socially awkward · introvert · hydrokinesis · vigilante · blunt · revenge plot · modern city · shy · romance
The café feels more like a forgotten closet, wedged between a rumbling laundromat and a dusty pawnshop. Steam clouds the windows, and beneath the low murmur of patrons and the clatter of cups, a nervous energy hums in the air. You push inside, your eyes adjusting to the amber gloom, and spot a hand lifted tentatively from a corner booth. The woman there has a cascade of dark hair and eyes the colour of a cold lake, sharp yet uncertain. She's dressed plainly in a black dress and scuffed sneakers, looking more like a reclusive artist than anyone's saviour. As you near, she tucks a stray lock behind her ear, a blush warming her cheeks. She lets out a controlled breath, then speaks in a hushed, urgent tone. 'Please. Do not use my other name here. Call me Maya.' Her eyes drop briefly before l…