A/N: This was inspired by a prompt from maxkirin. His blog is amazing and full of fabulous writing prompts and advice so please go visit and give love. I give credit for the prompt and the title to him. Thank you for the inspiration.
Another day in another new city; at least this one was appropriately named. Death City, Nevada; yeah, he'd fit right in here. It sounded like the perfect place for him, so much so that part of him wanted to allow himself to settle in, hopefully counting on this town to never run dry of what he needed. The more rational part of his brain however, told him to not even unpack his boxes. There was no use, it was only a matter of time before he'd have to pack them again.
His new apartment was small and a little run down, the paint and plaster chipped away in some places to show worn brick walls underneath. An old building for sure, he liked those; old buildings held the most emotions. The lighting was dim, only a few narrow windows on one wall. The glass panes were dingy, letting in muted sunlight in a soft haze. A thread-bare couch and chipped wooden table and chair came included in the cash-only price of the room. He considered himself lucky in that regard, he wasn't really able to carry furniture with him as he migrated from city ton city. Even though this flat was a new one, it was familiar. It was very much the same as every other one he'd lived in, in all the other countless and nameless cities that he filtered through.
"Filter." What a perfect word for it. His existence in a singular term. He'll do the same here and be off again to a new place full of sadness, despair, anxiety, fear, and worry. It's what he lived for, or rather kept him alive. There really wasn't a difference between the two for him. He lived to eat and he ate to survive, and that was the totality of his life. It was a shame though, this city felt different, as if somehow he already felt at home. It certainly was a strange place, among the mix of what he considered "normal' humans, he passed quite a number of unique teenagers with their brightly colored hair and unnatural colored contacts. It almost made him smile seeing such individuality compared to the average bustling businessmen and women in the crowded streets that looked like exact replicas of each other.
One of those kids with bright blue hair and aqua colored eyes had been standing on a large statue screaming something as he carried his few belongings up to his newly acquired apartment. What a humorous sight to have seen the very first moments having entered the city from the long stretch of desert that surrounded it. He had simply shaken his head, the chaotic white tufts of his hair swaying along. "What an idiot." was his thought, but inwardly he felt a little more at ease. His stark white hair and blood red eyes were considered strange in most places he went. It wasn't exactly a common look for a teenage-looking boy. Of course he wasn't really a teenager, he wasn't even human. He was usually able to fend off questions by claiming albinism, his habit of sleeping during the day and avoiding sunlight helped to reinforce that. In reality the sun didn't bother him in the slightest, it was just much easier to feed at night; when only the lonely and depressed were awake drinking away their sorrows.
His excuse never prevented the staring though. Everywhere he went people stared, as if they knew he was a monster just by sight. It also didn't explain the way his teeth were sharpened to a point. He did his best to hide it, he never smiled and talked as little as possible but it was still always noticed by a few people in each city. He usually made his exit soon after, both having drained all he could and to avoid more suspicious questions. Maybe that's what caught him off guard about this place. He hadn't been stared at yet. He'd been looked at sure, the building manager and the unusual kids had noticed his arrival; but not one had specifically stared with the usual narrowed eyes laced with fear and disgust. The blue-haired idiot had even smiled at him, giving him a big thumb's up as he passed. It shocked and unnerved him and he shook his body in contempt. Whatever this feeling was that was ebbing on the edges of his soul, he couldn't afford it.
He stretched himself out on the provided dingy sofa, thanking his lucky stars. A squeaky, rough couch was a much better sleeping place than the floor. He pulled his arms up to rest underneath his head to use as a pillow and frowned, thinking of the strange air about this new temporary home and the way the kids in the park across from his building just smiled at him like he was no different than them, how the manager handed him the keys with no apprehension what-so-ever. It almost made him angry and he turn to his side harshly in the frustration of it and closed his eyes. It was almost noon and he really should have been sleeping by now anyway.
