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vixendoesstuff · 3 months

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

ALRIGHT, SO-

Final part of this convoluted saga I came up with at like, 3 am one day. Last time we were left on a cliffhanger (because I'm evil like that) but now y'all (the maybe 4 people who's paying attention to this AU) get to see what happens next.

Let's just get right into it!

So, the quartet (Poppy, Cooper, Branch and Hickory), after hearing who had beamed them up into the giant UFO, was equally shocked and overjoyed, mostly on Poppy and Cooper's part. Immediately Cooper got up and started asking questions, like how is this possible, how Prince D. looked just like him, and if he's his twin, that means he's also royalty, and such things. It was here when King Quincy and Queen Essence entered the fray, which just excites Cooper further.

The two parents are obviously overjoyed at finally seeing their long lost son. They were kinda miffed at Prince D. for using the bubble without their supervision, but seeing who he had beamed, they let it slide for now.

The same stuff then happened as it is in the movie, with some dialouge changes, like Cooper telling the Funk Family how he got with the Pop Trolls as an egg. They noticed Branch in the group, and was pleasently surprised how a Techno Troll is with the Pop Trolls, since they're an isolated bunch. Branch said that he doesn't really know what made his egg be with the Pop Trolls, just that his adoptive family found him one day and took him in. The Funk Family then tells him the brief history of the Techno Trolls since they can kinda tell he's clueless and they felt bad. Then the history of the Strings came along.

Same thing there, explaining how every tribe once lived in harmony until Pop got greedy and stole all the strings, so everybody else took back their strings and ran, living in isolation from eachother ever since.

Cooper and Branch is clearly disturbed. Maybe because of their respective tribe of origin before they settled in Pop Village they feel more unsettled by the news, but they felt horrified by the implication nonetheless. Poppy even more so, desperate to prove that the Pop Trolls are not like that anymore, look at Cooper and Branch! They're fine! (Enter worried side eyes from the two). Then everything goes as it is in the movie, the Funk Family softly rejecting her offer to combine their music together, and Rock invading and everyone preparing for battle, with Cooper deciding to stay behind to help his family by bubbling everyone to safety back to the ground below.

The same argument Branch and Poppy has happens, with a little change in the dialouge. It's something along the lines of Poppy not listening to others when they offer advice that might work in her favour, and instead goes off to do her own thing; about how she doesn't listen when her way does more harm than good; about how, in a way, she's doing the same thing Barb is doing. The two split off, with Branch having the intention of going back to Pop Village to warn the others. It may not be his tribe of origin, but it is his home for all his life, and he'd protect it in whatever way he can.

We cut to Poppy sulking to herself before being spotted by Hickory, who manages to find her. Same dialouge happens, with Poppy revealing the string to him, Dickory splitting from Hickory's... behind and revealing their true identities as Bounty Hunters, and squabbling with her for possession of the string. In here, perhaps due to talking with Cooper and Branch, who are different genre Trolls but holds love for Pop, empowered his hidden desire to see harmony between different genres and tribes, and decided to fight back against his partner (brother? Brother). Of course, this doesn't go unpunished by Barb, who suddenly appears with her lackeys and apprehended both Poppy and Hickory, saying that this is what they deserve for trying to delay her plans (she lets Dickory go, but not without a warning to control his brother). Poppy claimed she'll stop her, but Barb revealed that she has invaded Pop Village and destroyed most things there, so all Poppy can do is sit tight and watch the show.

Turning back to Branch, when he finished his 2014's sad boy song, he then got ambushed by the K-Pop gang and the Reggaeton Trolls, who demands the location of Queen Poppy. Obviously he refuses 'cause while he still has beef with her, she's the most important person in his life, so you bet he'll try to protect her at all costs. The dance off still commences the same way (you have to admit, dancing with fins for legs is hella impressive), with thw two groups complimenting eachother on their dances before interrogating Branch again.

The convo here is changed slightly because I wanna see Branch and the two Bounty Hunter groups to interact some more 'cause their dynamic is interesting. Basically it's the lines of,

"Why does Barb decides which music is safe to listen to? All music is worth listening to. Liking different genres doesn't matter."

"Ugh, what do you know, Techno Troll? You don't know how it feels to be regarded as lesser for liking a different music."

"[Pop Troll profanity], I'm literally a living example of that, who do you think I've been living with all my life? And besides, who's to say Barb won't turn tail on her side of the deal and destroy you, too?"

With the power of persuasion, he managed to stop the two groups from continuing their plans and starts a temporary truce between them. His first initial plan was to get back to Pop Village to confirm everyone's safety and maybe stop Barb from destroying it. But Chaz (the guy that made him trip balls) suddenly appeared and steps in their conversation to say that Barb has gained all the strings and is making her way to Volcano Rock City, home of the Rock Trolls. This completely changes the course of his plan, but Branch is determined to follow through.

So he, the K-Pop gang, the Reggaeton Trolls and Chaz (who only came along for the thrill of it) all decide to work together to stop Barb from achieving whatever it is she's planned to use the strings for. They found the sentient hot air balloon Branch had ridden before chillin' in the outskirts of Lonesome Flats, and hopped in to make an impromptu trip to Volcano Rock City.

The scene with Poppy and Barb chatting is the same because other than it being a first face to face convo with the two, it changes nothing in the long run.

We go to the scene where Barb does a wardrobe change and presents the other tribe leaders to put her Power Chord thing to the test, to make everyone Skillet enjoyers. But before she could fire at Poppy (who she chose as the first target), a book came flying at her face. She looked up, only to see a Techno Troll along with the rest of the Bounty Hunters she hired coming in flying from a hot air balloon. (He also said the same catchphrase, "I guess a comprehensive manual does come in handy!") This shocked her since she made sure every Techno Troll was accounted for when she first invaded Techno Reef. So what the heck is this guy doing here?!

The other leaders was surprised and concerned by his arrival, but none of them rivaled the feeling of shock and horror coming from Poppy, and Trollex respectively.

Before they could think any further, and before Barb can even do anything, Branch suddenly leaps from the balloon straight down to where Barb is. And, in the most simplest term I can use, he Falcon Punched her. In the face. The guy's not afraid to play dirty.

Soon enough the two of them got into a nasty brawl, with both giving everything they got to beat the other. One is trying to take the guitar away, and one is trying to keep the guitar from the other. Million pairs of eyes is watching them play it out on stage.

While everyone else was shocked and frozen in place, Poppy began working to get her cage door open while she's distraced. Just as she's about halfway through that the victor of the scuffle is decided. While most of the Rock Trolls on the front seat were too stunned to protect their Queen, a few managed to step in and hold Branch in place. Barb waste no time using the Power Chord on him, to Poppy and the leaders' horror.

When the stone cracked and revealed Branch as a rock zombie, new colours, clothing and all, something in Trollex snapped.

It seems there's a pattern with Techno Trolls being violent when pushed to the brink, as when Barb had finished transforming Quincy and Essence and moved to him and Trollzart, no joke, he flew from his platform, and speeds straight onto Barb to give her a good beatdown like his subject the other Techno Troll did. It sorta worked, since Barb soon fell from her cable straight to the crowd below (man Trollex packs a punch). Before the Rock Trolls in the crowd could get any ideas, Trollex took the guitar from her hands and threw it back on stage, where it's out of her reach for now. He would've followed suit, if Barb hadn't got a good grip on Trollex's fins and dragged him down to her.

But it seems that Trollex's little distraction worked against her favour, as Poppy managed to get out of her cage amidst the scuffle and dashes straight to the guitar, but not before being blocked by rock zombie Branch (I got a design in mind for him, just wait and see winky face). She's horrified at seeing her best friend boyfriend being like this, but she's determined to make things right, to make sure Barb doesn't fall to the wrong path any further and hurt many more innocent Trolls. She does her speech on how everything being the same is hella boring (character development!) and how she can't force someone to be the same as her because differences do matter.

Then she proceeds to smash the guitar to bits, and the strings followed suit.

Suddenly the entire city turned grey, with no colours in sight. The zombified Trolls (ie Branch, Quincy, Essence and Trollzart, who Barb managed to hit when Trollex one punched her) were turned back to normal. But that's not really important when everyone's turned Grey with the loss of the strings.

But the same scene in the movie happened here also, with them singing by themselves bringing their colours and music back. Nothing much changed in that regard.

Branch and Poppy reunited with a hug and Poppy then went full on her apologies, saying that she's sorry for being dismissive on his suggestions and that she should've listened to him more, that her desire to be a good Queen overshadowed what she actually needed to be one; patience and a willingness to listen. Before she could go overboard, Branch stopped her. And then said on how he's also sorry for how angry he got at her, and that he knew she has only done the things she did out of a genuine desire to do good. They finished with another hug, and the infamous dialouge,

"Branch... I love being different."

"And I love you, Queen Poppy."

[Cue the Snack Pack handing eachother money in the background].

After they did that high-five that makes glitter appear out of nowhere, the two are then approached by the Troll of the hour; King Trollex. For the first time in his life, Branch gets to see the tribe he originated from, the tribe he was born to. And Trollex gets to see the Techno Troll born from the egg that was lost to him all those years ago, grew up into a strong and independent soul.

The atmosphere was tense, with no one speaking a word for a while. Branch and Trollex continued to stare at eachother, taking the other in full detail. Poppy was starting to get nervous and decides to cut in, but not before Trollex pulled Branch into a tight hug, fins and all. Branch is justifiably freaked out and froze, but he then heard the words spoken from the Techno Troll monarch,

"I know I mean nothing to you. That you value and love Pop more than Techno, for they are your entire world. And I get it. I respect it. I'd offer you to come home with me, but I know that's useless. But, if you're willing, I'd like for us to get to know eachother, regardless of differences. I failed you then, but please, let me make up for it now. I want to know your trials, your tribulations. Your achievements. Perhaps not as king and subject, but... as friends."

Branch, despite freaking out about the close contact with his king this stranger he just met 30 seconds ago, felt oddly... relieved. And lighter than he was for a long time. Make no mistake, for all that Trollex is supposed to be to him, he's a stranger in his eyes. A person he'll instinctively distance at first. But then again,

What is a stranger if not a person to befriend?

WOO! WE DID IT! WE MANAGED TO REACH THE END, LET'S GO!!

Man, the amount of rewriting I did to make this as coherent as possible is staggering. But I'm glad I persevered, since now the World Tour saga of this AU is finally finished! While yeah, Branch doesn't get to hang around his tribe as much here, but that's what Trollstopia will be about! Oh boy, can't wait to get to that.

But in all cases, thank you for the maybe 6 people now that's been following me through with this, I hope you enjoy what I have to offer. Do not be fooled, for I have much, much more to offer for this AU. Until then, take care!

Band Together awaits :)

#also #the scene with the snack pack disguising themselves as rockers #yeah removed #they literally serve zero purpose #doesnt change anything in the story #so im sorry tiny diamond fans #he stays a background character here #but he wont be in the next installment if u kno what i mean ;)#trolls #techno!branch au #branch trolls #trolls poppy #trolls barb #trolls cooper #trolls prince d #trolls king trollex #trolls king quincy #trolls queen essence

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llumimoon · 10 months

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THE DOODLER MY BELOVED THE DOODLER MY EVERYTHING ‼️‼️‼️

something about meeting yourself- something about learning how to be human <3

btw Dot is the Doodler from my AU they've got a whole comic and everything

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tennessoui · 11 months

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#democratic fic #obikin #mostly: does baby child hater sith obi-wan have to get the twins to like him while trying to seduce anakin to the dark side #or are there no twins #and is anakin torn up still from the loss of Padmé or is he resentful she didn’t leave the order for him #or whatever #three different ways I can really see this going #other poll has more to do with the next installment (its voting on where obi-wan makes anakin take him in coruscant)#so I’ll post it later to give people a bit more time to maybe read the first snippet #the Padmé question is more overarching for the whole story

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insertmesoftly · 2 years

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Reasons To Keep You Here (Yuri x AFAB Immigrant Reader Trying to Get a Visa) Part 2

Part 1: HERE

Yuri dragged his feet as he left his work. This would be the first official meeting between you and him. He had a small pile of candidates he hoped would be enough. He made it to your door, longingly looking at Yor’s beside it, and knocked. He wanted to get this over quick.

… Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t that easy. The first batch, though some looked promising, with further research from an informant, they ended up being crossed out. Every movement of his felt like a chore.

Still, duty called and he’d make it to your apartment without fail. You would open the door and greet him. Sometimes you’d have food prepared. He hesitated to try anything at first, but you got him one day by telling him that Yor had helped.

He hasn’t exactly refused since then… It was, of course, because he considered your feeding him as another part of the deal. And totally not because he liked the things you made. He was already wasting time and money coming all the way over, why not get a meal for his effort?

You wholeheartedly agreed. You always let him know how grateful you were for his help. You know how busy his work makes him, and you know how bad his temperament can get. You don’t want to be on his bad side. You’re always on alert when he visits for ways keep him feeling content. He hasn’t realized it, but it’s worked.

His footsteps don’t drag as much anymore. He stopped complaining about the food needing more of something. You’ve learned and adapted. And as you two got more comfortable around each other…

You’d sometimes talk about things other than the assignment you were on. He knew about your life but… he still found himself asking questions sometimes.

‘How did you learn to make so much?’

You looked back at him eating fried dough with two cheeses and a fried piece of seasoned ham in the middle. You smiled.

‘Mostly from watching my mom. But there was a time when I was pulled in to help a restaurant next door to where I was living.

This… was not on his files. He begins to wonder what other secrets you are unknowingly keeping from him. He finishes his meal and reminds himself that he shouldn’t care.

You’ve already been caught by Anya on who your identity is as a cartoonist, though neither you or her have talked about it. Anya knows not to mention that she knows. The second person who knows about your profession, is Yuri. He looked into a bit of your comics just to make sure they were not something that was not in line with the country’s sensibilities. …

All he saw was a regular children’s cartoon with a unique art style. So he stopped looking into them until he caught you on a day where you had a deadline and no idea.

You had been on a roll with the Forger family. They gave you material for little odd things that could happen in a household that were humorous. But you haven’t been visiting as often because of your recent meet ups with Yuri, and now you were panicking.

Yuri walked inside the mess your living room had become, with papers strewn about everywhere and mugs of different teas and coffees all over. You looked worse than usual.

You apologized and told him it would probably be better if he left you alone that day. You couldn’t really concentrate on anything else. You laughed as you confessed you hadn’t even gotten to cook anything for yourself yet.

Yuri’s eyes narrow as he really takes you in. Your hair is all over the place. Your clothing has stains. You look like you’re about to pass out at any moment.

‘You need to eat.’

‘Yeah… I should probably go buy something later-‘

‘NOW.’

He picks up his coat and is back outside. He comes back twenty minutes later with food from a restaurant for the both of you. Despite your concerns over taking up too much of his time, he stays and eats with you. And he asks you what your latest ideas for strips are.

Yuri had it in his head that he could help you decide on one of your already-made strips and that would be that. He’d make it that simple for you; it was just a children’s cartoon strip. There was no need to overthink it if you didn’t land a joke that Sunday!

…. He didn’t account for your lore dumps of all the characters. Or to be shown twenty different strips, all differing in content. The hours pass by. You’re both deeply discussing the motivations of a four-year-old child and her imaginary friend’s psychology. You get into an argument over whether the father character is a good man or not. It’s an emotional roller coaster. He chokes up as he watches you put the last, best idea onto paper finally.

It’s been a long day and you both cheer like goofballs at your finished 4-panel masterpiece. A job well done. Yuri leaves you apartment feeling a bit accomplished, even smiling. He doesn’t realize he never got to inform you of anything new until he’s halfway to his home. He slumps as he continues his walk home, wondering how he got lost in your work.

….. his coworkers notice him reading the cartoon page of the newspaper now whenever he’s on break. One of them has even started talking to Yuri about it.

‘So you’re also a fan?’

‘You… read them, sir?’

‘Yeah! Every Sunday morning with my kids, haha. We like to clip our favorites and paste them into a journal. My daughter loves em.’ The coworker took a newspaper for himself and looked over the newest strip for the second time that day.

‘This week’s strip was pretty sweet, wasn’t it? My little Camila begged her mother to call her friend after she read it. Those two have been pretending to be each other’s imaginary friend. They kept telling each other how they’ll always be together just like the girl in the comic with her friend- WOAH, HEY, SON ARE YOU OK?’

‘I am fine, it’s just seasonal allergies!’

Yuri is so invested now. He’ll be a bit obnoxious asking you what your latest idea is and demanding brainstorms if he doesn’t like it. He’s become like your second manager on top of everything else now.

There comes a day Yuri took off from work. He planned on staying home, cooking something simple horrendous for himself, and simply spend the day relaxing. Thanks to your insight, he knew he wouldn’t be able to see Yor, unfortunately, so he resigned himself from treading on the familiar path to your…. Her apartment. He went to pick up ingredients for his favorite childhood dish instead.

When he got out, he was making his way back home when he began faintly hearing your voice. It made him pause.

Was he beginning to go crazy? He whipped his head around but couldn’t see you. He did, however, see two kids standing over a ledge looking down at something and talking. The voice that replied back to them was definitely yours. Yuri sighed as he moved his ingredients around and walked over.

What mischief was this homebody getting into?

He walked in on quite the scene. You were over the ledge and walking through the rocky and muddy shore of the river, digging around without a care. The face he was making was indescribable.

‘Uh oh, we have company.’

‘Get out of here, mister! This doesn’t concern you!’

The two kids got in Yuri’s way and tried to make themselves look bigger to block his view. They were identical boys, older than Anya but still young. They wore clean, pristine clothes and had their hair styled nicely. Yuri wondered why these kids were messing with someone like you.

‘Kris, did you say somethi- OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE YURI!!!’

The embarrassment all over your face. You had been caught. Yuri could only give you a disappointed look that made you sweat.

‘I should be asking YOU the same thing. Why is this bachelorette wanting to get married wading around in the muck while little boys watch?’

You couldn’t be any redder if you tried. You wipe your hands on your overalls, and try stuttering out a reply, but the kids speak up and immediately cut you off.

‘WHAT? Y/N IS GETTING MARRIED?’

‘NO! I FORBID IT!’

One of them began tearing up while the other immediately got mad at Yuri. He looked back at his crying brother, then at the adult man. ‘YOU CAN’T HAVE Y/N! TELL HIM!’ He moved to face you, face red with fury and he stamped his feet.

‘TELL HIM YOU CAN’T MARRY HIM! DAD SAID YOU WOULD NEVER CUT IT AS A WIFE ANYWAYS!’

The sudden attack on your pride left you speechless and made Yuri unexpectedly have to hold in his laughter.

‘KRIS! THAT’S-‘

‘YOU’RE LAZY, UGLY AND UNDESH-UN-deshire-‘

The other kid chimed in with a sob.

‘UNDESIRABLE!’

‘YEAH! YOU CAN’T MARRY ANYONE! YOU HAVE TO COME BACK HOME!’

You were wrong. You were so wrong. You could get so much more embarrassed. You began shaking from the shame and Yuri was not containing his laughter anymore, clutching his bags and hiding his face as he let it all out.

‘ALRIGHT ALRIGHT, IT’S NOT THAT FUNNY, YURI, SHUT UP!’ You climbed the ledge and moved right over to the kids, handing them a toy plane that was battered but not broken.

‘I’m NOT getting married to him! He’s just a friend! ... And I couldn’t find the soldier, I’m sorry.’

The boys looked at their plane, then back at the shore over the ledge. They gave a salute.

‘We lost another one.’

‘Rest in Peace, Charlie.’

Yuri had seen enough. He finally calmed down, but his smile was still evident.

‘These are your brothers?’

‘Yeah.’ You moved to be beside him. ‘I know, we don’t look… anything alike. We uh… have different fathers.’

… right. Yuri had read about your family. He looked over the boys who were cautiously looking back at him. They looked like kittens ready to fight.

‘So you have friends now?’

‘How come we’ve never seen him before?!’

‘He looks shifty…’

… they were funny at first but it was clear now Yuri would not get along with them. His face hardened back to a familiar glare that spooked the kids. You stepped in.

‘I assure you two, Yuri is very trustworthy. He works in the government offices! That’s one of the most respectable jobs anyone could hope to have!’

The kids didn’t look convinced and moved to be closer to you. Yuri didn’t mind. He supposed it was time for him to go anyways.

‘Since I know now that this situation is… under control. I think I’ll take my leave now.’

‘Oh- uh, sure but, do you need any help with your groceries?’

‘I can manage-‘

His response was interrupted by the sibling’s screams. They didn’t want you to go with him, and they were holding onto your clothing as you had stepped up to help Yuri. They wanted you to stay talking to them. Your eyebrows furrowed and you smiled, a bit sadly.

‘I’m sorry, you two, but you should really get going. We all know how mom gets when you’re late coming home.’

‘But we haven’t seen you in forever!’

‘You never visit!!’

You made a pained expression. It didn’t go unnoticed by Yuri.

You crouched to be on their level, and you held both their hands. You promised to try to visit them soon. The kids didn’t believe you, but you insisted. At their crying, you gave them a hug and told them that you loved them. That you missed them every day. Shakily… they repeated it back.

They clung to you and made you pinkie swear to let them see you again soon.

The kids went off a little ways after, and it left the two adults alone. You turned back to Yuri, face trying to smile like normal, and asked him again if you could help him bring his food to his place. Yuri narrowed his eyes at you.

‘You’re going to get married.’

‘Yes? And?’

‘…. You’re going to see them there, right?’

The thought of it struck you, and made you laugh. ‘Maybe… we’ll see if there’s enough time for a ceremony.’

You were trying to be optimistic. Yuri knew there probably wouldn’t be, but the image was… enough for now. He took in a breath and handed you a bag.

‘Come on. Follow me.’

He invited you to his home for a change and tried giving you some of his cooking.

It was terrible. But you stomached it because this was Yuri’s attempt at cheering you up.

Looking for candidates is an ongoing trial. They all largely suck, and you’ve shut them all down except… one of them is looking like the best. He has a good job, he’s your age, he seems like a good guy and on top of all that… he’s also good looking!

Just in time, too. The deadline for the law was still being decided but… it was looking like it’d be close. Too close. This could be your last chance.

Yuri tells you about it. You see his picture and nod along to the things Yuri has pointed out. Though not as excited about it as he hoped you’d be, he still takes you agreeing to see him as a victory. Now came the harder part.

Yuri is nervous with figuring out how to convince him into giving you a shot, but everything seemed to work itself out when Yuri tried finding him in a café he frequented and…. Awkwardly casually beginning a chat with him. He strung along their conversation from ‘what makes a good coffee’ to ‘wanting to find a good wife to marry and make it for you every morning’ like a poet that lost his credibility. He posed as your friend, and was clear about his intent to set you two up on a date tomorrow. Despite his lackluster performance, the man took a look at your photo and agreed with a laugh. It was like a miracle had occurred for Yuri.

This was PERFECT!

He orders you to dress up in your best. He’s made reservations somewhere good. It’s all up to you now! He won’t meddle in this any longer. He’s done his job. You agree he has and thank him for his help. You say you can take it from here.

So, he left your apartment without worry. Everything was right on track! You would dress nicely. You two would have a nice talk. The atmosphere in the restaurant would be lovely…

… this was it, wasn’t it?

No more of your daily cooking. No more brainstorms. No more visits. Sure… Yuri concedes he may… think you’re a friend worth checking up on but…

What kind of husband would allow their wife to have another man visit them?

Yuri got ready for bed, feeling as if he was losing something. His stomach was in knots over tomorrow.

This weekend.

Yuri got the confirmation on the date the new law would pass. It would be this weekend.

Despite his protests to himself all day, this new information won over his initial promise to stay out of the date. He dressed himself up and called the restaurant. Pulled some strings and made it to his reservation in, what he was hoping was the middle of your date. He knew where you were immediately, and not just because he plotted where you’d sit.

Your get up… was not up to this place’s standards. Yuri had a hand to his temple as he sat down across the room and glared at you. There shouldn’t be a next time, but if there is… he’ll smother you into a dress. You both had been served your food, at least, but though the man was eagerly eating and talking, you… hadn’t touched your food. And you weren't talking. You had on the face you used to make around Yuri when you both first met. It was the fake, pained smile.

Something was wrong.

Yuri tried calming his nerves as a waiter came to ask him what he’d like to drink. You were probably just nervous still. He was considering ordering you some alcohol to loosen you up when a loud smacking noise interrupted all chatter.

You had slapped your candidate. The restaurant was aghast.

Yuri asked for a bottle of their strongest alcohol to go.

He caught you on your way out, bottle in hand, and walked you home. You didn’t even question why he was there, you had already suspected his meddling as you’ve come to know how much he loves it. You merely take the bottle and open it. So begins your night drinking with Yuri.

You tell him, plain and frankly before he can ask what happened, that the man wasn’t a good person and Yuri… accepts it at first. Tries to. One thing at a time. First, he’s commenting on the ways you failed even before getting to the restaurant until you’re both in your home.

You invite him in just as he finished explaining the etiquette of how to sit properly. Without slouching. Then you both sat in your couch, and he asked you again to explain what was so bad about the man. You laugh bitterly as you go to a cabinet to get another drink, wine this time. You offer him some. After you’ve both been poured a glass, you finally explain.

You’re slurring your words a bit but your infuriation still keeps your memory fresh. You are laying all the man's faults down, things that were obvious to you, but a drunken Yuri is not particularly letting himself be convinced. It becomes obvious the more you go on that he doesn’t actually believe you.

And this is confirmed as he stops you to… begin calling you picky. He thinks you’re dragging out a process that could’ve been infinitely simpler if you just SETTLED instead of insisting on waiting for your prince charming. You have responsibilities. You have family. Why are you focusing on such trivial details?

‘It’s like you don’t really want to get married! Isn’t the most important thing that you stay-‘

He is attacked by a pillow. He drops his drink. He’s in shock as it slips from his face, ready to yell at you.

‘WHAT THE HELL?!’

‘OF COURSE I'M NOT WAITING FOR MY PRINCE CHARMING!’

‘WELL, YOU’RE ACTING LIKE YOU ARE! WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT THAT GUY? SO HE WAS A LITTLE BRASH? THIS IS A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE. WHY WOULD HIS PERSONALITY-‘

‘I KNOW HIS TYPE.’ You cut him off. You’re crying. He’s staring.

‘The way he talked about me… the way he ogled me… he is NOT a good man! I never ASKED you for someone with good looks. I never said anything about love. I JUST WANT SOMEONE WHO WILL RESPECT ME!’

Yuri… narrows his eyes. He doesn’t really get it. He feels more sober now and is in a huff and gets up, too annoyed to continue the conversation.

‘Whatever. Then we’re back to square one and the law will be in place this weekend.’

You look at him with wide eyes. That soon? Yuri grunts as he picks up his things.

‘I’ll be back tomorrow with more candidates. No more of your prerequisites. We are going to look at ANYONE we can.’

Your mouth is glued shut. You can only curl up and stare miserably at the spilled alcohol on the floor as he leaves.

Yuri was planning on just another day at work. He was going to put his entire focus into it! Let out all his emotions by being productive! … He wasn’t counting on them sending him home earlier because he finished his interrogation so fast. The boss gave him a pat on the back and told him to get himself a treat.

Yuri wasn’t one for indulging in things much… but he decided to today. He’s been feeling like he had two jobs because of you. He went inside a bakery on the way to you and ran into the person he least wanted to see. With a bruise in his cheek.

The man sees Yuri and walks straight over to him. Yuri prepares himself for the damage control. It goes down as things usually do.

He’s livid, complaining about what you did. Yuri apologizes.

He recounts how everything about you was not as he said. He apologizes profusely.

The man loses most of his steam by this point and keeps hammering in how disinterested you were in him since the beginning, how he was so kind as to overlook your appearance and your low tone and your weird sense of humor because he knew you were an immigrant. He wanted to give you a chance. Yuri simply nods along, finding all these points valid. Now the man is feeling better.

The man decides… to be kind to Yuri about it. He was just trying to help a friend out. That was admirable of him. With this stroke of good luck, Yuri takes the compliment and offers to pay for the man’s pastry as another apology. The man is smiling now and patting his back as his boss does. Everything has been smoothed over. It was this easy. But-

The man has more to talk about as they wait for their food. He asks Yuri if he ‘has anymore immigrant lady friends.’ Yuri furrows a brow and says that he doesn’t.

‘That’s a shame… I really would like to date a girl from that country.’

‘….. Why?’

The things the man begins to detail make Yuri’s eyes widen. You were right.

This man was not good.

And he was most definitely not allowed to be anywhere near Yor.

There was a commotion in the bakery, as the man received another, harder hit in his other cheek. Yuri did pay for his pastry… which he dropped in his face. He gave the cashier extra money for the disturbance and excused himself. He had more stuff to think about on his walk home. He didn’t visit you that day.

He had pictures of all the men he once thought were suitable for you displayed on his floor. They all passed some level of psychological and temperament checks… but if that guy had been holding onto thoughts like those… who was to say any of them were different?

How was he supposed to know? How could he trust in this process anymore? He sat in his couch and groaned in frustration. There were only five more days until the due date. You had to be married in five days.

… there’s really no time. And no more leads. Everything was doomed. You were doomed.

…. Unless….

That night was storming. You love the sound of rain and thunder. You wonder if it’ll be the same once you’re gone… You were lost in your melancholy when a harsh knocking made you almost drop your favorite mug. You weren’t expecting anyone… You slowly move to the door to open it.

You are greeted by a drenched, and evil looking Yuri standing way too close to the door.

‘I’m sorry-‘

SLAM.

You’d think you were used to his creepy aura by then but… it was instinct at this point. You sigh, calming yourself down as you open the door again.

‘For the love of everything, Yuri, PLEASE DON’T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!!!!’

‘I CAME TO APOLOGIZE!’

This finally caught your attention. You looked right at his eyes. He was being serious as he went on about how he’s been wrong in his judgment.

He thought you were an immigrant with no value, but his sister and your siblings loved you. He thought you were dumb because of your previous works but you’ve shown time and time again to be handy, creative and intuitive. He thought you were being picky… but he was the one overlooking your needs. For all this… he is sorry.

You blink. An apologetic Yuri. … His face is as cute as Yor described. You can’t help laugh, surprising him.

‘Alright, you’ve apologized. Now come in. You can make it up to me by taking off that coat and telling me of other candidates.’

‘Y/N…’

You drag him inside and close the door. ‘Come on! The coat! You’re soaked… I’ll go bring you a towel. I know we’re in a time-crunch, but you didn’t have to come running for an apology!’

‘Y/N!’

‘Yes yes, sit down while I get you that towel. Do you want a warm drink too? I made something for myself but I’m not sure if you’ll like it-‘

‘Y/N, I think it’s time we stopped looking for your husband.’

You stop. You turn around. He was being apologetic just a second ago… where was he coming with this?

‘Why?’ Your tone is hard. ‘Are you giving up on me?’

‘No…’ Yuri shakes his head and looked away. His expression… was one you hadn’t seen before. ‘I just… thought of a better…. Faster solution.’ He sighed into his hands as he hid his face. You crossed your arms.

‘Oh? And what’s that?’

He took the biggest breath you’ve ever seen him take. And groaned. It was like looking at a child that was told to do his homework.

‘I guess… I’m going to marry you.’

You dropped your mug.

Part 3: Here

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not-poignant · 7 months

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There’s going to be a Lone Wolf part 4 ??!!?? I thought it was all ending with nascent diplomat, I’m so excited!

Yes!

Part three will end with the vench, basically.

Part four of The Lone Wolf will focus on Gwyn and the Raven Prince's healing connection, and Augus + Gwyn's growing relationship which can evolve more naturally once they're away from the vench.

It'll be the final installment.

Initially the plan was to have Gwyn and Augus fully hooked up by the end of their time with the vench, but I realised it's just too much of an unnatural environment for Gwyn, and he can't do much while his magic is still wounded. But once that's healed, everything will kick off.

I don't think it will be as long as The Nascent Diplomat because the storyline is a lot softer, so I think it's going to be more of a gentle extended epilogue, sort of like Constellations. All in all, tND will probably the longest story in the series, and part 4 will be the second longest.

#asks and answers #the nascent diplomat #the lone wolf #i'm sitting on the title of the final installment #but i think you'll all like it #i was going to do it all together #but it just didn't feel right #i can feel the story of tND closing slowly and it's like #it's not going to feel right to then 'revive' it #it is reaching a natural end #and then the next part #well the acronym is tUP #heh #tLW then tKD then tND and finally tUP

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possamble · 17 days

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seconding that anon abt the worldbuilding accuracy, i wouldnt have given it a second thought myself lol. personally im more of a character dynamics guy so its v much "source: dude trust me" meme situation except its me as a reader trusting u as the author abt that stuff -- tunnel anon

you guys are so nice to me. but you cannot trust me like that i am too stupid. it used to be "a three hour walk" until i actually double-checked and was like ooohhhhh that is geographically impossible. okay. cool.

#asks #tunnel anon #fine. i'll admit it. i preen when people tell me that a little creature is just postcanon to them bc that's what im trying to do.#craft the perfect logical continuation of the story as faithfully as possible but in the direction that i want #and the details haunt me every time i try to write slkdfjvndf #if you had any idea how much i know about the history of upholstered furniture now #because i was trying to pinpoint the century/time period dunmeshi's brand of fantasy is going for #so that i could definitively talk about what kind of new things they'd have to be installing in the castle #anyway. thank you for the mother's day well wishes but alas my mother is a 14 hour flight away and i miss her dearly #but i will let her know that the funny internet people who like my writing send their regards #im hoping to see her next year ish if i can save up for it

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zer0pm · 11 months

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Just saw the new Spiderverse movie.

Miguel O’Hara’s posterior.

That is all.

#you can write stories about his butt #don’t tempt me I might #miguel o'hara #serious talk though #spiderman #Spider-Man across the spiderverse #is a visual delight #I can’t wait for the next one #the animation #the cinematography #the voice acting and story #chefs kiss #can’t wait for the next installment

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fromtheseventhhell · 2 months

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Saw someone say that if TWOW gets released they aren't going to bother rereading the books, just wait for someone to make a "what you need to know" recap post/video...my dreams of this fandom choosing literacy have died 😔

#it truly was a dream for spring...#the worst part is that I'm not even surprised this is exactly what I expect from this fandom at this point #getting a nice recap of fanon before reading the next installment...gonna be confused as hell 😭#need George to release TWOW for the real book readers who appreciate the story

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threadsun · 10 months

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Ok, I don't think we're at splitting it into parts territory yet, but we might just get there if I keep making these longer each time, but without further a due, here is the true beginning of the cult town au

You still can’t fucking believe you’re doing this, how did you get here again? Oh, right, the letter. Not a letter in your mailbox, or even under the front door, no, that would make too much sense. This letter was tucked safely under your pillow next to a concerningly sticky spot right next to your head. The letter was about your dad, he had recently passed and he left you his house and his whole ass cult in his will. No, really, in the will it says “and my whole ass cult” Apparently your father had a sense of humor

Your mother warned you not to go, urging you to come with her to flee the country, but something about this was too insane to not delve into. You also felt bad for all those poor people your father must have tricked, people don’t just decide to move to a commune because they’re in a good place in life, maybe you could help them out, change some lives. Or maybe the thought of having a whole town under your control sounded just a little too good to pass up. Either way, you packed everything important in a few bags and suitcases and plugged the address into your GPS

It was a few hours drive, and your car was making some concerning noises an hour or so out, but you pressed on, hoping this little town had a mechanic. You manage to get your car to pull through just long enough to get you into town and into a gas station parking space. You noticed the gas station had clearly seen better days, not because it was dirty at all, but because of how old it looked, the pumps didn’t even have card readers on them

While looking around, wondering just what you should do next, you read the sign of the shop right next door “Jo’s Repair Shop” You guessed it was common sense to have a repair shop right next to a gas station. As you walk over you spot a guy on his smoke break, you’d hate to bother him but you did need your car looked at. Yep, that’s it, that's the only reason, it’s not just your excuse to talk to the handsome stranger, definitely not, that would be silly. Oh wow, he’s built like a brick house, can you even talk to this guy? Oh, fuck he’s looking at you, quick, just don’t be weird

“Howdy” Howdy? Your one job was to be normal and you open with Howdy??? Wait, he laughed, god he sounds nice, at least he thinks you’re funny instead of stupid. You ask that after his break he looks at your car because of the noise it keeps making “Oh, that was your car? I thought someone was killing a dog out here” He chuckles and you can’t help but feel a bit flustered, you can’t tell if the feeling comes from having made that noise on the road for about an hour now, or because of how nice his voice was to listen to

He tells you it’s no trouble and puts out his cig, saying “I really need to quit anyhow” before letting you lead the way to your car. He gives your car a good once over before looking back at you “Well, I’ll be honest with you, it’s a miracle you got this far, doll. Your breaks are shot and your engine almost looks like it’s been cut with something. Sorry to say, but I don’t think I can get her up and running again, at least not cheaper than just buying a new car”

Great, just great, moving into a new town with no car, awesome. You sigh and thank him for the trouble, asking how much he wanted for the once over. He tilts his head “How much? I just looked at it, doll you don’t gotta pay me anything” …Doll? Doll??? Is this man trying to kill you? It didn’t register the first time he said it but it sure is now. You stutter out a thank you and ask how far out the founder’s house is “Oh…uh, from here it’s about a mile, but there’s not much of a reason to go. The founder died about a week ago” His eyes glaze over as he speaks, like he’s not even here. You tell him you know about your father’s recent passing, and apologize for bringing it up, saying he clearly meant more to him than he ever did to you

Joseph takes a moment, you can almost hear him trying to grind the rust off the gears in his head “Wait, father, like…like he’s your dad? Or was, I guess, but you’re-you…you’re the founder’s kid?” You have to stifle a laugh before confirming that yes, your dad was indeed your dad “...Holy shit-uh, sorry, I shouldn’t cuss in front of you, unless you want me to? God, you saw me smoke” He runs his hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down “Sorry, let’s start over. I’m Joseph, it’s an honor to meet you, your grace”

You’re a little taken aback by his shift in tone but also a bit flattered. You tell him your name and that it’s nice to meet him as well, not missing the small shudder that runs through him when you say his name. He quietly says your name, testing how it feels on his tongue, the way he looks at you when he says it sends up to your cheeks “Well since you’re moving in you probably have quite a bit in your trunk, so we’ll need someone to move it. I mean, I don’t have a doubt everyone in town would pitch in to help you out but you look a little overwhelmed already”

You nod, you’ve only been here for about fifteen-thirty minutes and you’re already a bit shaken, the long drive here probably wasn’t helping things “Hm, why don’t I take you over to Laurent’s place? The actual restaurant is closed because Jean broke his arm but the bakery and frozen section are still open. We’ll get some food in you and I’ll talk to Berry about bringing his car over to haul your stuff” You agree, thanking him for all the trouble, he just laughs, and you can’t help be notice just how fake his other one’s sounded in comparison “If this is trouble I’d love to see what you think doing someone a favor is. Now come on, let’s get you something to eat” You make sure to lock your car before walking off with your new acquaintance, still nervous but excited to see where today will take you

I need you to know that as soon as I got this ask I put everything down to read it aloud to Moon and now we're just rambling about how good it is!!!! We're so invested in this AU!!!!

#sunshine #cult town au #god I love when a story fits my OC so well that I can vividly imagine them in it 🥰#I am eating this au with a knife and fork it is sooooo good #I feel like the printing press has just been invented and I'm waiting with baited breath for my favourite serial publication's #next installment!!!!!!

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archaeopter-ace · 9 months

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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.

#my writing #don't listen to kafka #trollhunters #tales of arcadia #the working title of the next installment was 'Apoptosis' (programmed cell death) but I didn't actually want to use that #bc I myself have gotten that mixed up with 'Autoeponym' in my notes. polysyllabic jargon words beginning with A for the win!#I'm releasing this into the world knowing full well that it could satisfy my need to share this story so well that #i will never again feel the urge to write it out. and i think i need make my peace with that

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