[SE] it's a hell of a feeling though

Mateo

Mateo hasn't finished his vacation down in Torchline, exactly. But there's only so long he can stay away from home, and he had promised a certain tall glass of water that he'd show him exactly what Stormbreak had to offer. And so, having extended an invite to Vesper to prowl around The Silk Houses - and adding a little sketch of a lopsided looking building at the mouth of the district where they can meet - Mateo appoints himself there just as the sun is beginning to set and the underworld is starting to come to life.

At dusk, Stormbreak is painted in shades of vibrant amber and dusty grey, and Mateo has decided to embrace the colour palette in his choice of outfit. Having full access to his own wardrobe again might have also fuelled the excitement of his decision, but regardless, when Vesper comes across him it will be to find him in a flame coloured shirt cinched with a waistcoat in a burnt, reddish hue, a pair of cream linen pants, and leather boots adorned with a chain of gold coins that make it impossible to miss where he might have gone.

With his curls lifted into an effortless topknot and a cigarette already between his fingers, he looks as if he might be passively waiting or actively looking for trouble.

And, given that it's Mateo, perché non entrambi?

if anything could fall at all, it's the world that falls away from me

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I need you like god needs the devil, honey

The first sign that Vesper’s arrived is the low whistle that cuts through the hum of the street—casual, amused, and unmistakably directed at the man dressed like a sunset incarnate.

Then he steps into view.

If Mateo was expecting the same dark, brooding silhouette from the Hanged Man, he’s in for a surprise. Vesper has traded his usual blacks and shadows for something far more fitting of Flowerbirth—and far more deliberate. His linen shirt is loose and half-unbuttoned, dyed a pale lavender that catches the gold of the setting sun in a faint sheen. Sleeves are rolled, exposing arms covered in constellations that shimmer faintly beneath the light, and his pants are a warm, soft gray, tailored close but relaxed enough for wandering. There's no coat tonight—only a silver pendant at his throat and his usual easy slouch, hair tousled just enough to look accidental.

"Well damn," he drawls as he approaches, head cocked, eyes dragging down and back up Mateo’s frame with blatant appreciation. "Didn’t realize we were dressin' for seduction tonight. You look like temptation in linen." His smirk curves lazily as he comes to stand beside the Accepted, one hand casually sliding into his pocket.

someday soon this dust's gonna settle

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Mateo

The whistle has Mateo's eyes flicking towards the source with the casual sort of ease that suggests he's been the subject of many a cat-call in his time, and he isn't surprised to see the gesture repeated. Still, as his gaze lands on Vesper, all lavender wreathed in the gold of sunset and a tan that the botanist is pleased to say he also boasts these days, he removes the cigarette from his lips to offer a crooked smile.

"Amo, I can be dressed for seduction in this or in a burlap sack, I promise," he says, his accent wrapping around the words in a way that suggests he's already had a drink or two to start the night off. Exhaling a stream of pleasantly fragrant smoke, he offers the cigarette out for Vesper to take if he wants. "Welcome to the Silk Houses," he adds, gesturing to the cobblestones spidering off into many a seedy district or pocket of sin.

"Since I am temptation tonight, what can I get you? There are gambling parlours, fighting pits, cocktail bars, dance clubs, drug dens, brothels that cater to every sort... you name it, I bet there is a kink for it and a business that sells it." He grins.

if anything could fall at all, it's the world that falls away from me

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I need you like god needs the devil, honey

Vesper accepts the cigarette between two fingers, the brush of his hand against Mateo’s deliberate but fleeting. He draws in a slow pull, letting the smoke coil between his teeth before exhaling toward the sky, watching it curl and dissolve into the burnished amber air above them. "I’ll take your word for it," he murmurs, voice low and lazy, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Though I wouldn’t mind testin' that burlap sack theory sometime. For science."

He gives Mateo a once-over that’s just shy of lewd, eyes glinting as they catch on the shimmer of coins at his boots, the way the linen shirt clings just so. Yeah, no question—the man knows how to dress a fantasy. Vesper flicks his gaze to the shadows stretching down into the Silk Houses, the cacophony of sin and scent and low laughter already stirring in the air.

"Fuck, you weren’t kiddin'," he says with a huff of amusement, dragging his eyes back to Mateo. "I figured Stormbreak kept most of its wicked tucked behind stone walls, but this—" He gestures vaguely toward the maze of alleyways, the velvet dusk pooling over painted doors and beckoning lights. "—this’s got all the charm of Torchline but with fewer knives and more velvet." Or so it looked, anyway.

Another drag of the cigarette, this one slower, thoughtful before he hands it back to the botanist. Then he tilts his head, expression wry. "What do you say we start with a cocktail? Maybe somewhere with a view... and just enough scandal to keep things interestin'?" He arches a brow. "Unless you're savin' your favorite dens for the end of the tour?" Because if Mateo was going to be the view and the scandal both, the demigod would rather just skip to that portion of the evening.

someday soon this dust's gonna settle

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Mateo

With his smile growing just enough to show one dimple as their fingers brush tantalising against each other, Mateo clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "I have already tested it, I am afraid. I passed with flying colours." His burlap sack had been tastefully tailored, granted, and it had probably helped that he'd been wearing glittering gold heels and absolutely nothing else to go with it, but a pass is a pass, no?

Having the good graces to wait until Vesper is finished looking him up and down before he gives him the same treatment, Mateo takes in the willowy frame and sharp, handsome features as the young demigod turns his attention to the maze of streets nearby, and is just as impressed as he had been in the Hanged Man, if not even more so.

"Oh, her underbelly is seedy alright," he agrees of Stormbreak with another flash of teeth, Mateo accepting the cigarette back to place it between his lips. "I have missed her, if I am honest." Which means that starting with a cocktail works great for him, the botanist blowing a quick smoke ring into the air before flouncing forward, beckoning Vesper to follow him. "I can get you a cocktail, a view, scandal and then some." And he is very available to be all three, depending on Vesper's tastes.

The cocktail bar he chooses is two storey and crafted almost entirely out of windows, many of them stained with patterns that make the building seem ablaze with colour as they approach. It is already bustling, but not yet heaving with clientele, and Mateo reaches back to catch Vesper's hand as they head inside. "You will forgive me for not wanting anyone to steal you just yet." He winks.

if anything could fall at all, it's the world that falls away from me

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I need you like god needs the devil, honey

Vesper lets his gaze linger on Mateo a moment longer after that flash of teeth, his smirk twitching wider at the fondness woven into the other man's voice. "Missed her, huh?" he echoes. "Figures. You strike me as the type who’d get homesick for sin of a certain sort."

He steps into motion alongside Mateo, following the graceful beckon like a moth to flame. "Though I gotta say, if this is the city’s underbelly, she wears it like lingerie." He flicks a glance toward Mateo with a sharp grin. "I'm already dyin' to see what she's got beneath."

As the botanist struts ahead with that easy confidence, Vesper follows, steps unhurried, shadowing him without resistance. When Mateo reaches back to catch his hand, Vesper lets their fingers slide together, his expression unreadable for a beat—then warm, wicked, undeniably entertained. "Steal me?" he says dryly, voice dropping just a little as they enter. Vesper’s eyes briefly flicker upward toward the second level with interest, already clocking the best places for people-watching—or for getting up to something less appropriate. But for now, his attention remains on the man in front of him. "Should hope not. I was promised a good deal more than just bein' shown to a table."

someday soon this dust's gonna settle

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Mateo

"Of a certain sort?" Mateo hisses in a breath as if playfully offended. "I am not doing a good enough job at presenting myself if it is only certain sins you believe I miss." Tipping Vesper a wink and stubbing out his cigarette on the wall outside the cocktail bar, he relishes the warm feel of the other man's fingers in his own as he leads them into the bustle and colour of the building, beaming at a barmaid whose eyes light up in recognition at the sight of him.

"By the time this night is over, you will have had a peek at what is under Stormbreak's lingerie," he assures Vesper in a low voice, "and you will probably pray to be shown to a table and left alone for a few hours." Briefly following his gaze up to the second level of the building, he grins. "You want to sit up there?" he assumes, gesturing for the barmaid that they will be up, before weaving effortlessly through the gentle throng of bodies to the uppermost areas, where the view through the windows bleeds through in a stunning array of colour.

"I hope you do not mind if I take the liberty of ordering your first cocktail for you," he purrs.

if anything could fall at all, it's the world that falls away from me

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I need you like god needs the devil, honey

Vesper lets himself be led through the kaleidoscope haze of glass and color, his steps echoing in time with the casual brush of Mateo’s hand in his own. The low thrum of conversation and the clink of glass swirl around them, but it's the quiet promise in Mateo’s voice that steals his attention. That, and the grin tossed over his shoulder like a dare. "Mm," Vesper hums, feigning contemplation. "I only meant that surely Torchline was able to satisfy some of your needs."

He lets his gaze follow the movement of bodies and lamplight across stained glass before returning to Mateo’s face—too pretty by half, too confident by far. And fuck, Vesper’s always had a thing for men who know exactly how far they can push before getting burned.

As they climb the stairs, Vesper’s hand lingers at the small of Mateo’s back—more out of mischief than necessity, fingers brushing over the line of his waistcoat like he’s mentally cataloguing what’ll be easiest to undo later. "Up here's perfect," he murmurs once they reach the top, his gaze sweeping the overlook, the fractured light playing across Mateo’s profile.

When the offer of the first drink comes, Vesper huffs a quiet laugh, the kind that curls low in his throat and settles behind his smirk as he leans back, one arm draped over the back of the booth. "Don’t mind at all," he murmurs, gaze settling on Mateo with that sharp, unreadable glint. "You wanna pick my drink, pick my poison, pick whatever else—be my guest." He lets it hang there, lazy and deliberate, his voice warm enough to pass for teasing, but there’s something deeper threaded beneath it. A quiet surrender, or maybe just invitation—willingness wrapped in silk and smoke.

someday soon this dust's gonna settle

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Mateo

"Oh it did, do not get me wrong," Mateo assures Vesper with a cheerful smile over his shoulder. "But there is just something about walking about a place you know, where everybody knows you, that scratches a particular itch, would you not say?" Maybe not, depending on how long the other man has been in any one place, but for Mateo? Stormbreak has been home long before anywhere else had made its mark, and despite her problems and his promises to Flora to keep in touch, her streets are still where he finds himself most comfortable.

Slouching comfortably in the booth opposite Vesper, Mateo can't help the musical laugh that spills from his lips at his willingness to follow him into whatever trouble the botanist might get them into. (Including and not limited to getting in his pants, for that matter). "I will hold you to that," he purrs. "This is my first night back in The Silk Houses in a long time, so I apologise in advance for whatever happens regardless."

The barmaid appears at their table a moment later, her dark hair braided over her shoulder and with two identical drinks to set down before them. A glance at them - and a sniff, for those initiated in cocktail making - and they are obviously negronis, but as the barmaid leans in to greet Mateo with a kiss to the cheek, something else passes between them, some small paper parcel slipped between the botanist's fingers.

Trilling something in the travelling tongue and assuring her that he will be in town for a few days yet, Mateo waves her off before grinning and gesturing between them to Vesper. "Shall we?"

if anything could fall at all, it's the world that falls away from me

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I need you like god needs the devil, honey

Vesper watches the exchange with the barmaid in silence, not so much out of politeness as pure observation. The kiss to the cheek, the flicker of the parcel passing hands—small things, quick things, but they don't go unnoticed. His gaze flickers briefly to Mateo’s fingers as they curl around the paper, and there’s a quiet amusement in the way his lips twitch, like he's already imagining what trouble might be wrapped inside. What trouble he hopes is wrapped inside.

"By all means," he says, lifting the orange drink and tapping the rim lightly against Mateo’s glass before taking a sip. The taste is sharp, complex, tinged with citrus and bitterness—fitting, somehow, for the company. He lingers on the flavour, tongue flicking briefly over his lower lip as he sets the glass down again.

The stained glass throws strange shadows across the table, painting Mateo in flashes of crimson and amber, indigo and gold. Vesper leans forward slightly, elbow on the table, chin in hand, studying him like he’s something to be decoded. "So," he murmurs, voice low and smooth, "when you said you’d show me what Stormbreak has to offer… should I expect more drinks and pretty lights?" His smile is slow and teasing, but there's no mistaking the interest in his eyes, or the wolfish slant to his lips.

someday soon this dust's gonna settle

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Mateo

Clinking his glass against Vesper's with a dimpled smile, Mateo also takes a moment to enjoy the flavours that explode across his tongue, the botanist letting out a long sigh and seeming to properly relax into his seat. His thoughts unfurl, blanketing and mingling with the stained glass light, the music and buzz of conversation, the ease of familiarity of a place he's clearly been dozens of times before. Taking another sip of his drink as his companion speaks up, Mateo lets a smile curl across his lips around the rim of his glass, setting it down and leaning a touch closer across the table.

"If all you want out of tonight is drinks and pretty lights then I can provide," he tells him. "But if you would like a taste of what I think of as a good night in Stormbreak, then let us not waste any further time." Sliding the small packet between them, still subtle, but clear enough to allow Vesper to take it if he's interested, the demigod will find within a few jewels of snapdragon, intended to be crushed and smoked or snorted, or simply placed under one's tongue.

"I am a botanist by trade, and this is the only substance I cannot create from my vast collection of plantlife. Which is a shame, because it also happens to be one of the most fun," he explains.

if anything could fall at all, it's the world that falls away from me

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I need you like god needs the devil, honey

Mateo’s smile curves around the rim of his glass like something made to be stolen, and Vesper watches him with a tilt of his head, equal parts interest and appraisal. The slight lean across the table doesn’t go unnoticed. Neither does the small packet that appears between them, quiet as a secret but just as loud in implication.

Vesper doesn’t reach for it right away. He lets it sit there for a beat, letting the air between them thrum with potential, his gaze lingering on the packet before drifting lazily back to Mateo. "Pretty lights are nice," he drawls, voice low and laced with that familiar, velvet-edged smirk. "But I didn’t come all this way for the view." Pausing, he reconsiders. "Not that view, anyway."

His boot nudges lightly against Mateo’s under the table. "So. What’s the proper ritual, then? Tongue, nose, smoke, or somethin' else?" Vesper wonders, grin sharpening. "I ain't ever tried it, but if it’s your idea of a good night, I’m inclined to trust your taste."

someday soon this dust's gonna settle

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Mateo

"You know, somehow I thought that would be your answer," Mateo says, a dimpled smile spreading across his lips as he surrenders the snapdragon for Vesper's perusal and shifts his boot against the demi-god's beneath the table, setting the chain of coins looped about it to jingling. "It is a very versatile little drug," he assures him, slipping his fingers between Vesper's almost as if they are holding hands across the table, but of course from their individual vantage point, they'll both be able to see Mateo palm one of the little jewels of snapdragon.

"For a first timer, we can just slip one under the tongue, I think. I do not want you running out of steam too soon." Winking and sitting back with his drink again, Mateo takes a measured sip with the same hand holding the snapdragon, and with an all too practiced motion, he slips the drug into his mouth as he sets the glass back down. Whilst the effects are not as whipcrack immediate as if they had opted for other methods of ingestion, already the botanist's thoughts are starting to spark and jump with the first flares of a mounting euphoria, an anticipation for the night ahead and all it might bring with it.

if anything could fall at all, it's the world that falls away from me

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I need you like god needs the devil, honey

Vesper watches Mateo with quiet amusement, gaze trailing languidly over the fluid grace of the botanist’s movements—the practiced subtlety that suggests this is far from his first dalliance with the jewel-bright drug. With their fingers loosely intertwined across the table, Vesper’s thumb brushes casually along the back of Mateo’s hand, feeling the warmth there, the subtle quickening of his pulse as the drug settles beneath his tongue.

"Mm, I wouldn't want to disappoint," he drawls, low and teasing, the faintest curve to his lips hinting at the anticipation that simmers beneath his usual aloof veneer. He mimics Mateo’s casual elegance with easy confidence, selecting one of the vivid snapdragon jewels with his free hand and slipping it beneath his own tongue in a motion equally smooth and practiced—or so it would appear. Vesper had learned to be a very good copycat.

As the first hints of warmth and pleasure begin to spread across the edges of his consciousness, he leans back slightly in his chair, boot shifting playfully against Mateo's again, the gentle jingle of coins an almost musical punctuation to the subtle rush. His telepathy unfurls just enough to sense the first sparks flickering in Mateo’s mind, catching glimpses of bright anticipation, restless excitement, a rising tide that mirrors his own.

"How long until we feel the full effect?" Vesper asks, gaze drifting back to Mateo’s face, eyes darkening subtly beneath half-lowered lashes, the barest flicker of mischief ghosting across his expression. "Not that I'm complaining about enjoying the anticipation."

someday soon this dust's gonna settle

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3