♕ ic contact - mask or menace

[sweetarts]

❝You've reached Bonnibel.
Or not, since I'm not actually here right now.
Leave a message and I'll get back to you.❞

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[sweetarts]

[ -Nope it's still weird. ]

Is this really Marceline?

[bassriff]

[She laughs, tossing her head back and turning around in the air, trying to stop a smile.]

You're pushin' 830, you thought Iggy Pop was a soda, and your brother's name is Neddy. Yeah, it's me, Bonnibel.

[sweetarts]

[ Alright, she checks out. Her smile is all in her voice: ]

Get over here!

[bassriff]

I'll be there in 10.

[Aaaand as said, after about 10-15 minutes there's a knock at Bubblegum's window.]

[sweetarts]

[ Bonnie, who had been trying to give some semblance of organization to the boxes and packages of Marceline's things that are pushed up in the corner of her room, turns and brightens immediately at Marceline's face in her window. She comes up and opens it wide; she had already learned to pop out the screen and leave it beside her window when she knew Marceline wouldn't invite herself in. ]

There you are. Cute haircut!

[bassriff]

[Marceline grins, floating through the window and landing in the room.]

Thanks. Didja hold up ok without me around to bug you? [She's gone radio silent with Bubblegum for way longer than a few weeks before, and she knows it. They drop in and out of each other's lives all the time.

Still, though.]

[sweetarts]

Oh, no way. [ Shutting the window. ] The whole place burned down. It was a total wreck everywhere without the Vampire Queen around.

[ And just as Bonnie leans against the wall nearby the window, Marceline will hear the happy-peppy patter of doggy feet on the floor. Ozzy is immediately on his feet and trying to leap for her. ]

I'd say he got the worst of it, though.

[bassriff]

Ozzy! Hey, buddy! [Marceline laughs, bending down to pick him up and enduring the yips and kisses, petting his head.]

Yeah, I guess nobody missed me as much as this lil guy. You probably came close, right?

[sweetarts]

Dream on. [ Yes, she did. She pushes her back off of the windowpane and comes over to pet Ozzy's excited little head. ] No one comes close to how much he missed you.

[ She looks back at Marceline—and, at least from where she is, she seems pretty chill about arriving back on this planet. Bubblegum offers her a smile, drawing back her hand. ]

So are you gonna tell me what went on?

[bassriff]

Not all right now. [She shrugs, looking a little apologetic.] Some big stuff happened that last week, I'm still sorta adjusting. Soon, 'kay?

Crownless look suits you, you know. Meant to say it back home. [yeah she's letting that slip tho. downplaying it so she doesn't have to make a big thing about it from the jump.]

[sweetarts]

-Crownless... [ She was going to say she was okay with waiting later, but that last bit slips out. She gives a half-smile and blows a small raspberry. ]

Did some goon steal my crown or something? [ SHE MEANS LITERALLY... ]

[bassriff]

[shit. she scuffs the floor a little with her shoe, wishing she hadn't said that.]

Sorta. You quit for a few months. [true enough, really.]

[sweetarts]

[ Bubblegum straight up drops her phone from her hand. She just stares, mouth open. Then, after a moment: ]

'Quit'? What do you mean, I 'quit'?

[bassriff]

I mean you weren't princess for a while? [smooth]

[sweetarts]

No duh! But what the flip does that mean? How can I just quit on my kingdom? [ Lots of italics... ] The people I made? The kingdom I run so it doesn't go completely bananas on itself? Earth to Marceline? This isn't funny!

[bassriff]

Okay, okay! Easy, Bon. There was an election or... something. [she shrugs, looking a little unsure about that. the way it was explained to her didn't make tons of sense. she walks over with Ozzy and takes a seat.]

King of Ooo took the place, you bailed. Let your peeps deal with the mess for a while. You were... tired, I think. I get that. You didn't tell me about it, I had to hear it from that guy like... two months later? [rubbing the back of her neck, looking away a little before she turns her attention back to Bubblegum.]

While after that, Crunchy took over. [eyerolling. yeah, that's gonna last.] Last time I saw you, you were ready to take the place back.

[sweetarts]

[ It's a lot to take in all at once. Bubblegum just watches, calming down while no less confused. While she had thought that she might become a more passive rather than controlling ruler to her peoples might ease the stress of her job, the prospect of walking out under those circumstances isn't a surprise. What did she do, then? For more than two months? Maybe go to Gumbald's cabin? Go see Finn? Either way, the story itself makes sense. Even the Crunchy part. But she still has to take a step back and sit down at her desk chair to let it sink in. She leans her elbow against her desk and pushes her fingers into her goopy hair. ]

I see. [ Quietly. A moment after staring at her desk, she regards Marceline again: ]

Was the election rigged for this loser or what?

[bassriff]

You didn't really campaign. I guess you got all overconfident, figured your peeps couldn't be that stupid... [Except. You know. They totally can be, and are most of the time.]

I caught up to you and Pepbutts down by Lake Butterscotch, at your uncle's old place. You fixed it up pretty nice.

[Until it got wrecked, that is. Twice.]

[sweetarts]

I really did end up at Great-Uncle Gumbald's.

[ She smooths her hand down from her hair to her cheek, staring off at nothing. She must have gotten overconfident. She figured that even if her people were stupid, they might have some semblance of love or loyalty for, you know, the one that created them and took care of them and made sure they didn't blow themselves up. (Aside from Crunchy. And Starchy? Lemongrabs?)

None of this should surprise her, but it doesn't sting any less. She punches between her eyes and sighs deeply. ]

Well, I mean... [ She drops her hand and raises her eyes back to Marceline. ] That's just... how it was, right? I can't stress over it. [ Even if she's clearly troubled. She'll get over it. She takes a deep, calming breath. ] Thanks. Sorry I got frazzled.

[bassriff]

[Marceline frowns a little, floating up from her seat and putting Ozzy down.] Hey. [She drifts closer, putting a hand on Bubblegum's shoulder.]

It works out in the end, dude. It's not gonna be the end of the world. [even if there was some other stuff that very nearly was.]

You got nothing to apologize for.

[sweetarts]

[ With that little shoulder pat, she offers a smile. ]

Yeah, you're right. [ What's with her and letting her emotions run over her logic? She ducks her head a bit and pats her cheeks, eyes squeezed shut, as if waking herself up. Then she looks back at Marceline with a full smile. ]

So! Wanna tell me how it was? How long were you even gone for, anyway?

[bassriff]

[She grins right back.]

Three years. Crazy, right? Guess I'm ahead now.

[sweetarts]

Three years since the Door Lord incident... You're ahead of me by a few months, at least.

[ Which is still a long time in her eyes. ]

At least rely on the fact that when we get sent back, everything's the way it oughtta be. [ Bubblegum wasn't missing, anyway. ] Where was Finn and Jake in all this nonsense?

[bassriff]

Right where we left it. [It's a little distracted, almost wistful the way she says it. She barrels straight on after a brief pause.]

You had them stay with the Kingdom for a while. Waxhead put them in charge of the Royal Guard or something, but he fired them later. The four of us went through a lot together before I got back.

[sweetarts]

[ That earns a smile. At least Finn and Jake were loyal enough to her to get fired, or so she's assuming.

She stands, turns her chair around, and sits in it with her arms crossed over the top. She leans forward to get a good view of Marceline. ]

Spill.