in my skin, I'm lost

Mati West Twenty ▪ Apollo's Daughter ▪ Mommy "It's not always rainbows and butterflies, it's compromise that moves us along"

[mati-west-blog]

With Josie’s first day in daycare unfolding, Mati found herself walking around the daycare closely, even though she had a few job interviews to attend to later that day. However, as she crossed the florist’s - one of the workers rushed out after her and handed her a bouquet. “You’re Mati, right? This for you.” Mati was surprised, and her eyes flickered down to the card. Happy Mother’s Day, Mati. Mati smiled as she stared down at the card, before she glanced around - someone must have signaled the florist to come out and give her the bouquet - they had to be around.

[luminarybeings]

[mati-west-blog]

swinging the right way :: mati&theo

[theogodfreymems]

Once Josie began to get tired, Theo slowed the swing down for Mati to be able to stop it and get her out. As she did that though, her bag fell, all sorts of papers coming out of it and he frowns some, already leaning down to get them for her when she asked him to. He couldn’t help but see a few titles on each paper, different applications for jobs and the college and he stands, her bag hanging from his elbow as he straightened out her papers, placing them inside carefully and letting the bag slide down his forearm some to grab the handle and help her get it back on. “Looking for a job already?” he asks, smiling some. “Y’know… Lia may need some help in the afternoons when my shift is over,” he suggests, giving her smile. “And morning classes are better at the U of O anyway,” he tells her.

They start to walk some once she’s got everything she needs, Theo seeing her struggling a bit with the sleeping toddler. He hums some, turning to her slightly. “I can take her if you want?” he asks, making sure that she was alright with it before reaching for the girl, taking her slowly and laughing some when all she did was get comfortable with her head against his shoulder. “When do you pant on starting the Uni?” he asks, voice soft as he looks over at Mati now.

[mati-west-blog]

Mati managed to prop Josie up to wrap one arm underneath her and keep her supported, her other arm going around Josie’s ack so she stays stable in her hold. She watched with a grateful expression as Theo gathered up all the papers, and her lips fell slack when he spoke. She realized, he might actually be able to help her to make a good decision. So she just smiled and nodded as he adjusted the bag on her shoulder, and they both started walking.

Mati knew it was a big mistake not to get the stroller with her - She wasn’t capable of carrying Josie when she fell asleep as she was before. “That...That would be great..” Mati laughed nervously as she slowly handed him Josie, her hand cradling her head gently as she let it rest against Theo’s shoulder, then she started fishing out the keys as they neared the condos.

“Hm?” Mati looked up at Theo, blinking furiously as she tried to form a proper answer in her head while at the same time opening the front door. “Uh, I actually am not sure if I’ll actually start University at all. I’m just not sure that’s the best decision with Josie at this age.” Mati whispered, shrugging a little as she opened the door, “ Her room’s the second door to the left.” Mati instructed Theo as she held the door open for him with a brief smile on her face.

[siren-syrena-blog-blog]

Syrena briefly considers snarking at Mati, she was a demigod after all, but she doesn’t. The girl seemed perfectly nice, and she had a cute kid. “Yes, I am. I’m doing some behavioral neuroscience work right now, actually.” The little girl tries her hardest, multiple times, to hoist herself up onto the booth. Syrena laughs and helps her sit beside her. “She’s yours?” Syrena asks as the girl starts to gently tug on the ends of her hair.

[mati-west-blog]

“Wow.” Mati breathed out, peering a little at the papers the girl was working on. She smiled a bit when Syrena helped Josie onto the seat beside her, “She is.” Mati nodded proudly as Josie sat up to toy with Syrena’s hair, trying to braid it like she usually sees Mati do with her own her. “Are you a demigod too?” Mati asked hesitantly.

[tvseriesgifss]

[mattypierce]

Matty hums, “Well fishsticks are good with ketchup,” He tells her with a nod, “Mum used to give me them but she always told me they were just chicken,” He laughs a little, looking back at her and laughing again when she commented on them, “I’ll have to give them to a cat if I see one, if not I can feed some of the fish, i’m sure they’d enjoy some rubbery crab.” He says as he sets the container in his basket, before looking back at her and smiling, “I think you were on the tour around town with me the other day, i’m Matty.”

[mati-west-blog]

"Ah, that's clever." Mati lifted a brow, glancing down at her sleeping daughter. She let a playful shiver run through her body at the thought of crab sticks, "Ugh." She glanced sideways at him and smiled, holding up a hand, "Ah, that's where I saw you before." Mati smiled, then laughed a little, "I'm Mati too, but that's short for Matilda so."

[dxminiquexweasley]

Jack sits up, running a hand through his messy hair. “Oh thanks,” he said. “If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of soup?”

[mati-west-blog]

Mati smiled as she set the soup on the nighstand, "Chicken noodle soup? Except it has no noodles..which just makes it chicken soup." Mati laughed a little, "Are you feeling better?"

[mati-west-blog]

swinging the right way :: mati&theo

[theogodfreymems]

Theo laughs some as Josie started to swing his hand in both of her own, grinning widely when the little girl roared again, her face all scrunched up and cute. He looks to Mati when she speaks, nodding in understanding when she said that Josie had just marathoned Monsters Inc. He looks back down though when Josie tugged on his hand, pointing to the swings and speaking jibberish and he hums, knowing what she wanted. “You wanna swing?” he questions, Josie nodding quickly before Mati speaks, mentioning that he looks tired. He was, sure, but he didn’t mind spending a little extra time with the girls, unable to say no when he saw the adorable pout on the child’s lips. 

"Its not a problem. I’ve got the rest of the day free anyway," he tells her, smiling as he stepped towards the swings some, Josie tugging hard on his hands as she tried to make him walk faster. He walks with her to the ones made specifically for toddlers, picking her up and placing her in it, giving Mati a reassuring smile when she looked a bit worried, like he felt obligated to be nice to them. "Don’t worry, really, I’m not as tired as I look, I promise," he tells her, gently starting to swing the littler girl enough that she began to giggle happily.

[mati-west-blog]

Mati frowned, still unsure, as she watched Josie drag Theo towards the swings - while she appreciated the affinity Josie had taken to Theo, she didn't want the little girl to get too used to be given everything she wanted - but Josie's cuteness truly won over everyone she knew. Mati watched him set Josie in the toddler's swing, and her own frown melted off when she saw Josie's joyful giggles. She looked up at Theo, who seemed to be enjoying himself as well. 

Soon, Josie had rested her head against the chains and yawned, her eyes drooping. "Oh, it's time for someone's nap." Mati whispered in a baby-tone as she stopped the soft swinging and with effort, heaved up her little toddler into her arms, in the process, her bag toppled to the ground and all her papers and applications fell out of it, "Oh, shoot..." Mati whispered, frustrated, before patted Josie's back softly when the girl stirred and whined a little - knowing if Josie didn't have a good nap she'd be cranky the rest of the day. "Could you get those for me?" Mati asked Theo, smiling apologetically, resting her cheek against the top of Josie's head softly as she listened to her soft breathing.

[clarkeadrianmems]

Adrian smiles when the little girl places her hand in his, him shaking it once before he lets go, and Josie, as he’d been told, hides behind the girl. “She’s your sister? Daughter?” he questions, standing up now and humming when she explains that she wasn’t this shy. “It’s an overwhelming place, but little ones can adjust quickly. I remember when my boy came here. He was pretty shy, for about a few hours, then he was being a little terror all over the place,” he says with a fond laugh, remembering the day Lia and Theo had come to town.

[mati-west-blog]

"Daughter." Mati smiled up at him, her hand moving over Josie's head gently. She lifted a brow and tilted her head, "You have a son?" She asked, curious. It was good, to know people who were like her, single parents - or well parents all in all. 

[nymphrosie]

Rosie bites her bottom lip and shakes her head. “I mean I might’ve counted the hours wrong, but I know it’s you since you’ve been the only girl with a child in here.”

[mati-west-blog]

Mati stared up at her and heaved out a loud sigh, "I'm sorry if I hogged any business." Mati whispered, her eyes flickered sideways to Josie as she walked up to her with a Hannah Montana CD. Mati pursed her lips before she took the CD and held it up, "I'll be buying that, then." Mati smiled briefly, sheepishly, at the girl.

[mati-west-blog]

swinging the right way :: mati&theo

[theogodfreymems]

Theo had groaned when he had come into the shop that morning, seeing a note from Lia reminding him to make a few batches of his ‘pickmeup potion’ for the cafe. He knows it’s the time both the Uni and the Academy started with the projects and the papers and the exams, seeing as he spent most of the night prior transferring notes and finishing the paper for the class he was taking. He had completely forgotten that he needed to make the batches, knowing the small shots would be used as boosters in the drinks of the students.

He had spent most of his morning making the batches, carefully placing the small vials into one of the special holders Lia had for them, charming them still as an extra precaution. When he’s sure everything is safe and secured, he gets it over to the cafe, knowing the midday rush was coming and wanting them to have the potions for the afternoon customers that used the rest of their day to study. When that’s over and done with, all he really wants is to go back home and relax for a bit before he got to studying again for one of his other classes.

He’s not expecting to run into Josie and Mati though, so when the toddler grips onto his hand, roaring at him, he laughs a little surprised, the sound too cute for him not to laugh. He gripped her little hands in his, pretending she had scared him, smiling when she giggled. Mati walks over, sort of apologizing and he shakes his head and smiling down at Josie. “Don’t be, she’s cute,” he tells her, looking back to Mati and grinning brightly. He kneels down some, his attention back on Josie and he smiles. “And Josie is a big scary lioness today huh?” he asks, smiling when the little girl giggled again.

[mati-west-blog]

Mati smiled, a smile that said damn right she is, she is my cute child. Josie was swinging Theo's hand in her own, and Mati tilted her head. Josie never really seemed to take such strong liking to people she had just met - although Mati was partially to blame for that because she never let any strangers within a 10 mile radius to Josie. The abandonment issues had led to trust issues, and Mati was sort of glad Josie didn't inherit her mother's paranoia.

Josie scrunched up her face and roared again, squinting through her big eyes as her cheeks all bundled up, and Mati laughed, "She recently watched Monster Inc. five times so she's kind getting in touch with her Boo side." Mati gestured to her little ponytails. Josie tugged at Theo's hand towards the swings, blabbing as she pointed towards the swings. It was at these moments that Josie's lack to form words worried Mati, and her heart painfully skipped a beat in her chest. "Josie, baby, you're playing with mommy now, okay. Theo looks tired." Mati looked to Theo's face then at Josie's when she whined some more and let her lower lip tremble as she tried to move towards the swings anyways.

[mati-west-blog]

swinging the right way :: mati&theo

That morning, Mati set out and picked up job applications where she wanted to be working, with lots of papers about times and salaries and insurance. She was determined to go through them during the afternoon, but when she passed by the university's building, she couldn't resist - and she grabbed application papers from there too.

Then Josie saw the park games set up with kids playing in them and was more than determined to play as well. That's how Mati ended up with a bag filled with papers and a child playing on the slide. However, her frustration at the change of plans melted away as soon as she saw Josie laughing hurrying around the swing to go again, and Mati had to hold her hand because Josie, just like Mati, didn't have lots of grace on her little feet.

Once down the slide, Josie didn't go back for another turn, instead she ran towards the lane, and Mati almost called out for her, and she saw Josie start to tip toe behind someone, Theo, Mati finally realized, when Josie roared, or tried to roar as she clasped his hand, attempting to scare him. Mati giggled, shaking her head as she walked up to Theo and her giggling daughter who seemed proud of herself now, "I'm...sorry about that?" Mati laughed, looking down as Josie held Theo's hand between both hers.

[itsalwaysprettyinrosewood]

[macchusbacchus]

"I’m Hennessey" she said, shaking her hand and taking the seat. "I run the vineyard and brewery in town" Hennessey announced proudly, keeping her voice down for the sleeping child. She was glad Mati was fitting in okay and finding everyone friendly, it was hard moving, Hennessey knew the challenges from when she first moved here.

"So who’s sleeping beauty over there" she said in a hushed tone, getting a better look to who she assumed was Mati’s daughter.

[mati-west-blog]

"Oh." Mati lifted both brows, "That sounds...actually like an interested job." Mati smiled at her. She glanced sideways at Josie, who was hugging her stuffed kitty close to her chest as she slept and smiled softly, "That's Josie. She's my daughter." Mati whispered just as proudly before she reached out to wrap the blanket around her daughter when the chilly breeze blew by, "She exhausted herself playing all morning today."

[dxminiquexweasley]

Jack opened his eyes again from the nap he was taking to find someone standing in his room. “What are you doing?”

[mati-west-blog]

"I stopped by the academy to give you this." Mati gestured to the cap Josie had snatched off his head the other day and refused to let go off, "They said you stayed in sick so I kind got soup." Mati smiled briefly, holding up the other bowl - Mati had promised she wouldn't take long so Josie was waiting like a good girl beside the receptionist.

[nymphrosie]

"You’ve been here for four hours either buy something, leave, or apply for a job here."

[mati-west-blog]

"Uh.." Mati's lips fell slack in shock, "I'm sorry I um..." Mati glanced sideways to make sure Josie was in the isle next to her before she looked at the girl again, "I'm..sure you've gotten me mistaken with someone else. I couldn't have been here for four hours."

[mattypierce]

Matty glances to his side when he hears the soft voice, smiling a little at the shorter girl beside him, head tilting some when he spots the sleeping child in her stroller. “Fishsticks,” He challenges lightly, smiling softly and perking up a little, “Crabsticks though,” He holds out the plastic container to her, that was already open since he had let curiosity get the better of him, “I’ve gotta buy those now.” He mutters quietly, “They smell horrible.”

[mati-west-blog]

Mati laughed, "I don't believe in fishsticks." She informed him in a light tone before her eyes flickered to the shelves again. When he held up the can to her, Mati shielded her face with her palm, "They smell horrible." Mati squinted, "A cat would probably enjoy them more."