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Finley's apartment building doesn't look any different, save for the flower beds outside looking more vibrant and colorful with Spring flowers. When Phaedra texts to let zhem know she is there, zhe hurries up the stairs and to the front door to let her in. Zhe's wearing a simple hoodie with cargo pants--comfy for lounging around, and right now has on a mask. "H-hey!" zhe greets, clearly excited to see her.
Phaedra has a plastic shopping bag in one hand, and is wearing a crossbody purse with a familiar little sheep poking its head out of the top, and she hasn't stopped to steal flowers this time, but there's a few leaves tangled in her braid tonight anyway. As she sees Finley, she lights up in a brilliant grin. "I brought you a thing."
Finley beams when zhe notices the stuffed lamb, reaching out to give it's head a little pat-pat before blinking wide-eyed at Phaedra. "You did?"
She hands zhem the bag, nodding. "Yep!" Inside is a rather odd looking deady bear.
Finley accepts the bag shyly, peeking within--then lets out a squealy squeak of delight when they see the bear. "Ohmygosh!" They pull it out, holding it up to stare at. "It's so cute!"
"I thought about getting you one with teeth, but this one seemed better. You can even put things in the gash in the front and pull them out like you're doing an autopsy." She grins, watching the reaction.
They do, indeed, poke their finger into the gash on the chest, making another delighted sound afterwards. "I love it!" Zhe steps in quickly, pulling her into a tight hug. "Thank you so much, you... you didn't need to do this, but that's adorable."
When the bear is taken out of the bag, the bag is not empty--there's a folder with some papers left inside.
Phaedra laughs warmly. "I wanted to do it. What else am I doing with the tarot reading money?"
"You could be buying stuff for yourself..." Zhe pulls back after a moment, pausing to look back into the bag. "What's this...?" The papers are pulled out to peer at, the bear held carefully in the crook of zher arm.
"Rules for the neonates' union. Mr. Washington's trying to recruit me, and it seems like a good idea given..." an all-encompassing gesture "...but it'd be even better if you join with me."
"Oh." Finley blinks down at the papers for a moment, then up at Phaedra. "I... never really considered it. The Ordo has always protected me. You.. think I should join?"
"I think it's worth considering, at least. You don't have to decide right now, just read up and think about it. If I hadn't asked Mr. Washington for the folder, Eyrgjafa woulda grabbed it for you, for what that's worth."
The mention of Eyrgjafa endorsing the decision clearly makes an impression, their gaze turning more thoughtful as they look the papers over. "Mmm... I'll read it over. B-but... Um... if you're doing it, and want me too--I... I'd like to."
"Alright, then. And that's it for business I had today. Beyond that, I was just planning to hang out. Maybe borrow your shoulder again." She giggles.
Finley gives her a shy look, head dipping briefly. "Mm... I wouldn't mind that..." Zhe steps over to the couch to settle down on, setting the bag and papers aside on the coffee table. The bear gets held in zher lap, though. "How have you been? It feels like... it's been forever. I'm sorry I haven't texted much. Um... I've... missed you."
"I've been...keeping busy. I'm going to be reading tarot cards at a club, working with another Acolyte. One of my friends is draying a new deck of cards. Trying to keep an eye on the fishcourse and the situation with Rihat, he's probably what's been eating neonates."
She sits down beside zhem and leans in--maybe more like 'flumphs against zhem', honestly, closing her eyes.
"Also I met a willworker who let me eat one of her chickens."
The Nosferatu doesn't pull away, though does watch her nervously for a few seconds, almost seeming to tune out briefly before blinking back to the conversation.
"At... a club? What sort of club?" Zhe shifts a little, getting comfortable enough to lean back into her. "I haven't heard anything new about Rihat, other than people getting eaten. It'd... make sense. I've been trying to be really careful when traveling alone."
Zhe's quiet for a few seconds. "...Huh?"
"A Victorian occult burlesque club. Run by Rhea, if you've met her." She smiles, and closes her eyes. "And..the willworker, um. A mortal who does magick-y things, but not just through ritual, through force of will. The chicken tasted really good. Its blood, I mean. She ate the rest of it in chicken soup and even let me help cook it."
"Oh! Um, I've been there once. It was... nice..." Finley hesitates, going quiet for.... some reason, but the moment passes. "Rhea seems nice. She's family. But I haven't gotten to know her very well yet. I... uh ...Huh. She sounds... nice?" Finley blinks. "What sort of magic could she do?"
"She's very nice. A bit overbearing, but she's good people." She chuckles softly. "The willworker? I...don't actually know all what she can do. It felt primal somehow. She reminded me of a big bear, which is funny because I Auspected her because I thought she might be a werewolf."
"I'd like to get my hands on werewolf blood," Finley murmurs, a little... dreamily? "Rhea is a bit overbearing... She said she was gonna... give me lessons. To um. Be better at romance, or something." Zher nose wrinkles a little before zhe glances back at her. "Primal... that's fascinating."
"...romance? Is there someone who you want to learn how to romance?" She sits up a little to look at zhem.
"Uh." Finley's eyes go wide, suddenly panicked. "N-no... Not--not how she would want me to romance people, anyway, I'm pretty sure..."
"Oh. Okay. Yeah, she's...um. A sexual being." There's a small laugh.
"...Yeah, it's... um." Zhe grimaces. "That's not me."
"Me either? Me either." She pauses. "I, uh, liked holding hands with you, last time. It could be nice to do that again."
Zhe hesitates for a moment, then offers zher hand out tentatively to her. "I... I really liked it, too."
She places her hand in zher's and squeezes lightly.
Finley's hand is cold and clammy, but zhe squeezes in return. "Do... you mind if I take my mask off?"
"I never mind. I like your face. I like your you." She hasn't bothered to blush either.
While Finley isn't blushed, that certainly brings about a very flustered look. Zhe slips off the mask with zher other hand, setting it aside on the couch. "I... like your you, too."
She looks at zher face, doesn't flinch away from the teeth, and smiles. "Well, alright then."
Finley can't quite meet her eyes at this point, glancing to the side nervously. "Um... Are... you going to wear a cute costume, when you do your tarot readings?"
"Some sort of a costume, don't know what yet. Rhea promised mine doesn't need to be very revealing. I'm hoping for something maybe beaded with veils? Look all mysterious, do my makeup to make my eyes look even bigger..."
There's a notable exhale of relief when Finley hears that she won't have to dress revealingly, head bobbing a bit. "That... sounds really awesome. You're going to look so cool and pretty... I'll come see you! Um, I still want my cards read by you, sometime."
"I can definitely do that. I want to do that, for you. Though I don't have a deck on me right now"
"That's f-fine! I didn't mean--it doesn't need to be right now, I'm good like this, too." Zher hand squeezes her's gently, glancing back at her. "I'd rather wait, anyway--it sounds like it'd be... um... fun? To do it while you're all dressed up and looking cute..."
"Yeah, I think it will be." She squeezes back. "I don't know how much of a spooky persona I'm going to have, to fit the theme, but it seems like it'd be fun, you know? To play into it all a little."
"I'm sure you're gonna do great... I don't think it'd take much to do that. You're already um..." Finley hesitates. "I mean... you're not scary, b-but--you're... mysterious and... cool."
"Cool?" She seems actively confused to have that label stuck on her, blinking a few times in rapid succession.
"...Yes?" Finley murmurs, now unsure if that was the right thing to say. "You're... smart and sweet and really mysterious..."
"I don't think anyone's ever called me cool before." She smiles softly. "It's...not something I'm trying to be, but it's alright. And I know I'm not really smart. Not like you are or Eyrgjafa is."
"You're clever and inquisitive and perceptive. That's sometimes rarer than just being book smart..."
"Well. I mean. Anyone could be inquisitive. I think a lot of the older folks forget how to ask stupid questions, or worry too much about looking stupid for asking questions maybe." She shrugs and settles into Finley further, shifting her grip so her fingers are laced with zher's.
"I guess..." Finley watches her a moment, then turns so zhe's sitting more sideways facing her, so zhe can wrap zher arm around her to hold her. While still holding her hand. "Do you still want me to tutor you?"
"Yes, definitely. A few other people have offered to help, too. I...kind of want to try to get my GED, eventually. But it's going to take a lot of work. I'm not even really sure where to start."
"I'd like to help. I'll do research and find some good books to help, and some exercises to help you learn. It... it'll be fun!" Well, Finley thinks so, anyway. Neeerd.
"With you helping? It'll definitely be fun." Slightly different focus there, huh?
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Very. Not that Finley is complaining. Zhe smiles--what little lips zhe has pulling back to show more of those monstrous sharp teeth, rather than forcing zher mouth to start as closed and hidden as possible. "I'll order books as soon as possible, so we can get started." Zhe hesitates, staring a second. "Um... Do... you mind if I play with your h-hair...?"
She quietly plucks the string of yarn securing her braid off. "Go ahead. I didn't really brush it when I got up this evening. I don't always take the time to."
Finley just stares for a moment, then lifts zher hand to give the faintest of brushes over her hair with zher fingertips. Zhe swallows, then starts to touch more fully, brushing zher long fingers through her hair slowly. Zhe doesn't seem to mind the tangles, but is gentle with them. "Your hair is so pretty... I always wanted long pretty hair like yours."
"Really? I never really cared one way or the other about it. You could wear wigs, see how you'd look with long hair, if you wanted." She relaxes under the gentle touch, closing her eyes.
"I feel like I'd look... silly?" Finley murmurs. "I kind of... wish I could pick and choose what I could make Pretty. It's kind of nice, having shiny nice hair."
"Maybe there's some sort of way to learn to. A devotion you don't know yet or something? Maybe." Her eyes open and she looks up at zhem, before reaching out to touch zher cheek.
"Maybe..." Zher brows crease a little in thought. "Some sort of... hair treatment made from vitae, rather than just... um... bathing..." Zher thoughts cut short at the touch, dark eyes flitting to meet her's, freezing in place.
She pulls her hand away and glances down. "I'm sorry."
Finley doesn't reply for a long second or two, before swallowing. "It's... it's okay... really."
"Are you sure? I don't want to scare you or hurt you or upset you." She dares peek up at zher face again.
Zhe lets out a sudden soft laugh that comes out a bit too squeaky. "I... don't think you could ever scare me, Phaedra. Um. Or--at least--I trust that you... wouldn't."
And that's when she leans in and very gently kisses zher cheek, before pulling back to watch the reaction.
The Nosferatu bursts into sudden nervous giggles that sound more strangled than anything, because they are also mortified by this reaction but can't... stop. Zher hand lifts from where it was resting on her back to clamp over zher mouth to try to muffle them. "S-sorry... I'm--sorry, mm..."
"Just as long as those are happy giggles and you're not, like...trying not to cry or something. You don't have to be sorry."
"N-no! I'm not--no, not crying," Finley says in a rush, keeping zher hand over zher mouth. "I'm... very happy," zhe adds in a whisper soft voice. "H-how could I not be happy..?"
She lightly takes zher head and leans it in, resting her own forehead against zhers. "I just had to check. I want for you to be happy."
Zher hand stays covering zher mouth at first, but zher face relaxes after a moment. Zher droopy eyes half lid, staring at her. "Mm... I... I am," zhe murmurs. "Y-you make me... really happy..." Zher hand slowly lowers, then zher head tilts. Zhe seems afraid to try to kiss her--not with that mess of sharp teeth, so instead press zher cheek lightly against her's for a brief, light nuzzle.
That seems a very acceptable alternative, the nuzzle gently reciprocated. "Good. I'm happy when I see you happy. I like being around you."
Finley melts all at once into her, like puppet strings suddenly cut. Zher arms wrap around her to hug her close, cheek pressing against her shoulder. "Do I make you happy..?"
"Yes. Yes, very much." Her arms wrap around zhem in turn, rubbing zher back lightly. "You're amazing, Finley. You make me feel so much less alone."
"Y-you make me feel the same way," zhe murmurs, squeezing tighter. Finley is surprisingly strong despite zher scrawny frame. Or maybe not too surprising, being a Nosferatu. "You don't ever gotta feel alone anymore."
"Nor do you. Okay? Not alone, not horrible, not broken. You're just perfect to be here right now. You're just perfect to hold me." She lets out a sigh, relaxing into zher embrace completely.
It's a good thing Finley isn't Blushed right now, cause zhe would definitely be crying. Instead zhe just looks overwhelmed with emotion, zher body trembling as zhe holds on tight to Phaedra, like she might turn to smoke and fade away at any moment. "Y-you're so good and pretty and nice and perfect," zhe blubbers out in a rush. No fancy words, but the emotions are genuine.
"Oh, Fin." And then Phaedra falls silent, just...just holding on for a while, relishing the closeness, the connection. Shhh, she needs this. They both need this.
Finley is quietly grateful to not have to speak for a while, because anything coming out of zher mouth anytime soon is going to just be blubbered nonsense. There's more light nuzzles against her shoulder or neck, even once again at her actual cheek. Otherwise zhe just holds her, zher grip eventually loosening to a more comfortable pressure. Light touches against her back and hair, less tentative now and more... just gentle, as if she were a fragile little bird zhe was holding.
She does, at one point, kiss again at zher cheek and zher ear. Feather-light, soft.
Phaedra kissing zhem brings about more soft giggles, but less strangled and manic this time. Just happy and soft, relishing the moment rather than trying to fight against it.
It's some time later when Finley eventually breaks the silence, voice soft and at ease. "There's... um... someone I'd... like you to meet. Sometime. If you want to? I think you'd like them..."
"Oh? Sure...who are they?" Her own voice sounds a little dreamy.
"Their name is Calamity. They're human. Um. But they're psychic. If that would bring back bad memories or whatever, it's okay... But they're... kind of my best friend. I think."
"I...don't think it would bring up anything bad. What...what type of psychic are they? Are they safe, being a psychic? Does anyone know about them?"
It's weird seeing her go protective, isn't it?
"They can, um, control fire," Finley replies, watching her carefully. "I... I don't think anyone else knows about them. I've not told anyone else who they are. Well... no Kindred, anyway. There's this... gang, that is... taking advantage of them, I think... But Calamity claims they don't know about their powers."
"Taking advantage of them?" She puffs up somewhat. "That's awful."
"It is... I... don't know what to do about it, really. Um. I think Calamity believes that they... are indebted to them. Owe them. Cause the gang took them in. I think they ran away from... a really bad situation," Finley murmurs. "They don't... seem to be abusing them or anything. But... I dunno... It still worries me."
"...I want to meet them. Okay? I want to meet them, because they're your friend, but also because I know a bit about really bad situations."
Zhe frowns, nodding slowly. "Okay. I think they will like you, too... and... they could use more friends." They all could, granted. "I'll introduce you."
"Right. Good. Do...you know Rena, yet? She's another one of us who's pretty new and young. And she's... rough. But...good. She's very good. She gave me my very first comic book, and wants to get me caught up on pop culture. And maybe some other things, too."
Finley looks torn, but clearly recognizes the name. "Um, yeah. I met her the other day. She's... she's really cool. Um. But can be a little..." Zhe hesitates. "Yeah. Rough. I think she means well, though... I'm glad she was nice to you." Zhe blinks, then smiles--which just looks gruesome with the teeth. "We're gonna try to convince some of the older people to watch Twilight with us. Erm--do you know what that is?"
"She said it's a classic film about vampires and love. Which sounds a little sappy, but I guess I could be into that." Clearly, someone is completely ignorant.
Zhe blinks, then bursts into giggles. "It's... not really a classic film... The first one came out, um... like... ten or eleven years ago? So--old, but not that old. But um, yeah, it's... a romance, but it's... really bad. Like... hilariously bad..."
"Oh. Wait wh--ooooooh." And then she laughs as well, giddily. "Oh that's going to be awful to show everyone then."
"It's sooo bad! The vampires sparkle! It's awful..." Zher head shakes, grinning. "Watching really bad vampire movies is fun sometimes, though... I convinced this really old guy to watch Underworld, too. Which... is also really bad. But awesome at the same time. Everyone is dressed up like they're going to a goth club... Cause that's totally what vampires all look like."
"I, uh. Haven't seen a lot of movies. Rena wants to teach me, about things like that, and comics and TV shows. I'm kind of excited. I've never...you know. Had the normal life, and someone catching me up on those things without treating me like weird for not-knowing helps."
Finley perks up. "Yeah? I like movies. And video games. Have you... ever played a video game?"
She shakes her head. "They kinda look like they'd be fun. But. I'd need someone to teach me."
"Do... you wanna try, now..?" Finley asks shyly, trying not to look too excited--but they definitely are excited.
She nods. "Sure. Yeah. That'd be neat."
Finley slips away from her and bounces up to zher feet, moving over to crouch in front of the entertainment system. "Umm... I have a few games I think you would like! Dragon Age is a fantasy game where you're fighting this evil magic force called darkspawn--you can play an elf or dwarf and other stuff--or there's Assassin's Creed--this one is set in ancient greece, and you go around being sneaky and bringing down empires and fighting mythical creatures... Or there's Final Fantasy, and you can explore this huge world and play with other people online..."
"All of those sound really good. I kinda like the idea of the one with the magic and the darkspawn. I always wanted to be an elf." Of course, the options show that Finley's about to get a lesson in how much of an actual learned skill video game literacy is.
"Okay!" Finley puts in Dragon Age, then moves back to sit down beside her. "I'll get the game going for you..." Finley loads up a new game, then starts (as gently as possible) to lead her through the character creation, showing her how she can customize the elf.
She...will literally spend almost until dawn on customization if Finley doesn't hurry her along.
Does she seem to be having fun customizing her character?
Oh, very much so! As if it's a game in itself, trying to pick the absolute perfect eye color.
Then Finley just watches adoringly, not hurrying her along at all. Though when it comes time to customizing stat-effecting things, they do offer advice for how the different choices will impact things and see which sort of style play she'd prefer. Though... that likely goes over her head. Finley has played it enough to understand the strategy perhaps too much.
She ends up building a very pretty elf mage with fucking fuchsia eyes and bluuuuuuue hair. As you do.
They're perfect.
Though then it's almost dawn. Finley glances towards a clock on a shelf, then back at her. "It's... getting pretty late... D-do you, um. Wanna stay? I don't want you to get caught out in the sun."
"Are...are you serious, I could stay over with you?" She looks delighted at the idea.
Finley blinks, a little surprised by the reaction--but nods quickly. "Mm, yeah. If you want..? The bedroom doesn't have windows, if you'd rather stay in there--but the windows in here are triple covered so no light gets in."
"I...want to sleep next to you. Wherever you end up. Holding your hand, maybe."
Finley's brain short circuits briefly, overwhelmed by :gayheck:.
"I... I'd really like that," zhe manages to eventually mumble out, oh so very flustered.
"Perfect, then." She nods. "That sounds like a plan, then, now."
"Th-then, um, I can show you the basics of how to play--and we can do that until dawn, then go to bed. And if you want to play more when we wake you, you can!"
"That sounds like a plan." She grins. "This was a really good night. Thank you so much."
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