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a-merman-not-a-guppy · 2 years

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Roommate Trouble

Edric and Ashleigh takeover the dorm. Finn takes issue with it.

@blight-illusions @ashleigh-inyourdreams

EDRIC:

Edric and Ashleigh had a project to work on. It was as simple as that. And Ed was being lazy and considering the two of them both lived in the dorms honestly what was the harm when you could just work on it easily and in sweat pants. Fancy sweat pants of course.

But Ed was being lazy. With his desk filled with a bunch of the supplies, he had forgotten to even mention it to Finn he was having someone over to work on a project. He wasn't even in the room today so really what was the big deal?

Well maybe the fact Ashleigh was sitting at Finn's desk as Ed lounged on his own bed working on pulling out different shades as the illusion of the bee sat in the middle of the room.

It was only when Finn walked in the illusion shifted when he was distracted and he looked up to his roommate.

"Oh hey, Ashleigh and I are gonna work on a project, Cool? Cool." Ed stated before flopping his head back on his bed.

FINN: Finn had had a long and busy day going to his photography and fashion design classes. In one of his design classes he'd accidentally poked himself in the finger with one of his sewing needles, and so his finger had just been throbbing for a while, bothering him when he tried to take notes.

When he finally headed back to the dorms, it was with the relief that he would just be able to flop on his bed and unwind. Maybe play some music and forget about the stresses of the day.

At least...that was the hope. Until he stepped into the dorm and it felt like he'd traveled back in time. To that one Ashleys party where he'd ended up pushed into a pool. Finns's face paled, and he sucked in a shaky breath, taking in the sight of Edric and Ashleigh together. "I-I-I-I....I th-th-thought w-w-we... w-w-we talk...talked ab-b-bout..." he faltered, afraid to even admit he'd asked Edric never to bring an Ashley to their dorms. His heart was starting to race.

"You c-c-c-couldn't d-d-do it in the lib-b-brary?"

ASHLEIGH:

Now this was a little fun, wasn't it?

Oh, she hadn't expected little Finny to be honest. She was just excited to hang out with Edric, who had more in common with her than practically anyone else on this hall. But when she'd come to work on the project, she'd spotted Finn's desk and a mini plan formed in her mind. She'd plopped down and decided to leave a few subtle gifts for him. Nothing major! She'd just... use his pens. Put them all in the wrong place. He'd get that chilling feeling that someone had touched his things-- and since he dind't like to speak up and ask, maybe he'd never find out it was her. She'd be like a ghost.

But here he came-- waltzing in and seeing his ghost haunting his desk in action. Splendid! Ashleigh could work with that.

"Well, we both live on this hall, why would we go to the library?" said Ashleigh and she smiled, before waving at Finn, holding one of his colored pencils in her hand. "Hi by the way."

Then she ducked her head and went back to work.

EDRIC:

Honestly Ed barely gave a second to Finn as he stuttered, now it wasn't because of the stutter it was just he rarely had anything to say that Ed thought that it was worth it to pay attention.

So a half finished sentence really didn't catch his attention and Ed didn't bother glancing up as he continued to work on his stuff, frowning as his illusion faded as his concentration did.

"Lazy day and this was closer?" Ed offered as if it was obvious because just like Ashleigh said, duh?

FINN: Finn couldn't believe that one of his worst bullies was sitting so comfortably at his desk, holding his colored pencil as if it was hers...as if this space was all hers.

He wanted to throw up. He wanted to curl up and cry. But he knew that that would only make them laugh at him. And he had a right to his space and his things being respected. He knew that.

Finn sucked in a shaky breath and let it out again. "Hi. I'd like y-y-you to g-g-g-get away from my-my desk and sto-stop touching my-my stuff. I p-p-paid for those p-p-pencils myself and they're de-delicate."

ASHLEIGH: Ashleigh could smell Finn's fear.

To her, nothing was better. She wanted to sink her teeth in, marry smell to taste, and suck Finn's fear from him like a vampire might suck blood. Wasn't she a type of vampire anyway? A leech? A parasite? Other people's weaknesses only made her stronger.

She couldn't be too too obvious in front of Edric, but she would certainly try to get as much enjoyment as possibly.

"Oh? These are yours? I have the same ones, I guess I got them confused," said Ashleigh, all wide-eyed and innocent. "Just let me finish up shading this one section and I'll get out of your way!"

EDRIC: Edric glanced up at Finn, watching the regents around him for a moment. Sure he had seen the things on Twitter (which he barely gave it a second thought) And then there was Mei who hated Ashleigh Q too but this was completely different and he didn't know what to do with this.

The bee in the middle completely gone now that he wasn't paying any attention to it.

"My desk is free Ashleigh I can move my stuff." Ed offered still looking between the two and the emotions swirling.

FINN: "Ye-Yeah. I'm s-s-sure you do-do have these one of a k-k-kind colored pe-pe-pencils," Finn retorted weakly, rolling his eyes. His heart was racing frantically in his chest, and he hunched in on himself, as if expecting retaliation for his nerve. Of snapping back at her in a way.

"Pu-Put my co-co-colored pe-pencil down A-Ashleigh. I m-m-m-mean it!" He wasn't going to watch her break something special to him. He refused to let her rule over him anymore. He refused. Even if he was sick with anxiety and fear.

He glanced over at Edric pleadingly. "Can't you lo-lo-loan yours to he-her? I...sh-sh-she'll b-b-break my p-p-pencils."

ASHLEIGH: Didn't Finn see how ridiculous he was?

Imagine-- letting someone bother you this much. If he were really strong, he would let Ashleigh do whatever she wanted and he'd be unbothered by it. That was the mark of real courage. But he was shaking. He wanted to cry. He was terrified of a girl, who was sitting in a seat, doodling on a piece of paper.

To Ashleigh, he was completely unchanged since secondary school.

Maybe she should visit him in his dreams tonight, just for old time's sake.

For now-- "Juuuuust one more second," she said as she continued to use the pencil, continued to sit in his chair, continued to force him to wait for her.

"Annnd done!" Ashleigh stood up. She didn't let go of his pencil. Instead, she sauntered directly toward him and smiled, and then lifted the pencil up in front of his face. "Here you go. Thanks so much, Finny," she purred Nemo's silly little pet name just to rub it in.

EDRIC:

Sadly, Edric was in the same view of Ashleigh, but really wasn't that what happened when the only way to survive in his household was to prove you weren't bothered by the things that scared you.

And it wasn't like him and Finn got along enough for him to want to protect him. But Ed's heart burned slightly. Years ago when he used to curl in himself when he was that scared before he got stronger himself.

Standing up, Ed slipped an arm over Ashleigh's shoulder as he picked up the pencil from her twirling it in his own fingertips.

"Why don't I meet you in your room? We can finish up in there." Edric stated offering the pencil to Finn.

People might not actually believe it but just because Ed didn't understand everything here didn't mean he wanted to be an asshole.

FINN: Finn leaned away from Ashleigh, as if her very breath was toxic. And he honestly believed that it could be. She just had this awful energy to her. And he wanted nothing to do with it.

"Th-Thank you Edric," Finn said softly, taking his pencil carefully and turning toward his desk to put it away with his other ones, stashing them safely where they belonged.

"I ho-ho-hope you guys do-do-do well on your pro-project." Well, that was kind of a lie. He hoped Edric would do well because he wasn't the nicest but he'd never been truly horrible to Finn. Ashleigh could get whatever awful grade she deserved.

ASHLEIGH:

Wow, Edric was just retreating entirely?

That was kind of disappointing. Ashleigh wasn't even doing anything bad. Did he not see how much Finn was overreacting? He was just going to let them get chased out of their room?

"Oh um, I don't think we can, Anna's studying in there, she's got a really big test coming up and asked for space," lied Ashleigh smoothly. "I mean, why can't we just stay in here?"

EDRIC:

See the thing was Edric wasn't asking. Whatever was going on between the two of them, Edric wanted no part in this and considering he had to room with one of them he was a little more partial to one of them at the moment. Especially considering what Mei had said too.

"Whoops looks like the library it is." Edric grinned. "Or we can go to Em's room I'm sure she wouldn't mind the company." Edric reached into his pocket to pull out her key considering he had that copied forever ago.

"Up to you I guess Finn, you good if we stay or nah?"

FINN:

Finn shook his head quickly, relieved that Edric was actually asking him. Maybe Edric wasn't as bad as Finn thought he was. He clearly had enough thought to not just decide on his own how it should be. He took a breath and let it out again. "So-Sorry. B-B-But....Ash-Ash-Ashleigh Q. makes m-m-me un-uncomfortable and I do-do-don't think I could get any-anything done if she st-st-stayed here."

ASHLEIGH:

Ashleigh knew how to play this. Honestly at this point, she found it all very, very boring. Her couple of seconds of interest in Finn had evaporated as quickly as it came. Visiting him in his nightmares would barely sate her appetite. He was weak and wimpy and not even worth it anymore.

"Wow, okay. I wasn't doing anything, but sure, whatever." She just shrugged and picked up her things. "Let's see what Em's doing! I was meaning to compliment her on a new pair of shoes I saw the other day..."

EDRIC:

"Oh right! We got them at this really cute place in NTO. I almost splurged on a pair that matched but really it looked better on her." Edric grinned as he grabbed his phone off his desk and opening the door for Ashleigh winking at her.

See it wasn't even worth the trouble of any of this.

"Bye bye Finn don't wait up!" Edric teased as they headed out.

#blighted-illusions #ashleigh-inyourdreams

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ashlee-bonfamille-lyons · 2 years

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Today is New {Cutie}

Ashlee Makes a much needed change.

TW: Gaslighting, Verbal Abuse

When: June 10th

Where It All Began: Roommate Trouble {Edric/Ashleigh/Finn} Lingering Anixiety {Finn/Nemo} Tomorrow Doesn’t Change {The Ashley’s} Taking A Chance {Edric/Finn} A Haunting Past {Tiny Dancers}

@ashleigh-inyourdreams

Ashlee

Ashlee had sat at home for awhile, before remembering she had a huge dance final to prepare for and she threw herself into that. It was easier than focusing on the fact that she finally had to make a choice and in the pit of her stomach Ashlee wasn’t sure she made the right one.

Ashlee hadn’t deleted Nemo’s texts and infact constantly re-read them, and no matter how many times she reread them there was always a sharp pain in her chest from making the decision that she did.

If it wasn’t for the constant presence of Simba and Berlioz in the house. Too many dogs and Juni, Ashlee might have hid in her closet when faced with any other potential decision.

It was only after many sleepless nights that Ashlee knew what she needed to do even as scared as she was that she would be alone after this.

Still this is something she needed to do, not because of Finn (She still didn’t care about him) or Nemo. But because if she didn’t she would constantly be in this precarious spot.

Picking up Ashleigh a drink at Hatter’s she made her way to Ashleigh’s dorm to rip off the bandaid so to speak.

“Hey can we talk?”

ASHLEIGH:

She hadn’t expected to see Ashlee.

For Ashleigh, life was the same as it ever was. She didn’t look forward, simply fluttered from day to day, following her instincts and more than anything– her appetite. Today, she’d already had lunch with Henry, thus checking the Henry shaped box. She’d see him later when they went to sleep. That meant the rest of the day was her own.

And so she was doing something that she rarely did these days– needlepoint. She had fashioned the thread from a shadow underneath a child’s bed. It glistened a rich violet as she turned it into the portrait of a flower. With thorns of course.

Then there was a knock on her door.

She opened it, blinked, then smiled– duh. Because she was happy to see her girls, any one of them. “TT!” she gasped. “What a surprise! Come in! I didn’t miss a text or anything right?”

Ashlee

Ashlee shook her head, she hadn’t texted just in case she had lost the courage to do anything, to make this move. If she didn’t text it gave her an out to run back home. Even now the urge to just tuck tail and gossip was so much stronger.

Nothing had to change. Nemo made his decision so why did she have to lose her friends over him.

Because it was the right thing to do.

Such an annoying thought process.

“No I um didn’t text.” Still Ashlee stepped in and handed Ashleigh her drink. “I wanted to stop by and talk, figured I’d pick up something on the way.”

ASHLEIGH:

Stop by and talk.

Normally, this was not a sign for distress. Maybe for other people. Maybe for girls and their silly boyfriends, or boys and their silly girlfriends. But the Ashleys had a connection beyond such mortal ties. Ashleigh thought of it as a soul bond. There was nothing that Ashlee couldn’t say to her, because they were of one mind.

So whatever she wanted to talk about– and it did seem kind of serious– Ashleigh was there for her.

She took the drink and ushered her in. “Well that’s sweet of you. Just take a seat wherever, you know the drill.”

Ashleigh went over to her bed and took a sip of her black coffee. Bitter. Just the way she liked it. “So what’s up?”

Ashlee

You know the drill. Yes Ashlee did. This is where she aired her grievances and they plotted to destroy the person. After all, if one of them was hurt the rest of them were as well. Why didn’t anyone else get that, No one else had ride or dies the way the Ashley’s were. They were limited by morals. They wouldn’t go to the ends of the earth for each other.

Afterall Nemo was willing to choose someone over her, Everyone would choose someone over her. Ashleigh wouldn’t.

Ashleigh would always choose the girls.

Unless Ashlee disagreed, that’s what happened last time, she had started to disagree and Ashleigh grew colder and more distant.

“I don’t want to be part of the bullying anymore. Not to anyone. I want to leave that behind us in Secondary and move on. We can be so much better than that.” Though did that include Henry too?

100% in or 100% out. No in between. That had to include Henry even if he was Henry.

ASHLEIGH:

Ashleigh blinked.

She honestly didn’t know what Ashlee meant, at first. Because ‘bullying’ was such a…childish way to put what the Ashleys did. They didn’t bully. No, they ruled. They simply turned wherever they went into a castle and everyone else was their subordinates. They did that with lies or bribery or flattery and yeah, sometimes cruelty. But they did it for each other. They did it for themselves. They did it because they were better than anyone.

Bullying? So simple and flat. Not at all up to her own standard.

“I’m confused,” said Ashleigh. She tilted her head. She’d played dumb before but never to Ashlee. Still, it was a game she knew well. “What are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean.”

Ashlee

Ashlee raised an eyebrow at her friend, Ashleigh wasn’t stupid, no arguably Ashleigh was the brightest of them all. On the drop of a pin she could spin whatever tale she needed to fit her story. Ashleigh never played dumb to Ashlee and for once Ashlee was irritated at her friend.

“Whatever you want to call it Ashleigh. I want us to stop. I don’t want to be part of it anymore and I want to still spend time with you and everyone. But I also can be around others that are going to be cruel to others.” Ashlee had no problem being better than everyone. She still thought she was better than everyone but she could do that without stomping on every light.

ASHLEIGH:

That faux clueless look faded. And Ashleigh’s lips became a thin line, her dark eyes even darker. She’d never looked at Ashlee like that before.

She had never felt like this toward Ashlee before.

Her heart had turned into a thick chunk of ice. Ashley A was gone– flown off to better skies, abandoning them (okay, not really, but Ashleigh couldn’t help but feel like it). Ashle B had her fancy internships. Now Ashlee T. was pulling this? Why? What prompted it? Who got to her? Why did she want to leave Ashleigh too when Ashleigh had never been anything but loyal?

“So what are you saying?” asked Ashleigh. And she chuckled. “I’m not allowed to be myself anymore? Is that it? Because I hurt people’s feelings?” She took a step toward Ashlee. “Because I say the things everyone else is too scared to say? I’m a mara, Tiny. What do you want me to do? Starve?”

Ashlee

Ashlee had never been insulted by her nickname before but now she almost wanted to cower at it. Like she was tiny and small and didn’t know what she was doing.

But she did know what she was doing. She had prompted this conversation, she had done this in private and one on one. Ashlee had thought this through so she could handle this. Because she could.

“I’m not talking about dreams and nightmares. If that’s what you need to survive I’m not saying don’t. But in person, in this awakeness. Whatever difference you want to call it. I don’t want to be cruel to others anymore. I don’t want to have to flinch when Ashley A makes a mean comment on twitter or when you show up at Finn’s room because haha it’s so funny he’s still scared. I don’t want that anymore.” Ashleigh took her steps forward but Ashlee wouldn’t back down. “Why can’t we just do that all together.”

ASHLEIGH:

She scoffed, like Ashlee had made a bad joke. She sort of had.

Because Ashleigh still didn’t know how to be anything but this. Oh sure, she could play sweet and innocent and good girl, but only to some kind of an end– only to get something. She didn’t want to change either. Why look the other way if she could lash out? Why simper when she knew she could get ahead? She wanted power, she wanted attention, she wanted people to grovel in front of her– all these things that she’d never had when she had been a little girl!

That last part didn’t belong to her, but to the girl she had been before she was reborn a mara. That girl. She wanted revenge.

Ashleigh hadn’t even gotten started yet.

“Why the sudden change of heart?” Ashleigh asked instead of answering. “I’ve been this way since we were eight, Ashlee. I pushed girls down who called you a freak for immigrating here. I made you laugh when they cried. So what’s so different now?”

Ashlee

Questions like this were a double edged sword, she could sell out all the reasons, Simba, Berlioz, Nemo, the rest of the among us group even if they rarely played anymore. She could sell them out and give Ashleigh a reason to hate them more.

So she couldn’t. Because she knew Ashleigh, and she would just be giving her ammo, even if she was sure Ashleigh Q, already knew all the reasons.

“It’s not sudden. I’ve been balancing who I’ve wanted to be since my Baba. I’ve been helping make excuses even though I stopped wanting to be part of this so long ago. There’s a reason I knew I couldn’t live with you after my Mom left. I felt it even when I was helping Ashley A with her trial because she deserved it. I just want to prove to people I’m better than them, not throw them there mentally.”

ASHLEIGH: There’s a reason I knew I couldn’t live with you after my mom left.

Ashleigh’s eyes flashed. And then she was cold everywhere.

It didn’t really matter what Ashlee said after that. She’d just confirmed it. She had been leaving Ashleigh for over a year now– leaving her in bits and pieces, lying to her face, and to the rest of the Ashleys’ faces. Loyalty had meant everything to Ashleigh; it was why she hadn’t done so much worse to the people she knew that Ashlee cared about. But clearly, that hadn’t mattered. Ashlee didn’t want her.

“Oh, so you think you’re better than me?” she took another step, glaring. “Just because you don’t say the mean thing to their face? You’re wrong. I can smell what makes a person weak, Tiny. Their fear and their selfishness and their greed.” She scoffed a second time as her eyes flicked up and down Ashlee’s slight frame. “And you’re rotten just like me. Through and through. I loved you anyway– I’m probably the only one who actually loves you for who you really are– but you think you’re better than me? You’re just a liar– the worst kind. Because you’re lying to yourself.”

Ashlee

Ashlee stood her ground though she wanted to step back, flinch, but she wouldn’t give Ashleigh the upperhand. This is how it worked. This was the Ashlee she was in Secondary. Except this time the power didn’t come from the girls, it came from something inside of her.

“I don’t think I’m better than you but I think I’ve been lying to myself for a long time already Ashleigh. I don’t think this one is one of those times.” Ashlee stated taking a deep breath as those words cut and they cut deep because maybe no one would love her. Maybe after this she would be alone and afraid and she wouldn’t have anyone to turn to. Sure you had Simba and Berlioz but they were adulty adults.

Ashlee was sure she was never going to have a friendship like this, She saw it with Nemo and his group. Ian with his roommate and Eilonwy. There wasn’t space for her in those. So maybe she wouldn’t be loved by anyone else. But at least she might be able to be proud of her reflection in the mirror.

ASHLEIGH:

Ashleigh expected Ashlee to tremble. She knew her friend and she knew her friend’s greatest fear: that she would be alone and unloved.

But Ashlee didn’t back down or give in or say Ashleigh was right. Ashleigh’s own brow creased as the frustration built like magma inside her, melting all of her cold fury into something raw and hot. And Ashleigh only knew how to do one thing with her pain: make other people hurt.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to hit Ashlee– and she imagined it, imagined her hand streaking through the air and smacking into Ashlee’s cheek. She’d cower and cry, triggered by all the times she’d been beaten before and then Ashleigh would win–

Her fist curled, but then she stopped. Her lip quivered instead, tears forming on the corners of her eye. No one had ever made her cry before. Not like this.

But she wouldn’t let a tear fall while Ashlee stood in front of her. As quickly as they’d come, they were pushed back again.

“Well, you don’t have to lie to yourself anymore then. Me, I’ve never lied to you– not about who I am,” she said. “And so no, Ashlee. I’m not going to behave for you. Neither will Ashley A or Ashle B. You’re the one who doesn’t belong anymore, sweetie.”

Ashlee

Ashlee didn’t belong.

She knew she didn’t. This whole conversation was things Ashlee already knew but it hurt so much hearing it from one of the people she loved so dearly. That she would be cast aside because she didn’t belong. She had spited one of the girls and everyone knew how that went.

This was the end and any hope Ashlee had of keeping her girls was gone, She couldn’t take back any of her words now.

Ashlee searched her friend's face for any hint of that love they shared, for any hint that it wasn’t over. That they could take these next steps together.

“I love you Ashleigh. I do. With everything I am. I don’t want to lose you.”

ASHLEIGH:

Ashleigh scoffed. Then she chuckled. Then, she laughed.

What? It was so funny– Ashlee standing here with her big ol eyes, lying to herself, even now. But that plea fell through the air. Ashleigh didn’t feel it. Love meant nothing to her, not when Ashlee had already pulled her loyalty out from under her. There was only a hole left in Ashleigh’s heart. And even if Ashlee groveled on the carpet, Ashleigh wasn’t sure she could shove her friend back in there.

Because Ashleigh wasn’t lying. Ashlee didn’t belong anymore. She didn’t fit.

“You don’t love me, Tiny,” she giggled, and reached out to smooth some of Ashlee’s hair behind her ear. “If you loved me, you wouldn’t have ever asked me to change. But this is who I am, and I’m not ashamed of that. But you are, right?” She put on a little pout. “You’re ashamed of me and how mean I am? Aw, boo hoo. I think it’s time for you to go.”

Ashlee

Ashleigh was right though, love wasnt asking the other person to change. Love was accepting them. Maybe even Nemo didnt love her just by requiring this of her.

Well he didnt require it and Ashlee wasnt making this change for him so maybe it was fine.

Maybe he would still love her after this.

She had never been on this side of Ashleigh before and she hated every second of it.

Closing her eyes at a gesture that used to mean so much love, Ashlee nodded her head as she tried to hold back her tears. She didnt want to cry, not here, not infront of others, she would get home and hide until she couldnt hide anymore.

"I'm not ashamed of you Ashleigh. But I'm not going to be able to convince you of that. Or I guess how much I love you and the others." Ashlee stated with a shakey breath and a nod as she pulled away.

"I guess I'll see you around." Ashlee stated turning to leave.

#ashleigh inyourdreams #tw gaslighting #tw abuse

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a-merman-not-a-guppy · 4 years

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You from the sea, me from the sky

@justkeepdancing-nemo @ashleigh-inyourdreams

The one where Ashleigh Q. attempts murder and Nemo and Finn learn a lot about each other.

tw: drowning

NEMO: It’d taken Nemo almost a month to get what Ashleigh had asked for. It hadn’t been easy. First, he tried squirreling away a little bit of his pixie dust as he could at a time. He tried to walk more around the Hollow, coveting each precious pixie dust kernel like he never had before. But even being as careful as he could-- even sneaking into Appa’s room and pinching a thumbful (ugh)-- he only had maybe a third of an entire pouch.

And he knew that every night that passed, Ashleigh was haunting Finn. Night after night. My fault, Nemo thought, his guilt a bottomless well. His entire fault.

So Nemo did something he knew he shouldn’t do.

In the dead of the night, he snuck out his window and went to the base of the Pixie Hollow Tree. He snuck his way into the pixie dust alchemy workshop. And it was really easy then-- because it was almost time to distribute more dust and so the little pouches were already prepared and nestled together in rows. He opened one and pinched some dust into his own, then went to the next and did the same. If he just took a little, no one would notice, right? Just a little from each. Most fairies had a little leftover anyway. It was just a little.

No matter how many times he repeated it, that well of guilt expanded, so dark, so deep. Endless.

But he did it without being caught. And he texted Ashleigh that he had her pouch of dust and that he’d meet her in the morning at dawn. He’d go before dance practice, he figured. He’d go before Myka woke up. So here he was on the dock of Atlantica where Ashleigh had asked to meet him. When she appeared through the trees, she wasn’t alone.

Nemo’s eyes widened a little, a sick feeling in the back of his throat, like he needed to clear it. “What are they doing here?” Nemo said as she approached.

“Don’t worry your precious pixie head, butterfly.” Ashleigh smiled. She held out her hand and twitched her manicured fingers. They never looked more like talons to Nemo. “Give it over.”

Nemo clutched the dust tighter. He swallowed. “You promised. If I find out you’re still haunting Finn-- or any of my friends--I’ll tell everyone what you are. I’ll tell the Scouts and they’ll drive you out of the forest.”

“Ooo, so tough.” Ashleigh pouted, but he knew she was mocking him. “I promise, Nemo. Now give me the dust.”

Nemo slowly handed it over. Ashleigh’s talons closed over the bag and she took it. “Thank you,” she said. Her eyes crinkled in another smile. “Grab him.”

Nemo didn’t even have time to react. The boys who had come with Ashleigh grabbed him, one on each arm. “Hey!” Nemo cried out and kicked out his legs, sending thrusts of wind down the dock. They weren’t strong enough to do anything more than flutter Ashleigh’s skirt. “Let go of me! Let go!”

Ashleigh laughed. She laughed and stepped forward and dug into Nemo’s own pocket, pulling out his own pixie dust. “Hmm, oh, look at this! This sure is important huh?”

“Don’t take that!” Nemo struggled.

“Don’t worry, it’s not for me. I just-- think it’s so unfair that Finn had to pay for your mistakes, don’t you? But Ashlee T isn’t around to stick up for you. And you’re so far away from the Hollow. It’s nice to finally get my hands on you.” And Ashleigh pulled her arm back and threw his pixie dust as far as she could into the lake. Nemo’s eyes widened.

“No! No, stop! NO!” Tears sprang to his eyes.

“Don’t worry, you can just go get it! I know pixie dust is waterproof.” She winked. “C’mon boys! Let’s help him out!”

And before Nemo knew what was happening-- he was thrown into the lake.

The water slapped against his back, cold and hard. Like hitting a tree. Nemo gasped and water rushed into his mouth and stung his eyes. He flailed his arms, every instinct telling him to beat, beat, beat the wings that he didn’t have like this-- wings that would just drag him down if he did.

He flailed his way to the surface, gasping-- submerged again-- up and down like an apple bobbing on the surface. Through the blur of water he saw the shape of something tossed to him. He reached for it. His fingers scraped against the teeth of something-- plastic. He gasped, grabbed, choked, until he got a hold and saw it was one of those pool floaties. He lunged for the other side of it and finally got a hold, though by the time he did, Ashleigh and the others had disappeared.

Fat tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks as he pulled himself up onto the flimy pool floatie, water rushing around him and dipping the floatie in the middle. He should paddle to shore, Nemo knew, but he was terrified to move. To breathe. What could he do? If he fell off, he’d drown. He’d die.

So it was just Nemo then. Nemo without his dust. Nemo moving farther and farther from shore. Nemo, who couldn’t swim.

FINN:

The weather was finally warm enough to justify coming to the lake and not being given the weirdest looks if he were spotted coming out of it. Finn took that as his golden opportunity, and went to the lake as soon as he had some free time. He’d thought about asking Ariel to join him, but if he was honest he didn’t really want to talk or do any of that. He just really really wanted to swim.

And it felt like home. The moment he traded his legs for his fin, when he dove under the water it just felt right. Finn loved that feeling so much. Kicking with his tail and going deeper into the lake. It was amazing. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out there before one of his favorite turtle friends said they saw something weird on the surface.

What kind of weird? Finn asked the turtle, who demonstrated kicking with his little flippers. That explained nothing to him. He sighed, and decided he could just investigate himself. It would be fine. He was in his element under the water. He had control here. If something was off up there he could still find a way to get out of there. It was fine.

Finn started for the surface, glancing around until he caught sight of someone floating on the lake. The kicking was starting to make more sense, though he wasn’t sure why anyone would come out there fully dressed like this. He didn’t dare go too close, afraid that if he did some random swimmer would catch a shimmer of gold from his tail and start talking.

NEMO: Nemo shivered on the pool floatie for what felt like ages.

He didn’t know how long though. Ashleigh had taken his phone out of his pocket too, leaving it on the dock. Maybe he only cried into his wet knees for ten minutes. Maybe he cried for twenty, or thirty. He knew time was passing though, as the sun inched little by little over into the sky. He was going to get in so much trouble once Appa woke up. Or maybe Myka would come first and realize Nemo wasn’t there. Appa might think he ran away. He’d be grounded again, or taken out of school for real--

All really stupid and pointless things to worry about, Nemo realized, considering he could drown here. He choked a little on a wet, terrified laugh, thinking this. Thorns, he really was the stupidest person in the whole world wasn’t he?

Nemo shook his head and dragged in a deeper breath into his lungs, trying to calm down now. He rubbed at his face. Okay. He...he could do this, somehow. He wouldn’t die out here, and maybe, just maybe, there’d be enough time to...to get back to shore, to get his phone, to text Appa he left early, to scramble to the dance studio-- probably not, but at the very least, he could save himself. He could keep Appa from thinking he ran away or was kidnapped. He could save Appa from that worry at least.

He didn’t have his phone or dust or his wings, but he had his talent.

“Oh...okay…” Nemo breathed deep again. He shifted a little on the floatie and squeaked as the weight change made water rush over the side. He froze for a second. His lip wobbled. Then he closed his eyes and held his trembling hands in front of him. Concentrate…

Nemo felt the air molecules vibrating around him. Each one had its own temperature and pressure. Slowly, Nemo started to rotate his hands, going nice and slow. He gathered the air into a little ball and it spun like a top, suspended between his palms. It could be like an engine. He could just wind-push himself back to shore. Slowly, he turned his hands and tried to evenly spread the tiny ball of air on either side of him, to create propulsion forward.

The wind licked the surface of the water and created a wave to push the floatie forward suddenly. But it was too fast. Nemo panicked, snapping his hand back to clutch at the side of the floatie. The wind changed direction and the floatie spun around--

“AH!” he shouted out and jerked his legs closer to his chest-- it tipped.

Nemo screamed again as he slipped off. The cold water grabbed him in its claws. He made another frantic grab for the floatie. But he was panicking too much now. His hands were slippery and wet--

“HELP!” he cried out. “HELP ME, HELP-- PLEASE--” he choked on water, splashing frantically, before slipping under.

FINN:

Finn had been about to go back to the turtle for a while. Maybe the human up there was just taking a dip. But then the floating thing moved and the boy dipped under the water and suddenly the confusion was replaced with horror. That was Nemo! Nemo was struggling in the water and unable to help himself or properly pull himself up onto the floatie he had with him.

There was no time to really think about what he was doing. He had to help his friend. His friend who had somehow ended up stranded on the lake. His heart picked up speed as he pushed himself through the water as fast as his tail could take him, arms reaching out to wrap around Nemo’s waist and tug him back up toward the surface. Surface first then to shore. The most important thing was to make sure Nemo was breathing.

He held onto Nemo as carefully as he might Pannie, propelling them both up until their heads both broke the surface and Finn frantically scanned his friend’s face to see if he could breathe on his own. “Nemo. Nemo oh my god please be b-b-breathing. Nemo.”

NEMO: The sky disappeared.

The water rushed in, sickly dark green. Nemo’s mouth pressed closed, trapping his last bit of air inside him. Air-- since Nemo was born, his breath and the air were interchangeable. He breathed the breath of the whole world. But he couldn’t feel that breath anymore. There was nothing here for Nemo to hold onto--blind in more ways than one, his talent swallowed whole as he sank, and sank.

And he sank fast.

The panic burned in his lungs as he strained for the surface but he couldn’t reach it. His heart beat too fast, lungs screaming-- he needed to breathe, to breathe, he couldn’t breathe--

Something darted toward him, gleaming gold. My dust? Nemo’s thoughts spiraled. But it moved again in flashes of blue, too, coming right toward him. Two eyes. He saw eyes. He thought he knew them…

Finn?

Breathe, he couldn’t breathe, he had to breathe--

Nemo’s mouth snapped open whether he wanted it to or not to try to drag oxygen but there was only water. It pooled into his mouth and nostrils and Nemo couldn’t see anything anymore. The eyes filled his vision and were the last thing he saw before everything went black.

FINN:

Nemo wasn’t responding. Nemo wasn’t responding and Finn had to do something. He couldn’t lose Nemo. The world couldn’t lose someone like Nemo. He was sunshine and warmth and he made every day that much better than the one before. Finn had to do something. On an ordinary day he would likely let that panic sink in a little more, frantically search for someone else to do something. This wasn’t ordinary and no one else was here.

Finn shook himself out of it and pushed forward, still holding onto Nemo as if he could break at any moment, careful to make sure his best friend’s head was above the water at all times. It was tough. He’d never really swam with anyone in his arms before.

It felt to Finn like an eternity before he could finally bring them both to shore. Longer because Nemo hadn’t stirred in any of that time and it gave him this horrible sinking feeling that he couldn’t address yet. He couldn’t allow it to come in. Finn wasn’t done trying to help his friend.

As he came up to the shore, he carefully tugged Nemo onto it before he dragged himself onto the beach with him. He was too far into his worry to think about just shifting his legs back, so his tail was like a deadweight as he tried to move over. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. Nothing but Nemo. He managed to lean over his friend, checking for any sign that his friend was breathing. He didn’t look like he was breathing.

“D-D-Don’t do this Nemo,” Finn spoke softly, voice more sure than it had ever been, as if he could coax Nemo out. He shook his head, hands going to the boy’s chest, like he remembered from some of those cpr classes his mom talked about. How was it? He pushed down and then he would give air? He counted a number he thought he remembered, leaning over and pinching Nemo’s nose gently so he could lean in and give him his breath. “Come on Nemo. Breathe for me.”

NEMO: There was a voice calling Nemo from far away.

He didn’t know where it was coming from. His mind stirred though, a thought rising from the waterlogged depths of it. And his last thought was now his first: Finn?

Was the voice Finn? Was Nemo dreaming? Why couldn’t he feel his body? Why couldn’t he wake up? He heard Finn again, and he thought maybe it was his name that Finn was saying. Something warm touched his arm. Something warm touched his lips.

Then Finn breathed into his mouth and Nemo felt it again-- the breath of the whole world, stirring and moving and alive, very alive. His fingers twitched and his eyes flew open.

Nemo gasped and his whole body jerked violently awake. He twisted on the ground, hacking water up from his stomach and lungs. Everything in him burned. Every single muscle, every tingling patch of his skin, his eyes and his nostrils-- and nothing more than his throat. The breeze moved around them like a comforting hand, as Nemo hacked and dragged air into his lungs, hacked and dragged air into his lungs.

When these violent spasms of his body were spent, he groaned, his cheek pressed against the dirt. “Finn,” he croaked weakly and for the first time he looked up at his friend...really looked up at him. His hair swept back from his forehead, shiny and dark blue like an oil spill. He was bare chested and dripping wet and…

Finn totally had a tail. Like. A merman’s tail. Was he hallucinating? Nemo’s brain buzzed, but he could only let out a weak breath and ask one more time-- “Finny?”

FINN: At first it seemed like it wasn’t working. Like the stuff he remembered his mom saying was useless and he couldn’t help his friend. He couldn’t save his friend. And then Nemo gasped and he hacked up water and Finn had never been more relieved in his entire life than when he got to watch his best friend twist around on the beach.

A small smile spread across his face. Nemo was okay. Nemo would be okay. Nothing could compare to that relief, and he reached up to gently brush some of Nemo’s wet hair out of his face, grateful that he could touch his friend and see and feel that Nemo was okay.

He didn’t even really think about his tail. He was weighed down but it didn’t matter in the relief that was hearing Nemo speak. “Hey Nemo,” he replied softly, one hand still on Nemo’s chest so he could feel the steady way it now rose and fell. “You really scared me. Are you o-okay?”

NEMO: Was this really happening?

Nemo breathed shallowly, like he’d sprinted across the lake, as he looked up at Finn. He kept waiting for everything to make sense. He’d been-- he’d been drowning. Ashleigh pushed him in. Finn was here, but where had he come from? Why was he at the lake so early?

Duh, cuz he’s a merman, supplied his inner voice. His eyes darted down, catching each glimmering scale that dotted over the tops of Finn’s knuckles. And the scales on his stomach. His tail. He had a really long, beautiful blue and gold tail, shiny from the lake water. Actually, Finn was shiny all over.

My best friend’s a merman and also I almost drowned.

Nemo blinked again, like maybe Finn would disappear and he’d be back in the lake-- or maybe he’d wake up and have dreamed this whole thing-- but Finn was still there, slightly blurry because Nemo was blinking water into his eyes. Or maybe he was crying. Was he crying?

Then Finn touched his cheek and it all got very, very real.

Nemo sobbed. He reached up and his hand grasped over Finn’s (those scales on his knuckles cool to the touch, sleek, wet). “You s-saved me.” He tried to push up with his other hand, and his whole arm and body was shaking. “I th-thought I was gonna die, you--you saved m-my life, F-Finn--”

He threw his arms around his friend’s bare shoulders, clutching him for support as he cried.

FINN: It was fascinating the way their hands still fit just right, how his scales didn’t seem to bother Nemo. Finn had always wondered what it might be like if he could actually tell his friend what he was. But wondering and seeing it happen were two very different things. If he weren’t so focused on Nemo he likely would have been panicked about this.

Instead he wrapped one arm around Nemo, the other pressed down on the beach so he could properly hold himself up for this. His tail was still there, and as he twisted it sort of scraped along the water line and the sand. “Of course I did Nemo. You’re my-my-my best friend.” And he couldn’t imagine anyone not doing something to help if they saw someone in that situation. No matter what would be revealed in the process.

“You’re okay Nemo,” Finn murmured softly, gently rubbing his back with the hand he’d wrapped around Nemo. “I would never let any-anything happen to you.” He was so glad he’d indulged and gone to the lake today. If he weren’t here...if he weren’t….Finn didn’t want to think about it. “Tell me if my scales b-b-bother you okay? I haven’t really hugged anyone like this before.”

NEMO: Nemo practically barreled Finn over as he sobbed and gulped at the air, the burn in his throat and lungs welcome now. That burn meant that he really was alive. And Finn’s warm skin, and the soothing circles he rubbed against Nemo’s back, meant that he really was here. Nemo could hug Finn tight and be absolutely safe. And Finn could hug him back--hold Nemo up-- until he was ready to let to.

He didn’t want to let go though. He wanted to cling to Finn forever honestly, terrified that if he didn’t, the water would come snatch him again or Ashleigh would emerge from the trees and try something else. But he couldn’t-- there were other pressing matters to talk about.

That is, Finn’s scales.

Right. He had scales.

Nemo lifted his head from where he’d been blubbering like an idiot against Finn’s neck at the mention, and he gasped a second time. “And you’re a merman!” He hiccuped and had no idea what he was doing--but he was suddenly touching Finn’s cheeks, and then running his hand down Finn’s arm, and then intertwining their fingers again, until the subtle, delicate webbing kissed the insides of Nemo’s own fingers as he gaped in wonder and confusion. “I can’t believe you’re a merman! Th-this whole time! A m-merman-- You--you--” His brain short circuited and then his eyes widened in fear. “J-jingles, are y-you okay? Do you need to go back in the water? Can I help? How does it work, I--I’ve n-never met-- you’re a merman!” he blurted for the billionth time.

FINN: He could feel himself start to flush a little, not used to the attention and the curious way that Nemo was touching his arm and studying their fingers intertwined. On any other day, Finn might have thought this was a little terrifying. But Nemo was so gentle and curious, and really Finn was amazed that he could finally express who he was. Even if it hadn’t been intentional.

“Wha? N-N-No I’m okay! Really!” He couldn’t help but be a little flustered at that, a strange mental image of being dragged back into the lake by Nemo popping up and dropping away as quickly as it came. He shuddered a little. “I am a-a merman though. That’s true.” It was a little hard to try to deny it now really as he flicked his tail up and down for a light little splash.

“B-But it’s not like...I me-mean I can be out of w-w-water. You’ve seen me…” with legs, but still. If he could do that then this couldn’t really be a problem. “I just have to um...I have to stay hydrated? Like...I have to b-b-be fully wet once a day. At least. If I can help it I try to do more.” Which was why he absolutely loved to soak in the bath, though he also went over to Ariel’s for a good swim in their secret pool when she allowed it and the lake wasn’t an option. It was strange to share something so personal...but it also felt good to finally be able to talk about this. About not being human and being able to relate with Nemo where he had to stay silent before.

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I can change be-be-between my legs and fin p-p-pretty easily most of the time. But I couldn’t change back while you were...and anyway... I d-d-don’t know how to...I’ve never talked about this b-b-before. Dad says it’s n-n-not safe. B-But I trust you. And you’re okay and that’s...I’m so glad.”

NEMO: Nemo blushed too, because as soon as his words tumbled out of his mouth, he knew they were all kinds of stupid. He had to deal with a barrage of questions from people often as a fairy, too. He didn’t hate it, but he knew it could be annoying or a little intrusive, and that’s, that’s not what Nemo meant. He just wanted to--he’d been scared that-- and then his brain was all mermanmermanman--! He didn’t know what he meant!

He thought he might have meant to say thank you.

Finn deserved a thank you more than ever, because if anyone knew the importance of keeping a magick secret (even if you didn’t want to), it was Nemo.

That became even clearer the more Finn talked. Nemo swallowed again, tried to even out his breaths as his panic finally ebbed away. Now he was tired. His chest hurt a little. He wanted to lay down. But more than any of that…

More than any of that, he loved his friend, more than he’d ever loved Finn before. It was like this whole time, Nemo and Finn had been talking to each other through one of those scratchy window screens that humans used to keep things out (or keep things in). They could hear each other perfectly-- kind of touch through it. But Nemo hadn’t seen him-- really seen him-- until now.

“You’re so beautiful, Finny,” whispered Nemo hoarsely, face still red all the way to his ear tips. His smile trembled on his lips. “Th-thank you for trusting me, and--and saving me even though it meant you had to...well, y’know. I know this is a big deal. I won’t tell anyone.” He shook his head at once and put his hand over his own heart. “I swear.”

FINN: He was pretty sure he was as flushed as he could possibly be, but Finn still felt the most right with Nemo. Like everything finally got to click in place. He didn’t have to hold anything back anymore. It made the words want to bubble up and spill out. He wanted to share everything and anything he could with his best friend. Finn wanted to share his whole world with Nemo.

“Thank you Nemo,” Finn replied, a shy smile spreading across his face as he drew away just a little. “And of course I w-would save you.” His smile only grew the more Nemo spoke, and he found himself reaching out to draw Nemo in for another hug. It felt as good as ever, like he was warmed up from the top of his head to the bottom of his blue and gold tail. It was amazing.

He felt amazing. “I know you won’t. You would never. I’ve seen how...how you were with Ro-Robbie. A lot mo-mo-more thoughtful than I was then.” Finn still felt a little bad about that. But at least it did tell him that he could trust Nemo without a doubt. He took a breath and let it out again, smiling at Nemo as if he hung the moon. “I’m surprised you d-d-didn’t ask about my name. Because if I were you and I heard a mer-mer-merman’s name was Finn Flounder…” he snorted. “I’d laugh a little. I still do some-sometimes.”

NEMO: “Wow, it is!”

A little bit of brightness lit back up in Nemo’s eyes and he laughed. He hadn’t thought about that but-- wow, Finn Flounder the merman. And his room too! Nemo remembered the gorgeous canvas of the underwater scene and giggled a little harder, twisting a little in Finn’s arms so he could laugh into his shoulder. In retrospect, it really was obvious. He wondered if it’s why he and Finn became friends so quickly too. Was it another reason to add to their story? Nemo’s magic finding Finn’s magic, like nothing Nemo’s magic had ever known before? It was beautiful and deadly, alluring and scary all at once, especially for a fast-flying fairy who had nearly drowned in the water’s depth. Still, he’d always been fascinated with the ocean, and its danger had been a part of them.

Not that Finn was dangerous at all. Nemo couldn’t ever be scared of his friend. If anything-- Finn seemed braver than ever before.

He lifted his head up and grinned at Finn, warmth spilling through Nemo’s chest next to the ache from breathing in water. He made a choice right then. To be brave like Finn too.

“I...wanna show you something, too,” Nemo said. He pulled back from Finn, shifting so he was on his knees. He reached down and peeled off his soaked shirt from his body and dropped it with a splat between them. The nerves skittered through him at once, but he fought to keep them down. “I-- remember how I...told you people bullied me in the Hollow? And how I messed up my placement?” He swallowed thickly.

FINN: Finn would never have thought to giggle over how silly his adopted name was before. But sharing that and talking about it with Nemo made the giggle just bubble up with it and with Nemo’s warmth. He could die happy now he was sure, so overwhelmingly welcome and accepted by his friend.

He was a little startled as Nemo pulled away, and Finn debated over the best way to face Nemo as he decided to share...well he didn’t know what he was sharing but he was opening up while Finn was still sort of perched up like a beached seal or something. He opted to roll over so he could sit upright and not have to lean on his hands anymore. He floundered for a moment before he managed to settle on his tail properly.

“You know you...you don’t have to show me Nemo…” Finn didn’t want his friend to feel like it was necessary just because Finn had revealed himself. He would never want that. But he also didn’t want to get in the way if Nemo felt he had to share something either. “I re-remember…” Finn replied softly, reaching out to put a hand on Nemo’s shoulder, wishing he could jump right out and fix it all. He wished he could make everything better for Nemo the way Nemo did for him.

NEMO: “No, no, I want to--I really do,” Nemo siad, hating the way his voice shook and made it sound like he didn’t. Splinters, being brave was so hard. Being honest was so hard.

But lying was hard too. And that’s what not telling felt like right now and so many of the times when Nemo wanted more than anything to talk to his friends about...about everything-- about feeling like a mistake, about the way everyone looked at him, about how he was gonna have to take his placement all over again. He wanted them to understand, really understand, why he freaked out about placement in the first place.

He was just scared of Finn seeing his wing and-- looking disgusted. Averting his eyes.

Grimacing. Frowning. Pity.

All the reasons he didn’t tell got big and bright again, reminding Nemo that they still very much existed, and as much as he loved Finn, and wanted Finn to know him, it was a risk.

Nemo put his hand over Finn’s again and closed his eyes. And he took another clean, deep breath.

His wings shimmered into sight, as if a mist had cleared. They unfolded delicately and caught what little light there was from the sunrise, trapping that light in the delicate capillary web. And oh, like always, it felt amazing to wear his wings. The air kissed each one of them awake, and even his small wing trembled with a precious, excited vibration as it sensed the world around them. He loved his wings, he loved them, even if sometimes he didn’t.

He was scared though to open his eyes and look at Finn. He kept them closed.

“Th--this is why. My eomma called it my lucky wing.”

FINN: Finn was in awe. Utter awe because he’d never seen any fairy’s wings, but seeing Nemo’s was just so...it felt like they were both sharing something special. And Nemo’s wings were beautiful! He could see where an unkind person would find something negative to say, but Finn was just amazed. Nemo had those wings and he could fly with them!

A hand reached out and then he quickly stopped himself, feeling his face flush because well...it was probably rude to just reach out to touch. It wasn’t as if Nemo had touched his tail or anything either. He squeezed Nemo’s shoulder gently instead. “It’s beautiful Nemo...it...no...they’re beautiful?” Was wings an it or they kind of descriptor? Probably not the sort of thing Finn really had to worry about. He did anyway because he didn’t want to upset Nemo by saying the wrong thing.

“Does...does it hurt?” Finn asked, worrying at his lip a little. “I me-me-mean it looks like it c-c-could...is that a b-b-bad question to a-ask?”

NEMO: No, his wing was not beautiful.

Nemo should have told Finn not to say that. He hated it when people said that. No matter how much they tried to mean it, it was always going to be a lie. Nemo had two eyes and he had stared at his wings in the mirror more than anyone. It looked freakish and wrong because it was wrong.

Still, his protest swelled so large it couldn’t make it out of his mouth anyway and he knew that Finn was-- he was being kind, because Finn was the kindest person that Nemo had maybe ever known. He slowly opened his eyes, still too nervous to look Finn directly in his own. His hand slipped down and folded over his other in his lap.

“Y-yes,” Nemo admitted. Another truth he told today. But it was such a relief, for once, instead of a shame. “I mean, not that the question is bad, but that-- it hurts. Not...the wing it--itself. It’s my muscles. It’s um, harder to fly than it should be. I...get sore a lot.” All the time. “All the time,” he corrected himself, his cheeks reddening.

He looked up at Finn finally, and the rest poured out.

“I just really wanted to be normal, you know? I’m supposed to be proud, but I just wanted to come to secondary like I was a human and for no one to ever look at me like I was anything but that. It was like my second chance. And so were you and Louie and Roo and Tae and…” Nemo swallowed. “But I think I love you guys too much. I want to tell you everything all the time... It’s really hard to pretend to be normal, you know?” He sighed out an exhausted breath and knew that Finn did--that he really, really did, more than Nemo had thought before.

FINN: Finn hummed. He understood wanting to be normal very much. If it wasn’t for the stutter, it was for being a merman wanting desperately to make sure he didn’t stand out and that no one would think he was anything special. It was why choir had felt like a horrible idea at the beginning of the year. But thanks to that he got to meet Nemo.

“I get it,” he replied softly, running a hand through his own hair. “Every time you talked about things b-b-being different b-b-between humans and-and...you know...I’d wanna say something. I’d w-w-wanna tell you that you weren’t alone…” he shrugged his shoulders, glancing down at their hands.

He found himself reaching out for Nemo’s hand, wanting to squeeze it and remind them both that they were there together. “But I think being no-no-normal might b-b-be overrated.” Finn wouldn’t have just a few hours ago. Not before he rescued Nemo for sure. But if he weren’t a merman or Nemo wasn’t a fairy...they wouldn’t have that special something that made them who they were.

And Nemo’s wing...that was a part of him. Just as Finn’s stutter was a good part of who he was. Even if it wasn’t so severe when he was comfortable. “I d-d-didn’t think so before...but if I were normal you might not have noticed me in c-c-choir. We might not b-b-be friends if you were normal. Isn’t it…isn’t it kinda lucky we’re not?”

NEMO: Their hands intertwined again. Finn’s had always been bigger than Nemo’s--almost laughably so--but as Nemo gazed down at them, there was something very delicate about Finn’s that he’d never noticed before. His fingers were long and elegant, his knuckles gentle hill slopes. The scales gleamed as pretty and colourful as the wildflowers in Enchantra’s glen, and the webbing was translucent, reminding Nemo of wet leaves after it rained, and the sun glistened through.

You weren’t alone, Finn had said, and he was right. Nemo hadn’t been alone this whole time. It hit him as he stared at their hands-- Finn from the sea and Nemo from the sky, but somehow both of them still the same. He’d never been alone. Nemo glanced up and his eyes glistened with tears again. They were happy ones this time.

“You’re right. Actually...maybe it’s not luck at all-- I think we were meant to meet, Finn,” Nemo said and he squeezed Finn’s hands in his. He grinned and his wings-- his wings glowed behind him, because that’s what happened when a fairy was happy. Nemo felt that glow in the centre of his chest. “I’m so, so happy to be not normal with you. Jingles, I could fly--”

And he stopped abruptly and the light in his wings went out at once. “Wait! I--I can’t! My dust!” The horror swept back into Nemo’s voice as he remembered the horrible reason he had nearly drowned in the first place. It all rushed back. “Ah-Ashleigh, she took my dust and threw it in the lake!”

FINN: Finn had to agree with Nemo. He just had to. They were meant to meet, and they were destined to be the best of friends. He liked that a lot, because they were like too jagged little puzzle pieces, kind of wonky apart, but they fit together and they made each other happy. He grinned right back at Nemo until the panic seemed to set in and Finn startled.

Wait. He could do something about this. So the dust was thrown into the lake. No problem. Finn could go get it. He could! Finn still had his tail and everything. Without it he could probably still try to track it down. As long as it wasn’t spread all over the place. He hoped it wasn’t spread all over the place.

“D-D-Don’t panic!” Finn tried to move and flopped over onto his stomach. He made a face at himself and started wiggling, using his arms to start pushing himself back toward the water. This was...well this was truly not graceful, but in his defense a merman really wasn’t meant to be flopping around on the beach. “I’ll go get it!”

It took him an awkward few minutes of fumbling before he finally got far enough into the water that he could twist around so he could properly swim. “I’ll be right b-b-back. Don’t laugh...” he paused and then amended, “too much. D-D-Don’t laugh too much.”

NEMO: Ugh, he was gonna need to take a serious nap after this. Except he couldn’t. If he managed to get his dust back, Nemo had to sprint back to the Hollow as fast as he could in hopes that Myka hadn’t arrived or Appa hadn’t woken up. Since Appa worked late last night at Pixie’s he probably was gonna sleep later-- they missed each other all the time on his Saturday morning rehearsals since it was Fun-day in the Hollow.

But if Myka showed up and Nemo wasn’t there? She’d wake up Appa. If that’s what happened, Nemo already knew he’d accept it though. He’d brought all of this on himself. Now, he just wanted his dust back, safe and sound. His heart pounded in his ears as he scrambled to his feet, wings fluttering weakly and uselessly. Without dust, they were basically decorative.

“It should be in a green pouch with a gold thread! It’s waterproof,” he added. Though he didn’t know how water-proof. The sewing-talents made the pouches so they could keep dust safe during storms. But this was completely submerged.

Nemo stumbled forward a few more steps and stopped just short of the water as the fear lapped up at his sore throat. He was too scared to even put a toe in.

“I’ll--I’ll just wait right here…”

FINN: “Green p-p-pouch, gold thread. Got it.” He smiled up at Nemo, giving him two thumbs up to try to put him more at ease. He could definitely do this. He was more sure of himself like this than he ever was on two feet. He knew this lake. Finn was sure that he could get it as long as the dust stayed in the pouch.

Finn twisted around and then quickly dove under the water, doing his best not to splash too much as he did it. He started back in the direction they had come before, glancing around at the lakebed, scanning the area for anything that might shine a little. There wasn’t too much that could be construed as gold in here (other than some of the scales on his own tail).

It took him a few minutes, but finally he was able to catch just a flicker of something shiny, diving deeper into the water until he got closer and saw it was definitely the pouch Nemo described. Yes! He didn’t know if the dust would still be good, but it looked like it was at least all in there. Finn grabbed hold of it carefully, tucking it up to his chest as if he could guard it best that way before he twisted around and swam back up to the surface as quickly as possible.

His arm popped out of the water first, followed by his head a moment later because he was too excited to show him that he got it. “Nemo I found it!”

NEMO: Nemo watched as Finn dived back under water, disappearing with one last glimmer of his tail. He stared for a second, dazed. It was just so strange to see Finn actually-- well, be a merman and do what a merman did best: swim.

That’s my best friend, he thought. A tiny smile twitched on his lips. There was no one to see it though, and the lonely quiet of the empty shore opened up around Nemo. Slowly, he sunk back down to his knees, his wings turning down. He folded his larger, left wing over his right, to hide it, like always. And he shivered. Right, he was-- without a shirt. Still soaked all the way through. It wasn’t so warm out, even if later on, Nemo knew the sun would shine high in the sky, filling Swynlake with a perfectly balanced spring temperature. There wouldn’t be any clouds today.

But right now, Nemo was cold, and tired, and scared. He drew up his knees to his chest and hugged them, ducking his chin to press behind his knees. He coughed a few shaky coughs, each one rattling in his chest.

The quiet went on and on, leaving Nemo’s worry to expand inside him. At least-- worrying was -- he didn’t want to think about Ashleigh, seeing her again, the way she grabbed him, the cold claws of the water...Nemo squeezed his eyes shut, dragged both his hands over his dripping pink locks. Shit shit shit…

Finally, he heard a splash of water. Nemo lifted his head at once and saw Finn-- with his pouch!

His relief filled him like liquid sunshine. Nemo jumped up. “Finny, you did it!” He crowed and then leapt on a burst of air, so he soared from the ground to the dock, wings spreading to help the arc. He might not be able to fly but--he could glide on talent and wing alone! His feet hit the dock and he ran all the way down to the edge so Finn could swim to it and they could meet there. (He didn’t think it was fair to make Finn beach himself again. That’d looked uncomfortable.)

“Aw, thank the seasons! You have no idea!” Nemo was blubbering as he knelt down to grab the pouch. The fabric squished in his fingers. But he loosened the string and when he stuck his index finger inside, the dry dust kissed him back. He laughed brightly and then pulled out a little pinch and he sprinkled it on top of him. From a trickle to a roar--the dust spilled down his arms and legs and Nemo sparkled again.

Now they really were their truest selves-- Finn shiny, Nemo sparkly, under the same pink sky.

FINN: The smile that spread across Finn’s face was enormous, utterly delighted that he was able to do something right and find the dust that Nemo needed. It felt good. He could admit to that. Being able to help Nemo felt really really good. He swam over to the edge of the dock, moving so he could rest his arms on it and smile up at his best friend.

“Nemo...you look so p-pretty!” It was true, and even more so because seeing the dust spill down and actually make Nemo sparkle was delightful. Finn loved all sparkly things anyway, so that really just made it better. And the way Nemo lit up when he got the dust was...it was really just beautiful. He almost wished he had art stuff to properly paint him.

But then again, they were both soaking wet. It would probably be better to make sure Nemo was safe and warm. He could probably give him the towel he’d brought. He knew he had one with his clothes. That could at least make it a little better. “I hid a towel near one of those rocks. Maybe you could warm yourself up a little.”

Finn knew that usually it was Nemo’s place to fuss with him and make sure he was doing okay. But after everything...Finn really wanted to fuss a little. If he could get away with it he’d be hugging his best friend again and walking with him until he was sure he was close to home and safe. “I d-d-don’t want you getting sick.”

NEMO: A towel did sound better than shivering half-naked on the dock, Nemo could admit that, and he needed to dry off before he went home anyway. He nodded and popped up onto his feet again-

He could fly if he wanted, Nemo realized. He’d never been human-sized with his wings out before. As he flexed them and let his front wings extend out, they felt both more delicate and more sturdy than ever before, like Nemo couldn’t believe they’d keep this too-big body in the air.

But he sort of wanted to try. He-- wanted Finn to see him fly. It wasn’t that far anyway.

“I’ll be right back,” Nemo said and he tossed a glance over his shoulder at pretty Finn in the water. He flashed a smile. “Wanna see some fast-flying?”

He took two steps back, almost to the edge of the dock-- and then darted forward and leapt into the air. He caught the breeze right away and he thrummed his wings so he became a fast-moving, golden-bright streak zipping toward the rocks.

He was back four seconds later. Or in fairy language-- flits!

He landed without a sound of his feet, but with a laugh on his lips. “Whew! That felt good!” he beamed. He rolled his shoulders once, and with a last little flutter, his wings disappeared and Nemo plopped cross-legged on the dock, drawing the towel over his shoulders. Nemo hummed in his throat and shivered again as he pulled it tight. “I bet you’re like, really fast in the water too, huh?” he asked as he rubbed at some water in his ear with the towel.

FINN: Finn beamed right back at him. He felt so light, and seeing how excited Nemo was just made him more excited himself. He should probably change back soon. He knew he was more exposed here by the docks. But it was nice to be himself and to watch Nemo be himself too. It was beautiful really. “Of course I w-wanna see.”

Watching Nemo fly was incredible. He always wondered what it might feel like to be able to do something like that. Finn wondered if it felt like a rush, if the wind swept through Nemo’s hair and if it felt like a whole other world. He liked to imagine it would. It definitely felt that way when he got his time in the lake and got to go deeper and really see the fish and turtles and everyone down there.

“That looked amazing,” Finn replied warmly, a big boxy smile lighting up his face again. “I d-don’t know if I’m that fast. I’m still a little c-c-clumsy cause I don’t get as many chances to swim.” He pouted at that, though he knew his parents meant well in limiting that time. They wanted to keep him safe. They didn’t want anyone to know what he was so they could use that against him. They loved him. It just sucked. “But you look amazing. It looks so fun.”

He shifted so he lifted himself up on his elbows a bit. “C-Can you d-do me a favor, Nemo? Can you b-bring my clothes over too?”

NEMO: Nemo frowned just a little at what Finn said. He was actually really lucky, huh? To live in the Hollow like he did? What would it have been like to grow up in town like some fairies did, all dressed up in their Clumsy skin? What would it be like to have the noises of the forest so far away, and to not get to stretch his wings day in and day out? Actually, the worst part, Nemo imagined, would be...being so far away from the pixie tree. It hummed, just a little. Every fairy could hear it, and when you put your hand on its trunk, you felt its heartbeat and the heartbeat of all the Hollow fairies too. He didn’t know how to describe it, but having the pixie hollow tree nearby made Nemo feel less alone. Even when he was so sad, or in pain because of his wing… at least he knew he was still part of something so much more important than that sadness and that pain alone.

Finn had to live a life separate from the water and the world it offered him. That was so, so unfair.

Nemo itched to-- to ask about it-- or to hug Finn or something-- but of course, his friend was still in the water and he’d just asked Nemo for help. So he held his questions in and nodded. “Right, of course! Pfft, I shoulda grabbed them when I was over there the first time.” He rolled his eyes at himself, then let the towel fall to the ground. Once again, he summoned his wings, darted off and darted back in another gust of golden air.

He let out his breath and very carefully put Finn’s folded clothes on the corner of the dock. “There,” he said. “When, um--whenever you’re ready. I can uh, look away too, if you want.” He held up the towel over his eyes for a second to demonstrate, smiling a little shyly.

FINN: Finn giggled, shaking his head at his friend. He wasn’t bothered by him having taken just the towel. It meant he got the chance to see Nemo fly again, and that was in his opinion a very cool thing to see. So he wasn’t too sorry about it at all. Even if he did think he ought to change back. Much as he wished he could spend more time in the lake...it was always a balance and seeing how much time he could squeeze in safely. Today time was up.

But this time at least he could walk back with his friend. “Thanks Nemo,” Finn replied softly. He glanced behind Nemo and around the area to make sure no one else was close by before he pulled himself up so he was sitting on the dock. While he was wet, he didn’t think he should make his clothes any more wet than they’d end up being. His eyebrows furrowed and he made himself concentrate on shifting back. For a moment it seemed like nothing happened, but then all too quickly his beautiful blue and gold tail disappeared and his silly looking legs reappeared. He reached for the clothes quickly, not wanting to keep his friend waiting for too long.

Before he knew it he was dressed and back to being Finn the ordinary boy. “Okay. You c-c-can look again Nemo.” He nudged him lightly. “Can I w-w-walk you back? Or um...to the forest?”

NEMO: Nemo held up the towel over his eyes and turned his face away just to be sure-- staring down at the quiet lake water that gathered around the legs of the dock. It wasn’t quiet to Nemo. His heart weakly stuttered as he remembered its cold, and its depth, and all that panic. Nemo chewed on his own lip, then his eyes darted up, to stare at the sky instead.

Beside him, Finn breathed, the dock creaked with his weight, Nemo heard the rustling of clothes. Then, he could look. Nemo let the towel down then glanced his friend’s way. There he was-- Finn Flounder, wet hair but otherwise the Finn that Nemo met that first day in chorus.

And it made Nemo, for a second, kinda sad. The feeling slapped him as cold as the water. He wanted to--reach forward and take Finn’s hand again. He didn’t know why. It just was kind of sad, wasn’t it? The way they both had to hide? For just a few minutes here, life had held them in a perfect bubble where they hadn’t done that. Finn swam, Nemo flew, they laughed and smiled at each other. Now it was over.

Nemo swallowed rough--forcing that sadness down. He hated being sad and he was sad literally all the time these days. Not right now, he told himself. He made himself smile and then lifted the town off his shoulders to drape over Finn’s head, where he playfully ruffled his wet hair. “That’d be nice, Finn,” he teased.

FINN: Finn did his best not to look back at the water. He always did when he got out and had to go do normal people things. It was easier knowing Nemo was there, that he could walk with him and talk to him and feel like someone really understood him. Of course he had Ariel, but lately the two of them had been in disagreement over how to handle things. It was different.

It was a different feeling. Not better or worse...just different. Finn was glad that he got to have those two different ways of being understood. “G-G-Good,” Finn said with a smile, moving to link his arm with Nemo’s so they could walk arm in arm and just be silly. Just a moment more he thought before he let go of that warm feeling that he had had with him.

As they started back toward the direction of the forest, Finn let himself squeeze Nemo’s arm once. “I really am g-g-glad we’re friends,” he said, looking forward to the days ahead where he could tell Nemo about the turtle he liked to talk to, or maybe how he loved when his scales glistened, or the rock in the middle of the lake that he liked to settle on. For now? Well for now he was just grateful they were both there.

NEMO: Nemo had to stop to collect his still soaking wet (and now sand-infested) shirt, grimacing as he slapped it back on. He wanted to peel it right off again and he’d have to once he got into the woods and fully transformed into his pixie-form. For now though, he tried not to shiver as much as he could and let Finn lead. Which was new for them, wasn’t it? Finn taking the lead?

But truth be told, Nemo was tired. He couldn’t believe he had to go dance after this.

What was he going to say to Ashlee T.?

His throat constricted at once. The answer was nothing. He couldn’t tell anyone anything. Appa couldn’t find out-- he’d whisk Nemo out of Swynlake, not just out of school. And if he told Ashlee T or she found out… splinters, if he told Tae and Tae got mad, or if Robbie found out, or if Louie…

Ashleigh would come after him again.

Nemo had known fear, but never fear like this. It was a kind of cold that froze him inside out. He stopped in his tracks abruptly, making Finn stop too.

“Finn, I just--” he started, stopped, wanted to vomit like he still had lake water trapped inside him. He took a deep breath inside, trying to keep calm. “You can’t...tell anyone about this. You won’t, right? No one can know what Ashleigh Q did. T-trust me, if, if anyone found out--I’d probably never be allowed in town again. Promise me you won’t tell.”

FINN: Finn startled as Nemo stopped, glancing around as if to scan the whole area for another threat. His heart picked up speed, and he was starting to debate over just what he might do if something happened. If Ashleigh Q. came back. He could try kicking her or something like Tae showed him. He could try to just yell really loudly and distract her so Nemo could leave. It only took a moment of anxious planning before he realized that no one was there and Nemo just needed to talk.

His eyebrows furrowed at the idea of not telling an adult what Ashleigh Q. had done. Ashleigh Q. was a monster. Finn didn’t like the idea that nobody would know that she was willing to put someone’s life at risk for a giggle. It made him a little sick to his stomach, but then so did the idea of Nemo never ever coming back into town. Going without Nemo now that he’d known him and known that he could have such a friend sounded like some form of hell.

So Finn did what he could do to reassure his best friend. He held up a hand and offered up his pinky, because breaking a pinky promise was unforgivable. “I p-p-p-promise I won’t tell. You c-c-can c-count on me Nemo.”

NEMO: He knew if he had asked this of anyone else, they would have said no.

Maybe Finn should have said no. Wouldn’t Nemo have had no if the situation was the other way around? Nemo would never let Ashley A get away with something as dark and horrid as this, especially because Nemo knew-- he knew-- that Ashleigh knew Nemo couldn’t swim. He felt so stupid in retrospect, honestly, looking back at his texts with her and how Ashleigh had asked to meet on the dock. He’d been so horribly gullible, making a deal with a mara. He should have known so much better.

But he thought better of Ashleigh than she deserved. He thought, he guessed, that she wouldn’t try to kill him.

Not anymore.

At least Finn, of all people, understood the depths of an Ashley’s cruelty. It was pointless to fight them. Just-- let them graduate and leave Nemo alone forever.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Smiling gently, he lifted his pinky to hook around Finn’s. “Thank you so much,” he said as their pinkies hugged. For a brief second, Nemo didn’t feel cold or scared at all. “For everything, Finn. Not just for this, but for-- for saving me. And being my friend.”

#justkeepdancing-nemo #ashleigh-inyourdreams #p: you from the sea me from the sky #r: bffs (best fish friends)#UGH THIS IS #HOIDHOIDFHD #ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I'VE WRITTEN WITH FINN #this was #BRAVE FINN ACTIVATED #i'm crying in the club #this made me feel so many things #nemo made me feel so many things #tw: drowning

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