sharks-n-bones

[sharks-n-bones]

OMG GUYS GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT

IT'S TIME FOR GUY FUCKING DIAMOND AGAIN BABY LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO

PROBABLY NOT MY BEST WORK CUZ IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'E WORED ON THIS AU AND IT ALSO MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE LONGEST STORY BIT BY FAR BUT REGARDLESS I HOPE YOU GUYS ENOY AND I'M SORRY FOR LOWKEY ABANDONING THIS FOR SO LONG

Guy Diamond couldn't believe it. His son was back in his arms. He'd grown a bit and had some scars hut his heart was beating and he was breathing and he was alive and in his arms and Guy couldn't stop himself from crying from the intense relief flooding his soul

His son was okay. His son was alive, holy fuck, he was alive!! Guy held him close and so, so gently as if he'd disappear or break if he held too tight. He was so focused on having Tiny back in his arms, alive and well, that he didn't notice his colors slowly returning

After he and Tiny just hugged and enjoyed being together again a little longer, Guy sniffled and pulled away slightly so he could wipe away his tears. He looked at his son and, after realizing he'd been crying too, he gently wiped his tears away with his thumb

Guy looked up at the doorway, finally acknowledging Branch and the newcomer he'd heard earlier. He turned to the unfamiliar face and asked his name. The stranger introduced himself as John Dory. Guy asked if he was the one who brought his tiny son back to him. At his nod, Guy smiled and thanked him with all his soul

Tiny patting his cheek brought his attention back to his son, and Tiny grinned and started telling him all the things that had happened since they were separated. How Tiny had managed to free himself, how John Dory found him and wrapped his injuries, patching him up, how he gave Tiny a walking stick to help him get around and how he then fashioned it into a spear and taught him how to defend himself with it once he'd healed

Throughout Tiny’s story, Guy periodically glanced up at the troll still leaning in the doorway. The more Tiny told of how JD helped him, the more Guy's appreciation for the troll grew. He'd saved his son, patched him up, treated him like his own and taught him some tricks to defend himself, all the while helping Tiny find Guy again?

Guy turned back to Tiny once he finished his story and Guy smiled again. It felt nice to smile again. He stood from where he'd been kneeling on the floor, Tiny in his arms (safe and sound, his baby was safe and sound in his arms again), and turned to John Dory, asking if he'd like something to eat or drink. Anything at all, as a thank you for saving his son and taking care of him

JD seemed to get a bit flustered, a light blush covering his cheeks and he rubbed the back of his neck as he agreed to the offer of food and drink, saying it was no big deal. But to Guy, it was a big deal. It was a huge deal. He'd thought he'd never see his son again, and this troll had brought his tiny son back to him

Guy smiled and led the way to the kitchen, grabbing some fruit from the fridge and making some tea before sitting at the table so they could talk

And talk they did. For hours, in fact. Tiny had eventually gotten tired of their talking and nestled up in Guy’s hair and was presumably asleep, if the snoring was any indication. It made Guy and JD chuckled, and John made a joke about how someone so small could snore so loud, which made them both laugh harder

Guy learned that John was Branch’s brother, and that he had three more he was searching for. Guy's eyes had widened at that. He didn't know Branch had one brother, let alone four! Guy asked what John Dory did before the flood, and learned he'd spent 20 years alone in the woods as a survivalist. He learned JD had an armadillo rv named Rhonda, and learned how he'd lost her when the flood hit. Guy felt sorry for him, but JD waved it off, saying Rhonda was tough and could handle herself until he eventually found her

JD told stories of the places he'd been and the adventures he'd had, and Guy was amazed and slightly horrified. Living completely alone aside from an armadillo bus sounded so lonely, Guy was surprised he chose that lifestyle. He asked why, and JD had said he wanted freedom and wanted to only be in charge of himself for a change

Guy guessed wanting freedom was understandable, but living alone for so long just sounded miserable to him. He said as much, and JD had chuckled and said the lifestyle wasn't for everyone. Guy agreed with him there

Guy had finally started coming out of his room more often than not, and he'd noticed that while yes he'd gotten his colors and his glittery shine back, they were still muted and a bit grey-toned. It made sense, if he was being honest. Tiny was alive and well and Guy couldn't be happier about that, but he was just so worried about losing him again! The thoughts kept him up at night, as did the nightmares he still got

He'd become more protective of Tiny, always keeping an eye on him and staying within reach to help him if he needed it. He tried not to hover or be too overbearing, because he knew Tiny liked to do his own thing, but he was so worried about losing him and not being able to get him back again. Tiny didn't seem to mind all that much, thank the stars. Maybe he was worried, too

He'd also noticed that Tiny had been getting nightmares, too. Guy’s been a light sleeper since… what happened, and every once in a while he'd wake up to Tiny crying in his sleep, shaking like a leaf. It always broke Guy’s heart to see him like that, so he'd gently pull Tiny to his chest and hum softly until he settled again.

He suspected Tiny might know about his nightmares, too, because sometimes he'd wake up after a particularly bad one and Tiny would be there, hugging his face tightly. He felt guilty when that happened, he didn't want to worry his son, but he was also grateful, because seeing him there and feeling him hug his face reminded him that Tiny was alive and it helped him calm down

Luckily, when he'd woken up from his most recent nightmare, it seemed Tiny had managed to stay asleep this time. He could feel him nestled in his hair, he could hear him still snoring, sleeping soundly. Guy breathed a sigh of relief once he was assured Tiny was still okay, still with him, still safe, and he took some deep breaths as he willed his racing heart to slow

After a while, he began to calm down and he gingerly sat up with another sigh. He knew he wouldn't be getting any more sleep that night, he rarely did after his nightmares. So he gingerly sat up, being careful not to wake Tiny, before making his way out of his room and to the upper decks of the ship

He stopped by the kitchen to make himself some tea before heading to the top deck, hoping the steaming drink and the cool night air would help soothe his frayed nerves

He took a deep breath of the cool night air, letting out a sigh afterwards. It was still dark out, the sun still resting below the horizon. The humid ocean air felt nice, and the scent of salt on the breeze helped relax him further. When he glanced around, he was surprised to find John Dory already awake, leaning against the rails of the ship and sipping at a mug of his own

To Guy's knowledge, John still stayed on his own ship. JD and Branch had managed to connect the two ships with many support beams and a bridge that connected one deck to the other. He had no idea how they'd managed that, but then again, Guy didn't know much about building, so he just didn't question it

Guy made his way over to John until they were standing side by side, gazing out at the open sea. Neither said anything for a while, the only sounds to breaking the silence between them being the crashing of waves against the ships sides and Tiny’s loud snores

Eventually, JD asked what he was doing up so early, keeping his voice low. Guy had simply shrugged, keeping his voice a whisper as well when he said he'd had another nightmare. Guy turned the question around on John Dory, and he'd just sipped his drink (coffee, Guy guessed) and said he couldn't sleep. Guy had nodded sympathetically. He could relate to that

John Dory didn't ask what his nightmare was about, and Guy didn't ask why JD couldn't sleep. They just…lapsed into silence again for a while, each sipping their drinks and gazing at the sea

Eventually, Guy spoke up again. He mentioned how he was still so scared of anything happening to Tiny again. He didn't know how to fight, didn't have any survival skills other than what he'd learned on the ship and from what Branch had told him after Tiny had been taken by that damn fish

He'd never wanted to learn to fight before, never needed to. But now…now he'd been faced with the very real possibility of Tiny getting hurt, and he couldn't protect him. He was completely and utterly useless

John Dory had been silent as he spoke. When Guy’s voice eventually trailed off, he heard JD hum thoughtfully. Guy scratched at the side of his neck and took a long sip of his tea, then nearly choked on it when JD offered to teach him

Guy stared wide-eyed as JD continued, saying how he'd picked up a lot of skills while wandering the Neverglades for the past 20 years. He'd said that, if Guy wanted to learn how to defend himself and Tiny, that he'd be willing to teach him

If it meant protecting his son, Guy would do anything, and he told John as much. JD had given him a soft smile and told him they could start the next morning. Strangely enough, Guy couldn't help but feel a bit excited

The next morning, before the sun rose, while Tiny was still curled up in bed and everyone else was still asleep, John Dory taught Guy Diamond how to throw a punch. A few mornings later, and Guy was beginning to get the hang of it

Once he got a good handle on how to punch, John taught Guy all the places to hit to really make it hurt

Eventually, it became a routine for them. They'd get up before the sun, JD would teach Guy something new or help him perfect something he was struggling with, Guy would turn into bed early claiming to “need his beauty sleep”, and they'd begin again the next morning

It was a lot more work than Guy expected (and hard work wasn't something he was particularly fond of), but he wanted to do this—no, needed to do this. He needed to be able to protect Tiny. He'd never let anything bad happen to his son ever again. So he continued letting JD teach him to fight

He was surprised that it seemed to get easier for him over time. Slowly, he noticed he wasn't getting as sore from all the workouts. He noticed he was even getting a bit of muscle! And with his apparent growing strength, helping out around the ship became easier too

He'd also noticed he was getting hungrier and needed to eat more in order to feel full. He'd complained about it to JD one morning, and the other troll had simply laughed and told him he needed to replenish the calories he was burning, whatever that meant

Aside from the changes from his new routine, Guy also noticed some…other physical changes

For one thing, the rash on the sides of his neck had formed into a few thin red lines, still itchy and tender. The realization had left him staring at them in the mirror for a while, his fingers tracing over the thin lines. It was still hard to believe that they would soon become gills

He'd also noticed his skin becoming a bit rougher…sort of. He'd noticed that if he brush his arm in one direction, it was still silky smooth (if a bit dry), but if brushed the other way, it would start to feel coarse, like flakes of glitter

The webbing between his fingers had also grown, now reaching his middle knuckle. He'd only noticed when he'd been washing his hands and felt the webbing, and then he'd wondered how he hadn't noticed before

Lastly, his tail seemed to be changing. He had noticed it when he was drinking some tea one morning, before he and JD started the fighting lesson of the day. It had become…wider almost? Thicker? Bigger? He didn't quite know how to explain it. The tuft of hair at the end had also begun changing, becoming thinner and flattening to become almost…fin-like… The realization had almost made him fall out of his chair at the time. JD had asked what had gotten him so startled, and when Guy explained, JD had nodded solemnly

JD had mentioned some of the changes he'd been noticing about himself, too. He told how his skin was getting thicker, rougher. He told him how his nails were beginning to sharpen into something like claws, and that he didn't know if he wanted to file them down or not. He told Guy he’d noticed his teeth were getting sharper, too, and bared his teeth in a grin to show him (the sight had made Guy's heart race, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why)

Then, he'd shown Guy his own tail, and Guy had to bite back a gasp. Along the top, small but definitely there, two lines of spikes had appeared, spanning the full length of his tail

Guy had only seen one creature with a tail like that. King Gristle’s pet alligator. But…that didn't make sense. From what he remembered about the creature, it didn't have gills, and Guy could see that the rash on John Dory’s neck had formed into fine lines much like his own. He didn't know much about critters, land or sea, but now he wondered if there were alligators with gills lurking beneath the waves. The thought made a shiver of fear travel down his spine

They talked about everything for a while longer after that. The changes, the flood, their new way of living, wondering what would happen once the changes were complete. And as they talked and sipped at their steaming drinks, they watched through the windows as dark clouds began to trail across the sky

Their conversation was cut short when the waves began to pick up, rocking the boat and nearly making them fall from their seats. They quickly discarded their mugs and donned some rain coats before rushing outside to try and steady the ship

It didn't take long for everyone else to wake up and rush outside. By the time everyone had made it to their stations, it was already pouring rain. Waves crashed harshly against the sides of th ship, and it wasn't long before the rain and sea spray soaked Guy down to his bones

The water was freezing, but Guy ignored the cold as he helped wherever he could. At some point, he saw that Tiny had made his way outside, but before Guy could even think to panic, JD was already there, scooping Tiny into his arms and urging him to hide in his hair. John Dory had pulled his goggles down over his eyes, Guy had noticed idly. It was probably useful in keeping the rain out of his eyes

He was quickly pulled from his thoughts when another large wave rocked the ship, nearly knocking Guy off-balance. He quickly steadied himself and finished tying down one of the barrels on the deck. He was about to move on and tie down anything else that had come loose when the ship rocked dangerously once again. He couldn't steady himself in time before a loose crate slammed into him, sending him crashing against the railing of the ship and tumbling over the edge…

Directly into the foaming waves below. Time seemed to slow as he fell. He could hear some of the others shouting for him, two voices ringing out louder than the others. He barely had time to gasp for breath before he was consumed by the crashing waves

Water surrounded him at all sides. It was all he could feel, all he could hear, all he could see. Guy tumbled through the water, hands clamped tightly over his mouth as he held his breath. Desperately, he swam towards where he assumed the surface to be, but everything was so disorienting. He couldn't tell left from right, up from down, and he tumbled through the water once more as another giant wave crashed overhead

He shook his head, trying to right himself. He couldn't die here. He had to get back to the ship, he had to get back to his son! His son needed him! He had to get back, he had to-

He caught a glimmer of light above him, faint and distant, and he desperately swam towards it. His arms and legs burned from the exertion, his lungs were screaming for air, but he ignored the sensations as he desperately clawed his way towards the surface

He kicked himself upwards desperately, his hands clawing at the water, but the surface was too far. Black spots began dancing at the edge of his vision, and a bone-deep panic made him redouble his efforts. He just needed to get back to the surface, get back to the ship, get back to his son-!

He was slowing…he could feel his arms and legs weakening, it became harder to move, and his lungs burned with the need for oxygen

He was going to die here, the thought came to his mind unbidden, and he could feel that fight to survive begin to leave him. Tiny…Tiny would be alright. He was with John Dory. John Dory would be able to protect him. Distantly, Guy felt his eyes burn at the thought of not being able to make it back to his son, but with his body weakening, his lungs burning and the surface still so far…he sent a silent apology to his son. An apology for not being able to make it back, for not being able to protect him, for letting the ocean claim his life. He could only hope Tiny would forgive him

Finally, he couldn't take the lack of oxygen anymore, and the last of the fight left Guy as he opened his mouth and sucked in a breath full of salt water

He felt the ocean water immediately rushing into his mouth, traveling down his neck, and he waited to feel it filling his lungs, waited for ragged coughs to wrack his frame in a desperate attempt to dispel the water from his lungs…

Instead, he felt a searing pain in the sides of his neck, the sensation of something passing through, and blessed relief as his lungs stopped burning for air

Slowly, his vision began to clear as he gasped for breath desperately. The panic inside him began to ebb, and in it's place, confusion rose. This shouldn't be possible…how was he breathing? Had he somehow made it back to the surface?

He opened the eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed and found that, no, he hadn't made it to the surface. Water still surrounded him at all sides, he could feel it rushing into his mouth as he breathed, how was this possible-

Looking up, he caught sight of the surface. Moving on instinct alone, he used his legs and tail to propel himself towards the surface of the waves

Guy’s head broke through the water and met the frigid air. He didn't even have a chance to take a breath of actual air before he felt something wrap around him and yank him out of the water. The next thing he knew, strong arms were wrapped around him, pressing him tight to a solid chest

Guy gasped, air rushing into his lungs and the strange feeling of water cascading along the sides of his neck made him cough. Finally, he glanced up, and there was John Dory, holding Guy in his arms, his goggles pushed up to his forehead again with such a strong look of fear in his eyes. JD was panting heavily as his eyes roamed over Guy, his eyes filled with fear, concern, relief, and something else…something soft and almost tender and oh, Guy felt his heart skip a beat at the sight

Distantly, he registered someone calling out, shouting something at John Dory, who'd nodded. Before he could react, John was lifting him and rushing inside, getting them out of the freezing rain and whipping wind and into the warm air of one of the common rooms

The moment they were safe inside, Tiny launched himself from John Dory’s hair and wrapped his arms around Guy, sobbing his little heart out. He was yelling at him, telling him to be more careful, to never do that again, how he couldn't lose him, couldn't be separated from him again

Guy's heart broke at the sight of his son sobbing and he hugged him tightly to his chest. He reassured him that he was alright, he'd be more careful, he'd never leave him again

His attention was brought back to John Dory when he gently set him down on one of the couches. His eyes scanned Guy for a moment as if he were searching for something, then after a moment he nodded, apparently satisfied. He murmured that he'd be right back before rushing off somewhere, leaving Guy and Tiny on the couch

Guy went back to trying to calm his son, reassuring him that he was alright while running his fingers through his hair. After a bit, Tiny seemed to calm down some, and a but after that, his eyes slipped closed and soft snores began to escape him

Guy felt so bad for worrying his son. Tiny was so young, he shouldn't have to worry about the dangers of the world. He shouldn't have to worry about his safety or Guy’s safety. Guilt weighed heavy on his heart and he sighed, leaning back against the couch cushions and staring at the ceiling, lost in thought

Not long after, Guy heard a door opening and glanced over to find that John was back, now carrying a large blanket, a towel, and two steaming mugs. John set the mugs on the coffee table and wrapped the blanket around Guy silently. He then handed him one of the mugs before using the towel to dry Guy's hair. Guy tried to insist that he could do it himself, but JD had just shaken his head

Once done, Guy watched as John Dory set the towel aside before grabbing the other mug and sitting next to him on the couch with a sigh. Neither said anything for a moment, both just sipping their respective drinks

A touch to the side of his neck startled him a bit, and he glanced over at John. JD was staring intently at the side of Guy's neck, his hand just barely hovering over where his tender rash was…or, where it should be

Guy raised a confused brow at him, and when he noticed, John Dory pulled his hand away. After a moment, John murmured that his gills had formed

Guy was shocked for all of two seconds before he realized, oh, so that’s how he'd survived. His gills had probably formed right as he was gasping in water. Softly adjusting Tiny so he was holding him in one arm, he brought his newly freed hand up to his neck to feel

They were flat, smooth against his skin (probably because he wasn't breathing water currently), but they were definitely there. Despite the shock it brought, proof that his body really was changing so he could survive in the sea, he couldn't help but also sag in relief

His thumb traced the seam, the flesh still tender and sore. Quietly, as to not wake Tiny, he told JD his he would've likely died if the gills hadn't formed when they did

He told him how he had been so far from the surface, how he'd begun to weaken, how he'd gasped and felt the salty ocean water flood his mouth and down his throat before feeling pain in the sides of his neck

They lapsed into silence, and he heard John heaving a shaky sigh. Guy almost didn't hear when John spoke next, his voice barely above a whisper when he admitted how terrified he'd been when he saw Guy fall overboard. Guy apologized for scaring him. JD apologized for not being able to grab him before he went over the edge of the ship

Neither looked at the other, each just sipping their drinks as they listened to the storm continuing to rage outside. Slowly, the ship stopped rocking as violently, and the sound of pounding rain lessened. Neither moved, neither spoke, and Guy…he couldn't help the soft smile that appeared on his face despite everything

[sharks-n-bones]

OUT OF CONTEXT ANGST EVERYTHING IS FINE THEY'RE FINE THERE WASN'T A SCARE OR ANYTHING NOTHING HAPPENED

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DO YOU GUYS WANT OUT OF CONTEXT ANGST ART FOR A MOMENT I HAVEN'T EVEN WRITTEN YET???

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I HAVE THOUGHTS I HAVE FUCKING THOUGHTS FOR GUY AND JD FUCKING FUCK FUCK OKAY BUT IDK IF IT SHOULD BE IN THE PART I'M WRITING CURRENTLY OR THE NEXT PART IDK IF I WANT THIS BIT OF STORY PROGRESSION TO HAPPEN YET OR IF I WANNA WAIT BUT AAAAAAAAAAAA

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Y'all

...

I ask because 1.) I've grown to LOVE the idea of trolls having tails and 2.) I think it might be easier that way for JD to have a gator tail so like instead of suddenly growing a tail he already has one and it just changes along with the rest of the siren mutation

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Quick question: Is fan writing for the Flood Au okay? Just wanted to be sure before I started.

ABSOLUTELY OMG YES ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU TAG ME OR SOMETHING SO I CAN READ IT TOO

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Trying to get back into drawing trolls 😅

Ft. A shitty attempt at Gator Siren! John Dory!! Can't tell if I'm happy with this or not but ya know what, at least I tried!!

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AND IF I SAID ALLIGATOR SIREN JOHN DORY WHAT THEN

WHAT THEN

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SORRY Y'ALL BUT I'M BACK ON MY BULLSHIT WITH COLORED ELECTRIC EEL CLAY

ALSO I'M SORRY FOR THE ASSTASTIC IMAGE QUALITY, MY TABLET TAKES SHIT SCREENSHOTS

ALSO ALSO WE'RE IGNORING HOW BAD THE COLORING JOB IS, IT'S BEEN A MINUTE SINCE I'VE DONE DIGITAL ART

[sharks-n-bones]

I'm boutta just start making up sea creatures for this au tbh

Seal fish

Disco fish

Saligator

We dem koi fish that randomly come together and scream "WE DEM KOIS" or just scream it when someone gets too close

Saligator would basically just be an ocean dwelling alligator with gills (because I had a siren idea for one of the characters)

Disco fish I feel like are self explanatory enough (if y'all can't guess who would be disco fish sirens-)

Seal fish. Fish with furr instead of scales. Still have gills. I feel like something like that could exist in trolls

We Dem Koi Fish is just for fun because I think I'm hilarious LMAO

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Flood Au Creek!!!

The scrunkly little man, poor guy is depressed

After the whole thing in the first movie, I think Creek would've slowly turned grey

Like, at first he was still super prideful and full of himself.

He couldn't really go back to Pop Village, though, so he began living in the woods. Lemme tell ya, living in the woods all alone, having to dodge and outrun predators, where every day is a fight just to survive? It puts some things in perspective

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I was rereading this au and started getting attached again 😭😭😭 If I become hyperfixated on trolls again because of my own au, I'm blaming y'all

Idk why, I just am

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COOPER AND DARNELL ARE FINALLY DONE WOOHOO

Holy fuck guys I'm so sorry this took so long, I had major writers block with these two and I got sick recently and it's been a time BUT NOW THEY'RE FINISHED HUZZAH I HOPE Y'ALL ENJOY AND THANK YOU FOR STILL SUPPORTING ME EVEN THOUGH IT TOOK ME SO DAMN LONG TO WRITE FOR THEM

EDIT FORGOT TO SAY EARLIER BUT A HUGE THANK YOU TO @hauntedghostboo FOR HELPING ME OUT WITH THIS CHAPTER AND THE AU IT HELPED ME OUT SO MUCH

When the flood hit, the twins didn't really realize the severity of things until it reached the village. Prince D spent most of his life in a UFO and Cooper just thought it'd be like every other time the rivers flooded. Both thought that the water would go down in a few days time, and they thought that until the water reached the village. Darnel asked if it was normal for the water to reach the village. Cooper said no

Branch had instructed the village to pack what they could carry and start heading up the mountain, and given that he was the one with the most survival experience, they listened. They made their way up the mountain as quick as they could. The first few days they'd sometimes wake up to the water at their heels. They walked a bit faster those days

Cooper had switched out his “Everything's Good” hat for his “Destiny” hat. Darnell had asked why, and Cooper explained that everything was not good right now. They had to leave the place he'd called home for the majority of his life, the flood had completely washed over it and was still rising, they had to move and try and outrun the rising water, nothing was okay right now. The only thing that was okay was that everyone got out in time and he had Darnell with him

Darnell could understand that. Their world had turn up on its head, and they had to leave everything behind. Darnell hadn't even expa normal flood before, he lived in a UFO for star's sake! So for all of Pop Village to go underwater while he was visiting? He was freaking a little bit. But he'd smiled and told Cooper that they'd be okay as long as they had each other

A week or two of travelling and they were almost at the peak of the mountain, and that's when everyone started building rafts and boats. Cooper and Darnell helped Poppy, Branch and the rest of their friend group with building the ship. They'd brought their hover boards when they visited the village, so they used them to work on areas the others couldn't reach easily. Everyone sang and danced as they built, and honestly it helped take their minds off the fact that Pop Village, and probably the whole planet, was flooding

Singing and building took up most of their time during the day, but it was fun for the most part! Cooper chose to think of this as a new adventure, like when he'd gone to find more trolls like him and ended up finding his brother and parents! Their parents… he wondered how they were holding up during all of this, or is they'd even noticed the flood yet… would they ever see them again? He tried not to think about it

While the building and singing and dancing helped, Darnell still wasn't doing all that great. While building, he kept either looking at the sky, watching for his floating home, or in the direction of where the village used to be, wondering when the water would catch up to them. He'd quickly shake himself out of it though and focus back on the task at hand

It took another couple weeks, but soon enough, everyone's rafts and ships were built and the water was at their heels. They loaded the ship with everything they needed and could carry, the twins helping with bringing things aboard with their hover boards while the other's either gave them supplies to bring aboard or worked on storing things away. Then, once everything was loaded, they climbed aboard and waited for the water to whisk their ships away into the ever growing sea

Once they were actually on the water, Branch made sure everyone got a crash course on survival. For once, Cooper appreciated how prepared the formerly gray troll was for any given situation. Everyone had chores and jobs on the ship. When they came across islands, some would gather supplies like wood and metal if they could find it and other such things for repairs while others would forage for food and collect seeds for the garden aboard their ship. Cooper and Darnell usually helped with bringing everything back to the ship

It took a few months for everyone to get used to surviving at sea, but once they all started getting the swing of things, they had fun! It was obviously much different than the peaceful village life they were used to, and getting through storms was always a bit rough, but they got the hang of things pretty quick with Branch’s help. Whenever they reached an island, they'd gather anything they could before relaxing at the waterside or back on the ship, depending on the preference

Cooper and Darnell would usually splash around in the water or just generally good off if they weren't busy, Cooper a bit more-so than Darnell. However, they still had their moments where they missed the times before the flood. Sometimes, when it was late and night and neither could sleep for one reason or another, they'd sit together in one of their beds and talk until they grew tired, telling stories of things that happened before they were reunited, recounting memories, sharing their wishes, their fears… anything and everything

Cooper told stories of all the shenanigans he and the snack pack would get into in the village, and Darnell would tell of life inside the UFO and all the parties and celebrations. Cooper didn't mind life at sea, it was a lot of fun and getting to explore new islands all the time and enjoy the water whenever he wanted was awesome, but sometimes he'd admit to Darnell that he missed life in the village and how simple and carefree everything was. Darnell knew what he meant. Life on the ship was fun, but he missed his floating home

Everyone got a huge reality check when Tiny disappeared into the jaws of a fish. It'd just been a normal day. They'd finished gathering what they could from the island for the day and were taking a much needed break on the beach. Then Tiny screamed, Guy tried to save him and didn't get there in time, and then everything was silent save for Guy's sobs. It all happened so fast. Cooper and Darnell were horrified — they hadn't even thought of ocean predators being a possibility — but now, once again, the universe showed them through force that the world wasn't all sunshine and rainbows

Cooper didn't know what to do when Guy went gray, and Darnell didn't even know what was happening. He'd never seen a troll go gray before. When they'd all returned to the ship and the twins went Cooper's room, Darnell asked about it. Cooper told him what a troll going gray meant, how they lost their happiness and their music. He told him how everyone in the village had gone gray before after they were captured by the bergens, albeit for a very short time. Darnell was so shocked, he didn't know how to react

The next few weeks on the ship had a somber note to them. They all worked a bit harder and starting working on safety measures to make sure nothing like that would ever happen again. Cooper would try to cheer up Guy when he could, but nothing worked and Darnell told him to give Guy some space to breathe and mourn. Cooper settled for occasionally leaving cupcakes outside his door

They all still sang and danced as they worked, albeit maybe not as often or with as much vigor as usual, but it helped take their minds off things a bit. Everyone was a bit more hesitant to go into the water until Branch made the safety nets so no big fish could get through to eat them. Speaking of the water, Cooper and Darnell had started to notice somethings

- For one, they both loved swimming. Hell, everyone on the ship seemed to, even after the incident! Sure, Cooper and D were a bit more hesitant getting in, but they still loved it! And swimming came easy to them both, which was a bit shocking since D lived in a UFO most of his life

(Cooper wondered if they had pools in there. He'd gotten to explore the place a bit, but not all of it yet. He'd only found his family a month before the flood hit, after all)

The twins had also started noticing their hair changing slightly. Darnell had been the first to notice that it seemed to bounce more when they moved, and how it almost seemed squishy? Cooper had been amazed when Darnell pointed it out, and they both thought it was hilarious

Cooper noticed that their skin that wasn't covered in fur was a lot smoother, almost silky. He'd first noticed it when he and Darnell had gotten back onto the ship one time, both still soaked from swimming in the water, and both immediately slipped and ate shit on the deck!

They'd howled with laughter about it and D had joked that their skin was too smooth to walk on. Cooper had noticed he was actually right when he was showering later and almost couldn't keep his footing. He'd taken a close look at his arms and legs and noticed just how smooth they were. Almost jelly-like… Cooper had laughed at the thought of having jelly limbs and joked to Darnell about it before promptly forgetting about it

It was only after the techno trolls had visited their ship and told them of the magic in the water and the changes it would cause that the funk twins realized that they were actually changing. They had gaped at each other for a bit before breaking out into matching grins

The techno troll had said that, based on what they'd seen, they'd take on the traits and some appearances of actual sea creatures, and Cooper and Darnell immediately wanted to find out just what kind of siren they'd become

They started paying more attention to any changes they'd develop, and whenever they found one they'd run to tell the other. Darnell had discovered they were becoming more flexible when he'd slipped and done the splits without any pain, and Cooper had found that their hair was easier to control. It could act more like another limb than before

Almost 2 months later when they set anchor at another island, the bros we're trying to figure out what they we're turning into when a stranger's ship pulled up next to The Main Course. The funk bros stopped what they were doing, along with everyone else on the ship, to see what the newcomer was up to and if they could possibly befriend them

The troll on board had goggles over his eyes. He wore a vest made of leaves and had teal skin with matching hair that he used to swing himself onto their ship. He'd said he was looking for his brothers, pushing his goggles up on to his head as he did, and locked eyes with Branch. They heard Branch gasp, and the stranger's face broke out into a wide, toothy grin.

-“Baby Branch!!”

[sharks-n-bones]

Me: *opens notion, cracks knuckles* Alright, time to work on Cooper and Darnell!

Brain: Lore?

Me: Well, yeah there'll probably be a bit of lore in there-

Brain: Story Lore?

Me: No, I'm working on Cooper and Darnell-

Brain: Lore Horror-

Me: nO-

[sharks-n-bones]

HI HELLO COULD WE GET TROLLEXS REACTION TO EVERYTHING PRETTY PLEASE?

Ya know what, I actually hadn't thought of making a story bit for him before now, but that's actually a great idea!! I could probably bring in some more lore with him, too! I'm working on Cooper and Prince D next, but I'll definitely write for Trollex at some point!!

[sharks-n-bones]

Psst hey guys guess what

Guess what time it is

If you guessed Clay time then

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT IT'S CLAY TIME BABY I FINALLY FISHED HIS STORY BIT LET'S GO

When the flood hit, Clay was suspicious. He kept track of when the rivers usually flooded and other such events so their little village of survivors would be prepared for everything. That being said, the rivers shouldn't be flooding. It was too late in the year for it to be from snow on the mountains melting, and it hadn't rained recently enough for that to be the cause. There were no dams that could've burst to cause such a flood (he'd checked. Like mentioned earlier, this man wanted to make sure their village was prepared for anything), so the rivers overflowing immediately made him wary

Even still, they followed the safety protocols they had for floods. They made sure all gaps and cracks and entrances to the old Bergen golf course were sealed off and patched so no water would seep through. During their time there, they'd also built the walls that surrounded the golf course higher to be on the safe side. He hoped figured that as they usually did, the flood would recede in a few days time, a week or two tops

However, after the first week, the flood showed no signs of stopping. Clay wouldn't have been too concerned, but the water was rising more than it ever had before and showed no signs of stopping. What's worse, is huge storms had begun rolling in. Clay immediately warned Viva of the situation, saying how he didn't think it'd be safe enough for them to stay in the village much longer

Viva seemed reluctant a first, but once Clay explained and showed her everything he'd been keeping an eye on, she agreed with him. They warned the other putt putt trolls together, instructing everyone to split into groups and start building boats

Everyone started building boats and rafts of various sizes, but all were structurally sound. Clay and Viva made sure of that. The putt putt trolls were talented builders and survivalists. They'd all worked together to make the old Bergen golf course their safe haven — a safe haven they would now have to leave behind

It was a race against time. The rain was already causing their village to flood, but they didn't finish building by the time the flood started pouring over the walls of the resort, they'd all drown. Everyone worked day and night, taking shifts to make sure the construction never stopped or slowed

Luckily, they'd all finished building just in time. Everyone loaded all their supplies and belongings into their respective boats and boarded just as the water from outside spilled over the walls and began filling the place they'd called home for so long

Clay had cried softly when he watched everything they'd built, the place they'd called home for so many years, drown beneath the flood. Viva had hugged him tightly as they both peered over the edge of their ship as their home was washed away by waves of rushing water. Clay was sad to see it go, but he couldn't even imagine how Viva must've felt. She'd poured her heart and soul into that place, and now it was gone. They comforted each other through it all

Clay and Viva and a few other putt putt trolls shared a ship together. It was a damn good ship, if Clay said so himself. Enough bedrooms for everyone, plenty of storage space, a large kitchen and common room, and a large garden on the main deck. Overall, he was proud of their ship. They'd all worked hard on it, and now it was time to put it to the test on the water

Over the next few months, the ship held up remarkably well!! The water eventually stopped rising, but by that point, even the tallest mountains had been turned into islands too small to sustain a village. So, they stuck to their little fleet of ships. They stayed together, going from island to island, avoiding Bergen ships, and surviving as they always have

Occasionally, some trolls unlike anything they'd ever seen would poke their heads above the water and offer their assistance. They seemed to glow, even in the daylight, and had fins in place of legs. They had glowing hearts on their chests, the light pulsing with their heartbeats. They said they were called techno trolls, which amazed him. Clay didn't know there were other kinds of trolls besides pop, and judging from the awed but wary looks from Viva and the others, they didn't know either

They accepted the help from the techno trolls, and while they were there, Clay asked about them. They shared some of their music with them, they told them how they lived in the ocean long before the world flooded. They told them about the rock apocalypse, and how the queen of pop by the name of Poppy saved all of troll kind from being turned into rock zombies

At the mention of the queen of pop, Clay heard Viva gasp. She asked more about the queen of pop, how she was doing, what she was like. The techno trolls explained what they could about her, and it was only after seeing how happy Viva was to hear about the queen of pop that Clay realized that must've been the sister she'd told Clay about. He smiled softly and placed his hand on her shoulder. Maybe they'd end up running into Queen Poppy as they sailed

It was a few months after the water stopped rising that a rash had swept across their ships. One after another, suddenly almost everyone had developed rashes on their necks. Those with medical experience tried remedy after remedy, but nothing worked. It, thankfully, didn't seem to be anything serious. No fevers popped up, no fatigue, no other symptoms besides the rash. Well, and some dry skin, but a quick dip in the water fixed that up and that would last a couple days

The next time some techno trolls popped their heads above the water to offer assistance, Clay and Viva asked if they knew any remedies that would help the rash that had spread. One techno troll, presumably a medical judging by the bag he was carrying, took a look at the rash on Clay and Viva’s necks before asking to see their hands. They shared a confused look before complying. The medic sighed and gave them what seemed to be a reassuring smile, and informed them it was nothing harmful to them

He say them down and explained what was happening. How sirens existed and were locked away by techno trolls until recently, how they'd caused the flood, how they'd pumped the ocean that now covered the majority of their planet with magic so ancient and powerful it could transform people. He explained that their theory was that the sirens granted a mercy with the flood by pumping the water full of an ancient magic that would eventually transform everyone into sirens, or at least something similar

Clay asked how they figured that just based off their rashes, and the medic took his hand again. He made him spread his fingers, and that was when Clay finally noticed that the webbing between his fingers seemed longer. He asked if they'd noticed their skin drying out more the longer they’re out of the water, despite using any lotion they may have had. Clay had nodded. The medic asked if they'd noticed their voices becoming more melodic when they sang. Clay nodded again. The medic said they'd noticed these things happening to folks on many other ships. Trolls, Vacationers, Bergens, everyone

At the mention of Bergens also becoming siren-like, the putt putt trolls started panicking. Shouting questions of what they were going to do, how they would avoid them in the ocean, and other such things. The techno trolls seemed confused by their panic. Another techno troll asked what was so bad about Bergens, said they'd interacted with many Bergen ships and they were nothing but kind

Confusion replaced the panic. Viva had asked what she meant by that. The techno woman said how they'd seen trolls and bergens on the same ships, and how they seem to get along swimmingly (hehe). She said how she'd seen them sing and dance together, smiling and laughing and joking around like friends. Clay was dumbfounded. Bergens and Trolls as friends? That was insane. Bergens ate trolls to feel happy, and he'd said as much. The techno troll seemed a bit dumbfounded at that, and said when she'd visited their ships, there was no fear like that on board

Clay didn't know how to respond to that. He'd always thought it was impossible to live alongside Bergens peacefully. Hell, that's why they'd made the putt putt village to begin with! They'd kept themselves cooped inside the old bergen golf course for over a decade! The techno troll spoke up again, saying that she didn't know much about the situation since all the troll genres were still separated at that point, but she'd heard that a few years ago the queen of pop and a grey pop troll had gone to rescue some friends that were kidnapped by bergens, and had somehow shown bergens how to be happy without eating trolls in the process

Clay heard Viva gasp and turned to face her. He could see so many emotions flitting across her face, it was hard to keep track of them all. If the stories were accurate, he believes this would've been the second time Viva’s sister had been directly involved in a historical event and saved troll kind. Clay knew that if it were one of his brothers that had done that, he'd be worried out of his mind. The thought about the bergens stuck with him, too. Were they really safe from them now? Could they finally stop hiding? He looked around and could see a lot of the others thinking the same things

After that, things became a lot more serious and real for most of them. When Clay wasn't making sure everything was shipshape, he was thinking about what the techno trolls had said. He often caught himself glancing at his hands, at the webbing between his fingers. He began to notice the changes more after that conversation. At one point, he'd been thinking hard and bit his lip lightly, only to hiss in pain soon after. He'd brought his hand to his lip, and when he pulled it away, a light dot of blood rested on his finger. He went to the closest mirror to see the damage, only to gasp when he saw his teeth

His canines had sharpened considerably, and he noticed the rest of his teeth seemed a bit sharper too. He'd gently traced his fingers over his teeth in awe and slight horror. He couldn't help but wonder what he'd look like when the mutation was complete. He looked out a nearby window, spotting the other putt putt ships, an expression that walked the line of curious and concerned etched on his features. He wondered how the rest of their small fleet of ships would take it, and in the back of his mind, he silently hoped his brothers were alright and handling this better than he was

[sharks-n-bones]

i just love your writing and your drawing so much 😭😭😭😭💕💕💕

YOU'RE SO SWEET TYSM!!! ❤❤❤