InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I AM ... The bleeding writer"

Max Jordan | Mr. Hyde (tooth_breaker) wrote in bellumlogs,
@ 2010-06-01 12:59:00

Entry tags:

dracula, mr. hyde

Who: Vlad and Max
What: Old friends reuniting
Where: Juke Joint
When: Monday at 10 PM
Warnings: Casual discussions of terrible things, alcohol, and Max.

After agreeing to meet Vlad at ten, Max had had a bit of worry. After all, he didn't make plans for a reason - he never knew exactly when he would be around. But Brian was fairly predictable, falling asleep by nine o'clock most nights, and so Max was fairly confident that he would be out and about with plenty of time to meet his old friend.

He had to admit, as he rummaged through Brian's wardrobe, that he was a bit anxious. Sometimes seeing people from the past took the rose-tinted glasses off, and that old friend was just a worn-out has-been. What if the man that had taught him so much with so little was really just a fruity bat with nothing of interest to say or do? What if he would feel the same about Max? What if they both hated each other? The questions kept coming as he pulled on a casual T-shirt and pair of jeans.

Though Max enjoyed his existence for the most part, he always regretted not being able to make friends. Things were more fun in groups, and though he had cycled through a few half-friends in his day, there had never been anybody that he could really stick with. Hookers left after their time was up, drunk people eventually went home, and his victims died. He hoped that in this strange building - Brian was already beginning to have second thoughts, which boded well for Max - he would be able to cement just one friendship.

Locking apartment 302 behind him, Max jogged down the stairs. He had considered wearing a hat, but realized that doing so would just make him look suspicious. People didn't trust people that wore hats. They assumed they had something to hide. So Max did his best to look open. Friendly. Like Brian, only with less sad puppyface. Brian was nice, but even Max knew that he always looked like he had a weight on his shoulders. Max took that stooped, droopy body and straightened it out. Livened it up. Made it better in every way.

He left the lobby and glanced down the street, spotting the blue mailbox he had mentioned to Vlad. It seemed that he was the first one there. Glancing casually over his shoulder into the lobby, he strolled up to the mailbox, leaning against it and looking out over the street. His posture was relaxed, casual. Stifling a yawn, he cracked his neck and resigned himself to the waiting game. Hopefully it wouldn't last long.

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nobleblood
2010-06-01 07:32 pm UTC (link)

Vlad had been getting ready to meet Max when that teacher or whoever he was made his post, and he only managed to skim it before heading out, but he decided that everyone had gone temporarily insane and they would realize it in the morning. A trial sounded like a terrible movie plot with an underlying message of human nature or something along those lines. It didn't really bother him - this idea wouldn't last long, and he had no reason to fear this 'tribunal.' They had no real power, even if it did manage to get off the ground.

He told Helena that he was meeting an old friend who'd come to visit for a few weeks, and she asked a few of the usual questions but didn't push it further. Things were still slightly strained in the aftermath of the moon, and he couldn't ignore the fact that he was still aware of Dracula's thoughts. He had been right about that - unlike some of the fables, his presence lingered even in the month between the full moons. His own attire was more casual than usual, but Juke Joint wasn't very upscale and he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself than necessary.

Honestly, Vlad wasn't sure how this meeting would go. It had been years since he and Max had last met, and he wasn't exactly the same man that he was then. He'd changed, or at least he was trying to, but he was very aware of the fact that it wouldn't take much to fall back into his own ways. The cruel, calculated murderer; the man who didn't care about anyone save for how beneficial they could be to him was still there, and if Dracula had his way then that was who he would become once more. For now, however, he was simply curious.

It was nearly 10 o'clock exactly when he set out for the mailboxes Max mentioned, alert and on guard as always. There was already someone standing by them as he drew nearer, and it didn't take long for the recognition to set in. He'd changed, of course, gotten older; but Vlad would never forget that face. He stopped a short distance away, studying him with interest. "Max," he said finally. "Well, it has been far too long, has it not?"

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-01 07:43 pm UTC (link)

Hearing somebody approach, Max kept his posture casual. An idle observer would've thought he was completely ignorant to the stranger approaching. But he turned his head just slightly, catching a glimpse of the other man in his peripheral vision. Even from a strange angle, he could tell it was Vlad. The man seethed power, that much hadn't changed. He waited until he spoke to turn towards him, a grin spreading across his face.

"Hey!" he said cheerfully, raising a hand in greeting. "It sure has, look at you." He grinned. "You're a grown-up. A real one." His tone was idle and carefree, something he had never grown out of. "It's good. You wear it well." He crossed his arms, leaning casually against the mailbox. "But we've got all the time in the world to chat. Point us to the bar, my friend. After moving in, I really need a drink." He snorted, rubbing the back of his neck. "All those boxes, man. They're miserable. I never want to see one again."

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nobleblood
2010-06-02 06:59 am UTC (link)

If it had come from anyone else Max's greeting would have surprised him, but not even time had managed to dull his memory of his old friend. When two people killed together, it didn't feel quite right to think of the other as a stranger. Strangely enough, murder was like that. Despite his reservations about resuming contact with a man who had enough information to turn the entire building against him, it was a relief to not have to pretend for once.

"Do I?" Vlad looked down at himself with mock scrutiny, returning his gaze upwards with a slight shrug. "I suppose it had to happen eventually, although I am glad to hear it suits me." He knew exactly where the bar was from here, and he nodded in a general direction before moving forward. "I could use a drink as well," he commented dryly. "Just wait - boxes are nothing compared to the building's insanity."

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-02 05:16 pm UTC (link)

To anybody else, Max's smile would have been charming. But Vlad knew better than that. Oh, he knew. Though they hadn't seen one another in years, and their time together had been buried beneath scars and wrinkles, they were blood brothers. Each stood to lose something terrible alone, but together, they could gain so very much. Max's smile was thick with secrets and danger, a thousand things he wanted to share but restrained.

At Vlad's dry reply, he chuckled. As the other man began to lead, Max followed. They walked abreast, almost exactly shoulder to shoulder. Their pace was casual, the walk of two predators that had nothing to fear. "Oh yeah?" Max asked, glancing over at him with a raised brow. "I've been hearing things," he said absently. Best not to mention the forums at this point. He could figure out how to dodge his apartment number and such in the future. For now, this was casual.

"But come on, I mean." He grinned. "Can't be any crazier than anything you or I have done."

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nobleblood
2010-06-03 01:54 am UTC (link)

All newcomers heard things, but no amount of explanation could ever come close to the actual experience of becoming someone else. He did wonder what fable Max would be, although he was thinking something along the lines of Jack the Ripper might fit - but he wasn't a fable, really. Either way he wouldn't have very long to wait. "It is difficult to not hear things." The last thing he wanted to discuss tonight was the building, so he simply shrugged. "In about a month or so, you will see what all the talk is about for yourself."

Vlad couldn't help but laugh at that. Murder seemed normal compared to Dracula walking the halls of an apartment building once a month. "That is a matter of opinion. Perhaps I adjusted so well to the building because of the things I did." There weren't many people on the sidewalk, so he wasn't too concerned with being overheard; regardless, he still kept his voice fairly low. Luckily the bar wasn't very far.

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-03 02:53 am UTC (link)

Oh, so he was being secretive about it. That was okay. Max wasn't scared. Brian, on the other hand, was fucking terrified. But that didn't matter. If he tried to move, Max would just casually destroy any attempts. Lease sites would find themselves deleted from his web history, and any half-completed forms would be shredded or deleted. Though Vlad was the only reason he had to stay, Max had a feeling that he would gain many more before long.

"Okay, okay," he said with a genuine laugh, raising his hands in submission. "I won't ask anymore, I promise." His smile brightened, resembling that of a young boy.

At his reply to the comparison of crazy, Max waved a hand dismissively. "Naw," he said, shaking his head. "What you do? Doesn't really prepare you for anything. It just fills a void." He paused, brow wrinkling. He hadn't expected to get this philosophical until at least his third beer, which he had now decided he was not going to have.

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nobleblood
2010-06-03 07:13 am UTC (link)

Vlad didn't want to begin their first meeting in years by sounding like he needed to be committed to an insane asylum, not that Max was the judgmental sort in the first place. Still, it would be a lot easier to wait until the full moon and explain things afterward. "Trust me, Max. It's the kind of thing that words cannot properly explain." He laughed, unable to keep from finding the thought of Max's reaction to the fables a bit amusing.

That tidbit of insight made him pause, and he wasn't sure whether he should laugh or not. "How poetic of you." It was true, though, and almost uncomfortably so; but he wasn't about to let on to that. "Have you become a philosopher since I last saw you?"

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-03 06:29 pm UTC (link)

"I trust your word, sensei," he said flippantly, giving the other man a slight bow. Oh, this was fun.

When his very out of place moment of philosophy wasn't simply swept under the rug and ignored, Max cringed slightly. This wasn't the time to be deep. It was a simple meeting, nothing more, and he hadn't wanted to ruin it. Brian was supposed to be the philosophical one, Mr. Dark and Brooding Melancholy. Max was bright, colorful, and vapid. He didn't need insight mucking up his good time.

He laughed nervously, scratching at the back of his neck. "Yeah, I've got my own books on tape and everything," he said casually. There, awkward averted. "Commuting women just love to listen to my voice as they sit in slit-your-wrists traffic."

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nobleblood
2010-06-04 06:17 am UTC (link)

He'd certainly never pegged Max as the philosophical sort, and even though he'd read his fair share of Aristotle and Locke in his younger years, it had been more of a pastime or hobby than actual interest. Machiavelli had always been a favorite, though; no one was ever surprised to learn that. He didn't think much of it, since he was well aware of the human capacity to do the unexpected.

"Really?" Vlad raised his eyebrows. "Impressive. You realize that you probably have a fan club comprised of women who commute in slit-your-wrists traffic now, yes?" He laughed, noticing that they'd finally reached the bar and pulling the door open.

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-04 06:23 am UTC (link)

At Vlad's reaction, Max laughed. "No, not really. But it's so cool how you believed me right there. It means you think I could actually pull that off, and I have to say, I'm preening a bit." He gave the other man a razor grin as he stepped past him into the bar, tossing a "thanks!" over his shoulder.

The bar was fairly sparse as it was a Monday night. Only the hardened regulars were there, their faces already starting to melt from the massive amounts of alcohol in their system. Max took it upon himself to choose a table for them, picking one fairly out of the way. After all, their conversation would almost inevitably cover topics that no drunken lunatic should ever hear.

Max flopped into a chair, cracking his knuckles before resting his hands behind his head and leaning back until he could feel the chair's front legs lift off the ground. "Man. Nice dive. I've been in a lot of dives, and this one just...it speaks to me, I think." He wore a jokingly regal expression. "What'd you think? Is it the sticky floors or the depressing drunk people that really scream 'me'?"

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nobleblood
2010-06-04 07:08 am UTC (link)

"What a pity," he commented with mock disappointment. "I was just about to ask if I could hear one of your tapes." It hit him as he followed Max inside that he really didn't have any friends that were... well, easygoing. Daniel had his own problems, but even when he was somewhat stable their banter was more dry and sarcastic. Diego had left the building, Boyd and Rosalie were different, and Helena... well, she was more than a friend. Everyone thought he was incapable of relaxing, but that wasn't true - he just hadn't had much of a reason to do it in a while.

Vlad hardly ever came to bars like this, unless he was with someone who would prefer to keep away from prying eyes and ears. An out-of-the-way table was fine by him, and he slipped into his chair with ease as opposed to Max's heavy drop. "I knew you would like it here," he said dryly. "I think it might be a combination of both."

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-04 05:19 pm UTC (link)

"How about this?" Max asked, grinning like a fool. "I'll make one just for you. Which makes it all the more special, because there's only one in existence, and it's all yours." This was more like it. Heavy-handed philosophy and introspection were both very time-consuming and difficult. When you only existed a few hours out of every day while living in the closet of a time share, you didn't want to waste time with hard things that you didn't enjoy. You had to take what satisfaction you could get, and hold it tightly. Otherwise, you might begin to understand the grave hopelessness of your situation.

Crossing one leg over the opposite knee, he wiggled his foot and glanced at Vlad as he took in the surroundings. "Yeah, I think it's the 'pop' your shoes make when you take a step and the fact that I can smell that guy from all the way over here." He gestured with his elbow towards a man in his early forties, back hunched over a half-empty beer bottle.

A waitress approached, glancing between the two men. "What'll it be?"

Max frowned, considering this. "Uh, a Jack and coke. Please. With a straw. And a lime." At her deadpan, 'you can't be serious' expression, he grinned brightly. Oh, this was going to be a fun night.

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nobleblood
2010-06-05 04:15 am UTC (link)

"I think that sounds reasonable enough. I promise not to put it up for sale on eBay." Sometimes when he was bored or couldn't sleep he would scroll through the website for the hell of it, and some of the items he saw there were downright ridiculous. A rape full of philosophical ramblings could probably make quite the profit, sadly enough.

Vlad raised his eyebrows, regarding the pitiful excuse of a man with a slight turn of his head. "It does have a sort of... unconventional charm," he said, sarcasm evident in his tone.

He resisted the urge to smirk at Max's order and the waitress' expression, ordering a gin and tonic for himself and watched her walk away slightly disgruntled. "I think you just made her night," he commented, not bothering to wait until she was out of earshot.

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-05 06:22 pm UTC (link)

At Vlad's promise to not sell the tape on eBay, Max clutched his hands to his heart, expression almost teary-eyed. "Oh, that's so sweet!" he said, pretending to daub tears away from his eyes. "That's the nicest thing that anyone's said to me all month. You are earning major brownie points, mister." He instantly dissolved into a low snicker, playing with the salt shaker.

He watched the waitress leave, glancing over to Vlad at his observation. Max's brows rose. "You think?" He paused, grinning. "Yeah, I think you're right. I'm her favorite customer already, I bet. Sorry, pal. I'm sure the bartender would like you!" He gestured to the burly, tattooed bartender as he cleaned a glass with a visibly dirty rag. "See? He's interested in cleanliness too!"

At that, he burst out laughing, keeping the sound relatively contained as he covered his mouth.

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nobleblood
2010-06-05 10:21 pm UTC (link)

He rolled his eyes at Max's display of false emotion, although it was amused rather than scornful. "Perhaps you should look into a career in the acting business. How many brownie points does that earn me?" He subscribed to the notion that you were only as old as you felt, and whether it had something to with Dracula's immortality or simply that he'd always been conscious of his physical health, he certainly didn't feel as though he were nearing forty. Still, sometimes it seemed like he was forced to act like an old man, and it was a refreshing change to be in the presence of someone who was as carefree as a teenager.

"I think you may be approaching favorite customer status. A generous tip might get you all the way there." Vlad chuckled, but the sound faded away when he followed the gesture to the bartender. He cast a disapproving glance at Max, although it only lasted a few moments before he sighed and shook his head. "I can only hope to be so lucky."

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-06 12:24 am UTC (link)

The notion of acting made him laugh quite uproariously. It was almost mean laughter, because Max was the only one in on the joke. He was the ultimate actor - he took another man's body and made it his puppet. He was Brian's mind matter, his ultimate id. In a way, Brian was the actor, and he was the role. He was everything Brian couldn't be, everything he wouldn't be. The role of a lifetime. That's all that Max was.

When he finally calmed down, there were tears of amusement in his eyes. He wiped them away, continuing to snicker as he wound back down to reality. "Judging by how happy that made me, I say 10 brownie points. If you get 50, you can trade them in for cake points. Those are worth more and deliver fewer calories per point."

Rocking slightly on his chair's back legs, he stretched slightly, leaning further back than a sane person would have. He came back, perching perilously as if this were normal. "You mean I have to pay for favorite customer status? Fuck that, man, I'll take whatever I can get for free." He grinned. "Well maybe you can tip the bartender and be his favorite customer. So he won't water down our drinks."

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nobleblood
2010-06-06 04:23 am UTC (link)

Vlad wasn't quite sure why Max found the prospect of acting so entertaining, especially since it had been suggested in a sarcastic manner, and he waited with an amused smirk until his laughter had died down enough to allow him to speak comprehensibly. "Well then, I only have 40 more to go. May I ask why that particular statement made you so happy?"

He raised his eyebrows, glancing at the bartender with a shrug. "Money does go a long way, my friend. Watch and learn." He rose from his chair with an air of easy confidence, heading towards the bartender and speaking to him for a few brief moments, and after a discreet flash of crumpled bills the man's gaze turned appraising. Vlad returned to the table, drinks in hand, and set Max's down in front of him with a grin as he sat once again. "Taste it and tell me how watered down it is."

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-06 05:18 am UTC (link)

At the question, Max grinned. "I did tech in college. It's weird to say that to someone who's used to pushing the lights buttons for the actors onstage." It was a flawless lie. If anything, Max was an incredible liar. He had to be. He could invent full histories for himself at the drop of a hat, because people could never know. The only problem, he just realized, was that he would have to remember these lies now if he wanted to maintain a friendship with Vlad.

Damnit. Friends were hard work.

He raised a brow as Vlad stood, promising to show the virtues of money. Leaning to the side, he watched as the other man flashed a handful of bills at the bartender before returning with their drinks. Eyes huge, Max took his drink - which was made to his exact specifications, much to his surprise - and stared at Vlad. "Are you serious? How much was that, are some crappy drinks in some dive bar worth it?" Incredulous, he shook his head. "Man. Let's see how it worked."

Picking up the glass, he took a drink. Instantly, he appreciated Vlad's sacrifice. Grinning, he set it down and looked at the other man. "Oh man that's strong!" He let out a small whoop, ignoring the odd looks as he took another sip. "You are awesome, let's get that straight."

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nobleblood
2010-06-06 07:02 am UTC (link)

Vlad really had no reason to disbelieve his response, and even if it was a lie, what did it matter? He had lied about his own past so many times over the years that sometimes he found it difficult to keep track. Since he had come to New York, Helena was the only one he'd shared a great deal of his past with - and even with her he'd left quite a bit out. "I see. You never imagined yourself as an actor, then, I assume."

He laughed at Max's incredulous tone, shaking his head. "Not as much as it looked like. Numerous small bills give the illusion of being worth more than if you were to simply slip someone a twenty." He raised his glass in a sort of mock cheer before taking a sip, noting with satisfaction that the bartender had not disappointed. "You see? It always works, and I appreciate the compliment. I have always wanted to be called awesome."

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-06 05:33 pm UTC (link)

"No, sir, I did not," he said definitively. "Acting is for the shiny people. I like to sit back, watch it all pan out, out know?" And that wasn't entirely a lie. Max was the strange sort of person that could shift from life of the party to monster in the shadows at the drop of a hat. Sometimes he liked to be that shiny person in the center, drawing people in, while at others he could just hug the walls and stare. "Fast and loose" didn't even begin to describe him.

He stirred his drink with the provided straw - all drinks tasted better when there was a straw present - before taking a drink straight from the glass. "Oh yeah? Smart. I'll have to remember that." He raised his own glass towards Vlad's at the mock cheer, grinning fiendishly. "Well I'm glad to have made one of your dreams come true, my friend. Though it's hard to believe I'm the first to declare you awesome." He laughed. "You're like Chuck Norris if he was man enough to shave his beard. Beards are lies, you know. Men keep them not because they're badass - it's because they're afraid of how they'd look without a giant distraction on their face."

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nobleblood
2010-06-07 07:13 am UTC (link)

Vlad could relate to that. He'd come to Bellum looking to lie low, but instead found himself in the center of numerous publicized situations - and things hadn't gotten better once everyone found out his fable was Dracula. It wasn't that he was unaccustomed to harsh scrutiny - in Romania he had to deal with being in the spotlight all the time - but he had hoped to have a break from it here. "Indeed I do. The sidelines often offer a nice view of what people manage to get themselves into."

The reference to Chuck Norris made him laugh, and unfortunately he happened to be in the process of taking a drink at the same time. He managed to swallow without too much coughing, although trying to think of himself as a man who had countless jokes in his name made it difficult. "That would make me better than Chuck Norris, considering my lack of a beard?"

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-07 07:12 pm UTC (link)

At Vlad's mention of the sidelines, Max beamed. "And it's much easier to throw peanuts at people when they can't see where you're hiding." That reminded him - it had been a while since he had thrown small objects at random pedestrians. Maybe he'd do that tomorrow night. It would make him feel better about Brian's new "mental health" regiment. Not that he thought it was going to work, but it was a threat. Max hated threats.

Though Vlad didn't cough on his drink, Max saw the potential for it and grinned. He wondered if the other man had ever done a proper spit-take before in his life. If not, he'd have to change that. At his disbelieving question, Max nodded firmly. "Yes. Some people say that beards are the ultimate manly gauge, but I disagree. You can hide behind a beard. It's almost like a little shield. It takes a real man to bare his face to the world, with nothing to hide."

Now that, considering both of their hobbies, was hilarious as they were both clean shaven. Max burst out into laughter.

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nobleblood
2010-06-08 02:58 am UTC (link)

Vlad had never thrown peanuts at anyone, although there was a time during his childhood when he took great pleasure in tormenting his father however he could. His mother was always a willing accomplice, never fearing her husband's wrath - not in public, at least. When he tried to carry on without her, though, there was no one to deflect his intolerance and he soon learned that his father's sense of humor was sharp and cruel; nothing like a sense of humor should have been. "True. It is quite amusing when they become confused and pretend not to be."

He found it more ironic than amusing, but he did allow a smirk as he took another drink. "I think that belief works in our favor," he said almost casually, as if murder were a topic to be spoken of lightly and even carelessly. "After all, if we are man enough to bare our faces to the world, what could we possibly have to hide?"

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tooth_breaker
2010-06-08 03:40 am UTC (link)

"Oh yeah, and then when you call them on it they try to play it cool like they were in on it the whole time." Oh yes, Max was no stranger to being an anonymous public menace. He had once made a habit of dropping things on the people walking down the street under Brian's window. It had been such rewarding work.

At Vlad's casual response, Max collected himself from his laughter. "Exactly," he said, taking a sip of his drink. "There's nothing for us to hide. Nothing whatsoever." A small giggle escaped him as he took another drink. "We are as honest as the day is long. Truly." He paused in his fit, considering this. "Though really...if you want to think about it, we are. It's only natural, to do what we do." He shrugged. "Animals do it all the time."

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nobleblood
2010-06-08 07:29 am UTC (link)

(( OOC: LOL THE MENTAL IMAGE OF MAX DROPPING THINGS ON POOR UNSUSPECTING PEOPLE IS AMAZING. ))

Vlad had never thought of murder as natural. He knew that it was against the law, of course - he wasn't an idiot - and he knew it was morally wrong, but somewhere along the line his morals must have suffered some sort of trauma because he didn't feel the guilt he should have. It might have been because his victims were complete strangers, and he was very good as disassociating himself and not even viewing them as people at all, or perhaps the impulse to kill was too strong to allow anything to get in its way. Regardless, he never tried to justify it - deny it, yes, but never justify. Why would he, after all?

"Ah, but some would argue that we are more advanced than animals and thus should know better than they do. Animals have no sense of morality or conscience. We humans do - or we are supposed to, at least." He shrugged. "Perhaps they only say that, however, because they are in denial. Humans have impulses and instincts just like animals, but very few people are willing to admit to that."