Romance is defiantly multi sided: it can be simple and sweet yet full of life and understanding. It can be fun and passionate but serious and determined. These are what we typically think of when we hear about love or romance… but for some reason, people just have to ruin a typically harmless, pure, & good thing. By making it cold, petty, vengeful, forceful, sometimes abusive, & even sadistic. This was the cruel reality that I had learned the hard way. I honestly didn't care about outer looks so much, I wanted a person whose personality shined through. To me: the person's heart and soul amplify the outer appearance… good or bad. I had entered a relationship quickly but it seemed unnaturally perfect.
You see, I fell in love with a young man named Kyle Deskin: he grew up in a rough part of our town. He was fun, snarky, laid back but when shit's about to go down? He's calm but serious, acrobatic yet precise, somewhat cynical but protective. He was duelist who was a fan of cards that were based on steel cage fights, street gangs, and mafia swordsmen. He said it was because he could relate to the so-called thugs when underneath? They have families at home, they call each other brothers and sisters, and they're happy to help those with less than they have. He had an unusual love for swordplay and what he called "Breakdancing Brawls" it was basically when you fight while you break dance. He was a weapons enthusiast and had various weapons that were classic street styles. Now obviously were fakes, or at least that's what I've always thought and at least hope is true. He even had a sort of pet name for me, "Crimson" because of how I reminded him of a gemstone like a ruby or blood-red rose in full bloom. At first I didn't make a big deal of it, but as time went on; that proved to be a big mistake. His true reasons for these interests shined through. He had recently read a book series that was usually pretty easy to understand and follow till you got further in. It had a slew of inspiring and terrifying characters, plenty of great scenes, and so on. Kyle had recently started thinking of the love between him and myself as a blend between lively criminals and serious freedom fighters. Which only got worse when he joined the underground: a group of elite duelists who use sadistic and cruel ways to entertain their less than respectable audience. This pushes duelists to abandon things like honor, respect, and civility to win by any and all means which can cost a person their life.
I was allowed to see his try-out duel but he asked me to wear the cosplay he made for me. So, I donned the outfit of Blake Belladonna from the series we both liked. The top was white V-neck zip-up that looked a lot like a kimono. It was hemmed with black along the bottom and has mid-length sleeves. The belladonna flower emblem is printed in off-white on the left side of the shirt. I wore black pants that have a vertical gray stripe on the outer side of each leg, and I wore a black belt with them. Attached to the inner side of the belt is a black, somewhat curved, banner-like piece of fabric that hangs from the back and extends forward to her hips. On the underside of this is a thinner, longer, similarly-shaped purple piece of fabric. The black baby-heeled boots come halfway up my calves and have a pair of belted straps across them. I wore some soft black ribbons on my arms. To complete the look, I sported velvet cat ears that are held with a headband. This was the only part of my outfit that wasn't from Kyle. These were specially designed by Jaden's father, who was a cosplay designer that specializes in accessories. Jaden is like a brother to me and his father treated me like I was a part of the family. Travis Yuki specially designed these as a birthday gift for me. They moved in accordance to my emotions and thoughts through the band that held the ears in place. This gave me the appeal of a cat-girl like Blake but these were still just an add-on.
Even so, I wore them and felt a bit uneasy as I watched the duel: some punk called Mad Dog vs Kyle in a black metal cage with shock bands on their ankles, upper arms, and necks. Every point lost was a shock to their bodies but Kyle didn't seem phased. "You've got to be joking right?" he said to the ringleader, Shroud. This caused a hush over the arena, so he continued to explain "With all due respect, I do like the edge of the atmosphere, the cage is a nice touch. However, if you have to use something like these shock bands just to make your opponent fear you, well then what good is it? The way you look at them, the methods of dirty fighting, & the scenery should be more than enough." I couldn't believe this! Was he for real?! I saw him look into my dark brown eyes and his next words felt like they weren't his own. "Don't worry Crimson. Just like Adam kept Blake safe from harm; I'll do the same, just stay by my side." I felt a sickening stab of fear in my heart as I saw him finish the duel. Did he even read what Adam was like?! The character Adam was a reminder that monsters can exist in any form! Sure Kyle was a little jealous in public and tends to keep me around him so other guys would know not to flirt with me but this? I didn't know what to do; so for now, I just walked him home and wanted to help him understand my concern.
Once we were back at his apartment we talked a bit more. "Kyle… I have some good news though." His smile felt warm and pleasant but when I told him about the scholarship and acceptance into Duel Academy? My joy seemed to set something off in him. "So that's it? Are you going to leave me here? Betray me like I'm some weak rat that you picked up from the streets and nursed to health, only to be thrown to some scientists?!" he snarled at me. I backed up as I asked "What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy for me. I mean I'll still call you an-". At this point, he cut me off, "AND WHAT?! FLIRT WHILE YOU'RE NOT ON THE PHONE?! STUDY MORE THAN JUST THE GAME AND WHAT THEY TEACH?! REPLACE ME WITH SOME GUY THAT TELLS YOU YOU'RE PRETTY?!" He thundered at me, it felt like he was yelling but he wasn't. I was scared now; we were in the kitchen of his apartment when this happened. I tried to calm him down but he punched me in the jaw. I stumbled back a bit as I said in disbelief "You... You just punched me." He just looked at me and said in a calm but chilling voice "Yeah. Because that's what happens when you betray those you loved. You feel the pain that you caused them." I've told him before that I planned to go to Duel Academy, so why is it suddenly a problem?
I realized that I was in danger because, while his replicas were fakes, the knives in the kitchen weren't! He stood in front of the door and said: "You're not going anywhere until we sort this out." I immediately thought "Oh god, he's going to kill me if I don't get out of here! I need help!" I heard a warm and courageous voice whisper in my ear. It was the spirit of Sailor Mars! "If you scream for help, he'll probably try to keep you quiet. Just scream as loud as you can so he moves, then run for it." Without any argument I screamed at the top of my lungs and as loud as I could make my voice sound "KYLE! GET OUT OF THE WAY! SOMEONE HELP!" This did cause him to move away and I ran like the devil was chasing me. I managed to call 911 on my cell phone (that I was given by the home for runaways) & explain what happened as I ran back to my own apartment. They instructed me to stay there and DO NOT unlock my door until I heard the sirens. I did as I was told: I slammed the door shut, locked it, and moved something solid in front of the door. My heart hammered in my chest as I tried to pull myself together. I wrapped myself up in a blanket, sat down, and cried all I could. My scouts stayed close and reassured me that I was safe now. After what seemed like hours, I heard those sirens. Then I heard the officers knocking on my door. "Miss Kiari? If you can hear us then open up." Shakenly, I stood up, undid the barrier, and unlocked the door. After explaining everything, they told me that they'd assign someone to stay outside my home tonight, then an undercover cop to escort me to the docks where I'd be taken to Duel Academy. From that day on, I swore I'd never fall for a pretty heart and a pretty face at the first week again. First, my biological parents abused me, now I've been scorned and hurt by romance… clearly, love isn't meant for me despite my belief in its existence.
