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“Tea, Mumbo?”
A cup filled with honey colored liquid is held out to him. It shakes slightly from being moved, the liquid hitting the sides of the cup. Had the cup been filled further, he probably would have been concerned about it spilling. Humming softly, he takes the cup, “Ah, thank you.” Mumbo offers the other a small smile before taking a sip.
“Oh I wouldn’t—” Before the other can finish his sentence, Mumbo jerks back. He sets the cup down on the table, trying to ignore the way his tongue burns from the rather scalding liquid. He sticks his tongue out, waving his hand in an attempt to cool it. He hears laughter, “You never wait.”
Mumbo frowns at the other, almost pouting. “It’s not funny, Doc.” He replies, but Doc’s chuckles only continue.
“It’s a little entertaining. You’d think that by now you would have learned to let it cool off.” He says, fondly shaking his head.
Mumbo simply huffs in return. He won’t be touching that cup any time soon then. He looks over at Doc, who seems a bit too relaxed for the topic of their conversation. His dark green hair is slicked back, and his eyes shine with amusement. He’s dressed in a black button up with his lab coat thrown on top. His body language screams relaxed as he leans back in his seat. After all these years, Mumbo shouldn’t be surprised. Most of the time, Doc approaches any problem with a rather laid back attitude.
But Mumbo also knows that should the situation call for it, Doc isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He’s seen it first hand.
Doc’s home is a perfect example of his laid back attitude, a small inconspicuous house nestled comfortably in Aqua Town. A bit odd for the mayor of the town, certainly. But Mumbo knows that this house is more than just a cozy little thing. Underground is a giant laboratory, where Doc does most of his work. Even now, Mumbo isn’t fully aware of what Doc does down there. He doesn't think he wants to ask.
They’re meeting in Doc’s study, and it’s just as messy as Mumbo remembers it being. Papers are everywhere, the desk, the floor, even jammed into bookshelves or in between the pages of books. Random pens and pencils are scattered across Doc’s desk, along with a few mugs. Some of them are empty, others are filled with day old, cold coffee.
“Not that I don’t appreciate your random visit, Mumbo, but what is the reason for it exactly?” Doc questions, lifting a brow. His gaze is curious, eyes still lit with amusement.
Mumbo straightens up in his seat, fidgeting with his hands, “Well… after our conversation was interrupted, I wanted to continue it. In person.”
“Ah, yes. It was interrupted by.. what was it, a bird?” Doc questions, a knowing smirk on his face.
Huffing, Mumbo frowns, “The human was certainly annoying like one.” A grumble.
He earns a hum in return, moving to stroke his beard casually, “You know, I’ve caught wind of talk about a human around town asking about vampires and other ‘mythical creatures’. He seems rather interested in doing some research.” He looks at Mumbo with a curious gaze, “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
For some reason, hearing that the human is digging his nose where it doesn’t belong doesn’t surprise him. They’re always so… curious. It’s frustrating at times, especially when Mumbo just wants to be left alone. Though he supposes that he technically is being left alone. The human hasn’t set foot near his manor since the day he left (and he’s made sure that Jrum won’t bring him there again). So any research he’s doing doesn’t involve Mumbo in any way, which is a tad relieving.
(Still, he hasn’t really stopped thinking about the human, oddly enough. His apology is what sticks with him. “Thank you for answering my questions. And er, sorry for pushing it.” When was the last time someone, let alone a human, apologized to him? He… doesn’t remember.)
“Anything he does I have no involvement in.” Mumbo answers honestly, crossing his arms. “As long as he holds up his end of our deal and stays away from the manor, I don’t care for what he does.”
Doc’s brows knit together in return as he lets out a soft sigh. His hand falls away from his face as his gaze settles on Mumbo, “I keep telling you that they’re not all that bad, you know.” He says, and Mumbo frowns. This isn’t their first discussion, and Mumbo is certain that it won’t be their last either. “How long are you going to stay cooped up in that manor, Mumbo?”
Aren’t you lonely?
Shifting almost uncomfortably in his seat, Mumbo looks away from him, “It’s fine.” He says, falling into this long practiced dance of theirs. He knows the steps by now, the twists and the turns. Their routine is a practiced one, one where they dance around the real heart of the issue. They’re both fully aware of the actual problem, but neither are willing to address it. Mumbo, because it’s easier to avoid and ignore it. Doc, because he doesn’t want to overstep into a place he is not welcome in.
So they continue their dance instead, avoiding the deep rooted issue at hand. “I’m perfectly content with the way things are right now.” His voice is practiced as he says it, and he watches Doc’s face fill with resignation. “But that’s besides the point. I want to know what’s going on.” He looks at him, swiftly changing the topic. They have more important things to be discussing. Mumbo’s lack of a social life is not one of them.
Doc hums as he reaches for his own cup, raising it to his lips and taking a sip. He rolls with the shift of the conversation easily enough, far too used to Mumbo doing so when he doesn’t want to talk. “What is going on?” He repeats, “Well that’s a bit of a loaded question. There is… a lot happening at once here. Things are getting tense.”
Mumbo sits up in his seat, brows knitting together, “Tense? How exactly?”
Replacing Doc’s laid back attitude is a glint of seriousness. His eyes shine with it as he crosses his arms and meets Mumbo’s gaze. “The Council has been sending out more and more hunters to quiet any supernatural starting up trouble.” He starts. “We’ve been meeting more than usual, especially now with these strings of murders.”
Biting his lip, Mumbo nods in response. “And I’m assuming the Council wants to keep it quiet that there’s a supernatural going around killing humans?” He guesses.
Doc nods, “We figured it was for the best. With tension rising between purebloods and turned, we don’t need to start any in-fighting. You know they’ve been saying each victim has been found with a whole range of injuries on their neck, from a hole to a bite mark and everything in between.” He frowns, “If word were to get out, people would turn to pointing fingers. And with the sudden spike in antagonism toward halfblooded vampires? There would be paranoia everywhere. You can see why I kept it from you.”
“It certainly makes more sense, yes.” Mumbo murmurs. “So the Council’s plan here is to what; continue to pretend that it’s a human going around committing the crime? You and I both know that isn’t going to last very long. Someone is going to find out eventually, and it won’t be a human next time.”
Doc sighs in return and Mumbo can see just how tired the man seems. Exhaustion lines his face, his eyes. He runs a hand through his hair, messing it up slightly. “We’re doing all that we can. But there’s only so much we can do without raising the suspicion of other supernaturals.” He explains, and Mumbo supposes he brings up a fair point.
With the way things are, vampires have ended up at the top of the food chain. They’ve managed to score the most power in this world, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. Everyone’s eyes are on them, watching whatever they do. The Council is in a tough spot here. They need to make their plays carefully, else everything falls apart at the seams.
Mumbo hums softly as he considers Doc’s words. He forms an idea, one that he isn’t particularly fond of. He’s never enjoyed doing work for the Council, considering he knows how slimey they can be at times. Hell, he doesn’t even like the Council. Everything that doesn’t involve preserving the balance between humanity and the supernatural is pushed to the side. The Council is old, and their ideology is even older. Personal feelings, connections, it’s all unimportant to them. To them, nothing is more important than keeping the peace.
He doesn’t care for the Council, he never has. But he cares for Doc, and he can see how stressed the other is. He sighs softly, knowing his choice has already been made. “It sounds to me like you could use the help of someone not involved with the Council.”
Doc straightens in his seat, raising a brow, “Oh? Do you have something in mind?”
Grian is in a bit of a tricky situation. It’s a situation he’s been in before, but it’s also just slightly different. He’s been in plenty of situations where there was a certain person that he wanted to connect with, to find common ground and befriend. But in previous situations, that person was a human.
This one? Well, he’s a vampire.
And Grian has just so happened to have made a deal with said vampire that he’d leave him alone in exchange for information. Now, Grian is many things, a prankster, stubborn, but he isn’t the type to go back on a promise. He takes promises very seriously, in fact. A promise is essentially the same thing as a deal in his mind, and Grian is very much regretting making said deal.
Granted, when he made the deal, he hadn’t expected to leave Mumbo’s manor even more curious about the vampire. He hasn’t stopped thinking about the look in his eyes, the way Mumbo’s face had crumbled with grief upon being asked how a human becomes a vampire.
The walk home left Grian thinking, and he hasn’t stopped thinking about their exchange since. He regrets making that deal, if only because he has no way of reaching out to Mumbo now. Er, well, he does technically. He could pay the vampire a visit, could try to offer him a branch. But considering the two times Mumbo reacted to him showing up, he has a feeling it isn’t a great idea.
Which leads him to another thought. Mumbo doesn’t seem to like humans very much. He had scolded Jrum for bringing him to the manor after all, and warned him that humans are dangerous. Grian finds the thought a little entertaining. Imagine that, a vampire saying that humans are the dangerous ones, when there are plenty of myths that say otherwise.
Would they even be considered myths? If vampires are real, then what does that mean for their myths? Are they things that have truly happened, or are they things that humans have created for the sake of a spooky story?
Either way, it makes Grian want to learn more about vampires, about all of the creatures that lurk in the shadows of Aqua Town. He wants to try to find some way to connect with Mumbo. He isn’t sure why, maybe it’s because of the feeling in his chest that squeezes him when he thinks about how lonely Mumbo must be in that manor, or when he pictures Mumbo’s face twisted with guilt and grief. There’s a story there, and Grian wants to figure it out.
He wants to be his friend.
(There’s a second component here, Grian is very aware of this second variable. He isn’t going to ignore it, not when the second variable is on the news every morning, afternoon, and evening. There is a murderer running loose in Aqua Town, and Grian is willing to bet everything he has that the murderer is not human. Maybe if he does some digging, he can find some kind of information.
And then what, a voice asks him? What can he possibly do with that information? Bring it to the police? Confront the murderer himself? Sure, he could write about it for Zed’s article, but he can’t go writing that the murderer isn’t human. He’d never be taken seriously!
But maybe he could bring it to Mumbo, maybe Mumbo could do something with it. If the murderer is a vampire, then surely he’d find some kind of use of whatever Grian can find. Hadn’t he mentioned some kind of council? Maybe he could bring it to them while Grian covers the story in the news.)
Sighing to himself, Grian slumps forward in his seat. His head was resting in the palm of his hand, though it’s more like his head is leaning against his wrist now, shoulders sagging. The music blasting through the speakers of the bar he’s in are much more prominent now that Grian is focusing on them. He stares down at the dark wooden countertop in front of him, lips curling in a frown of thought.
“Oof, that looks like your ‘I’m brooding’ face.” He glances up as Pearl slides into the barstool beside him, a lopsided grin on her face. She’s dressed in her uniform; a black t-shirt and shorts. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail, blue eyes alight with curiosity. "Trouble with work?"
For a moment, Grian thinks back to their conversation as the library. He knows that he resolved not to tell her anything, not wanting her to run and seek out danger. He knows that, and his mind hasn’t changed on that front. But maybe Pearl can offer him some kind of insight on connecting with Mumbo. She was always better at socializing than he was. He wasn’t called a hermit for no reason.
He just… doesn’t have to mention the vampire stuff.
"Not exactly. Though that's... part of it." He straightens up his posture, looking over at her. “To be honest, I have this er… acquaintance. One who I think could help me write the article for Zed.” He begins, and Pearl is raising a brow at him. “I uh, met him recently. And he doesn’t seem to like me very much?” He phrases it as a question, face scrunching up in uncertainty.
“Let me guess, you want to find some way around the fact that this ‘acquaintance’ of yours doesn’t like you and get his help?” Pearl assumes, making quotation marks around the word acquaintance.
Grian huffs, “Pretty much.” He answers honestly. “I don’t think that he dislikes me specifically. Just… people in general. He seems kind of lonely? And my gut is telling me that he’s just acting hard to get because he’s protecting himself.”
Pearl leans back, crossing her arms as she nods, “And is he cute?”
Grian’s face turns red at her question, “Pearl!”
His sister giggles in return, “It’s a valid question G! This is the first time I’m hearing of this guy, and we’ve been here for like. Nearly three months now!” She exclaims, defending herself. “There has to be some kind of reason why you want to befriend this guy, if he exists that is.” She hums, and Grian huffs once again. “Now! If you want my advice, I’d try seeking out people who are friends with him and figure out how to befriend him. If he has issues with people, be up front and honest about your intentions.”
He considers the advice for a moment, humming to himself. The advice is certainly helpful to him, he thinks. If Mumbo is a vampire, then surely he must know other supernaturals in town. Maybe he’s friends with them. All Grian has to do is find them and ask them about Mumbo. Networking has always been a strong suit of his, after all. Every journalist has to be good at it to make it somewhere.
Though if he thinks about it logically, the possibility of him finding someone who’s friends with Mumbo is virtually impossible. It’s not like he can just go up to someone on the street and ask if they know a vampire named Mumbo. He’d get looked at like he was crazy!
Honestly, he just might be. Scratch that, he has to be if he’s trying to befriend a vampire.
So where does that leave him?
Grian sighs quietly, looking over at Pearl, “Thanks. I’m not sure how helpful it’ll be but it’s something. I don’t think he’s got many friends.” He replies, and Pearl pats his shoulder.
“Maybe he’s got family or something that you could ask. You never know!” She smiles as she hops up from her seat, “On that note, I’ve got a job to get back to. Have fun brooding Griba!”
With that, Pearl grabs a tray with a basket of fries and heads off into the crowd of patrons. Grian watches her leave before returning to his thoughts. Family huh? He gets the impression that Mumbo doesn’t exactly have any.
Wait, isn’t Jrum related to him? Grian would assume that Jrum is his son, but he didn’t exactly refer to Mumbo as “dad”. Unless vampires have different family dynamics?
Idly, a drink is set down in front of him. Grian lifts his head up in surprise as a body blocks his vision. He meets warm yet jovial brown eyes and a kind smile. The man standing behind the bar has his brown hair swooped to the side and is dressed in black clothes. He’s leaning on the counter top with his arms, his smile never fading, “You looked like you could use a little something something.” He says as a way of explanation.
Distracted from his thoughts again, Grian offers him a smile of gratitude, “Thanks, Impulse.” He reaches out for the drink and takes a sip. It burns a little on the way down, but he appreciates the pick me up.
“You’re welcome! It’s on the house, too.” The bar owner replies, winking. “How’s the job going? Has Zed driven you insane yet?” His tone is light and teasing as he asks.
A little laugh escapes him at that, “Not yet, but he’s definitely gotten close.” Grian answers.
Impulse is the whole reason why he even has this job to begin with, funnily enough. When Grian and Pearl first moved to Aqua Town, they had spent a good few days job hunting. It was pure luck that they ran into Impulse, and he had wasted no time in helping them out as soon as he learned they were new in town.
The man laughs softly, “Yeah, he’ll do that to you. Being roommates with him could be a real nightmare, I’ll tell you that much.” He smiles, as if reminiscing. It makes Grian smile. There’s just something about Impulse that makes him want to smile around the man.
His cheerfulness is infectious, that’s for sure.
Except Impulse’s smile dims slightly with his next words, “Soooo, Pearl mentioned you’ve been researching the murders for an article?”
Grian blinks, a bit surprised to hear that Pearl mentioned anything to the man. “Oh, uh, yeah, I am. Zed offered the position to me and I practically jumped at the chance to get a front page spot like that.”
Worry flashes in Impulse’s eyes as he regards Grian. His expression turns serious, and when he speaks again, his voice lacks its usual jovial timbre, “Just… be careful with that, okay? A lot of people are on edge with the whole thing, it's crazy town. You don’t want to get mixed up with the wrong crowd while hunting for information.”
Grian doesn’t speak for a moment, simply looking at the look on Impulse’s face. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen the man look so serious about something before. He feels almost… pinned to his seat under Impulse’s gaze, though it isn’t out of fear or anything like that. It reminds him of when his father used to give him a similar look, accompanied by a gentle warning to be safe. It isn’t the first time Impulse has reminded him of his father, Grian is pretty sure the man has more than one fatherly bone in his body.
He offers Impulse a little smile, “I’ll be alright, don’t worry.” He says, hoping to reassure the man.
Settling back, Impulse returns his smile, expression lightening up just a bit. “Good.”
Grian wonders why that almost sounds like a thank you.
Grian comes up with a plan. It’s a simple one, really. He’s going to head to the manor to find Jrum. He has a strong feeling that Jrum will be more than willing to help him out, especially since he was the one who brought Grian to Mumbo in the first place. He wants his father (Grian still isn’t sure on that one) to have friends, and well, Grian wants to be his friend! So he finds Jrum, gets him to tell him about Mumbo and then Grian will use that to get through to Mumbo (and eventually get his help for his article). A solid plan, and it’s a win win for everyone!
He leaves work at normal time to head to Mumbo’s manor. He isn’t quite sure if he’s going to run into the vampire himself, but for the sake of things going smoothly, he hopes he doesn’t.
He bids Cub and the others goodbye as he tugs his bag on and leaves, lanyard tucked safely in the pocket of his pants. There won’t be a pesky cat snagging it from him this time. He’s made sure of it.
Grian walks through town, the sun still up in the sky. It’s only seven, and thanks to the summer time, he’s still got a bit of sunlight left. Currently the sky is orange, with speckles of pink and purple mixed in. The sun seems to glow as it hangs in the sky, and it reminds Grian of a painting, with the sky as the canvas.
He pulls his attention away from the sky to pay attention to where he’s walking. He kind of knows where he’s going. Kind of. He knows that there’s a path in the forest that’ll lead him to the manor, and he’s pretty certain he knows how to get to the forest from town.
The only difference now is he’s not being led by a shapeshifting vampire.
He can do this.
Hopefully.
It takes Grian a bit of time to reach Mumbo’s manor, but he gives himself a pat on the back for making it. The path was relatively easy to follow, and he mentally thanks Jrum for leading here twice. Though he guesses that when he finds Jrum he can actually thank him in person. Even with the sun setting, Grian had managed to get here with minimal difficulty, surprisingly.
Now it’s just figuring out how to talk to Jrum without running into Mumbo.
Maybe he should’ve put more thought into this, now that he thinks about it. He doesn’t know anything about Mumbo’s home or well… anything about him, really. That’s why he’s trying to talk to Jrum in the first place. He crouches down by the bushes that are just outside Mumbo’s manor, and sighs. “I really didn’t think this through.” He grumbles to himself.
He can’t just break into Mumbo’s home, that’s a sure fire way to ruin any future plans of befriending the vampire. So how does he reach Jrum?
It’s as he’s trying to come up with some kind of way to talk to Jrum that he sees movement from the manor. Grian freezes in place as his eyes flicker to the front entrance of the manor, watching as the door swings open. His lips curl in a frown as he watches.
To his surprise, it’s Mumbo stepping out of the manor. He’s dressed in dark clothes, hair tied back in a low ponytail. Grian takes a moment to admire him, captivated. There’s certainly something enchanting about Mumbo, and Grian almost wonders if Mumbo has placed some sort of charm on him. But that’s a silly thought, considering Mumbo doesn’t seem to want anything to do with him.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts away, Grian follows Mumbo’s movements. He hasn’t been spotted thankfully, using the bushes for coverage. Mumbo walks down the path, and Grian wonders what he’s up to.
And it’s as he wonders this that he gets a new idea. He could take the opportunity to sneak into the manor and talk to Jrum while Mumbo is out. Or he could follow Mumbo and see what he’s up to. Personally, the second option is more appealing to him. So being careful, he moves to follow Mumbo, wondering what he’s doing.
Grian makes sure to step as quietly as he can as he follows the vampire. He’s thankful for nightfall, as the shadows are good spaces to hide in to avoid getting caught. He wonders if this is some kind of vampire thing Mumbo is up to. Maybe Mumbo needs to get more blood? He shudders at the thought, not entirely interested in seeing how vampires handle their thirst for blood. Maybe it’s something more mundane, like he has to go food shopping?
Mumbo follows the path down from the forest into Aqua Town, much to Grian’s curiosity. “What’s he have to do in town?” He whispers, making sure to keep a good distance away from him.
The town is practically empty as they walk; most shops are either closed or in the process of closing. No one seems very keen on staying open late with the giant elephant in the room running loose.
Still, Mumbo doesn’t seem to be interested in any of the shops around. He walks past all of them, hardly even sparing them a glance.
What Mumbo does seem to be paying attention to is the little nooks and crannies within the town, the alleyways. For a moment, Grian worries that he’s about to see the vampire equivalent of a drug deal. Do vampires have blood dealers?
As Grian momentarily loses himself in his thoughts, Mumbo apparently finds the alley he was looking for. He stops just before it, composing himself with a breath. Grian watches as he fixes his cravat and adjusts the sleeves of his cuffs before walking into the alleyway.
Peeking around the corner, Grian sees Mumbo approaching someone. The person is dressed in a dark hoodie and jeans. They lift their head up when Mumbo walks toward them, “O-Oh! Are you the o-one who asked to meet with m-me?” Their voice shakes with every word they speak. Grian doesn’t think he’s ever heard someone sound so scared before. Are they afraid of Mumbo?
“I am, yes.” Mumbo answers swiftly. Grian can’t get a read on the vampire’s face as his back is to him. He frowns. “I have a few questions I want to ask you.”
The stranger shakes, “Is t-there anyone else around? A-Are you alone?!”
“It’s just me, no one else.” Mumbo replies, and if Grian didn’t know any better, he’d say the other’s voice sounds almost… soft. “There’s no tricks here, I promise you. I’m here on behalf of someone else. Someone who wants to help you and the other supernaturals in town.” He promises, and Grian sees the stranger’s shoulders sag just a bit.
“O-Okay…. but make it quick! I-I don’t want to be out too long…”
“Right, of course.” Grian’s brows furrow in thought. This person Mumbo is talking to is clearly a supernatural. So why do they seem so afraid? Why would they want to avoid being out? The obvious answer is the murderer that’s running around. But that’s someone going after humans, not supernatural creatures. “Firstly, may I ask what kind of supernatural you are?”
“H-Huh? W-Well I’m a halfblooded vampire…” They answer, and Grian watches as Mumbo nods his head.
“Have you attacked any humans recently?” Is the next question Mumbo asks, and the stranger bristles.
“Are you accusing me of being the one hurting people?!” They exclaim, sudden anger lacing their words. It replaces their fear, gone is the shaking tone.
Mumbo seems unaffected by their little outburst, “I’m not. I’m simply covering our bases.”
The stranger huffs, “Covering your bases?! Y-You of all people wouldn’t get it! You’re all safe up in that big fancy manor of yours.” They reply sharply, and Grian perks up. Do they know Mumbo, then? “Here i-in town? We’re fearing for our lives. You think that murderer is only targeting humans? I-I’ve heard people talking! Other halfbloods, turned, werewolves, fae, anyone and everyone! None of u-us are safe! Except for the fucking council and vamps like you!”
Grian pulls back behind the wall in surprise as he processes the information. His back presses against the concrete ridges behind him as he thinks. So it isn’t just humans they’re after? It’s supernaturals as well? Why? He supposes the stranger’s fear about being out makes sense now. Though that leaves another question, why is Mumbo looking into this? He said he was here on the behalf of someone else, right? Who?
“Which is why we’re trying to help.” Mumbo responds calmly, though Grian can hear the strain in his voice. He moves to poke his head back over the edge of the wall, wanting to get his eyes on the pair again. Except as he moves, his foot knocks into a rock nearby. He ends up accidentally kicking it. “I’m–” Whatever Mumbo is about to say is cut off by the sound, his ears twitching.
The stranger jumps up, “W-What was that?! You told m-me you were alone!” They cry, paranoia twinging their voice. “C-Come out! Come out right now!” They demand, and Grian listens.
He takes a step out from behind the corner, facing both Mumbo and the stranger. Mumbo spins around as Grian appears, and he’s able to get a look at the vampire’s face. He doesn’t look pleased. “Human.” He says, irritation clear in his voice.
Grian winces, “Sorry I er… didn’t mean to eavesdrop.” He apologizes, though he doesn’t regret listening in.
“You told me no one else w-was here!” The stranger shouts, and Grian can see their hands shaking. Closer like this, Grian can see the way their entire body appears to shake violently. “H-He can’t be here!”
Mumbo turns back to the stranger, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know he was following me.” He says, sideying Grian with a frown.
Grian takes a slow step forward, “What did you mean? When you said none of us were safe?” He asks gently, not wanting to scare the stranger any further.
“No! No, I’m not answering any more! I-I can’t trust you! You could be working with them!” They declare, but Grian pushes. He’s always been one to push the fold, and he needs to know. He has a sister to protect, and this is clearly something much, much larger than him.
“Human, stop.” Mumbo commands him, but Grian doesn’t listen.
“Please, I just need to know what’s going on!” Grian pleads, taking another step toward the stranger. He holds his hands out placatingly, as if he were approaching a cornered animal. He kind of feels like he is.
“G-Get away!” They hiss, and their hands flex.
Two things happen at once.
A blur is moving toward him and someone shouts his name as two arms wrap around him (the voice sounds like Mumbo’s, maybe? But Grian isn’t sure over the blood rushing in his ears). He thinks he feels claws against his cheek? His cheek is stinging, and there’s something wet dripping down his skin.
He blinks as he takes in his surroundings. The stranger has run off, and Mumbo’s holding him to his chest. Dazedly, Grian takes a step back as Mumbo’s arms loosen around him. He brings a hand up to his cheek, dabbing it gently with his fingers. When he pulls it back, he finds blood dotting his finger tips.
“What… was that?” Grian asks, staring at his hand in surprise.
He hears Mumbo growl something, and he looks up at the vampire. He’s frowning deeply, red eyes narrowed as they stare at Grian. “What the hell were you thinking?!” Mumbo exclaims, anger evident in his voice as he marches up to Grian. “First you decide to follow me, and then you mess things up! That was one of the only leads I had!”
Grian pauses, taking in Mumbo’s anger. Guilt sits in his chest as he winces, “I just wanted to–”
“To what, help?!” Mumbo interrupts, “Unfortunately for you, human, you’ve done the exact opposite of that! You’re meddling with things you don’t understand, and this time? This time you got lucky. The next time?” He spits, eyes glaring with anger.
His gaze drops to the ground as the stinging on his cheek makes itself very prominent. “.....” He doesn’t respond right away, mainly because he doesn’t know what to say. “I wanted to erm, befriend you, actually.” He admits, almost awkwardly. “I’m sorry.”
“W-What?!” Mumbo exclaims, anger broken for just a moment as he stares at Grian like he has three heads. He pauses, lifting his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “You can apologize by staying out of my way. You’re a human, you don’t belong in this world. So just go run along and live in your perfect little fantasy. I don’t need friends, certainly not a human who’s too pesky for his own good. Stay out of my way, and forget about everything you know. Someone like you has no place here.”
Grian frowns at that, Mumbo’s words hitting him surprisingly hard. “That’s not fair.” He argues, pushing back for the second time tonight. “You don’t know a single thing about me.”
Mumbo scoffs, “I don’t, nor do I want to. Go and run home, human.” He says coldly, chilling Grian. “You’ve already created enough trouble for me tonight.”
"But I--" Grian tries to argue again, to get Mumbo to listen to him. He wants to befriend him, he wants to know what's going on. Why can't Mumbo just listen?!
"Go. Home." Mumbo's eyes flash red in warning, and any words Grian might have said die on his tongue. He doesn't try to argue again.
When Grian gets home, he blames work for the new cut on his cheek. Pearl doesn’t question it, passing him a bandage with a “Be more careful, Gri.”
He settles next to her on the couch, and they watch the television.
He pretends to ignore the cold pit in his stomach when Pearl turns on the news, and there’s a new victim of Aqua Town’s murderer. He pretends to ignore the dread that hits him when he recognizes the dark hoodie that flashes on the screen.
Mumbo is right. He’s out of his depth.
What the hell was he thinking?