Daydream for you !! I had a cute idea that’s also possibly heart-breaking (more on that later) and now I’m gonna inflict it upon you >:D !! Impart some of the madness, so that the both of us can have some fun with it.
A little inspired by the last ask you sent me, and also by the current trollhunters fanfic I’m writing.
So, you know those trolls in trollmarket that have a story and sell magical objects like the gaggle-tack and other stuff? Well, they were experimenting with a rejuvenating enchantment or potion, something to keep their other wares in tip-top shape without having to do a lot of personal maintenance or upkeep themselves (rust it’s such a pain to deal with). But maybe they made it too strong? At least for anything composed of still living matter, the initial effect on them kicks stronger than intended, but at least fades faster as well.
They requested the trollhunter help to safely dispose of it, but one errant gnome later and Bada-Bing-Bada-Bang !! They now have a Troll Jim cub who’s the equivalent of a 5 to 8 years old (the armor did not protect him from the spilled potion), But at least he’s a really sweet cub on top of being a cutie-patootie. They could make an antidote, but seeing what caused such a mess in the first place, it’s probably a good idea to just let it pass naturally, which seems like it will happen in about a week or less.
Little Cub Troll Jim has more or less all of his memories (foreshadowing) but through a kid-friendly filter? Like, the eternal night and slaying Gunmar for good …… in his memories the Gumm-Gumm king was just being a big jerk, so he put him in a big time-out >:D !!
Also, he’s fully cognizant of the fact he has 3 dads, though in his head they kind of always have been his dads from the start? (Even though mom wasn’t always with Strickler ???). He doesn’t question it much …… why would he? When little Jim can have fun and climb his father figures all over like personalized jungle-gyms. The trollhunter also has specific ways to call each-one.
Blinky is Spider Dad, Arrrgh is Big Dad and Strickler is Green Dad !! There was a wee bit of confusion at first with those names, due to the krubera thinking he’s the Green dad due to his green mossy fur? Then Blinky thought his parental title was also after a color based on the changeling’s, maybe he’s the blue one? They all sort it out eventually. Little Troll Jim is basically attached to their hips and Barbara, but if he’s not with them, then he’s in someone-else’s company, like Toby, Claire and Draal.
For some reason, he really doesn’t like being alone, even if just for a few minutes.
There’s some funny shenanigans with Arrrgh panicking since he seemingly lost Jim during his turn, but it turns out the blue troll was just sleeping on his back (hanging on like a koala) and the Krubera didn’t realize it because his charge it’s so light now. He’s also a little rascal who will climb all over Blinky’s shelves and sleep in the most absurd of places, it’s not like the scholar can get angry with him for more than 5 seconds anyway, not with those big blue orbs of his.
And he’s still absurdly strong for his size !! Something that both Toby and Draal discovered during their pretend play-time. Draal was the big scary dragon they had to defeat or evade till lunch-time ….. so Jim picked up Toby (Toby and Cub Jim are about the same size) without any effort and just booked it !! At the end it was Draal who had to rescue the ginger from the younger trollhunter.
Shenanigans and all, it turns out to be a mostly cozy week of fun where they gain a bit of insight on how their trollhunter grew to be such a caring and loving person. It’s easy to see it in moments where he shares the last cookie with Toby (even though he really wanted it) or when he spent a whole hour just grooming/combing Arrrgh’s mane with his fingers, till it became just right for his standards.
Till he had a nightmare and woke up crying and completely inconsolable, even after Spider Dad and Big Dad tried to console him. Why? He had a terrible nightmare, in the dream he was all alone in someplace with a lot of fog, sometimes he thought he saw Blinky, Barbara or anyone else …… but no matter how much he tried to run, no matter how much effort he put into reaching them out, Jim never got close enough, not before they faded again into the fog
What if something like that really happens? What if he loses someone and can’t ever see them again, without there being anything to be done about it? It’s too sad and scary for little Jim to handle it, except he did have to handle something like that before (his 5th birthday) and now is relieving it again. (love and care can be born from pain & loss as well).
For the next night, everyone prepares a big sleepover in trollmarket. There’s plenty of fun games and snacks for everyone, but most importantly? Jim sleeps surrounded by people he loves, surrounded by love
In the next morning, the rejuvenating potion/enchantment has finally worn-off. The Trollhunter wakes up his true-age again, but with his inner-child a little more healed than before, making him feel lighter and happier, his memories of what happened in the last week are a little foggy, but he definitely remembers the feeling.
Also, Toby & Claire got plenty of pictures and videos, one depicting Little Jim yanking Merlin’s beard when the Wizard tried to examine him >;D !!
I just got to the beginning of paragraph 4 and I saw where it was going and then nearly screamed when I read "cub troll jim" aaaaaaaaagh!!!
tiny troll!jim TINY TROLL!JIM!!!!!
Jim's memories being there but warped is so perfect! Oh my gosh! And of course he has to love all of his dads. It's so perfect!
Little tiny Troll!Jim running around with his dads and then disappearing off with his big brother Draal would be so stinking cute!!!
I absolutely LOVE this!!! yes! yes! YES!
I do really like the idea that Jim goes to do this job as just a quick thing because he has a ton on his plate (as the Trollhunter often does) but then he gets turned into little Jim and obviously now he can't do most of those things. But this boy is a workaholic, and would not let anything stop him from doing his job. What his job is though is a little skewed. So Jim is constatly running around doing "work" but it's more kiddy stuff. Like he's dragging Blinky along for "important work" but it's just him wanting to go climb on a big rock or something, and he wants his dad to watch. He just needs to be productive.
At one point Blinky walks into the library and there are drawings EVERYWHERE, and when he asks Jim what he's doing he just responds with, "working." and AAARRRGGHH!!! nods and says "Important work." because it is very important that Jim draw his amazing family all holding hands under the smiling sun in the corner.
With the trollhunters gang having to cover for Jim, and Barbara unable to get out of work, Strickler has to watch him alone all day. But then some emergency comes up with the Janus Order, and Jim REFUSES to stay with Nana because chompski is mean or something like that. And so then Strickler has to take Jim with him, and the little boy is just yapping and yapping to everyone about his amazing green avocado dad. (even after Jim has returned to normal Nomura will never let Strickler live it down)
At some point Draal is put in charge of Jim, and all the little half troll wants to do is "rolly-polly". Draal tried to say no, but those lil puppy eyes are too much, and then the two go rolling around trollmarket for a very long while. Until Barbara comes down to pick her son up, and the two are just conked out napping in the middle of the forge.
As much fun as Jim has with his dads and big brother, he always goes to his mama first. He loves her so much, and if he had to pick between anyone it's always going to be her.
Although he is a little half troll, Barbara can't help but soak up every little bit of her boy being little again, and she gets all the kiddo cuddles she can.
One night shortly after Jim turns back to normal, half asleep, he finds himself wandering into her room to get cuddles. He doesn't fully know why, but he just knows they both need it.
Claire is definitely making one of those kid photos his profile pic on her phone, and refuses to change it.
