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"I don't know, it's weird right? It feels like wrong? Because I'm trembling, really trembling" Simon says walking back and forth. "I'm scared, a different kind of scared..."
"You? Scared? Really, Simon, after everything you've done, now you're feeling scared" Marceline points out while floating around, and starts recalling what he's done.
After, his misadventure with Fiona and Cake, he started to dabble in adventuring with Finn, with occasionally Marceline joining on the fun. It was fine at first, thrilling actually like Betty's brave spirit in him when he was delving deep into dungeons, and exploring and noting some bizarre and intriguing places in Ooo. Eventually he scaled up, visiting Mars to other planets thanks to Princess Bubblegum's tech, he could see the stars themselves, and so on, and on until he was adventuring through everywhere, and nowhere in Ooo, distance planets, and eventually some multiverse hops thanks to Fionna.
Eventually, people started calling him Professor Why, because he always pops up unexpected asking why he's there.
"It's a normal reaction to be scared, Marcy"
Marceline rolls her eyes.
"Okay, tell me Professor, why...."
"It's kinda bad when you say it like that" Simon admits.
"It's funny, and sometimes bad" Marceline snickers before continuing "Ask yourself this, why are you so scared, just pop in, say bit of hello, and do your professor talk"
"I can't just pop in, Marcy"
"What?!" Marceline laughs for a while "Simon, I've been flying, and sneaking into people's houses...well different reasons why I do it, some for spooks, mostly for spooks. But you gotta admit I did get yah to pop in like I go all invisible, and freak people out. You pop in, all curious eyes, and properly introduce yourself"
"Well, I give a hello greetings, and introduce myself proper"
"Me too, I'm Marceline the Vampire Queen, pleasure to meet your blood, that always gets them. But going back, c'mon, just pop in"
"I....."
"Just admit it, you like her"
Simon stands still.
He had that idea in his mind, but realizing now he's been circling around it, trying to avoid it.
"I'm right on the spot" Marceline adds.
"Well, Marcy, yes. You're right"
"Finally, it's kinda annoying seeing you two together, and not just admitting it. Like, Simon, just give the letter front. I'm sure she likes you back"
"How would you know? Don't tell me you've been spying again?"
"Vampire's intuition. But c'mon, Simon, you're the bravest person I know. C'mon, you've faced worst"
"I'm afraid, Marcy, because it feels like I'm betraying Betty..."
Simon admits, and its haunting his dreams ever since. He'd pop in, help out in New Human City with his new fangled scholarly findings, and even got some New Humans to be interested in his scholarly findings, but he had to sprinkle in some stuff like a wizard to get them looking at his scrolls. Even finding New Human City fascinating, looking at it from a very different civilization than the old human civilization.
There were some mishaps, he'd happy to help out there, and there, plus encouraging some humans to go out, and explore. Just like the humans of old did, much to Doctor Campbell's dismay, but warms up it, somewhat. At first, he didn't know what to think of Doctor Campbell, a human conscience in a central computer managing multiple bots, sounds something fictional at his time, but it was a norm in Ooo's eyes.
Course, she'd help him out after the whole Fionna and Cake adventure, giving him some tips and there, till he went out leaving. He didn't think of much of it when he left New Human City, but sometimes with Finn calling him to adventure, humans were attracted to all sorts of stuff that got to New Human City, and he had to help out clean the mess.
Eventually she got roped in by an adventure with him and Finn, then another one, and eventually they became friends sorts. Sometimes, even having a mini com on with him for checking on abnormal sources in New Human City, resident scholar of the unknown he was. Simon smiles at least he finally got something to do there.
If it wasn't popping in, and out, he'd now hang in his resident shop there, with scholarly unknown facts, with a Minerva bot there to help, and mostly chatting it up. Lately, he hasn't been in his shop.
All he could think of was Betty, and what would she say if she saw him eyeing someone else.
"Simon. She'd want you to get move on, and be happy. Like how does she make you feel."
Professor Simon Petrikov reflects on that, hitting himself lightly on the head, as he almost forgot that would be Betty's wish for him.
"Doctor Campbell, kind and caring like any doctor would, along with that cold precision of hers. She's grounded, simple, and straight forward, I like for that" Simon says remembering a moment when he ventured into the crystal dimension, oozing with dimensional portals
"Portals, Doctor, every fabric of reality is linked into one side of a crystal. The possibilities, and realities in one side of a flip to the side" Simon peers into the crystal portals before, just a cave outside of the town.
"That really good? Thinking of just going on about in a maze of crystal, Professor? It's a prison"
"The possibilities...and...ruin" Simon mutters.
"...Apologies, you're right. Well, at least the Rainicorns have some other good things in stored besides this. Did, you know that they're remnants of a former human civilization? Where'd you want to go?"
"I didn't know that, perhaps that one bit there, with that giant statue in the farms. Heard the pups needs help"
Simon walks with Minerva as they walk into the town full of Rainicorns and Dogs.
Sitting down, talking to the locals.
"Pop in, and casual. If she says no, it's a first time for everything" He says with his confidence back.
"Yep, also, Simon, when do live on a cloud, in a small box" Marceline asks since this whole time they were standing on top of a cloud.
"I have for some time now, had to pay rent for using one of these"
"Finally got him to admit" Finn receives the message from the crystal necklace.
"Admit what, Finn?" A Minerva bot asks while passing through.
"Oh, Marceline finally got a friend to admit a lie" Finn lies, if there's one thing she'd learned from Bubblegum is that lying with a pinch of truth isn't lying. Jake would approve of that, he thinks about Jake for a bit before sighing.
"Ah, got a lie detector installation for that one" Another Minerva bot says walking to him.
"Gunna need some different help, you know. Sooo, where's Professor P, need some helpo with some thing in crater 52. He usually hangs here, any ideas where he too? Ain't returning my calls to his phone"
"Professor Petrikov hasn't been here for quite some time, sorry Finn. I'll let you know if he's here" Minerva bot in the shop emerges, looking around the old scrolls laying around the shop.
"Whoops, nevermind, Professor P says he's coming around here in a moment"
"My, Professor Petrikov hasn't been here in some time too"
"Yeah, sooo, meaning to ask like, um you two...." Finn trails.
"Two what?" A Minerva bot asks him from behind.
"Alright, awkward but gunna be straight, like Jake. You two, Simon and you, like...you know. Like each other....cause I've been noticing it"
Okay, he when saw his mom and Simon talking with each other was kinda good, plus his mom was finally getting to do something else besides being a 24/7 Helper, even though one bot was with another, and another doing another. Getting some friends, and stuff like how he was going out finding stuff. Then when Marceline pointed somethings out, like how Simon and his mom were talking, and hanging out.
Man, it took him a week to just process all of that stuff down.
Was it weird? Yep, it was weird seeing how Simon was Ice King, but then not Ice King he was just a cursed guy, who he used to his butts back in the day. Then seeing the same guy liking his robot mom, was a lot to take in. Finn took about 5 dungeons just to think on it, and even Huntress Wizard had to chime in telling him to feel nature's sweet soothe to find his balance, because it was super weird.
After soo much nature mojo going in his brain, it took some time, like into the nature realm for like months time.
He was okay, it was people living out their lives.
"Yeah, kinda awkward for me asking, but asking cause I feel like you two.." Finn rubs his head, can't believe Marceline convinced him to do this. He'd really rather just be out there getting beaten by some monster than this.
The Minerva bot in front of the shop stares, while the other Minerva bots were doing their duties.
"Well, at first I thought it was...quite unprofessional. Dating your patients really isn't per say good"
Finn blinks.
"It was curious at first, I didn't think of Professor Petrikov much of him, then we connected on things, like intersecting parts, it felt like talking to a friend. Those days were long gone so it was nice having someone to talk too"
The Minerva bot enters the shop with Finn following.
"After sometime I did have some sort of developments for the Professor. And I'll be honest Finn, I didn't know if I would ever feel that particular feeling again. Especially after everything on the island"
"Can't blame the feeling" Finn replies, tapping some of the scrolls, thinking on his dad.
"He's a helper, bit too much if I would say, but that reminds me soo much of me. But also different, bit a creative wild person when he points his mind into it, which I'll admit I admire about him"
Finn blinks, tapping the table.
"Well, Professor P is coming here, so why don't you talk it out between you two. I'm sure, you'll hit it off"
"And how would you know? Have you been talking to him about me?"
"Hero's intuition"
"I suppose nothing would be lost, it's a simple manner of talking, and understanding"
"That's great, I'll just be hanging around in sector 4"
"Do be careful, and get your shots, Finn"
"Already did with HW"
Minerva stood in the silent waiting for Simon to arrive.
Not since Martin has she felt this way, and maybe Simon too but she doubts if this was the same case for him.
She could hear a pop around the corner, as it was usually how Simon would travel in, and surprise anyone. Loading in the first time her optic sensors were away from New Human City, it was quite an experience.
"How am I floating? How are you breathing without any oxygen?" Minerva's processing data were overloading, and for the first time she just confused and her logic parameters couldn't pick it up. As she was floating in an endless void of space, and Professor Petrikov was stepping on a cube without a space suit.
"It's a bit of a wobbly feeling, but you'll get used to it"
"I don't think I can...this. And I thought Ooo's environment was strange" Minerva lands on a cube.
"The probable curse sickness plaguing everyone must just over here" Simon motions jumping a small cube disappearing into. All Minerva could do for that moment was processes everything before, Simon pops back in telling her it's this way.
"How do you know all of this?" Minerva asks
"Bit wandering around, funny story, want to hear it? Interesting people, the cubic cosmic cats"
"I'm in all ears to not get lost here"
Minerva recalls in her databanks of the first time Simon
Just another chance, she processes that. Professor Petrikov emerges from the closet door of the shop, still processing on how that came to be, but this entire shop was an ancient site with no technology attachments on it. It felt magical, was the proper term she could think of.
"Another pop in, Professor"
"Quite just another pop in, heard Finn needing my help, Doctor"
"He's in sector 4 doing a bit of a nursing help, the salve from the lower earth does help, got magical nurses here. Quite a different thing, but a bit harder to process"
Simple and straight forward.
Minerva loads that bit into her banks.
"Professor, or, Simon. I wish to discuss about a topic"
"I'm all ears, Doctor, I'm sure Finn can wait, unless there's another mess like last time"
"Quite, that eruption from the crystal dimension was a shocker for everyone here"
"Not as much as that trip to Mars"
"Oh, that old belief they had back then of martians kidnapping people, the panic that one cause here"
"Well, I didn't think new humans would react the same way, apparently some things take a while to adapt"
Minerva smiles playing back the past escapades in her memory bank, they were all soo chaotic before.
"I'll take the topic in the forefront, Professor. Something I've been thinking about for quite sometime"
"Coincidence, I have something on my mind that I really need to say out as well..."
Logic starts to form some pieces in her CPU, as it dawns on her. And she could see it Simon's face as well, the both looked at each other, already they knew what had just happened.
"Intuition?"
"Intuition"
Both of them were smiling, as they got played, and not even good one at that.
"Marceline was always a trickster, but I could always tell when she's up to a trick"
"Finn is a good lad, awkward but well meaning, that really disguises the cover"
There was a brief silence around the topic, the two started talking about how they got tricked.
"I don't know how you do it, just go about wandering about, popping from place to place" Minerva asks along with stating that it's somewhat unhealthy.
"Well, it's sorta my job"
"Job? What kind of job requires you popping from place to place?"
"....I invented it, I always arrive depending on the time stream"
Minerva chuckles.
"What about you, how do you get on working all in the city"
"It's my job, unlike yours without any credibility"
"A lot of people tend to disagree"
"Along, it's my passion. Seeing the humans, and along with people from your popping adventures feel well gives me something to feel" Minerva begins, and before finally going on about the topic "Professor, do you happen to feel the same way?"
Minerva starts.
"I've had my doubts, thinking of Betty mostly if I'm honest"
"It's been a rather long time for me, since Martin as well..." Minerva trails
"I often, and sometimes think of him. Vanishing out of my life, no closure or anything. When Finn told me about his story, it didn't make the closure better. It made it worse, in fact. It took me a long time to think of what to make of him, and in fact I don't think I'll ever not think of him. However, I like to think that somewhere he's living out his life, the same way I'm living my life, or anyone else is"
Minerva concludes, if there's any consolation to herself this be one of the things that made her feel human again. Rejection, or not.
"It's the same with me. I don't really think I could ever get rid of Betty in my life, considering everything that she did for me, basically a part of me"
Minerva notes Simon's hesitation, after all the therapy sessions, and pop trips he took. Betty was always on his mind.
"I hit myself, calling myself stupid, thinking how could I forget what Betty wanted me to have. It was a great experience, despite how it went down. We're different people through our lives, and that's okay, just as long you remember all the people you used to be when you change"
They both look at each other, the atmosphere around the shop seems to just focus on them.
"I enjoy our time, and I'd like that to continue"
"Second time around. I'd love that"
"Second time around. What do you want to do, when you got the time. Your call" Simon proposes.
"Around sometime later, I'll contact you, heard there's a show going in the Candy Kingdom"
"I'll wait up then, for now. I think I've got some new humans interested again in my works. I'll be around here"
"Finally, geez, I didn't think I could get those two out" Marceline puts down the telescope seeing Minerva and Simon walking together in the Candy Kingdom, having a big smile on her face.
"I mean, it's good, Simon's moving on, and my mom is getting some time for herself" Finn replies.
"Alright, get dressed hero boy" She throws a suit at him.
"Oh what?!"
"C'mon, I'm wearing a suit as well. Wanna see their date going well, Bonnie's doing a performance with his science giz, along with some performance play. And I wanna see their stuff doing well". Marceline gets in her suit, as they got dressed. Trying as silently as possible to make sure those two got the best time in the Candy Kingdom show. Pulling some strings on a wire, taffy tumbles in one direction, and Finn acting as a go sign to redirect them to he main show.
"Marcy, I know it's you under that suit."
"Finn, honey, please. I know it's you there. Few candy people are that huge"
Simon and Minerva turn to the two wearing butler suits, as they hand them out some treats for the show.
"What'dya mean, I'm just helping out Bonnie"
"And I'm doing my role as hero of Ooo"
They stare at them before Finn offers up some Candy Water, before excusing themselves to let them just enjoy their moment, but just enough to spy on them.
Trailing them as they were leaving.
"Were they really like that before? Didn't realize my name had a meaning"
"Long line of human history, It's a long talk better to show than tell, but they aren't museums with all those artifacts. Plus I'm not touching time travel again"
"I have an idea" Minerva sparks up.
"I still can't believe you're used to this? It's all but fuzzy in the central castle in the mainframe?" Minerva walks forward shifting one floor on the ground to clouds.
"1000+ years inside of a crown does that you, I'm used to it navigating my mind out of my body" Simon moves forward as the environment around shifts around, resembling a different time period in history before the Mushroom War, resembling what seems to be the classical period of human history.
"So, we're...in the ancient past?"
"Very ancient adjusting for time, we're in your name's origin"
Minerva notices the different clothes, the architecture, and the way people talked. It was fascinating, this what Finn feels like like, and Simon too.
"Well, where do you want to start? The whole of the ancient world awaits"
"You're really letting me take the lead, here?"
"Got a lot of time, could explore the still remnants of the empire to the east, or the fierce barbarians to the north-west. I heard Carthage is lovely this time around" Simon casually walks leaning into a marble pillar.
"Surprise me, Professor"
"To the Albion it is then, come on"
They begin to journey through the classical world.
Meanwhile, inside the shop at New Human City, Simon was wearing VR headset while a Minerva bot was there with him, both resting on the table.