Dead Man Walking.

Valerie was sitting nearby, munching on a raspberry muffin as her table neighbor indulged in a cigarette. She never cared too much for the smell, but she can tolerate it. Besides, she had her own fair share of cigarettes and even other drugs in her lifetime. Being upset over him smoking would make her out to be quite the hypocrite.

As she watches the human pass by, casting him the judgemental look, she could only shrug with indifference. “I don’t understand why humans get so upset with people that choose to have a smoke or a drink. They already know that they’ll inevitably die, unless one of us turns them. They act like living smoke free will make them immortal.”

One of us.

The thought create a quick and sharp chuckle within his chest. One of us. Alec cast a quick gaze over the woman. One of us. But she wasn’t one of us. She may be a vampire -- sure -- but one of us? She was decidedly placed within the one of them column. She wasn’t clan. She wasn’t family. She most definitely wasn’t one of us.

Alec filled his lungs with the smoke once more, as though reaffirming the line of thought, before speaking.

“I’ve stopped trying to figure out the what and why of the world.” Small streams of the poison hung on his every syllable before he exhaled the bulk from the corner of his mouth. Only remnants clung to his voice afterwards. “That shit will drive you fucking crazy.”

Tap. Tap. Tap. Alessandro ashed the cigarette into the ashtray before returning to stare at the person previously staring at him. They would turn back to see if he was still watching. It was human nature. And Alec would make sure he would be waiting for it.

And true to form, they did just that. The vampire used the hand still holding the cigarette to wave at the person. “Ignorance is definitely underrated. I recommend it, really.”

“Is this the most annoying sound you ever heard?” Archie asked out loud at Luke’s Diner. It was really slow at the diner, so there wasn’t many people there. When he was troubled or allowing his mind to wander, Archie tended to move his finger around the rim of the glass he was drinking from to release some stress. He knew some people might not like it, but Archie didn’t care. He was the type of person who liked to annoy people sometimes. “I know it is, but to be honest,” he continued to speak, “its very relaxing for me. I feel at — ease.”

Sure -- Alessandro could appreciate pressing certain buttons just for the hell of it. He could appreciate the satisfaction that came with getting a rise outta someone. Could.

Could.

When he was the subject in question however? Well, that was a completely different story. He could appreciate these little factoids of life -- sure. But of course he didn’t.

Hypocritical as all fuck but the vampire didn’t care. He was a hypocrite after all. Even he knew that. So when that screech sounded off Alec shot a look that he was certain took a few years from Archer’s life.

Might take the remainder of his life in it’s entirety if it didn’t stop. And stop quickly.

“You’re going to kill business if you keep that up.” Alec was sure Archer didn’t know just how literal the vampire’s words were. “Wouldn’t do if local towns spokesperson was going out of their way to hurt local businesses -- would it?” Lifting his own glass, he presented it to the other. “How about we use it for another, more practical purpose, yeah? Salud.”

“It’s a little crazy to think just how much these were pushed on me waaay back when.” he said, looking down at the lit cigarette between his fingers. He then used it to gesture to a passerby. A passerby who had been staring daggers into him before being confronted. Said daggers were quick sheathed as they returned to minding their own business. Or at least feigned so. Either was good with him. The crooked little half smile only grew wider. 

“Now I’m the dick giving everyone around me cancer. Guess memory is fucking short.” Alec shrugged his shoulders as he lifted the cigarette to his lips once again. “Fuck ‘em I say. Gotta take the small pleasures when you can. Makes it all worth it, huh?”

     (luke pasqualino, male, bisexual) - stop your growling, ALESSANDRO RICCI is here. HE is a CLANSMAN vampire and is 130 years old. When they aren’t lurking in dark alleys, they’re a FUNERAL DIRECTOR. All their friends say they’re DAUNTLESS and PIONEERING, but they can be INSOUCIANT and CAPRICIOUS if you get on their bad side.