Matthew Grey

Mattew has always had an unfortunately weak immune system. Ever since he was little, he remembered looking out the window at all the other children running around while he lay in bed, hacking his lungs out. Sometimes it got so bad he thought he was dying.... his parents thought so to sometimes.

There was one time Matthew didn't remember so very well, but he'd been told the story many times. His coughing had actually turned up blood and he was desperately clutching at his throat. The doctors could only watch in horror while his eyes glazed over and his movements slowly stilled. He was almost declared deceased, but his eyes fluttered open as they were lifting a cover over his head and his mom practically tackled the doctor to stop him.

Matthew's parents died when he was barely 14. Some people tried to tell him he had worried the two of them to death. He could never tell whether those people were joking. He ignored most of them. To his great dismay, he wasn't old enough to accept the estate his parents left him in their will, so the mansion and its contents went to his uncle until he was able to himself take it. His uncle was kind enough to let him live there, but did not pay for upkeep of the mansion, this included the pay of all the people who worked there. The left one by one and he became alone.

Now, Matthew was never afraid of being alone, but he was still afraid of dying. His uncle lived across the country, so there was no one to make sure he didn't suddenly collapse and....

Dust was building up in the mansion. It only made his coughing worse. He thought about leaving until he was allowed to work for money and inherit the full sum of his parents savings before coming back and fixing up the place. He was going to. Then someone showed up at his door--A young man named who called himself Olly.

"'Ello, in need of a good butler? All I ask in return is a nice room to keep my belongings in and whatever you pay the rest of your servants."

At the time, Matthew didn't realize that this next word would change his life, especially considering how weakly it was said: "Yes."

Neither of the two ever expected Olly to hang around for so long; Matthew paid very little at irregular intervals and needed help with absolutely everything. He was stunned that someone who could work as efficiently as Olly would want to stick around instead of finding a better employer. Looking back though, this was the only way the story could have ended. Olly was nothing short of the least serious butler in existence. Olly tells Matthew that he could be serious if he wanted, but it was too stifling. The two of them ended up with a small deal: Olly would take the utmost care of Matthew, and Matthew would let him do basically anything he wanted... barring anything illegal.

Eventually, the mansion and all other items left to Matthew in the will were given to him at 18. He knew the absolute first thing he wanted to do with his newfound riches.

"Olly, will you become my official head butler and accept your first proper paycheck?"

"It'd be my absolute pleasure, Mattie."

Character Q&A

How often do you get sick?

"I'm not sick nearly as much as I used to be... I found that staying in the house keeps me away from most things my immune system can't handle. Of course, I sometimes wish I could go outside, but if my own health  comes at the cost of a little fun then so be it I suppose." Matthew plays with the cuff of his sleeve. Seems he's uncomfortable talking about his ailment.