remembering sunday

mateo tellez marin. 36 (40). former witch. vampire.

[mateo-tellezm]

sara min:

“Ouch.” Sara stuck her bottom lip out in the form a precious little pout, though her mouth still resembled partially a little smile. It wasn’t exactly like pottery was important to her, or even a form of art she’d been putting a lot of effort into, so it wasn’t like she would have actually taken any offense in what the man had said. “So much for a beginner’s support there.” She joked, but once her gaze landed on the vase he had been working on, her head tilted to the side and she parted her lips as if meaning to say something–which didn’t happen, so she pressed her lips shut again, for a second. “Yeah, you’re right… there’s no way we could’ve been mutually supportive of each other.” The comment escaped her lips in the midst of a chuckle.

“I’m Sara.” She drew out her hand, offering it to him. Once introductions were made, Sara went back to the pot of water, sprinkling some on her sculpture as if it would help her salvage hers, but, as if it had just dawned on her that there was no way to fix whatever laid in front of her, she dropped her hands, breathing out a low ‘fuck it’, that would be possibly inaudible to human ears. “This is your first time, too, right? Sorry… I haven’t really been paying attention to what was going on in the class.”

―

“I’m giving you plenty of support. But we have to keep each other humble, right?” Mateo asks with a laugh. “Otherwise we’ll develop big egos and I’m not sure the world will be able to handle it.” His voice trails off, before bursting out into laughter again at her comment. “Not that I think we’re going to become artists overnight. Not at this rate.” 

He’s cut short from his thoughts, as he extends his own clay splattered hand towards her. “Mateo.” They both seem to have the same idea turning towards their vases. Absently, he wonders if he had time left in the class to start over or try to salvage it somehow. The longer he looks at it, the fonder he grows. It’d be such a shame to completely scrap what he was doing, wouldn’t it? With the new resolve to try and make it be a functional vase, he picks up again where he left off. “You couldn’t tell that it was my first time?” Mateo casts a teasing glance over at Sara before returning to the swirling clay in front of him. “It is. If it makes you feel any better I was paying attention but it clearly didn’t help me. I usually have much better control over a pencil or paintbrush.”

[mateo-tellezm]

aleyna ↔ mateo; message.

Aleyna: Okay! It's a date...

Aleyna: They really are!

Aleyna: What a small world. And he's been doing well, I think... I hope!

Mateo: It's a date.

Mateo: Andy is lucky to have you as a mom too, you know.

Mateo: Astoria feels like a small world sometimes. I think...I lost his number. But I do miss hearing him chase after his cats.

[mateo-tellezm]

aleyna ↔ mateo; message.

Aleyna: Aww! I feel special now! Okay, I'll make sure to be ready on time, just I won't leave you waiting for so long.

Aleyna: Right? I don't deserve that. Hmmmm, I can think of a few things... I'll let you know once we meet each other!

- 10 minutes later -

Aleyna: It's Leon. He's Andy's father, actually.

Mateo: Ah you know I don't mind waiting.

Mateo: Ah! You don't say. Andy's a lucky kid.

Mateo: Leon and I used to be neighbours before he moved! How is he doing?

[mateo-tellezm]

raine morgan:

Location: Kingston @mateo-tellezm

Noting that Mateo’s brain seemed to be focussed elsewhere, Raine decided on another topic and rambled along with a grin on their face. So easily distracted the other was. “So I told them, nah, don’ worry about it, I got my job at the stripclub, I’ll be alright. And then I got into a four people gang-bang down the street, some good fun, ye know, paid well.” They watched the other shake his head and return to the real world. “So as I was saying, my boss said it was no big deal, and now I’m back on payroll, same hours.” They winked. “So what’s yer take away from my story?”

―

If people were taking bets about where Mateo’s attention was, about 8 out of 10 times, his thoughts were elsewhere. He’d always been the type of person to have their heads in the cloud. His old med school friends often wondered how he made it through school in the top percentile of his class because he had been doodling or zoned out for half of them. Surgery and looking after younger children had been the two exceptions to the rule, but everything else? That still seemed to be fair game. A loud noise at the other end of the room seemed to momentarily draw his attention away from his current company. “At least you’re getting paid good money for it, right?” 

[mateo-tellezm]

laurel gavaris:

That was all she was aiming for, that everyone would be able to have fun that particular day. And above them all, that Sara would be able to feel all the love and appreciation others had for her, so, despite being words that came from her brother, Laurel accepted them, nodding in agreement while a relief would traveil through her being. “Okay… that’s good. I tried to come up with a playlist that would have a little bit of everything, so everyone can enjoy it.” It was an ordinary subject, remaining far from anything related to her.

But he was family, and unlike her other brothers, Mateo would see right through her and actually attempt to understand her. It was a blessing, but in time in which she wanted to cover her worries and sadness, it was far from that. “I– I am… it’s just hard. But I– I really don’t want to cry today. I don’t want to ruin Sara’s birthday.” A weak smile was offered, trying to ignore trembling lips that were an example that she could indeed cry if she kept thinking about what was haunting her mind lately. “I just wish I knew what happened to him. Was it me? Did something happen? Is he in danger? Or… Am I that unlovable?”

―

Mateo’s eyes softened, his heart aching for a moment as Laurel worried about everyone else in the room. He’s learned that it’s less of a coping mechanism and more of Laurel’s heart being so generous. But he’s also learned that because of that she leaned into it in order to push the focus off of her if she didn’t want it to be. They were only related through their father, but neither it seemed had inherited his propensity for selfishness. Somehow, ironically enough, they were both bleeding hearts than anything else. 

The last thing he wants to do then and there is press her. But it seems that she changes her mind and tells him on her own accord. Watching Laurel stand there trying to put on a brave face breaks his heart. “Laurel -,” Mateo’s voice dies on his lips, and finds himself putting his drink down, before reaching for her hands. He quietly searches her face, a furrow between his brow. When he does speak, his voice is quiet and sad. But underneath it is the tiniest drop of anger. “What gave you that idea.”

[mateo-tellezm]

aleyna greer:

“I– no.” Her fingers traced through her hair locks, placing it behind her ear. “It was something else,” it was a good thing that the sun already caused her to feel warm. In case she was blushing, it would be unlike that he would notice it. Or so, Aleyna hoped. Though wearing sunglasses, they were light enough that Mateo would still be able to notice that her gaze was at him. “I think we’re all unique in our own way? I think my youngest sibling sort of compliments me, we’ve been close ever since we were young. With my oldest sibling… that took awhile, to get close to each other. We used to fight a lot back when we were younger,” which was something that Aleyna understood. Partially, but she was able to grasp the reasons behind that. 

“What if I steal you from your friend?” She joked, because Aleyna that there plenty of shows she wanted to watch and there was a chance Mateo didn’t share the same music taste that she did. Besides, Aleyna herself wanted to meet some of her friends later, hoping they’d reply to her messages. “I’m certain it won’t be busy at all. It always seems that the entire city is in the club whenever the festival is happening in Astoria,” her giggle accompanied his laugh. “We can watch the show behind the crowd, I don’t mind it. It gives me a big picture of the stage, and we are able to talk to each other. Which has always been something that I liked to do whenever I’m with you.” And then, she bit her lower lip, amused by his choice of words. “I’m hoping it won’t happen again. All I want today it is to have some fun,” finally she was able to see the stage in front of them, finding a spot where they could just stop and appreciate the show while talking to each other, already engaging in the show Snoh Aalegra was already playing. 

“Let me know once this is over what do you think about it. Just so I know if it was worth coming here with me.”

―

Fortunately for Aleyna, Mateo doesn’t seem to notice the blush. His perception of that type of thing doesn’t extend too far into the romance realm, and in that moment, he was blissfully content with the atmosphere around them. In fact, if anything, he was happier about the fact that he was getting to know more about Aleyna. Up until recently their conversations had always been pleasant enough; small talk, updates on Andy if Aly happened to drop them off at Faerie Wings during Mateo’s shifts there - but nothing quite as personal as their backgrounds. It wasn’t as if Mateo wasn’t an open book or unfriendly. His mind just always happened to be elsewhere. That wasn’t the case here though. “Mm, in the way that younger and older siblings fight or something else?” Because he knew the first type of fighting all too well. 

“I’m sure he’d understand.” James might actually give him a bit of a ribbing, but aside from that, the man wasn’t the type to throw a tantrum. The admission from her catches him off guard, and Mateo can’t help but look at her for a moment longer than he should. She’s moved on though, body moving to the music and the sway of the crowd around them. “I’ve never heard her before,” he admits as he begins swaying slightly to the music as well, “But I like it.” Part of the magic of festivals after all was getting exposed to music that you normally wouldn’t listen to. 

[mateo-tellezm]

aleyna ↔ mateo; message.

Aleyna: If it won't be a problem, I'd love that. 🥺

Aleyna: You keep fooling me, that's unfair...

Aleyna: That's a good thing, I think. I do know that she's my ex's head priestess too.

Mateo: For you? It's never a problem. I'll let you know when I leave my place. If the weather is good we can take my bike.

Mateo: Well the last thing I want to do is be mean and unfair. How can I make it up to you?

Mateo: Really? I've met most of her coven in passing. Who is it?

[mateo-tellezm]

sara min:

               — It sort of felt like Sara had been living on autopilot, with no actual chance for things to change, these last few days. Trying out new hobbies was an advice that had been thrown at her on their last session, but it took Sara a few days to give it a try. Or–more like a week. It seemed counterproductive that she had broken things off with Teddy to focus on herself, but all of the time, she’d been trying to busy her mind instead of trying to fix whatever was broken inside her. Alas, she wasn’t the one with a psychology degree.

Pottery class seemed distracting enough, she thought. And indeed it was, because throughout the whole class, Sara couldn’t focus much on the task at hand. In fact, she had even stopped doing anything, because she’d got caught up thinking about something her therapist had said about her fears and insecurities, only to be brought back to the present when she ended up on the radar of some explosion of clay. Her gaze traveled downward, to the clay on her apron and sweater and then, she found the man’s dark hues, offering him a sweet smile. “It’s alright.” She chuckled, dipping her fingers into the water jar near them and using it to try and wipe the clay off. “It’s good that you did, otherwise, I don’t think I’d be able to finish this on time.” She chuckled, pointing to the weirdly shaped vase in front of her. “Does this look like a vase to you?”

―

Mateo didn’t go out of his way to ruffle people’s feathers, but sometimes it just happened naturally with his disposition. Thankfully his seat mate didn’t seem too upset that she’d been splattered with unwanted clay. The smile she gives him is enough to make his laugh push past his lips seeing that it’s okay to have made a little mess. What else would people have expected though in a pottery class? 

He regards her vase with an almost serious air, tilting his head to the side and squinting an eye. “In an abstract or literal sense? I’m sure you’d find the right person to buy it if you looked hard enough.” Mateo motions to his own ‘vase’ though sitting pathetically on the wheel in front of him. “I think mine’s a bit of a lost cause. Maybe something only a mother could love.” In fact, that was an idea, he thought mildly. He’d get nothing but grief and teasing from his siblings - and mom for that matter - but it’d be a nice joke. 

[mateo-tellezm]

koda dawson:

It probably would have been smart of Koda to check his phone before he stepped foot into the daycare, as he nearly tripped on a few different toys as he sidestepped some of the kids running around as well. Then he would have known that he didn’t need to be there on time or even a few minutes late, as he watched the other still in the middle of the floor with too many kids to count surrounding him. He shot the other a weak grin before he faded when another kid ran into him, knocking into his leg and kept going without even a second glance backwards at the shifter as he shook his head. “Somehow I feel like this would be harder than a 48 hour shift over at the station,” he commented, stepping out of the way of another group of kids that were screaming and laughing at the top of their lungs. “I take it that you’re gonna be late and I missed a text.” 

—

“Hey not bad - do you want a sticker?” Mateo asks Koda with a laugh, unfazed as the same kid that had ran into Koda runs straight into him, promptly falling on their butt. Almost in perfect harmony, their eyes begin to well up just as Mateo reaches down to scoop them up and right them back on their feet. “Hey, you’re good - nothing to cry over, hm?” The kid gives a big sniffle before nodding and grabbing onto Mateo’s leg in a pseudo-hug before rushing off again, the tears that had appeared disappearing as quickly as they had come. 

“If you can fight fires you can probably handle kids. I have full confident in your abilities.” The kids in the daycare barely seemed to pay any attention to the shifter that had walked through the door. He was none of their parents are guardians after all - so what was the point in diverting their attention away from their very important games? But with Mateo’s full attention on Koda, suddenly dozens of pairs of eyes were flitting curiously towards him. In classic Mateo nature, he barely registers it. “If you don’t mind sticking around a bit we can head out from here. Or I can meet you later. It shouldn’t be much longer.” 

[mateo-tellezm]

aleyna ↔ mateo; message.

Aleyna: Perfect, sounds like a plan then! We can meet each other there if you prefer.

Aleyna: Drinks and food? My company?

Aleyna: That I don't know, I think it's just some casual surprise party for Sara. Your sister is the one throwing it actually...

Mateo: Do you need a ride over? I'm happy to come get you on the way there.

Mateo: Like I said, I'm easily won over. I don't know why I asked the question. I'm just pretending to be difficult.

Mateo: ...I'm not even surprised that they know each other. Laurel almost knows everyone.

[magnusedom]

Diego Luna as Matteo in WANDER DARKLY (2020).

[mateo-tellezm]

aleyna ↔ mateo; message.

- 1 hour later -

Aleyna: In the afternoon? I think... around 2/3pm? I promise you it'll be fun!

- 30 minutes later -

Mateo: My shift at the Myriad wraps up before then. I should be able to make it.

Mateo: Define 'fun'

Mateo: And what kind of dress code are we talking about? Do I have to get Laurel to help me again?

[mateo-tellezm]

laurel gavaris:

set: saturday, march 20th location: sol dance studio availability: closed | @mateo-tellezm·

The head priestess watched the party from afar for a moment before she excused herself from the group she was talking to. It had been awhile ever since Laurel needed to pretend something, to hide under any false pretenses that could cover an information; one of the hardest ones was to pretend to be happy. Especially when the witch was far from being able to experience such a state. When being social became too much, she found a refugee inside her office, resting the glass of wine she had taken with herself on top of her table while sitting on top of her chair.

The sounds coming from the party were still echoing inside her office and for a moment she covered her face with the palm of her hands, taking a deep breath and noticing that she would break down at any second. Fuck. The brunette thought to herself. A few minutes had passed by while aiming for comfort in her solitude before she heard a sound coming from the door. Cleaning up a stubborn tear, she was back at attempting smiles, grabbing her wine and reaching closer to her brother. “Hey! I just– I forgot a few papers that I had to deal with this morning and decided to make sure I had everything organized for next Monday.” It was a lie, a terrible lie. “But I’m heading back to the party, I promise I won’t– I just needed some time.” That was her strange way of sharing with her brother that she was overwhelmed. “People are having fun, right? Are you? Having fun…”

Mateo, as unobservant as he could be, was more attuned to his family than anything else. While he had arrived at the party (the party of Sara, whom he quickly realized had been the unfortunate victim of his clay exploding all over her) with Aleyna, he’d since separated from her for a short time to go and seek Laurel out. He had known something was amiss with her for the last week or so, but she had always brushed it off, putting on a brave face. 

He loses sight of his sister for a brief moment, but he can only assume that she’s gone back into her office. Mateo weaves through the crowd gathered in the dance studio before arriving at the door and giving it a quick knock. It’s not hard to see through her lie but his kindness extends to letting it linger between the two of them even for a moment. Mateo offers her a sad smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Of course I’m having fun. So is everyone else.” He motions to the slightly ajar door where the sounds of the party filter through. The sound of laughter and warmth that emanates from the other side are hard to ignore but he quietly closes it behind them, muffling the sound. Mateo pauses before offering up a small reprieve for her to take if she wanted it. “I’m worried that you’re not having fun though.”

[mateo-tellezm]

aleyna ↔ mateo; message.

Aleyna: Mateo, hey! So, I'm going to a party and I was wondering if you're free this Saturday and would like to come with me?

- 2 hours later-

Mateo: Saturday? Sure - what time?

[mateo-tellezm]

who: @minxsara​ when: march 13, afternoon​ when: Astoria Community Center 

Mateo’s exploration of art had been a slow expansion, but he’d always had a curiosity when it came to pottery and ceramics. There was an elegance in the way potters were able to mould and shape the clay to their whims and it had always been something he’d admired. Why not take a class for it then? Up until that point he’d only ever played with paints and pencil drawings, slowly getting to know the tools of the mediums until he could at least say he was okay at them. But now it was time to dip his toes in the waters of another medium. 

Despite his well intentions, it wasn’t going well. He’s currently sitting at his potter’s wheel with something of a dumbfound, amused expression on his face. In his enthusiasm, his clay had spun a little too fast resulting in well...an explosion of clay on him and his nearby classmate. “Oh shit,” Mateo starts looking down at his clay splattered apron before he looks at the woman beside him, unable to keep the laugh out of his voice. “I’m so sorry. Apparently I have a lead foot.” 

[mateo-tellezm]

aleyna greer​:

His reaction caused her to laugh, this was indeed better than being alone at a fancy restaurant. Far better than that. “I think we deserve it.” She stated, flashing a smile at the man in front of her. “And I’m usually used to street food, anything that can be done as fast as possible and cheaper than anything in this menu, so this is a whole new night for me. Anything could happen.” And hopefully for the best. Being stood up had been frustrating enough by now. 

“Oh nothing at all, but they are usually demanding your attention. At this moment there’s no one else that will force me to share your attention with,” she stated, laughing because she had that clear image of Mateo dealing with all the kids from the daycare. It was adorable, and she knew how patient someone had to be with so many children to take care of. Sometimes just taking care of one could be frustrating and challenging. “I could always call Carol and ask her to bring Andy to the restaurant if you’d like to. But I mean, we’re on a date, right?” She joked, they were supposed to be on a date. This was their plan b, a remedy while seeking for good company over dinner. It was the best outcome, in her point of view. “So it’s for the best if we don’t have children around while having some wine. It’s one of those rare times that I don’t feel the need of filtering my words.”

—

“There’s nothing wrong with street food,” he counters. “Some of the best food in the world is street food. Just because it has a high price doesn’t mean it’s better.” As the words leaves his mouth, an older couple sitting by them shoot him a look, but thanks to his attention so focused on Aleyna, everything else might not have existed. His ignorance only seems to annoy them more if anything but that was neither here nor there. 

"The kids usually deflect any kind of social awkwardness that I have.” It was mostly a joke. There had been plenty of people who were probably less eloquent than Mateo was, but it was easier to have the self-depreciating jokes. It help cut any nerves to an almost non-existent state. Mateo pauses a moment regarding the brunette across the table before nodding and laughing lightly. “I guess we are. So by all means - swear away. Get it all out here.” At that point he rose his arm to get the attention of their waiter. “Hey, sorry. Could we get the wine menu, please? We’ll need a little more time to figure out what we want to eat.” With a quick flourish, the waiter returns with the drinks list and Mateo offers it over to Aleyna. “Whatever you want. It’s on me.” 

[mateo-tellezm]

aleyna greer:

“I had the chance of looking at you at the restaurant, then on our way to my place and outside of the car, so, I’m sure it wasn’t the dim lightning.” It was an honest response towards his own words. “But, well… yes. That’s what siblings are there for. To help us whenever we need and also to annoy us whenever they want to.” She had an amazing relationship with both of her siblings, they were everything to her and she wouldn’t be able to go on with life without the strength that her family was able to provide to her. And, Aleyna was certain that if needed, Frankie or their youngest sibling would help Ally choose an outfit for the festival. 

Easily won over. A sly grin rested over her lips, nodding. “Good to know.” Finally, Aleyna continued her path, have someone to follow along. The sun rays touching her skin gently while sunglasses; she was happy, to say the least. She felt happy. “I came here with a friend, but she’s as free to explore the festival as I am. I’ve been finding others here and there while heading to enjoy the shows. This time I’m not attached to anyone while enjoying my day. I’ve always adored coming here,” and spending a good amount of money with it. “You?”

―

“Yeah?” he asks with a chuckle. “Were you thinking about all the ways that I could have dressed that would have been really out of place at that restaurant?” He’d have to give Laurel and Elisa a gift for helping him out despite his mild protests in the matter. The next thought that crossed his mind surprised even him because he hadn’t thought about it in a very long time: maybe there was some merit in putting effort into himself and the way he presented himself in the world. “It’s true though.” He tilts his head to the side regarding her for a moment as they walk. “I realized I don’t know much about your siblings. What are they like?” 

“I’m meeting up with a friend later,” he explains as they near a tent selling some craft beer. “But to be honest, I’m doing a favour for some of my cousins.” The sacrifice and tradeoff of shifts wasn’t some big martyr move; work was what kept his mind busy and if anything, the amount of begging that he’d be on the receiving end of had been amusing, if excessive. “They wanted to come on other days so I said I’d cover their shifts on those days. Although I feel like it won’t be all that busy,” he laughs, “The grounds are filled everywhere you turn. I’m glad that to hear that you didn’t get stood up again though. I’d have to start questioning their sanity.”