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When Jim and the others arrive, Strickler is hiding away in the kitchen, making himself busy by doing the dishes left in the sink. The other parents are about to find out about the existence of trolls and their children’s involvement. It feels like it isn’t his place to be here. He’d rather avoid the imminent conversations about his position throughout all of this, but Barbara had asked him to be here for this.
She’d called him earlier this afternoon, after she had apparently regained her memories, asking him to discuss things. To say he had been surprised would have been the understatement of the century. He’d assumed that in the event she should regain her memories, Barbara would never want to speak to him again. But he’d showed up at her door with a hesitant knock, with none of the confidence of his previous visits, or a bottle of wine in an attempt to smooth things over.
When she’d opened the door, he had prepared himself for scrutiny and maybe some harsh words, but they never came. He’d been invited in and was immediately overcome with the feeling of having no idea what he should do with himself. Should he sit? Should he wait? Should he say something?
Barbara had motioned for him to follow her to the basement. For some reason that made his stomach do somersaults. All the ways he could have possibly guessed this was going were thrown out the window in an instant. Not knowing where this was going almost seemed to make things worse. Maybe Barbara was just so done with him that she was going to off him herself?
“You know, of all the times I’ve been here, I think I was only ever down here the one time. Granted a crazed assassin was trying to kill us- Sorry, sorry, no wait, I truly am sor-” The word vomit had just spewed from him.
“Just don’t.”
When he reached the landing he froze, taking in the canvases littered around the room. There’s one that is no doubt Blinkous, and a rather angelic rendition of Vendel, which only made his gut twist more. However, it’s the rather menacing portrait of his troll form that caused him to go pale. He regretted not having his pen or something to fidget with his hands, simply for the fact of having something to do with them.
“So you really do remember?”
Barbara had then explained how she’d had these dreams and visions where she remembered bits and pieces and that led to painting to try and get them out of her head. She wanted him to help her decipher what happened, making it clear that he wasn’t to lie to her. He’d muttered that he could never lie to her again. She no doubt had heard him but didn’t seem too surprised by the remark.
After much discussion on what she should do about the whole situation and how it felt wrong to keep this from the other parents, here they were now. With Strickler hiding away in the background, but ready to answer questions when he was inevitably involved. He can hear the Nunezes are genuinely concerned, but it’s Ms. Domzalski’s confidence that her “Toby-Pie” would never get in trouble and is an “angel” that actually makes him chuckle.
“Detective Scott would beg to differ,” he mumbles to himself.
Jim’s head immediately snaps back to him with a wide-eyed look. The fact that the boy actually mouths the word “dude” at him only makes him chuckle more.
Then Barbara suggests that the kids be the ones to explain themselves. That in itself could go several ways, but Strickler will admit that they’re good kids. So maybe they’ll actually try to be honest about the situation. Not that their parents will probably believe them. Although he wishes he could say he’s surprised when both Claire and Tobias claim plausible deniability and pawn it off on Jim.
Javier’s sudden outburst about drugs does make him bark back a fit of laughter though, “If only something as simple as that was the worst of their problems.”
He rinses off another dish and begins to towel it dry. From what he can hear, Barbara is growing quite exasperated with the situation and tries to just out the truth herself. The following laughter from the adults makes him wince.
“Trolls? Barbara,” Ms. Domzalski pauses to take a sip of her tea, “Are you on the drugs?”
The cup in Strickler’s hands suddenly drops back into the soapy water with a thud. It’s obvious everyone is looking at him, probably having forgotten he was even there up until that moment. He glances over to Barbara, but she doesn't indicate that she’s ready to give up and accept defeat just yet.
“My apologies.”
He resumes his dealings with the dishes, pretending like he’s not intently listening to the conversation in the other room. To his surprise, Ophelia claims that she believes Barbara, up until she begins recommending a therapist. Strickler tries not to react so obviously this time. If anyone were actually paying attention to him, they’d say that he was spending an awfully long time drying that one plate.
An awkward chuckle from Tobias’ rings out, “Trolls living beneath us? What? That’s crazy town banana pants fosters.”
He pauses his movements, gripping the plate the smallest bit tighter as he sneaks into the dining room.
“With extra nuts,” Claire laughs also.
His grip on the plate grows firmer, the ceramic coating beginning to crack under the pressure. Strickler actually has to hold back the growl in his throat.
He’s had the opportunity to get to know Barbara, despite how horribly he ruined it. She’s a great doctor, and one of the smartest people he’s had the pleasure of talking to in recent years. She’s an even better mother. In fact, Barbara is a lot of things, but she definitely isn’t crazy.
“Jim, tell them. Please,” Barbara begs and Walt feels something in his chest tighten horrendously at that moment. Jim’s notable hesitation makes his ears begin to ring.
The boy lets out a sigh, “The hospital asked her to take some time off.”
The immediate murmuring isn’t enough to mask the sound of the plate shattering in his hands. This time he can’t hold back the growl, “JAMES LAKE JR!”
His eyes are no doubt glowing. He gave Barbara a chance to try this her way, now it was time to do this his way.
Strickler marches right up to Jim and based on the suddenly horrified gasps he’s taken his troll form in the process. He’s so close to the boy’s face that Jim stumbles backward a couple steps. “Don’t you dare lie and tell them your mother is crazy!”
The kids are frozen in shock rather than fear. Tobias murmurs, “Yep, totally forgot he could do that, we really didn’t think this through!”
Another beat of silence.
“Someone explain what is going on here or I’m calling…” Ophelia hesitates, not entirely sure who she’s supposed to call when the local history teacher turns into a green rock monster.
Strickler narrows his eyes on Jim. The boy lets out a sigh and turns back to the others, “For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command.”
The room fills with a glowing blue light and suddenly Jim is in full armor, with sword in hand. Tobias goes over to their bags and pulls out his hammer. He tosses Claire her staff too, and they both activate their weapons.
“We… Are Trollhunters.”