Gloom (1x1 with Stardustblade)

[Stardustblade358 806]

Ash looked at Nicholas, trying to act cool as she crossed her arms. "Nah! I totally got used to it now!" Ash said confidentially, though her body was still slightly shaking a bit. Grim smiled at Miguel's challenge, quickly running behind him. "Oh no, you aren't winning this one!" Grim said as he ran, catching up with him slightly. However, as they both reached the water, Grim went up Miguel, picking him up from behind and giving him a spin, right before letting himself drop with him into the water with a laugh. Ash watched in amusement. "Bunch of losers." She added.

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Nicholas watched the race between Miguel and Grim. He jumped up when Grim threw himself and Miguel in the water, feeling rather startled. He walked over to the two, looking in the water.

"Are you okay?"

Miguel tried to run even faster, but he was always equal to Grim. He used to loose to Grim all the time, but now he is actually on the same level as him. Grim suddenly picked him up, and Miguel squealed.

"Nooooo put me down ayudame somebody Guada is being meannnnn~!" He hit the water with a loud splash.

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Grim surfaced with a gasp, smiling and laughing before turning to Nicholas. "We're fine." He said, assuring him that there wasn't anything to worry. He looked around. Death would've loved this place. He would sit on the beach, absorbing the rays of the sun before one of them would most likely throw cold water on him. He would proceed to chase them into the water to play. "(The world might be getting better, dad.)" Grim thought as he saw Ash swim up to the beach. "Where you going?" He asked. "I'm going to build a sand castle!" She said. Grim moved some hair away from his eyes and looked over at Miguel with a smirk. "So, how about fish for dinner,hermanito?" (Little brother) Grim asked as he splashed water on him.

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Miguel wrapped his arm around Grim's neck and rubbed his knuckle into Grim's hair.

"We're fine niño! We're just playing. You go play too sí?" Miguel watched as Ash went to go build a sandcastle, and cheered her on. "Build the biggest sandcastle ever!" He said. He looked to Grim with a grin. "I like that idea- don't call me hermanito Dios mio!" He playfully whined. "It makes me feel all little. Let's have a competition. We have to catch as many fish as we can with our hands! Then again I don't think we'll able to go deep enough for that."

 

Nicholas smiled in relief at the fact that Grim and Miguel was okay. He noticed Ash leaving to go build a sandcastle, and Nicholas went to join her.

"Can I help...?" He asked bashfully, sitting I the sand next to her.

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Ash looked over at Nicholas and then back at the sand castle. "Sure. But that means we have to make it even bigger!" Ash cheered. "But you are little! I'm older than you by how many years again? Two I think. Therefore no matter how many years do pass, and whatever you do. You will forever be little to moi~" Grim teased before agreeing to the idea. "Doesn't have to be only fish. Crustaceans and mollusks are acceptable food as well. The loser though, will have to cook while the other naps." Grim offered, what he believed was a fair offer. He only leaned closer with a smirk. "Do we have a deal, hermanito?"

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"Not two! Not two! Technically you're older than me by a year and five months! And we do have a deal! Just a warning though, if I cook you're all probably going to taste nothing but burnt fish." Miguel crossed his arms and shuffled is feet in the water. "But I accept! Guada, I hope you're already thinking about how to get the cooking fire started because I'm going to win!"

 

Nicholas nodded. "Okay!" He said with a small smile. "Super big! I like building stuff... We should get a bucket of water so we could make the sand nice and sturdy."

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"I'll go get water!" Ash said as she started to splash and bring bits of water from the shore to where the castle was being built. "Ok then...ready...set..." Grim counted down, only getting closer to Miguel by the second. "...go!" And suddenly Grim pushed Miguel off balance and into the water. Grim laughed and started to run off, then dive and swim as he started to search of anything to eat. The fish were going to be trouble. They were fast in their natural habitat. The crustaceans might be a bit easier. Grim dove down, looking around the bottom for anything that seemed worthy of being eaten. He did find a crab, to which he carefully picked up and hurried to the beach. Grim dug a hole, and stuffed it with his shirt, and in it he put the crab, leaving it unable to escape it's prison. And so he dove off again.

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Nicholas was already flattening the ground for the sandcastle. He was beaming. This was the most anyone has ever seen him happy, or excited. "What do you want to build? I really want to build the gate, the back towers and the sleeping quarters...- oh! We should build a moat!" He said. Already digging in a small trench for the moat around the foundation.

 

Meanwhile Miguel squealed, falling in the water.

"Oi!" He said as he popped his head out. "No fair!" He dove in the water, looking for some fish to catch. He managed to snag a clam, but he wanted actual fish. He ran out and threw his clam onto the beach, and dove back in to find some other fish.

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"I'm going to make some towers and a wall and decorate them with sea shells." Ash said as she started to pick up tiny seashells that she found around the beach around her. Grim was diving, swimming around the bottom as he looked for any other favorable food for later. He was determined to not lose! If his father was here he would most likely say something around 'you're both already losers get cooking' with a laugh. Yeah, that sounded like him. Grim spotted a fish, somewhat oblivious to its surroundings. Grim slowly crept up and suddenly grabbed it, quickly standing up to the surface as he struggled with the fish. "I got one I got one!" Grim yelled. The victory short lived as the fish slipped out of his hands one slapped Grim in the face with its tail.

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"You are not in connection with your inner animal!" Came a muffled Miguel as he popped his head out of the water with a fish in his teeth. It squirmed around, and Miguel made a loud victory yell. "Mmmm!" He ran out of the water, and ran straight to the sand so he could throw his fish in his spot.

 

Meanwhile Nicholas went right away in making the trench. He kept of digging, and once he was done he filled it with water. He looked over to Miguel and Grim. "I think it'll be a tie." He aid with a nod.

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Grim watched and bleched at the fact that his brother used his teeth to catch the fish. "Who the hell taught you that?! I'm sure it wasn't dad!" Grim yelled as he started to dive again. Ash made towers and walls, decorated them with seashells and other stuff. Watching as even tinier crabs entered in it to make themselves home. She turned over to watch Grim and Miguel. "Tie or not they better know how to cook good." Ash said as she thought about it. Fried fish and other animals sounded good...meat for once sounded good. She was getting tired of vegetables and nutrient bars deep inside. By the time Grim finished, he had gotten a fish, but it was kind of small compared to Miguel's catch. The rest were crustaceans. Grim walked over to the shore and panted, kneeling down and laying on the sand. He panted and smiled. This was great. They had no worries in the world. They were for once just enjoying life as it was. He turned, looking over at Miguel smiling. "So, who you think won, hermanito? Tie? Call it even?"

---

 

 

Friend's reaction

 

Best friend's reaction

 

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

(Guilty as charged~~)

"It was my animal instinct!" Miguel claimed with a laughed. He collapsed into the sand along with Grim. He was already exhausted from all the running around.

"I'm going to say it's a tie, just because I'm an awesome hermanito even though it's obvious that I won!" He grinned. "Just kidding! It's definitely a tie. Muy bien Guada!" He raised his arm from the ground to give a big thumbs up in the air.

 

Nicholas watched as the small tiny crabs made themselves at home in the castle. "I wish I was a crab..." He muttered with a frown. It would have been nice, to just be able to run around with your family and make happy little homes in shells and other spaces, completely untouched by all the horrors that the world has come to. The Gloom probably effected the crabs, although the crabs were probably able to just swim away and borough into the ground or their homes when something bad happened.

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Ash quickly growled at the crab statement. "If you were a crab you'd be dead and served for lunch!" Ash hissed. Grim sat up, shaking some sand out of his hair as he looked up at the sky. "I kind of wish we could live in some place like this forever. Live off what we can catch, enjoy the sun, no worries about trying to be killed or hunted down by anyone or anything. Dad would've loved it here." Grim said as he closed his eyes for a bit. He sighed. "I wonder if the world was better before all of this happened." Grim muttered as he stood up. "Ah. I'm going to start the fire, alright?" Grim said as he smiled. "Be right back, going to get the firewood real quick." And with that Grim walked off.

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"B-But it could be the same for people too..." Nicholas peeped quietly, startled by Ash's sudden anger. "It doesn't matter what you are... You can die so easily... At least if I'm a crab I won't even realize it." He tried to mold the towers, playing with the crabs inside.

 

Miguel nodded with a smile. "Dad would have been so happy here. We could have built like little underground houses in the sand! All we would need was supporters and some wood. Then again hightide would be dangerous..." He sat up, watching Grim leave to go get firewood. He suddenly had a bad feeling. "Ten cuidado!" He yelled. "If you're not back in five minutes I'm going to look for you!"

(Be careful!)

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Ash growled. "Crabs do realize when they die! Jellyfish do too! And every other living being." Ash said as she crossed her arms. "If you live you know that you die eventually. Animals just keep living day and day normally, and they live to their fullest, because they don't know if today would be their last. They know that they eventually die. They just know that they've lived a good life." Ash said as she insisted, then calmed down as she smiled. "At least now the crabs have a big house to sleep in, besides the ones that they carry." Ash said. Grim waved at Miguel. "Suit yourself!" With that he went out of the beach area, a bit deeper to collect fire wood. Some branches, roots, other items that were flammable. It wasn't that hard to find. Nature had taken back the world it was taken. He coughed a bit, feeling himself run out of a breath for a second. Wiping away any saliva. It wasn't until he brought his hand up that he noticed the coloration. It was black colored blood. "...sh*t." He muttered. Was the sickness getting to him? Either way it wouldn't matter. He shook it off, wiping it off on his shorts before returning with firewoord, setting up a campfire for the night.

Edited April 18, 2015 by Stardustblade358

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

Nicholas wasn't expecting the sudden change in disposition, but he looked down at the castle with a smile. "Yeah... They have a nice happy home now because of us." He adjusted his scarf, and snuggled his neck into it. Luckily it hadn't gotten wet in the water, but it had a lot of sand in it. "One big happy crab family."

Miguel walked over to the campfire, and helped tend to it. "We could just try to stay here." Miguel suggested. "Away from everybody. From people. Obviously we would have to build a home. If New Dystopia isn't good, can we come back here?"

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Grim thought about it as he started to smack two rocks together. "You know, that's actually a great idea." Grim said smiling. "We'll head to New Dystopia. If we see that it doesn't fit us, we'll come back here and make it our home. We can bring the kids with us too, if they want to come." Grim said as he finally managed to create a spark out of the pair of rocks, setting the wood on fire. "Heck yeah!" Grim then picked up the map and with a pencil, he circled the area they were at currently and wrote 'possible home' in small letters. "There we go, now even if we have amnesia we are able to know where this place is." Grim said as he picked up one of the sticks and started to move the wood around the fire, having it spread and become bigger by passing minute. "We'll go into the forest and chop down wood to build ourselves a nice house, once we settle in we can even build a boat to fish in deeper waters, which means bigger and better fish. We'll find a way to desaltelize the water too." Grim said, so many ideas coming to mind. He picked up one of the fishes and started to cut it with the knife, taking out the pieces of bones and stacking up the pieces of meet on a sharp stick to have over the fire. Grim smiled and teased Miguel. "And you'll be my housewife!"

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Miguel looked up in the air with a smile. The entire thought of it made him estatic. He could only imagine just living on the beach, watching the kids play. He wouldn't have to worry about anything ever again. He could just live away from all the madness, all the anguish and despair and lived how humans once lived. Not as beasts but as people. People who just wanted to be happy but was shot down by the world. The entire idea made him smile like an idiot. "Yeah- WAIT! I would not be your housewife! Actually, YOU would be my housewife! Mi esposa!" He pinched Grim's arm.

 

Nicholas dug his feet in the sand and closed his eyes. He just let the warmth of the sand comfort him. Suddenly, he felt a strange slither on his leg. "Ash please stop..." He muttered. He opened one eye, only to see a garden snake slither on his leg. He felt his heart almost explode in his chest, and he started to scream.

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Ash was startled by the scream, falling back into the sand. "What the-?!" She asked confused. Grim rubbed his arm, and was about to say something when he heard the kid scream. He turned. "Nicholas?!" He scrambled onto his feet, almost tripping as he hurried over to the screaming child. "What is it, what's wrong?!" Grim asked. "H-His leg! Something on his leg! Ew ew ew!" Ash said as she pointed at his leg. Grim turned and looked around and his heart froze. It was a snake. There was nothing in particular that he was scared of. He was never scared of snakes in general. Nor reptiles or their venom or anything at all. Just the shape, the fact that it was a snake...it reminded him of the symbols from before. It took Ash yelling at him to snap out of it. "U-Um," He stammered. "Stay still, it's going to be fine." Grim said as he knelt down. "Don't move." He took Nicholas' leg and quickly grabbed the snake by the head, keeping it from opening its mouth, then gently pulled it off. "I...it's a garden snake, it isn't venomous." Grim said as he stared down at it.

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

(Crap not done)

Edited April 19, 2015 by Aqua7KH

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

Miguel's eyes widened, and he shuttered at the scream. He wasn't expecting it, and it took him away from the bliss he was feeling. He ran over to Nicholas and tried to comfort him as Grim took the snake off. "It's okay niño..." Miguel whispered. He reached out his hand to hold Nicholas, but that actually caused him to scream even more, on top of his lungs. He wasn't screaming at the snake anymore. He wasn't even looking at it. He was screaming at Miguel.

"N-No!!" He screamed. He cowered in fear and put his hands on his head. "Stop please stop!" He was sweating, wild eye. He looked completely crazy, almost as if he was in another world. "Stop it, stop!!! DONT HURT US!!!"

Miguel fell back, completely shocked and startled by this sudden outburst by such a quiet boy. "I-I'm not doing anything-"

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Grim walked over to the edge of the beach, and settled the snake down, letting it slither away to its natural habitat. "(It must've been basking in the sun for heat. Wouldn't blame it. It's a lovely day.)" Grim thought as he turned to see the kid was in a complete state of panic and shock. Even Miguel didn't know what to do. Ash was getting scared. Grim quickly hurried over to Nicholas, trying to calm him down. The phrases he screamed were a bit too familiar. They would be the same phrases he would scream, others would scream, many would scream to avoid punishment or trying to gain mercy. Grim quickly got his hands on Nicholas' shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. "No one's going to hurt you." Grim said. If the kid came from the same camp he came from... "The snakes are gone. They aren't here. They won't bite you. They won't touch you. They're dead. They're dead." Grim said as he rubbed the kid's back gently. "I'll take your shift, so you won't have to go alright? They aren't going to touch you."

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Nicholas kept screaming. He trembled violently within Grim's hold. He started to push and shove at Grim's chest, as if trying to get away from a monster. He began to cry and only screamed louder. "S-Stop it! Stop it!" He yelled. "Please don't kill us! Let go- let me go!! Mikah help!!!" He felt a tightness in his neck, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. His cries went silent and morphed into desperate gaps of air. "I-I can't breathe..."

Miguel was in utter shock still, completely horrified. He thought he had something to do with what was happening. He brought Ash into a hug, trying to calm her down. "Don't look." He muttered into her ear. "He's just having a panic attack. H-he'll be okay."

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Ash shook and tried to muffle out the screams with her hands over her ears. Grim loosened his grip on Nicholas and got his hand on his chest. "Breathe. No one is going to harm you in any way, shape or form. You're safe." Grim insisted as he spoke softly. "You won't be killed." Grim assured as he had the kid breathe in and out slowly. "I know it's hard to let go...they don't stop even when you scream at the top of your lungs. They keep going because that's what they want to do." Grim said as he gently rubbed Nicholas' head. "You won't be harmed. No one is going to touch you. No one is going to kill you...however if you have any built up anger...just don't take it out on yourself." Grim said as he held Nicholas' hands. "If you have any anger build up, just give a good punch, or scream into the sky. I assure you that it won't make you feel fully better, but it will help calm you down." Grim said as he thought for a bit. There was one thing that he hadn't tried. A song he was taught by a kid in the camp, the night before he was killed, cooked up, and served to eat in a time of short supply. He breathed. "Deep in the meadow, under the willow, A bed of grass, a soft green pillow, Lay down your head, and close your eyes, And when they open, the sun will rise ~ Here it's safe, and here it's warm, Here the daisies guard you from every harm, Here your dreams are sweet--, --and tomorrow brings them true, Here is the place where I love you~" Grim sang. He wasn't the best singer. But it was something.

 

---

 

https://youtu.be/s0xS-MOBnIM

 

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Nicholas tried to breathe. He was still distant, somewhere else; trapped in his memory. He looked down into the sand and cried out. "Shut up shut up shut up!!!" Suddenly, Grim began to sing and after a few long minutes, Nicolas grew silent and he leaned into Grim with his arms around Grim's neck. After a few further minutes Nicholas fell asleep. His breathing was still unsteady.

 

Miguel looked down to Ash. He patted her head. "It's alright now sí? Everything is okay." He still heard Nicholas' screaming in his ears. It shook Miguel right to the core. It reminded him of how people screamed at him for mercy.