mateosal

[mateosal]

Mateo cracked a half smile, the kind that didn't quite reach his eyes but softened the tension in his shoulders. Shit, there'd just been too much going on as of late. "Cheers to that," he replied. "Wrangling students sounds like a full time job on its own." He flicked the last ash from his cigaretted, then leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "Whiskey neat sounds damn good right about now. Guess I'll take you up ont that offer." Mateo let out a breath that held more than just smoke, put out his cigarette in the ash tray beside him, and stood up in a bid to head to the bar with Raj. “Here’s hoping next year brings a little less chaos and a little more calm. Less exploding microwaves and less existential dread, yeah?”

"The patience of a saint? I've heard that one before," he chuckled, shaking his head. "It's a real endurance test," one that he tackled for most of the year. Summers off were cherished to Raj since his career shift from engineer to teacher. He glanced at the cigarette stub in the tray and then back to the man, "You can borrow some of my celebration," he offered, "whiskey neat on me." Raj added on, "Or if you're really feeling tequila more," he trailed off, leaving it up to Mateo what he wanted to order. "I need someone to cheers to making it through another year of wrangling students." @mateosal

[mateosal]

Mateo dragged slowly from his cigarette again — he really needed to quit, but the stress lately was really getting to him — letting the smoke settle in his lungs a beat longer before exhaling. It drifted lazily from his lips as he leaned his elbows into the railing, the metal cool under his forearms. "Yeah, thoughts'll do it to you," he murmured in agreement, voice rough with sleep deprivation and smoke. He glanced across at her again, eyes adjusting well enough to the dark to make out the lines of her face. The way she sat, calm and composed on the surface, but holding something tight beneath it. He recognised that, knew it too well. She looked like she belonged to the night — still, and quiet, but not quite peaceful. "I don't know," he said finally, flicking ash onto the tray beside him. "Sometimes it's the noise in my head, it gets too loud. Sometimes it's work.. the late shifts, long hours, too much adrenaline to just.. switch off afterward."

Mateo dragged from the cigarette again, pausing briefly before his lips tugged upwards into a smirk.. not that she could probably even see that from a distance. "Feels less lonely out here lately, though." His mouth curved deeper as he peered over at her after his confession. "Guess that's on you." He was deadass curious about the beautiful girl across the way — had been for a while now — that he couldn't help but ask, "You got a name? Or should I keep calling you hot balcony girl?"

Since New Year’s Eve—since she’d essentially doused her life and the relationships in it with gasoline and lit the match—sleep had been hard for Alara. It was always at night that the guilt threatened to overwhelm her. Whenever it got too heavy, she escaped to her balcony, hoping the sound of the crashing waves just beyond the row of condos she lived in might chase the guilt away.

She’d noticed him a few times now. It was impossible to miss someone sitting out on their balcony, cloaked in the pitch-black darkness of the night, right next door. Her awareness of him only sharpened when she realized he was the owner of the bike she’d admired out front on more than one occasion.

When he stepped out onto his balcony tonight, it felt almost like being joined by a partner—like she’d grown to expect his presence without realizing it. She kept her gaze fixed on the sea ahead, but she was acutely aware of his movements, tracking him in her periphery.

So when he broke the silence—their unspoken agreement to simply sit in the quiet—she was surprised. Turning to face him, she shrugged. "Only when the thoughts in my head won’t shut up."

She let the silence linger for a moment before her lips quirked upward, though she wasn’t sure he could see her smile in the darkness."So, yeah. Pretty much." Taking a sip from her glass of wine, she set it back on the side table beside her chair before asking. "What about you? What's made you such a night owl?"

[mateosal]

Would you rather be feared or forgotten?

❝ Honestly? I think I'd rather be forgotten. Being feared means you had power, sure, but it also means you probably hurt people along the way. I've done enough of that — even if I didn't mean to. If being forgotten means I didn't leave a trail of wreckage behind, I'll take it. At least there's some peace in that. Beside, the people who try to be feared never really get what they want. Not really. They just end up bitter, alone, and screaming into the void hoping someone still cares. ❞

[mateosal]

If you accidentally killed someone, who are your top three people you'd trust to have your back?

❝ Shit, that's a real hard one. I guess it could be any one of the Vipers, but if it had to be people in Briar Ridge.. myself, Sonny, and Enzo. I think. I'm still working out if I can trust that guy, but uh.. I think if it came down to it, he'd help. ❞ — @sonnysolis, @enzoadeluca

[mateosal]

Sonny or your brother?

❝ Is that even a question? I'd never choose my brother over anyone. Never. Not even if you paid me. ❞ — @sonnysolis

[mateosal]

Do you have trust issues?

❝ Clearly. We were born into a family where trust was expected, not earned. It's hard to learn how to trust someone the other way around. Therefore it's just easier to trust nobody. I've seen my fair hare of people betraying others, so.. save yourself the heartache. ❞

[mateosal]

Snog, marry, pie: Shane, Benny, Civan

❝ I don't know really who any of these people are, except one. And I know if I pie'd him, he'd bury me alive.. or Sonny would. Can I pie myself? Anyway, snog that Benny guy 'cause he has nice tatts, and marry Civan 'cause he has an insane rig. ❞ — @shanepcrker, @bellstrom, @civanguneri

[mateosal]

FMK Vanna Selin Lia

❝ I'd fuck Lia, though I've never met her properly, marry Vanna 'cause I know she'd make me laugh at least, and.. I don't know Selin, I'm sorry. But I'll kiss her on the cheek? ❞ — @vanna-huang, @selinymaz, @lia-lozano

[mateosal]

👐 FMK: Elena, Javi, Alara

❝ Well obviously I'm already married to Elena, so there's that. I think I'd fuck Alara, and kiss Javi. ❞ — @elenaduarte, @javideluca, @alarakcplan

[mateosal]

👐 who's caught your eye in town?

❝ A few.❞

[mateosal]

If Sonny betrayed you, would you betray her?

❝ I feel like if my sister had to betray me, it would be for good reason. Therefore, I could never betray her. It's.. not in me. ❞ — @sonnysolis

[mateosal]

If you could have a ONS with anyone, no consequences, just for pure fun, who are your top three? 😉

❝ Hmm.. Alara, Sahra, Lia. ❞ — @alarakcplan, @sahrademir, @lia-lozano

[mateosal]

Do you think you'll end up just like your dad? If so, does that scare you?

❝ The thought's always been there, and it terrifies me. Least I can rest assured my brother would end up like him first. ❞

[mateosal]

👐 Is there anyone in town you could see yourself having a future with?

❝ I've never looked too much into planning ahead. Things tend to change too much to hold onto any hope. But maybe. Maybe I could've seen myself with someone.. but my situation is too complicated. Who'd want a future with someone like me? ❞

[mateosal]

👐 how do you feel about Sonny's relationship with your father?

❝ What's there to say, really.. it's more strained than it ever has been, at no fault of my sister's. I'm seeing a lot now that I never did before, and it's leaving me in a very difficult position. ❞

[mateosal]

snog, marry, pie: livia, holly, elena.

❝ Snog Holly, marry Elena, pie Livia, since I don't know if I can trust her yet. ❞ — @hollyparkcr, @elenaduarte, @liviachar

[mateosal]

so you and elena huh?

❝ Me and Elena.. what? ❞