Work Text:
Scar:
Hey babe look what i found
link for ringmaster x reader fanfic on ao3
Grian:
Scar what the hell is that
Scar:
Its so uscore read it
Grian:
Are you reading fanfiction about yourself now?????
Scar:
Maybe
Read it.
Please
Grian:
This is 20k words dude i’m at work
Scar:
Its funny tho please read it
Grain:
You’re lucky it’s slow today
Grian was seated in the back room, back against an empty kennel. It was a slow morning at the office. Mumbo was set to arrive in an hour, and Scar had found some dumb ringmaster x reader fanfiction, so really what else was there to do but read it?
Grian clicked on the link. The fic was titled something along the lines of ‘my supervillan love’ and was written by some user called ‘Moustache you a question’
It was funny, actually, Grian found himself snickering. He was at the end of the story when mumbo walked in. it was some makeout scene after some fight where ringmaster had almost died protecting the reader character
“Hey Grian” Mumbo set his bag down on the steel counter “anything interesting happen yet today?”
Grian slipped his phone into his pocket and shook his head “nope, but i’ve been back here all day anyway”
Mumbo’s phone got a notification, which he looked at. His eyes went wide
“What’s the matter?” Grian asked, glancing at the back of mumbo’s phone and then his eyes
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it” mumbo chuckled awkwardly “we’ve got work to do.”
Eventually, there was not work to be done, and so Grian sat down by the kennels again to finish the dumb fanfiction. It wasn’t of a particulary amazing quality, but it was pretty good. He scrolled down to the comments to guage reader perception. The first comment:
Ringmaster fan 32: great now write them smashing /j this is really good lol you’ve outdone yourself again Moustache
Moustache you a question: i mean, if you take a peek around my profile you’ll probably find a fic like that… thanks glad you like it <3
Grian snickered to himself
The next comment, however, made his blood run cold.
Written with only the amount of smugness his beloved Scar could write
100%the real ringmaster: you’re right i would 100% have a motorcycle. I would also definitely beat up anyone who hurt my pookie. Sending this to him now. Keep up the good work
Moustache you a question: hope your partner likes it lol
100%the real ringmaster: i just looked at the rest of your profile. Expect the bamboozlers to be commenting ;)
Moustache you a question: ?????? thank you?
Grian closed the tab and went right back to his text conversation
Grian:
Did you comment on the fic???
Scar:
Maybe…..
Grian:
What happened to being careful with your identity? Could have sworn you threatened my life over some surgical tools a while ago
Scar:
Nobody actually thinks it’s me because reverse spheychology
Pysholug
You know what i mean
Grian snickered to himself
“Who you talkin to?” Skizz poked his head in the doorway
“Nobody” grian shook his head and forced a deadpan
“Are you reading somethin?” skizz inquired
“Nope. funny cat video” grian slipped his phone back in his pocket.
When he got home, however, he opened the fic right back up
Ringmaster’s Real Boyfreind: the Bam bunker doesnt look like that. His room in the bunker is NOT neon cyan and red it’s like earth toned and peaceful, oh and he would not say ‘i love you more than i love the night sky and all the stars in it’ he would probably just steal me something and leave an ominous note. Trust me i’ve had my tongue in his mouth i know.
Almost immediately,
Moustache you a question: omg noted. I’m showing these to my best friend he’ll find them hilarious
Grian thought nothing of it.
Until work the next day when mumbo turned his phone around to show grian his own comment
“I was writing some fanfiction and i got THIS comment” Mumbo said, laughing “oh and this one-”
He showed off scar’s comment, from an actual account and not a guest account
Grian snickered “you write ringmaster fanfiction?”
“It started as a joke” mumbo looked ashamed “but now i’ve got these parody accounts and i think i should write more, just to see how it goes”
“Why not” grian shrugged
Mumbo is Moustache you a question.
That was the first thing he texted scar
Scar:
Wait like your friend mumbo from the office?
Really?
Grian:
He showed me our comments on that fic you sent me
Scar:
Omg. i’ve got an idea
Scar did not respond to any attempts grian made to get him to ELABORATE on that idea
Over the next weeks, grian, scar and apparently Lizzie who already had an an account, proceeded to comment on every single one of mumbo’s bamboozler fics. Eventually they got Jimmy in on it too under the guest name ‘let’s Boogey’
Under ‘smoke and ash’ a bamboozlers x superhero ocs fic
100% real ringmaster: I love the idea of doc being able to copy other powers, but like you got my powers all wrong. I’m not even able to focus on one target around my pookie let alone 4
CherryBamBlossom: Ringmaster you have got to shut up about your powers
Let’s Boogey: i bet your boyfriend is super jealous of this ‘speedster’ character BamBlossom
CherryBamBlossom: it’s close enough to his personality that i’m just pretending his name isn’t whatever Moustache named him.
Ringmaster’s Real Boyfreind: I WISH i had the power to copy superpowers. Then i could make ringmaster wipe that dumb grin off his face
100% Real Ringmaster: you don’t mean that pookie :(
Ringmaster’s Real Boyfreind: you are not calling me pookie right now. I will walk into the other room and smack you.
Moustache you a question: i’m starting to wonder if i’ve been dropped into drama with the actual bamboozlers
Let’s Boogey: we already know where you live and work <3
Grian was rolling cackling on the living room floor imagining mumbo’s reactions when scar left the bedroom in his ringmaster costume
“Scar where are you going?” grian crossed his arms
“Nowhere. I’m not doing anything serious don’t worry. Lizzie and Jimmy are going too” scar had that mischievous glint in his eye that told grian he was off to do something probably violent
“Scar whatever you’re doing, please don’t.”
“I’ll be back in like half an hour” Scar waved his hand dismissivley “you won’t even notice i’m gone”
“You’re in costume” grian stated “you could be gone for like 12 hours”
“Lizzie and jim and i are off to go do something harmless just keep an eye on the news while i’m gone.”
Grian sighed and turned on the news. There was nothing for an hour, even after scar got home, there was nothing.
2 hours later, the ‘bamboozlers sighting’ tag slid across the news broadcast, playing security camera footage of all 3 bamboozlers spray painting the street
Grian turned to scar who was grinning like a madman on the couch next to him
“Scar what did you do?”
“Nothinggggggg” scar had that stupidly guilty look on his face that told grian it probably wasn’t nothing
“The bamboozlers, after months of inactivity, have showed up only to spraypaint the street outside this emergency veterinary clinic-”
Grian blinked at the news broadcast as scar burst into giggles
The graffiti was in 7 different colors, and read ‘Moustache you a question’ with a doodle of mumbo’s ao3 profile picture
Grian couldn’t help laughing.
When he got to work the next day mumbo was standing, frozen in disbelief, staring at the graffiti
“Did you see the news?” grian elbowed mumbo “you’ve got fans”
“The actual bamboozlers have read my ao3 history” mumbo breathed “i’m not sure whether to be elated or horrified”
“You should be behind the counter treating patients is what you should be” grian rolled his eyes “come on, tell me about the funny comments you’ve been getting”
mumbo nodded slowly and followed grian inside