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Mattias

More now than ever seems it rich to die.

0 · 727 views · located in Violet Blues

a character in “In Violet Blues”, as played by Achelois

Description

PERSONALITY

xx______x The world was black and white covered in smears of red.

xxxi. Hushed whispers and heated sighs, it's the silent longing for something he knows he can never have. He swears one day he will defy the cruel fates and decide his own destiny, but the muffled laughter of people long gone remind him that it's a dream he'll never catch. Silence. He knows it's true.

xxxii. Mattias hates them. He despises every cell in their body for what they are, and what he isn't. He's selfish. He realizes that - and yet it doesn't stop him from wanting. Their aspirations seem so obtainable, and so human that he has to laugh. Every person has the opportunity to do what they please, and yet he sighs in recognition that he is no person. Even if he were though, few have told him otherwise.

xxxiii. He lies - a lot. To himself, to his brother, to the man that put him in his situation. A smile so gentle it appears harsh can turn hopes into words and weave a tale so marvelous that even he is fooled for a time, but then he remembers who he is and the illusion is shattered. Mattias wonders if he'll ever stop, and he promises that one day he will. He lies - a lot.

xxxiv. He has stars in his eyes, and as a result becomes blind. He is infatuated with the romantic idea that maybe - just maybe - he can try and help those who need it. That rather than causing destruction and terror he can be a source of protection and be famed in glory. Perhaps the light isn't always meant for the good, but can rather be shared with those whom need it most.

xxxv. An idiot. He is an idiot that deserves to die, expect that he already has.

xxxvi. The only truth he seeks is in the motion of pen hitting paper. Thoughts and ideas forming before his hand can write them down and as a result his notes are illegible. He'll fix it, he says, later on wondering what the hell he was trying to say. It's almost a foreign language to him, how messy his handwriting is, but as he digs deeper past an invisible threshold the words seem to become vernacular once more. How he's missed himself.




THE BEGINNING
Frequently, they would dream — for it was the only thing in their lives they could get for free; and sometimes their fantasies were good, but more often than not they would prefer the cruelty of reality over whatever their minds had in store. However, some ideals never went away even under the watchful gaze of those around them. They spoke in hushed whispers and careful smiles talking about a place where all their problems could be solved. They had hope.

ONCE, THERE WAS A LIFE TO LIVE

Mattias hated his brother for what he did, and yet was so hypocritical for he took the stolen food without remorse. They were hungry and with parents that were constantly gone, it was hard to remember they weren’t the only ones.

COLORED IN BRIGHT SHADES OF BLUE

The work was hard, and the pay was minimal, but it was an honest job and Mattias could not ask for more. He enjoyed the feel of machinery beneath his fingertips - felt the presence of so many like him working to survive - and for once in his life he felt as though he had a purpose.

BUT AS TIME CHANGED, SO DID IT

He heard it through the grapevine, the ultimate departure of his brother. The laughs of the people he once called friends, and the disapproving looks from acquaintances. Mattias had always known of his brothers sexuality, there was little they didn’t share with one another, but to have him so publicly shunned gave him a pause -but then he resumed and was furious.

And so he did as any good older brother would and followed him. (It was not a hard choice to make; apparently not having the drive to procreate made him defected. )

I WANDERED THROUGH CLOUDS OF GRAY TO SEE DEATH’S FACE

It was quiet. Terribly so, and the only thing that could be heard was the steady breathing of the those around him. The peace however was disrupted when silently - inhumanly - a hand clasped over his mouth and attached to it was a face Mattias had not seen in two years. Alexander had made a motion to leave and oh so willingly he did.
.
His lungs felt as though they would give out at any moment, and his veins were pumping with what Mattias could only assume was boiling blood. He let a smile cross his features and looked for his brother in the darkness, for they had actually done it. They had escaped and - he felt something pierce into his neck and suddenly he wasn’t thinking anymore.

Weakly he tried to push his attacker off him, but the body above him kept Mattias pinned down, and oh god it was getting harder and harder to breath. With that all said and done he did the only thing he could and screamed. The attacker as if having a sudden epiphany leapt off him and smeared the blood - his blood - off his mouth and gave an expression that could rival his own surprise.
.

"Mattias, I'm sorry,”
.
He did not die - although, thinking on it many years later, he wished he had.

Minutes after the monster, no his brother, left him to suffer Mattias had picked himself up and began to run. He did not care where, nor the consequences for such an action, but he felt as though he needed to prove he was breathing and wandering like a phantom.

Later, he came to the conclusion that while he was alive, he was not living.

BUT WAS GREETED WITH A MAN NOT UNLIKE MYSELF
The years passed by in a blur of hiding in the shadows, watching, waiting, hoping. No one ever explained to Mattias what he was, or how he was even alive, but he began to realize his own true nature only months after his transformation.

The insatiable need for blood, thoughts that were not his own, and of course his inhuman physique. No, he did not know what he was nor did he want to find out.

HE CALLED HIMSELF THE FERRYMAN
Through shady means Mattias bought himself a new life. He arrived at a country he had only heard stories about, and as a passing thought Mattias wondered what Alexander would have thought of it. The green lady holding a torch in a seemingly endless night, the smell of ocean water; but just as quickly as the thought appeared he was much quicker to squash it.

He was on his own now.

I WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY

He went to Violet Blues, Louisiana - a place he thought he could called home (if his parents lies had any truth) to find a man named Al whom he could call an uncle. It was however, with much regret that he came to hear the saddening tale of his death.

It was time to move on.
.
He kept the house however, the land had been given to his parents in Uncle Al’s will, in hopes that maybe one day someone would need it more than he.
.
He hoped he would find his brother again.

BUT AT A PRICE
One year was all it took for Mattias to come to terms with what he was after learning the correct definition: he was a vampire.

From the time he came to America he had traveled to countless states, homeless for the most part, but loving a life he thought was not all that bad. However, he wanted a place he could call his own and so went back to where everything had started in his new life - Violet Blues.

I AGREED, FOR WHAT OTHER CHOICE DID I HAVE?

They had hugged, and tears were spilt, but happiness is not made to last forever.

They argued, they fought, and they had different philosophies of life. Mattias could never kill someone helpless, someone in need of the protection he could give with his new found powers; but Alexander begged to differ. He would do whatever was required to survive.

It was true, Mattias was jealous of the people who could be called “human” for how desperately he wished he could be one, but such envy was displaced by a bone deep emotion he could only call ignorance.

HE SMILED AND LEAD ME ONTO HIS BOAT
Mattias forgot about Alexander once more. He wanted to officially put everything behind him, and to do that he would need to erase any and all memories of his brother. It was easier said than done, but over the course of the years it became easier, he was mindlessly numb.

However, his life after his departure was not without direction. He knew he wanted to help people, even if for his own selfish need, and so found a job in the government who knew about people like him. Gradually he rose in position until finally he achieved the highest rank he could ever wish for.
.
Once more he finally felt as though he had a purpose.

So begins...

Mattias's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alexander Schulz Character Portrait: Rosalie Finch Character Portrait: Lindsay Finch Character Portrait: Mattias
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#, as written by Airy


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People tend to talk in a little town; your personal business can never be truly personal until you learn the precise art of hiding one’s skeletons in the closet. If your house is invested with mice, then by god, you can count on the community of Violet Blues taking it as a personal attack on every single inhabitant. You can't even get a divorce without the townsfolk choosing definitive sides and the church trying to condemn you to eternal damnation for not staying with a man or woman who already treats you like you’re in hell. If your lucky, sometimes people tend to ignore the obvious and stay in their oblivious little superlative bubbles of southern small town perfectionism, but that’s only with darker more uncomfortable matters to which people would rather not have their names associated.

Of course, if your name is linked with those dark things, no one has an issue in discussing it to your face or to others more truthfully opinionated thereafter.

Sweetie, I’m so sorry to hear about your brother. I can’t imagine what your family is going through right now, especially considering you were the one who discovered the god awful mess.” Rosalie, as gracefully and with only a slight tightness to her tone interjected before Patty Jackson could spiel on even more uncomfortably, saying, “thank you for your condolences, I’ll pass them along to Lindsay and my father.” This was, of course, a lie. She knew Lindsay might just brush it off having heard enough apologies, and Rosalie wasn’t quite sure her father would even take the time of day to listen to her relay the message. Rose herself didn’t necessarily care for all the apologies and casserole dished foods she acquired within the last month since her brother had passed. There was no need for apologies. Mason was murdered, and unless the people who offered these repeated apologies were his killer, she didn’t particularly think there was a reason or need for the countless atonements. Rose finally thought the relentless pitying looks and comments had stopped, but Patty had only just come back from a long work vacation a few days back and the news was fresh to her. Patty’s husband Jim patted his wife tenderly on the hand, as if trying to console his wife. Truthfully, Rose knew Patty would be more ailed at the news of the affair her husband had when she was gone then the murder of Mason. The affair wasn’t well known news in Violet Blue’s yet, but it would only be a matter of time.

Jim softly shook his head in prig disbelief as he murmured to Patty, “found him right there, splayed across the altar table. It was a vampire you know." Rose stifled a small smile, ignoring the 'splayed acorss the table' comment. Clearing her throat slightly, she stated as happily and normal as she could manage, “We don't know if it was a vampire, I don't beleive it was. Let me get both of you some more coffee," Rose turned promptly on her heel to go help to other customers she had to serve in the final hour of her shift at Davie’s Bar and Grill, a poor rendition of a 50’s style diner. Truthfully, the theme was only executed in the odd colors and furniture, as well as the mismatched vintage server’s uniforms, but that was because it had only recently come into a new owner. All Davie had done since acquiring the bar after his mother passed a year back was renaming it, changing the menu, and doing some mismatched repairs that worked to counteract the 50’s theme. He always says that once he has the money he will change it up into a more modern version of a diner, but until then, Rose is stuck wearing the old fashion pink uniform with a white apron tied around the waist, while Davie stood behind the bar sticking out like a sore thumb due to his seemingly endless supply of cowboy hats and flannel shirts.

Rose stopped once on her way to grab the coffee pot, but that was only because a man at a table who she’d never seen before had stopped her in order to grab something as well -- her ass. Rose didn’t have the time or patience to listen to the man utter his crude comment, as instead she instinctively and extremely quickly pried his hand away and twisted it in her own crude way behind his back. She did it rather suddenly and with a surprising amount of strength, so the shock and the squeal of pain the man let out was obvious. Rose didn’t like causing scenes, most especially when there were children in the diner, so in haste without letting go of her painful grip, she laughed as sheepishly as she could manage and said out loud, “oh dear, I am so sorry you spilled coffee on your lap!” She was very discreet in hiding the painful strain she was putting on his twisted arm. To anyone who might see past her, they would safely assume she had a friendly hand on his back. Leaning further in, she whispered in the man’s ear low enough that no one would be able to hear it, “now let me go get you the check, I fear you may have to leave to put ice on your injury,” her tone sickeningly sweet. The man struggled a bit in order to release his arm, but with every tug and pull it would only cause him more pain. Instead, he gave a hard look toward Davie, challenging him to help him as he was the customer, but Davie made a notable point of turning his face away, whistling a little tune as he did.

Rose finally dropped his hand and without so much as a second glance, went on her way to get a coffee pot and the mans check.

As she approached the Jackson’s table once more, she overheard Jim state rather hushed and bitterly, “I really hope Pastor Finch has replaced that altar table, It’d be disgusting – Oh, thank you Rose.” Rose simply poured the coffee, giving the married couple no signs to let them know she overheard their previous comment. She went to turn away, but suddenly Patty reached out to grab her arm, asking abruptly, “Rosie, would you mind looking after Charlotte tomorrow at seven? It’s another date night.” Rose brightened a little at that notion. Charlotte was their seven-year-old daughter, one of the many kids she baby sat. She much proffered her company then her parents. “Of course, I’d love to. I haven’t seen her since you and her went on that trip, It’ll be nice.

After dropping the check off at the clearly disgruntled, yet a little petrified man, Rose took off the waist apron and handed it to Davie. It was nine at night and her shift was finally through. Making her way into the back kitchen, saying friendly hello’s to the cook and his assistant, she went into Davie’s office to slip over the pink uniform an overly large cardigan, which previously was owned by her brother. She also grabbed her bag. Now she simply had to wait for Lindsay, before reluctantly going to her house that she wouldn’t exactly call her home.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alexander Schulz Character Portrait: Mattias
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xx.xxx"I shall not see the shadows, I shall not feel the rain;
xx.xxxI shall not hear the nightingale sing on, as if in pain:
xx.xxxAnd dreaming through the twilight that doth not rise
xx.xxxnor set, haply I may remember, and haply may forget."
xx.xxxxxxx - Christina Georgina Rossetti ;; #e31616



Even more than his own damnable existence, Mattias hated the quiet murmurs of pedestrians alike. It was the half-shouted whispers and conniving glances his way that made him feel as though his soul was bared for all to see. It was a frightening and miserable feeling, and could be summarized as a whole to be paranoia.

However, he knew better than to lash out and keep his emotions in check —to pretend as though the gossip filling his ears is nothing more than a fly. Annoying and distracting, but not overly harmful.

Briskly walking down the street away from his hotel, Mattias pulled his phone from his pocket and began typing in a string of digits he knew by heart. He did not have the courage to permanently keep the number knowing that once he did, how often he would be tempted to call it.

TO: (318) - XXX -XXXX
FROM: Mattias Schulz

I’ll be over in 10 minutes.

Seemingly endless years without contact and the first thing he had the nerve to text was when he would be over. The moment he hit the send button, he wanted to erase it but knew that had happened could not be erased. Mattias sighed in self-deprecation and wondered why he had to be such a screw up big brother sometimes. He would live with it. He had to.

Without looking at his phone to check for an answer - like he wanted to - he put it back in his pocket and forgot about it. After all, the next best thing after confronting things is to run away from them; and that - was something the Schulz brothers could do perfectly.

“You’re new around here aren’t ya?” a feminine voice called out and made him stop his his tracks. “Part of the government if I had to guess,” A smile, “I’m right aren’t I?”

He did not dignify the bubble-gum chewing teen with a verbal answer, but let his head bob in affirmation. That seemed to be good enough however, for she then quickly yelled out, "Things aren't all they seem here Violet Blues,” She winked and before he could question her and the oddity of her warning, she skipped away as if she had never talked to him in the first place.

Starting his walk once more - and ignoring the all together weirdness of their conversation, if it could even be called that - he gave her suggestion a thought and chuckled softly at the thought that she assumed he was a human. If only she and all others knew.

The Vampire Investigation Unit of Louisiana operates under the veil of normalcy - that being, they can legally lie about their race without repercussions and or worry about the law to an extent. They deal with supernatural affairs, and because of that sometimes they cover up = crucial details with pretty lies and fake smiles to sate the press and the people. It would not be productive to give people something to worry about even more than what they already do.

And it is to those whom do not know better - the better half of the nation - that assumes the unit is simply a gathering of high ranking government detectives sworn to duty to protect the people from supernatural creatures — like themselves.

Mattias slowed his walking, stopping at a worn down looking house with a pathway that seemed ten years overgrown. It was most likely not the fault of the owner, although he might have contributed to it, but from what Mattias could remember the house itself never was in the best condition. Neglect however made it worse.

Slowly, painfully so, Mattias gathered the courage to walk up the pathway and was met with a slightly chipped white painted door. He breathed in not quite ready for what was to come. What would the reaction of his brother be? Angry for sure, possibly disgust, and all other emotions that go in-between.

Exhaling he lifted his hand, and knocked.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Mattias
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Alexander was lying down in the soft grass, staring at the beautiful blue sky. Clouds easily brushed by, and the sun, though draining, shined down on his face. It gave him the distinct impression of what it was like to be human- always warm and fuzzy. The song he was listening to gave him the distinct impression of what it was like to be in excruciating pain. The song was death metal and the singer was screaming. He could hardly imagine what it was like to scream the lyrics to the song for such an extended amount of time- his throat was probably torn up by the end of the recording session. Out of habit, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a sweet draft of smoke into his lungs. A few people walked by, wondering what he was doing- but it was a park, he was allowed to lay down and enjoy the grass if he wanted to, like the cute caterpillar that was slowly inching its way up his neck, tickling him. It isn't as if he had a cover to put up. Everyone in Violet Blues knew, by now, that Alex was a vampire. If they didn't know, they'd just moved in.

His music was inturrupted by a short, cheezy ringtone, indicating a text message. Alex sighed as he dragged his earbuds by the cord to yank his phone closer to him. In the sun, the screen glared right back like an angry child. He took another inhale of the cigarette, sitting up and shielding the phone.

From: Not Matthew
"I'll be there in ten minuets.

"What..." Alex murmured. Realistically, he had been hoping for that Polynesian looking girl to text him and tell him how he was forgiven, just so that Alex could be in her pants for another day before she realized that he was the same heartless and cruel bastard that she left in the first place. She was the one who was looking for a long term relationship in a bar. Life just didn't work that way. But Mattias was just a better person to receive a text from.

Meanwhile, the dog that just appeared from twenty feet away was going insane, yanking on its leash, trying its hardest to tackle and murder Alexander. It was a tiny dog that belonged to the old lady who walked around the park every day. "Oh, dear," the lady said, she had her eyebrows furrowed. She never knew why her dog went insane at the park entrance- but Alex was lying down near it every single day and her eyes just weren't good enough to see him in the long grass.

Alex stood up and walked past her, the dog went wild, trying its hardest to take him down. The lady said again "Oh, my." Alexander ignored her, opening the wooden gate. He walked through the crowded streets towards out of the city, where his house was. People stared at him as he walked by, knowing exactly what he was, as he walked by. They gave gay marriage to gays and now they should give rights not to be stared at as vampires. Oh yeah... someone died and they all think it was a vampire.... Was that why his brother was coming home?

The old, wooden, house's white paint was worn down. Alex walked up the path, and into the house, and tossed his cigarette butt into the ashtray on his counter. He walked into the bathroom and washed his hair underneath the sink, before staring up back at the mirror. He looked gaunt. Alex scrubbed his head with the towel, and walked back to the kitchen. He heard a knock on the door. Already?

Alex walked to the door, breathing in the familiar scent of his brother. He took a deep breath and opened it. In all his glory and splendor, Mattias wore even nerdier glasses then before. "You motherfucker," Alex managed to spit out words in spite. But he didn't care how long Mattias had been gone anymore. He missed his brother. Without another word Alexander pulled him into a hug. He wanted to be angry, but he couldn't. Alex let go of his brother, and looked at him. "Okay, okay, okay," Alex said, breathe, Alex, breathe. Following his own instructions, he took a deep breath and said, "What have you been doing all this time? Where have you been? I've missed you."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alexander Schulz Character Portrait: Rosalie Finch Character Portrait: Lindsay Finch Character Portrait: Mattias
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xx.xxx"I shall not see the shadows, I shall not feel the rain;
xx.xxxI shall not hear the nightingale sing on, as if in pain:
xx.xxxAnd dreaming through the twilight that doth not rise
xx.xxxnor set, haply I may remember, and haply may forget."
xx.xxxxxxx - Christina Georgina Rossetti ;; #e31616



Mattias was fully prepared for a verbal lashing, the door closed on his face, or a quick punch to his face - and was fully prepared to state his case - and it was because of thoughts that he didn’t expect a spiteful, ”You motherfucker,” followed in quick succession with a hug. He dropped his brief case in order to wrap his arms around his younger sibling and murmured a quiet, “I’m sorry.”

They let go of each other, and as Alexander went to collect himself Mattias could only watch. He noted that his brother was still five inches taller than him, and his face had a certain gauntness to it that made Mattias weary. Last he had heard from him, Alexander had quit killing others to sustain his own life and began stealing. It wasn’t the best solution, but it was one that made Mattias slightly less guilty.

“I’ve missed you too,” he smiled and pushed his glasses further up his face, ”And I’m here to ask for your help.” Matters ignored the other questions to get straight to the point, and silently berated himself for doing so.

Remembering he had dropped his briefcase he had a motion to pick it up and brushed the dirt off its leather exterior. Inside were files about the murder of Mason Finch, and Mattias was hoping his brother would help him on the case. It was not that he needed his brother’s help, but he wanted to spend time with him. Although, if pressed to admit it he would rather lie.

“The investigation unit sent me here to solve the murder of a boy named Mason Finch.” he did think to include the supernatural part, but everything was semantics to Mattias. “Have you ever heard of him?” It was a question Mattias was ninety percent sure of he knew that answer to, but decided to ask regardless. In the small town of Violet Blues nothing ever escaped anyone.

A small beep made itself known to the pair and before Alexander could either deny or accept his request Mattias grabbed his arm, shut the door to the house, and pulled them both down the overgrown path. ‘Damnit, if it hadn’t been for that girl and the cabs earlier.’ They were now late, and he hadn’t even had time to explain more to his brother about the case.

Their uncle Al’s house - now Alexander’s - was on the outskirts of the city and Mattias would have taken a cab, but oddly enough whenever he had asked them to drive out they promptly told him no. He even tried to pay extra, but to no avail. It made him curious what was out there - aside from his brother.

Mattias made them both run until they reached the first shop of the city where he purposely made a large huff of exhaustion. He wasn’t really tired, but he needed to put up an act of normalcy. People were always watching, even when one thinks they’re not.

“We’re going to Davie’s Bar and Grill,” he finally said knowing his brother had a question or two about the whole ordeal. “There are two sisters, and one of them works there; her shift ended fifteen minutes ago.” Matters did not bother giving an explanation as to why he knew the younger sister’s schedule, but pointedly looked at his briefcase instead. “She’s one of the side suspects.”

It was not likely that either sister had anything to do with the murder, however he could not rule out the possibility. Years of being a detective made him wise to innocent facades.

They reached the diner just as two females walked out, and with a quick glance to his brother signaled his intention. Keeping a safe distance the brothers followed the sisters as they conversed and Mattias made a mental note about every little action they did.

Watching suspects without them knowing was one of the most pure ways to analyze a person. It is when they feel the most free, and true to themselves. Even when they’re hiding something there is less restraint than when talking in an interrogation. It was only natural, and Mattias wanted to observe them as quickly as possible before rumor of his arrival spread; for then they would all be put on edge and he would not truly see them for who they are.

He could only wish his brother had the same thought process as him and would not yell out something absurdly stupid like, “Hey, you’re the Finch sisters correct?” No, they would be too ridiculous even for him.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rosalie Finch Character Portrait: Lindsay Finch Character Portrait: Mattias
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"I've missed you too," Mattias smiled and adjusted his glasses. Without answering any of the questions Alex had pent up for so long, Matt pulled up his briefcase he dropped. "I'm here to ask you for help. The investigation unit sent me here to solve the murder of a boy named Mason Finch. Have you ever heard of him?" A beep alerted the both of them, and Alexander was suddenly dragged out by Mattias into the real world. Alex had the tempting urge to pull away and stop them on the path back to town, just to ask every single question he could, again. Maybe it'd get him to answer. Maybe it wasn't the right decision, either. So Alex receded into running next to his brother.

"We’re going to Davie’s Bar and Grill. There are two sisters, and one of them works there; her shift ended fifteen minutes ago. She’s one of the side suspects." Matt explained, after letting out a huff, as if he were tired. Alexander was unsure of whether he could actually be tired, or not. As far as he knew, Alex had never been tired from physical exertion. It wasn't as if it mattered anyways, because everyone around him knew Alex was a vampire. The little amount of people who lived near the outskirts of town were staring, specifically at Alex. There were a few occasional glances at Mattias, as to ask why he was hanging around the vampire.

Davie's Bar and Grill was an old place. It smelled strongly of cheap coffee and greasy bread, but the dusty exterior with the words painted in a semi circle on the window reminded Alex of all the years ago he came to the town. The building used to be a barbershop, but that didn't stop new people from moving in when it was out of business and turning it into a grill. The owner was new, but he still changed the name of it to his own.

Two girls walked out, talking to each other. Alex assumed that they were the sisters they were supposed to be following, as Mattias indicated them with a pointed glance. The brothers began following behind, with silent footsteps. Alexander had only ever seen the deceased, Mason Finch, in passing. The girls, he had seen plenty of times. He knew for a fact that they were close to each other. The cardigan the younger one wore smelled very slightly like her brother's. It had been washed several times, Alex recognized it from the few times he'd seen Mason.

The few people whose smells he could not recognized had moved in within the past year. Alex recognized it all. Who had been sleeping with whom, who had been eating garlic for breakfast (the garlic thing is a myth, but he still hated the smell of peoples' breaths after they ate garlic), and if it was recent, who was hugging whom.

"So," breathed Alex, leaning closer to Matt to whisper in his ear, "as a random pedestrian... you wanna tell me what you've been up to all this time? It's not uncommon for people to talk about what they've done in the past." Personally, Alex wanted to fuck it all up for his brother, and start flirting with the two girls. Again, he was tempted to. But he smiled at his brother, and continued to silently follow them.

But as suspects? Both of them had to be innocent. They were close knit siblings. All three of them. There was rarely a day that one of the siblings had lacked the smell of the two other siblings, from hugging each other good-bye, off to work or school. Alex also admired them as the few people who never glanced a second time at him. None of them personally knew him, but Alex was personally very happy at the strange acceptance he was receiving.

Of course, he didn't quite care enough to talk or get close to them, but as a person who had always been living his life as a pariah, it was nice to live in a town for a while and not get second glanced at. Eventually, everyone figures out that a vampire isn't normal. Basic things, like eating and sleeping. They don't have to have jobs, and if they do they're really trying hard to blend in. It starts as a rumor, but eventually gets either confirmed or denied. If it's denied, people still don't stop talking and they stare as if it had been confirmed. But nothing like that has happened yet, nor are there too many vampires floating around town anymore after the murder. None of them wanted to get lynched by mob mentality, if it ever got to that point.

After having followed for a sufficient amount of minuets (in Alex's opinion), Alex said out loud, tapping on one of the girl's shoulders, "Excuse me, I know I haven't been too close to your family," he hoped it'd catch their attention, "or that I even know you personally, but as a person who's lived a pretty long life I'd like to extend my condolences to you and your family-"

Apparently it wasn't only their attention he caught. Everyone who had heard the confession turned around to stare at the vampire with eyes full of spite. Nobody liked vampires.

"Get out of here," he could hear people from across the street mutter.

Alex blatantly ignored it, knowing the older sister's weakness for alcohol (she reeked of it), "If it's of any help, I'd like to offer you two drinks. Or lunch. Or anything, actually."