˚ 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 / 𝒕𝒐𝒐 / 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 。

∷ ╰ 𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖔 𝖒𝖆𝖏𝖔𝖗𝖘, penned by 𝒷𝓇𝒾, for 𝔭𝔞𝔩𝔪𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴𝔣𝔪. ╯ ∷

[mateofm]

⋯ ❝ 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓸 𝓪𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓱𝓪𝓶 𝓶𝓪𝓳𝓸𝓻𝓼 : ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ - ᴇɪɢʜᴛ , ʜᴇ / ʜɪᴍ , ᴛᴇᴀᴄʜᴇʀ & ᴄᴏᴀᴄʜ , ᴠɪʀɢᴏ , ᴏʟᴅᴇꜱᴛ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ❞

☁ * ˚ biography ˚ * connections * ˚ pinterest ˚ * ☁

⋯ ❝ there was the sense that his real life was happening somewhere very far away, happening without him, and he didn't know if he would ever find out where it was or become part of it. ❞

statistics

full name.      mateo abraham majors  . 

aka.        teo  ,  matty  ,  matt  .

pronouns.       he  &  him  .

inspiration .    nathan scott ( oth ) .

zodiac.       virgo sun  ,  pisces moon  ,  &  aquarius rising  . 

orientation.       bisexual  . 

occupation  &  aspirations.        third grade elementary school teacher & high school hockey coach , ex - hockey player & community alum with a rich father who backed him up until he graduated college ( tl;dr he did not want to go pro and his father hates him for it )  . 

morality alignment.        lawful evil  . 

phobias.     mateo grew up getting  ,  &  still gets  ,  frequent stress  -  induced nosebleeds  .  

drug  &  alcohol use.       past party-oriented drug dependency that still rears its head when he struggles to sleep ( xanax ) ,  and rare alcohol consumption  . 

love language.              he shows and prefers to receive words of affirmation & acts of service .

* biography tw: drug addiction / rehab mention in the last couple paragraphs.

biography

mateo’s full biography is right here ! trigger warning : it’s longer than this "summary."

mateo grew up with a father who ditched-and-then-stuck-around-and-always-threatened-to-ditch-again, and a mother who was too scared to say no. his father's parents were bloodline-loving to their core ( "he's gonna grow up to be the best of us yet!" ), & they went out of their way to ensure their family endeavors--big or small--always succeeded. his family is obsessed with being The Best. mateo's mom, though, started out as a humble small - town girl who taught her son to be kind and simple. but after a while of living under her husband's thumb, things seemed to change for their family, and they eventually lost sight of what it meant to be a family instead of a business transaction. mateo’s grandparents spent most of mateo’s life under - the - table manipulating mateo and his mother to think that if he was the perfect child, mateo’s dad and granparents would always love him and his mother. mateo has never known anything that didn't feel like a hand out--until he graduated college.

mateo grew up being was the kind of guy who fell in love hard and fast , but always privately. sometimes TOO privately . so much so, that he often lost relationships as a result of his inclination to never go out together . he was ashamed of how his family treated the people he was with ( like second - rate citizens ) , and he never wanted any more attention than he saw fit . i imagine mateo had one or two loves of his life who really wrecked him for the long - haul . between that and being a harsh workaholic -- mateo's self-sabotaging nature has followed him his entire life . of course , mateo’s family - man inclination didn’t compel him to be the best person in all areas of his life . he was desperate for some type of fullness , being the stoic romantic that he is . where he sought that love ( parties , in sex , in unfulfilled promises , in other people's partners ) – by the time he was sixteen – was the problem . the day he turned eighteen and began to be “ allowed ” in clubs and bars was the day things just started to get worse , rather than better .

mateo was a sports brat and took his role as an athlete very seriously. he worked hard to be on the up & up at all times, but was known to be a party frequenter. he balanced it all with ease, it seemed. he was protective and forthright. he let people know he wanted them, and struggled to let go when things didn't work out. ( he's a hot head. ) ( he's terrible at giving others the benefit of the doubt. ) mateo was going to go far, everyone thought. his family and extended family made it to every game. they moved to palmview when he was training in middle school, insisting that their high school / collegiate programs were going to propel mateo into fame. until mateo gave it all up. he turned down offers left and right post - college. behind the scenes, mateo's drug addiction was tightening its grip, and he couldn't shake the idea that if he kept trying to keep up with the pro lifestyle, he'd get stuck too deep into the mud he felt when he was on downers. so... he "retired" and committed his life to teaching in a community that he knows he's lucky to have. his parents are still close by, brooding. but mateo lives his current life set on either not thinking of them, or making them despise that he's still alive. to this day, his family ( his grandparents specifically ) hold their money over his head as though he needs it. mateo's dream is to settle down -- he loves children & gets emotional at the idea of being a father ( definitely worries he'd be terrible at it ), but he can't help but wonder if his dream is really worth submitting others to his family.

connections

* open connections : i have so many ideas for wanted connnections for mateo! feel free to click on the link above, and it'll take you to a page of ideas that i'll mark as FILLED when it applies. once we have something established, i'll also be filling that in on the page above. mateo has a lot of history in the town, and can be the bad guy/good guy/serial dater/chronic instigator in anyone's stories.

[kidd-stella]

MICHAEL EVANS BEHLING via Tik Tok (September 2, 2023)

[zaidenmayes]

"Oi, quit tryin' to fight people," with a nudge to Mateo's arm, both the gesture and his tone more playful than anything. "Or tryin' to get me to fight people." Of course, he just has to make some sort of inappropriate joke, so he continues on, "If you're wanting to see me all sweaty and bruised, all ya gotta do is ask."

Faolán is toeing the edges of boundaries and he knows it. At the same time, he doesn't exactly care. He's comfortable and, more than that, he's tipsy. This is his third vodka lemonade tonight and he is feeling it.

"You would be, maybe, but they're just gonna look at me like they're sick to death of me." They likely are. "Crazy jobs? Nah, not recently. Been gettin' real lucky with the photography shit." It ebbs and flows for him, and lately it's relatively stable.

"I did get asked if I do boudoir photography but... I don't think that's quite my gig." He shifts in his seat, though it does nothing to stop his bouncing leg.

"What 'bout you, mate? Any gnarly injuries happen on the hockey team lately?"

[mateofm]

"alright, alright, alright," mateo said, waving his hand and looking away--before quickly glancing back with a point and a toothy smile. "--unless," he started, and then waved again, "nah, all jokes." he continued to chuckle at the idea. faolán felt real to him. their relationship was unequivocal and didn't require much. easy, really--which was rarely how mateo liked things. "sweaty and bruised is preferred, though. i've got tons of ideas."

the fuzziness of his head was all - consuming and kind to him. he let the acidic bubbles of his virgin drink burn down his throat. "do males do boudoir--" he struggled just enough to get that word out, "--sessions? or can they? or is it all women?" his question was sincere, but funny from an observer's point of view, he knew, which made a laugh rip out of him. "genuinely," he clarified, eyes squeezed shut while he laughed. mateo pressed on, feeling his own mood lighten at the same time that his partner's bouncing leg began to echo its way toward his painfully careful senses. "y'know, shit like that's unavoidable. the guys push themselves harder than i push them, really. they don't see it that way, but i do. i yell at them, and they still band together and encourage each other. it's all training and scrims right now, so mostly just putting up with a lot of puking and bruises," he sat back and thumbed the side of his cup thoughtfully, adding, "it's good to see me push the kids and them understand that what i mean is: make me the tough guy, and be kind to each other. then come out and go as hard as you can during practice. i think the team's got a good thing going on this year. you can see it when they talk on the ice and help each other. really cool." mateo waited a beat, and felt himself close. he shook his head and sat straighter, hoping a small smile would mask his regret, "you gotta tell me to shut up some time, man. this place is running out of oxygen."

[sunshinesfm]

" not you, huh? interesting. " she responded with a laugh and playful eyeroll at the other. the closed off exterior of alyssa was due to a combination of a whole lot of different things. there was only a select handful of people that was able to see the sides of her where that was able to be broken through. she was cautious now. more than she ever had to be before. it led to her having the personality that she was very much known for having now. " you know ... in theory maybe that sounds like a whole bunch of fun, but i don't think those people realize how serious it can be. can't they just get on a kayak and have fun without all that? no one said other people have the smartest of ideas. but i'm sure it's funny to see how much money someone had just wasted. i wonder if they even care. " the blonde nodded her head with a shrug of her shoulders. " laying in the sand and baking in the sun seems to be the go to of a whole bunch of people, actually. so yeah. i'd say so. i need to get a boat for the summers. a party on the lockhart boat? now that sounds like the best of times. " she took notice of the space he was giving her. luckily enough, it seemed that he didn't think she was too much of a standoff-ish person. most people get intimidated quite easily and end up running away. it's happened before. a few times. now that she thinks about it. but she wasn't even scary ... maybe it was just the attitude that did it. " that sounds like it could be a ton of fun. but what i'm worried about is being the clumsiest person there is. on rocks. " the banter was better than no banter at all. " oh? i'd have to invite you? alright, then. seems like a plan. i can possibly extend an invite out to you. and don't worry ... i promise not to keep you waiting for too long. " noticing that look that mateo had been giving her made alyssa sense that he was a genuine human being. she didn't come across many people like that too easily.

[mateofm]

the smile and laugh felt self - affirming to mateo. he couldn't help but feel atonement when others let him in. he pushed the feeling aside, understanding full well how unhealthy of a dweller he could be--he impacted people just as poorly, if not more. "hm," he said, his chin lifting as he listened, "a pretty girl like you taking such a hard stance on money - wasting and fun - having," the toss of the coin mateo took on that one did not go above his head, "i agree."

mateo took a seat next to her on the sand of the beach, setting his gear beside him and extending out a leg in front of him. he watched the water as he listened, nodding his head. "luckily, florida's apt for year - round boat rides. hop to it, and we'll be anchored on the water come christmas season--in boat sweaters ringing in the new year with a bottle of champagne. sounds like a dream," mateo's voice remained even and flat, and he continued to look out, leaning further into his sitting position. he chuckled at her approval of the idea. "i guess you could look at it like: the rocks are meant to be fallen off of. we'll go on your time," mateo looked at her then--for a long moment, noting her genuine interest that floored him to his core. he tried not to let it show, squinting his eyes in the sun and letting a soft smile tug at the corner of his lips. "consider me counting down the days."

[toricampbell]

tori had partially kicked herself for not looking at who she was talking to before opening her own mouth. it's not that she was upset it was mateo, no, it was more of a hurt she had avoided for way too long. but she was sure that if she looked angry it would hide the hurt that she was feeling deep within her chest.

she halfway listened to him talking about his kids and field trips before realizing he'd turn the question back to her. oh no, her thoughts raced as she tried to recount what had just been said without losing steam. he'd asked about her school plans. right. "school has got to be fun with eight-year-olds," she responded before answering his actual question. "well, there's not been any fun reward trips planned but i'm hoping to get to take the kids to see wicked when it's released. our first book of the year is gonna the wizard of oz so seeing the movie prequel may be enticing for them to learn about old cinema and story telling." she started rambling before she could stop herself. "how's your classroom set up? i decided to do mine a little different and i'm not sure if i like the half circle set up." she finally looked back up at him, making annoyance show on her face instead of sadness.

[mateofm]

it had been happenstance--being near the bench she was sitting on at all. but, in an odd and intrinsic way, mateo ached for happenstance. he didn't feel bad at all for choosing to stick around and talk to her. even when her face contorted the same way it had when they were breaking up (is that what you'd call it? breaking up? finally fessing up to not being what the other was looking for? he had reeled over it for ages); mateo struggled to bring himself to leave. "it's work, for sure. sometimes feels like every unit--or every week's--gotta be different just to be interesting. but i prefer my own weeks to be different to spice my very strict routine up, so i guess it all just fits." mateo's eyebrows raised and he turned a little more inward to see her--her lack of eye contact struck him, though, and he had to sit forward more to account for the change. being good enough was always going to be a want for mateo--so not being good enough, equally, would always tear his soul apart. he cleared his throat, "heard wicked's good. never even read the original wizard of oz, so that's insane--finding that red string for them. impressive, as usual." the omission of a 'you're' felt wrong yet necessary. he felt her eyes on him, finally, and stole another look, "half - circle is good. i like the idea of you talking to them like that--getting them to lead. i do the same with mine--worked last year too. open u - shape with partnered desks and a rug in the center."

[brokendcves-deactivated20240820]

the moon hung high and full in the sky, lighting their path as they walked. she'd since removed her shoes, holding them in her hands, and felt more grounded this way - less like she'd fly away at any moment. the shove to her shoulder was met with an eye roll but even she couldn't deny the smile that spread across her lips at her brothers antics. how's work going... for real? the grin vanished in the dark, leaving behind a kind of look that spoke of the ghosts that lie waiting in her own head. they would seize the opportunity to remind her of this conversation later when she was alone. a breath through her nose, an even longer exhale of a sigh was the only response for a moment. like she actually cares... "well, maybe i am crazy." and maybe she was - maybe she had lost her mind long ago for ever thinking she could do this. she tried to make it sound like a joke, though it just came out sounding like she was tired. and in truth, she was. her medications were supposed to help with that but they just wired her enough to keep her up at odd hours; a payoff of keeping her sane she supposed. she was subdued to her fate at this point. she didn't really want to talk about work - not when she was off and living her life, the small life she had whilst in school and working. "it's only part time," she had been discouraged from full time work whilst in medical school by a doctor she genuinely looked up to.

[mateofm]

"crazy tough--" mateo added with a limp point of a finger. with just a quick glance he understood the impact. his shoulders loosened and he rested a hand on the back of his sister's hair momentarily, before letting it fall back against his side. "i already know i don't have to tell you to not take their shit to heart. just thought it was interesting they'd say anything at all. i know you're on a fuckin' roll--and i'd say i know you way better than everyone in that house combined." mateo's tone was anger - laced, and he breathed out through his nose in an effort to let it go as quickly as possible. "sorry for even bringing it up." he listened intently to what she said, then. choosing to smile, mateo added, "you're doing great. couldn't think of anyone i'd trust more with a needle around me."

[mateofm]

⟡     ∷     ╰  𝖈𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉  /  𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖔  &   @brokendcves​​​  .

their at - least - weekly walk around the park, the beach, and the boardwalk occurred later in the night than usual. his relationship with his sister was tough and calloused. when mateo texted, boardwalk in half an hour?, he already had his shoes on and front door wide open. now, at two in the morning, the last of the drunken night crowd around town had just about mellowed out. mateo pushed against his sister's shoulder with a meaningful and purposeful kind of shove, having had his fair share of what's - that - on - your - shirt and trip attempts in the last twenty minutes since they'd been walking around talking. mateo laughed. the moon was bright and full above them, and mateo recalled all the nights he and tashi had been up this late fighting sleep just to keep talking to each other. "how's work going... for real?" mateo asked, shielding himself from any blowback from his previous hit. "mom's been trying to convince me you're off the rails. like she actually cares, you know," mateo's smile faltered and he shrugged, lightening his own mood by derailing his thought process, "i didn't give anything away. but, really--nursing and school? you'd have to be crazy." mateo glanced communicatively toward his sister, before looking out toward the shore against the sand - filled sidewalk they were walking along. "anyway, like i said--how's work? horror stories?"

[mateofm]

⟡     ∷     ╰  𝖈𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉  /  𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖔  &   @tidecorals​​​  .

if mateo had to list some worst things in the world, standing at a party waiting for a date to reappear from the restroom had to be at the absolutely peak of that list. mateo had very well accepted, by this point, that the guy had ghosted via the bathroom window, and found someone much more willing participant to play tonsil tennis with in public. in the midst of his inner turmoil (or inner elation), mateo heard abrasiveness coming from a few paces beside him. when he turned to look, he saw someone he had mostly ever seen from afar. the sound of what might have been one - sided bickering pulled him toward her instinctively, "what're you drinking?" mateo asked the girl. holding out his hand purposefully between her and the other person, mateo motioned toward her with his drink, "mateo. you don't work at the gym by the boardwalk, do you?" protectively, mateo's eyes didn't even glance at her counterpart--as though he didn't already have the luxury of a shorefit gym membership, two eyes, and deduction skills of his own.

[peaksfm]

               they  know  the  game  they're  playing  at,  throwing  attitude  towards  her  while  talking  to  her  company  as  if  she's  not  there.  it's  irking  them  to  their  core;  and  mateo  knew  that.  fists  ball  beneath  the  table  before  turning  towards  the  other  with  a  narrowed  gaze.  "  i'm  not  really  sure  what  i've  done  to  you,  but  i'll  take  a  pinot  grigio.  "  they  refused  to  be  ignored.     +     @mateofm

[mateofm]

as the server continued to speak, mateo's gaze landed steadily on elena's impressive levelheadedness. impressive, given the volcano only they knew was shifting the once - firm ground between them. mateo knew her demeanor far too well--no upscale restaurant they fled to for privacy could derail that. mateo's eyes glanced only occasionally at the server, ranting about how immaculate the specials were and asking him questions--to which mateo responded in curt "mhms" and "yeahs." they were just about to land on something along the lines of, and for you?, when elena spoke. a knowing laugh bubbled up, but he stifled it and settled for a nod in the server's direction, "your driest cabernet for me, and we'll be okay for about thirty minutes after that--thanks." mateo wasn't itching, ever, to be brash with servers--but he knew this pompous side of town, and he knew elena had more than a point. "i personally asked them to spit in your drink before we came here--in case you thought them speaking exclusively to me was a little odd," mateo flirted with danger, he knew.

[mateofm]

⟡     ∷     ╰  𝖈𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉  /  𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖔  &   @oaklied​​​  .

mateo rolled his eyes at the thirty - something sitting beside him at a table in the corner of the bar. he only knew this slim shady - wannabe unwillingly through his first high school dealer and actual friend, who had skipped town years ago. mateo's effort to be personable had quickly turned into a nuisance. mateo was ready to leave after a measly five minutes, then, next round's on you, matty. the light tilt and abhorrent nickname attached didn't fool mateo. mateo would never bother with faking a smile as he approached the bar for his hail mary. unfortunately, the face behind the counter was far too recognizable. "hey," mateo said, his voice inviting but wary of the reaction he was sure he'd get. his eyes met the other's purposefully--never leaving too much room or time for interpretation. "got a round of anything that would make a grown man keel over and dry heave? cement mixer? motor oil? lookin' for pure creativity here."

[toricampbell]

open starter for anyone when&where: midday/outside of mango bay arts district

The blonde was bouncing with excitement as she sat on the bench after walking through the arts district. She loved getting to view the street art that seemed to change with the seasons and even reviewing older pieces that had been out for a while, looking at it with a new lens. Plus, the fresh air always made her feel happy and give her energy that she would normally reserve for a party or something with her students.

She looked at the person sitting beside her and smiled slightly before talking. "School starts in two weeks. I'm so excited. Do you have any plans for the school year? Or anything coming up soon?" She didn't want to focus on herself and was happy to see that someone else was also out enjoying the beautiful art. Maybe she'd make some friends with strangers after all.

[mateofm]

mateo had been out for a run post - conditioning at the high school when he happened upon the arts district. most of all, he enjoyed talking to hometown vendors who set up their awnings and sold their own art. he had retired to cool - down - walking along the street for a while now; long enough that the sweat had evaporated from his skin, thankfully. mateo felt that he didn't have an artistic bone in his body, as hard as he might try. seeing tori out and about had been jarring and all - consuming, but mateo was a sucker for that feeling in particular. he couldn't stay away--attacking hard feelings was all he knew how to do. "i actually just finished prepping my room at the elementary school today," mateo noted. he looked over at tori, troubleshooting affection he would lie and say was friendly. "reached out to the zoo for our first week 'reward' field trip. my classroom management is:--" mateo held up a finger for each point for dramatic effect, "--teach them the rules and give them a strict routine, drill the rules and routine all week, and reward them when they inevitably nail it. or, you know," mateo laughed at himself then, crinkling his nose at the thought, "reward them anyway and accept that they're just kids. i suppose that's the joy of teaching eight - year - olds, though." mateo tapped his fingers against the rail of the bench before turning to ask, "what about you? what's the book line - up for the year, ms. campbell?"

[sunshinesfm]

" who said i wouldn't be down to get into the water? " she looked at the other while watching his facial expression with sudden intrigue. " loosing my phone or my jewelry in the water would be a total nightmare which is usually i'm smart enough to not bring it anywhere near the water. that's the last thing that i need. " alyssa looked at his snorkel that he held up to show her and immediately let out a laugh. " you bring that with you to the beach with you? " she tilted her head to the side as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. " oh. did you already make a plan in your head that you're going to be taking me rock jumping? or whatever the hell that even is."

[mateofm]

"no one--definitely not me," mateo held up his snorkel - filled hands in surrender, a smile poking at him. the girl's energy was closed off and tough--but mateo had a knack for seeking those kinds of people out. some called it intentional. "drunk people are crazy. they get on a kayak or something inflatable and think they're invincible. the amount of money they lose just because they're stupid... priceless." mateo warmed at the sound of her laugh, "oh, always. what else is there to do at the beach? sit on the sand and bake in the sun? i sweat enough as is; i don't need any help." mateo stepped closer to her then; taking their banter as invitation. he sat beside her with enough distance to call it temporary--just in case. "there's this enormous pile of boulders set up along the coast. you've got to do some climbing, but once you get up there, the water's deep enough to jump in from off the tops of the rocks. if you're ever down, you've gotta invite me now, because i've told you about it. it'd be rude otherwise, yeah?" mateo looked at alyssa with a sincere but soft kind of look, understanding full well that forthrightness was in both of their natures.

[zaidenmayes]

"I saaaaaaid—" And yes, it's entirely necessary for him to drag the word out in a singsong voice. "That I don't believe them. I think they just wanna kick me out but don't have a good enough reason to." Yet. It's always a yet with Faolán.

"Fuckin' imagine if I had an altar dedicated to me, mate." Beat, after another sip of his vodka lemonade. "Actually, I think I've caught a couple people with voodoo dolls of me."

He leans against the booth, subconsciously mirroring Mateo, and inevitably starts bouncing his leg. Unable to stop himself when it comes to this habit, too energetic for his own fucking good. "Nah, drug dens aren't that scary."

Except, they absolutely are in his eyes, and he tries to avoid them. Tries.

"You know I could kick some fuckin' ass, babes, but I don't really need ya drivin' me to the emergency room tonight." Not that he hasn't asked Mateo to before. "Let's just sit here and chill, y'know? I'm workin' on this thing called good behavior."

[mateofm]

mateo let out a stomach - pain kind of laugh then. "joker over here's not getting fooled today." mateo touched the tip of his thumb to his nose and side - eyed the people behind the bar, lifting his chin toward them and putting his hand on lán's shoulder wantonly. "we could fuckin' take 'em, though--no question." "i'd love to see it," mateo smiled, sipping his drink in sync, "hell--i'd pay to see it." he snapped, as though he'd just realized something important, "maybe that's why things are going the way they're going for you. explains so much." mateo leaned into the moment and felt a rush of genuine comfortability rush over him. with faolán, he could be anything--calm, reckless, idiotic, romantic--it all flowed. he often wondered what all that equated to, but he didn't linger on the thought too long. "nah, we'd be walking into the e.r. like heroes." mateo's smile was softer then. he took a sip of his soda and tilted it toward his friend, inciting some kind of curiosity. "you pick up any crazy jobs lately? always curious how that freelance shit goes. far stretch from craigslist job hunting, but i still imagine you get some weird requests."

[brutol]

ok first of all i didnt "miss" the red flags i looked them and thought yeah thats sexy

[wychelm]

is this something

[kyrumption]

top fifteen one tree hill characters ↪3. nathan scott

[zaidenmayes]

CLOSED STARTER for: @mateofm. WHERE | WHEN: Salty Sailor Bar, nighttime.

"Oi, mate," as he unceremoniously plops down next to Mateo at their booth, tucked away in a relatively secluded corner, uncaring if he's more or less leaning against him.

Faolán sets both of their drinks down on the table, far more mindful now, before he continues on, "Bartender mentioned a party happening down the block." He allots a pause only to grab his glass and take a sip of his vodka lemonade—a favorite of his. "I dunno if I believe them, though, I think they just want me outta here."

Which is funny, given that he hasn't even done anything yet, but the prior incidents involving him at this bar seem to have left a sour taste in the bartender's mouth.

[mateofm]

the fuzziness of his periphery signaled to mateo, usually, that he had spent a moment too long with his rowdy counterpart. in this case, it was just that he had downed half a bar before he left to scoop faolán--always unsure whether he'd make it back home ( in time, or at all ). with faolán, his past didn't matter. don't ask, don't tell. mateo leaned back against his seat relaxedly, grabbing his coke at its sweaty base and downing a quarter of it while a smile poked at him. "we're trusting hometown bartenders now, eh? if we're not a thousand percent sure they don't have a hate-altar set up for you--or whatever middle aged women who think they're witches make nowadays... i'm not trusting a word. we'll end up getting mugged at a drug house or some shit. "

mateo raised his glass halfheartedly once more before letting his arm drift again, pointing at faolán with a feigned look of keenness written all over his face. "although... how fun would that be? think you could hold your own, mcgregor?" tipping his glass in faolán's direction, mateo eyed his physique and nodded his head thoughtfully, letting a contemplative chuckle rise out of him at the idea--knowing he'd never let anyone get close.