BREATHE | bubbline ✓

" you're nothing like her "

"YOUR MOTHER IS a ghost."

Marceline nods tiredly.

"And you are part-vampire, part-demon, part-human."

She nods again.

"How is that even possible?"

Marceline throws a hand up and ticks each finger off. "My father's a demon, Mum's human—used to be human, and I got bitten by the Vampire King when said father overthrew the vampires."

Bonnibel blinks and fiddles with a napkin on the tablecloth. She's frankly surprised that it's a clean-looking white. "So...demons weren't the first rulers of Hell."

"Vampires were," Marceline sighs, folding her arms and leaning against the wall. "We took over cause my father wanted to be the most 'evil' being possible, so what better way to do it than to become the king of the Nightosphere, the most demon-infested and home to all things evil and bad? And, in the meantime, get rid of humans' primary predators? Though, come to think of it, it was more of something that just happened as a result of...everything."

Bonnibel breathes out slowly, trying to keep calm and organise the thoughts in her head. Science was so, so much easier than this. "And though you killed the Vampire King, his...'essence' lives on, which your dad has to utilise to control the kingdom."

"My guess is that he doesn't recognise Dad as the true king since, you know, he turned me." Marceline raises her hand and touches two fingers to her neck, over where her turtleneck covered. "He probably wants vampires to rule or something."

"Okay," Bonnibel folds and unfolds the napkin, relaxes her shoulders as much as possible. "How am I involved again?"

Marceline pinches her brow, massages it. "I, erh...I don't know what to say."

"I am literally in Hell right now, I still have no idea where in the world my family is—" Bonnibel's fists turn as white as the napkin in her clutch. She blinks fast, swallows, attempts to keep her voice from wavering. "—and my—this is too much to handle, Marceline. I just want to go home, bust out my favourite book, and study."

"Bonnie." Marceline walks over to her and puts a hand on her shoulder. "I'll get all of you back home safe, I promise."

"And then what?" Bonnibel shirks her off and searches Marceline's eyes, lost. "Are you going to leave me alone?"

"What?"

"Marceline, you lied to me. My life has been utterly ruined since you came into it," Bonnibel says exasperatedly, "I want nothing to do with all of this, okay? I am not Phoebe. At least, not anymore. Whatever was in the past, is in the past."

Marceline grips the back of her chair and leans closer. Her eyes are dimmed, nothing like the gemstones Bonnibel saw when she first met her.

"You're right." Marceline lets go and stares down at Bonnibel, her lips stretched thin. "Phoebe was a dozen times nicer." She seems to grow taller, and her eyes flicker an angry red. "She liked medicine, helping people. You're nothing like her."

There's a charge in the air; and it made Bonnibel hold her breath as Marceline looms over her, a pained look in her gaze.

A pang of guilt runs through her heart.

"I was foolish to have spent decades in slumber for this."

A rap on the door. "Everything okay in there?"

"Yes, Mum, I'm fine." Marceline pulls away, throws herself into the skull-adorned seat opposite Bonnibel, and starts glaring at the silverware on the dining table.