Acting on sympathy of those well fortunate and even ones in close positions of being strapped for cash, Lyle and his sisters were expected to sell the despair. When he was old enough to witness it, the eye of his mother's interests, all fanned down the line of taking shortcuts. It was survival based of course, but she had a hard on for the challenge, the chase of the dollar. Getting it any means necessary even at the cost of three kids' childhood. His father had been a hanger-on, cruise control being his default while his head was in plumes of reefer smoke. He had his own issues that never bode well in a sham of a marriage from the start.
All based on deceit and the lure of making ends meet by any means, blown through what childhood happiness looked like. Instances of safety becoming in question when given the green light to go to strangers doors, coached stories in the pipeline to sell their woes. Most of the time it worked. Asking for the bare minimum or asking friends if their parents could help when demand to work wasn’t convenient as swindling between Reno and occasional Vegas. Antics of and the shifty art of the grifting family, came with many prices, including impossible means of keeping a steady place to live. Lack of roots placed while always forcefully from one temporary shelter to the next, was less conducive to development and learning what stability meant.
Crimes had caught up, especially with his mother. Keeping her away from the children weeks at a time. Sometimes months, Señor Amaro did what was possible with the least and with poorer results. As he found coldness and a berating energy from her absence, the depths of the chill was almost unmatched for the all lax father. Lyle learned quickly that he had to be guarded by the lack of buffer and the hammer of his mother's words. In his tenth year, prayers had been answered or someone was truly watching out for him at the visitation of a savior disguised as Alba. Her surprise visit was more of a concern drop in and in turn it changed the way both his parents treated their children as bait and cash tickets, to he pushed across the board.
Memory of Saint Alba hustling three siblings on a Greyhound to a destination of security and what would become a real home. Under the ultimatums and forced hands of making it happened, the unfitness of both parents was all that Alba needed to ensure where the three siblings would end up. As if some damage had been irreversible, the touch and go of being raised under a new roof and with rules that spat on the free-for-all parenting, attempted to build up what was lacking to begin with. Confidence remained in being a different person while navigating what was or wasn’t to come. And in confidence still lacked true preparation as issues piled on through his adult years.
Decent by chance with subconsciously choosing options of weaving conflated stories to mask and blot out his childhood to those who asked. Hearts and loyalty was captured of friends, lovers who should’ve left when they saw the flags, and professionals that way. At times when he expected the flow of lies to go one way, they went in an opposite direction. Poor deals of business left him in shambles in his early twenties when the spokes of college broke away, introducing him into the real world, especially in a city that never was pardoned to sleep. He wrangled through mishaps that almost costed his livelihood and in the midst of the trouble of darkness finding him in such short range he was caught by a woman, who by under normal circumstance would pass him by.
Honeymoon stages were shortened by dire circumstances left out of the hands of an older sibling’s failing health. Abruptly marriage followed as a new nightmare put the gas on things. Not giving enough space to sort through the jump both committed to, including picking up to move to Boston as support. As the fight was straining both on the family, his sister’s children, and the early days of a marriage, the changes were both heavy. Watching in real time a loved one wither away. It was worst than a flick of horror and being unable to do anything about it. Changes allowed for commitments to shift and the choices made previously in his life for a better situation. He stepped in to cushion the pangs of grief by taking in the children. As if they were his own, the task brought out a paternal side he never knew existed.
The same was aimed for at the years moved furthest away from a deceased sibling. But not all would be well as the unit of marriage fell apart. He saw his niece and nephew go through growing pains and he did as well. Guarded by the desires not coming to fruition and stresses of failing deep in the vices that buried many unchecked issues. Needs were gathered from the outside and it drove then apart rather than keep them bound by a life long commitment. Death by divorce was not a ticket out of the next nightmare but it led him astray. A move in close view would begin his new path, when the ways of old were hard to shake and easier to reinforce.
Thoughtsuite
advertara, LLC
never discloses his true family background by keeping his old life shrouded in mystery with lies and tall tales, as how nightmare's origins are accredited to be unknown.
middle name edward, similar to nightmare's alias edvard.
owns a couple of escape rooms inspired by fear tropes, which shares the name of world of fiction, that nightmare failed at conquering.
Oneiromancy
summoning •
dreamstalker
off-canon abilities + items
Teekl
animal empathy
locations (au/cv)
nightmare world
world of fiction
club fear
class three demon physiology
unique features
superhuman strength
superhuman stamina
superhuman speed
superhuman durability
regenerative healing factor
immortality
Mastery of the Dream Dimension
reality warping
shapeshifting
size alteration
illusion
conclusive blasts
telekinesis
pyrokinesis
fear absorption
mystic prod
memories
memory of nightmare's exploits
memory of the fearlords
memory of conquests in mortal & dream dimensions
memory of his children
memory of doctor strange
weaknesses
Under normal conditions, Nightmare cannot affect an individual who is awake. However, his images and other creations can continue to haunt a person in their waking hours.
Nightmare is much weaker when outside of his realm, and can be overcome while in it by a being who has completely conquered their fear.
pureness of the human spirit to him can be the deciding factor behind appreciation that reaches just beyond majority pushed aesthetics. known to have neurotic tendencies at the least serious of things and has taken the time to stop and breathe as he’s aged to think rather become reactionary on situations that require less energy needed. his interests range and differ drastically but can become prime focus, drawing over-possessiveness and suffering through disillusionment and fear of losses. overall, his deep work ethics reflect in the energy when enjoying those rewards and payoffs ten-fold. very independent, and is dependable to others as it is important to him to be the man his grandparents raised him to be.
Lived the vagabond lifestyle as child until taken from their parents by abuelita and other aunts from his maternal side.
Is estranged from parents all of these years despite them consistently contacting him in his adult life for reconciliation.
Invested in two locations of escape rooms: world of fiction, both themed and inspired by fear tropes commonly used in literature & visual media from past to present.
Can be manipulative unknowingly, especially to those trying to gain access to his ‘true self’. Believes he’s a good person with deceptive tendencies as a defense mechanism.
Has interest in the occult due to rumors of relatives involvement in colombian brujeria and other practiced pagan religions based on witchcraft or vice versa.
Grew an interest in cosplay and that industry to better support his nephew, who had difficulties adjusting to the various stereotypes of poc having set interests and accepting that he enjoyed parts of the nerd culture.
Has an affinity for foreign, independent, and cult horror films.
Goes fishing to cure multiple bouts of mental wear and stress. his way of practicing self-care.
Works with his hands in the realm of constructing commissioned cosplay costumes and props for the cos community of friends and by extension clients. sells non commissioned items over social media and the e-commerce retailer, etsy.
co-founded thoughtsuite, an app development firm, that’s grown into offering other tech based services, since 2009. Thanks to the success of a sleeping aide app & device: dreamwalk & nightpod, put the company on the map.
Lyle, along with very close friends, created a sleep aid app dreakwalk, and three years later, nightpod went into production as a singular device or watch like gadget that recorded sleep patterns, ambience noise options, which synced with their mobile device.
Deals with empty nest syndrome since his niece and nephew left home for college.
hosts murder mystery dinners with friends.
Can't get enough of flamming hot cheetos.
Has an impressive collection of funkos, which started with being gifted one from his late sister.