A Eulogy to Matthew Quinn
This isn't so much a eulogy because Matthew died, but because the roleplay he was in closed. As a sort of closure for myself and the character I decided to write something out about what might have happened to him in the remainder of his life.
You can read about Matthew Quinn here.
Matthew Quinn was a victim. He was a victim of his own heart and his foolishness. You could say that his actions and the state of his life were of his own fault, but that would be putting it too simply. Matthew Quinn wanted to be better -- better than the father he never knew and the life he came from. Most of all, he wanted to be better for the woman he loved. Margery Holt was a sweet, unassuming girl. She was too good for Matthew, but he wanted to be better for her. It was this desire, this ambition that led to Margery's death and eventually, after many years of wandering, led him to Pickens, South Carolina.
You could say it was fate, or maybe bad luck. For a long time Matthew saw it as the latter. In those years of running he felt trapped by what he'd done and the werebear he'd become, but here in Pickens he felt trapped by something else entirely -- the sleuth he belonged to. He tried it out for Margery, because he knew that she would want a better life for him even in her passing.
Matthew liked the others who also belonged to the sleuth. There was Amelia who first discovered him, who he always held a fondness in his heart for. Jasmine, who he affectionately called "Queenie", was always kicking him back in line, and as much as he seemed to have hated it, there was a part of him that appreciated it. Dustin always had the sleuth in mind, and it was because of that mindset that he was the first to find out about Matt's past. It brought them closer than Matt cared for at first, but the two became friends over time. Paris and Evie were always so kind to him, and he could never repay Vaughn for all that he'd taught him about being a werebear. Over time and with much reluctance on his part, the sleuth and all its members became Matt's family.
It wasn't just the sleuth or Pickens that helped Matt grow. A lot of it was Margery. Even though she was gone from his life in the physical sense, she left a lasting impression on Matt. He continued to visit her grave each year on her birthday until the day he died. She was the reason he let the sleuth into his heart, the reason he stopped drinking. To Matt, Margery was everything.
When he was young Matthew was manipulative and foolish, but later that gave way to reveal a charming man whose love knew no bounds. Matthew never married. He kept the ring he meant to propose to Margery with in his 1969 Chevy Camaro as a constant reminder. She was the one he was meant to marry, meant to live out the rest of his days with, and he never did find anyone who made him change his mind. There were girls along the way who kept him company. In particular, there was a girl -- a human -- named Tess. She was kind and unassuming just like Margery. The two had plenty of potential, but unfortunately for Matt she reminded him far too much of Margery and so eventually he cut things off.
Regardless, Matt was happy. He eventually had enough money to set up a garage of his own fixing cars. He was always much better with cars than he was with people. He kept a chocolate labrador named Scout for company -- a pound dog who was nearly euthanized. Matt thought he and the dog had a lot in common; that they were right near the point of no return when they were given a chance at redemption.
As Matt aged he started visiting his mother more. The two went to church together and spent the evenings watching old black and white reruns whenever he was in town. When Matt was forty he finally told his mother what he was -- only when he knew for certain that he had a handle on it all. She cried and didn't leave her room for an entire evening, but when she came back out all she could do was hold her son. He told her about everything; about Margery and his home in Pickens, about his decision to stop drinking and his decision to never marry. She cried again because she'd never have grandkids, but Matt knew she'd get over it.
Matt lived a happy life. One surrounded by his family -- the sleuth. He had his struggles, but after forty years of his life had passed Matt could finally say that he'd overcome them. He had a handle on his 'bear and finally came to terms with his killing Margery. He came to terms with the fact that it wasn't his fault.
Matthew Quinn lived to the ripe old age of eighty-five. In his last days he swore that he would have lived longer if he hadn't drank so much in his youth. It was a heart attack that killed him, but the doctors said that it was over so quickly it was likely he didn't feel much pain. If Matt had lived through it he'd probably amount that to the 'bear he was, the 'bear he came to love. There was some justice in his death; that he lived such a painful life for so many years and in the end he went out without any at all.
Matt wasn't religious for most of his life, and it wasn't until he was in his forties that he started going to church. If he was being honest, Matt didn't know whether he believed in God or Heaven or anything religious, but if Matt did find out it was all true, he definitely ended up beside Margery once again.
