Work Text:
There’s a funny thing about life continuing on as if you haven’t just experienced an earth shattering revelation that changes the very way you look at the world around you. Depending on what that realization is, you can easily return to your regular life, going about your day while integrating your newfound experience into your routine. Depending on how big of an impact your experience is, it can effect the change.
However, this doesn’t quite apply to Grian’s case.
Just a few days ago he discovered that vampires are real, courtesy of a certain vampire in an old not so abandoned mansion. It’s the sort of world changing discovery that doesn’t make it easy to just return to a normal life. Grian has found his curiosity itching at him, those journalist instincts he’s been honing for as long as he can remember telling him to find out more. Always one to want to search for answers, Grian hasn’t taken his mind off of Mumbo and the existence of monsters, despite it being in his best interest to forget it all. But he can’t just forget it.
He’s felt a little disjointed since meeting Mumbo. A real life vampire. His whole life, Grian has grown up surrounded by myths and stories about vampires and other monsters.
What is he supposed to do with information that it’s all true?
As of right now? Grian hasn’t done anything with it. He’s simply tried to ignore it and push the information to the back of his mind. He’s tried to carry on as normal, to ignore the curiosity and questions bouncing around in his mind. He hasn’t mentioned a word to Pearl. In fact, the moment he got home, he deleted whatever photos he took off his phone.
He doesn’t want to risk her seeing them, because he knows how she is. Pearl has always been a believer of myths. She’s had a fascination with things like aliens and ghosts, and anything in between for as long as Grian can remember. She’s always allowed her curiosity to drive her, and Grian knows that if she were to find out that vampires are real, she’d go hunting for the evidence.
And that hunt could potentially lead her directly to the murderer if she isn’t careful. If Grian isn’t careful.
So the best he’s done as of late is pretend like nothing has changed. He pretends like he doesn’t look at the people around him and wonder if they’re actually human. He pretends like he doesn’t entertain the thought of going back to Mumbo’s manor and risking the vampire’s anger at the expense of getting some questions answered.
But for Pearl’s sake, Grian is acting as normal.
Which includes going to work as usual, being a productive member of society and all that.
He gets to the office at his usual time, arriving at his desk and setting his messenger bag down. Grian takes his laptop out, along with his notebook and pen and a folder with papers in it. Sitting back on his chair he pushes his glasses up on the bridge of his nose to keep them from slipping down any further than they already have.
Taking a glance around the office, Grian sees a few people in early like he is. He’s normally one of the first few to get to the office, though lately he’s been a bit later. It may have something to do with the reading he’s been doing at night about vampires, but it hasn’t been anything too drastic.
Their office isn’t too large, a nice decent size for the number of employees they have. Everyone has their own desks all crowded together, making it a rather communal space for them all to talk and bounce ideas around when needed. Grian’s own desk is right up against a few of his coworkers, though compared to everyone else’s, his lacks any real decoration. At most he has a picture of himself and Pearl with their parents and a little toy robot. There’s a moss plant he has that’s been lovingly named The Entity.
Just as Grian opens up his laptop, he spots someone approaching him from the corner of his eye. Looking up, Grian sees Cub come over to him, offering him a wave. “Good morning good sir,” Cub greets lightly.
Grian offers him a kind smile, “Morning Cub! You’re in earlier than usual.”
“Yeah, had a meeting with the big boss,” Cub chuckles in response. “Which speaking of, Zed wants to talk in his office.”
“He does?” Grian blinks at him, a bit surprised. “Did he say what about?” he then inquires. It isn’t often that Zed wants to speak with him one on one. Has Grian done something wrong? Made a mistake somewhere? He frowns lightly.
“Dunno.” Cub shrugs. “All he said was to send you in whenever you got here. Sure it’s nothing bad though, you do good work here.” His response puts Grian slightly at ease, making him nod. “Good luck man.” He pats Grian’s shoulder before walking back to his own desk.
Grian looks over in the direction of where Zed’s office is – it’s at the very back of their space, with large glass windows that allows for anyone to see inside. He spots the man inside, who happens to be looking in Grian’s direction. Zed offers Grian a cheery smile and a wave, motioning for Grian to come in.
“Well, better not keep him waiting,” Grian mutters as he stands up from his chair. He smooths down his jumper as he walks over to Zed’s office, hand knocking into his ID as he does so. He pointedly ignores the memory of a pesky little cat snatching it from him.
Zed grins at Grian when he approaches, greeting him merrily, “Grian! Come in, come in! We have much to discuss! Oh! And close the door behind you, will you?”
Zedaph’s general cheerfulness puts any last remaining nerves Grian may have had to rest, and he shuts the door as he steps into Zed’s office. The room is jam packed with decorations and different certificates hang on the walls. Zed’s desk looks like a mess with papers all over it, and there’s a book rack with books right by Zed’s nameplate. He has a small figurine of a sheep by a potted plant.
“Sit, sit!” Zed says, motioning to one of the chairs in front of his desk.
Looking over at the two green chairs before him, Grian sits down in one. “So uh, Cub said you wanted to speak with me?”
“I did indeed tell him that, yes!” Zed nods. “I’ve got a massive opportunity for you that I think you’ll like. How do you feel about blood and danger, my friend?” he questions, dark blue eyes shining with excitement.
Grian’s thoughts trail back to Mumbo for a moment, and he stills. “You’ve got my attention,” he says, mostly curious about what Zed is about to offer him.
“Lovely! Because I’d like for you to take over writing about the mysterious and elusive Aqua Town serial murderer and all the bloody things that happen!” Zed explains with a flourish of excited hand movements.
Eyes widening, Grian stares at his boss as if he’s grown multiple heads. “You want me to do what?” he questions, his voice giving away his shock. “Isn’t Cub working on that though?”
“He sure was! But yesterday he waltzed on in here and told me he wanted to do something different!” Zed smiles at Grian, “Actually, he recommended you do it! Said you’d do it more justice than he could.”
Grian blinks at that, caught completely by surprise. Cub… wanted to give him the position? He wanted Grian to write about the murders? Slowly, he finds his gaze trailing over to where the other journalists sit, focusing specifically on Cub. The man’s back is turned to them from where he sits in his seat, presumably working on something. Grian’s eyes linger on his coworker, chest warming with giddy appreciation. He’s still surprised by Cub suddenly handing the coverage over to Grian out of the blue, especially when he’s still somewhat new in town. Though if Cub (and Zed) think that he can do it, he’s more than up for the challenge.
(Besides, a part of his mind whispers, there’s a chance he can run into Mumbo again, with an opportunity like this. Maybe he could even interview the man for some eye witness accounts, if he has any. A chance like this can give Grian the perfect excuse to venture just a bit further into the world he’s stumbled on and get some answers.)
Zed claps his hands together, forcing Grian’s attention back to him. “So! What do you say Grian? Interested?”
Grian meets his eyes, and he grins, “I’d be happy to handle that section.”
With a quiet breath, Grian shifts in the cushioned seat. His chin falls to rest in his hands as he stares ahead at the wall in front of him. His lips are set in a displeased line, brown eyes full of boredom. In front of him sits his sister, humming quietly. She doesn’t look bothered in the slightest bit, eyes focused on the book in her hands. Grian’s own book sits on the table, untouched.
“Pearl,” he says, chin still resting on his hands.
“Grian,” she replies, not looking up at him. “Ooooo, did you know that the current mayor of Aqua Town is Doc Monstre? He’s been mayor for the last five years. And before that was his grandfather!”
Grian continues to frown, ignoring her little fun fact, “Can I ask why you’ve decided to tag along?” He lifts a brow. It’s not that he minds that she’s come along, not at all. But he was hoping for a chance to breathe a bit, get a little room to himself while he threw himself into research. “Somehow I’ve just ended up watching you read.”
She glances up at him from over the rim of her book, humming innocently, “Well I don’t know Grian, why are you watching me read?” she retorts, making Grian’s frown deepen. “Nobody said you had to sit around and watch, G,” Pearl says, speaking in that matter of factly tone.
Grian’s frown instantly turns into a pout at that, “Well – yeah. But I can feel you staring a hole into my head. It makes it hard to concentrate.”
Pearl sighs quietly in return, setting her book down. “Something is bothering you, and I came along to make sure you don’t work yourself to exhaustion for Zed,” she begins, and Grian immediately stiffens. “I’m not going to pry because I’d hope that you’ll come talk to me eventually. It isn’t good to bottle stuff up, Griba.” Her tone softens, blue eyes shining with concern.
He always forgets how easily Pearl can read him. “Oh, uh, it’s nothing,” he says, because he’s a little caught off guard and he doesn’t know what else to say.
Though the look that Pearl gives him screams I don’t believe you. Grian winces as she leans back in her chair, crossing her arms, “You don’t have to tell me right now. But don’t pretend like you’re fine, okay? You’ve been more… reclusive ever since Tuesday night, and for all I joke about calling you a hermit, I’m a little concerned. Sooo I’m here!”
He stills, trying to think of a way to explain himself or to ease Pearl’s concern. But it’s not like he can tell her the truth. It’s not like he can tell her ‘Oh I’m fine! Just grappling with the fact that vampires are real and oh! You know that murderer? Yeah, the rumors might be true, and I’m writing the articles now so I can hunt down the truth. And to find the vampire I met! Anyways, what're you reading?’
Yeah, that’d go over well.
But he appreciates her concern, as well as her effort to get to him before his bad habits can. It’s almost like a small reality check for him, reminding him of where he is and what’s going on. He needs to figure out a better way of dealing with all of this, a way that isn’t going to worry Pearl.
Sighing softly, Grian offers her a little smile, “Thanks, Pearl. You always know how to get me out of my head,” he says softly, and he means it. He thinks that had it not been for his sister, he’d have probably spent the entire weekend cooped up in his room obsessing about whatever information he could get his hands on.
Pearl smiles at him, “That’s what I’m here for.”
Unable to resist teasing, he cocks his head to the side, “You mean you’re not just here to be a menace to me and everything I stand for?”
Pearl gasps at him, eyes lit with mischief, “Right back at you, mister!” she giggles quietly, and Grian grins. She picks her book back up before pausing, “I’ll stop burning holes into your head now. Feel free to research away!”
“Thanks for your permission.” Grian sticks his tongue out at her in retaliation before looking down at his book. He frowns slightly, thinking it might be good to find something else.
Yeah, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
“Be right back,” Grian tells her as he rises from his seat.
Letting his feet carry him anywhere in the library, he walks over to the aisles of bookshelves. The library is a little empty today, which Grian supposes makes sense for a Saturday morning. No one is really jumping up at the chance to run to the library so early in the day.
The closer he gets to the bookshelves, the easier it is for him to catch a whiff of smoky vanilla and faded wood. He ducks into an aisle of shelves, eyes scanning the books around him. He’s landed in the fiction section, and he pauses.
He could probably find some books for one of his current articles on the history of the myth of magic (though he supposes that isn't quite a myth anymore, is it?), or maybe something to help Zedaph or Cub with their work.
Yet just as he turns to look for where articles are, the title of a book catches his eye. He pauses for just a moment to look at it, bringing his hand up to touch the spine. The Myth Of Vampires by E. Slab, it reads. Grian’s brows furrow as he considers it for a moment. He’s been looking for information on vampires, if only to satiate his curiosity. Except Grian can only find so much on Boogle, and there’s only so many garlic stew recipes he can scroll past before he gets tired.
He stares at the book, contemplating it. He’s in a library, he reminds himself. He could look into whatever books they have and try to find some information. Surely he’d have more luck here than the internet.
Grian reaches for the book, pulling off of the shelf. He holds it in his hands, staring at the cover. It’s black with two silver fangs painted on the front. It’s rather unassuming, and way less dramatic than most covers for books about vampires.
He almost considers checking the nonfiction section, but he banishes such a foolish thought. Most people consider vampires a work of fiction, a myth. No one is going to shelve a book about mythical creatures under the nonfiction category. At least… he’s pretty certain that no one would.
He gazes down at the book in his hands, humming quietly. It wouldn’t hurt to start with this one book and then go from there. He nods to himself, finding it a good idea.
Just as he’s about to make his way back to Pearl, a soft meow interrupts him.
Pausing, Grian looks down at his feet and he finds the black cat from before. He gasps quietly before kneeling down to the animal, “Where did you come from, little guy?” he asks, and the cat meows at him again. “Hey, hey, you can’t be here! Cats aren’t allowed in libraries,” he whispers, and the cat simply stares up at him with two yellow eyes.
He sighs and tucks the book under his arm. “Come on, let’s get you out of here,” he says as he gently scoops the cat up in his arms. It lets him to his surprise, cuddling into his arms as it begins to purr. Grian’s heart melts at the sight and he discreetly brings the cat outside. He considers it lucky that there aren't a lot of people around.
When they get outside (Grian found an outdoor reading area), he carefully sets the cat down on the concrete. “There you go mate. Not sure how you got into the library though,” he murmurs thoughtfully.
He fully expects the cat to turn and run off now that it isn’t trapped inside, yet it stands right by his feet. Lifting a brow, Grian moves to sit down on a concrete step, setting his book down beside him. The cat takes that as an invitation, jumping into his lap and rubbing against him. Grian chuckles, “Pearl and Maui are going to be very upset with me later.” He lifts his hand up to gently scratch the cat behind its ears.
As he does so, he finds himself thinking back to the manor. “I’m guessing you hang around Mumbo a bunch, eh?” he questions softly, and the cat is looking at him with rapt attention. He pauses, feeling like it understands what he’s saying, almost like a person would. Which is… an unsettling thought. He pushes it away. “Are you his cat, I wonder? Or just a stray he feeds,” he wonders. “You know, I’ve never met a real life vampire before. That was… quite the shock, honestly. I’m almost surprised he didn’t kill me right where I stood! Though for someone who was threatening me, he seemed rather insistent on stalling for a conversation more than anything.”
His lips tilt down in thought as he thinks back on his brief interaction with the vampire. “I wonder if it was just a weird intimidation tactic.” Grian keeps running his hand along the cat’s fur. It’s surprisingly silky and smooth for a cat that’s a stray. Maybe it really is Mumbo’s cat? He sighs with a little grumble, “It’d be nice to talk to him again. At least so I could get my head on straight about all this. And maybe get some information on the murders if he has any.”
The cat seems to perk up at that, beginning to nudge him. Grian looks down at it, blinking in confusion. “What?” he asks, for a moment fully expecting the animal to respond. Except all he gets are more nudges.
Confused, he lets the cat go. The cat jumps out of his lap, padding over to his side and nudging him more. “What is it pal?” he questions, moving to stand now.
He gets a meow at that, as if saying ‘Yes good! Do that!’
He’s still very confused, but he tries to interpret the cat’s actions. It continues nudging him and meowing, weaving in between his legs. It’s head bumps against his calves, as if it wants to push him in a specific direction. Grian blinks, “Do you… want me to follow you?”
The cat meows at that, prancing over to stand in front of him. It meows again, and Grian resigns himself to whatever whims this cat has. He thinks he should probably question it a little more, all things considered. This cat seems more human like than other cats he’s met before, he should really be careful.
And yet he follows.
With a soft but quiet sigh, Mumbo drops down into a chair within his living space. The room he’s in is dimly lit by candles and a fireplace set in the middle of the wall. The chair he’s resting on is cushioned, it makes for a very comfortable chair. There are arm rests on either side, and the back piece is long enough that it reaches his head. Nearby the chair is two small couches — they’re able to fit two people at most — and another chair identical to the one Mumbo sits in.
The seats are all arranged around a table, one full of books and papers. It’s quite the mess, but Mumbo hasn’t been bothered enough to clean it yet. Honestly, he doesn’t think it even needs cleaning. It’s a small organized mess that he knows won’t get too out of control just yet.
Lining the walls are a few bookshelves and cabinets filled with little trinkets from over the years. On some spaces are random paintings, though there’s a common theme of spoons.
It’s one of the few rooms in this place that he’s able to relax comfortably in, where he finds himself fully able to get lost in his redstone or a book. Except today he does not relax. Instead, he sits tense and on edge.
He had a few errands he had to run while in town, and he’s heard some… troubling things. Mumbo isn’t sure why this is the first he’s hearing of any of this, considering his… connections. Yet unbeknownst to him, there’s some kind of supernatural running amok and attacking people; both human and supernatural.
Yet perhaps the most troubling thing is that most of their victims seem to be vampires.
He tilts his head back, crushing his ponytail against the back of his chair. He frowns as he looks up at the ceiling, tapping his fingers on the arm rest.
Something strange churns in his gut. The thought of another supernatural going around and hunting humans so close to his territory sits uncomfortably with him. It makes his muscles tighten with tension; he doesn’t like this. He doesn’t like it a single bit. As far as he was aware, Aqua Town had been relatively quiet for years. Sure the population of supernaturals outnumber those that are mortal, but they’ve been able to co-exist. Those of Mumbo’s kind have managed to slip under the radar of most humans and go about both their lives and their business.
Clearly that isn’t the case anymore.
He glances down at the table in front of him, eyes focusing on a piece of paper sitting innocently on top of a book. His pen rests nearby, and before he can think twice, he reaches for both. He moves a few books to clear some space to write on the paper.
Picking up his fountain pen, he begins to draw on the paper. He draws in all sorts of lines and circles, the action akin to muscle memory by now. He has a more permanent one somewhere, but he can’t be bothered to go and grab it, especially since he’s following an impulsive feeling. When he finishes the drawing, he’s left with rings of blank ink and intricate little symbols in between each ring. In the middle of the rings is a goat, two horns curling on either side of its head.
He sets the glyph down, and taps. The paper curls up and begins to disappear as green light spreads throughout the lines that Mumbo drew, until all that is left behind is the glowing green glyph. Mumbo scoops it up in his hand, holding it in his palm. It doesn’t take very long for the man to answer, “Hello? Mumbo?”
Mumbo swallows, “Hey Doc. I think we need to talk.”
To Grian’s slight surprise, the cat brings him right back to the manor he had stumbled upon just a few days ago. He stares up at the rundown entrance of the manor, feeling a bit of uncertainty swirling around in the pit of his stomach. He looks down at the cat standing next to him, lips pulled into a shaky frown, “Are you sure I should really be back here?” he asks, “He seemed… quite unhappy that I was here last time.”
He doesn’t mention how badly he wants to go inside. How badly he wants to find the vampire and ask him everything and anything. He’s trying to force his survival instincts to the front here.
The cat simply nudges its head against his leg in return, and Grian takes that as good a sign as any. He reaches out for the rickety looking doorknob, reminding himself that this place isn’t actually as abandoned as it seems. “Er… pardon the intrusion Mumbo!” he calls, slowly stepping inside.
The candles are already lit up, and Grian hears a voice faintly down the hall somewhere. He perks up at that sound, gaze dropping down to the cat. It looks back at him as if to say ‘I don’t know either.’
Slowly, he walks further into the foyer, eyes trailing over the dark wallpaper and paintings. “A fan of spoons, I guess?” he hums, spotting probably his fourth spoon related painting hanging on the wall. Weird. He continues walking along the hall, trying to be quiet as he steps on the wooden floor. The cat seems relatively unbothered, so Grian decides to take it as a good sign.
The more he walks down the hall, the closer he gets to where he assumes the voice is coming from. There aren’t many doors he sees down here, just one or two. He had tried both of them, but the doors were locked. So he had no choice but to walk forward. He strains his ears for any other sounds, but hears nothing besides the setting wood and the sound of a voice. Well, at least he doesn’t hear a second one.
He quiets his footsteps as best he can, inching toward a door in the hall. He stops just outside of it, noticing the door has been left slightly ajar unlike the others he’s found so far. The voice comes from inside.
“—ne time you listen to the Council…” Grian perks up at the sound of Mumbo’s voice, meeting the cat’s gaze. Who is he on the phone with, Grian wonders. “Of course I would have wanted to know about this! My own… personal feelings aside, if there’s something going on in my proximity, I’d like to be informed.”
Grian frowns at that, raising a brow as Mumbo goes quiet for a moment. He assumes the person on the other end is speaking.
“This has nothing to do with the humans in town, Doc, and you know that. Please drop it.” Mumbo’s voice sounds strained as he talks, oddly enough. He sighs, “Does the Council have anything in place to deal with this?”
A council, huh? Interesting. Grian never read anything about a council. A vampire council? Or is it something else? Without realizing, he leans forward against the door. His hand rests against the wood as he presses his ear on the door, as if it’ll help him hear more clearly.
Though… his carelessness gets the better of him. Rather than simply laying his hand on the wood, he puts too much pressure on the door. It creaks as it opens slightly. Grian jumps at the sound, startled. He immediately stills, silencing his breath and remaining in place. Please don’t notice, please don’t notice, please….
The silence stretches on and Grian feels nothing but tension run along his body. His hands shake slightly, and he almost wishes they’d stop. Can Mumbo hear them shaking?
He hears the sounds of footsteps along the hardwood floor approaching him. Grian’s heart is in his ears. His heartbeat sounds so loud. “One moment, Doc,” Mumbo eventually says, and his voice is right by the door.
Before Grian has a chance to make a run for it, the door swings open. Grian squawks helplessly, jumping at the sight of Mumbo behind him. Though Grian notes that there’s some kind of ball of light in Mumbo’s hand, one that shines with a forest green glow. It looks like some kind of ring is floating in the air, multiple of them in fact. And there’s a symbol in the middle of the rings. A goat?
Hearing a sigh, Grian’s attention is brought away from whatever Mumbo is holding. The vampire hardly looks amused with him, if the quirk of his brow is anything to go by. His appearance hasn’t changed either in the last few hours.
Nervously, Grian waves at him, “Erm… hello.”
Mumbo frowns in return, “I’ve an unexpected bird listening in. I hate to cut this short but I should take care of this.” He waits for a moment before crushing the ball of light in his hand. Grian watches in awe as the green rings disappear, the glow no longer lighting up Mumbo’s face. He tucks the ball into his coat pocket before turning around. “I see you’ve returned, human,” he says blankly upon meeting Grian’s eye.
“I was technically led here by the cat!” Grian rushes to say, “...again. And my name is Grian!”
Mumbo sighs, frowning down at the cat standing beside Grian. His eyes hold disapproval in them as he crosses his arms. “Jrum, we’ve talked about this,” he says, completely ignoring Grian. “What have I told you about bringing random humans to the manor?”
In a sudden poof of smoke, a boy is standing in the place the cat once was. Grian jumps in surprise, eyes widening. The boy is dressed in a little butler’s outfit, though rather than pants he wears shorts under his black tailcoat. His black hair is shaggy, bangs covering his forehead. He looks at Mumbo with two dark blue eyes that hold speckles of sapphire in them. He hangs his head, a guilty expression taking over his features, “...not to.”
“Right.” Mumbo nods, another sigh leaving him. “You can’t just go and lead whatever human you find interesting back here. It’s dangerous,” he scolds lightly.
Jrum suddenly grabs hold of Grian’s arm, startling the man once more, “But he’s nice Mr. Mumbo!”
Mumbo’s frown deepens at that. “Looks can be deceiving. Besides, you know how I feel about… them,” he replies, and Grian can’t take it anymore.
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on here?” he asks as the human child (?) cat (?) hangs off of his arm.
Jrum lets go of him to look at him with a big smile, “I brought you here so you and Mr. Mumbo could be friends! He’s really kind when you get to know him!” he exclaims, nearly bouncing in place as he speaks.
Grian blinks at that, eyes flitting over to Mumbo before looking back at Jrum, “And the… the cat thing?”
Jrum’s eyes light up at his question, “Oh, well! I’m a vampire like my brother and Mr. Mumbo! And I can shapeshift!”
“Right…” Grian slowly nods, slowly putting the pieces together. “That… makes a lot of sense actually,” he murmurs.
“Uh huh! So will you be Mr. Mumbo’s friend?!” Jrum asks him, and Grian suddenly feels very, very, awkward. Be friends with the guy that threatened to kill him just a few days ago? Sure!
“Uh…”
“Jrum, go upstairs with your brother,” Mumbo cuts in, and he’s still frowning. Jrum’s shoulders seem to sag in disappointment, “I have to… speak to the human alone. And Grum is worried that you’ve gone and run off again,” he says, and that’s all it takes for Jrum to turn out of the room and run off.
When it’s just the two of them left in the room, Grian finds himself still feeling awkward. Quite honestly, he has no idea what to do now. Should he leave? Probably. He doubts Mumbo is going to just let him go twice. And by the look on the vampire’s face, he doesn’t seem very happy. At all.
“Alright, human,” Mumbo speaks after a moment, voice low and gravely. It sends shivers down Grian’s spine, and he’s rooted in place as the vampire begins to approach him. “Here’s what we’re going to do next. You, are going to turn around and walk out that door and never set foot in my forest again. You are going to forget about all of this, and go back to living your regular, human life. Do you understand?” As Mumbo talks, his eyes flash a deep red.
Grian can’t look away from them, finding them rather enchanting. Though he frowns a little, “The forest? That seems a little unfair,” he says, because he would like to explore this forest one day. “Can we agree on the manor or something?”
His response seems to throw Mumbo off and his mouth drops, “W-What?!” he cries, taking a step back. “You just – you just ignored my compulsion! No human is able to do that! Not even other supernaturals can avoid it!” he exclaims, seeming troubled.
Grian perks up at that, “You mean vampires aren’t the only kind of supernaturals?” he questions, and it only seems to cause Mumbo more distress.
The vampire takes a moment to stare at Grian as if he’s gone and grown three heads. If anything, it should be Grian looking at Mumbo like that. He’s the vampire here after all.
“That’s… well honestly that’s quite unexpected,” Mumbo mumbles to himself before taking a breath. He exhales and squares his shoulders, sighing. “I don’t suppose I could just threaten you again and you’d leave?”
“You’d have to be threatening first,” Grian replies without missing a beat, making Mumbo frown at him.
“You seemed plenty intimidated to me last time!” he exclaims, and Grian purses his lips in thought.
“That was really just because I found out vampires were real. Not so much because of you. Sorry mate,” he says, shrugging his shoulders.
Mumbo continues to frown before dragging a hand down his face. He looks annoyed, nose scrunching up and brows knitting together. “Then I will ask you very nicely to get out of my house. You weren’t invited here,” he demands, and Grian considers it for a moment.
“Under one condition!” he replies, and Mumbo stares at him incredulously. This is a perfect opportunity to get some info! “You answer my questions, and I’ll leave you alone. Completely. No more following strange shape shifting cats around,” he swears.
“Had I been any other vampire you’d be dead right now, I hope you know,” Mumbo grumbles, sighing. That definitely doesn’t worry Grian at all. “But fine. I’ll answer whatever questions you have and then when I feel as if we’re done, you leave,” he agrees, and Grian grins. Mumbo turns around and leads them over to a pair of chairs before sitting down.
Grian sits down in the other seat and tries to come up with things to ask. He supposes it’d be good to debunk the theories right? And… maybe Mumbo will know something about this murderer going around.
The vampire makes a motion with his hand, encouraging him to begin. He should probably start with questions about the murders but… he’s way too curious about the other stuff. “Great! Okay, so first question. If vampires are real, are other creatures real too? Like werewolves and stuff,” Grian asks, looking at him curiously.
Mumbo looks resigned, “Yes, there are. Any creature that you mortals believe to be a myth is most definitely real. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, ghouls. You name it, it’s real.”
Grian wishes he had a notepad or something to write all of this stuff down. “Right… okay. And what about garlic, stakes, and sunlight? Does that stuff actually kill vampires?”
A look of disgust crosses Mumbo’s face as he answers, “Goodness, no! I just have a strong distaste for garlic. Others seem to like it, oddly enough. Wooden stakes killing vampires are a myth. Though the sun does burn me. I can’t go out during the day without a covering of some kind. It’s more of an inconvenience than a threat.”
He moves onto a different question, “What about blood? Are you attracted to a certain type? Does drinking it give you super buff muscles?”
Mumbo raises a brow at that, relaxing, “I’d ask where you got that kind of idea, but I think I’d prefer not knowing.” He shakes his head. “No, drinking blood does not make me muscular, nor am I attracted to a certain blood type. All it does is give me energy. It also increases my magic.”
“Magic?! You have magic?!” Grian exclaims, eyes widening with interest.
“All vampires do, yes. Any supernatural is capable of learning magic, as are select humans.” Mumbo leans back in his chair, looking thoroughly exhausted with Grian.
“Hang on, humans can do magic?” Grian questions, staring at Mumbo with wide eyes. “How is that possible?”
“Well, there are a few ways. For supernaturals, our magic comes from our bodies and our very essence. As for humans to practice magic, mainly the passage of spells through family. Though there are cases where the magic itself manifests in a human. That’s how you get your mages and sorcerers,” Mumbo answers with a small shrug. “As for my own, I know a few different spells, but I mainly use illusion magic,” he hums, and suddenly a lot of things make sense.
Grian thinks back to the state of the manor, how run down the outside looked when he first saw it. He blinks. “Then… the outside of this place. It only looks that way because of your magic?” he asks, and Mumbo nods.
“Precisely,” he confirms. “I use it to keep pesky humans like you away. Though clearly I have a few that are too… adventurous,” Mumbo sighs, and he means to sound threatening, or even scary. But to Grian he seems so… tired. Drained. But not in a physical sense. It makes him curious. It makes him wonder about Mumbo as a person. Who is he? What kind of life has he led? What happened to him to put such a somber look in his eyes?
Grian frowns, suddenly beginning to regret promising Mumbo that he’d never come back. His thoughts trail back to Jrum, and how he wanted Grian to become Mumbo’s friend. Is Mumbo lonely? Surely he must be, with a big house like this one and all of those locked doors.
He wonders, “Can someone be born a vampire?” Do you have a family? “Or can they only be turned into one?”
Mumbo seems to immediately tense up at the question, eyes becoming guarded as he looks at Grian; watches him. Yet he answers anyway, “Yes… There are those who are born as vampires, which we call purebloods. And then there are the half bloods or turned, which I’m sure you can figure out what that means.”
Grian nods in return, not wanting to make Mumbo explain that particular term. But that does leave another question. “How does someone become a vampire?” he asks. He got too many conflicting answers when he looked it up online.
He regrets asking as soon as the words leave his mouth. Mumbo’s face darkens, and the whole aura of the room seems to shift. It’s intimidating, with the way tension builds in the air. Mumbo’s fists clench, and his jaw tightens, eyes filling with some kind of emotion. Regret? Grief? Grian isn’t sure.
Mumbo doesn’t respond immediately, sitting still in his seat, and Grian worries he’s overstepped.
He opens his mouth to apologize, to take it back and ask something else instead. But Mumbo speaks first. “I’m not answering that.” His chilly voice leaves no room for any kind of argument. It sends shivers down Grian’s spine, and he hesitantly nods. He sits on edge, worried over the tension still hanging in the air.
Something tells him Mumbo isn’t open to answering questions anymore.
His suspicions are proven right when Mumbo claps his hands. “Right, well, if you don’t have any more questions, you should be going along now,” he says, clearly wanting Grian out.
He almost wants to push, to ask more. After all, he feels like there’s still so much he needs to know! Like do other humans know what he does now? What kinds of magic is there? And… why do Mumbo eyes look so haunted? Why doesn’t he want to talk about turning someone? He still wants to ask about the murders as well, to see if Mumbo knows anything about that.
Except he doesn’t ask any of his remaining questions. He isn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth — not now at least.
And even though he has access to his answers right in front of him, Grian finds that he doesn’t want to ask. It isn’t because of fear, no. He’s more curious than afraid. It’s something more than that. So instead of asking, he gets up and quietly thanks Mumbo for answering him, and leaves with a soft apology. He’d feel bad otherwise.
On the way back to the library, his mind focuses on how sad Mumbo’s eyes were. And he feels a little bit of regret.
It’s only when he returns home that he remembers he didn’t get a single chance to ask Mumbo about the murders. So much for those journalist instincts.