crows by feeding them.
Berserk Button: Do not call him Connie.
Big Brother Instinct: In his words, “If anyone other than me were to **** with Morgan, I would have no choice but to murder them.”
Cold Ham
Cruel to Be Kind: Part of why he pushes Morgan away is to protect her from his incestuous desires.
Dark Is Not Evil: Despite his Gothic appearance and grim nature, he is, at his very worst, a Jerkass with a Hidden Heart of Gold.
Deadpan Snarker
Embarrassing Nickname: See Berserk Button, above.
Goth
Hidden Depths: Poetry editor for the school’s literary magazine.
Iconic Item: His black trench coat.
Icy Blue Eyes
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
Lean and Mean
Long-Haired Pretty Boy
Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Feminine boy to Morgan’s masculine girl.
Must Have Caffeine: His favorite drink is black coffee, which he can't wake up without.
Nonconformist Dyed Hair: A natural blond who dyes his hair black with cobalt blue streaks to match his Goth aesthetic.
Not a Morning Person
Perpetual Frowner
Pet the Dog: Once walked an injured Courtney to the nurse's office for reasons unclear even to him.
Pyromaniac: Slightly implied in the first holiday special, in which he’s shown smiling serenely as he stares into a fire.
Reformed, but Not Tamed: After his suicide attempt, he starts showing his heart of gold a bit more, but retains his gloomy, snarky attitude.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Sensitive guy to Mark's manly man… if you can really call him "sensitive," that is.
Shout-Out: With a dash of Expy. He’s named after and very loosely based on Connor Murphy from Dear Evan Hansen.
Signature Instrument: Bass guitar.
Significant Birth Date: Born on Walpurgisnacht, referencing his rather morbid attitude.
Sitcom Archnemesis: At least, that's how Chloe sees him. Connor is fully aware that she doesn't like him, but just doesn't care… or at least, that's what he claims.
Sugar-and-Ice Personality: A lot more ice than sugar, with his warmer side showing itself mostly around Mark, Christi, and sometimes Morgan.
The Cynic
The Snark Knight
The Stoner: Much like his namesake.
Troubled Teen
Used to Be a Sweet Kid
Morgan Urquhart:
Afraid of Clowns
Beware the Nice Ones / Bully Hunter: See Little Sister Instinct, below.
Flower Motifs: Roses. Her middle name is Rose, which also happens to be her favorite flower.
Iconic Item: Her Celtic knot necklace, a gift from Connor on her thirteenth birthday.
Incompatible Orientation: Has a crush on her heterosexual best friend Sarah Reinholt.
Jerkass to One: Connor. Justified in that he's usually a jerkass to her first.
Lipstick Lesbian: Although technically, she’s a bisexual homoromantic.
Little Sister Instinct: Was once suspended for giving Nick Murphy a swift kick in the babymakers because he was harassing her brother.
Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Masculine girl to Connor’s feminine boy.
Once Done, Never Forgotten: Kicking Nick in the balls.
Signature Instrument: Clarinet.
Straight Gay
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to her best friend Sarah's girly girl, and girly girl to her eventual girlfriend Lydia's tomboy.
Trademark Favorite Food: Peaches.
Sarah Reinholt:
Closet Key: She's the first girl Morgan was ever attracted to. Unfortunately, she's straight.
Drama Queen: Has her moments of this.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She has blonde hair and is one of the nicer and more innocent characters in the series.
Kindhearted Cat Lover: Loves cats, especially her own cat Pekoe.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly girl to both her best friend Morgan and her sister Lauren's tomboys.
Lauren Reinholt:
Lesbian Jock
Occidental Otaku
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to her sister Sarah's girly girl.
Tomboy with a Girly Streak
Jessica Beaumont:
Lovable Alpha Bitch
Middle Child Syndrome: She’s the middle child of three siblings, which is why she seeks attention through cheerleading.
Stuck in Their Shadow: Sometimes feels this way, considering that her older brother is an Ivy League scholar and her younger sister is a borderline juvenile delinquent.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly girl to her sister Jadyn's tomboy.
Thom Anderson:
Berserk Button: Do not call him Thomas or Tommy.
Disappointing Older Sibling: At least, that’s how his sister Courtney sees him when compared to their handsome and athletic stepbrother Kyle.
Embarrassing Nickname: Inverted. He insists on going by Thom rather than his full name, Thomas.
Hates Their Parent: His biological father, for walking out on the family eleven years ago.
My Nayme Is: He's very insistent on his name being spelled with a silent H.
Occidental Otaku
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Sensitive guy to Kyle's manly man.
Kyle Levy:
Academic Athlete
Big Little Brother: He's two months younger and an inch taller than his stepbrother Thom.
Hidden Heart of Gold: It takes his friendship with Courtney, and eventually Thom, to bring it out, but he does have one.
Jerk Jock
Long-Haired Pretty Boy
One Head Taller: He's a little over six feet tall, whereas his girlfriend Nina is 5'7".
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Manly man to Thom's sensitive guy.
The Ace
Troubled Teen
Courtney Anderson:
Big Brother Attraction: Or, more accurately, Big Stepbrother Attraction.
Camera Fiend: Has a passion for photography, which eventually leads to her forming a close bond with Kiera. Of note is the fact that Courtney uses film while Kiera is primarily digital.
Lascivious Beauty Mark: Has a beauty mark under her right eye, and is probably the most flirtatious character in the series.
Replacement Goldfish: Kyle sees her as a substitute for his deceased biological sister Kendra.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly girl to her best friend Jadyn's tomboy.
Nick Murphy:
Dumb Jock
Jerk Jock
Malicious Misnaming: Almost always calls Jonas "Jon-ass".
Morality Pet: Despite his general Jerkass tendencies, he is protective of his brother Jared and his cousin Caitlyn.
The Bully
Jared Murphy:
Book Dumb: While he's smarter than his brother, he still doesn't do well academically.
Hair-Trigger Temper
Hidden Depths: Has a taste for musical theater and is a member of the drama club.
Jerk Jock
Large Ham: As a hot-headed theatre kid, it’s pretty much a given.
Morality Pet: Like Nick, he’s very protective of his cousin Caitlyn.
Signature Instrument: Electric guitar.
The Bully
Zane Kessler:
Occidental Otaku: President and co-founder of Foxwood High's anime club.
Small Name, Big Ego: He can be pretty full of himself at times, considering that he's just the president of a high-school anime club.
Jasmine Kessler:
Berserk Button: Ginger jokes.
Fiery Redhead
Genki Girl
Quirky Curls
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly girl to her best friend Mia's tomboy.
Nina Chapman:
Ambiguously Brown
Beta Bitch
Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: While she's very much a Girly Girl, she also takes a shop class.
Odd Name Out: The only member of Jessica's Girl Posse not named after a fictional cheerleader.
The Starscream: Despite being Jessica's best friend, she secretly wants to usurp her position as Alpha Bitch.
Ashley Cournane:
Hidden Depths: A member of the Gay-Straight Alliance.
Pom-Pom Girl: The most enthusiastic member of the cheer squad.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly girl to her best friend Christi's tomboy.
Malcolm Stone:
Academic Athlete
Bald Head of Toughness: Although if you ask him, it's a shaved head of toughness.
Genius Bruiser
Gentle Giant
The Stoic
Mia Thompson:
Abhorrent Admirer: Although she's better-looking than most examples of this trope, Jonas is still repelled by her unpleasant personality.
Bifauxnen and Lad-ette: Lad-ette to her rival and eventual girlfriend Chloe’s Bifauxnen.
Farm Girl
Hidden Heart of Gold
Jerkass
Kiddy Coveralls: She's older than most examples, but she is a tomboyish farm girl who usually wears overalls.
Stalker with a Crush: On Jonas.
The Gadfly: Towards pretty much everyone, but especially likes provoking Jonas and Brad.
The Rival: To Chloe.
Tomboy
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to her best friend Jasmine's girly girl.
Wasted Beauty: Acknowledged as very attractive, but it's marred by her Jerkass tendencies.
Lydia Renfrew:
Academic Athlete
Cool Big Sis: To Shea. Eventually becomes a Cool Big Stepsister to Jonas after her father marries his mother.
Lovable Jock
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to her eventual girlfriend Morgan's girly girl.
Trademark Favorite Food: Spaghetti.
Unkempt Beauty
Katrina Rockwell:
Hidden Depths: Enjoys baking.
"L" Is for "Dyslexia": She's implied, and later confirmed, to be dyslexic.
Lovable Jock
Resentful Outnumbered Sibling: Doesn't like being the only girl in her family.
Tomboy with a Girly Streak
Tomboyish Ponytail
Peter Gardner:
Academic Athlete
Big Brother Instinct
Hidden Depths: Plays cello in the school band.
Jerk Jock with a Heart of Gold
Signature Instrument: Cello, as mentioned above.
Colin Gardner:
Hidden Depths: While he's not as smart as his brother, he is a skilled chess player, able to hold his own against Academic Athlete Aisha Cummings.
Incompatible Orientation: Has a crush on Morgan Urquhart, who is mostly lesbian.
Lovable Jock
Middle Child Syndrome
Jadyn Beaumont:
Expy: Originally envisioned as an older, female Bart Simpson who's the youngest of three siblings instead of the oldest.
Iconic Item: Her knit cap.
Stuck in Their Shadow: Part of why she acts out is because she feels overshadowed by her older siblings.
Tagalong Kid: Younger than the rest of Mark's gang, who she only hangs out with because she idolizes Lauren Reinholt.
The Prankster
The Slacker: A rare female example.
Tomboy
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to both her best friend Courtney and her sister Jessica.
Josh Reilly:
Mad Libs Catchphrase: "Chicks dig [physical/personality trait or occupation]."
School Newspaper Newshound
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Manly Man to Robbie's Sensitive Guy.
Robbie Wolfe:
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Sensitive Guy to Josh's Manly Man.
Drake Levine:
Academic Athlete
Big Man on Campus
Extracurricular Enthusiast
KidAnova: A teenaged version.
Lovable Jock
Sexy Sax Man
Signature Instrument: Saxophone.
The Ace: Smart, good-looking, athletic, and a damn good sax player.
Christi Wong:
Deadpan Snarker
Freaky Fashion, Mild Mind
Nonconformist Dyed Hair: She has a purple streak in her bangs.
Perky Goth
Signature Instrument: Electric guitar.
The Anti-Nihilist
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to her best friend Ashley's girly girl.
Aisha Cummings:
Academic Athlete: Good at both basketball and chess.
Caitlyn Larouche:
Disappeared Dad: Her father was lost at sea two years before the events of the series.
Shana Levine:
Attention Whore: Due to her older brother's status as The Ace, she'll do almost anything for people to notice that she exists.
Stuck in Their Shadow: She feels overshadowed by her brother Drake, which is the main cause of her Attention Whore tendencies.
Successful Sibling Syndrome: She generally feels inferior to her older brother Drake, who she sees as good at everything.
Lisa Wong:
Bespectacled Cutie
Big Sister Attraction
Shrinking Violet
Signature Instrument: Violin.
Dan Therrian:
Extraverted Nerd
Hidden Depths: Takes karate lessons, and is pretty good at it, too.
Keet
Martial Pacifist
Older Than They Look: He's a high-school student, but has been mistaken for a middle-school student at least once.
Rachel Fox:
Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: The most feminine member of Katrina's group, but is also the starting small foward on the girls' basketball team.
Informed Judaism: Nate mentions knowing her from temple at one point, but it doesn't really come up much.
The Fashionista
Logan Taggart:
Brilliant, but Lazy
Cuteness Proximity: As hard as he tries to maintain his cool façade, he will absolutely melt at the sight of cute animals, especially cats and ferrets.
Defrosting Ice King
Hair-Trigger Temper
Kindhearted Cat Lover: Not quite as "kindhearted" as other examples of this trope, but he does like cats.
Long-Haired Pretty Boy
Occidental Otaku
Successful Sibling Syndrome: He feels inadequate when compared to his younger siblings, who are generally better than him academically and socially.
The Cynic
The Hedonist
The Paranoiac
The Quiet One
Judd Taggart:
Freaky Fashion, Mild Mind
Nonconformist Dyed Hair: Dyes his hair blue.
Hannah Brooks:
Berserk Button: Infidelity in relationships, due to her parents getting divorced when she was young for this reason. This is why she eventually dumps Mark.
Cool Big Sis: Despite her hatred of her stepmother and mixed feelings toward her father, she still loves her younger half-siblings Preston and Renee.
Lovable Jock
Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Generally very tomboyish, but has pink hair tips. Pink is also her favorite color.
Maddie Burke:
Academic Athlete: An excellent student, and is also on the tennis and alpine skiing teams.
Bookworm
Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak
Smart People Wear Glasses: Although she only wears them when reading.
Donna Corbin:
Absurdly Youthful Mother
Amazingly Embarrassing Parents
Cloudcuckoolander
Genius Ditz: Despite her scatterbrained Cloudcuckoolander nature, she is still a competent beautician.
The Ditz: To the point where Jonas at one point openly wonders how she got custody of him.
Richard Corbin:
Monica Corbin:
Good Stepmother
One-Note Chef: Generally a Cordon Bleugh Chef, but can make surprisingly good pancakes.
Samantha Corbin:
Annoying Younger Sibling: To Jonas.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Acts sweet and innocent around most people, but is actually a selfish, manipulative brat. Her half-brother Jonas and her regular babysitter Kiera are the only ones who know her true nature.
Bizarre Taste in Food: Implied to be genetic, since her mother is a Cordon Bleugh Chef.
Bratty Half-Pint
Dirty Kid: She has her moments of this.
Genki Girl: Say what you will about her, there's no denying that she has a lot of energy.
Girlish Pigtails
Hidden Heart of Gold
Jerkass
Spoiled Brat
Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: When she was three, she stabbed Jonas in the arm with a fork.
John Seaver:
Valerie Seaver:
Justin Seaver:
Annoying Younger Sibling
Expy: Of Jason Fox.
Insufferable Genius
Stephen Bernhardt:
Abusive Parents: Although he’s not as bad as his wife, he almost never speaks out against her abusive behavior and treats his children like Ungrateful Bastards if they disagree with him.
Pet the Dog: Gave Adrian a used car for his 17th birthday and helped him fix it and upgrade it into a sleeper car.
Self-Made Man: As he’ll often remind his children during his lectures.
Deborah Bernhardt:
Abusive Parents: Treats Adrian as a Trophy Child while verbally and emotionally abusing him and Kiera if they disagree with her, even over trivial things.
Adrian Bernhardt:
Badass Bookworm
Big Brother Instinct: Fiercely protective of his little sister Kiera.
Broken Ace
Deadpan Snarker
Death Glare: The so-called “Adrian Stare”.
Does Not Like Spam: Radishes.
Genius Bruiser: A computer wizard who also happens to be a skilled judoka.
Hates Their Parent: Specifically, his mother Deborah, for verbally and emotionally abusing him and Kiera and treating him as a Trophy Child.
Heavy Sleeper
Iconic Item: His blue bandana.
Icy Gray Eyes
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
Morality Pet: Kiera and Karin.
Not a Morning Person
Occidental Otaku
Perpetual Frowner
Real Men Wear Pink: Very much a Manly Man, but has long hair, takes pride in his androgynous good looks, and took ballet lessons as a kid.
Reformed Bully
Spoiled Sweet: For a given value of “sweet”, anyway.
Stoic Woobie
Sugar-and-Ice Personality
The Cynic
Trophy Child
Unkempt Beauty
Used to Be a Sweet Kid
What a Piece of Junk: His prized Subaru Legacy sleeper car, Alcyone.
Jacob Kellerman:
Esther Kellerman:
Jewish Mother
Zach Kellerman:
Lovable Jock
Edward Ramsey:
Kindly Vet
Robert Urquhart:
Kathleen Urquhart:
Michael Levy:
Good Stepfather
Marissa Anderson:
Good Stepmother
Hospital Hottie: A registered nurse, and very attractive.
Zoe Chapman:
Ambiguously Brown
Extracurricular Enthusiast
Shea Renfrew:
Expy: An older version of Shingo Tsukino.
Emily Gardner:
Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: A very feminine girl who takes ballet lessons, but is also the striker on the middle school soccer team.
Karin Michaux:
Bifauxnen
Cool Big Sis: To Kiera.
Delicate and Sickly
Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: See Hidden Depths, below.
Granola Girl: Allthough unlike most examples, she isn't a strict vegetarian - she doesn't eat red meat because she doesn't like the taste or texture, but she has been seen eating fish and poultry on occasion.
Hidden Depths: Despite her generally gentle and nurturing nature, she’s also a skilled fencer.
Kindhearted Cat Lover: Has a pet Manx cat named Lady Avalon who she loves to bits, and an affinity for cats in general.
Missing Mom: Her mother died six years before the events of the series.
Occidental Otaku: In particular, she and Zane co-founded the Foxwood High anime club.
Older Than They Look: In college, but has been mistaken for a high school student at least once.
Photographic Memory
Victorious Childhood Friend: To Adrian.
A Lighter Shade of Black: Mark and especially Connor are both Jerkasses, but they're nowhere near as bad as Nick and Jared.
Alliterative Family: The Beaumont siblings are named Joel, Jessica, and Jadyn.
Kyle Levy's deceased mother and sister were named Kellene and Kendra, respectively, although it's averted with his father Michael.
Amicable Exes: Jonas’ parents, at least to a degree.
Animesque
Beta Couple: Brad and Caitlyn become this for Jonas and Kiera.
Birds of a Feather: Brad and Caitlyn turn out to be this.
Birthday Buddies: Courtney Anderson and Jadyn Beaumont, both born on May 19.
Bisexual Love Triangle: Connor Urquhart has a crush on fellow Goth Christi Wong, but is also strongly implied to be mutually attracted to his best friend Mark Seaver.
Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Chloe, Kiera, and Alicia, respectively.
The cheerleaders Jessica, Nina, and Ashley also qualify.
Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: Jonas and Brad sometimes fall into this dynamic.
Bonding Over Dislikes: Logan and Christi first bonded over their shared dislike of "Relena Piece-of-Crap".
Mark and Connor first met at a ski lodge, where they bonded over a shared dislike of skiing.
Cracks In The Icy Facade: Connor is introduced as a cold, aloof Jerkass, but in an early episode, he helps an injured Courtney to the nurse's office and makes sure she's all right.
Dramedy
Dysfunctional Family: The Bernhardts, and really most families in this series in their own ways.
Ensemble Cast: Despite being named after Jonas, the core six (Jonas, Brad, Chloe, Kiera, Nate, and Alicia) all get roughly equal focus, and other characters also sometimes get A Day in the Limelight.
Feminine Mother, Tomboyish Daughter: Valerie and Chloe Seaver.
Five-Bad Band: Mark’s gang, initially. Can also be a Five-Man Band in episodes focusing on them.
The Big Bad: Mark Seaver (although he is, at worst, Affably Evil)
The Dragon: Nick Murphy   
The Brute: Jared Murphy (of the Genius Bruiser type)   
The Evil Genius: Connor Urquhart   
The Dark Chick: Lauren Reinholt (also a Token Good Teammate)
Kid-of-Heel Character: Jadyn Beaumont
Five-Man Band:
The Leader: Jonas Corbin
The Lancer: Brad Thompson
The Big Guy: Chloe Seaver (ironically, the shortest in the group)
The Smart Guy: Nate Kellerman
The Chick: Alicia Ramsey
The Heart: Kiera Bernhardt
Flirty Stepsiblings: Kyle Levy and Courtney Anderson, although most of the flirtation comes from Courtney.
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Lydia and Shea Renfrew, respectively.
Gender-Equal Ensemble: The core six is composed of three boys (Jonas, Brad, and Nate) and three girls (Chloe, Kiera, and Alicia).
Headbutt of Love: Lydia does this to Morgan this a few times after they start dating.
Heel-Face Turn: After his failed suicide attempt and subsequent coma in season 2, Connor turns over a new leaf and goes from a gloomy, cynical Jerkass to a gloomy, cynical Jerk with a Heart of Gold.
I Call It "Vera": Adrian calls his car "Alcyone". It should be noticed that everyone in-universe thinks this is a terrible name… even Kiera, who normally worships the ground her big brother walks on.
Incest Subtext: Connor is implied, and eventually confirmed, to be attracted to his younger sister Morgan. This is part of why he hates himself, and why he's so cruel to her.
On the subject of Connor, Kiera has a crush on him because he gives off the same "vibes" as her brother. Take that as you will.
Intergenerational Friendship: Jonas forms one with Mr. Starovski, and Principal Mazlish to a lesser extent.
Jock Dad, Nerd Son: Jacob and Nate Kellerman.
Monster Brother, Cutie Sister: Connor and Morgan, and Adrian and Kiera to a lesser extent. It's worth noting that unlike most examples of this trope, Connor and Adrian are both very handsome.
Nice, Mean, and In-Between: For the boys, Nice Jewish Boy Nate Kellerman (nice), egotistical, mischievous Deadpan Snarker Jonas Corbin (mean), and Gentle Giant Lovable Jock Brad Thompson, who still isn't afraid to tell it like it is (in-between). For the girls, kind-hearted Animal Lover Alicia Ramsey (nice), Jerk with a Heart of Gold Chloe Seaver (mean), and gentle, but sometimes snarky, Team Mom Kiera Bernhardt (in-between).
The Anderson-Levy siblings also qualify, with sensitive literary-magazine editor Thom being the Nice, Jerk Jock Kyle being the Mean, and Courtney, who sometimes acts as a mediator between her older brothers and sometimes plays them against each other to watch the fireworks, being the In-Between.
Not So Above It All: Although they're usually the voices of reason, Nate and especially Kiera both have their moments of this.
Odd Friendship: Jerk Jock with a Heart of Gold Mark Seaver and effeminate Goth boy Connor Urquhart.
One Degree of Separation: Most of the characters are linked to each other in a complex web of relationships.
Practically Different Generations: Jonas is ten years older than his half-sister Samantha, and Hannah Brooks is thirteen years older than her half-sister Renee.
Production Nickname: The Bernhardt siblings each have one. Kiera is "The Brocon Lacrosse Girl," due to her brother complex and passion for lacrosse, and Adrian is "The Anti-Fraggle" because he's tall, grim, and hates radishes, unlike the small, jolly, radish-loving Fraggles.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Jared and Nick Murphy, respectively, with Mark Seaver as their Purple Oni.
Mark is also the Blue Oni to his sister Chloe's Red Oni, and the Red Oni to his best friend Connor's Blue Oni.
Riddle for the Ages: How did someone as childish and irresponsible as Donna get primary custody of her son?
Why does Thom insist on spelling his name with a silent H?
Rivalry as Courtship: Chloe and Mia start out as athletic and romantic rivals, but eventually resolve it and become a couple.
Secret Diary: Connor has one which he keeps hidden in his dresser. However, it's later revealed to be not so secret to Morgan.
Shout-Out: A long-haired, drug-addicted alt guy named Connor, who has a bad reputation, a strained relationship with his sister, and a penchant for black nail polish… sound familiar?
Adrian's car has a "My Other Car Is A Gundam" frame around its license plate.
Because she doesn’t like the name Dandelion, Lauren secretly calls her family’s pet Pomeranian “Toby”.
Word of God has stated that Nate's Character Tic of tying his hair back when he's thinking is a reference to Violet's similar tic in A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Jessica Beaumont and Ashley Cournane are both named after fictional cheerleaders - Jessica Wakefield and Ashley Hammond, respectively.
Sickeningly Sweethearts: Michael Levy and Marissa Anderson.
Six-Student Clique:   
The Head: Jonas Corbin   
The Muscle: Brad Thompson   
The Quirk: Nate Kellerman   
The Pretty One: Alicia Ramsey   
The Smart One: Kiera Bernhardt   
The Wild One: Chloe Seaver
Slice of Life
Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: Falls somewhere in the middle, leaning slightly toward idealism.
The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Between Nina Chapman (The Smart One) and her older sister Zoe (The Popular One).
Theme Naming: The Urquhart siblings both have Celtic names that can be used as first or last names.
Those Two Guys: Josh Reilly and Robbie Wolfe.
¡Three Amigos!: Jonas, Brad, and Chloe, although somewhat disrupted by Chloe’s attraction to Jonas.
Town Girls: Chloe (butch), Kiera (neither), and Alicia (femme).
True Companions: The core six.
Vitriolic Best Buds: Jonas and Brad, and Kiera and Chloe to a lesser extent.
Wacky Parent, Serious Child: Donna and Jonas form a rare mixed-gender example.
White-and-Grey Morality: Jonas' relationship with Principal Mazlish applies, with the former being straight-up chaotic good and the latter being, at worst, lawful neutral.
World of Snark
Some tropes I want to include:
A Day in the Limelight
Amateur Film-Making Plot
“Anger Is Healthy” Aesop
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other
Both Sides Have a Point
Brick Joke
Call-Back
Chain of Deals
Continuity Porn
Couch Gag
Did They or Didn't They?
Dumbass Has a Point / Jerkass Has a Point
Enemy Mine
Enmity with an Object
Evolving Credits
Fade to White: How the series ends, signifying Jonas' "ascent" into the world after high school.
Fair Play Whodunit: Maybe a spotlight episode for Josh and Robbie.
Ferris Wheel Date Moment: At first I wasn't sure this would work with Kiera's fear of heights, but I found out from the trope page that it's actually common for the girl to be acrophobic, so… ^_^
Flippant Forgiveness
Friendly Enemy / Reformed, but Not Tamed: This would eventually apply to the Murphy brothers.
Funny Background Event
Hard Truth Aesop: Abusive parents are still complex humans like everyone else.
Intergenerational Friendship
Joke and Receive
Leitmotif
Magic Realism
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane
Mundane Made Awesome
Musical Episode: Also A Day in the Limelight episode for Mark and Connor, in which they form a band with Jared (lead guitar), Morgan (vocals), Alicia (keyboard), and maybe Christi (rhythm guitar).
Noodle Incident
Not So Above It All
Out-of-Character Alert
Parents as People
"Rashomon"-Style
RPG Episode
Saved by the Awesome
Shown Their Work
Something Only They Would Say
Spoof Aesop
Stealth Pun
Strange Minds Think Alike
Stylistic Suck
The Greatest Story Never Told
Thinks of Something Smart, Says Something Stupid
Unusual Euphemism
Vignette Episode
"What Do They Fear?" Episode: For Brad's arachnophobia, Kiera's acrophobia, Mark's claustrophobia, Connor's gephyrophobia, and/or Morgan's coulrophobia.
What You Are in the Dark
“Where Are They Now?” Epilogue
Whole Plot Reference
You All Share My Story
Tropes to avert:
A Weighty Aesop: And in the unlikely event that I were to do an episode with one, it would emphasize moderation rather than abstinence.
Anvilicious: Any and all morals should be as subtle as the B in the word "subtle," except for spoof morals.
Character Shilling
Diet Episode: See A Weighty Aesop, above.
Girls vs. Boys Plot
Hate Sink
Kids Shouldn’t Watch Horror Films
Limited Wardrobe
New Technology Is Evil
Pair the Spares
Real Men Have Short Hair: As a direct Take That! aimed at this trope, Jonas' hair gets slightly longer with each season as he matures, although the two factors are otherwise unrelated, and it's never mentioned in-universe.
Shipper on Deck
Social Media Is Bad
Strangled by the Red String
Teens Are Monsters
The Friend Nobody Likes
Where the Hell Is Springfield?: Foxwood is located somewhere in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire.
————————————————————————————————————————————
ANIME-PLANET TAGS
Jonas CORBIN
Male, Blonde Hair
Tags: Big Ego, Bisexual, Charismatic, High School Student, Lazy, LGBT+, Mischievous, Otaku, Teenager, Video Gamer
Brad THOMPSON
Male, Brown Hair
Tags: Athlete, Baseball Player, Basketball Player, Football Player, Freckles, High School Student, Teenager
Chloe SEAVER
Female, White Hair
Tags: Athlete, Big Eater, Big Ego, High School Student, Hot-Headed, Mischievous, Otaku, Small Stature, Soccer Player, Sweet Tooth, Teenager, Tomboy, Track and Fielder, Tsundere
Kiera BERNHARDT
Female, Black Hair
Tags: Artist, Athlete, Braids, Brother Complex, Cook, High School Student, Otaku, School Idol, Sleepyhead, Teenager, Video Gamer, Wealthy
Nate KELLERMAN
Male, Brown Hair
Tags: Analytical, Bookworm, Glasses, High School Student, Ponytail, Shy, Sweet Tooth, Teenager, Video Gamer, Wealthy
Alicia RAMSEY
Female, Red Hair
Tags: Animal Lover, Blinding Bangs, Clumsy, Dandere, High School Student, Musician, Pervert, Pianist, Shy, Teenager
Mark SEAVER
Male, Blonde Hair
Tags: Athlete, Baseball Player, Basketball Player, Big Eater, Big Ego, Bully, Drummer, Flirt, High School Student, Musician, Otaku, Soccer Player, Team Captain, Teenager
Connor URQUHART
Male, Multicolored Hair
Tags: Animal Lover, Bassist, Bisexual, Choker, High School Student, Kuudere, LGBT+, Musician, Piercings, Sister Complex, Smoker, Teenager, Wealthy
Morgan URQUHART
Female, Orange Hair
Tags: Athlete, Band Member, High School Student, Lesbian, LGBT+, Musician, Singer, Teenager, Video Gamer, Wealthy
Sarah REINHOLT
Female, Blonde Hair
Tags: Band Member, Dancer, High School Student, Singer, Teenager, Wealthy
Lauren REINHOLT
Female, White Hair
Tags: Athlete, Baseball Player, Basketball Player, Hair Antenna, Hair Buns, High School Student, Lesbian, LGBT+, Otaku, Teenager, Wealthy
Jessica BEAUMONT
Female, Blonde Hair
Tags: Big Ego, Cheerleader, High School Student, Ponytail, Teenager
Thom ANDERSON
Male, Blonde Hair
Tags: Bookworm, Editor, Glasses, High School Student, Otaku, Teenager, Video Gamer, Wealthy
Kyle LEVY
Male, Black Hair
Tags: Athlete, Basketball Player, High School Student, Ponytail, Soccer Player, Teenager, Wealthy
Courtney ANDERSON
Female, Brown Hair
Tags: Athlete, Flirt, Gymnast, High School Student, Mischievous, Mole, Photographer, Ponytail, Teenager, Wealthy
Nick MURPHY
Male, Brown Hair
Tags: Athlete, Basketball Player, Bully, Buzz Cut, Facial Hair, Football Player, High School Student, Teenager
Jared MURPHY
Male, Brown Hair
Tags: Athlete, Basketball Player, Bully, Facial Hair, Guitarist, High School Student, Hot-Headed, Musician, Teenager
Zane KESSLER
Male, Blonde Hair
Tags: Club President, Facial Hair, High School Student, Otaku, Teenager, Video Gamer
Jasmine KESSLER
Female, Red Hair
Tags: Athlete, Basketball Player, Eternal Optimist, Freckles, High School Student, Teenager, Video Gamer
Nina CHAPMAN
Female, Black Hair
Tags: Braids, Cheerleader, Dark-skinned, High School Student, Teenager
Ashley COURNANE
Female, Red Hair
Tags: Bisexual, Cheerleader, High School Student, LGBT+, Teenager
Malcolm STONE
Male, None Hair
Tags: Abnormally Tall, Athlete, Bald, Baseball Player, Basketball Player, Dark-skinned, Football Player, High School Student, Stoic, Team Captain, Teenager
Mia THOMPSON
Female, Brown Hair
Tags: Athlete, Braids, Freckles, High School Student, Soccer Player, Stalker, Teenager, Tomboy
Lydia RENFREW
Female, Brown Hair
Tags: Athlete, Bisexual, High School Student, LGBT+, Teenager
Katrina ROCKWELL
Female, Blonde Hair
Tags: Athlete, Baseball Player, Basketball Player, Cook, High School Student, Ponytail, Soccer Player, Student Council, Teenager, Tomboy
Peter GARDNER
Male, Black Hair
Tags: Athlete, Band Member, Baseball Player, Cellist, Football Player, High School Student, Hot-Headed, Musician, Teenager
Colin GARDNER
Male, Brown Hair
Tags: Athlete, Baseball Player, Basketball Player, Board Game Player, High School Student, Soccer Player, Teenager
Jadyn BEAUMONT
Female, Blonde Hair
Tags: Hat, High School Student, Lazy, Mischievous, Teenager, Tomboy
Josh REILLY
Male, Black Hair
Tags: Afro, Dark-skinned, Flirt, High School Student, Teenager
Robbie WOLFE
Male, Blonde Hair
Tags: Athlete, High School Student, Teenager, Track and Fielder, Wealthy
Drake LEVINE
Male, Multicolored Hair
Tags: Athlete, Band Member, Basketball Player, Big Ego, Football Player, High School Student, Musician, Team Captain, Teenager, Track and Fielder
Christi WONG
Female, Multicolored Hair
Tags: Artist, Band Member, Fujoshi, Guitarist, High School Student, Piercings, Singer, Teenager
Aisha CUMMINGS
Female, Black Hair
Tags: Athlete, Basketball Player, Board Game Player, Braids, Dark-skinned, High School Student, Teenager
Caitlyn LAROUCHE Female, Red Hair
Tags: Athlete, High School Student, Ponytail, Team Captain, Teenager
Shana LEVINE
Female, Brown Hair
Tags: Cheerleader, High School Student, Teenager
Lisa WONG
Female, Black Hair
Tags: Bisexual, Glasses, High School Student, LGBT+, Musician, Shy, Sister Complex, Teenager, Violinist
Dan THERRIAN
Male, Brown Hair
Tags: Bowl Cut, Eternal Optimist, Glasses, High School Student, Martial Artist, Small Stature, Teenager
Rachel FOX
Female, Brown Hair
Tags: Athlete, Basketball Player, Dancer, Flirt, High School Student, Teenager
Logan TAGGART
Male, Black Hair
Tags: Animal Lover, Artist, Bisexual, Bookworm, Facial Hair, Fudanshi, Glasses, High School Student, Hot-Headed, Lazy, LGBT+, Otaku, Shy, Teenager, Video Gamer
Judd TAGGART
Male, Blue Hair
Tags: Athlete, Anti-Gravity Hair, Bassist, High School Student, Musician, Teenager, Track and Fielder
Hannah BROOKS
Female, Multicolored Hair
Tags: Athlete, Baseball Player, Basketball Player, High School Student, Teenager, Tomboy
Maddie BURKE Female, Orange Hair
Tags: Athlete, Bookworm, Glasses, Tennis Player
Adrian BERNHARDT
Male, Brown Hair
Tags: Analytical, Bisexual, Bookworm, Headband, Kuudere, LGBT+, Martial Artist, Otaku, Piercings, Sleepyhead, Teenager, University Student, Video Gamer, Wealthy
Karin MICHAUX
Female, Multicolored Hair
Tags: Animal Lover, Artist, Bifauxnen, Bisexual, LGBT+, Otaku, Photographic Memory, Piercings, Sickly, Sword Fighter, Tattoo, Teenager, University Student, Video Gamer, Wealthy
General tags: Breaking the Fourth Wall, Bullying, Comedy, Coming of Age, Dark Comedy, Divorce, Drama, Dysfunctional Families, Emotional Abuse, LGBT Themes, Love Triangle, Mature Themes, Original Work, Romance, School Life, Seinen, Slice of Life, Tsundere
————————————————————————————————————————————
CHARACTER RELATIONS
JONAS CORBIN
Best friend of Brad Thompson.
Friend of Chloe Seaver.
Friend of Kiera Bernhardt.
Friend of Nate Kellerman.
Friend of Mark Seaver.
Neighbor of Mark Seaver.
Neighbor of Chloe Seaver.
Neighbor of Justin Seaver.
Neighbor of Logan Taggart.
Neighbor of Judd Taggart.
Neighbor of Saige Taggart.
Neighbor of Alana Taggart.
Son of Richard Corbin.
Son of Donna Corbin.
Stepson of Monica Corbin.
Older half-brother of Samantha Corbin.
Crush on Kiera Bernhardt.
BRAD THOMPSON
Best friend of Jonas Corbin.
Friend of Chloe Seaver.
Friend of Nate Kellerman.
Friend of Drake Levine.
Son of Brian Thompson.
Son of Dorothy Thompson.
Older brother of Mia Thompson.
Crush on Caitlyn Larouche.
Rival of Drake Levine.
CHLOE SEAVER
Best friend of Kiera Bernhardt.
Friend of Jonas Corbin.
Friend of Brad Thompson.
Friend of Alicia Ramsey.
Friend of Morgan Urquhart.
Friend of Katrina Rockwell.
Neighbor of Jonas Corbin.
Daughter of John Seaver.
Daughter of Valerie Seaver.
Younger sister of Mark Seaver.
Older sister of Justin Seaver.
Crush on Jonas Corbin.
Rival of Mia Thompson.
KIERA BERNHARDT
Best friend of Chloe Seaver.
Friend of Alicia Ramsey.
Friend of Jonas Corbin.
Friend of Lydia Renfrew.
Family friend of Robbie Wolfe.
Daughter of Stephen Bernhardt.
Daughter of Deborah Bernhardt.
Younger sister of Adrian Bernhardt.
Niece of Naomi Farrell.
Honorary younger sister of Karin Michaux.
Crush on Connor Urquhart.
NATE KELLERMAN
Friend of Jonas Corbin.
Friend of Brad Thompson.
Friend of Alicia Ramsey.
Son of Jacob Kellerman.
Son of Esther Kellerman.
Older brother of Zach Kellerman.
Crush on Chloe Seaver.
ALICIA RAMSEY
Friend of Kiera Bernhardt.
Friend of Chloe Seaver.
Friend of Nate Kellerman.
Daughter of Edward Ramsey.
Crush on Nate Kellerman.
MARK SEAVER
Best friend of Connor Urquhart.
Friend of Lauren Reinholt.
Friend of Jessica Beaumont.
Friend of Malcolm Stone.
Friend of Jonas Corbin.
Friend of Judd Taggart.
Frenemy of Nick Murphy.
Frenemy of Jared Murphy.
Neighbor of Jonas Corbin.
Son of John Seaver.
Son of Valerie Seaver.
Older brother of Chloe Seaver.
Older brother of Justin Seaver.
Crush on Lauren Reinholt.
Possible boyfriend of Connor Urquhart?
CONNOR URQUHART
Best friend of Mark Seaver.
Son of Robert Urquhart.
Son of Kathleen Urquhart.,
Older brother of Morgan Urquhart.
Crush on Christi Wong.
Possible boyfriend of Mark Seaver?
MORGAN URQUHART
Best friend of Sarah Reinholt.
Friend of Lauren Reinholt.
Friend of Chloe Seaver.
Friend of Lydia Renfrew.
Friend of Logan Taggart.
Daughter of Robert Urquhart.
Daughter of Kathleen Urquhart.
Younger sister of Connor Urquhart.
Crush on Sarah Reinholt.
SARAH REINHOLT
Best friend of Morgan Urquhart.
Friend of Logan Taggart.
Daughter of Andrew Reinholt.
Daughter of Allie Reinholt.
Younger sister of Lauren Reinholt.
Girlfriend of Zane Kessler.
LAUREN REINHOLT
Friend of Morgan Urquhart.
Friend of Jessica Beaumont.
Friend of Mark Seaver.
Friend of Logan Taggart.
Friend of Hannah Brooks.
Daughter of Andrew Reinholt.
Daughter of Allie Reinholt.
Older sister of Sarah Reinholt.
JESSICA BEAUMONT
Best friend of Nina Chapman.
Friend of Lauren Reinholt.
Friend of Ashley Cournane.
Friend of Mark Seaver.
Daughter of Paul Beaumont.
Daughter of Susan Beaumont.
Younger sister of Joel Beaumont.
Older sister of Jadyn Beaumont.
Crush on Mark Seaver.
THOM ANDERSON
Son of Thomas Anderson, Sr.
Son of Marissa Anderson.
Stepson of Michael Levy.
Older brother of Courtney Anderson.
Older stepbrother of Kyle Levy.
KYLE LEVY
Friend of Ashley Cournane.
Son of Michael Levy.
Stepson of Marissa Anderson.
Younger stepbrother of Thom Anderson.
Older stepbrother of Courtney Anderson.
Boyfriend of Nina Chapman.
COURTNEY ANDERSON
Best friend of Jadyn Beaumont.
Daughter of Thomas Anderson, Sr.
Daughter of Marissa Anderson.
Stepdaughter of Michael Levy.
Younger sister of Thom Anderson.
Younger stepsister of Kyle Levy.
Crush on Kyle Levy.
NICK MURPHY
Best friend of Jared Murphy.
Frenemy of Mark Seaver.
Son of David Murphy.
Son of Heidi Murphy.
Older brother of Jared Murphy.
Nephew of Nancy Larouche.
Cousin of Caitlyn Larouche.
JARED MURPHY
Best friend of Nick Murphy.
Frenemy of Mark Seaver.
Son of David Murphy.
Son of Heidi Murphy.
Younger brother of Nick Murphy.
Nephew of Nancy Larouche.
Cousin of Caitlyn Larouche.
ZANE KESSLER
Friend of Peter Gardner.
Friend of Colin Gardner.
Son of George Kessler.
Son of Cynthia Kessler.
Older brother of Jasmine Kessler.
Boyfriend of Sarah Reinholt.
JASMINE KESSLER
Best friend of Mia Thompson.
Daughter of George Kessler.
Daughter of Cynthia Kessler.
Younger sister of Zane Kessler.
NINA CHAPMAN
Best friend of Jessica Beaumont.
Friend of Ashley Cournane.
Daughter of Everett Chapman.
Daughter of Mary Chapman.
Younger sister of Zoe Chapman.
Girlfriend of Kyle Levy.
ASHLEY COURNANE
Best friend of Christi Wong.
Friend of Jessica Beaumont.
Friend of Nina Chapman.
Friend of Kyle Levy.
Daughter of Christopher Cournane.
Daughter of Cheryl Cournane.
MALCOLM STONE
Friend of Mark Seaver.
Son of Maxwell Stone.
Son of Tessa Stone.
MIA THOMPSON
Best friend of Jasmine Kessler.
Daughter of Brian Thompson.
Daughter of Dorothy Thompson.
Younger sister of Brad Thompson.
Crush on Jonas Corbin.
Rival of Chloe Seaver.
LYDIA RENFREW
Friend of Morgan Urquhart.
Friend of Kiera Bernhardt.
Friend of Katrina Rockwell.
Friend of Aisha Cummings.
Daughter of Landon Renfrew II.
Daughter of Melissa Renfrew.
Older sister of Shea Renfrew.
KATRINA ROCKWELL
Friend of Chloe Seaver.
Friend of Lydia Renfrew.
Friend of Aisha Cummings.
Friend of Rachel Fox.
Friend of Hannah Brooks.
Friend of Maddie Burke.
Daughter of Philip Rockwell.
Daughter of Marilyn Rockwell.
Younger sister of Seth Rockwell.
Older sister of Dennis Rockwell.
Older sister of Matty Rockwell.
Girlfriend of Peter Gardner.
PETER GARDNER
Friend of Zane Kessler.
Son of Ted Gardner.
Son of Sharon Gardner.
Older brother of Colin Gardner.
Older brother of Emily Gardner.
Boyfriend of Katrina Rockwell.
COLIN GARDNER
Friend of Zane Kessler.
Friend of Aisha Cummings.
Son of Ted Gardner.
Son of Sharon Gardner.
Younger brother of Peter Gardner.
Older brother of Emily Gardner.
Crush on Morgan Urquhart.
JADYN BEAUMONT
Best friend of Courtney Anderson.
Daughter of Paul Beaumont.
Daughter of Susan Beaumont.
Younger sister of Joel Beaumont.
Younger sister of Jessica Beaumont.
Girlfriend of Judd Taggart.
JOSH REILLY
Best friend of Robbie Wolfe.
Son of Benjamin Reilly.
Son of Olivia Reilly.
ROBBIE WOLFE
Best friend of Josh Reilly.
Family friend of Kiera Bernhardt.
Son of Mick Wolfe.
Son of Alice Wolfe.
DRAKE LEVINE
Friend of Brad Thompson.
Son of Roger Levine.
Son of Carol Levine.
Older brother of Shana Levine.
Rival of Brad Thompson.
CHRISTI WONG
Best friend of Ashley Cournane.
Friend of Logan Taggart.
Daughter of Sonny Wong.
Daughter of Evelyn Wong.
Older sister of Lisa Wong.
AISHA CUMMINGS
Friend of Lydia Renfrew.
Friend of Katrina Rockwell.
Friend of Colin Gardner.
Friend of Rachel Fox.
Friend of Maddie Burke.
Daughter of Randolph Cummings, Sr.
Daughter of Yvonne Cummings.
Older sister of Vanessa Cummings.
Older sister of Randy Cummings.
SHANA LEVINE
Friend of Caitlyn Larouche.
Friend of Lisa Wong.
Daughter of Roger Levine.
Daughter of Carol Levine.
Younger sister of Drake Levine.
CAITLYN LAROUCHE
Best friend of Lisa Wong.
Friend of Shana Levine.
Daughter of Nancy Larouche.
Niece of Heidi Murphy.
Niece of David Murphy.
Cousin of Nick Murphy.
Cousin of Jared Murphy.
LISA WONG
Best friend of Caitlyn Larouche.
Friend of Shana Levine.
Daughter of Sonny Wong.
Daughter of Evelyn Wong.
Younger sister of Christi Wong.
Crush on Christi Wong
RACHEL FOX
Friend of Katrina Rockwell.
Friend of Aisha Cummings.
Friend of Maddie Burke.
Daughter of Michael Fox.
Daughter of Jennifer Fox.
Younger sister of Dana Fox.
LOGAN TAGGART
Friend of Morgan Urquhart.
Friend of Sarah Reinholt.
Friend of Lauren Reinholt.
Friend of Christi Wong.
Neighbor of Jonas Corbin.
Son of Charles Taggart.
Son of Maureen Taggart.
Older brother of Judd Taggart.
Older brother of Saige Taggart.
Older brother of Alana Taggart.
JUDD TAGGART
Friend of Mark Seaver.
Boyfriend of Jadyn Beaumont.
Neighbor of Jonas Corbin.
Son of Charles Taggart.
Son of Maureen Taggart.
Younger brother of Logan Taggart.
Older brother of Saige Taggart.
Older brother of Alana Taggart.
HANNAH BROOKS
Friend of Lauren Reinholt.
Friend of Katrina Rockwell.
MADDIE BURKE
Friend of Katrina Rockwell.
Friend of Aisha Cummings.
Friend of Rachel Fox.
SAMANTHA CORBIN
Daughter of Richard Corbin.
Daughter of Monica Corbin.
Younger half-sister of Jonas Corbin.
JUSTIN SEAVER
Best friend of Zach Kellerman.
Neighbor of Jonas Corbin.
Son of John Seaver.
Son of Valerie Seaver.
Younger brother of Mark Seaver.
Younger brother of Chloe Seaver.
ADRIAN BERNHARDT
Son of Stephen Bernhardt.
Son of Deborah Bernhardt.
Older brother of Kiera Bernhardt.
Nephew of Naomi Farrell.
Boyfriend of Karin Michaux.
Roommate of Tristan Markham.
ZACH KELLERMAN
Best friend of Justin Seaver.
Son of Jacob Kellerman.
Son of Esther Kellerman.
Younger brother of Nate Kellerman.
JOEL BEAUMONT
Son of Paul Beaumont.
Son of Susan Beaumont.
Older brother of Jessica Beaumont.
Older brother of Jadyn Beaumont.
ZOE CHAPMAN
Daughter of Everett Chapman.
Daughter of Mary Chapman.
Older sister of Nina Chapman.
Roommate of Autumn Caldwell.
SHEA RENFREW
Friend of Dennis Rockwell.
Friend of Matty Rockwell.
Friend of Emily Gardner.
Son of Landon Renfrew II.
Son of Melissa Renfrew.
Younger brother of Lydia Renfrew.
SETH ROCKWELL
Son of Philip Rockwell.
Son of Marilyn Rockwell.
Older brother of Katrina Rockwell.
Older brother of Dennis Rockwell.
Older brother of Matty Rockwell.
DENNIS ROCKWELL
Friend of Shea Renfrew.
Son of Philip Rockwell.
Son of Marilyn Rockwell.
Younger brother of Seth Rockwell.
Younger brother of Katrina Rockwell.
Older twin brother of Matty Rockwell.
MATTY ROCKWELL
Friend of Shea Renfrew.
Son of Philip Rockwell.
Son of Marilyn Rockwell.
Younger brother of Seth Rockwell.
Younger brother of Katrina Rockwell.
Younger twin brother of Dennis Rockwell.
EMILY GARDNER
Friend of Shea Renfrew.
Daughter of Ted Gardner.
Daughter of Sharon Gardner.
Younger sister of Peter Gardner.
Younger sister of Colin Gardner.
VANESSA CUMMINGS
Daughter of Randolph Cummings, Sr.
Daughter of Yvonne Cummings.
Younger sister of Aisha Cummings.
Older sister of Randy Cummings.
RANDY CUMMINGS
Son of Randolph Cummings, Sr.
Son of Yvonne Cummings.
Younger brother of Aisha Cummings.
Younger brother of Vanessa Cummings.
SAIGE TAGGART
Neighbor of Jonas Corbin.
Daughter of Charles Taggart.
Daughter of Maureen Taggart.
Younger sister of Logan Taggart.
Younger sister of Judd Taggart.
Older sister of Alana Taggart.
ALANA TAGGART
Neighbor of Jonas Corbin.
Daughter of Charles Taggart.
Daughter of Maureen Taggart.
Younger sister of Logan Taggart.
Younger sister of Judd Taggart.
Younger sister of Saige Taggart.
KARIN MICHAUX
Daughter of Alexander Michaux.
Younger sister of Natalie Michaux.
Honorary older sister of Kiera Bernhardt.
Girlfriend of Adrian Bernhardt.
Roommate of Michelle Harper.
Roommate of Alison Torres.
5 notes · View notes
plaindangan · 7 months
Note
Shuichi’s milf batch final : Kaede, rantaro, kiibo and tenko!
Disclaimer: Below is content that's more on the racy side! If not for you, you probably shouldn't read!
Rantaro
Of the students Shuko met, Rantaro was the most mature by a long shot. That cool and mellow attitude wrapped up in a mature sense of responsibility. It was no wonder he was so popular with guys and girls of the academy! Heck, if Shuko were younger she'd probably be fawning over him as well~
But, really, she'll settle for just getting to know him better through his adventure stories. Considering both were loaded, maybe she arrange a trip with her, Shuichi and Rantaro in the future?
Kiibo
Science truly is amazing! This was the first time she's seen such an advanced form of machinery and capable of serious though! And yet he's also such adorkable robo-boy! She should really pay a visit to his creator for creating such a cutie…
And apologize for maybe squeezing his circuits a bit too hard.
Tenko
She saw this girl following Himiko around earlier. She pretty energetic, though kind of shy? She did just run off earlier when Shuko approached. So when she found Tenko in hero dojo, she thought it would be a great time to get to know her! Shuko also had an interest in martial arts, so she had no problem changing into a gi and doing a spar session. Nothing better than getting up close and personal with a worthy rival~
Kaede
Now this was a girl she heard a lot about. Her son Shuichi was always gushing on and on about this blonde pianist that he had befriended. Who helped him get out of his shell! So, naturally, Shuko wanted to meet her as well.
When the time came, she found Kaede not in the music room, but rather at her son's bedside in the infirmary (still out of it from the hug she gave him earlier), fretting over him. At first glance, Shuko could instantly see why Shuichi would be smitten. Her son always did have a thing for those on the plumper side of life~ Though, as they talked, Shuko could also see that Kaede was brimming with energy, confidence, humor and intelligence. An unbelievably great woman that Shuko just wanted to know more of!
And what better way to give you blessings to your likely daughter-in-law than by giving her the same 'Shuko Special' hug she gave to her son~
Thoughts on Shuko
Rantaro
"Never thought I'd meet someone that age who is just as into exploring as I am. I'm glad Shuichi has such an open minded, Mother. A bit concerned about his potential back problems with how hard she hugs. Hehehe!" he said, chuckling as he gently rubbed his own back as he recalled his own greeting with her.
Kiibo
"I have to say I'm glad Ms. Saihara is not a robophobe!! Her questions were always respectful and she didn't look down on me. Well, if there's one...nitpick is that she did call me a 'lovable dorky boy'. I-I don't come across that way...right?" He asked, simulating a blush as he looked a bit flustered and insecure over the label.
Tenko
"Aa-aaaha~ T-touching me, th-there and there and....aaahhh~ Such holds too~" If one were to peek in the girl's locker room, they would witness Tenko, skirt and panties lowered, furiously rubbing herself as the intense spar between herself and Shuchi's MILF of a Mom had set her a blaze. Perhaps, best to just give her privacy (especially if you want to live).
Kaede
"Y-yeah, can see why, Shuichi got knocked out right at the start. Took a bit of willpower not to go under too from those, u-um...pillows. Yeah, let's go with that! As a person, I can see how Shuichi grew up to become such a an amazing person! Anyone would be with a Mom as supporting and loving as that! I'm glad that I got to meet her and with love to get to know her more personally!!" she said, lying back in a similar infirmary bed to Shuichi as she answered the question...
...Though soon after, a pink hue came onto her face as memories of Shuko's hold on her rushed back. God, that woman so hot~ Shuko easily put her own curvy body to shame and just radiated the perfect amount of 'dommy mom' energy that a perv like Kaede couldn't resist~ No brainer on where Shuichi got his looks from~ Once she was recovered, she knew she just had to find that detective boy ASAP!
She's got a lot of pent-up 'feelings' his Mom left to explore on him~
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No in contrast to its name, this the superb captain in the city manga really IS NOT a hentai. Rather, it is about a young lad named after making a specific wish on a particuarly talented Stony Cat Youto Yokodera that obtained nicknamed with the notorious name of the "Hentai Prince". Seems odd right? Well, that is just the pointer of the iceberg.
Coming into this show, I recognized what may be anticipated. It does not take wish for any observer to comprehend this is a common charming funny. The twist here is the truth that it includes some magic at the workplace in the sort of the Stony Cat. So begins the story of the Hentai Prince, this uncommon story. It is triggered by a dream he made and also there is an expression that regularly stays accurate: be careful what you want for.
Regretfully for Youto, he has to deal with the outcomes and also currently isn't truly attentive.
For Youto, the boy is a freak. As well as it goes without saying, he regularly recommendations to shows which he sees to enhance his rate of interests. Despite his errors Youto at specifically the same time is, additionally, revealed to be a sort lad that frequently comes to the assistance of others especially his female pals. He additionally seems intelligent with a smart head as he's qualified to manage a particular track leader right into taking into consideration some noticeable ideas that are fake. Evidently, Youto is the kind of lad that is tough to be friends with unless you recognize his true visage.
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With other characters in particular with a college beauty Azusa, Youto in addition creates links through the entire show. As a pet enthusiast, she's appreciated as somebody that's to be valued by everyone, an abundant female, and also a school idolizer. In spite of her outdoors self, Azusa often disbelieves people as a result of her past and also looks rather insecure with herself. Her first experience with Youto appears to be some kind of fortune his new character provided by the Stony Cat as well as since for the really first time, we see her instabilities reveal thanks to Youto.
the superb captain in the city manga complies with more of a tale arc informing format in contrast to a story that is straight out. Yet, one of the most constant qualities of every episode involves what he finishes with his new scenario as well as Youto. Of the various brand-new adjustments in his life, one is his more intimacy of the key female personalities in the show to 3. Skill to assist others along with his stability makes more fondness from the girls to him. As an issue truth, they goes to lengths as well as shows up to see the far better side of him. Please visit https://japanesemangaguide.tumblr.com/post/682049207181393920/7vv9fzusyxta7undqmx51650477932 if you like to know more related details
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sehunniepotwrites · 3 years
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if we were a movie | j.jh
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for @nctsworld’s first writing challenge
SYNOPSIS. For someone who was always the understudy and never the lead, scoring this role was huge for you. All you had to do was pretend to be in love with your best friend. No big deal, right? Wrong. It was the biggest deal because, for the past four years, you had been hiding your feelings for Jung Jaehyun.
If this were a movie, he would be your perfect match and the story would end happily with the credits rolling to a perfectly timed soundtrack. Too bad this wasn’t a movie— this was real life and life came with complications.
GENRE. childhood friends to lovers!au, college!au, drama school!au, slow burn, angst, humor, mutual pining, fluff (loosely based on the Filipino rom-com Must Be Love and If We Were a Movie by Hannah Montana) PAIRING. theatre major!Jaehyun x  theatre major!reader WORD COUNT. 14+ k
WARNINGS. point of view switches from first (”I”) to second (”you”); self-doubt, insecurities, mutual pining, cursing, lots of references and direct quotes from musicals such as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Disney’s Newsies, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Shrek the Musical, and Wicked (edited but i might’ve missed some mistakes; bare with me!)
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There are moments where time flows as normal, where people carry on with their days as they usually do. Then, there are moments people experience in slow-motion, where the world just stops spinning and all the background noise just fades away. These are the moments people look forward to. They’re the breathtaking ones, the ones that capture your heart and soul. After those moments, people are never the same. 
The first time I experienced something in slow motion was when I made my stage debut at a small talent show. There was thunderous applause after my performance and while my heart thumped against my chest, the world seemed to come to a stop. That’s when I knew my heart belonged to the stage or rather, the stage belonged to me. 
Some of these slo-mo moments are the ones where people fall in love. 
My father said that’s how he knew my mother was the one for him: he experienced it all at a slowed rate, everything fading into black and she was the only thing he saw. She was his brightest star and he was the one who reached for the sky to bring her down to Earth. 
When I was younger, I always dreamed about my “falling in love” slow-mo moment. I pictured a grandiose event with large actions and sweet words.  For it to actually happen at theatre camp during the initial dress rehearsal for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast J.R.— well, that was far from what I hoped for. 
And yet, it was just as special as I thought it would be. 
I was in my obnoxious fork costume, waiting for my best friend to leave the boy’s dressing room. 
Jung Jaehyun had been my best friend since the beginning, otherwise known as my first year at theatre camp. Only ten years old at the time, we both were cast as two of the three blind mice in Shrek the Musical and had been inseparable ever since. Although we attended different middle schools, our friendship grew from our shared vocal and dance lessons as well as our summers at camp. You know how it is; those who end up in the ensemble together stay together. 
Going over the dance moves in my head, I didn’t hear my friend’s voice calling my name. He gripped my shoulder, the action surprising me to the point where I lost my balance. I yelped and shut my eyes, expecting to fall onto the hard ground but a hand grabbing onto my wrist prevented my doom. With an arm around my waist, I barely missed the ground.
Slowly opening my eyes, I glanced up to see Jung Jaehyun looking down at me with a worried gaze. He was just a sixteen-year-old boy dressed as a spoon and yet, the world around us came to a halt. Gone were the other frantic theatre kids and the backstage messes. The couple playing Belle and the Beast was no longer sitting across from us, running through their lines. No hustle and bustle of the crew and the props masters.
It was just me dressed as a fork, falling down while my spoon for a best friend caught me in his arms. 
“We make quite a pair, don’t we, Forky?” he chuckled lowly, hitting the top of his costume to mine. It was a ridiculous sight— a pair of oversized cutlery in a crowded dressing room.
A burning hot sensation crept its way up to my face as he gently pulled me up. “I guess we do.”
Since then, my life has never been the same. I was in love with my best friend, Jung Jaehyun. I fell for him when the world stopped spinning beneath my feet while his world, unfortunately, kept on turning.
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I remember each and every slowed-down moment in life —the good, the bad, and the absolute worst. I never thought a bad slo-mo moment existed, I simply didn’t think it was possible. 
I was young and naive then and I was so incredibly wrong.
The moment that hurt me most took place in my senior year of high school. The final callbacks for our community’s production of Disney’s Newsies were in order. The role of Jack Kelly, the headstrong and flirty newsboy, was easily given to the ever-so-charming Jung Jaehyun. He was not only my best friend at the time but he was the it-boy of our small theatre. People were either in love with him or wanted to be him— his talent matched his insane looks. His kind personality made him all the more lovable.
Jaehyun had his two fatal flaws, though. Everyone knew them but still saw him in such a bright light.
One: the boy was extremely clumsy. Jaehyun was often called “magic hands,” constantly ruining his props. It was a running gag in the theatre but the props committee never minded; one smile was all it took for them to forgive him and his cursed hands. 
That was his first flaw. And his second? Jaehyun fell in love way too easily and way too fast. 
How exactly did I find this out? Well, I was there to witness the scene that lifted his heart to the highest of levels while mine dropped straight to the ground.
I was in the running for the stubbornly intelligent female lead named Katherine Plumber. My opponent was the confident and radiant Son Wendy. She always played the lead in her high school productions but this was a community musical and I was determined to claim that part as my own. 
I went first, entering the audition room with a smile with the script gripped tightly in my palm. Performing alongside my best friend was easy. The romantic scene was a piece of cake, not because the lines were a breeze. That wasn’t it at all. It wasn’t because I memorized the Newsies script as a child either. It was because, at that moment, Jung Jaehyun was in love with me as much as I was in love with him. It was a moment I wanted to cherish forever: the way he looked at me was something I had never experienced before. It was so full of emotion and passion, like he had me within his grasp and never wanted to let me go.
“You got this. I believe in you,” he whispered in my ear, squeezing my hand in support. His breath tickled my skin and sent shivers down my spine. The nerves were back, not because of the audition, but because of him. 
“You’re just saying that because it’s the scene we’re about to act out, Jae,” I hissed. The sheet music for the duet, Something to Believe In, wrinkled in my free palm. 
His warm, comforting hand pressed harder against my own. “No, it’s not that. If you need someone to believe in you, I’m right here. I’ve got you, Forky. Always.”
The director cleared his throat from his seat, his scrutinizing eyes watching us closely as we got into position, just like we rehearsed a thousand times. “Whenever you’re ready.”
I watched as Jaehyun took a deep breath to get into character. He closed his eyes, rolled his broad shoulders back, and then his lids snapped open. His brown-eyed gaze aimed straight at me, with a vulnerable expression taking over his features. He was no longer Jung Jaehyun— he was Jack Kelly, a scared newsboy who was in love with a newspaper company heiress. 
The line came pouring out of his mouth with the utmost sincerity, the confusion and affection seeping through his words, “Just standing here tonight, looking at you, I’m scared tomorrow is gonna come and change everything.”
 Jaehyun took a step forward towards me, an unsure smile curling on his lips. “If there was a way I could just grab hold of something to make time stop just so I could keep looking at you.”
His body stops right in front of mine, keeping a clear distance but enough to feel the passion radiating off of his words and actions. For once in my young life, my best friend looked at me with a different kind of love in his eyes and I returned it, my genuine feelings seeping through my words. 
Biting my lip, I replied coyly, “You snuck up on me, Jack Kelly, I never even saw it coming.”
“For sure?” he stage-whispered. His upstage hand unexpectedly reached up to caress my cheek. The action was unrehearsed, almost catching me off guard. It was a different take on the scene. The characters were supposed to be shy, their thoughts wavering on their own feelings for each other and the impending strike that was to come the day after; yet, Jaehyun played Jack as someone certain of his feelings.
“For sure,” I answered back at the same volume, my hand cupping his own to follow along with his direction. It felt as if he was searching my soul for my thoughts and I could not let him in. The opening bars of the romantic duet echoed throughout the room and after taking a breath, I began to sing. Jaehyun joined in on the second verse and instantly, our voices blended together in a beautiful harmony, one that beat our Newsies karaoke sessions in his car. 
The scene ended as quickly as it began. The director hummed before jotting notes down and whispering to his casting assistants for a few seconds. I thought they were the longest seconds of my life. Jaehyun nodded his head to reassure me. “You did well, Forky.”
“Of course I did, it’s me we’re talking about here,” I nudged him back. “I can do no wrong, Jae!” 
“Thank you,” the director finally spoke, “you may go. Jaehyun, if you could escort her out and fetch Wendy for me?”
“Of course,” your friend nodded. The feeling of his large hand on my back slowly guided me out of the room. The spot he touched me burned but my cheeks were burning even more. Why was it that every little touch drove me to the brink of insanity?
“You’re so going to land this part,” I remember him saying as he squeezed my waist. My heart was beating erratically against my ribcage, the butterflies in my stomach threatening to fly their way up my throat.
“You think so?”
“Oh definitely,” Jaehyun stressed with a wink. 
He said it too soon. 
Because the minute he locked gazes with Son Wendy, I just knew he had found his leading lady. 
“S-Son Wendy?” he stuttered as he caught sight of the pretty girl in the waiting room. Her hair was styled similarly to a young maiden from the turn of the century, perfectly curled and out of her face. 
“Yes?” she smiled back.
It seemed like the words were caught in my best friend’s throat. Sneaking a glance at Jaehyun’s ears, they burned a bright red. “We’re, um, we’re ready for you.”
I watched as Jaehyun nervously offered his arm to her, his eyes never leaving her face. It was like he was her own personal spotlight, the way his eyes shone just for the girl in front of him. The boy was completely enamored and I was instantly in the shadows. The sweet smile that was reserved for me was directed towards another and it sparkled in a way it never did before.
The world around me moved incredibly slow as they passed me by. With everything frozen, all I saw was the gorgeous couple headed to the audition room with hushed exchanges. Jaehyun took his time heading to the private room to spend more time with the girl while Son Wendy steadily made her way into my friend’s fragile heart. My own heart clenched at the sight. It was breaking ever so slowly and I felt every little crack and tear. 
Even with the role of the understudy, it was as if I never even had a chance at winning his heart over. If Wendy wasn’t present for one rehearsal, Jaehyun didn’t even see me— his own best friend since our ensemble days. He was way too deep into his “showmance.” It was like I never even existed. It wasn’t long before he called Wendy his girlfriend and then, I was invisible. Cast aside. Ignored.
Needless to say, my heart broke in slow-motion as Jaehyun’s pounded rapidly for a girl that took two parts I desperately ached for: Katherine Plumber and the girl who held Jaehyun’s heart. 
But this was just the first time his heart was stolen by his opposite. The first of many.
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The first two years of university passed me by like a summer breeze. Constantly busy with general education and introductory drama courses, I was constantly flitting around from building to building. My hands were usually occupied by my laptop, a blazing cup of caffeinated tea, and a worn out script while my mind was filled with jumbled up lines and the dramatic cries of an overwhelmed university student. I probably wouldn’t have made it this far if it wasn’t for Jaehyun and Xiao Dejun, another theatre major we had met during orientation, by my side.
Fast forward to my third year and the three of us were headed to the office of the theatre department. It was posting day for the spring musical— the day the cast list was revealed. This year’s musical spectacular was Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. The play itself was a modern classic and it was also my dream come true.
This day, just like any posting day of the drama department, was nerve-racking. Everyone was anxious to find out what parts they were given and how the fairytale would play out. The part of the brave and kind Ella was always on my list of roles I wanted to fill. As much as I thought I did well on my final callback, I didn’t want to set my hopes too high.
“Are you nervous?” Jaehyun asked while draping an arm over my shoulder. He playfully put all his weight onto his right side to throw me off balance. 
“Nervous? Me? Why would I be nervous if I’m like 95% sure  I’m going to get the understudy again?” I chuckled sarcastically. Bitterly. It happened every year, so why get my hopes up now?
“Yeah but—”
“No buts, I’ve accepted the title of the Wonderstudy! I think you should too, Jae,” I slapped his shoulder before quickly slipping out of his hold before linking arms with Dejun. My best friend let out a yelp, almost tripping over his own two feet as we continued down the hallway. “I’m mediocre at best.”
The Wonderstudy: it was the nickname the other students in the department gave me because I was always the understudy. I was never the star of the show. It said that I was good but not good enough. 
Dejun leaned in and whispered, “You do know that you’re more than just that, right? You’re an actor. A phenomenal one. You weren’t accepted to this drama program by just being mediocre at best.”
I ignored my friend’s comment, eyes zoned in at the other end of the building. The crowd of usual theatre students crowded around the bulletin board, curious heads popping up and down trying to take a peek at the list. Some buzzed with excitement, happy they got a major part while others groaned in disappointment. You were most likely going to be with the later group. 
Once the cluster of students caught sight of Jaehyun, they parted like the red sea to let him through. It wasn’t really necessary, though, everyone knew the it-boy of the drama department was cast as the role of the misguided prince, Topher. 
The only question was: who was cast as his princess? Who was this year’s Ella?
I fought my way through the bunch with Dejun following behind me as our best friend was showered with congratulations. Jaehyun was all smiles, dimples prominent as he was lavished by the mass. Dejun made it to the list first. His finger dragged along the thin paper until he found his name. He cheered, pumping his fist up in joy. “I got the part I wanted! I’m Jean-Michel!”
Grinning at my friend, I sincerely congratulated him. He got the second lead: the feisty peasant looking for change. Turning again, his eyes grazed the list until Dejun found my name. His smile dropped ever so slightly and that was when I knew: I was beaten once again. 
“What part did I get?”
“Gabrielle,” he answered. Ah, the outwardly abrasive but quietly empathetic sister. The second lead, love interest of Jean-Michel. At least I was playing Dejun’s opposite. 
I took a step closer, wondering who took the part of the kind princess. Squinting at the small print, my eyes scanned the jumble of words until I saw it.
Ella……………………….Lee Naeun Ella u/s………………….Y/N
I scoffed. Forever the understudy. The Wonderstudy of the Theatre Department indeed.
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The first rehearsal, otherwise known as the read-through, took a toll on me. It was usually a two to three hour long session, filled with loud chatter, crazy introductions, and a variety of crazy theatre games to break the ice. When the niceties ended, everyone took their seats in their plastic chairs that were arranged in a huge circle. Bae Joohyun, the head stage manager began reading the stage directions aloud as the table read began. The production’s director, Professor O’Hare, sat alongside Joohyun, jotting down notes and giving out commentary when needed. 
Amongst the reading of lines were tiny whispers, the sound of highlighters and pencils marking the paper, and the simultaneous turning of pages. The music director, Professor Lau sat at the piano bench and sight-read the music to give the cast a taste of the songs. Being the first rehearsal, the few who knew of the songs sang along to the accompaniment with joyous smiles, myself and Dejun included.
When Professor Lau played the first romantic duet between the leads, all heads turned to Jaehyun and Naeun who sat side-by-side. With it being their first time together, the performance was far from perfect but it was still something. His lower tone blended nicely with her softer voice and the shy glances they exchanged made their duet quite a sight. 
As Jaehyun and Naeun read the last lines for Act One, I noticed the way Jaehyun’s gaze kept flittering back to Naeun’s pretty face. The girl was focused on her lines, head down and hair blocking her gorgeous features, but he still kept looking at her and only her. I could imagine how the scene was playing out in his head, the world slowing down until Naeun was the only one moving.  He was infatuated. Twitterpated. 
And it hurt. It hurt more than reading the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet or listening to Elphaba’s desperate cry she lets out when she loses Fiyero. Call me dramatic but that was how I felt. 
It wasn’t like I tried getting over him. It wasn’t like I tried dating other people before; I had many, many times but my mind always drifted back to my best friend. He was the boy with the richest brown eyes, the perfectly dimpled smile, and the lowest laugh that set my heart aflame. Without even knowing it, Jaehyun had this incredible hold on my broken heart and he would not let me out of his grip. 
The green-eyed monster inside me resurfaced and I hated it. I absolutely hated it— why was I so pathetically in love with my best friend? 
 “Here we go again,” I said before dropping my head onto the table. 
“You say that every time and you keep running back to him at the end of the day,” Dejun whispered before looking back down at his script. His hand continued to jet across the page, his highlighter marking his many lines. 
Rolling up the script in my hand, I whacked his side. The action caused his hand to jerk the bright marker in another direction, striking a distorted line on his page. “Look what you did, twerp!” he hissed.
“Your fault, Eyebrows!”
“Stop calling me that, you fork!”
“Hey, only I can call her fork!” Jaehyun appeared out of nowhere, plopping alongside me. His voice snapped us out of our little argument, making us realize that the director called for a fifteen. 
“That’s only because you’re a dumb spoon,” I stuck my tongue out at him. Jaehyun pretended to reach for it and I blew a raspberry at him to retaliate. 
“You two idiots are my favorite cutlery set,” Dejun shook his head with a laugh. He was probably wondering why he stuck around us the majority of the time. 
“Let off it, Dejun,” Jaehyun said with the roll of his brown orbs. 
“Only if you let me be the knife to your set.”
“As if, dumbass,” I countered with a laugh. 
“Okay but you guys, can we stop fighting for a sec and talk about how I got her number?” Jaehyun beamed, throwing his arms over both our shoulders. He pulled us closer to his body and the faint smell of his musky cologne hit my nose. I held back a sigh as it filled my senses. Oh, to be drowned in his scent. 
“I got Naeun’s number!” he repeated excitedly, his strong arms shaking us. I held back my abrupt want to push him off. I wasn’t in a celebrating mood. My heart was too broken to care.
“Of course you did, when do you not get a girl’s number?” I answered a bit too bitterly. Raising a brow at him, I added, “Are we supposed to be surprised?”
“Listen,” Jaehyun countered, pulling back from me. “I don’t like that attitude, Forky.”
I scoffed, “Never stopped you from being my friend before, Jae.”
Jaehyun didn’t answer; he was too busy clutching his phone. His pretty brown eyes were fixed on Naeun’s contact page like it was the world’s greatest treasure. His eyes were sparkling in admiration before his gaze turned to the girl across the room. The look my best friend wore on his face was soft, the smile on his lips light. “I think she could be the one.”
Some thought him to be a player but I never thought of him that way. He might have had the looks of a heartbreaker but he had the purest heart of gold. The boy with the dimpled smile, porcelain skin, and cheeks as red as roses was a hopeless romantic to his very core. He was simply looking for his other half. 
“I think she could be the one.” His words repeated in my head, his voice pestering me. My heart lurched at them despite hearing them each semester. 
Jaehyun said this every year, with every girl. He said this when he crushed on Son Wendy, Kim Chungha, and so many more. His infatuations and crushes ended just as easily as they started. The boy was more than disappointed when the initial spark with each girl ended after a show’s run ended. When the musical closed, so did his feelings for each opposite. 
I never got stage fright; I was usually the one who said what was on her mind without a moment’s hesitation. So why was I hesitating to tell him my feelings?
Why was I hesitating to say that the one Jaehyun could be looking for was standing right next to him?
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Just another rehearsal at the auditorium. 
Just another day watching my best friend fall for his leading lady.
Jaehyun and Naeun were standing in the middle of the stage, the ensemble surrounding them. He stood behind her, his hands gently placed on her waist while she leaned back into his touch. Naeun was wearing a fluffy tulle skirt, a mock-up of her ballgown. Park Sooyoung, the resident fashion major and lead costume designer, pushed her to wear it so she could get used to the estimated size of her dress. Even in a mere tank top and tulle skirt, Lee Naeun looked like a princess.
Professor Kwon, the choreographer of the production, stood at the end with a watchful eye. She counted them off, walking them through the routine while the rest of us practiced our steps off to the sidelines. 
Once the two main characters got the hang of their steps, Professor Kwon motioned for Professor Lau to play the songs from the beginning. As much as I tried to focus on my own dance moves, my mind kept wandering back to Jaehyun. 
Imagining him under the spotlight in a perfectly tailored suit, a crown sitting on his head, extending his arm out not to Naeun but to me. It was one of those movie moments where the characters and the audience watching fell in love. 
If life was like a movie, things would be so much easier. 
So lost in my thoughts, I missed a count and stepped on my partner’s foot. Muttering a quiet sorry to him, we continued on with the routine. As my partner swirled me around the dance floor, I drifted back into my daydream.
My utterly impossible daydream where I was the girl Jung Jaehyun was infatuated with. Although this play talked about impossible things happening everyday, I couldn’t imagine this ever happening. 
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The terrible thing about being a theatre major in university was being a theatre major with midterms. Not only did I have to deal with hours of my back hunched over a desk and scattered study materials, I had to spend half of my days in the school’s theatre rehearsing. 
If I was not in class scribbling down last minute notes in notebooks,  I was learning dance routines or running lines on and off stage alongside Dejun. The days were long and the nights were even longer. Sometimes, the cast fell asleep in the seats of the auditorium while rehearsals were going on. We were all losing sleep. Some of us were losing our sanity but hey, welcome to the theatre. 
My schedule was filled to the brim and I wasn’t even the main character of the show. On top of that, I had to memorize the part of Ella. Not that it was really needed in the first place. 
No one ever stepped down from a lead role while I was their backup. It just didn’t happen.
Despite the hectic lives of belonging to the theatre department, the musical was two months into production and everything was running smoothly. With a month and a left until opening night, everyone was off-book and the initial stage blocking was done. The costuming and makeup committee were finishing up their mock-up designs and the student orchestra sounded divine. 
I saw more of Dejun than Jaehyun lately, my best friend being preoccupied with his new love interest before, during, and after rehearsals. I was cast aside once again.
Was it something out of the ordinary? No.
Did it still hurt? Yes.
Did I do anything about it? Absolutely not. I didn’t want to ruin his happiness. I rather suffer than see him as nothing but joyous, even if the happiness was temporary. The grin he wore when he was in love was too beautiful to rip away. Jaehyun shined like the light from the sun. I could never bring myself to do it. 
It was week eight of rehearsals when I stepped out of my last midterm, my head absolutely empty after reading small text for over an hour. Reaching into my backpack’s front pocket, I pulled out my cell phone and quickly turned it on. My screen was flooded with missed calls and texts from Professor O’Hare, Joohyun, Jaehyun, and Dejun, the notification numbers reaching over a hundred total. 
Something must have happened. Talk about a theatre emergency. Knowing our kind, they were probably being overdramatic. 
Just as I was about to unlock my phone, a video call went through. It was Dejun. Rolling my eyes, I slid my finger across the screen to answer it. “Jeez, I know you love me but give a girl a break, Eyebrows!”
“God, you’re so conceited sometimes. Why didn’t you answer my calls?!” He shouted, face close to the phone. I winced at the volume, immediately lowering the level as I slipped on my wireless earbuds. “There are important matters to discuss here!”
“What happened this time? Did someone say Macbeth in the theatre again? You know I don’t believe in that shit,” I said sarcastically.
“Oh my god. This is not the time for jokes! Everyone’s been trying to reach you!” Xiaojun yelled once more. “Where are you?!”
“I just got out of my musical history midterm in Maple Hall. Heading to the theatre right now. Why?” I never received an answer; Dejun hung up the call. Giving my phone a weird look, I shoved it in my pocket before continuing on my way. A light push on my back prevented me from going too far. 
“Twerp!” Xiao Dejun’s voice came from behind me, yanking me by the straps of my backpack. He was breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath. “Oh my god, we’ve been looking for you everywhere,” he said in between heavy breaths. 
Crossing my arms, I cocked a brow at him. “Why’s that?”
Dejun placed a hand on my shoulder for support. The words came flying out of his mouth, I almost couldn’t catch what he was saying. So much for being a theatre major. 
“Speak clearly, Dejun. Enunciate, articulate, exaggerate, remember? We are thespians and thespians do not mumble!”
The exhausted boy ignored my theatricals. “Naeun didn’t land a switch leap right and she rolled her ankle during advanced ballet. She’s going to be out for at least three to four weeks,” my friend replied breathily, his words a lot clearer than before.
The news shocked me to the core, my feet suddenly planted to the ground. It sounded like he said Naeun was out of commission. “What?” 
“She’s out for three to four weeks! I mean sucks for her, I wish her a speedy recovery but do you know what this means?”
The lack of response from me urged him to continue, “Sweetheart, she’s out. You’re in!”
Oh shit. I was in.
The part I had always dreamed of was mine. The lead role was finally mine.
I was now Ella and Jung Jaehyun was my Prince Topher.
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Having an understudy step up to their role halfway through production was always something to get used to. It was a setback, a minor one, but still a setback. Just as Jaehyun finally settled into his role and built an unshakeable bond with Lee Naeun as his opposite, the accident happened. His potential girlfriend was now out of the show and off her feet in order to push for a speedy recovery.
The lovesick boy couldn’t even be there for her because his rehearsal times increased in order to get his best friend adjusted to your new role. There he was, leaning against the piano while waiting for you to arrive.
Professor Lau sat at the bench, flipping through his sheet music until he found the song he was looking for. 
The door slammed open and you stumbled in. “Am I late? I’m sorry, I just heard the news.”
“No, not at all. You’re right on time,” the professor smiled at you. “The situation’s weird, I know but congratulations on getting Ella.”
“Thanks, Professor. That means a lot,” you grinned back. 
Dropping your bag by the piano, you swiftly pulled out the script. You glanced at Jaehyun’s opened book for the page number before hastily flipping through the pages. Jaehyun nudged your side. “Hey, Forky.”
“Hey yourself,” you elbowed him back, biting your bottom lip.
“Congrats, bubs. You did it,” he pulled you into a side hug before ruffling your hair with pride. You had finally gotten a part you wanted. It was your time to shine. As your best friend for many years, Jaehyun had been waiting for the day you could show the crowds your full potential.  
“Did I really do it or did your girlfriend just get injured? How is she, by the way?” 
As much as you tried to play the overdramatic, conceited girl, you never believed in yourself but Jaehyun always did. You deserve the spotlight; your talent was out of this world and the masses were finally granted a chance to see you for what you were— a star.
“You did this. You were made for this part as much as she was,” Jaehyun reassured his best friend with a smile. He tapped your nose. “And she’s not my girlfriend but she’s doing alright. Just in a little bit of pain. I’m going to see her after we finish.”
“Give her some well wishes for me,” you answered. Jaehyun didn’t notice your smile dropping into a small frown.
“You ready to act like you’re in love with me?”
“I was born ready, you doof.” There was something weird in your voice when those words left your lips but Jaehyun didn’t have time to process it.
Professor Lau guided the students through a series of warm-ups before asking, “Shall we start with Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful today? We’ll do a couple of run-throughs before Jaehyun teaches you the blocking.” His fingers played the beginning notes of the song, the light melody drifting to their ears. 
Already off book at this point, Jaehyun closed his eyes and began to sing.
Do I love you because you’re beautiful? Or are you beautiful because I love you?
Am I making believe I see in you A girl too lovely to be really true?
Do I want you because you’re wonderful? Or are you wonderful because I want you?
Are you the sweet invention of a lover’s dream? Or are you really as wonderful as you seem?
When his eyes fluttered open, Jaehyun found himself facing you with a script in hand. Your face wore the softest look as you stared back at him. His breath almost caught in his throat at the gentle smile you wore. You played the part differently from Naeun and it was a refreshing sight to behold. You were playing a confused peasant but your eyes still sparkled with the gleam of a thousand suns. 
There was a flush of heat that started from his cheeks and extended to his reddening ears. His heart was doing its best to break out of his ribcage and the star of the show wasn’t sure if his chest could keep it in for very much longer.
When singing with him, Naeun was a pretty princess.
But when he sang with you, the girl in front of him? Jaehyun thought you were absolutely breathtaking.
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Two hours later, we were finally free of rehearsals. My first rehearsal as Ella. My throat was a bit parched from all the singing and projecting I was doing but I felt lighter than air. Singing with Jaehyun made me feel lighter than air. I was weightless, nothing could hold me down.
“Forky, you’re really good,” he said to me as we walked to our cars. I tried to fight the sudden heat making its way to my face. Lately, compliments from him were hard to come by.
 It was already late when O’Hare and Lau finally let us out, the moon sitting high in the sky. The night breeze crept its way into my thin jacket, causing me to hug myself to retain some warmth. Noticing my struggle with the cold, Jaehyun quickly draped his jacket over my shoulders. I was immediately hit with his familiar scent, it was almost overwhelming. I should be used to this, his action of sharing his clothes with me was nothing new but I was weak. It affected me every single time. I guess I was that head over heels for him. 
Head over glass heels, one could even say.
“You’ve seen me in action before and I mean, I was chosen to be the understudy for a reason,” I gave him a shrug. 
“Yeah but I’ve never seen you act and sing like that. Just...wow.” Stealing a glance at him, Jaehyun almost looked enamored with me. He was giving me a look that was usually reserved for someone else. I felt my heartbeat pick up in my chest and flutters in my stomach.
“Stop that,” I blushed, pinching his skin through the thin material of his long-sleeved shirt. A satisfying buzz ran through my body. Was he really looking at me like that? I was probably reading too much into it.
“No, but it seemed so real. Like you weren’t pretending.”
“That’s because I wasn’t,” I whispered under my breath as we arrived at our cars. 
“Hmm, you say something?” Jaehyun asked, leaning closer to hear me. 
Shaking my feelings away, I ignored the dull ache in my chest and acted through the tears I was desperately holding in. I wrinkled my nose at him playfully, secretly pushing the pain down my throat. “You really don’t listen to a word I say, do you, Jae? I said, I’ll see you later.”
“See ya, Forky! Get home safely!”
Scoffing to myself, I realized how much of a great actor I was. I deserved an Oscar or a Tony for the scenes I played out, the ones where I pretended to be okay when I was far from it. 
What award do you ask? Best Actress in a Supporting Role— the best friend to Jung Jaehyun but never the love of his life.
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Wardrobe fittings for productions were always an exciting day for the whole cast and crew. It was one step closer to putting on a show. Jaehyun was already dressed in one of his many costumes, a white suit with golden trimmings. It fit him for the most part, only tiny adjustments were needed. Members of the wardrobe department quickly pinned his neatly pressed jacket before taking it off his hands. Since he was the main character, Jaehyun was one of the first ones done. He was simply waiting for you to come out in your first dress— the white gown for the ball scene in Act One.
When you finally did all those minutes ago, Jaehyun swore his heart stopped. 
Ten minutes ago, Jaehyun saw his best friend walk through the curtains. Your face was bare, hair still in that lazy style you always sported but your clothes. The comfy clothing you usually rehearsed in was gone and replaced by a beautiful ball gown. Despite the pins that scattered throughout the material to fit your form, it still appeared majestic. There you were, standing before him and the rest of the cast, and you were the loveliest you had ever been.
Ten minutes ago, you walked in and his head was reeling. Time slowed down as you tentatively made your way towards him. You did not meet his eyes but Jaehyun was dying to catch your gaze. He never wanted to let you out of his sight. The picture of his best friend in white was something he wanted to treasure and suddenly, the slowness around him stopped. The cast’s cheers and squeals disappeared. There was only you in that beautiful ball gown. 
Was this the slow-motion moment you always talked about? The one you always dreamed about experiencing? Jaehyun could see why people thought it to be magic. It was almost like a movie, movie magic if you will. 
Another look at you and then Jaehyun was in the future, watching you make her way down the aisle. A thin veil covered your face and he was so tempted to push it away from concealing your dazzling smile. His heart was fighting its way out of his chest, wanting to head down the path straight to you. How he wanted to reach out and touch you, cradle you in his arms. 
You were truly an angel in white. A princess. A queen.
The mere sight of you took him to the skies, the one place he was sure you were from. Although Jaehyun would never admit it, he always thought you to be beautiful. Throughout the many years of being best friends, he would find his gaze subconsciously drifting to you. He would rip it away before you would ever notice him doing so, knowing you would tease the hell out of him for it— it was his own little secret tucked away into the corners of his beating heart. 
“How do I look?” Your question snapped him out of his daydream and back to reality. Back down to earth. 
“Sorry, what did you say?” 
“Oh my god, you stupid spoon! I said, how do I look?”
“Lovely,” he answered sincerely, his brown eyes digging into your own. “You look absolutely lovely.”
Ten minutes ago, you simply murmured a question while Jung Jaehyun came to a realization. The realization that he might’ve fallen for you: his Forky, his best friend.
The loveliest girl he had ever seen.
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With Cinderella’s opening night being only a few weeks out, you and Jaehyun decided to fit in extra time together to run lines and songs outside of scheduled rehearsals. That was the plan for every weekend and that particular Saturday was no exception to this plan. When his doorbell rang frantically, Jaehyun groaned loudly before getting up to answer the door. Did you always have to be so obnoxious?
Just as the door swung open, your loud voice boomed into his apartment, “‘Sup, ho! Ready to rehearse the hell out of this show or what?”
He stepped aside to let you in and you immediately made yourself comfortable in his humble abode. Jaehyun almost laughed as he watched you. There was a particular routine you stuck to when visiting his place. First, you would take off your shoes, slip on your personal pair of slippers you left at his house, drop your bag on the kitchen counter, and then open his fridge to raid his food supply.
Precisely as Jaehyun predicted, you waddled to the fridge in your memory-foam duck slippers and stole one of his yakults. He loved how comfortable you were in his home. It was truly a heart-warming sight.  The act itself was extremely domestic and he quite liked the domesticity when it was with you. That flash of you in a wedding gown came back to him and he blushed at the thought. The idea of spending a future together was flooding his brain recently and he didn’t know what to do. 
You weren’t the one he liked. Naeun was but why were you the only person on his mind? Was it wrong to have you in his mind? Naeun wasn’t his girlfriend— they were still getting to know each other. His time with her decreased over time since you had stepped into the role of Ella. He was very fond of you. He always had been. There was this little piece of his heart that was reserved for you but was it because you were his best friend or was it more?
Jaehyun quickly snapped himself out of it. 
“First of all, I’m not a ho,” he said before grabbing a yakult of his own. He poked the straw through the foil a bit too harshly, the liquid splashing over the top. Damn his strength— now half of his drink was gone. “Second, stop slut-shaming me for my dating choices. It’s 2021. If I wanted to be a ho, I could be a ho.”
You rolled your eyes as you took a sip of your drink. “God, I hate you sometimes.”
“You need to stop lying to yourself, I know you’re hopelessly in love with me,” Jaehyun said, pointing his drink towards you. He caught you rolling your eyes at his answer.
“Oh, you’re absolutely right. I am irrevocably in love with you, Jung Jaehyun,” you said sarcastically, dramatically batting your eyelashes his way. Your confession, despite being a sarcastic statement, left his heart racing against time. 
“Alexa, play Hopelessly Devoted to You!” you yelled ironically. 
“Now playing Hopelessly Devoted to You by Olivia Newton-John,” an electronic voice boomed across his living room before the opening notes of the ballad began to play. 
“Shit! I forgot you actually had an Echo,” you jumped, not expecting that at all. Jaehyun chuckled at your reaction, loving how easily you scare. He always thought it was one of your cuter traits. 
“Alexa, stop!” he called. 
Jaehyun ran a hand through his hair. He dragged his feet to his bedroom, knowing you would follow without a word. “I can’t rehearse today, I have to write this damned analysis paper for a class. It’s due in two days.”
“I’m sorry, is that paper more important than your best friend in the entire world?” you pushed from behind him.
“Yes,” he deadpanned, taking a seat at his desk. Jaehyun’s study area was an absolute mess. His notebooks were scattered around the floor, textbooks opened to random pages, and his laptop opened to a google document.  
“That’s a motherfucking lie and you know it.”
“I really can’t rehearse now, Forky,” he sighed.
He glared at you as you theatrically fell onto his bed. The notes spread out on his bed flying to the floor. “Oh, woe is me! Jung Jaehyun cannot give me the time of day to rehearse. What am I to do?”
“Why are you like this?” 
“I’m a theatre student, I’m wired to be this obnoxious,” you said with a straight face. 
He stared at you through narrowed eyes. “I really hate you right now.”
“I know,” you countered with a flat tone. “But in all seriousness, Jaehyun. I won’t take too much of your time. I just wanted to practice our duets a couple of times and then I’ll be out of your hair. Plus, you look like you need a break.”
One look at you and he was a goner. How could he ever say no to his best friend?
“Ugh, fine.”
“Ha, I knew you would cave.”
“Shut up.”
The next hour with you was spent rehearsing the numbers. During the last run-through, Jaehyun suggested going over the blocking and putting their all in it. To act like it was opening night. You swiftly agreed and he played the music from the top.
Jaehyun led you around his room, spinning you across the floor as you sang. The smile on your face was so lovely, he could not take his eyes off your lips. His eyes fluttered to a close and he imagined you in your full costume, downed in your gown, as dainty as a daisy and as graceful as a bird. The thought of you dressed like a princess drove him crazy.
He never thought of Naeun this way. This was different. You were different but why?
Jaehyun opened his eyes to see you smiling so gracefully at him as the song was coming to an end. Just as planned in the show, your gaze flitted to his lips. You leaned closer and he followed, dipping his head to meet you halfway. His heart was skipping to its own beat as he inched down. Your soft lips brushed against his oh-so-gently as he held you in his arms but before the boy could press back, the door to his room swung open.
You broke away from him, shocked at the sudden arrival to see your other friend and Jaehyun’s roommate, Dejun. “Oops, was I interrupting something?” 
“I, uh, I gotta go.” Before you could even stop him, Jaehyun grabbed his wallet and phone off his desk and ran out his room. 
Confusion clouded his senses. Why did he feel empty after you pulled away? Why did he want to kiss you so badly? It was just a stage kiss.
Was it not?
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Jaehyun’s door slammed shut behind him, leaving me and Dejun in his room. It wasn’t long before we heard the front door close, too. “Well, that was something,” Dejun said after his roommate shuffled out of the apartment.
“Shut up, Xiao Dejun,” I replied, smacking his arm. 
My friend lifted his arms up in defense before he gave me a pointed stare. “I’m just saying, the two of you looked really into it. It looked great, to be honest with you. No notes to give here— I’m sure O’Hare and Lau would say the same.”
“It’s just acting,” I tried to shrug it off. 
“Stop lying to yourself.”
“I’m not!”
“Bulltshit. I saw the way he looked at you— that’s not acting, twerp,” Dejun declared, his voice dropping. His voice never dipped in tone unless he was serious and in that moment, he was dead serious. My friend sounded like a frustrated tutor deliberately explaining a concept for the fifth time and I was the stubborn student who just didn’t understand.
“Yes, yes it is!”
“No, it’s not because that’s how he always looked at you!” 
“Lies!” I yelled accusingly, “We got Liza Minnelli over here!” 
“God, you’re so annoying sometimes! Why won’t you confess? Cat got your tongue? Nothing’s really stopped your sharp tongue before,” Dejun groaned at my stubbornness. He slapped a hand onto my shoulder. I tried to shrug him off but his grip was too strong. Maybe it was him trying to help me get a grip. Who knew? I honestly didn’t. 
“It’s not like I haven’t tried, you know?” An exasperated answer left my lips. I was tired. So ridiculously tired of dealing with these feelings for my best friend. It had been four years since I fell for him. Four years of trying to see other people, four years of trying to confess, and four long years of failing every time.  “I just freeze up like a deer in headlights or like you did when you performed that one monologue sophomore year in voice and movement class. Remember that, Jun?”
I felt his sharp glare burning a hole in my back. “You promised to never talk about that moment, you traitor,” he hissed, his hand squeezing the hell out of my shoulder. 
“Okay yeah but you get the point, right?” My nails dug into his skin, leaving little indents onto his hand. He yelped, finally jerking his hand back to examine it. Shaking my head, I added, “Plus, he’s my best friend. I just can’t do it!”
“So, what you’re saying is that you choose friendship over the possibility of him loving you?” 
“It’s just...I don’t know—” I started, shifting my body to face him, “—choosing friendship means that I’ll only lose love. But if I chose to confess and put my feelings out there, I could lose him as a potential lover and my best friend. I’m not prepared for that. I don’t think I ever will be.”
And there it was again. The self-doubt hit me, imposter syndrome resurfacing at an all time high, bringing me to the lowest of lows. 
The feeling of being a fraud, of being not good enough. 
For Jaehyun. For any love interest for that matter. For the role of Ella. For taking my place under the spotlight. 
“Dejun?”
“Hmm?”
“Am I—am I good enough?”
“For?”
“I—I don’t know—” I stuttered as my mind was consumed by my own crippling thoughts. I tried to stay strong but the crack in my voice gave me away, “—for anything? Everything?” 
“Oh, twerp,” Dejun said in that particular voice and then that was when the floodgates opened. The tears just came pouring down with no sign of stopping. My friend gently pulled me into his comforting arms. They were snug and I felt safe but not as safe as I did in Jaehyun’s hold.
“You, my darling, are definitely good enough. Don’t let your thoughts tell you otherwise.” Although his voice was comforting, it did not help the unhinged thoughts running through my brain. 
“Then, why does it always hurt when I don’t get the role of the leading lady? Of his leading lady? I always get so far and then, at the end of the day, I’m just not what they’re looking for. What he’s looking for.” Pining for something so unimaginable was too taxing. Having the lead role in a play and having Jung Jaehyun wear his heart on his sleeve just for me. 
“Sometimes, the roles aren’t made for you and that’s okay.”
“But what about this one?”
“This one, twerp, this one is a little different.” 
“And why’s that?”
“Because there is music in you; it goes hand in hand with Jaehyun, like a melody to his harmony. You are his Ella and he’s your Topher,” Dejun urged. It was like he was begging me to not give up hope. 
“You’re just saying that.”
“I’m really not. You just gotta do what the theatre gods tell us to do: just trust the process.” 
How could I trust the process when all it did was hurt me by allowing me to have a glimpse of a love and a life that would never be mine? 
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Opening night finally arrived. Everyone was called to the theatre for a full run through in the afternoon: the final dress rehearsal hours before the doors opened and the curtains were drawn. I had gotten there earlier to soak in the calmness of the empty auditorium before the chaos began.
I heard heavy footsteps come from behind me. Even without turning around, I knew it to be Jaehyun. The boy took a seat next to me on the wooden prop walls that were locked into the ground. If the stage managers and props committee saw us, they would’ve definitely ripped our heads off but they weren’t— it was just us.  
“Penny for your thoughts, my dear Ella?”
“Topher,” I answered, playing along with his game. “Lovely to see you here bright at early.”
“I knew you would be here and I wanted to be here with you,” he said, pulling me into a side hug. Jaehyun knew me well but did he know me well enough? “Spill it, Forky. What’s wrong?”
“Sometimes I still doubt myself,” I said a little too fast. A loud sigh followed my reveal. The crippling doubt was always there, haunting me. Let me tell you, it was not the best thing in the world to have during an opening for a new production. 
“Oh yeah?” Jaehyun asked, pushing me to continue. I felt the soft brush of his palm against my hand. His fingers grabbed hold of my wrist before fighting their way to tangle with my own fingers. The sensation tickled, taking me away from my thoughts for a fraction of a second. I played with his fingers, watching the way his pinkish hand fit with mine. 
I refused to look at him; I was too afraid of breaking down.“Doubting myself, my abilities. Always the understudy, never the star, remember?”
Jaehyun hummed. He rested his chin on my shoulder. “Did something change?”
“Yeah, I finally realized that maybe it wasn’t that I wasn’t right for the part; the part wasn’t right for me,” I laughed a bit dryly. “Does that make any sense?” 
“Weirdly, yes,” he replied, his breath blowing against my neck. I tried to ignore the tickling sensation and the way it made me feel. 
“But this is different— I feel like I was made to play Ella. Made to play her even though I got the part in this odd, unconventional way,” I turned my head to the side to avoid eye contact. “The girl who sees the good in everything despite the hardships and suffering she went through.”
“Without a doubt, I believe that you belong on stage with me,” Jaehyun answered sincerely, “and I’m glad we have the chance to finally play opposites.” 
He squeezed my smaller palm in support. I appreciated the reassurance; the action slightly calmed me down before she took the next step. Possibly the biggest step of my entire life. “There’s something else I realized, too.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Jaehyun asked softly. 
Taking a deep breath, I said, “I realized that I could be right for you.” 
It took him a minute, a long solid minute before Jaehyun could bring himself to respond to my confession. I wondered what he was thinking at that moment, when those words left my mouth. “Right for me?” came his tentative reply. A quick glimpse at his ears and I saw the burst of red. He was caught off guard, embarrassed. 
“Yeah,” I said almost shamefully. Was I ashamed of my feelings? I never was ashamed before. Maybe it was because Jaehyun finally saw me for who I truly was— his highly dramatic best friend that was head over glass heels for him. 
“How long— how long have you felt this way?” The red of his ears seeped to his rosy cheeks. 
“Ever since we were a dumb pair of utensils,” I replied sincerely, my voice wavering at the truth, “a set of ridiculous tableware.”
There was an awkward chuckle that left his drying lips. I heard him click his tongue, a habit he did when Jaehyun never knew what to say. It seemed like I rendered him speechless. “Since we were sixteen? That long and you didn’t say anything?”
“You’re really asking me that?”
“Yes, I really am!”
“Jaehyun, c’mon. Use your brain! How was I supposed to? You’re my best friend and when you’re not my best friend, you’re out there chasing other girls,” I stopped to lick my drying lips. There was another inkling of silence and I gulped at how tense the atmosphere was. “And I thought maybe once, just once, you would chase after me, too.” 
I almost laughed; my greatest desire was finally out in the world and it was greeted by silence. 
“But what if I’m wrong for you?” 
And there it was. The rejection I was preparing for. Giving him a pained smile that failed to meet my ears, I said, “Then that’s life, I guess.”
“You guess?” 
“Well, I can’t make you act like you’re in love with me, can I?” I snapped, my pain taking the best of me. It clouded my brain, blocking off all rational thoughts out of my head. “This isn’t a play or a movie with a script, Jaehyun. This is real fucking life.” 
Hurt. I was being overwhelmed with a wave of hurt and anguish. My body was trembling as much as my eyes were. I felt them growing wet and I shut them closed. My hands curled into fists, nails digging into my skin. It stung but not as much as being rejected by the one you loved most. The lead of the movie in your mind. 
“Wait, no, that’s not what I meant,” Jaehyun tried to stop me from getting off the stage. I pulled away from him, quickly snatching my belongings before heading to the nearest exit. Turning back around before I left the empty auditorium, I experienced another moment in slow-motion. 
There Jaehyun was in all his glory— denim jacket slipping over his broad shoulders, dark brown hair sticking up in all directions and a confused look on his face. He looked like a mess under the spotlight of my mind but nevertheless, he was my mess of a best friend.
He was my mess of a best friend and that was all he was going to be. That fact hurt more than being the forever understudy. 
Why couldn’t I fast forward this portion of my life? Why must I suffer this much?
Why couldn’t I escape the role of being second best?
If only my life was a movie, then maybe I wouldn’t be everyone’s second choice. His second choice.
If we were in a movie, Jung Jaehyun would be my best friend and my perfect match. Our story would be the typical friends-to-lovers saga that every girl dreams of. It would end happily with the credits rolling to a perfectly timed soundtrack. 
Too bad this wasn’t a movie— this was real life and life came with complications.
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After that confrontation, you and Jaehyun were off and not off the charts— just off. The directors noticed it. The stage hands noticed. The cast noticed it. The final run-through before the curtains opened just finished and it was an absolute disaster because of the way you acted with Jaehyun. Every time he opened up his body to you, the response you gave him was closed off. Cold. 
To the rest of the cast and crew, the prince and princess didn’t seem very much in love that day— they didn’t even seem friendly. You and Jaehyun seemed like two strangers trying to work their way across a stage. There was no connection. There was nothing else there. 
Now, if only you would let Jaehyun talk to you, maybe something would change but you didn’t. You ran away every chance you could. It was like Cinderella, but you didn’t leave a glass slipper behind. You didn’t leave anything behind. 
Less than an hour before showtime and he couldn’t even talk to you. Let alone look at you. He sighed into his hand, palms applying pressure to his eyes. Jaehyun cursed under his breath, forgetting that he had a heavy amount of stage makeup on his face. Looking into the mirror, he saw his makeup was still intact. Thank the theatre gods for the Ben Nye Final Seal Setter. It seemed like that it was the only thing set in stone at that moment. 
The door to Jaehyun’s dressing room slammed open and Dejun waltzed in, fully dressed in his costume.“Dude, what was up with you and the twerp during that dress rehearsal? You were so off!”
He received no reply, Jaehyun was too zoned out to hear. Dejun hopped onto the counter of Jaehyun’s dresser. Usually, the action would shock the main lead but Jaehyun was too lost in thought.“Well, you know what they say about a bad dress rehearsal. That means we’ll have a good opening night,” Dejun said, eyeing his friend for his lack of response.
Finally looking away from his reflection, Jaehyun glanced up at Dejun with a look of disbelief. “She likes me?”
His friend jumped off the counter with widened eyes.“Oh my god, did she finally confess? Was that why you were acting weird?”
“Dejun, you knew?” Jaehyun slammed his palms on his dresser. The makeup products on the tabletop shook, leaving the other guy to wince at the show of strength. 
“Honestly for being the ace of the theatre department, you sure are dumb,” Dejun replied a bit too casually as he leaned into the mirror to examine his appearance. He clicked his tongue upon realizing his cheeks didn’t have enough color. The stage lights would wash him out. The boy reached for Jaehyun’s pink blush and a clean wedge before applying it onto the apples of his cheeks.
“What should I do?”
“Well, Jaehyun, what do you want to do?” Dejun asked, turning side to side to double-check his reflection. 
“I don’t know that’s why I’m asking you!” Jaehyun fired back with vigor, hating how casual his best friend was acting. He was having a before-show crisis and his best friend was calmly stealing his bottle of Ben Nye, spraying his beautifully sculpted face with the setting spray.
“Well, do you like her more than a friend? And what about Naeun?”
“Yes? No? I don’t know! But—”
“But?” His friend asked before hopping onto the countertop. The actor raised his perfectly shaped eyebrows at his friend and Jaehyun had the sudden urge to pluck the beauties they were until Dejun had no eyebrow hair left. When Jaehyun didn’t reply, Dejun repeated his question.
Dropping his head in his hands, Jaehyun hesitantly replied, “There was this moment when I saw her and it was like that thing she always said? The slo-mo thing?”
Dejun’s head perked up. “You saw her in slow motion?” 
“Yeah, it was like time stopped. All I saw was her and then…” Jaehyun thought back to seeing you in a wedding dress. He changed his mind; he didn’t want to talk about his feelings. All he wanted to do was make sure opening night ran as smoothly as possible. Grabbing his white suit jacket for the top of Act One, the boy stood up in an attempt to escape his friend’s sudden peak in curiosity. “Never mind, this is ridiculous. I gotta go, Dejun.” 
“No, you’re not going anywhere until you actually confront your damn feelings,” Dejun said, shoving his friend back in his chair. “Do you like Naeun?”
There was a pause before he answered truthfully: “Yes.”
“Okay, and are your feelings for Naeun stronger than what you have for your best friend?” 
“No,” Jaehyun released another sigh as he leaned back in his chair. A hand reached up to brush through his hair before he remembered that it was gelled back in place. He dropped his hand to rub the back of his neck, not wanting to mess with his looks before places. “I was infatuated with Naeun but with her, god, she’s something else and it took me this long to realize it.”
“How do I know you’re not just saying that?” Dejun questioned, squeezing his friend’s shoulders a bit too tightly. Jaehyun thought his friend was testing him and for a good reason. If he was in Dejun’s position, Jaehyun would’ve grilled his friend, too. “How do I know you’re actually in love with her? Yes, you’re my roommate and best friend but she’s my best friend, too. I can’t let you hurt her if all you feel is something temporary. I can’t let you treat her like those other girls.”
“Because she’s The One, Dejun. I’m certain of it,” Jaehyun snapped back. “When I look at her, I see everything I’ve been searching for. It’s like I was blind for the longest time, you know? She was always just Forky to me back when I didn’t know any better. But now I see and all I see is her— her, with all her flaws. The way she hides her insecurities with her dramatic outbursts. How she picks at her cuticles when she’s nervous or how she always steals my food at home. And the way she just fits with me. I can’t explain it.”
Jaehyun didn’t even give his friend a chance to butt in. He was still rambling on with a fond smile, his mouth running a mile. “She’s been there with me since the beginning, Jun. Before I was this prince of the theatre department, she was there. She’s been there since the beginning and even when I was chasing after girls, she was there at the middle of it all, and fuck, I want to go all the way to the end with her.”
Dejun released his hold on his friend and rolled his eyes. The boy made his way to the door of the dressing room before mumbling under his breath, “God, what is with you two and giving out monologues? I swear, when this is all over, you should become playwrights.”
“What?”
“Never mind me, Jaehyun,” Dejun opened the door and gestured for Jaehyun to follow the path— the path down the hall that led to you. “What are you waiting for? Go get her, we have 30 until Joohyun calls for places!”
“Dejun, it’s much more complicated than that.”
“It’s only as complicated as you make it out to be. Just— just go and talk to her, yeah?”
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Jaehyun sighed deeply as he reached your dressing room door. He knocked lightly, running through the lines he wanted to say in his head before you shouted a faint “come in.” The door squeaked open to reveal you, his best friend in the whole entire world, touching up your makeup. The best friend that he was inescapably in love with. You watched him through the mirror as he leaned against the frame with crossed arms. 
“Can we talk after the show? There’s something I need to tell you— it’s important. I don’t think I—um, I have enough time to tell you now,” Jaehyun asked, stuttering through his words. Gone was the confidence he usually bared. The only thing left in him was a scared little boy, afraid of the problem his words may cause. 
The smile he received from you did not reach your ears. “Of course,” you replied curtly before turning away from him. He noted how you were over applying your blush and fidgeting with your costume. You were doing everything in your power to avoid him. 
The tugging of your ear, the biting of your lip, the picking of your cuticles. He saw all your bad habits. You were a ball of nerves and the speaker announced it was ten minutes before places.
“Hey, Forky?”
“Yes, Jaehyun?”
“You know that I believe in you, right? Always?”
There was a twitch at the corner of your lips. “I do.”
“Good,” Jaehyun approached you with caution. You watched him from your mirror, never making direct eye contact as he came closer. He dropped a kiss on the crown on your head, relishing in the way his plush lips against your torn bandana and the lace front wig. “Break a leg, my Ella.”
He observed you through your reflection and took in how beautiful you looked in your rags. You made the rags the costume department designed for you look like riches. 
“Same goes to you, my prince,” he heard you answer in that soft tone.  Again, you had sent him to the skies and the boy was struggling to find his way back down.
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When it was time to draw the curtains and light the lights for the first performance of Cinderella, it seemed like everything fell into place.  Jaehyun stared at you across the stage, falling for the way the lights illuminated your figure in that white ball gown. The bright glow brought his attention to your bright grin, that beautiful and radiant smile of yours, that shocked him to his core. 
Jaehyun locked eyes with you and suddenly, he was drowning. He was drowning in your expressive eyes. He was drowning in your overflowing love. 
It was different being across from you in front of a full audience. There was a rush that took over him whenever he saw you and it beat the flurries his heart experienced with his other leading ladies. As you said your lines with that bewitching sparkle in your eye, Jaehyun hated himself for not realizing how much he loved you sooner or how you were never playing pretend. 
But that was okay because Jung Jaehyun loved you now. He loved you in the world you made believe on stage, where he was Prince Topher and you were his Ella, and he loved you in reality where you would always be the fork to his spoon. 
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Opening night went smoothly and the roaring applause I received during my final bow sent me to the moon. The way Jaehyun looked at me across the stage with eyes filled with pride and joy blasted me to places I had never been before. I became high on this feeling of being under the burning spotlights. The feeling of wearing the most intricate costume and the way his hand slid into mine for the last bow before the curtains were drawn; it was something I wanted to treasure for the rest of my life.
But with every high came a low— my low hit me when I ran into Jaehyun’s dressing room. I caught him in an embrace with Naeun who gifted my best friend with a rose. She placed a kiss on his cheek, causing his white ears to flush a deep red that rivaled the flower he held. The girl gave him a quick shove of the shoulder before heading to me. 
Her congratulatory statement went in one ear and out the other. I could barely process Naeun handing me a rose of my own before she walked out of the room, the sweet scent of her perfume lingering in her wake. She gave my best friend one more lingering look as she left and it hurt me in so many ways.
“Ready to go?” Jaehyun said, clearing his throat. “Wanna stop by the stage first? Soak in your first opening night as a lead?”
“Why the hell not?” The walk back to the stage was short. It felt different somehow.
“We did it,” I whispered.
“That we did,” he answered back. 
We walked onto the stage together and I could still hear the crowds cheering for me, giving me the standing ovation I earned. It was electrifying, the way the sparks ran through my body. It ran from the top of my head to the tips of my fingers and toes. 
Glancing around the empty auditorium, I pondered aloud, “But do you know what sucks about it all, Jaehyun?”
“What?”
“There’s nothing worse than the feeling of not being chosen and it still hurts that I wasn’t the first choice,” I replied truthfully, “Not as much as before. But I’m learning to get over it. The casting directors saw potential in me.”
“That’s because you do have the potential to be a star. You’re practically glowing right now.” I felt his eyes trained on me, just like they were the entire time we shared the stage. 
Turning abruptly to face him, I said, “You really can’t say that to me, you know?”
“And why’s that?”
“Because it makes my heart beat against my chest and these stupid butterflies come around before I remember that you have never chosen me to be your first choice,” I glared. 
“But I do choose you,” Jaehyun pushed, his voice laced with desperation, “That’s what I was trying to tell you before you stormed off on me earlier!”
“Are you really choosing me, Jaehyun? The real me? The me that has been your best friend for years? Or are you choosing the me that shares a stage with you every night? The me that could potentially be your next whirlwind romance?” No matter how desperate he sounded, he couldn’t beat the hopelessness that was dripping from my own voice. 
“No, that’s not it at all!” his voice boomed, the sound echoing throughout the empty auditorium. 
“Then, what is it, Jung Jaehyun? Because I am tired of being second best and I’m tired of not being chosen,” I almost cried. The anguish was just taking over my body and I couldn’t make it stop. “Yes, I know some parts are not right for me but I can’t help but be hurt. And then you say that you’re choosing me? Of course, I’m going to think of it being because I’m your newest love interest on stage.”
“If you could just listen—”
Unable to stop the words from coming out, I just kept running off at the mouth. Everything I wanted to say to Jaehyun was flying out of my lips at rapid speed; I couldn’t even stop it. “I have seen you in slow motion so many times and I want to just fast forward from those moments. To speed past them so I can move on from the idea of not being yours. I refuse to be a temporary love that you lose interest in. I just want you to pick me, to choose me, and to love me, damn it— is that too fucking much to ask for? To be chosen and loved?”
While I was taking a breath to continue with my rant, Jaehyun cut me off and the words he said rattled the stage, the ground beneath my feet, and my whole entire world.“No, it’s not and you are way fucking more than that, if you just take a moment out of your godforsaken monologue and listen to me! I choose you not because you’re my leading lady but because you’re you. You’ve always been this— this incredible, breathtaking you.” 
He took one step closer and I took one step back. “And you’ve the person at my side when no one else is.” 
Every single time I would retreat, Jaehyun would follow. The boy was persistent, his brown eyes trained on me. “The one who figured out you loved me first while I was too blind to see it. You’re the fork to my spoon. We’re a set, we go together. And I was too dumb to figure out that at the end of the day, I always think about you and how no one I’ve ever been with compares to you.”
 When my back hit the wall, I was trapped. Trapped in between his arms and the way they propped themselves on either side of my face. Trapped in the haze of his brown eyes and how they dug deep into my soul. 
 “I don’t see you in slow motion— I see you in fast forward. I see you in the future, my future, walking down the aisle in white and I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. All I know is that I choose you. I will always choose you.”  
I was trapped by Jung Jaehyun and there was no escape for me. Judging by the way his eyes never let me out of his sight, there was a chance my friend didn’t want to let me go either. He wanted me to stay. 
“Jaehyun, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I love you. You’re my beginning, middle, and my end.”
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“You love me? Like you’re in love with me?” Jaehyun heard you ask, like the possibility of being loved by him was so impossible. You were searching for any inkling of doubt but he made sure you couldn’t find any because you were the only thing he could see. 
Jaehyun brought a hand near your cheek. It hovered there as he hesitated to touch it to your skin until you leaned into his touch. Your cheek felt so warm in his palm and it was so comforting to have you in his hold. “I wanted to say it earlier but I was just so scared of losing you as both a lover and a friend because what if it all goes to shit? What if we go to shit and things hit the fan? I can’t lose you.” 
“But you, Jung Jaehyun, are in love with me?” you repeated as your hand cupped his own. The smile you gave him was bright enough to light up the stage. 
“Yeah, I thought I made that clear. I’m sorry, did I mumble that line?” he teased playfully, trying to coerce a giggle out of you. “Should I start the scene over?”
“No, no. I’m just—” you paused and he watched you recollect your thoughts. His glittering brown eyes were trained on you as the words processed in your head. “You love me,” you laughed in disbelief. 
Jaehyun took a step closer, his hand tentatively reaching out to stroke your face. He sighed in relief as you relaxed into his touch. “You’re my number one girl. I choose you.” 
“Well, it’s a good thing that even after all this time, I’ve always chosen you, too.”
Once those words left your lips, he couldn’t hold himself back. Wrapping his arms around your waist, Jaehyun pulled you against his chest and smashed his lips against yours. Yes, he had kissed you on multiple occasions prior to this— onstage and off— but this time was different than the rest.
 This was the first time he really kissed you after your feelings were out in the open.
The first time he kissed you and finally felt the love you harbored for so many years. Jaehyun just hoped you could sense the love he was pouring out for you, too. 
He did not want to let you go but he was struggling to breathe. You were so lovely, everything about you was so incredibly lovely, and to have you in his arms was the best feeling in the universe. Everything around him turned dark and he felt the warmth of a spotlight and the flush of your body against him. The entire world was spinning beneath his feet, his heart racing, and his lips chasing you and only you. 
Jaehyun did not understand why people did drugs— the high of being so ardently in love with another person, with you, gave him the high that he needed. 
He felt you hit his chest in an attempt to end the kiss but Jaehyun did not want to stop. A light shove to his shoulders was enough to separate his lips from yours and what a sight you were— chest panting heavily for air, lips plumped and swollen, and the prettiest set of eyes widened in shock.
“You kissed me!” you said in between pants. “Like not a stage kiss but you actually kissed me!”
“That I did, love,” Jaehyun replied cheekily, taking another step towards you. You stepped back to lean against the wall but did nothing to stop him from coming forward. “Are you gonna do something about it?” 
The look in your eyes changed after you heard his new nickname for you. It was coy. Flirty. Challenging. “Do it again, I dare you,” you whispered a bit too loudly. 
Before Jaehyun closed the distance, his eyebrow perked up at the challenge. “Gladly.”
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Senior year was there before we knew it. 
Another year, another posting day. 
Dejun, Jaehyun, and I swiftly made our way down the hall to the front of the theatre department, curious to find out which roles we were given. The spring production and the final musical of our college career was Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. 
Callbacks for Belle went as smooth as ever— the chemistry between Jaehyun and I were off the charts. But why wouldn’t they be? We were together now. 
Just like any other time, the crowds gathering around the cast list and bulletin board parted immediately once they caught a glimpse of Jaehyun approaching. The only difference was that this time, he was tightly clutching my hand. 
When we arrived in front of the board, I shut my eyes before I could read the cast list. An anxious buzz flowed through my veins, tickling the tips of my fingers and toes. My boyfriend must’ve felt the twitching of my fingers or the sweat dripping off my palms. 
I felt his body shift towards me. “Want me to take a peek first, love?” Jaehyun asked as he pressed his plump lips onto the crown of my head. He nuzzled his nose into my hair, a small but sweet action that always comforted me. 
Shaking my head, I looked at him and said, “No, why don’t we look together?”
“On three?” he grinned lovingly.
“On three, you dumb spoon.”
The countdown was quick but the glance I took at the cast list was even quicker. It was so quick, I almost didn’t catch who was put into the role of Belle. Taking a double take, I let go of Jaehyun’s hand as my eyes zeroed in onto the tiny print. 
Everything around me came to a stop as I read and re-read the cast list. Everyone around me was celebrating their parts but I couldn’t hear them, they were all muted in my mind. All I could hear was the sound of my own breaths  and all I could see my name on the top of the page. 
Belle……………..Y/N The Beast……..Jung Jaehyun
“Oh my god, I got the part,” I whispered to no one in particular. Backing away from the board, I repeated the same words a little louder and it got the attention of everyone surrounding me. Before I knew it, everyone threw a congratulations my way. The cheers were loud and obnoxious but they were for me because I did it. I finally did it.
Feeling a little overwhelmed, I backed away from the blustering crowd before bumping into my boyfriend’s firm chest. Jaehyun caught me in his hold, his arms circling around my waist. He dropped his chin on my shoulder and placed a tender kiss on my temple. “Would you look at that? We’re not a ridiculous set of tableware this time.”
“No disrespect to those parts, they were awesome, but I think I like this a lot more,” I giggled, turning in his hold. 
As I circled my arms around his neck, he whispered, “Same here.”
I yanked him down into an earth-shattering kiss that sent the world spinning beneath my feet. It slowed down, speeded up, and it did everything in between. I saw flashes of yellow ball gowns, royal blue coats, and Jaehyun smiling at me gracefully across the stage. 
Jaehyun staring me down from the other end of an altar. 
I saw it all. 
If my life was a movie, then this would be the time that the screen would fade to black and show the names. Some overly poppy song would resonate through the speakers and everyone would get up from their seats and gush over the happy ending.
But it wasn’t. My life was as real as it could be and it was even better than any romantic-comedy that would ever grace the screen. 
This wasn’t the ending. 
This was the perfect beginning. 
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AUTHOR’S NOTE. hello, my darling readers! you really didn’t have to wait that long for this release, did you? a big thank you to several people: @johtenrecs for always being my beta and for the helpful feedback, to my chaotic gc ( @smoll-tangerine, @ppangjae, @jaedore​, and @jeongvision) for listening to me complain about how i was losing it while writing this fic, to @suhpressed​ for helping me with brainstorm, and lastly, to my lovely @notnctu bc without her and our crazy idea of hosting a hannah montana collab, i wouldn’t have gotten this idea! love y’all! hope you enjoyed this and please leave feedback! uwu
TAGLIST. @yasmini24 @jaehyunnie77 @emmybyeakitty @fluffyjaes @aevizen @dearjaehyxn @yourmagnanimousholiness @jaehyvnsvalentine @keemburley @softieus @lanadreamie @lebrookestore  @notmangojuice @felixn-recs @captainsjoongs @anotherfullsun @ukiyoneo @kunrengui​ @babyyynatty​ 
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© sehunniepotwrites, 2021
1K notes · View notes
s0ulm8s · 3 years
Text
boys like you (2.0)
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✿ summary : alone and left in a mansion with nothing but your canvases and the dust slowly collecting on the window sills - a commission and a call from a childhood friend completely changes your life
✿ genre : hybrid au, deer!seokjin, black panther!yoongi, wolf!namjoon, great dane!hoseok, calico cat!jimin, tiger!taehyung, bunny!jungkook
✿ warnings : mentions of death, abuse, angst, maybe some mentions of assault, some fluff (let me know if i’ve missed anything)
✿ word count : 3.0K
✿ taglist : @gee-nee @narcissism-iskey​ @anongirl007​ 
✿ series masterlist! | 3.0
you had spent all night examining each pack member’s file, each hybrid had vastly different personalities, likes, dislikes, etc. - and you had to admit it was a lot to take in. you had also taken the time to search online and purchase all that you thought would be necessary in helping assimilate the hybrids into your home, new beds, dressers, food, utensils, etc. even scheduling reconstruction of your estate, updating the model and calculating up floor plans to change the biggest common room in the home in order to accommodate all seven of the hybrids, incase they wished to stay together in a bedroom where they could all fit comfortably. perhaps you were way too ahead of yourself, but that inheritance money needed to go somewhere.
it was now 3 hours before your scheduled time to meet the hybrids, and possibly sign their adoption papers. that is, if all parties want to be adopted by you. you scanned their files again.
name: kim seokjin (진)
birthdate: december 4, 1992
sign: sagittarius
age: 28 years
type: white-tailed dear
class: prey
role: care giver, protector
(tends to be subordinate, dominant traits)
as the oldest, kim seokjin falls into role of protector and caregiver naturally within the dynamics of his pack - trusting that there is no imminent danger. but outside of pack dynamics, he can fall into prey instincts quite quickly. this explains his dependance on wolf hybrid, kim namjoon. he shows more care- giving nature, resorting to protection in that case of the younger members more than the older predators.
seokjin enjoys spring, cooking, and familiarity. though he is quite outspoken and quick to defend, he is not the natural leader of the pack. he can be skeptical of humans, as in the wild, humans can be the deer populations top predator. he is respectful, intelligent, trustworthy, and resourceful. he is family orientated and selfless, as expected.
name: min yoongi (민윤기)
birthdate: march 9, 1993
sign: pisces
age: 27 years
type: black panther
class: apex predator
role: protector
(predominantly dominant traits)
as the second in age, and an apex predator, min yoongi is a fierce protector. maybe even sometimes to a fault. he doesnt shy away from threats, especially those directed toward his pack.
he is quiet, and quite reserved. he enjoys the piano, writing, and sleep. his harsh exterior is hard to break through as those within his pack are the only ones who have managed. he is quick to action. he, along with the instinctual pattern of his panther tendencies, sports an “act first, ask later” attitude. his counterpart, great dane hybrid, jung hoseok, helps balance this.
name: jung hoseok (정호석)
birthdate: february 18, 1994
sign: aquarius
age: 26 years
type: great dane
class: predator
role: protector
(predominantly dominant traits)
jung hoseok is the level headed protector, along with that of his successor in age, kim namjoon. as a domestic predator, he still sometimes falls into that category of protectee, but not inherently. in terms of owner, this is where his loyalty lies. where his instincts decide protection is needed most, as his pack members know how to protect themselves.
his personality is very bright, and quite bubbly. he is easy to talk to and offers sensible advice. his is found to be a bit goofy, and tends to lift the packs spirits when needed. hobbies include primarily dancing, and writing. he enjoys deep thinking.
name: kim namjoon (김남준)
birthdate: september 12, 1994
sign: virgo
age: 26 years
type: black timber wolf
class: apex predator
role: protector
(predominantly dominant traits)
kim namjoon is the packs natural leader. though he isn’t the oldest, he seems to be the one they look to for answers. in terms of owners, it seems he will display what’s best for his pack while keeping his own desires hidden. but much like his descendant, the domesticated hybrid, he will still put owner first when accepted as part of said pack. he is exceptionally intelligent and wise, violence isn’t his first instinct - but it is still a prominent trait.
though he is the leader, and can sport a hard and critical exterior, he has been observed to show a quite fun and loving side. as ancestor to the domesticated hybrid, he shows immense loyalty. sporting a bond for an owner that cannot be broken once trust is established. he can be very playful, he loves to read, and write music. he enjoys stimulating conversation.
name: park jimin (박지민)
birthdate: october 13, 1995
sign: libra
age: 25 years
type: calico cat
class: predator
role: protectee
(both dominant and subordinate traits)
though a predator, he is domestic, and when his instincts don’t call for action - park jimin knows he is protected by his elder counterparts. with this knowledge, he falls into the role of protectee quite effortlessly. though, he does show protector qualities when it comes to their youngest, jeon jungkook.
he is feisty and argumentative, but exceptionally loving. as a domesticated hybrid, he can be quite lazy and enjoys lots of rest but displays many burst of energy that seem to stimulate the rest of the pack. he enjoys singing, and is extremely affectionate - unafraid to show his affection for those he trusts.
name: kim taehyung (김태형)
sign: capricorn
birthdate: december 30, 1995
age: 25 years
type: bengal tiger
class: apex predator
role: inconclusive
(both dominant and subordinate traits)
as an apex predator, kim taehyung should fall into category of protector. over years of observation, the hybrid is willing protect but doesn’t display it prominently. as he is just as easily protected by his elders as that of counterpart, park jimin. and much like him, he will fall to defense of youngest, jeon jungkook, quickly. but his position remains inconclusive as he displays traits of both equally. the dynamic still works with the pack seamlessly.
he can seem quiet upon first meetings, but the hybrid is quite playful and excitable - especially with his agemate and younger counterpart. he likes to protect and be protected. he is an art connoisseur and seems to always be collecting new knowledge where he can find it.
name: jeon jungkook (전정국)
sign: virgo
birthdate: september 1, 1997
age: 23 years
type: rabbit
class: prey
role: protectee
(predominantly subordinate traits, does occasionally show dominant qualities)
youngest, jeon jungkook, falls into category of protectee quite easily. as prey, and categorically falling so low on the tree, it makes sense that his predator pack members would shield him. but he also shows fervent attachment to prey, kim seokjin.
the youngest can be rather shy when it comes to those who may or may not pose a threat, the ambiguity alone is enough to trigger is prey instincts. though, within his pack, those he trusts, he is extremely impulsive and affectionate. he also enjoys music, and singing, along with drawing and creating art. he is very lovable and fun.
* all pack members have experienced past neglect, abuse, and trauma.
each file was as meticulous as you could expect it to be, giving you the rundown of their diets, habits, personalities, etc. you heart stung at the last sentence and the realization that they had been observed for years, meaning they had been in the shelter for years.
though the idea was a bit overwhelming, you had to admit reading about them felt like a little glimpse into who they were - and you were suddenly very hopeful you’d be able to adopt them all.
though that didn’t come without nerves, you skimmed over each file, realizing then that even the youngest was a year older than you. you hoped your age wouldn’t pose a problem to seeing you in the light of owner, as someone they could look to for help or protection. you wiped away the thought, saving it for when it happened instead of creating a problem that didn’t exist yet.
looking up at the clock, you decided you should get ready. putting the files away into your bag neatly, you climbed up the stairs to the room you had made you own. wearing your hair down and applying a light layer of make up, you decided you should look somewhat presentable.
you didn’t know why you were so nervous suddenly, discarding outfit after outfit before realizing you were about to be late and finally deciding on a pair of loose jeans and a fitted sage green top. you hoped you looked as friendly as possible.
finally, you made it to the shelter, letting out a heavy breath and turning your car off - you tried to ease your nerves. you greeted yeosang at the front desk once again, along with dr. park as they directed you to the “interview deck.” there you found mingi, waiting for you with a stack of papers.
“y/n!” he called happily as he wrapped you in a firm embrace and you paid him a sweet smile. seven sets of ears perked up on the other side of the door, growing anxious as the seven boys paid each other glances. their skin buzzing wildly. “they’re all inside now. knowing you, i’m sure you did extensive research... i’m confident they’ll love you.” mingi reassured, as you stayed quiet. “whenever you’re ready.” he finally spoke, moving out of the way as you finally let out the breath you were holding.
you gripped the handle before thinking fuck it, and twisting it completely, stepping inside almost silently.
you can’t say you had expected the hybrids to look the way they did as you started at them wide-eyed, the moment seeming to move in slow motion as the tingling feeling you felt the day before returned, except it was incredibly more intense.
“hi -” you tried to speak before a large body came crashing into yours, almost knocking the wind of out you as you stumbled slightly. the tall boy wrapped his long arms over you shoulders, burying his face into your neck. you could feel him smiling against you skin.
“i’m so glad you came back for us.” the small voice rang out muffled against your hot skin. heartbeat thumping rapidly, and you know they could all hear it with their heightened senses. as you scanned the group, six set of eyes watching you intently, you noticed the only pair of ears missing were those of the bunny you met the day prior
“of course i came back.” you muttered softly, returning his embrace as he exhaled into you at the contact of your arms joining around his toned waist. you can’t say you figured the bunny would be so tall and broad, he clearly worked out to maintain his figure, perhaps to make up for being prey.
“jungkookie, let her breathe.” a deep voice echoed. the tone so deep and domineering you almost shook.
“right.” the younger boy laughed, pulling away with a deep blush that matched your own. “sorry.” he breathed out.
“that’s okay...” you whispered softly. “it’s nice to finally meet you properly, jungkook.” you finish, genuinely, giving him a happy smile and watching the tension fall out of his broad shoulders.
the owner of the deeper voice had now stood and was approaching confidently. gaze trained and focused on your much smaller frame, as you looked up at him towering about you, tall and strong.
his eyes raked your figure, petite and short, even shorter than jimin - and his instincts were screaming at him to protect you and usher you even further into the room, away from any possible danger. he ignored it, for now.
you observed his ashy black ears and tail, the traits matching his shaggy hair perfectly. “you must be, namjoon.” you concurred, as he tilted his head, just like a wolf would. his gaze made you squirm a bit.
“yes, that’s me.” he nodded, gesturing toward the chair sat directly in front of the couch that seven of them were sat on. “please.” he said firmly, as you nodded. finally, taking a seat and feeling a bit more at ease. “this is seokjin, our oldest” he spoke for the group, gesturing to the broad shouldered man on the far side of the couch, closest to the door. there was an empty spot next to him from where namjoon had just stood.
his skin was fair and spotless, and his clean cut dark hair was adorned with a pair of clean antlers. his plump lips formed in a small u-shaped smile as he bid you a polite nod that you returned.
“hoseok,” he introduced next. referring now to the honey-skinned great dane hybrid. he seemed to be bursting at the seems with energy but hid it well, despite his tail wagging quickly - grey/brown ears perking upward.
“hello!” he cheered happily, taking all of his energy and focussing it on not wrapping you in a tight embrace, much like jungkook had. he could smell you so vividly, they all could.
“hi!” you giggled a bit, his ears turning toward the noise. “it’s nice to meet you.” you both beam. you think maybe he was made by the sun itself, at how much warmth and happiness he radiates.
“yoongi.” he spoke next, just as the man next to hobi swatted the great dane’s wagging tail with a small snarl. he barely tilted his head back at you, seemingly uninterested in the whole encounter.
“jimin.” he said next, sending yoongi a death glare that the panther pointedly ignored. you smiled genuinely at the panther, before looking to jimin.
“ah, yes! we met yesterday as well.” you cheer softly as jimin cracked a proud smile at your acknowledgement, leaning forward to shake your free hand and place a quick kiss to it.
“i’m glad you’re here.” jimin spoke hushed, before letting your hand go and smirking at your blush, only nodding your head to him.
“and you’ve met jungkook,” he spoke next as the bunny waved at you again, one ear flopping down, long hair falling into his eyes. you waved back and he smiled brightly.
“and then finally, taehyung.” namjoon introduced last, as you face the last hybrid. his skin was tanned and soft, and his dark hair parted down the middle in soft waves. you could see his bengal features in his eyes. he paid you a respectful smile, reaching forward to shake your hand formally.
“it’s lovely to meet you.” he said, voice just as deep as namjoon’s, laced with a low purr. you gave another small smile, face tense.
“and you, taehyung.” you replied, as his soft hand let go of your own. namjoon let out a breath and sat down in his previous place as you met all of their gaze once more, only yoongi’s was trained on the floor. they looked expectant.
“i take it mingi has told you most of it, but my name’s y/n. i own an estate off the countryside, it’s quiet there. and, to be entirely honest with you, i never saw myself adopting a hybrid in general.. let alone seven but... i want to give you a proper home, and the freedom you deserve. if you’ll let me.” you spoke softly, but loud enough for each hybrid to hear. they studied your features, and the growing heat of their skin, staring quizzically.
“if you -“ you started speaking just as namjoon did. you chuckled lightly. “go ahead.” you gesture.
“would it be alright if we asked you some questions?” namjoon asked respectful, as you immediately nod your head in approval.
“of course. anything at all.” you encourage as you met seokjin’s trained gaze.
“not to be.. abrupt or rude, but, how old are you, y/n?” seokjin asked, voice melodic and pretty.
“oh, i-i’m 22... i know i’m younger than you all, but i can confidently say i can provide for you. i had to grow up pretty quickly.” you admit, and the boy take note of that last thought. namjoon wonder’s why but chooses not to pry. fore now.
“i trust you.” seokjin spoke, ceasing your explanation as the two of you held a piercing gaze until you nodded to him - silently thanking him.
“what do you do?” hoseok asked next, leaning forward a bit and smiling. they watch your expression beam a bit at the question.
“i’m an artist! i - i work from home so i’ll be able to devote as much time to each of you as possible, if that’s what you want, of course.” you tell him happily, reflecting on your work as he takes note of every expression you make.
“an artist? kookie likes to draw a lot, too!” jimin explained, wrapping an arm around jungkook’s shoulders and ruffling his hair as the boys laughed.
“i’d love to see your work sometime.” you admit sweetly as jungkook blushes. the rest of the boys ask you basic questions abbot your life, why you’re here, all except yoongi.
the conversation dwindles quite naturally before yoongi finally speaks up, “so why would a 22 year old girl want to adopt seven hybrids? what are your intentions?” yoongi’s voice is laced with venom, his question makes you sit straight as your gazes finally meet.
the two of you stare at one another, studying the other’s gaze, trying to read them. both parties becoming inwardly frustrated when they fail.
though hoseok gives yoongi’s thigh a squeeze in quiet warning, he also looks at you expectantly. along with the five other boys. you take in a deep breath.
“just like you, i have to gain your trust just as much as you have to gain mine. if you give me a chance, let me get to know you and in turn get to know me - i think i can give you what the seven of you need. a home... a safe haven... i want to be that for you, if you’ll let me. i’ve been blessed with the resources to do so. my heart aches at the thought of the seven of you being here for so long, and there is no string of words that i can say to even begin to ease the burden of what you’ve been through, but i want to try. i want to understand. and i want the seven of you... if you want me, too.” you answered honestly, voice lower as you start at the floor, rolling your hands together.
you finally look back up at yoongi whose dark gaze has now softened. previous potentials who had even considered meeting all seven of the hybrids would give up on them at yoongi’s harsh tone and hot attitude - using it as an excuse to decline their adoption. but you didn’t. you met his words with sincerity and kindness, and it’s not something any of them had experienced. and the fact that you hadn’t given up yet, spoke wonders to the seven of them.
they all shared a knowing glance, “okay... we want you, too.” namjoon finally spoke, as you broke into a happy smile.
✿ author’s note : thank you so much for all the love on the first part so far, I really wasn’t expecting it. i’m posting part one and two tonight as to get the story rolling and will hopefully have part three out tomorrow night! i can’t have a set schedule as my work and school schedules fluctuate but i’ll be as consistent as possible as i’m just as invested! thank you! 
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aitarose · 3 years
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AOT BOYS IN LOVE ISLAND
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⤷ characters: eren jaeger, jean kirschtein, armin arlert, levi ackerman, erwin smith, connie springer, reiner braun, bertholdt hoover, marco bott, niccolo
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eren would be the type of contestant that’d come off extremely strong at the start, knowing full well of what the show entails—and ready to make any type of connection that could conclude in success.
he’d be the third or fourth contestant to walk into the villa, on the very first day. there’d be about two to three women that’d step forward for him—so he’d definitely get his pick of the bunch. 
however, throughout the season his confidence would start to waver—he’d get overwhelmed with the concept of being filmed 24/7 and wish to have his privacy back. 
there’d definitely be a few breakdowns on his part, solely from the stress of making vulnerable confessions of feelings and emotions in front of the entire world on film. 
that being said, he’d still manage to find someone that relates to him on a deep level that he can walk out of the villa with. the two of them would end up self eliminating—believing that it’d be more effective to build there connection within the privacy of their own homes. 
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jean wouldn’t be the immediate heartthrob on the show, but would end up stealing not only the contestant’s hearts—but the viewer’s as well.
he’d be the first to walk into the villa, and literally no one would step forward for him—not because he’s unattractive or anything, just because they wanted to keep their options open and not jump at the first person they see. 
his first couple would be a friendship couple and he’d be best friends with that woman throughout the entirety of the season, they’d be connected at the hip in the best platonic way possible. 
but about halfway through the season, he’d be called to go on a surprise date with a new contestant and they’d just hit it off right away. like this person would be his perfect match and the viewers would be ecstatic for him.
i full heartedly believe that he’d be the one to win the show, obviously choosing to share the $50k with his significant other—there’d be no doubt in his mind that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with them.
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armin would be the contestant with a completely open and vulnerable heart. he’d be open to any connections and relationships, just solely focused on the bonding aspect of it all—wishing to have a great summer and find some real friendships. 
he’d be the person that’d stick through their first coupling throughout the entire show, finding that connection extremely valuable and not wanting to let it go.
challenges would be a breeze for him, like this boy would win a majority of them due to his knowledge of strategy and complex thinking—he’d find loopholes to each riddle and physical struggle, just showing off his intelligence in every way. 
however, casa amor would be a big blow to him. he’d feel so secure in his couple that he wouldn’t have that serious conversation of where they’re both at, and his partner would end up recoupling in the other villa. 
he’d be completely blindsided and end up self-eliminating soon after—not having the energy or time to take on an entirely new connection, believing that that person was it for him and that the villa would have nothing else to offer him. 
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firstly, i don’t think levi would ever be a contestant on a reality television show, let alone a dating one—but in the off chance that he did so happen to be on love island, it’d be because hange signed him up for it without his knowledge.
he’d be the lone wolf type of character, just living his own life—not interacting with any of the other contestants unless they’d come and approach him for conversation. 
there wouldn’t be very many connections for him—probably only one if i’m being honest—and it’d be with a sort of bubbly type of person, one with good morals that wouldn’t be afraid to break him out of his shell and show him how to enjoy his time in the villa. 
while he’d be wary of a romantic relationship, he’d end up falling for his partner extremely hard and would find himself protective and somewhat possessive of them—just to make sure that he wouldn’t end up losing them to someone else. 
considering all of his doubts, he wouldn’t make it to the final four—probably only to the casa amor point, before being eliminated by viewer vote. however, he’d be amazing at challenges. 
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sexy dilf erwin would be a bombshell entrance in the villa—the kind where he’d be waiting in the hot tub balcony for his chosen date partner, just sipping wine and relaxing in the bubbles with his one arm resting on the side. 
he’s very charming and would manage to sway the attention of a majority of the villa, men and women alike—and there’s no telling the shenanigans he’d get up to with the friends he’d make in there. 
this man would be the cause of inborn relationship drama, but wouldn’t be involved directly—rather the type of drama where he’d be discussed but not actually have any say in whatever the matter was. 
his placement would be around the top six or seven, just because he’d be so sought after that there’d be a hard time finding someone who he really connects with—since he’s trying his best to give every suitor an opportunity to try it with his sexy self. 
he’d also have the thickest cockney accent that you could dream of—or a really really posh south london accent, like pinky up tea drinker and everything. 
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connie would be the fan-favorite contestant. he’d be that guy that absolutely no one stepped forward for and be the pity party right off the start, but manage to sway the audience with his natural humor and amusement.
he’d be the king of friendship couples, like he’d be the villa’s safety net for contestants who wouldn’t have anyone else to couple up with, and would secure their places in the show—without ever harboring any real feelings for those people. 
casa amor would be his time to shine, he’d be living his best life in the other villa and have all the girls on his arms—with a wide variety to choose from and connect with. this is where he’d meet his perfect match. 
coming back to the main villa with this partner, all of his friends would be extremely happy for him and just excited that he was able to get the experience that he signed up for. 
him and his partner would end up in third or second place—though they’d be a fan favorite pairing, they just wouldn’t have had enough screen time to win the show completely. 
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reiner would be the shock contestant that’d be revealed after the first five couples were matched. he’d run into the villa with full confidence that he’d be able to snag one of the beginning contestants with ease.
however, that confidence would soon fade by his own insecurities and emotions—the fear of being unwanted and alone catching up with him in the worst possible ways, causing him to have a small breakdown before the coupling ceremony. 
but he’d still choose one of the contestants, not having any real connection with her other than the first conversation—and that couple would completely crumble beneath him. 
he’d get eliminated soon after by the following recoupling ceremony, and sadly wish his friends goodbye with a tear running down his cheek—it’d be extremely emotional despite the minuscule amount of time viewers would get to know him .
that being said, he’d still leave an impact on the season as the contestant who just couldn’t catch a single break.
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lil ole berty would be the contestant that everyone looks over, contestants and viewers alike. he’d be that nice background guy that everyone is fine with, but often forgets he exists—which really puts a stunt on his time in the villa.
he’d be in a safety couple, one where him and his partner are loyal to their connection, but not head-over-heels interested in one another. just two people who are attracted to one another with no real bond. 
challenges would be a bit of a struggle for him, just the competitiveness of it all and the pointless wonder of the whole ordeal—the show in general wouldn’t really be something up his ally.
him and his partner would end up getting eliminated early on to halfway through the season by an islander vote. it’d be a this or that couple elimination and only about two couples would vote to save them, causing him to have to pack his bags and head out. 
twitter would have a field day with memes though, his sleeping positions would be trending all over the love island hashtag every night. 
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marco would be the nice guy contestant. the one that’s the boy next door kind of character type that everyone would love and see as the voice of reason and peace. 
he’d be somewhat of the villa’s therapist, if that’s the appropriate word, and would always be there to lend an ear to any islander who’s having issues in their couple or just problems in relation to the show’s process and journey. 
his encouragement would make him a fan favorite with viewers and allow him to make it fairly far into the season—probably past the casa amor point and nearly to the family segments. 
he wouldn’t ever be in a totally stable couple, always having to take on the stress of the other islanders and never having the opportunity to really focus on his own time and relationships. 
but he’d gain a massive following and get a shit ton of brand deals after the whole show is over. 
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niccolo’s love island experience would be different from all the rest, as he’d be one of the casa amor contestants—there to sway the main villa’s relationships and connections with a mere four-five days of conversation.
he’d end up stealing the hearts of the women and finding a person that matched him on a deep level—with not only his good looks, but the way he manages a kitchen as well.
the main boys would love him and immediately see him as one of their own—enjoying his company and how he’d make everyone a full course meal every single morning right as they woke up to the automatic bedroom lights.
the viewers would also be a little obsessed with him as his pairing would just be lovable in all ways—the look in his eyes being one of pure adoration and love, nothing falsified or phony—just absolute infatuation.
i feel like he’d snag a fourth place win, happily in the final four, yet still not quite there. overall, secure and safe within his couple—and excited for the future of him and his match.
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aitarose do not copy, claim, or mimick my writing, works, themes, copy and paste my words, or headers and tags as your own. do not use my blog as a template for your own, or base your theme on mine.
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overlooked-gems · 2 years
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A Look At Stuff You Probably Never Heard of: Peepoodo
Happy New Year, everyone! A new year, a new blog dedicated solely to the A Look At Stuff You Probably Never Heard Of. And hoo-boy! We’re starting this new year off with a bang!! Today, we’ll be taking a look at... Peepoodo!
(under read more for adult/sexual content)
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Peepoodo & the Super Fuck Friends, otherwise just known as Peepoodo, is a French adult animated series created by French animator and comic book artist, Yves “Balak” Bigerel, and animated by Blackpill Studios. The series is being uploaded to the Blackpill website with the first season being released on July 16th, 2018 and getting an English dub on May 2nd, 2019. The show itself being described as “adult sex-ed”. It would also get a season 2 on April 7, 2021 following a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.
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The series follows a happy-go-lucky and lovable pink hamster known as Peepoodo in his day-to-day (oftentimes wacky) adventures. Most episodes follow Peepoodo or someone else getting into some kind of... adult situation with the intelligent and kind-hearted Dr. Monique Pussycat giving the solution to a problem. Other characters include the sarcastic but friendly polar bear named Kevin/Evelyn (more on that later) and the gruff and moronic but kind-hearted buffalo named Tuffalo. Most episodes revolve around a particular lesson or fact, with some exceptions, like the two-part Christmas-themes episodes.
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One of the most obvious things about the show is that pretty much all characters are nude in some form or fashion; usually just not wearing pants. But it’s all very casual and common with the only exception being Dr. Pussycat. And even then, her clothes are very revealing, even if no nudity is shown. The show also has a habit of doing highly exaggerated facial expressions. I couldn’t find if the series was digitally animated or if Flash Animation was used, but I assume it was animated in Flash.
Okay. This show is very crass and unapologetic, sort of like South Park. The third episode, “Oktoberfest“ is infamous for its excessive use of... *ahem* bodily wastes... Trust me when I say you can skip that episode. And the Christmas episode I mentioned revolved around a character having his testicles cut off.
Another year, another Final Recommendation:
Never Let Go Of It||Get It||Hold Onto It||Try It||Consider It||Stay Away From It
As I mentioned before, this show is an adult sex-ed series, meaning they talk about more than surface level stuff from high school sex ed. Rather than basic things like pregnancies and puberty, Peepoodo talks about stuff like the importance of body hair, STDs (in graphic detail), fetishes, addiction, and gender identity.
Which brings me to my next point; I mentioned we’d be talking about Kevin/Evelyn. As you no doubt figured, they’re a trans character. They spend much of Season 1 identifying as male up until episode 14. By the end of the episode, they come out as trans and goes by Evelyn. And no, this isn’t a one-off thing as she remains as such for the rest of the series.
There is also this other episode where Peepoodo falls in love with a suave, handsome hamster. The episode doesn’t talk about Peepoodo’s sexuality, but instead what it means to be in love. It’s basically accepted that Peepoodo is bi.
And I know there are concerns about the titular character himself, given his voice, size, and seemingly innocent demeanor. No, Peepoodo isn’t a child. Despite his height and some of his actions, Peepoodo is an adult.
But all-in-all, the series is a very enjoyable one with good humor and interesting lessons that most adults can benefit from. Although not every episode as a lesson and some are just pure comedy.
I also want to mention that for Season 2, the crew tried to get a streaming service to pick the show up, most notably Netflix, but they refused because of the sexual content. If you want to watch this show (don’t say I didn’t give any kind of warning), you can view it here.
Well, I’ll see you guys next month! And for a palette cleanser? Well, I’m sure you all love demon girls in suits~
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yellow-mapleleaves · 3 years
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Realistic Personalities in Characters: Alice in Borderland
⚠ Spoilers ⚠
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Short Summary
Alice in Borderland  今際の国のアリス  is a Netflix original series about a young boy called Alice (Arisu) and his two friends who happens to find themselves trapped in an abandoned version of Tokyo in which they must take part in many life threatening games to survive.
I wanted to do a review on this series because I noticed that there were some characters that possessed very accurate and realistic behaviours and others that didn’t convey any emotion the entire show. I found it interesting that the mix of very different levels of well-displayed people was able to add to the already amazing plot of the series.
Characters Present:
Alice, Karube, Chota, Usagi, Kuina, Chishiya, Niragi
Alice - Protagonist
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The main protagonist of the series is not always the favourite in most tv shows, but from looking at different reviews and people’s comments about Yamazaki’s character Alice, I’ve noticed that he is actually rather popular in his own fictional world. He is honestly probably one of my favourite characters as well, and that’s based on how realistic his behaviours and emotions are conveyed.
Some aspects and scenes of Alice that makes him a more convincing and realistic personality:
Being a normal young boy with no incredibly amazing skills
Not having god-like survival abilities just from being able to play battle-royal videogames well
Having flaws
Having only two close friends rather than a huge friendship group
Not being incredibly attractive and well-groomed
Not having a close relationship with his brother (not all siblings get along)
Having a bad relationship with his father
Having the very human instinct of survival by becoming willing to kill his friends to save his own life out of panic
Reacting badly to watching someone being killed (vomiting, screaming, trauma etc)
Not being incredibly serious all the time; actually having a sense of humour
Showing respect towards Usagi’s privacy
Having a very average style of clothing
Being awkward around people he doesn’t know
Excelling in one area (puzzles) but being quite disadvantaged at the rest
Making mistakes E.g. during the distance game, he doesn’t realize the trick of the game until it ends
Not being able to defend himself physically due to lack of strength
Not moving on after his friends’ deaths immediately like as if it doesn’t happen (it takes him a few days to even develop the energy to get up off the floor)
I would say I personally believe that Alice’s character has a strong and realistic personality, as Yamazaki’s acting and Alice’s reactions to certain experiences creates a sympathetic response from the audience.
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Karube - Deuteragonist
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Let’s be honest, everyone loves a bad boy character. During the short time that Karube was present during the show, I think he conveys both strong and weak personality traits. At some points I think the producers were trying too hard to bring a “tough man” façade to him, when I think he could show more realistic emotions and reactions.
Some aspects and scenes of Karube that makes him a more convincing and realistic personality:
Having a fiery and defensive personality (although it can more than often come across as immature)
Having a sense of humour even in tough times
Having obvious advantage in strength related survival skills
Not being invincible to fear E.g. running from the tagger during the “Tag” game and not even trying to fight back at first
Dealing with work related issues
Actually having a realistic dream life rather than one that sounds almost impossible
Being flawed but not too flawed
Having a love interest that he is forbidden to love (she is with another man)
Conveying fear through anger when Alice tries to kill him to save himself
Not having the nicest of personalities (not everyone is friendly to everyone)
Not having a overly selfless personality
I think Karube should’ve been included in the series more than he is, because his character is very lovable and many fans of this show obviously show sympathy when he dies. His character has a big, extroverted and blunt personality, and I think it is conveyed very well during the time he is present.
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Chota - Tertiary
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Although Chota is one of the main three characters in the beginning of the series, I honestly never felt that sympathetic for him. His character comes across as rather more annoying than weak to me. I understand that the point of his character is to have a weak and smaller personality to match Karube and Alice’s loud energy, but I think this person is kind of just there. He doesn’t do much, considering he almost loses his leg in the first episode and having to use crutches for the rest of the time he is alive.
Some aspects and scenes of Chota that makes him less realistic:
Being friends with people who obviously have dodgy jobs or no jobs at all when he is a successful technician himself
Doesn’t seem to have much of a life outside work and his friends, what are his hobbies?
Not exactly having much of a purpose in the show
Constantly having his guard up and being anxious or worried
Having too many flaws
Following a very different religion to that of his mother
Generally being incredibly different to Alice and Karube (I believe if their personalities were actually friends in real life, they would have too many arguments).
During the short time on the show that Chota had, it was more the point that his personality felt incredibly unneeded. It didn’t exactly serve a huge purpose in the storyline. As well as, he was hard to sympathize for.
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Usagi - Love Interest / Deuteragonist
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Usagi definitely has my most favourite back story of the series. Although, when researching about her I noticed that she is actually one of the characters that get the least recognition by the viewers, despite being in basically every episode and always being beside Alice. I have mixed emotions about the realism in her character, so I made both a positive and negative list to state both sides.
Some aspects and scenes of Usagi that makes her a more convincing and realistic personality:
Having a tragic yet realistic backstory
Using her mountain climbing skills as a huge advantage during physically challenging games
Showing obvious signs of grief for her father, even during the time she was placed in the game
Being insecure of her body
Fighting back against Niragi even when it’s obvious she won’t win
Having good survival instincts from past experiences
Willing to help others out when they need it E.g. during the “Tag” game she went along with Alice’s plan for everyone to work together
Having a obvious more introverted personality
Being too trusting, which ends up getting her hurt
Some aspects and scenes of Usagi that makes her a more unrealistic and poorly convincing personality:
Having too serious of a personality, not seeming to lay back and laugh for even a second
Seeming to have an unrealistic bravery E.g. during the tagger game, she didn’t seemed frightened at all despite that the tagger had a machine gun
Doesn’t react to graphic violent sights that would be traumatizing to humans
Not knowing what “The Beach” was despite being in the game for god knows how long
Overall, I think she is the awesome strong female character that a lot of thriller genres have. Although, I would love if for once a strong yet bad ass character didn’t act so mysterious and quiet all the time. But regardless, she is a good character that shows very human qualities.
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Kuina - Confidante
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Kuina is one of the more popular characters in the show, which I honestly can understand. She has obvious very strong manipulation skills as well as physical strengths like martial arts. Although, I believe her backstory is what truly shapes her as a character and is the reason why the audience develops such an emotional connection with her.
Some aspects and scenes of Kuina that makes her a more convincing a realistic personality:
Having a trusting and good relationship with Chishiya
Having a personality that conveys carelessness
Both social butterfly and keeps to herself
Being a character part of the LGBTQ+ community
Having a realistic backstory
Although having a bad relationship with her Dad, she still respects what he taught her
Having a parent that accepts her rather than just being abandoned, which is what a lot of Transgender characters have been stereotyped as
Being able to defend herself incredibly well
Giving her a human flaw (smoking addiction)
Having a elaborate hairstyle
Showing that she is not mysterious, she just has a lot of walls up
Showing care for people she doesn’t know E.g. warning Alice and Usagi about the militants
I really like Kuina’s character for her strong personality and her ability to build good relationships with the members at the beach paradise. Although she is not featured a lot during season one, the times we have seen her have obviously been enough to make her character very loved by the audience.
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Chishiya - Confidante
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I honestly could not find a more loved character if I tried. This character is such a small part of the show and yet you’d think he was the protagonist. I honestly think anyone would love a sly fox character though, because that’s exactly what he is. Although his personality would probably become annoying if he was a real person, in a genre like this he fits perfectly. So personally, I have mixed emotions about him, because I honestly didn’t get that emotionally attached to him as other audiences may have.
Some aspects and scenes of Chishiya that makes him a more convincing and realistic personality:
Having a cocky attitude at times
Has a underdog appeal to him
Mimics that of a selfish manipulative personality
Showing obvious signs of high intelligence, yet doesn’t blab it around like it’s a trophy
Gives the audience some entertainment
Having a sassy remark, even when his life is on the line
Going out of his way to do things that only benefit him
Having a personality that everyone loves and hates at the same time
Having that personality in which you can’t tell if he’s a good guy or a bad guy
Having a trademark, his white hoodie
Having a caring relationship towards Kuina
Some aspects and scenes of Chishiya that makes him a more unrealistic and less convincing personality:
Attempting to kill Niragi with no hesitation after knowing him personally for so long (that would be difficult to do even if you hated the person)
Not showing human emotions such as fear, worry or anger
Sometimes his personality came across as too selfish to be realistic
Not showing any signs of fear E.g. when Niragi waved a machine gun in his face, he didn’t even flinch
Sometimes his fancy words became a bit annoying
Everyone trusts him, regardless of how manipulative they know he is
Overall, he is a very entertaining character. In my opinion he’s like the personality that throws a match into gasoline then walks away like he didn’t start it. Although his realism in character isn’t exactly good, he is definitely loved for his good looks and sly actions by the audience.
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Niragi - Antagonist
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As much as I dislike this guy as a person in general, when it comes to creating a interesting and great character, he hit the nail on the head. He has one of the most realistic evil character developments probably in the whole series. His personality is so complicated and psychotic, which is what makes him an amazing antagonist and probably the second most popular character among the audience.
Some aspects and scenes of Niragi that makes him a more convincing and realistic personality:
Has a tragic backstory, making the audience believe that’s why he’s so psychotic
Having the delusional mindset that human nature is violence
Makes the audience feel bad for him, despite being a horrible person
Being a hidden antagonist (didn’t expect him to cause all the trouble in the end)
Showing obvious signs of psychological trauma
Conveys positive (yet destructive) emotions and behaviour, which is always a good break when all the characters are serious 24/7
Hits a breaking point in his emotions and goes on a killing spree
Shows loyalty to Aguni
Being awful to everyone, probably due to the fact that everyone was awful to him when he was younger. It’s a way of revenge
Becoming embarrassed when someone challenges him
Scaring people into submission (tactic for some leaders)
Conveys no care for anyone, honestly just uses everyone for either his own entertainment or his own benefit
Has a trademark, his machine gun and checkered shirt
Being self-aware of how evil he is
As evil and bad as he is, he’s one  of the most endearing antagonists I’ve seen in a while. He is a very psychotic and emotionally wrecked personality to him, as if you know something traumatizing must have occurred in his life for him to be able to murder anyone without batting an eye.
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crazypuppylady · 3 years
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Kdrama Review: Save Me (구해줘)
Blurb: Four boys try to save their friend from a religious cult her family has dragged her into.
Thrillers are my all time favorite genre, and Save Me easily makes my top ten list of dramas. It's creepy but there's an undercurrent of this hope for freedom running throughout that keeps you hooked. Please be advised this review would contain spoilers (but I'll try not to give everything away).
Trigger Warnings: suicide, bullying, depression, sexual harassment, violence.
The plot was fleshed out excellently. The cliffhangers are nail biting and the show manages to avoid the often necessary "drama logic filter". Of course this plot is by no means perfect, but it really gives you insight into the characters and their complicated relationships. Though disjointed and a little confusing at first, we slowly see the various plot pieces get put together towards the end. There are a few supporting characters whose roles are unclear until much later in the show, but the inner workings of a cult are the primary focus. The story serves to highlight just how utterly insane some of them can be.
In the first episode: we are introduced to the Im family as they move to Muji County from Seoul, only to have a series of tragic events strike them and make them vulnerable to the manipulations of the religious cult in question, Goseonwon. Their incredibly creepy pastor preaches about the the "Mighty New Sky" and promises to take true believers to this god on a "Ship of Salvation". We are shown how with the help of his lackeys/Apostles, the "Spiritual Father" slowly reels in fish - small and political, to protect his ardent devotees.
The nefarious energy to the show begins almost immediately and what really sells Save Me is the direction. The show builds an almost claustrophobic anxiety in you that increases with each episode. Despite Goseonwon's sprawling exterior, the scenes in its underground "prayer room" (prison) remind you that all is not as glossy as the picture the Spiritual Father paints. Interspersed with bright shots of the town, the artful direction serves to highlight the feeling of being held prisoner, with the relief of freedom hovering just out of reach. As the show reached the middle, I was left with the feeling of watching a train wreck burn with nobody to stop it.
Main Characters/Acting:
Ok Taec-yeon as Han Sang-hwan:
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This is my first drama with Ok Taec-yeon in a leading role, and he's done a good job. His character is self-righteous yet naive, and at first, not all that likable. However, he has a solid redemption arc (righteousness aside; the boy's rather dramatic) and I found myself rather pleased with how his story evolved. He's the "Prince of Muji" as the son of the governor, but the show is quick to establish a less than rosy background with his mother's health issues and a difficult relationship with his ambitious father. Sang-hwan has a tight knit group of boys he's friends with at school, and the continuing bromantic relationship between the four is a plot point that brings welcome levity to the doom and gloom of the main story.
Sang-hwan and his friends first (officially) meet Im Sang-mi when she and her brother join their school. The tragic suicide of her viciously bullied twin brother sets her family off into the open arms of Goseonwon and she disappears from school. When she meets the boys again by chance three years later and looks Sang-hwan in the eye asking him to save her, he makes a promise to right a wrong previously done, and lopes his friends into bringing the cult down.
Sang-hwan is a flawed character: he's charming, attractive, determined and intelligent, but there is a brashness to him that highlights his emotional immaturity. Over the course of the show, we come to understand him, and see the character's growth. Though he still retains a bull-in-china-shop approach to helping his friends, it is satisfying to see him mature; to go from privileged teenager to wary adult.
Seo Ye-ji as Im Sang-mi:
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Seo Ye-ji is one of my favorite actresses and a rather talented one at that. Sang-mi is the personification of a caged bird: beautiful and trapped. Her beauty catches the attention of the Spiritual Father shortly after their arrival to Muji County, and he creepily watches the Im family enjoy a happy meal in their temporary new home. While he later preaches about wanting to make her the "Spiritual Mother" who will save the believers as a pure, chaste woman leading the Ship of Salvation, it is quickly apparent to both Sang-mi and the audience in the very first meeting of the two, that his attentions are of a sexual nature, and his aim is to force her to offer herself to him. (Bear in mind, this first interaction is when she is still in high school, and clearly a minor.) Though her parents later fall prey to the Spiritual Father, Sang-mi's stubborn disbelief in the cult's ideologies only furthers his fixation on her and the show leaves you with a sense of urgency to see her get out of there before the pastor makes his move.
With her father wholeheartedly believing in the cult and her mother in an emotionally catatonic state, Sang-mi is coerced into staying in Goseonwon with her mother as a drugged-up hostage. Despite this, she makes failed attempts to run away and Seo Ye-ji appropriately conveys Sang-mi's frustration with her situation. What I loved about this character was that despite the idea of her as such, Sang-mi was not a damsel in distress that needed to be saved. She needed help for damn sure, but she was going to burn the place down. I've only ever seen Seo Ye-ji portray strong female characters and it delights me to see her turn a common trope on its head so masterfully. At the very core of it, despite the madness around her taking a toll, Sang-mi's refusal to give in to the Spiritual Father's machinations is what drives the show. No matter what fresh horror is thrown at her, Sang-mi breaks down and then resolutely picks herself back up. As the episodes go on, Sang-mi shifts her approach to gaining her freedom and becomes more calculating, enlisting the boys' support. This brings forth an aspect to her personality that allows the viewer to connect with her emotionally and invest in her struggle.
Side note, Seo Ye-ji has fantastic stylists. Granted, she has an almost ethereal beauty around her that would make a potato sack look haute couture, but even her understated fashion in Save Me is making me want her wardrobe.
Woo Do-hwan as Seok Dong-chul:
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This is my first drama with Woo Do-hwan and I cannot believe I have not come across this gorgeous face before. Dong-chul's character arc presents him as more of a male lead for me when compared to Han Sang-hwan. Coming from an economically challenged background, Dong-chul is acutely aware of what a lack of power and connections can mean when it comes to matters of civil rights. Around the same time that Sang-mi's family joins the cult, he is unfairly sent to juvenile prison and Sang-hwan's role in his conviction causes a rift between the two that affects the friend group.
In the first introduction of the boys, Dong-chul is shown to be a hot head that acts first - usually with his fists. Sang-hwan on the other hand, is presented to be more of a thinker. Prison changes this dynamic and after he gets out, Dong-chul becomes more cautious, his presence more quietly imposing. I was happy to see the plot allow his intelligence to shine through when the boys start planning their rescue mission. Where Sang-hwan is shown to be quick to act on anger, prison acts as a catalyst for Dong-chul to find a certain emotional maturity. Woo Do-hwan does an excellent job portraying this shift in personality, and the show alludes to an inkling that Sang-mi and Dong-chul have grown in a way the other boys haven't quite caught up with.
Dong-chul carries himself with a bad boy air but true to stereotypical form, has a soft heart. He's so very sweet on his grandma, the only loving relative he has, and with his newly repaired bromance with Sang-hwan, I found him to be a very lovable character. I felt a certain respect for Dong-chul's commitment to his role in helping Sang-mi out - truly a fearless gesture, and I came away from the show with a new-found appreciation for Woo Do-hwan's talents. And his face. Definitely his face.
Jo Sung-ha as Baek Jung-ki/Spiritual Father:
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Pictured here with his lackeys Apostle Kang Eun-shil (played by Park Ji-young) and Apostle Jo Wan-tae (played by Jo Jae-yoon), Jo Sung-ha does an excellent job as the narcissistic psychopath cult leader. Every interaction of his is accompanied with a calm voice and a cold smile, and it makes your skin crawl. Although he appears to be a benevolent spiritual guide to the lost souls seeking salvation, he is manipulative and unscrupulous. You quickly begin to hate everything about this man, and it is a testament to Jo Sung-ha's acting that you desperately want to punch the Spiritual Father square in the face.
Since this post is already quite long, I'm going to briefly highlight Park Ji-young and Jo Jae-yoon's excellent performances. Each character has a well-laid out motivation, and in the later episodes, I particularly enjoyed Apostle Kang's inner turmoil as she questions her devotion to the Spiritual Father. Apostle Jo is consistently sleazy - the dregs of humanity really - and brings a degree of menace with him that gives you insight on how Goseonwon is able to capture the presence it has in Muji County.
Secondary Relationships:
1. The boys -
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Woo Jung-hoon (played by Lee David) and Choi Man-hee (played by Ha Hwa-jung) make up the rest of the foursome, and provide the comic relief. Jung-hoon is shown to be a rather stupid, self-absorbed boy, but a fiercely loyal friend. Man-hee appears to be an emotionally intuitive person, with one particularly touching scene where he pulls Dong-chul into a warm hug when they meet for the first time since his release from prison, asking him if he's okay. While Man-hee doesn't get much of a storyline, Jung-hoon does, and Lee David does himself credit in this role.
As a group, the four boys have an easy chemistry and are prone to fits of idiocy in the truest (and only acceptable) spirit of "boys will be boys". They bring a earnest foolhardiness with them that only 20-21 year olds are capable of, and their willingness to go to such great lengths in helping Sang-mi out warms your heart.
2. Sang-mi's parents -
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Portrayed by Jung Hae-gyoon and Yoon Yoo-sun as Sang-mi's father and mother respectively, both deserve mention for their excellent performances. We see the parents get sucked into the cult through the grief over their son's suicide, and while we cannot condone it, the show lets us infer why they neglected Sang-mi the way they did. Unfortunately, Sang-mi's father completely loses his marbles for the cult, and is willing to sell his daughter off to the Spiritual Father in pursuit of the family's salvation. Case in point, the cult is told to celebrate a spiritual wedding between Sang-mi and the pastor, and the consummation of the marriage is wholly supported by the father - despite his daughter's unwillingness - as a baptism. The mother is a more sympathetic character as her grief is turned into a persistent, drug-fueled catatonic state, and the chemistry between Yoon Yoo-sun and Seo Ye-ji as mother and daughter is heartbreaking. Sang-mi eventually realizes that while her father is beyond salvation, her mother is not. Jung Hae-gyoon does a commendable job portraying the newest lackey to join the Goseonwon ranks, Apostle Im, and you get to see raw mania in his religious fervor.
Love line, or lack thereof:
Honestly, I am glad this show does not have a love line/OTP pairing. Though the posters and characterizations seemingly hint at a Sang-mi - Sang-hwan connection, the story simply does not have space for romance, and I fully agree with this. Sang-mi has spent a good chunk of her transition to adulthood in hell. I don't see that her character would be in any place to pursue a romantic relationship. I definitely don't see that this relationship would be with Sang-hwan because I didn't feel that kind of connection between them. If anything, an emotional revelation that is often brought about by trauma allows Dong-chul to connect with Sang-mi in a way Sang-hwan can't seem to fully relate to. Despite both boys having a clear attraction to Sang-mi when they first meet her, I found myself hoping that if an epilogue showing a happy romantic relationship was to come true, it would be with Dong-chul. I am very clearly biased but I invite you to look at this and take a call for yourself:
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Final Grade: A
I would definitely recommend this show. The journey is well worth it.
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theweasleywife · 3 years
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His Little Secret
Where George Weasley finds himself daydreaming of a young Gryffindor girl. 
(George Weasley x Gryffindor Reader) 
I’m thinking about making this one a series because I think it’s so cute ◡̈ let me know your thoughts!! 🍁🧡
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He was in love with her. George could no longer deny the truth- he was truly, madly, deeply in love with Y/N. To him, she was the most beautiful being he’d ever had the honor of setting his eyes upon. Life would never get better than the time spent sneaking glances at her at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he thought to himself. She was the most beautiful woman that he’d ever seen; with long, flowing brown hair, and the brightest blue eyes, she caught the attention of the pureblooded prankster easier than anyone who’d actually tried. He loved that there always seemed to be a blush on her cheeks, too. You’d never have to compliment her or make a crude joke to light her cheeks aflame, they just always were. She seemed to float through the hallways like an angel and everyone loved her- even Snape! He had no clue how she had gotten on the moody professors side, but he could understand why anyone would take a liking to her.
“George, would you snap out of it? We have to get this project done and if you don’t even try I have absolutely no clue how we’ll pass Herbology,” huffed out Angelina. George was shocked out of his romantic trance and back to his least favorite place- the library. He was with Angelina and Fred finishing up a project for Herbology, though the trio seemed to joke around more than they got any work done. Angelina had hit her point with the youngest Weasley twin- even Fred was helping with the group project whilst his brother was in a far off land, daydreaming about Merlin knows what.
“Thinking about the game tonight? Don’t worry, Georgie, it’s only Ravenclaw. They’ve got nothing on us- plus we’ve got Potter on the team now so I doubt Ravenclaw will pack that much of a punch,” bantered Fred. He always knew when something was on his brother's mind but he rarely seemed to know what exactly it was.
“Yeah, you’re right. Ravenclaw never really puts up that much of a fight so I don’t know why I’m fretting about it so much.”
“No big deal, George, but Merlin please at least write your name on the paper so Professor Sprout doesn’t let loose a screaming mandrake when she realizes no ones done their project,” joked Angelina. And that was how the rest of the afternoon was spent- the three wizards writing about the magical powers of exotic seaweed and talking about how Ravenclaw didn’t even stand a chance against the Quidditch lineup of the Gryffindor team.
***
That night, after yet another Gryffindor victory, George laid wide awake in his small bed. Everyone else was already fast asleep but the boy couldn’t seem to stop twisting and turning. He couldn’t get comfortable at all. His bed was warm and his blankets heavy, but his mind was running a hundred miles a minute. One would think he’d be replaying the best game of Quidditch the team had ever played together in his head, but rather Y/N seemed to be taking up more space than the sport.
He wished that he could just march right up to her, confess his undying love, and have her return his sentiments. Better yet, he wished that he could at least utter a word to the girl that wasn’t, “Do you have a spare pen?” He so desperately wished that he had the confidence to talk with her. He hadn’t even properly introduced himself to Y/N in the four years they’d been in school together. At first, he was so caught up in playing pranks with his brother. Every second of every day his full attention was on who their next victim was and what joke he and Fred would play next. Then, he tried out for Quidditch and Oliver Wood demanded so much of the team. Up at dawn- quidditch, then classes, then lunch (where inevitably a prank was pulled on someone unsuspecting), then more classes, then dinner, and then yet another Quidditch practice, and then bed- down at dusk. And now, in his fourth year, he had finally figured out how to balance everything on his plate so he could sneak in some more free time here and there.
That’s when his eyes were opened to the treasure that had been in front of him all of this time. He can’t believe he never noticed the girl that sat right behind him in all of his classes. She was as quiet and shy as a mouse and never spoke that much during instruction. But this year, she seemed to have also found her footing, and her hand was raised every time the professor asked a question. And true to fashion, of course she got every answer right. He admired her intelligence and wit, how she was such a lovable person, and how she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. In the two months they’d been back at Hogwarts and since he noticed Y/N, he’d absorbed everything he could about her and felt confident saying that, even though she probably had no clue who he was, he was wrapped around her finger.
He didn’t want anyone to know how much he adored the young Gryffindor girl, yet. He didn’t want to risk all the teasing and jokes that would be thrown and his way- and hers for that matter. Quite uncharacteristic for the jokester, but this was love. It was the first time he had felt something so strongly and deeply and he determined that, for now, this was not a laughing matter. The jokes would only be funny to him when he could hold your hand and say, “I love you.”  So, until that time came, this would be his little secret.
George Weasley thought about the girl well into the early hours of the morning- contemplating her intelligence and beauty; imagining what life would be like if he ever gained the courage to speak to the young Gryffindor girl who, just like George, lay fast awake in the Gryffindor tower thinking about a certain red-headed boy.
He decided that night that she was the love of his life. She just didn’t know it yet.
Part 2: ‘Her Little Secret’
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