#its always branch getting put in situations well its poppy's turn :)

[tamagoneko]

quite mountain

[bobbydagen24]

tbh I'm still Hoping Chef will be Brought back in the next film as it could be Hella emotional and also further explore some Good old fashioned Branch angst which the Trolls writers seem to love 😭😭

I know I've talked about this before but eh I wanna talk about it some more lol as I'm in love with the story potential of Chef coming back.

have fans Done any fics or fanart of the idea? idk I'll have to go check once I'm Done writing this post lol.

but yeah I Hope this does happen cause there's so much potential here for an emotional story involving Branch and his Bros coming face to face with her.

in the first movie its always struck me as a little Disappointing that Chef being the one who killed Branch's Grandmother was never mentioned in present day

I know logically neither Chef or Branch himself would Remember since Branch was only a little kid who saw her for a split second and for Chef it was just a normal day at work.

but from a writing standpoint I Do find it Disappointing more wasn't done with this in the first movie.

I feel her coming back in the next film could work especially well if it takes place not too much time after TBT so the film could still explore some left over issues in the family

plus some more Branch angst that the writers love showing lol.

I'd probably have the movie open with something like Branch his Brothers and Grandma all sat around having Dinner happily chatting away and whatnot only for a hand to come crashing in Grabbing Grandma away

as Branch can only Helplessly watch and then his Bros all start blaming him saying why wasn't he more carful and why did he let it happen

with Floyd especially telling him that he promised him he would take care of her and then the Brothers all walk out for good while Chef's laughter can be heard in the background and Branch is just sat on his own and he looks down at his hand and sees he's turning Grey.

and then Chef's Hand comes back in and Grabs him and he's screaming for help only to see there's no one around that cares and

Branch struggles to try and break free but its Hopeless and Chef just laughs and is about to put Branch in her mouth.

only for him to then wake up in his Bed in a panicked sweat and we see him telling himself to breath feeling his chest and trying to calm himself down

making it clear this is far from the first time this has happened and he already knows what to do in these situations.

FR I like the idea of the movie opening with an angsty nightmare scene for Branch showing his still lingering Trauma in present day.

Both over his perceived failure and guilt over what happened to Grandma not to mention his Brothers leaving again and of course a Fear of Chef herself

not only for killing Grandma but also how close she came to killing him in the first movie.

so opening the movie showing some still lingering Trauma that maybe he Refuses to open up to his Brothers about because he's afraid they may blame him for Grandma's death

like he did himself for all those years and maybe they'd leave again I feel would be neat way to start the film where Chef comes back imo.

especially if the whole movie or at the very least just the climax was about Poppy and the Brothers needing to save Branch

after he's captured maybe after a family argument and he goes off on his own only to get snatched by Chef.

as the whole family coming together to save him from Chef the source of his Greatest Trauma like come on that'd be emotional as Hell 😭😭😭😭

also I do just really wanna see Branch actually confront Chef over Grandma like maybe when he's captured he finally angrily confronts her over it only for Chef to casually Dismiss him

stating she doesn't Remember that day or her at all Hurting Branch at his core since that day obviously has stuck with him for his whole life and changed who he was

but for her it wasn't special it was just a Regular Tuesday.

and of course in the end it'd be satisfying and sweet to see Poppy and Brozone Rescuing Branch and maybe for Chef's comeuppance in the end

I kinda like the idea that Due to some chemicals or magic crap that she'd been messing around with as part of her Grander plan she ends up being shrunken down

to the point she's actually smaller than a Troll like lets say the size of Tiny Diamond so she's basically Rendered Harmless to the Trolls and she tries to attack the main characters

but Brozone just playfully pick her up and toss her back and fourth and in the end they just throw her in a cage with Branch somewhat smugly

Remarking something along the lines of him not being able to believe he was ever afraid of her

with Chef looking a little pissed off to say the least 😂😂😂😂

kinda well and truly confronting the source of his nightmares and feeling a little better about himself as a Result

and also I'd end the film with him finally sitting down with his Brothers and talking more about Grandma

as he finally feels more comfortable about opening up to them about these kinds of things now.

so yeah fingers crossed Chef comes back it wouldn't be too Hard to explain maybe she landed on the cooker inside the creature's Belly and used her knife kit to climb her way out or forced the creature to throw her up or something.

the why's and how's don't really matter too much to me I just think she'd be a perfect Returning Villain for a future film given the significance she has to Brozone as a family and Branch himself.

since she basically made him who he is.

also if Chef is Revealed to be alive in movie cannon then hey it'd be a perfect chance to Bring Creek back in movie cannon as well 😂😂😂😂

be it as a Villain or a Redeemed character who warns pop Village about Chef's plans after overhearing them

maybe he hid inside her Hair so he could hitch a Ride out of the mountain creature lol and afterwards he hides in their for a while and

overhears Chef recruit some henchmen maybe some Bergens who still believe in the old ways and want her to overthrow Gristle JR

and he hears her plans and after waiting for her to fall asleep he sneaks out and runs back to the Village tho he had no idea where they were so it takes him months and months to find his way back lol

which could be how our main characters find out she's alive and planning something and thus kicks off the whole story.

just an idea as Chef coming back does make it very easy to bring Creek back as well 😁😁😁😁

I was thinking that my only problem with this story idea is that it doesn't Really give much for Poppy in Terms of character Development in this story

but maybe if Creek did Return then Poppy's mini side arc could be her learning to give him another chance after being less than Receptive to him returning

and not wanting to give him another chance despite claiming he's sorry and clearly wanting a chance to make amends hence why he came to them with this info

but we see Poppy struggle more with her own ideals of believing people can change and giving out second chances when its someone who she was Emotionally Hurt by Personally

so yeah maybe that could be a mini arc for her if the film did bring Creek back as well.

what do you think about the idea of Chef and Creek Returning in future?

[lilacerull0]

Scrapbooks Of Flowers

the fifth photograph: scrapbook of poppies

"When the lights go out, will you take me with you?"

- Summertime, My Chemical Romance

"That's what real love amounts to - letting a person be who they really are. Most people love you for who you pretend to be."

- Jim Morrison

They run through endless fields of gold which are nowhere near endless or golden, but they choose to believe how they are. All four seasons splash into one and Dorothy’s choice of clothes finally seams rational, with her gloves and short sleeves and waistcoats made out of various colorful materials that shouldn’t make sense, but do. An eternity of memorable every day moments meet up under gloriously ordinary circumstances which all lead to Revelius feeling like he’s finally found himself in a happenstance worthy of a book dedication or a songwriting experience. He lifts up his arms as he runs thinking about the way his life during this very hour must look like from a foreign point of view. He hopes it looks like a painting.

What can he say, he loves it when the reflection compliments the original creation, whatever it might represent.

Simply put, he likes to see the beauty in things.  Including the parts in which they are broken. Light always finds a way to slip through the cracks. You just have to turn it on.

So, he runs. Scraped-up knees and all.

Dorothy has somehow managed to get away from him. She's so far into the field, the sun complimenting her, embracing her features as if it was always meant to hold her. Her and no one else. It makes him question his sanity, which he, for the record, does a lot of anyways, no matter the circumstance. Today's dilemma consists of wondering if he was running in the first place. Dorothy positions herself on the grass, her back the sole part of her that he can actually see. A strange fear blossoms inside of him, spreading its petals, tickling his sides. Teasing him. What if she doesn't look back?

But she does look back and then, he's already close enough to touch her. He doesn't. He takes a few steps forward and she lies down completely on the grass in return, staring at him from her flowery kingdom. He stays where he is, smiling from the above, not quite certain if he should put his hands in his pockets or not. There are moments like these, when he feels entirely disconnected from his body, when he wishes to observe and observe only, without the burden of existing and following people, endless parts of himself, around.

"Pass some of that magic to me, will you?"

He hears it as a joke, but it rings in his ears like an echo. Probably because he should pronounce it back.

"All of this must look a lot prettier to you than it does for me."

Yeah, pretty in its most enchanting form. The kind that makes you dizzy.

"I would paint you a picture, but I know I would never be able to finish it, so what's the point?"

"And I would never be able to feel. Not like you do."

It. Feel it. But she doesn't end the sentence like that. An image of a tree, with an incredible amount of tangled branches and flowers growing from each and every of its corners, pays a visit to his head. That's how Dorothy's mind looks like, he thinks. His own is more of a train. List of a thousand blurry places, an object trapped in motion. For her, everything is spinning around. For him, everything is moving forward.

"You wanna know how this feels for me?"

She doesn't respond, just in case he doesn't actually mean it, just in case it was a slip. She's giving him the space to drop the subject. He probably would've, if the day wasn't endless and the fields weren't gold.

"It feels like,... like when you dream and you know for sure that you are dreaming, but you choose to dream some more because you don't want the dream to end even though you know that is will... End."

"A comfortable illusion."

The wind that might have been there or might have been not says hello to his hair and ruffles it a bit. Revelius closes his eyes to welcome it, just in case it is there because he knows it would have been much prettier if it was.

He likes to see the beauty in things. The trick is, often times, he doesn't. So, he adds glittery fragments of the things that he does like to his surroundings, hoping that the world might show him some love in return. When it does provide him with anticipated pleasantries, he is never certain of their authenticity. Or their ability to occupy the delicate presence of air, for that matter.

"What do you think about getting gold lockets?"

"Like, for us?"

"Well yeah, but also no. What do you think of the concept? In general, I mean. What do you think of it?"

"I think it's a complete waste of time. If I love someone, I'm pretty sure I can rely on my ability to pick up on the sensation myself. Why would I need a reminder? Everything's already there, in my head... Where is this coming from?"

"Where's anything coming from, Dorothy?"

He appreciates the lack of scientific explanation on her part. Revelius has a special fondness for dramatic pauses. Dorothy usually allows him to pursue that passion. There's also the opportunity to delve deeper into the context of his last sentence. Neither of them pushes the topic any further. Good. He doesn't quite know where he was going with that. It can remain a lousy joke, if it ever gets transported to pages. You know, in case they aren't on those very pages right now.

"What do you think?"

"Huh?"

"What do you think of them? The gold lockets?"

"I'm not sure. It just feels appealing to me. Having a piece of somebody else, somebody that's not you, around your neck, resting on your heart, at all times. Something that's physically there. I like that."

He stops to take a breath. Dorothy tugs on his sleeve a little, almost unnoticeable, she now sitting up. He translates the gesture as an invitation and then allows himself to sit beside her on the grass. Home at last.

"She keeps putting herself into these golden, heart shaped lockets that she later attaches to people, people who offer as little, as much, as a handshake born out of nothing other than politeness."

"Who said that?"

"Nova. The sister! The wizard! School essay or something. I don't know what to do with it."

"She really likes your poems, you know."

"The situation called for silence Dorothy, you should have allowed it." he mutters with a laugh which earns him an annoyed glance and that strikingly familiar eye roll. And a smile. Lip-gloss smile at that. But Dorothy would rather leave it unmentioned. He allows it.

"Maybe we should skip the running part this time." Dorothy proposes only a second before he intended to do the same. The great, the funny, the consuming universe and its tricks.

"Yeah, let's do that."

***

He blinks. One. Two. Three. He blinks and he is still there. And he is still him.

 

He blinks and rain comes falling down.

 

Somewhere in the middle of somebody else’s life, Revelius found himself walking into his own. It’s sort of like a collection of countless little glass pieces belonging to various glorious, glorious and dusty, nameless mirrors. The portrait of chaos.

 

And still, the rain is falling down.

He walks home, chest full of memories that he can't possibly hold, but does; city lights and strangers behind him, their voices now forever engraved on his skin. The mirrors, the reflections, the portraits. Each shadow that crosses his path.

Right there, right beside his former high school  (the keeper of life, the home of some of the mirrors) is a little store. He enters it empty handed, exits with a companion, a little paper bag barely grazing the end of his seemingly endless scarf.

When he pulls out the locket and tucks it under his shirt, it rests surely against his heart.

"I don't ask you to love me always like this, but I ask you to remember: somewhere inside of me there will always be a person I am tonight."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

"He, like me, is haunted by his heart."

- Mahmoud Darwish

[theshy1sout]

Inseparable - Chapter 12

Tags: Broppy, Not rated, Trolls Mythology Au, Slow Burn Fluff

Ao3 here

Notes: This chapter... is twice longer than usual. I just didn’t see a reason to cut it in half. That would be cruel tbh

________________________________________

Everything is fine. Isn't it?

Every day and night is the same, as they used to be... Poppy walks on the hill, this very specific hill they used to climb on to pass the Staff along. Then she meets Branch. He asks for one more night or day to finish the thing he works on. And she agrees. He walks away, with the Staff or without it, and Poppy always watches him for so long.

Why.

Why does this feel so bad? Why does it hurt so much? Everything is fine. Poppy didn't lose anything - she still has her wonderful job, amazing friends, and basically everything the Immortal could dream of. Her teamwork with the god of the Night is just... Temporary pendant. Nothing to worry about. Branch is just making some surprise...

The goddess doesn't know how long she has to wait. Two weeks passed, but what is just two weeks for Immortals? Poppy knows it should be nothing... But it feels like forever.

Why. Why she can't just patiently wait? Why the feeling in her heart, so warm and pleasant earlier, now is so heavy and painful. She can't enjoy anything as much as she used to. Her sweet job becomes a boring routine. She realizes she smiles way rarer.

Why?

Poppy feels like a little child with those feelings. So pitiful. She sits every Night under this oak where Branch showed her a shadow. She plays with an oak leaf in her hand, watching lightning bugs flying around the meadow. Or watching the stars above her. They always make her even sadder. No matter how long she sits there, she never sees Branch. She can see him only for a minute on the hill.

And why? Why is this so sad for her? She used to live without him for so long. She doesn't need him to live or be happy, she used to be happy without him too. Didn't she? It's not the end of the world. It's not even forever. It's temporary, isn't it?

And why, why is Branch so into something? What is this? What did the rainbow inspire him to? What is he making? Maybe something with colors... Poppy remembers a spark in his eyes when he stared at the rainbow. He was so amazed by its colors. Yeah, he is making something colorful for sure. Maybe he dreams about colors visible in the Dark. Cause it is known that during the Night colors fade and almost everything is black or grey. Poppy feels her heart getting filled with new hope. Maybe if she makes something with colors that are visible in the Night, she will get a little bit more of Branch's attention? Maybe he would leave his project and come back to her? She imagines his gentle smile on his pretty blue face. His azure eyes meeting hers. She reminds herself of his touch on her cheek. Cold but so tender and affectionate... She misses him so much...

The goddess of the Day stops the thing she is doing and walks toward the Palace. A hope pushes her in this direction. She wants to believe that not in vain.

* * *

- I don't know - Smidge frowns at a flower. - I'm still not sure about the spikes.

- It needs them to protect itself from critters! - Meadow explains.

- Yes, hurting the critters - Milton adds, putting his hands into the pockets of his lab coat. - I'm also not sure about them.

- But the spikes create a good arrangement with its carmine petals - Satin points out, touching the flower carefully.

- Disagree, sister - Chenille crosses her arms on her chest. - It's too edgy for me.

- It's poetic beauty, not so obvious. I'm bored of doing boring things, let me experiment a bit, sis!

- Well, I really like how it looks now - Meadow, the goddess of plants, gets down to the flower. - If we can make spikes less sharp, can we keep them? I want it to be safe, not like other of my mites.

- Let me think a bit about it - Milton grabs his head with both of his hands. He sighs heavily. - But please, later, not now, I'm so tired of thinking about this flower.

- Oh, you - Smidge pats him in his elbow. She is too short to reach any higher. - We do take a break. Let's just change the topic a bit.

- Thank you...

- Hi, guy!

Immortals turn to the pink, bright lady waving to them on the horizon.

- Poppy! - Satin beams at the goddess walking to them. - What perfect timing!

- Why is it so perfect?

- We need to talk about anything else than that flower - Chenille points at the little plant on the ground.

- What is this?

- We want to create a flower with Rose's name - Meadow explains. - Just for sentimental reasons.

Poppy gazes at slender leaves on dark green stem with little spikes. The carmine petals draw around themselves, creating a beautiful red mosaic.

- It's wonderful - She says, but in her voice and her mild smile is hidden a note of gloom.

- Is everything okay? - Smidge asks, looking at her with worry.

The goddess of the Day forces herself to rise the corners of her lips a bit higher.

- I'm fine, everything is fine. Nothing wrong happened, I'm just... a bit tired.

Immortals look at each other. Poppy is known as a very, very, VERY energetic, vivid, and loud person. At least as a person who never gets tired, especially of her job. But no one says anything.

- So, what do you need from us? - Milton asks carefully.

- Well, I need something light and colorful - The pink face brightens a bit. - Something really visible in the darkness. Something like, I don't know, colorful safe flames? - She turns to the twins. - Can you design something like that?

- Let me guess - Chenille clicks her tongue and lifts her eyebrow. - Another 'surprise' for Branch?

- Well...

- Last time we painted with you the whole sky in blue! - Smidge chuckles. - I mean, it is so gorgeous now, white clouds look amazing on it, but damn it, that was a huge thing!

- Yeah, not mentioning the rainbow - Satin adds. - Poppy, isn't that too much?

- What are you talking about, those things are breathtaking! - Meadow protests.

- She means, giving gifts - The tiny, yellow goddess of Honesty crosses her arms, looking at Poppy. - Do you really need those things?

The pink lady stares at them blankly during their talk. She looks up joylessly at the Gold Sphere. “Do they need those ‘surprises’?’’ she asks herself in her mind.

- I don't know - She says, shyly gets her sight down. - But I like it...

- I mean, gifts aren't a bad thing - Smidge corrects herself. - But if the friendship is only giving gifts, so there's gifts, no friendship, am I right?

Poppy doesn't say anything for a long while.

- Hey - The tiny yellow goddess gets close to her. - I just see, you are sad. And I'm asking what's happening? Maybe I'm wrong...

- Actually, you're right - Poppy interrupts her firmly. Then she closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. - I'm sorry, that was too firm... But you're right - She hides her face in her hand. - You are so right...

The awkward Silence falls among them and passes a minute or two.

- So... - Milton tries to ask again. - What happened?

- Nothing - The pink goddess sighs. The wave of helplessness hits her right into her heart. - Absolutely nothing. And I don't understand... Why is it hurt so much...

- What specifically? - Meadow asks shyly.

- This... This nothing... - She gets her head up and looks at her friends with eyes full of tears. - This Silence... Between me and Branch.

- I know it's a really bad question - Chenille frowns. - But why is Branch so important?

- I have no idea! - Poppy speaks a bit too loud. Her lips vibrate, her sight is already blurry. All she knows now is a hint of sadness.

- Okay, okay, calm down - Smidge says softly. - Just tell us what you know, okay? What do you feel?

Poppy sniffs. She wipes her tears from her eyes. Her knees become weak, so she sits down, not caring what the rest thinks about it.

- What I know - She repeats blankly and takes another deep breath. - I know that nothing wrong happened. We created the waterfall to make some kind of infinity rainbow... And then Branch just walked away... He said he works on some big project... Every time I meet him, he begs for a bit more time to finish it... - She clenches her hands on the Staff so tight. - And now... I don't talk with him too much... I mean... At all...

Poppy sniffs once again and wipes another tear from her cheek. Her words are quieter and quieter the more she speaks.

- It's been two... Maybe three weeks. I know it's nothing, so short... And I know it's not forever. He'll have done what he's doing and everything will be as before...

She sighs heavily.

- But that hurts for some reason... I don't know why... I miss walking with him and... And talking and... And just him. I miss him... - She hides her face into her hand once again. - Not sure if he feels the same although...

- Well, that's a weird kind of friendship - Chenille says after a long while of Silence. - I've never heard about friendship that can hurt.

- So the lack of Branch's presence is painful? - Smidge wants to be sure.

- Yeah... - Poppy sniffs, still avoiding eye contact.

- So let me guess, you wanted to make another gift to catch his attention? - Satin asks.

- I guess so...

- So If he comes back to you, you will be happy again?

The pink goddess gets her head up at Milton's questions to look at him humbly. She takes a long, snatchy breath.

- Yes.

- Well then, what happened that he came to you in the first place? - Smidge continues analyzing. - I mean, what did make you talk or something?

Poppy glances at the Staff, reminding the last months.

- I told him what I felt - She says after a while, with a much stronger voice. - About the situation... You know, this whole "greeting" awkward situation I told you a lot.

- You have to tell him what you feel right now about THIS awkward situation! - The goddess of Honesty jumps up with a sudden hit of energy. She throws her little fists in the air. - You have to tell him! You have to fight! - She grabs Poppy's blue dress and yells right into her face. - I don't know what is between you and Branch, but I saw you happy that you were never before and I saw him smiling and laughing and taking part in Sharing like he NEVER was expected to do, and whatever it is YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT, GIRL!

- Okay! Okay! Calm down - Milton grabs Smidge with both his hands and takes her away from Poppy.

- Well, maybe that was too loud - Satin takes a look at the tiny yellow goddess.

- But It was all true - Chenille ends her sister's sentence.

- Yeah - Meadow adds. - I think... Well, I'm not the god of Friendship, but I'm sure it's not like Branch just gives up on your relationship. As Smidge said, it makes him happy too.

Poppy looks at her with hope. Her heart starts to beat warmer at those words.

- Sometimes a friend gets lost in something and needs a friend to get him out - Smidge puts her hand on Poppy's shoulder. She's much calmer now, she gives her friend a really wide smile, making the pink goddess chuckles.

Poppy takes a deep breath and her face brightens with a little, but real and genuine smile.

- Thank you. Thank you all - She looks around at her friends. - I'll do that.

- And we'll design this colorful-light-thing - Chenille announces with a smile.

- Just because we like challenges - Satin chuckles.

- I feel like we should call R and B to that project...

- But first, we have to finish a rose! - Meadow protests.

Milton chuckles at his friends and then glances at Poppy.

- It's almost twilight - He tells her. - Go talk to him

- You know where to find us! - Smidge adds, with a little hit in the pink arm.

The goddess of the Day chuckles slightly and stands up with the Staff of the Light in her hand. She looks at the horizon, fearing the first step. Her heart beats with hope and doubts, but she doesn't let her mind think of "what-if"s. She wants to try what her friends advised her. She wants to try, she wants to fight... She wants Branch back...

* * *

Poppy is standing. Oh yeah. She is standing like she never did before! Standing so hard, standing so firm, standing so desperate. The pure bold beams from her statement. She is standing with a goal, she is standing on the hill, on that specific hill, ready to fight, ready to everything. The bloody sky fades behind her back. Oh, the goddess looks like a warrior, no, like a winner already! And all her strength is almost touchable...

...until it washes over her and soaks into the ground with a very first sight of the black hair of the Night.

Weak. Weak is the word her whole shaking body is screaming at her. You are so weak, Poppy.

Branch arrives at the hill without a word. So naturally for the god of the Silence. He views her face blankly. His blue eyes are painted with tiredness. He... He looks so exhausted. So pure. There's not a slightest shadow of a bad intention in his husky voice:

- Poppy... - He clears his throat, and continues calmly. - I know it's a lot to ask... But can you give me one more night and day?

The goddess feels her heart melt. How could she be firm to him looking like that, asking like that?

But then, she knows, it looks like that every twilight, every dawn, and it will still be like that as long as she agrees. So when the blue hand reaches for the Staff, she sets it back, giving him a firm look.

- No - She announces.

- Poppy, I have to start the Night...

- I don't care - She throws and feels her lips shake already.

Branch looks at her with a real puzzlement.

- You don't care? - He frowns. His voice gets a bit husky again. - What does it even mean?

- I am not giving you the Staff - She emphasizes every word.

- But why?!

- Because - Her lips vibrate. - I don't let you hurt me like this anymore.

Her voice cracks a bit. She swallows slowly, not being able to look at his face anymore. But she started it, and she wants to finish, no matter how this conversation will end.

- Listen, Branch - She keeps her breath and voice calm, but her sight is already blurry. - It's... Almost three weeks until our last talk. I feel avoided, ignored. Forlorn. I know it's nothing for us, Immortals, but... After the whole time we spent together... After... Many things we shared... - And now her voice cracks. - I miss you so much...

She gets her head down, not knowing what she is looking at anymore. She just closes her eyes tight and feels a few tears streaming through her cheek. She hasn't known she is that weak.

- Do you even still feel... the same heart thing... Do you? - She whispers.

- No! I mean, Yes! I mean... Oh my goodness...

A gentle touch on her chin gets her head up. His cold hand gets her hair from her face behind her ear. It cups her face and starts drying her tears with a thumb. With a still blurry vision, Poppy feels her hand lift without her purpose and suddenly it touches something. A fabric. And she feels a light warm. And a heartbeat. Rushing, loud, strong heartbeat, so similar to her. Something cold is pressing her hand to that. She blinks a few times and sees... It lies on Branch's chest. Covered by his big, strong, and gentle hand.

- I do - The god speaks, kinda rushing. - I do. I feel. I still feel the same. Please, don't cry.

His hand constantly rubs her cheek. His thumb carefully wipes her eye from tears. His tired eyes are filled with genuine misery.

- Please, don't cry. Please... I am so stupid. I am such an idiot. I was so into... - He sighs heavily, closing his eyes. - ...this dumb project, I... I miss you so much too...

His despairing blue eyes dive into her. He cups her pink cheeks with both of his hands. They are cold and shaking slightly. Oh, they are so cold. Poppy can stop enjoying them, his big blue hands covering almost her whole face. She sniffs and smiles at him. Her heart is beating fast and warm, and she feels Branch's under her hand too. She gets much more than she was wishing for, and she can't help, can't help but smile widely and warm at his beautiful blue eyes.

- You were an idiot - She announces like the happiest news of the year.

- I know - He starts shaking his head with disappointment for himself. - I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you...

- It's ok - She sighs deeply, still smiling. - I mean, It wasn't ok, but now, now it's ok... Just... - She closes her eyes. - Can we stay like that for a minute? I really need this now... - She says, snuggling her face into one of his hands.

Branch doesn't answer, but she doesn't mind it. As long as she feels his beating heart in his chest and his hands embracing her face. The beatific smile doesn't leave her lips. All the worries wash over her. A great pleasant sigh of relief is everything she can say right now.

- Grab the Staff or I never let you go off my face - Poppy threatens, which doesn't sound grimly with her serene voice. She hears a slight chuckle of Branch, and the sweet cover, almost warm now, leaves her face. He takes the Staff from her hand and she lets go of his shirt.

The goddess gazes at him to meet his eyes, to give him a warm smile. But he doesn't glance at her. His head is down, his face is still full of tiredness and misery.

- Branch?

He closes his eyes tight and twists his face. He hesitates a bit after he heaves a sigh.

- I can't hold the fact that I hurt you... - He rubs his eyebrow slowly and leaves his hand like that, covering his eyes. - That was so dumb... So absurdly idiotic... I was too much into this thing, you know, I felt so... Inspired. And...

Poppy steps close to him. Her little pink hand turns his head to face her. He drops his hand and shows her his weary eyes full of tears.

- I just wanted to deserve such a person like you - Words sneak quietly from his lips. He is gazing at her so miserably, deeply disappointed.

But the goddess smiles at him even wider, her eyes are sparkling with sheer enjoyment.

- I don't need gifts - She puts her other hand on his cheek to cup his whole face. - I already have all I need. Right in my hands.

The god blinks. He laughs aloud and genuinely. A single tear drops from his eyes and streams down his blue cheek until little pink fingers wipe it away. He sniffs.

- I miss you so much - He whispers warmly and gruff, smiling, smiling endlessly, smiling so hard and so dumb at happy, sunny Poppy's face, beaming with honest happiness.

She let go of his face, but not of his eyes. The bags under them make him look a little bit different. She wants to let him rest as quickly as possible after she'll fully enjoy his company.

- Can you show me that thing you were working on? I want to curse it for keeping you away from me.

The god chuckles.

- Whatever you want.

They don't walk so far. The cave, where they arrived, is big and dark, only thanks to the Gold Sphere Poppy can see anything. And there are many, many bags filled with weird, magically sparkling substances.

- Go ahead - Branch encourages, seeing curious in her eyes. - Touch it.

The goddess goes to the nearest bag and sinks her hands into its silver content.

- Silver sand!

- Yep, I call it 'glitter'. Cause it's little and it glows.

Poppy chuckles.

- What is this for?

- You take a bit of it - Branch presents. - And powder somebody's eyelids during sleep. It creates dreams.

- Dreams?

- I mean... You can see your dreams during sleep. You can even feel them as if they are real life.

Poppy looks at the glitter flabbergasted.

- And the sleep will never be boring again...

- Exactly.

- That's so amazing! - She cheers.

- Yeah, but it has two faults - He heaves a sigh. - First, it's disposable. After one use it does nothing. Just glow silverly.

- Does it stay on eyelids?

- No, it falls on the ground. It smooths into the soil actually and masses deep under the ground.

- Is it dangerous or damaging?

- No.

- So why is this a fault?

Branch wrinkles his nose.

- I mean, if trolls find it, they would just play with it! - Poppy suggests.

- Play with it?

- Yeah, look - And with that word she throws a bit of glitter in the air. It sparkles so magically, slowly falling on them. She grins at the god's displeased face, making him chuckle.

- Okay, maybe you're right - He dusts the glitter off his capote. - But disposable still means I would have to make it more and more of it... - He looks away, twisting his mouth. - And that's... That's also the part of its second fault... If I want to use the glitter on trolls, I will have to spend all the Night running through the Land and powdering their eyelids...

Poppy blinks at him and then looks down at the glitter on her hands.

- That's why I was kinda desperate about it - He murmurs tiredly. - I wanted to be able to use it every Night... And still, have time for my main responsibilities... - He swallows and looks into the goddess's eyes. - But the most important was for me... To still have enough time for you.

She melts, smiling warmly at him.

- Oh, Branch...

- I know... It came ironically stupid...

She chuckles gently.

- You could tell me.

- I will do it next time - He carefully dusts the glitter off her nose with his finger. - I promise.

- What if we powder it together? - She asks after a while of thinking.

He frowns and hesitates.

- Then I guess, I will have time for my main responsibilities - He gazes at her. - But still not for you...

- I mean, we'll be spending the whole night actually.

- But rushing with my duties, that's ridiculous...

- Well... - She starts slowly and calmly. - The glitter is a genius invention, and if you want to use it and this is the only way, then that will be enough for me.

Branch blinks tiredly before he turns his sight at the bags full of glitter. He is staring at them for so long, thinking in Silence. Then he starts slowly shaking his head.

- No - He decides firmly. - I'm not choosing anything over you.

Poppy smiles widely, even giggle a bit with joy, feeling her cheeks turn red and her heart gets warm.

Suddenly something flares on the night horizon and both of them turn to see what it is. It walks to them unhurriedly, and soon they recognize Immortal's silhouette. His silver, sparkling skin shines like a diamond in the darkness. He stands in front of them with his hand on his hips and grins at them.

- Hi! - His voice echoes in the cave in a weird, extraterrestrial way. - Who are you, guys?

- Who are you? - Branch asks with clear confusion on his face. He turns to Poppy. - You know him?

- No, but... It's nice to meet you! - The goddess tries to be polite and welcoming to the stranger. - My name is Poppy, I'm the goddess of the Day and Light. The guardian of the Staff of the Light and the Gold Sphere on it. And this is Branch! - She points at the god.

- Yeah, I'm also the guardian of those - He shows the Staff in his hand. - As you can see. I'm the god of the Night, Darkness, and Silence.

- Sounds cool - The silver stranger cheers. - And who am I?

Poppy and Branch look at each other confused.

- You don't know? - The god asks.

- I've just come from this weird black hole at the end of the world.

- Oh, the Chaos - Poppy recognizes.

- Ha! So that hole has a name? - The stranger chuckles, and then frowns. - So you don't know who I am?

- We can give you a name! - She beams. - What about Diamonddd....

- ....Guy? - Branch ends. - Guy Diamond?

- Oh, this is a really good name! - The silver god bucks and poses like a model. - It fits me perfectly.

- Okay, let me guess - The blue god interrupts his rhapsodizing. - You're the god of the Glitter?

Guy freezes at those words.

- I have weird deja vu - He points at the bags. - This is the glitter, am I right?

- Yep - Poppy nods. - You know what is it?

- I feel like I know it more than myself - He sinks his hand into silver sand with amazement. Then after a moment, he grabs one bag and shoulders it. - And I know exactly what to do with it!

- Should I warn you that you will have to create more...

- I can produce glitter much faster than you think! - Guy interrupts Branch. - You can leave me all of this, I take care of it. - He points at the cave filled with bags. - And now, excuse me, I have so many trolls' eyelids to powder! - He yells enthusiastically and walks away with a bag full of glitter. They watch his wandering silver silhouette until he disappears on the horizon. Branch turns to Poppy with his tired eyes and shows her a smile full of relief.

- I kinda start liking Chaos - He jokes, making her chuckle. - So... Now when I'm truly free... What do you want to do?

Poppy looks at his weary face, his weak smile, his half-opened eyelids, and grey bag under his faded blue eyes...

- Come with me. I know exactly what to do - She smiles encouragingly.

The goddess brings him to the meadow where she was spending the last few weeks.

- The oak - He murmurs, looking at the huge tree. He recognizes the place where he showed her a shadow and for the first time he took off his capote in front of someone. It is a place with a beautiful view of the stars and the whole Land around. Many little lightning bugs are flying casually above the grass. He yawns loudly when the wave of tiredness hits him without a warning. - What do you want to do with this oak?

Poppy grabs his arm without a word and pulls him down to sit. He doesn't protest. He needs to sit right now. He slumps against the wide oak's trunk and leans the Staff against his shoulder. Then he notices that little warm hands are still holding his arm, so he turns to her with an asking sight.

- You need to rest - The goddess says calmly and warmly, and her sound voice makes his eyelids heavier somehow. - Take a nap.

- But what about the Night? You can't touch the Staff now...

- I won't - He feels his breath get calmer when she speaks like that. Quietly, warmly, softly. - I'll stay awake. You need sleep, even an hour or two. I'll wake you up, so you’ll be able to do your duties later.

He blinks slowly, staring at her little glowing freckles.

- You have a heart of gold...

- Stop talking, you dork, just sleep!

The god smiles amused. He closes his eyes and slumps his head against the tree. He breathes a deep, glad sigh. But before he falls asleep, he feels a warm touch on his cheek pulling his head down, and soon his chin lands on Poppy's shoulder.

- Are you sure I'm not too heavy for you? - Branch murmurs quietly.

The goddess smiles gazing at his blessed face.

- Your head will fall anyway - She whispers, feeling him briefly purring with a sleepy pleasure on her shoulder, like a big tired cat. - Good night, Branch.

She sees him sighing blissfully. Yes, his head is huge and heavy, but Poppy doesn't care. His arm is cold, as much as his cheek, but it gets warmer under the goddess's touch, which is weirdly satisfying for her. It is so pleasant, although she doesn't dare to touch him more, even if it lures her. She respects him so much, she would never do anything without his awareness and agreement.

But to be honest, now, now is a really huge dose of happiness, of adoring and enjoying their company, their talks, and touch. Her heart is filled with peace, with peaceful happiness.

Oh, she missed him. She missed him so much. It is so, so good to have him back.

____________________________________________

Index

[margueritehall]

CAN YOU SEE RIGHT THROUGH ME? - YMCULC

all the king's horses, all the king's men, couldn’t put me together again

( the archer ; taylor swift )

marguerite ( maggie ) brynn hall, the gentle bad-ass 

“ show me a hero and i’ll write you a tragedy. ” 

― f. scott fitzgerald

– BASIC INFORMATION – 

» full name: marguerite brynn hall

» nicknames: maggie, mags, margie

» age: twenty seven ( at time of snap ), thirty two ( at time of blip )

» birthday: january eighth, nineteen-ninety-one, ten fifty-five in the morning 

» birthplace: philadelphia, pennsylvania

» zodiac sign: capricorn sun, libra moon, aries ascendent 

» current residence: new york, new york

» gender: cis female

» occupation: social worker for the stark relief foundation displaced children division, later avenger trainee

– HEALTH – 

» physical health: overall, maggie is in excellent health. she works out most weekday mornings and tends to eat a balanced diet. she doesn’t drink too often or smoke at all. she knows that her health conscious habits stem from her need to control everything that she is able to but that doesn’t stop her from being set in her ways.

» scars: she has several small scars from various bumps and scrapes but there is a sizeable scar on the front of her left shoulder from a car accident while she was a freshman in college. a driver t-boned her small sedan in an intersection when she was on her way home from a final exam. when she woke up in the hospital, with both of her parents at her bedside, she had stitches stretching approximately three inches from her clavicle towards her upper arm. 

» broken (any) bones: surprisingly, despite being quite active, maggie hasn’t ever broken a bone. she’s quite graceful from taking dance classes since she could walk until she graduated high school.

– MENTAL HEALTH – 

» extrovert or introvert: since getting older, maggie has become comfortable with the knowledge that she is a relatively private person. when she was younger, she enjoyed being in crowds however, she now tends to retract into her shell when surrounded by too many people. 

» logical or creative: maggie is incredibly logical; she is very formulaic in her thought patterns. when it comes to problem solving, maggie has all but got it down to a science which can be effective but she’d be incorrect to say it was without fault. 

» optimist or pessimist: neither term seems to describe the woman very well; she feels as though she’d call herself a realist. the world has let her down more times than she can count so she makes an effort to always adjust her expectations towards the most-likely event.

» phobias / fears: 

» problems: maggie was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and generalized anxiety disorder when she was sixteen. she goes through occasional bouts of depression but she doesn’t find it to be chronic. though undiagnosed, following the death of her parents, she experiences the effects of post-traumatic stress. 

– PERSONALITY – 

» goals / dreams: maggie has always wanted to improve the world around her. when she was a little girl, she told her parents that she wanted to be the first doctor to go to space. when she found out that she’d have to be in space for months at a time, she quickly changed her plans. the brain always fascinated her and so she dove headfirst into her newfound passion. following the deaths of her parents, maggie wanted to help others like she wished that she had been and so she, once more, switched gears and went into social work. 

» quirks / habits: maggie is a creature of habit. each morning, she wakes up and opens the curtains around the house before pouring herself a cup of cold brew coffee with cinnamon syrup and oat milk. she makes her bed and begins her day. when she gets home from work, she turns on her fairy lights and fans before removing her makeup and changing in to cozy clothes. as for quirks, maggie wouldn’t say she has any but her friends would be quick to point out her concentration face-- whenever she gets deep in to a hard task, her eyebrows screw up tightly and her lips purse. she doesn’t like to look in mirrors when the room is dark, she only gets out of bed on the left side, and she habitually sings in the shower even when she isn’t home alone.

» likes: precipitative weather like rain storms or snow ( especially thunderstorms ), vinyl records, lighting candles and allowing them to light the room, cooking or baking anything from scratch, old books with notes in the margin from an owner long forgotten, astronomy and any associated phenomena ( especially eclipses and meteor showers ), fleetwood mac and other classic rock icons, acts of service from loved ones, dogs with smushed faces, taylor swift, watching films (or rewatching films, whether new or old), freshly brewed tea, watching the sun set and staying awake to see it rise again, wisteria vines twisting around a fence, ‘casablanca’, f. scott fitzgerald novels, anything that is a dusty shade of sage green, tom hanks, vanilla bean ice cream (not french vanilla), using a polaroid camera to capture a moment, iced coffee with cinnamon, the beach during winter when the northern shores get a little bit icy, long drives at night with the windows down, sitting on the roof in a companionable silence with a loved one,  the color of deep maroon rust, cozy throw blankets and an unnecessary amount of pillows on the couch and bed

» dislikes: too much physical touch, indifference or apathy in the face of injustice, the deafening sound of crickets and cicadas at night, showing any signs of vulnerability, open-toed shoes, powdery or floral scents, olives, thin pillows, overhead lighting (lamps only, thank you very much), lack of a routine, being unable to read situations and prepare adequately, not feeling in control of any situation, harlequin novels, ladybugs and any other insects, disorganization (physically or emotionally.)

» flaws: she feels the need to always be the strong one that she often doesn’t allow herself the freedom to feel without pushing it down. she has a habit of not letting people in, especially people who are new to her, and even when she does, she is always terrified that she’ll lose them like she’s lost most other people that she loved. she is a control freak and can sometimes be a little boss.

– FAMILY – 

» parents:       ; phillip hugh hall ( father / pierce brosnan )      ; allison marie hall née clark ( mother / jamie lee curtis )    

» maternal grandparents:      ; richard ernest clark ( grandfather / tony curtis )      ; virginia ruth clark née franklin ( grandmother / janet leigh )

» paternal grandparents:      ; hugh alexander hall ( grandfather / kris kristofferson )      ; marguerite joan hall née green ( grandmother / ellen burstyn )

» sibling(s): n/a

» children: n/a

– APPEARANCE – 

» height: five feet, two inches

» weight: one hundred fifteen pounds

» eyes: maggie’s eyes are one of her most striking features. the espresso brown orbs are speckled with golden flecks; they’re a rounded, almost almond shape.

» hair: her hair is chestnut brown and it has a tendency to gleam copper and slightly golden when the light reflects off of it. for the majority of her life, she had a tendency of keeping the gentle waves cropped into a side-parted, blunt bob that rested just above her shoulders. she typically wore her hair straight or blown out. following the snap, she allowed it to grow out beyond its typical length. she keeps it trimmed to just below her shoulder blades with a set of wispy curtain bangs to compliment the natural waves that she now maintains.

» face and complexion: maggie has a light skin tone that tans in the sun. she has no freckles on her face but has quite a few down her chest and arms; none of them are very dark. she has a round face which can almost be cherubic but as she’s gotten older, she has developed a sharp jawline that makes her look more mature despite her stature. her rounded almond eyes are lined with thick, dark lashes. she has a small button nose that pinches minutely at its tip as it turns slightly upwards. her brows are full and straight with only a slight arch. she has full cheeks with small dimples that frame her smile. maggie’s lips are typically tinted a red berry shade; her bottom lip is slightly more voluminous than its top counterpart which is home to a sharp cupid’s bow. 

» build: maggie is petite, to say the least. she stands just slightly over five feet tall and weighs just over one hundred pounds. though slim, her figure is a narrow hourglass. despite her size, she’s quite agile and strong. years of channeling all of her emotions in to ballet as a child caused a habit that has yet to die. when she feels the need to get rid of excess emotion, she runs or attends a fitness class to channel that away.  

» defining marks: when she was eighteen, maggie and her best friend poppy got matching tattoos. on the inside of her left wrist, there is a small crescent moon to match a sun on poppy’s. following her parents death, she got a second tattoo and on the inside of her upper arm, close to the crook of her elbow, there is one of two ravens perched on a branch. several months after the blip, she got another tattoo. on her right side, on her ribs under her bra-line, there’s a small star housed within four concentric circles. 

» dress style: maggie’s fashion sense is on the border between classic and trendy. she doesn’t stray too far away from her comfort zone or wear too many patterns. she tends to stick to jewel tones and neutrals. for her work, her style tends to be business casual-- typically a blouse with a skirt or wide legged trousers and a heel. when she’s at home, an oversized sweater and leggings or pajama shorts are her go-to uniform. if she’s out running errands, she loves a flowy skirt or a pair of mom jeans with one of her dad’s old, classic band tees. her shoes are typically a revolving door of plain keds or converse, ankle boots, or a small heel.

» faceclaim: jenna louise coleman

– ROMANTIC & SEXUAL – 

» marital status: she is unmarried.

» sexual preference: although maggie is primarily heterosexual, she’s never been closed off to the idea of dating anyone of the same gender if she found that she was attracted to them.

» ever had sex: she had sex for the first time when she was a freshman in college; it was with her boyfriend at the time, nicholas gray. as she’s gotten older, she has had a variety of companions-- some were romantic partners, several one-night-stands, and two attempted friends-with-benefits arrangements. 

» opinion on sex: maggie isn’t ashamed to say that she enjoys sex and the freeing feeling that comes with it. 

» opinion on relationships: although she likes the idea of a relationship, maggie’s fear of not being in control makes it difficult to maintain one. before the snap, she had only been in one long-term relationship which she abruptly ended after the death of her parents. she found that it was easier to try and turn off her feelings than to deal with them as everything in her life changed. since graduating with her second degree, maggie has been trying to open herself back up to dating and the possibility of a relationship.

» turn ons: the feeling of someone brushing her hair off of her face, being praised, bravery, kindness, interlacing fingers when holding hands, a genuine smile, sincerity, strong hands, bright eyes, taller men, a strong jawline, delicate kisses that gradually deepen into something more, kisses down the neck, deep conversations and debates, cologne that isn’t overpowering

» turn offs: sleazy behavior, apathy towards important issues, party-scene demeanor, bragging, lying, being late, ill-fitting clothes, lacking ambition or drive for moving forward

» past relationships:       ; nicholas gray ( first love / ben barnes )

» current relationship:      ; n/a 

» future relationship:       ; steve rogers ( tbd / chris evans )      ; bucky barnes ( tbd / sebastian stan )

– FRIENDSHIP – 

» big group of friends or several close friends: maggie would rather have a smaller quantity of people in her life with better quality relationships than to have a large group of friends that she feels as though she doesn’t know. 

» best friend: maggie was a relatively lonely child; she spent a lot of her time reading and imagining her life in other worlds. she had some friends but none that ever ventured further than the occasional hangout. when she was a freshman in highschool, she sat next to poppy stewart on their first day of orientation and the two have been inseparable ever since.  

» ever lied to a friend: she’s told white lies when necessary but she’s never lied about something earth-shattering.

» the most horrible thing they did to a friend: when maggie broke up with nicholas, she left him a letter on his pillow before she left his apartment one morning. she avoided his calls afterwards and didn’t speak to him for several weeks until he came to her apartment to try and work things out. later in her life, maggie felt extremely guilty that she wasn’t able to confide in poppy about steve’s plan until after he had already left.

» list of friends -      ; poppy stewart ( best friend / annie murphy / @petalsofpoppys )      ; pepper potts ( boss, friend / gwenyth paltrow )      ; tony stark ( boss, family friend / robert downey jr )      ; natasha romanoff ( co-worker, close friend / scarlett johansson )      ; steve rogers ( co-worker, friend, boyfriend / chris evans )      ; bucky barnes ( friend, lover, boyfriend / sebastian stan )      ; sam wilson ( friend / anthony mackie )      ; wanda maximoff ( future friend / elizabeth olsen )      ; monica rambeau ( future friend / teyonah parris )

– MORALITY – 

» ever been drunk: the first time that maggie got drunk was her senior year of high school; she was at a house party with poppy and she since vowed to never touch any drink with ‘punch’ in the name, ever again.

» lied to a significant other: following the death of her parents, maggie never disclosed her tumultuous emotions to nicholas and so he was blindsided when she left him on one random morning. with an apologetic  note of a goodbye, maggie made sure no trace was left behind when she slipped from the apartment in to the warm summer breeze.

» cheated on significant other: maggie would never cheat on a partner. she would rather end things than break someone’s trust in her.

» gotten into a fight: she’s never gotten in to a physical altercation but following her move in to the avenger’s compound, natasha and steve helped to train her tactically. after she moved back to the city, bucky takes up the position of being her trainer. 

» deepest regret: not telling her parents how much she looked up to both of them before they died. 

» religion: maggie was not raised to be religious. her parents always emphasized the importance of trying to be morally good whenever you could. she identifies as an atheist.

– MISCELLANEOUS – 

» playlist: https://rb.gy/kxqfbu

» instagram:

» gifboard:

» character inspiration: leia organa (star wars trilogy), alex parrish (quantico), emma swan (once upon a time), amy pond (doctor who), buffy summers (buffy the vampire slayer), emily prentiss (criminal minds), lily evans (harry potter)

[poppibranchlover]

Nine Lives, One Fight - Part 27

The story: Deep in the forest of Troll Town, there lies a mysterious tiny purple mushroom that has a secret magical ability. King Peppy calls this mushroom forbidden for all Trolls to go near it. One day, while Branch is out in the woods doing his survival research studying, he encounters it and, not knowing it is a regular mushroom, decides to harvest it and bring it home. But in the next morning, its magic effects transform him into a small blue cat! After being sent to the animal pound, his girlfriend, Poppy, finds him and decides to adopt him, although not recognizing it is Branch. Desperate to finish his research project due for a special event invented by Poppy, Branch is forced to learn how to behave like a pet cat and must figure out what caused him to become one.

You already seen what had happened in Part 26. Now get ready for Part 27!:

After attending the Troll Disappearance Investigation’s conference meeting, Poppy sat on a big red mushroom, sad and alone. During the meeting, the Trolls have decided to form an individual search party for the Archaeo morphisis mushroom and the missing Troll who had accidentally picked it up and left Poppy in charge to find more clues herself. But to her, she felt like if Branch were with her, he would have helped her.

Unfortunately, she already knew that Branch was not here for her right now. She slumped down on her red mushroom chair and sighed, still thinking about her boyfriend, when she heard the sound of big thumping footsteps.

Biggie, who was cradling Mr. Dinkles in his arms, approached Poppy. He saw her looking very sad and dejected. “Poppy, are you okay?” he asked, putting a hand to her shoulder. “I’m sorry that an investigation group had to recover the mushroom’s disappearance for you.”

“No, Biggie,” Poppy admitted sadly. “You were right.”

“I was?” asked Biggie. “About what in the who, now?”

���This is hard,” Poppy replied. “I know it is. But I just wish there is some other way we can do to find him.”

Biggie placed his hand to her back and comforted her. “Oh, it will be okay. That investigation agency seems to be doing all they can to go against everything Troll Village stands for,” he told her.

“Yes they do,” Poppy said, agreeing. She stood up from her chair and hung her head as the gravity of the situation took hold. “I spoke through the conference regarding the missing Archaeo morphisis mushroom’s whereabouts, and they told me that I’m in charge on reviewing their evidence once they find more clues.”

Biggie couldn’t believe his ears, and so did Mr. Dinkles. “Poppy, I can’t believe you are doing this,” he said in a scared voice. “How are you gonna prove that the mushroom can still be found?” For a big Troll like him, he was not a big fan of mysterious conspiracies.

“Don’t worry about my situation, Biggie,” Poppy reassured him. “It’s just that I’m now Queen and I know what I must do to set things right.”

“Why do you say that so sadly?” Biggie asked. He thought it was the most exciting he’d heard all year.

Poppy slumped on her chair and put her head into her hands. She always did what was best for her village’s history. She had never thought things would come to this.

“We have to keep looking for the last remaining Archaeo morphisis mushroom...and…Branch,” she explained. As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and she hugged Biggie, feeling like she had missed Branch more than ever.

“Oh,....are you okay?” he asked.

Poppy wasn’t sure that “okay” was the right word. She felt sick to her stomach. “I could really use a bright side, Biggie.”

“Um?” He thought of something that was sure to cheer her up. Looking at Mr. Dinkles for any advice, he said “Worms can wiggle their sides through excitement, and maybe you’ll find a perfect solution.”

Biggie pointed to the right, where he saw King Peppy rushing towards them.

Poppy saw her father and frantically ran up to him. “Any word from the TDI?” she asked.

King Peppy straightened his cane. “Not yet, Poppy,” he explained. “Their search has just recently started shortly after our conference meeting. But since you’re the Queen, it’s your responsibility to lead them. Our backup is searching in every part of the woods for the mushroom.”

Biggie spoke up. “So, do we need to check the woods again?”

“I’m afraid not,” Peppy told him sadly. “That’s definitely the location we last checked a few days ago.”

“But Dad, what if we’re unable to find any more clues?” Poppy asked, raising her voice with worry. “I’m starting to think my job of research is losing confidence.” She hung her head and sighed. Being a queen was never an easy responsibility.

King Peppy walked closer to her. “Are you okay, dear?” he asked. “You need a break?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m fine,” Poppy confirmed, nodding. “It’s just that…everything is fine. Let’s hope our backup did their best they can.”

Peppy gave her a big hug. “There, there. It’s alright, Poppy,” he said gently. “Of course, we’ll find a way to solve these situations. But one day, you’re gonna do what’s best for your people. You know what I mean?”

“I think so,” Poppy whispered, unable to show her dad and Biggie that she couldn’t stop thinking about the one person she had loved. Deep down, she knew that Branch would always know what to do whenever there is a conspiracy happening in her village. She lifted her eyes to meet her father’s for a brief moment before she brushed past him to walk away.

“Where are you going?” King Peppy asked.

“With luck, forward,” Poppy said, turning back to him for a second. “I need some time alone in my room.” 

Wiping her tears, she walked away to get back to her pod. Biggie and King Peppy sadly watched her go, having no idea what she did wanted.

Far from Troll Village, the garbage truck drove its way to the local village dump. It passed by a sign that read DUMP and entered the landfill site.

At the truck’s back loader, Branch and Wiggles held on to the edge as it rotated and began to back up before it suddenly lurched to a halt at a cliff.

Seeing how high this cliff is, Branch quickly jumped out of the truck and retreated to a rock to hide. Wiggles did the same as well, hoping not to fall down there.

BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!

As the two of them are no longer in the garbage truck, the back flap of it opened, releasing piles of garbage into the landfill. The face of the truck sighed as all the trash rained down from the cliff.

From their rock, Branch and Wiggles watched the garbage truck doing its work.

Looking around to see if no one saw them, Branch stepped out of the rock. Wiggles hopped right next to him, looking a bit concerned.

“Why are we here, Branch?” he asked. “I don’t think it is a good idea to enter the village dump!”

Branch spotted a toll gate leading to the entrance of the dump in the distance. “Yeah, I know it’s not. But I think the Archaeo morphisis might be in here,” he said, pushing the bunny aside.

“But...” Wiggles began. He wanted to get out of here before the Trolls see them entering their property.

Branch covered his mouth with his paw. “Shhh! Don’t worry,” he said. “We’ll get back to the village soon before Poppy comes home. Let’s have a look around. Follow me!”

He sprang into action, running towards the front gate. Wiggles ran after him, not wanting to put his friend at great risk. They sprinted through the gate, where a security guard in the toll booth was sleeping. The Troll seemed unaware of the two animals passing by the gate as he was snoring with his eyes closed.

Making their way past the entrance, Branch and Wiggles sped toward the center of a vast landfill. Endless piles of all kinds of garbage such as leftover candy wrappers, spilled ice cream cones, bottles, cans, apple cores, banana peels, ruined cupcake wrappers and so many wasted junk like broken radios and worn-out DJ music players are all piled into mountains and scattered everywhere in the area. The stench of all these made Wiggles and Branch held their breath with disgust.

“Yuck! It’s so stinky in here!” Wiggles complained, holding his nose. “How are we gonna find the mushroom in here?”

“We’re gonna have to search carefully,” Branch said as he prepared to investigate. “Start sorting out the rubbish until we find it. You take the right while I search left!”

Then he ran off to the garbage piles to start searching for the magic mushroom. Wiggles rolled his eyes and hopped to the right side of the area.

Sorting through the mountains of rubbish, Branch navigated his way past them, sniffing the air as his paws moved along some scattered trash on the ground. Except when you’re a cat, trash doesn’t feel like trash. It feels nice and soft and gooey, and your paws don’t get so tired.

Branch prowled around the landfill area, sniffing around with his nose. It stank in here, but it works fine for him because he was a cat, and some cats are okay to search around the dump. Passing by a pile of junk behind him, he sprinted to the next area.

In one area, Wiggles pushed past some tin cans, barrels and others that were counted as garbage. He hopped from one pile to the other, doing his best to follow Branch’s instructions.

He continued on his way when he was suddenly face-to-face with a bird. The beaked animal had a ripped-part of a six pack ring on its neck and squawked with pain.

“What are you even looking at, feathers?” Wiggles asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

The bird was telling him to remove the six pack ring from its neck as it pointed a wing to it. Wiggles tried to take it off but the bird began pecking at his head. He swatted at the bird. It grabbed him and dragged him along the rubbish pile. Finally, Wiggles managed to remove the six pack ring from the bird’s neck and landed a good, solid kick. The bird pecked him again and then it flew off.

“Yeah, fly away, ya coward!” Wiggles shook his paw-fist in anger. Dropping the six pack ring back into the garbage, he hopped off to find Branch.

As he moved further away in the dump, Branch looked around as he trotted along, taking in the mountains full of discarded, rotting garbage. “Whoa, cool,” he said, amazed by the work the garbage-collecting Trolls have put through.

Passing piles of trash and molding fish bones, Branch pulled back from the stench of a dirty puddle and made a face. “Eeuagh!” he cried, disgusted. “Gross!”

He thought he should have not come here in the first place, but he’d somehow told himself to go there. Turning toward a big mountain of trash, Branch jumped to it and started digging, hoping that the Archaeo morphisis mushroom was in this pile.

Sweeping his paws through the rubbish, he spotted something purple from underneath it. Could it be it? Could it be the mushroom he was looking for? He picked the purple object up with his mouth and took it out from the dirty pile. Looking down at the object he was holding, Branch realized that it wasn’t the Archaeo morphisis.

Instead, what he was holding in his mouth was an empty shriveled purple-colored candy wrapper. Disgusted, Branch spat it out. “BLEGH!!! Ugh!” That was definitely not the kind of object he was looking for!

He hopped out of the pile and onto the ground. He had to keep looking for that Archaeo morphisis mushroom, and he wanted to search for it here to see if it had entered the dump after he left it behind near the dog’s trash can.

As Branch looked up at the full moon in the sky, he knew there wasn’t much time left. He decided to stay and keep on searching before time runs out and he’ll be completely cat forever. Narrowing his eyes with determination, he kept walking around the dump, desperate to keep looking.

Sprinting toward a space where there is not much garbage, Branch sniffed and cautiously looked around. Suddenly, he was bathed in light as he saw something coming toward him! “Huh?”

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!

A huge bulldozer was heading straight for Branch! He screeched in horror, with his back arching in the air. “MEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOWWWRRRRRR!!!!”

Seconds before he was about to get swept up in a towering hill of garbage, a ball of white-grey fur slammed right into him, knocking him away from the bulldozer’s path!

“BRANCH!!!” Wiggles yelled as he pushed him to safety. “Hang on, little buddy! I got you!”

The bulldozer surged forward, pushing the pile of rubbish through a road. Luckily, it didn’t swept Branch away because he was saved by Wiggles, who was very worried for his friend’s safety.

Branch and Wiggles tumbled to the ground, safe from the dread of the huge bulldozer. Branch was panting so hard that he got very scared of the giant vehicle.

Wiggles got up on his legs. He didn’t look quite happy at his idea of entering the dump. “I told you that the dump is too dangerous to explore!” he shouted angrily. “I suggest we change the plan and head home. No purple mushroom to see here!”

Branch shook his head. “There’s no time, Wiggles!” he said impatiently. “It will be sunrise soon! We have to stay and keep looking or else I’ll be 'full cat'!”

Wiggles looked up at him in shock. He looked back at the toll gate, which is now far away from them, and protested “What about Poppy?! You don’t care about her, do you?!”

“She’ll be fine!” Branch argued, unable to take it anymore. He got up on his four legs and started walking. “We need to hurry!”

“But she’ll be upset if you end up getting caught out here!” Wiggles said, holding on to his back leg.

Branch shoved him away. “Poppy will be fine without me!” he had angrily screamed these words. “She’s taking a job in the TDI agency and doesn’t need my help anymore!” The pain pierced his voice as he shouted at Wiggles, who shrank back at his outburst.

Then, looking all calmer now, Branch told him “Let me continue on my own, okay?”

Wiggles doesn’t like where this is going. He wanted to make sure he is safe at home with Poppy, and he don’t want him to become feral again. “But…your brain will…” he started to say, but Branch cut him off.

“I can handle this, Wiggles,” he said, raising his head with determination. “I won’t mess up this time.”

Branch took a deep breath and scurried forward. Wiggles had no other choice but to follow him behind, worried that something might happen to him in the middle of his searching.

                                              To Be Continued...

                                           Stay tuned for Part 28!

[aerinmelina]

Secrets Pt IV

Fictober 19 day 5 prompt: “I might just kiss you.”

Fandom: Trolls (Dreamworks’ Trolls)

No warnings apply!

Read part 3 here!

——

Branch found her before she could run down the hill to join the throng of trolls milling about between the tents and various cooking fires. He was holding a basket, but set it down at his feet when he saw her. “Hey, Poppy,” he greeted cheerfully.

She spun around when she heard his voice. “Oh. Hi, Branch!” She pointed toward the festivities going on at the base of the hill. “What’s the party for? Just because?”

He smiled and held out his hand to her. “About that... let’s take a walk. Do you mind?”

Please?

Her eyes moved back and forth from his hand to his face several times before she accepted his offer to walk, although she didn’t take his offered hand. Branch raised an eyebrow at that, but she didn’t see it because she’d already started walking.

In the wrong direction.

“Poppy...! Hang on! Wait!” he called, then ran to catch up. It didn’t take him long to reach her, and when he did, he grabbed hold of her arm and turned her to her left. “There’s a great trail over this way,” he explained before he placed his hand on the small of her back in order to guide her toward the appropriate path.

She didn’t shake off his hand, and Branch took that as a good sign, but about halfway through their walk Poppy suddenly stopped moving.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she admitted aloud to Branch.

That piqued his interest. “Do what?” he asked.

She motioned back and forth between herself and Branch.

He felt like someone had dumped a full bucket of ice water directly into his stomach. “What... what do you mean?” he asked, his voice full of caution.

“There’s... look. I figured out what’s been going on, and I understand. I...” she briefly made eye contact before she returned her gaze to the ground and stopped talking.

Branch tried to keep his anxiety levels down, but he was having a difficult time doing so. She didn’t want to be with him anymore? Well... they hadn’t officially “been together” in the first place, he supposed, but he thought... had he misread the situation?

Stop, his subconscious firmly stated. Does she really know what’s been happening, or has she formed an incorrect conclusion based on her hurt feelings?

“What do you think has been going on this week?” he asked.

She seemed to shrink in on herself, and it took her a few seconds to respond. When she did, her eyes were full of tears. She rubbed them as she spoke, her voice trembling. “You’ve fallen in love, haven’t you?” she asked.

Branch blinked.

The anxiety flared up again.

Is this too early? Should I have waited longer? Is she unhappy that I’ve fallen for her?

Maybe I should call it quits and go home.

King Peppy was wrong. I knew it.

No! Once again, his inner voice of reason halted his errant train of thought. Talk to her! Figure this out!

“Well... yeah,” he said, scratching the back of his head before he bowed it. “This isn’t where I had wanted to talk about it, though,” he mumbled.

Poppy rocked forward and backward on her feet, crossed her arms in front of her body in a protective gesture, and resumed walking in the direction they’d previously been going. They didn’t make it far before she suddenly stopped again.

“Who is it?” she asked, staring at him in his eyes. “I mean... you don’t have to tell me, I guess, but I thought we were friends? I thought you would’ve told me if you’d met someone special. I thought- ugh, never mind.” She started walking again.

He blinked.

She doesn’t think it’s her.

Things suddenly made more sense to him.

He ran to catch up with her again. “Hang on,” he said once he’d reached her. She ignored his request and kept walking, so he stood in front of her in order to get her to stop.

“What is it, Branch? What more do you want from me?” Tears started welling up in her eyes again.

“Poppy... why are you crying?” he asked.

“I didn’t think it would hurt this much,” she admitted. “Can we keep walking? It helps to do something other than just stand and talk.” She tried to move past him, but he enveloped her in a hug when she bumped into him.

Despite her heightened emotional state, she relaxed a little in his arms. He held her close and whispered in her ear, “It’s you.”

She scoffed and burrowed further into his shoulder. “Right. All I do is annoy you.”

He pulled away from her and, with his hands on her shoulders, held her at arm’s length. “It’s always been you.”

Confusion was evident in her face, which was getting more difficult to see as night took the place of twilight. This was why he’d wanted to reach the very top of the hill before nightfall.

“You... you love me?”

Branch nodded his head and grabbed hold of one of her hands. “I do,” he affirmed.

Maybe he was thankful for the darkness after all. It was hopefully hiding his blushing face.

Poppy looked like she wanted to keep talking, but he tugged on her hand in order to pull her out of her thoughts. “Come with me,” he prompted. “We’re almost there. Then we’ll talk.”

“Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“You’ll see,” he answered.

——

A few moments later, they emerged from the trees and had a brilliant view of the night sky. Glittering stars and the pale moon worked together to bring light to the hilltop they’d walked to, while happy noises drifted up to them from far below where the rest of the village was. The lake glistened in the light from the heavens as well as the various campfires which dotted its shoreline.

The sight was stunning. Poppy let go of Branch’s hand without really thinking about it as she walked closer to the edge of the hill. She took in the sight of everything around her, soaking it into her memory.

“This is beautiful, Branch,” she said, taking a seat on the ground. She gestured next to her for Branch to sit, and he took her up on her offer.

Silence fell between them. Not necessarily an uncomfortable one, but not exactly relaxed, either. Many things still needed to be said.

“Branch, I-“

“Poppy-“

They spoke at the same time, then laughed a little at their own awkwardness.

“You first,” Poppy said, gesturing to him.

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings this week,” he blurted. “I wanted to surprise you, and what I had in mind was going to take a lot of coordination. I needed time to set everything up; that’s all.

“You’re the most important person in my life. I’m so sorry if I made you feel like you were anything less than that this week. I promise I didn’t do it on purpose, and I’ll try to be more mindful in the future.”

She placed her hand on top of his and entwined their fingers. It looked like she was planning to speak, but Branch resumed talking instead.

“I love you, Poppy,” he said. “And I wanted to bring you here, tonight, to ask if you will allow me to court you.”

Her eyes flew open at that question. “What?”

Smooth, Poppy. Very smooth.

“Um... did you hear me?” he asked, obviously put off by her reaction.

“No! I mean, yes! I mean-“

Get it together!

“I mean yes!” she shouted as she tackled him to the ground in a fierce embrace. “Are you kidding me? Yes!”

Branch let out a sigh of relief and returned her hug. “Good, because this was going to be a really awkward party otherwise.” He laughed at that thought and Poppy sat up.

“Wait... the party! You... the whole village was in on this?!”

He smirked at her from where he was still laying on the ground. “Yep. Well... most of it, anyway. I didn’t tell our close friends - or the trollings - until maybe an hour ago. They would’ve blabbed.”

“You,” she emphasized, “Organized and planned a party for the entire village? By yourself?”

He stood up and held his hand out to her. “Now you know why it took me so long,” he stated.

“So wait - what exactly are they celebrating?”

“You,” he explained. “And, well... your dad may have told them that we’re, well...”

“Intended?”

His ears and face darkened. “Effectively.”

Poppy laughed. “You asked to court me, Branch. You know that that means marriage later, right?”

“I know perfectly well what that means,” he said as he pulled her up into a standing position. “I just would’ve preferred to tell the village after you said yes. That’s all.”

“There’s no way I would have turned you down,” she assured him.

He smiled at her. “Do you want to go join the throng of happy trolls?” he asked, pointing to the lakeshore where everyone had congregated. Glow bugs illuminated the partygoers quite nicely, and Branch was somewhat startled to see that the vast majority of the crowd below was looking up at him as though waiting for some sort of cue to throw the party into high gear.

Poppy stood by his side and looked down at her people, then grinned. “Of course,” she stated. “But before we go... I might just kiss you.”

His eyes opened wide. “I-I-I... um, that- I wouldn’t say no-“

And he didn’t.

The trolls below shouted, hooted and whistled, then broke out into song and dance. Poppy laughed and kissed Branch once more before pulling him down the hill at top speed in order to join the celebration.

For a day which had seemed like it would end in misery, she certainly was surprised and very pleased to be experiencing the opposite.

[stonersheep]

Gary the protector of trolls

King peppy looked on to his people as he left his pod smiling and care free. He could see everyone either playing together or learning new dance moves, but in the corner of his eye peppy saw a shadow quickly move from one part of the village to another. Even though everyone is happy king peppy knows that they are in a dangerous part of the forest so the burgens wouldnt think to look here. King peppy always had to be on alert, patrolling every day smiling through the sea of trolls so they did not worry. Even though they had escaped from burgen town they still always had that fear in the back of their hearts.Happly king peppy makes his way through his subjects and makes his way to where the shadow figure was last seen. Looking through the grass he sees nothing. While searching he hears his lovely daughter's voice giggling, poppy is hanging with her little friends playing hug tag. A few feet off king peppy sees the shadow figure watching poppy as well. Without anyone noticing peppy lungs at the shadow. To his surprise its a small gray troll, branch the orphan. He refuses to reintegrate with the village or any family, living in a little hole on the outskirts of the village. Poor boy he wants to play with the kids. A terrified branch goes “im sorry king peppy i didnt mean to bother you daughter and her friends… I was just… keeping an eye out for burgens… Ya thats it.” Peppy chuckled “thats my job, hence the surprise boy. Why not go play with the other children.” Branch gets a terrified look on his face and starts to stammer. “I…i dont think i can.. I mean they are all happy and singing and im not much of a singer… Oh king peppy its getting pretty late i better head home. Thank you for your advice gotta go” branch bows and runs away. That child is so strange. King peppy continues the patrol even if the strange shadow was branch you never know who may be out there.. Finally finish checking all of troll village with the sun setting king peppy realised that he cant keep doing this everyday. The trolls will wonder why he would be so serious…

Days past and king peppy continues to keep an eye on the village. After a wonderful song and dance made from his daughter, a glitter troll comes running in with another purple troll its poppys friends creek and guy diamond…“king peppy come quick branch is hurting an animal.” Branch that shy boy? Why would he hurt an animal? Rushing to the scene he comes across branch smirking looking up at some contraption wrapping up a small figure. “Branch whats going on here” peppy bellows. The smirk quickly disappears from branch’s face. K..kking peppy im sorry im sorry i was trying to protect the village.. Branch’s voice fades as peppy starts to think. My goodness this is a young growl beast. If he caught this one the pack is not far behind. “Let him down branch.” “bb..but king peppy this thing can hurt the village!” Branch shouted, king peppy looks to guy diamond and creek “you two go back to the village and thank you for telling me what’s going back on.” both of them look reluctantly at each other and tell the king in unison “yes king peppy.” king peppy turns back to branch as he lets the growl beast go it scampers off whimpering. Peppy goes to branch his shadow looming over him, “do you know what that was branch?” Peppy asked “No Sir it just kept creeping near the village so i set up my net trap.” “Your net trap?” “yes Sir its a safe way to protect us without getting hurt i…i just wanted to help” Branch says shyly. King peppy’s mental gears begun to turn… Maybe i can get two hugs at once with this situation… “Branch how would you be my special helper?” peppy asked branch’s eyes get wide with shock. “You want me to be your special helper… I.. Dont know maybe you should ask someone else.. I dont really think can help you..” branch said disappointingly King peppy chuckled “my boy your actually the only troll who can. You see your not the only one who thinks protecting us isnt a bad idea, but i dont want the trolls to worry so i pretend its not a big deal but maybe you can help me… Do you think you could help me set up some kind of system to protect everyone?” branch’s eyes light up “king peppy really!!! I have a ton of ideas to make the village safer and better like tin cans hanging on all pods to alert for noises..” As branch goes on peppy couldnt help but smile he was afraid this boy would never want to be apart of the village but he wanted to be apart of it all along. Coming back to reality king peppy cut off the young branch… “Why not start putting up the defenses and ill check you tomorrow” branch smilies and runs off.. Glad to know that boys not to different than the rest of us.

The next day rolls around and king peppy looks for branch while making his daily rounds. Finally he finds branch in the outskirts of the beach “branch my boy how goes everything” branch had bags under his eyes and seemed out of breath but quiet pleased with himself. “Im finally finished your majesty” “with your trap?” peppy asked curiously. “With my hole defense system for troll village” branch says confidently. “Branch you didnt have to my boy we just need a few here and there.” Peppy says abit in shock. Branch looks down embarrassed "im sorry i just realised that you spend every day patrolling troll village while putting on smiling face… I want that smiling face care free.. Ill take over protecting the village if youd let me.“ While saying all this he pulls out a small box like thing… "Whats this?” peppy asks “it what controls all the defense system” branch replies. Peppy smiling big and bright takes the controller and uses it to lightly touch each of branch’s shoulders. “I king Peppy leader of the trolls apoint you branch the secret protector of troll village.” Peppy bellows at branch who a looks up at the king with a proud smile something he has ever seen from this child. “I promise i wont let you down your majesty” branch says proudly. King peppy parts ways from the boy, finally everything is settling in their new home.

A fews days past branch is checking up on the traps when he comes across some young trolls playing. Should he talk to them? Hes the kings secret protector he can play with some fellow kids… Right? He trys to get the courage to head over there when one troll breaks away from the pack, its princess poppy she seems so happy as she runs.. Straight into a trap!!! In a panic branch comes out of the grass screaming at poppy..“WATCH OUT!!” branch pushes her out of the way. She looks up at him hurt and confused.. “Why did you do that??” “im sorry are you ok i didnt mean to hurt you you were just about to..” he got cut off when a purple troll came up to the princess picking her up. “Are you alright poppy your not hurt are you?” The purple troll asked making a rude look at branch. “Im fine creek just startled,” poppy looks to branch “that was rude of you why would you do that?” “im sorry princess poppy i didnt mean to hurt you, you where about to get caught by one of my traps.” branch said apologetically. “Traps! Your that weird kid who lives on the edge of the village who likes to trap helpless animals” creek says “poppy come on lets play somewhere else” creek continues in a whisper “what if he tries to trap us” branch hearing some of the whispering “im not trying to trap you… Im trying to trap burgens and other intruders.” “burgens aren’t going to find us” Poppy says confidently “come on poppy lets get out of here before his sadness infects us.” creek says grabbing poppy by the arm slowly walking way. Poppy looks to branch then to her friend and reluctantly follows… Branch looks down at his controller.. Stupid traps… Stupid burgens… Stupid controller..as he thought it he throws the controller to the ground in defeat… Stupid me… Why would anyone wanna be my friend… Im so different no matter how hard i fit in….

Looking at his controller a new feeling swells inside… So what if they dont wanna be my friends i dont need them.. I have a friend the best friend.. Pickung up the controller he looks at it and says out loud “i have you gary and my traps. If no one likes me for me thats all i need”…

[bobbydagen24]

I've been thinking and I think I actually figured out a pretty simple way to fix the issue's with Creek's writing in the first movie just don't have him be the one who they spend the later half of the movie trying to save.

So I've been thinking about the first movie some more recently ( since it is still my favourite of the bunch ) And I had a thought in regards to the one thing about the film that's always bugged me aka the way the movie's writing screws over Creek and unfairly villainises him

Despite putting him in a much more dire situation than any other Troll in the movie

and well I was thinking there is actually a pretty simple way I feel they could have fixed this so the movie could still have its little surprise villain twist but make the writing less unfair

and make Creek a lot easier to judge and that is that they just shouldn't have had him be the member of the snack pack that the gang spends the second half of the movie trying to save

That's it its pretty simple I feel like I should have thought of this idea ages ago tbh 😂😂

But yeah just switch the movie around only a tiny bit and have it be another member of the snack pack who gets snatched from the cage early on

Tho since in the original the only reason they didn't go through with eating Creek was due to him agreeing to betray the village we'd have to change that detail slightly

to maybe just have it that Gristle was going to eat them but decided against it thinking he should wait until they have enough Trolls for all of his people to have one as well before he gets to eat one.

and the movie could play out pretty much the same Branch and Poppy go to save the snack pack in Bridget's room only this time Creek is with them

and the member of the group they need to stick around to save is maybe Guy Diamond? or Smidge? who it is doesn't actually matter tbh main point is that isn't Creek

so the movie's events play out the same the gang finds out their friend is being kept in Gristle's locket they try to save them but all get captured by Chef

but while they are all in the cage Creek does his big heel turn and betrays everyone offering to sell out the village for his own life and taking Poppy's Cowbell

The big important change here is that 1. Creek wouldn't have literally been through worse than any other Troll and basically tortured into submission ( The guy was literally kept in an a dark hole less tiny locket for hours on end )

and 2. it makes it so Creek's character actually had other choices in the film in this case he could have just stood by his friends who were in the same situation as him

and had faith that if they stuck together they could have figured a way out of their situation and if he had his faith would have been rewarded

as he along with the rest of his friends would have been set free by Bridget just before the Trollstice began and thus would have gotten to live

so him choosing to ditch his friends in a bad situation and also land everyone else in the village in trouble to save his own life when he had other ways to survive

would have made him a lot easier to judge imo

I feel like this is the way the movie wants him to be viewed and the way a lot of fans seem to view him but like I said I'm sorry but the writing messed this up big time

by having him go through so much horrible crap that no other Troll goes through and by having him be stripped of the same options that the other Trolls had

aka his friends were all given the option of waiting for rescue in their cages none of them were ever put in the same position of immediate certain death like Creek was

also this way we could actually foreshadow his more selfish nature a little earlier on through some more interactions with Branch and Poppy

as after Poppy and Branch rescue him and the rest of the snack pack from the cage in Bridget's room early on

he could be the only one who is openly trying to suggest the group all leave Bergentown and thus leave the member of their group whose still being kept in Gristle's locket to their gruesome fate

Only for Poppy to give her usual enthusiastic hopeful little speech of no troll left behind which excitedly inspires all her friends and its sorta clear Creek only goes along with it because

everyone else is and he doesn't want to be seen as the only person unwilling to try and save them.

so this way Creek could actually work better as a twist villain imo as it would come about after having a few more interactions such as this with Poppy and Branch

where he becomes more and more distanced from his group of friends with his true nature coming out in more and more little ways

maybe during Branch's backstory reveal Creek is the only one who doesn't rush to comfort him

and instead is shown being visibly perplexed at his friends all acting supportive and chummy with the village weirdo who he openly still looks down on despite him helping save his life

so when Creek does finally betray them it isn't just a sudden personality change like it is in the finished film and instead is the natural end point

of a load of small things from Creek that have been building on each other throughout the film gradually showing him in a worse and worse light

until eventually he makes the ultimate selfish move and shows how little faith he has in his friends.

making him an actual selfish hateable selfish villain rather than the movie and the fandom's punchbag who basically gets tortured a bunch and told he deserved to gruesomely die

for making one passive aggressive remark to someone who was openly rude to him and his friends on no doubt countless occasions lol.

anyway this is all just a thought I was having recently thank you for reading namaste

[theshy1sout]

Inseparable - Chapter 11

Tags: Not Rated, Slow Burn Fluff, Broppy, Trolls Mythology Au

Ao3 is here

Notes: Ok, so in the last chapter were some plot holes or more like understatements, but let me work on them later. There're many chapters before us, there will be a time for fixing them, but now, back to some fluff :3

________________________________________

It's time. Poppy is bouncing with excitement, the huge grin doesn't leave her fave. She's all happy. She's all one ticking bomb waiting to explode. 

- I'm scared now - Branch chuckles, watching as she's almost dancing. - What is this surprise? Is this something erupting from the ground or... How big is it?

The goddess giggles with genuine joy in her melody voice. She looks at him with sparks of thrill in her eyes.

- Bigger than you thought! - She beams. And then she reaches for the Staff. - Calm down, it would be great!

- I hope so - He throws, twisting his face. He hesitates to give her the Staff. - I know it’s ridiculous, but I'm really stressed, this is overwhelming, you don’t have to...

- Nah nah nah, shhh - She puts her finger on his mouth, making him freeze. She looks deep into his eyes, and says slowly with a calm, quiet voice: - It won't kill you, ok? It's a surprise. A gift. All you have to do is just follow me and watch. Easy?

The god blinks when her finger lets go of his lips. He takes a deep breath, keeping his eyes on her.

- Easy - He breathes out, nodding slightly. 

She smirks at him and finally grabs the Staff of the Light, taking it from his hands. The world slowly fills with shades of red and pink, birds start their welcoming-the-day serenades. Branch gazes tense at the sky, waiting for a huge loud explosion or something like that.

- Where should I look? - He asks.

- Just sit here and wait - Poppy says. She starts opening flowers' cups on the meadow. - And watch the sky. It will come slowly and smoothly, the first part hasn't got a big entrance or something.

- The first part? - Branch chuckles. - Maybe I shouldn't have asked how big it is, but how long it is.

The goddess of the Day smiles, not stopping her work. The blue god knows he is supposed to watch the sky and wait, but it is so easy to be distracted by her.

 Poppy gently opens every little or big flower cup. She touches them so carefully to not damage any of the sensitive pedals. The Staff shines gold in her hand, its Light brightens her rose complexion. Her hair looks so soft and majestic in its golden glow. He wonders how it would feel to sink his fingers into it. And her tiny, twinkling freckles... He wishes she would let him count them all, one by one. The touch of her smooth, warm skin was so delightful…

 Not like his. His skin is always cold. He all is cold. But when Branch's with her it's not that bad. Especially if she gives him a bit of her warmth... How is she doing that? Her smile makes his heart gets warm, he feels warmth, a real one, inside him, and it's like nothing else in this world, it is something so addicting, he wants more and more of it, but he's scared of asking. It's like a little fire inside him, a little fire that he wants to burn him one day or night, he wants to be burned by this fire and he doesn't know why...

And this pink beautiful lady, this gorgeous brisk woman, this sunshine dancing with the flowers on the meadow, this spotless gold heart and a bright, pure mind, this cute smiley face and two sparkling eyes, she... She's here. With him. She's giving him a gift. She likes him and likes hanging up with him. It is so hard to believe. But it makes him feel so good. 

- I told you to look at the sky! - Poppy laughs girlishly and sound. Her cheeks turn red when she notices he's staring at her. 

Branch smiles as he feels his face gets warm and probably purple. He used to get shy because of it, but he kinda starts liking it. Like, a lot.

- Guh, you got me! - He chuckles and lifts his arms. - I'm busted at adoring you. What a shame! I should've known that you're not the sky! 

The goddess actually blushes even more after those words.

- It's also kinda your fault, you were interrupting the sky - The god smirks. Oh my goodness, maybe this is cruel, but it’s so satisfying to see her like that. 

- Stop it! It's you who is supposed to be red right now - She giggles, sitting down next to him with the Staff in her hand.

- Why?

- Just look at the sky, you dork!

He chuckles and listens up. And now he's wondering how he could not notice that. How could he not notice that the whole sky, the whole frickin sky, the whole existing horizon...

Is BLUE.

Blue. Clear beautiful azure. Not milky white as always. But blue. The exact same shade that his eyes have. Blue. Azure blue. He even doesn't notice that his mouth is open wide until Poppy closes it with her hand.

- Now, I should say - She catches his sight and shows him a sweet smile. - How much I like sinking into your beautiful azure eyes.

He has no idea how his face looks right now. His mind just stops working, his sight gets lost somewhere between the sky and Poppy's eyes and smile. He tries to gather his thoughts. 

- I... don't know what to say… - He breathes out, after a while.

- You don't have to say anything! Aren't you the god of Silence?

He spits a chuckle.

- I am

- Branch, I just want to show you that... - She looks down a bit shyly. - I adore you as much as you adore me. I... - She sinks her fingers into her hair. - You know, it's this weird, funny feeling...

- Yeah - He smiles at her, grabbing a strand of her hair that falls on her face. He puts it behind her ear and lets his hand stay a bit there. - I know.

She's smiling, but not this huge, wide sunny smile she has when she gets excited, but a little, gentle one, much more similar to the smiles he does, a cute one. His thumb moves slightly through her warm cheek. Her face is so small, his hand cups almost half of it. It is so weird and so enjoyable that she likes it, but he lets go of her face. He lets go, fearing the desire in his chest, the desire to never let go of her warm soft skin. 

Poppy's sigh of delight is such a pleasant sound, another thing he can't get enough of.

- Are you ready for the next part? - She lifts her eyebrows with a smirk.

- I don't think so - Branch smiles.

- Well, you have a break now, I have a few things to do, and then the Midday and... you know - She shrugs her shoulders. - Responsibilities. But after that, I'll show you one more thing!

- And I will be following you whole this time like a creepy ghost - He jokes. - Maybe there is something I can help with?

Poppy gets her eyes up and twists her face as she's thinking.

- Well, I can find something for you.

* * * 

- After the first part of the surprise - Branch screams to be hearable in the loud sounds of rain. - I've imagined the second one much different than that!

They are wet, they are so wet. But the feeling of uncomfortableness fades with the sweet melody of Poppy's laugh.

- It's kinda prolog of it! - She yells at him. - We have to wait until the end of the rain!

- Yay! What fun! - Branch jumps and waves his hands, pretending that the situation is really enjoyable. The goddess laughs. It is the only reason he's still here in the rain. He raises his arms, tilts his head back, closing his eyes, and roars with displeasure. Cause this is displeasure. He stays like that. He drops his arms, but his face and hair are facing the droplets with all of their wetness. The tepid water is flowing over his whole cold body. The calming hiss is in the whole forest. He feels like the water cleans his mind leaving nothing but the sound of the droplets’ hits and the warmth of the rain.

- Actually - Branch murmurs. - It's quite pleasant.

After a long nice moment, when the rain lets go a bit and becomes a drizzle, the god hears Poppy's voice calling his name.

- Look! - She points at something in the sky.

He glances at it and gasps. There is a big hole in the grey clouds, with a clear, bright azure shining at the Land. And below it... a long translucent colorful ribbon streams from it down to the forest. The seven colors of it are so clear and beautifully illuminating against the background of grey rainy clouds. Mesmerizing bright colors. Wonderfully clear and pure. Strikingly splendid and simply gorgeous like a tender smile. Branch forgets about the world for a minute. He can’t take his eyes off it.

- I called it 'a rainbow' - Poppy says with pride. - It was so hard to design and to make. But Satin and Chenille, you know, the twins' goddesses of Beauty, are two geniuses! They helped me a lot. But sadly, a rainbow appears only in the drizzle. It's made with a mix of tiny droplets and Light. So I asked Trollazart to make it rain today - She chuckles, looking at the wet god. - I'm sorry.

He stares at the rainbow in Silence. She isn't sure if he adores it or gets lost in his thoughts. But the Silence is way longer than ever was.

- Umm, Branch?

His lips vibrate slightly as if he wants to say something, but he hesitates.

- What if - He starts really slowly and now Poppy is sure his mind is somewhere else. - What if we make an endless source of drizzle?

She frowns.

- When water falls into another water from a high height - He explains, showing the thing with his hands. - It makes a drizzle around. So if we create something like... A river falling from a height in the sunny place...

- It will make a drizzle and rainbow in it all the time! - Poppy gasps. She jumps excitedly. - Branch, it's so genius!

- Let's do it right now - He says, looking around to find the nearest river and starts walking quite fast. Poppy runs after him, bouncing slightly with joy. Are they going to make something together? Oh, this day is so fun!

When they arrive at its shore, the rain stops pouring. Poppy puts her hand into the water and calls the god's name. After a few seconds, the navy face, slightly illuminating violet, shows up from the water and two, big eyes gaze at them curiously.

- Hi Synth! - Poppy beams at the smiley god of rivers.

- Hi Pops! Hello Branch! - He cheers. - What's up, my fellows?

- Can you make a river for us? - Branch asks. - We need a river that will be falling from a high height in a sunny place.

- Crazy! - Synth yells. - I like crazy! Come with me!

And he dives into the water, disappearing.

- Umm, Synth? - Poppy calls him once again. 

His smiley face immediately shows up from the water. Again.

- Yes?

Branch clears his throat.

- Oh - The river god realizes. - I'm sorry. Let's go on the Land!

And with that saying, he steps on the ground.

- Do you know a place where you would like to see your river? - He beams at them both, putting his hands on his hips.

- I think I know a good place - Poppy replies and shows the direction.

When they come there, well, what to say more, it is a perfect place for their idea! The cliff is in the beautiful, sunny area, wild horses pasture nearby on the steppe. Synth calls the water from the Ocean and after an hour a brand-new river is ready and beautiful, streaming through the field. They call the place where it falls a "waterfall". 

- I give this beauty the name "Lora" - Synth announces. - I don't know why, but this river looks exactly like Lora.

- Sure - Branch nods, not getting. - Thank you for creating Lora for us.

- You're welcome! - The god salutes. - If you want something else, you know where to find me! - He throws, diving into the water of the new river. 

- Bye! - Poppy waves him goodbye.

- Ok, come here with the Staff of Light - Branch asks her.

The goddess comes close to the waterfall. She feels the fresh drizzle on her face. They both glance at it and gasp happily.

The rainbow appears above the water's surface.

- It's so beautiful! - The god is amazed. She never heard such a swoon in his voice. - I mean, the colors are so clear and vivid...

- Yeah - Poppy smiles.

They stare at it for a long while, just adoring its beauty. At the very same moment when the goddess wants to suggest that maybe they could sit down here and spend a bit of time together, the god jumps up with saying:

- Guh, it's so inspiring. I have a huge idea - Branch turns to her. - Can I keep it as a surprise?

Poppy looks at him kinda confused.

- Well, yes, of course!

- Then, I'm going to make it - He says, walking away.

The goddess of the Day stands very still, close to the waterfall, watching the smaller and smaller silhouette of the god of the Night on the horizon. She imagined that they would be sitting somewhere, talking about anything and just enjoying each others' company, as always. But now? She is just shocked. Only one, simple word, filled with surprise and disappointment, slips from her lips.

- What.

___________________________________

Index

[poppibranchlover]

Nine Lives, One Fight - Part 12

The story: Deep in the forest of Troll Town, there lies a mysterious tiny purple mushroom that has a secret magical ability. King Peppy calls this mushroom forbidden for all Trolls to go near it. One day, while Branch is out in the woods doing his survival research studying, he encounters it and, not knowing it is a regular mushroom, decides to harvest it and bring it home. But in the next morning, its magic effects transform him into a small blue cat! After being sent to the animal pound, his girlfriend, Poppy, finds him and decides to adopt him, although not recognizing it is Branch. Desperate to finish his research project due for a special event invented by Poppy, Branch is forced to learn how to behave like a pet cat and must figure out what caused him to become one.

You already seen what had happened in Part 11. Now get ready for Part 12!:

Night has arrived, and the rest of Troll Village are all asleep, including Poppy. However, Branch kept staying awake for the entire slumber, thinking about returning to his bunker. He watched as Poppy snuggled down on her pillows, snoring. 

Branch must decide what to do in order to return home safely without getting caught. Part of him was to go through the forest by himself, and the other wants to stay with Poppy until she takes him to his bunker. But it was no use because during the day he meets Wiggles, he always knew that Poppy will always find him...or worse; the Animal Control will bring him to the pound for all eternity, and Branch was sure he couldn’t let it happen again. He curled himself up and sighed as he began to sleep.

But then, a slight scratching noise caught his attention. His cat ears twitched and pointed at a window and Branch followed to where his ears were pointing at. Outside the pod window, two long rabbit ears emerged from the darkness.

Wiggles had came back. 

“Hey, pal!” he greeted cheerfully. “Do you think she’s gone now?”

“What are you even doing here?!” Branch demanded. “I thought you were back home!” 

“Oh, sorry about that,” the bunny casually apologized. “I thought I want to know what’s going on here. Do you think climbing on Troll pods is safe?”

“No, it is not!” Branch protested. “Some pods were hung on the highest trees of the village!”

Without another word to hesitate, Branch made his way to the bookshelf to rescue Wiggles before the little rabbit can put himself at great risk.

“Come on,” he told Wiggles as he reached down to get him to safety. “I’ll help you get in. It’s too dangerous to climb up a Troll pod like that.”

“Why?” Wiggles said mischievously. “It’ safe if you know where to put your paws-”

Suddenly, his smaller paws hanging on to the walls of the pod made him slip! Wiggles dropped out, grabbing the edges at the last minute.

“Help me!” he wailed as he was about to plummet down.

Wiggles fell just short of the window’s edges, but Branch caught his ears and hauled him inside the pod.

“Told you!” Branch shook his head.

Once Wiggles is safely inside Poppy’s house, the bunny stood panting for a minute.

“Are you alright?” Branch asked as he opened his mouth to let go of his ears.

“Of course I am!” Wiggles answered enthusiastically, shaking his fur. Then he looked around Poppy’s room, his mouth hung open. For a tiny bunny like him, it looked extraordinary bigger from his own perspective.

“Whoa!” he said. “You got a very pretty room! Do you live here?”

“Yeah, thanks for observing it,” Branch said, exasperated. “Now can you please get out of here before Poppy wakes up and sees you?”

“UGH!!! I can’t!” Wiggles groaned, mimicking Branch’s sarcastic tone. “I kept thinking about you and this is why I came here to see you again.”

“Well, how do you find me here?” asked Branch.

“Funny you should ask!” Wiggles giggled. “Now I can stay with you!” He hopped around in circles and knocked Branch off the shelf through his excitement.

Branch climbed back to the shelf, groaning with frustration. This adorable little critter is super annoying, and now that he followed him here, he has no other choice but to let him stay.

“Alright, fine!” he said impatiently. “You can stay with me! But there’s going to be rules for living here! Rule 1: Do exactly what I say!”

“Got it!” Wiggles eagerly answered. Then he asked “What is the second rule?”

“Just cooperate and don’t hop around Poppy’s house and mess everything up!” Branch explained. “Look, once all of this is over, I have to find a way to get back to my bunker without being caught.”

“Why?” asked Wiggles. “Do you like staying other than going somewhere else?”

“Yeah,” Branch replied, staring through the window. “But not all the time. I really need to find my bunker. If only Poppy would bring me there, then I would be able to gather my materials required for my Show-and-Tell festival project.”

Wiggles nodded, understanding the situation. “That’s interesting. How about tell her to go there and you can come along with her if you want?”

Branch thought it would be a good idea, but he came to realizing that if he communicates with Poppy, she can’t understand what he is saying due to being stuck in cat form. So he needs to think of another plan how to get there under Poppy’s control.

“Your plan is brilliant,” he told Wiggles. “But Poppy can’t understand me because I’m a cat!”

“No,” the bunny corrected him. “What I’m trying to explain is you can just pack up her stuff tonight and tell her to visit the bunker through animal language tomorrow. Doesn’t that sound like a plan?” He proudly looked up at Branch with a wink.

Branch was not so sure about handling this task. He placed his front paws next to each other nervously and felt his confidence fading. Animal language was hard to communicate with other Trolls. “But I don’t know if I can really do that,” he protested with disappointment. “I don’t think that won’t work.”

“Trust me, buddy,” Wiggles assured him. “I know this will work! You’re a domesticated pet! I’m sure you’ll handle this too good!”

Branch placed a paw up to his chin and started thinking for a minute. What Wiggles was saying is right. If he did accompany Poppy patrolling the festival preparations tomorrow, she can visit his bunker and that would be his only chance to prepare before the big event. He quickly lit up with determination with a gasp and exclaimed proudly “You’re a genius!”

“What are you talking about?!” Wiggles asked. “What is your plan?”

“I’ve got an idea for tomorrow!” Branch said. “We should start right now!” Then he leaped off the bookshelf, leaving Wiggles stunned.

“NOW?!” the rabbit whispered in shock before following him. “I guess that’s not the plan.”

Branch trotted over to where Poppy’s scrapbook crafting materials are. He spotted her backpack in front of them and smiled cunningly, knowing that this plan will go off straightaway.

“Alright, let’s get to work!” he said. “This plan should be too easy for me to handle!”

Wiggles didn’t skip a beat and got along with the idea. “Lay your paws down, kitty!” he said cheerfully. “I know you can do this!”

“Yes, I can!” Branch told him. “I’ve got this covered in my way!”

The two friends fist-bumped their paws and quickly got to work, packing all of Poppy’s crafting materials into her backpack to get ready for the next day.

When morning arrived, Branch and Wiggles have just slept in the middle of their work. After waking up to see the sun rising, Branch suddenly realized what he was doing and immediately packed the last item he was holding in his mouth while he was asleep the whole time. Then he closed the backpack and ran to Poppy’s bed to wake her up.

He leaped onto the bed and crept closer to Poppy’s face. She sounded asleep and Branch gently licked her face in an effort to make her get up. Poppy tossed and turned in her sleep, murmuring “Oh, Branch. You are the best guy I ever loved in my life...” In those words, she thinks that in her dreams about Branch, he always kissed her cheek.

Then Branch grabbed the end of Poppy’s hair and continuously pulled it as hard as he could. She giggled for a bit during her sleep as he continued pulling. 

“Oh...loved the way you stroke my hair....” she murmured again in her dream before she squinted her eyes and barely awoke at the sound of Branch’s rough hair tug. Poppy turned around to see him holding on to her hair with his teeth and frowned for a moment.

Branch quickly let go of her hair and smiled sheepishly as if he knew it was a mistake to wake her up like that. “Meow!” he meowed in a sweet voice.

But Poppy just eagerly smiled at him and patted his head. “Awwww! Good morning, Mr. Tickle!” she said happily. “You woke me up today, didn’t you?”

“Meow! Meow!” Branch replied through his natural meowing language. He playfully started to scratch her head on Poppy’s cheek.

“Okay, okay! Settle down!” Poppy laughed, and she happily petted her kitten’s head. Once again, Branch purred at the moment she always gently caresses him.

PURRRRRRRR…..PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR…..PURRRRR…

Touched by Branch’s act of kindness by waking her, she jumped out of bed and skipped her way to the kitchen. “Let’s get you something to eat this morning!” she said. Feeling quite proud, Branch followed her to get some breakfast to start off the morning.

Moments later, Poppy offered him a bowl of milk for him to drink up.

“Here you go, little kitty!” she said as she placed the bowl on the floor. Branch approached it and proceeded to lick up the milk.

While he is drinking away his breakfast, Poppy settled herself on her studying corner and talked out her itinerary for her Show-and-Tell Festival that will be taking place tomorrow. She got some of her things ready to go through her queen duties outside in the village as she explained “Okay, the Show-and-Tell festival starts tomorrow night, and I just couldn't wait!”

While Poppy is preparing everything, she took a cookie jar from her table and started munching on some of her chocolate chip cookies as she continued her plan. “Soon, I'll have all the time I need. Everyone will be there for this special day and they’ll be rewarded with lots of cookies, cupcakes, candy and many sweet things I’ll give to my people!”

She wrote a new list in her trusty notepad, placed it inside her hair and hopped out of her working chair to walk around the room, still holding on to her cookie jar.

“I just hope all that "rivalry" nonsense doesn't get in the way of this day, but also the other work I need to do,” said Poppy, feeling a little annoyance for a rivalry disaster to happen in this special event. Branch was still drinking the milk from his food bowl and listening to her at the same time when he noticed her jar of cookies. He stopped drinking, turned to the jar and sniffed at it.

He reached out his paws to take it from Poppy, licking his lips.

But as she went further away from Branch, his stubborn little cat paws caused the jar to drop onto the floor. Chocolate chip-covered and batter-crusted cookies spilled out of it.

Meanwhile, Poppy didn’t notice her cookie jar being knocked over that she kept speaking “If a certain Troll’s project might become top prize, they would be qualified to have it displayed in the village as a famous monument! That would practically guarantee their ascension into being Troll Village’s newest hero!”

Branch was barely listening to her idea that he was so focused on the delicious smell of cookies. He sniffed at them with curiosity.

Then he brought his face into the jar and hungrily gobbled up every cookie from inside.

Poppy packed up everything she needed to head out to the village. She turned to Branch, who was still eating her cookies, and said “Well, Mr. Tickle. I still hope there are some good news of my friends’ festival preparations. It’s never too early to begin the rest of your life and start a party!”

Branch stopped eating for a moment and raised his head to hear what Poppy is planning to do next. Then he gasped when he saw her picking up her backpack and getting ready to depart her house once again.

“Looks like it’s time to set up more necessities!” Poppy said happily. She waved to Branch and said “I’ll be right back, Mr. Tickle!”

No! No, wait! Branch thought desperately, his voice screaming inside his brain. You can’t just leave me here again! 

He knew this was supposed to be part of his plan on going back home, and if Poppy left him alone in her pod again, there was no way he can go on his own. Thinking quick, Branch ran to her and started meowing frantically “Meow! Meeeow! Meeeow!”

Poppy looked into her backpack to check all the important things she needed. “Let me see if I got everything; wallet for some money for some flowers, and lunch, notebook, my Troll world nature journal project for the party and my important favorite sweater that Branch gave to me last Thanksgiving. Am I forgetting something?”

Just then, Branch grabbed her backpack with his teeth and pulled it very hard, trying to stop her from leaving.

Surprised at what he’s doing, Poppy pulled her backpack away from him, grunting. “Ugh! Come on, Mr. Tickle! I was always gonna go to town to prepare for the Show-and-Tell Festival,” she said as she finally released her bag from Branch’s mouth. “The only thing now is that I have to organize the party by myself. Besides, it's not like King Peppy gave me much of a choice since I was coronated as queen.”

“Meow,” Branch meowed sadly upon hearing what she had said to him, and he sat down on his stomach in defeat.

Seeing how sad Branch was feeling right now, Poppy put a hand to his hair and stroked him. “I know, baby,” she told him in her sweet, gentle voice. “I don’t like how hard those preparations are either, and I won’t be able to collect anywhere near as much as I thought.”

After she tickled Branch’s chin with her finger, Poppy pulled out her notepad, reading the records she have written. She knew that today she won’t be able to get any excellent data recorded until the big day.

Then an idea hit her and she concluded “But maybe I can still get some stuff I need for this, and I hope the results will come out just fine.”

Poppy carefully tucked her notepad into her backpack and proceeded to leave, but Branch nudged her leg and protested “Meow! Meow! Meeeow! Meow!”

Poppy looked down at him, unconvinced at first. She completely understood that her cat was worried about the worst results that can possibly happen to the entire party, and that he wanted to come with her to join the festivities. But what if she wasn’t ready for this moment? If the festival was failing, then who was she? Not the Queen of the Trolls, that’s for sure!

Poppy looked down her feet to think when she saw Branch leaning against her, purring, in an effort to comfort her. Then she lifted him up and took him in her arms, saying “Oh, Mr. Tickle! You know I would let you accompany me during the festivities instead of leaving you here.”

“Meow?” Branch asked, like he was surprised into finding out that Poppy is going to bring him along. She gave him a quick hug before putting him into her backpack.

“Don’t worry! You’re just the nicest little kitten I’ve ever met in my life! I understand you want to come with me just only for today!” Poppy told him as she tucked him inside the bag. “Just remember to stay quiet, behave yourself and…try not to shed too much.”

After zipping up her backpack, Poppy headed for the door and out into her beloved town, certain she’ll make this great occasion as perfect as any party she had planned.

Aside from Poppy’s brilliant idea, Branch felt more certain that his plan to get back to his bunker is completely working!

                                               To Be Continued...

                                           Stay tuned for Part 13!

Note: Since I have to remain at home until the coronavirus calms down, I still have a lot to do with my cat Branch fanfic! But here’s the next part! It’s worth the wait! I’ll be making more as soon as I finish up my edits! 😄

[poppibranchlover]

Nine Lives, One Fight - Part 21

The story: Deep in the forest of Troll Town, there lies a mysterious tiny purple mushroom that has a secret magical ability. King Peppy calls this mushroom forbidden for all Trolls to go near it. One day, while Branch is out in the woods doing his survival research studying, he encounters it and, not knowing it is a regular mushroom, decides to harvest it and bring it home. But in the next morning, its magic effects transform him into a small blue cat! After being sent to the animal pound, his girlfriend, Poppy, finds him and decides to adopt him, although not recognizing it is Branch. Desperate to finish his research project due for a special event invented by Poppy, Branch is forced to learn how to behave like a pet cat and must figure out what caused him to become one.

You already seen what had happened in Part 20. Now get ready for Part 21!:

Flinging herself into her pod with her hair, Poppy didn’t stop until she got into her bedroom. Then she threw herself down on her bed and broke into sobs.

Poppy laid down motionless. Overwhelmed by the loss of her boyfriend, she clutched on to her pillow and wept. With tears in her eyes, she moved a picture frame beside her pillows and looked at it. The frame had a picture of Poppy and Branch, sitting on a hill together and giving each other loving looks.

Poppy sighed at the photo. She had never felt so distraught in herself.

“Oh, Branch,” she said softly, her eyes full of sadness. “I knew you’re always there for me, but you can’t be gone forever.”

One of her tears dropped down to the picture frame. The memory of Branch made Poppy feel even worse. 

She decided to settle herself for a good night’s rest. Tomorrow she would surely feel much better. Poppy turned on her side and closed her eyes, welcoming sleep to take hold of her.

During her sleep, a light suddenly flared into existence, dim behind Poppy’s closed eyelids. She clenched her eyes tighter together and rolled over to escape the small nuisance. The light was still there, and the warm and cozy bed was a little less so. Poppy opened her eyes to a sliver, then fully so.

A spotlight? And the bed was gone, replaced by a rough, stone floor. Poppy lifted herself off the ground and slowly made her way towards the lit area. What was this place? Was I dreaming? she thought. She reached the spot and bathed in the light. A black void surrounded her in every direction, except for the moon, which was positioned in the center of a starless sky.

This place… it felt so lonely… and so familiar, like Poppy knew everything about it, but didn’t recognize it at all. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see this, feel this, live this. It was almost like this was in her own mind.

Poppy began to sing to capture her mood:

You rest inside my mind

Since the day you came

A wind blew around her, pushing the fog away and leaving her untouched. Long-familiar features finally began to come into focus. First a rocky floor, then the center studying table, followed by the walls with shelves and baskets of supplies and survival equipment. 

Poppy knew this place. “Branch’s bunker!” she whispered, putting her hands up to her mouth and tears running down her face. She must be dreaming!

“Come on, Branch! I knew you wouldn’t miss the big day!”

Poppy’s eyes shot fully open. She knew that voice from out of nowhere…it was her own.

“I don’t know about this, Poppy.”

The pink Troll turned around and found a projection of herself talking to Branch, who was in Troll form in that time of the day. They glowed, with trails of foggy light seemingly evaporating off of them and disappearing into thin air.

“Why don’t you want to come to their wedding?”

Branch rubbed his chin, his eyes speaking volumes about his apprehension. “Are you sure your best friend will be alright to marry the king?” he asked Poppy.

“Of course!” Poppy told him enthusiastically. “Bridget and King Gristle are getting married today! They’re inviting all of us to their wedding! Why you want miss the chance to go to Bergen Town again? I thought you liked Bergens because they don’t eat us anymore!”

“I know!” Branch said awkwardly, nodding and raising his arms up. Then he hung his head, feeling a wave of sadness across his face. “It’s just...if only my grandma were here to see our happy village.”

Poppy clenched her eyes shut, remembering the day she used to comfort Branch over the loss of his grandma, who got eaten by the Bergen Chef when he was a little young boy a long time ago.

The foggy image of Poppy hugged Branch, and he hugged back, enjoying the pressure of her big warm hugs. “Oh, Branch,” she told him. “I can see how you felt. But now that we made peace with the Bergens and you regained your true colors, there is nothing to worry about. I’m sure your grandma will be so proud of you, smiling down from heaven.”

“Thank you, Poppy,” Branch said gratefully. “You were always there for me when you helped me to be happy.”

“And I knew you always were,” Poppy added. 

The two Trolls looked at each other lovingly and leaned forward, bringing each other’s lips close...

Poppy’s body trembled against the threat of tears. She did her best to shake it off and watched as the apparitions of herself and Branch disappeared. His chance to see Bridget and King Gristle’s wedding would be the best from him… At least he got to see it, and she is glad he enjoyed it. She quietly sung a few words:

I knew you would be with me

All the time we spent 

“Hey, Poppy! How’s it going?”

Poppy got startled from her song when another memory of herself visiting Branch again sprung up to the right.

Her image approached Branch. “Hey there, Branch!” she said proudly. She noticed that he is stashing some acorns in a bag. “What are you doing?”

“Storing food for the winter,” he said. “Why are you here? Aren’t you cold?” Branch looked so worried that she might be getting a frostbite if she went to his bunker without any warm clothes. He turned to a closet and cried “Let me get you some warm clothing!”

“No,” Poppy corrected him. “How could you forget? I’m here to give you a Christmas present!”

Poppy immediately remembered this! It was Christmas in Troll Village, and she went to visit Branch’s bunker to offer him a holiday blessing. Thankfully, Branch was able to accept the offer and unwrapped his gift with mere anticipation.

Branch’s jaw dropped open wide at his Christmas present. He was totally speechless at what Poppy give to him. “Whoa! No way!” he said, excitement gripped his throat. “A SuperTroll action figure?!”

Poppy tried not to laugh so that her boyfriend can agree with her. “Yes!” she squeaked, nearly throwing her arms wide to hug him.

Branch was overwhelmed with love and admiration. After pulling himself away from her hug, he moved his SuperTroll toy around, pretending that it can fly. “You’re the best, Poppy!” he said happily. “How can I ever thank you for this?”

“Well, you can always thank me as much as you want!” Poppy said proudly, smirking at him. Then she yanked him to the bunker elevator, and Branch was suddenly confused.

“Where are you taking me?” he asked.

“I’m sure you would love a good snowball fight!” said Poppy, bouncing up and down with excitement.

“Um, what are you talking about?” Branch didn’t understand what she was planning for him.

“Come outside! I’m sure you’ll love the snow!” With pride in her step and a determined smirk, Poppy hopped on the elevator platform, with Branch pulling the lever, rising themselves upwards into a flash of green fog. That was always like Branch; no matter what the situation, he would always be willing to come with her and help her, whether he enjoyed the fun or not.

As the memory disappeared, Poppy sang:

What we shared was surely

Warm enough to know you cared for me

“DANCE BREAK!!!” A familiar cry caught her ear; Poppy turned to see herself preparing to dance excitedly while Branch overreacted in horror.

She recognized this moment. Branch had never been too keen on overreacting just for the fun of himself. He’d only ever overreacted in some circumstances whenever something for a party was forgotten. One day, it was Guy Diamond’s birthday party at that time, and Poppy and Branch wanted to organize the party with a huge success, and they were busy setting up the balloons and banquet. During that one moment of preparation, Poppy started doing a victory dance and Branch nearly panicked, as if they were forgetting something.

“Clear the area!” he yelled, frantically looking around and waving his arms around. “Check for potential tripping hazards! Establish a perimeter for an open path for non-dancing Trolls to pass!”

Finally, Branch faced Poppy, who was staring at him and knew he had overreacted once. He threw his hands up in the air and dramatically cried out “DO WE HAVE ENOUGH LIQUID IN THE AREA FOR HYDRATION?!”

For a moment, everything was silent. Branch turned to Poppy’s glaring expression and hung his head, embarrassed at his outburst. “Okay then, point taken,” he said. “I’m sorry. I was overreacting for the sake of myself.”

Poppy’s image giggled and offered a genuine smile. She pushed her fist against Branch’s shoulder to playfully tease him before being engulfed in the fog of her mind, like all the rest.

Poppy turned away and was met by a large opening in the wall. She stepped outside into an open field, lit only by a sun hidden far below the horizon and a plethora of scattered stars. A green mist materialized beside a pod far from her gaze. It slowed and the fog fell off, revealing another image of herself, giggling as she showed Branch a drawing of himself with a porcupine quill-like hairstyle, whom he grimaced at. Poppy couldn’t place this memory, but it was yet another time they were at Maddy’s barber shop. Just as soon as they appeared, they disintegrated into ashes and disappeared into the night sky.

Poppy closed her eyes, taking in the sounds of chirping insects in the tall grass. Sounds became muffled, as if she’d been placed behind a window and was no longer really there. She opened her eyes to the sight of trees sprouting out of the earth, surrounding her wherever she turned.

Once again, the familiar faces of this dream appeared, appearing in a forest, only to disappear once more as each memory tended to do. To calm herself down, Poppy sang as the images played out from her mind:

Light floods through memories

Helps me walk my path

As she kept singing, Poppy was now on a rotating pedestal, lifted up high enough that she would be out of reach. On the memories played, showing her more of the happy times she had with Branch: the time when Poppy was curious of an emergency lever encased in a glass box he had created in the corner of his bunker and Branch warned her for her safety, advising her not to break the glass and pull it unless there will be danger. 

She remembered the time when she sheepishly told the truth to him after she accidentally breaks his vase made out of clay.

Poppy also remembers that one time she discovers his polished brass knuckles in his drawer, leading Branch to snatch it from her as she teasingly held her hand high from him, her fingers buckled within the shiny object. The memories surrounded Poppy with such dizzying velocity that she felt the need to curl up in a ball and hide. 

She quietly sang some words as her voice nearly shook:

I'll keep my head up high

Words of faith and love

Your strength gives me hope

Someday I'll find you with open arms

The memories all vanished in the fire of the setting sun, not unlike the one that had greeted her when she arrived home.

It was quiet. Poppy wasn’t sure she would hear it if she even spoke, but slowly a sound echoed around her. Ahead of her was a large clearing occupied by endless lumps of snow. Cut through the center of the area was a path, and the source of the sound.

Another ghostly image of Poppy ran down the path towards her. This memory was different. There was an urgency in her step, and Branch was nowhere to be seen.

“Poppy?”

Her breath caught as she faced a Troll with blue hair wearing a scarf, with his back facing her. Right in front of her, staring down the path, was Branch.

As Poppy’s mirror image closed in, Branch gave a happy wave before running in and hugging her tight. She looked on, as a lump formed inside her throat and a pang of sadness took hold of her. The other Poppy had tears in her eyes when she embraced Branch in the middle of the snow.

“What’s wrong, Poppy?” he asked in the memory, concerned about her emotion.

“Nothing,” she wept, trying to smile.

“Tell me what is wrong with you,” Branch said in his gentle voice. He lifted her chin with one hand to make her look directly into his eyes, but the sad pink Troll is unable to be comforted, looking down at the ground and crying.

“Don’t cry,” Branch said warmly, doing his best to comfort her. “It’s okay. I’m right here now. You can tell me what is your problem.”

“Branch, there is something I need to tell you,” Poppy said sadly.

“What is it?” asked Branch, pulling her tightly into his arms.

“One day, what if you leave me and get yourself into trouble? What’s gonna happen?” Poppy quickly paused for a moment, trying to hold back her sobs. Branch hugged her close, and she broke down in his arms. She poured out her sorrows and upcoming predictions to him. He listened without interrupting before he gently comforted her. He gave her valuable advice while he hugs her tight, assuring her that it was not the end of the world and that soon, all would be well.

“Nothing’s going to separate you from me,” Branch assured her, smiling. “It’ll be fine, Poppy. I’ll always be right here…in your heart.” He pointed out his finger to her chest as he said this, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Poppy leaned in close to his touch and was able to calm down. Together, they gazed lovingly at the beautiful sunset far from them.

Poppy forced her eyes shut, wishing the image would go away. That was it, the lie she had ever heard of her life. Why didn’t Branch have the guts to just tell the truth of his mistakes? At least if only he had told her… If he had told her that he accidentally pulled out the Archaeo morphisis mushroom that one single night, then maybe she’d at least know what to expect. She would have stop him from touching the mushroom, which Branch would then have to choose to lie about, or tell the terrible truth.

But it was too late to save his life now. Branch did promised that he will not leave her side, but he broke it for now. Her entire life is shattering to pieces as she predicted that she would live in a world without a village grump walking around and carrying sticks in his arms. Poppy knew Branch decided to lie, anyway, with the hopes that she could somehow conjure up the miracle cure needed to save him. But now she had failed him, and he would never forgive her.

Plus, she would never forgive herself too.

The world around Poppy grew dark, and her eyes grew heavy. The weight she had been carrying finally pushed her down to the ground. Her head became light and she felt the life escaping her as the air in her lungs escaped through constricting pressure. Tears streamed down her face through her closed eyes, dripping onto the packed dirt beneath her.

“You promised me to not leave me, Branch,” she murmured. “I know you were always in my heart...”

Soon, Poppy shot out of bed in reality, still holding on to her photo frame of herself and Branch and gasping for any air she could take in. Her body trembled as she fought to catch her breath.

Once Poppy managed to calm down, she sat back against the pillow and studied the darkness in her room. She could see faint silhouettes scattered around her. She fixated on one of them, studying the intricate curves of the craft. Suddenly, a ghostly mist began to weave around the object, and it began to turn to face her. Poppy shook her head and looked again; it was gone. Just her mind playing tricks on her.

The dream was still clear in her mind. Memory after memory, the happiness between Poppy and Branch was apparent, except for that last one. Branch had been scared and looked to her for answers. He trusted her, and she betrayed that trust.

One thing each memory had in common, though, was that Branch was always there. He was always there for her when she needed him. So why, after a few days of disappearing, was she not by his side now?

Without anyone to hug and comfort at bedtime, Poppy felt completely lost and alone. She looked up at the darkened pink ceiling and sighed. “Branch, where were you when you always need me?” she wondered. She couldn’t think where he had gone to, and hoped that he would be in a better place any time now.

Meanwhile, deep in the woods, Branch, stuck in his cat form, sat on a cliff near a river, heartbroken. It had been a long time since he had been chased by the Animal Control officer an hour ago. A cold breeze drifted over him and he shuddered. He had no idea how many hours he had been sitting here. With a deep sigh, he placed his chin between his front paws and brushed at the tearstains dripping out of his whiskers.

Branch gazed down at the river, where he can see his own reflection. He had never felt so hopeless in his life. Then he spotted a small rock in front of him and flicked it with his paw, sending it dropping into the water.

The liquid rippled, and through his own eyes, he can see that his watery reflection changed into his old Troll self, all dressed in his usual green vest and brown shorts and with pointed elf-like ears sticking out on the sides of his head.

Branch took a moment to look down at the reflection in the river. Seeing his Troll form down there made him feel even more worse. He closed his eyes and shed a tear, letting it fall into the river again. When the water rippled again, his reflection reverted to his cat form.

Dropping his head to his front paws, Branch sighed and curled his long blue tail around his body, blaming himself for ignoring Poppy and King Peppy’s warnings. The life he had always known was gone forever, and he needed to accept his fate.

                                               To Be Continued...

                                            Stay tuned for Part 22!

Note: This time, there were not much pictures in this one. For the most part, I'm very happy with how it turned out! The part is based off the music video “Memories” that I created last year, with some parts of it incorporated into the paragraphs. I hope I did the video justice because it really was incredible to me. 

I give you a link to the video! I dare you to watch it while you read through this part because it is linked to it.

Click here for the “Memories” music video! Good luck reading it! 😊💙💖