Fionna was no stranger to danger. No stranger to fear, or adversity, or even worry. She was a connoisseur of the extreme. She was all about extreme.
Yet she was a stranger to certain social contexts. Even though she had grown up in a world fraught with peril, it seems that the world had not slowed down to give her tips on how to be a woman in a casual setting. Perfectly at home on a battlefield, but awkward at friendly gatherings, the adventuress had found her strengths sometimes limiting.
Like now. Here Fionna stood, a burning beacon of bravery, her rabbit hat the only indication that she was less than a ferocious warrior. Otherwise, she had changed her attire quite thoroughly from when she was younger. In place of her regular backpack, she had opted to change to a more practical belt with a handful of pouches to carry her various odds and ends. To carry her now blunt and worn sword she had fabricated a rudimentary scabbard, which she now wore across her back. She had also taken to wearing work gloves, along with leather pauldrons and knee guards, in a vain effort to keep her cuts and bruises to a minimum. She had kept her basic clothes, but they were made of a courser material now. A lock of hair poked out from her hat, the blonde a shock against the now darkened hat that had as much dirt as the woman had love for it.
And she was a woman. Fionna had grown up, and she was not naïve. Having lived in the world for roughly twenty years, the world could not hide the grisly horrors that inhabited it well. Yet for how well-acquainted she was with hard truths, she was not without her moments.
And this is where Fionna found herself. Stuck in public with no idea what to do in a situation. Or more accurately stuck in a bar with no idea what she was doing there.
Of course she knew. She had been dragged there by an old friend. Good old Prince Gumball. He stood next to her, ever eager, his pink tunic and pants making him instantly noticeable. The man had always held Fionna in highest esteem. And he always was a voice of reason. However, she didn't understand his cryptic nature about why he brought her to this run down place. It wasn't like the young gentleman. He was known for his punctuality, his excessive manners, and strange catchphrases. Speaking of which…
"Oh Fionna, this is going to be legend-wait for it-dary. You don't even know what's going on, but it's going to be awesome." Gumball was funny when he got excited. His voice was fast and clipped, the little crown on his head bobbing back and forth as he spoke. Normally this level of excitement was reserved for science, but clearly there was something important about to happen. As to what…Fionna could only guess.
She did not have long to wait. Soon Gumball was ushering her to a seat in front of the stage. It was near the back, and the view was perfect. Maybe the young prince was a fan of certain local talent? Fionna couldn't imagine such a thing, but the man had surprised her in the past.
The lights dimmed. The curtains were drawn back, and the adventuress could see a drum set surrounded by several guitarists, and a pianist. All the places were taken, and Fionna saw their faces as the stage lights lit up the scene. Her mouth dropped open, and she looked at Gumball incredulously.
"Really? You couldn't just tell me? Surely I was invited to this anyways." As she spoke, a deep, soothing voice cut above the bustling crowd. She knew it well, having heard it many times before.
"I wrote this next one about a fisherman." It was Marshall Lee, the Vampire King. He stood on the stage, holding his axe-bass low and his mouth to the microphone. He wore a grungy looking grey t-shirt, some loose black jeans, and a leather jacket. His toothy smile lit up the stage, his voice getting the crowd to show their enthusiasm.
Fionna was stumped. What the glob? Was Gumball this excited to see Marshall play? It's not like they hadn't seen Marshall play and sing a million times before. For some reason though, Gumball remained oddly silent. Fionna knew that the two men were close friends, but she couldn't imagine why the younger man would be so interested in this concert. Unless…
No. She bit that thought down, and proceeded to listen to the vampire's considerable skill on the stage. He played a menagerie of songs, his talent worked into a fine art over centuries of practice. The songs were a mix of styles and sounds. But no matter what form they took, they were all beautiful. Fionna had been lulled into a relaxed state when the prince shook her excitedly.
"Fionna! This is why I brought you here tonight. You weren't invited for sure, and this song is why." Fionna didn't quite understand. However, Marshall had begun to speak, his voice floating across the bar. Everyone was quiet, listening intently.
"This one is for someone very special. I call it Iris." He started playing, and the melody instantly dragged Fionna into its spell. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, the way he had spoken seemingly to her very soul. The words echoed in her mind.
"And I'd give up forever to touch you, 'cause I know that you'd feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be, and I don't want to go home right now." The words were haunting. Fionna felt something well up inside her, but she couldn't explain it. She felt hot, but it wasn't the bar's patrons. The song rolled over her like a wave, and she couldn't help but smile as she heard it. When Marshall finally finished, the bar erupted in applause. He moved off of the stage with a wave, but even then Fionna couldn't think straight. Then Gumball nudged her elbow and brought the girl from her reverie.
"Alright, so now don't you know why I brought you here?" He gave her a wry smile. It was a knowing expression, a look she knew very well. Whenever he made that face, he had a secret he wanted you to discover, and he wouldn't let it out. She smiled back, and replied to him.
"Of course. Marshall's singing…it's like being hypnotized. He never does that when it's just us friends…I never knew he could do that! That's amazing." Looking quite proud of her deduction, Fionna looked to an amused prince.
"Oh Fionna…let me give you a hint. If he sang that song to you when it was just you and he, you'd still feel that hypnotic sensation." With a smile, he gave her another chance. She pondered for a moment before responding.
"So…it's the song that's hypnotizing?" Gumball held his head in resignation. The adventuress looked to him in confusion, unsure as to what he could possibly mean. Was she really this dumb? No, it must be more than that. Either way, Fionna gave up. Whatever meaning the prince was hiding, she wasn't going to waste more time on it.
As she was thinking to herself, Prince Gumball looked past her shoulder, smiled, and then disappeared into the crowd. Before she could go after him, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, Fionna found herself face to face with a familiar vampire. She was taken by surprise, and could hardly speak.
"Marshall! Um, good job! That was a super mathematical concert. I really liked it!" She spoke the truth, but somehow it was difficult to say, almost as if she were embarrassed. The man himself looked a little strained too.
"Fionna…thanks. I didn't know you were here tonight. What brings you down to a place like this?" He wasn't nervous, but there was something in his voice. Guilt? The girl couldn't tell, but overlooked it. Instead of telling him she came with Gumball though, she lied. For some reason deep down in her guts, Fionna lied.
"Oh, you know. I heard you were playing tonight, and I wanted to check it out." With a smile, she saw him blush. Marshall Lee blushing? That was rarity indeed. Fionna couldn't figure it out. However, she could hardly stand this awkwardness much longer, so she decided to end it before she drove herself mad.
"Well anyways, I probably should get going. Good job at the concert…oh and Marshall? Would you mind if I came over tomorrow? I want to jam now, after hearing all this awesome music." The last part was hurried, and it came out in a rush. Not knowing where it came from, Fionna almost wanted to look at her mouth and ask it what in the world it was doing. But nevertheless, again her words were true. So she let it go. Marshall looked at her in what looked like shock or embarrassment, before accepting her offer.
"Sure, Fi. I'll be around, just come on over whenever. See you then." With that, the two parted ways. As Fionna walked home, she wondered back on the awkward situation, questioning her own mind.
What was that all about?