Archive of Our Own

Grian hated Watcher meetings.  He didn’t much like being a Watcher in the first place.  It was pain, pain and destruction, his eyes being split into a thousand more and his code being turned into something OTHER.  But Watchers weren’t always so…invested…in the lives of Players as they had been in his.  He’s only thankful that only he had to go through that pain, that his friends were spared.  He never looked into the void, why did it have to look back?

Grian was a Watcher.  He was more Watcher than he would ever be Avian or Player.  Anymore at least.

But that spark inside of him, that bit of the Universe experiencing itself, that part of him that was more than he was before and less than he was now, could never be ripped out, no matter how hard the Watchers had tried.

So no.  Grian didn’t much like being a Watcher, even when the Watchers were doing their actual job instead of tormenting random Players.  But being a Watcher came with responsibilities even someone who hadn’t always been a Watcher couldn’t duck out of.

Mumbo knew what Grian was, a fair number of the Hermits knew what Grian was, but only Xisuma knew he still left to do actual Watcher things.

About once every two seasons the Watchers held a grand meeting, some of it had an actual purpose, discussing how updates were affecting servers and the like, but most of it was social.  Watchers would brag about the worlds they Watched, the worlds they influenced, which Players they thought had the potential to follow in Grian’s footsteps.  They’d gossip about what the Listeners were up to, about admins they liked to torment, about worlds they watched spring from the universe.

And they’d bring food of course.  Food such as modded items, bits of partially void-disintegrated code.  Maybe new recipes of old favorites, maybe snacks imported from outside of Minecraft by an influential Player, only for a Watcher to snatch it up instead.  They’d bring various entities in various states of living, anywhere from alive, to dead, to permadead.  And because they didn’t care much for Players, the most desired of the entities they would bring would be Players.

Sometimes it would be a specific species of Player, a new kind of hybrid, someone who had been legitimately sacrificed to them, other times it would be a Player that managed to catch a Watcher’s attention.

Players tended to be brought alive if the Watcher could manage it, specifically so they could be swallowed alive.  Grian was told that the squirming was delightful.  Grian had pointed out that a non-player that was still alive would also squirm.  Various Watchers had scoffed at his arguments, he’d bring up things like how he used to be a Player, how he still was a Player, how it was morally wrong.  All it would do is make them roll several hundred eyes at him and continue to eat Players.

At least Grian didn’t have to Watch, once they were inside a Watcher, no other Watcher could see them.

So Grian hated Watcher meetings.

Grian skipped them as often as he could, but this one he’d been specifically told to show up or else, so he’d told Xisuma, and then informed the server he was going on a short vacation.  And then he left.

He hadn’t expected to see any Hermits for at least two weeks.

And now here he was, in the Hall of the Watchers, in his Watcher form, with a very human Mumbo staring up at him in confusion from the table right in front of him.  And every glowing purple eye was focused on his tiny human friend.

…

Mumbo had found Grian’s friend summoning circle, it was hilarious.  And, since Grian was on vacation…well.  Mumbo supposed it was only fair if he tried to summon Grian.

He set up the circle, had a fun time saying silly things Grian would say.

And then he felt actual magic swirling through the air around him before he was abruptly teleported, to, he could only assume, wherever Grian was.

Pants.

Mumbo felt a smooth stone floor beneath his shoes, as the afterimage of the magic faded from his vision he discovered he was standing on a giant stone table, and many giant beings were staring at him with hundreds of eyes.

Mumbo glanced upwards at the nearest being and thankfully recognized the towering creature as Grian in his Watcher form.  Mumbo was ever so grateful he’d bothered Grian into showing him what it looked like or else he’d probably be far more terrified right now.

The wings and the eyes and the towering height were still vaguely horrifying, but because Grian was here, Mumbo wasn’t too worried.

• Xelqua, what is the meaning of this interruption?

• Did you finally bring food to a meeting?

• That’s a rather dramatic entrance.

• Since it showed up on its own I think I should be allowed to eat it no matter what Xelqua says, it’s its own fault really.

Grian was silent for a moment, before his Watcher voice rang through the air, rattling inside Mumbo’s head.

• This is not food.  He is a Player.  He is MINE.  None of you will have him.

• Surely not!

• If you’re not going to eat it don’t keep it all to yourself!

• You may be allowed your ‘friends’ and ‘playerhood’, but you are not allowed to bring such things here, they are beneath you, and us!

• If I’m not allowed to eat him… I will Watch, a Player that can find themselves the way to the Watchers’ realm is interesting indeed.

• SHUT UP!

Mumbo shivered, hearing Watchers speak made his head hurt and his bones ache, he stumbled as close to Grian as he could manage without falling off the table.

• He is MINE.  None of you will touch him.

And then giant hands that sprouted feathers and had eyes hovering around them scooped Mumbo up off of the table, lifting him closer to Grian’s face.  Mumbo let out a startled squeak, but tried not to move, Grian would keep him safe from the other Watchers.  Although Mumbo was worried about why Grian was even speaking to them in the first place after what they’d done to him.

Were they threatening his friend?

Mumbo didn’t have time to consider if Grian was in danger because Grian had opened his mouth and dropped Mumbo inside.

Mumbo was frozen for a moment in shock, and then Grian swallowed, sending Mumbo tumbling into his friend’s throat.

Mumbo thrashed.  He couldn’t piece together what was happening, why was Grian eating him!?  Another swallow sent Mumbo further down Grian’s throat, now encased on all sides by squeezing muscles.  Mumbo wasn’t even wet enough to go down easy, he kept getting stuck to the walls in almost painful ways before another swallow would knock him free and drag him deeper.

Mumbo suddenly hit a wall, which with the next swallow gave way, sending Mumbo falling into a slightly more spacious organ which could only be Grian’s stomach.

Oh this wasn’t very good at all.

Mumbo tried to stand up, but there wasn’t really enough space, he did manage to right himself so that he wasn’t sideways.  He slumped against one of the plush walls of his container, considering kicking or perhaps punching it.

No, at this point he’d already been swallowed into the belly of the beast, he wasn’t getting out from here.

It was strangely quiet inside Grian’s belly, only the muffled sounds of his heart beating and his lungs expanding and contracting made it through.  The walls were slimy, but soft.  The one Mumbo was leaning against pressed in against him for a moment.  Mumbo couldn’t help but press back.

His heart ached, uncertain of what Grian was doing.  Surely he wouldn’t actually kill Mumbo in such a permanent way?

Mumbo let his head fall backwards, hitting the soft flesh behind him, he closed his eyes, there wasn’t much he could do anyways.  Might as well not exhaust himself.

…

Grian knew he had to get Mumbo somewhere the others couldn’t see him, somewhere they would quickly forget about him.

The only available place was unfortunately Grian’s stomach.

Swallowing Mumbo was weird, the thrashing felt…strange.

And then Mumbo landed in his stomach.

The feeling of a Player in his belly was hard to describe, he felt full in a way food hadn’t truly accomplished since he had been changed.

He pressed a hand against his middle, anxiety spiking when he felt Mumbo’s rather still form, and then Mumbo pressed back.

It was like a bolt of electricity, it felt incredible to have Mumbo move inside him.

Grian guiltily shoved that knowledge to the back of his head, letting his hand drop, instead trying to focus on the meeting so he could get out as fast as possible and set Mumbo free.

The meeting went by unbearably slowly, all Grian could focus on was the solid weight in his middle.  Occasionally Mumbo would move and it would be like fireworks went off in Grian’s brain, he felt almost high.  Which was not a fun thing to learn, apparently Watchers ate players because it was addicting!!??

Grian tried to pretend this wasn’t happening, but something deep inside his code purred smugly, having finally been fed.

After what felt like ages, each second ticking by at a snail’s pace, the meeting was finally over.  Usually Grian would stick around to try and rescue any living ‘snacks’ that hadn’t been eaten yet, or to figure out which servers he’d have to warn about possible Watcher interference, but this time Grian couldn’t leave the void fast enough.

He portaled into Hermitcraft, stumbling as he landed in the physical plane in a decidedly non-physical body.

Now all he had to do was get Mumbo out, shift back into his Player form, and explain to Mumbo why he ate him.  Then everything would be fine and they could laugh it all off.

He pressed a hand against his stomach, Mumbo reacted, squirming awkwardly, Grian had probably knocked him over.

“You’re okay, I’m going to get you out.” Grian said softly in his mortal voice.

He tried to focus on making his body intangible, something technically possible, but not something he did on the regular.  It was decidedly the best way to go about this however.

It didn’t work, it was like his body rebelled at the idea of letting its meal out, which was stupid because Grian wasn’t even digesting Mumbo anyways!  Grian growled in annoyance, pressing in on his stomach and carefully coughing Mumbo up.

It was uncomfortable, but not actively painful, and once Mumbo was in his mouth, Grian carefully dropped him into his hands before folding himself away into his Player form.

…

Mumbo spent several hours in Grian’s stomach, it became clear that Grian’s stomach wasn’t going to digest him.  Mumbo tried to just stay still and not work himself into an anxiety spiral, but it was difficult.  He trusted Grian, he did.

Whenever he moved at all, the stomach wall would clench around him, so Mumbo really did try not to move much.

Suddenly there was movement and the tell-tale feeling of a world portal.

One of the walls squished tightly against him, knocking him over.  Mumbo squirmed, trying to stay upright.

“You’re okay, I’m going to get you out.” Grian’s normal voice said, rumbling loudly through his flesh.

Well, the confirmation was nice.

After several uncomfortable minutes Mumbo was blinking in the sunlight on Hermitcraft instead of being stuck behind walls of soft flesh.

“Grian, mate, what—” Mumbo started as Grian folded into his normal form.

“Sorry, they wanted to eat you and I needed to get you somewhere they couldn’t see you—” Grian started, fidgeting nervously.

“Well, I suppose that’s fine then.” Mumbo interrupted, “I’m more worried about why you were with them.”

“Even though I’m not a natural Watcher I still have to do the jobs Watchers are supposed to be doing…” Grian mumbled.

Mumbo frowned, “That sucks.” he said, before pulling Grian into a hug.  The avian melted into it, chirping softly.

“It does.” he agreed, “You aren’t mad I ate you?”

“Maybe a little annoyed and soggy, but not mad.” Mumbo assured him.

Grian paused before grabbing Mumbo by the shoulders and leaning back, “Wait…YOU’RE BACK!!!” he exclaimed with glee.

“I’m back!” Mumbo agreed brightly.

Grian cheered before hugging Mumbo tightly again, trying to squish the two of them together so tightly they could never be separated again.