#due to his past experiences with friendships (his childhood best friend of like 10 years started ingoring him out of he blue) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ofbooksandaesthetics · 4 years ago

Text

Battle of the Bands

Attack on Titan/ Shingeki no Kyojin

Levi/Reader

Modern Band AU

Summary: As the guitarist of The 104th, you are invited to play with your favourite band The Scouts.

Warnings: slight profanity but not much

Author’s note: I listened to Queen of White Lies by Orion Experience 10 times in one bus journey and couldn’t help but imagine Jean singing it about Mikasa. And voila! This imagine was born :)

From a young age, you’d always been obsessed with music. From your dad playing jazz on a lazy Sunday afternoon to your mum playing R&B as she cleaned, you had always been surrounded by it. It followed you everywhere so it was no surprise when you were gifted a guitar for your 9th birthday.

You spent hours each day practising fingerpicking, then moving onto chords and then fully-fledged songs. As you grew so did tastes - and your guitar collection.

Before moving into the 6th grade, your family moved for a new job, leaving you without friends and having to start a new life in the city of Trost. The one thing that was ever consistent was the strings of your guitar and the beats from the speakers, which became your solace in the coming weeks. And said beats caught the attention of your new next-door neighbour.

Jean Kirstein was also massively into music, and when he walked past your house he could hear the amp blaring from your open window. He became enthralled and would often leave his window open to catch even just a few notes.

The Saturday before school started, Jean was forced by his mother to introduce himself to you (she said you had to have at least one friend before starting school) and by doing so Mrs Kirstein caused a life long friendship to bloom. He was forced into your house by your mother and lead upstairs to your room. He was greeted by band posters, from MCR to The Beatles, and an acoustic and electric guitar hanging on the wall side by side. But what caught his gaze was the massive “SCOUTS” poster above your bed.

“WOW! That’s so cool, you like The Scouts!” He exclaimed as he entered your room, causing you to jump from your magazine and stare at the brown-haired boy invading your space.

“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?” You shouted, giving your mum a quizzical glare as she smiled at the boy's excitement. Your voice seemed to pull the boy out of his oasis and he met your eyes with a blush and a shrug.

“I’m Jean. My mum sent me, we live next door.” Before you could introduce yourself, he had already started to speak again “I’ve heard you playing your guitar. You’re really good!”

At this your mum left the two of you two it, only returning 3 hours later to find you both on the floor, with you playing whilst Jean sang along. Noticing the time, Jean jumped up remembering his mum warning to be back by dinnertime.

“It’s been great meeting you! If you want I can meet you outside on Monday and I’ll introduce you to my friends. They’d love to hear you play too! Connie’s really into the drums and Marco has been learning bass.”

Hearing this your eyes lit up and your mum’s heart warmed at the idea of you finally enjoying your new life.

“That sounds great, I’ll see you then!” You called as your mum lead him out.

4 YEARS LATER

The years passed quickly and it didn’t take you long to forget the pain of your old life and become enamoured with your new friends. Jean did indeed introduce to his friends Connie, Sasha and Marco, and it didn’t take long for you to become the best of friends. The five of you would all meet Connie’s garage, sometimes just chatting but more often than not bringing along your instruments for a jam session. Four years went by of you playing lead guitar, Marco jamming on bass, Connie smashing on percussion and Jean accompanying with his gruff drawl, whilst Sasha sat atop of the counter, sadly not having any musical talents other than occasional tamborining. And the four years went by easily until Sasha let out a suggestion.

“You guys should start a band. Like a proper one, with gigs and shit” She declared, soon after stuffing her mouth with a cake Mrs Springer had brought in.

“See at least someone appreciates my musical talents” quipped Jean with a quirk of his eyebrows, causing you all to laugh.

“I’ve got to admit, I’m down! We’ve been playing for years, we even played at last years prom.” Seeing no reason against the idea, you voiced your opinion.

“Yeah but that was prom. We know all of them anyway, if we did gigs it would be to strangers and critics and stuff” Huffed Connie.

“Yeah, and potential talent scouts! Imagine if we got signed! What do you think Marco?” Jean turned to face he freckled boy awaiting his response.

“I guess it could be fun.” He said, tilting his head to the side and turning to Connie. “I think we should”

With a consensus of four out of five, all eyes were set on Connie, pleading him to agree. He spluttered, not expecting you all to be serious. After a moment of staring at you all incredulously, he finally gave in.

“Fine! But if we got told we’re shit it’s on you guys” He sighed, but was drowned out by all your cheers.

2 YEARS LATER

After that day, you had all put in the effort to perfecting your craft and coming up with your own songs. You and Jean would have weekly sleepovers, pulling all-nighters to get the perfect verses. And it wasn’t long until you booked your first gig, which was a success. Nearly the whole grade had turned up to support you, and you soon became a local legend. And in honour of them, you had named your band The 104th, due to being the 104th grade since your school was founded.

Your increased fame, got you gigs outside of Trost, on larger stages than the small bars you were used to. You had released your first album and we’re having a small jam session, when Sasha’s, who had taken up the role as manager, phone rang. You all carried on with your conversation until Sasha quickly stood up and ran across the room, her voice getting slightly louder, causing you all to stare at her.

“OMG! That sounds great, we can be there for the soundcheck in less than an hour. Thank you so much, for this opportunity. We appreciate it! Thank you, bye!” She exclaimed with wide eyes as her smile grew and grew. After ending the call she whipped around, before letting out a screech

“OI, OI! What’s going on?” Asked Connie, as he walked up to Sasha flicking her forehead as she squealed again.

“GUESS WHO’S OPENING FOR THE SCOUTS?!” She all but screamed whilst running to the front of the garage and throwing your jackets at you all. Realising what she meant you stood in a state of shock before opening your mouth.

“What do you mean? Opening for The Scouts. As in THE SCOUTS? They’re playing tonight, we can’t open for them.” You justified, meeting Jean’s stunned gaze.

You two had always imagined what it would be like to meet your legends, let alone open for them. After your initial meeting, the two of you had gone on for hours about your favourite songs by the band and sang along to them. You had even let him in on your crush on the lead guitarist, Levi Ackerman, for heaven’s sake. As good as an opportunity this was, you were a nervous wreck. It was one thing to play on the same stage that your favourite band had stepped on, but to play with them and meet them. That was a thing of its own.

You were knocked from your thoughts by a shoe to your head, and as you focused back in you watched Connie running around like a headless chicken. Attempting to back up his drum kit, he panicked until Sasha assured him there’d be one there for him. The rest of you seemed to kick into action and you ran about gathering your equipment before rushing home to grab gig-worthy clothes. You all met up back at Connie’s house before all piling into Jean’s minivan. Connie and Sasha were as loud as always but you, Jean and Marco seemed to still be too shocked to talk.

As you rolled up to the venue, you saw a queue of about 20 Scout super fans lined up three hours before the gig even started. You wondered how many were your fans, as Sasha had sent out announcements on every social media site possible after you guys left. You hauled your guitar case out of the van before following behind Sasha into the main doors of the venue. The crew were rushing about everywhere, and if you weren’t already used to the atmosphere you were sure you’d pass out. As you walked into the main hall, your eyes fell to the band on top of the stage. All five of you froze, in the realisation that you were in the same room as your childhood heroes. Putting your kit down, you watched as Hange Zoe lazily sat on her drum set, tapping out a quiet beat, as the lead singer Erwin, counted in the beat. Miche Zacharias swayed his hips as he set out the bassline, and Levi almost languidly strummed his electric guitar.

The five of you were pulled behind the stage before you could watch their practice start but you could still hear it as they performed their soundcheck. Experienced in the world of gigs, the four of you prepped your instruments, tuning them in case they had been messed up in the hurry of your departure. And by the time you’d finished the Scouts were walking towards you. Hange greeted you first.

“HI! OMG, we’ve heard so much about you guys. You guys are practically famous around here!” She blurted out, her excitement surprising you all. Connie seemed to be frozen as his inspiration complimented you guys. Miche let out a greeting and moved on to sit down. Leaving Erwin and Levi in front of you. Erwin stepped forward and placed out his hand, shaking and greeting you all individually. Now there was just Levi left.

Your eyes met his and you couldn’t help but blush, as he gave a small nod. Appreciative of the small gesture, you calmed slightly until Jean ruined it

“HI! We love you guys so much. Y/N even has a crush on Levi!” He blurted, his face turning bright red after realising what he had said. You gasped and without thinking smacked him across the head.

“WHAT THE HELL’S WRONG WITH YOU? WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?” But before you could apologise and defend yourself to Levi and Erwin, you were escorted to the stage for your own soundcheck. Glaring at Jean, you got in position, and were done in half an hour.

After the soundcheck, you were given time to rest, giving you all time to calm down, after the more than lively introduction. You eventually forgave Jean for his outburst but not without consequences. He would be carrying your gear for the next year’s worth of gigs.

You hadn't yet gained back the confidence to talk Levi but had spoken to the other members of The Scouts. Miche and Erwin told you about how their touring band had ditched them last minute and how they needed another opening band pronto. You were astonished to find out that Hange herself had requested you guys, but it filled your heart with warmth knowing someone as famous as her held your small-town band in high regards.

Everyone could sense your apprehension to talking to Levi but we’re all shocked when the quiet man joined you whilst getting a drink. You almost blushed when you noticed him next to you but pushed the feeling down and smiled at him. Although Jean had embarrassed you beyond belief, there was no reason to push away your childhood dream and miss the opportunity to talk to him.

“You know you we’re what inspired me to start learning the guitar?” You said. Levi didn’t reply but you decided his silence wasn’t in annoyance. “My parents were always super into music anyway but when I heard your guys' debut album it pushed me towards the guitar.” You watched him finish making his tea and leave but before he sat down, he turned his head over his shoulder.

“I’m glad to hear it” He replied, turning again and leaving. You smiled, happy that he didn’t think you were a complete freak.

2 HOURS LATER

The time had finally arrived. From the side of the stage, you could see a sea of people filling the venue and could hear the symphony of chatter. The boys were stood next to you, panting with nerves. You had never performed to such a large crowd before. You took a sharp breath before turning to them.

“Come on boys! We’ve done this before and we’ll do it again. This is just another small step before we get our own main stage like this!” Your small pep talk seemed to calm the boys and caught the attention of Erwin and Levi who were waiting to watch your performance from the side-lines. You smiled at the two but we’re now filled with dread as you realised they would be watching. You threw that fear away and gave Marco a side hug as you fixed your strap, and then followed Jean to the stage.

The lights blinded you but once your vision cleared you all but gasped at the sheer amount of sweaty bodies in front of you. You beamed brightly and gave a wink to a figure in the balcony. At least you could seem confident even if you were dying inside.

The beat of the drum surrounded you and Marco’s strumming blared out from the amps. You started plucking at your guitar and forgot about the crowd. Jean’s gravely word floated out into the dark room, and it was easy to forget you were on a stage and instead it felt like you were back in Connie’s house. As the song reached the chorus, you and Marco joined in, accompanying Jean. Eventually, you loosened up to a point where all three of you were able to dance slightly to the beat during the bridge. This seemed to get the crowd going even more and you let out a laugh, completely forgetting your inhibitions. [I imagined them performing Queen of White Lies]

Once the song finished, Jean introduced himself, and you prepared yourself for another half an hour of playing and dancing. But it passed quickly and before you knew it you we’re all sat on the sofa. Connie was still flushed chugging on his 3rd bottle of water whilst the rest of you leant back with smiles upon your faces. Your attention was piqued as The Scouts took the stage and you all shouted words of encouragement to them. This brought a smile to their faces, including a small smirk on Levi’s. You all rushed to the sidelines to watch and we’re in awe as you saw the four of them play as if they were reading each other's minds. It was as if they were symbiotic, each knowing what to do without even the slightest hesitation.

Even though you tried to focus on all of them, your focus always came back to Levi. You watched how his brow rested into a scowl as he neared a faster part of the song and how he threw his head back when lost in the moment. Your eyes widened when he took his shirt off after four songs, which Jean noticed, and started to nudge you for. Time seemed to go by so quickly that you barely noticed them finish their final song. They waved to the crowd as they left but stayed in the wings as the crowd screamed for an encore. Erwin still seemed to smile and nudged Levi towards the five of you.

“Do you guys want to join us for the encore?” He asked gruffly, his eyes set on you. You looked at the rest of the band and you all nodded before you verbally replied.

“Of course! What song are you thinking?”

“Nirvana - Love Buzz? You guys know it?” Miche asked, wiping some water from his chin. You all nodded in unison and before you know it you were all kitted up and back on stage.

The crowd went wild seeing both The Scouts and The 104th back on stage and you couldn’t help but smile as you found Levi stood next to you. You guys let loose on the song and you even attempted to have a little contest with Levi during the guitar solo for dominance. This gained a smile for the man, and you guys finished the song in no time.

Leaving the stage for the last time, you gave out a clumsy bow before running off stage. You guys went to get changed and pack up your gear but before you could get in the van the Scouts we’re back in front of you. Erwin took the lead yet again.

“We loved having you guys on stage with us! And after some thinking, we’d love it if you replaced our old band with us on the rest of the tour.”

At this Jean slammed the van door and stared at Erwin in shock. The five of you looked at each other in shock. The silence was eventually broken by Connie, who let out a scream as he ran around the van, followed by Sasha letting out profanities. The rest of you gushed and thanked the other band profusely not knowing how to appropriately respond. After formally Sasha accepted the other, Hange launched into giving out hugs, whilst Miche and Erwin gave out handshakes. Levi ignored the rest of your bandmates and made his way to you.

“I look forward to more guitar battles.” Levi remarked as dryly as ever but with a small smirk playing on his lips. Luckily this time, the others were too distracted and you were able to reply with some confidence.

“You mean to look forward to losing right?” you quipped, knowing this would be the start of something great.

#aot au #snk imagines #aot imagines #attack on titan imagine #shinegki no kyojin imagine #levi x reader #levi ackerman x reader #levi imagine #levi ackerman imagine #aot au imagine #aot x reader #snk x reader #snk #aot

86 notes · View notes

myfavoriteskdramas · 4 years ago

Text

So guys, I've wanted to do this kind of list since a lot of time ago, of the kdramas that from my point of view are underrated, and I think more people who loves kdramas should give them a chance and watch them, so here is the first part:

1. Hogu's love aka Fool's love.

Ho Goo has a twin sister Ho Gyeong. He has tried to pass the civil service examination, but has failed for 7 years. He also has never dated in his life. One day, he meets Do Hee. She was the most popular girl back in his high school days. She is a member of the national swimming team and has a burning desire to win. She also talks like one of the guys. They spend the night together, but the next morning he finds a baby next next to him and Do Hee is gone. After Ho Goo meets Do Hee again, he becomes involved in a complicated romantic relationship and a dangerous friendship.

Link where you can watch it: https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/hogoos-love

2. The tale of nokdu aka Mung bean chronicles (one of my faves).

Jeon Nok Du is a man with extraordinary ambition to experience the big, wide world. With looks, brains, and athletic abilities, he is the epitome of perfection. After being swept up in an incident, he disguises himself as a woman to join a mysterious all-woman community and meets Dong Dong Joo.

Dong Dong Joo is a prickly gisaeng trainee. Along with her fiery personality, she is clumsy, has absolutely no sense of rhythm, and is tone-deaf, which makes all of her peers look after her. However, she is skilled with her hands as she can make anything if given the right tools. Unable to stand injustice, she speaks her mind.

Due to this fact, Jeon Nok Du ends up saving Dong Dong Joo from a dangerous situation. After that, she suddenly becomes Jeon Nok Du’s adopted daughter and he decides to live in the widow village for 1 year.

Link where you can watch it:

Is on Viki but you can watch it in this link too https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/mung-bean-chronicles

3. Clean with passion for now.

Jang Sun Gyeol has wealth and good looks but suffers from severe mysophobia. He is obsessed with cleaning and even owns his own cleaning company. However, he meets a carefree and untidy girl named Gil Oh Sol after she enters his company as a new employee.

Oh Sol has worked all sorts of part-time jobs while striving for a full-time job and does not have the luxury to date or be clean. She gave up on being neat after facing the tough reality of the world and is known for always wearing her trademark tracksuit. But she has a bright personality and does not mind getting dirty. With the help of Oh Sol, Sun Gyeol faces his mysophobia and also falls in love with her.

Link where you can watch it: https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/clean-with-passion-for-now

4. Live up to your name aka Deserving of the name.

Heo Im, who is born in a concubine family in Joseon era and has very outstanding medical skill, is frustrated about his career as he fails to climb to higher positions in the government because of his background. By accident, he travels through time to modern Seoul 400 years later and meets modern doctor Yeon Gyung. Thinking that Heo Im is weird, she hopes to get rid of Heo Im but instead, they travel back to Joseon together again.

Link where you can watch it:

Is on netflix, but you can watch it too in this link https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/deserving-of-the-name

5. Live On (Just finished one or two weeks ago) if you want to watch a short kdrama, this one it only has 8 episodes.

Live On” is set to be a romance story that follows the lives of Baek Ho Rang (Jung Da Bin), who is at the top of food chain at her high school where being trendy and popular brings higher social status, and Go Eun Taek (Minhyun), a perfectionist who is the head of the broadcasting club. Baek Ho Rang joins the broadcasting club in order get help from Go Eun Taek in uncovering the identity of a mysterious figure who is trying to bring to light parts of her past she wants to keep hidden.Baek Ho Rang immediately shot up to social media star status because of her beautiful looks and is one of the most popular girls at Seo Hyun High School. Despite being at the top of the social pyramid, she only has one true friend as she believes she is the center of the universe and looks down on others. Meanwhile, Go Eun Taek is in charge of the school’s broadcasting club and is someone who is sensitive, detail oriented, can sometimes be irritable, and plans everything out perfectly. Though he is strict and inflexible when it comes to his leadership, he never shies away from any task that is given to him and is loved by his fellow students.

Link where you can watch it:

Is on Viki but also you can watch it in this link

https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/live-on-2020

6. Dinner Mate.

This drama is about a young woman going through a rough breakup with a longtime boyfriend she’s still in love with, and a young man who’s a serial dater and kind of tired of relationships. They both like to eat out but dislike having to go to nice restaurants alone, and they happen to meet while waiting to be seated at a restaurant, each of them alone. The hostess mistakes them for a couple and offers them a couple special, which prompts them to sit together and end up having dinner together. After their first unexpected meeting, they meet and have dinner together weekly. That’s how they strike up an unusual friendship where they get together just to eat out, and over multiple dinners, they open up to each other about their relationship troubles and grow closer.

Link where you can watch it:

https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/dinner-mate

7. Oh my venus.

This is a drama about two Childhood friends meet again in their adulthood and find themselves making a bet on a “diet challenge”. The story focuses on their journey of searching for love and health.

Kang Joo Eun meets Kim Yeong Ho, who agrees to be her personal trainer to help her get healthier. As they work on her physical transformation, they both discover they have feelings for each other. As they grow closer, they heal each other's emotional wounds and fall in love.

Link where you can watch it:

Is on Viki but here's the link too

https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/oh-my-venus

8. Cheat on me if you can ( Is still on emission, there's only two episodes left).

For her work, best-selling crime author Yeo Joo researches how to make a murder look like an accidental death. Next to her is her younger husband, Woo Sung, who is a family man and works as a divorce lawyer. Woo Sung still thinks he's a sexy, attractive partner, and lives on with his wonderful marriage life. However, lately, Yeo Joo, who would rather be a widow than a divorcee, starts finding some of his behavior suspicious. Could he be cheating on her? Could Woo Sung possibly be enjoying a thrilling affair behind her back? Yeo Joo tells it straight: If he cheats, he will die.

Link where you can watch it:

Is on Viki but also here's the link https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/if-you-cheat-you-die

9. The beauty inside (one of my faves).

Han Se Kye is a top actress, also known as a troublemaker, with many rumors around her. To others, her life appears as a mystery, when in fact she is faced with a strange occurrence where she must change into a different body and new identity for one week a month. She encounters Seo Do Jae, a brilliant man who is an executive at an airline company. He seems to have it all: a perfect appearance, knowledge, and a good job; but he has a secret too. He suffers from Prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces. However, he manages to hide this from the world, every day he makes an effort to remember people by their personalities.

Seo Do Jae's life begins to change when he meets Han Se Kye. She is the only person whose face he can recognize. But with Han Se Kye's constant disappearance and change how long can she keep her secret?.

Link where you can watch it:

https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/the-beauty-inside-korean-drama

10. Royal secret inspector aka Secret royal agent (is on emission now, there's a few episodes left).

Set towards the end of the Joseon era, Sung Yi-Gyeom placed first in the state examination and he now works at the Hongmungwan (administrative and research department). He doesn't have a goal or ambition for his life. One day, Sung Yi-Gyeom is caught gambling. As punishment, he is assigned to work as a secret royal inspector. His job is to eradicate illegal acts and corruption by public officers. He carries out his new job with the help of Hong Da-In and Park Chun-Sam. Hong Da-In is a female inspector and solves cases with Sung Yi-Gyeom. Park Chun-Sam is Sung Yi-Gyeom’s servant. Park Chun-Sam is talkative, affectionate, and tearful.

Meanwhile, Sung Yi-Beom is Sung Yi-Gyeom’s younger stepbrother. His father is a nobleman, but his mother is a slave. Due to his mother's low social status, his father does not accept him as his real son and he is barred from having certain opportunities. He opposes his older stepbrother Sung Yi-Gyeom.

Link where you can watch it:

https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/new-secret-royal-inspector

#myfavoriteskdramas #kdrama #kdramadaily #kdramaedit #my edit #**mine #kdramas #jtbc live on #oh my venus kbs #dinner mate mbc #live up to your name tvn #the tale of nokdu kbs #hogu's love tvn #cheat on me if you can kbs #clean with passion for now jtbc #royal secret agent kbs #the beauty inside jtbc #kdramas underrated part 1

45 notes · View notes

cicici03 · 4 years ago

Text

The Princess’s Secret- Chapter 1

Africa, 12:15 p.m.

People of Africa, arise and to work!

You have conquered the soil and won your rights;

Your freedom will be born of your courage.

Lift up your eyes, the future is yours.

The people of Africa, sung while waiting for the precious royal family to come out off the famous Warrior Palace.

They were happy and love their country.

However, the precious darling to much of the whole continent of Africa and the world, Ciara, was not so happy. As she was in her motorcade, looking at the spectators, she saw the happiness that she had years ago.

Ciara looked away from the crowd, and looked at the seat next to her.

Her husband.

Trevante, wasn’t sitting there due to his grandmother “acting” like she really needed him in the car. Ciara saw between that lie that his grandmother told him.

However, Tre didn’t.

Ciara saw his grandmother invite, Sasha, a woman who “suppose” to be Trevante’s wife in his grandmother eyes and her advisors. Sasha was the “native”, black woman who would bring up a “great” heir for the throne.

Ciara and Trevante have been trying to have a baby since they have been married. Out of the six years they have been married, they have experience five miscarriages and had child.

Unfortunately, a tragic event took the child.

Ciara finally looked down at her navy blue dress and saw the tear stains on her dress. She wiped her tears and looked in her purse to fix up her makeup.

Toby, Cierra’s and Tre’s driver, pulled up to the gates of the palace. As he was waiting for the guards to open it, Toby looked at Princess Ciara. He saw the tears and the small mascara stains on her cheeks.

“ Princess, you okay?” Toby asked as he pulled through the gates. Ciara straighten up and looked at the back of Toby’s head.

“ Toby, I’m okay.” Ciara answered while finishing up her makeup. As she said that through her teeth, Toby and Ciara knew that she was lying. Toby and Ciara tooked up a friendship with some occasional flirtation. Toby developed a crush on her.

Ciara wouldn’t dare cheat on him, but sometimes it would be great to have her husband to take up for her. Toby always made a way for Ciara to smiled and told her the things she need to here whenever the Queen brought her down.

“ Okay princess, this is your spot.” Toby spoke up for the Princess to snapped out of her thoughts.

Ciara looked around and saw the cameras flashing and ready for her to come out. Ciara thought to herself, “ Fake smile.”

Ciara finally looked up at Toby and smiled at him: not a fake one.

“ You got this beautiful.” Toby stated with much pride. However, he realized that he spoke out of terms with one of the royal family members. As he looked back at Ciara, she smiled and nodded.

“ Thanks Toby.” Ciara spoke as the door open with a guard with his hand out.

Toby smiled, knowing that he made the Princess smiled.

—————————————————————

New York, 6:30 a.m.

“ Ummm homeboy, I don’t do lips and it is time for you to go�� Nikki said while looking at her one night stand.

“ Baby, now come on, let me get to know you!” The one night stand said while looking at Nikki. Nikki walked over to the door and open it. She looked back at the man, whom finish in 10 minutes, and was also very clingy.

“ Man, you weren’t that good and baby you ain’t that cute. Now sashay away” Nikki proclaim with much boom to her voice.

The man picked up his clothes and left Nikki’s apartment. With that,Nikki shut the door, and went to living room in her high rise apartment in New York.

Nikki wasn’t just any old body in New York. Nikki is the editor-and-chief of the most proclaim black magazine in New York: Melanin. With Melanin only been known in the black community from the previous editors- and chiefs.

Nikki changed that in the past year of her being the head. Now the magazine is a well publish and own magazine. Beating out there top competitor, Togue, she made the leading magazine be something for the culture.

Nikki got her big binder for the issue of August with Beyoncé and Serena Williams on it. She sat down and turn on the TV to the Royal News Channel.

As she turn it on, she heard her phone ring. She sat down and picked up the phone off her coffee table and answered.

“ Okay girl, I got some news you will like! It’s about the royal family!” Natalie shouted over the phone. Nikki smiles as she heard her little sister,the person who knows everything and her personal assistant, breathing hard over the phone.

Before Nikki could answer, Natalie already answered.

“ Well girl, I heard that Princess Ciara is very unhappy. They say that Queen Aysia is very mean with her, which I believe is very untrue. That means you can find out from the Princess yourself.” Natalie stayed while finishing up in a rush.

As the 70th anniversary of Queen Aysia ruling, there was going to be a big festival. With that, Queen Aysia wanted Nikki herself to interview her family and others for her feature in the magazine.

Nikki looked up to her TV, catching Princess Ciara coming out her motorcade. She saw the smile, the fake smile, that Nikki knew all to well.

Nikki knows what is BS being born on the Westside of ATL. When she was younger, Nikki learn that you need to observe people before you talked to them. Also, learning to looked out for a details especially when her brother got shot.

As Nikki, kept looking at the TV screen, she saw Ciara with her fake smile. Nikki could tell the Princess was unhappy, with the puffiness under her eyes from crying about 30 minutes ago. Also, she could see that Ciara was a genuine human being that goes with her spirit to help anybody and everybody.

She watch as Princess Ciara walked to her husband, Trevante. Nikki saw that Trevante was a loving and kind person . A man that loves his wife, but a man that try to please everybody to keep the peace. As the Princess and Prince took hands, while everybody whom was watching the couple’s moment.

Nikki could tell Ciara was scared, by how hard she squeeze his hand. Her smiles turn into a grin in someway, a grin that had grimace behind it, that made Nikki angry.

“ Nikki, you still there?” Natalie question to her sister.

“ Yeah, however, this African Royal Family interview just got a little more interesting” Nikki boldly stated.

——————————————————

Africa, 6:30 p.m.

“Princess Ciara, hunny you need to get ready.” Adah, Cierra’s aide and maid, shouted while closing the blinds.

With no answer, Adah looked back at the Princess. Ciara looked up with tears coming down her eyes.

“ Oh honey!” Adah shouted while jogging over to the Princess. Adah got to her and hug her. With that, Ciara cried harder into her shoulder.

Adah knew what was upsetting her and it upset Adah.

While the Royal Family was on the balcony of the Warrior Palace, Ciara was told to stand inside the palace and not along with her husband, whom was standing on the balcony along his grandmother and immediate family.

Ciara wasn’t upset about that, she was mostly upset that the Queen told Sasha to stand in the position that Ciara was suppose to stand at. Trevante didn’t stop Sasha from grabbing along to his arm. To the world it seem like the childhood best friends, but to Ciara and other people in the Royal Family that was different.

Some of the non-immediate family of the Royal Family looked at Ciara in sympathy. Ciara tried to shake the tears, but she couldn’t. With everything from not being able to have a baby and Tre not standing up for her: she busted out crying.

She did not only get the attention of the family that was inside, but everybody that was in the balcony. She met eyes with her husband’s and she ran to their wing of Warrior Castle.

“ Ciara, honey I’m so sorry!” Adah said with much sadness behind her voice. Adah could hear the hurt in Ciara’s voice. Adah has been apart of the royal family staff since Trevante was born. She saw how the Queen been for 30 years ,and was one of her biggest critics in the staff.

“ If you don’t speak up, you will die unheard.” Adah said quoting an African proverb while rubbing Ciara’s back.

Adah, always told her to speak her mind back to the Queen. However, she understands that the Queen can get even more down and dirty and ruin Ciara if she really wanted to.

With Ciara keep on crying, the bedroom door open up. Adah looked to see Prince Trevante standing looking at her and Ciara.

Trevante dark skin was glowing from the Shea Butter and Baby Oil he moisturize with everyday. He walked in with his African Army Accolades Belt over his left shoulder.

“ Hello Adah.” Trevante said with his deep Nigerian accent. Trevante lived in Nigeria with his father until he left for college.

Trevante looked at his wife and just shooked his head. Tre felled in love with the overly shy girl at Alabama State. The shy woman who took him to eat McDonald for the first time. They talked about the economy and different human rights issue instead it being about his status and wealth.

Seeing his wife cry, made Trevante feel like he fail as a husband. However, his grandmother was his mother. Prince Trevante’s mother died after she gave childbirth at the hospital. Queen Aysia was the person to help comfort her child, Prince Aray, and take care of her grandson like a mother. So whenever his grandmother says something, he does.

“Adah, could you leave please?” Trevante ask with his booming voice. Adah knew that Tre ask it as a question to be nice, however she also knew that it was an order.

Adah pulled Ciara head up from her shoulder and looked at her. She looked at Ciara’s eyes and she saw the hurt that she was going through. Adah smiled at Ciara, and let her go to go out of the room.

As she pass Tre, she gave him a look and left.

Trevante walked over to the couple’s bed and stood by one of the gold pillars at the foot of the bed.

“ Ciara, why was you crying. That really upset my grandmother.” Tre confessed with some anger behind it. Ciara scoffed and looked at him.

“ Trevante, your grandmother have been trying to break us up since we got married! Then she makes me stay in the back and let Sasha, the woman that suppose to be princess in her eyes, stand by you during the Royal March!” Ciara spoked softly, taking her eyes off of him.

“ Cierra, Sasha is one of my best friends! My grandmother knows that! She knows I love you! Ciara, I am going to always listen to my grandmother because knows what best!” Trevante screeched the last part to her. Ciara just nods her head and just looked down at her lap.

“ So if she flats out say, get a divorce from me, would you listen then?” Ciara questioned slowly while looking her husband in his eyes with much anguish behind it.

Trevante stared at her, he didn’t know what to say. Of course, he wouldn’t divorce his wife because that was the only person he could be normal with and he loves her dearly. However, his grandmother was the matriarch of the family, and she always knew what was “best”.

With the silence in the air, Ciara had her answer. Ciara start crying hard and shaking her head. She quickly got up and head to the bathroom in the couple’s room. Tre tried to go after her, but the he met the door instead.

------------------------------------------------------------

Africa, 11:30 p.m.

youtube

With African drums playing in the background, the ball for the Royal March was just starting. This is not the typical ball that Royals have. This is a ball where dancing, eating, and having fun was suppose to overflow. While all of this was happening, at the royal table, Ciara sat alone and watch the crowded.

As per usual, she was by herself and away from her husband due to the Queen’s “needs” to be met. Ciara saw Tre with Sasha the whole night.

One thing that was clear that Tre would defintiely do anything for his grandmother even divorce in Ciara’s eyes. She saw them laugh and touch, which she was prohibited by the Queen and her advisors to touch her own husband, but Sasha could.

Ciara held in her tears for once and didn’t cry. As she finish eating Jollof rice, she saw King Zane come over. King Zane was the complete opposite than his wife, he was loving and caring of his grandson’s wife. He saw the kindness, and the gentleness of her soul that she gave whenever she do royal duties.

“ How is my favorite granddaughter-n-law ?” King Zane roared with his deep baritone voice with his drink his hand. Ciara looked up from her plate, with a mouth full of Jollof rice.

“ Well, I don’t blame you for eating some Jollof now!” King Zane laughed at Ciara while sitting besides her. King Zane looked over the crowded and saw his wife talking to some of the lieutenants of the Army with his son, Prince Ade, following right behind her. To his daughter, Princess Angel, dancing with one of royals from Spain. To his youngest son, Prince Aray, drinking with some royals from Italy and England.

He looked back to Ciara, about to speak, until he saw that she was staring at something. He looked the same way she did, and saw that his grandson and Sasha was dancing very closely. With her hands rubbing all up and down his arms and Trevante not stopping.

King Zane got up, and went to the mic.

“ Hello everyone, I would like to give a special announcement to my beautiful granddaughter-n-law!” King Zane announce capturing all the attention due to his voice and fun personality. He looked towards Ciara, which she was smiling, and continue on.

“ My announcement to her, is one of my famous dad jokes!” King Zane laughed out with some people laughing. King Zane put on his glasses and took out his phone and spoke out.

“ Did you hear the rumor about butter?” ,King Zane pause while looking at the crowded, “Well, I'm not going to spread it!" King Zane finish while laughing at it. Everybody wasn’t laughing at the joke, but was laughing how cringy it was and how much King Zane was cracking up.

“ Well that is all folks, I’m only a one joke at a time type of guy!” King Zane laughed while walking towards Ciara. She was laughing along besides him. Even though Ciara didn’t need to know why he went up there, she was glad he did.

“ I got to go to the restroom!” Ciara said while still laughing at King Zane. King Zane looked at his granddaughter- n-law and shooked his head. As Ciara left, Toby wave to her. He was invite due to him being a close friend with a lieutenant.

To hers and Toby not knowing, Queen Aysia saw the exchange. She knew they was friends, but Trevante didn’t know how close they really were.

Ciara headed to the bathroom after the waving to Toby. As she got in there she saw Sasha and her buddies. They all looked at Ciara and Ciara looked back at them.

“ Hello, Princess Ciara.” Sasha snorted out while looking at the only thing that kept her from Trevante. Ciara looked at her and shook her head and move to one the sinks to freshen up.

“ Oh, so the Princess can’t talk no more. Well you really don’t talk ever!” Sasha jeered at her with her two friends laughing in the back.

Ciara looked at her, and all she saw was her having her hands all over Tre.

“ Leave my fucking husband along!” Cierra cursed at Sasha while giving her glare.

“ Oh so the Princess want me to leave Tre along. The Queen don’t like you! Princess, you know when Tre was not at home that night last Saturday and was on a trip for the Army. Guess where he was, my bed! He made me feel so good and made love to me all night long!” Sasha tease while walking towards Ciara.

“ He tells me everything that you don’t do. For instance, you haven’t gave him a baby. A simple thing for a woman to do. Plus, your first child is dead because of you!” Sasha teased some more putting emphasizes on the last sentence.

As she said those words, Ciara didn’t know what overtook her. She looked at Sasha and punch her in the face. With that, a brawl was on between the ladies. Ciara got her choke and didn’t let go.

With that, Ciara kept holding her neck. Ciara didn’t hear the guards, the Queen, Trevante, and some of the rest of Royal Family coming into the bathroom. Tre saw that Sasha looked like she was going limp.

Tre picked up Ciara and pulled her to a wall.

“ What the hell is wrong with you!” Trevante screamed at Ciara. Ciara looked at him and pushed him.

“ You!” Ciara screams back with much anger. She looked around looking at the Queen and her advisors. They all looked at Ciara in digusted. With that Ciara, left the bathroom in tears and go back to the one place that she is not outcasted: her bedroom.

“ Now this is what I am talking about! Why you married that girl, she mentally crazy for hurting Sasha like that!” Queen Aysia said looking at Tre. Some of the guards help Sasha up and took her away. With that the only person left in there was Tre.

He shook his head and left the bathroom.

As the door close, the toilet flush.

Nikki walks out of the stall, clicking the voice memos recording off. She went to the sink and wash her hands. As she did that, she thought about what just happen and saw how the Princess was indeed in a very unhappy spot and how Natalie was definitely wrong about the Queen.

With that, she was going make sure that every secret would be told.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well you guys this is my first chapter for The Princess’s Secrets.

Who is the bad guy in this story: Ciara, Tre, Queen Aysia, Sasha??

Hope you guys like and please comment if you really did like it a lot!!!! Please reblog and have fun with it!!!

Taglist-

@l-auteuse @ljstraightnochaser @munteanhore @twistedcharismaaa @19jammmy @lovesunnyandmary @soufcakmistress

———————————————————

#trevante rhodes fanfiction #trevante rhodes fic #trevante rhodes

27 notes · View notes

rubisaurus98 · 5 years ago

Text

Storybook Data: Marena Lachesis Crux-Walker

Basic Info:

Full name: Marena Lachesis Crux-Walker

Age: 17

Birthday: June 7, 283 AIE

Sign: Gemini

Height: 167.66 cm (5′ 6″)

Weight: 131 lbs

Voice (JP): Yui Ishikawa (Role: Mikasa Ackerman--Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan)

Voice (EN): Kira Buckland (Role: Setsuna--Yashahime: Half-Demon Princess)

Affiliation Post: Member of the 30th Demon Slayer Squad “Order of Light”

Hobbies: Tinkering with technology and machines, making videos, live-streaming, being the de facto leader in Joshua’s absence.

Likes: Frozen desserts, fruit salad, taking walks at night, electronic music

Dislikes: Lack of communication, pickled fish, greasy food, not sleeping enough, losing control of powers

Family: Father: Karl, Mother: Renata, Younger brother: Alric, Paternal grandfather: Barion, Adoptive paternal grandfather: Grahdens, Adoptive maternal grandmother: Lachesis

Respected Person(s): My parents and their peers, the friends of my mom’s parents, Noel, Roy, Wallace, Hansu, Joshua (Sometimes)

Stats:

Ability as a leader: 9/10

Opinion on her powers: 6/10

Passion for technology: 10/10

Talkativeness: 8/10

Temperament: 6/10

Intro Paragraph:

Many other Summoners praise her for her dependability and strength. However, Marena has other opinions on such matters, such as her lack of experience relative to those that praise her. She had come to view her powers as a curse, but due to recent developments, she has gained a more positive outlook on them. After she and Joshua had addressed the issues of his negligence as a captain and his tendency to work alone, he has recommended her for a captain’s position, but Marena frantically denied it, saying that she was still too inexperienced for it.

Personality/Characteristics:

Marena is often seen as a cool and approachable young woman, though sometimes noticeably tired and anxious due to fits of insomnia caused by visions in the form of nightmares. Due to her heritage, she was looked to by members of her squad for direction, as their captain would all too often give them none and set off on missions alone. She has argued this with him in the past, but it was only recently that he finally decided to take her words to heart. She puts some distance between herself and those she is not familiar with, which is sometimes taken as arrogance. Underneath this exterior lies an insatiable curiosity and a passion for technology, especially ones found in other worlds. She is more loose with people she’s more familiar with and is more willing to reveal this side of her to them. She is able to talk for hours on end about subjects of interest and will be happy to further explain parts her listeners may not understand. Marena also houses a volatile temper when sufficiently pushed. Her eyes will turn red and the outside temperature will drop several degrees as side-effects of the powers she inherited. Ever since their awakening a few years ago, Marena has struggled to control them, noted by her insomnia and anxiousness. There was an incident between herself and her childhood friend Sasha where Marena lost her control for a moment and injured the other girl’s left arm. While Sasha was ready to forgive the accident, Marena was not, and her control over her powers become the worst they’ve ever been until her experiences fighting the mysterious army that invaded Seltavia gave her a newfound mastery and outlook on them as she learned to forgive herself as well.

Birth/History:

She is the daughter of the Elder Summoners Karl and Renata, and has known about the origins of both parents for a long time. While her parents were often busy with their duties, they tried to be there as best they could for both her and her younger brother. As she was surrounded by the influences of many great Summoners, she resolves to one day follow in her footsteps and make a legacy all her own. It is said that Marena’s passion for technology was ignited at a young age by one of her parents’ childhood friends, as well as that friend’s boss, who is an old friend of her mother’s parents.

Meeting Jonas and Rin:

Marena met Jonas briefly when the mysterious army attacked Elgaia, then met Rin in Ixtas in the midst of it being attacked by that same army. Marena and Rin quickly set the grounds for a great friendship, until the mysterious army attacked again and they became separated. The three of them would reunite in Phillarm and from there, they would work together to retake Seltavia from the clutches of Elhaza, the mastermind behind the mysterious army attacks.

Quote:

“That’s so interesting! I’d like to know how it works!”

Trivia:

Marena’s side-job as a video-maker:

In the wake of her sudden fits of insomnia, Marena had decided to put this time towards making videos of herself, usually playing video games, and putting them online. Sometimes she will even live-stream herself very late at night when she has the off-time. Online, she goes by the username “InsoMari”, derived from the word “insomnia” and the nickname most used by people close to her, “Mari”. Her videos have gained some popularity, especially among members of Akras Summoners’ Hall. Recently, her insomnia has been improving as a result of having much better control and opinion of her powers, so this username may be subject to change in the future once she has the time to start uploading again.

Comments from Others:

Noel: “I really should thank Roy for formally introducing her to me. I heard from her parents that she used to get in trouble for tinkering with household appliances. Then they got mad when I said they should’ve let her continue. I admire the girl’s passion for the field of technology. Her mind is almost able to keep up with mine. Almost. Of course, she still has a ways to go, but she’ll go far.”

Renata: “Karl and I have quite the daughter, and we couldn’t be prouder. For all that she’s brilliant, it still hurt us to see her suffering on the inside even after we did everything we could to help her, or at least make things easier for her. But, we’re both so happy to see her doing better now. I think something must’ve happened out in Seltavia.”

Joshua: “We used to argue a lot, but now I understand the points she was trying to make. She already makes a great Summoner. And once again, I apologize for everything.”

#Rubi says things #Rubi does a write #BF:LC #Marena Lachesis Crux-Walker #Just in time for her birthday!

10 notes · View notes

offbeatcappuccino · 4 years ago

Text

More Than Friends Final Review

Cast: Ong Seung Wu, Shin Ye-Eun, Ah Eun Jin, Choi Chan-Ho, Baek Soo Min, Ahn Nae Sang, Kim Hee Jeong

Year: 2020

Channel: JTBC

Streaming Service: Rakuten Viki

Rating: 7.5/10

At its core, More Than Friends is a story that explores the complexity of relationships and how they transform and grow over time. We are introduced to a group of three best friends,whose friendship has blossomed from high school into their late 20s and their respective relationships with their significant others.

Kyung Wu Yeon is an aspiring writer and calligrapher who has harbored a one sided crush on her former classmate, Lee Soo, for the past ten years despite being rejected by him multiple times in the past. Though Kyung Wu Yeon has dated many men during the past ten years, she is unable to fall in love with any of them because as she claims, she is “cursed” because of her unresolved feelings for Lee Soo. On the other hand, while Lee Soo has feelings for Wu Yeon, he struggles to comprehend what those feelings exactly are. Scarred by the childhood trauma of his parents’ divorce, Lee Soo becomes a man that is wary of defining his relationship with Wu Yeon as something romantic. When it seems like she’s finally ready to move on, Lee Soo unexpectedly enters her life once more. Will Lee Soo and Wu Yeon’s relationship be anything more than just friends?

Kim Young Hee is Wu Yeon’s senior and in a long term relationship with her boyfriend of ten years, Shin Hyun Jae. They’re a couple that seems ready to take their relationship to the next level, but Young Hee struggles to commit to marriage because of her fear that her family( she is her family’s sole breadwinner) might become a burden that her boyfriend will have to inevitably inherit. Will Young Hee and Hyun Jae’s love persist despite the harsh realities of life that confront them?

Han Jin Joo is a prosecutor, who has always shined academically. In high school, she was a rank-holder and ultimately ended up attending one of the best universities in South Korea. Due to the dedication she had to put forth to achieve professional success, Jin Joo has never had time to date. Despite being in her late 20s, she’s a late bloomer, who struggles to obtain a boyfriend. Is Jin Joo’s shot at love much closer than she thinks it is?

More Than Friends excels in its thoroughness. Though Wu Yeon and Lee Soo are advertised as the main protagonists of this show, in reality, this show does a wonderful job in providing the entire supporting cast with well developed characterization and story arcs. Because of this, More Than Friends, successfully explores the dynamic nature and depth of romantic relationships. For instance, Young Hee and Hyun Jae’s relationship is much older and it represents how relationships look like when love ages. Even though thrill and excitement may no longer be present in the relationship, it is replaced by comfort, undying loyalty, and trust in one another. This perfectly contrasts Wu Yeon and Lee Soo’s relationship, which does have the bubbling excitement that comes with meeting someone, who truly feels like they complete you. More Than Friends subtly portrays these differences in a way that feels profoundly relatable to everyone regardless of their own history of relationships. This is uplifted by superb dialogue writing, where the audience is offered gems of insightful and inspirational commentary that narrowly avoid the trap of being too preach.

Perhaps the Achilles heel of More Than Friends is a by-product of its thoroughness because what makes this show less than stellar is its overly convoluted plot. It can be exhausting for the audience to deal with the many curve balls that this show throws at them. We wade through love triangles that are dragged far too long, unnecessary last-minute breakups, and repetitive conflicts that never seem to reach a point of resolution. Exacerbating these issues in plot development, is the establishment of male leads that are too clingy (almost to the point of being pathetic) and female leads that irrationally engage in self sabotage. The audience is left with no choice but to be endlessly dragged into the question of will they get together or not?

Ultimately, More Than Friends is a drama that like the year 2020 had great potential and concept, but became an overflowing mess of confusion and despair. Regardless,extending the analogy, it also contains a universal experience that we all can relate to.

#more than friends #shin ye eun #ahn eun jin #ong seung woo #jtbc #jtbc drama #kdrama #kdrama review #kdramaedit

1 note · View note

weekendwarriorblog · 4 years ago

Text

The Weekend Warrior 10/13/20: FREAKY, THE CLIMB, MANK, HILLBILLY ELEGY, AMMONITE, DREAMLAND, DOC-NYC and MUCH MORE!

It’s a pretty crazy week for new releases as I mentioned a few times over the past couple weeks, but it’s bound to happen as we get closer to the holiday movie season, which this year won’t include many movies in theaters, even though movie theaters are still open in many areas of the country… and closing in others. Sigh. Besides a few high-profile Netflix theatrical release, we also get movies starring Vince Vaughn, Margot Robbie, Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan, Mel Gibson and more offerings. In fact, I’ve somehow managed to write 12 (!!!!) reviews this week… yikes.

Before we get to the new movies, let’s look at a few series/festivals starting this week, including the always great documentary festival, DOC-NYC, which runs from November 11 through 19. A few of the docs I’ve already seen are (probably not surprisingly, if you know me) some of the music docs in the “Sonic Cinema” section, including Oliver Murray’s Ronnie’s, a film about legendary jazz musician and tenor sax player Ronnie Scott, whose London club Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club has been one of the central cores for British jazz fans for many decades.

Alex Winter’s Zappa is a much more satisfying portrait of the avant-garde rocker than the doc Frank Zappa: In His Own Words from a few years back, but I was even more surprised by how much I enjoyed Julien Temple’s Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan, because I’ve never really been a Pogues fan, but it’s highly entertaining as we learn about the chronically-soused frontman of the popular Irish band.

I haven’t seen Robert Yapkowitz and Richard Peete’s in My Own Time: A Portrait of Karen Dalton, a portrait of the blues and folk singer, yet, nor have I watched Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider’s Los Hermanos/The Brothers about two brother musicians separated from childhood after leaving their native Cuba, but I’ll try to get to both of them soon enough.

Outside of the realm of music docs is Ilinca Calugareanu’s A Cops and Robbers Story, which follows Corey Pegues from being a drug dealer and gang member to a celebrated deputy inspector within the NYPD. There’s also Nancy (The Loving Story) Buirski’s A Crime on the Bayou, the third part of the filmmaker’s trilogy about brave individuals in the Civil Rights era, this one about 19-year-old New Orleans fisherman Gary Duncan who tries to break up a fight between white and black teens at an integrated school and is arrested for assaulting a minor when merely touching a white boy’s arm.

Hao Wu’s 76 Days covers the length of Wuhan, China’s lockdown due to COVID-19, a very timely doc that will be released by MTV Documentary Films via virtual cinema on December 4. It’s one of DOC-NYC’s features on its annual Short List, which includes Boys State, Collective, The Fight, On the Record, and ten others that will vie for juried categories.

IFC Films’ Dear Santa, the new film from Dana Nachman, director of the wonderful Pick of the Litter, will follow its Heartland Film Festival debut with a run at COD-NYC before its own December 4 release. The latter is about the USPS’s “Operation Santa” program that receives hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa every year and employees thousands of volunteers to help make the wishes of these kids come true.

Basically, there’s a LOT of stuff to see at DOC-NYC, and while most of the movies haven’t been released publicly outside festivals yet, a lot of these movies will be part of the doc conversations of 2020. DOC-NYC gives the chance for people across the United States to see a lot of great docs months before anyone else, so take advantage of some of their ticket packs to save some money over the normal $12 per ticket price. The $199 price for an All Access Film Pass also isn’t a bad deal if you have enough time to watch the hundreds of DOC-NYC offerings. (Sadly, I never do, yet I’m still a little bummed to miss the 10Am press screenings at IFC Center that keeps me off the streets… or in this case, sitting on my ass at home.)

Not to be outdone by the presence of DOC-NYC, Film at Lincoln Center is kicking off its OWN seventh annual “Art of the Real” doc series, which has a bit of overlap by running from November 13 to 26. I really don’t know a lot about the documentaries being shown as part of this program, presented with Mubi and The New York Times, but check this out. For just 50 bucks, you can get an all-access pass to all 17 films, which you can casually watch at home over the two weeks of the fest.

Okay, let’s get to some theatrical releases, and the one I’ve been anticipating the most (also the one getting the widest release) is Christopher Landon’s FREAKY from Blumhouse and Universal Pictures. It stars Kathryn Newton as Millie Kessler, a high school outcast who is constantly picked on, but one night, she ends up encountering the serial killer known as the “Blissfield Butcher” (Vince Vaughn), but instead of dying when she’s stabbed with a ritual blade. The next morning Millie and the Butcher wake up to discover that they’ve been transported into the body of the other. Oh, it’s Friday the 13th… oh, now I get it… Freaky Friday!

Landon is best known for writing many of the Paranormal Activity sequels and directing Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. Msore importantly, he directed Happy Death Day and its sequel Happy Death Day 2 U, two of my favorite Blumhouse movies, because they so successfully mix horror with comedy, which is so hard to do. That’s what Freaky is all about, too, and it’s even harder this time even though Freaky has way more gruesome and gory kills than anything in Landon’s other films. Heck, many of the kills are gorier than the most recent Halloween from Blumhouse, and it’s a little shocking when you’re laughing so hard at times.

Landon does some clever things with what’s essentially a one-joke premise of a killer in a teen girl’s body and vice versa, but like the Lindsay Lohan-Jamie Lee Curtis remake from 2003, it’s all about the talent of the two main actors to pull off the rather intricate nature of playing humor without losing the seriousness of the horror element.

It may not be too surprising with Vaughn, who made a ton of dramas and thrillers before turning to comedy. (Does everyone remember that he played Norman Bates in Gus Van Sant’s remake of Psycho and also starred in thrillers The Cell and Domestic Disturbance?) Newton is a bit more of an unknown quantity, but as soon as Tillie dawns the red leather jacket, you know that she can use her newly found homicidal attitude to get some revenge on those who have been terrible to her.

In some ways, the comedy aspects of Freaky win out over the horror but no horror fan will be disappointed by the amount of gory kills and how well the laughs emerge from a decent horror flick. Freaky seems like the kind of movie that Wes Craven would have loved.

I’m delighted to say that this week’s “Featured Flick” is Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin’s indie comedy THE CLIMB (Sony Pictures Classics), a movie that I have seen no less than three times this year, first when it was playing Sundance, a few months later when it was supposed to open in March… and then again last week! And you know what? I enjoyed it just as much every single time. It’s an amazing two-hander that stars Covino and Marvin as best friends Mike and Kyle, who have a falling out over the former sleeping with the latter’s fiancé, and it just gets funnier and funnier as the friends fight and Kyle gets engaged to Marisa (Gayle Rankin from GLOW) who hates Mike. Can this friendship possibly survive?

I really had no idea what to expect the first time I saw The Climb at the Sony Screening Room, but it was obviously going to be a very different movie for Sony Pictures Classics, who had started out the year with so many great films before theaters shut down. (Unfortunately, they may have waited too long on this one as theaters seem to be shutting down again even while NYC and L.A. have yet to reopen them. Still, I think this would be just as much fun in a drive-in.)

The movie starts with a long, extended scene of the two leads riding bikes on a steep mountain in France, talking to each other as Kyle (once the athlete of the duo) has fallen out of shape. During the conversation, Mike admits to having slept with Kyle’s fiancé Ava (Judith Godréche) and things turn hostile between the two. We then get the first big jump in time as we’re now at the funeral for Ava, who actually had been married to Mike. Kyle eventually moves on and begins a relationship with his high school sweetheart Marisa, who we meet at the Thanksgiving gathering for Kyle’s extended family. In both these cases, we see how the relationship between Mike and Kyle has changed/evolved as Mike has now fallen on hard times.

It's a little hard to explain why what’s essentially a “slice of life” movie can be so funny. On one hand, The Climb might be the type of movie we might see from Mike Leigh, but Covino and Marvin find a way to make everything funny and also quite eccentric in terms of how some of the segments begin and end. Technically, it’s also an impressive feat with the number of amazing single shot sequences and how smooth some of the transitions work. It’s actually interesting to see when and how the filmmakers decide to return to the lives of their subjects – think of it a bit like Michael Apted’s “Up” series of docs but covering a lot shorter span in time.

Most importantly, The Climb has such a unique tone and feel to other indie dramedies we’ve seen, as the duo seem to be influenced more by European cinema than American indies. Personally, I think a better title for The Climb might have been “Frenemied,” but even with the movie’s fairly innocuous title, you will not forget the experience watching this entertaining film anytime soon.

Maybe this should be called “Netflix week,” because the streamer is releasing a number of high-profile movies into theaters and on the streaming service. Definitely one of the more anticipated movies of the year is David Fincher’s MANK, which will get a theatrical release this week and then stream on Netflix starting December 4.

It stars Gary Oldman as Herman Mankiewicz, the Hollywood screenwriter who has allowed himself to succumb to alcoholism but has been hired by Orson Welles (Tom Burke) to write his next movie, Citizen Kane, working with a personal secretary Rita Alexander (played by Lily Collins). His story is told through his interactions with media mogul William Hearst (Charles Dance) and relationship with actress and Hearst ingenue and mistress, Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried).

It I were asked to pick one director who is my absolute favorite, Fincher would probably be in my top 5 because he’s had such an illustrious and varied career of movie styles, and Mank continues that tradition as Fincher pays tribute to old Hollywood and specifically the work of Orson Welles in every frame of this biopic that’s actually more about the troubled writer of Citizen Kane who was able to absorb everything happening in his own Hollywood circles and apply them to the script.

More than anything, Mank feels like a movie for people who love old Hollywood and inside Hollywood stories, and maybe even those who may already know about the making of Welles’ highly-regarded film might find a few new things to appreciate. I particularly enjoyed Mankiewicz’s relationships with the women around him, including his wife “Poor Sarah,” played by Tuppence Middleton, Collins’ Rita, and of course, Seyfried’s absolutely radiant performance as Davies. Maybe I would have appreciated the line-up of known names and characters like studio head Louis B Mayer and others, if more of them had any sort of effect on the story and weren’t just

The film perfectly captures the dynamic of the time and place as Mank is frequently the only honest voice in a sea of brown nosers and yes-men. Maybe I would have enjoyed Oldman’s performance more if everything that comes out of Mankiewicz’s mouth wasn’t an all-too-clever quip.

The film really hits a high point after a friend of Mank’s commits suicide and how that adds to the writer’s woes about not being able to save him. The film’s last act involves Mank dealing with the repercussions after the word gets out that Citizen Kane is indeed about Hearst.

Overall, Mank is a movie that’s hard to really dig into, and like some of Fincher’s previous work, it tends to be devoid of emotion. Even Fincher’s decision to be clever by including cigarette burns to represent Mank’s “reels” – something explained by Brad Pitt in Fight Club – just drives home the point that Mank is deliberately Fincher’s most meta movie to date.

You can also read my technical/crafts review of Mank over at Below the Line.

Ron Howard’s adaptation of JD Vance’s bestselling memoir HILLBILLY ELEGY will be released by Netflix into theaters ahead of its streaming debut on November 24. It stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close, but in honesty, it’s about JD Vance, you know, the guy who wrote the memoir. The film follows his younger years (as played by Owen Asztalos) while dealing with a dysfunctional white trash family in Middletown, Ohio, dealing with his headstrong Mamaw (Close) and abusive mother dealing with drug addiction (Adams). Later in life, while studying at Yale (and played by Gabriel Basso), he has to return to his Ohio roots to deal with his mother’s growing addiction that forces him to come to terms with his past.

I’m a bit of a Ron Howard stan – some might even say “an apologist” – and there’s no denying that Hillbilly Elegy puts him the closest to A Beautiful Mind territory than he’s been in quite some time. That doesn’t mean that this movie is perfect, nor that I would consider it one of his better movies, though. I went into the movie not knowing a thing about JD Vance or his memoir but after the first reviews came out, I was a little shocked how many of them immediately went political, because there’s absolutely nothing resembling politics in the film.

It is essentially an adaptation of a memoir, dealing with JD Vance’s childhood but then also the past that led his mother and grandmother down the paths that made his family so dysfunctional. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between the older Vance and his future wife Usha (as played by Freida Pinto) earlier in their relationship as they’re both going to Yale and Vance is trying to move past his family history to succeed in the realm of law.

It might be a no-brainer why Adams and Close are being given so much of the attention for their performances. They are two of the best. Close is particularly amusing as the cantankerous Mamaw, who veers between cussing and crying, but also has some great scenes both with Adams and the younger Vance. The amazing special make-up FX used to change her appearance often makes you forget you’re watching Close. I wish I could say the same for Adams, who gives such an overwrought and over-the-top performance that it’s very hard to feel much emotionally for her character as she goes down a seemingly endless vortex of drug addiction. It’s a performance that leads to some absolute craziness. (It’s also odd seeing Adams in basically the Christian Bale role in The Fighter, although Basso should get more credit about what he brings out in their scenes together.)

Hillbilly Elegy does have a number of duller moments, and I’m not quite sure anyone not already a fan of Vance’s book would really have much interest in these characters. I certainly have had issues with movies about people some may consider “Southern White Trash,” but it’s something I’ve worked on myself to overcome. It’s actually quite respectable for a movie to try to show characters outside the normal circles of those who tend to write reviews, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the movie might be able to connect with people in rural areas that rarely get to see themselves on screen.

Hillbilly Elegy has its issues, but it feels like a successful adaptation of a novel that may have been difficult to keep an audience invested in with all its flashbacks and jumps in time.

Netflix is also streaming the Italian drama THE LIFE AHEAD, directed by Edoardo Ponti, starring Oscar-winning actress Sophia Loren, who happens to also be the filmmaker’s mother. She plays Madame Rosa, a Holocaust survivor in Italy who takes a stubborn young street kid named Momo (Ibrahima Gueye), much to both their chagrin.

I’ll be shocked if Italy doesn’t submit Ponti’s film as their choice for the Oscar’s International Film category, because it has all of the elements that would appeal to Oscar voters. In that sense, I also found it to be quite traditional and formulaic. Loren is quite amazing, as to be expected, and I was just as impressed with young Ibrahima Gueye who seems to be able to hold his own in what’s apparently his first movie. There’s others in the cast that also add to the experience including a trans hooker named Lola, but it’s really the relationship between the two main characters that keeps you invested in the movie. I only wish I didn’t spend much of the movie feeling like I knew exactly where it’s going in terms of Rosa doing something to save the young boy and giving him a chance at a good life.

I hate to be cynical, but at times, this is so by the books, as if Ponti watched every Oscar movie and made one that had all the right elements to appeal to Oscar voters and wokesters alike. That aside, it does such a good job tugging at heartstrings that you might forgive how obviously formulaic it is.

Netflix is also premiering the fourth season of The Crown this week, starring Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth and bringing on board Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher, Emma Corin, Helena Bonham Carter, Tobis Menzies, Marion Bailey and Charles Dancer. Quite a week for the streamer, indeed.

Another movie that may be in the conversation for Awards season is AMMONITE (NEON), the new film from Francis Lee (God’s Own Country), a drama set in 1840s England where Kate Winslet plays Mary Anning, a fossil hunter, tasked to look after melancholic young bride, Charlotte Murcheson (Saoirse Ronan), sent to the sea to get better only for them to get into a far more intimate relationship.

I had been looking forward to this film, having heard almost unanimous raves from out of Toronto a few months back. Maybe my expectations were too high, because while this is a well-made film with two strong actors, it’s also rather dreary and not something I necessarily would watch for pleasure. The comparisons to last year’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire (also released by NEON) are so spot-on that it’s almost impossible to watch this movie without knowing exactly where it’s going from the very minute that the two main characters meet.

Winslet isn’t bad in another glammed-down role where she can be particularly cantankerous, but knowing that the film would eventually take a sapphic turn made it somewhat predictable. Ronan seems to be playing her first outright adult role ever, and it’s a little strange to see her all grown-up after playing a teenager in so many movies.

The movie is just so contained to the one setting right up until the last 20 minutes when it actually lives the Lyme setting and lets us see the world outside Mary’s secluded lifestyle. As much as I wanted to love Ammonite, it just comes off as so obvious and predictable – and certainly not helped by coming out so soon after Portrait of a Lady. There’s also something about Ammonite that just feels so drab and dreary and not something I’d necessarily need to sit through a second time.

The animated film WOLFWALKERS (GKIds) is the latest from Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, directors of the Oscar-nominated Secret of the Kells (Moore’s Song of the Sea also received an Oscar nomination a few years later.) It’s about a young Irish girl named Robyn (voiced Honor Kneafsey) who is learning to be hunter from her father (voiced by Sean Bean) to help him wipe out the last wolf pack. Roby then meets another girl (voiced by Eva Whittaker) who is part of a tribe rumored to transform into wolves by night.

I have to be honest that by the time I got around to start watching this, I was really burnt out and not in any mood to watch what I considered to look like a kiddie movie. It looks nice, but I’m sure I’d be able to enjoy it more in a different head (like watching first thing on a Saturday morning).

Regardless, Wolfwalkers will be in theaters nationwide this Friday and over the weekend via Fathom Events as well as get full theatrical runs at drive-ins sponsored by the Landmark, Angelika and L.A.’s Vineland before it debuts on Apple TV+ on December 11. Maybe I’ll write a proper review for that column. You can get tickets for the Fathom Events at WolfwalkersMovie.com.

Next up is Miles Joris-Peyrafitte’s DREAMLAND (Paramount), starring Margot Robbie as Allison Wells, a bank-robbing criminal on the loose who encounters young man named Eugene Evans (Finn Cole) in rural Dust Bowl era North Dakota and convinces him to hide her and help her escape the authorities by taking her to Mexico.

Another movie where I wasn’t expecting much, more due to the generic title and genre than anything else, but it’s a pretty basic story of a young man in a small town who dreams of leaving and also glamorizes the crime stories he read in pulps. Because of the Great Depression in the late ’20, the crime wave was spreading out across the land and affecting everyone, even in more remote locations like the one at the center of Dreamland.

The sad truth is that there have been so many better movies about this era, including Warren Beatty’s Bonnie and Clyde, Lawless and many others. Because of that, this might not be bad but it’s definitely trying to follow movies that leave quite a long shadow. The innocent relationship between Eugene and Allison does add another level to the typical gangster story, but maybe that isn’t enough for Dreamland to really get past the fact that the romantic part of their relationship isn’t particularly believable.

As much as this might have been fine as a two-hander, you two have Travis Fimmel as Eugene’s stepfather and another generic white guy in Garrett Hedlund playing Allison’s Clyde Barrow-like partner in crime in the flashbacks. Cole has enough trouble keeping on pace with Robbie but then you have Fimmel, who was just grossly miscast. The film’s score ended up being so overpowering and annoying I wasn’t even remotely surprised when I saw that Joris-Peyrafitte is credited with co-writing the film’s score.

Dreamland is fine, though it really needed to have a stronger and more original vision to stand out. It’s another classic case of an actor being far better than the material she’s been given. This is being given a very limited theatrical release before being on digital next Tuesday.

This might have been Netflix week, but maybe it could have been “Saban Films Week,” since the distributor also has three new movies. Actually, only two, because I screwed up, and I missed the fact that André Øvredal’s MORTAL was released by Saban Films LAST week. Not entirely my fault because for some reason, I had it opening this week, and I only realized that I was wrong last Wednesday. Oh, well. It stars Nate Wolff as Eric Bergeland, an American in Norway who seems to have some enigmatic powers, but after killing a young lad, he ends up on the lam with federal agent Christine (Iben Akerlie from Victoria).

This is another movie I really wanted to like since I’ve been such a fan of Øvredal from back to his movie Trollhunter. Certainly the idea of him taking a dark look at superpowers through the lends of Norse mythology should be right up my alley. Even so, this darker and more serious take on superpowers – while it might be something relatively unique and new in movies – it’s something anyone who has read comics has seen many times before and often quite better.

Wolff’s character is deliberately kept a mystery about where he comes from, and all we know is that he survived a fire at his farm, and we watched him kill a young man that’s part of a group of young bullies. From there, it kind of turns into a procedural as the authorities and Akerlie’s character tries to find out where Eric came from and got his powers. It’s not necessarily a slow or talkie movie, because there are some impressive set pieces for sure, but it definitely feels more like Autopsy of Jane Doe than Trollhunters. Maybe my biggest is that this is a relatively drab and lifeless performance by Wolff, who I’ve seen be better in other films.

Despite my issues, it doesn’t lessen my feelings about Øvredal as a filmmaker, because there’s good music and use of visual FX -- no surprise if you’ve seen Trollhunters -- but there’s still a really bad underlying feeling that you’re watching a lower budget version of an “X-Men” movie, and not necessarily one of the better ones. Despite a decent (and kinda crazy) ending, Mortal never really pays off, and it’s such a slog to get to that ending that people might feel slightly underwhelmed.

Seth Savoy’s ECHO BOOMERS (Saban Films) is a crime thriller based on a “true story if you believe in such things,” starring Patrick Schwarzenegger as Lance, a young art major, who falls in with a group of youths who break into rich people’s homes and trash them, also stealing some of the more valuable items for their leader Mel (Michael Shannon).

There’s a lot about Echo Boomers that’s going to feel familiar if you’ve seen Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring or the heist movie American Animals from a few years back, but even with those similarities, Seth Savoy has a strong cast and vision to make more out of the fairly weak writing than another director might manage. Schwarzenegger, who seems to be pulling in quite a wide range of roles for basically being another generic white actor is only part of a decent ensemble that includes Alex Pettyfer as the group’s ersatz alpha male Ellis and Hayley Law (also great in the recent Spontaneous) as his girlfriend Allie, the only girl taking part in the heists and destruction. Those three actors alone are great, but then you add Shannon just doing typically fantastic work as more of a catalyst than an antagonist.

You can probably expect there will be some dissension in the ranks, especially when the group’s “Fagan” Mel puts Lance in charge of keeping them in line and Allie forms a friendship with Lance. What holds the movie back is the decision to use a very traditional testimonial storytelling style where Lance and Allie narrate the story by relaying what happened to the authorities after their capture obviously. This doesn’t help take away from the general predictability of where the story goes either, because we’ve seen this type of thing going all the way back to The Usual Suspects.

While Echo Boomers might be fairly derivative of far better movies at times, it also has a strong directorial vision and a compelling story that makes up enough for that fact.

In theaters this Friday and then On Demand and Digital on November 24 is Eshom and Ian Nelms’ action-comedy FATMAN (Saban Films/Paramount), starring Mel Gibson as Santa Claus and Walton Goggins as the hired assassin sent to kill him by a spoiled rich boy named Billy (Chance Hurstfield) who unhappy with the presents he’s being brought for Christmas.

While we seem to be surrounded by high concept movies of all shapes and sizes, you can’t get much more high concept than having Mel Gibson playing a tough and cantankerous* Kris Kringle (*Is this the week’s actual theme?) who is struggling to survive with Mrs. Klaus (played by the wonderful Marianne Jean-Baptiste from In Fabric) when they’re given the opportunity to produce military grade items for the army using his speedy elf workshop. Unbeknownst to the Kringles, the disgruntled hitman who also feels he’s been let down by Santa is on his way to the North Pole to fulfill his assignment.

You’ll probably know whether you’ll like this movie or not since its snarkier comedic tone is introduced almost from the very beginning. This is actually a pretty decent role for Gibson that really plays up to his strengths, and it’s a shame that there wasn’t more to it than just a fairly obvious action movie that leads to a shoot-out. I probably should have enjoyed Goggins more in a full-on villainous role but having been watching a lot of him on CBS’ The Unicorn, it’s kind of hard to adjust to him playing this kind of role. I did absolutely love Marianne Jean-Baptiste and the warmth she brought to a relatively snarky movie.

I’m not sure if Fatman is the best showing of Eshom and Ian Nelms’ abilities as filmmakers, because they certainly have some, but any chance of being entertaining is tamped down by a feeling the filmmakers are constantly trying to play it safe. Because of this, Fatman has a few fun moments but a generally weak premise that never fully delivers. It would have thrived by being much crazier, but instead, it’s just far too mild.

Malin Åkerman stars in Paul Leyden’s CHICK FIGHT (Quiver Distribution) as Anna, a woman unhappy with her life and inability to survive on the little money she makes at her failing coffee shop. When Anna’s lesbian traffic cop friend Charleen (Dulcé Sloan) takes her to an underground fight club, Anna her trepidation about joining in, because she has never been in a fight in her life. Learning that her mother has a legacy at the club, Anna agrees to be trained by Alec Baldwin’s always-drunk Murphy in order to take on the challenges of the likes of Bella Thorne’s Olivia.

Another movie where I’m not sure where to begin other than the fact that I’m not sure I’ve seen a movie trying so hard to be fun and funny and failing miserably at both. Listen, I generally love Akerman, and I’m always hoping for her to get stronger material to match her talents, but this tries its best to be edgy without ever really delivering on the most important thing for any comedy: Laughs. Sure, the filmmakers try their best and even shoehorn a bit of romance for Anna in the form of the ring doctor played by Kevin Connolly from Entourage, but it does little to help distinguish the movie’s identity.

Listen, I’m not going to apologize for being a heterosexual male that finds Bella Thorne to be quite hot when she’s kicking ass in the ring. (I’m presuming that a lot of what we see in her scenes in the ring involves talented stuntwomen, but whoa! If that’s not the case.) Alec Baldwin seems to be in this movie merely as a favor to someone, possibly one of the producers, and when he disappears with no mention midway through the movie, you’re not particularly surprised. Another of trying too hard is having Anna’s father Ed (played by wrestler Kevin Nash) come out as gay and then use his every appearance to talk about his sex acts. Others in the cast like Fortune Feimster seem to be there mainly for their bulk and believability as fighters.

Ultimately, Chick Fight is a fairly lame and bland girl power movie written, directed and mostly produced by men. I’m not sure why anyone might be expecting more from it than being a poorly-executed comedy lacking laughs.

And yet, that wasn’t the worst movie of the weekend. That would be Andrzej Bartkowiak’s DEAD RECKONING (Shout! Studios). Yes, the Polish cinematographer and filmmaker who once made the amazing Romeo is Bleeding, starring Gary Oldman and Lena Olin, has returned with a movie with the onus of a premise that reads “a thriller inspired by the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.” No, I did not make that up. It mostly takes place in Nantucket, Massachusetts, which I guess is sort of close to Boston, but instead it focuses on the relationship between teens Niko (K.J. Apa) and Tillie (India Eisley), the latter whose parents died in a plane crash that might have been caused by a terrorist. It just so happens that Niko’s brother Marco (Scott Adkins) is an Albanian terrorist. Coincidence? I think not!

Once you get past the most generic title ever, Dead Reckoning is just plain awful. I probably should have known what to expect when the movie opens with Eric “Never Turned Down a Job” Roberts, but also, I strong feel that Scott Adkins, better known for his martial arts skills, is easily one of the worst actors ever to be given lines to say in a movie. And yet, somehow, there are even worse actors in this movie. How is that even possible?

Although this presumed action movie opens with one of three or four fight sequences, we’re soon hanging out on the beach with a bunch of annoying teenagers, including Tillie, who is drowning the sorrow of recently losing her parents by literally drinking constantly in almost every single scene. When she meets the handsome Eastern European Niko, we think there’s some chance of Tillie being saved, but it isn’t meant to be.

Part of what’s so weird is that Dead Reckoning begins in territory familiar to fans of Barkowiak’s movies like Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 the Grave and Maximum Impact but then quickly shifts gears to a soppy teen romance. It’s weird enough to throw you off when at a certain point, it returns to the main plot, which involves Adkins’ terrorist plot and the search by FBI Agent Cantrell (played by James Remar) to find the culprit who killed Tillie’s parents. Oh, the FBI agent is also Tillie’s godfather. Of course, he is.

Beyond the fact that I spent much of the movie wondering what these teens in Nantucket have to do with the opening scene or the overall premise, this is a movie that anything that could be resembling talent or skill in Barkowiak’s filmmaking is long gone. Going past the horrendous writing – at one point, the exasperated and quite xenophobic Cantrell exclaims, “It’s been a nightmare since 9/11... who knows what's next?” -- or the inability of much of the cast to make it seem like anyone involved cares about making a good movie, the film is strangled by a score that wants to remind you it’s a thriller even as you watch people having fun on the beach on a sunny day.

Eventually, it does get back to the action with a fight between Cantrell and Marco… and then Marco gets into a fight with Tillie’s nice aunt nurse Jennifer where she has a surprisingly amount of fighting skills. There’s also Nico’s best friend who is either British or gay or both, but he spends every one of his scenes acting so pretentious and annoying, you kind of hope he’ll be blown up by terrorists. Sadly, you have to wait until the last act before the surfboards are pulled out. (Incidentally, filmmakers, please don’t call a character in your movie “Marco,” especially if that character’s name is going to be yelled out repeatedly, because it will just lead to someone in the audience to yell out “Polo!” This is Uwe Boll School of Bad Filmmaking 101!)

The point is that the movie is just all over the place yet in a place that’s even remotely watchable. There even was a point when Tillie was watching the video of her parents dying in a car crash for the third or fourth time, and I just started laughing, since it’s such a slipshod scene.

It’s very likely that Dead Reckoning will claim the honor of being the worst movie I’ve seen this year. Really, the only way to have any fun watching this disaster is to play a drinking game where you take a drink every time Eisley’s character takes a drink. Or better yet, just bail on the movie and hit the bottle, because I’m sure whoever funded this piece of crap is.

Opening at New York’s Film Forum on Wednesday is Manfred Kirchheimer’s FREE TIME (Grasshopper/Cinema Conservancy), another wonderful doc from one of the kings of old school cinema verité documentary filmmaking, consisting of footage of New York City from 1960 that’s pieced together with a wonderful jazz score. Let me tell you that Kirschheimer’s work is very relaxing to watch and Free Time is no exception. Plus the hour-long movie will premiere in Film Forum’s Virtual Cinema, accompanied by Rudy Burckhardt’s 1953 film Under the Brooklyn Bridge which captures Brooklyn in the ‘50s.

Also opening in Film Forum’s Virtual Cinema Friday is Hong Khaou’s MONSOON (Strand Releasing) starring Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) as Kit, who returns to Ho Chi Minh City for the first time since his family fled after the Vietnam War when he was six. As he tries to make sense of it, he ends in a romance with Parker Sawyers’ American ex-pat and forms a friendship with a local student (Molly Harris). Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to watch this one before finishing up this column but hope to catch soon, because I do like Golding as an actor.

I shared my thoughts on Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer’s FIREBALL: VISITORS FROM DARK WORLDS, when it played at TIFF in September, but this weekend, it will debut on Apple TV+. It’s another interesting and educational science doc from Herr Herzog, this time teaming with the younger Cambridge geoscientist and “volcanologist” to look at the evidence left behind by meteors that have arrived within the earth’s atmosphere, including the races that worship the falling space objects.

Opening at the Metrograph this week (or rather on its website) is Shalini Kantayya’s documentary CODED BIAS, about the widespread bias in facial recognition and the algorithms that affect us all, which debuted Weds night and will be available on a PPV basis and will be available through November 17. The French New Wave anthology Six In Paris will also be available as a ticketed movie ($8 for members/$12 for non-members) through April 13. Starting Thursday as part of the Metrograph’s “Live Screenings” is Steven Fischler and Joel Sucher’s Free Voice of Labor: The Jewish Anarchists from 1980. Fischler’s earlier doc Frame Up! The imprisonment of Martin Sostre from 1974 will also be available through Thursday night.

Sadly, there are just way too many movies out this week, and some of the ones I just wasn’t able to get to include:

Dating Amber (Samuel Goldwyn) The Giant (Vertical) I Am Greta (Hulu) Dirty God (Dark Star Pictures) Where She Lies (Gravitas Ventures) Maybe Next Year (Wavelength Productions) Come Away (Relativity) Habitual (National Amusements) The Ride (Roadside Attractions, Forest, ESX) Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix) Transference: A Love Story (1091) Sasquatch Among the Wildmen (Uncork’d) All Joking Aside (Quiver Distribution) Secret Zoo (MPI Medi Group/Capelight Pictures)

By the way, if you read this week’s column and have bothered to read this far down, I think you’re very special and quite good-looking. Feel free to drop me some thoughts at Edward dot Douglas at Gmail dot Com or drop me a note or tweet on Twitter. I love hearing from readers … honest!

#Movies #reviews #Mank #TheClimb #Freaky #Fatman #Heartland #Mortal #EchoBoomers #VOD #Streaming #TheLifeAhead #HillbillyElegy

1 note · View note

dreamerfae · 5 years ago

Text

Androphobia

Summary: Touka met with an unfortunate incident when she was young, which lead to her having an uncured androphobia till today. When her boss told her to get it fixed or get fired, she knew she had to face her phobia head-on. It resulted in her going to the hospital, where she met a handsome doctor named Kaneki who was in-charge of curing her.

Word Count: 9005

Rating: Teens and Up

Genre: Alternate Universe

Notes: Androphobia - a fear of males. She is currently a working adult in a company. The doctor is black-haired Kaneki but in adult form (not reaper Ken).

—

"Isn't that bad!?" Yoriko exclaimed, and Touka had to close her hand over her friend's mouth to keep the news from spreading.

The female sighed. "Yeah. I'll get fired if I don't get my androphobia settled down within 6 months. Boss says it's affecting my work performance and everyone else's as well..."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know... I don't want to go to a doctor... they cost lots of money and what if it's a guy? It'll be even harder to recover."

Yoriko squeezed her friend's hands. "You have to do it! Even if the doctor is a guy! You never know—he might be your future boyfriend and husband!!! Are you going to let your phobia affect your work and your relationship status?!"

Touka rolled her eyes. "If I didn't know you better, I would think you're insulting me. Seeing as we've been friends since high school, I will take it as you're not."

She remained silent to think about what Yoriko had said. As a young girl, she always wanted to meet a handsome prince and have a family with him someday. But after that incident, she changed and never got close to men ever again.

If she were to overcome her phobia, she would be able to fulfill her childhood dream. As it stands, her phobia was affecting everything and everyone in her life. Her family, her friends, her work performance etc. At this rate, she was going to be fired from the only company that allowed her to work here despite her phobia and she couldn't let that happen.

"Alright. I'll go see a doctor."

A wide grin appeared on Yoriko's face. "Great! I'll introduce you to a good hospital!!"

Standing in front of a therapist's hospital room, Touka took a deep breath and hoped for the best. She knocked and entered, only to freeze in her tracks when she saw that the doctor was a male, even though she had specifically requested for a female. Her heart stopped, palms sweat and stomach churned.

The black-haired male doctor looked up from his documents and smiled at her. "Good afternoon, Ms Kirishima. I am Doctor Kaneki and I will be in charge of you on your path in treating your phobia. Do take a seat." He gestured to the chair in front of him.

Kaneki stared at her documents then had realization dawn upon him the reason why she never moved from her spot. "Right, you have androphobia. Sorry, I wasn't aware that it was this serious." He stood up, startling her and attempted to push the chair over to her. She caught it, pulled it to the furthest area of the room—the corner, furthest from him—and sat. Then, she turned her head to face the wall, not wanting to even look at him.

"If it'll help you relax, let's talk like this--"

"I thought I requested a female doctor." She cut in.

Clasping his hands together, he was unfazed by her interruption and rudeness and remained friendly. "Despite your request, I took on your case, thinking that it might be more effective for your phobia to be treated by me, seeing as I'm a male. Don't worry, your case is not uncommon. It can be treated, with time and patience."

"I don't think it's possible for me to get treated if I have a doctor who is male--an object of my fear in the same room as me and talking to me."

"We can do this and I assure you that I'm one of the best doctors in therapy."

With no further objections from her, Kaneki stood up. Her jaw clenched when she heard him do so from the scratching sound of the chair against the floor.

"I'm going to confirm the seriousness of your condition now so I can come up with your treatment. If you are uncomfortable about anything, let me know."

He took a step towards her. She didn't move from her spot. Another step. She shot up from her chair and had her hand on the doorknob immediately, wanting to leave the room. He stepped backward, she didn't open the door.

Noting down how the minimum distance he needs to keep from her was about 6 steps, he then asked, "Do you look guys in the eyes when you speak to them?"

"I do not."

"How do you feel if you talk to men?"

"Like I rather die than talk to them. "

He decided that the first thing he had to fix was to make her look at him when they talked. It would definitely kick start things.

"Right. Let's work on your eye contact first. What do you like? Animals? Food? Color? Tell me anything."

"..rabbits."

Kaneki hummed in response as he began typing on his computer. Soon, many different pictures of rabbits came out of the printer and he grabbed them. Sliding one to her feet, he watched her gaze at the wall switch to the picture of the cute rabbit and she smiled.

He then slid another picture to her, this one further from her, but nearer to him. As he hoped, she looked at it.

He continued doing so with other pictures until he finally held one picture above his head, where she did look at the picture though avoiding his eye contact. Slowly pulling the photo down, their eyes finally locked when the photo was positioned just below his eyes.

She held her gaze into his eyes for only a few seconds before looking away.

That's an improvement, he thought and he used blue tack to stick one photo on the cabinet behind him, just above him. She followed it and then, he had her looking directly at him. Though her eyes were only on the picture, it was better than having her speak to him whilst her gaze was on the wall or the floor each time.

A reward would be next.

"If you look into my eyes at another 2 times today, I will give you a rabbit item. I will increase the number of times I need you to look at me by every session and your prize will be better than the last."

"You're trying to bribe me."

Kaneki chuckled. "Don't put it in that way. It's called a reward system."

Touka walked out of that 2-hour session with a rabbit pencil that day.

The next session focused on allowing her to look at photos of men. So Kaneki printed out different pictures of men; from young to old and showed it to her. The young went first.

"Tell me which you don't like the most."

A picture of a young boy around age 5. She managed to look at it without being afraid.

A picture of a boy around 17 years old. Her lips trembled and body shivered. But she could still look at the photo without turning away.

A picture of a 30-year-old guy. One look at it and she stood up, turning to leave the room.

"Wait, don't leave. I'll put the picture down."

She sat back down onto her chair and watched as he put the paper into the shredder machine before heaving a sigh of relief. More photos were shown after that but the biggest reaction she had was for men around the age of 30-40 years old.

"Kirishima-San, look at me."

Touka does as she's told.

"Similar to the photo of the 30-year-old guy you hate, I'm also 30 years old."

Hearing that alarmed her but she clenched her hands into fists and forced herself to continue looking at him.

He smiled, making her relax a little.

"Good job on not looking away from me. Why don't you tell me what happened? Most people with phobias have had something bad happen to them to cause the phobia they have now. I would like to know yours so I can better treat you."

To explain the horrible experience she had in words felt like she was going to relive the whole thing again and she didn't want to. She squeezed her eyes shut with regret and bit her lower lip. "I'm sorry, I'm not ready to tell you."

"No problem. I will wait until you're ready."

It's been 2 months since Touka started therapy with this doctor and after meeting once for 2 hours every week, they've built up some kind of friendship between them.

In times when she's uncomfortable or unable to continue with the treatment, Doctor Kaneki wouldn't force her and instead talked to her. The topics of conversation range from hobbies, work, news, trends, favorite food, and drinks, etc.

She found that it wasn't because he didn't bother to continue the treatment but it's a way to allow her to relax and not feel threatened by him as a male—the object of her fear.

Which, she admits, is a clever plan. Getting her to let her guard down through conversations is working and she doesn't feel as apprehensive towards him as compared to day 1.

Now, she's able to at least look him in the eye when they talk and sit a little closer to him. As he mentioned, the first time they met, they were 6 steps apart. Now she was 3 steps away from him—halfway there and she felt so proud of herself for doing that.

She had left this sickness of hers untreated for the past 10 years and it only took this doctor 2 months to partially heal her. He was capable, she'd give him that.

And friendly,

And handsome—

She choked. How had thoughts of her sickness become thoughts of him being handsome?!

Cheeks burning, she cupped them to cool them down and buried her face into her hands. She shook her head. The reason why she found him handsome and nice and friendly was due to her talking to him—who's the first male she has talked to, met eye contact and seen in a decade.

It's probably because she's been having her head down and gaze to the floor whenever she was around males. Yeah, that's just probably the case. She was not in love with him.

—

Writing down notes in his book, Kaneki stared at Touka's notes and smiled at the remembrance of the previous day where she looked so happy to receive a rabbit plush toy. Out of all the patients, she's the one that he enjoyed treating and being with the most.

As a doctor, to see her fast progress in treatment was great because that's what he's here for: to treat people. But there's one other thing that made him happy was the determination and perseverance she showed in her treatment.

Sure, she was a tough patient to treat for her type of phobia but it was the progress that made everything worthwhile—as well as the smile that he put on her face at the end of the day when she received a reward from him.

She glowed—shined—he couldn't find a word for it—but he found her beautiful when she smiled. It's been a long time since he's met a female who made his heart beat fast. The last time he had seen that kind of smile that made his heart race was from his ex-girlfriend, 3 years ago.

A frown replaced the smile on his face and he had to remind himself once again to not fall in love. He has maintained it that way for 3 years and he will continue to do so in the future.

—

Staring down at his notes, Kaneki didn't notice Touka enter the room and already sat on the chair waiting for him.

"Doctor Kaneki!"

He snapped out of his thoughts and directed his attention to her. "I'm sorry. I was lost in thoughts."

"Are you okay?" Touka looked worriedly at him and he smiled.

He felt his hand brush his chin and smiled nervously. "I'm fine. Let's start our session for today."

Touka hesitated, then put a hand over his. "Y-you can tell me anything. I'm here to listen."

The male felt touched by her gesture. Despite her phobia, she forced herself to touch him and offered her help. "Thank you." He looked down. "Today's actually my girlfriend's 3rd year death anniversary. I was planning to visit her grave after our session."

She remained silent at his confession. What was she supposed to say in this situation? She had wanted to help him when he seemed so sad in his thoughts. But now that he really told her, she didn't know what to do and she wasn't responsible for whatever came out of her mouth next.

"What was she like? Your ex-girlfriend."

One end of his lips quirked at the memory.

"She was always laughing. She was outgoing. She was gentle. She was my everything and I wanted to eventually marry her and have a family with her." He seemed so happy as he remembered about her, then his mood suddenly dropped.

"She suffered depression from being bullied at her workplace and despite being a doctor—" he exhaled a shaky breath. "I couldn't save her and she committed suicide by throwing herself from a building."

He tried to control his voice from wavering and his tears from coming out.

Touka's lips trembled and her heart ached for him. It must have been so painful to have a loved one die without being able to save them. Every time they talked, he would have light in his eyes but now, his eyes looked sorrowful and dead. She did not like that. Not one bit.

Without thinking, she was out of her chair and had his head in her chest, arms wrapping around him. She froze when his arms encircled her torso and he shed tears into her chest.

They separated, with her plopping down onto her chair, staring into space and asking herself what had possessed her to hug him—her object of fear. Was it the waver in his voice? Was it the tears brimming in his eyes, threatening to fall? Was it the forced smile he put as if to pretended everything was fine?

Or was it because it upset her to see him upset?

Before she could answer her own question, he wiped his tears away and smiled. "Thank you for listening to me. I appreciate it. That's embarrassing. I'm supposed to be listening to your problems and you ended up listening to mine." He chuckled.

She shook her head. "It's okay. It's the least I can do when you're helping me so much."

"It's my job. Don't worry about it."

And somehow Touka wished he cared about her not because it was his job, but because it was her.

—

One of Kaneki's legs shook and his fingers drummed on the table as he awaited Touka's arrival for their appointment. These days, he has been looking forward to their appointments earnestly, and it always made his day better when he saw her progress with his own eyes.

But after that day where she comforted him by hugging him to her chest, it gave him mixed feelings. He had since then begun to notice some things about her. How her perfume smelt of roses, how her bag hung the rabbit keychain he gave her, how her smile reached her mesmerizing ocean-blue eyes and many more.

..Was he starting to see her not as just a patient, but as a woman?

He shook his head. It was probably his own imagination. It was just his excitement in her improvement of phobia treatment.

Despite believing so, his heart leaped when he heard the familiar ring of her bell keychain as she entered his room and settled down on the chair in front of him. "Good afternoon, Doctor Kaneki."

The scent of coffee lingered in the air as he watched her put a cup of Coffee Bean's coffee on his table. He eyed it, then looked to her with a puzzled expression, confused.

"I bought this for you. I noticed you always drink this in the afternoon. I-if you already drank one, it's okay. I'll just drink it myself."

Maybe it was his imagination but her cheeks turned pink at one point.

Kaneki took a sip and smiled. "Thank you. I forgot to buy it today so I'm really thankful you got for me."

She bowed her head and he caught her smiling before she quickly hid it. She's cute, he thought.

"Well then, let's start with our session for today. Up until now, you've achieved many things. You are able to make eye contact with me, talk to me, sit near to me and look at me without shrinking away. You've done a really good job of persevering. Now, I need you to work even harder because the next thing I need you to fix is physical touch."

He paused because she froze.

"I understand this might be hard for you as it is the final step of your treatment so do let me know your thoughts of an arrangement I'm about to propose to you. I will respect your wishes if you don't wish to go through with it."

"W-what is it?" Touka asked, voice wavering.

"The first way is for you to have a male of your choice and proceed to have a relationship with him where you can experience the physical touches done in a relationship. I can then instruct him on how to treat you. The second way is for you to have a relationship with me. The third way is we do not fix this 'physical touch' aspect of your phobia at all."

The thought of another man touching her made him feel sick to the core. "I would rather you not choose the third way because as a doctor, I want to see you treated. As for the second way--" his throat suddenly felt dry and he swallowed.

"It would probably be deemed as sexual harassment if I were to touch you as a doctor but if I were in a relationship with you, it wouldn't cause many problems since couples often, ahem, touch one another."

Silence filled the room and Kaneki coughed to fill in the awkwardness. He can't help but be distracted by the way she bit her lower lip when she was focused on the choices he gave her. In his mind, he wondered how her lips would taste like. Soft as they looked? Wet from her lip balm? Or sweet like the sweet drinks she often drank?

He shook his head, mind reeling from the perverse thoughts he had. He was a man and remaining without a girlfriend for 3 years now made him all weird in the head.

"I choose option 2."

Despite being happy deep down that she chose him, he had to make sure she was comfortable with it. "Are you sure? I don't want to force you into anything. If you wish to not cure that part, I understand."

Touka shrugged. "I don't know any other guys and I feel most comfortable with you, so why not? Besides, I can't fulfill my dream of marrying and having a family if I can't even touch a guy right?"

He did not want to imagine her with another guy right now.

"Alright. Let's get started soon then. Are you free this Sunday? Let's go on a date."

Kaneki looked at his overall outfit and dusted off some dirt from his shirt whilst waiting outside Touka's apartment. He exhaled to calm his nerves since this was his first date in 3 years, and found that exhaling did not help his feeling jittery at all.

He reminded himself of his duties as a doctor which was the reason why he proposed for them to be in a relationship, to begin with. No flirting, no touching her without her consent and protect her.

From what he heard from her, she has problems walking in crowds because it often meant she had to squeeze and walk in the near distance with men. This often caused her inconvenience and she would always wait for early morning or late night when there was no one before she walked on the streets.

As for transport to any place, she always took a taxi and made sure the driver was a woman.

So for today's session, he would try to let her get used to walking on a crowded street and taking the bus and train.

"H-hi, Doctor Kaneki. You're here early."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Kaneki looked down at Touka who had a nervous smile on her face and took a moment to appreciate the effort she put into her outfit--which consisted of a blue skater dress and a brown pair of sandals. She had a crossbody sling bag where he spotted the rabbit keychain he gave her hanging from the zip.

"Is my outfit too much? When I told my friend that I was going on a date, she insisted on choosing an outfit for me.." She asked, avoiding his eyes and twirling a lock of her hair nervously.

In her heart, she was hoping that he would like her outfit. After all, she went through a 4-hour hair session at the hair salon, had her manicure and pedicure done, and went shopping for new clothes.

Her current outfit was a big difference from her usual t-shirt and shorts she wore whenever they met at the hospital and Kaneki thought he should at least compliment her on it despite knowing that it could be taken as a form of flirting.

"You look pretty."

Only 3 words and he was slightly amused at how her cheeks flushed pink.

Cute.

"Thank you."

They started off from an alleyway where only a few people would pass through. As it was quite a wide area, she seemed okay whenever men walked because there was a certain distance between her and them. But as the alleyway turned narrower, the distance also shrunk.

He could tell from her shaking body that she was afraid but was glad at her effort in not running away.

The next stop was taking the bus. He could tell her struggle of shying away whenever a male came to stand near her and forced herself to remain rooted in her place. However, when the bus goes or stops and the people around her accidentally touches her, she would shift away if it were a male.

The next one was taking the train. Unlike the bus, she couldn't move away as the train is always packed with no space to move around.

Touka was now squashed between the train door and a male on the train. The heat from his body and the smell of sweat disgusted her. Her immense discomfort showed on her face and Kaneki moved to put himself between the man and her, his arms pressing on the train door above her head.

"You alright?" He asked, worried that this might be too much for her.

Her cheeks flushed when the train turned and his body pressed up against hers, too close for comfort but she didn't hate it to her surprise. Her face was against his chest and he smelt of mint and sandalwood.

"S-sorry." He apologized and she shook her head.

The train treatment did not work out as they ended up in that position all the way until their destination with Touka blushing and Kaneki looking elsewhere embarrassingly with a blush on his face.

Their next stop was a shopping street. As it got later in the day, more people poured in and Touka found it hard to avoid men as well as before when the street was empty. Despite that, she found herself enjoying the outing with Kaneki very much because he'd offer to buy her things, food and anything she wanted.

Even though this relationship was only temporary, it felt real. It felt like they were really a couple who had romantic feelings with one another. For once in her life, she experienced how it was like to be someone's girlfriend and to be on a date with them.

She was too busy looking at a stall that she didn't notice a man trying to barge through the number of people and almost hit her. But Kaneki noticed and quickly had his hand on her shoulder to pull her away from being run over and into an empty alleyway.

The action caused her body to press against his, her breasts, hands, and face on his chest and her heartbeat roared in her ears as his arm wrapped around her waist to pull her close. As her ear was on his chest, she could hear the racing heartbeat beneath his shirt and started to think that her own heart might also be racing like his, and it was definitely because she was in his arms.

"Are you okay?" He asked but she didn't reply. Instead, she looked up at him dazedly.

Instead of releasing her, which he should, his arm remained wrapped around her waist as he gazed down at her before his hand came to cup her cheek.

"Touka.."

Her heart skipped a beat when he called her by her first name—which has never happened before. It has always been Kirishima and the fact that he's calling her by that name now on a date made the moment more intimate.

Just as quickly her heart raced, he dropped his hand and looked away. "Sorry. If you're alright, let's continue walking."

Touka felt a pang of disappointment when he separated himself from her and proceeded to pretend as if nothing between them happened. It felt so right to be in his embrace. If it were any other man, she wouldn't have wished for him to continue holding her.

Upon reaching home after the date, Kaneki buried his face into his hands.

When he saw that she was about to get run over, his body had reacted on instinct and pulled her out of the way. In the process, it couldn't be helped that he touched her. It couldn't be helped that she landed in his arms. It couldn't be helped that he cupped her cheek—who was he kidding?

From the way she had looked at him, it made him want to kiss her. Her eyes were wide and her pink lips parted slightly. The way her body felt so right in his arms did not help either.

He cursed. Hadn't he promised himself not to touch her without permission? Hadn't he promised himself not to get his feelings mixed up with his work?

Over the course of 4 months, he had gotten to know her personally and her hardworking attitude was what caught him. With her, he felt a level of a bond between them whenever she shared bits and pieces of her personal life, work, hobbies, and many other things.

Along the way, he had fallen half in love with her.

She made him feel like no other girl had done so before, aside from Fumika, his ex-girlfriend. She made him feel alive again, ever since Fumika died.

He wondered when he started having these feelings towards her and thought that maybe it started when she comforted him with a hug when he talked about his ex-girlfriend. The way she had empathized with him and provided comfort had touched his heart despite her being androphobic.

Shaking his head, he tucked his feelings for her away deep and swore to himself that he wouldn't allow himself to fall deeper in love. If he did, his already fragile heart would break when it came to a time they had to separate.

—

Today was their second date as Touka waited nervously for Kaneki to arrive. She was early today, too excited to sleep and ended up being super early to meet at their meeting point. For her to get used to men, they had agreed to meet outside a train station instead of him picking her up at her house.

She looked at the couples who lingered around the train station and felt envy build within her. They were all talking happily, holding hands and some were even kissing when no one was looking. She wanted it to be that way between her and Kaneki as well. But it seemed that he only saw their dates as part of his work and job.

Even so, with the way he had held her face the previous day, it seemed that he held some feelings for her and she felt slightly comforted by that.

For afar, she saw Kaneki running towards her whilst waving and smiling. They soon departed for their destination for the movie theatre. His explanation for choosing this as their next treatment was if she were able to take being close to him—a male—for several hours, she would then be able to date a guy like a normal person.

As they walked and talked, Touka couldn't help but stare at his hand and had the urge to grab it. When she talked about what happened on her first date to Yoriko, her friend had patted her hard on the shoulder and told her to go for it. He obviously had some feelings for her and if she didn't do anything about it, she would regret it.

She gathered up her courage and grabbed hold of his hand. His head swung to look at her, his eyes wide and then directed his attention down to their intertwined hands. Her cheeks warmed. "T-this is okay, right? I want to hold your hand."

He remained silent as to ponder over her question and she wanted to prevent him from coming up with any excuses. "I-it's for me to practice holding hands so I can do so with my boyfriend in the future!"

She swore she saw a frown hanging from his lips for a split second before he changed it into a smile. "Sure."

As they sat side by side in the movie theatre, Touka realized that she didn't want to learn how to have physical touch with a male. She didn't care about other men, she wanted it to be him. Only him.

So, as subtly as she could, she slowly shifted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder during the movie. Kaneki noticed and turned his head to look at her, which resulted in them gazing into each other's eyes, in close proximity in a dark room.

To her dismay, he turned his attention back to the movie. Her hand moved to rest on his chest, over his beating heart.

"Touka, don't. We're not at that stage yet."

"..what if I'm ready to enter that stage?" She murmured.

She had no idea where she got the courage to act so boldly in front of him but she did and hoped that he would get the hint.

"We promised that we would take it slowly, didn't we? Besides, we're in public." He whispered.

"Okay.." she replied in disappointment.

They ended up going on another few dates after that, slowly exploring more of the physical touch aspect of their treatment.

As the touch increased to hugging, so did Kaneki's struggles with his feelings. He had wanted to keep it professional but he can't help but wish that this was all real—that they were truly a couple. It seemed that with each passing date, the more his barrier in dating her weakened. And he knew it was because he hadn't dated in a long time and Touka was a one of a kind woman.

Having been with her for the past 5 months, he has since seen many parts of her. How she'd start talking a lot once she was familiar with him, sometimes talking very excitedly about certain things, how her eyes would shine at the sight of anything rabbit-like, how she dislikes tomatoes just because they're red, how her cheeks turn pink whenever she was embarrassed and every one of this traits made him want her for himself.

While his duty as a doctor had been to cure her androphobia, he didn't want her to interact with other men but him. He was jealous of the men who would come into contact with her in the future. Jealousy was one factor present in love, he realized and shook off his thoughts.

Their date today was the summer festival. Donning their yukatas, Kaneki and Touka headed to the main area—the food and game stalls—and had a lot of fun. They were seated on a picnic mat when the fireworks show started. As the fireworks went high up in the sky, the noises by the crowd and the heat of the summer air didn't matter.

What mattered was how they were mere inches apart from one another, looking at a beautiful sight in front of them and it felt as if they were the only two people in the world, with all the sounds but the fireworks, drowned out.

"It's beautiful..." Touka murmured, eyes focusing on the fireworks, mesmerized by it.

"It is..."

While his words may have been meant for the fireworks, they were actually directed at her, as his eyes never once left her face as he said the words.

Once the fireworks were over, everyone started heading home, hence the huge crowds with people squeezing with one another trying to leave the area.

Kaneki turned back to Touka who was just behind him and took her hand with a smile. "It's so we don't get separated."

She nodded, one of her hands going to touch her hair. Her heart dropped when she couldn't find the rabbit hairpin that he gave her. It's gone.

"I have to go back! I lost something!"

She let go of his hand and returned the way they came, leaving him alone to be carried away further from her by the crowd. Running back to the grassy area where they sat to watch the fireworks, she got on her knees and started to feel around the grass for her hairpin.

She didn't care that her yukata got dirty, she had to find the hairpin. It was a gift from him and it was important to her.

At the corner of her eye, she spotted something shiny and went over, to find her hairpin.

"Here it is!" She exclaimed, picking it up happily and dusting the grass away that was on it. Securing it tightly in her hair, she smiled and was about to return to him when she was approached by 2 middle-aged men.

"Hey pretty girllllll, what are you doing all alone out hereeeee? Where's your friends???"

"Wanna come with us to have some funnnn?"

From the red blush on their cheeks and their slurred words, she could gather that they were drunk and walked to the side to avoid getting involved with them.

One male grabbed her by the arm and pulled her flush up against his body. The male's breath stunk of alcohol and she bleched at the smell, adding on to her initial disgust of being against a sweaty, drunken man.

When the man's hands started creeping up her thighs, and the other guy yanked her yukata to reveal her shoulders and cleavage, Touka's eyes brimmed with tears. She recalled that day as a young child, where the exact same thing happened.

She knew she should do something to save herself but her body just froze at the spot. She cursed herself for being weak and questioned herself the reason why she even learned judo and aikido for self-protection if she can't even use it when she needed it now. Her heart thumped in her ears and she couldn't move her limbs.

At that moment of crisis, her knight in shining armor came—Kaneki.

From her disheveled clothes and tears running down her cheeks, it doesn't take a genius to realize what was going on here. Anger boiled within Kaneki and he clenched his hands into fists. He charged at them and punched the 1st male who had his arms around Touka.

The man stumbled and fell to the floor, roaring in pain and held his cheek which was starting to turn swollen. The other male ran towards Kaneki and she shouted his name to alert him. He took down the other male with a punch to the face and the stomach, leaving both males rolling in the floor in pain.

Police soon came and after giving the details to the policemen, the males were handed over and Kaneki held the trembling Touka in his arms. "I'll take you home," he said, and he didn't allow any room for discussion.

Throughout the whole car ride, he refused to look at her and she could tell that he was angry from the fury in his eyes. But she was too scared to say anything and so the entire car ride was just silent.

Only after depositing her in her room, that Kaneki decided to release all of his anger and shout at her.

"What were you thinking?! If I hadn't made it in time, you could have been raped by those men! What was the thing you lost that was so important you had to go back to get it?!" He roared.

This was her first time seeing the gentle-natured him angry and yelling at her that it scared her and she backed away.

"I-I'm sorry... I just—wanted to find it myself and I didn't want to bother you for it...

Kaneki sighed angrily and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "You know you would never bother me. I said from the start that I will be with you."

"I know, I just—" tears welled up in her eyes again. "I lost the rabbit hair clip you gave me and I wanted to get it back. It's precious to me..."

Her hand rested on the small hair clip that was pinned on her bangs. Stunned silent that she actually risked herself to get the hair clip back, Kaneki let out another sigh in resignation and cupped her cheeks. "I get that it is important to you, but ask for my help next time, you know I'll never refuse you. Promise me, Touka."

She nodded. "I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven." He smiled before a worried expression came on. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Do you need me to do anything for you?"

Her lips trembled. "I was so scared... it reminded me of that day when the same thing happened to me when I was young."

"..do you want to tell me about it? You don't have to force yourself."

She shook her head. "I will. It's about time I did."

"I was only 13 years old then. I was with my dad and little brother at a shopping street when we got separated. I wandered along the alleyway where nobody was around and I had hoped to find my family, if not the way home. And then, 2 men came along."

Releasing a shaky breath, Kaneki's hands ran up and down her arm to soothe her and gave her the courage to continue on.

"When I asked them for help, they laughed and asked me to give them something in return for their help. Being a young girl at the time with no money, I brought out some sweets from my pockets and offered it to them. But their idea of a reward was different from mine. They cornered me to the wall, and one man held my arms and legs while the other tore the clothes from my body."

Anger rose within Kaneki at the men that did that to her and he forced it down, not wanting to interrupt her story.

"They touched me. They felt up my legs, my arms, everywhere and I was crying but I couldn't run because they were holding me and—by the time I was found, it was too late—" she sobbed and he hugged her tightly. Without her continuing, he already knew the rest of the story. She was raped.

"What happened to those men?"

"..They went to jail."

"They deserve more than jail for taking advantage of a young girl like you. They deserve death."

Touka withdrew and smiled weakly. "You're so nice, Kaneki."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help you. If only I knew you back then..."

"It's not your fault, or anyone's. I just happened to be there at the wrong timing. That's all."

Gazing into her blue eyes, Kaneki was overcome with sorrow for the young innocent girl she was who had to suffer this kind of thing. He wanted nothing more but to do anything to comfort her and hold her in his arms until she was alright. Cupping her cheek, he ran his thumb across her pink lips and leaned down to kiss her.

Her eyes widened and before she could react, he pulled away and caressed her cheeks. "Do you trust me, Touka?"

"I do."

Aside from her best friend Yoriko, he was the only other person she trusted the most. It seemed that her answer made him happy as he smiled.

"Then...let's take the next step in our relationship. Give me a chance to hold you, let me make you forget what happened with those men today and when you were young."

She could see the truth in his words from his eyes and couldn't refuse.

"Okay."

Then, he kissed her again.

—

As they basked in the afterglow of their making love, Kaneki held her tightly in his arms and inhaled her scent before kissing her head. He knew he had to leave now and yet, he didn't stop her when she leaned up to kiss him. Instead, he returned the kiss, hands splayed across the soft skin of her back to pull her closer.

The expression that she gazed at him with and a contented smile told him everything. She loved him. It was a sad thing, for he couldn't love her back.

He cupped her cheek, pushing her violet strands to the back of her ear and remained silent, taking the time to craft his next words.

"As of today, your treatment is complete. As a doctor, I'm really happy for you that you have overcome your fear of men. We won't be meeting every week anymore but I will give you an open appointment, should your phobia relapses. You will be able to go on with life normally and it is my greatest pride as a doctor to see you functioning healthily as a member of society."

At that moment, he got up and started to get dressed. Holding the blanket to her chest, Touka watched as he put on the last of his clothing—his shirt—and chewed on her lower lip. "Will we see each other again?"

After getting dressed, he made sure for his back to face her so that his face wouldn't give away any of his feelings. He could not. Previously, he was only half in love with her. But now, after they've done it, he's fallen completely in love with her and it was too late. "Unless your condition relapses, we will not. As a doctor, I hope it won't come to that."

"..but if I want to see you again?" She asked, hoping that he would at least allow it.

Kaneki's hands turned into fists and he struggled with the answer. The thought of never seeing her again made his heartache, because even if he tried to control it, he had feelings for her and he wanted to see her every day. Alas, he couldn't, because he would just be stringing her along, knowing her romantic feelings for him, when he couldn't love her the way he should.

"No."

Her heart dropped at his answer. "Why?"

"There's no reason for us to meet one another. As of today, our couple status is broken and we agreed to become a couple in the first place to treat your phobia."

"But..what about all the time we shared together? The dates, the laughter, the hugs? Are you telling me that it was all for my treatment, and they didn't mean anything to you? We had fun, and I thought...that we were getting closer.." She looked down, tears brimming in her eyes as she recalled the dates they had, the times where he held her hand and smiled at her. The way he had kissed her so lovingly and passionately during their making love... everything made her believe that they were in love.

Seeing her cry, he almost wanted to go to her and hug her and tell her he was sorry. But he hardened, it was for her own good. Even if he ended up hurting her, it would be much better than her realizing late in their relationship that he couldn't love her 100%, because part of his heart would always belong to Fumika.

He forced his tone to be cold. "It was only for your treatment. I felt nothing. I don't love you, and I never will. Your feelings are only temporary and it will fade if we were to part."

"W-we can try again to be in a real relationship and not for my phobia! We can be a real couple and I'm sure that with time, our feelings towards one another will be the same—"

He turned towards her and shook his head with a frown. "That wouldn't work. Goodbye, Touka."

As he stepped out of her house and her life that day, he couldn't help but feel regret over his actions and that she didn't come after him.

—

Two weeks after that incident...

Hugging her knees to her chest, Touka had a movie marathon consisting of sappy romantic movies and binge ate ice cream and waffles alone. There were no messages nor calls from Kaneki and it felt as if they were never a thing at all.

Tears welled up in her eyes once again as she recalled the way Kaneki had rejected her and left her life as quickly as the way he entered her heart. Her first love and it ended with heartbreak.

Ah, so this was the heartbreak that Yoriko was talking about... She felt like crying all the time and often didn't want to go to work. Her heart ached wherever she went and would remember Kaneki in everything she did.

Deciding that she needed to stop moping, she got up and looked around her messy room. It's time for a spring cleaning. The first thing she did was look under her bed, she always liked to shove her things under there to avoid putting them back to its places.

It was a mess down there, as expected, but she spotted a notebook mixed in there. Puzzled since she's never had a blue notebook, she picked it up and opened it.

—

Closing his eyes, Kaneki rested his head on his desk and allowed himself a short 15 minutes nap. Ever since he broke up with Touka, he missed her so damned much that he hasn't been able to sleep well at night.

With his exhausted self, he soon entered his nap. He woke up in his own bed, turning to the side to find Touka sleeping beside him. The silver band on her left fourth finger shined in the morning light.

The scene cut to the living room, where he found himself fully dressed and Touka stood with her back towards him in the kitchen. She was cooking. Then, she walked towards him with a plate of food in her hand and a smile on her lips.

The scene cut again, to the park where he observed Touka and a young girl with black and white hair playing with each other. They spotted him and the young girl ran towards him, with the words that shocked him.

"Papa!"

With that, his body jerked and he ended up falling off his chair and to the floor.

Touching his eyes, they came away wet and he squeezed them shut. Even in sleep, he thought about her. He saw a future with her. They were married and they had a child.

Even if it couldn't happen in real life, he was happy to have seen that. At least in his dreams, they were happy together.

Groggily, he got up and went to shower. He hasn't slept well for the past week and needed to wash the fatigue away before he started hallucinating of Touka.

—

Rubbing his eyes, Kaneki thought he was hallucinating when he found his ex-girlfriend in his own bedroom. Hallucination or not, she looked livid.

Touka stepped toward him threateningly and raised a book in her hand. "I found this in my room."

That book..! No wonder he couldn't find it anywhere! She must have read it already if she was this angry.

He seemed shocked and she continued by flipping through the pages. "And at one glance, it looks to be a report of my progress in curing androphobia but at the back of the book, you were writing about your feelings for me. You said 'I love Touka.' That night, why did you say you didn't have feelings for me but you actually do?" Tears threatened to escape her eyes.

"Touka, I—it's complicated.."

Lowering the book onto his bed, Touka moved to cup his cheeks and gazed into his sorrowful eyes. "I told you, the least I could do is listen to your worries. Am I that unreliable to you?"

His eyes turned glassy. "I'm scared. I saw how Fumika succumbed to her depression and left me. She was originally my patient and we started dating soon after. I thought she was getting better, she even looked better, but...she suddenly jumped to her death one day. I was afraid that if I ever dated another patient again, I would experience the same painful feeling of losing that person. Even now, 3 years later, I haven't been able to date someone and am still suffering as the person who's left behind. I'm the best doctor in the department and yet what's the use if I can't even save one patient?"

Touka remained silent to consider her words. "I'm not pretty. I'm not patient. I'm not everything Fumika was. But I can tell you that I love you, and my love for you won't lose to hers. I'll be with you no matter what happens, and I promise I'll tell you everything. I won't hold all my worries to myself, I won't be like her."

He shook his head. "Even since she died, I became a broken man. I won't allow you to be stuck with someone like me. You deserve someone else, someone better than me. Someone who can give you the happiness you deserve and that person is not me."

"The point of having a lover is for them to stand by their sides no matter what, isn't it? If I have a problem, you would stand by me, wouldn't you? Then what's wrong if I do the same for you?"

"I—" Kaneki smiled weakly. "When you put it that way, you make it hard for me to reject you."

She grinned. "Then don't reject me. Say yes."

He hesitated. "Apart from being broken and scared, my other reason for not dating you is because part of my heart still belongs to Fumika. Are you really okay with that?"

"Yeah. I'll allow her to have that part of your heart and secretly hope that the remaining of whatever's left will go to me. If it doesn't, I'll make you love me." She grinned, throwing her arms around his neck.

He laughed for real for the first time in ages and leaned his forehead against hers, gazing into her eyes. "You don't have to do that. That part of my heart already belongs to you. I had thought loving another was impossible ever since Fumika's death, but then you came along and changed everything. Within a few months, I fell in love with you, despite your rudeness, brashness—" he winced as he earned a jab in his ribs and a scowl from her. "I love you, Touka. I really do. Will you be my girlfriend? For real, this time."

"You know my answer."

He grinned. "Then will you give me a chance to show you how much I love you?"

Touka cocked her head to the side, puzzled. She shrieked in surprise when he suddenly bent down to carry her in his arms before dropping her onto his bed. His lips molded with hers and the tears that she shed were tears of happiness.

In the aftermath of their making love, she laid on his chest with his arm around her waist, listening as his heartbeat returned to the normal stable one and closed her eyes in contentment.

"You know, in my dreams, I saw you," Kaneki spoke.

"Hm?? What did you see about me?" She asked, eyes still closed.

"You were in my bed, sleeping. We were married, from the silver ring on your finger. Then suddenly you were cooking, then we were at the park with our child."

"Child?" She opened her eyes to look at him, echoing after him.

He nodded. "It'd be nice if it were real."

True to his words, they married a year later and had a child with a mix of black and white hair named Ichika. It took a while but Kaneki decided that letting Touka into his heart was the best thing he ever did. They then lived happily ever after.

#kanetou #touken #kaneki ken #ken kaneki #Touka Kirishima #kirishima touka #tokyo ghoul #tokyo ghoul re #tg fanfiction #tg #faewrites

9 notes · View notes

protezioni · 4 years ago

Note

❌🍒😊🌠🔮💗 for Amelie, 🍊🍑📀🌠🌀 for Soffrire, 🔥🍋🌳🍆 for Sofia

Thank you for the ask, mama !! I love you!! Under keep reading because they’re a lot :00

Amelie Boffrand

❌ What kind of things would end any relationship for them? Is there a history behind why these things bother them? Could they ever take someone back despite this? If so or if not, why? Something that would end any relationship with her is manipulating her in any way. The reason why it bothers her is because she went through this a lot in the past, and it eventually became a reason on why she almost broke completely. She could take someone back though, but only if they promise to never do it again and make up for that mistake.

🍒 What kind of things do they expect from their relationships? Does this differ between platonic relationships and romantic ones? Is your OC “demanding” or a door mat? What kinds of things do people expect from them in a relationship? She does not expect too much in relationships. However, she expects more from a romantic one than a platonic one. For platonic, she believes constant care would be good, as well as thinking of the other’s well-being. In romantic, she expects more attention and affection in general. She’s is definitely more of demanding, but she doesn’t ask for too much, actually. People don’t expect too much from her besides the fact she’d be more affectionate and clingy. But some rumors float around that she can never be loyal [which is false].

😊 What can make your OC smile even when they’re feeling down? What cheers them up and makes everything feel better for them? Is your OC genrally a happy person and do they enjoy making others smile? What about your OC makes others happy? Chocolate. She really loves chocolate. It’s her favorite food and she loves all kinds, but her favorite would be the fruit and nut chocolates. She smiles immediately if you give her some [Normally, fellow Amoureux members give her baskets of chocolate as an apology]. However, what cheers her up the most are tight hugs and a person to cry on. She’s generally a happy [and also teasing] person!! She loves making other people smile [but also pissing them off]. People usually get happy by hanging around her because she can talk about anything and everything.

🌠 Who was your OC’s first friend? Do they remember them or are they still friends now? Talk about some of the people your OC has lost contact with over the years. Do they have any regrets about losing these people and would they revist them if they could? Her first friend was Ko. She remembers it very well and that’s why she knows him the most. [Omi might know him A LOT but she doesn’t know everything about him]. They’re friends until now too! The people she lost contact with are the people who messed up her life by doing several things to her, so no, she regrets nothing and she would NEVER revisit them.

🔮 Star gazing or cloud watching? Hand-holding or snuggles? Early mornings or late nights? Star gazing, definitely !! She prefers snuggles, she’s really clingy !! Late nights!! She likes looking out the window with a glass of champagne.

💗 What would your OC say is their best feature? Why? What do their friends / family / lover(s) / people they know think is their best feature and why? She thinks her best feature are her eyes!! She believes it is because she also thinks eyes are the most special in people as well. However, a lot of people do think her best features are her hair or eyes because they’re on the yellow or golden side!

Soffrire Sanguinoso

🍊 What is your OC’s favourite meal? Snack? Dessert? Drink? Any reasons behind this besides liking how it tastes? Her favorite meal would be ravioli! Her favorite snack and dessert would be tiramisu! Her favorite think would be milk tea! No reason for the meal but for the rest, she likes sweet things!!

🍑 Where is your OC’s favourite place to relax or calm down? Recount a story of their time spent in this place! What makes it so special to them? She loves relaxing in the rooftops [which is ironic because she snipes there sometimes]. There’s actually no special thing about it to her besides the fact it’s easier to see the sky and single memory about it. However, she remembers the whole Crew Due’s first mission and they all met in the roof area, she was the last one to appear and it ended in a group hug.

📀 How easy is it to shock your OC? To confuse them? To lie to them, to manipulate them? How are they with feelings of trust? Can your OC be trusted? The first four? Hard as hell. She’s one of the members of Crew Due for something. She’s okay with the feelings of trust though and she can easily tell if she can trust someone with a secret or not. However if it comes to friendships, she doesn’t always trust her gut feeling [which she should]. YES SHE CAN BE TRUSTED. Completely, yes.

🌠 Who was your OC’s first friend? Do they remember them or are they still friends now? Talk about some of the people your OC has lost contact with over the years. Do they have any regrets about losing these people and would they revist them if they could? Her first friend would probably be a fellow student who tried learning to snipe with her! She remembers them but they aren’t exactly friends anymore. She lost contact with her family members, but she doesn’t know what to feel about it for the most part. She would revisit them if she gets prepared for it though.

🌀 Where is your OC from? Where were they born? Do they still live there, if not why did they move? If they still live in the area how has it changed since their childhood? How many places has your OC lived in and where has been their favourite? She’s from Sicily, Italy!! She doesn’t live with there anymore, but she is still welcome to go back. She moved because she didn’t agree with the beliefs of her parents, and didn’t like what they were becoming, so she switched mafia families before anything escalated. Only two, but she prefers the Protezioni house!

Sofia

🔥 Give us a list of general likes and dislikes, such as colours, textures, music, weather and other stuff! She doesn’t dislike too much things besides people who talk to much and think the whole world revolves around them. [Yes, she had a dislike to Achilles at first but she eventually saw his more “caring side” so that changed]. She also dislikes being looked down on or being insulted. But she does like bowling, and also she does like travelling by boats!

🍋 Does your OC act petty and jealous easily? What sort of things make them feel like this and do they experience guilt for getting so worked up? How do they deal with these emotions when they get them? If your OC doesn’t feel like this often, why not? She doesn’t act jealous too easily BUT she can be really petty [towards everyone, being real]. She gets petty when people ignore her or insult her in general. However she doesn’t feel guilty or worked up about any of it. She just lets it be and burst into anger, but she calms herself down later on by not talking to anyone. She feels this often, actually, but it’s because of her temper.

🌳 Compare your OC to themself from 10 years ago. How has their mental state changed since then, how have they aged and grown up? Would they say they’re in a better place than they were back then or do they need help? What advice would they give their younger self? What advice would their younger self give to them now? She was much calmer back then but she didn’t know too much about how the world is. Her mental state became more mature and grown up, but she can get angry very easily. DEFINITELY in a better place, but she still needs some help. The advice she would give is never let anyone tell her what to do. Their younger self would tell them to not be so angry all the time.

🍆 Tea or Coffee or Hot Chocolate? Sweet or Spicy? Fruits or Vegetables? Coffee! Spicy!! Also Vegetables!!

1 note · View note

agreateryesterday · 5 years ago

Text

Reylo - ABO fics

House of The Rising Sun by amybeegood

(Last updated April 17, 2020) 28 chapters

A canon-esque, Omegaverse, Reylo/Hades and Persephone version of the War of The Roses. But in space.

Reyne by itsjustsilver

(Last Updated March 29, 2020) 3 Chapters

The Princess Rey does not want to attract the Emperor’s interest.

Alternative Methods (of Pain Relief) by Camucia

(Last updated March 26, 2020) 10 chapters

Rey has never exactly had the most normal of reproductive health, and Jakku left her with the pain tolerance of a rancor. But even by her standards, the increasingly awful cramps that have plagued her these last few months are getting a bit... unmanageable. She’s perfectly content to do as she has always done for her entire life, gritting her teeth and soldiering through the pain - Too bad this is apparently Not An Option when these sensations are shared with a certain Supreme Leader.

Only his Queen by Lanie_cakes

(Last updated March 26, 2020) 16 chapters

Rey world is turned upside down when she turns 27 when her suppressed shapeshifter gene is unlocked when she goes into Heat. She is shipped off to a place called the First Order to relearn about her origins and has a hard time adjusting in this new world she dubbed as the Fuzzy Kingdom of Nudity. A year into waiting for her alpha Mate to come to her and unlock her inner animal from its cage. She is shocked to find that she not going to mated to just any regular Alpha...But the King of the Wild People Himself.

Naboo by Sweetaro

(Last updated Dec 29, 2019) 4 chapters

Naboo was supposed to be a paradise. A way for Rey to get away from society while she waits for Poe. Getting the invite to go to Naboo, a closed society where Alphas and Omegas get along. Where everything looks perfect. Too perfect. And is it just Rey or do all of the Omegas act weird? They all cling to Alpha males, and talk only about pups and homemaking, how great their alpha husbands are, and just how much Naboo is perfect. Nothing seems right, and Rey is starting to get uncomfortable with how the town keeps asking her when she and the reclusive Ben Solo are going to get married and be the same. And the fact that he sounds so assured when agreeing with them. Something is going on, but is Rey going to get out in time before she has some of the Kool-Aid?

The Late Bloomer by JJJJ12

(Last updated Feb 17, 2020) 10 chapters

Rey and Ben have been friends since they could walk and have avoided any tension in their relationship for a simple reason—Ben is an Alpha and Rey is a Beta. But, when Rey unexpectedly presents as an Omega almost a decade after she’s supposed to, the best friends must figure out how to ignore the attraction that’s always been there for the sake of preserving their friendship.

Ambrosial by devdevlin

(Last updated Feb 13, 2020) 6 chapters

Somewhere in the Calvary, there's an Alpha who smells like heaven.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief by KiraStar

(Last updated Nov 18, 2019) 4 chapters

"My father bought you for 20 pounds and a plot of land not fit enough for a cow to graze upon." At 17, Rey is forced into an arranged marriage with Kylo Ren, the adopted son of a wealthy lord, in order to produce an heir. Lady Macbeth AU

Heat In Your Gaze by Chibirini1

(Last updated Nov 17, 2019) 19 chapters

When Rey, a feisty omega, wanders too far into the forest and starts her first heat, she is found by none other than Kylo Ren, an alpha with a secret. Will he be able to break against his clan's expectations to be with Rey? Or will she return to her lonely life once more?

Explosive Chemistry by MizuPhoenix

(Last updated Sep 28, 2019) 10 chapters

As far as Rey's concerned, her boss can blow an aneurysm. Kylo Ren, more like the big bad wolf, with all his huffing and puffing. Nevermind that he's drop-dead gorgeous, he was an Alpha. Rey had dealt with enough Alpha's to know that her adoptive brother was the only one she would tolerate. At least she was lucky enough to not be born an Omega. No, Rey would not be bending over for her boss or any other posturing Alpha male. Except... that little voice in the back of her head keeps growing louder, and her body has started to ache whenever the overwhelming (insufferable) man is not around. Then there are the urges, probably just sexual frustration, but they are all clamoring for her asshole boss' attention. Rey just wanted a nice normal life. With Kylo Ren in the mix that dream has shattered. Needless to say, their interactions have the chemical reagents necessary for explosive reactions.

Gravitation by CaraRose

(Last updated Jan 31, 2019) 7 chapters

Modern A/B/O. Rey Johnson is an eighteen year old Omega who's asshole "stepfather" Plutt is pocketing her grant money meant to help her pay for college. The archaic laws that say an Omega isn't of legal age until they're twenty one is leaving her stuck with little recourse as how to get away from Plutt so she can get her education. Kylo Ren is an alpha, and one of the top enforcers in the First Order, a crime syndicate run by the shadowy "Supreme Leader" Snoke. The two live lives that are worlds apart, but events are in motion that will send them on a collision course neither of them is ready for.

Dark Woods and Daffodils by Austere_Ahhhnie

(Last updated Nov 28, 2018) 3 chapters

Across the bloodied battlefield, a young Omega on the cusp of womanhood catches the eye of an enemy Alpha on the ascent of his power.

Winter's Cage by Nelsbels

(Last updated April 16, 2018) 5 chapters

The reason why the historians called it the era of the Dark Ages is because the scholars had limited knowledge about this period of time due to the scarce records left behind. It was an Age of the rising Leviathans, a race of ancient and primordial monsters that walked this earth unchallenged. During the Dark Ages the Lycans fought a vicious war for their freedom from their masters and enslaves, the Nosferatu. For many generations the bloody conflict ravaged the lands with no end in sight. An elusive Lycan by the alias of the White Ghost stands defiant against the Nosferatu. Kylo Ren will stop at nothing to end the uprising and put down the said Werewolf. However, things change once they finally come face to face and consequently the scales of the war start to tip.

Misbehaving For Days by t0bemadeofglass

*Finished* 18 chapters

Rey’s experience with Demi-Humans is about as limited as her experience with snow, that is to say: horrendously minimal, given that she’s just moved to Coruscant with no intention of returning to the hell hole of a desert she scraped herself from. Easing herself into the lifestream of a city that demands assimilation to the rigors and confines of a bustling metropolitan was never going to be easy, but throw in a one-night stand with a tall, brick house of a man that doesn’t seem keen on leaving it at one night, and any hopes Rey had for an easy transition got blown to high heaven.

Knot an Omega by SkywalkerSince1980

(Last updated May 22, 2020) 4 chapters

How would A/B/O society have developed over the past 15,000 years, and what would it be like in modern-times? How would Rey, Kylo, and the crew handle it? What is the A/B/O backstory, and how did it develop into modern times? Plenty of (semi-fictional) ancient history mixed in with the story, and plenty of smut down the line. Rose is a badass. Rey has a bad decade. HEA, but not the way you think.

Labyrinth - a Reylo Book Of Sins Re Write by RayofDawn

*Finished* 5 chapters

A retelling of a childhood favorite but with a sinful reylo twist

Knots in the Heart by Anonymous

(Last updated July 2, 2018) 2 chapters

Kylo’s determines to keep his prisoner.

Catacombs by monsterleadmehome

*Finished* One Shot

Kylo Ren is the oldest living alpha vampire. He has been chasing his omega, Rey, for centuries. Ever since the night he turned her, he’s wanted her for his own. Will she finally let herself be claimed or doom herself to a worse fate?

No One But You by faequeentitania

*Finished* 5 chapters

When he scented her on the wind, his entire world ground to a halt. It was primal, it pulled at something in his guts like a hook, and everything- the droid, the map, Skywalker- all became secondary to her. Her. The girl. His mate.

The Mating Service by AlbaStarGazer

*Finished* 36 chapters

'If Rey had known how quickly she would find her biological mate and alpha through the world wide mating service, 'Match,' she might have considered signing up years ago.' A sceptic of the leading mate finding service, Rey decides to sign up after too much wine and years of loneliness. She never expected to find her match within days of submitting her samples. Join the two as they are separated by an ocean, Rey in England, Ben in America as they explore their situation. Can Ben convince Rey that he wants his omega for her and not simply their biology and change her mind about the reliability of the mating service?

Vanilla Jasmine Dreams by Trulyurs

(Last updated May 30, 2018) 4 chapters

Rey is a young research assistent hoping to learn from the best, so when she is hired by Luke Skywalker she is hopeful. What she didn't exspect was Ben Solo. An alpha that seems to shutter at the sight of her. He is loud and harsh, one of the harder alphas she has incountered, and she is horribly attracted to him. What Rey doesn't know is that Dr.Solo is hidding a secret.

Until you by Ever-so-reylo (Ever_So_Reylo)

*Finished* One Shot

Kylo looks at her, and he smells her, and he thinks, Fuck. He thinks, Yes. He thinks, I didn’t know. I couldn’t have known. And he says: ”You should watch your right side.”

Finding Home by JaneEyre1847

*Finished* One Shot

Can therapist Ahsoka Tano and a lot of resentful pondering prepare Ben for the terrible secret Rey is ready to reveal?

Dark Nights by Polkadotdotdot

*Finished* 27 chapters

"Cause I need a man, a man who has blood on his hands and the truth on his face," Rey is broke.Trying out for a second job to solve her mounting debts, Rey has a chance encounter with an Alpha by the name of Kylo Ren who makes her an offer she just doesn't want to refuse. Little did she know how her choice would pull her into the underworld of New York crime.

Hotter than Hell by slxtforbangtanboys

(Last updated May 3, 2018) 1 chapter

They went by many names. The Light, and The Dark. Rey and Kylo - But on days that he's feeling generous, Rey and Ben. The Jedi and the Jedi Killer, fated to be.

Heartstring by Oh_Snapcrackle

(Last updated Sep 9, 2018) 13 chapters

“Did you just smell me?” The girl accuses, craning her neck to meet his stare. Her eyes are wide with shock and weariness. Hazel eyes. Warm eyes that look like they have lived a thousand lives. Breathed a thousand deaths. Soulful eyes. His cheeks color, and he realizes he is blushing. And he never blushes. Not since he was a little boy. But he is blushing now from embarrassment and the fact he did just get caught trying to catch her scent. “No, sorry. I was just sniffling. Got a cold.” Every demon is connected to an angel by a heartstring. Ben just found his. In this world where angels and demons live among humans, balance is kept through the mysterious mating bonds between creatures of light and dark. Where there is darkness, the light will rise to meet it. Or so it used to be. Angels are too rare these days. And even if a demon finds their mate, keeping them safe is impossible.

Court You, I Shall. by LadyErica

(Last updated Dec 10, 2018) 3 chapters

A fair maiden Omega from Jakku is doing her mistress's errands when she meets the Alpha Lord from Cornelia while he is on a hunting trip. Their eyes meet and though the maiden refuse because of her background and upbringing. The Lord refuses to give up. His mother always howls him for not finding a mate and settle down with pups already, but in this Omega he just met. He believes he has found his mate that will birth his heirs. He will do anything even court her if he must.

That's Enough! by SithLord98

(Last updated Aug 27, 2018) 4 chapters

After a deadly virus caused by the overuse of suppressants that nearly wiped out omegas in 2449, federal laws were put into place to preserve and protect them. These laws are highly oppressive in nature for them, requiring omegas to register if they have not been claimed by 18. Rey Marek and Tatum Rax are two betas and former foster sisters trying to heal after living a rather traumatic childhood. Rey accepts a mathematics teaching position at Resistance Academy, one of the last omega secondary schools in the U.S., located within the D.C. Metro area next to First Order Academy – an exclusive alpha secondary school founded and financed by the Skywalker and Palpatine families. Tatum is the school librarian, which makes the situation even more convenient for her. Kylo Ren and his friend Armitage Hux have been asked to oversee in the merging of the two schools. After a prescription recall on suppressants, Rey and Tatum both realize that they are omegas that haven't presented, but opt to take the risk and not report this in hopes that the suppressants will kick back in again soon. Everything is fine until they meet Kylo and Armitage during a transition visit at Resistance Academy that everything goes to shit for them…

So yours, So mine by Anonymous

*Finished* One Shot

“Where is she?” He asks impatiently. Hux nods and walks quickly, but he hesitates for a moment when they take a different corridor from the prison cells, his question is quickly answered by Hux. “We had to separate several of them due to their condition.”“Condition?” His impatient voice distorts behind his mask. "Yes ... several of the omegas got heat during the trip, so they were separated from the others ..."

Clan by moonstone88

*Finished* 14 chapters

Wars between clans were normal, but what happens when that war is between two who love each other. Rey knew she shouldn't have bent to Kylo as her Alpha, but she had no idea what their fleating connection would do and the pieces she would be left to pick up. Can Kylo overcome the years of hatred he holds in his heart for a clan that forced him away from the love of his life, and is trying to snatch her from his grasp once more.

Second Heat by UmpBumpFizz

*Finished* 4 chapters

"Stay right there." She stilled instantly. Her eyes settled on his outstretched hand, her breathing shallow and rapid. "You're alright... You're alright. I've got you." She blinked as she felt the warmth of his hand as he gently caressed her face. His voice... God, his voice was like silk. Safe? "I've got you. You're safe." She drew in and let out a long, shuddering breath as the scent from the gland on his wrist hit her nose, calming her instantly. Safe.

Feral by Hormonal_Trashbag

*Finished* One Shot

Snow began its idle descent from above the line of barren trees, filtering to the frozen forest floor in fat flakes. Despite the turn of weather, Rey remained focused on the pair of long ears ducking behind the nearby brush. Her fingers trembled as she nocked an arrow in the string of her bow but she ignored the cold as she prepared to take her shot. If she was like any other omega, she would be sequestered in the warmth of her den right now, heavy with pups and waiting for her alpha to return from the hunt. But Rey hadn’t gone into heat with the shift from autumn to winter like she was supposed to. The alphas of her pack had turned their noses from her in disgust when her scent didn’t sharpen with mating pheromones. What’s wrong with her? They would ask themselves and Rey had no answer.

FRACTURE by succubusybody

*Finished* One Shot

Rey's older brother Ben has been head of the household ever since their parents died when she was young. When her first heat comes, he'll take good care of her.

Swell by Hormonal_Trashbag

(Lqst updated June 17, 2019) 4 chapters

She knew that some omegas ignored the archaic pull to be mated. There was some debate over how voluntary an omega’s participation in mating could be, though she knew many of those that argued against it were betas that had never experienced a heat to begin with. What could they possibly know? There was always a choice. Rey couldn’t help being practical about it. If she ignored her biological call, she would spend a long week throbbing, writhing with a need to be filled. She’d have to skip work for a few days at the very least. It was just...easier to give in.

Gonna Get Myself Connected

The Birds and The Bees by TourmalineGreen

*Finished* 9 chapters, One Shot

Who understands Alphas, anyway; they’re mysteries, wrapped in enigmas, dusted with hormones and deep-fried in a vat of unquenchable rage. And Ben, he’s a classic, textbook example. Rey doesn’t need his intensity in her life. Rey was quite happy to steer clear of him, as long as he wants to be like… well, like that. And he’d been like that ever since she hired on. Always testy around her, always scowling, stomping, difficult. But he produced excellent code, so… maybe management was sympathetic. Then again, maybe he just had someone’s incriminating photographs, and was holding them over their heads, who knew. OR: Ben Solo: Wunderkind developer, office Alpha, noted cantankerous asshole, gets stuck in an elevator with Rey Johnson: New hire, ray of literal sunshine, progressive Omega who seriously does not have time for this.

Ben will never ever be able to forget the first, squalling sight of his son. Black-haired—so much hair—and red-faced, yelling in a way that had made the midwives remark about ‘healthy Alpha lungs!’ Ben hadn’t exactly hoped to have an Alpha son, but he hadn’t not hoped, either. It was familiar to him, and his own experience, although he knew that his son would have his own life. Hopefully a less-anxious, less-awkward time of it than Ben had… but, judging by the expression on his son’s face, Ben knows that something is very definitely up.

Run Cried the Crawling by succubusybody

*Finished* 4 chapters

Rey is mated by force during a day trip to Amish country. When her heat comes around, she is charged with abandoning her mate and forced to return to the home of the man who ruined her life.

abash the little bird by SecretReyloTrash (BadOldWest)

*Finished* 5 chapters

Ben Solo has a pretty easy time of fighting his Alpha instincts with the right cocktail of suppressants and bad attitude. However, some old wive's tales about the moon or the position of the stars may have knocked this mating cycle way out of wack for a lot of Alphas and Omegas; making them desperate to attract a mate. He may have had an easy time fighting his instincts before, but his body has other plans. Especially when it starts sprouting some truly impressive plumage to attract the right Omega. At least it catches Rey's eye. AKA Kylo gets a freakin' TAIL.

Hallowed Heat by gopherbroke

(Last updated Nov 4, 2018) 3 chapters

As the steady babysitter, Rey is accompanying Mr. Solo and his son, Grey, to the city's big Halloween Fest. It is a little too late when she realizes that she had broken Mr. Solo's rigid contract and had forgotten her supressants. She flees, hiding in the portapotty as she starts to go into heat. While Mr. Solo paces, impatient and bossy, on the other side of the thin plastic door, Rey looks back on her relationship with her boss and how he has changed from hostile employer to friend... to Alpha? But would he ever be her Alpha? And how long will that flimsy door hold back Alpha like Mr. Solo from an Omega that smells as sweet as Rey?... Grey had always said how much his father had a sweet tooth.

The Ballad of You, Me, and Everything in Between

The House on Prairie Corners by bluetoast

*Finished* 3 chapters, 5 chapters

Alpha Ben Solo just wanted to get to his new job in Yellowstone National Park by the weekend. He'd had it planned out - get through the major cities outside of rush hours, be there and settled by Saturday. Pretty easy, considering most traffic was headed east, to Woodstock. That was before an omega named Rey Johnson tapped on the window of his Volkswagen bus in some spit in the dirt town in Ohio asking for a ride.

It's been 5 months since Rey and Ben met and became mates, and they have only grown closer since that time. As a mid December blizzard sweeps into Yellowstone, the weather is the last thing on either of the minds. As Rey's next heat and Ben's rut are about to align, they only have one plan while they're snowed in. Start a family.

Shivers by AlbaStarGazer

*Finished* 3 chapters

Alphas have been illegal for decades due to their thirst for power and destructive tendencies. They are housed in institutions, prisons and state hospitals and away from the general population that consists of omegas and betas. Writer and omega Rey comes across an unconscious man outside of her secluded cabin. She realises too late he is an alpha.

End of the Republic & Freedom by SithLord98

*Finished* 8 chapters

Unknownbeknognst to them, Rey, Tarren, Rose, and Paige were marked as soul mates to four men who have lived dangerous, powerful and privileged lives, but have been sad because they believed their soul mates were dead. The girls have been raised under the noses of the Plutt brothers this whole time, to avenge for Maz's death. On Rey's 18th birthday, the guys discover the truth and kidnap the girls. How will they manage to survive unscathed, as they are now confined with them in one of their manors in the middle of nowhere, while the men go into strong ruts, causing them to go into heat...

Camping by Anonymous

*Finished* 6 chapters

Rey’s sweet alpha boyfriend takes her camping to celebrate their one year anniversary. But Rey gets lost in the woods before they can celebrate. Another alpha finds her first and he will take what he wants. *Rey is technically of legal age of consent, but she’s still just a teenager, so I’m tagging it underage. Rey is 16 and Kylo is 26*

The End Of The Beginning by Fearthefaithful

*Finished* One Shot

As her scent infiltrated my senses I could focus on nothing else. I watched her as she floated by across the hall. She seemed to be too preoccupied with her friends to notice me but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. It had been months since I’d seen her and that was before she presented. Now she was fully an omega and I felt all the anger and frustration that had built over the past 10 years was coming to fruition. This time she was mine and I wasn’t letting anyone, not even my mother disuade me from that.

May The Guac Be With You by PiscesSiren

*Finished* 13 chapters

Rey has been doing fine on her own for years. Her job isn’t fulfilling but it keeps her fed. Her house isn't perfect but it keeps her safe. But after a few things start to change, she slowly starts to realize that she wants more out of her life and maybe even... herself. Also, what the hell is up with that hot customer who says she smells obscene? Rude.

Little Thieves by ohwise1ne

(Last updated March 15, 2019) 17 chapters

"If you come out now, Omega, I'll make this easy for you." His voice carries clearly through the house, and it's almost as sinful as the smell of him, suffocating her as she shrinks back against the wall of his closet. “Or maybe… you don’t want this to be easy.” A pause. “Yes. Oh, yes. I can smell it on you. You can’t hide from me.” Rey breaks into the wrong house. Kylo Ren catches her in the act.

not because you need me to by starkylosolo

*Finished* 2 chapters

Rey just got hired at her dream job, cardiology, when she meets Ben who needs a favor from her. It's just that she didn't expect Ben from nephrology to be so... big, and so alpha. She certainly didn't expect him to smell so nice. Maybe she can ignore the way he affects her, but then he opens his mouth.

Stay the Course by aduirne

(Last updated March 4, 2019) 10 chapters

Rey is in her second year at university on a full scholarship as a forensic science major. She plans on working for the FBI one day. She had no plans of letting anyting or anyone gettig her off track. She has no time for alpha/omega drama. Her job at the campus library suits her well since it gives her lots of time to be alone in the old, ornate building she had grown to love. Everything is going rather well for her until one night when she scents someone that makes her pause. She does the only logical thing. She runs like hell.

I Seek My Freedom in the Moonlight by asongforjonsa

(Last updated March 2, 2019) 26 chapters

Rey moves to Chandrila with her step-mom and step-sister. Neither of them know the real reason why she goes for runs on full moons: she's a werewolf. On the first full moon in Chandrila, she runs into a huge black wolf: Kylo Ren. And he has news that will rock her foundation...

A Poetic Match by commandercrouton

*Finished* 2 chapters

It didn’t matter who was here at the moment. The only thing Rey could focus on was that scent. Her wide hazel eyes circled the room as she tried to see the one who was emitting those delectable pheromones. How was no one else in this room reacting? The smell was making her crazy, and she dug her nails into her skin. She would know this scent anywhere. She found him frozen by the podium, staring at her with the same look she knew she was giving him. She felt her thighs clench in anticipation as memories of their last, and only, time together filled her brain. “Rey, is everything okay? Your scent...shifted,” Poe inquired tentatively. “What?” she asked, not willing to take her eyes off the man in front of the room. “Why is Professor Solo staring at you like you killed his pet cat?” At this statement, Rey looked at Poe, realization dawning on her. No, not this, anything but this. This wasn’t a professor. He was something entirely different to her. Alpha.

Your Pretty Little Heart

A Perfectly Good Heart

And corgi makes five by Ever-so-reylo (Ever_So_Reylo)

*Finished* 15 chapters, 3 chapters, One Shot

“Good. Good little Omega.” He says the words against her gland, almost sweetly, and Rey—Rey is going to die. A wonderful, delicious death. Depraved, all of this. Filthy. Beautiful.

It’s physically painful, to be near her. And not to be, too. (Your Pretty Little Heart in Ben's POV)

It’s not about the dog, not really. It’s the name on the plate. Rey gasps. Ben almost recoils. Because there is no way that someone thought it would be a good idea to name a dog—“… Leia Corgana?” Rey’s fingers press against her lips. She is smiling. Then grinning. Then trying not to laugh. Then inevitably failing.

Algorithms by greyorchids

(Last updated Jan 27, 2020) 12 chapters

I run out to the lobby, grabbing my tablet and try to remain cool in the face of Satan in a Suit. “Mr. Ren, how can I help you?” He’s taller and more broad than pictures can translate. His black on black suit seems menacing, not a coincidence, I am sure. He seems a bit taken aback, something I am used to in this male-dominated profession. When most of the employees here come for help with their computers or experience network issues, they don’t expect me to know how to solve their problems. Challenging stereotypes one satisfied customer at a time. He breathes in deep and pauses before he speaks. I think I see the flash of recognition in his eyes but I keep my body still and my face impassive. Yeah, I am an omega, Ren. Get over it. Rey works in the IT Department for a tech company that is recovering from a recent hostile takeover. Ever at odds with the universe, Rey continues to live against the grain by excelling in a male driven industry and by redefining what it means to be omega.

Call You Mine by lovingreylo (PeaceBlessingsPeyton)

(Last updated July 25, 2019) 2 chapters

"The first day he saw her was like an out of body experience. He always felt completely silly when he thought back on it, how he had literally felt time slow or how the world that day seemed to have an extra sparkle to it. Ben sighed again before getting out of the car and heading up the walkway to his parent's house thinking about the day Rey Johnson had come into his life three months ago. How the alpha in him was immediately alarmed at how pale and malnourished she looked, how he just wanted to take care of her, how her smile and the way she laughed at his stupid jokes made his heart want to break out of his chest and offer itself to her." Even though he’s never been in love before, Ben Solo could easily tell you that he’s falling in love with Rey, the girl his parents had taken in off the street. There’s one small problem though, his father tells him that he isn’t good enough for her and to stay away. It works… for a short while anyway.

beyond the fields of wrongdoing and rightdoing (i'll meet you there) by black_facade

(Last updated Sep 23, 2019) 5 chapters

Rey has been a scavenger throughout her life in Jakku. When a dark figure suddenly came into her life, insisting that she was his mate, what could've gone wrong? Especially when it turns out that he was an Emperor and a Prime Alpha. "Lovers are patient and know that the moon needs time to become full." ***An Arabian Steampunk AU. With a dash of Omegaverse.

slake. by MalevolentReverie

*Finished* 8 chapters

It's normal for an opposite-designation parent to help their teenager through heat or rut, so why is it so hard for Rey and her widowed father, Ben?

The Hunt by commandercrouton

*Finished* 2 chapters

“Mortals tell the legend of Romulus and Remus, known as demigods who helped create the country of Rome. They were not demigods, but warlocks born to a powerful witch. She was hunted down and destroyed, but not before she begged for protection for her children. Her familiar, Lupa, transformed into a wolf granting her wish. She fed her witch’s children from her breast, creating the first Alpha and Omega in our world. All of us are descendants from those warlocks. Although magic has dwindled in our bloodlines, there are some who still possess it. And those people are us. I invite my omega brothers and sisters, on this rare Blood Moon, to celebrate our designation, and the familiar Lupa, who created us,” she pauses, raising her goblet above her head, signaling for her coven to follow her lead. “Tonight we will mingle with our neighboring Alpha coven. You will meet one another and choose your hunted during The Matching. Remember to save your carnal desires for the forest. To Lupercalia, the festival of the wolves!”

Territory by EdenMiasma

(Last updated June 16, 2019) 1 chapter

Growing up under Ben Solos wing was safe, comfortable, like nothing could ever hurt them. But Rey has to learn her place amongst her peers, and when everyone begins to present things just seem to get harder.

Honeysuckle by LBellicose

*Finished* 18 chapters

For 33 years Dr. Ben Solo has lived as a beta, he was the unlikely child of two Alphas. His life got turned inside out and upside down the day he met Rey, young omega that had been struck by a car and was bleeding out in his emergency room.

You'll Hear Me Howling (Outside Your Door) by HarpiaHarpyja

*Finished* 11 chapters

Father Ben Solo has been a priest at St. Ailbe's parish for the last year. It's a position that provides the structure and control he lacked in his youth, and maybe best of all, a way to wrangle his more unsavory urges as an Alpha. Rey Stafford has just moved to Ontario, hoping to advance at work and adjust to a new life across the Atlantic as an Omega living alone. When an unusual encounter in the confessional leaves them spiraling into a constant routine of advance and retreat, they both begin to struggle against their own baser urges and the ticking time bomb of years of repression.

Some Kind of Trouble by HopelesslyReylo

(Last updated July 16, 2019) 3 chapters

Going into heat, in the middle of the grocery store wasn’t Reys idea of a good time. Things get even more complicated when Ben offers to see her through her heat.

Mating Systems, Reproductive Success, and Sexual Selection in Secretive Species: A Case Study of the Wild Ahch-To Omega by NewerConstellations

(Last updated Feb 22, 2020) 21 chapters

For generations, Omegas have adapted to civilized environments, permanently impacting the expression of their DNA and pheromones. When a group of lost fisherman discovered an isolated population of feral Omegas on the remote island of Ahch-To, it offered a unique and precious opportunity to document their behavior in the wild. Research biologist Dr. Benjamin Solo spent a year living amongst the herd of Ahch-To Omegas and recorded his experiences, particularly his interactions with the Omega subject known as “Rey.” These are his findings.

Let’s See How Far We’ve Come by Fearthefaithful

(Last updated July 5, 2019) 12 chapters

Ben Solo was always angry. Chalk it up to his over active alpha tendencies, or his shitty childhood, but he was always angry. And when Rey walked into his life, it was like gasoline to a fire. She was an annoying little omega who always put him in his place. But now it’s been years, and he’s a raging alpha, and she’s the best thing he’s ever smelt in his life. And all the years of trying to protect her like a sister seem a little different now.

Forbidden Love by LadyErica

(Last updated Sep 20, 2019) 12 chapters

A/O/B modern world Alternate Universe Ben and Rey are siblings. Ben is an Alpha and Rey Omega. Ben has a desire. A wrong desire. After his sister had her first heat at fourteen when she gets her first period. Ben couldn't stop thinking about her. Desire turns to lust. Lust to love. It's forbidden. He was caught with her in away siblings shouldn't be. He is sent to asylum for others like him for his own good.

Lasso by ReyloRobyn2011

*Finished* 11 chapters

Western ABO because who doesn't love some Outlaw Alpha Kylo Ren?

We only live once by P_Dunton

*Finished* 16 chapters

Betrayed by her best friend and boyfriend, Omega Rey finds herself friendless and homeless for the first time in years. Thank god for her amazing boss, Maz who lets her crash above the auto repair shop where she works. Sad and lonely, Rey lets herself be talked into paying the First Order to locate a compatible Alpha Mate for her. As if her year didn’t already suck, of course she would match with the famous Kylo Ren, second in command of the most powerful suppressant production company in the country.

More Than This by LadySansasDirewolf

(Last updated July 1, 2019) 7 chapters

"Ben Solo?""Yes?"The woman slapped the documents into my hand so hard it stung. "Consider yourself served!"...In which Ben and Rey are soulmates who cannot seem to get on the same page.

Oathbreaker by Angelic_Hellraiser

(Last updated Sep 14, 2019) 7 chapters

"Claim me." she whispers, her words hard and final. He shakes his head, angered. "And kill us both? No." Stepping closer, she repeats the words in the high speech of her elvish tongue, voice low and chest brushing against his heavy cuirass. "Garo im, hîr o hûn-nín."

Expect the Unexpected by Arynn

(Last updated Jan 19, 2020) 2 chapters

Rey Ando is working for a legal company that fights for fair treatment and equality within the Alpha/Omega and Beta circles. However, little does anyone else know that she wants to be treated as an Omega submissive like the old days. Things change when she finally meets the mysterious owner of the company she works for, Ben Solo.

Quatervois by Poaxath

(Last updated Sep 12, 2019) 2 chapters

The north and the south have been at war for decades, a never-ending struggle between two sides that will never see eye to eye. In an attempt to negotiate and bring peace to a land ravaged by war, Rey departs on a quest to see if she can somehow help in that endeavour. It may be more than she bargained for, in the form of a marriage to The Dragon King - Kylo Ren.

Seasons of Love by Daisyflo

*Finished* One Shot

After his grandmother's death, Ben discovers he inherited her house. First problem: he isn't the only one. Second problem: his new housemate is an Omega.

No place like home. by HisAngel910

*Finished* 14 chapters

Rey Sanders has worked her entire life to fight against the stereotypes of traditional Omega's. Her design and renovation company helps to build the dream homes of all of her clients. Can she help her newest client Kylo Ren build his dream home? And can she do it before his Alpha drives her wild?

the dreadful need in the devotee by redbelles

*Finished* One Shot

God’s bones, what is happening? He’s smelled heat-scent before, but it’s never affected him like this. Never made him want to rip his armor off so he can feel the omega’s skin against his, never filled him with the visceral need to bite— The thought is like ice water pouring down his spine; it cuts through the haze of heat-scent like a knife, leaving a brutal clarity in its wake. The only omega on this godforsaken journey is the princess. En route to her betrothed and surrounded by a cadre of the realm’s fiercest alphas, the emperor’s granddaughter is going into heat.

Refuse Me by Autonomee

(Last updated Sep 4, 2019) 4 chapters

It’s the most contact she’s received in years, since her Grandpa was still alive. This Alpha’s touch is electric, completely unfamiliar but just what she needs. Her eyes automatically find his, they are molten brown, and everything in her wants to examine those eyes forever and- What am I doing? some sensible part of her screams at herself. Whatever he bids, another part answers. Rey’s plan to live her life to the fullest as an Alpha falls apart when a classmate discovers her secret.

Unbonded, Unbroken by Spiegatrix_Lestrange

(Last updated Nov 26, 2019) 6 chapters

Alderaan city is facing a new, disturbing threat. A powerful crime cartel is kidnapping Omegas, keeping them as prisoners for unspeakable, revolting reasons the local police need to investigate further. Detective Ben Solo goes undercover as Kylo Ren, determined to dismantle the cartel from the inside, but there's a requirement he must fit if he wants to gain the cartel's trust: he must bring an Omega as an offer to the organization. Rey Niima is a young, promising agent who knows exactly how hard an Omega's life can be. When the opportunity occurs to give her contribution to saving her fellow Omegas from the cartel's grasp, she volunteers immediately, determined to help Detective Solo with any means necessary.

Mine by assortedfruitsnacks212

(Last updated Sep 3, 2019) 3 chapters

The duel between Kylo and Finn in the snow, reframed as a fight over Omega Rey. It’s sexy. The end. Then Kylo whisks Rey away from Starkiller Base. Cue SMUTTY SMUT SMUT with MINIMAL PLOT. Marked "dubcon" because TFA Kylo isn't a gentleman...yet.

A good brother by Anonymous

*Finished* One Shot

Ben is home alone with Rey, taking care of his little sister as the good brother he is. Everything goes as usual on a Saturday night, oh at least that is what Ben thinks, until Rey is going into preheat…

Blow your smoke to fog up the mirror (write our name in hearts) by reygrets

(Last updated Sep 3, 2019) 9 chapters

Of course, this lecture is on the opposite side of the spacious campus, and she’s practically running from the titillating two-hour long Thermodynamics class. It was an introductory session, mostly that ‘get to know you’ crap and going over the syllabus, but the content she saw listed was a high that would carry her through anything--- even classic lit with Professor Solo. Or so Rey had thought, trying to slip into the lecture-hall without drawing too much attention. Unfortunately for Rey, the doors are heavy, old, and they slam even when you try to shut them gently. The man standing at the head of the class stares her down, and oh no. Rey's hot teacher (who probably already hates her) is an Alpha.

A Tale of Tooth and Claw

A Tale of Monsters and Legends by Khawapashi

*Finished* (Last updated Nov 24, 2019) 32 chapters, 30 chapters

Rey experiences her first heat in the middle of a crowded convention and is rescued by a dashing, dark-haired stranger. Kylo takes things too fast, because he's an intense, emotional idiot. The Knights of Ren are fun, especially Kylo's most loyal 'Knight'. Hux is the devil as always. The Skywalker-Organa-Solo family drama is... complicated.

“What the fuck, Argent, Rey is in heat -" The phone slid suddenly from his boneless grip, and Rey gathered herself up on her knees, fingers quickly working open the leather fastenings keeping her gagged. Kylo fell to his knees and she was there, wrapping herself around him from behind, murmuring nonsense words to calm him. “He’s back," he whispered. “Luke Skywalker."

Post: Part 1

4 notes · View notes

bleedingsandshq · 5 years ago

Photo

[ CHARLIE HUNNAM, MALE, HE/HIM, 37 ] Whenever I hear FAIRLY LOCAL by TWENTY ONE PILOTS it always makes me think of CAIN O’HALLORAN. They have been so RESOLUTE & URBANE, but occasionally they have gotten a little bit ABRASIVE & HAUGHTY through the years. They currently work as a BOUNCER AT LUX NIGHTCLUB, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to DONDERO as the BOSS. CALLOUSED FINGERTIPS RIDDLED WITH SMALL PAPERCUTS, A STORMY GLARE BEHIND PIERCING BLUE EYES AND A TOWERING FIGURE SHROUDED IN DARKNESS AS THEY LINGER IN AN EMPTY CHURCH makes them easy to spot on the strip.

CONNECTIONS.

An Unlikely Friend: I feel like this kind of connection could be fun and intriguing to play! Cain isn’t the kind of man who readily makes friends and trusts very few, with the exception of those in the syndicate. Therefore having an unlikely friendship for him would be interesting to see come to life given his aloof and standoffish nature. Ideally, I’d like for this person to maybe be unaffiliated so there are no ties to other groups that could sway their friendship. Though, I’m entirely open to any kind of unlikely friend for Cain, regardless of their affiliation.

A Love Interest: This one is pretty self-explanatory but because I’m a sucker for drama, I’d love this to be an angsty connection. Ideally, this is a person I see being the polar opposite of Cain. Someone who maybe isn’t affiliated and is a lot more soft and polite than Cain. Their relationship would seem odd if it were to surface to common knowledge and although they mightn’t be any good for each other, neither can seem to cut the other off.

An Enemy: Again, this one speaks for itself but as Cain is pretty rough and ready, I imagine his enemies would stretch wide and far afield. Ideally, I’d like for this to be someone from one of the other groups and, similarly to the enemy connection for Levi, it would be someone who Cain can’t stand. Though for the purpose of angst and drama, I would love for this enemy to be based on a past friendship. So, the two would have been old friends (maybe from Ireland or anywhere else Cain has lived) but something happened and caused them to drift apart and become enemies.

BACKGROUND.

Cain was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. His father’s identity is unknown and his mother was a drug-addict who always had different men around. So much so that he doubted she even knew the real identity of his father. Not that he cared because as far as he was concerned, his father was the asshole who bounced the instant his mother announced her pregnancy.

Due to his upbringing, from a very young age, Cain had to learn how to fend for himself and protect himself. While he knew his mother loved him in her own way, she was never really in the picture. Nor was she ever in a fit state to shield Cain from the violence of the men she brought into their home. It could be said that Cain had to grow up very quickly, well before his time.

Despite his family life, he was an intelligent boy who excelled in school and attended an array of after school clubs. School was Cain’s safe haven, a place where he felt more at home than his own house.

Although, after a few years, the older he got the worse his social life became. He’d become somewhat of a social outcast in high school when word got out about what his mother dabbled in. As the rumours spread, Cain became more and more excluded and ostracised. His mother’s shenanigans becoming known among his peers and his teachers did little to aid in his teenage years being positive and upbeat.

He did have this one teacher, Mr Dalton, who was always in his corner and was always there to listen and help as best he could. He was the one constant adult in Cain’s teenage years who actually gave a damn and wanted the boy to excel in life. He’s someone that Cain will be eternally grateful and thankful for.

On Cain’s thirteenth birthday he came home to find his mother collapsed in a heap in the kitchen, a needle sticking out of her arm. Her body lifeless, it didn’t take him more than a minute to realise his mother was dead. Though he felt the loss, he didn’t feel it as strongly as he felt one should. He felt the loss in the sense that he knew he had to feel something, this woman was his mother after all. And Cain was anything but heartless. at least, at that stage in his life, he wasn’t.

Soon after, the boy was placed into foster care where he moved from family to family before settling for the following few years with the DuPont family. They were kind and raised him right and despite his childhood, Cain still managed to get through school with rather impressive grades, gaining a scholarship and attending Trinity College.

After he graduated, he decided he would rather explore the world and find his place in it. So, at the age of 21, Cain left his hometown and moved to London for a few years where he worked various jobs that paid just enough for him to earn his keep in rented accommodation.

By the time he’d turned 25, Cain decided that he wished to move further afield and wound up in New York where his moral compass soon became questionable. Soon, he’d fallen into the criminal underworld of the city and dabbled in rather immoral acts. Such as dealing drugs, trafficking firearms and hurting people. Though with no real ties to any specific crime syndicate, he finally moved to Las Vegas when he was 27.

It wasn’t too long until Cain found himself embroiled with the Dondero. Starting as an employee at 28 before climbing the ranks to a soldier, then an assassin, an advisor and now, finally, the syndicate leader.

All his life Cain has searched for a place where he felt he truly belonged, searching for somewhere he could fight for a cause he truly believed in. It might have taken him a long time, but since his arrival in Las Vegas 10 years ago, Cain has found his place in the Donderos. With 9 years of experience under his belt, the past 5 years as the boss had been a blessing in disguise for Cain.

CAIN IS CURRENTLY CLOSED & WRITTEN BY CHRISSIE.

#sands.closed #sands.dondero

2 notes · View notes

nadziejastar · 5 years ago

Note

In a lot of your posts, they have a lot of the texts from the novels and manga. If you were to go off of ONLY the games, would Subject X still be hinted? I think yes, but I'm a casual fan.

Well, I developed my opinion on Subject X based ONLY on the games. I played all the games as soon as they came out. So, that would be many years ago at this point. I didn’t read the novels or the manga until after I beat KH3, which was relatively recently. My opinions on the story/characters were quite solidified by then. I actually read them because I thought KH3′s story was so inconsistent with the previous games.The novels/manga simply reinforced the opinions I already had formed after playing the games. I felt validated by them, but they had nothing to do with my opinion on Subject X.

Now, are you are asking me if I think Subject X—the way it was written in canon—was hinted at in the games? A mysterious time-travelling girl that Lea and Isa were looking for the whole time they were in Organization XIII? LOL. Hell no. Absolutely not. She was never hinted at even once, not even vaguely. And the way Axel and Saïx were written was never consistent with that motivation at all. If you mean Subject X as a concept? Xehanort’s lab rat? Yes, definitely. That was pretty much EXACTLY what I always expected Isa’s backstory to be, based ONLY on the games. I thought Lea and Isa were set up perfectly to be test subjects. When I play the older games, I’m still unable to see them as anything but test subjects. That’s how much support there was for that idea and how little there was for anything else.

I was VERY confused when KH3 did feature a character who was Xehanort’s lab rat. But instead of being Isa, it was a random girl he never mentioned before (but apparently was obsessed with). Them being apprentices was something so farfetched, it never even once crossed my mind. I didn’t understand how anyone could give that girl the backstory that seemed 1,000 times more suitable for Lea and Isa. How could the person writing the story not see that? How do they expect the fans to not see it, either? How dumb and/or incompetent do you have to be to write the story that way? How did that even get approved by a whole team of people? Those were my thoughts when I played KH3, based ONLY on the previous games.

That is NOT how someone will feel if a story is well-written. Some people act like Nomura made the story up as it went along, with each individual game. But that wasn’t the case for the games building up to KH3. Re:CoM and KH2FM+ were released together. And BBS, Days, and Coded were being developed simultaneously. These were all part of one big master plan. The way Saïx was written in Days was connected to how Isa was written in BBS, etc. Isa was planned to be a good guy MANY years in advance. IMO, him being the real Subject X was hinted at MANY years in advance. If you think anyone else was foreshadowed to be Subject X, let’s look at the games one by one.

Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix+

In all the games building up to KH3, the only person from Axel’s past that had any relevance was Isa/Saïx. They could have hinted at Subject X any time they wanted to in ALL these games, but they never did. In KH2FM+, all the new scenes with Saïx involved his relationship with Axel. Saïx seemed to be conflicted about Axel’s elimination. Xemnas made a comment to Saïx about Axel chasing the illusion of friendship. This scene hinted that Axel wasn’t really obsessed with Roxas like people thought. He was really just trying to recover his lost friendship with Isa. I had always suspected that Axel’s “obsession” with Roxas was due to his troubled past, so it didn’t surprise me at all. And Nomura loves twists like that.

They were setting up Isa’s relationship with Lea to have significance, not his relationship with anyone else. It’s absurd for me to think that they were trying to track down a girl they didn’t even know existed. They had real problems to worry about. KH2FM+ also introduced the Chamber of Repose and the Cavern of Remembrance. This all suggested that the experiments on the darkness of the heart would be very important and explored in much more depth. Xigbar seemed to have heavy involvement in these experiments, since he didn’t want to go down into the castle basement. And he’s the one who taunted Saïx about not being able to see Xion and not having a heart.

Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories

Castle Oblivion is all about recovering forgotten memories. The other most important recurring theme in Re:CoM was reuniting with people you miss. Pretty much every Disney world incorporated this theme. This was the perfect opportunity to hint at Subject X, but they didn’t do that. Instead, they chose to keep the focus on Axel’s relationship with Saïx.

Days made a big point of showing that Axel changed a LOT after coming back from Castle Oblivion. Saïx said this to him on Day 193, called “Memories”. He also asked Axel if the past meant nothing to him. Axel said he missed what was gone between him and Saïx. He didn’t mention missing anyone else. There was also a new scene where Axel acted extremely cold to Naminé because she was making two childhood friends fight. Isa was the only childhood friend we ever saw, and he later became an enemy. In every game building up to KH3, Isa was set up to be the most important character to Lea. Subject X? Crickets.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Axel said in his report that he forgot what friendship felt like after becoming a Nobody. That was the whole point of him befriending Roxas and Xion. He was not focused on friendship until he met Roxas. And Saïx was always cold and indifferent towards everyone, even Axel, who was his best friend that he was inseparable from. They’ve been together for 10 years in the organization. I’m expected to believe that Saïx was able to care about some imaginary girl, but not his best friend? To be honest, I thought that the writers had to be drunk if they thought that was believable or realistic. Or that it made Saïx more sympathetic.

Even in Days, I could tell that Axel had a lot of baggage from his past. He always treated his memories of the past like they were sacred. Day 150 is about having something you can’t bear to lose. He said that for Nobodies, it was their past, because that’s all you have to remember the pain of losing something. Perfect time to mention Subject X. After all, her disappearance was Axel’s motivation, right? But the story made it perfectly clear: Axel was heartbroken over the loss of his best friend. Nothing else was ever mentioned. Axel was good friends with Roxas, but I got the sense that he was much, MUCH closer with Isa.

Personally, I thought Axel was a former test subject ever since the original KH2. It fit him perfectly. He was a sad, lonely, dysfunctional person. When Days hinted that Axel had a tragic past and dark secrets that he didn’t like to talk about, I was not at all surprised. He suffered from something way more traumatic than someone he barely knew disappearing. And it never seemed like he chose to be in the organization. That’s why he was always yearning for his childhood with things like ice cream and summer vacation. My personal belief is that Axel was always written with the backstory of a former test subject in mind. They came up with Saïx‘s backstory later, though I suspected he might have been a test subject too, due to his scar and his berserk state, which made him seem kinda freakish. We always knew that Xigbar and Saïx were unique due to them having gold eyes and pointy ears.

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep

When I played BBS, I knew that something horrible must have happened to Isa to turn him into someone like Saïx. The difference between Saïx and Isa was like night and day. None of the other Nobodies were THAT different from their human counterparts. BBS also confirmed my opinion on Axel/Roxas/Xion. Lea was WAY closer to Isa than he was with them. Isa seemed like a shy kid. But he was very comfortable with Lea. And Lea acted much more naturally with Isa compared to Roxas and Xion.

After BBS, it was obvious that Isa was not a villain, and that he was going to be on the good side at the end of KH3. This was the game that was supposed to show you who the organization members were as humans. They showed that Braig was always evil. Lea and Isa were only in one single scene, other than the epilogue. So, why would they choose to show him as an innocent kid who was Lea’s best friend? Obviously, all of this was to show that he was the polar opposite of Braig. How is that consistent with his canon characterization? He sold his soul to Xehanort, did icky jobs for Xemnas at a pace Axel couldn’t keep up with, and tried to murder Axel. Why would anyone in their right mind choose to write Lea’s best friend that way, if he was not possessed? Especially if they wanted him to appear in future titles?

In the epilogue, they showed Lea and Isa eating ice cream together. Sea-salt ice cream was VERY important to Axel’s character. Axel defined friendship as people who eat ice cream together. I knew that Isa was very special to Axel if he was the origin of his addiction to ice cream. They also showed Lea and Isa trying to sneak into the castle. This was BEFORE the experiments took place. So, Subject X had nothing to do with why Lea and Isa were originally trying to sneak in. They wanted to sneak in because it sounded like fun. Not because they thought people were being tortured in there. There’s no evidence the mystery girl even existed back when BBS was written. The apprentices were not recruiting kids to be apprentices, they were kidnapping kids. What reason would Ansem have to let them be apprentices anyways? It makes no sense.

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance

In KH3D, Lea was recompleted. Xehanort was gone. He could have used that opportunity to look for information on Subject X. But he didn’t even mention her. He immediately set off to look for Isa. That was his main priority upon being recompleted, not finding Subject X or Roxas, who had gone back to Sora. Lea wasn’t even concerned that Saïx was trying to hunt him down in KH2. He was happy to look for him, even when he was putting himself at risk using the dark corridors. He used the same lines he did for Xion, which had huge narrative significance. It was clear that he was dead set on bringing Isa home. If Subject X was important, Lea didn’t act like it. KH3D sent the message to me that Lea was VERY devoted to Isa. Why even write him this way if he wasn’t supposed to rescue him eventually? Why make it seem like Isa was kidnapped if he was supposed to be looking for Subject X?

Lea and Isa were also the only two who were wearing the black coats when they were recompleted, which gave me the impression that they were test subjects. The apprentices never wore the black cloaks. And of course, the big revelation in KH3D was that Isa was a vessel. Unlike Xigbar, he seemed like he was being controlled, like a puppet. Lea awakened his Keyblade, the Flame Liberator, immediately afterwards. Xemnas also mentioned mind control experiments in this game. Why bring this up if Subject X was only experimented on for her memories. NONE of the games gave me the impression that Lea and Isa were apprentices, that Isa willingly joined the bad side, or that there was some mystery girl that he was looking for. They gave me the impression that Isa was one of the many characters who needed their hurting mended. That was supposed to be the main theme of KH3, after all.

Birth By Sleep Final Mix+

Xemnas may have called Aqua’s armor “friend”, but that was only because he had access to Terra’s memories. He tried to manipulate Aqua by impersonating Terra in KH0.2. And I got the impression that a similar idea was behind the relationship between Axel and Saïx. In the secret ending of BBSFM+, the camera zoomed in on Master Xehanort’s eyes when he said he had many other roads open besides Terra. Then they zoomed in on the amnesiac Terranort’s eyes, showing that they were brown. They zoomed in on Ansem the Wise’s eyes afterwards, showing that the were orange. And finally they zoomed in on his eyes again when he was in the Realm of Darkness. The implication was that Master Xehanort had so many options because of these experiments. His goal was to create vessels, not learn about the age of fairy tales.

Ansem put his research results in Sora to atone for all the lives he ruined. It can be reasonably discerned that Ansem Seeker of Darkness and Xemnas had orange eyes because of Ansem the Wise probing the depths of Xehanort’s heart, to restore his memory. He gained all of Terra’s memories in the process. And in the games building up to KH3, they specifically changed Saïx’s eyes from gold to orange. This implies that the same thing was done to him as well. We know Subject X was also an amnesiac and that Ansem the Wise hid them away when he released the other subjects. It makes sense that Isa was the same as Terra.

Kingdom Hearts 0.2

When Riku told Kairi that she was going to be training with Lea, she was shocked. She later admitted in KH3 that she was afraid of him, because he kidnapped her. But she said that she found it hard not to like him because all he ever wanted was to help his friend. That’s exactly what I expected to happen. My impression after playing KH0.2 was that Axel’s relationship with Roxas and Xion was meant to provide him with character development. This would allow Lea to fulfill his TRUE purpose in the story: becoming a Guardian of Light and rescuing his real best friend from Xehanort. Axel’s friendship with Roxas was supposed to carry over to Ventus because they both had a friend who was a vessel.

Axel’s friendship with Xion was meant to carry over to Kairi specifically because they were going to be training together in KH3. Kairi awakened her Keyblade because she wanted to bring Riku and Sora home. Lea and Kairi were planned as friends because he also wanted to bring his friend home. Axel’s friendship with Roxas and Xion played an important role in Lea’s development. But my impression was that getting Isa back was the ultimate goal of Lea’s character arc, not Roxas or Xion. And especially not Subject X, who is irrelevant to the Xehanort Saga.

Saïx could not see Xion for some reason that was never explained. He has a large Recusant’s Sigil scar on his face which was never explained. Axel said Saïx’s personality changed drastically, while he stayed more or less the same. This was never explained. Saïx had orange eyes like Xemnas, but this was never explained. Subject X does not explain ANY of these things. But Isa being experimented on as the REAL Subject X just happens to explain ALL of them.

Kingdom Hearts 3

When Lea said he’d always be there to bring his friends back, Xehanort got a really nasty smirk on his face and sent Isa to attack him. It was just to punish him for ruining their plans. Xehanort knew exactly why Lea was there, and how to hurt him. Then during the final battle, it was a repeat of what happened in KH3D. Lea was ruining their plans yet again and Xemnas wanted to punish him. He was so confident that he had Isa under his full control, he thought he could murder Lea right in front of him and he wouldn’t do anything. He turned his back on Isa, literally and figuratively. Isa was positioned to be directly behind Xemnas’s right hand. He was his right-hand man, after all. Everything was all set up perfectly for Isa to finally betray Xemnas. That’s what being a recusant means in the first place.

Lea’s reunion with Roxas and Xion didn’t even feel like an organic or natural development in the story. It felt like shameless pandering. Subject X felt even more unnatural than Roxas and Xion did, which says a lot. Then there was Saïx’s transition into a “good guy”. If they wanted a character like Saïx to be redeemed, they would need to give him an actual redemption arc. Axel was always sympathetic and likable, and even he needed a redemption arc spanning multiple games. Saïx was WAY nastier than Axel. It would take a LONG time to redeem him. But…he was never humanized. The games went out of their way to depict Saïx as inhumanly cold as possible.

It was a deliberate CHOICE not to humanize him in ALL of these games. Yet there he was in the ending, chilling and eating ice cream, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Now, this would make perfect sense if his backstory was a nice kid who was kidnapped, experimented on, then got possessed. He wouldn’t have needed a redemption arc in that case. So it makes perfect sense why one was never planned for him. In every game, the emphasis was NEVER on Saïx being redeemed, but on Lea saving Isa. The power of waking was the main goal of the story. Isa was introduced in the game called “Birth by Sleep,” which IS the power of waking.

Lea and Isa being test subjects would have made the story far more interesting for 99.9% of players, I guarantee it. But it’s not even just that. Every game since KH2FM+ was written to give the impression that they were test subjects. There’s no way the writers weren’t aware of that. They knew exactly what message they were sending to people. And it makes waaay more sense than them being apprentices. I could not understand why anyone in their right mind would waste all of that foreshadowing and change their backstory to something FAR less interesting and also not very believable. If something doesn’t make sense it’s usually not true. I’m no detective or anything, but the only thing that makes sense is that Isa was planned to be Subject X for well over a decade. Then at the very last minute it was changed to this new girl.

There’s three reasons I could think for someone to believe that Subject X made sense the way it was written in canon. They are either:

A. Not looking at the story very closely. Probably a casual fan.

B. A blind Kingdom Hearts fanboy/fangirl who will defend anything in the story.

C. Not very intelligent or perceptive.

#KH #kh saix #kh isa

11 notes · View notes

eggshellsreview · 5 years ago

Text

Steven Universe (Season 1) review

The now incredibly popular Cartoon Network animated show created back in 2013 has only spiked even more in popularity due to the recently released movie that caught my eye and made me decide to dive into the show first hand just to see what I've been apparently missing out on the past few years.

Unfortunately for me, Steven Universe started airing on Television before the time that I was more open minded about animated series or even just wider genres as a whole. However, since then, a lot of animation and other content has made me spread out my taste and turned me not just willing to watch more animated content, but gladly willing to watch. And I will say, that so far, Steven Universe has only reinforced that new mentality as it surprised me in great ways.

Steven Universe follows a very young, very enthusiastic protagonist of the same name in his abnormal childhood adventures, rooted to his unwilling connection to what I can only describe as sentient rock extraterrestrials. These extraterrestrials are permanently referred to as Gems in the series and are equipped with what you'd expect: Super advanced technology/intellect, superhuman abilities, and a whole lotta backstory to unpack.

For context, I spent several years with a best friend who absolutely adored the series, and even though I wasn't particularly interested in the show, I'd always let her gush to me in great detail her favorite aspect of it; the lore. Because of this I'm already familiar with a decent chunk of the backstory that surrounded the main characters and their origins so to say, but I will say, that even though hearing about the show never made me want to go running and put it on to watch, watching how the information that I know unfolded through the show in its incredible pacing was a completely different experience.

The Gems that the story follows are a small group of short and sweet personalities. Pearl, the level headed scholar. Amethyst the rowdier, messy fun haver. Garnet, the quiet neutral one who doubles as the muscle of the team. And of course, the star of the show, Steven, the 10 year old rare half-human, half-gem hybrid trying to become a full fledged member of their team; The Crystal Gems. With their sworn duty to defend Earth from mystical threats, we watch as the Gems teach Steven some basic training and lessons of what it means to be a Crystal Gem as we simultaneously learn alongside him, who the Gems are and why they're here on our planet doing what they're doing.

This is where the show excels most. The way the show feeds information to the audience is incredible. As a loose comparison of another family friendly animated series with lots of lore about non-human characters saving the planet, I'll use My Little Pony (MLP): Friendship is Magic. MLP is a show I binged entirely for its lore and characters after hearing about it from the same friend who put me onto Steven Universe. However, despite being very interesting world building and lore exploration, the delivery of all that information was almost exclusively the scholar characters giving us very lengthy discussions in between action of episodes. Steven Universe doesnt do that though. Instead we get the engaging method of the show dropping hints, clues, and tid bits of information in a chain of loosely related episodes. For a simple example, in the lore of the show, there's a cave of important value to Steven's character. However, instead of just having Pearl go "Oh, Steven, let me show you this important location and give you a 4 minute conversation about its importance", we see implications to this place's existence over the span of the first episodes. After that, we see Steven discover it through an entirely nontraditional manner and explore it alone not knowing what it is, therefore not giving us any information about what's truly going on. Finally, a bit after in the season, we get a formal introduction to the location by Pearl to wrap up what we need to know about it in a brief minute or two. What this does, is allow us as the audience to theorize the meaning of things or people for a while, then be gifted actual on screen information in a nonformal history lesson kind of way, then have suspense for when we finally get the last pieces of the puzzles. Its a much more engaging method of giving information while eventually saving time for the formal information which may not sound like much. But when the episodes are 11 minutes long, cutting down 4-5 minutes of a history lesson, to just 1 or 2 minutes leaves more room for episodes to visually show case the significance of key information in action rather than just spend half the episode talking about it.

I'd say the only thing more important than the lore of the show however, is the atmosphere. With its watercolor sort of aesthetic to help set the general feel good and innocent tone the show it usually carries, it tends to use its art style to also butter you up for some crazy emotions. Steven Universe may have simple characters, but their dynamic between one another ends up pretty deep. Whether it's something like Garnet's quietness dropping for a moment of genuine anger or hurt because of her reaction to something. Or Amethyst dropping her carefree attitude to reveal how much she cares about something happening. The context of these moments are always INCREDIBLY powerful and filled with sincere dialogue that has left me tearing up more than just a couple of times and in my opinion, are what truly made this first season of Steven Universe a phenomenal pleasure to watch.

Another reason this show manages to have extremely good portrayal of emotions is due to its now iconic music numbers. Though they're expected, the songs sung by the characters in their appropriate moments always portray just what they have to. Funness, sadness, distress. It's a real treat, and really helps characters with simple, but strong personalities express a larger array of emotions than natural dialogue could. My favorite parts are always when they sing during action scenes because admittedly, the non musical number tracks of the show arent especially stellar. They get the job done and fit the atmosphere, but there were fewer times than I wouldve liked that I actually thought, oh hey this background track is great.

All in all, Steven Universe is an incredible show so far. One that I'm immediately continuing as soon as this is posted. The show knows what it wants to be and how it plans to do it, leaving us just an objectively well paced, well written, and crazy fun ride through an original fantasy world where you constantly want to learn more and where teases leave you constantly engaged. There's so much more I could've said, and want to say, about things like side characters, character designs, Gem abilitied (especially Gem abilities), but with this season being so long, I'd like to prioritize the more key elements of the show. Though rest assured anyone who hasnt watched the show, the things I just listed are presented and written as well as everything that I was able to talk about. Ultimately, I give Steven Universe, Season 1, a 9.5/10 rating. With genuinely nearly no complaints, even though it took several years to even give the show a try, I was left not only entirely satisfied in every category, but it exceeded all expectations and had left me crying, jaw dropped, and emotional every time it wanted to. I'm a huge fan of the show right now, and I seriously think anyone who hasn't, should really give it a watch.

#steven universe #cartoons #cartoon network #crystal gems #review #phenomenal #stellar #mlp #animated

5 notes · View notes

angeldrcps-blog · 5 years ago

Text

✧.° ░ come on girls...get on the floor...we just wanna have some fun !! hello !! it’s me, diana ( or di if u like ), ur resident girl group stan AKLSDHSDH i go by she/her pronouns & reside in the est timezone. i’m sooo sorry this is so late...pls plot with me anyway <3 now onto the intro !! tw: drugs, alcohol, & death mention ( nothing in like graphic detail or anything tho )

background

angelina was a product of her father’s second marriage

he was married for around 10 years to a publicist, but they split after he had an affair. they had a boy together, aka angelina’s half brother ( who is like 7 years older than her )

her father remarried to her mother in 1998, who was 22 at the time. there is a significant age gap between her parents, her father being around 35 at the time of their marriage

her mother was a huge model in the 90s, think like kate moss vibes. her father was a lawyer at a law firm famous for dealing with celebrity scandals and worked exclusively for the upper class. eventually, he would come to own this firm

their relationship was not strange to the media. it was common to see older men pictured with beautiful younger women

her mother fell in love, while her father didn’t feel the same way. he had done the whole ‘love’ thing with his first marriage. his second marriage was solely for his own selfish gain ( what i’m trying 2 say is her father was a gross guy )

her mother got pregnant with angelina shortly after the marriage, so she took a break from her career to have a child. most people said it was career suicide to have a baby while in the peak of her career, but her mother wanted to do the right thing. plus, she was in love. she did dream of starting a family with the man she loved one day, she just hadn’t planned it to happen while she was so young

her father wasn’t ecstatic about having another child, but there was nothing he could do. he could barely be a father to his son, unfortunately

angelina was born in february in the midst of a snow storm

her father was not there to witness her birth. he was promoted to head of his law firm and claimed there was some work thing he simply couldn’t get out of. or maybe it was another affair. at just 7 years old, even angelina’s half brother begged to come when her own father wouldn’t

due to the storm, they were snowed in for the day. even after she was born, her mother and half brother stayed in the hospital watching movies. her half brother had a great affinity to his step mother.

now that i’ve rambled on about her parents i’ll get into the important stuff. angelina can’t complain much about her childhood. it had many downs, but most of her memories were days spent with her half brother, or watching backstage as her mother walked the runway

her brother began teaching her guitar when she was just 6 years old. she fell in love instantly with music and transitioned into playing bass shortly after

her parents were not too happy about her getting into music, but they didn’t have much to say as long as it just remained a hobby

the media was obsessed with angelina and her mother. they were always pictured together wearing matching outfits. angelina was a princess and an heiress. but ultimately, her mother was more like a best friend than a mother. angelina never blamed her. she felt bad that she lost her youth because of her untimely birth

as expected, her father was rarely present. in angelina’s eyes, he was a hollow shell of a person. he never cared about her half brother the same way he didn’t care about her. he had no idea who his children were, and didn’t care enough to find out

that’s why when word of her father’s death reached her, she didn’t shed a single tear. he was found dead in his office, his cause of death being a drug overdose. no one in the family had any ideas he was a drug user. her mother was impacted heavily by his sudden death. despite the way he treated his family, she was in love with him

angelina’s mom found it hard to cope with the loss and was able to be there for angelina even less than before. all angelina had left was her brother, and it was them against the world

her brother was there for angelina as much as he could be. he never wanted to leave her on her own, but he needed to finish school and take care of business. when her father died, he was the heir to the firm

during her teen years, angelina was free to do what she wanted. with no one there to watch her, she knew she could get away with anything, as long as she could manage to stay out of the public’s eye

her passion for music grew, and she found herself doing all sorts of things with all sorts of people. she was introduced to a world of parties, drugs and alcohol, but for her that was just the beginning. she wanted more from life

eventually she began engaging in past times that put her at risk, but she had no regard for the consequences. her father’s death served as a constant reminder of how short life is, so she would do anything to make the most of it

angelina would try anything at least once. to her, experience was everything

at 17, she found her way back to her mother and told her she wanted to pursue music. her mother objected at first. she always had this dream that angelina would follow in her footsteps and pursue modeling. she had the look and the connections, it would’ve been hers for the taking

but music was her dream and her passion. her mother finally agreed, but only if angelina agreed to pursue a pop, mainstream sound. she didn’t want angelina to be associated with the image that came with some musicians, so she did everything she could to maintain angelina’s pristine image

angelina agreed, only because it was better than not pursuing music at all. she started playing shows at small venues with only a handful of fans, but eventually, the world fell in love with her as a bubblegum pop princess. she maintained the sound for a few years before deciding she could not lie to herself and her fans for any longer

she left her record label, leaving her mother and fans disappointed. the only people who expressed their support were her brother and her friends

this is where she is at now career wise, about to comeback with her new look and sound. she has no idea how the public will take it, but when the article about the brat pack dropped, her image was hurt even more. most people and critics think her comeback will kill her career, but a select few look forward to her new music

personality

angelina tends to go with the flow. she doesn’t have a very assertive personality and tends to adapt to fit a group of people, or a location. she doesn’t have a sense of self

while she values her alone time and tends to be more guarded with her emotions, she loves to be around people. she spent most of her childhood alone, so now that she has a good group of friends, she appreciates any time spent with them

she is extremelyyyy reckless. she’s never faced any consequences for her actions, so it’s thrilling to her. even if she were to get caught, she wouldn’t really care. she’s always seeking the next thrill and tries to convince other people to do stupid shit with her as well

she is an aquarius sun gemini moon. having two air placements as some of her most dominant placements has left her flighty and non-committal in most relationships. it’s not that she’s closed off to the idea of falling in love, she just needs someone to keep her on her toes. she gets bored easily

it takes a lot to make her actually angry because she gets over things fairly quickly, but there is a few fire placements somewhere in her chart that can make her a bit feisty if she gets really upset. it’s pretty rare tho

not rly personality but she’s bisexual !!!

wanted connections

party buddies - this is pretty basic and self explanatory, but someone angel can go out and have fun with. their friendship is might be more surface level, or prob started that way, but it’s possible they’re closer friends (maybe angelina opened up one day when under the influence of something

ex-fling/gf/bf - angelina is more the non-committal type so it’s more likely for her to have an ex fling than an actual ex bf or gf, but it could still have been a serious un-labeled relationship, actual bf or gf, or just an ex fling. they could be on bad terms, good terms, still have feelings, not have feelings, u name it

unrequited crush - ur character could have feelings for angel, but maybe she doesn’t feel them back or is unaware that they like her. this could develop into her eventually having feelings for ur muse or not, whatever we want! OR she could have a crush on someone who does not like her back. maybe they’re even more non-committal than she is, or they simply do not like her back. we could plot this out however

current fling/friends w benefits - someone she is currently seeing/sleeping with. could be no strings attached, or there could b some feelings there. maybe they don’t want to make it anything serious, or maybe they’re ready to take it to the next level. maybe one person is ready to go further, and the other isn’t.

enemies w benefits - imagine the tension!!! they started out hating each other, but ended up hooking up. maybe it was a one time thing, or maybe they can’t stop going back to each other. i think it would b cool if they kept it a secret, they don’t want anyone else to know. this could develop however we want

ex-friends - someone she used to consider a close friend, but they had a falling out for whatever reason n maybe they hate each other now. maybe they want to re-kindle their friendship but don’t know how

sibling-like friendship - someone she sees like a sibling. they’re there for each other and look out for one another, always have each other’s backs

dynamic duo - could be her current best friend. this person is prob one of the closest people to her and has actually managed to break down some of her walls

confidant - someone who confides in her or someone she confides in, or they confide in each other. they don’t necessarily have to be the closest friends ever, but they get along, trust each other, and maybe they talk more in private

rivals - they hate each other for whatever reason. maybe it’s jealousy or their personalities just clash, but for whatever reason they do not get along. i love a good enemies plot. they can just b nasty to each other!!! maybe they bring out a really bad side to angelina that most ppl dont see

safe haven - *mini drug tw* i did not know how to label this so i apologize for the name. but i think it would b cool if someone helped her out during a bad night. she typically saves herself from situations that aren’t looking too hot, and one day she couldn’t but luckily ur muse was there to help. maybe she drank too much or did too many drugs or mixed the two and ended up rly bad. either way, i would love for someone to have helped her during a rough. she would probably feel really confused and guilty and like she owes them, and also extremely grateful. maybe ur muse can manipulate her bc of it and make her do things bc she owes them, or maybe they genuinely had good intentions. i would also b down for a plot about her helping someone else out of a sticky situation!!

bad influence - i would loveeee for her to be a bad influence on someone. someone she can corrupt in a way, or just lead down a bad path akshkjhd and get them to try new, and not-so-good, things

good influence - someone to be a good influence on her. someone who brings out the best in her and tries to steer her down a better path

partner in crime - someone who does crazy, illegal shit w her. someone who is always down for the next adventure n they have crazy memories together

childhood friends - someone who knew her when she grew up. they grew up together in the media, or maybe their friendship was set up by their parents. maybe they were just friends out of their own free will, but grew apart when they grew older. the possibilities are endless!!!

#✧.° ░ 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒂 ╱ ooc.#bratsintro #i apologize bc yes this did get long.... and it's so late....#but i'm finally here <3 #and ready to plot !!!!#i'm so excited okay whew #i listed a few potential connection ideas that we can expand on #OR we can completely come up w something new #i'm so indecisive i had trouble picking a gif for this post...#this is so embarrassing..

7 notes · View notes

parkkjiminssi · 6 years ago

Text

Outcast

Kim Taehyung x Reader | social media au

Part 10: How

In a world where superpowers exist, you would think that there’s no such thing as being different. Y/N, however, was branded with that tittle early in her childhood days after almost destroying her school and hurting her classmates. In attempts of escaping her past, Y/N attends to a high school that’s in a neighboring city. What will happen when Y/N meets the Elite Nine? What will happen when Y/N meets a boy named Kim Taehyung?

tag list: @astronomyturtle, @namiiy, @momdancingtomcr, @perseephony, @moonfairyjoon, @vstellarkth, @stephgiriseok

word count: 2.9K

a/n: I’m sorry this is so long 🥺 I just wanted to throw some fluff at you guys. Like always links are on my bio!

Y/N and Taehyung:

Today was just a chaotic as yesterday had been. A lot of questions were left hanging in the air and of course you all were looking for answers.

“Where’s Kay?” Avery asked once all of you, well most of you, were sitting on your usual table.

“She didn’t wanted to come to school today.” Lynn responded as she swallowed the bite she had taken out of her rice ball. “I guess she wasn’t ready to face Jimin.”

“Speaking of Jimin,” Avery continued, now turning to you. “where is he? He’s not with the boys.”

“As soon as he walked into class and didn’t see Kay, he tried leaving but Mr. Shin trapped him into a force field.” You answered. “I’m guessing now that it’s lunchtime and Mr. Shin is no longer on top of him, he’ll be leaving one way or the other.”

“To be honest, it was about time somebody said something. Neither of them were ever going to say anything even if they’re dying of love for each other.” Avery said as she took a bite of her own rice ball.

“That’s just the way Kay is. She’s afraid to get attached.” Lynn said with a sad chuckle. “I guess she’s actually just afraid of going back to that hellhole. As if I’ll let that happen.”

You placed you hand on top of Lynn’s trying to provide comfort. “We won’t let that happen if the time ever comes.”

“Which it won’t!” Avery added.

“But if it does, we won’t allow for anything to happen to her.” You finished.

Avery looked over her shoulder and waved at Namjoon. He returned the wave with a dimpled smile. It made you uncomfortable the fact that due to your disagreement with Taehyung, now the boys were eating separately from the girls.

“Avery, you don’t have to be here with me you know.” You said while sipping on your juice nervously. “You should be with your boyfriend.”

“Oh, no. It’s okay, Y/N. I really don’t mind it!” She said cheerfully. “Anyways, has anyone seen Jinx? She hasn’t arrived yet.”

“I saw her hiding.” Lynn said as she now took a bite out of her dessert. “I’m guessing she’s also avoiding Jungkook.”

“Wow, it’s not like her to miss class. I hope they all fix this, Namjoon will get a stroke. He’s already super stressed with all his president duties.” Avery said in between laughs.

Lynn and yourself joined Avery in the laughter.

Little did you know that a certain blonde haired boy was watching you, wishing that he could be there next to you. Laughing with you.

“Stop starring.” Hoseok murmured without looking up from his plate.

“What are you talking about?” Taehyung asked confused.

“Just go and talk to her. I’m sure she’s forgotten everything by now.” Namjoon added in.

“N-no, I can’t.” Was the only thing Taehyung said before stuffing his mouth with food, unable to say anything else.

More like refusing to answer anything else.

Subconsciously, Taehyung’s graze fell upon you once again. However, this time you also turned to look at him. Your eyes locked for a small moment but as soon the two of you realized what had happened, you quickly looked away.

I’m sorry, Taehyung.

Jimin and Kay:

Jimin was determined to speak with Kay about what had been said in the chat last night. He wanted to know if it was true, he needed to know. He had tried to contact her through any means possible. Text, call, kakaotalk, email, FaceTime, Snapchat but Kay just wasn’t answering. And as soon as Jimin saw that Kay wasn’t at school, his whole plans went down the drain.

He tried his best to leave. To go find Kay. Unfortunately Mr. Shin wasn’t having it, and trapped him inside a force field throughout the whole morning.

“Any sudden movements and I’ll make sure to close this field on you. I’m sure you don’t want to die crushed.” Was the only thing he needed to say to get Jimin to settle down.

“Jimin, calm down. We’ll think of something.” Taehyung whispered to him when Mr. Shin had turned around to write on the board.

“Thank you, Tae.” Jimin replied with a sad smile.

Lunchtime soon came around and there were still no signs of Kay.

As he walked towards the cafeteria, he bumped into Lynn and asked her about Kay.

“She stayed home. I’m sorry, you know how she is.” Lynn said while looking down. “She’s just afraid, you know, of that place.Which has nothing to do with this, but she’s just being dumb.”

“Like hell I’m going to let those bastards lay a hand on her.” Was the last thing he said before taking off running. To where? Well, to the Clearwater’s home. To Kay’s home.

“Wow, Jimin looked so cool right now.” Yoongi finally spoke after a long moment of silence.

Jimin ran. The dumbass could’ve just taken his car, but in a moment of frustration like this, this was the only thing that came to his mind. Later he came to regret this decision when his legs were sore and couldn’t climb up the tree next to Kay’s window. Regardless, he still climbed and knocked on her window.

Kay tried her best to ignore him. To pretend that he wasn’t there but Jimin screaming at her was very hard to ignore and very hard not to laugh at.

“Kay, you better open this fucking window. You don’t know what I’ve been through to get here.” He screamed in between pants, his cheeks red from all the running. “If you don’t open it, I swear I’m going to bust it open.”

“Fine, fine!” Kay eclaimed as she finally opened the window and helped Jimin climb through it. “What do you want?”

“Really? What do I want?! Not even a glass of water or—“

Jimin was cut off by a splash of water on his face, courtesy of none other than Kay herself.

“Kay, can’t you be serious for just a moment?!” Jimin said frustrated, his hands grabbing on to Kay’s arms. “Why haven’t you answered my calls or my texts? Why didn’t you go to school?”

“Why? So you could laugh at me or tease me?” Kay said as she tried her best to free herself from Jimin’s hold.

“Why the hell would I do that?”

“Because you’ve only seen me as your best friend and I’m so in love with you.” Kay yelled, tears finally streaming down her face. Thank god that her parents were out working. Otherwise, Mr. Clearwater would’ve busted in to Kay’s room ready to pummel whoever it was that had made his daughter scream like that.

“Kay, all this time I was the one that was in love with you and thought that you only saw me as your best friend.” Jimin sighed, his hands letting go of Kay’s arms and embracing her instead.

“Y-you in love with me?” Kay asked. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“I don’t know, Kay.” Jimin said as he gently stroked her back, trying to comfort her. “I guess I was just always scared or had this idea that you’d never see me as anything more than your best friend.”

“That’s just silly. You seriously could never tell all those times that I would flirt with you?” Kay pulled away to look at Jimin in the eyes.

“Well now it does sound silly and no I couldn’t.” He said looking away. “I was just always trying not to think too much out of things so our friendship wouldn’t become awkward. I guess I just didn’t wanted to lose you, it didn’t matter if we stayed friends forever. I was content with being just that.”

“But I know that the moment you started dating someone else, I was most likely going to lose it. Kay, please hear me out.” Jimin finally gathered the courage to look at Kay in the eyes. It was now or never. “I know that you live in constant fear that one day those assholes from the center will come back for you. That that’s why you’re afraid to form bonds and get attached.”

“Jimin, I—“

“No, please let me talk. If I don’t say it now then who knows when I’ll gather up the courage to say it again. Maybe another five years will pass by.” Jimin cut Kay off, causing a soft giggle to escape her lips.

“When I first met you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl in the entire world. As we started to talk more, I just became more and more entranced with you. From there, our friendship grew and you became comfortable enough to share your story with me. Still to this day, I feel very honored to know that I was the first person you ever confided in about this aside from your family, of course.” The two of them smiled at the memories. Of how close they had gotten in these five years. Of everything they had gone through together. “Kay, ever since that day I made myself a promise to not let those sons of bitches lay a hand on you ever again. I’ve been training and doing everything in my power to become stronger, so when that day comes I’ll be ready.”

Kay was practically sobbing at this point. She always felt like shouldn’t enjoy her life because sooner or later it would be over once again. Oh how she hated that place and the people that ran it. How she hated the fact that she always had to be watching her back and how she didn’t feel like a human at all. That she was only an experiment for them and nothing else.

“Kay, you deserve to live a normal life.” Jimin said as he whipped off her tears. “You also need to learn to depend on others and that it’s okay to show weakness every once in a while. Because unlike before, you have us by your side now. Kay, I love you so much and I won’t let anything ever happen to you.”

“I-I love you too.” Kay said in between sobs.

“I loooove you! Marry me Rebecca!”

“D-did you just quote catbug?” Kay looked up at him, a smile growing on her face.

The two of them started laughing out loud. The sadness and frustration from a while ago were long gone. This is what Kay loved the most about Jimin, he always managed to find a way to make her smile. After a couple of minutes, the two of them finally managed to calm down.

“Jimin, I love you so much. I really do, but I—“

“I know, I know.” Wow, Jimin was surely doing a lot of interrupting today. “I’ll wait for you as long as it takes. Can I ask for one thing, though?”

“Sure.” Kay looked up at him with curiosity.

“Can I kiss you every now and then?”

A slight blush appeared on Kay’s cheeks. She definitely didn’t expect something like this, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t like the idea. “Yes you—“

Before Kay could finish, once again, Jimin took her in him arms and kissed her.

How the two of them had been wanting to this for a very long time. How lucky they were to have each other.

Jungkook and Jinx:

To say that Jungkook had looked everywhere was an understatement.

Jungkook had left no stone unturned trying to look for Jinx, but somehow the girl was nowhere to find. It was like she had become invisible or something.

Wait a minute.

...

“SHE FUCKING TURNED INVISIBLE!” Jungkook shouted in frustration.

How had he not thought about this before? He had spent the whole day looking and he even missed lunch time, which according to him was his favorite class despite what everyone said. How dare they say it’s not in the curriculum?

Jungkook sighed. He was exhausted. He walked over to a nearby bending machine and pulled out a few coins from his pants. Just as he was about to choose his drink, he noticed something odd on the reflection.

A floating school uniform?

Well, it’s now or never.

He selected the banana drink before reaching for his phone in his pocket. Jungkook pretended to click on his phone and then placed it against his ear.

“Hey.” He started saying.

Meanwhile, Jinx was standing right behind him. Hiding in between a fake plant and a wall. She never thought she would have to resort to something like this to avoid Jungkook. This boy sure was persistent and she just wasn’t ready for this.

“No, I can’t seem to find her.” He continued. “I don’t know, dude. I’ve looked everywhere, it’s like she vanished.” Pause. “Maybe she decided that after all I wasn’t such a good guy to have a crush on.”

No, that’s not true. Jinx thought.

“At times I can be too childish and irresponsible. I play around too much and my grades are not the best but my feelings for her are not a joke.” Pause. “Since the first moment I saw her, something clicked inside me. I know I probably seemed pretty weird because I kept on starring but can you blame me? She’s so perfect. She’s so smart and so funny.”

A smile started forming on Jinx’s features. Jungkook’s words made her feel all warm inside.

“She never gets mad when I ask her to explain something to me or if she can help me with my homework. Jinx is so sweet and compassionate.” Pause. “Yeah, perhaps I should leave her alone. There’s a reason why she’s been avoiding me.”

“That’s not true!”

Surprised, Jungkook turned around and slowly started putting his phone away in his pocket. He honestly didn’t think she was going to come out of hiding.

But there she was, completely visible and slowly walking up to him. Jinx extended her arm and with her small hand she grabbed on to his blazer.

“I’m not avoiding you.” She finally said. “I’m just scared.”

“Scared of what?” Confusion evident on his voice.

“It’s just, I’m so used to being on top of my studies. I want to go to a good college and help my family.” Jinx kept her head down. She just couldn’t bring herself to look at Jungkook in the eyes. “I’ve never felt something like this for anyone. When I started liking you I got scared. Scared that maybe my grades would drop and of these new feelings. I also get scared that maybe one day you’ll get bored of a girl like me and leave.”

“A girl like you?”

“A girl that doesn’t know anything about liking someone or how to do anything other than studying and not being—.”

Jungkook placed a finger on Jinx’s lips to stop her from continuing talking. His bunny smile slowly growing.

“Jinx, I like you for you. You don’t have to change anything about you, because you’re perfect for me.” Jungkook removed his finger from her lips and started stroking her cheek. “I could never get bored of you. I learn something new about you everyday, all in all I just can’t get enough of you. But look, if this is going too fast then I’m willing to wait. I will wait for you until you’re ready. No rush, really! I know it’s been a few months since we met and all.”

“You’ll wait for me?” Jinx finally lifted her head to look at Jungkook.

“Of course! Just please don’t stop liking me in the meantime.” Jungkook said nervously. “My heart won’t be able to take it.”

“Jungkook, maybe for the first time in my life I should start living my life in the moment.” Her heart was beating a hundred miles per hour but she knew she wanted this. Jinx had never been so sure. “I like you, Jungkook. When I’m with you, you always make me forget about all my troubles. I forget about school, grades, college and getting a good career. There’s no worries with you and you actually make me feel like a fourteen year old girl. You’re right, it’s only been a few months and it’s crazy but I never thought that I would feel like this for you.”

Jungkook took Jinx’s hands in his and brought it up to his lips. He placed a small, gentle kiss on each hand. “Jinx, would you like to be my girlfriend?”

Jinx threw her arms around Jungkook and bobbed her head up and down in excitement. “Yes, of course I would like to be your girlfriend!”

Jungkook wrapped his arms around her waist and gently picked Jinx up and spinner her around. He then placed her on the ground just as gently as he had picked her up. Jungkook pressed his forehead against hers.

Jinx closed her eyes and smiled. “Jeon Jungkook, please treat me nicely. You’re my first boyfriend.”

Before Jungkook could say anything, they heard footsteps coming down the hall. It was most likely a teacher or a hall monitor and if they were caught, they were going to get detention for sure!

Jungkook wrapped his hand around Jinx’s and pulled her along with him. “Run!”

“Where are we going?” Jinx asked. She definitely didn’t wanted to ruin her school record that soon.

“Anywhere! I don’t want you to get in trouble.” Jungkook said and he kept on running with Jinx’s hand in his. A slight blush tinted Jinx’s cheeks and a small smile rugged at the corners of her lips.

Jeon Jungkook. He surely was going to change her life.

95 notes · View notes