Unrecognizable

~Chapter Fifteen~

Grian's POV-

Grian awoke to the sun shining through his window. Stretching, he drowsily threw his arms out as he sat up. He jolted up in his bed as he heard the crash of a piece of wood falling onto the floor. Peering over the edge of his bed, the brit noticed neat, almost blocky handwriting written in dark ink. Grabbing it as he stood up to get ready for the day, he skimmed the words written. 

"'Come to the barge asap'," he read aloud. He looked up, then back down, frowning slightly. Thinking aloud, he said, "The barge? Why?" Sitting back down on his bed, he grabbed a piece of bread out of his inventorial pouch and began to gnaw on it as he thought about who could've written it. The handwriting didn't match the handwriting of any Hermit he knew. The vagueness could've implied that it was one of those Hermit Challenges, but this didn't match Mumbo's handwriting at all. 

Eh, oh well. He'd figure it out soon enough. Did Grian have anything to do today? He couldn't think of anything off the top of his head, other than checking in on his robot son. So, he decided, he'd go visit Grumbot, then head over to the barge to see what was up. 

Soon enough, he had made it to Grumbot's platform, on which stood a familiar figure. The admin himself stood, staring up at Grumbot, clutching a piece of paper tightly. From what Grian could see, X seemed almost concerned. Before Grian could call out to him, though, X shot himself into the air and disappeared into the clouds, not noticing Grian in the slightest. Grian frowned slightly. It wasn't like Xisuma to be that oblivious, and what was he doing asking Grumbot a question anyways? Grian looked up at Grumbot's screen, whose eyes were slightly narrowed, watching X fly away. 

Grian was immensely confused. What had just happened? Xisuma had clearly come to ask a question, and evidently did not get a desirable answer. And Grumbot seemed almost mad? Grian shook his head out and walked in front of Grumbot's screen, stepping back a few steps so he didn't have to crane his neck. He waved, and Grumbot's screen flickered as He looked down at His dad-creator, His eyes tilting in assumed happiness. Grian blinked. Since when- He shook his head and smiled. His robot child was pretty much sentient at this point and he couldn't be happier.

It was almost enough to make him completely forget about the Xisuma incident just a moment before. 

Pulling out a diamond, he scribbled the words, "How are you doing today, Grumbot?" After adding a smiley for good measure, he placed the diamond in the depositor and pressed the buttons accordingly. After a moment, Grumbot smiled again and out shot a small piece of paper that read, "I AM DOING WELL." 

I? Grumbot usually spoke in the third person, but apparently not today. No matter, his robot son was doing well, despite the events of just a few moments before, and that was really all that mattered. He grinned, placing the paper in his pouch. "I'm glad," he said aloud, and Grumbot's screen seemed to flicker happily before returning to its neutral state.

But Grian did have to get going soon, to his barge. He pulled out his rockets and prepared to take off, but then a thought crossed his mind. Mumbo would probably want to know about Grumbot's advancements, if he didn't already. Maybe he could find him real quick before he stopped by his barge. 

He pulled up his communicator to message Mumbo, but slowly put it away as he looked back up to Grumbot. Maybe he could just ask Him instead where his friend was. If anything, it'd at least just be interacting with his robot more, if it was little less convenient. And who knows, maybe Grumbot liked the diamonds. Feeling a wave of déjà vu, he pulled out a diamond and scribbled on a very familiar question.

"Do you know where Mumbo is?"

He pressed the buttons and inserted the diamond into Grumbot's system. A single paper shot out. As Grian looked up from collecting the paper, he was taken aback slightly by Grumbot's screen. His 'face' flickered darkly, and His eyes were narrowed slightly as He stared right down as Grian.