Zeke's eyes widened slightly. Shoot. Another screw-up?! This is why he preferred not to talk. He just made a major slip-up, and now his mind was reeling to fix it before it spiraled into something worse.
"I have my ways." There. Vague answer. Kind of creepy. Maybe a little more stalker-ish than he had intended, but– he couldn't think of anything else.
And now he was having an internal spaz-out, so he needed to get away. He didn't really wait for her to reply, rather decided to make his exit right then and there. Shadows swirled around him and dissipated into wisps of dark haze, and he teleported as far as he could see down the block, where he ducked into a nearby alleyway and fled into the darkness.
(Evelyn: Damnit Night! I wanted to kiss you!)(angry Pastel noises)
(● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾
Evelyn was undoubtedly a bit shocked when Nightmare left all of the sudden. After some time, she regained her actual consciousness. She picked up her phone and called one of the police officers she knew. Soon enough, the policeman came.
”Sorry to bother you again andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer)…” she stated to the police officer as he chuckled.
”Why are you apologizing?” he used his own powers to drill through the concrete block Evelyn made ”It is my job to do this after all” he quickly put handcuffs on Crescent before taking the villain down to the entrance. Evelyn handed the detonator to the officer as per giving him a nod.
Evelyn went down soon after, going back to her waiting room and gathering her stuff. She had no other business here it seemed. The event had started without her making an appearance, for what reason should she enter now?
She made her way out and when offered a ride home from the police officer, she declined. No matter how trustworthy he seemed, she never fully trusted anyone.
On the way home, she came across a darkened alleyway. Fearing what or who might be in there, she stood at its opening. When she saw a barely moving silhouette, she softly smiled.
”Nightmare?” she calmly asked.
(Who’s the stalker now, Zeke?!)
(Zeke: sTaY aWaY bEcAuSe I dO nOt Do EmOtIoNs)(is very emotional and angry about it)
Zeke shrank back into the shadows further, though he realized there was no point in hiding since she was already aware of his presence. And fleeing altogether– well, that would just seem downright cowardly. What was she doing here, anyway? Didn't she have things to be doing? Apparently harassing him was her top priority.
And yet, for some reason, he still chose to come a bit closer– teleporting for the sake of it being more eerie than walking– still keeping a good distance between them, but enough for the faint bit of moonlight that did manage to leak into the alley to reveal the outline of his dark form. "You shouldn't be here," he responded stoically– though, internally he was far from stoic at this point. No. His heart was thumping a little harder than he'd like for it to be. Her very presence made him nervous at this point, considering the amount of slip-ups he'd already managed to make in front of her. He was certain he'd set a new record.
Evelyn hesitated a bit but grinned a bit before skipping hastily towards Nightmare.
”I’m heading home soon but I just wanted to say—“ she was right beside the man and channeled enough courage to lean in close to him. The moonlight shined down on them, giving out a light bluish shine.
”—thank you” she whispered before quickly turning to leave the alleyway. Before leaving, though, she stood at the opening of the darkened path. She turned back to Nightmare once again to give him a genuine and warm smile. Soon, she went her way.
(I’mma sleep now before I don’t get any sleep XD—it is 2:50 AM so yeahhhhhhhhhh)
(Oh yesh, friend. Do get some sleep. Goodnight!)
Zeke's heart rate seemed to only increase as she drew closer, and it wasn't until after she was gone that he realized he'd been holding his breath. He released it as a silent sigh once she was out of sight, taking a couple steps back into the darkness once again. His mind reeled so fast that he couldn't keep up with the thoughts that whirled through his brain. Too much had happened over the past twenty-four hours for him to ponder on all of it. The whole situation was– unsettling. He didn't like the way it made him feel. Or, more accurately, he didn't like the fact that it made him feel. Though, what that feeling was– annoyance, worry, irritation, or… something else– he refused to find out.
He swallowed hard, his golden eyes flickering to the night sky. So vast, so dark– like the empty void in his soul, where his heart probably should've been. But maybe that void wasn't as empty as he would've liked for it to be, really. He pulled the nearby shadows to himself as he started deeper into the alley. Cloudy black wisps swirled around him, like smoke off of a fire, their dark tendrils circling his entire body before dissipating into the air and once against reforming into the thick haze that engulfed him.
He knew he would never sleep tonight. Not with so many things to mull over and so many things to wonder about. But– he was stupid for entertaining thoughts. He shoved them away, forced them to be gone. They were nonsense. And they didn't mean anything, anyways. They were just thoughts, after all.
But thoughts could be quite powerful, and his would continue to plague him for the rest of the night.
(When you wake up in the morning, we can try to determine what should happen next. I must say, and I am huge fan of the turn of events thus far. :3)
(Well, I wanna see Nightmare fight with someone again… maybe a “hero” who was taking advantage of Evelyn. You know, the overly protective figure trope. Though that is what you’re supposed to do when a woman is being taken advantage of)
(yEs. I second this. So, we'll need a hero to be taking advantage of Evelyn. )
(Would you like to do the hero, or shall I? Another idea could be that maybe this hero holds it against Nightmare for some time and tries to take him down– later, of course. Not necessarily right now. This could lead to potential conflicts and possibly injuries for our characters, and those are always fun times. :3 smol evil noise)
(I don’t exactly have an idea for that hero character right now so if you do have one, please XD)
(Okiedokie. I can slap a guy together really quick. How exactly should he be taking advantage of good lil' Lynn? And, like, how do you think I should open the scene? ^-^)
(I actually have something in mind as to how he’ll be able to take almost complete advantage of Lynn. But I’ll have to be the one to start)
(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…
