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The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is... kind of unnerving after hours. At least in this part of the hospital, away from patient rooms. The halls are mostly empty save for the occasional sound of footsteps echoing softly, the distant beeping of machinery.
Finley is inside one of the labs, hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing a lab coat, gloves, mask. They stand in front of a table, working through running some blood tests--the smell easy enough to detect by Kindred passing by the room.
Sure enough, the visitor doesn't have much trouble sniffing out his prey. Squick prowls through the hospital in their baggy coat and on vintage Chucks; when there isn't any kine around, they make exaggerated steps and holds their arms like a T-Rex, the ultimate master spy. She leans around every corner as one does in every suspenseful movie, and creeps toward the lab at last. He raises his claws (fingers) towards the door, reaching out....and knocking with both fists. "CANDYGRAM!"
The sudden knock makes Finley jolt in surprise, straightening up to look at the door. They blink, hesitating when they don't hear the sound of a heartbeat. (Unless Squick is Blushed.) Bemused, they set down the sample they're working on and move over to the door, opening it enough to peer through.
And there is Squick, beaming ear to ear with both arms spread so wide that their scrawny bird chest sticks out. She's not blushed; wearing a slouchy sort of jacket with all sorts of patches on it. Skinny jeans with the knees ripped out. Little more than a black band around his chest. Their hair is several vibrant shades - green, blues, purples - over colorless roots and in a asymmetric undercut with half shaved. They are white - more accurately, they look as though they have been leached of any color, save the florid hair, tattoos, and piercings. Most of all, Squick just looks fake. Their eyes are matte black, except a a colored iris that's a feral shade of gold. His skin is glossy smooth and looks almost 3D printed. The piercings in the face help, but cannot distract from just how symmetrically perfect their features are. Despite a huge grin, there are no smile lines, no wrinkles in the smooth plastic. Plastic? No, surely it must be skin...
Finley blink-blinks, staring for a moment. They clearly don't recognize him and have no idea who she is, so--there's a few seconds of just... awkward before Finley steps back, looking a little cautious. But giving Squick room to step inside. "H-hi...?" zhe murmurs, lisp thick with nervousness.
Fin sure doesn't look like a Galloi. It's blatantly obvious that if their bloodline has awakened, zhe hasn't been blood bathing. Zher skin is splotchy and pale with a sickly parlor, circles under their eyes, hair limp and dull.
"Hi." Their voice is this smoky-tenor-phone-sex-champion sort of deal that's really working for Squick. "I'm London's kid too. I heard he was dead, and you were here, so here I am."
Just the mention of his name is enough to spark wide-eyed terror in the younger Galloi. Zhe backpedals quickly, stepping further away until their back is nearly pressed to the wall of the lab, looking at Squick with a mixture of shock and... fear. After all, the only experience Finley has ever had with family has been... very bad.
"W-what do you want?" zhe mutters, voice soft and panicked.
Squick's expression immediately melts with empathy; she turns soothing and sincerely concerned, taking a step back to assume a non-threatening posture. "Oh no, honey! Don't be afraid, I'm here because I was excited to meet you! We survived that cuntduster!"
Finley stares for a few seconds, eyes searching. Afraid to be hopeful, but the panic slowly fades from their posture. "Y..you... too...?" they ask in a tiny voice.
Squick's smile softens, radiating sincere empathy. "Me too," he confirms. "You got nothing to be afraid of from me. Promise." They hold up two fingers in the traditional Vampire Scout pledge.
"Oh..." The fear melts away, but zhe continues to stare wide-eyed at them. "I... have a broodmate? Really? Where... were you?" The question isn't accusing, just curious.
"Yeah, isn't it rad? I was in New York City. I would've come sooner, I just didn't really know about you." Squick dances from foot to foot, doing some sort of little soft-shoe right there on the linoleum. "Can I come into your secret volcano lair or what?"
"How did you find out about me?" Finley asks with a little tilt of their head. A blink, then their eyes crease into what might be a smile behind the mask. "Um--sure, yeah... Just... don't touch anything, please..."
"I promise I won't touch anything," Squick solemnly swears, eyes round. "Not even if it blinks flashy lights and makes cool noises."
Finley giggles a little, watching Squick now with open fascination. Zher arms cross over their chest loosely while they stare. "I'm... Finley Adams."
"I'm just Squick," they reply, shrugging off their jacket; both skinny, white arms are covered in bright tattoos. Squick's attention roams over the lab, lips forming an O. "Whoooa. This is awesome."
Finley looks over the tattoos quickly, then blinks at Squick's reaction. "...You think so...?"
"Fuck yeah! Look at all this cool shit!" Squick flails their arms in both directions. "Which test is your favorite test? Or which machine is your favorite?" Squick plants their hands on their hips, striking a pose not unlike Peter Pan.
If there's one way to immediately win Fin over, it's by asking about their job. Finley perks up a bit, then gives a quick look around to consider the equipment. "Um..." (ONE MIN I GOTTA GOOGLE SHIT)
"I... I don't know if I have a favorite test but--I guess CBC? Er, Complete Blood Count. It's... really basic but it measures the types and numbers of different blood cells and is where you usually will first notice any disorders or abnormalities. Which--is the part I like. Studying blood that is unusual... S-so mostly I guess it's a bit boring, but when it's not boring, it's really not boring?" Finley mutters in a rush shyly.
"Um... that one is pretty neat," they murmur, pointing to a simple box-shaped machine. "It's a Thermo Ion Proton DNA RNA Sequencer. ...It extracts DNA."
Squick prances over to the DNA box, hands on their knees to look at it closely. "Whoa. That's rad. I mean, a CBC is still really good to have; they can be pretty exciting, like if somebody's white count is like...fifty, and the doctor shits her pants." Squick grins back over their shoulder at Finley.
Zhe blinks, eyes going wide again. "You... know this stuff?" Zher arms uncross, stepping closer.
"Only kind of," Squick admits, snickering. "In a weird way. I'm a night doctor - don't tell everyone in town or I'll never get any peace - but my teacher was a real doctor; he taught me about labs and stuff."
"You're a Night Doctor?" Finley blurts out with a loud gasp, hands lifting to curl against zher chest.
Squick beams, brows lifting; they spread both arms, and then drop into a bow from the waist in a boneless dive. "Dr. J, at your service. I wanted to go by Dr. Dre but it seemed disrespectful."
Finley bursts into giggles again, staring starry-eyed. "I've always wanted to learn Night Doctor techniques..." Alas, they aren't a Carthian.
Squick brightens, perking up. "Oh, are you a Carthian? I could teach you! It's one of my favorite things to do. And I can help out people who can't go to the hospital, too. Just like. Regular people."
"Oh, no..." zhe replies, sheepishly. "I'm in the Ordo Dracul..."
"Baller," Squick exclaims, bumping his brows. "That shit is dope. I mean, Dracula being real? Blew my fucking mind." They raise both long-fingered hands, making exploding motions at either side of their head. It's easy to guess that there's very little Squick does not find awesome, rad, or dope.
More giggling, the Nosferatu's demeanor brightening, seeming delighted. "I don't know if he was real or not, but... m-maybe. I just... I like the idea of... changing myself, and--and occult science."
"Oh, word," Squick agrees. "You get to go all Doc Frankenstein on shit, but like. In a non-fucked-up way." A pause, and then: "Okay, a less fucked up way. And it isn't really fucked up if it means someone can change themselves, for real."
"I don't experiment on people," Finley replies a little too quickly and defensively, mood dimming momentarily.
"Oh right, and that," Squick bobs their head. "See? Less fucked-up!" Squick's brows rise as they grin, giving Finley a double-thumbs up.
Finley falls quiet, just staring for a few seconds. "...Are you really just here to meet me...?"
Squick stares blankly for a moment, confusion seeping into their features. "Well...yeah. Why wouldn't I?"
Zher gaze drops to stare sheepishly at the floor, arms crossing again. "Are you planning on staying, or... just... visiting?"
"Oh! Well...I was planning on staying, if that's okay with you?" Their expression and tone turn gentle again. "I promise - I am nothing like London."
"It's okay with me," Finley blurts out quickly, but still looks at the floor.
"Oh, sweet! Yeah, I mean, I don't know many people in NYC, so I figured, why not?" Squick shrugs, picking up their coat to tie around their waist.
Finley nods faintly, giving a shy glance back up at them. "I... wanna know everything about you. How... old are you? Did you live in New York City for very long? How did... ...How did you get away?"
"Oh! Wow, okay," she enthuses, moving to hop up and sit criss-cross on a table. "Uh, let's see...I'm twenty-nine, total. I've only been like this for like...ten years or so. I was born and raised in New York City; Upper East Side," he says, but it's with a wrinkled nose and a tongue sticking out at the end. She sobers, though, obviously thinking about their sire and all the experiences he provided. "Well, a couple other Kindred helped me," they admit, voice a murmur. "I mean - you know what he was like, obviously. And honestly, the Movement helped me realize I was strong enough to get away. I mean, he did a fucking number on me. Had a trauma bond to that fucker so hard; he basically just stepped in to take over where my mom left off."
Finley tenses briefly, but once they check that Squick isn't at risk of touching or knocking anything over, they calm and just stare, eyes wide and curious. But as Squick speaks of their sire, Finley's eyes fill with sad sympathy. "Me too... I'm... glad you got away... Did he... come here after New York? He... never talked about his past, any."
"Yeah, I think he bailed for here when it got around that he was a huge piece of shit," Squick nods. "He never talked to me about his past either - what year were you Embraced?"
"Less than a year ago," Finley admits. "Late last Summer. Though I... he ghouled me, for a few months, before that..."
"Oh, then yeah - he came here after. Or somewhere inbetween here and there." He shakes his head. "What a fucker. What happened to him? How did you get away?"
Finley looks away, shoulder sinking a little. "He... he was taking... a lot of people. To many. People were... noticing. Someone tipped off the Invictus and they investigated him--he was breaking the Masquerade too much. They... raided his haven and found... me." Their weight shifts between zher feet uncomfortably. "It's illegal to embrace without permission, here. He was... found and put to final death."
Squick's cheeks puff out; she releases a slow sigh. "Wow. I'm glad they didn't put you down too. Seems like things are a little different here - in all the best ways."
"Things are good here," zhe agrees, nodding. "They didn't blame me for anything. I... I was blood bonded, so I couldn't... I couldn't say no. Everyone has been kind. I was adopted into a family that took care of me and got me back on my feet."
Squick beams at that, appearing a little relieved by the outcome. "Oh, good. Very good. I took in with the Sakima's family."
"Really?" Finley looks surprised but pleased that they had already joined a family. "That's good. She seems... nice. But intimidating. I joined Ashtifar. Tahmina adopted me. She's really nice..."
"Nice but intimidating, yeah," Squick agrees, a broad grin stretching their features. "That's why I went with her."
Zher head tilts a little, before nodding. "She told you I work here?"
"Yep." Squick unfurls skinny legs, swinging them back and forth. "I told her why I was here and all that, said I wanted to find you - for good reasons, not nefarious ones, natch."
"Good. How long have you been in town? Do... you have somewhere to stay...?"
"Oh yeah, I got a place before I moved!" They wave a hand. "It's temporary but okay for now. I want to get like, a sick brownstone where I can put my shop on one floor and just live on the other."
"Shop?" A curious blink.
"Yeah!" Squick tugs down their jacket to show their inked arm; they tap the skin with a grin. "I'm a tattoo artist. I do piercings, too."
"Really?" Finley gasps, going starry-eyed again. "That's so cool... Did you do any of those yourself? Can I see..?"
"Yeah, of course!" She shrugs out of the coat and tosses it aside again, arms bared. With just the little tube-top on, Squick is inked a lot; he has tattoos scrawled up both sides of his abdomen, both arms, a full back tattoo, and one on the nape of his neck. The fingers on the left hand have tattooed bands, and across the span between knuckles she has the words "Hold Fast" letter by letter.
Finley steps closer, leaning in to shyly look over the tattoos. They take their time, looking over one arm than the other, their back, her chest and neck--not touching, but stare with open fascination."
Squick holds perfectly still so that Finley can explore, still smiling. "I designed the one on my neck, and I've got a koi on my leg that I did myself. The person I learned from did my sleeves, and spots I couldn't reach."
"They're so pretty..." Finley murmurs appreciatively. "Which is your favorite?" zhe asks, after a while of looking.
Squick scrunches their mouth to the side, contemplative; finally, they jerk a thumb over their shoulder. "Probably my back. It took a really long time, I had it done before I died. Purely to just piss off my mother. I kept it hidden for months, I was going to reveal it at this really important event." Squick grins gleefully at the memory. "Never got a chance, but I still like it. It was a way to just....lie down, close my eyes, and ride the endorphins."
Finley gives a curious glance at the mention of their mother, but doesn't question. But they move back around to her back to peer at the tattoos there.
"It's really cool..."
"Thanks! It's a sugar skull to honor my nanny; she pretty much raised me, and when she died I was pretty fucked up. She would tell me all about her traditions and what was important to her, so I figured I wanted to keep something with me."
"Culture?" Finley steps back around to their front, peering at her. "Mexican?"
"Yeah!" Squick bobs her head, hopping back up onto their perch. "She was Latina, from around Guadalajara."
"I'm sorry you lost her," Finley murmurs. "She sounds nice..."
"Oh, she was super great," Squick nods. "She was my real mom, for sure. She's probably the only reason I'm not Patrick Bateman-Barbie, for real."
They don't seem to quite get the reference of Patrick Bateman-Barbie, but it sure doesn't sound good. "W-well... Um... you seem really cool and... like you're happy, now, so... I'm sure she'd... be happy."
"Yeah, I'm sure she'd be happy. Maybe not that I'm a vampire, but I'm a good vampire." Squick's eyes widen as he nods emphatically. "No like, seriously, I'm really good at being a vampire." Squick dissolves into a grin, pressing both fists to their mouth to try and smother their laughter.
Finley's head tilts a little, curious. They seem to be taking her seriously. "What do you think makes a good vampire?"
"I have a list," Squick explains. "Ready? Awesome. Number 1 -I'm pale as fuck. Check. Number 2 - I have creepy predator eyes," Squick explains, leaning forward to hold apart their eyelids on both eyes, just in case Finley can't see the evidence. "Check. Number 3! I can put vampires back together like whoa. I can even make 'em look better than they did before. I meet all your surgical and transformational needs. Bam." He thrusts up another finger. "And last but not least, I drink blood to stay alive. Kind of a big qualifier, but it's also sort of a no-brainer."
Finley is... perhaps taking all this too seriously, watching their older broodmate with an intent stare, nodding along lightly as things are listed off. But the mention of putting people back together and making them better makes zhem perk even more. "How do you make them better?"
Squick glances one way and then the other, as if checking for any snitches. He leans in, eyes wide. "I make them bionic," Squick whispers.
There's a few seconds of silence as Finley stares. "...Really?"
"No," Squick whispers, eyes still wide; she slowly shakes her head from side to side. "Not at all." They break into a wide, impish, irresistable grin.
"...Oh..." Finley's shoulders slump, looking embarrassed for being so gullible. Zhe looks away, uncertain if Squick is making fun of them.
Squick's expression flickers with alarm; he edges out one foot to nudge at Finley. "Hey, I'm just being silly. Don't be sad."
Finley nods faintly, shifting their weight nervously between their feet for a moment, eyes still downcast but looking less embarrassed. "...Can... I hug you?"
"Holy crap, I thought you were never going to ask," Squick squeals; she hurls herself off the table to tacklehug Finley with a peal of laughter.
Zhe yelps softly in surprise when tacklehugged, but it's not an unpleasant reaction. Zhe's tense, shy and nervous, but zher arms lift to wrap around him to cling to tightly. Definitely got some Vigor in em.
"Siblings don't shake hands. Siblings hug," Squick announces, giving Fin a squeeze. Their skinny frame has all the power of a sea cucumber.
Finley holds them tight against zher chest, head dipping, eyes squeezing tightly closed. "Please stay," zhe murmurs softly, voice a bit shaky. As if Finley were worried he might change his mind and run away.
"Aw, Fin," she murmurs, her low voice remarkably soothing. "I won't go anywhere, I promise. Pinky promise, even. What do you need? You seem...I'm not sure what. Sad? Do you want me to stay here while you work? Or stay with you in a house? I can do those things, just don't be bummed out, okay?"
"No, just... stay. In Philly," zhe murmurs, pulling back slowly, head dipped sheepishly. "I never thought I'd have family. Blood family, I mean..." A beat pause. "You can stay here, while I work, though. I... probably should finish those tests before it gets too late, but. Um. Stay? We can talk more while I work..."
"Oh yeah, sure! I do plan to stay here, no worries." Squick puts a hand on Fin's shoulder, using it to stand on tippy-toe and lay a smacking kiss on Finley's cheek. "Welp! Now you do. Yeah, I can stay here while you work! Just don't let me distract you or anything."
Zher head hobs, offering a grateful look. The kiss makes them look very flustered, and they quickly step back over to the test station. The gloves are changed out for fresh ones before they get back to work. "Could... I watch you, some day, doing your Night Doctor stuff?"
"Oh heck yeah! I mean, hopefully I won't need to do anything, but people always run into a little trouble. But yeah, absolutely. You just gotta wear a mask. It's kinda this whole thing, if a bunch of people find out you're a night doc, you never get any damn peace. But it's okay, I can get you a mask like mine."
"I don't mind wearing a mask. I always wear one, anyway." With a gesture to the mask they're wearing now--though currently it's a more medical grade one, not a cute cloth one.
"No no, you get to wear like a superhero mask," Squick explains, speaking with both spindly hands waving. "One time I wore a luchador mask. That was pretty fun. Kinda hard to see, though. Which sort of defeats the whole purpose of...having a surgeon who can see, so...it didn't go well."
Finley giggles, nodding, but then focuses on their work.
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