Can't Express How Stress Free Being Open Minded Is.

omg 3rd time ive tried to upload thissss Website please

from twitter: mikaela banes as a tf kid but i obviously got sidetracked

had an idea while watching the series, of how it would be interesting if bolder class dragons were like a potential predator to trolls, since well, the diet is rock and yknow eohfherou so trolls would tend to stay away from those types of dragons back in the day

this isnt meatlug btw just a random gronkle fee

All rights go to @undeadchestnut as this fic is completely based off her comics for Trollhunter!Strickler. Thank you!

Part 1

"By the name of the Pale Lady, why?!"

Walter Strickler wanted to throw the Amulet in his palm as far as he possibly could. Unfortunately, he'd already gained a bruised head from trying and failing, having forgotten the cursed thing chose him and was thus bound to him until his death. Instead, he shoved it in his coat pocket and plopped down on his sofa, burying his face in his hands with a groan.

"Of all the unfortunate, ill-fated, detrimental, ludicrous events that could have occurred... it had to choose me...?"

Walter sighed, softly as he drove home from work, hands carefully placed on the wheel of his vehicle as he drove toward the bridge.

"Waltolomew... Stricklander..."

The disembodied voice speaking his true name made him freeze, his car squealing as he slammed on the breaks. Another vehicle barely missed him as they swerved, honking at him and surely yelling unpleasant things, but Walter wasn't paying any attention. His eyes were on the canal where a pile of rocks sat almost out of sight below. As if in a trance, Strickler put his car in reverse and backed up off the bridge, pulling into the grass instead before he practically tossed off his seatbelt and shoved open his door. It slammed closed behind him as he jogged to the edge of the canal and crouched slightly as he slid down the slope. Once at the bottom, he stood, not missing a step as he moved toward the pile of rock which now had what seemed to be a glowing blue aura around it. He paused as he approached it and knelt down, hand reaching toward the source of the light.

"Waltolomew... Stricklander..."

It spoke again and that should have unnerved him yet it somehow only pushed him forward as he dug through the stones and picked up the Amulet lying there. He stared at it for a long moment before his eyes widened and he yelped, throwing it across the canal and turning on his heel, scrambling back up the slope only to be stuck in the back of the head as the object came flying back, knocking him unconscious.

He had woken up a few minutes later to the blasted thing glowing in his face and driven home, cursing, profusely. Just then, the distressed man's mobile device buzzed and he sighed, lifting his head as he picked up his phone from the coffee table, flipping it open and gazing at the screen.

Nomura - 5:43 PM

Where are you? Bular is waiting.

You - 5:43 PM

Tell him I'm not coming. I'm very busy.

Nomura - 5:44 PM

Did you find it?

You - 5:47 PM

No.

Strickler dropped his phone on the table again and practically whined, lying back on the couch with an arm over his face.

"What am I going to do...?"

"Well, Master Strickler," a voice replied, cheerfully making Walter yelp, jumping off the couch as he gaze snapped to a troll with four arms and six eyes approaching him.

"You could begin with learning a bit of history, culture, perhaps even ethnics for troll kind!"

Walter found himself backing against the far wall, eyes wide as his heart rate increased rapidly, breath coming in quick, silent gasps. As if in reaction to his panic, the Amulet in his coat began to glow, floating out of his pocket to levitate in front of him instead. Then it grew brighter, thrusting itself onto his chest making the room flood with light and he minutely floated of the ground. Then the armor levitating around him converged and he dropped, standing comically in an oversized armored suit before it swiftly adapted to his physiology and shrunk. He blinked, stalling for a moment and looked around to find no signs of the troll from a few moments ago. He exhaled, softly and turned to go to his kitchen only to come face-to-face with the six-eyed being which grinned at him, excitedly.

"You already activated the armor! Splendid!"

Walter cried out and fell backward, scrambling back away from the troll.

"Master Strickler, I can assure you, You are perfectly sa- SAFE! YOU ARE PERFECTLY SAFE, WE ARE NOT HERE TO HARM YOU!!" the troll yelped, scrambling out of the way when the Sword of Daylight was thrown toward him, lodging itself in the wall where he'd just been. The six-eyed troll hid behind the couch, peeking his head over the top as two of his hands gripped the back of the sofa.

"I apologize if we caused you any distress with our presence, Master Strickler, but... I assure you, we are not enemies."

Walter stared at him, eyeing him, cautiously as he lifted his hand toward the sword, almost habitually, and the troll watched in awe as the blade disappeared from it's place in the wall and appeared in Strickler's hand before the poor, confused individual sheathed the sword and his armor disappeared. The troll seemed to repress his excitement this time as he stood, slowly, grinning.

"Impeccable... and you've learned so quickly..."

Walter inhaled, slowly and eyed the troll before he blanched, "Wait... 'we'...?"

"Me and my compatriot here," the troll answered, two have on his overall straps, one on his hip and the last extended toward Strickler's kitchen where a giant and all-too-familiar Krubera emerged, the frame of the doorway crumbling as he tried to get himself inside the living room. Walter felt the color drain the rest of the way from his face as he stared at Aarghaumont, Gunmar's former general turned traitor. He was tempted to grab the nearest sharp object but refrained as the small of the two trolls approached him albeit more cautiously than before.

"I am called Blinky and this is AAARRRGGHH!. We are here because the Amulet called us to you-"

"Spying," the Krubera cut in, correcting the smaller of the two who sighed and nodded, "Yes, we were spying on you... but I am certainly pleased to see that the Amulet's next choice seems to bear natural talent!"

Then Blinky began to circle Strickler, rubbing his chin, curiously, "The Amulet chose... a human Trollhunter? Most unusual..."

Strickler found himself smiling rather, awkwardly as he gripped the Amulet tightly in his hands, "Yeees, a 'human' Trollhunter... most unusual indeed..." he murmured, keeping his eyes on the door in case he needed to make a break for it. AAARRRGGHH! finally managed to get into the living room, albeit by breaking Strickler's doorframe and sat down next to Blinky.

"Well, nonetheless, I am pleased you are displaying some level of skill already, Master Strickler!" the smaller troll grinned, cheerfully.

"Listen... uhm... Blinky, was it? Is that a full name?" Walter inquired, moving, slowly toward the door.

"Actually, my full name is Blinkous Galadrigal," the troll admitted, sounding mildly irritated if only for a split moment.

"Right, well, uhm... This certainly must be some sort of mistake. The Amulet could not possibly have chosen me. It has never once chosen anyone other than a full blooded troll..."

"Well, yes, that is correct, but the Amulet does not make mistakes, Master Strickler," Blinkous insisted as AAARRRGGHH! sniffed the air in Walter's general direction. The Krubera then stood up and walked to him making Strickler yelp as he fell against the door, sure he was going to be devoured as he closed his eyes and held up his hands. However, only more sniffing followed and he opened his eyes again, watching the troll smell him, looking confused. Then he shook his head, backing away, "Human smell strange. Smell not human."

Blinkous frowned as Strickler chuckled, nervously, hand fumbling for the door knob.

"Now, AAARRRGGHH!, we mustn't-..." the smaller troll paused then and turned, slowly to Walter, "... How did you know the Amulet had never chosen anyone who was not a full troll...?"

"W-Well, the way you said it, it sounded like it had never chosen a human so..." Walter replied, slowly, beads of sweat dropping down his face as he finally found the door knob and turned it. Blinkous' eyes narrowed and he moved forward, pressing a hand against the door to keep it shut as he eyed Strickler. Before Walter could really process it, Blinkous had whipped out a gaggletack and thrust it against Strickler's chest, shoving him against the wall as green light engulfed him, his original form revealed. For a moment, all was still as the shock left sparks flying before Walter scowled, snarling as he grabbed a candelabra off the headboard and swung it at the troll's face. Blinkous managed to fall backward, narrowly avoiding a strike to the eyes and released the changeling. Walter summoned his armor and took off toward the kitchen. However, Aarghaumont seemed to have other ideas as he blocked the way and Strickler found himself trapped like a rat. That didn't help his emotions stay in check. Blinkous got up and approached, glaring at Walter.

"A changeling! I should have known with the fall of Kanjigar, you impures would show yourselves!"

Something about how he said 'impures' irritated Strickler considerably, "Excuse me, but the two of you broke into my home! You have no right to be cornering me whether I'm changeling, troll, or human!"

Blinkous seemed to remember why he and AAARRRGGHH! had come as he then backed away and sighed.

"How can the Amulet have chosen a changeling...? This makes no sense..."

"You think I wanted this forecursed thing to call for me? Do you have any idea how many people are going to be after my head now? It was bad enough with Bular threatening to eat me now I have to deal with a beady-eyed troll threatening me with his giant Kruberan pet!" Strickler snapped and AAARRRGGHH! growled, "Not pet."

"AAARRRGGHH! is indeed not a pet, Strickler. He is my compatriot and my friend. Have some decorum."

"Dee-coo-bum?" Aarghaumont inquired and Blinkous answered, "It means keeping good taste and propriety."

"Listen!" Strickler cut in before that conversation to go further, subconsciously noting how Blinkous excluded 'Master' from his name now, "I don't know why this thing chose me, but I'd like some time to process all this before you bombard me with your pompous 'save the world' speech I'm sure you had planned! So, get out of my house!"

After a long moment of silence, Blinkous composed himself and sighed, "Come, my friend. We will return tomorrow night," he said, glaring pointedly at the changeling before the two squeezed back outside into the darkness of the growing night. Strickler stood there as his armor dissipated for a long while before he groaned and lived the candelabra across the room, nailing the painting on the wall and shattering the candle holder.

"Why me?!"

sorry

Imagine this: Jim is injured after battle, he's found by some hapless bystander and taken to a hospital (lets say not the one Barbara works at or this would all be moot) and Strickler has to lie and say he's Jim's father to get in a run damage control.

Jim’s voice is slurred, and whether it’s the result of meds or pain, Strickler can’t tell. “Man…I’m…I’m winning at the dad category, aren’t I?” 

Strickler takes a cursory glance to make sure the nurse has left the room before raising a brow to the young Trollhunter - and gods, but he is young, Strickler needs to remind himself at times, Jim’s fortitude and wisdom is so often beyond his meager human years. “You and I both know that I had to say something that would let me in–”

“First dad runs off on me and Mom,” continues Jim, and oh dear, his eyes are glazed. “Second dad isn’t even my dad. Second dad just lied ‘cause that’s what he does. Lies and pretends and then, for a grand finale, tries to kill me–”

Strickler’s jaw tenses. This might be the meds or the pain talking, but it doesn’t mean he has to care for what he’s hearing. “I do believe I’ve made up for –”

“You really were close, you know? Like, so close to winning it all. The Father Figure of the year. You were my favorite teacher. Totally loved our office hours together.” Jim’s head lolls against the pillow. “You really had me buying it, you know? You caring about me. Are all Changelings great at that?” 

“I did care.” Strickler’s throat is tight, his heartbeat hard in his chest. Damnation, but he shouldn’t react like this, like he’s under attack, he owes this boy nothing–

–he owes this boy everything–

“You didn’t make Mom cry, though. You’ve got that going for you.” Blue eyes meet his, glazed but still somehow focused upon him, a blade being trained upon a target, searching for damage to be done. “Just made her hate you. When she remembered it all, anyway. Now she just misses you. Why do we do that? Miss what hurts us the most? I used to miss my dad, y’know. But I got better. Maybe she’ll stop missing you.” 

Strickler closes his eyes, a terrible thing to do when faced with an enemy, and damnation, he never wanted this boy to be his enemy. 

Seeing him hold the amulet, that first time, and what did his traitorous heart say?

“No. Not him.” 

Jim sighs, long and thready and oh so tired, settling onto the hospital bed as best he can. “I never told her, y’know. About my troll hunting. I broke my promise. Guess that makes both of us liars. But my thing is, I care too much. You never cared at all.” 

“Lies.” Strickler wishes his voice was sharp, a blade to defend himself with, but instead it’s a strained, whispery thing. “You think it that simple? You think I wouldn’t give anything not to care? I wish I had that power. I wish–”

I wish the amulet had never chosen you, I wish I had never met your mother, I wish I had never tasted her kiss, I wish I had never cared at all–

“I do care.” The admission is soft, barely clearing his teeth. Jim doesn’t even seem to hear it, so near silence it is. Strickler blames the thing in his throat, whatever the hell it is. He clears his throat, tries again. “I do care, Young Atlas.” 

Jim is silent, his eyes closed, lashes low upon his young cheeks. Gods willing, he could be sleeping off that damned, truth-inducing medication…

Jim’s whisper is soft. “Then act like it, Dad.”  

Do you ever imagine Shockwave resting like a giant noodle-cat with his head in Blurr's lap while Blurr does something that in anyone else would be considered vaguely cartoon villain-like? Because I can easily see Blurr doing the maniacal evil laugh while petting Shockwave's head and making the big noodly boy purr and look entirely too satisfied with himself and he didn't have to do a THING.

I can imagine a lot of things! And I love making Shockwave kinda "cat coded"~

Sorry, this isn't really what you said, I just wanted to draw something soft.

MANIFEST

MANIFEST

Fuzzy Boi