'thinking'

[spell] – I can't write incantations, so I'm using names, kinda like in anime.

======================

It had been an unexpected thing, really. A troll and a human living in one home, both aware of the other's existence and seeking them out. If someone heard that they even became family, they'd say it's ridiculous, but it wasn't. The proof lived in Arcadia, just above Troll market and they were happily spending their days like that. Without noticing, 3 and a half years had passed.

Jim yawned and stretched one of his legs kicking the desk in his room, vials, full and empty, rattled because of the force.

He sat up and scowled at the furniture. By the time he was completely awake, he had made sure none of the substances were leaking or their containers broken. He saw that a few of his notes had fallen, so he stood up and started gathering and sorting them. Despite his big size and warrior physique that would make average trolls green, some greener, with envy, he liked studying and took good care of all his books and notebooks. The proof: books over 300 years old were barely showing any sign of aging, despite being lugged in an overstuffed backpack ever since he came to the continent.

He was soon done and was making his way towards the kitchen, mindful of the doorframes, there were a few deep scrapes on his and the basement's. Steps creaked ever so slightly under his weight and he thanked whomever designed the house that he made each floor of solid brick and concrete, instead of those cheap wooden ones that would have broken easily with one step.

'Looks like she pulled the curtains down for me.'

He went to the kitchen and saw an assortment of old socks, tin cans and raw sausage, there were also 2 chili peppers.

She had been a bit weirded out when he ate a whole jar of them as if they were a cereal. He explained to her that he liked their taste and were one of the few human foods his stomach was able to digest, the others being red radish, beef jerky and tacos.

There was also a small note saying: [I'm taking a few extra hours, will be back by 16:30. Bon apetit!]. He smiled slightly and looked at the clock.

'10:40. I still have some time to work before she comes back.'

After eating his breakfast, he headed towards his main workplace – the great basement! He lit the lamp and sat on a big cushion. In front of him was a big table full of even more books on magic, notes full of calculations, star charts and magic formulas. He carefully pulled the half-finished sheet he had been working on the previous night alongside with a small booklet. You'd think nothing of it at first, looking old and bland, but after opening it, then things become intense. It was a book about Changelings. Full of text, notes and drawings. Jim began reading while working on his sheet at the same time.

"So, if I do this I should..."

=Flashback=

Jim and Barbara were sitting in the living room. It was late at night and Barbara was stretched over the couch, eyes a bit puffy, hidden by her arms. She was pouring her heart out to him, again, but this time not under the influence of alcohol but because she wanted. On the coffee table was her mug, full of chamomile tea and a big plastic bowl full of Fruzz (a homemade equivalent of cola for trolls, made by yours truly: Jim).

Jim sat across the table and had managed to settle on the armchair, holding a note pad and making his best impression of a psychologist. Barbara had a small mental breakdown after an especially stressful day at the hospital.

"... and it doesn't mean that I don't have ANY personal life just because my husband walked out of my life?! I also want to have fun sometimes!" – she wailed.

"Relax. Being mad at someone won't make it any better. Now, try breathing and have some tea. Tonight, I'll be making dinner!"

"Since when can cook?" – he didn't answer her question.

She shot him doubtful looks with her reddened eyes until the kitchen door obscured him from view but did as instructed. She waited and indeed she calmed down. Soon after a delicious smell came from the kitchen. Jim came out with a tray. On the tray were 2 plates, one was with an omelette and the other had some salad.

"Here's your dinner madam!" he mock bowed "Enjoy!"

"Aren't you going to eat too?"

"Nah. I had a few eggshells and other stuff while you were out at work. I'm full."

"If you say so." – she ate the salad first.

It wasn't bad, fresh and well-seasoned, she then looked at the omelette and poked at it. She was still hungry but she knew Jim's sense of taste was completely different from humans', so she was a bit wary.

"Don't worry. I put edible things in it."

"Are you really sure Jimmy? You hadn't put eggshells in there by accident?" – she said jokingly.

"No, I didn't! I practiced really hard to make this!" – he sounded a bit offended and she knew he was serious.

She cut a bit of the dish and ate it. Jim waited for her to tell him what she thought. She swallowed.

"Mmm! This is not half bad! A bit on the saltier side but it's perfect! You are really a good cook. Maybe you can become a chef in the future."

"Haha! Don't joke around. There is no way for that to happen! Trolls don't cook much in general, plus me being the 'spawn of Gunmar'... and a human restaurant won't even employ me. I'm hiding for a reason, you know."

She sat there, eating and thinking about what he said.

"Jim, you are magical, right?"

"I'm a mage ow how you call us nowadays – wizard."

"So, I was thinking... can't you like, make a spell to make you at least look human? You bragged how you invented the sun immunity one not too long ago."

Jim stared at her and grabbed his horns in shock.

"Oh, Gorgus! How hadn't I thought of THIS earlier?! You are a genius mom!" he realized what he said just a moment later and sputtered "I... I mean... I mean Barbara! Yeah! That's what I meant!"

She just chuckled at his embarrassment.

=end=

Drrrrrrrrrrrrrr! – the alarm he had set up rang.

He got up and went to the kitchen. With a practiced ease he took out the cooking book and started cooking. He diced the vegetables, mixed the ground beef with cream cheese and made patties. Soon he had a nice plate of fried vegetables and patties. His brows furrowed as he looked his creation over and smelled it.

'Hmm... it's true that cooking is nice activity, but this still doesn't smell like food.' He dipped his finger in some of the leftover sauce he had made and licked it, gagging at the taste 'Sigh... the taste is yet another thing I had to trust m- Barbara about. I wonder...'

His ears twitched at the sound of a parking car. Barbara had returned. He washed his hands and went to set the dining table.

Knockknock!

Barbara knocked on the door.

'This could mean only one thing...' he stopped midway his task '... she can't open because her hands are full.'

Jim opened the door for her and she quickly went in, making a beeline for the counter.

"Mm! It smells amazing here Jim! I swear, soon you'd surpass those master chefs on TV! Huff... these things sure are heavy!"

"It's your own fault that you buy too much stuff."

"Come on Jim! Help me get these things in their places. I even bought some new socks!"

"You know... I can get food on my own and I need to exercise too. I've been in here for the past two weeks, so I'm planning to have some fresh air." – he closed the pantry and went back to setting the table.

"I do this because I want to take care of you. Despite being a troll, I can see the lonely teenage boy under all your stony exterior. I want to support you the best I can, you've been alone for so long..."

"It's nothing. I can manage it. It's not like anyone would accept-"

"Jim! I know what you are about to say and I will repeat it as many times as I have to. You are you. Jatar or Jim, it doesn't matter. You have a good heart and someday, I know you'd be accepted by other trolls and I hope to see it with my own eyes." He looked at her "And when that happens, I'd get to say 'I told you!' and document the event!" – the moment was ruined for Jim but he smiled.

===Time skip, 12 days===

"I got it! I finally got it!" – Jim shouted in the basement and jumped a bit.

He didn't want to make a hole in the ceiling after all... Jim was happily looking at his finished work, the complete magical formula for his new spell.

'I plan to call it HTM for short! Hehe... If my teacher was here, she'd scold me for having no imaginative thinking, heh. Now, I just have to test how well it works and tweak it where it's needed.'

He cleared a space in the basement and stood there, closed his eyes and concentrated, it was always harder with new spells, he slowly imagined the whole magical formula and chant. Unlike simple spells that required just chant, this spell was way more complex. In order for him to make his disguise truly realistic, he used a complex mic of magical circles, invocation process and chant. If everything worked as intended, he'd get a human form, just like a changeling would but without needing a familiar or being modified in any way. Not to mention that as soon as Jim had completely memorized the magic, he was going to burn all his notes, knowing how dangerous such knowledge would be in the wrong hands, hence why no other being, other than him and Barbara currently knew of the Sun Protection magic.

A blueish light started to surround him. As soon as it enveloped his whole body, it flashed brightly, illuminating the whole basement. A few seconds later it disappeared. In the basement now stood a small black-haired boy with pale skin and bright blue eyes. That boy was Jim and he wore the same clothes, just smaller. He opened his eyes and immediately plopped on his butt. His head was spinning and he was disoriented due to the sudden shift in both height, size and shape. He sat there for a few minutes, trying to adjust himself to the now bigger world around him. Jim got up and went to his desk, where he kept a small mirror, and took in his new appearance.

"Wow! It really worked. Gasp-" – he put a now soft and smaller arm on his throat, his voice had also changed, not by much but it sounded younger and a bit softer.

Getting out of the basement became an unforgettable experience, carefully taking one step at a time, having to make more than 3, the doorknob being at his eye level and the door larger than him.

"Now, for the most important test..."

Jim crept towards the window and pried the curtains open, letting a small ray of sunlight in. He took a breath and thrust his hand in the light, preparing for pain, instead he only felt pleasant warmth. With a now beaming smile, he stepped into the sunlight, pulling away the curtains. Being temporarily blinded was nothing compared to the overwhelming sense of accomplishment currently felt. He whooped in joy and went to test some more things.

'The spell doesn't seem to be weakening, just as I wanted, might as well test the limits before trying to dispel it.' – he thought, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

He then proceeded to do multiple tests – mobility, flexibility, strength, speed, eye test, smell sensitivity...The results were both good and not so good, but he managed to see both the pros and cons to his new spell.

He was smaller and could go through places he couldn't, he was more flexible, had resistance to light, looked, no, he was human in a sense and his steps had become lighter. On the other side, he was much shorter and weaker than his troll self but stronger than average, he couldn't properly compare it but he doubted a child his current size could lift an armchair. He was slower due to his shorter legs and had less stamina, Jim even took a short nap to see if the spell could hold on, it did. His senses were also muted down and was very confusing at first but got used to it. Currently he was standing in front of the door, debating on his next action.

'Should I dispel the magic, leave it to see if it'll last until I have to cook dinner or ... go out?'

He was tempted by each idea and was hard to decide, glancing at the clock, he saw he had 4 more hours until he had to start preparing Barbara's dinner.

'That's it! I haven't walked freely in a human settlement for 180 years, what could possibly go wrong with a little stroll around the block?'

Unlocking the door with gusto and a bit of childish excitement, Jim made his way out of the house. Birds were chirping, the cars were slowly driving by and children were playing around the neighborhood, it was a perfect day to lay there and enjoy the peace. It smelled clean and fresh, despite his dulled sense of smell.

'Time for part 2 of testing!' he smiled "To the backyard!" – Jim shouted and ran with a cheerful laugh.

He was thankful that there were trees instead of houses behind his home... Huh? He had really accepted this place as a home. Not even the caves he and his family had used were home to him. Instead, this little house had become a place he knew he'd be able to return to.

Jim was standing in the backyard, facing the trees behind the house. He closed his eyes, concentrated, stretched his hand and used magic-

[Ice arrow]

-and nothing happened. Looking at his palm with a shocked expression, Jim examined it.

'What's wrong? Making Ice arrows is one of the easiest mid-tier spells, even a beginner can make a few on his first try! What went wrong? Why can't I use it?'

He tried a few more spells, which led him to discovering another thing about this new spell of his. While he was in human form, he could only use low-tier beginner spells, the kind of spells that were taught to children to train their spellcasting, were used to wash your clothes, tie shoes and tricks you can do with your hands.

"Hmm... this is quite the predicament. I need more time for testing. For now, I should go inside and try to dispel the magic..." – Jim mused while heading for the front door. He hadn't unlocked the back one and had to circle the house instead.

"Huh? Who are you?" – the voice of a young boy asked Jim.

His head shot up in the direction of the voice, his thoughts interrupted. There stood a chubby boy with short orange-brown hair, in t-shirt and shorts.

"Huh?" – was all Jim could say.

"I haven't seen you here before. What were you doing in Dr. Lake's backyard? Did you lose something? What's your name? Are you new to town? You look my age..." – Jim was bombarded by questions by the excited boy.

"What..."

"Sorry! I was looking for Dr. Lake my Nana told me to bring her some pie. So, what's your name?"

"J-Jim! My name is Jim!" – he said nervously.

'Oh no, someone actually came! What should I do? Do I pretend to...'

"Cool! My name is Toby, Toby Domzalski!" – he held his hand for a handshake.

"Wait. You are the grandson of the lady that lives across the street from us?"

"Yeah, I do. Does that mean you live here? With Dr. Lake? Ah, I get it!"

Jim stiffened.

"You must be her son! But why haven't I seen you-"

"Toby-pie! Your show is starting!" – Nana called and saved Jim from an awkward explanation.

"Nana's calling. Here's the pie, you can give it to your mom. Bye Jim!" he ran towards his house "We may go out some time!"

Jim stood there, frozen, until Toby closed the door of his house. Looking at the still warm pie, Toby's house and the pie again...Like a robot, he walked back in his house, locked the door, closed the curtains, left the pie in the fridge and laid on the sofa. He was in shock and just stared at the ceiling.

'I messed up! I totally messed up. What should I do now? Why was I so stupidly careless?! 400 years. 400 years of hiding and being unnoticed...Now it might all end because of a human child seeing me!' – such thoughts swam in his head.

He didn't even notice how much time had passed, until Barbara entered the house. She was calling for him, so he stood up and went to greet her.

"Kya! Who are you? Where did you come from little guy?" – she asked.

'Little guy? ...Oh, I still haven't dispelled the magic.'

He stepped back and closed his eyes, concentrating on the spell. In a flurry of sparks, he was back to his troll form and Barbara jumped back in surprise.

"Jim! Don't scare me like that! Wait! Since when can you do that?"

"I tested the new spell today, you know...the one to make me look human."

"Ah! So you are done? Now I can show you around Arcadia without worrying about- "– she was stopped by Jim's finger.

"I messed up..." desperation was clear within his voice "I made a big mistake and I-I I don't know what to do to fix it..." – he sat on the floor, hands shaking a bit in both fear and nervousness.

Barbara looked him from head to toe. She couldn't see the tall, strong and imposing troll, she saw an inexperienced boy that had made some sort of mess for the first time and didn't know what to do, due to fear.

"Don't worry... We'll fix it somehow, I promise. Now, tell me what happened."

Jim proceeded to tell her the events from earlier and she sat next to him, listening to every word.

"So, Toby thinks you are my son and a kid his age?"

"Yes..."

"Then you ARE my son!" – she proclaimed suddenly.

"What? But I am- "

"It's perfect! I will be your mother and you my son. That way we can keep you hidden and safe while not looking suspicious! I may even go to the city hall and register you! Jim Lake...Doesn't that sound great?"

"Hehe... It does have a nice ring to it."

"See! You agree too! I know things may get a bit more complicated from now on, but imagine the possibilities! I refuse to let you stay cooped inside! I don't know about trolls but I doubt it's healthy."

"You are half-right. Although some trolls can and DO sleep for decades..."

"Really?"

"Yes, they do. Hey! I forgot about one last test for today!"

"What test?"

"I forgot to see if my human form can eat human food. And there's some pie in the fridge..." – he cast the magic, once again turning in a boy and running towards the fridge.

'Boys...What will I do with him?' – Barbara shook her head.

She watched from the side as he warily took a small bite of pie, his face brightening up almost instantly. It reminded her of how small children in hospitals would smile when they or their family member got discharged. She steeled herself and got ready to do whatever she could to help Jim. He had become family to her, a true family, a son. A very lonely and a bit lost son but with this she hoped he'd have a better life, instead of being all alone.

"So? How's the pie? I know Nana makes the best pies in the state." – she asked the awestruck Jim.

"I've never had such a food... It tastes AMAZING! Like that time I first had wool socks."

"Haha...I'm glad you like it, now make way for me! I have to eat too."

Like that they snacked on the pie and went to bed, both a bit too nervous for what's to come next day. They were going to introduce Jim Lake, Barbara's 'adopted son' to Nana and Toby, hoping for the best.