Scalded Child

Ooh Ah Serirei animatic

A really quick thing I did in between comms and kofi rewards 💜

song: Ooh Ah - nelward

(go listen to the full song, it’s really cool and the lyrics are very serirei)

In the Hero with a Thousand Faces episode, Blinky makes an offhand comment when Jim calls him about the first clone: “Are you sure he’s an exact duplicate? Humans do all look alike!”

This concept is actually a documented phenomenon. We’re best at differentiating details between what we’re familiar with. There’s a study out there where babies were shown a series of faces, including humans and various monkeys, while the researchers examined how their brains responded. They found that younger babies were able to differentiate between individual variation in each face. However, when those same babies were brought back in a few months later, they could still differentiate human faces but were no longer able to differentiate monkeys of the same species. This is because their brains were adapting–there’s no practical need to recognize individual monkeys; a chimp is a chimp and doesn’t really have much bearing on that baby’s life, so their brain just stops focusing on it. On the other hand, they interact with humans daily and it’s pretty important to be able to recognize one’s mom over some creepy stranger. 

There was a similar study where babies were shown various “scary” images, trying to determine how fears develop or something (I don’t remember exactly oof). A lot of distorted faces that adults or older children would find deeply unsettling…didn’t really affect the babies. This is because the disturbing part of those kind of images didn’t have much to do with the images themselves, but rather the wrongness of them. The “that’s not quite right…” factor. The babies had not yet developed a sense of “normal”, and therefore the scary faces weren’t a distortion, but rather simply another thing to look at and learn about.

tl;dr a lot of how we perceive appearances comes down to what we’re accustomed to. What we’ve grown up with. And clearly, if Blinky’s line is anything to go by, trolls are not immune to this!

…which brings us to Jim. aka half-troll Jim. But we usually just refer to him as troll Jim.

Why? Well, partly because it’s shorter, I’m sure. But also, I think…because from our frame of reference, as humans, the trollishness is what defines him, appearance-wise.

I’ve seen many fans say that Jim doesn’t really look “half” troll, he looks fully troll. I don’t quite agree but I can understand where they’re coming from. We, as humans accustomed to humans, look at halftroll!Jim and say, man, he’s got horns and tusks and stony blue skin. That is decidedly Not Human™. And of course we do! That’s how our brains work.

But…let’s take a minute to consider it in reverse because man what a cool thought that is.

Imagine your average troll looking at halftroll!Jim and thinking, man, he may have horns and such but what’s up with his nose? why are his nostrils so low, how does he breath like that? Why does he have fur on his eyebrows? Why is he so…human-shaped?

It would just be SUCH an interesting take worldbuilding-wise, like Jim being half-troll half-human looks just as humanish to the troll’s minds as he looks trollish to our human minds. And that’s so hard to comprehend because it’s beyond our experience! Which is just a really cool concept!! To try to imagine the perspective of this fantasy culture that lives with little human contact, and how differently or similarly they would perceive the world, and in what ways! Like MAN that is fascinating. 

…which is why I was a little disappointed that Callista barely even believes Jim when he tells her he’s half-human, and none of the ancient trolls seem to take notice that no, he doesn’t really look like a normal troll. 

Now, I don’t blame the writers for this, because such an exploration wasn’t necessarily to the plot and, of course, they had very limited time to squeeze everything in there. Plus honestly I simply don’t think they really thought about it quite so hard because–surprise surprise–they are human! Writing a story for humans. 

I suppose in-universe part of it could be explained by the fact that troll races are much more physically diverse than human races, so they’d see Jim and be like, huh that guy looks kinda weird, but maybe he’s just a rare variant we’ve never met before from some far-off tribe, don’t wanna be rude ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  

Regardless, it sure is interesting to think about. Man I just love hybrid characters y’all. They’re so fascinating.

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bonus ramblings for the like 3 people who are into my future AU (aka ship (mostly jlaire) babies)

Can you believe we’re here again? I certainly can’t, five fanfic recommend lists is getting a bit on the silly side and yet here we are! This one started building within 24 hours of the last one and it seems about the right time to chuck it into the wilds for peeps to enjoy.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

If at all interested in my own writing you can find it here!

General Trollhunters

Falling in the black - Jim had accepted his fate the moment he began pouring out the elixir Merlin made into the bathtub, all that was left now was to go through with it and hope he was doing the right thing.

Night of the CreepSlayerz - Morgana was defeated and the Trollhunter left Arcadia with many of it’s former residents in search of a brand new Heartstone  thus the protection of the town fell to those left behind. It is not quiet though, far from it in fact, for in the fallen Market an evil yet stirs with a siren’s song…

and in the dark i can hear your heartbeat - It’s a long trip to New Jersey and for the only human not the easiest on her feet, still she has Jim with her. Jilaire fluff.

Champion - Angor ponders over what became of the troll he once was after he was forced into servitude by the Pale Lady.

A Mutually Beneficial Relationship - By chance, Angor Rot meets the Trollhunter Tellad-Urr.

General Wizards

A wizards associate - A lovely little tale of how Archie and Douxie possibly met for the first time. You never know what your kindness might produce.

Saudade - There was always gonna be an After when the Order had been temporarily beaten back and the successor to Merlin was forced to flee to keep Nari safe but this was never going to be an easy thing to bear. Follows multiple characters including stop offs with Jim n Co. and Zoe picking up the pieces of suddenly not being in the same town as her centuries long best friend. Does eventually go Zouxie!

Eye of the Hurricane - A lost moment after arriving at Hex tech, Douxie goes to take a breather and is given the chance to chat to Zoe, freshen up and wonder what on earth they’re gonna do now Jim has been captured. Zouxie fluff.

A Bit of Simple Magic - Technically before Wizards but since it has a couple mentions directly from Wizards I’m popping it here. This is shameless Zouxie fluff based on Teny’s artwork and I am HERE for it.

afterimage - An unusual one. A popular take is that certainly Skrael and Bellroc might have been human before becoming what we know them as now and this is a little bit of dabbling with young Bells who is figuring out they don’t appreciate gender nor long hair with the expectations it brings very much.

When You Least Expect - Panic attacks can happen to anybody and if Wizards had anything to say, Douxie has an awful lot of material should one be triggered.

Cantus In Memoriam - Some mercies are gifted like a blessing but to the hands that take it, it’s a lie they need more than anything. The Arcane Order has lost, it’s true, but Douxie will take no joy in ending their long vigil.

alight - I may be a tiny bit biased here because there’s a reference to Ghost!AU but you know what screw it the author is great and deserves the love. Jim wants to go back to his second life, the one he thought would have been forever before he was revived into softer flesh but there is no guarantee he will be the same as he was then. Sometimes the possible comforts are worth the leap of faith it will take to get there.

Jim the Baby-Handed - Jim is home again, human and there is no getting around how things have shifted in his absence. Sometimes however, all you need to do is ask.

Stricklake

Strange Treasures - There is an aftermath to everything, even the Eternal Night and one that leaves Barbara wondering how she stands in it and particularly with regards to a certain changeling adrift himself who had once upon a time tried to kill her son.

The Only Constant - If Walter was offered the chance access his human appearance again after the Eternal Night, would he do it for her despite it would literally be walking into the unknown?

Tumblr Drabbles - He loves Barbara, he truly does, but after everything he had done to the final insult of Angor Rot coming for his own life and in turn threatening her in the process perhaps walking away is for the best. A broken heart in exchange for her life. The second one is an entirely different and is almost innocent Strickmar fluff, almost.

Alternate Universe

Another Dark Prince (Working Title) - Fate can be a strange thing sometimes. Gunmar could have escaped the Darklands far sooner but in lacking the army to go forth with his conquest is relegated to the shadows with his son and the changelings minding them whilst seeking the reopening on the Bridge for the third time. Following this thought further, perhaps a fatal accident could have led to the death of Barbara and a five year old Jim swept into the arms of a troll he would kill in another life on a promise to the deceased to keep him safe. Wouldn’t that have been a thing?

Arcane Blight - Another horror fic! There is something rather unsettling going on in Arcadia, one that contains no trolls in the conventional sense but doesn’t stop them being here, and the household the Lakes moved into seems to be treated with fear and distrust. That said there is the chance it’s more the location that’s the issue particularly with a school existing in fear of a certain ginger haired lad…

Mohs Scale - The fantastic Don’t Listen to Kafka series got a new update! Sometimes you just want to help out your bestie who is going through very weird changes as his body is slowly becoming less and less human by giving him a pedicure.

Eternal Night - Gunmar was defeated at the Eternal Night but did not die, no he survived blinded and bound in chains by the mercy of the formerly human Trollhunter. Beware, even the presumed subdued still have their teeth.

Amnesia - Jim is in a blue body that cannot be quite right but he doesn’t know why, found half drowned by trolls and taking into their care. Cut off from those who might have known his old life and flung into a new strange one without his memories this boy is in for a ride while he tries to piece back together anything that makes sense.

Hope Dies Last - Nari said they would rip his soul to shreds if they caught him during her rescue from the Order’s stronghold, she spoke a very nearly fatal truth.

Fear of Fears - An AU of an AU in a sense, an alternate take of the fabulous Sunshine series and somewhat darker as the situation that starts far more innocently rapidly spirals out of control when Jim attempts to sneak out for Halloween but even then nobody could have expected the result. Heed the warnings in the tags they’re there for a reason.

Moirai - There is a danger when you take up the Skathe-Hrün that you may gain the attentions of eyes you would much rather did not and in Claire’s case, it is the notice of the assassin Angor Rot.

He lay dreaming - A follow up in a sense to the above, sometimes on rare occasions Angor by choice or not begins to dream.

The Pursuit of Stone; A Chance Meeting - Another part of the highly recommended The Heart of Janus series that has lore threads spread far and wide, a fine example both of why I adore Sam in his chaotic… Samness and another beat in the story of Otto Scaarbach’s rise to Grand Commandant in that even in the most unlikely places you may still find an ally, a future tool to be ultilised.

The OP in the very second of typing this had a sudden realisation that when the author sees this post will no doubt start laughing for. It’s for a good reason tho, promise.

The completely unrelated to this fandom fic

been obsessed with tasuki ever since reading hell's paradise, and so of course i had to draw mizu going through the motions. for educational purposes. of course.

And then you think but bitch i love you i want you to be happy. Can you drop the revenge quest and just please try to be happy??

But then they hit you with Ep 5 and you see. Mizu did drop the revenge quest. Mizu lived in a beautiful countryside, got her Mama back, had a hallmark romance, and did drop the revenge quest. Mizu was happy. And what did Happy bring her? Only pain.