So I got over writers block halfway through this, so it's mixed levels of bad and terrible. ALSO WE GOT MORE GRIAN NICKNAMES! Also also, credit to terracotta_twins for the fox name. Also also also, somehow this chapter got as long as it is even tho writers block...? Also also also also, I would like to share this bit just for the anxiety of y'all! >:3

'He yelled on his way down.'

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POV: Grian/Iskall/Xisuma

He didn't even remember the flight here. He was that tired.

Grian placed his right foot over his left and fell down, yelping on the way as his face hit the ground. He stood after a moment and groaned. He simply wanted to try and live long enough to get to his room. He placed a hand on the wall for support...... Groaning, he took another step. Suddenly, he felt dizzy almost, and didn't remember what had happened all to well.

He took another step. He was so close to the couch, he gave up on the bed, he wouldn't make it there. But the couch was close! He reached out for it. Almost there! "ACK!" He yelled as his feet tripped over a spare egg. He fell face first, and before he realized what happened.... his face felt... gooey..? He sat up on his knees and brought a hand to his face, there was egg shell bits on him. He sighed, knowing he fell on the egg.

"Why. Why why why why why why why. Why is this day becoming so baaadddd....?!" He whined. Halfway to his base his head just got all fuzzy and unfocused, and currently he felt like vomiting. He clenched his hand into fists and leaned over.

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Iskall lurched upwards, his breathing heavy. He had had a bad dream, but what on? He couldn't remember.... He looked down to his shoulder, which still hurt. He smiled and laughed, quickly laying back down. The fox had simply moved and stretched, clawing him by accident. That was probably why it was clinging to his shirt, trying not to fall.

That reminded him...... he needed a fox name...

He sat the fox in his lap and sat up, reverse stroking its hair, giving it mini mow-hawks across its whole body, especially it's back. "Ya know what? Cinnamon. I'm naming ya cinnamon because. Because like cinnamon, you look sweet but probably taste bad plain. Which is why that barley over there is going to be useful!"

The fox looked at him. Iskall laughed at his own joke then looked back to the creature. "I'm just kidding! I wouldn't eat you! But I really am gonna call ya that though!" He smiled but the creature got up and walked to the edge of where the sunny side stopped and the snowy bit began. It looked at Iskall. He smiled as small bits of snow landed on the fox. "Whatcha doin' there Cinnamon...?" The fox turned and went to the edge of the dirt circle on the snowy side. It looked to Iskall then back to where the white-ish grass began. "Ok...?" 

Iskall walked over, snow quietly crunching underneath his feet. The fox looked at him, and walked under a branch Iskall wouldn't dare conquer. "Wha- Cinnamon?! Nono! Don't go!" He made an attempt at grabbing the fox, but it was already gone.

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He woke up in his bed. His mind felt bubbly and fuzzy and he didn't know why. The last thing he remembered was feeling like puking, and wanting to be in his bed, asleep. No, this wasn't a dream.

"Meh, must just be tiredness.."

Was the thought he used to brush off the weird feeling of something missing. He didn't remember anything after leaning over on his knees near the couch, and that bothered him for some reason. Like something was missing...

He sighed and groaned, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed the back of his head. He stood up and walked to the kitchen. He almost made pancakes. Almost. He wisely switched to eating pop tarts, he DID NOT need another kitchen fi- ok. Another house fire. He didn't need another house fire.

Cramming the rest of the food into his mouth, he stood up for a moment, before it hit him. Mumbo. He needed to get to Mumbo's to get his phone back! He checked the time. 5:15. He was ok, and it wouldn't take that long now would it? He sighed and slipped on his elytra and headed over.

He gawked. A section of Mumbo's house was like, destroyed! That was really odd.. "Whatever it's probably nothing.." He flew down and knocked on the kinda door. He waited a moment before he heard footsteps. Xisuma, oddly answered the door. He looked slightly shocked.

"Oh, uhmm hey Grian! What uh, brings ya here...?" He looked at X for a moment. The admin seemed kinda off, like he was expecting something else. He also had a slightly dazed look.. "Uhm nothing really... can I just ask real quick though? You alright dude? Ya seem off ya know...?" X smiled and shook his head. "Nah, I'm good, feelin' a bit fuzzy if ya get what I mean, but I'm good..!"

Grian smiled. "Oh ok! Yeah I've been feeling off too, tiredness I guess." X laughed. "Probably." After a moment, Grian grinned. "Hey X?" "Hm?" "I think I figured out why I'm so tired!" "Well what then?" Grian looked at him with a smirk. "Being this gorgeous is kinda hard." Dramatically, he flipped his pretend hair, earning some laughs from the admin.

"Okok, why are you here though?" Grian paused for a moment. "Oh yeah! I came to get my phone I-" X perked up. "Your phone?" Grian nodded and smiled. If X had his phone then X must've known he pranked Mumbo! "Yep! I'm taking it you have it since you know...?" X nodded. "Yep! Here ya go!" He smiled, reached over and handed the shorter one his phone. "Here ya go bro!" Grian smiled. "Real quick, what erm... happened....?" Xisuma's look quickly dissipated. "Oh uhm... why don't you come in... I'll explain..." Grian nodded and took a step in after X opened the door. "So, what went down?" X was silent for a moment. "I dunno how to tell you this dude, but uhm-" He got cut off by a knock at the door. X looked at him. "One moment, hopefully it's Stress...." Grian smiled and nodded.

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Iskall laughed at the fox. It had just brought out an empty birds nest and had been having him play Frisbee with it. He smiled as he threw it again, watching the sweet little creature-named-after-a-spice run around. It seemed to be liking the snowier side right now. It didn't bother Iskall tho, he helped out Stress with builds a lot so he was used to the cold.

 Also it was just really pretty. The small bits of light that seeped in through the gaps added some sparkle to the enchanted white scene. And the beautiful, dark, perfectly toned colors of the trees added in that highlight where they stood out themselves, but somehow made everything else seem that much prettier. There were some small fallen berries dotting the rims, adding a burst of florescent color to the stunning, splendid, striking, elegant and noble, show stopping, magnificently wonderful, magical and enchanted, marvelous wonder of the place. 'Gorgeous' would be an insult if used to describe this place. It was so much more. Looking around and just relaxing, not doing anything except focusing on the beauty around him brought some tears to his eyes. It was amazing how much you thought you saw compared to how much there is to see when you just stop for a moment, and take everything in. Not taking photos, but simply taking it in.

After a while, his arm began to tire and his movements got sluggish. He looked at the fox. "Ok, last one before I quit. Got it?" The fox yipped at him and he sigh/smiled. He threw the nest, aiming for the outskirts of the grass. 

He threw it.

He mentally cursed his terrible aim. It had gone into and past the trees! He groaned. "C'mon Cinnamon, I don't want you to get lost- WAIT NO! CINNAMON! NONONONO!" He yelled after the fox, but it was too late. The fox had gone.

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Grian waved to Stress, who waved back. "I've been seeing ya 'round a lot lately now haven't I?" He giggled. "I mean I AMMM everywhere! People are always needing my advice on wisdom and all those big important words Joe knows." 

They all laughed for a moment, before X interrupted. "Ok! So you both are here for the same reason. Kinda. Grian you wanted to know why part of Mumbo's base is what it is and Stress, you wanted clarification on the Iskall situation." Grian jumped up. "Iskall?! Is he ok?! What happened?!" X put a hand on his shoulder and sat him down. "Uhm Grian.... this may be hard but uhm..." "Uhm what???!"

"Well he..."

"."

".."

"..."

"Well he... he killed Mumbo...?"

"WHAT?!" Grian's eyes went wide, his face painted with fear and disbelief.

The admin looked at him. "I-I know..... Mumbo can explain more when he gets back from a supplies trip... that is if he wants to.." Grian just sat there shocked. One of his closest friends had slaughtered the other! "Grian.....?" He stayed frozen. How was he supposed to react?! "I- uh...." He looked down and Xisuma patted him on his back while Stress side hugged him. "It's ok hun.. I'm sure there's a reason...." Stress gave him a gentle and attempt-at-comforting smile. He just looked at the two. "I-I'm going back to my base if that's alright.." They both smiled. "Of course.. you go take some time ok...?" The builder weakly smiled and nodded, standing up and silently leaving, that fuzzy feeling suddenly stabbing his emotions.

Halfway through his flight back, the fuzzy feeling hit harder than ever. It took him by such surprise, he lost complete control of everything.

 He yelled on his way down. 

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X sighed and flopped onto the couch. He just fixed it up, and was waiting for Stress.

Over a few minutes, he began to feel odd. Fuzzy almost, not nausea but fuzzy. Like a cotton ball. 

(OR A CURLED UP KITTEN. OR JELLIE! OH WAIT SHE'S DEAD MWAHAHAHAHA! I FELT LIKE Y'ALL NEEDED A REMINDER! IM SORRY THAT I AIN'T SORRY! >:3 WHOOPS, I GUESS DEMON JUST RUNS IN MY BLOOD!)

He glanced at his phone., it had been going off all day, he was just to busy to see what.

38 new message notifications
Keralis: 2 missed calls
Bdubs: 3 missed calls
Bdubs: 1 voicemail
Keralis: 2 voicemails

He groaned. After skimming the messages and listening to voicemails, he found they were all asking if he was ok, and the majority of the others were about Idea and the meeting he missed, and how it had been moved to tomorrow at 1. The admin mentally promised to respond later, and grumbled to himself; "..I'll just answer later.... don't feel to well right now... and they'd get worried......."

He sighed and tried to shake the feeling. It was mild after all, nothing concerning or big.

A knock.

After a few minutes of fuzziness he heard a knock. He jumped up and answered the door, about to greet Stress, but stopped. Because it wasn't Stress. It was Grian. He wasn't expecting him..

"Oh, uhmm hey Grian! What bring you erm here...?" Grian studied over him for a second before responding. "Uhm nothing really... can I just ask real quick though? You alright dude? Ya seem off ya know...?" 

Smiling, he shook his head. "Nah, I'm good, feelin' a bit fuzzy if ya get what I mean, but I'm good..!"

Grian smiled. "Oh ok! Yeah I've been feeling off too, tiredness I guess." X laughed, but made a mental note of that. "Probably." After some silence, the blond grinned. That wasn't good.

"Hey X?" "Hm?" "I think I figured out why I'm so tired!" "Well what then?" Grian smirked at him. He was definitely scared now. "Being this gorgeous is kinda hard." 

Xisuma laughed as the red sweater-wearing-ant dramatically flipped pretend hair. 

Now only if he could grow a few inches, because it was obvious the short one would remain the other hermits personal arm rest until then.

"Okok, why are you here though?" 

He waited as the ant tried to think. "Oh yeah! I came to get my phone I-" X perked up, remembering that he still had Grian's phone. "Your phone?" Grian nodded. "Yep! I'm taking it you have it since you know...?" The admin nodded, playing along. He didn't need any more attention that he seemed to stumble upon and across. He also didn't need more 'free-falling-on-fire-murder-attempts' problems for the matter either.. "Yep! Here ya go!" He smiled, reached over and quickly handed the shorter one his phone. "Here ya go bro!" Grian smiled, but a curious look brimmed on his face. "Real quick, what erm... happened....?" 

Shoot. He was trying to avoid that question.. it would be hard enough as it is.. but Grian was both their friends too..! 

"Oh uhm... why don't you come in... I'll explain..." He opened the door, and Grian came in. "So, what went down?" 

He went silent for a moment, debating on how to tell Grian, or lie possibly, luckily though, his answer was made for him. "I dunno how to tell you this dude, but uhm-" There was a knock on the door, and he felt relieved, maybe it was Stress, she would be able to help.. "One moment, hopefully it's Stress...." His friend nodded with a smile.

X smiled. It was Stress. He opened the door to let her in.

She smiled at him, and then noticed Grian. "I've been seeing ya 'round a lot lately now haven't I?" The ant laughed. "I mean I AMMM everywhere! People are always needing my advice on wisdom and all those big important words Joe knows."

The admin and them all laughed, before he got down to topic. "Ok! So you both are here for the same reason. Kinda. Grian you wanted to know why part of Mumbo's base is what it is,, and Stress, you wanted clarification on the Iskall situation." 

He braced himself, knowing Grian would be worried for his friend. He was proven right when Grian jumped up. "Iskall?! Is he ok?! What happened?!" The admin placed a hand on his shoulder and set him back down. "Uhm Grian.... this may be hard but uhm..." There were no easy ways to tell him thisss....! How was he supposed to explain to Grian?!

"Uhm what???"

"Well he..." The admin went silent, trying to figure out how to explain. I mean, who just causally says "One of your best friends killed the other and framed you! So how's your day been?" X glanced at Stress for help. She gave him a nod and he decided to tell the truth... kinda..

"Well he... he killed Mumbo...?"

"WHAT?!" 

He looked down in guilt, as emotion rolled over his friends face.

Xisuma looked at Grian. "I-I know..... Mumbo can explain more when he gets back from a supplies trip... that is if he wants to.." 

Grian stayed silent in possible shock. He waited a moment before trying to speak."Grian.....?" For a moment, he didn't respond. "I- uh...." 

X patted him on the back while Stress straight up hugged him, and tried to help. "It's ok hun.. I'm sure there's a reason....?.....!...?" Grian just looked at them. "I-I'm going back to my base if that's alright.." X smiled. "Of course.. you go take some time ok...?" 

He patiently waited as Grian left, then turned to Stress. Ok, so down to business. She nodded. "So I know Mumbo killed Iskall right..?" "Yep, so that's the main bit. He also framed Grian though too. Want the details?" "Sure..?" "Ok." 

X sat down and patiently explained to Stress everything he knew, excluding him following Mumbo. He brushed that off as 'going out to grab something.'

After awhile, he looked at Stress. "Well, there ya go. That's how it all was figured out and stuff!" Stress looked skeptical but said nothing about it. "Well, if that's all then I think I may go get some rest..? Feeling kinda fuzzy..." The admin smiled. "Of course! Grian said he was feelin' odd and I kinda am too..." "Odd.." "Yep.." They stayed silent for a moment. "Well I think I'll go now! Bye X!" "Bye Stress!" X smiled as Stress got up and walked out.

Once she left, he grabbed some paper and scribbled down the names of the people feeling odd.

-Grian
-Me
-Stress

It may have seemed like nothing, but it was weird. Especially since they all used the word "fuzzy." 

After a while he checked his phone. 5:45. Mumbo should've been back by now.. He sighed and fell back on the couch. 

He had time.

(Word Count: 3145)

(Hear me out. I forced the beginning. Gave up for like three/four-ish days. Then tired again after some time. Half forced it. Hit 10pm and everything just came out like flood gates. Wake up kinda early, hit like 3,500 words. Realize I could take out some of Grian's part for suspense. Do the previous sentence. Brain kicks on and plans out the next 3 chapters. Got an idea for this whole chapter and where to end it for everyone. Realize I forgot KEY DETAILS for one of the characters parts. Put those in details in. Spend an hour trying to figure out how to format the missing messages thing for X. Nearly finish this. Brain fart. Force out the end. Get a billion more ideas. Go back and add more stuff in. Edit everything. Fix a billion mistakes. Plan for the next chapters. Quit from idea overload. Try to come back to this and fail. Realize I hit writers block to many times but ended up with almost 3000 words Write a bit and add in detail to the snowy seen to hit 3000 words bc I REFUSE to quit to close to that. Hit writers block again. finally get this out. not care to capitalize anymore. repeat.)

(Questions! Last chapter I'm asking this!)

1. Should I do a chapter with everyone's POV? (It would take longer to get out tho)

2. Should I drag the idea guys into a war to?

2a. If you think yes for question 2, I already have an idea on how to, but if you want to, tell me any ideas you may have on how I could, and (with permission) I may end up using it instead of mine of using it with mine!

So far I AM doing both