#darcy trolls

[bibi-likes-to-draw]

Attacked @spooky-pop (again) with Darcy!!!

Reblogs greatly appreciated!

[avirxy]

Realized I’ve never drawn her without the helmet on, so I had to fix it.

[andystweets]

@spooky-pop hope is not to late 💫🎉✨🧨🎇 we are skating 😄

[earth-ambassador-jim]

My brain has assigned "The Draw" by Bastille to @rosemaidenvixen 's fic "A Secret's Worth", so here's a song art thing. Enjoy!

I am so pleased that Jim's four fingered hand being his right one lined up with the "In my right hand, there's the great unknown" line in the song.

Congrats on finishing your fic @rosemaidenvixen !

[rosemaidenvixen]

Between Daylight and Darkness

Chapter 4

<Previous Next>

Ao3

“You kids sure you’ll be ok?”

Jim waved her off as the others shuffled out of the car “It’ll be fine, we’ll stay close to the canal and I’ll text you every hour,”

Barbara’s worried expression didn’t ease, but she turned back and straightened up in the driver’s seat “Ok, I trust you. Let me know if you find anything and I’ll see you in a few hours,”

Jim pulled his hood up over his horns, nodding with a confidence he didn’t quite feel but knew his mom needed to see “Alright, see you then,”

She gave him a single nod in return before pulling away back down the access road, turning a corner and being swallowed up by trees, the glint of the headlights the only thing visible in the evening gloom.

Turning away, Jim walked to the edge of the canal and slid to the bottom, where the rest of them were already waiting. The sun had set just over twenty minutes ago, the light was dim and fading fast, but the streetlights lining the canal provided just enough light to see each other and their surroundings, at least for now.

“Ok guys how should we do this? Stay together or split up to cover more ground?”

Darci rolled her eyes “Uh, stay together, obviously, I’m not getting ax murdered,”

“Sounds good, but I’m pretty sure I can take some redneck with an ax,”

Mary snickered “Oh we’re gonna hold you to that,”

They all shared a soft chuckle. Claire was the first one to stop, glancing over his shoulder, smile dropping off and gaze turning contemplative as she stared down the canal “We’re at the north intersection now, let’s head south. If we don’t find anything we can start here again tomorrow heading north,”

“Sounds like a plan,” Toby jogged ahead and took point as the five of them started walking down the concrete corridor “Let’s spread out and walk in a line, cover as much ground as possible, but stay close for aforementioned ax-murderer related reasons,”

Jim forced a smile at that as they headed down the canal, scanning the concrete as they went, but the expression didn’t sit well on his face. All things considered they were off to a good start; traffic was low, no issues getting here. Everyone was in a good mood cracking jokes and ribbing each other like usual. But none of it did anything to dispel the tightness he felt deep in his gut.

It had been five days since he’d found the not-pocket watch, and they were no closer to any real answers. The best lead they had was Eli’s claims of monsters with stone for skin fighting right where Jim had found the watch a few short hours later. Hence the five of them spending their Friday night scouring the canal for clues.

But did Eli really see what he claimed he did? Were there really others out there like Jim? How did the watch play into things?

None of them knew, but if there were any answers in the canal they’d find them.

Jim didn’t know what was stressing him out more, the thought that they wouldn’t find any answers here, or that they might actually find something–

A car rumbled along the road above them, startling Jim out of his thoughts. He suppressed a shudder and pulled his hood down further over his face. He was used to his blue nocturnal form, and frequent camping trips kept him from becoming completely neurotic, but being outside so close to a city at night felt…weird.

The usual smells and sounds were here, trees and dirt, birds and insects; but they were buried underneath a cacophony of other senses. The roar of traffic, the stink of diesel and pollution. The contrast was jarring and had been riling him up ever since he got out of the ca–

Jim stopped dead in his tracks, head snapping around to stare into the trees above them.

“What’s up Jimbo?”

“I– I don’t know, I think I…smell something,”

Claire stepped up to his side “Smell what?”

“I’m…not sure, it’s familiar but like, it doesn’t…belong here,”

“Well then let’s check it out,” Mary propped a single sneaker on the angled side of the canal, glancing over her shoulder at the rest of them “This is why we came out here right? To investigate things, so let’s get investigating,”

“Yeah, let’s do it,” Claire started scaling the canal right behind her, Darci and Toby following on her heels.

Toby paused and looked back “Everything ok Jimbo?”

“Oh! Yeah– I’m coming,”

Soon the five of them were standing at the edge of the woods alongside the canal. Jim shut his eyes and pulled in a deep breath through his nose “Whatever it is, it’s close,”

“Lead the way then,” Claire sided up next to him “We’re following your super senses,”

“R– right,” 

Jim forced himself to pick up his feet and follow the strange scent into the woods, keenly aware of the four smaller sets of footsteps trailing him. Trading the open glow of streetlights on cement to the deep gloom of the woods, unease deepening in his gut with every step.

He’d been on edge ever since they got here, but for some reason this new smell was putting his anxiety into overdrive. He had no idea why, it wasn’t a bad smell, in fact it was familiar in a way he just couldn’t put his finger on, but with something else clinging to it. The combination tripping alarm bells in his head.

They needed to push ahead, this was the best lead they’d found and as nervous as he was his drive for answers was still stronger than his unease. 

Reflexively Jim pulled his hood down even further, fabric hanging down directly in his fa–

He stopped dead in his tracks, making the others stumble to a halt behind him.

Darci stepped around him “Everything ok?”

“Guys I think I might know what this is, it smells kind of like…me,”

“That’s great!” she beamed up at him “If there’s someone else like you out there we can ask them for answers,”

“Sure…yeah,”

“Well what are we waiting for!” Toby eagerly rushed ahead “Let’s go! We’ve got a fellow were-gargoyle to meet!” 

The others all sped up, Jim had to fight from breaking into a run as he lengthened his strides to take the lead.Some murky, innate need in the back of his head demanding that he place himself between his friends and the strange scent as they headed deeper into the trees. Ice prickling up his spine, fur on his neck and back standing on end.

His sense of smell was sharper when he was blue but not so sharp that he could identify people by scent alone. In general people all smelled more or less the same. The way he could tell them apart is by what other scents accompanied them.

Mom smelled like person plus disinfectant.

Toby smelled like person plus cat.

Claire smelled like person plus gardenia shampoo.

By the same note the scent he was following was the same as the scent that clung to Jim’s clothes and bedsheets, but with a heavy, almost sweet note to it that Jim’s own scent was missing. Raising his hackles and sending adrenaline shooting through him for reasons he couldn’t understand–

A rattling sound was the only warning he got before the watch flew out of his pocket, slamming into his chest with the armor materializing in a bright flash.

The others all started, but Jim just shook his head “Forget it, let’s just keep going,”

They had to be in the open space by now, the only light came from the glow of his armor and civilization might as well be miles away. The strange scent was almost overpowering now, leading him to a gap in the trees–

He stopped dead in his tracks, every speck of air knocked from his lungs. Jim was vaguely aware of the others stumbling into him from behind, letting out their own gasps of shock, but all that seemed distant and unimportant compared to what laid directly ahead of him.

Less than twelve feet ahead of them, sitting in a large clearing, there was a creature made of black stone, just like Jim was made of blue, but that was where the similarities ended. This creature was massive, easily eight feet tall, maybe more. Broad and bulky with muscles so well defined they looked carved.

And for all Jim knew they very well might have been.

In place of any kind of normal clothing this creature wore a leather kilt, straps across their chest. A mane of shaggy, black hair ran down the creature’s back–

From out of nowhere the creature whirled on them, piercing the five of them with searingly red eyes, the only trace of color on its body. Jagged tusks poked out of the creature’s mouth, dark horns curling down on either side of it’s– his? Face. His gaze glowing through the trees.

For a moment no one moved. The six of them all appraising each other. 

Toby shifted from foot to foot, giving a little wave “Uh…hello? How’s it going?”

The creature’s mouth pulled into a wide grin, exposing a mouthful of large, crooked teeth accompanying his tusks. Rising to his full height, level with the smaller trees, taking easy strides towards them.

“Finally, my search is at an end,” the creature’s voice was low and gravely, easily carrying across the clearing.

Jim flinched at being addressed “Wha–”

A metallic shing echoed through the clearing as the creature reached above his back, metal glinting as he pulled something free “You have two choices Trollhunter. Surrender the amulet and I will allow you the honor of watching Gunmar rise to his full glory. Refuse me and perish,”

Jim blinked, and the object came into focus. It was a sword, pointed directly at the five of them.

The ringing alarm bells in his head started screaming.

It was at this moment that Jim realized the mysterious note clinging to this creature’s scent.

Rotting meat.

“Run,”

“Wha–”

“Guys run!”

The creature lunged towards them with a roar, the five of the shrieking and scrambling out of the way. All ove Jim’s senses were working in overdrive. He could hear every twig snapping, see every twitch of a limb, as the red eyed creature charged.

In that moment Jim forgot about the watch, his blue form, where he was and what he was doing. Everything. The only thing he knew was that if he didn’t get away they were all going to die–

Jim leapt to the side, snagging Mary and Claire under his arm and out of the creature's path the second before his blade came down. Leaping back again and grabbing Toby and Darci with his other arm. Heartbeat booming in his ears, Jim forced himself to turn his back on the creature as he pivoted around and started sprinting as fast as he could, not even paying attention to which way he was going in his desperate goal to get away–

The creature roared behind him, further away now but still far too close. Branches snapping and cracking as he pursued them. Spurring Jim to push his legs even faster.

Jim didn’t think he just ran. Racing through the trees with all his might, ducking and dodging past trees at the last second, keeping a tight grip on the others, near manic in his desperation to create distance between them and the creature. 

His panicked energy seemed boundless, the weight of the others in his arms barely registered. Jim could run with them all the way to Nevada if he had to. But while their weight barely registered four people was a lot to carry, arms and legs flopping all over the place. And he could only hold them so tight without hurting them, and as he continued to run he could feel someone start to slip.

Even though everything in him was screaming to keep going, Jim forced his legs to stagger to a stop and released them. The four tumbling free and wobbling on their feet.

Toby panted, shooting a frantic look back through the trees “What the actual fuck was that thing!?”

“I…I don’t know,” Claire turned towards Jim “Do you…?”

“No I have absolutely no clue what that thing was,”

“Well whatever it was, we need to–”

“Greetings!”

Jim’s heart shot up into his throat, rushing forward and planting himself in front of the others as the four of them screamed and staggered back.

Another creature stepped through the trees towards them. This one was smaller, but somehow even less human. Head was larger, too many eyes, too many arms. Blue instead of black, suspenders instead of a kilt. Scent of paper and dust clinging to him as opposed to decaying meat.

The creature’s eyes landed on Jim, who couldn’t help but flinch, their mouth breaking into a wide grin “Alas we’ve found you! AAARRRGGHH come hither!”

Heavy footsteps thudded through the forest ahead. Jim whipped his head up to see another creature pushing through the trees, his already hammering heartbeat skyrocketing.

This one was huge, just as big as the first creature they saw, maybe bigger. Lurching through the trees on all fours, making Jim think of a gorilla. No clothes, just a shaggy green mane over a gray stony body.

Somehow Jim still managed to hear the others shriek and stagger back over the roaring in his ears. Jim took a step back, arms spread wide and twitching, getting ready to tuck the others back under his arms and book it the second they had a chance.

But before he could move the many eyed creature’s expression turned to concern, holding up four hands.

“Oh there’s no need to panic, me and my companion mean you no harm,”

“Yeah right,” Mary spat.

“It true,” the big creature rumbled out “Us friends,”   

“Yes you can count us among your allies Trollhunter,”

It took Jim a second to register the word many eyes used.

“Sorry, what was that?”

Many-eyes’ smile got even wider “We have been searching for you for quite some time Trollhunter,” he raised a finger to point at Jim–

No, not at Jim, at the amulet embedded in his chest.

Jim’s brain was still playing catch up “Wait wait wait, you’re saying I’m a….Troll Hunter?”

Many-eyes blinked, all six of his eyes, before letting out a sharp laugh “Quite a sense of humor on yo–”

A roar sounded in the distance, but far too close for comfort, causing all of them, including the newcomers, to jump.

“Leave now, explain later,” the big one rumbled.

“Right you are AAARRRGGHH. Come young Trollhunter, we can provide shelter for you and your companions,”

“Ummm…question,” Toby piped up, voice a full octave higher than normal “How do we know that you aren’t just luring us into a false sense of security to take us to your lair to eat us later?” 

“Have no fear, my companion and I have taken oaths to never partake in human flesh,”

“Yeah, not good eno–”

Another roar, far too close now.

“We really gotta pick and choose here guys,” Darci said shrilly, bouncing from foot to foot and glancing through the trees anxiously.

Jim forced back his jitters and turned towards many-eyes “This place you’re talking about, it’ll be safe, from…him?”

Many eyes nodded “You have my word that you and your companions will be protected from all harm,”

“Ok, take us there,”

“Quickly then, right this way,” 

Many eyes and big guy led the five of them through the woods. Jim had lost all sense of direction by this point, but soon enough they broke through the trees back at the canal, scrambling down the side, the two strangers heading towards the main bridge.

“This is the safe place you were talking about!?” Claire said incredulously.

“Not quite, this is but the gateway to our sanctu–”

A whooshing sound in his ear and rush of air was all the warning Jim got before something rammed into his side, sending him flying through the air to slam into the side of the canal.

His head was spinning, a low wheeze escaping his chest, Jim somehow managed to determine which direction was upright and push himself up. He blinked to clear his vision only to have the breath freeze in his chest.

The large red eyed creature stood in the bottom of the canal, stalking towards him with a sword in each hand. Behind him Jim could see his friends standing back near the bridge, looking at him wide eyed and terrified.

Head still spinning, he put his feet underneath him and forced himself to stand. Spotting cracks in the concrete underneath him, Jim put several things together at once. 

This big creature had punched him with enough force to crack concrete. But Jim wasn’t hurt, not really. Due to his stone skin or the armor or maybe a bit of both Jim had just gotten the wind knocked out of him.

But such a move would kill one of his fleshy, unarmored friends in an instant.

His vision was still swimming and his heart hammering so loud he wouldn’t be surprised if red eyes could hear it, but in that moment Jim made an ironclad decision.

Even though every instinct in his body was screaming at him to run, Jim reached back and pulled the sword off his back.

“Guys go!” he waved at them with his free arm “Get somewhere safe while I hold him off,”

He could hear them screaming even as his field of vision became filled by red eyes charging towards him, glowing gaze locked on Jim. He didn’t care about the others, he was completely focused on Jim. Good. He could distract it while they got to the safe place.

Those thoughts kept his feet rooted to the ground, but did do anything to abate the gut curdling terror sweeping through him as the creature swung a blade down towards him.

Jim swung his own sword up, blade meeting blade with a deafening clang, but not so loud he couldn’t hear the others.

“Jim!”

“Quickly into the doorway–”

“We can’t just leave him!”

“He’ll stand a better chance without you now go–”

For a moment a trill of relief filled him, then red eyes leaned forward, pushing his blade down and forcing Jim back, fanged mouth pulled into a savage grin, and every drop of relief vanished. 

Quick as a flash, red eyes pulled his blade away and brought the other one down, forcing Jim to sloppily parry. His entire focus swallowed up by deflecting the larger creature's blows.

Jim didn’t know anything about sword fighting, but he knew a bit about knives, and had experience handling several kinds. He was no Michelin chef, but he liked to think his skill was a bit above average. A sword wasn’t a chef’s knife, but applying what he knew about blades Jim managed to keep a decent hold on his sword, using his practiced speed and efficiency to deflect red eyes’ strikes.

Jim was blocking every single blow, but despite this a deepening sense of dread pooled in his gut.

He was blocking the creature’s blows, but only barely. Red eyes was bigger than him with a much longer reach, and a lot stronger to, and Jim felt every blocked blow stinging in his joints. Without even realizing it he’d taken several steps back in a futile attempt to lessen the impacts. It was only a matter of time before he was pinned between the red eyes and the side of the canal.

And Jim was no swordsman, but something about red eyes’ movements seemed…sloppy. Almost lazy in the way he was battering at Jim with his swords, eyes gleaming over a toothy grin.

Jim was giving his all and barely able to keep his footing, but red eyes was just playing with him.

Frantic, Jim jumped back at an angle, to try and get more open space at his back and avoid being pinned. He was successful but opened himself up for a backhanded blow from red eyes, sending him sailing down the canal, armor screeching against the concrete as he slid to a stop.

He scrambled back upright, panicked and dizzy. Sloppy as it had been he had been successful at building space between him and red eyes. But now he had to scramble out of the way as he rushed towards him with startling speed.

“Over here! This way!” Jim snapped his head around, spotting many eyes standing under the bridge near the canal wall, only now there was a glowing portal in the side of the canal leading to subterranean spaces unknown.

Jim didn’t question where it led or even how such a thing was possible. He just ran. Sprinting towards the portal with all his might, knowing that his only chance of survival was under the bridge.

His feet slammed into the concrete again and again, maybe even hard enough to crack it. Not that Jim slowed down to check, not even daring to look back at the thuds of red eyes in hot pursuit, roaring far too close for comfort. 

The gateway was getting closer, but so was his pursuer. And Jim didn’t know who was going to reach their goal first.

Almost there almost there almost there–

Jim leapt through the portal, yellow streetlights giving way to a cool blue. The change in scenery barely registered, Jim keeping up his breakneck speed as he raced through the space. Rushing ahead even as the ground underneath him turned into a large set of steps. Big guy and many-eyes’ shouts from behind him drowned out by the roaring in his ears as he scrambled deeper and deeper into the earth.

Eventually he stumbled off the last stair, the shock making him stagger and slow down for the first time. Jim leaned against the rock wall at his side, panting, frantically looking around for a trace of his fr–

Jim froze.

A wide space opened up in front of him, easily the size of at least two football fields, maybe three, maybe more. Various buildings and structures carved out of bedrock filled the massive cavern, but all that he noticed second.

Dozens of creatures milled around; black, blue, green, red– every shade of the rainbow. Some with two eyes, some with five, some with just one. Horns of all shapes and sizes. Kilts and trousers and suspenders and more than a few forgoing all clothes. Some of the creatures were Jim’s size, some of them were nearly as large as many eyes’ friend. But all of them were the same in that they were made of stone.

Just like the red eyed creature.

Just like many-eyes and big guy.

Just like Jim–

One creature, red skin with a unicorn-like horn above a single large eye did a double take as their cyclopean gaze rolled over Jim, stopping whatever they had been doing to turn and stare at Jim fully. Jim wincing back at the scrutiny.

Cyclop’s jaw dropped open, his single eye widening “The Trollhunter is here!” they bellowed.

Just like that every creature stopped what they were doing and turned. Every eye in the cavern now on Jim.

The crowd surged towards him, Jim shrinking back as the creatures approached en masse. All of them were shouting, speaking over each other to the extent Jim couldn’t pick out what they were saying, but there was one word he heard repeated again and again.

The same word both red eyes and many eyes had used.

“–Trollhunter!”

“Trollhunter!?”

“Trollhunter–”

Jim could barely breathe, the tightness in his chest choking him. Creatures– people? So many of them. Staring at him, surrounding him, the crush of bodies nearly suffocating. His heartbeat and breathing picking up faster and faster. He needed more air than his body could give him. So many people looking at him, seeing him. Creatures just like him–

It was too all much. Adrenaline surging Jim broke free and ran. Shoving stony bodies out of his way heedless of shouts and squawked protests. Finally breaking free of the crowd and racing deeper into the cavern. Desperate to get away from here–

But no matter how fast he ran he couldn’t escape the cries of ‘Trollhunter’ chasing after him, ringing in his ears long after he’d left the crowd behind.

[pinkytoothlesso11]

Challenging Destiny chapter 26:

Last preparations are made for the final confrontation with Gunmar, as those who don't have proper weapons or armour are kitted out, and last words are exchanged before the world changes forever with the deliberate reveal of magic to the world.

Another chapter that took absolutely ages due to multiple essays and exams I'm having to take in the last few months. So I hope this delivers! Because next chapter is FINALLY the one where the team faces Gunmar.

[annikuza]

Do you get my vision

[albentelisa]

Hi! If you dont mind, I have a few questions about a pair of certain creepslayers in Mirrored Convictions.

1. Will Steve find the goblin and go to Eli early on, or do you have it planned to be the same in canon wise?

2. How will they react to finding out Barabra is a troll, and that Jim applies as a half creeper initially?

3. Will Mary and Darci be a part of the creepslayers, or do you still plan on them learning during the eternal night episode?

Hi! Some really interesting questions here.

Steve will find out the supernatural way earlier here, but no goblins will be involved. In this AU Eli will have a totally bonkers theory (he'll be right about certain points, while way too off about others), and Steve will accidentally get involved as he will walk in during Eli's stakeout.

This one will be complicated because initially they will think that both Barbara and Jim are creepers, then that only Barbara is, while Jim is a regular human - and poor Jim will have trouble telling them it's not like that. By the point they learn the whole truth, they will be way more accepting of creepers, so it will be 'why haven't Jim told us before?'

Actually, it will be kinda both? Mary and Darci will learn during the eternal night, but they will join creepslayerz at some later point. However, before that, they will briefly be a part of their own team and then merge with creepslayerz (which will be four members plus two honorary members unit by that point)

[mikus-socks]

Some pencil doodles while I try to recover 😭🤒

I’m planning a big collage piece with recycled boxes from presents I got (expect A LOT of pink and A LOT of hello kitty) but I won’t be able to tackle it till I start feeling better

[hammert-fitzerald]

troll toby flexes his muscular arm and notices that his bicep is very big and he also loves being krubera,darcie sees his troll boyfriend flexing and gives him a runny nose,troll jim is happy to see that toby loves being a beefy troll

[queenfishie]

Drew a lil Darci, I miss troll hunters lol

[nick-nelzzzzz]

Heyyy

My name is Nick Nelson, I'm a rugby-obsessed bisexual at Truham Grammar.

I love Formula 1, animals(especially dogs), The MCU, the sound felt tips make on paper, rain, drawing on shoes, Disneyland, and minimalism. I am also IN LOVE with Charlie Spring. I hate homophobes, my brother and math.

Feel free to reach out to prompt stories, ask questions about literally anything, or just troll me

Here's my love Charlie's Tumblr- @charlie-francis-spring also tori- @victoriaspr1 ,micheal - @michael-hold , tara - @tarajonesxo, darcy- @darcyyyy01 , elle- @ellesmells01, tao- @tao-moviexu , my bestie imogen- @imogenh001 and sahar- @sahar-zahiddd main acc: @vandalizingyourschool also watch out for our childreb @evi-anons (or you could just call them eno :) ) and @good-anon <3

[avirxy]

you think they’d be down for the monster mash

[arcadianmoonshadowjedi]

What's your favorite joke/funny moment in Trollhunters?

Oh wow it’s actually been years since I last watched trollhunters so I had to think for a little, but I would say any scenes with Not-Enrique lol 🤣 Esp when Jim and Toby first chased him around in Claire’s house or when he invited trolls over for a loud party when Claire was trying to have a girls’ night with Mary and Darci 😂😂😂 That little changeling was so hilarious I freaking love him haha 😭🤣

[earth-ambassador-jim]

Lost Souls: Story 12

Plume Moths

Lost Souls Summary: Merlin awakens early from his sleep. He decides  that he doesn’t want to leaving anything to chance and kidnaps the young  James Lake Jr. to began training his Trollhunter as early as possible.

Barbara  is determined to hunt down the man who kidnapped her son. In her  efforts to get her son back she finds a strange old radio that speaks to  her in a woman’s voice. The radio leads her to an underground society  of shapeshifters.

Mother and son meet again years later as strangers on opposing sides.

AO3 - Fanfiction

~~~~

~~~~

Darci wasn’t supposed to answer the door, but her Mom was on the phone and she was right by it when the bell rang. She hazarded a glance into the kitchen and saw that her mom hadn’t heard.

She contemplated the situation for a moment and decided it would be fine. Her mom could see her from where she was and Darci was eight now.

She checked to make sure the porch light was on and then pulled the door open, letting in a breath of cold night air.

She stared in bafflement at their visitor. Standing outside, alone, in the rain, was a boy about her age. He was in a dirty, too large t-shirt. His straight black hair -cut rather unevenly as if whoever had cut it didn’t really know what they were doing- was wet and plastered against his head and neck. His skin was pale, not just because he was white, but as if he had never seen the sun.

He stared at her with wide blue eyes.

“Who are you?” He asked.

“…I’m Darci,” She said uncertainly.

“But I mean… why are you here?” He shifted from one foot to another and took a quick glance back before fixing his eyes on her again.

“…This is my house?” She really didn’t know what he wanted.

“But… but… this is my…” He trailed off, looking around once more uncertainly. “Do you know where my Mom is?”

“Your mom?”

“Barbara Lake. She lives… lived here?”

“She must have moved,” Darci offered. “It’s just me and Mom and Dad here.”

“Oh,” The boy said quietly.

His lip quivered and water welled up in the corners of his eyes.

Darci frowned. She didn’t like people crying. She was never quite sure what she was supposed to do.

“Maybe, Mom could…”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Both Darci and the boy jumped in surprise at the new voice. A tall grey haired man had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, behind him. He was wearing an absolutely obnoxious Hawaiian print shirt with plaid shorts and sandals but something about him, something in his sharp, hawk like gaze made Darci wary.

“Merlin…” The boy started to say, but then quieted when the man shot him a look.

“Who are you talking to?” Darci jumped again at her mom’s voice behind her.

She glanced back and saw that her Mom was frowning at the strange pair in front of her.

“I thought I told you not to answer the door without me.”

“Sorry, mom,” She said automatically.

She wasn’t really paying attention to her Mom but rather watching the boy. The man… Merlin?... His hands rested on the boy’s shoulders and he seemed to tense under them. He looked as if he had been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to be.

“Sorry, ma’am,” The man was saying. “My grandson was looking for his Mom who used to live here. -He came to live with me during the divorce, you see- I did try and tell him that she had moved but well…”

Darci’s Mom frowned.

“Sorry to hear that. Was she Mrs. Lake? I think we still have her contact info…”

“Quite alright,” Merlin interrupted. “No need to trouble yourself. Boy, tell this lady you’re sorry for disturbing her.”

The last comment was accompanied by a squeeze of his hands. The boy kept staring at the ground and muttered ‘sorry’.

Something was wrong here.

“What’s your name?” Darci asked the boy.

His head jerked up and he stared at her in surprise.

“Oh, it’s…”

“Come along,” Merlin said sharply, cutting him off. “We need to hurry if we’re to make it to our hotel in time to check in.”

He turned away taking the boy with him.

“I don’t like that,” Darci heard her Mom murmur.

As Darci watched the two figures move out of sight, something small and white detached from the taller of the two. The things came closer and she saw that they were two little white moths.

One of them landed on her Mom and the other tried to land on her. She dodged it. It followed her. She darted away from it toward the kitchen. Behind her she heard the door close.

In the kitchen Darci turned around and saw the moth still following her. Beside her was a water glass. She grabbed it and brought it down over the small insect.

“What are you doing?”

Darci glanced up at her Mom.

“I caught a moth.”

“Oh, why don’t you take it outside?” Her mom turned toward the stove and her casserole.

“You’ve got one on you,”Darci told her, pointing at her Mom’s shoulder.

She blinked and glanced down at it before swatting at it with her hand. It fluttered away to the window and squeezed out through a little crack between the screen and the sill.

“Annoying creatures,” She said. “I should make sure none have gotten into the closet.”

Darci turned back to her captive moth and studied it. It was a strange looking little thing. It was a pure, chalky, white with wings shaped like downy feathers and a long thin body. She got a piece of paper and slid it under the glass so she could pick it up without it escaping. She started toward the window.

“Do you think that boy was the one who used to live here right before us?” Darci asked her Mom.

Her Mom looked at her with a puzzled frown.

“What boy?”

~~~~

The events of that night haunted her all week. Darci tried to get her Mom to say anything about the strange man and boy who had come by their house, but she didn’t seem to remember a thing. She asked her Dad about Barbara Lake but he had only met her in passing and didn’t remember if she had any children or not. When he asked why she wanted to know she changed the subject. Darci was starting to wonder if she had just imagined the meeting. She kept the strange moth in a cage by her bed. It was her only proof that the whole thing was real.

It wasn’t until Friday when something finally came of the incident.

~~~~

“Do I have to come?” Darci whined.

Her Mom took the bread out of the oven.

“Yes, dear. We won’t be there long and it will be good for you to get to know our neighbors.”

Darci heaved a large sigh. She glanced at her Dad, who was busy fumbling with his tie. When he noticed her stare, she gave him a pleading look. He gave her a rye “we’re all in this together smile” and went back to his tie. Darci turned back toward her Mom.

“But Toby’s so boring! He just ignores me when I come over.”

“That’s because he’s shy.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. That’s what adults always said about loners. She had tried her hardest but Toby’s actions made it very clear he just plain wasn’t interested in being friends.

After dinner finished up and Toby and Darci were told to go off and play while the adults chatted.

Once in Toby’s room they had split off to play games on their phones and ignore one another. After about a half hour Darci ran out of lives so she took a break and looked around the room.

It was a rather dull place in her opinion: Nowhere near as cluttered as her room. It had bare wooden floors, a few scattered posters, an old computer, and a large wooden dollhouse. The only interesting thing in the room was the collection of rocks and crystals that spread across every available ledge. Eventually her gaze was drawn to a picture on the desk. It was of Toby with a black haired, blue eyed boy. A very familiar looking boy.

Darci stared at the picture.

“Who’s that?” She demanded.

Toby blinked at her and then briefly eyed the picture. His gaze quickly returned to his phone.

“That’s Jim,” He said quietly. “He used to be my… neighbor.”

“Is his Mom’s name Barbara Lake?”

Toby turned fully toward her with a frown.

“How did you know that?” He asked.

“I saw him last week,” Darci said excitedly. She was so glad to finally have some confirmation that she hadn’t imagined the entire thing! “He came to our house and said he was looking for his Mom.”

Toby was staring at her.

“What.”

“Yeah, he was with this weird old guy who said he was his Grandpa.”

“Jim didn’t have a grandpa,” Toby said quickly.

“Well he never called him “Grandpa” He called him “Merlin”.”

“Like the wizard?”

Darci nodded.

Toby’s nose wrinkled and his eyes narrowed.

“Quit lying,” He said and turned sharply away from her.

Darci stared at him in opened mouth shock at the sudden accusation.

“I’m not lying.”

She had always prided herself on being quite honest in fact.

“Yes you are,” Toby said. “Jim’s been missing for two years now. He’s probably dead. I heard the police talking about it.”

That was news to Darci.

“He’s missing?”

“Yeah, that is what I said,” was Toby’s clipped reply.

Darci frowned. She remembered the way Merlin had been holding onto Jim’s shoulders. It was like he thought the boy would try to escape.

“Do they know he’s dead for sure?”

“No…”

That must have been why Jim was at the house. He must have gotten away from his kidnapper and tried to return to his Mom…

Only to find out that she had moved.

“So what if that really was him,” Darci insisted. “Why would he say his Mom was Barbara Lake otherwise?”

Toby said determinedly looked away from her. “Maybe because this is a stupid prank that someone put you up to?”

Darci folded her arms in irritation.

“Why do you think I’m lying?”

“Oh I don’t know.” Toby finally looked at her. His fists were clenched and his brows were low. “Because I’m not dumb. I mean “Merlin”? Really? You should try to make up a better story than that.”

“I am not making it up.”

“Are too!” Toby snapped getting to his feet.

“Am not!” Darci took a step forward, her own fists clenching.

“Are TOO!”

“Am NOT!”

There was a pause. They were practically nose to nose now. Apparently it struck them both at the same time just how ridiculous they were being and they took a step apart.

“So what would it take to convince you?” Darci asked.

Toby huffed.

“I don’t know… actual proof?”

Darci hesitated and then decided to go for it.

“As they were leaving something strange happened,” Darci said hesitantly.

She described to him what had happened with the moths and her Mom.

Toby was now looking at her like she was crazy. Darci could feel her face burning.

“I still have the moth,” She said.

Toby made a little scoffing sound.

“What’s a moth prove?” He asked. “There’s moths everywhere. And seriously make up a better story.”

Darci ignored the jab. She was tired of the whole thing. ���Take it or leave it.”

“Fine, I’ll come see your moth and if I’m not convinced will you leave me alone?”

“I will,” Darci said easily.

It wasn’t like she would want to hang out with him anyway if he kept insisting that she was lying. She got why, but it still stung.

~~~~

It was a nice sunny Saturday when Toby came over. It had now been about two weeks since the incident.

“Let’s see your bug,” Toby said in a surly tone.

Darci shot him an annoyed look. She was seriously rethinking her choice in telling him but… he was her best bet for finding someone to believe her. She didn’t know many people yet and wasn’t ready to risk any of her new friendships at school.

“Come on.” She motioned for him to follow her up the stairs and turned right to go into her bedroom. Once inside she turned back to see Toby hovering in the hallway, brows furrowed and posture tense.

“Well?”

Toby blinked and then came into the room with on quick jerky step.

“Let’s get this over with,” He said eyes fixed firmly on the ground.

Darci picked up the small plastic cage; noting with an uncomfortable jolt that the moth stayed as close to her hands as possible.

“Here.” She handed the cage to Toby and wiped her hands on her pants.

“It’s certainly a weird looking thing,” Toby said after a moment.

“I looked online and found out that it’s a White Plume Moth,” Darci said. “They’re from Europe and North Africa.”

Toby hummed.

“Doesn’t prove anything,” He said, turning the cage around in his hands.

“Look at how it follows me,” Darci said.

She moved closer to the cage and the moth began fluttering against the plastic closest to her. She circled and the moth trailed after.

“Okay. That is a little weird,” Toby admitted after trying to get the moth to follow his own hand with no success.

“Right? Based on what happened with the other moth and Mom, I think if it touches me I will forget about meeting Jim.”

Toby’s nose wrinkled and he shot her a skeptical look.

“It’s weird but it doesn’t prove anything. Here.” He held it out toward Darci.

Unfortunately when he took a step forward his foot landed on Darci’s gunrobot toy and he slipped. The cage flew out of his hands and hit the ground causing the top to pop off. Now free of the cage, the moth started flying toward Darci.

“Nope. No. “-Darci jumped out of the way.- “Absolutely not.” -She took a swing at it with a book and missed. It was unusually agile for a moth.- “Not today.”

She was feeling a lot more certain of her theory now.

“Quit standing there and get it!” Darci yelled at Toby who was standing there watching dumbly as the moth chased Darci all over her room like she was a giant lightbulb instead of a girl.

“Uh…”

Toby grabbed a shoe and brought it down on the little white insect as it fluttered past.

There was a flash of light and a puff of green smoke.

Darci and Toby stared with wide eyes at the shoe and then at each other. Slowly Toby lifted the shoe away. The moth was flattened; its insides splattered on Darci’s desk. In the middle of the mess was a very small green gem, about the size of a grain of rice. It was glowing faintly.

As they watched its light flickered and died.

Toby grabbed a pencil and poked at it.

“I think it’s an emerald,” He said. “But emeralds don’t glow. Where did it come from?”

“Maybe it was in the moth?”

Darci was shaking. It was one thing to suspect that there was something weird going on but this… this was freaky. And not in a good way. The thought that there really existed something that could remove memories –that she would have never known if it had been used on her- was very, very unsettling.

“Do you believe me now?” She asked.

Toby nodded wordlessly.

After a moment his gaze shifted up from the remains of the moth to her. They were wide and shiny.

“S-so you were telling the truth? You really saw Jim?  He came here?”

Darci blinked, a brief rush of warmth coursed through her before cooling into a cold shiver at the memory.

“Yeah,” She said looking away. “I think so.”

“Was… Did he look okay?”

Darci grimaced and focused her eyes on the moth. She really didn’t want to answer that question.

“Darci?”

She jumped when she felt a hand touch her arm.

“Sorry,” Toby said quickly.

He clasped his hands together so hard that the knuckles where turning white.

“Please?”

Darci sighed.

“He looked scared,” She said finally. “He wasn’t hurt but he was all raggedy like a homeless person. He only had time to ask about his Mom before Merlin showed up.”

“Oh.”

Toby was shaking. He let out a loud sniff and then sat down heavily on the floor. He hiccupped and then, to Darci’s horror, he burst into tears.

Darci glanced at the door and then at Toby. Her hands stayed uncertainly at her side and then, after another long moment of hesitation, she knelt down by him and patted his back.

“Are… are you okay?”

“He’s alive,” Toby managed to whisper out between sobs. “I thought…”

He twisted around and latched onto Darci in a hug.

“Thank you.” He said. “I’m sorry for calling you a liar.”

“I forgive you.”

Eventually Toby’s tears petered off and he pulled away from her. They sat for a moment in awkward silence.

“So what now?” Darci asked.

“I don’t know,” Toby said. “Your Dad’s a detective right? Maybe he can help.”

“I’m not sure,” She said.

She thought of the moth taking her Mom’s memories. What if she got her Dad involved and this Merlin guy got mad. What if he made him forget more than just Jim? Besides…

“I doubt he will believe me. My only proof is rather flat now.”

She gave a meaningful glance at the table.

Toby flushed.

“Sorry about that.”

Darci waved her hand dismissively.

“Don’t be. I’ll sleep better without that creepy bug watching me.”

They sat a moment. Toby pulled out a couple Nugget Nummies and offered her one. She accepted and they ate them in thoughtful silence.

“So going to the grown-ups is out of the question,” Toby finally said. “I guess it’s just us then?” He paused eyes widening. “I… I mean me. You don’t have to help. It’s enough that you found out he’s still alive. I wouldn’t dream of…”

“I’m helping,” Darci said firmly.

“But you don’t even know Jim.”

“Yeah, but it’s the right thing to do,” Darci said. She couldn’t drive those sad, lonely blue eyes out of her mind. “Anyway this is definitely the most interesting thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“That’s for sure,” Toby muttered. “And here I had just stopped believing in fairies and stuff. So where do you think we should start?”

Darci shrugged. Despite her Dad being a cop she had never been that into mysteries. She glanced at the flattened moth.

“I guess we could start doing research on Merlin?”

Toby frowned following her gaze.

“Do you think he really was the Merlin?”

“No idea,” Darci said. “But it’s as good a place to start as any.”

“I suppose. Do you want to meet at my house tomorrow?” Toby said. His gaze was alternating between her and the ground.

“I’ll have to ask my Mom and Dad but I think that sounds good.”

“O-Okay…”

Toby started edging toward the door.

“I’ll see you then?”

“Yep.”

Toby darted quickly out of the room and a minute later Darci heard the front door open and close.

She looked out the window and saw Toby trotting across the street. Once he was out of sight, she walked across the room and collapsed onto her bed.

What was she getting herself into?

 ~~~~

~~~~

Author Notes:

Alternate scene: Darci *opens the door* Jim *standing in the rain looking like the ghost of a murdered Victorian child* -"HavE yOu SeEn mY MötHEr?" Darci: ... Darci: Nope *Slams the door closed* ~~~~ Anyway this was supposed to be a short chapter but then Darci and Toby started arguing.

Plume Moths being able to take away memories was borrowed from the "Dark is Rising" sequence, though it was used very differently there. I'm going to say Merlin added his own twist. (Also go check out The Dark is Rising. It's a good series.)

Please let me know what you think! (Reviews, critiques, and comments give me as a writer power and motivation!)

Tune in next time for the appearance of our favorite punk wizard.

[nalyra-dreaming]

I’m not sure if I agree with previous anon about DM fans setting themselves up for disappointment to be honest. Sure there’s been some intense theorizing going on, but a lot of DM fans on here have continuously been making fun of themselves for it and have quite seriously been reiterating “might be nothing” about certain ”clues”. Most DM fans I follow have wanted a past-DM but have never been sure that it happened. There’s some exceptions I’m sure but still. I’ve also seen a fair amount of posts about people being happy with a present-only DM story line. Personally I’ve never been convinced of a past-DM but I think it’s understandable that people theorized about it with the whole “memory is a monster”, Daniel starting to have flashbacks of Armand and due to their book story line.

Rolins have stated that they are doing DM, and that fans of DM shouldn’t worry, so having any kind of expectations shouldn’t be wrong. Also reading the discussions after the finale fans seems to me not chiefly upset that DM is different but now worried about how it’s different. Fans of Armand are also separately worried about the change to his character that he would turn someone out of anger/spite. Also if DM is reduced to simply an enemies-to-lovers plot it becomes a very different relationship. Might even become unrecognizable as Devil’s Minion. Adaptational changes are to be expected (and have been expected) but it doesn’t follow that any kind of changes can be made. I think DM can still be done, even if there’s no past-DM but I also get worried when Rolins states things that having Armand change Daniel into a vampire is them “honoring DM”. This worries me because it feels to me to reveal that Rolins’ take of the relationship might be pretty shallow, and that worries me going forward. Cause I’m happy for present-only DM but I want it to be DM you know? I can even be okay with a turning-out-of-anger if other aspects of DM are adapted well (which might be more difficult now that Daniel’s a vampire but I’m open to see what they’ll do). Like you can’t do Darcy/Lizzie from P&P without the ’Pride’ and the ’Prejudice’ you know? A good adaptation can change a lot of things but certain things are what makes that relationship/character what it is/who they are.

I do feel you anon, I also worry about people imposing certain readings and theories on what’s happening that will end up in disappointment but also fans don’t have to like all changes or plots you know? Like Rolins and co. might simply write something that fans (of the show/DM or just of Armand and/or Daniel) might not like. Which is not necessarily because they set themselves up for disappointment. Having an open mind going forward is obviously good (and I’m a DM fan who has been arguing that Alice is not Armand in any way and that DM probably didn’t happen in the past) but I think fans have the right to question the writing when a big part of Armand’s character has seemingly been changed, Daniel’s turning into a vampire is not shown (and basically implied by Rolins to not be important - he might be trolling but we don’t know that) etc. Like the bar shouldn’t have to be on the floor either? I don’t think you or you Nalyra are implying that to be clear, I just want to explain my perspective.

I’m a bit worried that Daniel and Armand respectively might become a bit short-changed writing-wise due to Rolins seeming disinterest and focus on other storylines and plots. And to be clear, I never expected any DM this season since it’s not “their” book. Big things happened to their characters this season however. I was a little underwhelmed by the lack of emotional fallout after S02E05 (an episode I loved). Like Daniel gets pissed off and that motivates him to go after Armand sure and we get to see that anger (martini scene is definitely him acting out/trying to rattle Armand), but shouldn’t he have a bigger emotional reaction, really? He gets half-a-scene of expressing sadness and processing it. Sure he can’t lose it on the powerful vampire but there are other ways of showing emotional impact. Maybe this is just me though. Also if they are setting up a hate-love thing couldn’t Daniel and Armand have shared a more personal scene at any point before? Almost all of their interactions are about other people (even in S02E05). I know they aren’t the primary main characters, but if the show is going a certain direction they should build it up. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. I worry now that the writers’ get a bit of tunnel vision on the story they are currently telling, which results in them underwriting certain other things and characters - which will lead to inconsistencies and undermine those characters and plots later. I wasn’t very worried about this however until S02E08 and Rolin’s comments though. I hope I’m wrong, and I know I worry too much at times so I’m going to try to be cautiously optimistic and hope they will adapt DM well, and that they have some well thought through plans about what they will do with Daniel and Armand (separately but also together) going forward. Thanks and sorry for long ask! This was kinda focused on your previous anon, but I’d love to hear what you think Nalyra!

:) I get you and I just hope that the plan they stated before, this “vision“ that Rolin had to present to AMC as well … holds. I do hope they have arcs in mind. I hope we will be able to look back and slap our foreheads - for all characters :)

As per Dubai - I also was a bit… underwhelmed by some of the missing bantering. I had expected a lot more to the likes of “Who‘s afraid of Virginia Wolf“ - but most of Dubai was quite tame imho.

Now LOUIS‘ lack of reactions is most certainly “re-adjustment“, just like him sleeping while Armand told his little Lestat fanfic was no coincidence either.

But, fear or not, I had expected Daniel to tear apart the tale a bit ealier. Make them all (!! all three!) “bleed“ (literally and figuratively) a bit sooner.

So yeah. I just… hope the pleas to trust them will be justified in the end^^

It IS a brilliant show. But it will only atay sonif the characters stay true as well. So far they’ve given a lot of nuance - with season 3 this needs to be completed to include Lestat (and Nicolas and Gabrielle etc) and then the characterarcs need to come together.

And when they do - then DM will come into fruition, latest. The concert, Akasha, Night Island. THEN, when it all comes together, we will see if what they did… fits. Imho :)