#cause the world might do me in ; it’s alright cause i’m with friends [ trollhunters ]

[shadowedstaff]

(&. verse tags. )

[shadowedstaff-archive]

@bethehero​ “ ben - ben, what are you doing with that? “ she gestures to the armour. jim solidly landed the role of romeo, blowing ms janeth away with a quote from somewhere.  “ are you trying to get into the play as an extra? maybe you should have tried for romeo, though mercutio or tybalt are still open.” she’s teasing, mostly.

[shadowdstaff]

verses

[liklty]

Wizard And Sorceress - Hisirdoux Casperan | Becoming: Part 4

Plot: (Y/N) (L/N), a 17-year-old girl who has long known she was a sorceress, has been roped into her cousin’s Trollhunter adventures alongside a couple of friends.

Word Count: 3129

Warning: Swearing and poor writing towards the end

A/N: Hello! If you were wondering, I’m not dead! Sorry if I didn’t update this story in quite a while. I was just really busy with school and I kind of struggled with motivation when it came to writing this chapter, but I pulled through! For what’s it worth, I really hope you guys enjoys todays chapter. I’m thinking having my update schedule to be every 2nd Tuesday, if that makes sense, and I hope to keep with that moving forward! Also, just to give you guys a little heads up, Douxie is probably going to appear after a couple of chapters, so get ready for that :3 Sorry that it isn’t sooner. 

Also, I wanted to give a big thanks to @wanda-peitro-lorna-maximoff from coming up with the  nickname, “Young Hecate” Stickler has for the reader! I just love that nickname so, so much, so thank you for allowing me to use it in my story!

“So, what did you decide?” As the three of you walked through the locker room, Toby asked the taller boy, nudging Jim's arm with his elbow.

“That if anyone finds out what happened in my kitchen last night, all of us will be committed,” Jim replied, his face serious as he looked at Toby. 

“I meant about kicking Steve’s butt.” Toby clarified while karate-style chopping and punching motions with his hands. 

Jim told him, “Give up the dream, Tobes,” as he walked ahead of the two of you.

You heard a brief dinging sound that disappeared as quickly as it came. From where you were walking, you saw the amulet, which was in Jim's bag pocket, shining softly. You drew your brows together. Toby seemed to have noticed it as well, as he grabbed Jim's backpack and stopped the boy as the brunette peered into your cousin's bag pocket. You, too, came to a halt and looked.

“Does this thing run on batteries?” As you heard the bell ring in the distance, Toby asked, moving his head to get a better look.

“What’s it doing?” You wondered as you took a closer look.

“How should I know?” Jim whispered, his hand covering your view of the amulet, “It didn’t come with a manual.”

“Does it feel like you’re going to, you know, change?” The shorter boy asked, taking a quick glance around.

“Oh no,” Jim breathed out, his shoulders slumping and eyes widening in realization.

“Oh-oh! Then we gotta get you somewhere that isn’t here!” You said this as you hurriedly considered where you and Toby might take Jim.

Toby nodded and forcefully shoved Jim into the boy’s changing room behind him, leaving you by yourself lonesome.

“I- oh.” You mumbled to yourself, debating whether you should wait outside or go somewhere else so you don't seem strange for standing outside the boy's locker room.

You turned around after deciding to stand by a nearby locker and immediately collided with someone. You staggered back and quickly looked up, apologizing frantically, your brain not completely registering who you had collided with.

“It’s quite alright, Young Hecate.” A familiar male voice informed you.

You blinked twice before lighting up. 

“Oh, hello Mr. Strickler!” You greeted the man with a smile to which he returned.

“How are you doing? How are your lessons going?” He asked you.

“I'm good and I'm doing well in my classes,” You nodded, swinging back on your heels before leaning forward on your toes, “But math is super hard! I’m not sure how I’ll make it through it! It’s going to absolutely kill me!” You wined, straightening your back and waving your hands around.

“You're a smart kid, (Y/N),” Stickler chuckled and patted your head with his pen. “I'm certain you'll be able to get through the year with at least one of your brain cells intact.” He said, making you laugh.

“A girl can dream,” You said, patting the area above your chest as you closed your eyes.

“I’ll see you later.” He said, bidding you farewell as the two of you parted ways.

You peered from the corner of your eye to see the man enter the locker room. You came to a halt and stared at the entrance, nervousness rising in your stomach. You hoped Jim wouldn't be caught.

---- 

“Give me my Romeo and when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars and he will make the face of heaven so fine that all of the worlds will be in love with night.” Claire recited on stage, performing for the role of Juliet for the play, Romeo and Juliet.  

When she was finished, the small crowd in front of her started to applaud.

“It would have been easier to tell him that I’m a Trollhunter. I don’t even know the play.” Jim told you both, frustration evident in his voice.

You, Jim, and Toby were tucked away to the side of the stage in the school's gymnasium. Toby had told you that Mr. Strickler had seen Jim in his armor back in the boys changing room and Jim, in a panic, had told him that he was going to audition for Romeo in the school play while the three of you were rushing to get to the gym earlier.

“Thank you, Ms. Nunez.” Ms. Janeth said to Claire.

When Claire approached Jim, her arms crossed and a grin on her face, the girl nodded, and the sounds of clapping died away, “John?” She asked.

“Um, Jim.” The boy corrected her. 

“And here I thought you didn’t like Shakespeare.”

“Oh, no, he’s my favorite. I totally love him.”

“That costume,” Claire started, gesturing in disbelief and awe at Jim's armor, “Is incredible. Did you make it?”

“No,” Toby replied, drawing your gaze to him, “He discovered a magical amulet that does it.”

“You're funny,” Claire chuckled as you and Jim glared at him.

You slapped Toby’s shoulder, earning a “Hey!” from the brunette, “Yeah, you’re a real comedian, huh?”

“Next!” Ms. Janeth called out.

"I believe that's your cue," Claire said as she stepped back and pointed to the stage. “Break a leg,” She said, keeping her hands behind her back.

As he walked towards the center of the stage, Jim muttered under his breath, "I'd prefer that."

“Good luck, Jim!” You cheered.

Your cousin grinned and gave you a little nod as he looked at you. When they observed his ‘costume,' people murmured in surprise and  Jim gave a nervous chuckle.

“Who are you?” Ms. Janeth inquired, her brows furrowed at him and her pen pointing in his direction.

“James Lake Junior.” He responded timidly.

“And what are you trying out for?”

“Uh, Romeo.”

“Well, we are all ears.” Ms. Janeth said, jotting down a few things on her clipboard.

Jim caught a glimpse of you and Toby, who gave him a  reassuring smile and two thumbs up. He gave Claire a quick glance before looking away, a slight smile tugging at his lips before forming a thin line.

“Destiny is...” Jim started after taking a deep breath. “A gift,” he said as he closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them. He chuckled as he looked at his amulet.

“Some go their entire lives living an existence of quiet desperation, never learning the truth that what feels as though a burden pushing down upon out shoulders,” He drew his sword from his holster and pointed it at the small crowd, eliciting a few gasps, “Is actually the sense of purpose that lifts us to greater heights. Never forget that fear is but the precursor to valor.”

You smiled when you noticed the stunned audience before returning your attention to your cousin's performance.

“That to strive and triumph in the face of fear is what it means to be a hero.” Jim raised his sword and aimed it at the ceiling, “Don’t think.” He spun the weapon around, causing the drama teacher to cower in her chair and hide behind her clipboard, her eyes peered over the edge. Jim swung the sword back into his back in one swift motion, “Become.”

The crowd clapped enthusiastically, with a few people also getting up to do so.

“Um, thank you.” Jim thanked sheepishly.

Eli stood up and stomped away, throwing his sword to the ground angrily. You couldn’t help but giggle.

----

As the three of you rode home on your bikes, a bell clang could be heard in the distance, and the sun was setting in the background, painting the cloudless sky with purple and orange hues.

“Dude! That was amazing! You were amazing! I’m amazed at how amazing you are!” From your left, Toby exclaimed cheerfully, making you smile.

“I can’t believe you were able to do that!” You cheered, “You were great!”

“I can’t believe I did that too!” Jim said.

“And did you see how the Chiquita was looking at you?” Toby smirked as he crossed his arms and balanced his body on the seat of his bike, “Your armor totally did you a favor.”

“I’m still getting the hang of it,” Jim admitted, unsureness indicated in his voice. 

“Blinky said it reacts to your emotional state, right?” You began, “The-”

Toby had then collided with a wooden plank on the side of the road and swerved to the side, his bike wobbling as he tried to recover his balance. He returned to your side after that, Jim softly chuckling.

“Are you alright?” You asked, your brows furrowed in worry.

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” Toby responded, chuckling nervously. 

“Ok good.” You turned back to Jim, “Anyway, the armor appears when you’re in distress.”

As the three of you rounded the corner, Jim said, "But I wasn't in distress back at school."

When the three of you spotted a massive, dark beast with a set of horns and what appeared to be swords attached to his back standing on the other end of the street, you and the others came to a halt. It roared, making you all finch back and weep in fear.

Jim straightened his back and said, "But I am now."

“Trollhunter. Merlin’s creation,” The beast growled, getting down on all fours and stomping the ground with one fist, “Gunmar’s bane.”

Toby whispered to Jim, leaning against his side, "I think he's talking to you."

Yeah, no shit.

The beast roared once more before rising and stomping on the ground with his hand. He took a step to the side before stomping on all fours again. When he got closer, you saw a small portion of his hand go into the sun's light, which made him hiss and recoil.

Huh, his weakness must be sunlight!

“Guys, take a look. He can't go into the sun,” You said quietly, drawing their attention to you, “It hurt him.”

“Not for much longer!” Toby said as the sun started to set.

God fuckin damn it. 

“The amulet!” The beast said, his voice booming, “Surrender it and I will give you a speedy death.”

“Doesn’t know how to negotiate, this guy. Go, go, go!”

As the large horned beast chased after you, the three of you screamed and raced towards the nearest corner. You rounded the corner and hid in the limited space between two trucks. Your heart raced when you heard a growl nearby.

“Hurry up!” You hissed shakily, “Put your armor on, please!”

A loud clank was heard, followed by the sound of a big truck being thrown. You rubbed the area above your chest, trying to keep your breathing steady.

“Okay. For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command.” Your eye twitched as the amulet softly glowed a blue colour before fading away. Jim's eyes widen as he exclaims, “It’s not working!”

When you heard heavy footsteps approaching, all of you slipped behind the truck quietly. You clenched your handlebars tightly when you heard growling.

“For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command.” Jim repeated, but nothing happened, “Seriously, it’s mine to command. I’m commanding here!”

The truck in front of you was raised, and your gaze was snapped in that direction.

“Centuries of Trollhunters and I will have killed two in almost as many days.”

“Oh no! He’s good at math!” You and Toby both yelled, and the three of you booked it on your bikes.

He hurled the truck at the three of you, and fortunately, you all narrowly avoided being hit as you made a sharp turn that nearly caused you to crash into the ground. Your pulse was quickly pounding through your ears, and adrenaline was coursing through your veins.

When the beast leaped in front of you, the three of you swerved out of the way, avoiding the beast's brash arms. You peered over your shoulder as he pursued you and fired a beam at him, causing him to fall back a little.

“Head down Delancy!” Jim demanded s you, him, and Toby made another turn to avoid another truck coming your way.

“Behind Stuart Electronic!” Jim ordered as he glanced behind him.

“You know I can’t fit there!” Toby complained.

“You got this!” You said, trying to offer Toby some encouragement. 

“No, I don’t!”

“You’ve been on a diet remember?” Jim pushed his way into the narrow alleyway with you trailing close behind.

Toby became trapped when he reached the alleyway and tried desperately to move forward saying, “I can’t fit! I can’t fit!” 

You and Jim came to a halt at the end of the alleyway and you fired another beam into the beast's eye, causing him to hiss in agony, saying, "I'm going to have your head sorcerer!"

“Please don’t!” You said.

“I can fit! I can fit! I can fit!” Toby chanted happily as he made his way closer to you, “I fitted! Yay diet!”

Before you and your friend rode off towards the bridge and biked over it, you gave him a big smile and congratulated him. The three of you came to a halt around the final curve, panting heavily. You closed your eyes and leaned your forearms on your bike handlebars. Your legs were killing you and you absolutely hated that.

“Look at me, look at me. We’re not dead, right?” Toby asked, his face lying between his palms.

“Master Jim!” You turned your head towards the source after hearing a familiar voice chuckled. You, Jim, and Toby were approached by Blinky and Aaarrrgghh.  Blinky was waving at you, Toby, and Jim while Aaarrrgghh was hiding behind a bush, “Ha-ha!”

“Bular’s trying to kill us! He chased us all over town!” Jim screamed as he approached the two trolls.

You sighed softly as you sluggishly followed. Toby was close behind.

“You have a sweet voice, but you bring death with you!” With a finger pointed at Blinky, Toby said.

You let out a shaky laugh.

“You can fight him, right?” Jim asked optimistically.

“I could not hope to possess the skill to defeat Bular.” Blinky answer as the troll trolls laughed.

“What about him?” You questioned, gesturing weakly to Aaarrrgghh, “He’s buff.”

“Pacifist,” Aaarrrgghh said, tilting his head slightly.

“Seriously?” Jim said in disbelief. 

Toby patted his arm and said, "Man, what a waste of a hulking brute."

“Thank you.”

“This is why there is a Trollhunter, Master Jim.” Blinky explained, “Aaarrrgghh renounced the violent path ages ago.”

Oh?

Bular jumped out and growled at all of you before anyone could say anything else. Blinky had told you all to join him and that you'd be safe in a place called Heartstone Trollmarket if you did. So that's what you did when the giant beast chased after you, shrieking.

You were sobbing in your head, desperately not wanting to continue pedaling to your limits. Perhaps you should just let Bular kill you so you can be free of this torment. You swear this is the most physical activity you've ever done in your life.

Bular knocked down a row of street lamps, causing Toby to collide into one of the fallen lamps and was launch into the air. Fortunately, Aaarrrgghh had caught him and immediately laid the boy on his back. You were riding down the path towards the canal and you screamed as you slide down the canal at high speeds on your bike.

You used your magic to bring your bike to a stop, causing you to jerk forward and groan. You sloppily dismounted and dashed toward the two trolls and Toby. You watched as Jim was finally able to wear his armor and landed on the cement floor of the canal.

Jim was in a combat stance, but after seeing Bular coming at him, he noped it real hard and booked it towards you. When you, Binky, and Toby tried to persuade him to take on the beast, Bular leaped in front of him. His blade flashed a vibrant blue hue when it struck Bular, sending them both sliding in opposite directions.

“Hurry! We must open the portal!” Blinky said as he took out a flickering orange object that looked like a miniature sword from his pocket and tossed it at Aaarrrgghh, who caught it.

Aaarrrgghh carved out a semi-circle into the wall with the orange object and punched it, causing it to crack. When it released a blue colour, the fragments started to hover out of the way, creating an entrance.

“Jim!” You call out, “Hurry up!”

“I’m a little busy here!” Jim responded, trying to fight off the beast, which only resulted in futile.

Jim dashed towards you, but the portal began to close.

“Come on, Jim, hurry!” Toby exclaimed, reaching out his hand.

Your heart sank when the portal closed, but thankfully, Aaarrrgghh reopened the portal, although barely, and dragged Jim to the other side. After that, the gateway was instantly closed. You and the boys took deep breaths while the adrenaline levels steadily dropped after the rush.

“He nearly… We nearly… He almost…” Jim said breathlessly.

“Nearly what, Master Jim? Speak up.”

“He almost killed us!” Jim exclaimed, raising his hands into the air. 

“‘Almost’! A very important word.” Blinky said, turning around as you and the younger boys looked at him with disbelief, “A life of ‘almost’ is a life of never.”

“Why’d the armor suddenly shut off?” Jim said as you all followed Blinky.

“Master Jim, you are the first human to possess an amulet crafted for trolls.” Blinky stated, “It’s to be expected its behavior will be… unexpected.”

After passing through a very wide doorway, you noticed the dark crystals pinned to the wall below you, creating a staircase that led all the way down. The crystals started to take on a blue hue, illuminating the pit and making it look absolutely beautiful.

“Woah.” You and Toby exhaled deeply and leaned forward.

You latched to Aaarrrgghh's arm, terrified of falling to your death.

“Are you sure we’re safe in here?” Jim asked as you all made it down the staircase.

“Indeed. The incantation forbids entry to Heartstone Trollmarket by GummGumms such as Bular, for they are the most fearsome of trolls.” Blinky said as you all managed to get to the end, “Now, Master Jim.” Blinky said, turning Jim to look the other way.

You strolled over to Toby’s side.

“This is the world you are bound to protect.”

As you take in the stunning scenery in front of you, your mouths were agape. Hearthstone Trollmarket appeared to be made up of a number of buildings and stairwells arranged around the town. Throughout the place, there were various minerals and crystals that provided lighting, and in the middle of it all was a massive amber-like crystal that towered above everything.

“This is Heartstone Trollmarket!”

[vanillapie-80]

The Road To Recovery Chapter 2: Filling In the Gaps

Chapter two boisss. I suprised myself with this chapter because I thought it’d be shorter.  So there’s that, anyways. Here the aftermath of last chapter as well as some new problems.

AO3

As the rain poured through the streets of Arcadia, the police station was crowded with officers. Detective Scott had some paperwork he had to fill out after finishing a case of his. After that, he hoped to go home and spend some time with his daughter, if she wasn’t out with her friends. But he knew that Darci was at home since both Claire and Mary were said to be in detention for most of the day, so surely there was nothing to worry about. From a few desks away from him, an officer saw that their phone was going off and answered it.

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?” They asked.

“Hello? Me and some students were in a car crash and one of us is missing.” 

The officer tensed at what they heard from the person’s voice on the other line, they began writing down the details they were given. “What’s your name?”

“C-Claire Nuñez.” Crap, the officer knew that was the councilwoman’s daughter.

“Okay, and where are you?”  

“Uh. I don’t know, somewhere around the campsite- Toby! Did you find Jim?” 

The officer continued to silently listen to the other line. “Yeah, but he got seriously messed up! I- I think he might be dying Claire. Please tell me you called for help!” 

Then, the other line hung up. The officer immediately began to contact dispatch to anyone who was close around the area and began to call an ambulance. By that time, Detective Scott was done with paperwork and was heading home.

Barbara looked up from her phone as someone announced that there was trauma incoming. She had been trying to contact her son for a while but to no avail, calling lead to voicemail and texting lead to no response. With a sigh, Barbara tucked her phone away and got ready to return to work. She anxiously waited for the ambulance to arrive, and in a matter of a few minutes, they arrived. 

As the paramedics swung the door open, Barbara made her way to assess the patient they brought in. But when she got close enough to see who it was, the doctor froze in complete shock. The sight of her son bleeding out in a gurney made it feel like Barbara’s entire world was going to shatter right then and there. Her baby boy, her ray of sunshine, was now dying right next to her. No, she thought. This was the irrational part of her mind speaking, Barbara did not know the full extent of Jim’s injuries. But, she had to let another doctor take care of her son. Holding herself as tightly as she could, Barbara watched her co-workers take Jim away. They did not question why she didn’t treat him, because practically everyone in the hospital knew it was her son, and Barbara knew that because of this fact, they would do everything they can to save him.

“Dr. L!!” The doctor snapped out of her train of thought and turned around to see Toby making his way towards her with tears in his eyes. Barbara braced herself as the teen came to her for a hug. 

She stayed quiet and let the tears stream down her face while allowing Toby to break down. A paramedic came through the entrance and spotted the teen. “Hey! You can’t go running off like that without a doctor examining you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of that.” Barbara muttered, her voice sounding dull and hollow. As more patients came to the ER, she began to recognize them to be students from her son’s class. “Come over here Toby, I need to examine you.”

“But Jim-”

“There’s nothing you can do right now except allowing me to make sure you’re alright.” Toby silently agreed, slowly making his way to one of the gurneys that were in the ER.

Barbara couldn’t do anything to help her son, but what she could do was to make sure these kids were alright and healthy. That’s all she could do, and the doctor hated that fact so much. As Barbara examined the redhead teen, she heard some commotion in the waiting room. The doctor saw Ophelia, shouting at one of the nurses to let her see her daughter while Javier was trying to calm his wife down.  

Babara let out a tired sigh and told Toby, “Your injuries seem to be minor, but I want to run more tests to make sure you don’t have any internal injuries. For all of you.” She took a quick glance at the other teens before walking toward the waiting room. “Mrs. Nuñez, there is no need to cause a scene.” 

“Cause a scene? My daughter was in a car accident! Do you know how common it is for someone to die in a car crash?!” Of course, Barbara did, she was a doctor. That’s why she was always anxious at the idea of her son riding a vehicle.

“How can you say such a thing? Your child wasn’t the only one in the accident and yet you don’t see us shouting at others like they own the place.” Detective Scott interjected, obviously offended by how the councilwoman was acting.

“Claire wasn’t supposed to be out there! None of them should have!” 

Soon enough the other parents joined in on the argument while Barbara watched them with a tired stare. The doctor drowned out their voices with her own thoughts, not wanting to take part in this pointless bickering.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never broken the rules before! Going behind your parents’ backs for the sake of rebellion!” 

It was very apparent that Jim needed surgery, but to what extent? She didn’t have enough time to see all of his wounds.

“Not when it comes to risking my own life for it!”

Should she call her family? They never gave the effort to be a part of her son’s life but that didn’t mean they never care about him. Barbara wasn’t sure how much of a support system he would need after this.

“Oh don’t give me that-” 

What about his mental state? The traumatic experience will very much affect him in more ways than one. Does this mean she’ll have to get a counselor of some kind, or would her son be more comfortable with someone close to him? When it came to therapy, it was hard for Jim to adjust to such a change at a young age. But what if it wasn’t enough? What if thinking ahead was a pointless endeavor in the end? Jim not making it was still in the realm of possibility.

“People please.” The parents went silent by Nana’s stern voice, something that even Barbara rarely heard. “Arguing among each other will lead us to nowhere. Our children are hurt. This is not about you, so you must let Dr. Lake and the others do their jobs.”

Once the silence filled the room for a few moments, all eyes were on Barbara. “Some of them appear to have minor injuries as far as we know, and while others have more serious wounds, none of them seem to be fatal.” The doctor explained bluntly. She couldn’t have any emotion in her voice, otherwise the grieving mother in her would come out and that wouldn’t be so professional of her, she had to keep her emotions in check. “I will let you know when you’ll be able to see them.”

Each parent began to calm down and some of them took a seat. The doctor noticed someone she didn't expect to see from the waiting room. Coach Lawrence sat amongst the other parents. She only knew him as one of the teachers of the public highschool of Arcadia and nothing more. Barbara took a shot in the dark and guessed that one of the kids was one of his. She didn’t dwell too much on it, after all, their children were going to be fine. 

Barbara took a deep breath and went back to the ER. The doctorly mask she’s been struggling to keep was still intact, but it was inevitable that it would have to come off, and she knew that.

After further testing, it is safe to say that Toby wasn’t suffering from any internal injuries, rather some lacerations and small head trauma. Barbara told him and the other students that some of them would stay here overnight for observations, just in case. The redhead didn’t want to leave with his nana just yet, he wanted to be there with his friends for support. 

“You alright Claire?” Toby asked anxiously as he sat next to her.

“Yeah.... just the morphine that’s all…” She answered, her speech slightly slurred.

“Don’t worry Toby, in a few hours the drug will probably wear off,” Darci reassured, taking a seat on the right side of the bed. She had her in a cast on her arm and had a sling around her to support it. “Though I get the feeling that it isn’t Claire who you’re about.” 

The redhead teen looked at the person next to him, her expression hesitant but still determined to obtain answers. He let a dry but quiet chuckle and said, “I would think that would be obvious by now.” 

“Sorry. But you haven’t talked about it. I’m just trying to make sure that you’re alright, well that everyone is alright mentally, but for you specifically. Jim is your best friend and anything can happen. You might even have to brace yourself for the worst-case scenario.”

Toby cringed at the thought of losing Jim, grabbing the fabric of his pants with a tight grip. “Jim’s a fighter. You’d be surprised how much he can take.” 

Darci couldn’t help but pity him, but she did not understand the true extent of Toby’s words. She did not know the countless fights the trollhunter faced with creatures that were twice his size.

“Did...did you see what attacked Jim? You and Steve are the only ones that found him and he won’t talk.”

The redhead’s eyes were glued to the floor with an intense stare. The image of one of his companions, his friend’s protector, slamming Jim deeper into the ground and leaving him there with no remorse. “I-it looks like a bear.” He muttered.

“A bear?” Darci repeated, who was having doubts.

“I think so. Look it was dark and I was still in shock, but to me, it seemed like it was a bear.” Toby couldn’t handle more of his classmate’s interrogation, he just didn’t want to replay the awful images in his head.

“Hey. Where are you going?” 

“I’m going to get something to eat.” He responded.

“But we’re at a hospital.” 

“I’m sure I can find something around here.” With that, Toby left before Darci could continue their conversation. 

The girl’s eyes then wandered to the blonde bully. Like she said to her departed classmate, Steve refused to speak with anyone the moment the ambulance came. He just stood frozen, sitting in one of the gurneys with a blank stare. Darci cautiously shuffled towards the unresponsive student.

“Um. Toby told me what happened.” She said nervously. As much as Darci wanted to believe Toby, the girl always liked to double-check her facts. It’s helped wash the worries away. 

“Why do you care?” Steve asked, his voice quiet but somehow intense enough that it made Darci uncomfortable. But she stayed persistent because if today meant anything, it was that Steve was like everyone else. That there were people he thought mattered and wasn’t so terrible, or at least that was what she hoped. 

“Police get involved in this kind of stuff, so they ask questions. I thought It’d be easier on all of you guys if I asked first so there wouldn’t be any added stress on talking about it with a stranger. ” She explained before continuing with, “Toby said it was a bear that attacked Jim. Is that true?”

The blonde teen blinked, then said, “A..... bear?” 

Darci only nodded. She could see how Steve was reeling in this information. “Yeah. That’s what I saw, probably the biggest bear I’ve ever seen.” The intense tone of his voice never left, but only grew. What would Steve be mad about? Unless Toby’s statement was false. “Where ‘s Domzalski?” 

She didn’t want to tell him, cause it felt like that would only stir the pot. But they were at a hospital, so Darci had nothing to worry about, right? “He said that he was going to get something to eat but-”

Steve immediately got up and pushed his classmate aside to leave the ER. Darci groaned in frustration, already feeling her regret. The young student looked around and saw the police. She took a deep breath and tried to shake off her nerves, Darci needed to be there with her friends for this. She tried reassuring herself that there was nothing between the two boys. 

Toby sat on the floor next to a vending machine, all while staring at the amulet that dimly glowed a blue light. The redhead managed to grab it just before the ambulance took him away. He dreadfully waited for the small object to do something, for better or for worse. Suddenly, someone grabbed Toby by the collar of his shirt and began dragging him into a secluded area in the hospital. 

He was then shoved into a wall and dropped the amulet from his hand. The redhead gazed upwards to see Steve in front of him, who had a furious expression. While rubbing his neck, Toby muttered, “Oh come on…” to himself.

“A bear? That’s what you went with?!” He shouted.

“So I see you’ve talked to Darci,” Toby remarked, trying his best to smooth-talk his way out of this.

“Are you stupid?! No one is going to believe that a bear caused all of this!” 

“You’d be surprised. There’s a lot of bears in California, you know?”

 “Oh, my bad. I didn’t realize bears had enough strength to flip a car over, let alone breaking trees in half!” Toby wasn’t sure why the blonde teen was so mad at him for doing it, it’s not like he did anything better or anything at all when Darci asked him what he saw.

“Listen. It’s a lot more believable than what actually happened. I’m trying my best here so cut me some slack alright.” The redhead tried to leave but he was shoved back again, only this time Steve didn’t let go. “Urgh! What is your problem?! I was trying not to make us look crazy and yet you’re mad at me?! You have no right to treat me this way!”

The blonde teen faltered and let go of Toby. Jim’s words began to echo in his mind, “You just have a reputation okay? And not a good one, but you already know that. I know you are capable of being a nice person.” 

He was doing it again, and Steve didn’t realize it. He was going back to the school bully that tormented others, going back to the person that everyone hated. “I.......I’m trying to be a better person....” Steve muttered, but more to himself than to Toby. “Sorry....”

“Well, at least you got it out of your system right?” The redhead bitterly said back.

Of course Toby didn’t forgive him, why would he? The blonde teen would’ve probably hurt him if he continued. 

“Steve Palchuck....” 

Both of them froze at the new voice, Steve wasn’t able to recognize it. “Steve Palchuck.....” He turned to the right to see a small object on the floor, the hands ticking away. 

Toby quickly fell to his knees and snatched it from the floor, his hands shaking. The redhead looked absolutely terrified. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!” He got up and ran out of the room they were in, with Steve following behind. 

This isn't happening. Jim was fine, he was fine. What Toby heard was just his mind playing tricks on him. His best friend wasn’t dead, he can’t. But the amulet said Steve’s name, that wouldn’t have happened if...... if......

The redhead stopped at a screeching halt at the sight of doctors blocking his path, one of them being Barbara. “What are you two doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at the ER?”

“Uh,” Toby looked back to see Steve, who was glancing away at the group of people. “We... just wanted to grab something to eat Dr. L, but we got lost. It’s a big hospital you know.” He couldn’t hold back the tears, as the idea of Jim being gone finally settling in. “Sorry about that.” Toby sobbed.

“No. Don’t apologize, this all must be very hard on you.” Barbara took one of his hands while wiping her tears away. She then took him to a few corridors until they made it to the ICU. When Barbara led Toby to one of the rooms, he quietly gasped. “He’s still in critical condition. But there’s hope that Jim will make it. 

The redhead felt a tidal wave of relief wash over him. He wasn’t dead, his best friend was still here. But if that was the case, then why did the amulet call for Steve. Toby began to worry, was the amulet just preparing for the inevitable. Can it even do that?

Barbara left the room to go talk to the doctors again. She saw Steve standing outside of the room like he was afraid to even enter with Toby. The doctor had heard a lot about him, with none of it being good. However, Steve was just a child, and just like the rest of his classmates, he was terrified about this ordeal. So, despite her hesitance, Barbara silently allowed the blonde teen to stay. 

Steve had expected Lake’s mother to kick him out, he wasn’t close to her son, not by a long shot. Now that it was just him and Toby, he felt intrusive and out of place. Steve was about to leave until the redhead spoke. 

“Something’s wrong.” 

“What?” He asked while seeing Toby holding his friend's hands. 

“The amulet. It won’t call someone unless the previous user has died.��� Oh. Steve sensed a chill slowly running down his spine.

“But Lake’s fine. He has tubes in his mouth, but he's still alive.” The blonde teen rationalized. 

“I want to believe that too. But there has to be a reason why the amulet said your name.” 

“Maybe it’s broken.” Toby raised an eyebrow at Steve's suggestion. He showed the small object in his hand and tossed it at his classmate. 

“Does it look broken to you?” Steve inspected it, there didn’t seem to be any cracks or anything out of place as far as he knew.

“It’s magic, right? It’s messed up and we don’t see it.” The redhead groaned in frustration and pulled his hair back.

“Look man, I don’t have all the answers. I’m just spouting stuff other people told me.” 

The blonde teen was unsure if this was the right time, but at this point, he couldn’t stand being in the dark anymore. “S-so, you know what caused this?”

Toby stayed silent for a moment, the lump now in his throat made it difficult to get the words out. “Yeah..... I guess I do.” 

“Then can you please tell me what is going on? Because you can fool everyone in this hospital, but you sure as hell can’t with me.” Steve was able to control himself from shouting this time. 

Once again, there was a long pause from Toby. All he wanted to do today was to get his peers to enjoy themselves. He wanted Jim to have one day, one day where he was at peace and didn’t have to worry much about his responsibilities. The redhead had never expected this to blow up on his face this hard. Now Steve was the trollhunter while there was a huge possibility of his best friend dying.

“Well then, you might want to sit down for this part. Cause it’s a lot to take in.” Toby said with a sigh, his eyes focusing on Jim. Hoping that the universe will be kind enough to keep him alive. 

After a few hours, the sedative the doctors gave Claire wore off. She began to feel extremely sore in some parts of her body, most likely where the more severe injuries she suffered were treated. At some point, her parents were able to see her when Claire was moved to her own room. Most of the time it was just her mother scolding the young teen while her father watched with a sympathetic look. Like always, the councilwoman had to make it about her instead of her own daughter.

At this point, Claire had learned to just tune out the lectures. She had heard it enough times to understand her mother. That she’d be disappointed in her no matter what if Claire didn’t fit the perfect image the councilwoman envisioned. Soon, the young teen had the room to herself. As she waited for some of her friends to come, her phone began to vibrate from the counter on the right side.

Claire picked it up and that it was Blinky. She took a deep breath and braced herself. “Hello?” 

“Ah, Lady Claire. Is Master Jim with you? There is something important we need to discuss and he hasn’t been answering my calls.” The troll greeted, his voice sounding somewhat relieved but still worried.

The young teen bit her lip, before saying, “Blinky. We were in an accident and-” 

“Great gronka morka! Are you alright?!” 

“I’m fine, Toby is too, but Jim...... he..... he was hurt pretty badly. I don't know what happened to him yet but I'll let you know as soon as I find out.” Claire explained nervously. She had started to wonder where the redhead even was since there was no sign of him despite being hours since Claire last saw him.

“Oh dear. This.... this is not good. What are we going to do now?” By the sounds of it, Blinky was talking about something completely different.

“What’s going on Blinky?” She asked.

“I’m afraid that this night will not get any better. The Tribunal has requested for the arrest of Master Jim.”

“What?! Why?”

“Apparently Usurna has evidence that Master Jim has released Gunmar into the surface.” This could not be happening right now. Jim was not in any shape of getting out of this hospital, but knowing how stubborn trolls could be, there was no telling what the Tribunal would do if the trollhunter didn’t show.

“Can you just explain what happened and just postpone it?” She knew all too well that trolls weren’t so kind to humans, especially for Jim’s case, but surely they can give him some form of sympathy and stop this.

“I’m afraid with an accusation as severe as this, it cannot be dropped so easily for the Tribunal are very adamant for punishment. If it’ll not be Master Jim, surely they’ll find someone else who was involved in it to take responsibility.” Claire quickly dropped her previous sentiment once Blinky clarified that this situation was not going to be easy to get out of. “Telling the ordeal you’ve been through tonight could give you for a few days at the very least. However, that’ll make the Tribunal restless which might not help your case.” 

The young girl pinched the bridge of her nose, their options weren’t great, but there wasn’t much they could do. “Well, you’re doing your best. That’s really all I can ask for. Me and Toby will try and be there as soon as possible.” 

“Very well then. I wish the best for you all.” As Blinky hung up, Claire sank herself further to the mattress of the hospital bed. Too much, there was too much going on with little time to actually process it. She then heard a knock on her door and saw Toby standing in the middle of the door frame.

“Hey Claire.” He sheepishly said. 

“Toby, you just missed a call I got from Blinky.”

That caught the redhead’s attention as slowly walked closer to his friend. “Really? What did he say?” 

Claire sighed as she began to fiddle with her phone. “Nothing good really, but before I tell you, any word on Jim?”

A tired smile formed on Toby’s lips. “He survived the surgery. Dr. L says that he has a long way to go but he’s doing fine all things considered.” The young teen felt a lot of her anxieties washed away and glanced at her phone. 

“That’s.... that’s good to hear. I’m going text Blinky about right now.” 

“Uhh sure you do that, but while you’re at it, there’s just one more thing I need to say, or show you in this case.” Toby didn’t make it seem like it was anything bad, but he was good at sugar coating things. 

The redhead looked outside from the room and made a small gesture to someone to come inside, and that someone was Steve. 

Claire blinked in surprise. “Oh. Hi Steve.” 

Toby scratched the back of his head while saying, “Sorry I didn’t come sooner. I was giving out some good ol’ exposition to our “buddy” over here.” 

The tension then came back to her and lifted herself out of bed. “You told him?” 

“Easy there. He saw Draal the moment we found Jim, so there was no point in lying.” Toby was leaving something out, she could tell by the tone of his voice. 

“The stupid amulet called my name,” Steve muttered. “But I guess the person who had it before is supposed to die.” It was obvious that he was uncomfortable at the thought, and who would be?

Claire stayed silent with a blank stare before saying, “I thought you said that Jim was alright,” with a frantic voice

“He is! It’s just that the amulet picked Steve for some reason, but before you take the chance to freak out more, mind telling us the not-so-good news Blinky gave you?” Right, there was also that. Man does this day keep getting better and better. 

“Uhh, he said that the Tribunal wants to arrest Jim for releasing Gunmar.” Toby’s eyes widened in shock while Steve’s shoulders tensed up.

“That’s bad, right?” The blonde teen asked. 

“Yeah, it really is. So what do we do now?” The redhead moved closer to his friend and sat next to her. 

“We have to go to Trollmarket as soon as possible. Or least until I get discharged. If we don’t show, things will probably get worse.” Claire explained with a sigh.

“Do I have to come?” Steve didn’t want to ask that question, he really didn’t. But this was starting to sound serious, and maybe there was a small chance that he could help. How exactly? The blonde teen wasn’t sure. 

“It’s really risky, especially since you never had any combat training.” As much as a frustrating person Steve was, she would never wish any harm on him. And if what she heard about Trollmarket’s reaction when they found out that Jim was the trollhunter was true, then bringing him along could lead to the exact opposite of what Claire wanted.

“But what if the Tribunal thinks we’re lying about Jim? We’re not someone who they really trust, and he could be backup, a fancy sword made of magic can do much wonders as a defense.” Toby suggested with a shrug. “And if something goes wrong, he has you, me, and Aaarrrgghh to help him  out.”

The two boys watched the young girl weighing the options. Sure, it was two out of one, but Claire was smart. And at this point, she was silently placed as leader until further notice. “I can’t believe I’m going through with this, but we’re all pretty much screwed right now. So, do you have any trouble sneaking out of the house at night Steve?” 

“Not at all.” He had successfully snuck out a few times to go to some late-night parties, this shouldn’t be any different.

In one of the private offices of the hospital, Barbara laid head first on the desk. She was on break and finally had time to let all of her exhaustion set in. The information given to her about Jim’s condition and the outcomes it might lead to. 

The worst of her son’s injuries was the one on his spine. The doctors stated that most likely that he will have permanent damage to his nerves. There was no telling he would regain complete function of his limbs or would have to deal with something else. Either way, Jim’s body won’t work the same way as it used to. 

As Barbara put her hands above her head, an elderly voice called to her. “Ah, there you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” The doctor straightened herself and turned her chair around to see Toby’s grandmother. “Mrs. Domzalski-”

“Dear please, how many times do I need to remind you to call me Nana.” The old woman teased as she entered the room.

Barbara let out a tired laugh, removing her glasses to rub her eyes. “Old habit I guess. Though why were you trying to find me? I discharged Toby a few hours ago.” 

“He wants to check on the councilwoman’s daughter. They’ve been friends for awhile you know.” Nana explained. “And also wanted to see how you were doing.” “What you’d expect I suppose.” She wanted to grieve, to let all of those raw emotions free, but Barbara just couldn’t at this point. And she knew that there wouldn’t be enough time even to do that if she could.

“Dear, I don’t believe I know the answer to that. Only you do.” Nana placed her hand onto Babara’s left shoulder. “And if you’re willing to talk to me about it, then I’ll know. It’s never healthy to keep everything bottled up.” 

Barbara allowed the old woman’s word to sink in. “ I will give anything to do that, but I’m just so tired right now. I don’t have enough energy to even fall apart and cry for hours.” 

“You know for someone whose job is to take care of people, you don’t seem to do that for yourself.” Nana never understood that. She could forgive those who didn’t have any extensive knowledge of health, they just didn’t know any better. Doctors, however, did. The old woman could remember the countless times she has seen medical professionals ignore their health.

“Well, I’d like to think that we’re the biggest hypocrites on earth,” Barbara explained with a quiet voice. 

It took two days for Claire to get discharged, the doctors told her parents that she just had to take it easy for a few days. That statement made the young girl second guess herself about going to trollmarket but pushed the idea aside. Sooner the better, because there was no telling when the Tribunal’s patience would wear thin. When the night came, Claire took her shadow staff and created a portal while a small changeling watched from behind.

“Remember NotEnrique, you have to keep watch to make sure mom and dad don’t know I’m gone.” 

“I hear ya. And I’ll let ya know if they come running over here.” The changeling added. Claire smiles at him before entering the portal. 

In Arcadia’s canals, Toby and Steve stood below the bridge there waiting for the young girl to arrive. The two never said a word to each other for a good while now. Something about being alone with Steve made the redhead uneasy, bringing back the memory of him and Claire trying to retrieve the bridge pieces. Meanwhile, the blonde teen was too anxious about seeing trolls to even talk to Toby. He tried to play it cool at the hospital when learning that there was an entire society hidden underground in their town, but when Steve made it home, that’s where he took the time to openly show his nervous breakdown in his room.

Everything that felt out of place in Arcadia suddenly made sense. But very quickly he wanted to forget it, the mantle of being a trollhunter sounded too dangerous for his taste. Steve had no intentions of dying, and going through with this sounds like the exact opposite of what he wanted. However, the blonde teen would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious. And who wouldn’t? It’d be near impossible to just ignore the existence of magic and trolls and not look into it. 

Steve’s were ripped away at the sight of a dark portal appearing in front of the two boys. Claire then hopped out of it and it quickly disappeared. She pulled her hair back and exhaled. 

“Okay. We’re all here, now it’s time to face the music. Would you like to do the honors, Toby?” The redhead nodded and took out an orange crystal that had a wooden handle attached to it. 

Toby made his way to the canal’s wall, with Claire and Steve following behind, and began to draw a curved line as big as he could. Once he was done, the redhead pressed his hand on the wall and in a matter of seconds, it began to break away into various pieces and disappear. Steve watched as Toby quietly went inside the glowy entrance. He extended his arm but pulled it away when it made contact with the magical wall. 

“It’s now or never.” The blonde thought before jumping headfirst inside the canal’s walls. 

What he was met with were massive blue crystal staircases that twirled around until they reached the ground. The blonde teen stared in awe by how beautiful the sight was, but had to divert his attention away to getting all the way down. Claire noticed her classmate’s reaction and decided to catch up to him.

“You know. I really wished this was under better circumstances.” Steve jumped at the sudden sound of the girl’s voice, almost falling off the stairs. He looked at her in confusion, so she continued as they walked. “Coming here for the first time, it’s a one of a kind moment. But the difference between now and before is that there were no lives at stake or trolls coming to arrest us. I just hope that when all this blows over, you get to share the same experience that we all had.” 

It was very strange. Hearing someone genuinely talking to him, was it supposed to feel like this? First from Coach Lawrence, then from Lake, and now Claire, would he be able to get used to such a thing? As the three of them walked down the final set of stairs, two large creatures, which Steve assumed were trolls, pointed their spears at them. The trolls barely looked like the one he saw in the woods, but that didn’t make them less terrifying. 

Toby and Claire stood in front of the blonde teen and took their weapons out with a defensive stance. It didn’t take long for more trolls to contribute to this ambush. They all looked the same except one, who came towards the group. Their appearance was formal and very fancy in Steve’s perspective.

“Where is the trollhunter?” Usurna hissed while glaring at them.

“Didn’t Blinky tell you? He’s at the hospital and is in no condition to come right now.” The troll scoffed at Toby’s notion.

“You could easily be lying. Trying to hide him from our grasp.” 

The redhead glanced at Claire and muttered, “Told you they wouldn’t believe us.” 

She turned to the blonde teen with a nervous expression. “Steve, take out the amulet.” He did as he was told and heard many gasps from the trolls at the sight of him. “Read the incantation.” 

“Incantation?” Steve looked at the small object more closely and noticed there were words inscribed on it. “For the Glory of Merlin, Daylight is Mine to Command.” He read slowly. 

The amulet began ticking and its blue aura shined. Armor then appeared out of nowhere and was placed onto Steve. It felt tight at first before the armor adjusted to his size. With a flash, Steve was holding a sword, which made itself slightly bigger than before.

“Holy shit.” He whispered, amazed by such magic. 

“So..... the trollhunter died, and amulet dared chose another fleshbag to hold the mantle,”  Usurna stated, disgusted at that fact.

“Did not listen to what I said. He’s still alive.” Toby quickly corrected, but before he could say anything else Usurna spoke.

“I believe it does not matter at this point. Arrest the human trollhunter.” She commanded before turning their back on them.

“What?!” The three of them shouted in unison. 

The troll guards grabbed Steve by both arms and dragged him away. A fight or flight instinct came over Steve, an instinct that has been proven useful to him countless times. “Let go of me! Or else I’ll beat the hell out of you!” He thrashed and kicked at the trolls, yelling with all his might. But it was futile. 

Claire ran for Usurna and blocked her path. “You can’t arrest Steve! He had no idea about all of this! Wouldn’t it make more sense to arrest the people who took part in the release of Gunmar?!” 

“You have no authority over me, fleshbag. If James is unable to attend to his own arrest, might as well let this new trollhunter to fill in the role.” The troll pushed past the girl with such force to almost make her fall to the ground. “And besides, it’s more than Gunmar’s escape that will be put into question.” 

As Claire helplessly watched Usurna leave, Toby sprinted to Blinky’s library for aid. Because this was not going according to what they planned at all. God, could there be one day where everything went smoothly without any issues?

[fear-before-valor]

Romeo, Question Mark // Aromantic!Jim fic because I wanted aro content and if I can’t find some, I’ll [thanos voice] do it myself // Words: 1810 // Warnings: slight internalized aphobia; nothing that bad, just the amount that might come from an insecure teenager still learning about himself-- that said, take care of yourself, and remember that you are valid! <3 --

“Hey Tobes?” A voice sounds, in the dead of night.

“Yeah, Jim?” There is a rustling of a sleeping bag, because Toby would never, ever sleep in the bed if Jim was sleeping on the floor. He’d much sooner sleep on the floor with him, and Jim is too nice to steal half of Toby’s bed, even if it would have been alright by Toby. And it would have been. But again… Jim’s too polite. Toby knows this. Toby knows Jim.

For example, Toby knows that right this moment, Jim’s long stretch of silence is not from his being sleepy. He can practically feel the nervousness rolling off of his best friend, but he isn’t sure what the next move either of them will make is— or what it perhaps should be— so he remains quiet as well, and simply waits for Jim to respond back. He waits a long, long moment, and he’s almost afraid that Jim is going to bail on whatever he wanted to bring up—

—But then—

“What does a crush feel like?”

There is a long beat.

…Oh. Huh.

Toby realizes immediately that Jim can likely feel his brief, shocked silence, so he rushes to make it clear that he doesn’t think the question is weird, even if it caught him a little out of left field. Quick, Toby, he thinks to himself, Make Jim laugh. It’ll relax him.

“Well, you’re the Trollhunter; don’t you know how it feels to crush something?”

It is a stupid, stupid joke, Toby thinks, but it works on Jim’s midnight brain, as a soft, fond laugh sounds from Jim’s side of the room, which Toby has yet to look toward, for fear of breaking whatever is going on. He wants Jim to feel comfortable enough to talk to him, so he refuses to look at the other boy yet, knowing that his gaze might make his best friend hide whatever is happening inside his head. Toby wishes Jim wouldn’t do that so often. He likes when he’s allowed in Jim’s head. The guy dwells up there a little too much, in Toby’s opinion. He overthinks things like crazy these days, with all the pressures on him. Which, as supportive as Toby is, for all of Jim’s endeavors— be it Romeo, or the successor to an ancient line of warriors dating back centuries— Toby can’t help but worry sometimes, about how much his best friend has taken on. He knows he isn’t supposed to like Strickler and all, but Toby can’t really deny that the man has a point with his nickname for Jim. He really does shoulder the world.

Jim’s voice slices into Toby’s worries, his amused tone calming some of them, “Not what I meant, Tobes. You know what I meant.”

“Hey, maybe I don’t. You don’t know that.”

Jim’s voice, like his laugh moments ago, is, again, fond. “Yes I do.”

Toby’s chest flips in a weird way. A way he can’t quite identify. “Okay, fine… I do know what you meant…” He admits, but he isn’t sure where to go after that.

The room is dead silent for a second, the kind of quiet where both parties can hear the other think, until Jim interrupts it and asks, “So… do you know? Y’know… what a crush feels like?”

Toby frowns, thinking about it more seriously. He isn’t sure he’ll do the best job describing it, but he tries. “Well… Uh, you know how I like Darcy?” He asks, and at Jim’s assent, he continues. “It’s like… when she smiles, my knees go all weak, and my chest feels really light. And… I want to be the reason she smiles. I want to hold her hand, and take her on dates, and slow dance with her at Spring Fling over and over again, like we did that… one night…” Toby hesitates to bring up their most recent Spring Fling, remembering belatedly what else had happened then.

He moves on quickly, “It’s like… I dunno. I want to make her happy, like she makes me happy. I won’t say I wanna live my whole life with her ‘cause we’re only 16, but… I guess…. sometimes, it feels like that. Even if I know it’s unlikely.” He shrugs, a little saddened at the thought, but not fully. He knows that high school relationships rarely survive graduation, and he’s made peace with that. And, moreso in his case, he knows that there’s an unfortunate possibility that he won’t even survive to graduation, but that one, he tries not to make peace with. It’s bad for the mind.

“…Huh.” Jim retorts, seemingly unable to say anything but that.

After Toby waits for Jim to speak again… and becomes aware after a while that Jim isn’t going to, he chances it, rolls the dice, says, “Can I ask why you’re asking?”

Jim evades the real question, and instead answers what Toby verbalized, rather than what Toby left unsaid. “You can ask.”

“…Will you answer?” Toby responds, resisting with all of his might, the urge to look at Jim. He stares at a glowing green plastic star on his ceiling instead.

Jim’s hesitation is palpable. Toby can feel it in the hairs on his arm, by the way the very air seems to tense with Jim’s shoulders, which Toby can hear against the noisy fabric of his sleeping bag.

“I-” Jim’s voice catches in his throat. “Maybe…?”

“Not that you have to,” Toby says, uncertain, “But you can… you can share… y’know. If you want to.”

His best friend’s response is immediate. “Promise you won’t judge?”

Jim has been wishing to talk about this, Toby realizes, and his words come as fast as Jim’s did, “Of course I won’t.”

The silence this time, is Jim psyching himself up. Toby can tell. He can hear it in the way that he takes a few deep breaths, the way that he shifts restlessly.

“I don’t think I actually have a crush on Claire.” Jim blurts.

…Oh. Again.

No offense to Jim, Toby restrains relieved laughter, but that’s it? He thinks to himself. He doesn’t say that, though, because he knows that that won’t help reassure his friend in the slightest.

“Oh,” he repeats, aloud this time. “Well, that’s fine. Crushes come and go—”

“No.” Jim says, sounding upset. Toby freezes, listening. “I don’t mean—“ Jim huffs softly, “I mean… Ugh, sorry Tobes.” Toby practically hears the other boy collecting his thoughts, “I just mean… I don’t think I ever had a- a real crush on her.”

Did Jim’s voice just break? Toby feels like he’s had the wind knocked from his lungs. Whether Jim’s voice had or not, Toby’s heart certainly had. Is Jim so afraid of Toby judging him for misreading his feelings?

Toby shakes his head, even if he isn’t sure whether or not Jim sees it, “That’s okay, too, buddy. I’m not gonna judge you for that. Crushes are weird. They aren’t always easy to figure out.”

“…Right.” Jim sounds like something else is on his mind, but Toby doesn’t think pushing him seems quite right.

He takes a more subtle approach. “Thanks for telling me, though, Jimbo. I’m glad you feel like you can tell me something like that. Because, of course you can. I’m here for you.”

It isn’t so subtle that Toby fools himself to think that Jim hasn’t noticed, but it isn’t an outright probe, either.

He can tell that Jim appreciates it, however, by the sound of his voice. “Thanks, Tobes. I guess… I’ve just been scared of what’s been going on in my head, y’know? Do you… ever get that way?”

Toby thinks about his words before answering, but he gives a vocalized ‘hm’ to make sure that Jim knows that he isn’t just ignoring the question. “I mean… I’m no savior of the world and all, but, yeah, I get that. There’s a lot happening right now, troll stuff aside. We’re teenagers; things are kinda expected to be weird and complicated these days, right?” He gives a soft smile in the darkness, letting it bleed into his words.

Jim’s nod is audible against nylon once again, as he says, “Right. Understatement of the year, huh?”

Toby grins. “For sure. But that’s okay. Because we can get through it together, y’know? There’s nothing you could do to make me leave you, Jim, you know that, right?”

Jim’s silence is from shock, he knows. Toby allows him a moment to process.

“…Even if I’m… not really… normal…?”

Toby can’t hold back his snicker this time, “Jim, is anything about our reality ‘normal’ right now?”

Jim’s smile colors his words, to Toby’s relief. “Right. Of course it isn’t.” He pauses for a second, as if making up his mind, and Toby waits for him to do that, “Can I tell you something?”

Toby answers as quickly as a heartbeat responds to itself, “Of course.”  

“I-” Jim hesitates one more time, but evidently decides to push through, as he says, so quietly that Toby nearly misses it; lucky he is holding his breath, so that he doesn’t miss Jim’s words in his own exhale, “I think I’m… aromantic, Toby.”

Toby takes a single beat to breathe in and out, to allow this to add to his bank of knowledge about Jim, to his understanding of his best friend, and then says, “That’s cool. Was it the play that gave it away?”

There is a brief, alarmed pause, before Jim laughs, hard, at that. It starts slow, but rapidly grows lighter and more frequent, until it is closer to a giggle or a wheeze. “How do you know me so well?” He gets out between laughs.

Toby’s grin could light up the whole room. “‘Cause I’m your best friend, dude. It’s like… my whole job description.”

When Jim finally gets a handle on his chuckles, he responds, “Right. How could I forget?”

“You’d never. You just have a lot happening right now.” Toby reminds him.

“…Yeah.”

“But not tonight.” Toby soothes Jim’s beginning-to-wind-up mind, catching it before it can get too far.

Jim gives one last, singular laugh, soft, and fond, “Yeah.” He says again. “Not tonight.”

By the tone of his voice, Toby can tell that Jim finally feels like everything is okay. And he’s glad. Because it is. Just for that night, everything is okay.

The two boys fall asleep in minutes, closer in both heart and in body. Neither of them can remember when it happened, or who initiated, but when they wake the next morning, they find themselves hand in hand, and it isn’t even embarrassing. Because they are, as they always have been, best friends in every way. They will always reassure each other, and they will always be there for each other, and they will, evidently, always do it hand in hand.

[gotmilk5101520]

Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia Watch Episode 11 Recipe for Disaster (Part 1)

This is long. So it’s split into 2 parts. Part 2 will be out tomorrow.

“War. War never changes”

“I trusted him. And he betrayed me”

“And worst of all, he hit on my mother” Being a changeling is nothing compare to the fact that he hit on his mother.

“Looks like someone has eyes for Jim”

“Remember that letter i was telling you about?”

“The one where he was fighting all of those inner monsters?”

“You don’t think he’s crazy, do you?”

“I don’t know, but i’m gonna to find out” Claire is done with the secrets

“Due to recent development, i don’t want things to be strange between us”

“Your mother has invited me over for dinner”

“I’ve graciously accepted”

“Will that make things awkward?”

“Awkward? No, no”

“It’s just dinner. Right?” Yeah... Just dinner.

“He’s coming over for dinner?”

“I know. I thought it was a bad idea at first, but think about it” Claire the Eavesdropper.

“No more secrets. No more lies. It’s coming out. Tonight”

“Oh, no”

“If we can find out where the bridge is”

“Then it is goodbye, Mr. S”

The spy life is hard.

“I do not approve of this plan”

“It lacks a certain”

“Killing the changeling component” If there’s no killing then the plan is pointless.

“Hello”

“I didn’t know what varietal you like”

“So i brought a pinot noir, the heartbreak grape”

“We don’t judge here. All kinds are welcome”

Jim is so disgusted.

“Mr. Lake”

“Mr. Strickler”

“Please, my friends call me Walt”

“What do your enemies call you?”

“They call me Walt Disney”

“Okay. How do i get in? What would Marinette do? Alright Claire, think like Marinette” “Alya, why do i feel a disturbance?” “Like what girl?” “Like someone just said they have to think like me” “Why would someone think like you?” “I don’t know!”

“Fine, let’s make it snappy”

“I got a 9:00 pm feeding i don’t wanna miss” This is close to Star vs the Forces of Evil level of Crap Past the Radar.

Nothing sus here.

“Alright maybe i can sneak in through the back door. Wait no that leads to the Kitchen. Maybe i can climb in through Jim’s room or his mom’s. No, no, that wouldn’t work. How the hell would i climb all the way up there? Wait, what if i get found? What if Jim sees me and thinks i’m some sort of creepy stalker and never wants to see me again? Then we’ll never get the house, three kids, and the hamster named- Wait what am i saying? Ugh. Come on, Claire! Don’t think too Marinette-ish!” “Seriously Alya. Someone is talking about me!”

Who would win? Claire or Draal with a stool?

“Fortune favors the bold, Claire”

“Huh...?”

“I’m a little preoccupied about kissing Claire”

“Draal, i really like her”

“Claire?”

“Ouch. That hurts. If i’d hit my head on that really hard then i would be knocked out”

“So i said to my co-worker”

“I brought you a midnight snack”

“Too bad for him, he had indigestion for days” Wait a minute.

“Hey! What are you doing in here?”

“You were followed?”

“Of course not. I brought you a midnight snack”

Oh god.

“Yes. I know”

“You know what?”

“I know”

“You know”

“How much do you know?”

“You didn’t know”

“i knew”

“But now you know”

“I know”

“So i guess we both know” I know. I know you know. I know you knew that i know. I know that you knew that i knew that you know that i know cliche.

Nice job Jim.

“Know what?” They just know.

“Can’t talk, Mare. I’m kinda of in the middle of something”

“Oh, my gosh! You are totally at his house, aren’t you?”

“You are pathological” How does Mary know Claire is at Jim’s house? For all she knows Claire is actually at home and is busy at the moment. Also poor Draal.

“You boys want something while i’m up?”

“I’d love a sharp knife, for the steak”

“Oh, me too. Sharper the better” Yeah. A very sharp knife for the “Steak”

“I haven’t seen one of these in ages” So there are no pianos in Trollmarket?

“I feel violated” That’s what it’s like to be used.

“What could he be doing with these? Huh”

“What is it?” “Curious” If only i caught this when i first watched it.

“Dang look at this guy. He looks just like you, Aaarrrgghh”

“That’s cause it is”

“Okay, yeah, real funny”

“That’s not him”

“You used to eat people?”

“You speak the unfortunate truth”

“Aaarrrgghh was a Gumm-Gumm, and a general in Gunmar’s horde”

“But just before the Battle of Killahead”

“He absconded his flesh-eating ways”

“to take an oath of peace”

“If it weren’t for his aid, the world as you know it would look remarkably different”

“People ran away. Scream”

“Aaarrrgghh!!! No. No. Stop”

“Kill them all, kill them all”

“Kill them all!”

“Kill them all!”

“Kill...”

“them…”

“all!”

“You might have been one then”

“But you’re one of us now, wingman”

“Boom”

“Boom”

*Cries in Troll*

To be continued

Part 2

[elizabethemerald]

How about Barbara, Strickler, and Blinky having a heart to heart about the parental hardships of aiding Jim as he grows up. (Both as an individual and his role as the trollhunter.) Listen I just really like fics where the three talk about how difficult Jim is to raise okay.

Thanks for your patience!  This takes place in my Jim is Honest AU. In between the Battle of two Bridges and the Return of the Trollhunter. 

"I'm so glad we can finally get the chance for all of us to talk." Barbara said lightly as she distributed tea. Walter sat on one side of her dining room table and Blinky sat on the other. "After the battle, then the play, then my work schedule and you having to leave the country. "

She gestured to Walter. Both males pointedly didn't drink the tea she had given them. Blinky wasn't sure how troll digestion would handle the tea and Walter had already tried Barbara's tea once and didn't want to risk that again. 

"We are all here because we care about Jim and want him to be as safe as he can be considering his calling." Barbara stood at the head of the table. She gripped the table tightly. "And because I am out of my depth when it comes to trolls I am willing to put your various attempts on my son's life aside."

Walter looked down ashamed, but Blinky cleared his throat. He put one hand up, leaving his other three on the table. 

"I have never tried to kill Master Jim." He said. Barbara whirled on him, her eyes wide. 

"You may have never directly tried to kill Jim, but you knowingly sent him into every danger!" She shouted. Her knuckles were white on the table edge. "You forget, Blinky that I was the one who bandaged him up after every 'training session' with you!"

Barbara spun away from the table, releasing her death grip. "I've cared for bruises, cuts, slashes, several bruised ribs, bites, and a concussion!" She was shouting each word while numbering them off on her fingers. Her words increased volume and pitch, till she was almost screaming them out. "In just a few short months he's been burned, almost drowned, struck by lightning, shrunk and almost killed in a dozen different ways!" 

She faced him again and thrust her finger in his face. "Don't forget, sir, that while you were training a warrior, I was caring for a son! A boy, only freshly sixteen!"

Blinky looked down at his hands while Barbara glared at him. She was breathing heavily and closed her eyes to try and calm down. Walter leaned over and put his hand on her arm. Her eyes snapped open and she smacked his hand away. 

"You helped save my son's life and fought Bular and I know what that cost you. That's the only reason I'm not killing you with my own hands for lying to me and using Jim. Not to mention the very direct threats you made against his life as well." Barbara paused and breathed a little slower. "If you want us to have anything but a hostile relationship you need to start it back at square one."

Both of the people at the table stared at their hands now. Barbara took a minute to get her anger under control then sat down as well. 

"We are not here to discuss my feelings about either of you two. We are here to discuss Jim." They both looked up at her as she spoke. "With Bular dead and the Bridge safely in Trollmarket, what are the most likely threats Jim is going to face?"

"I believe the most-"

"The next threat is-"

They both started talking at once. Barbara sighed and gestured to the changeling. "Go ahead Walter."

"You are both aware of the changeling civil war that has started since Bular was felled. The actions of myself and Ms. Nomura have not gone unnoticed. We were successful in purging the Arcadia branch of the Janus Order of any loyalists but those changelings who still feel that our salvation lies in Gunmar are out there."

Walter put his head in hands. Barbara resisted the urge to put a comforting hand on his arm. After her own reaction it would be inappropriate. 

"The cost in lives … has been great. On both sides. All across the world changelings are disappearing. And it seems the fighting isn't over here either. " He paused again. "Ms. Nomura has brought to my attention that Principal Levitt has disappeared."

Barbara gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Blinky however could only look in confusion between the other two. 

"Principal…" He said. 

Barbara realized he knew neither the man nor the position. "The head of Jim's school." She said,  then she turned back to face Walter. "Is there any chance of rescuing him?"

"It is exceedingly unlikely that he was taken alive." Walter said avoiding eye contact. "And if for some reason he was taken alive, if we were to find him he would likely be in no condition to return to his position."

Barbara rubbed her face. "I think we should still take a look at his house, see if we can turn up anything."

"Very well, I can pump my sources in the police force for information." Walter's eyes sharpened again, focusing on the two of them. "How ever we must also address what this means for us and for Jim."

"They could not have made the threat more clear,  either for the Trollhunter or myself. By removing the head of the school they are saying the school is not a safe place for either of us."

Barbara blanched, but Walter continued. "I was able to arrange things so that I will be taking over as interim principal, so we don't have to worry about a spy taking command of the school. And I've hired Ms. Nomura to take my place as history teacher. That will be two trustworthy changelings to protect Jim."

Blinky snorted at the idea of a trustworthy changeling, but Barbara and Walter immediately glared at him. He cleared his throat under their gaze. 

"I also believe we have another threat to consider." Barbara softened her glare at his words. "This threat I believe will come the Fair Claire."

"Do you think she's a changeling?" Barbara asked, glancing at Walter. 

"Ms. Nuñez? Certainly not." Walter paused. "We can always test by gaggletack but I don't believe her to be a changeling."

"She's not a changeling but her brother is." Blinky said. 

"The welp? He's no loyalist. He's no rebel either, but I can't see how he is a threat."

"No. But Claire now knows that her brother, her real brother is trapped in the Darklands."

"Ah." Walter said leaning back, his face troubled. It was Barbara's turn to look between the two in confusion. 

"I don't understand?"

"Remember what I told you about changelings?" Walter was the one to learn forward and explain. "The human baby we replace, is kept in the Darklands. As long as no harm comes to it we can transform at will. The welp, I believe the boys have taken to calling him NotEnrique, replaced Claire's brother. That means that her real brother is in the Darklands. You know the girl almost as well as I do now, how long do you think before she pushes Young Atlas into trying to enter the Darklands?"

Barbara sat back thoughtful while Blinky took up the narrative. "Not only would entering the Darklands risk freeing Gunmar, but the Darklands themselves are a black labyrinth filled with horrors and threats. If Master Jim went in alone it would almost certainly be a suicide mission."

"But he wouldn't, would he?" Barbara asked, then clarified at their confused looks. "He wouldn't be going in alone? We would be right there beside him?"

"Yes ideally we would." Walter replied. "I think I am starting to understand Blinkous' concern. Jim has a bit of a savior complex. Given the right motivation he might be inspired to think he alone can face the dangers there."

"It's unfortunately not uncommon for Trollhunters." Blinky said. "The previous one, Kanjigar, pushed away all of his loved ones, including his son and Aaarrrgghh and I. He feared what would happen if one of us were hurt."

"And it lead to his downfall. When he faced Bular, he was alone." Walter said. Barbara frowned her fingers moving on their own accord, tapping out a pattern on her arms. She hated thinking about Jim dying from all this. She felt the burning of unshed tears in her eyes. She rubbed them quickly and took a shaky breath to steady herself. 

"Alright, what motivation do you think could cause him to push us away?" Barbara asked when she was calmer. 

"A threat."

"To someone he loves."

"Something credible that he can't prevent."

Barbara tapped her fingers against her arms. "Do you think the threat will come to Claire? I know Jim has had a crush on her for two years. Or maybe Toby? His best friend would make a great target."

"Or what about his mother?"

Barbara wanted to dismiss that out of hand but she hesitated. 

"It seemed to me that the Young Atlas was most bothered by Ms. Nomura's trespass because of the implied threat to you." Walter said.  He looked down ashamed before he continued. "And after my own betrayal, he most feared that I would hurt you."

"When Draal moved into your basement Master Jim was happiest that you would be protected, even when he wasn't there himself."

"And I believe he already spends a significant amount of time caring for you since his father left. So any threat to you would be taken as the ultimate offense. Possibly enough to push the rest of us away."

"And that would leave him effectively alone." Barbara finished. She was seeing the picture they were painting. "So I guess we have to make sure I'm protected as well?"

She hated the idea immediately. She and Jim had taken care of each other ever since his father had left them. They had always been all they ever needed. She had learned Krav Maga to be able to protect herself and Jim. Now Jim's small circle of trustworthy adults were discussing how to protect her so he wouldn't do anything stupid. 

"I already have some changelings among the staff at the hospital. They should be able to head off any threat there."

Barbara looked at Walter in surprise. She hadn't noticed any new faces at work. "Really? Who?"

"Changelings go out of their way to make sure they don't know each other's human identities. I think that is something that should be continued. Especially with the current divisions in the Janus Order."

"Ok. What can we do about the house? Any defenses we make here we can pretend are to help Jim feel safer at home."

"Well there's always your guard dog in the basement. Where is he by the way?" Walter said. 

"Draal had been accepted back into Trollmarket." Blinky said. 

"Oh! Good for him." Barbara said. 

"Yes it seems he has regained his honor after sacrificing his arm to stop Gunmar's return." Blinky missed Walter's muttered, "Is that all it takes?" Barbara did notice, however she let Blinky finish speaking. "So unfortunately he will be splitting his time between here and Trollmarket and won't be able to protect the house like he used to."

"I can of course provide what weapons and spells I have available to ensure your protection." Walter said. 

"And you have access to any weapon in the Trollmarket Armory."

"Perfect." Barbara leaned back in her chair. She glanced at the clock on the wall. She wanted to pick Jim up from school today, since for once she wasn't working. She glanced at Walter than Blinky. "There is one more thing you need to do, Blinky."

"Barbara…" Walter cautioned. She could tell he knew what she was thinking. 

"Of course Lady Barbara, what do you need?" Blinky said. 

"You need to get Walter into Trollmarket."

Blinky hesitated. "As in sneak him in?"

"No. Openly as a changeling."

Both of the males spoke at once. Barbara rubbed her face with a hand. She keyed in on something Blinky was saying. 

"...it will take some time for us to change our traditions…"

"Traditions?!" The word came out as shout, immediately silencing the other two. "With all due respect, fuck your traditions."

They both stared at her open mouthed. Barbara continued, trying her best to keep her calm, despite her long seated annoyance on this topic. "Your traditions had a fifteen year old boy enter into a death match 'for honor.' Your tradition had one of the rules of your protector be always murder your opponent. Your tradition has you hating your own children who were stolen away from you and enslaved."

Barbara stood up, almost knocking her chair over. "Changelings are dying Blinky. Everyday." She turned away from him to address Walter. "How many of these loyalists are fighting because they don't believe they have any options? Because they don't think Troll society will ever accept them?"

Both of them were looking considering now. "Blinky I'm not asking for a miracle. I know it will take time, but we have to show the changelings everywhere that they have someone else who will accept them other than Gunmar."

"I will have to talk to Vendel. You are right, obviously." Blinky turned to look at Walter. "You have already helped Master Jim. I will make sure you and your kin are accepted." 

Blinky immediately stood up and walked to the stairs to the basement. Barbara leaned against the wall as he departed. She hoped she wasn't driving a wedge between Jim's allies, but she wasn't going to stop speaking her mind. 

Walter stood up and grabbed his jacket from its spot over the arm of the couch. He paused as he buttoned it up. 

"Barbara." She turned at the hesitant tone in his voice. "You said our relationship is reset to square one. So could I take you out for coffee, tea or an appendectomy?"

Barbara gave a soft laugh. "Coffee sounds amazing."

[quietpagan]

TH What Falls and What Grows 10

“They're just weeds, love, they don't belong anywhere.' Her granddaughter stuck out her bottom lip and furrowed her brow.

'That doesn't seem very nice. Everything belongs somewhere.”

― Kathryn Hughes

  The library was temporarily closed in the wake of Blinky’s meltdown.

Or, perhaps meltdown wasn’t the word. Melt-up, maybe, because Blinky certainly seemed excited.

“I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!”

AAARRRGGHH watched him happily scamper about the room, picking up a book here and there and perusing through it, before discarding it and finding another.

“This is the most conniving scheme in the history of Trollmarket,” he said feverishly, the crackling of a book’s spine echoing throughout the room. “To have a Changeling as the Trollhunter! It’s so improbable as to be almost unbelievable!”

Blinky dropped the book and danced over to AAARRRGGHH.

“Are you certain? Are you sure of what you saw?” AAARRRGGHH shrugged uncomfortably.

“It may just have been the light,” he said in Trollish, unable to find the words in English.

“But the sneeze? The fingers! I cannot believe I haven’t noticed them! You’re sure there were five?” AAARRRGGHH sighed.

“Five,” he said. “Bottom hands.”

Blinky nodded, his eyes wide and excited.

“And from our observations, there can be no other explanation,” he said. “Her menacing appearance; her unusual anatomy; her dependence on secrecy and outright lies! My friend, you have uncovered something fantastic!” AAARRRGGHH didn’t feel that way. He’d told Blinky of his suspicions, of course he had, but he didn’t have to feel good about it. After the brief, reflexive pang of hatred that came with the mention of Changelings had passed he actually felt a little bad. Alexandra wasn’t too terrible a person – she’d even apologized, sincerely, for hurting him – and whatever anyone said, she was the Trollhunter. The amulet had chosen her, Changeling or not. The Soothscryer had judged her and found her worthy. She’d saved both himself and his friend from Bular, and had spared Draal’s life, all within her first few weeks. As far as Changelings went, she wasn’t one of the worst.

But they had to know. Blinky, as much as AAARRRGGHH didn’t like it, was right. They needed a Trollhunter they could trust.

And if Alexandra was in league with Bular and his father, that would not be her.

Blinky restrained himself enough to walk through the market without causing a fuss. He knew the commotion and panic that would spring up if he started going on about Changelings, and his many failed conspiracy-hunts had taught him to be, if not cautious, then at least quiet.

They made their way to Rotgut’s with little fanfare, and procured a gaggletack without letting the keepers of Rotgut’s know who the artifact was for. AAARRRGGHH hid it away in his mane of hair, since he was currently on better terms with Alexandra than Blinky.

Blinky had been informed of the Trollhunter’s apology, but it had been swept aside by the ‘Changeling Trollhunter’ conspiracy. He knew that it was still in the back of Blinky’s mind, however, and he also knew that Blinky had not forgiven Alexandra as quickly as himself. Blinky was not usually one to hold grudges, but when someone – anyone - threatened or slighted AAARRRGGHH he could be as fierce as a rampaging Nullhunter.

Alexandra possibly being a Changeling didn’t help.

AAARRRGGHH and Blinky retreated to the library, where she was bound to resurface. Word around the market was that she had helped Bagdwella end her gnome problem just the day before. She was active, and both of them knew that she couldn’t stay away from the library.

AAARRRGGHH removed the gaggletack from his hair and tossed it between his hands, settling down amongst the piles of books. Blinky smiled at him as he absently organized.

“Certainly an interesting situation,” he said quietly. AAARRRGGHH merely hmm’d in response.

“I suppose it all falls down to how she reacts to us knowing, and how it will affect her role as Trollhunter.”

He nodded in agreement, and held out the gaggletack for Blinky to examine. His friend rubbed it between his palms, tapping it lightly before he sighed and dropped it behind a pile of scrolls.

“Are you sure you are alright, my good friend? You have been unusually quiet.”

“Thinking,” replied AAARRRGGHH, truthfully. He’d been considering Alexandra’s words.

She’d been sympathetic to his past. She said that she understood being different; she’d been jealous of the new life he’d found.

Everyone hated Changelings. They were the Other, the outcasts, the abominations. Even Gumm-Gumms, creatures of anger and experimentation themselves, were free to loathe the Changelings as much as they wanted, because at least they were still trolls. But Changelings didn’t have a place in the world, belonging to both and neither at the same time. Not troll, but not troll. Goblins got more clout than Changelings.

As a whole they were cunning, unpredictable, ruthless, and utterly untrustworthy. Even if Alexandra had, so far, proven herself to be a decent person, was that enough? ‘Changeling’ might be unforgivable, even though AAARRRGGHH felt hypocritical thinking it.

He looked up when Blinky laid a hand on his arm and smiled reassuringly.

“I imagine this must be difficult for you,” he murmured. AAARRRGGHH leaned gently against his shoulder.

The thick smell of old paper and vellum, the sour taste of ink

Stone and crystal, warm and familiar, and the shifting of another body beside his

A dark miasma of ncertainty, doubt, confusion, and hope

“I’m fine,” he said, truthfully. “Bad memories, but good friends.”

Blinky’s smile was radiant and brightened up the darker spaces in AAARRRGGHH’s heart.

“Do not worry, my dear companion,” he said warmly. “This is a necessary intervention. We can only hope that it does not proceed unfavorably, for ourselves or our Trollhunter.”

Blinky relaxed himself by puttering about the library, trying to get things re-organized. AAARRRGGHH remained deep in thought, until several hours passed and Alexandra finally entered the room, her arms laden with books and her notepad.

Blinky softly shut the door behind her and AAARRRGGHH shook himself from his thoughts, remaining as nonchalant as he could. Alexandra gave him and Blinky a hesitant smile before laying her books on Blinky’s table.

“I’ve finished these,” she said. Blinky hmm’d. Apparently actually seeing her again reminded him of how nettled he was at her. AAARRRGGHH found himself looking over her, as if he’d find another clue that they’d missed before.

Alexandra briefly glanced at him before looking Blinky square in the eyes, slipping her notebook into her arms. AAARRRGGHH wasn’t sure if his friend realized how tense his shoulders were.

“If you’ve got a problem, Blinky, you might as well say it. I’ve already apologized, but you still have the right to be angry with me. Just don’t expect me to suddenly roll over and fall at your feet.”

Blinky grinned wryly.

“I would hardly expect any less,” he replied. “How, may I ask, is your eye?” Alexandra stole one of his pencils from the desk and sat down on the only empty chair in the room.

“Gone, thank you for asking. And you, AAARRRGGHH? You okay?” AAARRRGGHH, caught off guard, tried to smile.

“Um. Good.”

“Good,” she said, and cracked open her notes. “Are we going to get back to work, or do we need another moment to brood? Because I have a few questions about Grimholdt the Gruesome’s tactics in the Battle of Seven Waters.”

Blinky shifted uncomfortably, trying to look authoritative and intimidating, which was difficult when Alexandra was both bigger and stronger than him and had taken complete control over the conversation.

“Actually,” he said, “I was hoping to ask you a few questions. The first of which being when you were planning on telling us.” Alexandra raised an eyebrow.

“Telling you…what?” AAARRRGGHH moved then, closer to Blinky so that he could provide cover if needed. Alexandra – ever watching – noticed. She didn’t tense, but his practiced eyes saw her limbs still in preparation for a fight. They needed to be cautious whether she was their friend or not. She had taken out one of Bular’s eyes, after all.

Blinky reached behind the pile of scrolls and closed his lower right hand around the gaggletack.

“That you are a Changeling,” he said steadily.

Alexandra jolted as if from electric shock. She held her notebook tightly enough to crinkle the pages, and the pencil she had stolen from Blinky snapped in half.

“What did you just say?”

“The evidence is undeniable,” Blinky said. A little bit of his conspiracy-fervor crept into his voice. “Judging from both your appearance and behavior it is clear that you have been tricking us this whole time!”

“Are you…are you fucking kidding me?!”

“How else do you explain your savage mien, your lack of family records, your tendency to lie and deceive? There can be no other explanation! You are a Changeling!” “I’m the goddamn Trollhunter,” Alexandra shouted, jumping to her feet as Blinky raised the gaggletack. Her entire body was shaking; her teeth set in a snarl; her eyes bright with tears.

“Yes, and that is incredible enough in and of itself! We will deal with that later…” “Blinky, she looks mad,” AAARRRGGHH said, for all the good it did.

“…But now, it is time for you to reveal yourself!”

Blinky jumped around the desk, gaggletack held before him like a blade, and Alexandra dodged the artifact and roughly pushed him away. AAARRRGGHH caught him and held him steady.

The smell of anger, the heaviness of pain, the salt from tears and the scab over her eye

The sound of her teeth grinding, a tiny whine in the back of her throat, the bitter taste of betrayal in the air

“You….y-you…”

She was so angry that she could barely speak, and with a filthy glance at the both of them she bolted out of the room. They followed immediately, quickly drawing attention from the shops and stalls in the halls.

“It is useless to run, foul beast,” Blinky yelled. AAARRRGGHH was too busy knuckling around the crowds to roll his eyes, but he was very quickly discerning that his friend’s attitude was not helping the situation.

“Fuck off!” Alexandra spat, shoving through a group of trolls whose conversation quickly petered out in the wake of the Trollhunter’s sharp elbows. They were heading toward the Heartstone, and AAARRRGGHH groaned at the thought of bringing Vendel into this mess.

“You cannot deny it, you cannot refuse! The whole of Heartstone Trollmarket will see for themselves – “ Alexandra whipped around, the light of the great crystal enflaming her face, and snatched the gaggletack from Blinky’s waving hand.

It did absolutely nothing.

She shoved it under his nose, taking advantage of their height differences to step forward and menace him and completely ignoring AAARRRGGHH’s presence as Blinky’s backup.

“Now do I look like a FUCKING Changeling to you?”

Blinky didn’t answer, as shell-shocked as he was. Around them, several of the bystanders recognized the artifact. Whispers began to circulate throughout the hall, and both AAARRRGGHH and Blinky shifted uncomfortably.

“But…I was so sure – everything suggested that – “

“Oh, no,” Alexandra snarled. “You cannot deny it, you cannot refuse! You. Were. Wrong.”

“What is the meaning of this?”

Vendel was tracing his way through the Heartstone’s crystals, and AAARRRGGHH felt a shooting of dread. This would not go well.

“Are you on yet another one of your conspiracy hunts, Blinkous? What has taken you now – oh!”

Vendel froze, his eyes focused on the gaggletack in Alexandra’s shaking hand.

“A Changeling?” he hissed. “You actually accused our Trollhunter of being a Changeling?!”

“Vendel mad?”

AAARRRGGHH flinched back when Vendel’s snapped his eyes toward him.

“Mad would be a considerable improvement! Blinkous Galadrigal! How could you be so foolish?” “There was immense evidence,” Blinky retorted, the conviction utterly gone from his voice under the scathing gazes of the Trollhunter and Vendel and a good portion of Trollmarket.

“I thought…everything pointed toward…”

“I trusted you,” said Alexandra. AAARRRGGHH couldn’t help but hang his head. Blinky lowered his face and stepped back into his friend’s chest.

The Hunter bared her sharp teeth.

“Every day I’ve been here you’ve been dogging me, trying to find out lies, haven’t you? Since the first time we met you haven’t trusted me, have you? Well I goddamn trusted you, and you decided that…what? I wasn’t enough like you, I was too different, so you automatically concluded that I was some sort of lying half-breed thing?” She reeled back her arm and threw the gaggletack at Blinky’s face, where it caught him on the cheek before AAARRRGGHH could catch it. He looked shocked and immensely guilty, but when he stammered an apology Alexandra turned on her heel and left without acknowledging him, leaving them alone with an angry Vendel and a crowd of disappointed trolls.

Vendel stomped over to them and bent down until he was at Blinky’s level.

“You had better find a way to fix this, Blinkous,” he said. His voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking it for calm. “I shudder to think of what would come to our home should we have a vengeful Trollhunter on our hands. Hmph.”

The tapping on Vendel’s crystal staff echoed in his wake as he walked back into the Heartstone. Over the heads surrounding them AAARRRGGHH could see Alexandra stomping away, damaged notebook and pencil still clutched in her hands as she stomped through the market, wiping her eyes before disappearing around a corner.

AAARRRGGHH felt horrible. They had never seriously considered what would happen if they were wrong.

“Another conspiracy, eh, Blinky?” said Bagdwella with a nasty smile. “You certainly seem to have messed up this one.”

“I was trying to protect our home,” he answered vehemently, picking the gaggletack off of the ground.

“If she had been a Changeling imagine what could have happened!” “Oh, yes,” said the woman wryly. “I’m sure the entire market would have collapsed, the cat meat would have soured, the crystals would have gone dark!”

“Changeling or not, she still has been lying – “ “Time to go,” said AAARRRGGHH firmly, grabbing Blinky underneath his arms and physically carrying him away from further confrontation.

“AAARRRGGHH!”

“Feel bad,” he said, looking at Blinky’s upside-down face. “Need to apologize.” Blinky’s small, blunt horns rubbed against his chest as he nodded.

“Indeed,” he said grimly. “We have…I have made a grave misinterpretation, one that could cost us dearly. Apologizing is the least we can do.” Distantly, there was a familiar roar of rage, followed by the crashing of wood against stone. Blinky shrank slightly in AAARRRGGHH’s arms.

“But perhaps it can wait a bit.”

  Alexandra marched in a huff back to her quarters, angrily clenching her notebook in her hand, until she closed the door and let the anger fall away. She carefully put the book in one of her piles, stepped around several cats who wanted food, and gave a quick whistle.

“Gnome,” she breathed. “Hey.”

The gnome, hiding in her bathroom, quickly peaked around the doorframe. The cats scattered as Alexandra crouched down.

“Good job,” she said quietly. “May I have it?” The gnome chittered for a moment until she offered it the stub of Blinky’s pencil. It chewed on it appreciatively and Alexandra reached behind it, pulling the gaggletack, the real one, out from its little hoard.

The horseshoe sparkled with blue lightening the second it touched her bare hand. She hated these things. Her entire body ached and itched like it wanted to transform, but while she was in her troll form it was not obligatory, and the gaggletack didn’t quite affect her as much as she knew it could. Her unique situation with her familiar probably confused its magic, and in a moment the lightening died out with a rather disgruntled fzzt.

The gnome and the cats were all cowering. Alexandra stood and stowed the gaggletack inside her vest.

“You did very well,” she said to the gnome, giving it another pencil. It reached out and snatched it before hiding back in its hole.

And so did I. She’d not only allayed any suspicions of her being a Changeling, but also had put Blinky in such an awkward position that now he was trying to get back into her good graces. Any oddities would be written off as the strangeness of New Jersey trolls, and her trainer was no longer asking questions. It had been a good day.

She spent the rest of the evening staring at the pages of her books without taking in a single thing, and then finally allowed herself to think when she settled down for bed.

Shifting into human form, she curled on top of her nest, hugging her knees to her chest and allowing herself a brief moment of agony. It had been a successful day, yes, but now she knew how her newest acquaintances felt about a Changeling Trollhunter. And it hurt. She could never be fully open with them. She could never completely trust them. She could never be honest with them.

God, it hurts.

She didn’t lay in bed for long. As much as she wanted to stay curled up and crying, she also felt like punching something, and it was barely the beginning of the day. So she shifted back and stalked to the Forge, nodding to the market residents who apologized for Blinky’s behavior. Apparently this sort of thing had happened before, although he’d never gone so far as to offer such an insult to the actual Trollhunter.

The Forge had a few people sparring in it when she entered, but they hastily beat an exit until she waved at them to continue their training. Now that she’d gotten the majority of Trollmarket sympathetic to her, she needed to show them that she was on their side, one of them and willing to be friendly and helpful. Not only would it make Blinky think twice about questioning her again but it would, in time, provide her with a number of allies if things really turned sour.

She practiced a few sets that Draal taught her and relished at the burn in her arms, the feeling of her blade slicing through the air. It was strange how she had been so reluctant at first, considering how at home she felt in her armor now. The true responsibilities of being a Trollhunter were still daunting, but this – the music of the blade, the exertion of the forms, the stretch in her muscles and the Forge’s heat in her lungs – was something that pulsed in her blood so beautifully.

Hopefully existing in Trollmarket would get easier, too. She’d have to be more open with Blinky, and that really didn’t appeal to her, but now that she’d firmly established herself as both a warrior and, very conclusively, a troll she should be able to give herself wholly to her new duties.

She noticed with one eye a few of the trainees on the other side of the Forge watching her as she lunged, and she grinned as she swung into a strong block.

Keep looking, gentlemen.

That was certainly another way to gain popularity. She wasn’t that pretty of a human anymore, but apparently trolls appreciated large horns and musculature, and Alexandra was more than willing to use that to her advantage. She parried an invisible hit and seamlessly meshed the end of the form into the beginning of another, and lost herself to the flow of the movements and the pounding of her hearts.

She ignored the time passing, and the eventual egress of the other trainees. Her forms took her around the Forge, over the now-level floor and across the hidden Soothscryer. Suddenly the amulet on her breastplate glowed, and the Forge went haywire.

The floor heaved like an earthquake, the walls erupting with blades and flaming arrows. Alexandra dismissed her sword as the floor tilted dangerously and hang to grab onto the edge to keep from falling.

What the actual fuck!

There was nobody around, nobody who could have activated the Death Arena, which put sabotage and assassination out. Alexandra searched wildly for an explanation that didn’t end in I broke the Forge and had to finally conclude that something had simply malfunctioned.

According to The History of Heartstone Trollmarket, the Forge was built with a kill-switch inside the mouth of the Soothscryer.

For fuck’s sake…

Alexandra snarled inarticulately as she pulled herself on the edge of the tilted floor, jumping onto a blade as it moved upward. Her short legs couldn’t jump very far, but her arms and upper body made up for the deficiency. She rode the blade until it reached its height, and then jumped onto the raised body of the Soothscryer, grabbing onto its ledge and hoisting herself up. She stuck her upper left hand into the swirling mouth of the statue

and

fell.

It was tremendously loud; the glow of the Soothscryer’s eyes blinded her with red light, until she landed in a crouch, her face screwed up and her hands over her ears. When she opened her eyes, she saw galaxies.

Oh, shit, she thought. I’m in the fucking Void.

“Unwelcome.” “Intruder.”

“Impure.”

“Don’t call me that,” Alexandra said darkly.

Balls of light shot at her and she rolled to dodge them; they glanced off her armor but she hesitated to summon her sword, in case she pissed off any of the dead fucking Trollhunters. The Void was a facsimile of the Hero’s Forge, down to the markings on the floors, but the red was replaced with the bright blue glow of the amulet’s magic, and above the heads of the dead Trollhunters swirled and entire starry sky of monstrous constellations and swirling lights.

“A Changeling is the Trollhunter!” “Abomination…”

“She has no place here…” “Hey, assholes, you summoned me,” Alex muttered, forcibly slapping away another glowing ball.

“Such disrespect,” said a familiar voice. The balls of light joined together and a bulky troll appeared, transparent and glowing but still immense.

She’d forgotten how big Kanjigar was. She could look him in the eye, but his shoulders were nearly as broad as her arms were long. He aimed a bare-armed hit at her head and she summoned her sword to cut him off; the blow glanced off his arm as he turned into the swing and tried to grab at her head. She ducked and got him in the chest with a lower fist, just as his hand closed around the handle of the sword and wrenched it from her.

“Yeah, well. I’ve always had a problem with authority,” Alex said quietly. Kanjigar’s eyes smiled, and she was relieved that he seemed more amused by her than disgusted.

“You’ve done well to prove yourself,” he said, giving Alexandra a little thrill of pride.

“Despite having achieved it through trickery and deception.”

Alex crossed her arms.

“You know, I almost apologized for making you come here without your armor, but I think I won’t.”

Kanjigar appeared as his dead body had, with a bared chest and simple shorts and loincloth, unique among the Trollhunters clad in full armor. She did notice that he had both elbows now.

“Crude.”

“How dare she…”

“We are here to offer you council, Kanjigar said, interrupting the offended tirade. Alexandra got the impression that several of the past Trollhunters were a lot more sensitive than they really needed to be.

“We’ve been watching you; waiting for you to prove yourself.”

“That’s…I don’t like that,” Alex muttered. Kanjigar smirked wryly.

“You do not have to,” he said. “You have proven yourself to be…more than you were made to be,”

The chamber echoed his last living words to her. With a wave of his hand, a flow of mist turned into an image of her jumping between Blinky and Bular. Her mist-self kicked Bular away from the smaller troll, and then the imaged changed to her shooting him in the face.

“Unorthodox!”

“Untraditional!”

“Effective,” said Kanjigar. “The Trollhunter is rooted in lore and tradition, but I will admit that your methods are successful.”

The image changed again, and Alexandra watched herself glow her eyes at AAARRRGGHH, and instruct the gnome in his task to switch out the gaggletack for the horseshoe.

“Even though they may not be as honorable as we would prefer.”

“I have to protect myself,” Alexandra said, quietly but without wavering. “You know how they reacted, if you were watching. We’re liars for a reason.”

“That is true,” Kanjigar said, “But this is not a responsibility you can take on alone. The role of Trollhunter is a solitary one, but the others can become your greatest assets, should you attempt to actually trust them.”

“You pushed your son away,” Alexandra pointed out, making Kanjigar jerk back slightly. “I would have thought you would be more than understanding about my choice to go it alone.” Kanjigar frowned at her, the blue glow of his eyes narrowing. His fingers tightened on her sword, solid and small in his ghostly hand.

“I chose not to drag my son into my battles,” he said. “There is a difference between keeping distance to protect someone, and refusing connections out of pride and fear.”

“That doesn’t make your actions right,” Alex murmured. She and Kanjigar stared it off for a few moments, before silently agreeing to disagree. Kanjigar shifted the sword in his grip, before hanging it in the air and letting it go back to Alexandra.

“Continue your training, Hunter, but try to trust your allies.” She looked away. She knew she’d have to open up a bit, but to actively trust? More than she already did? What would that entail? How much would she have to give up?

“I understand that your past and nature make it difficult…” Understatement.

“…Blodwen.” “That’s not my name,” Alex hissed, spinning around and slashing her sword through his arm, where it passed through harmlessly. The strength of the swing pulled at her shoulder, and she panted for a second, glaring at Kanjigar with hard eyes.

“We see all, Trollhunter,” he said, almost gently. “There are no secrets here.”

Alex inhaled deeply, and straightened up, shaking off the anger.

“That’s not my name,” she repeated, calmer. Kanjigar inclined his head, but one of the other Trollhunters flashed their eyes.

“It used to be.”

Alexandra noticed that it was the four-armed, six-eyed Hunter, who was probably insulted that a member of her sister clan had been taken as a Changeling.

“I’m not talking about this,” Alex said. “We are not talking about this. Is there anything else you have for me, or can I get back to the land of the living?”

Kanjigar nodded grimly, and floated back. Alexandra tore her eyes off him and focused on the red of the Forge, the heat and the dusty smell that was absent in the Void. She felt herself starting to fall away.

“I’ll tell Draal you said hello, shall I?” she yelled at the former Hunter, just as the Void faded around her and she landed in the Hero’s Forge with a crash and a bruised tailbone.

She hadn’t…

Damn, she was shaken. Kanjigar knew where to hit where it hurt.

It took effort not to collapse, but she was in a public place and didn’t want anyone wondering why she was crying. She forced the name and its memories out of her mind, refusing to let herself feel anything. A few deep breaths later the armor was dismissed, and she opened her eyes to see Blinky and AAARRRGGHH standing on the end of the bridge.

She really didn’t want to talk to anybody now, and it showed on her face. Blinky held up two of his hands in surrender.

“I…realize that our presence is not welcome,” he said quietly. “But please accept this offering. I…believe you may find it useful.”

Alex stepped forward to take it. She glanced up at AAARRRGGHH, standing behind Blinky like a giant mossy bodyguard; he gave her a little smile.

The offering was nothing more than a large iron key and a piece of paper with a scribble of directions. Alexandra didn’t ask and Blinky didn’t elaborate, and he and his companion left without another word.

Her urge to punch something had only grown bigger since the beginning of the day, but she had to admit that she was curious.

The directions, written in a beautiful Trollish slant, led her to the residential district, although in a different section of the caves than her own quarters. She wound through immense corridors and dark hallways, the only noise coming from quiet rivulets of water that ran down the walls, creating mist around the crystals embedded in the stone. At the very end of the farthest hall was a wide stone door, to which the key Blinky had given her fit perfectly. She unlocked the door and cautiously peered into the rooms.

They were dark, the crystals smashed, as was tradition when someone died. A small lamp of glowworms provided the only light. The air smelled damp and warm, but empty. Unlived in. The everyday debris and personal items of the previous occupant had been left untouched, and in the dust Alexandra smelled Kanjigar.

She wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was he giving her Kanjigar’s rooms? She already had her own, though they were getting a bit crowded with cats, and she had a few problems living in the quarters of her deceased predecessor.

Although…he could see her now. It probably would annoy him if she took over his rooms. Perhaps the idea did have merit.

Alexandra stepped further into the room and turned, and then saw what Blinky was really giving her.

The walls surrounding the door, from floor to ceiling, were covered with books, several of them peeling with age, half-burnt, or even bloodstained. There were hundreds, and each was unique.

He gave her Kanjigar’s library.

 BITCH YOU THOUGHT.

She planted little Changeling clues on purpose, because of course she couldn’t just do something nice for someone else without having an ulterior motive. So she made herself feel less guilty and killed any Changeling suspicion with one stone.

Not shown is the four hours Alexandra took to go upstairs and hunt the thrift stores for an actual horseshoe and then the bribes she made to the gnome to get him to make the switch.

After re-watching the series, I have concluded that these two are so fucking married. I’m honest here. They’re besties, certainly, but Blinky was worried about his human! Transformation and how distant he thought A was getting because of it. Like, if my bestie suddenly turned into a giant cat we’d still be besties, but I’m not sure how I’d react to my husband suddenly turning into a cat. And how they act around each other, the long looks, the everything. They are so damn married.

Another tiny reference to the book, and some of the lines were inspired by IDW’s comic 58, a page of which can be found here. Leatherhead would totally be Alexandra’s favorite character.