#stricklake kinda mentioned

[pinkytoothlesso11]

Ghost in the Machine: Halloween special fic

Chapter two is here! For those unaware, this is a crossover between Trollhunters x Five Nights at Freddy's.

Jim POV: Seven years have passed since Jim's dad was brutally murdered in a backroom at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, seven years and no closer to closure. After bully Steve pushes too far, Jim takes matters into his own hands by breaking into the now abandoned Pizzeria.

What he finds is possessed animatronics.

And his dad is one of them.

[inhonoredglory]

ROTT: hot takes 🔥 (spoilers)

I wrote the following last Thursday, before my fandom life was waylaid by birthday shindigs for my sister and a weekend of migraines and nausea/fainting because of the COVID vaccine. I feel so out of touch w/ fandom but here’s my late but initial thoughts to ROTT if anyone’s interested LOL

––––––

DAMN SON.

DAMN.

I saw Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans last night. Before I launch into the fandom again, I’mma share my unfiltered thoughts.

ThAT oPEnING. HOLY SHIT. It was exhilarating. Seeing all of Tales of Arcadia rush past me in 3 minutes was awesomesauuuuuce.

but guYS GUYS lemme tell you the

✨✨ABSOLUTE✨✨

✨✨✨UTTER✨✨✨

✨✨✨✨✨HIGHLIGHT✨✨✨✨✨

✨✨✨✨✨✨of MY LIFE✨✨✨✨

////oh gODS////

hearing Douxie say in that deep, grave, convicted, voice:

❝ ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｃａｎ　ｔａｋｅ　ｍｅ ❞

DOUXIE MY SELFLESS WIZARD BEAN. LIGHT OF MY LIFE. I’M DECEASED.

Because it’s scenes like this which convince me they KNOW that Selflessness Is His Thing. And that means so freaking much to me OH MY LORD.

Act 1 of ROTT was an absolute delight, let’s just say.

Men in Black!Krel

Nari!Douxie (i cANNot beLIEve THIs is a THING im in tears)

THE BARBARA/JIM REUNION!!!!!

A FREAKING STRICKLAKE ENGAGEMENT!!!!! Jim/Strickler relationship growth arc 😭😭😭

Y’ALL WE GOT JLAIRE SITTING ON A FLIPPIN’ RED ASS BED. This is the closest we’re gonna get to sex in a kid’s show.

NOT COUNTING OFC THE INSTA-STAJA-FAM CONCEPTION

should I be scared that GDT is reading the totally wack corners of mpreg AO3??!! 👀👀👀dude, like DUDE. that happened.

ELI GLOWUP !!!!! damn son u hot

also aja is such a Queen in this whole thing omg

I obvs can’t go scene by scene through this thing but––

Douxie and Nari in P A I N during the spellbreaking scene. that hurt my soul oh lordy. there must be art made

OK but then after this SHIT GETS VERY REAL. There’s a lot of Character Thematics/Arcs and Real Narrative shit I can get down into and stuff I want to think about because yEAH... wow, this movie Went There. And Back Again. (lOLJSKGSg)

I appreciate the deaths. I really do. But Strickler was a shock. Jim holding onto his mom and crying, overwhelmed with guilt, was the most Jim thing. The boy puts so much agony on himself. It’s his undoing. gAH POOR JIM.

CAN WE MAKE A NOTE THAT JIM’S RIBS WERE BROKEN/HURT throughout this entire thing??? 😭😭😭 HMmm? HMMMM!!! LOOK AT THE ANGST

Claire shadow-porting an eNTiRE TITAN. This girl is OFF THE CHARTS SJGHSBKGJMNFSBG

Nari’s death was emotional. Wow. She was being a Hero. Not running, like she said. That was a Power Growth and beautifully scored. Not to mention archie trapped forever?!!! Nooooo?!!!

They really want to take everything away from Douxie don’t they.

Jim getting Excalibur and leveling up with Akiridian armor was pRETTY SWEET. Especially ✨together✨. And everyone saying the Destiny speech. *tissues*

Act 3 finale babbaaayyyy.

CHILDREN OF THE SUN REDUX OMSKGJSGGMN HELL YEAHHHH

Jim realizing the amulet didn’t make. him a hero, HE DID. And that’s why the amulet chose him.

y��all I sobbed for tobes. that was powerful, painful, and moving. and y’know it was almost like this whole movie was an apology for treating toby like a comedic sidekick––and giving him the trollhunter mantle in the end.

like THEY VALIDATED JIM AND TOBY’s FRIENDSHIP and that cANnNOt be underestimated. Because friendship is almost ALWAYS knocked down the ladder of importance in the pantheon of human relationships, and ROTT said NO. Jim loves Toby so much that he’d change his own history and the history of the ENTIRE WORLD in order to get him back.

like, Jim, our sacrificial Hero. Deciding to truly be Atlas and take all the weight of What Could Have Been on his shoulders, because he cannot stand the losses that happened under his leadership.

this kiss tho. the absolute ANGUISH in the way jim presses himself to her face. gOD. THE PAIN. THE LOVE. THE “I LOVE YOU”

––––

The whole time travel twist tho. I’m kinda... not here for it?? Time travel is tricky to pull off and yeah, I think I’m in the camp that everyone’s character arcs (except Jim’s) have been retconned. It’s sad because people get connected to one another by the shared pains, joy, and experiences that brought them together, and now they’ve lost that.

But thematically and more importantly, why can’t the acceptance of death be validated? Sure, so many people dying was painful, but Let. It. Be. Painful. That’s life. TOA hasn’t shied away from dark things before. Toby and Strickler and Nomura and Nari (even Archie and Charlemagne) gave their lives; Toby became a Hero in the truest sense of the word. Let him do that, let that choice be his. In fact, it says a lot thematically about Jim’s hero complex that he cannot accept other people making heroic choices with tragic consequences. That it’s all on him. But with this ending, they do make it clear Jim’s need to be a hero is a driving obsession, and I appreciate the strength of his conviction on that identity for himself.

But the thing about retconning the anguish is that it’s telling us that bad consequences, tragedy, and loss are unacceptable in life. That just because Jim and his friends need 10 years of therapy, he should try to erase all that pain and give himself and his friends a “normal” life. No. Depression, loss, hurt... these help make us who we are; growth is about accepting them and using that pain to become better people, not invalidating them from our past.

*grumbles*

let’s be real tho: that ending was meta. it was like they were telling us fans that now WE can go create the Trollhunters we wanted to see, and fix all the things we thought went wrong. I think someone’s been reading a bunch of Trollhunter AU fics, no?

tl;dr ROTT creates more questions than it does answers and we need another show LMAO

[gold-kobold]

I was literally JUST about to say "Hey, that post reminds me of the Barbara/Angor scene in your fanfi--" and then I saw you beat me to it in your tags haha

OP is right, it's an intriguing part of their relationship that doesn't get explored enough. I think your fic is the only one I've actually seen where Barbara specifically talks about Strickler through that kind of a lens... Anyways, yeah, it really is an interesting Stricklake take for sure. Canon sort of glossed over Strickler's atrocities and resulting traumas after he got redeemed, which is a shame. Makes for some compelling angst.

dhyjfhfhxjfjv same brain cell lol--

i don't read a lot of fanfiction, sadly, (curse you, dyslexia frustrations!!!) but i highly doubt that i'm the first to at least mention that sorta perspective on it through fic lolol, but hella agreed, it's a cool aspect of their relationship to focus on! i am definitely of the "they-DEFINITELY-must've-had-some-kinda-talk-about-it-once-war-stuff-cooled-down" side of things lmao, it's so much baggage to unpack bcgdjvkvk

[yavannah]

I posted 227 times in 2021

146 posts created (64%)

81 posts reblogged (36%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 0.6 posts.

I added 457 tags in 2021

#the sims 4 - 119 posts

#random - 71 posts

#trollhunters - 71 posts

#stricklake - 61 posts

#walter and barbara - 37 posts

#romantic - 30 posts

#reblog - 29 posts

#my story - 14 posts

#jonathan hyde - 13 posts

#jlaire - 12 posts

Longest Tag: 68 characters

#though barbara seemed gleeful when agnes hit walter with the handbag

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Hi! I decided to take on the challenge, so here comes my minor sim challenge participant, Lady Chloris. After all, there is nothing else of her than a statue and some other garden decoration that came with the TS4 Romantic Garden Stuff, so this is made with my imagination. 

Chloris, Lady - Lady Chloris is a Sim mentioned in the object descriptions for "The Folly of Lady Chloris" and "Where The Green Fern Grows" from The Sims 4: Romantic Garden Stuff. According to the items' description, she was a lover and protector of nature, and starved to death when she failed to find an escape after her husband Zephyrus encircled her with follies as a loving tribute while she slept.

And I didn’t really know what outfit I would put on Lady Chloris, but then I ended up with the same type as what that statue has that I intentionally put behind her. Thanks for this challenge go to @someone-elsa.

The bracelet, or rather the arm ring, is someone's (unfortunately I don't remember the factor, but I can try to inspect it the next time I go to cas mode to edit the sims) modified version of the arm jewelry that came with The Sims 4 Realm of Magic.

Dress is from @sifix and hair is @natalia-auditorets4 and necklace is @blahberry-pancake and pose (if my memory serves me right) is @atashi77

And objects are TS4 basegame and romantic stuff pack. :)

43 notes • Posted 2021-06-11 10:49:30 GMT

#4

This is for you @stix-n-bread, I hope you like Stricklers High heels. :D

I kinda wanted to do this when I saw that awesome funny drawing. :D

44 notes • Posted 2021-06-17 19:44:57 GMT

#3

See the full post

48 notes • Posted 2021-05-15 23:03:46 GMT

#2

See the full post

66 notes • Posted 2021-07-24 09:39:22 GMT

#1

See the full post

89 notes • Posted 2021-10-20 17:58:35 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[feather-dancer]

Trollhunters Fanfic Recommendations - Part 3

Somehow there is now a third one of these because I read far far too much fanfic and have no regrets about it. It’s with great pleasure I can also announce I’ve been digging around for Trans Jim fics and found some gems while I was at it that have been included below.

You can find Part 1 of my fanfic recommendations here!

And Part 2 here!

Plus one shameless plug for my own current fics.

General Trollhunters

(And you're my Arcadia.) - All you need to know is it’s Jilaire post Season 3 and one line in particular made me burst out laughing.

Bitter[sweet] - Sometimes the thing you need most is just a really good friend when your body plain sucks. Contains Trans Jim and is delightful.

the red book - Far beyond the humble days of Season 3 and after living beyond his human family and friends, Jim has started to forget who he was and that he was ever just a human kid.

The Halls of Arcadia High - When Strickler disappeared in Season 1, his absence was felt in many ways even in the form of a humble piano left un-played.

Not - Not!Enrique isn’t his name yet it’s what they call him anyway. An albatross reminding him of what was taken before he even had a chance to start.

On the Radio  - The final telling of the Janus Order.

Gay stories for Tales of Arcadia - Yeah I’m pretty sure you can guess where this is going, LGBTQ+ rep!

Through the Fires - There was a before time, one where Gunmar still roamed free and Deya had yet to be chosen let alone felled. These are the words of the humble witnesses of that war, from the changelings to the trolls who would oppose them.

Trollhunters: A Series of Disjointed Drabbles - This is so cute and fluffy I might just spontaneously combust.

Insomnolence - It is after the final battle and Jim has a lot of thoughts.

another tragedy - Anxiety is a bastard, it gives a lot of bad thoughts but sometimes there is a little bit of truth buried beneath it all and it whispers all about how you can keeping doing the wrong things for the right reasons. Season 2.

i will always hold you close (but i will learn to let you go) - Sometimes the hardest thing you can do is learning when to let go. Sometimes however, even when you want to they hold back even tighter. Season 2.

your eyes look like coming home - Toby has been the witness from the start of just how close Jim has been to death multiple times over and how Jim he is about the whole thing. It scares him how this time might be it, again and again. Season 2.

The Collected Tellings of Shigir and Other Changeling Folktales - I don’t actually know which category to put this under so I’m going the to heck with it route instead. Does exactly what it says on the tin for your Changeling lore needs, some of which will be off-hand mentioned or outright appear during the fantastic Terpsichore - The Comedy of the Danse Macabre - ACT I.

Please note: The main fic is Stricklake if that’s not your cup of tea, the folktales however can be enjoyed regardless.

~~~

Stricklake

all that dazzling dawn has put asunder - The sequel to in my sleep i dreamed of waking, this is filled with delightful fluff, internal panicking and the joys of trying to explain how you’re a not and how that does not change the fact Strickler is still a was. Being a changeling in these strange after times are difficult even before the other baggage involved but at least you're still here to start.

Two Pisces in Alto Mare - When in Rome as part of a study trip abroad, you meet the most curious people sometimes and  by fluke or nature you may even do so more than once.

Filling The Gaps - Possibly a bit of an unusual mention but! These are little pieces of Fallout that were going on while our eyes were following elsewhere and boy it can hurt.

Rehearsals and DvD Bonus Features - Another from the home of Terpsichore - The Comedy of the Danse Macabre - ACT I which is being listed here because it does have Stricklake in it. Some things don’t make the cut with writing fanfic, either because the plot wandered off, it doesn’t fit right or it’s some backstory you haven’t quite figured out where it can be naturally brought up yet and in this case they’ve found themselves a home. Be warned, one particular chapter is explicit and has been marked as such in warnings in the chapter summary.

~~~

Alternate Universes

(Un)Becoming - Not technically an AU in the conventional sense but I’m putting it under here anyway. It’s Unbecoming, as ever the road to hell is paved with good intentions but as Jim threw in the towel the storm that’s coming will not be stopped. However, what if others caught glimpses of a world that still had a human Trollhunter to defend it?

Steve the Kind - Steve became the Trollhunter but how the adventure unfolds differently than when Jim was at the helm might just surprise you. Very slow burn Steve and Jim that in a rather refreshing change doesn’t throw Claire under the bus for it to happen. Praise be.

31 Days in the Darklands - Strickmar that somehow kinda works?? It helps with Gunmar having the space to breathe outside of getting Morgana out and be more of his own character. Storywise, in order to rescue Jim from the Darklands Strickler broke a deal that would cost his own freedom and now has to somehow maintain a treaty between three very different factions all the while keeping his own neck intact. The intense distrust in changelings continues on to boot but hey, nobody said politics was easy.

Building Bridges - So Gunmar is distinctly of the more Eldritch variety with dream powers, the ability to easily see through lies for the true emotions and thoughts, Bular has the Insight as well to a lesser extent and everyone has somehow managed to hop onto Stricklander’s bandwagon of we must protect Jim Lake Jr. at all costs. Now the race is on as both sides try to sway the young Trollhunter to their way of thinking and the Trollmarket has no idea how dangerously badly they’re doing so far.

Lost Souls - A fic written in variable snapshots. Jim was kidnapped and changed by Merlin far earlier to be his Champion to ensure he did the “right thing” while Barbara in desperation to find her son falls into the hands of Morgana thus mother and son become enemies without even realising it.

Faithfully - Barbara died overseas and yet somehow Jim still managed to make his way back to Arcadia to become the next Trollhunter. This road is far harder for it as a seemingly homeless orphan though on the flipside he keeps on acquiring dads. Contains Trans Jim, timeline variable snapshots and I love it very much.

The Burning - There was a fire, it killed Barbara and Jim was thought dead as well. Nobody could have guessed the feral half changeling that is running around like a cryptid is the very much alive Jim.

Finding Daylight - Jim is a very low ranking changeling, terrified of Bular and his home amounts to little more than a spot in the woods. Things started to go pear shaped for him when he accidentally stumbled over Blinky and only more so when the amulet picks him after Kanjigar is felled. Tis not a kind world for a changeling child out there and he has nobody really to help watch his back until he stumbles on a potential maybe.

~~~

The bonus shoutout for an excellent MSA fic   

A Sleep Like Death - Who wouldn’t want to go visit a tower you’ve inherited apparently and has haunted as all hell all over it? Not Vivi that’s for sure. Poor Arthur is just along for the ride and then things start to get really weird when they find it’s still occupied and thinks Arthur is his jailor.

[fika-forever]

A Brief Recapitulation of Troll-Changeling Friendships

This takes place during and after this fic thing, which was inspired by @changepherrox‘s art and the written scenario of Walter meeting Barbara, pre-show, and becoming part of the Lake family. After finding his place in the human world, he comes upon the Trollhunter amulet and struggles between protecting his family, being a double agent... and secretly defending a Trollmarket that doesn’t particularly want a changeling for a Trollhunter. 

You probably want to read the first fic thing before checking this out. Again, I haven’t seen Trollhunters in a month or so, so inaccuracies probably occur. Thank you so much for the ideas and conversation, @changepherrox! I’ve been really inspired. I hope this lives up to what you were imagining. Here we go!

-----

"A changeling?" Blinky hisses, dragging his hands across his many aching eyes. It's surprising that his heavy-footed pacing hasn't worn a hole in the carpet yet.

Walter, the changeling in question, sits stiffly on the couch with his arms folded. He won't bother pretending it doesn't sting a little.

"A changeling? The Trollhunter, the troll tasked with protecting Trollmarket and fighting the Gumm-Gumms, the troll that is supposed to defend the innocent, a-"

"-so you've said," Walter tersely interrupts. "If it's that unthinkable, perhaps you should find someone else for the responsibility." He reaches inside his pocket and pulls the amulet out. It pulses as if in greeting.

Blinky sighs long and hard. He glances sideways at Walter and the amulet with a heavy mixture of fear, exasperation, and longing. "If I could do it, it would be done! But you know as well as I that the amulet cannot be so easily cast aside once it has chosen its bearer."

"I do?" Murmurs Walter.

AAARRRGGHH!!!, from the doorway, warily glances between the two.

As Blinky continues ranting, Walter turns to his second guest and smiles tiredly.  "Would you like some of Barbara's cooking? It isn't particularly palatable for humans, but I hear your tastes are a little different."

Blinky gets nothing from that night but an ominous fear for the future and a confirmation of a meeting time the following night, sure to be filled with more disbelief and horror. AAARRRGGHH!!!, however, gets a full stomach and a new friend.

-

"So what did your people think when you told them a changeling was the new Trollhunter?" Walter asks as soon as Blinky steps through the door.

Blinky tenses, back arching, looking almost like a distressed cat before contorting himself back into something resembling relaxed, cheerful even. It's completely fake, but it's clear that Blinky is trying his best to meet Walter halfway. "I did not tell them, actually." There is a hint of well-hidden smugness that turns sour in the next breath. "What about you? Have you revealed to any of your compatrio-"

"Of course not," Walter interrupts. They would kill him. Kill him and take the amulet, because changelings are not to be trusted, changelings should not be put in charge of power. It is in their nature to misuse it.

(He swears to himself he will not do that. There is a picture of his family in his breast pocket, close to his heart, and he promises himself he will bear this burden with dignity and respect.)

AAARRRGGHH!!! sidles up to him and grins, wide and friendly and open, despite Blinky's hissed warnings. "Hi, Walter!" He says, deep voice booming.

"Hello, AAARRRGGHH!!!," Walter replies, smiling despite himself.  "How are you?"

They chat amiably while Blinky digs around in his bag. "Here," he says shortly, handing over three thick tomes which Walter takes with only a small oooomph. "Necessary knowledge for any Trollhunter. A Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore, parts one, two, and three of forty-seven. I don't know how much changelings can actually read, but..."

"I can most certainly read!" Walter retorts, and once he realizes what he's holding, his mouth goes dry. He clutches them to his chest tightly and tries not to let a hungry look enter his eyes.

Blinky frowns as he watches Walter's knuckles tighten on the books. "Regardless, there is no use in passing on this knowledge to the Gumm-Gumms. Most of it is from a time long past."

Walter swallows and nods. "Are we done?"

-

"Hello Blinky, Hello AAARRRGGHH!!!. Do you happen to have the next books?" Walter asks as soon as Blinky slips through the doorway. They are meeting in the school this night so Jim and Toby can watch movies.

Blinky blinks all six of his eyes. "It has been less than a day! Have you made it through the first three volumes already?"

Walter's grin is small and guarded. "I even bookmarked a few important sections. I wanted to ask you about some inconsistencies I've noticed-"

And for once it looks like they have something to talk about. AAARRRGGHH!!! naps quietly in the corner while Blinky takes a deep breath and starts lecturing, and he's halfway through a speech on why a historical figure made some extremely costly mistakes, when his gaze suddenly sharpens on the pen in Walter's hand, scribbling onto an open notebook. "Are you taking notes?"

Walter looks up as if he's been broken out of some sort of trance. "...yes?"

Blinky worries his suspenders between his fingers. "The pursuit of knowledge is admirable, but I must ask, what is it about this subject that has you so interested?"

"Because Trungar certainly d-"

"Troll lore, Walter. What interests you so much about troll lore. If it is an attempt to foster a connection with me in hopes that I will be able to ignore how... wrong this all is..."

Walter feels anger and frustration fire-hot in his chest. "Not everything is about you."

"No, but it is about you, and-"

They are bickering like schoolchildren but Walter can't be bothered to care. He's despised and patronized by the Gumm-Gumms, disliked by his own kind, and looked down on by the trolls and he is tired. And he raises his voice in return, clamoring to be heard, when suddenly a large palm falls between them, smacking the desk with a resounding clatter of stone on wood.

Both he and Blinky jump backwards in alarm. "No fighting," the sleepy AAARRRGGHH!!! demands, and then he rolls over and apparently goes back to his nap.

Walter breathes in a shallow breath and looks guiltily at Blinky, whose lips are pressed together in a thin line.

"It's my lore too," Walter says, hating how it makes him sound like a lost little child. "I- I'm not a troll. But at some point, I was. I had a family. I had a past. Bedehilde writes of songs, and traditions, and folktales, and a shared history, and they were once mine. The trolls that you talk about could be my ancestors and I can never know."

He watches under furrowed brows as Blinky pales.

And now that he's completely humiliated himself, he slides back into his chair and closes the notebook, preparing to slip it into his briefcase, because surely no one would care to teach a changeling Trollhunter so ridiculously desperate, and he begins to reconsider ever using the amulet at all.  But a firm hand, so large on his skinny wrist, stops him before he can move.

"How old are you? Did you have a name? What shape were you?" Blinky asks softly.

Walter stares at the hand. "I don't remember. The first thing I remember is-" pain. Poison seeping into his veins, skin turning a gastly green, growing razor-sharp featherknives out of his skin that hurthurthurt. Yelling and chanting and brainwashing. He can't quite vocalize it but his face seems to do enough, because Blinky lets go.

The previous suspicion is suddenly gone, and in its place is a sort of sympathy that Walter hates almost as much.

"...Right! Trungar was certainly in a spot, and he turned to his advisor, who as you remember is---"

-

Blinky piles on book after book, and when Walter asks him for the referenced literatures he gets them. They are slowly drawing a picture in his head, a staticky, distant image of a people long past, journeys long concluded. He hums the songs of those people as he dries dishes, kisses Barbara, walks across the parking lot on his way to school. He reads the stories of those people, dreams about them sometimes.

A people that he can't quite feel are his, has no rightful claim to anymore, but he wants to with an illogical, melancholy yearning.

Once Blinky seems to have gotten over his initial hesitations, he starts teaching Walter other aspects of being a Trollhunter. He brings a rather ridiculous construction onto one of the sports fields and chases Walter around with it, shooting things at him with a suspiciously manic glee while Walter, fully armored, slowly learns how to leap and dodge.

He makes Walter practice repeating the mantras and rules of being a Trollhunter until Walter can recite them in his sleep.

It's not a complete education, by far, but every time Walter asks about the missing pieces he is pushed aside.

"Have you even told them their new Trollhunter is a changeling?" He asks one day, exasperated, half-asleep because he spent all of last night dodging magic arrows and grading midterms.

"No, and you should be thankful we haven't," Blinky frowns, and there is that hint of pity again that Walter hatehatehates. "If Vendel knew, I have no doubt he'd have you killed so the position would move to a troll."

If Walter was less tired, he would be much less whiny. "It just feels unfair," he murmurs. "I didn't choose to be made like this. I need to practice at the Forge. I want to see your library. I want to see Trollmarket."

There is nothing but silence, but it feels thick and smothering.

Walter closes his eyes. "I've been called to a meeting. Two days from now. Bular seems eager for something. I believe it has to do with Killahead Bridge. Nomura plays a large part, I am sure, because she works at the museum where they are planning on constructing it."

He opens his eyes when he hears a choking noise. Blinky seems to be having some sort of breakdown.

"You are in contact with Bular?"

Walter can't do anything but laugh.

-

It takes several minutes for Blinky to collect himself enough to start listening, but everything he hears seems to threaten to send him back into hysterics. There is a reason Walter avoided talking about this in the first place.

Yes, Walter is very high on the food chain of Gunmar's command. Yes, he goes to regular meetings, and is in on their plans. He isn't just some sort of changeling minion, he's a changeling minion with some form of status that he's fought long and hard for. And now painfully regrets.

Blinky paces. And paces. And paces. And then shoves a half-empty notebook into Walter's hands.

"Write," he demands. "Everything you can think of. Personnel, locations, tools, strategies, weaknesses, movements, shoe sizes!"

Walter very deliberately starts out with shoe sizes.

Blinky paces again. Then he stops, turns, and shares a wicked grin. "You know, this is something that a troll Trollhunter couldn't do."

The thought makes something warmbrightproud kindle in Walter's chest.

-

They make plans, junk those plans, make new ones. Cover an entire wall of Walter's hidden office in string, thumbtacks, and hastily scribbled ideas and profiles. Walter feels more and more like a spy every day.

But it's strangely exciting.

And even though he feels more torn than ever between worlds, between Gumm-Gumms and humans and trolls, now, too, how ridiculously complex...

...he isn't Atlas, shouldering his burden alone. AAARRRGGHH!!! shares hugs without reserve, and glances at him with a deeply knowing look sometimes, and Blinky no longer hesitates to reach over and ruffle his hair or poke him in the forehead if he drifts off. He has friends, real friends, who know the whole of him and aren't cringing in disgust (anymore).

(He takes a secret photo one day, and slips his phone into his pocket before either of the trolls can notice. He prints out a small copy and keeps it in his breast pocket next to the rest of his family.

He has a few more people he's determined to protect, which makes his mission simultaneously more difficult and a whole lot easier.)

[feather-dancer]

Trollhunters Fanfic Recommendations

One of the things I do to help me write is go on mad fanfic binges (Which being a fast reader, it takes a lot of chapters or giant chapters to slow me down) as I find them more stop start friendly than manhandling a book on my desk. When I run out and nothing new particularly grabs my eye at the time, have a general habit of rereading certain ones. So with Ghost!AU about to launch Saturday I figured I’d do a plug for a few favourites of mine!

~~~

General Trollhunters

Tea and Trust - Bonding time between knife dad and Jim’s blue troll dad, over tea

An Amorous Attack -  Draal does not understand this kissing thing, but he will certainly do his best to report what Strickler and Barbara Lake got up to

Star Student - Just why was Jim Lake Jr. the favourite in Strickler’s history class?

Adjustments - Jim may be a half Troll now and all the way out in New Jersey and as ever the Trollhunter but he would quite like to outrun his backlog of trauma, PTSD and general mess that is now his body if he can please

How To Fight A Shadow  - The Dictatious and Angor Rot team up you never knew you wanted in your life, Post Season 3

Warning Signs - Somethings wrong with Arcadia, it’s probably best to keep your head down if you’re just a regular civilian.

~~~

Stricklake

Cultic Epithets of the God Janus (disputed) - What if Strickler met Barbara much sooner and unintentionally becomes knife dad to a five year old Jim? The answer is glorious things

Terpsichore - The Comedy of the Danse Macabre - ACT I - So much fluff, terrible puns, intrigue, wonderful changeling OCs, the unexpected appearance of ABBA music plus a very long bitter road Strickler must follow if he wants to keep his head after Bular’s death and the hand of the lady he fell for

in my sleep i dreamed of waking - In Barbara’s dreams, she’s starting to remember but alas, the world of magic and trolls has been moving on without her and sooner or later it’ll clash again whether anybody likes it or not. Contains amazing mug puns

Slices of Life - I cannot describe this other than they are adorable NERDS

Blood And Roses - While an AU this is also Stricklake where the Pale Lady of Fae leads children astray and they’re never seen again. When Jim wanders into the woods, Barbara isn’t too far behind

~~~

Alternate Universes

Blue Moon Rising - The Jim we know and love was kidnapped at ten years old and five years later, a changeling boy called Atlas watches the final battle between Bular and Kanjigar and thus begins the snarky adventures of a little upstart forced to fight to keep his entire world from falling apart after Merlin throws a giant spanner in the works

Withhold - What if in Unbecoming Jim actually went out there and tried to stop everything before it started to get rolling? How much would change if he makes the decision to ensure Kanjigar did not die that morning?

If The World Was Upside-Down... - Humans went into hiding a long time ago and thought extinct as the trolls ruled topside, such things will not prevent a certain Jim Lake Jr. holding the Trollhunter mantle though but it might make life a bit more risky

Autoeponym - Surprise onset of changelingism from the point of view of a medical professional aka Barbara

Becoming The Mask - Jim is a Changeling, taking over from the real Jim Lake Jr. (Jay Jay) and growing up to live the life his familiar might have done while helping with Gunmar’s return. But along comes being chosen as the next Trollhunter, secrets everywhere, lying through your teeth and your fellow cohorts who are terrible terrible looters and will absolutely steal you stuff

Dreams of Drowning - Sometimes you kinda sorda accidentally acquire a large “psychic” girlfriend that’s held in a tank buried in the facility you work at who you met after you dreamed of while drowning in your sleep, as you do

~~~

Alternative Universes with added Oh no - Content warnings should be heeded

Erosion - So what if the kids we know and love had powers making them a perceived threat to society and thus get incarcerated by the Janus Order to help find a cure for their condition? Or at least, that’s what they claim

through the insidious night - But what if zombie trolls, Jim’s infected and he wants to help his still human best friend survive?

Bonus mention for this category:

This Time I Might Disappear - Miraculous Ladybug fic with a not all that stable Chat Blanc running around who has set his sights on Marinette in his pursuit for Ladybug. Adrien has also been missing these past 5 years...

[feather-dancer]

“I know there is still a lot both of you have and are still are keeping from me, leaving me with little more than the scraps like you think I'm so fragile that I would break if I went and anything found out. You know like the incidents you turned into innocent dinner conversation while he went and waved me off or straight up lied with talk of camping while really he was out there fighting for his very life."

The sheer discomfort of being so ceremoniously outted must be rather blatantly on show along with the crushing realisation of exactly where this is going now even before a finger is pointed at his chest all judgment and fire. Her gaze only hardens further when it meets his own widening green.

"So I need to know: was it you, Walter. Were you the reason he wrote that letter?"

The implication is clear: Honesty as had been promised or else.

Ok, I adore all of the Stricklake interaction in chapter 2 of the Ghost AU, but this part always gets me. She’s just like - tell me the truth or that’s it. No more excuses, no more bullshit.

And internally he’s like,

Aaaaah

The letter originally was just a what if scenario I tossed in as the potential to do it was right there because as far we know, it was never brought up again after Barbara challenged Jim in the hospital (Where she said she never read it) and given everything that had happened since then it’d be... Well if he wrote it THEN before she knew either time how dangerous things were for her son and essentially shut off since, what kinda things was he facing at the time that led him to genuinely fear he was going to die? Strickler was always gonna be the first person her mind would jump to on reading it even though hilariously in this is that rare case he is both completely innocent and oblivious to the actual cause.

Which is very :D Oh no for us.

This was actually one of the parts of the entire Stricklake scene that got shuffled around a lot because of the flow not working right, the original version of this being very different in how it happened too. Barbara still was very upfront on her thoughts though, I remember sending an early version to a friend which might still be blowing around my DMs though bits and pieces of it survived intact? I know they suggested (Having not seen Trollhunters, they’re incredibly indulgent of me) throwing in a mention of exactly what those two were doing behind her back which later became that first paragraph! Really glad they did as it gave more of a focus for her to collect her thoughts together before the accusation happens..

The line “The implication is clear: Honesty as had been promised or else.” actually kept haunting me as it sat at the top of a page staring at me anytime I was doing edits around there, clearly I needed reminding too.

I’m so glad it paid off tho given how damn self indulgent the entire Stricklake section was! The second one I at least had a genuine excuse to happen but that one? Noooot so much. The one I’m writing atm is a tad self indulgent too I will admit but it’s needed for those who might not read the oneshot.

Ty <3 My morning has been made.