High-Grade Red

Chapter 10: Surprise!

In the months following their space adventure and accompanying rebirth of their love, Bonnibel and Marceline's lives have only gotten more hectic. They discovered that the princess' bioengineered family (Uncle Gumbald, Aunt Lolly, and Cousin Chicle) were restored to their original forms following Lumpy Space Princess purging Ooo of the elemental energies tainting it, and that they were building a kingdom specifically to rival the Candy Kingdom. Additionally, they were spying on Bonnibel's allies—Marceline in particular. While her dad was visiting and being a mild nuisance at her Hamburger Hills concert, Chicle decided to sabotage the show, inciting a group of ghosts to attack them.

When they told Bubblegum about the incident, she was immediately sympathetic, and even took time out of her packed schedule to personally apologize to her secret girlfriend. They later laughed at some of Hunson's inquiries into his daughter's personal life, particularly those involving the prospect of her love- life.

To make up for this, and also to help get her mind off of the current events, she started looking for somewhere to take Marceline out to. However, their differing interests made this somewhat difficult, until she saw an ad while she was browsing online. The logo immediately caught her eye: a yellow snake weaving between disembodied heads of two candy people mounted on wooden spikes. This ad was for the same band that she and Marceline had went out to watch centuries before, and where she got her prized rock shirt.

As she remembers the shirt and what became of it, she sighs in both nostalgia and regret. The shirt was her single most prized possession ever since she got it, and for a long time, the only thing she had left of the time she and Marceline spent together. Now that they're dating again, it doesn't hurt as much to have lost it, but she still somewhat regrets not finding a way to get Hambo back without giving up the shirt.

Quickly clicking on the ad, she reads the linked article, finding that the band was getting back together for the first time in 300 years—they're part of a longer-lived race that can easily survive for many hundred years, although they aren't biologically immortal like PB and Marceline. It claims to be a one-time reunion set for that year's "OOOOOOOOOO Musicfest." In spite of its seemingly genre-neutral name, it is a celebration of Ooo's biggest punk musicians. The tickets are almost out, but she quickly buys two and texts Marceline.

>B: Hey, wanna go out Thursday?
>B: I found a thing that I think you'll really wanna go to.

A few moments later, she gets her response.

>M: sure, y not?
>M: wut is it?
>B: That's a secret, silly!
>M: ok. should i just show up @ yer place then?
>B: Yeah, that sounds good. We'll fly Morrow there.
>M: wen u want me over?
>B: Probably around 8:30-9PM.
>M: i'll b there. hope its good!
>B: I know you'll love it.
>M: as much as i luv u?
>B: You're so cheesy! <3

A smile on her face, she continues texting Marceline as she tries to plan out what they'll do that night.

Later, on the day of the show, she looks over the scattered items on her bed, Lady Rainicorn there to help her pack. "Hmmm..."

Among the items randomly dispersed along her mattress are her ball-blam-burglerber and electrode gun, various radio-like electronics, two bottles of water, a spare dress, some sunscreen, a bag of granola, her electronically-augmented glasses (which she affectionately calls her "techno-peepers"), and the tickets to the event itself. An array of outfits are scattered on the floor at the foot of the bed.

"Yeaaah, I don't think I can leave any of this stuff behind," she says.

Lady leans over the bed and asks something in Korean.