#A plan he may or may not have hatched with members of Team Trollhunter who will never confess

[theoldandnewfirm]

Still thinking about Trollhunter!Barbara AU where Bular gets...well, not redeemed, but at least brought over to her side, because I don't know what she'd actually do with him when everything's said and done.

Trollmarket won't have him nor, I imagine, would any other troll tribe. Because whereas changelings--and probably Argh when he first showed up--were reviled based on what they represent, trolls can point to Bular specifically and say, "He killed someone I loved. He took my whelps from me. He raided my tribe and destroyed us." And there's no forgiving that.

The Order sure as hell won't protect him. He hurt, humiliated, and terrorized changelings for centuries; the only thing that would keep them from hunting him down and killing him themselves is their ingrained fear of him and the knowledge of what he'd do to them if their attempt on his life failed.

As for staying in Arcadia, I think that would be a no-go too. Not because of the residents, but because of Strickler. I can see him putting up with Bular for the sake of the mission as he's always done, but after Gunmar and Morgana are defeated? Forget it. Asking him to play nice with Bular after all the abuse and cruelties Bular inflicted on him and his people would be a bridge too far.

But someone has to watch him because Bular cannot be trusted to live peacefully on his own. Grudgingly joining Barbara's side doesn't mean he suddenly becomes someone who doesn't delight in tormenting/killing/eating "lesser" beings. Left to his own devices I don't think it would take much provocation for him to revert to his old ways, at which point Barbara would be held accountable for any deaths he causes because she's the one who decided to spare his life in the first place.

So where would he go? Who would take on the thankless task of trying to tame him, or at least direct his violence and aggression towards productive ends? That's a problem Barbara would have a hell of a time solving.

[undeadchestnut]

#now that I think about it I could see Bular taking the Draal role in Barbara's story #by virtue of Draal saying 'I will not under any circumstances work with the person who killed my father' #'and since you won't let me kill him I'll have nothing to do with you anymore Trollhunter' #(Draal would 100% still try to kill him though. Bular wipes the floor with him and Barbara intervenes just before Bular can kill him #Maybe THAT'S the event that causes Draal to leave Trollmarket in shame #assuming that she's able to talk her way out of an initial death match with him like Jim had) #Oh but I should clarify I don't mean Bular becomes Barbara's bestie #I mean that he's the muscle that protects her and Jim from other threats #no even she's like 'LOL fuck that guy' when she hears what he's done #but it turns out being a doctor and a general have a lot in common #in that you may not like the person you're required to treat/ally with #but you're accountable to a higher cause than your personal feelings #also all of this assumes that Strickler doesn't use one of the 1001 ways he has access to to kill Bular to save everyone the trouble #A plan he may or may not have hatched with members of Team Trollhunter who will never confess #Barbara KNOWS one of them did it but she gets blank stares #and she's frustrated but she also gets it because they all had excellent reasons for wanting Bular dead #but she feels weirdly guilty that she talked him into coming to her side for a chance at a better life #and her side killed him IMMEDIATELY

This is all very good. I’m pretty sure I still have a bunch of asks about Trollhunter!Barbara AU Bular sitting in my inbox that I just don’t know what do do with... Because I don’t know what to do with Bular.

All of this makes a lot of sense though, except I’m not sure Strickler would be able to get away with going behind Barbara’s back to off Bular? I mean, at what point do his lies and backstabbing become too much for her to handle, y’know?

Still thinking about Trollhunter!Barbara AU where Bular gets...well, not redeemed, but at least brought over to her side, because I don't know what she'd actually do with him when everything's said and done.

Trollmarket won't have him nor, I imagine, would any other troll tribe. Because whereas changelings--and probably Argh when he first showed up--were reviled based on what they represent, trolls can point to Bular specifically and say, "He killed someone I loved. He took my whelps from me. He raided my tribe and destroyed us." And there's no forgiving that.

The Order sure as hell won't protect him. He hurt, humiliated, and terrorized changelings for centuries; the only thing that would keep them from hunting him down and killing him themselves is their ingrained fear of him and the knowledge of what he'd do to them if their attempt on his life failed.

As for staying in Arcadia, I think that would be a no-go too. Not because of the residents, but because of Strickler. I can see him putting up with Bular for the sake of the mission as he's always done, but after Gunmar and Morgana are defeated? Forget it. Asking him to play nice with Bular after all the abuse and cruelties Bular inflicted on him and his people would be a bridge too far.

But someone has to watch him because Bular cannot be trusted to live peacefully on his own. Grudgingly joining Barbara's side doesn't mean he suddenly becomes someone who doesn't delight in tormenting/killing/eating "lesser" beings. Left to his own devices I don't think it would take much provocation for him to revert to his old ways, at which point Barbara would be held accountable for any deaths he causes because she's the one who decided to spare his life in the first place.

So where would he go? Who would take on the thankless task of trying to tame him, or at least direct his violence and aggression towards productive ends? That's a problem Barbara would have a hell of a time solving.