After the play, the Trollhunter and his family went down to Trollmarket. Both to celebrate a play well performed and the fall of Gunra.
"All hail Waltholomew the Gunra slayer!" Draal cheared.
The pub erupted into cheers as everyone lifted thier tankards. Walt was jostled about by the impacts of shoulder claps and back pats. He kept one arm around Barbara and one eye on Jim, a jubilant smile plastered over his face. Sixteen years ago, to welcome a changling so would be unheard of, let alone cheer one's name.
In a corner booth, Otto sat with a tankard of glugg that would never affect him like it did the others, smiling a small smile.
Jim sat next to him, a Sprite in his hand, "Onkel O? I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you or hit you the way I did. I-I was just so angry...and I kinda...I dunno..."
Otto nodded and put an arm around Jim, "It's alright, Jim. I understand. You und Nono vvere vvery close. Your vvvernt zinking clearly. None of us vvere."
"Well, yeah...but Aunt Nono was your sister! I just..." Jim lay his head on the table.
Otto pat his nephew on the back,, between the shoulder blades, "It get's easyer to say ze more you talk. Trust me... Let's talk about somezzing happier. Ja?"
"Like what?" Jim turned his head.
"Bular keeps taking away Aunt Dwella's glugg," Walt andd Barbara slid into the booth on Jim's other side.
Sure enough, the former Gumm-Gumm held his betrothed's mug high over his head. Bagdwellla put her hands on her hips before holding out one hand.
"Did you tell him that she shouldn't have alcohol?" Lenora dropped in beside her husband.(1)
"I don't know if it will actually affect anything in a troll pregnancy," Barbara admitted, "But I figured it was better to be safe then sorry."
Bagdwella climbed up on the table and jumped for her drink. She misssed by a long shot and landed against Bular's chest. Some of the other trolls sidled away from the laughing couple.
"I don't thing Aunt Dwella's going to like the next few months..."Jim said as Bagdwella continued to reach for her drink.
"I don't think Bular's going too have to good a time, either," Walt eyed a few trolls that were glaring darkly at Bular.
Jim followed his father's gaze befor he looked at the adults on either side of him. Hunting down his cousins, he made a firm decision. He slid under the table and crawled away.
"Jim!"
"I didn't want to have to ask anyone to move, Mum."
He didn't wait for any further reply before he ran across the pub. He grabbed Toby and Mary's attention with a hand on each shoulder.
"Guys, I Havre an idea. But, I'm going to need your help.
LLB
Bagdwella sighed as Bular rushed to get the requested item from it's shelf. As helpful as he was and as he tried to be, his swishing tail informed her that he was just at stressed as she was.
"Hi, Aunt Dwella!" Jim led his cousins and Claire into the shop.
"Well, Hello, Little Trollhunter, Young Trollhunters," Bagdwella grinned, "What are you all doing here?"
"We wanted to show Onkel Bular around the Market," Mary chirped, "We showed Claire around yesterday so now we can give him our full attention today!"
Bular looked up, "What?"
"Well, your going to marry Tanta Dwella," Toby picked up the conversation, "That not only makes you our 'Onkel'. It means that you have tto know how to get around Trollmarket."
Bagdwella chuckled, "I think that's a marvelous idea! You four show 'Uncle Bular' around the market and I'll join you in a bit."
Bular masked his anxiety by shooting Bagdwella a teasing look, ""You just want to get me out of the shop. Don't you?"
Bagdwella responded just as teasing, "You need to get out and burn off some steam. I'll catch up in a little while."
Bular sighed but nodded and kissed her gently. Mary lunged forward andd grabbed one of Bular's fingers. The massive troll allowed himself to be dragged out of the shop by the tiny human.
"We'll meet you at the lake, Tanta Dwella!" She called over her shoulder.
LLB
True to their word, the Young Trollhunters happily lead their new uncle around thee underground city. The children didn't seem to notice the strange looks and outright glares being shot thier way. And, if they did, they ignored them. They just smiled and pointed out the things they thought were important.
"I know you can't really use the forge," Jim pointed at the neon sign, "But if you need to find Da in a hurry, that would be the best place to look. That, or Uncle Blinky's library."
"And Popa Vendal's lab and keep is he best place to find Tanta Barbara if Aunt Dwella needs her," Toby pointed.
Bular nodded, only half understanding who they were talking about.
"Alright!" Mary cheered, "Now, to the lake! Claire didn't get to come yesterday after we got in trouble. Let's go. Let's go!"
Bular followed the slight tugging on his hands as Mary and Claire pulled him along. Claire let go and bound ahead to the front of the group. Suddenly, a group of tussling whelps, about 200 years old, rolled into their path.(2) Bular yanked Mary back and into the crook of his arm. The whelps passed and continued to wrestle down the street. Mary leaned over his forearm to watch for a moment before looking over her shoulder and grinning up at Bular.
"Thank you, Onkel Bular!"
Bular nodded and continued forward, not setting Mary down. He had no idea why or even how he had managed to pick Mary up the way he had and not hurt her. Such things were trained out of Gumm-Gumm worriors at a young age.
He was drawn out of his thoughts but Mary patting his arm, "You need to turn here, Onkel Bular."
The former Gumm-Gumm followed the group of teens and found himself in a vast chamber filled with an underground lake. Toby and Jim transformed and began tto chase eachother along the shore. Claire sat on a rock to take off her boots and socks. Mary turned and climbed over Bular's arm before jumping into the lake. She transformed almost instantly aand swam around.
"Can you swim, Mr. Bular?" Claire asked.
Bular shrugged, "I've neverr tried. There was never much chance.."
"Hm...Well, what do you do for fun?" Toby ducked out of Jim's reach and ran back over.
"Gumm-Gumms don't really do 'fun'. We trained and spared. As the Prince, I did have classes to learn and study."
Jim glided over and hovered by Bular's shoulder, "Ok. What did you and Aunt Dwella do for fun? What makes you happy when you're with her?"
Bular sat in the shadows of the lake, "We...would play 'punch bug' and...an we watched the movies left at the abandoned theater. We would tell eachother stories, too. It all seemed so much easier before I moved to Trollmarket."
The kids exchanged a look.
"The way you were in the shop," Jim landed next to him and sat in the water, "You reminded me of Da in the summer. If he can't find anything to do during the day."
"So?" Bular lifted an eyebrow.
"It sounds like you need a hobby."
"A what?"
"Something to help you calm down," Mary curled her tail and leaned against his foot, "Mama and Papa say that their important for a healthy mind."
"And a healthy mind is important to a happy life," Toby added.
"I have meetings with Arrrgh and the Trollhunter to help with my mind," Bular crossed his arms.
"I know," Jim nodded, "I have similar meetings with my doctor. Toby and Mary do, too. They say that aa healthy way of relieving stress is important. And hobbies can be exactly that."(3)
Bular looked at each of the teens and sighed, "Alright. What do you have in mind?"
"Well, it would have be nonviolent because of your vows," Toby sat on his other side, "Arrrgh and I like to play Go Go Sushi. But I also like to tap dance."
"I dance or swim," Mary added, "Papa plays his piano and Mama sings."
"My dad goes for runs,"Claire said, "He even has a special stroller for my baby brother."
"You mentioned you like movies," Jim but in, "I know Aunt Dwella likes musicals. Would you like to try something like that?"
Bular thought for a moment before smiling, "'Grease Lighting'? It was the first movie we watched together. I would like to learn how to dance like that. Do you know where...or how...I could learn?"
"Rock music?! Rock and Roll music?!"
The kids all grinned at eachother.
"I'll get my Papa Skull CDs and player!" Claire dived for her boots.
"I'll get Da's record player and albums!" Jim flew off.
"And Fishlegs and I can teach you some moves!"
"...I'll take that as a 'yes'..."
LLB
Bagdwella could hear the music as soon as she approached the underground lake. Peaking in, she had to stifle her laughter. Papa Skull music blared from Claire's portable CD Player and her neice and nephews were leading her betrothed in a dance.
Claire turned from where she was dancing by the CD player, "Oh! Hi, Ms. Bagdwella!"(4)
Bular turned on thhe spot andd toppled over in surprize. Bagdwella cried laughing.
"What's this all about?"
"The whelps insisted I need a 'hobby'." Bular attempted too regain some of his dignity.
"You had fun and you know it!" Toby said.
"We're going to go to Stewart's and, with Da and Onkel O's help, make him a 'Walkman' and some tapes so Uncle Bular can have music whenever he wants," Jim explained, "We'll make him some audiobooks took since most regular books are to small for his hands."
"And we're going to try and make him a phone before Baby Baglar gets here," Mary continued, "But, no promises on that one."
"Baby Baglar?" Bular put an arm around Bagdwella, "We haven't decided on a name yet."
"It's just a smoosh name, Sweet Bun," Bagdwella pat his arm, "Bagdwella and Bular. Oh! You three, your parents are waiting for you in the Hero's Forge."
The Young Trollhunters groaned.
"This is going to suck," Jim groaned.
"If I had know that it would get you three in this much trouble I never would have insisted we go in there," Claire winced, "Or into Glugg's... or-"
"We get it, Claire Bear..." Mary growled before hugging Bular and Bagdwella, "Bye Onkel Bular, Tanta Dwella. Bye Baby Baglar."
The voices faded as they walked off. Bular chuckeled and kissed his future wife.
"So, did you have fun?" She asked.
"Yeah. I guess I did. Hey! Maybe I'll be able to teach our whelp how to dance in a few decades!"
"Hmm. Maybe. Speaking of which, on the topic of names-"
"We are not naming our whelp 'Baglar'!"
LLB
1) Aw... Now Jimmy's sittin' at the grown up table. :) I don't know why I thought that was funny...
2) About the troll equivilant of 13-16 years old.
3) I am not a doctor so do not quote me on this. But, my sister and I both have ADHD and we both tend to be in better moods when we are doing something. For her, it's dancing. For me, It's running and swimming.
4) They were all taking turns picking songs and dancing.
