Chapter Text
Nobody really liked Shrimpo. He was mean, he was constantly angry, he was prone to violence, it wasn’t fun hanging around him. Finn did it anyways.
Shrimpo wasn’t entirely sure why, there had to be better toons he could hang out with. It wasn’t like Finn didn’t have friends, Razzle and Dazzle probably made better company than him, Yatta liked his jokes, hell even Looey laughed at them sometimes. But still, time and time again, he found Finn choosing to spend time with him.
He didn’t mind, It was one of the only times someone would actually talk to him without being on a run. But he still had that nagging feeling in the back of his head, Finn didn’t deserve to be friends with him. Finn should hang out with his other friends, not subject himself to constant berating and insulting.
“Hey Shrimpo!” Finn called out.
Shrimpo snapped out of his thoughts, and turned around. Finn must’ve been doing something in the aquarium as well.
“Nice to see you here!” Fin smiled.
“I was just letting Barnaby swim in the big tanks, he likes to have more room from time to time.”
He looked in the tank in the middle of the room, seeing that small purple fish inside. Everyone said it was just plastic, but Shrimpo could swear the thing was judging him sometimes.
“What, you’re letting your little toy roam around a tank?” Shrimpo scoffed.
“He’s not a toy silly, he’s my friend!” Finn defended playfully.
“What are you doing around here anyways?”
“Oh- I’ve just… I wanted to go for a walk, yeah,” Shrimpo said. He didn’t wanna admit that he wanted to see his sign in the aquarium. It wasn’t much but at the very least he was included in something.
“Wanted to clear my head a bit, it’s so hard when you’re all so annoying.”
“Aw, you don’t mean that!” Finn insisted.
“…you have issues thinking clearly?”
“I mean, not exactly,” Shrimpo said.
“Just when there’s too much stuff going on, I can’t exactly focus when people are talking all around me and the musics playing from dandy’s shop and all the other things. What I didn’t come down here to do though is listen to your annoying jokes.”
“… Heh, that’s alright, they can get pretty mooring anyways!” Finn joked.
Shrimpo didn’t know why Finn did that. He’d say he hated Finn’s jokes, and Finn said that was alright. He said that he hated Barnaby, Finn said you don’t mean that. Shrimpo said he hated Finn, Finn smiled at him and said it’s ok. He was a little concerned about him.
“Do you maybe wanna hang out?” Finn asked, taking Barnaby out of the big tank and putting him back in his head.
“I’m planning to go to Teagan’s tea party later, you wanna come? She doesn’t just have tea there, I’m sure she’ll have something you like!”
“Oh, I’m- I’m not invited, to those parties…” Shrimpo admitted looking away in slight frustration.
“Wait- really? Why not?”
“…Finn.”
“Oh- yeah, right,” Finn sighed as he decided the ladder he’d put against the tank.
“Well, surely there’s something we can do together?”
“Like what, work on your stupid puns?” Shrimpo snarked.
“…oh- maybe we could see if any of the old computers still work?” Finn suggested.
“I heard Boxten has one in his room and he uses it from time to time, maybe we could find some games to play!”
“That sounds dumb,” Shrimpo said.
“…but, I mean it’s not like I have anything better to do.”
“Yes!” Finn cheered.
“Alright, last one to the elevator is a rotten fish!”
Shrimpo paused, watching Finn take off. He really didn’t deserve a friend like him, but god was he lucky to have one.
“Wait up, fish brains!” Shrimpo yelled, running after him.
—————————————————————
“…and of course, I had no idea it was actually a mosasaurus tooth!” Finn rambled, he’d gotten caught up in telling a story while him and Shrimpo were walking through the lobby.
“It shore is great that Shelly has a large knowledge of fossils and prehistoric animals, we may not have a lot in common but we find common ground!”
“Hey Finn!” Razzle said.
“Oh- hey Razzle, hey Dazzle!” Finn greeted.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing much,” Razzle said.
“Hey, are you gonna be at the anniversary party next week? (We’re going, it feels right to celebrate the show even after we shut down.)”
“Oh, the anniversary party, I almost forgot!” Finn said.
“That’s sounds that a feel good time, right Shrimpo?”
“I don’t… I don’t usually go,” Shrimpo admitted.
“It’s too much of a losers party anyway!”
“Aw, don’t say that!” Finn said, playfully rolling his eyes.
“I’m sure it’ll be fun, right?”
“…(I mean you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.) Yeah, we wouldn’t wanna pressure you into anything Shrimpo,” the twins said, Dazzle with a look of slight distain.
“…well, why don’t you go anyway?” Finn said, brushing off the obvious dissatisfaction from Dazzle.
“I’m sure it’ll won’t be a turtle disaster, you may even have a fin-tastic time!”
“…Fine, I’ll go to your little loser party,” Shrimpo said.
“But I’ll just see what it’s all about! I’m probably not gonna stick around.”
“Great!” Finn beamed.
“…We’ll see you there then. (Maybe.)” the twins said.
Shrimpo waited for them to leave to start talking again.
“…y’know you’re the only one who wants me to be there,” he said, crossing his arms.
“Don’t say that, I’m sure-“
“I’m not being negative for once, no one wants me there,” Shrimpo stated, cutting Finn off.
“I think you’re the only one who even tolerates me at this point, and I don’t even know why you do.”
“…I… I guess I just understand you better than the others,” Finn sighed.
“Yes, because there’s so much to understand with anger and negativity,” Shrimpo snarked.
“I’m literally a one note character, it’s how I was made.”
“I don’t think that’s a reason to dismiss you though!” Finn argued.
“i mean… sure, yeah, you get a little angry sometimes-“
”A little angry?” Shrimpo said.
”I’m downright malicious sometimes, not saying that some people don’t deserve it. If I wanted anyone to like me, I’d have to, I dunno, deal with that.”
”…it’s still a good thing that you recognize what you need to work on though!” Finn commented.
”but still, I think people could give you a little more leeway. I mean, Boxten is a one note character and he’s still treated nice.”
“That’s because Boxten is too much of a coward to yell at people, he probably couldn’t even order food for himself,” Shrimpo said, rolling his eyes.
“And besides, he has more to him than just being nervous all the time, he bakes with Cosmo sometimes, he likes music, he’s not just about being nervous.”
“…so even though he was made to be a one note character,” Finn said.
“You could say he was able to branch out into a more nuanced person than just that one emotion?”
“Shut up.”
“C’mon! How am I supposed to be in your corner if you aren’t even there?” Finn whined.
“I’m sure if you really wanted to, you could make some progress at the very least, I know you can be more than just the angry one.”
“…yeah right, as if,” Shrimpo scoffed.
An uncomfortable silence fell between them.
“…What you said earlier, it doesn’t mean that you won’t go to the party, right?” Finn asked nervously.
“…of course not,” Shrimpo muttered.
“Yes! That’s fin-tastic!” Finn cheered.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m only going cause you’ll be there,” Shrimpo said.
Maybe Finn was right. If Boxten did it, why couldn’t he? At the very least he could try and be… normal, for a night. Maybe he should pay someone a visit.