Andreas Matthews

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TW: Mentions of child abuse, loss of a parent, bullying, alcoholism and drug abuse.

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## Physical

### Fashion

A combination of grunge and punk. He loves leather jackets/vests with studs, slightly tighter fitting shirts and pants. Prefers combat boots to sneakers.

### Other

Nearly covered in tattoos. Both ears and left nostril pierced.

## Personality

### Traits

Stubborn, Impulsive, Paranoid, Private, Reserved, Chaotic, Intuitive, Empathetic, Passionate, Kind, Loving, Observant

### Likes

coffee, dogs, loud music, drawing, painting, tattoos, the occult, thunderstorms, the smell right after it rains, bookstores, libraries

### Dislikes

being touched without his consent, arrogance, sudden loud noises, being treated like a child or like he's stupid, raised voices, sour candy

### Strengths

loyal, compassionate, creative, adaptable, can be confidant, observant, intelligent, strategic

### Weaknesses

Hot headed, Mistrusting, Defensive, Hesitant to open up, Insecure, Reckless, Self-Sabotaging

### Astrology

Aries

> *“No one can tell what goes on in between the person you were and the person you become. No one can chart that blue and lonely section of hell. There are no maps of the change. You just come out the other side. Or you don't.” ― Stephen King*
>
>

## Supernatural Status

* Human witch.
* Born supernatural rather than turned.
* Andreas is a resident of Cedargrove, the non-supernatural city. At first, Andreas picked a place that was as close to Vitium as he could get. He'd never really had a place that was really his. Now that he's lived here for a while, he's grown to really love his apartment and really made it his own. This little apartment is the first place that Andreas really truly feels is his home. When he walks in the front door he feels safe and comfortable, like the space is really truly his.
* Andreas possesses shadow-based abilities as well as some psychic-based abilities. He also has a set of brass knuckles that he got blessed at a Catholic church before he left Arizona for good. They're always in his jacket pocket or hanging from a carabineer on his belt.
* He is not known to be connected to any Legends or Subplots.

### Abilities

Umbrakinesis: Andreas can manipulate and control the shadows around him. He usually uses this ability to hide in plain sight for stealth/eavesdropping purposes.

Night Vision: Andreas can see almost perfectly in pitch-black darkness. The tradeoff is his eyes glow a little brighter than usual.

Shadow Mimicry: Andreas has the ability to mimic the shadows, using them to become almost entirely unseen. Unless he actively tries to hide them ( which requires a lot of his energy ), the only things visible while he is doing this are his eyes.

Shadow Walking: Andreas can travel great distances via his or another person’s shadow. The further the distance the more energy it uses.

Shadow "Clone" Creation: Andreas possesses the ability to create shadowy clones of himself which can be used for seeing things from a distance. The clone can be observed, and looks almost exactly like Andreas, but it cannot make physical contact with other beings. If it is touched, it will dissipate.

Telepathy: Andreas can communicate via thought with anyone he chooses.

Clairaudience: Andreas can hear thoughts associated with incredibly heighted emotions. Theses thoughts sound like a voice echoing inside his head, though unlike his telepathy, he can only hear them. He cannot communicate with the person.

### Weaknesses

Andreas’s abilities require a lot of patience, focus and control of his emotions. He is, however, a very emotional and passionate person. The loss of control of his emotions results often in the loss of control of his abilities and eventual burnout. He also doesn’t always know how to keep people out of his head in regards to his telepathy, so that can be very overwhelming for him as well.

## Background

### History

Andreas was born under a total lunar eclipse. His mother used to tell him that was how he ended up with the magic he has. She told him that Máni, the Norse moon goddess, blessed him with his abilities and that he should always remember where his magic came from. As a child, he absolutely believed her, learning from her how to properly leave offerings to the Goddess that gifted him with his abilities. Now, he’s pretty sure his magic is a curse, a way for the Gods to punish him for the bullshit he put his family through when he was a kid.

Losing his mother was the beginning of the downward spiral. His father was always a drinker, but his drinking grew heavier after losing Andreas’s mother. Michelle had been the glue that held their family together and without her they began to come undone. The only constant in Andreas’s life was his older brother, who did absolutely everything he could to keep Andreas safe from their father’s wrath. The two of them would often hide in the attic or down in the basement when they heard Dante coming home from yet another night out at the bar. He learned the precious little control he had from his brother, striving to be just as strong as he was when he grew up.

His only other solace was art, though he has a distinct memory of getting hit for drawing on the walls. His brother started stealing sketchbooks from crafts stores in an effort to encourage Andreas’s love for art and to keep him from getting hurt again. It worked until his brother got caught and went to juvie for the first time. It was the only memory Andreas has of being well and truly alone. High school was rough for him on more than one level, routinely showing up in unwashed clothing or hand-me-downs from second-hand stores. He took it for the most part but he was sent to juvie for fighting back, his control on his magic slipping and seriously injuring a kid in his class.

The years between Andreas’s 21st birthday and his 25th are a blur of drugs and alcohol. If he wasn’t high, he was passed out on a stranger's couch from a night of binge drinking. Once again, his older brother rescued him, sending him to rehab the night before his 26th birthday. He’s been sober ever since. Once he got out of rehab, he found a job working at a local tattoo shop, working his way from the desk to an apprenticeship. The shop was an absolute nightmare, run by a man Andreas liked to call The Boss From Hell. He spent two years working there before he quit to move to Seattle.

Halfway between Arizona and Seattle, Andreas discovered Cedargrove and by extension Vitium. From the moment he walked in the doors, Vitium felt like home. He started as an apprentice all over again but he’s never been happier. Higan is the exact kind of boss he needed, pushing Andreas to be the best artist and tattooer he can be, and for once, he actually gets along with his coworkers instead of competing with them to try and get as many clients as possible. He lives in an apartment with his familiar, a gentle Rottweiler named Bullock. He’s trying to let himself enjoy the moment for once in his life instead of being fatalistic and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

### Motivations and Goals

To make the most of this second chance that he's been given. To help as many people as he can, especially kids who grew up the way he did.

## Living Situation

### Home

Andreas' apartment is very minimalist in the design. It's a two bedroom apartment, though the spare bedroom has been turned into a makeshift art studio. He has some paintings hanging on the walls and the start of a mural painted on the walls of his bedroom.

In one corner of his living room is an altar dedicated to the Norse Gods and Goddess he grew up honoring in homage to his mother. The altar is very neat and organized, specific crystals and offerings left for the two deities he mainly works with: Frejya and Loki.

### Never Leaves Home Without

A sketchbook, his familiar, his oversized headphones.

### Travel

Andreas' main form of transportation is his motorcycle. If he’s bringing Bullock with him though, he prefers to walk.

#### Roommates

Andreas lives alone as he's generally a very private person who enjoys his space. He's never really had a place that is all his own, and as a result is holding onto his space and his independence as tightly as he can.

#### Familiar

Andreas' familiar is a Rottweiler named Bullock. He's slightly larger than the average Rottweiler and is incredibly gentle and patient.

## Plotting

### Desired Ships/Plots

Anything! Familial, Platonic, Enemies, Work Friendships. Anything romantic requires chemistry as Andreas is very slow to trust and open up.

### Where to Encounter Andreas

Andreas spends a lot of time in and around Vitium. He also enjoys spending time in bookstores and libraries so there's a chance you'll catch him there as well.