Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This is a story of how both men found their love for each other and happily lived after.

But, their beginnings were not so merciful…

Should we start with the first one?

Name: Dim (Shine) Odling

Age: 19 (2019) 

Date of Birth: 25/08/2000 (dd/mm/yyyy)

It was a special day for Shine. Today, he gets to ride a big boat with his friends.

Shine has really adored the ocean since he was a kid. He knew every ocean animal ever and he really likes Angler fishes the most. Glowing to catch their prey on deep, dark seas was interesting to him. His dream job was to be an Oceanographer (Ocean Researcher).

As he waved goodbye to his parents, he moved forward to the seas. As he was chatting with his friends and looking to the surface of the ocean, a heavy storm suddenly began.

“This wasn't on the weather news!” he said to himself. But then, a big wave hit the boat and he lost his balance. He tried to swim back but the storm was too strong. His friends tried to save him with a lifebuoy but it was dragged away by the sea. Shine couldn't keep up with the sea and eventually succumbed to the sea, going down to the ocean.

“Is this how i die?” he thought to himself as he was out of breath, slowly blacking out.

5 years later…

Shine suddenly woke up, finding himself inside a sunken wooden ship that had seen better days. He had a big headache and he was mostly confused about how he survived. As he looked at himself, he reliased his skin was now some sort of a dark blue color. But when he looked at his hands, he saw that his right hand was now an angler fish. 

A alive one that is. 

As the angler fish woke up, it moved its mouth slowly, trying to speak but no sound came out of its mouth as expected. But Shine started to hear a sound on his head.

“Gosh, you are finally awake.” the voice said.

“Who’s that- wait…” Shine stopped. “Is an angler fish speaking through my mind?” he said.

“First of all, the name is Chomper.” Chomper started. “And yes, i am now communicating through your mind and you vice versa.” It continued.

“That’s strange.” Shine said. “So, could you answer how i am still alive?” He added.

“No idea. But i do have a theory.” Chomper says. “When we both died side by side we might have fused together with a purple gem i ate.”

“...First, how did you even died on my side?” Shine questioned.

“I was actually gonna eat your remains but i suddenly blacked out.” Chomper says.

“Okay… And second, why did you even ate that purple gem?” Shine questioned once again.

“C'mon man, it looked delicious and it was quite shiny too.” Chomper said.

“Maybe that gem is the cause that we are fused together?” Shine says.

“What do you mean?” Chomper questions.

“I heard that there were purple gems at Starr Park that made you some sort of a superhuman but it would make you a bit crazy.” Shine told Chomper.

“You know what, just your average day at Starr Park” Chomper jokingly says.

“Well then. Should we look for a spot to stay over for tonight? I don't think this ship is not so safe.” Shine says.

“I have to agree.” Chomper agreeing with Shine's idea.

After both of them find a spot to set a campfire and catching some fish, they cook the fish and fill up their stomachs.

Shine manages to find a mirror close by and decides to have a look at new himself.

And… for him, he didn't liked how his one side of his face was angler fish like. Wider mouth, full yellow eyes and he was bald on that side too.

“I am so covering that side with a bandage once i find one.” he said to himself.

For his new life at Deeper Dark, he had a lot to do. Like getting some thick clothes cuz the temperatures at Deeper Dark was not so merciful at warmth. And signing up to Brawl so he could at least make some money, even if it's not much. And a legal name change. 

Why the name change? He wanted to feel new.

And he already had one in mind.

“Dim sound like a nice name to my new self.” he said to himself.

Chapter Text

Name: Clancy Carlson

Age: 42

Date Of Birth: 25/07/1982

Clancy had a real good life years ago. A stable job, loving wife and for him, the most important thing ever in his life…

His daughter Clover who was full of joy. She really brightened his life when things were tough and for him, it was more than enough.

But one day, he had to get drafted for war and leave his wife and daughter home for a long time. He promised them that he would make it in one piece and that they don't have to worry about him.

But to his horror… they did not make it in one piece.

Once the war ended, he took the usual route to his home while buying some flowers for his wife and his daughters favorite sweets.

But he started to notice that some of the houses have crumbled to the ground.

“Did these houses get damaged during the war? I hope everyone is fine…” he said to himself quietly.

About the time when he was close to his home, he couldn't see the house far. Thinking about the worst scenario, he started to sprint, begging that his wife and daughter were fine.

In those piles of bricks, he saw his daughter's hands, covered with bits of blood.

About the time when he removed the bricks, he saw her body. Pale, bloody and lifeless.

At that time, he was close to tearing up but he started trying to find his wife underneath the bricks.

An hour later, he managed to find his wife as well but it was the same fate as her daughter…

He just couldn't hold it in anymore and cried for hours beside them until he tired himself from crying and slept on top of the bricks.

Clancy woke up the next day with back pain and cold. He had a lot to do. He started with digging a hole for his wife and daughter’s graves. It took him a painful 1 hour to bury them. The best he could do at the moment is make a cross with sticks as gravesticks. After praying for them, he went out of his way to call one of his friends to stay over for a while. After explaining what happened to his friend, he agreed to stay over for a while.

While resting a bit at his friend’s house, he had some stupid idea. He did hear some rumors with his soldier friends that submarine officers found human-like sea creatures in the ocean. 

One of them had a diver suit using its hose like a paint gun and the other seemed like a small old shrimp with a huge tank. What if he joined them? He really knew that this idea was stupid but at this point, what he had to lose on his lowest point?

So, with his friend’s permission, he started to design a suit to fit along with those sea creatures. His costume idea was a lobster with a human-like body. After all, his favorite sea animal was lobsters since he was a kid. It would even consider it as his spirit animal with a big body and strong claws.

After a month, he manages to finish his costume. He forgot a few important parts like whiskers but his budget was limited. He also managed to fit in an oxygen tank inside the costume to breathe underwater.

He left a note for his friend that he really thanked him for letting him stay over but he will be away for a while. And now, it was time for Clancy to start a new life.

After 10 minutes of diving down, appreciating the beauty of the corals, he finds a glowing purple gem on top of the corals. When he held it, he felt strange for a while, but then it stopped. He felt that something had changed but looking at himself, he didn't see any change. 

While diving for a while longer, a big shark tackled him and knocked off his oxygen mask. Clancy panicked at first but strangely, he could still breathe fine. Did that strange gem give him the ability to breathe underwater? If this was a sign to stay underwater for his entire life, then he could not be any happier.

An hour passes till he finds a hut in a distance with 2 figures. 

“Could they be them?” Clancy said with some excitement.

They looked familiar. Mysterious creature in a diver suit and an old shrimp man in a tank. The rumors were indeed true!

Meanwhile the diver suit creature was helping the shrimp man cleaning his tank by letting him stand on top of his head to reach higher. Suddenly, the diver notices someone and quickly turns around but the shrimp man wasn't prepared for it and falls to the ground.

The diver does panicked and worried grumbling sounds, concerned about the shrimp man.

“Ughh… I am fine. Thank god i wear this helmet all the time.” the shrimp man responds.

“Anyway, what was that any-”

And there, they noticed Clancy in the distance.

“Oh.

Hey, who are you!?”

“Oh, i'm-”

“Wait, hold that. I think i heard something.”

The shrimp man starts to panic a bit when he hears whale cries.

“Come with me, quick!”

Before Clancy can even react, the diver grabs Clancy's arm with its hose and drags him to a shelter.

The shrimp soldier catches his breath for a moment and calms down.

“Ugh, close one.”

As Clancy peeks at the window of the shelter, he sees the whale slowly passing by.

“It seems we are safe from it. For now at least.”

“That's good news. Anyway, i haven't gotten your name yet.”

“Oh yeah, the name is Clancy.”

“Nice to meet you then. My name is Hank, and they are Otis. And that starfish? Her name is Cil.”

“Nice to meet you three as well.”

“Say, are you lost by any chance?”

Clancy pauses for a second.

“Sorta yeah.”

“Well, say what. You can stay here for a while if you want. Till you figure things out.”

“Well… i guess i can't say no. These seas feel a bit dangerous.”

“That settles it then. We should have a spare room here. Come with me.”

Hank leads Clancy to a small room with all the essentials you could ask for.

“It's nothing much but it's a liveable place.”

Clancy looks around at the room for a bit. A fabric hammock with pillows & comforter, a small closet that's enough to store plenty of clothes and a colorful rug to top it off. The room was beautiful.

“I like it. Thank you.”

“Ah, don't worry about it. Make yourself at home and ask us if you have questions.”

“I will.”

After putting his stuff in the closet, he lays down to the hammock and thinks to himself for a bit.

“My new place huh? They are totally convinced that i am a lobster now. How am i gonna tell them?

…guess i shouldn't worry about it at the moment. I need to rest.”

While Clancy was sleeping peacefully, Hank thinks about Clancy.

“He does have the potential but will he really wanna do it?

…guess i can ask that tomorrow."

And after a few years…

“Clancy hey! Hurry up, we are gonna be late!”

“Ugh.. uh? Okayokay gimme a minute to prepare!”

“Okay, please be fast.”

“I will!”

While putting on his suit that he has improved, he tought to hinself for a moment.

“God i was close to oversleeping. But we might still make it in time to brawl.”

After putting on his suit, Clancy rushes outside to make it to the arena in time.

“Cmon let’s go!”

“Haha, slow down Clancy!”

And this is the exact time where the lovers will meet for the first time.

Chapter Text

“Damn it, i am gonna be late!”

Dim makes it to the arena with few minutes to spare.

“Man, i don't want to be late on my first brawl.”

While Dim is catching his breath, Chomper chimes in for a while.

“Well, you have some time to spare. You should probably dress up with something else.”

“Well, i would if i had some actual nice clothes.”

A staff member overhears him and offers him some clothes to pick and take.

While Dim is looking around at the selection of the clothes, he finds what he find…

A plain blue hoodie with black sweatsuit.

Chomper looks kinda disappointed with the choice Dim makes.

“Really, you gonna wear those? While this place is warm?”

“Look, my body is always cold for some reason and i wanna stay warm.”

“Fine by me i guess.”

After Dim finally finished dressing up, he entered his first brawl.

But before that, he had to be put on a team of 3 people.

The staff member tells him about the rules.

“Since you are a solo and you don't have your triomates yet, you will be covering the trios where one of the members got sick, duos and other solo members. Understood?”

Dim nods in agreement and enters the map.

The map of the day was Gem Grab. 

And he notices the teammates next to them. A person with a cardboard box on his head and a living magic 8-Ball?

Dim looked at them in confusion for a while and the cardboard box person spoke first.

“First time here? The name is Finx.”

And the 8-Ball joins in as well.

“And my name is Meeple.”

“Well, nice to meet you two. My name is Dim and she is Chomper.”

“Well, it's diced to meet you too. But i don't think you have to do much here. We might even carry you with our combo, don't you think Finx?”

“We will see.”

“...Well then. Who are we facing against anyways?”

“Oh it's them.”

“Who-”

Dim looks at the other side and sees the Deep Sea Trio.

Dim thinks to himself for a while.

“They are trios right? This might be a bit tough.”

And the match starts.

Dim rushes to the bushes to hide to charge his flashbang.

“Okay, i am curious what's going on out there.”

Dim peeks out of the bush for a while to check.

Meeple and Finx were trying to hold off Hank & Clancy from the gem zone.

Dim's eyes lock on to Clancy for a while.

“Wait, why does he look like that? He is kinda cute with that suit.”

While thinking about him, Dim has forgotten about the game and snaps back from Chomper's screaming thoughts.

“GET THIS STARFISH OFF ME HELP DAMMIT!!”

“Chomper, what's happening-”

As he looks to his right, Otis has already found them.

“Umm hey there little fella-”

Before finishing his sentence, Otis shoots him with plenty of paintballs to take him down.

After respawning, Meeple shouts at him.

“AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES ABOUT THE MATCH? LOCK ONTO HANK!”

“AHHH Okayokay got it.” 

But it was too late with Hank taking all the gems and running back to base.

“We can still turn this back, hurry!” Finx shouts hurryingly.

While Dim managed to flashbang Hank and was about to take him down, Clancy dashed in front of him with his Paintball Barrage ready.

Dim lost that match badly.

And Finx & Meeple blamed him for the loss.

“Always the newcomers…” Meeple mumbled to himself.

Skip to other 7 matches where he won without any issues.

“That's all of them right Chomper?”

“Yeah, thank god it's over. I need some rest after biting down so many people.”

“Why did you agree to be my weapon again?”

“Biting down people is fun :3”

“I ain't complaining i guess.”

Dim gets to the lobby to get his paycheck. A staff member makes him scan his ticket.

“7 out of 8 wins… Really great for a newbie actually. Here is your paycheck.”

The staff hands him 70$.

“I am guessing each win is worth 10 Dollars?”

“That is correct.”

The staff hands him a paper.

“And if you manage to come here every day and win, you might rank up to get more money out of your paychecks.”

“Well then. Thank you.”

“Have a nice day!”

Dim heads to the surface to treat himself with his first paycheck.

“Damn, the sun is setting down already? Guess it took that long.”

“What are you gonna get anyways?”

“Thinking about getting a pillow, duvet, and maybe some more clothes with the spare money?”

“Not gonna get anything else? Like food or something?”

“We already have it covered with us hunting fish anyways. And we don’t really pay rent.”

“Eh, okay then.”

“Could've only afford the pillow & duvet. It's okay though. I can't wait to actually sleep somewhat warm.”

Dim joyfully sets up his new stuff for his bed. He was still sleeping on a wooden bench but his head will be comfy now.

“You really need to save up for a full bed huh…”

“Agreed… but with how much money we are getting paid, it will be a long journey. I hope that i can sleep warm tonight.”

After preparing the bed, Dim sets aside Chomper with the extra pillow he got.

“Is it comfy?”

“It's nice enough.”

“Nice.”

“Well, good night to you then.”

“Good night.”

As hours pass, Chomper sleeps peacefully while Dim is having thoughts about that lobster man he faced today.

“I mean yeah, i did let my guard down on him. So much. But why does he look so cute in that suit???”

It was nice thinking alone for a while without someone else not really letting you have privacy in your thoughts.

“I wanna ask him out but i can't just jump to love, that would be too embarrassing for me… i gotta take it slow. Maybe start with small talk and be friends for a while and figure out the rest. Yeah, that can work.”

Dim becomes satisfied with his way of thinking and slowly doses off to sleep.

“I wonder how he is doing.”

As looking at Clancy, he seems to be all out of breath with his late night run.

And looking at Hank & Otis, they seem to both dozed off to sleep too. He had the whole place to himself for a while.

As he was taking a hot shower, the thoughts started forming.

“That new brawler seemed too distracted at something. Was it at us? And the way he looked at me when i did the finishing blow at the last second… Was he distracted by me?”

There were no sounds other than gentle sounds of water drops.

Before Clancy went to sleep, he thought to himself again.

“Was he interested at me? Hah. Haven't had someone like that for a long time huh… I would like to meet them someday to talk a bit.”

Even separate at the moment, they were connected with their mind.