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A Need to be Filled...

Finn was sitting, laid back, chatting and chuckling up a storm on the phone, in the quiet, shaded, lazy afternoon atmosphere of one of the tree house's livingrooms. The voice on the line was a familiar one, and, at that, one that he hadn't heard from in quite some time. In fact, it was of someone that he'd love to simply catch up with: Susan Strong.

"That is some crazy-hazy schnaz, Susan! Who woulda guessed that that's what you'd find over the crystal peaks in the northwest?" Finn slapped his head, bewildered at Susan's tale of her and Frieda's exploits into parts unknown.

"Ih-hit was tote's crazy, Finn. Wish you could've seen it." Susan replied, giddy with the rush of survival, fresh in her memories. "So, but yeah, Finn, " she continued, "I was wondering a few things, especially since tomorrow's gonna be tomorrow, and all..."

"Why? What's so special about tomorrow?"

"Dhon't you remember? It's the anniversary of the Hyooman's triumphant return to Beautopia!"

Finn nearly leapt off his seat in shock. He pushed himself forward from his lazy, couchpotato slump, and set himself on the edge of the couch, somewhat perched and ready to pounce upon something that wasn't there. He was a little anxious, wondering if there was going to be some sort of hero's welcome for Susan and him. "Is there, like, some kinda party, gonna take place in the streets, or some junk?!"

"You guessed it! And, of course, the best part is that you, me, and Jake are the guests of honor!"

"Holy shmaow! That's the boo-boo-best!...Oh...but, Jake's on his, like, umpteenth honeymoon with Lady Rainicorn, right now, and he kinda doesn't wanna be disturbed..."

"Oh, that's too bad..."

"But, iz okay, cause, Frieda can take his place!"

"Oh, sorry, Finn, but, Frieda can't make it either."

The cheer of the moment reduced to a somewhat bittersweet one at that, since Susan and Finn's besties weren't able to join.

"That's too bad too, Snuuz. I was really wanting to meet her, all friend-like for once, ya know?" Finn went on.

"Yeah, I know. She's got some things she's got to take care of back at Founder's Island too, so, I guess it's just gonna be you 'n me, Finn. You and your...heeroh harrt...nnhahahah!" Susan teased with her slightly 'slower' way of speaking, from a seemingly distant past.

"Hahahah, yeah. It'll still be fun." Finn replied, elevating the mood, closer to where it was, previously.

"So, yeah, I was hoping I could crash at your pad tonight. S'been a while since I seen it, 'n stuff, 'n, also, I need a place to land, before we go and float through their docks, all Arc De Tiomphe style."

Finn was absolutely elated at Susan's request. "Souuuunds GREAT!" This time, Finn really did jump up off his seat. "Oh, shiznotch. I gotta go grab some spare nootch for tonight and the trip tomorrow then."

"Arright. Guess I'll see you when I get there, then?"

"Defs, yeah!" Finn replied, rushing to get his adventurer's pack. His twisty, acrobatic skills of getting up and down ladders while still being able to, one way or another, hold his phone were astonishing. "Oh, and, if I ain't here when you get in, just go ahead and knock. I'm sure BMO or NEPTR'll be more than happy to let you in...you can even hang out with them a while, if you like!"

"Sounds awesome, Finn. I guess I'll see you in a few hours then..."

"Defs m'geffs. Catch'a on the flipstone." he happily blurted, before he ended the call and tossed his handset into his pack.

After giving a few, brief instructions to BMO and NEPTR, regarding Susan's stay, he was sliding down the ladder, into the treasure room, rolling across the floor...and then gingerly opening the front door like a snooty gentleman. "Ohh yeah...diplomatic skills, baby." he stroked his own ego, before stepping out into the late afternoon sunlight.

The day was nice and warm with a cooling, early Autumn breeze. Along with planning provisions for tomorrow, he was so psyched that he wanted to chow down on a fresh armload of candy trash, as a sort of pre-celebration celebration. He dug a foot into the ground slightly, ready to leap into a charging sprint, straight towards the Candy Kingdom...when a strange, little eddy caught his eye, forming in the midst of the nearby pond. Finn relaxed his stance and opted to walk on over to see what was going on. To his surprise a figure began emerging from the depths of the pool, and a rather tall one at that. It was Canyon, dressed in her lighter toned tunic and her green sash. She stepped herself on out of the pond, her body language somewhat jittery and distressed. "Canyon!" Finn called forth and caught up with her.

"Oh. Hey, Finn." she simply replied. In contrast to Finn's current attitude, she didn't seem cheery at all, not one bit.

"What's the haps, buddy? You look all world-endy, or some junk."

"Mmm...funny you should say, Finn." Canyon replied and went ahead to sit in front of him...giving him a good show of her underwear...or lack thereof. Finn did his best to keep his eyes on her eyes...not on her 'lips'. "I'm in a bit of a...uh...spot of bother, Finn. The deets are...complicated, but, as you said, it could end up all...world-endy, at least for anyone...near me."

"Oh, yeah? Wells, dish it, mah missy, on the off chance I can help."

Canyon was hesitant. "Well...where to start..." she began, getting up to begin pacing back and forth, before the little, boy hero, nervously...which, in turn, made him nervous as well. "Y'see...me and Billy...wait, I should probably tell you...yeah, okay. So, I'm like linked to this world by my mortal flesh, but, inside of me, there's this, like, crazy, mad powerful goddess of waters and stuff, and, every ten years or so, she starts getting curious hungry for whether or not there's love on Ooo."

"Uhuhhh..." Finn replied, deeply interested.

"And, yeah, since me an' Billy were together before, there was no problem for her getting her fix, but...you know...since Billy died..."

Finn's mouth went crooked with a regretful smirk. It still hurt to hear of his own, personal life coach and inspiration spoken of in the past tense. Finn pushed himself out of the funk, before he began drowning in it, and started piecing what Canyon was telling him together. "So...without your heart-throb around, the power being inside you can emerge, all angry and testy-like?"

"Exactly, Finn." Canyon spoke firmly now, with a tinge of worry and a whole lot of absolution in her voice. "If missy inside me doesn't find the love she needs, like, a powerful source of hope and love...and...other mushy stuff that only couples do...ehrm...she could like take over my body and bring a time of thunderous testing onto all parts of Ooo, not spearing the sheep, or some junk!"

Finn gasped. "Wow...that IS all totally end of world scenarios." He began pacing back and forth himself, pinching at his chin and imagining there was a beard there. "...Is there anything I can do to help? I mean, what were you seeking the waters here for?"

"Oh. The...water nymphs were...uh...massaging my problems away." Canyon replied, masking the nature of her 'massage'. "I don't really think you can help me, Finn." she went on. "I need a guy...friend. Like...preferably one my...size. Ehem...even if it's just for one night."

"Well, yeah, but, if it needs to be a guy, even Jake has said that I'm down with the awesomeness, when it comes to backrubs and hand massa..."

A rather harsh, disappointed sigh brought Finn's words to a halt. She knelt down and placed her hands on his shoulders to get his undivided attention. "Okay, Finn. I'mma be really real with you, right now, so, listen up."

Finn swallowed hard as his gaze locked with Canyon's piercing, glowing green eyes.

"In super short, ultra blunt, real-real abbreviatory likeness words, Finn...I need to have mad-crazy, uninhibited sex with a guy that feels it hot for me and can fill me up to the brim with his hot, cooling love cream."

Finn's eye twitched. He didn't have the slightest clue as to what she was talking about...but he could guess.

"Ah...ayeeeee seeeeee..." he began. He pulled away from Canyon's gentle grip, his eyes once again avoiding the look of her unhindered womanhood, and began pacing back and forth again. "Hmm...Well, I don't...exactly know what to do, but...you mind if I ask Princess Bubblegum if she can doodle? She's mad smart, and, might think of something."

Canyon rose in place with a sigh. "Sure Finn, but, I'd prefer if you kept this on the down-low? The last thing I want is all of Ooo to know that a goddess inside of me is hornytoads for man-meat."

"I...I'll keep that in mind." Finn replied, his brow furrowing with utter confusion, as he was still not quite sure as to what she meant. His mind wandered towards some predator/prey type thoughts, but, they weren't of the type that Canyon was implying.

"I gotta go, Finn." she said, looking across the rolling hills of the grassland, towards the horizon. "Call me through my sister spirits, the Nymphs, if you come up with something, huh? I could use...TRY, almost anything, at this point."

"Will do...my lady." Finn replied, with a fist to his chest and a deeply taken bow.

Canyon smiled in reply.

The two of them parted from each other, both with a reasonable spirit of angst within their hearts. Everything that Canyon told Finn simply sounded ominous, and, he needed council, right away.

As he strode with a hurried pace towards the Candy Kingdom, Finn wore his rucksack forwards upon his chest and quickly rummaged around within for his walkie-talkie. As soon as his fingers found it, he wrenched it from its hiding place and began spinning the knob to find Princess Bubblegum's face. He dialed in her number and waited for an answer. It was only a few seconds, but, it seemed a lifetime before there was an answer.

"Hello-oh!" the Princess answered.

"Pri-bubs." Finn replied, beginning to huff and puff from the fact that his power walk had turned into a full on jog. "I require immediate assistance, like...apocalipta style."

"Oh no! What is it, Finn?!"

"I can't tell you out in the open. We need to meet indoors."

"Alright. I'll prepare my war room..."

"No..." Finn halted her train of thought, making her even more worried. "This time...it's personal. Jus' tha ears 'n mouths o' you an' me...no more no less. Got it?"

"Yeah. I gotcha, Finn. I'll be on the steps of the Candy Castle in ten, waiting for you."

"Math-a-matical. See ya then." Finn replied, and closed the call, now concentrating on his run. Although he was given no time frame here, it just seemed the chase was on.

He had forgotten completely about his celebratory, candy-trash supper, as well as his guest, soon to arrive at the tree house, and with good reason.

With a time-table unknown, it seemed the world of Ooo was on the brink of destruction...yet again. And, the only thing that could stop it...was love.

Demon Casket

Presents...

Needed...Wanted...Desired

Part 1:

Big Girls Don't Cry...

(...but they do moan, beautifully...)

A Hard Lemonade Fanfiction

of not-so-serious proportions