Xisuma

                                    

                                          
Grian pov 
After leaving Mumbo’s office, I wandered the halls aimlessly, trying to figure out where exactly I was supposed to go. It wasn’t like I’d spent much time in this building before. Eventually, I spotted someone who looked like they knew what they were doing—a hero, judging by the uniform. His name tag read Inferno.
“Excuse me,” I said, making sure to keep my tone light and my posture casual. My avian features were hidden for now, just in case. “Could you point me to Xisuma’s office?”
Inferno gave me a quick once-over, probably assuming I was just another human visitor. “Sure thing. Follow me.”
He led me down a few winding corridors, finally stopping in front of a sturdy-looking door. He knocked gently before stepping back. “Better check if he’s busy first.”
To my surprise, a voice from within quickly called out, “Come in!”
Inferno pushed the door open slightly, peeking his head in. “Someone’s here to see you.”
Xisuma’s eyes lit up when he saw me standing there. “Oh, Grian! Come in, come in!” He turned to Inferno. “Thank you, Inferno. That’ll be all.”
Inferno nodded and gave me a polite smile before leaving. As I stepped inside, I realized Xisuma wasn’t alone. Someone else was seated quietly near the corner of the room. They barely acknowledged my presence, just a flicker of their eyes in my direction before returning to whatever they were doing.
“Who’s that?” I asked, nodding toward the figure.
“Just some quiet company,” Xisuma replied vaguely, waving me over. He didn’t seem eager to elaborate, so I didn’t press the issue.
As soon as I was fully in the room, Xisuma shut the door behind me and gestured toward a chair across from his desk. “Sit, sit. I didn’t expect you back so soon, but I’m glad you came. Does this mean…?”
I held up a hand to stop him. “I said I’d think about it. But if I do this, there are conditions. Strict ones.”
Xisuma’s relief was almost palpable. He nodded eagerly, sitting back in his chair and giving me his full attention. “Of course. Whatever you need, Grian. Just say the word.”
Ah, my mistake—thank you for clarifying! Let me adjust the scene:
---
I took a deep breath, steadying myself before laying out what I needed from him if I was going to take this offer seriously. “First off, I don’t use a bow. I’m terrible with them. But guns? Guns I can handle pretty well,” I said firmly, crossing my arms. “Second, being called the Red Blur isn’t really my thing. It makes me sound like I’m ripping off The Flash or some Disney or Marvel character.”
Xisuma nodded, jotting down notes as I spoke. Before he could respond, his quiet company stood up from his chair. Keralis moved behind Xisuma’s desk with his usual quiet grace, leaning down to plant a light kiss on the top of Xisuma’s helmet.
He murmured something softly too low for me to catch. Xisuma gave a small, thoughtful nod in response. Without another word, Keralis smiled at me politely and exited the room, leaving me a bit thrown off.
I blinked, pointing toward the door. “So… are we just gonna gloss over that?”
Xisuma let out a soft chuckle, leaning back in his chair. “Keralis just likes to check in on me. Keeps me from overworking myself.”
“Right,” I said slowly, dragging out the word. “Good for him, I guess.” Shaking my head, I refocused. “Anyway, like I said—guns, not bows. And the name? I’ll pick it myself. None of this Red Blur nonsense.”