The Chained Watcher

Tango's Question

Grian in a suit would also look pretty silly. Maybe he could get Grian to steal and wear one of Mumbo's suits to make it even funnier. In fact, Grian in any formal wear would look rather goofy and out of place, wouldn't he.

Huh, wonder what he would look like in some kind of cult outfit like the ones they used to wear at the Secret Seekers meetings? Looking back, the amount of decorations and fiddly bits they'd stuck on made them less stealthy than a living Christmas tree. It was a relief when they'd switched to just wearing themed cloaks and masks, making it much easier to get in and out of their outfits.

What would Grian's theme be? Maybe some kind of swirly pattern and a chicken mask? But that might make him look a bit too much like Poultry Man, who is definitely not Grian in a chicken costume, so maybe not. Smoothing over the mask in his head, he started trying to figure out what would match Grian best when he realized what the smooth mask and purple cloak reminded him of.

Oooookay so maybe a purple cloak wasn't a good idea. With Grian's wings being a light shade of purple, that would make him look really similar to a Watcher. Come to think of it, Grian had picked a winter coat over a cloak when figuring out what he should wear to hide his wings. Kinda like he knew what wearing a cloak would make him look like.

Not happy thoughts. Very not happy thoughts.

...But that one purple feather has to be his, right? No, wait, maybe not. Even Grian's flight feathers aren't as large as that feather, so it can't be his. Was he wrong about the "wings aglow" riddle talking about Grian?

One of the offhanded clues Bdubs had gotten from Grian popped into his head. You're not the only one who used to be taller. Oh boy, that's not inspiring confidence.

The larger the avian, the larger their feathers would have to be to compensate. So if Grian used to be taller, then his feathers would have been bigger as well. But hasn't he always been that same size? Grian was always one of the shorter Hermits, so even if he used to be taller, how could he have lost a feather bigger than what he now has? Unless...

Unless he isn't stuck being smaller. Unless it's magic making him smaller. Unless he's choosing to be smaller.

These are not fun thoughts.

Almost unwillingly, his mind starts pasting together the individual pieces. Purple wings instead of lilac, make him taller, unknown lifespan, strange magic, and he'd said he was the oldest in the room, hadn't he? So he's also older than he looks, which could explain how easily he enchants stuff. His mental image swapped outfits momentarily to a purple cloak to match the wing color, and he shuddered.

Everything is pointing in the direction he least wants it to point in. He's starting to think he might lose that bet about not freaking out.

Taking a moment, he repeated to himself the same thing that he'd focused on the last time his theories started unnerving him. Grian will always be Grian, no matter what. Even if... Even if it turns out that Grian isn't what he thinks he is.

...

Maybe he should take the advice that he should talk to Scar if he's worried about this. Nothing ever seems to keep him down for long, so it wouldn't be surprising if he can help with his worries.

Jumping to his feet, Tango sets off to find Scar, or one of the others who know Grian's secret if he can't find Scar.

~~~

Glancing around the corner, Tango grimaced when he spotted Scar, the lighthearted magician talking animatedly to Grian while showing off his magic shield.

He really doesn't want to talk to Grian before he gets the chance to think out loud at someone, and Cleo is busy right now so he can't ramble at her. So instead, he lurks just around the corner, spying on the two of them while waiting for one or the other to leave.