Nemo was - mostly excited about this. He liked plans. He needed plans. And he’d been worried he’d be bored in the Hollow as soon as Slumber celebrations were wrapped up, especially since his back meant he hadn’t been able to prepare with the performance-talents for the various aerial dances they did during the opening ceremonies. But Jeremy had actually texted and asked if he wanted to do something! Which was great! And also uh! Maybe a little embarrassing, considering he’d ditched exams...made Olaf pester Jeremy about where Nemo was... and had generally been a not great roommate the last week of school.
And so, there was that voice in Nemo’s head - he’s probably doing it out of pity. Or obligation.
Well, shut up voice. Nemo was gonna not focus on the big mess he’d made right before leaving for break, and instead try to be a normal person who was gonna hang out with a friend. He could do that.
“Ahhh, I think I’m gonna get hot cocoa,” Nemo mentioned as he read over the Hatter’s menu. They were just gonna grab some drinks and probably go for a walk and catch up some, a pretty chill hang-out that Nemo was grateful for. It kept expectations low.
It’d not been a good week for Nemo. Or a good month. Or, really, a good semester at all. But his back injury-- a minor tear that nevertheless meant he was gonna need rest and recuperation for ‘four to six weeks’ according to the mundus doctors-- had really just made everything worse. He couldn’t sit without it hurting, he couldn’t stand for a long time without it hurting, and he definitely couldn’t dance.
He hated it. He hated his back. He hated himself. He wanted to [redacted] but since that was dramatic, he’d just lay around and do nothing. For the first week, that worked out rather well for him, a few friends stopping by to look at him in pity and offer him yummy food he shouldn’t eat. But he was into the second week of recovery now. His back was marginally better, but Nemo’s attitude was worse.
Yesterday, he slept for ten hours straight, skipping all his classes.
Today, Jeremy dragged Nemo out of bed against his will, claiming a little change of scenery could help. Nemo was all fuzzy-brained and uncomfortable as he wiggled in the plastic chairs, staring at the tiny plate of fruit he’d gotten for himself. Jeremy sat down with a much more impressive spread.
“Oh. They’ve got pudding,” he mentioned. “I didn’t see that.”
'Cause anytime you want me (I'll be)
Right here where you call me (I'll be)
I could never let you go
Never let you go
Whenever you need me (I'll be)
If you believe me (I'll be)
I'll never let you go
Never let you go
So I dunno if I’ve ever talked about it, but in the Hollow, flower crowns are a big part of fairy life. When a new seedling is born, we make a crown for the parents. When someone gets their placement, we make them a crown. When you like someone a lot, or you’re proud of your friend for something they’ve done, or you just want to tell someone something special - yup, you guessed it! We make a crown.
Each crown is unique and has its own meaning. We use the language of flowers to say what we need to say. I decided you should have one. Coming out is a big deal and I know you’ve been thinking a lot about it. I hope this crown can show you that all your efforts and your struggles have become something beautiful - that you should wear proudly (or just hang on our door xP).
Here’s a guide to the flowers I used. If you want, one day I can show you how to make your own too!
Yellow Daffodils: This is what we call the speaking flower. I used it the most because it’s where the message begins. Did you know daffodils are considered the first flower of spring in my culture? It’s a flower that symbolizes a bright, new start. That means this is like your rebirth too.
White hydrangea: This is the second flower I used the most, so it’s the second most significant one. White hydrangeas mean pride. It’s what I want you to have! When put with the yellow daffodils, it means you should be proud of yourself for taking this new path.
Alstroemeria stems: The stem of a crown is also called its spine. This usually communicates something about the giver of the crown. Alstroemeria is a friendship flower, and I decided to use it as the spine so you know I got your back! You supported me a lot last semester, and I’ll support you too.
Daisies and Pink Carnations: Both these flowers sort of accentuate the speaking flower and second flower. Daisies always mean joy, so it’s like saying, “I hope this new start is a happy one.” And pink carnations mean gratitude for the road ahead.
Jasmine and Roses: Both these flowers are pretty romantic. Pink roses are always about new love and white jasmine sort of have that connotation too…hmm, sort of like a sweet love that is just budding? I put these in for your new relationship with Pip. I really hope it goes well and I’m so happy for you that it's happened!
Lavender and Thyme: We use herbs in flower crowns mostly for aesthetic reasons, especially since it can bring out additional scents and make a crown look fuller and more lush. But we still pick the herbs we want to accentuate the message! Thyme brings courage. Lavender, I’ve learned from going to Pride, is a historic flower to the LGBTQIA+ movement. In fairy language, it would mean something different, but I thought we should have some of your language and history too.
