Mumbo carefully follows Grian through the nether. Since Grian needs to get his barge restocked, Mumbo decides to tag along. As the duo arrive in the shopping district they split up. Grian heads over to his barge and Mumbo wanders over to Jrumbot's shop. He hasn't visited the small robot in quite some time.

The small robot lights up as Mumbo enters the shop, "You look like me now?" He asks curiously.

"I do, don't I?" Mumbo chuckles as he sits next to the robot's charging dock, his eyes turning a bright yellow, "There's a magical rock that decided to change people. It made me look like this."

"Everyone is a robot?" The small robot asks doubt filling his voice as he crosses his arms.

"No, it's like, the meteor picks a trait that someone has then changed them to match that trait better."

The small robot walks over to Mumbo and sits next to him, swinging his legs next to the much taller robot as they talk. After a while, Mumbo has to leave to give Grian a hand.

As Mumbo stands up to go and help Grian, Jrumbot speaks up, "You should go see Grumbot, he's a little lonely."

"Don't you worry I'll go and talk to him in a bit," As he says this Jrumbot makes a happy noise and powers himself down until someone else walks into the shop.

Smiling to himself Mumbo walks towards the Barge, as he walks Doc comes running through a portal and nearly rams into him Doc trips and stumbles, "Oh, goodness. Doc are you ok?" The robot helps the creeper back to his feet.

"Sorry about that Mumbo," Doc murmurs, "I need to get this to Bdubs," He holds up a potion that glimmers slightly in the sunlight. He nods once to Mumbo then heads into the town hall.

By this time Grian has noticed Mumbo blinking in confusion and flutters over, "You ok?"

"Oh, I'm fine," He explains what happened and shrugs.

Grian hums and shakes his wings out. Quite a few feathers drift off. Grian shrieks, "Mumbo, my feathers!"

Mumbo looks like a deer in the headlights, his eyes flashing bright blue in concern, "Call Tango?"

Shaking a bit Grian pulls his communicator out to call Tango. A few minutes later he puts the communicator down, "He has feathers that are falling out as well. He's going to meet us here."

As he waits Grian paces around nervously, he anxiously runs a hand through his hair. His feathers standing straight up.

After a few minutes Doc rushes over with Bdubs trailing behind awkwardly, "Tango messaged me, you two are molting. It can take anywhere between a month and six."

"Goodness," Mumbo mutters.

Grian pales and flutters up to a perch, "So I'm just going to be shedding feathers for half a year?"

"For you two it'll probably take a little bit over a month," Doc explains, Tango shows up a moment later and Doc starts lecturing them both about how molting works and what'll happen to them.

Mumbo tunes them out and looks over to Bdubs, "Are you ok?"

"Hm, oh I'm fine," Bdubs stresses, "Just getting affected."

"Have they figured out what's happening?"

"I'm turning into a phantom," He replies shortly, as he pushes his glasses up a bit.

Mumbo takes a moment processing the information, "Oh dear."

Bdubs nods before he looks like he's going to be sick.

"Hey, are you ok?"

Bdubs inhales sharply and clamps his mouth shut. This draws Doc's attention and he runs over recognizing the problem instantly, "Bdubs, you need to listen to your instincts."

Looking up Bdubs lets out an ear-splitting screech, before slamming his hand over his mouth. Mumbo's eyes turn white in shock. Turning to look at Mumbo he stammers, "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to. I think it happens when someone hasn't slept. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, I haven't slept in a while," At the glare, he receives from Doc he explains, "I'm a robot, to function properly I only have to shut down every week or so for a few hours."

Doc nods and types that into his communicator, "Good to know. Bdubs how are you feeling?"

"My throat hurts," he mumbles as he coughs a bit.

.............

Bdubs frowns, as a small red feather drifts past. It has been a few days since Grian and Tango started molting and the server was slowly being overtaken by the colorful plumage. Most hermits don't really mind the feathers, Jevin isn't the biggest fan as they get stuck in his slime and Hypno is slightly allergic. The worst part is something nobody not even Doc had realized. The behavioral changes that come with the molting process. Both absolutely refuse to fly and they are pretty grumpy. Doc keeps sending them special foods to help them not get sick from a lack of certain nutrients.

Tango is under the shopping district working on his game and refuses to leave the relative safety of the cave. Every time Impulse and Zedaph come to see him he looks downright miserable and completely uncomfortable.

Grian has stopped chirping, his voice is monotone and dry. He constantly looks exhausted and annoyed. He rarely talks to people unless they initiate the conversation. Iskall frequently visits to stop him from plucking at his feathers.

As Bdubs looks blankly at a wall his attention is drawn from his thoughts to a knock at the door, "Come on in."

The door swings open revealing Beef, "Um, Cleo's going to stop by in a bit."

"Oh, why?" Bdubs asks, a bit confused.

"Uh, she said something about 'magical sunscreen'. I don't really know," Beef mutters as he sits on the floor next to Bdubs who slides down to the floor to sit next to him.

"How's your cyberpunk base coming?"

"Really well actually, it's pretty easy to make lamp posts," As he explains why he pulls out his communicator with a picture of the small city.

Bdubs yawns and binks, "Is your leg ok?"

"It's fine, just a little sore," The offending limb was gingerly stretched out instead of tucked under his body with the rest of his legs.

"What happened?"

"I fell in a hole. I think Etho's been planting them around. Now I've got a question for you. Are you constantly tired because of this?"

Bdubs cracks a small smile, "Kinda, it's more like I sleep in short bursts. Like I'll be up for a few hours then need to sleep for a bit. I don't know the actual term for it."

Beef nods and flicks his ears, his tail thumping softly on the ground, "That's gotta suck."

Shrugging Bdubs answers, "Eh, it's annoying sure but it's nothing compared to what you guys had to go through."

"Don't think like that," Beef says as he looks at him sadly.

"Alright. Um, do you want to talk about anything in particular?" Bdubs asks as he slumps against Beef's torso. The pair end up talking for a while. At some point, Bdubs passes out and is snoring quietly slumped against Beef.

Cleo knocks on the door.

Beef lets her in and shakes Bdubs awake.

"Hm, oh hi Cleo. What's up?"

Cleo rolls her eyes and kneels down next to him, "I need to test something."

Bdubs yawns and nods, "Alright, what do ya need?"

"I'll cut to the chase when you go outside does it feel like you're getting sunburnt faster? Or like your skin is all tingly?"

"Uh, yeah actually," Bdubs mumbles as Beef looks at him curiously.

"Ok, I want you to drink one of these every morning, it'll keep you from burning," As she says this she hands Bdubs a shimmering purple potion. It's the same one Doc had a few days earlier, with all the chaos of Tango and Grian molting it had been forgotten.

"Thanks, Cleo," Bdubs says as he stands up, "This is amazing."

The zombie smirks at him, "Your welcome, I'll drop some more off later," As she leaves Beef stands up and looks him in the eyes.

"Serious question, how are you holding up?"

Bdubs seems to deflate, "Not too well, I still look mostly the same so it feels wrong when I scream or hiss at people. I don't want to."

Beef kneels down and wraps Bdubs in a hug.

...........

It's a few hours after Beef has left for Three Fox Hole and Bdubs is completely passed out. He's pretty much dead to the world at this point. Joe walks by his room and gently places an extra blanket over him, Bdubs frowns in his sleep and unnoticed by Joe a small bead of blood drips from his lips.

About thirty minutes later a crash can be heard from the room where Bdubs is. Joe rushes down the stairs and into the room, "Are you ok?"

Bdubs looks up, his eyes welling with tears, he opens his mouth to show him what had happened. His teeth had been replaced with razor-sharp fangs.

"That's a no. Do you want some water?"

"Yes please," Bdubs says as he inspects his teeth.

"Give me one moment," Joe rummages around in his bag looking for a bottle of water.

As Joe hands him the bottle he winces as he bites his lip again, "Thanks."

"Your welcome, does anything else hurt?" Joe asks with genuine concern lacing his voice.

"My back," Bdubs mutters, "Probably a tail."

"I'd have to agree with you," Joe frowns, "Do you want me to stay?"

"Yes, please."

Joe nods and sits in a chair that's near his bed, "Alright then, let me know if you need anything," With that Joe pulls a book out and starts reading.

Bdubs nods and lays down on his stomach. He lets out a sigh and grabs a mirror. As he looks at his fangs he frowns. They're too big for his mouth and they hurt. They're incredibly sensitive and they hurt at any little thing that they come in contact with.

After about thirty minutes Bdubs gasps in pain as his tail bone starts to stretch and grow. Joe notices this and hurries over. The transformation picks up speed, and Bdubs screeches his knuckles turning white as he grips his pillow.

The tail is currently just below his knees and is still growing. The area around the base of his tail is getting thicker and scales are starting to cover the tail. Small bone-like ridges are forming along the top of the tail. The scales on top of the tail are a dark blue, the ones on the bottom are more of a creamy flesh color.

By this point, the tail has finished growing and is just barely longer than his legs, when he walks it will drag on the ground unless he curls it up slightly. At the tip, there's a sharp piece of exposed bone in the shape of a blade.

By now it's too much for him to handle so Bdubs passes out. Joe carefully drapes a blanket over the top portion of his body, avoiding the new tail. It takes a few hours until he wakes up.

"Shoot," He murmurs, "I thought I was dreaming."

"Unfortunately that's not the case," Joe says as he helps him sit up.

Bdubs takes a moment to inspect his tail, he attempts to wiggle it and finds it easier than expected. As he flicks his tail he grins, Joe speaks up, "Do you want to try to walk?"

He nods, his smile falling, "Let's get that over with."

Joe helps him to his feet. He stands for a moment trying to sense where his balance is centered. When he doesn't fall he grins and carefully steps forwards.

He doesn't fall, and Xisuma picks this moment to burst into the room. naturally, he falls from the sudden startle, "Oh, goodness. You're already up. Sorry about that."

"Howdy Xisuma," Joe nods.

"Hey X, it's fine," Bdubs awkwardly greets as his long tail calmly flicks from side to side.

Notes:

I hope y'all have enjoyed this chapter.

Next up to be affected is Hypno and I would like to see what y'all want.

(Im trying to get bits pre-written so I have a bit of a buffer in case homework gets crazy.)