Chapter Text
Mumbo held back a laugh as he opened the carriage door with a rather deep bow.
The coachman barely glanced his way, but he did do what he was advised to. With his eyes turned downwards, Mumbo only saw his companion's legs- or rather, a beautiful pink silk skirt, fanning out and spanning over the underskirt beneath it, hovering inches over the dusty path. A white, gloved hand was sitting on the peak of a v-shape in the dress pattern, floral imagery faintly embroidered around it.
The second hand found his own as his companion stepped into the carriage, careful and delicate in a way he wasn’t used to, and the coachman cleared his throat as soon as the door was closed. He seemed impatient, and the horses seemed to be as well, he thought, now that he was no longer bowing, and could look at them properly.
“We gotta be on our way soon. Get up.”
“He’ll be in the carriage with me,” A quiet, feminine voice sounded from inside the carriage, “I’ve never been too far from my own home…” The voice drifted off, like the implication was clear- this was a new and sort of scary situation, and it would be nice to have a familiar face there.
The coachman’s impatient expression turned to something more curious- like he was filing the information away for later, for gossip or something. It momentarily set Mumbo on edge, but he kept his neutral smile up as he walked around the carriage to open the door on the other side.
He sat down carefully after brushing his hands over the seat, making sure he wasn’t sitting on any dirt. Mumbo retained the dull, delighted expression even after he stepped inside, hands folded on his lap and head turned downward. The suit he was wearing- usual garb for a butler, white ruffles in front and at his sleeves, along with a black vest with four silver pairs of buttons keeping it all together- was not the most unusual outfit he found himself in. There had certainly been much weirder things, some Mumbo would rather forget… He didn’t look up, but he knew that his companion must've been thinking just the same.
It was a beautiful dress, all things considered.
They waited until the carriage started moving, the beginning of their ride unexpectedly smooth. His friend suddenly nudged Mumbo’s foot with his own as he adjusted in his seat- for any onlooker, it wouldn’t be a grand gesture at all, but Mumbo knew better than that. His eyes flicked upwards, his head not moving an inch.
The veil in front of his friend’s face moved as he pinched it between his fingers, and slightly lifted it up. He mouthed, silently, “Check.”
Mumbo cleared his throat, eyes quickly finding the floor again. When he spoke loudly, in juxtaposition to his friend’s silence, he peppered in a bit of bravado. “I worry about your luggage, my lady.”
His friend- softly, in a voice that wasn't his own- said, “Yes?”
“I’d like to check if it’s correctly secured.”
He paused for a moment, letting the words settle in for anyone that could be listening in. “Check your own as well.”
“Yes, my lady.” Mumbo bit back an ugly expression at having to call his friend by some sort of honorific title, but if he didn’t, their cover would've been blown, and that’s the last thing either of them wanted.
So he dropped to his knees and looked beneath both of their seats, keeping an eye out for any sort of traces that pointed towards spells being used on the carriage- more specifically, something that could be used to spy on them and their conversation. He ran his hands along the wood flooring, in case any sort of engravings or formations were hidden from his eyes, because as easy as it was to hide something optically, it was a much harder feat to do the same for tactility. As he checked, he actually secured the suitcases in the process, pulling the straps that bound them to the seat.
He sat back up, first dusting off his knees, and then his gloves. His mouth opened to share that there wasn’t anything suspicious, but his friend put a finger up, and stopped him in his tracks. Then he lowered the finger back down.
There was a pause, and a long lapse of silence- with Grian looking like he was focusing on something that Mumbo couldn’t see.
No matter how often it surrounded his life, Mumbo was always amazed by magic. Maybe, he thought, the main appeal was that he was never going to be able to use it himself. Something that looked so complicated on the outside could’ve been easy for Grian- even if it did take him a minute.
“Nothing,” He mumbled in a low voice, finally sounding like himself again and dropping the soft, feminine voice. Grian let out a big sigh and put one leg on the seat next to him, collapsing against the door and pulling down the veil to rest it right below his chin. “No spells that I could trace.”
“And why did I have to check manually, again?”
“Convenience. I’m just trying to be thorough.”
Mumbo similarly relaxed against his seat. As he sat back, neck craned towards the top of the carriage, the collar of his shirt tugged around his neck, and he lightly pulled at it. “I hate this outfit.”
“How do you think I feel?”
"It was your idea to dress up." And just as he said that, he turned his head to face Grian- and was immediately nailed in the face by his companion’s hat. He barely reacted in time- eyes shut before it could hit them, and temporarily blind him- but he also waved his hand in an attempt to deflect it, and he missed the hat entirely, smacking empty air around it in the process.
The hat fell to the floor with a light fwoomp. When Mumbo opened his eyes again, he was met with a disappointed expression from Grian- as if he was the one that just got hit in the face. Or, knowing him, he was likely disappointed that he missed hitting his eyes, and leaving him to grumble and rub them for the next few minutes until they didn't sting anymore. Before he could complain about it properly, Grian flashed him a grin, and waved his hand.
"Oh, don't worry, Mumbo. Next time we go on a trip like this, you can put a fancy dress on. I think I'll do just fine in a suit." He said, fidgeting with the part of the dress that was tightly wrapped around his neck. And though he was obviously teasing him, he looked out the window as he fidgeted, as if he were worried about someone on the outside looking in.
But as far as Mumbo knew, the carriage was just heading out of the city, and he knew that nobody would've paid too much attention to something that looked completely normal on the outside. And then- as they'll go through the countryside, and up a mountain- they won't have to worry about anyone looking in because they’d be out in the wilderness. (Unless, of course, their carriage got stopped by a band of thugs- those that'd force the carriage to stop, and demand anyone in the cart itself to step outside if they wanted to live- but those were usually just one-in-a-million chance type scenarios.
And, if it did come to that, Grian wouldn't even have to step outside if he didn't want to, and he knew it.)
"If everything goes to plan, we won't have to dress up again." And, finally, Mumbo watched as Grian seemingly couldn't take it anymore, and unbuttoned part of his dress, showing off the small feathers poking out around his neck that he’d been trying to hide.
Despite feeling like they were alone enough to disregard their disguises, and despite knowing that nobody was keeping any close eyes on them specifically, Mumbo still felt a little uneasy, "Don't get too comfortable-"
"We'll do it as a parting celebration." Grian said, as if he couldn't hear him at all, "Get you one of those mourning outfits, with the long veils- say you're not much of a talker, more of a tall, quiet kinda girl- and we'll be golden."
"And what kind of scenario would we be in?" Mumbo humored him.
Grian finally seemed to fully relax, leaning against the carriage's seat, and staring out of the window on the opposite side. His shoulders were slumped and again, knowing him, he had the feeling that Grian was going to try and take a nap. (Which wasn’t a bad idea, considering how long the ride was supposed to be- but Mumbo knew that he wasn’t going to be able to sleep in these conditions. And, even if he could, he wouldn’t want to. Someone had to keep an eye out for anything that could go wrong, however boring the landscape would be as they slowly rolled by.)
“I don’t know- maybe, next mission, we’ll have to dress up a bunch of nuns. You might need to shave, though.”
“I’m okay.”
“We’ll just get the veil, then, and hope that they won’t want to look underneath-” Grian squinted, and held his hand out. “Can I get my hat back?”
“No.” Mumbo said simply.
And when Grian scowled at him, Mumbo picked up the hat from off the ground, but didn't hand it over just yet. Instead, he made a show of slowly putting the hat on his own head, pushing the brim upward so that it wouldn’t cover any part of his face.
Grian’s eyebrows raised. “It looks good on you.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s messing up your hair, though.”
“I’m not surprised. It messed up yours, too.” And, self-consciously, Grian sat up ram-rod straight, and his hands immediately flew to his hair. In patting it down, and realizing that it wasn’t that bad, he got really huffy. (As if they weren’t going to have the time to fix his appearance before the party. As if he wasn’t going to lean back in a minute, and take a nap so deep that he’ll wake up looking like a hot mess anyway.)
Mumbo gave him the hat back. Grian slapped it against his knee once, playfully, before he made himself comfortable again.
“Isn’t this a whole… suitor thing? Won’t you have competition?”
“Of course.”
“So- why are you covering so much of your face? Despite the… obvious reason.”
"Maybe we got lucky enough to find a target that doesn't care about looks.” Mumbo felt his eyebrows crease. Grian frowned. “What?”
“It’s not the strongest plan.”
“Are you saying that I’m not good-looking, Mumbo?”
“I’m saying that I can’t see half your face, Grian.” With the hat on, it was even harder to see.
"If he wants this pretty face." He gestured toward himself, arm waving around as the rest of his body stayed still, "He'll have to earn it."
"Gods help us." Mumbo muttered under his breath, and Grian cackled as a response.
“I’m not all too worried. The suitor thing is a coverup, anyway, I bet we can find a way to branch off, if it doesn’t end up working out.” Grian admitted with a sigh, “Getting in is the hard part. We just have to get the job done, and leave. Maybe it can even be like- one of those murder mystery stories."
"The penny dreadfuls?"
"Mhm."
"The ones where the killer always gets caught in the end, by the genius detective?"
He frowned, "Suddenly, it sounds less fun."
"It's not supposed to be fun." He muttered, deeply rubbing the bridge of his nose with his hand, “All we really need to do is find a way out, when everything's done. Then we can worry about what comes next.”
“We can take a look around, if you want.”
“I don’t think they’ll take too kindly to you roaming around their property.”
“Aren’t we supposed to be staying there for the night, along with the other suitors? Are we just- supposed to stay in our rooms all day, and do nothing?" Mumbo sighed. Grian's tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth. "It’s fine! We can take our time with this."
-
Most of the ride over was spent in silence.
While Mumbo kept an eye out of the window, watching their surroundings change as they made it further and further up the mountain, Grian slept soundly.
He didn’t know how Grian could sleep, with how often the carriage was rocking, and making his head bump against the wall he was laying against- but he did. As his head hit the side, Grian would inhale sharply, but then his breathing would be back to normal in seconds, as if it never even happened. He was, notoriously, a deep sleeper, and this whole ride only further proved it. Mumbo thought, if something did happen- if worse came to worst, and if the carriage was being robbed, or somehow falling off the edge of the mountain, or if everything around them was going up in flames- Grian would only realize it after his nap, yawning and casually stretching long before he’d realize that something was wrong.
Mumbo, in turn, was a light sleeper. Too much of a light sleeper to be able to sleep through any part of this ride, even as he wound down a little. He let himself lay against the seats, and relax as much as he physically could- but with every bump and jolt, he was sitting upright again, and staying alert, before inevitably laying back and trying to relax again. This stubborn cycle lasted for a while, until Mumbo realized that being comfortable on this trip was going to be impossible for him.
There was a particularly rocky movement. One that swayed everything inside the carriage- including Grian, who swung forward limply, and hit the side of his head hard enough to make Mumbo wince. This one, it seemed, was the one to finally make Grian wake up. With a gasp, Grian was sitting up, and looking around- until he realized that he was fine. Then he was threading his fingers through his hair- still tied up, but significantly messier than it’d been when they first stepped in- pushing his fringe and other stray hair strands out of his eyes, while rubbing the spot on his head that’d gotten hit.
“What time is it?” He muttered. “Are we there yet?”
“We’ll be there soon.”
Grian massaged the side of his head deeply, eyes squinting and trying to adjust to the light. He looked more grumpy than angry- and if he were in a better mood, Mumbo might’ve laughed at it.
“Where’s my hat?”
“It fell off.”
“What?” He looked down, and leaned over to pick it up. But instead of putting it back on his face, and leaning back over, Grian set it next to him. He continued rubbing his head, scratching a spot behind his ear that made his feathers visibly puff out, and stared out the window. He seemed drowsy still, and not entirely there, like he was still in the process of waking up.
"You're not going back to sleep?"
Grian shook his head. “I’m okay.”
“Do you want to fix up your appearance?”
“What’s wrong with my appearance?”
“You look like you went through a tornado.” As he spoke, Grian slowly pulled his hand away, and a lot more of his hair came undone.
“Yeah, sure.”
Mumbo held his hand out, and Grian put his own into it without any protest.
And while Mumbo busied himself with fixing up Grian's outfit- snapping the collar back into place, and making sure that the sleeves were rolled up past his forearms- Grian spent the whole time staring out the window of the carriage.
"I can get used to a view like this." He muttered at some point. Mumbo glanced over to the view in question.
Mumbo knew that they were getting higher and higher in altitude, but he didn't realize how high they were getting until he looked out the window. They were provided with a stunning view of the area just at the base of the mountain. And though it was blocked by a few trees, he could still see a faint outline of the city they were just in, along with a few small, select buildings occupying it. The more densely populated areas must've been hidden, or covered, because Mumbo couldn't see it at a first glance. The rest of it was just a forest- a long, spanding view of a forest that gave the illusion that it was unending.
As if to top it all off, the sun was setting. Early, due to it being autumn, and thankfully not because they were arriving to the party late. The sun casted the skies in a golden, pink glow- and while Grian had been staring at it since the minute he woke up, really taking the whole scene in, Mumbo had enough of the view after a minute or so of looking at it.
"It's nice." He said anyway, hooking the buttons on the sleeves, and even cuffing it up a little to make it look good.
Grian took a deep breath.
"Yep- I'm used to it." He turned to look at Mumbo, "Mumbo, I want a mansion."
"We'll get you one."
"I want a mansion on a mountain, like this, and I want to be able to watch the sun setting every evening."
"Are your shoes laced-?"
"They're flats." He interjected quickly, shoe peeking out from underneath his skirt as proof, "What about you? What do you want to do after all of this is over?"
"I thought this sort of party warranted heels."
"I can't run in heels." The flat shoe kicked against Mumbo's leg, suddenly, "And my skirt is long enough to cover it. Come on- humor me."
"You can find all that out when we get fully paid."
"Come on." Grian repeated, leaning his head over to make eye contact, and show that he was upset.
Mumbo sighed.
"All I really want from this is an easy life." He said, finally, "I want a nice house in the middle of nowhere, and I want to retire."
"Not going to get any servants of your own?"
"Gods, no."
Grian hummed, "Maybe we'll be neighbors?"
"Or roommates."
Grian hooked the veil on again, and straightened it out to make it look nice on his face. He tugged on it a few times, just to make sure it stayed on while staying away from his eyes.
"That was the plan, ages ago. I'm glad you haven't changed your mind."
"Let's see how this mission goes."
Grian cracked him a wide smile, and Mumbo only knew it because his eyes crinkled.
-
When they finally arrived at the base of the property of the mansion, the carriage slowed, and eventually stopped.
The two of them both looked out the windows. Because of where the sun was in the sky, the outside wasn’t entirely lit up, and it was difficult to see much of anything. But all they could really see- besides the trees, and the various guards hanging around- was a wall that surrounded the whole property. It was made of stone bricks, and it had small, intricate designs covering some of it- though it was hard to see anything substantial from where they were sitting.
Some guards posted around the area were curiously looking over at the carriage. And, after almost making eye contact with one of them, Mumbo sat back against his seat. After another minute or so, Grian followed him.
“Are we supposed to get out now?”
Mumbo thought he could hear the muted sounds of a conversation outside. And, the longer the two of them stayed silent, the more he could hear it- though it was impossible to discern what anyone was saying.
“No.”
“Do you think they know who it is?”
Mumbo spotted someone else trying to subtly look inside, and being entirely too obvious about it. Upon catching Mumbo's eye, they ducked away, but the damage had already been done.
“Yes.”
He expected this. In fact, because of how the news was spreading, Mumbo would’ve been surprised if they weren’t gaining any unnecessary attention.
Because after years of being hidden from the public eye, suddenly, the infamous (and human) Princess Ariana was showing up at an aristocratic elf’s debut party, and she was competing for his hand in marriage.
From anyone else’s perspective, it was such an insane thing to think about, and even more insane to see everything happening in person. That's why everyone was trying to spot the princess before she fully came out of the carriage- and why they'd undoubtedly be getting a lot of attention when they entered the property, and the party.
Grian side-eyed the window.
"How do I look?"
"Presentable."
"Is the hat worth trying to put on again?"
Mumbo looked at Grian.
"Definitely not." His hairstyle looked fine- and, even with it on, he guessed that Grian would only want to take it off again once they're inside, and he did not want to try and smooth his hair down again when the hat inevitably messed it up.
As the carriage began to move again, and passed through the large, imposing gates- they were both suddenly hit with a mute wave of nausea. Mumbo could feel it- and he could tell from the way Grian's eyes squinted that he felt something similar.
"There's a magical barrier."
"Do you know what it's keeping out?"
"...no." He said after a pause. "But it's powerful."
The doors slammed behind them, and they continued through the property with no immediate sight of the mansion.
The rest of the ride was spent in a tense silence, as if they were both expecting something big to happen on the way there.
-
The room that the party was being held in had a lovely entrance on the side of the manor, complete with pillars, and a small overhang in front of the large, wooden doors. And, after leaving the carriage, they were quickly ushered inside by a couple of servants.
The ballroom itself was a lot more… grand than they expected it to be. Especially considering the fact that, allegedly, there hadn't been any parties held there in a long time.
Unlike the other ballrooms Mumbo was used to, this one had a dark wooden flooring, instead of a more sturdy material. But other than that, it was mostly similar. They had spaces where tables and chairs were set up. They had a certain color scheme that they were following- white and golden tablecloths covering them amongst tons and tons of plates, and dishes being served. The indoor balconies at the top had ambient music playing, and Mumbo could spot a violin player sitting next to a note stand. The others that presumably sat next to them were in too deep, and Mumbo would have to walk further into the middle of the room to see them as well.
As they walked through it- admiring the space, and the high ceilings- all Mumbo could think about was how the space was being used during a normal day.
Before the whole mission started, they gathered as much information about the property as they could- and, considering that it was a really private area, it was difficult. Apparently, despite from a few visits in the town below the mountain, and despite a few trips they'd make every few months, the family preferred to live in seclusion. But the family hadn't visited the town in years, and nobody knew if the carriages coming from their property were them going on a trip, or just people coming up there to visit. The point was- it was isolated, and despite living close by, nobody knew anything about them.
Except for the fact that they were rich. And, with this party, the fact that this family had a young son that they wanted to introduce to the public after years of staying quiet about him.
They knew the target's name, as did most of the suitors, but beyond that, it was blank. Nobody knew his age, or what he even looked like. And of course, with a debut party, there had to be a debut of some sort- so, as they entered, the two of them understood that all they really had to do was wait for him to appear, or to look for another plan.
But as the night went on, nothing relating to their target was happening. No sign of him showing up anytime soon, or even being at the party in the first place- and despite the promise that he would be there, it was starting to make Mumbo anxious.
Currently, most of his attention was focused on the fact that Grian was growing a little more popular with the rest of the crowd. Though they were visibly wary of them, Mumbo was constantly catching the sight of his companion actually trying to talk with the other guests. Sometimes, he’d find some success, and seem to hold a conversation with them- gesturing as he talked, and keeping their focus for more than a few minutes. And though he couldn’t hear what they were talking about, he could hear the faint sounds of his laughter ringing from across the room- pitched, and fake, but convincing enough for everyone else to believe it.
He wasn’t entirely surprised that, out of the two of them, it was Grian that was successfully socializing with the other partygoers. (Especially after asking Mumbo to get him something to drink- code, he realized, to separate, when they realized that keeping Mumbo around was lowering his chances at talking with everyone.
Though Mumbo didn’t consider himself to be an intimidating guy, he was still tall for a human, and everyone knew that he was supposed to be a bodyguard, of sorts- but nobody knew what he was really capable of. And, as such, most of the other guests were quick to move out of his way as he walked towards them- wanting to seem polite, while also trying to avoid him as much as they could. He didn’t have to worry about bumping into anyone, he supposed, if he was distracted- but there was also something really dejecting about people going out of their way to avoid him.)
As he approached one of the tables that were full of food, there were people immediately moving to get out of his way, and Mumbo acted like he hadn’t noticed, just to save everyone a little face.
And, despite everything looking all too enchanting, Mumbo wasn’t really hungry. It was more of an excuse to look busy while waiting on their target to make his big entrance. He wondered how long he could wait there before someone would notice that he was taking too much time, and obviously stalling- if anyone would notice, or care past wondering why he was there in the first place. (Maybe he’d just look very indecisive- or, hopefully, they’d be more focused on Grian to notice him lurking around on his own.)
Then, he was approached, and he nearly jumped out of his own skin at the sound of a new voice.
“Hello.” As he looked over, he was taken aback by the sight of someone a few inches taller than him suddenly standing next to them- leaning against the table full of food, and neck tilted to the side, as if trying to meet his eyes. "Enjoying the party?"
It was an elf.
It was easy to tell from the pointed ears, though barely hidden under his flat hat, and the eyes- the bright green eyes with slitted pupils, that were blown wide in the dim lighting- nothing like what a human would have. But the difference between this elf, and any of the other elves that were at this party was simple. This one talked to him. This one was looking at him, without any traces of concern or disdain on his face. His expression seemed open, somehow- as if he asked that question, and actually expected an answer.
Just a simple icebreaker.
"Uh," Mumbo said, eloquently, because he hadn't expected someone to actually approach him. He looked over to Grian just to make sure that he wasn't getting interrogated either, but he seemed fine, so he quickly met the elf's gaze again. "Yeah."
The elf turned his head away, and briefly looked over the table full of food before he pulled something from it. It was some dessert, he could tell once it was in his sights- something that was bright yellow, cut into a squared shape, and possibly something with a lemon flavoring… but Mumbo couldn’t tell without tasting it. The elf, however, grabbed two of them. He took a bite of one, and let it rest in his mouth before he handed the other one over to Mumbo. And Mumbo, wanting to be polite, took it. Though he didn't eat it right away. He wasn't much of a dessert guy. Grian was, though- and by the time the other would notice that he hasn’t seen Mumbo in a while, he would probably appreciate having something sweet to eat when they reunited.
"How about you?" Mumbo asked in their silence, and he adjusted his grip on the dessert once he realized that it was the type of food that could crumble away if he even looked at it wrong.
The elf hummed. And, with his mouth slightly full, he responded, "Yeah, sure. It gets a little too quiet up here, sometimes. I like the company." He lived here, then. Or, at least, around the area. The elf turned to him, his smile wide, "Are you one of the suitors, then?"
It was something they considered, long before they had the security with the Ariana disguise. Mumbo looked proper, apparently, and could speak eloquently enough to seem convincing. Though he had the charm of a wet towel, according to Grian, he knew what to do, and what to say. He knew how to blend in with a crowd. But getting into a party like this was difficult without any sort of notoriety that followed someone like Ariana, so the plan was scrapped just as quickly as it was presented. "No. I'm here with my Princess Ariana."
"Hm." He looked over to the person in question, and Mumbo looked over as well.
It wasn’t hard to spot Grian in the crowd. Because while there were a lot of people wearing bright outfits, and doing their best to stand out- Grian was the only one that was wearing a bright pink dress. He was currently trying to talk to one of the many esteemed guests, his head tilted to the side, and his eyes blinking just a few too many times in an attempt to seem charming. And while he’d gotten into a conversation with some of them just a few moments ago, it seemed like his luck was starting to run out.
Even though the plan was starting to kick off, sometimes, Mumbo wasn’t so sure if it was a good idea that Grian was the one that was supposed to be in the middle of all of this. Because he was charming, and easy to talk to, but he was also a sore loser.
In trying to talk to someone, he was immediately- politely, he judged by the body language, but quickly- brushed off. If it were Mumbo, and if he was trying to talk to someone that just left in the middle of their conversation, he’d be in shambles internally, but he would try and look at least somewhat put-together on the outside. Meanwhile, even from a distance, and even with half of his face covered, he could see Grian shooting the stranger a heated, angry glare. And if that elf turned back around, he’d be met with a look that could kill.
He’d be nicer once their target was out. That’s what they promised- sugary sweet, he swore- even if Grian was impulsive, and known to take things into his own hands. Once their target was out, and once he had to put the nice act up, he said he would play nice, and put his all into it. Mumbo's worked with him long enough to be able to trust him on that.
"Are you?" Mumbo muttered, and he hoped that the nice stranger would take his sights off of Grian, just long enough for him to be able to get his act together.
"Hm?" He repeated, tone lifting, but keeping his eye on the crowd- and possibly still on Grian. He spoke as if he was barely paying attention to what Mumbo was saying. "A suitor? No, I think that'd be a little too inappropriate." They're related then, maybe? But their target was rich- and, unless he intentionally dressed that way, Mumbo knew rich people, and they knew that they'd panic if one of their relatives showed up dressed… normally. He took another glance at the man.
He was an elf, obviously. If the ears didn't give it away, or the eyes, then the hair would. Even pinned up, and partially tucked underneath his flat hat to give off the illusion that it was short, Mumbo knew that it was long and thick, and abnormally perfect. Most of the people in the host’s family were wearing similar shades of green, but this guy was wearing a maroon blazer, and dark gray pants that matched the color of his hat. The only thing that was green was a vest he was wearing, and he only realized it when he really started to look at him.
He looked normal. As normal as one would be going to a rich party- but nothing that screamed wealthy, or fancy. Nothing that screamed royalty- because, even though this family wasn’t royalty, they were still rich, and rich people always tended to dress up like they were royals from ages ago. (As Mumbo looked further, he could see that there were scars on his body- some barely seen and present on his face, while some were just peeking through the collar of his shirt, the cuffs of raised sleeves, and behind a pair of gloves he was only starting to put on after he was done eating. But why a member of the family would have scars such as these was a mystery to him.)
“Do you think she’ll win his hand?” The elf asked, and Mumbo’s gaze snapped up from his outfit. Their eyes met briefly.
“Ariana?” At the elf’s nod, he looked back at Grian. “I… would like her to.”
“But will she, do you think?”
“Probably not.” He said honestly, quietly, “There has been a lot of tension between humans and elves, right? With the war and all.”
“It’s coming to an end, isn’t it?”
“Why does that matter? Tension is tension. I wouldn’t be surprised if he completely looked over her, and went for one of the other suitors here.”
“And… she doesn’t deserve that, does she?”
Mumbo gave the elf a look, eyebrows furrowed.
“No, she doesn’t.”
“Do you think it’d make much of a difference- if he did pick her?”
“Not in the war.”
“No, of course not.”
Mumbo honestly thought about it for a moment.
“I’m not sure.”
The elf nodded along and waited, but Mumbo didn’t have anything more to say about it, so the elf spoke again. “She’s definitely an interesting character. I think… if she were chosen, there would be a lot of talk about it.”
“Oh, absolutely.”
The elf finally looked back to him, and he smiled, “Tell me about her.”
“What, are you interested? Because she has her sights set on someone else.”
He laughed. “I’m just curious.”
“Well. You were right about her being an interesting character. She's very… Passionate, about everything."
The elf hummed, and Mumbo swore he could see something change in his eyes as he spoke. "Any idea why she's here?"
"Love, I assume."
"But- really, though?" The elf's voice dropped an octave, making his voice sound deeper instead of quieter, "Nobody's here for love, friend.”
Mumbo looked back at Grian just in time to see that he finally noticed his partner’s long absence, and was now walking towards him. He could see the familiar furrow in Grian’s brow, and knew that he would have to prepare for a complaint, or a rant.
"You don't stand a chance against Scar, if that's what you're wondering." Mumbo muttered to the elf, finally, before Grian came within earshot.
“Mumbo.” Grian started, words already harsh on his tongue, but before he could say anything, Mumbo was holding out the dessert toward him.
There was an immediate change in his demeanor. Seeing the pastry in his hand, Grian’s posture relaxed, and his tense expression fell flat. Then, as if on autopilot, Grian’s gloved hand grabbed the pastry, and he wasted no time in tucking it under his veil and eating it. It was kinda gross- Mumbo winced at the display, the sound of him chewing, and the fact that Grian was eating something with his white gloves on, when he should've taken them off a long time ago- but he didn't say anything about it. Neither did the elf, who hadn't left yet, and probably wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon.
He just hoped that the elf didn't think that Mumbo was going to introduce the two of them together.
"What do you need, my lady?"
“Hm?" He looked at him, his tone lighter than it was seconds earlier. And, though he was still eating, he said, "Oh, I need you to dance with me.” And he must’ve seen Mumbo’s immediate displeasure, or he must’ve known that Mumbo would’ve been against the idea, because he started talking- fast, “Nobody else will! I’ve asked just about everyone here, and they either say no, or they just ignored me. And it’s fine, but…”
Under his veil, he took another bite, possibly shoving the last of the pastry into his mouth, and Mumbo took the chance to talk before he wouldn’t get to again, “Do you need to dance?”
He cleared his throat. “-nobody needs to dance, Mumbo, but I want to. Otherwise, it’s just… standing around, and making small talk all night."
There was a crowd that was already forming on the floor, Mumbo realized, swinging around and keeping up with the tempo of the music that was playing- but it must've been formed recently, since Mumbo only noticed it when Grian pointed it out. (That, or he really did just get wrapped up in a conversation with a friendly stranger, and completely forgot to look at their surroundings. Which… wouldn't fare well, if their plan was to also look for a way out.)
But, despite some of the crowd dancing, there were still plenty of people standing around, and enjoying themselves.
"A lot of parties go like this, your highness."
Grian's eyes narrowed at the title, but he didn't comment on it. "If I knew that, I would've just stayed in my room all night."
Before he could say anything more about it, the elf to his side held out another pastry- a cookie, by the looks of it, with purple frosting on the top of it. And, instead of him holding it out to Mumbo, he was clearly giving it to Grian.
“I’d be happy to dance with you.”
It was like Grian was just noticing him for the first time. Even though he was talking with Mumbo earlier, and hadn’t moved since Grian showed up in the picture, he looked at the stranger as if he’d just appeared out of thin air in the middle of their conversation. Suddenly, he was putting an act on, and Mumbo noticed the subtle change in his stance long before he started talking again.
He took him in, looking him up and down before he accepted the cookie being given to him.
“Really?” His voice was pitched perfectly. And, quickly, the cookie was under his veil, and being eaten.
“Mhm.”
Grian finished the pastry pretty quickly after that. He seemed to smooth out the front of his dress- but Mumbo knew that he was wiping away anything that'd gotten on his gloves- before holding his own hand out, and waiting for the elf to take it. And when he did, he was pulled away from Mumbo, and let into the thick of the crowd. As he was being pulled away, the elf looked back at Mumbo to give him a wide grin, as if to say- Hey, look! She wants to dance with me!
And Mumbo, not having the heart to try and convince him otherwise, gave a strained smile in turn.
Because this wasn't the first time he and Grian have been undercover, and it definitely wasn't the first time either of them have gotten along with a couple strangers. Sometimes, they were just friendly people that'd inadvertently helped with their hit. Maybe, if they played their cards right- and if Mumbo's hunch was true, and this was someone that was more important than they were letting on- then he could be an important asset to them. Mumbo already had a nice talk with him. He and Grian were excitedly making their way to the dance floor, arms wrapped around each other- and if he wasn't misreading anything, then it was clear that the elf was at least somewhat interested in Grian. Even if he wasn't the suitor chosen, this elf could be their way in, and their backup plan.
Because even though Grian was brash, and sometimes difficult- he was still charming, and endearing. And if he wanted to, he'd have the elf wrapped around his finger by the end of the night.
The background music was fast-paced, and when he looked out, he saw that everyone was still trying to keep with the tempo. Grian and the elf passed into the crowd seamlessly, and started dancing.
Mumbo watched it all from a distance. How Grian could move in such a puffy, frilly skirt without tripping over himself was something that Mumbo would have to ask him about later. Because, as far as he knew, the dress was low, and he definitely saw Grian hitching it up a few times to walk around more comfortably. But here, in dancing with this friendly stranger, Grian's dress seemed to move with him in tandem, and add onto the marvel. If anyone else had been paying as much attention to them, it would've been a sight to behold. In turn, the elf dancing with him looked surprised, and it almost looked like he was struggling while trying to keep up.
With this sort of dance, partners were switched, and it flowed together nicely. The other people he was dancing with didn't seem to be too excited over having him as a dance partner, but Grian looked pleased enough for both of them. And though Mumbo should've been keeping his eyes on him, he glanced over to the friendly stranger, and saw that the elf couldn't seem to keep his eyes off Grian.
Hook, line, sinker.
Mumbo kept an eye on the friendly stranger. He noticed that, as partners switched around, he seemed to acknowledge them for a second, but then his eyes would always fall back to Grian again. And, even as they were dancing, he'd always be moving toward him. Eventually, they were together again. And, as the song ended in an abrupt, loud tone- the two of them struck a pose. The elf leaned Grian into a dip, and Grian kicked his leg up, and tilted his head back- possibly making the dip more difficult for the both of them to hold. Mumbo was worried that Grian's veil might fall off, or that by kicking his skirt up, he was treating some poor stranger to an unflattering view- but, before anyone could really notice, Grian was upright again, and the elf was holding onto his arm carefully, as if he was afraid that he might fall over.
And, as another song started up again, they both made their way back over to Mumbo.
The majority of the night was spent with the three of them- Mumbo, Grian, and this new elf that had just inserted himself in their little group. Which sounded mean- considering that he was welcome there, and it wasn't bad company- but it was also true.
At some point, the three of them retreated to one of the many empty tables off to the side, and they talked. (Though Grian was against the idea of it early, he managed to completely tire himself out from dancing, and finally decided that small talk would be fine- so long as he didn’t get bored again.)
In the middle of a steady conversation, Grian suddenly looked pensive.
“When do you think the prince is debuting?” He asked the elf sweetly, and the elf only looked confused at the subject change.
“Prince?”
“Scar.”
“Well… I’d hardly call him a prince.” Grian and Mumbo would disagree, saying that he was a prince in everything but an official title- considering riches, and notoriety- but the two of them didn’t share anything more than a passing, agreeing glance at each other. “And- it’s his debut, isn’t it? He’ll show up when he wants to.”
“Even if it takes all night?”
“Even then.” He attested, and Mumbo frowned as Grian sighed.
Because, while he’s never been to an elf’s debut party, he’s been to plenty of other parties- and, usually, the whole point of it was to bring attention to the one the party was about. That meant that the center of attention could be introduced early on, and the people would celebrate by seeing the person they were gathering for. Usually, it never took this long.
Mumbo didn’t have a way to tell the time- but judging by his own patience, and looking out on the crowd, he wondered if there were other people feeling the same way. He had the startling realization that it might’ve been taking… too long for the elf to show up.
“At this point, he’ll probably never show.”
The elf hummed.
Then, to their surprise, he stood up.
“It was lovely to meet the both of you-” He said, moving out of the way to push his chair into the table, “But I’m afraid I’ll have to be going, now.”
They exchange goodbyes- and it wasn't until after he left when Mumbo realized that neither of them caught his name, and neither of them knew if they’d ever get the chance to see him again. (At this party, anyway- Mumbo was sure that once everything was over, they wouldn't get the chance to bump into him again. Hopefully.)
“He was nice, wasn’t he?”
Grian watched the door intensely, sort of distracted. Still, he nodded. "Do you think he was just interested in humans?"
It could be reasonable to assume that. Maybe that's why he approached Mumbo in the first place. Maybe he was also just curious about the elusive Princess Ariana, even though he barely asked questions concerning her and her family. In the end, he just made the wait for their target a tad more entertaining.
"Either way," Mumbo concluded, "He danced with you, and he was nice to me, so that's a plus in my book."
-
In the middle of a separate conversation, the music suddenly slowed to a stop.
Everyone looked in the same direction- towards the large, beautiful staircase leading down to the ballroom. And finally, the arching door leading to the ballroom opened up. It revealed a single person standing there, hands placed behind their back and eyes sweeping over the room as soon as he entered it. The person- dressed in rich greens and adorned with red accessories- descended from the top. And although they were small in comparison to the large staircase, they made their way down gracefully yet quickly, leaving no room for an awkward pause.
It didn’t take long for them to realize that it was Scar- their target- making his appearance. But it also didn’t take long for them to recognize the same elf that was sitting at their table just moments ago, just wearing a different outfit, and carrying himself in a completely different way. This, Mumbo thought, was how he expected him to dress and act when they first met with him. Head upturned, slightly, and looking calm and collected instead of… goofy, and easy to talk to.
“You’re kidding.” Grian deadpanned- and he was quiet as he said it, but his voice was still unpitched. And, as Mumbo noticed, he lightly flicked Grian’s arm. “What!” He pitched his voice, and though it was difficult to do while straining his voice, he still talked as quietly as possible, leaning in closer to Mumbo, “It’s- him. We’ve been talking to our target this whole time, and we didn’t even notice it was him-!”
“G.” He snapped.
When Grian looked back, he saw that Scar was walking in their direction- seeming to ignore the other attendees trying to get his attention. He looked upon them with a pleasant smile on his face- and when Grian finally realized that he was going to approach them, in front of this crowd, he suddenly stood up straight, and tried to look just as collected as Scar did. Mumbo saw a few different expressions crossing his face- and he couldn’t tell if he was genuinely surprised, or just trying to look the part.
Scar stopped in front of them, and he held out his hand.
“Princess Ariana.” And, as he took his hand, he also brought it up to press a kiss to the back of it- far more formal than he’d been moments ago. Grian played the part of the swooning lady, looking just a tad too bedazzled, his other hand moving to hide the part of his face covered by his veil. “Do you want to dance?”
“Yes.” Grian said a little too quickly, and with a light laugh, Scar helped him stand up again, and helped move him to the dance floor. The music, he realized, picked up a little as Scar made his entrance- still slow, but playing noticeably louder.
The second dance they shared was a lot different than the first.
Where the first one was a little more carefree, and they were generally trying to see how fast and how much they could move at once- this one followed the slow tune of the music, and it was a lot more structured. They spun, and Grian easily followed Scar’s lead. Instead of them being passed off to new dance partners, or them being separated midway through, it was just the two of them, in the center of it all.
Mumbo watched it from a distance.
He eyed the crowd's displeased or confused looks, and he watched out for anyone that might see to interrupt it… but, for the most part, everyone seemed fine with just watching and waiting at the sides, so he found himself relaxing a little. This was good. Everyone's focus was on the estranged Princess Ariana, and her new love interest. They were getting closer- and, if they took what Scar had said about him beforehand into account, then that meant that he was interested in him, and that meant that a whole new slew of opportunities were opening for them.
Grian wouldn't try something in front of so many people. But Mumbo still waited, and prepared. The dance ended, and they separated easily- with Scar turning around, and finally greeting some of the other guests, while Grian walked back over to where he and Mumbo were sitting. But, instead of taking his seat again, his hand moved to hold onto the back of Mumbo's chair, and leaned some of his weight against it. When he looked up at him, he noticed that there was a more serious expression on his face.
"I need some air."
Mumbo didn't need to be told twice.
-
"It was getting stuffy in there."
Then, after a beat, Grian pulled the veil down, and inhaled deeply. When he exhaled seconds later, Mumbo could visibly see his breath because of the cold mountain air. Mumbo could also see his teeth- unnaturally sharp, and just… casually out in the open as he continued to breathe through his mouth.
"Dude."
"Nobody's outside, it's fine."
Grian could've pulled off the disguise without the use of the veil. Because of the way his hair was styled, it clipped and covered most of the feathers around his face really well. At that point, the only thing the veil would be covering was his teeth.
Mumbo sighed, and watched a cloud of his own breath lift in front of his face, and disappear.
From where they were standing, he got a good view of a beautiful garden in the distance. Mumbo knew what gardens at mansions usually looked like- meticulously well kept by a herd of gardeners, symmetrical and kept to a strict protocol. Even a twig too long would ruin the whole- or so the keepers would say.
This one seemed to be much more wild. As he looked out, he could barely spot the big wall that marked the end of the property, drowned out by long grass, and large evergreen trees piercing the sky with their sharp tops. There were some organized gardens at the bottom- flowerbeds, big bushes, fruits and vegetables growing at the side of stone paths that wound around the whole property. Still, Mumbo was not used to this sort of natural look, and he wondered if they truly let the vegetation take its course, or if even this was handcrafted in such a specific way to give off the illusion of nearly untouched nature.
Mumbo only knew human gardens, though- so he sort of doubted that this was man-made. Elves had a very different attitude towards nature, he believed.
"Why would he do that?" Grian broke their silence. He was staring out at the horizon as well, though Mumbo doubted that he was having similar thoughts. "I… we didn't let our guard down, did we?"
"No," Mumbo assured. "And he could have a lot of reasons. Maybe he wanted to see what people were like without knowing who he was."
"Obviously. I just mean… Why us?”
"We're- I'm human. It's interesting." Mumbo folded his arms on the balcony railing. "He took you for a ride, didn't he?"
"Oh, don't even say-" Grian covered his mouth with the palm of his hand. His next words were slightly muffled. "He sure knows his dances. And his words."
"What was he saying?"
The light might've been playing with his eyes, but Grian's face appeared just slightly pink. "Honestly, nothing important. Just guy stuff."
"Guy stuff."
"Yup." Grian's fingers drummed against the railing.
Mumbo wanted to press further, but if it was important to the mission, Grian would no doubt tell him. They fell into a comfortable silence, and Mumbo didn’t mind it one bit.
It was interrupted once again, a few minutes into it.
"Hello?"
They both turned around at the same time.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Grian quickly looking back- fixing his veil, presumably before Scar could get a good look at his face. Mumbo didn't move his sights off of Scar.
For the most part, Scar met Mumbo’s gaze- only looking away when Grian turned to face him again, veil covering his face, and trying a little too hard to seem like he wasn’t just caught off guard. The elf tilted his head with a plain look on his face.
“Are you two leaving?” Scar continued. “I was hoping to get the chance to talk to you, again.”
They could kill him right now, Mumbo quickly realized- and, realistically, how long would it take before anyone else noticed that he was dead?
The elf took his sweet time with showing up at the party in the first place, and judging by the fact that he was outside without anyone trailing behind him, he guessed that it’d be a while before they’d realize his disappearance- if anyone bothered to look for him, anyway. They could kill him, dump his body into one of the many bright, colorful flower bushes surrounding the perimeter of his home- into bushes the same color as his robes, making it difficult for anyone to see him right off the bat if they did go looking for him- and they could turn around, and go down the mountain as quickly as they’d come up it.
And sure, it was easier said than done- but after that, it’d be a matter of laying low until they were paid. He expected Grian to be thinking something similar.
But Grian wasn’t making any moves. No signal.
"We're thinking of turning in for the night- you're still offering a place for us to stay, aren’t you?" Grian asked, casually, and Mumbo kept a close eye on the scene. “Your servants did take my luggage. I’d hate to leave everything behind.”
“Well, of course, but-” One of Scar's eyebrows raised, and he frowned. "So early? The party's just started."
"...My lady is very punctual about her sleeping schedule. And it's starting to get very late."
“You were getting swarmed, anyway.” Grian agreed, “We didn’t think we’d have the chance to say goodnight, so we didn't try to.”
“I’m here now. I could even show you to your rooms, if you’d like-”
“Why were you looking for us, again?”
Then, Scar’s expression changed. He looked off to the side, and he suddenly seemed- nervous?
"Well…” He started, before he met Grian’s eye, “As you know, the whole point of my debut was to find someone for me to marry. And…" Scar looked over to Mumbo. Mumbo glanced back at Grian for a second, and then moved to get out of his way, seeing that it was supposed to be a moment for the two of them.
"Yeah?" Grian prompted.
"Since you're one of my suitors… I wanted to ask if you would be interested in marrying me." He put, rather bluntly, and neither could hide the shock on their faces even if they wanted to.
-
The room Grian was staying in for the night- and, possibly, for the foreseeable future- was completely decorated
The red, patterned wallpaper in the hallways bled into the room, but the walls were slightly covered by a few tapestries, depicting animals and different scenes of nature. There was a rug covering the ground, a desk with a lantern and mirror on it, and a large bed at the very end of the room. Tucked into the corner facing the door was a fireplace, with a couch set in front of it, clearly meant for a more long-term stay. He wondered briefly if all of the guest rooms were just as lavish. (He wondered if his own room- the one just next door, Scar had said, if he would choose to use it- looked just as nice.)
"Have a good night, my lady." Scar said, and Grian giggled a little before he slowly shut the door.
In turning around to face Mumbo, Grian's face was straight- and he almost looked bored, despite everything that was happening.
"Check." Grian muttered- although his voice was already back to normal, and he was already pulling his gloves off, and going through the motions of making himself more comfortable.
Mumbo checked around the room briefly. He looked on the shelves and on the desk, and swiped his hands around the undersides of the bed- but he didn't spot anything right off the bat. And though he couldn't sense magic the same way Grian could, something definitive, there was still always a slight buzz in the air whenever magic or glyphs were being used. And, unfortunately, in a place like this, it was impossible to get rid of that small, lingering buzz, presumably due to the magical barrier that surrounded everything.
"Nothing that I can see, but it's a little hard to detect anything…"
"Is it because of the barrier?" Grian muttered in response, but he sounded distracted. Mumbo turned just in time to see Grian struggling with getting his dress off.
The veil, hat, and gloves were set on the small table. The dress was unbuttoned as much as it could be without being taken off, the sleeves and collar loose around his wrists and neck, and he was trying to reach behind and untie the back of it. Mumbo could see that he was clearly struggling- long, clawed fingernails grasping weakly at the strings, and trying to get it off without shredding the back of the dress in the process.
"Need help?"
Grian froze. Then he sighed. His hands moved down to his sides, and then moved forward into a stretch that popped the bones of his shoulders. Mumbo came up from behind him, and started the process of getting the dress off.
"I don't know why they made these things so difficult to take off." And, as the dress became looser around his chest, Grian sighed again, and his shoulders slumped.
"It was your idea." Mumbo muttered, and just barely missed getting playfully smacked by Grian, "If you hit me, I'm not going to help you."
"Maybe I should be getting my fiancé to do it instead." He snarked, with no real heat or anger behind it.
"Please, do."
In the end, Mumbo pulled back, and let the dress drop to the floor. Grian was left in a pair of shorts, and a corset- which Mumbo quickly helped him take off as well.
He shivered, and brought his hands up to rub his arms. Mumbo could see the mousy brown feathers covering small parts of his body- the more visible ones under his arms and around his neck- puff up as his body tensed. Faintly, Mumbo swore that he saw the feathers curled and hidden around his ears twitch as well, but they remained clipped to his hair, so he didn't worry too much.
"God, it's freezing here." He muttered with a slight chatter to his teeth. He dropped to the ground, and started looking around his luggage, "What did I pack-"
"Not much." And, as if to prove his point, Grian's fingers carefully pinched around the fabric of another lacy, pretty dress. He frowned, and set it back in.
"We'll shop later. I'll need to find something a lot warmer, if this is the sort of weather I need to get used to."
"What happens if you and Scar have to share a bed?"
Grian paused to think. Then, his fingers started to run through his hair.
"I don't know how long this is going to last." He said, finally, "So I'm not really worried."
"But…?"
"I'll get a long nightgown. And maybe I'll just undress with the lights off- but I don't think it's going to last that long."
"Hm."
With nothing to dress into, Grian stayed in his shorts. He collapsed onto the bed with a huff, and ducked under the covers. Mumbo swore he heard the sound of muffled, muted curses- and he watched as the blankets curled around him as he moved, and pulled the blankets closer.
"Have a good night, then-"
Grian's head poked out from under the covers.
"You’re not joining me?"
With a weird glare on his face, he sat his body up slightly, shifting around to lean his weight against his elbows. Looking casual, but strained at the same time. His long hair wasn't tied up anymore, and was instead let loose, and curling slightly against his shoulders. Mumbo could see the faint outline of feathers that were hidden under his hair- no longer clipped down, and free to move- but still difficult to spot if you didn’t know what to look for.
"They have a room for me next door."
"Yeah, and it's freezing."
Grian was right. Even as Mumbo stood there, clothed and dressed to the nines, there was still a slight chill that he couldn't manage to shake off.
They were used to sharing a sleeping space. Whether it be on the bed, or on the ground- they knew that the best way to conserve heat was to share it. And right now- even if they weren't actively freezing to death, and could probably sleep through the night without each other's company- they both knew that it'd be easier to share. And besides, even if the two of them weren't cold, it would probably be wise to stick as close together as possible. While they weren't in any danger themselves, they were still in a new area, and in a situation they've never really put themselves in before.
Unlike most of their hits- which were short and sweet, and usually set in an area that was easy to make a quick escape from- they knew that this one was going to last a while. They were on a wide mountaintop, with only one visible way in or out- and if they were in any trouble, it'd be near impossible to leave.
It was near impossible to get in, Mumbo thought, as he slowly started kicking off his own shoes, and as Grian relaxed against the mattress with a smug, satisfied look on his face.
Posing as Princess Ariana was easy. Estranged, and isolated from her own family- there was no reason why they'd be looking for her here, or why they would even care about her whereabouts. And yet, her name still carried through the rumors of the different lords and aristocrats that lived around here, and she was famous enough for the attendees to know who she was- and, clearly, they knew her well enough to know that someone of her status was definitely worthy enough to be aiming for Scar's hand. (Rich enough, even. Mumbo sometimes thought about the family, and how they'd react if they ever realized the person they let into their home was penniless.)
The hard part, mostly, was putting everything together. Because while Mumbo knew the basics of looking and acting rich, Grian did not- and it showed. He hated sitting up straight, and could somehow never keep a constant scowl off his face whenever he was talking to someone he didn't like- part of the reason for the veil, Mumbo figured. But even with his face covered, and even though he could mimic voices with incredible accuracy due to his avian traits, Grian could barely keep himself from lifting up his accent comically, and making himself sound silly. It was intentional, too, and Mumbo could remember the two of them practicing her voice, and failing every time because Grian had decided to have fun with it.
(Mumbo was usually never so serious. But something about this job- the fact that it was going to be much harder than their previous jobs, and much harder to make their escape- that made him anxious over the whole thing. He wanted, and needed, the whole thing to go perfectly.
Then? They were rich.)
The minute Mumbo got under the covers, Grian curled closer to him, arm wrapping around his torso, face pressed against his back, and he sighed in content. He rubbed Mumbo's shoulder, and leaned him into a false sense of security before his cold feet found their way to Mumbo's leg, and stayed glued there despite him flinching and trying to pull it away.
The covers were pulled over part of Grian’s face, and just reached over his own shoulders.
"How long do you think we'll be able to keep this up?"
"For as long as we need to."
"If you keep complaining about wearing that dress, we'll have to be a little quick about it."
"I'm fine with it being a dress, I just wish it was looser. And a nicer color."
"It looks nice on you."
Grian sighed, again, "Imagine if it were red, though."
"Why didn't you go with red, then?"
"Her highness preferred pink." Grian muttered, voice lifting in an accent that was undeniably mocking.
"Does it matter that much?"
"It's what she's known for."
"The color of her dress?" Mumbo thought that she would be known for plenty of other things, by now.
"Pink, or a light blue, with matching ribbons in her hair. I thought a hat would suffice." He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, "I wanted to be realistic- maybe I should've found something flashier."
"You didn't need to try to stand out, much." He was the only human there, and the only one that was wearing a bright color- apart from another girl, that'd gone in a bright yellow dress. All of that, on top of the fact that it was Princess Ariana wearing that dress.
"She liked sticking out, though. More than usual, even when it's not necessary… maybe I shouldn't have been so reserved…" And, as Grian said it, he noticed the way his voice sounded significantly quieter, like he was starting to drift off to sleep. "She's insufferable, Mumbo…"
"You're already insufferable, so you got that covered."
Grian lightly hit his shoulder, but it was more of a playful nudge than anything else. Mumbo’s lips, in turn, curled up into a small smile.
After a moment of silence, Mumbo finally closed his eyes, and fell asleep.