trying my best

NAME: Finneas Sullivan

NICKNAME(S): Finn

AGE: Thirty

BIRTHDAY: TBD.

GENDER IDENTIFICATION: Cis Man (he/him)

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: TBD. lol

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single

RESIDENTIAL AREA: Gas Town

OCCUPATION: English Professor

PLACE OF BIRTH: Vancouver

─────── · ·

It felt silly, walking along to the line where she and Finn would await their turn, thinking about how this was her first time experiencing anything like this. Nima had of course been to carnivals and festivals but it had taken her a long time to ease out of her frugal mindset. In the past she paid for admission but not tickets for rides or attractions. She’d grown up very poor and even though she was quite the opposite now, habits were hard to break.

She wondered if Finn could tell with the way she looked around at everything like it was new. 

“You think I would let anything happen to you?” Nima looked up at him with a soft smile and squeezed his hand. It was easy to feel safe and secure with him.

“Um, you go first.” Most likely she’d be clinging onto him in some way the entire time but she didn’t want to chicken out. There was nothing to prove but she liked having this experience with Finn. Nima liked feeling close to him.

The brush of his thumb over her skin made her quietly breathe out, the soothing and calm was appreciated. “I know. I’m good, I promise. I just get a little too psyched in the head, you know?” Nima moved a little closer to him and tried not to think too much about that.

-

Finn nodded. He would go first if that was what she wanted. He didn’t want her to feel like he was pressuring her in anyway to go through with this. If all they did was stand in this line all night, he’d still be having fun, as silly as that sounded.

When he moved a bit closer, he let go of her hand to pull her into his side. “You’ve never done this before?“ He asked as that fact started to become clearer and clearer to him. At first, he thought maybe she was nervous because she scared easily, but the closer they got the more he saw signs pointing to how new this was for her.

His arm wrapped around her shoulders hugged him into her. “If you don’t like it after this one, we can go back to my place and just chill.” He offered.

closed starter for: @finneassullivan​​​​​​

when: costume creation 101 

“Have we entirely ruled out the Jolly Green Giant as a costume idea?” DJ’s thumbs touched like he was framing the perfect shot as he looked through the rectangle his hands made at Finn. He had the height part in spades, was a little lacking in the jolly department but that was what costumes were for – to be less yourself and more something else. 

“You’re sweet, you can be a little corny. I think it’s actually genius on my part.” 

Finn shook his head, waving off DJ’s idea before it even left his mouth. “I’m gonna be a ghost. I’m always a ghost.” He insisted. Finn liked his comfort zone. He liked his costume where no one could see his face and it was nothing special. Just a classic ghost. Finn chuckled again. “You want me to be a giant broccoli man?” He asked in a bit of disbelief. Even the idea of it had him blushing a bit.

“What are you being?” Finn asked trying to deflect the conversation off of himself.

Kadriye laughed, more of a smile with a breath through her nose than anything.  “No, I think photoshop is probably used for other things.  Like when you’re ordering clothes from a cheap website and they just slap whatever they have to onto another picture.”  And while she did have to look up to catch his face, he wasn’t so tall it was unmanageable from her own height.  “My best guess was maybe your eyebrows because they’re just so… equal.” 

It wasn’t her best guess, actually.  Wasn’t even something she’d thought about until it had come out of her mouth.  But it wasn’t the stupidest thing she’d ever said, so she could move on without burying her face into the collar of her shirt until he went away. 

“Did you think I photoshopped my hair to make it look longer?” She teased in return.

-

Finn chuckled. “I don’t think anyone’s told me my eyebrows were equal before.” There was something about her he found fascinating, but he struggled to try and define what that was. Talking in person, rather than through a screen added to that. If he boiled it down, she was funny, entertaining. Finn didn’t know what to expect from her. “Thanks?” He laughed.

He felt ill-equipped to carry a conversation with her. She seemed to know what to say to everything and speaking he struggled with. Finn liked to edit and rework his words. “You came for the ghost tour?” He asked as if she’d be there for any other reason. “Sparked your interest?”

—

“He is a friendly chap, isn’t he?” The blonde says with a laugh though she had to live next to him and let him borrow some of her sugar and other things so she figures that maybe she should get better treatment than everyone else he is just friends with. It must get her a bit more but apparently the bartenders don’t want to even hear her out. At least the next resort seems like it might work. “I’ve had too many of those fancy drinks and shots so I’m just going to take a beer for now.” Shockingly enough, she liked her beer most of all. It was all she could afford when she was younger so she’s grown a taste for it.

-

Finn nodded. In his opinion too many fancy drinks and shots didn’t sound like she needed the extra beer. He slipped away, heading behind the bar, to grab her a bottle from the fridge tucked below. Finn patted a bartender’s back, humming a good to see you as he passed. He made his way back to the end of the bar where the blonde stood. “Here you go. That will be the one and only time I’m doing that.” He teased lightly. “Enjoy!” He held up his own drink to cheers.

—Starter for @finneassullivan​ Spooky Season: I’m thinking either the Mount Pleasant Monster Bash with Mattie or maybe the Cabin in the Woods camping trip? But honestly, could be anything — those are just two events I don’t have anything for…

“Dude, you remember that year we went dressed up as Justin and JC from the No Strings Attached music video? I swear my mom pulls that photo out every year just to watch my soul die…” This morning had apparently been the right time to continue this time-honored tradition, and Boyd was still trying to shake it off. They had thought they looked so cool, but like most things, the photos hadn’t aged well. Tilly didn’t even understand the reference, and even she knew it was embarrassing enough to cackle when she saw it.

-

“Why do you even have to bring that up?” He joked. What was sad was, it probably wasn’t the dorkiest thing they’d ever done. “We need to burn all evidence of that.” Finn popped another skittle in his mouth from the bag he convinced Matilda to give him in trade for a piggy back ride. Between Tilly and now Selvi, Finn felt like he deserved an award for being a cool uncle. He shook his head with a laugh. “This is why I stick with ghost or nothing for Halloween costume’s now.”

⌊ @finneassullivan​  |  haunted house - fall harvest carnival ⌋

Yet another jumpscare leaves Jude nothing but unaffected and mildly annoyed, as if he were dealing with zombies and ghosts leaping out of closets at him during a quiet real estate tour and not at a HALLOWEEN festival; as if he hadn’t been the one to walk into the place. He doesn’t care to assign blame to himself regardless — there hadn’t been many immediate alternative options, and it was too LOUD outside to carry out a proper conversation with someone he hadn’t seen in half a year.

A fond smile replaces Jude’s scowl when he looks back over at Finn. “So, kid. Tell me what’s been going on in your life. Still talking to that girl of yours?” The kid in question — an endearment he’d LONG outgrown — was at least ten centimeters taller than him now, a full-fledged adult and a formidable one, even in spite of his shy nature. Kind, polite, hard-working; it was difficult not to wish the best for a young man like that. Maybe Jude was just showing his age lately. Right before he starts to speak again, a ‘vampire’ slides out from behind a curtain with a FLOURISH, complete with a stereotypically-sinister laugh. Jude stands there for a moment then sighs, sidling past. “I got you a few souvenirs, by the way. Vintage hardbacks from Oxford, a few first and second-editions. Thought they might look good in your office or something — remind me to drop them off for you this week.”

-

Only Jude would invite him to a Haunted House to try and talk and catch up. Finn found it endearing in a way. The man was practically family at this point, especially in the absence of his own father, since his parents moved to Ireland. He watched in amusement as the older man carried himself through the maze, not phased at all. Here and there a jump scare would make Finn flinch, still. The thrilling fright for some was like a walk in the park for the two men. “Just settling into the new job.” He felt overwhelmed by the big new job he got. He wanted to do well. “Um, I’m hanging out with this girl Nima pretty casually. She’s cool. We aren’t like dating or exclusive or anything.” Finn shrugged.

Finn smiled softly at Jude’s mention of presents. Being as shy and quiet as he could be, it felt nice when someone knew him enough to get him something he’d actually enjoy. “You didn’t have to do that, man. Thank you.” He flinched at another dressed up actor jumping out of a hole in the wall. “How was your trip?”

─────── · ·

Would Nima have taken things a bit further between them if it weren’t for a few factors? Yes, most likely. Finn had made it clear that this was casual and had no future, and she had done the same. 

Somewhere in that agreement she was already fucking up.

Halloween, along with pretty much every other holiday, was a weird experience for her. Since she was a child she always had felt very far on the outside of things thanks to the way she was raised, but— growing into her own as an adult some of that had begun to fall away.

Either way, Nima didn’t fuck with spirits and willing going into a haunting made her very apprehensive. She kept trying to tell herself that this was all orchestrated, that it wasn’t really, it was only to give people a scare. 

Still, these were things you didn’t want to invite in.

“I mean, if that’s what you need—” She shrugged her petite shoulders a little, trying to sound solid. “I got you.”

Then she looked down as she felt his hand wrap around hers. Some butterflies flapped their wings and once again she willed herself not to think anything of it. 

-

The place was crowded with all types of people from town. His eyes settled on a group of teenagers. Finn felt pathetic when he missed the days of being that young - something of a worry that he peeked in high school. Everything came to him easier back then. If his eyes lingered any longer he knew he’d think too much about the people he missed, his friend who was gone. He pushed away the feeling, as realize his hand tightening around hers.

“Thanks for protecting me, Pip Squeak.” He teased with a wink. He looked over eyeing the number of people in line ahead of them, before directing his attention back to Nima.

“So when we go in are you going first or do you want me to go first?” Finn asked mentally making a game plan. His thumb brushed the back of her hand softly. Sometimes he felt like he was better at communicating through touch than out loud. His words always came out wrong.

“You know I got you, right?” All jokes aside, if she didn’t want to go it was no big deal.

wednesday, october 26th, 2022 ; evening.  → at fall harvest carnival, stanley park.  for: @finneassullivan​.

Recognizing the frame of the very tall figure ahead of her, Sydney eventually caught up an wrapped her arms around one of Finn’s, effectively hugging in greeting before pulling away and smiling up at him. “Kind of happy to see you here,” she admitted. “It’s been a while.” Something that she’d take blame for with how busy she’d become since earning her license and becoming and official veterinarian.

“Are you dressing up Monday?” More of the shy and quiet type, Sydney remembered he wasn’t much for costumes. That could’ve been because it would’ve been really hard to find one that fit. “I saw Sully’s is having it’s annual thing. Does Matt and Aileen have you helping out?”

-

Finn glanced down to see Syd on his arm. “Good to see you too.” His smile was soft and his words even softer. Though it didn’t work out with them, he was still happy they could be friendly. With his new job, Finn hadn’t seen much of anyone as of late. He was buried in work, still trying to prove himself. “Probably not. Maybe I’ll be a ghost or something easy.” Finn hated anything that drew attention to him, which was pretty much anything considering his height. “I’ll help out if they need, but trying to just be an attendee. I think Matty’s got it.”

starter for @finneassullivan​ at sully’s bar for the fall harvest carnival.

“Finny, boy!” Jordan calls out as she hands off the end of the bar despite him not even being behind it. Her arms wave so he can see her before she makes her way towards him. “You’ve got to have some special privileges here since you’re the owners little bro.” She points to the mass of people around the bar. “I’ve tried to sneak a bottle and explain to people that I’m the owners neighbour and I basically go into his home and take his food all the time but no one will have it.” Which was annoying. “So can you go get me a drink before I hop the bar and tell everyone where to shove it?”

-

Finn didn’t go into the family business for a reason - customer service was really not his thing. Despite the fact that he could be painfully shy, he never knew how to deal with people the right way, sometimes leading to a foot in his mouth. This felt like one of those moments. His eyes darted from the bartender to Jordan, his brother’s neighbor, a couple times before shrugging his shoulders. “I think it’s the fact that Matty’s friends with half the town that keeps them reserved about the free drinks.” He admitted softly. Matt Sullivan had no problem making friends. “What do you want? I can see what I can do.” He didn’t want to be stuck grabbing drinks all night though. He didn’t work here.

who: closed | @finneassullivan​ when: monday night | 24Oct  where: ghost tour | spooky season event 

Every year for the last six years, Kadriye had felt her defenses rise as October wound to a close.  There was something about Halloween in particular that had her putting her guard up, protecting everything about how far she’d come.  She’d been on the streets, terrified, alone, in the dark.  She knew what that felt like.  Embracing and celebrating it didn’t seem like the wisest or most comfortable choice. 

For some reason though, this year she didn’t particularly want to be alone.  The ghost tour seemed like a safe way to venture out, to dip her toes in, especially when compared to some of the other events around town.  For some other reason, that feeling increased a little when she potentially recognized the guy who had messaged her so awkwardly on Tinder.   She bumped her arm against his as they waited in line for the tour to begin.   “You actually look like some of your Tinder pics.  Is that normal?” She asked by way of greeting. 

- 

Stories were his life blood, no matter what form. He grew up listening to his grandfather tell story after story. It was where his love for the process came. Finn had never been good with talking, but when he wrote, he felt like he could express himself clearly. He loved stories, so when he heard about this tour, he really wanted to go, even if he couldn’t convince anyone to tag along.

His eyes dropped down as he felt a brush against his arm, sure it was just someone passing by. Finn would have recognized those eyes anywhere. He laughed softly at her words, already more comfortable with picking up her tones more in person. Sarcasm and jokes sometime got lost in translation over text. “I hope it’s more normal than not. Think maybe I photo-shopped myself to look taller?” He teased.

“You look the same as your pictures too.”

─── starter for @finneassullivan​

HAUNTED HAYRIDE, HALLOWEEN ─── It wasn’t so much that Nima was easily scared, it was more to do with the fact that she had a Native American spirit. Ghosts were a real thing, not something to be messed with and make a mockery of. Halloween was fun, the costumes and pumpkin carving and the dance parties were a good time. Anything that involved a haunting? Yeah, that creeped her out a little. If Finn wasn’t so convincing she wouldn’t be about to do this haunted tour with him. Actors had a tendency to jump out at you on these sorts of things and Nima was sure her reaction might be to throw a punch. She’d grown up homeless, you had to react in the blink of an eye. “Are you sure about this?” Soft, somewhat pleading eyes looked all the way up at Finn. “I can protect you should something scary happen,” she teased lightly, deflecting, “I just don’t want you to end up with nightmares.”

-

Casual. Maybe he didn’t know what casual was exactly or where the lines were. What made this hanging out and not a date - he couldn’t tell, but maybe it was just how they labeled it that mattered. As they stood in line for the Haunted Hayride, his eyes glanced down at her clearly worried words. They brought a small smile to his face, wondering in the time he knew her if he’d seen her like this. Unsure. Nima was always sure, or at least she seemed to be. “Come on, Nim.” He said with a small chuckle, though his tone was reassuring. “I’ll hold your hand, okay?”  This kind of thing never scared him, but that was probably a testament to his size. People rarely tried to fuck with him. His hand slide into hers as they moved up in line.

FINNEAS SULLIVAN. SULLY’S SAMHAIN 

@finneassullivan​

She had been spending a large portion of the evening telling herself she had always belonged here. It was years of silence due to being kept in the dark that had kept her away. The ring on her finger, now long gone wouldn’t have been a good enough reason to stay away from Sully’s, away from Matt- his family. It was never what she had wanted and now for the first time in years Isla was stepping backwards into a life she’d left. It was everything she had wanted, and all she’d denied herself and yet she worried that maybe not everyone would be as okay with her and Matt being friendly to one another again.

 There were a lot of regrets Isla had, and she hoped there was still time to make up for them. Then like a manifestation of everything and everyone she’d missed out on the younger Sullivan caught her attention and Isla paid for her drink with a smile and maneuvered through the crowd to find him, “Sláinte.” She said as a way of sheepish greeting, raising her glass before taking a sip. A soft smile as she looked up at him, “Are you here helping out with the crowd, or?”

-

The night was already chaos. He’d never seen the bar so jam packed in his entire life. Finn liked to think his grandfather was looking down with a sense of pride for what Matty was accomplishing with the place. Disaster loomed anytime the whole town got together. Finn liked to keep his nose out of it, kept the blood off his hands. He found himself a nice booth in the back corner, tucked away and by himself like he preferred in a crowded bar. A smile quirked on his lips as he saw Isla approaching him. He recalled his brother’s mention of a breaking and entering he obviously would not mention now. By the brunette’s presence and opting to come talk to him, he assumed his brother and his ex were friendly. Like stated, Finn liked to keep his nose out of things, especially when it came to his brother’s love life.

“Oh, she remembers.” He commented on the greeting with a bit of a tease. Finn’s shoulders slumped into the booth. “I’d be no help with the crowd.” It was obvious from where he sat he was here to show his brother support by attending, not by lifting a finger.

where : Séance

He’d lost his friends somewhere in the crowd. The last place he wanted to lose his friends was at a fucking Séance for crying out loud. He was the height of a skyscaper looking over everyone’s heads and still couldn’t find them. Must have been taken by the spirits - only explanation. As he scanned the crowd, his eyes found a somewhat familiar face.  “Hey, you’re the dude with a lot of opinions about Infinite Jest?” He gestured toward Jasper.

nima: you're so cute. you should come on my show once. i'm sure some of those stories your grandpa told you are great.

nima: it definitely was but i don't need you to be explicit through text, i'd rather have that in person.

nima: well there's this boy filling my head with naughty things.

finn: you know im not good at talking

finn: pictures can be fun tho. you've already proved yourself a good photographer

closed for: @finneassullivan​

where: sulley’s tavern

“Wow,” DJ says as he looks his friend up and down in an obvious manner once he had finally arrived at the all too familiar bar, feigning some sort of aghast shock at his utterly normal appearance. “You really did mean it when you said you weren’t dressing up for me. Not a single bell, not a single whistle.” 

With a hand clutched to his chest, it’s not certain DJ would ever recover from this. 

( Until he does, fourteen seconds later. ) 

“You’re lucky you’re offensively attractive even when you’re dressed like a depressed straight man styled you on the Sims.” He pulls up a stool and sits himself at the bar, peering over at the array of booze they offered as if he hasn’t been there several times. “Has Matt taken my cocktail suggestions on board yet? My handwritten on a napkin recommendations could truly elevate this place.” 

-

Finn heard the voice before he turned to look in his direction, a smile already working on his face. His legs didn’t hang from the stool. His feet touched the ground, unlike most. Head swiveling on his neck, he glanced over his shoulder to see his friend - big grin and all. Eyes dropped to his outfit, a basic t-shirt, jeans and a denim jacket. “What’s wrong with my outfit?” He let out a chuckle at DJ’s theatrics. Finn possessed none of that, the confidence and the charisma.

“You do realize it’s pretty hard to find clothes that actually fit my weird lanky body?” He raised a brow. His fingers tapped on the bottle in front of him. Sully’s was a second home for him. He spent so much time here with his grandfather before he passed. He scanned the alcohol just like DJ. “I don’t think Matty is going to implement a fancy drink menu here.” Sully’s was more of a classics and beer type place. “We should hide the napkins places like a pseudo secret menu.”

nima: i absolutely 100% believe you.

nima: are you sure that's not just because you like my voice?

nima: los of kissing and kisses. seems like you know what i like...

nima: i'll be on my way very soon bc it's oddly a little difficult for me to think and focus now.

finn: 😏

finn: i like your voice but i also like your big smart brain

finn: that might have been the pg version.