#((your grimmchild sparks so much joy i hope you know. hyper lil menace <3))< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[abyssembraced]

@distrxst, continued from here:

Ghost allowed themself to be dragged along by their rambunctious best friend. His enthusiasm was infectious, and though they were not much of a 'prankster' themself, they couldn't help but feel eager to learn just what sort of mischief the other had in mind that had him so excited.

For all the enjoyment they found in exploring, the outskirts of Dirtmouth were an area Ghost had never actually scoured as thoroughly as they did the depths of the Kingdom below it. It was fairly infrequent for them to tread past the town's graveyard, save for when they had particular business in the mountains of Crystal Peak or with Friends Jiji and Jinn. They were unsure why that was, really—Dirtmouth was a place of rest and preparation to them, they supposed, rather than one of adventure itself. Regardless, it meant that the small, barely large enough crevice that Bestie Grimmchild had led them to was something they hadn't ever taken notice of themself.

Once their friend crawled through the crack into whatever lay beyond, Ghost followed suit, squeezing through the tight passage with relative ease as they cloaked themself in the shadows of their body and temporarily took on a more fluid form.

To be greeted with the blue glow of a Lifeblood cocoon as they entered the clearing came as a surprise. Clearly, they should pay more attention to Dirtmouth's surrounding cliffs! Perhaps they would look around the rest of the area in more detail later, to see if it held any other secrets to find. For now, though, there was a prank to carry out. The large sac wriggled from the many Lifeseeds nesting inside as Ghost listened to Bestie Junior theatrically relay his scheme, calmly nodding along. Their job was simply to transport the seeds, then?

With one swipe of their nail, the cocoon burst open, scattering the Lifeseeds about as they skittered to the furthest reaches of the chamber, desperate to escape the intruders in their home. Though speedy, the little creatures had never been particularly intelligent, and it didn't take long for Ghost to corner one as it bumped uselessly against the unyielding cave wall. They picked it up, and...

Hm.

Usually, the Void of their body provided a convenient means of storing anything they needed, but... They had only ever done that for inanimate objects. Would such a method work on a living creature? 

It was worth a try at least, they supposed.

With a shrug, Ghost pressed the struggling Lifeseed against their body, allowing it to be swallowed up by the Void.

...Only to feel the familiar sensation of Lifeblood forming a thin layer of protective coating over their body soon afterward.

Upon extracting it, the once blue, sprightly little creature laid still, its body stained black as pitch. Dead. 

Oops. 

Ghost bowed their head sheepishly at Bestie Junior; a wordless apology for their mistake. Clearly, that wasn't going to work. Was bundling up as many Lifeseeds as their cloak could hold truly their best option, then?

Just as the Vessel began their next attempt at gathering the living seeds, however, a particular memory came to mind. They had something that would help with this endeavor, didn't they? 

Holding up a hand to signal their friend to wait, Ghost moved to exit the grotto and make their way back to the bench in the heart of the town square.

...

...Actually... Was that truly necessary? Equipping and de-quipping Charms was a tricky process—one that could pose harmful consequences to the wearer if interrupted at the wrong time. But... There was no danger here. The room was secluded from outside threats, and the only others present inside were Bestie Junior and the Lifeseeds, the latter of which were far more interested in fleeing from danger than attempting to fight back. Logically, there was no reason not to skip the walk and to simply swap out their Charms right where they were.

So, they did. Sitting down on one of the flatter rocks in the chamber, Ghost began to carefully remove a few Charms from their current loadout (though, of course, the Charm that tethered their dear friend to the physical plane remained right where it was on the underside of their cloak), making room for the other, more expensive one that they wanted to use: Joni's Blessing. 

...And... While they were already here, doing activities that would normally be reserved for when they were at a bench... They decided to update their map of Dirtmouth to make note of Bestie Junior's little discovery as well. Complete with a pin to mark the Lifeblood cocoon—they were lucky to still have one on hand!

As Ghost stood back up and their new equipment took effect, it was like a switch had flipped within the little Lifeseeds. They gathered around the Vessel, any trace of their past terror having vanished. Ghost took a step backward, and the Lifeseeds moved with them, unwilling to leave their side.

Ghost glanced back at Bestie Grimmchild once more, this time triumphant. Transporting all of the Lifeseeds to the Grimm Troupe's tent would be easy like this!

They exited the hidden chamber with their Shade Cloak, just as they had done before, and the Lifeseeds chased after them, marching dutifully in a line. Ghost didn't go far, though, even once the last of the Lifeseeds had joined the crowd around them. They weren't going to leave without their best friend, after all!