#trapped in the darklands au

[dragon-creates]

@angelxd-3303's Mario au has taken over my life in the best way possible, so I’ve got some headcanons that have been spinning in my head for a while and wanted to share. (Some of the ones with Mario are based on my dad.)

The first time Bowser saw Luigi be reckless and try and pet a piranha plant, he picked him up like a mama cat picking up a kitten by the scruff of its neck.

Mario used steal borrow VHS tapes of Disney movies and watch them with Luigi on an old TV he managed to fix up. (Luigi’s favourite was beauty and the beast.)

Luigi and Daisy are actually childhood friends and she decided to go look for him when he and Mario went missing. She arrived in Sarasaland through the pipe and after defending it from Tatanga, and finding Mario and Luigi, the citizens of that desert kingdom decide to make her their princess. “Wait, I’m a princess now?....aaaahhhhh!!!!” Yeah, she kind of freaked out a little bit.

Despite how warm it is in the Darklands, Luigi still gets chilled quite easily, so Bowser is more than happy to keep him warm.

(This is based off my dad) Mario LOVES Taylor Swift, specifically her more country themed songs and constantly belts them out. Peach thinks its adorable, Luigi is begrudgingly used to it after listening to Mario’s singing for years.

Contrary to everyone’s beliefs, DK prefers strawberries to bananas.

Kamek and Peach get together to gossip with each other and talk about the latest fashion trends. Sometimes they bicker about who should get the best dresses for Luigi.

(Based off my dad again) Mario loves to knit, whenever winter comes round, he loves for everyone. He’s knitted little scarfs for the toads, a sweater dress for Peach, a jumper for Luigi, a blanket for Bowser (due to him being a reptile and cold-blooded) and gloves for DK. He even knits the ugliest Christmas sweaters for everyone when the holiday comes around.

The first time Luigi wore a dress was when he was five. It was a Belle dress that Daisy got him (since she knew beauty and the beast was his favourite movie) but the moment Giovanna found him wearing it, he made Luigi throw it in the trash while Aurora stood there and watched, wanting to intervene but couldn’t find it within herself to go against her husband. Luigi let Mario hold him as he cried.

The second time Luigi wore a dress was when he was captured by Bowser and dressed as Princess Peach to help Bowser practice with his proposal. He loved it so much that Kamek took note to make a green one for outside of rehearsals.

When the koopalings are playing a video game with a really hard level, they always get Luigi to help them finish it.

Peach and Daisy invite Wendy around for a regularly scheduled girls’ night and play dress-up together, do make-up and nails and watch the sappiest rom coms. Mario joins in occasionally, though he always cries when watching the movies.

Bowser used to have an alliance with King Boo after his father passed, but one day, before they got together, Luigi came to visit Bowser and the latter noticed the bruises and the tired look in his eyes, he tenderly lifts Luigi’s chin with his finger and asks, “Who did this to you?” (You know that classic trope.)  Luigi then explains how he tried to look for Mario and got trapped in a haunted mansion and tried to fight off the boos and their king. Bowser is enraged at the thought of the poltergeist hurting his closest friend and breaks off their alliance.

After King Boo finds out about that, he tries to hunt down Luigi. He gives the plumber and few scrapes, but before he could do any proper damage, Bowser is crouched over Luigi in an instant, protecting his from King Boo and demands that the ghost to not even look in his direction unless he wants to find out if he can die a second time.

Bowser is the type of guy that is “dad gets attached to a dog he doesn’t want” with Polterpup. This first time Luigi brings him home, the kids love the pup, but Bowser is a bit uneasy and jealous since he used to work with King Boo (even though Polterpup was controlled by the ghostly king), but overtime he comes to adore the pooch and spoils him with treats and toys.

Mario and Peach both wore dresses on their wedding day. Peach wore the most poofy, sparkly and pinkest wedding dress you could ever imagine (a pink version of the dress that Amy Adams wore in ‘Enchanted’) while Mario wore something close to the wedding dress from Odyssey.

There are times when Mario clings to Donkey Kong’s back and just buries himself in his fur because its so soft and warm and it makes him feel safe. However, DK doesn’t even feel Mario doing that and constantly thinks that the plumber is missing when really, he’s just fallen asleep clinging to his back.

Junior loves it when his uncle Mario throws him up into the air and catches him, as if he weighed at much as a basketball being sent soaring into the sky.

Since they were on the run, Luigi didn’t see Daisy since his parents left and only reunited when he and Mario started their business.

Peach’s favourite colour is the most specific shade of pink. Whenever you ask her, she always says that her favourite is a ‘sweet pea pink’.

(Another one based off my dad) a jackdaw bird sometimes flies into the garden of the mushroom palace and comes very friendly and close with Mario. He starts leaving food and water out for her and names her Peggy. She kind of becomes his ‘unofficial pet’.

(This one is based off me and my dad) Mario’s favourite movie growing up was ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ and introduced Luigi to it while they were still young. They grew up with the trilogy (they sobbed at the end of the third movie) until they fell throw the pipes.

Luigi glows whenever he’s happy, due to his thunderhand. Whenever he gets excited, he starts glowing like a star. Bowser finds it both adorable and beautiful.

Mia – Mario’s cat – was actually a stray when they found her. Once they took her in and nursed her back to health, they realised that she had a good temperament to be a therapy animal for Mario. They’ve been inseparable ever since. Both she and Polterpup are very close and love whenever their owners meet up so they can play.

Bowser reads to Luigi at night to help him sleep. Even if he wakes up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, Bowser will always read to him until he feels safe enough to fall back to sleep.

Luigi is also an insomniac to whenever he can’t sleep, he bakes instead. Bowser found him one night taking cookies out the oven, picked him up and carried him back to bed.

This is all I’ve got for now, there might be more soon. I hope ya’ll like them.

[rosemaidenvixen]

Tales of Arcadia Halloween Fic recs

Any TOA fans out there looking for something spooky to read around Halloween? Well then this is the the list for you! A compilation of my favorite horror and Halloween themed Tales of Arcadia fics. Some of these are safe for all ages, but some do lean hard into horror, so mind the tags and read with caution.

Arcane Blight @avirxy Do you like horror? Do you like Tales of Arcadia? If the answer is yes to both then stop what you're doing and read this. Takes place in an alternate universe where Jim is the new kid in Arcadia, and he quickly realizes that this innocent looking town has dark secrets lurking beneath the surface. To say any more would ruin a lot of the truly gut punching, jaw dropping twists and turns this story has.

The Changeling Masquerade @earth-ambassador-jim Takes place in the author's changeling Toby au. Shows how exactly changelings celebrate Halloween, but with a sinister twist.

Tear Me In Two (The Moonlight Will Anyway) @avirxy Two words. Werewolf Claire. In a monster hunter au Claire gets a nasty bite from a lycanthrope and the whole group struggles with the consequences. One of my all time favorite pieces of werewolf media for the absolutely phenomenal way it explores what it means to unleash the beast within.

Through the Veil @pinkytoothlesso11 This one's just getting started, but holy hell what a start! Jim doesn't given much credibility to Eli's ramblings of monsters and conspiracies in their town, until he witnesses someone he trusts performing a horrific ritual on Halloween night that brings everything he thought he knew into question. Now Jim and his friends are far from home and lost in a world hostile to human kind, and no guarantee that they'll make it home safe.

Something's wrong with Arcadia @earth-ambassador-jim When Jim and team Trollhunters aren't running around causing problems, what does the average Joe think of the strangeness going on in Arcadia? Bular and goblins and changelings shown from a mundane point of view in a way that's absolutely chilling.

31 Days in the Darklands @xdeusxmachinax Not technically a Halloween story, but takes place near and on Halloween with tons of horror and spooky imagery. I always give it a re-read each spooky season. In the wake of an unconventional treaty Strickler struggles to keep balance between Trollmarket, the Janus order, Arcadia, and the Darklands but the universe seems to sabotage him at each stage, and there's more than just pumpkin spice in the air this year in Arcadia.

Snippets, Snails, and Trollish Tales @whitherwanderyouspirit Some mostly Stricklake centered Halloween one shoots ranging from sweet to spooky to downright terrifying.

The Manor atop the Hill @avirxy A Haunted House story like you've never seen done before. When a desperate and frightened Jim follows his mother into the mysterious mansion on the outskirts of town he finds himself trapped in more ways than one. No one has lived in this house for as long as anyone can remember, but it is far from empty. Forced to rely on ghosts and a mysterious girl, Jim has to keep his wits about him if he wants to escape with his life, and his soul, intact.

cave bestiam @rosemaidenvixen Based on the online two sentance horror story "A girl heard her mom yell her name from downstairs, so she got up and started to head down. As she got to the stairs, her mom pulled her into her room and said, “I heard that, too.” But staring Barbara and Jim.

Fear of Fears @rosemaidenvixen An alternate take on my sunshine au. Jim decideds to sneak out on Halloween by passing his troll form off as a costume, a decision that will ripple outward into horrific consequences.

Tales of All Hallows Eve @rosemaidenvixen Collection of my Halloween themed one shots and drabbles.

Dig your eight graves @rosemaidenvixen Eight teens from Arcadia wander far from home and suffer a brutal attack from an evil that was much closer to home than they could ever imagine. Alone and traumatized, one of them makes a bargain in order to reclaim what was taken from them. They gain everything they ask for and more, but lose more than they ever thought possible.

A Bunch of Hocus Pocus @rosemaidenvixen A collection of 31 spooky and Halloween themed one shots for Tales of Arcadia and The Owl House, released one per day each day of October until Halloween.

[mrspockify]

First off, I LOVE your Mute Mario AU it's amazing! Especially your recent post of Mario worrying about his girl going through the same things he went through.

I had some questions about Mute Papa Mario and his daughter actually (forgot her name if she has one yet). What do you think Mario's relationship with her daughter would be like? I imagine it would be very wholesome based on Mario's supporting her and she admires and loves him so much! (I also bet Luigi's the awesome uncle she blabs about while Mario looks at her pridefully and signs something like "That's my brother all right" while Luigi is sobbing tears of joy and laughing happily.)

What would be Mario and his daughters' favorite activities to do together? Sports? Drawing? Go-karting? Or something else?

Also, if her daughter gets picked on or attempted to be kidnapped by Bowser (or any villain really), how do you think Mario will react? No doubt he'll save her obviously, but I can imagine the villains feel this chill as they see Mario's face and NO mercy is shown.

Apologies if this is too much. Feel free to limit it to one question if it's too many questions for you. LOVE your AU once again and hope you continue this AU! Hope you're doing well!

Thank you so much!! 💕

Oh, Mario adores his daughter, more than pretty much anything else. She’s his everything! He takes Mia everywhere with him, showing her the world around them and fostering an explorative nature early on (she’s just like him after all—so curious!). He’s insanely attentive to her every need, and definitely has a tendency to spoil her a bit 🤭 (a very common sign in their household is placing a finger to his chin, then moving it away while shaking his head and gesturing to Peach—“don’t tell mom.”)

But she also loves him so much too! Peach and Luigi both make sure to regale her with tales of Mario’s heroic adventures, so she learns pretty quickly just how amazing her dad is. She looks up to him a lot, and wants to be just like him. She definitely takes after him, and they love spending time doing sports and art together (he’ll maybe take her karting someday, but he’s a little worried about her getting hurt from it).

And I think a lot about what would happen if she was kidnapped! I actually have a narrative for it I’ve been turning around a lot. I think it would only ever happen once, because the result was so bad, for everyone from each side. Bowser kidnapped her (maybe when she’s around 5 or so) without thinking much of it, seeing it as a simple political move. But it makes Mario absolutely lose it. That’s his world. That’s his everything. Peach and Luigi have never seen him so violently angry over anything before. He wants Bowser to understand, and to pay. He’s so overcome with grief that he does the unthinkable.

It’s bad, but I think he’d be sent into such a panic that Mario would seek out Bowser Jr. as collateral, maybe luring him into a trap or storming into the Darklands and just bringing him as a hostage into Bowser’s throne room. Peach would tell him not to, Luigi would tell him not to, he would know it’s a bad idea. But he’s furious and terrified and he doesn’t know what else to do, because what if Bowser hurts his baby? He can’t risk it. He has to make the king understand what he’s doing.

It culminates into a standoff between the two fathers, both unbelievably angry and scared and trying to assure their own children while they have another child in their grips. Nothing would happen. Mario knows he would never actually be able to hurt a child, and it even pains him seeing how scared he’s making Bowser Jr. (and his own daughter from across the room). It becomes evident pretty quickly that Bowser feels the same, and seeing his own child in Mario’s hands makes him realize how much he fucked up.

Bowser doesn’t apologize, but they trade the children, and Mia is never kidnapped again. Mario also holds a lot of guilt and regret over the incident, but he doesn’t apologize either (except to Junior).

[trollamulet]

ok ok a few aus on this master post i'll link on pinned / whatever mobile accessible thing i make for him - sorted by in and out of fandom!

toa based-aus

unbecoming! i can't get enough of this line of aus - essentially anyone other than jim getting the medal Without Resetting The World tm - jim retains knowledge of what's gone on, with mixed effects. i personally Love jim still functioning as a trollhunter, though more along the lines of main timeline toby & claire, and more along the lines of jack sturges. that, and potentially picking up the skathe hrun later.

jim escaping camelot and ending up in with either gunmar's army, or in dwoza properly - either or. just your Totally Normal Troll Guy With One Extra Finger On His Left Hand, totally doesn't also act like he's got human reactions too. maybe it's just from being locked up in camelot. as jim hesitates with a name, stumbling out 'ji...key... jiki!' and tries to disengage the conflict between humans and trolls; for better or worse. though he knows that gunmar must end up in the darklands, one way or another.

as a side tangent au to above- jim being lost to the darklands with and becoming the beast, replacing aaarrrgghh!! as gunmar's general once the shard corrupts him, but instead of losing his mind to the corrupted, he keeps his sanity for a while before going mad himself eventually. timey wimey bullshit can happen with a human jim stumbling upon him.

body swap - body swap magic is canon - is it a spell jim activates, or someone else does, or something in a trap that both characters trigger

[archaeopter-ace]

Don't Listen to Kafka: summary of what would have happened next

So my laptop’s harddrive got wiped for the second time within a year. And while I do have a lot of DLtK notes and writing backed up, the truth is that between the first wipe circa October 2022 and the second time I fucked up my computer at the end of July, I didn’t touch DLtK at all. At this point I don’t even know if I could figure out how much I lost the first time. 

The name of the game is perseverance; I don’t want these incidents to kill all my WIPs, I don’t want to give up. But. I don’t think I have it in me to try to salvage all the WIPs I’d been working on, and Tales of Arcadia hasn’t been my hyperfixation for a while now. I keep waiting for the wheels of my fandom interest to turn in that direction again… but they haven’t, and there’s nothing I can do to make that happen on purpose. 

So I’m going to share what I had planned for this series, because I still love it dearly, and this wonderful fandom, and if you want to comment or ask questions I welcome them! I am going to be writing this summary from memory, because tracking down and going through my story notes just depresses me. 

First things first, I need to address the fact that Claire does not know that Enrique is trapped in the Darklands. It was on Jim’s mind in Metamorphosis, and he decides to enlist NotEnrique’s help in introducing Claire to the idea of changelings (Incidentally, NotEnrique hasn’t had a moment to cement his loyalty to Team Trollhunter, since the battle at the bridge didn’t happen the way it did in canon. So at one point I thought about writing a sort of prologue, in which Nomura drops by to talk to him - she’s not trapped in the Darklands, but she’s gonna nope right out of Arcadia now that the Janus Order is in disarray with Strickler’s defection. Because I am nothing if not preoccupied with typing up any and every possible loose end ;P And I wanted to address whether RealEnrique would be in danger, since in this AU the babies in the nursery are hostages for the changeling’s loyalty and good behavior. So if NotEnrique defects, that would put Enrique in danger - unless the Janus Order’s ability to convey kill orders to the Darklands was stopped. And since I never said how they do that, I think the Fetch will do very nicely. Better keep a tight hold on that, Team Trollhunter) 

Right, so Jim tells Claire who does not take it well (oh, and there’s a whole thing about what does Barbara know, because like hell would she not tell Ophelia and Javier that their kid was kidnapped, so does that mean Jim is keeping secrets? I think I found a solution I could work with but I can’t remember what it was). Claire doesn’t take it well, and it affects rehearsals for the school play - I found some lines Juliet could deliver with scathing sarcasm. The romance is dead, and Ms. Janeth despairs.

Jim is in a serious funk, because some of the insults Claire threw his way unknowingly hit some seriously sore spots. He wants to come mask-off clean to Claire as part of his apology efforts, because Claire put it into his head that Not Telling her things is exactly equivalent to Lying, and he doesn’t want a repeat of her anger if he waits to tell her too long about being part changeling. Toby is not a fan of this idea, and goes to confront Claire about the fact that Jim is planning to be extremely vulnerable to her and she had better take that seriously, just because Jim hurt her by not telling her about NotEnrique does mean she is entitled to all his secrets, he’s going through a rough time and she’d better not hurt him back Or Else.

I… can’t remember what leads Jim and Claire to reconciling. I know that they do manage it in time to save the school play, huzzah! Around the same time as opening night, Jim’s horns finally break through, and this is something of a momentous coming-of-age moment in a young troll’s life. There’s a whole ceremony, and Claire is invited, cementing her inclusion in Team Trollhunter. (The ceremony involves digging a hole in the ground in a shady spot and burying Jim in it up to his neck for a day. It’s a test of courage, and to show that he’s ready to come to the surface on his own. Mostly Jim thinks it’s a test of his patience)

And that concludes the first act! 

Next, the effort to rescue Enrique begin in earnest. See, the thing is, unlike in canon they do not have access to a complete Killahead Bridge; Otto absconded with the keystone before the bridge was recovered. So they will need to find a different way into the Darklands. Now for a bit of worldbuilding. Because Killahead Bridge is an example of Sealed Evil In a Can, right? (Keep in mind that this was drafted before Season 2 of 3Below had aired, let alone Wizards) I asked why wouldn’t you obliterate the bridge more thoroughly than just breaking it into pieces, if you really wanted to keep Gunmar in the Darklands? And the answer I came up with is that Killahead Bridge functions as lock on Gunmar, so that it is the only way for him to leave the Darklands. If you pulverized the bridge, it wouldn’t trap him; it would release him, because then he would be free to seek out another passage out of the Darklands.

That being said, there aren’t oodles of ways in and out. Besides the Fetch, the only way that rumors tell of is Morgana’s secret entrance. But no one knows how to find it, because secret map is in two pieces, and one has been in Trollmarket in Blinky’s library and the other has been with the changelings for centuries. But! This time around Team Trollhunter have the evil book they got from Strickler. (Dangit I’m blanking on the name - not grimorum arcanorum, that’s Gargoyles. Not Darkhold either.) The map points them not to the Darklands, but to Morgana’s lair where the key is hidden. Yay Baba Yaga house with chickenfeet!

But before we get to that: you’ve heard of Hybrid Vigor, now get ready for Outbreeding Depression! This is when hybrid crosses are disfavored by natural selection. Like if offspring are infertile, or two subspecies are bred together to try to preserve an endangered species, and instead it makes a muddle of local regional adaptations. Or maybe the offspring only have one copy of a gene that they really need two of to do well. Or the animal lives in an environment where there are a lot of dark surfaces and a lot of light-colored surfaces, so being dark-colored or light-colored provides good camouflage, but being gray just means you show up at least a bit on both surfaces. 

All this means is that I am totally justified in putting Jim through the wringer >:) As his human blood cells are replaced with changeling blood cells, their ability to bind oxygen decreases. Oh, time for more worldbuilding: changeling blood edition. I could be wrong, but I don’t think we ever see any full-blooded trolls bleed? This despite Draal losing an entire arm. Tattoos are chiseled into them, and there’s the line about treating wounds with molten metal, so I feel confident in saying that, in this story at least, trolls don’t have blood. No blood, no circulatory system. But wait, I hear you cry, trolls can drown! And they are seen to breathe. How do I explain that?

I decided that the thing being circulated is not oxygen, but rather magic. The same kind exuded by the Heartstone (magic: it’s both a particle and a wave!) Hence troll society being built around magic-dense Heartstones. And water acts as a neutralizing agent, it smothers magic. Changelings live primarily on the surface, and do not have access to Heartstone magic. They also do bleed, unlike regular trolls. I’ve made these two facts related; changelings supplement their magic energy intake with an oxygen-using metabolism. They have hemerythrin as the binding pigment in their blood instead of hemoglobin, which is not as good at binding oxygen (this is true irl) but is capable of binding ambient particle of magic in the air (this has fascinating implications for certain species of marine worm with purple blood!) 

What’s happening with Jim is that his mixed blood is getting increasingly bad at binding oxygen, but not yet good enough at binding ambient magic. So he gets out of breath easily; it presents a lot like altitude sickness, being in thin air for a prolonged time. Solution: needs more close proximity to the Heartstone, where magic is denser. He’s out of commission for a couple weeks while his organs rearrange themselves. (I wrote bits of a scene where Barbara and Jim go to a changeling doctor that Strickler puts them in contact with, I can’t remember where in the timeline that was supposed to go). 

Oh, speaking of Strickler, he’s doing occupational therapy to adjust to being an amputee. Barbara is helping out, but is extremely firm that she “can’t be his Florence Nightingale.” He’s a good resource when it comes to changeling Jim things. Like when Jim becomes lethargic and Barbara can’t tell if it’s depression or something else. 

To summarize the summary so far: there are two parallel plot lines, one in which Team Trollhunter, sans Jim who is convalescing, follow some clues to get to Baba Yaga’s house to find a secret way into the Darklands to rescue NotEnrique. And the other plot line is Jim dealing with continuing changes to his body.

To get Barbara to sign off on Claire putting herself into danger by going a-questing, Claire steals Jim’s glamour mask and poses as her own mother. (What could possibly go wrong!) When they get to the house with chicken feet, it’s not sturdy enough for Blinky and Aaarrrgh to climb up, so Claire and Toby are on their own. Gotta give them their power-ups! 

Claire sticks her hand in a box and it gets impaled - yikes! But it’s magic, so the wound heals right up, and, she will later discover, she now has telekinesis. The drawback: she is now claustrophobic. Basing this on how in some Vathara’s fics describe ki-sense as like a fish’s lateral line sense, ‘touch at a distance.’ Basically, I figure that if you’re going to be picking stuff up with your mind, your mind has to be able to ‘feel’ the object. Thus, an awareness of the things around her, including walls. She can *feel* how big or small a room is. Even her own bedroom feels too small, too close; she can’t sleep unless her windows and door are open. 

Toby, meanwhile, gets a magical pet bonded to him! In a manner of speaking. I wanted to give him something that would let him fly like his warhammer did, and reached into Norse mythology. No, it’s not mjollnir, though it, too, was made by the dwarves Eitri and Brokkr. It’s Boary McBoarface, Gullinbursti! From the Prose Edda: "It could run through air and water better than any horse, and it could never become so dark with night or gloom of the Murky Regions that there should not be sufficient light where he went, such was the glow from its mane and bristles." Toby is able to ride on its back and charge Gullinbursti into battle against his opponents. Drawback: if he uses it too long, a bloodlust rises in him, and he becomes a proper berserkr, full of rage. Good thing he has a wingman who knows a thing or two about anger management!

Who do they need to use these newfound skills to fight? I’d always planned for Otto to become the main Big Bad, a foil for Jim as a fellow polymorph. Wasn’t entirely sure what that would look like; reviving Angor Rot was Strickler’s plot, would Otto think to do the same? 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Jim’s uncle is concerned that Barbara says the two of them aren’t coming to Thanksgiving without giving a reason why (the reason being, Jim is bed-ridden and unable to pass for human). Uncle Mark remembers how Barbara similarly withdrew when she was with the emotionally abusive James Sr., and recalls that she mentioned a potential new beau last time they talked on the phone, so he’s going to come investigate. Just to keep throwing wrenches into the works. For some reason I really really wanted this to overlap with Blinky being turned into a human, but if they aren’t planning on *fighting* Gunmar with their sneek-through-the-backdoor plan, then they don’t really need the Triumbric Stones, do they? Do any of those quests even happen?

Act II ends with Claire and Toby getting power-ups, and Jim finally completing his transformation into a changeling. Yay! Now if he can just figure out this shape-shifting thing…

The first time Jim changes into someone other than himself, it’s after a stressful night worrying about an upcoming Spanish test, and he wakes up looking like Senor Uhl. He gradually gets more skilled and confident in his ability to change shape, and then he gets the bright idea to sneak into the Darklands through the Fetch by turning into a goblin. (Hand-wavy answer about ‘why aren’t they using the method acquired from visiting Morgana’s lair’ now that they have it. Can’t remember why.)

Jim has clearly never read Animorphs, or he would know why shapeshifting into a hivemind creature is a Bad Idea. Waka chakka!

Yeah things get a little silly at this point, but they have to be if I’m going to bring the Creepslayerz in (which, given how this whole subplot is just a tangent that could conceivably be cut without impacting the plot, I’m not 100% committed to bringing Eli and Steve into the mix. However, as I said at the beginning, I love tying up every conceivable plot-hole, and Goblin Adventure answers the question, ‘If you have the fetch and shapeshifting powers, why *wouldn’t* you shrink yourself down to get through that way?’) Toby, in a moment of foresight, writes ‘JIM’ on Jim with a sharpie, so if he escapes their watch, they can find him again. (Creepslayerz, reading it upside-down: “Hi, Wif!”) I can’t remember what’s in my notes for how they finally get Jim changed back, but if I had to guess, it had something to do with Barbara.

Yeah, Act III is where things start to break down for me, in terms of having a clear idea of what I wanted to happen. Partly to make things easier for myself and partly because I think Jim might be slightly more sympathetic to the plight of the changelings, only Enrique is getting rescued. The rest of the babies are just going to stay there for the time being. Gunmar can only be defeated with the Triumbric stones, but is it written that the Trollhunter has to be the one to use them? Can we give them to Angor Rot and unleash him to have his revenge on Gunmar? Does Jim *actually* have to fight Gunmar to achieve his objective? I kind of think things have changed enough that he doesn’t have to, and Morgana doesn’t rise again, and Merlin stays asleep, and Douxie keeps on trucking. Yeah, figuring out endings is hard. Mostly I figured I’d need to write the rest of the story first, to even know what the right ending should be. A lot can change between drafting an outline and writing a story…

So there you have it! Everything I remember (and don’t remember) off the top of my head about where I was planning on going with Don’t Listen to Kafka. Gosh I just, I appreciate so much all the love that this fic series has received over the years, and I didn’t want to leave you all hanging indefinitely.

[honeyxmonkey]

Thoughts coming in for Douxie being stuck in the Darklands thing but this time... longer 👀👀👀

What if it happened at the battle of killahead and Merlin saw his apprentice, his son, being sucked into the portal along with Gunmar and his army and he tries in vain to save him but it's too late.

Just... a broken Merlin staring at the now closed bridge with horror, realizing that the one person in the world that he cares about is now stuck in the most dangerous place, dead or soon will be.

Arthur is dead, Morgana is sealed away, and the one person he thought he might be able to save is stuck in the Darklands.

900 years pass, Douxie's able to survive somehow, his magic growing stronger, adapting to the environment in a way that's almost feral. Or maybe that's just the constant adrenaline high he's always on.

His unlucky break comes on the day the bridge is reopened. He knows about it, feels the oh-so familiar presence of the amulet.

Douxie spots Jim one day, a baby held in his arms as he runs from the gumm-gumms. He can see that he's probably not going to make it so he starts running, magic surging down his arm and to his fingertips as he intends to help the Trollhunter escape, even at the cost of his own freedom.

Unfortunately the bridge collapses before he can do any real damage to the evil trolls and he skids to a stop just before Gunmar's soldiers can see him.

Douxie looks at the collapsed bridge, tears welling in his eyes. Now his only hope for escape, his only chance to see his father again, has been destroyed.

He actually ends up breaking Jim and Nomura out of jail and helps them escape only be to captured at the last second himself.

When Jim gets back home, he makes a silent promise to get him out of there, he doesn't care if he doesn't know the guy, he saved his life.

During the Eternal Night, Jim says something about seeing this kid down there to Merlin who turns to look at him with wide eyes and quietly asks what the kid's name was.

Jim, ever oblivious to the wizard's emotional distress says, "His... Hizzydoux or something like that?"

And Merlin goes very quiet, very still. Then, "Hisirdoux..."

And Jim nods. "Yeah, that's it. Why?"

And Merlin looks at him slowly, tears pricking at his eyes. "Thats my son."

And now that he knows that his son is alive, Merlin is even more adamant about Jim turning into a half troll. At this point he's willing to do anything to save his baby.

And then the battle begins and Merlin travels to Trollmarket to face Morgana.

Somehow, someway Douxie managed to get away from Gunmar and his army and started booking it across the town. Merlin's here, he can feel it but then-

He gets distracted in his search for his father by his incessant need to help people so he takes a bit of a detour to help out some of the townspeople, cutting down the Gumm-gumms like they're nothing. He's in a bit of a rage and adrenaline filled magic rush.

He decides to stay on the surface and help during the battle, he could find Merlin after all the chaos.

Toby and Claire see this guy just fricking blasting the gumm-gumms halfway to hell and they're like... "atleast he's on our side."

After all is said and done and the battle is won, Douxie tags along with the trollhunters to trollmarket to check on Merlin

But when they see eachother they both freeze. Merlin is the first to move.

"Hisirdoux!" He shouts, running towards his son and Douxie just breaks out into a sprint, being swept up into his dad's arms in a tight embrace. They sink to their knees, Douxie burying his face against Merlin's armor, both are crying but Douxie just... finally is able to relax after 900 years of being trapped and alone. Merlin holds him tightly, gently cradling the back of his head, promising over and over again that no matter what he would never let anything happen to Douxie ever again.

He finally has his son back after so long... and he's going to make sure that this time, no matter what, he stays safe.

[e7y1]

Simple-ish sketch for Douxie trapped in the Darklands au. I’ve never drawn a Gumm Gumm in my life.

This is @honeyxmonkey au! They have a lot of good Douxie stuff.

[heliopauseentertainments]

Dance Lessons

For MegaStar Week 2022

Day 3 Prompt: Music / Dance

Continuity: General

Rating: General

Relationship: Megatron/Starscream

Characters: Megatron & Starscream

AU: Some canon divergence, canon blending

Warnings: N/A. Please see AO3 entry for full applicable tags.

Summary: In which Starscream gets frustrated while teaching Megatron how to dance correctly.

Crossposting: AO3 | DreamWidth | Pillowfort

Fic under cut

“Stop! Stop it!”

Starscream waved his arms in offense, prying them free of clinging hands in the process. His wings flapped frantically to provide more leverage. Unnecessary since Megatron had let go, but a little show of defiance could go a long way down the road.

All the while, the upbeat music continued to play in the background. Soundwave paid them no mind as he sat with his datapad in the far corner of the throne-room, reading Primus knew what.

“You graceless oaf!”

Over these past few years, he had come to absolutely despise Kaon’s ancient “keep what you kill” laws, left over from when the province had been a mostly uninhabited part of the Darklands, before the “Golden Age.”

“I’m sick of your two left feet and your death-grip!”

He furiously pointed down at Megatron’s feet, which had mercilessly trodden on his own no less than five times in as many minutes.

Starscream hollered over his shoulder to Soundwave.

“Cut the music!”

The music stopped long enough for Soundwave to play a recorded “record scratch” noise, but resumed immediately after at a lower volume.

Whatever.

At first, those ridiculous laws had provided a legitimate foothold when their band of revolutionaries had toppled the local council and aristocrats. Slaying the province’s duke had earned Megatron the pompous bastard’s title and the right to control the walled city of Kaon and its surrounding territories. What a strange way to become a viable heir to the local dignity, but it had been convenient at the time.

Theoretically, the Cybertronian Senate still had authority here for planetary laws, but no way to enforce. They couldn’t get their goons across the borders or through the checkpoints, which the Decepticons, with Starscream’s wise counsel, had wasted no time in securing and fortifying.

Back then, Starscream’s largest complaint had been how downright ugly their fortress, Kolkular, was. An utter eyesore of imposing brutalist architecture, but it served its purpose.

A fair price to pay for a favorable legal situation. At the time.

Now, however, it was that keeping up appearances with the other, more “traditional” polities on Cybertron was an absolute nightmare.

Starscream continued scolding, wings canted high to underscore his agitation with Megatron’s lack of social—and physical—graces.

“It’s like you’ve never held anything that wasn’t a pick or a weapon in your entire life!”

They had to at least play nice with their “peers,” while their forces were still comparatively weak. The alternative was their cause being pulled out by the root… all because Megatron had taken to aristocracy with all its demands and trappings like a muddy turbofox to bath time.

Starscream could understand that Megatron didn’t like the aristocracy as an institution. Sure, it was full of vapid wastrels and sapped vital resources, but for now… they had to play the game.

Unfortunately, next week they were invited to another social event, this one in Helex. As the newly minted duke was a bachelor, that meant Starscream, as the highest ranking official after him, had to attend in the stead of a consort. Nominally, this was fine.

He even got a courtesy title out of it and got to playact at belonging in high society, hanging off a high-ranking noble’s arm like a beautiful yet deadly accessory. A shame, he sometimes thought, that it was just pretend and would one day have to end. Starscream certainly played the part of socialite better than Megatron did.

If their roles were reversed, the situation might have actually worked out better, with Starscream as a mannered noble and Megatron his crude but loyal guard. A powerful, loyal protector who would do whatever Starscream asked of him.

Oh well, a mech could dream.

However, the present danger was that dancing was not a natural outgrowth of Megatron’s skills in combat. In combat, stepping on an enemy’s feet was a valid tactic to gain an advantage and not a surefire way to upset a dancing partner that might very well enact vengeance.

“I am not going to be embarrassed by you in public again!”

He stamped his foot in frustration, a threat to do to Megatron what he’d been doing to Starscream for the last half an hour. They both knew it wasn’t a toothless threat either. Whether or not Megatron actually cared about being injured was still up for debate.

“You need to hold gently!” He mimed carefully closing his hand on his opposite wrist. “Like this, nicely, like you actually like me, like you think I’m fragile and precious and you don’t want to break me.”

Then Starscream clamped down to illustrate the principle, waving his captured arm in Megatron’s face.

“Not like you’re trying to choke the life out of me through my wrists!”

All the while, Megatron just stood there with his arms crossed, scowling impassively with his optical ridges furrowed. Of course, he thought dance practice was just a was—

“This is a waste of time.”

Starscream sighed, rubbing the tips of his fingers down the sides of his nose in exasperation.

“Yes, normally, I would agree with you—“ When Megatron had a good idea anyway. He wasn’t stupid, just married to his Cause, which sometimes had the same outward effect no matter how much processing power the lummox actually had to work with. “—But we can’t afford ideological purity right now! We need to make a proper appearance. Unlike last time.”

Defenestrating that Iaconian minister the last time, however hilarious, had not been their most shining moment.

Megatron let one optic go wide, silently disagreeing with Starscream’s assessment of his behavior. He probably thought he’d behaved entirely appropriately, because, of course, he did.

Honestly, the minister shouldn’t have made an off-color comment about manual class mechs, especially not when Megatron had been standing a few paces away. That minister had had it coming, but it had still looked bad… and reinforced the Decepticons’ reputation as a band of “no good, uncivilized brutes.”

The fact that Starscream hadn’t even for a moment attempted to stop his boss from launching the moron through a window had not helped either, nor had his immediate disclaimer that they would, in no uncertain terms, not be paying for that window. Not with the inflation in Iacon being so astronomically high.

Still, Megatron had been the bulk of the problem there. It wasn’t as though Starscream could un-toss that guy out of the window to make everything all “peachy keen” again. Megatron had dropped the minister into the gardens several floors below, but honestly it was easier to get him into an ambulance from there anyway, rather than the secure-access ballroom.

“I think at this point, they only invite us because they’re afraid of us.” Starscream leaned his palm against his forehead. “Just… not the way they ought to be.”

Social etiquette decreed that, as a noble, not inviting Megatron would have been a great insult that could result in either devastating bodily or property damage. Unfortunately, they seemed to not grasp that Megatron had no desire to go to their “asinine” events in the first place. Those that invited him were more likely to end up with a higher priority on a future hit list for being nuisances.

“Their little soirées are pointless, Starscream. We shouldn’t bother. We’d be much better served by—”

“Where does the eloquent mech who says words like ‘soirées’ go when we go to these parties? Where does he go, Megatron? Do you eat him?” His voice reached a screeching pitch as it echoed off the walls in the cavernous room. “It’s like you replace him with a barbarian specifically when I—when we need a presentable, well-mannered gentlemech the most!”

The music stopped. Soundwave must have finally taken notice of their bickering, a near constant background noise in Kolkular’s vast, cavernous halls.

This time it was Megatron’s turn to sigh, probably in preparation of saying something dismissive.

Like he usually did.

It didn’t help that his facial expressions where generally limited to various shades of scowling and its occasional friend: cruel amusement. That left Starscream little by way of different outcomes to assume.

He braced for a shout or a barked order.

“Very well.”

The words that came out were oddly… calm. Starscream tilted his head to the side, wings dropping low in confusion. A brief flash of worry crossed his processor that perhaps Megatron was ill, had come down with some sort of infection from his habit of recharging on the floor in the corner of his office.

“What?”

“We’ll try again.”

Megatron reached out to take the seeker in his grasp again. Starscream cringed away from the hands, as though they were somehow contaminated, protectively pulling his own arms in towards his chest.

He had already had more than enough of being crushed by a clumsy oaf for the last twenty minutes.

“You’re not stepping on my foot again—“

“No, I’m not.” Megatron paused. “Not intentionally. A dance partner with broken feet won’t be much help as a teacher or social companion now, would they?”

Cautiously, Starscream surrendered one of his hands… only for it to be held gingerly, like he was a delicate aristocrat and not a seasoned assassin with several dead senators in his curriculum vitae.

Upbeat bars of music began to play again, filling the room with invigorating sound once more.

Maybe this wasn’t such a waste of time after all. Provided Megatron didn’t screw it up.

“Good, because if you do, it’ll cost you your entire foot.”

“I’d like to see you collect that debt.”

[bluheaven-adw-gone]

A trollhunters au where they prevented Usurna from tearing down Killahead and Jim doesn't get stuck in the darklands. It all hinges on Claire. Small rant incoming!

When you are a natural at creating portals, have a shadow staff of immeasurable power, plenty of strong emotion to do both and need to protect a bridge from 2 brutes with hammers so the love of your life can being your baby brother back, what do you do? Well I guess smack at them ineffectually with said staff causing it to get flung away and you to be tossed on your butt and thus the bridge destroyed trapping poor Jim in the Darklands and later allowing the release of Gunmar.

Why would you not just portal the trolls away and take them off the playing field? She was more than capable at this point. Jim was literally right there. Sure, maybe a gumm-gumm or two would have made it through but those are easily dispatched. She would have gotten Enrique back, Jim would made it through fine, bridge could have then been dismantled again, Gunmar would have never been released, Merlin never woken up, Jim never trolled, Morgana never freed and Eternal Night never brought. No heartstone destruction or move to New Jersey, and probably no green knight or Arcane order. I get it had to happen... must move plot and story forward etc, etc. It just seemed like an uncharacteristically dumb move for her to make.

In this Trollhunters au, where Jim makes it out then, the trio continues to train and get stronger into adulthood. Lots of trollhunting missions still, sometimes even something major, but nothing too apocalyptic. Jim and Claire are actually there for Krel and Aja. With the entire team togetger, they kick Morando's butt and he never gets Galen's core. What if Gunmar still eventually escapes, but it doesn't happen until they are adults. Merlin thought he was off on Jim's age by 14 years... Could you imagine how much stronger and more emotionally mature they would have been?

[varibean]

Ok, the character cursed to become a monster with Jim and Varian, please elaborate. I didn't know I needed this idea in my life

OK SO LIKE

i have Three (3) different trollhunters aus for varian bc i'm indecisive. one is varigo centric with hugo being a troll that varian falls in love with

the second one being trollhunters but just in the tangled timeline. jim is a nice, cute boy of a nearby healer that comes by old corona whenever there's an injury that the town doctor can't take care of and when going to the main kingdom would be too risky

varian has a wee little crush on him bc he's a cute guy who seems so cool (at least to varian, everyone else knows that jim is a dork)

they start getting closer until oops one night varian is out and catches him doing some trollhunter shit and is just So Excited bc wow trolls! that's a lot to study!

and then of course, there's the moment where jim becomes a half troll, struggling with that but varian is still just absolutely smitten and, once again, Wow Trolls! That's A Lot To Study!

my third au is that it's varian in trollhunters timeline.

where varian is a changeling's familiar who was stolen away hundreds of years ago and replaced by a changeling. that changeling died though and the goblins just decided to get rid of human baby varian bc he was of no use to them.

tossed him over to trollmarket, thinking that the trolls would just eat him bc hey free baby! that's a snack! but no, instead troll quirin finds him and decides to raise him in the marketplace as his own son, since all of his family has been dead for 100s of years and he can't just had this baby over to social services

so when jim becomes trollhunter it's just like

blinky: human feet have never graced these halls!

varian, chasing a rogue automaton through the market: WATCH OUT WATCH OUT WATCH OUT WATCH OUT!

blinky: he...he doesn't count.

jim decides to teach this guy how to be like, a regular teenager after being trapped in the darklands for 100s of years frozen in time and then raised by trolls for the rest of his life and teenage hood

and of course, once again, varian gets a wee crush, which only gets bigger when jim is turned into a half troll bc he grew up on troll beauty standards after all and just like how jim helped varian become more of a regular teen, varian gets to help jim become more of a regular troll, since he was the one who grew up with them and knows all about them

this is long, this is a long rant i just have a soft spot for this crossover au and my otgw wirt/varian cursed monster au but that's another story

[earth-ambassador-jim]

Parent/Mentor Swap AU

The swaps:

Aaarrrgghh – Bular

Blinky – Nomura

Barbara – Strickler

 Yeah so this was meant to just be a short explanation but it’s not so please enjoy my 2500ish word backstory for this AU. (Jim will still be the Trollhunter.)

Bular

Shortly before the Battle of Killahead Bridge Bular is talking with his father about their plans for their future kingdom. In the course of the discussion Gunmar reveals that he wants to eliminate all humans and bring about a literal Eternal Night. (Gunmar has talked about the Eternal Night before but Bular assumed it was a metaphor.)

Bular doesn’t like humans per say. He definitely agrees that their numbers need to be reduced. He certainly wants them to be cast down into the dust and subjected to the rule of trollkind…

But he doesn’t want them gone.

The thought has frankly never occurred to him.

Humans are pests but they are tasty and create useful things. The world will be worse off without them.

The second point is even worse. Bular may be rash at times but he is not a fool. Trolls may not survive under the sun but they won’t survive without it either. Bular has traveled far and wide recruiting trolls for Gunmar’s cause. He’s seen what the Northern Lands become during the winter when for a time the sun ceases to rise.

Based of off that he has a fairly good idea of what the surface will become like under the Eternal Night and it is not desirable. There is no point in taking over the surface only to decimate it.

He tries to argue these points but his father will not listen. Eventually shutting the conversation down entirely with a warning snarl.

Bular is left uneasy. He wonders if it is wise for Gunmar to be the ruler anymore. He wonders if there might be more substance to the rumors of his father’s madness then he thought.

As the War comes to a head and the Battle of Killahead Bridge draws near, Bular tries to convince his father to change his mind. He receives only growls, sneers and a couple beat downs for his trouble.

Eventually he decides that other measures must be taken.

He considers starting an uprising but he doesn’t want to kill his father. Eventually he learns of Deya’s plan to banish Gunmar into the Darklands and decides to assist her. He thinks that spending some time in a world without humans or the sun might bring Gunmar to his senses.

Unfortunately Gunmar learns of this.

Bular, not wanting to fight his father, flees. Gunmar can’t leave to pursue his son, so he sends a detachment of soldiers lead by his most trusted general Aaarrrgghh after him.

Centuries later he comes to Arcadia. He is not accepted by the local troll population for a very long time. They don’t believe he’s really changed sides. It also doesn’t help that unlike Cannon!Aaarrrgghh he is not a pacifist. (He has sworn off eating humans however.) He eventually wins them over by helping the Kanjigar protect Trollmarket. He’s brought into the market for the first time because his energy drops to dangerously low levels (he’s completely catatonic when Kanjigar finds him) because he hasn’t been near a heartstone for centuries and doesn’t eat humans anymore. (I headcannon that eating humans allows for trolls to live away from a heartstone because humans produce a similar energy but in very small amounts).

 Aaarrrgghh

Aaarrrgghh’s origin story is the same as in cannon: he was given to Gunmar by Usurna to be his champion.

In this story he doesn’t switch sides at the battle of Killahead. Seeing the destruction wrought by humans on uninvolved trolls leads him to believe that Gunmar is in the right about wiping them out. When the battle of Kilahead happens, he and his detachment of soldiers become the only Gum Gums outside of the Darklands (or rather the only known Gumm-Gumms) because they were hunting for Bular at the time.

Aaarrrgghh works rather loosely with the changelings as well as doing “recruiting” of more trolls to the Gumm-Gumm cause. (More like threatening into obedience).

Aaarrrgghh comes to Arcadia when he learns of the Trollmarket and Trollhunter’s presence there.

Aaarrrgghh’s presence combined with his small battalion results in more skirmishes with Trollmarket than in cannon. Bular and Draal work with Kanjigar to protect trolls that go out to scavenge against the Gumm-Gumms. The Janus Order has their hands full keeping the constant fighting secret.

Aaarrrgghh generally stays in Barbara’s basement which has a tunnel connecting it to the sewer system. (Disguised with magic so Trollmarket trolls and maintenance workers don’t find it.)

He often leaves the window open and tries to lure cats in for him to eat. This is how he meets Toby.

Toby happens to be looking for one of their missing cats. He finds paw prints leading to the open basement window. He attempts to get in the window but is shoved back by a pole. (Aaarrrgghh has been told repeatedly to not eat the neighbors since this will draw to much scrutiny and they will have to find him a new den if he does.) This distracts him from the cat as he is now more interested in learning about the strange something living in the basement of what he thought was an unoccupied house. He starts asking Aaarrrgghh (who he can’t see) questions about himself and Aaarrrgghh (who isn’t quite sure what to do in this situation) awkwardly responds.

Eventually Toby falls into the habit of visiting Aaarrrgghh’s basement window in the evening and jabbering to him about his day. He brings him little treats and will occasionally ask him questions.

Aaarrrgghh ends up growing fond of him and decides that while he doesn’t like humans in general this one is okay and he starts making plans to keep Toby alive after Gunmar returns.

  Blinky (Bartholomew Georgiou)

Blinky is given as a whelp to the Gum-Gumms by his brother Dictacious (who was working as a spy for Gunmar at the time) and made into a changeling. He’s slightly older than Barbara.

Blinky works at the Arcadia museum. He is in the habit of swapping out old, rare books with exact replicas so he can horde the originals in his secret library.

He has an incredible collection of books from many ages and places. He guards them zealously. Entering his library without permission is suicide and generally ends in the offender being blown to pieces by one of Blinky’s booby traps.

He has very few books of Trollish origin and would do just about anything for more.

 Nomura

Nomura was stolen by the Gumm-Gumm’s when she was a child but her parents survived the initial raid and several decades later they are able to rescue her. Her time with the Gumm-Gumm’s have left its mark, however, and she no longer fit the other trolls in her clan. Her family eventually moves to Dwoza Trollmarket.

She doesn’t really fit in with the younglings her age there either but she makes friends with the archivist. He eventually takes her on as his apprentice and when he passes she takes over as the Trollmarket librarian. She takes her job very seriously and does not tolerate loss or abuse of books.

She becomes friends with Draal (due to having similar temperaments) and later she becomes the first troll to truly accept Bular in the Arcadia Trollmarket.

 Barbara

Barbara is a 700(ish) year old changeling (equivalent of 40-50 human years) and the head of the Janus Order. She’s still a doctor and has the most knowledge of how troll and human bodies work of any one person on the planet. This is partially due to how long she’s been alive but also to the large number of often highly unethical experiments she’s carried out on both species.

Barbara meets James Sturges when she’s working on retrieving a piece of the Killahead Bridge in Maine (officially she’s just a nurse at the hospital named Janet). They hit it off and start dating. Barbara finds his expectations for how she’s supposed to act a little annoying but it suits the role she’s currently playing so she goes along with them.

Then James makes the mistake of breaking one of Barbara’s rules and goes through some of her off-limits stuff, so she kills him and disposes of the body.

She assumes that’s the end of that but about 4 months later when she tries to shift into troll form she can’t. Aside from a curse, there is one thing that will prevent a changeling from shifting back into a troll. A trip to the local pharmacy confirms it: she’s pregnant.

This is certainly a dilemma.

Until she’s done with the pregnancy (one way or another) she’s trapped in her human form.

In the past she would have had an abortion without a second thought, but with Gunmar’s release and the destruction of the human race drawing closer and closer this will probably be her last real opportunity to experience pregnancy. So out of pure scientific curiosity she decides to go through with it.

Quite a few arrangements have to be made but soon she’s on her way to her hidden cabin out in a remote area of Alaska.

The pregnancy and birth go well and soon she is the mother to a little boy. She names him James after his father, figuring that will keep her from getting attached. She plans to keep him for two or three years to observe his growth and see if any changeling traits manifest after which point she’ll drop him off at an orphanage or something. As far as the Janus Order can tell human-changeling unions produce completely human children, but one can never beat first hand observation and experience.

She initially chalks up the warm and mushy feelings she’s getting to hormones. It isn’t until Jim is about two and a half that she’s tucking him into bed one night and Jim gives her a sleepy smile and leans into her hand that she realizes that she really truly loves him.

This was not in the plan.

After Jim is asleep, Barbara calmly goes outside and devotes an hour to cursing. (One of the perks of living centuries is that she’s had ample opportunity to amass an extensive collection of swear words.) After that she feels a lot calmer and more ready to look at the situation in a rational manner.

The fact of the matter is that she genuinely cares about Jim. She’s developed feelings for people in the past but it’s always been something she’s been able to pass off as part of her cover. (She still misses her pirate crew sometimes). Jim however is not. Barbara has a lot of enemies. If Jim’s relationship to Barbara is discovered he will never know peace and if Barbara keeps Jim around it will be discovered.

So it’s with a strangely heavy heart that Barbara realizes that this changes nothing: the best thing for Jim is for her to give him up.

On his third birthday she gives him some tea that will make sure he stays soundly asleep. Barbara can’t go through the legal process of giving up a child because: A. Jim does not exist in any legal manner and B. As changelings are everywhere and Barbara is well known (infamous really) there is a very real possibility that someone would find out. So she leaves him on the doorstep of a foster family she has carefully vetted out as responsible and trustworthy and keeps watch from some hidden cameras until she knows he has been found and is going to be taken care of. With him are a note with his date of birth and first name and a necklace with a pendant carved from Barbara’s own stone (Barbara isn’t very good at magic but she was able to enchant it with a simple protection and luck spell.).

Once she’s satisfied that Jim will be cared for she goes on her way and forces herself to not look back.

Nine years later she moves to Arcadia and three years after that she is very shocked to find a found add describing the Amulet of Daylight of all things. She calls the number but is told that the amulet was already claimed. Further investigation reveals that the amulet has chosen its first human bearer (or so everyone thinks). Barbara feels a bit of a twinge in her heart when she learns that the new Trollhunter is about the same age her son would be and that his name is Jim but doesn’t think too much of it. There are a lot of Jims in the world after all and she left hers in Alaska.

She immediately arranges a very minor “accident” as an excuse to make contact with his father in order to keep an eye on him.

 Walter

Walter Strickler is a history teacher at University of Alaska Anchorage. He enjoys his life and his job but there’s one thing lacking: he’s always wanted a child.

He’s had a few relationships over the years but none have ever stuck. He’s also of the opinion that he shouldn’t go into a relationship specifically with the end goal of having a kid.

He weighs his options and decides that he’s financially very stable at the moment. His work hours are consistent and he can afford to cut back a little; especially since his stock investments have been doing well in the recent years. All things considered: he decides he’s in a place that he can be a single parent.

He begins looking into adoption.

Eventually he finds Jim. As Jim has no parents or relations on record, the adoption is relatively simple.

Jim is very shy at first (having spent his life so far out in the woods with only his Mom for company). Eventually he warms up to Walter and then becomes very clingy. Living with only one other person for his early years and then being left behind has left Jim with some attachment issues.

Walter ends up taking him to his classes where he sits in the back and doodles while Walter lectures. He’s a rather quiet kid (most of the time) so this works out well. Walter’s students adopt him as the class mascot.

When Jim is five, right before he’s ready to start Kindergarten, Walter’s mom falls ill. Walter is an only child, so after some debate he ends up moving back to his hometown of Arcadia, California to care for her.

He meets Nancy Domzalski through the chest club and through her Jim meets Toby. The two boys become fast friends.

When Walter’s mother passes away four years later, he decides to stay in Arcadia. Jim is well settled and Walter enjoys his job teaching history at Arcadia High School.

Things are going well.

Then his son finds a strange blue amulet in the canal. It looks fairly expensive so Walter puts a found add up and assumes the owner will give him a call. Then settles down to work on grading papers.

He is definitely not prepared when his son, sitting across the table from him, reads an incantation off the amulet and starts floating.

He is even less prepared when a large stony monster the size of a large grizzly barges into their house.

Bular attempts to explain the situation to the father-son duo but they both faint from terror.

Not quite sure what else to do he wraps them up in a tarp and takes them to Trollmarket. He figures Vendal can sort it out.

[feather-dancer]

Tales of Arcadia Fanfic Recommendations - Part 6

I do admittedly have things left to read in my tabs I’d normally prefer to clear out before posting one of these but when you sail past the 30 mark I think it’s about time to get it out my drafts, yeah? Most importantly means this will be out before Rise of the Titans comes and emotionally destroys us all.

Needless to say soon as this is posted I give it 24 hours before 7 starts, we’ve got some amazing writers in this fandom and there’s a couple I juuust want one more chapter before I feel I can recommend it. Hope you find something you enjoy :)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

If at all interested in my own writing you can find it here!

General Trollhunters

Romeo, Question Mark - Jim is figuring himself out and has a question for Toby though nervous of how he might react. Honestly the support Aromantic’s need when they’re either questioning or coming out, Toby is a gem.

By The Book - After his dad left changing his world Jim had moments in his life where he needed to wrangle things in a way he could understand them with some moral support along the way that wasn’t there to do it for him, just give a light nudge the right direction. Comes with light Jilaire fluff.

That I Could Fear a Door - Jim was pulled from the Darklands whole but you cannot escape the trauma of your experiences quite so easily. It will take a little time, a lot of patience and perhaps the right ear to listen but with it can come hope.

Lest Back the Awful Door Should Spring - Sequel to the above, Jim’s capture to be sentenced by the tribunal echoes his experiences in the Darklands a little too closely sending all his careful progress hurtling back in one fell swoop. Is it any wonder he chose a false freedom that Unkar offered?

Façade - The confirmation that Mr. Strickler is not the man you thought he was probably was not going to be an easy one, Jim’s thoughts sit ill after that dinner.

Fashion - All changelings take root somewhere in a human life before their changeling one succeeds it and Nomura is no different. She felt love she could not understand and the ache of loss will follow for as she meanders through this world by the Whisper Man’s orders and her own volition of needing to belong somewhere. She will try her hand with the humans and the trolls, paint the road with blood as much as indulging herself with the arts and even risking her heart until everything leads her to Arcadia’s doorstep.

In Deep Trouble - What happened in the Deep during Season 2?

Aftermath - Just after the finale of Season 2 the Market trolls are forced to run leaving their homes behind and follow the Trollhunter they had dismissed so many times into the great unknown before them.

Don’t think - Jim weighs up his options and attempts to settle his thoughts before making the final decision whether or not to go through with using Merlin’s potion.

Nocturne for a Trollhunter - Jim learns a new hobby that gives him another way to relax that doesn’t involve cooking, one that follows him beyond Arcadia.

The Asteroid - A rare 3Below fic for my lists if centered on a certain hedge witch and Wizard. The end of the world is coming but not by Morgana’s hand and Merlin certainly never warned Douxie about it so if this truly is the end then it’s the best time to bring your loved ones close so you won’t be going out alone. Yes it’s Zouxie.

A bright future so it seemed (but that light grew a little less bright) - Claire’s parents (Or more specifically Ophelia) set her on the perfectionist’s path early, even a little slip can feel like the end of the world

Rest, Master Jim - You might be able to escape the Darklands but you cannot escape the consequences of being trapped there for so long as easily.

General Wizards

Not Found - So why did neither Douxie or Archie find the two remaining changelings in Arcadia or bring back the sole Akiridion when Merlin asked?

Place of Power - A lovely bit of shameless Zouxie fluff in that brief period the gang was at Hex Tech before the plot came to get them.

Bitter Water - Only two of the old team remain in Arcadia and those were Jim and Krel, the rest having left to pursue educational pursuits and in one particular case kept away for Nari’s safety. For the Akiridion he is still here with reminders of his heritage and what it took to have this life on earth chasing him all the way. It’s always good to have friends with a listening ear and hot chocolate.

Together, Dearest - The very act of resting is a potential invitation for nightmares and Nari is no different but when once more in the waking world you will find you’re not alone, there are hugs available.

The Night Belongs To Us - Lovingly described Skraelroc fluff during their long hunt for Merlin and the strangeness that can be observed on clearer nights.

Nineteen Plus Nine Hundred, Give Or Take - 900 years is a long time by anyone’s standards but perhaps during that Douxie can figure out how to truly live.

Twelfth Century Wizard, Twenty-First Century Witch - The follow up to the above, when you’ve lived a long and interesting life things can still pop up in odd ways... Even if you haven’t quite mastered the sacred art of texting yet.

ERAS TÚ (It was you). | Tales of Arcadia One-Shot - Would you want to live forever if it meant leaving everyone behind? Jilaire.

the only way for us to go - From his rescue from the streets of Camelot to the eventual guardian of this realm, Douxie has come a very, very long way. Through the frustrations of trying to learn magic, the belittling of others, the faith of Morgana and the power of music his experiences throughout 900 years truly make him what he is.

lay down your head - Even the mightiest can be plagued with the not so humble migraine. Skraelroc fluff.

Stricklake

Merry Christmas, Doctor Lake - Some Christmas gifts are worth going all out for and getting your friends and family to help out to make it extra special.

Grocery Run - After the incident where Merlin dismissed Strickler for being a changeling it is time for an excuse to get out the house for a bit and have a frank discussion about their relationship, the future beyond the incoming battle and lingering insecurities of two worlds colliding.

Alternate Universe

Fashionista, How Do You Look? - An AU that very much takes the term very literally here where everyone is human, Skrael, Bellroc and Nari are fashion designers plus many other ToA characters we know and love are either in the industry in some way themselves or on the fringes because of their jobs/who they know. Sometimes you work with catty bitches and want to kick back and watch the fireworks you know? Contains friends to almost to enemies to friends to maybe we’ll get our shit together this time but the odds aren’t great Skraelroc. There’s also a Zouxie oneshot in this collection that was a gift for meee because of the corner I dug in the AU.

Atlas, Fallen - When a star falls from the sky it is a punishment so when Atlas suddenly finds himself amongst the humans he had observed from above for countless ages in a flesh body like theirs he fears his Mother is punishing him and unable understand what he did wrong. While trying to find his way back home he gets a crash course in what it’s like to be human making friends along the way. Slow burn Jilaire.

she once was a true love of mine - I put this under the AU section even though it wavers between that and not, a mixture of classical Arthurian mythos and the glimpses of the Camelot in Tales of Arcadia where one kingdom collapses from war another strengthens by taking their princess as queen. While Arthur might have turned her head once it is the sibling that seems to be catching Gwen’s eye of late as much as her thoughts. Morgwen but in the department of pining.

Pulled From The Ocean - AU doesn’t quite fit this one but it feels a bit more fitting than general. A little oneshot snapshot of Jim living with deafness and the contrast of one world that falls easily into supporting that whereas the other tries their best but it makes the slip ups sting even more.

you are a stranger here, why have you come? - Fate is a funny old thing, something happens a little bit differently such as a father not leaving alone and everything can change so drastically. Nari’s fondness for children strikes again and this time it involves a 5-year old Jim Lake Jr. ending in the Order’s care and their foray into found family. Somehow Jim is even more of a disaster and as likely surmised from the fact I write this trope myself I am very weak for it.

go into your local forest and you will find a friend and a boy - Toby was unlucky in the friend department and by the time he is ten he still feels miserable and lonely having to endure Steve’s increasing bullying all the while. This is of course until he finds a blue half-troll hiding out the daylight hours munching cans in the local woods...

[yellowmagicalgirl]

Jlaire and 4, from 50 cliché tropes and prompts

4. Kissing in the rain and getting soaked before running inside laughing (from 50 cliché tropes and prompts)

So, this is based off of my old AU where Claire accidentally gets Gravesanded. And, naturally, I made it angsty.

CW: possession, identity crisis

AO3

FFN

It didn't rain often in Arcadia Oaks, and normally when it did the rain would only come in the winter. Why would it come at any other time than the two month rainy season Jim and Claire had grown up with? Southern California had been experiencing drought conditions for the past six years.

And yet, right now in June, it was raining. Raining and washing away any of the dust left hanging.

Claire stared up at the sky. She might've been crying; Jim wasn't sure.

Coming down from Gravesand hadn't been a pleasant experience in Jim's opinion, but all the anger had been his own. His own feelings of betrayal from the changelings who'd hurt him and his own, no matter how buried they had been under the fact that those same changelings had changed and were now his allies.

Claire was, apparently, sharing her body with a vengeful medieval sorceress. They had suppressed Morgana for now, and Strickler and Blinky had put aside their disdain for each other to find a more permanent cure than "pretty please don't use the Shadow Staff and think happy thoughts".

"How are you... holding up?" Jim walked over to his girlfriend. She looked at him with brown eyes that held no traces of gold. They were reddish, but he still couldn't tell if she was crying or just sick.

At least she couldn't get sicker from the rain. Not only was that a myth, but she was sick from the staff.

Claire shrugged. "Physically the same."

"Mentally?"

She looked away from him. "Dirty. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, I really didn't, but-"

"But you were mad, and Morgana was even madder."

"And how much of her is me, now? How long has she been poisoning me through the staff? Was it just the portal, or was it more?"

"Claire-"

"Or what if it was never the staff? What if I've always been defiled like this?"

"Claire, that doesn't even made sense."

She looked back at him, worry pinching her brow. "Jim, I could feel Angor watching us before I got the staff. I didn't know what it was before, but I know now."

"So you could feel that you were being watched. That's normal."

"Is it? No one else noticed."

"You've got a better sixth sense than the rest of us?"

"Blinky said Morgana was trapped; what if her soul escaped and has been using my body as a vessel ever since I was born? And if so, then who am I?"

"Okay, even if you were, which you probably aren't, you're clearly not just a vessel. Do you think the evil sorceress who created the changelings would care so much about getting her baby brother out of the Darklands? Or what about saving a bunch of trolls from Gunmar, and going to the point that you nearly died? You're more than what Morgana tried to use you for. Even if you don't know where the line between you and her is, there is a line. You're your own person. And that person is the girl I love."

Claire stared up at him, and for a moment he worried she'd tried to argue. But, instead, she said, "Kiss me?" She frowned. "You don't have to. I know I've hurt you. But I just want to feel... feel something that I know isn't because of her."

"Oh, Claire, I'd kiss you any time you asked no matter what. Well, except for if somethings on fire. Or we're in the middle of battle. Or..." He shut himself up by pressing his mouth to his girlfriend's. As it was, he could feel her softly giggling into the kiss.

Good. Jim would give anything for Claire to be happy.

Claire pulled away from the kiss, looking much better than she had before he'd kissed her. She then broke down laughing even harder.

"I'm sorry, just, your hair," she said. Jim became aware of just how much his hair was plastered to his face. He would give anything for her to be happy, even his dignity, though it would be nice if he got to keep it anyways.

"Shall we continue inside?"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him with her inside the school.

[gotmilk5101520]

You talked about the Battle of Arcadia, Jim Doesn't Exists and My Boyfriend The Giant Troll Beast. But nothing about the Gumm-Gumms Win. I like to hear how this goes

Glad I got this now cause I've been getting ideas for this au.

I mentioned before that this au takes inspiration from Attack on Titan and Tokyo Ghoul. Well another series has influenced me. It's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. More specifically Part 3 Stardust Crusaders. Now onto the au.

The Battle of Killahead has been going on for a while and the Trollhunter Deya has been fighting the Gumm-Gumm leader Gunmar. Deya was about to open Killahead and imprison Gunmar and his army when Gunmar gets unexpected help from the mysterious Arcane Order.

With the Order's help, Deya is killed and the Trolls begin to lose the battle and dying one after another. This includes Kanjigar. The Arcane Order uses the Amulet to open Killahead Bridge and traps the Trolls inside. Gunmar has won, and now no Troll will stop him. All he needs is the Eternal Night and then the Gumm-Gumms can rule the world.

However the Order tells him that Morgana was sealed by Merlin, but they tell him that the Amulet was made from a piece of Morgana and they can use it to free her. But the Amulet has disappeared. With it gone, Gunmar decides he will find Morgana, free her and bring the Eternal Night himself. And since all the Trolls are trapped in the Darklands, the Amulet has no one to chose.

A few years later Gunmar leads his army and attacks the humans. But one human stands up and fights them. Seeing this one man's courage, other humans begin to fight the Gumm-Gumms. This human that influence the people to fight was named Jack.

As the centuries passed and the threat of the Gumm-Gumms becomes known to the world, many countries began to come together. Borders were removed cause of the Gumm-Gumms. However despite the advancement of technology, nothing can defeat Gunmar. Because Gunmar is unbeatable, a lot of humans began to side with him and act as spies for him. These humans would later form the Janus Order.

In a small town in California called Arcadia. A boy name Jim Lake Jr wakes up from a dream where he saw a bridge, weird creatures fighting Gumm-Gumms, three figures, someone getting killed, a weird light, a man talking to someone, and an amulet. But he wakes up and brush it off as nothing. Jim gets ready for the day.

Jim lives with his mom Barbara Lake, a doctor. He goes to school with his best friend Toby and has a crush on a girl name Claire. Jim learns how to fight in order to protect his mom should a Gumm-Gumm show up.

One day Jim notices his family heirloom, a weird amulet, begin to glow. This heirloom has been in his family for a long time and is said to be a good luck charm. Jim picks it up but it still glows and strange words appears.

"For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command"

After repeating what is on the amulet, Jim is floating in the air and put into a suit of armor. Then a sword appears from thin air. Jim becomes confused by this and what his family heirloom is. He shows Toby and even he's confused, but thinks it's cool.

But a Gumm-Gumm shows up by the hospital that Jim's mom works at. Jim rushes over to save her. But he's unable to defeat it. Then the amulet begins to glow and active on its own. Without thinking, Jim ends up stabbing the Gumm-Gumm with the sword and it turns to stone. Now Jim is left with more questions. Unbeknownst to Jim is that he was being watched by one of his teachers. Walter Strickler, a member of the Janus Order.

Jim tries to go to sleep but can't cause of what happened earlier. He grabs the amulet and asks for answers. The amulet glows and Jim is taken back to the bridge he saw in his dream but he sees the whole thing. He learns about the Trollhunter and the Amulet of Daylight and what really happened at the Battle of Killahead.

The next memory is a boy finding the Amulet and taking it with him. Next thing the boy knew his life began to get better. The boy, who has grown into a man, was there when the Gumm-Gumms begun their attack. The man picks up a weapon and starts fighting and encourages everyone to join and fight. Jim realizes these are Jack's memories.

As the years pass Jack continued fighting the Gumm-Gumms and teaming up with and befriending a wizard. Jack eventually got married and had kids. He looked at the amulet, as he realizes that it's been something of a good luck charm. Then the amulet begins to glow and an old man shows up. The old man introduces himself as Merlin the Amulet of Daylight's creator.

Merlin explains to Jack about the Battle of Killahead Bridge and how the Trolls lost the battle and are trapped. Merlin tells Jack that there are no one who can become the Trollhunter. But there is hope. Merlin reveals that in the future a human will be born and they will be the Trollhunter, free the Trolls, and end Gunmar once and for all. Merlin tells Jack that the human is one of Jack's descendents. After hearing all this, Jack agrees and that he and his family will keep the Amulet safe until his descendent is born.

Jim returns to reality and is shocked at what he learned. The Trollhunter, the Trolls trapped, he is Jack's descendent, the truth about his family heirloom and that he was meant to be the Trollhunter.

Because of this Jim makes the decision to free the Trolls by going to Killahead Bridge all the in Scotland (Well it takes a while before he decides to go there) He is joined by Toby and Claire and the three go on a journey to free the Trolls and end Gunmar. However Gunmar has been informed about the Amulet choosing a human and he has now send his troops after Jim and his party.

Truth be told I do have plans for Aja Krel and Douxie. But they don't show up till later. But that's the Gumm-Gumms Win au.

[a-whumply]

Chapters: 31/? Fandom: Trollhunters (Cartoon) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Jim Lake Jr./Claire Nuñez Characters: Jim Lake Jr. (Trollhunters), Claire Nuñez, Toby Domzalski, Blinky (Trollhunters), Aaarrrgghh (Trollhunters), Barbara Lake, Vendel (Trollhunters), Draal (Trollhunters), Nomura (Trollhunters), Darci Scott, Walter Strickler | Stricklander Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Romance, All aboard the Feels train, Slow Build, References to Depression, Internal Conflict, the kids are not alright Summary:

Six months is a long time to spend lost in the Darklands. Now, on top of saving the world, Jim has to make up for lost time.

(AU where Jim is trapped in the Darklands for 6 months instead of 2 weeks. Angst and other Feelings ensue, along with (hopefully) some semblance of plot)

[honeyxmonkey]

Some wips because I hate my internet

Here we have assassin/archer douxie? 👀 ohoohoo 👀👀

And here is a lil thing for the darklands au 👀👀

Douxie is dirty, tired, injured, feral, and angry. What a combination