Chapter Text
Within the dark after hours at the newspaper office, Clumby sat with her paws curled into fists on her desk. On the movie screen a black and white film flickered as it was paused, rewound, and replayed. The scene is of a small community celebrating. A familiar looking Grumpus steps onto the stage and waves before beginning to speak. With an audible click, the shadowy figure sitting on the other side of the projector pressed the button to unmute the audio.
“--Thank you! I wouldn’t be here without the help of my friends!” Ringes out Filbo’s cheerful voice.
The paw clicks the button back off, and the audio stops even though the video still plays. A gathering of familiar faces join him on the stage before another dark paw clicks a button. The film stops on that frame.
"Clumby." The figure finally speaks, but remains hidden behind the projector. "You were tasked with keeping an eye on this mess you made, weren't you?"
"So what if the blue idiot won some small village election? Almost all the votes were from their group and all he really gets to do is continue to wear that stupid sash." She retorted with irritation.
"They would have been easier to silence, before this." The figure calmly replied and tossed a single paper onto Clumby's desk. On it was a list of small island names, none of which would be found on any map. Two were now crossed off.
"Another island has--" Clumby caught herself. "-but it wasn't this group! They've been sticking together at this run down little village in the middle of nowhere. Not doing anything of note beyond holding some very poorly organized parties."
"You still have two unaccounted for, don't you?" Noted the cold voice.
Clumby froze, her paws mid grip on the paper. "Lizbert Megafig and Eggabell Batternugget did not survive Snacktooth island."
"If all would have gone to plan, a simple plan we have used for ages without any problem, then none of them would have survived that island. Yet the group you sent your reporter after manages not only to survive but also to cause the island to break itself apart and sink back into the sea."
"That reporter was not-" She began to raise her voice but felt her reply die in her throat as the other figure stood up. Their frame elongating past normal Grumpus anatomy as it then turned to look over her desk.
Appearing unmoved by this, Clumby glared back and slammed her paws on her desk.
"I did not send that idiot, they were fired the moment they left that day! So what if they survived? I did not set up all the others who followed Lizbert there. I'm not in charge of the archive islands or their protections. That mess is solely on you!"
A silence hung in the air after this, as the huge shadowy figure loomed over the smaller agitated figure.
"You… have a point." The shadow retreated, soft crunching noises being heard as it compacted itself back into an acceptable shape of a Grumpus. "We will tend to the islands and those who are connected to their sinking. However, you must tend to these loose ends. If Lizbert Megafig and Eggabell Batternugget are still alive, they must not reconnect with the others. Remove them."
There was no response beyond a determined nod from the owner of the newspaper desk. Satisfied with that, the shadowy figure seemed to scatter and vanish back into the darkness of the room. After a few more moments and she was sure that she was alone again, Clumby slammed her paws down on her desk. Papers flew around the desk and she cursed the still figures on the film screen. By Grump, how she hated these Monday meetings.