Warning: This chapter has a moment that is somewhere between an orange and a lime. Just hinting at something happening... Damn...never thought I would actually end up using the citrus scale...that went out of use just before I started writing fanfic...
Bagdwella looked over her bags and supplies, contemplating bringing her wagon with her.
"What do you think, Nolla?" She looked down at the gnome on her table, "Should we bring the wagon?"
Nolla chittered at her, still saying goodbye to her mate and young. Bagdwella rolled her eyes.
"Bagdwella?"
The trolless turned toward the voice and saw that it was Stricklander, the Trollhunter's changling spy, with his family.
"Are you going out tonight?"he asked.
"I had planned on it," she called back, Nolla crawling up to her shoulder,"Why?"
"Be extra careful tonight," the changling warned, "Bular's been in a bad mood lately and he'll be prowling tonight."
Bagdwella gave him one of her best grinns, "Thank you, Stricklander. But I can take care of myself."
Despite what she said, Bagdwella was glad that the spy was amongst them. He always warned the citizens of Heartstone Trollmarket if they had to be extra careful of Bular. She had often been the one to watch Stricklander's whelp when Blinky and Arrrgh were unavailable.
Gathering her bags, and making sure Nolla was ready to go, Bagdwella made her way to the chrystal staircase. She knew that the sun would still be out but that didn't bother her to much. She liked to watch the sun set before she set out scavenging. She sat in the shadow of the bridge, Nolla resting on her headband, and watched the sun she would never see clearly sink behind the hills that surrounded Arcadia Oaks(1).
With a smile, Bagdwella shifted her bags and ran out into the canal. Each step she took caused a light 'tap' to echo off the cement. It didn't take long to find a place to start scavenging. Bagdwella hung into the dumpster and let Nolla scurry around on her own. Her legs hung out of the dumpster, her feet hanging off the ground, while they searched for anything they could sell in the shop.
"Chitta chit!" Nolla held a large metal disc above her head.
"Oh! Let me see that!"
The gnome plopped the disk into Bagdwella's waiting hands and scurried up her arm. The trolless dropped back to the ground and brushed her ruby bangs out of her eyes in order to get a better look. The disk reflected the moonlight perfectly. She had no doubt that it would sell fast.(2)
"EEEEE! Chit chit chit!" Nolla began jumping about and screeching in terror.
Bagdwella jumped, clutching the disk to her chest in surprise, and turned to see what had frightened the gnome. Bular the Black stood at the end of the allyway, red eyes glinting in the light of the full moon.
Bagdwella screamed. She dropped the disk and backed as close to the dumpster as she could, squeezing her eyes shut.
After a moment of nothing happening, Bagdwella chanced opening her eyes. Bular was still standing at the end of the alley, but his sword had fallen from his hand and now lay by his feet. Bagdwella took a deap breath and stood to her full hight.
Bular peered down at her, "You're not scared. Why?"
Bagdwella met his eyes, "If-If you wanted me dead, you would have killed me."
The monstrous troll growled and scooped up his sword. Bagdwella gasped and backed against the dumpster once more. But Bular simply turned and marched away.
Bagdwella sighed and slid down the dumpster untill she was sitting on the ground.
"Chitta?" Nolla put her hand against Bagdwella's cheek.
"Th-that was...*groan*...I don't know. Let's just...hope it never happens again."
"Chit!"
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Bagdwella was unable to get her encounter with Bular out of her head. It had been two weeks and nothing had come of it. She had decided not to mention it to the Trollhunter or any of his team bacause, well, nothing had actually happened. Bular hadn't done anything, just talk to her.
"Hello?" An unfamiliar voice broke into her thoughts, "You're Bagdwella, right?"
Bagdwella turned and saw the wife of Stricklander's brother standing on her shop. The woman looked a little nervous.
"Yes, I'm Bagdwella," she smiled, trying to put the woman at ease, "What can I help you with, Mrs...."
"S-Scaarbach," the woman squeeked, "Lenora Scaarbach. Ha."
"What's so funny?"
"Oh! I'm just...not quite used to the whole 'Mrs. Lenora Scaarbach' thing yet," Lenora blushed.
"Oh! That's right! You haven't been married to him long, have you?"
"Nope," Lenora was beginning to relax, "We got married last week. Um. Walt mentioned that you specialize in common but beautiful stones? Do you have anything pink? About this big?"
"Hmm...I believe I do!" Bagdwella turned, "Nolla? Can you grab the Primrose Stone, please? It's on the top shelf.
"Chit!" The gnome scurried up the shelves to the ones Bagdwella was to short to reach.
"I-I thought trolls considered gnomes to be like rats?" Lenora mentioned.
"That's what Blinkus would have you fleshbags think," Bagdwella told her, "I believe a better comparison would be cats. Typically, I don't much care for gnomes myself. But, Nolla and her family are a special case. Ah! Here you go!"
"Oh! It's perfect!" Lenora began digging around in her purse for her trade materials.
"If you don't mind me asking," Bagdwella set the stone on the table, "what do you need it for?"
"Our new school musical," Lenora made the trade and put the primrose stone into her bag, "it's baced off 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. I'm going to use the stone as the love potion."
"Love potion! I'm intrigued. If you can find a way, I'd love to see this musical of yours!"
"I can have Walt or Barbara record it when they bring the kids. Then you and I can rig something up down here so you can watch it!"
"I'd love that! Thank you!"(3)
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Bagdwella and Nolla were out scavenging, again. It had been some months since their encounter with Bular the Black and they had both all but forgotten it. Well, almost.
Bagdwella was kneeling in an alley, looking threw a pile of discarded fleshbag junk. Nolla had scurried off to investigate further down the alley. Suddenly, Bagdwella felt something bump into her foot. Thinking it was Nolla, Bagdwella was surprised to find a sapphire sitting next to her foot. Ordinarily, it would have been somthing she could find in the caves. In it's raw state, anyway. This gem had been neatly polished and cut into a perfect sphere. Whoever had left it had certainly put a lot of work into it. She looked around for the owner.
What she found was a pair of fiery red eyes. It was clear that the Gumm-Gumm prince was trying to go unnoticed. Bagdwella couldn't help but chuckle.
"Bular?"
"Keep it."
His words were a deap growl.
"Thank you."
Bagdwella didn't know what else to say. Where had he gotten the sapphire? Why was he giving it to her?
All she heard was another quiet growl before complete silence.
"Chitta? Chit!" Nolla had returned.
Bagdwella shook herself out of her stupor and picked up her gnome, "It's lovely, isn't it? Whoever fixed it up sure put a lot of work into it."
As she gathered her bags and finds, Bagdwella found herself asking a question she never thought she'd ask.
'Does Bular the Black fancy me?!'
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"'Della? Can I ask you somthing?" Lenora asked.
She, Barbara, and Bagdwella were gathered around Bagdwella's keep for a litttle girls's night. Walt and Otto were more than capable of handling the whelps, no doubt's about that!
"Yes, Lenora?"
"Who are you seeing?"
"WHAT!" Bagdwella nearly dropped the rock cakes she was making, "What gave you the idea that I'm seeing anyone?"(4)
"You're making rock cakes," Barbara began, "To many for you alone and you know that we can't eat them. That, combined with the silly smile on your face and the new sapphire sphere, tipped us off."
"You've been complaining that you never have time to harvest gemstones these days," Lenora added.
Bagdwella hung her head, "Fine! Yes, the sapphire was a gift. And...it's...possible that he...fancys me..."
"OOOOO! He may fancy her!" Lenora teased.
"Come on," Barbara begged,"What's his name?"
Bagdwella could have sworn her heart stopped. There was no way she could tell her friends that she had seen (and survived being seen by) Bular the Black! Let alone that he may fancy her!
"Um! No! Um...a trolless has to have some secrets to herself you know!"
"AW!" Lenora pouted.
"Please, 'Dwella? A least tell us if you like him back?"
Bagdwella sat on the edge of her nest to think. Did she fancy Bular? Was it wrong if she did? Bular had killed many Trollhunters and fleshbags alike. What was to stop him from killing her or using her to get to Trollmarket?
"I-I don't know," she finally decided, "I've only met him twice. He was a little rude both times but... I don't know. He...What if he's a Gumm-Gumm? What if he's just using me to get to Trollmarket?"
Barbara and Lenora exchanged a look.
"I think both of our families are a testament that Gumm-Gumms can change," Lenora explained, "If he is a Gumm-Gumm."
"Of course, we're not saying to just up and trust him without getting to know him first," Barbara continued, "Why don't you try talking to Blinky? He married a former Gumm-Gumm GENERAL! If anyone can help you with this, it'll be him."(5)
'I'm pretty sure the Gumm-Gumm Prince rankes a little higher on the *Do Not Date* lists than the Gumm-Gumm General,' Bagdwella thought.
As if sensing her friend's unease, Lenora swooped to the rescue.
"Or your could try writing him a note in the basket with the rock cakes if you're not ready to say it face to face." (6)
Baggdwella's face lit up, "Lenora! You're a genius!"
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Bagdwella didn't know what she expected when wrote the note to Bular and tucked it into the basket with the sweets she had baked. A reply in the basket the next week was not it though. Bular's handwriting was surprisingly neat and his spelling and grammar perfect. Even his words were surprisingly eloquent.
'I guess that makes sense,' Bagdwella reasoned, "He may be a Gumm-Gumm but he is the prince.'
She found herself writing a reply back. Thus began a game that went on for five years. Bagdwella and Bular would write back and forth between eachother, leaving the letters in the same basket, in the same alley in which they had first met. Sometimes, they would even leave little gifts for eachother in the basket as well. They talked about themselves and about eachother but never about the Gumm-Gumms, the Trollhunter, or about Trollmarket. Exept that Bagdwella ran a shop there.
Their game came to an abrupt stop with a simple exchange.
Bular: Do you sell car parts?
Bagdwella: Yes. Why?
Bular: I have something I would like to show you. Only if you want to, though. I understand if you are not comfortable meeting face to face.
"What do I do!?" Bagdwella asked her friends, "Should I meet him?"
"Um...I don't know, 'Dwella."
"If you're not comfortable meeting him just tell him that," Barbara reasoned.
"It's kinda like what Mama and Papa told me about my internet friends," Mary pipped up from her spot in the floor, "Bring a friend, meet somewhere public, let others know where you'll be. Be careful."
"That's right," Lenora told her ten-year-old daughter, "But Tanta* Bagdwella's friend is a little different because she is stubborn and wont even tell us his NAME!"
"I'm sorry!"
"It's been FIVE YEARS Bagdwella!" Barbara said, "Do you even KNOW his name?"
"I do. And... if this relationship becomes serious, I'll tell you who he is. I'll bring Nolla with me when I meet him. If anything happens she can get help."
"I get the feeling this isn't how it really works and it's not how I'm supposed to do it?"
"No. And if you try it, you will be grounded... untill you die."
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'This was a bad idea!' Bagdwella chanted in her head.
She was standing in the alley, waiting for Bular. She was wearing her usual dress but had opted to wear her new headband. It was bioluminescent. Her heart pounded in her chest.
"Bagdwella?"
She turned around and found Bular standing at the end of the alley.
"Bular."
The giant troll didn't look any different from the last time Bagdwella saw him. Exept that hadn't brought his swords with him. Bagdwella took it as a small comfort, even though she knew he didn't need the swords to kill her.
"I-I am glad you felt comfortable enough to meet me tonight. I think you are going to really like what I have to show you."
He offered her what might have been a charming smile. She smiled back.
"Well then, lead the way."
Bular ushered her to walk beside him and they departed from the alley. The Gumm-Gumm prince led her to the outskirts of Arcadia, near the edge of the forests that covered the surrounding mountains. As they walked, Bagdwella felt her unease begin to ebb.
"Here we are."
Bular swept his arm out to gesture at the drive in movie theater.
"But this is a place fleshbags go."
Bagdwella looked up at Bular.
"Not anymore. They stopped coming here about a decade ago. Fleshbags think it's haunted. That...it has ghosts."
Bagdwella couldn't help but chuckle, "That's ridiculous! There's no such thing as ghosts!"
Bular laughed, "Shall we take a look around?"
Bagdwella was astonished when he offered her his hand. Shyly she accepted it and the two began exploring the abandoned drive in. However, it wasn't long before she gave into her excitement and began running around to look at all the different vehicles that had been abandoned with the drive in. She didn't notice the look on Bular's face.
"Punch bug!" She suddenly shouted as she slugged him in the arm.
It took her a moment to realize what she had done. Fear reclaimed her and she backed away quickly.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I don't know what I was th-"
"It's alright," Bular assured her, "In fact, it was funny. What is a punch...bug?"
"That is," Bagdwella pointed at the car in question, "A Volkswagen Beetle. When you see one, you punch the person closest to you. It's not meant to hurt. It's just for fun."
"Like this?"
Bular put his fist against Bagdwella's shoulder and pushed her away. Bagdwella noticed how she barely stumbled. Bular was surprisingly gentle.
"Yes. Just like that."
"Chitta?"
"Um...You have a gnome on your shoulder."
"This is Nolla," Bagdwella explained, "She goes everywhere with me. You-you don't mind, do you?"
Bular looked thoughtful for a moment, "No. I don't mind. As long as she doesn't bite me."
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Bagdwella couldn't hide her smile as she returned to her keep.
"How was your date?"
Bagdwella gave an unladylike shriek of surprise. How had Lenora gotten into her keep?
"You scared me, Lenora!"
"How was your date?"
'It was...it was really nice," Bagdwella admited, "I...I'm meeting him again next week."
"You arranged a second date!"Lenora lept forward and hugged her, "I can't believe this!"
Bagdwella hugged her best friend back, "I can't either. I really like him, Lenora."
Bagdwella released the Fairy and sat on the edge of her nest, "He was so kind and gentle. I wasn't expecting that at all. The other times I've met him he was rude and growled."
Lenora shrugged, "It has been five years. So, are you going to tell me his name?"
"I...I can't."
"Bagdwella! You said if things got serius that you would tell!"
"It's not serious yet!"
Lenora sat next to Bagdwella, "Is there a reason you can't tell me?"
"He-you have to promise not to say anything! Understood?"
Bagdwella could see the apprehension in Lenora's eyes.
'And she has good reason to. If she knew who he is!'
"Alright, 'Dwella. I trust you. Why can't you tell me?"
"He- He's a Gumm-Gumm. He...he's changing. I've seen the changes in his letters but he...he's still a Gumm-Gumm. If...When he changes for the good and leaves the Gumm-Gumms, I'll tell you who he is."
"And if he never changes?"
"I have to believe he can..."
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"What is that?" Bular asked.
Two years had passed in the blink of an eye. Meeting one night a week became two nights a week became three. Now, Bular and Bagdwella had explored most of the drive in theater. Or so they thought.
"It must be the projection room," Bagdwella began looking for the door to the little shack, "Fleshbags would have a projector inside and it would project an image on that screen there."
Bular was quick to nock down the door for her and the two slipped inside. Bagdwella soon found the old projector.
"I'll show you what I mean in just a moment," She told Bular, "If I can just remember how this works. Oh! Got it!"
The old machine kicked to life. Bular starred in awe as an image was projected on the broken screen outside.
Bagdwella turned on the sound and smiled when the sound came out just loud enough for the two of them.
"Go Grease Lightnin'! You're burnnin' up the quarter mile!
(Greases Lightnin'! Go Grease Lightnin')"
"What is this?"
"It's a fleshbag movie. A musical by the sound of it."
"Can...can we watch it?"
"Sure. But only until it's time to go home."
Bular reclined in the bed of an abandoned pickup truck and Bagdwella was quick to join him, nestled into his side.
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"What are they doing?"
Bagdwella had been meeting Bular for three years now. She couldn't deny that she had grown to love him and she was confident he loved her too. The fact that he told her he loved her every time he saw her kind of helped her come to that conclusion.
"That's kissing," Bagdwella explained, barely looking up from the car she was scavenging from, "Fleshbags use it as a sign of affection. They kiss their mates, their whelps, some even kiss their friends."
Bagdwella could hear Bular's tail thumping against the ground. He was thinking.
"Can we try it?"
Bagdwella hit her head on the hood of the car.
"What?!"
Bular looked away from the screen, "May we try kissing?"
Bagdwella starred at Bular. Kissing was a fleshbag practice. She hadn't even touched noses wth anyone in a hundred years! But she couldn't deny that it had fascinated her ever since the first time she saw Lenora and Otto kiss.
"Sure. Why not."
She turned from her car and climbed into Bular's lap, standing on his knees in order to reach his face. Bular reached his hand around the back of her head and carded his fingers threw her ruby hair. Bagdwella's heart pounded in her chest as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against Bular's. Bular wrapped his other arm around her waist and held her closer. Bagdwella wrapped her arms around his neck. When they finally broke apart their eyes were both wide.
"I see why fleshbags do this," Bular gasped.
Bagdwella nodded and pressed her lips against his again.
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It seemed to Bagdwella that the very next time she opened her eyes, the sun was up. Her and Bular were in the projector room and the sun was up.
Both her and Bular shot upright and looked around.
"That escalated quickly..." Bagdwella noted.
"The sun's up..."
"Lenora's gonna kill me. I'm supposed to watch her whelps while her and her mate go out of town."
Bular shifted around in the nest the two were lying in. They had made it the night before out of tarps and blankets they found in the projector room. Bagdwella turned off the projector and the speakers before returning to the nest.(7)
"So...is anybody going to be wondering where you are?"
"Probably not..."Bular curled around Bagdwella, one arm around her waist, his tail curled around her legs, "There is one changling who may notice that I'm not there and that's because I usually sleep where she works."(8)
Bagdwella nuzzled against his chest, "Well, I miss you when we're apart."
Bular pressed his nose into her hair, "I miss you to, Dwelly. I love you."
"I love you too, Sweet Bun."
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Bagdwella hurried into her keep, hoping that she beat Lenora and the whelps.
"You know, if I caught one of my children sneaking in at this hour, they'd be grounded for a month."
Bushigal.
Lenora was sitting on the table in her Fary form. A definitive sign that she was mad. Neither of her whelps nor her husband were there with her.
"Well...good thing I'm not one of your whelps then..."
"You were gone all day! For all I knew you had been turned to stone! And you're lucky Barbara had work! If she knew about this! What happened?"
Bagdwella thought and carfully planed out her next words.
"I kissed a Gumm-Gumm and I liked it?"
Lenora starred at her, "You kissed him? Like touched noses or..."
Bagdwella put a finger to her lips, "I. KISSED. Him."
"You kissed him."
"And then...one thing led to another and...I slept with a Gumm-Gumm..."
"You slept with- do you mean you- OH MY GOSH! You had sex with- Holy Shit!"
Bagdwella smiled sheepishly and ducked her head. Lenora jumped off the table and transformed back into her fleshbag form.
"Toby, Mary, and Jim are with Draal right now. They'll ride their bikes to school and then study at Blinky and Arrrgh's. You have the night shift. On Saturday, however, you'll only have Toby and Mary all day because Jim will be working with Blinky in the library. Then Mary will be riding her bike to Claire's after dinner. You got all of that?"
"...I just told you I slept with a Gumm-Gumm and you're still letting me watch the whelps?!
"Yes. Dwella! You're my best friend! He loves you, you love him. He's genuinely changing so he can be with you. As your friend I say, 'Get it girl!' As a responsible adult in the human world I say, 'Be careful.' And as a mother I say, 'Try not to have another nighttime adventure like tonight while you watch my children.' Bagdwella, I trust you with my life. Having sex out of wedlock will never change that. No mater who it's with."
'I doubt you would say that if you knew who it was.'
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Bagdwella scurried up the crystal staircase. She had just gotten a new dress that matched her favorite headband and was eager to show her boyfriend.
"Going up again, Bagdwella?" Stricklander asked on his way down, "I thought you went out just last night."
Bagdwella's heart began to pound. We're people other than Lenora and Barbara beginning to notice how often she went out? Oh no! Had he found out about Bular?!
"Um! I-I did! But I-um-forgot something! Um...one of my bags! I left it at the old scrap yard and have to go back for it tonight...Haha."
The spy stopped and starred at the Trolless, "Is that a new dress?"
'Crap crap crap!'
"What? No! This is the same dress I always wear! Nothing new or fancy here!"
Stricklander began backing down the Chrystal staircase, "O...K...Guess Bular's not the only one acting strange tonight..."
Bular was acting strange? Why would he be acting strange? Bagdwella tried to quench the dread building in her stomach but it wasn't working.
"Are you really going out tonight?" Asked another trolless, one she hadn't met before, at the door to Trollmarket, "What with what happened this morning?"
"What happened this morning?"
"Kanjigar the Courageous was felled! Bular the Balck killed him!"
Bagdwella felt her blood turn to ice. Bular had killed Kanjigar?! But...he said he had changed...Why would he kill the Trollhunter if he had changed?!
"Yes. I'm still going out. There's something I need to do. But first, there's something I forgot in my keep."
She turned around and sprinted back to her shop and into her keep behind it. Looking for a very specific gem.
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I wrote a lot of things I've never written before in this chapter. The citrus scale for one. I tried to go with a Strange Magic/ Beauty and the Beast feal with this... I'm not sure it worked.
1) Anyone else notice how completely ISOLATED Arcadia Oaks is? Like, they are completely surrounded by hills and mountains AND they have a fucking moat around most of the city! It's like a fortress from Midevil Times! And they basically have their own millitary! What the hell is up with this town!
2) It's a satellite dish.
3) If they never met in canon clap your hands! If they never met in canon clap your hands! If they never met in canon but you kinda like the dynamic! If they never met in canon clap your hands!
4) Harry Potter refrence!
5) You would know all bout that, huh Barb? Blindly trusting a changling? Hypocrit.
6) I'm pretty sure this chapter proves that no one should ever ask me for relationship advice.
7) That was the Orange-y Lime aria I warned y'all bout at the beginning...I know it wasn't much but I'm paranoid so I warned ya'll.
8) After years spent with Bagdwella, Bular doesn't call them inpures anymore. Also, I love writing about the tail!