#demo x floyd

[blooeyedtroll]

Demo loves making Floyd smile!~✨💖😊

[alicre]

@trollsfusion - you reqested so you shall have!

I apologies for the amount of watermarks but somebody tried stealing my art once ;(

[yuri-is-online]

Can I request a kind of song fic? You know the song national anthem? The part where it says "red, white, blue is in the sky. Summers in the air, and baby heavens in your eyes". Can I have that with the first 3 dorms? Love your writing!

The familiar tone of cicadas and flushing greens bring about a stereotypical image of summer, and with it the reality of nearly a full year away from your world. No one has said it out loud yet, but it really does look like Twisted Wonderland is going to be your forever home, so it really is time you start thinking about what you want your future to look like...

And someone really seems to want a staring role in it.

I don't listen to Lana at all so I spent a brief moment wondering why someone was requesting I do a song fic based on the American National Anthem. Anyway I listened to the song a few times and came up with an idea, and then another, and another and I am so sorry this took forever. I hope you enjoy. notes: they/them used for Yuu, all scenarios are meant to take place over summer break, and contain a lot of summer themes. Going to the club and making out with Cater, possessive Leona, and mentioned vehicular manslaughter with Floyd. Other than that pretty tame. For other fic please look to my masterlist here.

Heartslabyul

Riddle

Riddle doesn’t know much about happiness now that he thinks about it.

He assumes he was happy when he played with Trey and Chenya all those years ago, and his mother had always been so insistent that true happiness came from doing well in his school work, and Riddle can say he gets something like happiness from his grades.  But then if that is “happiness” then what is this?  It doesn’t feel like it deserves quite the same word as what he feels like when he gets a good grade, and he certainly doesn’t get the same feeling of “happiness” from Trey as he does from you.  There’s a sting of pain to it that compels him to smile, to stay as close to you as possible when you speak.  

“I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”

That was where the pain had to have come from, but you’re here with him now and he knows you won’t be going back to that great somewhere you had come from and being next to you still hurts.

“Here.”  You tap your metal sparkler ignites his and you smile, wide and free in an attempt to encourage him to enjoy himself.  You must have noticed how tense he is, something that doesn’t change as he tries to force his focus on the sparkler.  It’s simple, short, putting out a bunch of yellow sparks that he swears it shouldn’t have the strength to.  It’s a lot like him, he supposes, he holds it out and up further and watches it spark down, the burnt edges sagging under their own weight as it rages against the night sky and tries to rival the stars.  “Are you going to draw anything?”

“Huh?”  He’s supposed to be having fun.  Are you disappointed in him?  No, you seem to have expected this, you're reaching for new sparklers and fumbling looking for something.

“If you twirl the sparkler through the air it’ll leave light behind.  It looks like drawing shapes.”  You take the risk of nodding towards Ace and Deuce, who he thinks are trying to draw their card suits from how Ace is pointing and Deuce’s face and laughing at the brief flicker of a spade he thinks he sees.  “It won’t stay for long but it’s still fun.”  A lighter, he recognizes the click before he turns back around to you and sees you fumbling with it.  Your hands must be cold, he can’t be happy with that but the strange feeling surges and compels him forward with the gentlest of fires he’s ever conjured.

“You’re the expert, so I’ll trust your advice.”  You jump slightly with the sparks and laughter, saying something he doesn’t hear as he takes his sparkler and joins you in drawing little hearts in the air.  It has to be a silly thing he’s said for you to laugh so much, but he means it so.  If he lets you point out the fun things, he thinks as you toss your second set of spent sparklers into the bucket of water and hold out the next for him to light, he can busy himself with the practical.  And maybe together you can both learn to enjoy that thing called happiness you both don’t know much about.

Trey

“Don’t you think you are being unfair?”  The words come out even though it has got to be pointless to say it; Trey has to know why else would his smile be so “strained,” why else would he be so determined to keep from making eye contact?  And furthermore he has to know you know, that’s why he is standing so close to you despite this new no eye contact rule.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”  He continues looping icing in detailed patterns across a particularly complicated cake that you have to stop and stare at in wonder, could you ever get that good?  Trey must have a great deal of patience to do such technical work, shame he has also decided to use that skill to test yours.  You huff and look at your own work, Trey has to know you’ve been looking at him, people can feel the weight of other’s eyes right?  Let’s see how he functions without your attention.

Fine, you assume he’ll be fine, he’s always so unbothered by anything you do.  Cater has always insisted otherwise, but you swear he’s uncaring too. 

“Maybe you should intern at a cake shop.”  You do your best to mimic his voice and he chokes on his laugh, it takes a great deal of strength and perhaps patience that rivals Trey’s own to not turn and look.  His laugh is so genuine you could mistake it for joy.  “That’s what you said.”

“I did, didn't I?  Good advice that.”  His voice is a bit closer now, you try not to think about how that’s possible, you were already working so close to one another how could he get even closer without touching you?  Why do you want him to touch you… 

“Why didn’t you just invite me here?”  That has got to sound more pathetic than it does biting, it certainly feels that way.  “I applied to three separate places, and before I even completed the first line on your little questionnaire I got a call back from them congratulating me on getting hired here.”  Trey doesn’t so much as flinch, you see him in the corner of your eye, pretending to adjust his glasses and inspect your work.

“Maybe I wanted some plausible deniability.”  He’s so sincere you finally look at him and only sort of regret it when you see his triumphant smile.  “But someone got a bit too excited about a friend from NRC finally visiting and chased everyone else off.”  You snort.

“I can’t imagine Cater’s never wanted to come here, what with how he talked it up so much.”

“He has mentioned it once or twice.”  Trey adjusts a strawberry on a cupcake next to you, out of nerves more than need as he wonders over how to word what he wants to stay next.  “But I am glad you decided to come.  I was worried you would say no.”  You snort and Trey laughs slightly as he watches you squirm in indignance and tries not to focus on your lower lip’s quiver.

“Why on earth would I say no?  I’ve been curious about this place since forever.”  There’s flour on your apron he wants to smear on your face as an excuse to touch you and ignore the aching annoyance in his chest.  I don’t want you to be curious about the shop, everyone is.  I want you to be curious about me.

“Well there are more interesting ways to spend your summer than next to an oven.”  He says it nonchalantly as his thumb lingers on your nose just a bit longer than it should and your annoyance fades in place of something he doesn’t know but wants to oh so badly.

“Well maybe I just didn’t have anything better to do.”  He loves how pretend annoyed you get with him, the way your nose twitches and your eyes dart to look anywhere but him.  “And maybe I’ll not have anything better to do this winter or next summer either.”  He loves the security he has to indulge in those little things, even if you can’t ever go back to your old home.

“Oh?  That’s a real shame.”  He finally moves his thumb down your cheek and curls his fingers just under your chin to force you to look at him, to beg you to see a new possibility in his eyes.  “I can fix that.”

Cater

Cater inviting you places wasn’t a new thing, but you had really expected it to become an old one once he hit his fourth year and didn’t constantly see you irl and have to pretend he was as invested in your friendship as you were.  Was that a cruel thing to think?  Sure.  Did you hate yourself for it?  Absolutely.  Was it partially a product of your overwhelming fear of the consequences of opening up to someone with abandonment issues when you were all but guaranteed to permanently abandon him in a way that was so much worse than any of his previous friends?

Well now you were just being way too serious for the type of trip you were currently on.  You’ve never seen so many flashing lights outside of a nightmare but Cater certainly looks like he’s having the time of his life on the dance floor with Lilia and Kalim while you sit next to Trey being “boring” in the corner.  Not that you shouldn’t be at the club, you've just got a lot on your mind and no place to think it. 

“You don’t have to sit here with me if you want to.”  You apologize and Trey laughs, surprisingly not at all awkward.

“I’d make a total fool of myself, and I don’t want to end up on magicam being called someone’s dad.  Again.”  He swirls his drink in his hand and you look down at yours; you’re at a beach if you didn’t remember because of the stray sand in your shoes you would know by the little umbrella in your cup and the cheekily unbuttoned hawaiian shirt that displays the beads around Cater’s neck as he makes sure to fill your entire vision and steal your breath.

“Yuuuuu, c’mon dance with me.”  He grabs both your hands in his, intertwining your fingers and pulling out to the floor with the force of his voice as much as his grip.  “Can’t let you stay in the corner allll night, I’d be a bad senior!”  You think you hear Kalim and Lilia say something to Trey, but Cater’s so close to you, you can’t really hear anything, not even the music or the last call from the bar that sends you and your friends into the street stumbling back towards the hotel Kalim had insisted on booking.  “They’re certainly having fun.”  Cater hasn’t  let go of your hand, thumb circling your palm before finally resting nearby your pulse point.  “Sort of a shame to call it quits now.”  So he says but you can see the night’s been getting to him.  

“If you need a break I don’t think anyone will blame you.”  You squeeze his hand and a little of Cay Cay’s smile returns to Cater’s face as he squeezes back.  “Do you want me to let you sleep when we get back to the rooms?”  

He doesn’t respond immediately.  Those serious thoughts from before bring you back to reality and you finally see how far behind you’ve lagged from the rest of your group.  

“I want to hear your voice.”  The dull fear of abandonment snakes through you both and coaxes out Cater’s words he’d probably wouldn’t have ever said if you weren’t staying and he was completely sober.  It hitches in your breath as he looks at you, Cater’s real unguarded smile on his face as he lets the boardwalk lights shade him in their perfectly imperfect artificial shine.  “I want to hear you say we’re besties out loud again, I want it to be real.  Because I’m mad I screwed things up before thinking you’d be gone when you’re so desperately real.”  You wave the others on ahead, they shake their heads with knowing looks as you stop and lean into Cater, pressing your foreheads together and staring deep into each other’s eyes searching for something neither wants to admit was always there.  “You don’t deserve to be stuck here.”

“You don’t deserve to be stuck in your own head.”  He flinches and you reach to touch his cheek, could you kiss him here?  Would that be moving too fast?  “I’ll be just fine, Cater.”  

“But I want to keep you stuck here with me.”  He mumbles, and makes the move to kiss for you.  Your arms move around his neck and your hands thread through his hair, pulling him close as he never dared to be.

You’ve got all sorts of things you want to say out loud, just for him to hear.

Ace

“It’s so hot.”  Whines Grim, his bright smirk completely betraying his intent as you try not to sigh too loudly as you look over the prices at this ice cream stand Ace had convinced you to check out.  “I reeeeeally wish we had an ice cream sundae right now, don’t you hench human?”  

“You already had half a watermelon earlier,” you mutter “if I get you a whole sundae you might get sick.”  He won’t.  Grim almost never gets sick.  You’ve seen him eat and rank literal dirt.  But still you already are going to be carrying back the groceries Ace’s mom asked for and didn’t need something difficult to carry.  Thankfully there always seems to be something for cats in the Queendom of Roses because the seller helpfully pipes up that he has a tuna flavored push pop that Grim immediately begs for instead.

You consider getting the same one for Ace, but his childish joy when you pass him a cherry popsicle before opening your own is almost worth the missed joke.  “Aww nice, about time you paid me back for everything I do for you.”  Almost.  You roll your eyes and take your share of the grocery bags, half heartedly fighting for Ace to let you take more of them.  He won’t let you, nodding towards Grim in way of an excuse as if the little monster ever lets you take his paw.  He’s been doing a lot of things like that while you’ve been staying with his family, it’s actually been sort of nice.  There has been a sort of domestic give and take between you two for a long time now that you think about it, probably since the first time he tried to sneak his way into your bed, that has translated into something like a routine.  His family has been nice enough not to say anything about it but you know they see it too.  “Hey you have work tomorrow right?”

“Yeah.”  You try to blink your way back to a more normal state of mind.  “Do you want me to bring you back anything?”

“Nah I’ll just text you if I think of something when I’m on my way to pick you up.”  Ace says it so nonchalantly you have to wonder what old Ace would say.  The one who made fun of you for not having magic and ditched a girlfriend without saying anything for being boring, or did you never actually know that guy and got lucky enough to meet the ace of hearts instead?  

“Ya don’t always gotta walk them.”  Grim snorts, unimpressed as always in a way that never fails to make you smile.  “Yuu isn’t gonna disappear!  Headmage said they were here to stay.”  Ace rolls his eyes and you laugh.  For some reason he never fails to take bait from Grim.

“That’s not what it’s about, dummy, walking alone is dangerous.”

“Yeah Grim,” you teasingly scratch his little head “besides the only one who isn’t going to be around forever is Ace.”  

“Do you really think I won’t be around forever?”  Ace actually looks offended, sounds it too and you find yourself indignant.

“You’ve got to have a life eventually.”  You shrug.  “Deuce and me, school, that doesn’t last forever.”   “You can be a part of that life too you know?!”  It’s not the closest to a confession you’ve ever gotten from Ace, but it’s certainly the loudest.  “Look, I get you’ve got a lot going on in your mind right now, and you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.  I’ll sit outside that door waiting for you to be ready, and I’ll still be there even if that day never comes.  If you’re really in trouble I’ll bust down that door, just because you’re forced to be here doesn’t mean you’re alone.”  You wait.  You wait for the back track, the joke, the step back into the comfort of the friend zone but it doesn’t come.  He looks you in your eyes and keeps walking forward towards home.  “You have me, you know?”  You’ve always had me.

Deuce

Sometimes you forget how abnormal Deuce is.  Probably because it’s a normal sort of abnormality, if any such thing exists, that doesn’t involve magic or monsters and you would have been able to wrap your mind around no matter what time and place you had met in.  But that doesn’t mean Deuce is not capable of doing or saying things that surprise you.

“Let’s make a pillow fort.”  He says, the familiarity of his joy the only thing that’s keeping you from screaming about his words.  “I’ve never made one before, it’ll be fun!”

“Oh I refuse to believe that.”  You laugh but refuse to protest, Ace isn’t here to bring down the mood and there’s no way Grim would deny something that he thinks is guaranteed to involve popcorn from the few times you’ve camped out in the Ramshackle Lounge and watched TV together.  And to be fair that’s also your plan for tonight, Deuce has a bunch of movies he’s been determined to show you since you agreed to stay over for the Summer.

“Well maybe back when I was a kid with my mom.”  He certainly has enough blankets for it, but then what self respecting house doesn’t have a few extras?  “I’ve never had a friend stay over before…”  If you were in a different mood, if his flushed face wasn’t so cute, you might tease about how you had been here before with Epel, Ortho, and Silver but there’s a tone to the way he says friend.  It’s the way he makes sure to lie as close to you as possible in your little fort and watches you as much as the movie that tells you that he feels, even if he doesn’t think, that this is somehow different.  “Have you?”  He asks it late, as the credits roll on your third or fourth movie and Grim snores.  “I thought maybe we could do something normal for once, but I forgot to ask.”  You laugh and roll your head onto his shoulder and allow yourself to really think about things.

“Thank you.”  It’s the first thought you have, surprising you both.  But should it?  There’s something warm and comforting about being with Deuce.  Natural even.  “I can’t say I’m happy but I feel closer to home than I have in a while.”  Deuce squeezes your hand and rests his head on top of yours.

“I’m glad.  I- know I shouldn’t be but I am sort of happy you’re still here.”  He wants to say he’s happy you are staying, but he knows he can’t.  It would be too cruel and Deuce knows he can’t really understand the depth of what you’ve lost or make up for it with sleep overs or movie nights.  But he does so want to try.  “I promise I’ll do my best to make your time here worth it, I meant what I said during Starsending.  I want you to be there when I get my badge, I want to make you proud of me too.”  

“I’d say I’ll be the loudest in the room but I’ve met your mom.”  You sleepily quip and he laughs.  “And I’m already proud of you, Deucey.”  His half open mouth freezes, his thanks stuck in the softness of your voice as he wills himself to sleep to sear the sound into his brain.

“Sweet dreams, Yuu.”  He’ll make this a summer worth having, he swears it.

Savanaclaw

Leona

“You cannot have driven me out here just to nap.”  Leona’s head is heavy and warm in your lap in stark contrast to the cool greenery that shades you from the rest of the palace.

“Can’t I?”  He opens his eyes to look up at you with a gleam that’s just so smug it makes your heart flutter in what you have to work very hard to convince yourself is annoyance.  “Because I could have sworn I just did.”

You aren’t sure why Leona invited you.  That one time you had visited the Savannah before had been because Grim demanded, not because he wanted you there.  Or at least that’s what you had thought but this time you had received an invitation, and though it had been worded more like a demand (must be a cat thing) it had been surprisingly thoughtful in its accommodations.  Grim certainly had been happy enough to accept on your behalf even before Crowley had agreed to let you go.

“I’m just surprised you would want anyone with you to nap at all.”  You had been afraid to touch him when you saw him, but you swear he wants you to play with his hair with how he purposely spreads it out, like he’s displaying for you.  “I thought you’d be happy to be rid of me.”

“Maybe I would have been.”  His bluntness is only dulled by its predictability, there’s something almost relieving about it if you’re honest.  Everyone has been so insistent on saying they are happy you have stayed and just as eager to avoid talking about the specifics that worry you.  Not Leona, he keeps his green eyes focused on you, striking right at the heart of things.  “But you aren’t half as annoying as everyone else, even if you could stand to fight for yourself a bit more.  Why do you think I invited you here anyway?”

“...so your family wouldn’t bother you about your duties?”  He laughs, loud and free and so forceful he shakes your entire body with its pride.

“Well you’re half right.”  He reaches up and pulls you down, rolling to the side so you’re lying in the bit of ground he’s warmed and caged in the safety of his arms with nowhere to run from the obvious truth.  “You’re here because I want you to be.”  The way he says it, the touch of his forehead against yours and the lull of his heartbeat, it’s like he’s daring you to think of your entire existence in Twisted Wonderland in terms of him and him alone.  And he knows it, he has to he’s too smart to word his sayings in a way that would misconstrue his meaning.  “What’s that shit you herbivores are always yammering on about?  ‘Finding your family?’  Well I found you so you’re going to stay right?”

“Are you offering me citizenship, your majesty?”  Because you have to make this a bit of a joke otherwise you’ll let him in on just how much power over you he really has.

“I’m offering you a home.”  He’s surprisingly serious.  “It’s dark, a bit shit, but you already like those sorts of places if your dorm is anything to go by.  And you’re so annoyingly sunny I’m sure it’ll perk right up when you settle yourself in.”  Just like he does as you move to hide your face in his chest, your breaths matching in the safe lull of slumber under the jungle’s starry sky.

Ruggie

“Man, I love Summer!  People are just so much freer with their cash, y’know shishishishi.”  Ruggie cackles as he settles himself into a booth, still somehow full of energy despite the day you’ve both had while you slump across from him.  “Peak tourism season means loads of opportunities for work!”

“I know Leona said this place was popular but I guess I didn’t realize just how much.”  Ruggie had been so proud to show you this barbeque place after your first night working at the resort with him, and you had been more than happy to know it on nights like this when you had worked overtime meeting some really pushy customers' needs for what felt like way too little money.  Even though this gig paid pretty well some people just weren’t worth shit, something Ruggie knows all too well.

“Yeah, nothing on Sage’s Island ever gets this busy.  You holding up ok?”  Ruggie’s always like this while he’s on the job, you try to tell yourself he doesn’t mean too much by it, that he’s just checking up on you from a place of mutual understanding but it still feels good.  Good enough that the smile you manage is genuine.

“Surprisingly, yeah.”  You could really do with some more sleep than you are going to get when you return to Grim tonight, but then you always could.  “What about you?  You always look twice as busy as me and that’s saying something.”

“Aww, you worried about little old me?  Kiiinda weird Yuu!  I’m the senior here, I'm more used to this.”  He’s the same smug Ruggie, brimming with enough confidence and infectious determination that perks you up just a bit.  Or maybe it’s the fact your food’s come and you are determined to snatch up the utensils and cook before Ruggie can and use it as an excuse to keep all the best cuts for himself.  He doesn’t jump to fight you tonight though, instead he looks contemplative.  “Hey, are you sure you’re ok with how you spent your Summer?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”  The meat sizzles on the grill, dampening the seriousness of the conversation with its pops, and Ruggie tries to focus on it but it’s clear he has been thinking about this for a while.

“Well, my invitation was kinda late.  I was really surprised you didn’t want to spend your Summer hanging out with your friends.”  You don’t say anything immediately, wondering how best to respond to someone who, admittedly, has never really admitted to being your friend despite you both regularly flirting with that and a much deeper concept.  

“I mean I do.”  It’s best to be honest with him, he won’t accept anything else even if it hurts to see you refuse to look at him as you flip the meat to cook its other side and continue thinking out loud.  “But I’m going to be stuck here forever, I want to get a head start on some security.  I can’t live in Ramshackle forever.  And besides…”  It’s best to be honest with him, you reassure yourself as you take a deep breath and give him the cut you know he’ll like best and stare deep into his eyes.  “I was happy to hear from you and get a chance to see you again sooner.”  His ears twitch and his eyes widen, words fumble out of his mouth without any real meaning as you both silently agree to table the conversation and eat your meal.  The best meals aren’t rushed, and the best connections allow themselves the time they need to grow.  You know you’ll both be ok, you promise yourself you will make sure of it.

Jack

“Jack, what is this thing again?”  You ask slightly exasperated, not with the product or with him, just yourself for still not remembering the types of snack foods available in a basic convenience store after a whole school year in this world.  For once, Jack doesn’t complain or pretend he doesn’t want to help, just dutifully walks over and looks at the package before putting it back on the shelf.

“It’s a type of chip, you liked this flavor better.”  He adds it to his basket and you sigh, mutter an apology Jack doesn’t acknowledge verbally, instead touching your thigh gently with his tail.  “Is there anything else you want to bring back to Sage’s Island with you?  If you don’t remember until you get back…”  I won’t send it to you.  That’s what he wants to say, but he cuts himself off before he can.  He can see your mind auto filling it in as you think, and he curses himself silently.  What a fool he’d been, “I won’t need to do that I’ll just know” he hadn’t counted on lying to himself about how he felt.  His mother had, she’d even laughed about it when he had tried to stumble around asking to let you visit.

“A soulmate is something you work for, Jack.  It’s not given to you, you have to earn it.”

Jack likes to think he works hard.  His grades are good, he’s in great shape, his unique magic is truly a gift and he isn’t taking it for granted but you.  You’ve got two separate drinks held up to the light, neither of them are exclusive to the Shaftlands.  You could get them at Sam’s any time but you are squinting as if you have truly never seen them before and he guesses that’s because it’s true.  Why is it so hard to just speak to you?  Is it because you're human?

“If you want something limited, those are over here.”  He takes what you were looking at anyway.  “My sister really likes this one.”  I think you will too, it’s a lot like what you get from the vending machines.  You nod and add it to the basket, turning towards the canned goods and insisting on getting some “fancy” tuna for Grim with a smile that stirs his soul and reassures him of what Jack knows is true even if he can’t speak about it.

“You think he’d notice even if it was different?”  You are shaking your head as you look at the can, making jokes but not bothering to pretend you don’t care.  It’s maddening, how bright you shine for those you care about and how little he can do to give that shine back to you.

“You can’t tell him how much it costs, otherwise he will insist it is.”  That works, you laugh and his tail goes crazy, unable to hide how important your laughter is to him.  I love you.  That’s what he wants to say.  “You should come back next summer.”  But he doesn’t, he rubs his neck and looks at the shelves and thinks it so loud he swears his heart is halfway out of his chest.  There’s a soft look in your eyes that he wants to think says you hear it, but he knows that he can’t take it as an excuse.  Next summer I’ll say it.  I’ll say it every day that you’re here, I promise.  Your smile is everything he needs.

“I look forward to it.”

Octavinelle

Azul

There’s a picture on your phone you don’t think you were meant to see, but magicam lets you delete photos and Azul hasn’t done that yet.  It’s been an hour, the little opened notification sits there taunting you both but still he doesn’t do anything.  Not send a follow up message or delete the photo or anything and FINALLY you’ve had enough so you do something beyond reckless.

You call him.  And he answers.

“Prefect!  Always a pleasure to hear from you.”  Azul sounds so infuriatingly put together you want to die.  You bet he’s sat in some sort of fancy office, leaning back with a smug look on his face while you hug a pillow close to your chest, still in your pajamas seething with nerves over his little mistake.  “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Did you mean to send me a picture of your menu for orientation?”  You cringe at how upset you sound, because you really aren’t exactly.  It’s silly to hope Azul would talk to you over the summer at all, and if he did of course it would be about business.  That’s what talking with Azul is always about.  “Oh and hello I guess.”  But it still pays to be polite if for no other reason than the melodic laughter that you get to hear at what you're sure Azul sees as a cute mistake.

“I would have called you if I hadn’t.”  He sounds like he is reassuring a child, but still pauses to keep you off your game before he continues.  “I was expecting you to give your opinions on it, you have to have some don’t you?”  

“Not for free.”  You snort and he laughs again, slightly more awkwardly this time and you wish you could say that you didn’t feel bad, that you were as cold and calculated as the sea but neither of you are really.  It isn’t wrong to want something is it?  Azul is pro-greed, so surely he would understand you teasing him a bit to keep him in your life for just a bit longer.  “Do you need my opinion for something?”

“Just to hear it.”  Azul has a way of being so damnably dismissive about things it drives you insane.  Just once you want to hear him say- “Besides, it’s been a while since we talked and I thought it would be a good ice breaker.”  You choke on your own thoughts and almost break your jaw trying to keep him from hearing.  “You’ll be there I trust?”

“Orientation?”  Your throat hurts and it shows in your voice, that stupid octopus has got to be so smug right now it would be so insufferable to look at.  You definitely aren’t thinking about it and it definitely isn’t making your struggle to breathe worse.  “Or the Lounge?  Because it’s not like I’ll have anything to do really if you want help or something… I am sort of curious about those house themed drinks, that's a stupid good idea for an orientation by the way.”

“I knew you’d get it!”  Azul sounds so excited it’s almost pure.  “You’ll have to come by beforehand so I can show you how to make them, it took so much time to get the correct flavor pallet for the Savanaclaw and Ignihyde ones you have no idea-”  

And just like that he has you, he has you!  You’re listening and talking to him through all of his explanations, probably sitting somewhere under a tree well put together with Grim on your lap and… smiling he hopes?  While he is curled into a small ball in his room trying to pretend he knew this would work out exactly like he wanted the whole time.

You’ll be there.  When the bell strikes and the mirror opens its gaze on NRC once again he won’t have to be nostalgic for flames and mayhem because you will be there.  And this time he swears he’ll catch you for good.

Jade

It’s the last day of school and yet you have nothing to pack and nothing to do.  The usual excitement that accompanies the final freedom of summer is sort of lost in that void of being unable to go home, and as ashamed as you are to admit it you think you’ll go crazy if you don’t have anywhere to go next summer.  You already felt so overwhelmingly lonely when you first got the news, and you have heard these things get better but it doesn’t feel like it will.  Even the knock at your door fills you with dread, you don’t want to ruin Ace and Deuce’s excitement with your bad mood.  But that’s not what you see when you open your door.

“Hello prefect.”  Jade Leech is tall, so tall he fills up the frame with his stiff figure that you always have noticed for how proper it is but today he seems even more rigid than usual.  Guarded is the word you would use if you could ever picture him being afraid of you.  “May I come in?”  You nod and shut the door behind you both, your idle curiosity drowning out the danger signs as neither of you move or speak.  Jade’s hands stay folded in front of him, yours stay at your sides as you wait.  Wait wait wait for what you don’t know, hadn’t the twins told you they visited their parents over this break?  His mother sounded lovely, why would he want to keep her waiting?  “I was wondering…”  He closes his eyes and brings his hand up to his chin as if he is deep in thought but it reads more like it is taking a lot out of him to say what he wants to “Would you be interested in climbing Mount Moln with me sometime?”  Your breath catches in your throat, the memories of your trip to Harveston still somewhat fresh and inviting in their domesticity.  You hadn’t thought he would remember that little conversation you’d had, but he does.  His wide smile when he opens his eyes to see your fluster screams it’s haunted his dreams as much as it has yours.  “I do seem to recall you expressed a desire to climb it, and since you will be staying with us for the foreseeable future I thought I would take my chance on the proposal.”  Did he have to word it like that?  It’s doing things to your heart.

“I did say that, didn't I?”  You try to center yourself by closing your eyes, it’s always a bad thing to appear desperate around him but your mind insists on remembering.  The feel of the snow, the smell of the woods and the bonfires, and of Jade whether he would believe you or not.  Of the excitement in his voice when he named all the plants he knew, of the funny look on his face when his sled misbehaved, so passive as if it was happening to someone else and not him.  And of the shiver of excitement at his ideas on how to sabotage the other team, whispered quietly in your ear so as not to alert Epel in an effort to convince you of his position.  Or maybe now that you look at him he just wanted the excuse to be close.  “Yes.  Yes.  I would like that very much.”  Jade’s smile stretches to something as dangerous as it is thrilling as he takes his long desired excuse and closes the gap. “I will see you next week then.  Make sure to pack your things.”  You splutter and he takes a deep breath to savor the look as he traces your cheek and takes your weak protests in stride.  He never did say you would be going to Mount Moln this summer, you need to train after all.  Jade Leech intends to take his time with you, assuming you’ll let him of course.

Floyd

“Hehe Floyd and shrimpy, drivin to the beeeeach.  What’ll they do?”  

“Stay in their lane and watch the road.”  Crewel has to have added a “fuck” in there that he didn’t voice if his death grip on the car’s grab handle is anything to go by, and if you are honest you wish he had, it would make this whole experience much more bearable.  You have opted to hold Grim instead, prayer was also an option but that wouldn’t keep Grim from trying to harass Floyd.  He’s laughing now, saying something to Professor Crewel you can’t quite place, maybe adding a new verse to his little song that admittedly sounds kind of catchy.  Floyd has a very nice voice you swear he only ever uses to make fun of people, not that you could see him ever doing anything with it since that would take too much repetitive work.  “Pull off the exit here and make sure to park WITHIN the lines this time.”  Crewel snaps and you find yourself finally at a merciful stop, and unable to free yourself and Grim from your seatbelts fast enough under the guise of “getting your things” from the trunk.  

You aren’t fast enough to avoid Floyd.  He’s there as soon as you open the trunk, tell tale smirk on his face.

“Well shrimpy?  I’m waitin’”  He’s giggling, the only thing that’s keeping him from kicking his feet is their need to be on solid ground to keep him upright.

“You suck.”  You say completely deadpan without a hint of irony.  “Congratulations I didn’t know anybody could do it that bad.  Why did you want to try learning to drive again?  They don’t have cars under the sea do they?”  Floyd seems amused by your attempt to steam past your little insults, choosing to ignore them for now and shrug as he takes the umbrellas out of the car and closes it.  

“It seemed fun.  Beakerfish is always goin on about ‘em and Pops says they get stupid expensive.  Why’s that huh?  You humans sure do like buying shit just to break it.”  He doesn’t move immediately, like he’s waiting for something and determined to block your way until he gets it.  So you take a deep breath and lie to yourself that it’s just this one answer.

“Floyd, most people don’t wreck their cars on purpose.”  It should be the most obvious thing in the world, but still he doesn’t move.  His smile gets wider and his eyes blaze with determined focus, for some reason he gets closer to you, one hand resting above you on the car to loosely cage you against it.  He has to know what he’s doing here too, Floyd’s a lot but he’s not stupid. “Aww really, shrimpy?  There’s so many movies and games ‘bout it you’d think that’s the whole point of havin’ em.”  He giggles exactly like he does before moving in with a squeeze, bending to whisper in your ear as if Crewel isn’t just on the other side of the vehicle still holding that damn crop and just looking for an excuse to strike.  “That’s not all they do in the movies though, huh Yuu?  Maybe I wanna take you someplace nice,quiet, and all alone for once~”  And just like he’s gone, back to bothering your professor who you know is chastising himself for agreeing to chaperone this trip while you try desperately to catch your breath.

[imhereiguess420]

[empressgeekt]

Trolls - Accidental Knight and the end of the world (Field of Forget-me-nots au - what if?) -PART 4!!!!

Okay, so this is a what if off of second movie of the FoF au (this post), where Barb won. This was inspired by the fic "The Beginning of the End" by AnimationFan2006 on Ao3. Pls go give it a read. I highly recommend that anyone go to look at the rest of the Field of Forgetmenots au. And I had to split it in half because I posted the first one at 2:00 am. Here is that first post! and here's part 2 and here's part 3

Keith wakes up from a dream about him and Branch practicing archery in the woods. Well, it's more of a memory, about the trolling being scared to shoot at something after accidentally hitting his brother last time. Dream Branch's presence and comfort feels so real, and once awake the trolling misses his brother more then ever. Branch's final words echoing through his mind....

"Never be afraid to shoot, it could mean your life or others."

Him and the others had taken cover on a plateau on the edges of Rock territory for the prisoner pick up. It's one of the few places with actual green vegetation in nearby because of a river that flows through it, before going deeper into the territory and the distance between the top of it and the hot ashland ground below. Demo left hours ago, and Keith's worried about him. The rock troll is a little dorky, definitely a weak link, but genuine. Branch would like him.

He joins the others outside of Rhonda, their crew consists of John Dory, Bruce, Floyd, Clay, Viva, Tresillo and Wani (DJ and the other trollings stayed at the golf course). Keith sits by the fire they set up the previous night for breakfast. He accepts the food, but doesn't interact when Bruce and Floyd try to talk to him. Keith doesn't talk much anymore. Especially to Branch's bio-brothers. The trolling's feelings towards them complicated. He was mad at them, and some part of himself wanted to be mad forever. Branch had suffered through so much, and they were never there. Whenever Keith had been hurt or sick, even if it was just a little scratch or sniffle, Branch was there patching him up with a story, medicine and a bandage. Branch's brothers didn't even bother to show up when Branch was possibly on his deathbed last year after the chef nearly cut him in half. But another part of the mossy Trolling was just to tired to be angry and wanted to just snuggle up next one of them, pretending they were Branch. Because...who knows if Keith would ever get to hug his brother again.

It didn't help that most of them were just straight up jerks. They apologized, but didn't say for what, nor did they change their behavior. Floyd wouldn't leave him alone. The red-headed brother, acted all clingy, it felt like he was trying to take Branch's place as Keith's older brother. Not that Keith would ever let that happen. Floyd couldn't be trusted, he was a lair, there was a reason that Branch didn't make promises often. Bruce kept treating him like a little kid, who couldn't take care of himself. Granted, there were somethings that Keith needed help with, but he wasn't a baby. Branch made sure that Keith had all the skills to take care of himself, and where his limits were. Bruce didn't believe him when he said that, and that was offensive not only to Keith but to Branch as well, who took great care of Keith! He just also made sure Keith knew what to do in an emergency! Unlike some people who think an eight-year-old can't cut their own sandwich!

Clay wasn't at the firepit as he was busy keeping Viva calm, since they were out of the golf course, (while she had been all for getting her sister back, going outside was still nerve wreaking), and Keith didn't mind. Clay was just straight up a hypocrite! He spoke all the time about being serious, this calm and collected guy with a plan. When in reality he never took anyone else seriously, and was a kettle ready to blow with that temper he had. Both the stringbean brother and Bruce were almost tied for most annoying since they didn't believe Keith when the trolling told them he knew what he was doing. Something had shifted with Clay recently, his temper mellowed out slightly, but it didn't change the trolling's opinion of him.

After eating, Keith would run to join Tresillo on look out, John Dory came along after a few minutes. Out of all the brothers, John Dory seemed to be the only one who actually felt guilty about leaving, and actually put effort in figuring out Keith as his own person. Not seeing him as a replacement baby brother. Not as a scared kid who didn't know what he was doing. Just as Keith. Not that Keith gave him much to work with. Still it put him leagues above the other three.

Once that anglers showed, up Keith felt excited for the first time in a long time. He was running before Poppy even exited the transport critter, but nothing would stop him from running into her arms. She looked different. Her dress dirty and ripped, a streak of black and grey going through her otherwise bright hair, and tear tracks along her eyes. But she was there and with her Keith felt safe.

If only it lasted. The soft reunion, even Viva walking over gently calling Poppy's name was interrupted by chaos breaking out in an ambush. The peace was broken, by a the zombified K-pop gang and reggaeton trolls, and Branch himself.

His brother's corrupted form is horrifying. The green of his armor, was shifted over to a burn metallic red. The smooth leaf platting and vine sashes, had been replaced with critter leather and blackened brambles. The once comforting amber color of the lenses in the mask were set ablaze with the hue of blood. The caller, and cuffs were black spiked bands, tight like shackles. Showing his brother as a prisoner in his own body. A haze of red smog surrounding him, suffocating his form.

The fight that ensues is chaotic an bloody. Tresillo and Wani take on their sisters with heavy hearts, trying to both defend themselves while not hurting their family too badly (I head canon the Reggaetón trolls as triplets, I know most people see them as a throuple, but I like the siblings angle better, sorry), with Clay and Viva backing them up due to the numbers angle. Smidge jumps in being part of the guard using her hair to subdue them best she can. Floyd and Bruce are Trying to herd the others into Rhonda so they can escape, however when they come to Poppy and Branch their both frozen. Because in front of them, sword against sword, brother against brother, John and Branch dueled. Keith could tell that Branch was holding back, or at least trying too. His strikes are shaky, like he's fighting himself. However, whatever the little restraint Branch has is slipping quickly.

John Dory is mostly panicked at this is happening. His Baby brother is trying to kill him. Not to mention, where in the world did Branch learn to sword fight like this?! Eventually the corrupted troll forced John toward the edge of the plateau, right next to the river bank before it became a waterfall. By some miracle John isn't pushed over, instead he slipped around Branch hoping to lead him away from the cliff. However, out of nowhere Branch flips back throwing his leg out and knocking john to the ground. The next few moments are clear in his mind even as his head pounds. Branch standing over him Sword raised high, ready for the final blow. Then there's the whistle of an arrow and suddenly Branch was falling over the edge, an Arrow sticking out of the middle of his baby brother's chest. John turns to look in the direction the Arrow was shot, finding Keith, the trolling trembling, his bow held up, its string shivering as if it just fired.

"What did you do?!" Clay screamed, startling the trolling, and making Poppy glare at him.

Smidge has fully restrained the other zombies attacking them. Jovi came running over, pulling John to his feet. "C'mon, if he landed in the river he has a chance," The halfing spoke.

John and his brothers, along with, Jovi, Demo Poppy, Viva and Keith load up in Rhonda and began to search the river banks below the plateau. Bruce is helping Floyd through a panic attack, and Keith is sobbing into Poppy's arms, saying "sorry" over and over again, but other then that it's a silent ride as they all look at the river bank for any unknown shapes. It's Demo that spots a grey lump among the rapids. Rhonda leaped into the water, swallowing Branch, pulling him into the cabin. Branch lands on the floor, they haze was gone but he was completely grey, soaking wet, and arrow in his chest and not breathing.

Jovi jumps in the moment the grey troll falls on the floor. He screams for people to back up as he addressed the damage. His first main concern is that the grey troll wasn't breathing. With a drowning victim getting air into the body was one of the most important tasks, and it had to be done in under five minute. He settles Branch on his back, and administers CPR, he worries about doing chest compression, but after the armor was removed, turns out the arrow wound wasn't all that deep, it was close, so close to hitting something important and killing the grey troll. Jovi's hands are horribly bloody by the time he gets Branch breathing again.

With Help from John Dory, Jovi gets Branch stable. The grey troll is stripped of his armor and weapons, left in a pair of barrowed pj shorts and bandaged torso. Tucked in tight on the sofa in the back of the Armadillo bus' cabin. Jovi isn't a doctor and for that he apologizes, but he's done his best with the phsyical. as far as he can tell, Branch has a puncture wound, along with broken ribs, but he has no answers for his lack of color.

They pick up the others, tying the Zombie's up an head back to the golf course.

On the way back, Poppy and Keith stay by Branch's side. The trolling glaring at anyone other then Jovi coming too close. It takes a hot minute but eventually Keith falls asleep curled into his big brother's side. The scene in front of her is horrifyingly similar to like when Branch was in his coma and she hates it. It hurts to see him like this, and it makes her realize just how important he is to her. She silently vowes to tell him, as soon as he wakes up.

After that she can't keep the others waiting. They need a queen right now, and Poppy can't fail them. She at first checks on her friends and thanks the new trolls for saving them, Jovi and Demo especially. When she meets Brozone, internally she's kind of fangirling, but she's to tired to express it outwardly, and it makes her very suspicious as to where they were when Branch was in trouble when she learns their his brother's too. Over all she's pretty collected, until Viva introduces herself. Now, Poppy doesn't mean to be well, mean, but she Just starts laughing. Not an "Excited to meet you this is so funny laugh" its and "Of fucking course" hysterical laugh. Viva asks if she's okay, and Poppy answers...

"Sure! Why wouldn't I be, I just found out that not only did my father lied to me for my entire life the second time like it wouldn't seriously effect me in the future! Like who cares about the other tribes! We'll never hear from them! Who cares if I don't tell my daughter about a long lost sister! it's not like their ever going to meet at the end of the world!!"

Poppy breaks down sobbing, sliding down to her knees. Cooper walks up and nudges his sister gently.

"Poppy are you okay?"

"No no i'm not."

It takes a few days to get back to the golf course. John used the hustle to get them into rock troll territory, but he wasn't sure how the experience could effect Branch in his wounded and unconscious state. With the snackpack and every one else (zombies were left where they were tied up, sadly for Tresillo and Wani, but Demo and Jovi know that Queen Barb won't leave them to die in the wilderness due to the hunting skills their sister retained after turning), it's rather crowded, so they camp out when darkness falls, and to give Branch and Keith a little privacy he sets up a curtain in front of them. He hates it, all of his brother's hate it, but for some reason he can't help but also feel like he's intruding whenever he sees Poppy and Keith at Branch's bedside.

Clay is still mad at Keith for shooting Branch. He knows it's stupid but he is. That's his baby brother and that kid nearly killed him. Did kill him! His heart had to be restarted! he vents this all to Bruce in private, and lets his older brother take some of the weight. Bruce knows that Clay reacts with anger when he's stressed, and watching Branch get hit was terrifying, but he makes sure that Clay knows he can never let Keith know this. The kid is still a kid after all, a scared kid.

Floyd is a walking mess. He thought he was going to throw up the moment that he saw the arrow hit, the feeling growing ever stronger as he watched Jovi cut away at Branch's armor and skin to remove the arrow head. Even now he wants nothing more then to be right next to Branch holding his baby brother's hand, and feeling the living pulse in the grey troll's wrist with his own fingers. But he can't, Poppy and Keith had taken that role of soothing his wounded brother while he rested. That and the fact that he's terrified. Branch is grey, hurt, covered in scars and clearly has been mad at Floyd for a long time if it was enough for Keith to pick up on. He was scared that if he went to Branch now it would make it worse. So, he talks to Jovi, asking this oddly cute halfling troll about his brother's condition. Jovi has sympathy for Floyd, really he does, but he doesn't really know how to help, he's never had siblings before, so he just listens.

Viva is desperate to help her sister, but in her panic she falls back on the old ideals that were used in the tree during times of crisis, grin and bear it. No matter what look on the bright side. Shove the negative emotions down. It doesn't work and Poppy ends up snapping at Viva. She apologizes, and just tries to talk with her sister about how she would love to get close and do all the sister things, but she can't right now. She has Keith and Branch and the others to worry about. They need a plan, but she's never been the planning type, that has always been Branch's side of things. Viva respones that she and Clay work similarly and a little bonding happens. It's not happy, or excited, but rather just a simple understanding happening between the sisters, and its enough.

When Branch wakes up, he's pretty sure he's dreaming. The last thing he remembers is Jumping in front of Keith and Poppy. After that it's hazy. Just a void of anger, screaming and fire. He couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel. Just a complete detachment from between his soul and body. When his eyes flutter open, and his thoughts are finally clear, he thinks he's either dreaming or dead. His head is pounding, and his chest hurts. But it's clear, there's no blinding anger, and his body is his own to control. And even better, snuggled up next to him is his brother, and at his bedside Poppy is passed out in the chair next to the couch.

When Keith sees his brother's eyes open he starts crying, hugging Branch and apologizing. feeling so so guilty and so so grateful. They had no idea how Branch broke from the control, but they were so thankful. Poppy wakes up too, and hugs him gently. Though she does choses to wait for anything else until after Keith is calmed down. Branch is bone weary tired, so the back strokes he gives the trolling are weak, but they seem to sooth the trolling well enough. Still isn't enough to get him to sleep, so Branch starts humming a lullaby ("Sacred Oath" By Beth Crowley if anyone is wondering). Something broken inside of him is fixed as the music flows from his tongue and Keith lulled to sleep.

With the trolling out cold, Poppy give Branch the run down. He wants to pass back out again and never wake up at the mention of his brothers, and at the mention of Viva he has this overwhelming desire to find Peppy and punch him in the face. But in his state Branch can't doo much other then just accept his situation. He'll make the best of it, he always does, but that doesn't mean he enjoys it. It gets a little better when Poppy kisses him before they both fall back asleep though.

When morning comes, Jovi checks him out, making sure his wound is healing, and marvels at the return of colors to Branch's still dulled coat (none of them are sure how). His older brothers are there and Clay mentions Keith was the one who shot him. Branch does not miss the wince that rest of theme give, and they way Keith wilted. Branch just tells Keith he did a good job, it was a clean shot, and wouldn't scar much when healed. Clay looks surprised by his reaction, but Branch pretends not to be paying attention. Jovi continues to ask him questions, and when the topic of food comes up, Branch ahs no idea when was the last time he ate, so Jovi recommends light foods for a while. Bland porridge was for breakfast, and it was delicious.

With Branch back, Poppy feels in control again, and she's ready to take charge once more. She talks with Demo, Tresillo and Wani while Branch naps through the afternoon, and then with whisper to each other through out the night, forming a plan. With their small numbers they would need allies, the other tribes are not an option, but Poppy still has one ace up her sleeve, Bridget.

The plan is not well recevied when they present it to everyone in the morning. The snackpack is on board, while Jovi, Demo, Tresillo, and Wani don't really care they just want a home base, however it is rejected with venom by Viva and the brothers.

V: What?! NO! We are not going to the bergens, it's not safe!

Clay: I'm with Viva, this is not an option. The puttputt course is the best defence from both giants and trolls, we need to go there.

Demo: Uhm, you're defenses are not enough to stop a power cord assault.

Clay: and how would you know?

Demo: I work with musicians, Rock tribe musicians, I need to know how music weaponry works, and you're buildings are barely sound, not to mention the plastic is old and rotting.

Poppy: would stone and metal be harder to break?

Demo: in general? yeah, but if they have the right angle and frequency they could still break it.

Poppy: See we'd be safer in Bergentown, we gather up the trolls in your outpost and seek refuge with the Bergens.

Viva: Poppy no!

Poppy: And why not?

Viva: I just got my baby sister back! I am not going to let you just walk back into town full of MONSTERS! It's my job to protect you!

Poppy: And it's my job to protect everyone else! You're scared Viva, and I get it, but we can't let our fear stop us! Believe me I know just what kind of horrible things that the bergens are capable of, but i've also seen what good they can do!

Clay: how the fuck would you know what bad things their capable of?! You were a baby when the escape happened, you know nothing of what we went through!

Branch: Don't talk to her like that!

Bruce: Bitty sit back down!

Branch: Oh shut up spruce! I know my limits! And for you're information Clay she knows just how bad they can get because she was there, when I got this *points at face scar*. Chef got real pissed when I cut off her finger, you know.

Floyd: ...th-the chef gave that to you?

Clay: If you got hurt by a bergen then how on earth can you think that going to them is a good plan?!

Branch: Because I've watch them reforge their society. And I trust Poppy over any of your sorry ass opinions.

Viva:...when we get back to the golf course you'll see....

When they get back to the golf course something is immediately wrong. It's calm but the in the wrong way. All the trip wires are broken, and the gate is smashed to bits. Inside the course is a wreak, the buildings burned and crushed. Clay calls a search for survivors and the others spanned the course. All they find are zombies, Clay almost getting bitten by one when he thinks he find a survivor in the rubble.

Viva is panicking, this was her safe place, and now it was gone. Ripped away, and she doesn't know what to do. The world around her is crumbling and she has a panic attack that leads to her passing out. She comes too only to throw up and pass out again. Clay feels helpless during all this. Everyone is gone. Until...

"Hey Captian no slappy!"

A rather annoying cloud joins the chat. Branch shoots and arrow at him out of habit. However, even he can't be too upset with Cloud Guy, after he explained that he got as many putt putts out as he could with his caterbuses. "whoa that's actually nice of you." "Oh Branch you wound me, I can be nice, after all it is the end of the world. I'd be a real jerk if I didn't do anything now." Clay breaths a sigh of relief, at the news that the Puttputts, well most of them, are safe. When they meet up with the excavated Puttputts there's a lingering question in the air.

What do they do now?

Clay knows the answer and it's not going to be easy. They're going to Bergentown.

----

Stay tuned for part 5

[disastrousduckss]

Posted this on insta earlier today because I saw this ship and I HAD TO DO FANART FOR IT 😭😭😭😭💕💕💕

Demo x Floyd💕💕💕😭😭😭

They don't have a ship name but the founder of this ship does have a few ideas djdndnjs

[pandakyoki]

What if...

⛧1- Entrance Ceremony

It was the day of the entrance ceremony and the start of a new school year at Night Raven College.There was a lot of excitement among the girls and boys about which dorm the dark mirror would put them in. Annabeth watched those mortals carefully and with pure amusement. One student after another stood before the mirror during the ceremony.Then it was Annabeth's turn. "State thy name.", the mirror says, and Annabeth wonders if he wants her full name or not. But she is sure that her older brother did say his full name to the mirror. "Annabeth Hannah Louise Maria McAlister." she replies in front of the mirror. "The shape of thy soul is befitting Disaomnia." reveals the mirror to her. "Oh, so I guess I'll be in the same dorm as my brother." she says amused, walking over to the students selected for Diasomnia.

During the process, one person caused a ruckus. Annabeth looked over to the Octavinelle students, where a teal-haired young man was in an unpleasant mood and causing trouble. Another teal-haired man tries to calm him down but to no avail. 'They look like twins?', Annabeth thinks to herself while watching the spectacle.

***

Lilia Vanrouge, the vice house warden, had to take the place of the current house warden. This is because none of the other house wardens remembered to invite him to this event. Malleus never shows up to an event uninvited. The black and pink-haired young looking man then leads the way for the newcomers to their dorm. Annabeth was happy that they finally could get into their dorms, but at the same time she was also sad because it was so funny to watch the teal-haired man go nuts and cause some trouble.

It sure was a chaotic start to her first school year but she was rather happy than disappointed. She thought it would get boring during the ceremony, but nope she was very pleased to have some fun. 'The headmaster's red face was such a wonderful sight to be seen.' She grins and pulls the hood off her head, revealing her long, wavy red hair.

She was sharing her room with another female Diasomnia student, who is currently unpacking her luggage. Annabeth was happy that she could change into more comfortable clothes. 'Those robes sure look nice, but they're fucking tight.', she sighs and her roommate looks over to her. "Is everything alright?" the blonde asks the redhead. "Everything is fine, I'm just glad that we can finally change. These robes are a bit too tight for my taste." Anna explains calmly and smiles cheerfully. "Oh, I can understand that. I heard that the house wardens, as well as the vice house wardens, have to wear them to each entrance ceremony and meeting.", her roommate tells her and Annabeth looks at her. "Really?", she didn't know that until now and her roommate nods her head. 'Uff, that sucks. But I don't even want to become a house warden or vice house warden.' In her opinion, it was enough to wear them once and then never again.

Then someone knocked on their door. "Please come in.", the two girls said, and a tall man with chest-length red hair and red eyes entered the room. "I hope I am not bothering you." he says calmly, and Annabeth gives him a sudden hug. "No, you're not big brother." Annabeth greets her older brother and her roommate gasps as she was surprised to find out that Annabeth is the little sister of the ex house warden Alexander McAlister.

"Wait, you're the sister of the former Diasomnia house warden?" the blonde girl asked in a high-pitched voice. Annabeth and Alexander looked at each other before looking back at Anna's roommate. "Yes, I'm his sister.", Annabeth answers and her roommate is totally speechless, what amuses both siblings very much.

"Why are you here, big brother?" Anna asks Alex and he chuckles for a moment. "I'm just bringing your uniforms toschool. Tomorrow will be your first day as Night Raven College students.", he explained to his sister. He then placed the uniforms on the beds of the two ladies. "Wow, that's more than just one uniform." Annabeth realizes and looks at the uniforms. "One uniform for attending classes, one for the dormitory, one for PE classes and one for alchemy classes.", he explains to her. According to her, that's 5 uniforms in total. What is a lot!

"I also made sure that you got pants instead of skirts," he says, and Annabeth looks delighted. "You really thought about the aspect of me not liking skirts.", she says amused and starts to giggle. "Lilia told me that there was some ruckus at the Opening Ceremony venue.", he says while sitting down. Annabeth just realizes that her roommate just left the room, so that the siblings could talk in private.

"Oh yeah, there were a pair of twins, if I guessed right and one of them was over bored and started a fight." Anna explains to Alex and he starts to grin. "I would have loved to watch this, but I already gave my position to Malleus at the end of last year," he says, sighing, disappointed. "I wish my ceremony had been this lively two years ago." He acts a bit overdramatic, which makes her laugh.

"It's your own fault to give Malleus Senpai your position, just because you got tired of it and didn't want to wear that ceremonial robe anymore." She starts to grin, and he stares at her for a moment. "I got it.", he says, while pouting a bit.

A lot of people believe that Malleus and Alexander had a match, supervised by the head mage, for the house warden position and Alexander lost against him. But the truth is Alexander gave the position to Malleus on purpose because he was annoyed with wearing the ceremonial robe and having to manage everything in the dorm. He had enough obligations at home, and he didn't need more at school.

Normally, Alexander would be too old to enroll in a school because he's already 22 years old. However, he got invited to Night Raven College two years ago and their parents were delighted that he could join a magical school. The siblings are aware that Lilia and Malleus are a lot older than them, but no one needs to know that.

"Next year, you will start your outside education." Annabeth just realized that and they only had one year together at Night Raven College. "That's true and I hope you make some good friends and make some meaningful memories here at school." He says because Annabeth and him were homeschooled and did rarely interact with other students.

"Your 16th birthday is also approaching, dear sister. That means you are about to make your debut in high society.", her brother reminded her, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. "Do I really have to?" She asks and isn't interested in being part of high society surrounded by all those annoying nobles and aristocrats.

"If our mother would hear that from you right now, she sure would start crying and ask you why you don't want and so on." Her brother states and Anna starts to sigh deeply. She can imagine how her mother would be hurt by her decision, while her father tries to calm her down and be on Anna's side. Her father knows how much she dislikes social events. Because his daughter takes after him, rather than her mother.

"I know... but I really don't want to...", she says pouting while looking at Alex. He softly pats her head before he leaves the room. "See you at dinner.", he says before he leaves the room. Annabeth then changes into her dorm uniform, which is mostly black and green.

A white poplin blouse with pleats in the front, a large black bow tie around the neck, a black underbust corsage with buckles and straps, black shorts with a green stripe on the right and left side of the pants. Plus a black belt with spindles, a pair of black gloves,dark leggings and black green ankle boots. She also wears a black and green jacket like a cape and a small black and green hat on her head.

"That looks rather sexy." she admits, and her roommate finally comes back and gasps at how beautiful Annabeth appears in her dorm uniform. Anna laughs for a moment before looking at her roommate. "I'm happy that you like it.", Anna says smiling and the blonde girl nods her head quickly.

Then she looks at the clock to see what time it is. "Time to have dinner with my brother. See ya.", she says and leaves the room to have dinner with her brother. On her way she sees some other students and she greets them. The McAlister's are a famous royal family of demons in this world. Their beauty and perfection make them out stand and adored by many people.

So it's not surprising that people from her dorm will seek a closer relationship with her. She's aware that those people may have an ultimate motive. But she knows how to refuse them in a polite manner. "Anna, we're here?" Her brother calls out to her and Annabeth walks over to her brother, who is not alone. She realizes that the house warden and vice house warden, as well as a silver-haired guy, are standing next to him.

"I would like to introduce you to my little sister Annabeth. Annabeth, this is dorm leader Malleus Draconia, vice dorm leader Lilia Vanrouge and this is Silver. Like you, he arrived at Night Raven College today and was raised by Lilia and Malleus." Alexander introduces them to each other. "It is a pleasure to meet you." Annabeth says, bowing slightly in front of them. "Didn't you say that your sister is a wild tomboy?" Lilia suddenly mentions.

Annabeth gasps as she hears what her brother has told them. "Dear brother, why are you saying such vulgar things about me behind my back? That's not very kind." she exclaims indignantly. Alexander then starts to laugh. "It's not a lie and you can be a bit of a handful." he replies calmly, and Anna puffs her cheeks.

Lilia thinks that it's pretty amusing how the young McAlister starts to pout like an adorable child. Malleus just listens and doesn't say much. Anna can tell that he doesn't really know how to converse with others. "Can I touch Malleus Senpai's horns?" she suddenly asks and everyone looks at her shocked. "What? They look pretty cool.", she muttered while crossing her arms. Malleus is taken aback by her words. Lilia starts laughing and Silver holds his head for a moment because he's close to fall asleep again.

The 1.89 m tall red haired man lays his right hand on Malleus' left shoulder. "Would you allow her to touch them or rather not?", he asks him sheepeshly, while Lilia still laughs. "If Sebek was here, he sure would do everything to not let her touch them." Lilia says while Silver is almost falling asleep.

"He could be lucky that she at least asked before touching. Normally she would touch everything without asking for permission.", Alexander explains to them and Annabeth glares at her older brother. "Looks like we're about to get some life in this dormitory." Lilia says, amused, with a meaningful look in his eyes. "You can touch them if you like." Malleus replies shyly and allows Annabeth to feel his horns. She touches the horns of the fae gently as her eyes start to sparkle. "They feel so good." She whispers to herself, and they have a pleasant texture. Lilia and Alexander couldn't believe what they saw.

"Hey! When I asked if I could touch them, you said no." Alexander says in a jealous tone. "I never thought he would allow her so quickly to touch them", Lilia says surprised and even Silver was perplexed by that. She could call herself lucky that Sebek wasn't here. Sebek would shout at her how disrespectful her behavior is and try to get her away from Malleus.

***

Annabeth enjoys her dinner with the others and her brother tells them some embarrassing stories and Anna tries to make him shut up. How much older brothers love to tease their youngersisters? However, Annabeth turns the tables and talks about her brother's most embarrassing moments in life. Then Alexander puts a hand over Anna's mouth, and Lilia really enjoys listening to what those two have to say.

Malleus starts to calm down around them. At first the black-haired fae was very nervous because he would meet the former house warden's younger sister and he doesn't know how to interact with girls that much. He's also an only child. It's fun for him to watch those siblings interact. Lilia looks at Malleus for a moment and he can tell that he likes the siblings. Alexander was the first to ask Malleus directly if he wanted to join him for lunch and dinner together.

Alex's courage surprised both fae back then. "What's so shocking about that, please? I am a demon, after all, and no less terrifying than a dragon fae. The only difference is that I'm just better at communicating and interacting with others than Malleus, that's all." Alexander's words really broke the ice between them.

Not only Alexander but also Annabeth was able to figure out that Malleus had issues with communication and interaction with others. That's why she asked if she could touch his horns. Lilia was pretty aware that she was trying to encourage him to speak more.

Demons were viewed as roughless and cold blooded monsters, but the siblings showed how wrong people really were. Alexander earned the respect he deserved through hardwork and because of his kind attitude towards his peers. It was such a shame that next year he would no longer be with them.

Lilia did hear from some upper classmen that even though Alexander was still a freshman and in his first school year, he challenged the former house warden, who was in his 2nd year, to a duel and the head mage supervised the match. It was a total surprise for Lilia that a youngster like him dared to fight against his house warden for justice.

***

After having dinner with her brother, Anna heads back to her dorm room to unpack her things and prepare for school tomorrow. She is already excited and wonders how school life will be in the future. "I'm sure it will be an exciting year.", she whispers to herself and does get ready for bed.

[rp-partnerfinder]

Hey howdy hey! I’m a 25 yo enby looking for another fandom roleplay! I’m semi-lit/ lit. I prefer longer replies. On a good day I’d really hope for a reply that could potentially break discords word count, but I also understand that sometimes it can be hard to have full para replies. I need three short paragraphs at minimum though, but please try and match reply length as much as you can, and I will do the same for you!

I roleplay in 3rd person, as it’s hard for me to roleplay in other POV’s. I’d prefer my partner do the same! I need my partner to be 20+, any younger and I’d be very uncomfortable as I enjoy playing out heavier/serious subjects. Though I do enjoy my fair share of fluff as well lol. I try to balance out the two, so it’s not just an angsty plot the whole time.

The roleplay can be either long term or short term, again just talk to me and we’ll figure it out.

As for the fandom- I know this is a long shot finding others my age who share the same enjoyment of it, but, I’m looking for a trolls roleplay. Yes the dreamworks movie. I know lmao, but hear me out. The movie dropped some more lore on branch and his bros, and I’m interested in exploring their past and their bond.

I would also be down for having some fun ships!

Im looking for either:

Floyd x riff

jd x demo

Sidxriff

I’m also fine with oc x canon, and if that’s the route you’d like go, I’d love someone to play jd for my oc. Although fair warning I mostly only do mxm, it’s just what I’m most comfortable with, if anyone has an oc x canon ship they also want.

I’m fine with smut but we don’t have to include it if you don’t want to! And I’m fine with including other background ships too! Just ask and we can work it out!

If interested, please leave a like and I’ll reach out!

.

[sakurabutterflyart]

Floyd X Classical Troll Fem Reader

(As a person who enjoyed classical music or just a fan of violin. I've also been to a choir, which is totally a classical and different to singing pop. I base it a little of my experience.

But disclaimer. I still lack Classical music knowledge.  But I do write fanfictions for fun and wonder what happens when Pop and Classical music comes together.

Im no professional writer, English is not my first language either. This just happen to be one of my intrusive thoughts that needs to be written.)

My name is (Y/N), I've been living in Trollstopia since the beginning.  My family along with my fellow classical trolls just wanted to be open to new cultures, which is why we decided to move here.

Being a Classical Troll means I have to be professional all the time and a perfectionist, cause that's how my parents taught me about classical music.

So I followed the rules.  Even though I love music, sometimes I get sick of it. Like there's something wrong about it.

But then I met him... Floyd

Classical Trolls are so strict. That I was never used to be treated gently by someone that I never knew I needed.  Floyd makes my heart go softer, which honestly kinda scares me sometimes.

When I met him, I just happen to run into him. When he got lost in Trollstopia,  while visiting his brother Branch. He heard my violin playing. I actually heard a catchy pop song that is mixed with country from this song writer named Taylor Swift and surprisingly also a classical rock guitar from a rock Troll named Demo.

That I decided to play a pop song on that day after getting scolded by my conductor,  that I wanted to be left alone. I was a disappointment to my fellow classical trolls despite being the daughter of the Great Classical Troll. I was always told that I was the most difficult one to teach, like I was tone-deaf or something.

Being in a prestigious group is a lot of pressure already. Being there is so suffocating, traumatizing in fact from the way I get startled when I get scolded by everyone.  That I needed to go out and have time to enjoy music on my own. I played my violin with a famous Taylor swift music called Enchanted, also tried singing it after playing it. Trying to turn it into a classical version. I'm already a disappointment anyways, so what's the harm of singing a pop rock country song?

"Woah, you have a beautiful voice there miss." I was startled and almost had a heart attack,  when I turned around I spotted a Pop Troll. He must be from Pop village. "I like your version of that song that I just needed to see who played it."

I felt my face heating from embarrassment. I'm suppose to yell at him for scaring me, but instead I felt a chuckle escape from my throat of his comment. I was flattered, but of course I brushed it off by saying, "Nah I'm just messing around,  I hit the wrong notes."

Then I heard him giggled along and sat right next to me.

"Well to me your voice is beautiful.  Just like what me and my brother said about being in harmony.  We don't have to be perfect to be in harmony, we just have to be as we are."

"Hah! Really?" I scoffed, cause the #1 rule of being a Classical Troll is to make it perfect as possible.

"Really,  why else would me and my brothers manage to hit the family harmony and rescued me from a diamond prison? "

I stared at him wide eyed, a few seconds later I gasped. 

"No..." I whispered in amazement. He giggled at my reaction.

"Yes."

"NOOO..."

"YES."

"YOU'RE FROM BROZONE?! "

"YES!"

💛💛💛

With that we talked and talked, eventually became friends. Surprisingly,  we easily connected like we've known each other for a long time, despite our differences in culture.

At first it was pure respect and amazement. For being in Brozone who achieved the family harmony after a long time in history.

Our meetings became frequent, it's no longer as fellow musician, but as friends. I learned his name was Floyd. Being with Floyd, makes me feel safe. I have great sense of comfort around him.  I enjoyed spending time with him. That I myself surprisingly willing to go to parties on Pop Village just to see him.

Whenever i feel down and pressured from classical music. He knew exactly how to encourage me and keep my confidence up, even helped me hit the right notes by harmonizing with him. And as expected... his VERY gifted!

I've never felt such connection with anyone nor felt understood and comforted of my entire life. He made me laugh... and even cry at the same time from joy, which is very strange...

💛💛💛 A month passed by...

In a blink, it was just another day of our regular practice. But I was shocked that my conductor was more harsh than usual. Not only did he embarrassed me in front of my fellow choir mates,  he say cruel words that I will never become better nor do I belong there, that I'm better off not being in their group.

That I snapped and walk out from that suffocating rehearsal room.

I was really feeling thorn that even Floyd noticed.  That I was crying the whole night, that I'm pretty sure that my puffy eyes is still not gone. All the hardwork and time I gave, to only find out that I was never welcomed there to begin with.

That Floyd decided to drag me out of my pod, after being trapped there for almost a week. It was sunset, so the heat of the summer is gone that its a perfect time to have a picnic near the sea.

He decided to lay me down and relax, in this beautiful scenery . He brought my favorite snacks, the books we enjoyed together,  along with our favorite classical pop song that we've made together. As he continue to comfort me with his words and laughing along with his funny stories about his brothers.

We ended up in silence, enjoying the fresh breeze of wind. I was trapped in my room for a long time, that I didn't realized that there's a good spot to forget what happened.

I turned around to see Floyd facing me, eyes shut. I lay closer to him, running my fingers through his smooth red hair, causing him to wake up.

We ended up staring into each other in silence,  but a comfortable one. Without even thinking, I was caressing his cheeks. Feeling my heart beat wildly. I can feel his hands holding mine from where I held his face. He slid it down to my arms, caressing it too.

At that moment. Both of us were not thinking, but before we even knew it. I can feel the warmth of his lips unto mine. And it felt great. He then pushed me down towards the ground,  he was on top of me. Continue tasting my lips, with his palms pinning my wrist against the floor.

I was having a terrible week,  but never would've thought that it'll also be one of the best one. Where I can finally get to hold him this close and closer than ever before.

"I love you... Y/N." He whispered and continue to trail kisses unto my neck.

💛💛💛

A/N: What? Floyd being the bottom is getting cliche to all Floyd X reader I've read, him being bold is surprisingly good too hehe. I guess John Dory also mistaken his role to be the sensitive one. Almost.

[flash-the-readies]

Calling my younger self out for all the embarrassing things they thought/did when I first started getting into Pink Floyd (I just think I was endearing albeit annoying)

Initially confused them with LED Zeppelin because for some reason my brain put them on a similar tier

Went to watch the Pulse tour DVD … promptly realised it was post-Waters, cried, shut it off immediately, and haven’t seen it since (I actually own a DVD and a VHS tape of the film…both of which were gifts actually)

Saw that Live at Pompeii gif of Roger blowing the smoke rings and just stared at it for a long while promptly falling in love

Didn’t know the Wall was a double album and just assumed the second disc was demos so I never listened to it and would only listen to half the album. Eventually I decided to play the second disc and realised how stupid I was (In the Flesh confused me)

Had an entire wall in my room dedicated to The Wall (I painted out the brick design and had these posters)

Didn’t really care much for the WYWH album (and now it’s my favourite Pink Floyd album..)

FUCKING GAVE AWAY THE IN THE PINK NICK SEDGWICK BOOK BECAUSE I WAS GOING THROUGH SOME SHIT AND ROGER WAS MAKING ME FEEL GUILTY AND HORRIBLE

Would listen to the Wall at least once a day for months on end especially while sitting alone at lunch

Used the fact that my mum desperately wanted me to make friends to go to a Roger Waters concert with this boy who had a crush on me and then promptly started trying to convert me to Catholicism once he found out I’m atheist, bisexual, and non-binary. Roger Played the Gunner’s Dream for the encore so no regrets there

Had a long and unhealthy obsession with The Final Cut and would play my LP of it at least once a day

Read something about Roger calling the rest of the band “the muffins” and promptly dubbed David “greasy muffin”…and got the rest of my online friends to join in

Wrote endless HCs with a friend about Watershend (Roger Waters x Pete Townshend)… I stand by this one. Sorry

Did a 10 minute presentation on the Wall for a history class when I was…14

Called in sick to school even though my teachers knew I was going to watch Roger Waters in concert

Found a copy of Rick Wright’s Wet Dream on vinyl at a market… had no cash in the moment … asked my friend if they could give me cash and then I’d pay them back later… my friend agreed thinking it was for food (I wasn’t trying to deceive them I promise I just didn’t communicate what that money was for as clearly as I thought I did… but I did pay them back plus a bit extra!) I did get my record tho

Went to Battersea Station…. DIDN’T REALISE IT WAS A FUCKING SHOPPING MALL ON THE INSIDE BECAUSE I FAILED TO DO MY RESEARCH AND DIDN’T EVEN ATTEMPT TO GO INSIDE BECAUSE I AM AWKWARD AS HELL… so instead I opted to awkwardly stand around the outside and check out the nearby shops (this is recent ;-;)

I used to draw and would just fill my notebook up with drawing of Pink Floyd (mostly just Roger…)

I am just now remembering how much of my fanart was nose-centric

You know that common trans experience of “trying desperately to live as your assigned gender one last time so you overcompensate before you come out”… well that overlapped with my “ukulele and Syd Barrett let’s dress psychedelic” phase

Have bought way too many pieces of clothing because they remind me of something Roger wore once (I think I’ll make this into it’s own post perhaps)

That’s all I can remember for now. Just feeling nostalgic. I could make a second part of all the most recent cringe shit I’ve done. I’m not laughing at myself I’m laughing with myself. Honestly my younger self was iconic, gotta love her

[blooeyedtroll]

As promised, here are the frames of my “Book Club Meet-Cute” Animatic.

[hostilemuppet]

Given your past and audience I’m sure someone has ask you this before, but what homestuck quadrants would you put the main tdau relationships in

fleek: originally "officially matesprits, both secretly pitch for each other" when they first got together, then "publicly matesprits, kismesises in secret" after they come clean, then "publicly matesprits, flush/pitch vacillation" after their second marriage, then "matesprits, creek vacillates pale/flush while floyd vacillates flush/pitch" after floyds first suicide attempt. now? well... theyre not much of anything anymore

guyfleek: guy was the "auspistice" except he just wanted to be creeks matesprit while floyd went somewhere to die in a hole

cliva: matesprits

broppy: matesprits

dawn dory: flush/pitch vacillation

hollysatin: matesprits

blazegust: matesprits

al dente: dante wants demo in every quadrant like a desperate fool. demo is just happy to be here. officially matesprits

parb: pitch

trollzart x vals mum: matesprits

creek x val: pitch

creek x the rest of his 7 afab exes: either of the concupiscent quadrants (probably favouring flush bc most of them were back when he was Universally Beloved, Just Who Could Ever Hate Him?)

[trollsfusion]

PopTrolls X RockTrolls Fusion - Floyd Demo

[empressgeekt]

Trolls - Accidental Knight and the end of the world (Field of Forget-me-nots au - what if?) -PART 3!!!!

Okay, so this is a what if off of second movie of the FoF au (this post), where Barb won. This was inspired by the fic "The Beginning of the End" by AnimationFan2006 on Ao3. Pls go give it a read. I highly recommend that anyone go to look at the rest of the Field of Forgetmenots au. And I had to split it in half because I posted the first one at 2:00 am. Here is that first post! and here's part 2

Now on to the plot...

Lets jump into the ocean and at the rubble of the techno kingdom. Synth wasn't sure to count himself horribly unfortunate or incredibly lucky. He had rushed off to the restroom, during the last rave. Said rest room had been destroyed by the Rock troll subs and Synth was left unconscious after the ceiling caved in on him. He wakes up to his home destroyed and a pounding headache. For about an hour or too, he flits around looking for any other survivors. Eventually, Sharks chase him out of the reef, now that there's no guards on duty or music playing, predators are flooding into the place.

The open Ocean is tough, Synth feels tiny with all the giant fish, whales and sharks. Also very lonely, he had grow up always surrounded by people, now there was no one. He doesn't remember much of the attack, but he does remember the Rock music. Usually other tribe music wasn't played in the reef, but the few records they did have were used in school so children could learn how to identify the difference between them. Well, all the tribes but pop and the sub-genres. If Rock had turned Synth needed to find help. So he just kept swimming....and swimming...and swimming.

Its after who know how long of dodging Fish, Squids, sharks, whales, and Dolphins (He thought they were friends, yo!), exhaustion and nearly starving to death, that he decides to find fresh water. Most land creatures lived by fresh water sources right? And even better he wouldn't have to deal with sharks....Well Swimming in land had it's own issues. Fresh water had Frogs, and alligators, and unknown plants. But that wasn't even the worse part. In land rivers were flooded with Zombified techno trolls. Synth is horrified by these monsters with the faces of his friends. Thankfully however the zombies aren't as good with their hydrokinesis as Synth was, so he could defend himself. However, by this point he was running on fumes. After a particularly bad fight, he passes out and the river current carries him into the lake, where he's sucked up into a bunch of pipes and is spit out in Bridget's bathroom sink.

Bridget has had a hard few weeks. There was still no word from Poppy, and she was getting really worried. Gristle was her rock, and she loved him to bits for it, but still she found that she didn't like no knowing what was going on outside. Word of Mount Rageous falling and Vacay island was shocking and scary news, especially when you consider how big those cities are in comparison to troll village. They still weren't sure what exactly was attacking them, but Gristle has put in mass emergency protocols in to place. Meaning, stocking up on water, food and other supplies, fortifying defenses and putting up a curfew to keep their people safe. All the stress of the passed couple weeks, has Bridget unable to sleep, so she tries to calm her self with a water cup, only to turn on the sink and shriek when something other then water falls out of the faucet. Gristle is running into the bathroom hearing her shout, and they both marvel at the tiny creature that infiltrated the castle. At first Bridget thought it was troll, but the glowing skin and fins didn't fit with the troll they know. Still they notice that the little creature is wounded, so Gristle orders for a physician for the creature and a plumper to check the pipe filters, because they are clearly not doing their job.

The doctor can't really do much for the creature, as they don't know much about their physiology. However, they do try to wrap their wounds (a challenging task with the small limbs and delicate/super slippery skin) and recommend to the King and queen-in-waiting that they set up the creature in a shallow water filled tray with a padded bottom. Bridget does her best to follow the doctors orders, padded a water tray and laying the creature in the water leaving their face above water and the rest of their body submerged.

Synth eventually wakes up after a few days. He's sore and hungry, but he's alive. Even better, someone had wrapped up his wounds. He had finally found help! It takes a little effort, but Synth figures out how to flop of the lovely water dish he woke up in and walk on his fins. Bridget finds him like this and after some initial shock on both sides the two get to talking. Synth talks about how Rock trolls attacked his people and he's looking for help. Bridget learns a lot more about the troll world and with answers in hand she takes Synth and they go talk to Gristle. The Bergen king is a little unsure about what to do with the new information. Bridget wants to go out and find the rock trolls, but Gristle once more has to hold her back, since they have no idea where the rock trolls are. Still Gristle does allow Synth to stay as long as he needs, and if they every come up with a plan to save his people they'd help. At this moment, Chad and Todd enter the room, and inform Gristle and Bridget that their are some Vacationers outside of the gate asking for sanctuary.

Brandy has had a hard few weeks. She and the other mothers (plus a few single dads) had spent a few weeks on the open water, before beaching on the main land and moving on foot. Her little ones are in different states of shock. The older ones (and Labreezy), are scared but they're putting on brave faces for their younger siblings, who are missing their daddy, and about three steps from a meltdown at all times. All the mothers and single dads are pulling together to keep all the kids safe, a fact that Brandy is grateful for since nearly half of the children there are hers. She listens to the radio every night after the kids are asleep, the other's used to listen too, but when they hear of the fall of Vacay island, they stop. Brandy never stops.

Eventually, after long weeks of traveling they come across BergenTown. The rest of the group is eager to ask for aid after their food and water supplies have been completely depleted, however Brandy is hesitant. Her children are half troll. There were many nights when she and Bruce had first gotten together when she would hear him wake up crying from nightmares about the place. Living as livestock, even from just hearing about it, is no way to live. Brandy wasn't sure she could take her children in there and watch these creatures feed off her husband's people with out going mad. However, they had no more food or water. Her babies need a proper meal and a good night's rest. Brandy reluctantly agrees, but makes the other's swear not to mention her husband. Her babies might not be troll sized but she doesn't want to take chances.

After speaking with the guards, they're told that only one may come in to plead with the king. The other adults decide that Brandy should go in. She is by far the smartest of them, and she knew about bergens before coming here. Inside she is a raging kermit (seriously just because she knew about them, doesn't mean she knows how to talk to creatures who ate her children's grandparents!), however she keeps all that inside and lets the guards lead her through the town. Bergentown isn't like Vacay island. The colors are dulled and leaned more towards green then yellow and blue. The People make her feel small, Vacationers being only half the size of Bergens at best, and she couldn't imagine what it was like for Bruce to grow up here. In the corner of her eye she sees what could only be the troll tree, and she looks away quickly, not wanting to see her love's people trapped, but at the same time missing that the cage is gone and the tree is empty.

To her relief, The Bergen King is a young man, and on the smaller side. A little less intimidating then she thought he would be. Brandy thinks she's doing alright, until another bergen walks in. A girl around the same age as the king, in a fancy pink dress. The look she shares with the king is one that Brandy recognizes, young love. Then she notices what the girl is holding. A tray with a Techno troll on it. Techno Trolls usually stopped by the island every now and again, but Brandy knew they never came this far inland. For a moment she fears that she's about to witness a troll losing their lives, but then said troll speaks up, asking her name. When she answers, The Troll asked if she ran the cantina, and upon confirming she did, to her shock the troll advocates for her and the King listens. The king and the girl leaves for a moment, and Brandy approaches the troll asking if he was alright. Synth, after introducing himself, says he's as good as he's going to get. Bridget and Gristle are good hosts, and from him Brandy learns about how there's supposedly peace between the trolls and them, and from her Synth learns about the whole eating trolls thing. Which he is grossed out by but he'd been there for over a week, most of which he was unconscious for, and nothing bad has happened. Still he'll ask. The King returns and says that her people will be given sanctuary, and since he knew that she worked in the restaurant he offers for Brandy to work in the kitchens while her family is housed in the castle. She accepts the offer a little skeptical, and vows that if any trolls enter that kitchen she'd let them go.

After two weeks, Brandy is relieved to find that the peace was an actually true thing, and the kitchen staff was treated very well in BergenTown. She forms a quick friendship with Bridget, who has a habit of cleaning when stressed so she helps Brandy after dinner is served, despite practically being a princess. The Bergen girl is sweet, and it isn't too long before, Brandy is handing out advise to her that could be described as motherly. IT also helps that Bridget loves playing with the children (yea, Gristle was a little shocked by the sheer number of children he just invited into the castle). Things seem to start to settle by this point. Brandy has a way to keep a stable life for her and the kids, and for now their safe. She still misses Bruce, but she hasn't given up hope on him yet. Especially when she starts getting morning sickness. When she figures out that kid number fourteen is on the way, she laughs, because of course she and Bruce would have a child in the middle of the apocalypse. Still she keeps calm and carries on, hoping for another girl.

Back at the golf course, Demo excitedly reveals that the letter is from Hickory and that he has opened a line of communication with Pop troll prisoners, including Queen Poppy. Viva jumps on that, she wants to know everything about what's happening to her sister, and if they had seen her Dad. There's nothing in the letter about Peppy, much to her distress, and all that's on Poppy is that she was being tortured and that they want her out sooner then later. Viva is horrified, and wants to get her sister out right now, but everyone has to tell her to slow down. They need a plan first. Keith asks if they can get Branch out and the letter does mention him but Queen Barb is keeping him close, so they might not be able to. Keith is heavily disappointed.

For now all they can do is keep sending letters back and forth, slowly forming a plan to get the prisoners out. They do get something solid going. It's a long shot but it could work. However, when the subject of leave the golf course comes up, Clay becomes very vocal about not leaving, and surprisingly Viva doesn't back him up. This causes the two of them to argue, Clay wanting to know why Viva has changed her mind and suddenly wants to abandon everything they've worked for, and Viva cant' lose her sister again. Especially if she's out there being tortured (basically reversing their movie roles).

John Dory Floyd and Bruce all pull him out of the room, and start a long over due conversation. This only serves to piss Clay further off, especially when John and Bruce are agreeing that he's out of line. The middle brother just loses it at them, screaming about how he had finally found a place where he was respected as a leader, and now John has come running into his life trying to control everything, and that everyone is blind to what JD is doing, controlling them, trying to get his band back together, with made up story.

Bruce: Whoa whoa whoa, what are you talking about?

Clay: Oh so now you want to listen?!

JD: do you really think I would orchestrate the end of the world just to get Brozone back together?

Clay: Of course you would! All you've ever done is try to ruin my life with that stupid band of yours!! You did it when we were kids, but that wasn't enough for you ! You had to come back and do it again! Well guess what I'm not going to let you trick everyone and ruin everything again!

JD: I never wanted to ruin everything Clay! I want you all safe.

Clay: pfff, yeah right. You just want me to be your dancing fun boy puppet. Keep me in a little box! Never take me seriously!

JD: I didn't mean to put you in a box...

Clay: Oh, yeah then what did you mean to do? Make me into a doll?

JD: no! it was to keep you safe and get food on the table!

Clay: Don't try to make yourself into a hero here, John Dory, you were just a bossy controlling parasite. How in the world would making me a 'fun boy' keep me safe!

JD: Because the Chef never took trolls that made the others Happy! That was the whole point of the band! To make you all more important alive then on a platter! So ,you wouldn't get taken like...like...

Silence....

Floyd: John?

JD: *sigh* The last thing mom and dad told me was to take care of you.

Bruce: and the band was your way of doing that.

JD: yeah...I first I thought it would just be me, doing shows, earning money, putting food on the table. One by one you each wanted in and...*shrugges*

Clay: W-what about Grandma, she had money you didn't need to sacrifice our childhoods to put "food on the table"

JD: She was retired, sure her pension was enough for her to live off of but plus five growing boys? And that's not even covering the house bills or ya'lls school.

Clay: well, what about the perfect family harmony?

JD: What?

Clay: You know perfect family harmony? The thing we failed and then you abandoned us for !

JD: Oh...that...it wasn't my idea originally.

Clay: What?

JD: yeah, King Peppy asked me to do it. It was supposed break the cage...so we could escape...

Clay: what?!

Floyd: That's why you were so stressed...you were trying to save us...

Bruce: why did you say anything. I could've helped you. If I had understood what was going on....

JD: you would've panicked. Besides it wasn't your job to help me. I was the oldest, I had to be the leader, I had to be the one to worry, so the rest of you didn't have to.

Clay: *rolling his eyes* yeah real good job you did there.

Bruce: Clay...

Clay: Oh please, sure he's not as big of a jerk as I thought, but don't tell me you've forgotten all he did to us! He shoved us in to roles and made life hell! Floyd had issues talking about his own problems, because he was so busy dealing with ours! I couldn't even keep my hair its natural color! You couldn't even look at yourself in the mirror without having horrible thoughts about your body!

Bruce: Clay I-

JD: I'm sorry...I-I never wanted to hurt you.

Clay: Then why did you?

JD: Because I thought if I gave you roles then you wouldn't have to change yourselves. Bruce was young, handsome and obsessed with romance novels. Floyd could cry at the drop of a hat. You were always laughing or jumping onto something. I thought if I gave you labels then you wouldn't have to change for the fans. I was trying to make it easier for you. If you were wild no one would judge you. If Floyd cried no one would call him names. If Bruce flirted with a random girl it wouldn't be seen as weird. I-I just didn't think you'd out grow them so quickly....I'm sorry.

Bruce: Oh Johnny...

Clay: You-you should've told us all this.

JD: I know.

Clay: So, you really aren't here to ruin everything, to force me back...now that i'm serious?

JD: Of course not! Clay you could be and evil psychopathic murderer, and i could care less! I'm just happy you're alive! I mean after I went back and the tree was empty...

Floyd: You went back? Even after 'goodbye forever'?

JD: I didn't mean it...I always meant to come back...but when i did...no one was there. *sigh* But enough about me, there's one other critter in the room we need to address. Clay what's your issue with Keith?

Clay: Issue I don't have an issue.

Bruce: Clay, tell us what's going on.

Clay: Nothing's going on! So, what if I fucked up so bad that Branch had to go live with a foster parent and got saddled with a kid and then got turned by psycho evil queen! It's fine!

Floyd: Clay you didn't fuck up...

Clay: I did! I never left the tree! I just moved to a different pod and...never talked to Branch or grandma...I wanted to after the escape...but...I should've been there, I should've stayed with them...Branch had to find a new family and it's all my fault...

Floyd: It's not just you're fault Clay, we all left. Hell, I promised I'd go back and I never did! now Branch is gone and...*Weeps*

JD: We're gonna get him back *hugs Floyd* and nothing's going to keep us apart again. This family's going to stick together best we can from now on.

Bruce: Keith included.

Clay: I need to apologize to him...

JD: We all do...to both of them...

(wow that segment took way too long)

With the air cleared between the bio-brothers things move on a little smoother, Clay is still hesitant to leave the golf course considering the threat but he wants Branch back now two. The apology to Keith didn't go great, kid still hated all of them, but Clay wasn't hostile anymore.

Demo continued to keep writing Jovi, and soon they had a plan in place. Demo would sneak back into the city, and help Jovi move the prisoners outside the boarders, hiding them in stage equipment and shipping them out to an out of city venue for an obsure band that hired Demo as a manager. The out of city venue would be Rhonda, where a team of select trolls would be waiting to receive the escapees. Along with Jovi since it's getting harder to hide his mixed nature and he's worried about getting Zombified. The date and place is set...

What they don't know is that Debbie had intercepted their fruit bat and Barb knows all about the deal. Originally she wanted to take out Jovi immediately, however Riff suggests that she waits so she can crush all of the rebellion at the exchange. She likes this idea better, after all she had been looking for the perfect place to execute the pop queen, what better then to do so in front of her allies with the blade of her noble knight. Hickory catches wind of this, and manages to send the large amount of Rockers that Barb originally wants to intercept the trade off on a wild goose chase. He thinks he's saved the mission.

Demo enters the city with a sick stomach, he's now and enemy of the state. it's hard to interact with Val and Petra after everything. He's really glad when he meets up with Jovi to get the other's out. The prisoners or Snackpack as they were called her honestly really sweet, and he felt bad about what they went through. And shockingly amongst them was the funk princes, unturned.

Poppy isn't so sure of the hope that bubbles in her belly at the sight of two trolls that sneak into her cell late at night. Jovi has proven to be kind but she's still wary of this Demo guy, though he is amusing with all his formalities around her. Seeing her brother and friends was a balm her soul needed, though it didn't settle her fear as they were sneaked out the city. It isn't until the heat of the sun and fresh air, hit her skin outside of the city and she sees the little green trolling running into her arms do her colors begin to brighten. Poppy would Hug Keith with all she had. In the back ground she could hear the others talking with the trolls that Demo had found and came in contact with, but she didn't pay them any mind well until the whislte of and arrow shots past and someone screams. Poppy would look up and whisper in horror, "Branch?"

----

There will be a part 4

[blooeyedtroll]

Ohmyhair?!!!!!🤯🌈✨️💕💕

❤️🤘This is RAD AF and so GORGEOUS!!!!!🤘💙

I'm so thrilled others are hopping on the Floyd x Demo ship! ⛵️💕Lol. Something about these two just vibe so well together. I'm so giddy over the fact that my art inspires others to draw them.🥹🩵

have a little doodle of them.

All credit for my love of this ship goes to @blooeyedtroll

[pandakyoki]

The Cover of my Fan fiction on Wattpad o3o And also sharing the links of my Fanfic on Wattpad and Archive of Our Own x3