Emerald City Bulwark
Posts 153
Power Level 22
|
Post by Titan on Jun 21, 2016 6:41:06 GMT -7
That episode at the zoo was not Titan's finest moment. Being frank, it was clear that he failed. No point sugarcoating it, the perpetrators of the crime managed to achieve their goal and got off scott free. If being unable to stop criminals didn't account for failure, Titan didn't know what did. He could have argued that he was caught off guard and wasn't able to respond properly, but that was just an excuse. He took full responsibility for what happened, both the good and the bad. It's what heroes do. Or at least, what heroes should do, if one were to ask Titan. If there was a silver lining, it would be that they contained some of the loose animals and made sure no one was seriously injured.
But Titan was less concerned about his own feelings and more about someone else's. The hooded woman from the docks had been there, and from what he could tell, she wasn't happy with her own performance either. She disappeared as quickly as she arrived, leaving Titan quite worried about her well being. He hoped she was alright, but he needed to check on her. For some reason, he had a hunch she would be somewhere around Laurel Boulevard. There was something about its quietness that would appeal to someone looking for some solitary comfort.
He wandered about the area in his normal size, and going by how it was still afternoon, he had plenty of time to find her. But for the life of him, there wasn't a trace of her anywhere...
|
|
Unaligned
Posts 126
Power Level 21
|
Post by Hooded Siren on Jun 24, 2016 12:24:27 GMT -7
Siren had hidden herself away next to a gathering of trees along Laurel Boulevard. No nobody got hurt but with the deplorable performance she had it could have been a distinct possibility. No she didn't expect perfection when she decided to do good. Perfection was impossible to achieve. But she at least to do good! Not cause more chaos and unnecessary destruction. With a sigh she leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree. Maybe she needed to get out of the city for awhile soon. It might do her some good if she forgot about this whole mess and went camping. She flung her head back, hitting it against the bark of the tree with a loud thunk. Running away from her problems solved nothing, ever. Yet again what was she contemplating doing? God maybe she was more of an idiot then she thought.
Opening her eyes she noticed her dockside companion walking around. He more than likely wasn't ready with her performance. Probably not going to harm her for it but a scolding wasn't sounding pleasant either. She sat there as still as possible, praying that he hadn't heard the thunk her head had made just a few moments before... |
|
Emerald City Bulwark
Posts 153
Power Level 22
|
Post by Titan on Jun 24, 2016 16:11:00 GMT -7
Titan continued his search for the woman, still wondering where she hid herself away. Finding someone that was invisible was quite the chore, but he couldn't give up his search just because he was a little tired. She seemed like she needed a bit of reassurance. Titan found himself near a gathering of trees, having searched most of the area in a futile attempt to find her. At this rate, he would be here all night. He suddenly heard a thunking noise and turned around to see it. There she was, leaning back on one of the trees, looking quite down. He walked up to her, waving at her as he approached. When he finally reached speaking distance, he looked down at her and felt the need to repeat a familiar phrase.
"You okay?"
|
|
Unaligned
Posts 126
Power Level 21
|
Post by Hooded Siren on Jun 24, 2016 18:08:49 GMT -7
Hearing the familiar phrase fall from his lips when he neared, Siren smiled. It held relief, disappointment and a little bit of agitation but it was a smile. She looked up at him, her hood around her shoulders giving him full view of her face. A mask that covered the upper half of her face kept her identity out of reach.
"One day I'm going to get you to say an actual greeting big guy," she joked, "I should be fine just... very disappointed."
Standing up, she dusted herself off. Siren looked up at him, the travesty of today's actions readable in her eyes. She felt wholly rsponsible for everything that had happed. THeir failure had been due to her incompetence. Incompetence, her brain added, that had allowed dangerous wild cats to escape the zoo for some Big Martin fellow. Growling she clenched her fists. The other probably would have succeeded without her. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
|
|
Emerald City Bulwark
Posts 153
Power Level 22
|
Post by Titan on Jun 24, 2016 18:50:48 GMT -7
He noticed that she had her hood completely down, exposing most of that pink hair he had seen before in the docks. He still couldn't make out many details because of the mask around her face, but it didn't stop him from being able to read her facial expressions. She was clearly disappointed, maybe even angry at herself, but her being all alone, blaming herself for whatever perceived failures she had wasn't helping her much. He was glad that his appearance cheered her up, even for a little while. But then she went right back to beating herself up. It hurt Titan to see her like that, helpless and alone, he needed to do something to help. Like the idiot he was, he walked right up to her and hugged her. Her feet left the floor when he did so, and he just silently held her there to show that she didn't need to feel the way she did.
|
|
Unaligned
Posts 126
Power Level 21
|
Post by Hooded Siren on Jun 24, 2016 19:20:25 GMT -7
To say she was shocked at his sudden hug was an understatement. She had not expected the large male to be the hugging type. Needless to say it was pleasant though. It was a warm hug, comforting. Almost like something a loved one would give you. Mentally she stopped herself from continuing. There was no time to think like that. They were still practically strangers! They never even introrduced themselves! Still... This was really nice. She let herself relax into the hug, even return it, for a few moments. After that she took a deep breath and composed herself before breaking it.
"It occurs to me that, despite our embrace, we still do not know each other's names. I don't know about you but I would like to change that." she told him.
"They call me Hooded Siren, or Siren for short. And you are?" |
|
Emerald City Bulwark
Posts 153
Power Level 22
|
Post by Titan on Jun 24, 2016 19:28:11 GMT -7
Titan was glad that she returned the hug. It showed that she was starting to ease up a little bit, maybe tone down the self-flagellating for the time being. She really had nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to hurt herself like this over. Finally, she stepped away from him and fully composed herself, the hug clearly having a positive effect on her. She then followed up with a proposal to exchange names. It was peculiar that despite their previous run-ins, the two hadn't even bothered to actually figure out what to call each other. That was quite odd, but at least they were doing something to rectify that. She told him her 'name' first; Hooded Siren. Titan chuckled a little bit, the name didn't leave much to interpretation. She certainly wore a hood, and going by her powers, he could see where the Siren part was coming from. Titan smiled from underneath his mask and decided to return the favor to Siren.
"Titan"
|
|
Unaligned
Posts 126
Power Level 21
|
Post by Hooded Siren on Jun 24, 2016 19:44:30 GMT -7
Hearing the larger man chuckle at her name did two things. First it caused her cheeks to puff out in indignation. She wasn't good at names but did everyone have to giggle? Second it caused a soft blush to rise to her cheeks at the sound. It was so gentle coming from one so seemingly fierce at first glance. Her heart warmed at the sound. Then he told her his name. Titan. Her first guess would have been Colossus or something equally imposing. Titan however had this weird endearing quality to it. She just couldn't put a finger on what it was, she thought with a small smile. Reflexively, almost as if she were nervous or embarrassed, she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"It certainly fits you big boy. Titan..." she said, testing the name on her tongue.
"I suppose this means the next time I do bad I should beware the wrath of the mighty Titan." she teased with a wink and a laugh. |
|
Emerald City Bulwark
Posts 153
Power Level 22
|
Post by Titan on Jun 24, 2016 19:52:36 GMT -7
The way she puffed out her cheeks almost angrily made Titan grin a bit. It was cute. Definitely not what he was expecting from someone like her, and most certainly not what he thought she would do if he only knew her from their first ever meeting. But what was even more striking was the blush. Titan couldn't guess for the life of him why she was blushing, but it was probably something else she was thinking about. He also noticed the way she brushed her hair. It was quite...endearing wasn't the first word he'd use, but that fit it best for the moment. She spoke up once again, giving a remark about how the name fit him. At least she wouldn't be calling him 'big boy' anymore. Titan had to admit that was a little embarrassing. As she cracked another joke about his name, he playfully ruffled her hair with one hand, like a close friend would. At least the day wasn't completely lost, he cheered her up didn't he?
|
|
Unaligned
Posts 126
Power Level 21
|
Post by Hooded Siren on Jun 28, 2016 14:49:29 GMT -7
Siren playfully batted his hand away when he ruffled her hair. The friendly gesture made her smile. It symbolized a closeness that wasn't as uncomfortable as she thought it would be. Considering they had only met like twice now. It had to be a new record for closeness or something like that. It meant that coming out here today wasn't comepletely worthless. Though it would mean she'd have to be more careful on her next expirement with villany. Titan was bound to be on her trail everytime she stepped out of line. That thought alone made her almost rethink this companionship. She looked up at her new friend. Maybe after today he was rethinking his alignment too. No way to know unless she asked.
"So Titan, tell me. Is it really worth being a hero, even on days like today?" she questioned.
|
|
Emerald City Bulwark
Posts 153
Power Level 22
|
Post by Titan on Jun 28, 2016 21:31:53 GMT -7
It was nice to see that the mood of the day was lifted, considering its awful start and the whole incident at the zoo that didn't end ideally. There was an oddly playful air with the two, though Titan didn't think much of it. He was just glad to have a more-or-less good friend that he could 'talk' to, since he didn't really have an abundance of those. Things did take a slightly more serious tone when she asked if it was worth being a hero. Titan pondered her questions. Yes, they failed to contain the threat, but that was just one mishap. A hero couldn't just give up whenever they failed, they pressed on despite the odds. Being a hero was worth the lives that were saved and the disasters that were prevented. Granted, a lot of heroes tended to do more damage than the people they were up against, but it was the thought that counted.
"Of course"
|
|
Unaligned
Posts 126
Power Level 21
|
Post by Hooded Siren on Jun 28, 2016 22:23:04 GMT -7
Siren leaned back against the tree again. It wasn't like she expected him to think any other way but part of her wished he had said no. She wasn't exactly completely selfless. The pinkette still had a hard time helping people get out pf issues they caused. And of course her tendency to steal when she was down on her luck. That was never truly heroic at all.
"Sometimes I really don't know. I mean I always prefer the rush I get doing heroic deeds over villainous ones but..." she paused. It was difficult putting her feelings into words. They were twisted and weird. Letting out a melancholy sigh she looked back to her companion. Was it really ok to unload like this on a guy she barely knew? As long as it got no more personal than this there was no real harm. Right?
"With how horrid I am at being good I wonder if it's better to just ignore my good impulses and be a villain. I'm much better at that." |
|
Emerald City Bulwark
Posts 153
Power Level 22
|
Post by Titan on Jun 28, 2016 23:39:26 GMT -7
Titan frowned underneath his mask when Siren started expressing some self-doubt. Scratch that, there was a lot of self-doubt. To be honest, it was surprising that she had such incredibly low self-esteem, considering how confidently she always carried herself. Nonetheless, it was disheartening to see anyone like this, and Titan considered her words about being a better villain than a hero. He didn't believe her for a second. Sure, they met while she was stealing some jewelry, but she didn't hurt anybody, and she even saved a little girl during the altercation at the zoo. Siren had the makings of a hero, even if she did a few bad things. She was too hard on herself, letting one failure bring her down like this. Titan placed a comforting hand on Siren's shoulder to help reassure her, countering her remark about being a better villain.
"You're not, and you never will be"
|
|
Unaligned
Posts 126
Power Level 21
|
Post by Hooded Siren on Jun 29, 2016 0:12:30 GMT -7
The feeling of his large, gentle hand on her shoulder brought Siren out of her reverie. She looked up to meet his eyes, green meeting the dark cloth of his mask. His words shocked her. Two meetings, just two, and he had that much confidence in her? What the hell was he on and where could she get some? It was impossible not to smile a little bit at him, albeit. How could anyone believe in a person so much after so little time together?
"You know when you say it I almost believe you." she told him, a deep tiredness in her voice.
She leaned forward and put her forehead on his chest for a moment. She just let the exhaustion, regret and self-loathing just fill her for a second. Then she bottled it up. She was done dumping on this poor soul. Her personal problems were just that, hers. She was done being pathetic. Her shoulders stiffened at the thought, the feelings she had just forced away threatening to swallow her again. NO! She would save those for a cigarette and booze another time. Alone. |
|
Emerald City Bulwark
Posts 153
Power Level 22
|
Post by Titan on Jun 29, 2016 0:26:00 GMT -7
Despite his attempt at reassurance, it didn't have as much as an effect as he hoped it would. All it really did was just affirm his own faith in her, while she still maintained that undeserved self-doubt. It wasn't unexpected, Rome wasn't built in a day after all. But what was unexpected was her resting her head on his chest. Titan had no idea how to react to this. He decided on letting her have this moment, putting a hand on the back of her head as she took a moment for herself. When he started off doing the whole superhero thing, Titan never thought that he would be providing moral support to someone. He wasn't really used to this kind of thing anyway. Titan still didn't say a word, just letting Siren have her moment.
|
|
