(Okay. If you don't want to make a hero, we'll just do– a charismatic, manipulative hero who can feign being a great guy but is actually a mega jerk-wad, and his name will be… Warren McCormac because that's the first thing that popped into my mind. His hero alias will be Inferno and he has like… fire-powers. He can engulf his body in flames and generate fire. me trying to brainstorm quickly because I'm eager for this)
(Maybe that info will help you start even if you don't play the hero? ^-^)
(Definitely. And trust me on one thing. What I’m about to make Lynn go through is an actual ’nightmare’ for artists alike faint evil laughter cues in)
As Evelyn was heading back home, she had realized that something was missing. She dug through her personal bag to try and find it but only to no avail. She was sure that she had gotten everything that was in the room but she just can’t find her portraits folder.
She could just go back and check for herself but…
”Hey andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer), can you go check in my waiting room for me?”
”What am I looking for?”
”A folder. A blue one that is packed”
.
.
.
”No, can’t find anything like that”
Evelyn let out a stressed sigh.
”Alright… thanks” she hung up and continued on her way to her house. However, she was stressed out and was definitely a bit sad at that realization. Where could it have gone, though? She was sure if it was in her room, it would’ve remained there… unless…
(Oh snap. As a character artist, I can confirm this.)
Meanwhile, the person to now have his hands on the folder wasn't the ideal chap to get a hold of it, really. Warren McCormac– better known as Inferno– was a very popular superhero, charismatic, brave, and supposedly a great team player– but anyone who ever worked with or around him knew good and well that he was arrogant and manipulative. He liked to mess with people just because he could, just for the power trip of it all. That was probably why he was a hero in the first place. The power trip.
And that's why when he found the folder, flipped through it, and realized who the artist was, he had no qualms with using it to his advantage.
He couldn't immediately find Evelyn, but since she was at least semi-famous, it was likely that most people knew where her house was located– so he decided to wait on the front steps of her home for her to get there. Not to kindly return the folder to her– pfft, of course not. That would be way too boring.
Though, there was a chance that Zeke may or may not have been following Evelyn at a distance. Not because he cared or anything except that he did– just that he knew how dangerous the streets were at night and stuff… and maybe he was a tad curious as to where she lived. But he didn't follow closely; he didn't want her to know he was following her. That was the last thing he needed. He'd probably have a heart attack if she knew.
Evelyn gradually made her way back to her apartment only to find good old Mr. Inferno there in front of the building. She was about to greet him before she had realized what was in his hand. Her expression did not change though, it was her state of mind that changed.
”Hey… Warren… you think I can have that back?” she asked calmly.
Compared to the man, Evelyn was small. Of course, 5 foot 1 wasn’t a huge number in of itself but compared to this large bulky dude? She just seemed significantly smaller. Her shirt was currently a light grayish color from the concrete on the rooftop. She had not absorbed any other color since then.
(Zeke is such a Tsundere… I love him XD)
"Hey, Evie." Warren played with the folder in his big hands, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Ah. So this is yours," he commented innocently, as if he'd been unsure. "I see that you like to draw heroes. Ooh, and villains, too. That's really cute. You got any drawings of me in here?" He flipped through the pages, humming casually as he did.
Zeke had yet to catch up to Evelyn, though he hadn't been too far behind. He'd put just enough distance between them to feel… safe. Not physically safe, but emotionally safe. He had nearly lost her once or twice by staying so far, but he wanted to be sure she didn't know he was there.
(Yes, Zeke is very much a Tsundere. XD)
Lynn let out a sigh.
”I do but it’s not that great…” she answered. She honestly wanted to take the folder back immediately yet she was sure that that wouldn’t work in her favor. If she was being honest with herself, Inferno wasn’t her style. She wasn’t his biggest fan and would never be especially after the Villain Raid event way back when.
Being on the same team as him was a living nightmare and it seemed like even now, he was still that same annoying person.
”Anyways… can I get that back…?” she stayed calm as to not make more enemies. Having some villains after her was already bad enough… beside… she wanted to finish the Nightmare canvas she’d been secretly working on.
Warren flipped through a few more pictures before closing the folder and weighing it in his hand. "You know the rules. Finders keepers." His smirk widened a bit. "I guess I could give it back to you, buuuuut… It depends…" He placed his finger to his chin, as if he were pretending to be in deep thought about the subject. "I dunno. I feel like you're gonna owe me big time for saving this baby for ya. If it weren't for me– well, who knows what kind of dastardly foe would have his hands on it right about now." He paused a moment, his grin never fading. "Maybe we can make some kind of deal. You could invite me inside. You know, to thank me for my kindness. We could have a drink or two."
Zeke arrived about that time, though he stopped in the shadows, ducking into a nearby alley where he could watch the scene. He'd missed the conversation thus far, but he recognized the muscular brute on the stairs as the famous hero– oh, what was his name? Zeke couldn't remember right off, but he knew the guy had fire abilities and went by the alias of Inferno. But– why was he on Evelyn's stairs? And– was that her art folder? Odd.
Evelyn was not expecting those words to come out of Warren’s mouth nor was she at all happy with what he had said. Disgusting. That was the only word in her head. But to be perfectly honest, if she was to attack him first instead of going with the flow, she might get some harsh backlash as her community wasn’t as harsh as Inferno’s. She wanted to call for help… yet she knew no one was going to help her… right.
She then remembered something…
If she was correct, Nightmare could not read people’s minds but rather their fears. If anything, she had to risk the chance.
”C…Can I decline… please…?” she spoke with a shaky tone, wanting the sentimental air of fear to lure Nightmare in. Or at least have him appear.
And Zeke could indeed sense her fear, as well as see the general unease written all over her from the situation itself. He frowned, gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes at the Inferno guy.
"Aw, come on. Don't be like that, Evie," Warren insisted. "The night is young. And it'll be fun. Who knows what could happen." He frowned a little, as if he were disappointed. "Or I could just keep this." He waved the folder around, and then a flicker of a flame appeared in his other hand– which he held dangerously close to the folder and its contents. "It'd be a shame if something were to–"
Before he could even get the sentence out, a dark blur of shadows appeared– seemingly from nowhere– right on top of Warren, a fist knocking him square in the nose while blackness raged all around like angry wisps of smoke. The hero cursed loudly, his body erupting into flames, undoubtedly disintegrating the folder and all.
But no.
The cloud of swirling shadows– or, more accurately, Zeke– snatched the folder from the larger man's grasp just in time and transported himself– and Evelyn's folder– several feet back, far enough to avoid the angry flames that enveloped the body of the hero. "The crap?!" Warren cried, annoyed and startled by the sudden turn of events. Besides, he hadn't seen a man– only a haze of shadows that somehow attacked him. And it took him several good seconds to realize who the culprit was.
Zeke didn't have time for greetings– not when Warren launched a torrent of burning fire in his direction– so he teleported out of the way, taking the folder and his shadows with him– the former of which he promptly dropped in front of Evelyn before returning to fight.
Evelyn was both thankful and surprised that Zeke was indeed following her around. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as people put him to be. Whatever the case, she needed to help him… somehow. She quickly stored the folder into her suitcase and looked around.
With Zeke taking most if not all of Inferno’s attention, she was able to run away towards a garden at the back of the apartment. She set her suitcase and canvas there and absorbed the colors of the Brunnera (a light bluish color) before heading back to the front.
’If my theory is correct… Inferno’s flames don’t last forever…’ her mind was set to that thought.
’The core of the flames is…’ she aimed her staff at the man ’…his back’
A powerful geyser of cold water was fired towards the flaming man in an attempt to extinguish or at least weaken the flames so that Nightmare could fight him more easily. She quickly changed back to the light gray color she’d used before in case encasement of the man was needed.
Warren apparently had a very colorful vocabulary, because he bellowed out some very unkind words as the torrent of frigid water weakened his flames and sent him sprawling forward onto the ground. He quickly scrambled to his feet, though his fire now was weak and nowhere near as threatening as it had been moments prior.
That was all Zeke needed.
He came at him Warren like some kind of ninja, delivering a hard kick to the "hero's" temple. Warren's head snapped to the side and he stumbled, but he managed to keep himself upright. He growled at Zeke, trying to summon his flames again– though he'd clearly been compromised. He swung a fiery fist Zeke, which was narrowly avoided. The good news was that the fire wasn't nearly as hot, therefore much smaller of a threat.
Fortunately for Zeke, his attacks weren't limited to physical ones– which is why he was able to easily create an illusion based off of Warren's internal fears. The kind of fears no one should see. There was a reason he called himself
Nightmare. Of course, this illusion would go by unseen to Evelyn– but Warren could see it, and he was not a fan. "Wh–" His eyes widened and he stumbled backwards away from the illusion– technically Zeke, but he could only see the facade that Nightmare was generating in his mind. And Warren apparently wasn't strong-willed enough to fight it off, either, because his fire extinguished altogether, and he fled down the street after that.
Zeke stood there a moment, catching his breath and watching the extinguished menace make his ungraceful exit.
Evelyn let out a very long sigh before she’d gathered her equipment and walked to Nightmare.
”You saved me… again” she was grateful, very grateful for the man’s help. Yes, he was a villain, yes, he was not wanted by most of society, but what did a title mean in the end? Even if he was a villain by name, he was more like a hero by heart. Should Lynn treat him the same way other people do? No. Of course not. And she wanted him to understand that.
Whatever feeling she was experiencing right now, it seemed like she couldn’t hide it as well as she would’ve wanted. Using her suitcase to cover the flushed bottom half of her face.
”Y-You must be tired… y-you could stay the night here… i-if you’re… okay with that…” she nervously said and before she had realized it, she had fallen for him. Perhaps it was because he showed that he cared or perhaps it was just a part of her that was telling her that he was the one. All she had to do was make him understand that she wanted to care for him the way he did for her.
(intense shipping noise :D I don't know what the noise of intense shipping sounds like but I know it belongs here)
Zeke's eyes widened. Thank God for his mask and the surrounding darkness of night, or else Evelyn would've seen the reddish tint creeping up his face.
He wasn't sure how to respond immediately, really. It had been a long day– and he was a mess of confused emotions that he didn't want to acknowledge. In one day, she had called him adorable, said a plethora of good things about him (that was a miracle in itself), and was now inviting him into her home. In a single day, she had him emotionally and mentally shook– and he didn't understand how or why. Or maybe he did. Maybe he was just too scared to admit it to himself.
He swallowed, taking a step back, his mind reeling. She was right– he was tired. He was always tired. Sleep didn't come easy for him these days. But… but he couldn't just go into her house and spend the night. He barely knew her. She barely knew him. Even if it was a perfectly innocent gesture, Zeke was unsure. He had deep-seeded trust issues towards– well, everyone. He realized on some level that was unfair, that he couldn't distrust everyone because of his sucky life, but… still. Not to me, he… wasn't sure how he felt about her possibly knowing his identity.
"Well– I mean– I don't know–"
Then again, Inferno could come back and start harrassing her. Or– or some of Crescent's allies could get upset and decide to come for her. What then? He'd be no use halfway across the city, lying in his shabby apartment and staring at the crack in the ceiling.
Wait a second– was he making excuses to stay? Pshh– No. That was ridiculous…
(It does belong here （≧∇≦）)
Evelyn was as red as a tomato. She wanted to know more about Nightmare and to not use that in the legal realm. She just wanted to know him as a person rather than a figure. But… should she, a rogue hero, really be inviting him, a ‘villain’, into her home? Figuratively speaking, absolutely not. And though she knew that she wasn’t the best therapist in the world, she just wanted to comfort him. She wanted to show him the more colorful parts of life.
”I-It’s fine… I understand how we shouldn’t be seen together…” she took a deep breath.
”Still…” she managed to mutter ”…I want to at least comfort you for the night… not in that way… of course…” she claimed.
(It's almost 4 am in my timezone, so this may be my last post for a few hours XD)
Zeke felt like he was being torn in half. Part of him wanted to leave, to turn around and flee right now, before it was too late– not from her, but from his own emotions. But some other part of him… didn't. He tried to silence that part, to shut it up, shove it back into whatever dark corner of his mind he could. After all, he didn't have time for this. He didn't have time to contemplate having a sleepover with one his enemies.
Truth be told, he couldn't justify calling her an enemy at this point. Maybe they were supposed to be enemies, but clearly he didn't hate her enough for that, considering the fact that he had saved her twice.
And, well, it was blatant that she didn't consider him an enemy either.
But he was still a villain. Didn't she know he was dangerous? That if anyone else had a say in it, he'd be locked in a major prison somewhere with his powers subdued, surrounded by countless other villains who had been incarcerated over the years.
That was the thing, though. She did know that. And yet… she was still inviting him to stay. And now… what's this about comforting him?
He was bewildered. Confused. Afraid of his emotions.
But– but he didn't need comfort. No. He was perfectly fine on his own. Why would she think he needed comfort, anyway? He'd made it this far just fine, hadn't he?
Just admit it boi. You need some comfort.
He wanted to say no.
He wanted to say yes.
He wanted to walk away.
He wanted to stay.
He was too afraid to stay, but too broken to leave. He found himself unable to do either for several long seconds, until he was feeling awkward from not responding.
"… Comfort me?" he managed finally, trying to sound as controlled as he possibly could, as calm as he could muster– but his mind was a raging storm and his heart a pounding drum. He was far from calm. "Comfort me… from… what?" His voice gave him away a little at the end, revealing only a sliver of the nervousness he felt, wavering only slightly– but more than he ever would've intentionally allowed.
(4AM?! Please do get some sleep XD)
Evelyn was unsure as to how she should explain it. It was an indescribable feeling to her and she wasn’t sure how she could’ve explained it in words to the man.
”Just…” her hands were weak as her suitcase fell onto the ground while she walked closer to Nightmare. She wrapped her arms around the man, burying her face into the shadows that surrounded him. It wasn’t extremely tight, she didn’t have force like that but it was definitely warm. If anything, she wanted him know her intentions. She meant no harm, she just felt like he needed someone who understood him and thought that she could provide that.
Surprisingly, Nightmare’s body wasn’t as cold as she initially thought. He was a bit warm, perhaps even slightly steamy.
She looked up to his face and slightly pouted with her face being bright red.
”A-Are you really going to leave me alone…?”
Zeke swallowed, his entire body tensing at her embrace. He couldn't really recall the last time anyone had bothered hugging him, though the amount of affection he'd been shown in his life was scarce to begin with– leaving him bewildered and unsure of how to respond.
What made him uncomfortable about it all was not necessarily her in particular but rather the fact that she was tearing down his defenses and he knew it. So many metaphorical walls that he had built over the years to lock him in, to keep others away, and within a twenty-four hour period some rogue hero girl he hardly knew had begun dismantling them. Even though many of his walls still remained, he knew that, at this rate, they'd never last.
Which was why panic crawled up his spine and his heart thumped more and more rapidly in his chest. He needed to leave. Right then. Before she compromised him. Before he started down a slippery slope and fell into a hole that he could never climb out of.
He looked down at her, swallowed again. Her pleading expression. Her sincerity. How could he leave her like this? The answer was that he couldn't, and he was even more shaken by the realization that maybe he had already started down the aforementioned slippery slope without meaning to.
A war raged in his head. He couldn't afford to think like that– couldn't afford to entertain the thought. It– he dare not think of the strong emotion inside of him in any other term but it yet, for he was too afraid– was like playing with fire. It looked bright and it was warm at first– but he was afraid that he would get burned.
Figuratively speaking, of course.
There was a chance that this was all an act, he reasoned. That this was a trap specifically tailored for him, just to drag him down. She didn't know him. She couldn't truly care about him, could she? But, by golly, if it was a trap, it was working out far too well for Zeke's comfort.
He felt weak. Like maybe his heart was vulnerable. He hated that feeling. But it had to be a little bit vulnerable– at least to her– or else he wouldn't have said, "No. I… won't leave you."
The words betrayed him before he could stop them, but once they were out, he let them be– because it felt impossible for him to walk away. What was he supposed to do now? Hug her in return? No, no– He was too shook for that. He… couldn't. His body was still tense, and, though unintentional, it was obvious that he wasn't used to being embraced. At all.
But none of this meant they were allies. It didn't mean anything. He didn't mean anything by it. He was just… trying to be a decent person. It had nothing to do with her personally– and– and he most certainly didn't care about her or anything like that.
Except that it did mean something. He did mean something. It had everything to do with her personally and he most certainly cared far more than he was ready to admit.
(Zeke: very cold and almost emotionless)
(Lynn: I’m about to end this man’s whole career~ OWO!!!)
Lynn was way too happy that she didn’t even bother trying to hide it anymore. Her pout morphed into a sincere grin after those words came from Nightmare. She was, though, starting to regret her decision a bit. She felt a bit bad for almost forcing him mentally into her house. If she really him to be comfortable, maybe she should’ve started with making him comfortable mentally. Something came into her head. Hopefully everything will play out as she’d hoped.
”You… you don’t trust me yet, do you?” she asked shakily.
(Also I’m sorry, I’m not used to writing very long replies ;w;)
(Zeke: very cold and almost emotionless)
(Lynn: I’m about to end this man’s whole career~ OWO!!!)
(I'M DYING BECAUSE THIS IS ACCURATE XD)
(Also your replies are perfect! I just have a bad tendency to stretch things out like a crazy person. Your replies aren't short. Mine are just hecking long XD)
"No," Zeke admitted slowly. But it wasn't personal. "I don't trust anyone."
That much was true.
And he said this as stoically as he could, because he wasn't fishing for sympathy. He just wanted to make that clear.
One thing he didn't like, however, was the fact that she had said yet– as if he would be trusting her in the future. Probably because he was afraid that might very well be accurate.
"And you shouldn't, either," he added.
(Ah, alright, good to know that I wasn’t being a very bad XD)
”Hmph… fine…” Lynn had said in a presumably annoyed tone. However, her eyes were on Nightmare almost at all times. She wanted to do something… but of course, that act seemed unnecessary as for now and perhaps even into the future.
”Even if I shouldn’t trust you, I will…”
Yet…
Her mind fought with itself for a bit and…
”You might hate me for this… but…” she wasn’t embarrassed to slowly pull down his mask and tiptoed in order to reach his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in. It was around ten at the time and the moon was shining down on them from almost directly above them. She closed her eyes to embrace this moment as if Nightmare was not into this act, she might never get the chance to do that ever again.
Zeke's eyes grew wide and he stiffened up, not reacting for several long seconds, frozen like an animal caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. He felt like that, anyway. The emotions he was so desperate to suppress were going to hit him like a truck whether he wanted them to or not.
Just like they did here, in this moment. Some part of his brain tried to warn him that this was a bad idea. Like an alarm going off in his head, it told him he needed to get out of there before it was too late.
The other part of his brain realized it was already too late.
His face grew red hot, and his heart was beating so violently that it might as well have exploded, but he managed to relax his tense body slightly. Maybe he even returned the favor as she kissed him. Just a little. Just because it seemed like the right thing to do. Not because he wanted to or anything–
clears throat
But he most certainly didn't pull away.