Clintz
The Flame

Set this place on fire
Let the flames rise higher
As they reach the ceiling
At your feet I'm kneeling

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Clintz is a reserved individual who just wants others to leave him alone. If one were to greet him on a walk, or bump into him at a bus stop, he may give a gruff but polite 'excuse me' or ignore the interaction completely. Questions and small talk don't rouse him. Though he's quiet, it's always as if the gears are turning in his head with pensive thought, often cause for the scowl on his face. He prefers this distance, and his attitude isn't the only thing pushing others away. His baggy attire is reminiscent of poverty, though it gives him a more intimidating silhouette over his lanky figure, on top of just being comfortable to wear. All of this is an effort to hide his anxiety.

If someone does get through to him enough to hold a conversation, they'll find he's rather pessimistic and defensive, quick to snap and pull away from any prying. He struggles in most social situations, so it's best to scare someone off, than show his weakness. This social anxiety is amplified around women, mostly those he assumes he could have any kind of connection with. Even if it's brief eye contact on the street, he'll clam up and avoid the person, which regretfully draws more attention to himself. Even though he has dated in the past, any of his relationships fell through in upsetting ways. He has diagnosed it as a 'fear of women', and with everything else that's happenened in his life, it's no wonder he came to this conclusion.

His family was toxic from the very beginning. His mother had an affair behind her husband's back, only to come crawling back shortly after. This resulted in an unwanted pregnancy, which resulted in Clintz. He never knew his real father, but his mother would often express her longing for the man, telling Clintz how much he reminded her of him. This became Clintz's biggest issue among his family, he was a reminder of a mistake, a longing of escape from this life, a bastard child. His step-father resented every bit of him, his regretful mother would agree to appease her husband, and his older step-brother, Valence followed in both their footsteps with incessent bullying. His brother was the ideal child, and his parents made that well-known.

Growing up, Clintz formed an affinity with fire, playing with candles, lighting matches, carrying a lighter for friends who smoked. At some point in his early teens, Clintz and his brother got ahold of some fireworks, which ended with an incident costing his brother an eye. Of course this didn't help his reputation with his parents. More often than not, he ended up spending his time on the streets, away from home, sleeping over at friend's houses, anything to not deal with his family's toxcitiy. These constant outings with his 'friends' with a combination of the streets raising him, and his aversion to fire proved to be his downfall.

These so-called friends conspired a brilliant joke one day to cause a little damage to a rival's home, but this joke rapidly spread out of control and turned into a full-on house fire. No one was physically hurt thankfully, but the one punished for this deed was Clintz, who just happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time. It wasn't his idea, it's not something he approved, he wasn't even involved. He never wanted to hurt anyone, he just wanted his friends to like him. But, all those friends pointed a finger at him starting it. The one obsessed with fire, always carrying a lighter, the rebellious street kid. No authority believed his words, only the evidence, and Clintz was sent to a juvenile detention center.

It took a few years for Clintz to even be found innocent, but the damage was already done. His family didn't believe him, he lost the only people he called friends, if he was released, he'd be homeless and alone. This whole incident caused him to shut his emotions away for good. If this is how the world felt about him, why should he bother interacting with it, they're the ones that were at fault, not him. Despite his apathy, a police officer named Midas stepped up and volunteered to take him in. Clintz was old enough to be on his own, but without proper housing, and a record that would hinder finding a job, he had no chance out there. Clintz reluctantly took the offer, and became Midas's roommate.

Midas may ask if he needs anything from the store, or request that Clintz take care of chores around the home, but Clintz rarely has a full conversation with his new parental figure. This cop wasn't the best choice to look after a withdrawn young adult, but at least Clintz had a roof over his head, and he felt secure coming home to his own bedroom every night. It beat sleeping in an alley, and Clintz quietly appreciated his accomodations.

A few more years of this rolled by, and Clintz only became more anxious around others, simply existing doing his day-to-day activities. It wasn't until a cupid waltzed into his life one day, that a little flicker of hope started to shine in his shuttered heart.

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