Characters / Dark Heaven

A list of characters from Dark Heaven.

---

The Main Duo

Main Protagonists

Tropes that apply to both protagonists.

• A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: A contributing factor to the couple breaking up in the flashback chapters. Simon agreeing to take up T-Rex's offer was The Last Straw for Conor who had recently went through a Trauma Conga Line that left him both physically and emotionally damaged. Conor, for his part, is the one who impulsively ends the relationship out of frustration.
• Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder: Even after their separation, Conor and Simon just can't stop thinking about each other no matter what. This leads them back to each other's arms in chapter 47.
• Anxiety Dreams: Both men get these at certain points with Simon's being particularly disturbing to say the least.
• Became Their Own Antithesis: The main couple devolves into this after their break-up with Conor forcing himself to conform to society and Simon shedding his wholesome image to become a full-blown hedonist. It takes them getting back together to undo this trope.
• Big Damn Reunion: Downplayed in chapter 26 where the two of them simply reconnect and reminisce their past regrets together. Conor finally admitting his true feelings for the latter turns the somber reunion into something more.
• Both Sides Have a Point: While Conor insists he and Simon emigrate elsewhere to salvage their relationship, the latter thinks it's too hasty a decision to make considering the number of factors involved to have it work. It gets brought up again after they reconcile with Conor willing to live a meager life as a farmer if it means the couple gets to be together.
• Caretaker Reversal: Simon uses up all the money he earned through odd jobs to pay for Conor's hospital bills. After getting shot by Veronica, Conor returns the favor by caring for him while comatose.
• Childhood Friend Romance: The two of them fell for each during their youth, but didn't act on it too much until growing older.
• Chronic Hero Syndrome: Let's just say there's too many examples of them rushing to each other's side when danger is involved.
• Cool Kid-and-Loser Friendship: Simon and Conor had this relationship respectively before it turned into something more.
• Creator Couple: They're definitely this in-universe.
• Crush Blush: Both Conor and Simon sport these whenever they have sex with one another. This never happens when they're doing it with other people.
• Cry into Chest: Happens during some of their lowest moments.
• Devoted to You: They're such devoted lovers that even a break-up won't stop them from showing concern for the other person's well-being.
• Duet Bonding: How their friendship bloomed into love over time.
• Everyone Can See It: Averted. Only Mona and a few others can see sparks flying between Conor and Simon.
• First Guy Wins: Not only were they each other's First Love, First Kiss, and First Time, they end up becoming husband and... well, husband in the finale.
• Foil: To start off, Conor is the temperamental but responsible lover who broods over his past traumas while Simon is the easygoing yet flighty paramour who tries to move past the bad things that happened in his life (for the most part). It also applies to their role in Dark Heaven with Simon being the face of the band and Conor playing second string both figuratively and literally.
  • Both their family backgrounds and standing in school contrast with one another greatly. Conor's Protestant family hails from Korea while Simon was raised in a Van Tescosan household within the suburbs. In grade school, Conor was constantly bullied for his race and only became well-liked after befriending the already popular Simon.
  • After breaking up, Conor tried to forget about Simon by starting a relationship with Veronica and suppressing his own sexuality. This contrasts with Simon trying to remind himself of the good times he had with Conor by doing drugs and making his sex partners wear wigs to resemble his ex more.
  • Their shitty situation also invokes this trope with Conor locked in an Epiphanic Prison and Simon ready to submit himself to the authorities. It takes Conor having a belated Love Epiphany to free himself and in turn help save Simon from going to jail.
• Forbidden Love: How their romance is viewed as by those around them. They eventually find acceptance in the end.
• Hair-Contrast Duo: Conor has dark hair that used to be long and wild during his guitarist days whereas Simon keeps his blonde locks short.
• Happily Married: Their ultimate fate by the end of the story.
• He's Back!: Happens to both of them after reconciling in chapter 47. Simon regains his true smile and Conor reignites his passion for music.
• Headbutt of Love: Conor does this to Simon in chapter 48, assuring him that they'll do whatever it takes to resolve his murder case.
• Heal the Cutie: Conor and Simon have done this for each other occasionally, with the former giving medical treatment and the latter offering emotional support.
• Held Gaze: They've done both the Platonic and Romantic versions of this trope in that order.
• High-School Sweethearts: The two of them were this for one another while in the closet during high school.
• Holding Hands: They finally do this in chapter 61 as their way of officially coming out as a couple. Contrary to what the readers expect, this helps endear them to the public who realize they're not that different from straight couples.
• Hunk: Both of them are this in different ways with Conor being a Barbarian Longhair (during his band days) and Simon looking more like The Dandy.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: This is partially why it's taken them so long to talk things out and reconcile. Both think the other would be happier without them, though they finally realize otherwise.
• Insatiable Newlyweds: According to the epilogue, they can't seem to get their hands off each other after getting married.
• Intimate Psychotherapy: Them having sex after their reconciliation comes across as this with Conor fully embracing his sexuality once more and Simon regaining the optimism he had lost.
• Longing Look: Happens whenever the pair look at photos of when they weren't around for one another.
• The Main Characters Do Everything: Conor and Simon were mostly responsible for managing Dark Heaven back when the band was still active. On top of them being the guitarist and vocalist respectively, the former was responsible for multiple tasks to keep things running smoothly while the latter did most of the compositions and lyrics. When the band is revived as a record label in the finale, Conor alternates being a guitarist and drummer due to his hand injuries whereas Simon takes on more managerial duties like payroll for guest musicians.
• Make-Out Kids: When they were kids, both of them made a habit out of innocently kissing each other until middle school.
• Making Love in All the Wrong Places: For starters, they've both done it in places outside the bedroom.
• Marry for Love: Their main reason for wanting to get married in the first place.
• Mighty Whitey and Mellow Yellow: Played with. At first glance, Conor comes across as the more introverted of the pair, but he's actually quite aggressive and hot-headed when push comes to shove. Simon, despite being the charismatic and extroverted one, prefers not making too much waves when confronting someone.
• Noble Male, Roguish Male: Pre-timeskip Simon and Conor fit this dynamic well enough. By the time they reconcile, it slightly gets reversed with Simon becoming more proactive towards threats to their relationship and Conor learning to control his temper more efficiently.
• Official Couple: Comes with the expected trials and tribulations gay couples face.
• Opposites Attract: One of the reasons why they fell in love with each other to begin with.
• Out of the Closet, Into the Fire: Happens to both of them for different reasons. Collaborating with one of their benefactors (Veronica), the W.A.F. took photos of Conor having sex with Simon and sent them to his parents. Afterwards, they crippled his hands in an ambush attack, crushing him physically and mentally. In Simon's case, he is forcefully outed by the T-Rex CEO who uploads two of his sex videos on the internet for insurance. This turns him into a target of hatred and disgust by the whole country.
• Power of Trust: Even after breaking up, it's clear that both men still think highly of one another with Conor refusing to believe that Simon had committed murder for his sake.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: When it comes to temperament, Conor is the Red Oni to Simon's Blue Oni. In regards to intellect, it's the other way around.
• Relationship-Salvaging Disaster: Simon being implicated for the W.A.F. serial killings serves as the catalyst for Conor to reconnect with his ex.
• Reunion Kiss: They seal their reconciliation in chapter 47 with this.
• Right Through the Wall: The epilogue has them doing this, leading Simon to find ways to soundproof their home.
• Seduction-Proof Marriage: Cheating has never been much of an issue for these two, and even then they only had joyless sex with different people after breaking up.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Played with in a way. Simon is the Sensitive Guy who tries to look at the brighter side of things while Conor is the Manly Man whose past traumas tend to weigh him down.
• Sleep Cute: Expect this trope to pop up after they have sex.
• So Happy Together: Parodied in the epilogue where it becomes Simon's favorite phrase.
• Understanding Boyfriend: Crosses over into Violently Protective Boyfriend at times.
• Unwanted Harem: The main couple's popularity in the music scene has given them their fair share of unwanted fans. Conor has one in Veronica who treats him like a Lust Object and Simon becomes the target of exploitation at the hands of T-Rex's various benefactors.
• Used to Be More Social: Conor and Simon used to be more social back when they were still playing music together. After rekindling their romance, they start to open up again.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Conor and Simon being more than willing to do this for one another is why their relationship has been able to endure so far. Their break-up only happened due to external factors and circumstances beyond their control. Even then, they still got back together after several months.
• You Are Worth Hell: Best demonstrated in the murder case arc where Simon willingly surrenders to the authorities so that Conor won't get his name dragged in the mud. Conor for his part provokes the W.A.F. into targeting him with a blistering "The Reason You Suck" Speech before they can kill his lover.
• You Leave Him Alone!: What Conor does when a bunch of W.A.F. protesters try to lynch Simon after his trial. Simon attempts this on Veronica after discovering she lied about her pregnancy to Conor, but it only results in him getting tied up in her Creepy Basement.

Conor

Gunho "Conor" Lee

Conor with long hair.

Conor with short hair.

The former main guitarist of Dark Heaven and Simon's ex-boyfriend, he now works for a magazine company owned by his current girlfriend. Much of the story revolves around Conor's struggles to rediscover his identity in a setting that is averse to both racial and sexual minorities.

• All Asians Know Martial Arts: Subverted. While Conor is generally tough as nails, even he can't fight off multiple gangsters on his own.
• All of the Other Reindeer: Seems to get a big dose of this the most throughout the story.
• Anger Born of Worry: Gets upset at Simon whenever he engages in something reckless. For instance, he's understandably mad upon hearing why Simon agreed to let Gale abduct Pete.
• Atomic F-Bomb: Gives a big one to the mob trying to murder his boyfriend in chapter 59.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: Why he quickly warmed up to Simon in the first place. Applies to his relationship with Veronica who had more sinister reasons for doing so.
• Berserk Button: Gets easily riled up whenever someone mocks him for his ethnicity or sexuality. He also doesn't appreciate being pitied on.
• Body Paint: Both his arms are covered in black tattoos.
• Brainy Brunette: Is clearly the more intelligent and level-headed of the pair.
• Bully Magnet: Is this due to his Asian heritage and sexuality.
• Cain and Abel: The Abel to Kiev's Cain.
• Cannot Spit It Out: During their younger years, Conor struggled to verbally admit his love for Simon and simply used sex to express it instead. After reuniting with him, he finally gathers the courage to say it which rekindles their relationship.
• Can't Live Without You: Really loses it after Simon gets shot trying to protect him.
• Career-Ending Injury: Downplayed. While Conor can still play the guitar, he can't perform as well as he did before his hate crime incident. He does try to overcome this by coming up with slower compositions or playing the drums after reforming Dark Heaven with Simon.
• The Caretaker: Becomes one for Simon especially after he gets hospitalized in the final parts of the story.
• Changing Yourself for Love: Subverted in that Conor only changes himself to both placate his family and move on from his break-up with Simon. It only leaves him hollow and unfulfilled.
• Chekhov's Skill: Conor uses the writing skills he honed at his current job to become a content creator who focuses on gay rights. This helps him cope when Simon is in a coma following their violent confrontation with Veronica.
• Clear Their Name: Works hard to help clear Simon's name after his arrest.
• Closet Gay: Was on the verge of slowly coming out before circumstances forced him to slam the closet door shut. Chapter 59 has him officially out himself to distract an angry crowd from attacking Simon any further.
• Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: He's this for Simon at times.
• Commitment Issues: One of the major factors that led him to leave Simon. He also can't bring himself to fully commit to Veronica which eventually leads him right back to his ex-boyfriend's arms once more. By then, he's gotten over his commitment issues and sticks with Simon through thick and thin.
• Conscience Makes You Go Back: After learning of Simon being investigated by the police and his self-destructive behavior following their break-up, Conor decides to see him out of sheer concern which leads to them reconciling.
• Converse with the Unconscious: Engages in this with Simon after the latter gets shot protecting him.
• Cop Hater: Has very little faith in the Van Tescosa police due to their general bias against minorities and inability to solve his hate crime incident. However, his views of them do soften after cooperating with Krakow to clear Simon's reputation.
• Covert Pervert: Has his moments. When Simon is temporarily incarcerated, Conor imagines him lying down sexily with nothing but chains on.
• Cure Your Gays: Deconstructed. Conor being coaxed into suppressing his orientation leaves him both mentally fatigued and unsatisfied. He firmly accepts being gay after reconciling with Simon.
• Deadpan Snarker: Likes to snark when interacting with Mona and Kiev. Even Simon is not immune to snide remarks from him at times.
• Despair Event Horizon: Conor reaches this point after having his hands crippled and breaking up with Simon. Eventually overcomes it in chapter 47.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: This is what partially drives Conor for much of the story. After losing his chance of making it big in the music industry and floundering through life as a closeted Salaryman, Conor decides to prioritize Simon's needs more after getting back together with him. Along the way, he finds a niche in online activism following the events of chapter 59 and even quits his job to make a living out of it. By the finale, he's become a more dedicated lover, a popular activist, and a musician once more after Simon brings back Dark Heaven.
• Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Has this reaction when he blurts out "I love you" to Simon after reuniting with him. This leads him to realize he should have been more affectionate as a boyfriend.
• The Ditherer: The fear of outing himself often held Conor back from loving Simon more. By the time they get back together, he's more determined to stay by his lover's side.
• Does Not Drive: Due to his hands being injured, Conor has to rely on other people to drive for him.
• The Dutiful Son: Forces himself to be one after breaking up with Simon, though he doesn't really enjoy it one bit. His reconciliation with Simon convinces him to do away with these obligations in favor of being true to himself.
• Endearingly Dorky: What Simon sees in Conor at first.
• The Everyman: While not as musically gifted as his lover, Conor has a wider range of skills that allow him to get things done effectively. Him being versatile is why Dark Heaven has been able to function well before its disbandment.
• Exhausted Eye Bags: Gets these from stress over his day job and constant suppression of his sexuality. They disappear once he becomes a couple with Simon again.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: Conor cut his hair in an attempt to both forget his heartbreak and conform to society's expectations. But by the time he and Simon reconcile and marry each other, he grows his hair long again with it reaching its original length during their first concert in a long while.
• Extreme Doormat: Acts like this early on after breaking up with Simon. His love for Simon helps him regain his spine in the later half of the story.
• For Happiness: His primary motivation for wanting to go back to Simon.
• Forced Out of the Closet: This happens to him in front of his parents courtesy of the W.A.F. hackers paid by Veronica.
• The Four Loves: Agape. Conor fixing his fractured relationship with Simon through unconditional love helps him regain his self-confidence back. As a result, he puts more effort in being a more dedicated lover.
• Four-Philosophy Ensemble: Starts out as the Conflicted due to his insecurity over being Asian and gay. He eventually becomes the Realist, acknowledging the deep-rooted issues plaguing Van Tescosa yet working to make things better for himself and his lover little by little.
• Freak Out: Gets furious at Simon for signing up for T-Rex behind his back. He does regret lashing out eventually. A more minor instance occurs when he learns of Simon's involvement in kidnapping Pete.
• Friendless Background: Before meeting Simon and Mona, he didn't have any real friends at school.
• Friends with Benefits: What Conor had thought of his relationship with Simon after their break-up and him being gaslit into acting "normal". It takes a lot of soul-searching for him to realize this trope never applied at all.
• The Future Will Be Better: In stark contrast to how he began in the story, Conor gradually gains a more optimistic perspective of the future, having come to terms with his sexuality and later marrying his boyfriend.
• Gay Groom in a White Tux: Wears a white tuxedo during his wedding with Simon.
• Gayngst: Suffers from this the most during the early half of the story. After dumping Simon, Conor tried to suppress the heartbreak by dating Veronica. However, getting back together with his ex allows him to gradually accept his sexuality to the point where he bravely outs himself in front of an angry mob in chapter 59.
• The Grunting Orgasm: Does this a lot whenever he tops during sex.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: While it's more subdued during his adult years, Conor has a rather nasty temper on account of him being a constant target for discrimination.
• He Cleans Up Nicely: Played for Drama to highlight his submission to society's standards. He starts wearing piercings and nail varnish again after getting back together with Simon.
• Hero's Muse: Happens to be one for Simon.
• Honor Before Reason: Although Conor agrees to take responsibility for Veronica's potential pregnancy, he refuses to let that stop him from marrying the man he loves.
• Horrible Judge of Character: Him being friendly towards Veronica leads him down his path of turmoil and self-loathing. It takes a while for him to finally see her for the monster she truly is.
• House Husband: He's usually the one in charge of cooking, cleaning, and organizing.
• How Dare You Die on Me!: Says this out loud after Simon gets sent to the hospital for saving his life.
• I Am What I Am: Conor's ultimate impression of himself by the end of the story.
• I Just Want to Be Normal: Conor at his lowest point tries to forget about Simon by conforming to society's expectations. But after getting back together with his ex, he decides to settle for being loved for who he is in spite of the consequences.
• I Should Have Been Better: In chapter 47, Conor admits he should have been more affectionate to Simon after finally saying "I love you" to his face. He lives up to this promise after becoming a couple with his ex again.
• I Wrote Our Story: His first broadcast as an online activist includes sharing his love story to the world with Simon's blessing.
• Insecure Love Interest: Was this before breaking up with Simon.
• Internal Reformist: After gaining notoriety for verbally attacking an angry mob, Conor uses his newfound fame to become a gay rights activist in hopes of influencing others for the better.
• It's Not You, It's Me: This is Conor's main excuse for breaking up with Simon and Veronica. In regards to Simon, a part of Conor felt he was holding his ex back from making it big in the music world.
• Jaded Washout: Ends up becoming this after Dark Heaven breaks up. It's subverted in the finale.
• Last Het Romance: While Conor is painfully aware of his homosexuality, being in a relationship with Veronica causes him to realize he'll never find satisfaction pretending to be straight.
• Leaving You to Find Myself: Conor leaves Veronica to rediscover himself, resulting in him reuniting with Simon and embracing his sexuality once again.
• Like Father, Like Son: Though Conor resembles his mother more in terms of appearance and personality, he seems to have gotten his father's temper which leads the two of them to butt heads more often than not.
• Living Emotional Crutch: He's this for Simon, and vice versa as shown in chapter 80.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Had no idea Veronica was behind his and Simon's Trauma Conga Line until the climax.
• The Loins Sleep Tonight: Experienced months of this during his time dating Veronica. It miraculously ends when he and Simon have sex for the first time in a long while.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: A more wild-haired and muscular version of this trope during his band days. Becomes this again by the end of the story.
• Jade-Colored Glasses: Has this throughout the early portion of the story. He slowly takes them off once he and Simon reconcile.
• Meaningful Name: His name means "lover of hounds" in Irish. Given that he eventually becomes an activist for the downtrodden of society, it suits him well.
• Momma's Boy: Despite not always getting along due to clashing beliefs about homosexuality, it's clear that Conor and his mother love each other very much.
• Must Make Amends: Is motivated to become a better lover for Simon upon realizing how much their break-up had hurt the latter.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Realizes the pain he inflicted on Simon after their break-up and becomes determined to make amends.
• My Greatest Failure: Being unable to fix his relationship with Simon is one for him. When an opportunity to warn his ex about the police comes, he immediately takes it.
• My Greatest Second Chance: Making his relationship with Simon work again in an environment that treats gays worse than murderers. And in spite of facing a potential pregnancy with Veronica, he chooses to prioritize Simon first and foremost.
• Neutral No Longer: While Conor had simply been content with trying to get Simon out of jail, the rowdiness of the W.A.F. crowd and his ensuing Shaming the Mob speech encourages him to become a progressive activist in hopes of making more people accept racial and sexual minorities.
• No-Respect Guy: Gets this treatment in his current workplace. When his coworkers learn about him being friends with Simon, they start sucking up to him in order to get autographs.
• Oppose What You Suffered: Happens in chapter 59 where he angrily shouts down at the W.A.F. who once ruined his budding career.
• Post-Injury Desk Job: Ended up working for a magazine company after his band dissolved. The finale sees him reviving his career as a musician alongside Simon.
• Race Lift: In the Japanese localization, Conor's ethnicity is changed to Nisei (second-generation Japanese) in order to make him more relatable to readers in Japan.
• Rage Breaking Point: Conor reaches his breaking point upon seeing the W.A.F. protesters going out of their way to exact mob justice on Simon to satisfy their homophobic urges.
• Raging Stiffie: Easily gets this when being intimate with Simon much to his slight embarrassment.
• Real Men Cook: Can cook delicious and healthy meals.
• The Reliable One: Conor is definitely the more responsible one when keeping house.
• Renaissance Man: Is the more versatile of the couple when it comes to skill quantity. He's good at drawing, cooking, guitar playing, writing, financial planning, and more. This contrasts him with Simon who's more gifted in terms of music and entertainment.
• Roaring Rampage of Rescue: Rescues his man from being killed by an angry mob in chapter 59.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: He willingly sneaks into his lover's workplace to steal the sex videos being used by the T-Rex CEO to blackmail the latter.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Conor eagerly quits his job after publicly coming out as Simon's lover.
• Significant Wardrobe Shift: While dating Veronica, Conor underwent a significant change in wardrobe to fit in with his conservative workplace and even stopped wearing black nail varnish. But after reuniting with Simon, he resumes dressing casually again like in the past.
• Slogan-Yelling Megaphone Guy: Becomes known as the megaphone guy after the events of chapter 59, not that he minds. It inspires him to seriously take up activism to make things better for minorities.
• Sorkin Relationship Moment: Acts somewhat awkward with Simon the moment they meet again months after their breakup. The awkwardness ends when Conor finally admits he still loves him.
• Sour Outside, Sad Inside: He's this during the early half of the story and the flashback chapters. It's only after his reconciliation with Simon that he starts lightening up again.
• Spanner in the Works: Inadvertently spoils Talen's plot to use Simon as a scapegoat against the W.A.F. by distracting the mob with a megaphone speech long enough for the cops to show up.
• Spiky Hair: Has a bad case of this even when he wore his hair long.
• Stepford Smiler: Is this for his family and Veronica, but stops maintaining the facade for the latter once he's finally had enough of suppressing his true self.
• Straight Gay: Has no Camp Gay mannerisms whatsoever and comes across as the more masculine of the pair.
• Sudden Principled Stand: Stands up to his family in the flashback chapters when they accuse Simon of corrupting him after seeing their sex pics. Another example occurs in chapter 59 where he bravely confronts the W.A.F. for trying to go after Simon.
• Supreme Chef: Is quite skilled at cooking and takes it upon himself to make meals for Simon after they get back together.
• Sympathy for the Devil: Conor realizes he and Talen aren't so different from one another after learning the motivation behind Talen's plan to scapegoat Simon.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: He's certainly quite the catch. Also counts as Tall, Dark, and Snarky when interacting with Mona.
• Tears of Joy: Has this reaction when given a wedding ring by Simon.
• Too Desperate to Be Picky: During his lowest point, Conor sadly gives in to Veronica's advances and becomes her boyfriend to forget about Simon. While seemingly content on the surface, he's miserable on the inside and feels bad for taking advantage of her. He ends the relationship after six months in order to see his ex once more.
• Took a Level in Badass: In chapter 59, Conor unleashes all his pent-up rage at the W.A.F. protesters trying to exact mob justice on Simon with a Shaming the Mob speech. At this point, he no longer cares about outing himself to everyone and even takes it a step further by engaging in activism to help others like him.
• Took a Level in Cynic: Turns jaded and apathetic after breaking up with Simon.
• Took a Level in Cheerfulness: Conor starts becoming happier when he and Simon get back together.
• Took a Level in Idealism: Ultimately reaches this stage in the finale with him marrying the man of his life and reviving their band as a record label.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Likes chamomile tea.
• Tsurime Eyes: Justified due to his Asian heritage.
• Twofer Token Minority: Is Korean, Protestant, and gay.
• Undying Loyalty: After getting back together with Simon, he becomes this especially during the trial arc.
• Unkempt Beauty: Was this during his band days complete with Wild Hair. He ends up regaining the look in the finale.
• Will Not Be a Victim: His past as a bullied victim keeps him from fully opening up to Simon until their eventual reconciliation.
• Wound That Will Not Heal: Conor's hands falling apart in the flashback chapters visually foreshadows the collapse of his music career at the hands of Pete's gang and Veronica's machinations. Even after making up with Simon, his guitar-playing skills are not the same as before, leading him to fulfill other roles once Dark Heaven is revived in the finale.

Simon

Simon Winsor

The former vocalist of Dark Heaven and Conor's ex-boyfriend. After his band broke up, he immediately rose to the top as a rising pop star under the T-Rex record label, but has lived in seclusion after being implicated as a party of interest in the W.A.F. serial murders.

• The Ace: Is clearly the more talented artist of Dark Heaven, having taught Conor and Mona the skills to play their respective instruments. He becomes more of a Broken Ace during his break-up phase.
• Arrested for Heroism: Submits himself to the authorities after choosing to release Pete instead of killing him.
• The Atoner: Has shades of this, believing his relationship with Conor is why the latter had been targeted by a W.A.F. gang. It spurs him to collaborate with his estranged brother Gale in getting revenge on the culprits.
• Beleaguered Childhood Friend: In Simon's case, he's actually innocent.
• Berserk Button: Hurting Conor or dragging innocent people into revenge schemes is one for him.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Despite being the nicer of the main couple, you do not want to get on Simon's bad side as demonstrated by his personal vendetta on Pete for maiming his boyfriend.
• Book Dumb: Is not particularly skilled at academics compared to Conor.
• Cain and Abel: Flipped in terms of age with Simon being the older Abel and Gale being the younger Cain.
• The Cameo: Appears in Guardians of the Lamb during a flashback chapter where he attempts to stop Gale from stoning a bird to death.
• Can't Live Without You: Simon hasn't been the same ever since Conor dumped him. Even with Kiev's support, it still takes a heartwarming reconciliation with his ex for him to truly start getting back on his feet.
• Casting Couch: Ended up doing this after his break-up to make it big under the T-Rex label. This comes back to bite him hard once he gets arrested.
• Category Traitor: Is made a target by the W.A.F. for his homosexuality.
• Chick Magnet: Happens to be very popular among women as an upcoming pop star. Is also a Dude Magnet for some of the male characters.
• Clear My Name: Simon's reconciliation with Conor gives him enough motivation to try fending off the accusations thrown against him in court.
• Closet Gay: Zig-zagged. Simon is much quicker to accept his sexuality than Conor, but has to hide it while working as a professional pop star. He ends up getting outed anyway after his arrest.
• Closet Key: Is one for Conor and Kiev.
• Comfort Food: Likes binging on junk food and soda.
• Cope by Pretending: Whenever something bad happens to him, Simon tries to shrug it off with a smile, though it's clear this approach doesn't really help in the long run.
• Convicted by Public Opinion: Despite being released from custody by the court, it's not enough to stop the public from condemning Simon as a murderer until Conor stands up for him.
• Crazy Jealous Guy: Surprisingly enough, he's definitely the more jealous of the two protagonists.
• Cuddle Bug: Loves doing this to Conor.
• Descent into Addiction: Finds himself abusing drugs and having orgies to cope with the pain of being dumped. Despite Kiev forcing him into rehab, getting back together with his ex helps Simon recover immensely.
• Despair Event Horizon: Reaches this when he and Conor break up. He only gets his shit together after they reconcile.
• Desperately Craves Affection: Deeply craves love due to being neglected by his family.
• Distressed Dude: Often has to be bailed out by Conor in dangerous situations.
• The Ditherer: Simon's procrastination contributed to his break-up with Conor as he put off trying to ask for his hand in marriage and didn't find time to consult him about signing up for T-Rex.
• Dumb Blonde: Played with. For all his ditziness, Simon is no fool especially in the later half of the story.
• Excellent Judge of Character: In contrast to Conor, Simon is far more discerning of those around him. He immediately suspected something was off about Veronica the first time they met and is proven right after seeing through her attempt to entrap Conor with a Fake Pregnancy. He also picks up on Talen having some kind of angle in trying to frame him for murder.
• Extreme Libido: Seems to get it from his father.
• Family of Choice: He considers Conor and his family to be this even if the latter disowns him until the finale.
• Forgiveness: One of his more notable traits. He easily forgives Conor for dumping him and remains understanding even after Veronica reveals her pregnancy to them. This also extends to Conor's parents who initially rejected him after they found out about his romance with their only son.
• The Four Loves: Eros infused with a bit of Agape. Simon's romance with Conor keeps both men happy and content, though it's during their second attempt at love that they try to be stronger for each other's sake.
• Four-Philosophy Ensemble: Simon is the Optimist whose idealism nearly crumbles until Conor returns back to his life.
• Fury-Fueled Foolishness: His vengeance towards Pete for crippling his lover is the reason why he agreed to hire Gale as an accomplice in the first place.
• Gag Penis: Has one much to Gale's amusement.
• Genius Ditz: While certainly not that bright compared to most characters, Simon is surprisingly insightful when it comes to people and is very proficient in anything involving music.
• Go Out with a Smile: Gives one smile to his lover after being shot by Veronica in the climax. Fortunately, he gets better.
• Grand Romantic Gesture: Is rather fond of doing these for Conor. Gets played for drama when Simon's attempt to time a With This Ring surprise contributes to his romance breaking down in the flashback chapters. And when told about Veronica potentially carrying Conor's baby, he decides to do away with any unnecessary flashiness and just ask his boyfriend to marry him plainly and sincerely.
• Guile Hero: Shows some shades of this at times. For instance, he took the initiative of recording his phone calls with Gale in case their plan to get back at Pete goes awry. He also sees through Veronica's lies, inadvertently exposing her true nature to Conor after being abducted.
• Guilt Complex: Though Simon has no love for the gang members who almost killed Conor, he does feel guilty when one of them is needlessly tortured and cut up by Gale.
• Guilty Until Someone Else Is Guilty: Is given the opportunity to avoid jail in favor of house arrest once Gale becomes the prime suspect for the W.A.F. murders.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: By far one of the kindest characters in the story.
• Hate Sink: Becomes this in-universe after the T-Rex CEO leaks his gay sex video to the public. However, his popularity goes up again once he and Conor revive their old band in the finale.
• Hates Their Parent: Has little love for his own father and doesn't think much of his stepmother after putting up with her abuse.

• Hero with Bad Publicity: This gets taken advantage of by his boss. It gets worse once two of his sex videos come out online. However, public opinion of him gradually improves after Conor helps show they're no different from any other couple.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Shields Conor from Veronica's bullet shot.
• Home Nudist: Does this on purpose to tease or seduce Conor.
• Hyperactive Metabolism: Can eat a lot of food while keeping fit unlike Conor.
• If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!: His reason for not killing Pete once the latter is at his mercy.
• The Immodest Orgasm: Likes doing this when being the bottom during sex.
• Improvisational Ingenuity: How Simon manages to free himself while trapped in Veronica's basement.
• In the Blood: Seems to have gotten his love for music from his biological mother.
• Innocent Blue Eyes: One of the things that make him look charming.
• Iron Butt-Monkey: Endures a whole lot of physical pain throughout the story without looking worse for wear. However, being shot by Veronica leaves him in a coma for months.
• It's All My Fault: Blames himself for what Conor went through to the point of working four jobs to pay off his hospital bills. He also hires Gale to find Pete and punish him accordingly, though murder is something he'd rather not resort to.
• Keet: Was this during his youth.
• Kubrick Stare: Gives one to a recently drugged-up Pete for what he did to Conor.
• Like a God to Me: His ultimate view of Conor by the end of the story.
• Like Father, Unlike Son: Despite resembling his father greatly, the two of them could not be any more different from one another.
• Loss of Inhibitions: Turns into a complete hedonist to forget the pain of being dumped. Even after getting back together with Conor, he still loses control over himself during their lovemaking sessions.
• Love Makes You Uncreative: Averted. Simon getting back together with Conor cranks up his creative juices in writing new songs.
• Meaningful Name: His name means "listen" or "hearing" in Hebrew, very fitting for someone with an ear for music.
• Men Can't Keep House: Compared to his lover, he's not as good at keeping things tidy.
• Mr. Fanservice: Gets more fanservice moments than Conor.
• Nice Guy: Is practically the nicest character in the story. While Simon does have moments of anger and resentment, he never really gives in to violence and usually tries taking the high road with near-fatal results.
• One True Love: He only has eyes for Conor.
• Parental Abandonment: Was practically left on his own by Mr. Winsor as he came of age.
• Patient Childhood Love Interest: Simon has been nothing but patient for Conor whenever the latter broods over his problems. This in turn influences Conor to do the same especially after they get back together.
• Pay Evil unto Evil: Hired Gale to capture Pete so he could exact revenge, but eventually decides against it once he sees the depths of his brother's psychopathy.
• Please, Don't Leave Me: Says this in verbatim after Conor finally professes his unconditional love for him in chapter 47.
• Pretty Boy: Even more so when performing as a pop idol.
• Properly Paranoid: Was worried Veronica would try to make Conor hers the first time they met. Turns out he was right all along.
• Really Gets Around: Revels in promiscuity as a result of his past break-up.
• The Scapegoat: Was on the verge of throwing away his career and future to avenge Conor, but him getting back together with his boyfriend changes all that.
• School Idol: Due to his charisma and cheerful demeanor, Simon was definitely well-loved during his school years.
• Serenade Your Lover: Likes to sing cheesy lyrics when being intimate with Conor sometimes.
• Shamed by a Mob: Simon gets subjected to this and more after his murder trial ends favorably for him. Good thing Conor immediately rushes to his aid in the nick of time.
• The Shut-In: Becomes a recluse during his time as a pop star. He's finally able to go out more once Conor reconnects with him.
• Silent Scapegoat: Resigned to taking the full blame for Pete's abduction, Simon changes his mind after he and Conor get back together as a couple.
• Single Tear: A positive example occurs when Conor wants to take him back as his lover.
• Sleeps in the Nude: Does this a lot after having sex.
• Spanner in the Works: Simon digs up incriminating information concerning Veronica's fake pregnancy and confronts her about it, leaving her desperate enough to take him out of the equation for good. Unfortunately, this solidifies Conor's suspicions enough not to fall for her lies like before.
• Stepford Smiler: Tries to remain optimistic in the face of adversity. This gets thoroughly tested when he's accused of murder and it eventually breaks down when he privately sees Conor once again.
• Straight Gay: Like Conor, Simon doesn't have any Camp Gay tendencies other than his love for corny lyrics.
• Street Smart: In contrast to his academically-inclined lover, Simon is more discerning of those around him and is able to keep cool under severe circumstances. This helps him see through Veronica's act and expose her in the later chapters.
• Sweet Tooth: Really loves sweets and soda.
• Taking the Bullet: Does this to save Conor from a very unhinged Veronica.
• Tareme Eyes: This serves to contrast him from the more hot-headed Conor.
• Took a Level in Cheerfulness: After becoming a couple with Conor once more, he regains his old cheerful self.
• Tranquil Fury: Expresses this in chapter 64 after learning about Veronica being possibly pregant with Conor's child. Rather than directing his anger at Conor, Simon instead laments their situation and resolves to do something about it so they can be together once and for all.
• Turn the Other Cheek: Willingly takes the blame when Conor's parents accuse him of perverting their only son.
• Used to Be More Social: Becomes more antisocial after breaking up with Conor. Reverts back to his sweet, cheerful self starting in chapter 47.
• Verbal Tic: Has a habit of humming whenever he's happy.
• Went Crazy When They Left: Went through a self-destructive spiral of instability after getting dumped by his boyfriend. Although he gets better following their reconciliation, a part of him fears having to live through that period again.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Usually gets an earful from Conor whenever he does something stupid or reckless.
• What You Are in the Dark: Gets goaded by Gale to kill Pete following the latter's abduction. Simon is tempted to go through with it, but chooses to release Pete and turn himself in.
• White Anglo-Saxon Protestant: Used against him by Conor in the flashback chapters when the latter accuses him of not being able to get what it's like to be discriminated for being a racial minority. His race is also one of the reasons why T-Rex chooses to make him their top star.
• White Sheep: Simon fulfills this trope by being the only Winsor who isn't abusive or fucked-up in some way.

Other Characters

Gale

Gale Winsor

Gale as an adult.

Gale as a teenager.

The younger half-brother of Simon, he supposedly went missing after joining the military. He has since reappeared to his sibling with a tempting proposition in exchange for cash.

---

Tropes that apply to his appearance in Dark Heaven.

• Antagonistic Offspring: He truly despises his parents to the point of killing his own rapist of a father in cold blood.
• Anti-Hero: Shockingly enough, he's actually this.
• Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: Some of the dirty work he does unexpectedly benefits the protagonists one way or another.
• Berserk Button: Hates hypocrites and backstabbers.
• Breakout Character: Ended up being so popular that he almost stole the spotlight in several chapters and even appears as a main character in the writer's latest work.
• Cain and Abel: The younger Cain to Simon's older Abel.
• The Chain of Harm: Gale being the constant victim of parental abuse is why he's such a dick to everyone else in turn. While his bond with Simon is hostile at best, some part of him still cares enough for his brother to save him from physical harm.
• Combat Parkour: Is quite skilled at this as shown when he tries to escape Detective Krakow's grasp.
• Combat Pragmatist: Really does not play fair when it comes to fighting.
• The Corrupter: Is this for Simon, trying to goad his brother into becoming a killer just like him. He's also the one providing him drugs to cope with his heartbreak.
• The Cynic: Sees the worst in people and is more than eager to bring out Simon's darker traits.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Gale's life went down the gutter the moment he and his mother became part of the Winsor household.
• Defiled Forever: Feels this way after being raped by his parents. It haunts him all the way to adulthood and fuels his need to taint Simon's image even more.
• Depraved Bisexual: Averted. Gale isn't bisexual, but does enjoy screwing with men to dominate them.
• The Dreaded: Simon knows well enough not to take him lightly.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: For all his resentment towards Simon, it's clear a small part of him does care for his older half-brother to some extent.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Is outright disgusted by Talen's desperate attempts to get what he wants while being a hypocrite.
• Face of a Thug: So much that even his Super-Deformed appearance has creepy facial expressions.
• Faking the Dead: Does this to keep the police off his tracks. The charade is exposed by Simon which results in Detective Krakow hunting Gale down.
• The Finicky One: Has very specific tastes in food and gifts as shown in chapter 79.
• Former Teen Rebel: Gale became more rebellious towards his mother as he got older, having grown tired of doing things to raise their social status.
• Four-Philosophy Ensemble: Is the Cynic due to his horrid past and bleak view of life in general.
• The Gadfly: Is this for the people he interacts with.
• Good All Along: Zig-zagged in that while Gale isn't exactly good, it's clear his actions benefit the main couple more than the antagonists.
• Green-Eyed Monster: It's clear he envies Simon for having it easier than him in the Winsor household.
• Hates Their Parent: Loathes both his parents when they were alive. Initially, he tried to find common ground with his mother through their bullying of Simon, but ended up resenting her more when she thought about using him as well to get their father's attention.
• Hitman with a Heart: As cruel as he is to his victims, Gale harbors something of a soft spot for Simon.
• Ironic Name: Gale means "jovial", though the man himself is anything but rays and sunshine.
• Little Brother Bully: Often got Simon in trouble at home to make himself feel better about his crappy life.
• Man Bites Man: Does this to Pete while raping him.
• Noble Demon: He sort of exemplifies this trope when at his best.
• Not in This for Your Revolution: Could care less about Talen's goals even if they both despise racists.
• Only in It for the Money: Plays both Simon and Talen like fiddles to get more money from them.
• Pay Evil unto Evil: Seems to get off from torturing people who happen to be as scummy as him.
• Pet the Dog: Surprisingly enough, a part of Gale still cares for his older brother enough to defend him from an assassination attempt during his release from prison.
• Picky Eater: Happens to be very picky when it comes to food. He is particularly fond of mushrooms while loathing spicy foods.
• Playing Both Sides: Helps Simon capture Pete alive while leaving the former vulnerable to Talen's scapegoating ploy. He ends up doing the reverse when Talen goes too far with his scheme to make a scapegoat out of Simon.
• Principles Zealot: In spite of his madness, Gale has some very strict morals concerning principles. Talen willing to cross the line is what causes Gale to end their partnership for good.
• Psycho for Hire: Is one for Talen and his own brother, though he ends up double-crossing them at different points.
• Rape As Back Story: Was raped by both his mother and father. Let's just say the traumatic event only worsened his sanity to a degree.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one to Simon when he refuses to kill Pete. Also delivers an even more scathing rant towards Talen in a later chapter.

• Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Refuses to partner with Talen anymore once the latter compromises his own moral code to further scapegoat Simon.
• Self-Made Orphan: Implied to have killed his own father in chapter 79. Guardians of the Lamb confirms it via flashback.
• Slasher Smile: Loves giving these whenever he does something crazy.
• Starting a New Life: Finds work as a hitman in Asia.
• Smiting Evil Feels Good: Despite being a colossal dick himself, he really gets off making life hell for evil people.
• Sociopath: Surprisingly enough, Gale engages in his own version of Moral Sociopathy.
• Spanner in the Works: Intentionally sabotages Talen for taking his plan against Simon too far. He also inadvertently ruins Veronica's plot by kidnapping Pete, starting a chain of events that lead to Conor and Simon getting back together.
• Super-Deformed: Notable in that Gale is the only character whose facial expression is different from the rest.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky: And how.
• Teach Him Anger: Urges Simon in Gaining the Will to Kill his hated enemy Pete, even preparing the tools necessary to hide the body. It ultimately fails.
• Torture Technician: Has a working knowledge on how to maim and torture others.
• Toxic Friend Influence: Gale is no friend of his brother, though that doesn't stop him from trying to tempt the latter into abandoning his morals and giving in to vengeance.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Mushrooms are apparently his favorite food.
• Tragic Bigot: He mockingly disparages Simon for being gay due to being violated at the hands of their father.
• The Un Favourite: Played with. Though it's clear his parents wanted Gale to follow in his father's footsteps as a professor, he was by no means the apple of their eyes and was more akin to an eyesore they could literally screw with.
• Villainous Rescue: Saves his brother from being stabbed by an assassin in chapter 59.
• "Well Done, Dad!" Guy: Was forced to study day and night to please his parents. Even Simon unintentionally encouraged this trope by giving Gale books for his birthdays.
• Wild Card: Doesn't align himself with any particular side of the conflict, though it's clear he has no love for the W.A.F. and their supporters.
• You Can't Go Home Again: Leaves Van Tescosa once the police identify him as the culprit behind the W.A.F. serial murders.

---

Tropes that apply to his appearance in Guardians of the Lamb.

• Ascended Extra: Guardians of the Lamb gives him this treatment.
• Bad People Abuse Animals: Would often pelt rocks at birds in his teenager years.
• Betty and Veronica: The Veronica to Mr. Ahn's Betty.
• Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: Has this dynamic with the story's heroine.
• Character Name Alias: Uses the alias Moogil Lee to pass himself off as a Korean native.
• Deadly Euphemism: When asked about his profession, he claims himself to be a "problem solver" of sorts.
• Defrosting Ice King: Gradually warms up to Hari over time.
• Delinquents: Was apparently this during his time in school.
• Fake Relationship: Fakes a relationship with Hari as a cover to be her bodyguard.
• Hazy-Feel Turn: While it's clear that Gale is still the same dangerous prick from Dark Heaven, him not being part of a villainous faction or side makes him look less antagonistic and threatening to readers.
• Hemo Erotic: A flashback chapter shows Gale showering himself with his father's blood in ecstasy after murdering him.
• Injured Limb Episode: Gets shot on both his right shoulder and right thigh while protecting Hari from their pursuers. This leads him to cover for her escape and get captured instead.
• Shirtless Captives: Ends up being taken captive and chained half-naked.
• Suddenly Bilingual: Can speak in fluent English and Korean.
• Too Kinky to Torture: Doesn't seem to mind getting whipped during his time in captivity by the cult members that were targeting him and his charge.
• Took a Level in Kindness: He's certainly mellowed out since his last appearance in Dark Heaven, but it could be somewhat attributed to being around a sweet girl like Hari.
• Tsundere: He's not exactly nice towards Hari, but does find her antics charming.
• Turn Out Like His Father: Subverted. Gale seems resigned to the idea of becoming similar to his scumbag of a father, though his interactions with Hari prove otherwise.
• Western Zodiac: Is a Sagittarius, making him compatible with Hari who happens to be an Aries.

Kiev

Seungwoo "Kiev" Hyung

Conor's cousin. Once close with the Lee family, he has since cut ties with them and is currently working as Simon's manager.

• Adoption Angst: Is painfully aware that Mr. Lee looks down on him for being the son of a crook.
• Armoured Closet Gay: It's clear Kiev has the hots for Simon, but would rather hide it in a veneer of "professionalism" if he can.
• Beard of Evil: Averted in that while Kiev isn't really evil, he's not exactly nice.
• Cain and Abel: The Cain to Conor's Abel.
• Cleaning Up Romantic Loose Ends: Gets a boyfriend in the epilogue.
• Commander Contrarian: Tends to get into disagreements with Conor out of pure spite.
• Death Glare: Likes giving these to Conor during their adult years.
• Foil: Is one for Veronica. Both of them are hopelessly in love with one of the two protagonists and try to keep them apart. While Kiev begrudgingly accepts Simon being better off with Conor, Veronica continues to meddle in the main couple's relationship until her death.
• Four-Philosophy Ensemble: The Realist. Alternatively, he could be classified as the Cynic after gaining a better understanding of what the music industry is really like. The epilogue has him try to remedy this by resigning from T-Rex and becoming a more capable manager for top celebrities.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Despite being associated with the main couple, he's not that chummy with them on account of his envy towards Conor.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Part of his resentment for Conor stems from the latter's relationship with Simon whom he has a crush on.
• Hooked Up Afterwards: The epilogue has him find a new boyfriend after getting over his unrequited feelings for Simon.
• Hopeless Suitor: Is this for Simon.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Truly wants Simon to be happy even if it's with someone he personally dislikes.
• Jaded Professional: His time working for a soulless recording label has made him rather cynical and jaded. However, he does actually care for his company's stars and is responsible for reining in Simon's vices with mixed results.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Ultimately becomes this by the end of the story.
• Jerkass Has a Point: During a conversation with Mrs. Lee in one of the flashback chapters, he criticizes her son for wasting his time trying to achieve unrealistic goals instead of finding a full-time job to support himself. He also assumes that Conor is trying to leech off of Simon now that they're back together, mockingly deriding the latter for it.
• Mukokuseki: Played with in that the story doesn't make it clear whether Kiev actually fulfills this trope or is mixed race on account of having red hair.
• The Resenter: Greatly resented his foster family for making him feel like an outsider. By the finale, he gets over it enough to attend Conor and Simon's wedding alongside them.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: Usually seen wearing expensive suits and even criticizes Conor's cheap taste in apparel.
• Smug Smiler: Loves to rub his position as Simon's manager in front of Conor much to the latter's irritation.
• Token Good Teammate: Is this for T-Rex. He ends up quitting alongside Simon.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Late in the story, he reluctantly agrees to help Conor steal Simon's sex videos from the T-Rex CEO.
• Tsundere: Is one for Simon.
• Uke: Takes this position for Simon during their brief time as Friends with Benefits. It doesn't work out when he realizes Simon still can't get over his break-up with Conor.
• The Un-Favorite: Not as bad as Gale, but it's clear Kiev wasn't as prioritized as Conor was back when they still lived under the same roof together.
• Unrequited Love: Has a bad case of this towards Simon. Unlike Veronica, he learns to let go.

Talen

Talen Hasco Tsui

A prosecutor who has a keen interest in Simon's involvement with the W.A.F. serial killings. Is he merely doing his job or is there more to him than meets the eye?

• A Taste of the Lash: Likes doing this to himself because of his masochistic tendencies.
• Above Good and Evil: Thinks he is above morals if it means achieving his dream of wiping out discrimination from Van Tescosa.
• Amoral Attorney: As the story progresses, it's clear he's not out for justice, but to fulfill a personal vendetta no matter who gets hurt.
• Best Served Cold: How he gets revenge on Pete for the death of his girlfriend.
• But Not Too Foreign: Takes advantage of this trope to blend in with the police and enact his secret plans.
• Casual Kink: Is a masochist who gets off from whipping himself and eating his own skin. One can't help but wonder if he turned out this way after his incident with the W.A.F. or if he was always like that beforehand.
• The Chessmaster: Revealed to be the mastermind behind Simon being implicated for murder.
• Create Your Own Hero: Talen's plot to scapegoat Simon ends up making a public hero out of Conor while turning Gale against him.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Became the victim of a hate crime alongside his girlfriend who then killed herself.
• Dark Messiah: What Talen thinks he is throughout the story.
• Depraved Bisexual: Seems to get off from being violated by Gale.
• Evil Gloating: Engages in this whenever he thinks he has the upper hand.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: Used to wear his hair in a bowl cut back when he went by the name of Talen Tsui. As part of his attempt to mingle with the near-white law enforcement, he adopts a slicked back hairstyle.
• Fallen Hero: Resorts to extreme measures in order to get revenge on those who wronged him. He also has no trouble using innocent people like Simon as pawns for his schemes.
• Four-Philosophy Ensemble: Like Gale, he is the Cynic due to his belief that positive change is only possible by playing the corrupt system instead of standing up to it.
• Given Name Reveal: His full name is a hint as to why he despises the W.A.F. so much.
• I Did What I Had to Do: Justifies his actions as part of the greater good even though he's more driven by selfish motivations like revenge.
• I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Feels guilty for his girlfriend's suicide after Pete's men had repeatedly raped her. This is what gives rise to his blind hatred towards the racial discrimination going on in Van Tescosa.
• Inspector Javert: Relentlessly tries to pin the W.A.F. murders on Simon using circumstantial evidence and flimsy reasoning.
• Justice Will Prevail: Has reason to believe his twisted version of justice will prevail. Too bad things don't work out for him as he had planned.
• Impaled Palm: How Gale tortures him the first time.
• Lack of Empathy: Could care less if his plans to wipe out the W.A.F. end up ruining a few innocent lives along the way.
• Mask of Sanity: As the story peels off more layers to Talen's psyche, it becomes clear that he's not all that sane after the traumatic incident that ruined his life.
• Memento MacGuffin: Keeps a collar of his late girlfriend's pet as a memento.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: If Talen hadn't been so insistent on getting Simon killed, Gale wouldn't have turned on him in the first place.
• Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Although Talen's desire for reforming Van Tescosa are sincere, it's tainted by his need for revenge and self-preservation. After all, if Talen was willing to sacrifice himself for his cause, he wouldn't have tried scapegoating Simon to begin with.
• Start of Darkness: Talen's extremist views began after his girlfriend committed suicide following her rape by Pete's gang.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: The epilogue reveals he's befriended a large number of racial minority inmates who hate white gangs.
• Utopia Justifies the Means: Talen wants to break up the status quo that keeps Van Tescosa from being less discriminating, but is willing to resort to foul means to make it happen. He even derides Conor's efforts to save Simon from the W.A.F. mob as not being enough to change things for the better.
• Villain Has a Point: He criticizes Conor's efforts to save Simon and shame the mob that tried to attack him, deeming it insufficient enough to change the opinions of an apathetic population. Fortunately, he's proven wrong as anti-W.A.F. rallies gain steam and the police begin to take hate crimes more seriously.
• Villain with Good Publicity: He's an upstanding prosecutor with a solid reputation. Said reputation gets shot when he publicly kills one of the elites who financed the W.A.F. protesters.
• What Is One Man's Life In Comparison?: Does not care if his plan ruins Simon's life so long as he gets to smear the W.A.F. even more.
• You Are What You Hate: Looks down on people who discriminate others yet casually dismisses Simon as a mere white entertainer.

Karkow

Jan Krakow

A detective affiliated with the Van Tescosa police department. He works alongside Talen to uncover the truth behind the W.A.F. serial killings.

• By-the-Book Cop: Does things by the book and is very objective.
• The Fettered: Refuses to engage in illegal actions no matter what.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: Gets a scar under his eye after losing a fight against Gale.
• Inspector Javert: Eventually takes this role when it comes to Gale.
• Police Are Useless: Averted. Detective Krakow helps Conor clear Simon's name and later uncovers the identity of the true culprit behind the W.A.F. serial killings.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Is far more reasonable than most people give credit for.
• The Stoic: Acts very calm even in the face of danger.
• We Need to Get Proof: Unlike Talen, Krakow is not quick to judge anyone unless the evidence against them is rock solid. His tenacity to seek out the truth pays off with him exposing the true culprit behind the W.A.F. murders.
• Workaholic: According to the epilogue, he spends the rest of his free time trying to hunt for Gale's whereabouts.

Veronica - MASSIVE UNMARKED SPOILERS

Veronica Reeble

Conor's current girlfriend and heir to the Reeble fortune. She was one of Dark Heaven's biggest fans and has tried her best to fill the void Simon left in Conor's heart.

• Abhorrent Admirer: For Conor once her true nature is finally revealed.
• Affectionate Nickname: Hers is Ronnie.
• Ax-Crazy: Gives Gale a run for his money when it comes to this.
• Bad Samaritan: Makes Conor believe she paid for his hospital bills while presenting herself as a good potential daughter-in-law to his parents. In truth, she bribed the nurse to lie for her and even had one of her father's friends sucker Mr. Lee into a money-sinking scheme to make the family dependent on the Reeble wealth.
• Big Bad: Revealed to be this late in the story.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She comes off as this sometimes and it's later confirmed to be her true nature.
• Bond Breaker: Was responsible for breaking up Dark Heaven and tearing the main couple apart with her schemes.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: While unmotivated with schoolwork, Veronica is both a capable artist and a skillful manipulator. She's intelligent enough to come up with a comprehensive plan that both isolates Conor and wears him down enough for her to appear as his savior.
• Cannot Tell Fiction from Reality: Incredibly enough, this is a contributing factor as to why she's so determined to make Conor hers.
• The Chessmaster: Veronica manipulated events behind the scenes to ensure that Conor and Simon would break up, even going so far as to fund the W.A.F. in monitoring the couple's movements and hacking their personal devices.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Is revealed to be this big time.
• Crippling the Competition: Inverted in that she deliberately had Conor crippled to both separate him from Simon and make him dependent on her.
• Daddy's Girl: Does not hesitate taking advantage of her father's wealth and influence to get what she wants.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Years ago, Veronica and another child were taken hostage by kidnappers at a cemetery. Being the only survivor of that incident, she developed an obsession for her favorite anime character thinking he had saved her and later transferred those feelings to Conor who bore a striking resemblance to him.
• Didn't Think This Through: Veronica should have realized Simon had been wearing an ankle monitor before trying to knock him out. Not only does it alert the police of his current location, it also leads Conor to see through his ex-girlfriend's lies.
• Disposable Fiancé: Becomes this for Conor much to her anguish.
• Driven to Suicide: Ends up shooting herself in the head after failing to take Conor with her in a murder-suicide attempt.
• Entitled to Have You: Feels entitled to make Conor hers by any means possible.
• Evil Gloating: Gloats about how she'll sweet-talk Conor into getting back together with her after disposing of Simon. Too bad Conor doesn't fall for it.
• Evil Redhead: Both evil and insane.
• Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: She becomes more and more incoherent when confronted by Conor over Simon's disappearance.
• Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon: She looks very sweet and loving on the outside, but is extremely troubled and twisted on the inside. Simon learns this the hard way after confronting her directly in the last few chapters.
• False Friend: Presents herself as a good friend to Mona in order to get closer to Conor and isolate him from everyone else.
• Females Are More Innocent: Subverted hard.
• The Four Loves: Eros. Unlike Simon, her romantic love for Conor lacks the core aspects of Agape, twisting it into something destructive and self-serving.
• Four-Philosophy Ensemble: Veronica is the Apathetic due to her lack of interest or concern with anything unrelated to Conor.
• Freak Out: Flips her shit when Conor finds Simon trapped in her basement.
• Freudian Excuse: Veronica's obsessive behavior stemmed from being taken hostage as a child and traumatized into thinking her favorite anime character had killed her kidnappers. Years later, she attended a Dark Heaven concert and mistook Conor as her savior reborn in human form.
• Green-Eyed Monster: She envies Simon being Conor's one true love and tries tearing them apart at least twice. Her initial attempt succeeds at first but ends up failing when both men reconcile.
• Groupie: Was one for Dark Heaven in order to get closer to Conor.
• Hopeless Suitor: Veronica's inability to get over Conor ends in tragedy for her and everyone else.
• I Can Change My Beloved: Believes she can change Conor's sexual preference and mold him into her ideal man. It doesn't really work since Simon is still on Conor's mind no matter what, eventually leading him to dump her.
• I've Come Too Far: Feels that she's come too far to back down after aiming her gun at the main couple in the climax.
• If I Can't Have You…: Attempts to shoot Conor before killing herself. Her bullet ends up hitting Simon instead, though he survives it.
• Innocently Insensitive: Does this on purpose to make Conor question his feelings for Simon.
• Knight of Cerebus: After getting dumped, any subsequent appearance by Veronica means the story is about to take a darker direction.
• Lack of Empathy: Does not really give a crap about Conor's suffering so long as he stays with her.
• Lazy Bum: Other than art, she doesn't even try being a good university student.
• Lonely Rich Kid: Even after becoming more social during her time with Conor, Veronica doesn't really have much friends due to her obsessive personality.
• Loners Are Freaks: Even her classmates think she's nuts.
• Love at First Sight: Fell for Conor the first time she saw him play at a concert.
• Love Makes You Evil: Veronica's mad love for Conor motivates her to do reprehensible things without any remorse whatsoever.
• Loving a Shadow: Her fixation on Conor is based on this trope.
• Mad Artist: Veronica exemplifies this trope as most if not all of her paintings feature Conor.
• Manic Pixie Dream Girl: How she tries to present herself to Conor and everyone else. However, she's far more manic than most people realize until the very end.
• Mask of Sanity: Constantly puts on a happy face when interacting with Conor. It eventually crumbles when he rushes to Simon's side.
• Monster Fangirl: Very much the epitome of this trope.
• Murder the Hypotenuse: Resorts to this when Simon confronts her for faking a pregnancy.
• Nepotism: Has no problem using her family's connections to get ahead in life. It's the reason why her university professors tolerate her lack of focus and discipline.
• Not Good with Rejection: Is visibly crushed when Conor decides to end his relationship with her and go back to Simon.
• One-Track-Minded Artist: Played for Horror as revealed in later chapters.
• Out-Gambitted: After masterminding Conor and Simon's Trauma Conga Line in the flashback chapters, Veronica finally gets a dose of her own medicine when she gets played by both men. During her confrontation with Simon, he correctly deduced that she had been faking her pregnancy due to his investigative work and some personal input from Conor. And when it's Conor's turn, he deliberately gets a reaction out of her by mentioning Simon being forced to wear an ankle monitor, making him realize she had a hand in his disappearance.
• Plucky Girl: A deranged version. No matter what obstacles stand in Veronica's way, she'll do whatever it takes to get her man. This ends tragically for her.
• Psycho Ex-Girlfriend: She prefers hiding the psycho part to Conor, though has no trouble showing it off to Simon once he's at her mercy.
• Put on a Bus: Disappears after breaking up with Conor only to pop up again in chapter 61.
• Redheads Are Uncool: Before meeting Conor, Veronica didn't have much friends due to her obsessive behavior and was mostly tolerated because of her father's wealth.
• Rejection Affection: Her advances towards Conor get rebuffed late in the story, forcing her to rely on more drastic measures like pretending to be pregnant and locking up Simon.
• Removing the Rival: Tried to do this twice with Simon, but both attempts ultimately fail.
• Sanity Slippage: The more Conor slips out of her grasp, the more she ends up losing sight of reality.
• Second Love: Tries real hard to be this for Conor, but it doesn't work out due to Incompatible Orientation and Conor's lingering feelings for Simon.
• Single-Target Sexuality: More like Conor-sexual in her case.
• Slasher Smile: Sports these when her dark side is revealed.
• Spoiled Sweet: Veronica tries to present herself as this, but she's actually more of a Spoiled Brat whose obsession for Conor causes her to do highly immoral things.
• Stalker with a Crush: She even has a Stalker Shrine dedicated to Conor.
• Start of Darkness: Her being kidnapped as a child and seeing Conor for the first time years later is what triggers her path to villainy.
• Temporary Love Interest: Serves this role for Conor after his break-up with Simon, though she's not very happy about the temporary part.
• The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Is quite pretty compared to her not-so-lovely father.
• The Unfettered: Has no qualms doing whatever she needs to do to get what she wants.
• Unrequited Love Lasts Forever: Like Simon, she just can't get over Conor after he breaks up with her. The toll it takes on her mental health becomes obvious after she reappears.
• Villain Has a Point: During her one moment of clarity, Veronica nonchalantly rants to Simon how hard work won't always yield the results people want. Given that she went through so much hoops to ruin Conor and Simon's love life, it was probably for the best that her efforts failed.
• Villainous Breakdown: She becomes more and more unhinged as Conor resists her lies and gaslighting in the climax of the story.
• Villainous Crush: For Conor.
• Went Crazy When They Left: Let's just say being dumped by Conor hasn't done much favors for her mental health.
• Woman Scorned: Becomes this after losing Conor, though she directs most of her anger at Simon.
• Yandere: Revealed to be this after trapping Simon with the intent of killing him.
• Yoko Oh No: An intentional version in that she deliberately set off the events that caused Conor and Simon's band to break-up.

Mona

The former drummer of Dark Heaven who currently works in the same company as Conor. A supportive figure since childhood, she is concerned for her two male friends and hopes they can reconcile someday.

• Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: According to a side story strip, a drunken Mona once plucked some grass in her garden and drank it as "herbal tea".
• All Drummers Are Animals: She served this role during her time as a band member.
• Anger Born of Worry: Is rightfully worried when Conor doesn't answer her calls during his infiltration of the T-Rex Corporation building.
• But Not Too Bi: Is attracted to both genders, but ends up settling for a woman as her lover.
• Breaking Bad News Gently: When Simon gives her extra tickets for his show, she gently breaks the news that Conor is seeing someone else much to the former's heartbreak.
• The Confidant: Is one for Conor. The way they playfully bicker with one another makes them more Like Brother and Sister.
• Deadpan Snarker: Shares this trait with Conor which leads them to become each other's personal snarker.
• The Driver: Doesn't particularly mind playing this role for Conor due to his hand injuries.
• Fag Hag: Plays this role well.
• Foil: Despite coming from rich families, Mona and Veronica could not be any more different from one another. Mona, being the open-minded Go-Getter Girl, strives to overcome the Never a Self-Made Woman trope on her own. Meanwhile, Veronica is the Girly Girl who has no interest in improving herself unless it makes her look good in front of Conor. In regards to their ties with the main couple, Mona is a close friend who loves helping those she cares for whereas Veronica tries her best to tear them apart to the point of ruining their lives.
• The Four Loves: Philia. She's a Best Friend to the main couple and has proven instrumental in keeping them connected.
• Lonely Rich Kid: Started out as this before befriending the main couple during their school years.
• Near-Rape Experience: Almost became a victim after running into a group of thugs in the middle of the night.
• One of the Boys: Was this during her band days.
• Only Friend: She was the only person Conor kept in touch with after their band broke up. Also helps that they work in the same company.
• Only Sane Woman: Mona tends to be the voice of reason at times, much to Conor's annoyance.
• Platonic Life-Partners: Sometimes serves this role for Conor.
• Romantic Wingwoman: Helps Conor reunite with Simon at his well-guarded apartment.
• Secret-Keeper: Is one of the few people who happen to know the true nature of Conor and Simon's relationship.
• Shipper on Deck: She's very supportive of Conor and Simon being in a relationship and even helps them reconnect with one another.
• Transparent Closet: Even Conor can see through her romantic feelings for Teri.
• Unwitting Pawn: Mentally beats herself down for introducing Veronica to the couple in the first place. Conor disagrees, correctly thinking she'd just find someone else to get to him.

Mrs. Lee

Conor's mother who volunteers for the local church. Despite her conservative views, she only wants what's best for her family and struggles to reconnect with Conor due to his inner conflict.

• Anger Born of Worry: Does this whenever something bad happens to her son.
• Daydream Surprise: Has one in chapter 38 where she imagines Conor and Simon staying friends even after starting their own families. Unfortunately for her, this dream gets brutally crushed in the worst possible manner.
• Doting Parent: Sincerely loves her family even if they don't always appreciate her efforts.
• Egocentrically Religious: Believes homosexuality is a sin and constantly nags Conor to straighten himself out, so to speak. However, her faith doesn't stop her from finally accepting Conor and Simon's relationship in the end. It helps that the local reverend was being a dick about denouncing Simon after he had just risked his life to protect Conor from a fatal shot.
• For Your Own Good: Pressures Conor to renounce his homosexuality by committing to religion and settling down with Veronica. By the end of the story, she realizes her mistake.
• The Four Loves: Storge. Crosses over to Agape when Mrs. Lee resigns from her conservative congregation in favor of supporting her son's gay romance.
• Freak Out: Very much so when she sees pictures of Conor and Simon having sex together.
• Good Parents: Zig-zagged in that her constant need to pressure Conor to settle down does not help him at all. Otherwise, she's a doting mother who truly loves her family.
• Horrible Judge of Character: Initially thought Veronica would be a very good fit for her son.
• Housewife: Is a very active and loving housewife.
• I Have No Adoptive Son: Does this to Simon after discovering his gay romance with Conor. It takes a very long while until they mend bridges, but when the reconciliation happens it's treated as a Crowning Moment Of Heartwarming.
• I Want Grandkids: Expects Conor to find a suitable wife and have children of his own. It sort of happens in the epilogue after she suggests that Conor and Simon get a baby together via adoption or surrogacy.
• Innocently Insensitive: While well-meaning, her attempts to mend her relationship with Conor after his coming out rubs him the wrong way and only succeeds after she finally accepts him for who he is in chapter 80.
• Love-Obstructing Parents: Is very much against Conor and Simon being together. She changes her mind in chapter 80.
• My Beloved Smother: At her worst, Mrs. Lee can come across as this.
• Open-Minded Parent: Truly becomes this after accepting her son's sexuality. Even then, she was more open about Conor taking up music as a career and even took in both Kiev and Simon with open arms.
• Mama Bear: Happens in the most tragic way possible upon learning of Conor and Simon's affair via Home Porn Movie sent to her phone. A far more positive example happens when she slaps the pastor for condemning Simon after he saves her son's life.
  Mrs. Lee: "Reverend. I can stand people criticizing me for being a bad mother... ...but I cannot stand you telling me that my sons deserve to be punished, and that they should be grateful for the pain they must endure."
• Parents as People: While Mrs. Lee has her flaws, she is still a good person who just wants what's best for her family. Her inability to accept Conor's sexuality mainly stems from her religious background and having to endure gossip from the local church she volunteers for. After learning of Simon's Heroic Sacrifice and witnessing her son's devotion for him, she makes amends by cutting ties with the church and supporting both men wholeheartedly.
• Shipper on Deck: Clearly wants her son and Veronica to get together. After learning everything that's happened so far, she's now supportive of his marriage with Simon.
• Tough Love: Tries to make her son more religious in an effort to stamp out his homosexuality, though it doesn't work out and only causes him to mostly ignore her phone calls.
• Was Too Hard on Him: It's clear she feels this way towards Simon after realizing the truth behind the incident that lead him to sacrifice himself for Conor's sake.
• Why Couldn't You Be Different?: It takes the whole entirety of chapter 80 for Mrs. Lee to finally accept her son's sexual orientation.

Mr. Lee

Conor's father. Though he and his family moved to Van Tescosa for a better life, he constantly has trouble trying to integrate and is a stickler for Korean values.

• Asian Rudeness: Really tends to be on the rude side.
• Egocentrically Religious: Not as much as his wife, but it's clear he's against Conor and Simon's romance for religious reasons.
• Fantasy-Forbidding Father: Does not approve of his son making a living as a musician.
• Freak Out: And how once he sees pictures of his son and Simon having sex together.
• Open-Minded Parent: Like his wife, he comes to accept Conor's sexuality in the finale, but does take issue with him being intimate in his own home.
  Mr. Lee: "Don't kiss in my house!! I don't want to see it!"
• Resentful Guardian: To Kiev due to his family background.
• Unwitting Pawn: Due to Veronica bribing one of Mr. Lee's acquaintances, he was tricked into making poor financial decisions so that his family would be coerced to rely on the Reebles's wealth.

Mr. Winsor

Simon's father. A well-known professor with a perfectionist streak. Despite being respected in the academic world, he and his family are far from perfect.

• Archnemesis Dad: Is one for Gale.
• Death by Irony: While raping Gale, Mr. Winsor threatens to throw the boy into the ocean as fish chow if he tells anyone about their sordid activity. Guess what happens to him years later?
• Depraved Bisexual: A very closeted case.
• Extreme Libido: His virility causes many problems for the Winsor household, leaving Simon emotionally neglected and Gale mentally scarred.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Gets a huge dose of this at the end thanks to Gale.
• Murder Is the Best Solution: Guardians of the Lamb reveals that he murdered his first wife when she saw his stash of child porn. He also threatened to have a young Gale fed to the fishes while raping him.
• Parent with New Paramour: Had an affair with Gale's mother while being married to another woman.
• Parental Neglect: When not screwing with his wife or their child, he'll often neglect them in favor of doing his research. Even his relationship with Simon is distant at best.
• Parental Incest: Used Gale to satisfy his Ephebophile urges.
• Serial Rapist: He repeatedly raped Gale without remorse and may have purposely led both of his wives to their deaths.
• Sleeping With The Fishes: The epilogue implies this to be his ultimate fate. A flashback chapter in Guardians of the Lamb confirms it.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Looks like an older Simon but with a mustache.

Mrs. Winsor

Simon's stepmother and Gale's biological mother. Formerly Mr. Winsor's mistress, she married him after his first wife died and has since run the household with an iron fist.

• Education Mama: Often pressured her son to excel in school, though she couldn't rein in his temper tantrums as he got older.
• Evil Matriarch: Was this for both Simon and Gale when she still lived with them. Despite treating Simon like a nuisance, what she does to her own biological son is much worse.
• Statuesque Stunner: Both beautiful and tall. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep her husband's attention for long.
• Strong Family Resemblance: It's clear where Gale got some of his good looks from.

Mr. Reeble

Veronica's father and Conor's current boss. He loves spoiling his own daughter rotten while making outrageous demands from his underlings.

• Bad Boss: Often berates Conor for no good reason and even makes him do stuff not related to work. Also counts as a Mean Boss.
• Parental Neglect: If he hadn't spoiled Veronica rotten, she probably wouldn't have been turned out so crazy and entitled in the first place.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Is neither present nor mentioned in the finale, though it's implied Veronica's death and the crimes she committed might have done a huge number on him.

Pete Bertram

An unrepentant racist who once tormented Conor in grade school. Responsible for ruining the latter's music career years later, he has become the target of an unknown assailant who has been murdering W.A.F. members in gruesome methods.

• Asshole Victim: Admit it, he deserved whatever comeuppance came his way.
• Buried Alive: His ultimate fate. Counts as a Karmic Death.
• Driven by Envy: During their younger years, Pete grew more resentful towards Conor after the latter's rise in popularity as a band member.
• Dying Alone: Since no one other than Talen knows where his body is buried, he ends up dying alone.
• Evil Is Petty: Beating Conor from all sides was bad enough, but specifically smashing his hands like that was just unnecessarily evil.
• He Knows Too Much: Another reason why Talen had to silence him forever.
• For the Evulz: Everything he did before being kidnapped was for his own amusement.
• Hypocrite: The epilogue hilariously reveals he had become a protester fighting for human rights in Hell.
• I Want My Mommy!: Did this at some point during his time being tortured.
• Just a Gangster: Pete's failure to make something of himself results in him living like a petty criminal.
• Karmic Rape: Gets brutally violated by Gale.
• Kick the Dog: Has done plenty of this throughout his life, with his past victims being Conor and Talen.
• Lower-Class Lout: The story implies this to be the reason why he's such an overbearing bully.
• "Not If They Enjoyed It" Rationalization: How he justifies raping his female victims. One of them hanged themselves after the traumatic experience much to his glee. Unfortunately, said victim happened to be the girlfriend of a very zealous prosecutor who masterminds his downfall.
• Oh, Crap!: Gets this when he realizes Gale's a much stronger opponent than him.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: Very much so. It's the main reason why he targeted Conor during their youth.
• Serial Rapist: Becomes this during his adult years.
• Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up: Years after being sent to a detention center for his constant bullying, he forms a W.A.F. gang to terrorize innocent minorities.
• Shameful Strip: Pete is stripped bare by Gale during his captivity.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Is not the least bit grateful when Simon does the right thing by releasing him.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Is disposed of by Talen in an elaborately sadistic manner.

T-Rex CEO

One of the leading figures of T-Rex Corporation, she has no qualms making unethical choices if it means making bigger profits for the company's shareholders.

• Bad Boss: Exploits her stars to their fullest potential before disposing of them once their popularity drops.
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: Fulfills this role perfectly.
• Ice Queen: Very cold and calculating when it comes to managing T-Rex Corporation.
• Killed Offscreen: The epilogue reveals her assassination at the hands of the politicians who got involved with the fallout caused by Simon's leaked sex video.
• Mean Boss: To Simon and sometimes Kiev.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: While not as overt about it like most people, it's clear she is biased against gays and racial minorities.
• Rich Bitch: Won't hesitate to wring her stars dry for a profit.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Tried to avoid the fallout caused by her releasing Simon's sex video online, but is unceremoniously killed off by the benefactors she screwed over.

Drek

Conor and Simon's friend who runs his own bar.

• Animal Lover: Has a dog named Lotch.
• The Bartender: Owns the bar Dark Heaven uses as one of their venues.
• Dreadlock Rasta: How he wears his hair.
• Mellow Fellow: Is generally kind and approachable, even keeping in touch with the former Dark Heaven band members.
• Token Black Friend: The only Black friend within Conor and Simon's social circle.

Gwati

A former guitarist of Dark Heaven who has since gone solo since the band's break-up.

• Everyone Can See It: Averted in that he doesn't immediately realize Conor and Simon are a gay couple until the very end.
• Fiery Redhead: Is quite temperamental and insensitive even towards some of his former bandmates.
• Pride: Suffers from this at times. He initially didn't want to come off as desperate when invited to join Dark Heaven.
• Ship Tease: Has some of this with Mona, though nothing really comes out of it.
• We Used to Be Friends: Holds Simon responsible for disbanding Dark Heaven. It takes a while for their friendship to defrost completely.

Teri

An assistant to one of T-Rex's current pop stars, she dreams of making it big someday.

• Beautiful Singing Voice: Has a lovely singing voice which she uses to jump-start her new career as a rookie singer.
• Beleaguered Assistant: Is this for Simon's Unknown Rival Tamara.
• Boyish Short Hair: Keeps her hair in a short pixie cut, though she's a bit more girlish than her eventual lover Mona.
• Lipstick Lesbian: Unlike Mona, Teri doesn't exhibit any tomboyish traits whatsoever.
• Sickeningly Sweethearts: Is this with Mona later on.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Girly Girl to Mona's Tomboy.