Primary Houses: Hufflepuff

112290: Birthday

"we're just protecting the people we love, mathieu."

Discussion: Mathieu and Matt

Hello, everyone! While school has started once again, that doesn’t mean that I’m going to let anything get posted late. Welcome to the second week of the blogsary! 

For this round of rambles, I’m going to be talking about Mathieu from Coalesce and his counterpart from the DNAU-verse, Matt. As early as now, I want to say—boi. So much has changed when it comes to Mathieu vs. Matt, and those chances are ones that I sincerely like! Not to mention that whatever changes I’ve been applying have made me even more excited to write for him whenever that time comes—hopefully, soon! I just really like what I've got planned for Mathieu's arc.

If you’re interested in finding out why I’m Very Pumped, feel free to click the ‘read more’ link down there! This might just be one of my favorite dicussions yet. 

"I've got drinks for everyone."

Coalesce Spread: Mathieu

Teaser #03: 5B

Confession: A Coalesce Short

Chapel of St. Cecilia

Atlanta, GA

United States of America

2013

Ever since he had moved to Atlanta, Mathieu found that he had been attending mass less than usual. 

It wasn’t a conscious decision on his part; if anything, he genuinely felt bad for missing mass. It was a habit he stuck to when he still lived in San Francisco—hell, it was something he kept doing when he had lived all the way back in France. Attending mass was his own version of quiet time, just as it had been his mother’s. The French responses and prayers remained stuck in his head, with the English almost as much—if not a little jumbled here and there. (Then again, he was still working on his English, so he sort of had a free pass there.) 

He still prayed the rosary from time to time. The white rosary his mother had given way back remained in his pocket, while the habit of praying at least once a week before bed was still ingrained into his heart and memories. He still prayed, at least. He made the time, never quite forgot. There was a Bible in his bedside table that he referred to from time to time. 

Mathieu tried to believe that he was still a good Catholic. His mother would probably agree before giving him a mildly scolding look, scold him gently, and remind him to say nothing like that. Of course he was a good Catholic. He was a good person, after all. 

And he tried to believe that. He really did. 

Pleasantries: A Coalesce Short (1/2)

Aether’s Apartment

Atlanta, GA

United States of America

June 2016

It had been two months since Mathieu had come back to Atlanta. 

He and Aether were still on rocky terms; she treated him civilly, at least, but he could still see the pain in her eye whenever she had to look at him. She regarded him carefully, setting out a hot cup of coffee for him in the mornings and greeting him whenever she came home from work, but that was about it. At nights he would try to reach out to her in bed, but Aether would curl even further into herself, try to avoid any contact initiated by him. 

He hated it. Mathieu hated the coldness between them; it felt less like a relationship and more like some kind of acquaintanceship with them sharing a bed for two. Reaching out towards Aether ended up with her even moving further away. She had built walls to keep him out. As much as he wanted to call her out on it, deep down he knew that she wasn’t at fault. Not at all. It was something that Jin-ho advised him as well when he told the Korean what had happened a few days after; shaking his head, Jin-ho only told him to give it time. 

“You’re lucky that she decided to take you back.” He closed his eyes. Mathieu tried to avoid the dark circles under them. “Let her heal, Mathieu. See where things go from that point onwards.” 

Lately, however, Aether seemed to be reaching out on her own. She had stopped leaving much earlier than usual, staying in the kitchen and drinking her coffee while reading the news. His usual mug would be next to her. They wouldn’t exchange words, but Aether’s expression wouldn’t be as closed-off, not as cold as in the beginning. 

There was that, at least. Maybe Jin-ho was right; all Aether needed was time. 

Traditions: A Coalesce Short (2/2)

Headquarters

Atlanta, GA

United States of America

December 25, 2016

9:54 AM

“We better make this quick,” Peters groused. “I have a flight at 2PM and I definitely don’t want to be late like what happened last year.” 

“You weren’t late last year,” Aether told him, waving it off. Peters, in turn, gave her a look. “Calm down, Peters, you’ll make it—we’ll just have our usual brunch and then you can get to the airport. Who’s bringing you, anyway, and where are your things?” the male gestured outside the office, wherein his luggage was comfortably resting right by her office door. “And how long are you staying?” 

“Just until Friday. I’ll make it back for Mack’s birthday,” he promised. “I had to save my vacation days for this one. Surprisingly, a lot of HQ went back to see their family this year,” he pointed out. Aether nodded slowly. 

Both of them were in her office, waiting for Tadashi and Mack to arrive. It was one of their traditions; the squad met up in her office to exchange gifts, and would then celebrate nearby by having a brunch out. Peters would leave the earliest, as he had a flight to catch, while Aether would leave to spend the remainder of the day with Mathieu. Tadashi’s plans for Christmas depended on the availability of his sisters, while Mack was perfectly content staying in and gifting himself as much sleep as possible. 

Despite it being a holiday, they still caught some of the others catching up on work. Aether had passed by Ross, who wished her a Merry Christmas and explained that he had to pass something along to Forensics; Sol, on another hand, was busy finishing up a report that she had due on the very day. “It’s grueling,” she said with a weary smile. “But I’ll finish it.” 

And it was a pretty okay Christmas so far, Aether reflected. She and Mathieu woke up together, had a light breakfast, and agreed to meet after lunch so that they could go out and have a small date of their own. He was busy visiting Jin-ho and Tony in the former’s residences; most likely giving his gifts and picking up the ones from the Korean. 

“Merry Christmas! Or happy holidays, depending on your beliefs,” a voice came. Aether looked up to see Tadashi standing there with Mack behind him, the latter shaking his head as he ducked into the office. 

Rekindle: A Valentine's Short

Atlanta, Georgia

United States of America

February 14, 2017

“I can’t believe you have plans for tonight,” Mack complained. “And to think that it would just be the two of us before, hooking each other up and being the other’s wing-person.” Aether couldn’t help but laugh, she reached over and gave Mack’s hair a ruffle before reclining into her seat and taking her phone. There was a hint of a smile on her face that the other saw, and as pouty as the other was being, he had to admit that seeing Aether happy was enough for him. Despite his teasing, he managed to put a smirk on his face. “Gonna get freaky tonight, Aether?”

“Shut up,” she laughed. “Nothing freaky’s happening tonight. Mathieu just told me that he wanted to take me out, probably somewhere fancy. You’d think that he’d stop with the surprises, honestly, considering that he took me to Tokyo for my birthday.” 

“Don’t complain. It looks like you’ve got him around your finger, and that might come to your advantage if you two do things tonight.” Mack threw her an exaggerated wink and she snorted, balling up a piece of spare paper and throwing it at him. He dodged, “Is he picking you up here, or are you going home early to prepare?” 

“I’m leaving soon.” She glanced at her phone, “No overtimes for me today, Mack. Which is a good change,” she admitted. He nodded. “How about you, though? Any plans?” 

“Pete’s my wingman for tonight, and that’s going to go so well.” He rolled his eyes, “We’ll be each other’s wingman, if that makes sense. But I’m already preparing for disappointment.” 

“Tinder’s calling you back.” 

Tokyo Narita (4/?): A Coalesce Short

Chuo, Tokyo

Japan

January 2018

11:23 AM

“Taking you to Ginza might have been a mistake,” Mathieu laughed. Huffing, Aether merely dragged him out of the third shop that way, one hand holding his and the other holding on to three separate shopping bags. “Aren’t you hungry yet, chérie? The last time we ate breakfast was at the hotel,” he mused. Aether, still dragging him, merely shook her head. 

“Not hungry. I’m shopping until I can’t walk,” she replied without looking back, to which Mathieu could only smirk at. He knew that she didn’t mean that (at least he hoped); it had been a couple of hours since they had last eaten. She’d have to be hungry somehow in another hour, or else he’d have to put his foot down. 

But then again, he thought, this is one of the times I’ll get to spoil her somehow. His eyes fell one of the shopping bags she grasped. He had bought her the coat she had seen in the second shop with a lot of coaxing; and if he had to be honest with himself, then that wasn’t going to be the last time he’d be spending money on her while they were in Japan. Not exactly. One of the things he loved was to spoil her rotten, and when coaxed enough, Aether would relent. At least until she starts insisting that she pay for her clothes and things herself.

Before he knew it, Aether stopped in front of yet another shop. She looked at him with a pleading look in her green eyes, and was about to open her mouth. Mathieu, however, gently took the shopping bags from her arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. That was enough to send her racing inside, the redhead smirking in amusement as he followed after her. 

Eros: A TFLC Playlist

Tenderly: A TFLC Short

Aether and Mathieu’s Apartment
Atlanta, GA
United States of America

March 2017 

“And Mack—and Mack won the bet,” Aether laughed. “He won the bet against Peters. You’d think someone like him has a lower alcohol tolerance, but he’s able to hold his own pretty well. It was either that, or he was trying not to fall all over the floor. But God, it was so fucking funny, I have pictures—I have pictures of Peters giving up after his seventh shot.” Mathieu couldn’t help but smile as she told the story of the squad’s latest shenanigans; apparently a few nights ago, Peters and Mack had a bet to see which one had better alcohol tolerance. It ended up with Peters hunched over the toilet and Mack trying not to drunk dial his former conquests, but Mack won fair and square while the American protested in the middle of throwing up. It was an amusing tale, he had to admit, Mathieu could barely keep his eyes off her at all.

Aether continued her story, talking about how she and Tadashi had to make sure the other two would be able to somehow sober up in an hour. He listened, he really was; Aether was talking about how Mack weighed like almost nothing. Mathie just couldn’t help but keep his eyes on Aether, smiling quite fondly himself as he took in the sight of her.

Both of them were in sleeping attire; there was Mathieu with a shirt on and sweatpants while Aether had her hair tied up and face clear of makeup. She had on the kimono-style robe that he had gotten her the prior Christmas, and underneath she was merely wearing a romper designed for rest. She was smiling, almost grinning while she told him what happened after (apparently the two had wanted fast food as it was ‘worthy drunk food’, in their words) and as much as he wanted to listen, he could help but focus on her. Aether took the nearby wine glass and sipped before sighing happily, meeting his eyes and stopping her story to flash him a relaxed grin. “Are you still listening?” She teased, setting the glass back down and leaning in to playfully grab at the front of his shirt.

Mathieu had the decency, at least, to look a little embarrassed. Plastering a small smile on his lips, he admitted, “I’m listening, chérie.”

“It didn’t look like you were for a moment there.”

La Vie En Rose: A TFLC Short

Aether and Mathieu’s Apartment

Atlanta, GA

United States of America

February 2017

It was the middle of the night and Mathieu wasn’t at her side. 

She staggered out of bed; Aether rubbed her eyes and grabbed at a nearby robe which hung off one of the chairs, sliding it on before moving out of the bedroom. “Mathieu,” she croaked sleepily, squinting into the dark of the living room and making her way through. In her half-asleep state, Aether wondered where he was—they had ended up sleeping next to each other just a few hours before. The lack of warm presence at her side was what made her wake up. Still stumbling, she squinted and rubbed at her eyes yet again until they eventually focused on a figure standing by the window. 

Mathieu. She let out a relieved sigh and nearly stumbled to him, almost knocking over something in the process. He jumped at the noise; turned immediately with his eyes wide in alarm until they caught sight of her sleepy self. Mathieu relaxed visibly, pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Ma chérie,” he murmured. “You should be asleep.” 

“You weren’t there.” Aether closed her eyes as she leaned into his touch, “Woke up and you weren’t there…” He went quiet and merely kept holding her, Aether nearly falling back asleep until she heard him sigh quietly. She was about to open her mouth and speak when he lifted her, carrying her bridal style back to their bedroom. Aether said nothing; while she found it odd that he was just standing by the window in the middle of the night, she wanted to get back to sleep with him at her side. 

Before she knew it, she was back on the bed, stripped of her robe. She mumbled his name once again and there came his arms, pulling around her and securing around her waist. 

Warmth. 

Desire: A TFLC Graphic

Support: A TFLC Short

Aether and Mathieu’s Apartment

Atlanta, GA

United States of America

January 2017

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Hi to you too, liebe.” Mathieu grinned as Aether pulled her arms around him. She leaned her forehead against his, unable to stop herself from smiling as the male pressed a light kiss to her lips. “That was nice,” she murmured, gently running her fingers through his hair when he pulled away. “Do you feel better?”

“You have no idea.” He shifted; from his position right above her, Mathieu lay next to her and wrapped her in his arms. In response, she leaned her head against his chest, closed her eyes. Allowed herself to breathe as he pressed his lips to the top of her head next. “Spending time with you like this...I missed it.” Mathieu felt her nod and he held her a bit tighter, closing his eyes himself and both of them going quiet.

The two stayed like that for a while, resting comfortably with one another. She remained in his arms and he kept himself around her; he found that he really did miss spending time with just her, curled up on the bed. Saying nothing, doing nothing--but it was enough for them. He knew that well, and so did she. They kept quiet and Mathieu listened to her breathe just as she listened to his heart beat steadily in his chest.

Cuddling, lying in each other’s arms--it was something both of them enjoyed. If anything, both of them found it comforting. Aether tended to be in need of cuddles and affectionate touch after a long day at work, while Mathieu liked the feeling of holding her in general. It was something neither of them could explain well. The closest thing to an explanation was Aether explaining that she was a physically affectionate person to those she was comfortable with.

Moodboards: #MaEther

Traditions: A Coalesce Short (1/2)

Hartsfield-Jackson Airport

Atlanta, GA

United States of America

December 23, 2016

“Are you going home, too?”

Jian paused his music and looked at the source of the voice. There was a much younger female sitting across him, sunglasses perched on top of her head and regarding him with a curious expression. She had a rose gold tote bag on her lap and a similarly colored carry-on luggage next to her; Jian found himself staring before managing a short, reserved answer.

“I am. Where are you off to?”

“Back to Seoul; I’m staying for Christmas and New Year before coming back here.” Her phone made a noise and she excused herself to check the message; Jian took the chance to observe her further. The female wore a white hoodie with a shirt underneath, light-colored jogger pants, and white sneakers. She looked familiar, he realized, but couldn’t quite pinpoint who exactly she was. “Sorry about that, my friend just wanted to see if I was here already. And you?”

“Taipei.” She nodded slowly and it went quiet between the two of them; Jian glanced back down at his tablet and (tried to) resume reading, though sensed that the much younger other wanted to continue conversation.

Well. He couldn’t blame her, not really—it was the holiday season, after all. Around them were bunches of people, both family and friends alike, who were all chattering away with each other about plans and whatnot. It seemed like they were the few minority who were travelling alone without anyone else.

Teaser #02: The Four Loves Celebration

Character Aesthetics: Mathieu/Leroux

"my sin, father:

i killed a man tonight."

Tokyo Narita (3/?): A Coalesce Short

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Japan

January 2018

8:47 PM

“You’ve got a little something there.”

“Hm?” Aether peeked up at him and blinked as Mathieu wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. “Oh—thanks,” she mumbled, ducking her head to hide the blush on her cheeks. Across her, he could only smile. 

The two of them had decided to go out that night. While initially agreeing that they could just stay in the hotel room and have a dinner of convenience store food, it would actually be nicer if they went out and explored around the vicinity of the area that night. While Aether had wanted to do initial research, Mathieu insisted on merely walking around and going wherever fate wanted them to end up. It took much coaxing—she was worried about getting lost—but she finally agreed and went off to freshen up. 

After fifteen to twenty minutes of walking and her clinging to his arm (it was cold, ridiculously cold that night), they ended up in a comfortable local eatery that served large bowls of ramen and tall classes of cola. It had taken a while for them to fully adjust; Mathieu spent minutes conversing with a waitress over the place’s bestsellers before ordering for the two of them while Aether rubbed her hands, regretting not wearing gloves that night. 

“I regret not wearing gloves,” she admitted. The now-empty bowl of ramen sat in front of her, the tall glass of coke three-fourths consumed. Chuckling, Mathieu took her hands into his and ran his thumbs comfortingly over her knuckles. “I wasn’t expecting for it to be this cold.”