The Rocky Bits, By the Troll Cave, Thursday morning

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Belle was meant to be clever. Her parents had always praised her for being so and so had her tutors. A truly clever girl would not be outside in these conditions. She would not be wandering around the island alone. She would know that walking unprepared into dangerous situations was foolish rather than brave. Or maybe cleverness was just no substitute for common sense. She was still teenager.

At least she had the sense to avoid the mirrors. You couldn’t grow up where Belle had without a healthy respect for magic mirrors and those were clearly magical. Evil magic, she was sure, but magic nonetheless. She gave those as wide a berth as she could manage.

Of course, Belle ought to have had a healthy respect for trolls as well. But her home had been plagued with ogres. Other large, aggressive monsters weren’t discussed as often there as they might have been in other corners of the realm. Too bad for Belle. If she’d known a little more about trolls she might not have wandered so close to that cave over there.


[expecting one! But there could be more? I'm not the boss of you! Work disclaimer applies.]

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[apocalypsehow]

Well, Diego was safely(?) elsewhere for whatever this ridiculousness was. Which meant Five had raided his apartment for snacks before growing bored and investigating whatever the hell this was.

He squinted a bit at the figure over by the caves before sighing and trying to decide if he should just leave her to her terrible fate or not. It was no skin iff his nose, after all.

Finally, he teleported over, arms crossed in annoyance. "Shouldn't you be inside?"

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Couldn't he leave her to her ill-advised explorations in peace?

"Shouldn't you?"

[apocalypsehow]

Never.

"I'm not an actual child." Which would be a better insult except, you know, physically he was.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"You act like one," Belle sniffed, taking a few extremely mature steps closer to that cave.

[apocalypsehow]

"No, you do." Which proved her point probably.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"I'm not the one following other people around!"

She was the one making reckless decisions. That was way better!

[apocalypsehow]

"I wasn't following you, I was investigating." Totally different. "If anything, you're in my way."

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"Investigating what?"

Maybe all the bizarre things happening? Maybe that was it, Belle.

"And I'm not in your way." She turned, very slowly, in a circle to demonstrate just how much room there was here, outdoors, in this very creepy area. "You have more than enough room!"

And you could just zap yourself somewhere else, you weird little sorcerer.

[apocalypsehow]

Five gestured aggressively at the troll cave. And then at the ash falling from the sky.

"You should go home and let the adults handle this." All this bickering was just gonna attract a troll.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Attract a troll, you say? Like that large individual that was creeping closer to the entrance of the cave? Whyever would anyone think bickering might attract him?

"If you see any adults, feel free to send them over."

[apocalypsehow]

Look, that troll was just living it's best troll life here. Just got a condo, was thinking about maybe going back to troll college...

"Are you just trying to be difficult here?" That was his thing! Don't take his thing!

[noonedecidesmyfate]

And then a pair of squabbling teenagers showed up outside its front door and started causing trouble. The troll couldn't be blamed for its actions, really.

"No, I usually leave that to you!"

[apocalypsehow]

Five made a disgusted noise before noticing the troll. Then made another disgusted noise. "Now look what you've done."

[noonedecidesmyfate]

The troll made a grumbling noise of its own as it exited the cave.

Belle turned, saw it, and let out a very undignified squeak as she took a step backward. "It could be your fault!"

Or maybe if you didn't bicker outside the troll's cave, the troll wouldn't come out? Maybe both were to blame!

[apocalypsehow]

Whoa, whoa, whoa there with that logic.

"No, it's definitely your fault," Five said, wrapping a hand around her arm in case he needed to teleport her away.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

The truth hurts!

"Let go!" Like Belle was going to stand for being grabbed. No, she was very maturely going to try and shake him off.

Honestly, who did he think he was? (Besides someone who might have the ability to escape this situation.)

Meanwhile, the troll took a few troll-sized steps closer.

[apocalypsehow]

"Do you want to be left to that thing's mercy?" Because he would. Oh, he would.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

That thing (rude, Five!) just wanted some peace and quiet and wasn't going to eat anyone. Just tie them up and throw them in the cave until they behaved like civilized and quiet little people.

"You weren't going to help me!" Why would he do that? Maybe he was working with the troll!

The troll grunted as if to disagree with that improbable idea.

[apocalypsehow]

Okay, that was fair. That troll was tired, he had bills, he had better things to do here.

"I was too!" Five shot her an affronted look. Then the troll one too for good measure.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"Why would you do that?" Belle asked, suspiciously.

Maybe because there was a troll? Who was now awfully close, why were they still arguing?

[apocalypsehow]

"Call it a whim," Five said, throwing his hands up.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Oh, the troll didn't like that motion. The troll thought it looked threatening and he was going to grab for those loud, tiny people now so he could make them stop.

"Look out!" And maybe duck? Troll hands were flying!

[apocalypsehow]

Five rolled his eyes, grabbing her with both hands this time to teleport them just behind the troll. Hopefully she didn't get motion sick easily.

"This is your fault," he hissed. He'd also find a way to blame Diego for it.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"It is not my fault," Belle sputtered, looking a little dazed. They'd moved! Not far but he had moved them.

The troll scratched his head. Where had those tiny people gone?

"I...have an idea," she whispered.

Her ideas so far today hadn't been great, sure, but this new one was promising. She thought.

[apocalypsehow]

Was it going to be magic? Because he was not a fan!

"My idea is to bludgeon it to death." Wow, Five. That was pretty aggro.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"With what?" You have tiny hands, Five!

"Papa gave me something before I left. In case of emergencies."

Just be grateful it's not a magic bean, okay?

[apocalypsehow]

"I'll find something," Five said like that was a normal thing to do. "Is it mace? Mace might help."

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Nobody let Five near the glowy rage rocks. The island will be doomed.

The only mace Belle knew about was the weapon, not the spray, so she eyed Five oddly as she shook her head. Obviously she wasn't carrying one of those!

"No. This," she said, pulling a small pouch out of a pocket.

[apocalypsehow]

But could you really tell the difference with or without them?

"What."

No, really. Belle. What.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"Fairy dust."

Obviously. What else would be in that tiny pouch? She didn't have any more beans!

The troll swung his head around at that. Oh, that's where the tiny loud ones went!

[apocalypsehow]

"I should have left you to your demise," Five informed her.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Belle rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to respond to that but the troll made another grab for them.

So Belle threw some dust at it. Well, Belle threw the whole pouch full of dust at the troll, which was overkill but the troll was very large and very annoyed.

Or it had been. Now it was...a bug?

"I think you can bludgeon it now."

[apocalypsehow]

Five gave her a sour look, but didn't hesitate to crush that poor, innocent troll who had just been doing his best.

You monsters. You absolute monsters.

"That was ridiculous," he muttered.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

There were probably other trolls out for revenge now.

"I thought it was clever," Belle said. She would.

At least she let you squish the bug, Five!

[apocalypsehow]

He would have done it regardless!

"Now just... go back to the dorms." So he could go get into a fight with the tentacle monster and be reminded of his brother Ben.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"Oh, you'll let me go unsupervised?"

She was going to go back anyway. It wasn't because he'd suggested it!

[apocalypsehow]

"Do you need an escort?" he scoffed. Scoffed, you hear him!

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"No!"

But actually yes.

[apocalypsehow]

He would blame Diego fully and Dolores just a tiny, tiny bit for feeling compelled to make sure Belle didn't die in a bloody mess.

"Come on," he ground out, rolling his eyes and offering his arm.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Belle was only taking his arm because it seemed like the polite thing to do. They would never speak of this again, obviously.

[apocalypsehow]

He'd at the very least make sure the teleporting was as disorientating as possible to make up for it all, yes.

She was never allowed to talk to his brother about this. Or Annie.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"Thank you."

She'd be thoroughly disoriented. Especially after the adrenaline from being attacked by a troll wore off. But would that really make this any better?

Talking to Diego would be intimidating. Annie, on the other hand, seemed so nice and approachable!

[apocalypsehow]

Ah! No talking about it! None!

"If you want to thank me, just never mention that ridiculous powder. Ever again."

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Just a little talking. As a treat!

"I'll try." For a few days. She would avoid mentioning it until it seemed advantageous to do so. That was the best Belle could do, Five.