(A/N quick warning. some Toby x Jim x Claire so if you don't like it, either don't read or don't say anything. also this will be a long chapter)
Jim walked outside the book shop and remembered he hit his head on the wall. rubbing the back of his head, the teen looked over to where he had been only to be in terrified shock. seeing the damages he had left, he was surprised he was only out for a few hours. a dent in the wall so big, ARRRGGH! could easily fit his fist in it and a crack that split the wall straight up to the roof. Douxie hadn't mentioned any cost to fix the damages, he was sure it would be repaired magically, more literally than figuratively. but he would make sure to pay the wizard back in some fashion.
making sure his helmet was on right, Jim hopped on his bike and rode off to home. if his memory served right, today they were going on the museum field trip. Eli would show his picture and the goblin chaos would ensue. with luck the goblins will lead Toby back to the museum and they would find Killahead bridge. wait, Killahead. it was about halfway completed when they first found it but the final peace was the trollhunter had to open it. Jim didn't want it getting that close again. he had to make sure they couldn't complete the bridge.
the ride home was uneventful as was the next couple of hours before Jim had to start getting ready for school. around 6:30, Jim was working away in the kitchen. making three lunches, one for himself, Toby, and his mother. sticking one of the bags into the fridge as usual, the once trollhunter headed out to the bike he nearly crashed last night. his best friend, already waiting outside for him. the stout teen had concern all over his facial expression. Jim gave a smile to his friend and handed him his lunch. Toby took it mindlessly and stated his questioning.
"Dude, where were you last night? i thought you were going to come to trollmarket right after rehearsals." putting the bag inside his backpack without even looking at its contents. he trusted whatever Jim gave him was delicious.
"yeah sorry Tobes. i wasn't feeling that great after rehearsals, so i just came straight home and passed out for a while. sorry for not texting you." Jim had to hide his shock. where did such a good lie come from? he wasn't even thinking. they both hopped on their bikes and rode down the street.
"eh, its alright. nothing too exciting happened anyway." Toby said, taking one hand off the handle bars right as he hit a rock, shaking the bike. his hand fast back to the bar to steady himself. "Bagdwella wouldn't stop screaming about a gnome infestation in her shop, but when we got there, none of those little guys were to be seen. i think shes lost it." Toby laughed. as did Jim, knowing that that woman was never done screaming about gnomes. but it was odd that Chompsky just up and left without a fuss like last time. maybe he would be back later. Jim shivered at the thought of having to use the furgolator again. " you ready for the field trip today?" Toby asked trying to get the conversation started again.
random subjects were thrown into the conversation from there. all the way to the school and on the bus as they headed to the museum. Jim loved talking to his best friend as if they were just normal teens. to feel normal, only if for a moment. conversation cut short, as a water bottle came flying at the seat they were sitting in. looking for where the projectile came from, they found none other than Steve. looking very smug as usual, him and his 'friends' laughed at the duo. the jock hadn't been much of a problem as of late. for one, Jim didn't start that fight with him the day Toby found the amulet, but regrettably didn't save Eli from being stuffed in a locker either. rolling his eyes, Jim sat back down and tried to start the conversation where they left off. Toby followed in toe, trying to ignore the blond bully.
arriving at the museum, Nomura started her speech with a kindness Jim didn't know she was capable of. almost forgetting that she was a spy and had an appearance to keep up. Stickler cut her off, bringing up the time crunch they were on and let the teens roam free in the museum. only now did Jim see a point to that. the two changelings probably had things to discuss in privet. the two friends wandered the halls as they made their way upstairs. catching a glimpse of Steve trying his best to sweat talk Claire as she tried to appreciate an old dress from centuries ago. the same dress looked shockingly similar if not the same as the one the shadowmancer wore on their time trip to Camelot, Jim noted. Steve caught sight of his onlookers (mostly Jim) and his lips pulled up into a smirk. walking around Claire then facing away started to pretend to make out with her. Jim cringed and internally gagged. he had almost forgotten how much of a dick Steve was at the start of sophomore year.
Toby mirrored Jim as he cringed at the sight as well. the young trollhunter knew of his best friend's crush, so in a brilliant move, he dragged his friend closer to the scene. Jim knew where this was going.
"Hey, Steve! Did you hear about the Neanderthal exhibit? - Topless." Toby uttered, as the jock stood up, now full intrigued.
"nice, cave ladies." Steve said to himself as he walked off to be a normal teenage boy. Toby signaled for his best friend to come closer. Jim rolled his eyes playfully. he flowed into an easy conversation with Claire. as they talked, Toby watched his best friend work in shock. just a few weeks ago, Jim would have been stuttering just by waving at her in the halls and now he was like a rizz master. in fact she seemed more finicky than he did. Toby was a little jealous. he had had a crush on Jim for a long time now and he was a little upset that Jim was acting as if him and Claire were already dating. but he could see the appeal that his friend had for the Latina. she was nice, smart, and good looking. he was pansexual and open to be polyamorous, but he didn't want to pry into Jim's love life like that and as long as Jim was happy, Toby was.
the short teen was pulled from his daze as he heard Eli talking in a panic trying to get a group of kids to look at a picture he had on his phone. intrigued, Toby walked up to the group to see the picture. it was a selfie of Eli next to something green splattered on the road. Toby knew it had to be something trollhunter related and was quick to get rid of the evidence.
" Hey, Eli, can I see your phone real quick?" the new trollhunter swiped the phone from the petite teen. tapping on the screen and deleting the photo. "oh, darn, sorry."
"What the heck? You deleted it?" the boy with glasses asked, voice cracking. he grabbed his phone back in distraught. a small whine escaping his mouth as he walked away from Toby.
"Darn these stubby little fingers. If it's any consolation, I believed you." Toby said, coming up with an excuse and trying to comfort the small teen. turning back to his partner in crime, he knew he had to break up the conversation that he just kinda forced them into. cringing at that thought, he walked over.
Jim was having a great time talking to Claire. it was so much easier when you were on her good side. it also helped that he wasn't a total flake in the play. he knew he would have to excuse himself soon, as he needed to get something done before they left the museum. he saw Toby speed walking over to them out of the corner of his eye and knew what was about to ensue.
"h-hey Jimbo. we have a slight problem." his best friend hissed through his teeth. motioning for the taller teen to follow him to a secluded corner to talk. Jim nodded as Toby walked off to said corner.
"uh, sorry. i'll talk to you later?" Romeo half asked as he walked backwards towards his friend. Claire gave a small giggle and a wave as she headed for a different exhibit. turning around to face him, he gave Toby a questioning look.
"so Eli got a picture of some weird troll thing and i just deleted it. but i think we should go check it out. just to make sure it's nothing serious." Toby whisper yelled as he rambled. looking up at Jim for confirmation. it was weird for Toby to still seek permission from the once trollhunter now that it was Toby who carried the amulet, but Jim brushed it off.
"yeah, we can tell Blinky and ARRRGGH! and go look at it tonight." Jim kinda summed up. "there's no point in going to check it out now. we wouldn't be able to get away from the teachers. plus Blinky knows a lot more about this stuff than we do so his help would be great." Jim blabbed as he reasoned with his best friend. Toby nodded, agreeing with his plan of action, when something caught his eye. gasping, Toby ran off from his friend to look at the gems and minerals exhibit. although not as big as the rock show when they had to fight the gruesome, rocks none the less would always get the short teens attention. Jim chuckled at his friend's antics and used the opportunity to pull away from the group.
going back downstairs, he walked towards the room blocked off by construction tape and 'DO NOT ENTER' signs. taking one more look around to make sure no one was around, he ducked under the tape and snuck into the room that held Killahead bridge. searching for any sign of a presence that might be protecting the bridge, he found none. he guessed they had no reason to protect it during the day when most of their enemies were nocturnal. he walked around the half built bridge and pulled up the tarp that was covering it, just slightly. he gently grabbed one of the smaller bricks and started to pull it free from the rest.
finally getting the peace loose, he stuffed it in his satchel bag and headed back out as quickly as he could. leaving everything the way he found it. he ducked out of the room and looked around. no one was there, which was a relief. Jim didn't feel like coming up with an excuse as to why he was in a 'do not enter' zone. he walked back to the group with a smile on his face. that smile was hard to keep as he saw Stickler notice his absence.
"Mr. Lake, where might you have been?" the teacher questioned him. Jim looked up at his once to be step father with an awkward smile.
"um, I just had to go to the bathroom." Jim said sheepishly as he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. his teacher gave him a nod, happy with that answer, as he gestured his favorite student to rejoin the group of teens. the slim teen walked over and started an easy conversation with his best friend.
there was no play rehearsal tonight, so Jim and Toby went straight to trollmarket to tell the trolls about what happened. that was how Jim found himself standing behind a fence with ARRRGGH!. Toby was a couple yards ahead, behind the very bush Jim had sat behind with Blinky the first time around.
"It's already nine o'clock. Ugh. It appears the only thing being delivered is failed expectations." Blinky groaned into the walkie-talkie. Jim huffed a small laugh as the giant troll next to him copied. something was off, and Jim could feel it. looking over at his friend, Jim realized that he was sitting still. Toby wasn't running in place or doing jumping jacks like last time. Sh!t, Jim internally cursed. Toby didn't have the chubby tracker. the only thing that was going to end up leading them to the goblins nest back at the museum. Jim scrunched his face up in concentration trying to come up with something that would work.
his amulet started to act up again, not a whole lot but it was enough for Jim to really notice. he tried to calm his breathing and clear his mind as he felt something inch up his fingers. he looked down at the gloves he had been wearing all day to hide the strange coloration. he took them off and looked at his fingers. the stone skin was creeping over his knuckles at this point. he had no idea what he was going to do with them. he sighed, catching the kurbara's attention. ARRRGGH! looked down at the teen then the boy's hands as he followed his line of sight.
"Jim ok?" the pacifist whispered with a lot of concern in his voice. Jim nearly jumped out of skin. he forgot ARRRGGH! was right next to him. shoving his hands in his pockets out of panic, the teen looked up with wide eyes and a panicked smile.
"oh yeah, I'm fine. just great." Jim said, waving his hand in the air once he got his glove back on. the trolls face grew in confusion and concern as he looked at the boys mouth.
"teeth pointy." the gentle giant pointed out as he tapped his own tusks. Jim now even more panicked, reached up to touch his bottom canines. to his horror, they were, in fact, pointy. not too much bigger than they had been but definitely sharper. ARRRGGH! knew plenty about changelings, but he didn't think any had a halfway form between human and troll. he could also see the boy was in distress. so he didn't think he was a spy and just saw him as what he was, a scared child. human or troll, this boy didn't know what was happening to him, so ARRRGGH! did his best to comfort the panicking whelp. just before the troll was about to touch the boy, the walkie started talking again.
"hey, the delivery truck is here." Toby announced, pulling both troll and teen back to the situation at hand. the four of them watched the truck driver get out and disappear into Eli's house. Jim inhaled through his nose and had to take another whiff. he could smell the goblins before he could see them. great, first my fingers, then my teeth, and now my sense of smell? Jim asked himself, getting a little annoyed at his body. him and ARRRGGH! had a better view once the goblins started knocking out the street lamps. Toby was just about to jump out of the bush when Blinky pulled him back, noticing the green vermins.
"There appears to be far more than I had anticipated." the blue troll whispered into the voice box as he held the trollhunter back. "Stay down and don't make a sound. In their frenzied state, they'll attack any in their path." Toby looked horrified as the goblins started tearing the truck apart just like last time. Jim couldn't blame his friend. Jim himself was scared of the goblins the first time he saw them as well but now they were just a pain in the rear. "Unexpected. Their dispute isn't with the driver at all, but rather the transportation that had flattened their kinsman." Blinky informed as a sort of reasoning behind the goblins actions. "Ooh, you must not be afraid, Master Tobias."
" i thought that was the first rule. always be afraid?" Toby shot back. Blinky hadn't turned off the walkie, so ARRRGGH! and Jim got to hear the chaos that was their conversation. Jim turned on his walkie, knowing what the troll next to him was about to say.
"Trolls, not goblins." ARRRGGH! rumbled, shaking his when saying 'goblins'.
"Goblins crave the pheromone of terror, an odor you appear to be releasing quite generously." Blinky informed, taking a whiff of Toby. in shock and panic, Toby turned to the troll next to him.
"you mean they can smell fear?!?!" Toby asked loudly. he cringed at his volume as soon as he said those words and the two of them looked up in fear to see the goblins had heard him. as they both started running for their lives, the goblins followed in hot pursuit. Jim swung himself over the fence and ran off after them with ARRRGGH! not far behind. with that, the chase was on.
(A/N ohhh cliff hanger. The next chapter will be more action. I'm a big believer in the fact Toby once had a crush on Jim. the way they don't have a normal teen boy friendship, even if they have been friends since like kindergarten. they are very touchy-feely with each other, and i know i can't put all friendships into one category, but they just seem a lot closer than just friends. in 'Blinkys day out' even Jim pointed out that he didn't think it mattered to Toby who was under the mole costume, even if it ended up being a girl. because of these reasoning, i believe Toby to be pansexual. (meaning he can like anyone regardless of gender) and for those who don't know what polyamorous is, it means to be in a relationship with more than one partner or as a group. thank you for reading and i hoped you enjoyed.) word count - 2810 not including A/N's