#c: finn

[mindful-mateo]

@familiar-finn

Spring Mischief had been...a lot. It had been Mateo's first and while some of the spells were fine, that whole body switch with Finn had really done a number on him as he was pretty sure had been obvious. Mateo had needed some time to come to terms with it and to psych himself up for the conversations he was due to have. There was definitely fallout from his breakdown and his ill advised hookup with Finn's master. The thunderbird felt like he owed Finn an apology and an explanation but he'd been...putting it off. It was time to fix that, though.

Mateo had invited Finn to his suite so they'd at least be in a comfortable environment. There was no doubt he was nervous but Mateo was trying to play that off. It wasn't like he'd talked to anyone but Rhys about...what he was going to explain soon and it wasn't like he'd ever moved past the guilt of it, as much as he'd tried. Fucking around in Finn's body felt like a violation, too. Regardless, it was time to face up to all of it and hopefully...well, hopefully Finn wouldn't totally write him off after everything.

When the knock on the door came, Mateo took a deep breath then went and opened it, smiling because he couldn't really help himself. "Hey. C'mon in, make yourself at home. Can I get you a drink or something?"

[emersonxcassidy]

closed - @finn-brooks

where - sea shanty

Emerson was glad when Finn agreed to a little lunch date since he was someone she definitely trusted and could tell the truth to, and right now, she needed someone to talk to that was on the inside, someone who knew the ins and outs of her brother and their friend group. So she waited for him outside of the restaurant and when she saw him heading over she smiled, meeting him halfway so she could greet him with a hug. "There's still about forty-five minutes left in happy hour. Half price appetizers!"

[sincerely-yours-odette]

It was far from surprising that Hayden refused Odette accompanying him to the Pack House, but the moment felt like a slap in the face even despite her expectation of the fact. He was always headstrong--they both were, in their own ways--but this felt incredibly foolhardy. The place would be filled to the brim with shifters, so why couldn't Hayden bring one ally along... his sister, his parabatai. It reminded Odette of the times where their father had excluded her from conversations and training alike, his focus honed in on the more valuable twin, in his eyes. And here she was, alone again, sitting on the steps of the Institute where Hayden had left her and hugging her knees to her chest. She wouldn't cry, she determined. Not even as the worry swelled with each passing minute.

People passed by, leaving and returning from their patrols as expected. Business as usual with the silent but reluctant acceptance of their leader's decision to leave alone. There were some moments of people checking in on Odette, of course, asking her to come back inside and the like, but she wouldn't speak... barely even heard them. She was too focused on the beating of her heartbeat and hoping that she wouldn't feel the fading of her brother's there. Bo and Felix had mentioned something about going to look for Hayden now that dark had fallen. Even Ava had left to do the same once her patrol had finished. But Odette stayed glued to those steps. She could feel that Hayden was alive, but the dread seeped into her bones even despite that fact, making each of her limbs feel like they'd turned to stone.

@finnswarriorheart

[wesxevans]

closed starter: @finn-brooks

where: the diner

Wes felt like he hadn't spoken to Finn in ages, but with how busy life was at the moment he wanted to spend most of his free time with his family. However, he managed to carve some time out for his old friend.

"Thanks for meeting me." Wes told him, though he felt a little awkward about it. "That sounds weird, like we're having some formal meeting thing. That's stupid. Hi. How've you been?"

[thewrenxharlow]

closed - @finn-brooks

where - by the art vendors at the festival

"You know, this is actually pretty rad." Wren mused as she picked up one of the hand-painted vinyls on display. "We get fucked up shipments all the time, this could be a way better use of them than just anger management and smashing them up some more...or am I the only one who does that?"

[muertarte]

TIMING: Right after this

PARTIES: @animotoph0bia @muertarte

SUMMARY: Metzli runs into an injured Finn and decides to help.

WARNINGS: None

Stupid pride. Or had it mostly been fear. For some reason, that stupid skit about never letting anyone take you to a secondary location was on repeat in his head, forcing out pained and involuntary chuckles interrupted by hissing with every other step. Finn couldn’t properly steady his limp and useless arm with the hand that felt like it was on fire, having at some point settled for somewhat leaning against the nearest wall for support. 

It wasn’t really working. 

Everything felt fuzzy, both his mind and his face, adrenaline starting to drain from his body and leaving only so much exhaustion and pain. Finn was sort of sure that he was heading in the direction of the hospital but honestly, maybe instinct was just leading him home - it was hard to tell. As long as he could get somewhere to lie down, far away from where he’d been in case the man with the knife decided to change his mind. Or unchange it, he supposed. 

Like so many times before, Finn didn’t have cash on him and honestly, he wasn’t even sure if a taxi would stop for a guy in his state. His messed up hand was covered in someone else’s blood for fuck’s sake. He rarely put a lot of faith in humanity and tonight was not the time it would change. The sound of a car rolling to a stop had him freezing instead of filling with relief, muscles tensing and pulling at his shoulder as he turned his head, expecting to meet the sinister, blue eyed gaze once again. 

Wicked’s Rest was filled with many things. Creatures, beasts, and ghosts that stalked the darkness. Being one of them, Metzli could always spot the others, but more importantly, they could find the victims of their siblings shrouded in night. This was a talent they’d had since their experience in the clan. Even without using their nose, just in sight alone, Metzli was an expert hunter, but that wasn’t the case that evening. Instead, as morality had wrapped itself around their heart the moment their sire died, the vampire offered kindness. 

They chose to ignore the way their fangs ached at the smell of blood on the stranger’s hands. 

“Excuse me,” Metzli swallowed, gripping their steering wheel tightly as a means to steel themself. The blood smelled so good. “What is wrong with you?” Though the question was blunt and likely to be taken badly, the vampire meant nothing by it. There was no confusion or even a judgmental tone. Just an even and dry question looking for a blatant answer. But maybe Metzli should’ve known better than to continue speaking. 

“You look very bad.”

So, not the creepy guy back to finish the job. Was this person creepy? Finn wasn’t sure if his radar for it was correct at the moment, set on high alert. They didn’t feel like much but to be fair, Finn wasn’t sure he had the capacity to feel anything other than his own pain and exhaustion at the moment. Point for the ME, he noted begrudgingly. Tired eyes took in the stranger, their furrowed eyebrows, and tried to detect any hint of hostility. It wasn’t glaringly obvious but then, as this evening had made clear, he was dumb as bricks. 

The question made him huff out a laugh because fucking valid, and not just because he looked like shit. “Besides the broken bones? So fucking much,” Finn answered honestly, cocking his head at the follow up statement. “And yes, I’m aware. Which is why I’m heading to the hospital. Or I think I’m heading to the hospital. Maybe home, whichever I find first.” Heaving in a breath, Finn turned from the car to continue the slow shuffle down the street, making it a total of five steps before a fresh wave of pain made his vision go black. 

“Fuck,” Finn sighed, slowly but surely sliding down against the wall until he was fully sitting on the ground, cradling the useless appendage. Just a short break, then he’d get right back on track. 

Clenching their jaw tightly, the vampire shut their eyes and imagined the roadmap they had memorized of the town. The direction the stranger was heading was the wrong way, and in his bloody and haggard state, Metzli wasn’t sure he was even going to make it to his home if he was wandering aimlessly. Opening their eyes, they swallowed the urge to take a greedy breath of air to calm themself, completely avoiding the scent of blood. They watched the young man’s gait turn into a hobble, his body relinquishing itself to exhaustion. There was no other choice but to help, and maintain control over their hunger while doing so.

“Boy.” They called out to the stranger, trying to get his mind to focus and stay awake as they bolted from their car. When they knelt next to him, that’s when Metzli saw just how serious the injuries were. And thanks to Regan’s many lessons on anatomy and decay, they knew how to label each one. 

Lacerations, contusions, a dislocation, and…they narrowed their eyes at his hand, a bit disconcerted at the way it had swelled and appeared wrong. Someone had hurt him, the intention in such an attack plain to see by someone as experienced in fighting and injuring as Metzli was. The story could change though, couldn’t it? They could be a good person, could choose the kindness they’d always wanted to give. They didn’t have to be a monster. 

They breathed deeply, “My name is Metzli and I will not hurt you.” It sounded like a promise, red eyes impossible to suppress, but genuine and kind as they softened to accompany Metzli’s statement. “Hospital is other way and I will take you, but I can,” English began to fail them, but after a short pause, Metzli managed to find their way. “Make pain less.” They gestured to the stranger’s shoulder. “Will hurt much at the beginning, but it will be less when it is in right position. Does this have sense to you?”

From somewhere, Finn found the energy to get annoyed at being called a boy, especially by someone who looked maybe a few years older than him. Annoyance was good, though - it cleared his mind just the tiniest bit. Although he was kinda hoping that the glaring red eyes were part of a pain-induced hallucination and not real. Not that it mattered, he wasn’t exactly in a state to run off. 

Metzli introduced themselves and it made the blood colored irises a little less spooky. The words did imply that they could hurt him if they felt so inclined but then again, Finn felt like a kitten could end his life at this point so whatever. “Hey, Metzli. I’m Finn. You have red eyes,” he commented tiredly and yeah, maybe he was a tiny bit delirious, shut up. Assistance to the hospital did sound promising, hospitals had medication. His odds of getting there himself without perishing definitely seemed worse than letting this one armed stranger help him. “Nothing makes much sense at this point but as long as the plan isn’t chopping off my arm, go nuts,” Finn resigned, too tired to care. Not like it could hurt more than it currently did, right?

Wrong. Very wrong, and dumb - the unofficial theme of this evening. Finn wasn’t sure if what had left his mouth had even been English, some amalgamation of curses and general noises. He couldn’t even appreciate the strength of Metzli’s single arm, or the fact that they seemed to have done this before. Probably more than once. The part about it hurting a bit less hadn’t been a lie, thank fuck, but as soon as pain gave way, it only left room for more exhaustion. “Ow,” Finn groaned pitifully once black spots cleared from his vision, legs fully the consistency of jello at this point. 

Finn was blunt, and it made Metzli smile, though they were sure Finn would think their face was unchanged. “You are bleeding. Blood makes my eyes turn red and fangs appear.” It was a statement they made dryly, unaware if it made the young man uncomfortable. Metzli didn’t think anything could be more uncomfortable than being covered in injuries, or microfiber, but they’ve been known to be wrong about how people feel. It came with their very unique territory. 

Or so they’ve been told.

“What is wrong with having only one arm?” Furrowing their brows as they pondered, Metzli raised their half limb and waved it for a few moments. “It was torn off by someone else for punishment.” Another bland statement, but they didn’t give Finn much of an opportunity to react or respond before they moved in to adjust his shoulder. It was better that way. People didn’t flinch or lock up as badly when they were distracted, and Metzli hoped that Finn didn’t begin to leak once he was done with his outburst. 

They’d never heard so many obscenities in one breath before. It was actually a bit impressive until Finn topped it off with a bland ‘ow’ and his body nearly going completely limp. “I am going to carry you now.” Metzli droned like a humanoid robot, slipping their arm around Finn and lifting him up without much struggle on their part. The problem with lifting someone nearly limp, with one arm was the lack of control either party had. But to Metzli’s surprise and relief, they managed to tumble both of them to their car, with only a few bumps into the door as they tried to open it. Thankfully, no one was around to see the struggle. Or so they hoped. 

Focus. 

“Can you put seatbelt on by yourself or do you need more help?”

Ah, fangs. Cool. At least this wasn’t a new kind of strange thing, just another vampire. Finn had dealt with that before, very unsuccessfully but still. And this one did really seem intent on helping. Tired eyes had managed to track the movement of Metzli’s arm - stump? Half-arm? - as they asked a question with a seemingly obvious answer. “It’s… well, then you don’t have two arms?” Finn answered dumbly, feeling like that should have explained it. He already felt physically useless most of the time with all appendages intact, there was no need to further his problems. After this evening, it almost sounded reasonable that someone had simply torn off Metzli’s arm. Witnessing what seemed like freaking organ harvesting and then a man impaling his own hand as an intimidation technique, it just sounded on par. 

Metzli gave him warning but everything still spun as he was raised up from the ground. Finn did his best to be slightly more than just dead weight, although that just seemed to throw the vampire more off balance, but it was a short walk. He didn’t even mind his head knocking into the open door as he was discarded like a sack of potatoes into the back seat, breathing heavily from the exertion of doing basically nothing. “I got it, I got it,” he mumbled, feeling very childlike for a moment as he struggled to make the clasp stick. When it finally did, Finn sighed victoriously. 

Even with the knowledge that a vampire, one that was clearly aware of the blood coating his hand, was driving the car, Finn did feel safe as they took off. “You didn’t have to do that,” he finally spoke, gaze settled on the blurry lights outside as they passed. “Probably shouldn’t have. Trying to help a stranger is what got me fucked up in the first place. Although you’re not a vulnerable bag of blood so maybe you got that going for you.”

“Yes, that is a factual statement.” Once again, they wiggled what was left of their arm with a curious tilt of their head. Finn was strange, and Metzli had a feeling it had nothing to do with any head injury or blood loss that he’d experienced. They couldn’t imagine what he was like on a typical day, but they were sure he wouldn’t be all that terrible to be around. Hopefully their judge of character wouldn’t suddenly steer them wrong. 

Although, watching the way Finn struggled to put on his seatbelt and sighing like a tired little kid made the vampire feel more secure in their assessment.

Shrugging, Metzli circled around the car and took their seat, setting the car into drive to head toward the hospital. The smell of blood continued to entice them, but the conversation Finn attempted to start was enough of a distraction. Even with the mention of blood. Bags Metzli no longer felt comfortable stealing, but they were sure that wasn’t exactly Finn was referring to. Regardless, they shook their head and looked at the young man in their rear view mirror, a weight pulling their shoulders down. They’d done horrible things in the past, allowed people to die by acting on orders and standing idle when required. That Metzli was no more. Freedom allowed kindness to shine through, and the child of night would accept that warmth, and pass it on.

“I like being kind,” They finally said, seeing the hospital sign in the distance. In a matter of minutes, they’d arrive, and their job would be over. “I still bleed a little and it still hurts, but this does not matter to me.” Flashes of Teocaltiche and the neighboring states of Mexico made Metzli subtly wince, the pain they had once inflicted sending a spiky ball of guilt down their throat. Pain was inevitable and necessary, but tragedy set in motion was not, and they’d be damned if they ever began doing that again. Little by little, Metzli would redeem the monster they once were, giving as much of themself as they could for people that needed a little more help than others. And if Finn’s heroic behavior was an indicator, they were positive they’d see him again. 

They’d offer help then, too. 

“We are almost there.”

Metzli was interesting, in a good way. It helped that they didn’t seem too off-put by… well, anything, including the chaotic rambling from Finn, taking it in stride. He had a feeling he’d be hard pressed to spout anything that would insult them, accidental or not, which was nice for a change. Sure, the circumstances of this meeting preferably could have been less traumatic and bone crushing but bright side and fucking whatnot. 

His line of questioning had caused an uncharacteristic lack of response, the silence turning his gaze to the back of Metzli’s head and then catching their gaze in the rearview mirror. Even in his current state, Finn could feel the empty space where there should have been a swirl of emotions, evidenced by the look in those eyes. Maybe a good thing he couldn’t feel it - this night had him feeling like a wrung out towel. The answer finally came and he smiled softly, leaning his head back. “Pretty solid answer,” he concluded. “The weirdo from the alley definitely could have used some pointers from you.” 

Perking up at the update on their trip, Finn did indeed see the hospital looming in the distance, a sight he never thought he’d be happy to see. “I… I feel like I owe you. Like, it feels weird to not even pay you for the gas, not to mention there’s definitely some blood in your car now but I don’t know, maybe you don’t mind that… I don’t even have cash on me. Promise you’ll let me pay you back somehow?”

Whatever Finn was saying was drowned out. Showings of gratitude were unnecessary and futile, to say the least. With the wealth Metzli had accumulated from the criminals they’d killed and the genuine business side of their gallery, they didn’t need for much at all. If anything, they wanted to extend the kindness further, and they would. Metzli had paid hospital bills before, without batting an eye, and in Finn’s condition, they weren’t sure if his wallet had fallen out during his bloody scuffle. Not that it mattered. Having money or not, being attacked was enough trouble. Bills didn’t need to be added on top of that. 

“We are here.” 

They turned into the emergency room parking lot, quickly unbuckling themself and getting Finn out of the car. He could hardly walk, but his legs seemed to oblige as much as they could. As they led him to the sliding doors, which activated for a group of people shuffling indoors, Metzli swept him up and threw him over their shoulder, not considering how strange they’d appear walking in with an injured and bleeding individual. But was that really out of the ordinary for a hospital? Let alone one in Wicked’s Rest? It didn’t matter. They were at the front desk in the blink of an eye and Finn was quickly swept away on a wheelchair to be tended to, leaving Metzli to stare blankly and wave him goodbye. 

Which was interrupted by a clipboard being shoved into their face for them to fill out. With a simple, “No.” The vampire slid their business card over to the nurse and uttered the word, “Bill,” before turning away and leaving. 

[darcyxanthonyx]

closed starter: @finn-brooks

where: near the carnival booths

Darcy called Finn and told him to meet her where the carnival was being held in town, telling him it was an emergency and he had to get there right away. Of course she didn't go into details and when she spotted him in the crowd, she ran over to him and grabbed his hand and started dragging him through the crowd towards one of the booths. "Thank goodness you're here! I need your help. Jace and I are trying to win the biggest stuffed animal and these games are stupid hard, I think they're rigged."

[fearhims3lf]

TIMING: Before the Parker Incident

PARTIES: @animotoph0bia @fearhims3lf

SUMMARY: Looking for an escape, Finn takes a walk and stumbles into the Vinyl Countdown, where Mateo shows him the wonders of punk music.

WARNINGS: None

A phone call with his mom always ended in one of two ways - she was almost too busy to be checking in and ended the call once she had confirmed her son was alive or, on days like today, she ranted. Finn got to hear about his sister’s trouble in school, his brother’s anxiety, how hard work was at the moment and how worried she was about her eldest living in another town. It was draining to say the least and the reason why those kinds of calls usually ended with Finn flopped on the bed, surrounded by smog and head spinning a little too fast. 

He’d finally resigned himself to a walk when the options had become that or having a small freak out in the apartment. Time passed in a blur, no real mission ahead except maybe finding something to eat at some point. In his easily distracted state, Finn found himself drawn to the sound of music, decent music even, filtering through an open door and muffling as soon as the door closed. Without hesitation he followed the sound, stepping into a store that thankfully wasn’t crowded. It was, however, filled with gorgeous vinyls, posters lining the wall and making this a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. 

Shuffling inside, his fingers traced over every singer and band name he recognized, heart filling with longing even though he had no actual means of playing these beautiful vinyls back in his shitty apartment. The adoration got halted for a moment as Finn was made aware of the sand-like texture in his mouth, backpack thrown off in a less than fluid motion as he began the search for a water bottle that he maybe probably had in there. 

—

The shop had been particularly slow, foot-traffic growing slower by the day as the goo around town made it harder for everyone to travel. Mateo groaned to himself, drumming his fingers on his chest as he leaned back in his chair idly. There were two customers, one older man with his son, nothing to really rush to. The older the customer was, the worse, because they knew exactly what they wanted and had no intention of venturing toward something that could actually enlighten them. 

“Hmm…” Mateo rocked the chair back and forth on the tips of the legs, contemplating whether or not to convince the boy to rebel and request some good music. “Eh…” He shrugged, brows rising at the sound of footsteps entering the store. “Welcome to the Vinyl Countdown, ask for my help if you need it, or don’t.” Propping his head on his palm, Mateo blew air through his lips, making a raspberry sound out of boredom. He scanned the newest customer, watching the other two leave without buying a damn thing. There was a roll of his eyes and he got up to walk around, leaning over the shelf to peer over it.

“Thirsty for some good music?”

The water bottle had finally been dug out, held victoriously in hands that were maybe struggling a little bit to work the cap, when a voice from nowhere startled him. It wasn’t from nowhere, of course, just the other side of the shelf but it was enough for Finn to drop it and then dumbly watch it roll away. “Shitfuck - I mean, yes. Or hi. Or yes to water and music,” he blathered, elegantly stretching his arm out for the rogue bottle, tilting some of the contents of his bag out in the process. 

Crouching down, dropping his bag to the ground before the rest of his belongings littered the floor, Finn stared at them as if wondering what to do other than simply pick them up. Getting up and just leaving did feel like a decent option right now. “This might take a while, can you, like, circle around and come back so I can pretend none of this happened?” he asked, finally looking up at the store clerk from his graceful position on the floor, noting that the guy looked… intimidating. Didn’t feel intimidating though but he didn’t feel like anything, which was to be expected since Finn could barely feel his hands at the moment. 

“You look like you’re supposed to be selling something other than music.” See, this is why we don’t go out amongst people in this state.

Okay, so the dude was jumpy and probably needed a good smoke by the looks of it. That wasn’t to say that his state of being was bad. Just a little ruffled and out of place. “I think I’ll stay right here. Make sure you don’t leave anything behind on the floor I cleaned this morning.” Was it rude to do that? Yes. Did the mare care? Not really. It was fun to be a little rude, and it wasn’t like the customer would die of embarrassment. Well, hopefully not. Mateo had learned Wicked’s Rest was capable of anything, and he really didn’t want to soil any good reputation the shop had accumulated.

Laughing at the remark, Mateo rolled his eyes and looked at himself. He wasn’t sure if he was offended by the comment or not. He needed to talk a little longer to really get a read on the guy. “Is it the battle vest? The tattoos? Or my mug?” He tilted his head back, putting on his best macho vibe. If Mateo had really wanted to, he could probably intimidate the guy, especially with how lost he seemed, but sales needed to be made and punks to be recruited.

“Regardless, I’m here to get music in your hands. I can probably throw a little extra in there, but that depends on your music taste.”

Honestly, fair. Finn probably wouldn’t have left himself alone under normal circumstances so the store clerk had the right idea. “Guess I’m thankful I’m not dragging myself along a dirty floor,” he muttered to himself, finishing the job of finally gathering up his belongings with dark eyes boring down on him. Backpack zipped up safely and thrown over his shoulder, Finn finally got to his stupid feet, bottle of water crinkling in his hand as the guy laughed. Angry? Offended? Amused? Fuck, it was hard to tell. 

Shrinking into himself slightly, Finn still took the question very seriously, eyebrows furrowing in deep thought before two syllables finally made their way out, slow and dragged out. “Haircut,” he decided was an appropriate answer for some reason, one finger wagging in the vague direction of the guy’s head. “Also just the whole ‘fuck everything’ vibe which…” He gave a thumbs up, the gesture genuine even though he probably looked like an idiot. 

The temptation to leave was still rearing its head but it seemed the guy had a sale to make and honestly, wasn’t that the least Finn could do after interrupting the poor man’s whole day and maybe offending him? Uncapping his water and downing more than half of it, Finn finally nodded. “Yeah, yes. Music sounds good. Music taste is… fluid. And I most definitely do not have a vinyl player?”

Yeah, the dude needed to relax, and maybe that was a little Mateo’s fault for several reasons. Most of all, he was doing it on purpose. It was funny, and besides selling a single vinyl so far, that was the most fun Mateo had had all day. He continued his mischievous smile and watched and waited, holding back another chuckle as the gentleman in front of him let his anxiety win over. At least he liked the vibe Mateo was giving off, which meant his opportunity at making a big sale full of the music he adored was broadening. 

“Well I most definitely live by ‘fuck everything’ and ‘fuck authority,’ so I’m glad I give off that energy.” Mateo grinned and as he listened to what his anxious customer liked and lacked as far as music went, an idea began to spark. There was money to burn in his pocket, and if he could push something other than Taylor Swift out and get more people listening to something like Public Enemy. ‘The real shit,’ Mateo calls it. 

“Tell ya what,” The mare bounced his brows playfully and gestured for the young man to follow. “Don’t even worry about the record player. I’ll cut you a deal.” Mateo spoke as he walked the pair to his favorite section and plucked out the album, Black Dots by Bad Brains. He placed it adoringly into the system, moving the tonearm over for the music to burst to life on the speakers. First the gentle static, then the playful bass, and then finally, the drums. Mateo bobbed his head along, smiling. “Now, you won’t be getting a system like this, but the sound will be just as quality. And better yet, this album was peak punk back in the day. Not to mention, they’re a black punk band. They did punk the best, and you can hear the history in the sound.”

Lucky for Finn, it seemed people with anarchist vibes quite enjoyed being called out on said vibes, the shopkeeper grinning wide and maybe only a little bit at the empath’s expense. “You are very on brand, then.” Bullet seemingly dodged, Finn nodded dumbly at the mention of a deal and shuffled along behind the smiling man. Already wondering how many extra jobs he would have to scrape together after inevitably spending money he didn’t have here purely because saying no at this point would be way too awkward. Well, not purely, he did like the idea of listening to music on something other than his laptops tinny sounding speakers. 

Eyes trailed the unassuming looking record cover as it was pulled out, the band name not ringing any bells in particular. It was fitting though - ‘bad brains’ sounded like a good description for a soundtrack to Finn’s life. Sound started to filter through the speakers before Finn could voice that very astute thought to the shopkeeper, head tilting further and further with each introduction of a new instrument. It was loud, brazen - the kind of shit sixteen year old Finn would have loved to blast back at the family house to annoy his mom on one of her ‘more controlling than usual’ days. 

The hand not clutching the water bottle tapped distractedly against his thigh to the chaotic beat, mind jumping from the notes to the words, gaze focused on the spin of the record. Snapping back into his environment as the low voice cut through the music, Finn turned his attention back to the shopkeeper. “I’m not even going to pretend to know the different sorts of punk but… yeah. Hell yeah.” He held out a hand for the vinyl cover, flipping it over to look at the back and huffing out a small laugh at the song titles. “They’re great.” He couldn’t have pretended not to like it even if he’d wanted to, head subconsciously bopping along, small smile curled on his lips as the record rolled into the next song. An even more aggressive guitar strum surrounded the pair, filtering through Finn’s entire body, making him excited to blast these guys in his headphones at a volume that would threaten his hearing permanently.

Victory in sales wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, but it always felt like there was a scale, always on the verge of tipping in any one direction. Mateo often found it shifting in his favor, but nevertheless, it was always a relief to not pivot toward failure. “Now, these guys are from back in the day, ‘bout…seventies. Late seventies, I think.” Holding a finger up to ask for a moment, Mateo sifted through more records, chuckling triumphantly as he found the two other records he was looking for. 

“This album is a little old, but a little more recent, and they released a single two years back. Good shit honestly. Look ‘em up on whatever you listen to music with, but you gotta get this album, too.” He presented Hearts of Hoodlums by Whole Wheat Bread, spinning it between opposite corners. There was just one final album Mateo wanted to find, and it was only a section over. With a smile, he reached over and slid it out of the array of other records, planting it on top of Hearts of Hoodlums. “Teen Mortgage just came out with their self-titled album last month, and it’s bomb as hell. Punk revival at its finest.” 

He puffed his chest victoriously just before removing Black Dots from the player and returning it to its sleeve. When it joined the rest of the pile, Mateo placed them all in Finn’s hands and walked away to retrieve a player he’d refurbished from a storage closet. It was an older Crosley turntable he’d found that only had a few frayed wires and needed a needle replacement. After that, it was good as new, and it even still had the original box, which Mateo presented when he returned. “Thirty bucks and all of this is yours. I fixed up that turntable so it’s no big deal to pay what it was worth before. Just pay for those sweet records and spread the good word of punk.”

Finn let the music bleed into him as the clerk rifled through records, actually appreciative of the fact that there were no outside emotions spoiling the experience. Sure, a thought had passed through the semi functioning portion of his brain that so far, no emotions meant vampires but this was public and in broad daylight. Besides, eating your customers was far from a good business model. 

Nodding along as the clerk’s excitement grew with every pulled record, Finn realized this is what people normally meant when they talked about infectious excitement. The passion held for the music being displayed was hard to ignore and it definitely made the empath curious to listen. A change of pace from making a fool out of himself and applying that the guy looked like he should be a thug for hire, but a good change. Returning the genuine smile that somehow softened the man’s harsh edges, Finn couldn’t even be bothered to worry about how much money he was about to lose. “Look, the only music recs I’ve ever gotten are from my younger sister so I am putting my faith in you completely.”

The records felt nice in his hands - maybe shit like this would make the apartment at least semi less depressing. Speaking of stuff that would liven up the apartment… “Oh, dude. That’s so dope. Pretty sure my dad might have had something similar now that I think about it.” And consequently, Finn made sure to not think about it. Running a hand over the slightly frayed edges of the box, his head whipped up as it came to the payment part of the sale. “Wait, seriously? I mean, I can totally pester people about good music like nobody’s business but… are you sure?” 

Sale tactic or not, this definitely felt like a nice gesture. 

—

When a younger sister was mentioned, Mateo couldn’t help but think of his own back home. How most childhood afternoons were spent picking music and ragging on each other’s tastes. They’d skip songs, yet spend hours dancing or head banging around the room before their parents were home to tell them to turn the “noise” off. Then when it was quiet, they would make mixes, blending the music they were just making fun of because music held value, and the currency changed from person to person. 

To this day, Mateo still held on to a good handful of those old cds, and he softened with a swallow as he thought of those memories, almost thankful for the babbling idiot that was now a bit more composed than before. He chuckled, mostly to himself, but also because it was an appropriate reaction to mask the tenderness he was experiencing. “Ayo, don’t knock her tastes too quickly. Guarantee there’s at least one banger in there.” With a smug but friendly shrug, Mateo patted the records. “But…putting your faith in me is a smart move. C’mere.” He took all the items and led the two to the register, scanning each one as a mixture of reverence and awe washed across the customer’s face. That’s when Mateo knew he’d not only made a sale, but also helped someone truly listen to the message of punk. Passion, freedom, and expression. 

“I’m serious, chico. Like I said, found that thing and fixed it pretty easily. Not losing anything on it, and if it plays these records, that’s all the payment I need.” With a passionate rocker horns gesture, Mateo wrapped the records and placed them on the turntable’s box. “So gimme that thirty bucks and scram to listen to these. Oh, and, uh…” He plucked a logo sticker from the stack and planted it on top of everything. “Don’t forget to come back for another hit.”

It was hard to remember why exactly Finn had been so intimidated by the guy before. Okay, maybe not hard - he was confident and had a buzz cut and maybe looked a tiny bit scary in that way his sister definitely would have fawned over - but definitely silly. Not to say he’d want to pick a fight with the guy but in the setting of discussing music, the clerk was easy to talk to. “If there is, she’s not sharing them with me,” Finn sighed, following obediently to the register and bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

“Right! Yes, payment.” The traitorous bag was pulled off his shoulder, this time with less incident, and the crumpled bills dug out from a zipped pocket. Finn was sure he’d probably been saving that money for something but whatever it was, this literally felt more important. Maybe just a tiny bit because he wanted this guy to like him but mostly because of the music. Bills exchanged for the purchase, Finn scooped the stack into his arms with a smile. “For sure. Next job that doesn’t pay like crap, I’ll swing by straight after. Which, by the way, you ever need a coder for anything, I owe you one.” He raised the new, prized possession in his arms to cement the point before adding, “and also for not kicking me out for being an idiot.”

Starting to backtrack towards the door, careful with the record player because at the very least, he wasn’t going to break it in front of the guy that had literally just fixed it up, Finn gave a tiny wave. “See you, then. And, right, I’m Finn, if you need coding. And I am leaving now. So, uh, punk rock and all that.”

[jamie-on-fire]

@familiar-finn

location: the undercroft

time: morning

Jamie had a deck of cards and had first played solitaire and then switched to building a house of cards. He'd had to get an extra deck and it was becoming quite elaborate. He'd been quite good at this before. Houses always had a deck of cards in a drawer somewhere. He'd even made a card tower, positioning them carefully to form a turret. The other slaves observed occasionally but didn't bother him, which was nice. He wasn't sure he was up for socializing yet. it was all very ... well very something. He wasn't sure what yet.

The door to from the guards room swung open but instead of a vampire it was his 'uncle' Finn. Not his actual uncle of course, but his ... he couldn't really remember how it all worked in the witch family chart, but Finn had been the familiar of Faust and that meant they were connected. He'd been fun at parties and Jamie had realized he liked boys thanks to uncle Finn. That had been a turbulent time. He'd been about 7. "Finn?" The house of cards tumbled and fell apart, sending multiple decks flying everywhere. "Oh, feck me."

[thelizaxevans]

closed - @finnbrooks

where - sharky's

Liza was determined to have a bit of fun tonight and to not worry (for at least one hour) about leaving her baby for the first time. So while Wes was off to get them drinks (which would also be her first since before she got pregnant) Liza waited to the side, covertly texting her father just to make sure the baby was okay before she finally looked up, jumping a bit at the makeup before she let out a laugh, "And here I thought that Cocomelon show would be the thing giving me the most nightmares." She teased.

[ofembxrs]

It was hard not to get into the spirit with how contagious the atmosphere was. Dressing himself as warmly as he was able he had made his way outside, the ground covered in white powder he had come to get used to in his time there. Not his favorite, the cold being the opposite of his very nature but he did his best. With gloves on he suddenly got an idea to make a snowman, realizing he can't remember the last time he had tried to make one. Figuring before he did anything he could try to rope in someone else, would be more fun that way. Looking around he couldn't see anyone he knew which lead him on a small quest to find someone.

That quest was short lived as he was able to find Finn rather quickly, "Finn!! You don't look busy, want to come do something with me?" He'd ask, making assumptions on the others buisy-ness or lack there of from what he could see. "Not something. Help me make a snowman? I even swiped a hat and scarf from someone for it, and a carrot."

@familiar-finn

[mindful-mateo]

Mateo was definitely grateful for the suppressants this time around. It made life in the sex castle during heat week actually bearable and gave him a little more control and choice over who he jumped into bed with instead of wanting to rip everyone's clothes off. He didn't think he'd be doing that again. There was definitely one person he was more than happy to help out given what they were both going through, though, and he'd even skipped the dose of suppressants this morning just to give it that much more of an edge. There was still enough in his system since he'd been taking it for days that he wasn't completely out of control but he was a little more desperate which made him all the more eager to find who he was looking for.

When he finally spotted the familiar, he grinned. "Hola, stranger. I've been looking for you." He'd actually spent enough time with Finn now that he didn't usually get too flustered anymore, though it was still a possibility. After he'd spoken, in a move that was fairly bold for him, Mateo cupped Finn's face and kissed him, not too aggressively but the touch of their lips definitely set his heat off a little more. He lingered on it for a moment then pulled back. "Come to my suite?" He supposed it was possible Finn had other plans or something so it seemed only fair to ask.

@familiar-finn

[cheerioquinnyfab]

Quinn laughed softly, nodding at Mike.  She hadn’t expected to have as good a time at the Glee party as she was, but with Puck out of the picture the group had gelled in a new way and they had grown more tight-knit than ever.  “And so that’s when I said sure, but I’m eating for three!” the punchline produced a small wave of laughter in those around them, and she turned to find Finn approaching from her left side.

“Hey you,” she greeted, sipping from the water in her hand - alcohol was obviously off the list, and she’d already had as much caffeine as she should in one day.  “Did you see the menorah that Berry brought?  It’s very pretty.”

[chascwilliams]

outside ocean crest apartments w/ @finnbrooks

Chase didn't know where she lived. He walks up towards the crowded area, his gaze frantically glancing around to see if he can spot her but his dark orbs find someone else — Finn Brooks. "Hey!" He slips by a few people. "Dude. You alright? What the hell happened?"

[ithinkitscami]

closed starter for: @finnbrooks // location: coffee? // the rain check after the literal rain

Who knew that the town would’ve been blasted by the skies because Camille sure didn’t when she had agreed on grabbing coffee over the weekend with Finn. Maybe it was a sign? They were usually that literal. She was happy to find that Driftwood didn’t take too much damage from the storm. It did look a little shabbier, but that didn’t hurt the aesthetic she liked about it.

She had agreed to meet Finn at 2pm and she was about seven minutes late. Oops. She pushed the door open, seeing faces a few, and the smell of coffee always strong. Her eyes scanned the place before she spotted the man. She waved at him and made her way towards him, "I hope you haven't ordered without me." She couldn't decide to stay standing or sit, but they'd have to get back up to order so she stayed put. "How have you been since I last saw you?"

[thewrenxharlow]

closed - @finn-brooks

where - sharky's

Wren had moved outside to get some air and to have a smoke, absently looking around at the others doing the same when she caught what she thought was maybe a familiar figure- even if the makeup caught her a bit off guard. Blowing out a puff of smoke though, she walked over just the same, and even with the costume- and with not having spent time with him lately- she still knew it was him. "Can't believe I used to let the babadook fuck me."