#harbingersplight

[sirimiri-ovo]

Finished rendering the doodle I had posted before,I like Jim with a tail and I’m giving him one in my fic >:) the bottom drawing is one of my first attempts of drawing troll Jim to get an idea of what I wanted to do with him. Drawing up the twilight armor design was fun,I’ll prolly end up giving Jim an earring like AARRRGGH’s

[sirimiri-ovo]

Peek at a doodle I’m not done with,but drawing him based on the fanfic ideas.

[sirimiri-ovo]

Harbingers Plight

Chapter 6-

Toby had tried to call Jim this morning at least three times,but weirdly Jim didn’t pick up the phone,only texting a message.

‘Sick.StAy hom’

The short message was basically all typos,which was a little weird but Toby shrugged it off,he headed off to school alone. He planned to go to Trollmarket after school to show Blinky and Argh the picture Jim took in the museum. Not to mention the horrific encounter with the museum curator,who he had thought was a human was actually some monster.

———-

Jim felt like the world was against him,when he woke up he was tangled in his blankets feeling strange. He wanted to remember what had happened last night before passing out,that familiar sensation of suffocating darkness. Groaning,his voice hoarser and a little lower than usual,he heard his mom knock on the bedroom door,

“Jim? You’re going to be late for school! Are you okay?” Barbara knew that her son normally woke up early to cook breakfast and lunch before school. She even suspected that he might be sulking after getting in trouble last night,honestly she didn’t know what he was thinking. She was about to open the door to check on him,but finally heard a response.

“Don’t come in!” His voice sounded hoarser, “I don’t want to get you sick…”

Barbara raised an eyebrow,her pretty face pinched with indecision,Jim did sound sick,but she was a doctor,how could she not take care of her own son?

“Honey,I can take a day off to take care of you-“

She was cut off by Jim,

“No!- uh…I mean,it’s fine mom,I just want to sleep…you go…”

Barbara sighed,rubbing her nose under her glasses,maybe she’d been working too much and neglecting her son. He had been acting out and more lethargic these days. Relenting, she called the school to let them know he’d be absent.

“Alright,but I’m leaving medicine on the counter downstairs,make sure you take it. We’re still not done talking about what happened last night mister.”

Jim waited until he heard his mom’s footsteps leave the house completely. When he was sure she was gone he slowly rose from his bed,avoiding the side where sunlight from the window showed through. Stretching his figure up to full height, he felt his joints pop. While swallowing dryly he looked down at his hands. Still normal skin…five on the left,four fingers on the right?!. Yeah,he texted Toby he was sick today,not caring that his fingers size had caused his careless typing to fat finger the words.

“Great…” Jim grumbled,he could only hope this was temporary…but he wasn’t going to wait around inside his house to find out. He took a step back and was startled when he almost tripped. His body had gained some height,his limbs were longer causing his unexpected clumsiness. “Come on…” his hand brushed through his hair,feeling for any changes,there were two small bumps pushing up on his scalp.

In the bathroom mirror he took in his appearance,his pajamas had shrunk against his frame,exposing his midriff due to the cropped and tight T-shirt that stretched across his shoulders. His pajama pants were worse,the cuffs just below his knees now,maybe mid calf.

“For the love of Deya,how in the world-“ he scrunched his face helplessly,sure it felt strangely good to be closer to his half-troll form; but this was bad timing. It was like something had hit fast forward on puberty for him,muscles grew a little more,shoulders broadened,and his forearms were slightly wider. Not even his feet were spared…they were larger, longer, and his toes had merged becoming tridactyl with black curved nails.

“I gotta go to the bookstore.I should find Douxie first…” he sighed,digging around in his closet for the biggest clothes he could find. One was a large hoodie,and the other happened to be a pair of sweatpants his mom had bought him last year for Christmas,saying he’d grow into them.

“Or outgrow them..” he grumbled tugging them on ,they were a little high water up to the ankle. As for shoes, he found a solution by wrapping his feet with bandages from the first aid kit. He definitely didn't have shoes that’d fit now. After thirty minutes of dressing himself,he put his hood up. One thing he had to test was just how he would react to the sun now,thankfully it didn’t take much sunlight to try. By the window he cautiously stuck his hand into the light,it didn’t really hurt at first,but after about five minutes his skin began to tingle. His nails felt like coals and the flesh felt like he’d spilt boiling water on it,he hissed and pulled his hand back.

“Well…I’m at least not turning to stone…yet..”

It was only a matter of keeping his hood up and avoiding prolonged sun on skin contact. So he left the house,determined to go to GDT Arcane Books. He inhaled the fresh spring air,looking at the bright flowers littering the front of houses decoratively. The normalcy of everything around him made him feel out of place,wistfully he smirked continuing down the street. It took about an hour on foot,but he found his way to the bookstore. He pushed the door,a bell jingling to announce his entrance,

“Welcome in! Let me know if I can help you find anything.” Douxie called from the back,while a black cat hopped onto the front counter,squinting its green eyes at Jim. It was nice to see Archie again he thought,so he took his hood off,walking around the shop. Honestly he had never taken the time to look around the shop before it was trashed,it was cozy. Archie had strutted over at some point sniffing at him,his black tail flicking around.Jim gazed down at the cat with glasses tangling around his legs like a normal feline.

“Hello Arch,would you mind getting Douxie for me?” He spoke softly,causing Archie to stiffen,bristling with wariness as his eyes sharpened to points.

“I’m a friend,I promise.”

The black cat slinked away into the back,the shapeshifting dragon quickly going to Hisirdoux,who was organizing stacks of books in the back.

“Douxie! There’s a strange creature in the shop asking for you,it smells unlike any magical creature I’ve ever seen.” Archie couldn’t help adding, “it smells like a human! But it smells of the earth,like a troll,something else too.”

Douxie was confused,why would such a thing be looking for him? Dusting off his palms he brushed strands of blue hair out of his face; when he walked up front he saw another teenager flipping through a book. He heard the movement and turned to face him,a smile on his lips,

“Good to see you again Douxie. Ah..I guess you probably wouldn’t remember our friendship.” Jim shut the book he was holding and put it back on the shelf. He tried to look friendly,knowing the scar running through his eyebrow and faintly across his nose made his face slightly fierce.

“I should probably explain myself,” Douxie nodded,still wary about how much this stranger really knew.

“Then let’s talk upstairs.”

The teenager,the cat dragon,and the wizard slipped past the employees only sign; Douxie flipped the open sign in the window to read closed with a casual motion of magic.

—————-

Without Jim,Toby felt the whole day was boring,without him there he didn’t have anyone to talk to. He sighed,planting his face on the cafeteria table,nothing delicious to eat today made by Jim,just nasty cafeteria food. Maybe I should stop by Jimbo's house,check on him if he’s sick.

Gym class was even more miserable without Jim,at least when they played dodgeball,it seemed like his training had started to help his reflexes. Well,until Steve nailed him in the face with a rubber ball.

Toby finished changing out in the locker room,sighing as he rubbed his still red cheek; not paying attention to where he was going while walking,he bumped into someone. When he looked up he hadn’t expected it to be Claire Nuñez.

“Colby,right? Where’s that boy you’re always with,John..Jim, or whatever?” She asked with her arms crossed,pressing him to respond with an intimidating expression.

“It’s Toby actually,” Toby sputtered out,confused why this girl who never even paid him or Jim attention was now bothering him. “He’s uh,he’s home sick.Why do you ask?”

Claire furrowed her brows,a little frustrated,she had wanted to confront Jim about what she saw at the museum. “Nervermind, tell him that I’m looking for him when you see him.” Sighing, she turned away and walked with her bag,leaving Toby utterly baffled.

“Huh,the day Jimbo's not here she’s looking for him,” muttering to himself while opening his locker,he took out his phone,no messages from his best bud still. “I don’t see what’s so great about her anyway?” He avoided Steve and went to geometry class,doing his best to take notes,knowing that Jim would probably die trying to understand the makeup lesson by himself.

The freckled boy's mind wandered though,he had a duel with Draal coming up in a couple days too…it was his own fault,kind of. Jim had tried to prevent it from happening but that didn’t last long when the blue troll insulted Blinky. If anything he was lucky Jim didn’t pounce on the troll right there.Draal challenged Jim but he,Tobia Domzalski,stepped forward saying that he was the trollhunter and his battle was with him. Regrets definitely there but now there was nothing he could do.

His thoughts were disturbed by Miss Janice calling him up to the board to answer a question.

—————-

Back in the bookstore Jim sat across from Douxie at a small coffee table,tea between them,but he didn’t touch his. His taste had been on the fritz recently,so the floral aroma in the air made him feel a little disgusted.

“Alright, so from what you’ve said you’re the Trollhunter from the future,who went back in time with the new amulet that we made with the help of alien tech.” Douxie sat back in his chair trying to process the information,sure it sounded outlandish but he was familiar with magic,stranger things can happen.

“May I see the amulet?”

Jim nodded,but hesitated for a moment,he only had to think about the amulet and it appeared in his hand. It shined with flickering colors,like the tail end of a shooting star. The metal holding it together had both Trollish and wizard script delicately carved into it;and the metal was similar to blue steel. Douxie saw the amulet with surprise and curiosity,he wanted to inspect the amulet closer.

A strange feeling washed over Jim,this wasn’t the amulet in his memory at all. What was this? He looked at the inscription carved intricately but plentifully on it, “For the good of all..Twilight is mine to command…?”

It had changed,the inscription on it was different than before!!

Not to mention that when he held the Amulet it felt as if he was holding something much more precious than just a magic relic. He experienced a much deeper connection to it than he previously had with Merlin’s. It didn’t make sense,how did it change?

“Is something wrong?” Douxie noticed Jim’s strangeness, the hand that had reached for the amulet pausing.

“I feel like…what I’m holding isn’t the amulet but my heart,it’s freaking me out.” It was undoubtedly something he’d never felt before, “this is the first time I’ve actually taken it out and looked at it this close since coming back.”

Jim gave the wizard a crooked smile,but I couldn’t hide the awkwardness rolling around inside.

Archie hopped up onto the table,sniffing at his hand holding the magic amulet, “it smells unique,but it reminds me of biological magic.” In return he got blank stares, obviously these humans knew nothing about what he said. Archie rolled his eyes, “Is this thing fused with you Jim?”

Oh,right he just remembered the marking that was on his left pectoral bordering the center,it was the same circular inscription as the amulets.

“Maybe?” He replied incompetently before pulling his hoodie off,revealing his smooth bare upper body. The marking was clear to see,along with some scars that had appeared at some point. “Does this count?”

Douxie saw the tattoo like inscription carved into his skin and only rubbed his temples.

—————-

The Trollhunter had one last class of the day before he headed home,biking the long way back. He’d become more cautious since they encountered Bular,so he moved quickly before the sun set.

After knocking on the door of Jim’s place he waited a moment before calling his friend's phone,he was sent to voicemail again. Frowning he opened their chat,Jim really had been acting strange ever since he picked up the amulet. Sure,he understood that trolls and the things they spoke about were overwhelming,not to mention Bular being on the loose.

IamGunTobot:’Everything okay?’

Jimmyjam: (Typing)…(Typing)…

Toby watched the bubble for typing pop up several times,waiting for his friend to respond.

Jimmyjam: ‘Still feeling sick,I’ll see you later…’

The curly haired ginger sighed,but returned to his bike's saddle,heading to the canals. He was going to Trollmarket. When he made it to the Heroes Forge,he was surprised to see Blinky and ARRRGH were already there. The two trolls had been performing maintenance on the parts of the forge,turning when they heard Toby panting as he ran in.

“I gotta talk to you guys!”

[sirimiri-ovo]

Harbingers Plight~

Trollhunters Fic.

Chapter 5: (Recommend listening to In the Hall of the Mountain King-Peer Gynt)

Jim was back at home,he’d managed to survive dinner,and crashed into bed as soon as he got away from the table.

Outside his home,Bullar was waiting for Strickler,the troll demanding to know why the impure was in the domicile of one of the fleshbags he smelled around Kanjigar’s rubble.

Strickler glowered at the bullish creature,saying he was doing reconnaissance on where the amulet may be. Internally he was complaining that this impatient beast ruined a nice evening,even if he felt that his student acted a little weird around him. Even if his student had the amulet he could find ways to keep his relationship with the beautiful woman that was his mother.

————

A week had managed to slip past before Jim knew it,feeling overwhelmed by the burden of the future,but he at least knew that today they’d be going to the museum.

Toby and Jim were walking around on their school trip,Jim wore a dark hoodie,his hood up,not to mention his nails were black. How couldn’t Toby notice the changes in his best friend,he had seen the dark bags grow darker under his eyes. Not to mention how reluctant Jim seemed when it came to coming to Trollmarket at first. And the day he did come it had to be the day Draal whooped his butt,

“You sure everything is all good Jimbo? First the black nail polish,now the hoodie being up? I know you haven’t been feeling well,but that doesn’t turn people emo.” Toby tried to lighten up the mood,gently nudging Jim,in return the taller teenager pulled his hood off. Running a hand through his thick messy black hair,those blue eyes drooped like the sun was bothersome while passing the tall windows.

“Everything…is fine Tobes,there’s just a lot happening right now. I’ll explain later..”

Jim told Toby he was going to the bathroom,quietly passing by Claire who was looking at an old dress in a display. He was busy muttering about the Killahead bridge;he was going over the plan again. Just take a piece,and as long as I do that,everything will be different.

He had thought about telling his mother,Strickler,..Toby,but he’d wait,his best bud had enough on his plate right now…It was his burden to bear,but Jim planned to tell Blinky,and eventually Vendel. He scrubbed a hand in his hair,slipping into the closed exhibit area. It was too easy,he slipped in and quietly stole one of the bricks of the bridge,not even realizing how much strength doing so would take a normal human. Then slipped back out,dodging the eyes of others,unaware that someone had been following him several steps behind. He went through the men’s bathroom door that connected to the mineral exhibit,where Toby was waiting.

“Did you hear? Eli got the part of Romeo apparently!” Toby laughed, while keeping pace with Jim, “I feel bad for you! He’s gonna kiss your crush in the play..” he shuttered,and quieted when he saw Jim’s expression.

“It’s not like she’s my girlfriend Toby,she can kiss whoever she feels like! Aren’t you supposed to be worrying about more important things,like Draal?” He snapped.Jim realizing what he did,apologized to his friend.

“Sorry…I’m just a little on edge.” Jim mumbled,placing his head on his shorter friend's shoulder with a sigh,his hair tickling the side of Toby’s face. Toby let out a soft amused snort,how long had it been since Jim sulked like this? His hand gave the darker haired teen a few gentle pats on his head, “There, there grumpy Jimbo,I forgive you.”

————

Claire had followed after Jim,she had wanted to speak with him about the play,they had some spots that could use filling and he had shown interest before. She had actually seen him pacing outside the auditorium where the auditions were held,but he never showed that day. What she hadn't expected was that the other teenager would slip past the “do not enter" signs for the unfinished exhibition,not to mention the suspicious way he looked around before slipping away.

“Jim Lake…what are you up to?”

—---------

At home Jim curled up in his bed,he felt bad to say the least,he had gotten the piece of the bridge today. The sun had gone down,meaning it was time to go to the street Eli lived on with Toby.

“Come on,Trollhunters can't be lazy,even if the bed is comfy and my body hurts.”

He groaned,it hadn't helped that what he feared was happening,really was…the black fingernail,growing sunlight sensitivity,not to mention his tastebuds seemed to annoyingly shift. While cooking,he would taste things,but now it sometimes tasted like perfectly good batter or sauce would turn sour or taste rotten. He slipped out of bed and changed his clothes to a black turtleneck and pants,maybe short by an inch or two.

“Fudgeknuckle...” Jim grumbled,perhaps it was better to pay Douxie a visit sooner rather than later,before he lost his ability to linger in the sun and go to high school. Slipping out of the empty house was easy, his mother was working another late shift. This night was destined to be filled with goblins,being chased down by them,and even the chubby tracker being snatched up by a goblin. They thankfully hid in Toby’s house,where Jim spent the night,making sure to text his mom so she didn’t freak out.

Blinky had said that there must be a den of goblins somewhere in Arcadia,and Jim tried to subtly hint that maybe they could track them though Toby’s fitness band.The pair had waited until nightfall again,before slipping into the museum,then they ran into Nomura.

Jim only felt like his heart was within his stomach,being dissolved by the acid inside. Nomura was their enemy right now though. She had caught them in a similar way to the previous timeline,Toby had summoned daylight,donning his armor. The goblin hoard chased them around,and Nomura was a skilled opponent that Toby struggled with. Repeatedly, Jim had to himself he couldn’t coddle Toby,he had to face the challenge or he would never be ready to face the Arcane Order let alone the enemies before that.

“Haha! Such a weak and pathetic flesh bag dares call himself a Trollhunter!? Bular will be pleased when I hand the amulet and your corpse over!”

Normura’s grating voice rasped, making both teenagers blood chill. Jim watched one of her scythes coming down at Toby who had daylight knocked from his grip. Without second thought he charged over,smacking away the goblin chief that pounced at him to the wall;a low snarl left his throat without him realizing as he grabbed a chunk of a broken crates lid,swinging the piece of wood with enough force to parry the scythe.

“Back off!” He growled low,kicking her torso,into the still dazed goblin with a sharpie mustache getting up behind her. She let out a screech as her body weight crushed the goblin with a green splat,gaining the full wrath of the hoard.

“WAKA-CHAKA!”

Was the sound Jim and Toby heard as they bolted away,Jim had taken it upon himself to try to get a clear picture this time of the bridge. If they hadn’t lagged so much in the previous time maybe things wouldn’t have gone so bad. They managed to escape the museum through the window,biking away down a few streets; but here was one thing Jim forgot about tonight…

“Hands where I can see them!”

The blue and red light reflected brightly in the night as the police car pulled up,the two boys dropped their bikes,handcuffed and driven to the station.

“Suddenly I feel stupid.” Jim grumbled under his breath,so much for trying not to let his mom find out he’d been running around at night.

————

Nomura had managed to fight off the goblins,a pain in her ass,but a smirk tugged on her lips as she opened up her phone,dialing Strickler.

“Strickler,you should know that two of your pesky students broke into the museum,not to mention it seems that the small stubby one is the one we’re looking for.” She chuckled smugly,it had only been a matter of figuring out which of the two were the Trollhunter before. Now she knew which of the two had taken that relic,the only piece needed to open the portal to the Darklands,freeing Gunmar!

Bular had sniffed around the canal before,picking up the scent of the two strongly.Strickler denied the idea of a human Trollhunter at first,especially since it was absurd that the boy he favored in class,and had invited him to have dinner was one of those supposed human Trollhunter candidates.

“I’ll handle it.”

————-

Jim felt listless as he got home,his mothers unleashed wrath still fresh; Toby and him got an earful from her and had to watch her flirt with Strickler to make it worse.He couldn’t believe he was dealing with this again. Sulking,Jim convinced himself from acting out irrationally,reminding himself of what Unkar the unfortunate had shown him before. He didn’t avoid the amulet this time,he didn’t try to do everything entirely alone,and he had been careful. But now he wasn’t the Trollhunter of this timeline,he had been keeping himself in check,not messing up key events too much.

In the kitchen,he took a fork,which he carried with him upstairs,he stripped off his clothing and got into pajamas. Bringing the utensil to his mouth,his teeth weren’t strong enough yet to really chew the metal,but it tasted good to suck on. He stared at the ceiling,memories eventually resurfacing like when he’d been shown the version of time Draal was the Trollhunter. Or when he was in the Darklands alone for a few weeks,with only Nomura to chat with.

“Everyone died,I was useless,but I at least accepted being the Trollhunter…after my recklessness caused Arcadia to collapse.”

In his palm he held the chunk of the Killahead,this probably won’t ripple out too badly…but as he thought that,he felt an unpleasant tingle in his bones. A drowsy groan left his lips,his body had been getting increasingly uncomfortable,it felt like lava was slowly filling his bones,growing hotter and hotter until he was sweating and it felt like everything muscle and organ was cramping.Pain caused his limbs to tingle,his head to pound,while his chest pulsed hotly with energy,the amulet at the core.

“Ngh,…shit,what’s happening?” He curled inward on himself atop the bed,the origin of the pain consuming his body coming from his sternum. Consciousness was drifting,slipping into that suffocating black inky abyss. He’d had this dream before,voices,some he recognized and others he didn’t, desperately calling him from the edge of consciousness while the human boy known as James Lake Junior drowned in the darkness. Vaguely he tried to summon his amulet,only remembering the sensation of its cool weight in his hand before his consciousness truly faded.

[sirimiri-ovo]

Alright guys I’ll start posting parts of it,but you gotta be nice,I don’t write fanfic much. If anyone had questions or ideas about it,please feel free to free to send me them. This will stick to some canon,and also stray away from it. ⚠️There will likely not be romance between Claire and Jim in the start,it will be a bit on the darker side,there will be uncomfortable body modifications. I’m writing it for fun,and don’t have a good sense of direction for it all yet. Uhh and character death,I’m gonna be mean to Jim with flashbacks.⚠️

Harbinger’s Plight~

Prologue to Chapter 1:

(Recommended listening to Hazy Shade of Winter cover by Gerard Way)

One moment he was standing on the battlefield amidst the rubble,in front of the truck that had crushed his best friend's body.The once vibrant green,now gone as Toby’s lifeless eyes gazed at the ash filled sky permanently. The last words of his best friend were still bouncing around his mind,as everything felt as if a film covered the world.

“Two of us at the start,two of us at the end..always have,always will be..I didn’t think..I became”

The Trollhunter knew,knew that all these sacrifices had been made due to his lack of strength,not just that,they hadn’t been prepared to face three gods so suddenly. He was only 18,yet he had to carry the weight of the world's end on his shoulders,it wasn’t fair…but one can’t outrun destiny. Jim sluggishly made up his mind,he would use the Time Stone,to travel before he got the amulet. His body ached,the battle had been long,everyone was hurt,mourning,and looking at him for his next move. So,he said goodbye,knowing that the next time he saw these familiar faces they would only look at him as a stranger.

He held the time stone in his hands,after pulling apart the Krohnisfere,then lifted the timestone up to the amulet on his chest. The swirling blue welcomed it,flashing a green color as the magic of the stone began to work.

Then,he was gone…

Jim felt like he was watching his life passing before his eyes,a film,in which he watched himself from an outsiders perspective.New York,Camelot,being a beast…losing his troll self,rebuilding Arcadia,Merlin turning him into a troll,the eternal night,battle against Gunmar and Morgana…Draals death,Bular,everything.Time,like a vast ocean, splashed him with a wave of events,suffocating,and then its tide receded as quickly as it came…leaving only a faint ticking in his ears..then..

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

“Good morning Arcadia Oaks,it’s a beautiful day outside…”

Chapter 1:

Jim opened his eyes,he was lying in bed,his body felt light,the room was illuminated by morning sun. He was disoriented while taking it in,white walls,messy desk,he was back? A wave of emotions swirled intensely inside his body,relief,despair,anger at himself,joy,he sat up listening to the chatter of his alarm as he slapped it off. An intense wave of nausea made him jerk,holding his mouth,he stumbled to the bathroom. After spending several moments retching and resting against the porcelain,he got up,catching his reflection.

Thin,younger,but tired eyes,he did notice that he had a scar slitting his eyebrow again,like in the future. He grimaced,pulling a black marker from his desk drawer and drawing the missing brows part.

“Time unfolds like a flower,huh?” He muttered,feeling his phone buzzing,he had to get ready…he’d be late for school if he delayed,Toby would be waiting for him. Jim trotted down the stairs,looking at the ingredients for meatloaf,cooking as if he wasn’t burdened by the future allowed him to relax for a moment. But it was too quiet,his mind would eventually drift back to unpleasant thoughts. The oven timer went off and he snapped out his brooding.

After packing his moms dinner into the fridge and the lunches into his satchel he went through the garage,grabbing his bike,and slowly lifting the garage door. There he was,his best friend…alive,smiling at the sight of him coming over.

“We’re gonna be late for school Jimbo!”

“Sorry Tobes,I was busy with lunches.” Jim handed him the bag he’d prepared for him,the Deja Vu of having this conversation was strangely nice. And soon the mad dash to avoid detention for being late began. Speeding on their bikes,Toby was following behind Jim,

“Let’s take the canal! It’s the fastest shortcut!” Jim yelled over his shoulder despite Toby’s protest,there was a date with destiny the two couldn’t avoid. In the pile of mineral, Kanjigars remains, the glowing blue amulet shimmered. The taller teen veered his bike at an angle to brake a couple yards away from it,acting as if he was curious. What he hadn’t expected was Toby,who stopped his bike while panting.

“Ugh,Jimbo,we’re…we’re gonna be so late…we don’t have- DID YOU HEAR THAT?” The chestnut haired boy yelped in surprise,gaining a raised brow from Jim,who heard nothing strangely.

“Hear what Tobes?” He picked up the Amulet from the pile of Kspar,pretending to inspect it.

“Tobias… Domzalski” The strange voice called from the amulet,making Toby snatch the thing from Jim’s hand.

“Is this some kind of prank? I don’t see any way to speak out of this?” But his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the nearby high school's last bell ringing. The two teenagers bolted,biking like their lives depended on it.

Later in the day…history class,Strickler was lecturing about the Peloponnesian War,Jim’s mind wandered,he had glanced over to Claire. She sat at the front,Jim had forgotten the way she looked at the start of this all. No white hair,just a normal girl,without shadow magic or knowledge of any of the chaos. He sighed,going back to mentally trying to remember the order of events as he wrote them in his notebook.

“Do you agree with Herodotus’s methods of war,Jim?” Strickler seemed to have manifested behind him,making him tremble,he hadn’t been focused in class again…

“Err..Yes.”

“And which methods would that be?” Strickler asked,a hint of amusement in his tone,knowing Jim had been completely spaced out. The dismissal bell happened to go off,saving Jim from embarrassing himself even more.

“Jim,may I have a word?”

Jim nodded,accidentally dropping his bag while packing it,allowing his textbooks to slip out.

“Jim,you’ve been distracted,and I believe you fell asleep between the invasion of Attica and the Peace of Nicias.” He sighed,helping Jim pick up the fallen books and papers.

Jim put a stiff smile on his face,having this conversation again was so..odd,the man in front of him had tried killing him,then protecting him,and then eventually sacrificed himself. He was also the first man to make his mother so happy.

“Sorry Str-Mr.Strickler,I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“I know it’s just you and your mother and you just want to help her.” The teacher with a hooked nose said while writing his number on a note. “I believe I am overdue a conversation with her,please have her call me.”

Jim took the slip of paper,hesitating for a moment, “Um..would you like to come to our house for dinner sometime then?” As much as setting up his mom with his teacher felt weird,it was also the best way to start their relationship naturally again. Strickler looked a bit surprised at the offer and gave a slight smile, “I would be honored,I look forward to hearing from your mother then. And Jim,feel free to come by my office to talk,Atlas too carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

He met up with Toby in gym class,Coach Lawrence was busy berating Toby who was struggling to climb the rope at first. Jim encouraged his best friend to climb,his gaze drifting to where Claire sat in the bleachers surrounded by her friends.

“Go talk to her Jimbo! Staring is creepy!” Toby hissed while hoisting himself up a little further. Jim actually wasn’t sure if he could afford to indulge in romance this time around. Sure…he loved Claire,he did,and she was a great and powerful ally,it was difficult to imagine doing this without her. He walked over to her,he’d at least ask about the play,even if he didn’t know if he’d want to be part of it now.

“Hey,I heard…that the school play was happening this year.”

Claire looked at the blue eyed boy who stood before her,she’d seen him stare at her occasionally,though a little weird he seemed harmless. “Yeah,we’re having a hard time getting bots to audition for Romeo,here.” She handed him a flier from her binder. “Are you interested?”

Jim gave a crooked smile,holding the paper, “uhh,yeah…maybe.” He cleared his throat,watching Darci pull Claire to follow her and Shannon away from the bleachers. The girls were laughing and chatting while walking away,Jim on the other hand heard Toby cheer and laugh as he rang the bell at the top of the rope. Jim smiled brightly seeing this,whooping and cheering for Toby too.

“Nice Tobes!”

Jim was changing in the locker room,Toby had finished changing and gone ahead to grab their bikes. All day Toby had actually been trying to figure out what the amulet was,he was even wondering if it was some kind of messed up pocket watch but there was no time. On the other hand,Jim sighed,pulling the flier out of his pocket, “Maybe I’ll involve you but…not right now.” He threw the paper in the trash,getting up while zipping his blue turtleneck up. He was unaware of the six eyed figure hiding in the showers,outside the school he met up with Toby,who actually looked a bit shaken.

“Woah Tobes what happened to you?”

“Stopped jerkface Steve from putting Eli in a locker.” He grumbled,not noticing Jim’s shift in expression,it seemed like…Toby being the Trollhunter also meant that some things were inherently different in this timeline. He smiled as they walked their bikes home,that smile faltered though,his head throbbed with a sharp pain,the left side of his chest felt hot for a moment. The sensation only lasted for thirty seconds,Toby looked at him a little weird, “You feelin’ alright bud? You look sick?”

Jim nodded, “Just felt dizzy for a minute,” he brushed a hand through his hair, “but I’ll see you tomorrow,call me if you need anything,or if you figure out whatever that thing you found is.”

The two parted separate ways,going to their respective houses.

Post by @sirimiri-ovo

💬 0  🔁 0  ❤️ 4 · Chapter 2: · Gonna post chapter 2,still haven’t figured out a name for this fanfic yet. The start up will be a little slow