Loved to enjoy my BigBoss boots in Antwerp ! And it had been such a lovely weather for such a combo ! Enjoy the series of #darklands2022 #darklands pics !
|| ya girl is back at it with the angst I SWEAR ILL WRITE FLUFF SOON BUT this was surprisingly fun to write
he had never been so grateful for the sun on his face again. he absorbed it all greedily, the grass a soft blanket beneath his head. with claire next to him, he felt wholeagain. james lake junior had come back from his encounter in the darklands with a newfound appreciation for arcadia his friends didn’t understand. well,he thought, two weeks in the Darklands makes home a safe haven compared to those dungeons.
the novelty however, fades the moment he makes it up the stairs to his room after a long overdue shower. it feels so small,so confining, just like that darklands cell. jim shudders at the memory, pushing it to the back of his mind as he tosses his sweater in the trash. ugh, that thing smelled. luckily, he has a spare one in his closet.
the lights remain on. they haveto. even now, he is still afraid of sleeping in the dark alone. the horrifying experience still burns fresh in his mind, and even though he reassures his friends he’s alright, he knows he’s far from there. the darklands wasn’t built for humans, and neither were the days of torture Gunmar had put him through. throwing himself against the soft sheets, he finally allows himself to drift into a deep sleep.
“you’ll never make it out of here.”
Gunmar towers over him, the Decimaar blade in his hand as its energy hits Jim in the face.
he struggles to fight it, his heart beating faster than it ever has before. this, jim supposes, is the end. he braces himself for the final blow, but it never comes.
there’s a sudden hollowness in his chest as an familiar laugh echoes in the back of his mind. he fights with all he has, but it isn’t enough. Gunmar slowly expands, filling up the narrow space in his mind. he can’t hear himself think. his eyes glow blue as he turns to his friends, raising his blade.
“kill them.”
the tears stream down his cheeks as Gunmar’s control forces him forward. he can’t even bear to look at claire as he steps in front of her. the blade makes a pained arc through the air as it slices through the tension, and into claire’s chest-
he wakes up with a start, his armour clinging to his body like a protective shell. “wha-“ he’s confused as he sits up in bed, looking out at the sleeping town. there’s a sudden urge for company, a need not to be alone. hitting the call button, he hopes his friend is still awake.
“jimbo, it’s two in the morning,” toby domzalski groans as he groggily puts the phone to his ear, pushing himself off his bed. upon hearing what jim has to say however, he rushes to the fridge, gathering a stockpile of his favourite snacks and shoving them into his backpack. sure, he’s never been trapped in a land of creepy evil, but jim is his best friend, and he needs to be there for him.
the house is deathly silent as jim sits on the couch, the dining room lights on. he sips a glass of water, his eyes darting around for any signs of danger. he jumps as the doorbell rings. if Gunmar finds him here-
“jimbo? it’s me, tobes. open up, dude. you aren’t going to leave me stuck out here all night, are you?” toby chuckles, grinning at his best friend, hugging jim tightly. “i’m here, with a whole stash of candy. want a Nougat Nummy?” he hands jim one from his backpack, sitting beside him. “i had to be reeeeeal quiet. kinda like a ninja, you know?”
jim hugs his friend back, grateful for toby just being there. he takes the packet, unwrapping it carefully. “you know, this stuff really helped me make it through those days.” there’s so much he wants to tell toby, so much he’ll never get back. he listens to toby tell a lame joke, chuckling softly as his friend forgets the punchline(as he always has).
“you know, jim, you can tell me whatever went on in the darklands. even if i don’t understand, i’m here to listen,” toby offers, putting an arm around his friend’s shoulder. “it’s kinda like how you don’t knowhow much going to the dentist sucks but you listen to me yell it about it anyway. we’re friends, jim. i want to be there for you.”
whatever hesitation jim has vanishes. he nods slowly, taking a deep breath. “it was terrible,tobes. not knowing if you’re going to live or die the next day, getting tortured for hours by Gumm-Gumms,not able to do anything as Gunmartries to break your will. even now, i’m still worried he’s around somewhere.”
for a moment, there’s a long silence as toby stares at him in shock. clearly, this is far beyond him. “i should’ve been there, jim. but dude, if i can get through a dentist appointment, you got this. sure, you got hurt, but you’re alive.we’ll take the long way to school, and we can get burritos before class if you want to. Gunmar’sin the Darklands,i promise. you won’t have to see his ugly face again.”
the weight on his chest vanishes as toby comforts him. man, it feels good to be back. “i hope i never see his face again, tobes.” he takes a bite out of his Nougat Nummy, letting out a long sigh. “we’re just kids,toby. we haven’t even graduated high school yet, and i’m caught in the middle of a troll war. i never asked for any of this.”
“hey,” toby shakes his head. “if you’d never found that amulet, high school wouldn’t be this interesting. we’d still be losers drifting through every school day without a purpose, and i’d still be bullied more by steve. believe it or not, jim, you finding the amulet was a destiny thing. you’re going to suffer, yeah, the drilling through the teeth hurts, but eventually, you make it out tougher. you survive.”
jim smiles contentedly, taking out a board game. “wanna play? i can’t sleep tonight.”
there’s the sound of laughter and banter as the duo bond over bad rolls and take turns to win and lose. it feels just like their regular nights spent watching TV before all this responsibility, a time long past. he supposes just for this once, he can be a normal teenager.
one thing’s for sure- Gunmardoesn’t get to win this time.
A teeny sneak peek of my piece for the upcoming Trollhunters Fanbook! There are so many talented artists, writers and cosplayers involved with this project, and my anticipation to see the final printed product is unreal!!! Be sure to follow @trollhuntersfanbook for news and updates :D
