A week had passed since Jake had noticed the marked change in Finn's demeanor; his seemingly instantaneous shift from mild depression to his usual upbeat self. Upon his original discovery, Jake had been all too pleased with Finn's attitude adjustment, so much so that he never bothered to inquire as to what exactly had changed for the young man. But, in the days hence the dog had begun to notice an increasingly evident decline in his brother's state. Not in his mood, though. In fact, Finn seemed as happy now as he had the week prior. What had begun to concern Jake was an odd change in Finn's physical state.
Over the course of several days, Finn had taken on several odd and rather worrisome symptoms. Their development had been so gradual that it almost flew completely under Jake's nose, but taking an objective view made it all too obvious that Finn was not doing too well. He'd begun spending much more time asleep than he ever had. Not only was he sleeping longer stretches at night, going to bed early and waking up inexplicably late, but he had even fallen under just in the middle of the day a few times. When he was awake, he was sluggish and slow. He appeared sickly and gray, his skin was cold and clammy to the touch. He would awake in an almost fevered state, sweating profusely. When Jake observed him sleep, he noted his face seemed to contort and twist as though locked in a constant nightmare.
Then there was the shift in his dietary preferences. Finn's overall appetite seemed to grow weaker every day to the point where he was hardly eating any real food at all. In spite of that, he had started eating substantially more highly sugary foods and drinks than he ever had before. He seemed almost shaky at times, like he was suffering some sort of terrible cravings.
Despite everything, Finn didn't seem troubled in the slightest. If he showed any lack of enthusiasm as of late it was only due to physical weakness and not a lack of motivation. Jake was starting to think that Finn didn't even realize that anything was wrong with himself at all.
Jake had been pondering all of this from the comfort of his lounge, which Finn seldom ever used. As he read through the daily news he considered his options on what he could do to help his brother. Though he had been reluctant to bring the topic up, he finally decided that he would probably have to try and find out what had made Finn escape from his melancholy. Whatever had caused that could well be related to Finn's current… less than healthy state.
Jake had been waiting on Finn to awaken before attempting to pry the knowledge from him. Unfortunately, he had absolutely no way of knowing when Finn would possibly awaken from his troubled slumber. It was already passed noon when Jake finally heard the telltale noises alluding to his companion's awakening. He seemed to be heading towards the kitchen, so Jake folded up his paper and set off to confront the human boy.
Jake arrived in the kitchen in time to see Finn preparing his "breakfast." He already had filled a bowl with a deplorably unhealthy cereal, one that could only be considered grain in the legal sense, and was currently pouring pure grain sugar into the bowl. When he'd reached a satisfying amount, he grabbed a bottle of root beer to use in place of the more traditional milk. When finally his abominable meal was fully prepared, he grabbed a spoon and began to wolf the sludge down.
Jake shuttered visibly before collecting himself and taking a seat at the table, opposite of Finn. Once he caught his older brother's eye, Finn flashed a small smile through the muck he had been shoveling into his mouth.
"Shwathsup?" Finn slovenly spewed.
"Urgh… Not too much man. Was just waiting for you to get up." Jake replied, just barely keeping from showing his absolute disgust with his counterpart.
Finn gulped down his mouthful before continuing.
"Oh yeah, sorry to keep you waiting again. Just been sleeping like a baby lately I guess." Finn offered before taking another bite of the enamel-melting concoction.
"Yeah… about that. I sort of wanted to talk about your recent sleep habits… among other things." Jake approached cautiously, not really sure how to proceed.
Finn tipped the bowl to his lips and gulped down the remainder of the technical acid.
"Things like what?" Finn asked as he rose to toss the bowl in the sink.
Jake twiddled his thumbs as Finn moved around the kitchen. He really didn't know how he should best act at the moment, how much concern to show. Finn clearly didn't seem to notice anything amiss, and Jake didn't want to seem too worried when half of the evidence pointed to his being wrong on the matter.
"Well… your health, basically." Jake said, obviously nervous.
Finn walked over to the counter, leaning back with his hands on the counter and giving Jake a confused look.
"What's wrong with my health?" He asked.
Ironically enough, especially considering Finn wouldn't notice, it was clear to Jake even now how weak Finn was at the moment. His eyes were surrounded by dark rings and his arms shook, struggling to support even a fraction of his body weight. Even his voice seemed quiet, just barely able to carry across the room.
"It's just… you've been looking kinda bad lately, man." Jake said, speaking in the barest of generalities.
"Bad like how, exactly? Cause really, I don't notice anything." Finn said, obviously not putting much stock in Jake's concern.
"Seriously? I mean, just… seriously? You really haven't noticed ANYTHING wrong?" Jake said, becoming slightly more animated.
Finn gave himself a once over, looking down at his body, bringing his arms up to his face and pinching his skin.
"Mmmmmmmm, nope. Not really." Finn said, not still seemingly confused by Jake's concern.
"Finn, just look at yourself. You're sleeping all the time. Your skin's gray and sagging. You look like you have a fever half the time and the other half you look hypothermic. Not to mention you've basically stopped eating anything other than pure garbage. Seriously dude, I'm starting to get pretty worried here." Jake said, displaying a genuine concern.
Finn wasn't sure how to respond. He himself started to grow worried, if only because Jake seemed so certain something bad was happening to him. But he honestly hadn't felt like he was growing sick or anything. 'I mean, I guess I have been sleeping more than usual… And I guess I have been eating kind of a lot of junk… And things do seem a lot more tiring than they should… Oh crap, Jake may be on to something.'
Jake saw Finn's face start to take on a bit of concern, and was grateful he at least seemed to be hearing him out. 'Looks like he's starting to come around on me. Guess now's the best chance I'll get to ask about last week.' Jake cleared his throat to get Finn's attention back.
"Listen Finn, there's been kind of something I've been meaning to ask you about." Jake mentioned.
Finn noted how he spoke, how it seemed that whatever he was about to bring up he perceived would be uncomfortable. Finn didn't respond, but his expression made it clear he was waiting on Jake to continue.
"Ever since last week, well… I mean, for a while you seemed pretty depressed. And then you just kind of seemed to spring back up all of the sudden… I, uh, just wanted to know if anything special happened to bring you back up to snuff" Jake spoke, skirting around each sentence as though afraid to set off a verbal landmine.
Finn looked to ponder his question a moment before answering.
"I… don't think so. I think. I mean, yeah I know I was kind of being a downer for a while but… I really don't know what to say. I just woke up one morning, had some energy to burn, got out there and just felt miles better." Finn said, explaining the circumstanced of his revival.
"That's… really all you can tell me, isn't it?" Jake said, not believing Finn would have any reason to hide anything from him.
"Sorry man, but I can't really think… well…" Finn started, but seemed to trail off as though some recent memory were coming to light.
"Think of something?" Jake asked, slightly hopefully.
"I guess, maybe? Something weird did sort of happen to me last week. That night you went to Lady's, I went to bed really early, like I got sick or something. I woke up real late and felt, just… exhausted. Physically, I mean, like I'd been out all night, but I don't remember anything like that. Then after I went out the next day… I don't know. I just felt… better." Finn replied.
"That's kind of strange, don't you think?" Jake pondered aloud.
"I haven't really given it that much thought." Finn said.
Jake just sat quietly for a moment, trying to make sense of Finn's situation given this new information. 'That really doesn't sound very encouraging. If he was just sick then sleep should've refreshed him. What if he was sleepwalking? Or worse, what if he did something bad enough that he just forgot about it, or someone else made him forget about it.'
Finn watched as Jake's brow furrowed in troublesome thought. He never enjoyed watching his brother look worried, especially over things that seemed of so little concern to him. Finn walked up to Jake's side and placed a hand on the dog's shoulder, shaking him out of his thoughts and prompting him to look up.
"Honestly man, I really don't think this is something to worry about." Finn said with a smile, doing his best to try and alleviate Jake's concern.
"I don't know…" Jake said, still obviously suspicious of the situation.
"I'll tell you what, Jake. Let's just go out on an adventure. Get some fresh air, some exercise. I'd bet my bod's just getting back into the habit of heroing and such. Watch, give it a week and I bet I'll be back to top performance." Finn said, rather enticingly.
"Well…" Jake said looking quite unsure.
A glance towards Finn revealed his face to be absolutely pathetically pleading. He held his hands together in front of him, supplementing the begging stature.
"Okay, okay, man. We'll try things your way. But I'm putting you on a strict diet." Jake said authoritatively, which, coming from him, all but diminished any serious weight behind the threat.
"Sweet! Grab your stuff man, I got a tip about a bunch of bandits sneaking around the Candy Forest." Finn said in hastily before bolting out of the room to grab is equipment.
Jake sighed before lifting himself up and trailing much slower after his all too eager young brother.
Several hours later, Finn and Jake were walking down a dirt path in the midst of the vast forest. The sun had just barely started to make its exit, the faintest hues of purple and gold beginning to appear in the sky. The canopy above the two diminished the light to some degree, but enough was left to still comfortably illuminate the path. Proof of their recent exploits were apparent on either of their bodies. Dozens of scratches, bruises, scrapes and various minor cuts littered their clothes and bodies. But the weak amount of discomfort either would have felt was nothing compared to the sense of sheer accomplishment that was felt after a hard-day's work rooting out bandits and saving innocents.
"Man… I gotta say… you were probably right… that was great!" Jake said through several pants. The physical toll of the day's events were evident for both of them.
"Yeah?... What'd I tell ya… A little exercise does the spirit good." Finn said with equal difficutly.
"Well… guess you were right…for once." Jake said, just barely letting the last part slip under his breath.
"So… guess we better…. Get back home… I seriously need a… nice cup of Earl Grey." Jake said, very eager to get back to their fort and kick his feet up.
As Finn was about to agree with his brother, a rather strange thought crossed his mind. 'You know something, I haven't seen Marceline in forever. As long as I'm out I may as well check up on her.' What Finn couldn't have realized was that this was not just an idle whim, indeed if he tried to take a different course of action he would've found himself incapable of doing so.
"You go ahead man, I'm still feeling pretty pumped… Think I'll stay out for a while longer." Finn mentioned, his breathing becoming much more measured. Jake cast a stunned glance over at Finn
"Seriously man?... We've been out half the day." He said, not believing Finn could still retain so much energy.
"Yeah… I kinda feel like going to hang out with Marcy." Finn said very naturally.
"The Vampire Queen?... I haven't seen her in months. What makes you say that?" Jake queried. Finn shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know… I just haven't seen her in a while. I just sort of thought of it. Besides, it's not like I have to avoid her or anything." Finn said slightly defensively.
"Alright, whatever man. I'm going home, but if you're staying out at least call if you won't be home." Jake said, squinting his eyes at Finn.
"Sure thing man." Finn confirmed.
The two walked in silence for the rest of their short walk. When the path forked, Jake followed one route down to the Tree Fort while Finn took the other route headed towards Marceline's lair.
A while later, Finn was standing at the edge of an old and ruined canyon. He was peering over the edge of a dilapidated old road he'd been told had once been called a highway. A small opening could be seen on the face of the cliff, just across from him. Finn eased his way down the rock wall, careful not to move too quickly lest the withered stone give way under him. Once he had reached the bottom, he turned and began jogging to the cave entrance. It briefly struck him as odd just how excited he was to see his friend. But he paid himself no heed and charged head first down the slope and towards the oddly cozy looking little house perplexingly situated in the middle of the otherwise dank and vacant cave. He walked up the path taking him through a charming little garden and up to the door. Grinning ear to ear, he knocked several times on the door.
Marceline had had a much more boring day than Finn, really a much more boring week. There hadn't been much going on with Ooo's nightlife as of late, and she was rather averse to doing anything in daylight hours. So she'd been subjected to lazing about her house, agonizing over the wait she'd cursed herself to. Her anxiety had grown worse by the day, desperately wishing Finn would just get the hint and come to her already.
Today she'd accomplished little more than some red sucking, movie watching and bass playing. As the natural light began to leave her cavern she couldn't help but dwell on the last order she'd issued Finn. He should've been arriving sometime today, of course, assuming the suggestion took. But it was getting late and there was still no sign of him. As she floated supine over her couch in the living room, anxiously picking at her bass, her nerves steadily began to fire off. She didn't know if it was the sheer boredom or fear of failure that was driving her more insane, all she knew was that she needed some manner of alleviation, and fast. And then, the knocking at her door came.
Her eyes immediately shot to the door and a dark smile crawled across her face. Few people even knew where she lived, fewer still were ever inclined to drop by unannounced. She knew exactly who had come here. Any semblance of a foul mood quickly evaporated from her as she telekinetically lifted herself forward and started to float towards her door. She opened it to reveal the goofily grinning visage of Finn looking back, just over a foot away.
"Marcy! It's been way too long." Finn said cheerfully, continuing to hold his wide and sincere smile.
"Finn, well now this is a pleasant surprise." She said, feigning ignorance to his arrival.
After she spoke she floated to the side, inviting him into her small home. Finn almost eagerly bounced through the door, which was quickly shut by Marceline. Spinning back around to face her, Finn watched as she floated past him, back to her prior spot hovering just above the couch.
"So, do tell. For what reason has the great hero himself seen fit to grace little old me with a visit?" She asked somewhat teasingly. Her question caused Finn to shift around rather nervously.
"Come on Marcy, you're my friend. It's not like I need a reason to visit. Besides, I haven't seen you in forever. I feel like we barely hang out much as it is." He replied.
"Okay, chill man. Just having a little fun. Honestly, I'm pretty glad you showed up, Things have been pretty dull around here lately." Marceline said coolly.
"So what does milady propose we do to relive her boredom?" Finn asked.
Marceline could think of plenty she wanted to do to Finn at the moment, but withheld herself. She needed only a few more hours to get Finn into a comfortable enough state that she could continue to… progress with him. The best thing she could do right now was to get Finn as relaxed as possible.
"I don't know, feeling kind of mellow right now to be honest. Let's just pop in a bad movie and make fun of it." Marceline offered.
"Sounds good to me. Guess I could actually do with some down time." Finn replied, rubbing at a shoulder.
At his motion, Marceline noticed he was covered in a plethora of small injuries. She started to float towards the ladder that led to her bedroom, encouraging Finn to follow her. When she reached the top floor she looked down the hole to see Finn ascending the ladder.
"So what exactly happened to you today? Get in a fight with an especially vicious squirrel?" She inquired as he climbed.
"No I learned my lesson last time. Me and Jake just spent the day taking out bandits in the forest." He said rather proudly.
"Hmmm." She replied, not really interested in what he'd been up to earlier.
As Finn pulled himself up out of the hole, Marceline moved over to a pile of video tapes heaped in a corner, picking one at random. She floated over to her small television, popping out a different tape from the player and replacing it with the one she'd just picked. Turning on the device, she floated back just enough to reach the L-couch she had stored in her room, actually physically sitting on this one. She looked over to Finn, seeing he'd just made it to his feet.
"Pop a squat." She said, patting the cushion beside her.
Finn happily obliged, walking over and taking a seat on the sofa, just a few inches separating him from his host. The couch up here was, mercifully, far more comfortable than the apparent torture device Marceline inexplicably kept downstairs. He thought back to the first few times he'd hung out with her in her personal room. The original experience had been rather awkward. It was bad enough, just being invited into a pretty girl's room, sitting so close with her in her own private space, but was compounded by memories of his first 'unofficial' visit to her room. But they'd shared enough time together now that Finn felt totally at ease hanging with Marceline in this setting.
Well, maybe he never really grew TOTALLY totally comfortable. It had been obvious to Finn for a long time how attractive Marceline was, a feeling that had only grown the older he got. Despite as close of friends as they were, he wasn't always able to get past the fact that he was hanging around a truly stunning woman. Of course, he never fostered any real feelings of desire towards her. They'd always been too buddy-buddy for him to take a serious chance at starting a relationship with her. Admittedly, there had been times in the past when he'd entertained the thought, but he'd come to accept the fact that a barely eighteen year old kid could actually strike the fancy of a thousand-year plus immortal monster. Poor Finn never realized how utterly wrong he was.
His thoughts were distracted as music signaled the start of the movie. He focused on the screen as the title came into focus, displaying the ridiculous name, 'Passions in the Tempest.' Each of the two on the couch let a snicker already.
"Alright. Off to a strong start already." Marceline said mockingly, drawing out a continued chuckle from Finn.
As the film began to start in earnest, Marceline quickly eyed the short gap between her and Finn. It occurred to her just how close he was to her, how simple it would be to just scoot over, wrap him up tightly, bite into him… 'Ease up.' She said, reeling her mind in. 'I've got all night. No need to risk things by moving too fast.' Even as she told herself this, she still couldn't repress the urge to move towards him. Before she could stop herself, she had closed the distance between her and Finn, pressing her side to his and throwing an arm across his shoulders. She couldn't deny how good it felt just to be back in contact with the kid, but was able to stop herself from doing any more, keeping the embrace as platonic as possible.
Finn himself hadn't been expecting that move, and certainly didn't know how to make heads or tails of the gesture. A blush found its way to his face, but other than that he showed no signs of acknowledgement. Soon enough, he even felt himself melting into the embrace, Even though he told himself this was just a friendly gesture on Marceline's part, just a show of how comfortable she was around him, he felt an odd feeling, like this was totally natural to him. Just… right.
The two relaxed into each other, each finding comfort in the other's presence, and settled in to watch the movie, cracking jokes often and filling the room with raucous laughter.
Late into the movie, Finn felt Marceline shift away from him, floating up and away from the couch. She turned in mid-air and stared leisurely drifting towards the ladder opening, still looking at Finn.
"I'm gonna grab a bite real quick. You want anything?" She asked him.
"Some soda'd be nice if you have any, or really just anything sweet. I feel like I need to enjoy sugar while I can, I think Jake's gonna put me on a diet." He replied.
Marceline looked mildly perplexed for just a moment before chuckling lightly.
"Whatever you say, Finn." She said somewhat snottily.
Leaving Finn to watch the movie, she headed downstairs and into her kitchen. Opening the fridge she grabbed a bottle of cola and set about pouring a glass for Finn. Once the glass was filled, she replaced the bottle and moved over to the cabinet. She opened it to reveal a multitude of small bottles and boxes filled with medication. She grabbed an unlabeled bottle situated towards the back and out of view. Pulling it out, she struggled to pop the safety cap, quietly cursing the imbecile who had designed these accursed things. When she finally had it open, she tipped the bottle, spilling a single black pill into her palm. Gripping the small object, she spun the lid back onto the bottle and replaced it in the cabinet. Moving back to Finn's beverage, she once again crushed the pill and poured its remnants into the liquid, swirling it around to assure complete dissolution.
Grinning to herself, she grabbed the vessel and started back towards the upper level. Once back in her room, she floated back over to the couch, handing Finn his drink and taking her place back beside him.
"Thanks Marcy, but it thought you were getting something too?" Finn said, finding it odd she hadn't brought anything for herself.
"Oh, I just grabbed something quick in the kitchen." She fibbed.
In truth, she'd purposely foregone sating her own hunger, knowing full well she wouldn't want to spoil her appetite for later. As she settled back into the movie, she kept a tab on Finn. As soon as he'd received the drink, he'd begun quickly downing the fluid, as though he hadn't had anything to drink for days. Marceline wasn't surprised by this, she had heard that the particular medication she used could cause some strange cravings in the victim. Evidently Finn had received an especially vicious sweet tooth.
As the movie came to its end, Marceline checked once more on Finn. Only a small amount of the cola remained in the glass, which trembled slightly in his unsteady hands. His head swayed around and his eyelids twitched and moved ever closer towards closing entirely. Finn was falling fully under the sway of the drug once again.
She smirked to herself as she watched Finn's senses leave him. He was close to falling under, but until he did she would still have to play up her role as unsuspecting bystander lest he remember any odd actions of hers. Just as his hand was about to spill the glass, she reached over and grabbed it, lifting it away from his fingers. He seemed to hardly notice.
"You okay there Finn? You look sort of drowsy?" She falsely inquired.
"I'm, uh… feeling a little out of it… to be honest." He said, obviously with some difficulty.
"You don't look so hot. Maybe you should stay the night." Marceline offered, feigning concern.
"T'sokay, I can manage…" As he slurred, he attempted to rise from the couch, but did not make it very far before falling back, interrupting himself.
"Okay, you're definitely not going anywhere tonight. I'll call Jake and let him know you're gonna stay here." As she spoke, she moved over to the couch, sitting beside Finn so she could throw his arm over her own shoulder.
She helped him to stand, Finn resting almost his entire weight on her. Moving slowly, she shakily led him over to her own queen bed. Finn offered no resistance or argument in his rapidly declining state. She twisted them around at the foot of the bed, and glided backwards, sliding Finn along the top comforter. Once his head touched the pillow, she let him go, leaving him lying flat against the bed. She looked over his face to find he'd already fallen totally asleep. She smiled cruelly as she turned away from Finn and headed off to find her phone.
"Full house." BMO said, grinning confidently as it placed it's hand on the table.
"Royal flush. Sorry BMO, looks like I'm taking the pot this time." Jake said, a smug grin on his face as he tossed his own hand on the table.
BMO looked first to be in disbelief before shifting to extreme annoyance. Jake just laughed manically as he wrapped his arms around the pot in the middle of the table, really nothing more than a few assorted nuts, candy that had been found between the couch cushions, and the odd marble and paperclip. Still, despite the rather meager stakes, the game had been as heated as a world class tournament, due chiefly in part to Jake's incredibly overzealous competitive nature.
"You cheated. You must've peeked my cards when I left to use the bathroom." BMO said accusingly.
"Don't hate the player, hate the game." Jake responded, popping a cashew into his mouth.
BMO just huffed and hopped down from his seat, turning to leave the room. Jake watched in satisfaction as the little robot stormed angrily away from him. As he collected the cards on the table and shuffled them back into a full deck, he heard the phone begin to ring in the next room. Knowing BMO would be unlikely to answer it in the midst of its' fit, he set the deck down and moved to pick up the receiver.
"Y'ello?" Jake said casually into the mouthpiece.
A hiss on the other line was the only response. Even though he knew well who it was, it still sent a shiver up his spine, bringing back old and lingering feelings of fear and distrust.
"Why can't you just answer like a normal person Marceline?" He said with a sigh.
"Well I can promise you I sure as hell didn't become the Queen of all vampires so people would think I was 'normal'" She replied, accentuating the last word so as to bring to mind the use of air quotes.
"Well I guess you've got me there. So what's up, Finn still over there?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, actually called about that." The way she said this grabbed Jakes attention in a slightly concerned way.
"Finn's here, but he's uh… sort of out of it." She continued.
"What do you mean?" Jake asked.
"He seemed fine until a few minutes ago. He looked pretty sick and he just clocked out." Marceline explained.
"What!? Oh man, I should've guessed this'd happen. Hang on Marce, I'm coming over to grab him." Jake said in a haste.
"Hold on there, kemosabe." She shouted just before Jake slammed down the phone, catching his attention once more.
"It's not like Finn looked that bad, I mean, he's out like a light but nothing really seems wrong with him. Just let him crash here tonight, I'll watch the kid." She said.
"You… would let him sleep in your house… and look out for him?" Jake sounded skeptical.
"Yeah, I really don't mind. I'll have back over there in the morning." Marceline said nonchalantly.
Jake was not at all sure about this. On the one hand, he guessed he really wasn't too surprised by this given Finn's recent debilitations. Of course, just because it was a recently normal occurrence didn't mean Jake felt comfortable with Finn staying out in his state. Besides Finn's uncertain health, there was also the question of Marceline to deal with. It wasn't that he distrusted the vampire, after all he and Finn known her long enough to consider her a friend. But never did she strike him as the type to just help someone out of the goodness of her heart. It seemed odd how casually she sounded in allowing Finn to stay with her, in her residence which she was adamantly protective of.
"Uh, Jake? You still there?" Marceline's voice shook Jake out of his thoughts and he became aware of how long a pause he had taken.
"Well… if you're really sure about this… then okay, I'll leave Finn with you tonight. But whenever he wakes up you be sure to send him back here, he should be fine enough to get himself back by then." Jake agreed, but still sounded rather unhappy with the whole arrangement.
"Read you loud and clear. I'll be sure to take very good care of him." And with that the line she cut the call.
Jake sighed heavily as he set the phone back down. He didn't want to feel this concerned about the situation. Finn didn't seem as well as he should've been, but it wasn't like he was totally helpless, or terribly sick for that matter. And Marceline was one of their closest friends; she'd come through when things really mattered. He wanted to believe Finn was in absolutely no danger. But despite all his rationalizing, he still couldn't shake the feeling that something sinister was hanging around his younger brother.
Setting aside her own phone, Marceline once more began hovering back towards her bed and her guest. He looked completely at ease, resting in her bed. He looked so peaceful that Marceline found herself being lulled into a calm just from watching him. The steady rising and falling of his chest, the light breaths that escaped from his mouth, and his utterly serene expression lending an oddly… comforting feeling to the room. Marceline brought herself closer, hovering over the bed, but off to his side. Her face was a few inches away from and above his chest, but she made no move to touch him.
What Marceline was feeling now was not at all in line with what she had been feeling, been expecting to feel, much earlier this day. The burning desire to ravish him, subject him absolutely to her own will, was slowly yet steadily diminishing. Retreating, yet just as quickly being replaced by a different thought. She was craving his physical presence, but not in the heated, passionate way she'd had thought she'd desired. Slowly, she maneuvered herself to float totally over him, a position she was becoming more and more accustomed to. Gently, she placed herself atop him, resting her chin and his ever moving chest, locking her eyes on his peaceful face. Her arms went around his waist, digging between him and her blankets.
'What exactly am I doing?' Marceline thought. She had Finn, once more, totally at her mercy, in her own home, with zero chance of interruption, and yet all she found she wanted was to simply lay by Finn. But as he was now, he was just so… appealing, just not in the ways she had thought before. He was warm, so much warmer than her own unnatural body temperature. She could hear, feel his slow, rhythmic heartbeat just below her cheek, constantly reminding her of the precious life she had right at her fingertips. His expression was one of absolute peace.
Marceline began to understand what exactly she was feeling now, something she hadn't realized prior to now. Finn was more than a simple tool to her, more than something she'd just needed to sate her physical desires. Finn was a… a comfort. Just having him here and to herself was soothing in an almost medicinal way. It was the fact that, even unconscious, Finn looked content, and it was she that had brought him to this blissed state. It was not just about having someone who only recognized her as their one purpose in life, she wanted to give them a reason for thinking that. She wanted to be acknowledged as the only person that could bring them true happiness. If she could make them unequivocally happy, then she herself would feel the same.
At that time, Finn seemed to come out of the initial blackout caused by the drug. She watched as his eyes opened, revealing those lifeless, empty windows into a very open and vulnerable mind. 'So maybe this isn't exactly what I was picturing. Doesn't mean I still can't enjoy this.' In light of her revelation, Marceline still strongly craved the touch of her mindless victim. 'Guess sometimes it's just nice to have a gentle touch.'
Marceline shifted her arms beneath Finn, sliding them up along his back until she was gripping his shoulders from behind. Using him as leverage, she pulled herself up his body, closer to his face. She lay eye to eye, smiling down at his blank expression. Relinquishing herself to gravity, she let her face drop the few inches it needed to reach Finn's, gracing him with a long and tender kiss. She was absolutely content to let the embrace linger for several minutes.
When she finally broke the contact, her eyes fell on his, reminding her that he was still totally unconscious. It occurred to her that the only reason she'd left him like this the last time was so she could have her way with him in peace. Now, she figured she may as well bring Finn into his semi-conscious state. For what she was feeling now, a mildly responsive Finn would be preferable to doll-like Finn. It also wouldn't hurt to start implanting a few more suggestions in that skull of his.
Reaching her hands just a few inches forward allowed Marceline to grab at Finn's hat without removing them from their comfortable spot underneath him. With a slight tug, the article came loose and she was able to pull it free of Finn's head, dropping it just behind him. With that out of the way, she leant off to his side, just enough to reach the sweet spot on his shoulder. Burying her face in the crook of his shoulder, she let her teeth slip out her mouth, barely pressing against his skin. The bite entered slowly, carefully. For Marceline, this was far more than some predatory feeding, it had become an almost sacred ritual, the means through which she would ensure Finn's desire to turn himself over to her.
Once more Finn's blood began to flow into Marceline as her toxin seeped into his system. At the appearance of the venom, the ether clouding Finn's thoughts began to dissipate slightly, enough to allow him to half-awaken. He groaned at length, but it certainly didn't seem to be in discomfort. Marceline paid him little mind at the moment, more inclined to enjoy her meal for the moment. As she drank, Finn continued to groan. She felt him twitch beneath her, making the effort to shift himself, bring an arm up, do something, but he simply didn't have the strength to control his body at the moment. That suited the vampire just fine. As far as she was concerned, there wasn't a need for him to do anything except sit still and listen.
After several more minutes, she noticed his blood flow slow noticeably, making it clear that she should really cease her ministrations. She eased her fangs out of his tissue, and pulled her head back. She looked down to his latest wound to find that the blood hadn't even flowed enough to dribble out, only a couple small beads appearing where the puncture wounds were. It occurred to her that she had fed a lot from him in a relatively short amount of time. It would probably be best if she held back for a while, give his body a chance to recover the lost fluid. She didn't dwell on how difficult she may find restraining herself in the coming weeks; for now she was very content with what she had just received.
Satisfied for the moment, Marceline moved her arms out from under Finn to his sides, and pushed herself up over him, now looking down at him from arm's length. He at least seemed semi-aware, but still looked to be highly impaired, more so than the last time she had drugged him. She figured it was probably because he hadn't had as long to let the drug settle within him before she brought him out, or it may have been due to his almost dangerously low blood pressure, or a combination of the two.
"Finn? Can you understand me?" She asked softly, trying to gauge just how addled he was at the moment.
"Mar…cy." He said at length, a weak smile forming on his lips.
The manner in which he said her name sent a small shiver of excitement through Marceline. He spoke with recognition, even a small bit of eagerness. A small sign that her 'visits' were starting to sink into his mind, becoming permanent. He was starting to learn his place.
"Hmmm. Good." Marceline said, put at ease by his response. After confirming his awareness, she pushed herself back from her somewhat awkward position, sitting back on her heels and straddling Finn's waist.
Finn, apparently, had tried to bring himself back up to meet her. His arms moved slightly back to try and give himself support as his head stretched forward. Finn, however, could not lift his body even a few inches, much less sit up on his own accord. Marceline just smiled at him and reached a hand down, pressing her palm against his forehead and gently pushing him back down to the bed.
"Just relax Finn." She said, Finn getting the hint and stopping his movement.
"You did good today, following orders and coming to me as you were told." She cooed down to him.
"Just… thought…" Finn muttered, still smiling up towards Marceline.
"I know what you thought. I'm the one who told you to think it." She said, taking a moment to again relish in her success.
"That's right. You only ever need to think what I tell you to think." Marceline began softly rubbing her hand through his hair as she spoke.
"Just… think…" Finn said, pantomiming what he was being told.
"All you ever want is to serve me, do as I see fit. Even if you had to leave behind Jake, or anyone else, you'd do it for me."
"For… you…" He spoke, again showing that the thoughts were seeping in.
"You won't care about anything else. Just being around me is all the more comfort you'll ever need."
"Around… you…"
"You'll start to crave my presence more than anyone else's from now on. You'll start to seek me out with more and more frequency."
"Want…"
"And you'll never deny me anything of yours. Even your blood is mine to enjoy."
As a last measure of assurance, Marceline grabbed the back of Finn's head and brought him up and forward to sit before her. She positioned his face right before his own, looking hard into her eyes. She could see just how captivated he was then, staring right back at her. His own eyes were still largely desolate, but she could recognize a small glint within them. Desire.
"Do you still understand me Finn?" She asked, making sure their gazes remained locked.
"…yes." He replied, almost meekly.
Marceline smiled sweetly for his agreement and let out a low hum. She leaned herself closer to him, raising up just a bit, and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. Pulling back, she saw that he'd already fallen asleep once again, and eased him gently back down to the bed. Lifting herself into the air, she sighed in contentment as she watched his face change back to its utter peace, showing his mind had rid itself of all worries for the time.
A smirk on her lips, she turned around to head downstairs. She would love to join him in a real rest later, but for now she had no need. After all, she wasn't drugged to the gills and was still a nocturnal being (for the most part). So she figured she could kill a few hours on her own time. The apprehension she'd felt at that prospect earlier was gone, dissipated at the knowledge that she had Finn safe with her, right in her own home; and he was slowly starting to turn his freedom over to her.