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It had been a couple of days since Grian last spoke to Xisuma and Ancel.

Truthfully, he was afraid of the snake. He didn't like her, and he didn't like being around her. He hated the fact that Xisuma was stuck with her, but there wasn't much Grian could do at the moment. The Watchers had eyes everywhere. Eyes that were all on him. If he stepped out of line at any point, Grian knew he wouldn't be forgiven very easily.

He was just trying to blend in now. Building up his base, chatting with the Hermits, acting normal. He didn't want to seem suspicious. Doc already knew something was off about him, and it felt like the other Hermits were growing more suspicious as well. Tension seemed to be growing each and every day, though it was hard to tell if that was Ancel's doing or not.

Grian mostly kept to himself, building up his futuristic base (which, truthfully, the first layer was starting to look like some kind of fish tank). He hadn't spoken to the Watchers recently, nor had he done any of his 'Watcher duties' lately. If he could just delay their plan, just for a little, then maybe they wouldn't be able to infiltrate the server.

"Heya Gri!" Mumbo swooped in, causing the winged male to nearly slip off the edge of his base. The redstoner grabbed his wrist and pulled him away before he could stumble off. "Oops, sorry mate. Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine." Grian shook his head, tugging at his sleeve as he felt his wrist begin to burn and sting. His eyes avoided Mumbo's gaze, and the mustached man seemed to notice his aversion.

Frowning, Mumbo stepped a bit closer. "Are you alright?" He asked, noticing the conflicted expression on Grian's face.

The Watcher turned away, using his wings to block Mumbo. He grabbed another stack of white concrete, continuing to work on the first layer of his base. "Yep. All good." He said quickly, though it sounded forced and unconvincing.

The wind seemed to pick up a bit, the salty ocean air filling Mumbo's lungs as the wind ran through his hair. Grian was placing blocks quicker now, crouching by the edge as he worked. "Maybe we should grab lunch?" Mumbo offered with a small smile, "We do need to talk a bit more about our shop. I hear we might be getting competition with Cub and Scar."

"No, I'm busy." The clouds seemed to darken a bit, swirling overhead, as the feathers on Grian's back began to glow a slight purple. They puffed up in annoyance, flapping a little to try and get rid of the tension.

"Oh..Alright then." Mumbo sounded a bit sad as he spoke, "I just wanted to check up on you."

Grian paused from his work, his back still facing the redstoner. He looked down at his wrist, staring at the purple symbols that were burnt into his skin. He let out a sigh. "Lunch would be nice, actually." The winged male turned to face Mumbo, whose eyes lit up in excitement.

"Great! I was thinking we could stroll through the shopping district, look for a place to build up our shop!"

"Sounds nice." He hummed, setting down his blocks. "Need a ride?"

"Oh, uh.." Mumbo looked a bit stunned for a second, though Grian didn't wait for a response. He flapped his wings, heading up into the sky before swooping back down. He snatched Mumbo right off the ground, tucking his arms underneath the taller male's armpits.

Mumbo opened his elytra quickly, stumbling in the air as he rushed to steady himself, causing Grian to laugh at his clumsiness. He grabbed Mumbo by the wrist, holding his hand in the air to keep him steady.

"You okay?" Grian smirked at him.

"Don't do that without warning!" Mumbo shook his head, laughing. "I felt like you were gonna drop me into the ocean!"

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