{"Rise and shine, Mister Freeman - rise and... shine. Not that I wish... to imply that you have been sleeping on... the job. No one is more deserving of a rest, and all the effort in the world would have gone to waste until... well... let's just say your hour has... come again. The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world. So wake up, Mister Freeman... wake up and smell the ashes" - GMan, Half-Life 2... It's been a long while since I had actually made an extension post, woo-wee!~ So this extension post is primarily extending this lovely story here. As such, I wanna introduce a bit of Grimm in your life; will you accept the Ritual and Dance with Grimm Troupe? All to help out the Nightmare Heart?... Today's music-aides: Grimm Troupe and Nightmare King remix [1.] Bad Time Trio [2.] and Cut Glass [3.] (Rectrospecter, NyxTheShield and Tuber, YT).}

My Sketchy sketch of ol' Grimmy Troupe with Grimmchild!!!!~ <<<<3333 c:

- Poveștile lui Grimm -

The moonlit night had blanketed all under it white, the branches swayed with the whistling winds, torches screaming with life as they burn on and a silent clicking emanating from the center. The Prince's head nuzzles the King's head, friction non-existent as the heads twist side-to-side as they hang upside down; the Prince held tight under the cloak of the King, both voice-boxes snickering of a thought long ago before their eyes rested again while closing. Yet four knocks so yelped the door, but four more to wake the two truly.

"It be that time, c'mon!~"

"Huh?- Yes! 'Tis time to see the catch, my Grimmchild~"

The cape unfurling, bat wings flap fast before the rotational position was corrected. The King's eyes softened but gleefully arched, now the King missiled down as the air whistled away. The cape swinging a successful swerve up as the head stand erect towards the sky. The Prince on the trough of two peaks of the King's night-coloured head, both of their eyes flared a cherry red which soon revealed the marble-coloured face with a dark dash cutting through each eye.

"Hey, when do I start growling legs like you?~"

"Soon enough, my cherry red child of nightmares. Whence you've grown stronger with each dance, then you'll be able to walk like me. For now, enjoy flight and practice well with that; can always save you in a pinch."

The Troupe doors opening, the Grimmkin began dancing with their casts upholding red-flames. The flames crackled with the whooshing winds, spinning around sporadically with the Grimmkin and soon began floating upwards from the staffs. Grimmchild's wings sprouting, each flap echoed while the floating flames became flame orbs; directly in front of the Nightmare King, the eyes glee as fingers raise to snap. Orbs piercing into the Grimmchild, a red puffy smoke soon sang its furl around and later spreads like a mist.

"Another successful hunt, Grimmkin; the essence caught was great for the Grimmchild... Ah!~ You've accepted them quite well my child. Now you have my cape and longer stature, but no legs yet for you~"

"Gah, I could care less! So great the nightmares that wiggle about these essences."

"Indeed, but can you feel the Nightmare Heart yet?"

The Nightmare King's hands hugging Grimmchild, the Grimmkin ceased dancing and the cobblestone stopped clicking about. Despite the whistling wind whistling about, drums from inside them all began to bang and they all reveled in it before the drumming became all too quiet to hear. As the younger Grimmkin left, the elder Grimmkin floated their husks to place; cherry-red their skin was, but possessing the same mask as the younger ones which was rounder to the masks of Grimmchild and the Nightmare King. The front-forth Grimmkin elder speaking.

"Lä lä! O Grimm, current Leader of the Grimm Troupe and Faithful Nightmare King! Dost thou wish to harvest the purest of nightmares that Austria bears at the moment? All coming from whatever remains of the Hapsburg Dynasty, many digging a far too deep into the Hungarians; yet I hear a great clamor happening about in France. He he he he! Shock me not if the young Grimmkin harvested some from there, France is set to explode into a bout of Chaos that Jevil would revel in. Oh, we must help give way to the new France as the old Feudal-Mercantile one goes to its grave; forever shutting itself off and giving back to the Earth what it had plundered!... But to the matter, dost thou accept our contribution to the Nightmare Heart?"

"For the Nightmare Heart, do I accept them. Now give to me so we can sustain it, but do stay and tell more tales after such a granting. I do like what my ears hear with the fall of kingdoms all around at this year of ours."

A grunt echoing from the group of four, their four nightmare flames pierced into Grimm. So strong was the harvest that the King’s legs had to pierce and make a cry out of the concrete. But with the last of the essence simmering into and converted into the Nightmare Heart did the Heart’s drums beat again and louder than the rushidness of the whirling winds.

"Lä! Lä! The Nightmare Heart thrives, and more nightmares can be harvested from followed kingdoms. But O Grimm, do give some heed to the recent gossip of even the peasentry not under the Nightmare Heart. For even the young Grimmkin can confirm our sacrilegous words. Forgive us not, but forgive the toiling and working masses in Europe. But we bear this to thy ear: talks of thou hast spread like wildfire, sigils of thee found in the most secret of clubs, hush whispers of the nobles about Europe and the military cower to think of chanting thy name loud that they call thou a HE but not in our HE."

"I thank you Elder Grimmkin for bringing this up. ‘Tis a shame that words like HE are tainted by the ruling classes of this dying Feudal-Mercantile order. I remember when it was pronounced heh and not hee. When HE was a graceful word for a strong pronoun for the magically inclined. Yet the faithful day upon hearing the courts of a many aristocratic sessions, oh how I saw of one general physique despite differing faces and all clamoring hatred of those that bared not their nether regions. A shame, a shame! I cannot preserve the innocence of such a delighted term, but I can ensure to help push it away from the rot it found itself in..."

"Art thou then happy with the pronoun “they” that we have found for thee? We heard the word less tainted and something that would at least abide by common folk standards when using the lovely pronoun."

"Ever more!~ And ye elders shall be rewarded graciously for a great service in finding that. But let us move on to equally great findings that your eyes have caught upon your harvests."

"Why, a lil’ folly entered into our minds but oh a shining moon a fortnight or so ago. And now we bare fruit of the travelling location of the disgraceful ritual partner that long abandoned his post, his duties, and more importantly his role in the Troupe!"

"Ah!~"

[1.]

Legs floating off the ground and body kiltered, rapid twitches and jitteries coursed about the body. Eyes enflamed so brightly, that the eyes of the Elder Grimmkins’ eyes shined bright as well - them dancing and fluttering in the air wildly. Then Grimm’s legs made the concrete scream as their head enlarged and mouth cracked open as their !

"Finally! The betraying dolt has been found! Found, found! One that promised much, had access to the courts and could easily cut a throat if need be. Yet failed to inquire their weaknesses that we could translate into something to lunge into the minds of the exploited so as to instigate a cleanse. A cleansing so pure in energy, that the rot couldn’t survive any revolution carried by flame and passion!"

Their head returning back to usual size, the old face of Grimm once again was seen. They feeling their child’s wings rung about their neck and a face nuzzling them, Grimm’s hand patted and grazed the soft-shell of Grimmchild. The Elder Grimmkin ceasing their dance finally, all floated closer and whispered to their ear.

"The night is young, its light shall prolong. We do quiver upon one aspect: a sudden intonation of black cracks forming about the back of oure disgraceful Ritual partner. We think it not the old and slain foe, but by Fortuna’s grace may she bless us to not have face the old annihilatory beast that consumed all and spat more of it back. Yet maybe we can cease the spread of such quick, so follow our trail so we can be there on time before any major galaxy-changing event happen."

For the young Grimmkin floating about had all their eyes shifted to the resting chambers of Grimm, the room exploding in a cherry-red smoke that floated about and spread about the area. They dancing around and chanting to Fortuna to give the Nightmare King a righteous victory wherever they quest at. Grimm peering outside the red energy mystical tubing created by the elder Grimmkins, they themself saw the Nightmares of iron boots falling upon them, wheat fields burning a crisp, rubble of their once home and so on and so on thought their mind. Despite a glee up that the nightmares were getting more potent, a shade of grief struck at the Nightmare Heart - a painful sting that made them wince with every nightmare. But looking towards the path, they could only begin to seriously ponder what were mere follies to their head of the living terror that was their collective existence.

A gang of four elder Grimmkins and the Nightmare King and Prince phased back into constitutionality. The crows croaked, the brittle branches swayed to angered winds, the moonlit ground ever more snow-like despite it being fresh into Autumn and grave markers littered about. A crypt's door groans to the air, yet not even a crow would croak to that. Hidden in the veil of shadows, Grimm's party could see a band lead by a near-ghostly in black travel down into the Earth. Hearing none other than a new addition of the crickets chirping away to the air, they all phased in front of the crypt entrance and store into it.

"Are they with that certain stain of trouble?"

"As far as we know, the lady in black is now only a disgraced member of the house Benjamin Leitner resides. The rest, probable partners of him but we couldn't figure them out; regardless, they can impede on a secluded elimination of Leitner and repossession of something we want."

"Kiddo, do you wish to go deal these potential grave robbers? We all shall watch as we see if you've learnt your dancing lessons well!"

"I'll dance a great one for the occasion, been long since I tested myself~"

"That's the spirit Prince! Go and employ the lessons ever-so-gracefully! We'll be there soon... Nightmare King, she's a growing and maturing rather fast; that's a beautiful thing that we struck a fine mine of grief! Soon we'll have to call her a they like you, O Grimm; soon a name for the Prince as she becomes magically inclined. Be proud, maybe we will see the day of two Grimm Troupes exploring this Universe and making strong of the Nightmare Heart! Maybe we shan't need of the Ritual any more? But let us wait to think those days when we see it come, no?"

"Indeed, 'twas a beautiful thing to notice huge potential; 'tis another see it actualized. Makes me an ol' weeper like the first Grimm and the Grimm Troupe of all those centuries ago. Yet we can all expand our resources to a joyous celebration and pure ecstasy as Grimmchild slays these fools that stumbled at the wrong time."

[2.]

Popping above with the Grimmkin, their eyes saw the Grimmchild in motion as she swerved around the crypt's main room. The Prince casting flame-orbs with every time they pause to catch a breather, always striking the back of those not aware of her position; a munch that left holes agape and organs spewing out like molten lava spewing from volcanoes, the foes last remaining breathes wasted on trying to stop the flow; a swerving slash so sharp and gashing that all caught in the cut's radius zone fell limp within seconds of the struck limb being cut; and a screech so ear-piercing that the old masonry rumbled and small chunks fell. But to the Grimmkins' and the Nightmare King's mind, 'twas seeing the ancient days of blood-sports relived once more: with bones popping out, eyes still attached to the eye cords but not in place, intestines escaping the body and fingers still rolling as they saw fit. The final dance move consisting of the head being ripped from the body, as the Grimmchild's bodily needle stabbed and locked into the head with the skull singing its million fractures.

The spinal cord singing along with the head of flying away from the body, Grimmchild heaved the decapitated head-n-spine in forward torquing motion and used her mouth to clamp down on the spine. Swinging the spine like a bat like the bat she is, the head explodes as it reached the scarred up belly of the last mercenary. The head soon hearing and feeling the gushing acid of the stomach pouch leaking unto it. But this was merely the first part of the final act, the Grimmchild flapped high and the air held a gasp as she spun spirally. Her head in gleeful motion like their Nightmare King, she then formed like her Grimm in any normal occasion and mock-bowed to them all. The Grimmkin chuckling, Grimm's eyes grinned hard; she then spin drilled her way to them, landing square flat into the laps of Grimm.

"Tata Grimm! Did I danced a mighty performance your Nightmarishness~"

"Tata Grimm is very proud, putting young Grimmchild me to shame when she was growing up. Oh if she could only see how you became, would she become a they by then as to raise an even mightier Grimmchild! But that's of the past, let's be grateful we can revel in how excellent thou art in thy first major performance... Thou art be a great Grimm Troupe Leader when that day shall be bestowed upon you by the Nightmare Heart. Now come 'ere and give Tata Grimm lovin', they can't get enough of thee actions and they shall consume it all."

"Ue he he he! I made a Tata Grimm happy, I made a Tata Grimm proud! But what pop in your minds, o Elder Grimmkin?~"

"That we couldn't get enough, come 'ere thee! Let them, oure Great Grimm, seek about the band of mercs' flesh and see if they themself can still harvest nightmares as they bubble in the air. Look, dost thou see them finally?"

"I finally can see the nightmare parts fading in-n-out of the air! It's so beautiful how complex and numerous they are, I really made the Grimm Troupe proud today! For now I am becoming magically inclined!~"

As Grimm's body levitated down to the floor, their body then deconstructed into many vestige-bats that went about consuming the flesh. One shadow-vestige bat then sparked cherry-red flames for eyes and stared at one of the many flapping and drilled-in bats. Screeching an order, the shadow-vestige bat vociferously flapped outside of the crypt; seeing through with their red eyes, the shadow-vestige bat perched on top of the crypt. Waiting for Benjamin Leitner to come and let Grimm show off their dance as the night still reigned supreme on top.

[No music-aide in this section]

A smirk formed upon the shadow-vestige bat, for the irking grass blades gave away the arrival of the individual they all had awaited for. His steps coursing down the old masonry of the crypt, the shadow-vestige bat readied to flap into the crypt and regroup with the Grimm collective. A flame screams to life, forcing Leitner's legs to step away while the eyes surveyed the reddening brightness of the room. But a bat's wing smacked his face, screeches echoing about the crypt-interior. The body tumbling to the floor that the concrete sang every single troubled step with ease, ending with the high note of a collapsed body. The torch rolling away, whistling like the excited flame-stick 'twas.

The body correcting itself, his legs staggered forward and the concrete emanated each click of the boots. Moments upon the red-light grazing the main section, did his eyes see a swarm of vestige bats feasting. Leitner's mind made the folly that his torch's flame was to be useful. However, the flame flew away from the torch and pierced the center-vestige; red-flames crackling for eyes and its wings flapped once into the air. The noise pinged into the other vestiges' ears, who shot straight towards it. A mass of pulsating darkness spiraling about, a faint pop echoed and the darkness subsided to spotlight an old contractor of his - eyes burning bright red, caped and a head with two black horns with a white-masked face.

"Grimm! Is Melinda involved?-"

"Who's this Melinda you speak of? I'm here for you, for I as troupe master shall decommission you for abandoning your role-"

Flintlock roaring a pellet forward, chips of Grimm's head splintered as the pellet whistled by.

"Stay away, dæmon. You slaughtered-"

"Correction, Grimmchild did dearie - kid's learning fast."

Leitner's flintlock finally roared, but Grimm's fingers seized the pellet and slugged it towards Melinda's flintlock. The flintlock bursting and taking Melinda's hand, Leitner seeing both Grimm's bow and Melinda's collapse.

[3.]

"No more formalities, let's dance finally."

Leitner's body began torquing for his rapier, Grimm snapped his fingers as the crypt flashed a crowd of the crypt's inhabitants as the audience. Leitner's body staggering to the flash, red smoke phased Grimm as his hands squeezed Leitner's trembling and tossed him into the air. Smoke-phasing again, the crowd cheered as his cape furled upwards with his fist clench. The concrete soon yelping as shards flew away to dodge Leitner, Grimm spun spirally as his cape wrapped him into a drill. The wind whistling the diving drill, Leitner's body barreled away and staggered to get back up.

Grimm noticing, he made his cape unfurled as his body spider-squatted on the floor. Cape wrapped around his arms like a lance, he lunged towards; pinning Leitner's body.

"Oh Leitner, such a pain; your fight, your only bane. Now in this hour, the end of ours. Remember when my protection of your name was great? Yet with you stopping, I stopped. Rot has manifested into you, and you shall be cleansed along with Feudal Europe."

Retracting back, Leitner collapsed while Grimm's cape unfurled and magicked swarms of red-flame vestige-bats lunging into Leitner. Soon incinerating screams rang out which made the audience clap, yet Grimm's fingers gently grasped Melinda's chin. Her voice-box weakly whispering:

"What... you want?"

"O Melinda, to carry on the ritual. I shall help purge your reputation as you help cleanse Austria - later, the troupe together shall weed out Feudal Europe."

Her mind went blank as her body was carried outside the crypt by Grimm. Upon such, the Elder Grimmkins graciously scanned the body; remembering the last time horrid traps bodies can possess post-mortem which could set off. Grimmchild hanging above the ceiling, she saw how they all checked his now charred body and sighed relief as they chanted graceful thanks to Fortuna. Her ears weren't deaf nor her mind innocent, not like being connected to Grimm physically and by one's role would allow that. Her memory-theatre replayed those times her ears caught the talks of the anti-chaotic and anti-orderly beast, the talks of no more nightmares if the annihilatory beast swung by, the bleak drabness of cold concrete and the many ways it sought about to corrupt those. Even going so far as to repeatedly kill and regenerate someone as to finally corrupt them once and for all, or so was thought back then before anti-corruption methods where heavily employed. But, this wasn't a story for her to see yet; she knew at least what that galaxy-wide infection was, that she wasn't in those dark, dark, ages. Eyes gleeful, she spirally swerved down and away from the crypt; on time to get with the Grimm Troupe and phase all the way back home without the trouble of the sun nor the falling moon.

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Two thingsTM: Yay a Grimm Troupe story and also a moment to bring up the Void for those not aware with these euphemisms! :D :D!!!!~ ALSO FIRST TIME I GOT BACK TO EXTENSION POSTS, YAY!!!!~


[This unironically was what would imagine Grimm be at when he got done chucking the pellet or first forming the in the face of Benjamin Leitner. Also yes those Japanese characters are a JoJo reference, mainly to the "menacing" meme.]