#convo:matyr&matt

[reidinthedeep]

So, a handsome guy who liked a little danger and was a good flirt? Was Matthew setting himself up for heartbreak now? The thought was fun to indulge, especially since it had been ages since he engaged in spontanous flirty conversations as if he was back in his 20s. Why not enjoy it?

"Oh, no, no. I'm just a guy, not your e-mail's captcha. I'd honestly dive more into your favorite foods or places. You know, with the hidden intention of taking you there myself later on..."

"Well, I don't think it's cliché. It's particularly cathartic when you see an asshole get what's coming to them. If anything, I could only agree with you."

The smile returned, playing with his mug a little bit and shrugging in nonchalance. Not that he was the nonchalant type, but he certainly did not think himself to be too entertaining past his work. That, of course, wouldn't stop him from offering an honest answer.

"I'm a fiction nerd. You know, books, comics. And when I'm not doing that, well, I play tennis once or twice a week. If I'm not deployed, that is... But I wouldn't mind putting down a few books to be chatted up by this random private detective more often."

"Nothing wrong with a little danger every now and then." With that came another cheeky wink from the god as he drew in his cup of coffee for another sip, thoroughly pleased with how the day seemed to be panning out. It was nice, simple, innocent, a moment with this man that he wished could last forever.

Though he supposed, for him, it could. It was everyone else who had to wither away before his eyes.

"Yeah? We going straight down to my mother's maiden name and first pet root or will you go easy on me for the time being?" Matyr really had spent a long time around humanity, more than enough to know little references that would make his siblings and other family utterly perplexed. "Whatever crosses my door, I guess. Although, mainly missing persons, helping put psycho exes behind bars, that sort of thing." Though he neglected to mention that he did add his own little punishments for those he deemed deserved them. "Probably sounds cliche, but... I like when cruel people get what they deserve." He shrugged his shoulders, hoping that didn't come across too harshly.

"What about you? What does a handsome guy like you get up to when he's not being chatted up by some random private detective?"

[reidinthedeep]

"Rules that come and go? Mate, that's gotta be some dangerous game right there," he teased in response, more than happy with the outcome of this little hang out. He certainly wasn't used to being on the receiving end of the flirting, but he didn't mind it at all.

"Well, if we're making this official, then I'm definitely gonna want ot know more about you, gorgeous," he added after a sip of his drink, letting his eyes wander through the other man's features. This time around, he didn't bother hiding the fact that he was most certainly enjoying Matyr's beauty.

"You mentioned you were a private detective, right?" he continued, his interest renewed (not that it had ever faded to begin with). "What kinda cases do you work? Cheating husbands and family inheritances or... are you in the spicier crimes?"

"Here I have you and all eager?" The deity repeated, his cheeky smile growing as he gazed across the table, having to bite back a smirk as he picked at the tray, pausing just before he was about to pop the cheesy snack into his mouth. "Is it me or did it just get hot in here?" He couldn't resist at this point, only covering it up as he chewed on his food but still managed to smile all the way through it.

Everything seemed so simple on the surface, just two handsome met flirting with one another and that was how Matyr wished it was. It was certainly preferable to an immortal chatting up a mortal on the longevity side of things.

But for now, he didn't want to think about that. As he'd heard humans say over and over again over the years, he just wanted to live in the moment.

"Those are just the main ones... the rest come and go." This time he pulled at his coffee, taking a moment to soak in the man in front of him, dark eyes deep in thought. "Yeah? Can't say I'd mind." Placing his drink back down, Matyr rested his elbows against the table and leaned forward a little. "Could always make it official, you know."

[reidinthedeep]

The more they talked, the more Matthew felt like there was something about Matyr that was special. He wasn't quite sure what it was, especially since Leviathan wasn't raising any alarms... Perhaps the God was so well adjusted to life on earth that he didn't instinctively catch on his true identity.

Whatever the case may be, the mortal soldier was getting more and more invested in this with every passing second.

"Always leave them wanting more?" he repeated, amused at the turn this conversation had taken. "Then you're doing incredibly well, because here you have me. All eager. Is there a third rule out there?"

He studied Matyr for a moment, his blue eyes taking notes of every line and curve of his body. A smile, gentle and warm, grew on his lips at the prospect of what this could be.

"But I warn you, handsome. One more flirty comment from you and I might start calling this a date."

Sometimes it was easy to forget what Matyr was. Just looking at him, how he held himself, how he acted, how he spoke, he'd lived among humanity for so long that he seemed to blend in effortlessly. While some of his uncles had a fondness for humanity, it didn't quite compare to how the god of courage felt about them, in his eyes, he practically was one.

He'd only admitted what he was to barely a handful of mortals over the years, some taking it well, others -- - not. It wasn't as though he liked lying but sometimes the truth made things so much worse.

And the last thing he needed was any attention thrown his way.

Would Reid be the same? Whenever he met someone, his first thought was usually wondering what they'd do if they knew. Would they run? Laugh? Cry? Yell? Or would they accept him for what he really was?

"Yeah? Well, there's plenty more where that came from." Admittedly, he was rather pleased with the response and he couldn't help but revel in the compliment as well. "You're not so bad yourself." A tease, of course, he thought Matthew was more than a little bit handsome but he could be playful with the fact for now. "Second rule of pick-up lines is always leave them wanting more... stick around long enough though and I might just run out."

[reidinthedeep]

Something about this man called to Matthew. The way he carried himself, the kind of vibe he projected, something about him seemed special. Shame he wasn't as supernaturally aware as he should've been, and most days Leviathan wasn't the biggest helper when it came to getting around, but this feeling he couldn't explain was a little thrilling to him. Just who was Matyr, really?

"Looking to take notes? No, sir. Not at all," he nodded, quite amused by their exchange and more than happy to take a drink of his own coffee too. "Maybe I just want to enjoy the attention of a handsome man flirting with me."

Because Matyr was flirting with him, wasn't he? Matthew found no other explanaition for the wink.

"But if that's the first rule, then what's the second rule of your pick up lines?"

Making himself comfortable, the god sat back in his chair, looking out to the street outside, just watching as the people went by. It was a simple thing that he enjoyed, seeing people go about their day to day lives, most of them never knowing they were being watched by the divine, likely thinking it was ridiculous, while others might believe in a god or other gods of other realms. They'd never truly know for sure -- - and was likely for the best.

"Coffee and food? We should do this more often." Matyr teased a little when the other arrived at the table with a whole tray of goodies with him, the deity sitting himself up as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Depends what you're looking for." He smiled at the other, moving his coffee in front of him. "But... they're no fun when you're expecting them. That's the first rule." He couldn't help but wink at Reid, smirking a little as he pulled his coffee to his lips. "Why? You looking to take notes?"

[reidinthedeep]

Matyr left him for a moment to find a place to sit and Matthew was bold enough to ask for something else: a few cheese rolls to go with their coffee. They weren't about to sit down and talk without some snacks, were they? So by the time he joined his companion again, he had a full tray of goods.

"I took the liberty of getting some rolls for us," he started, handing over Matyr's coffee before he took a seat right across him, happy to enjoy his free day with some company.

"Now, about those cheesy pick up lines you were mentioning... Do you got any more for me or are we gonna continue guessing my habits?" he teased, all in good fun, making himself comfortable after getting a roll to munch on himself.

By now, Matyr had a rather good sense of what he enjoyed when it came to coffee, though he was certainly glad that he hadn't tried them all just yet. He had his favourites, of course, but he also liked to try new things every now and then as well, see what else humanity could come up with. For the most part, he wasn't disappointed.

Even if some of his orders sounded more like a shopping list.

"Well, fingers crossed my heart doesn't give out before then." He teased right back with a cheeky smile, more than aware that there wasn't an ounce of him that was affected by food and drink, but there was nothing wrong with playing human. He was rather adept at after all.

"Sure thing." He nodded to the other man, turning to take a look around. Spying a small table by the window, he made his way over, shedding his jacket from his back and placing it over the back of the chair before sitting himself down. When was the last time he had a coffee with someone that wasn't instant stuff from a jar rushed out for a client back at the office? Too long.

[reidinthedeep]

Matthew couldn't help but scoff at the ridiculous order that just came out of Matyr's mouth. Not that it didn't sound delicious (it really did), but the fact that the guy at front took it as if nothing had happened was beyond amusing. Were the poor employees in this place so used to orders so complex that they could summon a demon?

"If that's the healthy option I don't even wanna know what dessert will be like," he teased, all in good fun, as he studied Matyr for a moment. This certainly was not the way he expected his day to go, but he wasn't complaining.

"Why don't you go find us a table to sit down and I'll bring our drinks in a moment?"

Matyr realised he was likely about to look absolutely ridiculous with his order, barely giving enough warning about just how much of a coffee connoisseur he was.

After all, he still remembered when coffee was first used as a beverage back in the 15th century, though it had only been in the last century or so that it seemed to have taken an even more artistic turn when it came to all the different variations and additions on top.

Not that the god was complaining, of course. "I'll have a cinnamon-spiced iced espresso with brown sugar and oat milk please." Even he found some amusement in the long list that had rattled its way over the edge of his lips. "Figured I'd go easy on the sugar..." He did tease a little about the brown sugar when looking back at Matthew.

"We'll call this the ' healthy ' option."

[reidinthedeep]

The playful nudge was met with a smile. It wasn't every day that you met a nice and entertaning stranger on the streets and he certainly was loving it.

"Hey, don't give me that look! If I had any say in the way my body reacts to certain foods, I'd definitely make it so chocolate made me thinner," he joked right back, not truly taking offense. He was a master at making fun of himself, really.

"Well- It's a good thing you've got it figured out already, because we're here," he stated the second they made it to the front of the line, meeting the cashier with a gentle smile of his own.

"Thank you, miss. I'd like a medium sized capuccino. Just that, no additions... And my friend here will have--" he trailed off, looking back at Matyr for him to finally put his sugary order in.

"You've got that right... they make it look so easy." There was still so much about humanity that Matyr found fascinating. How they could take something so menial and make it into something delicious but also make it into a form of art. Maybe it sounded silly, but it was more than he'd ever expect from his family in the underworld.

"Mmm... got to be something dripping in sugar." The god mused with a growing smile at the mere thought of what felt like limitless options, teetering between something with caramel and something overloaded with chocolate -- - or maybe struggling to decide whether he should just go with both. Did that make it too obvious that he didn't need to worry about his sugar intake?

"You square." Matyr couldn't help but tease a little, giving Matthew a playful nudge with his shoulder. "Right... think I've got my order figured out, and yeah, you're probably going to get a headache just looking at the amount of sugar in it, so prepare yourself."

[reidinthedeep]

"I'd have to agree. Making elaborate coffee is a form of art not everyone can pull off. I certainly can't," he added humbly, leading Matyr to the line so they could, very mundanely, wait for their turn at the coffee shop. Thankfully, that day there was only a few people in front.

"Well, I already said coffee's on me, so make sure to order whatever diabetis-inducing drink you feel like." The smile on his face remained genuine as he considered the different options himself. His ignorance about the other's divine nature certainly helped him navigate this conversation.

"This is gonna make me sound like an old man, but I try to take it easy on the sugar department. If I eat too much, I get headaches-"

A large part of Matyr's reasoning for not spending all of his time in the likes of Turkey was simply down to the likelihood of his name being recognised. While he couldn't imagine that every human would jump to the conclusion that they were talking to the actual god, Matyr Han, he really wasn't keen on taking the chance of making it that bit easier for them. Particularly when it came to mentioning his family. Without knowing what they were, the relationships didn't sound that far removed from an everyday mortal family.

They all had their own issues, gods or not.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Matyr mused with a slight smirk as he looked to the man by his side, following him to the coffee shop. "Usually something simple in the morning though. Never did figure out how to make all that stuff for myself. Prefer to let the experts handle it." And maybe he quietly enjoyed feeling so normal standing in line waiting for a coffee. "Right now though? I feel like something fancy. Likely with enough sugar to make a whole basketball team bounce off the walls." He admitted with a slight laugh at himself. "Got something of a sweet tooth. You into the more sugary sides of things yourself?"

[reidinthedeep]

He didn't know about any gods, but Matthew certainly didn't expect to end up talking about dinosaurs with a stranger. Let alone inviting them to a coffee, but he figured life was funny like that sometimes. It was, at least, a welcome distraction from the usual boredom of being off duty.

Best not to overthink, he told himself, as he led Matyr to the nearest coffee shop so they could get in line and order their drinks.

"I mean, must I choose?" he fired back, flashing a smile at his new friend. "It depends on the day. Sometimes a fancy coffee with dumb additions is great, some others a plain black coffee does the trick. Why limit yourself picking a team. Today I feel like an irish latte, though. What about you, Matyr?"

"Suppose I always found dinosaurs who're named after gods pretty interesting... and kind of ironic." Maybe it was just another reason he enjoyed humanity so much, they had a good sense of humour, even if they weren't always entirely aware of it. "Raptors, huh? Good choice." How many of his family would be facepalming at him talking about dinosaurs right now?

"Wouldn't be a true connoisseur of coffee if I said no, so... sure, why not?" The deity smoothly warmed with a nod of his head, at least happy that he wasn't alone in his love of it, though he supposed the seemingly endless amounts of coffee shops on every street were proof of that.

"What're you into then, Matthew? Are you a fancy coffee with all the bells and whistles on it guy or a simple coffee guy with the bare minimum?"

[reidinthedeep]

All Matthew could do was grace Matyr with a smug smile. He was not about to pretend like he didn't enjoy compliments, and if he was called handsome even in one of his gruffier looks, then he could certainly be very pleased with himself.

"Matyr, huh? I'm Matthew. Also a coffee lover... But I can't say I've even heard of the Erlikosaurus. That's oddly specific. I guess if I had to choose one, I'd probably be basic enough to go with the raptors."

He shrugged, realizing he never truly put much thought into dinosaurs before, but curious enough to indulge this interaction much further.

"Say, since the ice has been broken and we both love coffee, may I buy you one?"

"Not everything's about appearance... although, can't say I'm complaining." This time he let out a quiet smirk, certainly not meaning to put the guy on the spot, even raising his hands as if in surrender. "Just letting you know you're handsome either way, can take whatever you want from it."

Then again, could Matyr really judge when his father's face was a literal monstrosity? And that wasn't simply an insult.

"Name's Matyr." He greeted smoothly. "Probably coffee... the amount I drink, I'm surprised it's not running through my veins at this point. And... probably dinosaurs. Mainly the Erlikosaurus." Purely because it was named after his father. "What about you?"

[reidinthedeep]

"Pickup line? Oh my. I'm not even wearing my nice clothes and my hair is a mess," he chuckled, mostly amused at how quickly things had escalated. Not that he say he was uncomfortable at all, not really. For his gruffy appearance, Matthew was really lighthearted in nature.

"Oh, no. Let's not talk about the weather. All us brits know what to do is complain that it's raining or that it's too hot," Matt added, his tone even friendlier than before. "Consider the ice broken, let's move on to better topics of conversation like- who might you be? What's your drink of choice? Robots or dinosaurs?"

"I get it, hard to switch off sometimes." He knew that for himself, even if he wasn't in any military. Between being a private detective and his more -- - godly, duties, there wasn't much switching off, particularly in the latter since that was his reason for existing.

For the most part, at least. A lot of his reason for existing was simply out of spite from his father, but that was another story entirely.

"Only when I can't think of a cheesy pickup line." The god joked with a quiet smirk to himself. "Although, I hear a good conversation starter in Britain is to start talking about the weather."

[reidinthedeep]

"Oh, don't tell me that. I've actually been told I need to know how to relax when I'm off duty," he groaned, although he was mostly amused at the turn this conversation took. To think it was that evident he carried the cross at all times...

"You've got some sharp wits there, Detective. Do you usually read people as an ice breaker? I mean, I'm not judging. It clearly worked on me."

"Private detective. All part of the job, I guess." It wasn't just that, being the God of Bravery, Matyr was no stranger to soldiers, sailors and the like reaching out to him for courage, whether they knew it or not -- - and he'd give it to them, so he had more than his fair of experience when it came to identifying particular groups.

Especially if he'd supported the person himself without them ever knowing.

"You've got that look about you, like you're ready to be called to attention any at moment."

[reidinthedeep]

He blinked in surprise for a moment. One thing was to be called out when he was on duty, but out here as a civilian? An interesting deduction, no less.

"What gave it away? I'm not even wearing my dog tags today. Sharp eye you've got, mate."

@reidinthedeep ∣ ☂️

"Military guy, right? Can always tell by the way you lot hold yourselves."