It was official - she had pulled the most atrocious, disgusting, and absolutely unhinged stunt in her entire life.
Barbara groaned, trying to find at least something that could justify it. Partially, perhaps?
Nothing. Much as expected.
Before, there had been at least a minuscule chance that Bular wouldn't have disowned her after learning that she had mated with a fleshbag and given birth to a half-troll. Right now, however, if her brother ever learned about that…
Yeah, he would obliterate Barverra on the spot. Well, try to - as if she would be waiting for his attack patiently!
Forget that big idiot, even Gunmar wouldn't approve!
Oh, how much had she fallen!
And the worst part? Everything had been entirely her fault!
If Barbara hadn't allowed Stricklander to catch her during her vulnerable moment, there would have been no need for the damage control.
She should have never gone to that accursed bridge.
She should have never talked to Stricklander, giving him some hints about her true identity.
He hadn't missed those, that was for sure. Otherwise, what was the point in his own vague responses?
Barbara had had no other choice. The only way out would have been destroying all Strickler's suspicions at once so that he would have never continued investigating in that direction. And methods? Well, would those have actually mattered? It hadn't been just about her secret or giving Stricklander the upper hand. No, Jim's safety and blissed ignorance had been at stake there.
Some humiliation? She could have afforded that.
Or so she had thought as right now Barbara wished to find some deepest cave and never come out.
It hadn't been that bad at first. Dining out at the Benoit's? What could have been more innocent? Besides, it would be dumb to deny that she had actually enjoyed the idle chatting back then. Even Walter venting and joking about his 'job' had been surprisingly fun.
Somehow, Barbara had even managed to fully separate Walter Strickler from Stricklander for the most of time and genuinely unwind.
That should have been enough, yet… He had talked about Nomura and the recent backup, even referencing goblins at some point, while never bringing up any of Gunmar's children. That fact alone hadn't allowed Barverra to be satisfied.
She needed something direr, something so unexpected that Stricklander would have left her human guise alone for good.
She had thought visiting his house would have been enough. Obviously, in the hindsight, everything that had followed afterward was too much.
Barbara blamed wine. What else could have caused the outright madness she had committed? That had to be that damned beverage humans had invented.
That glass Stricklander had poured for her when they had arrived at his house - that one had been the beginning of the end.
But seriously, how had she managed to miscalculate that much, making such a brainless mistake? That was something more befitting her dumb brother's level!
Barverra knew that when it came to tolerating fleshbag alcohol, she sucked, to put it mildly. Glug? She had never had any problems, no matter how much of that she had drunk. Anything that humans had brewed? That one spelled certain doom. She had learned the lesson the hard way many years ago.
Perhaps, it had something to do with magic helping her to keep the human form. Maybe some ingredients of the potion reacted weirdly to any alcohol or something. Could it be such a far-fetched theory? Though, more likely, she was just that unlucky. Did it even matter in the end if the result didn't change in any case?
To be fair, Barbara could probably have ignored the problem altogether. Avoiding alcohol entirely might have been nearly impossible, but she always could find some excuse. And in those rare situations when there had been no other choice… Well, occasionally, she could afford to act dumb without lasting damage.
Besides, at times, a glass of wine only could have caused some dizziness…
Wow, had she used that excuse before drinking last night? If so, the splendid strategist Barverra could kiss goodbye to her reputation!
She groaned once again, recalling the previous disaster. The worst part of it was her tendency to drop some defenses while intoxicated and forsake any coherent thinking. And, of course, that had happened this time too! Around Stricklander, that scheming bastard trying to expose her secret!
And…
Yes, she had been the one to initiate their first kiss. That impulse, unreasonable and absolutely unhinged, still remained a mystery to Barbara.
Wait, no, that had to be some kind of strategy her intoxicated brain had come up with! Trolls found kissing nasty, so wouldn't her eagerness have been the perfect proof that she wasn't one?
Alas, strategy or not, it had apparently backfired as that cunning bastard hadn't pushed her away despite the slight initial shock! Shouldn't he have lost interest altogether, trying to find some way to cut their 'date' short? But no, he had responded to her advances with surprising tenderness and passion.
Nothing had made any sense afterward - be it his actions or her own reactions. It still confused Barbara - or was it some kind of an unique hangover?
Undoubtfully, Stricklander had been skilled in the field of seduction as well. Had he practiced a lot with fleshbags during his rise in ranks within the Janus Order? Barbara wouldn't be that surprised - most likely, it had been a matter of survival for his kin.
Still, gosh, why had he been that good? The feeling of kisses still lingered, making her feel conflicted.
Did she like Stricklander or something? What kind of deranged question was that? Sure thing, she had acknowledged him as a worthy rival, and she respected his skills and strategic mind, but anything more than that? Especially 'like'? Liking someone who obviously tried to manipulate her son? Someone who shamelessly used her child as a shield? The only memory of that made Barbara grit her teeth.
No, even the thought in that direction had been preposterous. However…
Seriously, why was there 'however'?
Yet, it was also dumb to deny she had enjoyed it at least partially. No, not only 'enjoyed' - at least, a part of her wouldn't mind more kisses with 'Walter' (not 'Stricklander', no, no!).
Great, now she somehow tried to patch her already-damaged-beyond-repair pride with some unhinged mental gymnastics. As if that would help!
Besides, kissing Stricklander should have been the least of her worries, knowing what exactly had followed.
Barbara closed her eyes, wondering why the memories were so vivid even though she had been drunk back then.
She should have stopped after the first glass, seeing how it had influenced her reasoning. Drinking more only had trapped her in a tighter figurative net. Or was it just a search for a convenient excuse?
Anyway, no matter what kind of logic she applied at the moment, it didn't erase the fact itself - that Barverra had crossed the unacceptable line as she had slept with Stricklander.
Ugh, even wording it mentally was humiliating. Perhaps, she could find some other form to describe it - but, honestly, it wouldn't change a thing.
At least, that ultimate sacrifice of her dignity should have been worth it. Stricklander would have never suspected Barbara after their night together. She already could imagine him calling and finding some way out of their odd 'dating'. And, of course, she would play along, pretending to be hurt and heartbroken, telling the bastard to leave her alone for good.
A faint satisfied smile graced her lips as she thought about it. Wasn't it the perfect outcome? Wasn't it something she wanted? If Stricklander stopped suspecting her, Jim wouldn't be his shield anymore, and then…
Then what?
Barbara frowned as the realization hit her - she hadn't even the slightest idea what she would do afterward. Not that long ago, the answer would have been so obvious - getting rid of the dangerous schemer who had forgotten his place could have been the only way. Now? Why was she hesitating? There was no point in keeping Stricklander around - one day, he would turn into a dangerous enemy who could potentially ruin everything.
Yet…
Barbara's mind trailed back to this night, then proceeded to their previous conversations. In the end, no matter how much she denied it, a part of her still enjoyed all of those.
Was she lamenting the inevitable loss of them?
Ridiculous!
Barbara shook her head, forcing out all of the dumb thoughts. Right now, she should have focused on something else, like…
Like explaining her own absence to her son.
The realization of that one hit her like a wall of bricks as she approached her house. No, of course, she was a grown-up and had a right to go anywhere, but…
A quick check of her phone confirmed the worst - Jim had called her countless times, not to mention multiple messages she was afraid to open, let alone read.
Her son was worried sick, while his irresponsible mother had never bothered to text something as basic as 'I'm fine, will be back late'!
She couldn't even blame Stricklander for that, as it was only her fault.
Judging from the sounds, Jim wasn't asleep despite the early morning. Had he woken up at such an ungodly early hour? No, most likely, he hadn't slept this night at all.
Was it just Barbara's imagination, or was there actually some irritation in the sound of a knife cutting through vegetables?
She silently prayed it was the first one as she entered the kitchen.
Jim never turned to face her, either too engrossed in the cooking process or simply pretending it was so.
For a split second, Barbara wondered if it was possible to sneak past him.
Wow, such a mature approach!
Who she tried to deceive that way? What would it even resolve? The truth was that her double life had finally caught up, giving countless complications to her routine. No, sure thing, it should have happened one day, but still!
Barbara would willingly have taken everything but any kind of discord with her son. Alas, it seemed the worst had already started to happen, no different from an unstoppable avalanche threatening to destroy everything.
"Hey, Mom."
Apparently, Jim's quiet greeting put an end to any opportunity for an escape. Well, for better or worse, her son had always had a great perception.
"Hey, kiddo."
Barbara forced a smile and entered the kitchen, still wondering what to tell and which words to use.
Should she have pretended nothing had happened? Should she have apologized? Perhaps, some joke could help to diffuse the awkward atmosphere?
As if it could be that easy!
"You know, kiddo, last night…" she started carefully, frantically trying to craft some plausible excuse.
Her brain eagerly continued:
'I had sex with your World History teacher so that he stopped suspecting me and left you alone.'
Barbara smacked herself mentally for even thinking in that direction. It was wrong on so many levels - she'd never let Jim hear anything like that!
Sure thing, that was the best fitting description of what exactly had happened, but… Yeah, it contained too much info for one sentence - any part was enough to inflict a lot of damage!
"...you won't believe what's happened!" she finished aloud with a sheepish smile. Her mental struggle might have felt like an eternity, yet, apparently, the pause wasn't long enough to feel forced.
It should have been fine.
"Mom," Jim sighed heavily, still refusing to turn and face her. "No need to lie. I know everything."
Centuries ago, when Barverra had been still a tiny whelp only recently starting her fighting lessons, there had been a spar with one of her elder siblings. That one had been huge and way more experienced. She would never be able to forget him hitting without restraint and her own feeling of helplessness, disorientation, and sheer terror when one of those had landed. If not for Gunmar's involvement, her life story had been cut short before actually starting. Yet right now, that traumatizing experience felt like nothing compared to Barbara's current feelings.
Jim's words kept echoing inside her head.
'I know everything.'
He knew? HE KNEW? Everything? Like the whole secret life aspect and all? How? Where had she made a slip? Or…
What if her last night stunt had been entirely pointless, and Stricklander had told Jim everything before that?
Of course, the pause this time was long enough to morph into an uncomfortable silence.
"I mean, there's nothing wrong with trying to focus a bit on your personal happiness," Jim cleared his throat, seemingly realizing that something was off. "Have you thought I'd be annoyed if you found someone?"
Barbara nearly let out a hysterical laugh when she realized what exactly her son had meant.
Apparently, she was in dire need of a break from all of the troll-related stuff. Since when had she become so paranoid? Though, with Stricklander and the unknown wizard party around, it wasn't that surprising that she started to jump at each shadow.
"Jim, it's not that easy," Barbara said quietly, hoping her relief wasn't that obvious. Luckily, her son still hadn't turned around to face her - otherwise, he might have read a lot in her expression and body language. Lately, it had become nearly impossible to deceive him.
But at least the conversation had already taken the safe route - discussing any possible relationship wouldn't lead to any troublesome revelations. Well, unless Barbara slipped herself - and she seriously doubted she would do that in her current overconscious state.
"You know, I've thought about it a lot," Jim responded hastily as if afraid she would dismiss it. "Like people get separated or divorced all the time, but it doesn't mean they need to stay alone for good afterward… Why not moving on and find someone better? We haven't heard from that good-for-nothing man for years… And I don't think you want to have anything with him too - so why? Is it because of me?"
Barbara frowned. Of course, it was nowhere as disastrous as an inevitable conversation about her true identity would be, yet it never meant it was pleasant as well.
Ironically, Jim was a partial reason why she never considered a new relationship despite everyone nagging her about it. Even the biological father wasn't ready to deal with his own son's certain tendencies. A total stranger? That one most likely could cause some damage.
Still, it was only some side reason. The main one was and would always be her own identity she had no wish to expose. Staying alone was the safest.
Unfortunately, she couldn't explain that to Jim without telling the whole truth.
"Kiddo, it's true that I don't want any jerk close to you, but it's not like I put any ban on romance…"
Yes, that was a good start - not a single word of lie or something like that.
"It's just I haven't met anyone good enough - that's it."
Barbara gave herself a mental pat for that one - that should have been enough to diffuse the situation. Jim should have finally stopped pouting and faced her. Yes, everything should have been fine.
At least she expected that. Well, initially, as it didn't take that long until the realization hit. Obviously, Jim would never say it aloud, but there could be only one possible question after that explanation.
'So, was your yesterday night date different?'
How had she managed to corner herself again?
Barbara mentally cursed Stricklander once more. Yes, it was somehow ridiculous as that bastard actually had nothing to do with the current situation, but well, she simply needed to blame someone - and 'Walter' was the first one who came up to her mind.
Wait.
She nearly missed one pretty vital detail - how had her son learned about her date to start with? That should have been something only Stricklander and her knew.
"My friend saw you yesterday night," Jim broke the silence as if reading her thoughts. "You looked happy."
He seemingly tried his best to keep his tone neutral, but his voice cracked a bit.
Apparently, something else was haunting his mind, not only the whole dating deal. Barbara wished her son looked at her so that she could read at least something in his expression instead of playing a guessing game from his body language and tone changes alone.
Besides, the friend he had mentioned. Jim would have used their name in any other case, yet this time had chosen otherwise.
Obviously, the mysterious 'friend' wasn't Toby. Perhaps, the way that one had delivered the news was the reason for Jim's current mood.
Or, maybe, that was the identity of Barbara's date - she seriously doubted many kids would be that open to the possibility of their school teachers being romantically involved with their parents.
Honestly, she prayed the reason was one of those. Otherwise, it might have been connected to supernatural stuff.
"Jim, it's… not that simple," Barbara sighed, wondering if she would be able to escape this time or if it would be easier to just tell everything and stop deepening the already forming rift between the two of them.
At times she was too tired to continue lying, even if it was for her dear boy's protection. Besides, she wasn't even sure which one was the lesser evil - deception or putting Jim's world upside-down.
"Maybe you can bring your boyfriend here next time," Jim proposed hastily. "I can cook a big dinner!"
Barbara felt a pang of guilt. How could she have failed as a mother so much? Here she had her son, trying his best to be supportive despite spending a sleepless night while worried sick.
The date with Stricklander had been a brainless idea, no matter how much good it had done for keeping her secret intact!
At least, Jim seemingly had no idea that the man in question had been his favorite teacher, so Barbara had fewer things to explain now.
Besides, she suddenly saw a clear way out of the current predicament.
"Jim, thanks, but there's no need," she began firmly. Any wavering in her voice right now would be definitely misinterpreted. "There won't be next time. Yes, that date looked like a good idea initially, but that man isn't someone I need in my life. It just won't work."
'For so many reasons,' she added mentally.
The only thought of being romantically involved with Stricklander was outlandish. That fact alone would put the status quo upside down, even if she crossed out the possibility of him backstabbing or betraying her eventually. Bular's potential reaction, for example… Yeah, Barbara refused to even think about that.
"But…" Jim attempted to protest.
"No 'buts' here, kiddo," she interrupted him at once. "He's just a bastard with a silver tongue. It had nothing to do with you…"
Actually, the latter was a blatant lie, as Barbara had realized too late. Wow, it already gave her some headache - but at least it had been finally resolved, hadn't it?
Jim chuckled awkwardly, giving the so-much-needed confirmation. Now, she just had to see his smile to be one hundred percent sure and…
Nothing. Her son still refused to turn around - and now it gave her chills. Something was off. She was so dumb not to notice it earlier.
"Jim? Look at me, please," Barbara asked, coming closer to her son. As expected, he tried to keep his distance, moving swiftly to the fridge.
As if she would allow him that!
Probably, it counted as a crossing of personal boundaries, but somehow Barbara didn't care anymore. Only some seconds ago, she had been a guilty party, trying to hide some stuff and finding some excuses - and now their roles were switched around!
The only difference was that Jim had more trouble concealing things. In some seconds, Barbara finally got to see his face - and she stopped caring if her son could learn about her inhuman nature anymore.
No wonder Jim deliberately pretended to be engrossed in cooking! His face looked like it had taken several hits, with some fresh bruises and scrapes. He had seemingly tried to apply some first aid, but it wasn't like those injuries would go away overnight.
"Who?" Barbara inquired in a tone that would definitely make even an experienced warrior run for their life. She had to remind herself that she was talking to her dear child, so there was no need to show that side of hers, yet her blood still boiled from rage. No matter whose name Jim would say, that one was doomed. The Herald of Doom would hunt them restlessly.
However, there were no names.
"No one," Jim spat, visibly annoyed.
"Don't lie to me, mister," Barbara warned, toning down her murderous intent this time. A part of her was rather shocked that her son managed to ignore her unconcealed bloodlust entirely. She hadn't noticed even an ounce of fear or at least surprise in his expression. Actually, he seemed angry as well - nowhere close to her level, but still!
"I'm not lying," he retorted. "I fell down. From the stairs. That's it. And honestly, I should go - Tobes is waiting for me already."
It felt like a slap. Barbara looked at Jim in bewilderment as he marched past her toward the exit. She should have said something, but no words came up. It felt as if something important yet extremely fragile had cracked. Could it even be mended now?
He should have gone to bed right after learning that his mother had been safe and her absence had been explained in an underwhelmingly trivial manner.
Especially after Toby had gone home.
Especially after Draal had made a promise to look for possible threats.
Especially after Douxie had texted once again with a confirmation that Barbara had been enjoying her date.
Besides, Jim had his own injuries to explain, so he should have avoided any encounters with his mother for a while. Going to bed while she was out and sneaking from the house while she was still sleeping would have worked perfectly.
Unfortunately, his brain refused to be reasonable. Instead, Jim kept pacing anxiously, his mind full of countless thoughts ranging from an inner debate if Barbara's new flame was a good or bad thing, to wondering if he could continue his regular life after the recent battle.
Somehow, all of those got combined in the end - and the mysterious 'boyfriend' morphed into a potential changeling trying to get closer to his mom and steal the amulet that way.
The only thought was infuriating. Hadn't Barbara had enough hurt in her life? Why should her new romantic experience be ruined because of her reckless son's dangerous adventure?
Wait, no. He was definitely overthinking. There was no confirmation that the man in question was a changeling, so there was no need to assume the worst. Apparently, Jim had been too exhausted to have any adequate thoughts.
He cast a glance at the stairs, asking himself if he should actually go to bed this time, but instead dragged his feet to the kitchen. Calming down his anxiety through cooking was the way better idea.
And then… Then he could sleep properly.
As for his mom and her potential love life - well, they could have a proper discussion of it later. Besides, Barbara would never keep something that important from Jim, right?
Actually, it's not that farfetched.
Some doubts raised their ugly heads, happily clinging to the opportunity. In the end, Jim had already noticed many times that his mother tended to hide something from him. He might have trouble guessing what exactly she kept a secret, but there was some secret - and that was an undeniable truth.
Perhaps, a new boyfriend could have possibly fallen into this 'secret' category.
Jim groaned. There had been too much stuff in his life lately, be it regular or supernatural. His wish for an adventure somehow had caused an entire avalanche. He remembered Mr. Strickler's words about Atlas and carrying the entire world on his shoulders. Of course, it was extremely dubious that the current situation could be compared to 'carrying the entire world', but it was still a heavy burden.
Maybe a break could be a solution. Jim nearly chuckled at the thought. A break? As if his enemies would be kind enough to wait until he rested. Life was unfair at times, that was for sure. What was the point of begging for a better outcome?
Jim muted all the complicated thoughts, venting his frustration on vegetables. That usually helped to blow off some steam and would probably help this time too, if…
The door creaked, and Jim heard some light steps. He was surprised himself, that the sound of cutting hadn't covered Barbara's entering. Apparently, he had been subconsciously focused on the entrance, anticipating his mom's arrival.
Surprisingly, she never called out to him as if… As if she tried to sneak past him like a guilty child.
Jim should have allowed her that - wouldn't it make everything so much easier? He wasn't ready for a talk. Neither was she.
Yet…
"Hey, Mom."
The greeting had escaped his lips faster than he had realized his own grave mistake. What about his plan to hide his injuries from Barbara? The second Jim turned to her, it would be impossible to miss those.
He nearly prayed his mom would find some dumb excuse to avoid his company. Unfortunately, it seemed he had led himself into a trap with no escape - she entered the kitchen instead after greeting him back.
And obviously, an awkward explanation of her absence followed - the one Jim should have pretended to believe. Not even for the sake of covering his own injuries. No, actually, he had no right to demand any sincerity after hiding something as big as his current trollhunting status that might have cost him his life one day.
His mom sounded guilty, no matter how much she tried to cover it.
He had to stop it at once - in the end, it wasn't her fault. Barbara was a grown-up woman with a right to make her own decisions.
"Mom. No need to lie. I know everything."
Jim had intended it to sound calm and supportive, yet the sudden silence told him he had failed miserably. For some reason, his mother was speechless - and he couldn't even turn around and see what was wrong!
He nearly wished he had faced another huge bloodthirsty troll instead. Everything would be better than this awkward pause!
No, it would be so wrong to try to escape right now. Jim had to be brave, even if this kind of braveness wasn't as evident as facing the supernatural, for example. For years, Barbara's relationships had remained the topic they both would have avoided if possible, but perhaps, it was something they needed to face.
"I mean, there's nothing wrong with trying to focus a bit on your personal happiness," Jim started, after clearing his throat, trying to sound mature and reasonable. "Have you thought I'd be annoyed if you found someone?"
He could swear there was some odd sound behind his back. Something like a hiccup? An attempt to cover tears? If only he could check for sure!
"Jim, it's not that easy."
Barbara's voice was quiet, but apparently, she wasn't crying, was she?
Why had he failed so much as a good son? Couldn't he do at least something? Couldn't he find some supportive words? Obviously, his own life had taken a wild turn recently, with several bloodthirsty trolls dreaming about using his skull as a trophy, but Barbara had nothing to do with all of that. She deserved to be happy.
"You know, I've thought about it a lot," he said hastily, knowing too well that his mom would often put him before herself. "Like people get separated or divorced all the time, but it doesn't mean they need to stay alone for good afterward… Why not moving on and find someone better? We haven't heard from that good-for-nothing man for years… And I don't think you want to have anything with him too - so why? Is it because of me?"
It started messily, but somehow the words kept flowing - apparently, Jim hadn't realized that it mattered to him too. Sure thing, right now it might have been the least appropriate time to have this talk, but on the other hand, he might have never brought it up otherwise. Perhaps, the near-death experience made him think out the possible consequences.
It felt even more realistic than his rematch with Draal - that time 'death' was more of a vague concept Jim hadn't truly grasped. Now the threat was even closer - the enemies weren't above killing only because the Trollhunter belonged to a different species or was a child.
And if Jim ever died, Barbara would be alone with no one close enough to give her comfort or the will to move forward.
Maybe it was the right time for her to find new life, someone who would stay by her side through thick and thin. And Jim would hate to be an obstacle to overcome.
"Kiddo, it's true that I don't want any jerk close to you, but it's not like I put any ban on romance… It's just I haven't met anyone good enough - that's it."
Quite predictably, his mom tried to protest, but Jim could say for sure that she wasn't entirely honest. Last night just must have been different - to the point that she ignored her son's countless attempts to contact her.
"My friend saw you yesterday night. You looked happy," he said before thinking it out properly.
And, of course, it didn't sound supportive at all. If anything, that could be only an accusation. Jim winced, mentally reminding himself he shouldn't have been petty here.
"Jim, it's… not that simple."
Barbara sounded so tired for whatever reason. Wait, what if that dating thing had been going on for a while, and she was hiding it out of fear regarding Jim's reaction? If so, that fear was, apparently, quite justified as he behaved like an ass right now.
Keeping a secret was stressful - Jim knew it better than anyone. And his mom had been exhausted even before all of that had started.
He had to stop being a pouty brat at once.
"Maybe you can bring your boyfriend here next time. I can cook a big dinner!"
Surprisingly, dropping a suggestion turned out to be way easier once he had found a resolve. Sure thing, Jim wouldn't be hasty to give his mom's mysterious date his approval unless he was one hundred percent sure that the guy in question wasn't a bastard, but he should have started somewhere.
Whatever he had expected to hear in response, it definitely wasn't the firm statement that followed.
"Jim, thanks, but there's no need. There won't be next time. Yes, that date looked like a good idea initially, but that man isn't someone I need in my life. It just won't work."
Obviously, with his back turned to Barbara, Jim had no way to read her body language or expression, yet her tone alone was so confident and firm to ensure she wasn't lying.
And somehow, it made no sense. He couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but something didn't add. Or, perhaps, it was just his imagination - all the recent events simply drained him too much.
It would have been better if Jim had gone to bed at the very beginning.
His attempt to protest was just a formality, honestly, and Barbara shot it down at once, going as far as calling her date 'a bastard with a silver tongue'.
Well, it seemed that his mom would remain single for a while, but on the other hand, wasn't it good that she had seen through her date's lies?
Somehow, Jim remained conflicted about everything. Besides…
Oh yeah, he was in huge trouble right now. The family discord was seemingly resolved, they had talked properly, and everyone would have expected to proceed to a normal conversation.
Unfortunately, Jim couldn't turn to face Barbara, but not turning would be quite disastrous as well!
His mom should have been extremely naive not to notice the tension - and of course, she hadn't missed it, demanding Jim to look at her.
He had to escape and quick, yet his panicking brain refused to give any working escape routes.
She caught him in some seconds, spending some painfully dragged moments examining each of the scraps and bruises, her expression growing darker as she proceeded.
Right now, she was absolutely terrifying, yet somehow, Jim wasn't that surprised. He had seen glimpses of that mama bear side of hers before, besides, at the moment, he was more annoyed with himself for being unreasonable and possibly jeopardizing his trollhunting mission.
"Who?" his mom demanded the name, looking like she would definitely rip apart even a hulking brute of a troll if needed.
What an irony! How many times Jim had sworn to protect her those last days, yet she still wanted to be his protector.
He would never tell her about the mystical side of Arcadia - now he could tell that for sure. Even if it ended up creating friction between the two of them.
His mom shouldn't have gotten involved.
"No one."
Ouch, instead of sounding carefree and pacifying, it came out as mean and nearly hostile.
"Don't lie to me, mister."
She hadn't believed - rightfully so, but Jim wasn't going to back down this time, tangling himself more and more:
"I'm not lying. I fell down. From the stairs. That's it. And honestly, I should go - Tobes is waiting for me already."
No one would buy that, especially a doctor. His mom would be suspicious from now on, making sneaking out way more complicated. Would he ever be able to come clean to her? Would he ever be forgiven?
Why did protecting the world require so many sacrifices?