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When Toby had texted him to bring back a souvenir, he didn't exactly mean Angor Rot.
"It's only for a day, Tobes! I'll come back as soon as I'm done with everything!" Jim pleaded with an almost desperate look.
And, well, it wasn't like he can't say no, but Jim was his best friend. That of course didn't mean he couldn't whine about it. "Why do I have to babysit him? He's a big troll! He can take care of himself!" He argued. And it was true, Angor was more than capable of taking care of himself though the worried look Jim gave seemed to say otherwise.
"I know, but.. I don't think he's actually been okay since.. you know." Jim grimaces and Toby understood, even if it's been almost two years since the War happened.
He eventually breaks the painful silence with a dramatic huff. "Fiiine, I'll keep an eye on him but you better bring me something good when you get back!" He says and Jim beams at him and pulls him into a crushing hug, muttering a thank you before the half-troll lets go and bounds off into the night.
So now it leaves only him, Nana and Angor. Suffice to say the idea of having Angor Rot in his house makes him wary, making him wonder if he should call Aaarrgghh as he gets back into the house. But Jim has learned to trust Angor over the past years and so had Claire, so maybe it was his turn to learn how to trust Angor as well.
'Well', he thought, 'at least he's not doing anything too weird.' He's not entirely sure what he expected Angor would do once he was inside but it was certainly not along the lines of listening so intently to Nana's explanation of the cheesy soap opera she loves to watch. Angor barely pays him any mind, only looking in his direction when Nana stops to look at him with a smile, "Toby-pie! You're new friend here is quite nice. What did you say your name was again?"
"Angor Rot." He answers curtly, earning a small kind laugh from Nana. "It's very nice to meet you, Angie. I'm so happy my little Toby-pie has made more friends." Nana smiles and adjusts her glasses as she turns back to the small television, completely missing Angor's grimace and Toby's struggle not to laugh.
"Alright Nana, I think we're gonna go upstairs. You enjoy your..", he paused, "..show, I guess?" He says. Nana gives him a look that Toby swiftly avoids as he bounds up the stairs and towards his room. Thankfully, Angor follows after him without complaint, ducking through the doorway to get inside.
It was easy to forget how tall Angor was until he was this close. He's fairly sure he's almost taller than Aaarrgghh, unless his wingman stood up to his full height. Angor has to slouch a bit in order to avoid scraping his horns against the ceiling, which is nice of him, he thinks-- and makes him feel a little bad about having such a small room. 'One day,' he thinks, 'one day.'
The silence that falls on them is uncomfortable and Toby rocks on his feet, looking at anything in his room to avoid looking at Angor Rot. He's not really sure what to do or say until he looks up and sees how uncomfortable Angor seems to look as well, so he starts, "Sooo--"
"I'm fine." Angor quickly interjects, now looking uncomfortably annoyed at him and Toby pauses cause-- well, it wasn't what he was gonna ask, but now that he's brought it up he raises an eyebrow at the troll and starts again, "Are you sure? Cuz' that kinda makes it sound like you're not fine."
Angor scowls and moves past Toby to sit himself down at the end of his old bed, directing his scowl at the boy, "I do not need children fretting over me as if I was some fragile toy," the troll growled, "I am fine." He says it as a finality, but Toby had gone through enough emotional turmoil as a child to notice when someone was bothered about something and it was almost clear as day on Angor.
A moment of silence passes before he talks, "It's not weak to admit you're not okay, Angor," the troll's shoulders hunch, "I mean.. after everything that's happened? I'd be surprised if everything was all sunshines and rainbows!" He tries for light and casual and misses the mark greatly, judging from the way Angor looks at him like he's bitten his hand. Toby nervously glances away, then back at Angor.
"Look.. Everyone's messed up over the War." He grimaces, "And then Morgana--"
"She's not dead." Angor interrupts, looking away from the boy. Realisation slowly dawns on him as he stares at Angor but before he can say anything else, the troll continues, "I have been trapped in her clutches for centuries, tricked into doing her bidding. Those years of slavery has twisted and taken apart my mind--" Angor breathes, anxious, and mutters quietly, "I cannot trust my own mind. If she.." His voice trails off.
He doesn't miss the way Angor picks at his own skin, like he wants to tear a piece out but can't. The sight of it worries him more than he'd like to admit. "You're scared she's gonna come back?" He asks, despite how eeriely easy it is to see the fear and anger on the trolls face, and said troll only growls and shifts as if he's trying to discreetly curl in on himself.
Toby mulls it over in his head, thinking. Angor's situation reminded him much of Draal's when he was freed from the Decimar blade. He'd only been under it's influence for a month, but everyone could see how badly Draal had been affected by it. But Angor had been like that for centuries on end. He couldn't possibly imagine the damage it's done to the troll.
It's when Angor's expression grows grim that he speaks up, "If there comes a day where Morgana somehow gets out-- which, by the way, never gunna' happen-- we'll all be there to fight her." Toby grins wide and confident as he continues, "Cuz' we're Trollhunters. And when I say we, that means you too. And Trollhunters have each others back."
Angor snorts at that, looking a little at ease which is a big point for Toby in his book. "And besides, you're like an amazing warrior. No one can beat you." It's a somewhat genuine compliment, earning him a short laugh from the troll. "Don't flatter me, Tobias." Angor says, "I am not that great of a warrior." The other half goes unsaid, but Toby knows well enough what he means and shakes his head.
"Trust me, if Jimbo had to pick between fighting you or Gunmar again, he'd pick Gunmar any day cause you're just that tough." He says it with confidence, only taken aback when Angor genuinely laughs at the idea. They both fall into comfortable silence after that until Toby moves off the bed and sits in-front of his television, powering both his console and TV on and offering the second controller to Angor. "You wanna try?" He asks, shaking the controller that Angor stares at like it's an affront to God himself. Slowly, Angor moves closer and gingerly takes the controller from him, making Toby beam.
It's awhile later that he realizes Angor has taken a big liking to his more violent video games.