Bad Habits | Caivarus & Mateusz [Private]

He seemed to have enough coordination to muster a raised brow, watching the ordeal unfold before him. Instead of trying to unfurl the complicated kirin, Teu instead made his way by the fire, plopping down beside Caivarus with ears perked and eyes quiet.

"Caius seems nice, prob'ly doesn't like me because I don't've scales." He chuckled, eyes staring softly into the warm flames. His smile didn't seem to leave even when the kirin in mention surfaced and made quick work on assuming Teu's state.

"Hey uh... Cai, my main man, can you hear me in there?" Teu raised his head, leaning forward so his nose almost touched the other's cheek, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Y'don't have to worry 'bout me. I haaate the Aodhians. I-I hope the kirins kick 'em to the curb." He laughed again, nearly falling forward.

Another low giggle, and he had managed to flop down to the floor, rolling onto his back and stretching with a sigh. "You 're like... old n' shit--" He frowned, spotting the book that Caivarus had been reading before he interrupted his peaceful evening. "--oh that's a book." His frowned deepened as his teke lifted it over his face, only for it to drop and land on his muzzle. "It's in shitty Breimian. Can't read it. Can you read it, babe?" He looked over toward Varus with wide, expectant eyes, seeming legitimately concerned over who could and couldn't read the Breim-written literature.

His smile grew large and giddy seeing the semi-positive response from Varus. At least he was talking to him, even though Teu probably looked like a blabbering toddler.

"Y'know, Aodh changed. I'nt like it so I left." He lifted the book from his face with quivering teke, biting his lip with concentration. "My job w's to screw people and get screwed. But I also help th' slaves there too."

The unicorn rolled back onto his belly, now looking directly up at Caivarus. He still had that innocent, wide-eyed look even with a pair of golden fangs poking out of his mouth.

"We should go on a date soon, you're very pretty 'nd you can teach me how to read in your old language," he mumbled.

His voice was surprisingly cleaner than minutes before. But his steadied stature only lasted a few moments before he fell back to his side, a giggling mess once more.

It took him a couple more to settle back down, propping himself upright so he got into the best position to be both next to the kirin and feel the most amount of warmth from the fire. He hummed quietly to himself, watching the orange flames flicker and twitch.

Of course, it didn't last.

"Y'okay? How's ol' Cai doin' in there?" He craned his neck to stare up at the bi-colored eyes of Caius and Varus.

He was truly fascinated in them, the way their souls had managed to find each other to merge into one body--though Teu would be lying if he said he didn't want to see them both in their own forms.

Mateusz seemed to have forgotten his inquiries within seconds, now trying to picture what they must have looked like in their past lives. The alcohol, he decided, was no help.

Teu watched the expressions shift on Caivarus' face as they spoke, half of the conversation inaudible to his ears. Once the focus switched back to the unicorn, he could only blink dumbly back.



"I was thinking about... uh... Y-you? In a... not... weird way?" he managed, coughing slightly to hide any weird giddiness in his voice. Then, as his sluggish state of mind caught up to him, his eyes focused back onto Varus. "Do what at the end?" He tilted his dark head, golden eyelids lifting to reveal the wide white rings around his enlarged pupils. It gave him a much gentler look to his features, rather than the narrow-eyed, shrunken-ringed look.



As he questioned Varus, he had subconsciously shifted into a much more comfortable state, leaning toward the other but still keeping a millimeter's distance away from contact. Clearly it had been some time since he had any ever since he came to Breim, and his caution was even greater around Caivarus.

Teu could only stare in silent awe as both Caius and Varus talked amongst themselves and him. It felt strangely inclusive, even in his own drunken manner. His dark face matched the brilliant red of his coat, glassy eyes round and mouth agape.

He was both thrilled at Caius' response, mischievous as his own, and concerned for Varus' reaction. His expression didn't reveal a thing about his internal thoughts or motive, but his eyes were all sparkly and bright as an amused, lopsided grin claimed his lips.

The unicorn found his buzzing body shuffling closer to the other, tasseled tail curling neatly to his side as he wrapped his head gently around Caivarus' neck. He hummed softly, the external warmth causing himself to slump further into the surprisingly-comfortable kirin.

"I was thinking about who you would be," he sighed, tilting his nose to bury his face in the soft black and white tuft of mane. He used his intoxication as an excuse for his touchiness. "And what you would look like as your own selves."

He let himself sit and soak in that warmth, eyes drifting shut in blissful silence. He was reluctant to let go, with physical contact being so rare nowadays.

"And Caius--" he started, raising his head ever so slightly so that he could be heard clearer. It was safe to assume the alcohol was beginning to wear off. "--I'm not what you think I am."

The red stallion opened his eyes as he felt the other shift. He moved away, though it was a gentle shift of his shoulders to leave them undisturbed. Teu frowned, seeing his head tucked against his legs, frozen in place.

"I know you don't like me," he said quietly, withdrawing from his loose hug to nudge the kirin's cheek with his nose. Teu had seen the scars along their body, self-inflicted marks that indicated an internal war-zone. He knew of how they thought of themselves, their merged bodies trapped within one. "I'm not a kirin. That doesn't mean I'm inconsiderate, love."

He let quiet settle between them, brow furrowed thoughtfully. He wanted them to see the mere beauty of their merged and morphed coat, something that Teu had appreciated himself.

As the fire continued to crackle, the unicorn's eyes remained on Caivarus', staring intensely at the bi-colored irises. "You didn't deserve to be forced together," Teu murmured, though it was more to himself. His gaze returned to the fire, and he sighed softly as the embers hissed. "But you're here, 'n you're beautiful."

He lay his head down onto the ground, red teke lightly grasping the injured leg. He examined the small wound, and shifted his weight to grab some nearby gauze (he always kept it around for these specific occasions), and held it to the blood that beaded from the bite.

"I don't wanna drink anymore. It doesn't help. But this--" Teu looked back up to Varus, his expression surprisingly soft. "--this does. Maybe it'll help you too."

The unicorn's tail swayed against his hip, brushing against the blue hues of glistening scales thoughtfully. Just as quickly as the contact was made, it was gone, retreating back to his red coat.

"Why?" he echoed the word, confusion on his face as if the answer to the question was as clear as day. He raised his head, leaving the gauze in place for a few seconds before red teke tossed it into the flames. He watched it burn. "Because that's just how I see you. Doesn't matter what you think, 'cause I will always find you pretty."

Teu's expression took a serious tone, solemn. The last remnants of soothing buzz were beginning to wear off, leaving him in a state that wasn't quite there, but still had a grasp on consciousness that he could be a bit more guarded with what he said next.

"I know you didn't ask for this. I never asked to be a-a plaything, o-or a unicorn or a father or an Aodhian--" He shook his head, discovering his rather emotional vent bubbling up in his chest. "But I made the most of it. I'm still from Aodh, and I'm still a unicorn. You're still Varus, n' Mr. Smartass is still Caius." Teu hiccuped, staring blankly at the kirin beside him. He was waiting for a retort, a rebuttal or a disagreement. To him, it was simple. At least, to his drunken self it was.

His ears lay back, tilted his head downward as if he were begging. "Don't be sad," he mumbled.

His gaze had been on the orange light in front of them, glassy and clearly someplace else. But the moment he heard the cries, he returned his full attention to the kirin.

Teu allowed him to talk, to cry. Perhaps saying it aloud could get the other to accept themselves. Slowly, he slumped into their side, head curling comfortably against their shoulder while he closed his eyes. He was humming, a song he didn't expect Caivarus to know, but it had soothing notes to it.

Eventually, Varus' voice dwindled down, and Teu spoke up.

"Maybe it's a good thing, love," he whispered, sighing lightly as the warmth from their body combined with the fire, blanketing him in a bit of comfort. He only hoped it did the same for them.

He opened his eyes, looking at the fireplace and then to the statues that sat over it. Little figurines, with Argus at the center. Ignacio sat to their left, and on the right was Kaia. He looked down at the kirin.

"Maybe who you thought you were... would have been worse off." He went back to his contented meditating, but he continued talking. "Caius would be off, ripping other species' heads off because he never got to see the end of the gods war... when they all united... it was really pretty..." He paused. "I think Varus would be scared, and he wouldn't have any help from anyone... he would have never learned about how pretty things were when everyone joined together..."

He knew both of them were listening. He had known them long enough to understand a bit of how their dynamic worked. Teu let silence fall for a moment, seeing if anything he babbled about was seeping in.

Still leaning against them, the unicorn raised his head enough that his teke could brush through the clipped black and white mane, ears back and relaxed. He was truly fascinated by them, and especially so when he was under the influence.

But the fascination didn't stem from their abnormalities. He was fascinated by the way they both worked alongside each other, allowing Teu to wiggle his way in to what was clearly a personal space for them, how imperfectly perfect they were.

"It's okay to start over," he mumbled, voice growing drowsy now as sleep threatened to take over. "That's what I did... can't read... can't work since there's no horny rich guys or slaves here." Teu had closed his eyes, finding a position that was most comfortable. "But you've made it easier for me. I hope I make it easier for you."

Feeling the other lean against him, Teu's eyes lifted. He sucked in a deep breath, releasing it in a long, drawn out manner.

"...Just want to go back." He squeezed his eyes shut again, as if trying to send Varus a sense of calmness using nothing but sheer will. "Yeah."

The unicorn tilted his head, allowing them to rest against his less-than sturdy frame, tail moving to curl protectively around them.

"I never... really took to trying to understand what it was like before... before the war. Aodhians never really talked about it, understandably so." He huffed, remembering his time in school where they spent their time ogling the extinct kirin's and revering their work. Now he was here with one, one from the time Before. Then he continued. "But what I do know is what is here..." He nudged Caivarus lightly with his muzzle, pointedly. "You never know who is listening... but I think that makes it less lonely. Knowing they all love you, no matter your history, or who you are. Or what you are."

He pressed his temple against their neck, and when he gave their cheek a nudge, it was restrained, as if he was holding another action back. Sobriety coming back to ground him and his rambling thoughts.

"We can figure this out. But we can't do it if you choose to long for the past, instead of looking to the future." He took another breath, tired. "Ignacio knows you, and his flame burns bright, Varus. But he has changed, just as you have. How you choose to see that fire is up to you, and what you're willing to do to find it." Teu paused, a small smile on his face. "But there's also the water, the arcane, the sky, the earth that is here for you as well." He decided against sharing the last goddess, feeling that her mere existence could overwhelm Varus, and even Caius, if he was even caring to listen.

He looked up. He had remembered asking the very same question to the Driven who had found him, helped him down to Sterling despite his suspicious appearance. Even though Ignacio was tattooed on his foreleg, he still felt an intense connection to Argus, especially in his time spent amongst the Kawaru.

Teu let his eyes wander the room, as if trying to find something. He chose to settle for the busts sitting atop the fireplace.

"I don't know nearly as much as the others but... from what I've heard, Argus is a lot like Ignacio. They love their children just as passionately as Ignacio. But instead of fire, they value knowledge. And emotion. Balance. They're sort of a... a two in one." He glanced around some more, thinking of what else to say about the Arcane god. "From what I've heard, interactions with Argus are very discreet, subtle. They have a fury to them that is more intense than the other gods', but I think that's what makes them appreciate the Breimians so much."

He shifted a bit so his teke could grasp a nearby pen and paper, one he had left out for Varus to doodle in if he so wished. Teu opened to a blank page, and began to draw.

It depicted a comic of sorts, but it had no leads or no ends. The first drawing was a picture of a crying, smoky horse. The second was a screaming horse, smoke curling up into intense bursts. The last was a quiet one, smoke calmly settled around them, many eyes staring blankly ahead.

"This was how Ocean explained it to me--" he started, using his pen to point to the first drawing. "He said that Argus is the most caring god, but also the scariest. They will cry for their people. If their people are sad, they are sad." He points to the second. "And if anyone hurts their people, they have a fury more powerful than any other's. Hence why you want to get on their good side." He chuckled at this. "The last one is the one the Kawaru have sought to know more about, I think. Argus' knowledge and wisdom, how they treasure allowing their people to expand their powers beyond what any others could do, instead of just... giving it to you like the others."

He connected each figure with a line, and a circle to envelope the whole piece.

"Ignacio is like a big warm dad. He's not like the Trio, where they're a bit more stickler-y to their people." He laughed again, much more airy than the last burst. "He just wants to take care of everyone, but he can't 'cause the kirins he fought with are now trying to kill his other followers. It's a little messy."

Teu seemed somewhat pleased with his explanation, but he was no priest. Hell, he didn't even know much about his own patron, considering how cryptic she was. But he thought of a good way that he could try to show Caivarus, if they were willing.

"We should go visit the temples tomorrow. I think you'd like it, and maybe we can get through Caius' thick skull about how nice it is to not have genocidal thoughts and feelings." His teke gently ruffled the other's mane, though planted a small peck to his cheek adoringly.